White House stonewalling over Libya attack?

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Stephen Hayes is next on our show for some incident -- and without the handshaking -- is still in Washington Stephen this speech and -- spirit of the speech.

Is it very typical or like you expected -- -- close to close the show.

Yeah I I think this is Mitt Romney's attempt to be big to be positive to close positive.

It's a little bit -- you can see him going back and talking about the people that -- met.

Over this long campaign some of experiences that he's had.

I've -- referring to you know business people that he met just as recently as -- past couple days.

And then people he's he's back out over the campaign trail months and months ago so I think it's a combination of sort of looking back and and then -- -- the memories and also trying to be.

Optimistic and upbeat going into.

Tuesday sure and one of the things you could tell.

Clearly mr.

Romney Stephen was talking to the independence of the undecideds or the -- -- or persuade -- people because he was talking about.

Can only -- they really haven't gotten done much in Washington under this present in the last couple years and if you send me to Washington with the keys to the really big 747 as president.

I will reach across the aisle just as I did a Massachusetts.

And in the event that any of those four undecided voters in America still watching -- -- At this point he might have persuaded that that's exactly defend you said I'm not running to be that the head of a party I'm -- to be that the head of the country and I'm you can count on me to reach across the out to do the kinds of tough work.

The President Obama hasn't done over the past four years it's exactly the kind of language.

That would appeal potentially -- to those voters who haven't yet made up their mind at this late stage of the race.

It seemed actually to just go off of what you were just talking about what we heard from -- this massive travel plan over the next 82 hours if so many people.

Are left undecided -- so few are left undecided right now.

Is this all about the ground game or is it about all of these trips that the candidates are taking.

Well it's a little bit about both I -- mostly at this point you know it's the old cliche in the last week of a presidential campaign or any campaign.

All that -- is turn out all accounts of the ground game and that's really true I think these are these are designed to get the last little -- of local news coverage that they might get is on the number 10 o'clock hour.

You know -- local news something in the newspaper splashed on the front page the next day showing Mitt Romney.

Our -- a bomb my you know at a rally right in in you know people's backyards I think that's what these are designed to do.

Get people to go out and make one last push to get the enthusiasm up for people who are going to be driving folks the polls to people are going to be making last minute phone calls.

That's what this is all about at this.

Point tonight Steve -- I initiative -- the two events that happened to the ongoing by -- investigation in the eye of the storm.

But the president gets a chance to roll the sleeves and say cut the red tape bombing George again how does that how to both those play out with three days to go.

Well look I I think the storm actually help the president and I mean this that this was a guy who that fifth since the debate on October 3.

Had been losing ground in two areas where I think he really needed to hold his ground one was like ability and one was the ability to look presidential.

And what I think -- did was given an opportunity to recover a little bit.

In both of those areas he can present himself as more likable.

He was putting his arm around people in shelters he was trying to reassure people that.

You know who had just lost everything that that all was not lost.

And then you also had him being president just just the video images of him in front you know at the command center in front of the American Red Cross signed.

-- something that the president hadn't been able to do he was believe -- she was nasty he was tough.

In the debates and I think you -- it's possible that voters now we'll have going into the -- with that on Tuesday this memory of the president.

And the storm helping on the storm rather than thinking about him and the way that he conducted himself during those -- That that's just all about optics -- -- and that's what everything's come down -- presidential elections because if you dig a little deeper.

You might see stories like in Bryant's neighborhood you know and people still suffering and no gas and right food right flooding and people dying.

And so does -- have does have -- possibility over the next two days of being a negative.

For the -- It sure could -- mean the question is how prevalent are those stories and how quickly to people shift.

Are blaming the storm to blaming -- the lack of response and and in part blaming the president if that happens quickly does this storm could have almost a boomerang effect.

Yes and in fact you've got to wonder why on this Saturday morning the president had -- Stephen I'm sure you heard a down there in the bureau for the United States went over to -- Because you know here in New York City there it was embarrassment through the mayor of New York he said let's run the marathon let's run it then I think -- -- and you know what -- gonna pull the plug.

Because it's just wrong thing to do.

Right right exactly I think what the president is trying in a sense to have it both ways he's trying to be out on the campaign -- -- trying to make its final.

Campaign arguments but he also wants to be seen as president and and once -- to do the kinds of things that a president would do in the aftermath of such terrible storm but what.

Up to Libya situation because I see that you've written column for next week's magazine.

On it and you break it down to part one part two part three and basically.

Big that -- being.

The president he's right answers.

Right yeah I mean this this 00 and our readers get to get our magazine as we and -- ship it out this week.

It will probably be the case that most of them will get it after the president elect has been decided and our point simply was.

Whether as though weathermen.

Barack Obama is reelected or whether Mitt Romney is the new president we still need answers on Ben Ghazi and -- got he's important because of what happened and got the not necessarily because of what it -- -- its impact could be on the presidential election.

And you have this three part scandal do you have that the fact that that security wasn't provided when I was asked before him.

You have the fact that that the assistance wasn't given during the actual attack and then after the fact you have the fact that the president's.

Stories the administration story's changed dramatically over the course of really two months.

And they were self contradictory the whole time and I think actually we're gonna find out what happened and it will be interesting at the end of the whole process to see how high up the food -- If you will went and -- -- SP for Gretchen and Steve and I say we'll really enjoyed our time together.

Thank you I enjoyed being the cook I -- Even -- its weekly -- thank you stared blankly.

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White House stonewalling over Libya attack?

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