open-ended conflict, but we do have to make sure that when countries break international norms that could threaten us, that they are held accountable. >> u.n. secretary general has asked them to wait before they report back to findings. and british are hitting the brakes forcing david cameron to push back on vote on military action at least a week. >> the well of public opinion was truly poisoned by the iraq episode and we need to understand the public's nepotism. >> and road blocks on the hill. tonight secretary of state kerry, hagel and others briefing congress on an unclassified call which senators from both parties say is not good enough. >> there are circumstances where presidents to avoid a catastrophe can act prior to

congressional approval, but getting congressional approval is in my view constitutionally required. >> what is the strategy of the administrati administration? i certainly believe president obama should go to the american public. and good day. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. the president's national security team and clapper all brief members of congress. but there is strong push back because no details and some of the vacationing members are getting it on their cell phones. earlier today, i spoke with congressman mike rogers chair of the house intelligence committee. he says it is not good enough. thank you so much for joining us. you have written to the president saying that there has

been briefings but not detailed military plans. what more do you think congress needs to know before the president authorizes military strikes? >> well, as chairman of the intelligence committee, we get access to the information that larger body of members don't have access to. i think it's very important for legal reasons and for doing the right thing by getting buy in from the congress that the administration talk to a broader set of members to get buy-into the program, to go over the evidence so that when we take what is a very difficult decision, you have buy-in by members and buy-in by the public. both are critically important and right now none of that is happening. and it just raises a lot of questions about whatever you're planning to do, and we know there are a series of options on the table, what happens next. what are the consequences of doing something, what are the consequences of not doing something. all of those discussions have to happen with a broader set of members or i don't position it's

fair to the american public and i don't think he'll get the buy-in, the president will get the buy-into be successful in what would be again a series of very difficult decisions. >> secretaries hagel and kerry, susan rice and others, will all be there. we understand james clapper the head of national intelligence, they're all going to tonight be briefing by telephone members of congress who are away. is that enough? it's a declassified briefing. will that be enough to satisfy your concerns? >> i'm a little concerned that it is not a classified briefing. i think if you need to have a very robust honest discussion, but also to have a classified discussion with a group members again broader than just the few chair men, so that we can get broader buy-in in congress. i'm not sure it will be enough. certainly going to be all ears. but i do think that you have -- if the british parliament could

come in and be recalled to have a discussion on something this serious, i single think that we could broaden our base of members who have the opportunity to have a robust discussion about what happens next. and they're going to need congress' help and support moving forward so it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to prolong what is going to happen at some point and you might as well get the buy-in up front. and i do think when people see the evidence in a classified way, they will be convinced like i was convinced and in-that serious discussion of, listen, our options are getting narrower by the day in syria. and there is never really a good option now. and so what happens next is going to be critically important. and i think really the american representatives need to be a part of that discussion. >> is this a legal requirement or do you think this is a political requirement? >> i think both. i do think that legally he needs to come up and consult with congress.

again, a few phone calls and those kind of things, you have to have a robust discussion. congress needs to be involved in this process. >> but you're not saying there has to be a vote. you're not saying -- >> i don't believe -- under the wars powers act, i don't believe there has to be a vote. i do think that the president would be wise from both getting buy-in in the future. and remember, there is a lot of mistrust i hate to say about moving forward on national security issues right now. that doesn't mean you get to do what you want. that means you will have to get buy-in. and you have to have these discussions. you have to bring members in. i think the administration is obligated to do that. again, i think they're trying to do it on the cheap here. i wouldn't do that if i were them. that's been my recommendation to them is not to do that. and we have to have that more robust discussion to get again not only members of congress and the representatives of the country involved, but also to get buy-in by the american people. this is a serious step in a very

complicated problem set in syria. >> should he wait until after the second vote in parliament next week, should he wait until after the u.n. weapons inspector's report back in. >> i don't believe so. the president got himself in a bit of a box when he drew a red line on chemical weapons. we know of very near ten different episodes where chemical weapons have already been used in syria. the rest of the world knows that. this has been the most public certainly of the chemical weapons usage. and so now you have a credibility issue underlying with the undunited states. the opposition is questioning. vu russians are feeling they can be more brazen. iranians with thumping their chest. and that's what happens when the u.s. is perceived to be weak and can't make a decision. i think it's important that we make a decision here. you get the buy-in, and then we'll take appropriate action at the appropriate time. >> isn't there a risk for the

president to go to alone without the brits and the u.n.? >> believe me, the international community, the british and others have already had robust conversations about the kinds of things that should happen in syria to make sure we don't lose control of all of the chemical weapon stockpiles to make sure that we did don't lose control of all of the conventional weapons. there there is a national security interest by getting this thing right. indecision has caused huge problems for us here. i do believe that. now we have a very public and i think the biggest of all slap in your face about here is your red line crossed again. that means we'll have to take some action. it was a u.s. credibility that we've laid on the line some 60 years of very strong, carry a big stick and speak softly foreign policy debate that we've

had. well, all of that 60 years of credibility is on the line here. and what happens is if we it don't get this right is you'll continue to see brazen russian attitude and taking steps that are inappropriate i think to the international community. you'll see china getting more aggressive, you'll see iran north korea getting more aggressive. it's not just about syria anymore when you put the u.s. credibility on the line the way we have. this is clearly a violation of that red line. again. and it is clearly a big violation of that red line, something has to happen. and in-it's beneficial to the president to bring congress into have that discussion so that we can move forward as a unified country in what is an incredibly important step to protect our national security interests around the world. >> mike rogers, thank you very much for being with us today. >> thanks, andrea. and we will of course have a lot more on syria coming up. but first this. today marks eight years since hurricane katrina made landfall

on the gulf coast. the storm killed more than 1800 people and left devastating destruction in its wake. rising waters brought the city of new orleans to its knees. thousands mostly impoverished residents who could not escape sought shelter at the superdome. entire neighborhoods were completely nearly wiped out. now eight years later, bobby jindal called new orleans america's comeback city. noting the rebuilding efforts and the resolve of all of the city's residents. mom, dad told me that cheerios is good for your heart,

is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy. ♪ [ dad ] jan? [ chainsaw buzzing ] humans. sometimes, life trips us up. sometimes, we trip ourselves up. and although the mistakes may seem to just keep coming at you, so do the solutions. like multi-policy discounts from liberty mutual insurance. save up to 10% just for combining your auto and home insurance. call liberty mutual insurance at... to speak with an insurance expert and ask about all the personalized savings available for when you get married, move into a new house, or add a car to your policy. personalized coverage and savings -- all the things humans need

to make our world a little less imperfect. call... and ask about all the ways you could save. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

let's go to the region for the latest on why the syrian people are anticipating -- what they're anticipating in the coming days.

richard engel is in turkey. he's been going back and forth and talking to people. richard, thanks very much for joining us. what are you hearing as you go to these refugee camps and talk to people about what the people on both sides of the border are anticipating? >> reporter: they are anticipating that trillion be so there will be some sort of strike. today there is more skepticism as people think is the united states trying towill be some so. today there is more skepticism as people think is the united states trying tobe some sort of. today there is more skepticism as people think is the united states trying tosome sort of st. today there is more skepticism as people think is the united states trying to find a way out, is there pressure building not to act. but the rebels we've been talking to say if there is a strike, any kind of strike, they're going to simultaneously launch offensives nationwide and try and gain momentum and they hope topple the regime. >> there is speculation and concern by some analysts and i know some people you've talked to over there that it will be too little and that it will be

inspect chul to topple assad. >> he's had advanced notice. the locations that would be hit have blapractically been broadc. so assad could tell his people we've stood toe to toe with the americans, with the world community, we faced them down. and we lived to fight another day. he could give his army commanders evidence that the syrian regime remains strong and that could be a morale boost, as well. you have to -- the reason that the syrian regime would crumble is because of internal defections and morality, loss of morale. if they thought, if the inner circle around him that assad was on a sinking ship, they could jump. if he survives a little strike, they might think at the end of

the day khe could survive the war. >> they have to be encouraged bay all the political push back in london. david cameron did not expect this to happen. they were all systems go until early yesterday afternoon when i was talking to people in the british government. and then suddenly late afternoon and early evening, foreign secretary hague had to pull back and say we're not going to have this determinative vote, we will give in and have a second vote and it won't be before next week. >> and it's not just the uk. thousand we're s now the red cross is saying it doesn't want to see military escalation, the arab league has refused to go along with it, egypt saying it does not support a strike, the u.n. wants to continue its work. inspectors will be on the ground through tomorrow, probably leaving saturday. and then they want to issue their results. so the momentum certainly does seem to be slowing down as more and more people are also

injecting doubts about what happened, do the rebels themselves -- can their story be absolutely trusted. what evidence is there directly linking the regime ordering these attacks. things have changed considerably from where we were 24 hours ago. >> they have indeed. richard engel. the white house push back is we are not tying our hands to the urn time line or british or anybody else, but it remains to be seen whether the president is willing to at that time political grief without any allies. thanks for being with us today. meanwhile cameron as we've been saying faced very strong opposition today in parliament. the debate is continuing. but it forced him to delay a vote until next week. >> i'm not standing here and saying there's some piece or some pieces of intelligence that i've seen or that you've seen that the world won't see that convinces me that i'm right and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong. i'm saying this is a judgment. we all have to reach a judgment

about what happened and who was responsible. >> that sidelines president obama's key ally for a while if he were to decide the president were to decide on military strikes. mr. obama is also facing criticism for not doing enough to keep congress better informed. pennsylvania senator bob casey now joins me from pittsburgh. thank you very much. a lot of push back. senator cain said he thought there was no rush, no need to rush, that congress should be informed more fully. and that there is also a political requirement to wait for the brits, wait for the u.n.. what is your point of view? >> i don't think deliberation is a bad thing. i think we should make a considered judgment about this. but i think if we're just going to have weeks and weeks of delay, to sanction what is a crime against humanity, this has been happening now, this isn't the first time that this regime has engaged in this kind of

conduct, used this tactic on the most vulnerable people imaginable. if this goes without sanction, without punishment, we'll see it not only used against the syrian people, but it use be used against u.s. troops, against our allies and it could further destabilize the region. don't forget we're not simply talking about syria here. we're talking about the iranian regime which plots against the united states every day, tries to kill our people. and so does the terrorist hezboll hezbollah. they are stronger today than they were six months ago. and if you allow them to be further strengthened and further emboldened, they will use chemical weapons in ways that we don't especially want to contemplate. >> the president's already waited the week and has not fully briefed -- there hasn't been classified briefing for more than just a few members of congress. so what would be wrong in waiting a week, waiting unlg ti

the british parliament votes and the u.n. issues their report? >> certainly there is nothing wrong with making sure that we have as much of a concerted or coalition effort as possible. i would not want to hang my hat on what the u.n. will do because we know russia and china will vote against any kind of sanction in the security council. we shouldn't kid ourselves. we should operate within the bounds of reality. but there is no question that there is any kind of a sanction or pre-vireprisal has to come wa matter of hours our days. but if it drags on for weeks and months, you might as well not do anything. and i think we need to take action here. and not just that the regime in damascus, that has killed 100,000 of its own people, more than that but other regimes, as well, whether iran or a terrorist organization, if they think the world community is just going to sit back and take

this, the use of chemical weapons which has been outlawed for 100 years, then i think we'll suffer consequences well beyond what we see today. >> senator, what is the legal predicate for doing this without a vote in congress, without a vote in the u.n., what is the legal basis for the white house taking this action? >> this is a crime against humanity. and it imposes a direct threat to our own national security. we have troops in the region, troops that are potentially exposed. and we know that two entities, terrorist organization hezbollah and iran yian regime are con federated with assad. they tried to blow up a restaurant in georgetown. would have killed scores of americans. they plot every single day against us. try to kill americans every single day. we know this. this is no longer a question of

theory. so this is a question which is much larger than what the syrian regime is doing. but in this case, a very precise targeted and measured response which would be proportional i think makes sense and shows that we will not allow the use of chemical weapons against the syrian people or anyone throughout the world. >> sthor benator bob casey, tha very much. and speaking of iran, we'll talk about that with an expert on all things iranian. what is the intelligence saying, what about the unintended consequences? ken pollak next. % ♪ [ villain ] well mr. baldwin... it appears our journey has come to a delightful end. then i better use the capital one purchase eraser to redeem my venture miles for this trip. purchase eraser? it's the easy way to erase any recent travel expense. i just pick a charge, like my flight with a few taps, it's taken care of.

impressive baldwin. does it work for hotels? absolutely thank goodness. mrs. villain and i are planning our... you scare me. and i like it. let's go what's in your wallet? so, if you're sleeping in your contact lenses, what you wear to bed is your business. let's go ask about the air optix® contacts so breathable they're approved for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. serious eye problems may occur. ask your doctor and visit airoptix.com for safety information and a free one-month trial.

♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. there is no smoking gun tying assad to the chemical

attack, it's not a slam dunk. is the intelligence strong enough to justify military action without a vote in congress? ken poll lk served as director of persian gulf affairs for president clinton. and the author of the upcoming unthinkable iran, due out next month. congratulations on the book. a lot to unpack here. so we're told it's an unclassified briefing today. no smoking gun. they won't release the electronic intercepts, maybe sources and methods, but maybe they're not really that dispositive. and is the intelligence good enough if it's just that these are the rockets that we found and we know that the regime is the only force that has that kind of artillery and that we don't believe the rebels could have done this and the places that were targeted and the

coverup? gr for you and i looking in as outsiders, because i certainly don't have access to the classified information, what we've been presented i think makes a strong circumstantial case. >> circumstantial. >> right. that's the key. what we have to recognize in this is for someone who wants to do it, who believes that assad did this and needs to be punished, i think the evidence is good enough. for somebody who doesn't, i think that the evidence is much too weak. and i think it's a problem we have right here is that there is a deep division both within the united states and internationally over this. and i think it will be hard to make an intelligence case about what should be done and of course that's especially so given the experience of iraq. where it would seem like a much more compelling case and turned out to be wrong. >> given that the british are now delayed at least a week, that ban key mondi-moon has cal president and said don't do this until the inspect toeors get ou and that the report will not ascribe blame, without any of

that backing, is it enough, no arab league backing, although condemnation from key members, is that enough for the president to go to alone? >> it will depend on the president. we've seen situations where the president has decided i don't have a lot of international support, but i believe it's important to do this, i'll go ahead and do that. iraq in the 1990s where there were a numb occasion where is president clinton made that distinction. i don't think we know where the president is. my sense based on his body language and everything we've seen since the beginning of the syrian war, i think tell be very receipt san receiticent to do that. he wants to say to the american people he has a lot of international support. and if he doesn't have that i think that is a very important factor in his decision. >> but could you argue once john

kerry came out with this impassioned statement on monday followed up by joe biden to the american legion the next day that that was signaling that the white house is ready to go. >> and i think that the president also signal that had in his own words that he is ready to do so, but i think that that is different from actually doing it. and again, i think that the president is going to want to see how much international support he's going to have for it. >> let me ask about iran. what will iran do? there have been a lot of tweets from the new you president as well as warnings that there will be action. would you expect them to take action against israel? >> you always want to be careful with iran. we have to be careful because what we know about their system is very limited. but everything that i'm seeing from them right now suggests that they're unlikely to do something terribly provocative in response. the iranians have their own problems right now. they are under deep international sanctions, they have huge issue, their own internal problems. i don't think they are looking for a fight with the united

states over syria. >> and syrian retaliation? >> possible. something that the president definitely needs to keep in mind. but again, just from an analytic perspective, it seems unlikely. if the iranians have their hands full, then assad's hands are overflowing. he has to defeat the opposition. and i think he's made it very clear he's also not looking to take on the united states to give the u.s. an excuse to intervene in a much more decisive way in his own civil war. >> ken pollak, great to see you. congratulations on the book. >> thanks very much. coming up next, the region reacts. we'll have live reports from tel aviv and tehran.

[ male announcer ] marie callender's knows you may not have time to roll out a perfectly flaky crust that's made from scratch. or mix vegetables with all white meat chicken and homemade gravy. but marie callender's does. just sit down and savor. marie callender's. it's time to savor. plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. female narrator: through labor day at sleep train,

female narrator: through labor day get 36 months interest-free financing plus big savings of up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. even get three years interest-free financing on serta icomfort and tempur-pedic, plus free same-day delivery, set-up, and removal of your old set. when brands compete, you save, but this special financing offer ends labor day at sleep train. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

welcome back. now for more on how military action could impact the region, let's bring in two of our correspondents. what are israelis doing? i understand they are lining up and getting gas masks. >> that's right, andrea. israeli civilians have been lining up at eight distribution centers. the government issues out gas masks every day really for the israeli citizens to pick up, but in the last couple of day, we've seen an onslaught, thousands of israelis fighting their way through the lines, standing in line from 4 to 12 hours, some gas masks were actually stolen. many civilians upset because they couldn't get the gas masks themselves. but as for the government officials here, they say they don't feel as though they will be attacked by syria because of syria's diminished capabilities to attack israel or any other country for matter mattthat mat.

netanyahu did address israeli citizens on television by saying that if we identify any attempt to tattack us, we will respond forcibly. that being said, they have called on about 1,000 reservists to come to duty. they are going primarily up north in israel where that border with syria is. they have also placed an additional iron dome to the north nesh to tin addition to t that they had. so they are prepared should anything occur, but officials here believe that they won't be attack attacked, but they're not taking any chances. >> thank you. what is the new president rowhani doing? i know he tweeted he talked to putin last night. >> that's right. state tv also reported that he had an extensive conversation

with putin last night. and that the two were going to do everything they could to prevent military strike by the united states on syria, which president rowhani said would have grave consequences to the region. he also said an attack on syria would not be legal. he also recognized the use of chemical weapons, but he cast a certain dispersion saying we're not sure of who has used them and early judgment could be very dangerous. so he's being very cautious as well on his rhetoric. but the most fiery rhetoric was from the commander of the revolutionary guard saying if america attacks syria, this would be a second vietnam for them and that it would spell the end of israeli state if there was an attack on syria. so the head of the revolutionary guard isn't holding back on any punches. probably the most fiery rhetoric we've seen so far over the past two years coming from iran's top commander. the supreme leader even weighed

in last night saying that an attack on syria would be a disaster and it would have great consequences for america. so iran is obviously very nervous about an attack on its close ally and are doing everything they can to prevent this from happening. whether they can stop it from happening is another point. >> thank you very much. and joining me now is william cohen, president clinton's defense secretary and former senator from maine and now chairman of the cohen group. let's talk about what we've been hearing and now we're hearing from the state department that the russians have called for another meeting at the u.n. today of the permanent five. the white house position is that this is foot dragging and just obstructionist. they will participate, of course, but it won't change might go. they see the u.n. as a dead end. does the president have the legal and political power to go to alone and to do something limited in nature as he has described it without waiting for the brits and the u.n.?

>> well, the president may have the power to do that, although it does raise constitutional issues as to whether or knonot he'll get support from the congress. but i think it would be wise it go to the u.n. security council with the evidence that both the vice president, secretary kerry have said is pretty overwhelming that points to the syrian government's use of the chemical weapons. put that in front of the security council, layout the evidence and then if the russians veto taking any action, you can then hang on the russians the fact that they're supporting the gassing of women and children with chemical weapons. and really bang that drum loudly. so i don't think just dismissing it and saying we don't need to go to the security council, go to them and put them on the line. secondly go to congress and say where he ne we need your support. here is the evidence and here is the mission. which to me has never been clearly described. what is the mission's purpose here?

limited strike to do what? to punish syria? that's not the reason to use on international law to use military power. it's to degrade and to deter him from future action. i think the notion that you can severally launch a few tomahawk ms. s missiles and then walk away and say we made our point, i don't think that's realistic. it sets in motion other dynamics. so there are grave complications. and i think we have to be very careful here that the president's locked into a position now if he takes action precipitously, it will be without much international support. if he fails to take action soon enough, he will lose any support for congress or other people for taking action. so he's pretty much in a box right now. but i would urge caution here. define the mission, make sure we understand what phase two, three and four will be and not call audibles as it goes along to see

what the reaction might be and then be forced back on our heels to say we hadn't than tis pay theed anticipated this. a lot more thought needs to go into this. >> the white house is saying they checked with the vurussian and they have not changed their position, so what is the point of having american hands tied by russian and u.n. time table of just dragging things out. >> don't let them drag it out. but say let's put to a vote. here is the evidence and we'll make this very clear. not only to russia, to china, but to the general united nations itself. here is the evidence, folks. and if you want to support a country like syria using chemical weapons on its people or anyone, then this discredits the u.n. if there is any credibility left at all. and it certainly will discredit the russians and even the chinese if they veto something in the face of overwhelming evidence. that's where you put russia and china and others on the spot.

but to simply say it's useless, let's not bother, then it's a question what does the united states have in the way of support. the brits are starting to have second thoughts about it. the arab league has folded in terms of coming out in strong support for action. so is this going to be a unilateral or trilateral military operation on part of the united states without any imagine allies like we had in bosnia and kosovo? so i think the administration has work to do before it takes action. >> is there legal precedent for doing this without the support of either the u.n. or nato? >> the action that could be taken is a grave humanitarian crisis that needs to be averted. that's something that has been invoked in the past. certainly during the clinton administration in terms of milosevic trying to ethically cleanse a million people. and that was the justification for nato taking action.

but here our closest allies are having second thoughts and we don't have the support we thought we had in the middle east with the arab league coming out and saying, yeah, we think that syria is responsible for this, but don't take any military action where oith our t openly. i think they have to come up a lot higher than that. so, yeah, we could take military action, but the president i think has an obligation to persuade the american people here through their elected representatives, go to speaker boehner, answer his questions. he's posed ten questions. answer the questions to the extent that you can. ask for the support of members of the armed services committee, intelligence committees and the broad number of members if you can possible put that together in the next week or so. then you have support from the congress as opposed to taking unilateral presidential action which is always a challenge between constitutionally can the president do it on his own, does he need permission or

consultation with the congress on the war pow hers acts. all of these issues are removed if he gets their support. if he fails to get their support, then they have another issue should the president put fuss the middle of a civil war without the support of the elected officials of the united states. i think that causes even more problems for the president. so i think go to the u.n., put to a vote and go to congress and see if the president can't get fairly strong support from the membership. >> former defense secretary bill cohen, thanks very much. and tonight key members from the hill will receive an unclassified intelligence briefing on the crisis in syria. but will congress fall in line behind the president's strategy? that's next. hi, i'm karissa. hi, i'm sherri. and i'm going to show sherri how collecting box tops for education earns cash for our school by shopping at walmart. come on. sherri, look at all these products that you can buy for your family with box tops. and look, four box tops in one box. that's awesome! more cash for our school.

only at walmart you get 4 box tops on over 100 items. karissa i got it and you only had to tell me four times. find 4 box tops on your family favorites like general mills cereals and nature valley granola bars backed by our low price guarantee. ♪ (announcer) answer the call of the grill with new friskies grillers, full of meaty tenders and crunchy bites. a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk.

but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. so jim's not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. plus, with no known dietary restrictions, jim can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto® and it may take longer for bleeding to stop.

tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. this call is something that we have been working to schedule for a number of days now.

we have separate from the conversation that they're having today, we have discussed our commitment to producing for you and for the american public to review an unclassified version of an intelligence assessment about the assad regime's use of chemical weapons in syria. it is my understanding that that report has not been finalizeded as of this moment, but that we're still on track to produce that report before the end of the week. >> under pressure from the rank and file, house speaker john boehner is demanding more answers from president obama to justify military action against syria. more than 100 house lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have written to the president asking for briefings. joining me now for our daily fix, chuck todd, co-host of tv in play, and from the "washington post". chuck first to you, they say

they have been trying to get this together. one side will say, well, we haven't been offered classified briefings. the white house might say you didn't come back from all your fund-raisers and go to the safe room and read the stuff that we might put up there. who is right here? >> i think there is a little bit of everybody's right. the fact is the white house has been focused more on building the international coalition than they have been about dealing with the political issue at home. that has changed over the last 24 hours. i've even talked to some folks on the hill who will say despite all the grief that they have been giving the white house, the white house has been better about keeping folks in the loop on this current crisis in syria than they did over libya. you have to remember, andrea, a lot of this bad blood is a little too strong of a way to describe it, but septembkeptici

anxiety from the hill is a bunch of them felt totally left out during the whole libya crisis. so they wanted more. they're getting more. they will get more tonight. but i tell you, you can just feel it, you can feel it in here at the white house, you can feel it in talking to people, there is a whole bunch of people and the white house is getting the message that they want to put the brakes on a little. tap the brakes. stop rushing to do this. >> and even bob casey i was interviewing him, he supports the policy, but says he doesn't want to see them wait weeks or months. but he said no reason not to wait until congress is back or wait until the u.n. spells its report out. and just now we had bill cohen saying that they should in fact going to the security council, put russia on the spot, produce the evidence and shame russia into russia and china if they veto it. >> chuck touched on libya and i would say iraq and all the recent conflicts that we've had shape where we are at least as

it relates to the president and congress and their relationship on this. john boehner's letter relatively strongly worded. you mentioned getting significant pressure from rank and file and some folks relatively senior within the party to say why right now. i think you saw josh earnest who played that clip, he and the white house are very cognizant of the fact that they want to make the case to the american public, too. to congress, there is the international community, there is congress and then there is the american public. they want to make sure the american public understands why these actions if they are going to be taken, why athe american public believes they're justified. >> and all of diplomacy we've seen comes down to david cameron being blindsided by the labor party and having to put the brakes on himself even though he wases the strongest ally. will the president go to alone? >> no, and you heard chuck hagel say that, no, we will not the

believe the united states will not move without its allies. the british slowdown is probably temporary, but will probably have an effect here. it may not deter the white house or really even change its preferred schedule, but it definitely is causing some rethinking. they've got a little bit less of a problem on their hands with congress than david cameron turned out to have in parliament. he had a revolution in his own party in addition to the opposition and that's a little bit less true for obama, but as chuck and chris both said, there's definitely a feeling that the white house has to do a little bit more work on the hill before it makes the big move. >> chuck todd, i know that both of us were being told we're not going to be tied by the u.n., we're not going to be deterred by -- as sympathetic as we are

to david cameron's situation. at some point when they are hearing all of this argument to slow down, there is a calendar here. the president leaves tuesday for sweden and then for the g-20 in st. petersberg. you would think he would do it by sunday, monday before he leaves or else he's really strapped until he gets back on friday. >> well, that's right. looking at the calendar, i think the calendar was driving it. i don't think they would ever admit this, but you can't help but wonder if the president's travel schedule being in russia coming up, whether that was driving this idea that there was a sense of urgency that if you were going to do something, you had to do something fairly quickly, pop them, that the schedule between congress being gone and all of this stuff and now what's unclear and what they do not have an answer for, which is why now? what's the urgency? you talked about senator casey. senator johnson, a republican, on my show said the same thing. you've waited three months essentially from the first time

you found the evidence that assad's regime used chemical weapons. you've been debating about -- you've waited this long, what's another couple of weeks at this point? >> and there's a lot of questions about how solid the evidence is. just very briefly, anne gearen, on the internet there's another story on the black budget for the intelligence community. $52.6 billion. that's the first time we've really known from snowden's documents what is being spent on intelligence. >> right. this is not my story, i should rush to say. it's bart and greg's, but the gist of it is that the budget for this year, for 2013, a very large sprawling u.s. intelligence community gets and spends its money, it's, as you say, the first time the public will get a look at the largest

section of the federal national security budget. >> thanks very much. anne, chuck, we'll be right back. ♪ turn around barbara ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him.

you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

and that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." my colleague, tamron hall has a look at what's next on "news nation." hi, tamron. >> hi. congress in a couple of hours will be briefed by the president's national security team on the ongoing situation in syria. the longer the white house waits, the harder it will be to build a coalition for intervention. plus, breaking news. details of that massive settlement. the nfl just reached a settlement with former players over the massive, multi-million dollar concussion lawsuit. calls for a montana judge to resign after he suggested that a

14-year-old rape victim who ended up committing suicide had as much control of the situation as the teacher convicted of raping her. it is all coming up next on "news nation." you must be garth's father? hello. mother. mother! traveling is easy with the venture card because you can fly any airline anytime. two words. double miles! this guy can act. wanna play dodge rock? oh, you guys! and with double miles you can actually use, you never miss the fun. beard growing contest and go! ♪ i win! what's in your wallet?

i win! "stubborn love" by the lumineers did you i did. email? so what did you think of the house? did you see the school ratings? oh, you're right. hey babe, i got to go. bye daddy! have a good day at school, ok? ...but what about when my parents visit? ok. i just love this one... and it's next to a park. i love it. i love it too. here's our new house...

daddy! you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. she loves a lot of it's what you love about her. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away.

ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. right now "news nation," an unprecedented $765 million settlement between the nfl and thousands of players suing over concussions. fast food fight. what could be the largest day of walkouts by workers demanding they deserve more than minimum wage. plus, new protests against a judge who verbally attacked a 14-year-old rape victim who committed suicide. but first the "news nation" is following the congressional briefing expected to happen in just a few hours between top white house officials and congressional leaders on the crisis in syria. now one of the top questions, the evidence u.s.