Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, who's making his second third bid for the White House, was the featured guest at this morning's Christian Science Monitor breakfast, where he was asked about his strategy.

Paul's response:

"I have one goal in life politically, and the goal is to make this a better country." He said he also wants to "change economic policy, change our foreign policy, change the monetary policy, and explain to people why we have booms and busts."

He continued, "You can't get out of a bust if you don't understand where the boom came from. The bust is the consequence of the boom. So my strategy doesn't change. I have political people that work and do things in strategy."

One thing was missing from his answer: winning the presidency.

MIAMI -- Addressing a crowd of mostly seniors and using a new visual aid, Mitt Romney hit Texas Gov. Rick Perry for the Texas governor's past statements that Social Security may be unconstitutional and should be a state program.

As dual giant projector screens posed six questions directed to Perry -- about how Social Security would actually work at the state level -- Romney lambasted the idea, arguing that such a system would not work in "any way, shape or form"

The Perry campaign responded with this statement: “Mitt Romney's own book compared Social Security to a criminal enterprise. Now Mr. Romney is again sounding like a Democrat, distorting the truth and trying to scare senior citizens. As he has so many times in the past, Mr. Romney seems to forget he's a Republican."

Romney also used this appearance before a group of perhaps 70 voters (as well as a healthy number of reporters) to advance another major argument for his nomination: that he is the most electable candidate against President Obama.

Asked how he could help Senate candidates in addition to just campaigning for them, Romney replied, "I'm going to be the Republican candidate who can win, and I say that with significance," adding he believed that he could win over independent voters, women, and even some Democrats. 

"President Obama is doing a great job of rallying our base," he said to laughter from the crowd. "There’s almost nothing we can do…that’s as motivational as what he’s doing to get our voters out and voting."

The former Massachusetts governor also said he would not be pushed to the right in a primary -- or to the center in a general election -- because he had mapped out his positions in his own recent book, and that those represent where he is.

"I think the American people recognize that we’re at a point of crisis and they want to hear the truth. And they can tell when people are being phony and are pandering to an audience, and you’ll see that in politics. You’re not going to see that in my campaign."

(Romney critics, however, argue that his chief weakness may very well be his ability to pander. He once supported abortion rights; he's now against them. He once supported embryonic stem-cell research; now he's against it. He once called his Massachusetts health-care law a model for the country; now he wants to repeal a federal law based largely on his state law.)

When a reporter asked Romney after the event who he felt was being a phony, exactly, he declined to name names.

Romney took a few questions from the audience pertaining to local issues like immigration and the United States' relationship with Latin America, which he said he hopes to strengthen by appointing a presidential envoy to take responsibility for the region.

On immigration, Romney again criticized Perry by name -- for the Texas governor's opposition to a full-border fence, the Arizona immigration law, and for creating a "magnet" for illegal immigrants by allowing in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants in Texas.

For his part, Romney theorized that using a point system similar to those used in other countries to determine who can immigrate here legally might be one way to reform the system of legal immigration.

Asked by NBC after the event if his criticisms of the President's policies on Israel were appropriate given the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations at the United Nations today, Romney expanded upon his original remarks.

"I think what the president did was an error with regards to Israel was begin dictating what he would do saying here you should do this and you should that. Those kinds of discussions should be held behind closed doors," Romney said. "The president should not be negotiating for his ally Israel. The president should stand behind Israel and negotiations and discussions should be held in private if the president has a different view than they do."

THE UNITED NATIONS -- With Palestinian leaders pushing statehood through recognition by the United Nations, President Obama today stated that lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians could come only through compromise and negotiation.

“Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. –- if it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is Israelis and Palestinians who must live side by side,” he said in his address today before the U.N. General Assembly.

What the president didn't mention in his remarks: vetoing what is expected to be Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call for the U.N. Security Council to acknowledge Palestine’s statehood.

In his speech, Obama reaffirmed the United States friendship with Israel and acknowledged that nation's precarious location. “Let’s be honest: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it." And he called for a sovereign state for Palestine while explaining that both sides have “legitimate aspirations.”

“That is the truth. Each side has legitimate aspirations, and that’s part of what makes peace so hard. And the deadlock will only be broken when each side learns to stand in each others' shoes,” he said.

Obama's focus on Israel and Palestine came after he extolled the transformations that have gone on in Northern Africa and the Middle East with the help of the United Nations, especially the move towards democracy in Libya.

“When they [the Libyan people] were threatened by the kind of mass atrocity that often went unchallenged in the last century, the United Nations lived up to its charter. The Security Council authorized all necessary measures to prevent a massacre. The Arab League called for this effort, and Arab nations joined a NATO-led coalition that halted Khaddafy’s forces in their tracks.”

He hailed this as the way “the international community is supposed to work. Nations standing together for the sake of peace and security; individuals claiming their rights.”

Obama had harsh words for Syria, saying the U.N. Security council should sanction the country and admonished the governments of Iran and Yemen. And he said the U.S. will “continue to support those nations that transition to greater democracy," and that it will "always stand up for the universal rights that were embraced by this Assembly.”

After his speech, Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and is expected to meet with Palestinian President Abbas early this evening.

Obama’s tricky task at the U.N… Ponder this: What if Dean or Kerry had bashed Bush -- the same way Perry did to Obama yesterday -- before Bush spoke at the U.N. in ’03?... Florida, Florida, Florida: Why Thursday, Friday, and Saturday could be important in the GOP race… All of today’s campaign activity is in the Sunshine State… And Palin still has time to get into the race, but probably not enough time to be a serious player.

AP

President Barack Obama addresses the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

*** Obama’s tricky task at the U.N.: At 10:00 am ET, President Obama addresses the U.N. General Assembly, and he faces a tricky task, per the Washington Post: reconcile his desire for a Palestinian state that coexists peacefully with Israel, with the United States’ current opposition to the Palestinian bid for statehood at the U.N. The Post adds, “Obama will specifically address, his advisers say, the lack of progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue he made a priority on taking office. Obama will seek to draw a distinction between his support for Palestinian statehood and his opposition to pursuing that goal through the United Nations. He will be doing so for two audiences — one suspicious of his intentions toward Israel, the other seeking to understand how he can encourage self-rule in some places and not in others.”

*** What if Dean or Kerry had bashed Bush in New York in fall of ’03 hours before Bush spoke at the U.N.? Before Obama’s tricky task today, Rick Perry traveled to New York City yesterday and -- appearing with foreign nationals -- accused the president of “appeasement” on the issue of Middle East peace. Ask yourself this question: If Howard Dean or John Kerry had shown up in New York City while Bush was at U.N. in ‘03 -- and had accused Bush of “appeasement” (with foreign nationals) at a time of tricky negotiations at the U.N. -- wouldn’t that have drawn widespread condemnation? We understand why Perry criticized Obama on Israel in New York; it’s certainly good politics for him in a GOP primary. And we get the campaign’s thinking in the moment; it was a good news-cycle hit, allowing Perry to be one-on-one with the president on the international stage. But the way Perry did it, plus its timing, opens him up to plenty of criticism, even among fellow Republicans.

*** Florida, Florida, Florida: Florida decided the presidential election in 2000; it helped push Barack Obama over the top in the 2008 general election; and it ended Mitt Romney’s presidential bid in the ’08 primaries. And about four months from now, it could once again decide who wins the GOP presidential nomination -- or at least determine how long the race will last. That’s why all the activity this week in the Sunshine State is so significant. Tomorrow night, the Republican candidates will gather in Orlando to participate in the sixth GOP presidential debate. On Friday, also in Orlando, the candidates will speak at a CPAC meeting in the state. And on Saturday comes the Florida GOP’s presidential straw poll.

*** Why is Florida so important? Just look at the expected calendar: If the Republican race turns into a two-man contest, Perry will probably win Iowa and South Carolina, while Romney will probably win New Hampshire and Nevada. Then comes Florida (as well as Arizona and Michigan). What’s more, many of the races on Super Tuesday (March 6) and the week after (March 13) are set to take place in the South, which could benefit Perry. So Florida -- if Romney wins it -- could give him the momentum he needs to withstand Super Tuesday and the week after. Or it could -- if Perry wins it -- end the nomination fight for good.

*** On the 2012 trail: And guess what: All the campaign-trail activity today is in the Sunshine State: Romney holds a town hall in Miami… Perry hits fundraisers in Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach… And Cain makes two stops in Florida.

*** Palin has time to get into the race, but not enough time to be a serious player: Last night, Sarah Palin was on FOX suggesting -- once again -- that there’s plenty of time for her to get into the presidential race. “There is still time,” she said, per NBC’s Matt Loffman. “And I think on both sides of the aisle you'll see people coming and going in this race.” She’s right: There’s still time for her and any other U.S.-born citizen who’s 35 or older to run for president. And with Bachmann’s poll numbers collapsing, there is some space for a Palin candidacy. But with likely less than four months until Iowa -- that’s right, folks, FOUR months -- there isn’t much time to raise the money, demonstrate the heft on the issues, and to rehabilitate her image to be a serious player for the Republican nomination. Oh, and she would need to start qualifying for ballots before the end of OCTOBER. So Iowa might be less than four months away, but some key ballot-access deadlines are before that. (Hey, Chris Christie, it’s a similar problem for you!)

*** Wednesday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) on jobs legislation and debt reduction… Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) a day after announcing he is leaving Senate GOP leadership … Former WH Counsel Bob Bauer on the slew of campaigns whose coffers have been defrauded by their own treasurers … And a political panel joining Chuck in New York: Politico’s Maggie Haberman, National Review’s Reihan Salam, and TheGrio.com’s Joy-Ann Reid.

*** Wednesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews NBC’s Ali Arouzi (on the hikers release from Iran), Richard Haass, Diana Buttu, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabani Khar, National Journal’s Major Garrett, Dr. James Ammons of Florida A&M University (as part of Education Nation), and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.  

Countdown to Election Day 2011: 48 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 138 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up, and it’s likely that the contest takes place earlier.

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The Washington Post previewing Obama's speech this morning at the U.N. General Assembly: "Obama will specifically address, his advisers say, the lack of progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue he made a priority on taking office. Obama will seek to draw a distinction between his support for Palestinian statehood and his opposition to pursuing that goal through the United Nations."

More: "He will be doing so for two audiences — one suspicious of his intentions toward Israel, the other seeking to understand how he can encourage self-rule in some places and not in others. His ability to make his case has implications for his reelection prospects — highlighted Tuesday when a leading GOP rival forcefully criticized his handling of Israel — and for his diplomatic overture to Muslims abroad."

The New York Times: “For the Republicans, the relationship with the Israeli government has created what many see as an opportunity. Mindful of Mr. Obama’s strained relationship with Mr. Netanyahu and emboldened by a special election victory last week in a heavily Jewish Congressional district in New York, Republicans hope the tensions between Mr. Obama and Israel — underscored by the latest developments at the United Nations — will help propel future political victories for their party.”

“Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in town as president of the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors, said that try as he might, he could not get face time with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to talk job creation,” the L.A. Times reports. “‘Unfortunately, after a few weeks of trying, we were unable to get a meeting with Speaker Boehner,’ Villaraigosa said Tuesday. ‘They couldn’t find time to meet with America's mayors.’ Boehner's office did not immediately comment.”

BACHMANN: Per NBC’s Jamie Novogrod, Bachmann has no public events scheduled before Thursday’s FOX debate in Orlando. On Friday, she takes part in the Conservative Political Action Committee convention. And as for next week, the Chicago Sun Times reports that Bachmann will be going to a windy city suburb – Homer Glen – to attend a rally Monday.

The Washington Examiner reports that Bachmann’s decision not to compete in the Florida straw poll “has baffled conservatives because the 3,500 delegates who will pick the poll's winner will also be influential in shaping the outcome of Florida's critical GOP primary.” The newspaper notes that straw poll winners have won the GOP nomination, and in some cases the presidency. And then there’s this quote, from the co-founder of the Florida Tea Party: "I don't think she has common sense enough to be elected president or win the nomination."

The Des Moines Register yesterday took a look at the tone of Bachmann’s visit to Iowa, noting her “low-key” and “matter-of-fact” responses to questions from reporters Monday about Rick Perry.  She drew policy distinctions, according the newspaper, telling reporters she favors building a fence along the southern border – and reminded the media about her win at the Ames straw poll.  But the newspaper adds: “The idea that winning the straw poll was what counted, and that all she needs to do is compete in the caucuses, runs counter to both history and the current reality on the campaign trail.”

GINGRICH: In Iowa yesterday, Newt Gingrich said this, per NBC’s Matt Loffman: "I think there's a huge difference between President Obama and President Clinton. President Clinton had been governor of a conservative Southern state. He had dealt with a legislature for 12 years. He understood the idea that for our system to work you've got to find some way to work with each other. President Obama is a pure ideologue. It's like we took this college professor and dropped  him into the Oval Office. He has no sense of trying to find a common ground. For him to have a Rose Garden speech attacking Boehner is totally destructive at this point in American history. This economy is in very dangerously weak position, and I worry every morning about this economy."

JOHNSON: NBC’s Jo Ling Kent notes that presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has been added to the FOX/Google debate roster for Thursday evening's debate, according to reports. Johnson hasn't been in a debate since an earlier Fox debate in South Carolina May 5.

PAUL: Ron Paul, per NBC’s Anthony Terrell, was scheduled to make three stops in Iowa yesterday (but he missed the stop in Council Bluffs due to mechanical problems with his plane leaving Des Moines -- so he ended up calling in to that event). In the two stops he made, Paul took questions from the audience and his speeches emphasized the economic costs of overseas wars, how young voters are receptive to his message, and warnings about U.S. taxpayer money used to bail out European countries.

PERRY: Here’s the New York Post on Perry’s day in Manhattan yesterday: “Rick Perry unloaded on President Obama’s Israel policy yesterday -- picking up an attack that has already dented the president’s popularity -- then scooped up New York cash for his surging campaign. On the second day of a New York swing that coincided with Obama’s trip to the United Nations, the Texas governor ripped Obama for putting too much pressure on Israel and accused him of ‘appeasement.’ ‘Simply put, we would not be here today, at the precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn’t naive, arrogant, misguided and dangerous,’ Perry fumed.”

Here's the New York Daily News: "With the Obama Administration engaged in some delicate diplomacy, Gov. Rick Perry waded into the debate and accused Obama of emboldening the Palestinians by demanding compromises from the Israelis... At one point in his speech, Perry pronounced Palestine Pal-a-steen, which is how Texans pronounce the name of the east Texas town, Palestine.

Rahm Emanuel has been Chicago mayor for just four months, but he’s already hitting the campaign trail again -- this time for his old boss, President Obama. Emanuel will be the headline speaker at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Nov. 19.

State party chairwoman Sue Dvorsky called Emanuel “one of the great advocates for Democratic values and middle-class opportunity.”

The big Democratic fundraising dinner, traditionally a showcase for presidential candidates before the state’s first-in-the nation presidential contest, was a key moment in the Dem primary fight between Obama and Hillary Clinton -- when Obama delivered a well-received speech heading into the Iowa caucuses.

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, currently the No. 3 in the GOP's Senate leadership, said he was giving up his leadership post come next January. He will still run for a another term in 2014.

"Stepping down from leadership will liberate me to spend more time working for results on the issues I care most about," Alexander wrote in a letter to his colleagues. "I want to do more to make the Senate a more effective institution so that it can deal better with serious issues. There are different ways to provide leadership within the Senate. After nine years here, this is how I believe I can now make my greatest contribution. For these same reasons I do not plan to seek a leadership position in the next congress. 

He added, "I said to Tennesseans when I first ran for the Senate that I would serve with conservative principles and an independent attitude. I will continue to serve in that same way. I am a very Republican Republican. I intend to be more, not less, in the thick of resolving serious issues. And I plan to run for re-election in 2014."

It's expected that Sen. John Cornyn will run for the No. 2 slot (being vacated by retiring Sen. Jon Kyl); Sen. John Thune will run for the No. 3 slot (being vacated by Alexander); and Sen. John Barrasso announced he'll run for the #4 position (currently held by Thune).

Demonstrating -- once again -- football's importance in the Lone Star State, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is getting dragged into college football's conference-realignment wars.

In this instance, T. Boone Pickens -- a financial patron saint to Oklahoma State -- is calling for the GOP presidential front-runner to save the Big 12 conference.

A quick primer: Perry's alma mater of Texas A&M is looking to head to the SEC; Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are eyeing the PAC-12; and the University of Texas wants to hold the conference together, though it's keeping its options open and might also head to the PAC-12.

The potential political headache for Perry back home is that this possible realignment -- triggered by A&M -- leaves out Texas schools like Baylor, which could upset the alumni (and voters) from those schools.

Full disclosure: Your author is a proud graduate and fan of the University of Texas.

The Daily Oklahoman:

Boone Pickens doesn't believe the Big 12 is dead. The Oklahoma State benefactor even believes Texas A&M's departure for the SEC can be stopped.

"I think the Aggies are sobering up," Pickens told The Oklahoman.

Pickens has even pulled out the big sales job. He's petitioned Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination.

Pickens said he told Perry to show America that "you fix problems, don't contribute to 'em."

Perry is a former Texas A&M yell leader. "After the Aggies leave school, they're still looking for a yell leader," Pickens said. He said he told Perry to be that leader.

Pickens, whose BP Capital Management office is based in Dallas and who has many A&M ties, said a month ago that he tried to talk the Aggie leadership into staying in the Big 12 but it was a lost cause.

Now, Pickens said he's not so sure.

"I keep thinking they're hearing me," Pickens said. "I'm not sure they're listening to me. But they trust me."

Pickens said Baylor's threat of a lawsuit is real. The Bears have declined to waive their right to sue the SEC, should the Aggies be admitted to that conference.

"Baylor is going to do anything," Pickens said. He likened Baylor to the jackrabbit that is chased by the faster greyhound but isn't caught.

"The difference is, one's running for the fun of it," Pickens said, "and one's running for its life. There's no question they'll file a lawsuit. They sure can stir up a hell of a lot of problems."

Pickens said his plan for A&M is to tell the University of Texas that the Aggies will stay in the Big 12, but only if UT folds its Longhorn Network into an equitable revenue distribution. However, that's a different cause than what irks A&M and OU about the Longhorn Network. The network's association with ESPN, which has pushed to air high school content, bothers the Sooners and Aggies, who believe it would give Texas a recruiting advantage.

"I would cut them off on that thing real quick," Pickens said. "Your problem is DeLoss (Dodds, UT's athletic director). DeLoss is a guy who's always played with all the cards.

"I told him six weeks ago, 'we understand you've got the best hand. But you can't keep doing that to people. You gotta show leadership.

"Big 12, come to your senses. Step up on leadership. Explain to Texas that whatever they have that's different, it's not (going to be) different anymore."

Pickens said his message to OSU president Burns Hargis and athletic director Mike Holder is be patient.

Pickens said if OSU and OU enter the Pac-12, "are you going to be full-fledged members? Not ever, probably. You'll be viewed as the division without the ocean. You'll get to play SC (Southern Cal) at Stillwater every eight years. That's not much of a deal."

This week, Congress will have its first substantial policy argument since the members came back from recess. And what would that be? Another fight over how to continue to fund the federal government.

Here are the parameters of the debate in layman’s terms, as this one is especially confusing (even after the summer's debt-ceiling debate).

1. The money

On Sept. 30, 2011, Fiscal Year 2011 funds will run out. This is the agreement that was reached in March during the near government shutdown. However, unlike in March when the government came within 45 minutes of a shutdown over a funding fight, the general sentiment on Capitol Hill is that neither side wants to even come close to a government shutdown -- since Congress is polling so low. In fact, as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said today, “Nobody is intending for a government shutdown, the country has had enough of it.”

Part of the debt limit deal was that when the Fiscal Year 2011 ended on Sept. 30, the funding number for Fiscal Year 2012 would be $1.043 trillion. There's no debate on that point. So unlike last March, when both sides wanted to adjust the overall funding number, everyone agrees on $1.043 trillion. This time, however, the debate will be over where the money is spent.

Even on the last point, there’s widespread agreement on the majority of the continuation of funds. But where there's disagreement is on the subject of FEMA and emergency disaster-relief funding.

2. FEMA

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid passed a stand-alone FEMA/disaster relief funding bill that included $6.1 billion in funds. That bill got support from 10 GOP senators. In an effort to pit House GOPers against Senate GOPers, Reid is going to attach an amendment to the House GOP government funding bill that would make the FEMA/disaster relief funds equal to $6.1 billion and make the Senate vote on it. The House bill appropriates $2.65 billion for FEMA, which is far below Obama’s request of $5.1 billion.

The House GOP says there are giving more than Obama requested in 2011, and that the states themselves have not finished the task of appropriately asking for how much money is needed for disaster relief.

Today, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy said there are not enough votes in the House for the Senate-passed FEMA funding bill. So that is an issue that needs to be figured out. Cantor dodged a question on whether or not the House would leave town on Friday no matter what -- even if a deal isn’t reached.

Another issue with Democrats is the GOP insistence on off-setting the billion dollars for FY 2011 with cuts in other places. Currently, the FY 2011 funds would be offset by cuts in a green car vehicle loan guarantee bill that is part of Obama's green jobs initiative which -- according to Republicans -- has a $4 billion surplus that hasn't been used. “

3. So where do they go?

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said earlier today that Democrats may vote against the overall funding bill if the House GOP pairs budget cuts with FEMA funding (i.e., what they are doing with the green car money).

Why is that important?

There’s speculation that a decent number of conservative House GOPers are going to vote against the government funding bill no matter what, because they deem it to be too costly and are still mad about the debt limit. There’s also speculation that Democrats -- coupled with enough conservative Republicans -- could lead to enough NO votes on the government funding bill. Hoyer sees leverage in House Dems voting no on the bill because the GOP leadership would need to add more FEMA funds to get their votes and avoid a shutdown.

4. Wednesday

The House expects to pass their government funding bill tomorrow -- to which Reid will add his FEMA money as soon as he gets it. It remains to be seen whether or not Reid can get 60 votes again for his version of FEMA funding. If McConnell can whip that number down, then it’s up to Reid to how the government funding bill will proceed. Either he passes the House funding bill or holds out for more FEMA money.

The bill will fund the government through Nov. 18th, 2011. Before Thanksgiving we’ll have to go through this process again and the hope is that Congress will able to fund the government for the full fiscal year. (Don’t hold your breath.)

5. Deadline

The deadline is this Friday because both chambers expect to be on recess next week. It’s expected that an agreement will be reached as the appetite for any discussion of a shutdown is ZERO. However, there’s a small chance that -- due to procedural issues -- they might need to take until Saturday to figure all of this out. We’ll know a lot more after tomorrow.

By NBC's Ali Weinberg 

COLUMBIA, SC -- Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are running neck-and-neck among Republicans who are planning to vote in next year's South Carolina primary, according to a new Winthrop University poll released today.

Perry gets 31% and Romney 27% -- within the poll’s margin of error.

Poll director Scott Huffmon said the results suggest that Perry has been making strong inroads (especially with Tea Party supporters) since getting into the race in mid-August, and that Romney’s support in the state extends beyond his initial name-recognition strength.  

“Rick Perry has a lot of attention down here. I think Mitt Romney has a little more support than people are giving him credit for,” said Huffmon, a political science professor at Winthrop. “Both should be looking at [these numbers] as a way of trying to tweak their strategy and grow their base.” 

Romney has been far less present in South Carolina than Perry, whose wife Anita will be here tomorrow presiding over the Perry headquarters’ ribbon-cutting ceremony.

While Huffmon advised against overstating the “bandwagon effect,” he noted that South Carolinians do tend to coalesce around the nationally anointed candidate, given that it has voted for every Republican nominee in the primary since Ronald Reagan in 1980.

“In general, things that are liked by conservatives in New Mexico or in Wyoming are the same kinds of things that are liked by conservatives in South Carolina,” he said.

The Winthrop poll showed no other GOP candidates with double-digit support, with “Not Sure” being the next-highest choice at 11% in the trial heat. Businessman Herman Cain received 8% (a six-point jump since the last Winthrop poll in April) and Sarah Palin got 6%.

Neither the Perry nor the Romney campaign would comment on the poll’s results.

Among the rest: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got 5%; Rep. Ron Paul 4%; Rep. Michele Bachmann 3% (about where she was in April); and both former Sen. Rick Santorum and former Gov. Jon Huntsman at 2%.

Given the deflation of some candidates who might siphon off Perry support -- especially Bachmann -- Huffmon suggested the Romney camp would be wise to recalculate its “wait and see” strategy in the Palmetto State.

“I think Romney was sitting back, hoping that Tea Party supporters would tear each other apart in the Perry vs. Bachmann vs. Palin vs. Cain camps. But this may be a sign that he may need to wade in and take some of the air out of Perry’s balloon.”

The poll also found that more primary voters would make their selection based on ideology rather than electability. When asked whether it was more important to pick a nominee who can beat President Obama in 2012 or one who shares the voter’s beliefs, 60% said “match beliefs” while 33% said “beat Obama.”

Huffmon said those percentages should not be surprising, given that most Republican primary voters assume that Obama will be defeated regardless of the nominee.

The poll also tested GOP support for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who holds a coveted primary endorsement. Her approval rating among Republicans is 69%, with 18% disapproving.

Regarding South Carolina Republicans’ views on President Obama, a majority -- 74% -- said the term “socialist” described him well.

Huffmon said that demonstrated more that the language of “conservative elites” like pundits and radio hosts were trickling down to everyday Republicans, rather than voters’ beliefs that Obama fits the textbook definition of a socialist. 

Moreover, 30% of Republicans in the poll also incorrectly said they believed Obama belonged to the Muslim faith. And 36% said they thought Obama was probably or definitely born in another country. Yet that percentage decreased since the last Winthrop poll in April, taken before President Obama released his “long-form” birth certificate.

The Winthrop University poll was conducted from September 11-18 and surveyed 1,552 registered voters from South Carolina. For the majority of the questions, which were asked only of Republicans and independents who lean Republican, the results came from 596 such voters and the margin of error was +/- 4.01%. For those questions asked only of those who “definitely” plan to vote in the 2012 primary, the margin of error was +/- 4.57%.

DES MOINES, IA -- Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann cut beef while touring Amend Packing Company here this morning, continuing to focus on jobs in the Hawkeye State. She also gave a statement on Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

NBC's Alex Moe

"Is that all right? Is that straight enough?" Bachmann asked the owner of the family-run business that has been in operation since 1869 as she precisely cut a few ribeyes.

Bachmann, who wore blue gloves and a matching frock, took questions from local small business owners inside the chilled cutting room.

"Washington is hurting and no longer helping," Bachmann said to the handful of attendees about government regulations on companies like the meat company.
 
She told an electric company owner who asked about President Obama's health-care law that it will raise premiums and cost jobs. Bachmann also noted there was "nothing that she's seen" in Obama's debt-reduction plan that she would be able to support. Other questions were raised on taxes and her campaign in light of recent poll numbers.

With cow carcasses hanging in the meat cooler behind her, Bachmann -- whose grandfather owned a meat market in Iowa -- read a statement on Iranian President Ahmadinejad and took a few questions from the press. 

"I call upon President Obama to stop Ahmadinejad from coming to the United Nations," Bachmann said. "When mad men in positions of power like Ahmadinejad make wild and genocidal threats against another nation like Israel, we should listen to them and we should take what necessary counter measures to stop them and their evil intents."

Earlier today, we suggested that this quote below from White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer meshed with our take that the governing phase for the White House is over, and that the campaigning phase has begun.

“The popular narrative is that we sought compromise in a quixotic quest for independent votes. We sought out compromise because a failure to get funding of the government last spring and then an extension of the debt ceiling in August would have been very bad for the economy and for the country,” Mr. Pfeiffer added. “We were in a position of legislative compromise by necessity. That phase is behind us.”

But Pfeiffer takes issue with our interpretation and headline indicating the White House has given up on governing with congressional Republicans.

"We want compromise now and the story says as much, but the ability of the other side to hold the economy hostage doesn’t exist," Pfeiffer explains to First Read.

NBC News confirms that Texas Gov. Rick Perry dined last night in New York with media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

In his first major foray into foreign-policy specifics, Texas Gov. Rick Perry today blasted the Obama administration's "policy of appeasement" towards Palestine, and he assured Israelis that "help is on the way" in the decades-long conflict in the region.

Surrounded by Jewish leaders -- as well as newly minted GOP Rep. Bob Turner, who won last week's special congressional election in New York -- Perry derided the White House's Middle East policy as "naïve and arrogant, misguided and dangerous" and repeatedly lambasted President Obama's position that the 1967 borders established between Israel and Palestine, with land swaps, be the starting point for further peace negotiations.

"The people of Israel and the people of this world will never question where I stand when it comes to Israel," Perry declared to applause at a press conference in New York City.

Borrowing a line made famous by then-presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, Perry added, "I hope that you tell the people of Israel that help is on the way."

During the press conference, which came as the United Nations considers Palestinian leaders' bid to be formally recognized by the international body, Perry said that he supports the continued building of Israeli settlements and that he advocates for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Asked about whether he views support of Israel as a "theological" matter, Perry noted the strong alliance between that nation and the United States before adding: "I also, as a Christian, have a clear directive to support Israel."

Perry has recently faced criticism for appearing uninformed or offering muddled statements on Middle East policy. In a Time magazine article published earlier this month, Perry suggested that Palestinian leaders must recognize Israel's right to exist -- an agreement already made in the Oslo Accords of 1993.

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Justin Kirschner has more on today's event:

Also in attendance and standing behind Perry -- in addition to Turner -- were New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat; and a Likud Party member of the Knesset, Danny Danon.
 
Turner, dubbing himself the "messenger from the 9th Congressional District," blasted the Obama administration, saying, "They have been vacillating and at times hostile to Israel, and that is not acceptable." Turner also agreed with Perry's statement that the U.S. should consider pulling its funding from the United Nations if the Palestinian vote goes through, saying to NBC News that removing funding "should be a weapon at our disposal."

Hikind went a step further, saying that U.S. funding for the U.N. should be completely cut. He added, "I don't know what they succeed at doing."
 
Danon, the only Israeli to speak at Perry's press conference, pre-butted the assumed passage of the General Assembly resolution, saying that recognition of the Palestinians at the U.N. would merely make them "a Facebook nation."

Conservative columnist David Brooks -- who often vacillates between praising President Obama and criticizing him -- takes the president to task today for his deficit-reduction plan, which includes taxing the wealthy.

Brooks writes:

The White House has decided to wage the campaign as fighting liberals. I guess I understand the choice, but I still believe in the governing style Obama talked about in 2008. I may be the last one. I’m a sap.

But the Washington Monthly's Steve Benen argues that Obama's decision only came after Republicans walked away from his "grand bargain" on deficit reduction. As Benen puts it, Brooks "believes Charlie Brown has an obligation to keep trying to kick the ball, even if he knows Lucy will pull it away."

Love the president or hate him, he’s done what he said he would do. Obama has reached out to Republicans, even when he didn’t have to; he embraced Republican ideas as much as he could; he’s given plenty of administration posts to Republicans officials; and he’s demonstrated, to a fault, a willingness to compromise with his opponents.

And how did Republicans respond to a conciliatory president’s outstretched hand? By slapping it away. GOP officials have rejected every idea the president has ever suggested, even occasionally rejecting their own ideas after Obama accepted them. Republicans have not only forcefully abandoned the very idea of compromise, over the summer, they pushed the nation to the brink of an economic catastrophe, on purpose, rather than work in good faith with the White House.

As it turns out, Brooks criticized conservatives when they walked away from the grand bargain the first time -- but that was back in mid-July.

All of these groups share the same mentality. They do not see politics as the art of the possible. They do not believe in seizing opportunities to make steady, messy progress toward conservative goals. They believe that politics is a cataclysmic struggle. They believe that if they can remain pure in their faith then someday their party will win a total and permanent victory over its foes. They believe they are Gods of the New Dawn.

The governing phase is over and the campaigning has begun… Who will get blamed for the Washington gridlock -- Obama or a Do-Nothing Congress?... Israel v. Palestine dominates UN meeting… “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” officially ends… Perry to hit Obama on Israel in NYC… Winthrop poll shows Perry narrowly leading Romney in SC… And Nader calls for Dem primary challenge against Obama.

AP

President Obama speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, September 19, 2011.

*** The governing phase is over: So what will be more difficult for the White House over the next couple of days? Getting the Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a process for Palestinian recognition at the UN? Or getting congressional Republicans to agree with President Obama’s deficit-reduction plan? Neither seems like a good bet -- at least right now. Indeed, with some 14 months until Election Day 2012, Obama’s speech yesterday essentially marked the end of the governing season and the beginning of the campaign. White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer admitted as much to the New York Times. “The popular narrative is that we sought compromise in a quixotic quest for independent votes. We sought out compromise because a failure to get funding of the government last spring and then an extension of the debt ceiling in August would have been very bad for the economy and for the country.” Pfeiffer added, “We were in a position of legislative compromise by necessity. That phase is behind us.”

*** Who gets blamed for the gridlock -- Obama or a Do-Nothing Congress? "That phase is behind us.” Remember, that's not an analysis from the chattering class; that's the White House essentially saying the campaign has begun. And right now, the battle is over who will get the blame for the gridlock -- congressional Republicans are hoping that the public blames Obama (who promised to change politics), while the White House is hoping that the public points its finger at a Do-Nothing Congress. Here’s a related question: If public opinion is on the White House’s side to tax the rich, why isn’t that able to convince the political system (see: last December’s extension of the Bush tax cuts)? One explanation is that Obama’s own political party isn’t 100% united behind it. Another explanation is that the Republican Party is 100% against it. One can't help but also wonder: If the president's own political standing both publicly (and in his own party in DC) were stronger, he might be able to use the fact he has overall public opinion on his side on taxes, say, to his advantage. But he doesn't. It gets at the leadership deficit which polls have shown exist for this president among Dems and swing voters.

AP

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at United Nations headquarters Monday, September 19, 2011.

*** Israel v. Palestine dominates UN meeting: A few weeks ago, you might have thought that the current United Nations gathering would be a victory lap for the Obama White House -- after the ousting of Khaddafy from Libya. Instead, the conversation is about another difficult issue: Israel vs. Palestine. It's just another example of how they feel they can't catch a break. And it's yet more evidence how after one crisis is resolved, there's always another crisis to deal with. At the UN today, Obama has a full slate of events, but perhaps the most important is with Turkey Prime Minister Erdogan regarding the thorny issue of Middle East peace.

*** “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” officially ends: “After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks,” the AP says. “Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.” Amazing after all the Washington handwringing over the last two decades on this issue that it's happened with such little fanfare and with little controversy by the end. A case where public opinion led policymakers?

AP

Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry in New York City, Monday, September 19, 2011.

*** Perry to hit Obama on Israel: While Mitt Romney has tried to bracket Obama while the president has been on the road, Rick Perry has physically been in the same place as Obama -- first in Iowa back in August, and now in New York City with Obama at the UN meeting. At 10:00 am, Perry holds a media avail in the Big Apple to criticize Obama on Israel. Per excerpts of his remarks that the AP got its hands on, Perry will accuse the Obama administration of “appeasement” in trying to reach Middle East peace. "It's vitally important for America to preserve alliances with leaders who seek to preserve peace and stability in the region," Perry is expected to say. "But today, neither adversaries nor allies know where America stands. Our muddle of a foreign policy has created great uncertainty in the midst of the Arab Spring."

*** Winthrop poll shows Perry narrowly leading Romney in SC: Meanwhile, a new Winthrop poll shows Perry narrowly leading Romney in South Carolina among Republicans planning to vote in the state’s primary, 30.5%-27.3%. Also per the poll: “Among Republicans/Republican leaners who are definitely planning on voting in the GOP Primary in SC, 59.9% said that it was more important to select a Republican presidential nominee who matched their beliefs, while 33.5% in this category disagreed, saying it was more important to select a candidate who could beat President Obama in 2012.” 

*** On the 2012 trail: Elsewhere today, Bachmann, Gingrich, and Paul are in Iowa… Cain campaigns in Florida… And Buddy Roemer is in North Carolina.

*** Nader calls for a primary against Obama: Leave it to someone who isn’t a Democrat -- and who’s run for president in three-straight elections against the Democratic nominee -- to suggest what’s good for the Democratic Party: a primary challenge against Obama. Here’s Ralph Nader to the LA Times: "If [Obama's] smart, he'll welcome it, because nothing's worse than an incumbent president slipping in the polls, being constantly on the defensive, being accused by supporters of having no backbone and running an unenthusiastically received campaign.” (Actually, recent history has proven that nothing’s worse for an incumbent president to receive a serious primary challenge.) As the LA Times writes, Nader and Obama critics like Cornel West have released a “Dear Colleague” letter urging a primary challenge against Obama.

*** Tuesday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: NBC’s campaign reporters Carrie Dann, Garrett Haake, and Alex Moe have the latest from the campaign trail … OMB Director Jack Lew joins to explain the president’s deficit-reduction plan … And the latest on the politics of the week with MSNBC’s Alex Wagner, Politico’s Ben Smith, and columnist and host Errol Louis.

*** Tuesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Chuck Todd (on Obama at the UN), New York Magazine’s John Heilemann, Hanan Ashrawi (on Palestinian statehood request), Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, Eugene Robinson and Jonathan Alter, Sen. Joe Lieberman, and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.

Countdown to Election Day 2011: 49 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 139 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up

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It's No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Covering his deficit-reduction speech from yesterday, the New York Times says that Obama “entered a new, more combative phase of his presidency, one likely to last until next year’s election as he battles for a second term… Mr. Obama did not just propose but insisted that any long-term debt-reduction plan must not shave future Medicare benefits without also raising taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers and corporations. He uncharacteristically backed up that stand with a veto threat, setting up a politically charged choice for anti-tax Republicans — protect the most affluent or compromise to attack deficits.”

Among centrist Democrats, Politico finds tepid enthusiasm for Obama’s deficit-reduction plan -- but not outright rejection.

The Wall Street Journal: “Republican leaders said that Mr. Obama's inclusion of $1.5 trillion in tax increases in his deficit-reduction plan was a bad idea both politically and economically. ‘Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth, or even meaningful deficit reduction,’ said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).”

Bloomberg News adds, “President Barack Obama set aside his stance as compromiser-in-chief to champion the populist cause of ‘fairness’ for the middle class in the struggle over how to bring down the nation’s budget deficit.”

The New York Daily News’ headline on Obama: “Enough mister-nice-President!”

Ross Baker, political scientist at Rutgers, told NPR: “At some point he was going to have to put away the olive branch and unsheathe the sword. I guess this is it.”

The Boston Globe’s editorial page lends Obama support: “Republican intransigence has all but obliged Obama to confront what’s really going on: The fundamentals of the economy have changed in ways that further enrich millionaires, and the tax system should respond accordingly.”

The Washington Post says that Obama's call yesterday to tax the rich is a replay of an old Washington debate. “Democrats remember when Franklin D. Roosevelt and Bill Clinton won their fights to make the wealthy pay more. Republicans remember when Ronald Reagan won his battle, seeking economic recovery by having the wealthy pay less.”

“After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks,” the AP says. “Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.”

The Washington Post adds, “Enlistees who tell military recruiters, or troops discharged under the ban who are eager to reenlist, will be eligible to join up if they are qualified. And the Defense Department says it will have zero tolerance for anti-gay behavior, as it does for religious, racial and gender discrimination.”

“It might have been a long shot anyway, but Monday’s forceful deficit reduction speech by President Barack Obama — including a veto threat — is contributing to pessimism among Republicans about the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction’s ability to address tax reform,” Roll Call writes. “Obama is ‘undermining the work’ of the panel, Co-Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) said. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the speech was ‘not leadership… The president has not made a serious contribution to’ the panel’s work.”

“On the Senate floor and the television airwaves, Senator Mitch McConnell has lambasted the Obama administration over what he has described as its failed efforts to stimulate new jobs through clean-energy projects backed with billions of dollars in federal loans or other assistance,” the New York Times writes. “But Mr. McConnell, of Kentucky, is one of several prominent Republicans who have worked to steer federal money to clean-energy projects in their homes states, Energy Department documents show. Mr. McConnell made two personal appeals in 2009, asking Energy Secretary Steven Chu to approve as much as $235 million in federal loans for a plant to build electric vehicles in Franklin, Ky.”

Rick Perry leads Mitt Romney in another poll, this one USA Today/Gallup – 31%-24%. Ron Paul’s the only other candidate in double digits with 13%. Michele Bachmann has dropped all the way to 5%. Romney’s electability argument could be helped by the poll. It shows him beating Obama 49%-47%, but Perry down 5 to the president and with Obama at 50%, 50%-45%.

GOP presidential candidates predictably don’t like Obama’s plan.

BACHMANN: Bachmann wraps her two-day swing through Iowa Tuesday, visiting a factory in Des Moines, NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reports. Her economy-focused visit brought her to factories in North-Central Iowa Monday, and her hometown of Waterloo.

Bachmann said of Obama’s deficit-reduction plan, per NBC’s Alex Moe: "I wish I could say that I supported that speech because I don't like to be contrary just for the sake of being contrary," Bachmann said to the handful of O.M.J.C. Signal, Inc. employees in attendance. Earlier at Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, she said the president's plan was more "stimulus" and that it would "ruin the United States economy."

The Caucus blog on the New York Times website writes that “advisers over at the Bachmann campaign can’t be too happy” about Ed Rollins’ remarks on “Andrea Mitchell Reports” Monday. Rollins, the former campaign manager, said that Bachmann doesn’t have “the ability or the resources to go beyond Iowa.”  Rollins remains an unpaid advisor to the campaign.

Citing interviews with doctors, the New York Times reports that Bachmann’s comments linking the HPV vaccine to “mental retardation” could set public health efforts back by three years.

Expecting softballs… During a radio interview Monday with Chicago Talk Radio station WSL, Bachmann said she had been taken by surprise by questions she received from Jay Leno during her appearance on The Tonight Show.  Bachmann said on WSL’s “Don Wade and Roma Show” that questions she received during her interview didn’t match her pre-interview.  "I was very surprised because we had had a pre-show interview and that wasn't at all what I was told we were going to be talking about. So I was very surprised," Bachmann said.

The LA Times calls Bachmann’s stop Monday at a Waterloo traffic signal manufacturer “off-key.”  It was the second stop on a tour of factories meant to highlight her plans for the economy.  “On her visit to a traffic signal plant Monday,” the newspaper writes, “Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann called it an example of how President Obama’s policies are ‘continuing to dig us deeper into the hole toward another recession.’”

HUNTSMAN: NBC’s Jo Ling Kent looks at the Huntsman campaign focusing its efforts on New Hampshire and skipping Florida’s upcoming straw poll, despite a campaign headquarters in Florida and having told the St. Petersburg Times saying he would "aggressively" compete in the event. "Governor Huntsman will be spending substantial time in New Hampshire this fall," campaign spokesman Michael Levoff told NBC News on Monday. "In order to be successful in states like Florida, it's crucial Governor Huntsman leaves New Hampshire with a head of steam, so campaigning in the Granite State will continue to be our top priority."

PERRY: Via AP, here are some excerpts of Perry's prepared remarks for his morning press conference in New York: "We are indignant that certain Middle Eastern leaders have discarded the principle of direct negotiations between the sovereign nation of Israel and the Palestinian leadership," Perry said. "And we are equally indignant that the Obama administration's Middle East policy of appeasement has encouraged such an ominous act of bad faith."

And: "It's vitally important for America to preserve alliances with leaders who seek to preserve peace and stability in the region," Perry said. "But today, neither adversaries nor allies know where America stands. Our muddle of a foreign policy has created great uncertainty in the midst of the Arab Spring."

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry received an unexpected welcome to New York City Monday -- when Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel turned up at the Republican presidential hopeful's Harlem fundraiser,” the New York Post reports. Rangel said, "I wanted to make him feel comfortable. I would not embarrass him here.”

ROMNEY: “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has long been critical of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, blaming the government-backed housing lenders for inducing the home-mortgage crisis and saying they have become too unwieldy,” the Boston Globe writes, “Yet Romney has profited from investments that were made in both government entities, according to his personal finance disclosure forms and documents compiled by American Bridge, one of several Democratic groups in Washington formed to back the election campaigns of Obama and other Democrats.”

Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson all but endorses Romney in the Washington Post: “Perry is a perfect candidate for a time of Tea Party anger — say, around 2010. But Romney has a better case in a time of economic fear — like the one we may be entering — when competence becomes a desperate political demand. In this case, Republicans may choose, once again, not the purist they love but the old hand they trust.”

CONNECTICUT: “Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon will announce her U.S. Senate bid Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in Southington, her campaign announced Monday,” the Hartford Courant reports.

MASSACHUSETTS: “Elizabeth Warren has been a Senate candidate for only a week, but already her campaign has historic significance, at least at Harvard University: She is the school’s first professor to run for federal office in many years and one of very few ever with a shot at winning,” the Boston Globe writes. “Warren’s Harvard link could be an advantage, providing an informal network of influential colleagues, students, and alumni in her bid for Senator Scott Brown’s seat. But her connection to the university could also hurt her. A Harvard line on a résumé appeals to employers but plays less well with some voters.”

NEVADA:  A Republican poll (conducted by Glen Bolger) shows Dean Heller (R) leading Shelley Berkley (D) 48%-42%, the Las Vegas Sun’s Ralston reports.

SOUTH CAROLINA: “South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Monday she can't back up claims that half of the people wanting work at the Energy Department's Savannah River Site failed drug tests and half of the remainder couldn't pass reading and writing tests. Haley said in an interview with The Associated Press that she's learned a lesson and is going to be more careful. ‘I've never felt like I had to back up what people tell me. You assume that you're given good information,’ Haley said. ‘And now I'm learning through you guys that I have to be careful before I say something.’” 

WISCONSIN: Tommy Thompson’s officially in the Senate race.

The Senate Democrats top message man, Chuck Schumer, told reporters on a conference call this afternoon that he wants to see the so-called "Buffett rule" become a piece of legislation that Congress can vote on -- rather than just a "principle" as it's being described by the White House.

He said, "Let's draft the language and get it scored. Let's put it on the floor, and let's have a vote. A proposal like this would gain broad support in the Democratic caucus."

Schumer said revenues derived from the "Buffett rule" -- calling for a minimum tax rate for individuals making more than $1 million per year, to prevent investors like Warren Buffett to pay a lower effective tax rate than his secretary does -- could be used to pay for job creation measures or as a standalone for deficit reduction. He argued that Democrats have the upper hand because Americans support higher taxes on the wealthy.

"I believe the American people are so strongly with us on this issue, that once the president goes around the country and he talks about it, like I believe he will do, we are going to win this fight... For the first time in a very long time, Democrats can emerge on top on a tax debate," he said.

When pressed on the fact that the bill would have little chance of passing Congress, Schumer said to hold off until President Obama had a chance to sell it to the country.

"Don't take a snapshot today and say it's not going to happen. Wait and see after a month... [The president] understands that you cannot win this fight just by putting it up for a vote tomorrow because the issue hasn't been drawn to the American people"

And what about opposition from those in the Democratic Party leery of raising taxes?

Schumer said, "As long as the taxes are aimed at the very highest income people... who are not paying their fair share and in closing corporate loopholes, I think you're going to find virtually universal Democratic support."

Schumer believes the President's deficit reduction plan announced today should serve as a blueprint for the Super Committee. He said he was pleased with Obama's tone.

"The president put down the marker today, and he did it in terms more forceful than we have seen from him before," he said.

By msnbc.com's Michael O'Brien

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign lacks the "ability or the resources" to last past Iowa's caucuses, her former campaign manager said Monday.

Ed Rollins, a veteran GOP political guru, who stepped down as the congresswoman's campaign manager earlier this month, suggested Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are better-positioned at this point to run an extended campaign to win the nomination.

"I think Michele, which always was the game plan, if she somehow for some reason could win Iowa, then she could get another look. Right now, she's competing hard in Iowa," Rollins said on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. "She doesn't have the ability or the resources to go beyond that, Iowa, at this point and time, where Perry and Romney, with lots of money can go into South Carolina, Arizona, Florida and other places."

Rollins, who helped engineer Bachmann's win at the Ames straw poll in August, stepped into an unpaid advisory role for the Bachmann campaign in early September, citing health concerns related to the grueling pace of a presidential campaign. But his shift also coincided with a slide in the polls for Bachmann associated with Perry's entry into the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Around that time, Rollins had said publicly that Bachmann had slipped into a "third candidate" role.

Rollins said both Perry and Romney are "strong candidates with strong organizations and the ability to raise money," and acknowledged that Perry had stolen some of the energy, especially from Tea Party activists, upon which Bachmann had staked a great deal of her campaign's momentum during its infancy.

Bachmann's sought to recapture some of that momentum by attacking Perry's decision to sign an executive order mandating HPV vaccinations for young women in Texas, though she's faced recriminations for conveying an allegation that one such vaccination caused mental retardation in a patient. Bachmann's also looked to boost campaign funding to stay competitive with Perry and Romney, each of whom enjoy ties to deep-pocketed GOP donor networks.

Gov. Rick Perry will hold an open press media event with Israeli and American leaders tomorrow morning in New York City pegged to United Nations negotiations around Palestinian statehood, NBC News confirms. The Jerusalem Post first reported the news.

Perry, a fierce critic of the Obama administration's policy toward Israel, wrote in a Friday Wall Street Journal op-ed that the United States should use its veto to nix the United Nation's recognition of a Palestinian state.

"The U.S. should oppose the statehood measure by using our veto in the Security Council, as President Obama has pledged to do, and by doing everything we can to weaken support for the unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood in the General Assembly," he wrote. "The U.S. must affirm that the precondition for any properly negotiated future settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is the formal recognition of the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state behind secure borders."

In the same piece, Perry wrote that the administration was wrong to call for an Israeli freeze on settlement construction as a condition for talks between the two groups.

"Errors by the Obama administration have encouraged the Palestinians to take backward steps away from peace," he wrote.

The event is scheduled for 10:00 am ET at the W Hotel in Union Square in New York.