david kerley, abc news. >> what a fall from grace. wow. >> this guy was capable of swindling billions, and deceiving his wife and having some affairs not a shocker. >> to hear her say she didn't know what a ponzi scheme was, i mean. >> heartbreaking. >> for all the victims still out there, trying to recover from this. this has got to be really hard for them to watch. >> many have not gotten their money back. ruth is living in a three bedroom department in south florida, far cry from, three room apartment down in south florida. far cry from the penthouse life they had here in manhattan. >> what a fall. wow. >> in other news -- another day before the flight schedule returns to normal. australian court ended a lockout that grounded the airline saturday which stranded thousands of passengers. the court banned further rolling strikes by unions. pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers are protesting pay, work conditions and plans to base operations in asia. >>> hollywood almost lost some of its brightest rising stars, the west coas

david kerley, abc news. >> what a fall from grace. wow. >> this guy was capable of swindling billions, and also capable of deceiving his wife and having some affairs not a shocker. >> to hear her say she didn't know what a ponzi scheme was, i mean. >> heartbreaking. >> for all the victims still out there, trying to recover from this. this has got to be really hard for them to watch. >> many have not gotten their money back. ruth is living in a three bedroom apartment in south florida, far cry from, three room apartment down in south florida. far cry from the penthouse life they had here in manhattan. >> what a fall. wow. >> in other news -- another day before qantas flight schedule returns to normal. australian court ended a lockout that grounded the airline saturday which stranded thousands of passengers. the court banned further rolling strikes by unions. pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers are protesting pay, work conditions and plans to base operations in asia. >>> hollywood almost lost some of its brightest rising st

and abc's david kerley spent the day following this inconceivable story and the animal scouts who had to track wild prey in zanesville, ohio. >> reporter: this sign perfectly captured the fear that gripped this small ohio town today -- exotic animals, wild animals on the loose. what may be the biggest release of dangerous carnivores in u.s. history. the frantic 911 calls. >> 911. >> yeah, there is a lion on mt. perry road and gratiot. >> i am pretty sure i just saw a wolf. >> i think i just seen one. looks like a jaguar or wolf or something. >> reporter: deputies with shoot to kill orders used their pistols to take down lions, tigers, bears and wolves before the sun went down. and with daylight -- >> it is still, still, not a completely secured area. >> reporter: there were still

david kerley looks behind the numbers. >> reporter: herman cain will cut interviews to avoid making mistakes. he's blaming recent gaffes on exhaustion but does sense momentum. >> my message is connecting and people are connecting with me and the specific solutions i'm putting on the table. >> reporter: but while cain leads slightly in iowa the obama campaign is running against mitt romney. >> he has no core and you get the sense with mitt romney if he thought he -- it was good to say the sky was green and glass was blue to win an election he'd say it. >> reporter: this weekend romney provided more ammunition to the flip-flopper when he first said he had no stand on bargaining right for ohio government workers but the next day said restrictions should remain in place but the flip-flopper attacked have not stopped him from hitting the top of the polls in many states. with perry, bachmann and others trailing in single digits. bachmann on abc's "this week." >> we're not worried about the day-to-day snapshots but primary days and everything changes by then. >> reporter: unless there are dramatic

here's david kerley. >> reporter: mitt romney walk into this room knowing he had been called a member of a cult. >> poisonous language doesn't advance our cause. let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart. >> reporter: but the question of religion was revived. >> governor of the great state of texas, rick perry. >> reporter: when the man who introduced governor rick perry to the same group -- >> pastor, thank you for a rousing introduction. >> reporter: told reporters after that evangelical christians should support perry because romney isn't a true christian. >> mormon schism ism is a cult. >> reporter: mormonism is the subject of a hit broadway comedy. but evangelicals have long been troubled by mormons who rely on more than the bible for their theology. so, will romney face more questions? >> i don't think this issue goes away. >> reporter: we crunched the numbers from four years ago. with nearly half of the republican primary voters defining themselves as evangelicals, only 20% of them voted for romney. >> this wasn't just attitude. it was behavior. he struggled among those

here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: herman cain will cut interviews to avoid making mistakes. he's blaming recent gaffes on exhaustion but does sense momentum. >> my message is connecting and people are connecting with me and the specific solutions i'm putting on the table. >> reporter: but while cain leads slightly in iowa, the obama campaign is already running against mitt romney. >> he has no core and you get the sense with mitt romney if he thought he -- it was good to say the sky was green and the grass was blue to win an election, he'd say it. >> reporter: this week, romney provided more ammunition to the flip-flopper when he first said he had no stand on bargaining right for ohio government workers. but the next day said restrictions should remain in place. >> i'm sorry if i create nid confusion. >> reporter: but the flip-flopper attacks have not stopped him from hitting the top in polls in many states. with perry, bachmann and others trailing in single digits. bachmann on abc's "this week." >> we're not worried about the day-to-day snapshots. we're focused on the prima

david kerley, abc news. >> what a fall from grace. wow. >> this guy was capable of swindling billions, and deceiving his wife and having some affairs not a shocker. >> to hear her say she didn't know what a ponzi scheme was, i mean. >> heartbreaking. >> for all the victims still out there, trying to recover from this. this has got to be really hard for them to watch. >> many have not gotten their money back. ruth is living in a three bedroom apartment in south florida, a far cry from -- three room apartment down in south florida. far cry from the penthouse life they had here in manhattan. >> what a fall. wow. >>> in other news now, it will be another day before qantas airways flight schedule returns to normal. an australian court ended a lockout that grounded the airline saturday and stranded thousands of passengers. the court banned further rolling strikes by unions. pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers are protesting pay, work conditions and plans to base operations in asia. >>> hollywood almost lost some of its brightes

but for romney, it's the e value evangelicals has to deal with. >> david kerley, thank you. politics for this evening. >>> we do move onto the weather, though, and it's been a weekend of extremes. parts of the country saw record highs today. chicago well into the 80s and we learned that a 35-year-old man died while running the marathon. authorities aren't sure if that warmer weather played a role. up and down the east coast, temperatures reached 20 degrees above average. boston, the hottest on record since 1935. in the sou, though, it was the rain. and drought-stricken texas, the rangers/tigers game was delayed this weekend. it was welcome relief in texas, for a parched state which has already suffered from more than $5 billion in farming losses this year alone. and one more extreme to pass along, this one from colorado. look at this. three feet of snow blanketed the state this weekend. it might seem early but it's just in time, apparently, for the official start of ski season. >>> we move on now to that troubling story out of kansas city, the 10-month-old baby allegedly abd

david kerley reports from washington. >> reporter: gloves are off. republicans accusing each other of changing positions just for conservative audience. it all started when herman cain was asked about abortion. >> it ultimately gets down to a choice that, family, or mother has to make. not me as president. not some politician. not, not a bureaucrat. it gets down to the family. >> reporter: that doesn't play with christian conservatives. and rick perry pounced this weekend. >> it is a liberal kinard to say i am pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision. if that is your view, you are not pro-life. you are pro having your cake and eating it too. >> reporter: cain has tried to clarify his statement and is on the defensive. >> life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions. >> reporter: it is not just cain. while in iowa, perry attacked mitt romney who in running for governor in massachusetts, supported abortion rights. >> being pro-life is not a matter of campaign, convenience. >> reporter: these iowa christian conservative voters can

here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: who would have thought in zanesville, ohio, residents would see lions, tigers and bears wandering in the woods after escaping from a nearby property? >> 911. >> yeah, there's a lion on mt. perry road. >> i just saw a wolf. >> i think i just seen one. looked like a jaguar or a wolf or something. >> reporter: it was around 5:00 last night and the sheriff's department was launched on what became an unlikely big game hunt. >> i had to run through a field, it was in a hay field. >> reporter: deputy sheriff jonathan merry was one of the first to respond. >> unfortunately had to fire on the wolf. >> reporter: who, after killing a wolf, stared down a black bear. >> the bear then did turn in my direction and ran directly towards me. i was able to draw my duty pist pistol, fired one shot, killing the animal instantly. >> reporter: then a lion crawled under a fence and started heading for a neighbor. the deputy put it down, too. it was just the beginning. the images are painful, disturbing. some of the most powerful, majestic creatures on the planet, gunned

here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: who would have thought in zanesville, ohio, residents would see lions, tigers, and this bear, caught in a cell phone, wandering in the woods after escaping from a nearby property, along with dozens of others. >> 911. >> yeah, there's a lion on mt. perry road. >> i just saw a wolf. >> i think i just seen one. looked like a jaguar or a wolf or something. >> reporter: it was around 5:00 last night and the sheriff's department was launched on what became an unlikely big game hunt. >> i had to run through a field, it was in a hay field. >> reporter: deputy sheriff jonathan merry was one of the first to respond. >> unfortunately had to fire on the wolf. >> reporter: who, after killing a wolf, stared down a black bear. >> the bear then did turn in my direction and ran directly towards me. i fortunately was able to draw my duty pistol, fired one shot, kill is the animal instantly. >> reporter: then a lion crawled under a fence and started heading for a neighbor. the deputy put it down, too. it was just the beginning. the images are painful, disturbing. so

>> david kerley tonight, thank you. >>> and now to another political headline this evening, involving texas governor rick perry, and a hunting ranch in texas used for years by him and his family. the original name of it included a racial slur. it's now been painted over, but real questions about how long the change was made. so, we want to bring in our senior washington editor rick klein, in washington this evening. rick, how is the perry campaign responding? >> reporter: david, this is a real challenge for them to deal with. now, the governor says his father had the sign painted over nearly three decades ago, but people told "the washington post" they could read the word as recently as a few years back. the perry campaign has been fierce in responding, but herman cain told abc today that the fact the sign was still visible shows a, quote, lack of sensitivity. republicans are more worried than ever about finding a candidate who can defeat the president. >> more to come from him on this. and watching chris christie this week. an announcement expected. watching his wife, rick. we know s

but first, abc's david kerley has the latest from the white house. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. as you guys both mentioned, the president says the troops will be home in time for the holidays. the war in iraq will be over then. but there are still a lot of questions remaining, about the future of that country, and u.s. involvement there. it started with "shock and awe" nearly nine years ago. then, mission accomplished. followed by a troop buildup of almost 170,000. candidate obama called it a dumb war and said he would end it. on friday, he did. >> the rest of our troops in iraq will come home by the end of the year. after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. >> reporter: the end of the year was already set as a deadline. but the u.s. was willing to keep 5,000 troops in the country beyond then. however, iraq's prime minister wanted to change the deal and take away immunity for american troops. not acceptable. and the deal fell apart during a video conference call just hours before the president's announcem

abc's david kerley has the latest from washington. and, david, how big of a coup was this for the u.s.? >> reporter: very important. it shows that the u.s. is not giving up. that was a big strike that killed al awlaki. and this says that the united states is not going to take the pressure off. what we're hearing from reports from tribal leaders, there were several strikes, at least three different strikes. and a number of people, seven were killed, possibly the son of al awlaki. we have confirmed from tribal leaders that another operator among the al qaeda group on the arabian peninsula, was killed, as well. the u.s. keeping the pressure up. these could have been meetings reconstituting leadership after the strikes a couple weeks ago. so letup so far. >> and, david, the u.s. seems to be on a roll, when it comes to taking out top leaders. taking out osama bin laden in the spring. u.s.-born cleric, al awlaki, just a few weeks ago. and now, his son. politically speaking, how significant is this for president obama? >> reporter: i think p

>> david kerley tonight, thank you. >>> and now to another political headline this evening, involving texas governor rick perry, and a hunting ranch in texas used for years by him and his family. the original name of it included a racial slur painted on a rock out front. it has now been painted over, but rey questions about how long ago the change was made. so, we want to bring in our senior washington editor rick klein, in washington this evening. rick, how is the perry campaign responding? >> reporter: david, this is a real challenge for them to deal with. now, the governor says his father had the sign painted over nearly three decades ago, but several people told "the washington post" they could still read the word as recently as a few years back. the perry campaign has been fierce on this in responding, but one of per ripry's rivals, herman cain, told abc today that the fact the sipe was still visible shows a, quote, lack of sensitivity. david, i say the problem that perry has here is that raises questions of his electability in the general election at the same time republicans ar

here's abc's david kerley now. >>> reporter: the gloves are off, with republicans accusing each other of changing positions just for a conservative audience. it all started when herman cain was asked about abortion. >> it ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make. not me as president. not some politician. not a bureaucrat. it gets down to that family. >> reporter: that doesn't play with christian conservatives. and rick perry pounced this weekend. >> it is a liberal canard to say i am personally pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision. if that is your view, you are not pro-life. you are pro having your cake and eating it, too. >> reporter: cain has tried to clarify his statement and is on the defensive. >> life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions. >> reporter: but it's not just cain. while in iowa, perry also attacked mitt romney, who when running for governor of massachusetts supported abortion rights. >> being pro-life is not a matter of campaign convenience. >> reporter: these iowa christian conservative voters can deci

david kerley has the latest from washington. and, david, how big of a coup was this for the u.s.? >> reporter: very important. that was a big strike that killed al awlaki. and this says that the united states is not going to take the pressure off. what we're hearing from reports from tribal leaders, there were several strikes, at least three different strikes. and a number of people, seven were killed, possibly the son of al awlaki. we have confirmed from tribal leaders that another operator among the al qaeda group on the arabian peninsula, was killed, as well. the u.s. keeping the pressure up. these could have been meetings reconstituting leadership after the strikes a couple weeks ago. so letup so far. >> and, david, the u.s. seems to be on a roll, taking out top leaders. taking out osama bin laden in the spring. u.s.-born cleric, al awlaki, just a few weeks ago. and now, his son. politically speaking, how significant is this for president obama? >> reporter: i think politically, democrats and republicans alike will tell you the president is strong on this. and it's difficult t

abc's david kerley reports from washington. >> reporter: gloves are off. republicans accusing each other of changing positions just for conservative audience. it all started when herman cain was asked about abortion. >> it ultimately gets down to a choice that, family, or mother has to make. not me as president. not some politician. not, not a bureaucrat. it gets down to the family. >> reporter: that doesn't play with christian conservatives. and rick perry pounced this weekend. >> it is a liberal kennard to say i am personally pro-life but government should stay out of that decision. if that is your view, you are not pro-life. you are pro having your cake and eating it too. >> reporter: cain has tried to clarify his statement and is on the defensive. >> life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions. >> reporter: it is not just cain. while in iowa, perry attacked mitt romney who in running for governor in massachusetts, supported abortion rights. >> being pro-life is not a matter of campaign, convenience. >> reporter: these iowa christian conservative

here's abc's david kerley now. >>> reporter: the gloves are off, with republicans accusing each other of changing positions just for a conservative audience. it all started when herman cain was asked about abortion. >> it ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make. not me as president. not some politician. not a bureaucrat. it gets down to that family. >> reporter: that doesn't play with christian conservatives. and rick perry pounced this weekend. >> it is a liberal canard to say i am personally pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision. if that is your view, you are not pro-life. you are pro having your cake and eating it, too. >> reporter: cain has tried to clarify his statement and is on the defensive. >> life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions. >> reporter: but it's not just cain. while in iowa, perry also attacked mitt romney, who when running for governor of massachusetts, supported abortion rights. >> being pro-life is not a matter of campaign convenience. >> reporter: these iowa christian conservative voters can dec

abc's david kerley is there live. really, as night turns to day now, david, what progress is being made? >> reporter: josh, there is some good new, but there is still some fear, because there are three animals still unaccounted for. a mountain lion, a grizzly bear and a monkey. it was a really tense night all night. in fact, deputies responded after getting 911 calls that wild animals were on the loose. they showed up at this farm and actually started shooting animals. they shot at least 30, 31 or more of them. this morning, when daylight came, they got to the farm, they actually found a tiger outside. jack hanna is here with his staff. they used a tranquilizer gun on that tiger. he became aggressive and they had to take him down and we learned the owner took his own life. he killed himself. we are watching and continuing to look for these animals. josh. >> david kerley live, we'll be there all morning long. >>> the other developing story is in san antonio, where the fbi is arrested men for a possible break in. two on

abc's david kerley is there live. really, as night turns to day now, david, what progress is being made? >> reporter: just starting right now, josh, to try to make some progress. deputies are going back up to this farm where these 48 animals were to see if they can account for all the animals. and so far, they can't. they believe they killed 31 animals, including lions and bears. and four animals never got out of their cages. that means there's still, you know, 13 animals unaccounted for at this point. jack hanna is here from the columbus zoo. he is hoping they can tranquilize whatever animals are on the loose and take them to the zoo. but the sheriff has been ordering his deputies overnight to shoot to kill. we'll see if this weather -- it's problematic because the animals are going to go down with the rain we're seeing in zanesville, ohio. hard to flush them out. school is canceled. they have to figure out where the missing animals are. the owner of the farm is dead. they found him on the farm. >> so many questions.

david kerley in maryland. it's real. >>> and for the latest on the storm's path, and how bad it will get, we have meteorologist stephanie roberts from our tampa affiliate, wfts. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning. we're talking a foot of snow with the historic early-season snowfall. we're changing over to snow in central p.a., checking back down into the appalachians. and as many as 12 states under winter storm warnings for today. if it isn't the snow, it will be the heavy rain or coastal flood warnings. if it isn't the snow or the rain, it will be the winds. winds will be gusting upwards of 40 miles per hour with this nor'easter. let's track the snow. it pulls up the coastline. we'll see the snow spread to the west and the major east coast cities as we go throughout the day. this system is going to climb up to philly, to new york and up to boston. how much are we talking? by the time it is all said and done, a foot or snow or more for interior new england. look at all of the states, even more than six i

david kerley in maryland. it's real. >>> for the latest on the storm's path and how bad it will get, we have meteorologist stephanie roberts from our abc tampa affiliate, wfts. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning. we're talking a foot of snow with the historic early-season snowfall. we're changing over to snow in central p.a., checking back down into the appalachians. and as many as 12 states under winter storm warnings today. if it isn't the snow, it will be rain or coastal flood warnings. if it isn't the snow or the rain, it will be the winds. winds will be gusting upwards of 40 miles per hour. let's track the snow. it pulls up the coastline. we'll see the snow spread to the west and the major east coast cities throughout the day. the decline from philly to new york and up to boston. how much are we talking? by the time it is all said and done, a foot or snow or more for interior new england. even more than six inches. this is a major concern for power outages, heavy, wet snow. the leaves are still on t

but first, abc's david kerley has the latest from the white house. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. as you said, the president says the troops will be home for the holidays. the war in iraq will be over by the end of the year. but many questions do remain about iraq's future and the u.s. involvement there. it started with "shock and awe" nearly nine years ago. then, mission accomplished. followed by a troop buildup of almost 170,000. candidate obama called it a dumb war and said he would end it. on friday, he did. >> the rest of our troops in iraq will come home by the end of the year. after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. >> reporter: the end of the year was already set as a deadline. but the u.s. was willing to keep 5,000 troops in the country beyond then. however, iraq's prime minister wanted to change the deal and take away immunity for american troops. not acceptable. and the deal fell apart during a video conference call just hours before the president's announcement. >> the last american soldier wi

here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: the election may be a year away, but candidate obama went after every republican running for president. >> we don't believe in the smallness that says it is okay for a stage full of political leaders, one of whom could end up being the president of the united states, being silent when an american soldier is booed. we don't believe in that. [ cheers ] >> reporter: that american soldier appeared on videotape at the most recent republican debate, an openly gay soldier, booed by some in the audience we he asked a question. >> do you intend to circumvent the progress made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military? [ booing ] >> yeah -- >> reporter: not one of the candidates on the stage said anything about the booing, leaving them open to the combative chiding from the president. >> you want to be commander-in-chief? you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the united states even when it's not politically convenient. >> reporter: some republican candidates said after the debate they didn't hear the boos. others said

abc's david kerley has the details. >> reporter: bernie madoff scammed 15,000 investors, some out of their life savings. but madoff's wife, ruth, said it was not the ponzi scheme that caused her the most pain, she was more deeply troubled by her husband's long-running affair with another woman. >> mrs. madoff, how is your husband? >> reporter: according to the new book, ruth madoff says the affair was, quote, the most hurtful thing that ever happened to her. the book says when madoff revealed his scam, ruth asked, what's a ponzi scheme? she also says on "60 minutes" that she and bernie madoff attempted suicide. >> we had terrible phone calls, hate mail, just beyond anything. and i said, i can't -- i just can't go on anymore. >> reporter: the attempt failed. but she stayed with madoff, infuriating her sons. one of them, mark, took his own life. his wife recently spoke to abc's chris cuomo. >> he couldn't understand how she could continuously stand by this man who ruined so many lives, who ruined his life. >> reporter: the book says ruth madoff confronted her husband during a prison vi

abc's david kerley reports from washington. >> reporter: gloves are off. republicans accusing each other of changing positions just for conservative audience. it all started when herman cain was asked about abortion. >> it ultimately gets down to a choice that, family, or mother has to make. not me as president. not some politician. not, not a bureaucrat. it gets down to the family. >> reporter: that doesn't play with christian conservatives. and rick perry pounced this weekend. >> it is a liberal kennard to say i am pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision. if that is your view, you are not pro-life. you are pro having your cake and eating it too. >> reporter: cain has tried to clarify his statement and is on the defensive. >> life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions. >> reporter: it is not just cain. while in iowa, perry attacked mitt romney who in running for governor in massachusetts, supported abortion rights. >> being pro-life is not a matter of campaign, convenience. >> reporter: these iowa christian conservative voters ca

david kerley had this story. with two more candidates in the field, it was only a matter of time before religion came up with this. >> reporter: romney tried to take care of this two years ago with a speech. it wasn't romney reacting. it was the perry campaign that was scrambling to contain the damage. it happened at the conservative value voters gathering in washington. the man who introduced texas governor, rick perry, the reverend robert jeffress, shocked many with his comments moments later. saying christians should vote for perry. because romney, he said, is not a christian. he's a mormon, which the reverend described as a cult. >> by a logical definition, not a sociological definition, by a theological definition, they are a cult. >> reporter: the perry campaign did not refute those companies. saying the governor doesn't judge what is in the heart and soul of others. adding that it was the values voter group which chose the reverend to introduce perry. but within minutes, a different story. the governor, qu

with more here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: mitt romney walked into the room knowing he had been called a nonchristian, a member of a cult. >> poisonous language doesn't advance our cause. let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart. >> reporter: the question of religion was revived. >> governor of the great state of texas, rick perry! >> reporter: when the man who introduced rick perry to the same group of conservatives. >> pastor, thank you. >> reporter: told supporters afterwards that evangelical christians should support romney and his religion. >> reporter: mormonism is the subject of a broadway comedy. ♪ >> reporter: but evangelicals have long been troubled by mormons who rely on more than the bible for their theology. will romney face more questions? we crunched the numbers from four years ago with nearly half of the republican primary voters defining themselves as evangelicals only 20% of them voted for romney. >> this wasn't just attitude, it was behavior. he struggled among those voters all the way through, particularly in south carolina. a critical turning poin

david kerley in maryland. it's real. >>> for the latest on the storm's path and how bad it will get, we have meteorologist stephanie roberts from our tampa affiliate, wfts. good morning, stephanie. >> we're talking a foot of snow with the historic early-season snowfall. we're changing over to snow in central p.a., checking back down into the appalachians. and 20 states in a winter storm warning today. it will be rain or coastal flood warnings. if it isn't the snow or the rain, it will be the winds. winds will be gusting upwards of 40 miles per hour. we'll see the snow spread to the west and the major east coast cities throughout the day. the decline from philly to new york and up to boston. how much are we talking? by the time we're all said and done, a foot or snow or more for interior new england. even more than six inches. this is a major concern for power outages, heavy, wet snow. the leaves are still on the trees. you're definitely going to want to prepare for this storm now. charge up the cell phone batt

david kerley had this story from washington. and, david, with two mormon candidates in the field, it was only a matter of time before religion came up with this. >> reporter: romney tried to take care of this four years ago with a speech. it wasn't romney reacting last night. it was the perry campaign that was scrambling to contain the damage. it happened at the conservative value voters gathering in washington. the man who introduced texas governor rick perry, the reverend robert jeffress. shocked many with his comments just moments later. saying christians should vote for perry. because romney, he said, is not a christian. he's a mormon, which the reverend described as a cult. >> we believe that the bible is god's sole revelation of man. and so, by a theological definition, not a sociological definition, a theological definition, they are a cult. >> reporter: the perry campaign at first did not fully refute those comments. saying the governor doesn't judge what is in the heart and souls of others. adding that it was the values

david kerley has the latest from washington. and how big of a coup was this for the u.s.? >> reporter: very important. that was a big strike that killed al awlaki. and the united states is not going to take the pressure off. what we're hearing from reports from tribal leaders, there were several strikes, at least three different strikes. and a number of people were killed, possibly the son of al awlaki. we have confirmed from tribal leaders that another operator on the arabian peninsula, was killed, as well. the u.s. keeping the pressure up. these could have been meetings reconstituting leadership after the strikes a couple weeks ago. so letup so far. >> and the u.s. seems to be on a roll, taking out top leaders. taking out osama bin laden in the spring. u.s.-born cleric, al awlaki, just a couple weeks ago. and now, his son. how significant is this for president obama? >> reporter: i think politically, democrats and republicans will tell you the president is strong on this. and it's difficult to touch him politically. it also says something about the president's determinat

abc's david kerley is at the white house this morning and, david, this was a fired-up mr. obama. >> reporter: it certainly was, dan. who said the election is more than a year away? a full-throated attack against all of the republican candidates who are trying to become president, and this all had to do with, as you said, that debate last week when a video appeared of an army soldier who said he was gay. there were boos from the audience. here's what president obama had to say about that last night. >> we don't believe in the kind of smallness that says it's okay for a stage full of political leaders, one of whom could end up being the president of the united states, being silent when an american soldier is booed. you want to be commander in chief? you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the united states, even when it's not politically convenient. >> reporter: that speech was at the annual dinner of the human rights campaign and it sounded like a campaign speech, the president going through a litany of things he's done as far as rights an

david kerley had this story from washington. and, david, with two mormon candidates in the field, it was only a matter of time before religion came up with this. >> reporter: romney tried to take care of this two years ago with a speech. it wasn't romney reacting last night. it was the perry campaign that was scrambling to contain the damage. it happened at the conservative value voters gathering in washington. the man who introduced texas governor rick perry, the reverend robert jeffress. shocked many with his comments just moments later. saying christians should vote for perry. because romney, he said, is not a christian. he's a mormon, which the reverend described as a cult. >> we believe that the bible is god's sole revelation of man. and so, by a theological definition, not a sociological definition, a theological definition, they are a cult. >> reporter: the perry campaign at first did not refute those companies. saying the governor doesn't judge what is in the heart and soul of others. adding that it was the values voter

here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: rick perry may have fallen like a rock in the polls, but he's the top fundraiser, raking in $17 million, $3 million more than mitt romney. >> 999. >> reporter: while herman cain is soaring in the polls he raised less than michele bachmann. he says that is changing. >> within the last two weeks we raise the $2 million. our fundraising is now beginning to pick up. >> reporter: while cain and candidates are picking up donations, they're also collecting criticism. being out of touch with 14 million unemployed americans. >> if you don't have a job, and you are not rich, blame yourself. >> reporter: the latest example from rick perry's wife in an effort to show compassion to an unemployed man compared his situation to her son's. >> our son lost his job because of federal regulations that washington has put on us. he resigned two weeks ago. >> reporter: perry was not laid off, he quit his job at a big bank so he could go campaign for his father. >> some of these republican candidates, you know are not -- using the common touch right now. and you are se

here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: the election may be a year away. but candidate obama went after every republican running for president. >> we don't believe in the kind of smallness that says it is okay for a stage full of political leaders, one of whom could end up being the president of the united states, being silent when an american soldier is booed. we don't believe in that. >> reporter: that american soldier appeared on videotape at the most recent republican debate, an openly gay soldier, booed by some in the audience when he asked a question. >> do you intend to circumvent the progress made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military? >> reporter: not one of the candidates on the stage said anything about the booing. leaving them open to the s combative chiding from the president. at a human rights campaign dinner. >> you want to be commander-in-chief? you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the united states even when it's not politically convenient. >> reporter: some republican candidates said after the

. >> reporter: in zanesville, ohio, i'm david kerley for "nightline." >> as jack hanna says, let's hope it never happens again. >>> just ahead, is marriage for white people? that's the title of a new book that's winning some praise and stirring up an awful lot of controversy. mary? what are you doing here? it's megan. i'm getting new insurance. marjorie, you've had a policy with us for three years. it's been five years. five years. well, progressive gives megan discounts that you guys didn't. paperless, safe driver, and i get great service. meredith, what's shakin', bacon? they'll figure it out. getting you the discounts you deserve. now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ male announcer ] a simple gesture can spark romance anytime. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment's right, even if it's not every day. [ man ] tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicati

david kerley, abc news, zanesville, ohio. >> unbelievable story there. suicide speculation reports that perhaps he committed suicide because his wife recently left him. there were problems at the farm for years. another question why was it protected for all the years to a tragedy like this had to happen to bring attention to it. >> so sad. jack hannah will be on "good morning america" -- "good morning america" and "america this morning" and later this afternoon he will share his insight, obviously he works with the columbus zoo, worked with animals for many years and will share his reaction to this very unusual story. >> some strong opinions. we'll hear from him later this half-hour. >>> police in burbank spent an afternoon looking for a 14-year-old autistic boy who wandered away from the airport. cameron james smith's parents put him on the plane to salt lake city. the plane returned to the gate. after developing a mechanical problem. smith boarded a shuttle bus and ended up 10 miles away at a west hollywood restaurant. >>> negotiations between nba owne

abc's david kerley followed this story today and the animal scouts who had to track wild prey in zanesville, ohio. >> reporter: this sign perfectly captured the fear that gripped this small ohio town today -- exotic animals, wild animals on the loose. what may be the biggest release of dangerous carnivores in u.s. history. the frantic 911 calls. >> 911. >> yeah, there is a mountain lion and on mt. perry road. >> i am pretty sure i just saw a wolf. >> reporter: deputies with shoot to kill orders used only their pistols to take down lions, tigers, bears and wolves before the sun went down. and with daylight -- >> it is still not a completely secure area. >> reporter: there were still wild animals on the loose. and even when they found one and tried to tranquilize it, it became aggressive and also had to be put down. >> we had animals outside that fenced area that were trying to get loose. i had deputies that had to shoot animals with their side arms at close range. >> reporter: schools were closed, children kept indoors. >> we are not talking about your normal every day house cat or dog. thes

here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: rick perry may have fall in like a rock in the polls but he is top fund raiser raking in $17 million. $3 million more than mitt romney. >> 999. >> while herman cain is soaring in the polls he raised less than michele bachmann. he says that is changing. >> within the last two weeks we raised $2 m our fund-raising is now beginning to pick up. >> reporter: while cain and candidates are picking up donations. they're also collecting criticism. being out of touch with 14 million unemployed americans. >> if you don't have a job, and you are not rich, blame yourself. >> reporter: the latest example from rick perry's wife in an effort to show compassion to an unemployed man compared his situation to her son's. >> our son, federal regulations washington has put on us. he resigned two weeks ago. >> reporter: perry was not laid off he quit his job at a big bank so he could campaign for his father. >> some of these republican candidates, you know are not -- using the common touch right now. and you are seeing the reactions of it from some people that say,

and abc's david kerley spent the day following this inconceivable story and the animal scouts who had to track wild prey in zanesville, ohio. >> reporter: this sign perfectly captured the fear that gripped this small ohio town today -- exotic animals, wild animals on the loose. what may be the biggest release of dangerous carnivores in u.s. history. the frantic 911 calls. >> 911. >> yeah, there is a lion on mt. perry road and gratiot. >> i am pretty sure i just saw a wolf. >> i think i just seen one. looks like a jaguar or wolf or something. >> reporter: deputies with shoot to kill orders used their pistols to take down lions, tigers, bears and wolves before the sun went down. and with daylight -- >> it is still, still, not a completely secured area. >> reporter: there were still wild animals on the loose. and even when they found one and tried to tranquilize it, it became aggressive and also had to be put down. >> we had animals outside that fenced area along the road that were trying to get loose. i had deputies that had to shoot animals with their side arms at close range. >> repor

david kerley, abc news, washington. >> two big weaknesses perceived weakness for romney going to creep up in the election. number one, his health care plan in massachusetts. then of course is the country ready for a mormon president. questions about religion. >> interesting see the issues come into play with gop candidates. see how it unfolds. investigators are looking into a deadly rail accident in southern california. a woman scrambling to push her 2-year-old's stroller across the tracks in riverside when the wheels got stuck. she managed to get the toddler to safety but was hit by a train and died. police say the railroad safety arms had come down and lights were flashing. >> tragedy struck a chicago marathon runner, a runner died of an apparent heart attack. north carolina fire fighter william, collapsed 500 yards from the finish line. the 35-year-old running to raise money for burn vicvictims. temperatures in the 80s unusual in the windy city. not clear if the heat contributed to his death. actually the first death at the marathon in four years. >>> after being captivated by the a