17th century burmese trunk and we cut it down to about 18 to 19 inches high, and you have a coffee table of the same quality as the rest of the furniture. so the real trick at these antique showis when you see something you love, think, how can i use it? how can i use it creatively? here's the biggest secret i'm going to share with you guys, and it's something we do all the time. used to walk up the stairs and see a blank wall. all there was was an alivator door. now, all of a sudden, you walk up and you see doo with glass. you get the feeling that you're outside. this is all cheating, because it's just a solid wall behind here. thank you for coming on thi tour with me today.

i hope it was an inspiration to you. >> still ahead, we visit a hot property nestled in the california desert. later, get the goods on smart design in small space.

>> wcome back to "open house." now we head to the beautiful city of palm springs for a tour inside a modern desert compound. at almost 550 square feet, the spacious residence is all on one level. although it has incredible views, you can remain inside to enjoy the media room, private bar and two pools. >> hello.

my name is julian and i'd like to welcome you to my modern desert pavilion in sunny palm springs. this house is a great example of mid century modern architecture, something paul springs is famous for. the open floor plan allows for ease in entertaining. the living room opens to the dining room, office and bar. the rock fireplace anchors the space. th travertine floors and walnut cabinetry reflect the colors of the landscape. past the vintage glass, you step into the gourmet kitchen. the kitchen is equipped with top-of-the-line appliances,

including two islands, allowing for ease in cooking and entertaining. what it's movie night, the media room allows plenty of space for comfortable seating. the stackable glass doors allow access to the fan-shaped swimming pool which is one of two on the property. in the master bedroom, i continued the neutral tones and added splashes of colors. the house originally had five bedrooms but i converted the fifth bedroom into a dressing room. the spa-like master bath has a steam room, marbl counters and porcelain tile. you can access the 40-foot flat pool. outside, we have wonderful entertaining spaces with panoramic views of the san jacinto mountains.

the wing wall affords a picturesque scene of palm springs. thank you so much for visiting my mid century modern home in the desert. >> after the bre on "open house" -- >> multifunctional pieces are important when designing a space such as the light box that can be illuminated

a short time ago, this woman suffered from limited mobility. a month ago this man wasn't even ableo get around his house. these are people who chose mobility. and they chose the scooter store. if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i guarane, no other company will work harder to make you mobile. if we qualify you and dicare denies your claim for a new power air or scooter, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or to work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. you don't qualify for dicare? we'll work with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. call the scooter store for free information today. call the number on your screen for free information

>> welcome bacto "open house." now, on "the goods," we team up with mike biaz of i-squared to get creative space-saving solutions without spending a fortune. from multifunctional storage pieces toow furniture, mike ows usow to maximize our living space and stay chic without breaking the bank. >> we're at i-squared, my modern and affordable store in downtown

los angeles. when living in a big city, square footage is expensive and highly sought after. small space solutns are a must. contemporary pieces that are vibrantly colored, minimally designed and functional work well to maximize space. sofas like this bisectional are must-have in any small space. thgreat thing about this is that it's covered in a polywool blend which is really comfortable and seats many people for entertaining. but it can beeft or right-arm facing. notice the back of the sofa is low profile, as is the complementary coffee table. it gives the illusion of a bigger room and doesn't block your line of sight. multifunctional pieces are important when designing a space, such as the light box that can be illuminated or work as a side table. this acrylic table is great.

it works as a great place to put a drink. ottomans are perfect multifunctional pieces. they provi seating and storage. regardless if you're working with rooms tha are large or small, creating spaces that themselves are multifunctional is important. dividers is a great solution. this bkcase is great for storage for vases, pillows, picture frames and it's open. another tion would be to line up vases, fill them with wlow branches which creates that modern room divider you're looking for. otr must-haves of any small modern space are mirrors. for example, this is a great option by being a wall sculpture and with it being reflective, it volumizes the space. floating features are important in any space, such as this hand-spun light fixre that keeps the room clean and clutter-free. it's a perfect complement in an

office with a wall-mownted book shelve free-floating desk. the waterfall edge, vertical lines and narrow table top are perfect for the lofty vibe. it's all about textures and fabrics to warm up home. to complement this linen sofa, i used satin pillows to make it warm and inving. rugs are a great way to make a room cozy. two options include a ultra shag made of a poly-blend. contemporary design embraces pops of color. don't be afraid to use greens and purples and reds and add the exciting accessories. this adds whimsey and personality tony modern home. >> that's all for this episode

of "open house." join us next week for more of america's top properties and design. i'm sarah gordon,'ll see you next time.

>> this week on "hispanics today," travel to california wine country and see how this latina vintner rose from picking

grapes to build one of napa valley's best boutique wineries. leons from costa rica! learn how this small latin american country is contributing to the education of thousands of american students from coast tcoast. and see how hispanic voters could hold the trump card that decides who will become the next president of the united states. >> hello, everybody, from the "hispanics today" studios in washington, d.c. i'm erica tiz. bienvenidos and welcome. napa valley. the mere mention of that beautiful area of northern california conjures up imageof rollinhills and vineyards that yield some of america's best wines. for amelia ceja, it has been a felong dream to join that elite circle of napa winemakers. even as she labored in the fields picking grapes 40 years ago, her sights were set much higher. today,he has realized those childhood dreams, and while she's certainly not the biggest napa winemaker, there's no

question she's one of the best. >> we started with 15 acres. well, now we have over over 113. >> it was 25 years ago that amelia ceja and her family decided to follow a lifelong dream to own a vineyard. >> it's been an arduous journey, but we have so many fans and we have a whole community conspiring to help us. >> that community is napa valley, where amelia and her family arrived in 1967, d where amelia, just 12 years old, worked the fields. >> tasting those very first succulent merlot grapes that i was picking alongside my parents revolutionized what i wanted to do. >> growing grapes and eventually making her own wine was always in the back of amelia's mind. little did she know that a boy named pedro ceja, who she met

that very same year she arrived in napa and whose family also picked grapes, would become her future husband and partner of a dream that would become a reality. >> we puhased in 1983 our first 15 acres he in carneros, and we planted it in 1986 and we had our first harvest in 1988. >> initially, the cejas sold grapes to other producers, but they wanted their name on a label. with a lot of patience, dedication, and a business plan in hand, amelia helped launch ceja wines in september of 2001, 18 years after buying their first acres of land. her husband pedro, his brother armando-- who is a viticulturist in charge of the vineyards-- and wife marta are all partners in the venture. and all unanimously agreed that amelia should be in charge of the business. >> i was selected president not because i'm a woman.

because my partners felt that i was the best person for the job. i have confidence in myself, i can speak articulately well about this industry, i know the business and i love sales. >> amelia is also a keen businesswoman. she's been named entrepreneur of the year, and has been recognized as an industry player in the book "women of the vine." her vision has helped earn ceja vineyards multiple awards. >> in early 2002, we were selected best new winery. so that was emendous growth right away. >> they've also been named best boutique winery and one of the hottest small brands of 2007. under her leadership, the company has increased wine production from 750 cases when th started in 2001 to 10,000 cases in 2007.

yet for all her accomplishments, she faces many challenges, and not just from competitors. >> it's a northern european male dominated industry. there are not a lot of women, even less hispanic women. i became the first mexican-american woman to be president of a wine production company in the histo of the wine industry. >> sometimes, she's perplexed at people's perceptions when she is promoting her wines. >> "oh, i've heard of ceja, whato you do there?" no one ever thinks that i own the company. why? because i'm latina and im a woman. >> to say amelia is a workaholic is an understatement she works monday to monday running the business and entertaining customers in the ceja vineyards tasting room, an important element of the sale process which husband pedro helps her with. >> behind amelia there's a group of individuals, but i

definitely have to say that amelia is the ice. she's the flag, the color, the individual that would basically take ceja to the next stage. >> the next stage includes the recent opening of a second tasting room in downtown napa, and plans to build their own production facilities onsite. >> ceja vineyards single-handedly has grown the number of consumers that never had wi to have wine now. so it's good for the whole wine industry. that's why we represent the present and the future. >> part of the ceja future is ariel, her youngest son. just 24, he is the general manager of ceja wines, and a true advocate of the product he helps his mother sell. amelia says the key to their success, besides theamily's hard work, is personalized service and hospitality to reel

in newustomers. >> we're bringing fun. fun, fun, fun. that is good. it's therapy, and people responto that. it's so simple to be nice. >> that quality has brought them repeat customers and increased the members of the ceja wine ub, who often spend a lazy weekend afternn sipping wine in the company of the owners. >> bringing guests to -- now our two tasting salons -- it's how we have built our brand. one person at a time. >> throughout the years, amelia has juggled running the company with raising a family. but she proudly states her husband has been a devoted partner in the business and at home. >> we compliment each other. he's incredibly artistic, and just a wonderful inspiration. and fuy. i think that's why i married him, because he's very funny. besides being gorgeous, tall,

dark and handsome. >> that admiration is mutual. >> see, amelia's wonderful, but she's not perfect. she married me. [laughter] but i think amelia, she has such a charis, a spark in life. and she's good at heart, and i guess i fell in love with her. >> love is part of the ceja motto, emblazoned in latin on the wallof their establishment and on their bottles of wine >> vinum, cantus, amor. salud! >> amelia is not just an awd-winning vintner. she also a chef. she has plans to launch an internet cooking show to show how ceja wines pair perfectly with mexan food. coming up, costa rica. it's famous for ecotourism, but thanks to one leading carmaker, america's schoolchildren can learn lessons from the rainforest witho even aving their classrooms. "hispanics today" will return in a moment.

♪ it's all about the tackles and the touchdow... and watching my boys do what they do. but for me, it's even re than that. game time is about our time. together. [ female announcer ] get low prices on all your favorites for the game. save money. live better. walmart.

>> welcome back to "hispanics today." costa rica has become famous for its biological diversity a whole new worlof flora and fauna awaits the millions of travelers who are drawn to costa rica for its so-called ecotourism. but now, thanks to the world's largest automaker, thousands of american schoolchildren can learn lessons only found in costa rica without ever having to leave their classrooms. >> here in the lush tropical setting of central america's costa can countryside, 20 teachers from all over the united states are becoming environmental ambassadors for the toyota international teacher program. moving forward together,

they'll spend the next 10 ds exploring this rich cultural and biological crossroads that lies between north and south america. ranked among the 20 most biologically diverse countries in the world, costa rica is home to more than half a million species of plants and animals, and is a living, breathing classroom for the tourin teachers who are thirsting for knowledge. overeing the international teacher program for toyota is rhonda glasscock, a former fifth-grade teacher who really understands the value of immersing teacrs into environments they might not ever see or experience. >> these teachers that go on these programs are the ones who have really forced themselves to get outside their comfort zone. to study in a country that speaks another language, and to really challenge themselves with what can they do to be the best

at what they do for their students. it's based on the philosophy "think globally, but act locally." toyota has long considered educators as onef our key resources to raising environmental stewards. >> we saw some incredible birds. even our guides were excited at what we saw today. >> today, we're going on a biodivsity hike, and i'm just looking forward to seeing all the different kinds of wildlife here at the rainforest. >> while traveling in costa rica, the teachers see firsthand how innovative strategies are being implemented in the areas of agriculture, as well as conservation and recycng efforts. after a visit to costa rica's national museum, important discoveries are made as the teachers continue building on their knowledge of costa rica's rich heritage and pre-columbian past. >> pri to the coming of the europeans, there actlly were large-scale civilizations here with building projects, miles of

paved roads, ceremonial centers. so there was an organized civilization here. and i typically teach civilizations of mesoamerica to the north, and then andean civilizations to the south. this is sort of like a missing nk in between the two that i was totally unaware of. >> back home in the united states, agrocology teacher jessica naugle of philadelphia's saul high school for agricultural stues draws on what she observes in costa rica and presents it to her students. for jess, the trip was a career- and life-altering opportunity. >> the trip to costa rica gave me a new level of energy, and it allowed me to bring international and global issues back to the classroom. the students love it, because the students love experience. they love to hear your story. and when you're able to provide a firsthand experience for kids, they're listening and

they're paying attention, and they become interested because you're passionate about it. they're able to tune in a lite bit more because there is a personal connection there that you cannot have without experience. and that's why toyota's so important. without toyota sponsoring such a trip, i myself and the other teachers necessarily would not have had that experience. >> all good things that go around, come around. when teachers and students benefit, our envirment stands to benefit, too. >> the ultimate goal for this program really is to invigorate teachers to go beyond their four walls, to stimulate their thinking, to expand their horizons. and by doing that, they do the same for their students. they invigorate their students, they expand theistudents' horizons. and that makes us all better stewardsf our planet earth, better stewards of our backyards. >> for the folks at toyota, this mission is accomplished.

in recent years, alumni of the toyota international teacher program have been named teacher of the year, twice iwest virginia and once in michigan. other program destinations include japan and the galapagos islands. and sabes que? charles darwin put the galapagos islands on the map with his famous book, "the origin of species." what latin american country counts the galapagos among its provinces? we'll have that answer coming up. and also just ahead, we'll show you how latino voters could prove to be president-makers in the upcong 2008 elections. "hispanics today" will be right back.

♪ the hispanic community has been very supportive, very committed, very enthusiastic about participating in the census. the community undersnds the importance of the census. we have seen it across the country. we have over 210,000 paners. a partner can be a fortune 100 company down to a local chamber of commerce, church. our partners are trusted voices. they extends the message of e census and can do it far better than the government. >> census data is used to

distribute, for example, federal dollars. as i mentioned, census data is used to make decisions. if we don't have an accurate count of particular area, locality, city, then we don't know how many dollars should be designated to that community, because those dollars are the dollars that go to that community are based on formulas, based on the population. >> we ask the name, age, date of birth, if they are hispanic or night and ask the race and also the phone number, just in case we have to follow up. there is any question based on the information we have on the questionnaire, just to follow up. we do not ask immigration status or social security numbers and all the numbers is confidential. we have a very comprehensive web site called 2010census.gov, all the information about the census.

it is a massive operation. takes years, about a decade, to prepare for the census. now we are in the key operational phase. in may to ju we wille knocking on doors for the households that do not return the questionnaire. we will have additional opations, validating the work we are doing, then begin the actual number-crunching. the law says by december 31st we are to give the population count to the president of the united states. this will determine how many congressional seats each state ge. so right now the public has received a questionnaire. we have mailed out 120 million questionnaires across the country. for the first time in history, we have mailed out 13 million bilingual, english and spanish questionnaires also, again, to improve the response rate, provide information in spanish

and househol where english is not as prevalent. we have information in 59 languages on how to fill out the questionnaire. we have it in 59 languages. also doing social media. director has a blog. we have certainly multimedia center. we are on facebook, on youtube, flickr, twitter so people receive the information in social media so we are engaging as many ways as we can. >> in the non-response follow up phase, parlance for the census bureau, that ishen we go knock on doors for those who didn't answer the questionnaire. we will have official identification and provide informion in case a person is not certain that is a censuser worker. that person can call to verify this is a census worker.

they will be identified and we will share our information. we will work with the community if there is a need, if anybody speaks spanish, we will do all we can to hire the people that speak the language. we have a partnership staff. about 3,000 right now that speak over 100 languages, so it is very important part of what we do. we take it very seriousl it is a serious effort on our part. just want to make sure we can communicate with the community, particularly at the local level. >> the best way is to go online and to visit 2010census.gov. there is a link there. there is a sample test, about 28 questions. there is a background check. we do a background check on

everybody we hire. then, depending on needs of the operation, we will bring people on board. one of the things we also do, which is very important, is we want to make sure we are hiring locally. particularly if there is a certain community, for example, where a certain language is prevalent. we want to make sure that they know that community. we want to establish a level of trust and want the public to see, oh, this is somebody that lives ere and works here and gets better cooperation. we invite the small business gets better cooperation. we invite the small business community to pickles. one policy, please. our service is top-notch. we'll take care of you, your family, even this little guy. great. ta-da! thank you. what else can he do? ring him up, boy!

he's on break. [ chuckles ] caring for you and . [ pickles barks ] now, that's progressive. call or click today.

>> welcome back. here are some of the things you can expect to see in upcoming shows. with so much attention on venezuela'president hugo chavez, much of that country's rich culture has been overshadowed by politics. we'll meet an incredible artist from venezuela who is helpg refocus attention on her home country. it is called abrazos and books, an international effort aimed at helping children around the world victimized by natural disaster we'll introduce you to the legendary bay area newscaster who pulled it all together. a profile ofigo chacon. and our hispanics today nutritionist silvia melendez klinger will return with another installment of her ongoing "recipe makeover" series. "hispanics today" will be right back. ♪

♪ [ mom ] game time is all about the traditions. it's all about the tackles and the touchdowns... and watching my boys do what they do. but for me,it's even mo. game time is about our time. together. [ male announcer ] get low prices on all your favorites for the game. save money. live better. walmart.

>> before we leave, we want to remind you of our web site, hispanicstoday.com. from there, you can view past stories and keep up with current events. you can also share your feedback. if you have ideas or suggestions, we'd love to hear fromou. either go to the website and click on the contact button or e-mail us at ideas@hispanicstoday.com. we'll see y again soon for another edition of "hispanics today." hasta la proxima vez.

this sunday, the pollticks of the economy, at home and abroad the president is dealt a setback at the economic sum knit asia over trade and a rebuke of his approach to economic recovery. at home, the debate ov the

bush era tax cuts and the co-chairs of the president's debt commission propose taking the knife to social security, medicare and the defense budget. after the election, will the white house and republicans be capable of finding common ground? my guests this morning, the president's senior adviser, david axelrod, his first sunday interview since the democratic losses at the polls. then, the viewfrom the republicans, just back from afghanistan, ranking member of the senate armed services committee, senator john mccain. plus, a special focus on jobs, the future of the conomy, whether washington will take meaningful action on the debt. with us, former chairman of the federal reserve, alan greenspan, former speaker of the house, republican newt gingrich, author of the new book, "all the devils are here" about the financial crisis, journalist bethany mcclaine and former congressman, crisis, journalist bethany mcclaine and former congressman, democrat, harold ford.

captions paid for by nbc-universal televisi president obama on the way back from his ten-day trip to asia, stopping a short time ago back on u.s. soil to refuel in alaska. he returns home to a host of domestic challenges and debits, as a lame duck session of congress begins tomorrow. joining me now from chicago this morning, the president's senior adviser, david axelrod. mr. axelrod, welcome back. >> morning, david, good to be here. >> some of the heaines from the trip were not very good a setback at the polls on election day, headlines like from the "new york times" on friday, obama's economic rerejected on world stage. china, britain, germany fights with the u.s. u.s. rebuffed at divided summit. after an election day setback has the president lost his ability to forge international consensus on the world stage? >> not at all, did, if you had more time, i'm sure you would show the positive headlines from

the trip as well. the president went on this mission because asia is the most vibrant market, growing market in world and we want to compete for those jobs and that's why went. his first stop infos india, a growing power in th world and we saw american businesses walk away with $10 billion in new deals, 50,000 jobs back here. we strengthened that key relationship. we went on and forced the agenda at the g-20 to focus on this issue of trade imbalances, which is an important thing. it is obviously going tonight case that countries are going to pursue their national interest. germany is a great exporter, that is the core of their economy, they don't want greater competition from us. china, we note same -- so there are going to be -- there is going to be tug and pull in these. the point is you have th president of the united states out there fighting for american jobs. korea, we want a trade agreement

because korea is a huge market in which we want to sell american products. but whathe president said was the deal that was on the table wasn't good enough, wasn't good enough for the a industry, wasn't good enough for american beef. want to keep on negotiating, that is what we are going to do we are going to make the best deal for the american worker and american indust. let's talk about another hot topic, the issue of the bush era tax cuts, back and forth involving you this week, what's going to happen here, whether they will be extended. i want to go back to december of 2008, you were on this program and you were unequivocal about the president's position. take a look. >> wl you hold off on any tax increases? >> well, the question is on the bush tax cut for the very wealthiest americans and something we plainly can't afford moving forward and whether it expires or whether we repeal it a little bit early we will determine later, but it is going to go has to go. it has to go the new

political real knit washington, has the president changed his view? >> no the president still believes we have to move forward on these tax cuts for the middle class. the middle class has take an beating in the last decade, seen their comes decline and borne the bankrupt of this recession. we can't afford to borrow another $700 billion to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. next guest, senator mccain, was very courageous in 2003, he voted against the second bush tax cut, he said it was irresponsiblible to pay for -- borrow for money for tax cuts skewed to the wealthy at a time we had two wars and so many pressures. that is still the case. >> you are saying no deal, no compromise? >> well, you are asking me - i am telling what you the president's potion is, need to move forward on the middle class tax cuts, we cannot afford a permanent extension of tax cuts for wealthst americans cost

$700 billion we don't have the next ten years. >> i note arguments. here is the question f the president could get an agreement on middle class tax cut extension would he agree to an extension, at leasttemporary for the tax cuts on the upper earners? >> david, we are looking forward to sitting down with leaders in both parties and talking about those issues. i'm not going to negotiate that here. there have beea lot of formulations thrown out the past weeks interest but we fundamentally want to uphold the principles that i laid out and we believe that congress shou act before the first of the year. these taxes, the way the bush tax cuts were design ready going to expire on january 1st. we want people of the cerinty of knowing that is not going to happen. congress ought to -- before they go on vacation, they ought to ensure people have a better vacations of their own by knowing that this matter is has been taken care of to. >> bottom line, he is to open t compromise is that fair? >> he wants to sit down and talk

about this. is he open to compromise? >> no bend on the permanent extension of tax cuts for the wealth ye americans. >> t open to compromise? >> he wants to sit down -- we want to get this done. the american people expect to get this done and we are eager to sit down and talk about how to move forward. >> the president said after the election he endured a shellackin his word. what is the course correction for this predent he's moves forward? >> i think that fundamentally what drove electorate were two things. one is that while we have a recovery, ten straight months of job growth after a rrendous downturn it hasn't been fast ough, we still have millions of people looking for jobs. we still have -- we need more robust growth. i think that was one of the messag and the primary message that we heard in that election. the second is they wants to work together to do it. many instances we had to move as one party in congress, virtually

as one party, the other party decided they did not want to participate as a strategy. now, i think the country is saying to both republicans and democrats, forget about the politics for a while, sit down, wo together, solve these problems, get this economy moving at a faster pace, that is what we intend to do. >> i'm not hearing from you so far this morning where the president is prepared to give and change this dynac. i'm hearing on the issue of tax, issue of what happened in the election, plenty of fight. i'm sure your supporters are happy to hear that. i'm what nderinhow does the president urse correct, change the dynamic to get something done? >> here is the thing, david. that is more important in a conversation between the president and members of both partiethan me talking to you here we proposed a permanent tax

cut for research and development that would get the economy moving. there are other ideas. these are ideas that republicans have traditionally supported. we ought to sit down and work on these things together and get these things done so the economy grows at a faster pace. >> let me ask you about the debt commission, the president's debt commission, the chairman came out earlier than they had planned and put forth a rather draconian document how to slash spending and deal with the deficit. the "new york times" summarize it had this way, bring viewers to it, put it on the screen. here is the bottom line if they don't get 14 commission members to agree to this, this san intellectual exercise and not a

real document. can they get to 14? >> i don't know whether they can or they can't, david. obviously they did volume nous work and not yet completed it thatas the chairman's recommendation now going to vote on it the president said he will comment on their work after they complete t that is hi commitment to them. look it underscore what is we knew. the president appointed this commission, bipartisan commission because this is a huge problem. we have to deal with it and it is not going to be easy t deal with. if one side says no tax on anyone can go up, any interest any corporation, any individual and the other side says no cuts can be made, then we are not going to solve it. everybody is going to have to give a little and we have to move forward and deal with this problem together and hopefully whatever happens, this commission report will give the impetus to do that. >> the president's position is, look, everything has to be on the table, tax hikes, taking on entitlement spnding, raising the retirement age for social security. on those specifics, all those are on the table in the

president's mind? >> i'm not going to deal with specifics because that would violate the prsident's commitment. i will say this. there's -- the president has shown his willingness the last two years. we took on the health care issue, one of the reasons was that our budget people said we cannot deal with the deficits we have an inexorable climb to health care and individuals, we did that. part of the reason was enomies in the micare program, took away subsidies to shush companies the other par ran on it against us in the election. . i didn't ask you for specifics. i asked if everything was on the table. the level of caution on this how will you expect democrats and republicans to make painful choices if you can't say publicly here today those tough issues should at least be on the

table? yet you expect republicans to come to you? >> david, david, the president inpanelled this commission, he recognized we had to take a wide-lens look at this and everything should be on the table that hasn't changed. what you want me to do is react to individual aspects of it here, that i can't do. we need to see what the final report is. obviously, there will be hard choices to be made. we're willing to make them. it will take both parties together, working together to get them done. >> speaker pelosi said this draft report was unacceptable. did the president find tha reaction counterproductive? reaction counterproductive? reaction counterproductive? reaction counterproductive? reaction counterproductive? >> some on the right said it was unacceptable, we can raise taxes and others said it was unacceptable for other reasons. wait for the final rept. look at it. see where we can find common ground a move forward. this is something the american people expect us to do.

we have to do it. we all know this is a big, dark cloud on our horizon. and the president is very intent moving forward. >> all right, before you go, two quick ones. rahm emanual, former chief of staff, now preparing to run for mayor in chicago, in your town. will the president campaign for him? >> well, the president hasn't -- the president has made clear what his view of rahm is. he said he was an excellent chief of staff, thought he would be an excellent mayor. whether he involves himself actily in this campaign is a matter that we haven't yet decided. but i think his view of rahm is very clear >> about afghanistan, my nt guest, as you kn, senator mccain is just back from iraq and afghanistan and has been critical of the timene for the beginning of withdrawal, saying that, in fact, it is creating erratic behaviormong hamid karzai and others in the region.

is it a problem for the u.s. to announce the beginning of the end of the war? does it undercut our policy? >> no. it's important that we announce the beginning of a drawdown. we've always said it would be based on conditions on the ground, and that is still the case. but it'smportant to let the afghans know that they have to pick up the pace in terms of training up thmilitary, training up their police, being ready to accept responsibility. and this beginning of the drawdown has a disciplining effectn that regard. so, it's important. we set it in conjunction with our military leadership. everyone agreed that it was important and it's not going to shift. >> we'll leave it there. david axelrod in chicago this morning. thank you as always. >> good to be with you. now senator john mccain, welcome back to "meet the press." welcome back to the country. you were, as i said, in iraq and afghanistan. you just heard david axelrod say any withdrawal will be conditions based. is that not enough to satisfy you?

>> well, i would like e president to say that it's only condition based. according to mr. woodward's book, his problem is the political -- the left base of the democrat party. you don't fight and conduct wars that way. you win, then you leave. th's what we've done in iraq. and the fact is the perception is, amongst friends and enemies alike, that we may be leaving. and that has caused them to make certain accommodations, because they can't leave. that's just a fact, down to the gornor level, down to the police chief level. they say the taliban are telling us we're leaving and they're going to cut off our heads. famous taliban captive said to his american interrogator, you've got the watches. 've got the time. >> hamid karzai, who you met

with, said in "the washington post" this morning that it's time for the.s. to reduce the intrusiveness in daily afghan life, that they ought to get boots in the cntry out of the country. >> and hamid karzai is reflecting his desire to survive, also a grave paranoia. there are a few problems right now. one that isn't is the military aspect that our marines, army, navy, air force are doing a wonderful job. the hometown of mullah omar is now under our control. so, that they've done a magnificent job under the leadership of general petraeus and others. the other side, though, is that there is corruption at very high levels. the attorney general of afghanistan is corrupt. it's just a fact. and also we have, unfortunately, a situation in pakistan where the enemy and isi, pakistani military intelligence, is working with and harboring

hakani network and other elements of taliban. you can't defeat the enemy if ey have sanctuary. we also went to pakistan and had a very candid meeting with the general on this issue. it boils down to the isi, the pakistani leership, afghan leadership, india's leadership are all not convinced that the united states is going to stay the course. >> let me talk to you about another military matter back home and a priority of this administrationand that's whether the ban on gays and lesbians in the military is going to be rescinded. are you going to stand, you personally, in the way of this ban being lifted? >> i will stand that i want a thorough and complete study of the effect on morale and battle effectiveness of the united states military. i will listen, as i've said for years, to our military leaders and not a study that is leaked as we know this town -- >> seven in ten members of the military think it would be just fine. >> you and i have not seen that stud and this study was directed at how to implement the repeal, not whether the repeal should take place or not. but very important, we have

people like the commandant of the marine corps, the three other, all four iefs are saying we need a thorough and complete study of the effects -- not how to impleme a repeal, but the effects on morale and battle effectiveness. that's what i want. and once we get this study, we need to have hearings and we ed to examine it and we need to see if it's the kind of study we wanted. it isn't in my view, because want a study to determine the effects of the repeal on battle effectiveness and morale. what this study is designed to do is to find out how the repeal could be implemented. those are two very different aspects of this issue. >> in a lot of households, this is a subject of debate, including your own, apparently. your wife, cindy mccain, has cut