immigration debate confirms he is gay. another outspoken lawman sheriff joe arpaio weighs in on that controversy. plus, a natural wonder that isn't. what it seems a water fall that looks like red hot lava. more evidence tonight that if there is a front runner the republican race, it is at the moment rick santorum, not mitt romney. it the nomination is won state by state and arizona and michigan are up next a week away. as we prepare for a big debate wednesday night, check this out. santorum now surging to a ten-point lead over romney in the national gallup tracking poll. no surprise the former pennsylvania senator is getting more scrutiny from rivals annen democrats, too. some goes back to his record in congress. some focuses on new more pointed santorum rhetoric like his weekend accusation that president obama is imposing his own theology on americans. >> this is what the president's agenda, it's not about you. it's about you. it's not about your quality of life. it's no about your jobs. it's about some phony ideal, some phony theology, oh, not a theology based on the bible, a different theology, but no less a theology. >> that will there was a campaign stop in ohio. then sunday on the cbs program "face the nation," santorum said the government should not require health care providers to fully cover the cost of prenatal screening such as amnyio sen teatee sis. >> yes, prenatal testing, andny oh centesis does in fact result more often than not in abortion. that is a fact. >> our chief political analysis gloria borg ser with us. he's running in the republican primary trying to appeal to the conservative base. not only to take votes from romney but to take away gingrich's term. in the short term, the focus on social issues could help. >> it's a very hot message for him with conservatives and evangelicals. so the good news is, you're right. could help him in a primary. the bad news is, that it could also narrow those people would vote for him in a general election should he become the nominee which is why republicans are so concerned about it. >> you mentioned that point. i was talking to a bunch of republicans today. they worry social issues, stride entrhetoric, references to religion could hurt down the road. one prominent republican a former top national official said everyone is scared of santorum right now. >> i've been talking to republicans all day. one of them said, look, he can't keep going down these rabbit holes talking about the cultural agenda. what he needs to start talking about is the economy. and prove to republicans that he can run a national race and potentially tract some of those independent voters. and so some are whispering these scenarios which by the way, i don't believe are possible or plausible about an open convention because they're so fefrs and they're saying let's get somebody else in the race. they also think mitt romney has proven himself to be a pretty weak front runner. >> arizona and michigan vote a week from now. smart strategists look at santorum and saying he's not doing this by accident, that he's trying to do something in the short term to solidify his standing. >> absolutely. look, he's got to differentiate himself from newt gingrich. he's got to prove he's the true cultural warrior in this race becauses in republican primaries, those are the people who turn out to vote. so, that's what he's trying to do right now. the question is, should he succeed, should he also be the populist in the michigan who can beat mitt romney, then can he possibly take that turn and broaden his base. within the santorum campaign, they will tell you it's because he's a populist. he's able to do it, got a great life story to tell. they're not so worried about his broad appeal. they're just worried about getting the nominationing. >> other campaigns say look at the race he lost in 2006. gloria will be back with us later when we ponder that question. might we get a new candidate or i an contested convention. we'll be joined by the scholar and cnn belief blog contributor stephen plothoro. he says santorum is asking to debate who's a christian. santorum is also firing off new complaints about mitt romney. senator santorum declared republicans don't want mud wrestling. over the weekend, the former pennsylvania senator found fault with romney's handling of the winter olympics in 2002. >> one of mitt romney's greatest accomplishments, one of the things he talks about the most is how he heroically showed up on the scene and bailed out and resolved the problems of the salt lake city olympic games. now, governor romney is ughing is, oh, rick santorum earmarked as he srequested almost half a billion dollars of earmarks to his federal congressmen and senators. does the word hypocrisy come to find? >> the "cincinnati enquirer" newspaper checked on then senator santorum's votes and found he voted yes on the funding he criticized. money for extra security and other expenses related to preventing a possible terrorist attack on the 2002 salt lake olympic games. the republican candidates are united in blaming president obama for the sudden spike in gas prices. experts warn gas could hit $4, even $5 a gallon this summer but blame the run-up on prices on growing tegss in part over iran's nuclear program and worries about a possible israeli attack on iran. let's bring in our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. let's listen before we talking to martin dempsey. here's what he told fareed zakaria over the weekend. >> we think that it's not prudent at this point to decide to attack iran. i mean, that's been our counsel to our allies, the israelis, well-known, well documented. >> barbara, is that a message to israel, stand down? >> oh, very much so, john. good evening. martinen dempsey is basically saying what the pentagon thinks, what the obama administration thinks, which is it would like israel to take a deep breath. here's where the debate stands tonight. israel fundamentally believes that iran has made a decision to go for a nuclear weapons program. the u.s. isn't so sure. they don't think that iran has crossed that line just yet. but the question for israel is now, do they strike. that's what martin dempsey is trying to say, that's what the administration is trying to say so drai to israel. let sanctions work. they're beginning to have some bite on iran's financial and economic sanctions. let the inspectors do their jobs. let some of these things work, that military action would be an action of last resort, but israel may not be willing to wait so long. >> and to that point, barbara, if israel decided to go ahead, the big question, does it have the capabilities to destroy iran's nuclear facilities. >> well, that is the question. could israel go it alone or would it wind up that the u.s. would be dragged into this because israel couldn't finish the job essentially. israel has hundreds of fighter bomber jets that can drop the heavier weapons. any have extended fuel range. they can get into iran. they can deal with iran's air defenses but iran has now buried and spread out its nuclear program, its nuclear sites to a great degree. it will, it would have to be a sustained bombing campaign over many days and whether israel can take that on fundamentally remains to be seen. it's another reason the u.s. is saying, take a deep breath. let's see if we can find a route other than military action, john. >> very tense situation. barbara starr tracking it live for us tonight. here in arizona, mitt romney's campaign was blind sided by a major distraction this weekend. pal babeu stepped down as a romney campaign co-chair after an ex-boyfriend accused the sheriff of trying to have him deported. the accuser spoke with cnn. >> he never invited me to any event until last year, 2010. just a few events lately, but before then, no. >> he was a public guy. >> uh-huh. >> you knew he had other responsibilities. >> uh-huh. >> but then you found out he was cheating on you again? >> yes. many times. >> wolf blitzer spoke with the sheriff just a few moments ago exclusively on the situation room. the sheriff was quite adamant and passionate in that interview saying he's done nothing wrong. >> evers very forceful and to a certain degree he was almost relieved it's come out he's openly gay to i certain degree. he did step down as the co-chairman in arizona of mitt romney's campaign. i asked him why if he's done wrong did he decide to do that. listen to what he said. >> the romney campaign and i don't think anybody should have a problem with my personal life and who i am. it doesn't take away from my patriotism or my service. if you asked any of the candidates that, i don't think they would disagree with that. >> and you know, john, he's running for the republican nomination for congressional seat here in arizona. he's says, a conservative republican. he says he's not backing away though from this. he's going to continue the struggle to get that republican nomination. >> i thought it was interesting at the end of the conversation you asked him, he's been keeping this secret for a long time during his military service. now during his law enforcement service. you asked him if he had a sense of relief now. he seemed quite passionate saying yes, it was a very difficult time but it's better to have it out there. >> there's going to be political controversy but he does seem relieved that he doesn't have to hide it anymore. he's openly gay. he's going to be a republican. let me play another clip from the interview. >> this is outrageous that this has been brought out because i'm a conservative republican and now they think that somehow there's hypothetical sit because i'm gay. i've never worn it on my sleeve like this is who i am. >> yeah. he says he's going to continue on as if nothing has changed. he's going to go forward although he does realize he will probably emerge as an advocate now for gay rights. and we did get into the issue of if he's a member of congress, would he support gay marriage and he says this is an issue that should be left to the states but if two men or women want to get married, i don't think he has a problem with it. >> fascinating politics here. fascinating short term. see if he can win the primary august. joe arpaio joins us next. we'll ask him about sheriff bau's problems as well as his potential impact on the presidential race in arizona. and later, an arrest in the robbery of a vacationing u.s. supreme court justice. our life because it whitens by removing up to 80% of surface stains. see how it can change your life. crest 3d white. life opens up when you do. that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. whwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! whwheeee! ! whwheeee!! whwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ahah h heaeadsds u up. whwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! evevererytythihingng y youou l , nonow w momobibilele.. dodownwnloloadad t thehe n nep totodaday.y. ♪ ♪ wow... ♪ [ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ werther's original caramels. the u.s., mexican border is about three hours from where we're sitting tonight. it's not wonder immigration control is on top of the mind of voters. just ask america's toughest sheriff, a man whose made a name for himself by tough enforcement of immigration law. it's good to see you. i want to get to the presidential race. one of your colleagues was here talking exclusively to wolf blitzer. paul babeu. he's come out and says he's openly gay. a man has questioned his character and his integrity. you've worked with paul a long time. any question of his character in your view? >> i'm not going to get into that. i'm the sheriff of maricopa county. paul has got his responsibility in pinnell county. i'm not going to give him any advice. >> what about his run for congress? you've been involved in republican politics a long time, help, hurt, indifferent? >> i don't know. he's asked for my endorsement along with congressman gosar and senator. i haven't decided. but this is something that's going to have to play out. >> a couple nights from now, a big debate in this arts center behind us here. the arizona republican primary is next tuesday. michigan, as well. you were a rick perry guy. he is no longer in the race. i know senator santorum has been in touch. speaker gingrich has been in touch. you were a romney guy four years ago. who gets his endorsement now? >> i don't know. michele bachmann visited me in my office. i'm not tall dark and handsome. this is something i haven't decided yet. >> what's your sense of the state of play right now? a lot of focus on michigan because we've seen senator santorum ahead. if the vote were today in arizona, who do you think would win? >> i don't know. arizona is still very important, regardless of what what some people may say. i know romney was ahead in the polls. you capital believe the polls all the time. we'll see what happens a few days from now. >> are you satisfied with the proposals border security, how to deal with the, maybe it's 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the country now? are you satisfied any one of these candidates doing a better job on the policy? >> i don't know. i spent years as the head of the border patrol. i get confused sometimes when is you listen to people running for office. we should not make that the primary issue. there's more important things. that's important for me as law enforcement but we have other issues in this country, too. so i don't think we should elect someone just because of the illegal immigration. >> you're in one of many states but you see it every day, incredibly fast growing demographic shift. growth of hispanic voting population. there are many republican who's worry about the tone of the immigration debate. they think if that continues, the republican party will be isolated. i had a recent conversation with the former republican governor of florida, jeb bush. >> i don't think a party could aspire to be the majority party if it's the old white guy party. so the clearly, there are new constituencies emerging in our country. they're making a difference in our communities, a positive difference. the tone of the message, the message itself needs to be focused on where the changing demographics of our country are. >> now, when they question the tone, people who question the tone often point to guys like you who have pretty tough rhetoric along with your pretty tough enforcement. >> i don't just talk about it, i do something about it. i enforce the laws. if you don't like it, chak the laws. so if you have an issue with this, let's stop talking politics. change the laws. if you don't like what's going on. washington should at least do something one of these days and the white house. and see what happens in the future but everybody talks. >> you say washington should do something. the last time the president was in your state, you had a moment with the governor. she wrote something in the book that the president says mischaracterizes the meeting that went on at the white house. if you called the white house, they would say more boots on the ground than when george w. bush left office. they say fewer people coming across. they say lower crime rates in all of the border counties. you would say? >> i have no problem locking up illegals coming through maricopa county. >> does the president get any credit. >> maybe he should get some credit but they're still coming across. i'm so tired of politicians saying secure the border first. why do they say first? we should arrest illegals already in this country and not blame it on the border only. that's another semantics political garbage, if you will, to not arrest illegals that are already in this country. >> sheriff joe, appreciate your time tonight. >> thank you. >> good to see you. next, senator john mccain says it's time for the united states to put all options on the table for the u.s. to stop massacres in syria. plus a rare and spectacular site. no, this is not red hot lava. it's just water. we'll explain in a minute. what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ that's my world. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. here's kate bolduan with the news you need to know right now. i hope it's nice in d.c. because it's beautiful here. >> i am jealous but i'm excited. you at least got to get out of d.c. good evening. a call for u.s. intervention in syria from one of the senate's top republicans. here's what is arizona senator john mccain told our wolf blitzer earlier today. >> we intervened in bosnia and kosovo because massacres were taking place. a massacre is taking place in syria today. and all options need to be on the table. >> and in syria today, the red cross is trying to negotiate a cease-fire so medical supplies and food can be delivered to residents of homs and other cities. police in the island of nevis have arrested a suspect in the recent armed robbery of the vacationening supreme court justice stephen breyer. now, authorities say a male suspect turned himself in sunday. he has not been officially charged though. breyer, his wife and her sister were in the justice's vacation home earlier this month when an intruder armed with a machete robbed them of about $1,000. check out this incredible video of a water fall at yosemite national park. that's water. not lava, it turns red in the light of mid-february's setting sun, the result of a perfect alignment between the earth and sun and only if there are no clouds to block the light. these pictures are from last year. we're entering the time when in this could happen again. today it's cloudy with a 30% chance of snow. cross your fingers better luck tomorrow. if it is mid-february, it must be time to break out the baseballs and gloves. a random example, red sox pitchers and catchers reported yesterday in fort myers, florida. i don't think i needed to tell you that. >> random, just a random example. we're in arizona. you have the cactus league and the grapefruit league. the red sox are in the grapefruit league. >> i'm not trying to play dumb. grapefruit league? >> that's what they call it. i'm sorry you don't like it. >> i love grapefruit. >> i don't know what to tell you. we'll see you in a few minutes. you just heard a moment agoing from senator john mccain in egypt trying to win the release of almost two dozen detained americans. why there may be some reason for optiism tonight. plus, might call this hamburgers the hard way. how scientists now can grow beef not on a farm but in a laboratory. if there was a pill to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. 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[ male announcer ] even with technology -- it's all you. staples easy tech can help with everything from new computers to set-ups to tune-ups. stapes. that was easy. fromwill be giving awayet-ups passafree copiess. of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. welcome back. new optimism about the fate of 19 americans detained in egypt, including the son of the transportation secretary ray lahood. also, some republicans seem to be wishing for a white knight candidate to save the party. tonight's truth looks at whether it's realistic. plus, a new study pinpoints the most corrupt city in the united states. there's optimism over the fate of 19 american aid workers facing trial in egypt. listen to senator lindsey graham. >> quite frankly, i'm very optimistic that we're going to get this episode behind us and have a fresh start with the new government. it's my hope sooner rather than later. >> graham along with senator john mccain how see there traveled to cairo to try to resolve the growing crisis. ian lee is covering the talks in cairo. the senators are sounding optimistic. what are egyptian officials saying? >> reporter: egyptian officials also expressed some optimism that this could be put behind them. they're eager to get this out of the news and put this really to bed because this is souring releases between the united states and egypt. and senator graham said that in his meetings with egyptian officials including the supreme council of the armed forces who is ruling egypt right now as well as the muslim brotherhood, the major party in parliament, he said both parties were very eager to put them behind them and to move forward with releases between the two countries. john? >> and ian, if there's not a deal, they can't work out a deal, what happens? what is the fate of the american aid workers? >> reporter: well, as it stands right now, the 19 american aid workers are expected to appear in court on sunday. now, during this trial, they'll have the charges brought against them. and their defense is expected to ask for a bit more time to develop their case. following the story as it's progressed, the defense has talked about how they haven't had the best access to documents and to the charges and just overall to the entire case. so they're expected to ask for a bit more time. now, the americans are ordered to appear in court, but they won't be put in jail. rather, but if they don't appear and if they decide to stay away, then there will be an arrest warrant issued for them. john? >> in lee live for us tracking this delicate diplomatic situation in cairo. back here in domestic politics, rick santorum is explaining himself after appearing to question the president's christianity. he wonderwondered -- listen to e said and saturday followed by his clarification yesterday. >> it's about some phony ideal. some phony theology. not based on the bible. a different theology. >> i accept the fact that the president's a christian. i just said that when you have a world view that elevates the earth above man and says that you know, we can't take those resources because we're going to harm the earth, this is just all an attempt to you know, to centralize power and give more power to the government. >> a professor of religion at boston university, a cnn belief blog contributor, thanks for your time. senator santorum says he's not questioning the president's faith, not questioning his christianity. when you listen to him and knowing his history, what do you think he's doing? >> i think he's questioning the president's christianity. i think you know, we all know what race codes are, what we have here is a kind of new religion code where you say the guy doesn't have a biblical christianity, he has a phony theology and then you back off when you're asked a little bit afterward, you say well you know, if he says he's christian he's christian. the next day you say he don't have a phony theology. he has a phony world view. an even evan cals understand very clearly what he's saying and he's saying obama is not a christian. >> do you see any precedent if you go back in recent campaign history, george w. bush was a republican candidate for president who was very open about his christianity. i can't remember a candidate who as often as senator santorum says either my personal belief on contraception is that it's wrong and dangerous because that's what the catholic church teaches me. is there any recent precedent of a candidate who uses the language of faith so often? >> well, you know, i think over the last generation, we've shifted where it used to be you had your private religion and in public you talked about public policy and kind of left churchy things out of it. we've shift there had with carter and with reagan. i think we're crossing a line here because now what we're talking about is not simply appealing to your religious fight explain your public policy. you know, to be able to bring your own theology to bear. i think both democrats and republicans have now accepted that. what we're talking about here is asking whether somebody else in the conversation is really legitimately there, whether they're legitimately christian. so we're having this kind of conversation about what's the theology of each person running for president? and do they pass a certain kind of theological test rather than asking about their economic policies or even their question, their answers about social questions like abortion and gay rights. so we're really shifting to a kind of theologian in chief model here where senator santorum is setting himself up as the kind of arbiter of what's true and false christianity in america. i think it is a bad precedent. >> let me play devil's advocate. i've covered senator santorum for a couple years. if you were watching this interview, i could hear him saying there's some elitist academic from boston questioning me. how would you respond? >> well, anybody in america ought to be able to question people running for president. the issue here isn't me questioning rick santorum. i think santorum has every right, i agree with him, that the public square doesn't have to be secular. i agree with him that we've never had pure and district separation of church and state. i'm on board with all that. i think he's crossing a line when he says he's not simply saying these are the religious reasons why i am having a certain policy to saying that some other person, including the president of the united states just doesn't qualify because he doesn't have rick santorum's theology. i this i that's wrong. there's a lot of people who would say rick santorum's theology is kind of odd. there's a lot of catholics who don't agree with a lot of things he thinks catholicism is all about. there's no place for that in a presidential campaign. >> a fascinating issue. professor prothero, thank you sir. if you follow politics, you might recall john ensign was a republican senator from nevada till an ethics scandal forced him to resign last year. dana bash recently caught up with him and had an exclusive look at his new workplace. you might say he's now living a dog as a life far from washington. >> say ah. >> stinky breath. >> yeah. he's got the gigi vitis. >> one minute he's examining a cat, the next bandaging up a dog. if this hard working veterinarian looks familiar, he should. >> i am g-enzyme. nice to meet you. >> dr. ensign is former nevada senator john ensign hon abruptly resigned ten months ago amid a high profile sex scandal. >> this has been really, really good first of all to come back into a profession where you're humbled. i used to own this practice. now i'm working for somebody. that's sometimes a healthy thing to have happen in life. >> now instead of being hound by reporters like yours truly, he's caring for hounds of all kinds. >> oh, you got the quick. that has to hurt. >> he was the only veterinarian in congress. >> you can till it had a crushed pelvis. see our x-ray equipment? it's all digital. >> until his resignation he hadn't practiced for more than a decade. >> literally, i'm studying till 10:00, 11:00 every night and trying to make sure i get up to a very high level. >> taking us on an exclusive tour of this animal hospital to see his life after politics, he says he now realizes this is where his heart is. >> i love being in the senate. that was a wonderful experience. but it's -- i'm putting as much passion into this as i did that, and so i'm really enjoying it. and the other nice thing is being home every night and seeing my wife and kids every day. >> ensign is still with his wife and says they're doing great. healing after an affair led to his political down fall. last spring, the senate ethics committee accused him of violating the law by trying to help his mistress's aggrieved husband find lobbying jobs. he resigned three weeks before the report came out. >> did you leave in order to avoid testifying before the competitive? >> my family had been through enough. i didn't want to put them through more. >> reporter: he's introspective, warning those still in politics not to let power get the best of them like it did him. >> do everything that you possibly can to keep yourself grounded and a big part of that is keep people surrounded -- keep people around you who will basically splap you up beside the head and tell you when you're doing wrong. >> did you not have that? >> i thought i did, but after awhile, you develop invisible barriers and to where they're actually intimidated to do that, even though i would say it all the time. >> his political star was once so bright, this former member of the republican leader hip in the senate had pondered a presidential run. >> now watching the presidential race, do you have any pangs saying, i could have been there, i could have been in the race was governor romney? >> the chances for me would have been so slim anyway, but you know, you can't go back. you can't look back. i'm looking forward to veterinary medicine, having a ball. >> dana bash, cnn, las vegas, nevada. >> fascinating look there. former senator ensign. our thanks to dana bash. till ahead, this question from republican circles. is there room for a white knight in the republican presidential race? and a deadly avalanche in washington state. how one skier managed to survive and the technology that saved her. wake up! that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. just 'cause i teach preschool doesn't mean i shouldn't look good. so, i use the bar to help repel lint. hmm. if only it repelled paint. 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[ male announcer ] it's the perfect time to save up to $200 on your own ergo. find out more at tempurpedic.com. tempurpedic. the most highly recommended bed in america. today is officially washington's birthday. most of you celebrated it as presidents' day. some republicans are not just reflecting on the legacy of lincoln or reagan but wondering if something, someone is missing. true, it happens just about every cycle and in both parties. when things get messy, the clamoring for a knight in shining armor begins or resumes. the current version goes something like this, if romney loses next tuesday in michigan where he was born, it will prove he's too weak to lead the gop into the fall campaign. those go on to say rick santorum would be a doomsday nominee so conservative and judgmental on social issues, the gop would get unnished in november. newt gingrich, these people say he's toxic. ron paul, the establishment thinks he's amusing but not a nominee. then they say we need a new candidate, stat. is this informed, realistic or reckless? it's inevitable and unavoidable until there's some clarity in what so far is an unpredictable gop nomination chase. is it possible to get in nowen an win the nomination? >> there's no gimme here. nobody's going to show up and become superman or superwoman. so they have to understand, they are entering the arena and it is a very challenging very hard-working arena. >> but is it still possible? well, the true answer to that is not exactly. there are only 13 states where the filing deadline has not yet passed. you see them on the map. all told, those 13 states have the 558 delegates. texas is moving its primary. let's assume texas reopens the filing window. so for the sake of argument, make it 14 states and 713 delegates. it takes 1144 to win the nomination. simple math tells you a jeb bush or chris christi isn't going to take the risk. getting in now is betting it all on a brokered convention. >> i don't see how that can happen. it's just too late i think. first of all, it's february. these things have a way of taking time. i assume this is going to drag out well into april. we'll be relevant in wisconsin. i have a hard time seeing how somebody could get in at this late date. >> congressman ryan is right about the timing. it's too late to mount a credible campaign. like it or not, republicans have their final four, romney, santorum, gingrich, paul. that doesn't mean the chatter will stop, especially if governor romney loses one or both of next week's contests. that's here in arizona and in in issue gan. but after a few more filing deadlines pass, the chatter will change. instead of a new candidatened joining the field, there will be buzz what new name could emerge at a brokered convention. why not? it's been a wild cycle already. unlikely does not mean unthinkable. join us right here in mesa, ben quayle j.d. hayworth and gloria borger. j. deferring, you're a newt guy. santorum has surged recently. part of this conversation we need a new candidate people say romney hasn't proven himself and he was the establishment guy. newt and santorum, if either is the phenomenon knee, the party will get leveled in november. >> i heard that same talk back in 1979 about a fellow by the name of ronald reagan. how he was too extreme. how jimmy carter would mop the floor with him. it didn't happen then. in honor of lincoln, let's remember what he said to stephen douglas. don't confuse a horse chestnut with a chestnut horse. >> congressman quayle, you you don't have a candidate right now. gloria is trying to figure that out. you don't have a candidate right now. you have a new baby. that's plenty to worry about right now. are people who have not endorsed already, i assume, somebody would like your help, you just won an election. is it part of it now if you're not already in, this is so messy, you say whoa, let's let it play out? >> i think in watching the candidates and what they're trying to say, nobody has.ca toured the conservative movement, hasn't captured all of the voters with the optimism that will ronald reagan had. from what i'm trying to see, somebody who can -- >> do you want somebody else. >> i want somebody who articulate the morality of the free enterprise system and champion that. i think that person can win in the primary and the general election. i just haven't seen that so far. >> listen to the governor mitch daniels of indiana one of those who say conservatives say please, come save us. he says no thank you. >> i really would not be interested. i'd be interested in finding, if we get to that point, i would be interested in finding someone who can present a really credible and winning alternative to where the nation's going right now. but i still think it's very unlikely, these things have a way of resolving themselves. >> they too have a way of resolving themselves. if you're a mitch daniels or chris christi, jeb bush, anyone else looking around, saying, well, you know what, maybe there is an opening, you wouldn't get in now. you'd hope there's a brokered convention and say here i am? >> i think there's a real a bro and show up. >> i think there's a real danger, if you get in now, you're going to lose. and who wants to do that? then you're going to mess up the entire party, go to some kind of contested convention, make an awful lot of enemies of someone who might in fact become the next president of the united states, should that person be barack obama. why would you do that if you're mitch daniels. i have to take mitch daniels at his word. he knows how these things work. they love you today, but they'll find something wrong with you tomorrow. >> he went through this when he had time to prepare. our panel's going to stay with us. when we come back, a new report pinpoints the city with the most corruption in the united states. just which city it is might surprise you. don't worry, i'm not going to ask these guys about that. and tomorrow's fat tuesday, but authorities are cracking down with partyers with a tough new curfew. 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so gross. ew. seriously? that is so gross. ew. seriously? dude that is so totally gross. so gross...i know. there's an easier way to save. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. welcome back. it's a beautiful afternoon in mesa, arizona, the sight of wednesday night's cnn presidential debate. we're talking politics with ben quayle, gingrich supporter, and former arizona congressman, j.d. hayworth and gloria borger. we've seen senator santorum questioning the president's theology. very tough rhetoric, clearly trying to make a big play for the conservative base. and just today, just moments ago, gingrich ups the antewh wh it comes to criticizing the president. >> so defeating barack obama becomes, in fact, a duty of national security. because the fact is, he is incapable of defending the united states. >> ben quayle, when you were running for congress, you had what became a famous ad, the worst president in history. is there a danger zone, though? he's the president of the united states. he's -- defeating him is in the interest of national security? how? >> well, actually, if you look at the defense custody he's trying to make, that is going to have the longest impact on our national defense than anything else that he's doing right now. and if we look back at what happened during the clinton administration and how they really went after the intelligence community and didn't allow it to continue to grow and actually provide us that national security, we've been taking decades to get that back into a place where we're actually secure. so i think that what speaker gingrich said is exactly right, that what is happening with the custom defense and what he's proposing is going to put us in immediate risk and long-term risks are going to be astronomical. >> you know the debate that goes on in the party when something like this happens. people say, you know, they're trying to get the base, they're going so far right, they'll never get pack to the middle where you win the center of the electorate. you shake your head at something like that. >> john, it's candor. this is not conservatism. the fact is this president is not a good steward of our national security. sorry if that hurts some feelings, it's the gospel truth. >> if mitt romney loses one of the two contests next week, what happens in this race? >> i think all hell breaks lose, actually. if he loses michigan. not if he loses here in arizona. i think he's favored here in arizona. would you guys? >> i think so. >> if he wins them both, are we back into inevitability? sf >> i think a lot of people will say that. >> but michigan is his adopted home state. everybody thought he was going to be easily, win michigan, now it's within a few points. >> so help me with the truth. the honest to good truth. in the republican conference, does speaker boehner -- you look around, you just got the majority. do you look around and say, with this guy, win or lose, we keep our majority. with this guy, we lose our majority? i think win or lose, we think that the republican candidate's better than the current sitting president. we'll have to rally behind and champion them. i know a lot of people are saying, this is good, we're sharpening our skills. but at some point, we need to have one person to be the the standard-bearer, to have our message, to be the counterpart to president obama. >> that person has to start winning to find out who that person is. congressman quayle, j.d. hayworth, gloria borger, thanks for being here. kate? >> more news to catch you up on. an avalanche killed three experienced skiers near a resort in washington's cascade mountains. they were part of a larger group skiing on sunday when the wall of snow came rushing down. four people were trapped on the mountain, some tumbling as far as 2,000 feet. of those four, only one survived thanks to a special air bag designed for avalanches. you're seeing one of them here in action during a different avalanche avalanche. and chicago is the most corrupt nation in the city. the they looked at corruption convictions over the last 36 years. the chicago area had over 1,500 in that time. the l.a. area and the new york city area are the runners up. and it's mardi gras season. i probably didn't need to tell you that in new orleans. but for the first time, teen revelers will need to bring mom and dad along if they want to party on bourbon street after 8:00 p.m. no cur few needed for this guy. that's will farrell in royal gash atop a float. he's been in new orleans all winter filming a political comedy movie called "the the campaign." now, imagine a burger grown in a test tube. sorry, everyone having dinner. researchers in the netherlands are creating strips of meat from stem cell cells. they're hoping to make a product identical to a real beef patty without the environmental eff t effects of farming. the total cost for that single burger, about $350,000, mr. king. >> uh, no thanks. we're out west. we hit the in-n-out burger today. >> oh, jealous. finally tonight's jealous. ed whealan is a fedex delivery man by day, but his true passion is finding and blogging about the nation's best and unnoticed college basketball players. in 2010, he named a called jeremy lin. turns out he was right. >> when you were analyzing jeremy lin as a college player, did you ever watch him