[Kyra Phillips, Cnn Anchor:] Good morning, you guys. Thanks so much. Well, just hours from now, eight presidential candidates will square off in Tampa, Florida. Rick Perry, the front-runner, and that means he'll also be the main target of his fellow Republicans. And Perry may have made the bull's eye even bigger by attacking Social Security, a program considered sacred by millions of older Americans. Jim Acosta is in Tampa. Jim, let's go ahead and begin with word of a new endorsement we're just hearing about this morning.
[Jim Acosta, Cnn Political Correspondent:] That's right. If Mitt Romney was looking for a spark to help his campaign, he may have gotten it this morning. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has announced through the Romney campaign that he is getting behind the former Massachusetts governor. So that is good news for Mitt Romney. But this debate comes this evening, Kyra, as a new CNNORC poll shows that there is a big lead for Rick Perry. The race is basically boiling down to Rick Perry and whoever can keep up.
[Acosta:] Texas Governor Rick Perry has ditched his cowboy boots for his running shoes, staying far ahead of the Republican pack. The latest poll CNNORC poll finds Perry way out in front with 30 percent. The nearest rival, Mitt Romney at 18 percent. With the rest of the field looking to play catch-upTea Party debate in Florida could be a Social Security smackdown in a state where the program is crucial to seniors.
[Gov. Rick Perry , Presidential Candidate:] It is a Ponzi scheme to tell our kids that are 25 or 30 years old today you're paying into a program that's going to be there.
[Acosta:] After Perry doubled down on his call for an overhaul of Social Security at the last debate, Romney pounced.
[Mitt Romney , Presidential Candidate:] The governor says, look, states ought to be able to opt out of Social Security. Our nominee has to be someone who isn't committed to abolishing Social Security.
[Acosta:] On CNN's "JK USA," Michele Bachmann piled on.
[Rep. Michele Bachmann , Presidential Candidate:] What I think is that America needs to keep its promise to senior citizens. I talk with them all the time. I love senior citizens.
[Alex Castellanos, Cnn Political Contributor:] You usually don't start a campaign by setting grandma's hair on fire. But that's what Rick Perry did when he not called Social Security not only a Ponzi scheme, he implied he might undo it if he could go back 70 years.
[Acosta:] That kind of clash could make the debate another road sign indicating where the GOP is heading, towards more conservative Tea Party candidates like Perry or moderate contenders like Romney. The former Massachusetts governor stepped up his courtship of Tea Partiers only after his poll numbers started sagging.
[Brian Williams, Debate Moderator:] Are you a member of the Tea Party?
[Romney:] I don't think you carry cards in the Tea Party.
[Acosta:] Some Republicans say there's good reason for caution. Perry's doubts about climate change might appeal to Tea Party voters.
[Perry:] Just because you have a group of scientists that have stood up and said here is the fact, Galileo got out-voted for a spell.
[Acosta:] But centrists like Jon Huntsman worry those views could alienate independent voters and cost Republicans the White House.
[Jon Huntsman , Presidential Candidate:] In order for the Republican Party to win, we can't run from science.
[Acosta:] And this debate tonight could be tailor made for Tea Party candidates, Tea Party favorites like Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann. That's because Tea Party activists will actually have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates. But that could also mean trouble might be brewing for folks like Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Kyra.
[Phillips:] All right. Jim Acosta in Tampa. Jim, thanks. Well, our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is crunching the numbers and tracking the trends for us. Paul, Michele Bachmann, a star of the Tea Party, but her standing has definitely plunged in recent weeks. So has the Tea Party already moved on?
[Paul Steinhauser, Cnn Deputy Political Director:] It seems that way. Remember she had her biggest victory on August 13th at that straw poll in Ames, Iowa. That was the very same day Rick Perry announced for president. He's been stealing a lot of her thunder since then. I know you and Jim just talked about CNNORC poll put out this morning. Look at this, we broke it down by Tea Party supporters and non-Tea Party supporters in the Republican Party. Look at that. Rick Perry has a huge lead among Tea Party supporters, you could see right there, at 38 percent. Romney at 16. Palin is not even in the top four. But what's also interesting, Kyra, look at the people who say they are Republicans but not really Tea Party supporters or activists. Perry is doing OK there as well. It's kind of within right around tied with Romney right there when you take a when you put in the sampling error. And it is very interesting. One of the numbers I wanted to show you as well, and this is which candidate has the best chance of beating Barack Obama. Electability. This is so important. Kyra, three out of four Republicans say that is the most important thing, we want a candidate who can beat Barack Obama. Who is that person? You can see right there, our poll indicates Republicans say they think Rick Perry has the best chance. That could hurt Mitt Romney. That's his argument right now. You may not love me, but I'm the guy who can beat Barack Obama Kyra.
[Phillips:] All right. Let's talk Florida real quickly. You know the location for this debate, Paul. It's definitely taking on a new level of importance.
[Steinhauser:] Oh, yes. It's always been an important state in the general election. Of course remember back in 2000, you know the Republican presidential convention is going to be right here in Tampa next year. But it's also an important state in the primaries. Very important. We see all the candidates coming down here. Florida is going to pretty early in the primary caucus calendar. It's going to vote pretty early right after New Hampshire, and Iowa, and South Carolina. It looks like. So this state has become a real power player in the battle for the nomination. And of course, Kyra, a lot of senior citizens and people nearing retirement age here in Florida. That's why that Social Security fight we saw between Romney and Perry last week, well, round two could be very important right here in Florida Kyra.
[Phillips:] Yes. No doubt. Paul, thanks. And join us tonight as CNN hosts the Republican debate with the Tea Party express and several other Tea Party groups. That's 8:00 Eastern from Tampa right here on CNN. Now next hour, President Obama is going to step into the White House Rose Garden to make a pitch for his jobs plan. He's going to announce that he's sending the bill to the capital tonight for the return of Congress. Here's a quick look at the American Jobs Acts. The estimated price tag, $447 billion. The plan calls for the current cut in payroll taxes to be extended, even expanded. The president also wants unemployment benefits extended for a longer length of time, and it would offer tax incentives for small businesses to hire the long-term unemployed. We will take it live as soon as he steps up to the podium, about 10:40 Eastern Time. Now let's head to Wall Street. Could be another rough day. This hour, Bank of America is expected to give details on possibly slashing as many as 40,000 jobs. Christine Romans in New York to talk more about this. Christine, and how it's going to impact the markets in less than 20 minutes.
[Christine Romans, Cnn Business Correspondent:] And how it's going to impact Bank of America as well. So this conference call going on right now. An investor call with the CEO Brian Moynihan. No word yet on just how many job cuts it will be and also how many branches that will be closed. But no question this is a company going through will be going through a huge restructuring as it tries to get itself in line with new realities. Remember it bought Countrywide, Merrill Lynch. It's got a big, sprawling, huge banking business. And demand is declining. The economy has been weak. It's got a lot of mortgage problems and mortgage overhangs. So this company has really got to get its act together. The stock has fallen below $7 a share. Kyra, you probably have this in a 401 [k] somewhere because it's a widely held in a lot of mutual funds. So if you're a customer, an employee, or just a regular Joe investor, this a story that's going to affect you. We still don't have the official word yet on how many jobs will be cut. And I want to segue real quickly here to world markets down sharply. Stock futures are down sharply. But it's not about Bank of America, Kyra. It's about the global debt problem, the debt problem specifically in Europe, concerns about Greece, concerns about a new property tax in Greece that will likely spark strikes and layoffs and protests in Greece, and worries that this country, having trouble getting its act together. And that's going to hurt French banks, European banks, and the rest of the eurozone Kyra.
[Phillips:] Yes. We saw the stocks on Friday. And we watched that fear push to the sell. All right, we'll be watching the numbers, Christine. Thanks so much. Now just one day before 911, a suicide truck bomber attempts to kill as many American troops as possible. Well, he fails. And it was in the same exact province that terrorists took down one of our own helicopters, killing 30 of our men and women, including 17 Navy SEALs. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now. So, Barbara11 possibly, the anniversary?
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Pentagon Correspondent:] Well, you know, Kyra, that is what U.S. military officials now believe that this timing of this attack on Saturday had a lot to do with the approaching decade anniversary, yesterday, Sunday, of the 911 attacks. A truck, a large truck, carrying as much as 1500 pounds of explosives, we are told, approached the gate at this combat outpost in a remote area of eastern central Afghanistan. Longtime stronghold of the insurgents. Detonated bomb. Seventy-seven Americans injured in this blast, most with concussion injuries. The majority of the blast was absorbed by protective barriers. But still 77 Americans at the base, troops, suffering concussion injuries, most expected to very quickly still return to duty. But it was a signal from the insurgents clearly that they still want to make their mark on what is still considered fragile progress in Afghanistan Kyra.
[Phillips:] Well, what exactly are the commanders out there in Afghanistan saying about the attack?
[Starr:] Well, very interesting. Our own Suzanne Malvauex had an interview with the General John Allen, the top U.S. and NATO commander there. Have a listen to what General Allen had to say.
[Gen. John Allen, Commander, Isaf:] This attack was a high profile attack. It was a pretty significant suicide vehicle bomb. But they have been ejected from the population in so many places around the country that their only ability to influence the battlefield in many cases on many occasions, is simply high profile attack.
[Starr:] A high profile attack. But still in a very remote area. So, you know, one of the key things that investigators are going to be looking at is were the insurgents actually maybe trying to get to Kabul, to the capital, and launch an even more high profile attack, but security there so tight they couldn't make it. So their only option was this outpost in eastern Afghanistan. Still a lot of questions Kyra.
[Phillips:] We'll stay on the story. Thanks, Barbara. And coming up, Texas Governor Rick Perry calls himself a straight shooter. Did he shoot himself in the foot with his harsh words on Social Security? We'll talk about that and tonight's debate. And world markets way down on new default fears in Greece. Wall Street opens at the bottom of the hour. We'll take you there live.