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in the middle of life. you can call on our expertise and get guarantees for r e if in life. after all, we're metlife. its auto insurance customers for over 70 years.e to more information on auto insurance at geico.com or 1-800-947-auto any time of the day or night. brought to you by siemens. answering the toughest questions in industry and healthcare. issue 1. revolt on the nile. the eruption in eresident is condition continue -- eruption is continuing in egypt. thousands protest. egyptian president hosey mu -- hosni mubarak is being called to step down.

international atomic energy agency, flew to his native cairlead the protest. he is calling for mubarric oac -- mubarak to resign. >> i've said a number of times president obama, on casion being. >> president obama thursday, stepped into the debate about egypt. >> president mubarak has been very helpful on a range of tough issues in the middle east. but i've always said to him that making sure that they are moving forward on reform, absoluly critical economic to the long-term well-being of egypt. >> barra day is now under house arrest. what set the stage for egypt's protest. >> they've got a virtual dictatorship there. young people. and enormous numbers of them don't have job opportunity, there's food problems. what set it off was the

tunisian revolt. dictator for 22 years was dumped off by street mobs and left. this thing has metastasized the it's going to end in one of two ways, i think. mubarak's era is over. either he plies out of there -- flies out of there or gets out of there the end of this year. his son will not be president. or, as of friday, they were not only rioting but burning political institutions. and surely, they've got a lot of hard-line guys in there that are doing rough things. i think to provoke a tienmen square. >> what sets the stage is first of all, decades of economic stagnation and political repression. but the more immediate spark, really, were the protests in tunisia, which toppled the

government. and you have the same kind of critical math of young, mostly unemployed men, although there are women in this as well. people who are educated without jobs. this does not look like the angry muslim brotherhood radicals as well. this looks like a wide swath of the populaon, who are simply fed up. and i think it's really risky to predict how this is going to unfold. i would like to think that mubarak will stop and not use brutal force against his people. although some have been killed already. and i think the white house, the administration is trying to talk to him and convince him to pledge to do some reforms s and sort of let off some steam. we may be past the point where that's possible. i think it's time for mubarak to go. and it's also time for the u.s. to more closely align its foreign policy with the ideals that we supposedly stand for. >> do you speak to the

relationship between egypt and israel? >> they signed a peace treaty in the late 1970s. and that peace treaty is still in effect. >> what did it convey? >> it conveyed a laying down of arms between israel and egypt. look. these protests are already -- even though we seem to be in the early stages of this, they've already gone through a number of different phases. this really did start out as a spontaneous, pro-democracy, pro equalization movement, prohuman rights movement in tunisia. but you're seeing now is very murky. because islamist groups, like the muslim breathhood have seen -- brotherhood have seen an opportunity to get into the chaos and ride this thing to power, to control. there's also a theory that perhaps the army in egypt, which is perhaps the critical entity in egypt, tually disagrees with mubarak's son,

gamal. and there is a theory that the army has been instigating it. so they can control it and install somebody who is more palatable to the army. but the fact of movement across the middle east, not just in tunisia and egypt. but you've got in jordan, in leb now, -- lebanon now, this incredible movement that began nearly two years ago in iran. this is actually a true movement of president bush's am freedom. >> what do you think of the implication of what she's saying? that this is going to insight nations over -- incite nations over there to do likewise? >> i think she is absolutely correct. we have been talking about the need for reform and democracy in egypt and the middle east for many, many years. they have great activist sides. and no matter what happens, what we know is that egypt, and i would predict the entire middle east is changed forever.

we've seen it happen in tunisia. things are happening in yemen, lebanon. all throughout the midd east. and i think we're going to see it one country after another. you can only repress a nation for so long before the people stand up and say, we will not take this any longer. 30 year. >> office? >> tunisia so far and now, gypt. >> -- egypt. >> you have yemen also. >> tell me about yemen. >> yemen, he has been in power for 20 years. he's a dictator. but he is an ally in the war on terror. >> do we have troops in yemen? >> special troops in and out of the. >> what about across the water. >> somalia? you got them too. but what about hezbollah? anybody who thinks this is going to be a democratic revolution, doesn't understand the forces there. there are too many in egypt. the army has the hard power and the muslim brother has the soft power. muslim brotherhood won 60% of

the contested seats. >> where is the sixth fleet? >> in the mediterranean where it has always been. >> where is jabutte -- jabuttei. >> where is it in realization to -- relation to yemen? >> across the city sea. >> how many american troops are in there now? >> i think there's a thousand. >> me, too. >> mubarak has kept this country frof political ideology there. ive that the only alternative to his repression is what pat is talking about, the muslim brotherhood. albaraday is saying there is a whole rainbow of political ideology there. and the muslim brotherhood is late to this protest. so i don't think that we can assume that the regime we don't want. >> what is the best thing that could happen -- >> but we don't have any control over that. >> what is the best thing that could happen now to the united states with regards to egypt?

right now? >> for albarraday to take control and everybody fight it out. and let the radicals have a peaceful transition. >> a peaceful transition? to whom? albaraday. >> albara dlataday. >> >> let me get this straight now. elbaradei didn't find the weapons of mass destruction that he found in iraq. >> if you hold elections, the last time they held them, the most powerful and organized forces, look look at what is happening to turkey. it is moving toward islamism. >> okay. we've gotta get out. >> i know -- >> exit question. >> finish your point. okay. she didn't finish her point. i'll continue. on a political scale. 0 to 10.

what's the likelihood that mohammed albeara day -- elbaradei will be the president of eegypt? >> egypt. >> elections are in 2012. >> what's the probability? >> he will not be named president. he will be namedda interim if -- named interim president if mubarak goes. >> he rigged his last election. if they have a new one, he will not win. >> you mean he's a crook? >> i think his long-time survival is between 1 and 2. >> elbaradei as president of egypt is in the united states' best interest right now. >> given the choices that i'm familiar with. >> i'm -- >> i think i agree we would like to see that happen. but i don't think it's going to be. elbara day is -- albarra day is a week structure. >> what makes you think he's

weak? >> he's an older, weak character who has left the last couple of years in vienna, for pete's sake. so he doesn't have the fight in him. listen to me, john. >> vienna? >> not leadership in cairo. what has been so different about these protests is, whenever we've seen mass protests in the middle in the past, they've always been drink by the islamists, screaming death to america, or death to israel. [ simultaneous speakers ] >> vienna? what do you think of that? ? vienna is a lovely place. >> whart odd -- what are the odds he's going to take? >> elbaradei? i don't think he is going to. they're well organized -- [ simultaneous speakers ] >> there has been a massive, pro-democratic human rights movement going on in egypt for many, may many, many years. >> you don't want to give me a number? probability that he'll

forward together. we will move forward together. or not at all. for the challenges we and bigger than politics. >> question. what impressed you most about the state. union address? eleanor? >> that he managed to lay out a road map for how we can get back our competitive spirit in this country. and he did it in an optimistic way. everybody has been invoking president reagan. and i think the contrast between his sort of "yes we can" attitude and the republican response, which was all about going the way of greece and how we're in decline, i think the president laid out his argument for combatting the republican narrative that he doesn't believe in american exceptionalism. this was a speech where he really extolled america and basically tried to tell the

private sector to come in and get us revved up again and create jobs that the government can't do. it was a threading of the needle between investing. >> there is the disconnect between his morning in america rhetoric. and the reality that the country is headed for a fiscal and financial crisis. we found out later in the week, we've got a $1.5 trillion deficit. you have all of these problems there. and he's talking about investments. he's talking about another world, john. >> here's what struck me about the state of the union, if anybody were still wondering who or what obama was going to be after the shellacking he and his party took in november, i think he erased all, because he made it clear he is still about the big government, big spending. he announced $20 billion in new

spending which he ufemistically called investments. the next morning, they came out and said that fiscal year 2011 is going to be a $1.5 trillion deficit. >> pollingafter the state of the ion shows that government expenditures put forward by president was rejected by the consensus of the public, with the exception of one, education. >> if we want to win the future, if we want to have innovation, we also have to win the race to win our kids. >> education was a key theme of the president state of the union address. the president wants to overhaul the nation's education system. he highlighted five points in his plan. item, race to the top. teachers compete for almost $5 biion in funds improve student test scores and teacher performance. item, recruit 1,000 new

teachers to replace retiring baby boomers. allocate more money for federal loans. make term nent the -- permanent the tuition tax credit. item, new skill to retraining old workers. e want to reward good tive teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. >> question, what's your take on government outlay on education? >> i congratulate the president for making education such an important start of the state of the union address this year. this week just also happened to be national school choice week. and it is a week where you have people on the right, you have people on the left, people in the center. we're working with bill cosby and john boehner on national school choice. >> what does that mean? school choice? >> that school choice means giving the parents the ability to say that if my child is in an ineffective school, i can take my tax dollars and move my child to a school that has a

demonstrated ability to teach education. >> you're talking about -- what are you talking about? charter schools? >> no. everything comes under this umbrella. it's for parents who say, my child is in a great school, i don't want to move them. it's about, i want to put my child in a private school. >> tell me about charter schools. >> charter schools are public scscols but not stuck with the same rules your traditional public school has. for example, you can be very creative in the teachers you hire. >> does anything affect the status of charter schools? and what do you think of charter schools' performance, vis-a-vis public schools? >> some charter schools are doing great. some aren't. we talked about american exceptionalism. if we don't do something -- for example, if you live in district of columbia, there is

no such thing as a failing school. you cannot build more charter schools because if you do, you're taking away from a public school. but if you have a parent where your child is stuck in a school where children are in not learning, your question show much longer should my children suffer? >> the national association of what -- what's that union called? >> the national education association. >> the nea. does the nea like what the president said or dislike what the president said? >> i would say behind closed doors, when the president made the statement that ineffective teachers shop fire -- should be fired, they were probably saying, how on earth could he do this? >> do you think the nea works against the larger educational assistance? is it like merit pay? >> no. the nea likes for people to stay uneducated and stupid

because it keeps their members with jobs. >> really? >> the district of columbia has a growing number. students in charter schools and unions are adapting to that and a lot of things. and this administration has had a very reform-minded agenda. and i think we can all say hooray to that. >> absolutely. >> education in the united states is a racket. we have put trillions of dollars in for the last 45 years since the education primary and secretary of education act. test scores have been dropping. we have not closed the racial gap. >> money --ue don't need more money. it's not the issue. >> and that's exactly right, michelle. money is not the issue here. and look. president obama's two girls are in a private school. i think his heart is in this reform. >> what is the school? quaker school? >> west quaker. >> john, the problem is that democrats are so tightly wound with the teachers unions that the democrats, starting with president obama are going to

have to give these teachers unions, the nea and the aft, a real beet down. >> come on. >> they're going to have to stand up to them. but you know what? issue number 1, this week, the new house speaker republican, john boehner threw down a challenge to president obama and democrats in congress, with regards to washington, d.c.'s vouchers program. the democrats killed that last year. >> what's that? >> what michelle just described. gives parents the ability to transfer their kids to a new school. >> let her finish. >> the democrats killed it last year because the teachers unions were up in arms. so baner -- boehner threw down the gauntlet and said, put your money where your mouth is. >> in ohio, a woman who is studying to become a teacher, african american woman looked at her public school system and said my children will not survive in this neighborhood. so she lied and put the address of her father, i think, to get

her children in a different school district. she was criminally prosecuted in the state of ohio. she will never be allowed to become a teacher. this will stay with her all of her life. >> that is not the heart of our problem. >> exit question! >> a lot of issues of society. >> okay. >> getting blamed for everything. >> we'll reflect on the other issues. exit question. assign a letter grade, a to f, for president obama. >> i'd give him a b-plus for the rhetoric of it. the substance of it, a d. >> i give him a b for the substance. and i guess a d for the rhetoric. it was kind of flat. >> the tucson speech, it was not. but i'd say i'd give him like a b or b plus, for being honest and showing us who he is, which is liberal. >> b-plus for honesty? >> this is a tough crowd. i give him a b-plus for the substance. and i give him a b-plus for the

rhetoric. i thought it was a good, solid speech. we know what trouble the country is in. >> i think it's got to be issue 3. mob crackdown. ♪[ music ] we are committed. and we are determined to eradicate these criminal enterprises, once for all, and to bring their members to justice. >> it was the biggest mafia roundup in the history of the federal bureau of investigations. 110 were arrested. and 127 were charged with criminal conduct. the fbi shakedown took place last thursday in three states, new york, new jersey, and rhode island. those arrested were part of

seven organized crime circles, collectively, otherwise known as the mafia. streetbosses, mob associates, and bookies. none. fbi targets were under the age of 60. >> allegations involve classic mob hits to eliminate these arrivals. others involve senseless murders. >> they run the gamut. rob, racketeering, extortion, arson, and murder. some of the accounts sounded like scenes from a mobster movie. shaking down strip club owners. offing someone over a spilled drink. the fbi roundup involved 800 law enforcement officers. they built their cases with the help of wire taps, witnesses and mafia turncoats, including exwaives -- exwives of mafia men. it is far-reaching. according the national federal retail, almost 90% shea

they have been -- they have been victimized by the mob. >> question, is this the end of the mafia? >> no. it's not the end of the mafia, but it's a terrific blow delivered to these folks. and they really are the etched in the earth. they're from the protection racket. the drug racket. a lot of the guys they kill are guys of their own racket and rivals of other mobs. they'll start breaking a lot of these people and they'll start squealing, john. >> you know, there was no mention of chicago. or illinois. >> well, i guess they had enough in new jersey and new york and connecticut. maybe chicago will be next. >> these are the five families of new york. >> i'm sorry. when i heard this story, i felt kind of nostalgic because the days of the mob seem associated with yesteryear. and ever since the hbo award- winning series "the sopranos," i think that humanized the mob. and while they did and probably

do horrendous things, it's hard to look at these arrests and think that this is removingnga huge scab from america. >> remember that the sopranos -- >> tony soprano now is your hero? is that it? >> not my hero, exactly. but they humanized the mob. >> set in general general -- new jersey for a reason. >> we're talking about the five major organized crime families, that they all got busted in this fbi bust. but this story is -- i agree with eleanor, this is a very old school kind of story because their tactics even seem kind of old school, the racketeering, the prostitution, the strip clubs. in an era in the 21st century, where we're dealing with new kinds of threats, like al qaeda on a different kind of level, it does seem kind of nostalgic. will it break the backbone of the italian mafia? probably not. but what's interesting, we've also seen with the decline of the italian mob, a rise of the

other ethnic mobs. asian and albanian. >> young people getting into gangs, i think that's a whole other thing. >> but organized crime. >> what can we say sa-- >> these are elderlypeople. we're on. >> what about the role of the computer in this? >> not big with those families, john. but modern, professional climb, it's a big ing. >> you mean communicating by computers? >> these guys may do it. but these guys aren't -- >> you mean on facebook? >> i mean, they're not at that level of knowledge and ability. >> you mean that ingredient we put into the iranian reactors? >> i think they're in the cell phone age, like i am, john. [ laughter ] >> they're past their predictions, pat?

>> we're in present danger, the u.s. positi in the middle east basically could be wiped out, really good friends like the king of jordan gone, as well as yemen. isolating israel in the middle east. >> next in israel is one of the biggest recipients of u.s. foreign aid. and how the egyptian country handles itself. >> the white house already announced today they were going to review. >> quickly. >> these protests are going to reignite the protests we saw nearly two years ago in iran. >> i see a peaceful democratic- ruled egypt. >> i predict jim webb will not seek a second term in 2012. bye bye. vogeico, committed to providing service to

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