>> i'm john heilemann. >> and, i'm mark haleperin. with all due respect, a departing white house -- sam katz. [laughter] ♪ on the show tonight, the president cannot cross a bridge. chris christie tries to shake a bridge and the colonies are welcoming the duke and duchess of cambridge. dianne feinstein, the head of the senate intel committee, has long wanted the report critical of cia torture a.k.a. enhanced interrogation tactics and of cia conduct to be released.

on the eve of the launch party blurbs already coming in from notable critics like george w. bush. >> we are fortunate to have men and women who work hard at the cia serving on our behalf. these are patriots. whatever the report says, if it diminishes their contributions to our country, it is way off base. >> another critic, former cia director michael hayden. >> to say that we relentlessly over an extended period of time lied to everyone about a program that was not doing any good, that beggars the image. >> this will probably be the biggest story in politics. will this torture report be a one-day beltway story or bigger? >> first of all, this would not be this big of a story it wasn't for the fact we had this reporting from bloomberg view

that said john kerry called the committee to say i want you to delay the publication of this report. that has blown it up into a bigger deal with all these bush people out in force. kerry just wanted her to inform him when she was going to put it out. i think that has blown the story up to a bigger level. >> this is going to be a partisan fight. the american people are totally conflicted because they don't want torture. they don't want lying to congress, but at the same time the other thing they wanted after 9/11 is america to be kept safe. i think their tolerance for some of this stuff is going to be pretty high. >> i will tell you one reason why it is more than an inside the beltway scrap is history. there is no doubt this is going backward and looking back at the behavior of the cia and elsewhere in this time.

this report, as detailed as it is going to be, it will shed some light on what happened back then. for our understanding of what happened, it is important for it to be in the record. >> i think it will just be a partisan scrap. there will be stuff in here that will shock people about what was done. there will be some reaction around the world. but i don't think domestically it will dominate for more than one day. >> i think after the scrap is over, this will be an important document to look back at later. onto new jersey where the state legislative committee investigating bridgegate issued a report which found that there is "no conclusive evidence of whether governor chris christie knew about the controversial lane closings at the george washington bridge in 2014." -- in 2013." my question for you is whether

this report means -- as a lot of christie allies have been saying -- christie is now politically scot-free? >> as we say here, so not. they didn't talk to five of the key people. >> like the five key people. >> the grand jury is humming along. there is talk there could be indictments from the prosecutor early in the year. i am not saying they will indict governor christie but this thing is not over until the grand jury, the federal grand jury says what they will do. you can bet that even if the prosecution does not speak because they are indicted, these people will someday talk. >> this was a long time ago. we talked a lot about this at the time. what people are focusing on is not whether chris christie ordered the lane closings or if he knew about it. there was an extraordinary press conference at the end of the year where he said he knew nothing about any of it right before he actually fired people. i think if there are indictments, especially if there

are, we are going to still find out it is possible there is a cultural thing here. something was thinking about -- something was stinky this about regardless of anything was criminal or if chris christie knew about it. >> no indication that governor christie knew or any indication that he did anything illegal. once rocks start turning over in new jersey politics, these people in this state don't have a culture of doing investigations. they were basically starting from scratch and did not do a very good job. they basically said they did the best they could without interviewing a lot of key people. >> this thing has had a big effect on chris christie. he could be the next president but this last year has been way different for him than it should have been getting himself ready to run. he is no longer the undisputed front-runner. it is only because of this thing. >> there is a looming problem

for him. it is easy for democrats -- republicans nationally to look at this committee and say it is a partisan witchhunt. the prosecutor is very credible with democrats and republicans and non-partisans. if he indicts somebody, it will be very hard for chris christie to point at it and call it a witchhunt. >> everyone i know is still dying to hear from the five people. >> the most important speech that barack obama has ever given about race was done before he was ever president. in the midst of the jeremiah wright controversy. now, as he nears the end of his time in the white house, the president is confronting the issue of race again. this is what the president told bet about race relations in americans. >> if you talk to your parents grandparents, uncles, they will tell you that things are better. not good, in some cases, but better. >> meanwhile, our new bloomberg politics poll shows most americans say that race

relations have gotten worse since president obama took office. white house spokesman josh earnest was prompted on that matter today. >> the people who are able to step back and evaluate the current state of race relations in this country would acknowledge two things. we have made tremendous progress, but they would readily acknowledge that more important work needs to be done and this is work the president is committed to. >> are the american people right? have race relations gotten worse or is it just the fact that our poll was taken in the midst of the aftermath of ferguson and long island? >> i do think they are wrong about this. the aftermath question is part of it. this poll is being taken in the aftermath of ferguson while there are protests going on all over the country in the wake of the garner non-indictment here. what has happened is not the the race relations have gotten worse

but having an african-american president has shown people that race relations were not as good as they thought they were to begin with. i don't think much progress has been made but i think having a more polarized, racially-charged discussion because barack obama's chief executive has heightened everyone's awareness of the underlying tensions that have always been in american life. >> i have nothing to back this up except my own travels and reporting. i think race relations have becoming a tale of two american. in some places, i think they have gotten better. in other places -- >> like new york city. >> except for staten island and st. louis, i think race relations have not improved. i think you are right. an african-american president may have highlighted that. in some parts of the country things have gotten better. >> i think the president was right in that earlier part of the bite.

if you ask your grandparents or parents, you go back 50 years, things are getting better. chris rock did a great interview the other day where he talked about his mother used to go to a place in south carolina to get her teeth pulled. they would have to go to a veterinary office and go to the back because if they went to the front door, white people would not want to bring their animals. that was one generation ago. not three, and not five. we are not in that america anymore. >> we have come a long way in a very short amount of time but still a lot of ways to go. >> that is right. a much less serious topic bloody , hell! the royals are in the new world. will and kate are swanning around the east coast dragging around the paparazzi. they were at the carlyle hotel to exclamations of cheerio. today, the duchess paid a proper visit to some children and helped them wrap christmas presents. while the prince went to the white house to meet with barack

obama. talley oh! >> are you done? >> the royals have invaded the colonies. thumbs up or thumbs down? >> i have done a 180 on the royals in the past few years. >> too much "downton abbey." >> they are in fact great ambassadors on important issues for a country that looks for leadership from their royalty. i think they are smashing and brilliant >> the monarchy -- there is going to be royalty in the form of lebron james, beyonce and jay-z. that is the royalty we respect here in new york. not these undereducated, over-entitled british snobs who are part of this brewing class of dynastic ridiculousness that has stratified the class system in britain. it should be done away with tomorrow. >> you know how the prince met with the president? he took the shuttle.

he did. they flew commercial over here from the u.k. they are not saying at the best western. >> what are you trying to say? >> they are a lot like you and me. >> really? you think that is right? i don't have courtside seats to the nets tonight. i think they are a little more entitled and privileged than me. my twitter account will be on fire tonight. coming up, neil bush's thoughts on his mom, dad and whether one of his bros is running for potus. >> there is neil right there in red. neil. ♪

>> we are here today with neil bush, the chairman of points of light which is working with bloomberg to recognize the most community-minded companies. how long have you been chairman of points of light? >> about seven years. >> we're going to play some bags while you talk. you can be red and we will black. seven years, what would you say has been the transition them in america in service? >> there has been a big trend. you're just going to fire away? a significant trend in terms of corporate -- >> wow. >> corporate service. companies are recognizing more and more if they allow their employees to go into the community. to allow their employees to -- >> whoa! who taught you that? >> this is for the win? >> this is round one.

>> my point is that companies that allow their employees to go into the field to work in their community and allow them to direct funds to causes they care about, the more likely they are to attract and retain better employees. these employees are more productive and so it trickles down to the bottom line. this is very serious business conservation. >> oh, man! this is impressive. >> let's talk about kennebunkport and horseshoes. is that still a thing? >> he is a ringer! >> truth be told, i was ranked like number six in the horseshoe family competition. my dad behind george. dad was the leader of the horseshoe in the pit. >> how often do you go to kennebunkport now? >> every summer. my wife and i are very lucky.

i misfired it with you guys. -- i am inspired to be here with you guys. >> if i didn't tell you about the backspin. let me ask you a question about your family. your brother, who was the president, wrote a book about your dad. in it he said that when your dad was thinking of not running for election was because of you and the scrutiny you were getting. did do know about that at the time? >> i went into the index and looked up all the neil bush references when i first picked it up. >> did you not know about it? >> i didn't know that my dad in a boat ride with george w. brought up the idea. i think as jeb is considering whether he will run or not, he is taking into consideration family concerns. jeb has had that experience.

>> just to clarify, you read for the first time in there? have you talked about it to him since then? >> i live across the street from dad in houston. i said dad, i learned you were actually saying that -- my father was in the unique position of being the president. i was part of a savings and loans that went belly up. he had to sit on the sidelines and watch as the political machine in washington just crucified me. >> it was also the political machine in little rock. >> possibly. >> here is a question now that you have opened the door. you were talking about your brother. i know you don't know the answer on whether he is running or not. how much have you talked to him about it? >> very little. >> your brother, the former president, has talked about it

to him. >> i don't think jeb is actually seeking counsel from people. i'll give you a little anecdote. my mom has been famously on the record -- you are crushing me this time. the coach is destroying the student here. the anecdote -- >> there you go. >> your mother? >> so my mother was famously quoted on television on a morning talk show saying that jeb should not run. that america has had enough of bush's. there are more than two families. i was standing in the same room as jeb watching her on television as she was making that proclamation. >> what was the look on his face? >> he was like oh, there she goes again kind of thing. there was no real reaction to it. mom has come around.

i think i can share that publicly. >> did she say that to you? >> mom is saying that she had so many people coming up to her and saying your son jeb ought to run because he is the best-qualified candidate. mom said i thought about it. she looked at the landscape and really believes he would be a great leader. even though he would have to make a big sacrifice for family, she is encouraging that he -- she wants to take her negative comment off the table. >> let me ask you a question about the two of them. we also get to speculate. the brothers you know, compare and contrast both george and your brother jeb. >> first of all, i love both of my brothers unconditionally. they are both unique. my brother jeb is very, very thoughtful about issues. he is a real policy wonk. he was an activist governor

based on depth of knowledge. he is not just talking about it, he is talking about it from a platform of having served as governor. i think george is more -- i hope this doesn't offend jeb -- he is very affable. he remembers names. he is a great people person. jeb is too, but george has my mother's qualities of having this fresh kind of openness. you know what i mean? [laughter] i hope i don't hurt my mother's feelings. >> how is your spanish? >> muy pobre. >> like right there and say thank you for watching. from mark, john, myself -- goodbye. >> adios. [laughter] adios y tiene bien holiday.

>> thank you. >> is that ok? >> fantastic. ♪

>> this weekend when you weren't watching nfl, you probably saw the news that president obama like so many americans, including this one, has acid reflux. like this one. it has been widely reported that he has acid reflux but we wanted to make sure that you saw a tv ad for one particular product that to us seems very narrowly targeted at a very specific, but also very powerful category of patients. >> recently diagnosed with acid reflux, what is the culprit? it could be your diet.

your bad habits. the stress of taking out international terroists. sound familiar, mr. president? you need potusec, the only solution proven to fight acid reflux in the oval office. other medications take up to 24 hours to work. you don't have 24 hours. in 24 hours, you could've experienced stressful situations like a market drop, an unpleasant meeting with a foreign leader or a historic defeat in the midterm elections based largely on the policies of your administration. if the symptoms are clear, try potusec. there is no time to surrender to grief if you are the commander in chief. warning -- if symptoms persist consult your surgeon general provided you can get one approved by the senate. >> that is the voice of our colleague charlie pellet. thank you to charlie. whenever the president has a health issue -- he had a c-t

scan. did the white house disclose enough about his health? >> i know there are some who are very concerned about these matters. in this case, i felt like i learned about it fast enough and fully enough. >> are you interested with the president's treatment? >> i am interested in that. >> one of the things you are supposed to do when you are initially diagnosed, you elevate the head of your bed. >> how do you do that? >> you lift the legs of the bed. >> not the head? >> i cannot imagine that the president of the united states will sleep in that incredibly uncomfortable thing. >> i cannot imagine michelle obama would. they do have good drugs though. >> they do.

he has led a lifestyle that is tailor-made for acid reflux. smoking, spicy foods. >> he eats mahi-mahi with like no sauce. >> we will be right back with a very special monday surprise after this. ♪

>> it is time for the bloomberg politics advent calendar. lovely guests already peeking through the door so far. let's open up a new one. it is the bloomberg christmas tree. i think it is really a holiday tree. it is the best tree on lexington avenue. it has two very handsome ornaments as you can see. >> we are only on television a half hour a day but we are live 24.7 on bloombergpolitics.com. check out our conversation with al hunt online.

up next is "taking stock" on tv and on the radio is "bloomberg law." sayonara. ♪

>> i am pimm fox and this is what i am taking stock of on monday, december 8, 2014. israel's parliament votes to dissolve the government of prime minister benjamin netanyahu. new elections are set for march 17. the economy minister, naftali bennett, sees an economic solution to the competition between israel and the palestinians. >> invest dramatically in improving the lives of arabs and israelis alike. >> crude oil prices dropped to a five-year low today. the price decline dragged energy shares lower by major u.s. equity gauges also sold off. the s&p 500 fell nearly 1% and energy stocks slumped nearly 4%.