only at a sleep number store. right now, find the lowest prices of the season with the c4 queen mattress set only $1499.98. know better sleep with sleep number. john: with all due respect to macy's you cannot take the donald half of us. -- off of us. john: sports adventures tonight, cuba diving and pope climbing. how about the clinton e-mails? 3000 new messages are on display. contact with her bff syd blumenthal.

her advice to wear warm socks to bed. also today, not so quits attentively the campaign made it known that it raised $45 million during its first quarter. when it comes to her chances of being president? which will be more significant? e-mail problems are fund-raising? al: the money is impressive but before we talk about that, i think the steady stream of e-mails will embarrass her every time sidney blumenthal is out there. i don't think that the benghazi hearings are going to be a big deal. it is not going to really work. in 1983 marines were blown out of their barracks and they were not holding congressional hearings. john: we do not know what will

come of the e-mail inquiry in there could be a significant problem that will arise. we see occasions in which e-mails have been asked for by the committee. it turned out there were some that had not been sent because they had not been turned over. there are questions they keep arising out of this e-mail thing. i think it is not a small problem for her. being able to raise enough money to go toe to toe with jeb bush -- if you did not have that ability, the campaign would be dead. that matters more, i think. al: you are right. today, president obama announced that the u.s. and cuba will open and the seas in the capitals reviving diplomatic relationships for the first time since 1961. president obama: it is another demonstration that we don't have to be imprisoned by the past.

america has demonstrated that our leadership is the capacity to change it is what inspires the world to reach for something better. one year ago, it might have seemed impossible that we would raise our flag over in embassy in havana. this is what change looks like. al: republicans like jeb walker, rubio, and cruise do not like this. can these republicans gain advantage by opposing obama on cuba? john: the answer is no, they cannot. the reason is -- president obama has a lot of foreign policy problems, a lot of places which republicans can gain ground. this is not one of them. except for a very small portion of the cuban population immigrant population in florida,

this issue does not matter much at all. to the extent that it matters on a broad scale, i think most people look at this is progress. standing in the way of progress in foreign policy is not a place that the republican party wants to be. al: you are right. the whole point of american policy has been to topple the regime. soon, the castro boys will be gone because of old age. that will work a lot better in a policy because the system can survive. when you look at other problems -- isis a vladimir putin -- cuba looks like a theme park. john: it was interesting that we saw a rand paul and ted cruz get into a fight marco rubio and some others getting into a fight about the normalization of relations and cuba. rand paul arguing that the embargo had not worked. so being on the side of a policy that was failing, not the place you want to be.

rand paul is a republican who grasped the truth of the situation. al: i agree. this is yesterday's issue. john: the pope is coming, the pope is coming. on a september trip to the united states, he will visit that she will visit obama at the white house and hold mass at madison square garden. he is planning to make pitstops in washington and a prison in philadelphia. to what extent will the pope's visit complicate the lives of republicans in 2016? al: imagine some of john boehner's back benchers saying, you invited this guy to address a joint session and have lunch with the homeless and go to the united nations the next day and that he is going to hang out a prison? what have you done? this is not your father's pope.

this is going to be a powerful trip. that address will be a seminal moment and a lot of republicans will squirm when he talks about helping the poor, climate change capitalism. a few democrats may squirm when he talks about the unborn. this will be a powerful trip. john: what has been so fascinating about the pope of late especially in the wake of climate change, you sub republicans like jeb bush saying that pope should stay out of politics. i trust the pope on religion not science. then you saw the vatican, top cardinals, slapping back at the republican party. saying the jeb bush was wrong waiting into politics that we do not see religious leaders to often. this is a vatican that knows how to get into a political scrap. the republicans -- if

republicans do not play it right, they could get smacked around by the pope's people. coming up, my trip to michigan. the newsroom, politics, and a dead year, after this. ♪

john: jeff daniels is an actor whose range extends from witty to the half witty. after a career in film, tv, and stage filled with ups and down he landed behind the anchor desk in "newsroom." he is a hot commodity again in hollywood. he is it a new movie called "the martian" with matt damon and he is filming an action movie.

i went to his house in michigan to talk about that and politics. we started about why a hollywood star still lives in the wolverine state. jeff: after 10 years in new york, i had a few movies. we had a two-year-old boy at the time. we said, we don't how to raise our kids in a one-bedroom apartment. why don't we just go back to michigan? the career was not going to last, they never do -- i was a fatalist. some because one day and says by the way, you are over. that has happened. and so i figured when it was over, i would be home, despite what thomas wolfe warned us against. you can go home again.

john: as long as you go home young enough. we can spend all day talking about your films, but i'm interested in this. woody allen, jim brooks, you are working with some heavy directors. if you think back over the career about those guys, some of the greatest ought towards of our age -- auteurs of our age. compare and contrast who is most memorable and brilliant or it talk about that panoply of directors. jeff: every single director they all wanted to see what you thought it was. they didn't come in and however. the mediocre once common and get their hands on you. you are constantly walking onto

the seven they are going, go ahead. altman said it was 90% casting. there is a freedom in that. clint is the same way. i remember calling clint eastwood because there was a brown bomber jacket and a black bomber jacket, plus i just wanted to call clint to it so i called clint and go, i am wondering if it should be the brown or the black jacket. he goes, you are the actor. all right, good, terrific. they leave it up to you. there is a freedom in that. you cannot bitch about -- did you see? they are going, give us the performance you think it

should be. the good ones do that. i remember doing "newsroom." with the tv series, you get a different director every episode. some of them you know, some of them are brought in from outside. i just kind of let it be known five words or less. if you direct me, it is five words or less. you are a writer in director pick the right words. that just forces them to come in and go, maybe with more anger? ok, all right. john: movies, preference? are you john back to the state? jeff: i go back to the stage because it is the ultimate testing ground.

remember on " terms of endearment," i was the last went on to set to meet jack nicholson. he goes, what have you done? i say, i have done some broadway. he says, this is zimbabwe, this is the pro game. you walk away offended and then you go no. when the close-up is on you and it's the big speech and you have one take, how much money is rolling? you half to hit it. because the critics one year from now are not going to care if it was 4:30 in the morning, they care if you hit it. it is the same thing with that northwestern speech. >> there is no evidence to support the statement that we are the greatest new world.

49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, number four in exports, we lead the world and only three categories, number of incarcerated citizens, number of the bill to believe angels are reeled and defense spending. 25 of whom are allies -- none of this is the fault of a 20-year-old college student but you are without a member of the worst prioderiod generation period. -- jeff: that was a huge day. day three of the shoot of a pilot, we don't have a series, just a pilot. three actors came just to see the speech, they were not even in the scene. we had people from hbo there. aaron is going like this. day three, and the pro-game, you have to hit it. it is 10 seconds left, hit the

ball. you have to hit the shot. and that is what jack meant. john: we had various consultants on the show. did you talk to former or current news anchors? jeff: i met with none of you. john: thanks very much. jeff: i was also -- i wasn't told to go meet people. i had been on enough news show promoting movies to see what happens with the year peas and the whole deal and you go, ok, i know enough to fake it. acting for me is not about, here is my hundred pages of research. in that case, it was, let's make up as much as we can. you have guys like aaron doing all the research for you. it is already in the script. all you have to play is the guy

with the ego and insecurity. that is what you are playing. you are not playing what an anchorman does on television. you learn how to do the mechanics and it is harder than it looks, by the way, reading a teleprompter. i remember "newsnight" reading the teleprompter, good evening -- i am sorry, cut it. i blew my name and it's on teleprompter. john: we will have more jeff daniels after this. enjoy this clip. ♪

john: we are back with more jeff daniels, talking about why

"newsroom" was such a polarizing show. what is it about the show that made it so polarizing? i don't want to use the word controversial but it elicited extreme reaction. from people in our business and outside. jeff: i found it interesting that some critics in their reaction especially that first season or so volatile, so personal, particularly at aaron. the show had politics and that is part of why it is polarizing. john: did you identify with this character? over you essentially just an actor? jeff: i read that northwestern speech and said, what is in it that isn't true? maybe there is some sarcasm maybe there is a flowery way.

i can see how that would pace some people off -- piss some people off. it all looked true to me. but you can also see the other side of mcavoy. they said, by the way, he is a republican, which they knew, and i didn't. he believes in free markets and a strong military and defense and all of that, but mcavoy is not into the social through he is not into telling women what to do with their bodies. that is where i think aaron -- and mark buchanan was a consultant who was very helpful. there are a lot of moderate republicans out there that are going -- everybody wants to get the money right and let's not spend what we don't have however, stay out of that, stay

out of that, and that has all changed. aaron is -- i don't know exactly his politics but certainly it is left of center. and he made mcavoy a right of center which is kind of where we all are. all we hear from are the people left of left and right of right. i think he was trying to make a representation for moderates, certainly in mcavoy's case. jeff: what are you looking for in your next president? john: i am looking for someone who will take care of the middle class. right now, the democrats are making that noise. hillary is making that noise. i don't know enough about any of these people. it is not just republicans, it is the lobbyists, the special interests you feel like they are governing are getting elected to serve them. and that is on both sides of the aisle. i would give anything to have

special interests and lobbyists out of washington. england has a political system where it is six weeks long for something. i have said, let's put whoever it ends up being on two tree stumps in union square in new york city and let's film it. and let them do it. let them go at each other. but there is way too much money the almighty dollar, there is way too much money in a two-year residential campaign. the fact that these people will raise $1 billion to one -- two run for president, people don't give you money and not want something in return. if you are just out here sitting in michigan going, i wonder if i am truly represented? i didn't give so and so 100 grand. i am not on the list, i don't sleep in the lincoln bedroom, i wonder if i am being

represented? probably not, that is what kisses off a lot of us. that is what is behind the speech. john: you were presumably an obama supporter. jeff: yeah, i still love them absolutely. what you say on the campaign trail and you are going to change in the fact that i was alive when this country made history by making him president i love it, absolutely love it, i want smart in the white house. i want smart dealing with the middle east. i don't want him. congress needs to take a huge accountability for whatever has not gone right in the last eight years company have done nothing but say no. he has had to deal with that. he has had to meet in the middle like every president. reagan had to meet in the middle. i don't know enough about where

he failed miserably, but i am glad he was president. i am glad i was alive to see it. john: do you think the same way when you consider the prospect of hillary clinton? also a potentially-historical candidate? jeff: i love the historical nature of it yeah. you want change? this but a woman in there. i know she is tied in a lyrically and they are the clintons i don't know anything about that. all i know is that she is smart. she is smart as hell. john: you don't put yourself among democrats to look at the clinton thing and say -- you are confused about it, you are not going to be a democrat who says well, you know, i guess she is the best we can do? jeff: i think it is the best this system is allowing us to

do, because be branded a clinton imprinted a bush great if it is not them come election time, i would be surprised. that is what the brands are. maybe it will not be jeb. i wish it were someone new, but you get an obama eight years ago , and he is sitting down with vladimir putin for the first time or you have inexperience there, you have to catch up for it she has got all of that purchase has that world experience. i love that she was secretary of state and has met all of these people. and as a world figure, instead of a fresh face from the democratic republican party that now has to go introduce himself to leaders around the world. i don't mind the experience and that she smart i like that combination. it would be nice if it was

somebody new, but that means inexperience. john: we will be right back. ♪

john: tomorrow, we quiz mike mcclintock from "veep" on quotes

and we would talk about a new poll that says democrats and republicans love the grateful dead. what is your favorite dead song? al: you ask such tough ones "dark star." john: sayonara. ♪

alix: we are moments away from the closing bell. i'm alix steel. joe: and i'm joe weisenthal. alix: u.s. stocks ended slightly higher as optimism of the end of the greek debt crisis faded and they look ahead to tomorrow's jobs report and oil is down in more than three months. joe: the question is, what did you miss? the clock is ticking. we have the key deadlines that you may have missed. alix: and trying to predict tomorrow's big jobs number. it's joe's favorite day of the