Proposal. Syrias chemical weapons will be placed under international control. The president shouldnt really be drawing red lines, and i hope hes learned hi lesson. Look into the camera talk directly to president Bashar Al Assad, tell him specifically what you think he must do. I dont need to talk to the camera. Overnight a wildfire near San Francisco doubled in size. The 3,700 acres, 100 homes evacuated. Flooding fears persist today in the southwest, yesterday in phoenix, about 2 1 2 inches of rain submerged several cars there. Hes shooting. More drama for George Zimmerman. His estranged wife called 911 saying he was threatening her with a gun. So far no charges have been filed. What are you going to tell me . He should pay me. One person is missing after a house explosion in northwest indiana. Debris scattered 75 yards away. Todays the day we find out if the rumors about apple are true. The tech giant expected to unveil two new iphones. Rafa nadal has won the u. S. Open for a second time and the Houston Texans have stunned the chargers managers went at it had to be restrained. Show walter hollering at girardi, screaming at him. And all that mattered. What is wrong with you . Thats what i want a response to. I heard the question. I guess find out if Anthony Weiner sticks around. Her latest music video, miley cyrus appears naked on a wrecking ball. The video for her new song metaphor. This mornings eye opener is presented by toyota. Lets go places. Welcome to cbs this morning. Good morning norah. Gorge charlie. Welcome back. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip to damascus. New developments from syria. The country says it is ready to deal on chemical weapons. The news comes hours before president obama takes his case to the American People. Monday the president suggested he might support a plan requiring syria to give up its chemical weapons. He told cbs news it was a potentially positive development. Margaret brennan is in washington. Reporter dont need a private conversation public. In the last few hours, syrias foreign minister said his country will accept the new proposal in order to avoid, in his words, u. S. Aggression. But still no detailed plan on how to verify or count the transfer of syrias chemical weapons. When one is presented, the u. S. Will take a hard look at it. The plan to allow international monitors to take control of syrias chemical weapons was first discussed behind closed doors by president s obama and putin at the g20 summit in russia last week. It was revealed publicly for the first time monday by secretary kerry in response to a question from cbs news. Is there anything at this point that his government could do or offer that would stop impact . Sure. He could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the International Community in the next week turn it over all of it. Reporter kerrys remarks prompted Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to float a similar proposal to the Syrian Government which quickly embraced it. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton called it an important step. In her first public remarks on the Current Crisis clinton warned the russians not to use the promise of a potential deal as a distraction to postpone a true resolution. This cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction. And russia has to support the International Communitys efforts sincerely or be held to account. On capitol hill where the president s plan to strike syria gets less popular by the day, members of congress on both sides of the debate were skeptical but said the russian proposal was worth exploring. Washington democrat adam smith is undecided on how hell vote. If syria were to give up all of their chemical weapons, i mean, that would be the best possible result. Reporter Illinois RepublicanAdam Kinzinger is one of the few in his party to publicly back president obama. If the this is a serious discussion about disarming assad, then it may be a winwin without military strikes but the clocks definitely ticking. Reporter western diplomats tell me that france and the u. S. Are very skeptical that syria will actually comply. And today france will ask the u. N. To enforce it militarily. But we know theres intense diplomacy under way, and that may delay any use of armed force or possibly win over some of the countries who have been reluctant to pledge support for action. This sudden potential has also allowed congress to postpone a vote on the president s call for military strikes. That vote was originally scheduled for wednesday. Margaret thank you. Charlie, even before these discussions became public president obama and president putin discussed this in st. Petersburg in a 20minute aside. You asked president assad about this. I asked him would he be willing to surrender his chemical weapons if, in fact, the president would not engage would not go forward with an air strike. And heres what he said. The president is prepared to strike and perhaps will get the authorization of congress or not. The question then is would you give up chemical weapons if it would prevent the president from authorizing a strike . Is that a deal you would accept . Again, you always imply that we have chemical weapons. I have to because thats the assumption of the president. Yeah. That is his assumption and he is the one who will order the strike. Its his problem, the assumption. But we would do anything to prevent the region from another crazy war. Anything to prevent the region from another crazy war. Yes e. You recognize the consequences for you if there is a strike. Its not about us. Its about the region. Its about your country, your people. Of course. My country. We are part of the decision. It cannot be discussed as syria. It should be part of the region. Thats how we have to look at it. I read that he was prepared to consider if it would not lead to an attack on syria. And well see whether you know scott pelley asked the president about this. Well talk to scott shortly. Well see whether we can verify and how long this would actually take. To make it happen. There is a new cbs News New York times poll this morning that finds the vast majority of americans, 61 , oppose a u. S. Military strike on syria. Only 30 support it. That is just some of the resistance president obama faces as he e speaks to the nation tonight. Cbs evening news anchor scott pelley sat down with the president to talk about syria. Scott, good morning. One of the first questions you asked the president , what do you think he thinks of this russian proposal that would have syria perhaps turn over or show some of its chemical weapons . Well norah, when i met with the president late yesterday, he looked a little bit relieved to my eye to at least have the possibility of avoiding this military strike which he clearly does not want to pursue against the wishes of the American People if he doesnt have to. However, the president of course was showing a great deal of skepticism. He said this has to be verifiable. It has to be enforceable. He said over the next several days were going to see how realistic all of this is. When we sat down with mr. Obama in the blue room of the white house, we started with this news that russia and syria were proposing a diplomatic way out of this jam. What do you see in a diplomatic deal . Well, the key is to paraphrase ronald reagan, that we dont just trust but we also verify verify. And so the importance is to make sure that the International Community has confidence that these chemical weapons are under control, that they are not being used, that potentially they are removed from syria, and that they are destroyed. Is the only agreement you would accept one in which we can be assured that all of syrias chemical weapons are destroyed . You know, i think its premature for me to start drafting language. I think i want to see what exactly is being proposed and in the interim it is very important for congress and the American People to recognize that we would not be getting even ticklers like this if it werent for the fact that we were serious about potentially taking action in the absence of some sort of movement. And so we need to keep the pressure on. The people arent with you. Yeah, well not yet, and as i said i understand that. Ill have a chance to talk to the American People directly tomorrow. I dont expect it will suddenly swing the polls wildly in the direction of another military engagement. If you ask the average person including my household, do we need another military engagement, i think the answer generally is going to be know. No. But what im going to try to propose is we have a very specific objective, a very narrow military option and one that will not lead into some largescale invasion of syria or involvement or boots on the ground, nothing like that. This isnt like iraq. Its not like afghanistan. Its not even like libya. Then hopefully people will recognize why i think this is so important. Assad essentially put you on notice today. In the interview with charlie rose he said of the United States if you strike somewhere, you have to expect the repercussions somewhere else in a different form in a way that you dont expect. He brought up 9 11 as an example of the kind of thing america did not expect. Do you take that as a threat . Well, i mean i think it was intended as a threat. I dont take it as a credible threat in the sense that mr. Assad doesnt have the capacity to strike us in a significant way. Our embassies in the region u. S. Personnel in the region theyre always potentially vulnerable to asymmetrical attacks, but the truth of the matter is those threats already exist from a whole range of groups. And we understand what those threats are and take those precautions very seriously. When you hear the president talk about an asymmetrical threat thats eventually pentagon talk for a terrorist threat. So the president tonight will be speaking to the nation at 9 00 eastern time. Of course well be carrying that for you here on cbs news. The idea is he hopes to be able to sway the American People and the 500 or so people who work under this dome behind me that it is appropriate to continue the military pressure. He believes that only with the threat of a military strike will this idea of syria destroying its chemical weapons actually be fulfilled. Charlie . Scott my impression is having talked with the president , that you sensed that he knows he has a very hard sell. The country seems to be divided over this. And the idea of some kind of compromise would give him and the syrians a way out. Absolutely. An off ramp, if you will. I mean certainly the president was looking for Something Like that. The president has been trying to sell this charlie, as you know for the last several days and from the head count that we have on capitol hill hes only been losing ground. For example, yesterday, three senators came out against this. Only one senator came out for it. So the president realizes that this is not something that the American People are interested in pursuing not something that congress is very excited about at least in terms of the military option. The president told us that even in his own household there wasnt a lot of support for the military option. But the president believes that the threat of military action is the thing that caused this diplomatic i want to say breakthrough, but we really dont know that its a breakthrough yet because we dont know what the details are, but this diplomatic option to suddenly come forward. And the president is going to ask his secretary of state to get with the russians and try to nail down the details on what he hopes will be a deal. Scott pelley thank you. It was interesting, charlie, as the president said to scott, even in his own household, that there is disagreement. The president in another interview also mentioned Michelle Obama essentially is opposed to military engagement. Striking. It is the top where did this proposal come from scott . We may have covered that but this idea that it has given such life to this. Well, charlie, you know, major garrett, our chief white house correspondent, was talking to his sources at the white house yesterday. And major told us that this idea came up from the russian president , vladimir putin, in a discussion that president putin and president obama had last week at the g20 economic summit which was in st. Petersburg russia. So apparently the president has known about this for several days. The world didnt know about it until our Margaret Brennan asked her question of the secretary of state yesterday. Thanks, scott. Thanks, scott. The president also indicated they talked about this a year ago too in a los cabos summit. Scott will bring you live coverage of president obamas address to the nation tonight at 6 00 p. M. On cbs. Senator john mccain is a longtime supporter of military intervention in syria. He joins us from capitol hill. Senator, good morning. Good morning, charlie. What do you make about all the news about some compromise put forward by the russians and the state department that might forbid a military strike . Well, i have a couple of thoughts charlie. One is that perhaps this would not have come about if it hadnt been for the threat of the military strike so there is some credibility to that course of action. But second of all, im very skeptical, and we should be since Bashar Al Assad has refused to acknowledge that he even has chemical weapons. But i think the best test right away would be the syrian acceptance of international monitors to go to these chemical weapons sites and get them under control immediately, while the details of whatever disposal and other modalities are being considered and agreed upon. If hes serious, then let the monitors in there right away. We know where these chemical weapons sites are and get them under control immediately. And finally, some of us are already working on a modification to the congressional resolution that would require strict time lines and strict guidelines that would have to be met as part of the authorization for the president. And have no doubt that the numbers that you just saw are because of an incoherence about the message as to exactly what the United States is trying to do in syria. When the secretary of state says that a strike would be quote, unbelievably small then what does that mean . And, again, i still strongly believe that the only way Bashar Al Assad leaves power is if theres momentum change which leads to negotiations and his departure. Senator mccain, i read through and watched all the interviews that the president did yesterday. And i was struck that as the president is trying to sell the case for a military air strike he repeatedly talked about how that is not one of his top options. He prefers a diplomatic option. He said i continue to believe there is not a military solution to the underlying conflict which is in part sectarian. Do you believe this new russian syrian deal will delay a strike . I think obviously it has to now norah, as far as congress is concerned, because we have to see how this plays out. Again, put me down as extremely skeptical. But he could not pursue this option would be a mistake. But, you know, again, 100,000 people have been massacred, a million children are refugees this is spreading into a regional conflict high school jeopardizing syria, lebanon, iraq is turning into a killing field for al qaeda and others and so we must in my view continue our effort to support those who are seeking to unseat negotiate the withdrawal departure of Bashar Al Assad. Senator john mccain, thank you very much. Time for this mornings headlines. Usa today czyz the Senate Judiciary committee will have landmark hearings today, the subject, legalizing marijuana, coming after the Justice Department announced it would no longer interfere with state laws that decriminalize pot. The Des Moines Register looks at a controversial iowa gun law sparking a nationwide debate. A change in the law allows blind people to carry guns in public because a physical disability is not among the reasons a gun buyer can be stopped from making a purchase. The l. A. Times says nascar is hitting Michael Waltrips racing team with a 300,000 fine for allegedly trying to fix race results. Nascar says the waltrip team deliberately staged a spinout. That way one of its drivers would qualify for nascars final championship series. The penalty is shaking up the list of contenders. Drive martin truex is out of consideration for the sprint cup. Ryan newman is back in the chase. The San Jose Mercury news says apple is expected to unveil new iphones today and the company will likely thouns a new iphone 5s with a faster processor along with a lower priced phone in multiple colors. An epic finnish the u. S. Opens men final in new york. For the third time in four years, rafael nadal and Novak Djokovic meet on centre court. Nadal took home the trophy in four sets, his 13th grand slam title. Only pete sampras and looks like temperatures will be cooling down around the bay area. Outside seeing more low clouds and fog surging further onshore. So that is good news for the firefighters. Humidities will be up and temperatures will be cooler for firefighters fighting that morgan fire. High pressure, well, its out there today but kind of weakening somewhat. Stronger sea breeze in effect so the temperatures going to be coming down. 60s coastside with some lingering clouds, some 80s and announce well inland. Next couple of days, will be cooler then slowing warm up through saturday. Announcer this National Weather report sponsored by safe safelite autoglass. A cancer patient said an experimental drug could save her life. Her doctor says she needs it now. This represents new hope