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criminals, vote to protect our families with comprehensive background checks. demand action now. >> that ad will air in 13 states, targeting specific senators during the two week congressional recess. bloomberg's aim is to amp up pressure on those senators before a gun control bill hits the senate after congress reconvenes. >> 90% of the public wants something and their representatives vote against that, common sense says they're going to have a price to pay for that. >> his mission sets the stage for a modern day david versus goliath, bloomberg versus the national rifle association. >> he is going to find out this is a country of the people, by the people, for the people and he can't buy america. he's so reckless in terms of his comments on this whole gun issue. >> well, with intensity burning white hot on both sides of the debate. what remains to be seen whether that campaign can break through

a polarized capitol hill. >> i think it will have no matter what happens in washington, it will have lasting, kind of enduring impact over time. i think it is time to act. i'm at the point now where when you consider the future and you have to kind of ask yourself, what did you do when you had a vote. >> mayor bloomberg is upping the ante the same day those that are for and against gun control are at the white house. the nra rallying on pennsylvania avenue. and hundreds of ee miss could palian bishops are expected to ascend on the same location. joining me now, james left paralyzed from accidental shooting as a teenager. thank you for being with us, congressman. >> great to be with you. >> just last week, we learned the nra had its best fund-raising month in a decade, 1.6 million in february alone. with that intensity we have seen on the nra side and congress so

divided by region, urban and ideology, are gun control advocates losing steam and do they need help from folks like bloomberg who is starting this ad campaign? >> well, there's no doubt the nra is a well financed, powerful lobby in washington, d.c. and i am glad he will put his money where his mouth is. we have two well financed operations trying to make the case, in this case, mayor bloomberg for strong gun safety measures. the difference here is that mayor bloomberg has the american people i believe on his side. 90% support stronger background checks. even 80% of gun owners support strong background checks for people that are purchasing a weapon so that these weapons don't get into the wrong hands, into the hands of criminals or

those who are determined that they would be a danger to themselves or the community. so thank you, mayor bloomberg and his organization that he is supporting. the mayor is against illegal guns, they're making a difference. >> he received some criticism. wayne lapierre said to nbc's david gregory about mayor bloomberg this. take a listen. >> people all over, millions of people, sending us five, ten, 15, $20 checks, saying stand up to this guy that says we can only have three bullets, which is what he said. stand up to this guy that says ridiculous things like the nra wants firearms with nukes on them. it is insane. >> lapierre also says bloomberg wants to buy america, heard what he said, he called him insane. when you look at this, could bloomberg's massive wealth interfere with his message with all of the other criticisms levied by the nra? >> it is not just of course mayor bloomberg, you have the brady campaign, a gun organization fighting for

stronger gun safety measures as well, along with the american people. and there are just as many i believe just individuals and families that are willing to send in the five and ten dollar contributions adding to the effort. i would encourage mayor bloomberg and the brady campaign to reach out to average contributors that would be able to match what the nra is raising in terms of money. clearly, this is it. the message is on the side of stronger gun safety. the american people want it. they need to make sure they're speaking out vociferously to members of the how the and senate so they get the message to find a common sense approach that we can come together on both sides of the issue and should be able to agree that we can have strong background checks. >> "the washington post" saying this of bloomberg's campaign. there's plenty of reason to think bloomberg may be charging at a windmill with the latest round of ads. he doesn't seem to care, win or

lose in this fight, he remains one of the most compelling actors in the political world, end quote. do you agree with chris cillizza, that he has nothing to win or lose here? >> i don't think mayor bloomberg is charging at windmills here, and certainly the families who lost loved ones, sandy hook elementary school shooting, don't think he's charging at windmills. certainly i believe that gabrielle giffords and her husband mark don't believe he's charging at windmills. people that have lost family members across the country, this isn't a quick approach to asking for stronger gun legislation. as the president said in his state of the union message, i was proud to encourage members of congress to give up one state of the union ticket to someone who was a victim of gun violence or lost someone to gun violence and have them in the gallery that night. the president said clearly they

deserve a vote. that's what we're asking for, to bring the gun safety measures to the floor, let us have an up or down rule, make the case on both sides of the issue and let the chips fall where they may. i believe given that opportunity, we will pass stronger gun safety laws, including stronger background checks. >> congressman james langevin. bring in our panel, chief investigative reporter, democratic strategist, keith boik in, and susan dell % oh. on "meet the press," wayne lapierre took a swipe at the sugary drinks campaign. let's listen to that first. >> he can't spend enough of his $27 billion to try to impose his will on the american public. they don't want him in their restaurants, don't want him in their homes, telling them what food to eat, they sure don't

want him telling them what self defense firearms to own. >> if you include that debate with the gun control discussion we just had with the congressman, there's only so much space one has to make one's argument. is bloomberg giving up some of that political capital by going after guns and sugary drinks all together, you lose some of that gravitas he needs. >> i don't believe with him on the sugary drinks campaign, but he is exactly right on the issue of gun violence. this isn't about mike bloomberg, it is about the parents of children murdered in newtown, the people that died from gun violence since newtown, gabby giffords and 80 million that support background checks, including the majority of republicans. it is not an issue of bloomberg versus nra money, it is an issue about doing what the american people want done. >> karl rove over the weekend, you have taken a listen no

doubt, had this advice for democrats on gun control on nbc. let's listen. >> you want to get something done, stop scaring people. don't say we're keeping a registry of all of the guns. >> stop it. it is not scaring people. >> others are saying who's doing the scaring, gun advocates are ones doing the scaring. who is doing the scaring? >> i think both sides are trying to scare the other, whether it is nra using nanny state bloomberg message or sometimes you see the republicans say yes, they're going to take guns away. the fact of the matter is this law will probably pass when it comes to background checks. the sadder part is that senator reid didn't allow a vote on assault weapons before break. that's the biggest issue in this legislation or supposed legislation that michael bloomberg is looking for. will they probably come to a compromise? yes. is michael bloomberg on the

right side of the issue? absolutely. it is problematic making him the face of the issue. he did well in the last year's elections as well as special election in chicago. >> right. >> but wasn't the face of it. taking a big northeast mayor and putting him in the middle of some of these swing states and some senators that are going to be facing re-election, red state senators who are democrats, that's a problem. >> ken, let's talk about the momentum that susan is talking about. senator mccain emerges as a key player in the debate now, i want your thoughts on that, top of the list who could sign onto expanded background checks. also have gabby giffords and her husband were guests at the state of the union. they said this is the guy we want on our side. when you look at the momentum, three months on since newtown, has it shifted? is it now in the balance of those who advocate for gun ownership? >> yeah, i would say so.

some of that was inevitable. i don't know if it is fully in the hands of those that support gun ownership and oppose additional restrictions, but clearly the momentum has diminished somewhat. we see that in what susan mentioned, the dropping, all but admission there's no chance for any kind of assault weapons ban to pass, so they're focusing on incremental measures. as far as bloomberg goes, it is interesting, it is quite a test of the ability of a single donor, single wealthy individual in this new wide open campaign finance landscape to really drive a single issue and we see it as well on gay marriage, another issue that bloomberg supports where there are a number of very wealthy folks that want to spend a ton of money pushing an issue and they will have a voice because of new rules. >> saw the koch brothers, far behind the scenes to what mayor bloomberg is doing. the son of rob portman wrote

this. he's been thoughtful, talking about his father, thoughtful and open minded in how he's approached the issue and because he's shown that he's willing to take a political risk in order to take a principled stand, politico saying other republicans see a benefit to supporting marriage equality, fund-raising. look at senator portman's switch, you look at the potential of fund-raising being a big benefit here for republicans. where are we sitting at this for republicans in terms of what they need to do as well as democrats? >> 80% of young people, under 30, support the idea of marriage equality. if you have that issue out there where young people are feeling that way and they're going to be the future of the country, this issue is dead for republicans. they used it effectively in 2004 against john kerry, and they can no longer use that issue, people like dick cheney, rob portman coming out for it. and even though she's a democrat, claire mccaskill coming out in favor of marriage equality. the american public is ahead of

the politicians. once again, it is a question not just about the issue but the substance, the process of the way we make government in our country. the people are farther ahead than their leaders and the leaders aren't following suit with action. >> before the supreme court tomorrow. ken, keith, susan, thank you for joining us this morning. justice correspondent pete williams joins us live from washington with the latest on this week's pivotal supreme court cases coming up in a few minutes. stick around for that. and speaking of millions and billions of dollars, a lucky person in new jersey won the $338 million powerball jackpot. none of the four at this table. and immigration reform has a new friend, facebook's mark zuckerberg. how he plans to help enact new legislation. ♪ you know my hearts for you... ♪ i'm up next, but now i'm singing the heartburn blues. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is!

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there was no evidence, none, that allowing gays and lesbians to marry harms the institution of marriage or harms anyone else. >> institution of marriage laws are designed to attach mothers and fathers to each other and to the children they may create. >> a live look at the supreme court of the united states, where people have been lining up since thursday for this week's historic arguments that could change the face of the same sex marriage fight across the country. and tomorrow, the supreme court hears arguments over whether california's prop 8, gay marriage ban, is constitutional. then on wednesday, the justices will hear a challenge to the constitutionality to defense of marriage act. joining me, pete williams. this headline from "the washington post," the supreme court may choose caution over boldness, that's what it reads, with an overwhelming number of states outlawing same sex

marriage, while public opinion heads the other direction, when you look at this sort of headline and the numbers coming out right now, this is really the week for marriage equality. what's at stake when you look at this at the moment and are we getting early signals from how the justices might go? >> what's at stake here is directly the prop 8 in california, which stops same sex marriage in the state after about six months. the question is will the court go broader than that. here is the range of things it could do. could uphold proposition 8. if it did, advocates would try to go back to the voters, have another election on whether they want to keep it, and based on polling numbers you've seen, perhaps it would come out differently. passed by 52% of vote in 2008. or the court could strike it down. if it does so narrowly, same sex marriage would immediately resume in california. the question is would the court directly apply that ruling only to california or perhaps to a small number of states or

nationwide. nationwide would be the broadest possible ruling, but as you point out, 38 states by law or constitutional amendment don't allow it. will the court buck that trend or not. we don't know, we will have to see. for early indications, no. >> no. and pete, also what you have been watching in d.c., the court announcing it would take on a new case involving affirmative action. what do you hear on that? >> affirmative action and school admissions, kind of a surprise. there was affirmative action case from university of texas we're still waiting for decision on, it was argued in october. now the court says it is going to hear a case from michigan where the supreme court said that the university could have an affirmative action program, then voters went to the polls and said no, you can't do that, and that's what the supreme court will review, that voter initiative, whether that is constitutional, whether voters can do that. that's what the court will hear. that will be next fall. >> a busy week for nbc's justice

correspondent, pete williams. thank you, pete. >> you bet. thomas roberts returns with a big lineup tomorrow as they hear the prop 8 arguments. jimmy lasalvia, and former new jersey governor kristy todd whitman who signed an a.m. cuss brief supporting same sex marriage, robinson, and ayanbade jo. don't miss that. cyprus getting a bailout. their plan to avoid financial collapse were laid out earlier today. the island nation received 13 billion from the european union and in return will shrink its banking sector. stocks at home opened higher on news of a deal there, but since pulled back a little. coming up, under state control, new jersey governor chris christie announces changes for camden struggling school system. and spring snowstorm, old man winter not ready to retire for the season, not just yet. yo?

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developing news from kabul. secretary of state john kerry arriving for a surprise visit this morning, he is expected to hold a news conference with president karzai in a few minutes. the trip to afghanistan comes one day after surprise visit to iraq yesterday when he pressed the country on inspecting iranian over flights to syria. here are some stories topping the news. syrian opposition leader is recovering in a turkish hospital. he lost his leg in an explosion in syria overnight. jordan closed the main border crossings with syria today after two days of fighting. italy's supreme court will decide if amanda knox and her former boyfriend should be retried for killing meredith kercher. the two were initially convicted, an appeals court overturned that ruling. usa today calls it winter's last gasp, due to a storm that

blasted the midwest and is dumping on the mid-atlantic. six inches expected in some areas. florida gulf coast took out the number two seed georgetown friday and san diego state yesterday. another florida team making headlines for wins, the miami heat, they extended a winning streak to 26. the nba record, 33. and prince harry taking a trip to the u.s. in may, will visit arlington national cemetery, walter reed, hurricane sandy victims. the search is on in new jersey as lottery officials confirm the fourth largest powerball jackpot in history that was sold in their state. one stub bought on saturday in a liquor store in passaic worth 338 million smackers. ron allen is in new jersey.

to give folks a sense of the purchase possibilities, we like to do that sometimes, whoever has that money, if they took the 221 million lump sum payout, it could buy 15 f-16 fighter jets, 57 lamborghinis, or your own personal bruce springsteen tour. you and i are not going to be the winners there. what are you hearing about who the winner might be? >> reporter: no, those are interesting options. well, we don't know. the lottery commission doesn't know either. they say they have not been contacted by anybody. it is not unusual to take awhile before someone who is a really big winner to check in with the officials. if you're smart, you try to put some ducks in a row, talk to a good financial analyst before you go public with all of this. here in new jersey, the name and address of the winner will be made public, it is state law, most states have that kind of law, but we don't know. we just know it is someone that bought a ticket at a liquor store in passaic. here there was a rumor and something of a prank that

brought us here, that they thought they had a winner here, a truck driver called the store last night to say he had the winning ticket and it turned out to be wrong, which is a cautionary tale about rumor and pranks. all over the state, there was a lot of enthusiasm, biggest jackpot in the state of new jersey they've won. now we know it is somebody or several people in passaic, new jersey, up north who can step forward and be instant hundreds of millionaires, if that's a word. >> it is a word, i'll take it with all of that money, they can have lots of lamborghinis as we were saying. ron allen, live in boanew jerse. seek legal help, sign and verify that you are, in fact, the winner. collect your prize, have a legal rep do it for you, choose your payment, annual or lump sum, most pick the lump sum. unless you intend to keep things private, be prepared for a lot

of attention. you can also give some of that to me, i'll take it. keeping our eyes on the white house. president obama expected to speak at a naturalization ceremony for 28 new citizens. and talk about another rich american trying to make a difference on the issue of immigration reform. ♪ oh. let's go. from the crack, off the backboard. [ laughs ] dad! [ laughs ] whoo! oh! you're up! oh! oh! so close! now where were we? ok, this one's good for two. score! [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat!

duty service members. that ceremony coming weeks after obama had issued an executive order allowing many illegal immigrants brought over to the u.s. as children to remain in the country, avoid deportation otherwise known as dreamers and the dream act, which was widely debated. then he signed that executive order that was specifically focused on that group. also, the president this week today now back from his trip to the middle east refocussing on the very issue of immigration reform the bipartisan panel expected to have some progress in the next two weeks, despite

some difficulties within recent weeks. we're going to continue to watch these pictures as we are listening to the director from the u.s. citizenship and immigration services department and again as i was mentioning, we will also hear from secretary janet napolitano. on this very issue, facebook ceo is liking politics these days when it comes to immigration reform. mark zuckerberg joining other executives to form an advocacy group, a silicon valley super pac of sorts. first thing they would like to tackle as i was mentioning, immigration reform. joining us is our msnbc contributor. great to see you, maria. >> hi, richard. >> silicon valley, hot on immigration reform, all has to do with the high skilled visas that they really need to stock those companies in silicon valley to maintain the country's

advantage, competitive advantage when it comes to high tech. do they carry, though, the weight to influence congress on the other coast? >> oh, i mean, absolutely. not only because they're an industr industry. they're the ones washington looks to to see where is the economy going. what got me excited about mark zuckerberg coming out, not only is he interested in high tech visas, he believes we should create path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented in this country. the reason that's important, he recognizes that short of pathway to citizenship, what happens is we have 11 million residents living in our borders creating two classes of citizens in this country and that's not good for anybody. the fact that they're flexing their muscle, recognize their customer base, recognize the majority of americans, regardless republican or democrat or independent --

>> the naturalization ceremony and debate as we think of new immigrants come to the country becoming citizens of the united states, you look at the path to citizenship, there are several speed bumps that have gotten in the way. what we thought after the election was going to be at least from the outside looking in an easy piece of legislation moving forward, what's really in the way or is this just window dressing and they're going to get it done right after the break? >> first of all, no piece of legislation is easy. the fact that this is the first time we are tackling some comprehensive immigration reform is testament to the fact how complicated it is. it is not just a pathway to citizenship for 11 million, it is revamping the immigration system that's broken. also talking about national security issues and securing the border. it is very complicated. the fact we have the gang of eight at the same table with schumer, menendez and mccain, saying we have a problem, hash it out, is encouraging.

it is complicated. most immigrant right advocates and business leaders are concerned that they won't have a comprehensive package, they'll divide the bill piecemeal. if we divide it piecemeal, a lot of people will be left behind, industries will be left behind. right now, everybody is putting their best foot forward, trying to provide one shot at this. >> and janet napolitano is swearing in the 28 new citizens. again, we have 13 service members becoming citizens of the united states, as we have been to the ceremonies before, so emotional in terms of what's going on today, to have the president about to speak at the same time in a couple minutes, we'll go to that, let's say that immigration reform does pass here. new poll from latino decisions finds 32% would be more likely to consider voting republican, and the question when you think

about the statistic, though, if these are voters that went democratic or went republican in 2012. >> well, i think what that says is that the latino community is far more than anything issue based. if republicans can cross the hurdle, pass comprehensive immigration reform, they can open the door to talking to latinos about issues they care about, the economy, education, health care, and the more that they can be seen as a part that's inclusive, better shot they have at this growing population. you mention this idea of naturalization ceremony. richard, i became naturalized when i was nine years old. i still remember that moment in san francisco city hall, raising my right hand with my mother. it was so emotional, impactful and exciting, i can only imagine how folks feel being in front of the president helping administer the oath. >> it is such an experience to be there. >> it is beautiful. >> we are going there shortly when the president speaks which we expect to happen in about two

minutes. one comment that has been made about the debate that's been on the hill about immigration reform when you look at high skill versus low skill, the high tech visa piece, this could hurt women more than men. talk about that when you look at the low skill issue in terms of bringing in new immigrants to the united states. >> not just for high skilled labor but low skilled labor, the majority of individuals that cross the border undocumented or overstay the visa happen to be men, and that's because they are often times the ones that are the breadwinners at home, come to this country and send money back home. part of the problem is how do you talk about, one of the biggest snags you asked earlier, whether or not you have family reunion i have indication. that says that if you have a loved one, a sibling or child or spouse living in another country and working in this country, are you going to be able to bring

them back in. that's a critical issue. what we don't want to do is be a country of separation, where you have two families living apart. and that's going to be incredibly challenging. i also think we need to have an honest conversation with americans. we need skilled and unskilled labor. part is because we have 10,000 baby boomers coming into our social security rules and retiring every day. so basically, getting cut for the president. >> stand by. here comes the president. >> great, thank you. >> thank you so much. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> secretary napolitano, thank you for administering the oath and making it official. director may ork us, distinguished guests, family and friends, it is a great pleasure to have you here at the white house and an honor to be among the first to greet some of my fellow citizens of the united

states. today here in the people's house, a house designed by an irish immigrant, we welcome 28 men and women, immigrants themselves, who from this day forward have earned the precious right to call this country home. and i know this is an incredibly special moments for you and for your families, but i have to say it is a special moment for the rest of us as well. as we look out across this room, we are reminded what makes somebody american isn't just their blood lines, it is not just an accident of birth, it is a fidelity to our founding principles, a faith in the idea that anyone, anywhere can write the next great chapter in this american story. that's the promise of america. and today we know it's alive and well in each and every one of you. at first glance, of course,

would be easy to define this group by their differences. they all hail from different corners of the world, nigeria, nicaragua, from the philippines to peru. they arrived here in different ways. some of you came here as children, carried by parents who wished for a life they had never had. others came as adults, leaving behind everything you knew to seek a new life. but what binds you together, what binds us all together, is something more meaningful than anything of that. a love for this country and all that it represents. that's what unites each and every one of you. for nikita, that love runs so deep, led him to enlist in our military. he came here at the age of 11 from ukraine. his mother saw america as the one place on earth where her son could do anything he wanted and a few years ago, he decided he

wanted to join the air force, so that in his words, i could give back to a country that took me in and gave me a better life. thank you, nikita. we proudly salute him not just as a member of the military but as a citizen of our country. today we salute elrina brits. she was born in south africa, came as a child, grew up in washington state. when she decided to join the navy, somebody told her she wouldn't be able to cut it. even though she wasn't yet american on paper, she had that american quality of being defiant when somebody says you can't do something. so she proved them wrong. she deployed twice, to the middle east, once to haiti, show casing another quintessential american impulse, helping others in need, and as a new citizen, she hopes to serve the country in a new way as a police officer.

congratulations. every member of the military with us have shown incredible patriotism, a willingness to risk their lives in defense of a nation that was not yet their own and that's a remarkable act and made each of them one of us. made each of them in some ways american, even before it was official, because that kind of service and sacrifice has defined our nation for more than two centuries. in america, we look out for one another. we see citizenship not just as a collection of rights but also a set of responsibilities. that's who we are and that's what brought so many to our shores, including kingsley alable. he came at the age of 35 from nigeria, pursued a master's in information technology, now pursuing his doctorate. he wants to become a professor to lead the world in the high tech industries of tomorrow. and what kingsley said is what

makes this country great is that if you're a citizen, you're part of something bigger than yourself. and he's right. and we're glad as of today kingsley is part of it, too. we're also glad to welcome pertula george witt. arrived from saint lush a. leaving behind her parents and siblings, came to study international development, stayed over a decade to work at nonprofits that teach our kids about sustainable foods and how to live a healthier life by eating well, which i know michelle is happy about. today she also has the gratitude of her new nation. so thank you so much. we're so proud of everybody here. in each of you, we see the true spirit of america and we see a bit of ourselves, too, because most of our stories trace back to moments just like this one, to an ancestor who like the men

and women here today raised their right hand and recited that sacred oath. the point is that unless you are one of the first americans, unless you are a native american, you came from someplace else. that's why we've always defined ourselves as a nation of immigrants and we've always been better off for it. the promise we see in those who come from all over the world is one of our greatest strengths. it kept our work force young, keeps our businesses on the cutting edge, it helped to build the greatest economic engine that the world has ever known. you think about the drive and determination that it took for each of these 28 men and women to reach this moment. imagine how far they'll go from here, the kind of difference they'll be making on behalf of this country. immigration makes us stronger, keeps us vibrant, hungry, keeps us prosperous. it is part of what makes this

such a dynamic country. if we want to keep attracting the best and brightest the world has to offer, we need to do a better job of welcoming them. we've known for years our immigration system is broken, that we're not doing enough to harness the talent and ingenuity of those that want to work hard and find a place here in america, and after avoiding the problem for years, the time has come to fix it once and for all. the time has come for a comprehensive, sensible immigration reform. now a couple months ago in nevada and then last month again in my state of the union address i talked about how republicans and democrats were ready to tackle this problem together. and the good news is that since then, we've seen some real action in congress. there are bipartisan groups in the house and senate working to tackle this challenge and i applaud them for that. we are making progress. but we've got to finish the job because this issue is not new. everyone pretty much knows

what's broken, everybody knows how to fix it. we've all proposed solutions and we got a lot of white papers and studies, we just have to work up the political courage to do what's required to be done. so i expect a bill to be put forward, i expect debate to begin next month. i want to sign that bill into law as soon as possible. we know that real reform means continuing to strengthen border security, holding employers accountable. real reform means providing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants that are currently living in the shadows, a pathway that includes passing a background check, paying taxes, penalty, learning english, and going to the back of the line behind everyone else trying to come here legally. real reform requires modernizing the legal immigration system so our citizens don't have to wait years before their loved ones are able to join them in america, and so that we are

attracting the highly scheduled entrepreneurs and engineers to help create good paying jobs and grow our economy. so let's get this done. and let's do it in a way that keeps pace with our history and values. no other country welcomes as many new arrivals as us. and as long as the promise of america endures, as long as we continue to stand tall as a beacon of hope and opportunity, then the world's hardest workers, the hungriest entrepreneurs, the men and women that are willing to make enormous sacrifices to get a better life not just for themselves but for their children and their grandchildren, they're going to keep on coming, and like the millions who came before and like the 28 americans who are here today, they will bring with them new hopes, new dreams, new ideas, new optimism about our future. that will make us stronger. that's how we'll make sure the best days are ahead of us and

not behind us. i want to thank each and every one of you for allowing me the opportunity to share in this incredible moment. one of the best things i get to do as president of the united states is to address all of you as fellow citizens. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. and we now have one last piece of business to conclude this ceremony. i'd like to ask one of our newest citizens, dulin from columbia to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god,

in did i visible, with liberty and justice for all. >> congratulations! congratulations all of you! [ applause ] >> thank you! >> the president at the white house. the emotion behind becoming a u.s. citizen, but also the emotion behind becoming a u.s. citizen at the white house, with the president there and the pledge of allegiance. that's what happened with 28 new citizens of the united states, newly now this day. in education nation coverage as we switch gears to a live speech by chris christie, the republican governor formally announcing the state's fiscal takeover of camden school district. let's listen for a second. >> parents should not be subjected in this city to the idea that their children's future is limited. just shouldn't be. in camden, this problem has become chronic, severe, and it

is destroying our ability for these children to have the opportunity to succeed. >> there you go, the move about camden, the governor to appoint a new superintendent and leadership team to run the nose diving education system. to give you an idea how bad things are, look at the stats. 23 of camden's 75 schools now ranked among the worst, a 56% graduation rate, with only 38% graduating able to pass state testing. joining us to talk more about this, nbc education correspondent ra ham a ellis. great to have you here. how significant is this move? >> it will be significant if it makes a difference. camden is not the first city the state has taken control of in terms of schools. newark had been under state control for years, almost a decade. still they hadn't seen change. announcement of a new superintendent, new management team, new leadership team, that might be what will change what will happen in camden. but state takeover just in and of itself without leadership

behind it may not signal very much if it follows what's happened in the past. >> we have 72 murders last year alone. also ranking in terms of failing grades four out of five of the criteria they look at, does this work? >> well, we hope it will. parents hope it will. they'll probably see some schools shut down. camden is struggling like many cities in terms of financial problems. shutting down schools is a very emotional issue. cities find it very difficult when they don't have money to keep schools open that are only half full, so they have to say we have to make the tough decisions to do this. the question then becomes what happens in the classrooms. in camden, you have 1354 teachers. 99 rated acceptable in terms of performance. 34 principals, 90% of them rated acceptable in terms of performance. has to be a lot of changes. >> a lot of things to determine

in this process. thank you, rehema ellis. back with a little boy and his letter to chief justice roberts. the travel industry expects 2013 to be a big year for the boomer travel market. with more retiring and more time to travel, the over 50 set are hitting the road. where are they heading? they found the number one boomer destination was mexico. warm weather and beaches hawaii and the caribbean places where boomers are kicking back and enjoying life. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve.

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i know you have a tough decision to make with the gay marriage issue. but my family is just as valuable and worthwhile as any other. especially tough for you because i know you don't necessarily believe in gay marriage religiously. lucky for us, though, you also don't believe in taking away our right. even from people like us. >> that's daniel martinez, the 12-year-old adopted son of an lgbt couple who took it upon himself to supreme court justice john roberts asking him to back

same-sex marriage and since then, the letter has been written and sent, that video has gone viral as well. it's earning daniel not just celebrity status, but a following as well. daniel joins me along with one of his fathers, brian. thank you both for being here. it's great to have you on the show here. let me start with you, daniel. i understand you're now being followed here, daniel by ricky martin on twitter. and you're being asked to read your letter tonight at san francisco city hall. when you put this all together, all the interview, did you expect to have this reaction along the way? >> no, i did not. i thought twag gb to a hit and run. >> it's not a hit and run? >> no, let's just say you do get the audience, if you will, of chief justice roberts. what would you ask him? >> what i would ask him? >> yeah. >> i would ask him how he thinks of the letter. and what, yeah. what he thought of the letter. >> and as you've gone along in

the letter, brian you've been watching daniel and i got to watch the entire video as well as some of the interviews. what's your reaction here when you found out daniel decided he was going to do this and come out with this youtube video? >> well the youtube videos our family makes as a part of our gay family values channel. but writing the letter was really all daniel and i can't say i was anything other than very proud of him for that. as i think any father would be. so we're really hoping that you know even if there's no response from the justice, that at least somehow it pops up on his radar. and it's in his mind and in his heart as he's making these decisions. >> daniel, you know, you made a point here in your video. as you were going through it. very deliberately and so well written and so well said. if it weren't for your two dads, you might not have the family, you might not have the life that you've got today. talk about that. >> well, before i was with them, i was with a very -- not so

great foster home. i mean the brother, my foster brother was abusive. and the foster mother always got me in trouble for -- stupid things. i was, they always told me that i was considered unadoptable. so if they hadn't come around, i think i would still be in foster care right now. going from house to house. >> well, daniel, they were so wrong, as is obvious today, thank you both, daniel, as well as brian for stopping by today. to tell us your story. >> that wraps up things for me, thomas roberts is back tomorrow with an all-star line-up as an all-star panel takes on the issue of california's prop 8. "now" with alex wagner is next. bold will make your reality a dream.

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