when it comes to sarah palin. she is the last candidate who has a base waiting for her. however, there's been a lesson for her in recent polling, it's gone from 16% of republicans in august to say she's my choice to be our nominee down to 7% in our lating polling. which means not that they don't like her anymore, this process, especially south carolina moved up, new hampshire and iowa are about to move up. republicans will be casting votes to pick their nominee just after new year in early january. >> here's the governor. >> i've been adamant about the fact i would not run for president. my language was clear and direct no matter how many times i was asked the question. for me the answer was never anything but no. my job here in new jersey is my passion. i've always meant it when i i said i felt like the luckiest guy in the world to have this job. i'm doing a job that i love in the state i grew up in on behalf of some of the toughest and greatest people in this country. it wasn't until recently that i paused to really reflect on my decision. when you have serious people from across the spectrum, not to mention from all across the country passionately calling on you to do something as sequential as running for president of the united states, i felt an obligation to earnestly consider their advice, together with mary pat and our children, i believe i had an obligation to seriously consider what people are asking me to do. i'll always be grateful for their confidence in me. over the last few weeks i've thought long and hard about this decision. i've explored the options and listened to so many people and considered whether this was something that i needed to take on. but in the end, what i've always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today. now is not my time. i have a commitment to new jersey that i simply will not abandon. that's a promise i made to the people of this state when i took office 20 months ago, to fix a broken new jersey. and when i look at what we've accomplished so far, i'm proud but i know we're not nearly done. i've made this commitment to my state first and foremost. the people sent me to trent on to get a job done and i'm prepared not prepared to walk away. i know not everyone agrees with my decision but my loyalty to this state is what it is. abraham lincoln said i'd like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives, i'd like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. that's how i feel in my heart about new jersey, i'm proud of this state and its people and i know there's still much more we need to do together to ensure the future we want for all of our children. so this is not the time to leave unfinished business for me. the stakes are too high and the sequenc consequences are too real. new jersey, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. let me say this, i'm grateful to the many people both in new jersey and around the country who have spoken to me over the last weeks and months. i'm grateful for their confidence in me. i'm grateful for the faith that they place in me. it's been unbelievably humbling and inspiring. i can only hope i'm able to live up to this confidence and make it count doing the job i need to do here at home. questions. brian? >> governor, you have never really closed the door on possible presidential ambition in four years or eight years from now. will you do that now or still have some interest that maybe there is -- >> i have interest in being employed in the future and i'm not going to preclude any employment in the future, whether that means being president or working at nbc. >> can you describe for us what happened that made you want to go back and reconsider? >> i didn't want to but when you have as many both really serious people come to you and tell you that you really needed to reconsider, and then all kinds of regular folks, i mean, we got fedex over the weekend at home from a farmer in nebraska to my children asking my children to sit me down and tell me that it was okay to miss their games and their concerts and their events because our country needed me more and that if they did that, they would be remembered in the history books as the people who changed the course of our country's history. we got literally dozens of letters like that to our home address from people all over the country. and i think as this all started to accumulate over the past couple of months mary pat and i decided we better really rethink this. so we did. but in the end, my commitment to the state is what overrode everything else. i asked for this job and fought hard to get this job. and my job here isn't done. it just never felt right to me to leave now. and so i rethought it because when as many serious people really earnestly come to you and ask you to do it, i think you have an obligation to rethink it but we came out in the same spot. >> no, sorry. no, you screwed around and now you're out. charlie? >> a lot of discussion about the fact that short primary schedule for florida, you didn't have the preparation in those primary states and that also that maybe the return of rick perry had given you pause? >> none of them were a factor. i have a great political team and they were ready to do whatever i wanted them to do and i have complete confidence in them. none of that was a factor. in the end the deciding factor was it did not feel right to me in my gut to leave now when the job here is not finished. i could never get by that, charlie. and i had lots of people talking to me trying to get me by it. i could never get by it. i'll go back to kevin since i had fun with them. >> thank you. is there one particular person? who was that and what was the argument? >> obviously they weren't that good. no, it really isn't. i wouldn't single anybody out. there were a lot of extraordinary people, extraordinarily accomplished people and a lot of really great regular americans who wrote and called and tweeted and you know, all kinds of stuff. no, there isn't one particular person, kevin. in the end, this decision is my decision. it's not anybody's else's decision and there was no one to convince me of it. it has to be your decision and today this decision is my decision. >> governor, how much of this decision is based on your commitment to your family as opposed to your commitment to the people of the state? >> let me dispel sthat. i've seen wild reporting about this. mary pat and the kids were completely behind me running if that's what i wanted to do. and you know, three weeks ago mary pat woke me up at 6:00 in the morning and said, if you want to run, go for it. go for it and don't worry about me and the kids, we'll be fine. so mary pat, you know, in the last number of weeks has not been an issue at all. and nor are my children. they were all great. i talked to all of them about it, obviously we talked a lot about it together as a family. they were all like, listen, dad, if that's what you want to do, it will be fun. my son andrew said it will be a great adventure for us if you decide to do it. they were all great. it really was not a family decision. in the end they laid it all on me and told me i had to decide. so i did. >> are you worried about your chance to run for president and think it will be better off --? >> no, listen, what i care most about is that the country is better. and i think the country will be better by making sure that president obama is a one-termer. so no, i don't worry about that at all. beth, i don't think you can worry about that stuff. in the end, i have a great job that i'm really committed to and where we've made great progress. i'm going to continue to do that job. whatever the future holds, the future holds, i don't think any of you, you have covered me during the campaign probably didn't think two years later in october of '11 you would be sitting there asking me if i thought i missed my one chance to run for president. >> you could have been a contender -- >> no, i mean, you can't make these decisions with any regret, marsha. how could i be regretful being governor of the state of new jersey? i have a great job and i love doing it. and i'm doing some great things here. and there's a lot of great things still to accomplish. so i don't feel any sense of regret at all. i felt like it was my obligation as i said before, given the seriousness and the amount of people who were coming to me and asking me to reconsider, to reconsider. and i did and i thought a lot about this. i spent a lot of time but in the end i came back to the same place i was in the whole last year when everyone was asking me, which was, i don't want to leave this job. i made a commitment to the people of new jersey to fix the state and do this job. and it just never felt right to me to leave. so i didn't. mark? >> why is that so important? >> any advice i have for the people running, i'll give directly to the people running. i'll resist the temptation. the reason it's so important is because the president has failed. if you want to know why it's so important, you were there, read the speech i gave at the reagan library. i think this is just an example of somebody who has failed the leadership test. and more than anything else in these jobs, what i've learned is there's no substitute for knowing how to lead. everything else you can be taught. you can't be taught how to lead and make decisions. and unfortunately, even though there are areas as you know that i support this president in, overall he's failed the american people because he's failed that absolute litmus test to be president of the united states and that's to know how to lead and decide. he hasn't done that. >> you said there's still work to be done. what happens next? >> nothing changed. you know, terry, it's just you all showed up today and i guess to have this press conference but nothing has changed. education reform is still my number one priority for the lame duck session, whatever we can't get done there will be a top priority for the next session of the legislator. all of the things that i talked about over time, nothing has changed in that regard. and you know, this has been, you know, a real interesting time for me. i continue -- i will continue to speak out when i feel compelled to on issue that's matter for the country. and the only thing i feel -- you know, you asked if there was any regret, marsha, the only regret i have is that i've given such great tv exposure to some of the local reporters, who's going to have cats on tv now that i'm out of this race? nobody is going to have katz on tv, won't be able to get on 12. that's the only regret i have. max? [ indiscernible ] >> i'm not prepared to make any endorsement today. you know, as i've said before, i'm not a halfway kind of guy. if i feel there's someone in the field who gives us the best chance to defeat the president, i'll endorse that person and work hard for that person. but i'm not in a position today to make that judgment. >> governor, as you know people have been asking you to run since the past months or so. in the past few months, it has gotten louder. why do you think that's been? and was nancy ragen monday one of them? >> why the drum beat has gotten louder? i don't know. i noticed it got a lot louder and why i decided to reconsider the decision. as far as mrs. reagan, i had a great time with her last tuesday at the reagan library. it was one of the great honors of my life to be invited by her to speak there. we had a great dinner together. whatever conversation i had with nancy ragen is between me and nancy reagan. that's why i think all of the reporting was careless. maybe some of them overheard things she was saying to me, i don't know. but whatever occurred between me and mrs. reagan is between me and mrs. reagan and nobody else. steve in the back? >> you said during your countless denials of running that to be president -- at that time didn't feel ready. did that ever factor in your decision, to you believe at this point you are ready to be president? >> well, listen. my view on that is that's not even a relevant question anymore because i've made the decision not to run. i made the decision not to run because i believe in my heart that this is where i belong, that i made a commitment here to the people of this state. i'll tell you mary pat and andrew and i were out to dinner on friday night. and i had a whole bunch of people come up and say, i really hope you run for president if that's what you want to do but i'll really miss you here. and that did a lot to reinforce what i was already feeling myself because when you get into this whirlwind a little bit, you lose your bearings a little bit. people in new jersey got me back on course over the time this has been publicly considered. yes, bob. >> governor christie, you have an election coming up in 2011. to what degree to the legislative have an opportunities for you to advance your agenda what you've done in the state so far? >> i don't see it as a referendum, i really don't because they are district by district races and given the condition of the map and all of the rest of that, i don't see it as a referendum on me. we have good candidates on the ballot from our side that i'm trying to help as much i can to the extent they get elected, they will help me to move our agenda forward more rapidly than it's moving now. but on the other hand, you know, i found a way to get some things done, even though we don't have the legislature. we'll see how we do. in the back? >> before you decided no, how far did you go into the process? did you ever get to that point? >> as i said in the statement, i explored a lot of options and listeneded to a lot of people. i made the final decision last night. >> governor, did you consider yourself a game changer or underdog? >> neither. you know, i didn't really take a lot of time thinking of it that way. i am who i am. i think there's not a lot of ardish here so people would have judged me, i suspect up or down based upon what they see. what they see is what they get. and new jersey has learned that. to the extent that we had some appeal for people around the country, i think it was probably based on that. jonathan? >>. [ indiscernible ] >> i don't -- on the first part of that, i don't think it says anything particular about the field. i'd like to think it says something about me and you know, there are folks who feel like what we've done here in new jersey in a blue state and bringing people together and getting things done is something that they like to see in the country. and i think that's what it was really all about, john. it wasn't my charm and good looks, you know that. it was the accomplishments that we have in new jersey that made people excited that maybe divided government could work, maybe leading in a very bold and direct way could forge kpoe m compromise. i've answered about vice president a bunch of times and the fact is, i don't think there's anybody in america who would necessarily think my personality is best suited to being number two. lisa? [ indiscernible ] >> sure it was. it's a no -- wait, lisa, it's a no until it's a yes. i mean, it's a no until it's a yes. i mean, what i said was i would reconsider my no and i did but the no never changed as you can tell from standing right here today. i'm saying no. it's the same kind of answer. you know, listen, i know it's your guys job to ask me this question like a dozen different ways, i'll answer it almost a dozen different ways which infuriates my staff but in the end the answer remains as it always has been. >> governor, could you shed light on the reaction to the speech at the reagan library and the reconsideration? >> we were in the midst of the reconsideration when i went to the reagan library, didn't make a difference in that regard. you know, those are things that i feel and felt for some time. and i thought that was the appropriate forum to speak out about them. but no, the speech itself or the reaction to the speech really didn't have any effect on my decision-making process. it was great to be there. i enjoyed the evening tremendously. i thought i had important things to say which is why i said them. in the end it didn't effect my decision on how to do things. >> how do you know we won't be here three months from now, six months from now on the eve of the republican national convention, when they ask you once again to reconsider? >> because i've said no. and i've spoken to a lot of people this morning and told them the answer is no so they could hear it from me personally, a lot of people that encouraged me. i think they understand that this was a long shot for them to change my mind in the first place. but i felt an obligation, given the seriousness and amount of people to are consider, in the end they didn't change my mind because i feel in my heart what i'm doing is right and that is to stay in new jersey and stay committed to the job that the people of the state gave me. again, i can't emphasize this f enough, if you're looking for something else, it's not there. it didn't feel right to me. to leave before the job was done. >> searching around? >> i think in response to jonathan's question, it's the same thing. you know -- >> if is the republican party looking for -- >> you have to let me answer first. you don't know the rules, people in the front will let you know that's not allowed. the fact is it's about what we accomplished in the state. that's why. they weren't searching, they came right to one target and it was me. it's been me for a long time. i think it's because of what we accomplished here and i'm proud of that. there's a lot more to do here. the state was pretty messed up when a took it over. we're making great progress towards fixing it but we're not there yet. so i think that's what it was about. i don't think it's a reflection on other folks. monica? [ indiscernible ] >> well, you know, i found the advice i got from other people who ran from president was very dependent on whether they won or lost. the ones who lost typically called it something like a nightmare and the ones who won typically said it was really awful. it was a slight difference but not a significant one in terms of making your decision. no one to me endorsed the joy of running for president in my experience. nobody really talked about that. echb talked about the sense of duty and obligation and honor and excitement about it. but you know, nobody said, hey, this would be a really good thing to do if you have nothing else to do. it was -- it was not characterized that way. beth? >> do you think your reconsideration -- for them and they can express their way to reconsider -- >> i think that -- i think a bunch of the people who are candidates wouldn't say something like that because they want me to think kindly of them. even if they were annoyed, i think they withheld their fire. none of them said it to me. no, i don't think it was that kind of sense. i think the people who objectively looked at this saw this was not something that i stoked. this was something i kept trying to push off but eventually just became more than i could push off without giving those folks a real serious reconsider gs, which is what i did. and now i made the judgment and that's that. >> what do you see as your role in the voice of the national stage? >> look at the reagan speech, i mean, the reagan speech is my statement on the state of our country, both at home and around the world. the things we need to do to fix it. i thought long and hard about the speech. i wrote most of it myself. and i -- it's how i feel about where our country is and the challenges we face and what we need to change it. i'll continue to speak out as i said before, i think, i'll continue to speak out on issues that really matter to me. and what i think my voice can be useful. i'm going continue to play a role in these things to the extent that i could be help flt. i'm vice chairman of the rga so i'll work for republican gubernatorial candidates around the country over the next year that quarter or so. there will be a lot for me to do. if there's other things people want me to do, i'll consider doing them as long as they are not inconsistent with me being able to perform my do you thinkty duties here at home. >> in your reconsideration process, did you also look ahead and think that worry about running the risk of losing the primaries and then maybe running the risk as well as losing here at home, lose the momentum back here at home and the re-election? >> you worry a lot more than i do, charlie. really, we got to get you some help. you're obviously overwrougt. it's so great to know charlie is so worried about me and my future. couldn't tell it by reading his columns. matt? >> in the process of reconsideration, you said that you were already in the process. >> matt, you know, i didn't mark it down in my diary. i mean, it's an evolving things, you know about lots of different contacts that i had and folks who approached me, i can't say there was a moment mary pat and i -- at one point, i don't remember when it was, had a conversation, we said, you know, we better start really thinking about whether we need to reconsider this decision. and it certainly was in the last few weeks but i can't pinpoint it particular. yes, sir. >> that's such a shock to people in new jersey, right? i don't even know how to address it, it's crazy. it really is. listen, you can -- that's when i knew that i could actually win. when they started -- when all of these people started shooting at me before i got in the race. that's when you really know you got something special is when they shoot at you before you get in. i've said all along, i'm a principled conservative. and but i also said in the reagan speech as ronald reagan did, you have to compromise at times to get things done. and that doesn't mean compromising your principles but it means not getting everything you want. now someone calls that liberal, being compromising, then they are dead wrong. in the end you look at ronald reagan's record, this is what i talked about at the library. ronald reagan had a record repleat with principled compromises in order to move our country forward. someone wants to accuse me of that, more than happy to wear that mantle like ronald reagan did. josh? >> to try to stay neutral and not endorse the primary candidates, are your party members doing an endorsement at the county level, is there some candidate that is -- >> you know, that's all stuff to be seen in the future. i think it's very important for the republican party in new jersey to play an important role in determining who the nominee of our party is going to be. i'll continue to give advice, advice to folks in my party in the state about how we should conduct ourselves in the presidential process and hopefully my advice will be followed. and we'll see how it goes. >> terry? >> indiscernible ]. >> i can't say that. i have no idea. i haven't begun to think about that. i'm not midway through my term. you know, there will come a time when i have to make that decision. one much things i've learned, you don't makeny decision before you absolutely feel you have to. i don't feel i have to make that decision now so i'm not going to make that decision now, no. >> ginger? >>. [ indiscernible ] >> sure, not to respond but i have a good -- i think you know this, i'm not particularly self-conscious about this. it's not news flash to me that i'm overweight. i saw letterman's top ten list, i thought probably eight of the ten were really funny. you know, so i saw that and i saw some of the stuff that some of the other folks did and you know, you've got to know who you are in this life. and i think for me their job is to be funny. and if one of things they want to make fun of is my weight, it's fair game. i'm a public figure. they can make fun of it. all i care about is that they actually are funny so that i can at least laugh about it while they are mocking me. i thought letterman had funny stuff, the guy who was sent off to go and come up with jokes that weren't about me being fat, that guy was really good. and so there was a lot of good spots they did that i found funny. some of the stuff i didn't see initially and andrew would come to me with his computer, hey, dad, did you see this one? he's been grounded. but you know, ginger, it's really not something that is bothers me. i'm not self-conscious about it. i'm self-aware. it is what it is. hopefully they just continue to be funny. you know, that's the most important thing if they are going to poke fun at you, make sure you laugh in the process, you know. >> your advisers put together a scenario of how you could indeed advance through the primaries and win the nomination and then in the end at what point in the last couple of days, this morning, last night, did you finally say, no, i'm not going to do it? >> i made the decision last night. i made the decision last night and i called my folks this morning and told them. and i told them i wanted to announce it this afternoon. i went to -- i went to bed last night for the first time in a few days knowing exactly what i wanted to do. and then i called everybody this morning and let them know what we were doing. that was it. not a very complicated process. as for the politics, it was never a consideration. it was about me getting to the point where i believed it was okay for me to leave. and i never got there, brian. i mean, it's just -- i never could justice the idea of leaving the state early. and before the job was done. that's kind of where it sat. you know, the rest of it is kind of irrelevant. >> governor, i know you said about the personnel, if a republican nominee asked you to join him, would you consider? >> listen, i don't imagine i'm going to be asked. i don't think i have the personality to be asked. i mean, seriously, can you imagine? you know, the guy would probably want to get a food taster, i don't know. seriously, i don't see it. but you know, it's -- again, it's not relevant, jason, it really isn't. and i don't see it happening. you don't run for that job. i'm not looking for that job. and after everything i've said today this is the job i want and job i want to do and i'm going to keep doing as best as i can do it over the course of time the people of the state give me the opportunity to do so. i'm not focused on the rest of it. lisa? [ indiscernible ] >> how could i have gotten in? >> in terms of actual on the ground, campaign? >> i have to point out to all of you new here, lisa is getting good because she anticipated my answer when i began to interrupt her and lost the moment for us. i have no other answer. that was my answer, i would just get in. this isn't hard. i've run campaigns for, run lots of campaigns before. if you want to get in, you get in. any time you get in a race there are pluses and minuses to your candidacy. i have never seen a pro and con list put together where there were all pros and no cons. when you decide to get into something, you get in. that's how it works. >> i'm wondering if you do not have -- [ indiscernible ] >> i have complete confidence in those folks. this is about my commitment to the state when they elected me. not about any lack of confidence i have in anybody else. it's about the fact that i'm the one who made the commitment, i'm the one who asked for the job and campaigned for the job and asked for it. and that's, in the end what it was all about, my commitment to them. does not reflect any lack of confidence in any of the people i work with at all. it's just about my commitment to the folks who voted for me and who elected me. and even to the folks who didn't vote for it. but who now, you know, have me as governor. it's my commitment to them, that's what it is all about. not lack of confidence in them. >> i was wondering if you're not in the race, you think that president obama is vulnerable, the vulnerability -- [ indiscernible ] >> i'm not a political analyst, i don't get paid to be one on tv, i'm not going to sit here and talk about vulnerability. halperin will write a book about it. if i have a particular advice for any of the republican candidates, the appropriate way for me to convey that advice is get on the phone and talk with them directly and not through all of the cameras. so if i have a advice, or observations on that stuff, i'll give it to them directly but i'm not going to do it out here. >> governor, some of those in the last couple weeks suggest that the question of weight as a overall issue of should a person be elected if they weigh a certain point, taken into consideration. taking you out of the equation, is that a fair question to put to any candidate? are you too overweight to be president? is that a fair question to answer? >> no. it's not. and you know, ginger asked me before about the comedians and i think that they've been great and they have free reign to do what they want to do. the people who pretend to be serious comment ators are among the most ignore rant people i've heard in my life. to say that because you're overweight you are therefore undisciplined, you know, i don't think undisciplined people get to achieve great positions in our society. and so that kind of stuff is just ignorant. and the people who wrote it are ignorant people. you know, at least the comedians don't try to pretend to be serious, they are comedians and making fun of it, that's fine. some of the folks who have written that stuff in what pretend to be serious columns, you know, they are just jokes. and what they do is they further stigma ties people in a way that is really irrelevant to people's ability to do a particular job. and so, you know, those are the people that we should really look down upon are those folks, the comedians get paid to do that stuff. like i said, it's almost they are funny, what the hell do i care? [ indiscernible ] >> i still think that let me say this way, darrel, i think the debate has to get onto the really important issues. and i think that the public to an extent is really hungering for that, to get onto the issues that we all know are the really important issues. how do we deal with our short term deficits and long-term debt? how do reform a tax code putting a wet blanket over our economy? how do we improve america's standing in the world if we don't have our house in order at home? how do you intend to do all of that and tell people the truth about moving us from an entit entitlement society to an opportunity society? trying to make sure that those things are available for our kids. i don't hear a lot of conversation about that. i hope to hear it. and one of reasons that i gave the speech that i gave at the reagan library and said this at the time was to try to spur more of that discussion. try to -- said that in the q and a, to try to spur a discussion on this stuff, to try to nudge people along, to do that. and that's what i'm going to continue to try to do because that's what's in the best interest of our country. and that's my first obligation as a citizen is to speak out on things i think are in the best interest of the country. that's where i sit on that one, darrel. i think it's up to the candidates themselves to decide, it's their campaign. they get to decide what they think they want to convey and communicate. in my view they should be communicating -- i'm freaking you out, aren't i -- in my view we should be communicating things on the really important issues and i don't think they've done that to a large extent. josh? >> you talked about the personal experience being in elected politics. how much were your decisions and thought guided by your experience running for assembly after you had first won and then ultimately your decision in '05 not to run for governor? >> you know, not really. it was really about this. it was about this job, it was about this place in the end. you could argue any side of any of this, josh, you're right or wrong about those decisions and believe me, i've had people tell me that i was right in one point and wrong in another. that's not really the irn yu. the issue for me again was i made a commitment to the state and in the end i could not get by in my mind and heart the idea that i was going to leave here 20 months into my term. i couldn't get by that. i felt like i owed the people of new jersey more than that. and despite the fact that i am incredibly inspired by all of these people who have said all of these amazing things to me, and i think meant them, that's one thing, but to get by the idea that i work so hard to get this job and asked for it, and then to walk away from it after 20 months, that was the only factor in the end. i could not get by that. anything else could be dealt with. i could not get by that. and as long as i couldn't get by that, then there was no reason to have any further discussion. so that's where it sat. >> governor -- >> there you have it, the governor of new jersey will remain the governor of new jersey, chris christie making it abundantly clear he is not going to run. now is not my time, he said, i have a commitment to new jersey that i will simply not abandon. john king is here and gloria borger is here. quickly, john, what do you think? i don't think any of us were surprised. he had been adamant that it's not ready to be president of the united states. >> doesn't want to give up his job as governor, made a point over and over, i don't want to quit 20 months into my term. you saw what so many rpz love about chris christie he's funny a straight shooter, that's what people like. are there things in his record that would have become issue? yes. he said from the beginning he wanted to be governor, i don't burn in my heart for it. you have to take him at his word and i think he was quite honest. so many people come to you sean say should you do this and he decided to think again, he makes the decision unless governor palin who perhaps governor christie had in mind when he talked about i'm not quitting -- >> the candidates at these debates, that's the republican field. gloria, what do you think? i think the same thing. i think it is a stark contrast with sarah palin who of course quit as governor -- >> still thinking of running. >> but she's not governor of alaska anymore. he also declined i thought it was interesting to give any kind of endorsement at this point. he wasn't ready to do that. i think what you're going to see happening in the republican field right now is a lot of support starting to crystallize about mitt romney. romney is believed by many to be electable and this may be a good moment for romney. >> has that been your sense, ary fleischer, the former press secretary during the bush administration. is it mitt romney's to lose right now? >> no, i think it's still too fluid and nobody has built up a big enough lead for it to be mitt's to lose. today's announcement by chris christie that he's not in is good news to romney. i think, wolf, what you're also seeing here is a man who's stock was already high rise even higher with chris christie. people wanted him in because he doesn't come across like a politician even though he is one and kept his word. that's the thing you hear from people more than anything else that drives them crazy about politicians, they want people who do what they say and keep their word. that's what chris christie did today. i think it was the right decision and republicans have to move forward and find a winner among the ones that they have. >> he made it clear, he said at one point, looking at my notes, new jersey, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. you don't often here a sitting governor say that to not only a statewide audience but a national audience in a moment like this. what you're saying, he has a huge future out there but not necessarily in this election cycle? >> that's exactly right. he does have a huge future. the fact he gave his word and stuck by it separates him. that's what endeers people to politicians and gets them latitude for the hard calls they have to make in office because people trust you. that's important. i will say one other thing that unsettled me a little about chris christie. on the national level, the bluntness could turn into a double-edged sword. he said something like, used the word hell in some context, i could care lessor care about that. one thing you dont want to do when you run for president is make parents tell their children, you're not allowed to watch that person. don't want somebody to say to a 10-year-old you can't listen. it's one of little things he would have to keep his eye on. bluntness, there are little signs like that he would have to be careful about. >> here's the clip when he made the announcement a little while ago. let's play it. >> for months i've been adamant about the fact that i would not run for president. my language was clear and direct no matter how many times i was asked the question. for me the answer was never anything but no. my job here in new jersey is my passion. >> john king, i've made a list among those who have already decided they are not even throwing their hats in the ring now he joins that list, mitch daniels, mike huckabee, paul ryan, jeb bush, there are more, john thune. a lot of republicans said there is not their time right now but there are a bunch of candidates who are in there? >> that's who we need to focus on. governor christie said i'm not ready to endorse right now and also said look at my speech at the reagan library. because i don't think the candidates in the current field are addressing the big issues of the day. it was a little nudge for them there. we have the candidates, we have to wait for governor palin's decision. all indications are she's not running. there's another debate coming up soon. we have one in nevada next month. these are the candidates, like it or not these are the candidates. you look at governor perry and romney, top tier of that field. huntsman trying to find a way to break through. herman cain has been a surprise lately. this benefits romney, they call him the tore tus, they think it is a good day but let iowa vote and people organize. we don't know a lot. >> i want to point out our cnn debate is october 18th, this month. we're getting ready -- >> it is october, isn't it? >> were you surprised he didn't endorse? >> no, he knows it's too early and they are probably all trying to get his endorsement right now. i think he's going to sit back and see how the debate develops. there's nothing in it for him today to endorse another candidate. >> chris christie can go back to being the governor of new jersey and not a national figure. stay with cnn for all of the political coverage as the day continues. please join me later this afternoon in the situation room. our new time, 4:00 p.m. eastern. john king will be back at 6:00 p.m. eastern. 7:00 p.m. eastern, erin burnett "outfront." i'm wolf blitzer, thanks for joining us. help prevent cavities, and kill bad breath germs for a whole mouth clean. whooo... 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[ male announcer ] the same 117 elements do the fundamental work of chemistry. ♪ the difference, the one element that is the catalyst for innovation, the one element that changes everything is the human element. ♪ hello, everyone. i'm randi kaye. well, you heard the chris christie news today. the other big story is this. you can forget about the rumors, the delays, the lot st prototyp. the wait is over. apple is unveiling a new phone right now at its headquarters in cupertino, california. but one name hangs over this iphone and that's steve jobs. it's the first release without steve jobs. we are going in-depth on this and weapon want to get some face time with john abel. good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> tim cook is going to unveil the new iphone. he probably already has. what do you think we can expect? what can you tell is about the new one? >> well, he actually hasn't released it yet. they are talking about the things that -- the new software, ios 5 is coming out next week. the team phone itself we think will be thinner. we think it will have rounded edges like the ipad. we think it will have possibly 4g, and you can guy things by waving it at a credit card terminal. but we don't know. we should know in maybe ten or 15 minutes. >> so the rumors continue? >> yes. >> what do you make of it having 4g and looking more like the ipad? is that going to be something that you think consumers are going to want? >> well, sure. already we've seen a poll saying that 40 to 50% of people are going to upgrade or buy one. sprint reportedly is putting down $20 billion to buy several years worth. this could be the most successful version pd iphone and it's probably the most history of apple phones. >> what about voice control? apple has had to play catch-up with google on that. >> no one has really done voice control, commanded control well, including google. it's a very tricky thing to do. there are lots of problems. and the thing of it is, if it doesn't work reliably well, people give up on it. there is no perfect iteration of it yet. if apple manages to solve that problem, to make it reliable and a go-to kind of function, then, yes, you will see it on every car and desk and kitchen counter. people will be using it like crazy because it frees up your hands. it's a third hand. so far, no word out of cupertino about that yet. >> what about before we even had cell phones, they were like a brick that you put up to your ear. when you think about how this has changed, how much do you think this iphone 5 is going to change how we interact with each other and just what we do with our cell phones, what we use them for? >> yeah. well, the revolution started in '07 when suddenly you had a phone which did a million other things. it's now become not only the center of the universe, a center of a universe that we didn't even really know existed. our smart phones allow us to do something that is unimaginable. they are taking things that other people have done with location and offline reading and stuff like that to make it an even more indes spensable device. we already know that people like the phone itself, the way it feels in your hand and the cool factor and all of that. as we continue to extend the functionality and do consumer things, we talked about processor speed and family members, send wonderful, beautiful postcards to people. this is something that everybody can want and everybody can use and that makes it a hugely popular device. >> yeah. i will tell you that we're getting word that it's going to be called the iphone 4s as in "sam," not the iphone 5. what about with tim cook and not having steve jobs on this one? >>. >> steve jobs and tim cook go back a very long way. whatever the opposite of friction is, that's what they have got. he's the perfect guy with the perfect time for this company and it's doing extraordinarily well and still has tremendous potential in terms of revenue and in terms of resonating with the general public. i'm given to understand that he's not really comfortable with the sort of show case kind of thing and i'm not watching it so i don't really know. steve -- mr. jobs was the showman and everybody loved to see him. >> yeah. >> but really the event is the stuff. whoever presents the stuff is getting in the way of the stuff. it's all about the stuff today and it sounds pretty cool. >> yeah, the stuff does sound pretty cool. john abell from wired.com, thank you very much. nice to see you. >> thank you, randi. >> and that will do it for me in this abbreviated show given the chris christie news. but cnn "newsroom" will continue right after the break with brooke baldwin. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. hello there. i'm brooke baldwin. let's begin with chris christie. he's not going to do t the governor of new jersey shutting down the speculators today, those who were wondering whether or not he would be joining the race for the republican presidential nomination. governor christie made the announcement less than two hours ago and we're going to drill down on this in just a second with the best local team on television. moving on for now, though, we're watching for amanda knox to arrive home in seattle in mere hours from now. knox, her family, flew out of rome less than 24 hours after an italian court threw out her conviction. they are planning a huge welcome home for knox but let's not forget the victim here. meredith kercher was raped, stabbed, and slashed to death at the age of 21. her family not happy at all with the court's decision to free amanda knox and her ex-boyfriend, raffaele sollecito. >> this is such obvious worldwide media attention and makes it incredibly difficult. >> we will have more of the kercher until a couple of minutes. the iphone apple next iphone is the iphone 4s. it has the same chip as the ipad 2. a couple other tips, icloud and the newest operating system for iphone, i touch, and ipad is going to be available october 12th. and a new app where you can design cards and apple will make and mail them for you. stick around for more on that. in times square there was a tense couple of minutes. police emptied out parts of times square when someone left an unattended package on a new york city bus. it was a backpack. the bomb skoud checked it out and it was harmless. northeast of boston in peabody, massachusetts, schools were delayed because of high water there. and do you think you have the right stuff to work in space? nasa might be interested in you. the agency is going to begin accepting application for astronaut duty from -- wait for it -- the general public instead of strictly from the military and scientific communities. if you are interested, be prepared, we're told for some pretty tough standards even to qualify. go to nasa's website to find out more. and mercedes-benz putting its name on football. the superdome. it will now be called the mercedes-benz superdome with the automatic maker signing a ten-year rights deal. in the next two hours, we have this for you. take a look. hours from now, amanda knox arrives home from seattle. a joyous time for her and her family but for the family of murdered meredith kercher, there is nothing but grief. chris christie says he's out for the running of the republican nomination for 2012. >> now is not my time. >> so what happens now to all of that buzz building around new jersey's governor? then thousands of kids disappear from their classrooms. >> she said, i have to go but we have no other choice. >> what is scaring them out of school? 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[ junior ] ...and they've helped build my business. aspercreme breaks the grip, with maximum-strength medicine and no embarrassing odor. break the grip of pain with aspercreme. chris christie, the republican governor of new jersey, this last year he has said one word about a run for the white house and that one word is "no." if he was even possibly considering it, he never said it in public. it was always no, no, and no. his die-hard supporters were hoping for a different answer when he made his official announcement today and they did not get it. i want to bring in cnn's chief political analyst, gloria borger. and i was control scrolling down here as i'm sure you were where he said, now is not my time. i'm sure we can extrapolate from that but, first, are we really surprised? >> no, we're not. this is somebody who for the past six months said he was not ready to be president and it would have been difficult for him to turn around and say, by the way, people are telling me that i am ready to be president so maybe i am ready to be president. he didn't address that directly but what he did say, and this is expected as well, that he has a commitment to the state of new jersey. don't forget that he's up for re-election in 2013 should he decide to run and he wouldn't say today whether he will or he won't. it sure sounds to me like he will. and that he wanted to stay in new jersey because he had a bit of unfinished business and couldn't leave the state in the middle of his term. unlike sarah palin, who you recall, did leave the state of alaska in the middle of her term. >> okay. so he said that multiple times. was it also too late to jump in the game? >> it was. look, he is popular but he wasn't a shoe in for the nomination and would have had the early states coming up in nevada, new hampshire, iowa, it requires a lot of organization. he didn't have any organization on the ground. and so that would have been quite difficult. also, don't forget, the base of the republican party would have been raising questions about chris christie. he wants to find a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. his position on gun control. so, you know, there were a lot of obstacles out there but there were a lot of people who really wanted him to run and including people who could support him financially and in the establishment of the republican party. so he said he owed it to them and to himself to give it another shot and to ask himself the question again. he did, and he came up with the same answer, which was, no. >> no. >> to be a fly on the wall, though, of the room in which mitt romney would have been standing around 1:00 eastern time, who, by the way, we know is holding a town hall meeting with the folks in florida in the back half hour of this hour. srnly good news. >> very good news for mitt romney. i kind of compare mitt romney to the guy that your parents always wanted to fix you up with and he said, no, i don't think he so. i want to date all of these other guys and then turn around and say, gee, mitt romney doesn't look too bad. i think that's where the republican party is right now. i'm not saying that mitt romney is going to be the nominee but i do think that all of those people looking elsewhere may decide to give mitt romney another look and just as importantly, the money types that have been holding back may decide to put their money on mitt romney. so this is very good news for mitt romney. doesn't mean he gets the nomination but it does mean that the slow and steady guide, people may be giving him another look. >> gloria, stand by. we have reracked some of the conference from chris christie. take a look. >> there is much more we need to do to ensure the future we want for all of our children. so this is not the time to leave unfinished business for me. the stake is too high and the consequences are too low. so new jersey, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. >> you know, it's interesting, because today he refused to endours and i think his endorsement is going to count. he was smart not to get the endoursment right now but also because i think it's more valuable the longer he waits. he's a republican governor of a very blue state and appeals to independent voters. and in the general election, also, a moderate candidate, a more moderate candidate like mitt romney in the primaries and i think he's going to wait and strategically time his endorsement. i'm not sure who it is going to be for but you can be sure that he will end up endorsing somebody and will be very important. >> we shall see, gloria borger. love that analysis. thank you very much. now you have it, chris christie out. that leaves the republican field with very much in flux right now. at least according to the latest poll numbers, paul steinhauser is here. talk about the big three left on the gop side. >> sure. let's talk about the current big three. because it keeps changing. >> it does. >> and it may change again. two brand-new polls out today, and let's take a look at them on the gop field. the washington post shows mitt romney back on top. he was the front-runner until rick perry jumped out of the race. perry losing some steam and romney is on top. 25%. herman cain who has been riding a wave it seems, at 16%. and similar findings in another poll, romney at the top at 22 and christie at 17% and perry at 14%. chris christie said no but what about palin? she's still thinking about it. do you think palin should run? 66%. >> the majority of americans are of the believe that president obama is a one-termer. even the president himself in that abc news yahoo! interview yesterday called himself an underdog. >> yep. it asked just that, whether you think the president will be re-elected in 2012. the majority said no, we don't think so. the gop will win back the white house and in that interview last night with abc, yes, he said he considered himself absolutely that he was the underdog when presented with that poll. but 13 months before the election. that's a long ways away. people change their mind. stay tuned, brooke. >> that's what makes it so fun. just to recap, the majority of americans envision a republican winning the next election came out after president obama described himself as a political underdog in that abc yahoo! interview with george. >> are you the underdog? >> absolutely. because in the economy, whatever happens on your watch -- >> you embraced that pretty quickly. >> you know, i don't mind. i'm used to being an underdog. but i think at the end of the day what people are going to say is, whose got a vision for the future that can actually help ordinary families recapture that american dream? >> president obama in that interview. despite all of the threats of the government shutdown, the vote count was a big 352 to 66. it passed clearly with a wide margin there. it goes up to the president to sign. that will keep the government running until mid-november. amanda knox freed this afternoon. she is he cexpected to be back american soil but is it for good? there is talk that she can be sent back to italy for an appeal of the appeal. are you with me? remember the movie backdraft? it was caught on video in ohio. we'll show you this amazing video. plus, thousands of kids are out of school today in alabama. >> people right now are not going to school. the kids are not going to school. why? because they are scared. >> their parents are scared that they and their children could be deported because of the state's tough immigration law. the legal residency of the students and their parents. be back in two minutes. amanda knox. she is now just a couple hours from being home in seattle, a world away from where she has spent the last four years of her life. she boarded a plane in rome and is going to be arriving at seattle's sea-tac airport around 5:00. but her flight to freedom began in the courtroom into perugia. they tossed out her conviction. the decision ee lates her family but leaves another searching for answers. i want you to listen to the family of meredith kercher who was raped and brutally murdered in the home she shared with amanda knox. >> obviously we are ron dering who is the other person or people and really for us it feels almost like back to square one and the search goes on. we need to find out what truly happens. >> i think it's still very difficult to speak in terms of forgiveness until we have the truth. as lyle said, that was the decision yesterday and that's the one that we need to accept and respect for now. until the truth comes out we can't forgive them because no one has admitted to it. >> they are getting off scotch free and their lives have been disrupted and our lives have been disrupted and what happened to my daughter meredith, it's every parent's nightmare something so terrible happening. one prays that she was in the safest place, her bedroom. >> and we going to drew griffin in seattle where amanda knox will be landing shortly. the one man still in prison for the murder of meredith kercher is rudy guede. who is he? >> reporter: this guy has been described as kind of a drifter who hung out in the town of perugia. he had known and hung out with the boys who lived downstairs in this two-level house. and soon after the murder, rudy guede -- i've heard his name pronounced several different ways -- fled to germany. that's where they caught up with him. the authorities caught up with him, brooke, because when the forensic evidence came back, when it was analyzed, rudy's guede's dna was on the victim, on the victim's purse, was inside the victim's room, was in the bathroom of that house where it turns out he may have even gone to the bathroom. so it was his dna that was positively i.d. and found all over this crime scene. that's what made him a suspect. he came back, pled guilty, and is now serving a 16-year sentence. he was originally sentenced to 30 years but once he agreed to actually place amanda knox and raffaele in that room , into tht house with him, his sentenced was reduced to 16 years. >> and how did he even wind up in that house, in that mix back in november? how did he know meredith and amanda and raffaele? >> reporter: well like i said, there is a basketball court within a couple of blocks from where they all lived. he hung out there and played basketball with a group of college boys who lived downstairs. so there was some visual acquai acquaintance there. amanda knox said she had met him in passing once and he knew the girls lived upstairs and it's believed that he knew that if you are a of a pub r criminal mind like his, you can potentially break in and assault one of those students. >> and he is the only person still in prison convicted of meredith kercher's murder. >> matthew, you were in that courtroom when the decision was handed down. prosecutors say this case is not over yet. what is their next step? >> reporter: well, they say they are going to take this to italy's highest supreme court in rome where a panel of judges will consider the legal arguments made in this appeal in perugia and decide to whether uphold this appeal and face the potential that amanda knox could return to the decision of being convicted of the killing of meredith kercher and perhaps that would lead to some extradition proceedings in theory. in practice, i believe this will stay as it is and amanda knox will be left alone in the united states. >> matthew, you also spoke with lyle kercher, the brother of murdered meredith kercher. we have a clip to play and then i have a question for you on the other side. >> as i said, we respected the decision of the original trial and we accept what was decided yesterday. we have the uppost respect for the decision of the court and we'll abide by that. >> so matthew, is the kercher family still, a, in italy? and, b, have they expressed any interest or desire of ever reaching out to the knoxes? >> reporter: no, they have not in italy. they have gone back on an airplane to london earlier this afternoon. in terms of whether they want to connect with the knoxes in any way, they say that they are not prepared to do that at this stage. there is a supreme court hearing that will ultimately decide whether this appeal is legitimate or not and whether it's overturned or upheld. what they are saying, until that whole legal process is over, they are not going to have any contact with the knoxes. they are going to keep their distance. they have been of the opinion as the police and prosecutors have been, that amanda knox and raffaele were involved in this killing. they have not totally accepted it yet. that's not the case. >> matthew, thank you very much. and you know those tsa agents armed with their trusty highlighters checking your boarding pass and i.d. each and every time you go? they could soon be getting mechanical help. we'll show you how that will work coming up. plus, we'll show you that incredible video of the backdraft that we've been talking about, this restaurant fire in ohio. there were three firefighters in the building when the business exploded. also, surf is up. water off the coast of california, glowing blue. this might be my favorite story of the day. find out why after this break. 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[ male announcer ] new bengay cold therapy. the same technology used by physical therapists. go to bengay.com for a $3 coupon. i want to show you this piece of video. this frightening backdraft explosion captured on video in ohio and watch for the firefighters. >> go, go, go! >> keep watching. you're going to see some of these guys crawl out. the backdraft caused all of the windows to explode outward. this happened as three firefighters entered the building. they managed to get out unharmed. this is caused by air rapidly reintroduced to a fire which causes an explosion. here it is again. one witness said, that was too close for comfort. the fire damaged that building. no word as to what caused that fire. and a biologist and surfers alike are pretty impressed by the algae off the coast. take a look. this is what they call red tide. this is a san diego beach. riding the wave. it's glowing blue. the algae emits this blue neon color. the algae can be poisonous to fish and it's pretty awesome to swim and surf in. changes could be coming again to the way you move through the airport. in a couple of weeks they are going to test new machines designed to quickly and accurately monitor your boarding pass and government i.d. they look at your i.d. and tickets with a special flash flight and magnified glasses. the point is to speed up people going through security. and right now in alabama, public schools are required to ask the legal status of kids and has some parents running scared. kids are worried about leaving town. >> my dad said that we are going to mexico and i feel bad, too, because i'm with my friends. >> children, are they really enforcing the law in these schools? the controversial story coming up after this quick break. ask me. if you think even the best bed can only lie there... ask me what it's like... when my tempur-pedic moves... ...talk to someone who owns an adjustable version of the most highly recommended bed in america... ask me about my tempur advanced ergo. ask me about having all the right moves. these are real tempur-advanced ergo owners! find one for yourself. check out twitter. try your friends on facebook... see what they have to say...unedited. it goes up... ask me what it's like to get a massage ---any time you want. ...it goes down... ergo...nomics... ergo...nomics... tempur-pedic brand owners are more satisfied than owners of any traditional mattress brand. 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[♪...] >> male announcer: now, for a limited time, your companion flies free, plus save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. conditions apply. hundreds of alabama hispanic school children are not requesting to squool. they are fleeing the schools after the tough immigration law was passed. a federal judge upheld most of the hb 56, including the rirm that public schools ask about the legal status of children born in foreign countries and asked the status of their parents. cnn's rafael romo has the story. >> reporter: the new alabama law requires police to stop anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. it's this part of the law that is keeping many hispanic students out of school. >> the kids are not going to school because they are scared. >> my dad said that we are going to mexico and i feel bad, too, because i'm going to miss my friends. >> elizabeth is she and her family are moving out of the state. >> that was my niece. we just withdrew her from school because we're leaving. we had no other choice. >> a plea was made on a spanish language station telling parents that they don't have anything to fear. >> translator: the legal status is strictly for statistical information and it will be collected to find out how much alabama is supporting illegal immigrants. >> there is a lot of misinformation out there. i told people before, this is not a corral-up piece of legislation. >> reporter: the department of alabama education says 34 students of hispanic origin, more than 2,000 have been absent each day since the law went into effect last thursday. that's twice as many absent from just the day before. the obama administration is challenging the new alabama law, seeking to get it overturned. >> we can't have a patchwork of 50 states with 50 different immigration laws. we can't have a situation in which individual counties are trying to enforce their own immigration laws rather than having a national approach. >> reporter: meanwhile, the debate over how to stop the flow of illegal immigrants has become an issue in the republican presidential contest and as the election year approaches, it's unlikely that the debate will slow down any time soon. >> want to bring in the huntsville times. i know that you're paper has been doing reporting on this law. the specific number that i have, 1,988 kids. that's the number of kids that didn't go to school friday alone. that was the day after the ruling. where are they going and what are these families telling your reporters? >> well, what we're hearing is sort of -- it's more global than just schools. we're hearing this global state of fear and labor shortages in all areas, restaurants, farms, and people are taking their children out of schools. whether they are taking them out because of the law that applies to the public schools or the global nature of the law, we can't really determine. >> okay. let's stick with schools here for a minute. >> okay. >> i read that the interim superintendent, a man by the name of larry craven, says, schools will comply with the law but nobody will be denied an education s that an oxy more ran? >> that is how the law reads. they have to check the immigration status of all newly enrolled students and they have 30 days to present a birth certificate or the parent can come in and attest that the child was born in the united states. if they were not, it's just -- it's a statistical count. the child is not denied anything although it's easy to see how the police would interpret this. we have a lot of police in the schools. the police have been giving new latitude under the law. >> so it's the police -- >> in huntsville mentioned in spanish, he mentioned in spanish that there was nothing to fear from police in the schools. >> i've heard that. >> so there's some misconceptions out there. >> help me understand how this is enforced. you mentioned the police in the school. it's not the police or principals. it's the police and also it's new students, not kids who were already in the schools? am i hearing that correctly? >> correct. it's strictly new students. as for the police in the schools, they have no role in this but if you don't understand the law and you know the police and the schools have been asked to ask certain questions, you can see where someone might make a leap. >> you send your kid school and it's the duty of the police officer -- >> not the police officer, and presume in charge of checking birtd certificates. the schools were a little bit surprised that this part of the ruling, this part of the law was upheld by the ruling last wednesday. so i'm not sure that all of these officials are in place yet. we don't need to check who is in birth certificates. >> is there some hesitancy -- >> they report back to the state. >> appointed school officials check the birth certificates. will they follow through? i guess they have to. >> i don't know if it's hesitancy. it's the law. we will comply. and they keep asking the students not to be afraid. >> asking them not to be afraid. okay. channel stevens with the huntsville times. thank you so much. big changes there in alabama. thank you. in the meantime, new jersey governor, chris christie, says he will not run for president in 2012. what about the other guys here? we'll show you how some of the actual republican candidates are reacting to the news. plus, a heartbreaking story. a small child found trapped in the basement of a home. he had been locked down there as punishment. we can do better, folks. stay with me for that. i'm robert shapiro. over a million people have discovered how easy it is to use legalzoom for important legal documents. so start your business, protect your family, launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. time now to go to washington. let's go to peter hambee from the political ticker. let's pop up the live shot, guys, and show people, we are awaiting the leading contender, really, as of now, front-runner in this case, mitt romney, we'll be dipping into it. this is the first time that we're hearing from mitt romney since the big "now is not my time announcement" from chris christie. >> well, there are some big sighs of relief. chris christie is a problem solving and michele bachmann earlier today after christie made his announcement jon huntsman is going to be in the force for years to come and though he will not be entering the race restoring american exceptionalism not be lost. for the same type of donors and moderate republicans. and we're hoping for chris christie endorsement down the road. christie and his team of political a political advisers have entertained them and come through and kiss the christie ring. so we'll see if christie does chose to endorse earlier this summer. and right now between rick perry and mitt romney, so many things can change -- >> including -- i feel like this is an obl ga tore question that i have to ask. sarah palin? any word? >> the first filing deadline for any primary state is october 28th. governor palin has told me personally that she thinks she can wait that long to jump in the race. that's several weeks away. they probably have to get things in motion a couple weeks before that. it could be okay. i've talked to palin people. the line remains the same. the field is wide open. things can change. and obviously you don't want to mix things up again and that will help mitt romney in the and rick santorum and you can bet that christie bowing out. >> peter, hambee, thank you very much. a 7-year-old boy locked in a coffin in a basement. and here to help me, the dramatic story of how he was found and by whom. ional needs can go up when you're on the road to recovery. proper nutrition can help you get back on your feet. three out of four doctors recommend the ensure brand for extra nutrition. ensure clinical strength has revigor and thirteen grams of protein to protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. and immune balance to help support your immune system. ensure clinical strength... helping you to bounce back. ensure! nutrition in charge! ensure! [ boy ] hey, i thought these were electric? uh, it is, yeah, it's a chevy volt. so what are you doing at a gas station? well it still takes gas to go farther. but you're not getting gas. true. not this time. uh, don't have to gas up very often. so you have to go to the bathroom? no. yes you do. thought these were electric? yes, it's a uh, a chevy volt. so what are you doing at a gas station? if you've already been watching me at 3:00 eastern time. i don't have to tell you about it. i want to tell you about it. because as a society, for our children we can do better. this is in pennsylvania last week. they found a 7-year-old in a diaper. neighbors had heard him crying in the basement. they called police. that's where officers found him wearing only a t-shirt and a diaper. he said, are you here to help me and gave one officer a big hug. now, a neighbor did give him some pants and he proceeded to describe how he had been locked down in this basement with no bathroom as punishment after school. and not just that, he was also locked inside this coffin. he tell us his mom and stepdad shoved him inside often and even used duct tape to keep it shut. he said that they told him there were ghosts in the house. the conditions in the house were horrible. >> the boards were burned out, floor joice burned out, a lot of flies and bugs. >> we called police today and they told us the boy's mom and stepdad haven't been arrested yet. there was a warrant out for them on child abuse and neglect charges. there was a comment from a stranger, yeah, we noticed that kid never went to school or went outside to play. signs should not be ignored. that's truly the whole genesis that we can do better. i think it's okay for us to pause for a moment and say thank you to that neighbor who didn't ignore the sounds of this crying child who made that call who gave him clothes so he could be handled in a way. much more humanely than his parents ever did. children and that neighborhood did be right back. at bayer, we're re-inventing aspirin for pain relief. with new extra-strength bayer advanced aspirin. it has microparticles, enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief to the site of pain. it's clinically proven to relieve pain twice as fast. new bayer advanced aspirin. that is better than today. since 1894, ameriprise financial has been working hard for their clients' futures. never taking a bailout. helping generations achieve dreams. buy homes. put their kids through college. retire how they want to. ameriprise. the strength of america's largest financial planning company. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you, one-to-one. together, for your future. ♪ should we order panda blossom, panda moon... how about chinese at home with wanchai ferry? you can make it in just 14 minutes. mmmh, orange chicken. great. i didn't feel like going out anyway. [ male announcer ] wanchai ferry. restaurant quality chinese in your grocer's freezer. trending now saturday night football. yeah. well, last night, fans didn't hear the familiar theme by hank williams junior. it's what is trending. let me get into the back story. espn has pulled the song after williams appeared on fox news yesterday. williams called an golf outing between john boehner and president obama a political mistake. and when asked about that listen to what he said. >> you mean when john boehner and obama played golf? >> oh, yeah, and biden and casey. >> what does that mean to you? >> come on, it's like hitler playing golf with netanyahu. >> he's also called them the three stooges. he later said this, which was not an apology. it was an explanation. my analogy was extreme but i was trying to make a point. how stupid it meant to me and and ludicrous that pairing was. they are polar open sits and it made no sense. they don't see eye to eye and never will. i have always respected the office of the president. there is a lot of us talking in our editorial meeting and the reaction is more appropriate. apple is making its much anticipated announcement. you are inside that much anticipated unveiling, dan simon. >> reporter: you cannot knock it out of the ballpark yet. that's what the public will think. if you were thinking that there's going to a significant upgrade wa the latest version of this iphone, i think it's faster, a better camera, a thing called a personal assistant. you can speak commands. it will text for you when you speak a command. it will set a calendar a.ment, things of that nature. the bottom line here is we did not see this major upgrade that we thought we might see. i want you to listen to the chief marketing officer who introduced the iphone 4s. >> as you've heard, the number one phone and for satisfaction, how do you follow up a product like the iphone 4? well, i'm really pleased to tell you about the brand-new iphone 4s. [ applause ] >> of course it starts with a retina display. of course, it's glass in the front and back and has an incredible stainless steel band around it making it the thinnest smartphone. don't be deceived because inside it is all new. so how is it different? first, it has a new chip inside. the a5 chip that we launched just this year in the iphone 2 h -- into the ipad 2 has made its way into the iphone. >> reporter: not impressed with this new iphone, apple's stock is down about ten points. what you just saw there, that was phil shille. r. tim cook presided over this. he's the new ceo. it was the first time we ever saw tim cook really in this setting and, you know, he seemed very comfortable but it was noticeably absent was steve jobs. there was some buzz that he might make an appearance today but we did not see him, brooke. >> in addition to this phone, talking. what about the icloud? >> reporter: that's going to start right away on october 14th. the way apple puts it, it just works. if you take a picture on your iphone, it will automatically appear on your ipad and macintosh. if you've downloaded a song in the past, and it's no longer on your phone, ipad can sense that. it is a new feature and will be available right away, brooke. >> san simon, thank you. let's continue, shall we? hour two. i'm brooke baldwin. amanda knox is almost home. there is a red tide

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