but what's next? for all binge watchers. movie geeks. sports freaks. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. i'm michael smerconish. here is the question today -- are we in the media being fair to dr. ben carson? is cnn being fair to carson? he's now the republican front-runner, according to "the wall street journal" and nbc news. i have long admired his personal story and respected his reputation as a physician. in fact, i remember first hearing his name years ago when practicing law, and he performed a complicated surgery on a young boy from pittsburgh who was my client. the parents of that young man regarded dr. carson as a godsend.

the story of his rise from a small home in detroit to world class pediatric neurosurgeon is the type that makes all of us proud of our country. but some of what he himself has written and said about his background is eyebrow raising. that he once punched a classmate with his face in his hand wrapped around a lock leaving a bloody three-inch gash in the boy's forehead or that he attempted to attack his own mother with a hammer, that he tried to attack his young friend spared only by a belt buckle that snapped the blade. these stories are important to carson's narrative of personal redemption. after trying to kill his friend with a knife, he said he found the lord. when you rise in the polls, you get more scrutiny. but when cnn tried to learn more about the incidents that carson himself has described, he cried bias. he told alisyn camarota that cnn's reporting on his past was a bunch of lies, garbage and an

attempt at distraction. and just last night carson said, this is a witch hunt. >> all you guys trying to pile on is actually going to help me because when i go out to these book signings to thousands of people, they say, don't let the media get you down. don't let them disturb you. please continue to fight for us. see, they understand that this is a witch hunt. >> no, dr. carson, running for president while telling your life story in a way that raises curiosity, and then not answering questions, that's the distraction. we wouldn't know these things unless carson himself had written and said them. and here's the irony, the net effect of the last few days probably helps him among conservative caucusgoers in iowa, who will both respond to his religious epiphany and criticism of the media. by the way, i believe legitimate cases of media bias should be called out. but if carson or any other

candidate tries to cloak himself or herself from reasonable scrutiny on matters raised by their own words, that, too, needs to be exposed. we're picking a president of the united states states here. to tackle the questions i've invite nod liberals, instead three conservatives. radio host larry elder, blogger crystal wright and matt lewis. i'll get to them in just a moment. first joining me now, shawn spicer, the chief strategist for the republican national committee. tuesday night is the next republican debate. according to nbc news and "the wall street journal," the frontrunner of your party now is dr. ben carson. he was on this network on friday morning. here's what unfolded. >> it's a bunch of lies. that's what it is, a bunch of lies. attempting to say that i'm lying about my history. i think it's pathetic, and basically, what the media does

is they try to get you distracted with all of this stuff, so that you don't talk about the things that are important, because we have so many important things. and i'm not proud of the fact that i had these rage episodes. but i am proud of the fact that i was able to get over them. >> i don't know if you saw it in realtime, i'm sure you've heard about it, you have now seen a piece of it. what do you make between that relationship between dr. ben carson and this network? >> a lot of times as conservatives, we feel like members of the media want to attack or destroy us. and i think he feels that way now. as far as the accuracy of cnn and the reporting of the story, i haven't kept track of the tick tock and i think that's up to his campaign and cnn to go through. i think that conservatives feel there's an attack mode from the media when it comes to conservative and republican candidates. >> let me tell you something face-to-face that i've said relative to the rnc and see if

you differ. i have seen this take-on-media mentality plays very well with the base. it could help you win the iowa caulk bus but it bodes poorly when you're trying to win over independents in a general election. so when ben carson won't answer some of the questions put to him by cnn saying is this garbage or a pack of lies, he's only delaying the inevitable. but i don't see someone like that trying to defeat hillary clinton. am i wrong? >> wait a second, look. you look at hillary clinton with the e-mail scandal, benghazi, the level of evasion that they've had, the attacks that they've had on the media, that's what i think is the problem, michael. when it comes to rubs everyone says, you guys are so dismissive, it's always the media's fault. when hillary clinton makes the same claims, everyone rushes to her defense and says, you know what, you republicans have been too tough on her, and she's answered that question. i mean, there is such a huge double standard when it comes to how the media treats republicans and how the media treats

democrats. that's just -- it's a fact. >> i don't know it's a fact -- >> it's not a question -- >> can i say, it may have been a fact 30 years ago when really there were very few outlets. and i would concede to you, generally speaking they were left of center. but hillary clinton, the first question put to her in the only debate thus far was by anderson cooper. and the gist it was, how in the world are you going to get elected when so many americans feel you untrustworthy? i mean, not exactly softball. >> no it's not. it's one question. as i pointed to you, /* this idea that we're getting softball questions is nuts. that first debate on fox was serious, hard-hitting questions. there's no one, in fact, the moderators in that thing got praised by the liberal media by saying, they did ask tough questions. i think the problem with the mainstream media, they don't understand the toughness, intensity and scrutiny and intelligence that conservative media brings to the table. >> what i'm arguing that a

fox-only constituency cannot get your man or woman elected. here's one more clip. >> i can't believe that you used to work on fox and you turned into that. i can't believe that. >> i'm glad you brought that up, dr. carson, because you also said something about fox news that i'd like to play from that very same speech. let's play that clip about your thoughts on fox news. >> even if all the media tries to shut you down, which they have tried very much to do with me, but they can't because the good lord has provided me with mechanisms like my syndicated column and like fox news, we'd be cuba if there were no fox news. >> now, as you point out, i did work at fox for many years. and i do have many friends there still who are excellent journalists. but i'm not sure even they think without their reporting that we would be cuba. you mean that if fox news didn't exist, we'd be a communist

country? >> no. again, there you go with sensationalism. that's ayou try to do. and you hope that somehow that will resonate with people who don't think for themselves. >> dr. carson, you said it. i'm quoting you. >> people are a lot smarter than you think they are. >> i show you that, whether a republican presidential candidate can get elected playing in only the fox sandbox during the nomination process? >> i don't think anyone's suggesting that they do. i think the reason that fox -- just as a side note, the reason that fox news is so successful is because they're covering stories, talking to people that the mainstream media ignores. and i think the american people, the reason they're drawn to fox is because of that. no one's suggesting by any means that there be fox only. i think it would behoove many members of the media to understand that part of the reason fox and other places have grown to be successful is because the mainstream media, quite frankly, is not understanding what a lot of americans are actually

dealing with. people who they respect, issues that they want covered. >> do you think that dr. ben carson has been treated fairly here at cnn? >> look, i'm not trying to evade the question. i don't follow the back and forth between cnn and dr. carson. i've had a great relationship with a lot of folks at cnn. i think, by and large, cnn does a great job of covering the news. i can't speak to dr. carson's relationship with cnn, nor do i want to speak with any other candidate's relationship or the others. that's up for them to tell you how they've been treated. >> you're a media strategist. this is your stock and trade. in a week like this, when there's been a contentious situation with cnn or any other outlet and dr. carson, do you have direct communication with the candidate? i guess i'm asking specifically, did you speak to dr. carson or the carson campaign this week as the media head of the rnc, given that he's the front-runner? >> no at this point in the game,

and our job at the rnc is not to be involved in campaigns making decisions, or strategy, or sound bites or anything like that. >> thank you for being here. >> you bet, michael, thank you for having me. so, are we being too tough on ben carson? is the media biased against him? last night, he said the media is getting desperate. listen to this. >> because they have been looking through everything. they've been talking to everybody i've ever known, everybody i've ever seen. there's got to be a scandal. there's got to be something, he's had an affair. they're getting desperate. next week it will be my kindergarten teacher who said i peed in my pants. i mean, it's ridiculous. >> let's turn to our three conservative. radio host larry elder, blogger crystal wright of conservativeblackchick.com and matt lewis, senior contributor of "the daily caller." >> larry, is this is a hit job against dr. carson? is he crying bias where there is none? >> i don't consider it to be a

hit job but another example of media inconsistency. take the clintons there's no a no-fly zone over certain aspects of the clintons' lives. a woman anita broad rick goes on tv and makes a credible allegation of rape against bill clinton. one national journalist asked him about it, sam donaldson. bill clinton said, i'll refer you to my lawyer, end of story. broad rick also said two weeks after the alleged rape she was verbally intimidated by hillary clinton. no one has even asked about that. i ask you, if these were allegations against fill in your favorite republican, george w. bush, dick cheney, donald trump, i dare say there would be a question or two. >> crystal do you agree with larry elder? >> i absolutely do not agree with my friend larry elder. >> why not? i think cnn and other media outlets are being fair to ben carson there have been times you haven't been fair to our candidates and our party. but here's the thing. ben carson is the front-runner of the republican party.

i think what this boils down to, ben carson should never have run for president to begin with. he was the darling of fox news. he became a fox news contributor and he let that go to his head. frankly, there's way too many inconsistencies and story after story. when he was a student at yale, he claims a psychology professor made owl of the student retake an exam because his room caught on fire, the exams burned, right? he said the yale daily news even took a picture of him with the professor. there's no record of that. there's no record of him being attacked at popeye's. it goes on and on and on. and frankly, well michael, i think he's appeal to the friends of our party, evangelicals, who will not get him in the white house or any nominees in the white house. i predict ben carson is going to fall, fall, fall like herman cain did for a different reason. >> crystal, i need to underscore what you just said, that comes from today's "wall street journal." not exactly a liberal oracle.

>> exactly. >> so, matt, you're the tiebreaker because larry says there is media buys and crystal says there isn't. in this case, she made clear. what do you say? >> yes, there is liberal liberal bias. yes, the media should be vetting ben carson. he's in first place right now. and there are lots of questions about his memoir. look, this is a guy who has built his entire campaign not on his background or experience as an elected official or a governing experience. but really on this very interesting memoir and narrative. and if it turns out, and i don't know, for all i know, he could be telling the truth about everything, but there are a lot of questions. and if it turns out that he fabricated it, republicans might want to find out before they nominate him to take on hillary clinton. >> exactly. >> larry, the thing that baffles me -- you can have the next word -- let me say this, the thing that baffles me, does he have a brian williams issue? >> yes. >> it seems like the core elements of his story are undisputable. and it's a hel almost of a

story. why the need to embellish it like the journalists say, hey, it's a question of whether it really happened? >> one more time, these are perfectly legitimate questions that cnn is asking. all i'm asking for is consistency. joe biden when he was running said he was a coal miner. je biden nerve of worked in a coal mine. hillary said her mom named her after sir edmund hillary, climbing everybody vest. barack obama said his mother and father, a black plan, a white woman, inspired to get married have and ray child because of the selma mar inch '65. obama was born four years before the selma march '65. >> but larry -- >> let me finish, those discrepancies didn't kill their candidacy, any more than these discrepancies ought to kill ben carson's candidacy. they are legitimate things to ask about. peep enhance their resume. i don't know why they do it but these things are hardly deal breakers. >> here's the problem with

republicans. this isn't about hillary, obama or biden. this is about ben carson who hasn't just embellished, he seemed to have fabricated core points of his life from rags to riches. i think it's a problem, like matt said, do we really want this guy to face off against hillary clinton? no, we don't. i don't predict he will be our nominee. i think we have to stop passing the buck on legitimate ontivity when the liberal media tries to be objective. we have to stop passing the buck. it's not about hillary clinton. it's not about obama. >> these are legitimate questions. the issue is media consistency. and there are no-fly zones over certain aspects of democrats versus republicans. we ought to quality media out on that. that's all i'm saying. i have no problem with cnn asking these questions of ben carson. if he's exaggerated he should be called out. >> we agree on that. >> matt, i want to show you the latest "wall street journal"/nbc news poll because i want to make an oceaning if i can put that up

on the screen. i maintain that the tiger in the tall grass is the individual who now sits at number four. i'm talking about ted cruz. isn't this exactly the way that he hoped it would game out? there's been scrutiny on carson, there would be scrutiny on trump. and that he, cruz, would be there to parse and take all of those very conservative maverick-type voters? >> i think you're exactly right. i think ted cruz has run a very smart, stealth campaign making the assumption that the outsiders who have no political experience would eventually implode. he would be there, the natural inheriter of their support and i think it's been very shrewd. i do want to say something that has not been brought up during the segment about dr. carson, that's the politico story. i think it's important to put it in context. they had a story yesterday about raising questions about dr. carson getting a full scholarship to west point. i think they did a disservice to cnn and other outlets who have asked legitimate

questions because their reporting was very sloppy. and i think really opens the door to dr. carson saying, a pox on all of their houses this is liberal media bias. it muddies the waters and really reinforces carson's argument these are not legitimate inquiries. >> to your point, they do stand by it, although they changed the headline. larry, i want to can you a question because tuesday night is the next debate. and i've got to tell you, if i were a moderator for that debate, now, i've got the scrutiny, the attention, is it the question fair? is it a gotcha question? do you worry that the republican field now gets a free ride in some of these debates because of all of the criticism over these types of issues? >> believe me, the republicans are not going to be a free ride. from the media. i think the media still doesn't care about his relationship with bill ayers. these are legitimate questions. if these were the same kinds of questions about republican candidates, michael, i dare say

that they -- that the question or two would be raised about. it's still about media bias. i'm not saying you don't have a right to ask the questions. you have every right to ask the question. i just want consistency. that's all i'm asking. >> i think that's fair. i think that's entirely fair. i would say there's so much media out there when you're talk about conservative bias, liberal bias, whatever you want in the marketplace, with radio, satellite, cable, you can find what you are looking for. ic lent job. thank you so much. larry, crystal, matt, appreciate your being here. what do you think? is the media being fair to ben carson? tweet me @smerconish. many already are. and i will read some later in the program. coming up, we've had democratic consultant bob beckel on this show. this week we're doubling down, two beckels face off. bob and his brother graham, an accomplished veteran movie and tv actor, who you've seen in "l.a. confident" "brokeback mountain" "and leave las vegas." he's also a conservative that likes donald trump.

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digestive core.r so choose ultimate flora by renewlife. it has 30 billion probiotic cultures. feel lighter and more energized. ultimate flora. more power to your gut. now, if you're following the presidential race, you know that 2015 has been the year of the amateur. if there's one thing republican voters can agree on, it's that the less the head of our government knows about government, the better. >> that was bill maher last night. and to his point, imagine that you served in your state legislature, then you were elected to congress. you served four terms and received at least 60% of the vote in each election. then you were elected to the u.s. senate, where you've recently been elected to your third term. so you decide to run for

president, but you're eclipsed in all the polls by individuals who have never been elected to anything. and now, you're disinvited from the debate stage from a showing in the poll where your name was not even included. welcome to lindsey graham's world. senator graham joins me now. senator, how bummed are you that you won't be debating on tuesday night? >> well, all i can tell you is, if you don't put my name in a poll, i don't think i'll ever do well. the last poll they used to knock me out of the debate my name wasn't on the ballot. if you look at the four polls where my name was on the ballot, i was at 2%. i got to soldier on. soldiers don't quit. they don't give up on america. i'm not going to give up on the soldiers. so, i'm going to new hampshire, i've got john mccain on my side. we're going to work hard and keep fighting and make the argument i'm best qualified to be commander in chief. it shows you how absurd the process has become.

>> i remember the straight talk express, senator mccain's bus. i've got to believe if the two were you on were the straight talk express, and i were a fly on the wall, i would hear one or the other of you say to the other, what the hell is going on here? i've got a distinguished career in the senate in progress, and donald trump and ben carson who have never held an elected office are winning this thing? come on, is that the conversation you have with mccain? >> well, we have a little more earthy than actually. the bottom line is, people are frustrated with washington. here's the question, michael, am i the problem or solution? i've tried to find a way forward on immigration. i'm trying to find a way to get aside of debt. i realize that democrats exist. it is their country, too. john and i were together on the straight talk express when it ran out gas, all of the tire were flat. he was fifth in a four-person race. he took his bag and we went from vfw hall, vfw hall, that's what i'm doing.

going to weddings, bar mitzvahs friendly divorces. you're in new hampshire, i'll be coming to see you, talking about getting the side of debt and destroying isil. i look forward to meeting people in new hampshire. >> dr. carson wrote a book, he said when he was 14 he attempted to stab, he initially said, it was a friend, now he says a family member. and there but for the grace of the belt buckle went the life of that other individual. now, cnn says we'd like to talk to that person, it's an unbelievable story, and he's crying media bias. here's the question, is that fair tuesday night, is it fair that he be asked about a portion of his personal narrative that he has put forth? >> well, when you run for president, people are going to question who you are, where you come from, what you believe, what's your background. here's the good news about ben carson, it's one heluva story by any standard. where he came from, what he's achieved in his life. there's a period of time, according to him, a troubled

young man. his faith saved him. i think the purpose of the story is to say i was going down the wrong path and it was my faith and belief in god that turned me around. i just think this is an odd election where the candidate for president of the united states said, i tried to stab somebody, and the media says, we don't believe you. >> i want the tough questions asked of lindsey graham, ben carson and of hillary clinton. i do not remember you whining about any of the debates so far in terms of what you've been asked. but some of your colleagues, some of your competitors, are complaining. and i'm wondering what's going to happen tuesday night this cry of media bias may now shield some of them from appropriate vetting. react to that. >> at the end of the day, you can't complain about being challenged for the office of presidency of the united states, when people are challenging what you said. now, you can push back when people are lying what about you

did, you know, put you in a bad light that's unfair, but when they challenged something you said that's part of the game, in this debate, you know, i really do believe that the process does work. if you're going to take on putin, you're going to take on isil, you need to be ready to answer hard questions. i'm don't mind, can me anything that you want to ask ming michael. i'll try to give you the best answer i can. >> so where will you be tuesday night, and with whom will you be watching the debate? >> i'll be in new hampshire. i wish i were on the stage. i think, quite frankly, the polls where my name was used, i would be on the stage. i think the process is broken. but i am not going to give up because simply people fighting this war don't give up. and i'll be their voice. i'll be in new hampshire. and we'll think about a clever way to watch the debate. >> senator graham, thanks so much for being here. >> thank you. tweet me @smerconish. i'll read some of your thoughts later on in the program.

up next, donald trump is hosting "saturday night live." he's promising to work g-rated. of course he is, his favorite book is the bible, right? an flush platform for a candidate to be given. here's a promo nbc ended up pulling off the air. >> donald trump is hosting "snl" and because of equal time rules for television, mr. trump can only speak for four seconds in this promo. >> let me say this, ben carson is a complete and total loser. >> to discuss this and more, lie turn to two accomplished media figure on opposite sides of the aisle, they happen to be brothers, democratic consultant bob beckel and his veteran actor brother, graham, who calls himself a guarded donald trump supporter, they'll square off on this and more when we come back. ♪ (vo) you can check on them.

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thanksgiving is just three weeks away. and if you're like me, you'll have a relative at your table, just a butter knife away with whom you disagree politically. well, it's the same in the beckel household. bob is the commentator, a liberal, who just published a fabulous memoir, it's titled "i should be dead." graham beckel conservative hollywood actor who supports donald trump, you've seen him in movies like brokeback mountain and "leaving las vegas" and tv's "aquarius." it's beckel versus beckel. graham, let me ask you, did you used to see eye to eye, politically? and if so, when was the break point? >> i used to be further to the let of him. and he was kind of a crotchety conservative kind of guy. he liked hubert humphrey who i thought was -- but, go ahead. >> he's still crotchety, he hasn't lost that, has he? >> no.

>> what's the appeal you see in donald trump? >> let me tell you, i go to events out here in hollywood. i go to events out here in hollywood put on by an organization formed by conservatives in hollywood. and i heard trump was going to speak. this is before he announced for the presidency. i bought a ticket, because i just wanted to see the guy live because he's been a part of the landscape for so long. and he's an interesting character. anyway, he walked into this room about a week after he announced this. a tremendous amount of theater out front. people jumping up and down, a lot of protests and so on. and he just captured that room. he wasn't working on any notes. he had great kinetic timing. but here's the thing that he did that made me think he may be okay.

he started talking about power structures on wall street. he knew everybody. he had all of that bluster going on. but he said the people who really make wall street work, the smartest ones, the ones that don't always make the most money, but the ones who make it work, the people you never see, those are the people i know. and he looked out in the audience. he said, you, would you stant up for me? it was some shrub actor. he said, what's your name? gave him his name. this guy, i don't know who he is, i don't know who his name is, but every time i see him in a movie, doing a small part, it makes the movie better. that's what i'm talking about. people like that who are gifted, who are talented, and they make things happen, but you have no idea who they are. now, come on, that's fantastic. >> bob beckel, graham is making the case, effectively, i think,

that the donald is actually for the working man. address that. >> well, first of all, my brother went right and got so very wrong. but i love him very much. but he called me right after he went to that trump thing. and he was very enthusiastic about it. i'll say one thing when he gets into something, he gets into it. you know, trump is playing here. and it's smart. he's playing to the working plan because the disaffected, blue collar reagan democrat that now votes republican are lining up behind donald trump. the irony of it is, of course, is that trump very wealthy, and doesn't have anything -- you know, in common with these people. but he speaks out for them. and it's smart. >> bob, come on, come on. >> come on, what? >> he's an oligarch but he's our oligarch. right? he's the working man's oligarch. >> i see, okay. >> le can point -- he can pull

back the curtain and show you the wizard of oz. people love that. people know the entire process has been co-opted by these people out in the air somewhere, we don't know who they are. let's face it, i'm an alienated suburban white guy who is frightened that my historical prerogatives are being taken away from them. it's simple. >> yes. >> you've written this very personal memoir about confronting your demons. of all things, the subject came up this week on the campaign trail in a video, the last count i saw, 6 million people watched. here's a little taste of how chris christie has struck a chord. >> but no one came and said, listen your mom was dumb, she started smoking when he was 16, then after we told her it was bad for her but she kept doing it, so we're not going to give her chemo or radiation, you know why? because she's getting what she

deserves. no one said that. no one said that about someone who had cancer. yet, somehow if it's heroin or cocaine or alcohol we say, oh, they decided they're getting what they deserved. >> bob beckel, why did that strike such a chord? >> because there are so many millions of people in this country affected by drugs and alcohol, now the expanse of heroin, and most particularly, pain medication, and i think what -- it's been the hidden issue in this country for a long time. "time" magazine said it's the greatest epidemic we've had in this country in a long, long time. and it is. politics are finally catching up to it. i give christie a lot of credit. by the way, there's one of those things that's a few bipartisan things that you can come up with here where both democrats and republicans agree this is something getting out of the control. they're late to the table, as some of us have been doing for a decade.

nonetheless, it's out there, and i think it's important. >> graham, as bob makes reference, it is bipartisan. but i take note about the fact that carly fiorina has spoken openly about this, jeb bush, so, too, chris christie. take the final word on this issue. >> on this issue, i think they're all crazy. look, the drug thing is so crooked. it's such a moneymaker for so many people. the rehab industrial complex, getting people addicted. and aside from that, why doesn't anybody really deal with it? the federal government should be buying all of the drugs at the wellhead. they should be outbidding the cartels. buy the drugs, establish farms across the country. people can go get loaded. they can kill themselves if they want. use that money to help rehab people. and maybe we can begin to do

something about restitution to the african-americans. okay? >> your table -- your table is one i'd love to have a seat at for thanksgiving or every other family get-together. thank you messieurs beckel. pressure you being here. the beckels is just one that is an example of the polarization that has gripped american politics. is anybody capable of bipartisan cooperation these days? is the media feeding the issue? i'm going to talk to one of the last surviving advocates of surviving bipartisan. ray lahood. and i'll ask him if he thinks this week's bombing of a russian passenger jet could happen here. if yand you're talking toevere rheumyour rheumatologiste me, about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage.

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more power to your gut. >> you know, we've been talking all about polarization. you want to know the biggest problem in american politics is the death of bipartisan cooperation. my next guest is one of the last fighting the good fight to keep that spirit alive. in fact, his hometown newspaper once wrote this about him -- unlike those who see the government as an enemy, he looks for ways to make it work. he lacks that hard edge that so bothers suburban soccer moms. he gives the appearance being driven by reason rather than ideology. earlier in his congressional career he organized bipartisan retreats to promote civility. speaking about former secretary of transportation, ray lahood, published a memoir titled "seeking bipartisanship my life in politics." i look in the last 30 years and see as radio and cable

television news, i don't mean cnn, as it divided so did washington. do you see a causal connection? >> i do think there's not enough news for all of the cable news channels 24/7, michael. and i do think that there are so many of these channels that repeat over and over again, the negativity that exists in some of our institutions and in government and in washington, d.c. and you know as well as i do, that if you say something often enough, people begin to believe it. so, i think there is a contradiction on the part of the media, particularly, you know, all of the cable news channels. but let's face it, the internet too. the access to the internet. the access too all of this -- the idea that you can say whatever you want. there doesn't have to be an ounce of truth in it, people see it and they believe it because of people that are saying it.

>> i want to ask you a question that pertains to your old job. the gas tax. i drove from philly to new york on horrific roadways. it seems to obvious to me with gas at a significant low right now, we er ought to be increasing the gas tax and paying for infrastructure. is this an example of the lack of bipartisanship? >> it really is, michael. america's is one big pothole. we've had brutal winters for the last two or three winters. our roads are crumbling right now at d.o.t. u.s. d.o.t., there's a list of 61,000 deficient bridges that need repaired. and the gas tax has not been raised, the big pot of money that helped us create the interstate, the golden gate bridge, all of these magnificent structures. that's funded by the gas tax which hasn't been raised by 1993. the largest segment of

unemployment in america is in building trades. people who build roads and bridges. let's get them working again. mr. secretary, details are for coming about the crash of the metrojet in egypt. given what we know, how concerned are you about our transportation system's vulnerability to isis? >> well look, thank god since 9/11 none of our planes have been brought down. and i think people real dloi feel safe flying today. but we have to be vigilant. i believe that the fbi and cia and law enforcement are taking their work very seriously. i believe flying is safe. i would not be afraid to board an airplane, certainly in america or fly internationally. i believe flying is safe. i would not be afraid to board an airplane certainly in america or to fly internationally. and it's because i think we have many, many good people who are

watching out for our safety. >> mr. secretary, best of luck with seeking bipartisanship. i hope it is a best seller >> thank you, michael. coming up, your best and worst tweets from this broadcast that i'll anxiously respond to. well, well. if it isn't the belle of the ball. gentlemen. you look well. what's new, flo? well, a name your price tool went missing last week. name your what, now? it gives you coverage options based on your budget. i just hope whoever stole it knows that it only works at progressive.com. so, you can't use it to just buy stuff? no. i'm sorry, gustav. we have to go back to the pet store. [ gustav squawks ] he's gonna meet us there. the name your price tool. still only at progressive.com.

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you can follow me on twitter if you can spell smerconish. eddie tree says you are part of the media bias and that is why

you can't see it. eddy, first of all, i'm reading your tweet. second of all, at the outset of the program i put on three conservatives, and the head of the rnc. the spokesman for the rnc. and i gave him the floor. to criticize cnn. that's media bias? peter kohan says, maybe it should be asked if carson is biased against cnn. interesting observation. look, it helps with the base, particularly the evangelical base, if his story of his religious epiphany is questioned and he fights back. so there is a political advantage in this for ben carson. and i like this one. jim kilby. liberal media? ever listen to a.m./fm radio? limbaugh. a lot of choice yet so few people exercise it. see you next week.

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x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. top of the hour. i'm poppy harlow live this saturday evening from new york. we now noe sudden noise was heard on the black box recording just before that russian plane broke apart in the sky. egypt says bad weather is slowing down their investigation, and it is too soon to know exactly what brought the plane down. u.s. and british officials have suggested a bomb may have downed it, killing all 224 people on board. american officials keeping a very close eye on the investigation as