, let alone sarah palin. first, tell us about the people you did speak to who are around her, who had been close in her camps. what kind of an impression did she give you of sarah palin? >> the people who have been closest to her describe a temper that at first i couldn't even believe could be true. they'd tell stories about screaming fits, about throwing things. they were talking about everybody from friends who have stayed with the palins who have witnessed events where sarah and todd will empty the pantry of canned goods and throwing them at each other until the front of the refrigerator lookeds like it's been shot up by a shot gun, everything to former assistants that have been so tortured by sarah palin that in one case one had to quit the job, seek psychiatric counselling and leave the state to escape palin's influence. everybody that has worked with her has seen the way she exacts retribution on people after they leave. they're afraid she's going to get them firing from their job, try to ruin their rep

there you are in iowa with sarah palin. is this as obvious a move as it seems? >> everybody thinks it is. she's clearly at least testing out whether she should test the waters. so the anticipation of a candidacy is part of the discussion here in iowa, has been all week when it was clear she was going to do this. we obviously don't know what she's going to do but nobody comes to iowa who is in her position who isn't at least thinking about running and she gave another hint on that this afternoon in an interview with fox. gwen: what did she say? >> well, she was asked whether she would run. she said, if she thinks the country is ready to be shaken up, if she thinks the country is ready for that, then of course she would give it a real consideration and would be prepared to do it. she left herself some room not to run, obviously, but she certainly didn't sound like a shermanesque type of statement saying, i have no interest in doing this. gwen: if you're an insurgent outsider like people in the tea party movement or sarah palin who describes herself, what are you d

she was palin-like today. she learned some of the palin's successful straits. >> yeah, and here she was. friday night, okay. let's look at her back in 2002 on "hardball." remember the judge had the ten commandments, the big block in the courthouse, and obviously she was for the ten commandments. let's listen. >> what do you make of the constitutional provision that says the state shall pass no law establishing a religion? what does that mean to you, the constitution in >> that the nation will never say everybody has to be proud stun. when the founders crafted the constitution they were rebelling from a nation that did mandate a religion. and it's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. and by the judge having this statue, it's not saying everybody that comes into his courtroom has to bow down to the ten commandments. >> there is a lot of natural talent there in communication. >> yeah, she has been doing it a long time. >> i think that she has shown in the past few days that she has really natural chops

> hi, this governor sarah palin. vote for christine o'donnell for u.s. senate. >> palin has also made effective use of social media platforms such as twitter and facebook, to announce endorsements or comment on current events. and palin released an internet video erlier this summer, titled mama grizzly. her term for conservative women candidates she's endorsed this year. >> here in alaska i always think of the mama grizzly bear, that rides up on her behind legs when somebody's coming to attack their cubs. to do something adverse toward their cubs. she thought pit bulls were tough, well you don't want to mess with the mama grizzlys. >> according to an analysis by "the washington post," palin has endorsed 43 candidates in primaries this year. the breakdown, 25 win, 11 losses, and 7 races where there was no primary. palin's efforts to aid candidates in 2010 has fueled speculation she might be eyeing a bid for president in 2012. that idea gained steam over the weekend after palin spoke friday at a closely watched republi

that challenge is sarah palin. there's no doubt in the world that she leads a powerful political movement in this country or that she carries tremendous clout in terms of picking republican candidates. when she speaks, she carries weight. if she endorses, it's lake a shot of adrenaline in a campaign. but what about sarah palin herself? what about her as canned doit for national office, either president or vice president or a major cabinet post like secretary of state or defense? there's the rub. ask mitt romney does he think deep down that sarah palin has the right stuff to lead this country in a troubling, complicated world? ask the same of tim pawlenty or any of the other serious republican hopefuls for 2012. do they believe in sarah palin's abilities to lead this country in perilous times? to answer that 3:00 in the morning call and make the right decision. do they buy this talk of hers that all-america needs in this second deck afd the 21st century are common sense conservative solutions that a regular person w

who are the palin people? who are the palin people that can turn out and become christine o'donnell people? nikki haley people. how do you build this process? >> she has an incredible pull that is very successful. those people that support governor palin are very loyal to her. >> who are they? men, women? mostly women? >> no, i think it is both men and women. they're all over the country and they are really plugged into a lot of anger at the president. what's also interesting about her supporters, they are just so incredibly loyal to her. she can really do no wrong. everything. whether it be on monday when she's with bristol on "dancing with the stars" or endorsing christine o'donnell, whatever she does, they are supportive. >> are they pro-life? >> yes. >> middle, working class, regular income people? right in the middle. >> i think so, too. obviously, the tea party people are supporting her people that identify themselves with as tea partiers. i think it's more than that. i think that she really -- what's in

but, i think once palin, governor palin intervened, once the national tea party movement interveneed, the momentum built. the thing that most analysts didn't pay attention to, they had largest turn-out in the republican party in modern history, four times as many voters as they in 2006. >> greta: are those new republicans or regular republicans who decided to vote? >> i think both. had you a substantial number of new people. in you look at the polling day if you were a more traditional republican you probably voted forecast . blue collar worker, somebody who came out of a background where you hadn't been active as a republican you almost certainly voted for christine o'donnell. in that sense she has broadened the party's base. in a way that may surprise people come november. >> greta: what happened to congressman castle? was it throw the bum out -- i don't mean he's a bum. i meant because he's an incumbent doesn't matter who he is, you are out or is it a vote for her? >> first she had run twice many she had a real base in the state. there were people who were working her campaign head

. >> bret: sarah palin has inspired a list of conservative female candidates, but is she going to run for president? delaware's christine o'donnell appears before a summit in washington and nevada's sharon angle courts g.o.p. leaders. elizabeth warren on the new administration post that did not require confirmation. this is special report. good evening, i'm bret baier. sarah palin heads a fundraiser in the state that launched and shot down many presidential hopes and dreams. chief political correspondent carl cameron is in des moines, iowa with palin's answer to the million dollar question, will she run? >> even before arriving sarah palin's first trip without a book tour to iowa made news in the home of 2012 caucuses. >> freedom is a god given right. >> after quitting as governor alaska she's the tea party's most recognizable face. since the presidential bid she's refused to rule out a

. >>> plus, sarah palin and 2012. with her string of success in the primaries, we will ask our sunday panel if she is now the the frontrunner for the gop presidential nomination. and with the primary season all but in the books we'll look at what wild week it was on the trail. all right now on "fox news sunday." >> chris: and hello again from fox news from n. washington. this is not the program we were planning to bring you. kristine o'donnell the surprise winner of the republican senate primary in delaware agreed to come here live in washington today to take our questions. however, late friday night her campaign canceled saying o'donnell was exhausted and had to return to delaware. saturday morning o'donnell called me and said this "i got triple booked. i had been invited to go to church and then a picnic. i have to keep my priorities to delaware voters ." so we begin today when someone who has been critical of o'donnell master republican strategist karl rove. you have come under a lot of fire from critics for critic

the question, sarah palin will she run for president? >> if the american people were to be ready for someone who is willing to shake it up and willing to get back to time tested truths and help lead our country towards a more prosperous and safe future and if they happen to think that i was the one, if it were best for my family and for our country, of course i would give it a shot. >> bret: a powerful conservative female candidates, let's bring in our panel about this topic, steve hayes, senior writer for the weekly standard. kt mcfarland, analyst, and mort kondracky, early call. kt, you look at the list and you see the impact that sarah palin has had in supporting and contributing really to these candidates. >> i think it's terrific. you know, and what, inside the washington beltway bubble, i mean, i'm from new york, okay, and i realize that washington just can't get it. and whether you're republican or democrat, the attitude in the country is low all the bums out. they've screwed up the economy, they've screwed up the country, let som

and sarah palin, who did not address the group, she came in dead last. lester? >> mike viqueira, thanks. >>> tens of thousands of people took to the streets in london today as pope benedict continued his historic visit to the united kingdom. the crowds included the faithful as well as those protesting the child abuse scandal that has rocked the church in recent years. today, the pope addressed that scandal directly. nbc's nina desantos reports. >> reporter: at a mass in london, pope benedict made his strongest statement yet on the child abuse scandal that has dogged his papacy and shaken the catholic church. >> above all i express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of these unspeakable crimes. >> reporter: the pope rarely looked up from his prepared text but his message was clear and his words powerful. >> i also acknowledge with you the shame and humiliation which all of us have suffered. >> reporter: outside, 2,000 young catholics who had traveled from far and wide to hear his voice. young people are at the heart of the scandal. over the years it's alleged

the story behind her wild night out. >> will sarah palin upstage daughter palin at dancing. the new pictures out at bristol at a club. will her mom see her dance to this classic hit? >> in tonight's celebrity

, no relationship, by the way, the palin o'donnell phenomenal? >> take the boat seriously. treat them with respect, debate their ideas, don't get diverted by all these silly things they may or may not have said that have nothing to do with policy. this is a wake-up call to democrats. we have to show up and we have to make our case and focus on the differences, not the personalities. >> lawrence o'donnell off to a big start tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern time on "the last word" his guest, levi johnson. >>> president obama kicks off a three-state cross-country trip this morning in an effort to generate voter enthusiasm ahead of the november midterm elections. the president's tour starts in new mexico where he will hold a small backyard event to sell his party's plans to fix the economy. he then heads to the university of wisconsin to headline a rally courting young voters there in madison. tomorrow the president holds another backyard talk with families in des moines, iowa. according to mark halpern, these are all states in which democrats are in da

chris: so o'donnell and sarah palin? >>yohen u take on the status quo and career politicians that kind of have an entitlement mentality too often, they're going to fight you. >> i am not a career politician! do you love your freedom! you, you have the power to remove the claws and the grit of government on our freedom. >> there are a lot of mocomnn-seonse catservive candidates ready to put it all on the line. >> the common-sense men and women of delaware. >> you betcha. >> you betcha. chris: when we come back, tea partiers have the power and a plan. yes, repeal healthcare and maybe even shut down the u.s. government. chris: welcome back. one of the tea party cries is take our country back. what would they do next year if republicans won the congress next november. here's a short list, take away government funding, sarah palin calls it starving the beast. >> we need congress to hear us when we say please, those in the positions of power and authority that cast the votes, starve the beast, don't perpetuate the problem. chr

caller: i am fascinated by sarah palin. i think is better to be divided in truth then united in error. she says she loves israel. she is for free speech. she is against the socialist health care, and i think that is part of the fascination with sarah palin. i believe that a lot of people like her also because she is an independent woman. i hear a lot of people say she is beautiful. that is neither here nor there. she is unmarried woman. i think we should respect her. but i think she has a good agenda. i hope her heart is true. a lot of people say she is this or that. we scrutinize everybody and we put them on a pedestal and we expect our leaders, including the president, to be this godlike person and then we cut them down. host: a regular tweeter on the "washington journal" site -- newport, ky, michelle, a democrat. caller: good morning, peter. it is nice to talk to you. you are my favorite moderator on c-span. host: you say that to everyone. caller: i do not. i trust me. i saw this author interviewed and when he set out to

for sarah palin, these are heady days. >> it's time for no more business as usual. it is time to take our country back. >> reporter: fresh off a string of primary victories for candidates she endorsed, palin got a raucus welcome last night from republican party faithful in iowa, site of the first presidential battleground, igniting a new round of speculation about her designs on the white house. she played coy. >> todd says i don't know, i think you should go downstairs, run on that treadmill. i said why would i want to stay indoors. todd says because i guarantee you, if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline's going to be vanity fair, they're going to say palin in iowa decides to run. >> they call us whacky. they call us wingnuts. we call us we the people. >> reporter: by helping launch unknowns like delaware's christine o'donnell to a gop senate nomination, palin has emerged as a conservative king maker. but her own path to the presidency is anything but clear. >> one thing i know. america will repudiate obama style liberalism. >> reporter: seasoned c

. >> couric: tonight, sarah palin. >> couric: tonight, sarah palin. can she see the white house from iowa? >> you betcha! >> couric: meanwhile, there are calls for a criminal investigation of another rising g.o.p. star. i'm katie couric. also tonight, ambush in afghanistan. american soldiers under fire. one is shot in the helmet and survives. a tree falls in brooklyn and more in queens, but was it a tornado that swept through new york city? and we'll end the week by spinning a few records and watching them go down. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. we don't know if sarah palin intends to enter the presidential race. the only failed vice presidential candidate in modern times who ever went on to win the white house was franklin roosevelt. but the former governor of alaska is at the traditional starting line tonight-- iowa. and our latest cbs news/"new york times" poll, only 20% of americans overall have a favorable opinion of pal

is palin's message going to break through, do you think? >> yeah, you know, it's a work in progress, again. and the more you learn about it the more you can draw an opinion. for example, one of the guys who is sort of behind the scenes right now, tea party express is a guy named sal russo, spent some time on the phone talking to him today. very interesting character. you would think because this guy's running it, he's sort of a grassroots individual. this is a guy who was with round reagan for a long time and then broke out to go to ross perot but then has always been extremely conservative and extremely inside with the republican party. so that's the kind of thing you'll find. it's different pieces here. different pieces there. and you can't always just take one thing and make a conclusion about it. >> what does this mean, cornell? >> and for my friend erick, one of the interesting things over the course of time, they are grassroots and angry at the establishment, both republican and democrat. you see it eat up that. >> that's a perfect se

thing the choice of sarah palin did not do was earn john mccain women voters. to be fair, we can't say historically how many women voters he would have gotten without sarah palin. but he did really poorly with women voters with her on the ticket. for example, in the prior election of all the women who voted that day. the proportion of women who voted for george w. bush was 48%. he got 48% of the female vote. in the following election, given the choice of john mccain and sarah palin, the republican proportion of the female vote dropped from 48% to 43%. the proportion of women who voted republican dropped five points, despite the fact that republicans had a woman on the ticket in sarah palin. take heed, people analyzing this year's elections. although women candidates equal women voters seems to make sense. also check the evidence that women vote for their own interests, not just for their own chromosomes. as of this week, we know what the matchups will be for this year's national elections. there are a huge number of women republican candidates on the ballot. th

she reminds me of sarah palin. >> i see a resemblance of sarah palin. >> sarah palin. >> sarah palin. >> reporter: the party's rising stars and prospects played well on the standing-room-only floor. >> the energy level's much higher this year than other years. >> if anybody doesn't understand this is the year of the conservative, they're asleep. >> reporter: as republicans embrace their new stars, president obama found himself stumping where no democrat should have to campaign. >> we need you to do this for candidates all across the country. >> reporter: in connecticut, which hasn't put a republican in the senate since 1982. today, at this conservative summit, people will hear from conservative crowd pleasers. people like newt gingrich. but perhaps more important are the voices of the voters in the audience. i talked to several of them, dan. they say we'll hear from them in november. >> john, thank you. that's john hendren reporting this morning. >>> let's stay in washington and get insight from two, political pros. republican robert traynham and democrat karen finney. >> good morning

who are the palin people? who are the palin people that can turn out and become christine o'donnell people? nikki haley people. how do you build this process? >> she has an incredible pull that is very successful. those people that support governor palin are very loyal to her. >> who are they? men, women? mostly women? >> no, i think it is both men and women. they're all over the country and they are really plugged into a lot of anger at the president. what's also interesting about her supporters, they are just so incredibly loyal to her. she can really do no wrong. everything. whether it be on monday when she's with bristowl on "dancing with the stars" or endorsing christine o'donnell, wh are the? >> yes. >> middle, working class, regular income people? right in the middle. >> i think so, too. obviously, the tea party people are supporting her people that identify themselves with as tea partiers. i think it's more than that. i think that she really -- what's interesting is when she arguably that she's running

but, i think once palin, governor palin intervened, once the national tea party movement interveneed, the momentum built. the thing that most analysts didn't pay attention to, they had largest turn-out in the republican party in modern history, four times as many voters as they in 2006. >> greta: are those new republicans or regular republicans who decided to vote? >> i think both. had you a substantial number of new people. in you look at the polling day if you were a more traditional republican you probably voted forecast . blue collar worker, somebody who came out of a background where you hadn't been active as a republican you almost certainly voted for christine o'donnell. in that sense she has broadened the party's base. in a way that may surprise people come november. >> greta: what happened to congressman castle? was it throw the bum out -- i don't mean he's a bum. i meant because he's an incumbent doesn't matter who he is, you are out or is it a vote for her? >> first she had run twice many she had a real base in the state. there were people who were working her campaign head

. >>> srah palin is making yet another high-profile appearance tonight. she was a featured speaker at a ig republican party fundraiser in iowa. palin's time in that caucus state is stirring up more speculation that the former alaska governo might make a bid for the top seat in the white house. >> sarah palin's presence in iowa, fresh from other influence in the primaries, is rekind ling speculations about her aspirations for the white house. >> it's time for no more business as usual, it is timeto take our country back. >> palin was senator john mccain's vice presidential running mate in 2008, ask now, in her firstisit to iowa this year, she joked about whether she wants top billing in 2012. >> todd says, i can guarantee you if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline is going to be vanity fair. they're going to say palin in iowa decides to run. >> the primary seasohas pointed to the growing division between the established gop and tea party activists. palin, a star of the tea party movement, has supported both sides and called ou some of her t

sarah palin deserves credit for that. the only thing i would say is sarah palin emerged as one of the most influential figures in the conservative movement. she stands to lose that standing should she run for president and lose. anybody else, probably gains their standing, but not sarah palin if she loses. >> tad, what about that in terms of her standing her use of social networking? i mean, yesterday she was talking, tweelting abo itweetin woodward book. she was tweeting about the people should look into the shadowy background of pete rouse who is up for chief of staff to replace rahm emmanuel? >> well, listen -- i think she's a powerful force. but if she does step into the arena, she's going to attract the same scrutiny that she attracted when she was candidate for vice president. i don't think she does well in that scrutiny. i don't think she does with the substantive scrutiny or the personal scrutiny or the political scrutiny. from the democratic perspective, we welcome her to the arena. she's a polarizing figure and

we don't know if sarah palin intends to enter the presidential race. the only failed vice presidential candidate in modern times who ever went on to win the white house was franklin roosevelt. but the former governor of alaska is at the traditional starting line tonight-- iowa. and our latest cbs news/"new york times" poll only 20% of americans overall have a favorable opinion of palin. but 50% of republicans do. and those are the votes she would need for the nomination. dean reynolds is in des moines tonight. dean, the caucuses are 17 months away but iowa is already getting plenty of attention. >> reporter: very true, katie. there are some 50 news organizations and a thousand dinner guests here tonight in des moines, all of them drawn to this room by one person-- sarah palin. >> we can take it back! we can take back our country and we're gonna turn things around! >> reporter: for weeks, the former alaska governor has been promoting her political favorites and keeping herself at center stage. wednesday in oklahoma. >> america's heading towards a precip

sarah palin firing up a crowd in iowa. it is the traditional starting line in the race for president, so is palin ready to run? >>> crossing the line after his daughter was allegedly bullied. an outraged father takes matters into his own hands, going after students on a school bus. police say he went too far. now the question, what would you do? >>> and failing the test. just a few weeks after being released from rehab, lindsay lohan says she's failed her latest drug test. could she be heading back to jail? a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, september 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. we're all certainly glad to have you back in the seat this morning. >> i'm glad to be here. i went east a little bit. so i'm wide awake. >> that's good. >> it's good to be back. we've got a lot to tell you about this morning. for sarah

is sarah palin, is that her goal now? robert gibbs seemed to think so. >> i have no doubt she is a formidable force in the republican party and may well be, in all honesty, the most formidable force in the republican party right now. >> bill klein as you're in that room to wait for sarah palin to speak tonight at the ronald reagan dinner, that that's what people think, she's there because she wants to say vote for me? >> they always think that. but think this room, this republican party is perfectly matched for sarah palin because it is a very religious conservative evangelical party. those sorts of people always do well in the iowa caucuses. so, you know, i don't know what she's going to do, but, you know, this is certainly the sort of thing that you see a politician who's running for president doing all the time. >> and, bill bennett, after the last presidential election people scoffed at the notion that sarah palin could come back, she didn't perform very well. but if you look at the terrain this year, what happened, t

>> greta: any way to measure to what extent sarah palin was a factor? >> no question governor palin is the most dynamic motivator of primary votes in the republican party today that her ability to for 25% of the party, it was a big bloc, to move them bayou tube and facebook and twitter, it is a remarkable achievement. >> greta: how does she do that? we've been to alaska, it is governor palin, her husband and family. there's no huge machine. there's no staff. she might has someone who does work for her in southern california this is not a huge operation. what it is? >> you partly answered your own question. i've watched a number of your interviews in alaska, with the palins. she a national figure. she's on national television. she has an automatic reach. she's a unique character. you've interviewed her at home this is not your normal everyday boring politician. she is her own person. her husband is his own person.