that's it for "reliable sources." "state of the union" starts right now. shocking new details about the doomed germanwings flight's final moments.

and the house speaker plots new moves against iran. this is "state of the union." this is cnn breaking news. new terrifying developments in the germanwings plane crash. house speaker john boehner issues a new warning about iran. senator ted cruz on why he wants to be president. and the senate's top democrat's surprise decision to call it quits. good morning from washington. i'm dana bash. we are learning chilling new details about the last moments of germanwings flight 9525 as well as the co-pilot who intentionally crashed the jet carrying 150 passengers and crew into the french alps. cnn's senior international correspondent frederik pleitgen is in cologne, germany. a french newspaper has released a transcript of the plane's voice recorder. what does it tell us?

>> reporter: well dana the transcript describes the flight as one that begins in the early stages as almost normal. it takes off about 20 minutes later but apparently there are already telltale signs that perhaps the co-pilot andreas lubitz was trying to set the captain up to leave his cockpit at some point. the plane takes off 20 minutes late and it reaches cruiseing cruisingality tood a short time later. lubitz says if you want to go to the bathroom now, you can go. shortly afterwards you do hear according to this newspaper here in germany, you do hear the pilot seat go backwards, the captain tell the co-pilot that he is now in control of the aircraft and him then leave the cockpit. again this is according to the newspaper here in germany, which is the largest newspaper of this country. also known as somewhat of a

tabloid. they say that this is directly from the transcript of the voice recorder dana. >> that transcript as it is reported is incredibly scary as you can imagine. when you get to those last few minutes of the flight. what does it say? >> reporter: yeah absolutely. it's absolutely chilling what this transcript seems to offer. it begins at 10:29 local time as they are flying over central europe flying over southern europe there near france there. air traffic control remember at this point in time the captain has already left the cockpit. air traffic radar detects that the plane is beginning to descend. shortly afterwards a air traffic control tries to get in touch with this aircraft but there's no response. shortly after that there is a warning from the cockpit saying sync rate which means that the plane is going oun awfully fast. shortly after that the pilot can be heard screaming, "for god's sake open the door." there is also the first time that apparently passengers can be heard screaming as well.

then at 10:35 their is a large metallic bang as though someone is trying to bang on the door from the outside. at this point plane is at 7,000 meters. altitude. 90 seconds after that another alarm goes off in the cockpit saying terrain, pull up meaning the plane is getting closer to some sort of terrain on the ground. keep in mind we are in a mountainous area. at this point the plane is at 5,000 meters. the pilot again screaming "open the door." the plane continues to descend towards the french alps and the co-pilot can be heard breathing normally. then at 10:40 apparently the plane's right wing can be heard scraping the top of a mountain. after that the passengers are heard screaming one more time. that is the end of the recording. so therefore, a very very chilling read through this alleged crypt. this is again from the "build" newspaper here in germany which is known as large newspaper, as a tabloid. the french authorities that's

investigating the downing of the plane, has already said it is miss day diss dismayed that the transcript has been public. we have no way of verifying its authenticity independently. day fla.na dana. >> that kreecredekree -- description, frightening. i want to bring in dr. allen deahl, a former faa krsh investigator a former psychetist and author of "air safety investigators using science to save lives one crash at a time"." let's talk about the transcript the fact lubitz didn't respond verbally to the people screaming or trying to crash through that door. what's that tell but what was going on in his mind? >> obviously, dana -- first of all, thanks for having plea. obviously this man had decided to end it all at that point.

in fact i think his decision was probably made in the discussion of the landing. earlier the investigators reported that his voice changed from cordial to laconic when he and the pilot were discussing landing. he knew they were never going to land back in se kind of problems are extremely rare when i went to work for the faa, they handed me the suicide file went back 25 years. there was only one airline pilot that was included from that so that's probably why it hasn't been a problem, certainly not in this country, a severe problem. obviously any accident like this

is unexcusable but the last time something like that -- like this happened and the u.s. was an attempted suicide, in a fedex cargo plane and the crew overpowered pilot intent on suicide. so this doesn't happen very often but we haven't seen fit to impose mandatory periodic psychological testing other than the annual or semi-annual physical that airline pilots take. aviation medical examiners -- these are doctors. they are trained to recognize this but they're not psychiatrists. they're psychologists. and there is a self-reporting on that form where you talk about changes in life events and so on. that's supposed to trigger these aviation doctors to ask follow-up questions. obviously it didn't work in germany. we may have to revisit that dana. >> yeah. you would think so. and hope so. because the fact that there aren't specific requirements to get some kind of mental health

testing. this is somebody a person who has 150 -- or sometimes more -- lives in their hands. do you believe that that has been a mistake? obviously it is a rare. thank goodness that's true. but it happened now. >> well dana it is interesting. the faa controllers who are faa employees, of course go through much more rigorous initial screening than is required of airline pilots in this country and they are periodically evaluated medically by faa doctors who are attuned to these kind of problems. so the system in this country is fairly loose because it frankly, hasn't been a large problem. your viewers should realize that the chances of dying at the hands of a demented airline pilot are certainly less than dying of an infected bee sting. so we don't want to overdo this but clearly we need to revisit this whole issue of voluntary

reporting. i'd even suggested that we establish something called aviation behavioral examiners. we have aviation medical examiners. maybe these medical examiners need to refer questionable pilots to a specialist who is a psychologist or a psychiatrist. we'll be talking about this in the future dana. i'm sure. >> absolutely we will. on that note i want to bring fred back in to this conversation with your reporting from germany there. the reporting is that lubitz certainly had problems that he was hiding. what are you learning about that? >> reporter: yeah absolutely. this comes from various media outlets but also from the german and french authorities as well dana. there is a report in the newspaper that says that he was suffering from an anxiety disorder, and also that he was suffering from heavy depression spats in the year 2009. again that's according to that newspaper. in addition to that of course we have "the new york times" reporting that he suffered from

vision problems as well where it is unclear whether or not those might have been related to some sort of psychological disorder. at the same time the investigators apparently found a lot of prescription drugs inside the apartments that they raided after the crash. all of this we put to the lufthansa airline. they say first of all, he passed his last physical in the summer of 2014. they say if something would have been wrong with his eyes then their doctors would have known about it. they knew nothing about this. they also said they never heard about any sort of mental disorders that he had. but they also say that if he'd had any, if he was seeing a doctor it would have been on him to tell them. clearly, he didn't do that. that's something that of course also the german prosecutor said as well. >> one last question for you, quickly, on this. the fact that he had been in freemont treatment and because it is a voluntary discussion that he's supposed to have with his employers, is it on the doctors? i realize that there are laws -- privacy laws that protect patients and doctors in europe

just like there are here as there should be. but with something like this with a man who has all these lives at his hands, is responsible for all these people should there have been a doctor who called the airline and said look this guy shouldn't fly? >> okay. you're right. there are privacy laws on the book. in germany the doctor doesn't even have to disclose why the person is excused from working. however, there is another german law, i understand that allows a mental health practitioner or physician to contact both the employer and the police if they consider him to be a threat to himself or others. clearly that's a judgment call on the part of the doctor, all right? had and if they do break the doctor/client -- doctor/patient confidentiality, they may well have to answer to their own peer groups. if the guy doesn't commit suicide, yet he loses his job, there can be complications. so the german law -- there's two german laws that are swlaomewhat in

conflict and it kind of comes down to the practitioner's evaluation of how dangerous this guy was. sounds like he didn't think this individual this co-pilot was suicidal obviously. but, yeah there's laws on the books in germany that permit the doctor to contact the employer and even the police. >> obviously as we just explored no easy answers to any of this. it is judgment calls across the board. fred pleitken and allen deuhl, thank you so much. coming up house speaker john boehner talks to us exclusively about bipartisan bonding, his upcoming trip to israel. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ if you want a paint

with no harsh fumes. if you want a paint without harmful chemicals. if you want a paint that's safer for your family, and the environment... only this can. natura from benjamin moore. paint like no other. to unlock the possibilities of tomorrow......"lift tab." fiber-rich bran. answered by the perfect quantity of sun sweetened raisins. tomorrow is waiting. ♪sun'll come out, tomorrow♪ own it, with kellogg's® raisin bran see you at breakfast™. when you ache and haven't slept... you're not you. tylenol® pm relieves pain and helps you fall fast asleep and stay asleep. we give you a better night. you're a better you all day. tylenol®. janet? cough if you can hear me.

don't even think about it. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. yeah...but what about mike? (cough!) it works on his cough too. mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours. let's end this. ♪ turn around ♪ ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara ♪ ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ ♪

i have great credit. how do you know? duh. try credit karma. it's free and you can see what your score is right now . i just got my free credit score! credit karma. really free.

we saw a rare break in the constant congressional gridlock this week. when house speaker john boehner and democratic and nancy pelosi struck a deal. no, you didn't hear that wrong. they struck a bipartisan deal on health care that affects everything from medicare to children in need. the measure passed overwhelmingly. i spoke with house speaker john boehner about that accomplishment and much, much more before congress broke for spring recess. >> i get to ask you about bipartisanship, which is kind of nice. >> it is nice. >> a health care deal that you worked on for older americans, doctors, programs for children and you cut the deal with nancy pelosi. worked on it with her, called her, met with her.

your aides worked together. >> no, it was an opportunity that presented itself. the door opened and i walked in. it's as simple as that. over the last several months we've been trying to find a way to change the way we pay doctors for medicare patients, and when you look at the agreement that we came to, it will strengthen medicare, make it easier for patients to find doctors and a fairer way of paying doctors for the services that they render. and i was happy that my democratic colleagues and i were able to come to an agreement to strengthen medicare, extend children's health plan, extend the authorization for community health centers and a bunch of other changes that, frankly, in the long run will be good for our country. >> mr. speaker, this is how it's supposed to work. you know how to legislate. it is an art and you understand the art. so does nancy pelosi. why doesn't this happen more

often? >> well, it's a little unusual because something like this really hasn't happened for some time although you have to understand that 95% of what happens here in congress every day happens on a bipartisan basis. >> but the problem is not a lot happens. >> no, no, there is a lot that happens and it happens on a bipartisan basis. when it does, it really doesn't make news. >> is this a sign that you will do business differently in the future on other big issues that are coming up on the debt ceiling and things like that with regard to your party? you know, part of the issue is you've had to, as you've said many times, lead your sometimes raucous caucus, but are you able to -- >> my goal every day is to try to keep 218 frogs in a wheelbarrow long enough to get something passed. i'm a conservative republican. i'd rather work with my conservative allies, but i've always looked for ways to find bipartisan agreements that are in the best interests of the american people, and i'm going to continue to do that.

>> let's talk about israel. you are going to be traveling there this coming week. this has been described as a victory lap that you are going to take because of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu's win there, his re-election win. how do you react to that? >> my visit there was planned months ago before the prime minister came here and before his re-election, so it's not quite what i would describe as a victory lap. there are serious issues and activities going on in the middle east, and i think it's critically important for members of congress to hear from foreign leaders, other governments, other parts of their government to get a real handle on the challenges we face there. >> you know perception is reality oftentimes in politics, global politics especially. there is some symbolism you going there, whether it was planned months ago or not at this time.

>> there's a strong relationship between america and israel, a very strong relationship between the united states congress and israel, and i think over the last several months that relationship has been strengthened. frankly, part of my goal in going to israel is to continue to strengthen the relationship that we have between america and israel. >> are you going to -- >> they're an important ally. >> are you going to speak to the kinesset the way you invited the prime minister to speak here? >> no, i don't need all the fanfare. >> the prime minister right before his re-election disavowed a two-state solution. then right afterwards he said, never mind, he took it back. you know political rhetoric, campaign rhetoric. even for a politician, wasn't this a little brazen? >> i don't think so. >> why not? >> he doesn't have a partner. >> how do you have a two-state solution when you don't have a partner in that solution? when you don't have a partner for peace. when you've got -- whether the

other state is vowing to wipe you off the face of the earth. and so until there's a willing partner willing to sit down and have -- and have peace talks, i think it's irrelevant whether we're talking about a two-state solution. >> it's still an aspirational goal. right? are you saying that you don't think -- >> i think it's an aspirational goal. i think when the prime minister walked back his comments he realized it's an aspirational goal, but we're nowhere close to having anything like it because you've got hamas controlling what goes on on gaza and they don't seem to be interested if peace. >> you still believe in a two-state solution. correct? >> yeah, as long as you have a willing partner to hold up their end of the deal. >> the white house doesn't believe the prime minister. can you blame the white house and the president for not believing what he's saying on where his position is on this?

>> i think the animosity exhibited by our administration toward the prime minister of israel is reprehensible, and i think that the pressure that they've put on him over the last four or five years have, frankly, pushed him to the point where he had to speak up. i don't blame him at all for speaking up. >> but a lot of people blame you for the rift being much deeper because you invited the prime minister here to speak. there was already trouble. you fueled that fire. >> i have one goal. i have one goal. that goal is to make sure that the american people heard and the congress heard about the serious threat that iran poses not only to the middle east but for the rest of the world including the united states. there's nobody going to talk more clearly about this. the president doesn't want to talk about it. doesn't want to talk about the threat of radical islam and the fact that he has no strategy to deal with it. and when you begin to see all these leaks that probably came

out of the white house in terms of what the iranian deal was starting to shape up to be, there's a lot of concern in congress on a bipartisan basis. i'm glad that he was here and frankly the speech that he gave was the clearest speech i've heard in 25 years about the real threats that face our country. >> ask you a counter intuitive question. do you think that you might have a real in repairing the rift now since you're going to israel? >> listen. i'm the most open and transparent guy here in this town. i'm going out. i'm going to be myself and if there's anything i can do to repair it, i'd be happy to do it. >> you're going to be in israel around the time of the deadline for the iran negotiations. the president has made it very clear if there's a deal he doesn't want or need congress's approval. are you going to make sure there is a deal, that that is going to happen? >> well, let's wait and see if there's an agreement. i've got serious doubts.

i had serious doubts over the last year whether there could be an agreement, and i still have serious doubts. we've got a regime that's never quite kept their word about anything. i just don't understand why we would sign an agreement with a group of people who in my opinion have no intention of keeping their word. >> if there is no agreement, how quickly would you move to further sanctions against iran in the house? >> very. >> like days? >> very. >> minutes, hours? >> very quickly. listen, the sanctions were working. they would have never come to the table and, frankly, we should have kept the sanctions in place so that we could have gotten to a real agreement. and the sanctions are going to come and they're going to come quick. >> how would you characterize your relationship with president obama right now? >> my relationship with the president is good. >> how often do you talk? >> i talked to him, you know, last week. we had the irish prime minister here, had a nice chat over lunch. >> what did you talk about? >> but that doesn't mean we

agree on a whole host of issues. but, you know, our job is to try to find areas where we do agree, where there is common interest and act on it on behalf of the american people. so we had a nice conversation. i get along with him fine. and i -- and i'm very clear with him about what i think and he's very clear with me about what he thinks. >> let's talk about 2016. as a leader of the republican party, you obviously want to see a republican in the white house. >> i do. >> what -- is there a concern that you have that there's going to be such a tough fight with so many candidates running on the republican side, just like there was in 2012, and no fight on the democratic side we'd expect, that your guys are going to be bloodied and bruised and hillary clinton is just going to not be? >> i think competition is a good thing. you know, i used to sell corrugated boxes. they could buy the box from me or 25 other people. it's the same box. it was -- it was tough.

but let me tell you what, it made all of us better, you know? it caused innovation. caused people to think outside the box. so i'm a big believer in competition. i have 11 brothers and sisters. i know about competition. and -- >> do you think she's at a disadvantage? >> i actually do because when you go through a primary process and you have to compete. and if you win, you're ready. i went through a primary my first race for the statehouse. went through a big primary, my first race for congress. you know, when your name looks like beaner, bonner, boner, people aren't going to vote for you if they can't say your name. my first race for congress my opponent was tom kindness. you have a name that looks like boner against a guy named kindness. it's a miracle i won. so competition is good. in addition to that, they've tightened up the primary season, the republican national

committee has, changed the schedule for debates. i just think it's going to be while a lot of competition, it's going to be handled in a much better way. >> ted cruz told me that he will likely sign up for obamacare now because he lost his wife's insurance. because she's left her job. considering how hard he's made your life in pushing so hard that the government ended up shutting down to repeal obamacare, what do you think about that? >> i've got a big job to do here doing real work and i think i'll just keep doing my job. >> okay. i think we called that a punt in official terms. >> good morning. >> how long do you want to be speaker? >> until -- until i've had enough of it. listen, it's a big job. somebody has to do this, and, you know, all the skills i learned growing up are the skills i need to do my job. grew up in a big family, 11 brothers and sisters, you have to learn to get along with each other, get things done together. you know, today's political environment's a little different than it first was when i got here. the job that i have is far more

challenging than what i think some of my predecessors have had. i enjoy it every day. >> you seem to have avoided a coup. there was certainly talk about that. that didn't happen. >> i don't know where that story started. it was laughable. laughable. >> really? >> i've got great relationships with our members and great relationships with our members across the aisle. i treat them all fairly, honestly, and i think they appreciate the work that i do for them. >> thank you, mr. speaker. appreciate it. >> thank you. and later, speaker boehner gives us an inside look at his stunning view of the capitol and tells us about a household chore that he's passionate about. but next what would a ted cruz presidency look like? my conversation with the first official candidate for president for 2016. i bring the gift of the name your price tool to help you find a price that fits your budget.

uh-oh. the name your price tool. she's not to be trusted. kill her. flo: it will save you money! the name your price tool isn't witchcraft! and i didn't turn your daughter into a rooster. she just looks like that. burn the witch! the name your price tool a dangerously progressive idea.

senator ted cruz is off and running as the first presidential candidate of 2016. he spent friday in the first primary state of new hampshire telling voters how he'll create jobs, abolish the irs and repeal obamacare, a program he told me he's now likely to use to get his own health insurance. i caught up with the senator earlier this week during his whirlwind announcement tour. senator cruz, thank you very much. congratulations on your announcement. i want to read to you a description, a harvard law graduate, 40 something years old, two young daughters, in the senate for only two years who thinks he can be president. i could be describing you, i could be describing barack obama. >> true enough, but i think there are a lot more notable differences between us than the similarities. >> that is true, but, you know, one of the key things that we're already hearing is you don't have a lot of experience when it comes to being in federal office or being in office at all and

that you're, you know, too young and too inexperienced for the job. >> dana, i think there are two sharp distinctions between where i am today and where barack obama was when he launched his campaign. number one, in his time in the senate he had basically been a back bencher. he had not been leading on any issues of any significance. in my time in the senate you can accuse me of being a lot of things but a back bencher is not one of them. >> that may be true, but the big criticism of president obama especially as the years have gone on is that he didn't have any experience innen a executive function. he didn't run any organization. and the same can be said about you. what experience do you have to be commander in chief of the united states military, for example? >> well, unlike barack obama, i was not a community organizer before i was elected to the senate. i spent 5 1/2 years as the solicitor general of texas, the chief lawyer for the state of texas in front of the u.s. supreme court. i supervised and led every

appeal for the state of texas in a 4,000-person agency with over 700 lawyers. over the course of 5 1/2 years over and over again texas led the nation defending conservative principles and winning. >> you talk about sticking to principles and defending principles. obviously that is your calling card. but if you were to achieve the next level, the presidency of the united states you have to get beyond that and you have to really learn how to compromise. give me an example where you have successfully compromised in the united states senate with democrats. >> well, if you look at some of the legislation that has passed that i've been able to pass when i was there, for example, if you look to about a year ago when iran named hamadi bouta labi as their ambassador to the u.n. he was a known terrorist. he had just participated in holding americans hostage. and that was intended to be and was in fact a slap in the face to the united states. i introduced legislation barring him from being admitted to this country. it had earned the support from

senators like lindsey graham and chuck schumer. it passed the senate 100-0. it passed the house 435-0 and president obama signed it into law and so we were able to get unanimity by partisan agreement and to change the law and keep he and other known terrorists to coming to new york city. >> you made the point, 100-0. it has to be something incredibly noncontroversial. >> that doesn't mean unimportant. i'll give you another example of leading and finding issues that can bring -- >> i believe that might be the only legislation that you have your name on as a co-sponsor that was successful in the legislature. >> i'll give you another example. you'll recall last year when three israeli teenagers were kidnapped and murdered by hamas. i joined with new jersey senator, democrat bob menendez in introducing legislation to provide for a $5 million reward

in the state department for information leading to the capture of the terrorist who had kidnapped and murdered a dual american-israeli citizen. bob menendez and i did that together. that, likewise, passed the senate 100-0. it would have passed the house but thankfully they caught the terrorist before the house passed it. i'll point to another example. i joined with new york democrat, kiersten gillibrand, in passing legislation through the senate condemning hamas' use of human shields. again, we got it unanimously passed. >> but it's fair that there's just one piece of legislation that is now law with your name on it. >> well, that's accurate, but, look, in the harry reid senate we passed next to nothing. harry reid and the democrats basically shut down the senate. i can tell you the two things that i have passed in the senate the two pieces of legislation that i passed in the senate are more than allbut a

handful of republicans in the last two years. and that was despite senate democrats basically shutting the senate down so that almost nothing could pass. >> i want to ask you also about something that you and i have talked about several times over the years, which is likability with respect. you're not the most popular man in the republican congress. i think you know that. you wear it as a badge of honor. you say it is because you stand up for principle. but again, when you're president of the united states you have to have at least some measure or level of likability in order to reach out and get things done. how will you overcome that? >> i'll point out there's almost an inverse relationship between being liked and appreciated in washington, d.c., and reviled back home, and being reviled in washington and appreciated back home. i mean, you remember because you came to texas after we had the historic fight to stop obamacare, to defund obamacare. a lot of people -- >> you -- >> i didn't support the shutdown. i did support defunding obamacare. i think it was a mistake when harry reid and the democrats forced a shutdown.

my point is you were in texas when i came home to the state convention of the texas federation of republican women and you saw the reaction of in that case the women back home who enthusiastically appreciated someone who was standing and fighting for them. >> i absolutely did, but the white house isn't in texas, it's in washington. >> that's part of the problem. >> well, but you have to work with with -- if you want to be president of the united states, you're going to live in the white house and work within the confines of the government. you're asking people about the constitution in texas. you don't want to change the system that much so within those confines as president how do you change that? how do you get to a place where you would be likeable enough and have relationships enough to actually get things done? >> well, let me draw a distinction on the likability question that you're raising. there's a distinction between how you treat people and what it is you say and do. in my time in the senate there

have been more than a few rocks tossed my direction, from democrats and republicans, and yet in my entire time there, i haven't reciprocated. you have never heard me speak ill of any senator, republican or democrat, and i don't intend to start. in fact, in the presidential race in 2016, there may be other candidates who choose to throw rocks my direction. i'm not going to engage in the personal mudslinging, in the negative attacks on people's character. i think that's a big part of treating people with civility and respect that i've endeavored to do every day i've been in washington. >> on israel. what's your reaction to israeli prime minister netanyahu saying right before the election he opposed a two-state solution, a palestinian state. and afterwards when he won, said never mind and reversed his position. >> i think the united states should stand unshakably with the nation of israel. i think one of the most disgraceful aspects of the obama presidency has been how it has treated prime minister netanyahu. >> that's not the question. the question is a two-state

solution. >> i don't think it should be america dictating the solution there. israel is a sovereign nation and i trust the leaders of israel to determine whether they want to adopt a one-state solution or a two-state solution. so what i'm saying is we should trust israel to make that determination. one of the problems, and the reason i started with how the obama administration has treated israel. because they have demonstrated an arrogance that america's going to dictate the terms of security in israel. it's not our place to do it. if we can facilitate discussions, if we can provide a neutral forum, if we can bring people together, great. but it shouldn't be america saying here's how you should resolve the security issues in israel. >> president cruz would not support and push for a palestinian state? >> i think that is a decision for the nation of israel. i think israel has far more

stake in achieving peace and achieving a long-term solution in israel. and the impediment to peace is not the israelis. the impediment to peace -- right now the palestinians have a so-called unity government with hamas, a terrorist organization who i might note openly celebrated the kidnapping and murder of israeli teenagers. you can't negotiate settlement with terrorists like hamas that are calling for the elimination of the nation of israel. that's the impediment to peace. i would love to see peace in israel and so would israelis and a great many palestinians, but as long as the palestinian government allies itself with terrorist organizations calling for the destruction of israel we're not going to see peace in israel. and america shouldn't be dictating the security solution. >> senator cruz, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> thank you, dana. >> congratulations. >> thank you very much. ted cruz won't be the only official 2016 presidential contender for long. announcements are coming in the next few weeks from republican

senators rand paul and marco rubio. coming up, harry reid hangs up his boxing gloves, political ones, that is. the consequences of his retirement when we come back. ...and the wolf was huffing and puffing... kind of like you sometimes, grandpa. well, when you have copd it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... doctor: symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler

for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. grandfather: symbicort could mean a day with better breathing. watch out, piggies! child giggles doctor: symbicort. breathe better starting within 5 minutes. call or go online to learn more about a free prescription offer. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

with one presidential announcement done and more soon to follow, the political world is turning its attention to 2016. and joining me here at the table is ben lebolt, press secretary for president obama's 2012 campaign, and kevin madden, a republican strategist who worked for mitt romney's campaign. kevin, you also worked a few years ago for john boehner. i want to ask you, actually, you know how he thinks but also what he told me with regard to the competition that hillary clinton does not have and how that might hurt her. >> right. >> you worked for mitt romney when he did have a lot of competition. do you think that's wishful thinking? >> if you go by the book, ben knows this as well, nobody wants to face a primary. you want to be able to harness all your resources and go through a primary process or go through and be able to reach a general election sort of untarred, right? i think when i look at hillary

clinton, i do feel like right now she could use a sparring partner. it's been a long time since she's actually gone through the political process. she flourished in a very apolitical role as secretary of state. i think the debates, testing ideas, really getting to meet people and be forced to meet people in all of these early primary states would be helpful for her. >> last time she had a sparring partner turned out she was beaten by that person who you were working for at the time, barack obama. certainly it helps with their skills and i get that, but there is a downside. no one out there looks like they could beat her but still -- >> yeah, look, i do think -- i do think that process strengthened her. it's not like hillary clinton is untested. she will have a sparring partner every day of the race. their names are jeb bush, marco rubio, rand paul, ted cruz and the republicans in congress. and what's clear to me is that secretary clinton is not going to take this race for granted.

they're sending staff to the early states. it sounds like she'll be in intimate settings with voters throughout the primary process running a real primary campaign, not just jumping to the general election. i think she'll be plenty tested over the course of the next year and a half. >> it does feel right now like she is in a bubble. she doesn't really have -- the way that jeb bush and ted cruz are going out there doing one on one interviews, meeting with voters out there and trafrl traveling across the country. it feels like right now she sort of is being kept away from a lot of these folks. that's sort of hurting her profile. >> as long as she can get out there and do that there is a benefit despite what john boehner said to having a sparring partner on the right. >> her big problem is this relatability idea. when she's constantly away from the crowds that relate ability problem just gets worse. >> ted cruz, i asked him that the fact that his resume on many

levels looks a lot like your former candidate, barack obama's. there is an experience gap when it comes to not just him but several of these senators who are really, really new. >> well, first i'd like to make clear that i'm endorsing ted cruz and supporting him. >> i'm sure you are. >> i want to get that out of the way. but secondly, the 2008 primary really came down not to experience but to judgment. secretary clinton was running on experience and then senator obama was running on his judgment over the iraq war. so, you know, cruz may land on a compelling message if he can find something else that voters are concerned about that's not in the experience base. i think the more important impact he'll have on the primary is really dragging some of the more mainstream candidates like jeb bush to the right. that had a significant impact on mitt romney during the primaries last time around. >> well, look, i think more and more you are seeing voters sort of have a bit of regret after the eight years -- of having eight years of obama, about that ability to offer up, you know,

more of an executive experience. we're seeing that in polls. voters are saying they would rather see a governor, they want somebody with executive experience. i think the way obama answered that in 2008 is the same way ted cruz has to answer it in 2016, which is when people begin to meet him, they begin to see him test his ideas, does he look and sound like a future president? and that begins to answer the question of doubt in many voters' minds. >> i want to go out to the state of indiana because there was a big controversy brewing there this week when the governor, mike pence, who you know used to be in the house, signed a bill into law that -- it's called the religious freedom bill. there are a lot of groups that are up in arms especially lgbt groups saying that this is a back doorway to discriminate against them. is this a mistake for your party? >> well, look. this is not a -- this is a bill that 20 other states i think have. it's modeled after a 1993 law that was signed into law by president clinton.

i think the big problem that mike pence has here and the folks in indiana has is they've lost control of the narrative. it was defined as a bill that had to do with sexual discrimination versus what it was supposed to -- designed to be, which was a compelling interest standard for judicial review. that has become a problem for them politically. >> yeah. he is right that this is not the first state. there are 20 other states. this is becoming a business problem which if you're any governor, particularly a republican governor, that's dangerous. >> i think that's a really important point. pence disagreed with the chamber of commerce and the largest employer in the state on this, eli lily. you can be fired for being gay. this goes a step further. we were promised a more inclusive republican party after the 2012 election and i don't think it's arrived. >> to be fair, i think this was modeled after a federal bill that -- >> there have been other states that have this very -- the law very similar to this where you have ministers in pennsylvania,

for example, they've actually used this in order to protect some of the interests that they had with feeding the homeless in city parks, for example. so this is designed to guard against government overreach against people and their religion. >> i want you to stand by. we can't go without talking we can't go without talking before the big surprise this week. harry reid the democratic leader saying he's not going to run for re-election. i had the good fortune of visiting with him in his hometown which is a very small town -- basically a truck stop -- and listening to him tell me about his hard-scrabble life. here is a part of that. >> welcome to search light. >> thank you. >> harry reid shaked and scared in search light. >> i'm a pessimist about everything in life that way i have fewer disappointments. >> in the distance of this vast property the mine where his father worked. >> it was hard to make a living and the man that paid my dad wouldn't pay him or gave him bad

checks that would bounce. my parents both drank a lot. i was always so glad whether they were broke because they couldn't afford stuff then. even though i was raised here, my mother always was able to instill in me that i was as good as anybody else. >> ben, i know you worked briefly in the senate but as a democrat in this town i'm sure it is hard to imagine life without harry reid. what i think is fascinating from your perch, as somebody who worked for obama, is that he quietly encouraged him, this very young, very green senator, to run for president. >> yeah, they had an incredibly good relationship and i think their legacies are inextricably tied. reid was the master of the inside game and without him we wouldn't have seen the affordable care act or federal bench remade. i think all democrats were taken aback by the news this week. >> well, because he was instrumental in passing the aca.

a lot of republicans are, think as great as his life story may be they're very happy to see him retire. there is not a lot of love lost for harry reid on the republican side of the senate. >> i'm sure not. he actually did have not a terrible relationship with some of the republicans. mitch mcconnell not so much but with john boehner. do you want to say something about harry reid as john boehner? >> harry, good luck and good-bye. >> that's pretty good. that's pretty impressive. thank you guys very much. >> thank you. >> up next, house speaker, the real house speaker, john boehner, lets us in on his secret passion. stay with us. never before has this kind of passion this kind of innovation, engineering, design and performance... been available... for this kind of price.

the 2015 cla from mercedes-benz. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. ♪ ♪ if you want a paint that's more than just easy to scrub. if you want a paint that actually repels dirt and grime. if you want a paint that stand's up to life's wear and tear...

only this can. regal select from benjamin moore. paint like no other. there before. i was lost and my kids could tell. i forgot a map. so i got out my phone. i have verizon. i don't. so i found us on the trail map and took the only easy way down. it wouldn't load. so i made a left turn, into a double black diamond. i have never felt closer to them. i'd never felt more terrified. my son said thank you. my daughter fell into a creek. i'm not popular. vo: join us and save without settling. verizon.

the job of the house speaker comes with a beautiful office and a scenic view of the capitol grounds. after our conversation the speaker brought us to his balcony around revealed a

surprise reason why it is a setting that's really special to him. >> this is probably the best view in washington, best real else state in washington. so every once in awhile i'll come out here and actually chill out. >> really? >> yeah, not very often because it's usually too hot or too cold. >> do you bring people out here to do business? >> there has been people out here that have done business. sit there at the table and chair and check everything out, but no, usually when i'm out here, they are more enjoyable moments. >> oh, that's nice. that's nice. >> i'm pretty anal about my grass and so what i love about the spring is when i watch the grass down the mall begin to green up. i get pretty excited about it. >> yeah? >> yeah. >> because we know you like to cut your grass. >> i do. i do. matter of fact, i had the lawn mower running last weekend. made sure the oil was changed and sharpened the blade and put some new gas in there and got it

started. grass isn't ready to be cut yet but the mower is ready. >> amen. >> amen. >> and mr. speaker, if you like yardwork that much, i got a backyard at my house waiting for you. we'll be right back.

>> thanks for watching "state of the union. i'm dana bash in washington. fareed zakaria "gps" starts now. >> this is "gps," the global public scare.