rick santorum has a brand-new surge coming after stunning victories in the deep county. newt gingrich is refusing to add up the numbers. mitt romney's cavern says this race is still a forgone conclusion. let's begin with joe johns, he's in illinois. joe? >> reporter: wolf, this is rosemo rosemont, illinois, outside of chicago, where newt gingrich is expected to appear shortly. there were new calls today from conservatives for gingrich to get out of the race and give rick santorum a clean shot at the republican nomination. as indecision limped closer to the halfway mark, the candidates fanned out. rick san tore, tuesday night's winner, took hi victory lap, stumping for votes in louisiana, ending up in puerto rico, but not before a parting shot at romney. >> people say you're being outspent and everybody is talking about the math, all the things that this race is inevitable. well, for someone who thinks this race is inevitable, he's spending a whole lot of money against me for being inevitable. >> reporter: the vang wished of tuesday's southern slam headed north, promising to fight another day. mitt romney to new york to raise money after having prematurely predicted curtains for the santorum campaign in an interview with wolf blitzer. >> senator santorum is at the desperate end of his campaign, and is trying in some way to boost his prospects. frankly misrepresenting the truth is not a good ways of doing that. >> reporter: looking more desperate all the time was the night's biggest loser, newt gingrich, who set off to illinois, defiant as ever, even though his lost his magic touch in the southern primaries. >> i do not believe a massachusetts moderate who created romney-care as the forerunner of obama-care will be in a position to win any debates this fall. that's part of the reason i have insisted on staying in the race. >> reporter: part of problem is the latest cued conservatives who said it's time for him to go. >> he should step aside. rick santorum by winning two states nobody thought he could, he's earned the right to go one on one, and those he has a far better chance of winning with gingrich out of the race. >> reporter: someone like richard biggery, perhaps, he's been called the founding father of the conservative movement. >> i think it would be helpful for the conservative cause if newt gingrich would withdraw. i don't see a path for him to get the nomination. he's just going to divide the conservative cause. and he's dividing the vote right now. >> reporter: a major question is whether newt gingrich is going to be able to keep his funding sources going strong. the campaign says he has tens of thousands of small dollar donors, but the 2k50e7est pocket, sheldon adelson, the question of course is whether he will continue writing the checks as he has before, the friends of newt gingrich were not answering that question when cnn asked today. wolf, back to you. >> a good question, stay on top of it, joe. the math certainly may be on mitt romney's side, at least for now, but why is the race such a struggle for him. let's go to gloria borger. is it a message problem? >> it may well be a message problem. as you see, in all of these exit polls, the primary conservative base just doesn't feel passionate about mitt romney. >> i was talking to one supporter today, and he said the irony is that romney might be more comfortable at a general election candidate than he really is as a rep candidate who has to appeal to the conservative base. he said to me, take a look at how he reacted to the whole rush limbaugh controversy. instead of going out and just criticizing rush limbaugh for his words, he said something like, well, those weren't the words i would have chosen, and this person said that's because he was afraid of making a mistake. he was afraid conservatives would come down on him. i think that discomfort really shows as he campaigns, particularly as he campaigned in the south. >> he still has twit as many delegates as santorum, so a decisive advantage, more money, certainly a more professional organization. he's on the ballot in all the districts next week, but i've been speaking to sources inside the romney campaign. what are they saying? >> well, there's clearly a lot of internal discussion going on about retooling, and how do you retool the mitt romney campaign. some people have said, okay, you've got to make staff changes. i don't think that's going to happen, but everybody seems to agree that the message of vote for me because i can win, or vote for me because i'm ahead really in this race is not enough to get people passionately behind you. so they're talking about getting back to the main message of the economy, and start talking about party unity. start talking about how unified republican party can beat president obama, and if you are for rick santorum -- now this is the romney people talking -- if you're for rick santorum, what you are essentially saying is you support the idea of a contested convention, because the only way rick santorum could get that nomination, they say, is to go to a contested convention. santorum says i can stop romney, but he doesn't ever say i can get to 1144 myself without that contested convention action so talk about how important unity is to beat the president. >> gloria, thank very much. president obama today stood shareholder to shareholder with the british prime minister david cameron. they made it easy to nudge each other in the ribs with some jokes, and then showed solidarity regarding several crisis situation. jess jessica yellin is joining us with the details. >> reporter: hi, wolf. it's clear the special bond between these two leaders extends beyond the traditional special relationship between the u.s. and the uk. prime minister cameron by our count is the first foreign leader to get a trip on air force one with the president. the two share policy goals and a personal rapport. ♪ the day began with pomp, circumstance and a little mutual teasing. >> he's learned to appreciate one of our great national pastimes. his team has told me he's decided to install a hoop at 10 downing street. >> i will leave america with in words, alley oops, brackets, fast breaks, and who knows, maybe that hoop will be installed in downing street after all. >> all right, everybody. thank you so much. >> reporter: the two leaders met behind closed doors for at least two hours. then in the rose garden, addressed the full spectrum of world events. on afghanistan, the president gave a date for a shift in mission. >> at the upcoming nato summit in my hometown of chicago, we'll determine the next phase of transition. this includes shifting to a support role next year in 2013 in advance of afghan's taking full responsibility for security in 2014. >> reporter: it's the first time the president set nato forces will take on a support role in 2013. he made clear the time frame for negotiations with iran is closing soon. >> the windows for solving this issue diplomatically is shri shrinking. >> reporter: prime minister cameron had praise for the president as handling of the crisis in iran. >> the president's tough, reasonable approach has united the world under unprecedented sanctions against iran. >> reporter: a slightly different tone. while the white house says asaid will eventually go, the prime minister had a more dire warning. >> if assad continuing, then civil war or revolution is the inevitable consequence. >> reporter: there were many lighter moments while the first lady and mrs. cameron unveiled plans for the london olympics, the president took the british leader to an ncaa basketball game, conveniently located in the key battle state of ohio. >> the heartland is what it's all about. >> reporter: it was the prime minister's first basketball game. he joked -- >> he's going to help me fill out my brackets. >> reporter: the president got, and in the rose garden he couldn't resist some ribbing. >> i'm still trying to get david to fill out his bracket. >> reporter: i'm told he needed some help, because the prime minister's original brackets include arsenal and manchester united -- a little joke. on a slightly more serious note, they exchanged gifts. prime minister received from the president a grill in commemoration of a meal that the president and prime minister shared with their families when the president was last in the uk. and the brits in return are giving the white house a tend table tennis table, which in the u.s. is known as ping-pong. wolf? >> so i assume, jessica, you're getting ready to get all glamorous for the state dinner at the white house, the black-tie dinner that the president and first lady are hosting? >> my invitation hasn't shown up, wolf, but i'm going to place a call about that. >> shock, shock. >> but there is a big state dinner that we will all be watching closely. >> i'm sure it would be lovely. thanks, jessica. in today's welcome ceremony there was a 19-gun salute and probably equal number of jokes. they are quickly becoming friends. the president began noting that the prime minister was impressed by that trip that jessica mentioned to the ncaa tournament in dayton. listen to this. >> the storied relationship between the united states and the united kingdom is steeped in tradition, and last night as president i shared with the prime minister a uniquely american tradition of bracketology. march madness, he's learned to appreciate one of our great national pastimes, his team has told me he has decided to install a hoop at ten downing street. it's now been 200 years since the british came here to the white house under somewhat different circumstances. they made quite an impression. they really lit up the place. but we moved on. and today, like so many presidents and prime ministers before us, we meet to reaffirm one of the greatest alliances the world has ever known. we americans and brits speak the same language most of the time, so let me just say, david, we are chu ffed to bits that you ae here. i'm confident together we're going to keep the relationship between our two nations absolutely top notch. >> i have to say, barack, with that spectacular command of our shared language, with all these union flags, and with so many friends at home, you are really making me feel very at home here in washington. so i am a little embarrassed, as i stand here, to think that 200 years ago my ancestors tried to burn this place down. now, looking around me, i can see you've got the place a little better defended today. you're clearly not taking any risks with the brits this time. and thank you also for the lessons last night. i will leave america with some new words -- alley-oops, brackets, fast breaks, and who knows, maybe that hoop will be installed in downing street after all. it was a great evening. thank you very much indeed. >> it's an official visit, but the white house calling is tonight a state dinner, the main course a fitting anglo-american combination, bison wellington. mitt romney's double losses in the deep south are on jack cafferty's mind. also the obama campaign uses some troubling phone numbers in a stark warning to raise money. star power on capitol hill as the actor george clooney turns activists and urges lawmakers to take action. >> these were not acts of war. these were war crimes. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. my high school science teacher made me what i am today. our science teacher helped us build it. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller. over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? 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[ male announcer ] be a winner with the all-new prius c from toyota. ♪ jack cafferty has "the cafferty file." >> here we are, another tuesday, another failure by mitt romney to line up the party faithful behind him. not only did romney lose yet's contest in alabama and mississippi, he finished third in both, behind rick santorum and newt gingrich. even though romney remains well ahead in the delegate count, even though he will likely still win the nomination, he just cannot put the nagging downs to rest. begala says -- and begala calls on romney to get out of the race, but romney isn't doing himself any favors. on this very program, he proclaimed that rick santorum look -- like the other day around. so the race goes on and on. santorum and romney expected to split the next few contests and that leaves newt gingrich, who managed to have an even more embarrassing day. gingrich seems to they he's running against what he calls the elite media. what's post a comment on my blog, go to our cost on "the situation room's" facebook page. i wonder if mitt romney has ever eaten cheesy grits or catfish. >> good question. i suppose as a politician you've got no choice, jack. all right. stand by. >> all right. there's been a major accident in pittsburgh. what happened, lisa? >> wolf, we're just getting this word in, there is a receives accident involving a school bus and tractor trailer, in somerset county, in pennsylvania. you are seeing pictures. these are pictures courtesy of our affiliate wtae. this is a significant accident, and at the time of this crash, that school bus was fully lot the with students, as many as 70 students were believed to be on board that bus. we know that six students have been taken by medical chopper to area hospitals. 22 students have been described, in the words of a 911 dispatcher as the walking wounded. there are an unknown number of -- this happened at route 281 in turkeyfoot valley, in the area, it's about an hour to two hours just south of pittsburgh. again, a major accident, a school bus and a tractor trailer have collided. you can see in this pictures, you have emergency crews on the scene right there. and just judging by it -- and this is just a guess -- it looks like that tractor trailer might have been a pepsi truck, that's at least what the sign says. you can see that the back door of that truck -- of the school bus, rather, is open. they are obviously trying to get to the victims. they are still treating victims on the scene. we will continue to monitor this very serious accident, wolf, and as soon as they are available, wolf? >> yeah, terrible situation. lisa, thanks very much. veterans outraged by a flag with president obama's face on it. >> i can't sdrib how upset i was, because you just don't do that to the american flag. you're going to see the tense confrontation that followed with a democratic party official. also why the obama campaign says the president would lose to mitt romney if the election were held today. ix up old houses. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. 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[ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. ♪ ( whirring and crackling sounds ) man: assembly lines that fix themselves. the most innovative companies are doing things they never could before, by building on the cisco intelligent network. satellite images raise new concerns about iran's nuclear program. are they the sites of nuclear tests. plus an on-board rant. you'll hear the 911 calls from frightened passengers. stand by, you're in "the situation room." joining us is jen saki, also joining us republican strategist nancy footen in that auer. thank you for coming in, ladies. mitt romney just gave an interview to fox news, and was asked about some of the gaffes, talking about the wife's cad lacks, the fact that he knows all these owners of football teams, et cetera. listen to how he responded. >> guess what? i made a lot of money. i've been very successful. i'm not going to apologize for that. i know the dnc tries to push this out and get it on the mainstream media, and everybody laughs about it, because in this country, we want someone who can help other people become successful. this is a nation which is not going to choose or president based on these little innuendos and personal attacks. >> that's the heart of the problem. he's completely missing the point. it's not about how much money he makes, it's about his plan for the middle class and people who have not been as fortunate. when hi makes references like cad lacks and sports teams and the owners he's friends with, he shows a lack of empathy and passion for what most people in this country have been going through. >> is that hurting him, nancy, with republican voters, for example, did it hurt him in mississippi and alabama yesterday? >> i don't think that's what hurt him in mississippi and alabama. i think that romney has problems with white evan jell can voters. in the states where you have fairly significant demographic, of those voters, that you'll see him show a lot of weakness. i do think he is strangely uncomfortable with his success. i would contrast that with jon huntsman and his approach. he's come in late to the party action and therefore it's not as believable. >> jim messina, the campaign manager for the obama campaign, a gentleman you know quite well, he put out an e-mail yesterday. he says if the general election were held today, president obama would lose to mitt romney. now, many other polls put the president on top, but all point to the same reality. we're looking at a race tighter than you think, we can no underestimate someone like romney who has shown he will spend and say anything to win. i know this is part of a fund-raiser, this e345i8 that went out, about give me your thoughts. if you that's something the party should be telling the base right now. >> wolf, it's been a couple good weeks, in part because of the out of whack debate about contraception, but we know this is going to be a close race. hard-fought, it's going to be tough. what jim messina was saying is we need every voter, every volunteer, every single person who can give a dollar give a dollar. we'ral mile 2, and we have a long way to go until november. we can rest then. >> is that scare tactic going to get a lot of money for the democrats, nancy? >> oh, i don't know. i mean, i think that they -- fund-raisers on both sides typically say this type of thing. i guess i'm not surprised. i do agree with jen i think it will be a tighter race than people may anticipate. that's because you see a republican base spread along multiple candidates, but they will coalesce, and the intensity here will be on the republican side, because they do not want obama. they may not love their nominee, but they dislike him more. >> you continue to assume, jen, like most democrats, that the republican nominee is in fact going to be romney, not santorum? >> well, there's a path for santorum. we know romney has more delegates right now, but he has a couple problems. one is he significantly has outspent. and he still lost two of the races yesterday. so, you know, i think right now what the romney campaign needs to do is go back, really take a look at what the heart and soul of this candidacy is all about, because they haven't been able to communicate that to voters across the country. >> a lot of republicans are saying it's time for newt gingrich to see the handwriting on the wall, like ron paul, for example, and get out of this race. are you among those republicans who are ready to tell the speaker of the house it's over? >> i think it's his decision, but i really i guess am struggling with why at this point he's staying in. i do hear more and more people who are talking about brokered convention, as if it could occur. at that point, frankly, when you ask them who benefits from it, it's not any of the people currently in the race that come out first. they're talking about someone -- we're not currently seeing, and i would imagine that would be the worst nightmare for the obama campaign. >> i assume you agree, jen, that it's now a two-man race for all practical purposes, just as four years ago, they went until mid june until hillary clinton conceded. as a democrat, dow do you see this santorum versus romney, and it could go to june or a contested convention in tampa at the end of august? >> well, as we all know, newt gingrich goes to the beat of his own drummer, and certainly has a healthy sense of self. if he staying in until the convention, i don't think anybody would be surprised. the difference between this year and four years ago is hillary clinton and barack obama were exciting people 2349 party. they were bringing new voters into the party, and, you know, right now we're not seeing that on the other side in the republican primary. >> and no doubt that competition maid barack obama a much stronger candidate, and eventually obviously beat john mccain as we all know. we'll continue this conversation. thank you so much. >> thank you, wolf. tempers are soaring in florida over what some veterans say is desecration of the american flag. >> josef stalin, mao tse-tung, adolf hitler, the pomp, the ceremony, the flags like that. >> this flag has a picture of the president of 9 united states. we'll show you what the outrage is about. also george clooney answering questions up on capitol hill, including from our own correspondent. what brought him to congress? that's coming up. [ male announcer ] this was how my day began. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ lisa sylvester is monitoring other top stories, including a new video of a huge explosion in syria. what happened, lisa? >> the blast allegedly occurred at a checkpoint in the province of homs after a large number of soldiers defected from president bashar al assad's army. the opposition says more than 50 people died in syria today, and more than 8 thousands since the uprising begains. -- as a response to rockets fired into israel in the past day. there are no reports of casualties, but both sides seemed reluctant to carry out the cease-fire. after eight years, a missing child has been found safe. texas police say a woman was baby-sitting her neighbor's 8-month-old child. the case fell through the cracks under child protective services investigated the woman. the alleged kidnapper is in police custody. ink that you, lisa. george clooney is just back from sudan, where there is ongoing fighting, and he's using his star power to encourage congress to take action. athena jones has details of his testimony on capitol hill just a few hours ago. >> wolf, you don't usually find throngs of autograph seekers outside the senate committee, but that's because you usually don't have a hollywood star as a witness. as you mentioned clooney had an impassioned plea -- george cleanie isn't just a big draw at the box office. arrives on capitol hill, the actor was greeted by fans, flashbulbs, and even laughter. but the subject was serious. >> thank you for the opportunity to appear before you. >> reporter: clooney is lending his celebrity to efforts to stop a humanitarian crisis on the border of sudan and south sudan, the actor/activist is just back from the region. >> give us a sense of what you really saw on the ground. >> these were not acts of war. these were war crimes. >> reporter: he showed a video. >> yesterday, 10:30 in the morning, 15 bombs hit this tiny village where everyone is hiding in the rocks. this is an unexploded bomb. it's buried up to its neck in the dirt. >> reporter: clooney says frequent bomb strikes on villages by the sudanese government while it fights rebel mean the people live in constant fear. some 250,000 people could face near famine conditions by next month if the government doesn't allow aid in. >> you're a very brave money. can you tell him? [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: the price of oil has been driven up and deprived china of 6% of its oil. clooney called for the u.s. to work with klein to influence the sudanese many omar al bashir. >> let's send a high-level enjoy to work together on this. let's use the techniques and find and freeze the offshore bank can get of these war criminals. >> reporter: after the two-hour hearing, it was back to the throngs of fans and reporters. >> reporter: do you feel like it will make a difference? >> tomorrow we speak to the president, secretary clinton, and we'll continue to try to move the bar. >> reporter: wolf, you heard he'll be meeting with president obama. it won't be the first time to talk about this subject. clooney is cofounder of the satellite sent necessarily projects to track suspected war climbs in real time. he says he hopes the group can use these images to try to stop the bloodshed and also can be used as evidence in any future trial. >> he's doing really, really important work. we wish him successes. he doesn't have to do it, but he's doing it, and i applaud them for that. >> a stolen vehicle on the runway just as leon panetta is about to land. we're learning new details of a disturbing security breach. a tense situation over a flag with obama's face on it. >> this is private property. you're not allowed to touch anything. i'll call the police. >> that's fine. i wish you would. 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[ male announcer ] for the road ahead, the all-new subaru impreza. ♪ experience love that lasts. controversy and confrontation in lake county, florida, over an american flag with president obama's face on it. aaron peterson of wftv was there when angry veterans demanded that it be taken down. >> any american citizen should be sick to see something like this. >> reporter: donovan beck says his blood was boiling. >> i can't describe how upset i was, because you just don't do that to the american flag. >> reporter: the korean war veteran found it flying outside democratic headquarters under the as far as and stripes, a banner veterans insist violates the suns flag coat. it made some of them see red. >> josef stalin, pictures of mow tse-tung, pictures of adoll hitler, the pomp, the ceremony, the flags like that. >> reporter: nearly a dozen vets came to the office to take it down. >> no, this is private property. >> excuse me, i understand that. >> you're not allowed to touch anything, i'll call the police. >> i wish you would. >> reporter: democratic party chair agreed to check the federal coat. after about ten minutes, pulled out the pole and cut off the flag. >> did you check higher up the ladder? >> no just went online. there is no higher up in lake county. i'm responsible, and i take responsibility. >> reporter: the vet advance insist their outrage had nothing to do with president obama, but everything to do with protecting the stars and stripes. >> if you've been a veteran and fought and some died for this for this flag, you dpont want to see it decent crated. that's how simple it is. >> that report from baron peterson of our affiliate wftv, obviously a very sensitive subject for so many people out there. millions of homes along u.s. coastlines could face flooding. a new warning about global warming is out. you'll want to listen to this. we'll take you for a ride on boeing's new dreamliner. after years of production problems, does it finally live up to all the hype. our own lizzie o'leary is on board. what's mitt romney's biggest problem? jack cafferty has your e-mails. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. delicious gourmet gravy. and she agrees. with fancy feast gravy lovers, your cat can enjoy the delicious, satisfying taste of gourmet gravy every day. fancy feast. the best ingredient is love. and most importantly, its lobster. it's the tastiest, the sweetest, the freshest. nobody can ever get enough. 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[ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. has it been worth the wait? lizzie oy leery took a ride on the dreamliner. what did you think, lizzie? >> reporter: it's bakley a special kind of plastic. these boeing's hope to try to get back on top and beat airbust. it has been a long road, three years of production delays, so now they're showing it off to investors, employees, people like us on what they call the dream tour. watch the dream tour pull into town. this plane has fans. the 787 dreamliner is boeing's baby, and we got to tag along for a ride. good morning. the first things you notice, big windows, spacious overhead bins, and a high ceiling. i'm 5'6". so my head come right about here. and those windows. there's no shade, right? how did that work? this way, it works with a button, if you want it to be darker, you push this button, and watch the window itself begin to get darker. custom lighting colors, an air system that doesn't feel as thin or dry. in flight, it's remarkably quiet, even in the cockpit. its wings actually bend up and down, making for a smoother ride in the cabin, and a more efficient one. boeing says this plane, made largely of plastic and carbon using 20% less fuel than an aluminum one, but it hasn't all been smooth flying. dreamliners are running three years behind schedule, and on some planes, the composite skin is pulling near the tail. that means two weeks of repairs. boeing's test pilot is not worried. >> our engineers work very hard at getting it right. that's why we're possibly behind. we want to get it right before we put it out to the public and make it available for everyone to fly. >> reporter: this is the dreamliner's biggest customer. he's buying 74 of them. to lease to airlines. and he's 6'3", and said comfort was a big selling point. >> if the product is not attractive for the passenger, you, me, taking or family on business travel, it doesn't work. he also brought along his bankers. >> reporter: what is it about this plane that makes people act like 8-year-olds? >> all planes are like this. it's the magic of flying. >> reporter: well, right now, wolf, a lot of employees from boeing are getting a chance december that's not an opportunity. u.s. flyers will have that soon. next month the plane will make a commercial debut in boston. it's already flying in asia. japan airlines will flying it from tokyo to boston. united has put in an order, but it's unclear when they'll start flying. they just say sometime in the coming year. i'm looking forward to getting on board myself. lizzie, thanks very much. happening now, the defense secretary of the funnels leon panetta visits afghanistan and disarms u.s. marriages. this hour, the request for american troops to leave their weapons at the door. what's going on? a wall street giant is publicly accused of ripping off clients in a toxic and destructive way. it's a stunning parting shot at goldman sachs by one of is own executives. we now have cell phone video of a flight attendant's on-board rant. we want to welcome our viewer. breaking news, political headlines and jeanne moos all straight ahead. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." defense secretary panetta is driving home these are very dangerous times in afghanistan. he visit today with u.s. troops comes just days after an american soldier allegedly went on a deadly rampage against afghan civilians, but even hardened marines were taken aback by something they had to do today, apparently in the name of security. they had to drop their own weapons. our pentagon correspondent chris lawrence is joining us. he hayes details. what's the latest? >> reporter: wolf, we learned just a few hours ago that the soldier who was accused of killing those afghan women and children has now been taken out of afghanistan. his current whereabouts are not being released, but we were told by a defense official it was based on two reasons -- one, a legal recommendation, and the fact that they felt they did not have a place in afghanistan where they could detain him for any long length of time any more than head already been -- he had already been detained. the day started before secretary panetta was even able to set foot on the ground. he ticked off a litany of violent events as he spoke to marines in afghanistan. >> the burning of the koran and of the islamic religious text. forces have been targeted for killing, murder. >> reporter: but he got a personal taste of the unpredictable violence. as he plane was arriving, an afghan stole a british vehicle, ran over a coalition service member and drove onto the runway. >> he did end up on the runway ramp and i saided up in a ditch. our personnel discovered he was ablaze. >> reporter: they found no explosives on him, but the secretary's plane was diverted, coalition troops arrested the afghan, who was burned over a good part of his body. bastion is a british base, and word of the incident reach prime minister cameron. he expressed concern for the troops there. >> if there are things that need to be done in the coming hours and days to keep them safer, be no doubt we will do them. >> reporter: after this incident marines who gathered were told to take their weapons outside. it was highly unusual. troops had never been asked to disarm for a visit like this before. a defense officials explained that the commander wanted to promote partnership and didn't want armed marines with unarmed afghan forces, but apparently his directive didn't reach the unit until they were seated. panetta urged the marines to stay focused. >> never lose sight of that mission. whatever the events, whatever the incident. >> reporter: despite the talk of partnership and good things happening in afghanistan, you have this did i cot my, wolf, between prime minister cameron and president obama talking about the ongoing, enduring partnership in afghanistan, and the first word we were getting that an afghan had tried to drive his truck onto the runway as the secretary of defense was arriving. i'm told it was a british service member who was injured by that stolen truck and that this truck was able to pass at least one layer of perimeter security to get onto that runway. this is an egregious breach of security at the time that the secretary was arriving in country, wolf. >> couldn't be more sensitive than that. let's dig deeper on panetta's visit and the extraordinary request for united states marines to disarm. we're joined by the retirmd arm major general james "spider" marks. general, thanks for coming in. i've traveled with defense secretaries, commander, i was in iraq with general abizaid. he always went in -- none of the troops would disarm. the iraqi troops were forced to come in without weapons. this is pretty extraordinary, don't you think? >> it might be unprecedented, but i don't think that it's exceptionally extraordinary. i think this probably has more to do with optics than tactics. certainly the secretary was never at personal risk. he travels with a personal security detachment. these are individuals that have weapons, they are not necessarily displayed, but they can protect the certificate tear of defense at a moment's notice, very close-in security. also the facility where the secretary was located was inside either a command post or a combat outpost or forward operating base. he was never at risk. it might be unprecedented, but not really a big deal, i don't thinkisms to me it seems like a big deal, i'm sure to the marines and soldiers told to leave their weapons outside, it must have been a big deal. some people have suggested that the concern is maybe an afghan will try to grab one of the weapons, and others have said in the aftermath of what happened when the one soldier allegedly started on that rampage, maybe another soldier until enormous distress could suchly open up against the defense secretary. what do you think the concern was in asking these marines to leave their weapons outside? isms well, wolf, i really believe what we are talking about here is the optics of the secretary of defense, and maybe 90 marines, all of them with their individual weapons, and the afghan partners do not. that's standard operating procedure. it happened also in iraq as a matter of routine. in this particular incident, i don't think it's a bad idea to ask those marines leave your weapons outside. the fact they might have been notified five minutes before the secretary arrived and they all had to gaggle outside, drop their weapons, stack them up, get back inside, that's a disruption, that by itself is not a big deal. again it gets to the optics of the situation. is it certainly had nothing to do with the secretary's personal risk. >> it's been ten years, they're -- and lasting at least three more years in afghanistan. some troops have served even maybe five tours of duty. is it simply too much for anyone to bear? >> well, clearly what we see is that our military can bear it. they can withstand it. they can do a magnificent job. what we saw with this one soldier is the complete activity of a rogue soldier. we'll figure out what went terribly wrong with that individual. clearly what you see -- clear -- 99% of every one of these soldiers and marines, all our service members that deploy are prepared for this mission and are focused. you're absolutely correct. we've asked these great young americans to step up repeatedly, and it wears on you. when you're focused on the task, as the secretary indicated, stay mission focused, you'll be okay and you have your buddies with you. that's the message and that's the behavior you routinely see. general marks, thanks for coming in. >> thanks, wolf. president obama is warning iran today that the window for solving the nuclear dispute with the west by diplomatic means is shrinking. international inspectors are concerned about possible nuclear ability. our own tom foreman has been studying the satellite images. what's going on? isms this came out of a report. the experts have you been stu y studiying the from goi, this is a big sprawling place. u.n. inspectors did go in and see this some years ago, but they didn't get to see all of this, and now what these folks are saying is there should have been some very close inspection of this building right out here, just a blur on thisled older image. this is from digital globe, one of their newer images of the very same place. if you look at it, you can see the building a little more clearly right here. what's the issue? the question is, is this a place where iran has been testing nuclear triggers in effect. when you set off a nuclear explosion, you have to have a big explosion first to make the nuclear material to start reacting. that's a tricky procedure. they're wondering if that's what's been going on in this building, where u.n. inspectors have never, ever been. why do they think that? there's a perimeter fence around this property, which has attracted some attention, keeping people at bay. it's a little removed from everything else. you can see the shadows of berms that have been constructed, raised earth areas, suggesting that there have been some high explosives going off inside this building. the simple truth is when they folks looked at this from isis, they said if you look at these pictures closely enough and amid reports there's been more activity in this area, simply put, if u.n. inspectors do get back in as iran has suggested they will, one of the places they suggest needs to be looked at very carefully is this building. if you just look at part of it, you might miss something very important, wolf, a lot of buzz about this building here in washington todayisms but tom, if something untoward was going on there and the inspectors would be allowed to go there, don't you think the iranians would clean it up and get rid of the damaging evidence? isms that's a big question. the longer this is delayed, the question is, can they change things around, recon figure things inside so it looks simply like normal weapons testing, not the building of a nuclear trigger. experts would know what the difference is between the two, but to give them enough time? maybe it won't look like that anymore. good report, tom. thank you very much. we've heard a lot about tell things being said about wall street firms, but i don't remember anything like this. a goldman sachs executive calls it quits with a scathing farewell in "new york times." we now have the closest video yet of a flight attendant apparently having an on-board meltdown and terrifying passengers. and critics says bill maher has crossed the line again. you were there the day the priceline negotiator went down in that fiery bus crash. yes i was. we lost a beautiful man that day. but we gained the knowledge that priceline has thousands and thousands of hotels on sale every day. so i can choose the perfect one for me without bidding. is it hard for you to think back to that day? oh my, this one has an infinity pool. i love those they just... and then drop off, kinda like the negotiator. i worked at the colorado springs mail processing plant for 22 years. we processed on a given day about a million pieces of mail. checks, newspapers, bills. a lot of people get their medications only through the mail. small businesses depend on this processing plant. they want to shut down 3000 post offices, cut 100,000 jobs. they're gonna be putting people out of work everywhere. the american people depend on the postal service. ♪ ♪ 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. at liberty mutual, we know how much you count on your car, and how much the people in your life count on you. that's why we offer accident forgiveness, where your price won't increase due to your first accident. we also offer a hassle-free lifetime repair guarantee, where the repairs made on your car are guaranteed for life, or they're on us. these are just two of the valuable features you can expect from liberty mutual. plus, when you insure both your home and car with us, it could save you time and money. at liberty mutual, we help you move on with your life, so get the insurance responsible drivers like you deserve. call us at... or visit your local liberty mutual office, where an agent can help you find the policy that's right for you. liberty mutual insurance, responsibility -- what's your policy? jack cafferty is here with koi "the cafferty file"? >> nearly 1.5 million american families live on $2 a day or less per person. two bucks a day. the numbers include 2.8 million children. we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. the national poverty center reports households living in extreme poverty surged 130% in the last 15 years. it's estimated more than half of these families are run by a single woman, more than a third are headed by a married couple, almost half are headed by whites, one quarter by blacks, less than a quarter by hispanics. the center used the $2 a day measure since that's one of the world bank's main indicators in poverty in developing countries. sad commentary on the state of affairs here in our own developed country. researchers didn't include food stamps in these numbers. if you factor in food stamps, the number of households in extreme poverty drops to almost half. the federal government spends hundreds of billions on programs. it's estimated 1 in 6 americans rely on public programs with food stamps and medicaid being the largest. mitt romney recently came under fire when he said he's not concerned about the very poor, quote, there's a safety net there, unquote. it's not exactly the voice of a compassionate conservative. here's the question -- what does it mean when 1.5 million american families live on less than $2 a day per person. go to cnn.com/caffertyfile, post a comment on my blog or go to our post on "the situation room's" facebook page. shocking, wolf. >> shocking indeed. meanwhile, a longtime goldman sachs executive is calling it quits, but not before ripping the corporate giant to pieces in a scathing op-ed. let's bring in our own mary snow. mary has the explosive details. tell our viewers what happened here. >> wolf, this is really seen as unprecedented, a pr nightmare for goldman sachs might be an understatement. the firm had no choice but to respond to a public attack by one of its own who charges the company has lost its way. >> all these activities involve clients, and all involved risk. >> reporter: goldman sachs is known for being shrouded in secrecy with rare public glimpses into the firms with congressional hearings like this one. that's why it's so unusual for a goldman sachs insider to resign from the firm through a blister "new york times" op-ed piece. gregg smith, an executive director quit after 12 years, writing the environment now is as toxic and destructive as i have ever seen it. he writes the company puts itself ahead of its clients, saying it makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients off. over the last 12 months i have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as muppets. lloyd blakefein fired back. our culture and how the vast majority of people think about the firm. for an insider to do this is unheard of, but he's not surprised by 9 content. >> much of what he's written about is family to me and also familiar to their clients who know that gold man does this. they don't like it, but they know that gold man tends to put itself before its clients. >> reporter: some on wall street question smith's parting words. >> i think that this whole epiphany concept is a little bit hypocritical, because odds are things are not very different now than in 2000 or 2001, whenever he began his career. >> reporter: the kreismt home did address the company image in an interview with christine romans in 2010. we'll survive only by putting our clients first and the interests of the broader community first, but there certainly is a rise in the suspicion that something is broken here and we just don't have those standards. and the industry and goldman sachs have a lot of work ahead of itself to make the kinds of changes, not just to convince people, but to make the kinds of changes that the -- that are warranted. from the lessons of the last several years. >> reporter: the question is, what impact will this have? one client is the state of california. goldman sachs helps the state sell bonds. a spokesman for the state treasurer says there are no plans to alter the relationship, but says -- the state of california is not a muppet when it comes to bond sales and a relationship with banks. and the treasurer's office adds it hires independent financial advisers to make decisions. in the bigger picture. paul volcker sell there's been a dramatic transformation with banks focusing on profits and away from clients. >> i think this story will resonate for some time. new signs iran could be to blame for a sophisticated cyberattack unleashed on a major media company. we'll have the latest for you. it's been a key -- a key to acquiring knowledge, why the era of the encyclopedia is now coming to an end. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. 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[ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. you know, typical alarm clock. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie. or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006. lisa sylvester is monitoring other top stories, including information on the horrific crash in pennsylvania. >> at least one person has died after a sparked school bus collided with a semitruck trailer in southern pennsylvania. as many as 70 students may have been on that bus. medical helicopters are transporting six students to the hospitals and two other school buses are assisting students with less serious injuries. we will provide more information as we get it. the bbc says it appeared iran hayes released a sophisticated cyberattack on the persian service. the head of the bbc says it isn't the first time the iranians have tried to jam satellite feeds, but all bbc persian staff work outside iran, but the bbc chief is also accusing iran of arresting employees' family members who are living in the country. the staple of academia is coming to an end. encyclopedia britannica will stop publishing books. the 2010 edition will be the last. that's almost hard to believe this, but britannica was first published in scotland way back in 1768. the end of an era. they say every dog has its day. that definitely applies to one dogsledder, too. the 25-year-old is the youngest musher to win the famed alaska eye at this time rod sleddog race. he completed it in nine days, 4 hours, 29 minutes. sledding is in his blood. he beat both his father and his grandfather to the finish line. so congratulations to him. that is pretty cool. he certainly will have bragging rights in that family, wolf. >> good for him, congratulations. good work. bill maher is under fire again. he might want to blame rush limbaugh. it's a new shot. and in a in set of roshings, during a flight attendant ace apparent meltdown. passengers feared they were in the midst of this kind of 9/11 attack. >> they're talking about crashes our plane. >> who was talking about crashing the plane? >> the attendance over the p.a. i care about my car because... i think it's a cool car. i think it's stylish and it makes a statement at the same time. and i've never had a car like that. people don't totally understand how the volt works. when the battery runs down the gas engine operates. i don't ever worry about running out of battery power... because it just switches over to my gas engine. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. i love my chevy volt and i've never loved a car. ♪ a living, breathing intelligence teaching data how to do more for business. 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[announcer:] if you take prolia® (denosumab) you should not take xgeva®. prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low blood calcium levels, serious infections... ...some of which may require hospitalization, and skin inflammation, rash and eczema. tell your doctor if you develop dental problems... ...as severe jawbone problems may happen. what's out there matters to me. so does what's in here. break a leg! thanks ed. ask your doctor if prolia® is right for you. rick santorum is making good on his promise to campaign everywhere, with a new blast of energy from the victories last night. he's now in puerto rico, trying for another upset win against mitt rom 234i. jim acosta is traveling with the former pennsylvania senator. what's going on in puerto rico, jim? >> reporter: wolf, railroad following rick santorum. he's looking for support before this week's prime yaerp. every delegate counts in this race for the gop nomination. rick santorum was defeated pretty soundly in some of the other territories that have weighed in so that explains weyrich santorum is here. i had a chance to catch up with him to talk about how he's feeling after the big victories in mississippi and alabama, and also about this romney campaign memo that came out earlier today, talking about how rick santorum is basically mathematically out of the race for the gop nomination. he laughed that off. here's what he had to say. >> reporter: hey, senator, how are you doing? i wanted to ask you, the fact that you're in puerto rico, does that sort of underline the performance of how every delegate counts now? >> well, delegates do count. as i said we're campaigning in every state. the only two states we didn't physically campaign in are hawaii and alaska, and i sent my daughter to hawaii. we did pretty well. we were up until 4:00 this morning watching them. we were within three or four points, and the area near brigham young came in with a large mormon vote, but i think it showed, we were very, very competitive on the island of hawaii. i was very encouraged by that, that we had real strength across the board in a state that i don't think most people thought we could be competitive in. i think it shows that, again action we'll finish second, congressman gingrich finished fourth, and i think it shows that we're we're the alternative. that's what we're down here -- i think we can do really wet here. i think top two is certainly possible, and even though the establishment is for governor romney, all the establishment is always for governor romney. >> reporter: the romney campaign came out with the some emo that the delegate count is still not on your side. >> it's pretty sad when all you have to do is math, trying to go out there and win it on substance and win it on what americans want to hear about. we're a long, long way from over. i suspect if we keep winning state after state after state, we'll be the nominee. >> reporter: and rick santorum is considered the underdog in the puerto rico primary. that's because mitt romney has the endorsement of the governor, but rick santorum and governor fortuno are old friends. the governor welcomed him to the island earlier this morning. consider this -- rick santorum is spending two days on this island. it just goes to show you how important these delegates are as this race goes forward, wolf. >> we'll get the results from puerto rico on sunday and illinois on tuesday. jim acosta in puerto rico for us, thanks very much. the rumbling is growing louder and lower, at least among some frustrated republicans, who say mitt romney has to change his message and start connecting with voters. let's bring in candy crowley, anchor of "state of the union." you've been covering his campaign. does he need to change what he's doing right now? >> you will hear people around him, you know, unofficial advisers, folks can an interest in the campaign, folks that have backed him that say, listen, obviously something has to change, because he needs to, quote, seal the deal, to use the season's cliche. i will say our peter hambring has doing some great research on this, and people are saying he has to hone in on a single message. that romney is all over the place, doesn't have a single message. here's the problem. i talked to two or three folks who are not being paid by the romney campaign, but nonetheless give them advice. they want at this stage of the game, they don't rule out that maybe somebody new would be brought in. there's always rumors to that effect. you say you can't make some major shake-up? a, who mitt romney is, and b, what his message is, which is that he's the guy that can in fact fix the economy. when i asked whether it shouldn't be more specific, they say, he has that multipoint plan that's out there. is that enough? they weren't sure, but they say, when you start making major changes at this point in a campaign, it buys into the theory that you're in trouble, and honestly, inside and outside that campaign, again they talk about the math and say we're doing really well. we still have twice as many delegates as rick santorum, and we believe we'll get there, so they don't think there should be 14 massive change inside the campaign. >> there's enormous pressure on him, it's clearly not good enough simply to talk about the math of all this. >> right. that's a problem for him. what has been the ramp on mitt romney so far when people are sitting back, analyzing what's been going on, he hasn't been able to connect with voters. and the fact is that mitt romney does have to do a better job connecting with voters. why? when you connect with voters, be they evan yell cals, be they those that are downscaled economically, 50,000 or less, when you're talking to those folks, they need to trust you. in order to trust you, they need to know you, there is a feeling that a lot of people just don't know who he is. but that's a candidate problem. it may not be a message problem or a structural problem within the campaign, that is a candidate problem that he needs to figure out. >> yeah, check out nigh blog post on our "the situation room" website today. i write about all this as well. curious what our viewers think. candy, thank you. fear and utter chaos on board an flight. just ahead, you're going to hear the confusion as it unfolded in rather dramatic new just released 911 tapes. it's been shut down ever since last year's earthquake. now there are new concerns the washington monument could be -- could be sinks. sinking. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. ♪ [ male announcer ] the dodge journey was made to explore the real world. it has under-seat storage to bring everything, available seating for up to seven people to take everyone, and the grip of available all-wheel drive to go everywhere. think of it as a search engine helping you browse the real world. this march, get no extra charge third-row seating plus 0% financing on dodge journey. shocking new video. 911 calls into cnn are revealing a chilling glimpse of a flight attendant on an eerie rant and the confusion that happened moments after it began. brian todd, share the details with our viewer. >> reporter: even more dramatic when you see the flight attendant and hear her so clearly, apparently breaking down. the clearest closest video yet of a flight attendant's apparent meltdown. >> get out of my way. >> reporter: which is cell phone video from passenger kevin rich, who said he dropped his phone and helped restrain the attendant, but he phone kept on recording on the tarmac in dallas. the attendant's vote, chillingingly clear. >> this has not happened to me since 9/11, and i'm not putting up with this. >> reporter: witnesses say she spoke the union issues. >> call me 9/11, i'm about to kill passengers before takeoff. >> stop, stop. >> rich, the passenger who filmed the incident says this about how passengers responded. >> for anyone sitting in first class, there was a lot of empathy for her. it was obvious from her demeanor, the verbiage she used, and just her actions as a whole, that, you know, there was never really a concern with us sitting there that there was something bigger or a terrorist plot. it was just obvious that she had issues. rich and another passenger says they overheard the flight attendant say she was bipolar and had not taken her medication. contacted by cnn, an american airlines spokesman would not k0789 on that, referred us back to a statement previously issued, saying they're investigating. i watched the video with sarah nelson with the association of flight attendants. it's not the union for american, but has been in contact with that airline over this incident. if she was bipolar, some would argue she should not in in that particular job. >> here's a 23-year employees, hundreds of thousands of attendants performing their job flawlessly. and we should -- -- whether we should be setting policy based on an incredibly rare incident. >> reporter: as a general rule, federal law allows her to have that job as long as she takes the medication. while rich was filming the incident, other passengers were calling 911. the calls capture the uchbdsable confusion. >> you're a flight attendant? >> a little help. a little help. restrain her. >> okay, sir? hello, sir? >> it looks like they're physically restraining a flight attendant. >> reporter: sarah nelson gives the passengers and crew high marks for their responsibility. she says flight attendants go over which member of the team is best equipped to handle a crisis, and they place themselves accordingly. of course, they were not likely ready for one of their own to do something like this. kell contacted american airlines for comment. they will not comment yet. they say they're still investigating. brian, you've picked up other details on how the attendant was behaving from that passenger, didn't you? >> kevin rich, who recorded the cell phone video and helped restrain this woman, said before she try she was restrained she tried to open doors, and at one point called the people s.e.a.l. team 6 and yelled at them to back off. she was going through quite an upheaval on that plane that day. >> she certainly was. lisa sylvester is monitoring other top stories in "the situation room" right now, including activists petitioning the united nations to save a woman's life. what do you have? >> they're calling for the release of a pakistani woman set to be hanged on charges of blasphemy. she's a christian, mother of five, accused of defiling the name of the prophet mohammed, which can be punishable by death, but the pakistani government is recommending her release. now it's up to a pakistani court to reverse the sentence. a tragedy in switzerland. a bus full of children crashed into the side of a tunnel, killing 22 of the children. and 6 adults. another 24 children are injured. a spokesman for president obama's national security council just said, quote, the president sends his deepest condolences to the victims and their families of last night's bus accident in switzerland. the loss of so many young lives is especially hardbreaking. spefrl iranian lawmakers say you said ahmadinejad didn't take hi appearance in front of parliament seriously. for the first time since the 1979 revolution, lawmakers summoned the president. he spent about an hour responding to questions about the economy, foreign policy and more. he answered most of them, but he also made several jokes. and you probably can't tell, but the washington monument may be sinks. the government is trying to figure out if an earthquake last year caused the monument to sink or shift. preliminary information show you a two-millimeter different at spots since the last survey. the monument has sump two inches since its completion in 1884. how cool is not? nissan is unveiling a race care that looks a lot like the iconic batmobile. it certainly did. the delta wing will compete in the day-long race, but won't count in the final results. the car is meant to promote fuel efficiency, and with it, expected to use half the gas of the other cars, and weighs half as much as a normal car. it really does resemble the batmobile there. we'll see if it's on the road around here anytime soon, wolf. >> it's very cool, i must say, very impressive. right now bill maher has something in common with rush limbaugh. nasty words, free speech during a heated election year. stand by. president obama goes to new lengths to accent america's special relationship with britain. we americans and brits speak the same language most of the time, so let me just say, david, we are chuffed to bits that you are here. everyone in america depends on the postal service. i get my cancer medications through the mail. now washington, they're looking at shutting down post offices coast to coast. closing plants is not the answer. they want to cut 100,000 jobs. it's gonna cost us more, and the service is gonna be less. we could lose clientele because of increased mailing times. the ripple effect is going to be devastating. congress created the problem. and if our legislators get on the ball, they can make the right decisions. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. the latest casualty in the firestorm engulfing conservative radio talk show host rush limbaugh could be radio host rush limbaugh could be bill murray now getting a lot of heat from republicans and democrats alike for his most recent inflammatory comments. let's bring in our lisa sylvester with the details. >> reporter: wolf, bill maher and rush limbaugh couldn't be further apart on the political spectrum. but these two guys do sharing is in common. they're both under fire for comments they've made recently. it raises the question, when does comedy go too far? for bill maher there's a thin line between comedy and controversy. maher used a crude obscenity to refer to sarah palin. a tweet during yesterday's primaries took an aim at the south "toothless tuesday too tight to tally." maher has taken on rick santorum who's home schooled. >> he walks them locked up in the family living room not out in public where they would be infected by the virus of reason. >> reporter: all comedy or does it cross a line? republican strategist sherry jacoba says even for comedy it's out of bounds. >> when you're making fun of the candidate's children, making fun of someone's religion to the point of being just down right nasty. you're calling women names that no women should be called. then you've crossed the line. >> reporter: republicans are holding up maher as a counter example to rush limbaugh. limbaugh used derogatory names to refer to college law school student sandra fluke. >> it makes her an slut, right? a prostitute. >> reporter: advertisers have since been fleeing limbaugh's show. in that controversy's wake, bill maher. the comedian recently gave a $1 million campaign contribution to the pro-obama super pac. now there are calls for that money to be returned. and david axelrod, a key player on president obama's re-election team, has backed away from an appearance on maher's show. >> you've got him as now a clear supporter of president obama. he gave $1 million to the super pac that supports president obama. and that makes him a bigger target. dave axelrod, who was supposed to be on his show, suddenly is no longer on his show because he may be a little bit too hot to handle right now from the white house's view. >> reporter: but maher has shown no sign of backing down. and on his march 9th show, defended free speech, only when it comes to rush limbaugh. >> i don't like it that people are made to disappear when they say something or people try to make them disappear when they say something you don't like. that's america. sometimes you're made to feel uncomfortable, okay? >> right. >> thank you. >> reporter: maher remains a bull's eye for the right. limbaugh for those on the left. >> now we reached out to priorities usa action, the superpack that received that $1 million check from bill maher. as of now there is no indication that the group plans to return the money, wolf. >> thanks very much for that, lisa, let's check back with jack at the cafferty file. >> the question this hour what does it mean when 1.5 million american families live on less than $2 a day per person? rod writes "it means we ought to stop spending money we don't have overseas and spend money we don't have here instead. no one in america should go hungry or without shelter. it's a crime against our citizens. makes our country a mockery to the rest of the world." david writes "i'm not ashamed because we have a lot of programs in place to help the very poor. we have a deep, long history of helping those most in need. i'm more concerned that we don't do enough to get people who are very poor into jobs that begin to end the cycle of poverty. i'm worried about the institutional poor who have given up and that our response to all of this is to treat the symptoms and not the cause." pete in florida writes "obviously it means that we need more tax cuts for the rich. patience, poor people. it will trickle down to you some day." eric in ohio writes "it means that when charity and schooling fall short government must act. it's atrocious for the richest nation the world has ever known to be so mean-spirited in the name of freedom from government intrusion." writes "this simply means america is slowly becoming a third world country. who knew? roy writes "the u.s. would rather med will in other country's affairs. spend trillions on unfunded wars and military hardware than take care of its own people. andre writes "what does it mean when you have to ask?" if you'd like to read more on this subject you'll find it on my blog, cnn.com/cafferty file or through our posts on the situation room facebook page. a special relationship seems to be brewing between the president of the united states and the prime minister of britain. >> i will leave america with some new words. alley-oops. brackets. fast breaks. and who knows, maybe that hoop will be installed in downing street after all. it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006. montgomery and abigail higgins had... ...a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit. which provided for their every financial need. and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but with their raymond james financial advisor, they had prepared for even the unthinkable. and they danced. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? 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[ female announcer ] yoplait. it is so greek. okay... ah, welcome to hotels.com. i get it...guys weekend. yeah! if you're looking for a place to get together, you came to the right place. because here at hotels.com, we're only about hotels. yeah! yeah! noooo. yeah! finding you the perfect place is all we do. welcome to hotels.com will be giving away passafree copies of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. president obama has been playing host to the british prime minister david cameron this week here in the united states. they're starting to look just like long time bffs. here's cnn's jeanne moos >> caller: the cherry blossoms are blooming, and there's bromance in the air. the president and the prime minister worked the rope line together. they posed together, waved together, did an interview together with the president beaming at his counterpart. barack and david are definitely on a first name basis. >> barack, thank you. >> david, we are chucked to bits that you are here. >> reporter: president obama threw in britishisms while prime minister cameron dropped americanisms. >> alley-oops, brackets. >> reporter: words he learned at his first basketball game where he tore open mustard with his teeth and he and the president chowed down on hot dogs. as president obama instructed him on the finer points of ncaa tournament play. and when they exchanged gifts, the obamas gave the camerons a fancier version of this grill. while the camerons gave the obamas a ping pong table. to commemorate the time last spring when the two got shellacked by a couple of students. the prime minister said the grill and the tennis table should be switched. >> when you see us standing next to each other, it is quite clear that the person who needs the exercise is the british prime minister. and the person who needs the barbecue is the president of the united states. >> reporter: these two even chuckled over the war of 1812 during which the british marched on the white house. >> to think that 200 years ago my ancestors tried to burn this place down. >> they really lit up the place. >> you've got the place a little better defended today.