>> production assistance was provided by albritton communications and "politico." reporting on the legislative and political arena. rex it's time to change the senate before this institution becomes obsolete. >> senate democrats go nuclear. >> this is not a very proud day in the history of the senate. >> the president had to compromise on immigration if -- reform. >> sexual assaults in the military. a senate bill targets the chain of command. rex the retaliation was worse from the -- then the assault. >> with an eye toward 2014. stopming together to

obamacare is the essence of pragmatism. >> is a deal with -- is a deal possible? >> the kennedy assassination. it has been 50 years. harry reid was mad as hell and he was not going to take it anymore. the senate majority leader pushed a button on the nuclear option. that is ma called for a vote to change senate rules by a simple majority vote. joined republicans to

join the move. reid said republicans forced his hand after what he called unprecedented use of the filibuster on three of president obama's nominees to the ac circuit court of appeals. the move short-circuits filibusters on most presidential nominees except for those from the u.s. supreme court. >> most important and most dangerous restructuring since thomas jefferson wrote them. >> enough is enough. they american pupils as ness is too important to keep falling prey day after day to washington politics. >> we are approaching a slippery slope that will destroy the very unique aspect of this institution called the united states senate. >> i'm wondering if senator mccain has a point. will the senate begin to resemble the house? rex it will. you will see a marked increase in partisanship. filibuster was not used and

the republicans have abused it and overused it and trivialized it. and the great civil rights fight of 1964, the difference between then and now was found in the boat. they were 29 votes to keep the filibuster. keep it going. ofinst the civil rights act 1964. 24 of those were cast i democrats. the parties were not polarized. they are now polarized. you have a senate majority. would be the law of unintended consequences. >> i am sure there will be many unintended consequences. this could have been avoided. n the word nuclear option was coined initially by the democrats because this was the republican's idea when george bush was president. solution then with six to mccracken six republicans. there was nobody offering to do

that on the republican side this time and saying we will put through all the nominees except in extraordinary circumstances. to have a negotiation there has to be someone to negotiate with. there was not anybody but it will have unintended consequences. >> the nuclear option phrase was coined by bill crist who is the republican leader and he did it because the democrats were tying up some of the nominations they had to the court at the time. sacrosanctthing about the filibuster. it has been used for good and ill. it has been used to filibuster laws against lynching, against civil rights legislation and used by the democrats to keep off the court. people they consider to be too conservative. this thing is ultimately going to be decided at the ballot box where it belongs. likeu do not particularly

that, you have to have in the senate people who will vote the way you would like to vote and to resolve that by going to the states and working for the kind will supportwho the kind of policies and nominations that you want. you cannot just do this through the filibuster. >> i do worry about it. we were -- we have become accustomed to partisanship in washington and people take it for granted. people get so bad the structures begin to bend and quick and change. >> the filibuster was not from the founding fathers. it is 100 years old.

>> we have these checks and balances and where individual conscience matters. >> president obama said enough is enough. freshman senator obama said no. this would make artisan divisions even deeper. >> the problem with the senate today and it did not start last week. during the four years, we had -- i saw very few down the line partyline votes. and when you had a filibuster ammand it was not over partisan issue. it was over some kind of issue. democrats voted with republicans and republicans voted with democrats. the only time you saw partyline move was around the organization issue.

it is not around instances [inaudible] it is now strictly partyline. cloture lines -- cloture votes along party line basis. >> when he talked about --ctions counting -- quick the democrats said when obama got reelected and they held onto the senate that they would not be so wildly obstructed. if you look at the numbers, there have been 168 filibusters since 19 $.17 the rule was enacted in half of those have been in the obama administration. that isn't an herbal number. that -- that is an incredible number. republicans did not believe they would do this. otherwise i suspect there would have been a deal. >> the increase in partisanship analystt as the budget

points out will be seen in short order by the budget negotiations. they will be less incentive for republicans and the republicans to show their ire and unity by not come from rising with democrats. compromise budget they're trying to fashion. i think the chances of that and even the increased chances of perhaps the government shutting down again have just been changed by what happened. >> how can they do that, how can they do that again? that is the one place where obama does have leverage. there are all kinds of ways they can make his life miserable. i do not think they can shut down the government again. >> harry reid said the trigger was the rejection of three nominees for the d c circuit order of appeals. what is so special about that court? rex that deals with huge regulatory issues. it is a court that specializes in dealing with giant federal apparatus and what it can and cannot do. openings have been there

since the bush administration. no one on the republican side was suggesting that these nominees were not qualified or that they were too liberal. they simply said oh well, there are too many judge slots on that court. something they never said before. something that has been disputed by the judicial conference in the bipartisan expert judges on that conference to say we need those judges and these are complicated cases. it did not make any sense. to haveould have liked seen is a timeline on all of this. here he read at one point was to endthat he was going the filibuster for executives -- executive branch nominees but not judicial. i will bet you if the republicans had said we will make you a deal and it included the deal we had with george bush that they would move the judicial nominee. this could have been averted. >> ironically the deal that was

worked out when we first talked about a nuclear option involved the judge is going to that same .ourt they got three. all of a sudden the republicans say no, we dod not want them to go into this court. it was tricky politics. >> they will be pretty happy if it ends up with the republican senate. >> democrats will rue the day. thet means that environmental legislation, a lot of these rules do have an impact on people. the administration wants to do a lot with environmental regulations. court, there have been certain things that have been knocked down. the people who have served on the scorched -- court are very expert and the regulations have done pretty well so far. we will see. even obamacare managed to get

through this circuit. >> limitations the subject. there was a special election in louisiana this week. the favorite who was backed by eric cantor was beaten by a guy "duck dynasty." >> backed tacitly by bobby jindal. and by the tea party. eye 15 first primary points. he is favored in has more money and he loses to a guy named vance mcallister. a self-made businessman and owns some subway sandwich shops. the big thing he had going for him, he argued that louisiana should accept medicaid. because the district is one of the poorest in the country.

thanverage income has less -- household income is less than 15,000. i have never been to washington, d.c. and have never run for office before. every incumbent on to be shaken in his or her guccis about now. if you have someone with a story to tell of success and unbossed and unbought in 2014, that is compelling. was so farr guy right. >> the other one accused him -- he had come to washington. it is a good place to visit. >> is there a chance of immigration reform after all?

?> is immigration reform dead absolutely not. >> if they want to cap that thing up into five pieces, as long as all five pieces get done, i do not care what it looks like as long as it is delivering on those core values that we talked about. >> president is talking to some business leaders in a wall street journal conference in washington this week. john boehner is willing to look at immigration reform to we want to tackle it one step at a time. the -- is the president showing the white flag here? the president never shows the white flag. he may have been talking to the room which was wall street journal forum. a lot of people in that room very supportive of immigration reform. you split it up and you pass the easy parts which would be broader control. and the pathway to citizenship which is the bullet that

republicans do not want to buy. at least the house republicans do not want to bite. it would be forgotten and i think that is what the president has to confront and recognize. western markthink >> republicans have to do something. john boehner has said we will never take up the senate bill. we will not do that. they do expect the house to address the issues. tried forget, they have to rebrand the republican party. we have to do something about our brand, they have said. i think not because of president obama that of their own self- interest. they will have to do something on immigration reform. not the whole package. along the lines of what mark is talking about. they have to put something on the table. if they hope to have access to this large voting block that has turned off from them. >> i think this is one of the ways that the vote in the senate

will hurt. it will not happen. already you see people who supported immigration reform in the senate on the republic on side backing way. -- republican side backing away. >> is this so overwhelmingly in ?he republicans' interest theresiness community, all for this. there is a huge incentive to get foreign workers in here. it is the right thing to do on a lot of levels. there are is so much going forward. this thing cannot pass, it shows you that -- do we need further proof. this has to be the final proof. >> republicans have a big horse to ride into battle. it is called obamacare. the chairman to sing we are going to tattoo obamacare, can they carry that to november

2014? >> it was one of the are things that the republican chairman has said. republicans out to be talking about we want to improve and mend and repair the shortcomings of this health care plan. so that more people have health coverage instead of turning it political battering ram. the democrats are terrified. >> and justifiably. completely justifiably. >> the cbs poll is that 37 .57. -- 37 .57.umber 20 points under. have the face of the problem is [inaudible] rubiou have people like

arguing against obamacare, it is a political matter and something that democrats have to do. on the other hand the program itself, the way it will unfold will present enough problems for the democrats. the republicans would be foolish to put their face. -- the president has a problem in california. he proposed a change. will not go wrong with it. if you have that kind of problem recurring elsewhere in the to be athat is going political problem for the democrats. and >> theytself will be carrying this albatross to 2014. >> if obamacare would work it is

not going to work in the next year. if it ever does. it is not going to work, it has enough problems and they did not devote the kind of resources they needed to to making the rollout pre-good. it was never going to be stellar. it is pretty awful. and even though there is some good news in states that want to make it work, that does not offset how terrible it is everyday. you open the newspaper. there is one or two huge we inms cropping up that the public, even the knowledgeable public did not anticipate. >> the basic structural thing is if enough healthy people do not going to the program it is finished. >> we're not finished yet. on the -- taking military. >> we need impartial, unbiased, objective consideration of the evidence i trained military prosecutors which is what my

management will provide. >> we are creating more problems than we will be solving it was -- if we make the changes advocated by senator joe brand -- gillibrand. >> the pentagon released a study 26,000ing there are cases of sexual contact. 3000 cases reported. 300 prosecuted. wants to revoke the authority of commanders to do with those cases but the chairman of the armed services committee is opposed to stripping them of that authority. >> the chain of command is very important for military order. the can understand hesitation on the part of those who do not want to respond in a -- to the senator. this is unique problem. this is a problem that goes beyond the chain of command.

handle themselves on the basis of judgment. this is something that ought to an independent tribunal where you can judge and determine in an adversarial situation. decide have a commander on questions of sexual assault. i think that -- you will not get that objective approach that is needed. >> you do not think that after three and four stars, people will pay more attention? >> i think that would happen. island, the rhode former u.s. ranger opposes it. it is intriguing to me. lisa murkowski, the republican senator from alaska makes the most compelling case. one of her academy nominees who

graduated resigned her commission. she had been sexually assaulted and abused. and nobody did anything. >> that is the thing. everybody that i know in the military, my friends in the military are strongly opposed to this and i understand that. the record really is that we have lost some fabulous talent in the military. female talent because they were sexually assaulted. nobody would do anything about it. there is something bad about the command structure. i am not a zealot on this. the system has failed to do what it is supposed to do. >> after vietnam there were real problems with strug abuse. the word came down, zero tolerance. if you smoke a joint you're out. could you not do the same thing

with this? >> they had serious race problems. the military said we will stop this nonsense and the military became a model for race relations after that. they are the best. they made it happen. why can't they do this, it is a difficult social issue. why can't they do it question -- why can't they do it? sex is different. having the guy who is just above you take the decision to mother commander of the base or your commander make the decision is much more -- it is not the way to go about criminal prosecution here. >> let me change the subject. the talks with iran. does it make any sense, do we buy any time for the u.s. in terms of the security with this deal? >> it is -- an interesting poll this week. americans by two to one favor negotiations with iran.

a profound effect on how we respond to this. opposition.ong the desire or the aversion for the military conflict is deep and dividing. i will try to fold it ran into the communication. charles krauthammer is not here. >> the tragedy as we did not do this 10 years ago. pessimistic.ty i am more encouraged by what colby mentioned. yearning anda real

a total commitment on the part of john kerry. i would not ask -- underestimate him. >> the assassination of resident john f. kennedy. 50 years ago. >> i was the last person to shake his hand as he left that hotel that day. he touched my heart and soul. i am of the generation where i believe that on that moment, on that moment the world changed. bythat is from an interview cnn. met residentn he kennedy in dallas in 1963. 50 years ago you still feel the shock waves. lex you do. many things were lost that day. i think saddest of all is the sense of services -- service is a good thing. he was able to convey that. limitations.

public service is a noble thing. and the politics is a noble thing. that is lost. we lose?id wrecks we lost our innocence. i find it personally that it is the saddest thing, public thing in my lifetime. to read now about john kennedy and to realize all the defeats he had in his first year and a half or so and how he had greatly matured and was a very different kind of president. i think would have gone on to have changed history as we know it today. we will never know that. it is all speculation. it breaks my heart. >> it was not only the loss of the president, it was an idea that we lost. the new frontier to cold with a lot of us.

there was so much promise there. that is what will hurt. to cut down that promise. what evan saidn and agreeing with nina and colby. it was not simply public service. those of us who had been blessed or it managed or had a responsibility in the line that every man, every american can make a difference. one man can make a difference and everyone must try. collectivecall to sacrifice. and the idea that civil rights was a moral issue. he was the first to say and i was proud as an irish catholic that he said. >> thanks. last work -- last word. see you next week.

>> from washington, the mclaughlin group, the american original. for three decades, the sharpest minds. >> issue one, 50 years since dallas. if you were alive on that dreadful day, you will never forget it. 50 years ago, november 22, 1963, president john f. kennedy was assassinated by gunfire as he drove in his motorcade through dealey plaza in dallas texas. he was 43 years old. three years into his one and only