>> now, you could help raise his kids. >> they're not toddlers anymore. >> thanks very much for joining us. we'll see you back here tomorrow. bill: are we back at war? president obama saying the up s. will increase its offensive to destroy isis. the military campaign against the terrorists could last at least three years that could outlast the obama presidency. i'm david hemmer. how are you doing? martha: the commander in chief is going to make his case to the american people on this. he will lay out his plan wednesday. first he will lay out the plans to the folks on capitol hill. what do we know about what the

president has in mind, peter? >> reporter: the president's plan is already unfolding because senior administration officials tell the "new york times" the first phase used as airstrikes in iraq protecting americans and minorities to prevent isis from gaining too much ground there. the next phase would be training cud i shall and sunni fighters who can help and the third phase is taking out targets in syria. president obama wants the american people to know this is not the start of the a new long ground war. >> this is not the equivalent of the iraq war. this is similar to the dined of counter tear -- the kind of towner terrorism -- the kinds of counter-terrorism campaigns we have been engage in the past

several years. >> reporter: strikes there could continue as the 45th president is sworn in. martha: what about congress? what are they asking the president to do about isis? >> there is a great appetite amonging congressional democrats and republicans to start striking inside syria. dianne feinstein wants strikes in syria and so does republican senator marco rubio. >> you have to go far where they are headquartered. what's important for them to understand about syria is they are generating revenue in syria with former assad refineries and their manned and control is being operated from there. >> reporter: nothing the president's speech should be a surprise to lawmakers because the president is expected to lay

it out for congressional leaders tomorrow. bill: are we going back to iraq yet again in iraq? byron york, good morning to you. you can make an argument we are already at war. but you have a commander-in-chief who will not call it that. >> this is a president who is personally and politically constrained from calling it a war. this is a man who ran and won on a promise to end the war in iraq. once he was in the white house he did it. even though we are going to be bombing in iraq and planning assaults and training troops i don't think there is any way the president is going to say the united states is again going to war in iraq. >> what's the important thing about the adret this week? >> this is the first type he has

felt the need to explain the need to ex maine and it's because the escalation in up s. military action. there is no doubt the united states will become much more involved in an air war in iraq and possibly in syria. this is something the president need to explain to the american people. it's something george bush did a whole bunch in the run-up to iraq. bill: there have been 45 airstrikes already. in the view of critic is that sufficient or is that not enough? >> in the view of critics it's a bunch of pin pricks. about a lot of these strikes have been to protect american facilities which is something that need to be done, but it's not a move toward degrading and destroyed isis capabilities. there are critics saying the

news should be bombing more aggressively and they should do that even before the president develops an overarching strapty. bill: take us down the road in that bigger picture. when the president was leaving wales he laid out his three-prong approach. and based on what we understand he will draw that out a lot more wednesday afternoon from washington. that being said within wal -- b, ultimately will the united states carry out airstrikes inside syria? is that where we are headed? >> it seems to be. there are a number of critics on both side of the political islee

there is more work to be done in syria to destroy isis. you can't destroy is very without attacking their stronghold in syria. but that's a line he doesn't have to cross right now. first of all he wants to get a plan together and explain it to the american people and get pea tacks on iraq and figure out -- and get attacks on iraq and syria. martha: fighter jets and bombers carry out attacks on the haditha dam. john huddy is live in our middle east bureau. this marks a new area of operations for the united states, doesn't it? >> it does. you have to look at the geography. the haditha dam is in western

iraq. it's all the anbar province. that rays the question about whether the u.s. will launch airstrikes in syria. so far the up s. carried out 140 airstrikes in across since early august including those at the haditha dam. we are getting word that 4 isis humvees were destroyed as well as a command center as well. bill: baghdad, the capital city down here. two main rivers that go back through time. the tigress to the east and the euphrates to the west. two major dams to be focused on. the mosul gallon dam, and this

is where the airstrikes were carried out and the airstrikes on behalf of the u.s. were able to protect water line and infrastructure for iraq. now the focus has been the had itha dam. it's five files wide. up s. officials will tell you that's cital infrastructure. it falls into isis hand that could be devastating. two crystal points the next couple weeks. you've recollections next week in iraq. you look at the reaction out of that nato summit friday afternoon. whether it's denmark in the north or saudi arabia to the southeast. there seems to be a consensus

that all these countries have to. i in some manner to assist in the rooting out isis. martha: this story also coming up on the serious illness sweeping through the up s. a dangerous virus sending kid to the hospital by the hundreds. doctors say it could go nationwide. bill: is this donald sterling all over again? another nba owner? we'll tell you what he wrote. martha: karl rove weighs in on some of the tough talk we got this weekend from mitt romney. >> members of congress said to the president, prepare for this, get ready for them. make sure they don't make incursions into iraq yet the president was i guess too busy on the golf course to pick up the phone and meet with the leaders around the world and say what happens if. /7

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martha: on months after the donald sterling team. briewps levinson selling his controlling snake the atlanta hawks after levinson blamed african-american fans for scaring away white fans. he says after long and difficult contemplation i decide for the best interest of the team, the

atlanta community and the nba to sell my interest in the hawks. bill: president obama saying he should have considered the optics of playing golf after speaking to the parents of james foley. he told chris wallace president obama is out of touch with what's going on overseas. he's so out of touch with reality he hasn't taken the action to prevent things from happening. a strong america that stand up for its beliefs is an america that's able to defend itself and our principles around the world. bad people do bad things. i don't know if you can't see reality from a fairway but he has not seen the reality internationally. bill: karl rove is with us from

austin, texas this morning. i want to know how you felt he handled that golf question and answer. and when you talk about that, too, what governor romney always talked about, to be an effective leader i have to anticipate events instead of allowing the events that dictate what you do and what you decide. on the golf question and answer what did he do? >> i thought he had done all right. if he had done this in the immediate aftermath of the episode he would have been better served. but he can't help himself. he says this is about theater and i'm not good at theater. i real. >> i as president it's about theater. this is the guy who came on to the stage of american politics with white columns looking like it was some greek gathering in

front of the acropolis. he's good at theater. he should have thought about this and been warned t warn -- o stay away from con flating his statement. bill: he said it's not something that always comes naturally to me. how come no one is around to tell him that. even if he makes the decision to do what he did ... why is there no one to say this may not be the best idea today? >> he has a weak white house staff. he's surrounded by yemen and yes women who basically encourage him in this kind of thing. the biggest problem is the one governor romney alluded to which is the president has been disengaged from foreign policy necessary and dephotographed this problem which has been developing for more than a year.

he's going to give a speak and from what we know in the "new york times" today it looks like a reasonablably good strategy. this group came on the scene in a highly visible way in june when it too took mosul. a year ago the president dismissed it as the jv, the junior varsity when the intelligence community was telling him this is a real threat, but threatening the integrity of iraq and the stability of the entire region. >> ther. bill: this is what the president said about it. why would he not know to take action? why did he get to this point? >> i wrote a col bum this in the "wall street journal." i thought it was very

revealing. the president made a speech on a friday night in new york and next day in newport, rhode island. he didn't have prepared remarks and he said interesting things. he sort of dismissed all of what we are seeing in the middle east by saying the world has always been a messy place as if this was the ordinary. the second thing he said is if you look at the tv news, this is -- you would think the world is ending. and it's because of social media as well as the networks. this is not a real problem, blame it on the media. it said to me he is detached from the reality of the world as we know it. bill: he did kill the leader of that branch in somalia. we should give him credit where it's due and 45 airstrikes in iraq. some argue it am not enough but others argue it is a good start.

>> this president does in the want military action in iraq because it reflects badly on his failure to get a status of forces agreement and it reflects badly on his failure to lead six months ago or a year ago. i think the level of air attacks, five air attacks on average is not really a lot in terms of operational tempo but it is a start and we ought to support the president if he comes forward with a reasonable plan. bill: you think if we kept 10,000 people in iraq isis would exist today? >> no, it would be in syria and not the threat it is today. bill: how does he need to frame wednesday comes announcement?

>> wednesday's announcement better be the first of a number of times when the president speaks to the country about this. he need to lay out why america's interests are at stake and why this need to be done both in our interest and the interest of our allies and friends and what he's going to do. then he need to periodically update the american people. he can't make this a one time i have got a strategy, you heard it, i'm not going to talk to you about it again. the on the way to sustain public support for foreign activity like this is to constantly update the american people on what's going on. martha: a mysterious illness sending hundreds of dhoirnt hospital in the midwest. what it could be and why it could go nationwide. >> reporter: a wild fire suddenly growing out of control out of nowhere forcing dozen of

evacuations there. >> we are not sure what the fire behavior is going to do. in an effort to keep everybody safe we may be back there. we are getting them out as quickly as possible. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you can do just that. with our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network and custom communications solutions, your business is more reliable - secure - agile. and with responsive, dedicated support, we help you shine every day of the week.

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bill: joan rivers getting the star-studded farewell she once wrote about herself. those present says it was a fitting tribute and farewell. >> it was so beautifully put together. >> it was everything joan is. it was all the emotions joan

touched in other people and it was a real celebration a woman the likes of which truly we'll never see again. bill: rivers dad died last week after complications from surgery on her vocal chords. martha: a mysterious respiratory illness strike our children. it has sickened hundreds of children in the last few weeks. doctor, what do we know about this virus? >> it has been around since the 1960s. but the centers for disease control think it's been overlooked. it's considered rare but it's probably not rare.

we get 10-15 viruses a year but it's usually a bowel disease. if a kid has asthma they can get very, very sick with this. the cdc thinks that's why we are seeing a lot of hospitalizations. one hospital says 15 per of the kids getting sick are ending up in the hospital. also you may not have immunity to it. if you are seeing it for the first time it may explain why some kid are getting pretty sick. martha: how can some parents identify a common cold from this. >> if you have a kid that's having trouble breathing and they are congest and clogged you have and coughing, but in addition they are having trouble breathing and having a fever, get them to see their doctor right away. it might require hospitalization.

especially be on the lookout for kids with asthma. there is never a treatment for a virus like this except hydration and get the fever down. right now it's spread at schools. the kids in school teaching each other. nobody uses the hand sanitizers. it's important to get sick kids out of the school. and i think it its going to go nationwide. it's a self-limited illness. i think you get sick, you get better. but i think we'll see more of this before we see less of it. bill: president obama coming under fire for postponing action on immigration from both side and for very different reasons. is that a delay or just politics? martha: terrorists rampaging across the middle east taunting the middle east by beheading

americans. now the president is taking heat from a top democrat for his lackluster they say response. >> i believe he should have stood up and strongly said we are not going take it, we are going to come after you and bring you to justice. a mouth breather! how do you sleep like that? you dry up, your cold feels even worse. well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. cold medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip, and pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more so you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do. sleep. add breathe right to your cold medicine. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right.

martha: the white house reportedly preparing a three-year campaign top combat isis, a campaign that could outlast the president's term. now a member of the intel community saying the president should have acted stronger earlier. >> the president should have act had an american's head cut off. not one, but two. i think the president realized he had to be stronger.

the vice president who said we are going to follow you to the gates of hell, that what's we needed to hear. martha: k.t. macfarland is the former secretary of defense under the reagan administration. you say much, much what we heard, we have heard and done some of. >> the president is going talk about the three prongs to his policy. he talked about that before. he will come out and say if you like your healthcare plan you can keep it. turns out you can't. we are arming the kurds well, no we haven't. we are going after isis, no we haven't. al qaeda is finished, no it's not. we know he is bombing in iraq. that's great we should bomb ephesus * convoy that moves. the second part of it, forming the coalition. he talked about forming the coalition for the last year.

will he do it and get get arab boots on the ground? will we get a coalition of syrian forces and support them? what bothers me about everything the president has done and any american leader has done in the last two weeks, what about the homeland? david cameron, the british terrorists. he said we are going to seize passports and go after hate crimes. none of that was talked about in the united states and here we are objectn' object p -- here wn the anniversary of 9/11. martha: david cameron cam out wit --came out with guns blazing

saying they will pull passports of anybody they suspect. we talked about what we are doing at home to form a passport to track down these passports of people we are concerned about. the other thing that's of concern is the larger question that was raised. let's listen to this part. >> i'm willing to do what we need to do. but i don't want to tell isis what we do before we do it. that what's concerns me to say go in and bomb them. we need to get result like we have done in afghanistan and in pakistan. and we have gone in and we took out the leadership in that area. martha: the president says we

have done this and this and we are going to congress to seek approval for more. >> the president says don't do stupid stuff, but sometimes you have to do some stuff. your point about homeland security and the american public. i would like the president to say we have got this covered. we are not going into details but we have it covered. we are confident the people coming into the united states are being looked at, we are confident we are doing the fighting in isis. we have a handle on it. i don't want to know the details, i just want to be reassured. martha: we haven't had any mention of that, of a program. we have got this huge watchlist and i keep wondering about the hundreds of passports. they must have a handle in some way on how many people there are out there and that would lead to you believe they are on some sort of list or one version of their five names is on some sort of list.

>> i think we would have heard something. when you look at the mistakes that happened and the near misses we had, a lot of them happened because the his is too big, they fell through the cracks. whether it's the boston care bomb or under wear bomber. but we lost track because we are looking at even. i think political correctness has take and front seat to american security. let's zero in on the tiny percent and who have behavior patterns who look suspicious and focus like a laser on them. bill: 24 minutes before the hour. a big day in sports. let's begin with the ladies u.s. open final. serena williams winning in straight sets for her third consecutive u.s. open final. she is tied now with krissy

everett for fourth all time. now to the nfl. first big sunday in the books. not the start the patriots are looking for. the dolphins dominating the second half. tom brady and his offense did not score in the second half of that game. from philadelphia, the eagles down 17-0 at halftime. eagles come back. philly comes back to win it 34-17, the final. halftime at tampa bay. no one told the panthers kicker. that looks like a skit. he he i have just got to get one more in here, then he shoved a

trombone player. >> it was a nice surprise yesterday. football season. good gape for the jets yesterday. bill: congratulations. martha martha: a stellar performance with a win. bill: that's when you say congratulations to the cincinnati bengals. martha: way to go. well done! cheering them on to victory. the president announcing he will play this promised action on immigration do the a lot of attention over the weekend. that's going to happen he set after the mid-term elections. republican leader say that moifs all politics. bill: this wildfire near a popular national park exploding. firefighters lifting people in helicopters to safety. >> it was pretty scary.

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martha: another royal baby apparently on the way. prince william and the duchess of cambridge are expecting baby number 2. word is she has not reached the

12-week date yet. but the news came out because she is experiencing the morning sickness she did the first time. and she is being treated in the kensington hospital. the pregnancy is similar with the same sex. good news. bill: 17 minutes before the hour. tough criticism for president obama after his decision to delay any action on immigration reform until after the election. some saying it's all about protecting vulnerable senate democrats up for reelection 57 days from today. good morning, and welcome here.

john boehner says the decision to simply delay this deeply controversial and possibly unconstitutional unilateral action until after the election instead of aban dong the idea all together smacks of -- instead of abandoning the idea all together smacks of raw politics. >> he's just waiting for action until after the election so voters can't punish democrats. he used to have the issue on his side until this summer when the photos surfaces of unaccompanied children flowing over our border debunking the myth that the border is secure. people don't like the fact that he wants to go at this alone. republicans are willing to work with him on immigration reform

and he has broken a promise to his base. bill: in a word you expect him to act. >> this is not over. afterward he will do the same thing. bill: marianne where are you on this? >> it's politics when the democrats and republicans pass immigration we form and senate republicans vote against it. and when the majority leader and senator mcconnell come out and criticize him for doing nothing, then criticize him for doing something. he wants to do it with congress. they won't do anything. they wanted, come back and do it now. because they know they will be punished by the tea party if they do. bill: as a democrat are you okay

with the president taking unilateral action on something that affects tens of millions of people? >> i am when i have and republican congress who will do nothing. it's better to wait a few weeks and hold on to senate because the democrats are the only ones doing anything on immigration reform. >> the's not forget that -- let's not get president obama had a majority. and he could have gotten immigration reform done when he had a majority. democrats had a chance to push this through years ago and didn't do so. saying it's okay to push thing through unilaterally, the american people disagree and i.c.e. agents and border agents disagree as well. >> katie. why the republicans and congress

to come back. >> they are back today. >> are they doing immigration reform? no. they can't even name a post office. democrats aren't going to walk into that trap. bill: 57 days before the mid-terms. all the actions in the senate, everybody knows that. republicans need six seats. democratic senators kay hagan of north carolina and mark pryor of arkansas said obama should not act on his lone. now democrats up for reelection. why knowjanine shah sheen.janinn

... >> 57% of americans according to a poll in july blame the president for the crisis. presidential action they see cows more problems than it solves. democrats don't want that attached to them. does that's excuse the politics of this and the president breaking his promise? no. he's only waiting to go around congress and voters at the polls won't punish democrats for his executive action which he's still willing to do. bill: do you think the delay in this action save the senate or democrats or is it still not clear? >> i think it helps democrats in states in a mid-term where the president is not at the top of the ticket because it's always easy to get voters out to be

against something. mark you today in colorado wants something done. other democrats in other states have the opportunity to say he's not doing it now, let me get back there and work on it with him. the important thing is the president will act without republicans and the republicans will be punished for it in 2016 especially. bill: to shower viewers at home what do you think the president will do on immigration. you can send us your thoughts on twitter @billhemmer or martha maccallum. martha: a shocking survey that shows why the u.s. may be on decline. bill: is this man jact ripper?

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bill: is the mystery of jack the ripper finally solved. dna evidence says the hairdresser shown here was jact ripper. the private testing was done on a shawl believed to belong to one of the victims. but scientists say the shawl has been in the hand of hundreds of people. martha: he was a hairdresser? bill: serious chops on those side burns.

martha: intense situation unfolding in yosemite national park. hikers had to be evacuated when the fire got out of control. >> during fire season 75 fires burging throughout the u.s. are not uncommon. most you don't hear about because they are in remote areas and they are allowed to burn. but a back-country fire sparked by lightning suddenly took off when the wind changed conditions and literally exploded across the merced river, the yosemite valley and prompted the evacuation of half dome, the famous got inrock attracting

rock climbers from across the world. >> it was pretty scary. >> reporter: the fire burned 700 acres. >> martha: where are we in terms of the fire season as a whole. >> reporter: the fire season has been remarkably tame. less than 7 million acres have burned so far. the fire potential remains high. typically the worst time of the year in california. so large fires that cost about a million dollars a day, states are happy because they can replenish those funds. l.a. has two super scoopers we

are leasing from canada. but a majority of wildfires are caused by lightning so we can thank mother nature and a quick response for keeping the fires in check. taking the long road in the fight against isis with the president. what is the president's plan to destroy the terrorist organization. we are live at the white house for brand-new details breaking this morning. martha: congress getting back to work but not for too long. what they might get done before it's time for their next break. well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be... one-seventy-five a month. good calculating kyle. good job kyle. you just made partner.

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martha: a brand-new phase in the war on terror. president obama says the united states will go on the offensive vowing to degrade, defeat and destroy isis. a campaign that's expected to go

on for three years to achieve those goals. bill: the president now meeting with his senior advisers in the oval office. tomorrow and meeting with congressional leaders. the first step of the campaign, airstrikes already underway. 150 at last count. many suggest the last two phases could get hairy. martha: the president seems to struggle to put together a strategy. what can we expect to hear from him wednesday? >> he has been struggling on this and that's a big reason why they are going have this piece. i'm told we can expect the president to meet privately with his national security team a couple times between now and wednesday as they finalize this speech. phase one being that air campaign over 140 u.s. airstrikes. at least in iraq, not syria, at

least not yet. second phase which is standing up the iraqi government and making sure the u.s. doesn't become the air force for the iraqi government and not sending u.s. ground troops. building up the iraqi military so they do some of the heavy lifting. the third and final phase will be the hardest, weighing how much and when to go into syria. is it an air campaign? do you bring allies in to do that? general martin dempsey said weeks ago you are not going to defeat isis unless you go into syria and root out this cancer. this phase all along has been about syria and not iraq. the administration officials are saying in a speech wednesday we can expect the president to lay out a time line of this taking up to three years to defeat isis

meaning he would be handing this off to the next democratic or republican president. saying this could take up to 3 years. number one, admiral kirby said this won't take years and years. there tend to be a disconnect within the administration. the details of the strategy and the second peace on msnbc. janet napolitano said isis had been on the radar screen for some time. she left the administration in the fall of 2013. if this strategy is just being pulled together he's bound to face for criticism why this strategy wasn't pulled together. bill: the u.s. launching airstrikes near the haditha dam.

this last as troops rise above 1,000 for the first time in three years. jennifer, good morning to you. how did u.s. military involvement in iraq shift over the weekend. >> reporter: the pentagon deny its mission and says the airstrike around the haditha dam expand the airstrike to a location. the airstrike started as a way to help the yazidis on mount sinjar, then they were to help the peshmerga retake the town of amerli. the airstrikes around the haditha dam, the u.s. is flying air support for the iraqi military which does not have a functioning air force. >> it am new strike around the haditha dam but it isn't anything didn't from what the

president said in his guidance to the military and what our trammers are, protect the interests of americans and the infrastructure that would protect americans. '. >> the number of u.s. personnel has risen to 1,000. secretary of state john kerry raised eyebrows when he suggested the 350 troops approved last week, they were in fact military advisers. that's not what necessity were officially requested to do. bill: there is an election next week in iraq. how much significant is the meeting today in baghdad? >> it's where the prime minister designate al-abadi has to form a new government. without a government it's

difficult to know who the u.s. airstrikes are helping. am abadi was the come -- al-abadi was the compromise. all bets are off if he can't form a government. bill: 5 minutes past the hour. martha has more. martha: brit hume, fox news senior analyst. good to have you with us. the president seems to be getting ready to announce this strategy to the country. it feels in many ways weeks later what what some would have expected it would come. >> better late than never i would say. the worry i think that people have a reason to have is that the president seems to choose his goal based on the tools. hard in, he picks his tools then decide on the job rather than picking the tools to fit the job. so if his goal is the

destruction eventually of isis, well, you know, then you get into the question of the things he left off the table. you are not going to have american forces off the ground. there is no bombing campaign outside of iraq. he need a coliption of some size, he hasn't really described that. all these things are restrictions on the method at his disposal to accomplish this bowl. we'll see what he -- accomplish this goal. we'll see what he's willing to do. i don't think there is any doubt the president didn't want to do any of this. he didn't want air forces in iraq. but now circumstances are become such that he had to do it because the politics of the issue have changed.

martha: sometimes you don't get to choose what comes before you in the office of the presidency. what about the timing? this speech that could have happened today, it could have happened wednesday, the day before we look back at september 11. and also the fact it's going to be outlined to last three years which goes past the end much his presidency. >> when you go about it with limited rather than allout approach, it's likely to take longer. i don't think isis is 10 feet tall. i think they are brutal and murderous. i think they are a more organized force than most terrorist operations have been. but i think out in that desert country they are vulnerable to air and i question i have is let's say -- the question i have is -- the president says we are

not going to send troops in there. what if it turns out the ground troops are needed. what then? you know, i think that might be something that the president would prefer to have happen after he's gone. martha: what about the timing wa significant week for americans. >> you always worry something is going to pull something off on the 9/11 anniversary as we have seen. if you are going to mount an operation, a large operation against a terrorist operation you would rather announce it rather than have it be in retook something that happens on 9/11. the other thing is, he's got democrats left and left bailing on him on this issue. vulnerable democrats in trouble, even, you know mccain, hagan in

north carolina, elizabeth warren who is not up for reelection, elizabeth warren who is about as lefty as you can get in the u.s. senate is talking about the need to destroy isis. the pressure the reactions of those people is a factor in this timing as well. martha: everybody from dianne feinstein to elizabeth warren. bill: you can put al franken in that group as well. ed henry was reporting it won't be a prime time address. it will happen sometime in the afternoon from washington, d.c. former member of the obama cabinet said they knew all about the isis threat. really? then why haven't we put together a plan. martha: a new study to show why workers will keep struggling and

america's wealth gap will continue to grow. bill: what mitt romney is now saying about a possible run in 2016. >> there is in question in my mind that i think i would have been a better president than obama has been. no question in my mind about that. óqoqúúñ@

bill: that's the former

presidents bill clinton and george w. bush announce can the launch of the presidential leadership scholars program. it will be a group who will study presidential leadership. school stuff. -- cool stuff. martha: -- >> when an american is murder on television for the purpose of terrorizing americans. there should be a response that you would not analyze in terms after normal response to provocation. something has to crystallize out of this violence and it won't happen without our leadership. we cannot do it all by ourselves. but we can make clear that's

certain tactics will be strongly resisted. martha: pete hokstra served in afghanistan. what's your reaction to what henry kissinger said? >> he's realist. he understands how nations need to respond to particular threats. president obama ran as a quasi realist. but he's governed on peace and understanding and collaboration which is good, but it's evening he orients around. kissinger is saying we need a dose of realism. when we get smacked like that's

and the president is called out by name. there is a part of henry kiss even ever who will always be sergeant kissinger who earned a bronze star in world war ii for tracking down the guess tap oh. down -- track down the gestapo. the kind of the signals the world needs to be done, that what's we should have already done. martha: it's response that can only come from a presidential decision in that moment top respond and that's what mr. kissinger was saying. >> the fundamental public statements have ema sighted more what we should not do than what we can achieve. and they have implied at a

withdrawal of airma today from certain -- a withdrawal of america from certain regions is beneficial to these regions. martha: he's say we pulled out of these areas and he believes america needs to play a role in the stability of the middle east. >> this is a guy who has been there. he understands all the dynamics. what he's saying is the lack of american leadership creates these kind of vacuums. the's making a fundamentally dinlt case than the president. the president has said american presence breeds extremism. the opposite is true. when america leads like what we could have had in iraq, the dynamic changes. things are better and the free world is more secure. our enemies are less likely to thumb their nose at us which is

our seeing with isis. the centrality of that, henry kissinger understands that. the president doesn't quite get it yet. we'll see if with this coalition he's building if he's willing to lead from the front instead of behind. martha: in terms of military force, what do you think is needed. weep hear about how broad a reach this group has, what they are capable of. what do you think the best way is to take them out? >> again, henry kissinger said what we shouldn't do first is say what we are not going to do. we lead with we are not going to put boots on the ground. myself and every un* else i -- e else in the country doesn't want to put boots on the ground. but what kind of airstrikes. you want strategic bombing or

close air support. you will knead need special operators out there gathering intelligence and that's something you can't do behind the geachts you --the gates of . it will take a long time. martha: if we did a shock and awe type of campaign. if we did something that was faster and harder and stronger as opposed to the three-year drownout situation that we appear to be looking out, what is more effective? >> you are talking about libya. we hit it hard, qaddafi is gone and it's descended into chaos. just hitting hard doesn't mean you will have a better outcome. it depend on the commitment and depth of strategy and the extent to which our warp fighters will

be taken off the leash in working with our iraqi and kurdish counter parts. it depend on leadership. we need a strategy and a path who will back them up. that will determine whether we are successful in this conflict. martha: big decisions are about to be made. pete, thank you so much. bill: shocking video. the running-back ray rice punching his fiance, dragging her out of an all rater unconscious. the building is blown to pieces. we are going to show what sparked that fearful explosion. >> the building explode. everybody screaming. trying to figure out what to do.

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bill: that's cool. the revolution continues. martha: watch "america's newsroom." bill: you sure can. and we encourage you too. thank you for watching already. now you can watch it everywhere. >> watch it while waiting for the dentist appointment or anything like that. we're going everywhere with you. good stuff. looking forward to it. goo to phoenix where we have brand new video where heavy rain brought massive flooding to main highways and roads. flash flooding warnings are in effect. several freeways are closed. look what they're dealing with in phoenix.

oh, boy. initial reports show 5,000 customers without power. commuters were forced to abandon their cars. one commuter describe what is it was like. >> come down after first bit of water on the road. look around the officer was on the bank waving us through, i kept on going slowly and caught by a wave and moved over this way. had to wait about 20 minutes for the pressure and water build up in my car to open up the door to get out of there. >> really scary situation. look at that road and look at that flooding. we'll keep you posted to all developments into the phoenix area as we get more throughout the morning. bill: deepwater. stark warning about the future of the u.s. economy. bad schools and outdated tax code, and a broken political system will eventually will be our nation's undoing. stuart varney host of "varney & company," the fox business network. how are you, sir? >> well, sir. bill: you did not go to harvard

but the study came out of harvard. first line in the "wall street journal," can the u.s. compete internationally. if companies can, its workers can not. what did they find here? >> harvard answered two of the questions which are always asked of financial people. question number one is, why is the stock market at all-time highs when the economy is performing not very well at all? here's the answer to that one. businesses in america are very well-managed. the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well and th system works very efficiently. that is why the stock market is up there. second question, why is the economy in such doldrums? and you just answered the question. k through 12 education not turning out workers who have the skills to take the jobs on offer. the business tax policy is a total mess, keeping $2 trillion outside of america. and number three, there is a broken political system so you can't fix the tax mess. bill: this is not good.

>> no it is not. it gets worse. 41% of those people surveyed, these were business school graduates, actually out there working, 41% expect wages and benefits to go down. bill: on that point, the stagnation of living standards it says of the average american is canary in the coal mine. >> yep. bill: companies will not survive in the long run if their communities are stagnant. that is a reflection on the american worker. >> that's a reflection on the state of the economy today. the middle class shrinking, getting worse off. and the, but businesses making a great deal of money. so a lot of people feel cheated. businesses are making trillions of dollars in profit and yet wages are stagnant. harvard answers the question, why is that so? and points to rather dismal future. bill: i mentioned three things. put them on the screen for viewers. one is schools lack of competition there. >> yep. bill: the poor tax code. you're a businessman, let me come back to that.

and the broken political system we've watched for several years. on the tax code, if you just did that, would change a lot of these factors now being discussed as being very negative? >> 2 would be a great help. at the moment america has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, bar none. 35% at federal level plus state level as well. so the money made overseas doesn't come back here. profits of american corporations stay over there. they doesn't come back here to help us. you lower that tax rate, by all means get rid of a bunch loopholes as well, but you lower that rate, bring some of that money back and you've got yourself a little more growth for the american people. bill: we'll talk about the midterms 57 days away in a moment with joe trippi and ed rollins. do you expect after midterms to get any tax policy changed under this administration yes or no? >> it looks like will be policy of republicans if they take the senate to push for real tax reform and it will get through the house and senate if they

propose it. will the president veto it? that is the question. bill: see you at 11:00 on fox business network. >> that is correct, bill. bill: thank you very much. >> fight for control of the senate playing out on the campaign trail very rapidly these days. right now republicans have a slight edge, nearly two months before the midterms. a look at key races in this battle to shift the balance of power on capitol hill. bill: also check it out. we're flying high above manhattan. air force like no other. look at that, huh? that's an afternoon, isn't it? that what varney was doing every at weekend, martha, yeah, he was. >> there he is. ♪

martha: time to get back to work today, and they have a lot to do and not a whole lot of time to get work done. they will adjourn by end of

september to adjourn for campaign. keeping government open past october 1st, here we go again when funding for government agencies will run out. chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel joins us live on the hill. so, mike, they have a lot of homework to do before they get to go back home. >> reporter: that's right, martha. they will not be very long. house is expected to be here 12 days. senate likely to be here 15 days. a critical item of business figuring out funding government from end of this month until early december or so, avoiding any shutdown drama management they can worry about funding government for rest of fiscal year during lame-duck session of congress. tomorrow the big four leaders of congress will be at the white house for a meeting on the danger from isis, also the ukraine and the recent nato summit. key national security lawmakers are already buzzing about what to do about the isis danger. >> the president has gone on the offensive. he is off the defensive and on the offensive and america will

now be able to exert its power and strength. and this is what's needed. >> the mixed messages coming out of the white house has been very confusing and i think dangerous to american lives. i don't still know what the clearly-defined strategy is. >> reporter: so the president will make his case to the top four leaders in congress tomorrow. then he will address the nation on wednesday. you can expect plenty of reaction here on keep toll hill after he makes his case, martha. martha: mike, thank you very much. mike emanuel. bill: one eye on that and one eye on this, 57 days away to the midterms and all the action is in congress as you know and all that action is on the senate side. republicans need a pickup of six if they want the majority. here is where we are today. democrats 53, independents two, but you have two independents who caucus with democrats who it is 55-45. simple majority is at 51. if i change the map, look at

everything in yellow. all these races, very, very familiar with the races in these states as we go through the next two months. with me now is ed rollins, former campaign manager for the reagan-bush team in '84 and joe trippi, former howard dean many campaign manager, both fox news contributors. welcome to you. i have a lot to rattle through with you. cbs battleground tracker says, if elections held today, republicans would get 51 seats, democrats get 49? >> i see it that way but may be bigger than that. there was great voter intensity. a great poll done by washington university, battleground poll, bipartisan poll, intensity level is actually% greater among republicans likely to vote and more dramatic, 16% intensity vote in battleground states. my sense, everything is going our way. voter turnout beating incumbents which is never easy but i feel good.

bill: you think the numbers translate then? >> i think they do. >> joe, what do you think? >> i've been saying from the beginning republicans were on their way to win four to 10 seats and, when i look at the new polling come out, you've got to adjust those numbers, from more to like 5 to eight. i would agree, that, with the 51 right now, that six is right there in the middle of my own projections. so i would have to agree with cbs right now with that data, that republicans have, have tighten ad lot of these races, got in the lead in a lot of those races. i see eight being top today. it could grow if there is a big wave but that doesn't look like it is materializing. >> i will take eight right now, joe, thank you. bill: give him that, joe? >> we'll take it. >> look, some of these races are so close that it could end up being five. i would not be surprised by republicans just missing it. but that is a big difference. in the last few weeks they have

pulled in the lead in louisiana, arkansas, and now looks like even alaska, they may have opened up a little bit of a lead on begich. bill: let me show the viewers. here is the map yet again. these are races outlined in yellow that we're watching, okay? as you get to know these dates, keep this in mind, okay? of the races right now, that are most likely to go republican, that is montana, south dakota, and west virginia, all right? now you've got toss-ups which there are about nine give or take. north carolina, arkansas, louisiana, iowa, kentucky, colorado, georgia, michigan and, as you just mentioned, joe, alaska. ed, to you now. these are state races, okay? they can reflect the national trends certainly but these are state races. how much, at the state level now, can change with 57 days left? >> a lot can change especially with incumbents. but here is the bottom line. these incumbents were elected in

the first obama election which was a radical change election, great voter turnout, what have you. each and everyone of the states competitive are states republicans can win. it is about who turns out. 50 million fewer voters turn out in the off year. my sense we're going to do very well because of that. equally as important, just like in 2010, the speaker became speaker pelosi became a target across the country and had impact way beyond her san francisco district. my sense obama will fit that same role. his failing, failing numbers and failing leadership is become a drag on these tickets and i think that is what is making -- bill: joe, do you agree with that? 57 days away, anything can happen. look across the map, all over the world. there are some big issues up there. do you agree with ed, that nothing significant could knock off the current trend? >> no. i mean, it would probably have to be something significant but

look, here's what would worry, what worries me as a democrat. ed's right. obama will be a drag in all of these at the state level. but the critical thing here when you look at the new polling is how many of these democratic incumbents, if you're under 50, that is always a problem if you're a democratic incumbent, any incumbent. but, none of these people are at 47 and close. some of them dropped to 42, 41, 43. the low 40s. that is very difficult place to come out from under and that is happening in louisiana, it is happening in arkansas and it is happening now in alaska. you add those to the three states you mentioned, bill, looks like the republicans are on their way. but that can change. it is difficult to beat an incumbent. the democrats are going to fight but right now, it is, like i said, i moved from four, up to five, maybe six. i do see potential of eight. bill: you're right on the margins there? >> it is on the bubble.

bill: quickly to both of you, i need a quick answer. ed, you touched on this, is this a vote against the president's policies or not? >> no question about it. more lack of leadership. more lack of leadership. bill: joe, do you agree? >> it is a vote disappointment where the country is. you look at wrong track number, no matter who is president of the united states, no matter what party they're in, second term, midterm, is always tough place for incumbent party with the presidency. that will play out this year. bill: look forward to seeing guys. evidence rollins, joe trippi, thanks to you as well. martha: this is disturbing story this morning. we're getting first look at video of football star ray rice punching his then fiance. "tmz" released the surveillance video. children are standing in the elevator. inside of the elevate are to. the baltimore ravens slugs his wife. knocks her face into the

elevator railing, there is only one way to perceive what is going on inside of that elevator it would appear, we've seen that aftermath, we saw from the other camera angle. all we saw before when he pulled her out of there, dragged her out of the elevator. got a two-game suspension of that. widespread that criticism was too lenient. nfl increased penalties for domestic violence. they have to be looking at this video, saying they have information what happened here that they simply didn't have. she walks into that elevator, up right, like she is absolutely fine. bill: might be precisely right about that. as whether or not more punishment is coming. either way, that is really difficult to watch. martha: it is, absolutely. they have since married. it has to be difficult situation for her as well. bill: we'll see what happens. martha: keep an eye on that one. bill: mitt romney says, republicans have to look elsewhere for the next nominee.

listen. >> i have spoken on this topic so many times. i don't really have anything new to add, chris. i'm not running. and i'm not planning on running. bill: so what do actions and comments lead to some belief he might be bluffing. martha: we'll talk about that. chew on this, folks. $100 for seven weeks of unlimited pasta. that is what one popular restaurant chain is planning to offer. there is a little bit of a catch to this deal. imagine how much pasta you could eat for $100 over the course of seven weeks. penne ♪ [ hoof beats ] i wish... please, please, please, please, please. [ male announcer ] the wish we wish above all...is health. so we quit selling cigarettes in our cvs pharmacies. expanded minuteclinic, for walk-in medical care.

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martha: all right, we're back. former presidential nominee mitt romney keeps insisting he willed not run for the white house in 2016.

watch what he had to say to our own chris wallace when he asked him about the obama presidency. >> there is no question in my mind that i would have been a better president than barack obama, has been, no question in my mind about that. there are other good people who i am sure will be able to lead the country in the future. i wish it were me. it was a great experience running for president. i loved that, but my time has come. come and gone. i had that opportunity. i ran. i didn't win. and now it is team for someone else to pick up the baton. >> jonah goldberg, editor-at-large of "national review on-line.." marjorie clifton, former consultant to the obama campaign and principal of clifton consulting. let me start with you. do you believe mitt romney. >> i basically i do. i think to the extent that he, holding out hope that he can be president of the united states one day as i think he may in back of his mind can do some sort of fronts porch campaign

like william mckinley or garfield, one of those 19th century presidents we all cherish so closely. the problem is that kind of thing simply doesn't work. i think most of this boom about mitt romney these days has so much more to do with buyers remorse about barack obama and dissatisfaction with barack obama than it has to do with anything like a real pro-romney surge out there. martha: perhaps, perhaps. and it should be said that chris wallace asked him several times this question, he said, no, no, no and when he got to the point he said i no doubt would make a better president than barack obama, that was very last attempt to get him to comment on it. but then he said this as well. >> do you think you would make a the before president than hillary clinton? >> no question about that in my mind. the american people may disagree with me. look, you've got to get this economy going. you have to have people who understand what it takes to create jobs and to help people come out of poverty, to help the middle class have a better and more prosperous future.

you have got to have that understanding. you have to people who actually have run something. martha: marjorie, he also wrote a "new york times" editorial. if he is trying to stay out of the focus and not be asked these questions, it doesn't look that way. >> yeah, look this is testing the waters time. just as much as hillary clinton said, oh, i'm not going to run, mitt romney flirting with, i'm not going to run, if you think i should run, maybe i should run. als challenge, will my hair hold up in this race. all seriousness you look at republican landscape right now, he may be the kind of candidate they need. i think sort of again, testing the waters. what would it look like if i did run. how is he polling in different states. we'll see when time comes. martha: when you look at the potential, as you have said, jonah, you said more there is belief of serious contenders this time. it is a different landscape for him. >> that's right. last time around the field was very weak. it was simply put, very bad. and mitt romney was the least

worst of the candidates out there. i don't think that will be the same situation this time around and i don't think that people like rand paul or ted cruz or scott walker are simply going to get out of mitt romney's way after mitt romney had his shot. i do think that mitt romney, feels like he deserves a little personal vindication. he likes hearing that people regret reelecting barack obama. he likes it. what person doesn't like being told by a consultant, the country needs you? martha: absolutely, absolutely. so we'll see. we'll see what he ends up deciding to do. and it is getting pretty interesting. as i say he not trying to stay out of the limelight at the moment. a lot of people are wondering -- go ahead, marjorie, real quick. >> he could be making a play like bill clinton did. you're in position where you can speak for the party in a way you couldn't as a can day. he hasn't said anything so outlandish that it rules him out from running. it gives him opportunity to

speak for the party. martha: hillary swore up and down, she was done, done, with all of this looks like anything but. thanks so much. see you next guys. bill: jon scott is coming up. "happening now" rollings your way in ten minutes. happy monday morning. >> it is monday. good morning to you, bill. finally there is a strategy. president obama gearing up for a speech to the nation outlining plans to defeat isis terrorists. will americans be satisfied what he has to say? mysterious disappearance of young texas woman last seen entering a parking garage but not coming out. the desperate search to find her. dangerous spreading like wildfire. it is not ebola. what is causing severe respiratory problems for hundreds of children in the midwest and how can we stop it. that is ahead on "happening now." bill: see you at the top of the hour. >> thanks, bill. bill: they were hundreds away on 9/11 but the deadly attack struck deep.

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bill: as we approach 13 years since the terror attacks of 9/11, a small town vowing to never forget. that is east lake, ohio, right near cleveland. rick leventhal is there live where there is connection between this ohio town and ground zero. rick? >> reporter: bill, the only direct link is really the "stars and stripes." 9/11 was life altering experience for all america concluding east lake, 500 miles from new york city. but the town felt it was very important to build this memorial to remember 9/11 and honor the 3,000 people who lost their lives. every year, on the sunday before

9/11, east lake hold as ceremony with small park behind city hall and remarks from the mayor, fire chiefs, song and prayer, a rifle salute and "taps" to honor the memory of the fallen. >> i think 9/11 affected eastlake like everywhere else. i remember the day of the tragedy where it was. i tried to contact my daughter. none of the cell phones were working. everyone that day, like the day stood still. >> reporter: the mayor says that it brought small cities together and the nation together and it is one reason you see so many flags flying here in eastlake, bill. bill: they hold a ceremony every year. hundreds of communities do. that is that what you found out, rick? >> reporter: compelling reminder how 9/11 reflects from everyone. whether you knew someone in the towers or where the planes crash. port authority of new york and new jersey which owns and

manages the 16-acre world trade center site. there are 1400 memorials across the u.s. that have artifact or piece of metal from the fallen towers. we talked to the eastlake police chief why this tribute and ceremony is so important. >> if we don't do something and other communities all over the country aren't part of the remembering, then it is, that is how history repeats itself, is that we don't allow ourselves to keep in mind what happened in the past and to continue to guard against it. >> reporter: the chief says he and his fellow first-responders want to be the tip of the spear. they know they may have to rush toward danger every day they go to work like police and fire did. bill: thursday is the day again, 13 years. eastlake, ohio, martha. martha: all these years later we're learning more about the president's strategy against isis. there may be one option that is

still not. a new catalytic converter when all you got is a loose gas cap. what? it is that simple sometimes. thanks. now let's take this puppy over to midas and get you some of the good 'ol midas touch. hey you know what? i'll drive! and i have no feet... i really didn't think this through. trust the midas touch. for brakes, tires, oil, everything. (whistling)

martha: there is the shot of the day, bull, the red bull air force flying with winged suits, gliding past the hudson river past the freedom tower at the world trade center. that is pretty amazing. bill: stunning stuff. we have to run. see you tomorrow. martha: have a great tomorrow, everybody. jon: president obama we are told now has a strategy to confront isis terrorists. he will unveil it in an address to the nation this week after briefing congressional leaders. good monday morning to you. i'm jon scott. >> i'm shannon bream, glad to be sitting with you today. jon: glad to have you, shannon. >> in for jenna lee. after mixed messages calling isis a jv team and saying there was no strategy, new reports saying that mr. obama's plan could outlast his presidency and eventually see us air strikes hitting targets in syria but