i'm in for brooke baldwin. we are watching the mikes. mitt romney is expected to step to the front, to the microphones and give what his campaign is calling a major speech on his plan to fix the economy. we're told the republicans are planning to focus on the debt. we'll keep our eyes on that. the obama campaign is upping the tv antein the battleground states with a new attack ad that really takes aim at romney's record at bain capital. it features steelworkers who lost their jobs years after bain investigated in the company. >> those guys were all rich. they all had more money they would ever spend. yet they didn't have money to take care of the very people that made the money for them. >> bain capital walked away with a lot of money that they made from this plant. we think of romney as a job destroyer. >> this rebuttal features glowing comments from workers at a different steel company. >> mitt romney's private sector leadership team stepped in. >> building a dream with over 6,000 employees today. >> if it wasn't for a company like steel dynamic, this county would haven't a life. >> and this is only the beginning. just wait until the super pacs kick into high gear. you're not going to be able to avoid seeing ads like this day after day after day. i want to bring in the press secretary for. >> bama 2012. he's joining us from chicago. i want to take you to task on this one. because it was real heart wrenching to listen to those steelworkers in your ad that was ripping mitt romney for being at the helm of bain when, in fact, he wasn't at the helm when that company went bankrupt. was that fair or was that dirty? >> well, that's actually not accura accurate, ashleigh. after he went to salt lake, he remained the owner of bain. he was there when h they loaded the company up with debt, put them on a path to bankruptcy and ultimately 750 workers loost their jobs and their full pensions. >> but you know and i both know he was not managing the company at that time. >> he certainly was when they loaded the company up with debt. >> that is prior to him -- come on, you're mincing dates and your ear cheating here. >> he left to salt salt lake city. this is a way you can twist things to be a good campaign ad. is it fair and is it clean? >> absolutely. look, mitt romney has asked us to jumg his t-- judge his tenur as a corporate buyout specialty. he's listed that as a reason for his presidency. we're not questioning the private equity industry as a whole. we're questioning mitt romney's economic philosophy. is that the type of economic philosophy you would like to see in the oval office where mitt romney and the wealthiest few profit at the expense of the mid 8 class. the goal here wasn't job creation, it was wealth creation for himself and his partners. >> let me read something to you from "the washington post" which, by the way, gave your ad one pinnochio, which is a big fat lie and were going to give you two pinnochios but held back because of stuff that could be read either way. it takes a single data point and then it tries to draw larger conclusions about romney's business practices and his values. because ben, come on, you and i also know he had plenty of success as "the washington post" has outlined. minute successes walt journal has outlined. many successes bain capital has had in creating jobs and saving companies from going under. and steel dynamics did incredibly well under their leadership. >> the fact is that those same fact checkers have taken mitt romney to task for claiming that he was a job creator. he's never been able to substantiate the number of jobs he created. his own partner admitted in the "los angeles times" their goal was wealth creation, not job creation. we need not only look at the private sector record. take a look at his public sector record. massachusetts was 35th out of the 50th in job creation when it was in office and slipped to 47th by the time he left. he cut funding for manufacturing, he cut funding for worker training and cut funding for community colleges. and the policy he proposed today would return to the same budget-busting tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires that benefited a few, but couple with -- >> now you're slip into the campaign now. >> ben, i don't want you to campaign on this program. i want you to answer questions about the ad. i don't want you to dive off into another area. those are good areas. >> i'm more than happy to speak about the ad. >> this is my show. you know that business is complex and it can't be boiled down to a simple black and white, that easily. you know that, i know that, americans know that. don't you think it's a little unfair to take one plant that was already failing, that many analysts have said had bain come in, it probably would have failed sooner and that the steel industry was at its worst at this particular time. and then extrapolate this guy is a job killer or a vulture capitalist. >> this isn't just one plant. >> you highlighted this one plant. you and your campaign highlighted this plant and those workers were from this plant. >> there are many more that we'll be discussing. but here's what i think americans will object to. it's the fact that rit romney and his partners had a golden parachute for themselves. the company failed. 750 workers lost their jobs and ultimately they walked away with millions in profits for themselves after the company failed. it's not on that premise that we can build our economy. it should be focused around a thriving middle class, growing economic security for the middle class. the workers paid a price here. mitt romney and his partners profited and that is at the heart of -- >> i will give this to you, bain capital loaded this company up with debt and that could have been a large factor if not the biggest factor. that is undetermined by many who feel look at this industry. that kou been a determining factor in its demise, but it's also business and they have done good things as well. so i will give you that point but i will also somewhat take it back. but ben, i hope you come in and spar with me again at some point. it's good to talking to me. >> thanks for having me. >> keep it clean. we hate that crap on our television. be nice to each other. pump your own guy up, don't tear the other guy down. it's nicer for americans. thanks, ben. so $74,000 in six months. that's a lot of money. and an fbi agent testified that rielle hunter got all that doug h-back in 200. a and now we're getting word that john edwards daughter may take the stand in her father's trial. it's about money and whether it was legally come into the campaign and going out of the campaign to that woman rielle. ♪... ♪... ♪... choose the perfect hotel [ woman ] it's like a magnet. pulling us together for different reasons. music. games. photos. shows. we share stories, laugh... and truly engage. it brings us closer and that is my happy place. ♪ [ male announcer ] the best family moments 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[ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it. the john edwards trial is bracing for its biggest witness so far. edwards' eldest child kate could be taking the stand as early as this afternoon. joe johns is there. with accounting analyst jim w58, on the stand, defense attorney alex vanlandingham brugt out in court long after edwards suspended his campaign for president, one of his big money ben efactors paid $74,000 in eight payment toos rielle hunter. experts say payments after the campaign ended could suggest it's for personal reason, which is what the defense is arguing. the question is now if kate will testify. defense attorneys say they want to put her on the stand. the other question is whether john edwards himself will testi testify. >> france's brand-new president travels abroad only to have his plane hit by lightning. george w. bush returning to washington. sneaking in an endorsement for who do you think? >> there is mitt romney in des moines, iowa. he's at the hotel fort des moines. he is speaking to a group of supporters there about debt and government smending. all of this as later this year we're looking a the a debt ceiling vote in congress. >> proposing a new program for every problem. president obama tucked away the clinton doctrine in his large drawer of ideas, along with transparency and bipartisanship. it's enough to make you wonder if it was a personal beef with the clintons, but it probably runs much deeper than that. president obama is an old school liberal whose first instinct is to see free enterprise as the villain and government as the hero. america counted on president obama to rescue the economy, to tame the deficit and help create jobs. instead, he bailed out the public sector, gave million billions of your dollars to companies of his friends and added almost as much debt in this country as all the prior presidents combined. the consequence is that we are now enduring the most tep pidid recovery in modern history. the consequence is half the kids graduating from college can't find a job that uses their skills. half. the consequence is that retirees can no longer get by on their savings and social security. the consequence is the length of time it take an unemployed worker to find a job is the longest on record. that's why even those who voted for barack obama are disappointed in him. disappointment is the key in which the president's re-election is being played. americans will not settle for four more years of the same melancholy song. we can and must do better than that. president obama started out with a near $1 trillion stimulus package. the biggest, most careless one-time expenditure by the federal government in history. and remember this -- the stimulus wasn't just wasted, it was borrowed and wasted. we still owe the money. we're still paying interest on it, and it will be that way long after this president is out of office. then, of course, came obamacare. even now nobody knows actually what it's going to cost. and that uncertainty, by the way, has slowed the economy. employers delay hiring, entrepreneurs hold off starting new businesses because of this massive european style entitlement that americans didn't want and certainly can't afford. when you add up all of his policies, by the way, this president has increased the national debt by $5 trillion. let me put that in a way that's easier for all of us to comprehe comprehend. frankly frankly $5 trillion is a number we can't put our minds around. each household's share of government debt and unfunded liabilities has now reached more than $520,000. fer average american household. think about what that means. your household will be taxed year after year just to pay the interest on that debt and to play the principle payments oen those liabilities. every year, you're going to be paying for things that have happened in the past. and then it's going to get passed along to your kids. they're going to struggle with the interest on our debts. and president obama is adding to them every day single day. and that, be by the way is the best case scenario. the interest rate on that debt could go up like a rocket, just like an adjustable mortgage goes up. and there's also a good chance this kind of debt could cause us to hit a wall like they have in greece, spain and italy. sub prime mortgages, they came close to bringing this economy to its knees. this debt is america reese nightmare mortgage. it's adjustable, no money down and a sign to our children. and politicians have been trying to hide the truth about this nightmare mortgage for years, just like liar loans. this is not just bad economics. it is morally wrong and we must stop it. >> all right, the word from iowa. lots unfolding. rapid fire, let's roll it. here we go. it continues. president obama joining thousands of people mourning and paying tribute to the nation's police officers. i don't know if you knew this, but today is national peace officers day. the president took part in a ceremony on capitol hill, thanking the names offal s off officers. >> we honor those who gave their lives in the service of that commission. their families are in our thoughts and prayers as we remember the quiet courage of the men and women we have lost. >> tens of thousands of police officers from around the world came to d.c. and gathered for police week. so how is this sfr your first day on the job. the plane carrying the new french president gets struck by lightning. all hours after his inauguration, which was lovely, by the way. we also got word that francois hollande was on his way to germany when his plane was on its way back to paris. george w. bush endorsing ready? did you guess? mitt romney. i knew i led up to it. he was actually in washington to talk freedom, not endorsements, so this was a nice surprise for abc. and he says the united states has a duty to support nations transitioning to democracy. >> america does not get to choose if a freedom revolution should begin or end in the middle east or elsewhere. it only gets to choose what side it is on. but america's message should ring clear and strong. we stand for freedom and for the institutions and habits that freedom for everyone. >> in new jersey, police say two speeding ferraris killed a man at the rong place at the wrong time. kwun one of those speeding ferraris jumped a curb and hit him head on. police say the drivers worked for gotham dream cars and was holding an event inside the stadium. giving people a chance top drive sports cars around a temporary track inside the stadium. but those drivers were driving fast outside the stadium. both of them arrested. one has already bonded out of jail. >> sinkholes are just about everywhere. odd, really mysterious, too. where does all that dirt go? so these days we're seeing more sinkholes in neighborhoods. they're threatening homes. but how does this happen? why does it happen? and again, where does all that dirt go? our chad myers is the guy with the answers. he'll have them for us in a moment. also jpmorgan's chief on the hot seat as he got word that the government is investigating his company's $2 billion goof. so what does that mean for the market? how about more importantly what does this mean to you and your 401(k)? going to break it down for you in just a moment. for three hours a week, i'm a coach. but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. >> the ground is swallowing up parts of florida. actor alec baldwin is going to breathe a little easier today possibly. and a cnn colleague has to answer in the norm of a question. it's time to play "reporter roulette." we begin with chad myers. he's adjacent to the weather center. nice to be able to stand besides you. >> we're usually 1,000 miles away. >> i asked if i could talk to you about sinkholes. i'm a sinkhole geek. i don't know what .it is about sinkholes. i keep wondering where does the dirt go. >> it goes down and then it gets washed again. it doesn't go to china. >> which is what our parents always told us. >> don't dig so far down, you're going to go to china. there are sinkholes now happening in florida. and certainly some that haven't happened in a very long time because of the drought that's happening. and this could be -- you could maybe get your wish. we could get a lot of these sinkholes. and if you're in florida you may want to check if you have sinkhole insurance. this is not that far from gainesville. it's been very dry. literally very dry and the ground water is gone. it's been pumped out, put into drinking water. no ran coming down to fill it up. i'll show you what's gong upon most of northern florida, almost all of southeastern georgia in a big drought. this is a drought monitor. let's put a house here, a house here. and the ground water that fills up h these big caverns full of water. guess what, the water isn't full anymore. so up above this is a big empty space. that big empty space is air. when this up here decides the air won't hold it, all of the dirt falls in. if all of the auqifer below florida dries up, we could get a lot more. >> wow. look at that. >> held loy cow. and i know you say it goes into the ground water, but it's hard to believe there's water there before and there isn't now. and it's so big and scary. and they threaten houses and property. >> and they go quickly. and then when it rains. if it starts to rain, it turns to mud and then more of it falls in. that's exactly right. >> keep an eye on that. it could get worse. we want to watch what happens there. thank you, chad. next on reporter roulette, somebody who's probably seen a little too much of "30 rock" lately facing a judge. a woman accused of stalking alec baldwin. what is this about? there's a woman that's going to need to have stay against him for another two months. she was even at alec baldwin's apartment. she's scheduled to be back in court. she's a french canadian access. here's what people are puzing about in this case now. she also said she believes she is a new yorker and, quote, my heart is in harmony with the plaus and the people. she also reportedly called the incident with alec baldwin, a misunderstanding. >> wyches. >> oing, so i guess the question would be, does this have anything to do with this being the last season of "30 rock" but is it really the last season of 30 rock? >> that's a very good question. that's the rumor that's been going around. nbc is not saying anything definitively. we know that it's coming back this season. they did say up front. bleu after that, they're really not going there. alec baldwin alluded to it a couple of months ago. >> i do dvr that show. >> that's me, that's my personality in a nutshell. next up, she's the cn correspondent who matched wits on jeopardy's power players week. question, who, who liz ask i leery? >> robert gibbs spun me for years. so it was fun to go back and compete with hmm on a level playing field. >> i went up on that program against ari fleisher. i would have won if i knew the final question. you're not allowed to talk about your results, are you? >> no, i can. i can talk about it. i was winning right up until final jeopardy. it got me, too. and unfortunately, robert bet more conservatively than i did. but the bottom line is that since this is kmarty, the charity i was working with, which does literacy and creative writing and free expression for kids in d.c. still gets the money. >> just like the moron i am, i thought you were taping it. it was actually airing. i got the clip of you. can i play it? would you mind? double whammy on tv. this is where you are apparently cleaning up the act like a journalist category. roll it. >> h efs mikael blomkvist in "girl with a dragon tattoo." >> who is daniel craig? >> who is jane fonda. >> you did well in the category. you have the lead. >> you know, liz sooe, i know they always seau, don't those people know the answer to the questions. they're just standing there stunned. but it is all in the thumb. i know that sounds like an excuse, it really is all in the thumb, isn't it? >> it's all about the buzzer. if you buzz in too soon, you're locked out for a fraction of a second. believe me, i did know who the secretary of transportation under george w. bush was. >> i know, i remember the whole categor