work and play. old faithful. and another town hall. the president in the west trying to take back the message on health care. state of emergency, the latest on wildfires raging in northern california. and the people in harm's way who don't want to leave. slow start. a few storms are picking up steam tonight but where is this year's hurricane season? and 40 years later, wha a trip. back to the farm where a happening called wooding to back to the farm where a happening called wooding to shaped an entire generation.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, president obama may need a vacation from his vacation. for a second straight day she taking a side trip from the family holiday out west straight into the fray of the health care debate. tonight she at a town hall meeting in colorado, taking questions and in the process of trying to take back the headlines that recently turned against this plan to change the health care system. we'll have two reports tonight, beginning with nbc's chuck todd, who is with the president in grand junction toercht, chuck, good evening. >> good evening, lester. well, as you noted, the president is on a work vacation, she finish up the second town hall in as many days. this one here in the skeptical west, where there is a huge libertarian streblg, they always have doubts ash the government taking over something. so the government is trying to deal with those except incident and trying to retake control of

the health care debate. president obama toured yell yellowstone national park. taking in old faithful with his family, treating his daughters and other young members of his entourage to ice cream. yesterday, the first lady was splashing with daughters malia and sasha on a whitewater rafting trip. but this is not all play. this is working trip. tonight, it was trying to win over skeptics in grand junction, colorado. >> health care touches us all in profound way, which by the way it means it's only natural this debate is going to be an emotional one. >> reporter: mr. obama trying to turn the tide of except kichl sichl that is has arisen across the country. >> you are talking down to the american people. >> reporter: arguing their doesn't tell the whole story. you know tv loves a ruckus, but what you haven't seen because it's not as exciting is all the constructive meetings going on around the country.

>>eporter: reflecting a growing public concern. >> we should not be stifling these discussions there. is nothing unamerican about disagreements. in fact, our grate i great nation was founded on speaking our minds. >> i'm going to call on that gentleman right there. >> reporter: while the theatrics of the president's town halls haven't be the focal point, he has tried to narrow his message on reform. in in that mp, he heighted pre-existing conditions. >> insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage because of a person's medical history, period. >> reporter: in montana last night, folks who were dropped by their insurance company after they got sick. >> we are held hostage at any given moment by health insurance companies that deny coverage or drop coverage. >> reporter: and here in grand junction, it's about ow premiums are going up. >> in the past few year, premiums have nearly doubled. >> reporter: and mr. obama is getting some help from political allies, a coalition that includes some strange bed foale will hes that include drug company, unions and hospitals,

launched a $12 million ad campaign in 130er9 of reform. >> so what does health insurance reform really mean? >> reporter: lester, the president overnight actually in phoenix where tomorrow it's all about vacation. the family will tour the grand can john. lester? >> chuck todd this evening, thank you. we're joined f more from washington with david gregory. the story line is the president trying to take back the message, but does the white house at least privately take some responsibility for losing control of that message in the first place? >> well, it has to. the president has to. the reality is that these town halls have taken the debate it a place the president didn't want it. i mean let's be honest. this week, so much attention on these so-called death panels that don't exist anywhere in the health care legislation being considered. that's the sign of the debate getting away from the president. he's out west, he's trying to stiffen the spine of more conservative democrats and trying to reach independent voters but primarily as chuck alluded to, he wants to define

the terms of the debate. he's got to make it very clear what's at stake, what's included in these reform plans and ultimately definitively say what he's for and what he's going to campaign for if he's going to prevail. >> that leads to my next question, dong is going to iron this thing out an frame this bill eventually, but there s there a line in the sand for the obama administration that says it must include this? >> we know that universal coverage is as close to it as they can get is certainly an important principle. the president's first principle was cost containment to contain the overall cost of health care going forward s he able to achieve that? he also wantses to make is it deficit neutral. those things are important but elose. >> the final point is about a government public plan, will the president insist on that? he's not draw iing any red line. that's the kind of things that could come in negotiations with competing bills and you can see the white house fight for it there.

>> and critics bring up legitimate points about all this. let me ask you on another level, are there republicans who are savoring the pros spigot of a strategic victory on president obama with this they may might parlay into later debates. >> the former majority leader of the house dick arm may made very clear when health care died in 1994 that principled opposition, in his words, to clinton carrick the way he described it ultimately led to the reblicans taking power in 1994. there's no question that republicans see something similar here this time. avid egksanth. thanks. quic thno reform wilbel reform wilbe the ampic. among david gregory's guests, dick armey, tom daschle and rachel maddow. we turn nowon toha aannifg t er tteus jus days before nation election, suicide car bomb has killed ten people and injured more than 90 i this capital city of kabul.

richard engel joins us from kabul. good evening. >> we heard and melt felt that message. the bombxplode not far from here this morning and today the taliban said attacks could intensify leading up to elections in just five days. the taliban today carried out their threat to disrupt next week's election. at 8:30 this morning, a toyota packed with 1,000 pounds of explosives rammed into a military checkpoint. the blast broke windows several blocks away. this explosion happened in one of the most secure at the gate of the u.s. military and nato headquarters just a few hundred yards from the american embassy. an attack on kabul's relatively safe diplomatic you quarter. the american embassy wasn't damaged but aft least ten of a gaps were killed. more than 100 injured. many of them were employees at the ministry of transport

waiting it go to work. "i don't feel safe here, life has been ruined" said one woman. this man said "i dent foe who i'm going to vote for now" and that's exactly the taliban's strategy. as afghan's today cleaned up glass shattered in the exsploe, it's increasingly clear the taliban wants to rob the election of legitimacy by scaring away potential voters. like dean mohammad. 82 years old, a carpet sell are for 62 year, father of 43 children and grandchildren. "i was sitting there and suddenly there was a huge explosion," he said, "it shook everything around me," but dean mohammad insists he won't be intimidate and will vote to re-elect hamid karzai. despite rising violence and allegation of mass of corruption in his government, president karzai holds a slim lead over his nearest rival, former

foreign minister, abdullah abdullah. though their posters on every corn, there is no enthusiasm for either candidate. voter turnout next thursday is expected to be low. turnout could be especially low in southern afghanistan where u.s. marines are continuing an offensive against the taliban. lester? >> richard engel in kabul toni bt, thank you. back in this country, northern california wild fires thre threatening hundreds of homes an thousands have been told to leave. the most troublesome fire is known ats lockheed fire burning just south of the san francisco bay area, michael okw joins us with more. >> good evening, lester. firefighters here have intensified their air assault, trying to contain a spot fire that has ignited on southwestern are flank of this blaze. firefighters keeping watch early

this morning, guarding fragile containment les around the wildfire's western flank. reinforcement, strike teams from around the state arrived today preparing for the worst, a forecast of hot, dry, offshore winds. >> with these winds are going to come higher temperature, lower humidities and very strong winds that could fan these flames out towards the residencresidences. >> 6,800 firefighters are battling almost a dozen fires across california. officials here in santa cruz county have declared a tate of emergency. today, governor arnold schwarzenegger visited the fire zone. >> 15% is contained, but the way they're working, i think they have a good chance the fire will be put out as quickly as possible. >> reporter: 2,400 residents are still under mandatory evacuation but some people won't leave. they're staying to protect their homes. like bud and emma mccrary. >> we're going to stay, no question about it. >> reporter: branches of the

mccrary family have lived here in swanton along the ridge over big creek for six generations. bud co-founded big creek lump berk the last surviving redwood mill in the bay area 40 years ago. this week, the wildfire came within yards of the mccrary's property, but with the help of firefighters and this motor rised water pump attached his pool, bud beat it back. >> we raised our kids here. we have a lot of emotion involved. you know, it's just the best place in the world as far as i'm concerned. >> reporter: the rest of the day is critical, if the weather cooperates, firefighters could make significant headway in containing this blaze. lester? >> all right, michael okwu, thank you. still ahead as "nightly news" continues for this saturday, picking up steam, what could become the first hurricane of the season on the move tonight. and later, my trip back in time to the farmer's field where what happened 40 years ago today helped shape an entire

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brewing behind ana, tropical storm bill and the potenal for third storm behi it, those living in rricane country are on notice that a delayed season is finally in full swing. here's nbc's kerry sanders. >> it's been a quiet summer so far, but now the formation of tropical storm ana and bill threatening on her heels means that the atlantic hurricane season is finally kicking into gear. >> last summer at this point, we had six storms already we had been tracking were tracking, now we only have two. up to this month we had quiet. that was very unusual compared to what we've seen in the last couple of decades. >> i'm advised now that the toll is above 300. >> it was four years ago hurricane camille slammed the gulf coast, that monster category 5 storm was the third named storm that year. it's why camille began with the letter c. storms nameded from a to z. more recently here in south florida, the first storm in 1992

was hurricane andrew. it formed august 17th. andrew with its winds in excess of 175 miles an hour was the costliest natural disaster in the united states. at the national hurricane center in miami, forecasters say there's no reason to hi that a cloe start means fewer or less powerful hurricanes. >> we're just now getting into the time frame where we on average see our first storm reach hurricane intensity. >> reporter: fortunately until now, conditions were perfect for calm summer weather, the upper level wind, that's what tears thunderstorms apart, have been very strong up to now through the caribbean, the gulf and off the east coast. that's one of the big reasons it's been so quiet until now. then there's what's called el nino, a weather pattern in the pacific that may in turn may calm hurricane conditions in the atlantic. >> so folks who live along the east coast in the hurricane target zone like el nino years. >> they better now.

el nino occurred in 1992, hurricane andrew. right, 1965, hurricane betsy. >> reporter: the define hurricane season still has 14 weeks to go. kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. in southern china, meanwhile, there is massive flooding and landslides, state television has been broadcasting dramatic pictures of buildings collapsing down a mountain and plumpling into a river, at least 11 people have been killed. there's more to talk about tonight when we come back. the free health fair doing a lot of good, but not enough good to go around. what happened to those who show ed up today.

back now with more of a tough scene we've been watching

unfold all week. thousands of people, many without job, or health insurance are continuing to overwhelm volunteers at a free health care clinic in los angeles. many needy people turned away earlier in the week were told to come back today. but what happened when they got there? miguel almaguer joins us tonight from los angeles. good evening. >> lester, good evening. the massive medical floor behind me is in full swing 12 hours a day but the hundreds of volunteers are having a tough time keeping up with the thousands who continue to show up. >> 488. >> reporr: turned away earlier this week, they waited three day, even took three buss to get here. >> we have medical. >> reporter: mike and laura walsh can't find work and he don't have health insurance. >> do you have a primary physician? >> no. >> reporter: like thousands of others, they're willing to wait days for a few free hours of care. mora hasn't seen a doctor in 17 years. >> it's very scary, yeah.

>> it is frightening. that's why i really feel like we need to do something in this country where it's affordable. >> reporter: on tuesday, the l.a. forum became a mobile hospital. the bleachers still packed with people but center court has become center stage for medical procedures on the fly. eight days of free health care, but by the third, wrist bands for the entire week were gone. >> i deserve it. >> veta martin has a job but no insurance. she found out she'll need more than one day of free care. >> my blood pressure is so high and i can't afford the meds i need to make it lower. and i'm gonna day die. >> reporter: ram or remote area medical first began offering donated health care in third world countries but they are running this week's in the world's richest country in the second largest city. >> if you were here all month would you serve everyone who need help? >> no, not a chance.

no. we could be here three months and we still wouldn't catch up on the demand for the service. >> reporter: doctors know they can't help everyone. >> you almost feel like you're not doing very much, you are helpless. >> reporter: but today mike and mora walsh made it through the doors. >> this is like a miracle. >> this is this is fantastic. >> reporter: thankful, even though this may not be all the care they need, but it's the only care they can get. the walshes are among the 8,000 people that organizers say they will be able to help by tuesday. le lester? >> miguel almaguer tonight, thank you, miguel. >> reporter: nfl quarterback michael vick was back on the football field today doing practice drills with his new team the philadelphia eagles. was st a couple of days ago it announced vick to a one-year deal after serving time for his role in a dog fighting ring. his first practice did draw a few protestors to the eagles training facility.

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proclaim i was there. the "there" is woodstock, as i found on a weekend trip to the, the music and feeling still echo today. the stage was right about where? what happened on this grassy field in upstate new york 40 years ago was a touchstone for duke devlin's generation. >> it was really overwhelming when you came down, you seen this ball and a whole hillside full of ople. >> reporter: stwas a age of hippies and a couldn't divided over war. duke and the half million others who came here by car and by foot were the so-called "we" generation and formed a primitive community against a backdrop of rock 'n' roll. officially it was the woodstock music and arts fair, 30-plus acts over three days. joan baez was 28 and six months pregnant when she took the stage as the last act on the first night. ♪ swing low sweet chariot

>> i know this is going to be one of those historic events. i was a little bit of an oddball, i didn't do drugs and now wore clothe, important stuff like. >> that but you made it anyway. >> i made it anyway. >> reporter: woodstock however almost didn't happen. it was supposed to take place some 40 miles away,ut at nearly the last minute, the town refused to grant a permit. >> prospects were dim. it was just fate that we ran here. >> reporter: thanks to a farmer named max metzger who rented out his alfalfa field which turned out to be a great venue. >> half a million kids can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music. >> reporter: max died in 1973, but remembered for giving woodstock a home and for earning the trust of a largely distrustful generation. >> at the festival, ed got inundated with letters from

parents who had run away children who they believed who had been here and he made it his work after that to try to help reunite kids with their parents. >> reporter: today, part of the old farm is a performing arts center and museum dedicated to woodstock. but the actual festival site remains untouched to many a piece of sacred ground. >> you could see it's a natural amphitheater. >> reporter: because it wasn't so much the music maiden the stage that defined woodstock, rather it was the harmony formed by hundreds of thousands of young people. >> certainly the oaudience was the star. we were all very much a part of the same fabric. >> reporter: woodstock at 40. were you there? that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. thanks for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt reporting from new york, i would see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then right back here tomorrow evening. then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com