romney's victory last night in illinois, and even using the symbolism of a children's toy, here is jake tapper, jake? >> reporter: it was an unusual day in the campaign trail. mitt romney and his group wanted to talk about his illinois victory but the debate of the etch a sketch threatened to erase all that. it was a day mitt romney was supposed to revel in his victory. and try to get the party behind him. but a top romney strategist was asked on cnn if he had run too far to the right to win in november. >> he hit a reset button. for the fall campaign. everything changes. it's like an etch a sketch. you can shake it up and start over again. >> reporter: the etch a sketch, the popular gift for children was today a presence for romney rivals. democrats produced a web video. and republicans could not resist. >> we are not looking for someone who is the etch a sketch candidate. you are looking for someone who writes what they believe in in stone and stays true to what they say. >> reporter: late this afternoon, governor romney responsibilitied to the controversy, saying the issues he is running on

here's abc's jake tapper. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a day for mitt romney's campaign to revel in its victory and try to get the party behind him. but then, a top romney strategist was asked on cnn if romney had run too far to the right to win in november. >> he hit a reset button for the fall xin. everything changes. it's almost like an etch-a-sketch. you shake it up and start all over again. >> reporter: an etch-a-sketch. the toy for children was there were rivals. >> you're not looking for someone who is the etch-a-sketch candidate. >> reporter: governor romney responded to the controversy, saying the issues he's running on now will be the same ones in november. >> i'm running as a conservative republican. i was a conservative governor. i will be running as a conser conservative nominee. >> reporter: now is the time for republicans to unite behind governor romney. senator john mccain, who has endorsed romney agrees. why is it difficult to drop out even when you can look at the math and know you're not going to be the nominee? >> you invested so much. you have this loyal cadr

abc's jake tapper was there. jake?> reporter: president obama was unapologetic this afternoon about stealing some super tuesday thunder. >> now, i understand there's some political contests going on tonight. >> reporter: taking the opportunity to rail against what he called bluster and big talk by the republican candidates for threatening war with iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program. >> those who are beating the drums of war, should explain clearly to the american people what they think the costs and benefits would be. i'm not one of those people. >> reporter: you did publicly say, we've got israel's back. what does that mean? >> what it means is, that historically, we have always cooperated with israel, with respect to the defense of israel. it was not a military doctrine that we were laying out for any particular military action. >> reporter: the president seemed eager to engage, to campaign. rejecting suggestions he wants high gas prices, to force americans to consume less. >> you think the president of

here is jake tapper. >> reporter: it was an unusual dine the campaign trail. mitt romney and his group wanted to talk about the victory. but the debate of the etch a sketch threat erase that. >> it was a day mitt romney was supposed to revel in his victory. but a top romney strategy gist was asked on cnn if he had run too far to the right to win in november. >> he hit a reset button. it's like an etch a sketch. you can shake it up and start over again. >> reporter: the etch a sketch, today a presence for his rivals. they produced a remember video. >> we are not looking for someone who is the etch a sketch candidate. you are looking for someone who write what is they believe in? stone and stays true to what they say. >> reporter: late this afternoon, governor romney responded saying the issues he is running on now will be the same ones in november. >> i'm running as a conservative republican. i was a conservative republican governor. >> reporter: today, it under mines the attempts to do what former florida governor jeb bush called for nift now is the time for r

abc's jake tapper explains. >> reporter: the highly-produced film is narrated by forrest gump, tom hanks. instead of forrest run, it's run, obama run. it seems to refrain the election from a referendum on president obama, to a reminder of how rough things were when he took office three years ago. >> advisers asked where to begin. which urgent need would he put first? >> which is one? which is two? which is three? which is four? which is five? where do you start? >> reporter: the film is by david guggenheim, who won an oscar for "an inconvenient truth." the inconvenient truth for president obama is that with a current approval rating at below 50%, his odds of re-election are likelier if he makes the election not about him. >> how do we understand this president and his term in office? do we look at the day's headlines? or do we remember what we, as a country, have been through? >> reporter: those headlines are that the unemployment rate when president obama took office was 7.8%. it went up to 10%. and it's now 8.3%. gas prices, when the president took office averaged $1.84 a gallon. it's

jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >>> and now, coming up, a near-disaster.hat jeep storming down the runway. tonight, we learn, it's happened before. just how safe is your airport? you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job. so why are you doing hers? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious... like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do her job, and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then, he had somethi

and one of the follow-up questions from abc's jake tapper. >> thank you, mr. president. what kind of assurances do you give prime minister netanyahu about the role that the u.s. would play if diplomacy and economic sanctions fail to work to convince iran's leaders to change their behavior, and israel goes ahead and prepares to strike a nuclear facility? what kind of assurances did you tell him? and shouldn't we, i recognize the difference between debate and bluster, but shouldn't we be having in this country a vigorous debate about what could happen in the case of the middle east war in a way that sadly we did not do before going into iraq? >> well, i think there's no doubt that those who are suggesting or proposing or beating the drums of war should explain clearly to the american people what they think the costs and benefits would be. i'm not one of those people. because what i said is is that we have a window through which we can resolve this issue peacefully. we have put forward an international framework that is applying unprecedented pressure. the iranians just sta

jake tapper, thank you so much.nd on the gas prices the president mentioned, a kind of break today. after 39-straight days, going up today, that streak ended. and the average price of a gallon of gas went down, ever so slightly, by 0.3 penny. to $3.76 a gallon. and by the way, that's still a record high for the month of march. >>> and that is not the only thing down today. stocks took a tumble, down over 200 points. the biggest one-day drop this year so far. wall street experts blame new worries about ending the financial crisis in greece. >>> and we have an answer, tonight, to a global detective story, a mystery. today, it rocked the shadowy world of internet hackers. the fbi said one of the most feared hackers has been an informant, spilling secrets that led agents this week to bust a notorious hacking ring, that had announced its intentions through videos, like this one you see here. and was responsible for major break-ins of government and corporate computer systems. the fbi says the informant is a self-taught p

jake tapper at the white house. jake, thanks so much. >>> the president, of course, following new details out of afghanistan. it was last night here we told you about that afghan man, the interpreter, who barreled down a runway in a pickup truck, heading for a plane carrying defense secretary leon panetta. tonight here, martha raddatz has learned more about those moments and what was a very close call. >> reporter: tonight, we know just how close defense secretary leon panetta's visit to afghanistan came to tragedy, as a trusted afghan interpreter, barreled toward the runway in a stolen pickup truck. after the truck hit a ditch, witnesses describe a flash of smoke and fire. the interpreter engulfed in flames. he died of his burns overnight, without ever being interrogated. so, we will never know if panetta was, in fact, his target. but the secretary's visit did not get any easier after that harrowing arrival. today, afghan president karzai demanded that u.s. troops pull out of afghan villages next year, a year earli

s jake tapper some props as a number of the white house press corps he gets access to the president's press secretary and has on more than one occasion actually asked some tough and important questions but nobody else bothers you so here's an edited down version for the sake of timing of how the back and forth between carney and tapper this week. cia director the other four years ago he said there were fewer of them from syria we also said they were through the one hundred all part of the. state. how many do you think are. the same. i don't have a specific number for you but. the point you. raise was was. discussed in the public. arena at the time. u.s. troops killed anybody associated with ok well i refer you to i south and friends to form for that i don't have that information certainly clear that because of our efforts in the parent region if you will which is the region covered by the overall strategy present put into place that we have aggressively pursued with significant success al qaeda leadership. yeah carney couldn't really answer the question as usual but here's the best pa

abc's jake tapper is traveling with the president. >> reporter: a hot microphone picked up a privateresidential plea. president obama knows well that the russians are furious over u.s. plans to build a missile defense shield in europe. and he wanted word to be sent to vladimir putin asking for a little time to smooth things out. >> after my election, i have more flexibility. >> reporter: the white house downplayed the remarks and an acknowledgment of election year political realities but the president programsing to negotiate after re-election had republicans pouncing. >> that is an alarming and troubling development. >> reporter: the president's focus at this nuclear summit in south korea has been on the rogue nation across the heavily fortified border he visited, north korea. >> there will be no rewards for provocations. those days are over. >> reporter: that regime is sounding bellicose in planning the launch of a long-range missile next month. jake tapper, abc news, travel with the president in seoul, south korea. >> i want to tell you something, too. there's no such thing as an

mary matlynn, austan goolsbee, eliot spitzer and jake tapper. >>> good morning. it's been a packed week if politics. we have new results this weekend in the republican primary fight. five more contests yesterday. rick santorum won the big prize in kansas, but romney claimed more delegates in the territories and wyoming. romney has more than double santorum's total. our powerhouse roundtable is standing by to analyze what's next. >>> but first our headliners. democratic senator chuck schumer and republican senator lindsey graham. senator graham, let e me begin with the economy. a confession from rick santorum last night after coming off his victory in kansas, he said that the economy may be getting better and the republicans may lose their edge on that issue, is he right and what does that mean for the general election? >> well, i don't think he's right at all. this is an anemic recovery after a pretty long recession. 35 months, over 8% of unemployment. the longest streak since the great depression. last month in february, the monthly deficit in the history of the

here is jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama has his eye on north career. and the most heavily militarized zone in the world. the demilitarized zone. bill clinton once called it scariest place on earth. that regime could consider any krim schism. a deck layer of war and it prepares to test a long range 34iss the next month. >> north korea will declare nothing but threats or provocations. >> reporter: they will have food aid for the starving people held prisoner. >> jake, thanks to you. >>> and so many americans looking for job, we want to know about the promises, the high paying jobs you can do from your home. the offers are tempting, but are they too good to be true? chris cuomo applied for the jobs and watch what happens next. >> michelle, who doesn't want her real name being used, was facing hard times. and then she got an e-mail, an answer to her prayers. an offer to be a personal assistant for $300 a week and she could do it from home. >> i does december operate to get a job and i went and the said yes. >> reporter: she is one of hundreds of thousands

jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> and of course we have some big primaries coming up in theouth here. santorum's hoping to do well in not only alabama and mississippi but also kansas. that state's having its caucuses on saturday, too. and that could be another thing that kind of gives him the new boost as he continues to chase romney in the delegate math here. so stay tuned. >> mm-hmm. we always love political theater. >> it's a fun year. >>> all right. shifting gears now to news overseas. this morning there's new evidence of the deadly unrest still plaguing syria. this amateur video of rebel fighters firing on government troops was reportedly taken in the violence-scarred city of homs. meanwhile, a top deputy in president bashar assad's regime has now become the highest-ranking official to defect. he's accusing the government of vast crimes against its own people. perhaps the beginning of the end. >>> well, an international crisis is getting exposure in a new video that has gone viral. >> get this. it's actually been viewed more than 40 million times, propelled by celebrity

and abc's jake tapper did the math on what that victory would cost. >> reporter: while we're waiting for official results in illinois, we'll take a look at his journey on the nomination by the numbers. >> killing time before the illinois primary returns come in, mitt romney participated in a google-plus hangout this afternoon. >> i'm going to do everything i can to bring people together to accomplish what has to be done. >> so how close is romney to winning the nomination? let's do a search of our own. not even halfway there. romney has won 521 delegates out of a total 1,144 needed to win. we still need 623 more delegates. there are still 24 states and more than 1,200 delegates left outstanding. romney has to win 47% of them. santorum has to win 67%. >> what has cost romney so far? financially romney and his allies have spent $45 million. that's $12.40 per vote. by contrast, santorum and his allies have spent $3 per vote, a relative bargain. let's look at the political cost. how negative have the romney tv ads been? 86% of the ads from romney have been negative and that too has exact

jake tapper reports, tonight is a big test for ann romney. is she the closer who can pull in vital voters, the republican women? >> reporter: today at the university of chicago, hear mitt romney made his pitch to republicans. >> i represent a reclaiming of america's founding principles. >> reporter: but was his wife is what people are interested in. >> what is the legacy we'll leave our children and grandchildren? i'm hearing this from people everywhere. >> music to the ears of cherry griffith, a romney del grat. >> i think she's a strong and beautiful woman. >> polls have him leading in illinois where he needs to show he can win the suburban voters when women who the republicans will need in the wall. romney and santorum run even with republican men in the latest poll. romney beats santorum with women. >> some states we win women and other states we lose. >> analysts say santorum dismisses it as his own peril. datz enjoy an advantage among women voters. that center gap is nine points benefitting obama over santorum and six points over romney

jake tapper will be here tomorrow night. captioned by closed captioning services, inc.

abc's jake tapper at the white house tonight. >> reporter: the image was of unity -- but the disagreements were hiding in plain sight. >> we do believe that there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to the issue. >> reporter: prime minister netanyahu made no mention of diplomacy today -- quite the contrary -- speaking volumes about the urgency he feels in what he did not say. >> israel must reserve the right to defend itself. >> reporter: the prime minister's most memorable line seemed to underscore that israel will need its most powerful ally, if it comes to a military confrontation. >> we are you, and you are us. we're together. >> reporter: president obama went far but not that far. >> the united states will always have israel's back when it comes to israel's security. >> reporter: mr. netanyahu wanted the u.s. to more directly threaten the u.s. military force against iran if it attempts to make a nuclear weapon. but what israel got? a reiteration of the u.s. position. >> when i say all options are at the table, i mean it. >> reporter: though both sides said today'

abc's jake tapper got a sneak peek. >> reporter: there, at the fancy premiere, along with white house aides and senior staffers from the romney and santorum campaigns, was actress julianne moore, who plays sarah palin. >> you know the difference between hockey moms and a pit bull? lipstick. >> reporter: moore says she traced the governor's accent to palin's father, originally from idaho. the accuracy of the film, more so than the accent, is in hot dispute. it portrays the former governor as a charismatic campaigner, who initially provided a big boost to the lagging mccain campaign. but then proved utterly unprepared for the job of running mate. >> she's on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. >> reporter: palin gives the movie a thumbs-down. >> the movie is based on a false narrative, as you can see in the trailer. so, no. i am not going to watch it. >> reporter: so, how does the film stack up against the facts? the film defends palin on the infamous $150,000 wardrobe bill for her and her family. saying it was a campaign staff mess-up, not palin's fault, which both sides say is

jake tapper will be here tomorrow night. look, every day we're using more and more energy.eeds more energy. where's it going to come from? ♪ that's why right here, in australia, chevron is building one of the biggest natural gas projects in the world. enough power for a city the size of singapore for 50 years. what's it going to do to the planet? natural gas is the cleanest conventional fuel there is. we've got to be smart about this. it's a smart way to go. ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of nenew choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear cacalorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options.

jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> and george clooney was alone.on't know where stacey keebler was. but i was available. real quick, there's something pretty controversial out there as well. the super pac that is trying to get obama re-elected. priorities usa took a $1 million donation from bill maher, who's of course the comedian, and used some disparaging language against sarah palin. starts with a c. rhymes with punt. okay? the obama senior adviser, it was in response to this. and asked should they ask for that money to be returned, should they distance themselves. because of course they went on the defense with rush limbaugh and said we're pro women, you know, with the sandra fluke thing. and i just want to know what your -- how do you think they should handle this? >> well, i think overall that, you know, the first amendment needs to be respected on both sides. and i think that, you know, it's when we're tested, when these despicable things are said on either side is when we're really tested. and i would say that with such big money now and, y

here is jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama has his eye on north korea. >> right on the other side there. >> reporter: in south korea for a nuclear security summit, he made a visit to the most heavily militarized zone in the world. the demilitarized zone. separates north korea from south. bill clinton once called it scariest place on earth. it's scarier today with the nuclear the three from north korea. that regime would consider any sit criticism of its plan a declaration of war. and it prepares to test a long range missile next month. >> north korea will declare nothing but threats or provocations. >> reporter: the launch may mean the u.s. will hold a vital package of food aid for the starving people held prisoner, just across the border. >> jake, thanks to you. >>> back in this country tonight, getting answers tonight. so many americans looking for job, we want to know about the promises, the high paying jobs you can do from your home. the offers are tempting, but are they too good to be true? chris cuomo applied for one of the jobs and watch what happens next. >> reporter: mich

jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> and of course we have some big primaries coming up in the south here. santorum's hoping to do well in not only alabama and mississippi but also kansas. that state's having its caucuses on saturday, too. and that could be another thing that kind of gives him the new boost as he continues to chase romney in the delegate math here. so stay tuned. >> mm-hmm. we always love political theater. >> it's a fun year. >>> all right. shifting gears now to news overseas. this morning there's new evidence of the deadly unrest still plaguing syria. this amateur video of rebel fighters firing on government troops was reportedly taken in the violence-scarred city of homs. meanwhile, a top deputy in president bashar assad's regime has now become the highest-ranking official to defect. he's accusing the government of vast crimes against its own people. perhaps the beginning of the end. >>> well, an international crisis is getting exposure in a new video that has gone viral. >> get this. it's actually been viewed more than 40 million times, propelled by celebri

jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> and george clooney was alone. i don't know where stacey keebler was. but i was available. real quick, there's something pretty controversial out there as well. the super pac that is trying to get obama re-elected. priorities usa took a $1 million donation from bill maher, who's of course the comedian, and used some disparaging language against sarah palin. starts with a c. rhymes with hunt. the obama senior adviser, it was in response to this. and said should they ask for that money to be returned, should they distance themselves. because of course they went on the defense with rush limbaugh and said we're pro women, you know, with the sandra fluke thing. and i just want to know what your -- how do you think they should handle this? >> well, i think overall that, you know, the first amendment needs to be respected on boeing sides. and and i think that it's when we're tested, when these despicable things are said on either side is when we're really tested. and i would say that with such big money now and, you know,

jake tapper is traveling with the president. good morning to you, jake. >> reporter: good morning.sident obama is participating in a summit here in south korea. focused on reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism. looming large is the nuclear threat from north korea. a country that the president saw firsthand when he visited the demilitarized zone. just 40 miles from here. north korea is preparing for a long-range missile launch next month from this launch pad, see the satellite photograph north korea threatening any criticism of the nuclear program will be seen as a declaration of war. president obama addressed the north korean regime earlier today. >> i want to speak directly to the leaders in pyongyang. by now it should be clear, your provocations and pursuit of nuclear weapons have not achieved the security you seek. they have undermined it. >> reporter: the defense ministries of south korea and japan say they're preparing to shoot down the north korean missile should it violate their air space. josh. >> jake tapper in seoul, thanks for that. >>> crowds lined up outside the sup

and jake tapper on the new movie, hoping to move voters. >> reporter: tonight, the obama campaign releases its 17-minute campaign video presenting a flattering look at the president's first term, including this never-before-seen clip of bill clinton defending the auto bailout. >> if you closed all these car dealerships and you killed all these auto parts suppliers, people have no earthly idea what would have happened, not only to the economy, but to our self-image. >> reporter: the president and his aides know that the campaign has salesmanship to do. if the election were held today, he could lose to mitt romney, polls say. so, the race is on. this morning, the president held an official event in maryland. >> four more years. >> reporter: while the vice president headlined a campaign rally in ohio. but the events did not seem all that different. certainly not their tone about the republican candidates. >> mitt romney, rick santorum, and newt gingrich. these guys have a fundamentally different economic philosophy than we do. the economic theories of gingrich, santorum and romney, they are b

abc's jake tapper joins us now. ke, it's fair to say, in the recent past, the relations between please two have been strained. but if president obama and prime minister netanyahu both agree iran can't be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, where do they still disagree? >> as you mentioned last may, obama and netanyahu had a tense moment in the oval office. the question is how much of these disagreements will be voiced. there are two areas. red lines and time lines. in terms of red lines, united states says iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. israel takes it further, iran must not have the capability of developing a nuclear weapon. they want them to stop enrimpfing uranium and want to threaten more starkly a military force if they do not go the way they want them. then the time line. as you mentioned, the u.s. believes there is time for economic sanctions to work. israel feels the threat is much more urgent. >> jake tapper in the nation's capital. >>> meanwhile, vladimir putin is headed back to the krem