the payroll tax cut. it's set to expire at the end of this year. president obama called john boehner today and the white house has even put a counterdown clock on the home page of its website. it says if the house does not act, taxes on the middle class will increase starting the first of the year. let's go to the white house. our chief white house correspondent, jessica yellin, is standing by with the latest on this dramatic political showdown. what is the latest? >> the latest is that the white house believes there is only one way for the nation to avoid an increase in the payroll tax cut and that is for speaker john boehner to bring that senate pass two month extension to a vote. just this morning, speaker boehner said that's not going to happen. >> we're here, we're ready to work. we're looking for our counterparts to sit down with us so we can do what the president and leaders want and that's to extend the payroll tax cut for one year. >> now, midday today, the president hold a ten-minute conversation with the speaker in which he urged him to vote on this senate pass bill and the white house is saying there is simply no time to get the year long version done before the new year. here's press secretary, jay carney. >> we urge the house leadership speaker boehner to reconsider that position to allow the senate bill to come up to allow the house of representatives to vote on it. because we are confident. that it would pass with both democratic and republican support. >> wolf, from the white house's perspective, the speaker so isolated politically on this issue. it's not just house and senate democrats who object to the speaker's position, but also some, many senate republicans and now, the conservative "wall street journal's" editorial page has criticized the speaker for refusinging to hold a vote. the white house sees pressure mounting on speaker boehner, wolf. >> what would be the problem, what do you say at the white house if they accepted the challenge from the speaker and let the senate name some conf conferees and they have the rest of this week, all of next week, to come up with some sort of compromise that might have a chance of passing by december 31? what does the white house say the wrong with what the speaker is asking? >> the view is first, they do believe in a one-year extension and believe one will get done in january of next year, but there just isn't time between now and december 31st for all the ts to be crossed and is to be dotted and to simply get this thing done and ensure that taxes don't go up, they need this two-month extension. the nation needs this passed and their point is they're not the only ones who believe this. senate republicans also agree including senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell, and that's why he cut this deal and passed the two-month extension. it's a question of getting it done over the holidays wolf and a matter of time. >> there's a growing split between the senate republicans who voted for this compromise, vote of 89-10 in the senate and the house republicans who are opposed to this two-month extension. jessica, thanks very much. as jessica just mentioned, congressional republicans who read "the wall street journal" editorial page this morning did get a certain shock. the conservative editorial page slammed them over the payroll tax cut battle. the white house press secretary, jay carneyhis daily briefing to. >> follow the advice of numerous republican senators. follow the advice of the wall street editorial page. words i never thought i'd speak. follow the advice of senators mccain and corker and grassley and others and pass the bipartisan compromise, make sure that americans don't have their taxes go up on january 1st. >> here's part of what that "wall street journal" editorial said. it was the lead editorial in the newspaper. let me read it to you. a line. given how much mitch mcconnell and john boehner have handled the payroll tax debate, given how mitch mcconnell and john boehner have handled the debate, we wonder if they might end up re-electing the president before the campaign begins in earnest. that's a direct quote. let's talk about it with cnn's political director, mark preston, who's here. mark, it's highly unusual for house republicans and senate republicans the leadership of both the republicans in congress to be at this war amongst thems. >> and we have senate republicans appear as if they're aligning with the white house against the house republicans. it's devastating, as you said, in the "wall street journal" today, you do not want to be on the wrong side of their editorial page if you are a republican. certainly not on economic thought. i was talking to a republican strategist in florida about 15 minutes ago and said how's it playing done there. he said this is not going to help us heading into 20 1. not only with the presidential election, but this doesn't help with these downed battle races as republicans try to hold on to the house, try to take back the senate. >> they think the fear among these republican is that they're giving the president and republicans a gift. if there's no extension, the republicans will be blamed. the president will get a bonanza politically. >> and the republicans are being blamed. this is a christmas gift to the democrats. what we're seeing right now, wolf, is how this would affect everyone's wallet individually. we've run pieces where it talked about how much this would actually affect people, so right now, republicans are on the wrong side of this issue. >> what would have thought that even tea party favorites in the senate like marco rubio, for example, he voted to have this two-month extension, but the house republicans are saying two months is not good enough. you need a full year. >> it is and it really, i think you hit the nail on the head when you talk about the tea party. the tea party is what helped republicans take back the house and really give a lot of energy. the tea party right now certainly on the house side. that was republicans, john boehner was for this and he had to be against it. >> when you say that, because a lot of people are saying that boehner as speaker is proving himself, they say, to be weak right now. that he sort of gave indications to mitch mcconnell, the republican leader in the senate, he could live with this compromise. the senate overwhelmingly passed it, but then when the tea party activists and others got wind of it, they hated and he capitulated. >> what we have to understand is what is john boehner's role. he's the heeder of the house republicans, so when he was a growing segment of house republicans to say they are not going to go support this, many ways, he has to help them. another way is that maybe john boehner should have been more forceful and told them, take the two-month extension and let's live to fight another day. let's not deal with it right before christmas when people are hurting and losing their houses. >> a lot of these freshmen, they revelted and republicans are paying a price. thanks very much. the white house meanwhile is usinging another tactic to pressure those house republicans and it's twitter that sent out a tweet today highlighting the extra money american workers h see come out of their paychecks starting january 1st unless congress acts. mary snow is working that part of the story for us. what's happening here, mary? >> well as the white house uses those numbers to pressure republicans, some house republicans are trying to turn the pressure up on democrats to come back and negotiate. but with no action, changes or just days away from now for millions of americans. with washington in gridlock over the payroll tax cut extension, if it's not passed, roughly 160 million americans will see their paychecks shrink. cnn money says the change will start right away. >> the payroll processors have to make a edition come january 1 what the rate is going to be. if they don't hear from congress, they've got to go according to the low and the law says payroll tax will go up 2%. >> for a family making $50,000 a year, that means roughly 40 less every two weeks. that is a number the white house seized on launching a twitter campaign asking americans what $40 means to them. this gas station here charges $3.59 a gallon. for many people, $40 doesn't even fill their gas tank. this person writes $40 means milk, bread, juice, cheese off a grocery list. but critics add your $40 won't even by a donut when barack obama gets done destroying the u.s. dollar. fred upton says there's no disagreement that the mean moneys a lot to americans, but he says the tax cut should be extended for a full year and that democrats should come back to washington to negotiate instead of passing the senate democratic plan to extend the tax cut for only two months. >> good grief, today's wednesday. there's no reason why we couldn't have been sitting down appointing conferees before that. >> if there's no agreement, it would mean families making $35 a year would pay $700 more a year. for a family making $90, it would be $1800 more and for those earning $110,000 and more, it would add up to $2300 plus. and of course, there's a cost to trusting government as people across america voice disgust in government gridlock. one other potential scenario is that an agreement is worked out in january to extend the payroll tax cut and if that happens, there is a good chance that the extension would be retroactive. that would mean people would get their money back. >> congress can do whatever it wants. let's talk about the unemployment benefits for a lot of team that would expire at the end of this year if there's no deal. how many people are we talking about? >> there are estimates that about 1.8 million people in the month of january would see their unemployment benefits expire. what's at stake here as the unemployment benefits would go up to 99 weeks. and that extension was not passed. so, 1.8 million americans are estimated to lose those extra unemployment benefits. >> more pressure on the congress to come up with a deal. thanks very much, mary snow, reporting. meanwhile, a former chef tells all about north korea's mysterious new leader. what was kim jong eun like as a teenager? plus, i'm on assignment in north korea a year ago. i'll share some of what i saw inside the world's most isolated country. ision. then my eye doctor told me about acuvue® oasys for astigmatism. he said it's the only lens of its kind designed to realign naturally with every blink so now, i'm seeing more clearly. 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[ male announcer ] learn more from your state farm agent today. north korea's new leader has reportedly already exercised his military authority. a south korean news agency cited a source as saying kim jong eun issued his first military command just before his father's death was announced. he ordered all units to halt field exercises and return to their bases. we're also getting new insight into the new leader from a former chef who also gives a glimpse into the family's lavish lifestyle. here's anna korn in seoul, south korea. >> reporter: as north korea mowns the loss of its dear leader, they are anxiously awaiting for his son to reveal what kind of successor he will be. one man with a personal insight, the personal chef. one of the few outsiders allowed in to this reclusive world. he says he was a meat and sushi chef from japan who would be invited to kim jong-il's private parties and drink with him. he would ask me, do you love me. the two men shared a passion for fine food and while many north koreans were starving, kim jong-il would send him around the world to buy ingredients for lavish dishes. he traveling to iran, denmark and thailand. on a trip to japan, i bought a whole tuna for 40,000 u.s. dollars, he tells us. i would do this trip a few times a year. but while in pyonyang, he spent time with the young kim jong eun, whom he described after defecting to japan as a chip off the old block, believing this teenager would one day succeed his father. he would also take the lead over his brothers, he says. he was always going to succeed his father. kim jong eun has inherited a country with nuclear capabilities, a crippled economy and a humanitarian crisis. the u.n. estimates a quarter of the population is facing starvation and while many think he will follow in his father's footsteps, kim believes he is worldly of what his country does not have. i believe he is aiming at reform in open society, explains the chef. he will look to china so that the country can move forward. while there are fears that kim jong eun and others around him may act to prove his leadership, he is hopeful he will bring stability to the korean pe ni peninsula and lead his country into the international arena. >> i was in north korea exactly one year ago accompanying the veteran american diplomat, bill richardson, on a mission to try to ease nuclear tensions. here is some of what i saw in the world's most isolated country. today's trip takes us into the country side. once again, we're the only car on the road. we're in the vehicle. we've just left pyonyang. we're on the road to an apple ar chard. not exactly sure what hawe're about to see, but supposedly, it's a pretty impressive sight. with electricity scarce, there are no lights in the tunnels. except for our car's headlights. it's pitch-black inside. we drove out to the country side and we're here overlooking all of these fruit trees. it's like row after row aft after row after row. i guess once the time is right, you'll see a lot of apples and other fruit growing right behind me. >> thank you very much. >> the visit is well choreographed. our guides take us to a little college where we meet an elderly woman and her grandson. inside, a picture of the great and dear leaders, whom we're told, had visited this farm. unlike so many homes in north korea, this one has electricity. >> at the most, people have these brick ets that are made of coal and those are the lucky ones and the grandson was quite curious about our cameras. so, i gave him my camera so he could start taking pictures, which he really liked. >> back in the city, i had another scare. one point, i go out into the lobby and see a tv up on the screen and i'm with my handler. it looked like they just broke away from some heroic opera and go into some music. militaristic music and i say, i've been to totalitarian regimes. when they go to that music, that usually is a signal, get ready, it's a bad situation, we're about to go to war. what if they close the airport? we'll be stuck in north korea. that night, we have dinner with the vice foreign minister. it's off the record, but we're getting a better sense of how the decision makers in north korea think. >> i think is a good sign that they are putting people up who are able to engage the world. i was very much impressed with it. >> this coming friday, we're going to have a special edition of "the situation room." you can see the entire documentary chronicling my assignment there one year ago today. this friday, 5:00 p.m. eastern, 2:00 pacific. newt gingrich issues a challenge to mitt romney to reject negative campaign ads. romney responds with a challenge of his own. roc® multi-correxion 4 zone moisturizer with roc®retinol and antioxidants. lines, wrinkles, and sun damage will fade. roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you. you'd do that for me? really? yeah, i'd like that. who are you talking to? uh, it's jake from state farm. sounds like a really good deal. jake from state farm at three in the morning. who is this? 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[ male announcer ] the only place to go for last-minute christmas gifts. walmart. new plans for japan's quake damaged nuclear power plant. mary snow is monitoring that and some other top stories. >> wolf, today, japan unveiled a plan to scrap the fukushima plant which was crippled in march. the first phase begins within two years. crews will start removing fueled debris within two years. the plant is scheduled to be decommissioned in 40 years. the u.s. is stepping up its pressure on al assad to step down immediately. today, the white house issued a statement saying he is not worthy to rule his nation after violating his commitment to end a deadly crackdown on protesters. sierra is calling on the counsel to protect the people from genocide. in about two days, about 50 people have been killed an for the second year in a row, pakistan has been declared the world's deadliest country for journalists to work in. the committee to protect them says among the 43 journalists killed worldwide this year, seven died in pakistan. another non-profit group issued an even higher death count. reporters without borders says it documented ten journalists death. >> thanks very much. an uprising by egyptian women outraged by the beating of one of their own by government forces. we'll talk to one woman journalist who had her bones broken. she has a very strong message to egypt and the world. that's coming up. nyquil:what? tissue box (whispering): he said nasal congestion... nyquil: i heard him. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. long-lasting, too. yeah, i could really use this silverado. deer. fish. fantastic. ♪ this holiday, chevy's giving more. now qualified buyers can get 0% apr for 72 months on a 2011 chevy silverado. or 0% apr financing for 60 months plus no monthly payments until spring. ♪ [ woman ] ♪ what i want this season ♪ if you'd like to try and guess ♪ ♪ it is something very special ♪ i would readily confess [ dogs barking ] ♪ 'cause all i want this season ♪ ♪ is something from your heart ♪ la da da, la da da [ male announcer ] thinking of others this holiday season, travelers. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? 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[ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. it's a truly horrifying image. a woman being brutally beaten by egyptian security forces and it has created outrage of the country's military rulers. it's boiling over in egypt and beyond. >> they march to prove they're not afraid. over 1,000 women showing they will not be called, despite the tensions and a growing crackdown in cairo. many converged on tahrir square to voice the anger on the brutality on female protesters, holding up plaques, reminders of horrific scenes like this one. an egyptian woman being beaten by riot police, dragged, partially stripped of her clothing, even stomped on. the women marching today, not just expressing outrage of the treatment of female protesters, also voicing extreme anger. when hoesny mubarak was outed, the military took over, but protesters are calling for the counsel's removal, accusing them of betraying egypt's revolution, blaming them for the brutality. >> it's an international crime. we should be -- they should be tried for this. >> underscoring just how tense and volatile the situation here has become, a protective ring was formed around the women as they walked. as