now day 39 of this crisis in the gulf, and the president was in louisiana, needing down in the sand, seeing for himself the mounting toll on the fragile coastline, telling the people of the gulf coast, you are not alone. we'll get to the president in a moment here, but first, as we continue to watch that live picture at this hour, there is late word on the top kill effort that strategy to plug the leak, and ryan owens starts us off in the gulf tonight. >> reporter: good evening, david. the late word is, it's going to be awhile. if this was designed to be bp's magic bullet, they are firing it in slow motion. the top kill was never supposed to last this long. tonight, the company says it's still working, but people down here are having a hard time believing it. this image remains our only window into what's happening on the ocean floor. and tonight, more than two days into top kill, bp insists it's going as planned. >> it continues. it's under way. it will continue on likely for another 24 or even 48-hour period. >> reporter: but outside engineers who peer through that same window aren't nearly as optimistic. >> it seems like the plume has increased, and it seems like there's a lot more oil within that plume. >> reporter: this morning, professor mccormick was far more optimistic, when less mud seemed to be escaping. one reason why? overnight, bp did the so-called junk shot. engineers injected tons of degree, things like golf balls and shredded tires, on top of all of that mud. bp hopes that junk will at least patiently clog the leaking employeeout preventer. but for many here, bp is losing credibility faster than its losing oil. offall, executives said we'd snow something in 12 hours, then 24, now it's 96 hours. and then there's the fact that for 16 hours yesterday, the company actually put top kill on pause, and didn't bother to tell anyone all day. >> everybody in america wants to know what's going on. they should get some folks in there they can help explain it in plain english and point out when the things are not going right and when things are going wrong. >> 96 hours, ryan, as you reported today. bp acknowledging they are stopping and starting this mud. when we will have an idea whether or not this is working? >> reporter: the latest answer to that question, david, is, we'll find out on sunday, but don't be surprised if you're asking me the same thing sometime next week. >> all right, ryan owens, thanks very much. today, our jeffrey kofman flew out to the site of the disaster, and for the first time, talked to the bp workers who are tasked with plugging the leak. jeffrey is back on land in louisiana, and joins us with what he saw and heard. what did you see out there? >> reporter: let me tell you what i did not see, and that was the thick oil that we've seen so much in the slicks over the last five weeks. bp's ceo says that's because, for now, that -- it's mud that's coming out of there. we did see some sheen in the area, but he said, we are far from killing this. we've wrestled it to the ground, but we certainly have not killed it. we need to put a bullet in its head. he said will it take 48 hours. >> and jeffrey, you told us that the workers are angry, not knowing if the rest of the country knows they're working hard out there. >> reporter: well, it is interesting, you know, it's an image, having covered this from the beginning, i haven't been out there. it is really a city at sea, more than 50 ships, well over 1,000 workers, living, working very long hours and the moment i started talking to them, let's listen to one, can you see the frustration come out. >> we're working as hard as we can to solve this problem. we've got every available resource that i want to get my part of the job done is available to me. if i need a boat, i get a boat. >> reporter: and that's quite typical. they're very frustrated the way that it is portrayed that nothing is being done. and certainly when you're out there you can see a lot's being done, but clearly, they haven't wrestled this thing to the ground. >> all right, jeffrey kofman on the scene, deep out in the gulf tonight. jeffrey, thank you. and we mentioned at the top of the broadcast, the president seeing first hand the mounting toll in the gulf. there had been growing pressure on him to do more. will this visit be enough? jake tapper is traveling with the president and jake is also in louisiana tonight. jake, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, david. well, that's right. president obama came to grand isle, louisiana, today, where he looked straight into the face of desperation. president obama came to the oil-laden coastline to reassure residents. but even supporters, like restaurant owner sara rigo, are having trouble believing him. the president says everything that can be done is being done. >> that's what he says. but is it? i want proof. >> reporter: you don't believe it? >> no. >> reporter: walter maples was stunned by the lack of business on this memorial day weekend. >> this parking lot should be full. people really run over you here on memorial day weekend. look at it. this is my family's livelihood. >> reporter: there's still wild life here on grand isle beach. but as every tide comes in, it brings these tar balls, which you can tell are tar balls because of how they smell and their consistency. president obama pledged to residents today that they are not alone. >> you will not be left behind. the cameras at some point may leave, the media may get tired of the story, but we will not. we are on your side and we will see this through. this is our highest priority. >> reporter: the lunn of time crowd here at the starfish restaurant watched the president speak and waitress jeanine was not buying it. i heard you snort a couple of times. >> right. >> reporter: why? >> it's just going to be a big rig ga ma role where nothing is going to get done. >> reporter: bobby jindal told abc news that he heard good things from the president in a private meeting today in terms of giving locals power and resources they need. >> it was a good talk, but we need action. not just good talks. we need more local decision making authority. >> reporter: jindal's optimistic that louisiana will survive. but walter maples is not so sure. he was so upset after talking to us, he went off to cry. alone. bp made sure that this beach where the media is and the beach where president obama visited were cleaned today. low cams say they are not making similar efforts at other beaches where the media and the president did not visit. david? >> so important to point out. jake tapper tonight, thank you. and on sunday morning, jake will have an exclusive interview with louisiana governor bobbin jindal. that's sunday morning right here on "this week." and later tonight, straight into the oil-soaked marshes for a look at the pell cans tonight, and our "person of the week." but we are going to move to the political storm brewing in washington. there was an eye-opening admission today. the white house acknowledged that it did use former president bill clinton as a go between, asking him to reach out to pennsylvania democrat joe sestak to get sestak to abandon his bid to unseat arlen specter. well, the move backfired, and the fallout is just beginning. here's jon karl. >> reporter: it was no secret the white house wanted joe sestak out of the pennsylvania senate race. after all, arlen specter was the president's man in the democratic primary. >> i love arlen speblgter. >> reporter: now, months later -- >> i have not look into this. >> reporter: the white house has revealed that yes, top officials did reach out to sestak about a presidential appointment, if he stayed out of the senate race in a memo, white house counsel bob bauer writes that rahm emanuel asked former president bill clinton to talk to sestak about appointment to a prestigious, but unpaid, presidential advisory board. the purpose of the offer was clear. to, quote, avert a divisive primary fight in other words -- to keep sestak out of the race. >> i didn't like the deal. if i was going to get out, it was because it was the right thing. >> reporter: they wanted you out of the race. they tried hard. >> yeah. i was called. >> reporter: the white house counsel concludes that the white house did nothing illegal. that previous administrations did the same thing. that may be a tough sell, though, for an administration that promised change. >> just because it looks bad and is unseemly and the kind of thing that we're so tired of in america doesn't mean it is illegal. >> reporter: republicans are demanding further investigation. >> i think a u.s. attorney or the fbi should be able to interrue the witnesses, come up with an independent finding in a short period of time. >> reporter: as for the president's involvement in all of this, the white house says there is none. he knew nothing of the efforts to keep sestak out of the race. jonathan karl, abc news, washington. >> our thanks to jonathan. and we want to hear what you think about this. weigh in at abcnews.com, click on "world news." and this evening, just ahead of memorial day, a sobering milestone. we take a moment here to remember the now 1,000 americans killed in the war in afghanistan. that 1,000th death came today, a service member killed by an ied in southern afghanistan. this weekend across this country, a grateful nation prepares to pause and remember. and tonight, diane sawyer remembers, too, profiling some of the men and women who gave their life for this country. >> reporter: every name of the fallen, connected to our names. the youngest, six teenagers, all 18 years old. one of them, ira tile earl dicey from the colorado river indian trim. he knew he wanted to be in the military since he was 4 years old. the oldest, first sergeant jose joe cisustima. a native of guam, who died 11 days before his 60th birthday. he had retired from the army in 1993, but re-enlisted for active service, because, as his family said, he loved the military. 18 of the dead were women. 24-year-old jeanette lee wint winters, a radio operator, the first female service member to die, january 2002. at her funeral, her platoon commander, first lieutenant jenny frolage remembered how she lit up everything around her. >> she was a ray of sunlight. that's the best way to describe her. she really was a ray of sunlight. >> reporter: some had names already written in lights. 28-year-old sergeant pat tillman. the former football star for the arizona cardinals who was so moved by 9/11, he gave up his million dollar career to be an army ranger. so many names written in glory. there was 30-year-old sergeant first class jared monthy, who died while repeatedly tried to reach a wounded comrade during a fire fight. he was awarded the nation's highest award for bravery. 21-year-old corporal benjamin copp, an army ranger, saved the lives of six in his platoon, and in death, saved another life. an organ donor, two days after he died, his heart beating in someone else. >> i have the heart of a 21-year-old army ranger, beating very strongly in me. >> reporter: and as the numbers climb, every story is also our story. every life reaching right into ours. the commander of u.s. forces in afghanistan. every night, you write personal letters to the families. how much do you dread those letters? and the increase in letters, possibly, to come? >> i dread the losses. i don't dread the letters, because that's my way to try to express to the family how much this nation and i appreciate what their son or father or husband did. but i think that i also can reassure them that what we are doing is both right and it is being done well. so that those sacrifices are not in vain. >> the men and women we honor this holiday. and still ahead here on "world news" this friday night, remembering the child star who made us smile and who ran into so much trouble as an adult. gary coleman died today. and do you remember that charming movie "up?" an american man did the real thing today. the pictures that made all of us smile. and later here, we take you on the race to save the pell cans, with the man who has become sort of the champion of the gulf, and he is our "person of the week." woman: i just joined extracare advantage for diabetes at cvs/pharmacy. i'm taking the right steps to manage my diabetes and my budget. extracare advantage for diabetes is a new program that helps me save money and earn double bucks on over 100 items, so we can stay a step ahead of... all: our diabetes! join extracare advantage for diabetes today and receive a free gift when you enroll. only at cvs/pharmacy. 100% natural nuts and granola in bite sized clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. we throw out over $500 in food every year. help save more of it with ziploc slider bags withnew smartzip. protection you can hear. get 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[ male announcer ] prilosec otc. heartburn gone. power on. join us at projectfairbanks.com. we remember gary coleman tonight, the one-time child tv star whose adult life was so tragic, died today after suffering a brain hemorrhage. he was just 42 years old. here's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: it was that catch phrase. >> what you talking about willis? >> reporter: that look that made the actor a big star. gary coleman won over america as the adorable arnold jackson in the ' 0s series "diff'rent strokes. ". >> i've never seen a black goldfish before. >> that's okay. he never saw a rich white man before, either. >> reporter: the role, written for him. the sitcom, a huge success. first lady nancy reagan even appeared on the show to pitch her anti-drug message. >> don't crowd my friend here. >> reporter: over the years, his salary skyrocketed. but his health deteriorated. coleman suffered from a con genual kidney condition. he received daily dialysis on the set. when the sitcom ended, the drama began. soon, his personal fortune, worth an estimated $18 million, was gone. he sued his parents and advisers and won more than $1 million, but was broke just years later. he had brushes with the law and ended up working as a security guard at a mall. and as he told "20/20" -- >> i'm not ashamed of making an honest living. a dollar is a dollar. >> reporter: but it was not the tabloid headlines, but the role he played so perfectly as a child, the timing and the delivery of that signature line -- >> what you talking about, willis? >> reporter: a generation will always remember. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and when we come back tonight, all of those balloons. it was the real life "up." g wil. a plant is only as good as the soil you put it in. look, both these potted plants got the same sun. same water. only difference? this. miracle-gro potting mix. rich organic ingredients with miracle-gro plant food mixed right in. now it even feeds plants for 6 straight months. want this result? gotta start with this soil. new and improved miracle-gro potting mix. success starts with the soil. but my smile just wasn't white enough. now what? 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