david kerley has more from washington. >> reporter: the divide in the health care debate looms large. at least 60,000 people marched on the capital complains mr. obama is ting to change too mu too fast. >> this is ridiculous, health care, everything. it's all ridiculous. >> it's not just one thing, it's a bunch of things. >> reporter: the president's call for a public option received another nail in the coffin from the very republican senator considered essential to pass health care reform. >> i urge the president to take the public option off the table.

abc's david kerley is in cabo san lucas. >> reporter: the sun is going down. but hurricane jimena has a bit of a punch. the eye of the storm is about 100 miles offshore and moving north. what you're seeing here is the storm surge. this is all the water being pushed ashore by the hurricane. the good news is we were expecting 10-foot to 20-foot waves. we're in the 10-foot range. there was a problem with a lot of rain early. but there hasn't been any in the past several hours. that is a relief to those in the shantytowns. rain started coming down. streets became raging rivers. and the military and police are trying to move people out. they got a lot of people evacuated. material things are not worth losing your life, this marine tells this woman. like 10,000 others, she makes her home in a dry creek bed. but it's anything but dry in this hurricane. if this storm does pass, as it has been, those people should be able to return to their homes on so, it looks like the damage expected from hurricane jimena may be less than forecasters and officials predicted. we'll k

david kerley is there. >> this is a scenic cabo san lucas as the eye of hurricane jimena passes to the north now. the back end of the storm hitting here. storm surge continues, but there hasn't been the kind of rain that it was expected to bring. earlier in the day we were in a shanty town and within minutes streets there became raging rivers which is why officials were so worried about getting people out of there. many did evacuate. it appears if everything continues as it is now, this storm will cause much less damage than forecasters and officials had expected. for "nightline," david kerley for abc news. >>> and tropical storm erica formed this afternoon east of antigua island with a three-day forecast for puerto rico landfall. our thanks to david kerley for that out in california. >>> and tomorrow on "nightline" we look at what warning signs were missed in the jaycee lee dugard kidnapping case, and whether this terrible crime committed so many years ago may have been prevented. but that is our report for tonight. "jimmy kimmel live" is up next. for now, i'm terry moran. for cynthia

david kerley is in los cabos, a pop ewe lair resort area in the path of the storm. david? >> reporter: good evening, charlie. the eye is passing by los cabos here. it's not a direct hit, but the storm is pounding the lavish resort hotels and the ramshackle homes of the poor here on the tip of baja, mexico. jimena is pushing huge amounts of wind and water onto the baja coast. with flights cancelled 7,000 tourists are riding out the storm. didn't you guys know a hurricane was coming? >> no, we had no idea. >> reporter: why didn't you guys leave? >> we wanted to experience it. it's part of the vacation. >> reporter: but down the road from the sturdy hotels, the military and police 3450moved i shantytowns. telling these residents of these plywood and tarp homes it's time to leave. but many residents here have been wary of evacuating. afraid to leave their few valuables, a tv or refrigerator behind. "material things are not worth losing your life," this marine tells roasario rosas. like 10,000 others, she makes her home in a dry creek bed, but it's anything but dry in this hurr

here's david kerley. >> reporter: the president is regaining a bit of momentum in the health care debate, according to polling. >> hello, minneapolis. >> reporter: progress he's trying to capitalize on, looking like a campaigner. >> i will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits. either now or in the future. >> reporter: but this weekend showed the divide in the health care debate looms large. at least 60,000 people marched on the capital, blaming mr. obama is trying to charge too much too fast. >> this is ridiculous. health care, everything. it's ridiculous. >> it's not just one thing. it's a bunch of things. >> reporter: today, the president's call for a public option received another nail in the coffin, from the very republican senator considered essential to pass health care reform. >> i urge him to take it off the table there's no way to pass a plan that includes the public option. >> reporter: while refusing to call the option dead, even the president's men -- >> he refers the option. >> reporter: today downplayed the necessity. >> we should not let it devolve into this

you wouldn't think something as common as the flu would slow them down, but as david kerley reports,eams across the country are getting sacked. >> reporter: the flu has been picking off football players like a good defensive back. the university of florida won last week, but the coach said the flu slowed the team. and ordered invax nary. >> i guess we'll wait and see. >> reporter: but nearly everybody, 30 players, were sick at stillman college in georgia. forcing that team to cancel its home opener. walk into a locker room. and ask players about swine flu and you'll know they've got the message. >> washing your hands more? >> yeah. that's all it is. >> yes. >> reporter: now athletic trainers are spending as much time guarding against flu as they are icing knees and taping ankles. >> i am the nag. definitely. you can hear that from students. >> reporter: washing hands, wiping down gear, coolers. teaching athletes not to touch water bottles with their mouths. >> with all of this flu stuff going on, i don't want someone else's mouth on my water bottle. >> reporter: everything is washed

david kerley is in baja. >> reporter: the eye of the storm is now due west about a hundred miles offshorend still moving north. what you're seeing here is the storm surge. this is all the water being pushed ashore by the hurricane. the good news is that we're expecting 10 to 20 foot waves. we're in the 10 foot range. there was a problem with a lot of rain early but there hasn't been much in the past several hours and that's a relief to those who were really worried about some of the shantytowns. we spent some time there and it was amazing are rain started coming down, streets became raging rivers and the military and police were trying to move people out. they got a lot of people evacuated. material things are not worth losing your life this marine tells this woman. like 10,000 others, she makes her home in a dry creek bed but it's anything but dry in this hurricane. if the storm does pass, those people should be able to return to their homes on wednesday. so it looks like the damage expected from hurricane jimena may be less than forecasters and officials predicted. we'll know in just a

david kerley has more from washington. >> reporter: the divide in the health care debate looms large.ast 60,000 people marched on the capital complains mr. obama is ting to change too mu too fast. >> this is ridiculous, health care, everything. it's all ridiculous. >> it's not just one thing, it's a bunch of things. >> reporter: the president's call for a public option received another nail in the coffin from the very republican senator considered essential to pass health care reform. >> i urge the president to take the public option off the table. there's no way to pass a plan that include as public option. >> reporter: while refusing to call the option dead, even the president's men downplayed its necessity. >> we should not let the whole debate devolve into this one question. >> reporter: it appears the senate bill will include insurance co-ops, nonprofit organizations owned by the people they ensure. the president's entire agenda could be at risk in this debate, something mr. obama acknowledges in a "60 minutes" interview. >> i own it. if people look and say you know, what this ha

david kerley has the story. >> reporter: the flu has been picking off football players like a good defensivehe university of florida won last week but the coach complained the flu slowed his team and ordered vaccinations, prompting a snarky remark from his opponents. but nearly everybody, 30 players were sick at stillman college in alabama. in a sport where success is mesh-yard by getting in someone's face, schools are worried the flu could spread fast. but colleges and high schools aren't taking any chances. walk into a locker room and ask players about swine flu, you'll know they've got the message. washing your hands more? >> yeah. >> reporter: now athletic trainers are spending as much time guarding against flu as they are icing knees and taping ankles. so basically you're the nag. >> definitely. i'm the nag. i'm the guy that stands out in the hallway and screams at you for washing your hands like your mom. >> reporter: washing hands, wrieping down coolers, and teaching athletes not to touch water bottles with l mouths. everything is washed every day. all this to keep players on the fiel