and it should not have been done. and can the tea party deliver on this bold promise? look, we are going to choose the next republican nominee. right. we are not going to accept what the republican party hands us. but up first tonight, stunning evidence of why the stakes of that republican civil war are so consequential. new lows for president obama on just about all of the tests you use when an incumbent asks for four more years. the president s overall approval rating, at a new low. his grades on leadership, worst ever. and nearly 6 in 10 americans now doubt the president has what it takes to manage the government effectively. yet, another low point. on the road today in ohio, the president suggested republicans know he s on the ropes and are now willing to punish unemployed americans to keep his numbers down. already yesterday there were some republicans quoted in washington saying that even if they agree with the proposals in the american jobs act, they should
many are looking at the gop presidential candidates with a fresh eye. did rick perry do anything to damage his status as the frons runner? i ll ask newt gingrich about his performance as well. stand by. he s joining us live. plus, a brazen taliban attack on the united states embassy in afghanistan. some insurgents may still be on the loose now. we have new pictures and information coming from kabul and some top california politicians are trying to figure out what, if anything, is left of their stolen campaign war chest. a well-known democratic campaign treasurer stands accused of swindling more than a million dollars in campaign donations. i m wolf blitzer. you re in the situation room. rick perry may have walked away from his second presidential debate feeling battered and bruised. the tea party face off proved to be a very tough test for the texas governor. less than 24 hours after the republican candidate stood on stage with me in tampa, reviews still are coming in about
a quick handshake, good luck, as you would say, be strong. it s a very important night, a consequential night for the country. let s show you that live picture inside the haul. eight republicans for president engaging in this debate. in recent days, a crackling debate about the 2012 presidential campaign. not only, and you ll hear it all night long, taking aim at president obama and his agenda, but we have playing out a fierce and an increasingly intense battle for the leadership, the heart and soul, the policy agenda and the philosophical approach of the republican party. watch these eight candidates tonight. we know the texas governor rick perry has emerged quickly as the front-runner. the massachusetts governor, the former governor of massachusetts, mitt romney, his lead challenger, number two. and then there s a break between the other candidates. if there is one other candidate who perhaps has the most to prove tonight, it is the minnesota congresswoman, michele bachmann
term ponzi scheme for social security. on the hpv vaccine issue, immigration some other issues. did you feel he answered those three questions in a way that is going to help him as he moves forward? a couple of things. i think debates are great. too lone the republican party is anointed or too long the republican party is anointed that is not healthy. sean: not going to happen this time. that s a good thing. i don t agree with rick on 100% of the issues. i think he s the best candidate when it comes to the economy. social security, he got a lot of attacks. the democrats are trying to use the word upon did scheme. the real is democrats know the entitlement programs are going broke. they know doing nothing is not a choice. they know every two years they try to scare the public, win elections [ talking over each other ] sean: it didn t work in new york and he tried to do this to turner it fell flat.