out front tonight, iran's threat to the united states in the united states. right here at home. now, as we said last night, no one buys iran's claim that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. today on capitol hill, james clapper drove that message home. >> iran's technical advances particularly in uranium enrichment strengthen our assessment that iran is more than capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon if its political leaders chooses to do so. >> he also said that iran has the largest supply of ballistic missiles in the middle east and that they could one day be capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. this is footage of iran's test missiles which they do like on show to the world to show the tower of their program and the country is working in intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well, developing them to deliver for 2,000 miles. and consider this, high ranking israeli official said earlier this month that iran is working on missiles with a range of some 6,000 miles. that is far enough to hit the united states of america. now, an expert that we spoke with said that fitting an intercontinental ballistic missile could take months or years. but it is important to note that experts also tell us that israel may be exaggerating iran's long range missile capability. but on a smaller but perhaps much more real and frightening scale, iran could attack the united states in a much more fearsome way. the top intelligence officer for the new york police department, the nypd, said this week in an op-ed that iran's next target could be here in the nation's largest city. given iran's increasingly rhetoric, the nypd must remain vigilant in attempting to detect and disrupt any attack by iran or its proxies. the intelligence officer calls this no idle threat. and remember this fall, the u.s. government says iran was planning it to bomb a crowded restaurant in washington, d.c. the target was this man, saudi arabia's ambassador to the united states. but perhaps 100 or more americans would have died, too. the defendant is an american of iranian descent and he stands trial. this week the iranian government is suspected of carrying out bombing attacks against israeli diplomats in thailand, india and the republic of georgia. the question is, will iran strike inside the united states. out front tonight, peter king, chairman of the house committee on homeland security. good to talk to you, sir. i know that you have been briefed and obviously mr. clapper has briefed you on many of the details and you've been told there is no specific plot at this time. are you satisfied with the intelligence you've been getting? >> i am. because even though there is no specific plot, the intelligence community does believe that an attack could very well happen. right now a threat from iran, possible attack from iran, is the greatest threat we face and every threat is being tracked down. so while there is no specific threat, we're assuming -- we have to assume that one could occur. and i agree totally that we have to assume that hezbollah would be the proxy for iran and could well carry out the attack. so i'm convinced everyone is working 24/7 on this. >> and has it changed? you're saying that iran is the greatest threat for a terror attack in the united states. whether they do it through hezbollah proxy or otherwise. has that changed, has the recent rhetoric and conversation raised that threat level or not? >> it really hasn't. several things. one is the tremendous tension in the middle east with israel and iran and the fact that iran is getting so close to having a weapon, nuclear weapon. secondly is the fact that back in december, we stopped the plot of the attack -- or the assassination attempt on the saudi ambassador which would have killed hundreds of americans. that was crossing a red line. and all the chatter out there, just the general consensus among everyone in the intelligence community is that right now iran and hezbollah would be the number one threat to the united states. unlike al qaeda, which is still a very serious threat or at least the offshoots are, hezbollah is a state trained terrorist organization. that is really the major leagues of terrorism. if iran launched hezbollah, there's a real concern. >> and if the united states were to -- when you have these conversations with security officials, if they were to arm the opposition in syria, a place iran has been very involved, does that put america and americans at home at greater risk of these sorts of attacks in your view? >> yes it does. that can't be enough to stop us from doing whatever we have on do, but the tightening of the sanctions increases the risk. if we get engaged with syria or with iran, then, yes, that definitely increases the likelihood that iran and/or hezbollah would strike within the united states. we're assuming that. we're assuming which is why we're trying to monitor everyone in this country who is associated with hezbollah. other facilitators. we'll monitoring carefully. >> do you think there could already be an iranian or hezbollah sleeper cell in the united states given there will have been reports and again unconfirmed that iran could have been involved in those bombing targets in the past few days for israeli officials overseas? >> we have to assume that they are. that's certainly what he was making clear in the "wall street journal." this is what iran has done in argentina. certainly what they're doing overseas in thailand and india, georgia. so, no, we have to assume that and again, we hope no, but we assume they do and that's why i can tell you there is a tremendous amount of counterterrorism activity by all the elements of intelligence right across the board and also state and local. >> i'm wondering, some people say the receipt or vehicle overblown, you all keep talking about this, that's part of the problem. what do you say to those criticisms? that this is more about rhetoric than reality. >> no, and -- i'm republican in saying this. i have no reason to be defending a democratic administration for political reasons. when you have people like general clapper ad general petraeus, when you have really across the board in the intelligence community and this administration, all the leaders saying how concerned they are about an attack from a iran, when you have the nypd which has the best local counterterrorism unit in the entire country which also works 24/7 and you see what iran is doing oversea, we would be negligent in not talking about it because it's important to alert local governments, local communities, especially if anyone in their community sees any activity or sees anything unusual to call the police, call the fbi. >> well, thank you very much. we appreciate it. with the gop split with romney and santorum, the dream for some, the nightmare for others, isn't that the way things are in life? a brokered convention. and is this the moment chris christie has been waiting for? and two years after he tried on blow up a plane, the underwear bomber is finally sentenced today. and should a man who murdered his two children and himself be allowed to be buried next to them? montgomery and abigail higgins had... ...a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit. which provided for their every financial need. and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but with their raymond james financial advisor, they had prepared for even the unthinkable. and they danced. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. sadly, no. oh. but i did pick up your dry cleaning and had your shoes shined. well, i made you a reservation at the sushi place around the corner. well, in that case, i better get back to these invoices... which i'll do right after making your favorite pancakes. you know what? i'm going to tidy up your side of the office. i can't hear you because i'm also making you a smoothie. [ male announcer ] marriott hotels & resorts knows it's better for xerox to automate their global invoice process so they can focus on serving their customers. with xerox, you're ready for real business. with my vial and syringe. me, drawing my insulin dose. and me the day i discovered novolog flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your mealtime insulin. dial the exact dose, inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. novolog is a fast-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within five to ten minutes after injection to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat or sweating. with flexpen, vial and syringe are in the past. ask your doctor about novolog flexpen, covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. [oinking] [hissing] [ding] announcer: cook foods to the right temperature using a food thermometer. 3,000 americans will die from food poisoning this year. check your steps at foodsafety.gov. cnn canceling its march 1st republican debate in atlanta. after mitt romney and rick santorum dropped out. this came on the same day that a michigan poll came out saying the santorum threat in romney's home state is rising. romney has some really weakness with the republican rank and file. and adding to the uncertainty in the race is the likelihood of texas with a massive 155 delegates delaying its primary from april 3rd, it could be late may. some saying even later. the date is contested still. now, it's still early to talk about a possible brokered convention, but that hasn't stopped us from doing it frankly for the past several months. all right. no candidate win as majority of the delegates needed. there's a magic number. nobody gets to it and the contest goes all the way to the convention in august. then the contest goes all the >> we would be looking at a starting with the 28th, it would take until april 3rd. >> and that involves him winning georgia and a whole lot of other places. >> ain't going to happen. same number it would take rick santorum if he won everything until april 24th. >> april 24th. okay. and neither one of those scenarios is likely. >> ain't going to happen. >> here's what's interesting. if you took romney and santorum and split the delegates today, split all the proportional states 50/50 and split up the winner take all states, half and half, you actually get a situation where nobody wins the 1144 necessary. mitt romney would come up just short at 1136. that is a step to a brokered convention. add in ron paul, going to stay in the race, the point is, it has gone from simply being an overheated political fantasy to a dim possibility. mathematically, you work with the numbers, this could actually happen. >> a fantasy for some is a nightmare for others. so which is it for you? >> i think the dream scenario for a lot of people is that you suddenly get in some other candidate, some fantasize about chris christie, some say mitch daniels, and that person would swoop in and save the republican party from itself at the last minute. the problem is these are all guys who knocked around the idea, thought about it, decided not to do it. these are all people with their own skeletons in the closet. i think you'll have a battered and bruised nominee. if you get to a brokered convention, they'll have to hammer out some kind of deal that will make any candidate look very compromised. so i think it's more bad news. >> republicans not accepting the really difference the fact that they've got what they've got, they kind of know he what they've got. is that a brokered convention where they can't face that reality in time, is that good for you, are you salivating at that idea? >> first of all, i think a lot of republicans have faced with the reality as we just heard. this thing has gone from bad to just down right awful for them. if there was a way, if i was a republican, i would just say let's just stop right now. just take a time-out, let's think about this thing for a week and come back and try plan b. because plan a is not going well here, guys. i'm not sure that some kind of -- what i thought about is maybe somebody does get in late and wins the last five or six primaries and looks strong when they come into tampa. at this point, there are more bad things that could happen than good things. and if you're a democrat, that is a good thing. >> but coming in at the last minute, say you miss the southern primaries. let's play the chris christie scenario out for a second. you don't have him going in the south because he's too pro gun control. you come in to a lot of the northern states. what happens about someone gets in after super tuesday? >> it's actually too late to get on the ballot in the vast majority of states. >> so you can't even get on the ballot? >> right. so any fantasy scenario involves a long ball attempt. it would involve a brokered convention. remember, all delegates are released after the first ballot. we haven't seen those kind of politics in a long time. so keep hope alive if you want to, folks. but it's going to be tampa, it won't be before. >> we like to speculate. what's wrong with that? maybe the guy gets on -- christie's big problem is remember he repeatedly said the reason he didn't run is that he was not ready to be president. that's -- it's one thing if you say i'm not running and then you get in. that happens all the time. i don't know how voters would react to that. but it's not looney to think that they could get to tampa. get there without somebody at 1144. >> james carville, what about sarah palin? i mean, who knows. she's on tv a lot, but it sure sounded to me like she was saying she would step up to the plate if needed. >> if we're talking about fantasizing, that would be something. president obama is the luckiest man that i know of. even he's not that lucky. oh, please, let that happen. that's a two stage scenario. now you have utah and south carolina maybe. >> so here's the thing. if romney is wounded, if delegates are released, then it will matter who romney supports, right? so who has been his most effective surrogate. chris christie has been an effective surrogate, but who has bob mcdonnell, a guy who ran a very formidable campaign, very effective on romney's behalf. >> it's hard because no one nationally knows who he is. >> that's fair, but the thing is that romney again, what's going to happen is who do they want to release their delegates too. >> we're getting way out front here. but the point is, what's significant -- >> it's a verb. >> the point here is that the math is a real problem for republicans right how. it's not a joke anymore. with texas moving back, it becomes harder and harder for any candidate to clinch this realistically until late may or june and there are scenarios in place where nobody gets to 1144. that nightmare or fantasy is not impossible. >> some fantasies are nightmares. >> that's right. >> we talked about chris christie and he is in the midst of another controversy. he said he'll fly new jersey's flags at half-staff for whitney houston. critics say is he celebrating a junky, disrespecting those for who the honor -- whom it should be -- is reserved. christie responded on twitter "i'm not say has gone whitney houston is a role model. what she is cultural icon in the history of this state. smart politics? >> absolutely. chris christie is running in a very urban state and already at a big disadvantage. he has to demonstrate that he's in tune with the times and people of my generation for whom she was just the role model of female dignity. and i think that it would be crazy of him not to. so i think this was a very good move and it demonstrates that he's a more broad minded political figure. >> what do you think, james? >> i agree completely. that is a very good point. i think the governor -- i didn't realize until 170 million album, my god, you know, tragic the way that her life went toward the end obviously, but he's not celebrating that. i agree with the governor. i think he made a good point. >> it is interesting the political point it make, but it is a state that is very proud of its magicians. bruce springsteen -- >> bruce is coming to jazz fest. >> yes, he is. he's closing out sunday. that's true. >> my man quinton, he gets everybody down there. >> but it's the governor's job to build the state, so jersey pride. >> and it shows one thing we know, he loves his state. >> yes, he does. >> got to be a thing who are governors of states in which they were not born. all right. thanks to all of you. good to see you. life in prison. that is the sentence for the so-called underwear bomber. now, you remember this. it was christmas day in 2009 when farouk abdulmutallab hid a bomb in his underwear and boarded a northwest airlines flight in amsterdam. as the plane neared detroit, he tried but failed to detonate the bomb. instead flames shot to the roof of the plane and it set off widespread panic. now, you remember that passengers on that plane especially after 9/11, they stepped up, they restrained him, they fought back. flight attendants fought to put out the blaze and the plane landed safely. for the sentencing today, prosecutors showed for the first time video of what could have happened if the plot worked. and you're seeing some of that now. frightening images. and i remember that christmas day because i got the call to go to nigeria to report on abdulmutallab. spent time at his family's house and people close to him at the time said they were incredibly embarrassed. the whole country of nigeria was humiliated and embarrassed by this. joining me now is deb, she was inside the courtroom. what was his demeanor, how did he react? >> he was virtually emotionless. he stared straight ahead making eye contact only with his lawyer. you have to understand, this was a packed courtroom. but as that bomb video was played, he said allahu akbar, god is great, god is great. and he did have an opportunity to give a statement and he said proud to kill, that's what i did. now, his parents, they were in detroit and they actually planned to come here and be in that room. they decided at the last minute not to. but his lawyer says that they do want to see him. they understand it could very well be the last time they do. certainly before he's sent way to a super max prison, erin. >> just you recounting how he reacted and what he said, i think it makes everyone's stomach turn. it was awful and disgusting. i know abdulmutallab chose to act as his own attorney, but the court assigned him an attorney and i know you had a chance to speak with anthony chambers after the sentencing. what did he have to say about his client? >> he wasn't surprised. first of all, he wasn't surprised by the sentencing. he said that he and abdulmutallab spoke about appealing a couple of days ago because they sort of realized it was a foregone conclusion that he would be serving life. but he says his client stands by his convictions. >> he has not apologized or given any indication of being remorseful, i would agree with that. he seems to be committed to what he did and to a cause. >> and, erin, also just hearing his own lawyer say, look, me and abdulmutallab, we didn't talk about politics and we didn't talk about religion. he knows that what abdulmutallab did he still continues to believe it was the right thing, that it was a blessed thing that he did by trying to bring that plane down with all 289 people aboard. >> there were 289 people aboard and i know that -- i remember t