at the top of the show, we asked you why are you awake? well, john tower, young intern here has your answers. johnny? >> mr. barnicle, i'm very sorry about this, it's all we get, though. ken writes, willie, for the love of god, please put on some make-up before you go on the air. >> that's kind of hurtful. i would tell you this, ken, for all of the younger people here on this program, they call me dear leader. okay? what do they call you? all right, johnny, thanks. "morning joe" starts right now. .

>> well, that's the image this morning on north korean state television. a weeping anchor announcing the death of north korean dictator kim jong-il who passed away on saturday. with us onset, we have msnbc senior political analyst mark haleprin. we have the national affairs editor for new york magazine and msnbc political analyst john heilemann. we also have the president of the council on foreign relations richard haass, and in washington, nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent and host of andrea mitchell reports, andrea mitchell. >> we've got a lot to talk about, obviously, his passing,

big news out of iowa, new polls coming out. flattening a chaos scenario that i was just talking about with john heilemann and mark haleprin. but let's start first with the breaking news. >> yep, the death of kim jong-il. the north korean dictator. now it's a huge test for the reclusive nation where the country's few resources are diverted from a starving population and toward a nuclear wes program. the security concerns are enormous. president obama already reaching out to our ally in the region south korea. president lee putting his nation on high alert this morning. the white house put out a statement this morning reading in part this, we are in close touch with our allies in south korea and japan. we remain committed to stability on the korean peninsula and to the freedom and security of our allies. a lot of questions, though, surrounding what the effects will be and his son, richard, how that will be handled. >> he came to power in 1994,

three years after the soviet union fell. a lot of the loan supports collapsed, the food supports collapsed. this became -- he inherited a sick nation. >> oh, absolutely. sick and then what he did was he made it sicker. he continued to keep it closed and he took scarce resources and devoted it to the continuation of their military build-up and to their nuclear program. >> he played one card. >> he played it well. >> he had one card to play and played it well. i was surprised to read in the stories last night, especially the "new york times." saying that everybody that went over to meet him thought that he was a clown and they went away understanding that he was actually in a demented sort of way brilliant. >> and he died a natural death, his country is still there, all of these things are true. tactically brilliant, but strategically you've got to ask toward one end. several million of his own

people died of starvation. this is a country has that essentially has not made a transition into the 20th century much less the 21st century. >> the point is, he was no clown. he was underestimated time and again by the west. he was a punching bag for saturday night live skits. and, yet, he started working towards a nuclear program in '96. he shook the world by shooting missiles over japan. he had one card to play as richard said and he played it brillia brilliantly. >> he played it. he was responsible for the greatest proliferation around the world. using his allies elsewhere and in pakistan, of course. as recently as 2007 there was a north korean nuclear plant in syria that was taken out. i mean, so he was profoundly important around the world. he played that nuclear card. i actually met him when i traveled there in 2000. that was a period where he had reached out to japan to south

korea then in october of 2000, just before the end of the clinton years, there was that summit in pyongyang and the extraordinary meetings, and now the deputy secretary state found him to be more credible than they expected. they were expecting this bizarre figure in high heels with a poofed up hair. he's very short, i should tell you, having gone through the receiving line with him when we were all greeted at the guest house there. >> right. >> but he actually had serious meetings with them. the interesting thing is, that there are two american diplomats in beijing today. they were to meet with their north korean counterparts. this was the first step of something that was to be announced as early as today or later this week. it was supposed to be the food aid to north korea and the possibility of a resumption of those talks, the nuclear disarmament talks leading, they'd hoped very shortly to a suspension of their uranium enrichment program. now all of that is moot and the real concerns are that you've got this young unprepared son

and a very obviously powerful military who may be wanting to run things for him with him being sort of a regent and they will be provocative steps taken in the days and months to come. >> richard haass, how young is his son? do we know his exact age? kim jong-un, and what do we know about the preparation? >> he's under 30, no serious preparation. he's got four stars on his shoulders, a rathise in the military. this is a guy not ready to rule. you're probably entering a period of mixed political authority with military figures, party figures, and this young man. we don't know what's going to ultimately happen. churchill's comment about russia was a mystery wrapped inside enigma in a riddle, if i got that right, this is north korea. we really don't know what to expect. but it's hard to imagine it's good. you can imagine either it continues the way it is, you

could also imagine it begins to unravel, massive refugee flows, the possibility of conflict on the peninsula, it's the reason the markets are so unsettled in asia today. it's hard to imagine good or stabilizing things coming out of this. >> it's also possible to deal -- every time we strike a deal with north korea, it always ends up blowing up in our faces. and when we were talking about the resumption of food for the possibility of -- of them drawing down on their nuclear program, robert gates said it best when he said, i'm sorry, i don't buy the same car twice -- or the same horse twice. and time and time again they have played the united states for fools. >> a relationship that was always precarious has just become all the more. the question is how to handle it. >> how is china going to respond? china has -- to step forward and do something about this

destabilizing force. richard? >> no country has control over north korea, including china, but china has the most influence. probably 2/3 of north korea's trade transits to china, a lot of the fuel comes out of china. china has more influence over north korea than it lets on. the problem is, china does not want north korea to unravel. china does not want the peninsula to be unified under seoul, somehow in the american japanese orbit. bizarrely enough, china prefers to maintain a version of the status quo propping up north korea rather than risking a war, rather than risking massive refugee flows, rather than risking reunification under the south. so china does not use the influence it has to bring about fundamental reform or an end to north korea as much as i think in the long run that would be in the interest of the people of north korea and people of the region, the people of the world. >> we have guests lined up all morning. we're going to be following this story. there are other headlines to cover, as well, including politics with two weeks to go

until the iowa caucuses, it appears newt gingrich's campaign is on the decline. >> it's a little early to say that. it's a little early to say that. >> no. >> i just said it appears. >> there's a leveling out. >> and i didn't smile. >> there's a leveling out. up, down. there's some strange things going on out there. >> the latest public policy polling shows the former speaker slipping into third place in the republican presidential field. that's an 8-point drop in just one week. ron paul now leads the pack with 23% support. he's interesting. mitt romney is three points behind paul, still within the margin of error, gingrich has been in a freefall over the past two weeks, a 13-point drop from 27% in early december to now 14%. >> now, we obviously -- i know this will come to a shock to you guys, but we've obviously been tough. i've been kind of tough on the speaker. but let me say in the speaker's defense, mark haleprin.

if an -- and americans need to understand what's happening in iowa why these numbers are going down. there has been a steady barrage of anti-newt ads coming from all sides. from mitt's super pack -- >> they're going after him. >> paul's super pack. i don't know that any politician -- and again, i think he has many flaws. i don't know that any politician could withstand the barrage of negative attacks that newt handled over the past two weeks. >> and he's not really fought back by going on the offensive against any of the people he's running against or by defending himself in a particularly effective way. iowa now is something like we've never seen. there's six candidates at this point who could do very well in iowa. it's impossible that all six of them have a potential to win, separating first to sixth in all of the polls i've seen is very close. gingrich, romney, and paul are not doing the classic thing of fighting for iowa. they're doing other things this week. the other three, bachmann, perry, and santorum are barn

storming iowa and making things very -- >> and when these numbers come off of gingrich, they don't go to romney for the most part. they're going to bachmann, they're going to perry, they're going to santorum. and i've been predicting a second surge by michele bachmann. are you seeing it out in iowa? >> yeah, you know, i was there for basically the last ten days and over the weekend was with rick perry and michele bachmann on their bus tours. both drawing nice clouds in very small places. she, in particular, getting very big, very enthusiastic response. >> you're sensing momentum? >> there are people interested in hearing her message. and she was hammering ron paul all day long for comments he made on television about her and her view of muslims. she seized on that. she was getting a lot of enthusiasm with the crowd. and rick perry's crowd is a little bit smaller, but still solid, still healthy. people are out there, they want to hear what they have to say. >> we have the possibility of

mitt romney in the high teens, michele bachmann in the high teens, ron paul in the high teens, newt gingrich in the high teens. this could be a four, five, six-way tie. >> it could be. and that melee up very well for mitt romney. as long as no one comes out of iowa. even if he doesn't finish first, if iowa's a muddle, mitt romney's in a strong position. somebody's going to need to surge here and somebody probably will. >> and it really is fascinating how gingrich not only not fighting back, not driving -- just not in iowa. and raising a lot -- people wondering why he is not actively campaigning -- >> he was in washington this weekend. >> almost everybody, at least, even romney who left the state in south carolina, even he did an event after the debate. >> why isn't newt out there? >> he had a music event, right? >> if newt wins iowa, i mean, it puts him in good shape for south carolina, but if he doesn't,

it's a battle. what's going on? >> not just a battle, it could be over for him if he doesn't do very well in iowa depending on the outcome. it's not really clear. he schedules himself the way he wants to be scheduled. and he will be there after christmas. but he may be making a real miscalculation both in terms of not fighting back and not making a full-court press in iowa. because everyone in iowa, there's a little bit going after romney, but the other four are really going after newt. so romney is getting something of a free pass and because they all as you said, newt's vote goes to all of them, dunoesn't to romney. >> then you go to new hampshire where, just like i think bachmann's going to surge in iowa. i think huntsman's going to end up around 20%, 21%, 22% in new hampshire. you have him up there, gingrich up there, ron paul up there, romney maybe winning by a few points. it's romney's best case scenario.

>> mitt romney may actually because of all of this, if it turns out there's a ceiling on ron paul's support for various reasons because he's not going to be able to draw establishment voters. it's possible he's going to win iowa. they are working very hard out there. they are phone banking harder, spending more money on phone banking and more hours on phone banking than anybody else. very quietly, but very aggressively doing the work out there. now they are in with both feet out there, and it's possible he's pulling around over 20%. if he's up at 26%, 27%, 28%, which would only be a couple points higher in 2008, mitt romney could win the caucuses and effective lip iiveffectivel. >> why is this happening? if people are watching at home and saying, boy, this sounds different than it did ten days ago, the romney campaign's worst-case scenario is mitt romney versus a conservative. if it's mitt romney versus three or four conservatives, mitt romney does very well. and when gingrich was in the high 30s, it was a nightmare

scenario, now everything's sort of leveled out. >> couple of other things that happened over the weekend, south carolina governor nikki haley endorsing mitt romney and the des moines register putting their support behind mitt romney, as well. >> did you see newt on face the nation? >> i did. i saw his first time ever almost sort of taking responsibility for the freddie mac payments. not really blaming it on his campaign. but that's okay. >> i've got to say -- >> that's what you do. >> i know people aren't going to understand this. did you guys see "face the nation?" >> oh, sure. >> i'll tell you -- i disagreed with everything he said, especially about judges, which i think is really dangerous, but that said, and this is what people don't understand -- that i could disagree with something but actually go, wow -- >> i know what's going to happen. >> that was a good political move on his part. newt gingrich looked as good and

as confident and as calm as i've seen him in years with bob schieffer. >> very good performance. >> i thought it was a great performance and it's going to play well in iowa. if iowa saw that, he just kept going back to the 10 commandments and kept going back to -- >> he gave a history lesson. >> the federal judges dp and, exactly, he gave a history lesson. >> and he's talking about fundamental change, radical change. >> let's explain. >> and mitt romney just doesn't do that. >> explain what gingrich is talking about. >> well, i think he's talking about -- look, this is the thing that appeals to conservatives who any that the country has gone very far off on the wrong track. and he because of the fact that he's seen -- some disagree with this, but he has the image in the republican party as a big thinker. these notions of trying to drive -- i'm going to set up an

alternative social security system -- >> let's talk about this case. because it is radical. he's talking about doing away with possibly the ninth circuit, talking about firing judges, talking about using federal marshals so drag them to congress -- >> crazy. >> to explain -- >> talking crazy. >> to explain some of their decisions. >> it was funny, during the debate last week and thursday, there was a moment when ron paul talked about separation of powers when people were talking about the courts, and i tweeted that everyone else on stage looked puzzled. newt gingrich is the avatar of that. rick perry's talking about ending lifetime tenure for judges whose decisions on social issues he disagrees with. all of this -- this attack on the courts, it is, really, guys, this is a separate branch of government, you're not allowed to do these things. it's crazy radical talk. >> and again, i don't like the message, but the way gingrich delivered it yesterday is going to appeal to a lot of people in the base. watch this.

>> it's one of the things you say is that if you don't like what a court has done that congress should subpoena the judge and bring him before congress and hold a congressional hearing. how would you enforce that? would you send the capitol police down to arrest him? >> if you had to, or you'd instruct the justice department to send the u.s. marshal. are judges above the rest of the constitution? or are judges one of the three co-equal branches? >> are the rest of us above the constitution in obeying the law? don't at some point you have to say this is a nation of law? >> i'll go back to lincoln who people think respected the law. lincoln instructed his administration not to enforce dred scott. he said it's the law of the case not the law of the land. >> and andrea, i have been around this guy for a long time, newt gingrich is at his worst when things are going best.

but when his polls are dropping as they are right now, there was something zen about him. it was a command performance. despite the fact what he said scared the hell out of me. >> it's just crazy. >> he's in his zone. and you're absolutely right. when he's on the ropes, he gets this sort of super natural calm about his statements. and he dresses it all up with enough history, when he talks about the dred scott case, that's a brilliant way of describing his attack on the judiciary and putting him with lincoln, it enlarges this, as well. i think it's going to be appealing. this kind of attack on the judiciary is very, very good with the base. and i think this is going to help him, perhaps, carve out his own area in iowa whereas you are saying he is under fierce attack. >> it didn't work so well for fdr when he did that. taking on the judiciary, the independent source, third branch

of government is also risky. americans believe in that. >> different time, though, different place. i think americans are so angry, richard, at every institution, look at the polling. i think that this is a more desperate -- perhaps not more desperate economic time, but boy, the public anchor and all institutions and, especially, the conservative base, anger at the judiciary is pretty strong. >> and i think it could help -- i think, mark haleprin, it could help him with the conservative -- a portion of the conservative base in iowa. because i'm part of the conservative base, and it scares the hell out of me. but a portion it could help him with. but in a general election, this would be a nightmare for republicans. >> not necessarily. i'm not going to defend it on legal terms -- >> but -- >> but -- >> the speaker basically said if i didn't like brown v. board of education, if eisenhower didn't like brown v. board, he could've

ignored it and fired the judges. >> the judiciary should be a co-equal branch, not a super branch that's able to trump the will of the other two branches. and in some of the decisions he cited and in some of the reaction of a lot of the americans the courts have become out of control. they're too powerful, they make law that neither the executive nor the legislative branches endorse. >> and what newt did, which is what he is so good at doing, he picked out one example of a judge who said if you say the word benediction at a high school speech, i'm going to jail the superintendent of schools, which, of course, makes 99% of americans angry, i would guess, but then tries to apply that to everything, including the supreme court. by the way, let me say, a very conservative supreme court. there's nothing the ninth circuit can pass that the roberts court isn't going to crush.

>> and how conservative the supreme court is. there's some big decisions. >> this could play in iowa, though, and i know we've got to go. just to put perspective on this, this could play in iowa because obviously newt helped to throw out three judges that passed -- >> legalized gay marriage. >> that legalized gay marriage, basically rolling over what the legislature had passed. >> and as i said, there's a reason that rick perry, michele bachmann, all of the conservatives, this is not quite as color, but they all attack the judiciary a lot on the stump and get good reactions to it. there's a big part of the republican base, especially christian conservatives who feel some of the things mark was expressing a few seconds ago is very appealing and everyone's going after that resentment out there. >> well, by taking this on in an extreme way, it kept a lot of questions that should be asked by him about his past away. i listened to it on the radio driving home from pennsylvania. and had i not been driving, i would have had my head in my

hands because i couldn't believe how well he was spinning this crazy talk. >> bob schieffer was right to do what he did. >> of course. >> to follow this line of questioning -- >> i think it was brilliant on bob's part to not go to all of the other scandals that everybody had talked about and focus on that one subject. >> yeah. but he handled it -- >> bob schieffer, seriously -- they were both -- they ought to take that on the road. bob schieffer's great. >> i love schieffer. i miss him. all right, much more on the death of kim jong-il. the impact the u.s. and the region. and also ahead, senator chuck schumer will be here onset. but first, bill karins with a check on the forecast. bill? >> good morning, everyone. after the coldest weekend of the year in new england, we're going to get a warm-up as we head through the week. let's start with the temperatures, still cold, you need to bundle yourself up and the kids and turn the heater on high in the car. this is exiting warmer temperatures in d.c. and

pittsburgh. much warmer than we had over the weekend. and the temperatures today, not bad, a decent recovery. still a little chilly in new england, maybe a snow flurry or two around buffalo. pittsburgh, slight chance of a shower late today. big storm out in new mexico it's going to spread late today. that's the travel trouble spot. thankfully, though, not a lot of big cities, most of the heavy snow is going to avoid areas like kansas city and denver. strong winter storm in the middle of the country with thunderstorms the biggest issue, dallas, houston, and san antonio. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. nyquil: you know i relieve coughs, sneezing, fevers?

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welcome back to "morning joe" at 28 past the hour.

let's take a look at the morning papers. the "new york times" says the last convoy of american troops drove into kuwait early sunday morning punctuating the end of the nearly nine-year war in iraq. and the washington post, the czech republic president died at the age of 75 after a long respiratory illness. he led the velvet revolution there, a peaceful uprising in 1989 that ended in soviet rule. less than a month later he became president and later leader of the newly created czech republic. >> andrea, a remarkable leader. >> a colorful character, as well. >> he was a colorful character, he was very close with madeline albright, and of course, mika, you know from your father the role he played in eastern europe was extraordinary. that velvet revolution, what happened in the czech republic. there were some extraordinary moments. he -- i'm remembering bill clinton's trip when bill clinton

went to what was then the newly formed czech republic. and the connections that they had. but he was the poet, the prisoner, and the great democrat. >> actually, mika, your mother -- >> my parents knew him and liked him very much. >> he was a quirky artist. >> also, people shopt forget is how extraordinary the events were in eastern and central europe. the idea that the soviet empire unravelled how it did, peacefully and you had essentially democracies emerge and remarkable speed is a stunning, stunning accomplishment, and people deserve major credit. there was nothing about this that was inevitable, pre-orda pre-ordained. it's a perfect example that extraordinary people make a difference in history. >> and you know, he was active in 1968 prague spring, and just

kept tweaking the soviets over the next 20 years with his plays with his columns -- mocking -- mocking them every step of the way. >> someone who was such an intellectual and also had the whole political tool set, remarkable. >> it shows the necessity in these revolutions of having strong charismatic leaders. you look at the arab spring, there's not in almost any place someone emerging with this kind of breadth of history or knowledge. >> a revolution based on the velvet and you've got to have a good sound track too, not just a good leader. >> we're going to take a break and go to "politico," talk about the latest endorsement for mitt romney and rick perry's last stand coming up on "morning joe." let

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hey, with us now, we've got the chief white house correspondent for "politico" mike allen here with the playbook. one of gingrich's better moments in face the nation was basically

brushing off that "des moines register" endorsement that mitt got. he said, thank god i didn't get it, they're liberal. does the "des moines register" endorsement of mitt romney matter in the gop caucus? >> well, newt gingrich is right that it is seen as a liberal paper, it is not big in republican circles, but it adds to a sense of momentum. mitt romney has all of these endorsements stacked up he can roll out one at a time. he did christine o'donnell in the dark of night, but he can pull out the south carolina governor nikki haley when he needs her. today, the freshman illinois senator mark kirk, there's a bunch more they have stashed away to roll out at strategic times. we also in -- iowa today have a really bad poll today, public policy polling saying that newt gingrich imploding. they now have him third behind ron paul, behind mitt romney,

nate silver also putting mitt romney second, newt gingrich third with ron paul winning and, of course, we've agreed ron paul will always have an asterisk for mitt romney to finish second in iowa giving him big momentum going into new hampshire. >> it'd be very big. and i can tell you, for me, personally, i wanted every endorsement. i didn't care, i wanted it from the right to the left. i want every endorsement, i want every nomination and every vote. no, they did not endorse me. but, i would guess this helps, mark, with the establishment in iowa. if you're runni inning mitt's tf campaign. >> it does. a lot of the vote have from establishment republicans, basic republicans who caucus every four years and that's where romney's going to get his vote. so the register is not beloved by conservative activists, but in line republicans --

>> it's momentum. >> and it helps if the right stays fractured, there's enough establishment vote to allow romney to win if -- especially if bachmann, perry, santorum, none of them breaks out and they all get that 12%, 13%, this is good news for romney to consolidate the establishment vote, get 26%, 25%, 27% -- >> he would be off to the races. mike, really quickly, michele bachmann picking up some pretty big crowds out in iowa. rick perry also seeming to have a bit of a surge out in iowa. what's it looking like with you guys out there? >> yeah, rick perry's going to the second week of his bus tour, doing the retailing, hoping to get a second look. but all of these polls forecast leave them in fourth. we're calling this rick perry's last stand. he's got to bump that up. his chance to do that is in this voter contact over the next few weeks. >> that's going to be a tough, tough battle for him.

i don't think he gets past bachmann. we're going to get to the must-read opinion pages next, and maybe we'll talk about the news over the weekend out of washington that the republicans do not want to -- >> i'd rather talk about football. >> seriously. >> we're going to be talking football. >> a complete about face once again to try -- >> can you believe what happened with the giants and the jets? holy cow. this new at&t 4g lte is fast.

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that shot from the top of new york city. as the sun comes up on this monday morning. >> yeah, i'm looking at the "wall street journal" editorial page as i'm prone to do all the time. jeb bush capitalism in the right to rise. but also as ice cracks under putin, what will he do? i was fascinated by what happened this weekend where his

soon to be number two stepped out talking about the need for reform. what's that mean, richard? >> there's something going on there. you look at what's going on in the street, you look at the pushback against putin and the whole heavy-handed rotation of political power there. people are tired of him there. putin realizes it. for me, the critical moment was when he got booed at that wrestling and boxing match. there's something going on where he stayed too long and you've got this rising middle class in russia that's fed up. i don't think it means revolution -- >> what about medvedev, is that a good cop, bad cop routine? >> well, the fact that people are forming now new political parties, politics are alive in russia. i think that, you know, putin survives this, but i think he's much weakened and his open-ended charter, shall we say, i think is disappearing fast. >> time now for the must-read opinion pages. and we'll get this first one out of the "new york times."

a fraction of a tax cut that was big news over the weekend with the house and the senate both dealing with the tax cut extension, mr. boehner's opposition. he did kind of an about face over the weekend. on "meet the press" yesterday, makes it clear just how extreme and unreasonable his caucus has become and how ineffective he has been in controlling outbursts. the two-month extension in a vote of 89-10. mitch mcconnell negotiated the compromise and voted for it as did all but eight republican senators. but house republicans cannot stomach the idea of giving mr. obama even a sixth of what he's asked for. especially if it actually helps improve the economy and thus his reelection chances. >> it's not going to. that's what -- no, he can -- >> a great article in the "new york times" on saturday about how if you don't do that extension, you will hurt the economy. i guess it depends on how you look at it. but here's the bottom line. we can agree on this.

they do not want obama to succeed at anything. they don't. >> that -- >> they don't. >> that is the -- the two-month extension as tom friedman and jeffrey sachs said on friday on this show basically i'm paraphrasing is the stupest waste of money. it is nonsense. you might as well just take that money to the center of the mall and burn it. and so the "new york times" is saying, richard, that somehow these republicans don't want to help the economy. a two-month extension of this tax cut is worthless. it will help some americans and that is good, but if the goal is to revive the economy, what is it do in the end? >> absolutely nothing. even a one-year extension does virtually nothing. what business leaders are looking for, and particularly american business sitting on $2 trillion of cash, they want to know what the tax environment is, the regulatory environment

is. american business needs predictability. the american's consumer needs predictability. two-month changes are irrelevant. we need to set the table so people can make serious decisions for the long run. >> vote it down, make sure it doesn't happen and make sure the middle class don't get that tax cut. that's great for the republicans. good strategy. excellent. go for it. appreciate it. >> i am glad you're supply sider now. >> seriously, what's wrong with them? how sh this a winning strategy? >> you know, i think my winning strategy is to be quiet until we talk about football. >> okay. >> you're right, what do we have coming up next? >> that's my mom. >> she goes crazy. >> anyhow -- >> doesn't go crazy. >> they'll lose this. they should let it go through and get the keystone pipeline separated. they're making trouble, trying to stop obama. they did the same thing during the debt reduction talks. boehner pulled the same about

face, it's becoming tiring and people are seeing this as a very bad game. >> i agree, mushka. that's exactly what tebow said. by the way, did you see that snl skit on tebow? >> i don't mind awkward silence. >> mike florio's going to take us through the highlights, plus tebow time on "saturday night live." when we return. this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people came to louisiana... they came to see us in florida... make that alabama... make that mississippi. the best part of the gulf is wherever you choose... and now is a great time to discover it.

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thank you, jesus! >> hi, everybody. >> jesus, he has risen! >> no, not really, just a quick visit. everybody take a seat. go ahead, take a seat. chill out. first of all, you're welcome. all right. yes, i jesus christ am indeed the reason you won your past six football games, okay. >> i knew it. >> tim, easy, easy. hey, buddy, leave a little room for the holy ghost, okay? all right. tim's doing his best, god bless him. you know who you should be thanking? your kicker. you don't win unless this guy hits a 59-yarder. i'm serious, matt prader, i pray

to you, brother. >> i didn't know that. >> yeah, that's because i'm not in everybody's face about it. >> so, jesus here spends his time helping people win football games? >> well, you know, here's the thing -- i -- i just go where people call me the most. who do you play next? >> the patriots. >> oh, boy, really, did not know that. that's going to be a tough one. this doesn't leave this room, but if i'm the son of god, tom brady's got to be the guy's nephew. that guy's a miracle worker. but that coach bilchik, let's just say -- they're coming at you both ways. >> with us now for "morning joe" is mike florio. mike's the founder of the sports blog pro football talk. >> nice. >> this is not to say that the local tabloids take football

seriously, but eve of destruction is the headline of the daily news. what a bad, bad day for new york football, or as richard says, new jersey football. >> and the two teams play each other on saturday and it's so much more than bragging rights now. it's for survival. giants 1-5 in the last six games and the jets falling apart, the eagles have an inside track to steal the division from the giants and the cowboys. >> the drop passes. he dropped two yesterday. >> two easy touchdowns. and -- >> three more interceptions from ely manning. there was so much talk, it was a fluke, said the giants would win 95 out of 100 times, he revised it last week to 99 out of 100 times, they're 0 for 2 this year. >> and the giants defense hasn't shown up all year. this has been a pathetic

performance. >> and they have hope to win the division, but how do you expect your last two when you're 1-5 in your last six? >> let's go back to the beginning of the year, everyone believed the nfc east was going to be the toughest division, it's the worst. speaking of the worst, i never saw this coming. the new york jets were hot, they were on a roll. they got steam rolled by vick and the eagles. >> and you know, the eagles have that capability to do this. and they're putting it together probably too late although it's not -- >> you say probably too late if they all end up 8-8, the eagles go, they've got a way forward. >> when you look at the games, we've seen crazier things fall together. >> the east is horrific. speaking of a bad division, what about the chiefs? having a chance in the afc to move forward. >> if they finish 8-8, the chiefs win again. it could all fall together, and the chiefs after beating the packers yesterday to end that 13-game winning streak this year, which actually the packers

hadn't lost a game in a full calendar year as of today. so the chiefs have some hopes, and that's why we love the nfl. >> mike barnicle, you go back to 1972, this happens every year and you say, my god, how do the dolphins make it through the whole year undefeated? because every nfl team has one week like this, even the great packers. >> the patriots made it through the whole season and lost in the super bowl, but i'm wondering, the new coach of the kansas city chiefs replacing the guy who got fired a week ago, does it have that much impact on the team? >> well, i think it can. especially when you have a lot of players that really liked cronel and want to see him get the job permanently, they step up, and arrowhead stadium is a tough place to play. it's a tough place to go in and win and packers are getting injuries on the offensive line. >> a great day yesterday in oakland, a great game, the lions who seem like they've had three

different seasons had some good news yesterday. >> and they're turning it around at the right time. and matthew staffer, the young quarterback. teams have been taking away calvin johnson and finally figured out how to get it to other guys and even throw it to calvin johnson. he's going to make some plays. >> how good are the lions? >> well, if they can get in and they're going to get in. they're going to get in and they could make some noise in the post season. and that's the thing we learned with the packers. they were the sixth seed in if nfc. if you get a ticket to the party, anything can happen in january. and we see upsets, we see crazy outcomes, and who knows what's going to happen this year. >> the character playing jesus christ in saturday night live said he was busy with an upcoming birthday and he wasn't going to be able to bail them out yesterday. that said on saturday, sunday, well, it looked like there was no miracle. >> yeah, they started off strong. they were up 16-7, but it fell apart for the denver broncos. >> look at this.

look at tebow running these these guys like they're jv players. >> that was early. usually it's the other way around. it's horrible early. >> broncos made terrible mistakes too, didn't help tebow. >> and the patriots are just a better team. and now we see what happens when the broncos come up with against a superior team that has everyone healthy. the broncos had been fortunate to a certain extent. i'm not ready to give up on them. >> oh, no. >> they've got a good chance, but they get to a post season and play the patriots, steelers, or ravens, it's probably going to be like this. >> they've had some bad losses this year. their defense isn't what it was two, three years ago, how good are the patriots? >> i don't think they're among the top two or three teams in the league. mike would know more about that than i do. their defense is really suspect. >> look at this. so barnicle who lives in boston, right? i'm up there -- i forget why we were up there, but i think it

was for the new hampshire primary or something, maybe. we were up there, and it's super bowl sunday, the patriots are playing, and mike and i are off in a side room talking about the red sox spring training. and it's -- seriously, i should want have asked you about the patrio patriots, you have no idea. >> i read that their defense is really -- >> if they can patch that defense together, they could do something. >> they're 11-3. let's be -- they've had losses, but they're 11-3. >> they're like you, their problems are secondary. >> while you're all doing this sports thing, we've just booked chris christie for tomorrow. we have mitt romney on tomorrow, regis, and chris christie. perfect. well done. >> they're going to sing a trio. >> regis is great. >> i love regis. >> i can't wait to see him. mike florio, thank you very much. >> thank you, mike. next, the latest on the

death of north korea's kim jong-il and how it'll affect the united states. all right, barnicle. we'll go live to the pentagon next on "morning joe." [ child ] it's so cool! you can put a force field on him and be invisible! [ child 2 ] i call first player. no. i already called it. [ dad ] nobody's playing anything until after we get our homework done. thank you. hello? test drive's not over yet. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. [ louder ] hello? but we still need your signature. right now during sign then drive, it's never been easier to get the all-new passat, the 2012 motor trend car of the year, for practically just your signature. that's the power of german engineering. visit vwdealer.com.

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top of the hour, a lot going on. welcome back to "morning joe." "time" magazine's mark haleprin. joining the table, we have the editor of nationalmemo.com, john

conisan. good day to have you on, jim. thank you. we'll get to our top story and go straight to the pentagon. this morning, we have news that kim jong-il passed away over the weekend. the north korean dictator passed away on saturday after 17 years in power. and this morning, reports that north korea conducted a short-range missile test within its borders. south korean officials cannot confirm whether the test was related to kim jong-il's death. but south korean president has put his country on high alert. so that news just coming in to us now. >> jim, let's go to the pentagon. jim, obviously there have to be concerns at this point. a nuclear nation changing -- power changing hands, and as said last hour quoting churchill, mystery wrapped in? >> a riddle wrapped in mystery wrapped in an enigma.

>> that's what we have in north korea. >> everybody here and in the intelligent services knew, of course, that kim jong-il was on his death bed. but just to show you how opaque that country was, kim jong-il died on saturday. it was announced this morning, and at that announcement, u.s. intelligence services were taken by surprise. some three days after his death. now, nobody thinks that anything here anyway -- that thinks anything is going to change demonstratively within the next few weeks even months, but it's clear that there probably will be, according to intelligence officials, a power struggle of some sort between the party and the military. the military has not really trusted kim jong-un to take over the country. and in order to earn his chops, when the north korean military launched an artillery barrage against the island, it was kim jong-un who went to that

military base, gave the commander a medal, and just a month ago, presided over the one-year anniversary of that attack trying to earn his chops with the military. but the bottom line here is nobody knows for sure. >> nobody knows for sure, richard haas, and the son has four stars. he just moved up the ranks. >> not since mcarthur. >> not since mcarthur. a lot of parallels, though, with assad in syria. you've got a son who is seen as weak by the military. but we don't -- we just know so little about north korea and the long-term impact, don't we? >> it's true, we know very little about north korea. i think assad has more of a base. the minorities fighting for its life. assad had years to consolidate and now this is his syria for better and for more important for worse. and i think there's a fight to the finish.

in north korea, the consolidation is just beginning rather than being completed. we're probably years away if we ever get there. and that's the question. is this guy able to do it? and more importantly, what happens? does north korea remain as a separate viable country? or do we begin to see ultimately the unraveling of this last vestige of the cold war? >> we should probably move on to politics and look at what's going on with the polls. we've got two weeks to go until the iowa caucuses and it appears that newt gingrich's campaign is losing some ground in the polls. the latest public policy polling showing the former speaker slipping into third place in the republican presidential field. that's an eight-point drop in just one week. ron paul now leads the pack with 23% support and mitt romney is three points behind paul still within the margin of error. gingrich's numbers have been falling over the past two weeks dropping 13 points over that time from 27% in early december to 14%. now the question, i guess, joe

is whether or not he's one of these candidates that rise and fall or is there something else going on here? >> i suspect there's more of a base there, a foundation for gingrich than there may have been for cain and others that rose and fell. wouldn't you suspect that to be the case? >> probably the case. remember, he's already collapsed once. so it's not like he has a solid floor beneath him of people who will never band him. he's going to need a strong second act. he's no longer the front-runner in this race. >> joe, you've followed newt gingrich, an avid fan for years. do you think newt gingrich has not a second act, but a third act here? >> you know, there's -- there are two sort of tendencies at war now in the republican party. one is the sort of dogs won't eat the dog food. they don't want mitt romney. on the other hand, they're running out of alternatives, and gingrich was actually plausible compared with a lot of other people who have risen and fallen in this primary.

so i -- the answer is it's hard to tell. romney's attack ads, i think worked very well. that was a genius ad that the super pack ran against him. >> romney's pounding him, ron paul is being vicious. all of these third party super packs are jumping on gingrich. i'm wondering, we have been very critical, i've been very critical of newt, but could any candidate? could anybody around this table? could anybody survive having millions and millions of doll s dollars -- heaped on top of them over a short time period? >> i think he has greater vulnerabilities than have been explored yet. truthfully. people have not looked very closely at american solutions, for instance, which was his kind of slush fund that i hear has problems that have not been fully explored. and that will be before this is over if necessary. i think the problem that the guy has is he is not fresh.

he's old news. and there's a lot of -- as a friend of mine said, his baggage has baggage. that's -- that's -- >> that's one way -- >> they're going to open it. so -- >> yeah. hasn't it been opened? >> i think a lot of it has been opened. but i believe there's more to be opened. >> so what is -- i'm curious, mark. any thoughts about what's causing this decline? is it all the attack ads? is it specifically freddie mac? what is it? >> it's the attack ads that have been very good. and -- >> it's not really the personal stuff. it's the freddie mac -- it's ideological inconsistent. >> until this weekend when he went on the offensive on this judiciary issue, he's not run a good campaign. he's succeeded despite the fact that most days he hasn't driven a very positive message or been very effective. and in the end, if he fights for it and comes up with a strategy

for the next two weeks, i think he can come back and hold a position. subsequent to that, if it is one-on-one with mitt romney, they'll have a lot to work with. and they're very well prepared in boston with opposition research to go in a different direction. romney's backed off his attacks a little bit because they're not necessary now. remember, rick perry didn't fall by himself, he had a lot of help by mitt romney talking about social security and immigration. >> i know, come on, rick perry helped. rick perry shot himself in the foot about five times. >> it wasn't all by himself. >> it's interesting, we've been talking about the republican party and you certainly worked for republican presidents. i know at least one of those presidents often despairing at the state of the current status of the republican party. but it seems like we have these people rising and falling, rising and falling. it seems like the old order may be -- may reestablish itself. and looks like a mitt romney or

a jon huntsman may end up coming to the top in iowa, new hampshire, these other states. >> possible, but to me, the interesting question is if that's the case, to what extent -- and what does it look like they essentially come to some kind of an understanding with the new order? what does it look like with tea party types? with the neo cons on foreign policy. if it is a so-called establishment figure, it's almost a tension between bush 41 and bush 43. between the additional party and the newer party, and for someone like a governor romney. where does he come out trying to balance these two polls? >> yeah, newt gingrich yesterday was on "face the nation". >> yes, he was. >> i thought it was a fascinating interview to say the least. and -- >> it was. >> i think it was very compelling, a dangerous argument, but a very compelling argument for many people on the right. >> i think compelling to the base and that baggage you were

talking about, they really never got to it. as a result -- >> because he's producing more baggage. >> somehow. >> it just keeps rolling off the conveyer belt. i want to look at the fact that he just wants to just abolish the ninth circuit. >> seriously. >> he wants to -- >> let's watch this, and joe, i'll have you comment on the latest samsonite. >> he did a good job. >> he did. >> one of the things you say, if you don't like what a court has done that congress should subpoena the judge and bring him before congress and hold a congressional hearing. how would you enforce that? would you send the capitol police down to arrest him? >> if you had to. or you instruct the justice department to send the u.s. marshal. are judges above the rest of the constitution? or are judges one of the three co-equal branches? >> in the other side of that is are the rest of us above the

constitution in obeying the law? don't you have to say this is that nation of laws and we all have to -- >> i do. but i'll go back to lincoln who people think respected the law. he instructed his administration not to enforce dred scott. it's in his first inaugural. >> how does the president decide what's a good law and i'm going to obey the supreme court and what's a bad law and i'm going to ignore it. >> it depends on the severity of the case. i'm not suggesting that the congress and the president review every decision. i'm suggesting when there's decisions in which they are literally risking putting civil liberty rules in battlefields. it is utterly irrational for the supreme court to take on its shoulders the defense of the united states. it's a violation of the constitution. >> he wants to take the word supreme out of court. >> so much for marbury versus madison.

i guess the president, the current president doesn't have to obey citizens united now. he can send somebody to arrest people who disobey the -- >> bob schieffer brought that up. what happens, if, for instance, the obama health care plan is overturned in the supreme court, i guess the president can just ignore that. >> you know, look, there was -- used to be and there probably still is a tendency in the republican party to at the end of the nominating process, at least, look to the electability of the nominee. >> they usually get there. >> they usually get there. this time they're having a lot of trouble getting there. i would argue some of it has to do with mitt romney's mormonism. there are other factors about mitt romney that the party base doesn't like. the health care plan. you have to assume they will get there eventually and newt is helping them with that kind of thing. he doesn't quite know how to control it enough to get to the nomination. i mean, he's going to -- he'll trip himself. >> mark haleprin, you know, we

were talking off the air about newt's presentation yesterday. basically saying the supreme court by itself is not dictatorship. they don't have veto power. and he talked about two branches being able to trump a third bramp branch, that if the executive and legislative branch wanted to trump the judiciary, they could, and vice versa. i think that probably is compelling not just to the conservative base, but to a lot of americans. >> almost every american can find a case they don't like that they look at as an overreach from the left to right. it's going to be front and center no matter how the court rules on not just health care, but a few other high profile cases. the conservative movement likes newt gingrich because he's proposing big, radical, overreaching changes about how the government works. >> by the way, the one thing in newt gingrich's defense just as far as political skills go.

any other politician in that interview would've squirmed and worked for 30 minutes to get away from the issue. newt just ran straight toward it. >> head on into it. >> no backing down, lots of facts, historical illusions. >> and wrapped himself around abraham lincoln. >> oh, yeah, he was in good company. >> when he is good and strong as he was in that interview, he builds a following. >> no doubt about it. richard? >> i cannot -- >> every once in a while i'm speechless, and one of those -- >> would you serve as his secretary of state. would you accept that job? >> i don't think richard will be asked. >> i don't think i'll be sitting by my telephone. >> so let's move on. i want to talk -- we talked briefly about russia. a lot of things happening this weekend. more protests. more people questioning putin's viability. it seems to me, richard, that

the days of him ruling are over. >> i think he wins the presidential election, gets another term. >> a rigged presidential election. >> yeah, exactly. you don't have to rig necessarily the voting if you rig the lead-up to the voting. if you've controlled the media, you've made it very difficult for other parties to act on a level playing field and that'll be the case in russia. but he won't be able to rule with the same impunity he has. russia's beginning in a funny sort of way the post putin period while putin's still in power. i don't want to exaggerate it, but the czar if you will, those days are over. >> boy, an historic year, historically bad year for dictators. >> i think it may get worse for putin. again, if people look at him. his baggage has baggage too. somebody regarded by as russians as an extremely corrupt person.

you will hear people in the finance industry say this is the -- this man is actually the richest man in the world. >> yeah. >> that vladimir putin owns secretly more stuff -- if you talk to the oligarchs in the west, it's the taboo subject in russia. this guy needs a very hard look. he's like the -- he's like ferdinand marcos was. and that will be a topic when he loses some of his clout. >> and just really quickly watching over the weekend, other big headlines in foreign policy are the arab spring and the precariousness of that. in egypt. we had protesters being beaten, women being stripped. give us -- >> and also, islamists making very big gains, getting 70%, 75% of the vote in egypt.

>> it's not so simple. >> this is going to take years not months to play out, maybe decades, not necessarily going to be positive. and this whole emphasis on elections is incomplete. elections don't make a democracy. you need institutions, constitutions, civil society. all of this is missing in the airport world. >> should we be concerned about islamists gaining 70%? >> absolutely. because what matters is the eke whi checks and balances. some are supposedly within the political place. but where are the checks and balances? how do we know if you will it's not one man, one vote, one time. how do we know they accept constraints? how do we know they will ultimately allow themselves to be voted out of power? >> when you say self-constraints, are you talking about being open minded enough to accept say a strong judiciary? >> yeah. perhaps. >> the bedrock of

constitutional -- >> well, you raise an interesting point. we should never forget the power of example. sometimes the most important foreign policy is not what we say at the state department, it's what we do as a society and economy. we've got to be mindful of that. we're not operating in a bubble here. what happens here doesn't stay here. it is seen everywhere. >> there's no doubt about it. and what is said by our presidential candidates reverberates across the globe. from iowa all the way to uzbeki-beki-stan-stan. >> i find newt gingrich's comments to be frightening, but i'm worried they sell. coming up, another showdown on capitol hill. that was a compelling performance, senator chuck schumer will be here onset as house republicans move forward. >> should i just give you two time to talk alone? >> no, i like to see how you package this. anyhow. it's on the payroll tax cut, which republicans don't seem to

want the middle class to have an extension on that or the president to have any victories on anything. chuck todd will also join the conversation. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates.

that's just not true. what she just said is factually not true. i never lobbied under any circumstance. and i think sometimes people ought to have facts before they make wild allegations. >> congresswoman? >> well, after the debate that we had last week, politifact came out and said everything i said was true and the evidence is that speaker gingrich took $1.6 million. you don't need to be within the technical definition of being a lobbyist to still be influence peddling with senior republicans in washington, d.c. to get them to do your bidding. >> i want to state unequivocally for every person watching

tonight, i have never once changed my positions because of any kind of payment. because the truth is, i was a national figure who was doing just fine -- >> do you think sexism motivates him? again, your words were i'm a serious contender for the presidency. >> well, what he said sounded very condescending. and it sounded like he was talking down to me as though i was one of his students. i'm not one of his students, as i said, i am a serious candidate for the presidency. if he disagrees with my assertion, then he needs to make that claim and put it on the table, but the fact is i'm right about him taking $1.6 million for his work on behalf of continuing frac. freddie mac. >> by the way, there was a delay that david talked about yesterday that really didn't do michele bachmann any favors in that interview. >> well, because the delay is in the audio where you hear, and so -- >> she was a little halting. but it's so funny, a lot of

people that have observed -- we talk about how newt really yesterday for his base did a really good job on "face the nation." michele bachmann, the more people you talk to -- you know, we were very critical -- >> very tough. >> tough words about her, but we're seeing now more of michele bachmann the tax lawyer who she's going after newt, she's going after ron paul. i guess she was after ron paul yesterday, right? >> hard on saturday. >> went hard on saturday. boy, and i'll tell you, she is growing into a good candidate -- i know i will offend people on both sides, but i'm seeing her grow as a candidate like hillary grew in 2008. she's getting tougher by the day. >> well, she also, you know, she was criticized in iowa months ago for being a diva. for not doing the retail stuff. again, having seen her on

saturday doing this bus tour. she had 16 events on saturday. 16 events on saturday. she was working it from 7:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night. and her retail skills, i thought, were very strong. she was working the coffee shops and doing a nice job. >> that's the parallel. >> very accessible, talking to everybody, and not an ounce of diva about her on saturday afternoon. >> mark, we've been thinking there's going to be a sort of second charge by michele bachmann in iowa. do you see that happening? >> absolutely growing is used. some candidates get better over time, some don't. she's gotten better. she's emphasizing the things that work and playing down the things that don't. she's a potent communicator. and working hard gets you a lot in iowa. >> and this really underlines how hard it is to run for president of the united states. there's a reason why everybody does better their second time. jon huntsman started out as an ambassador. just had a terrible launch to his campaign, he's finding his footing up in new hampshire.

michele bachmann had problems at the beginning. she's finding her footing in iowa right now. >> and in a situation in which most people would be gone because she was mocked and ridiculed at first. joining us now, nbc news chief white house correspondent and political director and host of the daily rundown, chuck todd. good to have you onboard. >> let's talk about iowa right now, a lot of moving parts, newt gingrich seems to be slipping, michele bachmann and other conservatives moving things up. how do you see things going right now? >> i'm more focused. i'm trying to watch who's spending money on the air and i'm continuing to be dumbfounded by gingrich's lack of financial resources. i assume if he had the money, the semi-response ads he has trying to push against the super pack money just clubbing him right now with negative tv advertising that he'd have it. you brought up michele bachmann, she's got nothing on the air.

bachmann has been running on fumes financially for months. i think they've basically put all the money they have left in in a field operation in iowa trying to do what she's doing with this bus tour. and so at this point, this close in, you know, i think it's time to be watching the financial primary in iowa to see who's got money and who doesn't. and, again, i'm still -- i'm just shaking my head and -- at gingrich. did they not benefit at all from their -- from that ten-day period where they were just surging? they did not get any -- and herman cain raised a bunch of money in his moment in the sun. there's no evidence that newt did. >> what about the politico story about the $20 million that was going to be coming in? did that ever materialize? or is that just talk? >> well, from what i understand, i did some reporting on this. talked to some folks close to the guy who has been sort of a gingrich financial godfather for years. always very supportive of the

different things he's done. and they've fully denied the $20 million figure, but didn't dispute the notion he was going to be helpful at some point. but clearly a check hadn't been written yet. again, you know, we'll see. we're told by some folks close to gingrich that just watch out right after christmas, watch out, you'll see everything. maybe they're saving everything until the end. but boy, it does feel like they should have done more to respond to these romney ads. >> let's talk about mitt romney and where he stands right now. he got several endorsements over the weekend. i don't know if maybe you could tell me if you would call them key endorsements. nikki haley, "des moines register" and bob dole. >> haley one, dole two, and if you tell me i have to put in three, i'd say "des moines register." other than the manchester union leader, there aren't many newspapers that move conservatives in this country. it's the automatic sort of

anti-mainstream media streak. and normally leans left of center anyway. so i don't think it's going to have the impact that it does, for instance, on a democratic primary. the nikki haley thing is interesting to me because of how the romney campaign used it. almost a reintroductory tour of the state of south carolina. and i felt like and i know mark was on the trip. i felt like this was the -- they used the endorsement to almost say, hey, remember, we really are still the front-runner. we like this idea we're not being called the front-runner, but look at us, we're the front-runner. >> newt's hired a few new people to surround himself with political pros. do you get a sense before christmas or new year's they're going to make strategic changes on how he's operating? >> i don't think they're going to make that many changes. i do think they think, well, you know, it's worked so far. but i do get the sense that at least there's some organization around him.

they're trying to make a message that makes sense on a given day. i think and i heard joe talking about it earlier, this shift toward judges. you know, people forget, and republican primaries bashing judges is a popular thing to do. particularly in the state of iowa. more so in the state of iowa. you got a lot of conservatives upset about what the iowa supreme court did on gay marriage. this could resinate a lot. i feel like part of that, frankly, is a product of this newer team of folks being brought in. but it doesn't mean that the same person isn't running this campaign. and that's newt. >> chuck, were you struck like i was at how calm newt was? how confident he was while delivering politically explosive message? he seemed to be at the top of his game. >> he was -- i mean, that's the thing, it is very explosive, right? this is the beginning of a de-legitimatization of one of the branches of government. and felt like what speaker

gingrich was trying to say was, no, we need to weaken the judiciary. he's trying to make the case that the judiciary is more powerful than the executive or legislative. i don't know if a lot of people would agree with that. but he wants to weaken it. you're right. he did it in a very calm way, not bombastic, and again, this is about iowa conservative caucus-goers. that's it. >> yeah. and he reached them. >> i think it'll work. >> chuck todd, thank you very much. >> all right, guys. >> we'll be watching you on "morning joe" at 9:00 eastern time. tomorrow we'll have mitt romney and also regis. >> regis. and chris christie. >> chris christie, we just booked him by text. >> he's coming in too? >> yes, he's coming in. more "morning joe" in just a moment. progresso. it fits!

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how you doing? this is pat sullivan coming to you on vhs from the winter formal. as always, i'm joined by my life partner, denise. >> call me zazu!

wicked psyched for holiday cheer, and for me, nothing says christmas like two fake school i.d.s and a franzia bladder sans box. >> although we are no longer enrolled, we are hoping to talk our way into the festivities to recapture our second date. >> oh, my god, sully, denise, how are ya? >> oh, my god, it's you. >> i haven't seen you since you left eighth grade with mono. >> her name's linda. >> you hear to party? >> i wish, i got to pick up linda because apparently she barfed all over the dance floor. what have you been up to for the last four years? >> five beautiful children, wheezer, chubsy, squeeze box, hags, and baby richard. she's the mom of the year this one. never loses her temper, really

maintained her looks, works tirelessly to keep the babies in fully licensed no ma jerseys! >> you are. >> no, ma! >> there's a lot going on there. coming up next, we have former state department -- >> barnicle's next door neighbor. >> that's barnicle's kids. >> more like mika. >> no, you need to do some of your language training with her. >> exactly. as i was saying, coming up next, we have former state department officials p.j. crowley and jamie rubin on the death of kim jong-il and what comes next for the regime. >> jamie. >> jamie. >> how you doing? >> good to see you. [ child ] it's so cool!

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welcome back to "morning joe" at 42 past the hour. joining us now former assistant secretary of state and former spokesperson jamie rubin, and the former united states assistant secretary of state peter crowley. >> we want to get to the big news in a minute. but first, let's not bury the lead. >> what's that? >> well, mike barnicle. you've got a history with this crowley fella. >> yes, you do. >> p.j. and his dad, bill crowley. >> i'm talking about bill, specifically. >> yes, worked for the red sox for many years, he was enormously helpful to many people in the print and electronic media business. >> he helped you out a lot. >> helped me enormous little. and, of course, p.j., he's not -- he's -- >> he's doing okay for himself too. >> he's got his t-shirt on underneath that. >> you still aren't working for the red sox. maybe your next career.

>> indeed. indeed, i have a george scott t-shirt under my suit. >> all right. so, so, jamie, you made a fascinating point yesterday. two leaders on the opposite end of the spectrum dying yesterday. one great, one horrific. >> well, havel, i think is probably in the minds of many in the foreign policy community the ideal figure of the modern era. he was a playwright, stood up to communism during the darkest days, and then became the leader of czech republic when the velvet revolution happened. and if you were to identify an individual who embodied the spirit of promotion of democratic values and individual freedoms, it would be havel. and in the same day, 10,000 miles away, kim jong-il who i think would embody the darkest

of the human spirit when it comes to torturing and starving hundreds of thousands of human beings in those stalin-esque labor camps in north korea. these are one and ten on the scale of human rights, havel being the ten. >> what is the impact of what happened on saturday in north korea? what's the impact to us? >> it's a very good question. i think in the short-term, not necessarily a whole lot. you know, there's a collective leadership in north korea. you know, we now have, you know, you talk about an inheritance, you inherit a country and nuclear weapons, but he'll be surrounded by elders, the military, and as was the case with his father, this transition will go on for months maybe even a year or two. so i don't know there'll be a whole lot of change in the

short-term. the one danger would be if this -- if the reform leadership now feels it has something to prove. you know, some sort of provocation over the last couple of years. we've seen the north korean shell south korea, sink a ship. so you could see a miscalculation here and a spiral that increases tensions, again, let's hope that doesn't happen. >> madeline albright was -- we've been talking about her this morning, the "washington post" brought up about how she when she met kim jong-il, he was seen as a cartoon character by most in the west. she said actually he was better prepared and more astute on issue after issue than most foreign leaders she met. a shock. >> yes, well, obviously he had his weirdnesses -- >> yeah. >> the hairdo, the shoes, the clothes. but he was briefed. he knew his material, he knew about missiles, he knew about missile engineering, such that they were at that time talking about missiles not nuclear

matters primarily. but there is one thing that i think i should adhere. according to the "washington post" based on an a.p. story, the administration was on the verge of announcing a development in north korea where they would provide food aid to north korea in exchange for a sequence of steps that would've included suspending their nuclear program and ultimately, perhaps, negotiations. my guess is that kind of big deal would be very difficult to engineer at a time of a transition like this when a young leader who is not really learned the ropes or may or may not have been involved in the making of that deal. >> p.j., jamie mentioned, you know, potential food aid to north korea that might now be abruptly halted. but it gets to the psychology of the leadership of that nation. it is more than fascinating to those of us living here in the united states and around the

world to think of basically the cult of leadership in north korea who we know very little about what's going on in that country in the age of tweeting and facebook. and when 2 million to 3 million people reported to have died of malnutrition and that the leadership remains intact and people remain devoted to them. there's no arab spring occurring in north korea. the psychology of it is overwhelmingly fascinating. >> yeah. no, actually, north korea's on twitter. i don't have any idea why. when i was at the state department, i was involved in a twitter war with north korea, but it was one way. but, i mean, jamie raises a very good point. there's no question that north korea needs that food. and they've been prodding the united states to come forward. the united states has hesitated because if you provide the food, does it go to the neediest of people within north korea? or does it go to prop up the

regime? so the united states has been playing, you know, hardball to make sure that if that food aid goes in, we have leverage in terms of monitoring it. it'll be very interesting to see if they come back to that question within a few weeks or months because the need is still there. if they do, it might suggest they're actually confident about this transition. if they don't, as jamie said, they're probably going to, you know, at least rhetorically, you know, crank up the game for a period of time to show that they're in charge and there's no weakness here in the transition. >> and jamie rubin, what do you think the questions being played out inside the white house right now given the fact this transition will be taking place as it takes place. what will be more gaming if i can use that phrase more carefully? >> i think they'll be looking at scenarios between the north and south, military scenarios where there are many different opportunities for north korea to flex its muscles. whether in a naval engagement,

along one of these border incidents, they'll be asking the question of what this new north korean government could do. i think they'll be asking some hard questions over who actually has control over the nuclear program. and trying to determine whether there's a possibility of a break in the political leadership. so who really is in charge and then i think they'll be looking at their scenarios for the complete breakdown of the country because it's not -- you know, it's been something the u.s. has tried to see happen for more than a decade. and i'm not saying it is going to happen, but these are the moments in which things could spin out of control. if this guy really isn't in charge and people start fighting below him. >> all right. thank you very much. >> thank you for coming in. we really do appreciate it. also, i left early on friday to take part in the state department's women in diplomacy series. it was so much fun. i did a fire side chat with valerie jarrett. my thanks to ambassador marshall

and valerie, swell, for having me there. we got a lot done. it was really, really cool. we're going to have to do it again. >> do you have to do it again. >> that's a madeleine albright and condoleezza de vries and the female secretaries of state. he will be into his mustache. >> coming up, the mojo football frenzy with roger bennett. keep it here with "morning joe."

with us now, soccer analyst and host at 9:00 a.m. on sirius radio, roger, i want to talk about what happened this weekend, but how do you talk about the part of the leader who provided invisible cell phones in the 2010 world cup to north korea's coach. >> you are talking about king jung il, his team never lost. he edited down the games to never have a goal against them. they had a seven-second game. the kickoff and the final whistle and nothing in between. america needs the same approach to world cup soccer. quite a few good games. >> there was a world cup championship, the best cups in

the world battling. >> who cares. >> they could have cut down on the carbon emissions by not sending the teams there. barcelona taking on -- >> what do you call massi again? >> fellow smurf and slumming the ball home. he is the face of a tax accountant like a trained assassin. a slide of happened and the illusion that the late doug would have been proud of. celebrate like only soccer players have by jumping up and down like a bunch of 11-year-old kids. >> let's go from japan to manchester. >> it's like leaving the jacuzzi. manchester city taking on arsenal.

they take on the team in europe and the answer is quite good. there was another spaniard tapping the ball home for the only goal of the game. look at it. he stoops and he conquers. his hands will be ringing until christmas. >> one yard to the left and to the right. >> two clear of the arch rivals. that came was unbelievable. 1-0. >> it was a great game. >> it is a great game and qpr and man u not so great. >> the greatest living soccer player, his hair transplant. >> it's remarkable. >> it's like a tribute to kim jung il. >> he was bald.

just a few months ago. that hair has come in. >> i'm going to get a gift? >> that's a transplant? that has come in really, really well. >> don't say anything, but i can tell you what i would like under the tree for christmas. my lord. i can tell they have yours. that's breakfast. >> you talk about it all the time. show it to the camera. you love this beer. >> yeah, i do. this is a breakfast kit. >> exactly. >> let's talk to the leader. when we get to the end. >> thank you very much. we will have chuck schumer. >> more "morning joe" in a moment. capital one's new cash rewards card

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♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪ v.o.: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com good morning. it's 8:00 on the east coast as we look at new york city. welcome back to "morning joe." a lot going on today. back with us on the set, we have mark hal person and richard hoss and andrea mitchell in washington. the death of kim jung il, the north korean dictator.

it's a huge test for the reclusive nation where few resources are diverted from the starving population and towards a nuclear weapons program. the security concerns are enormous. president obama reaching out to the ally, south korea and president lee putting his high alert. we are in close touch with allies in south korea and japan and remain committed to the freedom and security of our allies. a lot of questions about the effects and his son. how that will be handled. >> let's become the power of 1994. years after the soviet union fell and a lot of loan supports collapsed and the food supports collapsed. he inherited a sick nation. >> absolutely. what he did was made it sicker and continued to keep it closed

and took scarce resources that he devoted to the continuation of the military build up and to the nuclear program. >> he played one card and he had to play. especially in the "new york times," they were saying that everybody that went over to meet him thought he was a clown and they went away understanding that he was actually in a dimented sort of way, brilliant. >> and he died a natural death. his country is still there. all of these things are true. tactically, but strategically you have to ask, several million people died of starvation. this country has not made a transition. in the 20th century much less the 21st century. >> he was no clown, but underestimated by the west. he was a punching bag for "saturday night live" skits and yet he started working towards a

nuclear program in '96 and shot missiles over japan and had one card to play as richard said and played it brilliantly. >> he was responsible for the greatest proliferation using allies elsewhere and in pakistan of course. as recently as 2007 there was a nuclear plant in syria taken out. he was profoundly important around the world and played that card. i met him when i traveled there in 2000. that was a period where he reached out to japan to south korea and just before the end of the clinton years. there was that summit and the extraordinary meetings. she and wendy sherman who is not the deputy secretary of state found him to be more credible than they expected. they were expecting this bizarre

figure in high heels with poofed up hair. she very short having gone through the receiving line when we were all greeted there. he had serious meetings with them. the interesting thing is there two american diplomats there today. they were to meet with the counterparts and this is the first step of something to be announced as early as today or later this week. it was supposed to be the food aid to north korea and a resumption of talks and leading they hoped to a suspension of the uranium enrichment and all of that is that you have this young unprepared son and a very powerful military who may be wanting to run things for him with him being a regent and there will be provocative steps taken in the days and months to come. >> how young is his son? do we know his exact age?

kim jung un? >> she under 30 and had no serious preparations. he had four stars on his shoulder and a star in the military, but his combat experience is finite. this guy is not ready to rule. you are probably entering a period of mixed political authority with party figures on this young man. we don't know what will happen. he has a mystery and got the order right. this is the most opaque country on the earth. we don't know what to expect, but it's hard to imagine it's good. >> there headlines to cover including politics with two weeks to go until the iowa caucuses. newt gingrich's campaign is on the decline. >> too early to say that. a little early to say. >> i said it appears and i didn't smile. i just read it. >> there is a leveling out. strange things are going on out

there. >> the latest polling shows the former speaker slipping into third place in the field, an eight-point drop in one week. ron paul leads the pack with 23% support. interesting. mitt romney is three points behind paul, within the margin of error. a 13-point drop from over that time from 27% in early december to 14%. >> we obviously -- i know this is a shock, but we only have been tough on the speaker. the speaker's defense, if-and americans need to understand what's happening in iowa and why the numbers are going down. there is a steady borage of anti-newt ads coming from all sides. the europe pack and ron paul super pack. i don't know that any politician and again, i think he has flaws,

but let's be fair. i don't know that any politician can with stand the negative attacks that newt handled over the past two weeks. >> he has not fought back aggressively by going on the offensive by people he is running against or defending himself. this is something like we have never seen. six candidate who is could do well in iowa. possible that all six have the potential to win. first to 6 n all the polls i see as close. gingrich and romney and paul are not doing the classic thing of fighting for iowa. they are doing other things and the other three, michele bachmann and perry and santorum are making things -- >> when these numbers come off, they don't go to romney. they are going to bachmann and perry and santorum. i have been predicting a second

surge by michele bachmann. are you seeing that in iowa? >> i was there for the last ten days and over the weekend was with rick perry and michele bachmann on bus tours and drawing nice crowds in small places. she in particular is getting enthusiastic response. she is -- people are interested in hearing her message. she hammers ron paul for comments he made about her and her views of muslims. what she sees on that. she was getting a lot of enthusiasm. rick perry's crowds are smaller, but still healthy. >> we have the possibility of of mitt romney in the high teens and michele bachmann in the high teens and ron paul in the high teens and newt gingrich in the high teens. this could be a four, five, six-way tie. >> it could be and that may play

out well for mitt romney as long as no one comes out, even if he doesn't finish first, if it's a muddle, mitt romney is in a strong position. somebody will need to surge and somebody probably will. >> you go to new hampshire where bachmann will surge in iowa and huntsman will end up with around 22% of new hampshire. you have him and gingrich and ron paul and romney maybe winning by a few points. it's mitt romney -- this is his best case scenario. >> mitt romney because of all this, if there is a ceiling on support because he won't draw that many voters, romney will win iowa. they will work hard out there. they are spending more monophone banking and more hours than anybody else. very quietly, but aggressively doing the work. they are in with both feet and it's possible he is pulling

around 20%. that would only be a couple of points higher than 2008, he could win the caucuses and effectively the race could be over. >> did you see newt on face the nation? >> i did. i saw his 50 time ever almost sort of taking responsibility for the freddie mac payments. not really. he blamed it on his campaign, but that's okay. >> i have to say -- >> that's what you do. >> people are not going to understand this. did you see face the nation? >> no, sir. >> i will tell you, i disagreed with everything he said, especially about judges. i think that's really dangerous, but that said and this is what people don't understand. i can disagree with something, but actually go wow, that was a good political move on his part.

newt gingrich looked as good and confident and as calm as i had seen him in years. >> it was a good performance. >> i thought it was a great performance and it plays well in iowa. if iowa saw that, he kept going back to the ten commandments. >> he gave a history lesson. >> and the federal judges. >> he gave a history. >> he was talking about radical fundamental change in the way a lot of people in the republican party want and mitt romney doesn't do that. >> explain what gingrich is talking about. >> she talking about the thing that appeals to conservatives who think that the country has gone far off on the wrong track. because of the fact that he has seen people disagree, but has the image of the republican party as being a thinker and the notions of trying to drive the reform. i will set up alternative social

security system. >> let's talk about this case. he is talking about doing away with possibly the ninth circuit and firing judges and talking about using federal marshals to drag them to congress to explain -- >> talking crazy. >> to explain their decisions. >> they put it out there last week when he talked about the separation of powers. people talked about the courts. i tweeted that people looked puzzles. newt gingrich is the avatar of that ending tenure for judges who he disagrees with. this attack is like really this is a separate branch. you are not allowed to do these things. it's crazy talk. >> i want to play a clip and again, i don't like the message, but the way gingrich delivered it yesterday will appeal to a lot of people in the base. watch this.

>> one of the things you say is that if you don't like what a court has done, the congress should subpoena the judge and bring in the congress and hold a congressional hearing. how would you enforce that? would you send the capital police and arrest him? >> if huh to or instruct the justice department to send a u.s. marshal. the judge is above the constitution or one of the coequal branches. the rest of us above obeying the law? you have to say this is a nation of laws. >> we do, but i go back to lincoln who people think respected the law. lincoln explicitly instructed his administration to not enforce dread scott. it's the law of the case not the law of the land. >> i have been around this guy for a long time. newt gingrich is at his worst when things are going best.

when his polls are dropping as they are right now, there was something zen about him. it was a command performance despite the fact that what he said scared the hell out of him. >> it's crazy. he is in the zone and you are right. when he is on the ropes, he gets this super natural calm about his statements and he dresses it up with enough history when he talks about the dread scott case that, is a way of explaining his attack and putting himself with lincoln. it enlarges him as well. i think this is going to be appealing as you noticed with the debate last week. this kind of attack on the judiciary is very, very good with the base. this is going to help him perhaps carve out his own area where as you are saying, she under fierce attack. >> he took on the judiciary with

the independent source of third government is risky. americans agree with that. this is not without risk. >> americans are so angry at every institution, look at the polling. obviously not a more desperate economic time, but the public anchor at all institutions and especially the conservative base, the anger at the judiciary is strong. >> i think it can help him with a portion of the conservative base in iowa. i am part of that and it scares the hell out of me and it can help him. this would be a nightmare for republicans. >> not necessarily. >> i'm not going to defend it on legal terms, but -- >> the speaker basically said if i didn't like brown v board of education or brown v board, he could ignore it and fire the

judges. >> here's the element that strikes a cord in the general election. the judiciary should be a coequal branch and not a super branch that trumps the will of the other branches. some he cited and the reaction of a lost americans, the courts are out of control and make law that neither the executive or legislative branches endorse. >> what newt did, he picked out one example of a judge who said if you say the word benediction at a high school speech, i'm going to gel the superintendent of the schools. of course that makes 99% of americans angry. he then tries to apply that to everything, including the supreme court. a very conservative supreme court. there is nothing the ninth circuit can pass that the court is not going to crush.

>> they see how conservative the supreme court is. >> exactly. this could play in iowa and i know we have to go, but to put perspective on this, this could play in iowa. newt helped to throw out three judges that legalized gay marriage and rolling out the legislature that passed. >> there is a reason why rick perry and michele bachmann and all these conservatives, this is not quite as colorful, but they attacked the judiciary a lot and get good reaction to it. especially christian conservatives who feel it's very appealing to them and everyone is going after that resentment out there. >> when are we come back, chuck schumer joins us here on set. let's go for a check on the forecast. bill? >> good morning and good monday to everyone out there. for this december, i have a blizzard to talk about in a mostly rural area, but travel

will be difficult in five states. portions of colorado, kansas, oklahoma, texas and new mexico. that's where the worst will be. later on tonight it will be windy and the snow will be coming down. mostly rain for the big cities. dallas and oklahoma city and kansas. it will be doozie up to about a foot possible. today's forecast in the east, we are finally warming it up into the 40s. late day showers in pittsburgh. the majority will be light. southeast looks fine. thunderstorms possible in areas of texas from dallas to san antonio. we have the first snowstorm of the winter season. it won't be affecting many of us. you are watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. i'd like one of those desserts and some coffee.

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it's pretty clear that i and our members oppose the senate bill. it's only for two months. the president said we shouldn't go on vacation until we get our work done and frankly house republicans agree. two months is kicking the can down the road. the american people are tired of that and frankly i'm tired of it on the house side and we have seen this action before. it's time to stop and resolve the differences and extend this for one year. >> welcome back to 24 past the hour.

democratic senator from new york, chuck schumer and speaker boehner seem to turn around quickly. >> oh, yes. he is tying himself in a pretzel. >> speaking of what happened, is that a jets tie? >> christmas. come on. if a jewish kid from brooklyn is telling me this is a christmas tie, what's going on. >> hanukkah started on friday. >> tuesday. >> you are in mourning. the giants just got pounded. what happened? >> the game i go to a year. they can never close. when they don't have to win, they don't win. then they have to win all the time. it's just horrible. i love the guy. i have been to waterloo where he dedicated in upstate new york, but the team doesn't get ready for every game.

you can see the first play interception and they go 3-0. >> i know. >> still fun to be at the game. >> you don't want to talk about this. >> not really, but i'm good. you guys go on about sports. >> every series in realtime. the rest of the segment. >> now you can respond to speaker boehner. we are kicking the can down the road. >> he has two choices and only two. the first is to pass the bill, the bipartisan bill that the senate passed 89-10, the vast majority of republicans and a lot of tea party guys will be for it. the middle class tax cut will lapse and he will be responsible. i don't think he wants that. what i woulding is is he bring it to the floor tonight, he will. don't twist arms. let the chips fall where they may. let them vote their conscious. you will get every democrat and

plenty of republicans. it will pass and be off his shoulders. the only reason he doesn't is he's afraid of the 80 tea party way out there people and letting them run his caucus and run the house and try to run america. no good for anybody. >> tom friedman and jeffrey sacks both agreed on friday that a two-month extension of the payroll tax cuts makes no economic sense and throwing money after that. >> we are the folks who tried -- here's what we did. we tried for 3.1% for a year for both employers and employees. our republican colleagues said that is too much. we brought it down to two and then said the millionaire's tax, take it out. we don't want to tax millionaires. we did. they then said that the only way they would vote for a one-year extension is by putting so many poison pills in, they knew we

couldn't vote for them. we said go to two months. then on friday, speaker boehner said we can get this passed. all you have to do is put the key scone pipeline in. we swallowed hard and we did. trying to negotiate with speaker boehner is like trying to nail jello to the wall. you are an old player. he keeps moving the goal post back because he can't control his talk us and they are running off a cliff and he is following. >> is there any economic benefit and will jobs be created? >> here's what will happen. if we get the two-month extension, we can get it done for a year. the american people so much want this, when it comes february and you don't have a government shut down occurring at the same time, they will put enough pressure. the two-month extension is the only way to get an extension. they pass and i will be the first person to be on a plane to sit down and negotiate and we

will get it done. >> there you go. >> are you open to a third option? that's negotiations. >> how many times do we have to negotiate? we negotiate it and negotiate it and negotiate it. he gets the caucus on the phone and said never mind. on thursday he was for this deal. he praised what senator mcconnell had done and gave his proximate to connell in the meeting with reid and hears mcconnell and negotiates a deal and they pass it. speaker boehner got on the phone saturday and said this is a great victory and a great deal. how are you going to negotiate? >> he's in denial. >> you are not open to more talks? >> they will be open to talks after they pass the extension. more talks will lead to the same thing we are in now. no extension. pass it tonight and all he has to do is vote for it. he doesn't have to ask a single republican to vote. all he has to do is vote your

conscious and it will pass. i would predict by 50 or 60 votes. >> i read stories that the president's relationship with republican congress has gotten so bad. he is angry and he is leaving it to intermediaries. is that the case? >> we talked about it. >> how can you be set with the president. he swallowed hard and told us put the pipeline in. >> what do you think the president's attitude is now for republican leadership? is that the level of frustration? >> you can't blame the president that every time he tries to negotiate and move three quarters in their direction, they can't take yes for an answer. >> i'm trying to figure out what is the relationship? has it gotten so bad between the president and the republicans in congress that they are not communicating at all?

they are intermediaries? >> when they communicate, they can't stand up to what they agree with. that's frustrating. >> does that mean there no talks between the white house and republicans? >> at the moment there not. it's like nailing jello to the wall. they can't come to an agreement. we are saying we went seven steps in your direction and did many things that many democrats didn't like. pass this two-month extension and we will negotiate it for the rest of the year. >> one year ago, i remember you were saying exactly what i would say if i were a democrat in the sena senate. let's force the republicans to vote up or down on a millionaire's tax. the white house. >> now they are for it. >> i think it was a terrible political mistake even though we can debate policy.

the white house should have listened to you politically and they didn't do it. they moved your direction. that's what the last question was about. they moved more direction. >> i want to say two things about president obama. his natural instinct to be bipartisan. he tried and tried and tried and got burnt and burnt and burnt. speaker boehner is a decent guy. i still think he is, but he has a caucus that is out of control, a group of them. he is afraid to buck them. sooner or later he will have to throw up his hands and say i cannot listen to these people all the time. the second thing, don't forget this. >> that's what they said back in the 90s. >> second thing is why is he so wedded to this payroll tax reduction? he believes it's the most

important thing to get the economy going. he believes that will benefit him in the election, but it looks politically good. he truly believes and i talked to him on one and advisers and economists tell them and so do jpmorgan chase and goldman sacks that this would be the best way to get the economy going. he is willing to compromise and swallow that pipeline thing which was just designed to stick it to him. for the good of the country i will do it and they couldn't deliver on that. what do you expect him to do. >> they keep moving the bar. good luck. >> can i ask the important question? christmas eve, giants and jets. >> i'm a giants fan. i just am. there were no jet when is i was a boy. when the giants have to win, they win. when they don't have to win, they play like they are in high school. >> senator, thank you very much.

we will have mitt romney, governor chris christie and regis. up next, one of the most expensive shows in history. jason omara joins us to discuss the future of karma. stay with us. [ laughing ] [ cat yodeling ] honey, check your email! [ cellphone chimes ] [ cat yodeling ] kids! [ cat yodeling ] sing, larry, sing! [ cat yodeling ] we should have got a cat. [ male announcer ] get low prices on gifts to stay connected. order your last-minute gifts at walmart-dot-com and get free same-day pickup on select items. save money. live better. walmart.

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>> where is the kidnapper? >> i will let you know when i find out. good talk. over. . >> the star of the series. good to have you on the show. >> noting the clip. it's from the beginning. you are at the finale. >> it's always a big night.

the two-hour finale that proves to be just as big and spectacular and also, obviously the plight is huge and we have to set along the stories and play it off and have fun. >> this is not a cheep series.

jimmy jones, they have a list of executive producers. what is spielberg's in this. what is the role of the executive producers in the series? >> a lot of their work is done even before the first frame is rolled. they put together the package where by the thing can be made. there a lost production companies involved in getting this thing up and running. concepts and designs and the casting of my other costars. he was involved in this and the script was the new characters. that would be the role of executive producer on that tv show. >> dublin or waterford? >> dublin. waterford? >> it's always amazing to me

that actors -- >> i can usually nail it down. >> actors with your skill set can so easily lapse into -- you couldn't tell you were from dublin. how do do you that? >> worry a great deal of work. i'm lucky that i have an ear, but everything requires practice and repetition and you have to own that craft. i enjoy playing characters from other parts of the world. i did american characters and american accents in college. my accent probably wasn't as good back then. i went to trinity college in dublin. >> you can use your boston accent. >> this show not only was expensive, but the calls lost in a lot of different ways. it made a huge splash and you have a lot of fan base and a lot

of people who liked terra nova. were you a fan and why do you think that show has gotten the lost fan base and the buzz around it? >> i admired that show very much. i didn't watch as much tv as i perhaps should. i try to keep up with things and sample things. i don't keep up with the series as much. it's a commitment. with this, we really made it a family adventure. swiss family robinson with dinosaurs. future tech thrown in. we don't really get as perhaps sophisticated as the last story lines got. some people may have been disappointed by that. at the same time we offer something that appeals to a slightly broader base. we get sci-fi fans and families. i get tweets and posts saying my family sits down to watch the

show every monday and wouldn't miss it. >> this is the definition of high concept. the swiss family robinson. let's move. let me ask you in before we go. you get sent back to prehistoric times. you have a time machine in your trailer. i did this in pit of the fact that i had to travel. i can see that there is a trend there.

i am quite happy to be here. >> terra nova season finally is tonight at 8:00. good to have you on. >> you can teach barn to talk like an american. >> up next, what is newt gingrich doing in this photo? >> there we go. >> ellis the elephant. >> i am confused here.

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that's the business. >> howard, you are a genius. >> okay. >> i have no idea. what is this? >> help me. it's newt gingrich with his wife, calista. >> what's the elephant? >> you found this and there is a story to this. >> it's good to be one. the elephant had to walk up to them. >> what's the new story about where is this? >> a general election battle ground state. >> to my knowledge, a virginia primary is in march. >> newt is way ahead there. you can take the picture down. >> some people wonder and again we were talking about newt's curious in iowa. why some talked about he didn't stay in the state. people don't see his victory and

said he was at a book signing. he showed up unannounced and took that lovely photograph. >> by the way, it's -- didn't you say that's on newt's -- >> the fascinating thing about that picture is again all other candidates are in iowa or new hampshire and newt gingrich is in virginia on saturday and then on sunday it's untraditional. >> he is pacing himself. >> seriously, what's going on here? >> he's not interested in the normal politics cheechl get on conference calls and do the same thing. >> i will say, he was in washington on face the nation. he delivered a performance that will move a lot of people.

is it a campaign or a book tour? >> that's a good question. newt gingrich as you remember his tam pain blew up and everyone said he couldn't come back and they desserted him. he then came pack and i think there is probably some psychologist here which is like i don't have to have a campaign. you said i have a campaign and i didn't. i'm in the lead. why do i have to listen to you? >> so mark hal person? >> it's a tam pain and not a book tour. it's a fascinating unorthodox campaign and yet he zoomed ahead of everybody. >> for he comes out of new hampshire on one with mitt romney, it's genius. if he finishes up to sixth in iowa, it will look less than

that. >> the guy who we haven't talked about who is in first place is ron paul. the solid 23%. going back to that one point. >> that means this coming week with the super pack in iowa. >> jimmy fallon on snl next. nyquil (st uffy ): hey, tylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. tylenol: we are? nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. let's do it, let's go to vegas. vegas baby! maybe we should head back to the dealership first?

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coming at you on vhs from the winter formal. as always, i am joined by my life partner, denise. >> call me za zoo. wicked psyched for holiday cheer. for me nothing says christmas like two fake school ids and a frenzy sans box. >> we are no longer enrolled, we want to capture the magic of our second date. >> oh, my god, sulley denise! >> donovan! i haven't seen you since you left eighth grade with mononucleos mononucleosis. >> her name is linda. i got to pick up linda because

she bafred all over the dance floor. what have you been up to? >> building a paradise with five beautiful children. she's the mom of the year, this one. never loses her temper and maintains her looks and keeping the babies fully licensed. nomar jerseys. you are! here's the travel forecast. moving through the southwest and heading for the plains. not a lot of cold air to work with.

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>> welcome become to "morning joe." time to talk about what you learned? >> ambassador marshall for having the women in diplomacy series. my daughters went and held microphones and didn't get in a food fight. >> i can't wait to see how the secretary of state are a few years from now. >> she does. >> i learned it in washington, d.c. the young girl loves them. >> thank you very much. have her come visit. >> you hear her and it's not going to be that. it will be on the back of