Transcripts For CNNW The Situation Room 20130228

D damon harris died a couple of weeks ago. Im brooke baldwin. Lets take you to washington now. The situation room with wolf blitzer starts right now. Happening now, they are just about to ring a bell on a roller coaster day, almost history making day on wall street. Stay right there. Were going to see how close the dow industrials come to their alltime high. Also, whats wrong with this picture up on capitol hill, lawmakers are getting out of town instead of working to help the forced spending cuts that hit tomorrow. Plus, look at this. Dennis rodman, yes, believe it or not. Dennis rodman scoring a diplomatic triumph. There he is. He is sitting right next to the leader of north korea, kim jongun, courtside at a basketball game in pyongyang. Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. All eyes are on wall street. The New York Stock Exchange closing on a day that saw the Dow Jones Industrial average making a run at breaking its alltime high. Our chief Business Correspondent ali velshi is here in the situation room with us today. Ali what a day. The numbers are going up. Just flat, basically. We came within 16 points of the record that was set on october the 9th in 2007. So if we got there, you would have just made your money back after more than five years. Let me just remind you, in a market that is volatile, which means a lot of computers influence trade trading, you will go down. This will take a few days. For Everything Else going on in the economy and in washington, this dow is near an alltime high. We got to a fireyear high again today. It doesnt look like on wall street at least, this concern about forced spending cuts. Theres a couple of reasons for that. As you know, lets say the forced spending cuts go into effect on saturday morning. Up wont see any of the furloughs or layoffs for another month and thats when we have to discuss the budget. So the market thinks you have the end of march, not february. The stock is overvalued. You pay a multiple of that. In a lowInterest Rate environment, you tend to take a risk. You get nothing by putting your money into a bank account, inflation would eat away at it, so you are pushed into the stock market. So theres more money in the stock market than there would be if Interest Rates were 5, 6 as opposed to 3 or 4 on mortgages. So thats part of the reason why youre seeing this kind of pressure, upward pressure in the stock market. There are still some people who warn, be careful of a market like this. What goes up, goes down. Remember, if youre invested in bonds with Interest Rates where they are starting to go up, bonds are coming down. So if youre an older investor, you dont have choices but to start getting into the stock market and thats why youre seeing so much bubbling and activity. 14,054, almost 55. It was 6500. Unbelievable. Even though it was at 14,000 in 2007, the next year it was down to 6700. Just because its doing well right now, my advice and your advice to investors out there is stay calm. This is a traders market. Remember, its a traders market. Your investment behavior should not be governed by trading volatility. Right now what were looking at is trading volatility. Why didnt it go over the top . A couple things. Theres no real catalyst to it going over the top. Economic growth at the end of 2012 was onetenth of 1 positive. They need 3, 4 to create jobs. Yeah. This isnt a victory dance. This has taken five years to get here. Last quarter it was negative growth. It was negative and it went from negative onetenth to positive onetenth. Again,. 02 difference. Not that big of a deal. Its not a celebratory market. Alley, youll be back. Thanks very much. Were now just a day away from those forced spending cuts that will cut across u. S. Defense and domestic programs. You might think its finally time for congress to get serious about doing something to avoid the potential pain out there. But guess what . You would be wrong. Our chief Congressional Correspondent dana bash is up on capitol hill to explain what is going on. Go ahead, dana. Explain. Reporter we can now report that those 85 billion in forced spending cuts will kick in by the end of the day tomorrow. Why . Because congress is the only place that has the power to stop them and they are gone. Lawmakers racing down the capitol steps, bolting out of town for a long weekend. This was before noon, a full day before the hammer comes down on forced budget cuts they voted for. Is there a concern that you all are going to leave town while these cuts kick in and you wont even be here . Well, speaker and the leadership will be here and im a quick flight away. I go home every weekend to see my family. Reporter youre on your way out . Are you on your way home . Yes, maam. Reporter so youre not going to be here in town when these cuts kick in . If they call me back, ill be back. Reporter what do you think of the idea that you all and Congress Wont be here when these cuts kick in . Weve got to go to the airport. Reporter okay. Bye. Some republicans whose party run the house were unapologetic about leaving washington until monday. I think its better when were at homeworking because the work we do there is more important than the work we do here. This was the president s idea. Reporter as you all know, most republicans voted for it. I voted for it, too, because i think we have to get our spending in line. 2 , most families, most businesses have had to do the same thing. Reporter yet some lawmakers in both parties sounded as fed up as their constituents. We could stay here and not pass a bill, thats not even better. Reporter youre heading to your car. I assume youre going home to new york . Yes. Listen, i think the sequester is crazy. The president should show more leadership. But to sit here makes no difference. Its an absolute disgrace that were going home. We should stay here until this sequester has ended. This is a stupid way to do it. Reporter but democrats do run the senate and their last votes this week were only a few hours later. The motion is not agreed to. Reporter two proposals to relieve the forced cuts. Partisan show votes. Neither passed and neither was expected to. Will the senate not be here just like the house wont be here the day that these cuts take place. Were in session. Were ready to work. But at this stage we dont have a partner. Reporter now, the senate is technically still in session but senators as we speak, wolf, are headed for the airports, most of them getting out of town. Leaders in both parties made the point that they will be here tomorrow, of course, for the meeting that they will have with the president at the white house tomorrow morning. But i have not found a source in either party that expects them to do anything to change what is going to happen, at least starting tomorrow night. And that is, those cuts will begin to go into effect. But we really, dana, at least everything im hearing, saturday, sunday, monday, in the immediate days after these forced budget cuts go into effect, most of americans, all of americans really wont feel any direct pain . Reporter thats exactly right. You heard jay carney at the white house talk to members of congress. What is going to happen is its going to be a slow roll. Its going to take some time for the effects of this to trickle down and get to the american public. What were obviously going to be watching for first is those most obvious to most of us, like airport delays and things like that. It could take a few weeks, even more for people to feel the pain from these cuts. Yeah, were going to have more on the president shifting tone on the pain. Thats coming up in the next hour as well. Dana, thank you. New developments today in what many are seeing as an important side show to this important spending cuts fight. Were talking about the veteran journalist book woodward and his assertions made here in the situation room yesterday, his exchange with a Senior Obama Administration official who didnt like what he was reporting. Today we learned that that official is Gene Sperling and were getting some new insight into that exchange as white house officials are going out of their way to say its all part of a big misunderstanding. Lets bring in our chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin. Shes been doing some digging, reporting on whats going on. Whats the latest, jessica . Reporter book woodward and Gene Sperling had a phone call first and then an email exchange. Bob woodward said he felt it was threatening and the white house is saying that is ridiculous and a seener adviser, david pluf, is sort of mocking bob wood ward sending out a tweet comparing him to an aging sports star. Watching woodward the last few days is like watching mike schmidt facing live pitching again. Perfection gained once is repeated. Ouch. Heres what the drama is all about. An intimidating threat or a Friendly Exchange between a reporter and a white house official . They are not happy at all. Reporter at issue, a spat over Bob Woodwards reporting on the president s plan to avoid the looming forced spending cuts. It was said very can clearly, you will regret doing this. Who sent that email to you . Well, im not going to say. Was it a senior person . A very senior person. Reporter that official was Gene Sperling, director of the Economic Council and according to the white house, his email was no threat at all. In a statement, a press official said, the note suggested that mr. Woodward would regret the observation he made regarding the sequester because that observation was inaccurate, nothing more. Gene sperling, in keeping with a demeanor i have been familiar with for more than 20 years was incredibly respectful. Can you not read those emails and come away with the impression that gene was threatening anybody. Reporter the key here, all important context. In the email exchange obtained by politico, sperling writes, i apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. But i do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying that the president asking for revenue is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, i think you will regret staking out that claim. Woodward replies, you do not ever have to apologize to me. This is all part of a serious discussion. I, for one, welcome a little heat. Now woodward says it was too hot. It makes me very uncomfortable to have the white house telling reporters, youre going to regret doing something that you believe in. Reporter the president says he values a free press that is not afraid to ask questions, to examine and to criticize. Uhhuh. Reporter as he ever spoken to his aides about the tone he would like you to take when talking to reporters . We are enormously respectful of the work that you do and that i used to do and we also believe its important for us to make clear when we think somebody is out there getting the facts wrong. Reporter wolf, sources sometimes get animated as they try to share their perspective and its up to each reporter and each interaction to decide whats taking place in that individual instance, wolf. Well, certainly and i think you will agree, jessica, based on that email exchange at least, i dont know what happened in the extensive and fairly angry phone conversation that Gene Sperling and bob woodward had on the email exchange, it doesnt look like on the surface that its all that awful. Certainly there was no direct threat or anything like that. You will be punished or whatever. It was relatively tame and maybe this whole sidebar is being overblown. Reporter right. It does not seem to be any theres no explicit threat in that email. So if something happened in the conversation, we just cant know about it. We wont know. But i agree with you, and i know from working with Gene Sperling, i personally have never been bullied by him. He gets very excited and very, very talkative. Sometimes more talkative than anybody really expects when youre on the phone with him. But i do not myself see the threat in the emails. Again, though, you cant speak for another reporter and what they might feel in their own interactions. No. All of us know Gene Sperling very well and bob woodward very well at the same time. Obviously both very honorable guys. Ive worked with Gene Sperling going back to the Clinton White house when he worked there at that time and hes not the type he likes to talk, as you point out, but he doesnt make any brutal threats, anything along those lines or anything like that. Bob wood dlds ward, one of the premier, if not the premier washington journal reporters. We invited them, by the way, to come in here to the situation room and have a little peacemaking session and they declined. Good news coming out of all of this, Gene Sperling will be candy crowleys guest on the state of the union address. Well tie up all of the loose ends at the same time. Both very, very good guys, Gene Sperling and bob woodward and im sure before too long the two of them will be having dinner at a fansing washington here in washington making nice to each other. Reporter over an expensive bottle of wine, yes. Thanks Jessica Yellin for that. Now we turn to the history making events at the vatican. Where Pope Benedict xvi no longer is the leader of the 1. 2 billion roman catholics. His resignation the first of any pope in nearly 600 years took effect a couple hours ago. Christiane amanpour is joining us. Benedict ended his reign a couple of hours ago. Whats it like now . Whats the mood there . Reporter well, listen, i think people are taking it in stock and moving forward but i must say a couple of hours ago when 2 00 p. M. Eastern, 8 00 p. M. Local, the swiss guard, the traditional guard that protects the pope walked inside, closed the doors when he was at castel go gandolfo and you got that sense of finality t, its been very dramatic when he flew in his helicopter, landed there, came out on the balcony of the summer residence and told people, i am no longer pope today. I am just a pilgrim. All of a sudden the emotion and enormity of what happened, because its a precedentsetting event, all of that set in and you saw the pope look almost i dont know. Almost relieved when he gave his last blessing. Having looked very tired in morning in his meeting with the cardinals and yesterday during his papal address, i thought he looked rather tired and frail but unburdened, i think he is now feeling relieved. I spoke to Timothy Dolan of new york who is considered amentioned by many to be a front run arer. He, of course, played that down but said what would be looked for in the next pope. One of the natural characteristics that were looking for . Well, you need a good pastor, somebody who is good with people, like jesus was. You need somebody thoroughly versed in the catholic wisdom. Number three, you need somebody savvy about the Church Universal who is aware and conscious of the diverse needs of the catholic family. Number four, you need somebody who can get by in italian and preferably other languages, too. And number where am i . Five, six. You need somebody with some governing capacity, some managerial skills. I would presume those are the qualities we would look for. Right. Reporter now, many people say that its unlikely that there will be an american pope at this time but on the other hand, some say you just never know and the field is wide open and the whole situation right now is so uncertain. So you dont know. But of course the other thing i spoke to Cardinal Dolan about and like i did with cardinal mccarrick, the pope has to get through all these scandals that have rocked this church and turned off so many catholics. Most particularly the priest Sexual Abuse Scandal has to finally come to a conclusion whereby theres full accountability and transparency and i think Everybody Knows going into the conclave that is going to have to be front and center of all their calculations for the future. Wolf . When you spoke to Cardinal Dolan about that, what did he say . How does he think the church needs to deal with all of these problems . Reporter well, i think he feels that the church has done a lot. Obviously since it first exploded this terrible scandal and these crimes, really, wolf, against these young people that date back decades, that this explosion in the u. S. In 2002 and swept europe in 2010 and Pope Benedict is the first pope to have apologized and met with abuse victims, who instituted a zero tolerance policy. That needs to be fully implemented. There has to be a zero toll trans policy, not just for those who abuse but also for those who shielded the abusers for so long and prevented those abusers from being held accountable and farm them out to different parishes. So lots and lots of different catholics are looking for that to happen and many people who are not catholic want to see that happen in the Catholic Church because as you well know, the pope is not just pope of 1. 2 billion catholics around the world. What he does and says and what he represents really matters even outside the catholic faith. Wolf . It certainly does. Christiane amanpour joining us from rome. Coming up in the situation room, im going to speak live with a a sheriff who is furious with the Obama Administration. He says they have no problems releasing criminals on to the streets of his county. Also coming up, Dennis Rodman. Hes become a diplomatic mvp in north korea. Whats going on . [ nyquil bottle ] hey tylenol, you know were kinda like twins. [ tylenol bottle ] we are . Yeah we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. And i relieve nasal congestion. Overachiever. [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multisymptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. Nyquil® cold and flu doesnt. Did you know not all fiber is the same . Citrucel is different its the only fiber for regularity that wont cause excess gas. Its gentle and clinically proven to help restore and maintain regularity. Look for citrucel today. Theres nothing like our grilled lobster and lobster tacos. The bar harbor bake is really worth trying. [ male announcer ] get more during red lobsters lobsterfest. With the years Largest Selection of mouthwatering lobster entrees. 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At least today, tension over north Koreas Nuclear weapons, its longrange missiles gave way to appreciation of some other kind of longrange baskets. Cnns mary snow is joining us. This is a story. Its hard to believe, mary. Its almost amazing that of all people in the United States, the first person that the north Korean Leader wants to meet with is Dennis Rodman. It almost seemed like a fake story when you first heard about it and its hard to imagine getting more bizarre than this. Dennis rodman arrived earlier this week to film a documentary. Today came a surprising bond with kim jongun. Its such a strange pair, a truly odd couple. Basketball star Dennis Rodman and north korean dictator kim jongun chumming it up court side in pyongyang. He told his new buddy, he now has a friend for life. They watched the Harlem Globetrotters play basketball. The tag line for the show is the absurdity of the modern condition. If anything shows the absurdity of the modern condition, its this. Shane smith is the shows producer. He sent rodman and the globetrotters to north korea. Its was not sure they would have an audience with a feared leader. They not only met with him but dined with him at his palace after the game. Once at the palace, the theme from the show dallas was said to be constantly playing in the background. The bizarre meeting comes weeks after north korea announced it conducted a nuclear test and tensions with the u. S. Are particularly high. Former white house adviser and negotiator victor cha says while this meeting is surprising, kim jongun has done a lot of predictable things since taking over. I think North Koreans try to use opportunities like this to congratulate themselves on their accomplishments, as well as congratulate their new leadership on a world stage. So, yes, it is a poke in the eye of the administration because outside the world of basketball diplomacy, things are moving in a completely different direction. While north korea has no love for the u. S. , they have a soft spot for basketball, particularly the Chicago Bulls. Madeleine albright gave kim jongil a basketball signed by Michael Jordan. If we can have open communication, dialogue, thats what we hope comes out of this. And from what were hearing from the production company, the film crew is said to have invited kim jongun to north america and it came with laughter. Mixed teams of both americans and north korean players. The final score was tied at 110. This series is part of a show that is airing on hbo next month. Wolf . I think in april its going to be airing. Isnt that right . Yes. I was looking closely at the pictures that you got, mary. Youll see the new leader there and when i was there in pyongyang and my handler, as we used to call him, a very nice guy in north korea, i see hes working with Dennis Rodman, helping him appreciate a little korean. I spotted a few other people i knew as well. I could report that when i was there, basketball is huge. Nba basketball especially, because kim jonguns dad, kim jongil loved Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Its really amazing. Who knew. In our next hour well speak with shane smith, the man who organized this trip. We have some good questions for him as well. All right. Stand by, mary. Thanks very, very much. Theres a new decision, a major decision by the white house on the issue of gay marriage that is just coming out. Stand by. Well share it with you when we come back. Nurses are dealing with a wider range of issues. And there are everchanging regulations. When you see these challenges, do you want to back away or take charge . With a degree in the field of healthcare or nursing from capella university, youll have the knowledge to advance your career while making a difference in the lives of patients. Lets get started at capella. Edu. You know how painful heartburn can be. 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Or the 900 Million Health insurance claims we process. So, its no surprise to you that companies depend on todays xerox for services that simplify how work gets done. Which is. Pretty much what weve always stood for. With xerox, youre ready for real business. The white house has just made a major decision on the very sensitive issue of gay marriage in the United States. Joe johns is watching whats going on. Tell our viewers what happened. Wolf, its been clear for some time that the Obama Administration supports gay rights and generally supports gay marriage. The president said as much as recently as his inaugural speech but now were moving towards arguments in the United States Supreme Court next month and the Obama Administration has made a decision in a brief that it is going to support gay marriage in the case of proposition 8 and also its making an equal protection argument. That, of course, is a very clear sign of where the administration is going. We kind of expected this. Nonetheless, its interesting to see that they are talking about equal protection. The bigger question, which we havent gotten yet and were still waiting to see more of the brief, is whether the administration will seek some type of right for gay marriage nationwide across all the states. That, of course, is a huge leap because 41 states in this country have laws that say marriage is defined as between a man and a woman. So were seeing the administration moving closer and closer to defining their position before the Supreme Court for next month in arguments. So were basically now saying that the Obama Administration is weighing in on two sensitive issues, the repeal of marriage act, that has come before the u. S. Supreme court and a separate proposition in california. So what youre saying is the president , the white house, the Obama Administration is saying in california there should be gay marriage but they havent broad denned it out to say it should be all over the country . The truth is, our problem is we dont know what the whole brief says. We only know a bit of it and you know how people leak things. We need to wait until we see what the entire brief says to see they are supporting gay marriage across all 50 state, which would be a very big deal. It certainly would. Joe johns, thanks for that news. Up next, were going to be joined by an arizona sheriff who is furious right now with the Obama Administration. He says criminals have been set free and the Public Safety in his county is threatened because of what he calls a political tactic in this fight over forced spending cuts. Transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. So you see everything the way its meant to be seen. Maybe even a little better. Vsp members can save on all authentic transitions lenses, including our new transitions vantage and transitions xtractive lenses. Experience life well lit. Ask which transitions adaptive lens is best for you. 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An arizona sheriff says federal agents were paid overtime this past weekend to release several hundred criminal Illegal Immigrants in his county all because of the upcoming forced spending cuts. This is happening in pin nal county southeast of phoenix and more than 150 miles north of the mexican border. The Department Website quotes the sheriff as complaining, president obama would never release 500 criminal illegals to the streets of his hometown, yet he has no problem with releasing them in arizona. Janet napolitano demanding detailed information about the identity and the criminal records of detainees who were released. Sheriff babu is joining us live from phoenix. Thanks for having me on. The white house says it has made a decision based on career professionaled at i. C. E. And really that they had no involvement in it. Napolitano had no involvement in it. Do you believe them . No, i dont. Its the same story line with operation fast and furious and benghazi and now when hundreds of criminal illegals are let loose in my community, many of which were not even arrested here and then we hear these excuses and pointing the fingers, im tired of hearing excuses. I want answers and thats why i sent this letter to secretary napolitano. Did they they didnt give you any advanced word that they were about to release you originally said 500 but its a little bit less, right . Its over 300 and this im still being told by not only i. C. E. Agents but by supervisors that its higher. And this was done under the cloak of secrecy. I. C. E. Never announced this. They never called any police chief in my county or myself as a top Law Enforcement official. There was no preparation or coordination with that. We know that the return of committing crimes is very high with any prison population and certainly with these folks because they are illegals and they have many of them felonies and they are not able to work here legally in most cases here in the United States. So whats their likelihood to reoffend and commit crimes against citizens in our state . Its very high. Its troubling that they would do this. I. C. E. Stands for the immigration Custom Enforcement agency. Part of the Homeland Security. I. C. E. Has reviewed several hundred cases and placed these individuals on methods of supervision less costly than detention. Priority for detention remains on serious criminal offenders and other individuals who pose a significant threat to Public Safety. What they are basically saying is that these several hundred illegal immigrant detainees really dont pose much of a threat. They didnt really commit serious crimes. What do you say to them . Its laughable, quite honestly. We all have differences of opinion about the 11 million illegals here in the United States. What do we do . Do we have a path to citizenship, outright amnesty citizenship or no citizenship . But weve all agreed up until this release, 34 thourngs of that 11 million that we identify as the most serious criminal offenders, that they are to be identified, imprisoned, on their way to deportation. Even secretary napolitano and president obama said these people should be deported. And now were hearing a completely different story. And to think that is somehow we can provide supervised release on people who have no incentive to report in to the authorities, no incentive to comply with their release, they will cut their ankle bracelet because whats the worse that can happen . Youre going to deport them . Thats the reality of this. You were going to deport them supposedly. In any case. So what do you want to hear now from janet napolitano, the Homeland Security secretary . I want answers. And the reason i want answers is because hundreds of criminals have been released into communities ive sworn an oath to protect families. Ive already asked for this information. I want their names, the offenses that they are incourse rated for and their criminal history and they have told me no. And now this was a federal problem and they just shoved it right in front of me and they were on their way to do this with thousands and thousands until we brought them out into the light of day and held them to account and thank you for talking about this publicly and youre helping in this. Sheriff paul babeu, thank you for coming in. Thank you, wolf. Well have more on the release of the immigrant detainees coming up later here in the situation room during the 6 00 p. M. Hour. The Arizona Governor, january brewer, shes got very strong views of what is going on. Shell join us live during the 6 00 p. M. Hour. Iraq was supposed to be the beacon for freedom. Thats why the u. S. Went in and got rid of Suddam Hussein. Instead, some iraqis are comparing the current leader to Suddam Hussein and they are warning that a new civil war may not be far off. Whats goingen in iraq . Our own Fareed Zakaria is standing by. In iraq . Our own Fareed Zakaria is standing by. In iraq . Our own Fareed Zakaria is standing by. N iraq . Our own Fareed Zakaria is standing by. On iraq . Our own Fareed Zakaria is standing by. [ male announcer ] shaq versus pain. Shaq 1, pain 0. [ male announcer ] new icy hot advanced patch with 50 more medicine. Pain over. A car bombing today in baghdad killed 20 people and left others wounded. Bombings and violence right now in iraq there on the upswing. Even though next month marks ten years since the start of the war that overthrew Suddam Hussein, the situation is getting worse by the day. Fareed zakaria is joining us here in the situation room to talk about what is going on. Fareed, im going to play a clip. I spoke with arwa damon, our Senior International correspondent yesterday. Shes back from a month in iraq and she painted a very gloomy picture ten years after the start of the war. Listen to this clip. We now have a nation that effectively looks more towards iran than it does towards the west. We have a nation that is allowing weapons to cross its border, turning a blind eye effectively to the weapons moving from iran to the syrian battlefield. The sectarian tensions are threatening to boil over. The iraqi Prime Minister is being compared to a shia version of Suddam Hussein. You have a government that in its essence, in its very formation is so fundamentally flawed. So the question is, far read, for this situation in iraq right now, the u. S. Paid such a high price in blood and pressure. Its a tragedy, wolf. And it really is attributable to certain key decisions made by the bush administration. You remember when they came into iraq, they disbanded the army, the bureaucracy, which meant kicking all of the sunnis out of power and they chose instead to go with a shia strong man, mall la key, the second iteration of it. And by making that decision, they were saying were going to go with the majority. We want stability. We want to go with this. Two things, one, youve got a civil war because the sunnis started fighting and it hasnt stopped yet. A car bomb today killed 22 people. The second thing it did was create a majority government that was a hard line shia government aligned with iran and aligned with assad in syria. Its a pretty shocking situation thats unfolding right now because it certainly wasnt supposed to be this way. When we learned about that socalled surge that david petraeus, the architect that was supposed to turn things around and the u. S. Was going to be able at some point to be able to withdraw and a democratic prowestern regime in baghdad but that has not happened. No. The surge bought us time for an honorable exit. Petraeus himself always said the surge was a precondition for talks that created a political deal. But the problem was that maliki never wanted a political deal. It means power sharing. Maliki represents a hard line straight of proiranian shia which says, why should we make a deal . Were the rulers now. The sunni are the minority. Let them suffer the way we suffered, in their imagination, centuries. So thats the problem. We never got a deal that brought all parties to the table and said weve got to create an iraq that is truly incorporates these three communities. They blew it when they decided to go down a shia sectarian route when they could have gone down a government of national unity. This bizarre picture of Dennis Rodman formerly of the nba sitting along kim jongun, the leader of north korea. You cant make this kind of stuff up, far read. It is truly extraordinary. I think it does suggest something weve realize the. This guy is weird. On the one hand hes firing missiles and threatening war. On the other hand, he wants the ceo of google to come in, he wants Dennis Rodman to come in. He wants the globetrotters to come in. If it wasnt as threatening as it was, you would just have to laugh and view this has Great Entertainment in high politics. He wouldnt meet with Bill Richardson or the google of but he is meeting with Dennis Rodman. Well have more on this story coming up in the situation room. It is amazing when you think about it. Far read, thanks very much. Pleasure, wolf. You wont want to miss fareeds gps show on sunday. This is an exclusive interview sunday morning, 10 00 a. M. Eastern. 10 00 a. M. Eastern only here on cnn. The government bought gulf stream jets in the fight against terrorism. Why are highranking officials using that for personal travel . That story and more coming up after the break. This is my family. This is joe. Hi joe hi there earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality. [ barking ] come on, boy [ barks ] oh, heavenly day here we go. Chachacha dont you know that i love ya chachachachacha always thinking of ya all around the World Everybody singin along singin along fly me to the moon let me play among the stars let me see what spring [ birds chirping ] [ male announcer ] with the best lineup of vehicles ever, introducing the new chevrolet. Oh, heavenly day why just go from a to b when imagination can take you everywhere . All the clouds blew away chevrolet. Find new roads. You know how painful heartburn can be. For fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. Only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up relieving the pain quickly. Try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. Attorney general eric holder says the coming budget cuts will make americans less safe but af parentally he wasnt concerned about money woes when he flew on luxury sets paid for by the federal government. Now the United States senator is slamming eric holder and robber muller for spending 11 million for flying in these jets. What is going on . We asked jim oi acosta to investigate. What is going on . Why cant the cabinet secretaries cut the waste in their departments first before eliminating critical programs . Thats the question to attorney general eric holder over his use of the governments jets. With the clock ticking down to the forced budget cuts, attorney general eric holder issued a dire warning this week when he said agents at you a Law Enforcement agencies would face furloughs. Under sequestration, well do our best but the reality is, there is going to be harm. There is going to be pain and the American People are going to be less safe. Iowa republican senator Chuck Grassley immediately said he wasnt buying it. Its the Old Washington monument mentality, youre going to shut down the washington monument. Grassley points to this recent accountability report where fbi directors have been flying on pricey aircraft for years. The report said the attorneys general and the fbi director were the primary users of department of justice aircraft for nonmission purposes from fiscal years 2007 through 2011 at a cost of 11. 4 million. This aircraft is supposed to be used for counterterrorism purposes but the report found for the fouryear period, 56 of the travel was used by the attorney general for Business Travel while 41 was for personal trips. The report covers not just current attorney general eric holder but some of his successors. Its really worse when you have the situation that they are complaining about because of sequestration they are going to have to lay off fbi apths. One flight taken by holder on the gulfstream cost the government nearly 15,000 but holder was only required to reimburse the government for 420. The Justice Department and fbi say the First Priority is always counterterrorism and saying, the report makes clear that the overwhelming majority of travel termed nonmission travel has been for official Business Travel. Other sen tors claim the pentagon shouldnt be cutting back on critical programs when the tv channel is producer workout programs. But dick durbin says thats missing the point and the forced budget cuts by law dont give departments much discretion can on where to cut. I can tell you, its never that simple and they know it. When you start moving money this late in the game and with few options, your hands are tied. Its mandated by law that the attorney general and fbi director take government flights with secure for National Security reason. They just want the government to manage its money more ee specific tifl. Wolf . Thanks very much for that report. For 500 years, the swiss guard has kept the pope safe from harm. That job has changed a lot over the years. Coming up, cnn talks to a former swiss guard that tells all about the time he spent at the vatican. train horn vo wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. Norfolk southern. One line, infinite possibilities. So i used my Citi Thankyou card to pick up some accessories. A new belt. Some nylons. And what girl wouldnt need new shoes . And with all the points ive been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. Things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your Citi Thankyou points to travel whenever you want. Visit citi. Com thankyoucards to apply. [ indistinct shouting ] [ male announcer ] time and sales data. Splitsecond stats. [ indistinct shouting ] its so close to the options floor. [ indistinct shouting, bell dinging ]. Youll bust your brain box. All on thinkorswim from td ameritrade. Shaq 1, pain 0. [ male announcer ] new icy hot advanced patch with 50 more medicine. Pain over. And youre in the situation room. Happening now, Stranger Things have happened but the first to meet kim jongun is Dennis Rodman. The softer side of barack obama, from tears to laughter, the president is now sharing some of his emotions. And for the first time in 600 years, a pope retires. Were going to hear from a former member of the vaticans elite guard who new benedict long before he became pontiff. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. We begin with the improbable and even bizarre images of history in the making right now. Take a good look at this. The controversial nba star Dennis Rodman in pyongyang watching a basketball game with north korea leader kim jongun. That would make rodman the first to meet the nuclear leader of the north. By all accounts, a huge Chicago Bulls fan and its going to be part of a vice magazine reality show on our Sister Network hbo. Joining us with how this came about is the vice cofounder shane smith. Thanks for coming in. I assume like you, like me, you were amazed by what is going on right now . Its beyond words, really. Ive been there twice. I know youve been there as well. Its one of the hardest countries to get in to, especially as a journalist. And so after my second time i realized that basketball was the sort of only american past time or cultural pursued that is in north korea and so i asked our producer to go over there with dennis and the Harlem Globetrotters to have this sort of basketball diplomacy, if you will. An amazing diplomacy. I will point out that they invited the new York Philharmonic to come over as well and they were wellreceived when they came over to pyongyang. It does send a message. So walk us through. You pitched this idea . Was it your initiative . Was it their initiative . How did it come about . It came about when i went to the kim ilsong and there was the famous basketball that was given to kim jongil that Madeleine Albright gave to him signed by Michael Jordan. Since then, basketball and the bulls in particular have become i wont say heroes but very, very respected within north korea. So we came back and we thought, hey, why dont we put together a team, go over there, play some basketball, you know, work with the kids, and see what comes up. We thought that kim jongun would come to the game but we werent sure. Then he showed up to the game, had a blast, was hanging out with Dennis Rodman and they were enjoying it and then invited the whole crew, the vice crew and globetrotters and dennis back to his palace for a big banquet and a hang and lots of speeches and apparently that went great. You know, it is really amazing when you think about it. Were showing pictures of dennis and the Harlem Globetrotters there. I will give a shoutout to brian duffy. They are all there right now. By the way, that interpreter that you see there, when i was there, he was the same guy. Very nice guy, by the way. What are you hearing from them . Have you been in communication with them . Are they allowed to make phone calls, send emails . Have you been in direct touch . I have been, which, as you know, its quite a change. Because it used to be when you went in, you couldnt take computers or phones. You for sure couldnt tweet or send emails. But i talked to ryan, our correspondent this morning. He told me about this speech in which he invited kim jongun and his delegation to come to america and see how we live. Dennis made a very heartfelt speech that was very well received. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of clapping. Now, what ryan said to me was that dennis said, i cant confirm it until i talk to dennis, that he wished this would bring north korea and American Relations closer or in a better way. So for us that was just we couldnt believe that. So i hopefully, theres a lot of questions. Youve been there. Its as diametrically opposed as you could be philosophically to america. If you go there and play some basketball and i mean, who doesnt love the Harlem Globetrotters . They put a smile on everybodys face. They certainly do. Its amazing because those of us old enough to remember pingpong diplomacy and the u. S. China relations, that was a bridge. Maybe this will do something. Did you get clearance . Did you ask the state department, the Obama Administration for a green light before you went . No, we did not. We put it together ourselves. I had had some contact from my trips over there. They then sent it here to the United Nations delegation and their team here. We worked a lot with them. They came out to our offices. We ran through the whole program with them and, you know, we actually didnt really know, you know, if we were all going to get in until we got to beijing. So it was is a sort of last minute not last minute but we didnt really know until the last minute. With all due respect, Dennis Rodman was a great, great player for the Chicago Bulls and we love the Harlem Globetrotters. Theres only one thing, if Michael Jordan himself would have gone, that would have blown out the entire place over there, i can assure you. Dont you agree . 100 . Michael jordan is a god, the greatest player that ever played the game but hes a huge god in north korea. Michael, if youre watching this, basketball diplomacy. Get over there. We need your help. It would be amazing if he goes. Let me point out, im happy to go with him. Id like to meet kim jongun. So many people have gone over there. It when i was there with Bill Richardson, former ambassador to the United Nations, we were there for six days and more recently richardson was back with the head of google. They met with top officials but certainly not with kim jongun. What youre saying is there was no guarantee of this meeting but you assumed it would take place and they would watch basketball together . We didnt assume. We hoped. We thought because we knew of his love of basketball and his love of the Chicago Bulls, much like his father, that he would come out and he did and enjoyed the game and then much to our surprise and reality, asked everybody back to his house and they had supper and a lot of talks. And so were waiting to get the footage back with bated breath. Wed love to speak to dennis and the other guys either from there or from beijing. I know they used to have to fly from pyongyang and wed like to get their first eyewitness accounts of what is going on. Absolutely. Well get our correspondent. They both have crazy stories to tell, im sure. Im sure. Were anxious to share that with our viewers around the world. The hotel i stayed at in pyongyang, give our best to dennis and the other guys. Appreciate it very much. Thank you, wolf. The United States got more deeply involved in another world trouble spot promising syrias rebel fighters a big increase in food and medical supplies. That came at a highlevel conference in rome. Here is cnns Senior Affairs correspondent jill dougherty. Reporter wolf, its clear that there will be a division of labor among the countries trying to help out the Syrian Opposition with the u. S. Still taking a cautious approach. In rome, standing next to the leader of the Syrian Oppositions political wing, secretary of state john kerry pledged 60 million in additional aid. We need to stand on the side of those who want to see syria rise again in unity. Reporter and for the first time, direct help for syrian rebel fighters. Given the stakes, the president will now extend food and medical supplies to the opposition, including to the Syrian Oppositions supreme military council. Reporter but those supplies will not include what the opposition says it wants. Weapons. Instead, the aid will help the Opposition Coalition provide basic goods and services in areas liberated from government control. Things like sanitation, security, and education. U. S. Officials anxious to keep any supplies out of the hands of extremists say it will be given only to carefully vetted members of the free syrian army. But other countries are going further. Some gulf states are providing weapons and one european nation wants to give opposition fighters transport vehicles, night vision goggles, and body armor. U. S. Officials tell cnn the Obama Administration is considering that as well. I am absolutely confident, from what i heard in there from other foreign ministers, that the totality of this effort is going to have an impact on the ability of the Syrian Opposition to accomplish its goals. Reporter the Opposition Leader did not directly respond to secretary kerrys announcement but he did criticize media reports on the opposition saying they pay more attention to the length of the beard of a fighter than to the massacres carried out by the sear yej regime. Asked how quickly this new assistance can get into the hands of the Syrian Opposition, k k kerry said he will bref after he gets back from the trip. Wolf. Jill dougherty, thank you very much. A day after bob woodward said that he felt intimidated by the white house, emails have surfaced and well update you in the situation room. And benedict xvi becomes the first pope in some 600 years to retire. Were going to hear from a former vatican insider and papal guard who once knew him well. None of us would want to be told we cant marry the person we love. As americans, we believe in freedom. Thats what i fought for as a marine, and thats what we believe in as republicans. Freedom means freedom for everyone. I didnt use to understand the importance of samesex marriage, but after learning my brother was gay i wanted the same rights for him. He was the best man at my wedding and i want to be the best man at his. Its only fair that calvin should have the freedom to marry the person he loves, too. Its time for marriage. All right thats a fifthfloor probleok. Not in my house ha ha ha ha ha ha no no no not today ha ha ha ha ha ha jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico . Happier than Dikembe Mutumbo blocking a shot. Get happy. Get geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. You name it. Ive hooked it. But theres one. One thats always eluded me. Thought i had it in the blizzard of 93. Ha never even came close. Sometimes, i actually think its mocking me. [ engine revs ] what . quattro word just coming in to the situation room, an arrest in the shooting and fiery auto crash that kill canned three people in las vegas. The fbi says omar harris was apprehended by the fbi and Los Angeles Police Department Fugitive task force in north hollywood. Last weakened nekend kenneth ch killed and two other people were killed. Word coming in to the situation room of other news that were watching, including new developments on the white house and the appointment of United States ambassadors, the tradition of plum diplomatic posts. Jessica yellin is joining us with details. Whats going on . Are. Reporter wolf, im learning that the president has made all but final selections for key ambassadorial posts and people who raised a lot of money for the campaign will be getting some of the top jobs. Of course, nothing illegal about this but for the president who says he wants to get money out of politics, this is definitely sullying some of that brand. Among those names, mark marc lasry, a hedge fund manager, helped to raise up to a Million Dollars for the obama campaign, once upon time he was a big clinton backer but now an obama supporter likely headed to france. Also, Patrick Gaspard is the likely pick for ambassador to south africa. Moving on, Matthew Barzun also raised close to a Million Dollars. He was also a major donor in the 2008 campaign and went on to then be ambassador to sweden. Another name youll recognize, caroline kennedy. Shes being considered for a posting, though a very good post says she has not been asked to be appointed to any particular country. She has not been vetted for any particular country so this is very early stages. But they are looking at her for a posting. Big picture dialing this back, wolf, again, none of it even that unusual. This is what president s tend to do. They award their political donors with nice jobs like this. Why is this different . Because the president , president obama said he would be different and so were pointing out, this really does seem to be more of the same, wolf. Lets shift gears briefly to those forced spending cuts that go into Effect Tomorrow night at midnight. I take it the president has just released a statement on his meeting tomorrow with the bipartisan congressional leadership . Thats right. He has released a statement talking both about the bill that passed today in the senate, congratulating democrats on passing their bill but it failed because it didnt get 60 votes, and then saying that its time for everybody to get something done. He says tomorrow i will bring together leaders from both parties to discuss a path forward. As a nation, we cannot keep lurching from one manufactured crisis to another. Middle class families cant keep paying the price for washington dysfunction. A lot of this, wolf, is political theater because everybody expects that tomorrows meeting is really just a photo opportunity and we will enter into this forced spending cuts drama for some time to come. Certainly will. Well have more on this story coming up as well. Jessica, thank you. The legendary Journalist Bob Woodward suggested that he felt intimidated by a senior white house official. Emails have surfaced raising some doubts about what happened. Well update you when we come back. [ engine turns over ] [ male announcer ] we created the luxury crossover and kept turning the page, writing the next chapter for the rx and lexus. This is the pursuit of perfection. Its lots of things. All waking up. Connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. Its going to be amazing. And exciting. And maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. Were going to wake the world up. And watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. Cisco. Tomorrow starts here. 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They are not happy at all and some people said, look, we dont see eye to eye on this. They never really said, though, afterwards they said that this is factually wrong and it was said to me in an email. What was said . It was said very clearly, you will are regret doing this. Who sent that email . Well, im not going to say. Was it a senior person at the white house . A very senior person. It makes me very uncomfortable to have the white house telling reporters, youre going to regret doing something that you believe in. Today cnn confirmed that Gene Sperling, the head of the White House Council of economic adviserses, the national Economic Council, i should say, he is the senior official that had that exchange of emails with bob wood barred that followed a lengthy and pretty angry phone call. Let me read for the full exchange as reported today by politico. This is Gene Sperling first. Bob, i apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of our statements in the fall but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here but doi truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying that the president of the United States asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this but as a friend i think you will regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both sides to go back to try at a big or grand bargain and it was part of the dna from the thing of the start t was an accepted part of the understanding from the start. Really. It was assumed by the republicans on the supercommittee that came right after. It was assumed in the november and december 2012 negotiations. There may have been big disagreements over rates and ratios but that it was supposed to be replaced by entitlements and revenues of some form is not controversial. Indeed, the discretionary savings amount from the Boehner Obama negotiations were locked in bca. I agree there are more than one side to our disagreement but, again, think this latter issue is different. Not out to argue and argue on this latter point. Just my sincere advice. Your call obviously. My apologies again for raising my voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize. Gene. To which woodward replied. Gene, you do not ever have to apologize to me. You get wound up because you are making your points and you believe them. This is all part of a serious discussion. I for one welcome a little heat. There should be more given the importance. I also welcome your personal advice. I am listening. I know you lived all this. My partial advantage is that i talked extensively with all involved. I am traveling and will try to reach you after 3 00 p. M. Today. Best, bob. Thats the full exchange of the emails. Lets discuss what is going on in our strategy session. Joining us is democratic strategist donna brazil and former Bush White House press secretary ari fleischer. Ari, you were a White House Press secretary. What did you think of this exchange . Was it intimidating . Was it threatening . What did you think . Wolf, ive been there. This is a heated relationship at times and thats the way it always has been, always will be. You know, i think intimidation is in the eye of the intimidatee. If woodward thought it was a threatening email, thats how he would take it. Listening to your version of the emails, i can see how the white house would say its not the way woodward would interpret it but woodward interpreted it that way. A number of other reporters have come out, lenny davis said on behalf of john solomon, a longtime washington reporter, that they have received similar messages from the white house. Its a rough white house. They are not shy about throwing high and inside at reporters. Comes with the territory. What did you think, donna . Because you know Gene Sperling. You obviously know bob woodward as well. What we dont know is how angry the phone conversation was that preceded this i think relatively tame exchange of emails. Well, im sure ari understands that when youre in that moment and you have to try to get across the administrations point of view, its important that you push back and of course journalists have every right to push back and sometimes it becomes heated. The Bush White House was tough. The Clinton White house was tough. The Reagan White House was tough and im sure that the Obama White House is tough. When its trying to get out of the facts. And not just get in to a superficial conversations around real policy matters. We spent now about 24, 48 hours talking about whether or not someone using the word regret is a threatening word. I live in the real world. So i know there are more there are some words that really do threaten. But i do believe that Gene Sperling is a professional. Hes done a terrific job as head of national Economic Council. Ive known him for over 25 years. Hes a humanitarian. I would like to consider himself as my brude. Whenever you see something printed wrong, perhaps not as you believe it to be, i think reporters as well as those on the inside have every right to push back and push back very hard. Because the white house says, ari, when he says that you will regret it, they say, because they think that he was fact actual wrong. He was suggesting he would regret it because he will have been proven factually wrong. Do you buy that . I think in this isolated case its fair for the white house to read it that way. Its also fair for woodward to interpret that way as well. Neither you nor i were privacy to the conversation. We are just reading emails. There was Something Else indicative. That Gene Sperling had to apologize for the way he was in a phone call. 90 of the reporters cant get access to Gene Sperling, dont get to have conversations with Gene Sperling but what they do get is yelled at by white house officials. And particularly for younger reporters cutting their teeth, dont have the stature of a woodward, that can intimidate and especially if they only have access to a few people on the inside at the white house, they are not willing to burn bridges. They take the intimidation and dont hit hardback the way woodward would. Ari, what world do you exist in . I do think there are other reporters here who would tell you very similar stories about feeling intimidated by the staff. You know, this is unbelievable because the right wing and the right wing echo chamber, they have this narrative that this is a tough chicagostyle white house. Now, ive dealt with a couple of white house in the last 20plus years. They are like everybody else. They like to get their point of view out there. They like to get their story out there. And if youre some young reporter and youre afraid to pick up the phone and call Gene Sperling, call me first. Ill try to get them on the phone with you. These are good people. These are people working hard every day and and im glad that the email itself. Lets get back to the policy, the personalities really dont matter. I respect both men. They are great human beings but lets talk about what the policy is and that is sequester is a bad thing. Its going to hurt a lot of government workers. Were going to have to end it on that point. We are up against a break right now. Were going to have more on this story later here in the situation room. Gene sperling, by the way, will be candy crowleys guest this sunday morning at 9 00 a. M. Eastern. I think youll want to tune in. Coming up next in the situation room, the soldiers responsible for protecting the pope. A former swiss guard takes us inside that experience and opens up about a relationship with a former Pope Benedict xvi. Stay with us. Youre in the situation room. [ barks ] oh, heavenly day here we go. Chachacha dont you know that i love ya chachachachacha always thinking of ya all around the World Everybody singin along singin along fly me to the moon let me play among the stars let me see what spring [ birds chirping ] [ male announcer ] with the best lineup of vehicles ever, introducing the new chevrolet. Oh, heavenly day why just go from a to b when imagination can take you everywhere . All the clouds blew away chevrolet. Find new roads. An historic moment the world has seen in some 600 years, Pope Benedict making likely his last ever public appearance before officially stepping down just a few hours ago. The pope gave a final blessings to the thousands who gathered at the papal residence outside rome. All of this after an emotional farewell followed by a helicopter ride out of rome. The swiss guards assigned to protect the pope ended their and brian is joining us now with more. What did you find out, brian . Reporter wolf, this former swiss guard is convinced that the benedict did not want to go through the next decade and stood so close to this pope and to his predecessor offers a fascinating insight into their personalities. In andres opinion, this was a man who is simply worn down and has the public demands finally lifted. When youre an intro vert, you lose energy by being with people. Did he lose energy . I think he lost energy. Widmer was a member of the ee legal swiss guard who protected the holy and also knew benedict when benedict was joseph ratzinger. He could work with a real crowd and with his experience in theater and poetry and everything, he would really reach people like that. Widmer, an author who teaches at catholic university, says as a swiss guard you never spoke to a pope or cardinal unless he addressed you first but he and benedict would chat when benedict was waiting to see pope john paul. Completely open. Reporter what was he like to talk to . Very he would ask me what my interests were and how i felt and how i saw things. Reporter and with a sense of humor, like when benedict offered to sign widmers copy of a book that he written which was pretty thick. When i gave it to him he said, youre really reading this . And i said, im trying. He said, it helps to do it in small steps. Reporter but he also had a personal crisis as a guard, spending his first christmas away from home. John paul helped him through that. I sort of had a meltdown and right at that moment he comes out of his apartment and he noticed and he reached out to me and he thanked me for being there and he gave me courage. Reporter what were you doing . Were you crying . Yeah. Reporter you were . I stopped crying but he in theed my red eyes. Reporter as for whats to come, the top job isnt what we think. The pope is the end of your life. You have to give up all privacy. Youre basically locked in. You cant go where you want to go. You lose your friends, you lose your family. Youre a prisoner. Not one cardinal wants to be pope. Reporter he didnt want to be pope . No way. He wanted to go back home and write books. They are walking into the assistant chapel like this. Dont make eye contact. Reporter really . Nobody wants to be pope. Reporter i asked widmer about the so called vatileaks and the reports of sexual scandals and mismanagements which the vatican has denied, i asked him whether that might have are driven Pope Benedict out and he said no. Benedict has been at the vatican for more than 30 years and nothing would shock him. Brian todd, thanks very much for that report. More on the popes last day as pope in our next hour. Up next, used to seem a bit cold but now president obama is showing a softer, more emotional side. Stay with us. If there is more less stuff then you might want to have some more and your parents just dont let you because theres only a little bit. Right. We want more, we want more. Like you really like it, you want more. Right. I follow you. [ male announcer ] its not complicated. More is better. And at t has the nations largest 4g network. You know how painful heartburn can be. For fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. Only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up relieving the pain quickly. Try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. Good morning, turtle. My friends are all around me my friends, they do surround me i hope this never ends and well be the best of friends [ male announcer ] introducing the reimagined 2013 chevrolet traverse. All set . All set. With spacious seating for up to eight. Imagine that. Chevrolet. Find new roads. Plays a key role throughout our lives. One a day mens 50 is a complete multivitamin designed for mens Health Concerns as we age. It has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. One a day mens 50 . So is president obama becoming a bit more mellow . Did he loosen up once he was locked in for another four years. Our chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin takes a closer look. Reporter president obama has been showing his softer side lately, from tears of joy, speaking to Campaign Workers the day after his reelection. Im really proud and reporter to tears of sadness after the newtown shooting. Beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. Reporter hes not just showing his emotions, hes sharing them, too. I wish i had had a father who was around and involved. Reporter having some fun here with the miami heat. I think part of the reason they came back today is because they wanted another shot at the old guy. Reporter and going off script about republican tactics. Were just going to try to shove only spending cuts down well, shove spending cuts at us. What a difference four years makes. First president obama was known for his cold detached style. Earlier in his first term he failed the empathy test with this California Teacher about to be laid off. I got my notice on saturday and im sorry. You got what notice . My notice which means im going to be intentioned to be laid off. A pink slip . A pink slip. Right. Reporter now the president s more likely to wear his heart on his sleeve. This is where michelle and i met, where we fell in love. Reporter and using passion for political effect, too. Gabby giffords deserves a vote. The families of newtown deserve a vote. Reporter he once saved that kind of emotional rallying call for campaignstyle events outside the beltway. No longer. The president s biographer says it all changed after he won reelection. I think weve all seen, since the day after his reelection, a more relaxed barack obama. Something that took a lifetime for him to get to this point. Weve really seen a new obama. Reporter the new obama is going where the firstterm president generally wouldnt dare. Talking about his buy racial identity, in a ueulogy for his senator. Here i was raised in hawaii and i was beginning to sense how fitting in to the world might not be as simple as it might seem. Remembering his troubled teenage years, speaking to kids back home in chicago. When i screwed up, the consequences werent as high as when the kids on the south side screw up. I had more of a safety net. But these guys are no different than me. Reporter in his first term, the president was far more cautious about his past. On most topics, he just didnt go there. Now as the president himself points out ive run my last election. Reporter hes free of the pressure to woo swing voters so hes using his stories to try to inspire audiences and bringing a more complete personality in to focus. I dont think one of really knows the real him but i think that its closer to being the private and the public obama coming together in a clearer way. Reporter dont take our word for it. Even he admits hes changed. Check out his humble brag. The longer youre in it, the more humble you get and the more you recognize your own imperfections. Reporter humility he can afford after winning a second term. President obama is never going to be the i feel your pain bill clinton type of president but hes getting closer. Jessica is joining us along with jay tapper whos covered the president these past four years as well. Jessica, you first. Are we going to see more of this . Is that what youre hearing, a lot more openness from the president . Reporter i think we will. I dont think its necessarily a deliberate tactic. I think this is how he functions. He wrote an auto biography in his life. He likes to use his personal biography to pitch his stories. Its how he pitched his 2008 campaign. He became incredibly cautious in his first term out of political fear and now that hes released of that because he doesnt have to run again, i suspect well hear more about his personal resume, his connection to people and his own experiences, how he can connect those to the policies hes pitching. Jay, you covered him from day one from his campaign when he bit Hillary Clinton for the nomination and throughout these past four years. Have are you seen a similar type of revolution . Absolutely. I think jessica hits the nail on the head in talking about how hes been a certain freedom, as his biographer, david maraniss, referred to. Also, i think theres a certain extent here of his learning how to empathize with others. On the campaign trail in 2007, 2008, some of his aides, his Campaign Aides would cringe when he would express irritation with people who fainted during his rallies, because they didnt have enough wine, didnt have enough food before they came. He has over the years learned to show his humanity a little bit more and try to bond with people a little bit more. Its hard to imagine that he would do the same today. Hes much more out of growth politically. Hell never be bill clinton, as bill maraniss said, but hes grown politically and learned that when someones about to be laid off, you dont say, pink slip bill clinton went up to a woman and held her hand and made her feel special. And i think hes learned from stumbling in that regard as well. I did see him cry one time on the campaign trail in 2008, and that was right after his grandmother died, the day before the election of 2008, that was the first time i saw him cry. And then we never saw him cry again until the day before election 2012, when he was in iowa. And with his reelection, i think theres no doubt hes much more selfconfident right now about where he stands and where hes going. And just more comfortable being who he is behind the stage, behind the scenes, in front of the cameras and having those stories. And i think jessicas exactly right. I think out of caution, he didnt talk a lot about not having a father, for example, although he did talk about it occasionally on fathers day. He would allude to it, but now hes much more open, because he doesnt have anything to lose because of his own future political prospects. Its nice to see that. And it works. Jake, thanks very much. I look forward to your new show that will be starting in a few weeks here on cnn. Jessica, as usual, excellent job. Thanks very much for sharing that. Just ahead, Oscar Pistorius, what the case says about violence in south africa right now. Also, what it says about whats going on here in the United States. Target is in sight. Yes, dad, i see him. Now pour some chloroform into a white rag and. No. Hi. I understand youre looking for a hotel with a pool. With priceline express deals, you can save big and get exactly what you need. Do i have to bid . Use the stun gun. Hes giving you lip. No hes just asking a question. No bidding. Awesome. 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Man, superman, gunman, Oscar Pistorius and south africas culture of violence. You know south africa well. You spent a lot of time there. What is the culture of violence youre referring to . Wolf, i wanted to use a story about Oscar Pistorius, who obviously have been in the news, as a way of probe, the South African culture of violence. They have one of the highest handgun rates in the world. They have one of the top ten murder rates in the world. There are lots of interesting parallels in fact between south africa and america. It is a frontier society, where people jealously possess their guns, who are afraid of the government taking away their guns, and in many ways, this culture of violence there, im not saying it directly produced what happened to Oscar Pistorius, but, in fact, it set the table for it. And you referred to apartheid, which is long gone, but elements of it linger on in south africa right now, and it was underscored in the pistorius case. Explain that. Yes, they have the largest the largest economic inequality in the world, between basically basically, between white and black in south africa. And in a very strange way, the postapartheid south africa, this rainbow nation has somehow allowed the white elites indulge what they want and theres been very little income increase among the most downtrodden of South Africans. And thats a big problem. Thats created a lot of dissension in their society and there are fissures in their society that the pistorius case really points to. Rick stengel is the managing editor of our sister publication, time, an excellent, excellent cover story. Several other great articles in there as well. I recommend it to our viewers. Rick, thanks very much. Thank you, wolf. Coming up, in arizona, theres anger over the release of hundreds of detainees. The governor of arizona, jan brewer, is standing by live and well talk with her. Two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. 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[ male announcer ] new icy hot advanced patch with 50 more medicine. Pain over. Happening now, congress helps guarantee that the budget acts will, in fact, fall, by getting out of town. New backlash over those spending cuts. Arizonas governors fuming about the release of hundreds of illegal immigrant detainees. Shes joining us live. Plus, did a white house official try to intimate the Journalist Bob Woodward . The administration now responding to a story that broke right here in the situation room. And eyepopping new photos of a real odd couple, north Koreas Kim Jongun and basketball star Dennis Rodman. Im wolf blitzer with kate balduan. Youre in the situation room. After weeks of buildup, all the warnings, the drama, and the very little action, were now just one day away from that Witching Hour when those forced budget cuts actually take effect. President obama congressional leaders still plan to sit down, talk about things tomorrow morning. Will that matter at all . Probably not. Our chief Congressional Correspondent, dana bash, is standing by to explain whats going on. Dana . Reporter well, wolf, we can now report that the 85 billion in forced spending cuts will begin to take effect late tomorrow. Why can we say that . Because members of the congress, theyre the only ones who had the power to stop it and theyre gone. Lawmakers racing down the capitol steps, bolting out of town for a long weekend. This was before noon, a full day before the hammer comes down on forced budget cuts they voted for. Is there a concern that yall are going to leave town while these cuts kick in and you wont even be here . Well, the speaker and the leadership will be here and im a quick flight away. I go home every weekend to see my family. Reporter youre on your way out. Are you on your way home . Yes, maam. Reporter so youre not going to be here in town when these cuts kick in . If they call me back, ill be back. But what do you think about the idea that congress and yall wont even be here when these cuts kick in. Weve got to go to the airport. Reporter youve got to go to the airport . Yeah. Reporter okay, bye. Some were unapologetic about leaving until monday. I think its better when we leave, because the work we do at home is more important than the work we do here. This was his idea. Reporter but most republicans voted for it. I voted for it too, because i think we have to get our spending in line. These are the things, 2 , most families, most businesses back home have had to do the same thing. Reporter yet some lawmakers in both parties sounded as fed up as their constituents. Well, we could stay here but staying here and not passing a bill, thats not even better. Reporter youre heading home to new york . Yeah. I think the president should show more leadership. But to sit here by mist serves no purpose. Reporter most House Democrats whacked Republican Leaders for going out of session. Its an absolute disgrace that were going home. We should stay here until the sequester has ended. This is a stupid way to do it. Reporter but democrats do run the senate, and their last votes this week were only a few hours later. The motion is not agreed to. Reporter two proposals to alleviate the forced cuts. One democratic and one republican. Partisan show boats, neither passed and neither was expected to. Will you keep the senate in session, or will the senate not just be here just like the house will not be here the day these cuts kick in. Were in session, were not going any place, were ready to work, but at this stage, we dont have a partner. Reporter now, leaders in both parties made a point of saying they will be here tomorrow, of course, for the meeting that they will have with the president. And wolf, the president issued a statement late today saying that he is disappointed, really admonishing republicans for voting down a democratic plan that he obviously supported. That was voted on in the senate today, about replacing the forced cuts with about half new spending cuts and half tax increases. He said he looks forward to this meeting tomorrow, but wolf, i cant find a source in either party who thinks they really will make progress to stop these cuts from going forward, at least in the near future. Not time soon, but lets see what they do by the end of march, when that socalled continuing resolution to keep the government open, when that deadline comes up as well. Youll be busy in march, as you always are. Thanks very much for that report, dana bash. Kate balduan is here. Kate, were following up also on that pretty, i guess call it a bombshell interview we did with bob woodward yesterday here in the situation room. Yeah, it was a very interesting day. I think we can all agree. I mean, we were really surprised when the veteran journalist told us about an email hed gotten from an Obama Administration official. He made it sound pretty intimidating. Well, we now have the white houses side of the story and it is raising quite a lot of questions. Lets bring in our chief White House Correspondent, Jessica Yellin, for more on this. So jessica, whats the latest on this back and forth and very public spat. Reporter the white house is trying to prepare for a meeting and a fight with republicans over spending cuts, but they are still battling last weeks war over how bob woodward covered the president s spending cuts story line. Woodward claiming that he felt threatened when the president s top economist Gene Sperling had a phone conversation and then sent him an email, following up on it. The white house says there is no way, no way woodward could have felt threatened by what Gene Sperling had to say, both because Everybody Knows that Gene Sperling is not a threat, thats what jay carney said in a brief welcome and because the nature of the email itself could not be read that way. Listen to this. An intimidating threat or a Friendly Exchange between a reporter and a white house official . Theyre not happy at all. Reporter at issue, a spat over Bob Woodwards reporting on the president s plan to avoid the looming forced spending cuts. It was said very clearly, you will regret doing this. Who sent that email to you . Well, im not going to say. Was it a senior person . A very senior person. Reporter that official was Gene Sperling, director of the national Economic Council, and according to the white house, his email was no threat at all. In a statement, a press official said, the note suggested that mr. Woodward would regret the observation he made regarding the sequester because the observation was inaccurate, nothing more. Gene sperling, in keeping with a demeanor i have been familiar with for more than 20 years, was incredibly respectful. You cannot read those emails and come away with the impression that gene was threatening anybody. Reporter the key here, allimportant context. In the email exchange obtained by politico, sperling writes, i apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. But i do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying that the president asking for revenues is moving the goalpost. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, i think you will regret staking out that claim. Woodward replies, you do not ever have to apologize to me. This is all part of a serious discussion. I, for one, welcome a little heat. Now woodward says it was too hot. I mean, it makes me very uncomfortable to have the white house telling reporters, youre going to regret doing something that you believe in. Reporter the president says he values a free press that is not afraid to ask questions, to examine, and to criticize. Has he ever spoken to his aides about the tone that he would like them to take, yall to take, when talking to the press . We are enormously respectful of the work that you do, that i used to do, and we also believe its important for us to make clear when we think, as we have in the past, somebodys out there getting the facts wrong. Reporter now, one of the president s former advisers ratcheted up some of the pressure on this whole drama. David plouffe sent out a tweet comparing bob woodward to an aging sports star. He said, watching woodward the last two days, as hes lodged these accusations, is like imagining my idol, mike schmidt, facing live pitching again. Perfection gained once is rarely repeated. Ouch. The white house says we shouldnt be focused on the back and forth, we should be focused on the spending cuts fight. We can all agree on that, but the back and forth just doesnt seem to end. I mean, one lob after the other. Thanks so much, jessica. Pretty bizarre story, i must say. Lets bring in our chief political analyst, gloria borger. The substance, though, of the dispute, involves the charge that bob woodward made in that article, he wrote in the Washington Post last week, that the president moved the goalposts in saying that there had to be an alternative to the cuts, there had to be tax revenue as well. Its a pretty specific charge. And the white house came out swinging against woodward on this claim, because the stakes are really high here for the white house. Theres bob woodward, unimpeachable journalist, who wrote this very, very wellreported book called the price of politics, and he just came out and said, you know what, the white house agreed to a deal that said no tax incre e increases, just spending cuts. So they had to push back on that, because they had very carefully choreographed pr offensi offensive, which said, by the way, we always agreed to balance. Theyre portraying the republicans as intransigent, you know, people who dont care about the middle class, who want to protect the wealthy at your expense, so this is this could have been a real, real problem for them. So they had to push back. Also, on the point that bob woodward said, look, this was the white houses idea, right . So they had to push back forcefully. And on that point, he was proven correct. And i would argue that in the end, when woodward got involved and you saw those emails, that it kind of backfired on bob woodward. When you look at the policy question and the fight thats going on between congress and the president , i mean, there are real risks, though, for republicans. I mean, look at recent history in the previous fights weve seen. The polls dont really seem to be in republicans favor in this one. And this is the problem for the republicans. Because even before they start this fight, theyre already treading on thin ice. If you look at their favorability rating, theyre at 29 . Thats not anything anyone would want. The president obama is at 49 . And while the public says, you know what, we believe that the federal government is bloated, it ought to be cut, they agree with that, they dont like this meat ax approach, which is, you know, no thought as to which programs get cut. And the white house thinks, to a certain point, when people see these cuts starting to take effect, not over the weekend, but eventually they will see the long lines at the airports, they will see people getting pink slips, they will not like it, m then they will blame the republicans. My thought, quite honestly is, this theyre going to blame all of them, because theyre all going to look bad. Its going to take a while for that pain to be felt. Its not going to happen in the next few days. And thats where the white house may have overplayed their hand a little bit. Because they made it seem like it was going to happen tomorrow, chicken little. Gloria, thanks very much. The world may not see anything like this again for centuries. Well show you the pageantry of Benedict Xvis last day as pope. And we have rodmans one on one with north Koreas Kim Jongun. Ford cmax hybrid. R cmax come. Cmax go. Cmax give a ride to everyone it knows. C max has more passenger volume than competitor prius v and we havent even mentioned. Cmax also gets better mpg. Say hi to the super fuel efficient ford cmax hybrid. Its lots of things. All waking up. Connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. Its going to be amazing. And exciting. And maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. Were going to wake the world up. And watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. Cisco. Tomorrow starts here. I have to know the weather patterns. I upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. So i can get three times the coverage. 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After a few months maxs special powers returned. And i got my hero back. Purina cat chow healthy weight. This direct transition for the Catholic Church today, benedict xvi is now pope emeritus. This was benedict in his final hours of pope before he flew to a hilltop retreat and formally resigned Cnns Becky Anderson has more on the ceremony of this historic day and whats next for the Catholic Church. Reporter it was here at Castel Gandolfo that we witnessed history earlier on thursday, from the window up there, benedict xvi gave his final blessing and thanked the audience here for their fondness, their love, and support. His closing remarks, thank you and good night. And then this. It was, at this moment, that Pope Benedict xvi gave up the mantle of the papacy and cloisters himself away for a life of prayer and reflection. An event unprecedented in the last 600 years. A moment of history in the modern age. His vatican guards symbolically abandoning their post, leaving behind a man no longer with the authority to pronounce infallibly, no longer leading a church numbering billions of believers. The legacy of benedicts papacy has yet to be determined, but there is no doubt that the roman Catholic Church is feeling bruised, struggling with a series of crisis, financial, moral. Benedicts final words to the faithful, reassuring them that it will not sink amidst choppy waters. The successor to Pope Benedict xvi will be determined over the coming weeks. The faithful eagerly awaiting that outcome. And on this occasion, more than maybe any other, the world watches with a similar closeness. Becky anderson, Castel Gandolfo in italy. Becky, thanks so much. President obama is taking sides in a Supreme Court case on samesex marriage, so how far will he go . New details, ahead. [ creaking ] [ male announcer ] trophies and awards lift you up. But they can also hold you back. Unless you ask, whats next . 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That brief is headed to the Supreme Court, where the justices will hear challenge to prop 8, as its known, next month. We now know that president obama will be filing a brief as well. And our crime and justice correspondent, joe johns, has been digging into that. So whats the latest, joe . Well, kate, we know the president supports gay rights, but until today, it was not clear whether the president s lawyer, who argues cases at the Supreme Court would actually file a brief, supporting Marriage Equality and making some type of equal protection argument. But even now, the Supreme Courts filing deadline approaching, there is still a question about whether the administration intends to call for a right to gay marriage in all the states, or something less. The administration waited until the last minute to say whether it was taking a stand on californias proposition 8, which bans samesex marriage. Even while prominent republicans of all stripes were jumping on the bandwagon, calling on the court to rule the states law unconstitutional. Hollywood producer and actor, clint eastwood, former Republican National committee chairman, ken mehlman, former congresswoman, illeana ross layton, and beth myers, who ran mitt romneys campaign in 2008, and served as a Senior Adviser to him in the last campaign. Former arizona congressman, jim kolbe, who is gay, said his position on gay marriage has changed over time. Like others, ive evolved on it too. There was a time, as i mentioned, there was a time that i didnt believe that gay marriage was a possibility. So i thought, well, if we could have a civil union or something, that would be great. But i no longer believe that. I no longer am willing to settle for that. Reporter its an important moment in the law and also in politics, because the administrations position on samesex marriage could go a long way toward defining the obama legacy. Hes already made history on the issue, becoming the First American president to mention it in an inaugural address. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a live equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. For if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Reporter the president s views have evolved, and he himself has said he struggled with the gay marriage issue. This is what he said in 2004. I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. But i also detest the sort of bashing and vilifying of gays and lesbians, because i think its unduly divisive. In 2008, running for president , he refine his view. I do not support gay marriage, but i support a very strong version of civil unions. Reporter may of last year was the first time he took the step of supporting it. For me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i think samesex couples should be able to get married. Quite an evolution. With his background as a former constitutional law professor, a source tells cnns Supreme Court producer, bill meres, that mr. Obama actually had the final decision on whether to file a brief and what to say. Well learn more about that when we see the full text. And not only an evolution for the president , but for millions of other americans as well. Including jim kolbe, the congressman. A budget ax is about to fall, but members of congress, they have left town. So wheres the urgency to solve this mess . Ariana huffington and jim demint, they are standing by here in the situation room. Also ahead, the secret of north Korean Leader and the flamboyant basketball star. Guess what, you cant make this up. [ male announcer ] a car has a rather small rearview mirror, so we can occasionally glance back at where weve been. 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This is not a distraction. People will lose their jobs. The Unemployment Rate might tick up again. This is not a cliff, but it is a tumble downward. You know, its conceivable that in the first week, in the first two weeks, first three weeks, first month a lot of people may not notice the full impact of the sequester. So lets talk about these forced budget cuts and the politics behind it with our guests, Arianna Huffington is the editor in chief of tthe Huffington Post and jim demint the the president elect of the Heritage Foundation and a former republican senator from south carolina. Its great to see you both. Thanks for coming in. Thank you. Arianna, first to you. You just heard those two clips of the president just a week apart or even just days apart, so what do you think is the change . Whats the change in tone . Well, theres no question that the u. S. Economy is in a fragile state, with 25 million, 26 Million People unemployed or underemployed. So removing demand from the economy at this time, and doing it in such a completely haphazard way is not going to help. Its going to make it much harder for growth to happen. Its going to make it much harder for jobs to be added. So it really is an incredible sign of how dysfunctional our political system has become, and im sure senator demint is happy to be out of it at the moment. Senator, i want to get your take on this as well, because you heard that change in tone from president obama. At the same time, you have many republicans saying that its all scare tactics. These dire warnings are not going to live up to what they what theyre offering. But at the same time, this will effect people. Jobs are on the line. So wheres the urgency amongst republicans in congress . Well, over the next ten years, we plan to increase spending 69 without the sequester. With the sequester, we plan to increase spending 67 . There are no cuts here. The president knows that his policies, whether it be dodd frank, obama care, or the tax increases will probably result in increased unemployment. Hes trying to set the stage to suggest that this small cut in spending will have any kind of effect related or similar to what his tax increases have done. But at the same time, senator, both john mccain as well as Speaker Boehner have both called these cuts incredibly dangerous as well. Well, its dangerous in the sense that most of the cuts or at least half of them are coming directly from the military, which has already experienced some budget cuts. So the Defense System in our country is only about 20 of total spending, but 50 of the cuts come from it. And in that sense, it does weaken our security. But defense spending will still increase 16 over the next ten years. So, there are no cuts here. Theres a slight reduction in the increases of spending. The real damage to our economy is going to come from the tax increases and other policies, such as the implementation of obama care. So, arianna, what were you hinting at before . You think these cuts will create more employment . Will weaken Economic Growth . Is that what youre suggesting . Exactly. And, you know, i think senator demint and many republicans really believe that the major problem were facing is the deficit and many economists believe that the major problem we are facing is unemployment. And the fact that kids are graduating from college and they cannot find jobs, and weve seen all around europe, how austerity measures that are focusing on the deficit have not worked. Let me interrupt, arianna. You do want some spending cuts, i assume, dont you . Absolutely. There are many areas, farm subsidies, for example, which were on the line. A lot of the loopholes that need to be closed. There has to be entitlement reform, no question about that. But it has to be done in a thoughtout way. And to actually keep defending the bush tax cuts for the richest americans or to keep defending the fact that we still have the current Interest Rate be not provide a level Playing Field for those in the financial sector, compared to those in the manufacturing sector, all these things dont make sense, and they are only going to weaken the economy. Senator, you know, you were just in this town, youre still in this town, but you know political washington is all about the blame game. Whos to blame when something bad happens. And it seems that if you look at the polls recently, and recent history, that republicans are facing some tough polling. That voters, americans, if this sequester goes through, theyre going to put the blame on republicans more than theyre going to put the blame on the president. Shouldnt republicans be concerned about that . Because ill tell you, i dont sense urgency amongst anyone in this town to get anything done in the next 48 hours. Well, im not going to speak for republicans, but i can say this. If Government Spending improved our economy and created jobs, we would have the best economy and the least unemployment weve ever had, because weve, almost double spending the last ten years. The plan is to take it up nearly another 70 in the next ten years. The problem is, is that were spending too much, we have record revenues this year, even with the sequester, well spend more this year than we ever have in history. So its really laughable that the president is acting like this is an apocalyptic situation. It really goes back to where i started. The president s policies are hurting our economy. They have for many months. The last quarter of last year, we actually contracted as an economy. That had nothing to do with the sequestration or anything thats happening now. The policies are hurting us. He needs to blame it on someone else. Hopefully, the republicans will not allow themselves to get blamed, because its not their policies that are in effect right now. Go ahead and respond, arianna. Well, you know, its unfortunate that senator demint is not willing to look at the fact that the private sector is not spending, is not investing, that we have companies sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars, and not creating jobs. And thats precisely the time when the government needs to step in and do things that should be done in any case, even if were at full employment, like infrastructure spending. I mean, our bridges are crumbling, our roads are crumbling. This is precisely the time for private Public Partnerships to create the kind of infrastructure that we need in order to grow our economy. The same thing with the payroll tax holiday, which was ended. Anything we can do right now, both to encourage the private sector to create jobs and to actually get the government to help create jobs. Who have a lot of the cards for Teachers Police force, at the state and local level, which are dramatically impacting peoples lives and communities. Arianna huffington, jim demint, guys, thanks very much. Well continue this conversation. Also, i want to leave the conversation with something we can all agree on. Arianna, congratulations. We understand youve raised 1 million for nonprofit groups to help create more jobs in the United States. The challenge ends tomorrow. And i want to let our viewers know, anyone whos interested can get information at jobraising. Com. Congratulations, arianna. Thank you. Thank you, senator. Good to see you. Still ahead, Arizona Governor jan brewer will be joining us. Shell be speaking to wolf about why shes angry over the release of hundreds of immigration detainees. And later, hows this for bizarre. Exnba star Dennis Rodman becomes the First American to meet and hang out with the reclusive north Korean Leader, kim jongun. Take tylenol or take aleve, the 1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. Just two aleve can keep pain away all day. Back to the news. Just two aleve can keep pain away all day. How do you keep an older car running like new . You ask a ford customer. When they tell you that you need your oil changed you got to bring it in. If your tires need to be rotated, you have to get that done as well. Jackie, tell me why somebody should bring theyre car here to the ford dealership for service instead of any one of those other places out there. They are going to take care of my car because this is where it came from. Price is right no problem, they make you feel like youre a family. Get a Synthetic Blend Oil change, tire rotation and much more, 29. 95 after 10. 00 rebate. If you take care of your car your car will take care of you. Try align. Its the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. Stay in the groove with align. White house Officials Say president obama and other highranking Administration Officials here in washington were caught by surprise by the release of illegal immigrant detainees over the past week. The immigration and Customs Enforcement administration, i. C. E. For short, says several hundred lowrisk people were released to less costly forms of supervision as a moneysaving move ahead of this weaks forced spending cuts. Arizonas governor, jan brewer, shes appalled by this decision. Shes joining us now from mountain view, california. Governor, thanks very much for coming in. Thank you, wolf. Its a pleasure to be with you. Ill play a clip, i interviewed earlier sheriff paul babu, a man you know from arizona. Hes outraged as well. Listen to what he told me. This was done under the cloak of secrecy. I. C. E. Never announced this. They never called any police chief in my county or myself as a top Law Enforcement official. I have a problem with that. These people are now out in the community, there was no preparation or coordination for this. We all know recidivism or the return of committing crimes is very high with any prison population. All right, governor, youre the leader in arizona. Did officials in washington alert you to what they were doing . No, they did not contact my office, nor did they contact my Homeland Security division in the state of arizona. They say, these officials at i. C. E. , that these are lowlevel detainees and really dont pose any serious risk to the population. You buy that . No, i certainly dont buy that. We know that the policy has been arrest and release those people that have not been involved in prior arrests or prior criminal activity. So these people have a criminal record, is what i believe. I would like to have that for a fact, and i cant say that, but we know that traditionally, they arrest and they release or they tba, or they turn them back around. So this is a criminal element that the federal administration has decided to release on to the communities and to the United States and its wrong and it is outrageous. And it is appalling. To do something of this magnitude and not contact myself or my Homeland Security people, its just unbelievable. Unbelievable have you been in touch with officials at the department of Homeland Security and i. C. E. Your former governor, janet napolitano, shes in charge of the department of Homeland Security. Have you communicated your concerns to them . I have not. I would assume that my well, i know that my Homeland Security department has probably been in contact with them. But the amazing thing about it, the day before they did this, i was in washington, d. C. With the secretary. And no comment, nothing. Its just a little bit over the top. And now, theyre saying nobody knows this, nobody knows that. And you know, its duck and cover. And its unfortunate that we dont even realize or we dont even know whos running our country. You believe that . Its very disappointing. Its very disappointing. You believe them when they say the president , nobody official, no senior official in the white house knew, janet napolitano, other senior officials in the department of Homeland Security didnt know this was done at the ice level by career officials . Well, the bottom line is is that its that old saying, the buck stops here, whether youre governor or president , the buck stops with you. So what can be done to remedy this . Well, you know, enforcing the law, doing their job, and, you know, and in the mindset of that theyre trying to say that this is, you know, cutting the budget, because of whats going on in the senate, is a little bit outrageous. We need a federal government with leadership to lead this country back to prosperity. That means he needs to get into the congress and lead us out of this mess. Because, as you know, if there are these forced, mandatory, acrosstheboard, meat cleaver type of someoning cuts, i. C. E. Is going to be dramatically affected by this and theyre going to probably be releasing more of these illegal immigrant detainees . Exactly. And, you know, from day one, this was the president s program. But the republicans voted overwhelmingly republicans voted overwhelmingly it was the president s and the white houses idea, but republicans everwhelmingly supported whats called those sequesters or those forced budget cuts language. You know, wolf, when i became governor of the state of arizona, i was facing a 3 billion budget deficit with a 1 billion budget. 3 billion, and i as governor, i had to make tough decisions and i had to bring people to the table and i had to get the job done. And we did it by cutting spending, we did it by doing strategic cutting. But we got it done. And thats what they need to do. And thats what the president ought to do. He ought to be over there, doing the job they ought to be doing to get this country turn eed around and get it back to prosperity. He is the leader of our country, just as i am the leader of arizona. Well, well see what happens. I suspect the forced cuts will go into effect at midnight tomorrow night. Governor brewer, well stay in close touch. Thank you. Thank you, wolf. Up next, is this strange enough for you . Take a look at this. Dennis rodman turns diplomat. The controversial exnba star. Hes palling around with north koreas secretive leader, kim jongun. Theyre courtside at a basketball game in pyongyang. Chances are, youre not made of money, so dont overpay for motorcycle insurance. Geico, see how much you could save. When the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week. Im like. Yeah, ok. Little did i know that one week later i wasnt smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. It reduces the urge to smoke. Some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. If you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. Tell your doctor about any history of depression or other Mental Health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. Dont take chantix if youve had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. If you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be lifethreatening. If you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. Use caution when driving or operating machinery. Common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. It helps to have people around you. They say, youre much bigger than this. And you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. Take a good look at this picture. I dont know about you, but i love seeing it. Cant believe what im seeing, in fact. Its hard to overstate how weird it is. The secretive leader of north korea, kim jongun, now bffs with a basketball star, Dennis Rodman. Theyre boat in pyongyang, watching a little basketball. Mary snow is in new york. Shes got the pictures, shes got the story behind the story. Explain, mary, what happened. He is the First American to meet with the new leader of north korea. Who would have thought Dennis Rodman . And its hard to imagine getting more bizarre than this. Dennis rodman arrived in north korea with the Harlem Globetrotters earlier this week to film a documentary for hbo, which like cnn, is owned ed bee warner. And today, a surprising bond with kim jongun. These two give new meaning to the odd couple. Basketball hall of famer Dennis Rodman and north korean dictator, kim jongun, chumming it up courtside in pyongyang. Rodman is said to have told his new buddy that he now has a friend for life. They watched the Harlem Globetrotters play basketball as part of a new hbo show being filmed. Our tagline is the its the absurdity of the modern condition. Shane smith is the shows producer. He sent rodman and the globetrotters to north korea earlier this week for a little basketball diplomacy. State media showed them touring pyongyang. It was not assured that theyd have an audience with the feared leader, but in the end, they not only met with him, but dined with him at his palace after the game. Once at the palace, the theme from the show dallas was said to be constantly playing in the background. The bizarre meeting comes just weeks after north korea had announced that it had conducted a nuclear test and tensions with the u. S. Are particularly high. Former white house adviser and negotiator, victor cha says while this meeting is surprising, kim jongun has done a lot of unpredictable things since taking over. Well, i think the North Koreans try to use opportunities like this to congratulate themselves on their accomplishments, as they see them, as well as congratulate this new leadership and try to give him legitimacy on a world stage. So, yes, it is a poke in the eye of the administration, because outside the world of basketball diplomacy, things are moving in a completely different direction. Reporter while north korea has no love for the u. S. , it does have a soft spot for basketball and the Chicago Bulls. Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright even gave former leader kim jongil a basketball signed by Michael Jordan as part of her negotiations. Since rodman played for the bulls and seems up for anything, the shows producer saw an opening. So if we can open line of communication, if we can have dialogue, its always better to talk than to fight. Thats what we hope comes out of this. Now, the film crew is said to have invited kim jongun to america, which was apparently met with laughter. And in case you were wondering, in that exhibition game that was played today, it had mixed teams of both american and north korean players, the final score was tied at 110. A diplomatic score, indeed, a tie. Thanks very much. I love this story. Mary snow, reporting for us. Its pretty hard to top that, ill tell you that much. But were going to do it. Cnns erin burnett is going outfront tonight on the future of the Catholic Church after Pope Benedicts historic resignation. Erin, it was great watching you this morning, covering it live as the helicopter was leaving and heading over to the retreat. It was amazing watching that helicopter. As we said, you couldnt get a better advertisement for the glory of rome than that ride that the pope took today. History was made today, and were going to tackle the taboo issue in the church, and were talking about sex and celibacy. Tonight weve got a nun who left the church because she fell in love, a priest who left the church because he fell in love, and a priest who is staying in the church and who believes in celibacy. And the mysterious death of an American Work for a secretive and prestigious government firm. Well be there, top of the hour, erin. And when we come back, were just now getting results of our very own test of anheuserbuschs beer. Is it watered down . Its a question we were asked this week. Were going to find out the results, next. Try align. Its the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. Stay in the groove with align. Need help keeping your digestive balance in sync . Try align. Its a probiotic that fortifies your digestive system with healthy bacteria 24 7. Because your insides set the tone. Stay in the groove with align. A regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. The usual, bob . Not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib Atrial Fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. I dont think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. But not anymore. Bobs doctor recommended a different option onceaday xarelto®. Xarelto® is the first and only onceaday prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesnt require routine blood monitoring. Like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afibrelated stroke. There is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. No routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. New zealand xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. And with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the Healthy Foods he likes. Do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. Stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. Get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. You may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. Talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. Xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. You are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. Ready to change your routine . Ask your doctor about onceaday xarelto®. For more information including cost support options, call 1888xarelto or visit goxarelto. Com. Yesterday we reported on a lawsuit alleging that anheuserbuschs breweries were watering down budweiser beer and several other brands. The budweiser label says 5 by volume, but the lawsuit alleges its a lot less. So we decided to test it for ourselves using an independent lab to find it all out. Well, here are the results. Theyre just in. Budweiser showed 4. 94 instead of 5 . Bud light showed 4. 13 instead of 4. 2. Not exactly evidence of watered down beer, i guess, and well within the governments standards for accuracy. The samples were bought in the san diego area and different bottles from different batches might produce different results. The lawsuit said it relaid not on lab tests, but on accounts from the former brewery employees. Looks like its pretty close. Pretty close. Other news. It seemed like an amazing rescue. Heres jeanne moos. Reporter this is a tale of two rescues. This ones fake and this ones real. A deer unable to get up on a slippery icecovered canadian bay was rescued by a helicopters spinning blades. The wash was so powerful that it actually started to push the deer. Reporter pushed her all the way to shore, but, oh, dear the pig pushing a babiy goat is a hoax. It was put on