so the category tonight, items on the united nations general assembly agenda. number ten, screw with the sweeds, number eight, good-bye euro, hello chuck-e-cheese tokens. number six -- they've been writing their rs backwards all these years. number five, finally nailed down which one's uruguay, which one's paraguay. number three, do whatever china says. number two, congratulate whatever country came up with the girl with the dragon tattoo books because those were awesome. and the number one item on the united nations general assembly debate whether to renew the letterman fatwa. >> good morning, it is wednesday, september 21st. with us onset, mike barnicle.

we also have the president of the council on foreign relations and birthday boy -- >> oh, exciting for me. >> wasn't it your birthday recently? >> july. >> somebody in my town was buying you a birthday present. >> birthday boy. not by a day, not by a week, but a season. >> why was someone buying you a piece of art? >> because i'm a deserving person. >> richard hath, personal friend of mine. anyway. >> interesting. >> you know, mika, a lot of time. you also got off month, off season. >> well, happy birthday, belated. >> thank you. have a nice thanksgiving. >> yeah. exactly. >> happy new year. >> that's really weird. >> no, it's really sad. >> it's interesting. >> a lot of times the u.n. comes together, nothing happens.

they sit around and talk and seems like divisions are really more pronounced than when the week started. >> well -- >> that's not happening this week. >> no. >> last night, i sense something happening in the air that hasn't happened. i don't think it's happened. i think this is historic, mike barnicle. i saw -- and you can see it here this morning, friends. can we get an overhead shot? because i want people to have a graphic description here of we're all coming together. if michael jackson were alive, we'd ask him to come and sing "we are the world" because for the first time we've got yankee and red sox fans cheering for the same team. and i want to thank you, willie geist as the yankees -- as the red sox have dipped down -- give us a hug. give us a hug. the red sox have dipped down into their little league rotation. and by the way, let me just say -- no, seriously, those are pretty good little league pitchers. >> this is not nice.

>> okay. hold on, we've got the yankees supporting us. but watching one pitcher after another last night take us through middle relief, i called barnicle and i said, i have a dream. i've got a dream. will you tell them what's going to happen on saturday? >> he was the winner of make a wish foundation request and s.p., starting pitcher sunday -- >> starting? >> why not? look who's starting these days. >> why not me? it's always been my dream. >> there's a dual meaning to the s.p. besides his name, though. it's starting pitcher, but it's also spouse permitting. because he might have to rake leaves. >> that's why it's so important. you know what? we've got a lot of injuries. you may be able to start on sunday. i've got to check with my wife because i may have to rake leaves. if i don't rake leaves, i'm taking the hill at yankee stadium. >> you need to standby our team.

>> no, i'm -- >> i am old school. they do not deserve to win it the way they're playing. >> the yankees did their part last night. >> that's what i'm saying. i was cheering for the yankees last night to bring it through, to drag us -- yeah. well, exactly, what do you think i'm talking about here? i'm not talking about palestinian state hood, i'm talking about the yankees dragging the red sox over the finish line. >> yeah. >> so we can be swept in a three-game series. that's what i'm looking forward to. >> it might be easier to get peace in the middle east than to help the red sox. >> last night, they were sitting together. >> so here's the deal. mike, who's pitching for the sox today? >> be nice. >> josh beckett. >> very good. so beckett can win a game, and i know he can, and you guys sweep. right? we're 3 1/2 up. >> yeah. >> going into the weekend off.

>> we've gotcha. >> no, seriously. here's the deal, i -- i specifically got directv because i wanted nesn and i wanted to watch the red sox every night. you know, i don't watch a lot of sporting events, but i am invested in the red sox. so every night after a long day, we wake up at 3:00, 3:30 in the morning, i turn on nesn and i watch. i know the red sox. i'm texting mike last night, who is this guy? >> and let me guess, mike text back. >> of course he did. because mike's watching too! >> losers, seriously. >> i don't think -- >> i don't think i've ever seen a team that's as beaten up by injuries as the boston red sox. >> everybody's injured this time of year. totally unprepared for september. >> all right. >> instead of going to sports, he can go to news. >> you know what? this is my fault. >> can we get that music where we usually do? let's go to willie geist for

news. >> remember the news music? >> no, t.j.'s drum machine. >> that was good. anyway. moving on. a major showdown is expected at the united nations -- >> we don't want to talk about this. >> yeah, we do, actually. as palestinian president mahmoud abbas continues his push for state hood, president obama will address the general assembly. advisers say the president will focus on the lack of progress in resolving the israeli/palestinian issue. following the address, president obama will meet with the prime minister benjamin netanyahu. and last night, the white house announced that the president has added a meeting with abbas in a last-ditch effort to persuade him. >> we're in a charitable position here. just a nightmare. >> it is a nightmare. nothing good could happen if this goes to the u.n. it's not going to pass the security council.

it'll stir the arab world, which is already plenty stirred. there'll be all sorts of retaliation against the palestinia palestinians. the israelis could make life much tougher, congress could cut off aid. the only way to get progress in the middle east as tough as it is is direct negotiations. this is a side show, a distraction, call it what you will. abbas is frustrated, desperate. he's doing this, may actually hope this gets the americans and others to put more pressure on them. >> president obama is in a no-win situation. absolute no-win situation. >> well, richard calls it a side show. there is another side show to the side show, pertaining to this story. with president obama in town, rick perry was also in new york city yesterday slamming the president's "policy of appeasement in the middle east." >> we would not be here today at this very precipice of such a

dangerous move if the obama policy in the middle east wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided, and dangerous. israel is our oldest and strongest ally in the middle east. a democratic ally in the middle east. and it has been for more than 60 years. the obama policy of moral equivalency, which gives equal standing to the grievances of israelis and palestinians, and including the orchestraters of terrors is a dangerous insult. >> the big news there is from perry's statement, of course, mika is that he used the word precipice. and he got it out. it was rough, but he got precipice out. mitt romney also speaking out on this issue. >> former massachusetts governor

mitt romney, perry's chief rival in the 2012 republican race also went after president obama's foreign policy yesterday accusing him of "throwing israel under the bus." romney addressed the president's upcoming remarks at the u.n. in a statement he said "he must make clear that if the palestinian authority succeeds in gaining any type of u.n. recognition, the united states will cut foreign assistance to the palestinians as well as reevaluate its funding of u.n. programs and its relationship with any nation voting in favor of recognition." >> you know, good luck finding anybody in congress during the years i was in congress that had a stronger pro-israel record. good luck. you won't find it. talk to apac, all right? richard? it's just not this simple. as these republican candidates -- these republican candidates, i believe, are being as reckless as barack obama was in 2008 before he realized the constraints of the presidency.

and i don't -- i don't think this is helpful. i'll just say it right here. everybody watches this show knows, i tell it like it is whether i'm going after barack obama, rick perry, mitt romney, this is not helpful when our president -- our president, america's president is in the difficult situation that he is in today in new york city with, i think, one of the most explosive situations on the globe. and we've got rick perry and mitt romney posing for political purposes and undermining our president. that is dangerous, and it's not good for our country. >> let me say three things. the whole idea of a palestinian state. it shouldn't happen through the u.n., but through negotiations. palestinian state is not a favor. a palestinian state is a favor israel does for itself. we want israel to be secure,

prosperous. the only way we can preserve israel as those things is if you have a palestinian state. >> and the israelis don't want to be occupiers. we have seen them. giving land back to the palestinians when it wasn't in their best security interest because they don't want to be occupiers. it's not -- forget the palestinians like you said, that's not good for the israelis. >> and the whole idea of cutting off the $500 million of aid doesn't make sense for a good reason. the only bright spot is the fact that in the west bank is you actually have some progress. you have economic growth now 7%. you have security bthat are abl to keep security and keep the peace. this is what every israeli wants. they need a responsible, capable neighbor that can help maintain the peace. we should not isolate -- as bad as it is to go to the u.n., this

kind of retaliation would be a mistake. >> that's my point. as a supporter of israel, i think this is reckless and irresponsible because it undermines our president, but secondly because cutting off aid, mike barnicle would undermine israel. they want a responsible neighbor. >> does anybody here think that netanyahu is also trying to be undermine our president playing footsie with the house of representatives? >> thank you. >> is he an obstacle to a peace process or helpful? >> the problem with the government maintaining this difficult coalition that it hasn't put forward very creative ideas. it's more interested in some ways sustaining the status quo. and again, in the long run, it's not good for israel. >> all right. i want to get to afghanistan. richard, hand it to me right now. >> it's off. >> i don't think it's off. >> it's on silent.

>> well, you've got to turn it a off because it's interfering with the microphone. we let one yankee fan on to the set -- >> before we get to afghanistan, which is major news there, as well, take a look at this poll. it's a pew research "washington post" poll showing americans have mixed feelings. 42% said the u.s. should recognize it as an independent nation. i point that out wondering what the republicans are doing jumping into this and wondering if they should stay out of it. what do you think? >> willie, obviously, the republicans sense weakness. the president's relation with israel have not been good. and i have, again, on this show, i have been critical of the way the president has handled america's relationship with israelis over the past 2 1/2 years. and i think for good reason. i think the republicans are overreaching and they're

stepping into something they should be stepping into at this particular time. >> they certainly see a political opening. but what rick perry said, richard, that the president is giving equal sympathy to the palestinians and israelis, is there any fairness in that statement? >> no, i think it's made clear that there will be veto. the administration has created problems for itself. the initial of the emphasis just on trying to stop israeli settlement activity. yet, there's irony, the detailed day-to-day security cooperation between the united states and israel has never been better, but the whole atmospherics of the peace process are not good. and that's what you're seeing. the outside perception is much worse than the inside. >> and on the arab side, how big is the threat? if they go through to a vote on friday, the united states vetoes. we've heard this is going to inflame the arab world, start up some anti-americanism. again, how big of a threat is

that? >> that's real. the big change-up is our people in the real part of our politics. we no longer deal with the mubaraks and others. they now have a voice. and this has the potential to become the most combustible issue. that's a real thing. >> all right. the other really big story this morning, the taliban is now claiming responsibility for the assassination of a former afghanistan president. an event that is considered a major blow to peace talks in the region. the death of the former leader who was tapped by karzai to negotiate a political end to the war is the latest in a series of high-profile killings in the region in recent months, including those of karzai's brother and the mayor of kandahar. the taliban says it gained interests in talks in order to gain the former president's trust. and at a meeting yesterday both president obama and president karzai vowed to push forward with peace efforts despite the attack. >> we will not be deterred from

creating a path whereby afghans can live in freedom, safety, security, and prosperity. and it's going to be important to continue the efforts to bring our society together. >> this is just, again, the quagmire gets deeper and deeper. this happened to our cia agents six months ago and they're trying to bring the taliban -- trying to bring an informant in, and cia agents get blown up. it's happening here at peace talks. this is a nightmare. >> this strikes at the core of the whole american effort. the whole argument now is if you build up the afghans just enough, it'll put pressure on the taliban to negotiate and compromise. this sort of thing changes the politics in afghanistan. it eliminates the desire of the people in the afghan government to negotiate and compromise. they say the taliban can never be a partner. whatever slim chance there was of a reconciliation, it is set

back. >> willie, going from foreign policy to domestic policy, let's talk major league -- >> no. >> let's talk about some polls that came out yesterday. it was very fascinating. you saw, of course, the huge debate about the president's proposals, the buffett rule and all the taxes. and let's put up some of the numbers here. looks like the president is easily winning today on the polls. and we have -- >> glenn howard was saying -- >> we're not going to give up. >> anyway, willie, it's not a big surprise that the overwhelming majority of americans support the president's plan to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires. >> bottom line. >> we've said that from day one. tax millionaires, put it out there, let republicans vote against it. and now you're seeing the polls. >> it should be an easy one. >> i'm seeing it here on my computer. trust me, they're fantastic.

>> mike barnicle, this is -- i think this is a good test for the president. he now knows he's got the wind behind his back on these polls. he should keep pushing on this issue. >> you know, the -- >> i'm saying for himself politically. >> i understand that. the two main news stories we've had this morning, having to do with the palestinian state and what happened in afghanistan and now this, the economic numbers, president's pitch to, you know, get the economy moving again, it just reminds me of the onion, the headline in the onion after the election, black man given worst job in world. look at what he's doing. obviously that's going to be very popular. walk around any place and say, hey, you think rich people ought to be taxed more? absolutely. three to one, no problem. this is a larger issue down the road. how are you going to get people in stores buying things? >> rich people are already

paying the lion share of taxes. this is not governing, this is campaigning. this is the beginning of a serious campaign. not going to create any sort of governing or compromise in washington. >> no bill will pass. >> if you help the middle class and help people try and lift themselves out of poverty, aren't you going to get people buying things? i was in a store over the weekend that was way too expensive and it didn't seem like there was any economy problems. >> those are the people that will be taxed. >> yeah, i think they'll be fine. i think they'll still be in that store. i was dragged in there and i dragged my daughter out kicking and screaming. >> let me tell you what -- >> -- the sort of place where kids meet on saturday afternoon. >> whatever. happy birthday, richard. >> happy birthday. what do we have coming up next? >> we'll talk to the chief palestinian negotiator of the united states ambassador maen, also denzel washington and ron

howard will be here onset. but first, here's ryan phillips with a check on the forecast. big problem this morning in the northeast, fog settling in from new york down through the nation's capital. that'll be with us this morning, probably see some flight delays because of it. otherwise the showers begin to move back in later on this afternoon. 75, late day storm in washington, d.c. 76 in new york, morning clouds, afternoon showers, two systems coming together, it's going to be a soggy pattern here for the next two days out east. atlanta 82, orlando 92, but dry in chicago with 71. that's your first look at the forecast here. more "morning joe" after the break. ♪ ♪ ♪ three, six, nine ♪ the goose drank wine ♪ the monkey chew tobacco on the streetcar line ♪ ♪

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would you tax something more, trish, you get less of it. if you tax job creators more, you get less job creation. >> we job creators are like a slot machine. if you just keep pumping in tax cuts, eventually we're going to pay off. you can't quit now, you've got us all warmed up. >> 25 past the hour, time now to take a look at the morning papers. and here's one from our parade of papers. the sign of times in "providence journal." after three years on the market, a luxury condoed ed bhas manag sell 116 units. plan now, auction off units with minimum bids nearly 70% below the original asking price. >> well, that's the good news. the bad news is it'll still be in providence. >> too easy. >> no, come on. i love providence. >> providence is providence.

>> guys -- >> i love rhode island. i love rhode island. >> that was awful. >> if we could actually just think of the news i just reported instead of mike barnicle's laugh line. >> okay. >> all right. >> come to northwest florida. in the washington post, the u.s. is building a ring of secret drone bases in the horn of africa, the arabia peninsula in the campaign against al qaeda. the target is al qaeda affiliates in yemen and somalia. their main mission was to track pirates. "boston globe" for the first time in 40 years, the rotc program back on the campus. lays the groundwork for increased recruiting at the school. happened the same day the government formally ended don't ask, don't tell that barred gays

from serving in the military. time now for politico. >> a look at the politico playbook. hey, patrick. >> good morning. hey, i hear that deep fried cheese curds have bumped my tax of making fun of politico reporters. >> you're fine. >> they were a temporary fling, you're our long lasting -- >> they're forever. >> let's talk about rick perry. we were discussing him in our last segment. he's out with a new campaign video that goes after the president on the economy. let's watch. >> despite all the naysayers, who were predicting failure, our economy's growing again. no more manufactured crises, no more games, we are headed in the right direction. i love these folks who say, well, this is obama's economy. that's fine. >> zero jobs. >> not a single job. >> no jobs created. zip, zero. >> people are demoralized. >> zero new jobs.

>> 1 in 6 americans. >> 36.2 million people -- >> we're headed in the right direction. >> the wrong direction. >> i'm just getting started. >> that goes on for another minute. perry then says who will lead a nation. what do you think? >> makes me want to jump off a cliff that first 30 seconds. the rest of it turns to rick perry and sort of picks the shopping list of american icons, statue of liberty, farming equipment, fighter planes, factories. but president zero really sort of the headline there. that is rick perry's new nickname for obama. the point, obviously, zero jobs, zero change, zero hope, zero confidence. but what's interesting about that ad is what they're trying to do visually. the icon of the 2008 campaign for obama that half "o." rick perry's trying to turn that

"o" into a zero. and every time you see that logo to not think positive things about obama, but hit home the point of zero. so interesting to see if rick perry's going to keep on this theme, especially on thursday's debate and calling the president president zero. >> whatever you think about the ad, what do you think about the message? >> well, it's a great -- well, i don't know about president zero, but the message on the economy's great. we actually have rick perry borrowing pretty heavily from mitt romney who has had some great political ads out over the past six months from the internet. >> so listen, it's -- when you're sitting with an economy like this economy, that's what your pundit's going to lead with regardless of parties. the big question is, are the majority of americans still blaming george bush for this economy or not? come next year, i suspect that number will continue to decline. and so the president's going to have to show some modest improvement in the economy. or else he's going to be in big

political trouble. >> or blames things on the republicans, which is increasingly what you're seeing. then you basically campaign on the basis -- there would be improvement if only the republican congress would support you. >> right. >> it's interesting, david axelrod in here last week and we said how do you campaign against that? and he said, look at the alternative. so to your point exactly. >> and we've heard this before. when americans go in the voting booth, they don't think of the abstract. they think i hired this guy four years ago, do i want to rehire him or hire somebody else? they're not sitting there thinking, oh, well, you know, that john boehner, he has an obstructionist band of 47 freshmen. they don't think that way. they don't think that way if republicans are strapped with this sort of bad economy or if democrats are strapped with this bad economy. >> this is a arguably --

>> i'm not saying it's right or wrong. >> this is probably the first national presidential election we've had since 1980 where you don't need an ad like that to remind people of where we are. we are living where we are. when they get in the booth, they're going to want to know okay, where are we going? who's going to take us there? whom am i going to hire? >> ronald reagan would not have gotten elected and he didn't get elected in 1976. he wouldn't have gotten elected with an economy in 1984. he got elected because jimmy carter got fired. >> you owe jamie an apology. >> jamie, where's jamie? >> jamie. >> she's over there. >> come here. i was kidding -- >> come here, jamie. walk over here. hurry up. hurry up. jamie, i want you to tell mr. barnicle where you went to college. >> i know where she went to college. they dropped their baseball program, that's okay. >> uh-huh. >> providence is great. >> great.

>> jamie, we're sorry. >> are you a yankee fan? >> oh, stop it. >> you have no credibility. >> we apologize for mike barnicle. >> don't worry. >> coming up, we have new overnight developments involving the american hikers held in iran. the latest on their possible release when we come back. almost tastes like one of jack's cereals. fiber one. uh, forgot jack's cereal. [ jack ] what's for breakfast? um... try the number one! [ jack ] yeah, this is pretty good. [ male announcer ] half a day's worth of fiber. fiber one.

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36 past the hour. live look at capitol hill. >> look at that picture. >> beautiful shot. t.j. obviously didn't pick that one. >> welcome back to "morning joe." quick look at the headlines. >> that is -- >> can you -- >> there are reports that iran's judiciary says shane bauer and josh fattal will be released on bail today. a lawyer for the two americans says he will head to tehran and begin procedures securing his

clients' release as part of the $1 million bail deal. the attorneys will hand over them over to the swiss this morning. the two americans sentenced to eight years in prison last month. president obama met yesterday with libya's interim leader while also announcing plans to reopen an embassy in the capital of tripoli. the president held up libya as a model of what the united nations can do to protect is civilians. >> libya is a model of what the international community can achieve. threatening to roll back the democratic tide sweeping the region, we acted as united nations and we acted swiftly. >> okay. that's a look at the headlines. now to -- time for sports. >> now we're going to get real specific here about what happened last night. >> oh, no. >> only eight days left in the regular season. in the american league, the

braves started the day two games behind -- >> worst team in baseball. >> yanks jump out to an early lead. kurtis anderson -- >> 119, yankees lead 4-0, they're trying to help the red sox. >> thank you. >> rays held scoreless in the ninth thanks to nova. luis on the mound for the yankees, a game hch e-ending do play. yankees win 5-0. >> it was a surprise pitcher, nova. the yankees win, the red sox are set up now. red sox are set up, all they have to do is beat the orioles. the orioles. after dropping 11 of the last 14, red sox trying to find inspiration anywhere they can. this is 16-time world wrestling champ rick flair who dropped by to give him a championship belt.

looked like the red sox were going to turn the corner here. gonzalez, red sox, bases loaded. choppered out at first, a lead runner but can't handle the returns, a run scores, red sox get the lead. so looks like -- >> looking good, willie. >> red sox are loading the bases, two outs. he promptly gives up the bases clearing double. >> oh, my -- >> a 7-5 lead, and that was the final thought and cannot capitalize on the yankees beating up on the braves. two games behind in the wild card and angels 3 1/2 back. today as i said, yankees -- >> come on. >> let's go, yankees. >> so, mike, what year does this remind you of? is this starting to smell like '78? >> no, no.

>> this is disgraceful, as i said earlier. they have a $160 million payroll. they are not without resources. you should not be in this position where you throw out in the seventh and eighth inning. >> that's not nice. >> they do not deserve to win the wild card if they continue to play this way. >> be more supportive. >> this from someone who sits there too much of his life. >> this is outrageous. >> watching games. >> yeah. so exposed. >> the yankees, by the way, can clinch the division. >> oh, be quiet. shut up! just stop it. >> talk about clayton kershaw. >> and the wild card race over the national league is getting interesting. the cardinals are red hot. cards and mets, bases loaded, ryan comes through with a ground roll double, the cards beat the mets, 11-6. winning 11 of the last 13.

braves and marlins. freddy gonzalez, top of the second, out gonzalez takes a pitch. and the always vacant seat at the stadium. >> thank you, florida. >> braves win 4-0, so they stay 2 1/2 games ahead of the cardinals in the wild card race. giants sneaking up a little bit, although they lost to the dodgers last night, clayton kershaw win, 2-1. >> interesting t.j. can find those graphics, but not the ones about the president. >> yeah. support your president, t.j. horrible bias. >> root for the president. >> usa. >> there you go. >> only one we got. >> just stop. >> we weren't given any chance. >> oh, whatever. >> it was all about the red sox. >> the biggest payroll on the planet. >> if you look in vegas before the season, red sox. >> would you grow up? >> i'm just stating facts. >> just stop.

>> this gloating is unbecoming. this is unbecoming of you. >> what's your point? >> what do you think, willie, do the sox squeak by? >> yeah. >> mike? >> yeah, they're going to get their wild card and 3-0. >> is buck holt coming back or not? >> oh, are you kidding? >> i don't think this helps. >> whatever. you can't depend on that. >> they're going to be okay. >> you give a splinter -- >> well. >> oil can boyd still around? can we run him? >> oil can, i'll take oil can right now! i'll take anybody! >> absolutely. >> you got any stories, willie, about presidential candidates in meat lockers? >> look at this. >> michele bauchmann getting her hands bloody on the campaign

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45 past the hour. time now for the must read opinion pages. we'll start with thomas friedman in the "new york times." are we going to roll up our sleeves or limp on? real conservatives would understand we cannot maintain our vital defense budget without an appropriate tax base. real conservatives would understand that we can simplify the tax code, get rid of all of the special interest give aways, and raise revenues at the same time. real conservatives would never cut taxes and add a new medicare entitlement in the middle of two wars. and real conservatives would understand that the tea party has become the tea kettle party. it is people in real distress about our predicament letting off steam by trying to indiscriminately cut everywhere. but steam without an engine, without a strategic plan for american greatness based on

spending cuts, tax reform, and investments in tomorrow will take us nowhere. countries that don't invest in the feature tend to not do well there. real conservatives no that. >> richard, what do you think? >> he's right. but in the middle of an election season, you're not going to get people to address these issues. if you look at david brooks' column yesterday, this is not the context where you're going to get people on either side of the aisle to really look seriously at the kinds of compromises you're going to need on taxes, spending, entitlement, reform, all that. >> you bring up david brooks' column, why? >> tom was picking on the republicans, david was picking on the president. saying they're not about governing, about campaigning. what you're seeing is the kind of populist coming out of the white house. people saying we can't make the compromises work, so we're going to run on a populist platform.

it's what we were talking about before, if you can't improve the economic reality, and i don't think you can much between now and election day, you're still going to have 9%, 8.5% unemployment. then you're basically out there for a narrative. and if you're seeing that the other side is putting forth ideas that have brought us to where we are, we've made the situation worse. but i think essentially everyone in washington now is kind of giving up on governing. and that's why tom friedman's column misses it. we're not in a serious season right now, we're in a political season, and i think that's the reality. the problem is these problems are real and they're not going to get seriously addressed. >> david brooks talked about yesterday, actually the president -- we understand more closely than most others. and david brooks sounded yesterday like he was giving up on the president at least going into the election season. >> he was very tough on president obama yesterday. but to your point about it being the silly season.

it seems it's always the silly season. when is the good time to get something done? >> i think the biggest single question facing this country, and you want to call it dysfunctionalty or governance is whether we're in a position where we can get serious about making the kinds of compromises that people know we're going to have to make. and, you know, the real threat to this country is our inability to do that. you can hold these conversations about american exceptionalism where people can attack the declinists and the rest, this is real stuff. i think there's a crisis of governance in this country. and you're right. that's the reason to be worried. >> all right. i have -- this is kind of feeds into something richard just said. but i'm -- morning dove's really turned. the reelection tango. obama concedes that he's lost the narrative that brought him to the white house against all odds. his vision making america great. now the president is trapped in two damaging story lines.

is he took weak and immature to do the job? or too cool and distant to do the job. the aloof one has to convince voters that he can connect. he's the detached husband, we're the neglected wife. is he paying attention? does he understand our needs? or is he just pretending to listen while he watches spor sportscenter? >> mike barnicle, what's your take on this column? are you a neglected wife? >> i think she's right on. i don't know if that's the case with the president, obviously, but that's the appearance he gives. is he too distant? does he feel the pain that's out there in this country? can he connect again to the country the way he connected when he was running for election? is he capable of standing there in the stump and saying, look, i need your help. he never says that. people want to help, but he never says that. i need your help. >> i think that's what he said this week in the rose garden.

>> i need your help? >> i think -- did anyone -- >> he didn't say -- >> i think he said. >> he said if you love me. >> if you love me, you'll -- >> you really didn't think he was effective in that speech in the rose garden? >> that struck me -- listen, i like the guy, i want the country to succeed, i want him to succeed, he's our president, if you love me, you'll -- >> follow my commandments. i've never heard that from a president. >> we have to do this. >> he was responding to something that someone yelled from the crowd. >> yeah. >> if you love me. so willie, i'm going to ask you again, okay, do you have a story for a political candidate in a meat locker? >> it's so funny you ask that question because this morning the answer's yes. >> when am i going to see it, man? i'm going crazy. >> it's going to be next in the

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oh, yes. please tell me. >> you had inquired earlier. >> i ask that question every once in a while. today we get the story. >> let's start. with the presidential campaign of michele bauchmann. the minnesota congresswoman has fallen into the background. she succeeded this morning in getting the attention of the

nation by strolling through a refrigerator full of animal carcasses in iowa. >> it happened. >> here she is slicing up prime rib, touring a meat packing company in des moines, iowa yesterday. she put on the gloves. those were rib eyes she was getting into. even more strange here, she walks around and kind of gropes the meat there. >> she's touching -- >> she's sizing it up a little bit. >> you don't touch the meat. >> here's where it gets really interesting, in that setting right there with the hanging meat in the backdrop, she went off mahmoud ahmadinejad. >> really? >> i call upon president obama to stop ahmadinejad from coming to the united nations. this administration tried and failed to do outreach to iran reminding us once again that appeasement of deadly dictators is never wise and never an effective strategy. the president must not continue to lead from behind on key issues of national and

international security. >> it's just -- just a little distracting when you're taking on serious issues of the day with beef behind you. >> yeah. you know -- you sort of sense by looking at that picture and watching her reading her student council speech that ed rollins is no longer on the campaign. >> ed rollins, no. here's what we thought. maybe she was going for the rocky visual. >> yeah. >> the comeback kid. >> that's what i thought. >> it reminded me of something else. >> the advance person, what was that person thinking? >> i do wonder who the advance person is. >> it just called to mind. november 2008, sarah palin. but let me say, at least bauchman, the meat was already dead. here we had to watch it -- take that down. people are eating breakfast. there you go.

>> big hour ahead. denzel washington's going to be here. >> that's exciting. >> ron howard, my gosh. >> i love "happy days" that's great. >> maen ariehat.

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this time we should draw upon the teachings of tolerance. three great religions that see jerusalem soil as sacred. it's time to reach for what's best within ourselves. if we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the united nations. an independent sovereign state of palestine living in peace with israel. >> that was the president at the u.n. a year ago. welcome back to "morning joe." the president is set to meet with mahmoud abbas this afternoon here in new york city. the meeting comes as the palestinian leader is pressing ahead for state hood at the u.n. and with us now to discuss their bids for state hood is the chief palestinian negotiator to the u.s. maen ariechat. also dan singer.

and joining us from austin, texas, national affairs editor for new york magazine -- >> why are we bringing him in? >> because he wrote this week's cover story. >> he went to the austin city's music. >> what am i chopped liver? >> well, yeah, you are. >> i wait patiently. >> the council of foreign relations is still with us. >> mr. ambassador, obviously we've got -- we've got a couple of days ahead of us that may be very tough not only for the palestinian people, but for the israelis and americans. is the train too far down the track? or can there be a resolution to this crisis? >> well, i think we should not look at it as being crisis. i don't know why everybody is characterizing our request to be admitted to be crisis. >> no, the crisis is for the

united states president to step in and try to stop that process. that is a crisis in the middle east for the united states. >> whether the international community had enough time since we saw president obama speech at the general assembly last year. he said that hopefully after we conclude an agreement, the palestinian state will be welcome. that has been more than a year ago. and therefore, i don't think the palestinians should be blamed for trying to resort to the united nations to get the process moving forward because we are frustrated at the lack of progress in the peace process. >> and richard, obviously there's reason for frustration on all sides. is there a chance, you think any chance for a resolution here? >> if by resolution, you mean avoiding going to the u.n. >> avoiding the president of the united states, having to stand in the way of palestinian state hood. the way it would happen, you go to the security council, it's possible they won't get the nine votes they would need, in which

case the united states would not have to cast a veto. what is your sense of your prospects in new york? >> well, again, not having the nine votes means that the u.s. is putting pressure on these member states not to cast a vote in favor of palestinian requests being considered at the u.n. security council. either way, if the u.s. casts a negative vote, which is a veto, or if they exert pressure on this country not to create the quorum needed, we will view it as pressure of the united states to block us. if you have an account of the countries, i think it's still too early for us to tell you. >> just so you get what you want, what do you do the day after? what do you do if you get what you want? how will it improve the life of palestinians on the ground? >> we will call on the international community to help the two sides. we have said repeatedly that getting admitted at the u.n. is not going to be the end of the

way. we will embark on negotiations with the israelis, but this time we will be bought at the same level. it will be an occupied state occupied by another member of the united nations. we have negotiated with israel for almost 18 years now. very uneven level. and it's time that we even the field. >> there's a lot of focus on president obama today having to make the decision he's going to have to make. and i think you would agree. this is a difficult decision for any president to make be it barack obama or george w. bush. what does the american president do to prevent hostility from rising in the middle east? i suspect you want the president to do exactly what he's doing. standing in the way of this u.n. resolution. >> the president has no choice at this point. >> and why is that? >> because the policy of the

united states going back to successive administrations, negotiations have to have, face-to-face negotiations. no international body or third party can thrust a process on to the israelis -- >> but you can understand the palestinian positions that negotiations will be more fair for them if they're on equal footing. in the eyes of the international community. >> the american government's positions and the israelis' position if you look at the history of successful processes, camp david, that began between those two men. direct talks between those two men. jimmy carter midwifed that process, but it began with the two men who both believed either side had something to deliver to the other. in that situation, you had leaders who believed that both sides could deliver something and the process began directly. it wasn't thrust upon them by the u.s. governor of third party. so the situation here is, this would be a process not begun by the parties directly.

it would be a process created by the united nations. and my question for you, mr. ambassador, is, i understand your frustrations, but you have a president right now who i know is pressuring you to let go of this campaign for unilateral declaration of state hood. but you also have a president who, i believe, has never been a bigger champion for your cause. if you look at the speeches, the symbolic gestures in 2009, his speech before the general assembly fiercely criticizing israel and linking conditions in gaza, living conditions in gaza with rocket attacks with gaza. look at his speech in cairo where he compared life under the israeli occupation to, you know, slavery in the united states. this is very powerful stuff. no president's ever done this. he's expending a lot of political capital here. can't you give him a lifeline? >> well, first of all, you mentioned camp david and mentioned jimmy carter and at

that time, there was strong will and determination on the part of the u.s. administration to deal with all of the parties, in particular in both cases jimmy carter in 1978 where he really put pressure on the israeli prime minister to conclude the deal with egypt. and in the case of jimmy baker during george bush, the administration, when they also put pressure on the prime minister to move forward in our case, yes, we have seen a lot of good statements from president obama and the administration. a team assembled was the most veteran, seasoned team that anybody could expect. and unfortunately, when the time came for the u.s. administration to use its leverage with israel, they backed down. and they didn't call israel accountable as they said they would. if they undermine the process, we are going to hold them accountable, and this did not happen.

>> john, the president has been criticized by many in the jewish community here in the united states but also in israel. your cover story would be a big surprise to a lot of jewish-americans that this president is the best friend that israel has right now. and it would be a big surprise to a fellow austin, texas, man rick perry who had this to say yesterday about the president of the united states relationship with israelis. >> we would not be here today at this very precipice of such a dangerous move if the obama policy in the middle east wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous. israel is our oldest and strongest ally in the middle east. a democratic ally in the middle east. and it has been for more than 60 years.

the obama policy of moral equivalency which gives equal standing to the grievances of israelis and palestinians, and including the orchestraters of terrors is a very dangerous insult. >> john, we've been talking this morning about our surprise these candidates have been using this backdrop of an extraordinarily sensitive time in, i think, american diplomatic history to score what i consider to be some fairly cheap political points. and yet you claim in your article that this president is the best friend israel has. that's a price thsurprise to ma in israel, i'm sure. >> greetings from america's new jerusalem here in austin. >> exactly. beautiful, beautiful. >> exactly. look, i find not only rick perry and mitt romney's criticisms of

the president on this as you say to score cheap political points, but sort of ironic in the context of which they're coming. the president right now is waging a pretty lonely war on behalf of israel right now. he is at this moment not only israel's best friend in the world, israel's only friend. >> i was going to say you said a fairly lonely battle. and again, i have been critical of the president's policy positions regarding israel. but this president is standing alone on the world stage in support of israel. it was curious timing for those press conference yesterdayed. . >> and the point of the peacery wrote was just to say if you look -- and i know dan senor and i disagree about this. and the president has had tough words for israel. and you can criticize on how the tactics of how the administration has carried out the diplomacy, but as i heard

pointed out earlier in the show, both sides acknowledge on the critical questions of defense, security, intelligence sharing, the bonds between israel and america are better right now than they have probably ever been on a series of things. whether it has been the u.n.'s criticism of israel for war crimes in gaza. whether it was just last week or two weeks ago when egyptians seized control of the embassy in cairo and netanyahu called president obama, asked him for help. president obama put unilateral pressure to get the last six israelis free from the israeli embassy in cairo on critical matters not of words, but of actions, the president has been as four square with israel as any president in recent history. >> let me read to go on with this point. he says in part, in attempting to apply tough love to israel, obama is trying to make a sta

stallwart ally see that it's the only way to preserve the zionist dream. his role here is not that of the callous, but as the drunken sibling. the point is to get him to sober up. would you agree? >> well, what john is saying is what he describes -- is where most israelis are at. overwhelmingly supportive palestinian state. if they feel there's something on the other side that can deliver, the israelis will cut a deal. they did in egypt, tried to do in oslow.

it is true the partnership is as strong as ever. and it's a bipartisan phenomenon. there's a bipartisan consensus on israel security, deep ties between the pentagon and between the israeli ministry of defense. but it's paradoxical. the president has chosen as a strategic approach to do things publicly and symbolically as how he speaks to israel publicly and things he criticizes israel about. previous presidents have not done this, and this has made israel feel isolated in a time it's feeling isolated, in a time of diplomatic delegitimatization of israel being waged around the world. the president saying some of the things he has said about israel has made them feel boxed in. >> many of the supporters would say what this president has said. this president has not broken new diplomatic ground toward the palestinians. >> substantively for the most

part, you're right, some of the formulations were different. i think this president in some ways did not obligation a certain base relationship. i still don't understand one thing about the sppalestinians. if this happens at the u.n., the united states could cut aid, the israelis could put pressure on the palestinians. i don't see a strategy. i get the sense you're playing checkers and not chess. i don't see a long-term strategy. this is going to hurt the palestinians, this threatens your one accomplishment. you built a successful economy, a stable society in the west bank. you're putting this substance on the table for what? for symbolic victory? >> i don't know checkers. >> "morning joe" spell check. >> let me tell you something, this is not a tactical ploy. we are not bluffing, we are not doing this only for symbolic reasons. the economy you are talking about in a recent report say that the gdp will go down to 4% from the 8% to 10%.

for us, the issue is to become free. this is the issue for us. we are not looking for economic freedom. we are looking for political freedom. we want to be free from an occupation that has controlled every aspect of our life. i think what we are trying to do, we are trying to send a clear message to the world. that the status quo right now, israel building illegal settlements, continuing to control the destiny of the palestinian people, and having not to pay for the consequences of this continued occupation is a situation that the palestinians cannot tolerate any longer. and we are telling them it's time now we change this paradigm, we change the dynamics, and try to allow the palestinians to sit across the table on equal footing to discuss all of the outstanding issues. >> would you agree with many others that there are many, many israelis that want an

independent palestinian state too as long as they know they can be secure in their homes, in their communities, sending their children to school? because the israelis. you look at public opinion polls, israelis don't want to be occupiers anymore. it's not in their nation's best interest. >> we have said repeatedly that we understand israeli legitimate security concerns. we have been so forthcoming and creative about accepting guarantees by third party. we said that we will never accept an israeli military presence on the national soil of the future palestinian state. but we were willing to discuss with them, and we have done that extensively to accept the role of third parties to provide guarantees to the israelis until the palestinians are capable enough to control their areas. the security concern should not be used as a pretext not to allow our people to become free. and therefore, we are willing to discuss all these issues with them in a very creative matter. in jerusalem, we said orphan

city. i can't visit jerusalem to pray and because i don't have a permit to do that. jerusalem is not open. jerusalem is closed. it's not united, it's divided. so we have been very creative about almost every issue. the israelis have no agenda to end the conflict. they don't want to end the conflict. they think in the short-term it serves their interests. in the long-term, they are hurting. and on the issue of cutting aid, why would the united states weaken the palestinian authority? that's the big question for congress and everybody. >> and if i -- by the way -- it's certainly not the united states' interest. >> absolutely. >> i think we all agree with that. and if rick perry wants to help hamas, go ahead, cut aid. >> mr. ambassador -- >> do you think that will be on his bumper stick? >> the majority of republicans

aren't going to -- >> mr. ambassador, in '77, public opinion polls showed israelis were against giving up the cyanide to egypt. came to jerusalem, appeared before the parliament and says i recognize israel's right to exist, i recognize that israel is the jewish state, and overnight -- and let me finish this thought. >> he did not recognize israel -- >> he recognized it -- and overnight, public opinion said give up the land, a piece of the land three times the state of israel. >> we have recognized israel's right to exist in 1988, recognized in 1993 -- >> you recognized it that israel is a jewish state -- >> -- the right to exist at the palestine national council. in the presence of president bill clinton after the memorandum and the request of

netanyahu. it's time for israel to recognize the right of the palestinian people to exist. this is the missing link in this equation. that israel continues to put conditions for the creation of a palestinian state. they want to demilitarize. they want to control our air space, they want to control our water resources, they want to control everything. this is not independence. this is under israeli control. >> let's go to john heilemann. i want everybody to have the chance to speak with the ambassador. john? >> mr. ambassador, i just as a practical matter, i'd like to ask you, if you achieve either full membership or achieve observer status membership, i think the fear of the administration is it's going to create a spiral of violence in the region. and if you ascribe -- if you're pessimistic about the way the israeli government behaves in general, you would be pessimistic in this case, and i think you might be. don't you think what's going to

end up happening here is not only that you will achieve a symbolic and important and in some ways an important more than symbolic victory, but that the situation on the ground will rapidly deteriorate and you'll find yourself just further away from your ultimate goal, which i think is what richard was talking about in terms of chess and checkers, that this will be a self-defeating move if you win in the short-term, you'll lose in the long-term. >> i don't think you should be concerned about us even supporting, you know, changing our resistance from non-violent peaceful to violent. we have tried this path before. we are doing no service to anyone, not to the israelis, not to the americans, not to anyone. we are doing a service to our own people. resorting to violence would be self-defeating, play into the hands of israeli settlers and extremists, and we will lose in this battle. therefore, the leadership is committed to a peaceful

resistance and they have given instructions to the security forces to make sure that the palestinians don't get close to the friction points with the army and the settlers so that we can avoid an outbreak of violence. it does not serve the national interests of the palestinian people to resort to any kind of violence. people are exaggerating that. >> you know, as we conclude this segment, i'm struck by the fact that once again you have politicians exaggerating the differences. when in practical reality, what is in the palestinian people's best interest right now is in the israeli people's best interest is in the united states of america's best interest. and again, dan senor and i come from, i think you would agree, from a pro-israeli view. but this is a situation where you've got an economy growing. and to cut off aid as rick perry

is suggesting would be damaging to the palestinians and israelis and america. >> it could be a victory for the palestinians, make an already tough situation, you know, that much more tough. things can get worse. and it's tough enough already. the situation is not right. you don't have leaders who are willing and able to make peace. this could make this situation that much more difficult. >> it's going to be lose/lose. and we look at everything from our perspective. think about what the palestinian politicians are going through right now. and they can't go back empty handed. again, that elm boldens -- talking about chess, this is a very complicated chessboard. >> how as my life changed? >> mr. ambassador, thank you very much. dan senor, thank you, as well. >> thank you. >> stick around, if we have a chance, i'd love to talk to you some more. i want healthy skin for life.

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hey, welcome back to "morning joe." with us now, chief white house correspondent and host of the "daily rundown" chuck todd. we also have the former mayor of washington, d.c., adrian fenty. great to have you with. before we continue, and dan senor was talking about this as we went up. you know, i talked about being very pro-israeli, but at the same time, being shocked by what romney said yesterday and also what perry said yesterday. dan senor, come on up. we've got an extra seat here. come on over. what we're saying is even if you're pro-israeli, what you're doing is you're undercutting the israeli position. because by cutting off aid, which netanyahu doesn't even want, you strengthen hamas. >> well, i also had a couple of democrats who didn't know how to -- on background complained of the timing of perry's

criticism. >> the timing was horrific. >> he wants to to come and beat us up, fine. we're in the middle of a sensitive period here, trying to see if there's any way they can help abbas walk this back who i'm told now would like to try to walk this back but, of course, he's got his own domestic political picture. and someone said, yeah, he's leaned a little too far forward on his skis here a little bit. so it is hard for him -- >> and he goes home and caves, he -- >> he's hamas. >> exactly. >> the first time abbas has ever felt as if he's gotten any support from the hamas part of it. so he -- and then perry just throws this, you know, stink bomb yesterday. complicating things. >> mitt romney, as well. and i guess, you know, the most damaging thing about what perry did, dan senor, is that he

brought up israeli politicians to stand behind him. as you pointed out before, for opponents of netanyahus, it was reckless and irresponsible. >> absolutely. look. we can debate about aid cut off and whether it should be used as leverage. netanyahu's view is i already have a hamas state in gaza, i don't want one in the west bank. you cut off security to the palestinian authority, i'm in bigger troubles. u.s. policy makers and legislators can debate how to use funding for leverage. but to me, what was most offensive was to bring a foreign national politician, an elected official and drag them into our domestic politics, that is pretty unprecedented. israel -- >> by the way, dan, and we have to underline for americans who haven't followed this closely. at one of the most -- >> sensitive. >> -- sensitive, diplomatic moments in recent history with regard to the middle east. >> right. >> it wasn't like he did this on

a sunny day in september. this is already a crisis, not for president obama, but for the united states of america. >> right. and he brought it as the deputy speaker of the parliament held, i think, a press conference, did some sort of press event with him. and it was basically -- it looked like he was dragging in a foreign politician to endorse the campaign of rick perry against the incumbent -- >> can you imagine if september of '03, okay. john perry or howard dean coming to new york city. >> yes. >> upset over the iraq war and standing with -- that is what sort of like -- and, yes, look, i know that when it comes to the issue of israel, it is treated like a domestic political issue. and we forget that sometimes, wait a minute, we have this line about the water's edge, you know? some politics. and i know that israel, they

blow past that rule all the time. >> but this is a whole new level. >> this is a whole new level. and the thing to remember here is -- most hard liners and israel don't want what rick perry wants because, again, it strengthens hamas. you weaken abbas, you strengthen hamas. >> i think perry -- >> you almost -- >> what perry should've done. >> put that on a bumper sticker. >> there's a case against administration on what's going on right now. when jim jones as national security adviser, obama came in, he said if he could solve one problem in the world, it would be ending the israeli/palestinian conflict. they spent a lot of capital doing it. and here we are today and the israelis and palestinians are further from a peace deal than ever. if you look at the pew research

poll, public opinion as they view obama, way down. that's the case. if perry wants to make a case, that's the case to make. but to drag -- >> you don't make that case this week in new york. >> well, you just said it, like perry is overplaying his hand. they saw what happened in the new york congressional race. they're trying to get every state, every jurisdiction they can, every congressional race. how can we get more support for our own pro-israel state? >> what is this saying about what's going on? chuck, i want to hear your take. what does this say about what's going on inside the perry campaign if they would think to do this? a statement like that? >> we forget, it is a campaign that is about 40 days old. and they are still -- >> what's the conversation about why they should do that? >> as you said, they -- >> you know what -- you know how

this sort of comes about, right? you have the campaign team going we're going to be in new york for a bunch of fundraisers. when they were doing the fundraisers. >> and they said, you know what? there's probably a pro-israel rally. you can see how this happens and semi-innocently. and you wonder -- look, his remarks themselves, you take out the appeasement line and he wasn't as jeff goldberg said, he wasn't as he thought he was going to be a little more anti-palestinian, a little more -- is there a case to be where you're too pro-israepro-i? and it wasn't. and you do get the sense they didn't quite fully vet this out. >> mr. mayor, again, the implications of having foreign politicians standing behind you in new york city to undercut the president of the united states in one of the most crucial times

in recent middle east diplomatic history. it's staggering. >> it looks political. >> yeah. >> smells like a duck, walks like a duck -- >> they're doing exactly what they've been criticizing obama about doing. is playing politics and making everything -- >> word travels. all right. mayor fenty stays with us. chuck, thank you so much. we'll see you on the "daily rundown." >> dick durbin and lamar alexander. for stepping down so he can work more on the bipartisan thing. when you're in leadership, you're not allowed to be bipartisan. >> and the new john mccain. up next, actor denzel washington and ron howard are in washington. we're going to talk to them after the break. "morning joe" will be right back.

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every child follows a path in life. for many, that path will lead them to a door. a door that gives them a place to grow. to learn and to belong. a place to forge their future.

because while many doors open, these doors transform. >> welcome back to "morning joe." denzel washington -- the guy's incredible, isn't he, willie? >> going down the imdb page, can't find a miss. >> ron howard was great on "happy days." >> lost track of you since "happy days" the first season, but i swear to god, denzel washington. he's directed "morning joe" for a segment. >> yeah, he did. two seconds. >> i always thought that charlton heston was the only person that could -- we all saw the "book of eli." would you mind reading the bible for me so i could listen to it? welcome to the show, guys. >> thank you. >> this is very personal, both of you guys.

denzel, you for quite a long time you were involved in mt. vernon, a very long time ago. talk about your relationship with the club and what you guys are doing now. >> when i was in kindergarten, i think i was 5 years old they were building the club across the street from the school up the block. and i just wanted to go in that building, i wanted to know what was going on in there, and i've had a relationship with the club ever since as a kid going there. as a counselor working there, and now for the last almost 20 years as the national spokesperson. >> what are you guys doing? what are you hoping to highlight in this new psa? >> well, denzel asked me to direct the psa. i've been a long time supporter of the clubs. i think my name showed up on a list and he noticed that and gave me a call. and i was happy to be a part of it. and as i've gotten sort of up close with the organization, i really see that my instincts

about it were right. they dot fantastic work. the theme of the spot was great futures. and it was also about sort of kids left to their own devices, you know, they can tend to drift a bit. but there's a place. and if they go through those doors, there's a chance they're going to emerge remarkable individuals. and it was a great reunion. all these graduates and i was there kind of guiding a little bit. but mostly, it was a big reunion i caught on film. >> it was really wonderful. and if you look at the numbers, and the state of our country's youth at this moment, a lot more efforts like this are needed. 3 in 10 students will not graduate on time, 3 in 10 students are obese or overweight. there's juvenile crime rates escalating, and 1 in 5 children live in poverty. and yet, i think that's probably the fundamental reason was why you, ron howard, were able to get these people together. it seems like an impossible feat

to get all hollywood stars like you did -- >> denzel washington. >> and i'll tell you, the clubs, it really was a reunion. there was a feeling of fellowship there. not to be corny about it, but i think everybody was there because the clubs had meant a great deal to them and it was very sincere. >> well, denzel, it's willie geist, it's good to see you this morning. we're in a tough spot as a country. mika rattled off statistics. you also have 40% of african-american children living in poverty. and at the same time, because of budget cuts, we're trimming the edge of schools and programs, where does the boys and girls club fit into that equation? can it pick up the slack we're losing in the schools? >> that's what we've been attempting to do in the last ten or so years. we've been able to double the number of clubs we've opened and double the number of young people that we're servicing.

we were at a great dinner last night here in washington honoring and celebrating the five youth of the year finalists from around the country. and unbelievable stories of poverty and broken homes and drug addiction and alcoholism and murder and all of these things, yet through their relationship with the clubs, they've survived and thrived. and they're here to meet the president and -- yes, those statistics are true. but the other side of the 3 in 10 is that 7 in 10 aren't. so we're uh trying to increase that number and make it 8 out of 10. it's easy to point fingers and say good things aren't happening, but great things are happening. and that's what we're here to talk about. and we appreciate you giving us the platform to talk about the positive things. >> well, mike barnicle, we need to talk about positive, the red sox get -- >> wait a minute, i'm from new york. hold on.

>> pinstriper. >> these are good days for you, then, bad days for barnicle. >> are they still two ahead of tampa? >> yeah, they are. only because the yankees are winning. >> you know, i'm no longer going to buy two tickets to your movie. >> no. >> maybe he can pitch. we need a pitcher for sunday. >> we need a pitcher too. >> this is true. this is true. >> in fact, sabathia's in the spot. >> we try to get a boston pitcher. >> you're killing me now. >> and you're doing it on purpose, man. >> ron howard, let me ask you, as you were making this spot, many of the kids, the young people who go to the boys and girls clubs, forget "happy days," the happiest day of their lives are spent, many of them, unfortunately, in the environment they go to at the boys and girls club.

has it struck you as it strikes some people that when we measure as a country our gross national product, we always talk about it in terms of the economy. we never or rarely talk about it in terms of the imagination that we lose when these kids, these terrific young people fall through the slack and are helped by boys and girls clubs? >> i think that's what attracted me to the boys and girls clubs over the past 15 or 20 years, even though i was not a club member. i grew up in burbank, california. and even though i was a kid on a show and had a nice life, there was a community center and it meant a great deal to me. and when i learned that's what the boys and girls clubs are doing across the country and on military bases all around the world, i'm a believer. and yes, it's obvious to me that you're building a foundation for the future, you're talking about education. and, you know, the boys and girls clubs have been here for a long time, but they're not self-sustaining. people have to urge kids to go,

people have to support them, they need the resources. it's a remarkable organization. they're doing great things. it's not just about going down and shooting hoops, it's, you know, they have the tutorial programs. they're engaging kids in leadership programs that really, really make a difference. it's very, very exciting, important, and it needs -- you know, it needs our support. >> mayor fenty as mayor of washington, d.c., you saw up close how important the boys and girls club was. >> critical. it's funny, the boys and girls clubs are run by the government, but they're not, they need the support of what howard and washington are doing. i encourage them to continue it because libraries and music in schools, kids need additional outlets besides just 9:00 through 3:00. kudos to them. and inner cities in washington, d.c., new york, you need that 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. time to be busy for kids. >> thanks so much for being with us. denzel, tell americans how they can help. >> by supporting their local

boys and girls clubs, financially if they can, but also by volunteering. these young people need our help. they're looking to us for guidance. and there's something we can do about it. >> denzel washington and ron howard, thank you. >> so he's a great guy, but so filled for venom for the red sox. >> thanks, gentlemen, very much. >> thanks, guys so much. coming up, she's running for scott brown's senate seat in massachusetts. elizabeth warren joins us ahead. keep it right here on "morning joe."

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she is the author of "mighty be our powers," thank you very much for being on the show this morning. >> thank you for having me. >> you spoke at the clinton global initiative yesterday. >> yeah. >> how was it received? >> i think it was well received. i spoke about all of the things for change and gave real-life examples of the work we did in liberia, organizing and mobilizing christian women for peace. especially at this time in the world, i think that message is a message that america and the rest of the world needs to hear, where we have a lot of emphasis on the divides rather than the similarities that can bring us together for peace. >> so it's going to be hard to encapsulate in a segment. it's obvious you wrote a book about this. but how did you do it? how would you confront a ruthless leadership and turn around a society or at least take the steps to do so? and i know part of this involved a sex strike. what exactly happened there? >> well, in 2003, liberia had

been at a place where we were 14 years into civil war. and i think what we did was we had gotten to a place where you die, whether you act or you die trying to change the situation. so as a group of women, we decided it's time to just die trying and leave a legacy that as we were trying to change the situation of our lives, we died. fortunately, we didn't die. the sex strike was an act of desperation. because even as we put our already broken bodies out there, we felt like the good men, our husbands, brothers, uncles, fathers, they were silent. and we needed to do something to propel them also into action. >> what were you seeing specifically in your country that led you to take some of these dramatic actions where you did, in fact, put your life at risk? >> let me just give you a brief picture. at 17, fresh out of high school,

the war came. and every day, you wake up and your future is bleak. death, destruction. when a group of people get used to seeing people being killed, that is out of the ordinary. when you wake up in the morning and you go to bed and you are not raped, you are thinking thank god, that is out of the ordina ordinary. >> were you surprised you had the courage to do this? did it surprise you? >> where did you find it? >> anger. anger. and i've learned a very key thing. that you get angry, and you decide to put it into two containers. the good or the bad container. so the men who wage wars on people are angry, and they decide to put it in a deadly container of killing and destruction. and those who decide to fight for peace, like the group of women, liberia, gandhi, dr. king, mandela, they were angry

too, but they decided to put it in a good container. >> who were you most angry at? is. >> i was really very angry those -- until i encountered this group of young people and realized they were as much victims as i was. and so then i didn't anger then turned to those who funded the war, those who masterminded and those friendly governments who aided, the people who brought the war on us. so then when we started the protest, it was directly targeting the leaders. and taylor was that leader. >> lehma gbowee, it has been an honor. thank you for being on the show this morning. >> thank you. >> the book is "mighty be our powers: how sister hood and sex changed our war." thank you for being here. we'll be back. ♪ [ male announcer ] you are a business pro.

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♪ so the category tonight, items on the united nations general assembly agenda. number ten, screw with the swedes. number then, recap highlights from last night's "two and a half men." goodbye chuck e. cheese toke kens. steve carell robbed at the emmys. six, the russians have been writing their rs backwards all these years. number five, finally nailed down which one is uruguay, which one is paraguay. the united states is called two broke countries. number three, do whatever china says. number two, congratulate whatever country came up with the girl with the dragon tattoo books, those were awesome.

and the number one item on the united nations general assembly, debate whether to renew the letterman fatwa. good morning, it's wednesday, 8:00 on the east coast. as you take a live look at manhatt manhattan. welcome to "morning joe," and is back with us onset, mike barnicle. >> the birthday boy. >> richard haass. in just a few hours, president obama will address the general assembly. advisers say the president will focus on the lack of progress in resolving the israeli-palestinian conflict. an issue he made a priority. he will meet with benjamin netanyahu. and the president added a meeting with abbas in a last-ditch effort to dissuade him. >> richard haass, what a terrible position. it's a nightmare. >> it is a nightmare. nothing good could happen if this goes to the u.n. it's not going to pass the security council.

if it forces the united states to veto, it will stir the arab world, which is already plenty stirred. there will be all sorts of retaliation against the palestinians if they then take it to the general assembly. the israelis could make life much tougher, congress could cut off aid. the only way history says you ever get progress in the middle east, as tough as it is, is direct negotiations. so this is a sideshow, a distraction, call it what you will. abbas is frustrated, he's desperate. he's doing this -- he may hope this gets the americans and others to put more pressure on the israelis, but this is a bad idea. >> i'll tell you what, president obama right now, mika, is in a no opinion win situation. an absolute no win situation. >> richard calls it a sideshow. there is another sideshow to the sideshow. >> what's that? >> with president obama in town, texas governor rick perry was also in new york city yesterday, slamming the president's, quote, policy of apiecemepeasement in middle east. >> we would not be here today at this very precipice of such a

dangerous move if the obama policy in the middle east wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous. israel is our oldest and strongest ally in the middle east. a democratic ally in the middle east. and it has been for more than 60 years. the obama policy of moral equivalency, which gives equal standing to the grievances of his israelis and palestinians, including the orchestraters of terrorism is a very dangerous insult. >> you know, the big news there is, from perry's statement, of course, mika, is that he used the word "precipice." and he got it out. it was rough, but he got precipice out. mitt romney, though, also speaking on this issue

yesterday. >> yep, former massachusetts governor, mitt romney, perry's chief rival in the 2012 republican race, also went after president obama's foreign policy yesterday, accusing him of, quote, throwing israel under the bus. romney addressed the president's upcoming remarks at the u.n. in a statement, he said in part, quote, he must make clear that if the palestinian authority succeeds in gaining any type of u.n. recognition, the united states will cut foreign assistance to the palestinians as well as reevaluate its funding of u.n. programs and its relationship with any nation voting in favor of recognition. >> okay, okay. you know, good luck. by the way, good luck finding anybody in congress during the years i was in congress that had a stronger pro-israel record. good luck. you won't find it. talk to apac, all right? richard haass, it's just not this simple. as these republican candidates -- these republican candidates, i believe, are being as reckless as barack obama was in 2008, before he realized the

constraints of the presidency. and i don't think this is helpful. i'll just say it right here. everybody who watches this show knows, i tell it like it is, whether i'm going after barack obama or whether i'm going after rick perry or mitt romney. this is not helpful when our president -- our president, america's president, is in the difficult situation that he is in today in new york city with i think one of the most explosive situations on the globe. and we've got rick perry and mitt romney posing for political purposes and undermining our president. that is dangerous, and it's not good for our country. >> let me say two things. the whole idea of a palestinian state, which, again, shouldn't happen through the u.n., it should happen through negotiations. but a palestinian state is not a favor israel does for palestinians. a palestinian state -- >> exactly. >> it's a favor israel does for itself. we want israel to be secure, we

want it to be prosperous, we want it to be democratic, we want it to be jewish. the only way we can preserve israel as those things is if you have a palestinian state. >> and the israelis don't want to be occupiers. we have seen them. giving land back to the palestinians when it wasn't in their best security interest, because they don't want to be occupiers. it's not -- forget the palestinians. like you said, that's not good for the israelis. >> and the whole idea of cutting off the $500 million in aid that the u.s. gives to the palestinians doesn't make sense for a good reason. the only bright spot is the fact that in the west bank is you actually have some progress. you have economic growth now, 7%. you have security battalions trained by the united states and jordan that are able to keep security and keep the peace. this is the beginnings of a responsible neighbor for israel. this is what every israeli wants. they need a responsible, capable neighbor that can help maintain the peace. we should not isolate -- as bad of an idea it is to go to the

u.n., this kind of retaliation would be a big mistake. >> and that's my point. as a supporter of his real, as a life-long supporter of hisrael, think undermines our president and second, cutting off aide, mike barnicle are, undermines israel. they want a responsible neighbor. >> does anybody here think netanyahu is trying to undermine the president, playing foot see with the house of representatives? >> thank you. >> is he an obstacle to a peace process or is he helpful to it? >> the problem with the israeli government, it's been so consumed with the domestic politics of israel that it hasn't put forward very creative ideas, more interested in sustaining the status quo. and in the long run, it's not good for israel. >> before we get to afghanistan, which is major news there, as well. take a look at this poll. it's a pew research "washington

post" poll showing americans have mixed opinions about an independent palestinian state. 42% say we should recognize it as an independent nation with 26% saying no. 32% say they don't no. i point that out, wondering what the republicans are doing jumping into this, and wondering if they should just stay out of it. what do you think? >> willie, obviously, the republicans since the president's relations with israel have not been good. and i -- again, on this show, i have been critical of the way the president has handled america's relationship with israelis over the past two-and-a-half years. and i think for damn good reason. but i think the republicans are overreaching, and they're stepping into something they shouldn't be stepping into at this particular moment in time. >> they certainly see a political opening. about what rick perry said, though, richard, the president is getting equal sympathy to the palestinians and to the israelis, is there any fairness in that statement? >> no. >> the united states has made clear, it's going to veto any

resolution for palestinian statehood that comes into the security council. but the administration has created problems for itself. you know, the initial emphasis just on trying to stop israeli settlement activity. here's the irony. the detailed day to day security cooperation between the united states and israel has arguably never been better, but the peace process and the u.s.-israeli relationship is not good. and that's what you're seeing. the outside perception is much worse than the inside reality. >> and on the arab side, how big is the threat? if they go through to a vote on friday, the united states vetoes as we have heard, this is going to inflame the arab world, start of up anti-americanism again. how big is that? >> that's real. the big thing is arab people in politics. we no longer just deal with the mubaraks and others. they now have a voice. and if we veto, this has the potential to become the most combustible issue in the arab world. that's a real thing. >> all right. the other really big story this morning, the taliban is now

claiming responsibility for the assassination of a former afghanistan president, an event that is considered a major blow to peace talks in the region. the death of the former leader who was tapped by karzai to negotiate a political end to the war is the latest in a series of high-profile killings in the region in recent months, including those of karzai's brother and the mayor of kandahar. the taliban says it feigned interest in talks in order to gain the former president's trust. and at a meeting yesterday, both president obama and president karzai vowed to push forward with peace efforts, despite the attack. >> we will not be deterred from creating a path whereby afghans can live in freedom and in safety and security and prosperity. and it's going to be important to continue the efforts to bring all elements of afghan society together to end what has been a senseless cycle of violence. >> richard haass, this is just,

again, the quagmire, it gets deeper and deeper. this has happened to our cia agent six months ago when they're trying to bring the taliban -- you know, trying to bring an informant in, and cia agents get blown up. it's happening here in peace talks. this is a nightmare. >> this strikes at the core of the whole american effort. the whole argument now, if you build up the afghans just enough, it will put pressure on the taliban to negotiate and compromise. this sort of thing changes the politics in afghanistan. it eliminates the desire of the people in the afghan government to negotiate and compromise. they basically say the taliban can never be a partner. so whatever slim chance there was of a diplomatic reconciliation, it has set back those slim chances. >> willie, going from foreign policy to domestic policy, let's talk major league baseball -- >> no. >> no, let's talk about some polls that came out yesterday. i thought very fascinating. you saw, of course, the huge debate about the president's proposals, the buffett rule and all of the taxes. and let's put up some of the

numbers here. it looks like the president is easily winning the day on the polls. the overwhelming majority of americans support the president's plan to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires. >> we have said that from day one. that should have been an easy one. tax millionaires, put it out there, let republicans vote against it. and now you're seeing in the polls -- >> yeah. >> i think this is a good test for the president. he now knows -- >> i don't think -- >> he should have known all along he's got the wind at his back on these polls. you should keep pushing on this issue. >> you know -- >> i'm just saying for himself politically. >> i understand that. the two main news stories we've had this morning, having to do with the palestinian state and what happened in afghanistan, and now this, the economic numbers, president's pitch to, you know, get the economy moving again, it just reminds me of the onion -- the headline in the onion after the election. you know, black man given worst job in world. look at what he's doing.

i mean, obviously that's going to be very popular. walk around any place and say, hey, you think rich people ought to be taxed more? absolutely. 3-1 3-1, but there's a larger issue down the road. >> so rich people are already paying the lion's share of american taxes. this is not governing, this is campaigning. this is the beginning of a serious campaign, this is not going to create any governing or compromise in washington. >> no bill will pass. >> okay. coming up next, we talk to democratic senate candidate elizabeth warren, looking to unseat scott brown in massachusetts. also, wall street is watching closely to see what action, if any, the fed will announce today to boost the economy. we're going to go live to the new york stock exchange. but first, here's ryan phillips with a check on the forecast. >> mika, joe, thank you very much. still fighting through the fog in philly as well as d.c. and that will lead to flight delays first thing this morning. hopefully things will clear up. right now, 45-minute delays in philadelphia. i do imagine some of those will pipe down to dulles, as well.

clouds on the increase, the fog, again, giving way to shower activity into the afternoon hours. the temperatures are agreeable. unfortunately, not much sunshine. keep these umbrellas around. another soggy midweek forecast. we have more "morning joe" coming your way. stay with us. ♪ coffee doesn't have vitamins... unless you want it to. new splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweetener with b vitamins, the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart new ways to sweeten. same great taste. new splenda® essentials™. hey, it's sandra -- from accounting. peter. i can see that you're busy... but you were gonna help us crunch the numbers for accounts receivable today. i mean i know that this is important. well, both are important. let's be clear. they are but this is important too.

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♪ i'm going to do this. i'm going to run for the united states senate. and the reason is straight forward. middle class families have been chipped at, hacked at, squeezed

and hammered for a generation now. and i don't think washington gets it. >> ahh. she's fabulous. can we start that way? yes, we can. 20 past the hour. massachusetts voters are quickly getting to know the name elizabeth warren. a new poll has her slightly ahead of senator scott brown, just a week after announcing her candidacy. and joining us now, democratic senate candidate, elizabeth warren. very good to have you on the show this morning as a candidate now. >> good to be here. >> also at the table, msnbc and "time" magazine senior political analyst mark halperin. and john heilmann still with us in autstin. a packed table. elizabeth, you have never run for office. why did you decide to do this? what makes you think that at this point this is the time in your life you ought to be stepping into politics? >> you know, politics is not what i've spent my life aiming toward. but i've been working on these issues around the economics of

middle class families. and it really is the case. i've just been watching them get hammered. and washington really is wired for the big corporations for those with power who can hire an army of lobbyists and an army of lawyers. and we just can't have that anymore. >> but how do you think you can change that? as a senator? how can you change that? >> you know, let me start this way. i've engaged in exactly one campaign in my life. and that was the campaign to get the consumer financial protection bureau owe. we were up against the toughest lobbying force ever assembled on the face of the earth. and they said they would make it a first priority to kill that consumer agency. and what i discovered there is, you get out and you just keep talking about it. we assembled a lot of groups. there were a lot of groups that got together on this. and just said, this is something we need and we need it now. but it takes people who really are going to push back against

the powerful lobbyists. >> did the president push back against the powerful lobbyists? because you weren't allowed to be the head of the agency that you were responsible for. >> for creating. >> well, let's be clear. i think you start in exactly the right place. and that is, in the case of this consumer agency, i was out there pushing for this consumer agency, there were a lot of groups that pushed for it, the afl-cio u consumers' union, lots of little groups around the country. and the president of the united states. you know, if barack obama had not been president of the united states, we would not have gotten a consumer financial protection bureau. so the way i see this is he stood strong for the part of it that i certainly understand, and that is for consumers against credit card companies and mortgage companies and student loan outfits. all of which said, you know, the way we want to do business is through tricks and traps and

fine print and fooling people. and he made this -- he was the one who held on, and we got this thing into law. >> mark halperin. >> professor warren, i want to ask about another area you were asked to deal with. what do you see over the next several years, the major threats from the chinese military to u.s. interests around the world? >> well, you know, let's face it. the chinese right now -- i see this as on an economic dimension. what the chinese are doing is that they are investing in their infrastructure right now. you know, they're investing, what, about 9.5% of their gdp in their infrastructure. that makes them more powerful economically. >> professor warren, i'm sorry, i was asking not about the economic challenge from china, but the military challenge from them. >> but i don't think they're separatable. i think if you separate them, you're missing the point. i think what the chinese are doing, they build themselves economically so they can have influence around the world. they're interested in having military influence around the world. but that is profoundly connected

to the economic decisions they're making. the two go hand in hand in terms of making them a powerful juggernaut around the world. it's why the questions around the weakness of our economy right now, the fact that we are not investing in our infrastructure, that we don't have any plan looking forward to build a strong economy and a strong middle class, it not only has implications economically here at home, it has implications militarily around the world. i just don't see the two as separate -- >> elizabeth, actually, i agree with your point, that the greatest challenge that the chinese present to the united states over the next -- well, century, is not military. it's economic. but to mark's point, is there one particular sphere of influence that concerns you the most, militarily, with the chinese? >> well, the obvious one is what they do in the asian region, because there's such a dominant influence already there.

and is so an area where i think it keeps us entangled in ways we otherwise didn't want to be. why do we have all of the back and forth with north korea? we have the back and forth with north korea, because of the implications with china. >> yeah. >> so it's like keeping our foot tangled in a rope in that part of the world. >> john heilmann is in austin, texas. are you doing grass roots work for the perry campaign, heilmann? >> what are you doing there? >> or just listening to music? >> i'm doing jewish outreach down here for governor perry. >> so do you have a question for elizabeth? >> i sure do. professor warren, i'm curious. you talked about the fact that really your campaign experience -- i'm going to ask you a political question here -- that your campaign experience was leading the campaign for the consumer protection bureau. which you did successfully. largely against republican opposition. i'm curious, over the course of the next year, you're going to be in a battle against fellow democrats. how comfortable are you in

making the transition to being in a position where you're going to have to criticize people with whom you largely agree on a lot of issues of substance? is that going to come easily to you? are you ready to make that transition? >> you know, i don't know if this is -- i don't think anyone has to ask the question about whether or not i'm willing to criticize anyone. i think my reputation precedes me. i'm going to actually answer your question slightly differently, since you're down there doing grass roots. i think the most fun about making this transition is i actually getting to out and talk to people. i get to spend all day long traveling around the state of massachusetts and shaking hands and holding babies. it in many ways for me, this is like -- this is like going to family reunions, you know, people show up and they tell me about what's going on in their lives, and we talk a little. they give me advice and tell me about what i should be wearing and, you know -- all kinds of things.

but people -- it's a chance to talk with people. and the whole notion of pulling people together, whether it's in person, town by town, or whether it's online, you know, at elizabe elizabethwarren.com, however it's done. getting together with people is the part of this that makes it exciting to do. it makes it -- it makes it the right thing to do. i really like this. >> you know, mike barnicle, we've talked about it all of the time. we actually talked about it with martha coakley not seeming to enjoy it so much. i remember when i would knock on doors. i would go knock on doors -- you talk about ted kennedy loving -- i would knock on doors and people would say, oh, that's awful. are you kidding me? i don't know these people, they invite me into their houses. they're like, sit down, have spaghetti. and, hey, by the way, this is what i want you to do. you know, most people hate that. but it sounds like elizabeth loves that. that is a great sign.

>> well, no, clearly professor warren, off of her first few weeks in this campaign clearly does enjoy that aspect of retail campaigning. and professor warren, you were just talking about the people that you encounter on the campaign trail. so let's maybe, if we can, you know, talk about those people. let's pretend you're in worcester or fitchburg -- >> i've been there -- >> by the way, fitchburg is barnicle's hometown. he hasn't been there in ten years, but go ahead, mike. >> a state dominated by democrats. where it's in the water that people feel across the ideological spectrum that they just don't get the best bang for their buck tax wise in a state with the last three former speakers of the house have been indicted and convicted. and you have only one republican, this guy scott brown, seeming to represent an opposite point of view from the

democrats. what's your pitch to people who feel that we need at least one republican in there to balance the scales? what makes you different? >> you know, i don't think this is about party. when you talk about this. i don't think there's something that's magic that comes from being part of a party. i really do think this is a question about how government works. and how in particular it works in washington right now. you know, look at how it works right now. big company like general electric pays nothing in taxes, while we're turning around and saying college students, you're going to have to take on more debt in order to get an education or seniors, you may have to learn to live on less. the importance of this is to say, they can hire ge, an army of lobbyists, to get a complicated tax code that has just those little special openings for it. and then they can hire an army of lawyers to slide all the way through that.

who is it who represents middle class families? who is lobbying on behalf of middle class families? you know, there was a time coming out of the great depression when we put some basic economic rules in place, but we spent 50 years building america's middle class. we said, the laws we want to pass are for the middle class. about a generation ago, we stopped doing that, and i think that's what people want to talk about. >> well, i agree with you about tax loopholes and everything like that. but in this case -- and now you're a united states senator so ge says, listen, we're trying to work something out, we would like to close some loopholes, but we have to remain profitable. and by the way, you get this plant in lynn -- we hate to have to lay people off in lind, massachusetts. help us out here. what do you do? >> you know, the help us out cannot be -- you're asking a question of values. and you want to say to a company like ge, we're glad to help you out. we want you to be profitable.

nobody wants them not to be profitable. no one wants them to lay people off. but the answer can't be, you pay no taxes while somebody making $42,000 a year has to pay up. somebody who is trying to run a little tiny business, who knows, maybe the next ge is having to fork over money in taxes. it's a fundamental fairness. it's not that you want somebody to be not profitable. it's that you want to share the burden here. you want to do this fairly. you know, ultimately, this is about economics. but it's also about values. and i think somebody has just got to keep standing up and talking about that sort of thing. people feel like the game is rigged against them. and it's not right. it's just not right. >> professor warren, it's willie geist. i go back to something mika asked you earlier. what can one person, you being that one person in this scenario, do to change that system that you've just described, which is flooded with money and lobbyists and everything else?

you say the game is rigged. when you look at that landscape in washington, what can you do to change it? >> you know, willie, i hope you're not asking the question, won't you just give up before you ever start? >> of course not. but what can you do -- >> because it's too hard. i think the answer is just like it was before. when i first started arguing for this consumer financial protection bureau, people said to me, give up now. because you'll just be one voice, and one voice can't get anything done. i think that's a -- i just think that's wrong. i think one voice stands up, says what you say, you say it directly, you say it straight to the people. you say it straight to camera, you say it straight to anywhere that you have a chance to say it and keep saying it and keep saying it and keep saying it. and you know what? sometimes one voice turns into three. and sometimes it turns into 30. and sometimes it turns into 30,000. and then we reach a point where as happened before, something nobody was going to vote on,

because the lobbyists said they didn't want it. it just becomes politically impossible not to. i guess the way i'm trying to say this, willie, is that it isn't one person. this is really about movement. this is about getting lots of people organized. i'll tell you why i want to go out. and meet everybody in the state of massachusetts. it's not only to earn their votes. it's to get them engaged. it's to say to them, go to elizabethwarren.com. sign up. be part of this. because when i stand up and talk, i don't want to just be talking for me. i want to be talking for you, as well. because that's what gives it real strength. if we don't believe that, willie, the game really then is over. and i'm just not prepared to accept that. i'm prepared to fight. i think it's worth fighting for. >> somebody knows her value. elizabeth warren, thank you very much. it's great to see you. good luck. john heilmann, thank you, as well. >> thank you, professor. >> see you soon.

>> thank you. tomorrow, former president bill clinton will be here on the set. don't miss that. up next, business before the bell with cnbc's simon hobbs. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ three, six, nine ♪ the goose drank wine ♪ the monkey chew tobacco on the streetcar line ♪ ♪ ♪ clap, pat, clap your hand ♪ pat it on your partner's hand ♪

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you already heard the republicans in congress, dusting off the old talking points. you know, you can write their press releases. class warfare, they say. you know what? if asking a billionaire to pay the same rigate as a plumber or teacher makes me a warrior for the middle class, i wear that charge as a badge of honor. [ cheers and applause ] >> i wear it as a badge of honor. because the only class warfare i see is a battle that's been waged against middle class folks in this country for a decade now. >> i think that's a good line. if -- >> a lot of them lately. >> if wanting big corporations to pay the same tax rates as plumbers -- i think that's a really good political line of attack for a democratic president. >> absolutely. i think -- i mean, i think he

sounded completely spot-on this past week. and given you guys everything you've been asking for. and then you want something else. >> no, i'm sorry. i just said. can we roll the tape back -- >> i just praised -- >> you just praised the president. >> what are you a walking, talking, twitter account here? i praised the president politically. >> yeah, okay. >> no, i said i think that is a good line of attack. and i think the republicans are just not very smart, allowing him to get these body blows in on them. they need to dive in and support tax reform. >> he's got ten years of evidence on his side. >> by the way, let me ask you this. >> the polls, too. >> let me ask you this. how much do you think everybody at ge wishes they would have paid a little bit in taxes last year? no, i'm serious. whatever money they saved -- this is a great lesson for corporations. whatever money they saved, they lost in goodwill.

this is a nightmare. >> yeah. >> for general electric's pr people. and i suspect you will see corporation in the future paying a little bit of taxes, even if it dents their bottom line a little bit. it's just my guess. but since ge owns 49% of this company, i suspect i'm the only one -- >> no, i completely agree with you. >> that is going to ex pound on it. >> i think that's true. >> so let's go to simon. simon hobbs with cnbc. >> can i just say one thing? >> yeah. >> in defense of ge. i believe it was because you can carry forward losses and ge made huge losses on ge capital. and that's why that particular year it did not end up paying taxes. it was because of the huge losses from the year before. >> well, and simon, we've actually explained that before on the set here. you're exactly right. general electric lost so much with ge capital through the years, and certainly everything they did was legal. i was talking, though, just from the public relations standpoint.

they have been a punching bag for republicans and democrats alike. >> what is interesting, the near politicization of everything we have. the market here is going to be destroyed in one hour or less today if we don't get the federal reserve this arch coming out with an announcement it's going to restructure its bonds to bring down interest rates. but in this environment -- in the name of the middle classes, you have today senior republicans, house speaker john boehner, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell writing to bernanke and saying, you know, what you have done so far really hasn't helped the american economy. it's hurt the middle class in the form of higher food costs, higher energy costs, please desist from what you're doing on the other side for the democrats, you have barney frank, chairman of the house financial services committee. he's got a white paper saying, you know, the federal reserve has got too many of regional fed presidents within its voting members, 4 of 12. and they're not putting the ordinary middle class to the

front as they should. in other words, they're attempting to put too much of a control on inflation versus unemployment. so everything at this stage is politicized in the name of the middle class. can i just say big name for tech today. we've got reports out that the iphone 5 will be released october the 4th. >> really? >> that gives a spike to apple's stock. goldman has raised its price target on apple, it thinks you can get 26% on the up side. >> that is unbelievable. apple continuing to sky rocket, with iphone 5 coming out. and rimm collapsing. just absolutely -- isn't it astounding what has happened to that company over the past three, four, five years? they almost had a monopoly the market. >> yeah. >> and it's really, i think less about -- and we're blackberry users. it's less about the iphone being great than it is about the blackberry being so unreliable

now. >> or expectations of where those companies are going. i think research in motion's market cap is 2 to 3% of apple. and this points to american exceptionalism. the ability to contract the value of your company on the degree of innovation and expected innovation you can have. so apple rockets away, rimm is crushed on expectations of where they're taking it. >> all right, simon. >> on expectations and on the fact that the blue blackberry a decade ago was far more reliable than the ones that they put out now. i mean -- >> it was amazing. i backed up over one. it still worked. >> should have gotten into the app business. they should have just stayed in the e-mail business. >>el can can. >> simon, can you. >> the blue one's too, you could throw them against a brick wall and they would bounce back. >> i backed a car up on one. next, michele bachmann gets her hands dirty. what. >>? >> we'll be right back.

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♪ all right. this is back by popular demand. e-mails. tweets. >> where's the beef? >> michele bachmann yesterday campaigning in the state of iowa. >> yep. >> going to a meat packing facility. >> wait, wait, wait. >> des moines. >> i guess she is doing her foreign policy talking points, right? because that's where i always roll them out. >> she carved up some rib eye and took a nice tour of the plant here, going around inspecting -- >> inspecting the sides of beef. checking them out. >> what?

>> what are you feeling for there? when meat packers need to figure out the quality of their meat, they usually call you up. what is she feeling for on the side of that? >> you want it to be tender, but you also want some nice fatty tissue yaround the edge. >> is she talking about the department of agriculture? >> are oh, right. >> this is where things got interesting. >> food safety, yeah. >> she read a statement with the beef as a background about -- >> food safety? >> food safety. >> iran. >> huh? >> i call upon president obama to stop ahmadinejad from coming to the united nations. this administration tried and failed to do outreach to iran, reminding us once again that apiecement of deadly dictators is never wise and never an effective strategy. the president must not continue to lead from behind on key issues of national and international security. >> i don't think it's dissenting opinion.

i think that adds a layer of gravity. >> really? >> let me think about the connection. there must have been symbolism there somehow. >> there it is. >> there is a certain bigness. >> so it is official. >> yeah, the meat, it makes her look small. it is official. ed rollins is off this campaign. >> he's long gone. >> and the advance guy is now -- lenny at the 7-eleven. >> same guy from mike dukakis's tank trip. >> we have to point out the obvious comparison. sarah palin. 2008 election. >> that's a live turkey. >> here's the thing about sarah palin, though. seriously. she doesn't care. >> she doesn't care. >> no, seriously. >> that's what you do to turkeys. bite them to death. ♪ there's a doctor who can peer into the future. there's a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital's working together, there's a family who can breathe easy, right now.

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♪ we go to jason jones inside camp dwyer and held helmand province in afghanistan. jason, what's the situation over there? john, the nightmare is real. the repeal of don't ask, don't tell has turned our once proud armed forces into a camouflage pants thonged. it's not an army of one, it's an army of fun.

wow, that's quite a get-up. wow. thank god you're on satellite. that would have created a huge stir if people had caught a glimpse of that outfit. but wait a second, jason. something is off. where are all the soldiers? >> they -- uh -- uh -- they're at trader joe's! getting vodka and clem entines. we're making tangerineis! >> jason, there aren't any trader joe's in afghanistan. >> uh, no. i know. cut the music. i'm sorry. i was just -- trying to liven up the report. >> so soldiers aren't -- because of don't ask, don't tell running around in cut-off short-shorts. >> no, these are mine. ♪ ♪ desire while i took refuge from the pollen that made me sneeze.

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♪ welcome back to "morning joe." it's time to talk about what we learned. willie. >> in all seriousness, it's national alzheimer's action day. 5.5 million people affected notice united states alone. today is the day to start thinking about a cure, because there will be more affected in the coming years. >> it really is, and it has touched our family. it is a devastating disease. what have you learned, miark? >> that people in massachusetts make themselves feel good by

insulting people from myrtle island. >> sorry, jamie. >> so sorry. >> what did you learn, mike? >> we only do that when new hampshire is not available. >> oh, okay. what did you learn? >> i learned that i'm getting increasingly depressed and angry over the state of my boston red sox. >> it will be okay. >> unbelievable. >> i hope it will be okay. >> no, it will be okay. >> mika? >> former president bill clinton will be on the show tomorrow. >> huge. >> he's a good-lookin rascal. isn't that what he said about perry? i'm very excited about that. so today the yankees play a double header. if you guys could win both of those, right -- i think we found a guy on the mass turnpike that's going to come in and pitch for us. we might be able to hold them under 25 runs. >> our part for the red sox. >> if it's way too early, what time is it? >> "morning joe." stick around for "the daily rundown" with chuck todd. well, as the president prepares for his big speech to the united nations one hour from now, he's grappleling with