we'll be back with rick santorum. moderating a republican presidential debate focusing on the economy live from oakland university in rochester michigan. all suburbs of detroit, folks. first, the white house soup of the day in honor of the greek debt crisis it's greek lentil stew. quite the stew taking place in athe athens. you're watching "the daily rundown" on msnbc. ysta io aflac... and major medical? major medical, boyyyy! [ beatboxing ] ♪ i help pay the doctor ♪ ain't that enough for you? ♪ there are things major medical doesn't do. aflac! pays cash so we don't have to fret. [ together ] ♪ something families should get ♪ ♪ like a safety net ♪ even helps pay deductibles, so cover your back, get... ♪ a-a-a-a-a-a-a-aflac! [ male announcer ] help protect your family at aflac.com. [ beatboxing ] [ male announcer ] help protect your family at aflac.com. i've tried it. but nothing helped me beat my back pain. then i tried salonpas. it's powerful relief that works at the site of pain and lasts up to 12 ho

santorum or rick perry. what you heard last night from these candidates were direct appeals in terms of wrap around faith and family and values, but to lock up that vote. we're only six weeks away from the caucuses, ted. >> huntsman was on "saturday night live." mitt romney was not at that thanksgiving table type forum. a lot of people missing him. why did he decide to go to new hampshire instead? >> reporter: yeah, i mean, mitt romney has been staking a lot of his candidacy on the first of the nation primary, in new hampshire. he was holding an event in new hampshire at pretty much the same time that this event was going on here. not really clear why he didn't come here. he hasn't been spending a lot of time in iowa, up against his other rivals anyway. but that is not making some of the organizers happy. i spoke with bob vander plant, the ceo and organizer of last night's event. take a listen at how he summed up romney's absence. >> romney was the only one who stiffed us. and i think that's gone with his pe

he doesn't need the organization rick santorum needs. i mean, he can generate either buzz or negativity organically by being newt gingrich. he needs a better organization but he doesn't need the monumental ground game that some of the other candidates need. >> you know, krystal, if the evangelical christians are so protrudent in the caucus process, it's different when it's a caucus, why wouldn't michele bachmann or rick santorum have a good showing in iowa after as much time as they've spent there and how they are aligned with them ideologically and as far as faith is concerned? what about that? >> it's really interesting this year because the candidates who have spent sort of the least time on the ground, doing the least groundwork and traditional organizing, the ones who have been sort of selling their books have done the best. this primary's been so interesting because the debates have really mattered and have really set the tone. so i think voters in iowa -- >> i can answer that. >> go ahead, because i was going to say, voters in iow

rick perry, newt gingrich, ron paul, rick santorum and michele bachmann are all participating and this, of course, is the principle issue of the upcoming campaign, and they do need to get some headway going. both mr. perry and santorum have already spoken today. perry was pitching his 20% flat tax plan and bashing the obama administration, and rick santorum was trying to contrast himself to the texas governor. here's a little sampling. >> washington corporate lobbyists are going to hate me as the president of the united states. i'm going to take a wrecking ball to that corporate tax code and, frankly, the personal tax code as well. >> rick perry just talked about the 20% corporate tax. when it comes to manufacturers and processer, we would zero out the corporate tax. no corporate tax for people who make things here in america. >> reporter: this appearance today by rick perry is part of his big push for the leadoff caucus state. he is now on the air with not one, but two tv ads as part of his sort of inaugural tv ad blitz. he's expended his current trip to iowa to go through friday, all

-- >> rick santorum, very excited, going in on rick perry because rick perry didn't make sense on pakistan. rick santorum came up with his own answer and going to hit a home run where rick perry struck out. see the gleam in his eye. he's super excited. he's going in. >> we should be establishing relationships in pakistan with allies of ours, folks like, you know, relationships with president mumusharraf, with others in the country. if, in fact, something like that would occur, we could work in concert to make sure that coup could be overturned and make sure the weapons do not fall into their hands. >> rick santorum saying if he got the call at 3:00 a.m. that pakistan lost control of its nukes, he would call the former president of pakistan. president musharraf. the former. i think who is in texas right now meeting with guys like rick perry. rick santorum when in the senate was on the intelligence committee. michele bachmann is still on the intelligence committee. rick perry did have some fixer hook him up with a meeting with the prime minister of latvia and pervez musharraf. it is not just

rick santorum is one of those alums. he is joining us now live. senator, thanks very much for coming in. >> thanks, wolf. good to be with you. >> i want to get to politics and your race for the white house in a moment. but when you first heard about these accusations and they date back more than a decade, covering up you a lenled pedophilia at penn state university of all places, what did you think? >> i felt like i was punched in the gut. i couldn't believe it. you just don't want to believe it. you just can't think that obviously an institution that is your alma mater, you love and that you support, can do something like that. but it was a a systemic failure. from the graduate assistant -- i just inexplicably could witness like this and do nothing. do nothing at the moment much less afterwards. to me, i don't know what is being taught up there any more. it is frightening. >> allegedly the graduating asittant toll the coach paterno who told the athletic director who told the school president, but i assume you know most if not all of these people.

michele bachmann has been here quite a few times but rick santorum has had 200 events here. he's going to be visiting, as you said, his 99th county, jackson county way out by illinois late they are evening about 8:00 p.m. eastern. he's very excited to be doing this, and he tells us, you know, this has been his goal all along. originally by the caucus date, but he decided he wanted to do it before thanksgiving so he can go back and visit some of the other counties. >> so if you take away rick santorum after him, who has been the next most? >> i think michele bachmann has been the next most. she's been here i think over 70 days or had over 70 trips to the hawkeye state with different events, but really rick santorum has been here a lot. rick perry has been here a few times, and then obviously you have, you know, the trips from newt gingrich. >> sure. >> but, you know, we haven't seen obviously mitt romney or herman cain here besides once since the straw poll back in august. >> the whole irony, the two guys leading in iowa are the two guys that have visited the least. let's go

santorum and michele bachmann and rick perry could be here tonight is campaign hasn't commented but word on the street is he's in rehab and since mitt romney just school the other candidates every time ron paul comes to say it on foreign policy we've also left them out newt gingrich and his wife are on a luxurious vacation at an undisclosed location and jon huntsman mr huntsman has been written by goat well campaigning in new hampshire so we want to risk allowing a rabid candidate on the stage right let's get started candidates thank you so much for joining me tonight and we're going to start with issue number one on the mind of many americans right now recent census figures have shown us that in two thousand and ten poverty levels went up so now forty six million people forty six point two million people in this country are living below the poverty line if you look at the official unemployment numbers over nine percent if you look at the real unemployment numbers as measured by the you six sixteen over sixteen percent. i'm sure what's going on where you live it isn't going you know

rick santorum speaking up for gay iranians is now a thing that exists in the world. i love this show. at the next debate in september, we learned another new thing about republican debate audiences.2 c1 nobody expected legalizing heroin to be an applause line in the first place. at the nbc debate at the reagan library, presiding over a record number of executions became an applause line. >> your state has executed 234 death row inmates. more than any other governor in modern times. have you -- [ applause ] have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> in the state of texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of texas. and that is you will be executed. >> what do you make of -- [ applause ] what do you make of that dynamic just happened here, the ntion of the execution of 234 people drew applause? >> i think americans understand justice. >> then

rick santorum speaking up for gay iranians is now a thing that exists in the world. i love this show. at the next debate in september, we learned another new thing about republican debate audiences.2 c1 nobody expected legalizing heroin to be an applause line in the first place. at the nbc debate at the reagan library, presiding over a record number of executions became an applause line. >> your state has executed 234 death row inmates. more than any other governor in modern times. have you -- [ applause ] have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> in the state of texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of texas. and that is you will be executed. >> what do you make of -- [ applause ] what do you make of that dynamic just happened here, the mention of the execution of 234 people drew applause? >> i think americans understand justice. >> the

santorum and michele bachmann rick perry could be here tonight as campaign hasn't commented but word on the street is he's in rehab and since mitt romney just schools the other candidates every time and ron paul to say it on foreign policy we've also left them out newt gingrich and his wife are on a luxurious vacation at an undisclosed location and jon huntsman well mr huntsman has been bitten by a goat while campaigning in new hampshire so we want to risk allowing a rabid candidate on the stage right let's get started candidates thank you so much for joining me tonight and we're going to start with issue number one on the mind of many americans right now recent census figures have shown us that in two thousand and ten poverty levels went up so now forty six million people forty six point two million people in this country are living below the poverty line if you look at the official unemployment numbers over nine percent if you look at the real unemployment numbers as measured by the you six sixteen over sixteen percent in poverty. i'm sure what's going on here where you plug it in

rick santorum speaking up for gay iranians is now a thing that exists in the world. i love this show. at the next debate in september, we learned another new thing about republican debate audiences. nobody expected legalizing heroin to be an applause line in the first place. at the nbc debate at the reagan library, presiding over a record number of executions became an applause line. >> your state has executed 234 death row inmates. more than any other governor in modern times. have you -- [ applause ] have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> in the state of texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of texas. and that is you will be executed. >> what do you make of -- [ applause ] what do you make of that tdynamc just happened here, the mention of the execution of 234 people drew applause? >> i think americans understand justice. >> then at

rick santorum speaking up for gay iranians is now a thing that exists in the world. i love this show. at the next debate in september, we learned another new thing about republican debate audiences. nobody expected legalizing heroin to be an applause line in the first place. at the nbc debate at the reagan library, presiding over a record number of executions became an applause line. >> your state has executed 234 death row inmates. more than any other governor in modern times. have you -- [ applause ] have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> in the state of texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you're involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of texas. and that is you will be executed. >> what do you make of -- [ applause ] what do you make of that dynamic just happened here, the mention of the execution of 234 people drew applause? >> i think americans understand justice. >> then at

rick santorum talked about his daughter who was born with some kind of genital -- sorry about that. some kind of defect. genetic defect. i've been listening to too many debates. >> a big debate. donna brazile, thank you for being here. tomorrow night, next, one of the candidates who will be here tomorrow. jon huntsman grades. he doesn't get an f. [ male announcer ] what if we told you that cadillac borrowed technology from ferrari to develop its suspension system? or what if we told you that ferrari borrowed technology from cadillac to develop its suspension system? magnetic ride control -- pioneered by cadillac, perfected in the 556-horsepower cts-v. we don't just make luxury cars. we make cadillacs. mary? what are you doing here? it's megan. i'm getting new insurance. marjorie, you've had a policy with us for three years. it's been five years. five years. well, progressive gives megan discounts that you guys didn't. paperless, safe driver, and i get great service. meredith, what's shakin', bacon? they'll figure it out. getting you the discounts you deserve. now, that's progressive

rick santorum when in the senate was on the intelligence committee. michele bachmann is still on the intelligence committee. rick perry did have some fixer hook him up with a meeting with the prime minister of latvia and pervez musharraf. it is not just really working out this year. >> do you view china as a potential military threat to the united states? >> yes, they're a military threat. they've indicated they're trying to development nuclear capability. >> for the record, china is not trying to develop nuclear capability. they have had nuclear weapons since 1964. the herman cain campaign tried to deal with its foreign policy problem every time it manifests. at one point his campaign told the "daily caller" mr. cain was getting a one-page briefing on foreign policy issues almost every day. a full page. almost every day. when things did not get any better, despite that extensive briefing, instead of trying to explain it away, make people try to not worry about it, they have now tried to turn this into an asset. mr. cain telling the "milwaukee journal

rick santorum when in the senate was on the intelligence committee. michele bachmann is still on the intelligence committee. rick perry did have some fixer hook him up with a meeting with the prime minister of latvia and pervez musharraf. they have tried to develop some expertise on foreign policy. it is not just really working out this year. >> do you view china as a potential military threat to the united states? >> yes, they're a military threat. they've indicated they're trying to development nuclear capability. >> for the record, china is not trying to develop nuclear capability. they have had nuclear weapons since 1964. the herman cain campaign tried to deal with its foreign policy problem every time it manifests. using a few different strategies. at one point his campaign told the "daily caller" mr. cain was getting a one-page briefing on foreign policy issues almost 3% every day. a full page. almost every day. when things did not get any better, despite that extensive briefing, instead of trying to explain it away, make people try to not worr

in any of those counties. 99 counties have got a glimpse, at least, of rick santorum. that's tonight's big number. >>> up next, the republican governor of arizona is being accused of a power grab, after orchestrating the ouster of the chairman of the state's supposedly independent redistricting commission. it turns out the governor didn't like the map the commission drew up, so got rid of the commissioner. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. new stride whitemint is a hit but it lasts too long. how do we get people to chew another piece? i got this one. oh hey. [ male announcer ] spit it out. or yeti will find you. [ grunts ] i like him. thanks ryan. [ male announcer ] new stride whitemint. the ridiculously long lasting gum. [ sighs ] can't wait 'til morning. wait, it's morning in china... [ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's® crunchy nut™. it's morning somewhere™. when someone changes lanes without warning? or when you're distracted? when you're falling asleep at the wheel? do you know how you'll react? lexus can n

counties. 99 counties have got a glimpse, at least, of rick santorum. that's tonight's big number. >>> up next, the republican governor of arizona is being accused of a power grab, after orchestrating the ouster of the chairman of the state's supposedly independent redistricting commission. it turns out the governor didn't like the map the commission drew up, so got rid of the commissioner. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. >>> welcome back to "hardball." out in arizona, the new census figures mean the state gets a new congressional district for the state. and back in 2000, arizonians voted to take the politics out of redistricting and have it done by an independent commission. but politics crept back in this week as governor jan brewer fired the independent leader of the independent commission. well, today, "the hill" newspaper laid out the stakes. "the draft map the commission released in october shored up some democratic seats and made some republican seats more competitive. it also created a new toss-up district that democrats have a chance

counties. 99 counties have got a glimpse, at least, of rick santorum. that's tonight's big number. >>> up next, the republican governor of arizona is being accused of a power grab, after orchestrating the ouster of the chairman of the state's supposedly independent redistricting commission. it turns out the governor didn't like the map the commission drew up, so got rid of the commissioner. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. >>> welcome back to "hardball." out in arizona, the new census figures mean the state gets a new congressional district for the state. and back in 2000, arizonians voted to take the politics out of redistricting and have it done by an independent commission. but politics crept back in this week as governor jan brewer fired the independent leader of the independent commission. well, today, "the hill" newspaper laid out the stakes. "the draft map the commission released in october shored up some democratic seats and made some republican seats more competitive. it also created a new toss-up district that democrats have a arizon

rick santorum has visitsed 99 counties in iowa, chuck. he is hoping for surprise there. and michele bachmann continuing to tout what she says is anecdotal evidence on the trail that she is still doing well in iowa. what about the next tier of candidates? congressman paul polls in really the tier by newt gingrich and governor perry recently. >> bret: i think ron paul will always. >> i think ron paul will get his 8, 9, 10% and top out there. dedicated cadre of libertarians. the others i see as competing if the slice that used to belong to perry. a lot went to cain. maybe some of it will flow to others. gingrich to me is interesting because he has kind of sneaked up on us again. last night there was a bomb planted. freddie mac story. he took $3 million from freddie mac. he said not to lobby but if not to lookby then what? what was he getting $300,000 from the organization for? that brings us back all of his washington insider stuff. all of his -- >> bret: he said consulting last night. and he also said that they didn't listen to what he told them. >> well, you know, i guess

>>reporter: the tsa is in the spotlight once again as rick santorum called for extra scrutiny for muslim fliers during the cnn debate on tuesday. >> is it ethnic profiling? religious profiling? who would be profiled? >> the people most likely to commit the crimes. obviously muslims would be someone you would look at, the radical muslims are the people committing these crimes by and large as well as the younger males. >> he completely through equal protection out the window. >> at airport screening is a hot topic. >> do i agree with racial profiling? i do not think so. i do not think it is a good approach. it is a very slippery slope. >> anyone to be terrorists, not necessarily just a muslim. >> they treat us differently. >>vicki: the united arab emirates is seeking an apology from the tsa. >>vicki: president obama and his daughters visited a neighborhood bookstore a few blocks away from the white house. later on, the president and michelle obama attended a basket of game in maryland. that >>vicki: the scene of this movie looked way to real and police almost shot the film standards. >>vic

i mean, not rick santorum, obviously, but aside from that, really, anyone. >> i recently wrote a book called "a nation like no other" designed to deal with american history. we recently made a city called "a city upon a hill" that explains the origins of american exceptionalism. brief commercial. callista couldn't be here because she's at a bookstore in dubuque signing her new book which called "sweet land of liberty" which is for 4 to 8-year-olds. @nññ >>> here's what happened when herman cain sat down to talk with the "milwaukee journal sentinel" editorial board today. just watch. >> so you agree with president obama on libya, or not? >> okay. libya. >> the important thing to realize here is that is not the mistake. the mistake is what happened after that when he -- actually started talking. in the category of hard to watch but also impossible not to watch, herman cain coming up. mary? what are you doing here? it's megan. i'm getting new insurance. marjorie, you've had a policy with us for three years. it's been five years. five years. well, progressive gives megan discounts t

a great answer by rick santorum. we have been nice to rick so that's it. >> see you guys. nice being on the show. >> you stay right there. let's start by what i guarantee you more americans are talking about around dinner tables and pakistan and iran and jobs bills. that is your alma mater. a man you call a friend, joe paterno. it's heart breaking. i loved and helped penn state from a distance. i went there for a game and how i love the team and how i love the program and the people and the school. my god, there have been so many adults who let down so many children. it's got to kill you. what's your reaction? >> it's devastating on so many levels. you think about the kids who so many of them were hurt because they didn't do the right thing. that devastation, the devastation of people that you held up and you thought this was a program and a group of people that you respected and to see that come crumbling down and the impact of penn state graduates and the impact on the university and the kids there. the impact on the community and the state. this is -- unless you are fro

counties. 99 counties have got a glimpse, at least, of rick santorum. that's tonight's big number. >>> up next, the republican governor of arizona is being accused of a power grab, after orchestrating the ouster of the chairman of the state's supposedly independent redistricting commission. it turns out the governor didn't like the map the commission drew up, so got rid of the commissioner. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. [ artis brown ] america is facing some tough challenges right now. two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy. that's good for our country's energy security when you're a sports photographer, things can get out of contr

santorum talking about whether profiling is ok there are times when the t.s.a. and while you listen to sometimes answer make sure to really pay attention to ron paul and what he's doing on the side. so just to be precise is it something religious profiling who would be pro some. of the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes if you look at i mean obviously it was people obviously muslims would be would be someone you'd look at absolutely those are the folks who are the radical muslims or the people that are committing these crimes as we've by and large as well was younger males i mean these are things that not exclusively but these are things that you profile to to find your best the most likely candidate. like a kid i came here because i got to go crazy over what you're saying right now is my favorite is his profile muslim i think that was ron paul's real shining moment and that could be it actually it was just his silent reaction and just the right you know he will go on the other ones actually just stand there and look very stoic and he was ge

i mean, not rick santorum, obviously, but aside from that, really, anyone. >> i recently wrote a book called "a nation like no other" designed to deal with american history. we recently made a city called "a city upon a hill" that explains the origins of american exceptionalism. brief commercial. callista couldn't be here because she's at a bookstore in dubuque signing her new book which called "sweet land of liberty" which is for 4 to 8-year-olds. ♪ ♪ mama said there'd be days like this ♪ ♪ "there'll be days like this," mama said ♪ [ male announcer ] the toughest job on the planet just got a little easier. with one touch technology and even an air scrubber. the nissan quest. innovation for family. innovation for all. get up to $3,050 total savings on the 2011 nissan quest. ♪ >>> here's what happened when herman cain sat down to talk with the "milwaukee journal sentinel" editorial board today. just watch. >> so you agree with president obama on libya, or not? >> okay. libya. >> the important thing to realize here is that is not the mistake. the mistake is what happened aft

don't depart me with five. [ laughter ] not a lot of people that you are a huge rick santorum fan. why do you think his campaign took off? >> you know with santorum, he is so angry. >> he is an angry man. >> every debate he seems angry but a part of me thinks he is sitting at the debate because all the other candidates are flaming out. meanwhile, he can't get any attention. >> look, you study the way he lost the last election which i think a lot of the republican insiders have and he is a non-starter. i don't even know why paw eleven at this dropped out before santorum. pawlenty might regret having dropped out. >> he did poorly in the iowa caucus which is a stupid thing to begin with. but if you don't do well there, the money makers go away. >> it was a migraine problem. could be crabby enough. he may just have a muscular problem. >> we broke news on this show. i like it. from a political story to banning old glory. this one won't be political. in california, high school principal banned the display of american flags on cinco de mayo for fears there were many riots. i think this sh

not rick santorum, obviously, but astid from that really anyone. >> i recently wrote a book called "a nation like no other" designed with deal with american history. i made a move spree called "a city on a hill." brief commercial. calista couldn't be here because she's at a book sfor in dubuque signing her new book for 4 to 8-year-olds. breathe robert, out of your mouth. [ male announcer ] that onion after taste after you again? new crest complete with scope dual blast technology blasts away bad breath germs and food after tastes. new crest complete with scope dual blast. blast your way to fresh breath. >>> here's what happened when herman cain sat down to talk with the "milwaukee journal sentinel" editorial board today. just watch. >> so you agree with president obama on libya, or not? >> okay. libya. >> the important thing to realize here is that is not the mistake. the mistake is what happened after that when he -- actually started talking. in the category of hard to watch but also impossible not to watch, herman cain coming up. americans are always ready to work hard for a better