. >> jerry axelrod, houston. first of all, thank you for a very illuminating and informative session. my question for any and all of the four is how do you convince the chinese and russians that come along and say that their interests are aligned with our self-interests? >> on what issue, sir? >> iran, syria, you name it. primarily iran. >> let's focus on iraq. >> let's remember when it comes to iran about american credibility, there have been three administrations, democrat and republican, that have said that iran will not get nuclear weapons. what is going to be the future of american credibility if iran is not stopped? who is going to believe america anywhere in the middle east? we've already had a crisis over the arab spring which i don't want to get into, which has already led to a certain real sense of discord about american credibility, but who's going to believe america if we allow iran to go that distance. and obviously i'm not saying my panelists believe that at all, bif iran really is the number one is

axelrod: john dickerson in washington, thank you. some not so goanld news from california tonight. governor jerry brown announced the state's projected budget deficit has gone from bad to worse, soaring from $19.2 billion at the start of the year to $16 billion today. tight budgets across the country are making life even tougher for the unemployed. in 2008, congress extended benefits up to 99 weeks to help the long-term unemployed, those out of work a year or more. tomorrow that extension ends. eight states are cutting off their benefit checks for more than 200,000 people, and as john blackstone reports, california is hardest hit. >> reporter: from the busy streets of los angeles to the farm country of the central valley, an estimated 93,000 people in california lost unemployment benefits today. as the unemployment rate drops, many others who thought they'd be getting help, up to 99 weeks, will run out of benefits sooner. mark watton, laid off from his job as a security guard a year and a half ago, will get his last check next month. >> as it's getting closer and closer, the anxiety does start bu