good morning, america. i'm bianna golodryga. >> and i'm dan harris. this is saturday, september 18th. this morning, palin takes iowa. the former v.p. nominee gaves a fiery speech at a key republican dinner, in what is likely to be the first state to vote in the 2012 primary. is this a first step toward a presidential run? hurricane alley. hurricane igor heads straight for bermuda. we're live with the latest. why did she do it? the mother and father of a woman who lied about having acid thrown in her face, address the question everybody's been asking. why did their daughter do this to herself?

and dancing hands. forget about the flying feet of "riverdance." how about the flying fingers of irish hand dancing? and no, that was not the two of us doing hand dancing. >> i've been worried all morning that you're going to propose some sort of -- >> i want to. this is a new dance craze they're starting. they're going to be joining us live. >> they've gone rogue, post "riverdance." >> did you see their face? also, we have serious news. including new details about what happened when the mother of natalee holloway, went inside a peruvian prison to confront the man she believes murdered her daughter. they're calling her surprise visit, an ambush. we'll have the latest on that. this is a story that touched a nerve with our viewers. lit up the message board. you saw the video of a father

storming on to a school bus and threatening the kids he thinks is bullying his daughter. a lot of people weighed in on this. we'll be talking more about what parents should do in these sorts of circumstances. >> he's apparently looking at jail time. >> he came out and apologized. you heard about overnight, big news from hollywood. lindsay lohan, the struggling starlet admitted she failed a drug test. that means she could be going back to jail. she was on twitter all night, pouring her heart out. we begin with politics. all eyes are on iowa. it's early to be talking about iowa. but sarah palin is stirring speculation that she has the white house in her sights. she fired up the crowd at a fund raiser. and in washington, another gop rising star was drawing comparisons to palin. that's where john hendren is this morning. >> reporter: hi, bianna. good morning. i'm here at the values voters summit. in a little while, conservatives will be out in force.

they're here to hear mike huckabee and others. is she testing the waters for 2012? >> todd says, i guarantee you, if anybody spots you in the tennis shoes, the headline's going to be, "vanity fair," they're going to say, palin in iowa decides to run. >> reporter: with sarah palin headlining a gop fund-raiser in a republican state, the white house thinks so. >> normally this time of year, you go to dip your toe in the water. my guess is that she's going to dip that toe. >> it may take folks shaking us up, shaking it up, to get there. >> reporter: in iowa and at the conservative values voter summit in washington, palin talks to a new round of stars that have conservatives fired up. >> it's our recovery fall when we take back the house and senate on november 2nd. >> reporter: then, there's the

tea party's newest phenom. >> they call us wacky. they call us wingnuts. we call us, we, the people. >> reporter: she has palin to thank for pushing her over the finish line in the delaware primary. and perhaps for paving the way of a folksy stale. does she remind you of anyone? >> i see a resemblance of sarah palin. >> reporter: the party's rising stars and prospects played well. >> the energy level's much higher this year than other years. >> this is the year of the conservative. >> reporter: as republicans embrace their new stars, president obama found himself stumping where no democrat should have to campaign. >> we need you to do this for candidates all across the country. >> reporter: in connecticut, which hasn't put a republican in the senate since 1982. today, at this conservative summit, people will hear from conservative crowd pleasers.

people like newt gingrich. but perhaps more important are the voices of the voters in the audience. i talked to several of them, dan. they say we'll hear from them in november. >> john, thank you. that's john hendren reporting. let's stay in washington and get insight from two, political pros. republican robert trainham and karen finny. >> good morning. >> let me start with you, karen. is sara failen running? >> obviously, in the primary season, she is enjoying success in the process. he likes to get paid. >> robert, is she running? >> i don't know the answer to it. i don't think she knows the answer. but she's doing everything she can to position herself, that if she chooses to run, she has the staff and resources in place to do so. >> if she does run, do you think she can win?

>> in the primaries, i think she could. there are three states that determine who the republican nominees are going to be. iowa, new hampshire and south carolina. you look at the democrats in those states, sarah palin has a significant ground force. the real question is whether she can win in the general. she is a forced to be reckoned with. there's no question about it. >> karen, is this a candidate that the obama white house would like to face or fear facing? >> i think democrats learned a long time ago when they were hoping that ronald reagan would be the republican nominee not to try to guess or foreshadow. i don't think sarah palin's seriously running. i think what she's doing here is trying to stake out a base in the party, which she clearly has. and be a political player. >> robert, while palin appeared in iowa, we had a cattle call going on in d.c., which is going to continue through the weekend. the values voter summit. is there anybody in the field, a large field of potential republican presidential candidates, that stands out to

you? >> not really. i mean, the only person that pretty much is putting his big toe in the water right now, and arguably could have a chance at this, is mitch daniels, the republican governor of iowa. indiana. he is someone that definitely strikes me as a deficit hawk. he talks the talk of a lot of social conservatives. but truth be told, the field is wide-open. we have about a dozen republican candidates. newt gingrich to mitt romney. possibly sarah palin. rick santorum. haley barbour. and they recognize that obama is vulnerable right now. >> karen, there's so much energy on the right right now. but some democrats, including people in the white house, seem to be verging on gleeful when it comes to the rise oaf the tea party. the logic seems to be, some of the people have said such extreme things in the past, that they're going to be easier to beat. is there complacency potentially setting in? >> i hope not. and i hope we learned our lesson from the massachusetts senate

race. that was a big wake-up call. and i think lisa murkowski's race should be a wake-up call to anyone who is an incumbent, that you can't take anything for granted. what democrats recognize, is while there's so much talk about the enthusiasm gap, what we've seen is really republican enthusiasm, folding in against itself. not necessarily against democrats. which suggests that during the general election, we don't know how the tea party candidates are going to fair. if democrats can turn out the vote, things might turn out differently than everybody's predicting. >> robert, what's your state of anxiety or lack thereof? are you worried that the tea party phenomenon could hurt the party going forward? >> i'm not sure. this is a healthy conversation that republicans are among amongst themselves at the heart and soul of the party. agree with karen that you shouldn't take anything for granted.

you can look at arlen specter and all of the primaries across the country. but i disagree with her. this is not really a conversation within the republican party, per se, or civil war. >> robert. >> this is -- karen. this is a conversation that the american people are having. let's take a look at this. the democrats should be very happy right now that president obama ended the iraq war. that comprehensive health care reform has passed. that the consumer protection agency has a new head. and by the way, they're very unhappy right now with the democratic party. the truth be told, there's some real issues within the president's party that he needs to address. >> i would love to see you two use each other's names against each other in the way you've done. we have to cut this off. i'm going to do this with bianna going forward. bianna. >> daniel. >> careful how you do it, dan. >> robert and karen, thank you very much. we'll turn to what has been a busy start to the hurricane season.

a monster hurricane named igor is closing in on bermuda. it's the biggest storm to threaten the tropical paradise for years. and vacationers are getting out as fast as they can. david kerley is live for us in bermuda this morning. good to see you, david. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. they're used to big storms here. but it looks like igor is taking direct aim at that island of 21-square-miles. three hurricanes in the atlantic at the same time. residents here and especially tourists are taking igor very seriously. especially after they saw what one of the hurricanes did to mexico. central mexico wakes up to a massive cleanup job after karl slammed ashore. hitting veracruz by 90-mile-per-hour winds. up to eight inches of rain, causing massive flooding. mudslides that killed two people. but this is the picture that worries bermuda. with igor coming, the tourists are going. home. this couple's one-year anniversary vacation lasted just

24 hours. >> when we got here, they were closing the hotel and boarding everything up. >> reporter: down on the waterfront, some had to run to catch this giant cruise ship, headed back to new york, after seeing the first signs of igor. >> we got very lucky. >> the waves were a little rough yesterday. but it was awesome. >> yeah. >> reporter: and the more than 60,000 residents left behind are taking no chances. >> everybody's definitely concerned. and getting ready. they're getting ready. many in this crowded british territory remember hurricane fabian seven years ago, that killed four, washed out the airport road and left millions of dollars in damage. it's been more than a decade that we've seen three active hurricanes in the atlantic at the same time. >> sea surface temperatures in the atlantic are at their highest levels on record this summer. and we've seen five, major hurricanes so far this year, which is an unusually high

number. >> reporter: and this is a massive, massive storm. hurricane winds, 100 miles out. and tropical storm winds, 350 miles out. it looks like it's taking direct aim here at bermuda. one government official says this may be the worst this island has ever seen. should be coming in the next 36 hours. >> david, stay safe for us out there. thank you for joining us. we're going to turn overseas to afghanistan, where national elections are being marred by violence. at least two were killed in rocket attacks in the northern part of the country, gunmen stormed polling stations. nick schifrin has the latest from kabul. >> reporter: polls here in kabul are about to close. and we haven't seen that many incidents of violence here in the capital. but there are already concerns about low turnout. all of the people behind me are observers here to try to prevent fraud. there's very few voters. to be a voter in afghanistan, is to take your life in your hands. abdul was one of the few voters we met here. like everyone, he dips his

finger in purple ink to prove he's voted. and places his hand-marked ballot in a plastic box. why did you vote? voting is our right, he says. and members of parliament provide a bridge between the government and the people. voters are choosing among 2,500 candidates. in kabul, there are 20 candidates running for every seat. some young. some religious. some rich. this is the daughter of a religious leader and was educated in england. >> you know, some people are really brave to go and vote. and i think we should encourage that. >> reporter: being brave, despite massive intimidation. during an interview in eastern afghanistan this morning, insurgents attacked a polling station. u.s. troops responded. three people were injured. for candidates, armed policemen has been a requirement. five campaign workers were kidnapped, lined up and executed. u.s. officials hope this election produces a parliament

that provides a check on afghan president hamid karzai. but we won't know the makeup of that parliament for weeks, if not months. this will be a long process of counting ballots and responding to allegations of fraud. the final results aren't due before october 31st. >> you really do see what people go through to get to the polling stations. makes you appreciate what we have here. >> absolutely. >> it's hopeful to see people out there making their way to the polls. >> indeed. now, for the day's other news. ron claiborne. good morning. >> good morning, daniel and bianna. good morning, everyone. pope benedict is doing ahead with a state visit to britain this morning. british forces arrested six men of plotting to attack him. la ma hasan joins us from london with the latest. good morning, lama. >> reporter: good morning, ron. those six men are still in police custody. and they're being interrogated. so far, they have not been

officers have raided several homes and businesses. but they've not found any weapons or bombmaking materials. now, police received a tipoff about a possible threat to the pope's visit on thursday night. so, on friday morning, armed officers quickly moved in and arrested these men at gunpoint. these men are thought to be of north african origin and aged between 26 and 50 years old. they were arrested just before they were about to start work on friday morning and two miles from where the pope is staying the pope was reportedly told about the arrests. and he was described as being calm. and he continues with his historic visit to britain. at a mass this morning, ron, the pope addressed the issue of sexual abuse within the catholic church. and he said that he apologized for the unspeakable crimes committed by catholic priests. ron? >> thank you very much. lama hasan reporting from london. toyota has settled a lawsuit over the fatal crash that brought national attention. four people were killed in the

2009 crash in san diego. investigators believe an improperly installed floor mat caused the gas pedal to stick. the problem led toyota to recall millions of vehicles. details of the settlements have not been announced. finally, a lucky escape for a toddler in turkey. a 1-year-old crossed a busy highway when its mother fell asleep. the mother woke up and rescued her baby. very lucky. first look at the headlines. to daniel and bianna. >> that video is harrowing. >> scary. >> lucky, indeed. >> yes, as the mother of two, strapping, young boys. that thing wants to make you hold them tight. mary, good morning. >> good morning, everyone at home. it's been confirmed. new york city saw the ninth and tenth tornadoes in history. nine and ten, since 1950. this was thursday, after a storm just ripped through there. an ef-0, hit brooklyn, packing 80-mile-per-hour winds. and over in queens, ef-1,

packing 100-mile-per-hour winds. then, there was a macro burst, with strong winds. there's 14,000 people without power, if you can believe it. we're keep >> and good morning, washington. forecaster dave zairn. a splendid weekend. temperatures on the cool side. very light winds. the big picture, high pressure dominating overhead. all weekend long. that means today and tomorrow mostly sunny skies. temperatures only around 08 with winds out of the north. tomorrow mostly sunny and warmer and then we'll cool down on monday and warm up again thanks so much. more on your saturday outlook a little bit later on in the show. dan?

>> thanks, mary. we have new details now about the face-to-face meeting between jorn jander sloot and natalee holloway's mother. how did she get into that prison in peru? and what did they say to each other? >> reporter: joran van der sloot's attorney is now sounding off about the confrontation. he is convinced dutch tv paid off a top prison official to get beth holloway twitty inside for the confrontation. >> i think joran van der sloot was shocked when he saw her. she was in a room. he was brought into that room. she demanded, in a sense, that she wanted to see him. >> reporter: she reportedly asked van der sloot about natalee holloway's disappearance. he refused to answer. she left. the incident comes days after a dutch tv interview from inside that prison, aired on nbc's "dateline," in which van der sloot seems to blame the holloway case for making his

life miserable. >> so many things have happened because of that case. people bothering me, lying to me, you name it, anything else. i have a lot of anger because of that also. >> reporter: earlier this month, van der sloot admitted to a dutch newspaper, he tried to extort $250,000 from natalee's mom, in exchange for the location of natalee's remains. i wanted to get back at natalee's family. followers of the case say those interviews may be what compelled holloway twitty to confront van der sloot. >> i think anything to want to stare in the eyes of the person that she believes murdered her daughter. >> reporter: van der sloot is in the prison, awaiting trial for the may 30th hotel room murder of stephanie flores. and aruba is where hol we've-twitty is this morning. she flew back to the island

yesterday, continuing her quest for answer in not leigh's death. for "good morning america," jeremy hubbard, abc news. >> she wants closure and will do anything to find out what happened to her daughter. coming up, the parents of the woman who faked an acid attack say they are heartbroken. we'll hear what they have to say about the hoax and why their daughter did it. also, lindsay lohan in trouble again. she tested positive for drugs, just weeks after getting out of rehab. she announced it overnight on her twitter feed. what does it mean for her and her career? and daniel can't wait for this. you heard of the mexican hat dance. how about the irish hand dance? we'll ask these alumni of "riverdance" how they pulled this one off. it's tearing up the internet right now.

life leaves spaces for you to create in, shouldn't your card do the same? it can. meet zync from american express. it's a great way to get more out of the things you're into. build yours to fit your life by adding packs filled with bundles of rewards and benefits. it's not just a card. it's your canvas. create yours at zynccard.com. [ woman ] chopping and peeling can be kinda relaxing at the end of the day. [ female announcer ] relaxing for who? try new market creations from lean cuisine. the new steam pouch locks in the fresh taste of crisp veggies, tender chicken, and al dente pasta,

new market creations from lean cuisine. rheumatoid arthritis going? they'reiscovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nerus system disorders, lir or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should t start simponi™ if you have an infection. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month.

coming up soon on the show, lindsay lohan, she's in trouble again. she went on twitter last night. announced she has failed another

drug test. this probably means she will go back to jail. also, we've been talking about it all morning. the irish hand dancers. you see them. they will be joining us live. teaching us their louvres. how they went from "riverdance" to dancing with their hands. >> they can teach us. significantly improve my lung function. so, today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear -- it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort, and it's significantly improves my lung function, starting within five minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing. now more of my want-tos are can-dos.

as your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. equals chili's $20 dinner for two. share an app, like our texas cheese fries. then choose two entrees from 14 chili's favorites, like our chicken fajitas with sizzling peppers and onions. the $20 dinner for two, only at chili's.

discover our brand new side. explore all of yours and save 15% at sears. >> arpped good morning, washington. a wonderful weekend. the final full weekend of summer approaching. temperatures this morning on the cool side. only low to mid 50s. 54 downtown weark. winds are calm. much lighter than yesterday. let's give you the big picture.

yesterday, temperature, 82 degrees. the last rain we're going to see for some time because high pressure overhead is going to keep any moisture systems away from the washington area. a cold front moves through tomorrow, but look for temperatures today around the 80 degree mark. tomorrow we'll see the temperatures start to warm up, and a dry frontal passage. and then next week look for cooling off, and then another front and warmer temperatures wednesday through friday.

♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation where you're free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today.

♪ what do you do when your career as a "riverdancer" is caput? you revolt and become a happened dancer. you're looking at one of the hottest videos on the web. it was made by these two dancers. we'll ask them about their hand dance. and how it feels to be viral video stars. they brought in their special piece of wood because whatever we have in our office in london -- >> it wasn't good enough. >> it wasn't making the right noises. >> apparently, it only took them five days to learn to do that. >> five days. good morning, america.

he's dan harris. i'm bianna golodryga. it's saturday, september 18th. also ahead, we're going to talk about the video that has so many of you outraged. a dad storms on to a school bus and threatens the children he says were bullying his daughter. he faces jail time. but you lit up our message boards in support of him. we'll have an update and talk about what you do if your child is being picked on. everybody is talking about lindsay lohan this morning. we'll talk about what she has to say. the fact she has failed a court-ordered drug test, just weeks after she got out of jail. we'll tell you what she had to say, coming up. we begin with the washington state woman who made up the story of being splashed in the face with acid by a stranger. her parents are speaking out about the case. and mike von fremd has the story. >> reporter: bethany storro's parents say they are heartbroken by what their daughter has done. >> nancy and i are deeply sorry. >> reporter: many were planning

on attending a fund-raiser today for bethany. and many say they feel duped, after learning it was all a hoax. >> it makes me sick. i don't understand why she needed attention that badly. >> reporter: in a dramatic news conference from the hospital, bethany blamed an african-american woman for the attack. >> once it hit me, i could actually hear it bubbling and sizzling my skin. >> reporter: experts report people seeking notoriety for self-infliblgted wounds is all-too common. 72% 06 self-injury is from cutting. 55% from burning. in 2008, a volunteer for the mccain presidential campaign made up a story about an attacker scratching a letter in her face. in 2004, a woman in paris, falsely claimed she was marked with swastikas. >> for a brief moment, they inflict this pain. they feel a release. they may get attention. and it makes them actually feel

better for a short period of time. >> reporter: in bethany's case, she pulled off the hoax for more than two weeks. >> as to the question of why she did this. there were no signs and we don't really know at this point. but it's our hope that the medical community can find the answers. >> reporter: they say they're doing their best to help their daughter recover both physically and emotionally. >> she has a long road ahead of her. but she's on the road. and we're going to walk it with her. >> reporter: bethany's loved ones, now truly understand just how much help this troubled, young woman really needs. for "good morning america," mike von fremd, abc news. >> that really is shocking. when that story hit, we were all outraged. and she went on to say, she wore sub glasses. she was lucky she did. police were skeptical about that. but it's devastating. >> you have to feel bad because

she's going to have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life. let's get the news now. sorry. go ahead. >> good morning, everyone. in the news, bp's blownout oil well in the gulf of mexico could be declared permanently dead today. engineers are pumping it full of cement to seal it for good, five months after it began spewing oil. a new mexico couple has been charged with trying to sell nuclear secrets to an fbi agent posing as an agent for venezuela. the couple worked at the los alamos national laboratory. lisa murkowski is mounting a write-in campaign to keep her job. she lost the republican primary to a rival backed by the tea party. national republican leaders say they will not support her. finally, a woman from massachusetts bagged a giant gator. look at the size of that thing in south carolina. she caught a 13 1/2-foot alligator that weighed about 900 pounds. maybe it's a rubber gator, supposed to look like a real

one. we'll find out and look into that and tell you next week. that's a quick look at the headlines. now, to marysol for the weather. >> good morning, everyone. let's turn to virginia beach. for those of you trying to get the last licks of summer in, be wary. rough surf will be an issue this weekend. down in virginia, 6-foot to 12-foot seas. and the rip currents will be treacherous, as well. the culprit, as we mentioned all morning, hurricane igor. churning in the atlantic. going to take a hit on bermuda by monday. it's a category 2. it's 600 miles to the east of the east coast. but it's such a massive storm, it is causing rough seas closer to home. >> what a great weekend we have on tap. temperatures around 08 degree mark. sunny and comfortably mild. tomorrow, mostly sunny skies. a bit warmer. temperatures in the upper

thanks so much. this weather report has been brought to you by avon. dan? >> mary, thank you. again this morning, we're talking about lindsay lohan. and again, it is not something positive. she tested positive for drugs in a court-ordered test. any progress she makes now may happen in jail. meg oliver has more. >> you're a mess. do you think anyone wants to work with a drunk? take it from me. they don't. >> reporter: less than a week after poking fun at her substance abuse problems during the mtv music awards, lindsay lohan is in trouble again. late friday, she went on her twitter account and admitted she failed a drug test. she tweeted, regrettably, i did, in fact, fail my most recent drug test. and if i am asked, i'm prepared to appear before judge fox next week as a result.

lohan was released almost three weeks ago, after serving just 13 days of a 90-day sentence, for violating probation in a 2007 dui case. she was ordered to attend weekly counseling sessions and pass random drug tests. this was certainly a setback for me, she wrote last night. but i'm taking responsibility for my actions. and i'm prepared to face the consequences. those consequences could include more jail time. this all comes as the troubled star was trying to jump-start her career. she is reportedly in talks to host "saturday night live" this december. substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away overnight, lohan tweeted. i'm working hard to overcome it. and i'm taking positive steps. meg oliver, abc news, new york. >> and lindsay's saga continues. coming up on "good morning america," a father goes too far when he confronts a bully. we got some advice on how to react when your child is bullied. plus, give these two a hand.

i'm sorry. that was a very bad cliche. their video is all the rage on the internet right now. we'll talk to them about how they came up with this hand dance. there's more than one way to be heard. say it like you mean it. outspoken by fergie. exclusively for avon. call your avon representative now.

i'm ahmed mady and i'm a homebuilder. my father brought me up to give back to society... felicia jackson promised her late sister that she would take care of her children. but she needed help. i used my american express open card to get half a million points to buy building materials to help build the jackson family a new home. well, i know if my dad was still around, he would have told me, with no doubt... he would have told me it's a no brainer and i knew that from the start. it was an honor. booming is moving forward by giving back.

well, a lot of people are talking about that father in florida, angrily confronting some kids he said had been bullying his daughter on the school bus. but rather than provoking outrage, there's been outpouring and support and sympathy for the dad. police say that's not the way to go about things. and the dad is now facing jail time. yunji de nies has more. >> reporter: james jones storms his daughter's school bus. out to confront her bullies. >> this is my daughter. >> reporter: jones says the boys have been teasing, hitting, even throwing condoms at his 11-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy. >> everybody sit down. everybody sit down. >> reporter: the mad dad also threatens the driver. >> if anything happens to my daughter, i'm [ bleep ] and everybody on this [ bleep ]. >> reporter: jones was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing a school function. he faces up to four months in prison. upon release, he stood by his actions.

>> my daughter is not going to be hazed and beatup and touched on. okay? >> reporter: jones' attorneys says the father of two has no criminal record. and that the bullying was so bad, his daughter is on suicide watch. >> this is a new school for her. she just started middle school. and it has been unrelenting torment. >> reporter: hundreds of "good morning america" viewers weighed in on our message boards. while most don't agree with his methods, the vast majority support this angry dad. thank god for awesome fathers like the one that defended his daughter. you go, dad, echoes, anothermorgan. but m. griffin says, sounds like he's the bully. shame on him. jones will have another opportunity to face his daughter's alleged tormentors, if he decides to press charges, police say those seventh graders could also be heading to court. for "good morning america," yunji de nies, abc news.

and joining me now to talk more about this is child psychologist, dr. michael bradley. thanks for joining us. >> my pleasure. >> it is troublesome to watch what that father did on the school bus and watch the video. but there's also a lot of sympathy. we heard from parents. parents say they will do anything to protect their children. what comes to your mind when you watch that video? >> i would have wanted to do the same thing. i think i'm irish. i want to go in there and beat up the bullies. it doesn't work. i wish it worked. it doesn't. it's much more complex than that. our job as parents are to protect our kids in that situation. that involves helping them feel a sense of control, a sense of respect. and teaching them how to handle these situations because we're not going to be there on the butts with thbus with them the rest of their lives? >> what should the father have done? he should have talked to his

daughter and not the teachers or the bus driver? >> the research is clear. when we jump in and do that, the kids feel worse. they feel less controlled. they feel they helpless without the bodyguard there. you have to sit down with the kid and say, what should we do about this? consult with the kid so she feels like she's smart. she has some control. and she'll be able to handle this in the future. >> we know that the daughter has cerebral palsy. in a circumstance like that, do you also solicit the same advice? >> more so. cerebral palsy does not mean someone is intellectually setback at all. they can be perfectly normal, in intellect and feelings. we have to work with kids on challenges like this. they're easy targets. and because of their challenges, they feel less control and power in their lives. so, we have to help them feel that they themselves can control their environment and protect themselves. >> we spent so much time talking about the father and his daughter. i would like to talk about the

other children on the school bus. a lot of them said they were scared and frightened by what the father was saying to them. what advice do you have for children like those that were on the bus? >> that's the key to bullying. you know, it's not so much the bullying and the victim. it's the bystanders. where were the other kids, watching this go on? the poor kid getting tormented. where were the kids? were they enjoying that? did they think it was funny? or can they step up and say, that's not funny. when we go after the bystanders and teach them, and they start to speak up, that's when we solve the bullying problem in our schools. >> should parents bring this up with their children? or should they wait for children to discuss this? a lot of kids don't want to tell their parents what goes on in their daily life. so, how does a parent know when something is crisis mode? >> assume that your kid is being bullied, has been bullied or maybe is the bully, or the bystander. raise it early and often with

the kid, especially if they're the bystander. what should you do? do you have an obligation to the people on that bus and say that's not fun. knock it off. >> hopefully the story will have a lot of parents having the discussion with their children. we appreciate it. coming up on "good morning america," if you're happy and you know it, daniel, tap your hands. the viral video that makes us all smile, even though they're not. ♪ townhouse flatbread crisps. they're perfect for snack time, party time, any time. ♪ new townhouse flatbread crisps. the everyday cracker with the specially-crafted taste. as a va doctor, i have more time to spend with my patients. and that's the kind of attention our veterans deserve. ♪ (announcer) learn more about careers with today's va at vacareers.va.gov.

but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa! ocean spray -- tastes good, good for you. it was a real shock. i remember being at the hospital thinking, "i should have done more to take care of myself." you should've. that's why i'm exercising more now. eating healthier. and i also trust my heart to lipitor. [ male announcer ] when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication that is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications,

or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. dean will never forget what he went through. don't take your health for granted. [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor.

♪ we have a good viral video around here. and this one was going around the office this week. it's gotten more than 800,000 views on youtube. >> we wanted to meet the minds and the hands behind the this video. suzanne cleary and peter harding are joining us from our london

bureau this morning. good to see you, suzanne and peter. >> good morning. >> we have to address the elephant in the room. how did the dancing hands become a hit for the two of you? and how did this start up? >> well, the two of us, peter and myself, are irish dancers. we've known each other for a long time. since we were like 15. when we would go to competitions, when we were kids, we would practice on your hands before we got to the competition. we thought it would be a great thing to show the world. >> we teamed up with a film director, johnny reed. he suggested we do a film together. and we did. everybody's really happy. >> whose idea was it to come up with the sublime stare on your face? >> it's a lot of irony and humor. we wanted to blank out and do the hands do the talking, really. >> there's a lot of work that

goes into the coordination, as well. how long did it take for you guys to come up with this act? >> well, this particular performance, we've been practicing it for two weeks before. but obviously, we've been doing it since we were kids. so, it was a lot easier to come up with it than anybody else, i think. >> so, if bianna and i want to come up with a dance like that, you're saying it will take longer than two weeks? >> with a bit of practice. >> yeah. >> maybe. >> did you have injuries? slapping hands or thumbs? anything like that? >> absolutely. i got a splinter this morning. not happy with that. >> well -- we're glad you're willing to play hurt this morning because we want you to give us a live demonstration. >> yes. can you take us away? >> definitely. absolutely. of course. >> here we go. that's the cue. ♪

♪ ovities did youo 50% form between teeth, in places you can't even see? aquafresh iso-active whitening is a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. its active fluoride formula penetrates deep, surrounding and protecting the whole tooth against cavities -- front, back and in-between. for strong, healthy teeth for a lifetime, try triple protection iso-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing.

from aquafresh. more youthful skin from day 1. a dramatic transformation by day 14. satisfaction guaranteed. with anew regimens... only from avon. dermatologists agree a daily regimen is one of the best ways to fight visible signs of aging. and avon's got the right 3-step regimen for your age. anew regimen starter kits... a limited time offer from avon. want it? get it. call 1-800-for-avon or visit avon.com now to find a representative today. trying to be big like you, dad. you're so good at keeping everyone full... and focused with your fiber. [ laughs ] but you already are great at doing that. really? sure. you're made with fiber, just like me. but best of all, you're the perfect size for smaller kids. [ female announcer ] give your little ones

kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats little bites™ cereal in chocolate and now original flavor. they're an excellent source of fiber packed in a smaller size. [ doorbell rings ] oh, it's original little bite™. we're off to practice keeping 'em full and focused. yeah! we've got big shoes to fill!

♪ they have their blank stares on here. but we caught them smiling not a long time ago. i feel that's a victory of sorts. >> are you ready, guys? >> you're on your own. >> come on. anyway, i tried. >> i like how the objection is that we haven't practiced yet. >> ready? >> we'll practice. we'll do a little dance. thank you for watching the show today. we want to thank our irish hand dancers. we promise, they smiled before. >> good morning. it's 7:56. i'm kathy park. taking a look at some of the stories topping the news in our region today -- virginia governor bob mcdonald is refusing to block the execution of a woman on death row. mcdonald says he has carefully

reviewed theresa lewis' petition and decided there's no reason to review her death sentence. she pleaded guilty in the murders of her husband and stepson so she could cleakt a life insurance policy. and police are reviewing security procedures with johns hopkins hospital officials following thursday's deadly shooting. a decision was apparently briefing paul curtis on his mother's condition when he pulled a gun and shot the doctor. his mother was killed before turning the gun on himself. the doctor remains hospitalized, but is expected to be ok. and now let's head over to dave for a check of our weekend forecast. good morning, dave. >> good morning, kathy. a splendid saturday morning in the nation's capital. only 57 degrees at the national cathedral. you need a jacket out there. let's give you the big picture. why such a nice day and why such a nice weekend? the high pressure system is right over top of us, going to keep any rain at bay.

we've got a cold front coming our way. that will come through tomorrow. but again, just a few clouds. today, temperatures around 80 degrees, just seasonably mild. sunshine from beginning to end. for tomorrow, mostly sby skies, the winds will shift to the south, temperatures mid to upper 80's. >> thank you for watching. have a great day.