the triple crown. we start this evening with what you might call president obama stepping into it today. it happened during an appearance. while trying to prod congress into acting on his economic agenda, the present not once but twice referred to the private sector in glowing terms. >> overall, the private sector has been doing a good job creating johns. the private sector is doing fine. >> it was a gift. republicans, including the president's opponent this november, wasted no time in pouncing. >> he said, the private sector is doing fine. he said the private sector is doing fine. is he really that out of touch? >> if we just listen to the president say that the private sector is doing fine, my question would be to the president, are you kidding? >> a few hours later in the oval office with the president of the philippines sitting right there silently, mr. obama repeatedly tried to clean up a mess of his own making. >> listen, it is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine, that the economy is not doing fine. there are too many people out of work. so let me be as clear as i can be. the economy needs to be strengthened. jessica yellin joins us now. we just saw take two. this morning, off script, off message. why? >> john, the president is trying to make -- tried to make the case that the part of the economy that's struggle willing the most is the part where government intervention could make the most difference and that's with government jobs. they have been consistently making the case that the private sector continues to add jobs as it did last month but those numbers are dragged down by the fact that teachers, cops, firefighters are losing jobs and if congress would only do something to get those people back to work, the overall jobs picture would look better. that was the case he was trying to make but he didn't say that so artfully. he said the private sector, as you heard, is doing just fine. the last thing a politician wants to be doing is seeming like he is out of touch and not feeling real people's pain, john. >> this comes, jess, at the end of what i think is fair to say not the press and his political team's best week. >> that is an understatement. let's tick through some of the problems, not just disappointing job numbers. democrats watched the wisconsin recall, which was so closely watched. bill clinton going off message with the white house. i am checking romney out raised the president for the first time in fundraising totals, ai leak investigate on capitol hill that has got the white house in a cross fire. the president off message. he was trying to get on his aggressive footing and reclaim the message here. i do not think that this q and a managed to do that. >> even presidents need a weekend to collect their thoughts. jessica yellin, our chief white house correspondent. thanks. let's take a deeper look. krista free laland is an editor. i want to put some job numbers up on the screen. the past year. private sector job growth, if you go month by month, a few pretty good months. most of those are just about breaking even in the 100,000 new jobs created. you theed about 150,000 a month to break even. how could the president say things are fine? >> i think jessica explained the thinking absolutely correctly. the point of view that the white house is trying to put across, which i think most economists would agree with is that what has been happening on the jobs front is job creation by the private sector, not as strong as anyone would like but the private sector absolutely adding on jobs while the public sector has been laying people off. it's that laying people off by the public sector which feels very perverse to this white house in the teeth of a recession of a weak economy. i think the point the president was trying to make is, isn't it crazy for us, the government, to be laying people off at this time when we actually need more jobs and need more employment in the economy? >> obviously, the way he fut has come across very, very badly. >> that's an understatement there. very badly, the way he put it. so the president is trying to say to congress to say more stimulus spending. rehire some teachers and firefighters. spend money on construction. he also looked overseas. you are talking about how not all of our troubles in the united states are of our own making. listen to the president of the united states talking about the euro crisis. >> the decisions required are tough. europe has the capacity to make them. they have america's support. their success is good for us. the sooner they kt a, the more decisive and concrete their actions, the sooner people and markand the cheaper the cost of cleanup will be down the road. >> a little kick and a prod from the president of the united states. you know what happens with the political debates back here. republicans say he wants to blame everybody but himself. how much of a drag is europe? >> europe is a considerable drag right now but if i were the president, i would be incredibly worried about it. i think that there is a considerable chance that this election will be determined not in washington or ohio or wisconsin about athens, madrid, frankfort and per lynn. if things go wrong, which they could, they could go wrong at the end of this month, you could see the world economy go into a tailspin, which makes this spring look like a cake walk. i think the white house is worried about that. >> when the president makes a push to get the teachers and the firefighters some money, unless he cuts a bigger deal with republicans and extends tax cuts? >> my take is that this was very politically motivated. when the weak jobs numbers came out, the president had to come up with a story. the story that he is putting forth which is not untrue, rather than saying the economy is in great shape. he wants to say, the economy would be in great shape if only i were able to do what i want to do, which is this jobs act. he is trying to put the blame on congress. i think that this is much more shadow play, about the politicking and thinking something is going to happen. >> excellent point at the end. especially 151 days to the election. unlikely he is going to get that money. >> the president stumbled at that news conference about the economy obscured another very important point he wanted to make. he emphatically says his white house is not leaking national security secrets. kate bolduan is here. they are trying to figure out who is doing the leaking. where is this one going? >> that seems to be the million dollar question. the president also seems to get angry. strong push back from president obama over the brewing controversy over who is behind intelligence leaks. john mccain is calling the leaks politically motivated to make president obama look good in an election year. president obama fired back at those accusations today. >> the notion that my white house would purposely release classified national security information is offensive. it is wrong. people, i think, need to have a better sense of how i approach this office and how the people around me approach this office. >> senator mccain, though, is not satisfied by the president's remarks. he released a statement late today accusing the president now of trying to distance himself and his administration from the leaks saying in part when in the statement, i will read you the quote, what the president did not unequivocally say today is that none of the classified or highly sensitive information recently leaked to the media came from the white house. i continued to call on the president to immediately appoint a special counsel to fully investigate and where necessary prosecute these gravely serious breaches of our national secure. i think the only thing that both sides are kind of agreeing on at this point is that whoever is the source of the leak should be held accountable. the president is saying, he has zero tolerance for the leaks but this is far from over, obviously. >> then, mccain also said if you read those stories, it says, administration officials and advisors to the president, when he says, let's have a special counsel, is that going anywhere? >> they want it to be independent of any kind of government influence. they don't know where the leak could have come from. it is not likely to go anywhere any time soon. mccain and other republicans are pushing to bring in this outside counsel, similarly high profile key democrats and republicans. at least for now, they indicate they are satisfied that the fbi is investigating. i emphasize at least to are now. this seems to change every day. >> kate bolduan, up next. >> today's crushing news in the sports world, the horse who could be the first triple crown winner pulled from the belmont stakes. >> federal investigators say they have never seen anything like it before. [ male announcer ] this... is the at&t network. a living, breathing intelligence teaching data how to do more for business. [ beeping ] in here, data knows what to do. because the network finds it and tailors it across all the right points, automating all the right actions, to bring all the right results. [ whirring and beeping ] it's the at&t network -- doing more with data to help business do more for customers. ♪ but not for long! your very own four course seafood feast for just $14.99. start your feast with a soup, like our hearty new england clam chowder. next, enjoy a salad with unlimited cheddar bay biscuits. then get your choice of one of 7 entrees. like new coconut and pineapple shrimp shrimp and scallops alfredo or new honey bbq shrimp. then finish with something sweet. your complete four course seafood feast just $14.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. a sad and stunning race for the world of horse racing. i'll have another has been scrapped. his trainer says i'll have another's career is over because of a tendon injury. >> that cooling out, you could tell the swelling was back. at that point, it didn't feel very good. he has done so much, it was unanimous between the redems and my brother and i and everyone at the barn to retire him. >> i'll have another becomes the 12th horse since 1978 to win the first two races of the "triple crown" but not the belmont. jean joins me now. what more about this injuries? is it a persistent injury or something that came out of the blue? >> this is an exercised-induced injury that came over time. they first noticed something yesterday afternoon, a little inflammation. they went out today. he trained on the track today. they thought he looked fine. as soon as they took the wraps off this morning, they saw a little more inflammation. they brought in the doctor and that's when they discovered the beginning of tendinitis. >> let's listen to the owner, paul redem. you could hear his disappointment clearly. >> we tried to be quiet but i thought he was going to run off tomorrow and really show something. we were all a bit shocked. we have to do what's best for the horse. if he can't compete at the top level, he has done enough. >> help put this into context, gene, for someone who may not follow the sport of horse racing so much. this is like lebron disaer pooi disappearing from the nba playoffs. >> this is disappointing. we haven't had a "triple crown" winner since 1978. 11 horses have tried. 11 horses have failed. now, we have our 12. the fact we have come so close by having a 12 triple crown winner. others have come close. the fact that we have some so close that makes it so elusive. >> wayne lucas was talking about this. he said, i feel terrible for doug, his docolleague, to come this close and having everything being equal. he had four big ones, meaning wins in a row and the fifth one is tough. it is not a triple crown. it is a five or six race series. we focus on the three. essentially, does he mean this horse has been running. it is tired. it got urt had. >> to win the "triple crown" you not only have to win the three races but get to the kentucky derby, the preakness and the belmont. that begins as a 2-year-old. i'll have another started last summer, ran twice and got hurt with sore shins and came back earlier this winter and ran well in his first race. some horses have three or four preps going into the kentucky derby. i'll have another had two. so this was the end of a long and strenuous road for him. >> when you have the prospect of a "triple crown" winner, how much does it mean financially and psychologically for the industry? >> to say that i'll have another would have saved horse racing is probably a bit ambitious but he could have injected a little bit of excitement into this sport that badly needs it. >> gene mendez, "sports illustrated," appreciate your time on this. thanks, john. the president can't blame his latest problem on bill clinton. next, everything in texas isn't only bigger. they are about to be faster, the speed limit is going up. ♪ [ male announcer ] we believe small things can make a big difference. like how a little oil from here can be such a big thing in an old friend's life. purina one discovered that by blending enhanced botanical oils into our food, we can help brighten an old dog's mind so he's up to his old tricks. with this kind of thinking going into our food, imagine all the goodness that can come out of it. just one way we're making the world a better place... one pet at a time. vibrant maturity. from purina one smartblend. [ creaking ] [ male announcer ] trophies and awards lift you up. but they can also hold you back. unless you ask, what's next? [ zapping ] [ clang ] this is the next level of performance. the next level of innovation. the next rx. the all-new f sport. this is the pursuit of perfection. the all-new f sport. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. welcome back. here is mary snow with the latest news you need to know. happy friday. >> happy friday, john. a government crackdown on child pornography produced 190 arrested and freed 18 children. the u.s. immigrations and custom enforcement agency revealed the operation to warn narnts many of exploitation cases with a child or teen chatting with someone he met online. an e-coli outbreak has killed a toddler and sent three to the hospital. federal health officials say 14 people in six states are fril the same strain. georgia reported the most cases and one state with five people sick. keeping their motto that everything is bigger and maybe faster in texas, the state transportation department is building a toll roll from san antonio to austin that could have an 85 mile per hour speed limit. sad news for all you car talk fans. the quirky npr talk show will be making its final signoff after 25 years on the air. host brothers, tom and ray melotzi, who had the names click and clack, were widely popular with the fans. they still will be writing their column. >> i love those guys. >> i don't have a car but i still tune in. >> last time you were here, mary, you gave me some grief about my sports teams. >> i seem to remember that. >> did you go to the mets game the other day? >> did you leave early? >> coincidentally. >> did you leave early? >> i was trying not to get that ou. i left in the fifth inning. >> history-making game. no-hitter, first ever for the new york mets. >> every time you come now, the mets are going to ask you to leave early. >> that will do the trick. >> we will see you in a little bit. united nations and the arab league appointment on syria admits his peace plan isn't working. we will look if there is any other way to avoid a full scale civil war. investigators try to understand a plane's final minutes. apparently, it broke apart some three miles up in the air. ed so. to give it a sense of direction, at&t created a mobile asset solution to protect and track everything. so every piece of equipment knows where it is, how it's doing or where it goes next. ♪ this is the bell on the cat. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ the economy needs manufacturing. machines, tools, people making stuff. companies have to invest in making things. infrastructure, construction, production. we need it now more than ever. chevron's putting more than $8 billion dollars back in the u.s. economy this year. in pipes, cement, steel, jobs, energy. we need to get the wheels turning. i'm proud of that. making real things... for real. ...that make a real difference. ♪ with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. more blood spears in syria as hillary clinton meets with kofi annan. can diplomacy save syria? a family of six dies with a small plane breaks up mid-air. the private sector is doing fine. the truth about why those six words could haunt president obama. no break in the violence in syria today with government forces pounding a rebel strong hold in the city of homs. smoke erupting from this city. he was there to meet with hillary clinton. he admitted his peace plan isn't moving. >> some say that the problem is implementation. it was implementation. >> in welcoming mr. annan, secretary clinton avoided any specifics. >> it is an honor to welcome him here to the state department with a special encore, former secretary general, friend and colleague, kofi anna nchl. i am looking forward to the discussions that we many have together. let's explore whether diplomacy is the answer or whether that is past. fouad ajami. it has been 107 days. kofi a in. nan admits it isn't working but not willing to say it is finished, that his effort has failed. should he? >> john, you are exactly right. integrity would require him to say that the plan isn't working, that he can't do anything, that the killing goes on. since the diplomacy was put in place in april, well over 2000 people have been killed. a couple of massacres have taken place during this time. there is nothing there. for bashar, his attitude towards kofi annan is the same as the famous question stalin once asked about the vatican and the pope. how many military devisions does the pope have? kofi annan has no military divisions. bashar assad knows that and treats his diplomacy with discontent. >> he is a distinguished career diplomate. after 107 days, this is what he says. i'm sorry. pressure, substantial pressure is what this crisis demands. we wil