week, and how the date was finally set. athena jones is covering the story for us. now, actually scheduling that speech has turned out to be the hard part. >> what the american people expect the president to do, what they expect their senators, congress men and women to do is listen to them and take action. they do not give a lick about what day next week the president speaks before congress. >> reporter: the great date debate came to the first public view through a tweet. at around noon on wednesday, the told hi twitter followers, president obama asked to address a joint session of congress the following wednesday to. in a her to speaker of the house jan boehner, he cited -- as he called on washington to put politics aside and start making decisions based on what goes best for our country. but in washington, politics are everywhere. the house's first day back in session would have conflicted with the republican presidential debate, something that jay carney called a coincidence during wednesdays 'briefing. >> there are factors that go into scheduling a speech before congress, a joint session speech. again, you can't -- you can never find a perfect time. >> by 3:00 p.m., just after 4:00 p.m., speaker boehner responded to the white house's request with one of hose own, asking that the president's speech be pushed to thursday the 8th, to ensure there would be no parliamentary or logistical embedments that may detract from the address. >> let's bring it up to speak. the press secretary put out a statement saying the president had agreed to speak on thursday. now, that just happens to be the same day as the nfl season opener. it's the saints versus the packers. one thing that jay carney told us in today's briefing, the president's speech will be completed before kickoff. last thing i asked jay carney, what was the president's reaction to all of this discussion about the speech timing? he said, he spent a lot of time this morning with the president, and the subject never came up. wolf? >> athena, thanks very much. let's dig deeper with candy crowley. she's the anchor of cnn's "state of union." i guess the bottom-line question is did the white house deliberately want to poke their fingers in the eyes of the republicans who for months had that debate scheduled over at the reagan library. >> it is hard to believe not a soul in that white house who knew that the president, for who a month said he was going to have a jobs speech, so they had a month to look at the days and say where -- it's hard to believe that not a single person in that white house knew there was going to be a republican debate that night. >> isn't that why there's staff members on the white house team and in the house hand senate, so they work this kind of stuff out? behind the scenes before letters are exchanged? >> yes, exactly, but having said that, listening to jay carney, i totally agree, i don't think anybody out there cares what night the president talks, that the issues override this, though i love they now say, don't worry, we'll be done before the football game. setting that aside, the fact is the next result is to have everyone outside this beltway thinking, are you kidding me? these let's forget who did what to whom and who was trying to out-flank the other one politically, this, nobody comes out a winner on this stupid thing. >> because it seems to be the burden is on the white house to get it right, as opposed to congress -- congress an equal branch, a legislative branch of government, an executive branch of government, they're invitic the president to come up to capitol hill. shouldn't the white house defer to congress and congress says no, and the republicans the majority? the house -- did boehner do anything wrongening particular case? >> listen, i don't think we're a matter of right or wrong. he -- did he snub the president? >> listen, if you are a republican at this point, you think the president deliberately tried to override and make himself look presidential on a night when he knew republicans would probably be firing at one another. >> but in the end he sort of looks weak. >> because he had to cave. this is a fight the white house did not need to have. >> that's why the people who worked for him seem to have failed him. >> or they meant to do it. either some bad advice, or they actually meant to do it. my guess is it really did somehow get overlooked, though that's hard to believe, because this debate has been scheduled for so long. in the end, if you're a republican, you think the president you know is wrong, if you're a democrat, you think the republicans are wrong, except for james carville, he was saying, you know, this is bad of them to try to do this on the night of the republican debate, but having said that, i do think washington itself, as we see those numbers go lower and lower and lower, loses on all of this. >> one of the reasons why. candy, thanks very much. let's bring in jack cafferty with "the cafferty file." >> heading into an election year, president obama has some issues, and they start very close to home. top black leaders are criticizing the president, saying he hasn't focused enough on the problems that are devastating the african-american community, things like poverty, civil rights and jobs. the unemployment rate among blacks will have 16%. for young african-americans, almost 40%. nationally unemployment is holding a shade over 9%. the congressional black caucus recently challenged president obama in a series of town has, leaders say they don't know what his jobs plan is for the black community. here's the bottom line. if president obama wants a second term, he must get blacks to come out in record numbers like they did in 2008, especially? states like north carolina, pennsylvania, virginia. african-americans will vote for president obama overwhelmingly, but the question will be how high is the turnout? and that's critical. the president is losing support among another dedemocratic voting bloc, women. another poll shows his approval rating among women has dropped to 41%, a 30-point decline from the 71% that it stood at when he first took office. overall, 1 in 4 democrats in a recent poll think the party all to nominate somebody else other than president obama in 2012. two thirds of all americans give him a thumbs down on the economy. that's the nation's top issue. like i said, say the -- here's the question. is it how much trouble is the president in, do you think? >> the republicans look like they've been auditioning candidates at ring ling brothers. with the xhepgs major of ron paul, who i think doesn't get elected, maybe the best friend is the republicans. >> jack cafferty, with the cafferty file. thank you. misery on different ends of the country, fire in the west, flooding in the east. stand by, we're having live reports from both disaster zones. a new message from moammar gadhafi, telling his supporters not to be cowards. stay with us. you're in "the situation room." [ male announcer ] to the seekers of things which are one of a kind. the authentic, the rare, the hard to define. to those always searching for what's pure and what's real from we who believe we know just how you feel. haagen-dazs. rescue crews have reached the last of the flooded small towns in vermont. still a far cry from business as usual. let's go to the amber lyon once against joining us from wilmington in vermont. what is the latest? what's going on? >> well, out here today, we saw inspection crews going around inspection the flood-damaged buildings to see if they needed to be condemned or if the big owners can start to rebuild. we're seeing more and more just belongings turned into junk. after the floodwaters caked everything. even the trash cans have become trash. i'm going to throw on the mask. the air is a little dangerous to breathe. this line up here, that's how high the wall of water came. water squept through this town, then went back down, definitely leaving a lot of destruction. look at this. this used to be a clothing, jewelry shop. i spoke with the owner. she was very upset. she thought she had flood insurance, then realized only the building was covered and none of her clothing and jewelry was covered. she said she faced about $200,000 in losses. we're headed noun into bean heads, this is the popular coffee shop. people used to sit here, drink coffee, read the papers. this is owned by a local couple who actually met in this coffee shop, and then ended up getting married. i'm joined by them right now. this is lori and kevin downey. and you guys have just been through an emotional me the past couple days. how are you handling it, standing here and seeing your business just destroyed like this? >> you have to think back to the same table where the same guys sit every morning and, you know, it's just -- >> our regulars would come in every day. there was a table right there, where a bunch of the guys would sit down, we would shoot the bull about politics or sports and now we can't do it. you're standing -- right behind you there was a four-inch pile of mud right there. all our tables are gone down. we took them out, did you it was a mishmash, looked like pickup sticks in here. >> our livelihood is just gone. it just disappeared in hours, and how do you build back from that? >> it's going to be very hard. we've got to find out for sure our insurance company, they told us that we had the insurance we needed to have, but they never told us that we should have flood insurance. i assumed that our flood insurance -- because we're only ten feet above a river right behind a building that we would have flood insurance. >> reporter: so you didn't have flood insurance. if i can have you shine a light back there, you see the area where it's all destroyed. the refrigeration equipment was in there. and you were telling me, what's that, $50,000 to $70,000 worth of damage? we had over a dozen pieces of refrigeration, thousands of dollars of ravens brew coffee out of alaska. everybody came in for the great coffee. >> reporter: and i've been trying to get him to put a mask on. you've been cleaning in this air. you can feel it in your lungs. are you worried about his health? >> he's stubborn. >> reporter: i see. >> i'm a stubborn irishman. i'm a union construction guy, going back, i'm retired. i know the hazards. i'm shocked and i'm just doing things my way right now. i'm about up to here with is the insurance companies and all the -- we've had a lot of help from the community. i know that the state is trying. >> reporter: we've seen volunteers out there. you just see volunteers going up and down the streets, people that don't wolf, that's what you've noticed. you feel a sense of community here, and people surprisingly positive attitude out on the streets. wolf? >> ask the downies if they've checked into any federal or fema aid programs that might be of assistance to them, or maybe state assistance programs, because often in other disasters, either the state or the federal government comes to those who don't necessarily have the appropriate insurance. he wants to know if you've checked into in assistance? >> i called fema yesterday, as soon as i gave them our zip code here, i was told that we're not on the disaster area list yet. it's expected, but we can't do anything with fema. i calmed vema, which is vermont emergency management, and because apparently because they're -- their offices are up in they're in the same situation. >> could anyone help you, give you hope for the future? >> not directly. i know they're trying. i talked to 245ir federal guys, and they steered me to vema. i trust they're cost the best they can do. i'm scared the best they can do is not close to enough. not close. we're scared. >> we're all scared. >> a vibrant town is dead right now. there's no businesses downtown. just a few short days ago it was bustling. this dining room would have been full, and nothing. >> thank you guys very much. best of luck. i know kevin happens to be a huge yankees fan. wolf, i don't know if you're happy about that or not. >> wolf, i hear you like the nats. i thought i've seen him hype the nationals. >> he's right. guys thanks very much. >> good luck to all the folks that have been seriously requested, including my home state of new york. much more coming up. meanwhile, the newest hurricane has weakened to a tropical storm with 70-mile-an-hour winds, yet it's expected to strengthen as it moves west. right now it's far from land, and people -- but the extended forecast shows it pasting puerto rico on monday. a much different concern in texas. firefighters are battling several major wildfires. jim spellman is joining us from 9 front lines. >> reporter: over here to the left, we watched the fire come down the and devastate this forest right here. right now is the dangerous part of the day for firefighting. they're trying to get these people back in their homes and tourists back to the resort area before the labor day weekend. >> jim, thank you. katia isn't the only storm they're watching. yet another storm in the gulf of mexico could flood parts, get this, of new orleans. you'll find out how dangerous it could be. something happened in iraq last month that's never happened before. we're going to tell you what it is. that's coming up right here in "the situation room." 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[ engine revs, tires screech ] mom? ♪ new unemployment claims numbers are up. lisa sylvester is monitoring that. some other top stories. >> the labor department says first-time unemployment claims fell to 409,000 last week. that's 12,000 fewer claims than the week before. the reason? striking verizon workers who filed for unemployment returned to work. strikers are not eligible for benefits in most states, but some applied anyway, pushing jobless numbers up for two straight weeks. the federal reserve is sanctioning gop man sax for questionable practices in the former mortgage unit. the fed says the bank has to investigate a pattern of negligence and misconduct, including rob osigning. that's when lone servicer would rubber stamp foreclosure documents without even looking at them. gold man will face monetary penalties and have to compensation homeowners harmed by the misconduct. in a bizarre mystery in canada. for the 11th time in the past four years, a severed foot in a tennis shoe has turned up in the waters of british column by yay. authorities, though, they don't suspect foul play, because there were no signs of trauma. what's behind these gruesome discoveries? some are speculating they are actually drowning victims whose feet get pulled to the surface because of the buoyancy of the tennis shoes. this is the first month without a u.s. military death since the united states indiana raided iraq in 2003. the u.s. pulled troops out of the iraq last year, but about 50,000 u.s. troops remain there to provide support and training. wolf? >> more than 4,000 troops have died in iraq since that war started, 4500 or so. >> but a good month for august, no deaths in iraq, and they're calling that a victory. >> let's hope that -- they're supposed to be out by the end of this year, though the obama administration and iraqi government are negotiating to scheme some troops there. that's a controversial issue in and of itself. thanks very much. the only republican in the congressional black caucus threatens to leave the group. we'll tell you why. stick around, you're in "the situation room." you name it. i've tried it. but nothing helped me beat my back pain. then i tried salonpas. it's powerful relief that works at the site of pain and lasts up to 12 hours. salonpas. have i got a surprise for you! yeah, it's new [ barks beneful healthy fiesta. gotta love the protein for muscles-- whoo-hoo! and omega-rich nutrition for that shiny coat. ever think healthy could taste so good? 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[ engine revs, tires screech ] mom? ♪ two new rants from moammar gadhafi, both audio messages were broadcast today, exactly 42 years after gadhafi's rise to power. here's a clip. >> libya will never be occupied, and we will fight against you whatever your -- we will sacrifice our lives so that the scent of libya will become -- and they will be able -- you will never have peace of mind inside our land. >> two of gadhafi's officers have given mixed messages. . let's go to libya to talk more about the hunt for gadhafi, and life after the fall of his regime. arwa damon is standing by. arwa, you just spoke with gadhafi's foreign minister, who is now siding with the rebels. what did he tell us? >> reporter: that's right el he handed himself to the rebels, saying that he felt be staying at home some is units would be threatening with him. he is now in their custody. they say they'll investigate and put him on trial, but here is what he had to say to us earlier today. >> do you know where colonel gadhafi is right now? >> no. >> reporter: do you have any idea where he could have gone? >> he could be in tripoli, anywhere -- or he could move to -- and siirt, but i don't know him, i haven't seen him in two months. >> reporter: you haven't seen him in two months? >> reporter: would he ever surrender, give up? >> i doubt. my view -- that he surrender himself that he be able to put down arms, or he will be killed. >> he also said that he believed that gadhafi was increasingly losing support, especially from senior regime members. in fact, earlier today in an interview on air arabiya -- >> you've been in tripoli now for a while, arwa. what's it like in the capital of libya? is there still fighting? to gadhafi's forces control any parts of the capital? what's going on? >> reporter: well, the street to street battles have certainly subsided. there are this has led to the formation of the tripoli revolutionary council that has 5,500 members. they say that they are going to take on responsibility for security, for setting up checkpoints, protecting hospitals, other significant institutions. they are in fact asking that anyone who wants to carry a gun inside the capital and protect the capital register with them. they're asking other fighting units to leave those that came from areas like misrata. they're trying to establish some sort of control and structure. when it comes to people's day-to-day lives, they're still suffering from a severe lack of water. there are water shipments coming in from the united nations. fuel, of course, still a problem, though the weight we're being told has gone from being days long to hours long. then there is, again, the challenge of food commodities. that too in short supply. at the end of the day, people say they are for the time being able to cope. what they say is the big challenge, especially as the euphoria begins to subside is setting up institutions, institutions that have to be set up outside of the gadhafi framework. that is the framework that's a military and a police one, wolf. >> article ka damon on the scene for us, be careful. thank you. a new help for anti-gadhafi forces, the british military delivered cash to the central bank of libya in benghazi last night, more than 225 million u.s. dollars. some of the assets that were frozen at the start of the crisis and recently released by the united nations. meantime in paris, libya's transitional council is being welcomed by global leaders, cluck secretary of state hillary clinton. let hayes go to jill dougherty, working this part of the story for us. >> you know, the tnc, the anti-gadhafi coalition is winning the war, but can they win the peace? that is the big questions. the mood in paris today was time is of the essence. hillary clinton flew to paris for what used to be called the libya contact group, now dubbed the friends of new libya. that circle of friends is growing. nearly 70 countries have recognized the anti-gadhafi forces political leadership, the national transitional council, as the country's interim legitimate leaders. >> the international community will be watching and supporting libya's leaders, as they keep their commitments to conduct an inclusive transition, act until the rule of law, and protect vulnerable populations. >> reporter: even as moammar gadhafi remains in hiding, inciting supporters to keep up the fight the rebels must now yikly transsession from a ragged band of fighters into a government capable of winning the peace. securing the country, restoring power and water, and ultimately holding election. right now, the ntc needs money, an initial $7 billion it says. it has that and more in frozen assets. secretary clinton met with the ntc's leadership and said the u.s. and other nations are freeing up those funds as quickly as possible. >> i'm pleased to announce that by the end of today, the united states expects to have delivered $700 million to help the tnc pay for fuel and civilian operating costs and salaries with another $800 million on the way. >> the u.s. and its allies want nato's military operation to continue, as long as civilians remain under threat of attack. and clinton said libya's new leadership should assume the country's seat at the united nations. the u.n. diplomats say will play a major coordinating role, lifting economic sanctions on the country and authorizing a u.n. mission to libya. but clinton was candid. >> they still have a huge hill to climb here. they don't yet have their whole country secure. >> and clinton was asked about the lockerbie bomber al megrahi and whether the u.s. is pushing the ntc to give him up. she says the u.s. has raised the issue with the ntc. they have their hands full right now, she added, but they promised to give it full consideration as soon as they can. wolf? >> they already sound, jill, like diplomats. full consideration. can't they just give a yes or no? what's the problem? >> you know, wolf, i talked with one of the ntc's leaders. what they are saying is they are a transitional government, they are not the final government, which will be elected. so they are pushing it off to the government that will be elected. it will be their decision. >> jill doherty, at the state department for us, thank you. the only republican member of the congressional black caucus may be leaving the group. we'll find out why he's so upset and what he wants the caucus to do, and michele bachmann compares herself to two legendary leaders, and why some are questioning her comparison. >> ushered in a period of peace and prosperity. ooh, you got snacks! yeah. 24 bucks later. that hurts. it's not like i really had a choice. snack on this. progressive's "name your price" tool showed me a range of coverages and i picked the one that worked for me. i saved hundreds. wow, that's dinner and a movie. [ dramatic soundtrack plays ] this picture stars you and savings. but mostly savings. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive. let's get right to our strategy session. joining us the republican strategist mary matalin, and the democratic strategist donna brazile. guys, thanks very much for coming in. i'll start with you, donna, on congressman andre carson of indiana very, very controversial explosive words he said the other day. >> if someone would love to see you -- i'm sorry, chairman, hanging -- >> in case our viewers didn't hear that properly. some of them in congress in this tea party movement right now would love to see you and me, i'm sorry, chairman, hanging on a tree. donna, did he go way too far? >> he remarks tell us what's wrong with our political discourse today. there's no question, wolf, that for african-americans who understand this history, especially the history of lynching, to use such language is something that inflames and not informs people. so, yes, i clearly would not have advised him to say that about the tea party or any other party or caucus, but it tells us a lot about the level of incivility, the level of extreme language that's being used, and it's not just being used in the context of the tea party. it's being used in the context of talking about the president, being used in talking about other members of congress. >> and congressman al west, mary, the republican conservative from florida, a member of the congressional black caucus, the only republican member of the congressional black caucus, he responded this way. i'll read what he said -- as chairman of the cbc, i believe it's incumbent upon you to disassociate the congressional black caucus from these types of remarks. otherwise i will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization. should he stay in that organization, you think, mary, allen west? >> it's not representative of great american black leaders. you know, glenn beck did an astounding remarkable series off civil rights struggle in this country, including black founding fathers, that congressman and maxine waters have said the tea party can go straight to hell. they're not in that great tradition, they could better condemned, and a huge attraction, and this is quantified in the polls to barack obama among white people, was his promise to be post-rasht. they retroracial. not only should the cbc condemn it, the president should condemn it. >> oh, absolutely not. >> he should step up and say enough is enough. that's what he ran on. >> donna, i'll let you respond, but also respond to the maxine waters that they could go to hell. did she go too far as well? >> i think everyone should step back and breathe a little deeper. some of the comments made by tea party members towards the president, towards other americans, it's been downright hostile again it's inflammatory. i think congressman west, who's also made some inflammatory comments regarding debbie wasserman schultz, yogts to go back and forth. congressman west is a member of the caucus. they represent millions of american citizens. they have every right to challenge the tea party, to challenge republicans, and to challenge the president when they feel their constituents are not being served. so i -- i take personal -- and as well as professional distance from these comments. they're not the comments i would make, nor in the history of this country, and let me say this about glenn beck. for glenn beck to somehow or another tell people of color or any americans about racism, about blackness, about our founding fathers, i'm sorry, walk a day, walk a mile, but don't tell me anything when -- when glenn beck also insulted the president. >> you know what? >> he insulted the president of the united states. >> donna, glenn beck is not telling you or anyone anything other than the history. >> he doesn't know my history. he does not know my history, nor does he know the history he can read it. i know my history. for glenn beck to lecture any person of color about history, when he made the incivil comments about president obama, i am so sorry, mary, i draw the line there. look, my history is an american story. your history is an american story, but what glenn beck has tried to do and level of civility, he's subtracted to it. you've been more civil than glenn beck. >> well, you can draw the line -- i'm not talking -- i don't even know what you're talking about, donna, but i'm going to ask you this, did you see any of his programs, watch any of his remarkable documentaries on the founding and the black founding fathers, and the scholars that he had on, and the scholarship that he did? and the accolades that he received from the black community? you're making your point that you were disregarding earlier, which is we're just judging people and saying things about people without even know who they are our what they have said. this is not a show about glenn beck, but he's ultimate furthest thing from a racist. i think wee we have to have this conversation, what happens with democrats and liberals, if you oppose their policies, then they brand you a racist. >> hold on, donna. donna, hold on. >> i disagree. we should have this conversation again, but i profoundly disagree. >> wait a second, mary, you remember when glenn beck said president obama has a deep-seeded hatred of white people. you remember when he said that? mary? >> yes, i do remember that, and he was working off a -- >> is that a factual statement? >> glenn beck was -- put that in the context of a number of things that were in barack obama's background which hadn't been condemned i'm not condoning that remark. >> i'm not -- mary, are you condemning that remark? >> i do not think that barack obama has any deep-seeded hatred. >> so you condemn glenn beck for saying that? is that right? >> no, i do not condemn him for saying that, because he said it in the context of remarks, just like this, that this president, who promised us to be post-racial. >> no, he did not. >> has not lived up to that promise. >> let me press donna. donna, are you condemning andre carson, the congressman, for saying that republican members of the tea party in the house of representatives want to see him hanging on a tree? >> first of all, as i said, wolf, i don't believe his language informed anybody. >> it's a simple question, are you condemning him for that? >> as i said, i disagreed -- >> here's what i don't understand. why can't either one of you condemn outrageous statements? >> because we'll be doing this every day and not talking about any issue of substance. >> in the era after gabby giffords was attacked the way she was, shouldn't we condemn others that make these outrageous statements? mary? >> i think any language that does not -- result in a conversation and discussion without people saying as a liberal, as a, as a republican, as a democrat, that level of incivility is why we're sitting here today why should we condemn what this member of congress said, when every week they say something stupid. >> it's not just stupid. >> it's stupid. >> it's beyond stupid. >> and it's insulting. >> when glenn beck says the president of the united states has a deep-seated hatred for white people that is an outrageous statement. i don't understand why you can't condemn that. >> i condemn it in a vacuum like that, but in the context of the church he attendsed an did not disavoid, which weakly in the i the most vicious and racist language condemned whites, that's it is context that mr. beck was speaking about. mr. beck by the way is not a sitting member of congress. i will agree with donna, my friend, that somebody will say something stupid every week. when you disagree with a policy that is no grounds to call and the policy maker is called a racist, a homophobe or disgusting attack like that. not only did the president run his post racial, but his post partisan. he did not have an opportunity for him to step in. >> i wanted to clarify the record. we believe in electing our first african-american president, we would enter a president of post racial. we did not enter that period. we are still at the mountain top moment where we can't have the conversation about racism or racists. we don't have the damage. we don't have the relationships and the partnerships and the people who can get us into that moment. the president of the us can be the only person to lead us in that era. >> a good important discussion. my position basically is a very simple one. if you are a member of congress and the media and a member of anybody else and you say something that is clearly outrageous, good folks have a responsibility to stand up and condemn it for what it is. an outrageous and dangerous statement given the atmosphere that is going on right now. that's just me. thanks very much. >> we are getting word on when the president will go before a joint session. 7:00 p.m. eastern, a week from today, 7:00 p.m. eastern. that gives everyone plenty of time to watch the nfl football. the president will address a joint session of congress at 7:00 p.m. eastern. next thursday night, we will have live coverage on cnn. we'll be right back. 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[ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? pear. >> the we question this hour is how much trouble is president obama in. >>? s like this decide elections. i voted for obama because i believe when he campaigned in getting out of the wars and getting us health care. he failed. there no republican candidates i trust to be in charge of my country. i guess i will be voting for a do nothing president over a do all the wrong things replacement. if the republicans have someone halfway decent, they will win by a landslide. >> when you consider the republicans will nominate someone with the brains of a chip monk and the ethics of a wolverine. i don't think president obama is in trouble at all. >> dave said i would rather be a good one-term president. for my money he would be neither. in more trouble than anyone can imagine. his problem is all of the so-called highly educated university advisers who are clueless. james writes there was a great joy when obama was election and we were moving to the ability to not judge someone by the color of his skin. what happens when we judge him on the consent the his pedestrian. he was promoted to captain after we hit the hit the iceberg voters thought sarah palin was an idiot. perry fits that bill nicely in 2012. how many different ways can you spell toast? you want to read more on this, go to my blog. or through the post on the situation room's facebook page. this is a good gig i got here. >> you are a good man to boot. thanks very much. stand by you are in "the situation room." tropical weather opposing threats on two fronts as katia turns. a tropical storm appears to be forming in the gulf of mexico and could be taking aim at new orleans. also, what some are calling a new level of dysfunction here in washington. we are looking at the fight over president obama's speech to congress. james carville among others stands by. the new memorial of martin luther king,jr. the critics say it makes dr. king look bad. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. political headlines are straight ahead. i'm wolf blitzer and you are in "the situation room" >>ing something brewing in the gulf of mexico ha has new orleans on edge this hour. three days after the sixth anniversary of katrina, the city is bracing for up to ten inches of rain for a system called tropical storm lee. oil rigs are being evacuate and new orleans mayor said he doesn't like the look of things >> what i want to tell folks is that there is high wind and a lot of rain and going slow. that's not a good prescription for the city. >> let's go straight to bonnie schneider. explain what we are seeing. >> right now what we are watch suggest say lot of heavy rains sweeping across the area as well as coastal sections of alabama. the rain is the beginning. we are watching for strong wind as well. even though it hasn't formed to a system, it's an area of disturbed weather we are watching closely. let's take a look at it on the satellite. as you forward from the mayor, it's a slow mover. the national hurricane center has not named the storm. they were looking for the closed circulation. if they find that and the tropical storm force wins of 39 miles per hour or greater, it will be tropical storm lee. that may occur tonight. we not only have the threat for strong wind and flooding, but the computer models have been all over the place and looping back into the gulf and back onshore again it has to do with the steering. they are so light, there is no influence to push the storm. it is so beneficial if they were pushing towards texas, but the consensus seems more of a northward flow. the biggest threat is the slow movement of this tropical system. when you have a slow mover, you get a lot of rain. the bull's-eye over new orleans, the scale here said by sunday at 6:00, we could be looking at 10 inches or more of rain. some of the models take it to 15 inches. it's a big threat for flood watches and warnings that have been posted along the coast along louisiana and alabama as well. if that's not all, we are tracking a tropical storm. this was a hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm. we are talking about katia. the variance is not much. the winds are at 70 miles an hour. this is a strong tropical storm. when you look at the track for katia, it won't take long before this becomes a hurricane again and will grow into a major hurricane. category three or stronger and that may occur on monday. taking it to the northwest. it's too early to stay. it will take a slow movement all these miles. we are noting that katia needs to be watched. it will grow and don't let the name fool you. this is growing in intensity and we are monitoring the flood thread >> irene is being felt. upstate new york and new jersey. people are starting to bounce back from the mess and sharing remarkable stories are. what are you seeing there, susan? irene's win is long gone, but look at the mess it is left behind for the residents here. all this stuff to clean up. among the amazing survival stories we heard, one stands out. a man who is say husband and father who defied orders and when the river started to rise, he panicked. instead of going up to the second story and staying put, he went down stairs and opened the front door and dove into waist high water. the river is in your back yard what are you thinking? >> i'm thinking it's dangerous and time too leave. >> awes look outside, what is the storm looking like and what's going on in your head? >> the house is surrounded by water. i thought about leaving at 3:30 or 4:00. i grabbed my credit card and keys and opened the door and the water rushed in. >> i started walking down and i did one of these. i got here and the water is up to here. i walk and i walked. the water is a flash in my face this is the lowest point to come up. i walk up on the higher ground and i grabbed on to the railer here. pumping the water out more what are you, nuts? i am getting out of here. they carrying you? >> on to the branchs and i get pushed over here. i grab on to the pole here and i get thrown over here. >> i lost sight of him at the front door. started doing the back stroke. the bush is over here and i see him in the window and gave him a thumbs up. >> did you think your life was on the line? >> literally done. i guess an angel or somebody was watching me get to where i had to go. it was not a point of i had to do it. i had four kids and i'm on my own. >> you made the decision and you were going for it. >> you brought my credit card and car keys. >> that's all he needed. he back stroked to safety. this was a mess. his wife and kids were out of harm's way. they didn't know what he decided to do ahead of time, but when they found out afterwards, they were not pleased about it, but happy he made it out okay. wolf? >> that's one story. multiply that by many, many times. you get a sense of the urgency and what's happening in new jersey and vermont and connecticut and elsewhere. the virginia nuclear plant than we thought. we have been investigating at the plant. what are you finding out? >> for the first time an earthquake shifted the massive casts that hold spent nuclear fuel. these weigh 115 tons each and hold 15 metric tons of fuel. this information coming out even though the officials knew about it after the quake. east coast's biggest earthquake in decades. it had this effect on the school. now it turns out a few miles away in central virginia, huge containers and each of them 15 feet high and weighing at least 15 metric tons of fuel shifted during the earthquake. something plant officials never said at the time. officials with power that owns the power station said 25 of the 27 vertical casts moved between 1 inch and four inches. none were damage and no radiation leaked out. they are alarmed. >> very concerned because the material is hazardous. if you lose shielding, you can deliver a fatal dose in a few minutes's time. >> also according to dominion power, horizontal bunkers also holding spent fuel rods sustained cosmetic damage. concrete coming loose on the surfaces i asked for perspective on all of this. >> how dangerous is this? >> any time something slightly unexpected happened, it is of course for some concern. i think the safety risk is tiny >> isn't that a real danger. >> had the shaking been large enough, that would have been a concern. if you think about this in terms of your refrigerator at home, when it is on and the motor is going, it's easy to push the refrigerator even though there is no chance. we were never told they were shifted even though an official said they knew about that early on. >> should they tell the public about the movement? >> it doesn't help the nuclear industry if there is a hint of them covering anything up. it would have been better to have this information come out earlier. >> but james reiterates the safety rates with the shifting caste was miniscule. when i asked an official why they didn't tell the public sooner about the issue, he said "we had a lot going on. there was no indication of any problem. >> an official said last week the company notified the regulatory commission that the earthquake may have shaken the plant more than it was designed to handle. he said the company is analyzing the features and the ground motion of the earthquake and then will determine if they exceeded the plant's design. >> thanks very much. here on the east coast, safety nets are going up on the ceiling of the national cathedral. a new precaution, the cathedral was open to reporters for the first time since the earthquake. it will stay closed for repairs for another week and reopen in time for president obama to speak on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. the fight over the speech to congress. the political fodder on the campaign trail. >> does this show a little insecurity on the part of the president? >> that partisan bickering reached the new loan. a lot more. james standing by and time magazine as well breaking news about the health of 9/11 first responders. sanjay jupta will join us live and a monument to martin luther king,jr. from a prominent african-american. and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy. 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[ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. exclusive to the military. and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. from free checking to credit cards to loans, our commitment to the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. ♪ visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. usaa. we know what it means to serve. . jack cafferty is here with the cafferty file. >> nrt loan star state of texas, rick perry is known as governor good hair. when he jumped into the race, they described it as when rick perry threw his hair in the ring. we say what we want about the front-runner and the guy has great hair. maybe it will help him get to the white house. it probably won't hurt him. in recent memory when you can see the guys on tv, the commanders in chief have been blessed with the good hair gene. you have to go back to the 50s to find a bald president. he was credited with winning world war ii. even if they go significantly gray while in office like presidents obama and george w. bush, the presidents seemed to have healthy heads of hair. it's no coincidence that many of those aspiring to the office are blessed with good hair jeans as well. look at mitt romney or john edwards in 2008. edwards went all out for his hair spending as much as $fi400 for a haircut. that's another story. in the age of television, appearance matters. i don't expect they will elect another bald president any time soon. there is a lot of qualified bald folks out there. this got us wondering if there is something magical about good hair and politicians. when it comes to politics, how important is hair? go to cnn.com/cafferty file and post a comment on my blog or go to our facebook page. wolf, you could be elected. i probably could not. >> look at are now. you have better hair than he had. >> not by much. the country loved him based on his performance. he was the last that occupied the office and didn't have anything on top. president obama addressed congress and the focus is now on the political bickering between the house and the house republican leadership over the timing of the big speech. we just learned that agreement has been reached on the timing the president will address a joint session of the congress one week from tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern after "the situation room." we will have live coverage on cnn. our political contributor put it this way. the spat is a new low and a new indicator of how dysfunctional washington is. cnn's jim acosta has more. >> wolf, if the president and the congress can't agree on the timinging, the thinking goes how can they agree on a jobs bill. on twitter, it is dub and could easily be called a jobs fail. >> it is coincidental. 24 hours after the white house laughed off suggests it was trying to big foot a debate by having the president give a job speech to congress. >> whatever the competing opportunities on television are whether it's the wildlife channel or the cooking channel or i wish i could say that -- >> it took only hours to give in to speaker john boehner's demands to move the speech to the next night. >> wednesday seemed to be the best option. when that was not available or seemed to be a problem, thursday was fine with us. >> the white house blamed it all on the media. >> you guys love this stuff. >> not to mention for the republicans, running for president. >> now, does this show me a little insecurity on the part of the president? >> when it's easier for the president, it could be a sign washington's wheels have come off. >> i think in the beginning there was one wheel coming off the car. we are down to two and then four. >> an important lesson for the white house. >> there were people trying to force their way on to things. the white house was caught in the situation. >> a new cnn poll finds nearly 2/3 of americans disapprove of the president's handling of the economy. down the street from the white house, people are tired of the games. >> not like minimum wage. they are paying bills. >> what do you think of the way congress and the president are arguing. >> something they are not doing right. i mean it's like for real. they at least tried to help us. who needed help. >> the president may be running out of time. his own administration review said unemployment may hover around 9% through the reelection year. a toxic number for any incumbent. >> thanks very much. let's big deeper with the democratic strategist, the contributor james carville and the managing editor of our corporate cousin, time magazine. thanks very much for coming in. first to you, james. who was right in this exchange between the president and boehner on the timing of the president's address. >> first of all, i'm hurt to include me in the hair segment that you had. i don't know whether it was intentional or not. i think the white house messed this thing up. they were trying to be clever and for what reason. why wouldn't you want the public to see these clowns debate each other. that's what i don't understand. you ought to try to have the bigger audiences that you have to see michele bachmann. i am miffed by the whole thing. the last thing is to paint themselves in a situation that looked like boehner outnegotiated them again and that's what happened. >> sorry that what happened? >> they looked like part of the gang that couldn't shoot straight. the way i argued it if i were the president, look. there a lot more american who is were concerned about a 9.1 unemployment rate that paid off. that is absolutely true. he has to continue to try to rise above it and part of the flab people feel like plagued with both of the houses is that everything is politicized. they interpret everything that boehner does and the president does as being political. that's not good for anything. >> rick's colleague, time magazine writes this in the new issue. i will put it up on the screen. he referring to the president. he faces a perception problem with a growing share of the american people who think he is eager to find compromise on key issues that he allows himself to be pushed around. wednesday's confusion will not help solve this problem. you agree? >> i don't agree totally, but i agree partially that that's the perception and the last thing that they need because boehner said he got 98%. that was the cartoon and the people watched tv. they moved the social security retirement age to 106. they said obama has been compromising again. i think the perception is that the republicans are outmaneuvered and he had to come out with this date and back off of it. i don't think that's what they want either with the democratic base or independent voters. this was not a good thing for the white house. >> does he need to strengthen the perception that he is tougher with the republicans? >> i think he does. michael writes in the print mag stwleen he is going to take more of a confrontational strategy starting in the fall. i think it will look something more like the harry truman 1948 campaign against the do nothing congress. this is a guy who campaigned for hope and change and he will run for reelection as antagonist for the republicans. he is not terribly comfortable with it. >> you are a strategist and a good one. you are advising the president and he has a speech on jobs week from today. >> the first thing is fire people. things are not going well. it happens in every administration. the speech is not the big thing. it's the follow-up in the speech. it's the sound ideas. you have to follow-through. it's not just about the speech. none of it will pass. it can carry him through to election and in a way to follow-through wednesday night or thursday night and continue to give it there after. some version television. stick with the thing and give people a drive this thing home. if they do that, they will be in better shape. >> is the reelection blueprint knowing it's not going to pass the house and the senate or should he find a speech that has a chance of doing something positive. >> i think james's point is good. one of the problems with the administration is they look at the speech as an end point rather than a beginning point. that should be the beginning of him saying this is my argument. this is what i want to do and how it should be. even if the republicans do not sign on, the problem is that too many people see him as somebody who is splitting the difference rather than someone with a policy. >> that is the problem. he's got to carry it through to the election. it's enough he can contrast himself to rick perry who wants to repeal the 20th century. we are not going to repeal it to 1950 that's the critical thing here. >> 7:00 p.m. eastern and 8:30 p.m. eastern. plenty of time to listen to the president and watch him here and say you are going to be at the game. are you going to the game? >> i'm not going to the game. unfortunately i will watch it on and i will be out in california. i have the tigers that got saturday night playing in oregon. >> we have a lot of stuff going on. >> i do. >> let me put on the screen the cover of the new issue of time magazine. it's a terrific issue. what to eat now uncovering the myths about food by dr. oz. are vitamins worth it? a special nutrition issue for time magazine and i look forward to reading this article. thanks very much. >> we have been waiting 10 years. breaking news about a study that suggests some of the 9/11 first responders in new york paid a dear price for the courage. still paying the price right now. why the renowned poet said the new martin luther king,jr. memorial. why it makes the leader look like a twit. 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[ male announcer ] with efficient i.t. solutions from dell, doug can shift up to 50% of his technology spend to innovation. so his company runs better, and so does doug. dell. the power to do more. so his company runs better, and so does doug. we're going to head on into the interview. krystal. . . krystal . . . what lead to your decision to go with the fusion? i just keep on going back to looks; it's a great looking car. how do your co-workers feel about your decision? they were the ones who were against ford. they were like they're a truck company. for the most part i am pretty sure i have changed most everyone's mind. krystal, you seem pretty comfortable up there, are you sure you haven't done this before? umm. . . i did 8th grade telecommunications class. ♪ priceis it true thata-tor. name your own price.... >>...got even easier? affirmative. we'll show you other people's winning hotel bids. >>so i'll know how much to bid... ...and save up to 60% >>i'm in i know see winning hotel bids now at priceline. just getting breaking news about 9/11 first responders. a new study of firefighters begins to answer a nagging question. could cancer cases among those first responders have anything to do with the terror attack on the world trade center? let's go to atlanta for our chief medical correspondent. dr. sanjay gupta is invest gayle rigating the health of these people for more than a year. does it confirm that the dust that they inhaled has now resulted in cancer for many of these first responders? >> according to the lead study author who happens to be the fogs for the new york city fire department, the answer is yes. that was surprising even to this lead study author who has been following firefighters and taking care of them for years even before 9-11 and following them along over 10 years. that was a pivotal time of 10 years to say what happened to these workers? was there changes in the rates of cancer? what he found specifically is there was a 19% increased risk of cancer among these firefighters? the first responders? what was interesting if you dig down into the study as i did with him, he excluded certain cancers that occurred quickly after 2001. could they be related? maybe not and maybe so. let's exclude them. if you exclude the cancers, they are 32% chance if you were working on the pile after these attacks. remarkable numbers. the doctor is the lead author and agreed to talk with me ahead of the release of this embargo. here's what he had to say. >> as we start seeing answers, we want to answer their question. is cancer increased. i have to say that my initial bias is for the first 10 or 15 years, we were not seeing an increase. another reason why the findings are so strong. i actually thought we would find the opposite. >> you were surprised? >> very much so. whether it is increased in other responders or residents we have no idea. this is a study about firefighters. their exposure is so unique, 85% of the exposed were present in the first 48 hours of the collapse. when the exposure was massive, that is a very unique exposure. >> firefighters watching, they have the lingering question of why do they get this cancer and was it related to the dust? you would say what? >> for most instance, it was world trade center-related. >> remarkable to hear him say that. a couple of caveats. he mentioned this and the study was a firefighters only. be careful not to generalize to the area or the people who are in that area at the time. he was surprised by this. that's what the data has shown >> you were studying the contents of the dust that was so obvious in the hours and days and weeks that followed the attack on the world trade center. you got a documentary coming up here on cnn entitled terror in the dust. what did you find out about this dust in your own investigation? >> what we found is that when something like this happens, the towers came crumbling down and so many different chemicals were released and sometimes they combined with each other. you can have benzine with asbestos and a lot of them would linger on the dust people could breathe it in and cause a lot of problems which nobody has denied exists what i found fascinating the problems could cause inflammation in the body. that could have been the genesis to the cancers to which she referring. there some things that are unknowable. in the 48 hours after the attacks, there were gasses in the air that were released and gasses that were components of fuel. they disappeared they examined it and it's a reflection of what came to the ground and was collectible. you can't know what was in that air in the first 48 hours that people were breathing in. >> thanks very, very much. an important programming note for the viewers. see the full investigation in his new documentary entitled terror in the dust. only here on cnn. top republicans wanted him to run for president, but congress paul ryan said no. he is explaining why in his first television interview on the subject. he talks to the chief political cal analyst and also scathing criticism of the memorial to dr. martin luther king,jr. why some say it makes him look bad. a decade after they fell, the twin towers lives on in the movies. met an old man at the top asked him if he had a secret and the old man stopped and thought and said: free 'cause that's how it ought to be my brother credit 'cause you'll need a loan for one thing or another score 'cause they break it down to one simple number that you can use dot to take a break because the name is kinda long com in honor of the internet that it's on put it all together at the end of the song it gives you freecreditscore-dot-com, and i'm gone... offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual insurance, if your car's totaled, we give you the money to buy a car that's one model-year newer... with 15,000 fewer miles on it. there's no other auto insurance product like it. better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual. it's a better policy that gets you a better car. call... or visit one of our local offices today, and we'll provide the coverage you need at the right price. liberty mutual auto insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? . influential republicans wanted this congressman to run for president. he decided not to and paul ryan reveals the reasons why. he gave the tv interview to our gloria borger. >> he was out camping with his family when this story exploded. he has been getting pressure from party elders. people like our own bill bennett and bill crystal, the editor of the weekly standard and others to get into the race. he decided in the end that he didn't want to do it and take a listen to why. >> as you can tell, the race is not formed fully yet. my answer had not changed. i had a really wonderful run for president and i think in any job in politics, you can add balance and i'm not sure you can do it this with this particular job. i couldn't get over that when others want you to run for president more than you do, that says something. >> for does and when i asked him whether he would consider a vice presidential bid, he was a lot less shermanesque. sort of didn't give me a solid yes or no. i think that question is still open the senator from florida is an important state. >> paul ryan is controversial because of his budget that changes medicare. it will be interesting to see whether the candidate wants to put him on the table. >> did he give you a sense whether he thought it would kp up with a new plan that deals with all of this? >> he seemed to be pessimistic. it turns out that he didn't want to go on it. maybe it's not such a great political move to be on the super committee, but he made the case that there is not going to be any grand bargain and he said to me the reason there won't be is as far as republicans are concerned, that would mean barack obama would have to put health care reform on the table. >> to do away with it? >> you know that barack obama is not going to do that. >> you think he is getting ready to support these republican candidates? >> he didn't know a lot of them. he also made the point and listen to this. this is not the year for an establishment candidate >> we had a history in the party is giving to the next person in line. that's not the nomination we need to have. this needs to be an election as great as we have. it needs to be on the idea >> for talks about giving a different kind of candidate. >> it will be back in washington. the house members will. >> the candidates will be at our debate. you got it. >> thanks very much. a national memorial to dr. martin luther king,jr. at the center of controversy over a quote on the side of the new monument. ♪ ooh baby, (what) can i do for you today? ♪ [ female announcer ] need help keeping your digestive balance? align can help. only align has bifantis, a patented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. try align to help retain a balanced digestive system. try the #1 gastroenterologist recommended probiotic. align. whether it can be done safely and responsibly. at exxonmobil we know the answer is yes. when we design any well, the groundwater's protected by multiple layers of steel and cement. most wells are over a mile and a half deep so there's a tremendous amount of protective rock between the fracking operation and the groundwater. natural gas is critical to our future. at exxonmobil we recognize the challenges and how important it is to do this right. words carved into the new monument for martin luther king,jr. left maya angelou incensed. why is she so angry? >> she is using strong words. she was a friend of dr. martin luther king,jr. and she is upset over an inscription at a new memorial meant to honor him. an impressive monument along the waterfront in washington, d.c. there is controversy over one of the featured inscriptions that heads i was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness. she told them the quote makes dr. martin luther king look like an arrogant twit. the inscription doesn't say what he said. listen to the speech delivered two months before he death in which he describes how he would want to be remembered. >> if you want to say that i was a drum major, say i was a drum major for justice and righteousness. >> was it twrong edit out say that i was. >> do you think the meaning has been lost? >> no. i think by shortening the quote, it has become more succinct and easier for the person to grasp the definition of who he was. >> the architect said they have to shorten the quote because of a space issue. originally the quote was to be on the marquee wall. they decided to put a different quote there. >> out of the mouth and into despair -- you see that. >> some people took issue with the design itself saying that he looks too stern and he looks angry. the fact that the sculptor who designed the statue is from china. the stone is from china. in fact it was made in china. the sculptor who was consulted early on is not pleased with how it turned out. >> for represents that everything that king wasn't. he was a very, very humble man. if you read his speeches, he was very -- he was really worried about people making too big of a deal about what he did. >> tourists have been flocking to the monument. the controversy not with standing, folks say it's a beautiful tribute to martin luther king,jr. >> martin luther king would have been touched that he touched the lives of human beings. i don't see any problem of it. >> architect ed jackson said maya angelou was part of a committee consulted throughout the project and he never raised objections. i asked them if they would change it to reflect the exact quote. he said no, that is a paraphrase and that is what they are sticking with. >> it's controversial. interesting. jack cafferty is up next with the cafferty file and the towers may be gone, but the world trade center lives on in film. let's get right back to jack for "the cafferty file." jack? >> the question this hour is a little on the silicide, when it comes to politics, how important is hair? john in florida writes look at some of our more popular presidents, jfk nice hair, bill clinton, nice hair. on the other hand, look at eisenhower, elected in 1952, won a second term, very popular, not much hair. just that button. i like ike. maybe we ought to settle for intelligence, honesty and somebody who can talk to the american people without babbling. james writes hair's very important in politics, as the voting public attempts to avoid snakes and lions. how much a particular candidate looks like one or the other is a subconscious determinate for the electorate. the founding fathers knowing this insisted on leveling the playing field with wigs. wise men indeed to have all the men look like women. mike in minnesota writes it's a really good point, jack, if michele bachmann ran as his vp on the prols of $2 a gas and rick perry the cure for male paddern baldness, the white house would surely be theirs. tammy on facebook writes maybe that's why trump decided not to run, bad hair day every day. ken in california it seems we're asking what's more important, what's on top of the head or what is in the head. what has been coming out of the candidates' heads of late has been hair-raising indeed. the last president who had a receding hairline was ford and he lost to carter. must matter. if hair's an issue, it's lucky for you you're not running for office. if you want to read more on this, there are additional insults aimed at me on the websi website, cnn.com/caffertyfile or you can go to our "situation room's" facebook page. >> you are tough, you can take it. >> i got thick skin. >> very. me too. thanks very much. almost ten years after they fell, the world trade towers stage a bittersweet comeback in the movies. ♪ new york >> so, ah, your seat good? got the mirrors all adjusted? you can see everything ok? just stay off the freeways, all right? i don't want you going out on those yet. and leave your phone in your purse, i don't want you texting. >> daddy... ok! ok, here you go. be careful. >> thanks dad. >> and call me--but not while you're driving. we knew this day was coming. that's why we bought a subaru. or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. the world trade center towers are now revisited again and again through the power of film. here's cnn's jeanne moos. >> reporter: after a decade of images of the twin towers gushing smoke, maybe it's time to see them in the rosie glow of the movies. ♪ it was all a dream >> reporter: inspiring awe in "home alone ii" and cemetery backdrop in "dog day afternoon" and something to make "crocodile dundee" to feel he'd arrive. something to make you feel sad about leaving and now a new york filmmaker has made a montage of the movie cameos featuring over 75 clips. ♪ you may find yourself in a beautiful house ♪ >> reporter: blink and you'll miss the towers seen through the car's rear window. it took video cartoonist dan metz seven months working on and off to compile the montage, even using disaster movies. but mostly showing the twin towers as a compass in the background. >> you've seen the twin towers burning and falling for ten years now, but we don't get to think of it as, like, them 30 years of standing there, so this is a celebration of that. >> reporter: celebrated with a cast ranging from superman to king kong. do you miss the twin towers? >> i do miss the twin towers a lot. >> reporter: and amid all the missing film buffs can't resist telling dan about the clips he missed in his montage. for instance, they missed "the simpsons" episode in which homer goes all the way to the top in one tower. desperate for a bathroom and when he finds it out of order, he goes all the way to the top of the other tower. didn't see "god spell" in there either noted someone. the cast singing atop the world trade center as it was nearing completion in 1973. >> you must never be distressed. ♪ >> reporter: there's plenty of sad irony in old film clips like this from "trading places." >> and it's kill or be killed. >> reporter: after 9/11 the towers were removed from "the sopranos'" open. so was a "spider-man" tease showing bank robbers in a chopper ensnared by spider-man's web spun from tower to tower. but instead of staying stuck in images of destruction, dan metz celebrates the life of a building that even in its absence remains a huge presence. ♪ it's up to you new york new york ♪ >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn. ♪ new york thanks, jeanne. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." that's it for me. for our international viewers, "world report" is next. in north america, "john king, usa" starts right now. >> thanks for joining us, i'm candy crowley, john ging king i tonight. despite an