we have been operating there for some time. a lot of bad guys in that region on the border of pakistan. matter of fact, where pakistan and iran come together with afghanistan and many years ago we gave lots and lots of surface to air shoulder fired missiles to the guys who are now the bad guys and it may have been something like that. >> so you think the bad guys did this. >> i think it's a bad area. look rvesh helicopters crash all the time. they have a lot of moving parts. i have been in helicopters that have and crashed and they do get in trouble from time to time because of mechanical difficulties and, most likely event is that's what this is. but this is a very bad area and we have been operating there with a lot of hostile fire in the region. >> look, no one wants to see any more american lives lost, i was thinking about the president yesterday and taking tough questions into tonhall and i was thinking when i heard about

this, if there is a town hall and general petraeuses and people say to him, you were supposed to make things better. isn't things supposed to be improving? >> he is going to say it is improving and he will have a lots of points to show everybody. >> it is the deadliest year ever. >> that is what happens when we increase the pace of operations and a lot more casualties, that's what we have to do. i'm saying what he is going to say. what we are committed to getting out, we'll start pulling ow troops in july and 18 months and i've committed to do it. the fact of the matter is that things in afghanistan are going much more slowly. ambassador ike ikenberry made t point today or yesterday and said he's surprised with the very slow pace of operations and success we're having in afghanistan. >> i wonder if it plays into people who say, look, if we tell the taliban, if we tell the bad guys, whoever they might be,

that we'll start getting out of there next summer -- >> they'll lay off and stay away and they'll shoot at people from time to time and they're not going to get into any trouble themselves. bad idea to tell people when you're going. >> thanks, jack, always good to have you in. >> thanks for having me. a day after the recession is over and the president said, again, the economy is improving. he got a little ammunition this morning. new home construction jumped a whopping 10.5% last month and that's all the more surprising because economists thought that number would drop. the unexpected increase puts housing starts at their highest level in four months. cnbc diana olick joins me now live from washington, d.c. okay, diana, i'd like you to help us with some perspectives. the numbers are better than expected, but, as i understand, the gains were driven by apartment building and is this good news, bad news or something

in between? >> a lot of numbers in between this. is it good news? look, anything that goes up is good news in this economy. we also have to put it into the perspective of how low we were from housing starts off of historic peaks to historic troughs. looking at that 10% number. the single rise in housing starts was good. we're seeing some increase although you have to wonder why if there's so much inventory on the market already. we came off that homebuyer tax market and we saw this huge drop in new home sales because of the tax credit, but, now, we'll start to see people come back into the market as the housing market recovers and we better be ready with some new construction to offer them. that's probably what they're thinking going into that single family housing number. apartment buildings which were up 32% month to month. why is that? because the homeownership rate

is actually dropping. more americans will think, i'll rent for now. put the money down and buy a house or perhaps their credit score has been damaged and perhaps they have been through foreclosure. they want to rent now and because that market is getting bigger, you're seeing multi-family construction rise. so, good news/bad news. >> building permts were also up last month, which means a little bit of building will continue in the short term. i guess what the big overriding question again is, are builders jumping in a little too soon or is this because there will continue to be more demand? >> that's what we're going to find out over the next 6 to 12 months. are they making the right bet on that, an indicator of future construction. are they going to see that demand come back as we go into 2011 or are we just going to see more inventory on the market? that's the bet the builders are taking. >> thanks, diane. president obama could use those housing numbers yesterday. we talked about the dramatic moments at a town hall meeting

where people had supported him wanted thime to know that they just aren't feeling the recovery. this was his response. >> times are tough for everybody right now. so, i understand your frustration. my goal here is not to try to convince you that everything is where it needs to be t is not. that's why i ran for president. but what i am saying is that we are moving in the right direction. >> let's bring in msnbc political analyst richard wolffe and also the author of "renegade the making of a president." good morning, richard. >> good morning, chris. >> federal reserve will meet later today and a decision on interest rates and we've talked about housing starts but in the end for americans and they see the big headline that says, you know, the recession is officially over. the message to the president yesterday was, we're not feeling it yet, so what's the white house strategy here? >> well, as you heard from the president, if you talk to white house officials behind the scenes, they'll say they cannot pin their hopes on trying to

convince skeptical voters that this economy is getting better by using new statistics. they'll try. they'll get better numbers and they know what people are experiencing and anything they say from the white house, even when it comes from the president. so, what they have to do is explain what they've done and kind of construction and you are hearing behind me on the north lawn and also in the stimulus and they also have to draw the contrast with what republicans are doing. we'll hear later today from congressional republicans and that economic strategy is going to take us back and they're going to say, let's keep moving forward and stick with the plan that the president put in motion because it is only two years. it's a political argument because in the midterm there is not enough time, voters want it to move. >> we also heard from him yesterday when he was asked about the tea party, what's the plan? it's good to say that we need to do something, we all know we need to do something, but what's the plan? i guess that's sort of what

they're messaging and telling the members of congress who are out there running for re-election to message, which is do they really have a better alternative? >> right, here is the point now where we have the priorities over, voters are faced with a choice and whether chosen tea party candidates or republican candidates, the white house, the democrats, nationally want to say, where do they stand? what are their proposals? if it's going back to the tax cuts and looser reguleses we saw in the bush years, voters have to decide if they want more of what they had before or try this different approach? frankly, in this economy, the white house knows either is a tough sell. >> thank you very much, richard, richard wolffe at the white house. there is someone giving president obama a break, but i'm pretty sure it's unintentional. the republican candidate from delaware is the favorite of the lat late-night comices. >> call me old-fashioned, but i

don't think 16 year olds should be hanging out at hooters, they should be at home doing witchcraft with their friends. >> but, that's, of course, poking fun at christine o'donnell. there's something going on with her that isn't so funny. a washington advocacy group calls the advocate a liar and a criminal. they actually filed a complaint with the election's commission alleging that the new party darling used campaign funds to pay for rent, even to go bowling. nbc news capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell is live in washington and, kelly, how serious are these allegations? >> well, these are allegations that really strike at the credibility and integrity of christine o'donnell. it centers not on this campaign and donations that are coming in today, but she had run for senate previously in 2008 and was the opponent of joe biden in that race. so, that's the time frame we're

talking about. there's a former o'donnell aide who was a financial consultant to that campaign who says that she was financially irresponsible and used some of the donations for things like meals and like paying rent. personal experienpexens that wo be permissible. certain campaigns buy foods and things for official business. there are questions being raised on how she filed her reports that were filed under law and how she used the money, those sorts of things. serious question that was being raised and o'donnell did appear when she was at a forum with a number of candidates last night. more proof all politics is local. >> i wouldn't miss this for the world. >> the 41-year-old tea party favorite christine o'donnell was only asked about voters' issues, not herself, during a forum. >> we must extend the tax cuts. i'm opposed to cap and trade, full repeal of obama care.

our government . >> reporter: but right after, heat over allegations she misused donors' money. >> why did you spend your campaign money -- >> reporter: o'donnell denied that she spent campaign money from a previous race on personal expenses. >> we have been ethical. we have not, i personally have not misused the campaign funds. >> reporter: a watchdog group filed a complaint monday with the federal elections commission that cited a former o'donnell aide who claimed she spent donations on rent, gas and meals in 2009. o'donnell called the claims politically motivated and blamed liberals. >> they're scared that the person that harry reid called his pet is not going to get this seat. the momentum surrounding this campaign is obvious. that's why they're creating -- >> reporter: when supporter rushed to tell o'donnell not to worry about criticism. >> you do have to go, but thank you.

>> talk would the o'donnell campaign again today and they are framing that in those political terms saying this is a ploy and it's politically motivated. they point out that the group crew put out its release and all its information on a website and did not reach out to the campaign directly. so, that's part of their response. now, chris says it is an independent watchdog group that looks at government accountability in a whole range of areas. one of the issues, of course, is the request to look at this by the fec and by delaware officials. we don't know if they will actually do an audit. if they were to take it up, it is certainly safe to assume that any investigation would go long beyond the time left between today and the midterm election. >> without a doubt, kelly, thanks. former president jimmy carter stirred up some controversy. his comments to nbc brian wii williams is the talk of washington. if you haven't heard what he said and once you do i think you will understand why some people raised some eyebrows.

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the woman who seared her own face with acid and claims someone else did now has legal as well as medical problems. last week bethany sorro admitted that she threw drain cleaner on her face and now she's charged with counts of felony theft. three counts for spending money that people donated to her when they thought she was attacked. sorro spent $1,500 of the $28,000 that was sent to her for people who fell for her hoax. a warrant is out for lindsay lohan's arrest and she is likely to go to jail. lohan failed a drug test after a

judge gave her early release from rehab. she will likely have to serve more time. last month the judge warned her that if she failed a test, she would spend 30 days in the county jail. more than 100 people in brazil were hurt. bleaches collapsing at an auto race. six people rushed to the hospital, two are still in serious condition. authorities say about 200 people had been in the stands at the time and they're still investigating to figure out what made those bleachers collapse. something former president jimmy carter said to brian williams is getting an awful lot of attention today. remarks that forced the former president to release a statement clarifying, trying to clear things up. take a listen. >> i feel that my role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents. primarily because of the activism and ejection of working of the senate and to international affairs and to some degrees, domestic affairs

on energy conservation and environment and things of that kind. >> hours later he released this statement "what i meant was, for 27 years the carter center has provided me with superior opportunities to do good." let's bring in karen finny democratic strategist and former press secretary for hillary clinton and msnbc contributor pat buchanan is a republican strategist, former gop presidential candidate and nbc analyst. pat, with you excluded, you don't get to be a presidential candidate or a president by not having a healthy ego. did jimmy carter say, frapgly, what all ex-presidents actually think? >> well, he did. sadness, jimmy carter feels deeply unappreciated by his country which rejected him for ronald reagan, who is now beloved. he feels he didn't get health care because teddy kennedy stole that from him. and he believes he's immorally

superior president and the things he'd done been on a higher, moral level. he has to say it himself and it comes off very offensive. and, as i say, all the presidents probably think they're unappreciated, but he lets the public know that he feels this and i don't think that comes off very well. >> is it kind of a sad, karen, because i think there are an awful lot of people that in some measure what he said is true. the carter center has done a lot of good. you see what bill clinton has done and you see what george bush has done and you see the work they have done traveling the world in the case of the partnership, the unlikely partnership of carter and bush raising money in places all over the world. i'm sorry, clinton and bush by natural disasters. so, do you, should he just not have said it? >> well, definitely he shouldn't

have said it. i have to say, when i saw the response after the fact, you know, as a press person, i thought, well, that's a good try, but not quite. >> nobody's buying it. >> nobody's buying it, but nice try. here's the reality. it's true that jimmy carter really changed the model of what a former president would do after leaving office. and i think if it was held up as a model, frankly, i know that president clinton when he was thinking about the clinton global initiative and what he wanted to do and i heard other leaders say this, well, in the model of what president carter has done. so, he really did set up a model and it's unfortunate that he doesn't feel appreciated for that because he has done tremendous work post-presidency and, look, he was right on some things during the term of his presidency, but, obviously, the people voted him out. it's interesting, though, he and mrs. carter always really saw themselves as not of washington and kind of had a disdain and sort of a separation from it

that remains. when i was working for -- >> gee, maybe he could get elected today. >> i don't know. >> don't try it, chris. >> i just mean that, i'm not of washington -- let me ask you this, pat. he is 87 years old. helen thomas said some things that she probably shouldn't have said that folks said, well, you know, that sort of tarnished her legacy a little bit. does he get a little bit of a pass because i found out with my dad, he said kind of crazy things sometimes after he reached a certain age. they just, the filter is gone. >> the truth is, helen thomas said what she believed and jimmy carter has said what he believed. look, let me say this about jimmy carter. i think he has been very c courageous on statements of the middle east and he deserved the noble prize back there and he put that together in 13 days, but he really hurts inside. and that's what's sad and it came out when he has to say what happened to his superior.

a lot of folks think he's been a national pest and a lot of folks thought he did a wonderful job. >> you know, i was going to share an anecdote when we were working for president clinton and we went to the library opening of the first president bush and you have all the presidents there and all the first ladies there and it's a thing where they all show up for each other and very bipartisan affair and actually at one point during the tour all the presidents and first ladies were on the tour and everybody was looking around and nobody could find the carters and i walked around to try to find them and there they were holding hands, sitting on a bench kind of far away and i said, mr. president, do you want to join the rest of the folks? no, no, we're not into that stuff and we're going to sit right here. they just have a different way of doing things, but i agree with pat, he's done some wonderful things. >> karen finny, pat buchanan, good to see you both. >> thank you. a meeting of the minds happening right now and it's all about this little critter, bed

bugs. that infestation that has absolutely swept the country and freaked us all out, frankly. well, officials come up with a way to put an end to it. plus, another baseball fan gets caught running on the field. oh, red spandex, yeah. this one did not get tased, we're happy to report. brian of portland, oregon, is the founder of vocation vacations. he pairs individuals up with existing small businesses giving the vacationers a two to three-day crash course to test drive a different career. it's an intensive learning experience for perspective entrepreneurs. for more, watch "your business" sunday mornings. losing weight clicked for me when i realized i could do the weight watchers plan entirely online. my gosh, i was a total couch potato; i think i shared a blood supply with the couch. one of the benefits of weight watchers online is that it's not only dealing with the food that i eat but it also deals with the exercise. with the iphone app, you can keep track of points.

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security guards at a braves/phillies game got a little help from one of the players. take a check at this. a fan wearing, yes, that is a red spandex suit. he took the field and managed to dodge security. that's when atlanta's outfielder matt diaz stepped up, literally, tripping the unruly fan and then he let the guards take care of the rest. look at this, a dramatic river rescue caught on tape in croatia. rescuers spent hours trying to rescue this guy. he had to be plucked using the

helico helicopter. he rescued the man from the boat just seconds before it capsized. there is some sort of snarky transition here about president obama and the sinking ship which is the economy, but he went before an audience of real americans saying the economy is getting better, slowly but surely righting itself. clearly, a lot of the folks in the audience voted for him. it was a tough crowd. >> i voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people and i'm waiting, sir. i'm waiting. i don't feel it yet. >> i really want to know, is the american dream dead for me? >> what about the economy? republican pat the former republican of north carolina. the longest serving mayor of that city. thanks for coming in. >> good to be back in new york. >> things arant getting better. we had such a long downturn, we had such a huge deficit and, you

know, to be fair, we've been at this less than two years. good housing numbers out today and monday's close on wall street was the highest since may and the u.s. recently started adding jobs, very small, but they started added jobs. is the president right, is america just a little impatient? >> america is very impatient and america is smarter than washington and the political elites taken to be because they're seeing debts pile up and in their own household they know they can't use a credit card and get away with it. they are concerned about the health care legislation that was passed last year, but no one knows what the real impact of the health care legislation and the impact will be next year. so, there's this hesitation of uncertainty of what's going to happen in the future. >> and i think we heard a lot of that yesterday in the town hall, but the president also said, look, you know, there are a lot of tough decisions that had to be made and, frankly, the past administration didn't make them. spend money it didn't have,

borrowing. money it didn't have on two wars. so, you know, what's their plan? his message, basically, was i'd given you a plan, give it time to work, what's their alternative? >> well, the dilemma he made, he said unemployment wouldn't go above 8%. the people said it didn't work already because they set goals and aspirations which were very high and the other dilemma whether it be president bush or president obama is that people feel like they're being talked down to. the yale, the harvard people the elite people. >> is that what you're sensing in your part of the country? >> people feel like all these smart people from ivy league schools have the solutions and the more common person out there, the populous person, both parties goes, you know what, you spent money -- >> why christine oo'donnell or

sarah sarah palin who get mocked for not having experience enough or the breath of knowledge, do a lot of those supporters look and say, hey, ivy league elites, look what you've done. >> you got it. welder or person who works in a factory going, wait a minute, these harvard guys got us into this mess, maybe they're not as smart as everybody says they are. >> do you think that's a mistake? look, the people on the far right are going to vote that way anyway. but we all know this day, these days it's those independents that could go either way that swing an election. do you think that plays into it? that they're saying, you know, you can mock her but you haven't done so great yourself. >> whether you're republican or democrat, you should never talk down to people and pretend they're smarter than you are because you're talking to people who have a lot of common sense and people who can repair an

engine, people can fix your plumbing in your house and if you tell them that they're stupid or narrow minded or not think big enough, they're going to take offense to that and i think that's what's happening right now in america. both republicans, democrats and independents are going, we're smarter than that. we know when you spend money that doesn't exist, it doesn't work in the long run and you've got to come up with some viable answers and you can't just say, what is your answer? because they hired you to come up with the answers. i think it's a mistake for the president to say, well, give us what you would do. that's what a professor would do to students, but he's not a professor, he's the president. >> from the beautiful city of charlotte, north carolina, good to see you, mayor. thanks for coming in. >> you have a great city here, too. >> not bad. thank you. congress could adjourn for the session just three days from now. are they leaving behind a lot of unfinished business? is it smart to go home now? plus, the battle against bed

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33 past the hour. welcome back,i i'm chris jansin. the utah national guard is taking responsible for starting a fast-moving fire in utah. that fire is now 25% contained. the suspect in the murder of a north carolina police chief's daughter is in custody right now. michael neal harvey was arrested in niagara falls, new york, and he's expected in court today. kenny mckinley was found dead in his colorado home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. he was the second-year player, but had been out on injured reserve because of knee problems. he is the third bronco in three years to die. so, if you're running for re-election to kcongress, the country is very unhappy and you

have 33 days to convince them you're part of the solution and not part of the problem. do you stay in d.c. and work or go back to your district and work the crowds? by the way, the president is telling you, if you're a democrat, don't give up yet. >> well, i think that it's premature to say that john boehner is going to be speaker of the house. i do think -- >> so, the audience clapped, but congress, obviously, has been pretty nervous because they were considering bolting for their home districts by the end of this week. nbc news correspondent luke russert is live on capitol hill and, luke, i understand they made a decision about this. >> steny hoyer the house majority leader is having a session with reporters as we speak right now and just informed my colleague producer sean thomas that the house will, in fact, stay in session through the end of this week and go through the beginning of next week and might be out before

friday, october 1st. the house has not gotten out. there's still a possibility they could leave early and there is some speculation that they might bolt by friday in order for members to go back to their districts and try and save their jobs, essentially, from the democratic side and also the republican side. people on both sides at the end of the day will tell you that they want to go back. republicans and the leadership say they try to escape town and before they dealt with the other problems affecting congress. most importantly, a continuing resolution which would have to be passed by the senate, taken up by the house. that is the entire budget feed of the united states government. chris? >> luke, thanks very much for that breaking news. congress will not be going home at the end of the week. >> they're still here until early next week, likely. have you been freaking out about the abed bug epidemic? get a load of this, in chicago, complaints of those blood sucking pests are up 76% this

year. so, it seems somehow appropriate that there is a summit today in suburban chicago. experts from all around the country putting their heads together trying to take a bite out of the creepy, rapidly growing national problem. the bed bug summit was organized by bed bug central and jeffrey joins me now from the summit. good to see you. thanks for being here. if there is any indication of how serious people are taking bed bugs, i understand that the summit sold out. who's there and what do you hope to accomplish? >> basically, we have all the experts from all over the country here to exchange ideas about where we need to go with bed bug research and we have vendors from all over the country that are promoting bed bug control and discussing which ones are best. >> it's good for exterminators but for the rest of us, just very, very creepy. do we have a good handle on why this is happening? why is there epidemic going on right now? >> basically, we don't have a

lot of the pesticides that we had back in the '50 s, '60s and '70s which is why they're making a comeback. those pesticides might remain active for several years at a time while all the pesticides we have today don't quite work the same way. if you combine that with the lack of public awareness. people think this is a nursing rhyme, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. >> what are people supposed to do? if you talk to exterminators, they'll tell you it may take several applications and they might not get bed bugs the first time and it could cost thousands of dollars. people are going to the grocery store or going down to the big box store and looking and seeing what kind of chemicals they might have and spraying them around themselves, frankly. >> absolutely. it's a very expensive treatment. it could cost $800 or $1,200 or more. if you want to treat on your own, you want to contact a knowledgeable professional. if you treat on your own, make

sure you be familiar with the signs and symptoms so you know where the signs are coming from. you also want to read the label very carefully to protect yourself and your home. >> to be fair, they don't carry disease. it's very unlikely that you're going to get really sick from them. you might get some bites and if you scratch them enough, i suppose, they could get infected. but the mental toll is absolutely tremendous. is that what you find that's really, obviously, what's freaking people out so much? >> absolutely. you know, they have not been shown to have the ability to transmit disease and many people experience itchy bites from them. the psychological impact of bugs infesting your bed, which is your sanctuary and coming out of your box springs and walls at night to feed on you is a very disturbing experience. >> jeffrey white, i think i speak for all americans when i say, good luck with figuring this one out. have a good summit. >> you, as well, thank you. he's back in the big apple

for his annual controversial visit to the u.n. general assembly. iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad who spoke before the u.n. summit this morning and may be addressing the general assembly on thursday. ahmadinejad stirred the pot upon his arrival in new york. he said the future belongs to iran and he wants the release of iranians held by the u.s. former ambasder to the yoouunit nations joins us. thanks for being here. >> my pleasure. >> what do you expect to hear from ahmadinejad on thursday? >> well, i think we'll hear more of the same provaudo. he's somewhat dilutional speaking about the iranian people and the country and he's really put the country on the wrong track. the persian culture is a great culture and the country could be great, but stla the wrong leadership right now that is driving the country in the wrong direction. >> for all the other people that are there that are worried about

iran and nuke ler ambitions and people who are concerned about the two americans that are still being held, can anything substanti substantive, can anything positive come out of the time that he's here? >> i think so. simply engaging with others, having to discuss both the iranian nuclear program, the sanctions, the fact that they're still holding two innocent americans, essentially, hostage as prisoners in tehran, it's not an accident that they release the one female prisoner right before his trip here and he'll get a lot of pressure to release the other two. i think he will. but what he really needs to do is negotiate an end to their nuclear weapons' program. there has been four rounds of sanctions. we finally have gotten russia and china to back those. so, he's increasingly isolate. he lost the support of any people at home with the election fraud last summer where they killed and imprisoned hundreds of protesters. the country is on the wrong

track and the more he can hear that from the leaders gathering this week in new york, that's a good thing. >> so, you agree with president obama who said that this latest round of sanks against iran have succeeded against putting some pressure on them. >> absolutely. it has not succeeded in ending the nuclear program and that is the test. at what point will the iranians make the calculation that they don't need nuclear weapons and what they do need is economic prosperity at home and they need the sanctions listed so they can grow their country and become a 21st century economy. 61% of the population of iran is under 20 yearsode. this is a youth population that wants to have ipods and cell phones and jeans like the rest of the youth around the world and that's a growing pressure on him and the elections have backfired last summer and so they're facing pressures from out front. the question is, will he have the vision and the common sense,

frankly. the standoff will continue and more sanctions imposed and under this leadership they're unlikely to make a sensible deal. that said, time to sit down and talk to them. we need to exhaust every possible option to make sure that iran does not become a nuclear power. >> thanks so much for your time. >> my pleasure. christine oo'donnell and other tea party candidates are raising millions and millions of dollars and almost overnight. what kind of impact will this have on the elections? plus, there she was. bristol palin making her debut with an interesting song choice and wardrobe choice for that matter. when i had my heart attack, i couldn't believe it. it was a real shock. i remember being at the hospital thinking, "i should have done more to take care of myself." you should've. that's why i'm exercising more now. eating healthier. and i also trust my heart to lipitor.

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and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right. you don't love me anymore do you billy? what? i didn't buy this cereal to sweet talk your taste buds it's for my heart health. so i can't have any? if you can deprive me of what can help lower my cholesterol... and live with yourself. right. mmm, i worry about your mother. cry herself to sleep every night over my arteries, but have yourself a bowl. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. ♪

more people are washing their hands after using public restrooms. researchers discreetly observed over 6,000 americans last month and found 85% of adlts washed their hands in public restrooms, the highest number since 1996. men do a lot worse than women when it comes to handwashing. only 77% scrubbed up, compared to 93% of women. mama grizzly sarah palin didn't show up last night to watch her daughter's performance on "dancing with the stars." but bristol took that little suit and ripped it off and revealed that flapper dress. she dressed to "mama told me not to come." of course, little reflection of her life, maybe not on "dancing with the stars" but with a certain young man and her chacha wasn't bad. >> yes, don't tell me you can't

do it, bristol. only a few days left. just have fun. >> if i can do half of whatma marcus taught me, i will be thrilled. >> the judges said she wasn't boring, take that, levi johnston, take that. want to let other drivers know what you think of them? guess what, now, there's an ap for that. wall street is getting back on its feet. but the financial landscape is still full of uncertainty.

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who among us hasn't been here? you get cut off on the road and you would love to give that other driver a piece of your mind. now a new iphone app lets you do it without yelling out the window. tap or say the license plate number and they have to be signed up for service, but you can say, hey, jerk, you just cut me off. developers of the application says it could bring safer

driving and critics say another distraction that would cause somebody to yell at you and say, hey, jerk, why are you using that app when you should be paying attention to driving? for grassroots movement the tea party is raising an awful lot of money and reported that the atlanta tea party group will get a seven-figure donation today and put that money into the mid-term elections. michelle bernard is the president and ceo of the independent bureau forum. okay, michelle, this really is interesting because a lot of political analysts have gone from sort of poopooing these tea party candidates to sort of taking them seriously in polls in some of these races they are gaining ground and in some cases even going ahead of a more established, better-known candidates. what do you think about the tea party right now? would you be wrong to underestimate them? >> i think any, anybody in professional politics be they democrats or republicans would

absolutely be wrong to write off any tea party candidate. i will tell you as a political tea party analyst, i looked that tea party and all their members as something sort of like a fringe group that was going to go away. pretty quickly, but i will tell you, for example, a group called the independent women's voice conducted a poll done by democratic pollster doug shown. he used to be an adviser to bill clinton so this is by no means someone that was predisposed to look favorably upon members of the tea party. did a poll looking at 1,000 independents who are likely voters and will most likely vote in november and what that poll showed is that 45% of the nation's independents looked favorably upon tea party candidates. so, if you are a democrat or if you are a republican and you are looking at these candidates nationwide, the big question has to be, will independents join ranks with tea party candidates and right now what we are seeing is that between democrats and

republicans, we are looking at a beauty contest where all of the contestants look ugly and the contestant who probably will win and it may be a tea party candidates are people who look very seriously committed to reducing the deficit, cutting taxes, cutting spending and doing whatever it takes to get america back on solid ground whether they -- >> it's interesting, michelle. just having this conversation with the former mayor of charlotte and he said, look, in my part of the country, the way that a lot of voters read this when folks are critical of christine o'donnell or sarah palin who is not running, saying they're not qualified, they're not smart enough. you washington elites haven't done so great. look at where we are right now. they feel that a lot of established candidates and a lot of washington types are looking down on them. do you agree with that analysis? >> you know, i don't know if it's fair to say that establishment candidates are looking down on quote/unquote,

the people. but what u.s. citizens are telling their representatives is that although we live in a representative government, most americans today do not feel that they have any representation whatsoever. so, they are not looking for candidates who are necessarily the most articulate. they're not necessarily looking for candidates who would swear off, you know, witchcraft, for example, when we talk about christine o'donnell. they are looking for candidates that are just like them that can convey what it is like to be unployed, to make ends meet. >> you brought up the witchcraft, would it be a mistake to go after her by saying, look, she's talking about witchcraft, she dated some people who dabbled in witchcraft. is the average voter going to look at that and say, it happened when she was in high school. a lot of us were iidiots in high school. would you tell us what's going on right now? >> i think that's what it looks

like. it looks like at least the people in delaware, their don't care. look how much she brought in in the last week since she won her primary. it looks like people will say, it doesn't matter. >> good to see you, michelle. thanks so much. that will do it for me, i'm chris jansing. see you back here at 3:00 eastern along with rachel maddow. today's senate vote on don't ask, don't tell. look who's here, thomas roberts. >> developing news, nine american servicemen are killed after a chopper crashes in afghanistan. we'll take you there live, bring you the latest developments. plus, the senate debates. the military's controversial don't ask, don't tell policy. today, we'll talk to a former air force major who was discharged over that policy and now he's fighting back. horrific video as a bleacher collapses at an auto race. what the heck happened there? we'll take a look. the smell of freshly juiced wheat grass

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