i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." what's the latest on the fight between the front-runners. >> reporter: wolf, it's pretty clear last night's debate touched off a very personal tone in the race for the gop nomination. that's because there's a lot riding on the next several days. >> i hope you watched the debate last night. it was kind of fun. >> reporter: the morning after the debate, mitt romney had a smile on his face, swinging away at rick santorum. >> i don't know that i've ever seen a politics explain why he voted against his -- >> you're entitled to your opinions, but not entitled to misrepresenting the facts. >> i took that at aim. >> romney took aim at his performance. when le tried to justify his vote for the no child left behind law -- >> sometimes you take one for the team for the leader, and i made a mistake. politics is a team sport, folks. >> in front of a big crow, romney knocked that one into the blea bleachers. >> i wonder what team he was taking it for. >> reporter: but the santorum campaign is fighting back. blasting out to reporters this video, pointing out romney wants back no child left behind's well. that is -- santorum is says suggesting there may be a secret alliance between romney and ron paul. >> he has to go long to get along but that's the problem with washington. >> by contrast, paul rarely takes jabs at romney with the debate. after that, what rand paul told a kentucky radio station earlier this week that he would be honored to be romney's running mate in the fall. santorum couldn't resist. a new poll showing santorum and romney neck and neck in michigan explains why the rice could get bloody. it could lead to a brokered convince this summer, a possibility gingrich surrogate and texas governor rick perry acknowledged in the spin room. >> could it go all the way to the convention? >> oh, it could. >> all for all that talk, both romney and the paul campaigns are laughing it off, a romney adviser called it whining silline silliness. considering mitt romney's love for "seinfeld" i guess you would call this ad a rerun, wolf. >> very funny. all right. thanks very much, jim acosta reporting for us. gas prices are increasingly becoming a major campaign issue, the average price jumped more than three cents overnight. it's un10% so far this year, thanks in part to the tension with iran. take a look at this web ad by the republican national committees using the clip of president obama singing this week over at the white house ♪ baby don't you want to go ♪ c'mon ♪ baby don't you want to go the republican national committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. let's go to our white house correspondent briana keilar, she's in miami where the president was trying to fend off some of that criticism. is the white house beginning to feel the heat on this very, very sensitive issue? >> there was clearly a lot of concern. specifically he seemed to take aim at newt gingrich and his promise of $23950 a gallon gas when he talked about phony election year promising on gas prices. he slammed republicans, saying they're capitalizing on bad news. >> last week the lead stories in one newspaper said gasoline prices are on the rise, and republicans are licking their chops. only in politics do they look for bad news. you pay more, they're licking their chops. you can bet since it's an election year they're dusting off their three-point plan for $2 gas. step one is to drill, step 2 is to drill, step 3 is to keep drilling. >> it is very much a battle for the message president obama here today claiming credit for domestic oil production as the republicans blame his energy prices. i spoke with an independent energy analyst today who really question theed veracity of both those claims sailing it will be years better you could -- but also saying that the bush at march deserves seven of that credit. >> reporter: he said there was no silver bullet to solve the problem. he was pointing to some of the external factors causing the spike in gas prices, iran, increased demand from china and india. the administration did today did announce new research dollars for natural gas and biofuels, but the president didn't even mention them in his speech. instead this was very much a rebuttal, a defense as the high gas prices threaten the economic recovery, and also his bid for reelection. >> i'll be speaking with david axelrod. we'll get his reaction to all of this, the gas price issue and the debate last night and the tough angry rhetoric. david axelrod, brianna, thanks very much. let's dig deeper. ali velshi is joining us. put this into perspective for us. how bad is it right now? >> the issue here is the spike. right now nationwide we're paying about 3.61 for a gallon of unleaded. the issue is how much it's gone up. 3.5 cents overnight, we've seen a 10% increase over the course of the last -- you know, sing the beginning of the year. what's driving it higher? we don't see an increase in demand. if it's not a supply issue, what's the problem? wyche seen prices go up. those oil prices are going up in part because of the concerns, but we'll have to dig deeper. you can get, though, wolf, a lot of people are -- people who think the price of over and gasoline will go up. >> if i knew the answer, i would be calling this it from my yacht. usually you see it increase steadily in spring, and demand everybody has upended in the last several years. traditionally you would say from now until spring you would see prices going up, but that would be witchcraft for me to try to figure out the answer. >> i'm looking forward to joining us on the yacht. >> you're always welcome. >> very much. deadly fallout from the burning of copies of the koran. u.s. officials say two u.s. troops were killed by a man wearing an afghan national uniform. amid protests outside bagram airfield where officials say muslim religious material was destroyed by mistake. the president has sent a letter to the president karzai pal jesusing for what he called an knead versant error. in iraq a series of attacks has killed at least had 4 people, injured more than 200. they took place within a two-hour time frame in baghdad, mosul and other cities, included suicide bombings, as well as gunmen. officials blamed mill tans, they say the militants were trying to undermine confidence in the iraqi army and the police. there's been a dramatic rise in coordinated attacks since u.s. troops left iraq at the end of last year. the uproar over contraception turns into mitt cal theater on capitol hill, as democrats hold an unofficial hearing with just one witness. also the interview question that made president obama bristle, saying, and i'm quoting him now -- i'm not the king. plus some of sarah palin's closest advisers have harsh words about a new hbo movie about the former vice presidential nominee. if there was a pill to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? 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[ male announcer ] it's sweet. it's nutty. it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere. jack cafferty is here. >> they play manage to lose an election they well could have won against a weakened incumbent in a troubled economy, which is why a lot of republicans are dissatisfied with the state of the gop race for the president and with the remaining candidates. mitt romney has all the money in the world and still can't get the party to line up behind him. newt gingrich seems to have done himself in. ron paul has rabid supporters, just not enough to make a difference. and of course rick santorum, the current flavor of the month, who has a history of controversial comments, including about satan and who lost his own u.s. senate seat in pennsylvania by double digits. it is no wonder some republicans are still looking for a savior. a new quinnipiac poll shows that new jersey governor chris christie is the top choice among republicans if there winds up being a brokered convention. christie gets 32% support, followed by former governor sarah palin and jeb bush at 20%, and indiana governor mitch daniels at 15%. one of the reasons a lot of people, including me, like chris christie is because he's such a straight talker. most recently he told warren buffett, to, quote, write a check and shut up. christie is a romney supporter who insists he's not interested in running himself, which is too bad. who with save the republican party from itself? that's the question. post a comment on my blog or to go the post on "the situation room's" facebook page. wolf? jack, thank you. restoration act. this has both sides on capitol hill going back and forth on the issue. today was the democrats' turn, calling on a female witness to testify this in response to an all-male panel that testified last week. our correspondent dana bash is covering all these developments. she's up on capitol hill. what's the latest, dana? >> the lacest is that congress is not in session, so this hearing was a partisan event. democrats brought this one witness that promoted the idea, one lawmakers said she was, quote, out of central casting. >> 100% of those who give birth and plan their families are women. there was not one single woman on that panel. what is wrong with this picture? >> if this were a hearing a prostate cancer and there was a lineup of women and no men i guarantee you, men would not have stuck around, because they would have said to themselves, c'mon, give me a brea. >> at issue, the obama administration controversial -- even at religiously affiliated institutions. democrats say it's critical for women's health. it's one reason chairman dare issa refused democrats' request to let sandra fluke, a 24-year-old george town university law student testify last week. >> the minority chose the witness we had not found to be appropriate or qualified. >> because catholic institutions denied coverage for the pill. >> without her taking the birth control, a massive cysted size of a tennis ball had grown on her ovary. she had to have surgery to remove it as a result. >> so much political theater, the room erupted with applause for fluke several times. >> democratic sources say the issue is helping rad cat critical female voters. >> to convince people the fight here has been about contraception. >> reporter: democrats spent as much time piling on darrell issa. >> can you think of any reason why he would be so adamant that your voice should not be heard? >> i think unfortunately chairman issa's head is where i don't want to go. >> reporter: issa decline to respond, but congressman jeff fortberry did. >> the -- which the original hearing does not restrict access to any legal drug or procedure in america. it simply addresses the -- just liberties. >> that republican argument is effectively wages war became such a probably democrats in the how, they think this issue was a business political plus. back into the fold into the democratic party. >> i think you're right, dana. i don't think this issue will go away. this is going to be out there for some time to come. thanks very much. republican an tomorrow is getting shaky reviews, did he come across as too much of a washington insider? plus a police officer caught stealing people's lunches. wait until you hear his excuse. a lot of thing can go wrong on live tv, but what happened to this tampa reporter is not usually one of them. > lisa sylvester is monitoring top stories this afternoon. outrage is swelling around the world. >> that's right, wolf. we begin with gripping amateur video of tanks firing -- the rocket narrowly missing the camera. a u.n. report now accuses the highest levels of syrian government of severe violence. opposition forces say thousands have died in the conflict, as the u.n. calls for immediate political dialogue to end the cries. international groups plan to meet in tunisia to demand humanitarian access be given to syrian civilians. two military choppers collide in flight, killing seven on board. investigators are looking into last night's crash neuroyuma. six of the marines were from camp pendleton. a spokeswoman says they were preparing to deploy for afghanistan. the leaders sell his'd likely have a cancerous legion in the same place as the one he had removed last year. he said if the tumor is malignant, another round of chemo would surely slow him down. this is just seven months before the presidential election. and high gas prices becomes action-packed. two cars slam into each other right behind wfla's adrian peterson. she didn't miss a beat. the driverssh despite the looks, authorities say there were only minor injuries. a man in blue cause red 47bded. a texas police department september up secret surveillance and found one of their own raiding the fridge. he took people's lunches, drinks, even 660 pounds of deer sausage. the officer told investigators that he was just trying to clean out the fridge because no one else would do it. wow, look at those pictures, though, wolf. >> 60 pounds of deer sausage. >> do you like it? >> i've never had it. confession, wolf. never had deer sausage. me either. >> the president of the united states is hitting back at republicans who want to replace him. president obama's campaign is using the auto bailout as evidence of why michigan should support him rather than his rivals. sarah palin's fans usually enjoy seeing her name in lights, but not when it comes to a new movie. syria's government isn't making it easy for journalists to cover the war. how far they go to show the rebellion up close. hey, did you ever finish last month's invoices? sadly, no. oh. but i did pick up your dry cleaning and had your shoes shined. well, i made you a reservation at the sushi place around the corner. well, in that case, i better get back to these invoices... which i'll do right after making your favorite pancakes. you know what? i'm going to tidy up your side of the office. i can't hear you because i'm also making you a smoothie. [ male announcer ] marriott hotels & resorts knows it's better for xerox to automate their global invoice process so they can focus on serving their customers. with xerox, you're ready for real business. can you enjoy vegetables with sauce so they can focus on serving their customers. and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. let's talk about cnn's arizona republican debate last night. joining us in our strategy session, the democratic strategist paul begala and republican strategist terry holt. let me play a clip, mitt romney going after rick santorum and mentioning this. listen to this, guys. >> let's not forget that four years ago well after romney care was put in place, four years ago he not only endorsed me, laura ingraham said these the guy that's really conservative and we can trust him. >> what was impressive, terry, the opposition research that mitt romney had going into this debate. he clearly was well prepared. >> he was. this is deja vu, remember back in florida, mitt romney went on the air, on the attack against newt gingrich at that time. he had his facts straight. he was sharp, incisive, on an issue that he knows well, the economy, lower taxes, and so he had probably his best day since he won florida yesterday i think, wolf. >> how did he do, paul, from your perspective? we're talking about mitt romney. >> he did very well. he had a game plan and then executed successfully. they have to go out and execute. romney executed flawlessly. he went away rick santorum voting for title x assistance when romney himself planned an i a planned parenthood rally. he attacked earmarks though he got earmarks for the olympics he led in salt lake city. he continually stayed on the offense instead of defending himself. that's the sign of a good debate. >> terry, i felt he spoke like a real washington insider. let me give you a few examples. >> i did say there were good earmarks and bad. we wouldn't have the v-22 osp y osprey. i've never supported it, and on an individual basis voted against it. that's why i proposed title 20 to counterbalance it. >>. >> we're talking real bark speak here. >> i already had forgotten he was a united states senator, but last night i was reminded of that very clearly. this is the obvious pitfall of a senator running for the presidency. his record is there for everyone to see, to pick apart. it's just hard to square clear political rhetoric on the campaign trail with the muddier, more complex world of being a united states senator. >> even me -- i don't know about, paul, but i've been an insider for a long, long time, but i got lost in title x, title 2 xx, all that kind of stuff. >> in our history, david gergen actually made this point last night. in our history we've had 44 presidents, only have come directly out of united states senate. as a rule, we don't make senators president. yes, barack obama is the president and john f. kennedy. >> but he wasn't a senator for very long. >> for about five minutes. had he stayed, he would have diminished hi chances. we tend to makes governors, civil wash generals as presidents. he's a terribly smart guy, rick santorum. i think he knows romney-care better than romney does, but last night he got caught in the weeds of nomenclature of washington. >> that's true. if it had been about obamacare, this may have been turned out very differently, but the fact of the matter is, because romney ruled the day with his tax plan, obama was talking about taxes on the same day. the issues just pivoted to the wrong thing for santorum at the wrong moment. >> terry, quickly give me one piece of advice for santorum. what does he need to do? >> boy, god, if i was doing that, i would already be president myself. i think he's in a tough spot, as long as the campaign was about social issues, and about his outsider status, he had an advantage. i think michigan becomes very tough now and super tuesday ain't so super for him. you've got massachusetts, ohio and other places where he's going to have to compete against a stronger romney operation. >> paul, listen to this ad, this is an ad the obam that campaign is now airing in michigan. >> when a mill jon jobs were on the line, every republican candidate turned their back, even said let detroit go bankrupt. not him. don't bet against the american auto industry. >> now a retooled, restructured industry is back because of the grip and sacrifice of michigan workers. >> don't bet against the american worker. >> i'm barack obama, and i approved this message. >> isn't it early, though, paul, for him to be running ads in michigan? the election isn't until november. >> yes, but there was a poll out in "the des moines register" on sunday that showed him trailing all -- even ron paul is beating president obama in iowa. why? because the republicans were able to attack him unanswered. the president, his allies, we've got an ad up there as well, i don't think the president can afford to let the attacks go unanswered. that bailout is a great american story. it was controversial, courageous, and guess what? it worked. >> it was about his only accomplishment, wolf, he has to defend that accomplishment, even if it's not in a particularly timely moment in the campaign cycle. >> but here's the deal. mitt romney is saying he was a businessman. this was a business decision. >> no, it wasn't. it was a government decision to get involved in a private sector operation, but we can debate that all day. >> also a decision launched by the bush administration, continued by the obama administration. >> good point. >> right. >> so let's make sure we have the history straight there. guys, thanks very much. immigration reform has lang windshield during the obama administration, but the president says don't blame him, he's no king. sarah palin that is emerged as the queerch of political media, at least among some. a new movie takes a peek after her swift rise. 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[ male announcer ] ...without their even knowing it. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. it wasn't all that long ago that most of us had not even heard of sarah palin, her new movie looks at her shocking selection as vice presidential candidate in 2008. perhaps it's no surprise that her and her inner circle aren't very happy with the new film. brian todd joins us with more. what's going on? >> palin's loyalists are furious with this film. pushing back hard. >> she sometimes comes across as uninformed. >> governor, do you know why we're in iraq. >> bay dang deign attacked is on 9/11. >> al qaeda attacked us on 9/11. >> and easily rattled. >> tell me what to say, how to wear, how to talk. i am not your puppet. >> reporter: sarah palin, warts and all. that's a look at the campaign, the new hbo movie "game change" purports to officer. some current and former palin aides say based on the trailer, it's more warts and it's not accurate. >> it's just factually false. it shows somebody who's depressed, negative, upset, angry, a campaign in complete chaos. that's not what happened. i was there. >> jason reche reform was palin ace trip director after she was nominated in 2008, says he was with her at every step. he calls that campaign one of the most uplifting experiences of his life. as for scenes like this -- >> i certainly don't choose how to get you from the get-go. >> i never recall seeing her rattled during the campaign or since. she's come who has a firm alexander against it's a false narrative. >> hbo, like cnn, is owned by time warner. the screenwriter danny strong said he couldn't go on camera with us, but strongly defended the script and the legwork he and his team had done to get the movie made. it's based on interviews he did with 25 people involved in the campaign, including jason recher. strong said we stand by the film as being an accurate portrayal of the events. strong told me this is a multilayered film with several positive depictions. >> if you think i can help this country, then absolutely i'll do this with you. >> i asked susan page for her take on the 2008 republican ticket. >> there was some real fracturing in that campaign, right? >> one of the things i remember about 2008 was the friction between the mccain people and the sarah palin people over almost every aspect of the campaign, over her role, over her debate. that friction is not made up in this movie. that's not fiction. that was nonfiction at the time of the campaign. he says every campaign has tension between the candidates, headquarters, traveling staff. what does sarah palin herself say? last week she had, quote, i'm not too concerned about an hbo movie based on a false narrative when there's so many other things we need to talk about. >> some of other loyalists also had problems with the involvement of one particular mccain aide in this movie. senate? >> that's right. they blame steve schmidt for spreading what they say are falsehoods, which became the basis for the book and the movie. schmidt was a source for campaign stories following mccain's loss in 2008, and he's a big part of this film, portrayed by woody harrelson. schmidt said the movie is accurate and truthfully captures, and danny said he had no involvement in the film other than being one of the 25 people he interviewed for it. brian todd, thanks very much. here's a look at some of the other political headlines making news. president obama pushed back against the suggestion that he has failed latinos on immigration reform. the president seemed to bristle when a radio host asked him if he had broken his campaign promise to latinos. he tried to shift his focus. >> i would only have broken my promise if i hadn't tried, but ultimately i'm one man. you know, we live in a democracy. we don't live in a monarchy. i'm not the king, i'm the president and so i can only implement those laws that are passed through congress. and the the truth of the matter is that, you know, perceptions in the latino community are going to be shaped by community leaders like you. you and i have talked about this extensively. you know the fact that i'm fully committed to this issue. i speak about it in the state of the union address, i speak about it every opportunity that i get. so, you know, the question is, when am i going to get some help from republicans to actually get it done? and that's going to depend on the community making sure that it is focused on those who are preventing comprehensive immigration from occurring, and, you know, since i am 100 behind comprehensive reform, obviously i'm not the road block to making this happen. >> mitt romney has some work to do winning over the seinfeld vote. he masse a reference to the character george castanza at the beginning of wednesday's debate. >> i want to restore america's promise, and i'm going to do that -- [ applause ] -- as george castanza would say, when they're applauding, stop. >> seinfeld fanatic noted that he got it slightly wrong. jerry seinfeld dlivd the line showmanship, george, when you hit that high note, you say good night and walk off. jason alexander who played george, took a dig at romney on twitter writing this -- thrilled he enjoys my old character. i enjoyed the character he used to be, two. if he embraced that again, he would be a great candidate. be sure to read the ticker on cnnpot tick.com. you've seen cnn's reporting from inside syria documenting the disrebebl union, but you haven't witnessed the length our reporters go through every day to try to cover the story. and mark ro rubio has faced questions, but what we learned today, i must say was a bit of a surprise. hello, how can i deliver world-class service for you today ? we gave people right off the street a script and had them read it. no, sorry, i can't help you with that. i'm not authorized to access that transaction. that's not in our policy. i will transfer you now. my supervisor is currently not available. would you like to hold ? that department is currently closed. have i helped you with everything you needed ? if your bank doesn't give you knowledgeable customer service 24/7, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. more violence in war-torn syria. watch this. an opposition group reports at least 72 people have died today in various cities across the -- sometimes the hardest part is getting, they travel over rocky terrain. if no mules are available, they walk and walk and walk, obvious for hours on end. we're shown the side of reporting that you don't normally see. >> this is a rural revolt. you have some villages and hamlets that have joined with the opposition, the rebels, and some that clearly have not. as we race through the countryside, trying to keep a low profile, our guides are avoiding those communities that seem to be more aligned with the regime, and this -- this travel between communities is one of the most dangerous parts of getting around. in fact, some of the residents of towns that we've been in say they don't leave their village at all anymore, because if you go out, you don't know who you'll meet on the open road, and you may never come back. at the looks like we're going to a hike, huh? we have one kilometer high, with four people, so it's going to be tough. it's going to be a tough one, since we don't have the mules this time, but not like when we entered. >> so the trip we are taking, these are the same routes that the opposition here is using. hang on for a second. we have to walk on foot. you can see our guys over there kind of going across he types of routes are the ones the opposition is using. if they want to bring in anything t. medicine, ammunition, guns, they have to bring it in this way. they come in by a trickle. when we calm in, we saw a few horses being loaded with a couple hunting shotguns and a couple boxes of ammunition. that's what these people are using to protect their community. these are the ways they're getting in the most basic supplies. >> let me carry one, man. >> easy, easy. >> that's it -- >> almost there. >> i've done some tough assignments. this is the most difficult one, i would say, for many reasons. >> i don't know. it's been not just scary, but emotional. some of the people we left behind, i hate to think what might happen to them. we're out, but i just hoping they stay safe. >> very dramatic work. three western journalists are desperately pleading for help in syria right now. they were injured in that very same attack that killed the war correspondent marie colvin and remi ochlik. how they survived the shelling and how they might escape. jack cafferty asked who can save the republican party have itself? mitt romney isn't the only prominent republican facing questions about the mormon religion right now. we're going to talk about that, and a lot more, coming up right here in "the situation room." i am loving this greek yogurt. i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... 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[ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. jack cafferty is back with "the cafferty file." jack? >> the question this hour is who can save the republican party from itself. bill writes -- the only person who can save the party from itself is barack obama. a democratic party perfect tomorrow with barack obama as captain of the ship is the only thing that could 'loy the republicans a chance at the throne. $6 gas loan, a new war with iran and terrorist attack on american soil is about the only set of conditions good enough to make the republicans look plausible. mark in houston, jack, a political party that professes destruction of the environment, calls science a hoax, rely gates women to second-class status and wants their religious beliefs to become our laws doesn't deserve saving. sharon in colorado writes -- the gop is like an old, stained raggedy t-shirt not good enough for even yard work anymore. well past its time. it's time for the rubbish bin. the gop has become their own death panel and the decision appears to be suicide. that's tough. ken in kentucky, the democrats can vote obama in for another four years, then everyone look at the results. the republicans will win in a landslide in 2016. carolyn in massachusetts, jon huntsman could have, articulate, reasonable, accomplished, worldly, smart -- never mind. chris christie could do it for sure, at least he'll tell you exactly what he thinks, you may not like what he says or his policy, but at least he speaks the truth. how refreshing. debra in colorado, my favorite was always chris christie, but ultimately my favorite will be whoever is running against obama. and riley writes nobody i can think of. the republican party doesn't even want to vote for the remaining four candidates. that's why the president is singing and laughing. if you want to read more, go to my blog, cnn.com/caffertyfile or through our post on "the situation room's" facebook page. >> thank you, jack. you're in "the situation room." happening now, a rising star in the republican parties on which named as a possible vice presidential candidate reveals a little known secret. marco rubio was once a mormon. president obama under attack about republican presidential hopefuls, everything from gas prices to national security and a whole lot more my interview with and arrange the world. i'm wolf blitzer, and ush in "the situation room." now we're learning that a leading contender for the republican vice presidential slot also has a mormon background that was largely unknown until now. we're talking about the very popular florida senator marco rubio. cnn's brian todd is working the story for us. brian, what are you finding out? >> wolf, it appears marco rubio did spend time as part of the mormon faith as a child. we've contacted rubio's office, his aides confirm he was baptized as a mormon when he was 8 years old. his spokesman says rubio's family moved to las vegas in 1979, and they joined the mormon church when marco rubio was about 8 years old, with you conan says while still in las vegas, rubio and his family resumed attending catholic services. this occurred when marco rubio was about 12. this stories amend in "the miami herald" and. we also have to say rubio himself writes about his mormon experience in his upcoming book "an american son." this is significant, because many republicans see him as a favorite to get the vice presidential nomination later this we're. vp candidates are sometimes selected to provide religious balance to a ticket given mitt romney ace status as a mormon leader that could complicate things if he gets the nomination and if he might have the sights on -- you can real more of this on belief blog. cnn.com/belief, wolf. >> isn't it true he dabbled in a third denomination as well? >> seems to be true, wolf. even though he was confirmed, married, had his children baptized in the catholic church, his spokesman says they began attending the first baptist church in 2002. the spokesman said while they were never baptized or registered as members, they did attend regularly. he says around 2005 marco rubio began to return to his catholic roots. >> brian todd reporting. rubio, by the way, tops the list of republican vice presidential picks in a recent surveys. rick santorum comes in second followed by the new jersey governor chris christie. rick santorum statistically tide, where romney grew up, but now romney has fresh ammunition, unleashing against santorum. joe johns is joining us from millford, michigan. what's the latest on mitt romney and rick santorum, joe. >> reporter: he was out west trying to raise badly needed money, while mitt romney was headed east, but not before fire a broad side. in the shrinking news hole between now and primary day, every second is starting to count. mitt romney apparently couldn't wait to get to a tea party rally in michigan to exploit his chief rival's stumble in the cnn debate. so he unloaded on rick santorum while still for the admission he voted for something he didn't believe in, specifically george w. bush's no child left behind initiative, which many conservatives don't like, because it expanded the involvement of the federal government in education. >> senator santorum explained most of the night why he did or voted for things he disagreed with. he talked about this as being taking one for the team. i wonder which team he was taking it for. my team is the american people, not the insiders in washington. i'll fight for the people of america, not federal interests. >> reporter: the opening couldn't have more on which especially since santorum has held himself out as the most principled in the race, and seemingly undercut his rationale that he's the right reliable -- >> i have to admit i voted for it. it was against the principles i believed it, but you know, when you're part of the team, sometimes you take one for the leader, and i made a mistake. >> during the debate ron paul also took pot shots. >> the senator was for no child left behind, but now that he's running for president, he's running to repeal no child left behind once again. he calls it a team sport. he has to go long to get along, and that's the way the team plays. that's the problem with washington. that's what'sing going on for so long. >> romney will try to get some momentum going with a big speech on friday touting his plans for the economy and proposal to cut taxes. santorum kept a loy protile after the debate, but released a new ad attackings governor's own words. that economic speech scheduled for tomorrow will be closely watched in detroit. business leaders, economists and others have urged romney to get out in front of, to explains xhaektly what he's for. wolf? >> he has an issue he has to deal with it. thanks very much, joe, for that. now to a growing concern about the crisis in syria. an international meeting convening in tunisia tomorrow to plan humanitarian aid for the country. the secretary of state hillary clinton said in london, that opposition syrian national council members are emerging as a credible alternative to the regime, which she said is starting to show signs of -- >> there is growing evidence that some of the officials in the syrian government are beginning to hedge their bets, you know, moving assets, moving family members, looking for a possible exit strategy. we see a lot of developments that we think are pointing to pressure on assad. it's a fluid situation, but if i were a betting person for the medium term and certainly the long term, i would be betting against assad. >> opposition grips are reporting 101 people were killed by government forceses this morning. and western journalists trapped in the crackdown are pleading for help. michael holmes has details of their plight. >> reporter: wolf, tomorrow in tunisia, dozens of nations are meant to be gathering to discuss the deteriorating situation and come up with a way to apply more pressure. but the bombs, the shells continue to rain down on syrian civilians in cities around the country. particularly in baba ayman. it was there yesterday we lost two of our colleagues in the attack on the media center in baba amar. others there were injured. today we heard from them for the first time. wounded journalist edith bouvier lays in a safe house. her left leg shattered by the shell it is that killed two of their colleagues on wednesday. a plea for help from a place desperately in need of some. >> translator: my leg is broken, the length of my fee mural. i need to be operated on as quickly as possible. the doctors have treated me as best as they can, except they cannot perform any surgical operations, so i need as quickly as possible during a cease-fire, a car with medical equipment, or at least in good condition to take me to lebanon to be treated as quickly as possible. >> on the same video, william daniels, unhurt, but clearly concerned for bouvier. >> translator: her more real is good, she is smiling, so i hope the french authorities can heche as quickly as possible, because it is difficult here. we don't have electricity, we don't have a lot of food, and the bombs keep falling. i think we need to get out of here as quickly as possible through medical means. >> reporter: not long after that video surfaced on the internet, a second one, this time british photographer paul conroy, also wounded in the leg during the shells of the media center, from where so many videos of the karn veg have tum. >> i currently need to be looked after by the staff eers with th best medical treatment. obviously any assistance that we can give them by government agencies will be welcome. >> reporter: during both videos explosions can be heard as the shelling continued. >> just reassure family, friends in england that i'm absolutely okay. >> the trio were with marie colvin and french photographer remi ochlik on wednesday when a series of syrian arm shells slammed into the media head cars. they died in the doorway of the building apparently at they attempted to flee to safety. meanwhile, wolf, the french and british governments weighed in on this, demanding safe passage for the wounded journalists and the bodies of their colleagues. that has not happened. those shells continue to rain down. wolf? that he voted we're checking the facts for you. also -- what is does the president plan to do about it. i'll ask his chief campaign strategist david axelrod. he's here this hour in "the situation room." plus the controversy over a secret surveillance program targeting muslim students. and what we heard helped us create pnc wealth insight, a smarter way to work with your pnc advisor, so you can make better decisions and live achievement. 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[ male announcer ] ducati knows it's better for xerox to manage their global publications. so they can focus on building amazing bikes. with xerox, you're ready for real business. as the national dealt heads in order of $15 trillion, now comes word nearly half of all americans pay no federal income tax. which is just stunning. the conservative think tank reports 49.5% of americans paid no material income tax in 2009, a sharp increase from the 14.8% of americans who paid no federal income tax in 1984. the current number reflects, of course, the 2008 financial crisis, and the joblessness that followed. the unemployment rat goss high as 10% in 200 the. there are those who are illegally just don't bother to file. experts point out that many of these americans are on the the receiving end of government benefits, things like food stamps and medicaid. the heritage foundation argues that having fewer taxpayers will ultimately mean more voters who are not paying taxes. voters who will always support higher taxes and more government spending, because it's not coming out of their pocket. meanwhile, our government keeps, more than a trillion a year. now congress is trying to weasel out some of the spending cuts during the -- when that failed. so the question -- where is america headed it nearly half of us pay no federal income tax? go to cnn.com/caffertyfile, post a comment on my blog or go to the "the situation room's" facebook page. the very word is chilling. we're talking about infanticide, but two, two republican presidential candidates are accusing president obama of voting in favor of making the killing of newborn children legal. our chief white house correspondent jessia yellin has been checking the facts for us on this very sensitive issue. >> as you say it's a claim that several candidates have made increase campaign. listen. >> not once did anybody in the elite media ask why barack obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide. >> think about that. any child born premature will you, according to the president, in hi words, can be killed. now, who's the extremist in the -- >> two have said that claim is falls. reply fact related it pants on fire false. later he said, unlike a federal version of these laws, the state measure, quote, lacked federal language clarifying it would not be used to undermine roe versus wade. now, a federal version of the born alive act was signed in 2002. and there's a dispute of how different the two laws really were, with you here's what's important. there was already an illinois law protecting born alive fetuses. that required doctors had to give life-saving care if they thought there was a chance of survival after a botch the abortion. bottom line, independent fact checkers determined the president never supported legislation that in the words of the candidates supported infanticide. >> jessica, what about newt gingrich's claim that the mainstream news immediaty didn't pursue this back in 2008. here's a piece of that interview. >> here's a situation where folks are lying. i have said repeatedly that i would have been completely and fully in support of the federal bill that everybody supported, which was to say that you should provide assistance to any infant that was born, even if it was as a consequence of an induced abortion. that was not the bill that was presented at the state level. what that bill also was doing was trying to undermine roe versus wade. >> still the national right to life committee, the president's opposition seemed unseemly, wolf? >> good fact check. thanks very much. i remember that conversation we had with david brody with the christian broadcasting network on that very sensitive subject. newt gingrich raised this issue last night and said the mainstream news media never covered it, never asked the president of the united states about it in 2008. i immediately remembered that exchange in our report in "the situation room" right here. thanks very much for that, jessica. the federal government has more than $1 billion in unclaimed money. you have less that two months to claim some of it. stand by. you'll find out if any of it may belong to you. plus what if you could lose weight by taking a single pill. there are new details on a drug that controls hunger. you have one new message. [ mom ] hi scooter. this is mommy. the progresso chicken noodle you made is so good. the vegetables are cut nice and thick... you were always good at cutting your vegetables. and it's got tender white-meat chicken... the way i always made it for you. oh, one more thing honey... those pj's you like, the ones with the feet, i bought you five new pairs. love you. did you see the hockey game last night? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. when we were determined to see it through. here's an update on the progress. we're paying for all spill related clean-up costs. bp findings supports independent scientists studying the gulf's environment. thousands of environmental samples have been tested and all beaches and waters are open. and the tourists are back. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. lisa sylvester is monitoring some other top stories in "the situation room" right now. lisa, a billion, with a "b" a billion just sitting out there waiting for someone to claim it. what's going on? >> the i.r.s. says time it running out. 1 million people who are owed a tax refund, but who have not filed their 2008 federal tax returns have until april 17th to do so. the money belongs to the u.s. treasury after that. maybe this will light a fire under procrastinators. half the the refunds are worth more than $600. expectations are on the rise for a new experimental weight-loss drug that suppresses hunger. an fda panel supports approval forregulator previously expressed concern over health problems in those taking the pill. if approved, it would be the first green-lighted by the fda since 1989. and the fbi uncovers a bizarre murder for hire plot targeting those who wear fur. a self-proclaimed animal rights activist is accused of trying to find a hit man, asking that a fur wearer be killed at a library, and that she wanted to be there to distribute handouts on animal cruelty after the crime. the milwaukee brewers score with fans who suffer from pea net allergy. the pea-nut-controlled section will be available for a knew of the season's game. about half of major league baseball teams plan to host peanut free games this year. a lot of parents will be -- >> because you're supposed to buy me pea news and crackerjack. >> but peanut allergies are a real problem in this country, wolf. >> lisa, thank you. the protests in afc are turning deadly now. two americans are kill after the taliban urge afghans to retaliate. what's the next move for the united states military? plus newt gingrich says president obama is dangerous on national security, very dangerous. how you will the obama campaign react? my interview with president obama's chief strategist david axelrod, is coming up. and mitt romney's wife gets very personal on the internet, even posting a love letter from her husband on a new social media site. whwheeee! ! whwheeee!! whwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ahah h heaeadsds u up. whwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! evevererytythihingng y youou l , nonow w momobibilele.. dodownwnloloadad t thehe n nep totodaday.y. chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie. or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006. in addition to the two hundred plus facilities that the university of phoenix has we have a very progressive online learning environment. we have something called phoenix connect that allows students to have a social network. you can post discussion questions. we have more than twenty thousand faculty members, chances are one of them is online when you need some assistance. i'm ron gdovic, i'm committed to providing my students with a twenty-first-century education and i am a phoenix. when president obama took office, a gallon of gas cost less than $2. now it's almost doubled what it was then, and almost $4 on average. i spoke to the president's chief strategist about what the president is doing to put that money back into your pocket. joining us now from our chicago bureau, david axelrod, a key adviser to the president's reelection campaign. david, thanks very much for coming in. let's talk about gas prices for a moment. as you know, because you served in the white house, a gallon of gas when the president took office was under $2. now it's approaching $4 a gallon. what is the president doing to deal with this? as you well know, this is almost like a regressive hidden tax on all americans. >> it's one of the reasons why it was so important that we pass the payroll tax extension, because that's going to help offset some of that cost, wolf. i also, you're right, i was in the white house, i do remember that. i also remember the june before we got there when gas prices were at $4.10 a gallon, reallyunder scores the spikes have been coming on a repeated basis over a long period of time. not just years, but decades. it speaks to the need of a national energy strategy, such as the one that the president has embarked on, one that is an all of the above strategy. we're drilling for more oil, but also natural gas, where we're promoting renewable energies, wind, solar, biofuels, where we're exploring every potential avenue for energy, because we can't simply rely on oil and be at the mercy of the global oil markets, as we are today, and we have been for a long time. we are importing less oil today than we have in the past 20 years, where pumping more oil than we have in the last decade we opened hundreds of -- millions of acres to new oil exploration, including the arctic in the last week, but we have to have a broader strategy if we'll get control of our energy future. >> who do you think won that republican debate last night? >>. >> well, that's hard to say. i'm not a scorekeeper in that regard. i'll tell you who didn't win, anyone who tuned in looking for some positive vision of the country, someone who tuned in hoping they would hear about how we're going to rebuild the middle class in this country, someone who is looking for a balanced, measured view of how we move forward. it seemed like such a negative grinding affair going after each other, in certain ways going after the country. that was a dispiriting thing to watch, what they all agreed on was this president should not be reelected. i'm going to play a few clips and get your response quickly to each one. here's mitt romney speaking about the president and the whole issue of religion. >> i don't think we've seen in the history of the country the kind of attack on religious conscience, freedom and tolerance that we have seen with barack obama. >> that's a strong statement from mitt romney go ahead and respond to that. >> it's a preposterous statement by mitt romney, among many statements i heard last night. he made a reference to the president's decision and hhs's decision to move forward and require that contraception be part of health care packages for women in the country. the president effected a compromise that protects religious freedom, and very much like what's in place in massachusetts, and was when mitt romney was governor, and he didn't say boo about it then. the fact is mitt romney has proven he is willing to say whatever he thinks he need to say to close the deal with the republican primary voters, and he's moving farther and farther and farther to the right to do it. but it wasn't just that remark, wolf. one of the things that struck me was how every single problem and every single a question elicited from him and everyone on the panel, comments about how the president's responsible for this and everybody that is wrong with america is because of the president and so on. i don't think that's what people believe. what they want to hear is how do we move forward from here, build on the momentum that started, how do we rebuild the middle class, address the fundamental problems that people see in their everyday believe and xhurcht. we didn't get any of that last night. >> here's santorum hitting the president when it comes to iran and its potential. >> 4th's afraid to stand up to iran, until his officer party said you're killing us, please support these sanctions. >> go ahead and respond to santorum. >> well, wolf, i know you're a student of that region, so i'm not telling you anything you don't know, but the president over a painstaking period of years has brought the world along in the most withering set the sanctions that have ever been administered against any country, the iranian economy is in disarray as a result of it the iranian leadership has spoken to this, so this nothing that somehow the president has tonight you had to iran stands in contrast to what iran is saying and what is obvious from the facts. what was striking to me is for all the biellicose talk you her, not one suggested they would do anything differently. we have tough sanctions and they're getting tougher all the time. they said we need to keep all options on the take, and we're keeping all options on the table. we've got a lot of -- what do they say down south? all hat and no cattle? >> newt gingrich went even one step further. listen to this. >> i believe this is the most dangerous president on national security grounds in american history. >> the most dangerous president on national security grounds, doesn't get stronger than that. >> yeah. i'm sure that osama bin laden would like to offer a rebuttal if he could. all the leadership of al qaeda, two thirds of which have been destroyed would probably offer a different testimony to that. it is a sober moment in our history and requires sober thoughtful leadership. certainly a comment like that doesn't reflect sobriety. >> i was following your tweets last night during the debate. you had this one, and you were, you wrote about mitt romney, severe reality check back then he referred to himself as pro-choice and a moderate with progressive views. is it fair to say that almost all your criticism of the candidates and like so many other democrats, focusing on romney, he's the guy you fear the most? >> no, i don't think it's a matter of fearing him. he has been from the beginning a weak front-runner for this nomination, he remains a weak front-runner for this nomination, i don't know how it's going to turn out, but certainly in these breathtaking leaps from one position to another p. you know, he almost begs some kind of comments. everybody in massachusetts can attest to the fact that mitt romney ran not so many years ago he was governor up until 2007, as a moderate pro-choice. he said he had progressive views, and now calls himself a severely conservative governor when trying to appeal to the right wing. it does raise the question we have raised before, where is the core, what does he actually believe? and what can we count on him from the future if he changes so radically from year to year, even day to day. >> david axelrod, we'll continue this conversation down the road. thanks so much for joining us. >> all right, wolf. good to be with us. i'm going to to leave a bit early right now. will issa sill vs.er is coming up with all the news in "the situation room," including protests turning dead le in afghanistan after u.s. troops are accused of burning the koran. now new information coming in on the training those troops received. plus new york city police officers keep keeping a close eyes on muslims who aren't even in their city. the controversy that's causing, and that's coming up next. president obama today apologized to afghan president hamid karzai for the burning of korans at a nato air base, but that didn't stop angry 56 gan, one of whom killed twol american soldiers. chris lawrence joins me with more. i know, chris, this was a very sensitive issue. >> extremely. it's one the pentagon says they're taking extremely seriously, lisa. the problem is it's not just the taliban this time. even some members of afghan's parliament are urging afghans to take up arms against the u.s. military. the burning of korans has ignited a fire, one that's proving hard to douse. >> we understand that emotions are running extremely high. >> in eastern afghanistan, a man in an afghan army uniform shot and killed two u.s. troops, then ran back into a crowd of anti-american protesters who crowded outside their base. the taliban had urged afghans to retaliate against american soldiers, bases and convoys, but both state and pentagon officials seem unwilling to make that connection. >> there's no indication these are anything other than popular expresses of outrage over this incident. >> reporter: u.s. troops sent some korans to a burn pit this week. officials say they didn't intend to burn them as a religious document, adding this was not florida, a reference to the pastor who condemned the koran and burned it last year. >> it's terribly distressing. this is about the stupidist mistake you can make culturally in a society like this. >> nick dowelling runs ids, at the gives cultural sensitive training. it's even developed a program called culture shock, which forces american troops to play the role of an afghan village elder. >> clearly there was a gap in this case, and the investigation will sort of look at that. but as i said, it only takes one idiot to screw something up. >> what happens to those americans responsible is still under review. a delegation of afghans investigating the case said nato had agreed to bring them to justice in an open trial. but a u.s. official says nothing has been decided. he assures cnn any disciplinary action will be taken by american authorities with due process. what happens from here on out could be decided, or could take shape tomorrow during friday's prayers if the clerics decide to try to tamp down some of the emotion or simply too inflame it. now, i've got to say despite what pentagon officials are saying, i've heard from several rank-and-file troops during the day today, and they see somewhat of a double standard. they say while the u.s. probably needed to apologize for this incident, they say on the other hand they see american flags and images of president obama being burned in effigy, and no calls for apology from the other side. lisa? >> yeah, there are various sides to this story. thanks very much, chris lawrence, for that report. president obama's apology certainty didn't go unnoticed by republican candidates. newt gingrich posted this statement on twitter a short while ago, quote -- it is an outrage that on the day an afghan soldier murders two american troops, president obama is the one apologizing. and a controversy pits new jersey's governor and muslims against the nypd. chris christie and muslim groups are furious at what new york police have done in the name of homeland security. and where is america headed if nearly half of us pay no federal income tack? i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. 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[ male announcer ] enbrel. the #1 biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. take the privileged investing tools of wall street and make them simple, intuitive, and available to all. distill all that data. make information instinctual, visual. introducing trade architect, td ameritrade's empowering web-based trading platform. take control of your portfolio today. trade commission-free for 60 days, and we'll throw in up to $600 when you open an account. an nypd surveillance program focusing on muslims is drawing fire from top officials in new jersey. they say police are overstepping their bounds in the name of homeland security t cnn national correspondent susan candiotti has more on the controversy. >> reporter: for six months, starting in late 2006, new york police scanned open-access web sites and muslim student organizations at several universities in the northeast, including yale, columbia, syracuse and university of pennsylvania, looking for any signs that might lead to terror plots. a senior law enforcement officials tells cnn. at first reported by the associated press, new york police also took photos of mosques and muslim-owned businesses, including dollar stores and restaurants in nearby newark, new jersey. after finding out, new jersey's governor was fuming. he says he's all about helping another jurisdiction, but -- >> it's got to be coordinated the nypd has at times developed a reputation of asking forgiveness rather than permission in certain areas of coming into other states and doing things. >> governor christie's and mayor cory booker want an investigation. in a statement, booker said if the new york police had no specific reason to single out muslims, it's, quote, deeply disturbing, adding to put large segments of a religious community under surveillance without legitimate cause or provocation clearly crosses a line, but mayor bloomberg is unapologetic in defends his police department. >> the >> the job of our law enforcement is to make sure that they prevent things. you only do that by being proactive. you have to respect people's right to privacy. >> reporter: an nypd spokesman tells cnn it was mapping out places where tour terrorists from other countries may try to blend in to avoid detection. it shouldn't shock anyone, saying new jersey officials were briefed and even escorted the nypd. still muslim students are livid. >> this tactic actually creates more hatred. better to address them at a large level. >> i disagree with the way this was implemented, the way they tenth went about trying to find terrorist activities. >> reporter: and tonight, u.s. senator bob menendez from new jersey is calling on attorney general eric holder to investigate. are muslim students being singled out without hard evidence? or are police just doing what they're supposed to do, protect public safety? lisa? >> susan, i hear that you also have reaction tonight from islamic students at nyu. what can you tell us? >> reporter: that's right. they sent a letter tonight to new york's police commissioner, ray kelly, praising him for all of his efforts but also wondering whether he is simply monitoring students based on religion alone. they say if that's a case it's a problem. and also stating that some student, islamic students are wondering about backing out of participating in religious activities at the islamic center because they're worried about being monitored saying they might be at risk. >> i understand they've been checking out their web sites, too, some students web sites, too, is that right? >> reporter: that's right, they have been. they say they're not anymore. open web sites. because our sources tell us they weren't really yielding any important information. >> okay. thank you, susan, for that great reporting. time now to check back with jack cafferty. jack, what do you have for us? >> delighted to see you, lisa. the question this hour is where's america headed? if nearly half of us pay no federal income tax? jeff in minnesota writes "as one of those who pays and seems to pay a lot, i'm very frustrated that many people in corporations pay nothing. and a lot of those people in corporations not paying make a lot more than do i and have a lot more wealth than i do. i work hard for my money. it's not give ton me. i realize the government needs money to run but why is that burden on such a small few with everyone else getting a free ride? this is what has to change and this is what's driving people nuts." brad in oregon writes "nearly half of americans pay no income tax because they're living in poverty. they have just barely enough money to live on and they're still paying payroll tax, property tax, sales tax, a lot of other taxes. the 400 richest americans have more wealth than the bottom half of the american population combined. if you want to actually generate real revenue you need to go where the money is, that's not the bottom half of the population." jan in north carolina writes "those of us who pay taxes are going to become more and more resentful of those who do not, especially when we are constantly ridiculed by the administration that we are not doing enough. how much is enough? the president's going to get that class warfare he wants, but it may come as a surprise when it starts from the top." d.t. in minnesota writes "i've never understood this concern but maybe it's because i allow myself to see the truth. half of us pay no taxes. that's true. half of us also have no money. if you don't want to distribute the wealth evenly how does it make sense to try to distribute the tax burden evenly?" tom writes "where are we headed? probably china. that's where all the jobs they have all the jobs we were promised." if you want to see more go to the situation room's facebook page. >> we also talked about corporations, many corporations are not paying federal taxes. that certainly has a lot of folks out there fuming as well, right, jack? >> general electric made billions of dollars last year. they paid this much, zero. >> it is an ongoing issue and something i know a lot of folks are concerned about. thanks very much, jack, for that report. mitt romney's wife gets personal on the internet, even posting a love letter from her husband on a new social media web site. i'm freaking out man. why? 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