John King, USA

The latest political news and information on the most important stories affecting you.
Tonight on JKUSA...
September 12th, 2011
06:34 PM ET

Tonight on JKUSA...

Don't miss our exclusive interview with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on his newly announced endorsement of Gov. Rick Perry for president – Tune in to John King, USA TONIGHT at 7pm ET

AND

John King brings you an exclusive in-depth in-depth interview with Vice President Joe Biden – they'll talk about the 2012 GOP presidential field and whether his former opponent, Sarah Palin, will run.


Filed under: Interview • JKUSA
September 12th, 2011
02:08 PM ET

Be in the know: Today's political bullet points

Every day we ask influential politicos to send us their top three bullet points that are driving the day's conversation inside and outside Washington.

Senior Editor of MarioWire.com Mario Solis-Marich:

– Just in Time: The President’s jobs bill reaches Congress today and beltway types say that Boehner will actually read it, apparently it has the certain amount of pages that GOP’ers deem short enough for their attention.

– Better Late: The National Council of La Raza blasted out a letter during the notorious Friday evening media dark dump time period stating that the boycott of Arizona was over, since NCLR didn’t join the boycott until almost a month after grassroots activists started it – does that mean we have another 30 days?

– No-Show: GOP presidential contender Rick Perry failed to show up at a press conference regarding his home state’s devastating fires, giving his opponents at tonight’s debate fodder for criticism.

RedState.Com Editor Erick-Woods Erickson:

– Here at the CNN-Tea Party Debate in Florida, lots of buzz about the Social Security fight between Romney and Perry. But I think it is a sideshow distraction from where the real fight will be: immigration.

– The one question that explains every other poll result in the CNN poll is "Which Republican candidate is most likely to fight for their beliefs?" Perry wins with 29%. Romney? 11%.

– Mitt Romney trotted out the Tim Pawlenty endorsement this morning. The Perry campaign is a master of keeping its powder dry and its responses close to its sleeve. Who will they trot out to undermine Pawlenty?

Editor’s Note: The blog is a place for a freewheeling exchange of ideas and opinions. CNN does not endorse anything said by its contributors.


Filed under: Bullet Points
September 12th, 2011
01:14 PM ET

Biden discounts Perry's 'Ponzi scheme' remark on Social Security

(CNN) – Responding to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's labeling of Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme," Vice President Joe Biden said in a CNN interview the governor needed to check his facts.

"He should go back and find out who Ponzi was," Biden told CNN's John King in an exclusive interview to air Monday night. "It was an individual in a different deal, but no it's not a Ponzi scheme. It is secure through 2036 and to fix is not hard."

On Monday, Sept. 12th, CNN will broadcast the "Tea Party Republican Debate," live from Tampa, Florida at 8 p.m. ET. Follow all the issues and campaign news leading up to the debate on CNNPolitics.com and @cnnpolitics on Twitter.

Perry made the comment in his first GOP presidential debate Wednesday in California, saying it's a "monstrous lie" to tell younger generations that they will benefit from the system when they retire. He'd previously devoted a passage in his book, "Fed Up," to Social Security, criticizing the system and calling it a "Ponzi scheme."

It has since fueled a fire among the Republican presidential hopefuls, with many of them coming out against Perry's comment and trying to position themselves as pro-Social Security candidates.

Watch the full interview with Biden on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on CNN's "John King, USA."

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Filed under: Interview • JKUSA
September 12th, 2011
01:09 PM ET

Is the Bachmann campaign in trouble?

CNN's John King asks GOP pres. candidate Michele Bachmann about a recent staff shake-up.


Filed under: Interview
September 12th, 2011
01:07 PM ET

Is Social Security a ponzi scheme?

GOP pres. candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann reacts to comments made by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.


Filed under: Interview