Oklahoma Grass Fire Threatens Homes
WHITFIELD: All right, checking top stories right now, one person is dead and three others are missing after a coast guard helicopter crashed in Mobile Bay, Alabama. The crew was on a training mission when the chopper went down last night. A search continues for the missing crew members. North Korea has agreed to a moratorium on long-range missile launches and nuclear activity at its major nuke site. That word this morning from the U.S. State Department. North Korea agreed to the move in exchange for food aid. And live pictures right now of Hillary Clinton talking about this deal before a House committee on Capitol Hill. Opposition activists in Syria say children are among the victims of attacks by government forces. A witness says this video shows a boy under rubble in the city of Homs. The opposition says another boy, a 13-year-old, was killed by sniper fire today. All right, "Political Buzz" is your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today: Pete Dominick, comedian and political talk show host on Sirius XM Radio; Andrew Romano, is a senior writer at "Newsweek"; and Tom Blair is the author of "Poorer Richard's America". All right good to see all of you gentlemen. First question let's jump right in to last night's primary results, Romney beating Santorum but Super Tuesday looms are there any turning points left in this race, Pete?</s>PETE DOMINICK, COMEDIAN: Yes absolutely. There are still so much could happen. Everything going on in Iran, gas prices will be focused on, but I don't think most Americans are really going to think anything too special about Super Tuesday unless it's a sale at Wal- Mart, Fred. I think next week really does matter, and then after that we've got how many? Six months until August 27th. We'll see. There's still plenty of time. And maybe for drama, maybe Mitt Romney will light his fair on fire or go on the "Colbert Report." Oh God forbid.</s>WHITFIELD: Ok. Tom?</s>TOM BLAIR, AUTHOR, "POORER RICHARD'S AMERICA": I think we need to correct the statement. I don't think Mitt won. I think what happened is he got the -- the vote by default. In fact he didn't even get the majority of votes. In the same hand, I'm not sure Santorum lost to Mitt. I think he lost to a bunch of women that said don't tell me about birth control until you change a few thousand diapers. And a lot of Americans sort of look back fondly on JFK. I think there will be drama, but it will the drama from the left field. Or there'll be the Reverend Wright type of drama, the Monica Lewinsky type of drama. It won't be drama from talking about serious issues to serious people.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Andrew?</s>ANDREW ROMANO, SENIOR WRITER, "NEWSWEEK": Yes you know this was supposed to be easy month for Mitt Romney. It turned out not to be that way. March, the line up is much more difficult for him going into Super Tuesday. States in the south like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Santorum is leading there. So you know I think there will be drama but it's going to be a strange kind of existential drama. Everyone thinks Romney is going to win but no one can figure out how he's actually going to do it and well be tuning in to watch that.</s>WHITFIELD: Ok and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine calling it quits after this term. Is this a stealth game changer for the Democrats? Tom you first.</s>BLAIR: It could be. But I think the -- the Democrats have the perfect opportunity to drop the ball the same way they dropped the ball when they are trying to replaced Ted Kennedy's seat. I accept the Senator's statement that really Congress has become too polarized. I think when she went in we -- we had Tipp O'Neill in, we had Bob Dole in. Then there was only one litmus test, that litmus test was you need to do what's best for America. I think she is frustrated with the different variety of litmus test now that tend to be extreme.</s>WHITFIELD: Pete.</s>DOMINICK: I don't know if stealth game changer is right. Jeremy Lin is a stealth game changer. But the Democrats</s>WHITFIELD: Ok and Andrew?</s>ROMANO: Yes. Olympia Snowe, you know she sided with Democrats some of the time. She is the most moderate Republican in the Senate. There is no Republican who looks like they can win the race now and Maine stepping in, so that's going to be a seat that's going to go to the Democrats. Democrats still have uphill battle, though I think there are seven Democratic seats in play versus only three Republican seats. So they could very well lose control of the Senate even with Olympia Snowe stepping out.</s>WHITFIELD: Ok and your "Buzzer Beater" 20 seconds. Conan O'Brien joking last night about fading interest in the Republican primaries. Here's what he said.</s>CONAN O'BRIEN, TALK SHOW HOST: If you're tuning in for news about the Michigan primary, I have two things to say. We tape early, and we don't care, ok. We just -- we're all together on this? I've tapped into my audience perfectly right there.</s>WHITFIELD: Oh boy, ok so here is the question. Was he cutting a little close to the bone there, Pete?</s>DOMINICK: Well, no. I would never ever criticize my idol, Conan.</s>WHITFIELD: I didn't think you would.</s>DOMINICK: The great, it was a great joke. And that's what he's supposed to do. The -- I just think that it is getting boring. For those of us that cover politics, it's getting a little boring. I'm sorry, that's how I feel. And why? Because there's four white guys, Ron Paul is exciting, he has a lot of different ideas. But back in '08, it went all the way to June, but there was a black or a female, an African-American or a woman was going to be the first President. That did make it exciting. Maybe they should have a Jeremy Lin run.</s>WHITFIELD: Tom?</s>BLAIR: Well, let me go back to Olympia Snowe. I would suggest that when you're 65 years old you have the right to quit and not be called a quitter. But that's just me because I'm over 65. Actually, I don't think Americans have an interest in the primaries, they have an interest in the candidates. We're going to a point where there are actually entertaining and it's enjoyable on the evening news to really watch Mitt talk about what kind of cars his wife drives or perhaps listening to Santorum suggest that "Onward Christian Soldiers" should be our new national anthem.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Andrew last word.</s>ROMANO: Yes, I don't -- I don't know what Conan is complaining about. These guys are sort of writing his monologues for him and every day out there on the trail with the jokes about NASCAR and contraception. So you know keep it coming. It's working out well for the late-night comedians.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Andrew, Tom, Pete, thank you, gentlemen.</s>DOMINICK: Thank.</s>BLAIR: Thanks Fred.</s>ROMANO: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, lawmakers on Capitol Hill don't want your next ocean cruise to end like this one. They're looking for answers. And they'll hear from survivors of this tragedy. And global condemnation targets the Syrian regime over attacks on its own people. Now comes word the Pentagon has drawn up plans for military options against Syria. Our exclusive report after this break.