he took it right to obama. i think he said a lot great things that conservatives and people like me will like to hear, however, it all seemed very cut and paste. it seemed all kid tested mother approved in focus groups that string it all together and try to eke out some type of general election strategy. he's going to have to polish that. he had his opportunity to go after obama. we'll see how that works out in the polling. >> would it be helpful to your men if newt gingrich just quit the race and put his support firmly behind rick santorum? it's a serious point. combined, their traditional conservative support could actually give mitt romney a genuine run for his money now. whereas it seems that apart they're splitting that vote and romney is getting a clean head of steam away. >> it's a critical question. you have two conservatives in this race, and one moderate. what's happening is, if you take the delegates that the two conservatives have, add those together and then add potentially win wither take all as k

more likable, obama 56, romney, 27%. in touch with women, obama, 55%, romney 27%. strong leader, 50 to 34. stands up for what he believes in, 50 to 29. on the personal characteristics, understands me, call it humanity or empathy, romney has to change those numbers. >> the likablity number is the number that i always look at. here a 29-point difference. likablity means that people will give president obama the benefit of the doubt if he makes a mistake or they think he does something that they don't really like. that matters to people. the benefit of the doubt is important when you are running for the presidency. people want to like you. it's a personal vote they cast. 29-point deficit there means that mitt romney has to start changing his appeal a little bit and open up to the american public. let them know who he is. >> the time to do it but that's a steep hill to climb. 200 days. it's only april. it's not over yet. but advantage obama in april. we'll see if the numbers shift as we go. you are shaking your head. >> it's a long time. six months, whatever it is. >>

at the end of the day, it was one of president obama's -- senator obama at the time, sort of surprises that there were only a few people who actually make it down to this cut. i think the same thing will be true for mitt romney. a lot of people we're talking about right now will be on this list. but at the end of the day, i still think it's experience and who can do the job, not just some contorted this person could maybe win florida. it's not the way mitt romney has run things. i think he will sort of do this in a very ceo kind of way, if he gets the nomination. >> and we'll get to that in a moment. just quickly, gingrich, santorum, nonstarters? >> i can't imagine. i can't imagine. and then santorum's aides -- in fact, i was talking to one yesterday -- just cannot even imagine that happening, and certainly not newt gingrich. >> i think santorum, depending on how he ends this, if he does not become the nominee, i think maybe discussed only because -- >> in the way that hillary clinton was discussed? >> right. but at the end of the day, i'd be a little surprised. >> let me move on to mi

romney or obama? facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later this hour. >>> he won them over with their conservative positions on same hech sex marriage, abortion and contraception. now they are looking for a new candidate to back and they are laying out conditions. we'll have details next. change engineering in dubai, aluminum production in south africa, and the aerospace industry in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. hanging over us. hindering economic growth. it's time for some common sense -- people in congress who'll come together and put partisan politics aside. not with radical schemes that gamble with america's future. but with a plan that requires washington to balan

we need to focus on barack obama. there's the number one objective, to get him out of office so we can get this country pointed in a better direction. >> one final question, give me a short answer if you want. four years ago, you were first runn runnerup in the vice presidential race and you lost out to sarah palin. is this something you want to see this time if governor romney asked you? >> no, i have taken my name off that list, i have been down that road as you noted. i think the best way i can help him is be a volunteer and help him get elected. i took my name off the vice presidential -- >> why did you do that? >> well, i think he'll have a lot of great people to pick him. i think i can help him in other ways. >> tim pawlenty, governor, thank you for coming in. >> you're welcome. thank you. >>> up next, new hints that president obama's game plan for the fall. [ male announcer ] the cadillac cts sport sedan was designed with near-perfect weight balance from front to back... and back to front. ♪ giving you except

start with obama care. court watchers say the justices seem to be leaning toward rolling back part or maybe all of president obama's hallmarked legislation in his first term. the individual mandate appears to be in serious jeopardy and with it, the whole law could go down. then almost without missing a beat the supreme court decided to hear arguments on arizona's tough new immigration law. it's no secret the federal government under presidents obama, bush can go back as far as you want has made virtually no serious effort to secure our borders, particularly with mexico. arizona took matters into its own hands. interestingly, it looks -- it looks like the supreme court might side with arizona on this and once again, the implications could be huge. both rulings are expected in june just a few months before the next election of our president. republicans will lose any decision against president obama, but if the president loses any of these cases it could become a perfect way to energize the democratic base in

the benefits for president obama are many. president clinton has a deep fundraising effort and many voters recall the economy was a lot stronger in the clinton days and for president clinton being a leading bam surrogate gets him back in the game he loves so much. there is a potential downside. an obama win some democrats say would make a hillary clinton presidency less likely. if he loses and she is interested, she could start moving around the country next year and would be a far away front-runner for 2016. it should be noted he still tells friends don't count her out. he also ascribes to the ony lekds at a time approach and it is clear he wants a big a role as possible in this one. what are the implications of face time in this cycle and does it have an impact down the road? michael crowley, bureau chief and maria cardona who knows them quite well and tori clark and senior advisor for the comcast corporation. i want to go to you first. they didn't get along in 2008 much there was a tough campaign, but to the conspiracy theo

president obama comes out swinging. john edwards was once a favorite to be president of the united states, but now he faces up to 30 years in prison. >>> if you have been waiting for snow all winter, wait no more, winter has arrived with a vengeance in spring. stand by, you're in "the situation room." kb kb kblk. >> right now let's go to our strategy session. joining us right now, and republican strategist fay buian unanimous, he's also the writer of a brand-new book. here it is right here. congratulations, bay. i know you worked hard on this book. it tells a powerful story, indead, a lot of people will watch to read it. let's start with rudy giuliani, actively endorsing mitt romney and i got two clips, may and back in december. >> i think he has an understanding of the understanding that's far different than most people. i think he has the strength and toughness to handle -- i have never seen a guy change his positions on so many things so fast, on a dime. everything. >> this is why a lot of americans are cynical about

at the end of the day, it was one of president obama's -- senator obama at the time, surprises that there were only a few people who actually make it down to this cut. i think the same thing will be true for mitt romney. a lot of people we're talking about now will be on this list. at the end of the day, i still think it's experience and who can do the job, not just a contorted this person could maybe win florida. it's not the way mitt romney has run things. i think he will do this in a very ceo kind of way, if he gets the nomination. >> and we'll get to that in a moment. just quickly, gingrich, santorum, nonstarters? >> i can't imagine. and then santorum's aides -- in fact, i was talking to one yesterday -- just cannot even imagine that happening, and certainly not newt gingrich. >> i think santorum, depending on how he ends this, if he does not become the nominee, i think may be discussed only because -- >> in the way that hillary clinton was discussed? >> right. but at the end of the day, i'd be a little surprised. >> let me move on to mitt romney and wisconsin. now seeming like -- eve

and as president obama promotes the buffet rule, tonight's truth ex plorz how team obama hopes to create a romney rule. start with the big development in the trayvon martin case. one woman will now decide if the neighborhood watch than that admits to shooting and killing trayvon martin will be arrested and charged. special prosecutor angela corey has chosen not to use a grand jury to investigate the florida teenager's death. it is up to her to figure out whether to file charges against george zimmerman or drop the case altogether. ♪ >> as you can see there, peaceful protests and unrelenting protests marching to the sanford police department demanding an immediate arrest. david mattingly is live in sanford tonight. a lot of people say this was an unexpected move but not the family attorney. let's listen. >> anticipating that there will be no grand jury because the family has always been hopeful that they would there would simply be an arrest. we believe from day one that they had enough evidence to arrest the killer of trayvon martin. >> help us understand, david, why do they think this

today president obama met with his nafta pals for a two-hour closed door meeting. when they appeared in public. well the president slapped felipe calderon on the back, the other guy, the leader of canada. this is how america's most special relationship is playing out. because yes sorry britain, canada is the country that lights america's fires literally, canada is the number one supplier of black gold to america. if you were with hoping there would be special bonding like watching a basketball game together or snarfing down hot dogs, your wives meeting and getting along famously. no, lorraine harper didn't even come. in fact the statement after today's meeting was -- it mentioned the budapest convention on cyber crime, but it didn't mention the keystone pipeline. part of a mini-ice age in u.s./canadian relations. here's steven harper on canadian television in january. >> just because certain people in the united states would like to see canada be one giant national park for the northern half of north america, i don't think that's part of what our review process is

president obama later made her secretary of state. with us now is republican strategist and former white house press secretary ari fleischer and hilary rosen. does the vice president have a point? is foreign policy experience important for a candidate or isn't it? very few presidents with some notable exceptions had a lot of foreign policy experience when they took office. >> sure, very few. you would rule out every governor who has ever become president of the united states if that was the only criteria the voters use. it's a factor. you have to have a credibility threshold. but in this election cycle and that's what it comes down to is foreign policy that cutting and prevalent an issue. it's not. it was in 2004. it was not in 2008 and it certainly doesn't seem the way the world is behaving right now to be that much of an issue in 2012. >> hillary, do you agree with that? there are some democrats who think this is an issue that the white house can run with and make some points with in a landscape where the economy seems to be front a

and i reward president obama for taking on reform. and that's what the race to the top was. >> well, here in chicago you hosted the world peace summit. and unbelievably, you've managed to persuade mikhail gorbachev to come to this school. and sean penn. so you've got one of the great world leaders, one of the great actors. what is the idea behind bringing them to a school like this? >> well, first of all, we have with robert f. kennedy and the steve chicago, the robert f. kennedy foundation in the city of chicago, the nobel peace prize winners from around the world. i wanted the kitds to have this opportunity. as did the robert f. kennedy foundation, to speak and learn from people who stood up and made a difference for peace, made a difference for economic and social and political justice. >> take a short break. i want to come back, and i want you to put your teacher's hat on, to give a little school report on president obama. and also your ideas for how to keep america great. >> we are all very excited for rahm as he takes on a new c

within days obama called it, quote, a mistake. the obama and clinton camps seethed with animosity for the two years of campaigns. obama fans came close to calling her tactics racist. >> i have known hillary clinton as a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel, and a tough campaign opponent. she possesses an extraordinary intelligence, and a remarkable work ethic. i am proud that she will be our next secretary of state. >> the rest is history. some of these relationships actually ended in real friendships, but all of them began as bottom line politics. >> we want to make sure that however this thing comes out in the end, that the republican nominee defeats barack obama. that's the essence of the conversations we've had. >> so in the end, do not bet on republican reconciliation, count on it. fred? >> all right. thanks so much, candy. >>> be sure to watch candy crowley every sunday morning. she's the host of "state of the union" 9:00 a.m. eastern time. >>> after years of being under house arrest, aupg san su chi wins a seat in myanm

the obama campaign is featuring clinton in ads and hitting up his network of wealthy donors, obama and clinton appeared at a fund-raiser yesterday at the home of long time supporter terry mcauliffe. clinton's message will be this, i know what it takes to have a good economy and president obama is on the right track. and you heard some of that last night in the remarks that were reported out of that fund-raiser they both attended. president clinton saying that obama is, quote, beating the clock as he works toward economic recovery. >> i think they raised about $2 million last night at terry mcall -- you're getting some other interesting tidbits about their relationship. >> reporter: this is really interesting, if you talk to some folks in the obama camp, they'll tell you that some of the vitriol was overplayed. but certainly there was a time when president clinton and then senator obama certainly had some issues. i was told by a source close to clinton that their relationship has been hot and cold, but it's in a very good place right now. and also that clinton very much, president clint

so, right now, the great unifier is barack obama. rick santorum got into this race because he felt that barack obama had to be defeated. he feels -- still feels that strongly and will still be committed to that cause. >> so help me understand, how will he, i assume he will join forces with governor romney at some point. how will he convince voters that these statement and others like them are just politics? let's listen. >> you really believe this country wants to elect a wall street financier as the president of the united states? you think that's the kind of experience we need? someone -- someone who is gonna take and look after, as he did his friends on wall street and bail them out at the expense of main street america? pick any other republican in the country. he is the worst republican in the country, to put up against barack obama. the democrats will use those statement. john, how do you make them go away? >> well, first of all, let's be clear about this. rick santorum was saying there are disagreements that he and mitt romney

i wonder what's next for obama? nefarious deals with foreign leaders, i.e., russia, rejection of the keystone pipeline? telling the supreme court how to judge? curtis in philadelphia writes i don't know, jack, but i think the precedent was safe when reagan, bush 1 and clinton, bush 2 all enforced the immigration laws and how do you want to bet the next president won't either? david in washington writes show me the money is the catch phrase of washington politics, properly taking on illegal immigration would make obama care look like chump change. an incumbent president described as a spend thrift isn't about to hand them the election. not sure i agree with you on this, jack, according to a 2011 abc news report, president obama set a record for the number of deportations for the number of illegal immigrants which has "drawn sdorn from hispanic-american, unquote. >> i would like to have the answer to the question myself. our state implemented senate bill 1070 since the federal government isn't doing anything about enf

to president obama who is at 43%. if, in fact, that's the focus, people aren't polling saying women's issue, not saying middle class issues specifically. they're not saying latino issues, isn't this a big problem for the president? >> well, look, the president inherited the worst economic crisis in a generation and millions more people are working today because of the bold steps that he took. another interesting number in that poll was mitt romney is -- has a double-digit deficit on his inability to connect with the challenges people are facing. people don't think he has empathy. don't think he understands the challenges that middle class families are dealing with every single day. and that's a real problem for him as he looks ahead to the next few months. >> hey, will cain. he pointed out the president's strategy will be to appeal to hispanic and women in part. but also one of the things we know now one of the strategies is going to be talk about the buffett rule and fair share, paying your fair share in taxes. would

the supreme court over its review of obama care. here's brian todd. >> reporter: a barometer of how high the political stakes are for the president and his opponents on the health care law. a public sparring match between president obama and the courts. on monday, obama says this about the supreme court's review of health care. >> ultimately i'm confident that the supreme court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected congress. >> reporter: but it's the supreme court's job to decide what's constitutional, what's not. and a federal appeals court judge takes offense with the president. judge jerry smith of the fifth circuit, a reagan appointees argues with the second part of the health care law. he says surely the president's not questioning the supreme court if they strike down laws that they feel are unconstitutional. >> obama care has a consensus in both houses of congress. that has troubled a number of people who have read

that sounds identical to barack obama. is that your perception, that they would have pretty much the same u.s. policy or not? >> you know, i'm just not going to get into american politics. if you want to talk to me about the american policy, then i think the right policy is to make sure that iran doesn't get nuclear weapons. by the way, that would be a catastrophe for world peace, a greater danger to american interests and to american lives. >> the israel that the world sees is a lot about the start-up nation, it's entrepreneurial, it's creative, it's successful, it's wealthy, it's incredibly powerful. it's not an underdog. and a lot of the narrative about iran or being attacked seems to be more of a victim. everyone is out to get us. but a lot of the israel that we see is a dominant, powerful israel, not a victim. >> i wouldn't say dominant. i would say israel is a vibrant democracy. tremendously creative. has wild entrepreneurs, sort of changing the -- they're curing diseases around the world. your cell phone probably ha

his fellow will pick up and rely on many of them by the obama k578 pain. . >> if you are president obama, there two schools of thought. he launched his campaign proper and in great shape and the economy is recovering, et cetera, etc. the other school of thought is today was a terrible day because mitt romney is the front-runner and will be the nominee and got his dander up and he is coming for it. if you are president obama, are you feeling vulnerable or confident? >> i think we have seen that president obama is having a little bit of a mini melt down. he went after the supreme court on the health care ruling and said you dare not turn it over. he started throwing around words like trojan horses against paul ryan's budget. seems he is having a falling down moment and doesn't seem confident. for my gatherings, it seems like he is having a little bit of a worry around what's going on. president obama is a skilled campaigner and he will be well-funded and a formidable opponent and only one president in history ever had this kind of unemployment figure and been reelected. how do you deal wit

obama? >> well, start packing, that's what i would like to say, obviously we have a very different shoe. the president, i'm sure wants another four years, but the first years didn't go so well. >>> now, wolf, you yourself actually interviewed the both of them back in january around the time of the iowa caucuses. i hear this is one of the very first joint interviews that mitt romney and ann romney have done. >> he's very differential to her, she's a huge, huge asset. and i can understand why they want to do these joint interviews, because they're probably good for the campaign. >> that's why they call her the secret weapon. >> she's a veryic pressive woman who's gone through a lot, and i'm sure we'll see a lot more of her. although he was blunt, start packing, we'll see what happens. >>> a muslim lawmaker in britain suspend suspended, accused of offering a reward for the -- a story that's sparking outrage. >>> and pippa middleton is used to getting attention, but not like this, just ahead, th

. >> obama does. >> obama, obama, obama. >> he has my vote and heart and if he wants, he can have my number. >> despite lingering criticism, many are greeting the president with open arms and wall lets. tyler perry kicked in 5 grand, the max allowed by law. he also got checks from evan longoria, rob rheiner, ellen degeneres and jay lynch and the president's super pac got a mega gift from bill maher. >> $1 million. >> also the white house votes a not so secret weapon to counter the critics. >> george clooney. >> clooney will host a fund-raiser for the president next month. johnson says the actor's been urging stars to stop their griping. >> he's said get on board, get in line because this is going to be a pretty important election. >> but johnson says there's still some doubt obama can generate the type of enthusiasm in hollywood he did four years ago when enraptured stars honored him in song. ♪ yes, we can >> that's a big question, whether we're going to see the viral videos. >> the obama campaign did post a short film online last month narrated by tom hanks. i attracted more than

but what about barack obama? but under barack obama's failed leadership, man's best friend has been forced into government controlled automobiles. just imagine the european style dog socialism obama has planned for the next four years. more government handouts. a life of government dependency. indoctrinating our children. a left-wing social agenda. leading from behind. ♪ in the arms of the angels america's dogs can't afford four more years of obama. for them, that's 28 years. our dogs need leadership now. >> who let the dogs out, who, who? >> this guy. and that's why we need to join mitt romney in sending a message this november. i'm an american, and dog gone it, i ride outside! [ bark ] >> that's pretty rough. but i can take it. because my stepfather always told me, it's a boy eat dog world out there. now, if i do win a second term as president, let me just say something to all the -- [ applause ] let me just say something to all my conspiracy oriented friends on the right who think i'm planning to unleash som

president obama rolled out this new ad. it's all about gas prices, oil and taking down romney. >> he's raising mileage standards and doubling renewable energy. in all these fights, mitt romney stood with big oil for their tax breaks. >> it's playing in florida and ohio. too early or smart move? boris? >> it's not a bad move. what it does is send a message democrats with barrage barrage leading them denieded mitt romney will be the nominee. plups decided that, as well. this should send a message to republicans not coalescing behind mitt romney. if the president is focusing on backing him, let's defend mitt romney and make sure he's as strong as candidates can be in early november. >> i think that this is an indication that the president is starting to fight back. mitt romney, for months, has been hammering this president. not just him. the rest of the republican field has been hammering this president. all of the super pacs have been aiming at this president. it's a great move. voters like to see a fighter. they want to make

polls show a narrow advantage for obama. tonight's truth explores how that translates into a win for mitt romney. and does in vogue mean on the ticket? did for sarah palin four years ago. see what republican governor is glammed up. we start with new developments in secret service prostitution scandal and growing disgust on capitol hill. lawmakers say expect more secret service employees to resign or be fired soon, and the more details congress learns about a night of heavy drinking and hiring escorts in columbia, the more outrage. >> it is a stunning thing, actually disgusting. those people that are responsible have brought disgrace and it is disgusting. >> people that are here to protect the president, they go to columbia, have a fight over a prostitute over how much to be paid? that's either very stupid or total lack of common sense. >> congressional correspondent dana bash is on the hill. what are we learning? >> reporter: the idea of whether or not the rest of the 11 secret service members are going to go, is a big quest

-- and that president is barack obama. jim mess ina speaking for the obama for america campaign. he is the manager. let's talk about what's going on in our strategy session with our cnn political contributor, democratic strategist james carville and along with former republican from minnesota norm coleman and chairman of the american action network. james, first to you. is it time now, now that this general election campaign, i think really begins for mitt romney to pivot away from the right towards the center to try to get more independent votes, more moderate republican votes and more moderate democratic votes, shall we say? is it time for them to pivot or wait longer? >> i think he would like to, but, you know, the etch a sketch comment and the general distrust of romney on the right will make that kind of difficult because remember, you have to go from moderate to right and back to moderate and that's a free rail shot that he's got to make and it will make it difficult for him, and i'm sure the democrats are ready to p

our focus is on defeating president obama. republicans are overwhelmingly motivated to defeat president obama. they want to stretch this out. republicans have not put their best foot forward in this primary. i will make the case. in 2008 the democratic primary lifted up both hillary clinton and president obama. their favorables rose throughout the primary. that is not happening this year. the other big issue republicans have got to address is the decline and support among women. this is a vexing problem for republicans. i think mitt romney, who didn't play a significant role in it, some of the issues rick santorum introduced, have got to figure out how to get that back. it's going to be a fight for the agenda. if the agenda is about contraception and issues like that, republicans are in big trouble. if the agenda is deficits, and debt and jobs and energy, republicans have a very good chance. mitt romney has a very good chance to defeat barack obama. >> let me go to gloria. >> let's talk about women. >> you're a woman. >> yeah,

in 2008, candidate obama complained when hillary clinton used a picture of bin laden to question obama's credentials. this time, obama's campaign says it's different, when it comes to national security, it's fair game to compare how the two men would act as commander in chief. but does it? so the talkback question for you today should osama bin laden's death be a campaign issue? facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later this hour. >>> still ahead, dare i say it? the infamous oklahoctomom is ba! rumors she wants to do porn. a.j. hammer gets to the truth of the matter after a break. i'm always looking out for small ways to be more healthy. like splenda® essentialsâ„¢ no calorie sweeteners. this bowl of strawberries is loaded with vitamin c. and now, b vitamins to boot. coffee doesn't have fiber. unless you want it to. splenda® essentialsâ„¢ are the first and only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. mmm. same great taste with an added "way to go, me" feeling. splenda® essentialsâ„¢. get more out of what you put in. â™

the same thing happened to president obama. he began his presidency with a 10% disapproval, increased five times now, under 50% in disapproval. so his presidency hasn't served him well. the republican primary hasn't served republicans well, and the american people are in a bad mood, a surly mood about almost everybody in public life. it's a warning to everybody. >> cornell, your team certainly had a lot of fun pointing out mitt romney's weakness with the conservative base. but you look at some exit poll numbers, and he seems to be making real progress with a lot of voters. >> well, i'm going to pull a ari here and respond to ari. when you go back to 2008 and look at how the battle between hillary and then senator obama, as the process went on, voters didn't start to dislike the then senator barack obama more. they didn't. they didn't start to dislike him more. you're now looking at a nominee in romney who's under water. in his favorable/unfavorables. he starts off in a weaker position than most candidates and quite frankly, you

the same thing happened to president obama. he began his presidency with a 10% disapproval, increased five times now, under 50% in disapproval. so his presidency hasn't served him well. the republican primary hasn't served republicans well, and the american people are in a bad mood, a surly mood about almost everybody in public life. it's a warning to everybody. >> cornel, your team had a lot of fun pointing out mitt romney's weakness with the conservative base. but you look at some exit poll numbers, and he seems to be making real progress with a lot of voters. >> well, i'm going to pull a ari here and respond to ari. when you go back to 2008 and look at how the battle between hillary and then senator obama, as the process went on, voters didn't start to dislike the then senator barack obama more. they didn't. they didn't start to dislike him more. you're now looking at a nominee in romney who's under water. in his favorable/unfavorables. he starts off in a weaker position than most candidates and quite frankly, you just don't

by the way, we do not know what president obama's second term agenda is. we do not know what mitt romney's health care plan is. these are things we ought to be learning. >> right. everyone is still so focussed on mitt romney's past battle with health care. here's what mitt romney said in his victory speech. i want to play it because i think it's important. >> and barack obama's government-centered society, government spending always increases because, well, why not? there's always someone who's entitled to something more and who's willing to vote for anyone who will give them something more. now, by the way, we know where that kind of -- you know, that transformation of a free society to a government-centered society leads. because there are other nations that have followed that path. it leads to chronic high unemployment, crushing debt, and stagnant wages. it's beginning to sound familiar. >> the only thing, john avlon, just purely on his comment about the economy, it may not be a recovery to write home about, but it's a recovery, and to say it isn't make

. >>> a threat to president obama or simply a loud mouth? the national journal and others say the secret service plans to contact rocker and proud nra member ted nugent regarding comments he made about the president. >>> the white house standing by the men who took a pledge to take a bullet for the president. this morning new details in the secret service prostitution scandal, agents being offered a lie detector test now. >>> she got a ride home from the bar and hasn't been heard from since. the family of a ft. bragg soldier saying she may be in danger this morning. >> she's loved by all of her friends and family, and we all just really want her to come home. >> cnn spoke to her mother and her sister. we'll have the latest coming up. >>> and it is here. take a look. some drivers already paying $6 a gallon for gas. president obama feeling the pressure and promising a new crackdown on the oil markets to reel them in. >> we can't afford a situation where some speculators can reap millions while millions of american families get the short end of

do you believe that obama will use any tax increase to reduce the deficit? the answer is no. >> feisty disagreement on this tax day. we continue 200 days before the election. austan, grover, appreciate your time today. >>> bad news for mitt romney. dig deeper and find tonight's truth. romney's fortunes are actually on the rebound. >>> and, next, a beautiful glass trophy means atlanta national football champ. [ female announcer ] this is the story of sam, who made an unexpected arrival. [ woman ] he was 4 months early, weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces. [ female announcer ] fortunately, sam was born at sutter health's alta bates summit medical center. [ woman ] the staff was remarkable. they made me feel safe, trusting, cared for. [ giggles ] they saved his life. i owe all of them my son. [ female announcer ] alta bates summit medical center and sutter health -- our story is you. >>> welcome back. lisa sylvester with the latest news thaw need to know. >> hi, john. poisoning the school's water tank, 140 girls and female teachers in a northeastern province got sick.

president obama understands. he understands what it is not to have everything that everyone else has. >> it's not that the president isn't vulnerable. on capitol hill, just today, the homeland security secretary, janet napolitano, reminded by a republican senator, that the president broke his promise to submit comprehensive immigration reform legislation to congress in his first year. >> as someone who spent a lot of hours visiting members of congress on the hill, to see if there was any room for negotiation of a comprehensive bill, i would say, yeah, there was a serious effort. >> so it's congress' fault? >> senator, i think all of us have a responsibility to deal in a bipartisan way with a national problem. >> fair enough. but the promise from the president was to submit legislation, and the president never did that. the record number of deportations during his tenure also rankled some latino groups. but to make a case against president obama, republicans need to first repair their own credibility. and the immi

president obama spoke at a forum on women's issues. during the event on friday, the president said republican policies would reverse progress his administration has made on their behalf. he said the focus should be ensuring equal opportunities for women both in the work force and in society. >> right now, no issue is more important than restoring economic security for all our families in the wake of the greatest economic crisis since the great depression. that begins with making sure everyone who wants a job has one. the policies we put in place over the past three years have started to take hold. and what we can't do now is go back to the policies that got us into so many of the problems that we've been dealing with in the first place. that's what's at stake. when people talk about repealing health care reform, they're not just saying we should stop protecting women with preexisting conditions. they're also saying we should take about 1 million young women off their parents' health care plan, when we should get rid of planned parentho

obama has used the silver spoon reference frequently in the past. was just trying to make a point that everyone needs opportunity to succeed. >>> the secret service will interview rocker ted nugent today after nugent went on that anti-president obama rant at an nra event saying he'd be dead or in jail if president obama gets re-elected. nugent says he's looking ford this meeting. >>> the obama administration is asking the supreme court to weigh in on fcc fines in the infamous wardrobe malfunction of the 2004 super bowl. a federal appeals court said last year the $550,000 fine against cbs was improper. the supreme court will decide whether to take a look at this case later this year. for an expanded look at all these top stories, head to cnn.com/earlystart. 2004. it feels like yesterday, doesn't it? >> absolutely. and the supreme court still arguing about it. >> they are actually hearing a separate but related case right now having to do with the fcc enforcement policies regarding this violate free speech. so it's not just -- it's a two for having to

he said this of obama and hillary clinton. >> obama is a piece of [ bleep ]. you ride one of these into the sunset you worthless [ bleep ]. >> obama wasn't president yet. as for nugent, he says the secret service are my buddies will either be shooting some taxpayer ammo at targets or eating barbecue and maybe nugent will serenade with his latest single "i love my barbecue." the chorus, it's what americans do. pull up a chair. i'll get a beer for you. that will call things down. facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later this hour. >>> acura is apologizing for a super bowl ad featuring jerry seinfeld. the ad in question and why it sparkeded a controversy over race. the chevy cruze eco also offers 42 mpg on the highway. actually, it's cruze e-co, not ec-o. just like e-ither. or ei-ther. or e-conomical. [ chuckling ] or ec-onomical. pa-tato, po-tato, huh? actually, it's to-mato, ta-mato. oh, that's right. [ laughs ] [ car door shuts ] [ male announcer ] visit your local chevy dealer today. now very well qualified lessees can get a 2012 chevy cruze ls fo

, not candidate obama. his two campus stops today and one tomorrow are on the schedule as official events, meaning taxpayers pick up the tab as the president, by design in three 2012 battleground states approves a program to keep student loans lower. this president is as aggressive as any of his predecessors in using the levers of the presidency and incumbency for political gain. president obama views mitt romney's wealth as a campaign issue that cuts in his favor. >> i didn't just read about this. i didn't just -- i didn't just -- i didn't just get some talking points about this. i didn't just get a policy briefing on this. michelle and i, we've been in your shoes. like i said, we didn't come from wealthy families. >> now, the images there give away the president's focus. younger voters and i would add their parents, those who have to help pay those kids' college costs. in 2008, two-thirds of voters under 30 backed senator obama. in 2008 it was even greater. in those numbers is today's most important truth

how will the obama-romney race go off? >>> and my primetime exclusive with masters champion bubba watson. >> what goes through a golfer's mind when you're six inches away? other than don't -- >> exactly. i was going to be famous for missing or making it. >> game on. this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> good evening. our big story tonight breaking news in the trayvon martin case. a special prosecutor has said she's prepared to hold a news conference in 72 hours. and lawyers saying they've lost contact with him and are dropping his case. could an arrest be coming soon? i'll talk to trayvon martin's parents. plus my exclusive with masters champion bubba watson. >> can you quite believe you're in the green jacket on cnn talking to the world about being masters champion? >> to my favorite person. >> obviously. >> yeah. >> but can you believe it? >> no. it's a dream i've never completed. it's a dream i've never finished. to be here, i guess now it's a dream come true. it's like heaven on earth. it's just a wild ride and hopefully

he has had differences with president obama in the past. it's interesting how this plays out with these pivotal decisions before us in the presidential. >> if israel goes ahead and i know you -- you saw the conversation, not days, not years plural. i mean, the prime minister seems to be very adamant about that. of course that puts you in a time frame of before next spring. i'm just curious what happens here as i asked him. you have a moment where you speak so much about these deadlines and then if you hit them and don't do something you kind of lose all your credibility. >> no, i think it's a very good point. in fact, so what is going on now behind the scenes, the u.s. military is very actively engaged with the israeli counterparts. one trying to show them sort of the planning effort that goes on, out of public view, frankly. for the u.s., what would we have to do if we had to respond to an israeli action, what would we have to do if we had to take action affirmatively on our own, how prepared are we to do that? so that's in essence to give

president obama finished it. who is going to politicly be able to seize this. >> when you have the responsibility of being president you don't play the cheap seats. here is what you know. partisan spin aside. mitt romney wrote it if the bailout goes through you can kiss the auto industry. the auto industry is coming back. that's an american success story. i think at the end of the day it is an accomplishment president obama can point to but a larger win for the american people. >> how does mitt romney spend this this fall? >> i'm mixed on this because there is a fundamental problem here. we are a nation with trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. anytime anybody in america suffers whether a business or individual why does the government need to bail them out whether it is autos or houses. my old house started it. barack obama finished it. it doesn't make it right. politicians is all addage. don't just stand there just spend something. that is what it seems we keep doing. >> the irony is chapter 11 as

this is -- president obama and the obama administration are taking a big advantage of the gallup poll/"usa today" poll that came out on monday that said there's an 18-point percentage gender gap in swing states in the top ten swing states. president obama jumping all over that. look at the optics with all those women standing behind him pointing out obviously the women that he lives with. i relate this this as the father of two daughters and the husband of an awesome confident wife. boris makes the point about all people care most about the economy. that's true. but, see, republicans and certain republican commentators obviously don't seem to understand what it's like to be a woman. not only in america, anywhere. how a woman's reproductive system works. and they are scared. women all over are scared that they're going to institute these laws. 1,100 at the state level. that are going to infringe upon their rights, their reproductive rights. and this is real. and republicans and republican men especially need to start understanding this. >> okay. so dean -- >> real quick, carol. so one

president obama attacked mitt romney today. republicans are thinking time to start getting in general election mode. >> rick santorum has won 11 states. that's nothing to sneeze at. >> he's won 11 more states than people thought he'd win. so you have to say he's run a very credible campaign and remains a credible candidate, but i think it's all but over. and if mitt romney wins all three tonight, then i think you'd have to say, wolf, that he's finally got his bandwagon rolling again. he was in the ditch for a while but i think he's got it rolling again and it will be very, very hard to stop. i don't care if it's may, june or august, he'll be very hard to stop. >> i listened to the president's speech today and he mentioned mitt romney by name, first time he's really done so in the course of this campaign. i didn't hear him say much about rick santorum. >> well, he understands that mitt romney has, you know, technically won the nomination, although we still have to go through a number of states before he will get to that magic nu

president obama's push for the youth vote. fair game is next. i'm one of six children that my mother raised by herself, and so college was a dream when i was a kid. i didn't know how i was gonna to do it, but i knew i was gonna get that opportunity one day, and that's what happened with university of phoenix. nothing can stop me now. i feel like the sky's the limit with what i can do and what i can accomplish. my name is naphtali bryant and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now. >>> well, timing is everything. this week, it appears president obama is setting himself up to reel in the youth vote. talking student loans, hoping a slow jam on "late night with jimmy fallon" will reach those young voters. >> the reason it's so important to keep down costs is so we keep college affordable. >> and the president knows his stuff, y'all. >> he's on his way to the university of iowa a day after speaking with students in north carolina and colorado. the demographic that helped him win in 2008. now, this friday

. >> president obama is in columbia for the summit of the americas. five military service members providing support in columbia have been confined to quarters as part of the investigation as well. >>> a clear warning from north korea for the rest of the world. we're heavily armed, and we're not afraid to fight. new leader kim jong-un made the comments during a rare public speech by a military leader. it was during a celebration marking 100 years since his grandfather's birth in pyongyang. >> translator: our military has become a powerful military able to handle any kind of modern warfare with complete offensive and defensive capabilities. the foreign powers are not the only ones with monopoly on military supremacy and the days of their threatening and lying to us with atomic weapons is forever gone. >> kim jong-un making his first televised speech since taking over leadership of north korea. it comes just days after that failed rocket launch. >>> today marks the 100th anniversary of the titanic sinking. more than 1,500 people died that day. there are

obama. >> we'll examine what's behind a surprising new study. the president gets all kinds of flack for his gig on jimmy fallon's late night show. >> i'm president barack obama. and i, too, want to slow jam the news. >> was it really such a far-out move? are you consuming too much junk on-line? having trouble controlling your habit? we'll talk to the author of "the information diet." plus -- >> okay. what about that? >> i don't know how to make love to you anymore. >> ew. >> i was told you were getting an std test. >> do you really think that sounds like a lot of fun? >> the huge wave of media hype surrounding "girls" on hbo has left a bitter backlash in its bake. how did one program become a cultural battlefield? i'm howard kurtz, and this is "reliable sources." >> if you think of all the shots the pundits have taken at met romney in the last few months, stiff, can't close the deal. s you hardly expect that he got the most favorable coverage in the republican primaries, but that's exactly what happened according to the project for excellence in

obama versus romney. what was so interesting to me tonight, wolf, was that in mitt romney's speech in wisconsin, he was talking about president obama being out of touch, saying he was surrounded by true believers, and it's easy, when you're traveling on air force one, to get out of touch. you just heard joe biden say and david axelrod saying that mitt romney is the one out of touch. i think we've already teed up one part of the argument, which is who's the person that is more out of touch with real americans and with the middle class. so i think that's the beginning of another argument. they've already started on that. >> i think it's fair to say the president for the next several months will try to take the relatively high road and leave the attack dog role to biden, axelrod, and others. >> you think? >> i'm not so sure. >> you think he's really going to get down there? >> i don't know. >> he wants that presidential aura around him, and that resonates with a lot of folks. >> i think he'll use a stiletto,

job president obama is doing. take a look at this. his approval rate is 49%. that's the president's. his disapproval rate is 48%, wolf. so a lot less than his favorability, and by the way, about 3 three to five points behind where bill clinton was, ronald reagan was and george w. bush was as they embarked upon their re-election. >> yea. the people like him a lot more than they approve of the job they're doing and they like him as a person more than the performance so far. i think it's clear, though, that six and a half months and there's still plenty of time for people to change their minds and make up their minds and get their enthusiasm level stronger on both sides. >> in fact, our poll shore, wolf, that people have not made up their minds about mitt romney. we asked voters whether they had enough information right now to vote and they said about mitt romney that 45% said they know enough, but look at that number. plan to give him a second look. 53%, and this is just what jim acosta was talking about. because th

michelle obama can do the duggy, barack obama can sing al green. she is not going to win this campaign for him. 68% of eligible african-american women voted in 2008 were voting for obama. >> 20 seconds each. third question. the general services administration, gsa chief resigns after a spending scandal, clowns, mind reader, spent $825,000 of taxpayer money for training purposes. would you have respected them more if they had just gone to a strip club? >> no. there's a lot of women that work in that arizona. i'm guessing. i don't want to put you on the spot. women don't love to go to strip clubs. the waste is what we are spending in afghanistan, ten years and five months, hundreds of billions of dollars a year. i think she should have hired a side kick who could have said you're going to regret not writing me off as a consultant. >> let's be clear hire. if 2 $800,000 spent, there were strippers involved. we haven't heard about it yet. this is vegas. there are reports of $2,000, $3,000 spent on personal room parties. this is a huge problem for barack