Rouhani Met News Today

Again, trying to put the best face on it is this shows a canny political operator who knows how to balance the various political constituencies hes going to need as he presses on with this initiative. >> at the same time, ann, his speech here at the u.n., we were both watching at the u.n. yesterday. his speech reiterated a lot of the hardline positions. again, speaking to the audience back home. >> yeah, it certainly wasnt ahmadinejad, but it was ahmadinejad light. it had a lot of the same theme...

The jews by the nazis. he said, we never want to sit side by side with the nazis. he said they committed a crime against jews, which is a crime against all of humanity. he could not have been more explicit. >> i think rouhani and his team appreciate how much damage ahmadinejads holocaust denial did to irans international image and standing. that was just simply offensive to the world. so theyre taking great pains right now to make clear that a change has happened, political change has happened i...

Approximately three-quarters were born after the revolution. its arguably the most pro-american public in the middle east. i think rouhani, had he shaken hands with obama, would have won himself huge political capital amongst the people in iran. at the same time, it probably would have caused the irans hardliners a can nipgs. i think for that reason, he wants to proceed forward cautiously, and i think the white house did the right thing. they made it clear that they do want to meet, that theyre ...

Picture, perhaps, of him and president obama that did not happen is not a picture that they feel they could show back home right now. >> well, i think that whats happening here is that, you know, the presidents simple offer of a quick briefing, a quick meeting and a handshake tested this bubble. because if the iranians cannot even ultimately have a handshake, then you have to wonder what are they ready for back at home? and what they need to be ready for back at home is to pursue the edict of th...

Transparent, reassure those who have concerns when they have reasonable concerns. he did reiterate irans right, as they say it, to enrich as 40 other nations do. he said everythings on the table. most interestingly, ann curry, our colleague, had had the first interview with rouhani last week. when asked about ahmadinejad, his predecessors, denial of the holocaust. he said, im a politician, not a historian. when he was in new york and was asked again about ahmadinejad, he said what the nazis did ...

20 million drivers message very compelling, very compelling. this is some really strong stuff! so you turned me into a cartoon...lovely. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. it was the handshake that could have shaken the world. yesterdays much anticipated possible encounter between president obama and irans president rouhani never happened. so how did the white house handle it or not? joining me now, white house correspondent and columnist for the ne...

Have a sense of confidence and progress as we deal with major issues. the government staying hope, the debt ceiling on the horizon. and what message do we speend i the world, for example, to iran, when were trying to get them to follow the path of the security councils resolutions and theyll say, if we do that, will we ultimately find a congress willing to, you know, lift the sanctions? because they seem not to be able to get along with the president. these are enormous challenges. >> let me als...

Regarding negotiating, we need a plan of action to make sure these meetings reach the conclusions we want. he said, we did not have enough time to make that happen. we never have a problem shaking mr. obamas hand. he added it was only two days ago the u.s. proposed such a meeting and they were not opposed to it, that its a sensitive subject. we have not talked at this level in 35 years. so we have to take these steps very carefully. now the foreign minister has just said at the united nations he...

Storeroom ran from the mall. >> then, like, within 30 feet of us, two grenades are thrown. and that was our first breakdown. >> reporter: she says she doesnt know yet if shell return to kenya, but for now shes home. tom costello, nbc news, dulles airport. >> and that was a remarkable account from tom costello. our thanks to him. many are questioning now what will become of the diplomatic overtures by irans president. after conducting his first interview with nbcs ann curry last week, president...

>> they have fabulous daughters. they each married far above themselves. >> and at the united nations, its a near miss for president obama and irans president rouhani when the iranians say a face-to-face meeting is too complicated. can the iranian leaders words set a new tone? >> good day. im andrea mitchell in new york. were moments away from a procedural vote on the budget floor. a losing battle that stretched for more than 21 hours. towards the end of that talk-a-thon, the texas republican ad...