video of his speech was streamed live by the white house on facebook. his speech comes with the news that the white house is now saving user information from social networking sites including facebook and twitter and doing so without notifying users or asking their permission. >> reporter: the obama administration has been a pioneer in using the internet to get messages out to supporters and interact with them. recently it solicited bids from private contractors to archive comments, videos, and tweets left on white house social networking sites like facebook and youtube, part of an effort to comply with the presidential records act. user messages like "great job obama" or "this president is full of it" could be digitally ar kifd. the national legal and policy center, a group that favors small government, is worried the government may use information for purposes other than archiving. >> we believe this is the blueprint for a massive data mining operation by the white house which would allow it to collect personal information on millions of americans with

that's where the white house has gotten bogged down. thing? now, i think you'll hear the president talk about security and stability, which is what president clinton was selling in '94 when they got in trouble. i think you're right. the public option is a relatively small piece of it. two big pieces, how many people will you cover who don't now have health insurance and are you ultimately going to drive cost downs in the health care system. it doesn't look like it if the health care system is out of control and now you have more people in it with insurance that's a fundamental problem. the president can't get bogged down in all that. he has to find something he can deliver, he can sell and deliver. >> mike, may i just jump in? the irony, on those two points david mentioned there's substantial consensus how to proceed. in terms of expanding coverage, have a mandate on individuals to buy insurance with government subsidies to help them afford it. in return, the industry has to understood take reform denying coverage based on pre-existing c

people in the white house are saying keep it quiet this is not helping us? i think probably administrations on both sides realized you can't control jimmy carter. he has been out there, necessary his 80. he is going to say what he wants. he said some things on the israeli/palestinian conflict five or six years ago that inflamed every not be bush administration. he is going to say what's going to say. it is coming at an inopportune time but something that has been out there. people have been talking about this columnist maureen dowd writing about this gene robinson for the "washington post" it is out there. strange bed fellows, i want to talk about this listen to what representative joe wilson had to sign the room we've got a clip of that. let's play it. >> that is such a distraction and a diversion from the issues that we should be discussing and that's why i really want to take the requested advice of president obama and that is that we should be addressing the issue. >> do you think that is enough to address to former president obama? you have both sides of

this is not what the white house expected. the president's speech will focus on keeping kids in school, a subject he's promoted before. >> unfortunately nearly 30% of u.s. high school students aren't making it to graduation. >> reporter: but the core complaint seems to be with supplementary teaching materials from the department of education. originally they called for students to write, quote, what they can do to help the president. the white house has since changed that, suggesting the children now write about their own educational goals. furthermore, the text of the president's speech will now be put online monday so any teacher, parent or politician can preview what's going to be said. plenty seemed fine with that, including the national president of the pta. >> we have an opportunity here in the united states for parents, teachers and students to take part in a tremendous civics lesson. >> reporter: still, just like the crowds at all those town hall meetings, others are far from satisfied. >> my rights as a parent are bein

it's easy to get isolated in the white house. we all know that. yet, there are elements of that debate where the president was going to say, wash your hands, respect your teachers, do your homework, respect yourself, and for that message to be so misconstrued out there, are they aware of how incendiary this stuff is? >> well, i tell you, you know, in many ways, it's my understanding, you know, yesterday the president went to cincinnati, afl-cio picnic. everybody came away and went, whoa, where did that guy come from? all of a sudden candidate obama was standing in for president obama. he was fiery, he was -- looked in a good mood but sort of stern and seemed to just want to -- want to light the supporters, you know, on fire. get them fired up. get them behind him rallying him almost in campaign mode. i'm told in many ways because he, himself, was frustrated by how this school speech was treated. the white house had this attitude, look, they were blowing it off. last week robert gibbs referred to it as this is the silly season trying to be dismissiv

the white house says it's going to fight back. we'll see. >>> finally, after serving seven years in prison, former congressman jim traffic cant managed to compare himself to nelson mandela. that's where it belongs to the "hardball" sideshow. >>> we begin with president obama's big moment. chuck todd is nbc news chief white house correspondent and political director. jonathan martin is politico's senior political writer. gentlemen, let's start with you, chuck, as you know better than most, chuck. i've been around a long time. i've got to tell you, this furor over the president's school speech to students, the continuing jam over which democrats are with him on health care, which aren't, and the continuing prognostications about all the different polls out there as the obama presidency at an end? what is going on here? >> reporter: well, i think, you know, i talked to one outside democratic adviser to this white house and it was put to me this way, that, look, they are aware in many ways this fall, and how -- and frankly, it starts t

poison to minority neighborhoods. >> the white folks and the white environmentalists are 1250ering poison into the color people's homes. -- steering poison. glenn: white people steering poison into people's homes of people of color. hello! the white house got mad because van jones called republicans a rude name. here is what did it. >> how are republicans able to push things through? when they have less than 60 senators but somehow, we cannot ? >> well, the answer to that is they're [bleep]. glenn: that was the clip that they showed over and over again. showed this. you have him earlier saying that white people are intentionally poisoning communities of color. what the hell is that? they didn't even take the time to listen to the rest of that quote. this is the part -- if you're going to take that quote, that moment, it's not the republicans -- i call the republicans names myself. many americans have. left and right. this is the part that makes him dangerous in many ways. he is no longer restricted on what he can say or do and listen to how he describes himself. >> now, i will admit it, i

some put the count in this white house about 30. ised both republican and democratic presidents says the number is still high. >> we've never seen anything like that before. we have seen powerful white house administrations, we haven't seen as many powerful white house aide. >> reporter: but he says there's merits to having czars. >> the president needs one to bang heads together to coordinate a very complicated executive branch. >> reporter: expect republicans to push the czar issue, some say. >> it's a great argument for a party that's trying to portray a president as pushing too far too fast on too many advanced topics. >> and the university of virginia's larry savato says this administration is dealing with challenges the country hasn't faced in decades. >> and you make an important distinction between czars and those who get senate confirmation. >>> one member of the kennedy clan is taking his name out of consideration for the now massachusetts senate seat. that is joe kennedy. he is deciding not to run. the former democratic co

they haven't been at the white house lately. i think the bottom line is while the president tomorrow night will continue to say he wants a bipartisan deal, it's clear the democrat leaders were saying the republicans didn't need a seat at the table today at the white house schthe republicans are not the leader's problem right now. the problem is they cannot get consensus on the democratic side. that's been the problem throughout the debate. until they sort that out, they're not going to get a deal. >> ed henry, thank you very much from the white house. >> the so-called gang of six leading democrats and republicans who have led bipartisan efforts in the senate also were meeting today. dana bash was outside the meeting on capitol hill, and dana, after what has been a summer with no agreement and plenty of discontent, senators are now racing to make a deal before the speech tomorrow, is that right? >> they are trying. ed talked about the sense of urgency at the white house after the meeting. noplace did we see more of a place of urge

the white house, top democrats hoping this will be what they call a game changer, one they desperately need. we'll have new details of what the president is planning to say, planning to propose. also the most divisive part of the debate on health care so far, should the president's proposals include a government-run health care option. we'll have the answers, at least some of the answers in our face-off debate tonight. and the dramatic end to the hijacking of a boeing 737 from cancun, mexico. more than 100 passengers and crew set free after the hijackers threatened to blow up the aircraft. >>> this is lou dobbs tonight, news, debate and analysis for wednesday, september 9, live from new york, mr. independent, lou dobbs. >> good evening, and welcome, everybody. president obama's leadership skills about to be put to a critical test, in search of a game changer for this administration. >>> the president about to leave the white house, headed for capitol hill where he will make what this administration hopes will be a pivotal speech on health care to a joint session of congress. president

>> the people at the white house were pretty pleased. for them it was more about unifying the base, the democrats. as howard said they've pretty much given up on the republicans. they'll say it's bipartisan because it has elements of the republicans' idea in it. on certain levels, like malpractice, for instance, they've made a few bows to republican concerns, but it was much more for the white house to make sure he's got the democrats -- >> lightly sprinkled with republicans. >> nosha -- norah: wasn't part of it that the president needed to take back that mantle as the leader? >> i think he's trying to be operationaly bold while at the same time trying to reassure to everybody you're not going to lose your insurance if you have it. what we're trying to do is regulate an industry that has never been regulated at the federal evil -- level. it's a change message and a reassuring one at the same time. norah: there are some people who are scared about what's going on. people being scared is being fueled by this fear mongering. did joe wilson's

bring them to the white house. sit them down and talk to them like a man and ask them if that's the kind of american they want to be. do it, mr. president. >>> up next, in the main event, max baucus put out his bogus health care plan today. anthony weiner says bipartisanship is the equivalent of a child looking for a unicorn. he's right. the nation's katrina vanden heuvel will be here in just a moment. as washington continues the debate over health care reform, aarp has chosen a side-- yours. we're fighting to guarantee that you'll never be denied coverage because of your health or age. to prevent anyone from coming between you and your doctor. and to make sure patients don't take a backseat to insurance companies. because at aarp, we believe your health is worth fighting for. learn more at aarp.org. getting an early flu shot is the best thing you can do... to protect you and your loved ones from the flu. it's also one of the easiest things you can do... because walgreens is now offering seasonal flu shots... every

they are just uncomfortable with a black man in the white house. candy crowley has our report. >> reporter: race and politics is a combustible combo. and it explodes into headlines awhen an ex-president lights the fuse as jimmy carter did on nbc. >> an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. >> reporter: it's the sort of thing that tenses to raise people's defenses. in particular, it tends to turn off independents who by nature hate the heart aches of politics. that makes the conversation a political loser for a president with an ambitious agenda. the white house wants no part of this. >> the president does not believe that criticism comes based on the color of his skin. >> reporter: as a candidate, barack obama understood the political danger in letting his race become a major topic. he avoided it when he could, but race was always a subtext as it is in his presidency. >> i have a feeling that barack obama to be president. with respect. >> reporter: fram

specifically we are talking about something the white house is doing. of toe big buzz words of the obama administration has been transparency, especially transparency on-line which is why our web story of the day is so surprising. look at this. the washington times reported the white house is collecting and storing comments and videos on the social networking sites, here's the catch, without ever notifying or asking the consent of the site's viewedder -- users. this is a big deal because it affects a lot of people. right now the white house has more than 350,000 fans on facebook and gets hundreds of thousands of comments every day. on twitter the white house has a million followers, and on youtube they have 87,000 subscribers to the white house youtube channel. so what's happening is the white house has tired a contractor to archive every comment you would see here on the white house's facebook page, every comment, every tag, every picture, every video that's on the white house's social networking sites. all the sites i just mentioned. according to this

people or the white culture, i don't know what it is. this guy, i believe, is a racist. chris: and rush limbaugh was back at it with this? >> it's obama's america, is it not? obama's america, white kids getting beat up on school buses now. you put your kids on a school bus, you expect safety but in obama's america, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering, right on, right on, right on. chris: jimmy carter is talking. let's listen. >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's african-american. chris: this public thought there was a racial element in the obama protest conflicts with president obama's own position. he doesn't like to dwell on it. >> there are some people who ill think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy, absolutely. sometimes they vote for me for that reason, sometimes they vote against me for that reason. i'm sure it was

does that reflect the white house. are trying to better reach those who are not happy with the way he cease doing his job. >> they are trying to switch gears and show the urgency. they need to gain control now. they saw it get out of their hands in august. . this is crucial. if they are going to get it done, they need to in the next few weeks. we don't have much time left on this lenl slaytive docket. have a great weekend. >> thanks. >>> the search for a missing papa boy, coming to a tragic end. >>> a look at our top stories now a. week after 22-year-old guy heinze alerted police to the brutal family slaughter, he was charged with eight counts of murder. seven of the victims are being buried today. >>> the search of a 4-year-old boy missing in pennsylvania. they found his body in the neighbor's septic tank. police thought he wondered away from home and got lost. a suspect is in custody, but charges have not been filed. >>> rising death toll in indonesia. an earthquake shook the island of java. people are trapped in the

she worked in the white house under president george w. sh for media affairs, mercedes schlapp is back with us and she's a successful businesswoman devoted wife, mother of three, stars in bravo's "the real housewives of new jersey." caroline manzo is here. did i say that right? >> it's ok. sean: beck ell is freaking out because of the montage, the anointed one does every show but fox and regurgitates the same answers and didn't have a teleprompter but memorized his lines. >> this is from the same guy that mentioned remped wright 2,433 times in one year and billionaires another 43,000. you know what happens, it's interesting, maybe the people that edit this should learn it when you do several shows at one time you tend to talk about what you want to get across and he got his points across. you no he what is driving you crazy he is on a lot of television and he's the best speaker we've had as a president ever and the guy is making great headway and what he's got is got you worried and i'm glad to see it. >> i call it obama burnout, it's way t

we briefed the white house...-es actually... was, again, traveling, so i wasn't with the president when he talked to president obama but i've had a chance to ef broofly talk to the president about it and i've talked to the people in the administration and in the white house about my observations and i think the president has shared his insights with him. and, you know, beyond that i think it's up to the government to take the next steps and ambassador bosworth is over in japan and the republic of korea and in china coordinating with our allies in the six party talks. we clearly surged the north koreans and chairman kim to get back to the six party talks. they want a bilateral relationship with the united states and i think that while there's room for bilateral discussions with the north koreans, clearly we ought to be doing this in the context in which our key allies in the region are participating. but i think the thing we tried to emphasize the most was that the north koreans have made a commitment to a denuclearized korean pen

house says it is. >> the white house -- well, the white house says it is. certainly respect them for promoting their position, but we have to remember the lesson plans that came out five days ago, which was an end run by the white house to try to get around parents. it was going to ask teachers to lead students in a direction that would deal with how do we help the president with his new ideas? what is barack obama done in the last nine months that you admire? this is an issue that never dealt with the president talking to schoolchildren. that was never the issue. every president, as you said, john, should have that opportunity if it's not public policy discussion, i believe, based on the lesson plans, based on the fact that the white house wasn't going to release the text and then on friday they did, that there was another agenda, another plan. >> let's get an independent perspective on this from john avalon. at one point in his presidency, ronald reagan brought a bunch of students into the white house and did have a public policy discussion with them. >> g

nbc's mike viqueira is live at the white house. lancing act i suppose for the president when he is in front of this crowd today. are we expect to go hear details how the president is going to finesse things today? >> you're right, david. afl and cio and the rest of labor very strong supporters of president obama and the afl-cio insisting on that public option you described it being included in any final package that were to ultimately reach the president's desk. that is still very much up in the air, and we might add the president supports that public option and expected to do that again today when he speaks to the annual picnic in cincinnati of the afl-cio and again on wednesday night when he takes the biggest stage of all, a joint session of congress and a prime time audience around the nation. but the question is will he insist on it? is it a make or break piece of legislation, a provision within that legislation? indications are now, if you listen to what the white house aides have been saying and again on yesterday on the sunda

he co-authored a piece today about how the white house is rethinking the way forward in afghanistan and i'm especially pleased to have him on this show. here is the "washington post" with a picture of general mcchrystal and the headline "more forces or mission failure, top u.s. commander from afghan war calls the next 12 month december iceive." written by bob woodward. here is "changes have obama rethinking war strategy." paragraph of bob woodward's story. "top u.s. and nato commander in afghanistan warns in an urgent confidential assess. of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them the eight-year conflict will likely result in failure" according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by the "washington post." so rajiv, thank you for coming, first of all. >> good evening, charlie. >> rose: tell me what's going on with the obama administration in afghanistan. >> well what the administration is now doing is it's evaluating mcchrystal's assessment, but it's just one of many inputs that they are using to figure out the way forward, accor

i think in part the white house team is tired. they had a couple of rough, hard challenging years for a kam pin and had to go into the most energetic presidency we've seen in a long time. i think in part they didn't realize how tired the country was of all the initiatives and how the country was really getting very concerned about the growth -- potential growth of government. i must say, i think now, and joe hicks may have a view on this, is that the conservative blogosphe blogosphere, the conservative talk show hosts have shown a power since george bush left power that wasn't fully anticipated by the white house. that is, the republican in the white house they had to be more careful. now they've just unleashed on this white house. there are times i think joe hicks is right, they've gone overboard, as on this school speech. other issues they are digging into and they are causing ka nipgss for this white house. there are whole conversations in the blogosphere that the mainstream media misses and doesn't see the van jones eruption co

the white house is endorsing the public option, but not demanding it.tz, the host of "the ed show" says the white house should demand it. >> well, mr. president, make some news. demand a public option, because in the five bills, four of them call for a public option, plus the health care providers are with you and 75% of the doctors. plus, the american people are with you. enough with the speeches. you've done all you can do. the president said it himself. now is the time for action. >> ed schultz is with us in the studio. ed, you're not the only person saying this to the president, whether it's on tv, in print, and i'm sure in his quiet circles, but why aren't we seeing the president demand this public option? >> i don't think it's in his personality. i think it goes back to david axelrod early on. axelrod wrote him a note saying, you may be too nice a guy. there is a stark contrast when president obama speaks to the joint session, when he goes to the town halls and then when he gets in front of one-of-one interviews, there's a different approach in al

the white house unveiling a new secret weapon. first lady michelle obama jumping into the health care media blitz. haven't we seen this before? and congressman joe wilson saying, enough is enough. he's done with all the "you lie" and racism talk. are his critics ready? and it turns out some children have been left behind. way behind. only one in four kids in oklahoma know that george washington was the first president of the united states. what in the world is going on here? >>> good evening, everybody. the hard sell. president barack obama set to blanket the television airwaves promoting a massive overhaul of our health care system. it is a change that a majority of americans have yet to embrace. the media blitz is a highly unusual move for a president, now scheduled to appear on five sunday talk shows and monday "david letterman." the strategy highlighting just how much work the white house believes it could take to move public opinion in its favor. and that may be why michelle obama has been brought into the debate. the first la

the meeting occurs here at the white house tomorrow. he just wrapped up his speech in washington saying there is no guarantee for nato and the u.s. for success in afghanistan and said the mission cannot continue as it is now, that more resources are fleeded from nato country to train the afghan police and army but says the nato forces in afghanistan need to be more flexible with their rules of engagement to get more of them in combat missions. that's not exactly something that many nato countries are prepared to do right now. bret: just days before sitting down with the u.s. and its allies at the negotiating table, iran made a statement in the skies, launching upgraded missiles capable of delivering payloads against american and nato sites as well as israel. white house correspond efnts wendell goler reports on reaction from are the latest iran aggression. >> the white house called the missile tests provocative even as iran boasted that they can target any place that threatens iran. the aides say that president obama will go with a diffe

you know the people inside the white house. is there a sense of stumbling, of slipping, when you talk about his inner circle, say, obviously a couple of people in dealing with the race issue? >> they never describe it that way, no. in dealing with the race issue, because basically, every day, robert gibbs says this is not an issue in the sense that the president understands who he is, understands that the issues on his table are far larger -- >> you say that every time he comes to the table. that cannot be the case. >> that's what they say, but i think they had a great learning experience with the gates situation. that comment that he made i think drove the conversation to them being so careful now. >> let me take a break. we'll continue our sdofrgs right after this. >>> the president got asked a question on the spot and he reacted like a lot of black men in this country. well, of course, it was race. of course the police officer acted wrong. well, of course. of course, the president can't do that. we start with a fresh grade-a

you were the white house press corp with nbc. igned after the pardon for nixon and he looked to you. what did you say to president ford when you first took that job and said look, if i am going to do this, this is what i have to know in >> i did have that conversation and as you say, i had covered the white house as a upi correspondant and nbc correspondant and i had seen good and bad press secretaries . good ones got information first hand and attended the meetings and met with the president and watched the decisions being made. they didn't have to go around and ask a white house staff member. i have been asked about this what should i say. they can get misled. i told ford i wanted my information first hand and he said that is the only kind of press secretary iment. by and large he kept that promise in the whole time i was press secretary. >> dana, the relationship of the president and press secretary is a unique one. you are going out there and what you say is interperted as if the president has said it and you better be right.

we'll talk to the white house's linda douglass. ts you should know about. plus, this. ♪ >> could this be the face of the war against swine flu? a new york doctor raps the rules for staying healthy and, guess what, he comes out a big winner. >>> hello, everyone. i'm dr. nancy snyderman. the president turns his focus to the international stage today at the united nations as congress continues the health care battle. right now the senate finance committee is marking up the health care bill as senators make the case for 564 reasons that they think the baucuses bill might not be good enough. in other words, 564 amendments that could change the framework of the carefully drafted legislation. >> the main discussion was, okay, how do we make insurance affordable for people and people have to get insurance that is affordable and the next question is how you pay for it increasing provisions to make coverage more affordable. >> joining me now, linda douglass, communication director for the white house office and health reform. libda, great to

why do you turn it around on the white house? > this all started with speaker nancy pelosi mischaracterizing their own bill. the president says that the government will not be making medical decisions. that is not what the bill says. it goes on and on to get the american people got wise to all of this. this is why you have the california concern of the american people -- this is why you have the concern of the american people. bill: nancy pelosi has said if you take off the public option, you will not have the support from the liberal side of the house. >> he is in a real bind. he needs to lead by bringing folks together. there's a central bipartisan majority in the house of representatives that will pass an inappropriate bill that will truly solve the problems that we have. hr-3400 is the bill we put on the floor. there are solutions in that bill. you should be able to keep your insurance if you lose your job or change jobs. it will solve the problem of pre-existing conditions. there are many things we can do, but none of them in

>> i am on the north lawn at the white house. the first thing we looked for here in light of what happened is whether there is unusual activity out here, police or secret service presence, people on the roof and that sort of thing. we don't see that as we speak. i did try to call the national security office here. the president is out of town. he is in florida. we are told he has been informed of this. i can tell you the white house national security staff that remains here is in a senior-level meeting. we hope to hear them as soon as possible. the reaction here to the pictures you are seeing and the initial pictures in what has come up, in the lower press office here at the white house was one of shock. people are just standing around, television monitors looking at this. when i say people, i don't mean just the reporters. i mean the people that are actually in the office who work here at the white house. >> so very little information is coming out of the white house at this juncture. needless to say, if the speculation is true a

the white house press secretary says mr. obama is prepared to be more specific. >> bill, with that speech knowing exactly where the president stands and exactly what he thinks we have to do to get health care done. health care reform done this year. >> and what he won't accept as well? >> well, we prefer to outline the positive rather than the negative, but i'm sure he will draw some lines in the sand on that. >> joe trippy, robert gibbs said he will draw some lines in the sand, but as you know, many people want the president to referee the debate over the public option. in the senate, moderate democrats say the votes simply aren't there. in the house, more members say it has to be there. is it time for him to come out i'm sorry, i'm with you, but we don't have the votes? >> i think what gibbs said there is really important. as i said before, the president has got to lay out what he wants in the bill and what he won't accept. again, when he gave it over to congress to write this thing, that's the place where i can agree with

a crucial week ahead in the health care debate. top white house aides insist the president will spell out his specifics for reform when he speaks wednesday to a joint session of congress. >> they'll leave that speech knowing exactly where the president stands, exactly what he thinks we have to do to get health care done. >> reporter: at the same time, cnn has learned the white house is quietly talking about drafting its own health care bill. a kind of contingency legislation. and is leaning toward a plan that would trigger a public insurance option only if health care reforms failed to meet certain goals. white house officials dodged questions sunday about whether the president would sign a bill that doesn't include a public option. >> he believes the public option is a good tool. now, it shouldn't define the whole health care debate, however. >> reporter: it's a contentious issue that has the white house squeezed from the right and the left. >> we need credible, comprehensive, universal health care with a good robust public option now. >> i

what she's hearing from the white house and what she needs in a bill to be able to support it. >>> plus, a view of the president that divers sharply from some of her republican colleagues. >> gotten an impression that he would probably do less with more. >> do you see him as a moderate? >> more moderate than liberal. >> the other big issue on the president's plate, how to win in afghanistan. this week, i asked the president whether we could meet his goals without more boots on the ground. >> i assure you that if that were the case, you wouldn't see 68,000 of our young men and women deployed in afghanistan, they would be back with their families and their loved ones. >> all that, plus imagine being afraid to give your child a bath because it might put them at risk for cancer. an emotional journey to one west virginia town. good day, everyone, i'm john harwood of cnbc and the "new york times." this is the "new york times" special edition on msnbc. >>> on the front page this hour, senator olympia snowe, the last chance for bipartisan reform on health care. i sat down with the republican fr

i know the white house has on so many tears. maybe we can put some at the kids' table -- i know the white house has only so many chairs. >> then you have to come testify, and they ask you questions, and they ask you a lot of questions, if we do that on behalf of the american people. all of the people who are czars, they do not have to do that, so these people are helping make decisions about cars and other things, but none of us in the senate can ask them questions. neil: i understand. do you know if the czars id president bush -- go ahead -- under president bush -- >> there have always been some czars. the question of checks and balances, andnd

how has the white house turned this into perhaps a good for them in the end? >> well,, you know, the point is it shows their critics are, i think, speaking before they looked at the speech. criticized the speech once you read it. there is nothing in there. you have pointed out, we've all been pointing out it should not get any parent alarmed. everybody is for every kid staying in school and as far as i know that's not big policy dispute here. white house could just use that most effectively by saying our critics are out of hand so let us calm the temperature. it's going to be a lot harder to do that on health care which is the big speech coming up wednesday. much, much harder on. on this one, though, i think the white house could say we have more of a high ground because the speech speaks for itself. >> interesting if you can't get traction with the high ground you wonder what will happen tomorrow with something more at stake with something more important. thank you both. watch the president's address to the nation's schoolchildren on msnbc less than an hour f

the white house said the idea that the u.s. government let 9/11 happen is not what the president thinks. jones put out a press release saying it's not what he thinks either. but conservatives on blogs and the airwaves stepped it up. jones resigned shortly after midnight saturday. the white house clearly not interested in fighting this one. >> i think from a policy perspective it's damaging for the president to go to the mat for one individual when there's so much at stake. >> reporter: health care, afghanistan, the environment, the economy. there is no time in the schedule, no room on the agenda, to get distracted. >> you don't want, if you're president, going into what next week will be his big week on health care, to have two embarrassments going into it. both the jones matter and the brouhaha regarding the education speech. >> reporter: it's been an unsettling summer for the white house. ipped steadily to a low 50% average. nearly three-quarters of democrats are opposed to the war in afghanistan that the president has said i

>>> and president obama's green jobs adviser exits the white house door. did controversial comments about 9/11 and republicans cost him his job? >>> and hello, jaws. close encounters of the shark kind off the new england coast are shutting down beaches and have experts playing tag. you're watching hln news and views. i hope you're enjoying this labor day weekend. i'm sues an hendricks. we're just a few days away from president obama's eagerly awaited address on health care. it is beginning to look like the president is willing to compromise on a government-run health insurance option. while making the round on the sunday talk shows, the white house adviser david axelrod said it isn't an issue in health care reform. >> all the ideas are on the table, david. the president set forth principles at the beginning of this discussion, at the beginning of the year, can and now all the ideas are on the table. and the president will say we agree on 80% of this. let's do the final 20%. let's get the job done. here's how it is we should do it. >> in his speech, the pres

mike viqueira is live at the white house. the largest union federation, and they are saying the public option is not going to be able to left out. >> reporter: key allies in this fight, and the question is what will the president say about the public option, the government-run health care plan that they want to see involved in the legislation, and the only problem is people are counting the votes. they are unclear whether they can get the through. that's bound to disappoint labor and liberals who insist it must be part of the package. all ears will be on the president when he makes the speech. >> mike, the white house releasing the full statement -- or the full speech for tomorrow's school children. it's available for parents and teachers to read. david axelrod said he is bewillered over the issue. let's play a clip. >> some parents are going to keep their kids at home. >> yeah, that's silly. they can go to school and not watch. that doesn't make sense. it's about personal responsibility, and it's about being accountable. does

it seems to be a pattern with the obama white house. alth care when the president said he was in favor of a single-payer plan and now saying it's for a public option and now maybe for a trigger mechanism. they will change depending on the criticism they receive. >> let's spoeds they left it in, encouraged students in an optional plan for teachers to tell students, hey, look, write down the ways you can help president obama achieve the educational goals of this country. richard goodstein, is that controversial? >> well, that's what bush the elder did, exactly. exactly to a "t." the notion this number of years later that would become this firestorm. incidentally this wasn't a firestorm. this was a match that was looked at through a magnifying lens. there was no firestorm here. i guarantee you there wasn't a participant in th parent in this country who doesn't listen to rush limbaugh daily who objected to this. no sane-thinking person would. the suggest was unobjectionable. we hear the objections coming from people on the right after the wh

suzanne malveaux for us at the white house. thanks so much. >>> and we want to know what you think about the president's back to school speech. we posted the full text on our blog at cnn.com/am fix. have a read through and let us know what you think. >>> also, former first law laura bush reveals what she thinks about the controversy surrounding president obama's speech to to school kids today. here's what she told us. >> reporter: president obama is giving a back to school speech and there's so much controversy over that. do you think it's a good idea? >> i think that there is a place for the president of the united states to talk to schoolchildren and encourage schoolchildren. i think there are a lot of people that should do the same and that is encourage their own children to stay in school and study hard and to try achieve the dreams that they have. >> the issue that's been raised by many conservatives that are critical of this, they say that this is a dangerous social list plot, indoctrinating schoolchildren. some parents sa

you'll recall ck in march, the white house pmulgate add brand new afghanistan/pakian stragy that was a product of weeks ofork in which it said at to achieve the goal defeatg al qaeda in afghanistan andakistan,ne of the key things at the united states nds to do is have an integred civilian military counterinsurgency rategy. so that's wt general mcchrystal thought he was doing in prering this assement for the white house. >> rose: s what's going on here? simply becse he said he may need more tops and enthusiasm for that waras led them to say we, if it's a questn of more perhaps trps, perhaps we ought to go a different direction? >> well, i think a lot of things have changed since march, and even since june/july when general mcchrtal was sen out to afghanistano replace general david mckiernan. the chief thing that's changed, charlie, w the afghan ections which were held on augu 20. and the elections by many accounts were st a total disaster. th were riled with fraud. the "new york times" rorting is morning that perhapsas many as one inour ballots now has to be reexamined bause ey might h

that contradicts not only the white house but the american medical association.lso, 71% of doctors surveyed say they do not believe the government can cover 47 million more people at a lower cost while providing better healthcare. tuesday mornings, senate majority leader harry reid criticized his colleagues for moving too slowly on spending bills but "the washington times" reports the democratic leader said that they would not be voabtsing because specter was returning home. specter was joined by president obama and took in $2.5 million. reid said "it's a basic courtesy we extend to republicans all the time. " the times says reid was accused of doublespeak, and rick santorum said, quote, "i had many a fund-raiser where i had to bake away and was not covered by my leadership." specter's opponent also criticized the move, saying the washington stab establishment favors the powerful and well connected who are too often rewarded at the cost of those at the bottom." those who criticize immigration raids often say illegals do the jobs in this country that americans wil

>> well, the white house is for a bill, keith. the president is with the public option, but he would happily sign a bill without the public option. rahm emanuel's made this clear from the start, since january, rahm emanuel has been saying publicly the most important thing is to get a bill. that's a bill with anything in it that involves the health care sector. it does not have to include the public option for the white house. that's -- that's actually been very clear from the beginning on this thing. remember, it has to pass the house twice. it has to pass the house once to get it into conference with the bill from the senate. and then it has to pass the house again in final passage. it might go through the house with a public option the first time if nancy pelosi feels that her troops demand that. but i don't see any way it will go through final passage with the public option. i have strong doubts that the house -- that even with the first passage that nancy pelosi will insist on the public option. >> we also keep hearing that the