>> jim acosta, thanks. >> bangkok's erawan shrine is back open this morning two days after that deadly pipe bomb attack. investigators are hunting for the man believed to be responsible. a police spokesman now saying authorities are, quote, very sure sure this man here in the yellow shirt, is the bomber. this morning, thailand offering a big reward for helping track him down. cnn's saima moosin is live in bangkok this morning. you are near the shrine where this attack happened just two days ago. >> reporter: yes, christine, the shrine has opened up two days after that dreadful bomb attack. people coming here to pay their respects. they are lighting incense and saying their prayers and leaving flowers right around here. we have seen people, locals, foreigners come here and that is what this shrine is all about, christine. it's about people of all religions and no religion coming. people from all over the world coming together, which is why there was so many international tourists caught up in this bombing and that is why we are now seeing high visibility of policing as well. that is the

>> jim acosta, thanks. >> bangkok's erawan slohrine is back open today after that pipe bomb attack. police spokesman now saying authorities are very sure this man here in the yellow shirt, is the bomber. they are saying this morning that he is the bomber. this morning, thailand offering a big reward for helping track him down. cnn's saima moosin is live in bangkok this morning. authorities say they are sure, very sure that is the man, saima. >> reporter: yes, christine, they are. they say they believe the man that left the bomb inside this shrine is that man in the yellow t-shirt but he was crucially not acting alone and they have offered a $1 million bond and that is more than $30,000 to help find him. the shrine is now open. people have been steadily coming here throughout the day and paying their respects and lighting incense and praying and laying flowers for the dead. this is the shrine. it is a hindu god but, christine, people from all walks of life, all religions that come here, buddhists and hindus, a large indian community here and a lot of chinese tourists come here too. i

. >>> hello, i'm jim acosta in washington where the "state of the union" is intriguing. breaking news about a secret meeting of joe biden and elizabeth warren at the vice president's residence, and why all of the mystery? the meeting comes as biden is considering a last-minute run for the white house. warren has pledged not the run herself, but she has not endorsed hillary clinton and could this mean that a biden and warren ticket is in the making? jeff owen broke the story, and it has everybody talking. >> good morning, jim. for everybody who thinks that joe biden may not be seriously considering it, it is a latest sign that he is considering it, and considering it strongly. i am told that they met for an hour over lunch and the twof othem without any of the aides around, and so they talked about the economic message that the vice president would need if he decided to run for president. jim, as you know, nobody has more on the pulse of the progressives and the economic populous across this kcountry more so than elizabeth warren and so mf her wanted her to run on the tim

jim acosta, has new reporting on how this is going down inside the obama administration. he joins us from martha's vine yard. what are they saying about the possibility of a biden run? >> well, and er first of all th joe biden charter is picking up steam. taking his time whether he will jump into the race. a well-placed source tells cnn though the vice president is a beloved figure inside the white house. no question about that. there is little enthusiasm for a biden candidacy inside the west wing. so far, you know, we should point out, a movement to draft joe biden for president is gaining momentum. collected some 200,000 signatures. the vice president is fueling speculation himself. kidding considering a run in south carolina last week. anderson, well placed democratic source i talked to. told me there are concerns at the white house. a biden candidacy would end badly. damaging his image as elder statesman in the democratic party. this person said "i'm not getting any sense of a joe biden caucus inside the white house." this white house is invested in hillary clinton. w

we get more from correspondent jim acosta. >> reporter: president obama marked the comeback of new orleansears after hurricane katrina. mr. obama pledged rebuilding will continue. he talked about the issue of incoming equality. a need that needs to be addressed after the critical address in new orleans was laid bare by katrina. he tried to tie that to the economic recovery. i also warned that congress has a month left to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. here is more what the president has to say. >> nobody gets to hold the american economy hostage over their own ideological demands. you, people who send us to washington, expect better. >> reporter: the president warned there will be more severe weather events triggered by climate change. mr. obama will return to that issue next week when he travels to alaska to see the effects of global warming first hand. alison. >>> what a wild week for wall street. >> incredible. >> it's amazing. the markets around the world are recovering after we watched them crash. the dow set a new record thursday. have stocks finally found a stable gr

jim acosta joining us live there. >> reporter: hi, that's right.nt a bit of time last night here on martha's vineyard. the real attraction here was president obama out on the golf course with former president bill clinton. do you think they talked about hillary clinton's campaign for president? we'll be talking about that? just a few moments. right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so, no discomfort? exactly. try some... mmm, it is real milk. lactaid®. 100% real milk. no discomfort. no articolors,flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, and no artificial smiles. because clean dressings, taste better. panera. food as it should be. pwho thrives on the unexpected. andha-ha! box shall we dine? [ chuckle ] you wouldn't expect an insurance company to show you their rates and their competitors' rates, but that's precisely what we do. going up! nope, coming down. and if you switch to progressive today, you could save an average of over 500 bucks. stop it. so call me today at the number below. or is it above? dismount! oh, and he sticks the landing! eve

that is a sign the white house has the votes. >> thanks, jim acosta. >>> u.s. military officials believe russia is behind the hack of an unclassified e-mail server used by the office of the joint chiefs. the style of the attacks suggests it was russia or china. defense officials say the breach exposes a new vulnerability that hasn't been seen before. 4,000 pentagon workers have been without e-mails for ten days now while the network is scrubbed and rebuilt. >>> president obama urging congress to restore key elements of the voting rights act. there are too many states discouraging certain kinds of votes from voting. a federal appeals panel ruled a voter i.d. law was unconstitutional. >>> many of the former governors running on their economic records are touting their achievements. we are doing fact checking. jeb bush reminding people how he slashed government spending in florida. >> i cut taxes every year. totaling $19 billion. we balanced every budget. the net effect was during my eight years, 1.3 million jobs were created. we left the state better off because

senior correspondent jim acosta has more. >> reporter: christine, president obama is enjoying vacation, vice president joe biden was enjoying time off last week to determine if he should make a run for the white house. sources close to the vice president say he is nowhere near a decision which is expected to come at the end of the summer. biden is talking to loyalists gaining out the challenges if he should choose to take on hillary clinton. the former secretary of state has seen by top democrats inside or outside the white house as someone who will expand on the obama legacy. biden will have to take on bernie sanders who is hot on clint clinton's heels. here is what bernie sanders has to say. >> i have known joe for many years and everybody who knows joe likes him and respects him. the decision as to whether or not to run is his. if he does run, i promise him an issue-oriented campaign. >> reporter: sources close to biden are taking tight lipped on which way the vice president is leaning. he spent his vacation in south carolina and home to the former chair of the state's democratic pa

let's get more from jim acosta. >> reporter: president obama marked the tenth anniversary of hurricane katrina. mr. obama pledged the rebuilding will continue and talked about incoming equality. this needs to be addressed after new orleans was laid bare by hurricane katrina. as he tried to retie the birth of the city's to the nation, he tried to deliver a message warning that congress has one month left to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown. here is more what the president had to say. >> nobody gets to hold the american economy hostage over their own ideological demands. you, the people who send us to washington, expect better. >> reporter: the president warned more severe weather events triggered by climate change. mr. obama will return to the issue once again next week when he travels to alaska when he sees the effects of global warming first hand. alison. >>> it was a wild week on wall street. >> my head is still spinning. >> markets around the world crash. now recovering. the dow set a new record thursday. have stocks finally found stable ground? we're live next. no sixt

. >>> jim acosta is live in martha's vineyard. i've been asking around with some of the most trusted advisers, and you have more information on how they view a potential biden candidacy. >> reporter: that's right, all joe biding might say, it would be a big deal, but there's one potential obstacle. a well-placed source tells cnn there are worries inside the white house that a biden candidacy won't end well. he could be the straight-talking shoot from the lip candidates many democrats are craving. as an alternative. >> he really connects piano ohm a visceral level. >> reporter: a movement to draft joe biden for president is gaining momentum, collecting some 200 thuz suggests. is the vice president is fueling speculation himself, considering a run while on vacation in the early primary state of south carolina. potential rival bernie sanders, who is gaining on clinton said he would welcome biden to the race. >> he is a very decent guy, a friend of mine. if he gets in, that's great. if he doesn't, that's great. that's his decision. >>

let's go to jim acosta. what are you hearing about a possible biden run, jim? >> by all can see, all of this chaser is picking up steam. but a well placed source tell cnn even though the vice president is a beloved figure there is little enthusiasm for a biden candidacy in the west win. so far a movement is gaining momentum collecting some 200,000 signatures the vice president himself fueling speculation. but wolf a well placed democratic source tells me there are concerns at the white house that a biden candidacy would end badly damages his reputation as a elder statesman. now, one reason why top democratic sources inside the white house, outside the white house say clinton remains for expanding president obama's legacy but there's also deep affection for the vice president, where it's clear that officials are giving him time to grieve his son's recent death. a source familiar with the vice president's thinking says biden's decision is expected at the end of the summer but this official this tern this source close to the vice president is say late september, n

let's go right to jim acosta.he administration trying to downplay the news but no matter how you slice it it's a big deal. >> it is a big deal. the white house is trying to minimize the effect of losing his vote. before he announced he would oppose the deal he did call the white house to inform the president, and josh earnest says they are disappointed in schumer's decision but he added it was not surprising. he said that the democratic senator and president have been on opposing sides of war and peace since the iraq a bit of a dig there. schumer could pay a price for the defection, a slew of lashing out, they rallying against his expected rise to become the next senate democratic leader. a former obama sfla adviser, who goes by the name of dan pfeiffer says if the deal goes down schumer will be held responsible form says he has the votes to become leader but something like this could change that. earnest did tell reporters earlier, that he would not be surprised if they considered the voting record in replacing t

senior white house correspondent jim acosta has the latest. >> reporter: christina, president obama is on martha's vineyard. joe biden had time off last week determining if he should make a run for the white house. those close to him say he is nowhere near a decision. biden is talking to those who would see if he has a chance against hillary clinton. hillary clinton has seen by top democrats inside and outside the white house as someone who will protect on president obama's legacy. biden would have to take on a tough battle against bernie sanders. he is now hot on clinton's heels in the polls in the key battle ground states. here is what bernie sanders had to say. >> i have known joe for many years and everybody who knows joe likes him and respects him. the decision as to whether or not he runs is his. if he does run, i promise him an issue-oriented campaign debating the major issues. >> reporter: sources close to biden are staying tight lipped on which way the vice president is leaning. he spend his vacation in south carolina. home to one of his biggest loyalists. all of which will fu

let's get to jim acosta traveling with the president in anchorage. mr.t of heat from politicians in mckinley's home state of ohio. >> that's right. jake. a different kind of warming here in alaska. president obama began this trip with a splash by renaming mt. mckinley denali in honor of the native people this state. it was announced ahead of the three-day jurn toy alaska. it's aimed at sounding the alarm on climate change. jake, there's no controversy here in alaska. the state's two republican senators as well as the governor have all endorsed renaming this mountain alaskans have fought for this to happen for years, knowing that it was a gold prospector who named it after president mckinley who never set foot in the state. members of congress from mckinley's home state of ohio don't see it that way. house speaker john boehner released a statement saying, there is a reason president mckinley's name served atop the highest peak in north america for more than 100 years. that is because it is a testament to his great legacy. i am deeply disappointed in this

senior white house correspondent jim acosta is joining me live. he's joining us from anchorage, alaska, traveling with the president there. i want to talk to you about that in just a moment, jim. but first you actually had a chance to talk to secretary kerry about the iran deal and this need to gather more support. tell us about your conversation with him. >> that's right, brianna. secretary of state john kerry is here in alaska for a conference of arctic nations to focus on the issue of climate change. but kerry told us he'll return to hiss sales job of pitching the iran nuclear deal with a major speech in philadelphia on wednesday and we asked herry about that controversial agreement wean the international nuclear inspectors in iran that l allow the iranians to handle much of the inspection process at one suspicious military site known as par sheen. republicans in congress have seized on this. here's what secretary kerry had to say. how do you refute the notion that this is a little like tom brady inspecting his own footballs? >> well, it's not -

jim acosta is sitting in for jake tapper in "state of the union" to today and they will talk about bencarson and jim webb at 9:00 a.m. eastern this morning. >>> and this morning, former president jimmy carter is teaching sunday school since talking about his battle with canc cancer. we will take you to his hometown next. ♪ (dad) we lived... thanks to our subaru. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. i brto get us moving.tein i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength. i'll take that. yeeeeeah! new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. ensure. take life in. no sixth grader's ever sat with but your jansport backpack is permission to park it wherever you please. hey. that's that new gear feeling. this week, these folders just one cent. office depot officemax. gear up for school. gear up for great. it's how you stay connected. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you get an industry leading broadband network and cloud and hosting services. centurylink. your link to wha

cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta has details. >> thank you.ustled out of the oval office before the question could be asked about what president obama thinks about losing a key democrat on the iran nuclear deal, senator chuck schumer. it was during the gop debate -- >> no. >> reporter: the new york democrat dropped the news after it leaked to "the huffington post," saying in a statement, "i believe iran will not change. the vote to disapprove is the right one." before he announced his decision, schumer called the white house to inform the president. >> was not particularly surprising to anybody here at the white house, even if it was disappointing. >> reporter: schumer could pay a price for his defection. a slew of top obama aides lashed out on twitter, rallying against schumer's expected rise to become the next top senate democrat. chuck schumer, who said it was a mistake to pass obamacare now comes out against the iran deal? this is our next senate leader?" asks jon favreau. it depends whether or not he pushes against the deal," a key aide t

you heard jim acosta's report on the vice president speaking to leaders of the dnc.r emotional. >> i think it is important to understand when people normally talk about politicians, they talk about how they calculate and focus group every word. that's not joe biden. he is the most authentic politician i've seen around. he is going to tell you what he's doing. he's an incredibly emotional human being, emotional point in his life and is being honest about the process he is going through. it is hard to know the position he and his family are in. he didn't hide that, he was honest about it. >> ashley, let me get your reaction. >> there are a couple interesting pieces of news around biden. the idea that jim acosta referred to that some of hillary's donors may be looking to jump to biden is another. an important to know that hillary clinton is quote, unquote agitated by the hype of joe biden bid. joe biden is a nice guy. i don't think he is looking to make a moment of this. he is deeply soul searching on this moment and while everyone sort of worries about it, he's i think

but as jim acosta shows us it's already facing an uphill battle. >> reporter: pointing to wildfires raginghunderstorms, president obama offered his remedy to the planet's weather worries. >> if we don't get it right, we may not be able to reverse. i believe there is such a thing as being too late. >> reporter: the president's proposal dramatically curbed carbon emissions by nearly one third by the year 2030. the white house says the cliemts change data is undeniable, noting 14 of the last 15 have come this century. >> i don't want people's lives disrupted and this world more dangerous because we didn't do something about it. that'd be shameful of us. >> reporter: it's a legacy-defining issue president obama has chased since he was a candidate. >> this is the moment when the rise of the oceans begin to slow and our planet begins to heal. >> reporter: but republicans charge the unilateral changes will kill jobs and drive up energy costs. >> i'm not going to sit by while the white house takes aim at the lifeblood of our state's economy. >> for the first time they've extended this to require s

jim acosta looks at the outspoken critics of the deal and president obama's plan to keep it in play.> reporter: the list of democrats coming out against the iran nuclear deal is growing. this time it's the senate foreign relations committee former chairman bob menendez. >> if iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it. >> reporter: menendez whose announcement was hardly the biggest set back of the week. that goes to senator jeff lake who likely ended white house hopes for any bipartisan support for the deal. >> the president and administration is saying it doesn't tie our hands but the plain text of the agreement seems to do so. >> reporter: the president, who was at martha's vineyard today isn't throwing in the towel yet. the president is engaged on the issue adding we remain confident that ultimately a majority of democrats in the house and senate will support the deal. that's critical as republicans face an uphill battle needing 11 more democratic senators to vote to block the agreement, and join gop efforts to override any presidential vetoes, which explain

want to begin with cnn senior white house correspondent, jim acosta. he iran deal. that's what we'll discuss here. president obama had a sharp rebuttal to critics of the iran nuclear agreement. jim, what did he say? >> in a fiercely anti-war speech, president obama sounded more like ted kennedy than john f. kennedy. his message on his controversial nuclear deal boils down to this. i was right about iraq. so trust me on iran. the president of the united states. raising the stakes in the debate over his nuclear deal with iran, president obama warned if congress rejects the agreement the u.s. will begin the march to military conflict. >> the choice we face is ultimate low between -- ultimately between diplomacy or some form of war. he likened it to the ruling clerics in iran. >> it is the hard-liners, chanting no to america, most opposed to the deal, making a common cause with the republican caucus. >> he blasted skeptics claiming a better deal could be had. >> those making the argument are either ignorant of iranian society or they're just not being strai

cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta has the details. jim?> president obama is touting his climate change plan as a major step in the steps against global warming. pointing to wildfires, droughts crippling the american west and threat of severe thunderstorms, president obama offered his remedy to the planet's weather worries. >> if we don't get it right, we may not be able to reverse. i believe this is such a thing as being too late. >> the president's proposal dramatically curb carbon emissions from the nation's coal-burning power plants by nearly one third by the year 2030. the white house says the claimant change data is undeniable, noting 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have come this century. i don't want millions of people's lives disrupted and this world more dangerous because we didn't do something about it. that would be shameful of us. >> it's a legacy defining issue that president obama has chased since seven years ago. >> this is a moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and or planet began to heal. >> but reps charg

jim acosta is traveling with the president on martha's vineyard.elopment in the story? >> wolf, they expected bob menendez to defect. but they said the white house remains engaged on this agreement. despite the bipartisan opposition building on capitol hill, aides to the president are confident this agreement will survive. the list of democrats coming out against the iran nuclear deal is growing. this time it is the senate foreign relations committee's former chairman bob menendez. >> if iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it. >> reporter: but menendez is hardly the biggest setback of the week. that distinction goes to republican senator jeff flake who likely ended white house hopes for any bipartisan support for the deal. >> the president and the administration are saying that it doesn't tie our hands. but the plain text of the agreement seems to do so. >> reporter: the president out at the beach today on martha's vineyard isn't throwing in the towel just yet. a white house official said the president is engaged on the i

let's get right to cnn's jim acosta. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, carol.resident obama is enjoying his vacation on martha's vineyard, vice president joe biden was spending some of his time off last week determining whether he should make a run for the white house. sources close to the vice president say he's not really near a decision right now, which is expected to come at the end of the summer, perhaps as late as october, but biden spent his vacation in south carolina, an early primary state and home to one of his biggest loyalists, the former chairman of that state's democratic party but his advisers are gaming out the challenge he would face should he choose to take on hillary clinton. she has the organization and much of the party behind her. if you look at the latest polls, biden would have to play some major catch-up against vermont senator bernie sanders who is gaining on clinton in the polls. here is what sanders had to say about the possibility of a biden candidacy. >> i have known joe for many, many years, and everybody who knows joe likes him a

. >>> jim acosta, at the white house, this is the president's ninth trip to new orleans. >>> but sure in for a specialty report, right here at 9:00 p.m. on cnn. >>> that's all for "the lead" today. i'm john berman in for jake tapper. now it's time to turn you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." \s >>> happening now, breaking news, getaway plan. we have new indications that he intended to escape. they find a wig, a shawl, suitable for disguises. what the killer's personnel files and own frengz yesterday writings reveal about his troubled pasts, troubles with work, run-ins with college, new information that he owned several gay porn web sites. >>> unbearable grief. the father and boyfriend of alison parker speaks out as the community rallies around the colleagues of the murdered journalists. >>> and main event, as h

let's go to jim acosta. he's with the president out on martha's vineyard. what is the latest on this story, jim? >> reporter: he's shown the importance of the latino vote. donald trump has all but ignored the lessons learned from that section of the obama playbook and it's the republican party that could pay the price. donald trump may be on fire mountain polls, but angers with white-hose rhetoric, some republicans fear he could torch the gop's chances in to 16. >> trump builds walls, i build walls. >> reporter: consider the latest proposal, end birthright citizenship in the constitution to crack down. >> i don't think they have american -- we have to start a process where we take back our country. >> playing catch-up on the issues, some republicans are now following trump's lead. >> going forward, i believe we should change the rules. >> reporter: it's a risky move for the gop. the heavyhanded comments on mexicans may excite parts of the conservative base. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some i good are good people. >

so let's bring in cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta. obama is vacationing to tell us more. good morning. >> reporter: carol, good morning. no doubt joe biden is the talk of the democratic party right now as he is taking his time deciding whether he will run for president, but as you said, carol, this tepid support for the vice president to make a run for the white house does exist inside the exist. a well-placed democratic source tells cnn even though the white house considers the vice president to be a beloved figure, there is little enthusiasm for a biden candidacy in the west wing, and so far we should point out, a movement to draft joe biden for president is gaining momentum collecting some 200,000 signatures. we know that, but we're also told that there are concerns inside the white house that a biden candidacy would just end badly and possibly damage his image as an elder statesman inside the party. one key source told me, quote, i am not getting any sense of a joe biden caucus inside the white house. carol, part of the reason for

cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta has details on this.s was a big hit to the white house. >> reporter: absolutely. the warehouse is trying to downplay the impact of losing new york senator chuck schumer's vote on the iran deal, but the president's allies are so furious, some are threatening to deny some of that schumer has always coveted, the job of senate majority leader. reporters were hu you would out before the question could be asked about what president obama thinking about losing a key democrat on the iran nuclear deal. senator chuck schumer. it was during the gop debate -- >> no, megan -- >> what are you supposed to -- >> the new york democrat dropped the news after it leaked to the "huffington post" saying i believe iran will not change, the vote to disapprove is the right one. before he announced his decision, he called the white house to inform his president. >> not particularly surprising to anyone here at the white house, even if it was disappo t disappointing. >> reporter: schumer could pay a price for his defection, a slew

jim acosta is with the president in anchorage. president obama has arrived here in alaska to deliver what he believes to be an urgent message on climate change. he will sound the alarm on global warming all week long calling attention to what alaska cans are alaskans are experiencing. he will deliver a speech to russia and other arctic nations this each. we sat down with john kerry and asked him about the fact that his white house agenda on climate change has almost zero support among most republicans in congress who just don't support the president on the issue. >> donald trump has said global warming is b.s. ted cruz said the data and facts don't support it. how do you take on an issue when the other side doesn't agree? >> that's one of the reasons that we're in alaska because it's hard -- ask any alaskan. people will tell donald trump and ted cruz it's happening. all they have to do is come here and open their minds and their eyes and their ee sars. listen, look and they will see what's happening. >> reporter: tomorrow the pres

cnn's jim acosta has that. >> reporter: behind closed door s, vice president joe biden held a conferenceth democratic party leaders gathered for a summer meeting aimed at attracting presidential contenders. during the call biden revealed he is trying to determine if he has the emotional fuel to run. >> if i were announce to run i have to commit to all of you that i would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul. right now both are pretty well banged up and trying to figure out that issue. >> the call was billed as an opportunity to hear from biden on the iran nuclear deal. >> we have access to any place in the entire country of iran, regardless of where it is, where we suspect it to be. >> reporter: it was all seen by top democrats as another sign biden wants to stay on their radar screen. the vice president has ever reason to hurry up. >> vice president biden is a friend of mine. he and i were colleagues in the senate. >> his potential competition hillary clinton is busy building up her reputation in iowa. grabbing a key endorsement from that state's popular former governor.

jim acosta joining us where the president is vacationing. hi, jim. >> reporter: hi, michaela. democrats coming out against the iran deal is growing. bob menendez announced his opposition to the agreement. he joined senator chuck schumer, another high profile opponent of this deal. >> i have looked into my own soul. and my devotion to principle may once again lead me to an unpopular course. but if iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it. >> reporter: this did not come as a surprise to the white house. this was expected. m jeff lake likely ended all kwhous hopwhite house hopes of any bipartisan support for this deal. president obama added note the new definition of success there. not that they will actually get all republicans and democrats or a majority of those republicans and democrats to vote in favor of this, just a majority of democrats at this point. but that is critical because republicans face an uphill battle. they need 11 more democratic senators to defy the president, vote to block the agreement and avoid any gop efforts to override any pres

but as jim acosta reports, the fate of the deal is in the hands of congress. >> the president of thestates. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: raising the stakes in the debate over his nuclear deal with iran president obama warned if congress rejects the agreement the u.s. will begin the march toward military conflict. >> the choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy or some form of war. >> in his toughest language to date on the iran war, the president likened his gop critics to the ruling clerics in tehran. >> it's those hardliners chanting "death to america" who've been most opposed to the deal. they're making common cause with the republican caucus. >> reporter: and he blasted skeptics who claim a better deal could be had. >> those making this argument are either ignorant of iranian society or they're just not being straight with the american people. >> reporter: a nuclear armed iran he added would be even more dangerous for israel dismissing complaints from its prime minister benjamin netanyahu. >> i do not doubt his sincerity. >> because the deal makes it far easier for

let's turn to jim acosta did he go overboard? >> reporter: they're also touting some good news, that president obama picked up a big backer when keers been jill brand announced her support putting pressure on another democrat, chuck schumer, but the white house is not backing away. the president's aides, in fact are doubling down on it. >> there are no apologies from the white house, tied mobs to gop op position to the iran nuclear deal. >> it's the hardliners chanting "death to america" who have been most opposed to the deal? >> crass political rhetoric. >> mitch mcconnell unloaded on the president's iran speech. >> the president strike mess at least so far as treating it like a demonize your opponents, get the democrats all angry. >> reporter: josh earnest insisted the death to america jab wasn't below the belt. >> was that a little over the top? >> i think it was a statement of fact. >> the fact is they have taken the same position. >> reporter: the president's remarks reflect his deep frustration with gop leaders, as he told

and now we're hearing from a source telling jim acosta that there appears to be little enthusiasm forite house. why the hesitation, david? >> well, i think that there is some concern inside the west wing and throughout the administration that a joe biden presidential run will tarnish the sort of statesman-like image which has been a boost for the administration because he and the president have grown into a very close relationship and he has a very real job inside the white house. and i think that there's concern that when you go from, you know, a position like vice president into presidential candidate, you immediately sort of get in the mud and that may not reflect well on the administration. so i think that that is a concern that they have inside there. i don't think it necessarily has anything to do with how joe biden will make this decision. >> and you don't think it has to do with being torn in terms of who they are going to support since hillary clinton is already in the race? >> no. i mean -- >> go ahead, maeve. >> that's going to get really messy. obviously the white house do

jim acosta is following that from martha's vineyard where the president is vacationing. jim?he talk of the democratic party as he is taking his time to determine if he will run for president. a democratic source tells cnn even though the vice president is popular, there's little enthusiasm for a biden presidency in the left wing. i'm told there are concerns at the white house that a biden candidacy could end badly, damaging his image as an elder statesman. one source saying i'm not getting a sense of a joe biden caucus inside the white house. part of the reason the white house is heavily invested in hillary clinton with several white house aids working for the former secretary of state. democratic sources inside and outside the white house say despite the controversy, clinton is the party's best hope for protecting president obama's legacy. no question, there is deep affection for the vice president at the white house. officials are giving biden all the time he needs to grieve his son's death that happened recently earlier this year and weigh his political future. it is said

i'm sure jim acosta's reporting is right about that.don't run for president if you don't want to make tough decisions. i have no real insight. in terms of the obama and clinton roip, that was repaired a long time ago. it was difficult when they ran against each other. i know, because i talked to hillary at the time. she came to admire him in the process of running against him. hillary is a tough person she found senator obama to be tough. she was very proud to endorse him and campaign for him in '08 in a way i think surprised people. it took longer, perhaps, with her husband but at the 2012 convention he gave probably the best speech of the campaign on behalf of barack obama. i think they get along well now. >> your facial expression has been priceless. i wish we had a camera turned on you. >> i would pat paul on the back and say great attempt of trying to play it down. the hillary camp is worried that if joe biden comes into this race. he's a better retail politician than her, he's more beloved than she is. if you put those two out the