hello. i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. president obama has been given the go ahead to put his plan into action to arm and train the syrian rebels. the senate followed the house's lead in approving the measure. moments ago we heard from the president's national security adviser susan rice. she was asked about a timeline for the training but would only say that the white house is going to move rapidly. the process will take several months. the administration also touted the cooperation of coalition partners in the mission at hand. >> we're getting in the middle -- not getting in the middle -- we're going to be part of a coalition that is engaged in counterterrorism. this is a counterterrorist

operation. not counter insurgency and certainly not engagement in the civil war. >> more than 40 nations have expressed their willingness to participate in this effort and more than 30 nations are ready to offer military support. >> and just moments ago, susan rice said this. >> our strategy entails using local forces to fight isil on the ground. iraqi forces have taken to fight against isil with u.s. support and now we'll be in a position to train and equip the opposition forces which will have the ability to do the same inside of syria. to be clear, as we've said repeatedly, our strategy does not involve u.s. troops on the ground in a combat role in either iraq or syria. and no u.s. troops will be in

syria as part of the train and equip program. >> also today, one of the u.s. partners joined the fight. france launched its first anti-isis air strikes in iraq. california republican congressman ed royce is here. congressman, thanks very much for joining us. are you satisfied what you're hearing from the obama administration. >> about two hours ago i was with the france ambassador and we were talking about this operation. what's necessary right now is that the gulf states come in, the saudis, the uae, now is the time, frankly, for them to not only open up the checkbook but to send the message throughout the region that this has to be on the ground a campaign in which, you know, we see 190,000 soldiers in the kurdish army. >> the peshmerga? >> the peshmerga. and we see the awakening, the sunni awakening that helped defeat al qaeda.

they've offered to help on training and equipment and so forth but they want to see it happen quickly and i think speed is of the essence. >> the ground troops that we're talking about are iraqi troops. the peshmerga, kurdish fighters and moderate syrian rebels. those are the ground troops -- of the 40 coalition partners, including the arab neighbors, have any of them committed to ground forces to fight isis? >> not one has committed to ground forces at this time. >> why is that? >> i think part of it has to do with trepidation about getting involved in that rt part of the wor world. i think they are willing to help put up payments for it and willing to train and some will have intelligence on the ground but they are not going to bring brigades on the ground. they wanted visibly that kurds and arabs are doing the fighting

and it's not outside countries except for air support. >> they are much bigger threat to that part of the world. >> and an immediate threat. the united arab emirates, are they willing to provide air support? >> i believe they will. >> what about saudi arabia? >> the saudis have been pressed. i don't know if they will or not but we are pressing them as we speak. >> what about turkey, a nato ally? >> turkey will not. we're having a great deal with turkey and that's the great disappointment. they will agree to close their borders. we're looking at how to pass legislation on terror finance in order to stop the money that is going to isil from some of the thieves that operate through turkey. their government should shut those people down now. >> will turkey allow the united states and france, for that matter, to use nato air bases in

turkey to go ahead and launch air strikes against isis targets in iraq and syria from turkey? >> you're now discussing the very questions we're having internally about what it means to be a nato ally and what it means to be an ally to the united states if you're not willing to do this and we've seen this resistance in turkey and it's becoming a big issue on the hill right now. >> what would you like the president to do? there's been a lot of criticism that he isn't formally asking you, members of congress, for authorization. you did give them authorization to train and arm syrian rebels but a lot of members, i suppose you would like to do a lot more in terms of giving them a formal notification of authorization. >> and what we're keen off of are the suggestions out of the pentagon but also out of the intelligence services that say, look, you've only done 176 air strikes. there should be thousands of air strikes coming in right now on these targets. one of the operatives told me

the other day, think of what we did as i shared with you during the gulf war driving the invaders out of kuwait. 118,000 air strikes. this is so slow walking, this operation. why haven't we earned the kurdss yet? i'm introducing legislation to make sure that the foreign minister told me three days ago -- >> the kurds want the weapons to come directly from the united states and the peshmerga. i spoke with a top official from kurdistan right here on cnn the other day. he said this new government in baghdad basically has 90 days to get their act together. otherwise, kurdistan is going to think of a referendum to secede from iraq. mr. chairman, thank you for coming in. >> thank you, wolf.

president obama hailed congress' bipartisan approval but many democrats voted against what the president wanted. just ahead, we're going to hear from new york congressman jerry nadler on why he rebuffed the leader of his own party. and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment.

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ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. no regular blood monitoring; no known dietary restrictions. for information and savings options download the xarelto® patient center app, call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com . > president obama has the authority to arm the rebels in syria. the question is being raised by thomas friedman and quotes george friedman in asking this. "if isis really is a problem for the united states, turkey, iran,

saudi arabia have far more at stake in this than the united states so long as they think the united states will control this situation, it's perfectly rational for them to back off or even hinder the americans. after getting the approval, president obama pralsised the ve that americans do not give into fear. our next guest is among several of the key democrats in the house of representatives who voted against the president's proposal. joining us is jerry nadler. have you lost confidence in the president? >> oh, no. >> you voted against what he asked you to vote for. >> i disagreed on two basic grounds. number one, i think that we don't know who we are arming over there and we don't -- >> moderate syrian rebels. >> moderate syrian rebels. someone on tv said that's the muslim brotherhood. we have no guarantee they won't turn those arms against us.

that's the other problem. >> he wants to arm those moderate syrian rebels. >> well, if you can find proper moderate syrian rebels, i am somewhat dubious and we've seen arms turned against us in the past. >> over the last couple of years they have vetted a bunch of these guys and they think they are on the right path. >> and they may be right or wrong with some of them. but my bigger argument was if we are waging offensive war and our air strikes against isis is offensive war, the president has no authority to do that legally unless he gets authorization from congress. >> he got two votes in the senate and house in the past few days to arm the syrian rebels. >> my concern is that that vote might be viewed by the press, by the public and even by the courts as the functional equivalent of an authorization for use of military force, which it is not. i don't want it to see as a resolution. >> he said he doesn't need any more congressional

authorization. he goes back to 2001, the authorization to go after al qaeda. he sees isis as an offshoot of al qaeda. >> i'm surprised to hear you say that. that's something george bush would say. that's an anti constitutional argument. the idea that a resolution passed in 2001, 13 years ago, to attack al qaeda in afghanistan because of their role in attacking us on 9/11 can be used 13 years later, in entirely unforeseen circumstances is a real stretch. >> this must be really painful for you. you're a democrat. you voted for this president in 2008 and 2012. but right now it sounds to me like you think he's taking the country down the wrong path. >> i think he's taking the country down the wrong

constitutional path. we've got to stop t i voted against the resolution to a large extent because of that. the president wants to oppose isis, which i think we should, and we are to be debating that. last week and -- >> that's not going to happen until after the midterm elections. congress has now gone into recess. >> it's not going to happen until after midterm elections. that's unfortunate. and what's more unfortunate is that if congress doesn't vote it, we're going to go ahead anyway. >> congress isn't even in town anymore for a couple of months. >> that's right. but the problem with what's happening is, even if we were to come back, or even when we come back, we vote on an authorization for use of military force. if it were voted down, the administration claims the authority to keep going anyway and that's a basic constitutional -- >> that's what they said. >> by the way, if there were

such a vote, do you think it would pass? >> probably. >> in the house and the senate? >> probably. but it would depend on what is going on at that point. and like i said, after how broad it is and wide, so forth. there's another problem, too. and that is that we are being -- isis is not a direct military threat to the united states at the moment. isis is a direct military threat to our allies in the middle east, to saudi arabia, to jordan, to emirates, maybe israel potentially. it's a threat to our interest in the middle east. i don't understand two things. one, why our allies are there are not willing to put troops on the ground first. it's a far greater threat to them than to us. second of all, the threat -- there is a threat to us. but that threat to us is that people from western europe go to the middle east and train with

isis and then come back here to create murder and mayhem. but that threat is not dealt with by whether isis captures another province. that doesn't defect the immediate threat to us. that threat has to be fought with appropriate surveillance, border control here and abroad. it's a different kind of threat. it's a different kind of counterterrorism operation. >> it's a full-scale war. >> that's right. >> congressman, unfortunately, we're out of time. you made your points and made them well. thank you for joining us, jerry nadler, democrat from new york. coming up, a huge victory for those who want to keep the united kingdom together. christiane amanpour is standing by. works differently to lower blood sugar? imagine, loving your numbers.

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we hear you. we now have a chance, a great opportunity to change the way that british people are governed and change it for the better. >> the british prime minister david cameron relieved after scottish voters turned down a bit to break away from the united kingdom. he says it would have broken his heart if scotland had left. the referendum failed with 55% of scottish voters saying "no" and 45% saying "yes." those who favored independence saw their campaign come to an end, one that has been going on for several years. queen elizabeth said, "i have no doubt that scots are able to express strongly held opinions

before coming together again in a spirit of mutual respect and support." christiane amanpour is joining us. what's the mood after this historic vote? >> reporter: well, here's the thing. we rushed from edinburgh after we knew what the vote was and that the referendum failed and came right here to westminster. you heard what prime minister cameron said. he told the scottish people, we hear you. we hear that you want change and he promised them change in his -- phew. i kept my job and now i have to deliver on the vow to keep this and that is to devow power all over the united kingdom. a huge change is coming to the united kingdom and it's going to be decided by fierce debate in the british parliament behind me. alex salmond who led the campaign has resigned himself and both cameron and indeed before he resigned he said, this

was a once-in-a-lifetime referendum and david cameron hopes this will not be revisited and the people have spoken and there will be change one way or the other. wolf? >> so basically, let's talk about the practical implications for the people of scotland right now. they will, even though they won't have independence, they will have a greater say in their own affairs? >> reporter: they will. look, this is an amazing exercise in democracy. president obama has praised it, the queen herself has given a statement, the queen of the united kingdom. everybody has been amazed by the unbelievable turnout. 80-plus percent in some districts. a massive 97% of voters registered. all of this means that they mean what they say. it was a divided vote and people

are going to get the kind of change that they asked for, which means practical autonomy in everything except foreign and defense policy. that will still be held by the defense government. but that is what they want. spending, tax, welfare autonomy and that's what the prime minister pledged today. >> christiane amanpour, while watching the history unfold in the uk. and let's repeat, uk remains the united kingdom. thanks christiane for that. the plan for syria. has the president received the approval he needs? can he succeed and defeat isis? will the backbone of the coalition fail to live up to its end of the bargain? william cohen is here. he's my guest. he's standing by. someone say bu? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and are proven to taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot.

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welcome back. i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. president obama has authority for dealing with isis in syria. the house and senate both approved legislation to arm and train syrian rebels. the president was also offered some advice. some of it pretty pointed. let's begin with a republican congressman, buck mckeon. >> i think it's very important that he does follow the advice and counsel that he receives, professional advice of the military. they are the ones best suited to

do that. i realize he's chaommander in chief. i would also request that he not take options off of the table. >> we didn't ask for this fight but you don't tell your adversa adversary what you are not going to do. we have the most fiercest and ethical ground forces in the world and i don't think we should reassure the enemy in advance that they'll never face them. >> that was james mattis. then there was this. >> from the former president of the united states, bill clinton. he was talking about the role of the iraqi military. >> we can't wind a land war in iraq. we've proved that. but they can. and we can help them win it.

>> joining us now, the former defense secretary under president bill clinton, william cohen. do you agree that the u.s. cannot win a land war in iraq, it's really up to the iraqi military to do that? >> ultimately, it is. but the fact is that the iraqi military is never going to measure up to the standards that they need to win that war without u.s. help and i take issue with president obama when he says we'll never have ground combat troops in iraq. we have them now. they are not on a combat mission but they'll definitely be in a combat environment. i want to know what is the agreement that we have in place with iraq? because we have 1700 u.s. forces in iraq now. the reason we apparently left was because we couldn't reach an agreement with the prime minister to have a protection of u.s. forces. so now they are on the ground with what? no protection? >> well, i was told what they did work out is, you're right, the u.s. pulled out because nuri

al maliki refused to give immunity from iraqi prosecution. the administration does say that they have that commitment now. they will not be prosecuted by iraqi courts, if you will. they do have that immunity. >> they have an agreement in writing, presumably? >> that's what they say. they have an agreement from the new prime minister, from the new government and it didn't have to go back to parliament because if it went back to the iraqi parliament, they don't know what would have happened. >> there you have it. this new prime minister may be new wine in an old bottle or simply old wine with a new bottle coming into it. but he will not allow any u.s. combat forces on the ground in iraq. so he's consistent with what president obama is saying. so i have a question. what happens if some of those forces come under fire, maybe taken hostage? what do we do at that particular

point? i think we have to level that point. and this is why congressman mckeon and others, ed royce have said, we need to have the flexibility to say, they may not have a combat mission specifically but they are going to be in combat and we need to be flexible enough to say, if we need to go in, we have the authority to go in. i think the president is making a mistake by not getting that. >> others say, don't take any options off the table. if you're going to war, keep the enemy guessing. don't send in combat forces. the other side of the argument is the president wants to be transparent with the american people and congress. if he doesn't deploy combat forces, he should tell them. >> he can be transparent but if this is successful, it will need tactical american forces on the ground. if you don't have those specialists on the ground calling in those strikes, you

might very well start killing lots of people which rebound against us. we're going to have people on the ground calling those strikes. i think that's why the president has to be more transparent on that issue. >> what about the air rain countries and turkey, for that matter? are they stepping up to the plate? because they are threatened, much more than the united states s . >> i think you'll find the uae stepping up a great deal. they volunteered in kosovo, they've been with us in afghanistan. i think you'll see them step forward. >> qatar, too, maybe? the uae and qatar used air power against gadhafi in libya. >> we need to see visible arab participation otherwise it's going to be seen as a bunch of white guys. the western countries coming in, white man's burden coming in and attacking a country gbenga. that's the reason we need to have a visible presence evil ca

>> do you think the saudis are going to step up to the plate? >> i don't know but we need to provide some visible sign of assistance so they are not hiding behind any kind of -- >> turkey has been very disappointing. >> i'm disappointed in some of the nato countries, period. nato has a long step of stairs you have to climb to get into nato. there's no back door. once you're in, you're in. even if you don't measure up to the kind of requirements that are necessary to be a member of nato, i'd like to see them consider a way out for those countries who want the benefit of having nato security, not willing to bear the burdens of it. i'd like to have that considered as an exit door as well. >> i spoke with the supreme allied commander and unlike afghanistan where there was a nato contingent deployed --

>> we're carrying the burden. i'd like to see some of the nato countries really share that burden and be willing to belly up and show that they are willing to provide benefits and burdens and bear them equally. >> secretary cohen, thanks for joining us. >> thank you. congress won't be debating military force against isis. instead, they are heading home. dana bash is there as they rush for the exits. that's next. bartender: thanks, captain obvious. co: which is why i put the hotels.com mobile app on my mobile phone. hotels.com i don't need it right now.

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capitol hill is a very lonely place today. some didn't make a clean getaway. our chief congressional correspondent dana bash caught up with several lawmakers on their way out of town and asked them, point blank, why they were leaving with so much of their work undone. >> reporter: congress racing for the exits. cars lined the parking lot waiting to whisk lawmakers away. leaving a lot on the table, especially debate over a new authorization of military force against isis. >> this isis group is a threat. >> reporter: so then why not stay and debate it and not go home if your constituents

believe there is a real threat? >> i don't disagree. i'm prepared to vote "yes" on the use of military force. i'm not ducking any vote. >> reporter: many rank and file members are frustrated about bolting. i get the importance of campaigning. but really? while all of this is going on in the country? >> as if there's not enough to do and it's not just the war issues, it's immigration reform, it's a number of different bills. >> reporter: there is, of course, a lot of blame tossed around. republicans blame the democratic-controlled senate. republicans who run the house stay, don't go home, don't go home to campaign, and work on that authorization. they have the ability to do it. >> well, dana, the problem is, we have a do nothing senate. >> reporter: republicans also blame the president. so why not stay here and debate an authorization for use of force which is congress' job? >> absolutely. and i wish the president would ask for one. >> reporter: and democrats who run the senate point to the house. >> this tradition, i think,

began because of the house of representatives runs every two years and for many, many years the house has adjourned for the month of october. >> reporter: senator susan collins is up for re-election in a safe seat and wanted to stay. >> my job is to be in the capitol working for the people of maine and the american people and that's where i've been -- where we all belong right now. >> reporter: lindsey graham is also on the ballot and blunt about why they are leaving. >> seems to be more concerned about who runs the place. >> reporter: can i ask you a question? >> sure. >> reporter: freshman senators are appalled. >> we need to be here and debate these issues. >> reporter: but at this point there's no reason to stay. >> dana bash is here along with candy crowley. stand by. i will ask you, what will congress' priority be once they return. stay with us.

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where you will get tax-free cash with no monthly mortgage payment, and the best part...you still own your home. call the number on your screen now, and let one reverse mortgage help you live a better retirement. before the break we showed you members of congress rushing out of town heading back to their districts. many of them trying to get re-elected. dana did an excellent report on that. did you get a sense six weeks from now, seven weeks from now when they come back after the midterm elections what their priorities might be? i guess a lot of it will depend on what is happening in iraq and syria. >> a lot will depend on that and, let's be honest, a lot of it depends on what happens in the election.

there will be a different set of priorities that now democrat-controlled senate can do. that's number one. harry reid, the senate majority leader, was talking yesterday about the fact that when they come back they'll be ready to do this authorization of force and then we were told it might not happen then. it may not happen until the next congress comes in. >> this may be a lame duck session until the new congress is sworn in in january? >> oh, sure, especially if the leadership changes hands in the senate. it makes a huge difference. and they have to pass another cr, right? another continuing resolution to keep the government in business and to keep arming the syrian rebels. >> let's talk a little bit about hillary clinton. she's becoming invisible. everyone assumes she's going to run for the democratic presidential nomination. what are you hearing? >> i think what is fascinating is she gave a speech a short while ago. >> today? >> just today. and to me, just watching her

over the past few weeks, this was her comfort zone. she was speaking to women, about women, for women in a ballroom, mostly donors, but those were her people. she was in a groove. if she can capture that and keep that in her quiver, if you will, then she will really have a lot to do. i think the other interesting thing is she was talking about women's issues in general but obviously she needs those people to vote for her if she runs for president and needs them for the midterm election. >> let me play a little clip of what she said. listen to this. >> women up and down the income ladder face double standards and barriers to advancement. we see it with the middle class moms who take home less money than their male co-workers. we see it incorporate board rooms and in the mother penalty, with many women forced to take a

pay cut when they have children while men, who become fathers, often get a pay bump. >> already. candy, go ahead and weigh in on this. these are obviously important issues. >> they are. and a couple things. number one, it fits nicely for 2014 and 2016. so this is a twofer for her. she can stir that up. and the other thing that always strikes me, this is not what she did during the campaign. >> yep. >> and it is where she failed because time after time after time, when you talk to young people in iowa who came out in the caucuses in a way that no one had seen them, they thought history was barack obama. they did not see hillary clinton as, oh my gosh, the first woman. they absolutely did not. to them it was like, yeah, whatever. so she did not play the women card, as people like to say it, until it was too late. >> that issue, women voters in particular, will be critical for democrats out there. it's going to be make or break

in many of these district, senate races and house races. >> i was just talking to a democratic pollster who said without a doubt there is such a gender gap in these incredibly tight races and women are so overwhelmingly potentially democratic voters that if they were to fire up those female voters, as hillary clinton was just trying to do, it could make or break -- make a difference between democrats, keeping the senate and not keeping the senate. >> but married women are more constant voters and tend to vote more in the midterm and tend to vote republican. >> that's true. >> and older women as opposed to younger women? >> yes. >> what does that show? >> older people in general tend to be a little more republican and women, older women are the same generally. >> which is why you're seeing in a lot of these very close senate races in colorado and iowa, democrats playing up the idea of the contraception and hobby

lobby and it affects every day lives. >> thanks very much. candy, dana, appreciate it. this note to our viewers, don't forget to see "state of the union" every sunday with candy at 9:00 a.m. eastern. th that's with candy crowley, sunday morning. coming up, he served time in prison and now wants to represent his own state here on capitol hill. we're going to find out why edwin edwards is now running for congress. ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and are proven to taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing.

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the state of louisiana is known for its colorful politics but now the 87-year-old former congressman and governor is making headlines again. he wants to return to the u.s. congress after serving time in prison for corruption. 8 1/2 years jail time. gloria borger spoke with edwards about his plans. >> reporter: it's sunday morning at the new life baptist church in baton rouge, louisiana. but the man preaching to the choir is no minister. >> my god is not finished with me. >> reporter: he's edwin w. edwards, ex-four-term governor,

ex-four-term congressman and ex-con. >> i may be old but i'm on your side of the bread. ♪ i love the lord he heard my cry ♪ >> reporter: edwards is in church not looking for forgiveness but for votes because at 87, after almost nine years in prison, the flamboyant showman of louisiana politics has a fresh act, running for congress. co-starring his new 35-year-old wife and their 1-year-old baby. can you tell the story of how you two met? she began as a prison pen pal which led to love at first visit. >> i was expecting him to be angry or bitter and he just wasn't. >> she said if you don't mind, i only live 30 minutes from here. i would like to come back and visit you.

that's like throwing a rubber raft around a drowning man. >> he was so full of life and had such a good time even in the situation he was in. it was really an amazing thing. i have never known anyone like that before. >> we agreed to stay together when i got out. when the gates opened for me to leave, she was there with open arms and we shaent spent a night apart since. >> reporter: then came eli. a miracle of science. >> he feeds him. >> reporter: what's your secret? >> i never smoked. never used alcohol. nobody believes that. nobody believes that but i never used alcohol. and it boils down to two things. genes and moderation.

i have living proof they were wrong. >> reporter: do you? >> governor edwin edwards awaits sentencing. >> reporter: edwards went to prison for extorting millions in exchange for riverboat gambling licenses. after serving his time, he's living in a suburban chateau with reminders of himself as a younger governor and the silver fox loves motoring around the neighborhood in a golf court. >> you only as young as the woman you have and it's fun feeling her. >> reporter: if this seems like reality tv, it was. briefly. >> reporter: tell me about doing the reality show. what was that like? >> it's horrible. >> it was unbelievable. >> reporter: they admit they are on odd couple and it's not just about age. trina is a republican and edwards is an old time populist

democrat who wants to return to congress exactly 50 years since his first stint there. >> reporter: when the seat came up, what went through your mind? >> that's my chance. i got a second chance. i'm going to take it. i'm going to surprise everybody. >> reporter: were you for this congressional race? >> not particularly. i would naturally support him in whatever he chose to do but it's really not my thing. >> reporter: what about people who also say he's a convicted felon, why do i want to send him to washington, d.c. to represent me? >> people say they're all crooks any way, you might as well send an experienced one. all this about how crooked i am and what i stole -- no one has ever charged me or accused me of taking money from the taxpayers. it had nothing to do with my career as a public official. nothing. >> reporter: i'm going to read this to you. if he cared he would ask for forgiveness for making us a

laughing stock for so many years. >> i don't pay any attention to it and i don't think many people do. >> he's talked about this until he's blue in the face. and he knows that he if keeps talking about it, it becomes noncontroversial. >> i would be much better off financially if i behaved myself and stayed home with my wife and my baby. but that's not what turns me on. it's not what i was born to do. i was born to serve people. >> reporter: if edwards had his choice, he would run for governor again but he has to settle for a federal office because felons can't run for louisiana state office until they've been out of prison for 15 years. when edwards would be 98. if you live long enough you can run for governor. >> if for no other reason to please my friends and shock my enemies. >> for an 87-year-old guy, he

sounds lively and looks good. what are his chances of being a member of the house of representatives? >> well, wolf, the way louisiana politics works is it's a crowded field. he's up against nine republicans and some democrats and the top two finishers -- if nobody gets 50% of the vote, the top two finishers face-off against each other. there's a lot of feeling in this district even though it's republican that because of his name recognition he will get into the runoff. the question is once he's in a runoff, will edwin edwards be able to get re-elected because he's a populist democrat. he seems to think so and by the way, no political expert in that state i have spoken to is counting him out. >> that would be a mistake. he spent 8 1/2 years in prison in louisiana. >> in prison and he's very interesting in talking about his years there and how he helped other inmates. >> excellent piece. thanks very much.

that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern. another two-hour edition of "the situation room." reminder, cnn will bring you the nfl commissioner roger goodell's news conference on domestic violence issues plaguing the league. that happens one hour from now. 3:00 p.m. eastern. stay with cnn for that. meantime, "newsroom" with martin savidge today starts right now. >> thank you, wolf. good afternoon. i'm martin savidge in for brooke baldwin. let's talk about the story that's developing right now. nfl commissioner roger goodell just announced he'll hold a news conference at 3:00 eastern time. he is expected to make a statement and then he's going answer questions about the league's personal conduct policy. he's also supposed to address the myriad of domestic violence issues currently plaguing the nfl. five players have been arrested on domestic violence charges in the last several weeks. the uproar started with