Suspected of killing an american. Good morning from washington, with the beautiful sunrise behind me, republicans say they want this the president wants this country to go off the fiscal cliff, to have a sunset when it comes to our fiscal situation is that really whats going on here . Lawmakers are on vacation, so will anything get done in time . Lots of people on vacation, dana. A winter storm may be headed your way. For all of the people traveling, 93 million americans on trains, planes, and automobiles. What it means for your Holiday Travel plans. Good morning, welcome to starting point. Chilly in new york city. 7 00 in the morning. Im alina cho in new york. And im dana bash in washington. Monday, december 24th. Christmas eve. Starting point begins right now. And our starting point, a u. S. Contractor in kabul gunned down and killed this morning by a woman wearing an Afghan Police uniform. It happened inside kabuls police headquarters. The latest in a string of suspected green on blue attacks that are hitting morale and eroding trust in allies there. Our pentagon correspond respondent Barbara Starr up early for us working her sources. Joins us live from washington with more. Good morning, alina. In the last few minutes, our nato sources are confirming privately that, indeed, it was an american citizen. A contractor shot and killed by a woman, an afghan woman in a Police Uniform inside kabul police headquarters. What is not known at this point or they are not saying, whether this woman was an Afghan Police officer or came into possession of the uniform, stole it. We have seen these kinds of incidents before. People have infiltrated in, may have taliban loyalties, may be other issues at work here. They have seen grudges in the past being enacted upon. So not a lot of detail yet. But this whole issue of both nato troops and contractors being killed by people in uniform of Afghan Security forces has been plague the alliance all year long. More than 50 People Killed in this manner, a continuing problem. The taliban may not be winning by u. S. Standards in afghanis n afghanistan, but they are getting some propaganda value out of the tragic incidents. Alina. Barbara starr, thank you. Hope is fading fast this morning for a fiscal cliff compromise. Eight days left until we go off the edge. With the president and congress on holiday hiatus, things looking bleak. Listen to joe liberman on yesterdays state of the union. I think its more likely we will go over the cliff than not, and if we allow that to happen, it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in american history. White house correspondent Brianna Keilar is traveling with the president and joins us live from honolulu, hawaii, this morning. Im talking to republican and democratic sources and they really feel like were going to go over the cliff. What are you hearing . Im hearing its a very real possibility, and as youre hearing, they arent even really talking, democrats and reyou public i had cans, the white house talks to Senate Democrats, but at this point, the white house is not in any real substan tiff conversations with both House Republicans and Senate Republicans as all eyes turn to the senate, and perhaps because of that, some of the pessimism you heard from senator liberman there is shared by replicans. Listen. When i listen to the president , i think the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. I think he sees a political victory at the bottom of the cliff. Gets additional tax revenue for new programs, gets to cut the military and blame republicans for it. Attention now turns to the senate which will reconvene on thursday. The 27th. House majority leader harry reid now has the task of trying to cobble something together that could perhaps pass the senate and also pass the house with some republican support. The expectation would be some democratic support. The white house is still calling for the threshold on tax cuts to be a quarter million. It seems unlikely republicans would sign on the that, and officially president obama is supposed to be remaining here in hawaii through the new year, it seems likely he will be heading back to washington sometimes around when the senate convenes. And in the meantime, just up in the air about what is going to happen. Is it going to be a very unmerry cliffmass . Perhaps. I feel like we should pause and listen to the best sound in the world behind you. The waves crashing on the beach. Pretty good. Thanks. Dana, as you know, the fiscal cliff crisis is bringing out the creative side of the usa today editorial board. With the president and congress on holiday break, the newspapers editors decide a holiday poem was in in order. We decided it would be a great idea to read some of for you. Twaz the night before cliffmas, when all through d. C. , not a politician was stirring, theyd decided to flee. Their work was not finished but they did not care. The fiscal cliff looming they took to the air, voters watched this debacle with dressing dressed while visions of total victory dances in polls head. Democrats balked at a tight spending cap. Republicans kept pushing their anti tax pap, thursday evening christmas and reporter sprang to the capitol to see whats the matter. House demes realized with evident fwlee, the speaker could not pass his own plan b. Read it all in usa today. And, dana, something a lot of people know a lot about. Justreleased poll numbers showing okay. Well bring you those in a second. While we get those, but we want to get some top stories first. Here we go. Leading republicans refusing to get on board with the nras plan forearmed officers in every u. S. School. Thats not keeping the ceo from doubling down on the idea. Wayne la pierre told meet the press, its the only way to keep our children safe in the classroom. If its crazy to call for putting police in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy. Ill tell you what, the American People i think the American People think its crazy not to do it. Well, Top Republicans have come out against the idea of armed officers at every school and resisting calls for tighter gun laws. Keep it here, in the next half hour of starting point, well talk about the nras hardline stance on gun control with the organizations former political director, richard feldman. Senator mike crepo of idaho apologizing to constituestit co family after being arrested Early Saturday Morning for driving under the influence. He failed a field sobriety test. He was pulled over after spotted running a red light and had a blood alcohol level of poin 11. The legal blood alcohol level is point 08. He was released on 1,000 bond. A senior navy s. E. A. L. Commanders death is being investigated as a suicide. Navy commander john prices body was found after he didnt show up at an appointed time. He was serving as part of the special commanding unit s. E. A. L. Team 4. He was not related in any investigation or controversies. A north korean rocket had the ability to travel 6,000 miles, conceivably one could reach the u. S. This is based in part on a part they recovered from one of the rockets boosters. South korea says it shows north koreas intent and progress. How badly did mitt romney want to be president . Not badly. Tag romney telling the boston globe, if his father could have found someone else to take his place, he would have gladly stepped aside. His father wanted to be president less than anyone ive met in my life. He had no desire. All right. Didnt seem like it during the campaign. It sure didnt seem like it. But he is a private person and that did cause some problems for him. He wasnt ready to talk about things until it got too late. Just released poll numbers say a majority of americans say the u. S. And other countries should not get involved in syria. 52 against the idea of usa today or other countrys planes to set up safe zones. This as a gruesome scene unfolds. People who got out to buy bread were killed as they lined up at a bakery to get the bread. Mohammed jamjoon joins us by phone from beruit. Some of the video you are about to see is extremely graphic. What can you tell us . Dana, its horrific and grizzly details that are emerging. Opposition activist says hundreds were lined up to get bread from the bakery. The first time it opened in over a week in the town of haifa. It was shelled by a warplane overhead and at least 1200 People Killed in the attack. The amateur video posted online shows an extremely gruesome scene. Mangled corpses in the rubble. You can see rebel Army Officers and civilians trying to help the wounded. A terrible, terrible tragedy according to whom weve been speaking with. That town harbors a lot of Anti Government sentiment. Liberated by rebels just a week ago. And because of that, they were targeted by the regime yesterday. They issues a statement and blame what happened to terrorists, and thats the term they use when talking about rebel fighters. The townspeople called for help. Called for intervention from the syrian regime. And they sent in military and started killing and arrested terrorists there. Diplomacy is still going on to forge some sort of path for syria. The joint u. N. Arab league envoy to syria arrived in damascus last night and he left the country since then and spoke to reporters briefly this morning and told them about his discussions with assad. Here is more of what mr. Brahimi had to say. Dana, mr. Brahimi has since left syria he says the situation is dire and he hopes they can come to some agreement to alleviate the misery for the Syrian People. You are on the phone, and lucky enough to get you face to face. Thank you for that and for that report. As gruesome and grim as it was. Ahead on starting point criticism from the right and left. Controversy brewing over chuck hagels possible nomination as defense secretary. Will the president go all in or go with someone else . And fired for being simply too irresistible. One states highest court says not a problem. This is a story you really do have to hear and see to believe. Well bring it to you, next. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesnt treat that. Really . [ male announcer ] alkaseltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. Thats the cold truth i need you. I feel so alone. But youre not alone. I knew youd come. Like i could stay away. You know i cant do this without you. Youll never have to. Youre always there for me. Shh ill get you a rental car. I could also use an umbrella. Fall in love with progressives claims service. Time for citi price rewind. Because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. And you really dont want to pay more than you have to. Only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. And if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. Just use your citi card and register your purchase online. Have a super sparkly day ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. Citi price rewind. Start saving at citi. Com pricerewind. Ra starr live with more. What are you hearing about the nomination . Have you been following it up on capitol hill. I am looking at it from this side here at the pentagon. Nothing but controversy erupting now. It began, you know, when the buzz started to grow. So there is a couple of issues that haggle is now facing. One is iran. Is he tough enough . Did he really support sanctions on iran . The big one, the question of israel. Criticism all the way back to 2007 when then knife senator haggle made a remark about the jewish lobby intimidating lawmakers in washington that remark has come back. Other independent many people say independent views that haggle has separated from the republican party, separated from the democrats, about israel. You see the first real public opposition. There is a commercial opposing haggle. Have a listen to a bit of it. President obama says all options on the table for preventing a nuclear iran. Haggle sa hagel says that military action is not a viable, feasible responsible option. Chuck hagel is not a viable, feasible option. The white house has not put out a nomination, but you are beginning see reaction from the hill. Over the weekend, some very key senators spoke out about chuck hagel. I would have some really serious questions to ask him, not just about israel, but to me the most significant Foreign Policy challenge for president obama in our country and the world in the next year or two is iran and the Nuclear Weapons program. Chuck hagel has had some outlying votes on that. I dont think he will get Many Republican votes. I like chuck, but his positions i didnt frankly know all of them, are really out of the mainstream and well to the left of the president. So on iran, hagel cast some votes not supporting iranian sanctions. On israel, these marks that hes made in the past, coming back to haunt him now. Well have ontosee in coming days if it becomes the fact that hagel is white house nominee. Such an odd situation. The whole idea of nominating hagel it would be a bipartisan choice. He is a republican. Former republican senator, who would be in a democratic administration. Republicans are out against him. Have you heard of any support for him in this process . Well, you know there, are people who are coming out and supporting him. Public letters from former, very prominent generals, admirals, ambassadors with both sides of the aisle, political affiliations if you will. But the problem perhaps is this right now its against the back drop of the susan rice nomination that never happened either, right . So the thing that people are starting to talk about, if if the hagel potential nomination sits there too many days without the white house coming out. Nominating him or cutting him loose, this gives time for opposition to grow, time for there to be more rhetoric on the whole thing and may force the white house hand. Not to nominate him and that will be a political cost to the president many say, because it will be the second potential nomination he had to back away from. And who would be out there if he were to back away . What about other candidates . Its interesting. Really only two people that have been spoken about. One is a man ash carter, currently the deputy secretary, number two, here at the pentagon, the other one, michelle flornoy. Number three at the pentagon before she left many months ago. The white house may want to go with michelle flornoy by trying to nominate the first female secretary of defense. Dana. That would be something, thats for sure. Barbara, thank you very much. Ahead on starting point prince harrys turning point in afghanistan. New details of his latest missions unlike any hes been on before. And from actor to senator . Ben affleck may be considering a run for office. But she loved it so much. I told her it was homemade. Everyone tells a little white lie now and then. But now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] shes right behind me isnt she . [ male announcer ] progresso. You gotta taste this soup. Anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating . Yeah. One Phillips Colon Health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. Approved [ female announcer ] live the regular life. Phillips. Welcome back to starting point. Some top stories. Investors will have to wait for news on the fiscal cliff until after christmas. That uncertainty is pushing markets lower. The s p 500, all down this morning. Trading expected to be light with high volatility today. And markets close early at 1 00 p. M. Eastern. And a red alert for a possible volcanic eruption in chile. The volcano hits high in the Andes Mountains and might be poised to blow. So far, chiles Geological Service has not sent out a mandatory evacuation order. Prince harry killed his first taliban fighter in afghanistan, as he flew to the rescue of a patrol under attack. Defense sources deny reports that he killed a taliban commander, but admitted he had deployed his weapon. The prince is nearing an end of a fourmonth tour of duty in hellman province. And a judge has sign off on the Bp Settlement regarding the gulf oil spills. Bp expects to pay out 7 7. 8 billion. It includes thousands of claims of businesses and individuals in five states on the gulf of mexico. Bp faces many other lawsuits, including a major civil trial in february. A memorial for sandy hook victims and a show of support for tighter gun laws in new york. Hundreds of demonstrators marched over new york citys Brooklyn Bridge and stopped in the middle of the bridge to read the names of the children and adults killed at sandy hook elementary. It is Christmas Eve. Around the world, key events are already under way. Thousands are celebrating in bethlehem, the birthplace of jesus christ. At the vatican, both benedict will celebrate with a Christmas Eve mass at 4 00 p. M. Eastern time. Incredible live pictures. A cyber war with santa right in the middle. If you and your little ones want to keep tabs on santa this holiday season, have you options. Not one, but two santa trackers. Thats right the ever reliable stand by at noradsanta. Org, currently over russia, and googles new version, which includes games and activities, find that at google. Com santatracker. Dana. I think we could keep it old school with norad. We can try both. Ahead on starting point, the nra doubles down on calls forearmed Police Officers at all schools. A lot of criticism from both sides of the aisle that thats not the right solution. Former political director of the nra who is a member and owns 140 firearms himself joins us next to respond. It might not be fair, but its not illegal. A woman fired for being too irresistible, and the court says thats totally fine. You have to hear this story, coming up. Well, if it isnt mr. Margin. Mr. Margin . Dont be modest, bob. You found a better way to pack a bowling ball. That was ups. And who called ups . You did, bob. I just asked a questi