and newt gingrich was the guy in charge. well, this will hopefully focus american's attention on exactly what will happen if you put the washington republican leadership back in charge. you're going to get more the same. you're going to get the same old economic policies that we got for eight years under the bush administration and you'll get the same kind of rhetoric and constant investigations that you got under gingrich instead of focusing on the country's problems. >> what about their strategy on the right? early 2009 the first guy to come out and take a swipe at president obama was dick cheney and that went on for about four, five months. and then it was kind of transferred over to the senator from south carolina, who gave us the waterloo comment av course a no agenda to everything that the democrats and the majority has proposed, and you know, led by president obama. so now we have got -- cheney's pretty much out the mix. here's newt with some the most radical stuff that we've ever heard. is this a reflection of the re

gingrich has a real problem. if he's concerned about anti-colonial attitudes, i have a document for him to read. it was written in 1776 by a bunch of radicals. and he probably wouldn't like them either. >> he has a lot to say about the islamic center in lower manhattan and the people opposing it. we'll talk to him. >>> and a view of the deadly gasline explosion in northern california. literally has it happens. these images we got today are just stunning. the question, could the utility company have prevented it? we'll find out. this site has a should i try priceline instead? >> no it's a sale. nothing beats a sale! wrong move! you. you can save up to half off that sale when you name your own price on priceline. but this one's a deal...trust me. it's only pretending to be a deal. here, bid $79. got it. wow! you win this time good twin! there's no disguising the real deal. >>> well, americans vote again tomorrow in the final primaries going into november. on the ballot a new york congressman in deep ethical trouble

gingrich has a real problem. if he's concerned about anti-colonial attitudes i have a document for him to read. it was written in 1776 by a bunch of radicals. and he probably wouldn't like them either. >> he has a lot to say about the islamic center in lower manhattan and the people opposing it. >>> and a view of the deadly gasline explosion in northern california. these images we got today are just stunning. the question, could the utility company have prevented it? we'll find out. [ male announcer ] your first day. you try to lie low, get the lay of the land. but then autoblog.com calls your interior lexus quiet. and automobile magazine goes comparing you to a cadillac. ♪ so much for the new kid fitting in with the rest of the class. the all new chevrolet cruze. starting under $17,000. get used to more. ♪ >>> well, americans vote again tomorrow in the final primaries going into november. on the ballot a new york congressman in deep ethical trouble and one of the most popular figures in delaware politics tra

newt gingrich. >> given that we were colonies and we rebelled, that we were anti-colonialists, when did anti-colonialism become anti-american? i thought we've almost always also worked with the colonies who sought to get out from under the thumb of the european coloni colonists. >> yeah, because we didn't like being colonies. we didn't like colonialism. but somehow, again, inside his head, that narrative has been twisted, and one imagines that he fancies himself, you know, a retired british colonel in 1963 sitting around in his armchair puffing his pipe saying who lost kenya, you know, that sort of thing. >> yes. why do they call row desia rhodesia? >> why do they call -- what's his end game? nobody's blown himself up more in america except wile e. coyote. >> i suppose we could give him a nice assortment of fine acme products as a parting gift. >> one big anvil. >> other than that, nothing really. this doesn't lead anywhere. i don't know a single republican involved in politics who believes newt gin

newt gingrich. >> given that we were colonies and we rebelled, that we were anti-colonialists, when did anti-colonialism become anti-american? i thought we've almost always also worked with the colonies who sought to get out from under the thumb of the european colonists. >> yeah, because we didn't like being colonies. we didn't like colonialism. but somehow, again, inside his head, that narrative has been twisted, and one imagines that he fancies himself, you know, a retired british colonel in 1963 sitting around in his armchair puffing his pipe saying who lost kenya, you know, that sort of thing. >> yes. why do they call row desia rhodesia? >> why do they call -- what's his end game? nobody's blown himself up more in america except wile e. coyote. >> i suppose we could give him a nice assortment of fine acme products as a parting gift. >> one big anvil. >> other than that, nothing really. this doesn't lead anywhere. i don't know a single republican involved in politics who believes newt gingrich c

how about newt gingrich? he's out with the kool-aid and sounding like a paranoid, or is he, or just pretending to fire up his brand name. let me finish with what i saw in the town hall. we begin with the obama clinton coalition. arianna huffington, her new book, and howard fineman. let's go to arianna. it's enormous. everybody goes there. >> i thought you were going to congratulate me on bringing howard on board. >> well, i was going to start with you in your greatness. let's talk about the news. you cover progressive news better than anybody. let's call it the progressive centrist coalition and some moderate high thinking -- who voted for obama. how do you hold that thing together? how do you blild the way blair built in britain. nobody does this better than mr. bill. >> i told the president last time i talked to him, i said, i don't think they're saying very many things they didn't say about me in '94. people just don't feel better and the democrats need to say, this is what we did, this is what happened an

i think he could have been a little tougher on newt gingrich. look, newt gingrich lived a lie. he imposed a lie on this country when he poses the moral scourge of the congress, when he was speaker going after clinton. and now we know, this guy, you know, was not an avatar of morality. he had treated, you know, two out of threeincredibly badly. he was carrying on an affair with a staff member while he was going after clinton. why would anyone listen to him criticize the background of barack obama. it show s how gullible a lot on the right would be that they would stand there and applaud this character. >> i guess christine o'donnell is not the only republican messing around with witchcraft these days. is this the messtofly figure of our time? >> and colin powell says he makes these statements from time to time. it's every week. he equated mosque supporters to nazis. now he's talking about obama's kenyan world view and things like that. it's consistent, it's constant. >> thank you, we've got to go. eric, keep posting the information. we rely on it, media matters. thank you, joe c

that's what newt gingrich said this weekend. i want to know, can we go any further down this suer of hate. isn't it enough to fight over taxes and spending and wars? do we have to attack the very americanness of the president, who brought this country such honor by his inspiring rise to office. plus, we heard john boehner say he would be willing to extend the bush tax cuts for the middle class. sounds like he's willing to compromise. maybe, or maybe he's luring democrats into a trap. we're going to ask the "hardball" strategists. also, the big political story in tomorrow's primaries, may come out of delaware, where a sarah palin/jim demint conservative may be poised to score the biggest upset of the season. a win by christine o'donnell would be good news for the tea party but it could, it could cost a chance to take over the republican sen participate and how meg whitman's madmen managed to rip the top off a fight between two top democrats. jerry brown and bill clinton. let me finish tonight with the inspiring sight i saw this w

here's what newt gingrich said. i used to grow up reading that magazine. it was serious and very antibias, by the way -- he's really a kenyan guy over there thinking like that against the british oppressives who he now sees as the white ruling class from wall street. that's the way newt's selling it. >> part of the thing for a lot of these people who believe -- they said, i want our country back, they're talking more generally about the liberal conspiracy to take over and teach condoms in the schools. >> good old american left. >> homo sexuals in the military are trying to get in. this is a new way for them to hook in to the same animosities that the republicans played on successfully. >> they don't need it. they got the key to the door. it's unemployment. thank you, guys. i got some real pros here, by the way. i am humbled. >>> up next, lisa murkowski's running as a write-in candidate, but if they can't spell her name -- apparently, the judge is going to help the voters. you're watching "hardball." we need directions to go to... pearblossom highway? it's

i think he could have been a little tougher on newt gingrich. look, newt gingrich lived a lie. he imposed a lie on this country when he poses the moral scourge of the congress, when he was speaker going after clinton. and now we know, this guy, you know, was not an avatar of morality. he had treated, you know, two out of three wives incredibly badly. he was carrying on an affair with a staff member while he was going after clinton. why would anyone listen to him criticize the background of barack obama. it shows how gullible a lot on the right would be that they would stand there and applaud this character. >> i guess christine o'donnell is not the only republican messing around with witchcraft these days. when you look at this guy, i think you are looking at mesostopoly figure of our time? >> and colin powell says he makes these statements from time to time. it's every week. he equated mosque supporters to nazis. now he's talking about obama's kenyan world view and things like that. it's consistent, it's constant. >> thank you, we've got to go. eric, keep posting the informati

newt gingrich comes to us as. trouble, oh, we got trouble. he calls good people racist, people like supreme court justice sonia sotomayor and shirley sherrod. he doesn't beat around the bush. he calls them race i in broad daylight. with president obama he gets more vicious. he says the president has the mind of a kenyon. what is this man doing in public life? why are we living in a public square so dominated by eye of newt? die bowlcally, he speaks on my matter that will cause hatred, anger or fear, or all three. he warned this last week we are in danger of being placed under sharia law. he declared his opposition what he called any effort to impose, his word, impose, sharia on the united states, you know, arms and legs being cut off, stoning. newt barks out a message of hate and confusion and anger that would be frightening if it were

gingrich? let me bring in reverend barry lynn, executive director of americans united for separation of church and state. reverend, good to have you with us tonight. >> nice to be back. >> here we go! mixing religions, scaring americans right back to the voting booth and president obama is evil. >> you know i always wonder, where does newt gingrich get his values? i think, possibly, from -- he gets them in dreams after really bad fish dinners, because frankly, let me give you some numbers. the american people 75% of us believe, for example, that gays should serve openly in the military. 75%. newt gingrich says, no, no, no, no they shouldn't. the majority of americans in polls and in elections say no to those school vouchers, the things that governor christie in new jersey wants to implement in order to destroy public education. the majority of americans oppose it. newt gingrich wants it. in other words, if the american people want all the things that i would say, normal people want, why is he a

newt gingrich is back with us. sir, seems like a lot of democrats are running ads without saying they are democrats. saying they didn't vote for health care. essentially running from the president and the democratic policies. is this unusual or not? >> well, i think it is unusual in a normal year. but this isn't a normal year. i think failure of the obama economic policies, the unpopularity of the giant health bill, the disagreement over the 787 billion dollars in stimulus withdrawal added to the deficit, what you have is a country which is in most parts of the country, increasingly unhappy. if you were a democrat trying to get reelected and you took a poll in your district and found 2-1 the people in your district wanted to repeal the obama health plan, probably if you voted yes, you wouldn't put your vote in the advertising. a lot of this is normal. what has begun to be more interesting is the fact that congressman taylor the democrat from mississippi, is now saying he would like to vote for a skeleton the democr

gingrich? let me bring in reverend barry lynn, executive director of americans united for separation of church and state. reverend, good to have you with us tonight. >> nice to be back. >> here we go! mixing religions, scaring americans right back to the voting booth and president obama is evil. >> you know i always wonder, where does newt gingrich get his values? i think, possibly, from -- he gets them in dreams after really bad fish dinners, because frankly, let me give you some numbers. the american people 75% of us believe, for example, that gays should serve openly in the military. 75%. newt gingrich says, no, no, no, no they shouldn't. the majority of american s s in polls and in elections say no to those school vouchers, the things that governor christie in new jersey wants to implement in order to destroy public education. the majority of americans oppose it. newt gingrich wants it. in other words, if the american people want all the things that i would say, normal people want, why is h

, newt gingrich? >> it would more, except i've seen this pattern over the last year. that the teabaggers are actually taking over the mainstream republican party. >> larry: take over newt gingrich? >> taking over john mccain. john mccain had a long noble service, i wanted to vote for him in the year 2000. suddenly, had was against everything he ever stood for. this was the guy who was sponsoring the sensible immigration bill in the united states congress. and now, he's talking about the border. ee he's on the beheadings page. he was saying illegals were causing car crashes on purpose. i'm not surprised that they're getting the mainstreamer republicans to pander to them. yeah, newt was considered the thinker in the republican party. he was sort of their philosopher. now, he's talking about the wild tribesman. >> larry: let's get to the islamic center in the world trade center. it's 12 blocks from it? >> two or four blocks. there's nothing else down there. it was a burlington coat factory that is out of

, newt gingrich? >> it would more, except i've seen this pattern over the last year. that the teabaggers are actually taking over the mainstream republican party. >> larry: take over newt gingrich? >> taking over john mccain. john mccain had a long noble service, i wanted to vote for him in the year 2000. suddenly, had was against everything he ever stood for. this was the guy who was sponsoring the sensible immigration bill in the united states congress. and now, he's talking about the border. ee he's on the beheadings page. he was saying illegals were causing car kracrashes on purpo. i'm not surprised that they're getting the mainstreamer republicans to pander to them. yeah, newt was considered the thinker in the republican party. he was sort of their philosopher. now, he's talking about the wild tribesman. >> larry: let's get to the islamic center in the world trade center. it's 12 blocks from it? >> two or four blocks. there's nothing else down there. it was a burlington coat factory that is out o

, newt gingrich? >> it would more, except i've seen this pattern over the last year. that the teabaggers are actually taking over the mainstream republican party. >> larry: take over newt gingrich? >> taking over john mccain. john mccain had a long noble service, i wanted to vote for him in the year 2000. suddenly, had was against everything he ever stood for. this was the guy who was sponsoring the sensible immigration bill in the united states congress. and now, he's talking about the border. he's on the beheadings page. he was saying illegals were causing car crashes on purpose. just crazy stuff. i'm not surprised that they're getting the mainstream republicans to pander to them. yeah, newt was considered the thinker in the republican party. he was sort of their philosopher. now, he's talking about the loud tribesman. >> larry: let's get to the islamic center by the world trade center. it's 12 blocks from it? >> two or four blocks. whatever it is. there's nothing else down there. it was a burlingto

gingrich has reached new depths. we're watching "hardball with chris matthews" on msnbc. host: could switching to geico really save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance? was abe lincoln honest? mary: does this dress make my backside look big? abe: perhaps... save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance?really host: is having a snowball fight with pitching great randy johnson a bad idea? man: yeah, i'm thinking maybe this was a bad idea. but now, to get it really cooking, you need a little website development. some transparent reporting, so you know it's working. online ads and 1-on-1 marketing consultation. yellowbook's got all that. yellowbook360 has a whole spectrum of tools. the perfect recipe for success. visit yellowbook360.com and go beyond yellow. >>> let me finish tonight with a political force that is truly diabolic, newt gingrich. newt gingrich comes to us as mephistopheles. trouble, oh, we got trouble. he calls good people racist, people like supreme court justice sonia sotomayor and shirley s

after that, a conversation with former house speaker newt gingrich. gingrich.

, newt gingrich? >> it would more, except i've seen this pattern over the last year. that the teabaggers are actually taking over the mainstream republican party. >> larry: taken over newt gingrich? >> taking over john mccain. john mccain had a long noble service, i wanted to vote for him in the year 2000. suddenly, he was against everything he ever stood for. this was the guy who was sponsoring the sensible immigration bill in the united states congress. and now, he's talking about the border. he's on the beheadings page. he was saying illegals were causing car crashes on purpose. you know, just crazy stuff. i'm not that surprised that the teabaggers are getting the mainstream republicans formerly mainstream to pannedder to them. newt gingrich used to be considered the thinker in the republican party. now he's talking about the lao tribesmen? >> larry: let's get to the islamic center by the world trade center. it's 12 blocks away, isn't it? >> two or four blocks. whatever it is. there's nothing else

. >> some absurd rhetoric like what newt gingrich has used. >> that's right. as a result of the campaigns using that rhetoric, what do we expect to start happening other than open brawls and campaign events? >> at one point, you wonder if this is going to start turning people off. you know, the irony of what colbert's doing, he and jon stewart are trying to have this rally on the mall for sanity and of course colbert today contributed to the insanity. vaughn, we've got a new feature we're teaming up on. the voter confidence index. tell us more about it. >> what we're trying to do with this is measure the impact of the anger out there. we've taken the average of big poll questions these national major polls ask commonly and averaged them together. we've come up with a number that sort of illustrates where the feel, the mood of the country is. negative is bad, positive is good. president obama is down to negative 38. we've also taken that back and looked at how the numbers stack up historically to other midterm elections. he's right now the president in his part

when i was 5, i became mute being rich -- newt gingrich. you can never explain the true pronunciation in georgia. >> you recently converted to catholicism. what does that process. -- walk us through that process. >> the basilica of the national -- it is a beautiful church. i got in the habit of killing and limit travel around world, i would go to mass. gradually over an eight year period, i think they became absorbed into the church and then decided they must be catholic. it was not a decision to become catholic and then go to church. in the process, it was coming to understand the power of the eucharist in the catholic tradition, the body and blood of christ, and the importance and central that the place in the mass, and in second was being allowed as a spouse to be at the basilica of when the pope came two years ago just having the chance to see the pope and to think about his slogan for that trip, which was, christ our hope, and deciding that that was exactly right. i have been amazingly welcomed into the church. i understand why people

and newt gingrich talks about the theory. is this fringe journalism? from breathless coverage of a kooky pastor here to the phone-hacking tabloid crooks in britain, are the media sinking into an ethical swamp? conversation with the daily beast's tina brown. plus a new york jets reporter gets cat calls in the locker room and some commentators are blaming her for dressing too provocatively. we'll ask espn's christine brennan whether that's out of bounds. i'm howard kurtz, and this is "reliable sources." >>> a couple of weeks ago no pundit on the planet would have wagered a nickel on diehard conservative candidate christine o'donnell winning the republican nomination for joe biden's old senate seat in delaware. shows what we know. and when o'donnell upset veteran congressman and former governor mike castle this week she stepped into a blazing hot media spotlight. >> a triumphant night for the upstart tea party. christine o'donnell with sarah palin's backing. >> the republican leadership is just stunned by what happened last night in delaware and now they

he doesn't want to criticize newt gingrich because he's been a big supporter of his. here's the other deal. the president's father left them when he was around 2 or so. he didn't even know the guy. so it's not like he grew up around his dad, listening to him all the time. also, when has been colonialism a great thing? >> talking to democrats, i know you have, privately, we'll say, some of the anger they hear in they districts, they say there's no doubt some of it is latent racism. they can't prove it -- >> oh, good lord. when republicans start talking, they scream racism. it's the last best trick of a losing democrat, is to accuse the republicans of racism. the issue here has nothing to do with race. the issue has to do with nobody, republican or democrat, has figured out what this guy's world view is. and the republicans are starting to set the narrative for 2012 already that this guy's world view is fundmentally anti-american. >> erick, you're not going to say the president of the united states who is sworn to defend and protect the constitution, has an anti-america

newt gingrich was the clear leader of the revolution. he didn't have a revolution forced upon him. boehner has not been the leader of this. >> more scared. >> he's just trying to hang on to the bulls as they're running through the streets, that, you know wasn't the case in 1994 and because gingrich was the leader of the revolution, i think he felt more obligation to them to prove he could lead. once he got into office boehner won't have that since that sort of motivation is spurring him as well. chances are he may be more inclined to watch his back. gwen: is everybody getting a little overreacted to this, getting too nervous? "roll call" wrote of all the incumbents this year, 98% are getting re-elected. it's not as if they're throwing all the bums out they're selectively, and spectacularly in high profile ways throwing certain bums out. >> when the bums thrown out mood costs you a senate seat that would give you control of the senate is worth worrying about. gwen: that's what happened with scott brown as well. people forget we've been through these upheavals before. >> as most incu

speaker gingrich, maybe he relates more often with speaker pelosi than i do. she hasn't relayed the secret plans for me. as for the qs wizard of oz" video, it is california. >> what did you think of the video? is it sexist? >> no, it is creepy. but newt relates more than the hill more than anything else. he wanted clinton out for his monica lewinski under the table thing. what was he doing? he was having his own affair. he is upset that he is not there getting chickses anymore. >> bill, as a friend of nancy you must be upset. >> i was at my friend of dorothy's club, we were enjoying cosmos and i was discussing this ad. the two things are every character in this ad is as you said, they are so creepy they make the munchkins look like the flying monkeys. and the other thing is, i am pretty convinced that it is mark sanford. thank you look, that is mark sanford. >> i want to show you my favorite commercial. i was senator chuck grassley explaining technology. >> i heard chuck grassley has a twitter. >> can it be cured? >> i like to use new technologies like twitter

newt gingrich talks like he is a tribal leader somewhere. the president talking about a kenyan, a third worlder. he is calling him an anti-colonial. here's what he said, what if obama is so outside our comprehension that only if you understand kenyan anti-colonial behavior can you begin to piece together his actions? that's the most accurate predictive model -- in other words, if we're going to predict the speaker of the house, we should think of him as a kenyan chief or what? what kind of talk is that from an american politician? >> look, i'm going to leave it up to newt to do the philosophical theories on politics. look at one of the problems with obama, he just hasn't been effective. he needs to focus on jobs. that's what the american people are worried about. he hasn't been able to do that. he spent too much money. >> why don't republicans focus on jobs instead of on his tribal nature? why are republicans -- you have a good case about jobs. >> you're talking about one republican, come on. >> newt was your speaker. you used to obey this g

in a moment i will be joined live by newt gingrich. i'll ask him to weigh in on the left's claims that a civil war has erupted within the republican party. the rise of candidates like christine o'donnell, sharron angle, rand paul, marco rubio and others have led some to argue that the future of the gop is in peril. as usual the mainstream media and chief propagandist, robert gibbs. >> the republican leadership is just stunned by what happened last night in delaware. now they are scrambling to get control of a movement that seems to be taking overtheir party. >> last night showed there is a very vociferous debate going on inside the republican party. >> republican officials in this state and nationally are trying to figure out how to win with a candidate they did not want. >> tea party upsets like hers have triggered a republican party civil war. >> i want to get straight. o'donnell is another sarah palin endorsed candidate. karl rove is doing battle now with sarah palin. >> palin vs. rove, get your tickets. >> sean: it is a civil war o

i think that gingrich five years ago would be embarrassed of what gingrich is saying and doing today. >> larry: why isn't it embarrassing today? >> i think he has ambitions to be a presidential candidate and he thinks that to go hard right and to appeal to the extreme even tea party movement members may be beneficial to him politically. >> larry: all right. what is your read on obama? >> i think he's a good, solid, intelligent man who is suffering from perhaps the worst washington environment of any president in history and i would even include abraham lincoln as we led up to the woverton estates. no other president has faced such a polarized congress where he can hardly get one or two votes, you know, out of hundreds who are republicans in the house and the senate. so he has had to overcome that and i think he's had remarkable success in light of that handicap. >> larry: president jimmy carter's our guest. the book is "white house diary." we'll be right back. d it too. saved ourselves the hassle. i'm not too sure about this. look at this. [ security agent ] right. you never kick off

at fourth was newt gingrich. sarah palin came in fifth. >>> busy local bridges are closed, the chain bridge and the frederick douglass bridge were both closed last night for structural repairs. that means there is no access to them for motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians. both are expected to reopen at 5:00 a.m. monday. the chain bridge will close again each of the next three weekends in october. >>> very nice saturday night. it brought about the rest of the weekend -- what about the rest of the weekend? brian van degraff is in the weather center. >> we are watching a gorgeous weekend developing. it is fitting because this is the last full weekend of summer, as we switchover to fall. the weatherbug network temperatures cooling off nicely, upper 70's, 80 degrees. 62 rockville. leesburg 59, 57 warrenton. 58 la plata. we are cooling off nicely. in the morning, 50's downtown, 40's in the suburbs. we warm to the upper 80's to more. afternoon clouds, but a very nice finished the weekend. >>> coming up, igor on the move

and secondly he's not newt gingrich. newt gingrich walked in with a reputation and image of a guy very conservative, maybe kind of out there maybe kind of unpredictable. bairner doesn't have that. he is sort of a bland image if anything so the ago of demonizing him i don't think is going to fly. >> what is john boehner as a ledge later. he is not somebody who will blow up the place. he really is a guy that for 20 years has been interested in getting things done. >> lehrer: and we had gotten this done tonight, thank you both very much. >> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day: at a wide-ranging news conference, president obama charged republicans are holding the middle class hostage and delaying the economic recovery. he also made a call for religious tolerance in light of recent threats by a florida pastor to burn the koran. and protests were held across afghanistan against the possible koran burning, and some turned violent. at least 11 people were injured in clashes. and to hari sreenivasan, in our newsroo

gingrich versus clinton, who was blamed for the shutdown? >> clinton worked with republicans. isis he going to be clinton or jimmy carter? >> obama can work with republicans. he did it in illinois. chris: who are the democrats more afraid of, the republican agenda or the fear that they're going to shut it up? >> i think they're more concerned about the obstructionist, because the positive thing is light and airy. it's the people who say we're going to stop, we're going to end. that's more visceral. when republicans go to the senate floor and say, i think we ought to end social security. so maybe there's a center right compromise. you have a deficit committee coming, so maybe there's a center right compromise about social security. >> you're going to have the grass-roots right that fuel the tea party will not tolerate mitch mcconnell cutting deals. and those guys, if anybody is caught cutting a deal, then you're going to see people in the rank and file saying they got to go and there is a real fine line. one of them may not last a year. chris: these guys seem like stiff republi

gingrich got all the republicans to sign onto this. if you don't like this, they can run from it and some are running from >> what about conservatives out in the country? they are attacking this just like democrats. >> that is democracy, isn't it? >> john behner's objective has been achieved whether it is a wise move for not is another matter. >> in the end, with the underlying forces in the economy and politics, so strongly against republican, this will have a marginal effect. it gives democrats targets individual districts. if you are a pro-choice district and you are a moderate republican, you could look at the provision about the hite amendment, meaning no federal government funds even indirectly would go to abortion and you would have an issue. in the end, the economy and the failure of this administration is so obvious it will have its own affect regardless. >> i don't think the public is paying any attention to this stuff. i really don't. i think it is just noise. >> we know it, though. >>> this is like an inside thing that nobo

i think that gingrich five years ago would be embarrassed of what gingrich is saying and doing today. >> larry: why isn't it embarrassing today? >> i think she has ambitions to be a presidential candidate and he thinks that to go hard right and to appeal to the extreme even tea party movement members may be beneficial to him politically. >> larry: all right. what is your read on obama? >> i think he's a good, solid, intelligent man who is suffering from perhaps the worst washington environment of any president in history and i would even include abraham lincoln as we led up to the woverton estates. no other president has faced such a polarized congress where he can hardly get one or two votes, you know, out of hundreds who are republicans in the house and the senate. so he has had to overcome that and i think he's had remarkable success in light of that handicap. >> larry: president jimmy carter's our guest. the book is "white house diary." we'll be right back. zegerid otc is the first 24-hour treatment ever with two active ingredients: prescription-strength medicine plus a protective

gingrich got all the republicans to sign onto this. if you don't like this, they can run from it and some are running from >> what about conservatives out in the country? they are attacking this just like democrats. >> that is democracy, isn't it? >> john behner's objective has been achieved whether it is a wise move for not is another matter. >> in the end, with the underlying forces in the economy and politics, so strongly against republican, this will have a marginal effect. it gives democrats targets. individual districts. if you are a pro-choice district and you are a moderate republican, you could look at the provision about the hite amendment, meaning no federal government funds even indirectly would go to abortion and you would have an issue. in the end, the economy and the failure of this administration is so obvious it will have its own affect regardless. >> i don't think the public is paying any attention to this stuff. i really don't. i think it is just noise. >> we know it, the alaough. >>> this is like an inside thing tha

you've heard -- >> some absurd rhetoric like what newt gingrich has used. some crazy rhetoric. >> that's right. and you know, as a result of the campaigns using that rhetoric, what do we expect to start happening other than opening brawls at campaign events? >> you know, rat one point, you do wonder if this is going to actually start turning people off. you know, the irony of what colbert's doing, he and jon stewart are trying to have this rally on the mall for sanity and of course colbert today in many ways contributed to the insanity. vaughn, before i let you go a new feature that we're all teeming up with on msnbc.com. the voter confidence index. tell us more about it. >> what we're trying to do with this, chuck, is measure the kind of impact of the anger that we've seen out there. we've taken the average of big poll questions these national major polls ask commonly and we've averaged them together and we've come up with a number, that sort of illustrates where the feeling of the mooftd country is. negative is bad. positive is good. president obama start

i think that gingrich five years ago would be embarrassed of what gingrich is saying and doing today. >> larwhy : n't it >> i think he has ambitions to be a presidential candidate and he thinks that to go hard right and to appeal to the extreme even tea party movement members may be beneficial to him politically. >> larry: all right. what is your read on obama? >> i think he's a good, solid, intelligent man who is suffering from perhaps the worst washington environment of any president in history and i would even include abraham lincoln as we led up to the woverton estates. no other president has faced such a polarized congress where he can hardly get one or two votes, you know, out of hundreds who are republicans in the house and the senate. so he has had to overcome that and i think he's had remarkable success in light of that handicap. >> larry: president jimmy carter's our guest. the book is "white house diary." we'll be right back. was i supposed to go without my wife? [ elevator bell dings ] [ grunting ] haha, that was awkward. so we upgraded to the venture card from capital one