i think that we will see amendments around that. 564, you said it. that just shows you united states senators have been waiting to have their say and now they will weigh in. the challenge for senator baucus is to keep the bill essentially intact so you are not starting over. the president wants it done by the end of the year. >> what stuns me is the unwillingness to release choice for the customers. have you to buy health insurance. i will not let you go to the exchange if you are on an unemployer-based plan. it's like creating forced customers for the insurance companies, without liberating the customer to have a choice. it tracks me up. welcome back, jonathan. and fred weber joining us. and a registered lobbyists.

fred, if i could, i would like to begin with you. how is it this process will work? in other words, how is it the lobbyist -- if you were a lobbyist for a an insurance company, and you wanted to try to prevent any further erosion in your territory or any real competition for your business, what would you do? >> well the first thing i would do is make sure my champions are in line on the committee and eventually on the floor of the senate. this is a defining moment for this bill. this week is going to be critically important. and senator baucus has already acknowledged he will compromise. he sent out signals. he knows affordability is a big issue. i am frankly optimistic they will get a bill. the train may be leaving the station and it's lats in te in

game, and just keep in mind, though, president obama is following the lbj example of 1965 when he pushed medicare through. two professors wrote a book that was covered in the "new york times." he wants speed and make sure he gets the economists under control, and he wants his staff to work behind the scenes to make sure it goes his way, and he has passion. and that passion will carry the day in my humble opinion. >> and yeah, the public option, the government mandate, and paying for reform. what is your reporting show the state of play from the lobbying side, whether it's from health insurance or unions or benefits or manage juries who ever is in the room with the most to gain or lose. who is most excited and who is most terrified at this moment? >> there is a lot of lobbying going on. it's a full employment plan for lobbyist if nothing else.

the folks upset are unions, i am getting the feeling. the tax on insurance. they say that will fight on the insurance plans. they want to knock down the tax a bit. insurers are not worried about the public plan trigger that olympia snow put out. they are happy about the mandate that will give them new customers. small business remains pretty concerned as does large business because they are worried about the process and getting mandate on them having to provide insurance. what about patients and doctors? >> nobody is trying to touch doctors. they are keeping it together. and primary care doctors are going to get a boost in patients. and patients, you and i, the people that use the health care

system, we are not organized, we are called taxpayers or consumer -- >> how about an easy mark? >> exactly. yeah, not a good lobby for people using the health care system. and so there are ways in which they will be helpful. ways in which things will not be there? >> fred weber, that's concerning. we want to create more health care cheaper, and i don't know why we are reforming health care because a lot of decisions don't go to that. what should we watch for? what are the signs that shows they have been able to take it off track? >> you have 160 million americans that are insured, and you have 46 million americans

who are uninsured. this is grassroots at its best and most powerful. you can have all the lobbyists you want, but i would listen to the public drum. people are worried. this is like the third rail of politics. lobbyists can have their day, but to me the public opinion and public sector is having a lot of say on this directly and indirectly. >> fred, thank you very much. jonathan, we will get you in here in a second. it's nice to have you back from vacation. and capehart is probably the smartest person we have going on around here, other than ezra and fred. now i am pandering. we will talk health care. check out my blog. this speaks to how anti-competitive the health care system is and how it's

outrageous for the government to force us to buy health insurance without releasing true competition in the health insurance market. pretty wild, anyway. flooding killed at least seven people including a toddler in georgia. more rain in the forecast for the area. the governor declared a state of emergency for the 17 counties hardest hit by the flooding. ron, how does it look where you are? >> reporter: folks have been reported missing. six or seven were missing in douglas counting. we are checking to see what the missing number is at this point. i talked to a neighbor this morning who says his rain gauge outside his house, 20 1/2 inches of rain in the past five days here. that's a lot of water, folks. i am standing hear an kul to knee-high water. see the pick up behind me.

the gentleman that was driving that had to be rescued by officers overnight. and there have been 60 rescued so far. more rain on the way today. don't know what sort of rain totals that's going to bring. there is another system behind that. this is going to be a rough week for the atlanta metro area, and atlanta, georgia, too. >> yeah, you have 200 roads closing alone. thank you for keeping us in the loop. appreciate that. the homeland security department are saying subway and buses and trains make inviting targets for terrorists. authorities want law enforcement to conduct random sweeps and backpack checks. investigators believe the colorado man may have plotted to detonate backpack bombs aboard

new york city trains. a dozen people may have been involved in that plot. on "today" clinton said the afghans need to do their part, to fight corruption and violence in their own country. >> i think the president is prudent in wanting to take time to see how the political situation levels out. can you help somebody fight a battle, but you can't fight the battle for them. they have to fight with you. that's what i think the president is saying. >> the top commander, mcchrystal, wants more troops to be sent to afghanistan. the pentagon reportedly told mcchrystal to hold off in making the question. and then president obama is expected to speak about climate change. and it's the first u.n. speech

for the president. president obama visited the late show with david letterman. and he asked obama about jimmy carter's comments on racism. >> first of all, i think it's important to realize that i was actually black before the election. so the american people, i think, gave me this extraordinary honor, and that tells you, i think, a lot about where the country is at. i actually think that what has happened is that when ever a president tries to bring about significant changes, particularly during times of economic unease, then there is a certain segment of the population that gets very riled up. >> we will have more on the president's "late show" appearance coming up in the

break room, dylan. thank you. and we have a tell-all book here on george bush, what the author is planning to do with the book. and then president obama talking at the united nations about climate change. can he use his international star power to get the peace process back on track. and tom delay's less than stellar debut on "dancing with the stars." woman: tyson any'tizers are the perfect football finger food. no matter how big the fingers are. with unbeatable prices on tyson any'tizers-- game time costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart.

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welcome back.

the president is making his debut at the united nations, on climate change. first up, we will bring you the president's rocemarks as so as he gets. president obama will hold face-to-face talks with the leaders of pal stein and israel. first, obama will meet with netanyahu, and then he will meet with palestinian authority leader, abbas. and then they will talk about new ways to resume peace talks which broke off last year. the two sides remain far apart. and >> and america will not turn our

backs on the aspiration for dignity and opportunity and a state of their own. >> nobody is going into the three-way talks publicly indicating a break through. there are no grand expectations out of just one meeting, as you might imagine. >> i can clearly imagine. his willingness to entertain all of the different issues at the same time is quite stunning, really. we are joined by film and television producer. his next film opens october 2nd. and i think his decision to turn into a political activist of sorts out of hollywood, but not from the deep left but from the center right, which i think makes you interesting, gavin. welcome to the conversation. and also with us, an expert on the middle east, and you can see jonathan and ezra. gavin, if you were the president of the united states and you look at the cairo speech and his

proclamation of straight talk and true talk and real talk about all issues in this country, how would you frame the conversation between the palestinians and israelis to move to the next phase of debate, if you will? >> i don't know if you can hear gavin, but i cannot. they are out to get you, gavin. they have your microphone turned off. ruth, same to you. >> i think there needs to be pressure on both sides to come to the table. >> be specific. where would you apply the pressure? >> i think israel has to free settles, but we need to talk about what the palestinians need to be doing. they need to be adaptable, since the right of return for refugees. >> gavin, do i have you back? >> yes. can you hear me? >> did you hear my question

before? >> i did. >> then go ahead. >> i think it's simple, we have had a policy for 40 years, and we have given israel a blank check, and it has not worked for middle east peace. i think we need to start to put pressure on the israelis by telling we will with draw the blank check and not support them in the u.n. if they don't move far from their position where it's right now to accommodate the palestinians and create the two-state solution to stop the settles and bring about peace. >> would that be creditable, does the powers that be have the guts to do that? >> well, so far we have not seen that. obama has taken a small step in that direction. obviously, like with all the different things that you talk about on this show, it all starts from money and politics. the israeli lobby has been able

to inform their will. between 45% and 60% of the money contributed to the democratic party came from jewish individuals and groups who have a proisrael bend. it's going to take a lot of leadership from obama to change course, but it's going to create a better situation for us. we will have more influence in the world. i do believe that it would lead to middle east peace. >> do you agree with that? >> i disagree somewhat. >> where? >> apack is very strong and has an influence on the government, i think it's not in president's obama's interest to say we are going to pull the plug on money. that has long term strategic implicatio implications. i don't think president obama wants to do that. i don't think it's just the pressure from apac. >> how much does it hurt negotiating leverage, gavin, with iran and other forces in

the middle east that israel retains the exemption from nonnuclear proliferation? as we walk around and being aggressive about nuclear material, we do provide the exemption for israel. >> i think it's not only in the middle east, but all over the world. we maintain two platforms, one for israel and one for the rest of the world. israel is not a member of the treaty and we ignore it and give them tons of money. and we say you should become democratic and not engage in racists practices. and israel is not democratic when it comes to all of their population, and they engage in a light version when it comes to the palestinian people. it under minds our credibility. i don't know how we have influence with the rest of the world. >> it's not about should we do this with israel or that with

israel, but to what extent to how we relate to israel hurt our creditability? >> i think it influences our relationship. >> well, should the relationships increase the quality of diplomatic leverage? >> i think we need to be more evenhanded. i still think that strategically we do look at israel as a parted inner, and i think we could not more even-handed towards the palestinians. >> gavin, thank you, and hope to see you soon. ruth, thank you. and ezra and jonathan you did a great job of looking lovely in the quad box. we will get to you shortly. perhaps a sign of the times. chrysler ditching the standard

owner's manual as newspapers shrink, everything moves to the internet. how would you like to a digital car manual. we are plugging in as america turns digital after this.

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all right. an automaker going paperless. contessa brewer with more plugging in. >> chrysler is ditching the paper manuels. you know how you open the glove compartment, and it's there. you may have five manuals or four pounds of paper. here is a way of saving money and going green. we will give you a dvd. you have to go into the house

and plug the dvd into your computer. >> what if something blows on the interstate. >> and what if you have to do something with the battery, and problematic i would think. >> yeah, saves thousands and thousands of trees. here is the university of oregon coach, who apparently had a bad game against boise state. and one of the alumni paid a lot of money to see the game, and he said i am furious. forget this, you owe me my money back. he sent the coach saying i am furious with your game, and then an invoice. give me my money back. he wrote the guy a personal check for the invoice and it was more than $400. it turned the fan around. and he said this coach is my

guy. >> yeah, if we give people their two hours back. >> yeah, and now that it's on tv, he may have more invoices coming up. >> and then there is a special thing in the glove box that does give you fuses and batteries. >> there is a little one sheet for the mission critical. >> actually it has it on the back of the fuse box, too. >> although the battery is not there. when the insiders kiss and tell. is this a way to make money? is this democracy? is this outrageous? what is this? george w. bush, lots of dish in a new book. the author, here. what president bush said from obama to palin. heard the saying less is more?

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welcome back to the "morning meeting." time to reset the agenda halfway through the first hour. democrats and republicans all vying for their chance to carve it up. over 500 amendments being offered as we speak. the question is will we recognize the bill when all is said and done?

and how will patients fair in the debate? far from capitol hill, figuratively and literally. toure breaking down the 62-year-old's moves in the break room, coming up. and then clinton going under the microscope in the new book. everything from his relationship from hillary to boris yeltsin, and drunk in his underwear. we will talk to some of the book authors in a second. finally, the opening bell. can you see they are ringing it on wall street. the hours are pointing up in asia. in the meantime, let's get started here at the meeting. there is a new chapter this

morning, 11 of them to be exact. a former speechwriter out with a new book, taking readers inside the white house. >> matt is also facing criticism from the left and from the right. it's called "speech-less." and he says george w. bush was not evil or stupid, but was not a good leader. he writes you want presidents to fight for things you believe in. that's what i wanted. maybe i w he is working for such senators as jon kyle. >> nice to see you. >> what is your intention in writing the book? >> i wanted to give people a

glimpse of washington from a perspective of somebody that came from the middle of the country, michigan. i advanced and believed in the ideals of the reagan conservative movement. and i wanted people to see from both sides of the aisle what washington is really like? >> what about people saying it's inappropriate to do the kiss and tell? it's intriguing and gossip gets's peoples' attention, but is it appropriate? >> well, it's not just about the bush administration, but my entire experience in washington. there are lots of great books about their time with presidents and talking about insided conversations. members of the bush administration have done that. karl rove and dick cheney are

going to write a book. >> it's the content that you are releasing. ezra, have you a question. what is going on? >> you had a great story in there when t.a.r.p. was being done, and george w. book goes and can't get it right in the speech. and he turns to everybody and says why am i supporting this policy if i don't understand it? that was a very signal moment, and tell us what went through your head when you heard it? >> the president was told something that was not correct. it was not that the president did not understand the legislation, but the -- >> what legislation was being discussed? >> the t.a.r.p. package. and so this is when hank paulson, who was the treasury secretary said i can liquefy the toxic assets if you give me $800 billion. right, they took the billions

and gave it to the bank, and never did such a thing. but what was misrepresenting about that? >> well, he was misrepresenting what the bill was going to do. the president said he was going to buy low and sell high. you are thinking the president was stupid enough to think what i was thinking, which is what we were being told? i am kidding. the president simply understood the same thing as myself and everybody else understood, is they needed $800 billion to low ball the banks and then ride low and sell high in order to create liquidity, and then used that to get the authorization and then gave the money to the banks. >> i don't know what they did. >> jonathan, do you have a question? >> you already have been attacked as other people that

have been critical of the president have been attacked. two questions. one, why should anybody believe the stories that you have in your book? two, do you think by talking about the conversations with the president that you will send a chill through future administrations where the president might not trust the speechwriter or staff member who is in the oval office with him or her and fearful that one day this private conversation, what they think is a private conversation will end up in print some day? >> i think every president is aware when he runs for president, you give up a lot of your privacy. the american people are my boss as well as the president. i think the people have a right to know things about the administrations. i say things that i have done that were dumb or foolish. it's my story, and it's not the book about the george bush. >> and william mcgurn has a

piece in the wall street journal. he said bringing him into the oval and getting him on air force one was an attempt on my part to get the president to warm up to him. your response? >> i like bill, and worked well with him. he praised by work repeatedly. some of the things he is saying in his column are already being debunked. i think the american people have a right to see a perspective from somebody who was not a fanatic or didn't hate the president, and it's just my perspective. >> it has a lot of kiss and tell aspects to it. but in a sentence, what is your objective in publishing this

book sthoo i think on both sides of the aisle, people believe washington is broken. and they tell us what we want to hear and then come to washington and get elected and forget. the power and the privileges and the special perks in washington pull you away from the values you believe in. i think people need to recognize that so we can do something about it. >> matt, a pleasure. thank you for having a conversation with us. contessa, what is going on. investigators will return to the home of nancy and phillip garrido. they are looking for clues from two other kidnapping cases back in the 1980s. and nbc's george lewis is there in antioch, california. george, what are they looking for? >> reporter: well, contessa, they are looking for any evidence of buried bodies in the garrido backyard.

what they are trying to see if nancy and phillip garrido could be tied to the kidnappings of two other little girls. the mo is remarkably similar to the jaycee dugard kidnapping. they were snatched off the street in broad daylight, and taken away in old cars. and one of the cars was similar to the one taken off the garrido land earlier. and so far police say they have found nothing of significance that would tie the garridos into the old kidnappings. the mother of michaela garecht, one of the mothers kidnapped was here yesterday to thank police for their continued interest in the case. she says it's very frustrating not having any new information about the fate of her daughter.

>> it's been very stressful. today, knowing what is going on here, i had a very hard day. have not been feeling very well. >> reporter: contessa, you can imagine what is going through her mind. if jaycee dugard was found alive, maybe her daughter was found alive. but there is a disappointment that the police have not found any evidence tying garrido to her disappearance. well, a healthy fund-raiser has been indicted for running a ponzi scheme, starting back in 1998. he is accused of fusing fake documents and signatures to get millions in loans from banks. he is under house arrest as part of a $25 million bail package. after $14 trillion in

taxpayer bailouts, word the banks may come to the rescue of the government. "the new york times" reports the fdic is considering having the healthy banks lend millions to bank depositors. and the fund is quickly running out of money. and check out this video. a drug bust in poke county, florida. turned into a day at the arcade for police officers. the police officers were playing wiscons wii. for nine hours. the sheriff said he launched an internal investigation. >> it's an embarrassment. we play 1800 people and not one is perfect. we all make a mistake.

>> yeah, 16 detectives spent nine hours searching the property. i wish you could see my fingers, because i am doing quotation marks. searching. the cost of taxpayers here, $4,000. okay, breaking news. here we go. this is a live picture from our nbc affiliate in atlanta. you can see those floods have now just buried the bottom part of the coaster. this is a very difficult situation. we know there are more than 200 roads closed in cobb county alone. and in some parts, dylan, 22 inches of rain over the past few days. it shut down roads and schools, and at least six people were killed, including this horrific story of a dad holding on to a toddler, and then the toddler got ripped out of his arms as he is trying to hold on to a bush.

and, again, these live pictures coming to us from the chopper there from wxia. this amusement park dealing with a lot of flooding, too. obviously closed. it's just an incredible problem. now they are expecting some more severe weather. we will keep our eye on that throughout the day. >> thank you so much. we will take a break. after the brief messages, we are back. 100,000 gay couples tying the knot yesterday, and that's more than on record. is america more gay than we realize? that's after this. okay. you were right. these healthy choice fresh mixer thingys, they taste fresh... say it again! say it like, "mmmm, these healthy choice fresh mixers taste freshh!!" they taste fresh... wait. what are you doing?

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♪ yeah. we join the president at the u.n. on climate change. >> climate change is serious. it's urgent and it is growing. our generation's response to the challenge will be judged by history. for if we fail to meet it boldly, swiftly and together, we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe. no nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change. rising sea levels threaten every coastline. powerful storms threaten every

continent. and hunger and conflict already 35. on shrinking islands families are being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees. all peoples, our prosperity and health and safety are in jeopardy. the time that we have to reverse this tide is running out. and yet we can reverse it. john f. kennedy once observed our problems are man made, and therefore they may be solved by man. and it's true that for too many years mankind has been slow to respond or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. it's true of my own country as well. we recognize that. but this is a new day. it's a new era. i am proud to say the united states has done more to promote

clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than any other time in our history. we are making the government's largest ever investment in renewable energy, and an investment aimed at generating the capacity of wind and other renewable sources in three years. and they are constructing hybrid batteries for cars with the help of guarantees and tax credits. that's creating new jobs and industries. we are investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes and buildings and appliances, and helping american families save energy bills in the process. and we propose the first national policy aimed at increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks. a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil.

we are moving forward our nation's first offshore wind energy projects and investing billions to capture carbon pollution so we can clean up our coal plants and just this week, we announced that for the first time ever we will begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country. later this week, i will work with my colleagues at the g-20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so we can better address our climate khan challenge and already we know the recent drop in overall u.s. emissions is due, in part, to steps that promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy. most importantly, the house of representatives passed an an energy and climate bill in june that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy for american businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. one committee has already acted on this bill in the senate and i look forward to engaging with

others as we move forward. because no one nation can meet this challenge alone, the united states is also engaged more allies and partners in finding a solution than ever before. in april, we convened the first of what have now been six meetings of the major economy's forum on energy and climate here in the united states. in trinidad, i proposed and their government. we understand the gravity of the

climate threat. we are determined to act and we will meet our responsibility to future generations. but though many of our nations have taken bold action and share in this determination, we did not come here to celebrate progress today. we came because there's so much more progress to be made. we came because there's so much more work to be done. it is work that will not be easy. as we head towards copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us. we seek sweeping, but necessary, change in the midst of a global recession where every nation's most immediate priority is reviving their economy and putting their people back it to work. and so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge. but i'm here today to say that

difficulty is no excuse for complacency unease is excuse for inaction and we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress. each of us must do what we can, when we can, to grow our economies without endangering our planet and we must all do it together. we must seize the opportunity to make copenhagen a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change. we also cannot allow the old divisions that have characterized the climate debate for so many years to block our progress. yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead and that includes the united states and we will continue to do so by investing in renewable energy and promoting greater efficiency and slashing our missions to reach the targets that we set for 2020

an our long-term goal for 2050 but those rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all of the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part as well. some of these nations have already made great strides with the development and deployment of clean energy. still, they need to commit to strong measures at home and agree to stand behind those commitments just as the developed nations must stand behind their own. we cannot meet this challenge unless all of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. there's no other way. we must also energize our efforts to put other developing nations, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, on a path to sustained growth. these nations do not have the same resources to combat climate change as countries like the united states or china do. but they have the most immediate stake in a solution.

for these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet. drought, disappearing coastal villages and the conflicts that arise from scarce resources. their future is no longer a choice between a growing economy and a cleaner planet because their survival depends on both. it will do little good to alleviate poverty if you can no longer harvest your crops or find drinkable waters and that is why we have a responsibility to provide the financial and technical assistance needed to help these nations adept to the impact of climate changes and pursue low carbon development. what we are seeing, after all, is not simply an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. we seek an agreement that will allow all nations to grow and raise living standards without endangering the planet. by developing and disseminating

clean technology and sharing our know-how, we can help developing nations leapfrog dirty energy technologies and reduce danger emissions. mr. secretary, as we meet here today, the good news is that after too many years of inaction and denial, there's finally widespread recognition of the urgency of the challenge before us. we know what needs to be done. we know that our planet's future depends on a global commitment to permanently reduce greenhouse gas pollution. we know that if we put the right rules and incentives in place, we will unleash the creative power of our best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to build a better world. and so many nations have already taken the first step on the journey towards that goal. but the journey is long. and the journey is hard. and we don't have much time left to make that journey.

it's a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setbacks and fight for every inch of progress even when it comes in fits and starts. so let us begin. for if we are plexible and pragmatic, if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort then we will achieve our common purpose, a world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found and a future that is worthy of our children. thank you very much. >> again, the president with compelling rhetoric on climate change. a big debate coming in this country on how we will deal with our own carbon emissions and deal dimt kalli with the world. the president preparing meaningful conversations on peace in the middle east, specifically with israel and palestine. we will take a break here as the u.n. general assembly gets under

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welcome back. good morning. i'm dylan ratigan. topping our agenda will lawmakers take a scalpel or a blow torch toward the baucus bill? right now, the senate finance committee starting the process of taking up amend amounts one of them would give us choice. we know afford ability is on the top of the list but without free competition why does the taxpayer have to step in and deal with the afford ability? several missing in alabama and tennessee and a toddler swept away when a creek ripped

apart his family's trailer home. we heard from the bush speechwriter but this an authorized biography. bill clinton's relation with hillary and his underwear. why did he open your private interviews? plus another installment of america the great. this is the third time we've done this on the "morning meeting." we talk a lot about lobbyists. it's a huge issue in health care specifically. maybe prevent us from getting real choice in our health care and we are telling you today about a great way to keep track of where the money is going so you find yourself by law forced to buy health insurance that you can't choose for yourself you'll know how and why that happened. it's 10:00 a.m. pull up a chair and join the "morning meeting."

senators on the finance committee beginning task of slicing and dicing the health care reform bill over the next few days and voting on more than 500 amendments, one of them may let us choose our own health care away from our employers. think about that. madness! jay rockefeller offering more than 40 amendments himself and some are tweaks. fun with lawyers and paper work abounds. nbc capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell joins us with breakdown. what is going on? >> good morning. everyone brought their red pen to work today. they are going over a total 564 amendments and whittle that down and probably lots of duplication within that. we know the negotiators are three democrats and three democrats but the committee is more than two dozen. the other members get a voice now. it started off from the top democrat and the top republican who sort of set the stage for us. >> progress occurs when

courageous skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. my colleagues, this is our opportunity to make history. >> i have a feeling that the white house and the leadership on your side grew impatient and through artificial deadlines, forced us to where we are today. it seems to me that some people in the senate would rather have it done right now, instead of being done right. >> it's been great working with you. >> of course. >> and i always has been and will be in the future. i very much hope we can find some agreement here. my door is always open. >> i know. >> i hope we can find a way where you and others can be part of this moment in history. >> we're having a little technical issue here.

i can no longer hear dylan so let me vamp for a second. the point is we think it will take from a few days of work to as much as two to three weeks. that gives you an idea of the swing two parties have two very different ideas of how long this work will take. . shape a bill what happens going forward. all of the detail here could have an impact on everyone's lives as they try to figure out some sort of plan that would be passable in the senate. >> it's been good for the health insurance stock which is trending higher. it's a direct correlation to their ability to generate profits which is not a bad thing as long as the profit generation doesn't come by screwing everybody else. the baucus bill sure to go under changes from all of these amendment. will they be better or drive the insurance stocks higher at everybody else's expense? go to any of the financial web

sites and take a look at united health and etna and others. with us to discuss it, former registered lobbyist who has had heed up lobbying efforts and jonathan capehart and ezra klein. jonathan, what is your sense of the path to legislation? in other words, is there a road to legislation that actually reforms health care that you can see? >> well, look. we're on that path right now. we have to remember something here, that there is a process that's involved here and the bill that senator baucus put out last week certainly is not going to be the bill that the senate ultimately votes on and these 564 amendments, i'm glad kelly pointed out, a lot of them are probably duplicates and as they whittle them down, they'll come up with a bill that, hopefully,

can pass the committee and hopefully pass the senate. this is the sausage making part of the process that's not pretty. i would suspect that those health care stocks you're watching daily will go up and down as the process moves forward. >> i noticed it the past two months they have continued to trend higher as it becomes clearer the employer-based system is safe which means the insurance companies get to hide behind competitive force there and the public option is by no means a legitimate threat. how can the politicians force a mandate and talk about taxing people to force them to buy health insurance and yet protect the health insurance providers themselves from any competitive force? >> what is encouraging a couple don't want to do that. a couple of amendments to watch. one from wyden. the free choice amendment would allow individuals to go into these health insurance exchanges and get a subsidy from their employer and choose their own insurance. the other amendment which isn't getting as much attention but similarly important is from olympia snowe and that would open the exchanges to all

employers no matter their size by 2013. you put the two together it doesn't matter who you are, a person or employer, you can leave your current arrangement and look at dozens of choices. you add those in the bill and you have a much better bill. >> excellent. we will keep track of the wyden and snowe amendment proposals to see how they fare. fred, from a lobbying perspecti perspecti perspective, you had strong comments at the top of the 9:00 hour. if you look at those who lobby against free choice whether the snowe or wyden amendment it would tend from what we can tell and from my reporting and the unions don't like it because it niches their leverage in recruiting new members into the union. the benefits management companies that prepare all of the benefits for the ges of the world don't like it because, again, they make their money preparing benefits. how do we expose the lobbying efforts by those special interests at the expense of rest of us who would like to have

free choice with our health care? >> i think a lot is going to be written about those negative efforts and in the final unless i do not think the unions and others are going to prevail. listen to my senator, olympia snowe and i'm proud of how she postured herself in this debate. she worries about afford ability. we talked about her amendment a few minutes ago. she would like to see a bill passed and signed into law. so i think with that kind of momentum and with the kind of meeting that eric cantor had in richmond last night with bobby scott and it was a very civilized debate, many republicans are changing their tone. they will smoke out those who are opposing, but they are also going to moderate their positions a little bit because they know -- they know that all of america is watching and they know that they can't for long continue to be a negative force. >> thank you very much, fred for joining us. we look forward to talk with you throughout this process. for more on my thoughts about

the employer-based health care model check out my blog on the huffington post. it speaks not only to that wyden amendment but, again, senator snowe's amendment that ezra poise out so effectively both of which would simply release real choice to all of us to either choose the employer-based health care model or, if we so desire, choose to buy our health insurance at an exchange or another location in a real competitive marketplace. how you can force americans to buy health insurance without forcing corporations and liberating the masses is beyond me. anyway, contessa has the balance of today's news including the terrible storms down south. >> there are 17 counts under states of emergency. this is the video coming to us from six flags over georgia. wxia's chopper over the scene there. this is in austell, georgia, next to the chattahoochee river. you can tell the water now has

buried the lower parts of this roller coaster and this is the least of the worries for some of the folks there in georgia. as it stands now, six people have died. let's get to nbc's ron mon terks in powder springs, georgia. i see there is no rain right now. is the forecast calling for more showers? >> unfortunately, contessa, yes. the forecast is calling for showers this afternoon and probably more severe rain as we get into wednesday and thursday. i want to update the fatalities here. we're now up to eight, as i understand, and of great concern this hour is a number of people are still missing. a lot of motorists on the road yesterday. in fact, i got stuck for 4 1/2 hours trying to make it to my "nbc nightly newnb"nbc nightly got to the shot because the weather was so bad. people driving through water like this and unfortunately a number of people swept away. a number of people are missing. i loaned a pair of waders to a homeowner back here trying to collect whatever he can save

here. he did bring out two kittens. they were concerned for the kittens' safety and they did make it out alive. he never thought the water would ever get this high. the kittens made it through the night and have been taken out of the house and everything else is a complete loss and unfortunately for them, no insurance to protect those losses so a lot of folks here waiting to try to get started on the cleanup but you can see hopkins road won't allow that for some time. >> ron mott, we will check back in with you throughout the day. breaking news coming from counterterrorism officials in washington. they have issued concerns to local law enforcement will hotels and sports stadiums being attacked. they don't know of any specific plot but that these could be inviting targets. again, fbi and homeland security sent two bulletins to police around the country saying mass tr tr transit make for targets.

check backpacks on the heels of the terror arrests in colorado and now security bulletin about terrorists interests in attacking sports stadiums and hotels and we will get more information throughout the day for you. getting rolling in this hour of the "morning meeting." up next inside the clinton years. the aurnl of in new book goes one-on-one with his relationship with his wife and why did clinton do this book now? what is he hoping to accomplish by granting these interviews and will it happen? the first excerpts from the book coming up. you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but those days came and went, and the cigarettes remained. but today's a new day. and a few simple steps

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welcome back to "morning meeting." i'm contessa brewer. last hour, we took you inside the bush white house with a former speech writer and his new tell-all book. this hour is the clinton years. taylor branch conducted 69 secret interviews with then

commander in chief. the result is this new book called "the clinton tapes." it provides an inside look into the ups and downs of the clinton administration, even as the former president weighs in on challenges facing the current commander in chief. he sat down with "today" matt lauer this morning and gave this assessment of the threat posed by iran leader mahmoud ahmadinejad and whether the u.s. should engage him. >> the question is whether this is strategy and ploy and whether we can find some way to do it, or whether he is just what he seems to be and nothing more, that is, a guy if he had these kind of weapons would be dangerous and crazy enough to put his whole civilization at risk by using them. >> back to the book for a moment. the author says clinton is somewhat nervous about the book's release saying i can't imagine what people are going to make of it. dylan? >> thank you very much,

contessa. why would the president want to have such revealing talks and why would he want to have a book like this come out at this particular point in time? let's welcome in a clinton speech writer josh gottenheimer joins us. what is your sense the president would like to do a book about this? you get a sense of some of the gossipy access. they go towards lewinsky and all of that. at least that is the sort of thing that gets pulled out. >> it's not him doing the book, remember. >> he agreed to the interviews? >> during the presidency, he did these interviews and president clinton was a huge history buff. years later, it's very hard to remember exactly what you were going through just then. arthur schlesinger did this for kennedy and wrote incredible book after his presidency.

i think the president wanted others and historians who appreciate his presidency to understand what was going on and that is what he was thinking during the time. >> one of the great criticisms what was the president doing when there were memos about al qaeda and this sort of thing. was he distracted when financial policies were implemented in the late '90s that liberated aig and all of this sort of thing. how do you think this book will portray the president's focus and priorities overall some. >> what you will see, from what i understand, is incredible breadth what he was doing at any time. he can focus on the global economy and at the same time talk about what is going on overseas during the middle east peace process. we will get an appreciation what he was doing so much every day and he was amazed every time he sat down with him what was going on. >> you look at the consequences like commodity futures and modernization and how disastrous that was and shows how much more

room for improvement there is. >> president clinton says now if he knew -- >> of course, no i get it for sure but let's fix it. >> the bush years that went on. >> absolutely. >> president bush did nothing and sat there -- >> i'm not trying to indict president clinton and not trying to bring up your defense. >> no, no, no. >> i have no -- i've met the president and understand his intellectual capacity. he is an incredible individual and his capabilities but the point is even with somebody with that level of capability the fact that legislation that can turn out to be so disastrous, you get it. >> exactly we learn from what he was doing. >> a lesson for all of us. i want to play a clip of the interviewer, taylor branch, talking to the former president about his marriage with current secretary of state hillary clinton. take a listen. >> political marriage, you know, that's not right. there's enormous warmth. i'm not saying erotic warmth, but enormous warmth that you can see and a partnership -- >> how does the relationship

with hillary, how will it play, you think, in this book? >> well, i've worked for both of them and what all of us have seen when it's not on camera, but actually behind the scenes, is an enormous warmth. people who have a marriage that they come home and talk, they come home at the end of the day and talk about what is going on, you see in this book interacting with chelsea and helping with her homework. this is a issue other families deal with. when i was traveling with president clinton if they were in different places and president clinton would talk about the day and how she is doing and i think people will see that and i think you'll have a different perception things that are said out there. >> josh, thank you. >> thanks for having me. trender talker, 150,000 gay couples tied the knot last year more than any other wedding or civil union count for gay marriages there. is america gayer than we thought? trend or talker? after this. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 yeah, i know what you mean... tdd# 1-800-345-2550 when my broker said, "i make money when you make money,"

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time for trend or talker. are they a part after bigger trend or a way to pass time at the water cooler. get ready for this. america gayer than you thought? are the number of gay americans increasing or are we getting better data and stronger gay ar if you will. here we go, gentlemen! the consensus -- the census

released first numbers on gay marriage in america. we have a trable according to the research nearly 150,000 same-sex couples reported being married last year. interesting. that's many more than the number of actual weddings and civil unions that were recorded. ezra, yet another government data gap? >> this is as american as having a girlfriend in niagara falls. i think evidence brings us more that brings us together than sets us apart. >> next, project gaydar. want to know if a friend on facebook is gay? two students created a software program to determine your sexual orientation even if you don't post it. the program apparently scans a person's online friends for gender and sexuality and makes a prediction. the analysis seems to work in identifying gay men, jonathan capehart, but was not able to decipher the lesbians or

bisexuals. >> i'm not touching that! please! kids, spend your time trying to graduate early. if you want to ask your gaydar, mine has been operational since 1989. >> you probably a hefty charge for that machinery. >> absolutely. >> did you know porn makes you gay? >> i thought porn made you feel lonely. >> that's what representative tom coburn was overheard last weekend saying. quote. >> oh, my god! so that explains it, dylan! >> but for others, it's value voter summit, gay marriage seems to be fading as a focal point. a friend of the meeting nate silver pointing out on his blog that this year, gay marriage was the third ranked concern for some of the attendees compared to 2007. yes, when there was a total of

one quad rilon dollars worth in our economy our economic system was in a sham and number one concern, can gay people get married? thank you, gentlemen, for playing. we will get into health care with ezra still. i want to learn more about that snowe amendment on choice and much more ahead in the next half hour. stick around. back after these brief messages. most for headaches. for arthritis pain... in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers.. and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever. upbeat rock ♪ so i could hear myself myseas a ringtone ♪hone ♪

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reverse bailout. 94 bank failures so far this year and fdic insurance fund that protects depositors is running on empty. 10 billion left in that fund and 32 billion earmarked for anticipated bank failures in the months ahead. one single failure to wipe occupy the entire fdic. the fund that is. instead of going to the treasury for more money, "the new york times" reports senior fdic officials are taking a serious look at having the healthier banks loan billions of dollars to the fdic. >> hen i didn't blage is back with us and ezra klein. people understand that put taxpayer money you and the banks made a large fortune and nobody is happy about it. the frustration is obvious. how does this factor into that? >> the fdic guarantees your deposit and it's safe and that

is good because in the depression it wasn't safe and people got creamed so great we have the fdic. the fdic gets the money to insure the deposits from banks. >> banks pay a fee. >> now, however, banks so stupid lending money the fdic is out of money and need more money. couple of options. you could go to the treasury and say lend us some money. you could go to the banks and say we have to hit you with a onetime big tax and the banks don't want that because it will kill their earnings a little bit. healthy banks will lend the fdic money and that is good. >> it's good, but i guess the fear is that it's like somebody is drowning and you send somebody to save the drowning individual and they drowned and you send somebody to save them and you go from 1 to 10 to 20 drowning victims. >> this is where the bailout comes in. it's a sneaky bailout. because, of course, this loan is

going to be guaranteed by the government because no way the government is going to sit and have the big banks that make the loan get hurt by it so probably implicit guarantee there but, still, we have do have some reasonable healthy banks, at least on the surface, in part from the bailouts. why not put free money to work? >> ezra, you've been so effective on health care in illustrating basically who it is the government is working for and what the agenda is. in the case of the banks, most people seem to pretty clearly understand what the agenda is but feel fairly helpless to deal with it. what is your sense of washington's willingness to represent the people relative to the banking system in the context of their understanding of health care? do a little compare and contrast, if you wouldn't mind. >> i had an interesting conversation with barney frank yesterday and i was saying to him, you know, aren't we just going to get overrun by the big banks? how do you get financial regulation at this point? he basically called me stupid and said you and the media, you refuse to report it but the big banks have no credibility on

capitol hill. the problem for regulation is small banks and community banks. they are in everybody's district. they feel like they did a good job and shouldn't get hurt and have a coherent case to make. his argument and he is much closer to it than i am, god knows, the big banks don't have that much power anymore. the small banks people need to take a look at so take that for what it's worth. >> henry, your thoughts on his reporting? >> i still think the big banks have tremendous power. we've glossed over the too big to fail. clear big banks are too big to fail. i think they have tremendous power but they are on death's door like last year. >> what i would say to representative frank, even if the big banks have diminished credibility and lobbying power, because they have a structural authority of too big to fail, they don't need lobbying power. they have the ability to do whatever they want and then if they find themselves in trouble, they have a financial nuclear weapon which is the well-being

of the 401(k) retention in america. representative frank, i would say of course, the small banks because they are not too big to fail. why would he waste money sending lobbyists to washington, d.c.? >> i think a lot to it and the question how far we go on financial regular, right? i mean, we may be creating a proposal here that the big banks don't hate that much. you know, if you're trimming your sales early and your compare and contrast with health care comes in. if you're trimming yourselves early maybe they don't need to put the dollars into it because they know they will not get slammed and small banks worried if this goes through they won't have the power to fight back when they get nailed by it. >> makes a lot of sense. anything from you? >> one thing we missed we got to figure out a way to enable the stupid big firms to fail and be insulated. as soon as you get into the too big to fail, can't fail, we're done. >> capitalism. if you believe in capitalism you have to let them compete openly in the exchanges and too big to

fail fail. this is a pure referendum on whether you believe in free markets or not. contessa? new information now about those terror alerts that have been sent out to local police departments. the fbi and homeland security are telling local police, once again, reminding them that terrorists are interested in attacking stadiums, entertainment complexes around the country. they say they don't have any information about specific plots but they also remind these police that, look, terrorists are interested in attacking places where crowds gather. for instance, mass transit and they can do so with homemade backpack bombs and car bombs and use airplanes to attack such crowded places as the entertainment complexes and hotels and stadiums. then we get an alert from the department of homeland security saying that these notes were specifically intended for law enforcement, that they were not intended for the general public or the media, that they have no specific information about the

timing, location, or target of any planned attack but that it was just generally a reminder for local and law enforcement to remain vigilant. if we find out more about these bull tins, we will pass that along. by the way, the colorado arrests of al qaeda trained immigrant who may have been plotting to detonate backpack bombs aboard new york trains. a dozen people may have been involved in that plot. zazi, the main suspect there, remains behind bars until a detention hearing on thursday. let's look at weather problems in georgia right now. video from wxia's chopper over six flags over georgia here near the chattahoochee river whichary assuming has gone over its bank. these are live pickets now. this is a deadly situation. six people have already lost their lives and 17 counties under a state of emergency at this point. ryan phillips is with the weather channel. what are you looking at in terms

of more water? at this point the rains have stopped and a period to dry out but the chattahoochee river peaked at 12.8 feet overnight. the water coming down a touch but that amount of water all across the area and chattahoochee a little bit removed from the main metro area and water is spreading out and you can see in the aerials you cannot stop the water. tell continue to see the water out of the banks over the course of at least another day. >> and that is a reminder for folks not to drive through. >> no. >> standing water, number one. number two, when you have in cobb county alone some 200 roads closed, you're looking at a difficult driving day. >> you can't get around. either roads are closed because there's water on them, or they are hazardous because debris remaining on roads. >> ryan, i know you're staying on top of it. thanks a lot for that. >> you got it. >> we will stay on top of the weather situation in georgia and bring you updates throughout the day. another situation we're following right now, in northern

california investigators back at the home of phillip and nancy garrido digging up their back yard and looking for possible clues into two unsolved kidnapping cases in the area dating back to the '80s. cadaver dogs have found a consent in the back yard. let's go to george lewis in the antioch, california, town there where the garridos live. specifically, what are they looking for? >> they are looking for any evidence of human bodies buried in the garrido's back yard. why the interest in two unsolved cases in the '80s and the m.o. was similar to the jaycee dugard kidnapping in that all three girls taken in broad daylight and driven away in old cars and cars that may match the description of a vehicle taken from the garrido property. they've been using dogs trained to sniff for human remains. they've been using ground penetrating radar and found what they call some anomalies in back

yard. the dogs alerted on a couple of occasions, so that's why the dig. thus far, police say they've found no evidence linking the garridos to these unsolved kidnapped cases. the mother of one of the girls, michaela garecht, the mother was here to thank the police for their continuing efforts but she says it is frustrating not having any concrete information about the fate of her daughter. >> been very stressful. you know, today knowing what is going on here, we had a very hard day and haven't been feeling very well. >> reporter: police say they will wrap up their investigation probably later today unless they find something concrete, any concrete evidence of bodies being buried in the garrido's back yard. a very frustrating situation for the parents of those two missing girls. contessa? >> george, thank you for keeping us in the loop.

a judge has sentenced plaxico burress to two years in jail. the sentence was expected a part of a plea deal. he pled guilty to criminal gun possession and arrested last year after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh and happened in a club in new york city in november. president and first lady have been called a model for the modern american family but like millions of other couples, a new book shows their marriage nearly came apart under the strain of trying to balance family, work, and a relationship. here's the quote from the book. psychologist jeff garr deer joins me now. we mentioned the first family is really a model family.

do you see in of these anecdotes what typical american familiar lids go through? >> that's it. there were issues as to who would take care of the children. a lot of guys seem to think just as barack thought, hey, i go out, i'll make the money, you take care of the kids. but as we know, michelle also was an attorney in her own right and had her own intelligence and so she became very, very resentful and we see this happen in families all the time. even though they almost came to splitting up, almost came to a divorce, this is something that happens in american families. >> it's interests, too. in the book they describe michelle's frustration at having to wake up nightly with the children and feeling like her husband was just staying in bed and not willing to get up. she says, this was the epiphany. quote.

but, yet, your partner, you're a couple. isn't the person who supports you the most supposed to be your partner? >> i think she gave up in futility and realized had he a vision and he wanted something drank and finally drank the kool-aid and said i can't fight this guy any more over this and let me take care of myself. this is what we do in therapy. get ust blame game and stop pointing fingers and take responsibility for our own behaviors and eventually what she did and guess what? it paid off for her. she became first lady. >> do you think it brings down their model first couple status at all when you hear about the hum drum fights they were having in their household? >> i think it makes us appreciate them for being average folks. that's what they are. they may be the first couple but they have problems like you and i in our marriages and things we deal with on a day-to-day issue. >> jeff, thank you. appreciate that. >> thank you. >> there you have it, dylan, we all have problems in our marriages. you, too. oh, wait p.m. you're not

married! >> i'm still smiling! >> jeff said that is why you're still smiling! i disagree with that. i'm going to have to send you to therapy! >> jeff, you did a great job and then you say that's why he's happy. >> listen, these are regular issues day-to-day. we deal with them. >> it's true. up next at the "morning meeting," our latest installment of america, the great. we're going to tell you about a great website that helps you keep track of the money trail left behind by all of those lobbyists. ♪ announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it. guy: mmm! i can see why. announcer: campbell's healthy request.

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xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwx. call or click today. talk about lobbying at the "morning meeting." i have noticed massive lobbying efforts. >> lobbyists will own this place. >> the lobbying force that we confront. >> more lobbyists than anybody can imagine. >> the american people don't have a lobbyist of their own.

>> why shouldn't we? it's a huge issue. especially when it comes to health care. how big, you ask? well, let's a look at the recipients of health care money this year in the senate and in the house of representatives. senate majority leader reid received almost $400. sounds a lot and maybe it's a little. that $400,000 eight times the average contribution for the average u.s. senator. blanche lincoln just behind him. moving to the house, the top recipient of health care dollars there is democrat steny hoyer and he and republican whip eric cantor almost taking in 200 gs this year each. that also about eight times the average collected by their house colleagues. some a people might hear these statistics and think, my goodness, gracious, what has gone wrong some i think in many ways it shows what has gone right because let me tell you, we were able to get this

manifestation through a website called open secrets.org and it's an innovation that shows us why we are america the great. launched in 1996 it tracks the role of money in politics and shines a light on the practices that our elected officials would probably prefer be kept secret. before the online version the only way to get this data was in a massive 1,300 book at $150. it wasn't what mrns had easy access to and it wasn't searchable but today it is used by everyone from joe blogger to fbi investigators. it's important to point out that lobbying inherently may not be a bad thing. there will and always will be special interests who push their agendas on our politicians. when it makes america the great, though, is our ability to shine light on those who apply pressure to our politicians and to get the information we all deserve to know with just a click of the mouse as to who it is our politicians are working

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welcome back. we wrap up the "morning meeting" with a little bit of time and an opportunity to discuss some of the things that we weren't able to get to. the president was there and trying to solve all of the world's problems and have all of

these terrible mishapings with the storms. >> storms. >> storms are terrible. >> i'm going to look it up right now. >> tom delay "dancing with the stars." >> was he dancing? >> well, i don't know. >> you know like in the middle of the wedding the dance party when the grandparents go out to dance and it's a little awkward and stiff and like this? it's cute but it's embarrassing? it was like that. >> really? >> it was not like that. >> he has no rhythm. cringed through the whole performance. >> is it like "american idol" where the bad singers in some ways are more entertaining than the good ones? could it fall into that category for ratings? >> he was the big guy. he's the hammer! >> i think actually -- i've watched a lot of seasons of "dancing with the stars." he had rhythm. he didn't just sit in a chair. did you see master pea?

he blew him away. >> that's not saying much. >> no. i'm not trying to say much. >> what about the president being black before he was president? >> i love that. what was that all about? i didn't know that. >> he can't go around saying, hey, this is about race. he is brilliant saying, no, no. race is nothing to do with us. let people like me and you come out and say it is racial and leave him alone and let him do his thing. he made the comment some of the anger is misplaced. >> he "danced" around it. >> she's a jewel. this is a jewel, by the way. this is the jewel of the "morning meeting." >> she needs to be on "dancing with the stars." >> i don't need to say it because toure said it for me. >> i would use his last name but he refuses to tell me that. i call him toure toure. >> we have to go. "msnbc live" picks up after this.

right now, on msnbc, counterterrorism officials issue new security bull tins will bulletins about sports stadiums and entertainment complexes and hotels after a major development in the arrest of a colorado man suspected in an al qaeda-linked terror plot on new york city. investigators say he may have had at least 12 accomplices and some of them still at large. death toll rising. flash floods in the southeast growing dangerous by the minute. eight people are dead and forecasters say another round of severe weather is on the way. changing course as the war continues to erupt in afghanistan. president obama considers another change in strategy. one that shifts away from major military escalations. talk about that. good morning. i'm tamron hall. >> i'm monica novotny. security concerns in south

africa today. american embassy and all other government facilities have been shutdown due to undisclosed threat. police say the situation is under control and there is a chance this threat could ab hoax. all facilities are expected to be reopened tomorrow. hondur honduras, police cashed clashed with protesters. he slipped back into the country after more than two months in exile and held up at the brazilian industry. plaxico burress has been sentenced to two years in prison for accidentally shooting himself at a manhattan nightclub last november. you remember he was cut from his last team, the new york giants, following the stent. he pled guilty in august to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. as we mentioned, counterterrorism officials just issued a security bulletin about terrorist interests attacks on sports stadiums and entertainment complexes and hotels. >> the fbi and homeland security are warning police around the country but they don't know of specific plots against these

sites. >> we may have an update from the new york police commissioner ray kelly shortly. in the meantime, let's bring in pete williams with more details. pete, as we wait on possibly this update here, talk to us a little bit more about the people who may be at large here. >> well, it's members of the suspected cell. the fbi doesn't know precisely how many people are involved, but they have several of them under surveillance. they are talking to some of them. they hope that other people who are involved in what they believe was a cell moving toward an attack plan will cooperate with authorities now and their message is cooperate with us now or face the prospect of longer sentences later. as for these latest security notices that were sent around, it's a reflection of the fact they don't know precisely what the terror plot was. but based on the fact that there are a number of searches in new york turned up backpacks that

the najibullah zazi had on his computer a formula for a specific type of explosive maybe this is backpack bombs on subways and trains as had been done before. pictures on his computer and cell phone of public places in new york, sports stadiums, train stations. so the homeland security department has asked those for keep out an watchful eye. these are the not warngs of pending attacks, it's just basically we don't know what this attack was, so everybody keep a sharp eye. >> the man who, obviously, weave seen in this video, 24-year-old najibullah zazi, the focus of this, for the most part what is his attorney saying? i saw a quick clip of his attorney like so many, i don't want to say dismissing but saying his client is innocent here. >> he has said up until yesterday that his client was no

terrorist, but following the hearing yesterday, he had only procedural comments to make about where the hearing goes from here. so he didn't say anything after a court hearing yesterday in denver. the initial appearance to face the charges. he'll be back in court tomorrow, along with his client and his client's father, probably to look at whether the government should be able to detain him as this investigation goes forward. prosecutors definitely want to try to keep him in court. >> pete, thank you very much. we hope to have the update from new york police commissioner ray kelly and bring that tape to you. eight people are dead in rising flood waters in the southeast and hundreds of schools closed across nine georgia counties and drivers are being washed off roadways as authorities urge people to avoid the danger and stay at home if they can. look at that video. as much as 20 inches of rain has fallen in parts of northern georgia and with more rain in the forecast, the flooding is showing no signs of letting up. nb's ron mott is live in powder

springs, georgia. we know this is deadly flooding. in fact, one of the victims may be a small child swept away in all of this. >> yeah. hi there, tamron. a 2-year-old child, a sad story, was swept away when the family's mobile home was ripped apart by raging flood waters. it's one of eight fatalities confirmed at this point. there's still a number of people missing. we're trying to get a hold on that number. it's probably going to be in the dozens at this point. a lot of people missing so great concern about that. you can see this pickup truck behind me. the gentleman driving it yesterday probably thought this water was lower than it was. he had to be rescued by boat. we're in the western suburbs of atlanta yesterday. this is a treacherous situation. fortunately the water receding and gone down since we've been here this morning. the problem it recedes elsewhere and raises the water level downstream, if you will. good news perhaps for these folks trying to get back in