PBS NewsHour; April 10, 2012 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT

Captioning sponsored by MacNEIL/LEHRER PRODUCTIONS

>> Brown: RICK SANTORUM ENDED HIS PRESIDENTIAL BID TODAY, EFFECTIVELY CEMENTING MITT ROMNEY'S NOMINATION. GOOD EVENING. I'M JEFFREY BROWN.

>> Woodruff: AND I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. ON THE NEWSHOUR TONIGHT, WE EXAMINE THE SANTORUM EXIT AND LOOK AHEAD TO THE GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN WITH JIM O'TOOLE OF THE "PITTSBURGH POST- GAZETTE" AND SUSAN PAGE OF "U.S.A. TODAY."

>> Brown: THEN, AS PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLS FOR HIGHER TAXES ON MILLIONAIRES, WE GET TWO VIEWS ON THE SO-CALLED "BUFFETT" RULE, FROM WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR GENE SPERLING AND LEADING CONSERVATIVE ECONOMIST DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN.

>> Woodruff: FROM SACRAMENTO, SPENCER MICHELS REPORTS ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES, FACING MORE AND MORE APPLICANTS BUT TIGHTER BUDGETS.

>> Reporter: CALIFORNIA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES SERVE 2.6 MILLION STUDENTS. IT'S THE LARGEST HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. BUT ITS MISSION MAY BE CHANGING.

>> Woodruff: AND RAY SUAREZ TALKS WITH THE AUTHORS OF "TINDERBOX," A NEW TAKE ON THE HISTORY AND SPREAD OF AIDS.

>> THE ROOTS OF COLONIALISM, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THE EPIDEMIC WE KNOW TODAY WOULD HAVE COME OUT IN THE WAY WE'VE SEEN IT.

>> Brown: THAT'S ALL AHEAD ON TONIGHT'S NEWSHOUR. MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY: MOVING OUR ECONOMY FOR 160 YEARS. BNSF, THE ENGINE THAT CONNECTS US.

>> CITI TURNS 200 THIS YEAR. IN THAT TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD DAYS AND SOME DIFFICULT ONES. BUT THROUGH IT ALL, WE PERSEVERED. SUPPORTING SOME OF THE BIGGEST IDEAS IN MODERN HISTORY. SO WHY SHOULD OUR ANNIVERSARY MATTER TO YOU? BECAUSE FOR 200 YEARS, WE'VE BEEN HELPING IDEAS FROM AMBITION TO ACHIEVEMENT. AND THE NEXT GREAT IDEA COULD BE YOURS.

>> AND BY THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION. SUPPORTING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND IMPROVED ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE 21st CENTURY. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDATIONS. AND... THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING. AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.

>> Woodruff: THE QUEST FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ENDED TODAY FOR RICK SANTORUM. THE FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, TWO WEEKS BEFORE HIS HOME STATE PRIMARY. SANTORUM MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, AND REFLECTED ON HIS CAMPAIGN AT A STOP IN GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

>> AGAINST ALL ODDS, WE WON 11 STATES. MILLIONS OF VOTERS, MILLIONS OF VOTES. WE WON MORE COUNTIES THAN ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS RACE COMBINED. EVERY STATE I WENT TO-- AND THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOWED ME AROUND, I WOULD SAY "I REALLY LOVE THIS STATE." IT WAS A LOVE AFFAIR FROM ME GOING FROM STATE TO STATE AND SEEING THE DIFFERENCES, SEEING THE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT WHERE THIS COUNTRY IS GOING IN THE FUTURE. YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE PADDLING ALONE, WHO ARE FEELING LEFT BEHIND AND IN SOME RESPECTS FEELING HOPELESS. AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING. WELL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE MADE THE DECISION TO GET INTO THIS RACE AT OUR KITCHEN TABLE AND AGAINST ALL THE ODDS AND WE MADE A DECISION OVER THE WEEKEND THAT WHILE THIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE FOR US IS OVER, FOR ME, AND WE WILL SUSPEND OUR CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVE TODAY, WE ARE NOT DONE FIGHTING. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO OUT THERE AND FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DEFEAT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, THAT WE WIN THE HOUSE BACK AND THAT WE TAKE THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND WE STAND FOR VALUES THAT MAKE US AMERICANS. THAT MAKE US THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, THAT SHAH THAT SHINING CITY ON A HILL, TO BE A BEACON FOR EVERYBODY, FOR FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD.

>> Woodruff: SOON AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, MITT ROMNEY ISSUED A STATEMENT PRAISING SANTORUM. THE FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR SAID, "SENATOR SANTORUM IS AN ABLE AND WORTHY COMPETITOR, AND I CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE CAMPAIGN HE RAN. HE HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE AN IMPORTANT VOICE IN OUR PARTY AND IN THE NATION. WE BOTH RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS PUTTING THE FAILURES OF THE LAST THREE YEARS BEHIND US AND SETTING AMERICA BACK ON THE PATH TO PROSPERITY." FOR MORE ON SANTORUM'S DECISION AND WHETHER HE AND ROMNEY CAN MEND FENCES, WE ARE JOINED BY JAMES O'TOOLE, POLITICAL EDITOR OF THE "PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE" AND SUSAN PAGE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF OF "U.S.A. TODAY." SUSAN, SANTORUM DID NOT SAY EXACTLY WHY HE'S GETTING OUT. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHY?

>> WELL, IT'S NOT UNEXPECTED. I MEAN, THE NOMINATION WAS MITT ROMNEY'S... THIS MORNING, BEFORE HE DECIDED... BEFORE RICK SANTORUM DECIDED TO GET OUT, AS IT IS NOW. BUT I THINK A COUPLE FACTORS WERE IN PLAY. ONE HE HAS ENORMOUSLY RESTORED HIS REPUTATION. WE USED TO KNOW HIM AS THE GUY WHO LOST HIS SENATE REELECTION CAMPAIGN IN 2006 IN PENNSYLVANIA BY 18 POINTS. NOW WE KNOW HIM AS THE GUY WHO CAME IN SECOND TO MITT ROMNEY IN THE QUEST FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION. GOING ON TO THE PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY AND PROBABLY LOSING THERE, I THINK, WOULD HAVE COST HIM SOME OF THAT LUSTER AND, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE A PERSONAL FACTOR. HI THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER BELA, WHO STRUGGLES WITH A GENETIC DISORDER, WAS IN THE HOSPITAL THIS WEEKEND, JUST RELEASED. I'M SURE THAT WAS ALSO A FACTOR IN HIS DECISION TO GET OUT.

>> Woodruff: JIM O'TOOLE, WHAT IS YOUR REPORTING TELLING YOU ABOUT WHY HE DID THIS RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT THE FAMILY PERSONAL ISSUES THAT SUSAN ALLUDED TO AND HE ALLUDED TO WERE CERTAINLY PART OF IT BUT I THINK THE ELECTION MATH WAS THERE, TOO. HE HAS BEEN TRAILING IN THE POLLS IN... HE WAS TRAILING IN ONE POLL IN PENNSYLVANIA, HE HAS BEEN LOSING GROUND IN OTHER POLLS AND THE IDEA OF ENDING THIS REMARKABLE STORY ON A KIND OF SOUR NOTE HAD TO HAVE BEEN A BIG PART OF IT. AND I DON'T THINK HE SAW A PATH FORWARD BEYOND PENNSYLVANIA IF HE HAD PREVAILED. THERE WAS SOME TALK IN HIS CAMPAIGN ABOUT GETTING TEXAS TO SWITCH TO A WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM. THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO GET THE DELEGATES FOR THE NOMINATION. IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED HIM BLOCK ROMNEY. I THINK IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE HE JUST DID NOT SEE A PATH AHEAD.

>> Woodruff: SUSAN, YOU'VE COVERED THIS CAMPAIGN SO CLOSELY. WHAT EFFECT HAS RICK SANTORUM BEEN ON IT?

>> HE'S BEEN THE BENEFICIARY OF THE ANTI-MITT ROMNEY SENTIMENT, THEY WAS LAST GUY STANDING AGAINST MITT ROMNEY. HE WE SHOULDN'T FORGET WHAT A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS. I REMEMBER IN DECEMBER I WENT TO COVER A RICK SANTORUM EVENT IN RED OAK, IOWA, AND NO ONE SHOWED UP. IT WAS HIM AND ME AND HIS DRIVER AND THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN AND THIS IS THE GUY WHO WON THE IOWA CAUCUSES, WON TEN OTHER STATES AND WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE IF THE DYNAMIC OF THE RACE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT IF IOWA HAD COUNTED ITS VOTES CORRECTLY THAT NIGHT AND HE HAD BEEN DECLARED THE WINNER.

>> Woodruff: AND HE HAD GOTTEN CREDIT WHEN IT HAPPENED. JIM O'TOOLE, WHAT WOULD YOU TOO OLD THAT? YOU'VE COVERED HIM, WHAT, SINCE HE FIRST RAN FOR CONGRESS, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO RUN AGAINST THE ODDS. I THINK HE HAD... LUCK OFTEN GOES WITH HARD WORK, NO ONE WORKED HARDER THAN RICK SANTORUM IN THIS RACE AND THE KINDS OF LONELY STOPS IN IOWA THAT SUSAN DESCRIBED WHERE THE NORM FOR HIM FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS. BUT THERE WAS AN UPSIDE TO THAT IN THAT IN A TIME IN LATE NOVEMBER, HERBALLY DECEMBER WHEN OTHER CANDIDATES IN IOWA WHO WE BARELY REMEMBER WERE KILLING ONE ANOTHER AND THE AIRWAVES AND ELSEWHERE HE WAS BELOW THE RADAR SCREEN. SO WHEN THAT KIND OF ANTI-ROMNEY VOTE WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND, A PLACE TO COALESCE, HE WAS ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE FACT THAT THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN TORN APART AS SOME OF HIS RIVALS HAD BEEN.

>> Woodruff: IN FACT, SUSAN, FOR ALL... PEOPLE, I THINK, IN IN A WAY MAYBE BELITTLE WHAT SANTORUM DID BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAST OF THE ANTI-ROMNEYS STANDING BUT HE WAS ABLE TO KEEP AT IT LONGER THAN THE REST OF HIM.

>> WE SAW HIM BE EFFECTIVE IN ALL THE DEBATES EVEN WHEN HE WASN'T GETTING QUESTIONS BECAUSE HE WAS A GUY ON THE END OF THE STAGE AS ONE OF THE LOWEST RANKING ONES IN TERMS OF THE POLLS. WE SAW HIM DEMONSTRATE SOME OF HIS POLITICAL SKILL TODAY WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS GETTING OUT. HE TALKED ABOUT THE PEOPLE HE MET HE TALKED IN AN EFFECTING WAY ABOUT WHY HE RAN AND WHAT IT MEANT TO HIM AND HIS VISION FOR THE COUNTRY. AND THESE ARE EFFECTIVE SKILLS THAT SETS HIM UP WELL FOR THE FUTURE. I MEAN I THINK SANTORUM IS ABOUT 53 YEARS OLD NOW. I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE LAST CAMPAIGN HE INTENDS TO RUN.

>> I THINK IT WAS TOUCHING WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SHOWING UP AT HIS EVENTS IN CONNECTION WITH HIS DAUGHTER BELA WHO HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. JIM O'TOOLE, WHAT ABOUT HIS SUCCESSES IN HIS CAMPAIGN AND HOW DO YOU SEE HIM DOWN THE LINE AND THEN I WANT TO ASK BOTH OF YOU ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NOW WITH ROMNEY.

>> WELL, I THINK THAT... LET'S TAKE THE MOST IMMEDIATE THING FIRST. I DON'T SEE HIM AS A LIKELY VICE PRESIDENTIAL CHOICE ROMNEY IS GOING TO WANT TO CULTIVATE SENATOR SANTORUM AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE VOTING FOR HIM BUT I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING WANT TO BE GOING TOWARD THE SOCIAL ISSUE CORNER THAT SANTORUM REPRESENTS. HE'S KIND OF BLOCK LOCKED IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE GOVERNOR HERE WAS JUST ELECTED IN 2010, A REPUBLICAN AND HE CAN RUN FOR ONE MORE TERM. IT WON'T BE FOR A WHILE UNTIL THERE'S A SENATE SEAT UP FOR HIM. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2016, IF THERE'S NOT A REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT HE BECOMES ONE OF THE FIRST TWO OR THREE NAMES MENTIONED AS A POTENTIAL REPUBLICAN NOMINEE THAT TIME AROUND.

>> Woodruff: SUSAN, WHAT ABOUT THAT? AND WHAT ABOUT RIGHT NOW AND HIS... HOW MUCH BAD BLOOD IS THERE? THEY WERE SAYING SOME REALLY UGLY THINGS. RICK SANTORUM WAS SAYING MITT ROMNEY WAS THE WORST PERSON TO RUN AGAINST... FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO RUN AGAINST BARACK OBAMA.

>> LATER QUALIFIED THAT AND SAID HE MEANT ON THE ISSUE OF HEALTH CARE BUT HE CALLED HIM A LIAR, SAID HE WAS AN ULTIMATE FLIP-FLOPPER. THEY WERE SAYING NASTY THINGS ABOUT ONE ANOTHER AS LATE AS THIS MORNING SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'VE HAD FOR TEMPERS TO COOL AND I THINK WE SOMETIMES FORGET THESE PEOPLE WHO RUN FOR PRESIDENT ARE HUMAN BEINGS SO SOME OF THESE THINGS LEAVE SCARS. I THINK THAT MAY BE ONE REASON WHY WE DIDN'T HEAR RICK SANTORUM UTTER MITT ROMNEY'S NAME IN THIS RATHER LONG SPEECH HE GAVE TODAY BUT WE KNOW TWO MEN TALKED ON THE PHONE AND THAT ROMNEY HAS ASKED FOR A MEETING WITH HIM AND I ASSUME YOU'LL SEE AN ENDORSEMENT AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD BUT, YES, I THINK THERE ARE HARD FEELINGS.

>> Woodruff: HOW HARD DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE, JIM O'TOOLE, FOR HIM TO PATCH UP WHATEVER FEELINGS THERE ARE ON SANTORUM'S PART TOWARD ROMNEY, VICE VERSA, AND WHAT ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING RICK SANTORUM NOW TO BECOME GOVERNOR ROMNEY?

>> I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION IS EASIER TO ANSWER THAN THE SECOND I THINK RICK SANTORUM AND THE OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES SAID THEY WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE UNITING BEHIND A CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST PRESIDENT OBAMA. I THINK BARACK OBAMA IS THE GREATEST THING THE REPUBLICANS HAVE IN TERMS OF A FORCE FOR UNITY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DON'T WANT TO STRESS THAT TOO MUCH IN THAT WHILE SOME OF THE SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES DRAWN TO SENATOR SANTORUM AREN'T GOING TO TURN AROUND AND VOTE FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA, ROMNEY WANTS SOMETHING LIKE ENTHUSIASM FROM THEM AND THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGHER TO ENGENDER AND HE IS GOING TO NEED THE HELP OF PEOPLE LIKE SENATOR RICK SANTORUM TO DO THAT.

>> Woodruff: SUSAN, HOW DO YOU SEE THE TASK AHEAD FOR ROMNEY AND WINNING OVER SOME OF THESE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SFLORPL

>> RICK SANTORUM I THINK CAN BE HELPFUL BUT JIM MENTIONED RONALD REAGAN AS A UNIFIERS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I'LL TELL YOU SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S A STRONGER UNITER AND THAT IS BARACK OBAMA. REPUBLICANS OF ALL STRIPES ARE VERY EAGER TO DENY PRESIDENT OBAMA A SECOND TERM AND IN THE END I THINK THAT TEGS STRONGEST FORCE THAT WILL UNITE THE PARTY BEHIND MITT ROMNEY.

>> Woodruff: WE GOING TO LEAVE IT THERE. SUSAN PAGE, JIM O'TOOLE, WE THANK YOU BOTH.

>> THANK YOU, JUDY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Brown: STILL TO COME ON THE NEWSHOUR, INCREASED TAXES ON THE VERY RICH; BUDGET STRAINS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES; AND THE RISE AND SPREAD OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC. BUT FIRST, THE OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY. HERE'S HARI SREENIVASAN.

>> Sreenivasan: WALL STREET HIT THE BRAKES AGAIN TODAY. STOCKS EXTENDED A WEEK-LONG SLUMP, AMID SIMMERING CONCERNS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE EARNINGS AND DEBT PROBLEMS IN EUROPE. THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE LOST 213 POINTS TO CLOSE BELOW 12,716. THE NASDAQ FELL NEARLY 56 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 2991. THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA CLAIMED TODAY THAT ITS ARMY IS PULLING BACK FROM TOWNS AND VILLAGES AS PART OF A U.N.-BROKERED CEASE- FIRE PLAN. BUT REBELS REPORTED SHELLS WERE STILL FALLING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE A REPORT NARRATED BY JONATHAN MILLER OF INDEPENDENT TELEVISION NEWS.

>> HOMS THIS MORNING. NO INDEPENDENT OBSERVERS TO VERIFY, BUT MULTIPLE SOURCES ASSERTING THAT THE BOMBARDMENT GOES ON. TANKS AND TROOPS ON THE STREETS STILL. IN HOMS, IN HAMA, AALEPPO IN THE NORTH AND DER A IN THE FAR SOUTH. HAVE THE TANKS FROM THE TROOPS GONE?

>> THERE'S STILL ARMORED VEHICLES. SNIPERS EVERYWHERE. IT'S WAR.

>> Reporter: WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE KOFI ANNAN PLAN?

>> IT WILL NOT WORK ANYMORE I THINK.

>> Reporter: 10,000 DEAD, TENS OF THOUSANDS IN PRISON AND BASHAR AL-ASSAD ACCUSED BY THE FRENCH TODAY OF FLAGRANT LIES. OF USING THE U.N. BROKERED DEADLINE FOR INTENSIFIED EFFORTS TO CRUSH THE REVOLT. THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER FURIOUS OVER THE KILLING OF SYRIAN REFUGEES INSIDE TURKEY YESTERDAY TODAY SAID HIS ERSTWHILE FRIEND WAS KILLING 60, 70, 80, 100 EVERYDAY. MERCILESSLY SHOOTING FLEEING WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE BACK. AS KOFI ANNAN, THE U.N. AND ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY ARRIVED AT A REF SEE WHY CAMP IN TURKEY TODAY OPPOSITION SOURCES CLAIM MORE THAN 60 KILLED ACROSS SYRIA ATOP OF THE THOUSAND KILLED IN THE PAST WEEK ALONE. THE FORMER U.N. CHIEF WATCHED STONE FACED AS SYRIAN GIRLS DANCED AND SANG.

>> THIS HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG AND IT IS TIME THAT THE VIOLENCE STOPS.

>> Reporter: SYRIAN STATE T.V. SAW THINGS DIFFERENTLY. REPORTING ON THEIR FOREIGN MINISTER'S VISIT TO MOSCOW THEY BLAMED WHAT THEY CALLED ARMED TERRORIST GANGS. THE MINISTER CLAIMED SOME TROOPS HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT OF CITIES BUT HE DIDN'T SAY WHERE AND EVEN HIS RUSSIAN HOSTS SOUNDED SKEPTICAL ALTHOUGH HE CAJOLED SYRIAN REBEL GROUPS TO ADHERE TO THE PEACE PLAN, TOO. FIGHTERS FROM THE THREE SYRIAN ARMIES SAY THEY WON'T STOP SHOOTING UNTIL SYRIAN FORCES WITHDRAW.

>> Sreenivasan: LATER, ANNAN SENT A LETTER TO THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, SAYING THE SYRIAN REGIME IS NOT MAKING GOOD ON ITS PROMISES. AT LEAST 16 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY SUICIDE BOMBERS IN AFGHANISTAN TODAY. THREE ATTACKERS STRUCK IN THE WESTERN REGION OF HERAT, SETTING OFF A VEHICLE PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES. LATER, IN THE SOUTH, TWO MORE BOMBERS BLEW THEMSELVES UP OUTSIDE A POLICE STATION IN HELMAND PROVINCE. THE TALIBAN CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR BOTH ATTACKS. IN YEMEN, ARMY OFFICIALS REPORTED HEAVY FIGHTING BETWEEN AL QAEDA MILITANTS AND GOVERNMENT FORCES HAS KILLED 127 PEOPLE IN TWO DAYS. IT STARTED MONDAY IN THE TOWN OF LAWDER IN ABYAN PROVINCE, WHICH SITS ON A STRATEGIC HIGHWAY. TODAY THE FIGHTING SPREAD ALONG THE BORDERS OF TWO MORE PROVINCES, SHADWA AND MARIB. THE EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT HAS RULED THAT BRITAIN MAY LEGALLY EXTRADITE TERROR SUSPECTS TO THE U.S. AMONG THEM IS EGYPTIAN-BORN CLERIC ABU HAMZA AL-MASRI. THE ONE-EYED RADICAL IS SUSPECTED OF TRYING TO SET UP AN AL-QAEDA TRAINING CAMP IN OREGON. THE EUROPEAN COURT REJECTED CLAIMS THAT THEIR RIGHTS WOULD BE VIOLATED IN THE U.S. JUSTICE SYSTEM. BUT A COURT OFFICIAL SAID THEY CAN STILL APPEAL THE RULING.

>> HE NOW HAS THREE MONTHS TO ASK FOR THE CASE TO GO TO THE CHAMBER. IF AND WHEN THE JUDGMENT DOES BECOME FINAL IT MEANS THAT AS FAR AS THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS CONCERNED THEY CAN BE EXTRADITED TO THE U.S.

>> Sreenivasan: THE FIVE SUSPECTS COULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE IF THEY'RE FOUND GUILTY. THE MAN ACCUSED IN LAST JULY'S MASSACRE IN NORWAY, ANDERS BEHRING BREIVIK, WAS NOT INSANE AT THE TIME. A NEW PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT REACHED THAT CONCLUSION TODAY, CONTRADICTING AN EARLIER EVALUATION. BREIVIK HAS CONFESSED TO KILLING 77 PEOPLE IN A BOMBING IN OSLO AND A SHOOTING RAMPAGE AT AN ISLAND YOUTH CAMP. HE'S INSISTED HE WAS IN HIS RIGHT MIND, AND THAT HE ACTED TO PROTECT NORWAY FROM BEING OVERRUN BY MUSLIMS. BREIVIK'S TRIAL IS SET TO BEGIN ON MONDAY. MAJOR WIRELESS PROVIDERS ARE MOVING TO MAKE STOLEN PHONES USELESS TO THIEVES. THE INDUSTRY ANNOUNCED TODAY IT'S CREATING A CENTRALIZED DATABASE THAT RECORDS A CELL PHONE'S UNIQUE IDENTIFYING NUMBERS WHICH WILL BE UP AND RUNNING IN SIX MONTHS. IF THE DEVICE IS REPORTED STOLEN, WIRELESS CARRIERS WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE IT, AND BLOCK ANY ATTEMPT TO MAKE CALLS. THERE'S BEEN A SURGE IN THEFTS OF SMARTPHONES. IN NEW YORK CITY ALONE, POLICE SAY MORE THAN 40% OF ALL ROBBERIES INVOLVE PHONES. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S MIAMI MARLINS SUSPENDED MANAGER OZZIE GUILLEN FOR FIVE GAMES TODAY AFTER HE PRAISED FIDEL CASTRO. GUILLEN HAD TOLD "TIME" MAGAZINE THAT HE LOVES AND RESPECTS THE RETIRED CUBAN LEADER. THAT TOUCHED OFF AN UPROAR IN MIAMI'S CUBAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. THE MANAGER APOLOGIZED TODAY, AT THE MARLINS NEW BALLPARK IN THE CITY'S LITTLE HAVANA SECTION. HE SAID HE'S VERY SORRY.

>> VERY, VERY GUILTY. VERY GUILTY. VERY BAD. VERY SAD. VERY EMBARRASSED. BECAUSE I DON'T JUST REPRESENT MYSELF, I REPRESENT LATIN AMERICA. I REPRESENT A BALL CLUB AND I REPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION. POLITICS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SPORTS AND I WAS VERY STUPID, VERY NAIVE ABOUT THE COMMENT AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO TRY TO MAKE THIS BETTER SO PEOPLE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I FEEL.

>> Sreenivasan: GUILLEN'S SUSPENSION WITHOUT PAY TAKES EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH VOLUNTEER WHO FATALLY SHOT TRAYVON MARTIN HAS LOST HIS LEGAL COUNSEL. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S LAWYERS ANNOUNCED TODAY IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THAT THEY'VE WITHDRAWN AFTER HE CUT OFF CONTACT. THEY ALSO SAID ZIMMERMAN SPOKE TO A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, AGAINST THEIR ADVICE. ZIMMERMAN HAS SAID HE KILLED MARTIN IN SELF-DEFENSE. THE TEENAGER WAS UNARMED AT THE TIME. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DAY'S MAJOR STORIES. NOW, BACK TO JEFF.

>> Brown: AND WE TURN TO AN ELECTION YEAR FIGHT OVER ECONOMIC POLICY THAT'S PLAYING OUT TODAY AND IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.

>> DO WE WANT TO KEEP GIVING THOSE TAX BREAKS TO FOLKS LIKE ME WHO DON'T NEED THEM OR GIVE THEM TO WARREN BUFFETT-- HE DEFINITELY DOESN'T NEED THEM-- OR BILL GATES, HE'S ALREADY SAID "I DON'T NEED THEM." OR DO WE WANT TO KEEP INVESTING IN THINGS THAT KEEP OUR ECONOMY GROWING AND KEEP US SECURE? THAT'S THE CHOICE. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT RENEWED HIS CALL FOR HIGHER TAXES ON THE WEALTHY ON A SWING INTO FLORIDA. HE URGED CONGRESS AGAIN TO ADOPT THE SO-CALLED BUFFETT RULE. BILLIONAIRE INVESTOR WARREN BUFFETT FAMOUSLY OBSERVED UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM HIS SECRETARY PAYS A HIGHER TAX RATE THAN HE DOES.

>> I DON'T THINK OUR TAX SYSTEM IS VERY EQUITABLE.

>> Suarez: THE NEW RULE WOULD IMPOSE A MINIMUM 30% INCOME TAX ON THOSE EARNING AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

>> I THINK YOU'RE BRINGING IN A MILLION BUCKS OR MORE A YEAR THEN WHAT THE RULE SAYS IS YOU SHOULD PAY THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF YOUR INCOME IN TAXES AS MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES DO. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) AND IF WE DO THAT THEN IT MAKES IT AFFORDABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY FOR THOSE WHO WHO MAKE YOU SHOULD $250,000 A YEAR-- LIKE 98% OF AMERICAN FAMILIES DO-- THEN YOUR TAXES DON'T GO UP.

>> Suarez: THE PRESIDENT ORIGINALLY MADE THE PROPOSAL LAST SEPTEMBER. HE RAISED IT AGAIN MANY HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS LAST JANUARY WITH BUFFETT'S SECRETARY SEATED IN THE FIRST LADY'S BOX. NOW IT'S A CENTERPIECE OF THE PRESIDENT'S REELECTION MESSAGE AND AIMED SQUARELY AT HIS WEALTHY REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER, MITT ROMNEY. THE FORMER VENTURE CAPITALIST HAD A REPORTED INCOME OF $21 MILLION LAST YEAR, HE'S RELEASED TAX STATEMENTS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS BUT HAS RESISTED CALLS TO MAKE PREVIOUS YEARS PUBLIC. IN JANUARY HE ACKNOWLEDGED PAYING A TAX RATE LESS THAN MANY AMERICANS PAY.

>> I'VE BEEN PAYING... IT'S CLOSER TO THE 15% RATE THAN ANYTHING. MY INCOME COMES OVERWHELMINGLY FROM INVESTMENTS MADE IN THE PAST RATHER THAN ORDINARY INCOME OR RATHER THAN EARNED ANNUAL INCOME.

>> Suarez: ROMNEY HAS OPPOSED TO T BUFFETT RULE AND HIS CAMPAIGN CALLED BARACK OBAMA "THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY TO OPENLY CAMPAIGN FOR REELECTION ON A PLATFORM OF HIGHER TAXES." A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HAS ESTIMATED THAT IMPLEMENTING THE BUFFETT RULE WOULD RAISE $47 BILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE. BUT TODAY CONGRESSMAN PAUL RYAN-- WHO AUTHORED THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN BUDGET AND ENDORSED ROMNEY-- SAID THE BUFFETT RULE IS NOT A MAGIC FIX. HE SPOKE ON MSNBC.

>> I THINK PEOPLE THINK THE BUFFETT RULE IS THE BUDGET PIXIE DUST THAT IF WE JUST DO THIS WE'LL FIX OUR FISCAL PROBLEM.

>> NO, WE DON'T THINK THAT.

>> I'M NOT SAYING YOU THINK THAT. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS.

>> STOP IT.

>> NUMBER ONE, IT PAYS FOR ABOUT 6% OF THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSED DEFICIT SPENDING. NUMBER TWO IT REPRESENTS A HUGE TAX INCREASE ON JOB CREATORS.

>> Suarez: THE SENATE WILL VOTE ON THE BUFFETT RULE NEXT WEEK BUT WITH REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION IT'S GIVEN LITTLE CHANCE OF CLEARING CONGRESS. TWO VIEWS OF THE BUFFET RULE, NOW, BEGINNING WITH GENE SPERLING, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL, AND ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC POLICY. HE JOINS US FROM THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING ROOM. WELL, GENE SPERLING, LET ME START WITH THIS, WHY 30%? WHY A MILLION DOLLARS? WHAT'S THE ECONOMIC REASONING BEHIND THESE PARTICULAR NUMBERS?

>> I THINK THIS IS A BASIC ISSUE OF FAIRNESS AND A BASIC PRINCIPAL FOR TAX REFORM AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE TRUST AND AND OUR OVERALL TAX SYSTEM FOR TYPICAL AMERICANS WHICH IS THE BASIC NOTION THAT THOSE VERY FEW AMERICANS, PROBABLY LESS THAN ABOUT TWO TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT WHO MAKE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE PREFERENTIAL RATES, TAX PLANSING, ETC., SO THAT THEY'RE PAYING LESS TAXES OR A LOWER TAX RATE THAN HARD-WORKING FAMILIES OUT THERE WORKING AS NURSES AND POLICE OFFICERS, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. THIS IS A BASIC ISSUE OF TRUST AND FAIRNESS. IT'S ALSO AND TO RESTORE FISCAL DISCIPLINE IN A WAY THAT REPRESENTS SHARED SACRIFICE, WHICH MEANS TOUGH SPENDING CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD OF A LOT OF DIFFICULT THINGS BUT ALSO MEANS THAT YOU'RE ASKING THOSE WHO ARE MOST FORTUNATE AND A R PAYING LOW TAX RATES TO CONTRIBUTE AND DO THEIR SHARE. IF YOU DON'T, WHERE THERE L THAT COME FROM? IT WILL COME FROM CUTTING MEDICAID OR EDUCATION OR RESEARCH LIKE THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN BUDGET PLAN PROPOSES. WE THINK THIS REPRESENTS A COMPONENT OF A MUCH MORE BALANCED GROWTH AND FISCAL DISCIPLINE.

>> Brown: ON THE QUESTION OF DEBT RELIEF AND DEFICIT CUTTING, YOU'RE NOT CLAIMING THAT THE BUFFETT RULE BY ITSELF WOULD HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT THERE, ARE YOU?

>> WELL, LET ME JUST DO THE NUMBERS AND LET ME BE CLEAR. IF WE HAD TAX RATES FOR THE HIGHEST INCOME AMERICANS WHERE IT IS TODAY AT 35%, THIS WOULD ACTUALLY RAISE $160 BILLION. IF WE LET TAX RATES GO UP TO THEIR HIGHER RATES THAT THEY WERE IN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, THEN IT WOULD STILL RAISE AN ADDITIONAL $47 BILLION. I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BECOME CYNICAL OUT THERE, BUT I DON'T THINK $47 BILLION OR $160 BILLION IS CHICKEN FEED. SO IT'S JUST ONE COMPONENT BUT PART OF AN OVERALL DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN THAT REPRESENTS SHARED SACRIFICE AND A WAY OF BRINGING DOWN OUR DEFICIT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T PUT TOO MUCH BURDEN IN THE MIDDLE-CLASS AND MOST VULNERABLE. AND THE IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE TO ASK WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN IS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RAISE THE $160 BILLION THIS WAY, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GET THAT EXTRA $160 BILLION FROM? THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAN WOULD DO PAINFUL CUTS IN THINGS LIKE MEDICAID THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THOSE IN NURSING HOMES RELIE ON. WE THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENT CHOICE TO MAKE SO IT'S ONE COMPONENT OF A LARGER $4 TRILLION DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN BUT, HEY, EVERY $160 BILLION MATTERS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY HELP MAKE THE WHOLE PACKAGE MORE FAIR AND MORE PART OF THE VALUE OF SHARED SACRIFICE.

>> Brown: BUT IT IS, OF COURSE, A COMPONENT THAT THE PRESIDENT IS REALLY TAKING OUT THERETO ON THE STUMP AND TO THE COUNTRY AND YOUR OPPONENTS, OF COURSE, QUICKLY CAME OUT AND SAID THIS IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS AND ESPECIALLY MEANT TO PUT A FOCUS ON MITT ROMNEY. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE NOT THINK THIS IS MORE OF A POLITICAL...

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THIS, WE PROPOSED THIS IN SEPTEMBER MANY, MANY MONTHS AGO AND SECONDLY WE WERE DOING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF TRYING TO PROMOTE BARACK OBAMA PROMOTING TAX REFORM THAT COULD LOWER RATES AND DEFICITS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THE PRESIDENT FELT WAS VERY IMPORTANT WAS THAT IF WE'RE GOING DO MORE TAX REFORM WE HAVE TO INCREASE THE TRUST TYPICAL AMERICANS HAVE IN OUR TAX SYSTEM. AND RIGHT NOW AMERICAN FAMILIES RIGHTLY BELIEVE THE TAX SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST HIM. THAT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE THE MONEY TO PARK BETTER PLACES, GET TAX CUTTING, PREFERENTIAL RATES SO THEY PAY LESS THAN A POLICE OFFICER MIGHT WHO PUT IN AN EXTRA HOUR OF OVERTIME. THAT SEEMED WRONG I THINK THIS TYPE OF PROPOSAL HELPS BUILD TRUST THAT AS WE DO TAX REFORM GOING FORWARD WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD AND SUSPECT GOING TO ALLOW SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST WELL OFF TO USE THEIR ADVANTAGES AND TAX PLANNING AND PREFERENTIAL RATES THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES TO PAY LOWER RATES THAN MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES FIGHTING HARD TO PAY THEIR BILLS.

>> Brown: BUT YOU JUST MENTIONED GOING FORWARD TAX REFORM AND YOU MENTIONED THIS IS PART OF A LARGER PACKAGE. WHY NOT GO BIGGER? WHY NOT PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE AT A TIME WHEN EVERYBODY AGREES THAT THE TAX SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK INEFFICIENT, UNWIELDY, UNFAIR. WHY NOT COME UP WITH A BIGGER PLAN RATHER THAN BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION SOMETHING RELATIVELY SMALL. HITTING A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

>> LET'S REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT IS THE ONLY PERSON OUT THERE, ONLY MAJOR LEADER WHO HAS A VERY SPECIFIC AND DETAILED PLAN THAT WOULD RAISE WELL OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE AS PART OF A $4 TRILLION DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN. HIS PLAN DOES TAKE ON A LOT OF ISSUES THAT LEAD, FOR EXAMPLE, MAJOR COMPANIES, THROUGH TRANSFER PRICING, OTHER DEVICES, TO NOT PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. SO THE PRESIDENT HAS PUT OUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS AND HAS BEEN SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW HE WOULD MAKE REFORMS BUT HE'S ALSO SAID HE WOULD BE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN AN EFFORT TO RAISE A SIMILAR AMOUNT OF MONEY THROUGH TAX REFORM, THROUGH BOTH CORPORATE TAX REFORM AND INDIVIDUAL TAX REFORM BUT HE SAID THAT A VERY FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IN DOING THAT IS THAT YOU WANT THE TAX SYSTEM TO BE MORE FAIR NOT LESS FAIR AS PART OF TAX REFORM AND RATHER THAN HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX WE HAVE TODAY WHICH ENDS UP HAVING TO BE FIXED EVERY YEAR SO IT DOESN'T HIT MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES LET'S HAVE THE TYPE OF FAX THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY WANTED WHEN THEY HEARD THAT CONCEPT, WHICH IS ONE AIMED AT THE VERY, VERY MOST FORTUNATE AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT USING THEIR TAX PLANNING, TAX PREFERENCE ADVANTAGES SO SOMEBODY MAKING $100 MILLION IS PAYING LESS THAN SOME MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES. AND TO PUT A FINE NOTE ON THAT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 400 MOST WELL OFF, THE 400 MOST WELL OFF AMERICANS THE AVERAGE TAX RATE FOR THEM WAS 18.1%. HOW DOES THAT BUILD TRUST IN OUR TAX SYSTEM AND OUR COUNTRY WHEN THEN OFF POLICE OFFICER OR A CONSTRUCTION WORKER OUT THERE DOING OVERTIME PAYING A 25% RATE ON THAT AND PAYING PAYROLL TAXES?

>> Brown: GENE SPERLING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU. BROWN

>> Brown: AND FOR AN OPPOSING VIEW, WE'RE JOINED BY DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN. HE'S A FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, SERVED ON THE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, AND WAS CHIEF ECONOMICS ADVISER TO JOHN McCAIN'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. HE NOW HEADS THE AMERICAN ACTION FORUM, A POLICY THINK TANK.

>> WELCOME TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Brown: YOU HEARD THE ARGUMENT. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING THE WEALTHIEST PAY THE SAME RATE AS MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICANS.

>> WELL, LET'S LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS GENE IDENTIFIED AND ASK HOW IT DOES. IT CREATES NOT ONE NEW JOB. INDEED, IT WILL HIT SOME SMALL BUSINESSES. IT AMOUNTS TO ONE TENTH OF ONE CENT OF EVERY DOLLAR OF DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR. SO IT DOES NOTHING FOR OUR BUDGET PROBLEMS. AND IT DOESN'T GET RID OF THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX, IT DOESN'T GET RID OF ANY SPECIAL LOOPHOLE, IT DOESN'T GET RID OF ANY SPECIAL TAX PREFERENCE. SO IT DOESN'T MOVE THE BALL ON TAX REFORM, EITHER.

>> Brown: WAIT A MINUTE, I ASKED A QUESTIO ABOUT FAIRNESS. IS THERE A FAIRNESS ARGUMENT HERE? IS IT A PROBLEM...

>> THERE'S ALWAYS A FAIRNESS ARGUMENT. I AGREE WITH THAT. THERE'S ALWAYS A FAIRNESS ARGUMENT IN TAX POLICY AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, ON AVERAGE THOSE MAKING A MILLION DOLLARS HAVE A HIGHER EFFECTIVE TAX RATE THAN THOSE MAKING LESS. INDEED, AS INCOMES GO UP, AVERAGE EFFECTIVE TAX RATES DO GO UP. SO IT'S INDISPUTABLE THAT WE HAVE A PROGRESSIVE TAX CODE. YOU CAN FIND IT FROM THE C.B.O. OR ANY OF THOSE ENTITIES.

>> Brown: HE WAS CITING A NUMBER JUST NOW. 400 OF THE WEALTHIEST WHO PAY 18% OR 19%.

>> SO ON AVERAGE MILLIONAIRES PAY MORE. NOW SOME DON'T. NOW HOW WOULD THEY DO THAT? WE DON'T THINK THEY'RE BREAKING THE LAW. WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SPECIAL PROVISIONS IN THE TAX CODE. NOW, THOSE WERE PROBABLY THERE BECAUSE TAX CODES ARE ABOUT MORE THAN FAIRNESS. IT'S ABOUT SOCIAL GOALS SUCH AS ENCOURAGING CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS, ECONOMIC GROWTH OBJECTIVES, SO LOWER TAXES ON DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS SO THE WAY THOSE MILLIONAIRES HAVE LOWER EFFECTIVE TAX RATES SUZUKI S THEY DO THINGS THAT ARE DELIBERATELY IN THE CODE AND HAVE PURPOSES AND IF THEY AREN'T SOMETHING WE VALUE WE SHOULD GET RID OF THEM BUT THAT'S TAX REFORM.

>> YOU THEN MOVED TO DEFICIT CUTTING. HAVE YOU HEARD GENE SPERLING SAY 47... HE HAD A HIGHER NUMBER BUT STAY WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL TAX BUDGET COMMITTEE. THAT WAS $47 BILLION.

>> IT'S A $1.2 TRILLION DEFICIT RIGHT NOW. THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN THAT GENE TALKS ABOUT DOES NOT CONTROL DEFICITS. WE HAVE DEFICITS TEN YEARS FROM NOW THAT ARE RISING AS A FRACTION OF OUR ECONOMY. WE HAVE A RISING DEBT AS A FRACTION OF OUR ECONOMY. SO IT'S NOT THE CASE THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS PUT OUT A PLAN TO STABILIZE THE DEBT AND CONTROL THE DEFICITS. THIS IS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. HE HAD SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY. THE BOWLES-SIMPSON COMMISSION GAVE HIM A BLUEPRINT THAT SAID HERE'S SOMETHING IN A BIPOLAR FASHION THAT STABILIZE IT IS DEBT AND THEY DIDN'T DO THAT. SO THEY MUST HAVE THOUGHT THE POLITICS OF THIS ARE BETTER THAN THE SUBSTANCE OF TAX REFORM AND DEFICIT REDUCTION.

>> Brown: WHY IS $47 TRIVIAL? IF THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM-- AND WE HEARD PAUL RYAN SAY THIS IS A SMALL AMOUNT, TOO-- BUT IT'S SOMETHING. I GUESS THAT'S THE ARGUMENT FROM THE DEMOCRATS. IT'S SOMETHING.

>> IT'S A BIG PROBLEM AND THIS IS A TINY, TINY, TINY SOLUTION. I'D PREFER TO HAVE THE PRESIDENT, THE LEADER OF THIS COUNTRY, FIND A BIG SOLUTION SO WE HAVE TINY, TINY PROBLEMS.

>> Brown: ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN YOU GET TO THE QUESTION OF BIG SOLUTIONS, AND I ASKED GENE SPERLING ABOUT WHY NOT GO BIGGER AND YOU MENTIONED SIMPSON-BOWLES.

>> YES.

>> Brown: RIGHT. BUT ISN'T THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION THAT THAT'S HARD TO DO POLITICALLY AND WITH OPPOSITION FROM REPUBLICANS AS WELL.

>> THE PRESIDENT NEVER EVEN PICKED UP A SINGLE PROPOSAL FROM SIMPSON-BOWLES. IT'S NEVER BEEN SOMETHING HE'S WRITTEN DOWN AND SAID "I WOULD LIKE CONGRESS TO PASS THIS." EVEN THE BUFFETT TAX HE HAS NEVER WRITTEN DOWN WHAT HE WANTED. WHEN IT CAME OUT IN THE BUDGET YOU COULDN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN THE DETAILS. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP KNOWS TAKE ON THESE BIG PROBLEMS. THEY'RE HAPPY TO DO THE POLITICS OF THE BUFFETT TAX BUT THE ACTUAL TOUGH WORK OF WEEDING THROUGH A DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED SENATE AND A REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE, A REAL SOLUTION FOR AMERICANS, PROBLEMS, THEY'RE MISSING IN ACTION.

>> Brown: SO YOU WOULD SEE THE BUFFETT RULE AS PURE POLITICS?

>> THIS IS PURE POLITICS. SIMPSON-BOWLES, AGAIN, WAS A WAY TO GET FAIRNESS AND REVENUE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, ACTUAL TAX REFORM, THIS IS NONE OF THOSE THINGS.

>> Brown: YOU SAID THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T SIGN ON. NEITHER DID REPUBLICANS.

>> WE... WE... WE GOT REPUBLICAN SIGN... THAT'S NOT TRUE. IT DIDN'T GET ENOUGH REPUBLICANS TO GET A FORCED VOTE, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE D.E.M. PLAIT FOR HOW WE SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. IT WAS SUPPORTED IN THE BIPARTISAN FASHION SO IT'S THE POLITICAL TEMPLATE, IT HAD REAL ENTITLEMENT REFORM, IT HAD REAL TAX REFORM, IT CONTROLLED SPENDING ACROSS THE BOARD AND WE NEED TO GO BACK TO IF NOT THE DETAIL, THAT KIND OF A TEMPLATE.

>> Brown: IS THE CONVENTION THAT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD ALSO SOLVE THIS FAIRNESS ISSUE?

>> ABSOLUTELY. THAT WAS THE GOAL IN SIMPSON-BOWLES. IT WAS REAL TAX REFORM SO THAT YOU GET RID OF THOSE LOOPHOLES THAT ALLOW SOMEBODY TO GET A SPECIAL PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT SO YOU'RE PAYING THE TAX YOU OWE FOR THE INCOME YOU HAVE.

>> BUT IS FROM NOT A SENSE... AGAIN, WHETHER IT'S SIMPSON-BOWLES OR ANY PROPOSALS THAT REPUBLICANS-- AT LEAST THE PERCEPTION-- IS THE REPUBLICANS WILL NOT ALLOW ANY HYPE ON TAXES

>> I THINK THAT'S NOT BEEN THE CASE. THERE HAVE BEEN... THERE WAS THE SO CALLED SUPERCOMMITTEE, WE SAW SENATOR PAT TOOMEY, SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY VOCAL ABOUT AVOIDING TAX INCREASES PUTTING $00 OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE ON THE TABLE. WE SAW JEB HENSARLING, REPUBLICAN FROM TEXAS, DOING THE SAME THING. SO REPUBLICANS HAVE MADE THIS OFFER. IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.

>> Brown: WITH SUFFICIENT NUMBERS TO PASSING?

>> JOHN BOEHNER MADE THIS OFFER TO THE PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDENT WAS NEVER WILLING TO ACTUALLY DO THE LEADERSHIP ROLE TO GET IT DOWN.

>> Brown: YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CAMPAIGNS, AS WE SAID. YOU SAY THIS IS A POLITICAL ISSUE AT THE MOMENT. IS IT GOING TO REMAIN AS ONE? DO YOU SEE THIS AS ONE THAT SORT OF CONTINUES WITH US OVER THE NEXT MONTHS?

>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S CLEARLY DECIDED THAT THIS IS A VALUABLE POLITICAL TACTIC. I EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE WITH IT. THERE IS BOLLING SUGGESTS THAT HE'S MAKING MISA MISTAKES. THAT SWING VOTERS AREN'T INTERESTED IN THIS POINTLESS BATTLE ABOUT FAIRNESS. THEY WANT THE JOBS, THEY WANT THE DEBT CONTROLLED. THEY WANT REAL CHANGES.

>> Brown: DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Woodruff: NEXT, COMMUNITY COLLEGES FEEL THE STRAIN OF TIGHT BUDGETS AND RISING DEMAND. CALIFORNIA IS ONE STATE WHERE THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY PROMINENT OF LATE. NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT SPENCER MICHELS REPORTS.

>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COLOR BACK HERE BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT.

>> Reporter: THIS COSMETOLOGY CLASS AT SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE IS FUEL AND THERE ARE STUDENTS WAITING TO GET IN. IT'S A FAMILIAR PATTERN IN CALIFORNIA'S 122 COMMUNITY COLLEGES. 27.6 MILLION STUDENTS ATTEND CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES, MAKING THEM THE LARGEST HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.

>> AND WHAT DOES THE LITTLE "T" REPRESENT? TIME. AND WHAT KIND OF UNIT?

>> Reporter: MANY STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN REMEDIAL COURSES LIKE THIS MATH CLASS TO BRING THEM UP TO COLLEGE LEVEL. DURING HARD ECONOMIC TIMES, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SEEKING TO ATTEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING. SOME COME TO EARN CONTRACTS BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO A MORE EXPENSIVE FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTION. OTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR VOCATIONAL SKILLS LIKE THOSE IN THIS BUSINESS MARKETING CLASS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OAKLAND.

>> SO THANK YOU, WHAT WE'RE PROMOTING IS HIGH CASH FOR LOW CASH PRICE MONEY. SO PEOPLE WITH LOW CASH MONEY CAN GO INTO A HIGH CASH BARBERSHOP AND FEEL LIKE THEY CAME OUT FEELING LIKE A MILLION BUCKS.

>> Reporter: ADULT OFTEN ATTEND TO LEARN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. AND OTHERS COME TO PURSUE ART, MUSIC, AND OTHER NON-CREDIT CLASSES THEY SAY ENRICH THEIR LIVES BUT COMMUNITY COLLEGES SAY THEY CAN'T SERVE EVERYONE AT LOW COST, ESPECIALLY SINCE BUDGET PROBLEMS HAVE FORCED THE STATE TO CUT BACK ITS SUPPORT A PROPOSED SOLUTION AT SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO QUADRUPLE THE COST OF SOME POPULAR COURSES THIS SUMMER IN ORDER TO LIMIT ENROLLMENT LED TO PROTESTS AND CONFLICT WITH CAMPUS POLICE. THE PRICE HIKE WAS CANCELED, BUT THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION CONTINUES. IN MOST COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN CALIFORNIA, THE NUMBER OF CLASSES HAVE BEEN CUT AND POTENTIAL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY. BRYCE HARRIS IS CHANCELLOR OF THE SACRAMENTO-BASED LOS RIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT.

>> WE REALLY HAVE SEEN ABOUT 15 STUDENTS DENIED ACCESS TO THESE COLLEGES JUST IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION AND SOME ESTIMATES STATEWIDE SHOW THAT NUMBER TO BE IN EXCESS OF 300,000 STUDENTS.

>> TO BE MORE COST EFFICIENT, COMMUNITY COLLEGES WANT TO FIND A WAY TO HAVE MORE STUDENTS GRADUATE OR TRANSFER TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE WITHIN A FEW YEARS. IN THE PAST THE COLLEGES WERE ENCOURAGED TO ACCEPT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WHO HAD A CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF STUDENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED WERE UNDERPREPARED FOR COLLEGE LEVEL WORK. MOST OF THEM FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM LOW INCOME AND MINORITY FAMILIES. IN A STUDY RELEASED THIS YEAR, ONLY 54% EVER ACHIEVED A DEGREE, CERTIFICATE OR TRANSFER PREPARATION. FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDENTS THE PERCENTAGE WAS LOWER. CHANCELLOR HARRIS WAS PART OF A STATEWIDE TASK FORCE ON STUDENT SUCCESS. HE THINK WHAT IS IS NEEDED IS TO GET STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON A GOAL EARLIER INSTEAD OF BOUNCING AROUND FROM COURSE TO COURSE

>> BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS IF WE CAN HELP THEM DECLARE A MAJOR... A STATE AND EDUCATIONAL GOAL SOON AFTER THAT ARRIVE THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THAT

>> WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR CAREER.

>> ARE YOU PREMED?

>> Reporter: ADDITIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELING IS ONE RECOMMENDATION AND COUNSELORS ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING OTHER PARTS OF THE REPORT. GUIDING STUDENTS TO TAKE COURSES IN THEIR MAJOR AND AVOID CLASSES THAT DON'T HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOAL. THE REPORT ALSO WANTS COLLEGES TO ASSESS ALL STUDENTS AND POST SCORE CARDS TO SHOW STUDENT PROGRESS. ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION, FIND NEW APPROACHES TO TEACHING BASIC SKILLS. THE MAIN THRUST OF THE REPORT HAS THE BLESSINGS OF CHANCELLOR JACK SCOTT, A FORMER LEGISLATOR AND COLLEGE PRESIDENT.

>> WE'RE NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO RUSH THROUGH BUT WE ARE SAYING THAT IT'S TIME THAT YOU GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE ARE LITERALLY THUSS THAT ARE STANDING OUTSIDE THOSE CLASSROOMS WANTING TO GET IN. WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR REMEDIAL EDUCATION. WE WANT IT OPEN TO ALL BUT WE'RE NOT JUST INTERESTED IN ACCESS WE'RE INTERESTED IN SUCCESS.

>> EVERYTHING WENT WELL, YOU HAVE GOOD OPENING STATEMENTS.

>> Reporter: LEIA HARPER TEACHES HISTORY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND IS ACTIVE IN HER UNION. SHE, AS WELL AS OTHERS, HAVE PUBLICLY QUESTIONED WHETHER PUSHING STUDENTS QUICKLY THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL LEAD TO SUCCESS.

>> STUDENTS DON'T NECESSARILY COME HERE AND FUNCTION REALLY WELL RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. OFTEN STUDENTS TAKE A WHILE TO FAIL A CLASS OR TWO THEN THEY KIND OF GET COLLEGE FIGURED OUT.

>> Reporter: HARPER'S STUDENTS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE CHANGES COMINGING.

>> THERE'S PEOPLE AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT HAVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, THINGS THAT COME UP IN LIFE THAT DON'T ALLOW YOU TO BE ABLE TO JUST BE A FULL-TIME STUDENT.

>> I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT FOUR YEARS.

>> Reporter: AND WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?

>> MY GOAL... I GRADUATED ACTUALLY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE ECONOMY I COULDN'T GET A JOB SO I'M CONTINUING ON WITH MORE STUDYING.

>> THEY DO TEND TO PUSH YOU ON A LITTLE MORE TO TAKE MORE CLASSES THAN YOU ARE CAPABLE OF. YOU MAY GET A "D" OR "F" IN A CLASS AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OVER AGAIN BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO RUSH YOU FROM GETTING OUT OF HERE.

>> WHILE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFICIALS INSIST THAT THE BASIC MISSION OF THESE SCHOOLS IS NOT BEING ALTERED, THE CHANGES THAT APPEAR TO BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT AT LEAST PART OF WHAT THESE SCHOOLS DO IS CHANGING. TRADITIONALLY, COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAVE ALSO SERVED THEIR COMMUNITYS BY PROVIDING CLASSES IN ART, MUSIC, LITERATURE, LANGUAGES, COMPUTERS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION. MANY OF THOSE COURSES FOR SENIORS. BUT THE STUDENT SUCCESS TASK FORCE IS RECOMMENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGES GIVE PRIORITY TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GO TO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE OR JOB.

>> IT'S UNFAIR TO LET SOMEBODY BE A PROFESSIONAL STUDENT WHEN THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS BEING TURNED AWAY. IF SOMEBODY IS THERE MERELY FOR AN AVOCATIONAL COURSE THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T BE AHEAD OF SOMEONE WHO'S THERE TO TRANSFER OR TO GET A VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE.

>> Reporter: AT GAV LYNN, 40 SECTIONS OF NON-CREDIT CLASSS FOR SENIORS WERE RECENTLY ELIMINATED, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF RACHEL PEREZ, A COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR.

>> AEROBICS CLASSES AND MOVEMENT AND HEALTH CLASSES, WELLNESS CLASSES.

>> AND THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY GONE NOW?

>> THEY'RE ALL GONE. COMMUNITY COLLEGES FULFILL DIFFERENT MISSIONS AND THEY ATTRACT DIFFERENT FOLKS. OLDER ADULTS WAS ONE.

>> Reporter: 76-YEAR-OLD TOM BREEN IS A SEMIRETIRED JUDGE AND A GAV LYNN COLLEGE TRUSTEE WHO'S TAKING A DRAWING CLASS FOR FUN. ONE OF HIS CLASSMATES IS A POLICE OFFICER WHO USES THE ART CLASSES TO DECOMPRESS.

>> IT'S THE ONLY PLACE WHERE ADULTS CAN GET THIS KIND OF TRAINING FOR AR REASONABLE COST. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANYBODY'S SEAT. IF SOMEBODY NEEDED TO TAKE ART, I WOULD NOT BE HERE.

>> Reporter: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THESE STICKY PROBLEMS MAY TAKE MORE THAN DE-EMPHASIZING NON-CREDIT CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES AND SPEEDING GOAL-DIRECTED STUDENTS THROUGH THE SYSTEM. DESPITE STUDENT PROTESTS. TUITION INCREASES ACROSS THE BOARD MAY BE ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS. FOR A SYSTEM THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS LOW COST AND HATES THE FACT THAT IT'S RATIONING EDUCATION.

>> Woodruff: ON OUR WEB SITE, SPENCER CONTINUES HIS REPORTING IN A BLOG POST, AND LOOKS AT WHAT A REMAKING OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES COULD MEAN FOR SLOW LEARNERS, OLDER STUDENTS, AND THOSE WITHOUT MUCH MONEY.

>> Brown: FINALLY TONIGHT, HOW COLONIALISM PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE SPREAD OF AIDS. A NEW BOOK THAT EXAMINES THE WESTERN APPROACH TOWARD THE EPIDEMIC IN AFRICA. RAY SUAREZ HAS OUR CONVERSATION.

>> Reporter: SINCE AIDS WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED 30 YEARS AGO ITS TOLL ACROSS THE WORLD HAS BEEN VICIOUS. IT'S KILLED 25 PEOPLE SINCE 1981. AN ESTIMATED 34 MILLION ARE LIVING WITH THE VIRUS TODAY. JUST HOW THE DISEASE BEGAN AND SPREAD PERPLEXED SCIENTISTS FOR YEARS. A NEW BOOK TRACKS THE MERGE JENS OF THE H.I.V. VIRUS OUT OF A REMOTE PART OF CAMEROON TO WHAT IS NOW KINSHASA IN THE FORMER BELGIAN CONGO. "TINDERBOX: HOW THE WEST SWAP IT HAD AIDS EPIDEMIC AND HOW THE WORLD CAN FINALLY OVERCOME IT" CONNECTS THE ECONOMIES AND ATROCITIES OF COLONIALISM TO THAT INITIAL OUTBREAK AND TO CURRENT MEDICAL APPROACHES TO THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF H.I.V. IN AFRICA. CRAIG TIMBERG AND DANIEL HALPERIN, WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> Suarez: THE BOOK IS ABOUT A GREAT MANY THINGS BUT ONE OF THE CONCLUSIONS THAT'S GOTTEN A LOT OF ATTENTION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COLONIALISM FOR HELPING AIDS BREAK OUT OF THE DEEPEST RAIN FORESTS INTO THE REST OF THE WORLD. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

>> WELL, THE VIRUS THAT BECAME H.I.V. WAS INFECTED A COMMUNITY OF CHIMPANZEES FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND SCIENTISTS NOW THEORIZE IT MADE ITS WAY INTO THE HUMAN POPULATION SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE CENTURIES AS HUMANS CAUGHT CHIMPS, BUTCHERED THEM, THE BLOOD PASSED THROUGH A CUT. WHAT'S CRUCIAL ABOUT THE MOMENT THAT LEADS TO THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IS THAT AT THAT EXACT MOMENT THERE ARE NEW INTRUSIONS OF STEAM SHIPS AND PORTER PATHS AS HUMANS MOVE INTO THE REMOTE PLACES WHERE THE CHIMPANZEES LIVED AND IT'S AT THAT MOMENT WHEN H.I.V. BECOMES A HUMAN EPIDEMIC, STARTS MOVING DOWN THE RIVERS AND INTO THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE EPIDEMIC IN CENTRAL AFRICA.

>> EVEN TO THIS DAY THERE ARE SMALL STRAINS OF H.I.V. VIRUS THAT EXIST, FOR EXAMPLE, IN CAMEROON THERE ARE MORE STRAINS OF THE VIRUS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD AND SOME OF THESE STRAINS PROBABLY ORIGINATED DURING THE LAST CENTURY. MORE RECENT THAN THE STRAIN CAUSED BY AIDS IN THE WORLD. SO WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE ROLE OF COLONIALISM WHAT WE KNOW AS THE TYPE OF H.I.V. VIRUS MIGHT LIKELY HAVE BECOME LIKE THESE OTHER STRAINS IN CAMEROON, MIGHT HAVE INFECTED A FEW HUNDRED OR THOUSAND PEOPLE BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT BUT IT'S A REMOTE PART OF THE WORLD.

>> THIS IS A PLACE THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SPARSELY POPULATED PARTS OF A VERY SPARSELY POPULATED CONTINENT SO WERE IT NOT FOR THE INTRUSIONS OF COLONIALISM IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THE EPIDEMIC WE KNOW TODAY WOULD HAVE COME OUT IN THE WAY WE'VE SEEN IT AND IN PARTICULAR THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRACK PORTER PATHS WHERE AFRICANS ARE FORCE MARCHED TO THE JUNGLE, THEY'RE CARRYING GUNS AND IVORY TUSKS AND RUBBER, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRACK THAT TO EXACTLY THE PLACE WHERE THESE CHIMPANZEES LIVED AND THERE WOULD HAVE NO REASON FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GO THERE BEFORE. THEY WENT THERE BECAUSE THEY WERE FOFRS FORCED TO GO THERE. THEY GET ON STEAM SHIPS AND THAT BECOMES THE ACTUAL SPARK FOR THIS EPIDEMIC. WE CAN NOW SEE IN RETROSPECT THIS THIS WAS GOING ON AND THAT PERHAPS GIVES US A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO HOW TO APPROACH THE PROBLEMS TODAY. THAT WE ARE NOT MERELY BYSTANDERS WHO CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP REMEDY THE SITUATION THAT WE MAY HAVE PARTLY HELPED TO INITIATE.

>> Suarez: WHAT HAPPENED IN LATER DECADES IN THE '60s, '70s, AND '80s TO ALLOW H.I.V. TO BECOME SO DEEPLY ROOTED IN AFCA AND BREAK OUT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD?

>> TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPENED. ONE IS THAT H.I.V. MAKES ITS ON THE RAILROADS, ON THE HIGHWAYS WHERE MALE CIRCUMSTANCE SAGS IS NOT A TRADITION SO YOU'RE SUDDENLY IN THE EAST AREAS WHERE MEN AREN'T CIRCUMCISED AND INSTEAD OF HAVING INFECTION RATES OF 1% AND 2% YOU HAVE 5%, 10%, 15%. YOU SEE THE KIND OF THE DISASTER WE'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH WHERE ENTIRE VILLAGES LOSE A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR ADULT AND THAT KIND OF PROBLEM MOVES INTO SOUTHERN AFRICA WHERE YOU HAVE LOWER RATES OF MALE SIR COME SIGS. AND THE OTHER CRUCIAL THING THAT HAPPENS IS H.I.V. MAKES ITS WAY TO THE AMERICAS. IT MAKES ITS WAY FROM KINSHASA IN THE 1960s TO HAITI. AND THAT'S WHERE IT WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE AMERICAS, IT WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE GAY AMERICAN POPULATION AND IT SPREADS MUCH MORE WIDELY EVENTUALLY.

>> Suarez: BUT THE SHADOW OF COLONIAL SCHISM NEVER GONE FROM AFRICA, IS IT? WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY WE LOOK AT AIDS SUFFERERS, TALK ABOUT AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE H.I.V.-POSITIVE. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT PART OF IN THE YOUR BOOK?

>> WE BELIEVE, OF COURSE, THAT THE EUROPEANS AND NORTH AMERICANS AND OTHER FOREIGNERS WHO ARE IN AFRICA NOW AND OTHER PLACES TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE ARE IN ONE SENSE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE COLONIALS WHERE WERE THERE HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO. THIS THEY'RE NOT THERE TO RAPE AND PLUNDER. BUT THERE'S UNFORTUNATELY A LITTLE BIT OF A KIND OF PA TERNISM OR HUBRIS IN THE SENSE OF WE'RE THE EXPERTS, WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.

>> Suarez: THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COVERAGE IN THE BOOK OF THE CONDESCENDING PATERNALISTIC TSK WAYS OF LOOKING AT AFRICAN SOCIETIES WHERE PEOPLE WERE CHANGING THEIR BEHAVIOR AND NOT GETTING MUCH CREDIT.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN SOCIETIES WHEN THEY FACED THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL OF THEM DID THE MATH. THEY WERE FACED WITH AN INCURABLE DISEASE SPREAD BY SEX AND FATAL. AND IN SEVERAL SOCIETIES RELIGIOUS LEADERS, POLITICIANS LED CAMPAIGNS IN WHICH THEY SAID IF WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES IN OUR OWN SEXUAL BEHAVIORS AND THAT BECOMES ENORMOUSLY CONSEQUENTIAL WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN EPIDEMIC.

>> Suarez: YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LOVE FOR THE EFFORTS TO USE HIGH TECH RESPONSES, PARTICULARLY IN THE AFRICAN EPIDEMIC WHETHER IT'S ANTI-RETRO VIRALS OR UNIVERSAL URGING TO USE CONDEMNS.

>> I THINK YOU CONCLUDE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WORK IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT.

>> THESE DRUGS ARE MIRACULOUS, RIGHT? THIS MEDICINE BRINGS PEOPLE BACK FROM THE EDGE OF DEATH AND ANYONE WHO'S WATCHED THAT HAPPEN UNDERSTANDS THE POWER OF THAT AND WE WANT AS MANY PEOPLE TO BE TREATED AS POSSIBLE. THE ISSUE WE RAISE IS IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO TREAT PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE THIS VIRUS. TO REALLY WIN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE EPIDEMIC YOU NEED TO PREVENT THE NEXT MILLION. THE NEXT TEN MILLION INFECTIONS FROM HAPPENING. DRUGS MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THAT BUT WE THEY THE MOST POWERFUL ROLE IN THE END WILL BE PLAYED BY THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, CHANGES IN CENTRAL BEHAVIOR, INCREASING THE PREVALENCE OF MALE SIR CIRCUMCISION AND THAT'S WHAT HISTORY SHOWS.

>> Suarez: THE BOOK IS "TINDERBOX: HOW THE WEST SPARKED THE AIDS EPIDEMIC AND HOW THE WORLD CAN OVERCOME IT." THAT'S A PRETTY BIG AMBITION IN THIS TITLE. CRAIG TIMBERG AND DANIEL HALPERIN, THANK YOU BOTH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IT WAS WONDERFUL.

>> Woodruff: AGAIN, THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE DAY. RICK SANTORUM ENDED HIS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL BID, EFFECTIVELY CEMENTING MITT ROMNEY'S NOMINATION. THIS EVENING ROMNEY SAID SANTORUM MADE "AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE POLITICAL PROCESS." WALL STREET EXTENDED A WEEKLONG SLUMP. THE DOW INDUSTRIALS LOST 213 POINTS. AND THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA CLAIMED ITS ARMY IS PULLING BACK FROM TOWNS AND VILLAGES AS PART OF A U.N.-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE PLAN. BUT REBELS REPORTED HEAVY SHELLING WAS CONTINUING IN CITY AFTER CITY. ONLINE WE HAVE A STORY ABOUT THE AIDS PROBLEM IN SWAZILAND, WHERE AS MANY AS ONE-QUARTER OF ALL THE ADULTS ARE INFECTED. HARI SREENIVASAN EXPLAINS. HARI?

>> Sreenivasan: FIND A REPORT BY OUR COLLEAGUES AT P.R.I.'S "THE WORLD" ABOUT THE NEW ROLE CHURCHES IN SWAZILAND ARE PLAYING PREVENTING THE DISEASE. THAT'S ON THE RUNDOWN. ON OUR HEALTH PAGE, WE REVISIT THE DEBATE OVER WHETHER DENTISTS SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED TO PULL TEETH IN AMERICA. BETTY ANN BOWSER LOOKS AT A NEW STUDY SHOWING MID-LEVEL PRACTITIONERS CAN DO THE JOB JUST AS WELL. AND FINALLY, DOES BETTER EDUCATION HELP CREATE MORE JOBS? FIND PAUL SOLMAN'S ANSWER ON HIS MAKING SENSE PAGE. ALL THAT AND MORE IS ON OUR WEB SITE, newshour.pbs.org. JEFF?

>> Brown: AND THAT'S THE NEWSHOUR FOR TONIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY, WE'LL LOOK AT THE U.S. CHOICE FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BANK, AS HE FACES TWO RIVAL CANDIDATES. I'M JEFFREY BROWN.

>> Woodruff: AND I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. WE'LL SEE YOU ONLINE, AND AGAIN HERE TOMORROW EVENING. THANK YOU, AND GOOD NIGHT. MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:

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