now, it began just before dawn. here's the terrifying sound that awakened one family in frankfort, kentucky. [ sirens ] frankfort was spared thankfully but so many other places were not. people lost their lives in tennessee, missouri, and harrisburg with the biggest lost. survivors describing what they saw and felt. >> it's very devastating, we are lucky compared to people out that way. very lucky. >> overwhelmed. just overwhelmed with emotions. i had no idea it was this bad. >> the lights went out. he came out of the bedroom and all of a sudden it was a freight train, the whole house was shaking, i said, oh, my god, it's a tornado and dalton grabbed me and pulled me in the pantry. >> the windows were blowing out and the pantry was the closest place with no windows. >> smart kid. harrisburg is under a curfew right now. the tornado that struck there measuring near the top of the scale, 170 miles an hour winds, upwards of 100 people hurt, up to 300 homes known destroyed a shopping center obliterated. the storm that did it measured three or four football fields across and stayed on the ground for miles. literally tore the side off a local hospital. you can see the beds next to the place where the windows used to be. could have been a lot worse. hospital staff at least they had enough warning time to get patients to safety to move them inside the building, and horrific as the damage is and as heart wrenching the loss of life, we're learning as we did in joplin, missouri, last year, the people of harrisburg are stronger, they are made of much stronger stuff than just timber, bricks, and mortar. we'll talk to the major shortly. first chad myers on where the storm that hit harrisburg, where it's threatening right now. chad? >> the storm system, the line between the clash of the warm and the coal has moved off to the east, anderson, not so much i don't think that's going to rotate, and i dont think we'll have more tornadoes tonight. every one, except for that one that went away, all of the tornado watches have expired. so a night not like last night for us. you talked a little bit about the fujita scale, the tornado scale. i want to go into it for just a moment. we talk about category one hurricanes. most don't know what a fujita scale is. we'll talk about an ef-0, almost like a small rope or a dust devil in the desert. 65-mile-per-hours, 85 miles per hour, minor damage, you lose shingles on the house. a 1, you lose shingles and maybe boards on the roof as the winds going to 110 miles per hour. ef-2 is strong, still not where we were. we were ef-4 yesterday. so strong at 135 miles per hour. you have now lost the entire roof. it's gone. the top is gone. the walls are still there. and then ef-3, now we're talking 165 miles per hour. very close to where we were. we were 170. that's severe damage. the outside walls are mainly gone, but still a lot of the structure there. at a 4, where we are, the outside walls are gone and most of the inside walls are gone. you maybe see the refrigerator, you see the kitchen, you may see the bathroom, that's it. when you get to ef-5, at 200 miles per hour or more, that's when you only find the slab or in many spots, just the basement, nothing left of the house whatsoever. anderson? >> this afternoon, eric greg described the feeling he had when the tornado warning went out. he felt in his gut that something horrible would happen. it has, certainly has, and he's had the worst day a mayor can have, especially in a town where chances are everyone knows someone who died in the storm or whose house has been badly damaged in the storm or whose life is going to be changed in one way or another. that's why we're so grateful he could spare a few moments to talk tonight. mayor, just the scope of this, do you have your arms around it? can you give us a sense of the damage you have been seeing? >> anderson, it's absolutely been a horrific day here in harrisburg, illinois. we lost six lives. we're a tight-knit community. people care about each other, and to lose six lives and have many, many hurt and of course millions of dollars in devastation is heart breaking for a community. and it's heart breaking, we have seen this in joplin, missouri, last year, and many of our people wept to joplin to help out. my daughter was one of them, and here today, we're faced with this here today in our community and this area. it's been a tough day for us and our hearts are going out, are broken for those who lost their lives and their families and those who are injured. i'll assure you this, i appreciate what you said, this is a community that is going to rally around itself. we have people who care about each other. this is a region where we care about each other. the outpouring of support from the governor of illinois, all the way down to neighboring communities, has been profound. i mean, we have had more people coming in to this community, offering to help us and just whatever way we need, they're here. so it's very redeeming. it makes me glad to be an american and glad to be a mayor of a small town in southern illinois where. >> as you said, we saw that in joplin, in madison after the storms there. what is the latest on rescue operations? >> well, right now, what we're doing is certainly making sure we have every man, woman, and child accounted for. we're making sure we're taking care of those who have been displaced. whatever they need. >> are there people still missing? >> no, there's not. i think we have everyone accounted for. we're thankful for that. right now, we're still working through the debris, checking and just doing our due diligence to take care of the people of harr harrisbu harrisburg, hill hill. >> i heard you say when the sirens were going off this morning, it was kind of eerily quiet. >> when the sirens went off, i got up, got my wife and two sons up. we went out to -- actually, i don't have a basement in my home. we went to our neighbor's house. we live up on a hill, and i actually stood out with my son and kind of tried to assess where the problem was at within the city. you know, and it became eerily quiet. just when the sirens going off, and then you could hear the horrible sound, and you're thinking, this is just unbelievable. you know, happening in our community. this is the worst disaster to ever hit harrisburg, illinois, with the loss of life and the damages. immediately, i'll tell you this, anderson, we went into action. this is a community that does not run away from problems, from horrific events. we run to help our neighbors and the people we love and care about. that's the way the entire region has been today, and the entire state of illinois has been and the midwest. we have people coming from everywhere. we just basically put together an army of support to come in here and help us today. we're very grateful, and as a mayor, i can tell you, i feel very blessed to have the support that i do in harrisburg, illinois. but the loss of life is heart breaking, and my heart is broken for the families that now are dealing with this tragedy, and of course, all of the ones that are hurt. we can rebuild and we will rebuild, anderson. we're going to put the town back. we're a community that we may get knocked down seven times, but we're going to get up eight times. >> i want to ask you, the store behind you, we see the sign that says sports on it. it looks like that's kind of laying on the ground. was that -- was that a -- how tall was that store? >> that was a large store. and i mean, there's a couple things, anderson. the time that this event took place, when this tornado came through, it was an f-4, they determined, 170-mile-per-hour sustainable winds. when the storm came through, today, we're all connected. we have our cell phones, we have ways to communicate. at 5 minutes to 5:00 in the morning, we don't have our cell phones on, our tvs on, our radio, so our communication system was knocked down, but the sirens went off, and it went off in time. i talked to eye witnesses who were able to get loved ones in safe, secure areas. it came upon us i guess after the sirens went off, so quick, quickly, that those that we did lose just could not get out of the path. and genl, i was on site almost immediately. and it's like nothing i have ever seen, and i pray to god i never have to see it again. >> mayor, i appreciate your time, first of all, and our hearts are with you and with the people of harrisburg and the surrounding counties tonight. thank you for being with us. >> thank you, anderson. good night. >> good night. more to talk about. let us know what you think, on facebook, google plus, add us to the circle, follow me on twitter. later in the program, new developments in the ohio school shooting. more importantly, the stories of three kids who lost their lives. we're going to talk to the mom of one teen boy. tomorrow, he would have gotten his first paycheck from his first job at a local bowling alley. she wants to bury him with his paycheck in his pocket. we're going to talk to her. >> also, breaking storm coverage continues. we'll talk to a storm chaser who got a little too close to the storm. we'll show you what he saw. ur f. animate and share your first car story at firstcarstory.com. courtesy of the 2012 subaru impreza. experience love that lasts. ♪ britta olsen is my patient. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. 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>> i'm doing all right. i'm banged up and sore, but i'm alive, and that's all that matters. >> what happened to you? >> i was out chasing a storm and i heard that the storm was getting a little too close to the neighboring town. so i headed back towards town. and the wind and the rain picked up a little bit. so i pulled off somewhere. and next thing i know, my ears popped. and all my windows broke out in my vehicle. the next thing i know, i'm getting tossed and rolled. i mean, it's just completely a miracle that i'm standing here right now. >> did you stay, remaining in the vehicle? we're looking at pictures. looks like the vehicle rolled and rolled and rolled. >> it did. and i had a gentleman come up to me and make sure i was all right. after that, he went to find help. and i climbed myself out of my vehicle. and the only way i done that is with the good lord's help. >> where else are you -- do you have bandages elsewhere? >> i have a laceration on my left hand, on my lower left leg, and i have cuts and scrapes on my left arm and just places where shards of glass hit me in my face and all over my body. >> can you describe what it's like to be that close? you said your ears popped, and then all of the windows cracked, broke out of your car? >> yeah, it was probably the loudest sound i ever heard. the popping sound, it was like going over a mountain, how your ears pop. but ten times worse than that. and next thing i know, all the windows shattered in my vehicle. and i knew i was getting hit, and i was directly in its palth and i kept rolling and rolling. >> have you ever seen anything like this? not just what happened to you, but what's happening to your neighbors and to the town? >> no, i've never seen devastation like this to our community. we've had some floods, but nothing to this devastation and the loss of lives that we've had today. >> have you gotten your head checked out? >> yes. >> yeah, okay. >> everything checked out all right. they got me in, checked me out, stitched me up and sent me out the door. >> right. >> they had bigger priorities to handle, and i respect them for that. >> yeah, understandably. brandon, i'm glad you're doing okay, and i appreciate you coming on to talk about it. and glad your doing okay. there's so many stories emrming tonight. not just what has been lost, but how survivors are coping and coming to grips with the challenges that are lying ahead. the mayor said it best, these are people who get up and they're balked down. if they get knocked down seven times, they'll get up eight times. tyler has been on the ground all day talking to people in harrisburg. he joins us now. what have you seen in terms of damage and the recovery effort tonight? >> anderson, i have seen a lot of damage. i rolled up on the scene about 6:30 a.m. this morning, and when i first arrived, the strip mall behind me was the first thing i saw. then, as i started to pull around the parking lot, i saw the area that they call gaskin city. that's where we have seen a lot of fatalities and injuries as well. we have been talking about how reminiscent this is of joplin. not a population center the size of joplin, but when you're talking about devastation and being able to see the homes flattened and seemingly be able to see for miles where there used to be a treeline, it's similar. in the strip mall, don was talking about the different stores. there was a wireless store here, i was able to talk to the manager. he said lee grew up in oklahoma, in tornado alley. something he's accustomed to. he said he's never heard anything like this or see a tornado leave this much devastation. to give you an idea of someone who grew up with it, they say it's one of the worst they have ever seen. for the people in gaskin city, that area, including a teenager i talked to today that was able to survive it, said it was the closest to death he's ever been. >> i'm praying, i'm really hoping and praying to god that everything will be cool, but i was really thinking for a second that we were going to die. i was scared. i really thought that my dad and i were going to die and get thrown fraom the trailer and di. i have never been so close to death in my life. it was scary. >> you were saying that a number of the folks who did die, who lost their lives in that area, were kind of in the same area. do we know why in that area so many died? >> anderson, this was just the path of the tornado. there was a clear path of destruction. i know it's nighttime now, but you can see there was a 200-yard wide path that this tornado cut through. and the margin of error for complete destruction and being safe was so narrow, as a matter of fact, you saw homes that were destroyed and flattened, and literally right across the street, 35, 40 yards, homes that just had the siding ripped off. the gap between total destruction and being spared was so, so narrow. some people were very, very fortunate, but for six people and hundreds of others who were injured, they weren't quite so lucky. >> and at this point, you know, what are people telling you in terms of how they move forward? >> well, it's really impressive. i want to reiterate what the mayor was saying. this is the kind of town that is starting to dig in and dig out of the rubble. i noticed people at 9:00 this morning who had damage to their roof, and they were beginning to repair. people were beginning to repair the siding. they had heavy equipment, backhoes, bulldozers, trying it dig out of the rubble to see if any of their loved ones were still inside. the people here are already in the rebuilding mode. you didn't see a lot of people standing around looking. you saw them getting to work and helping their neighbor. >> the mayor said everybody is accounted for in harrisburg. tyler, i appreciate your reporting. as always, if you want to help, you can. to find out more, we set up a one-stop location with all of the details. cnn.com/impact. cnn.com/impact. just ahead on the program, new details in the ohio school shooting. three young lives cut short in the high school cafeteria. three families destroyed tonight. the moeth of one of the victims joibs me ahead. what she has to say is heart breaking, but she want you to hear about her son, the boy he was and the life that's been lost. also ahead, raw paolitics tonight. wim mitt romney's wins in arizona and michigan power him through super tuesday? 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[ dog barks ] for our country. ♪ for our future. ♪ this isn't just the car we wanted to build. it's the car america had to build. ♪ the extended range electric chevy volt. from the heart of detroit to the health of the country, chevy runs deep. in a phone call today president obama expressed his condolences to the principal of chardon high school in ohio. it's the school and the community, of course, there, they're all still reeling from the deadly shooting rampage. up close tonight we have new details about the 17-year-old suspect. we'll have that report in a moment, but first the terror that gripped a school during the attack. it's apparent on the 911 recordings that were released. >> we just had a shooting at our school. we need to get out of here. oh, my god. >> okay. >> we need help badly. >> okay, we need to know where the shooter is. >> i don't know. i don't know. >> we got everybody out there outside the building. >> where is the shooter? where is the shooter? >> excuse me? >> where is the shooter? >> everybody, quiet down. he could be -- he could be out there. >> are you -- do you see the shooter? >> no, i didn't. i just felt like the gun. >> okay. did you see the gun? >> yeah. >> okay. now, listen to me, listen to me, where are you at? >> i'm outside the school right now. we hear the sirens. >> yes, yes, i'm a student. i was right by the shooter when he pulled the gun. >> oh, and who was the shooter? >> his name is thomas lane. i saw him take out two and then i was gone. i was out of there. >> five students were shot. three of them died. danny parmertor was 16 years old. daniel was his real name so was demetrius hewlin and russell king. all three left home expecting it to just be another day at school. goes without saying their families are shattered. on cbs this morning danny's parents described arriving at their hospital where he was taken and begging him not to die. >> said don't go, danny, don't go. >> don't. >> don't go, danny. he fought. he just didn't have no brain waves left. >> think about going to a funeral home and picking out a casket. what is that? picking out a casket for your son. i don't want to do it. we were supposed to go and pick out colleges and supposed to go visit ohio state next month. i'm mad now. i'm mad now. it's just my little boy. he was so little, just 16. he was 16 years old. >> picking out caskets for their children. that is what three families are faced with now. we wish them strength through this incredibly difficult time. i talked earlier to danny's mom, dina. dina, i'm so sorry for your loss. how are you and your family doing? >> i guess like they say you find the strength somewhere, you know. and, of course, our family, bob's family and mine is just amazing. they're just -- they're just doing everything and we're just -- they're just carrying us and just supportive, the city, the state, the nation, which i didn't -- i didn't know that it was that big, i just thought it was us. just unbelievable how people are so great and supportive. >> and we're looking at pictures of danny now. i mean he looks such an outgoing, exuberant kid. what do you want people to know about him? >> yes, you know, you said the right words, anderson. that's -- that is danny. how could you not like danny? he was just -- everybody loved him and he is just going to be missed so much and we just love him. he was so -- i mean he was like a jokester, and everybody just wanted to be around him if he was around, you know, that kind of kid that they gravitate toward and always that person that everybody likes. that's danny. and my danny. >> and i understand danny just started a job, his first job. >> yes, yes, he was so excited. it was at the local bowling alley right here and chardon and all he wanted was -- he loved it but he just wanted that first paycheck, and he can't get that check. he just can't get it. he was -- he just loved it. he only worked there for like two weeks, three weeks and then -- my heart is broken. it's just torn apart and everybody in the family and i just -- i want -- that's why i wanted to talk to you too, i want people to know him that they didn't get to have the joy of knowing him, but hopefully through this they can because, you know, he wants to say thank you for the support and we all do too. that's what we feel is our way to thank you all for the overwhelming support. it's just unimaginable how great people are. >> do you know what he was going to spend the check on? >> well, of course, he said he was going to save for a car but he also wanted to -- he kept saying he wanted to get an iphone and, you know, or new skis because he just loved skiing and of course, not with the first check but anything, kids that -- we joked because me and my husband laughed because he kept saying this is going to be big money, mom. this is going to be big money. it was so cute. uh-huh. >> i heard that you may actually bury the check with him. >> yes, anderson, we are, we are going to. we're not cashing it. we want him to have the check. him with that check, you know, so, yeah, we are going -- >> it was a big step for him. >> yes, yes, absolutely. >> dina, i really don't know what to say to you other than, you know, my heart breaks for you and i think so many people around the country and around the world are thinking about you and thinking about danny and your whole family and it doesn't give you peace but i hope it gives you some strength. >> yes, thank you. it does, it really does. it does. it's helping me. it's helping me to see that that's out there for us, i've taken another step. it's helping me get through one -- they say day by day, how about minute by minute. >> breath by breath. >> right, right. >> my mom often said just breathe in and breathe out and that's how you get through each minute. >> yes, uh-huh. >> well, dina, as i said, i wish you strength and thank you for telling us about danny a little bit tonight. >> thank you for letting people see him. you know, i appreciate that, anderson, a lot. >> one shooting victim remains hospitalized. classes are expected to resume at chardon high school on friday. prosecutors said the accused shooter, 17-year-old t.j. lane is likely to be tried as an adult. details of his troubled home life have been emerging. tonight we have more to report on that. here's martin savidge. >> reporter: late wednesday afternoon in court proceedings, cnn won access to accused shooter t.j. lane's juvenile record. it shows in 2009 he was involved in an assault putting another boy in a choke hold and punched him in the face. lane pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of disorderly conduct. >> three down in the cafeteria. we need an ambulance too. >> three officers? >> yes. >> okay, hold on. let me fix that do we know where? >> they're all in the cafeteria. >> where is the shooter? >> i don't know. >> reporter: since monday's rampage at chardon high school this small tight-knit community has been asking one question, why? authorities say lane hasn't given them any reason for the attacks. >> he chose his victims at random. this is not about bullying. this is not about drugs. >> reporter: on tuesday when lane first faced a judge after his alleged killing spree, neither his mother nor father were in the courtroom. it was a telling sign. documents show t.j. lane had a troubled home life and that his parents often led by violent example. police reports obtained by cnn show officers were frequently called to the home to break up domestic fights. court documents also show t.j.'s father, tom lane, suffered from anger management issues and depression and at one point even attempting suicide. he spent time in and out of jail. a court document from 2002 describes a particularly violent attack by tom lane on another woman. it reads "he strangled his ex-wife by the throat until she lost consciousness for several seconds. also held victim's head over a washing machine and poured cold water from a utility hose over her nose and mouth preventing free breathing." tom lane was convicted of felonious assault and sentenced to four years in prison but was released after only nine months. such was t.j. lane's unstable family background. even prosecutor david joyce seemed to hint that it could be an argument for the defense. >> this is someone who's not well and i'm sure in our court case we'll prove that to all of your desires and we'll make sure that justice is done here in this county. >> martin, how do people in the community feel about t.j. lane? >> reporter: you know, that's a very complicated question, anderson, and i've had that conversation with a lot of people here. it always starts off with people starting to say, you know what, i feel sorry. then they stop themselves immediately because, of course, we know that nothing can condone, nothing goes along with excusing this young man from what he's been accused of doing. and i think the best way somebody put it to me was they said that they feel sorry for his life, and what they mean by that is that they just wish somewhere, maybe a couple of months ago, maybe a couple of years ago somebody intervened, somebody reached out some way somebody got to him because maybe all of this heartache tonight could have been avoided. >> martin, appreciate the reporting. coming up "raw politics." will mitt romney's win in michigan propel him through super tuesday. even though romney got more votes, rick santorum said the night was a huge win for himself in michigan. we'll explain that. i'll speak with james carville, mary matalin and erick erickson. that deadly path of destruction. where they're heading now. a live update from chad myers. s. with the ability to improve roi through seo all by cob. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. i'm going b-i-g. [ male announcer ] good choice business pro. good choice. go national. go like a pro. i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped. man: so we went to fidelity. we talked about where we were and what we could do. we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. for jay to deposit checks from anywhere. easier than actually going to the bank. mobile check deposit. easier banking. standard at citibank. makes it easy for anne to view her finances from anywhere. like gate d12 for the next three hours. citibank for ipad. easier banking. standard at citibank. more breaking news. late this evening, cnn called the wyoming caucuses for wyoming. cnn now project s romney wins with 39% of the vote, 33% for santorum. that's three wins in a row. he headed to ohio today to compain ahead of super tuesday. the win was not as decisive as romney hoped. he and santorum each bicked up 15 of the state's delegates. now all eyes are looking ahead at super tuesday, john king has more. >> here is the state of play as we speak. romney won them all in zone zen last night. he split the delegates 15-15 with senator santorum in michigan. we learned the final results in the state of wyoming. romney carries wyoming in the caucuses. santorum in second place, about one third of what romney has. the race goes to 1,144. that means you have a long way to go. where do we go from here? washington state. let's assume ron paul gets his first win of the campaign. he picks up the bulk of the delegates there. the math changes, then we move on to the biggest day of the campaign and a huge challenge across the country from new england to idaho and alaska, way out west, ten states on the ballot. you see here, 419 delegates at stake. he wins massachusetts, virginia, only ron paul and romney on the ballot there. gingrich wins alt home in georgia, santorum wins oklahoma, this shows romney wins north dacdark, but let's say ron paul picks up a sec win. we change the math there. it gets you romney starting to pull way and a huge fight for the two biggest super tuesday battlegrounds, ohio and tennessee. at the moment, santorum is leading. you get santorum in clear second place, starting to challenge romney's delegate lead. that's what the santorum campaign needs to prove, it is a longterm contender. what does romney want? to turn these two states. watch the spending. he wants to turn ohio and tennessee in his favor. if he does that, you see, the couple doesnzen more delegates. the tarts to get him on the way, not all the way on the way, but well ahead of the others. that's what he wants on super tuesday, to prove he's the front runner. santorum needs to keep them from going romney red. >> let's bring in our cnn contributors, james carvel, mary matalin, and eric erickson. james, to john king's question, can romney turn it around in ohio, in tennessee? >> you know, probably. this is not a race anymore, anderson, in my opinion, between romney and santorum and gingrich. this is romney versus 1,144. he's the only candidate in the race that has a chance to get to 1,144. every time these guys gets delegates, that means he's going to have to go to tampa and deal with a situation when he gets there. he's not running against anything other than a number right now. romney versus a number. thets how i feel the race is at this moment. i suspect ohio may be favorable to him than tennessee, but i don't know. i would like to see some votes before i listen. >> mary, if james is right that he's running against that number, the fact that he divided the delegate number with santorum in michigan, does that mean his win in michigan wasn't so much of a win? >> we're having a fight in the nomination process against purity and electability, and we're imputing victories and defeats that are irrelevant. it doesn't tell us anything. go to the 14 swing states. the process in the swing states include over half that are caucuses or nonbinding or conventions, and disincentivized turnouts, and in the remainding half, three of are home state of the candidates. we're trying to impute meaning for the general election in a si situation where there isn't any because we have new processes, rules, super pacs, so many things. romney is running against a number, but he has to do what he has always had to do, which is get the purity down, get the conservatives more mobilized and activated and psychologically, get them excited. >> eric, a prominent republican told cnn the campaign after super tuesday was going to be a lot like water torture. is it hurting republican chances in the fall? >> it's starting to hurt, if only because you have a limited amount of money out there, and a lot of it is poured into the primary instead of going into the general election. if they save the money, they'll be able to spend it in the general elikz. but romney has a ridiculously high burn rate. i interviewed gingrich this morning. he doesn't see santorum's prolonged viability. what if romney does win ohio and tennessee? then suddenly, gingrich remains in second place in the delegate count. he thinks he's going to rebound. and his staff said santorum had a best shot at romney in michigan and fell short of it, and they see that rebounding in the non-romney candidates, which to james' point, drags it out. >> to mary's point, he has to energize conservative more, do you believe this is by doing that, by trying to appeal to conservatives, someone said paul begala said he was moving to the right throughout the primary and caucus process. is he alienating independent voters he's going to need in the general election? >> he's not doing well with independents at all, mary and eric are right. you're not going to get the republican nomination without stimulating the conservative vote. that's an overwhelming bummic of that. he's moved way to the right on the tax plan. in addition to being for the bush tax cuts, he's moved far, far to the right on immigration to the point where jeb bush refuses to endorse him. he said he would be for the amendment, so he's going to keep on. he's going to have to do it because he can't get to 1,144 unless he gets the conservatives more enthusiastic about it. >> i didn't make my point well to you earlier. it comes down to the swing state. no fundamentals have changed in the swing states. what we're talking about today has no meaning for the general election. and the swing states, obama's numbers are down. republicans have greater registration than they had in the last cycle. we have more republican governors. more senators, more house members, more legislators. an infrastructure, and the intensity of the opposition to obama and his decrease in his support in the spring states is what is going to matter. what we're saying today and say with authority that it's going to have an impact on the general election, it just isn't. we're not there. >> anderson, i think summer gas prices are going to have a bigger effect on the general election than what is happening now. if gas prices continue to go up and people pull money out of other sectors of the economy just to drive to work, the economy is going to suffer again and there are so many external factors right now. it's hard to say, i agree with mary. at the same time, if the economy does improve, i asked gingrich, what is the republican backup plan if it improves, and all he could say is it's not going to improve. if it does, the republicans might have trouble. >> i think this thing is not good for romney at all. his numbers have taken a hit. and he's having to -- he's having to keep pulling and keep pulling because he's running against a number. he's not running against a person. and that's always a tough thing to do. >> 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because -- >> apologize for that. we want to bring you other stories we're following in our news and business bulletin. in syria, homs' baba amr neighborhood has had an all-out ground invasion. helicopters fired at civilians on the ground today, and only stopped when snow started to fall. an opposition group said at least 29 people were killed throughout the country today. a big agreement announced between north korea and the united states. north korea has agreed to halt nuclear tests, long range tests, and uranium enrichment programs in exchange for food programs from the united states. >> the united states, i will be quick to add, still has profound concerns, but on the occasion of kim jong-il's death, i said it is our hope that the new leadership will choose to kide their nation onto the path of peace by living up to its obligations. today's announcement represents a modest first step in the right direction. we, of course, will be watching closely and judging north korea's new 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