professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. introducing the ishares core, etfs for the heart of your portfolio. tax efficient and low cost building blocks to help you keep more of what you earn. call your advisor. visit ishares.com. ishares. yeah, ishares. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles. or the 900 million health insurance claims we process. so, it's no surprise to you

that companies depend on today's xerox for services that simplify how work gets done. which is...pretty much what we've always stood for. with xerox, you're ready for real business. oh, man, are you kidding me? are you kidding me, man? where were you when -- >> oh, i was -- >> nobody knows what's go -- >> i was just starting college. and -- >> murmur. >> i heard this song, i thought there's something going on that i don't know about that i need to know about. >> this is r.e.m. their first huge album "murmur." >> did you ever see the performance on "letterman" when this came out? >> michael stipe on another planet but we loved him. >> and peter buck. >> michael stipe, he needs to come back on to the scene. what are you doing? what are you talking about?

>> what did i learn today? >> what did i learn today? >> so much? >> have a great weekend, everyone. happy friday. i just saw the week in review and i have to take a rug. >> are you tired? >> she's weary. >> we're told we got to let you go. >> it's over, joe, wrap it up. >> we'll keep talking about r.e.m. a little bit better. >> but "reckoning." quite the toss. cpac festivus, now it's time for the airing of the grievances. conservatives come together to hear some very different takes on what's gone wrong lately and how to win the white house the next time around. today, they'll hear from none other than the entire 2012 ticket. the week's worth of capitol hill confabs behind them, the big question facing the president now is -- now what? will, the meet and greets lead to any real dealmaking. and a lone star state trail blazers makes texas-sized debut

on broadway. this morning a deep dive into the life, legacy and laughter of the late ann richards. good morning from the msnbc graphics control room. >> at 30 rock in new york city. it's friday, march 15th. >> beware the ides of march. >> this is "the daily rundown." >> now -- >> here's chuck todd! >> thanks to our friends that we drive crazy in graphics andrew and stephanie, thanks very much. keep on sending your video in. it won't always be internal hometown picks, i promise. now let's get to my first reads of the morning. the second cpac is already under way in the country's largest annual conservative conference is turning into a fight to diagnose the republican party's problems. you have to decide what the problems are first before you offer a cure. after months of staying below the radar, mitt romney will reemerge today. his appearance comes as potential presidential

candidates of the future offer competing pronouncements on what's gone wrong, to leading 2016 prospects from the senate offered very different visions of how the party should move forward. florida's marco rubio offered the gop's problem was just the box, it's all about packaging. >> you hear all this debate about infighting among conservatives, infighting among people that believe in limited government. that's really a foolish notion. we don't need a new idea. there is an idea, the idea is called america and it still works. >> meanwhile, kentucky senator rand paul said two of the three legs of ronald reagan's thr three-legged stool need fixing. waving binders of the trimts of his 13-hour filibuster in the air, paul challenged the values of the party's hawks taking a dig at the gop's old guard. >> the gop of old has grown stale and moss covered.

i don't think we need to name any names, do we? if we're going to have a republican party that can win, liberty needs to be the backbone of the gop. >> so, he's arguing that the pizza's a little bit off. while rubio never mentioned paul by name, he defended u.s. engagement abroad saying the u.s. can't solve every war, but we also can't be retreating from the world. meanwhile romney got no love from speaker after speaker. almost like a pile-on. texas governor rick perry took some big swipes at the guy who beat him in 2012. >> the popular media narrative, it's that this country has shifted away from conservative ideals as evidenced by the last two presidential elections. that's what they think. that's what they say. that might be true if republicans had actually nominated conservative

candidates in 2008 and 2012. >> and then there was this last night, former senator jim demint said it's time to blame the establishment who didn't advertise their conservative credentials for the party's defeat. >> in 2012 with the presidential election on the line, national republican leadership rejected the lessons of 2010 and went back to the old way of campaigning. they didn't even try to inspire america with bold, positive vision. >> demint even youaudaciously contributed the president's victory to the tea party, saying democrats borrowed grassroots lessens from the tea party victories of 2010. the gop's identity crisis has been on full display over the last 24 hours with a panel offering undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship along with speeches that say amnesty is the worst possible idea. with the panel of neo-conservatives following rand paul's speech and in another great contracontradictions, aft

ruble yo grew a big applause line for his comment on gay marriage -- >> just because i believe that states should have the right to define marriage in a traditional way does not make me a bigot. >> one of the guys that was vetted for vp, ohio senator rob portman today, who was at one time a favorite actually to be running made, made a dramatic reversal on that issue, same-sex marriage. >> my son came to jane, my wife and i, told us that he was gay. and that -- not a choice and that, you know, he -- that's just part of who he is, and, you know, i've come to the conclusion that for me personally, i think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married and to have the joy and the stability of marriage that i've had for over 26 years. >> by the way, romney adviser beth myers who led the vice presidential vetting process told nbc this morning that the campaign was aware that portman's son was gay, is gay,

as they vetted him for the number two job, but that the situation, quote, played no role whatsoever in romney's decision about who to pick as his running mate. portman said the same thing as well in his interviews. tomorrow evening at 5:00 p.m. the results of cpac's straw poll will be released. between now and then a host of potential candidates will take the podiums at cpac and offer the visions for the party and one name that won't be on the ballot, though, which does include 23 names by the way, is former governor jeb bush. a spokesman said he's requested to be left off the ballot because it's too early to talk about 2016, so the pollsters decided to agree to the request. bush will speak later today and so will louisiana governor bobby jindal, and wisconsin governor scott walker and then texas senator ted cruz who speaks tomorrow. so far, though, when it comes to 2016 hopefuls even the play list has been a study in contrasts. >> senator marco rubio!

♪ ♪ you're insecure >> thank you. >> so, while rubio was introduced to cheers by british boy band one direction, rand paul arrived on stage to metallica's "enter the sand man." can just see the jumping up and down there. rubio may have called criticisms of conservative infighting foolish but he took a thinly veiled shot at romney saying the gop should fight for average people. >> our people have not changed. the vast majority of the american people are hard working taxpayers who take responsibility for their families, go to work every day, they pay their mortgage on time. >> senator rand paul said the party needs a major makeover with younger voters, saying the new gop will need to embrace liberty in both the economic and personal sphere. >> the filibuster was about

drones but also about much more. do we have a bill of rights? do we have a constitutional? and will we defend it. ask the facebook generation whether we should put a kid in jail for the nonviolent crime of drug use and you'll hear a resounding no. >> then, of course, there are the republicans who are not at cpac. al cardinas told reporters that new jersey governor chris christie has not earned a spot in the all-star program because of decisions he made but that he could be invited next year. tomorrow's keynote will be delivered by texas senator ted cruz, somebody who's not exactly winning mr. congeniality contest inside the senate. he's clearly gotten under the skin of a lot of senators republican and democrat including california senator dianne feinstein who rarely lets people get her, quote, dander up. well, she let him get her dander up yesterday. >> it seems to me that all of us should begin as our foundational document with the constitution.

and the second amendment in the bill of rights provides that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. >> i'm not a sixth grader. senator, i've been on this committee for 20 years. i was a mayor for nine years. i walked in. i saw people shot. i've looked at bodies that have been shot with these weapons. >> one more thing on the 2016 front in our weekly look at this, vice president biden is embracing the idea of bidenisms in a brilliant branding effort from the vice president's office, the white house's latest foray into digital media is now an audio series called "being biden." the first episode features a picture from a stop made by serving dinner to a hunting group last week. >> these guys have the ethic, an ethic that i find most sportsmen have. i know these guys. and i know an awful lot of them. been doing it for over 30 years. they're my friends. >> the idea, by the way, comes from biden's senate days when he

would do radio for delaware swi swi a look behind the scenes. president obama goes to argon national laboratory to speak about energy. he's spent the past week wining and dining congressional republicans and democrats, he answered all of their questions all in an effort to try to create a new environment to strike a budget deal. but can republicans reciprocate, yesterday the president was noncommittal. >> i think we've had good conversations. but ultimately, it's a matter of the house and the senate, both caucuses, getting together and everybody being willing to compromise, we'll see if we can do it. >> joining me is david gregory, moderate are of nbc's "meet the press." the week that was. the question now is, now what? >> well, i think it's a clarifying week and the big points the president saying we don't have a debt crisis. the president saying he's really

not concerned about our fiscal situation over the next ten years. it's the farther-out years he's worried about. and republicans getting a lot of flak about even discussing taxes. if there's know ratio of spending cuts to tax increases they'll accept, democrats are not going to just reform entitlements on their own. >> they put out two budgets, one in the senate and paul ryan's in the house. it couldn't be -- you can't merge these documents. they're impossible to merge. >> bob bixby of the congre congressional coalition, the deficit hawks, said it's like we started from three years ago. i don't think there's a lot there. again, this will be clarifying. it's at least a cooler atmosphere to negotiate, but, again, i don't see where the breakthrough is. >> interesting story in today's "wall street journal" which talks about there are conservative groups who are worried the president will be successful with some of these republicans and get them to work with them and they're sitting there how to issue warnings, cl club for growth, tea party

express, i've heard from heritage, don't work with him at least on the issue of taxes. >> don't raise any more revenues, you'll be primaried. it connects to what you were talking about in terms of the all-star gathering of cpac here and looking ahead to 2016. we knew this would happen when romney was the nominee that conservatives would say, aha, that's what happens when you elect a moderate, when you nominate a moderate, give conservativism a chance is what the grassroots folks are saying on the right. >> it's been fascinating watching the republicans this week. there's only one thing that unites them and that is opposing obama. he's not on the ballot. at what point to they stop their obsession with president obama as a politician. >> when did obama give up his opposition to bush, it was republican social policy, and here they want to run against obamaism, big government. you know, government investment to try to turn the economy

around. higher taxes. i think that's something that they're going to want to continue. >> it does seem if you did take that away, then we would only be talking about there's rand paul's vision, marco rubio's vision and -- >> and there's real splits on the republican side. >> what do you got sunday? >> we'll talk about the budget debate, van hollen and mccarthy debate each other and rome and the new papacy and what it means to american politics as well. >> we talk about the rising tide of hispanic americans and it seems like the catholic americans are seeing the same thing around the world. >> even more quickly than the republican party has apparently. >> even faster. david gregory, we'll be watching, thank youure siyouure. and we'll talk to michael orren, obama's wish list, the president has an idea how he'd like to spend free time in tel aviv. >> sometimes i have this fantasy that i can put on a disguise

and, you know, wear a fake mustache and i could wander through tel aviv and go to a bar and -- >> all right. but first, a look ahead at today's politics planner. you'll see there's some nonpolitics stuff on there, some very important basketball games for the city of miami. you're watching "the daily rundown" only on msnbc. mom always got good nutrition to taste great. she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. learn more at boost.com [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... being my mom.

[ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom so if ydead battery,t tire, need a tow or lock your keys in the car, geico's emergency roadside assistance is there 24/7. oh dear, i got a flat tire. hmmm. uh... yeah, can you find a take where it's a bit more dramatic on that last line, yeah? yeah i got it right here. someone help me!!! i have a flat tire!!! well it's good... good for me. what do you think? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. from capital one... boris earns unlimited rewards for his small business. can i get the smith contract, please? thank you. that's three new paper shredders. [ boris ] put 'em on my spark card. [ garth ] boris' small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase every day. great businesses deserve unlimited rewards.

read back the chicken's testimony, please. "buk, buk, bukka!" [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase every day. told you i'd get half. what's in your wallet?

we think that it would take over a year or so for iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon. but obviously we don't want to cut it too close. if we can resolve it diplomatically, that's a more lasting solution.

but if not, i continue to keep all options on the table. >> that was president obama speaking on israeli television before he heads there for his first visit as commander in chief. while the ground may be unfamiliar the issues like iran's nuclear program are not. despite claims president netanyahu said a nuclear weapon may be months away. meanwhile syria is getting worse with the escalating civil war having claimed 70,000 lives on israel's doorstep and as a backdrop to all of this the deadlocked peace process. the president said the u.s. can't fix it, israeli and palestinian leaders need to get to work. >> i think we're past the point where we should be even talking about preconditions and steps and sequences. everybody knows what's going to be involved here in setting up two states side by side living in peace and security.

how we get into those conversations, whether they can happen soon or whether there needs to be some further work done on the ground, that's part of what i'll explore when i get there. >> joining me now the israeli ambassador to the united states, michael orren. >> good morning. >> what the president said about the peace process. what did you think of his take? was it a fair take? >> i think it's a fair take that the two sides have to sit down directly and talk to one another. i think that's -- >> coming up the idea with this has to be on the table, all this stuff, just sit down, right? >> i agree with him. i agree with him fully. and our position, the position of the obama administration is exactly the same. we call for the direct talks to resume today. in washington, ramallah, jerusalem, it doesn't matter, on all the core issues, refugees, borders, jerusalem, mutual recognition leading to a solution for two states for two peoples. >> does hamas have to be at the table or not? >> hamas right now can't be at the table, not just the united states, but the core ten --

>> they can't be there. >> because they don't recognize israel, three didn't disavow terror, they don't accept any previous agreements between israel and the palestinian authority. >> how does this happen if they basically govern half the palestinians? >> it will be difficult. we need to make a peace, all the time holding out the possibility that the people of gaza want to join that peace, they can and we hope that they see the advantages of peace. they'll throw off hamas rule and they'll get on board. >> do you think it's possible that you could strike a peace accord essentially with abbas and fatah and then agreeing to a two-state solution without having a deal with gaza and hamas? >> i think it's possible. it's not preferable. we'd like to have a deal with the entire palestinian people but, again, we'll hold out the possibility to the palestinians of gaza saying, listen, your brethren and sisters on the west bank have a future for their children and grandchildren. you want that same future? you got to make the same peace. >> i've talked to a lot of people about the peace process

going forward here with the president going over there and they said there's one good thing about this trip it has incredibly low expectations. part of that low expectation, the poll numbers of the president in israel, this morning, there's polling on how they believe the president views israel and how they view president obama, how israelis view president obama and it's pretty negative here. more people think the president obama is hostile to israel than having a favorable view toward the country. and then asked about their own views of president obama, more people are indifferent, unfavorable, to him than favorable. so, he comes here -- he's got to woo the israeli people. >> in fact, i have pretty high expectations about this, chuck. i think the people of israel have yet to encounter and interact with the president personal lir and i think he's going to do just that, he'll be talking to a large group of students. he's going to be visiting centers and sites that are crucial for israel's identity and i think that will create a very different perception of the president and israel, and i think you'll see the poll

numbers change quite dramatically. >> you think it will be a good trip? >> i think it will be an excellent trip. >> how important do you think it is that netanyahu formed a government before the president showed up? >> it's good to form a government. and the election is the beginning of the electoral process, in the united states you elect the quarterback and a couple of linebackers in israel you elect the whole football team and the special teams and you try to put the team together. that's been done just now and president obama will have a better sense of where everything is. we have the same issues as in the united states, a struggling middle-class, the young people having trouble getting by. the trip will be focused on that. >> this is not a case where foreign policy, palestinian issues, iran, anything else. it was the old fashioned pocketbook politics. michael oren, i wish i had more time. i'm sure i'll see you a lot next week. >> have a good week. a lone star legend gets the

broadway treatment. and next we'll take a live look at cpac where paul ryan is speaking in just a few minutes and that guy who claims to own a bunch of golf courses just spoke. but today's trivia question, since israel's founding in 1948 which u.s. president made the most visits to the country while in office? first person to tweet the correct answer gets the on-air shout-out for us. the answer and more coming up on "the daily rundown. time for the entrepreneur of the week. this anesthesiologist tyke his experience in the e.r. and created a hangover cure using an iv-administered formula. he reformulated a bus into a mobile facility, called hangover heaven and helps sufferers up and down the famous trip. [ female announcer ] new york strips. sudden trips. mr. wiggles and curling irons. for the little mishaps you feel, use neosporin to help you heal. it kills germs

so you heal four days faster neosporin. also try neosporin eczema essentials. how did i know? well, i didn't really. see, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive... but when i started losing energy and became moody... that's when i had an honest conversation with my doctor. we discussed all the symptoms... then he gave me some blood tests. showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number -- not just me. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% (testosterone gel). the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy, increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child,

or signs in a woman, which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne, possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are or may become pregnant or are breastfeeding, should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. so...what do men do when a number's too low? turn it up! [ male announcer ] in a clinical study, over 80% of treated men had their t levels restored to normal. talk to your doctor about all your symptoms. get the blood tests. change your number. turn it up. androgel 1.62%.

one of the big headlines this morning here in washington a federal grand jury now in miami is investigating senator bob menendez according to "the washington post." they say that the grand jury is examining the new jersey democrat's role in advocating for the business interests of a wealthy donor and friend. according to the post, men nen dez apparently intervened in issues wish issues regarding dr. solomon melgin.

federal agents have not yet contacted the senator, but if he truly is under a grand jury investigation, one has to wonder how long harry reid can allow him to stay even if it's temporarily whether he's going to have to end up stepping down temporarily as chairman of foreign relations committee. if the first day of cpac was a look at the republican party's pu future, day two is a look back at the past. dominica nontenara has been sho soaking it all in. i know a lot weird hash going on with donald trump and an alleged press conference, but let me ask you, this is your fourth or fifth different cpac you've covered. describe the atmosphere this year compared to previous years. >> reporter: yeah, i think this is my fifth time i've been to one of these and, you know, it's just a lot different than it had been in previous years. most years it's a pep rally of sorts. people are really fired up for

the folks that will be at this event. this time around, you know, it's not quite the same level of oomph, i guess you could say. it's just the energy is not quite there. but it could be because of how much bigger this place is than usually it's been held in d.c. and there's a lot more buzz going on, so that could be one factor, but, you know, after losing in the presidential election that could be an even bigger factor. because being against president obama always got really big applause. this time around, it's just not quite the same level. >> interesting. i know just a few minutes ago donald trump spoke. and then he held a press conference. but tried to lock the press out. explain. >> reporter: yeah. well, we had a couple folks try to go down there. donald trump spoke and gave some, you know, tough medicine to republican party saying it's in very serious trouble and said that, you know, if you're going to try to cut entitlements, you're not going to win elections and then some folks tried to get in and apparently was only meeting with some

conservative outlets rather than down the middle reporters and i do believe some of our folks did get in there. we had mitch mcconnell earlier speaking with a giant stack of paper which was the obama care law which was brought out and wrapped in red bow, of course, we know he's running for re-election and said it needs to be repealed, root and branch, so, you know, some red meat here, chuck. >> and then there was the -- maybe the line of the -- the heckle line of the day yesterday. don't drone me, bro, to rand paul. tell me about that. >> reporter: yeah. yeah, i don't quite think it was a heckling. i think that it was rand paul saying i have a very clear message, if you remember it's kind of similar when he said i have a message from the tea party when he came. >> right. >> reporter: remember his 13-hour filibuster was mostly about drones and one of his young supporters yelled out the message, don't drone me, bro. he said, well, that's not exactly the message. but very popular here. >> yes, i bet he was. you'll be there all day. tomorrow as well.

enjoy. we'll check back in later. >> reporter: thank you, sir. from the lone star state to the great white way, the one-woman play about the late texas governor ann richards, it's now a broad way show. up next, a deep dive into the live of the texas legend known for her quick wit and even sharper tongue. [ male announcer ] when ziggy the cat appeared at their door, he opened up jake's very private world. at first, jake's family thought they saved ziggy, but his connection with jake has been a lifesaver. for a love this strong, his family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep ziggy's body as strong as a love that reaches further than anyone's words.

iams. keep love strong. [ crisp crunches ] whoo-hoo-hoo! guess it was. [ male announcer ] pringles, bursting with more flavor.

riding the dog like it's a small horse is frowned upon in this establishment! luckily though, ya know, i conceal this bad boy underneath my blanket just so i can get on e-trade.

check my investment portfolio, research stocks... wait, why are you taking... oh, i see...solitary. just a man and his thoughts. and a smartphone... with an e-trade app. ♪ nobody knows... [ male announcer ] e-trade. investing unleashed. two women and 160 years about par for the course. but if you give us a chance, we can perform. after all, ginger rogers did everything that fred astaire did, she just did it backwards and in high heels.

>> that was former texas governor ann richards, of course, delivering her most famous keynote address at the 1988 democratic convention. today it's a deep dive into that larger-than-life governor who served just one term in office but whose legacy still lives very large more than two decades later and now she's leaving a mark on broadway. >> 15 years after knocking on my first door, i found myself governor of texas. older and wiser, i had learned by then what not everyone knows, it takes one person to run and it takes quite another to actually govern. >> that's a clip from the play "ann" starring an uncanny look-alike on broadway. it celebrates richards' sharp tongue and sharp elbows in the world of good old boy politics in the state of texas. >> and george says, well, yes, i

cannot tell a lie. i took my little hatchet and i cut the tree down. and his father said, well, son, we're going to have to move to virginia. and george says, oh, father, do we have to move because i shamed the family by cutting down the little tree? his father says, no, son, it's because if you can't tell a lie, you ain't going to amount to anything in texas. >> the play touches on serious issues as well, her battles with alcohol and the challenges she faced as governor like the death penalty and gun control. she was a hunter herself but would not back a concealed weapons bill. >> now, i did tell him, i told him that i might could consider a law that let guys carry guns, hanging from a chain around their neck. because that way we could say, look out, he's got a gun! and the idea, the idea, of women carrying guns around for

protection, give me a break, gladys. there isn't a woman in texas could find a gun in her purse. >> joining me now is the daughter of the late ann richards and president of planned parenthood cecille richards and benjamin cline, the director of "ann" on broadway. cecille, let me start with you, do you just have flashbacks watch miss taylor play your mom? >> it's extraordinary. she does a fabulous job. mixes the humor and sort of what texas politics was like. i have to say, chuck, it was sort of having two extra hours with my mom back and i think the audience -- the audience response has been phenomenal. >> that's what's amazing. benjamin, what motivated you to do this, number one? and then were you stunned when you found out you were going to get it on broadway? >> yeah. it's been an unbelievable ride working on this show. hollen taylor has been the driving force behind this the

whole time. she had the inspiration and the passion to make this happen. and we've been all over the country with it. we were in d.c. last year, in chicago before that and all around texas and then when we finally found out we were coming to broadway, it was unreal. the big reason behind it we all felt like ann needed to be in front of people again. it was a voice that everybody was hungry to hear. and i think our audiences are telling us that that's exactly true. >> you know, cecille, what made your mom so popular i think nationally with democrats is that she had this sharp tongue, but she had an elegance about her at the same time. and it was a way, you know, i guess talk about how that sort of helped maybe break -- sort of start shattering part of that glass ceiling in american politics. >> well, sure. particularly, and one of the reasons why i think this show is making it and has been so popular, she came -- she was very straightforward and used

humor and was disarming. and i think even phones who may not have agreed with her on everything politically felt like she wasn't scripted and wasn't trying to hold things back. the other thing, you know, it's funny, chuck, i saw this show the other night and one of the lines i loved, she said, look, life isn't fair, but government should be. and i think she really did represent that, what is unfortunately sort of a perhaps a bygone era where people believe that government was actually a solution to people's problems. so, it's a -- it's just a wonderful, refreshing look at why government can be a force for good. that's what she was about. >> you know, benjamin, i know that i understand that clintons, mr. and mrs. clinton, have seen this show, gaby giffords was there the other night. it's gotten certainly plenty of attention. how did you prepare miss taylor to play ann richards? what was among some of her prep work? >> well, she did 3 1/2 years of research talking to everybody she could possibly talk to. she flew all over this country

speaking to friends and family and staffers and people. and then when we started researching or resourcing the show, we got together and thought, you know, what are the major aspects that we need to get into this play. what is her personality. what came across, you know, we worked on every single word down to the "t" making sure that -- all of her -- the accent is exactly right and her movements and everything and i think that's what you see every night. >> hey, cecille, when ann richards won in 1990s, people forget, i believe, she was the state treasurer when she was the keynote speaker in '88. identified as start a rising star in texas politics. she wins the governorship in 1990 and i think there was a lot of folks who thought it was going to be a breakthrough for the democratic party, sort of a rebirth of the democratic party, tough democratic party in south. >> right. >> and nothing else since in the state of texas. she's arguably the last major

candidate to have any success. >> right. now, it's been pretty bleak and obviously, i think tougher to imagine right now what's happened to leadership of the state of texas, but i think it's coming back. you see that. there's such rising stars now obviously joaquin and julio castro, and unfortunately she ran into the headwinds as you know, chuck, of the 1994 elections. otherwise i think she could have kept going a long way. >> i think she holds the record for having the highest job approv approval rating of anybody that loses re-election. i think she was up over -- it's an amazing statistic there. benjamin, one last thing, will republicans enjoy this? could they enjoy this play? >> without a doubt. i mean, that was the thing about ann richards is she made everybody laugh. she made everybody think and that's what's happening every night. we've actually had several republicans at the show whisper to us i'm a republican and i love this show. which is fantastic. >> well, cecille richards,

benjamin klein, thanks for coming on. glad we got to show this for viewers. i hope folks go see it. ann richards, if you haven't spent time getting to know who she is, this is a great way to do it. >> thanks, chuck. coming up next, our gaggle, senator portlan reverman revers position on gay marriage. the soup of the day, it's not usually the choice of the day, black bean chorizo. can you have sausage on friday? don't forget to check out our website, rundown on msnbc.com. . at a hertz expressrent kiosk, you can rent a car without a reservation... and without a line. now that's a fast car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. to ask tough questions and get the truth. unfortunately, my hair and all i do to make it broadcast ready can't take the heat. good thing i uncovered head & shoulders damage rescue.

it rescued my scalp, and saved my hair. with seven benefits, damage rescue relieves dry scalp and removes flakes, while helping to repair damaged hair. now i use it every day, because the camera never blinks. no flakes, no scalp or hair worries. the proof? see it tonight, at eleven. head & shoulders damage rescue. live flake free. i'm maria, and i have diabetic nerve pain. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it was like pins and needles sticking in your toes and in your feet. it progressed from there to burning like i was walking on hot coals. at that point, i knew i had to do something. when i went to see my doctor, she chose lyrica. once i started taking the lyrica, the pain started subsiding. [ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters,

changes in eye sight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having less pain... it's a wonderful feeling. [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more patient stories, visit lyrica.com.

we're going to -- ohio republican senator rob portman says he has changed his position on the hot button issue of gay marriage saying the decision came after a very personal revelation. >> i'm announcing today a change of heart. on an issue that, you know, a lot of people feel strongly about, that has to do with gay

couples' opportunity to marry. i had a very personal experience, which is my son came to gen, jane, my wife and i, to that he was gay and it was not a choice and that, you know, he -- that's just part of who he is and he'd been that way ever since he could remember. and that launched an interesting process for me, which was kind of rethinking my position. i now believe that people ought to have the right to get married. >> and, of course, the man who got picked at cpac, let's bring in the friday gaggle, and welcome all. rob portman, the latest conservative republican to switch on gay marriage. he cites personal experience. his son is gay. does this matter in the party as

the party sort of -- you start seeing more and more of these public splits on issues? >> i think so. and i think it's not just what senator portman has said but also trends that his statement reflects which more and more americans have moved in that direction in many cases because of similar experiences with senator portman, people they know and care about who are gay and in relationships and they have made this switch. the interesting thing, though, is that senator rubio who, of course -- >> right. >> -- reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage, rubio and portman, though, are on the same page in saying it has to be a state-by-state issue. the federal courts should stay out of it and i wonder whether that will become the new sort of fallback position of a lot of republicans. >> as they move here, but, robert, the president was sort of, i'm still not sure, is he fully for a state decision, you know? he has been on the line here, right? who the is the position today with president obama? is it a federal issue? or is it a state issue? i understand that. i think that's what he still

says that it's still up to the states. he thinks all states should be for gay marriage. >> i think he's always believed that states should make that decision. there are -- it's been in the law for a long time that states should make marriage decisions. some of that was bad when, you know, during the jim crow south. >> right. >> there was the prejudice against interracial marriage. but i do think -- and i think he believes this is a decision best left for the states and supports the states granting the right for same-sex couples to marry. it's something that i think he supports, something i support, i think a lot of people support. i think it's a very personal decision. i think it's interesting to look at the arc of, you know, the role ohio played in the 2004 election. >> reight. on the issue of gay marriage. >> it was a big ballot issue in order to drive conservative turnout and in just eight years you've seen a huge opinion change. >> you know, it's interesting

here, though, sherry, i think about something that rand paul said about drug legalization essentially where he was hinting about marijuana at cpac. you throw in this. and you talk about the facebook generation. gay marriage, the issue of marijuana, some of these things generationally have made the republican party look obsolete. >> absolutely. and i think one of the most interesting lines in senator portman's op-ed was when he described his position on this, the shift of gay marriage not as a partisan issue but as a generational shift because that's really what it's become. and i think the timing for this is notable. obviously this is a personal issue for him as well, there might have been some factors there but he comes out and he does this the weekend of cpac when there are a lot of conservatives talking about this right across the river. >> right. >> at cpac convention and a lot of more people are going to be talking about it because of it. >> i think you're right. portman is a smart, shrewd guy. this wasn't an accident in timing. >> right. >> let's dip in a little bit. paul ryan speaking right now. let's dip in. >> i'd say we're in critical care. look at where we're going. farther down the road, things

will get worse. by the end of 2023, the economy will be at a crawl. we will have added $8 trillion to our debt, the debt will rain down the country like an anchor. in short, we are on the verge of a debt crisis. our obligations are growing faster than our ability to pay them. our debt, it's already bigger than our economy. at some point, lenders will lose confidence in us. they will demand higher interest rates, and when they do, interest rates across the country will skyrocket on mortgages, on credit cards, on car loans. and then pressed for cash, the government will take the easy way out. it will crank up the printing presses. the dollar would sink. our finances would collapse. the safety net would unravel, and the most vulnerable, they would suffer the most. a debt crisis will be more than an economic event. it would be a moral failure.

>> not surprising paul ryan's theme, on the budget, on the debt, and i think one thing we learned this week from the president and from republicans is that we have a fundamental disagreement about the importance of the next ten years on budgeting and deficits. president saying, deficits. the president saying that look our economy is growing and the next ten years is not what i am worried about, but the 20 years after that, and the republicans are going, no, no, no it is the ten years now, and this could be the real policy budget divide, ramesh. >> but there is an argument to be made that the republican budget by getting medicare under control does better in the second ten years and the third ten years also than the president's budget where remember that tim geithner testified last year saying that we don't have a plan to deal with the long term debt problem, but we don't like the republican plan. >> and robert, is that the case, the president needs to own a long-term plan, and if this is the argument, then he should say, this is with what i am arguing for the second ten, and 30-out years if he is going nik

the case of, okay, we don't have to tackle it as severely as the republicans say. >> well, unless i mishead, i heard what paul ryan said, he said he went through a series of things that might lead to 2023 saying we are on the verge of a debt crisis, and i'm not sure that the views of where we are quite frankly that far apart, but there is no doubt that we have to have a medium and long-term plan to deal with this. >> does the president need to draw up the plan? >> well, draw up the plan, but not the draw up the plan to draw up the plan, but the truth is that everybody has to come to the table with ideas and tradeoffs. >> and the economy is humming right now, shirra, if you believe wall street and the consumer spending. >> yes, and the congressional democrats that the economy is not that bad after all despite our best efforts to do otherwise. >> and trivia, since israel's

founding in 1948, which u.s. president has made the most visits to the country while in office? and the answer is bill clinton. congratulations to today's winner phil smith, and by the way, a correction on yesterday, the answer is not four states in addition to north dakota have two senators who faced off against each other, and the state that we missed is wyoming when barrasso and enzi faced off against each other. do you have a trivia question? send it to us at msnbc.com. for those nights when it's more than a bad dream, be ready. for the times you need to double-check the temperature on the thermometer, be ready. for high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer. be ready with children's motrin. the longest 4g lte battery in a razr thin profile.

with 32 hours of battery life that turns an all-nighter, into a two-nighter. the droid razr maxx hd by motorola. droid-endurance. droid-powerful. she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. learn more at boost.com [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... being my mom. diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues... with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'.

bringing back the gaggle and our guests, and shirra, how did the president president do this week on the capitol hill, are the republicans believers? >> no, not yet. many like to e see him there,

and they appreciated the effort, but on the whole, they would most like to see him back and talking more and perhaps maybe open up his mind more. i'd say 50-50. >> and ramesh, today's "wall street journal" says conservatives beware and don't work with obama on taxes. and what is the message to the white house? >> the white house has to understand that the congress, the republicans are committed to working through the regular order and no grand bargain. moving the bills through comm committee. >> and a what is that news? >> it is the best news possible that those on the very edge are worried that we could seek compromise in the breaking of gridlock in washington. >> all right. i have no time for the shameless plugs, but who had the best one? >> rothenburg has a new blog. >> and mine is for the hurricanes, and it is going to be embarrassing for the one seed to lose. "jansing & company" is coming up next, and richard lui is in for chris. bye-bye.