gone through the math. >> i don't think anybody in this town takes herman cain seriously. >> his tax plan doesn't make sense to me. >> the pizza guy who says 999 999 times -- >> flavor of the week. >> herman cain flavor of the month. >> haagen-dazs black walnut because it tastes good all the time. >> support for mitt romney won't budge. >> he can't break 25%. >> it is amazing his number doesn't move. >> i'm asking you to reconsider. >> the other candidates decided romney was going to be the nominee, too. >> governor huntsman and representative bachmann were trying to be cute. >> perry was clearly underprepared. >> rick perry was tan and -- >> things were looking up for the president. >> favor the president's proposals overwhelmingly by 2-1. >> president put forth and idea. >> poll numbers show the public is behind it. >> $447 billion package. >> people agree by large margins with the democrats. >>> in a just fully released nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, herman cain has rocketed to the top of the republican field with 27%. mitt romney is now in second at 23%. rick perry slides t

off tonight, can rocky win? ♪ ♪ herman cain is the rocky in this republican race, the guy who came out of nowhere, who few respected as a full-fledged candidate, who suddenly has shown he can throw a punch and is a real contender. but can he win the most votes? can herman cain turn his anybody but romney support into real campaign that actually wins caucuses and primaries? >>> plus, here's a provocative headline we saw today, will mitt romney kill the tea party? conservatives winced at the idea of the born-again conservative romney as the nominee and there's some talk of a third-party challenge to him. on the other side of the spectrum, are the occupy wall street protests real? is there real anger here that can spread throughout the country? author michael lewis joins us on whether they can use that anger to change american hearts and minds. >>> and if you're like me and grew up in a time of racial tensions and riots, it's amazing and gratifying to see a country that has a democratic 6 african-american president and another african-american at the top now of the gop field. how far

mind i am ready. i don't believe that about myself right now. >> herman cain is the one republican presidential candidate who is not waiting for chris christie to make up his mind before campaigning against him. >> i believe that a lot of conservatives, once they know his position on those things that you delineated, they're not going to be able to support him. i think that is absolutely a liability for him if he gets in the race. >> why do you think they won't be able to support him? >> because, you know, most of the conservatives believe we should enforce our borders. they do not believe people should be here without documentation and do not believe global warming is a crisis or threat. yes, it might be a little bit out there but i don't see it as a crisis of a threat. as you go right down the line, he's going to turn off a lot of conservatives with those positions. >> nbc is reporting that chris christie is giving a presidential run, quote, serious consideration and has asked several republicans who were about to endorse other candidates to hold off until wednesday. as for which

the herman cain phenomenon has gone on a little too long. it's scary. >> jn walsh, thanks for your time tonight. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. listen to me on sirius xm radio channel 127 monday through friday noon to 3:00 p.m. follow me on twitter @edshow. i hope you liked our show. we're going to be here every night. if you think this is good, wait until you see the rachel maddow show coming up. gets better. good to see you tonight. >>> ed, great to see you in the 8:00 eastern spot. i'm looking forward to our new flow through in the evening. i think this is going to work out great. >> i do, too. thanks, rachel. >> thanks to you at home for staying with us the next hour. former secretary of state condoleezza rice already published a memoir of her life. a book about growing up in segregated alabama, her rise to prominence as a russia scholar. her involvement with republican politics, her eventual ascendance to the highest ranks of the george w. bush administration. that book is already done. she published that book last year. but now condoleezza rice has published another on

. but i truly feel like we are here for that purpose. >>> rising cain, the leap of herman cain to the top of the pack of the presidential race. new poll numbers out tonight, 27% of republican voter back cain. former massachusetts governor mitt romney is the choice of 23%. governor perry follows at 16%. congressman ron paul cracks double-digit support. some are quick to suggest cain is the latest beneficiary of an anyone but romney dynamic among the most conservative republicans. the never shy mr. cain says he'll prove them wrong. >> will not be the flavor of the week. the answer is an emphatic no, because haggen-dasz black walnut tastes good all the time. >> why the soaring poll numbers? listen to this from an interview today with my colleague erin burnett. >> it demonstrates the voice of the people is more important than the voice of the media, with all due respect, because for a while, as you know, some people in the media tried to paint this as a two-man governor on governor race. the second key message is, message is more powerful than money. >> just who is this guy, herman ca cai

daily beast" noted, herman cain's book devotes an entire chapter to the magic power of a specific number. the number 45. not kidding. chapter nine of mr. cain's new book is titled "45 a special number." mr. cain notes that his conception, gestation, and birth occurred within the year 1945. he launches into a detailed account of how 45 keeps on popping up as i go about the business of being elected. you guessed it, as the 45th president of the united states. in some cases, the digits 4 and 5 are only part of the figure like when a commentary ran to 645 words or when a final leg of a campaign trip took place on flight 1045 traveling at 45,000 feet. at times the 45 in question is tangentially related to cain. he cites an event where he met a couple celebrating their 45th anniversary. in 2014, the year the 45th president will be inaugurated as president, herman cain and his wife will be celebrating their wedding anniversary. do you know which year it is? 45. oh my god. herman cain is apparently an obsessed numerologist. i mean, think about it. the title of his book is "this is herman

street journal" poll says herman cain is now leading we'll analyze the cani factor what. is driving his popularity? >> and rich or poor, middle class? no. >> and bad news for the democratic party and president obama. bill clinton is off the reservation. >> there is no role for the economy. and there are reports of rampant drug use in the ranks of the occupy wall street protest movement. the culture warriors on that. caution. you're about to enter the no spin zone. the factor begins right now. >> bill: hi, i'm bill o'reilly, thanks for watching us tonight. the herman cain factor that is the subject of this evening's talking points memo. rasmussen is tied with 29% among likely voters. obviously mr. cain is taking a lot of perry's support. a "wall street journal" poll finds him leading but there is another element to the journal poll when asked about the general election, voters say the president would defeat mitt romney 46-44. that is a dead heat, considering the margin of error. herman cain loses to the president 49-38 herman cain's support is rock solid among conservative republicans th

here in washington last friday. herman cain may be in the lead in the republican presidential race, but the real front-runner is still president obama. >> a new shocking surge by herman cain. >> yes, it is the surging ceo of godfather's pizza. >> herman cain is a great candidate for republicans who want to feel more than they want to think. >> we had donald trump near the lead about five months ago. then there was the michele bachmann surge. >> can he be a serious alternative to mitt romney? >> no. >> herman cain is clearly to the ideological right of mitt romney. >> there's a core constituency on the right within the gop that is not satisfied with mitt romney. >> the people who are most likely to vote are the people who are supporting herman cain. you've got herman cain who's got a lot of passion going, and then you've got rick perry who's sitting on $17 million, and that can't buy you love but it can rent you some organization. >> i'm rick perry. and are you breaking up with me? >> what about the guy that made pizza? and so they move him in first place. >> 9-9-9! >> 9-9-9 has bee

point. he is talking about not having money. another big issue is immigration. especially herman cain. you know rick perry will get it because he is in a border state but herman cain about the remarks he said about the fence. he said he meant something else. >> he is. and herman cain yesterday said if he was elected president he would build an electric fence across the southern border which is impractical in many ways and he has come under criticism. he walked that back this morning but especially here in nevada at a time when the republican party is trying to reach out to latinos try to grow their party. herman cain is going to come here and face that question when he gets on the stage probably from a rival on the stage. herman cain is having to take it back and it says a lot about herman cain. he will be a focal point because he has surged in the polls in the last three weeks and in some polls he's come out of nowhere to be number one. herman cain will be in the middle, don, as is mitt romney. they are going to be the ones facing a lot of fire from the flanks, from me michele bachmanns,

win? ♪ ♪ herman cain is the rocky in this republican race, the guy who came out of nowhere, who few respected as a full-fledged candidate, who suddenly has shown he can throw a punch and is a real contender. but can he win the most votes? can herman cain turn his anybody but romney support into real campaign that actually wins caucuses and primaries? >>> plus, here's a provocative headline we saw today, will mitt romney kill the tea party? conservatives winced at the idea of the born-again conservative romney as the nominee and there's some talk of a third-party kanchallenge to him. on the other side of the spectrum, are the occupy wall street protests real? is there real anger here that can spread throughout the country? author michael lewis joins us on to whether they can use that anger to change american hearts and minds. >>> and if you're like me and grew up in a time of racial tensions and riots, it's amazing and gratifying to see a president who has a democratic african-american president and another african-american at the top now of the gop field. how far have we come on thi

, you know, one of the reasons we're here today is to celebrate the candidacy of herman cain, to celebrate his ideas and his vision for our country, and for depressed communities. i can't think of a better symbol of a depressed community than what we see behind us. this significant, historic relic that is empty and unoccupied because of politics, because of regulations, because of taxation, and we're going to start the program now, and we'll start the program with the blej of allegiance and we are going to start the program with the pledge of allegiance, but due to regulations, we are not allowed to bring an american flag to the podium, so i -- [audience reacts] but herman cain being a problem solver said we're still going to do the pledge of allegiance. you go right to my lapel pen. [cheers and applause] michael, want to start the pledge of allegiance? >> please say the pledge with me. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indis visible with liberty and justice for all. thank you. [cheers and

highlights from last night's gop debate. and herman cain continues to ride a huge wave of momentum, but some african-american leaders are choosing to attack him. >> i think he needs to get off the symbolic crack pipe. >> juan williams is here with questions. and is are issued to eric holder over the doomed "fast and furious" investigation. hannity starts right now. >> the presidential contenders collided last night. the round table, at first economic debate of the season was posted by the washington post and bloomberg report. let's look at the highlights. >> what would you do specifically to end the paralysis in washington? >> two things. present a bold plan to grow this economy, which i have put 9-9-9 plan on the table. >> i think it is a catchy phrase, in fact i thought it was the price after pizza when i heard it. >> it's time for another american declaration of independence, it's time for energy independence. >> you can't get the country in the right direction and washington to work if you don't have a president who a leader. >> it is nonsense to say we will disarm the united states

riding high in the polls, but can he remain and can herman cain deliver? the former godfather pizza ceo is showing signs that he may not be able to stand up to front-runner scrutiny. msnbc contributor chris solisa joins us with the fix. tonight's big debate in nevada, herman cain having to explain less than a year ago was quoted on the sales tax saying he was against the sales tax. so now -- he said it was the worst idea, the proposed national sales tax, it's like a v.a.t. like in europe. how does he explain why a 9-9-9 is not a sales tax when he's proposing one? >> i'm interested to hear that tonight, andrea. i think you rightly anticipate he will be asked about it. this is the boom/bust cycle we have seen happen for a lot of conservative campai conservative candidates, michele bachmann, rick perry and now herman cain. you rise on a sense that you are the conservative candidate, you represent the value system. but people don't know that much about you. when they find more out about you, there's doubts that creep in. herman cain has admitted to nbc's david gregory that, yes, in fact the

keeping them honest, herman cain has been telling people to lighten up and not take everything he says so seriously, especially about remarks he's made about stopping illegal immigration. he said he's only joking and said it again this evening. but new polling shows him to be a serious candidate. he's in a virtual tie with mitt romney. so now people are taking everything he says seriously, whether he likes it or not. as to whether you like what he's saying or not, that's entirely up to you. keeping them honest, whatever political position you happen to have, the question for herman cain or anyone wanting to be president is this, can you be a serious candidate without serious scrutiny of what you say and how you say it? here's what he said saturday about illegal immigration. >> i tell you what, when i'm in charge of the fence, we're going to have a fence, it will be 20 feet high and have barbed wire on the top, it will be electrocuted -- electrified. and there's going to be a sign on the other side that said, it will kill you. >> herman cain at a campaign stop in tennessee on satur

yourself, protect your family and protect your family. >> herman cain is now leading among likely republican voter. we'll analyze the cain factor. what is driving his popularity. >> should you raise taxes on anybody right today? rich or poor or middle classes? no. >> uh-oh. bad news for the democratic party and president obama. bill clinton is off the reservation. >> there is no growth of the economy. >> bill: and there are are reports of rampant drug use and other illegal conduct within the ranks of the occupy wall street protest movement. the culture warriors on that. caution. you are about to enter the no spin zone. the factor begins right now. hi, i'm bill o'reilly. thanks for watching us tonight. the herman cain factor is the subject of this evening's talking points memo. mr. cain is surging in the poll. tied with mitt romney at 29% among likely republican primary voters. rick perry clocks in with just 9%. obviously mr. cain has take and lot of perry's support and a "wall street journal" poll has cain leading romney 27 to 23. there is another element to the poll. when asked a

debate. two big questions, one, can herman cain withstand all of the scrutiny that comes with his immedia immediate yoric rise in the polls? >> to be tied for the front you have a big bull's-eye on your back and the bull's-eye keeps getting bigger. >> and question number two, will the texas governor, rick perry, finally show up? but the surprising cain factor first. ron paul promises to take aim at cain's catchy 9-9-9 tax reform plan. >> what 9-9-9 does, is he compromises in the worst way, he gives you a sales tax and a flat tax, and opens up the door to a value added tax. i think it's very, very dangerous. >> and even the front-runner, mitt romney, now gently taking aim, warning republicans who might like mr. cain's lack of political experience to think again. >> you know we have a guy who's president we didn't know very well as a country when he got elected and wondered what would happen if we elected someone who had no experience. now we know. >> now the perry challenge, to me, just as critical. tonight maybe even more so. his debate performances have been weak and views on imm

campaign. we're looking at some of the errors. and i'll talk to candidate john huntsman. herman cain is standing behind his chief of staff and estranged campaign ad. this hour, the smoking controversy that keeps burning. and millions of tons of debris floating in the pacific and heading towards the united states. could tvs and boats wash up ashore any time soon? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> he skipped the last republican presidential debate in las vegas saying he wanted to focus in on the first of the nation primary state of new hampshire. but former utah governor john huntsman is trailing in that critical state while rival mitt romney is enjoying a solid lead. john huntsman is joining us from salt lake city. governor, thanks very much for coming in. >> thank you, wolf. it's an honor to be with you. >> let's talk about mitt romney a little bit. george will, the conservative columnist writing in an upcoming edition of "the washington post" says this about mitt romney. he says, "romney, suppo

there. he has a second home there. he's a 40% cain, 12%. you're at 6%. but herman cain, he's intriguing. he basically spent very little time in new hampshire or iowa for that matter. but he's doing pretty well in both of those states, even better in iowa. and he comes up with these crazy ads, including this one. watch. ♪ we can take this country back america ♪ ♪ i am america one vote ♪ >> that's his chief of staff who had a little puff of a cigarette there. but he's a 13%. you're at 6% in new hampshire. you spent a lot of time there. he has it. why is he doing so well? >> well, oftentimes can you spike for the moment. you're the flavor of the week or the flavor of the month. i remember when governor perry was at 20% in new hampshire. he came in with great fanfare. now he's in the low single digits. we're just trying a steady, gradual substantive rise in new hampshire. based upon real support, based upon 80 events that we have done so far. wolf, we did a telephone town hall meeting yesterday. we had 3,000 people on the line. our town hall meetings are packed these days. i say we'

million tote is $16 million less than the second quarter of the year. the republican side, herman cain enjoyed a surge in the polls of late. chief political correspondent reports cain's message is res ignating and people are paying attention to the economic plan. >> don't tell herman cain he is another flavor of the week soon to melt. >> the flavor of the week, black walnut isn't a favor of the week. >> the surge has been through debate and tv commercials. the campaign of mitt romney, rick perry and ron paul key early states and nationally dwar the cain camp, which admits struggling to catch up organizationally, while he tried simultaneous to extend the hype speed in the poll no denying thed 9-9-9 plan has buzz. discount airlines borrowed it and urged people to buy cut-rate vacation flight now. after meeting with donald trump in new york today, michele bachmann trashed cain's 9-9-9 plan to alter the existing system and create 9% income tax and 9% national sales tax. >> you don't give congress a new revenue stream. they spend all the money and then some. congress is just a big money-eating mach

is not. >> imagine there is no pizza ♪ i couldn't if i tried ♪ >> imagine, herman cain, front-runner. not so easy if you try. >>> we begin with a big day on wall street. not for protesters, but big bank profits. earnings reports show while the overall economy is tepid at best, the nation's banks are drowning in a jacuzzi of cash. earnings jumped 74% in the third quarter to $3.8 billion. the nation's largest consumer lender, wells fargo turned a handy 4 went 1 billion profit. indeed, just three years after needing a federal bailout. i big banks are back with a vengeance and this may explain why so many people are so angry. it's one month today since the occupy wall street protests began and the name of protest is burning across the country and around the world. the occupy wall street movement plans 82 nations on five continents according to organizers. today president obama brought the outrage home, blasting republican opposition to his jobs bill in asheville, north carolina. >> they will have to come down and explain to working families why taxes are going up while the richest

of numbers herman cain is getting from his smoking campaign. i'm glad you're up with us. shoot me an e-mail at waytooearly@msnbc.com or tweet me and let me know what you're doing up this hour or do what mark block does and text your response to 622639. the next 30 minutes will be the cram session for this wednesday, october 26th. a lot to tell you about including single digits approval numbers now from congress in a new poll. how much lower can that body go? plus, international reaction, as i said, to herman cain's smoking ad. it's coming in from around the globe. the star of that ad basks in his new found celebrity. wait for the smile. wait for the smile. there it is. details later in the show. first though, let's get to the news live at. . 5:30 a.m. dozens of police officers clashing with protesters supporting the occupy wall street movement in oakland, california, last night. riot police gave repeated warnings, they say, to the crowd before firing at least five rounds of tear gas on protesters. oakland interim police chief howard jordan defended the use of tear gas saying we had t

the next election. but herman cain didn't seem to get the message and is calling them un-american. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. >> i would with love nothing more than to see congress act so aggressively that i can't campaign against them as a do-nothing congress. >> reporter: the president is hammering republicans on jobs and republicans continue to attack the 99% movement. >> if you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself. >> tonight, van jones, laura flander and john nichols on today's occupy protests. house republicans refuse to condemn rick perry's name hunting camp and rick perry is speaking out on the issue. we will play the tape and get reaction from democratic stratist harold cook. more bad news for hank williams, jr., oh, yeah. sarah palin is out. >> you bet ya. >> daily show do creator is here to talk about it all. >> great to have you with us. thank you for watching "the ed show." herman cain launched another tirade against the 99% movement. the former ceo of godfather's pizza blasted him last night. according to the associated press, herman c

the right now. >>> herman cain is on the fence. >> we'll have a real fence. electrified on top. it can kill you. mea culpa, mea culpa. >> after he told david gregory and others it was a joke. >> he's changed his mind again. >> electrified with a sign on the other side that says it can kill you. that's a joke. >> it didn't sound like a joke. >> i don't apologize for using a combination of a fence and it might be electrified. >> are you serious? >> it sounded serious at first then it was a joke. >> he's taking both sides of the fence. >> 20 feet how with barbed wire. >> that's a joke. that's not a serious -- >> i think we're splitting hairs here. i apologize if it offended anyone. >> it's dehumanizing. >> with staunch anti-immigration sheriff joe arpaio. >> self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in the world. >> i have an electric fence. it doesn't kill people. >> this is no laughing matter, the border fence. >> some people don't think it was a good joke. >> it is not a joke. >> america needs to get a sense of humor. >> the front-runner right now -- >> herman cain is great. >> does he know wha