richard haass, i'll start with you. from the u.s. perspective. is this diplomatic tussle at the u.n. a problem or an opportunity? >> well, it's a problem. it only becomes an opportunity if somehow this threat of action in new york leads to the resumption of direct talks and those talks go somewhere. you have to be a wide-eyed optimist to believe that. so it's really a problem because the united states in the midst of the so-called arab spring does not want to have to cast a veto if things come to that, given the anti-americanism it would likely generate in the region. at the same time the united states would cast the veto and is compelled to cast the veto given its commitments to israel and its long-held view and the historical record that progress only comes through direct talks and you can't do a run around through the united nations. >> suarez: enthuse, how did you see it? >> i thought the president's speech in a way, unintentionally signaled the fact that the u.s. role in the peace process is fallen victim to domestic politics because his pos

we have mike barnicle, mark halperin and richard haass. willie, as you know, with us live from lower manhattan, near ground zero as we are days away, this sunday marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11. >> waking up to this news of a 9/11 terror threat. we are going to talk about that in a bit. most of america looking at this headline this morning. the president delivered a speech last night. some say he was combative. others say he was as forceful as he needed to be. let me ask you, mark halperin, was he too hot? was he too cold? or was the president like that bowl of psoup, just right. >> he was okay. >> what about you richard haass. >> if it led to quick action on the part of congress, it would not lead to a change in the american economic picture. it was larger than most anticipated. i don't think it's enough, even if it was an act to make a major dent. >> we have a president in a difficult position. >> very. >> his base wants him to be combative. it seems that the middle and others want him to reach out more and strike a consensus. really

richard haass, it's just not this simple.y it right here. everybody who watches this show knows, i tell it like it is, whether i'm going after barack obama or whether i'm going after rick perry or mitt romney. this is not helpful when our president -- our president, america's president, is in the difficult situation that he is in today in new york city with i think one of the most explosive situations on the globe. and we've got rick perry and mitt romney posing for political purposes and undermining our president. that is dangerous, and it's not good for our country. >> let me say two things. the whole idea of a palestinian state, which, again, shouldn't happen through the u.n., it should happen through negotiations. but a palestinian state is not a favor israel does for palestinians. a palestinian state -- >> exactly. >> it's a favor israel does for itself. we want israel to be secure, we want it to be prosperous, we want it to be democratic, we want it to be jewish. the only way we can preserve israel as those things is if

for the record, tell council and foreign relations president richard haass i would not have worn thatnot, arron sorken. also, sony wanted you to know the drinks are free unless you make more than a million dollars a year and that is class warfare. we'll be right back. [ groans ] [ marge ] psst. constipated? phillips' caplets use magnesium, an ingredient that works more naturally with your colon than stimulant laxatives, for effective relief of constipation without cramps. thanks. good morning, students. today we're gonna continue... [ woman ] my heart medication isn't some political game. [ man ] our retirement isn't a simple budget line item. [ man ] i worked hard. i paid into my medicare. [ man ] and i earned my social security. [ woman ] now, instead of cutting waste and loopholes, washington wants to cut our benefits? that wasn't the agreement. [ male announcer ] join the members of aarp and tell washington to stop cuts to our medicare and social security benefits. while i took refuge from the pollen that made me sneeze. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief

. >> richard haass, president of the council on foreign relations. thank you very much for being with us. >>> and a former legal adviser to political negotiators and current fellow at the belfour center for international affairs at kennedy's school of government joins us now here. diana, good to see you again. >> thank you. >> what are the chances, do you think, that after this meeting tonight, 6:00 tonight, the president meets with mahmoud abbas, that president abbas would step back and say, i get it, we're putting the u.s. in a difficult position and risking our own funding in congress from strong, you know, pro-israel supporters in congress? >> well, i think it depends on what is the alternative that's on the table. what was disheartening today with president obama's speech was that he didn't mention the basics of a settlement freeze which has been the one demand that the palestinian negotiators have been putting forward as the requirement to be able to relaunch talks. i think a lot of it depends on what it is that obama comes to the table with. i

. >> richard haass, thank you for your perspective, as well as fionnuala sweeney.r randi kaye as "newsroom" continues. >>> thank you so much. we are continuing on the note we just wrapped up there with suzanne. we are expecting to hear from benjam