>> home sales have been tumbling since the first-time home credit expire. even so, they won't bring it back. >> bring it back is not as high on the list as many other things are. >> economists say it distorted but did not erase the slump. >> this is you can't fool mother nature lesson. >> meaning it shifted the time of home purchases, not the overall demand. cautionary tale, but the limits of economic intervention from the federal government. bret? >> bret: major garrett live on the north lawn. thank you. stocks were down today. the dow lost 141. the s&p 500 dropped 15-2/3. the nasdaq gave back 33-2/3. president obama addresses the nation tuesday night. to mark the formal end of american combat operations in iraq. today, he is second in command -- his second in command arrived on the scene. reporter donald berwick --