arizona, you're in "the situation room." this just coming in. on the eve of the new nuclear weapons showing that just how tight the race is. take a look 32% say rick san storm, but with the sampling eras that's constituentically a tie. ron paul coming in at 6%, let's go in depth right now with our chief political analyst gloria borger and depend can i washington bureau chief michael crowley. gloria, first you. arizona we all thought was supposed to be relatively easy for mitt rom in, but this a week before the primary is a horse race. >> nothing succeeds like success. rick santorum has had a lot of success, and we see him defining himself as the cultural conservative. as you point out, this was supposed to be an easy state for mitt romney. he could win, but there's a substantial number of mormons, he has moved way to the right and also has an organization dating back. show shows you that republican voters can to get their arrange. they were for pretty romney, but we know in michigan, and now in arizona as well, what's going on? the really interesting thing is that everyone has been talking about michigan. he grew up there, and so people michigan is proportional delegate -- even -- so romney, i think there was something he could have lost michigan. he does pretty well delegates. he loses arizona, he can't even come ouch 'tis saying, hey -- this could be a disaster for him. among tea party supporters, which candidate do you support? 35% of these self-described, 32% for romney, 21% for gingrich. ron paul, 7%. it's a real battle. >> and mitt romney has always had difficulty with tea party voters. on you producer went to a meeting of tea party supporters last night. take a listen to what they told him about mitt romney. 9 he's just like obama, as far as i'm concerned. he's acting like obama. >> he doesn't seem to have that personality that clicking with the people that some of the candidates do. i think that's one thing that's getting with santorum now. i think he's really clicking with the people in his values and everything. >> you know, wolf, when you look at the polls, republican voters have warmed up to rick santorum. they like him. they can identify with him. he presents himself as a pop you list who understands their economic problems. i think these voters what we have seen during this entire primary process is they don't see mitt romney as somebody who can understand what they're going through. and i think that's what we heard last night. >> how much of a setback, michael, would it be if romney lost one or both of these states a week from today? >> i think it would be a huge setback. as you mentioned before, just losing, the symbolism -- it just raises the question of, you know, when can he win when it's a clutch vote. to suffer the lost of all the delegates would be so hard, and where is the clear comeback strategy for super tuesday, moving ahead into march? those are not very friendly states for him overall. march in general does not look good for romney. so really he's got to make a stand or he roehl be deep in a hole. a fear battle hire as well as in beneficiary gan. thanks, guys. as the battle heats up, faith is becoming a hot button issue. jim acosta is also here in arizona. he's got more on what's going on. what is going on, jim? splashed across the drudge report were excerpts that santorum gave in 2008 when he said that satan was at war against the u.s. >> the father of lies has his sights on what you would think the father of lies, satan, would have his sights on. a good, decent, powerful, influential country, the united states of america. and satan has done so by attacking the great institutions of america, using those great vices of pride, vanity and senseual as the root to attack all these strong plants that have sowed deeply rooted in american tradition. it was too much for stephen colbert to resist. >> if rick santorum is commander in chief, he will do what no other president has had the courage to do -- to declare war on hell. >> reporter: all that fiery talk could singe santorum at the wrong time. in arizona and mitt romney's boyhood state of michigan. >> let me introduce the comeback kid, mitt romney, the next president of the united states of america. >> reporter: michigan could well be romney's firewall. >> i care about michigan. this is personal for me. >> reporter: that may explain wise he's -- with the more religious appeal to conservatives, including a vow to pick a running mate. >> my vice presidential nominee will be pro-life, all right? if i'm fortunate enough to become the nominee, i will also choose someone who is conservative to the core. >> reporter: and he accused the president of being hostile toward religion. >> unfortunately, perhaps because of the people the president hangs around with and their secular agenda, they have fall against religion. >> reverend, what about mitt romney? >> i like him. >> is he a christian? >> he's a mormon. >> but questions may hang over romney as well, as the reverend franklin graham to recognize the former massachusetts governor as a christian. that's contrary to the view of mormons, who do see themselves as christians. >> most christians would not recognize mormonism as part of the christian faith. >> so he's -- >> now, of course they believe in jesus christ, but they have a lot of other things they believe in too, that we don't accept. >> reporter: unlike some of his other events, rick santorum did dial down the rhetoric earlier this afternoon, asked about the controversy surrounding that speech in which santorum talked about satan back in 2008, a santorum spokesman told me, wolf, the controversy is, quote, ridiculous. wolf? >> it maybe by ridiculous, but people will be talking about it in this political season. no doubt about that, thank you very much, jim acosta. president obama is certainly pushing congress to work with him. he praised lawmakers for extending the payroll tax cut, but he said there's so much more that needs to be done. >> this may be an election year, but the america people have no patience for gridlock and just a reflexive partisanship and just paying attention to poll numbers and the next election and what we can do to strengthen opportunity for all americans, instead of -- focusing on the next election. i hope that we spend some time focusing on middle-class americans, and those struggling to get into the middle class. >> let's dig deeper with dana bash. dana, what's the president's goal in using the bully pulpit right now to preach bipartisanship at this sensitive political moment. >> wolf, the payroll tax issue was such a big pin for democrats politically and at a policy le, the president wants to capitalize as much as he can. it's no action he did this when congress was in recess. he also is trying very hard to bring back independent into the fold, those voters very much want to see washington work and obama is trying to position himself as the solution, not the problem. >> did their caving in in effect signal a change -- a brought are change in tone and strategy by house republicans? might they themselves benefit more with the president by cooperating? >> well, it certainly appeared to be a pivot. he knew that delaying the extension of this popular tax cut was very bad political and decided to push it, though it annoyed many rank and file. democratic and republican sources tell me to look for other issues like this, where congress is most likely to work together to get something done, but some of what stuck, wolf is not because of partisanship, but because of the fighting within the parties. take, for example, the transportation bill. this is a huge, 250-plus billion piece of legislate, it stalled in the hours over issues like the size, how to pay for it. give us a reality check, dana. is -- what significant legislation do you see on the horizon that potentially could pass congress? >> i asked that question of democratic and republican sources today in right of what the president said, and they said the one example i gave, tax cuts for small businesses, probably the most likely. tax cuts to promote american manufacturing, a legislation to help small businesses go public, and another issue that generally doesn't get caught up in the par san ship is a bill to crack down on cybersecurity, but the major issues like entitlements don't expect that, not in election year. it doesn't happen last year, don't hold your breath on those big issues? >> i'm not holding my breath at all. dana, thanks very much. you won't want to miss the high stakes contest here tomorrow night. watch the arizona republicanial debate, 8:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn. john king moderating the debate for us. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear a politically charged case about race in college admissions. the lawsuit was first filed back in 2008 by a young white woman whose application to the university of texas was rejected. the school considers applicant's race as one of the many factors designed to create a diversion campus. next hour we'll speak with jeff toobin. a warning from iran threatening preemptive action. a top iranian general says iran won't necessarily wait for a first strike before attacking, and i'm quoting now, enemies who want to endanger our national interest. the remarking come among heightened. outrage in afghanistan. after a muslim holy books are burned in an american airfield. now we're learning why those copies of the quran were destroyed. also doctors in syria arrested, even tortured, but still risking their lives. also signs of weakness in these critical days. job job wafrts to ask you about the romney campaign and what's next. that's coming up in "the cafferty file." if there was a pill to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? 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[music playing] confidence. available in color. depend® for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend®. good morning. great day. that's going to have to be done by a certain date. you always have homework, okay? i don't have homework today. it's what's right here is what is most important to me. it's beautiful. ♪ ♪ jack cafferty is here with "the cafferty file." >> wolf, there is growing concern among republicans that mitt romney cannot deliver. if he loses his home state of michigan next week, expect what are now whispers to become shouts. rick santorum has opened a ten-point lead over romney in one national poll, his largest ever. gallup's shows his leading in michigan as well. and in the key swing state in ohio. all the money in the world doesn't seem to matter much. the romney campaign spent $19 million last month, plus the super pac supporting hem. one of the few things still in romney's favor is electable. meanwhile, some senior republicans are so nervous about the state of the race they're circulating a plan b, a scenario where another candidate who's not even in the race yet wins the nomination, and then goes up against president obama. some of the names out there including the usual suspects, mitch daniels, chris kris yik, jeb bush, while none of them seem all that interested, there is also sarah palin. they says if there's a brokered schenck she would, quote, do whatever i can to help. here's the question. how close is mitt romney to being toast? go to cnn.com and post a comment on my log. i'll be anxious to hear what our viewers think about that question, jack. thank you. i apologize, two words coming from leon panetta in the face of rather angry protests in afghanistan. nato troops admitted they burned qurans at the, says, it was a mistake. it was an error. our own brian todd is taking a closer look. first of all, brian, what happened? >> military officials in afghanistan say there was an effort to dispose of some documents, documents containing extremist inscriptions that could possibly have been used by militants to communicate. in trying to do that, some copies of the quran were mistakenly burned. one official says some of the material was removed from a detainee center because of inscriptions indicating the official says that the documents may have been used to facilitate extremist message. u.s. military officials apologize for what they call an error, but experts say even an accidental mishandling of the quran is dangerous. >> we don't want this to happen, because this is going to start affecting the own troop withdrawal. >> akbar ahmed says an understanding of these protests. has to have an understanding. he says the quran is so revered, the only time they take it out is around the time of prayer, and before that hands should be washed from hands to elbow, face three times and the feet. when it's time to place it down, it should always be placed at the highest point in the room. when you're in the same room, you should not point your feet toward the book. he says qurans are passed between generations in families. one muslim scholar says if a quran is damaged, burning, burying or shredding it is acceptable, otherwise -- >> you're never supposed to dispose of them in any way. >> not muslims. >> what about non-muslims. >> again, it's entirely in the united states, it's a free country, free speech, free actions. i would say that if as american is not a muslim been has copies -- take to to an islamic center or mosque and say i have a cup 8 copies, i don't want to insult your faith by throwing them into the dust bin, would you come tanned collect them? >> but ahmed emphasized he does not excuse the violence reactions to incidents like what happened last year after a florida past ore sermoniusly burned a copy of the book and krounds attacked a u.n. facility in afghanistan, tilling 12 people. he says leaders have to talk to their followers about appropriate responses. >> did she speak about people misinterpreting what's in the quran? >> he did. he said if attacked, you must defend yourself. he says for many muslims that's enough to look at situations like this and say we are being attacked, but in their responses they often do things that go against the tenets of islam, and things get out of control. >> more on this in the next hour. thanks very much, brian. rick santorum's hint that satan has his eyes set on the united states. will his spiritual war resonate with voters or push some away? we'll discuss that and more in our strategy. and a republican says he's a victim of a political plot to destroy his reputation. my revealing conversation with sheriff paul bedyu is the something you can't must. we have a follow-up, with the latest developments and more coming up. tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. 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[ male announcer ] learn more from your state farm agent today. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. right to our strategy session, joins us, democratic strategist maria cardona. mary matt lan, you know, for hours now, it's been leading the drudge report. among other things, he raise the whole issue. i'll play a little clip of what he said. >> this is not a political war ought all. this is a spiritual war. the father of lies has his sights on what you would think the father of a good, decent, country. if you were satan, who would you attack? >> how will this play for republican voters leer in arizona, in michigan a week later. >> you know, wolf, he's a devout catholic, using the language of the well-versed catholic at a catholic university. that was not a campaign event. i've known rick santorum for decades. i've campaigned with him. when he's a political event, he using language more familiar and connective with an audience larger than the catholic population, but there's also not particularly over the top to use that language right now. they're in the swing states, and obama has lost the support of those -- in the last go around. but this isn't necessarily a bat thing for rick san storm. how do you think this will play -- -- >> well, i think it should certainly hurt him, wolf. >> not the first time -- when it comes to how right-hand -- and the problem is though mary was right, in front of a catholic audience, the people who hear this out of context or just in the snippets are not going to understand that, and they're going to connect it with the other out of the mainstream comments that he's made about women not being able to get in combat, about seemingly comparing the obama administration to the rise of hitler. that's why the serpent go got into this game. satan loves big government. what was the apple but the original food stamp. >> all right, so you know, mary, he will be ridiculed for bringing into the whole discussion. when drudge has this on a top now for hours, you know this is going to be a potential problem. colbert is a brilliant comedian, and also a brilliant jesuit. i've had conversations with him. so that's a completely separate thing. there's a lot of catholic in michigan, let's not forget that, but voters understand the language of the pulpit and the language of the campaign. this isn't just about the economy. this is people understand the expansion of government in many programs has resulted, but in the degradation of the culture. not just republicans and conservatives, but maina stream conservatives. they served in the senate, served in congress, served in the swing state for as many years as he did, is not going to put off mainstream voters. they're going to listen to what he says and the policy positions that follow. >> it's already put of