jeff zeleny's learned some $700 million in disaster funds meant to shore-up houses against future flooding was actually pocketed by homeowners. the government is now pushing to get the money back. >>> and the major league baseball season under way. the astros, new to the american league, didn't look it last night. they topped the texas rangers, 8-2. >>> and let's be honest, it's not every day you see a pro golfer take his pants off on the course. it happened when andreas harto's ball came close to the water. he went and marked his ball before -- actually, then rushed back. feel free, at any point, to put your pants back on. >> oh, my goodness. >> you may feel free, this is really rough for those of us, i think -- >> i like how he's walking like -- look at that. >> it wouldn't be so bad but for the duck walk. >> and to everybody again outside the state of texas, happy opening day, people. >> hear, hear. it's great to be here. >>> we turn to the latest on the health crisis out of oklahoma, where officials have started testing thousands of patients for hiv and hepatitis after discovering year

abc's jeff zeleny has the story. >> the motion is agreed to. >> reporter: after clearing a filibuster hurdle democrats are trying to hold together a fragile bipartisan coalition to keep the gun control debate alive. >> the hard work starts now. >> reporter: the national rifle association, already stunk by the senate vote thursday already doubled its efforts overnight to hold ranks particularly among the 16 republicans who helped defy the party's filibuster threat. >> our loved ones didn't die no no reason. >> reporter: they pledge to stay vigilant pressing their case to expand background checks for people buying guns on the internet and at gun shows. >> we are standing here because my sister and her mom can't be. their voices need to be heard and will carry through us. >> reporter: the emotional lobbying from newtown families has built momentum but the gun legislation faces a long road. senator joe manchin of west virginia tells abc he's willing to risk his nra rating from the nra. jillian soto isn't declaring victory yet. she'll be back on capitol hill when the debate begins next wee

abc's jeff zeleny is in washington with more. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. the debate over gun control is a deeply personal one and the white house is hoping that the power of one family's story will help keep the momentum alive until next week when the senate begins its debate. this morning, americans expecting to hear president obama's weekly address instead heard this voice -- >> as u.s. probably noticed i'm not the president. >> reporter: that's francine wheeler. >> we have to convince the senate to come together and pass commonsense gun responsibility reforms. >> reporter: taking her very personal case of gun control from the halls of congress to the hearts and minds of americans. >> your younger son ben, age 6, was murdered in his first grade classroom on december 14th. exactly four months ago this weekend. >> reporter: to keep momentum alive for its gun bill, the white house asked wheeler and her husband to share ben's story. >> ben's love of fun and his excitement at the wonders of life were unma

jeff zeleny is outside reagan national airport. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: the flight delays became a problem. they acted in record speed to fix it. the air traffic controllers are going back to work this morning. overnight, airport towers returning to business as usual, after reversing furloughs for hundreds of workings, forced to stay home all week because of congressional budget cuts. the president says he will fine the bill, pushed through by lawmakers just in time to catch their own flights out of town. >> maybe because they fly home each weekend, the members of congress finally realized the cuts applied to them, too. >> reporter: passengers vented frustrations and waited. >> we sat on the tarmac for about an hour. >> five hours. >> oh, it's horrible. >> reporter: the bipartisan effort did not sit well. >> the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> reporter: who believe air travelers received special treatments. while cuts to other areas were ig noerd. >> sometimes the concerns of the most connected groups get ahe

jeff zeleny and he needs all the help he can get. resistance continues to grow. >> reporter: the white house is facing stiff head winds. with a new cnn poll showing that 52% of americans disapprove of how president obama is handling gun control but now the trez is hoping a bipartisan agreement can be reached before the momentum slips away. the debate over gun control is getting permanent this morning on capitol hill. >> do something before our tragedy becomes your tragedy. >> reporter: overnight, family members of those killed in newtown flew to washington aboard air force one hoping to lobby lawmakers after an emotional speech by the president. >> this is not about politics. this is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here that have been torn apart by gun violence. >> reporter: as an uphill battle. a ban on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips stalled. the strongest chance requires background checks for gun sales. >> we have to tell congress it's time to require a background check for any

abc's chief senior washington correspondent, jeff zeleny is here. this was the president without the prompter. >> reporter: it really was. good morning. we saw hints of frustration and defiance from the president. after a challenging summer in washington, it was that series of unscripted moments that offered a deeper window into what he's really thinking. >> good afternoon, everybody. please have a seat. >> reporter: in the running commentary, president obama held nothing back. on russian president vladimir putin -- >> he has that kind of slouch, looking like a bored kid in the back of the classroom. >> reporter: on the new anti-gay law, through olympic medals. >> one of the things i'm looking forward to is maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze. if russia doesn't have gay or lesbian athletes, it will probably make their team weaker. >> reporter: and using domestic harmony as an analogy for the nsa's domestic spying program. >> it's right to ask questions about surveillance. >> reporter: how americans should t

abc's jeff zeleny is covering the story from the white house. >> reporter: good morning, dan. it's turned into a nightmare for this american war veteran in north korea. the white house is weighing in for the first time. urging north korea to release a u.s. veteran of the korean war, held for nearly five weeks. a retired california finance executive and grandfather was an a sightseeing trip to north korea was he detained on october 26th. he appeared this weekend. he apologized for what he called hostile act. >> on this trip, i can understand that in u.s. and western countries there is misleading information and propaganda. >> reporter: the new images of newman prompted a new rebuke from the obama administration. given newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he may return home and reunite with his family. the united states has no official diplomatic relations with north korea, but swedish embassy officials visited newman on saturday, they said he's alive and receiving his medication. the newman family implored the north korean gover

abc's jeff zeleny is covering the story from the white house. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, dan. what began as a trip of a lifetime, has turned into a nightmare for this american war veteran in north korea. the white house is weighing in for the first time, urging north korea to release a u.s. veteran of the korean war, held for nearly five weeks. merrill newman, an 85-year-old retired california finance executive and grandfather, was an a sightseeing trip to north korea when he was detained on october 26th. he reappeared this weekend. in a videotaped message, he apologized for what he called hostile acts. >> on this trip, i can understand that in u.s. and western countries there is misleading information and propaganda about dprk. >> reporter: the new images of newman prompted a new rebuke from the obama administration. given mr. newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge the dprk to release mr. newman so he may return home and reunite with his family. all this, as vice president biden visits asia this week, with a st

abc news' jeff zeleny is covering the story this morning from the white house. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, dan. you're right. president obama and his family arrived in honolulu early this morning. it's a much-needed rest from a rough and rocky year here in washington. this morning, president obama's agenda is filled with sun and relaxation. before leaving the white house friday night, he was focused on damage control. >> good afternoon, everybody. >> has this been the worst year of your presidency? >> that's not how i think about it. if i was interested in polling, i wouldn't have run for president. >> reporter: even as he tried talking up the economy -- >> i firmly believe that 2014 can be a breakthrough year for america. >> reporter: he couldn't escape the fallout from the health care law. >> the fact is, it didn't happen in the first month. the first six weeks, in a way that was at all acceptable. and since i'm in charge, obviously, we've screwed it up. >> reporter: a blunt admission. but the president also defended the law. he says 1 milli

abc's jeff zeleny. >> reporter: a lucky find? or a stolen treasure? this morning, that's the question for a federal judge, with a one-of-a-kind renoir painting. at the center of an intense legal battle. the tiny work of art, the size of a napkin, is an 1879 landscape called on the shore of the seine. a virginia woman says it is hers. she bought it in a flea market in 2009, for just $7. the baltimore museum of art says that price was a real steal. that's because they claim the painting was actually stolen in 1951. and they want it back, now that it's resurfaced. the fbi seized the painting until a judge determines the rightful owner. in court papers filed this week, the museum produced a list of evidence it says proves the renoir was stolen, including a 60-year-old police report. old museum catalogs and even a receipt, showing a patron bequeathed the painting to the museum. >> the museum claims it was stolen and claimed it owned it. the museum has to prove it was, in fact, stolen and they did own it. >> reporter: neither she nor her attorneys would spe

jeff zeleny has more. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, george. it had been a rough and rocky start to liz cheney's first bid for elected office. in a statement released by her campaign just this morning, she confirmed in her own words that she's leaving the race. serious health issues have recently arisen in our family. and under the circumstances, i have decided to discontinue my campaign. my children and their futures were the motivation for our campaign, and their health and well-being will always be my overriding priority. now her departure from the race was nearly as abrupt as her decision to jump into the contest last summer. she was hoping senator to mike enzi, a long-term republican, would step aside. but many republicans rallied behind him. the family drama, her opposition to same-sex marriage that put her at odds with her sister, mary, and that caused the most controversy. with a very private feud spilling out into the public view. i'm told that she and her family reached this decision over the holidays. and these new revelations of hea

and jeff zeleny is here with all of the details. and jeff, his wife there to back him up. but three of his opponents and two major newspapers saying, enough is enough. >> that's right, george. it was quite an extraordinary scene. it was a real human drama when his wife stepped forward to deliver a public testimonial in hopes of stopping her husband from another political free-fall. >> i have said that other texts and photos were likely to come out, and today, they have. >> reporter: the scene was familiar. anthony weiner, back in front of a microphone, admitting involvement in another sexting scandal. >> there's no question that what i did was wrong. >> reporter: what's different, though, is that he's no longer a congressman. he's running for mayor of new york city. and this time, his wife, huma, hillary clinton's former aide, is standing by his side. and speaking out. >> you'll have to bear with me, i'm very nervous. i wrote down what i wanted to say. i love him. i have forgiven him. i believe in him. and as we said from the beginning, we are moving forward. >> reporter:

anthony weiner, abc's jeff zeleny confirming this morning, weiner's campaign manager quit in the wake of the escalating sexting scandal. do you envision him surviving this and winning the race? >> to win, that's almost impossible. his support began to plummet. he was leading the race, but the new revelations came out this week that said the sexting had continued. his support began to plummet. we have been surprised by voters before. but at this point his campaign does seem to be unraveling, even though he seems determined to stay in this no matter what. >> both he and his wife. >> she is standing by his side. the big question right now is, is that going to make a difference? in the past, we have seen that kind of support does help convince voters this is someone worth sticking with. i'm not sure this time around. >> george, thank you. and as a reminder, george has a packed show, sitting down with crisis management expert judy smith. the inspiration behind the abc hit show, "scandal." her take on the ongoing weiner saga later on "this week" with george. thanks again. >>> this morning t

we want to extend a warm welcome to the newest member of our family at abc news, jeff zeleny covering politics. he joins us this morning from d.c. good morning and welcome. >> reporter: good morning. it's great to join you. she has played many roles but now her credits will not include ms. judd goes to washington. for months it appeared one of hollywood's brightest stars would be trying her hand at another profession, politics. >> i have been working with the democratic party in williamson county for a number of years. >> reporter: overnight she stepped away from a race she had been eyeing, announcing she would not challenge the senate's top republican, mitch mcconnell. making to her website and twitter she wrote regretfully i am currently unable to consider a campaign for the senate. thanks for even considering me as that person and know how much i love our commonwealth. recently the 44-year-old judd has been spending more time in politics and humanitarian causes than in hollywood. last year she campaigned for president obama and appeared as a delegate at the democratic national conv

jeff zeleny, our latest addition to the abc news team. jeff, welcome to you. the weekend "gma" show. thanks for that. time to check the weather and filling in for ginger zee, once again we welcome erica martine, news 8 in new haven, connecticut. what's going on. >> yesterday we did see some reports across nebraska, kansas and oklahoma of three tornadoes, one was actually confirmed and we do have some video out there. hail that has been reported, so definitely a severe weather situation and, unfortunately, for today it looks like we do have some more severe weather headed our way for parts of oklahoma here, tulsa, wichita, falls, also seeing that possibility of some severe weather. so definitely something to be aware of, certainly be cautious of. we're seeing upper 50s highs today a lot more moderate for new england, 59 for new york. 55 for chicago. oklahoma city seeing some upper 70s, warmer in midland at 88. phoenix, 86. and las vegas, your expected high for today, upper 70s. however, this is a short-lived situation. we've got some colder air making its way d

jeff zeleny covering this from washington. >> reporter: some senators who voted against this gun control legislation, they feared a backlash from the gun lobby and pro-gun voters in their states. what they may not have expected, though, is this frustration and fury they're feeling from the other side. now back home in their districts, senators who opposed the president's legislation are confronting what they never thought they would. angry voters. your sign says shame on you. who is that directed to? >> to senator ayotte. >> reporter: and even angrier victims of gun violence. >> why did she do it? why did she vote against the bill? >> reporter: gilles traveled to new hampshire on thursday to face down republican senator kelly ayotte. he came on behalf of his daughter lauren, a first grade teacher killed at sandy hook elementary school. >> i feel i have to do something not to avenge but to -- sorry to cry. for my daughter. i'm going for my daughter. i hope we can prevent any of this in the future. >> reporter: rousseau carried lauren's picture and death certificate and he's trying to unde

abc's jeff zeleny is in washington this morning. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. you're right, the nra says that its membership is up and the group's leaders are fighting what they call a culture war. but they're coming face to face with some of those families of those nooult shooting victims. this morning, the gun lobby is riding high. >> we are americans, we are proud of it and we are going to defend our freedom. we promise you. >> reporter: the nra is gathering for the second day of its annual convention, celebrating their latest legislative victory. >> leave our freedoms alone. >> reporter: five months after the newtown massacre re-opened a national debate on guns not a single new federal gun law has passed. >> you saw what happened to the united states senate a few days ago. >> this is a fight for the future of freedom. >> reporter: tens of thousands of nra members are here listening to conservative leaders rally their support for the second amendment. former alaska governor sarah palin accused the wh

abc's jeff zeleny shows us how it happened. >> all: let's go mark! >> reporter: this morning mark sanford is the new comeback kid. >> i just want to acknowledge a god not just of second chances but third, fourth, fifth, sixth chances. we'll let the chips fall where they may. >> reporter: and humiliated. personally. overnight the disgraced former south carolina governor. >> the republican governor in that state has disappeared. >> reporter: who made headlines saying he was hiking the appalachian trail when he was really visiting his mistress in argentina rose from the depth of the scandal and became the new member of congress even acknowledging on stage the argentinean woman he now calls his soul mate. >> my fiancee had a ten-hour trip in an airplane rather than a car. >> reporter: his political career has unfolded like a steamy novel. his former wife jenny who left him flirted with the idea of running herself, then later accused him of trespassing. >> all: this is our side! >> reporter: even his opponent seemed like a comic twist. elizabeth colbert-b

jeff zeleny is at the white house. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, dan. the white house is trying to fix more than a broken website. they're trying to restore their credibility and prove their competency. this morning, a new challenge for president obama. keeping democrats from jumping ship on his beleaguered health care law. after months of fighting republican criticism -- >> this disastrous law was destined to fail from the start. >> its cancellation today, sticker shock tomorrow. >> reporter: and a week filled with apologies from the president. >> that's on me. that's something i deeply regret. we did fumble the ball on it. >> reporter: there's anger in congress. democratic congresse iic anger. the president is trying to stop a democratic betrayal. with more than three dozen members of his own party, fighting with republicans friday, to support a plan the white house says would weaken the health care law. we caught up with one of the democrats who crossed the aisle. how disappointed are you in the obama administration for this mess over the last month?

exactly. >>> there's jeff zeleny from the white house. >>> lot of other news overnight. >> for that we're going to go to ron claiborne. >>> we begin with an american drone crashing into the u.s. naval ship from which it launched. it was being tested by this cruiser. it somehow malfunctioned and struck the ship. the navy is investigating the cause of this incident. >>> chaotic scene in cortland, new york, from the state university, hurdle bottles after the victory over their rival i shgs haca college. >> reporter: overnight, chaos. pandemonium. >> i saw one girl with a smashed-up face because she got hit. >> reporter: borderline an arky after people descend on these streets south of syracuse. >> got out of hand. they started throwing cans and bottles. >> reporter: bystanders were injured by the airborne alcoholic beverage. >> the size is concerning, of course, but when people in the crowd are being injured and we can't get to them with an ambulance, we know we have a problem. >> reporter: the excessive celebration took place when the college football team goes head to head with nearby riva

there's jeff zeleny from the white house. thank you, jeff. >>> lot of other news overnight. >> for that we're going to go to ron claiborne. >>> good morning, everyone. we begin with news of an american aerial drone crashing into the u.s. naval ship from which it was launched off the coast of california. it was being tested by this missile cruiser when it somehow malfunctioned and struck the ship. two sailors suffered minor burns. the navy is investigating the cause of this incident. >>> and a chaotic scene in the small college town of cortland, new york, where a mob of students from the state university there hurled furniture and bottles in the streets in celebration of their football team's victory over their rivals, ithaca college. more now from rob nelson. >> reporter: overnight, chaos. >> they are trying anything. tables, chairs. >> reporter: pandemonium. >> i saw one girl with a smashed-up face because she got hit. >> reporter: borderline anarchy after thousands of people descend on the streets of this quiet up state new

for abc news, jeff zeleny, abc news, washington. >>> now to the latest for toronto's wild mayor. rob ford, stripped of all of his powers after that crack-cocaine scandal. but still refusing to step down. and telling abc news, he's getting help for his drug and alcohol problems. linsey davis has the story. >> reporter: this morning, toronto mayor rob ford is speaking out, just hours after city council members voted to strip him of most of his power. >> all they did was stab me in the back. over issues, the same issues, that i've admitted to that they do but nobody knows about it. >> reporter: accused of excessive drinking, drug use, and overall erratic behavior, ford has been in the public spotlight for weeks. and has made more than a few missteps. seen here almost barreling over this city councilwoman monday, in an attempt to take a run at someone in the crowd. ford is first to admit he's far from perfect. >> have i made mistakes? you're absolutely right i have. i'm the first to admit it. it's all my own fault. >> reporter: still, ford firmly denies that he has a serious problem.

jeff zeleny covering it all for us. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, chris christie easily swept re-election, a major republican win in a democratic state, but it sure sounded like he had more than a second term of governor on his mind. overnight, chris christie's sweeping victory speech. >> how about this, new jersey? >> reporter: sounded more like the soaring announcement of a presidential campaign. >> a dispirited america, angry with their dysfunctional government in washington looks to new jersey to say, is what i think happening really happening? >> reporter: winning big. a 20-point republican landslide in a democratic state. doing what republicans rarely do. winning a majority of women, latinos, and even one-third of all democrats. >> i know that if we can do this in trenton, new jersey, maybe the folks in washington, d.c. should tune in their tvs right now. see how it's done. >> reporter: a not-so-subtle swipe at tea party republicans, he's competing against over the soul of the gop. meanwhile, in v

and jeff zeleny has the latest from the white house. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. the white house is hitting reboot, now saying the troubled website will be ready but not until the end of next month. in his weekly address this morning, president obama offering a blunt admission about the failures in his signature health care law. >> as you may have heard, the site isn't working the way it's supposed to yet. >> reporter: the white house acknowledging the full scope of problems with its beleaguered healthcare.gov website. the white house is hiring a new troubleshooter, promising by november 30th to fix the errors. the president trying to downplay the setback. >> some people have poked fun at me for sounding like an insurance salesman. that's okay. i would still be out there championing this law, even if the website were perfect. >> reporter: but perfect, it's not. administration officials say the website performance is improving. but still not signing up enough customers. while 90% of applicants can now create an

abc's jeff zeleny has the very latest. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. both sides insist they want to end. it's slowly but sadly becoming the new normal. overnight, in the president's weekly address no signs of a breakthrough. >> take that vote. end this shutdown now. >> reporter: and no common ground on capitol hill. >> this isn't some game. >> reporter: a standoff growing deeper by the day. >> reporter: president obama once planning to leave tonight for an economic summit in asia is stuck in washington, his travel halted by the government shutdown. on friday, the president taking a rare stroll from the white house for a sandwich. >> original or wheat bread. >> reporter: walking back a comment from within the administration. we are winning. >> there is no winning. families don't have -- >> stop the shutdown! >> reporter: federal workers and many americans expressing outrage. in alaska, government meteorologist working without pay, sending a clever sos, their message hidden in a seemingly normal forecast, please pay us. back on capitol hill, a long weeke

abc news' jeff zeleny is at the capital. jeff, good morning. walk us through the order of operations. when does the debate start? >> reporter: good morning. the debate is not going to start officially until next week. congress is still on its week-long recess, finishing up their summer break. the votes start next week. but there's a classified briefing on the hill this afternoon. the senate foreign relation committee begins taking some of those witness testimony statements on tuesday. this is the critical week that the white house has to explain its position, make its case to congress. right now i'm told by senior officials on both sides of the capital, the votes are not there yet. the white house has work to do over the week. >> what's your sense of whether it will pass? the whole world was surprised when the british parliament voted against this. what are the odds here in the u.s. congress? >> reporter: the odds in the u.s. congress are, right now, if this vote was taken today, i'm told by lawmakers on both sides, it would not pass. but as al

jeff zeleny has the latest on the crisis looming from capitol hill. each day these two parties seem further away from compromise. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. you're right. in this washington government shutdown could be only nine days away. if only another fight over the controversial new health care law isn't resolved. president obama issuing a new warning this morning. >> we're running out of time to fix this. >> reporter: in his weekly address, the president calls out republicans for trying to kill his signature health care plan. and along the way, shutting down the government. and threatening the stock market. >> some are actually willing to plunge america into default if they can't defund the affordable care act. >> reporter: not so say house republicans. >> we're standing up for our principles. >> who passed a bill to keep the government runs. yet, their plan came with a catch. squeeze off funding for obama care. >> we must get rid of obama care. >> reporter: while republicans have made more than 40 attempts to kill the health care law. >

and abc's jeff zeleny tracking it all night long. good morning, jeff. you look okay. >> reporter: good morning, george. this freshman firebrand from texas is really holding an all-night crusade. but this is no ordinary policy debate. he talked about dr. seuss. and in the wee night hour, he even invoked the reality show "duck dynasty." let's take a look. >> most americans could not give a flying flip about politicians in washington. who cares? almost all of us are in cheap shows with bad hair cuts. i will embarrassingly admit that i took the coward's way out. and so, went and purchased some black tennis shoes. i'm a big fan of eating white castle burgers. redneck rule number one, most things can be fixed with duct tape and extension cords. do you like green eggs and ham? i do not like them, sam i am. i do not like green eggs and ham. thank you. thank you, sam i am. >> reporter: and there the senator's daughter getting a little good night from their dad from the senate floor. you have to get creative on these long speeches. jeff, we know he's not going to

abc's jeff zeleny is at the white house with the latest. a lot of pressure on house speaker john boehner this week end. >> reporter: you're right. he's convening a meeting of his republicans that are not agreeing on much. the pressure on those 800,000 federal workers is the real story. that's the story the white house is trying to get across. how this potential government shutdown could affect real americans. president obama warning congress. >> do not shut down the government. do not shut down the economy. >> reporter: and warning americans of the real implications of a government shutdown. >> military personnel will not get paid on time. federal loans forrural communities. families buying a home will be frozen. >> reporter: with three days left in the fiscal year, a shutdown once unlikely, now, all too real for these federal workers. >> my wife and i are federal workers. >> we work hard. we expect to be paid and not laid off. >> reporter: the senate passed a bill to keep the government running. now it's back in the house. many republican

abc's jeff zeleny is on capitol hill with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, bianna, it's been 17 years since the last government shutdown. the next one is likely to come in the next two days. they decided in a rare overnight session to dig in their heels and fight overnight, house republicans doubling down, holding firm on their demand of delay of obama care. >> this is program that is too expensive to afford. delay obama care. >> reporter: the house vote pushes the government even closer to the edge of its first shutdown in 17 years. >> what if democrats said we're going to shut down the government if we don't get immigration reform, gay rights or gun reform? >> reporter: the biggest question in washington is no longer will the government shut down but who should be blamed if it does? in the middle of it is one of the 800,000 federal employees who won't be at work or paid tuesday morning if there's a government shutdown. she has student loans. >> i live paycheck to paycheck. i would have to find a way to manage to take care of my bills. >> reporter: for two years, she worked as

abc's jeff zeleny is at the white house right now with much more. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. president obama faces a skeptical congress and an angry public, as he begins to make the final pitch on syria this weekend. >> we are the united states of america. we cannot turn a blind eye to images like the ones we've seen out of syria. >> reporter: in his weekly address this morning, president obama was adamant, fighting to convince congress and the public that a military strike on syria is absolutely necessary. >> this was not only a direct attack on human dignity, it's a serious threat to our national security. failing to respond to this outrageous attack would increase the risk that chemical weapons can be used again. that they can fall in the hands of terrorists who might use them against us. and it would send a horrible signal to other nations that there would be no consequences for their use of these weapons. >> reporter: the impassioned plea, comes after a disappointing four-day trip overseas. the president returnin

abc's jeff zeleny has the story from the white house. good morning, jeff. these are some of the most gruesome and disturbing videos we have seen come out of this syrian crisis yet. >> reporter: good morning. you're right, they are gruesome and they're graphic. but these images are part of a central case that president obama is trying to make to overcome a growing tide of public opinion as he tries to make the case for why military strikes against syria are necessary. >> obama, hands off syria. >> reporter: as anti-war protesters rallied outside the white house and across the country -- >> all: no war on syria! >> reporter: -- the president is calling lawmakers. the vice president is preparing to host skeptical republicans for sunday night dinner, and secretary of state john kerry is pressing hard with war-weary european allies. >> this is not the time to be silent spectators to slaughter. >> reporter: a full-court press from an obama administration in crisis. and overnight, abc news obtained what is now at the heart of the administration's case to congress

abc's jeff zeleny has the latest from washington. >> reporter: a republican power couple. >> thank you. >> reporter: form are virginia governor b governor bob mcdonnell once set his sights on the white house. his wife, maureen, a washington redskins cheerleader turned first lady. >> so thank you all. >> reporter: partners in marriage and politics. but this morning, prosecutors say the mcdonnells are partners in crime. >> come on, guys. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: they appeared in court friday pleading not guilty to fraud and corruption charges. they're accused of using the prestige of the governor's office to help launch a business venture for a wealthy virginia donor. in exchange for lavish gift, vacation and big loans. prosecutors say maureen went on a madison avenue shopping spree while the donor picked up the tab. there were oscar de la renta ball gowns. hand baglinis from louis vuitton, even a rolex watch inscribed 71st governor of virginia. a total of $165,000 in gifts and loans. the alleged payback was promoting the donor's dietary supplement company. >> i w

jeff zeleny is there. we're hearing the speaker and the president saying they're not going to negotiate. who is going to blink? >> reporter: that's a great question. i wish i had good news for you. but i don't. house republicans are digging in their heels. democrats think they are right, too. in the middle of this all, i'm seeing some cracks among the republican armor. i talked to senator john mccain last night, george. he says, we can't win this fight. republicans need to move forward. we're going to lose this fight, george. so, if anyone's going to blink first, most people think it will be republicans. the question, of course, is when. >> reporter: that is the question. and you know, we just heard jon karl say, no idea from his reporting. any better sense from the hill? >> reporter: we've often thought this would be a number of hours. and most senior republican lawmakers i talked to, one veteran last night, who was here 17 years ago during that shutdown. and he told me the only thing that can move this i