well, this week cain sat down with barbara walters as one of her ten most fascinating people of 2011, by the way, very impressive that walters always lands all ten of the year's most fascinating people. >> what kind of cabinet position would you like if it were possible. >> we're speaking totally, totally hype tet cal, right? >> jon: no, herman cain, this is your job interview for a cabinet position. >> what kind of cabinet position might you like if it were possible? >> we are speaking totally, totally hypothetical, right? >> yes. okay. >> totally, totally hypothetical. >> yes. >> department of defense. >> what? [cheering and applause] >> jon: that was so ballsy, that was so ballsy it made barbara walters do a reporter's equivalent of a spit take. the lady has been on tv since tv started. [laughter] and she has never reacted viscerally like that to a statement like this. she's faced down crazy bullshit from dictators, from president, from moguls and movie stars. sherry shepherd told her she wasn't sure if the world was round and didn't get a what. last week syrian dictator assad, who

and tonight, right here, barbara walters with syria's president assad. re's barbara's report. >> reporter: i want to make this clear. you say that the country, in general, is stable, but there are areas of this country, an hour, an hour and a half away, in which there is still fighting. in which there is still protest. >> not true. >> reporter: do you see that as something important, people fighting for their freedom? >> not everybody in the street was fighting for freedom. you have different components, you have extremists, religious extremists, you have outlaws and people who have been convicted in the courts and they have been escaping for years now. drug smugglers. and you have like-minded people of al qaeda and those. so, it's different components. >> reporter: the protests really began with -- after the detention and torture of children who were writing graffiti, calling for your downfall. i've seen awful pictures of what happened. why was this such a brutal crackdown? >> what happened? >> reporter: well, i'll give you some examples that i saw. a 13

wait is barbara walters considering retiring after decades in, in the business. re, who handles public relations for the network, barbara has joked she is retiring every year since the clinton administration. any one who did a day trip to syria, 90 minute primetime special, and interview with the president and first lady hardly sound like any one retiring from anything we asked if she fibbed to the president to get a big interview. vp said she is one of the greatest bookers who ever lived. >> she is not going anywhere. >> can't imagine. >> on "the view" her specials. >> she will leave when she wants to. >> she is not going anywhere. jay-z joining his wife beyonce in a pregnancy diet. the diet is partially vegan. she is trying not to let herself go she is expecting. he is joining her in that. i'm not sure what a partially vegan diet is. >> what does that mean? >> when you are pregnant you want to eat. everything. delicious things like bacon. >> i respect, if you say you are giving up, give up certain things when you are pregnant. i'll go along with you -- alcohol.

. [ laughter ] you know, on -- you know, on barbara walters -- [ cheers and applause ] on barbara waltersating people of 2 2011" special last week, she told the kardashian sisters, "you don't sing, you don't dance, you don't act, forgive me, but you don't have any talent." hey, barbara, you're the one that found them fascinating. why'd you put them on the show? [ cheers and applause ] folks, we'll be right back with "headlines," and the beautiful sandra bullock. say hello to rickey minor and "the tonight show" band! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ online, now i'm picking it up right here. blueshirt: looks like santa's got some competition this year, huh? mom: yes he does. mom: ho-ho-ho. ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. vo: shop bestbuy.com and get free shipping on everything. or pick it up at any store the same day. and right now get $150 off select samsung laptops. at best buy. ♪ ♪ [ jennifer ] no matter where you're from... ♪ ♪ ...elegance... ♪ ♪ ...is hard work. ♪ ♪ it's taking style... ♪ whatever you want me to ♪ ...performance... ♪ i'm gonna see you through ♪ ...and originality and making them look e

just ahead, his explanation of what happened in an interview with barbara walters. >>> bitten by his own bug. the security flaw in facebook that has hit the company's founder. >>> sear kwan president assad is denying having ordered a bloody -- syrian president assad is denying having ordered a bloody crackdown. he calls the up u.n.'s report of 4,000 killed not incredible. -- >> reporter: for the lead are of a country in so much turmoil syria's president assad appears calm, soft spoken and confident. confident he's doing the right thing for syria, the u.n. says more than 4,000 have died in the past nine months in an interview with barbara walters he distanced himself from the bloodshed. >> do you think that your forces cracked down too hard? >> they are not my forces. they are military forces belong to the government. i don't own them, i'm president. >> reporter: assad did admit mistakes have been made but doesn't feel guilty because he says he's doing his best to protect his people. few have been allowed in. amateur video, cell phone clips on line most sent out by the opposition whic

in her exclusive holiday interview, abc's barbara walters asks president obama questions sent in by the youngest americans. plus, the first lady shows us how she decks those white house halls. >>> and "the nutcracker" unplugged. this year, it's not just about sugar plum fairies. we show you how some people are rethinking the classic "nutcracker" ballet. from celebrity impersonators, to a burlesque slutcracker to a version that's gone to the dogs. >>> plus, ho ho -- huh? all they went for christmas is matching machine guns. see how some families pack serious heat in the their holiday photo, complete with santa. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, bill weir and tonight, juju chang in new york city, this is "nightline," december 23rd, 2011. >> good evening, i'm juju chang. for all of us, the holidays are a time to reflect. even more so, if you're the commander in chief. this year, president obama scored some victories, including the elimination of osama bin laden. but many feel he's failed to fix the economy. nearly three out of every fo

made barbara walters' most fascinating people list. . >>> and the gorgeous jude law rides into times square ahead. >>> and if that wasn't good enough, country superstars, lady antebellum also here, singing live for you, coming up on "gma." ornaments also make beautiful center pieces. you're a miracle worker sabrina soto. [sfx: doorbell rings] and you can mix your seasonal pieces with your everyday china. [sfx: knocking on door] and now you need to hide. oh, i love the mercury glass pieces on the mantel, we could put some evergreen pieces... you know a simple touch like adding. oh, i think we should quickly decorate the hallway, wouldn't that be fun? maybe just put some...oh thank you so much, i'm going to bring you a snack later. wait, i still need to talk to you about led candles. happy holiday's. hey! hi! please come in. you know ornaments, they make a great centerpiece. why settle for a one-note cereal? ♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains come together for more taste, more healthy satisfactio

in a sunsetwork exclusive, barbara walters travels to the middle east to meet a leader accused of killing thousands of his own people with the future of the entire region in the balance, bashar al assad faces american cameras for the first time since the crackdown began. >>> in the streets. after months of media blackout, our team is allowed out in public, among the people, for a rare look at the culture of courage and fear, under a watchful eye. >>> and defiance and denial. tonight, an extraordinary moment of accountability, hard questions. a special edition of "nightline: syria, a dictator speaks," begins right now. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 7th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. and tonight, we bring you a special edition of "nightline." in a major network exclusive, abc's barbara wealters is just back from another arab country seemingly on the brink of overtloug another dictator. syria. barbara is the first allowed access to the country since a nine-month-old

just ahead, his explanation of what happened in an interview with barbara walters. >>> bitten by his own bug. the security flaw in facebook that has hit the company's founder. i have copd. if you have it, you know how hard it can be to breathe and what that feels like. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms... ...by keeping my airways open... ...a full 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. and it's steroid-free. spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens,... ...your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain,... ...or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breat

>> greg: i want to play a sot of what barbara walters talk to kardashian object why they are famous.t act. you have don't sing. you don't answer. you don't have any forgive me any talent. >> but we are still entertaining people. it's more of a challenge for you to go on a reality show and get people to fall in love with you for being you. so there is more pressure i think to be famous for being ourselves. than to be a character. >> none of us think we have talent. none of us think we could sing or act or dance. >> bob: i totally agree with the hot one -- >> greg: i totally agree with the hot one. >> dana: give kudos for the people on her p.r. show to be harder to on reality tv than anything for people to fall in love with you. >> bob: you could put all the i.q.s together and they wouldn't a rhode scholar. >> andrea: who says people are in love with her. she said they were entertaining people. the only person in the kardashian household that has done anything is bruce jenne jennear. he is nowhere to be found. >> dana: when i was in vegas i saw a billboard, 2011, new year's eve, kim ka

barbara walters, to a miracle, caught in that jail and it her interview. i could talk to you for 12 hours about an issue, how got caught her -- her into the jail. she went in and did the interview. it was on the air. the next day i was on the ankle bracelet. he took one look and said he is going to die and i don't want to be his executioner. cops't mind doing what he want me to do. he let me out the next day. the next day i was on the ankle bracelet. if that is in god, tell me what. of course i wanted to die. i did not care. >> in retrospect, what would you say to me? >> there is no retrospect. tavis: how would you describe this part of your life, your time in jail, on the ankle bracelet, the criminal trial, how has this impacted your life? how have you navigate your way through it? >> i do not believe i have navigated myself through anything. if stress was going to kill me, i would have never gotten out of the womb. i am 78 years old. i am not supposed to eat red meat. i drink a quarter of in a clear day. god has been watching over me since i was conceive

all right let's move on to another thing this is actually i like barbara walters for saying this so take a look at this. often described as famous for being famous you don't really act you don't sing you don't dance you don't have any to give me any talent but we're still entertaining people. to be. so happy that people can say or do you say things like that the you don't do anything you don't have any talent why are you famous it was more of a question than anything she asked assad if you just said it was like a mild mannered accidental dictator and she does care about there are just one and you're idiots you guys don't what is right is right action we're disproportionate thing where more and significant a person is like the harsher she is on them she's probably what's wrong with all of journalism in america to be completely honest i don't know i think i've actually been right like yeah yeah yeah. yeah i don't know she's the card actions are sort of entertaining they're like modern day gladiators when you think about it like their lives have no purpose other than to like satisfy the sto

abc's barbara walters asked the president in an exclusive interview at the white house. >> reporter: we have never seen -- that i can remember -- a more divisive situation with you and the republicans in congress. is that a failure of your leadership? or is that all them? >> you know, you never want to say it's all them. but i do think that right now, at least, in the republican party, there are a couple of notions. number one, is that compromise is a dirty word. number two, anything that obama's for, we're against. so, if i propose a health care bill that is full of republican ideas, in fact, is very similar to the law that was passed by the current republican front-runner, or one of the top front-runners -- >> reporter: you've just done him in, i think. >> well, the other guy was supportive of many of the ideas, as well. suddenly, they become against it. >> you can see barbara's full interview with the president on a "20/20" holiday special, next friday, december 23rd. >>> moving on, now, to new era for iraq this morning. in just a few days, the last u.s. combat troops will finally

country in a way that gives them a chance for a successful future. >> the president with our barbara walters. and barbara's interview with the president and the first lady will air this friday night on a special edition of "20/20". >>> the war is getting a lot of tension tonight on the campaign trail. with just two weeks until the iowa caucuses, mitt romney criticizes the president. and he looks to regain his front-runner status and today, he got i'm in iowa. here is david kerley. >> reporter: mitt romney has logged less time in iowa than most candidates, but nabbed the endorsement of the largest paper, which noted what it called, "sobriety, wisdom and judgment." but it was a scathing review of newt gingrich by "the des moines register," an undisciplined partisan who would "alienate not united." >> i'm actually delighted because "the manchester union leader," which is a reliably conservative newspaper, endorsed me. "the des moines register," which is a solidly liberal newspaper, did not endorse me. i think that indicates who the conservative in this race is. >> reporter: the former house spe

the rock star is one of barbara walters' ten most fascinating people. he rules this year. >> what did she do? >> i don't know. i want to find out what it means, too. >> oh. surprising me, george. you really think she's going to tell us? oh, boy. maybe we can get katie couric to tell us a thing. she's here also. she talks with a very busy steven spielberg. his new movie is getting a lot of oscar buzz. >>> and you got to see "sherlock holmes." jude law coming in today. >>> all that, but first, josh with the news. >> good morning to all of you. we're going to begin with new numbers, just out this morning, showing president obama's approval rating now in the danger zone. a new abc news poll shows, for the first time, more people disapprove of the president than approve of him. it's a 31% drop since before his inauguration. but the president's top gop challenger, newt gingrich, actually fairs worse. his approval rating is about the same as the president's. but only 35% of americans have a favorable opinion of him. and our poll shows, that since last month, gi

. >>> take a break from the stresses of the holiday season with barbara walters, the 10 most fascinating people. it has been expanded to 90 minutes. she mr. sit down with the kardashian family, herman cain and pop superstar katy perry for a look at her childhood. >> your parents were evangelical pastors who went from town to town breech -- preaching. tell me what it was like. >> when i was a little girl i thought my family's world was the only type that existed. we had television, but it was very sensorred. >> all right. you can see more of barbara's fast nateing interview -- fascinating interview tonight right here on abc2. but, first, start the night off with these three hilarious comedies and modern family at 9:00 followed by the 90-minute barbara walters presents the 10 most fascinating people. >>> if you've got new windows on our holiday gift list, some home improvements are set to exspire at end of this month and what other projects are eligible. >> and men and women who spend the day saving lives, how they spent their day. >> we have a winner, con grates. you get an abc2 storm umb

barbara walters inside syria, with the only one-on-one with syria's 'embattled president. >> why is this such a brutal crackdown? >> does he fear civil war? does he sense the circle closing around him? barbara is right here with us tonight. >>> family values. why mitt romney is hoping voters will focus on this image tonight, as the gloves come off, taking aim at the new front-runner. >>> that famous question, and our question tonight for the ceo of ford who turned that car maker around. what is the key to bringing america back? >>> kicked off. after alec baldwin booted after that battle, who was right? the famous actor or the flight attendant? >>> and pearl harbor. the image we learned today we will never see again. >>> good evening. diane is on assignment tonight. and we begin here with two major stories this evening. barbara walters and her skwloouf one-on-one with syria's embattled president. face to face as she asks why the deadly crackdown. she's right here tonight. >>> but first, another image making headlines. that coach, under fire, and now, under arrest. after the mounting numbe

and the decision to go public, if you will, the decision to go to barbara walters, to bring barbara walters and talk to her, you bring barbara walters because, in fact, as we know, bashar al assad is a creature of power in the arab world. she had once interviewed yassar arafat. so you come because you believe you have a good story to tell, and you tell an incredible story. and here you are the dictator, you are basically almost the owner of this country, syria. but now you disown the forces of order, you disown the killers and you make yourself, you know, the innocent man on the scene. >> he's essentially saying, no one really controls the the army, no one's in charge, that i'm not the one making -- dictating stuff. he's a dictator. he just says, i'm the president. he's a dictator. his father was a dictator before him, killed thousands of people. it's as if he's living in an alternate universe. i mean, he can't actually believe that, though? >> there's a fraudian slip where he says, i don't own the country. he owns the country. he owns not only the country, but also now owns this horrible m

in an exclusive interview with barbara walters, the president denies he ordered the deadly crackdownrnment protesters. >> not by your command? the crackdown was without your permission? >> there's a difference between having a policy to crack down and -- no government in the world kills its people. >> he admitted some officials made mistakes but contended his forces are fighting militants, drug smugglers and terrorists and not innocent civilians. you can see more of the interview tonight after this newscast. >>> 70 years ago today, the japanese attacked the pacific fleet at pearl harbor. more than 2400 service members died and the attack. the attack brought the united states into world war two. in hawaii and washington, ceremonies were held to mark the anniversary. at the u.s. navy memorial, uss arizona, a wreath serve as a quiet reminder on pearl harbor day. this is downtown washington. more than 2400 sailors who died. local veterans' survivors to part in a panel discussion about the attacks 70 years ago. >>> a distinguished educator and journalist has died. he was a well-known wash

. >>> they are among barbara walters 10 mostrq fascinating people of we have len -- 2011. -- >> maybe favorites were the two guys who play the two gay guys in modern family. we follow modern family on our special tonight many one of them is gay himself the other one is straight. the straight one plays it more gay, the gay one plays it more straight that's eric and jesse tyler ferguson they are also, the president has said that's th family favorite show >> he just revealed that today. one big endorsement. who is this year's most fascinating person? find out tonight when barbara walters presents the 10 most fascinating 9:30. >> she is up there on the top of list. >>> auction of liz taylor's jewelry collection made a record setting 115 million dollars among the big purchases christie's in new york last night pearl necklace sold for a price of more than 11 million dollars. a 33 carat ring sold for nearly nine million purchased by a private buyer from asia. part of the proceeds will go to taylor's aids care foundation. >>> next, the new national restaurant ranking that snubs our local food

barbara walters has the list. we will check it twice. we hope you stay tuned to those reports. >> bill: factor follow up segment tonight. each we're we invite barbara walters on t factor talk about abc special to talk about the 10 most fascinating people that airs on december 14th. trump is one of those people so the whole list is up in flames. here now miss walters. >> first of all i want to say 18th year we go on at 9:30. 90 minutes long so we have even more time. >> bill: to spend with the kardashians, great. >> okay. you want to discuss it? >> i do. first i want to get to somebody who is on the list. pippa middleton, is that a hockey player? who is pippa middleton? >> you are so out of it. amazing to me. >> bill: who is that? >> do you remember last year kate middleton married prince william. >> is pippa the cocker spaniel? >> bill: she is the one, take a look at the dress. she is the bridesmaid who became famous and now she is the new it girl. >> fascinating. extremely interesting, charming and glamorous. >> bill: that sounds like m

. >> who are the most fascinating people of 2011, well, barbara walters think the kardashians are in the group. i respectfully disagree. ms. walters will be here. >> stop giving me a hard time, billy. >> bill: caution, you are about to enter the no spin zone. the factor begins right now. captions by closed captioning services >> bill: hi, i'm bill o'reilly. thanks for watching us tonight. voters who don't know anything. that is the subject of this evening's talking points memo. right now more than 200 million eligible voters in the u.s.a. i don't want to be supercilious. i estimate that at least half of those folks no idea, none about what's going on in washington. and their vote counts as much as your vote and my vote and we take the time to study the officials. presidential candidates know they can get some votes with rhetoric alone. here is the president on 60 minutes last night. >> what did you accomplish? >> not only saving this country from a great depression. not only saving the auto industry, but putting in place a system in which we're going to start lowering health care cos

after a nine-month virtual media blackout, president bashar al assad told barbara walters and her team they were free to go anywhere in the country and ask any questions they wanted. so, our correspondent, alex marquardt, went to where the rebellion started to see if that was true. >> reporter: the road south out of damascus was quiet. the plan, to visit places that until now no american cameras have been allowed. the president told us we could go anywhere, so we've decided to go to daraa, we're not alone. transportation has been provided by the ministry of information. daraa is where all this started in march. where brave citizens posted videos on youtube of school children arrested and tortured. protesters shot dead in the street. the town has become a symbol of resistance. despite of a strictly inforced media blackout. we had a meeting of the governor here who despite what the president said, said we're not allowed to go wherever we want. that meant we were to be escorted everywhere by an eight-car police motorcade. we tried to get to that school, where the teenagers wrote anti-assa

. >>> they are among barbara walters 10 mostrq fascinating people of we have len -- 2011. -- >> maybe play the two gay guys in modern family. we follow modern family on our special tonight many one of them is gay himself the other one is straight. the straight one plays it more gay, the gay one plays it more straight that's eric and jesse tyler ferguson they are also, the president has said that's the family's favorite show >> he just revealed that today. one big endorsement. who is this year's most fascinating person? find out tonight when barbara walters presents the 10 most fascinating 9:30. >> she is up there on the top of list. >>> auction of liz taylor's jewelry collection made a record setting 115 million dollars among the big purchases christie's in new york last night pearl necklace sold for a price of more than 11 million dollars. a 33 carat ring sold for nearly nine million purchased by a private buyer from asia. part of the proceeds will go to taylor's aids care foundation. >>> next, the new national restaurant ranking that snubs our local food mecca. we'll be right back.

with the presidential primaries about to begin, barbara walters asks president obama about his prospects. and it's the last debate before iowa wraps up. a brief history about the loungest, possibly weirdest set of republican debates ever. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, bill weir and tonight, juju chang in new york city, this is "nightline," december 15th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm juju chang. are you being watched? it's a disturbing thought, but a recent rash of voyeurism cases suggests it's not just a paranoid suggest. criminals are using tiny hidden cameras in public and seemingly private places. worse still, in many states, these crimes are only misdemeanor, meaning even peeping toms that are caught aren't seriously punished. here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: these are boom times for peeping toms who are watching you by hiding cameras in places you would never expect. you're looking at jonathan willing. police say this video shows him putting a tiny camera in a tanning booth where he recorded four naked women. and this her

he was speaking in a rare television interview with barbara walters on abc news. he dismissed footage of his armed forces storming through towns and cities as distortions of reality. the denials at the end of a bloody year in syria. the united nations says more than 4000 people have died in the country since the uprising began. the arab league has demanded that syria allows observers into the country. syria says it will allow observers into the country, but only if the arab league drops the sanctions on the country. he was challenged about the crackdown in that interview and he said, "they are not my forces. they are military forces that belong to the government. i do not own them. ibm president. i do not own the country, so they're not my forces." mike, are world -- mike, our world affairs correspondent. have we learned anything about this man, about this country? >> that will likely be seen as the most significant exchanges. indeed, in the next question he is asked by barbara walters after that, he goes beyond that. he goes on to say that there was no command to

. >>> barbara walters confronted and criticized over her most facinated list. >> the star says flat out she picked the wrong people. >> the "weekend insider" is on. >> the new face off over her most fascinated people. >> the only thing she's ever done in life has held up her sister's dress. >> you cannot trust the kardashians. >> she's a fraud, she's a hoax. that fake sham marriage was disgusting. >> she's got no ratings, no talent, she's got nothing going. >> why oprah is caught in the middle of their latest smackdown. >> she's like the road in baltimore. >> janet jackson, one-on-one, how she won her weight loss battle. >> nutri-system's new spokeswoman. >> and fravers trailing his kids. >> it will harm your kids? >> and baby beyonce, a tiny justin bieber. >>ly transfer real kids into celebrities. >> real hollywood's minicelebrity look alikes him michael the a-list. >> of all the things they had to talk about, welcome to the "weekend insider." >> thanks for spending time with us, we're going one-on-one with barbara as her new special ticks off. >> the latest backlash after your face-of