from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: today on "face the nation." gays in sports, republican leaders versus the tea party. and is there no end to this weather. 1.2 million people were left in the dark by the storm that caught 100 million people in its icy grip. we'll go to north carol governor for latest there. we'll talk with marshal shepard of the american meteorological society about the causes for these weather extremes. indoors congress raised the nation's debt limit and near record times, before the bad weather hit. but tea party types were outraged. we'll ask their champion former senator jim demint of the heritage foundation what's next

for them. we'll have political analysis from the center for american progress. the legendary bob woodward of the "washington post," david sanger of the "new york times," politicos, john harris and "washington post" jennifer rubin. we'll take a look at the michael sam story the first nfl hopeful to publicly announce he's gay. what impact will that decision have on him, the nfl and wider world of sports. we'll talk to michael sam's spokesman, usa today's jared bell and nfl wide receiver dante' stall worth. 60 years of news because this is "face the nation."

good morning again, the snow is still falling in the northeast, some parts of massachusetts and maine received a foot or more overnight and that could go higher and that is on top of what fellas part of the nor'easter that paralyzed most of the east coast last week. now blamed for at least 25 deaths more than a million people lost power at some point during the storm and tens of thousands remain without power this morning. one of the hardest hit states was north carolina where governor joins us now from charlotte. governor i got to say it looks good down there this morning. >> well, the snow is melting now. we still have a good bit, built the carolina sunshine finally coming back it's been a rough two weeks. two major storms, six major metropolitan areas. quite a challenge for our emergency operation workers but

we've had tales of heroism from citizens helping citizens and snow removal workers have done outstanding job i'm proud of our team. also glad to report not one person that we know was stranded overnight. >> schieffer: that is really good news. how about the power situation, i know you have a lot of people that lost power? >> we had over about 100,000 people lost power but very fortunate with that regards now almost all are back at this point in time. still several thousand out but we've had good news and we've never seen storms go in such a massive widespread area of the state. two times in two weeks, it's about depleted our budget and also going to have impact on our economy in north carolina because people were stuck inside not spending money, also sadly we had at least six fatalities including two good samaritans who were trying to help another driver and sadly a drunk driver or someone under the influence

hit them and killed them. we're very saddened about the loss of life in our state. >> schieffer: it seems to me that lot of people in north carolina i know you all got the warnings out but frankly a lot of people didn't seem to pay any attention, did you learn anything from this? >> that some people don't pay attention. we gave plenty of early warning, we signed emergency orders both times, during both storms some people just don't believe because carolinas don't get the snowfall. they were extremely accurate we can't play the weather forecasters i'm not going to do that. people responded very quickly we did have too many people get on the street too late. >> schieffer: governor, couple of years ago you had remark that caught a lot of people's attention, you said that global warming is in god's hands, after going through this

thing you still feel that way and is there something we ought to be doing about it in the meantime? >> someone took a chopped off of the total sentence, i will say this, there is always climate change, debate is really how much is manmade and how much really cost to have any impact on climate change. my main argument, let's clean up the environment. as a mayor now as governor i'm spending my time cleaning our air, cleaning our water and cleaning the ground. i think that is where the argument should be on both the left and the right. if that has impact on climate change, good. but i think that's where the real argument should be, doing what we can to clean up our environment but we also have to look for cost effective ways to do it because as a governor we're walking that fine line of keeping our environment clean but also continuing the economic recovery and making sure things like power are affordable for the consumer. >> schieffer: all right. governor, we want to wish you

and folks down there in north carolina the very best. glad you're coming out of this thing, thanks for joining us this morning. >> thank you very much, bob. >> schieffer: with spring officially just 2 days away, that is official, one question being asked when is this going to end. the former head of the american meteorological society marshal shepard joins us from atlanta. last time we had you on asked you how long is this heat wave going to last. but can you answer that question for us, how much more of this are we going to see? >> well, bob, i think people in the west and alaska may still be asking about that heat wave because the drought we're seeing in the west and the heat we're seeing up in alaska they are related to these snowstorms. we've been in pattern, think about sea saw, one part that have is up one part to down in the united states we've been under extreme high pressure and

we've seen record drought, i'm concerned about that, the snow pack is low out there. here in the east that has allowed cold air to move down in to the country we see this in winter storms. we've got to break this persistent pattern we see in our high and low pressure system and pattern of our jet stream. >> schieffer: is this something that happened naturally, a result of things that are happening here on earth? what is this all about? >> couple of things, when we get winter weather, cold conditions, you got some will say what are you guys worried about climate change and -- it's winter, it's january or february we get snowstorms that is important like saying because it's night time the sun doesn't exist. on the other hand there is evidence there's some scientific literature that suggests that jet stream patterns can be affected up in the arctic because of climate change and

global warming. we know that climate change is happening, i'm not quite ready to say this this snowstorm we saw this week or last week is caused by global warming or climate change but one thing i will emphasize, i think we're forgot how to deal with snowstorms because we're seeing so few of the big storms like we've seen, that probably is because of climate warming. >> schieffer: anything that can be done here or just ride them out? >> we've got to ride it out, i think the politicians and those that make policy will decide on how to deal with these issues and the scientists. we try to report the literature, i tell my students at the university of georgia as scientists we have to report the science based on what the -- not what twitter or the blog says, what the facts are and we clearly know our climate is changing the that there are aspects of that change that are related to human activity but have to be careful not to try to

blame every single event, there's a bigger picture context we have toe ride it out. i think people have to listen to warnings, the our science is pretty good now but our people consuming the information and making the right decisions, even as meet otherrology community are we giving them that information in manner they can use. >> schieffer: i almost hate to ask this question. we got spring coming on, tornado season then there will be hurricane season, what should we expect the rest of the year? >> i'm still keeping my eye on the west right now, bob. this drought, snow pack is critical out there, you've seen satellite images from nasa not as much snow pack that is water supply later in the warm season hopefully get a break in this pattern so that the water supply situation can ease some. of course we move in to the severe weather season we saw last year the tornadoes in oklahoma. well forecasted events but

people make decisions, communication hall thanks jeopardize lives. have to continue to be prepared. nationality bether. people learn how to become more prepared make the -- hurricane season predicted -- looked around the world and indian ocean and pacific we saw things like typhoons, we can't get too tunnel vision what is going on as i always say, weather is removed, climate is your personality. >> schieffer: all right. dr. shepard always fun to talk to you even when you don't have good news. thanks so much. we're going to turn to the indoor news most of the news this past week did poke focus on weather one big story, congress raised the debt limit and they did it without a big fight.

house speaker john boehner cleared the way for passage in the house, republican liter mitch mcconnell moved around the filibuster got it through the senate. we're joined now by former republican senator jim demint who heads up the heritage foundation author of upcoming book "falling in love with america again" senator, the good thing for us about this storm is, you were going back to south carolina you couldn't get there. >> i'm glad to be here in person. >> schieffer: you're here with us. let's talk about this. you and sea party folks, john boehner cleared the way of getting this done, this is not something tea party folks, are you going to try to topple john boehner now? >> i'm amused talk about the tea party this is just millions of americans who are concerned about spending and debt and thousands of little groups,

they're not a political party and they don't speak with one voice. but i think a lot of folks who believe in limited government, less spending and debt are concerned that under this president we've had more debt than any president in history. it's very possible by the end of this term allowed more debt than all the presidents before him combined. lot of us are wondering how long can this go on. it was a defining vote this week, it showed that all the democrats in congress were completely willing to give the president a blank check to borrow whatever he wanted, most of the republicans weren't. but the republican leadership figured out, give president all the money and debt he wants or going to close the government down blame it on them. they did what they thought was only thing they could do. frankly the way it's been reported about the vote in the senate, the normal rule is it takes 60 votes to move to final vote what they call -- several

members including ted cruz were simply asking, let's keep the normal rules here. and that didn't suit some folks. >> schieffer: it didn't suit mitch mcconnell the leader because by voicing that to vote it meant that a lot of republicans who didn't want to vote for this had to vote for it to get the filibuster, including mitch mcconnell. ted cruz put his republican colleagues in a tough spot there, over in the house john boehner some people said did his members a favor because he led the democrats pass this and lot of republicans that knew it was going to happen didn't have to vote. >> he still had to get 20-some odd republicans to vote. but the reason there is 60 vote rule in the senate the reason leaders taught so hard to keep it for nominations is it requires some wii bipartisan working together to pass it. the debt limit and just giving

president blank check is an important vote. to say we're going to weigh the rules to make it easier, if ted cruz hadn't required standard procedure -- >> schieffer: let me ask you this get back to the question i asked you in the beginning. were you and the folks that you represent and that you raise money from, what about john boehner. has he served his purpose, somebody else head up the republicans in the house? >> i got out of the senate so i didn't have to make those kind of decisions. really at the heritage foundation we're not involved with candidates and elections and what goes on internally i'm not going to pretend to suggest -- >> schieffer: did you form the senate conservative fund to raise money as to use against some republicans? >> i'm proud of what the senate conservative fund, but i haven't been involved with that over two years i'm really not familiar with what they're doing in this

election cycle -- >> schieffer: it's your people that are running it. >> they're not my people, they are their own people and supportive of folks all over the country. our job to unite the country around the set of ideas. we're less involved with really trying to cram anything down the throats of congressmen and senators. we're on come pain now, bob, to unite the country around core ideas to make our country stronger and better. that's our whole emphasis. i'm not involved with any political group now. >> schieffer: are you satisfied with republican leadership in washington right now? >> i will say that a lot of us as conservatives don't feel like we're well represented in washington right now. i think a lot of americans regardless of political labels feel the same way. i hear it all over the country. that's why you see stirring around the country, frankly people are less interested in label of republican and democrat, they're tired of that. but will unite around principles

that will give us a stronger economy, a strong society, a strong america. and those are the things we want to talk about. american is not nearly as divided as it looks like they are in washington. >> schieffer: it looks like to me that the republican party has been a split. establishment republicans on one side, tea party folks and lot of rather conservative people on the other side including you. >> it's always been that way. reagan was insurgent was he was shaking up the party. always that pull in washington move steward establishment all k street lobbyists. and to respond to people outside who are saying, we want a limited government, more decision making. that's the key right now is for washington to let things go. you see many states like you see in north carolina we heard from the governor this morning doing great things with their taxes and school choice. that's the kind of thing we're working on all around the country.

>> schieffer: senator, we thank you for coming. >> bob, good to see you again. >> schieffer: we'll look forward to see how this goes. hope you get home. we'll be back in one minute to talk to bob woodward who has been doing some reporting this weekend.

>> schieffer: we're back now with legendary bob woodward. the reason he is bob woodward when we asked him to be on the broadcast, lo and behold he started calling people to see what is happening and raising the debt ceiling meant. bob, what is your reaction to what you heard senator demint say? >> well, one thing just not factually correct. that there was a vote to give president obama a blank check, raising the debt ceiling does not give the president a blank check says we're going to pay the bills -- that we already --

that's all right in the legislation. i think calling around this weekend was very interesting is, this is kind of a trifecta for boehner, talk to somebody, key administration figure who said, what boehner did was very gutsy. you don't hear him talking like that in the obama white house very often. >> schieffer: somebody in the obama white house? >> key player, saying john boehner did the very gutsy thing. it's what the president wanted. the second thing is conservative press is praising boehner like the national review had long article saying, well done, john boehner. haven't seen that for a long time. third most interesting thing is the people who voted against boehner, the republicans who said, i don't want to vote to raise the debt ceiling, people like paul ryan are privately

saying, making it very clear, boehner did the right thing. this is -- if you look at it a big victory for obama. he drew the line, he said, i'm not going to let you hold a gun to my head and blackmail me on this. it's a rare and very important victory. >> schieffer: you know, i thought it was also interesting that again we had ted cruz over in the senate, because what really happened here, i think you can make the case that john boehner was really looking out for his members. they knew this was going to happen. boehner let democrats pass this in the house, his members could vote against it and say, we voted against it. so he really kind of did them a favor, the exact opposite happened over in the senate where mitch mcconnell had it worked out that they could pass this on a simple majority and republicans faced a tough

primary election or tough election could vote against it the thing would still pass. when cruz came out and forced them to -- said he was going to filibuster, a lot of republicans were not the least hit happy about that. >> remember in the house boehner had to get 20-some republicans to vote for this. and they did it. you're right, it's almost all democrats. but if you look at the details, the chess moves all of this, it was rather skillfully done according to democrats and republicans. you're right in the house cruz said, we've got -- in the senate, i'm sorry, made people really unhappy including mitch mcconnell who thinks that cruz is literally the most selfish senator he's ever seen in his years there. >> schieffer: how popular is he among his colleagues? >> well, we're going to see what

happens if he runs for president and goes out in the country, among his colleagues they have that senate policy lunch every week and witnesses have told me he goes in there and he sits alone. people will only sit next to him when there is no other available seats. you know when you sit alone for lunch that's not a sign of a lot of support. so he's isolated. >> schieffer: just a republican gathering, this is when the republicans had their weekly lunch. >> and the democrats look on this they see a civil war, but the republicans are arguing, no, just ted cruz all by himself. he really doesn't have anybody supporting him. we'll see where this goes. the real question here is what does obama do. this is not a peace offering or really early valentine to the

president. but sometimes when something happens that you think should happen even not for those reasons you should embrace it and maybe they can actually get something done. >> schieffer: it would be kind of next move, president obama. we'll see what happens. >> yeah. >> schieffer: we'll be back with our panel on part two, we'll be back in a minute with personal shots. ♪ [ male announcer ] how could switchgrass in argentina, change engineering in dubai, aluminum production in south africa, and the aerospace industry in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses

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♪ over the pizza place on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ >> schieffer: we have been talking about weather and politics this morning, if you are among the 100 million of us who found yourself in the middle of this storm, you had to love alexandra's letter to winter in yesterday's paper. in what started out as love note she wrote, it's been real, it's

been lovely, but then she added, i don't care what groundhog said, you need to leave. she got that right. even here in washington where people usually put politics before food and shelter, it was the weather that had our attention. here is a news flash, winter so far is not a crowd pleaser. still to be fair it is not all bad. every time there's a bad flood or a hurricane, someone remarks it just shows that no matter how our abilities humans can never match the power generated by mother nature. i never doubted that, but we got a new appreciation for mother nature's power last week. i'm not saying it's the only reason but i am convinced that one reason the house and senate acted so quickly to raise the debt ceiling was they wanted to get out of town before the big storm hit. think what you want of the debt ceiling anyone or anything with the power to get congress off its rump gets my deep respect

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♪ >> if i had something in my mind and something ought want to get, everything else disappears. everybody disappears. all consequence disappears. maybe that is a little bit of my weakness but that is the only way i know how to be. i remember my mom saying you came out the new. i came out and angry. >> folng