>> schieffer: welcome back to "face the nation" we of a all-star line up of political reporters today. the chief correspondent for the "washington post," dan, we welcome jonathan martin the national political correspondent for the "times" and we have amy walter national editor of "the cook political report" and wouldn't be politicrat panel without our own john dickerson. we have to pay him anyway. [ laughter ] glad to have you joan. welcome. your first appearance here on "face the nation." you were the one bobby jindal first said, the republicans stop being the stupid party. >> right. it was interesting to hear what he had to say today when i asked him did he think they would stop. >> there are current examples of the fact that you still have those. mike huckabee talking about women easily we doughs, for

example. when that kind of thing happens, democrats are gleeful. exactly the kind of fodder that they want and especially on mid term year turn out typically drops to elevate their own base, african americans, hispanics, young voters, women. those are the kind of comments that you see party leaders like jindal cringe. they want this election to be entirely about obamacare implementation. state of the economy, president obama's overall popularity. any time they have opportunity to change the topic it scares the republicans. >> yet makes it great for somebody like governor bobby jindal to have the focus on how dysfunctional they are. they get to make the case, this is why you need to elect a governor in 2016. forget all those guys trying to run from washington, we're the people that are solving the problems we aren't making the same mess takes. >> one of the reasons you see so little happening in congress. there are two ways to fix seeing what governor jindal the stupid

party, say smarter things. other not get to the kinds of debate that people have to say stupid things. when you see them not taking on immigration, in the same way democrats are not taking on trade, they're not taking on the increase in the cost of living. on social security and other measures. both sides of the of decided we're not going to take any risks we don't want to say anything. but that leads to what you say, which is, achievements in becoming the most do nothing in congress. >> schieffer: you know within they say we're not going to do any of these things you have what happened in the senate where ted cruz goes in there and forces republicans who were going to be able to vote against raising the debt ceiling. there is a disconnect, i think, dan. >> there's a disconnect and division within the republican party. just as there are some divisions

within the democratic party. the republicans are trying to sort out what kind of party they want to be. not just philosophically but stylistically. i think that is the big battle that we're seeing playing out. as amy said, governors have got one version of this, don't look at washington, look what we're doing in the states. what is going on in the states is really important right now. because you have at this point in history more states than we've had in many years under unified control of either republicans or democrats they're going in different directions. the country can look at washington and say, we have no idea what they're doing because they're not doing anything. you can look at the states say, this is the republican model, this is the democratic model that's what's going to be on display in the state races. >> the polarization that we see in washington is very -- state capitals, too. even on more vivid display in state capitals you've got liberal states and conservative states which are pursuing some pretty remarkably different policy agendas.

at leads to two different countries. >> schieffer: what about, we're going to have elections, off-year elections how is that shaking down, amy? >> this is not a great year to be a democrat. usually not great year to be party in the white house in the second term, mid term. but when you look at the playing field, seats that democrats have to defend in the senate are very tough. they are very, very deep rut states. the economy is doing better than it was four years ago but not great. the president's numbers are much lower than they were even going in to the 2012 election. it's setting up not particularly well for democrats. but -- >> schieffer: you haven't mentioned the health care. >> you're right. haven't even mentioned the issue environment. this is why you're seeing to jonathan's point about changing the subject, democrats talking incessantly about things like minimum wage. want to make this debate about economic inequality, they want it to look a lot like 2012 where it was. democrats were the people looking out for you, we're on your side, republicans are the

ones on the side of big business and big insurance. if they can make that debate -- >> the other issues. >> schieffer: what happens on the health care thing? what are they going to do here? where is this thing? >> well, that's right. democrats hope that it will continue to sign people up, be able to point to numbers of people signing up, below targets that the white house has set. then they just got to hope against hope there isn't one of these surprises. big political risk on affordable care act there is some surprise either delay or report from congressional budget that reminds voters who already had health care but this big thing out there is going to crash in to their existing health care. that every time they are reminded of the surprises inherent in this enormous program they get never us. and so that is the thing democrats have to worry about that they're just surprises. that then candidates will have to quickly come back. one thing shifts, we have noticed is republicans are less and less running wrong the idea of repeal. and so that will be interesting to watch, they will talk about

replacement but less ripping it out because of the hang over of -- >> schieffer: they have now presented an alternative. >> they have. which is another reminder how we've shifted from repeal. in other words now it's on trying to replace it with something. >> what's so striking to me, bob, you've got the health care implementation taking place in some states quite successfully. i was talking to governor steve bashear from kentucky which is model of implementation of affordable care act. they added coverage to 244,000 kentuckyians. at the same time that is happening in that state this year, in the senate race, mitch mcconnell entire campaign against his challenger is to hang the issue of obamacare around her neck. there is an odd duality of the implementation of law that is adding coverage to thousands of people in the state and candidate for senate democrat can't even talk about it. >> another duality that we're seeing in these races you

mentioned democrats want to talk about degree to which the economy is improving. and yet -- >> they want to run against governors, republican governors for not doing enough on the economy. both sides are conflicted in the way they're delivering the messages. >> the other shoe to drop is in october and september people who have employee-sponsored health care they get their rates for 2015. right before the election you're going to get something in the mail. >> schieffer: let me ask you about this. do you think that republicans can take the senate, dan? where do you think that is right now? >> i think there is distinct possibility that they can. i had thought earlier that they had even more of an uphill slog to do it. i think the map now is such that they can certainly do it. there are plenty of races available that we see that are well within play. so, yes, it's very possible. if i were democrats at this

point i would be quite nervous. >> schieffer: my sense is the house will stand republican. >> everybody agrees on that. >> schieffer: let's talk presidential politics. two people at the table, both would like to run, i don't think there's any question about that. can anybody get passed hilary clinic for democratic nomination? >> we should never say never because if we had been here eight years ago we would have said, can anybody get passed hillary clinton in 2008. turned out somebody was able to do that. on the other hand everybody agrees at this point that if she runs she's in an even stronger position to win the nomination than she was last time. there is no barack obama-like person lurking on the horizon in the democratic race. you would have to say she is formidable front runner for the nomination. but we've got a long way to go. >> schieffer: what do you think? >> i think if she does run she will be historically formidable. i don't think it's going to stop there will still be somebody in

the party. somebody else is going to run, governor o'malley i think still probably wants to run, even if she is in the race. the question to me is what is the nature of that primary. a sort of polite debate where somebody like governor o'malley makes investment or does get to be more of traditional tough, sort of no holds barred debate. that is still an open question. >> schieffer: let me ask you this on the other side of the street. i base this on nothing but watching television. i am seeing mitt romney show up on television more and more and more. does anybody think he might be actually thinking about trying again? >> i think he's doing some rehabilitation. there's a little -- but i think when he was running for president, most of establishment money that ran over to chris christie said, would you please run. now that chris christie is having his prolonged indigestion because of this washington bridge problem, george washington bridge problem there is a little bit of establishment

looking for a similar candidate. that may be a little bit about that. it's not serious. another interesting thing on the republican side you have three republican senators, freshmen thinking about maybe running. i don't see, i just don't know how the republican party spending so many years attacking former freshman senator saying he didn't have enough experience then going to turn to republican freshman senator. i think that is a real thing to watch. >> schieffer: what about somebody else to watch that is of course chris christie. is he done? will this hurt him? can he get past this bridge business? >> he may be able to get past this, he certainly damaged at this point. he's been here this weekend for the national governors association meeting and he's been not visible in public for the most part. i think that tells you a little bit about his condition right now. he's got to get through this, there's going to be more that we're going to learn. i think it's too early to say whether he's completely gone. but he's hurt. can he come back? he might be able to.

>> sign of his image make over, after his most recent town hall his office put out picture of him giving high-five to a little girl. next time it's going to be puppies. >> you know who you don't want to be at this point in an election is the front runner. chris christie has gotten that, marco rub yes got taste. now scott walker the governor of wisconsin who was even as coming up in the ranks. he's having his own issues back home about e-mails being released in an investigation in his office. person you want to be is one who is there in the background not getting -- >> there really is no -- >> schieffer: the hillary clinton is a front runner, giant, looming figure now. every poll shows her about 70%. >> and sitting vice president is far behind her. there really is no modern

comparison, maybe eisenhower is the closest. but on republican side there really is no front runner. every four years, at least somebody that you think is going to be the guy for the republicans. just not clear at this point. >> right, there is a real battle within the party about who wants to be. there should be -- >> schieffer: that is very good point because republicans center traditionally it's been wait your turn. run couple of times or at least once. nobody gets it first time out. >> democrats are doing that now. as john suggested this does set up for a governor to emerge, if these governors who are looking at it aren't too damaged, to emerge as a front runner at some point. >> maybe six governors on republican side run. >> jeb bush. >> or rick perry from texas. >> he's had a run before. >> schieffer: my guess he's

trying to run. >> certainly doing everything to allow himself to run whether he will actually do it i don't think we know at this point. he's spending this year putting himself in a position to make the decision to do so. >> schieffer: do you think we'll see as many debates this presidential election as last time out? >> not at the republican party has anything to say. there is a consensus. what could break -- there were too many last time, it created a circus atmosphere. the candidates who were in the second tier want to get their moment in the sun and also by the way, networks that want to have good rock 'em sock 'em events on -- but that's also hillary clinton's challenge. you mentioned eisenhower, at least there was a task. he was fighting within the republican party. with hillary clinton on the stage, unless a nice, we're all friends, kind of thing. if it's not a debate where she -- >> going to get an hour. >> and make her defend everything about obama administration that a lot of liberals are disappointed with. >> part of the problem with the

debates last time they were a lot of, let's put it nicely, jv players on the field. not a lot of varsity athlete. you put a very see athlete on debate stage that's good for republicans. the debates were terrible because it brought out the worst of what the republicans were trying to be or trying to promote. >> schieffer: all right. this has been a lot of fun, glad to have all of you we'll be back with analysis on the international news, next.

are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need.

siemens. answers. >> schieffer: we're back now with "time" international editor and cbs news state department correspondent margaret brennan. both have had a busy week. we talk about we don't have much good news but there was great news is el chapo gutierrez man, aka shorty. >> a big deal in mexico one of the baddest of the bad cartel leaders who is leader of the is in low i can't cartel and one of the last male standing. systematically got to the other cartels. this was a very, very big deal. they caught shorty, and it's a program that the mexican president had launched when he became president a year ago there was very -- quite a lot of cooperation between u.s. and mexico. there had been fears that that was frayed, clearly that's not

the case. this guy escaped once before from prison. it's not all over and done with. >> schieffer: this street just like something out of a movie or something. they catch him in bed, there's a woman here on one side and ak47 on the other side. i hope in the middle of the night he has to be careful depending which he -- >> fortunately he did not shoot his way out. there was much less bloodshed. over the last three or four months, one by one they picked them off. they acted very quickly to get information from them about where he might be. they went to the one house where he actually was, he escaped from there but knew where he was going. they managed to catch him. this is very intelligent operation, intelligence heavy operation something to be celebrated. >> interesting that this year-long operation came to head the shame week that president obama was in mexico. and within the same week they

had failed raid then this successful operation over the weekend. this is the dea working hand in hand here with the mexican marines. law enforcement officials say that you can expect a conversation in the next few days about an extradition here to the u.s. because of exactly what you raised, he has escaped from prison before some would say with help from the inside. >> schieffer: if this were tom clancy the president would have gone down there and led the raid. that's the way it is in fiction. let's talk about the serious, more serious stuff that is what is going on in the ukraine. it looks like -- the the presidents left they don't know where he is. knows, was this a coup he says it was. is he going to leave. where are we on that, margaret? >> revolutions are easy to start and hard to finish. right now a question of, who is exactly is in leadership position. in names, the parliament is running the country but no one in particular is at the head that have right now.

the u.s. and iu are working to try to get the opposition to form some kind of unity government. because they're very concerned about, you can draw line right through the middle of ukraine and see those who are still pro moscow and those who are wanting to be closer to europe. there was concern that there could be a real fracture here. the most immediately this country is about to implode financially. they need cash, they need it quick and u.s. and eu wants them to take it from the imf. harder to take that because they have to make budget cuts do some hard work instead of relying on russian financial aid. >> schieffer: we saw this one of the opposition leaders was led out of jail she spoke to the protesters yesterday. she's in a wheelchair. yet she's not the heroin of all the people that were out there in the street. >> not at all. yulia tymoshenka and she is a very divisive figure, she's been prime minister twice, presided over very corrupt

administration, very inept. she's a good street fighter and we've seen that character in her around the world. good street fighter not good at governing. margaret is right, no one knows who is in charge. they are very fractured group. the sense this is the end of round one. now comes round two, putin not distracted by the olympics he's going to enter the ring. who is going to stand against him? the question comes down to who wants to own the ukraine problem. we don't. europe, maybe. they're not 100% sure. not sure they want the most bankrupt and most corrupt country in europe has part of the european union. one person who wants to own the ukraine problem is putin. that gives him an advantage. question is, who is going to go up against. >> schieffer: let me ask you both a question that i was answer asked as a young reporter i came back in with the story editor said to me, tell me why i should compare about this. why is this important to the united states, margaret? >> well, in name, u.s. would say it's important for us to see that democracy is taking hold in

the ukraine. when it comes down to direct national security interests, hard to make that argument: but for russia this is their back yard, have naval base in the ukraine, tremendous trade, they have a shared border it's in their direct interest. when the tv cameras leave they are going to have a lot of influence. for the u.s. we are hamstrung, the unanswered calls for a week from secretary hagle to his counterpart in the ukraine, that just shows that issue that u.s. doesn't have a lot of leverage. we do through the eu. 28 countries who are threatening to really punish those leaders financially if they don't follow through where some of these reforms. >> even in europe not a lot of europeans want to be part of the european union. they sympathize with the people in the street. but your opinion has plenty of problems of its own, economic problems. it does not want another basket case within the fold. it really -- for russia, you

can't emphasize enough how big a deal it is. every russian diplomat learns this on day one in diplomacy school. russia without ukraine is a country. russia with ukraine is an empire. this is sort of driven deep in to every russian politician, every russian diplomat we can expect them to fight quite hard. if we learn anything about putin, fight dirty. >> schieffer: shift to syria, any good news from syria lately, margaret? >> well, it depends your perspective. yesterday you did have at the u.n. the agreement of really one of the very first agreements that russia signed on to, to force the syrian regime to allow humanitarian aid. basically let us get food to your starving people. that was viewed as diplomatic break through by secretary kerry. it's on paper, in 30 daisy whether or not that happens. but more broadly it once again emphasizes whether you're talking about ukraine, syria,

this face to face showdown with russia right now. in the context of syria, oddly speaking russia seems to be the only point of leverage that the u.s. says it has there. they say their entire strategy for syria is to pressure the russians to deliver assad. either u.s. over calculate, their degree of influence or influence or completely underestimated assad's ability to hold on. maybe both. the russians would say we've miscalculated majorly. >> schieffer: i want to thank both of you that really helps me to understand it. and i'm sure it's helped others. very nice to have both of you this morning and get your take on these. we'll be right back.

>> schieffer: that's all the time we have today. we thank you for watching "face the nation." and we'll see you here same channel, same time next week.

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marathon repair job. now the blame game begins about friday night's derailment. good evening, i'm ann notarangelo. b.a.r.t is back on track after a marathon repair job. now the blame game begins about friday night's derailment. good evening. the crews worked around-the- clock to fix e and get the trains rolling again. early this morning, on what happened and why it all sounds very familiar. >> the morning started with a slow test drive. before service began b.a.r.t operators only went 5 miles an hour to try to track it out. and then 8th. the rails opened for good. some riders were antsy. the outer