>> reporter: that same anguish or joy is being felt by 49 other families, all searching for ways to keep the memories of their loved ones alive. we're going to keep tabs on this story. that does it for us. we'll be back here tomorrow. rick sanchez picks it up from here. >> teach anderson. >> the preacher who suggests the president should die is warunni a business, is he doing it inside his church? take a look at that map behind him, that's important. i'll tell you why. the president's speech to school kids, really indoctrination or politics as usual? what about the fact that you just can't stand this buy. . look at this map, all of those are murdered women. how hard was it to figure out there was a pattern here? a serial killer pattern.

reid and pelosi get the plan from the president. but what is the plan? no, really. what is it. that's what the president has to finally communicate on our national conversation as we commemorate one very successful year on the air. tuesday, september 8, 2009. hello, again, everybody, i'm rick sanchez, with me next, a generation of news, this is a conversation, this is not a speech and it's always your turn to get involved. all right, as we get started, the president is meeting with house speaker nancy pelosi and senator harry reid about health care reform. he ee's presumably telling them what he will be telling us tomorrow as a nation in what is

presumably a make or make speech on health care. we're waiting to see when that meeting breaks up. and you'll hear what they have to say. but first, let's talk about the speech president obama gave today. his critics say they don't want their children being exposed to it because the president will try to, quote, indoctrinate them in some cases. actually the president's speech was in the end quite mild. >> we need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. if you don't do that, if you quit on school, you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country. >> that was pretty much the message, work hard, don't give up, stay in school. that's the general message. what's unclear at this point still, even though we're trying to gather it by making phone calls to our affiliates all over the country is how many kids

were actually kept out of school today, how many schools refused to show this message from the president? the message for a week now from the president's critics have been one of outrage. that this president would want to address students. oklahoma state senator steve russell for example, he was with me recently. he was one of the most vocal critics. he said that mr. obama should not be able to create a cultive speech. is that a legitimate complaint or is that partisan politics as usual in this country? >> you guys just can't stand this guy and you're going to do everything possible to find him even if he's doing something as innocent as talking to our school kids, much in the way that john f. kennedy started the president's counsel on physical fitness and i was so proud to

wear that president's physical fitness badge that said that i was doing well in school what about that message? >> i don't think the president was working with the department of education with formulation of lesson plans and that that went to and past school boards and superintendents and others. >> i'm not sure what you mean by you guys. >> who did you vote for? >> that's a matter of personal privilege as an american citizen. >> who was the last democrat you voted for? >> it was actually a mayor in a city race. >> who was the last democratic president that you voted for. >> i have never voted for a democratic president. who's the last republican president you voted for. >> george bush. >> is it politics or not? well, garry tuchman wanted to find out part of the answers to that very same question.

i want you to watch this report that he's filed. >> reporter: this north carolina school principal had to decide whether or not to air president barack obama's speech for students in his school. the pressure was on. >> this may sound a little strange, but after a flurry of phone calls, my first response was to shut my doors and have a prayer because i knew i was going to have to make a decis n decision. >> reporter: what was he hearing from parents? mostly comments like those we heard down the road. do you think the schools should play barack obama's speech? >> absolutely not. i think it should be up to the parents decision if they want their children to hear that or not. >> reporter: and that is exactly what principal chris gibbs decided, the speech will not be shown at claremont elementary school. >> there's a lot of emotionses that are flying high. i just didn't feel like kids

should be put in a position where they can be singled out or staff members can be singled out or parents singled out. >> singled out because they would want to stay for the speech. >> exact i. >> it's not something we want to divide our school with. >> reporter: in our research with the schools and school districts that will not be showing the president's speech live, we found that most of them are not surprisingly are in counties that barack obama did not do particularly well during the presidential elections. john mccain received 67% of the vote here. this is what he's going to stay in the speech, if you quit on your school, you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country. isn't that what you want your children to hear? >> most definitely, and we have asked our parents to go back to responsibility of their parents a responsible parent is going to sit down and talk with their kids about staying in school. >> but president obama's message

won't even be shown in school in the days to come. president obama said i want to come to your school, i want to makes a live appearance at your school and have abassembly, you would be dealing with the same things with these parents, wouldn't you. >> i would, probably. >> how does that make you feel. >> we have a long way to go and the issues out there today are divisive issues, they're sensitive issues. but if the president wanted to come to claremont elementary school, he would certainly have the option to come to claremont elementary school and i guess i'll go in my office and shut my door and play again. >> reporter: the billing will be winston churchill not barack obama. >> there is no question this is part of the national conversation, i'm seeing it on

facebook, myspace and twitter. these responses have been pouring n just as soon as we started bringing you this story. rick, i'm so mad! my son's school didn't show the speech, i said i taped it for you, he said why bother my school didn't. thank you for talking about president obama's speech to students and what he has to say. the gop and the right wing can't stand to have a president who has some education, eight years of fearmongering has gotten in the way. maybe the best judges on this national conversation are the kids. some of the kids who finally today had a chance to hear the ones that were allowed to, were allowed to hear from the president of the united states. and they have been talking to reporters in different parts of the country. let's hear what at least one of them has to say. >> in talking to everybody about bettering themselves and making

sure that they're successful and i really don't see why there would be a controversy about that. >> we're going to be monitoring reaction as we have that's coming in from all over the country. i was told by our ap and our ep, our executive producer as well, angie, that's you, that there's a possibility that we might be getting some tape som coming in in just a little bit. a video of a school where a parent came and wanted to take her child out of the school. i don't know in what form this is going to come in, but as it does, i wants to share it with you. so as promised, we'll show you some stuff that's been coming in all over the country. here's what else we're going to have now you. listen to me, i don't operate a business here. i store equipment here. >> don't touch me. >> and i touched them. they beat the crap out of me is what happened.

>> all right, it's the preacher again, you know the preacher, that preacher who proudly suggested the president should have his teeth kicked in. he's running a business, is it out of his church? that's next. also another problem for the distinguished commander mcchrystal in afghanistan. did nato troops kick in the doors to an orphan hospital and how big a problem is that going to be? our pentagon correspondent barbara starr has prepared a report for us and we'll have the after show at 4:00, i'll be looking for you. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nuture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition... and helpful resources. ♪

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people seem to be incensed about this situation. welcome back, i'm rick sanchez. here's the controversy about the president speaking to the kids today. let's start with facebook, linda says i watched the speech and now i'm asking, so what? what was all the brouhaha about. i certainly wouldn't want kids hearing this. not. and now let's go to jay michael here. he's reacting as well. a ton of people are reacting to this. i'm surprised at the comments we're getting. i picked up my children from school to ensure that they watch president obama's speech. they were inspired by it. many of you are writing to me about what happened today with your kids. keep writing and i'll keep sharing. right now i want you to watch something with me. and while you're watching it ask yourself do i know this man?

this is a story i broke on this story, which is why we call this another break through. i want to explain to you today, the difference between three basic types of smoke detectors. >> now does this fire alarm salesman look familiar? let me give you a hint, you saw him here on this show before you saw him anywhere. as it turns out, the man explains fire alarms is the game guy who's been in the news recently talking about what should happen to the president of the united states. >> i don't want to be a martyr, we don't need another holiday. i would like to see him die like ted kennedy of brain cancer. >> yep, that's him. who would have thunk it, right? the now infamous preacher who prays for the president's death, it turns out that he has a day job, anderson fire and security, stay with us here, this gets even more interesting.

watch what our crack staff noticed as we watched this together. this is fire alarm salesman stephen anderson. now let's look at the preacher steven anderson. standing at the door of his church s that the same map? is that the same legend? let's look again. smoke alarm salesman stephen anderson, see him? already, now pastor stephen anderson at his church. we noticed that. we wanted you to notice it as well. now, if that is exactly what we are seeing in this case. if that's the same map against the same beige wall, then obvio obviously it certainly looks like that's the same person, that's the same person who wants barack obama to die, who wants to him to get his teeth kicked

in, to get brain cancer like senator kennedy did. the now we did in fact, just to let you know, we did in fact get in touch with pastor anderson and asked him whether he's running his business out of his church. now he replied to us via e-mail. he says the business is not run from the same location as his church. that's what he said. so we asked pastor anderson does he shoot his business videos there at his church, some, he said. that's another quote, some are filmed in the same building as the business rents, now he's told us the church and the business are in the same building. even though he told us before they are not in the same location. then we asked pastor anderson whether he holds church events in the business part of the building, and this photo would

seem to suggest it's a picture that we found on the church website. looks like your typical pot luck dinner, but there's that map again. the map exactly like the one in the business videos, so if he's got the map in the business, and the same map in the same part of the building of his church, it seems cure curious. when he asked pastor anderson about that, he e-mailed back, and hi quote, are you guys trying to make up a story out of nothing? we will let the tax officials decide. when we come back, the people running the war in afghanistan have a real problem and it's not necessarily a tactical one. new information i will share with you about general mcchrystal. back pain in the morning, back playing in the afternoon. excedrin back and body has two ingredients to block and relieve the pain. doesn't your whole body deserve excedrin strength relief? excedrin. what ache?

a lot of dpoex folks watching today and commenting. here's a comment that's coming in on myspace -- no, pardon me, this is face book. regarding the pastor if he's running a business, then maybe he should be taxed. if he is a pastor, then he

should be preaching love thy neighbor, not kill thy president. here's a report that always is frankly it's difficult to file these kind of reports. four u.s. soldiers died overnight fighting against taliban forces in the mountains northeast of kabul. that brings to 13, the number of americans that have been killed just this month. we have got some fighting video here, this is from kunar province, this is where the fighting was the heaviest day and i want to share it with you. here it is. [ gun fire ] >> amazing to be able to watch this, that video shot last month by an embedded news photographer. by the way, ten afghan soldiers

fighti fighti fighti fighting alongside american troops were also killed today. there are damaging reports that nato troops kicked down doors at a hospital and this is one of those that could become a black eye. difficult to explain, embarrassing to talk about. cnn's pentagon correspondent is barbara starr. >> reporter: swedish charity workers say u.s. soldiers and afghan forces forcibly entered this hospital last week breaking down doors, ordering patients out of their beds and tying up staff. it was only later they say the troops told them they were looking for an insurgent leader. >> they didn't find any insu

insurgents in the hospital. still this is a clear violation of internationally recognized principals and rules. >> reporter: nato is investigating, but it couldn't come at a worse time for general mcchrystal, he's trying to convince afghans that foreign troops will protect them against the taliban, but for now, he's busy trying to explain nato's actions. mcchrystal personally inspected a site where a predawn air strike on two hijacked full trucks killed perhaps dozens of afghan civilians and he promised another investigation. >> from what i have seen today in going to the hospital, it's clear to me that there were some civilians who were harmed at that site. >> reporter: afghans are already upset about civilian casualties caused by nato. mcchrystal may be soon asking

for more troops to fight the taliban effort. those familiar with mcchrystal's thinking say perhaps his most urgent worry, the afghan's view that the ongoing counting of votes in the afghan presidential election is riddled with fraud and that karzai may not win the public's support. >> we need at the end of the day have a degree of legitimate support for the government of afghanistan that exceeds the support for the taliban. >> reporter: part of the problem, mcchrystal may find it tough to get nato or perhaps even the u.s. congress to agree to send more troops to afghanistan if it's believed the current president hamid karzai has not formed a legitimate government. barbara starr, cnn, washington. just to let you know throughout the afternoon we have been in contact with many of our sources that are tlofollowing t

situation out of the pentagon. we are expecting to get some video from the white house where pelosi and reid are meeting with the president, perhaps to get a preview of what he's going to say tomorrow and what may be his make or break speech on health care, we'll bring that to you as it happens as well. and this. this national conversation has now been on the air for one year. that's right, this show, our show, your show from what the hell are you talking about to joe the plumber to aig, aig, aig, oh, and there's more. watch. >> my twitter board is about to explode. take a look at this. the beaner and the red neck. it's like a "sportscenter" moment, you and me together from the beginning and there's a lot more stay right there. also who does the president have to do to turn things around when he talks to the joint session of congress tomorrow? for starters, can he explain

exactly what is he wants? we're drilling down.

welcome back, i'm rick sanchez here in the world headquarters of cnn. sometimes we do a topic or an issue of a story that really riles people up. case in point today, this question about the president of the united states being refused by some parents to let their children hear him, certainly gotten a lot of response for it. we have told you we're going to be sharing some of this. let me take you right to the very top of the twitter board here if i can. and i'll take it to you right there, there we go, my first tweet ever is what this one writes. to sound off on this silly obama speech to kids, are we really talking about this? parents keeping kids out of school and refusing to watch speech is nothing more than closet racism. this one says i wonder if the fire alarms work. he's referring to the story we did moments ago about the

minister in arizona who has prayed that the president day. and speedy petey says, you may not always agree with any president. but you may walk away bert informed on how to decide. to avoid it is your ignorance. a face book one. i am a dad and will never pray for a kid who lost their dad, i will pray for that pastor, not for his death, but for him to find love and peace in his heart. so there you have it. a lot to comment that we're going to be getting throughout the day. we're going to be continuing in just a little bit. in fact when we come back, it's been a big year for myself and for my staff and for all of us. and everybody who makes this show happen every single day. wait until you hear what we have prepared for you, to mark this our one-year birthday, it's not a cake, but you're going to like it.

welcome back, i'm rick sanchez, one year ago today, we began this newscast, this national conversation, this experimental melding of main stream media with social media. and you know what? it's worked. the number of people who watch it this hour has grandson by enormous percentages and that's cool. so we finally stopped just doing what we do every day to try and catch up and we decided to at least one day reflect on what we have done thus far. you know what? we're feeling pretty good today. feeling pretty proud of what we have done after johnny b. good put this together for us. here's a look back at your national conversation.

this is a virtual newscast, a national conversation, if you will. >> this comes on twitter.com/rickshan says. >> you are the antichrist. >> that is not cool, that is not cool because my kids watch this show. >> no, no, no, joe, you're no longer just joe a private person. >> we both know who number two is. >> who? >> i think its ken hall. >> what does that mean? the biggest tent is freedom? freedom? sanchez? this next system is about bill o'reilly and the troop. >> roger, do me a favor. >> you're protesting the fact that your company had to pay $140 billion. >> no, no, you're playing with the facts, sir. let me tell you what happened. you're absolutely ignoring my question. >> not at all, rick. >> i don't think that's very nice. >> not at all risk.

and you aren't very nice. >> that's responsible. you're not a fan of political expedience si. >> here's what we're going to do. aig, aig, aig. enough. it's your turn to get involved, so let's do it. look at all the tweets we're getting on the twitters. my twitter board is about to explode. >> i know dude, how cool is that? the beaner and the red neck. >> i can be offensive, i don't have to be politically correct. >> the fact that you are a porn star. >> i might be a porn star, but i haven't done anything illegal. >> let me ask you a tough question, bob. i know you have probably -- >> all your questions are tough. >> but this one kind of really is, i'm cutting right to the chase. if this doesn't get done this fall after they come back from recess, is it as they said,

over? >> however my decision is being y u surped tonight by rick sanchez. >> hey, thanks to so many of you, tons of you have been sending us -- look at this one over here. this is on facebook, oh, yeah, congrats, rick on one year. i said it on facebook, but again, congrats and job well done. there so many people, so many people trying to do the same on twitter. the whale is out. yeah, that's right. look at the twitter board. it's overcapacity. it's the failed whale is happening. it's amazing. again, my thanks to so many of you who stuck with us when everybody else was saying, he's going to do what? he's going to do a newscast that actually involves social media? and by the way, what the held is

twister? you guys came to bat for us and we want to thank you for it. by the way, there's another programming note. perez hilton is going to join me thursday. so have your questions and your comments ready about anything have to do with the world of entertainment. the police say they have captured a serial killer responsible for at least nine murders. they said today he has operated for more than 20 years. that got us thinking. what took so long? you're going to see what i'm asking when i show you a map of the affected area and you'll probably be left asking the same question, stay right there, because i want to show you this map and the after show is at 4:00 on cnn.com live.

it's your birthday, it's your birthday. my staff is excited about this day. they're probably drinking vino back there as we speak. let's go over here to facebook if we can. some of the comments coming in. this is for you chris hall. you the brain child of the social media newscast. happy birthday,all, i have been watching you for a full year. wouldn't miss it. you guys, especially you, rick, rock. and laura, you guys are great. thank you for your gift to us, happy birthday. and you're the best, have a wonderful day, you're over on the twitter board. thanks to a good year, happy

anniversary rick, congrats, dude, one year of great tv. congrats on first anniversary, ditto. thanks, guys, we do appreciate your being there for us, especially during the tough times. here's one of those outrage stories that doesn't sound like one. until you get deeper into it. you know what we like to do this? it's a crime story, i want to show you a picture, you see that man right there, that man's name is walter ellis. and that's his mug shot. get this. police are now linking him to the murders of nine women in the milwaukee area. but this is the real story, johnny b. good, if you're over the shoulder, go to this map. i'm going to show you something as we take you through this. these are the bodies that have been found since 1986. here's one. hold on, let me get the little circle in here. there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine women murdered.

now what's interesting is this as well. let me do this in yellow. look at the distance, look at the groupings, look how close these are all together. don't you think somewhere along the line somebody would have looked at that and they would have said to themselves. wait a minute, walter ellis's dna was found on every single one of those victims, every one of those little circles that i just pointed on my telestrator for them. they arrested them when? this weekend. oh, one more thing, we were talking about this in the office today, all of the women killed in this story, all of them so close together, that you think somewhere along the line police would have said to themselves, hey, guys, there's a real pattern here, these women are dying blocks apart. all the women that were killed in these 21 years in this murder spree, they were all known prostitutes or run aways. we were wondering if this case would have been solved sooner if the victims were more

upstanding, you know what i mean. members of society. it's a good question. what do you think, let me know on my twitter or on my blog at cnn.com/rick sanchez. we're being told that nancy pelosi and harry reid have entered the white house and are about to leave. in fact we're being told they could be less than a minute away from coming out and speaking to those microphones right there. here's why this is important. let me just try and catch you up and give you the background on this story. it's important to the american people because it doesn't seem that america has a real grasp at this point on exactly what it is that the president wants americans to grasp. to support. republican or democrat. you have heard all the arguments, what is it about the public option. what is it about universal health care, what is it about some other kind of system that

we still don't understand? has the president done a good enough job of explaining to the american people exactly what he wants us to support as american citizens or not support. and when he finally does give his speech tomorrow, it will involve the public option? for a long time, republicans have been criticizing the president and some of them have said that he didn't do it so rightfully because he didn't say what he wanted americans to support and it seemed at times that he was letting nancy pelosi and harry reid run the show. now we're told that both harry reid and nancy pelosi have been called to the white house and the president has been telling them what he wants this legislation to look like. so we're maybe seeing the very first glimpse of what the president is suggesting. there is harry reid and there's nancy pelosi. they're coming to the microphone. she looks as usual, smiling, harry reid with a smile on his face now. you hear the clickers and the

shutters right now. >> we had a very productive meeting with the president and the vice president. the main subject was health care reform, but we talked about other issues that relate to the fall agenda and other issues. in terms of health care reform, we have come together at a time where three bills have been passed out of committee in the house, one in the senate, hopefully soon the finance committee will act and we have plenty to work from to pass comp hence sif asfordable, accessible health care. it's a pretty exciting time, the month of august our members have heard from their constituents that have communicated with them. they bring back the benefit of that thinking. they also have had a chance to explain to their constituents the opportunity that is in the bill. then again, we have legislation that would lower costs, improve quality, expand coverage and retain choice. if you like what you have, you can keep it.

if you have something that you would like to improve upon, that can happen if you're not insured. you will have that opportunity. this will be done in a fiscally sound way, it's necessary for us to act. the present situation is unsustainable and as the president said health care reform is entitlement reform and that as the president. we welcome the congress back and we prepare to bring our three bills not guilty house to prepare to make the senate in congress. mr. leader? >> the president and vice president were very positive and it's in keeping with the conversation i had with my members the past week, that is we're reenergized, we're ready to do health care reform. keeping in mind that it's even before the august recess, 80% of

health care is already done. in fact it's the 20% we still had to work on. in our conversations today, we think we're up to 90% of things that are agreed upon. we have 10% that we need to work on and we can do that. as far as the speech tomorrow, the president didn't give us a dress rehearsal of a speech, but he did tell us that he's going to be outlined in the american people in our course of the congress. the health care reform bill that he contemplates that we will do. and we're in agreement with him in that regard. i have every belief that when he finishes his speech tomorrow, the american people will be able to put aside some of the ridiculous falsehoods that have been perpetrated these past few weeks and focus on what're going to do for this country.

we have a lot of work to do, we understand that, but we're still approaching this in the form of bipart sanship. we want a bipartisan bill. we do not want to do rec reconciliation unless we have no alternative. >> and the public option is included? >> i am personally in favor of the public option. in my mind there's no question that the majority of -- i can't speak for the house caucus, but if i were betting them i think the majority of them also believe in the public option. we're going to do our very best to have a public option or something like a public option. >> why was there no place for republican at the table today, sir? >> i'm sorry, today, what are you talking about? >> why no republicans at the table today at this meeting? >> you know, i think that -- >> the president didn't invite republicans. >> we have had a large table on

the finance committee, the health committee and the senate and there's always a place for them. and so i think today, it was, again, a very positive meeting and that's what i feel. >> the president today was speaking with the speaker of the house and the democratic leader of the senate i don't know what the point of the question, but the point is also in our committee, in the house, three committees have passed a bill out. all of them have a strong number of republicans that-i saw to that when we did our ratio, so they had a place at the table as our bills had come through the legislative process and that's what we are engaged in now, the legislative process.

[ inaudible ] >> on the public option, i believe that the public option will be essential to our passing a bill in the house of representatives. because as the president has said, and i listened to him very carefully, he believes that the public option and to increase omp tigs in order to lower costs, improve quality, retain choice, if you like what you have you can keep it and expand coverage. in a fiscally sound way, and it saves money. but, he said, if you have a better idea, put it on the table. so if somebody has a better idea of how to do that, put it on the table. for the moment, however, as far as our house members are concerned, the overwhelming majority of them support a public option. >> would a trigger be an

alternative? >> this what we say is the legislative process, and right now we will have a public option. [ inaudible ] >> well, we're very pleased as the leader reid has mentioned that the president will be making his address this evening. i think we have been on schedule. we continue to be on schedule, but this speech tonight will be a very important fact -- excuse me, tomorrow. will be a very important factor in how we go forward. >> congressman cliburn said that a trigger on a public option was a doable alternative because it saved the public option. is that -- is that a fair assessment? >> well, i'm sorry. out of context i really can't speak to mr. cliburn's remarks. i do know that mr. cliburn is a strong supporter of a public openings. where we go, seeing what the senate puts forth and the rest is another place, but i've said it before and i'll say it again.

the health insurance industry which is out there fighting the public option tooth-and-nail because it does increase competition which they don't want. they would be better getting a public option now than one that is triggered because if you have a triggered public option, it's because the insurance industry has demonstrated that they are not cooperating, they are not doing the right thing, and i think they will have a tougher public option to deal with. >> leader reid -- >> senator reid bush. >> that's all right. >> thank you. >> i haven't seen it. >> you haven't steen it at all. >> when do you need a markup by? >> i got you, dan, just trying to see. sometimes some of the best comments are the ones that they make walking away. trying to listen in. there you go, folks. you heard from speaker pelosi and leader reid as she called

him, the distinguished gentleman from nevada. this is interesting to watch this develop because what we have here now is nancy pelosi on the record, as you just heard, saying the public option is there. most agree and it's essential to passing this billing. so that's like throwing down the gauntlet. patricia murphy is there, i know. she's standing by. you got that shot of patricia there. can she hear me? >> i'm here,ia. >> we've got to pay -- soy pam bills and we've got to get a commercial in and when you come back why don't we have a conversation about what news was just made there by mr. reid and miss pelosi. i think there was some and i know your ears are real good at picking that up and we'll be joined by republican strategist rich galen who will take us through this as well and rich is always fantastic. stay right there.

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i promised you at the gunning of the newscast i was going to be monitoring for you different reactions and things that were going on all over the country with this controversy about the president of the united states speaking to schoolkids and parents who are angered about it because they don't want their kids to listen to the president of the united states. here's a case in point. this is lesley steven. we've just gotten in this in. let me set it up for you. leslie steven in bryant, texas, showed the up at school today. her son was in seventh grade. he is 12 years old. the teachers there at bryant texas and the principal said, look, you don't want your son to listen to this speech. that's fine. you can just take him over to the library and guys can sit there and read books and wait. she said, no. i don't even want to wait in the library. i want to pull my kid now out of this school, so she did. she took the kid out of the school. the school said, look, if you do that, he's going to get an unexcused absence. why don't you take him over to

the library where he doesn't with v to watch the speech. she said, no, i want to take him out of the school and one of the reporters with an affiliate asked her a question and here she is explaining her position. >> as far as excused or unexcused, i really don't care. she's -- i just don't want her viewing this speech. i feel that we're just being misled and misguided, and it's up to us as citizens to really speak out and let it be known that this is something that we're going to stand for. >> i've got to tell you, rich galen. when i look at that, and i think we've probably gotten probably 99 e-mails and tweets and stuff from people saying what the hell is going on in this country when people don't want their children to hear the president of the united states tell them that they should stay in school, it's perplexing. >> well, i disagree with her. i -- i said the other day that

if you were concerned about it, there was an advanced copy made available last night which we knew would be done. talk to your kid about it and let your kid watch it and discuss it with your child when they get home after school so i disagree with her but on the other hand i have to say that in an era when we are screaming about the fact that parents are not taking an interest in their kids and what's going on at school, you've got to give her some credit for stepping up to the plate. i disagree with her, but i -- you know, i will defend to the death her right to do it. >> you and voltaire. you know, the problem with this is you get a feeling that there are people out there who are ill informed. i mean, you and i both know we've read the speech. there's nothing in the speech that's indoctrination so why do they think there's indocket -- is there some place that's just feeding bad info? i mean, you put in bad data, you get a bad result. >> the bad data, and i'll do this quickly. the bad data was from the department of education two

weeks ago or so when they put out what they called their lesson plan, and it really was -- i think it really was very close to the edge in terms of leading students into an area that might mike some parents uncomfortable. wisely stepped back from it, but by that time the damage was done, and this is what the administration gets. they brought this on themselves frankly. >> you make a good point, as usual. hate that about you. let's bring the murphster in here. let me try health care with you. i tried to take copious notes and they were talking pretty fast. sounds to me after hearing reid and pelosi, like the public option is not only dead but, quote, it's essential to passing this bill. >> nancy pelosi said it's essential to passing the bill in the house. it is not essential to passing this bill, and if you talk to people are watching the process in the senate. it's very unlikely it could get through the senate so nancy pelosi parsed her words very, very carefully. she said it's the house bill that needs the public option but not for it to pass congress it

doesn't need the public option. >> here's the question to you. here's the question to both of you, i suppose. if the democrats won't pass it unless it has the public option and the republicans won't pass it if it has a public option, are we going to get zippo, zilcho, nada? >> there's still negotiations going on and it's not just republicans opposed to this public option. democrats have now come out and said that they won't pass this bill. >> the blue dogs. >> the plus dogs, more than 20 house democrats, even steny hoyer, number two in the house today said he would vote for a bill without a public option. that's completely the opposite of what nancy pelosi said. it's just more mixed messages from democrats and it just raises the stakes for obama tomorrow night. >> 30 seconds to you, rich, but i'm trying to understand whether this president has done a good enough job explaining to the american people what he wants. you say what? >> he did not which is why he's got to do this tomorrow and this is an arrow he can never get back do his quiver calling a joint session. he shouldn't have had to do this. if he would have set it