let me make something clear. the united states military doesn't do pinpricks. even a limited strike will send a message to assad that no other nation can deliver. >> right now on "andrea mitchell reports," mixed message. the president talks tough but uses a primetime speech to ask for no action. >> i have, therefore, asked the

leaders of congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. >> savannah guthrie will take us behind the scenes at the white house and explain the strange turn of events. why would the president hold off and count on, of all people, vladimir putin to help find a diplomatic solution? >> too early to tell whether this offer will succeed. and any agreement must verify the assad regime keeps its commitments. but this has the potential to remove chemical weapons without the use of force. >> so the president is sending john kerry to geneva tonight to meet the russian foreign minister and test russia's intentions. and america remembers. today we honor those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks 12 years ago and we pay tribute to the heroing in new york, washington, and shanksville,

pennsylvania. [ trumpet playing ] good day. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. the president last night gave a primetime speech, only his ninth, but where was the strategy? it followed a week of policy zigzags. just watch this exchange with our own savannah guthrie on monday. >> secretary of state kerry said the strikes would be unbelievably small. what does that mean? i mean, are we talking a pinprick, a knockout blow, a punch in the gut? >> the u.s. does not do pinpricks. >> savannah guthrie, of course, the co-host of "today" on nbc

joins us now. what were your impressions on monday as to how his thinking was towards military action versus diplomacy leading into this big moment? >> well, we almost watched this in realtime unfold, didn't we? i think the president was prepared to make this case, make this argument for the use of military force in this context and then, as we were sitting there, i mean, these events were literally unfolding such that it became everybody's first question in the interview. what about this latest offer from russia to have syria turn over to international inspectors its chemical arsenal? you could see the president is almost in realtime considering it. we saw both of those things last night. our friends at first read and chuck todd made a great observation. the first part of the speech was probably the part they'd been writing for weeks. but the last part was, on the other hand, in light of recent developments. it was a little odd because

instead of a speech being a call to action, it was a call to postponement, a call to pause. i think that's just the situation they found themselves in. in a way, it was kind of a status report, and the president giving an education, trying to educate the broader country about what the stakes are in syria and what's been going on for the last year in syria. >> i'm not just saying this because you're my pal and you're there, but this is what people have been saying around here for the last couple of days. you've got the best out of the president, savannah, because you covered him, you know him, and you were more interested in illiciting information from him than in showing off yourself, frankly. i want to show you this exchange from that interview. >> if you ask somebody, you know -- i read polls like everybody else. if you ask somebody, ask michelle, do we want to be involved in another war? the answer is no. so i recognize how important that debate is. >> i was really taken by that because i'd never heard him say,

you know, if you ask michelle about a foreign policy issue, such as this. how did it strike you? >> well, i was really surprised. let's be clear, he volunteered that information. i'd love to say i had some great question, but he's the one who brought it up. i think it just speaks to the fact that the president wants to make clear to the country, which as we know from polls is largely against taking military action, he wants them to know, hey, i get it, i understand you, i know exactly how you feel. in fact, i may even hear it in my own household. maybe he feels that gives him extra credibility . >> it really struck me as a throwback to we all know later -- we knew a little bit in realtime, but we learned years later just how much nancy reagan influenced that opening. this was that kind of moment where michelle obama may have influenced him to ask for a vote in congress, something the former professor obama, law

school professor, really believed in strongly but went against the grain of all of his advisers, political as well as national security. >> who knows, we can only speculate. there are two lawyers in the family, aren't there. i don't make too much of the constitutional lawyer thing. on the one hand, we have seen in the past and other contexts the president has used the executive power unilaterally, has not necessarily consulted congress where one could make an argument that you needed to. they can make the distinctions why, for example, libya is different than syria. but i think this was one of those things where the president knew, i'm sure, that he had made remarks in the past, i think to charlie savage when he was at "the boston globe," that congress should be consulted when you're talking about this kind of action. he said that as a candidate, i believe. the president knows that. i think he wanted to make sure that what he did in this situation was consistent with the things he said about congressional consultation in the past. >> savannah guthrie, thanks so much. fascinating interview. thanks for being with us today. >> thank you, andrea.

>> and john mccain criticized the president for not showing more support for the syrian opposition last night, warning today it could drive them into the hands of extremists. >> i was very disappointed that the president did not mention the free syrian army and our moral and material assistance for them, which is required. i think they do feel that they're being abandoned. i feel badly, very badly for my friends in the free syrian army today. >> well, what are his friends in the free syrian army today? i'm joined by nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engle from turkey. there's been a lot of disappointment. do they feel betrayed by this pullback from the president? >> reporter: i think they feel betrayed by the united states. they feel the united states gave them false hope. they started to lose confidence that the united states would actually take action when after the first few days the missiles

weren't coming. the cruise missile attack got postponed and the united states decided or president obama decided to send this to congress. as the days went on and those pictures started to fade into memory and were no longer on the daily television broadcasts across the arab world, the momentum really started to slow down. and then last night, they listened to the speech and they heard the president making a case, why this is such a moral imperative, why the united states cannot accept in the modern civilized world for countries to use chemical weapons on an indiscriminate modern scale. after making the case, to say, but we're not going to do it and rely on a russian, syrian initiative to have syria voluntarily give up the chemical weapons that just a few days ago it didn't acknowledge even having and that it would give them up through a u.n. process

that is overseen in syria in the middle of a civil war. no one in the syrian opposition has any confidence that will really happen. >> one of the issues is, first of all, where are the stockpiles? we have intelligence on perhaps 19 of 42. how many others are there? have they been dispersed? secondly, you're going to need boots on the ground. we know what happened when they collected chemical weapons from saddam hussein. they have to have escorts. you have trough-related groups who could find this is a perfect opportunity to let our intelligence and the u.n. find the stuff and then have them attack it on their way out. >> reporter: i don't mean to be discouraging, but logistically, it is impossible. i say this because i've been inside syria. the rebels don't have freedom of

movement. the syrian government doesn't have freedom of movement. just a couple of weeks ago when there was a small u.n. team, all they wanted to do was get to a site outside damascus, and if you remember, a few sniper rounds were fired at their convoy and they went right back to their hotels and postponed their movement for over 24 hours. that was just a few sniper rounds let alone a larger team trying to krisz cross the nation, moving between rebel areas and government areas looking for we weres that only the syrian government knows exactly how much they are and where they are. i think it's logistically impossible, frankly. >> richard engel, thank you very much. thanks for joining us from turkey. well, florida congresswoman debbie wasserman-schultz joins us from the hill. what are you hearing from your constituents about this? >> well, andrea, my constituents, like many of my colleagues' constituents andlike

myself, quite frankly, are weary. they're weary of war. i can tell you that i believe and many of them believe that president obama was right to propose a limited strike because as the only super power left in the world capable of actually making sure we can hold a leader like assad accountable for the horrific and abhorrent murder of almost 1500 of his own people, including hundreds of children, that it's absolutely our responsibility to do that, to degrade and deter him from doing it again. and i think the president made an effective and forceful case last night that there was the evidence that assad did that and made the moral case, particularly on behalf of children. i mean, as a mom, that's what's been seared in my mind from the beginning of this, since we learned of this -- these horrific attacks. i think it's essential.

the other thing, andrea, is that, you know, yours and richard's discussion talked about, you know, the rebels and the lack of confidence that they have. this was never about arming the rebels or coming down on the side of the rebels. when president obama has said he is not going to be getting immersed in syria's civil war, he meant it. what this was about was making sure that we could deter and degrade assad's ability to do this again. >> but it was about deterring and punishing assad in some fashion for the chemical attack. >> yes -- >> one of the other complaints is there is no punishment for those who have murdered more than 1400 people, including 400 children, innocent civilians. but let me ask you about the congressional side of this because if the -- the president made a case last night, a strong moral argument, and then the speech took that turn away from it. it seemed a little, you know, sort of schizophrenic, frankly. on the one hand, we have --

we're the leaders and the only country that can do this. on the other hand, let's wait, let's delay and see if diplomacy can work. which is fine. but do you really think this diplomacy can work? >> i think the president was clear and concise last night. because from the beginning -- remember, he's always said that we prefer and a top priority would be for a political and diplomatic solution. make no mistake, the one thing we can have confidence about is that syria and russia are certainly confident that there was an imminent strike that was going to come down on assad's head in response to this chemical weapons attack. and that is what brought them to the table to propose securing assad's chemical weapons under international control. and we wouldn't be here if not for that threat. >> congresswoman, where we are right now is in something of a political muddle. what if the president decides that diplomacy is not working? does he have to come back to

congress, or can he just proceed now and take action, military action against assad? >> well, i think the president's speech and the evidence and information that members have collected in classified briefings has brought a lot of the members around to the idea that if this diplomatic solution doesn't work, then a strike is warranted. i spoke to a number of members who changed their minds after we've had this development and realize that this development on a political and diplomatic solution wouldn't be there without the threat of a strike. president obama certainly has the authority to issue the strike on his own, but again, we think that it's important and will be a stronger, more unified response that will send a much stronger, clearer message and be more likely to deter and degrade his ability to do it again if congress authorizes that action. i think we have to leave that threat hanging over his head so the diplomatic and political solution is much more likely to be accomplished.

>> it's very clear, though, that it would not have passed. >> what is clear at this point is that the threat and the belief by syria and russia that we would strike was there and that is what brought them to the table to consider and try to make sure that we can get those chemical weapons under international control and ensure that assad can never commit that abhorrent, horrendous violence again on anyone. >> congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz, thank you very much. good to see you. >> thank you. you too, andrea. >> as we continue to follow all the developments on the crisis in syria, america is pausing today for the 12th time to mark the anniversary of the worst terror attack in american history. this morning at the world trade center, bells rang to mark the minute that american airlines flight 11 struck the north tower. throughout the morning, moments of silence were observed and family members of the victims read the names of 2,983 people,

the people who lost their lives at the world trade center, the pentagon, and of course on flight 93. in shanksville, pennsylvania, bells tolled to remember the heroes on that flight. the plane crashed in that open field after a group of courageous passengers fought back against the terrorists that had overtaken the plane. and here in washington, the president and white house staff observed a moment of silence after president obama spoke at a private ceremony at the pentagon honoring those who died in the attack there. >> let us have the confidence and the values that make us americans, which we must never lose. the shining liberties that make us a beacon of the world. the rich diversity that makes us stronger. the unity and commitment to one another that we sustain on this national day of service and remembrance. this is for you.

♪ [ 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. ♪ we go, go, we don't have to go solo ♪ ♪ fire, fire, you can take me higher ♪ ♪ take me to the mountains, start a revolution ♪ ♪ hold my hand, we can make, we can make a contribution ♪ ♪ brand-new season, keep it in motion ♪ ♪ 'cause the rhyme is the reason ♪ ♪ break through, man, it doesn't matter who you're talking to ♪ [ male announcer ] completely redesigned for whatever you love to do. the all-new nissan versa note. your door to more.

♪ [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. ocuvite. help protect your eye health. they used to get really tired. [barking noises] until i started gellin'. it's this awesome gel, only in dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles.

it's like walking on a wave. i love my dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. when they're in my shoes, my feet and legs feel less tired. they've got two layers for support and cushioning - it's dual wave technology. i'm walking on it all day of course i feel energized! i'm a believer. i'm a believer! dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. i'm a believer. ooooo.

lawmakers are saying they were struck by what the president did not say in his speech. no timeline on how long he'll give the diplomatic process, no appeal to congress for new authority to pursue this path. joining me now is michigan congressman mike rodgers, chairman of the house intelligence committee. chairman, thank you very much. what was your response to the speech, which some are saying sounded like two speeches in one? >> yeah, andrea, i have to tell you i was a little disappointed. i do believe there's a national security interest for the united states to engage militarily or diplomatically to make sure that there's not a proliferation in use of chemical weapons by this regime or any other regime. and i just didn't get the sense that the president, you know, raised to that level. i heard a little bit of campaign rhetoric i've heard before mixed in this speech, a lot of reluctance as commander in chief. didn't want to do it, didn't

want to find myself here. i thought he performed well on the part where he talked about the horrific consequences of chemical weapons use. the problem is, i think he needed to try to bring americans in together on why would we do this? what is in our national security interests? and he didn't have that steely resolve of a commander in chief where he laid out the moral obligation and talked about a surgical strike designed completely to deter the use of chemical weapons by the assad regime. i didn't get that sense from any of it. that's why candidly i was disappointed. >> but you've had a lot of republicans speaking out against him, and democrats. mitchell mcconnell in the senate, the republican leader, speaking out against military action. can you blame him for giving a speech that doesn't call on congress when he would have faced almost a certain defeat? >> oh, believe me, if this vote were this week, it would have lost in huge numbers, but i think that was the job of the commander in chief. we've never really seen the

president have to get up and talk about difficult foreign affairs news in a way that was asking the american people to join in on hard decisions. that's really never happened. so this was his chance to play that presidential commander in chief role and bring america in about why this is so important to the united states' national security interests. you know, i've heard it interpreted here, that they're going to have 70,000 troops to secure this. i've heard all kinds of craziness here for people who don't want to do this or at least want to make it a political issue. politics used to stop at the water's edge. i wish we could get back to that because the world is a troubled and dangerous place. that spells trouble for us in the future. i thought the president could loft up, try to get above both the politics on the left and the politics on the right and try to say, here's what our national security interests are. and listen, i don't want to use it either, but the stronger i am, the better outcome of any diplomatic discussion. right now he doesn't have a lot of leverage. he should have raised that up,

talked about our national security interests and then closed the deal by asking america to be with him. none of that happened last night. it was really candidly confounding to me with the seriousness of where we were and find ourselves that we didn't get those kind of clear, commander in chief messages. >> what about russia? would you give in to russia's demand now that military force be taken off the table in that u.n. resolution to go forward? >> boy, i would not. i think that would be a serious mistake. russia has a pretty serious interest here. it's the last toe hold they have in the middle east. they need that warm water part. they have huge contracts for weapon sales moving forward. i still think that we can work all of those things out from a diplomatic standpoint. one thing they wanted for sure was a long-term assad in office. they just got that. now they're saying, well, we're going to make it difficult through the u.n. because we don't want any military force.

this is the russia that launched a cyber attack on ai stone ya, a military style cyber attack. this is the russia that invade the the country of georgia. this is the russia, by the way, that sent an agent with ploen yum to london to kill a disdent. you know, you have to understand who we're dealing with here. so they were looking to gain some space, some battle space for assad, meaning that he could, you know, dig in, get more comfortable, refresh his weapons, and refresh his standing. they got that last night. now we're not going to allow any force in the u.n. resolution, today know that's a deal killer. this is going to take months. the president doesn't have a lot of leverage. that's what concerns me. >> how difficult would it be to get the weapons, if there was a deal? could there be a cease fire with all these different rebel factions and the government being what it is, and how many troops would you need to escort

u.n. inspectors in to try to find those sites and how good is the intelligence? do we know what they've got and where it is? >> the intelligence is pretty good leading up to this conflict. remember, if we'd have gotten on top of this two years ago, as many of us were saying, hey, small and effective in the beginning instead of big and ugly later. well, guess what? we've had a lot of missed opportunities along the way. the details, the battle truth has changed over the last two years. so our options keep getting less and less. of course, with this, what looks to the international community is confusing and is certainly confusing to those of us who support him and don't support what the president is trying to accomplish here. we have a good sense of where the chemical weapons are. if you do a russian-first kind of approach, this is much easier than people realize. we have a lot of support from our arab league partners that can provide hands on to try to get rid of this stuff in a hurry. i'm not necessarily worried about that. that's not necessarily where all the fighting it. we don't know where all of it is.

clearly, with as much notice and tv blare as we have on this, they're going to enter a phase of trying to hide some of it. they're going to enter a phase of denial and deception of how much and what they had. all of this is going to happen and is happening. at the same time, our number one national security interest is can we stop and control the flow of those chemical weapons, stop their use now, and stop them from falling into the hands of either hezbollah, which is there, a terrorist organization, or al qaeda, which we know is really heavy populated out in it the east that wants to get their hands on it, wants to do bad things. i think the answer is yes. i think we have to try to do something. i do believe that the president had authority not to use it but it would give him a lot of leverage when he walked into the negotiation with the russians to say, listen, congress just voted overwhelmingly to say i could if i needed it, now let's talk about this and get through this in a hurry. and so we could get those things off the battlefield. i think that would be in everybody's best interest. i don't think that's going to happen. i think we're going to have a crippled negotiating team

walking into the room where putin right now holds all the cards on getting rid of those chemical weapons. i heard 70,000 troops to control -- i don't believe any of that. there's other ways and other alternatives using our coalition and arab league partners to secure those weapons systems without any military, u.s. military presence on the ground. >> mike rodgers, chairman, thank you very much. >> thanks, andrea. >> and a very special moment on the hill. four little girls were honored by congress yesterday, 50 years after they died and their deaths galvanized the civil rights movement. they were killed in a bombing at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, this week back in 1963 as they were going to sunday school. yesterday they were posthumously awarded the congressional gold medal, the highest civilian honor congress can bestow. >> we're humbled to be joined by members of the families of our honorees. this medal has put a small token

on the nation's gratitude for the courage you've shown. >> today we know that the movement that transpired from those tragic events liberated not only a people but a nation. mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve military members, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

what are you guys doing? having some fiber! with new phillips' fiber good gummies. they're fruity delicious! just two gummies have 4 grams of fiber! to help support regularity! i want some... [ woman ] hop on over! [ marge ] fiber the fun way, from phillips'. prefer the taste of gevalia house blend

over the taste of starbucks house blend? not that we like tooting our own horn but... ♪ toot toot. [ male announcer ] find gevalia in the coffee aisle or at gevalia.com and in other stories making the news today a big setback for gun control in colorado. two democratic state senators who voted for tough new gun control laws were kicked out of office, recalled in the state's first recall election. the nra spent heavily in this recall effort while new york city mayor michael bloomberg contributed $350,000 to the anti-recall campaigns. in new york city, meanwhile, two disgraced democrats looking for political redemption came up short. former congressman anthony weiner finished in fifth place in the democratic primary for mayor and weiner finished as he began by saying good-bye to a local nbc news reporter with a one-finger salute. classy. former governor elliott spitzer,

meanwhile, lost his bid in the city controller race. two potential 2016 rivals shared the stage last night in philadelphia. former florida governor jeb bush was there as he's the chair of the constitution center as hillary clinton was given the national constitution center's liberty medal, its highest prize. in his opening remarks, bush addressed the elephant in the room, which is their political rivalry. >> but secretary clinton is out of office, so am i. i'm not sure what people will expect to happen here tonight. hillary and i come from different political parties, and we disagree about a few things, but we do agree on the wisdom of the american people, especially those in iowa and new hampshire and south carolina. in fact, i think secretary clinton might be in des moines next week. now, don't actually wear the medal there, madam secretary. >> if hillary clinton is looking to 2016, she certainly wasn't

being politically correct. she again weighed in endorsing the obama approach, which is very unpopular, to syria. >> as you know, the president will address the nation shortly about the assad regime's inhumane use of chemical weapons against innocent men, women, and children. that violates a universal norm at the heart of our global order, and it demands a strong response from the international community led by the united states. this debate is good for our democracy.

before mike could see his banking and investing accounts on one page... before he could easily transfer funds between the two in real time... before he could even think about planning for his daughters' future... mike opened a merrill edge investment account and linked it to his bank of america bank account to help free up plenty of time for the here and now. that's the wonder of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america.

it's delicious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to take an idea and make it happen. i'm janet long and i formed my toffee company through legalzoom. i never really thought i would make money doing what i love. [ robert ] we created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams. go to legalzoom.com today and make your business dream a reality. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. well, many people are saying the president gave two speeches last night, two for the price of one. one a call to arms, the other a call for delay. the payoff could be huge if this russian initiative works. but what are the chances of

that? and what has this entire episode taught us about the mindset of barack obama, commander in chief? joining me now, two experts in all of this. mark halperin, senior analyst for msnbc. and mark goldberg. so mark, you've covered barack obama for a long, long time. how do you read what we have seen in the last couple of weeks regarding syria? >> i think the president's heart is in the right place. he showed that last night. he cares about this for the right reason. he thinks it's a crime against humanity. he cares about all the people who were killed. he mentioned the children regularly for a reason, not because of politics, but he feels it in his heart. i think his law professor mind has thought about the right way to do this, his respect for the constitution, his respect for co-equal branches. on the negative side, i think stage craft international relations matters a lot.

i think i won't be the first to be critical of the way things have been sequenced over the last ten days or so. i think he's left himself now with that speech that on on the one hand, on the other hand, in a very rough place, both in terms of domestic politics and in terms of rallying any sort of coalition at the u.n. or anywhere else to make this come out in a way that achieves his objectives. >> jeff, how is he being viewed in tehran, in jerusalem, in damascus, in moscow? >> each of those capitals has its own issues. look, you know, there is more coherence to these two parts than some people might think. i mean, in fact, the threat of force, though done in a kind of scatter shot, halfhearted way, all the problems in congress, the threat of force is why we're here, is why the russians have put forward a proposal at all, no matter how ridiculous people might think the proposal is, it's there. in jerusalem, for instance,

there are serious doubts about whether he would carry through. on a much harder issue, the iran issue. in damascus, they want to -- they think they have found, i assume, a ploy to keep america from bombing, which is to say, let's just talk about moving our chemical weapons out forever. so you have different reactions in different places. but we're in a pause right now. we're in a real strategic pause. >> well, the question i have, mark, is there a real threat of force if we now know that if he had a vote in congress now, he would lose and lose probably the rest of his second term? dmesing agenda, all the rest of it. how real is the threat of force if he's going to go back to congress? or, if provoked by syria or the diplomacy fails, would he go it alone without coming back to congress? >> he told savannah the other day he's undecided. perhaps he still is about whether he could or would strike with that congress authority. it's hard to see how he gets back to momentum regardless of what happens, barring another

provocation from assad himself. it's hard for me to see how the back and forth with russia at the u.n. gets him more leverage with congress. he needs a lot more leverage if he's going to get a positive vote, even in the senate, let alone in the house. i think it's very difficult. given what the president has said, despite the moral urgency, despite what he said about his ability and constitutional prerogative to strike without, it's very hard for me to see how he does it. i just think intuitively i don't think he would. on the other hand, if it plays out in a way where he can avoid a vote and avoid rebuffing congress somehow, if he gets a signal from congress that's okay, maybe he can. i think he's left himself on that point in a very rough place. >> and what's in it for putin? >> what's in it for putin? well, you know, i start -- when i think about putin, i start with an understanding that the goal of the russian leader is to undercut and undermine the united states, especially in the middle east, but everywhere. so what's in it for him is that

he's protecting a client state. he needs syria. it's a warm water port, as congressman rodgers pointed out, for the russian navy. he gets to subvert obama at the same time as it seems he's helping him, so that makes him feel good. and he et gets to look like he' playing chess against a guy who sometimes appear to be playing checkers. that's a useful thing. we'll see how this plays out. this might not play out very well at all. in a week's time, we'll see the russians are not interested at all for endorsing this under any circumstance. >> briefly, mark, in that case, can you see the president using force as ambivalent as he is about it? >> it's almost impossible to say. both outcomes are unimaginable to me right now based on current facts. i suspect what happens with the russians, what happens at the u.n., what happens perhaps with facts on the ground gives the president -- tips the balance in

one way or the other, either to use force with or without congressional approval. i just can't see him getting a favorable vote with less momentum than he had 48 hours ago. >> mark halperin, thank you. jeff goldberg, as always. coming up, a tribute to those whose lives were lost on september 11th. the attacks 12 years ago. we'll talk to joe daniels, the president and ceo of the national september 11th memorial and museum.

i had pain in my abdomen... it just wouldn't go away.thing. i was spotting, but i had already gone through menopause. these symptoms may be nothing... but they could be early warning signs of a gynecologic cancer, such as cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. feeling bloated for no reason. that's what i remember. seeing my doctor probably saved my life. warning signs are not the same for everyone. if you think something's wrong... see your doctor. ask about gynecologic cancer. and get the inside knowledge. chantix... it's a non-nicotine pill. i didn't want nicotine to give up nicotine. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. [ mike ] when i was taking the chantix, it reduced the urge to smoke. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix.

don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it feels wonderful. i don't smoke. i don't smoke. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. there is a special spot on hallowed ground, ground zero. it memorializes a place and a time in history that will never be forgotten. joining me now is joe daniels, he's the president and ceo of the national september 11th memorial museum. joe, thank you very much for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> let's talk about what you have created there. such a challenge to create one

place that brings all these artifacts together. and it is enormous. i was watching this morning willie geist and some of the things you've collected. what do you think are the significant artifacts that help us to remember? >> you know, the artifacts that we'll have in the museum, they span the spectrum from monumental pieces of steel that really helped communicate the force of collapse, what people in those buildings experienced, down to very smaller artifacts. we have recently got the watch that todd beamer had on flight 93, the passenger who helped lead that counterattack. that watch was found in a field in shanksville, pennsylvania, with the date and calendar still on 11. all these artifacts are going to remind people that those people that died on 9/11, 12 years ago today, were just like us. they simply got up in the morning and went to work. >> tell us why it's so important. let's think about the children

who were born after 9/11, the 11 and 12-year-olds. what do you want them to take from this if they go on boy scout or girl scout tours or with their parents as they grow up? >> you know, fundamentally, it's that we have the ability as a country to take care of one another when the times require. we saw the worst of humanity on 9/11. what those innocent people were subject to, whether they were sipping a cup of coffee, talking to a colleague in one of the towers or if they were a passenger on a plane, what they experienced was inhumane. but in the minutes afterwards, to see the way people, total strangers reached out to care for one another and what we saw in the weeks after, having our children understand that we do have that ability is an incredibly powerful thing and certainly that's one of the messages of this museum we hope next spring. >> does the museum recognize the courage and sacrifice of the

first responders, even those who have survived who have been suffering health issues ever since? >> you know, that story is part of the american fabric right now. this museum will be crystal clear about the recovery period, how tens of thousands of people worked on that pile under hellish conditions for nine months to first look for survivors, then for the remains of those lost, and then to take the first steps in cleaning up and then rebuilding this site. we have a large exhibition, a large section of our museum that will talk about those first responders, those construction and recovery workers. again, it's a part of the american fabric right now. >> controversially, you do acknowledge the terrorists themselves. how is that done, and why do you think it's important to do it? >> you know, it's very important for us to be extremely clear that this was not a natural disaster. this was not an accident. there were people that were so hateful about what we have as a

country, our freedom to say what we want, to practice the religion we want, that they killed all these innocent people. we need to identify that this was al qaeda that did this. you don't build a holocaust museum without indicating it was the nazis who did that. in our museum, we'll have images of the 19 hijackers. they're from fbi evidence. no one will leave here without the understanding that these individuals and al qaeda as a group and an ideology targeted innocent americans. >> well, i know you've raised $200 million. there's more to be raised. so we thank you for what you have done. if you want to donate to the 9/11 memorial knmuseum, log on their website at 911memorial.org. that's 911memorial.org. thanks to joe daniels. we'll be right back. aira. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for her,

she's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap. your husband left his cell phone on. and you're not necessarily proud of that. but tonight, he made the pizza. ...with johnsonville italian sausage. the premium cuts of pork and perfect blend of herbs and spices gave every bite even more flavor. and everyone loved it. and you're definitely proud of that. johnsonville. served with pride since 1945. ♪

[ male announcer ] some things are designed to draw crowds. ♪ ♪ others are designed to leave them behind. ♪ the all-new 2014 lexus is. it's your move.

we haven't forgotten. the city hasn't forgotten certainly the police department hasn't forgotten. the first responders have not forgotten. it's understandable that people want to get along with their lives, but it is important to have the memorial service because it is a reminder of those horrific events and i see it as a reminder for the need for continued vigilance. >> that of course, was ray kelly, the new york city police commissioner with craig melvin today at ground zero on 9/11. craig joining me from the world trade center. craig, did commissioner kelly talk about what has been done since to make new york city safer and what the terror threat level is right now? >> reporter: he said this city is undoubtedly safer than it was 12 years ago, than before the

attack. but he also talked about the danger of people who live in new york being lulled into a sense of kplasantsy, a lot of folks may not realize, in the past ten months alone, according to the commissioner, there have been five plots against new york city. but he said in terms of preparedness and readiness, it's tough to argue that new york city is a lot safer than it was before the attack. >> of course, it's the day after the new york democratic primary and stop and frisk and the commissioner himself was one of the controversial issues and de blasio strongly criticized because of it. >> you know what, those are all issues that i wanted to talk to the commissioner about this morning. but the commissioner was in no mood to talk about any of those things, we should say. the conversation this morning

was firmly about 9/11, new york city then, new york city now, some of the security precautions that have been taken. we should note here that the police presence this morning has as you might imagine been quite heightened. there are also a number of emergency personnel around the site. foot traffic has been considerably heavier than it typically is as well. but no credible threats, andrea, according to the commissioner this morning. >> that's good news indeed. ray kelly has been given a lot of credit for the way he handled the counterterrorism as well. thank you very much, craig melvin from ground zero. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports" tomorrow i'll join you from geneva where we'll follow the meetings with the russian foreign minister lavrov. tamron is next. >> the latest on syria after word that russia has given the

obama commission a plan. but is it something the u.s. can accept? we'll get reaction from the foreign affairs committee and senator tammy baldwin who came out against the strike hours after meeting with the president on capitol hill. where does she stand now. total recall, a big upset for democrats in the first ever recall election. it's a sign that bigger problems could be ahead for the national party when considering colorado. plus, armed accessories. get this, bullet proof school supplies, now the latest sad trend in back to school gear. does it promote a false sense of security. this one is our gut check. s sit down with you and ask. being active. and being with this guy. [ male announcer ] getting to know you is how we help you choose the humana medicare plan that works best for you. mi familia. ♪ [ male announcer ] we want to help you achieve your best health, so you can keep doing the things

that are important to you. taking care of our customers. taking care of her. and the next thing on our list is bungee jumping. [ male announcer ] helping you -- now that's what's important to us. [ crisp crunches ] whoo-hoo-hoo! guess it was. [ male announcer ] pringles, bursting with more flavor.

humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's", we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our auto policies. if you qualify, your rates won't go up due to your first accident. because making mistakes is only human, and so are we. we also offer new car replacement, so if you total your new car, we'll give you the money for a new one. call liberty mutual insurance at... and ask us all about our auto features, like guaranteed repairs, where if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, the repairs are guaranteed for life. so call... to talk with an insurance expert about everything that comes standard with our base auto policy. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

what are you guys doing? having some fiber! with new phillips' fiber good gummies. they're fruity delicious! just two gummies have 4 grams of fiber! to help support regularity! i want some... [ woman ] hop on over! [ marge ] fiber the fun way, from phillips'. new reaction from the white house on syria after new reports that russia has already rejected part of a united nations

resolution. where things stand now and rocky mountain recall. why the first team says democrats across the country should be worried about the gop's victory in colorado yesterday. plus, what could the ipad reveal? police say it could be months before they find out if there's any evidence on the ipad smashed during a fight between george zimmerman and his estranged wife. the latest on this investigation and new details for you. news nation is following late word from russia that moscow has given the obama administration the plan for placing syria's chemical weapons under international control. however, there's already a potential snag in those plans with russia reportedly objecting to any u.n. resolution that includes the use of force if syria does not comply. still in the past hour, white house pret secretary jay carney remained