Sammartino, or my favorite, chief bay strongbo. I can still do his war dance by the way. Look at me now. Today i work in the media equivalent of the Pro Wrestling that i used to watch as a kid. In other words, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Every battle is good versus evil. The sides are predetermined, and every fight is choreographed. Nobody got hurt. Watching Pro Wrestling back in the day, all of our parents, they knew it was fake. But today, this media form of entertainment, it comes with a cost. It sets the tone for our public debate. Consider that in the last 30 years, weve experienced unprecedented polarization. In the early 1980s, on Ronald Reagans watch, 60 of the senate was comprised of moderates. Today, every Senate Republican in more conservative than every Senate Democrat. Every Senate Democrat is more liberal than every Senate Republican. Compromise . Thats the new c word. Incivility reigns. Thats the same time period these last three decades that have marked the rise of a polarized media, and i dont believe in coincidence. I see a causal connection. I think too many elected officials are taking their cues from broadcasters who should be wearing wrestling tights. So i want to try a different approach. I want to try by covering the news of the day in a way that enhances your ability to reach your own independent conclusions. Me . Ive got plenty of opinions. They just dont fit neatly into one label. Im liberal on some things. Conservative on plenty of things and theres a heck of a lot i just havent figured out. So one rule. There will be no litmus tests for watching. And thank you for joining me. In this polarized climate, most republicans dont need an excuse to secure president obama but got one when russia seized the crime miya reaching of ukraine. The president s critics say one more example of his weakness. Inviting adversaries to act out. Why do we care . Because this is the ultimate result of a feckless Foreign Policy where nobody believes in americas strength anymore [ applause ] people are looking at putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil. They look at our president as one who wears mom jeans, and equivocates, em bloviates. Seeing a president that doesnt understand that a Strong America leads to a peace until more stable world. Seeing a flaed doesnt understand that a weak america leads to instability. Seeing a president who doesnt seem to understand that our allies and enemies alike need and want a Strong America. You know, we have long thought and said this spread a smart man. This president is a smart man. It may be time to revisit that assumption. Were joined now by a very vocal critic of the president , republican congresswoman marsh Sha Blackburn of tennessee. As ive been watching events unfold over the span of the last ten days what occurs to me is that what makes us a weak, what makes the United States weak is when elected officials criticized commander in chief in a time of crisis. Well, i think that what we can all agree on, michael is that the president s track record with Foreign Policy has not been one of strength, and that is troublesome to people regardless of what theyre political affiliation is. We want to see our nation strong and healthy, and vibrant and focused on protecting our sovereignty and protecting freedom. Free people, and free markets, and so some of the steps the president has taken not being sure about where to draw a red line have led not only to the American People questioning his decisions, but, u think, World Leaders questioning his decisions. But how does it serve our interests . Were not going to how does it serve our interests to portray him as something out of the old Charles Atlas cartoon where hes getting sand kicked in his face . You speak to weakness. I see a man with a mixed record. I see a man who gave the order. Seems it was a nobrainer in retrospect but not at the time for co team 6 to take bin laden. Increased drone attacks. The nsa still spying in the name of national security. I see an air war supported in libya and i dont understand how this equates to weakness . Well, and what youre describing is what we hear from so many of our constituents. Its inconsistency. And there are times where its been very weak. There are time whats he has spoken out in strength and he said the right things, but you referenced growing up and sitting in those bean bag chairs, and i bet as you were doing so, your mom just like my mom reminded me every day that actions speak louder than words. And what the American People would like to see is a consistency of action from this president. This is a a situation that, yes, indeed, the world is watching very closely. Well, lets lets then address the lets address the big question everyone is concerned about an aggressive russia. Congresswoman, lets address the big question. When you say actions, mom did say that, by the way and usually had a yardstick in her and what she said it to my brother and me. So did mine. When you say actions speak louder than words, are you saying crimea warrants a u. S. War issue . It bothers. I hear the comments an the president being a 90pound weakling but not republicans saying we should commit troops. Are you ready to make that statement . Michael, i think that what we should do is look at the options that are there. The president in his phone call with putin has laid out some things. The international monitors, the logistical support. Bringing together the talks that would be under international oversight, if you will. Then looking at sanctions and i know its early in the process for that, and that the state department is working on those, but certainly thats a consideration that we should move forward on, and probably do so quickly. But it sounds like those are the things that he actually is doing. Permit me to ask it a different way. On the world stage, do you see a european leader right now that you perceive to be acting with the sort of strength that you wish youd get from president obama . And if so, who is that individual and what is it that they are doing . I think that what we would like to see is president obama be more forceful and take that lead. You know, lets look at the issue of the energy right now. And Speaker Boehner had a great piece in the wall street journal speaking specifically on that. There are things that we could do domestically to work with our european allies and in the energy sector, with lng. You know, the house took an action itself last week to al w allow, or this week, to allow loan guarantees for the ukrainian people. Wide bipartisan support. What we need to do is realize, we are team america. We need to send this message to russia, to china, to others that may be aggressors and say, we are not going to stand for this. Well, thats actually where i began, when you put this in the terms of, we are team america. And maybe i should express it this way. David ignatius had a great piece in the post interviewing former secretary gates. Secretary gates you know, congresswoman, having served for both republicans and democrats himself. Sure, absolutely. A republican, and he said in a time of crisis we need to speak with one voice, and i think thats what upsets me the most about this. Absolutely. Were in a crisis, but not. You saw the montage. Were not eck intoing with one voice and some are putting politics ahead of national security. Thats how i perceive it, but you get the final word. This president has had a very weak past when it comes to Foreign Policy, and has had difficulty in articulating a Foreign Policy. What we want to do is make certain that we move to a point that the world understands what our Foreign Policy is, and that we are going to stand with people that honor freedom, free people, free markets and that we protect the sovereignty of the United States nap shou. That should be our goal. For better or worse, youre my first guest ever on cnn and im appreciative. Thank you. The unfinished story. Thank you. The s. A. T. Is one of the most important tests that many students will ever take. Now its undergoing big changes. The secrets behind the overhaul and why the exam still may not be fair. When its donut friday at the office i use my Citi Thankyou card to get two times the points at the coffee shop. Which will help me get to miami. And theyll be stuck at the cube farm. The Citi Thankyou preferred card. Now earn two times the points on dining out with no annual fee. Go to citi. Com thankyoucards. Raspberries, strawberries, working at your enamel, once its gone, you cant get it back. I would recommend using pronamel. Pronamel will help to reharden the enamel, i use that every day, twice a day, and i know that i am protected. And let in the dog that woke the man who drove to the control room [ woman ] driverless mode engaged. Find parking space. [ woman ] parking space found. [ male announcer ]. That secured the data that directed the turbines that powered the farm that made the milk that went to the store that reminded the man to buy the milk that was poured by the girl who loved the cat. [ meows ] the internet of everything is changing everything. Cisco. Tomorrow starts here. If youre like me, this image still strikes fear in your heart. I took the s. A. T. S. We all did. Right . I remember that stress and the questions and the empty circles. The clock is ticking. Your future may depend on getting all the answers right. The College Board, the group behind the s. A. T. , Just Announced sweeping changes to the test that will take effect in the spring of 2016. Theres an unfinished story here. About the reasons for the overhaul and whether it will help students get better scores. Todd belf wrote the cover store for tomorrow about the test, and its role in education. He joins me now from boston. Hey, todd. No joke. If Jeffrey Zucker were aware of my s. A. T. Score back in the day, central bucks west class of 1980, hed have never given me the gig on cnn which explains my bias against the test. My question for you who did a test that was designed to reveal diamonds in the rough turn out to be a test that many of us think rewards privilege . Well, i think that, the whole idea behind the s. A. T. , and by the way, just to mention, i think that you and me both would be, you know, given my s. A. T. Score, im not sure id be working for the New York Times either. So i think were in agreement there. But, yeah. I think that, you know, the idea with the s. A. T. Historically was that it would serve the interests of amark tock crazy nap this was going to be a standardized test that people could, you know could, do equally well on. The problem is, that its very socioeconomically based. Theres been a lot of discriminatory issues over the years with it. So, you know, its been problematic, and, you know, certainly the test and the College Board as a whole is a pretty has had a pretty significant p. R. Problem. Is it possible to develop a test that cant be gamed . I read your piece. Your piece is terrific and gives a great insight into the thought process, but at the end of it i was still wondering, even with these changes, will those who can afford to hire a prep Service Still have a significant edge . Well, thats the big question. Right . I mean, were still early in this process. Theyve Just Announced the changes. You know, i think theyve contracted with the con academy a wellrespected online resource for students to help everybody. So the idea, you know, the way david coleman, president of the College Board, the relatively new president of the College Board, explained it to me is that this is a nudge. That there should be additional changes coming down the pike, and i dont think you know this is a huge issue, right . It encompasses all the education. Our students being prepared equally at the high school level. I think we pretty much are all in agreement to know that isnt the case. You make whatever should happen go ahead. You make reference to research by folks, academics associated with Bates College and what they point out, when you do a comparison at those schools where its not necessary that youre application include an s. A. T. Score, you find a very negligible difference between students admitted with no s. A. T. Score and those admitted by filing an s. A. T. Score, which, of course, begs the question maybe the whole thing ought to be ditched . Correct. Right. Its a very significant study. You know, there have been test optional schools, socalled test optional schools dating back decades. Many small liberal arts schools, but this was the first stud toy lo study to look at a large swath of schools, lots of different types of schools. There were 30 universities and colleging looked at. This is a very significant study, and i think, but the fact of the matter is, its that 80 of fouryear colleges require the s. A. T. And i think the issue is, its complicated. Theres a lot of you know, because of the common application, theres a you know, a huge number of applications that colleges, College Admissions offices are trying to funnel through, and i mean, i know you know, im here in the northeast in the boston area. You know, a school like northeastern sees 50,000 applications. You know . Its kind of problematic to think that a school of that size could do what occurred to me in reading your piece and i hope everybody reads it tomorrow in the times, that if we go the achievement route, its really going to put the onus on teachers. Todd, thank you so much for being on the program. Thats tomorrows New York Times magazine. The headlines redefined. Were finding out are to the first time who really blew the whistle on the penn state abuse scandal. Headlines redefines. The headlines in big, bold print that may have missed the market. Number one, this one from espn. Com. Read sources say mcqueary abused as a boy. This is what i think it should have been. Penn state fan blows whistle to d. A. After abuse revealed in online chat, and i refer to excellent reporting at espns magazine by donovan nata jr. Under the headline, the whistleblowers last query. Remember Mike Mcqueary, big red head, star quarterback, on to be an assistant coach under the tutelage of joe paterno. Its he who sees something despicable taking place in a zhaoer in 2001 involving Jerry Sandusky but we all know he did not call police. I often wondered how did Law Enforcement find out about Mike Mcqueary and the shower. The story is unbelievable. Don reports that nine years after the shower incident, mcquearys older brother is involved in an online chat pertaining to penn state football and some random penn state fan says, do you ever think Jerry Sandusky will get a head coaching job . Mcqueary brother responds by saying, heck, no. My brother walked in on him with a young boy in the shower. Heres the kicker. That individual, and let me give him a shoutout, because hes a hero. Christopher hauser. He did immediately, what Mike Mcqueary never did. He saw that report in the email chat and he sent a report to the d. A. In Center County, pennsylvania. The Center County d. A. Acted on that tip, reached out for mcqueary and got his story. In other words, the person participating in the online chat did what mcqueary should have done nine years prior. Thats a heck of a story. Norah, give me another one. This is one comes from the san Antonio Express news. New evidence of wrongful conviction. Behind that headline, there is so much more to this story. Maybe the headline should have been, governor abbott, or governor davis, may have to admit that texas killed an innocent man nap wou. That would be more like it. Over the years ive been involved in debates of the Death Penalty as a proponent and like others have said to those in opposition to the Death Penalty, well, name for me one individual who was put to death that we now conclusively can say was innocent . People arent able to answer that question. That may be about to change. Cameron Todd Willingham executed in texas in 2004 for having killed his three daughters. The evidence that caused his conviction, twofold. A jailhouse snitch, and also socalled arson expert testimony. Well, the arson expert testimony has been discounted, has been disproven now, and es spergss cast on the jailhouse snitch, what the san Antonio Express line is all about. Heres whats really going on in this story. Rick perry the governor of texas is on his way out, never wavered in his believe that cameron Todd Willingham got what he deserved. I think the likelihood is strong that his successor, whether thats greg abbott, whether thats wendy davis, might soon after taking office in texas have to come to terms with the fact that texas did, in fact, execute an innocent individual. And that will change the Death Penalty debate. David graham from the new yorker deserves all the credit for bringing that story to light. Headlines redefined. Hang out a few minutes. I have a secret ive been keeping more than a year. Al snide heyder has been keepin for longer that than, and youre about to meet him. So