prime time push. president obama to offer specifics on health care reform during tonight's address to congress. >> he needs to draw a pretty firm line in the sand, say i need it, i want it, i'm prepared to fight for it. reporter rescued, a daring raid frees a journalist from the taliban. and a man and his car, a pontiac lover laid to rest with his most prized possession. this is the cbs morning news for wednesday, september 9th, 2009. captioning funded by cbs good morning, and thanks for

joining us, i'm michelle gielan. president obama's speech to a joint session of congress may be his last best hope of rallying support for health care reform. the stakes are high, but the president is confident, mr. obama faces republican opposition and divided democrats due in large part to disagreement over the so-called government-run insurance option. >> reporter: good morning, michelle, the president's speech will not be an easy task. members of congress are digging in their heels and everybody wants to see where the president will draw the line. president obama hopes tonight's high stakes speech to congress will make his vision for health care reform crystal clear. >> people will come away understanding where he is on these big issues and these big questions. >> reporter: big issues like the so-called public option. a government-run health insurance. the topic sparked a war of words this summer at town hall meetings across the country. the public option is also

fuelling the debate on capitol hill. supporters claim it's a key element to reform. critics argue it hurts insurance companies and gives government too much control over health care. >> you can call it the government option, you can call it the co-op, you can call it a banana. but the fact is, it is government intervention -- >> reporter: and it's not just republican. president obama is also walking a fine line within his own party. at least two dozen conservative house democrats say they'll vote against health care reform if it includes a public option. but about 100 liberal democrats are threatening to kill the bill if it doesn't include a public option. >> i think he's going to deliver some tough love to the liberal democrats and say, hey, i may be with you on the public option, i might want more of a government-backed program, but the votes aren't there right now, we have to compromise. >> reporter: finding a middle ground is exactly what a group of bipartisan senators is trying to do. the gang of six headed by senator max baucus, hopes to have an agreement by tonight.

some lawmakers have said there cannot be an agreement with that public option. it remains to be seen whether the president will try and has the power to change anybody's mind. michelle? >> thanks. senate democrat christopher dodd has apparently decided not to become the chairman of the senate committee focussed on health care reform. dodd was next in line following senator ted kennedy who died last month. iowa democrat tom harkin will now likely lead the committee on health, education, labor, and pension. the president discussed tonight's health care reform speech with congressional aides yesterday before giving another speech, this one to the nation's students. mr. obama's back to school address raised the conservatives and parents who called it political propaganda. but in the end, it was a presidential pep talk. the president urging students to work hard and stick with their education. >> every single one of you has something that you're good at.

something to offer. and you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. that's the opportunity and education can provide. >> some school districts refused to show the president's address. this morning british commandos rescued a kidnapped "new york times" reporter from the taliban. steven farrell and his translator were being held in afghanistan. they dropped from helicopters on to the house where farrell was being held, there was a fire fight. farrell's translator and a taliban command fighter were killed. he was covering a nato attack on fuel tankers hijacked by the taliban. as many as 82 people were killed in last friday's air strike. nato confirms some were civil n civilians and an investigation has been ordered. meanwhile, four americans were killed in an ambush near the pakistan border yesterday. 11 americans have been killed in

afghanistan this month. a partial recount has been ordered in afghanistan's presidential election. the u.n. commission that monitored the voting says it found clear and convincing evidence of fraud. yesterday, afghan officials released election results showing karzai with 54% of the vote. that's enough to avoid a run-off, but his chief rival says it's easy to see the vote was rigged. >> we all know that part of the numbers, which have been announced, which has taken president karzai about 50%, that is -- it's not suspicious numbers, it's fraudulent. >> the recount could take months. space shuttle discovery is scheduled to return to earth tomorrow. discovery undocked from the international space station yesterday and did a fly around so the space station crew could take pictures. seven astronauts are on board discovery. the shuttle spent nine days docked at the station delivering

more than 18,000 pounds of equipment and supplies. turning now to the cbs money watch stocks. >> good morning to you, michelle. after a global rally yesterday, stocks in asia were down today, japan's nikkei fell 81 points. wall street will try to keep the positive momentum today. the dow was up 56, nasdaq gained 19, closing at its highest level in about a year. today is the day we unravel apple's riddle. it's only rock 'n' roll, but we like it. that's all the company put on the invitations to the big event this morning. analysts believe the company will unveil a new ipod with improved features like touch screen and a digital camera. ipod sales were down 7% in the last quarter. adding to the hype, looks like steve jobs will show up. it would be his first public appearance since a liver transplant this year. and music fans are wondering

if there's a connection with the beatles' big release today. not only does their digitally remastered catalog come out, but so does their video game. they hope to sell 2 million of the beatles' rock band in the first month. sales are down 40% overall this year. switching gears, looks like americans will not get back what they spent to bail out the auto industry. a government oversight committee says taxpayers face significant losses on the $81 billion given to chrysler and gm. and despite cash for clunkers, americans are borrowing at the lowest rate on record. even credit cards are down 8%. and michelle, here is the key. economists say the recovery will remain slow until borrowing and lending pick up. >> all right. karen brown here in, new york. karen, thanks. just ahead on the morning news. our nation's roads in a state of disrepair. plus, you can take it with you. an unusual funeral for a south

carolina man. first, katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." should a vaccine for seally transmitted disease be given to boys? that's tonight. ...and i smoked for 29 years. the one thing about smoking - is it dominates your life, and it dominated mine. and the sad thing about it is that you can always use an excuse if cigarettes don't kill me, oh well - something else will. but, you can't use that as an excuse. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. it was very interesting that you could smoke on the first week. chantix gave me that extra help that i needed to get through a tough time. (announcer) chantix is a non-nicotine pill. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill.

it is proven to reduce the urge to smoke. i did have an unopen pack of cigarettes in my purse and then i think i opened my purse and realized it was still there. and i said, "what the heck, i don't need these..." ...i said, you know, "bye, i don't need you anymore, you're not my crutch, i don't need a crutch." (announcer) talk to your doctor about chantix and a support plan that's right for you. hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice agitation, hostility, depression or changes in behavior, thinking or mood that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. talk to your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which can get worse while taking chantix. some people can have allergic or serious skin reactions to chantix, some of which can be life threatening. if you notice swelling of face, mouth, throat or a rash stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away. tell your doctor which medicines you are taking as they may work differently when you quit smoking.

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buried in his car, a mint condition 1973 pontiac. he was laid to rest with his guns in the car in a large grave next to his wife. holloway's sister reluctantly went along with his decision. >> i don't like it, but he told me this a long time ago. he said sally mae, i'm going to be buried in my car. >> each to their own, i guess. well, hundreds turned out for the unusual burial. one said that holloway was a "very unique individual." the u.s. needs to spend trillions of dollars to fix the nation's crumbling infrastructure, according to engineering experts. and as we're finding out often these days, many of america's bridges and highways are in desperate need of repair or replacement 6789. >> reporter: the cab of this fire engine almost devoured by a

sink hole in san fernando valley caused by a broken water main. this just three days after an even break down the road washed away cars and flooded residents and businesses for blocks. >> things are falling apart. >> reporter: with aging infrastructure failing spectacular like this, the mayor of los angeles says the city is playing catch-up when it comes to repair. >> some of these pipes are more than 100 years old. >> reporter: failing infrastructure, not just an l.a. problem. up north, workers scramble to reopen the 73-year-old bay bridge between san francisco and oakland today after finding a crack in a steel beam. the bridge was severely damaged and refurbished after the 1989 earthquake. but it's not just earthquake-prone california that's falling apart, and it's not just bridges and water mains, but airports, dams, sewers. in their annual report, the nation's civil engineers give the whole country poor grades for infrastructure. >> it would be nifty if we could

get all of our grades in the country up to a c or even a b. i think we have a lot of work to do to get to that point. >> reporter: remember the minneapolis bridge collapse? today, more than a quarter of the country's 600,000 bridges still are in urgent need of repair. in california, that's three out of ten bridges, four out of ten in new york. in rhode island, more than half of all bridges desperately need repair. the federal government is pumping $100 billion stimulus into fixing infrastructure. the nation's engineers say it would take $2.2 trillion over the next five years. even in these hard times, that means put money in before you end up hauling fire engines out. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. and in sports, some top players advance in action at the u.s. open. ♪

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in some cities around the country. new york, cloudy and breezy, 71 degrees, miami, 88, chicago partly cloudy, 79, denver, 87, los angeles, sunny and 79. time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows that skies are cloudy over the mid-atlantic states after nearly 5 inches of rain in eastern virginia yesterday. skies are gray across the northern plains and it's a nice clear morning from the rockies to the southwest coastline. later today while most of the west enjoys sunshine, showers and thunderstorms will be common across the plains and remain stormy along the mid-atlantic coastline. another 2 inches to 3 inches of rain is expected today with gail-force winds developing tonight. this is all heading to the northeast coastline. in sports, rafael nadal was able to advance at the u.s. open. he lost the first set but then

came back to take three straight. nadal will face fernando gonzalez in the quarter finals. serena williams breezed through her straight sets, she has not lost a single set in the tournament. in baseball, st. louis is closer to wrapping up the title in the national league central division. the cardinals' matt holiday hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for a win over milwaukee. st. louis remains 11 1/2 games ahead of chicago. and the yankees nick swisher had two home runs, including one in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win over tampa bay, new york leads the american league east by nine games over boston. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and open house, we'll take a tour of bernard madoff's plush and open house, we'll take a tour of bernard madoff's plush home now up for sale. t bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and

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on "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. remaining windy and wet along the mid-atlantic coastline, gail-force winds for tonight, showers are in store for the midwest with thunder across the southern plains. here's another look at this morning's top stories. president obama delivers a speech on health care reform before a joint session of congress tonight. the white house says the president will offer specifics, but he faces republican opposition and divided democrats. and kidnapped "new york times" reporter steven farrell has been freed from the taliban. british commandos rescued farrell in an early morning raid in eastern afghanistan. he was captured on saturday. some of the victims of ponzi schemer bernard madoff will get their money back. investors in massachusetts will be covered by a new settlement

agreement with a feeder fund that has funneled more than $7 billion to madoff. it calls for full restitution plus interest. federal authorities will raise more money for madoff victims by selling off his three homes. madoff lived a life of luxury in his properties in florida and new york before it came crashing down. the madoff homes now up for sale. >> reporter: this richly decorated penthouse is where bernie madoff lived for 25 years and spent his last days as a free man. the leather bowl in his office reminder of flush times before the once adored money manager was sent to prison for the rest of his life. >> from the living area to the dining room area -- >> reporter: u.s. marshals seized the apartment over the summer along with the beach house. at 4,000 square feet with wrap around views, they value the duplex at between $8 million and $10 million and hope the madoff name won't scare away buyers.

>> i believe the dark cloud has lifted. and you're going to get perspective buyers for this apartment. >> reporter: it includes two studies, a modern kitchen and a perfectly organized closet for racks of shirts, shoes, and dozens of suits. the madoffs spent most of their days here, but when they needed a tropical escape, they headed a few hours south to palm beach. that property too is on the market. five bedrooms, seven baths, with a private dock for madoff's boat. >> spectacular view. this would probably be one of the selling points of this property. >> reporter: like in new york, bulls are a theme, and the meticulous closet with a big emphasis on shoes. >> nine shelves that would accommodate the 40 plus pairs of handmade belgian shoes he had in that closet. >> reporter: the feds hope to bring in more than $20 million. it will go to pay back victims,

some of whom lost their own homes to the scam of the century. cbs news, new york. supporters of the late senator edward kennedy are vowing to pack a public hearing today at a massachusetts state house. the hearing's being held to press lawmakers to allow governor deval patrick to name an interim replacement to the senate seat. several beaches in chatham, massachusetts, will be closed indefinitely after new shark sightings. great white sharks were spotted yesterday just a few hundred yards offshore. three of them were electronically tagged to track their movements. the largest measured 15-feet long, two other great whites were tagged on saturday. it's believed the sharks are attracted to a growing seal population in the area. those seals are cute. well, this morning on "the early show," we'll talk about the fight over health care reform. we'll be speaking with white house press secretary robert gibbs and republican national

committee chairman michael steele. i'm michelle gielan, and this is "the cbs morning news." (announcer) time brings new wisdom new aches and pains, ...and new questions about which pain reliever is right for your body. tylenol 8 hour works with your body, with one layer that dissolves quickly... ...one layer that lasts all day the way that ibuprofen can. it's tough on your body pain. not on your body. protects against enamel loss by forming a micro-thin shield against acid attack. only crest pro-health toothpastes protect all these areas dentists check most. new crest pro-health enamel shield.

>> this is jeff norman. he doesn't get health insurance from an employer, so he's been buying it himself for years. he's healthy, so he wonders why his rates keep going up. liz sloan wants health insurance

but doesn't think she can afford it. we're assurant health, and we've been customizing plans to meet the needs of individuals for over 110 years. for instance, with our two-year rate guarantee and healthy discount, jeff will get 15% off his rate and lock in that rate for two years. for liz, we offer plans that allow people like her to pay for only the benefits they need, saving them money. in fact, liz could get up to $2 million of coverage for less than $100 per month. unlike other health insurance companies that focus on corporations and treat everyone the same, assurant health is there for the individual. so if you need health insurance, call the number on your screen, visit our website or contact your local agent. good morning. here's what we are following for you today. president obama will try to

regiven control of the health care debate when the makes a primetime address to congress tonight. hi says by the end of his speech, the nation will have a better understanding of his overall proposal. his goal is to pass a bill on health care reform by the end of the year. virginia governor tim kaine ordered $1 billion to be cut from the state's general fund. while there are cuts to all areas state-supported colleges are among the hardest hit. no state funding will be cut for public schools and those budgets are already in place. the district spent $41 million on the recently completed summer jobs program, much less than the previous summer. 20,000 young people took part in the program this year. some critics say it is too expensive while the district deals with a budget deficit. but the mayor says it is valuable because it keeps young people off the streets and out

of trouble. we say good morning to howard bernstein who is wearing pink for buddy check nine today. >> to honor your work. and spotty shows t there and i thought we'd see more rain yesterday. it was south and east of us. not a bad day. today spotty showers from the north actually. it is hit and miss and that will be the case much of the s. but e the 60s. don't buy the 70 in leesburg. that's a few degrees too warm. lower 60s in the shenandoah valley and mid to upper 60s in other locations. should be 73 for the drive home. we say welcome back to angie goff. >> good morning. got a half marathon under the belt. i'm ready to kick things off. >> half more than me. >> get you vimong this morning o unfortunately one tieup to tell

you t about in upper marlboro. at white house road it is closed. crews hope to have it cleared by 6:00 a.m. to the outer loop, no problems to report from university and 66 eastbound, past the car rest area it looks like the commute to the district is all clear. andrea, over to you. it looks like the movie "jaws "off of cape cod this weekend. scientists tagged a record number of sharks off the coast. >> reporter: we. >> we tagged five and i know we have seen several fish that have not tagged. hard to give a real number because we don't know if we are double counting. >> reporter: he has never seen so many great whites hanging out close. the decision to keep the beaches closed was a no brainer. >> there's some indications that the animals are here in the harbor which is no surprise because the seals are here so we will expand no swimming here

as well. >> they look like floating bonbons to the sharks which are fine with fishermen who see too many seals. >> it is rebalance to have a predator of the seals to rebalance the ecosystem and even if they can't eat all of them they will keep them away to an extent to the normal population. >> reporter: they are monitoring the sharks who won't go anywhere until they are ready. >> they seem to be dynamic. move and off shore. seem to be in a predatory behavior to the seals but we haven't seen any actual attacks on the seals t. health care reform. president obama prepares for his address before congress which he hopes will help him claim the health care debate away from the skeptics. good morning. howard is here with weather and gi