make sure to follow me on twitter. that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. i now turn you over to wolf blitzer. he's in the "the situation room.." >> thanks very much. chris christie sounds like he's already running for the white house. but i tea party favorite marco rubio sems us don't jump to conclusions about who can save us. awakes new yorkers afternoon the smackdown. plus stunning new video of bad behavior from a miami dolphins player. were the coaches calling more than the plays on the field. i'm kofl blitz. you're in the "the situation room." stunning victory in one state a painful defeat in other.

republicans are already second-guessing the results of an off-year election that may have a huge impact on the race for the white house. chris christie is often criticized by conservatives, but is he the one to lead republicans back to the promised land? he sounds like he's campaigning already. our chief congressional correspondent dana bash is standing by. but let's begin first with erin davis. >> when a press conference today, chris christie said i think every day that you do a job like this one makes awe better executive. and he said, you think that would make me better prepared to be president. >> i'm not here to put on a show, i'm here to win. >> reporter: after stomping his opponent and sailing to re-election, everyone was asking, will he run in 2016?

>> oh, please, it's such a burdened for you to be speculating me to be the leader of the free world. stop. it's complimentary and flattering and i have no problem with it. but i'm going to be really clear about it, i have a job to do. >> reporter: he insists he's committed to finishing the job in new jersey. but he's already laying down markers in preparation for the rousing fight to come. >> no one is ever left behind on the battlefield. and on the battlefield that sandy turned this state into, new jerseyans will never leave any new jerseyan behind. >> reporter: still, polls show that he trails in a presidential matchup against hillary clinton in 2016. what's more, the results of his election don't make the path any clear are for the gop. in virginia, terry mcauliffe won a closer than expected race

against ken cuccinelli. leaving republicans second-guessing their strategy. >> had the tea party house caucus in the u.s. house of representatives not shut you don the government for 17 days, there would have been an additional several weeks worth of focus on obama care. and look, it is not impossible that cuccinelli could have won with a longer focus on this unpopular rollout. >> and mcauliffe acknowledged that it left voters di vieted. >> the main message that came out of last night is they want folks working together in a buy partisan, mainstream pragmatic way. >> and back to christie it looks like he's planting a flag in new hampshire. it just keeps starting earlier and earlier every election. >> and if you like politics, that's what we look forward to.

so chris christie criticized by some as too moderate. but a tea party loses the governor's race in new jersey. dana bash is here and spoke with one of those major conservative republicans. >> as you saw there, i talked to marco rubio outside the supreme court because he attended today's hearing about a case on religious freedom and legislator. s. it as classic conservative issue, made for someone like rubio, a conservative thinking about running for president in 2016. now, as for last night's election results, a big written for chris christie, a loss in virginia. rubio's take was don't read too much into it, any of it. >> ken cuccinelli. >> reporter: tea party favorite marco rubio campaigned for ken cuccinelli, who lost. >> do you think that the results show that his brand of

republican politics, your brand of tea party-backed republican politics is now in trouble in big swing states like virginia. >> i think people trying to ascribe all kinds of conclusion in these races. he was severely outspent. >> dt establishment let him down? >> i think that a lot of people now need to look back at that race and wonder would we not have one had he had a few more resources. >> chris christie's big win is zbeting him major 2016 buzz. but rubio told us, not to fast. >> every race is particular to the state that it's run in. so there are factors in new jersey that are individual to that race and clearly he was able to speak to that and to the people within new jersey. and that's good. that's important. went to win everywhere we can. and governor christie as zhoen a way of winning in new jersey and states like new jersey because of the work he's done there as governor as well. i congratulate him on that.

>> so you're saying that his win in a blue state like new jersey wouldn't translate to a red state or more of a swing state? >> every election is different. >> the republican party has taken hits with the shutdown and other things. and sort of the movement from which you came has also taken hits. how do you square that? do you think that maybe you all have made a couple of mistakes, tactically that has -- >> i think everyone has taken a hit. obama care is the biggest one around town. >> let's just focus on the republicans. >> i mean, the bottom line is everyone around here is paying political price because people are grossed out by washington. >> if everybody is gross the out by washington, how can a senator run for president? >> i don't know of any senators running for president. >> you don't? >> i don't. those are decisions that you make later. luckily, i think i haven't been

here long enough to believe that what goes on around here is normal. >> but he dove into a polarizing washington issue immigration reform. earlier this year he co-authored a bill that passed the senate and he did it to try to appeal to latino voters. but polls show it hurt rubio with the republican base. and now he says he's willing to give up the most controversial part of that bill, the pathway to illegal immigrants. >> no big issue, obviously for him. but there are nuances that are significant and could be life or death of this bill. >> absolutely. and right now it's on life support. in fact, he use the word stuck with regard to where it is in the house. and that's why he insists that he wants to be pragmatic in getting it done. let's be honest. he knows how much it hurt him with the republican base. >> i'm glad you caught up with him today. up next a smackdown at the

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check out this amazing picture from here in washington, d.c. sunsetting over the nation ago capital. pretty amazing picture right there. so what the united states too quick to give syria's regime a patton the back for getting rid of its arsenal? and now amid a brutal civil war, the regime is actually asking the united nations for armored vehicles. barbara starr is digging into the story for us. what are you learning? >> this is going to surprise a lot of people. the big question is how to get the check cal weapons out the syria? but now, assad wants outside help with that. and he's got a shopping list. i want you to have a look at this. first he says he wants heavy armored vehicles that can go on the road and carry these weapons out of there. he wants secure communications gear and agreement basically to

use hundreds of his own troops to secure the roads and move all of this stuff. but look, here is the real bottom line. u.s. officials are very concerned about this. they tell us. look at that shopping list, all that could be readily converted for sus by his own regime forces against his people in the civil war. what we've been talking about, also the intelligence that he is hiding away some of his chemical stockpile. if they could get 85% of it out of the there, that might be the best they can do. but is that good enough? is he going to use it again against his own people? is he going to save it as a use against israel? these are the major concerns that the u.s. intelligence is looking at. and what we have learned, british, french and israelys looking at it also.

and very concerned what he may really be up to. >> a look at the other stories we're monitoring in "the situation room." the dow rising to an all-time high as investors focus on solid corporate earnings. it gamed 128 points and s&p did just below its record high but the nasdaq dipped. an american convicted and jailed in cuba is pack in the united states today and in custody. cnn was on the flight with the former black panther and captured this video before he turned himself in. no word of any sentence he may face here would be reduced by time served in cuba. pope francis is making more waves in the catholic church. this time asking bishops around

the world -- according to catholic news sefbts, the survey is designed to help solicit information about pastoral practices and public attitudes. call it the end of an era. blockbuster announcing plans to close all of its 300 remaining u.s. based retail stores and distribution centers by the beginning of next year. the parent company dish says it reflects the move toward digital distribution. blockbusterly mail will also end. the streaming serve blockbuster on demand remains in tack. and lady gaga may soon be r0rding from space. the megastar is set to become the first artist to blast off in the company's ship and sing from outer space. it's scheduled for 2015.

months after the first commercial flight is expected to launch. lady gaga, in space justice. when we come back, they're new york city's first family. not afraid to dance to the tune of their own. plus an american city voting to legalize marijuana. is it only a matter of time before the rest of the country does the same thing. jeffrey toobin standing by. stay with us, you're in the "the situation room."

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major change coming in new york city in the form of a brand new mayor and a first family unlike any the city has seen before. the liberal democrat bill de blasio won in a major land sloid. he took 73% of the vote. cnn's don lemon is in new york. he's got more on the man, the family. they are exciting, this city. what are folks saying in new york? >> reporter: wolf, they love him. family is a character. they're a group of characters.

you've seen the show i'm sure, "modern family." not that they are unusual, but there's a lot of diversitity gog on. and if family mattered in any event, it certainly mattered to bill de blasio. >> from our family to your family, i give you the next mayor of new york city -- >> reporter: meet new york's next first family. an urban quarter tell from liberal brooklyn who cracked 20 years of republican rule with their modern family appeal. >> and once again, the snackdown. >> reporter: he is bill de blasio. a 52-year-old former college activist and open supporter of anything raugian rebels and -- >> that inequality and that feeling of a few doing very well while so many slip further

behind, that is the defining challenge of our times. >> reporter: he promised voters he would combat income inequality and plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund public pre-k. >> [ speaking foreign language ]. >> she is his wife, new york's next first lady declared she was a lez beeian in this article. she talked about her attraction to bill de blasio in the hefg post. >> i didn't date at. >> and their daughter, with her signature ring of hair flowers. >> they are very stylish. >> and then there is dante. >> and he's the only one that will end a stop and frisk era

that unfairly targets people of color. >> it did things in term of the family values. the ad touched so many themes at one time. >> reporter: it was enough to convince new yorkers to replace a single wealthy 5'7" billionaire businessman with the 6'5" patriarch of his family. where a picture of him hugging his season, shows that family matters. >> and it does matter. de blasio talking about his wife. and he said, the most important person in my life is my wife. the people who are standing here is because she and i made that decision together. and his wife, front and center. >> don, tell us a little bit about the smackdown dance. >> reporter: well you saw the

dance. they did it last night after he won. they came out and his daughter came to the microphone said one more time. and then i do a dance where they put their hands up and around and over their face and down to the floor where they're smacking everybody down. and he did smack everybody done. 64%. he had a 40 percentage point lead in the race that never went away. and like you, that family knows how to dance. i know you know how to do the dougie. >> i got all of publicity for doing that. we're getting ready for the next b.e. terks awards. are you going this year? >> reporter: i will try. usually i'm working on weekend evenings. but i need an invitation from someone like you. you're very high profile. >> maybe i can get you in this year. >> work on that for me, mr.

blitzer. >> up next, his blunt tough talk helped get him re-elected as new jersey governor. but how will it play on the national stage. and was his alleged bullying of a teammate ordered by the coaches? we have new details about the suspended guard richie incognito and this profanity laced tie raid all caught on camera. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

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but chris christie sounds like he's already planning for 2016. let's discuss what's going on with our panel. let me play a clip from chris christie's speech, his acceptance speech last night that sort of was provocative to me and others. it jumped out. >> for those veterans out there tonight, you know, you know how s sacred a mission is. no one ever is left behind. no one is ever left behind on the battlefield. and on the the battlefield that sandy turned this state into, new jerseyans will never leave any new jerseyan behind. >> was he eluding to hillary

clinton potential challenger for the presidency because of benghazi and republican allegations that she left soldiers behind on the battlefield? >> he's only a couple of minutes into his re-election speech there and we're trying to put him on the couch and find dog whistles that are a part of his speech related to 2016. i don't think that's the case. i think he was talking about sandy and some of the leadership of some of first responders and how they helped the people of new jersey. i know we're talking about '16, but it's probably a little too early to talk about in terms of the battles that he's going to wage with hillary clinton. >> do you have any doubt that he's going to run for 2016 presidency? >> no doubt. i interrupted that and i thought he was talking about the republicans in congress who didn't vote for sandy aid. i thought he was saying, hey,

one of my big accomplishments was getting that aid to new jersey. and hey, you house republicans who are taking the party in the wrong direction, you guys didn't vote for that. >> wolf. >> a little bit too much into it. >> do i get to weigh in here? i think he was talking about himself for a change. which is i am not anybody who would abandon any constituent, anybody who was hurt in a hurricane, anybody who needs health care, anybody -- you know, the list goes on and on. and i think this is chris christie talking about what he can do for you and talking about his style of leadership, which i presume we're going to hear an awful lot more about. >> if he was to run for the republican nomination, does he have to significantly change his tempment or personality or is what he brought to the table good enough for a run for the white house? >> first of all, i think his personality is part of his appeal. he keeps saying i am what i am.

and today he said, i know how to adjust. maybe he'll make some adjustments. he is a brash, blunt person. but very often when you vote for a president or you look for a president, you react to the one you had before. and obama is no drama, kind of cool, intelligent wall. and i think chris christie is like i'm one of you, i'm not an elite, i'm not a phony. even if you don't like it, i will tell you the truth. will he maybe have to tone it down sometimes? sure. we're see how well he wears. and it is who he is. >> they like it in new jersey. he had a crushing landslide. >> i don't think -- the last thing he should do is have a personality transplant. people like the guy. he probably doesn't have to snap at journalists.

>> some votered like that too, right? >> exactly. beating up on us. but last thing in the world he should be doing is changing who he is. the question is, will that play in peoria as they say? >> and he's authentic. >> and relatable. the reason he won in new jersey is because he was able to answer in the affirmative which question of does this person understand the problems of people like me and does he care? and that was something missing during the 2012 campaign. i think it's also missing right now from washington, which is trust and accountability. and if there is a 2016 in the making for chris christie, that's where he will be able to draw his sharpest contrast with the last eight years of obama. and i think that's going to be particularly something that's going to mobilize base republicans and that big middle elect tore rat that is key if

you're going to win. >> the other curious and appealing thing about chris christie, that i think as a politician, he kind of lifts the veil on himself. and he says, look, you know, i had trouble losing weight, i'm a goi who was too big, my family thought i was going to die, i had the lap band surgery. as he told jake tapper yesterday, i'm halfway to my goal. >> gloria, you guys in the media are good at lifting the veil too, though. that's something i think he's much more readily a wear of nowadays. >> he won in a crushing landslide in new jersey. ken cuccinelli loses, closer than a lot of people thought but still loses to terry mcauliffe in virginia. was it the tea party label that hurt cuccinelli? >> the way i look at these two races, terry mcauliffe won in virginia despite being himself.

and chris christie won in new jersey because he's chris christie. and that's at the root of why mcauliffe was able to root, the party is changing. cuccinelli, he -- the -- they -- he was obviously too far to the right. they had a chance to -- >> moderate republican. not a tea party favorite. would a moderate republican if they would have won against terry mcauliffe, would there be a republican being sworn in? >> if a republican ran for the focus of the big issues, growing the economy, school, education, if they ran on those issues that matter when people are chosing a chief executive, then they would have won. this was a very different contest than new jersey. you had two candidates in a contest to see which one hit the bottom last. >> and can i just say that, what

you needed from cuccinelli was a campaign. candidates need campaigns to win. and i didn't see much of a cam paper, much of a fighting back against the sort of social issue attack, the war on women attack. i didn't see an overarnolding strategy on the question of, okay, immigration, huge influx of his spannic population in the state of virginia, he was anti-immigration reform. a little the end he made up a deficit because of the problems with obama care. the shutdown hurt him. so i didn't see him fighting back in any way, shape, or form. and by the way, he was outspent 10 to 1. >> that $15 million more. but you're right, cuccinelli got beat in the race to define himself by terry mcauliffe. and it's crucial that you have candidates that are going to win. they have to be able to define with voters exactly what they're for versus what they're against.

>> thanks very much. just ahead, a ballot box trend raises the possibility of smoking marijuana legally and nationwide. plus a tirade caught on camera. this video raising new questions about the suspended nfl player and the accused bully. richie incognito. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ hooking up the country helping business run ♪ ♪ trains! they haul everything, safely and on time. ♪ tracks! they connect the factories built along the lines. and that means jobs, lots of people, making lots and lots of things. let's get your business rolling now, everybody sing. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪

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have voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana use where any adult can smoke pot legally. let's get analysis from jeffrey toobin. jeff, the federal government still considers marijuana use a crime, a federal crime. but effectively shuts its eyes to the states, communities where it's legal. how unusual is that? >> this is a very unusual situation. but wolf, you know on a day, at a time when we're talking about government dysfunction, this is the government working way it's supposed to. here we have two big states, important states, colorado and washington functioning as laboratories. a lot of people in this country, now 60% according to some polls, think marijuana should be legal. well, these two states are going to see how it works. and a lot of people are going to be watching. and the federal government has basically said, look, as long as kids don't get involved and organized crime doesn't get involved, we're going to let you do it and see how it impose.

>> but in other states, 48 other states, the rest the country for all practical purposes, that's a federal crime if you smoke pot. >> it is. but in practical sense, the federal government doesn't prosecute use of marijuana anywhere. it only prosecutes a sort of large scale trafficking. and in these two states, attorney general holder has said we're going to let you do your experiment. but there are a lot of unanswered questions about how this is actually going to work. one thpg we learned yesterday is colorado voters overwhelmingly approved a big tax on marijuana, which will allow the state to make some money off of this. but who will sell it? where they will sell it? where it will be produced? how it will be produced? all of those questions are still up in the air and those states are trying to figure it out. and we're going to watch how they're going to do.

>> and we have seen the public opinion shift dramatically in favor of legalizing marijuana. and is it your your opinion only a matter of time before pot use is legal nationwide? >> no, i don't think that's a foregone conclusion at all. the congress of the united states is very reluctant to legalize drugs. even today, even with the polls being the way they are. i think people are going to watch and see what happens in washington and in colorado. and if these experiments prove to be a success, then you'll see action in congress. but this is by no means inevitable and it's not going to be fast and i don't think the result is one we can know at this point. >> thanks, jeffrey, very much. new information about the alleged bullying of jonathan martin led by a teammate, richie

incognito. sources say that john man martin checked himself into a hospital for emotional distress after he abruptingly left the team last week. here is more on the story. folks are interested in what's going on. >> we have another update right now. the nfl announced that ted wells one of the top trial attorneys in america is going to head up an independent investigation into into the conduct of richie incognito and any other member who might have been involved in this. dolphins joe philbin just said he can't comment until that probe is finished. meanwhile, we're getting more images showing what you can consider brash behavior on the part of richie incognito. rich incognito, unplugged. this tmz video shows the guard jumping around shirtless in a bar and dropping "f" bombs.

and incognito was more measured when approached by cnn affiliate wsvn about allegations that you bullied teammate jonathan martin. >> no comment. we're going to kind of weather the storm and that's it. >> reporter: he may not weather the storm. team sources told the miami herald the dolphins will release incognito and there maybe other casualties. the sent mall reported that dolphins coaches asked incognito to toughen up martin after he missed a voluntary workout last year. >> the type of culture that i've championed since the day that i walked through these doors has been one of honesty, respect and accountability to one another. >> reporter: incognito has seemingly been involved in hazing rookies as shown in this clip from the hbo program. >> have you checked your facebook lately.

maybe you shouldn't use [ bleep ] for your ipad password. 8484. i was going to put something up there rude. but then i saw the picture of your girlfriend and i felt bad. >> moose my fiance. >> reporter: new york giant's safety spoke to wfam radio. >> i think the other guys are more to blame as richie because he's allowed it to happen. at this level, you're a man. you're not a little boy. >> reporter: former redskins running back brian mitchell says this case is em streex. >> is that part of the locker room culture? >> it is that part of culture. but not everybody is that way. there are people that are that type of person. i'm that type of person. but you don't knock a guy who does it. >> mitchell said he doesn't believe what happened to martin is widespread. he said on most teams player as coaches would actually protect a player like jonathan martin. >> but it's clear that nfl

locker room culture, at least in miami, is way different than the normal workplace. >> it really is. shannon told piers morgan that in a locker ream they're trying to establish a kind of like an odd dance they do in the locker room. much different than the norm 58 workplace. >> much different. i suspect this story is not going away anytime soon. just ahead, at the top of the hour, new concerns about a a "60 minutes" report. we'll have the details for you on that. also the toronto mayor's stunning admission to using crack cocaine. when we come back, jeanne moos will have her take on that. 6

. monday is veterans day, a day to recognize the men and women who served our armed forces. emmy award-winning actor gary sinise is trying to honor veterans every day. here's how he and his iconic character lieutenant dan are impacting our world. >> i thought i would try out my sea legs. >> you ain't got no legs, lt. dan. >> long before he played lieutenant dan in "forrest gump" he was a passionate supporter of the military. >> i have a long history of working with veterans, starting with the relationships i have in my own personal family. my dad served in the navy. my two ingles, my grandfather served in world war i.

>> with the suck of "forrest gump" veteran began to identify with sinise. he formed the lieutenant dan band, and has entertained troops around the world with the uso. the actor says his call to action became very clear after the/11. >> when our men and women started deploying to iraq and afghanistan, they started getting hurt and killed, versus vietnam veterans in my family, it was troubling to think that our men and women would come home to a nation that didn't appreciate them. >> so he started his own charity. the gary sinise foundation helps build customized homes for the severely wounded, and helps vets find civilian careers. >> i have met hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of wounded veterans who continue to not let their circumstance get them down. countless lieutenant dans out there that inspire me every day. [ sniffles, coughs ]

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in england they celebrate bonfire night. in new york a film sets transforms the lower east side into a bygone era. and in spain the royal changing of the guard. hot shots, pictures from around the world. comedians are cracking lots of jokes about the mayor of toronto in his stunning admission to having smoked crack cocaine. here is cnn's jeanne moos. >> reporter: when the mayor of a major city rampages around his yard. >> get off my property, please. get off my property. >> i'm leaving! >> reporter: and confesses to this itches yes, imsmoked crack cocaine. >> reporter: that mayor's store is as addictive to comedians. >> have i ever smoked crack? but yes, that was in the past. >> and dressing up. >> get out of driveway, partner. >> at hi apologetic press conference.

mayor rob ford got only one laugh at the very end. >> god bless the people of toronto. >> comedians don't even need to make an actual joke. >> the mayor of toronto. >> reporter: we are hearing things you would never expect to come out of the mouth of a ma r mayor. >> i shouldn't have gotten hammered. have i tried it? probably in one of my drunken stupors illustrates the excuse for smoking crack is he was drunk. >> how to tell in quire mayor is smoking crack. blurred vision. loss of balance. denies smoking crack. >> i did not use crack cocaine. >> admits to smoking crack. >> yes, i have cracked -- >> even a dead comedian is getting into the act, as they. >> can you imagine the snl sketch? >> reporter: mayor ford is clearly addicted to repetitive

word use i want i sincerely, sincerely, sincerely apologize. never, ever, ever -- >> reporter: mayor ford is going afforded no mercy, his fall from grace punctuated with falls. >> he slipped off the scales. >> reporter: but not quite falling down drunk. >> you're a big guy, man. >> the mayor was charged with being way too exciting for canada. >> reporter: people are making fun of the vintage logo tie he wore on the worst day of the career. the tie has its own twitter account. >> what don't you understand? get off my property, partner. >> move it, partner. mayor ford, you're smoking crack right now? where are you getting this? >> comedians are getting a contact high imitating life. >> are you --

>> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. happening now, the obama white house launches a new offensive just hours after a stressful election night, pushing back against the idea that obama care may be costing democrats votes. plus a new demand for answers about the benghazi attack, as critics question whether blatant lies were told. and desperate times in the bankrupt city of detroit. voters have done something right now they haven't done in 40 years. i'm wolf blitzer. we're in "the situation room." the president may come out swinging when he holds a new obama care -- he'll fail the public for the first time since the 2013 election results came in. those results helped stir

democrats' fear that they may eventually pay a price for the health care fiasco, but the white house is pushing back, trying to reassure members of the president's own party and turn the tables on the republicans. let's bring in our senior white house correspondent jim acosta. what's 9 latest, jim? >> reporter: all we can say right now is the president has landed in dallas. he'll be speaking within the hour on obama care, talking about the state's large uninsured population. it's a safe bet that the president will once again address the continuing problems with the roll-out of health care reform, sound contrite about those problems the we should point out something interesting happened at the white house, as the white house was throwing cold water on the that terry mcauliffe nearly lost his race, the president was holding an unannounced meeting with 16 democratic senators, all nearly all of whom who are up for reelection. i talked to a democratic staffer

with knowledge of that meeting who said basically they reelection concerns were a bailing part for the gathering to be held. all of this happened as kathleen sebelius was hammered against during a congressional hearing where republicans accused the white house of dishonesty. if you like your plan, you can keep it. some of that frustration was bipartisan, as max back us also chimed in that the administration has not been playing it straight. >> when we asked for updates on the marketplace, the responses we got were totally unsatisfactory. at multiple times we heard that everything was on track. we now know that was not the case. >> this is a dishonesty. you've been misleading the american people and the president has. i would much rather you say yeah, we were wrong, yeah, we didn't tell the truth. >> reporter: another embarrassing refusal indication that when sell beal yesterday acknowledged that hhs is not

doing background checks on. here's how that exchanged played out. >> so a convicted felon could be a navigator and could acquire sensitive personality information from an individual unbeknownst to them? >> that is possible. >> reporter: now secretary sebelius predicted that due to all the problems, the administration's roll-out -- excuse me -- enrollment numbers will be very low when released next week. she also mentioned that hhs has what she called a very aggressive schedule of fixing the website. that is an indication that this will be very tight for officials over and hhs. meanwhile, cnn has learned an official in charge of technology over tess agency that developed healthcare.gov that person is stepping down, prapg one of the some heads that may be rolling in the administration due to the

disastrous roll-out. >> and the president now in dallas, he's going to do this event in support of the affordable care act, and meeting with some of those so-called navy gators, people who help folks sign up, right? >> reporter: that's right. i think it's a safe bet that we're going to hear the president, as we heard on monday night when he was speaking to the group of post-campaign volunteers, that he is basically acknowledging that there are problems with the web side, problems with the roll-out of obama care, but wolf, what would be very interesting to watch is whether or not the president goes back and talks about that pledge time and again. he is scheduled to make some remarks within the hour. he's running late, because he left the white house late, but i think that is what a lot of people will be focusing on, here it el white house, but -- >> these are live pictures of the president just landing in dallas. you saw him walk down those stairs from air force one, get in the limo, drive over to the event. we'll stand by and have coverage

here on cnn. meanwhile, a new demand to get answers about the deadly attack in benghazi more than a year later. we're now told some reps on the house intelligence committee are frustrated. they still feel they are not getting the truth from the obama administration. one member has spent a letter to the house speaker outlining some of the critical questions still hanging out there, this as serious concerns are raised about a "60 minutes" report on benghazi and whether it contained what the critics are calling lies. let's bring in jim scuitto. he's been looking at this for us, what do you see? >> as you know the story has infusioned with politics. today there are new questions about the account of one of the key witnesses and now new accusations that even some of those questions are politically motivated. we talked to the key witness at the center of the attack and others to get at the truth.

the question has hounded the administration since the night ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans were killed in benghazi. why didn't the u.s. do more to keep them safe? a cbs "60 minutes" story reignited the debate citing repeated security warnings before the attack by a private contractor. but now parts of that story are being called into question. the contractor, who used the sued oy nim morgan jones, for his safety, trained local guards there. >> they're saying these guys are no good, you need to get them out of here. >> his deputy and a top u.s. security official in libya told cbs they had made similar dire warnings about security at the compound. accounts which together prompted renewed demands from republicans for access to witnesses. senator lindsey graham even threatening to hold up all administration's nominees. >> not because i want to shut anything down. because i want to open something

up. it's important. i want to open up the truth about benghazi. >> reporter: however an incident record obtained by cnn and first reported by "the washington post" revealed inconsistencies in jones' account. in his book and to cbs, he said he went to the hospital after the attack where he saw steven' dead body, and then returned to the compound, scales a wall and assaulting one of the militants. the incident report which also reviewsed his real name states those things never happened. in a statement, jones said the account in my book is consistent with what i gave to the fbi and u.s. authorities about what happened in benghazi. hi co-author damione lewis told is jones has never wavered. >> he's been consistent from the word go. noble that, he downplays his role. >> jones says he never saw or signed the incident report, but the version matches lies he told his supervisor to high the fact

he disobeyed orders not to enter the compound. jones said releasing report without redacting his real name has put him into danger. congressman chaff et, a critic, sees politics at play. >> to take a covert operator and purposely release his real name for the -- for the consequence of endangering he life and his family's life is intolerable. i believe it's retribution for coming occupy against the administration. >> reporter: well, the administration would not comment on that allegation, but today one more revelation, that cbs had failed to disclose that jones' book is being published by a cbs-owned company. in an interview with "new york times," the correspondent admitted that was a mistake not to disclose. however cbs news chairman and "60 minutes" executive producer told cnn -- we are proud of the reporting that went into the story and have confidence that our sources told accurate

versions of what happened that night. we heard the same thing, wolf, from jones' co-author, but still some questions certainly could be answered here. >> jim scuitto reporting for us, thank you. still ahead, media coverage in obama care. are reports too tough? not tough enough? the debate is intense. we'll have details. an historic vote, the surprising election results in detroit. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.

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he says he won't be distracted by all the peak lace on the day after his big reelection win. he appeared at a local school, told reporters he hasn't made any long-term political plans yet. >> i got reelected to do a job last night. that's the job i'm going to do. i'm not worried about all this other stuff. if the time comes where i change my mind, i'll tell the people of new jersey i want to do

something else. >> stand by for more on the election and the historic vote for change. er: hello, i'm an idaho potato farmer. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what?

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fifteen minutes could save you...well, you know. all the buzz about the votes in new jersey and virginia. you may have missed the history-making election in the struggling city of detroit. for the first time in four decades, voters chose a white mayor. chris lawrence grew up in detroit. he's been following this story for us. he's here in "the situation room" right now. detroit struggling, as i said, right now. >> in my lifetime, i've never known anything besides a black mayor in detroit. here, mike dougen wins by ten points. i spoke with several voters today who told me a white candidate, black candidate, they just didn't care.

detroit's voighters destroyed the theory that a white candidate could never win there. easily electing mike doug et as mayor. >> he has a plan for change. you know, he's talking about changing the way we do thing, the way we work in detroit. >> he won over an electorate that's 83% black. >> i was not -- about the racial division in this community or this country. >> reporter: detroit hasn't elected a white mayor since 1970. >> i have concluded that the time has come for action. >> reporter: three dog night topped the charts. ♪ mama told me not to come >> reporter: and "hawaii 5-0" was a hit show. duggen was faciing off against fellow democrat, the county sheriff. >> the white cant was the one

who convinced them he had the right stuff to turn detroit around. >> reporter: a form el mayor went to jail. detroit's poverty rate is at 40%, and it has $18 billion in debt. mike duggen has built a reputation as a turnaround artist, a mr. fix-it. >> reporter: but he'll be forced to work under an emergency manager. >> enough is enough, let's stabilize and grow detroit. >> reporter: he'll have to work with city residents and that manager, who trumps even the mayor's authority. >> there's no doubt what we have in common is much more powerful than what divides ultimate. >> reporter: now, power is an interesting word, because initially duggen is not going to have much. anything that he does that costs money, like tearing down thousands of vacant homes, he has to get that emergency manager's approval. but that manager's term is likely up in september, wolf, and the fact that duggen took,

say, the medical center with a $500 million deficit and turned eight years of profits may give him some standing with the governor to exercise some more authority. >> i would love to see detroit turn around and come back. >> me too. >> it's a great city, as you well know. thank you very much. cnn's anthony bore deign got the taste of the ups and downs in drought detroit. his visits ises in possibly possibly. that's sunday night only here on cnn. people say we're -- that kind of debate is swirling again right now over a media coverage of obama care. tom foreman is here in "the situation room." he's been looking into the arguments on both sides. what do you see? >> you can go online for a few minutes, and you will find many serious voices kinned that obama

care is being covered by the media in a fundamentally unfairway. but it is absolutely true to say millions of people that the media is too easy on it. millions order are saying we're being way too hard. >> in "wall street journal," an article explaining how obama care is falling short. in "new york times" another about how it is working. depending on which headlines you read, health care reform is either a debacle with a few bright spots, or a raging success with a few rough patches. >> there is no way to fix this monday trollsity. >> i think that we are extremely pleased with the product. >> this is a machine that will be fixed. >> reporter: on both sides, they're blaming the media for twisting the truth. at george washington university is not sure that's fair, either. >> the media's coverage is reflecting the larger story

here, which is that it's all over the place. >> problem one, the sheer scope of obama care. this is a multibillion dollar government program. some parts are working well, some are the, but at the moment, the trouble healthcare.gov website is the latest to be unveiled. >> if there's a bias in media coverage, it's towards the negative. that's totally understandable. the story is the one plane that crashes, no, sir the 500 that land on time. >> reporter: number two, it provides popular provisions. but all of those are old news. problem three. this is a long-term program. it will likely be years before we know if it really reduces medical costs or improves the health of the population. problem 4 -- most people have their own biases about obama care even before all the evidence is in.

a recent cnn/research council poll found 77% of democrats like the law, and even more republicans don't. >> yes. some coverage is unfair. we've all heard complaints about this, but the real problem here, wolf, is there are very few hard numbers, and some of those numbers we won't have for years. this reflects the uncertainty of this law i think more than it does people pushing it -- >> we'll learn more in the years to come. tom, thanks very much. just ahead, why is there nuclear waste behind this plant that just may be in your own backyard? cnn is investigating. a simple q: how old is the oldest person you've known? we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed much is the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years.

♪ and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what? i love chalk and erasers. but change is coming. all my students have the brand new surface. it has the new windows and comes with office, has a real keyboard, so they can do real work. they can use bing smartsearch to find anything in the world... or last night's assignment. and the battery lasts and lasts, so after school they can skype, play games, and my favorite...do homework. change is looking pretty good after all.

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now an investigation, potential dangerous nuclear waste allowed to sit there for years, because the u.s. can't find a place to put it. could be happening in your own backyard right now. here's drew griffin of cnn investigations. >> reporter: this is nuclear waste, the byproduct of nuclear power plants stored above ground. >> this is kind of warm. >> a bit warm. >> inside here there's 32 spent fuel -- >> reporter: in fact, it shouldn't be at any of the nearly 60 sites just like this across the country, storing hot spent nuclear fuel. >> that's right. the federal government was supposed to take possession of spent fuel from commercial nuclear facilities, and it's been a struggle over the years

to find the correct site. >> reporter: this is that facility. yucca mountain in the deserts of nevada. >> it's congress has voted three times to ship all the nuclear waste from plants across the country here. it's been the law of the land sin 2002 when it pass the house, the senate and signed by the president. so why is the fuel still being stored here? and at places across the country? one reason -- democratic senator harley reid doesn't like yucca mountain, because yucca mountain is in his state. first proposed in 1982, it has been studied, prepared, studied some more, and finally made the law of the land in 2002. but in 2010, it came to screeching halt. president obama and harry reid's handpicked chairman of the nuclear simply stopped.

congressman simp ka said it's pure politics. >> president obama got elected. he cut a deal with senator reid to just pull funding even though the law of the law said yucca mountain. >> reporter: senator reid's staff told us that the senator was not interested in any interview. three years ago he told cnn that yucca mountain was basically a dead issue to his. states with nuclear waste could keep it right where it is. >>. >> if you can't find a desert and a mountain in illinois that meets the qualifications for the safety for it to be stored a million years, i don't think we would have a business beef. >> representative shimkus' state has -- and 9,000 tons of waste -- the fact that a young

senator from illinois named barack obama cast two -- that that, says shimkus, changed when senator obama decided to run for president and needed harry reid's support, but harry reid just didn't bet on one man in the white house to keep his promise to voters. this is gregory yatzko, you might call him yucca mountain's hired killer he has no background in nuclear engineering, juan an aide to harry reid in 2004 when senator reid forced his appointment to the nuclear regulatory commission, by holding up dozens of president josh bush's judicial nominees. >> were you recruited, promoted, appointed to these positions strictly for one purpose? >> you know, i never talked to senator reid about what i would do as chairman of in the rc, or

even as a commissioner? every issue that came in front of me i looked at with an independent mind and approach. >> he wanted to get reelected. nevada politics said as much, and at the end of the day, this law was defunded he's been a staunch opponent. >> the problem is there are 60 sites across the country with puck lard waste in temperature lard storage. >> they have become by virtue of not having credible disposition paths, they have being major radioactive waste management operations and are not being streeted as such. >> according to one man in the senate, harry reid, the waste is safe right where it is, and not in the $10 billion mountain that congress voted to put it and

taxpayers fund it to build. drew griffin, cnn, north lake anna, virginia. and be sure to watch a cnn film "pandora's promise" that airs tomorrow night here at 9:00 p.m. eastern, only on cnn. that's it for me. thanks for watching, i'm wolf blitzer in washington, "crossfire" starts right now. there is no excuse for what has been. on the left van jonesings on the right newt gingrich. bernie sander, an obama care supporter, and david vitter, one of his harshest critics. fixes