The View From Here

This Sunday: Thwarted terror attempt and the final push for Tuesday

 

While we expected our final show before the midterm elections to be all about November 2, Friday's thwarted terror plot changed the national dialogue.  White House Counter-Terrorism Adviser John Brennan joined me at the top of the show this morning to give the latest in a series of developments following the attempt. He told me that, even though there are not major indicators, he has to presume there may be additional devices in other packages.

Of course, a main tenant of national security is to plan for the worst.  Thankfully, no one was hurt from the explosives concealed in cargo packages but it did highlight the fact that the country is at war with al Qaeda. As Mr. Brennan put it, "I think they still are at war with us.  And we are very much at war with them." 

After my discussion with John Brennan, I was joined by Republican Governors Association Chairman Haley Barbour, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine. They both kept a positive tone about Tuesday, but every major indicator gives Gov. Barbour more reason to be opptimistic than Kaine. 

Former Gov. Kaine told me that Democrats are proud of their record and a majority of candidates are running on their accomplishments - including health care. 

But the reality is that many Democrats have been distancing themselves from the Obama agenda - specificically health care reform.  We heard in March that reform was going to get more popular as after passage, but that has not yet been the case. 

As Barbour put it, "Democrats are running from Barack Obama on health care reform like scalded dogs."

Both of these two men have had a busy few weeks on the campaign trail. Barbour went on a five-day, 13-state swing through gubernatorial battlegrounds. He was joined at different times by the likes of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnel, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Tim Kaine, like Governor Barbour, has been all over the country as well; having been everywhere from  Las Vegas,  Nevada to Waterloo, Iowa.

 

We ended the show with a discussion that only Meet The Press can deliver with our political round table. Joining me was NBC's Tom Brokaw, NPR's Michele Norris, The National Journal's Charlie Cook, TIME's Mark Halperin, and NBC's Chuck Todd. After going through the latest polls with Chuck Todd, the round table discussed some of the major issues effecting campaigns today. We discussed issues like voter anger, balancing the budget, or the seemingly absent debate about the war in Afghanistan. Make sure to check out the entire discussion on our website.

And once Wednesday rolls around, talk is going to go to Election Day 2012. I asked our roundtable to weigh in on what the results Tuesday could mean for the next big race. Chuck Todd believes Wisconsin will be a GOP focus. And, the self-proclaimed "old dude," Tom Brokaw, pointed out that both Reagan and Clinton had poor approval ratings going into the midterms of their first terms, but, "Guess What? Both of them were elected by wide margins when they ran for a second term." Something to keep in mind.

 

Be sure to check out our Web special that will be up on our site tomorrow.  We'll break down 2010's biggest races, and look ahead.

If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.

This Sunday: Kaine and Barbour

This Sunday, only two days before the midterm elections, I will sit down with two men at the center of it all. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine and Republican Governors Association Chairman Haley Barbour will be live in studio to make their closing arguments and square off about some of the country's most pressing issues. I'm interested to hear what these two have to say about politics after the election. If the GOP gets control of the House (as some have predicted), will the new Republican leadership work with Democrats to pass legislation? Or, like in 1994, will there be a shut down of the federal government?

Then, our Meet the Press Round Table to talk all things politics. Who's winning, who's losing, and what factors are the difference makers when voters enter the ballot box on Tuesday.  Joining me will be, NBC News' Tom Brokaw, NPR's Michele Norris, Time Magazine's Mark Halperin, The National Journal's Charlie Cook, and NBC News' Chuck Todd. Make sure to to tune in to see everything 

Also, here's what I'm reading this morning:

• Harry Reid is currently trailing his Republican challenger, Sharron Angle in the polls. If he loses and the Dems keep the majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer is the heir-apparent to be next Majority Leader. 
• Newt Gingrich in 2012?
• Watch Chuck Todd and me discuss the midterms on the Today Show this morning below.

 

Voter certainty, midterms, and this Sunday

• David Broder believes that, because the GOP may only get a slim majority in the House,  it is merely a provisional mandate from the people. He says that this means, "voters are withholding any real verdict on their party preference." It's all in his Washington Post column this AM.
• President Obama sat down  with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last night - the first time a sitting President has been on the program. 
• Looking ahead to Sunday, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said he'll consider a run for the White House after the midterms. Tune in to Meet the Press this  Sunday when I'll sit down with Governor Barbour and Chair of the DNC Tim Kaine.
• Caps' Goalie, Michal Neuvirth got his first NHL shutout as Washington breezed past the Hurricanes 3 - 0. Great win for the Caps.

Independents, Demise of Dems, and Campaign Cash

• Independents often don't settle on a candidate until right before the election. Politico's Jonathan Martin believes that, this year, it looks as if many of those undecided voters will break for the GOP.
• Former President Bill Clinton thinks Dems can still win. He told ABC News, "Reports of our demise have been exaggerated."
• In this year's midterms, Democrats are outspending Republicans.
• Though it is being put on by comedians, the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear attendees are not joking around. 
• Here's a video of me on The Today Show this morning talking about the midterm races.

              

What's going on before November

• The media chatter leading up to the midterms makes November 2nd seem like it will be life-changing for all Americans, however, msnbc's Joe Scarborough believes very little will actually be decided after the elections.
• In today's Wall Street Journal's Review & Outlook, they examine Democratic candidates who are "jumping the liberal ship" because of disagreements with the party's leadership.
• Gerry Seib looks at the fate of the blue-dog Democrats after November 2nd.
• In the Alaska Senate race, it is beginning to look like the presumed front-runner is a candidate whose name will not even appear on the ballot.
• According to an Associated Press - GfK poll, one third of likely voters may change their minds before election day.

RNC chair predicts his party will send a wave to Washington

 

The always outspoken Michael Steele joined me today to share his predictions for November 2nd and what the future has in store for the GOP.  As chairman of the Republican National Committee, Steele has received criticism for past 2012 projections that some in his party felt were a bit lukewarm.  But this morning he did not hold back, predicting "an unprecedented wave on Election Day that's going to surprise a lot of people."

But when talking about the future of the Republican Party, there has been plenty of speculation about Steele's role going forward.  As leader of the RNC, he's had altercations with members in his own party - some of which were public.  When I asked him about how some of the gaffes Christine O'Donnell has made reflect on the GOP, he told me "I'm familiar with, you know, foot-in-mouth disease."  A great quote, but one that some members of Republican establishment probably don't find funny.  He also dismissed claims that he is "irrelevant," but did not comment on whether he'll run for re-election.

But a bigger story than Steele's future is the message voters will send next month.  Neither party can take credit for much and this election cycle has been a lot of finger pointing.  The two big campaign pillars we're hearing from Democrats are:

1) This hole was dug by eight years of President Bush, and you can't expect everything to be fixed this quickly.

2) Though Dems are in power, Republicans have maintained a coordinated and successful effort to obstruct.

Steele said the GOP tried to work with the president but that their ideas were "summarily rejected."  Democrats would counter that the Republicans don't have ideas, which is why they obstruct.  But for the RNC chair, such statements couldn't be further from the truth.  Steele told me: "I can’t believe the President’s sitting there with hindsight saying that we didn’t cooperate -- the Republican leaders did not cooperate with the President.  I think from health care to the environment to the economy.  Republicans-- in the House and the Senate had made-- made very clear, 'This is what we’d like to do.'"

 

From Steele, I previewed some of the big races happening across the country and asked our roundtable to put it all in perspective.  We had some familiar faces today - The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne, The New York Times David Brooks, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, CNBC's Rick Santelli, and former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr.  You can catch our full discussion here.

As for their expert predictions for Election Day. It was pretty much a general consensus that it won't be a GOP landslide, however there were differences as to who gets what. Ford told me it's not unrealistic for Democrats to keep a majority in both the House and the Senate. Rachel believes it will be closer than people think, but Congress will get a lot more red, and E.J. Dionne thinks the House goes to the GOP and Dems keep the Senate. Finally, Rick Santelli said we'll be sending a record number of incumbents to Disney World (or the vineyard as David Brooks pointed out) on November 3rd. 

 

Be sure to join us next week, our last show before the big day.

If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.

 

 

 

 

Obama on the stump and Clinton's role

• President Obama is on the stump for Harry Reid today in Nevada. The Senate Majority Leader is narrowly trailing his Tea Party challenger with just 11 days until the general election. Will the President be enough to boost Reid to victory?
• In her Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan discusses how the Tea Party saved, not hurt, the GOP.
• Bill Clinton believes the Democrats this year have become "human piñatas." That's why the popular former President has hit the trail to defend the administration's economic record. 
• Make sure to tune in to #MTP this Sunday, it's going to be an exciting show. One of our Round Table  guests seems to be excited as well - see below.

   

VIDEO: What I'm planning for Sunday

It's Thursday afternoon and the guests for this Sunday's show are set. At the top of the hour, I'll have an exclusive 1-on-1 interview with the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele.

Also, we're going to have an excellent round table with NY Times columnist, David Brooks; Washington Post columnist, E.J. Dionne; host of msnbc's "The Rachel Maddow Show", Rachel Maddow; Chair of the Democratic Leadership Council, Fmr. Rep. Harold Ford Jr (D-TN); and CNBC's on-air editor, Rick Santelli. See below for my take on the show.

   

VIDEOS: Taking your questions

This week, I asked my Twitter followers to submit their questions about me and the show. Check out some of my answers below.

@Bill_Lund wanted to know how we go about choosing the best questions for the guests each week.

  

@threeofdiamonds was curious about whether or not my kids understand what I do.

 

Finally, a question near and dear to my heart, @boombashpow wanted to know my take on this year's World Series.

   

Looking at the polls

• According to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Republicans are expected to make big gains on November 2nd.
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is narrowly trailing Tea Party favorite, Sharron Angle in the Nevada senate race.
• Slate columnist, Timothy Noah, thinks Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear is a bad idea and could actually hurt Democrats. He says the rally will enrage Tea Partiers and, "have the effect of a red cape waved before a bull."
• Republicans seem to have chosen the EPA as the "symbol of the White House's regulatory overreach." If they retake the House in November, the EPA could be a major focus of GOP reform efforts.
• Caps' Left Wing, Alexander Ovechkin discusses his dream line mates, favorite band, and what type of milk he drinks in this interview with ESPN's John Buccigross.