white house press secretary jay carney said the fbi investigation is ongoing. he said the investigators have no information at this point that suggests that the attack was significantly preplanned. carney said that investigators are now looking into al qaeda affiliates, in particular the group known as al qaeda in the islamic magreg. >>> the conflict of interest in syria is causing more human suffering and civilian casualties. opposition activists say 55 people were killed in an explosion at a gas station triggered by a government air strike. amateur video shows the site in the northern city near the turkish border. people are suffering from a serious shortage of daily goods and were lined up at the station to buy fuel. a day earlier, rebel fighters had seized a location near the city. witnesses say government forces were engaged in a fierce bad with rebel to regain control of the area. a britain-based human rights group says 170 people died on thursday in fighting in the northern city of aleppo and homs in central syria. government soldiers stormed into a hosp

i got called the next day and he said... >> rose: "he" being jay carney? >> jay carney saying "we're interested in doing this." >> i said "who's we?" he said "the president is interested in doing this." i said "that's kind of great, what about everybody else at the white house?" he said "we're not very interested in doing it." (laughter) so he said i don't know, he said jay was... jay was interested in it, he's a journalist, he knew what i was getting at. he said come on in and just meet some people and we'll see if we can assuage people's nerves about this. and it wasn't to meet the president it was just to meet the powers that be around him. and so i went in and did what amounted to like a goldman sachs job interview, meeting all the honchos and i went from room to room to room in the course of the day and at the end of it... it was interesting... >> rose: what was their worry? >> i think they just wanted to see who i was. because nobody was saying "what are you going to write?" except very broadly i said this thing i want to do is at least as much about

his name sukan ben kumu. >> jay carney suddenly said this. it is i think self-evident what happened in benghazi was a terrorist attack. our embassy was attending violently and result was four deaths in american officials. why the turnaround, judy? >> as we stay in journalism, even when you try to ignore them for a week there was a stubborn theme. this was a spontaneous eruption of outrage, finally enough material leaked out through the press, not enough because the press wasn't asking the tough questions to force a change in the administration's line. that is what we have now. the tough questions lie ahead. >> jon: rick, you worked for u.n. ambassadors. when susan rice goes out on tv and says this was spontaneous and all because of a movie? >> what is interesting about susan rice, immediate response, david gregory did not push her. netanyahu came on david gregory was aggressive. but with susan rice she was able to talk about narrative of a film being the cause without any push back. however, i disagree with judy the u.s. media got it wrong. i

i raised the issue with jay carney, getting off the u.n. on what about those mitt romney releasing his tax returns. did that satisfy the president? jay carney said that's an issue for -- something for the campaign to answer. wait a minute, you've talked about this before. here's a follow-up and jay's attempt to duck the answer. >> in terms of the president believes, as a candidate that governor romney has an obligation to the american people to be forthcoming. >> i would say the president believes the tradition of candidates releasing their entire returns many years of them is a useful and valuable one for the american people. certainly one he's abided by. i have noted it began i guess just coincidentally with governor romney of michigan back in 1968. it is a process the president thinks is important even if it uncomfortable. you should be an open book. that's his view. >> bill: so in other words romney didn't do enough right? >> so therefore he did not do -- >> i think the campaign has spoken to this. but the president's view hasn't change

white house spokesman jay carney says the visit is not political and charged that paul ryan wants to cut disaster funding. romney camp denies that and told me in a statement they believe the white house team will politicize anything. bret? >> neil: ed henry traveling with the president tonight in new orleans. the top of the republican ticket is taking this labor day off, but vice presidential candidate paul ryan had one event earlier. not too far from here. chief political correspondent carl cameron continues tonight's reporting on the big question of this campaign. >> in greenville, north carolina, more than 200-miles from the democratic national convention in charlotte, paul ryan led the g.o.p. attempt to counter program against the democrats. >> there is a little gathering going on in charlotte. you heard about this? the president will say a lot of things and he will but he can't tell you that you are better off. >> reporter: they had an attack video with the president recycling the pledges he made four years ago. >> americans are out of work. we have friends out there, family loo

>> it was obvious that jay carney had the too tight shoe look on his face. rush limbaugh is wrong, this is not a democratic set up so media can swoon and the president will rush in and end the strike and helpunes. this is more politically toxic for president obama. he knows coming out in favor of teachers union is a big mistake. >> this is an opening for president obama. if he wanted to appeal to the swing voters that everybody is obsessed with, some out and say i'm for good schools. good schools no matter how we get them. i think what my chief of staff is doing in chicago is right to do. are they going to not organize them because he challenges for the home state and hometown? not taking a position for obama looks weak. this is his home state and chiechief of staff his kids woud have gone to school if he stayed there and he wouldn't take a position? >> bret: wisconsin he took a position. >> he didn't weigh in but he took a position saying he was with the union. >> charles? >> that is why he is dancing around right now. they don't want to come out against th

jay carney yesterday said president obama doesn't stand with the union workers and the teachers. he stands with the kids and the students. >> andrea: his silence tells me he stands for the unions. his principal concern is not the union. it's getting re-elected. it's the same message. the teachers want to keep their job and they want raises and they don't want to be graded by any standardize test. their record. we have a president who wants to keep his job and forget a raise, but he doesn't want to be graded on his record. it's the same theme. every day this is on the cover of the paper the worse it gets for him. even if i'm a teacher in albany new york and making $44,000 a year, i'm not happy about what is going on. i am even more unhappy if i'm unemployed out there. his demographic gets more a more raises and no accountability. >> greg: we know what the white house is concerned with, the food in the school cafeteria. i look at this stuff going on and i'm like what is more frightening, hot dog in a cafeteria? or constantly entitled angry teacher. those guys go back in the school

just moments before he made those comments, jay carney, the white house luxman, said this. i want to get your reaction. >> we also need to understand this is a volatile situation. the united states policy -- that is in response to the video. a film that we have judged to be reprehensible and disgusting. that in no way justifies any violent reaction to us. but this is not a case of protests directed at the united states. at-large or at u.s. policy, with response to a video that is offensive. it is offensive to muslims. megyn: your thoughts? >> first of all, i do think there was a coordinated attack. i don't have the benefit of the reports folks at the white house now have. my gut reaction is that this was a coordinated, planned attack on our consulate in benghazi, and it was a terrible, terrible attack. i don't think that it was just protesters attacking, i think the protester provided good cover for a planned attack. i'm offended by what happened. we have a responsibility to lead the world. america is looking for direction and result from the president of the united states

>> reporter: arthel, seemed after that statement that you just read from jay carney aboard air force one yesterday, after so many mixed signals from the white house and mixed messages from monday that would signal some kind of alignment in white house messaging. after the plane, air force one landed in miami for the univision forum yesterday, the president obama sent an entirely different signal. here's the president. >> what we've seen over the last week, week and a half is something we've seen in the past where there is an offensive video or cartoon directed at the prophet muhammad and this is obviously something that then is used as an excuse by some to carry out inexcusable violent acts, directed at westerners or americans. >> reporter: those remarks again suggesting that it is the film itself that bears responsibility for triggering the attacks and the deaths of americans and notice again the president absolutely tiptoed around using the phrase terrorist attack in those remarks yesterday, arthel. arthel: doug, we understand that some congressional republicans are upset over a cl

white house spokesman jay carney reiterated that position yesterday. >> based on the information we had at the time and had to this day, we do not have evidence it was premeditated. >> but today, carney for the first time called it a terrorist attack and changed his wording, i quote him, we have no information at this point to suggest this is a significantly preplanned attack. a u.s. official who did not want to be named tells cnn today, we acknowledge contradicty information about whether there was aprotest prior to the attack. and there are questions about whether the u.s. missed very important warning signs. arwa damon on the ground. you have hear her on this show, has reported that according to libyan military officials, three days before the attacks took place, the libyan military officials had a meeting with senior employees at the embassy in tripoli and warned them about a rising threat against western interests in benghazi. libyan military officials said they said the libyan government could not control the militias and advised the american, decrease their presence in benghazi.

different circumstances in different countrys. >> with secretary of state hillary clinton returning to carney today, the pip pong answers coupled with the closed door intelligence briefing for lawmakers on thursday, that senator graham called a waste of time is leading top republicans to question the white house credibility. >> i asked specifically how many security personnel were at the conflict, said we'll get back with you on that. numbers all over the board. >> the questions are white hot for the president weeks before the election. with an nbc news/"wall street journal" poll finding the approval on foreign policy dipped to 49%. while disapproval is up to 46%. while the cbs news, "new york times" poll found the approval at 50% and disapproval at 36%, the president was bankrupt today at campaign event in virginia about -- president was blunt today at campaign event in virginia reassuring the public he is keeping america safe at home and abroad. >> we still face american threats and we have to make sure the military and diplomats are protected. >> pentagon officials claimed marines were in

and today when jay carney the president carney was asked, i defended president obama, not a surprise, saying he really helped overt a calamity which would have been a default if the debt ceiling had not been increased. here's what he said about. >> he was absolutely committed as commander in chief to preventing a default by the united states for the first time in its history on its obligations. a default which would have led to serious economic kofrconsequs both in this country and around the world, a default which sadly some elements in congress, republicans in particular, all republicans, notably in the house of representatives, seems to rely wliish the prospect of g about. >> ultimately the brand bargain if a that president obama and speaker boehner were attempting fell apart and then we saw set in motion spending cuts because congress couldn't come to agreement, spending cuts set to kick in at the end of this year. and what woodward says in this book is that neither president obama nor house speaker john boehner handled this particularly well that they weren't able to set aside pa

white house spokesman jay carney reiterated that position yesterday. >> based on the information we had at the time and had to this day, we do not have evidence it was premeditated. >> but today, carney for the first time called it a terrorist attack and changed his wording, i quote him, we have no information at this point to suggest this is a significantly preplanned attack. a u.s. official who did not want to be named tells cnn today, we acknowledge contradictory major and there are questions about whether the u.s. missed very important warning signs. arwa damon on the ground. you have hear her on this show, has reported that according to libyan military officials, three days before the attacks took place, the libyan military officials had a meeting with senior employees at the embassy in tripoli and warned them about a rising threat against western interests in benghazi. libyan military officials said they said the libyan government could not control the militias and advised the american, decrease their presence in benghazi. they said they told the senior embassy officials that the

white house spokesman jay carney reiterated that position yesterday. >> based on the information we had at the time and had to this day, we do not have evidence it was premeditated. >> but today, carney for the first time called it a terrorist attack and changed his wording, i quote him, we have no information at this point to suggest this is a csignificantl preplanned attack. a u.s. official who did not want to be named tells cnn today, we acknowledge contradictory major and there are questions about whether the u.s. missed very important warning signs. arwa damon on the ground. you have hear her on this show, has reported that according to libyan military officials, three days before the attacks took place, the libyan military officials had a meeting with senior employees at the embassy in tripoli and warned them about a rising threat against western interests in benghazi. libyan military officials said they said the libyan government could not control the militias and advised the american, decrease their presence in benghazi. they said they told the senior embassy officials that the

when askedded it, jay carney said he has no bilateral meetings while lazy in new york. >> carney was asked again. he says there is no meetings that i am prepared to tell you about. who knows, maybe there is something going on. but it looks absolutely awful, to be meeting with the president who may or may want be discouraging these really violent, antes american demstrags in his country and to be stiffing the -- i mean, in a country that the president wouldn't even call an ally, a couple of days ago and to be stiffing the country that is undoubtedly our strongest ally. >> that's why i am very doubtful such a meeting is going to take place. the netanyahu situation is an entirely different one. you know, it was undoubtedly a snub. the president will be in new york monday and tuesday, netanyahu will be in new york, thursday and friday. but nobody in washington said, while you are in the country, come on down, they said scheduling problems, but later, they said there were no meeting ever asked for. why were there scheduling problems? >> i think the white house got caught. they said there

the next day, jay carney reluctantly had to say this. >> felt badly about what happened in banghazi, it was a terrorist attack. >> sean: mark it down, september 20th was the day that everyone got on the same page and finally acknowledged what we all knew to be true, this was not about a youtube video or movie trailer. not exactly. the confusion, the lies from the composconfusion from the white , they continued. >> we don't know yet. we'll continue to investigate this. >> what happened in banghazi was a terrorist attack. >> then i heard hillary clinton say that it was an act of terrorism. is it? what do you say? >> well, we're still doing an investigation. it was a crude and disgusting video, sparking outrage throughout the muslim world. >> it was a terrorist attack. >> sean: now when we first began our investigation right here on this program, into the so-called mixed messages, i said they were the result of one of three things -- stupidity, a cover-up or bad intelligence. well, now that fox news has in fact confirmed that the intelligence community, they got it right on day one of t

today we heard the hapless jay carney explained that the quotes did not mean what the words say. if that sounds familiar, it is. that's what they claim when he said if you have a business, you didn't build that. >> bret: 43 days left. is there time for romney to make something stick? >> perhaps. we had blow up in the middle east. trouble across the muslim world. horrendous crime and terrorist attack in libya. might be enough to shake the standing in a way. but it seems not to stick. you don't expect them to go after obama. but might expect the public to respond to secret schism than the polls indicate in the battleground state particularly so far have. one begins to wonder if he isn't a teflon president. >> bret: all right, brit. thank you. so do you agree that the problems don't stick to president obama? let me know on twitter. still ahead. karl rove and joe trippi break down the electoral college map. up next, who pays for people who don't pay federal income tax? endless shrimp at red lobster. you can mix and match all day! [ male announcer ] red lobster's endless shrimp is bac

jay carney at the white house friday. susan rice on the tv shows, ambassador to the-up on sunday to deny what was pretty obvious even then there was some degree of terrorist organization behind the attacks? >> bret: take a listen to susan rice on abc in the context. >> we believe that folks in benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy or to the consulate rather to replicate this sort of challenge that was posed in cairo. and then as that unfolded it seems to have been hijacked let us say by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons. weapons that as you know in the wake of the revolution in libya are quite common. and accessible. then it evolved from there. >> bret: what about that, mara? >> she doesn't come out and say it, but she is suggesting it was spontaneous or more or less spontaneous. >> bret: in another interview she used the word. >> word "spontaneous." we're having conflicting stories that it was planned in advance. certainly any al-qaeda cell would know there would be dem

>>guest: they are jumping on it and carney was saying it is outrageous because the president was not minimizing the lives of the four americans tragically killed and the point of carney was in fairness, it is true, you look at the entire quote on "60 minutes" the president was talking about arab spring, and talking about the recent evens, in doubt, and the tragic murders and talking about, way back when in 2011 when the arab spring first came around he said this would be messy and take time. that was the broad scope of his answer. the fact of the matter is in the heat of the political campaign we see this both sides take a piece of something and blow it up into something else. that is exactly why the president has an extremely light schedule here and why i am in new york covering him at the u.n. with no one-on-one meeting with worm leaders. why? if you sit down with the pakistani president and get a hard question from the press or get the pack establish president pressing you or the libyan president who is in town talking about the investigation and what went down in benghazi which t

white house spokesman jay carney says the visit is not political and charged that paul ryan wants to cut disaster funding. romney camp denies that and told me in a statement they believe the white house team will politicize anything. bret? >> neil: ed henry traveling with the president tonight in new orleans. the top of the republican ticket is taking this laborf, bl candidate paul ryan had one event earlier. not too far from here. chief political correspondent carl cameron continues tonight's reporting on the big question of this campaign. >> in greenville, north carolina, more than 200-miles from the democratic national convention in charlotte, paul ryan led the g.o.p. attempt to counter program against the democrats. >> there is a little gathering going on in charlotte. you heard about this? the president will say a lot of things and he will but he can't tell you that you are better off. >> reporter: they had an attack video with the president recycling the pledges he made four years ago. >> americans are out of work. we have friends out there, family looking for work. >> reporter

jay carney said he was unaware of those reports. our own catherine herridge has been reporting that the situation on the ground had been deteriorating, and there was some suggestion the u.s. knew about that. i also pressed jay carney on the fact that on september 10th the white house put o out a press release saying the president had a meeting to look at the defense posture for u.s. installations all around the world on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, and that press release suggested that steps had been taken to protect u.s. persons here and abroad. i pressed jay carney on whether this suggested now because these four americans had been killed that the administration had not taken the appropriate steps. here's his answer. you're not trying to say there was enough security in benghazi, are you? >> i am simply saying this is a matter under investigation. it is an absolute tragedy that we lost four americans in benghazi, including our ambassador, including security personnel. and there's an active investigation underway int