20 innocent children and six brave educators were taken from us by gun violence. including grace mcdonald and lauren russo and jesse lewis, whose families are here today. that agony burns deep in the families of thousands, thousands of americans who have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun over these last 100 days. including hadiyah pendleton who was killed on her way to school less than two months ago and whose mom is also here today. everything they live for and hope for taken away in an instant. we have moms on this stage whose children were killed as recently as 35 days ago. i don't think any of us who are parents can hear their stories and not think about our own daughters and our own sons and grandchildren. we all feel that it is our first

impulse as parents to do everything we can to protect our children from harm. to make any sacrifice to keep them safe. to do what we have to do to give them a future where they can grow up and learn and explore and become the amazing people they're destined to be. that's why in january joe biden, leading a task force came up with and i put forward a series of common-sense proposals, to reduce the epidemic of gun violence and keep our kids safe. in my state of the union address, i called on congress to give these proposals a vote. and in just a couple of weeks, they will. earlier this month, the senate advanced some of the most important reforms designed to reduce gun violence. all of them are consistent with the second amendment. none of them will infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners. what they will do is keep guns

out of the hands of dangerous people who put others at risk. this is our best chance in more than a decade to take common sense steps that will save lives. as i said, when i visited newtown just over three months ago, if there is a step that we can take that will save just one child, just one parent, just another town from experiencing the same grief that some of the moms and dads who are here have endured, then we should be doing it. we have an obligation to try. on the coming weeks, members of congress will vote on whether we should require universal background checks for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that criminals or people with severe mental illnesses can't get their hands on one. they'll vote on tough new penalties for anyone who buys guns only to turn around and sell them to criminals.

they'll vote on a measure that would keep weapons of war and high-capacity ammunition magazines that facilitate these mass killings off our streets. they'll get to vote on legislation that would help schools become safer and help people struggling with mental health problems to get the treatment that they need. none of these ideas should be controversial. why wouldn't we want to make it more difficult for a dangerous person to get his or her hand on a gun? why wouldn't we want to close the loophole that allows as many as 40% of all gun purchases to take place without a background check? why wouldn't we do that? if you ask most americans outside of washington, including many gun owners, some of these ideas, they don't consider them controversial. right now 90% of americans, 90%, support background checks that will keep criminals and people who have been found to be a danger to themselves or others, from buying a gun.

more than 80% of republicans agree. more than 80% of gun owners agree. think about that. how often do 90% of americans agree on anything? it never happens. many other reforms are supported by clear majorities of americans. and i asked every american to find out where your member of congress stands on these ideas. if they're not part of that 90% who agree that we should make it harder for a criminal or somebody with a severe mental illness to buy a gun. then you should ask them -- why not? why are you part of the 10%? there's absolutely no reason why we can't get this done. but the reason we're talking about here today, is because it's not done until it's done. and there are some powerful voices on the other side that are interested in running out the clock or changing the subject or drowning out the

majority of the american people to prevent any of these reforms from happening at all. they're doing everything they can to make all our progress collapse under the weight of fear and frustration or their assumption is is that people will just forget about it. i read an article in the news just the other day wondering is washington, has washington missed its opportunity because as time goes on, after newtown, somehow people start moving on and forgetting. let me tell you, the people here, they don't forget. grace's dad is not forgetting. hadiyah's mom hasn't forgotten. the notion that two months or three months after something as horrific as what happened in newtown happens -- and we moved on to other things?

that's not who we are. that's not who we are. i want to make sure every american is listening today. less than 100 days ago that happened. and the entire country was shocked. and the entire country pledged we would do something about it and this time it would be different. shame on us if we've forgotten. i haven't forgotten those kids. shame on us if we've forgotten. if there's one thing i've said consistently since i first ran for this office, nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.

and that's why it's so important that all of these moms and dads are here today, but that's also why it's important that we've got grassroots groups out there that got started and are out there mobilizing and organizing and keeping up the fight. that's what it's going to take, to make this country safer. it will take moms and dads and hunters and sportsmen and clergy and local officials like the mayor who is are here today, standing up and saying -- this time is really different. that we're not just going to sit back and wait until the next newtown or the next blacksburg or the next innocent beautiful child is gunned down in a playground or chicago or philadelphia or los angeles. before we summon the will to act. right now members of congress are back home in their districts and many of them are holding events where they can hear from their constituents. so i want everybody who is listening to make yourself heard right now, if you think that

checking someone's criminal record before he can check out a gun show is common sense, you've got to make yourself heard. if you're a responsible law-abiding gun owner who wants to keep irresponsible, law-breaking individuals from abusing the right to bear arms by inflicting harm on a massive scale, speak up. we need your voices in this debate. if you're a mom like katrina, who wants to make this country safe stronger, a safer place for our children to grow up, get together with people like this today, and raise your voices and make yourselves unmistakably heard. we need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago. and make sure that what we said at that time wasn't just a bunch of platitudes. that we meant it.

now the desire to make a difference is what brought cory thornblatt here today. cory grew up in oklahoma where her dad sold firearms at gun shows. and today she's a mom and a teacher. and cory said that after newtown, she cried for days. for the students who could have been her students. for the parents she could have known. for the teachers like her who go to work every single day and love their kids and want them to succeed. and cory says my heart was broken. i decided now was the time to act. to march, the time to petition, the time to make phone calls. because tears were no longer enough. and that's my attitude. tears aren't enough, expressions of sympathy aren't enough, speeches aren't enough.

we've cried enough. we've known enough heartbreak. what we're proposing is not radical. it's not taken away anybody's gun rights. it's something that if we are serious, we will do. and now's the time to turn that heartbreak into something real. it won't solve every problem, there will still be gun deaths, there will still be tragedies, there will still be violence, there will still be evil. but we can make a difference, if not just the activists here on the stage, but the general public, including responsible gun owners say, you know what, we, we can do better than this. we can do better to make sure that fewer parents have to endure the pain of losing a child to an act of violence. that's what this is about and

enough people like katrina and cory and the rest of the parents who are here today get involved. and if enough members of congress take a stand for cooperation and common sense, and lead and don't get squishy. because time has passed and maybe it's not on the news every single day. if that's who we are, if that's our character, that we're willing to follow through on commitments that we say are important, commitments to each other and to our kids, then i'm confident we can make this country a safer place for all of them. so thank you very much, everybody. god bless you, god bless america.

>> that was president obama getting back into the gun debate with an event at the white house, joined by parents, law enforcement officials, as well as the vice president, urging kwng to mocongress to move forwd on gun control legislation. >> megan mccardell, especially correspondent with "newsweek" and the "daily beast," new york magazine contributing editor and editor of the "new york times" magazine, hugo lundgren. as we saw, the president is raising the stakes on gun safety reform. here are some remarks just moments ago. >> on this stage, whose children were killed as recently as 35 days ago. i don't think any of us who are parents can hear their stories and not think about our own daughters and our own sons and our own grandchildren. we all feel that it is our first

impulse as parents to do everything we can to protect our children from harm. >> shame on fuss we've forgotten. i haven't forgotten those kids, shame on us if we've forgotten. if there's one thing i've said consistently, since i first ran for this office, nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change. >> president obama is not alone in his efforts. in their largest reform effort since newtown, today gun control activists across the country are staging a national day to demand action. holding over 140 public events across 29 different states, as part of a nationwide grassroots effort to revive the momentum for new gun reform legislation. congress isn't back in session until april 8th. but rather than lying low, activists are seizing the moment to capture additional support for the cause we've known since

the beginning of this effort, i mean we've known since the beginning of the effort it would be an yul hill battle. between thlying cry, vice president biden's midas touch with the senate, mayor bloomberg's $12 million and grassroots activists i cross the country, this could be the last best hope we've had for gun reform in almost 20 years. joining us now from hartford, connecticut is democratic connecticut senator, richard blumenthal. senator, thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> and we want to get your quick reaction to the president's remarks, very emotional in the sense that he said, there are moms standing on this stage who lost children 35 days ago. as recently as 35 days ago. it was a very emotional appeal to say -- let's not forget the moment after newtown and let's act. what was your reaction. >> very emotional and very powerful. i was with the president when he first came to newtown. a couple, three months ago and he was very, very deeply moved by his visit, he spent about two and a half hours with the

parents and i've been in touch with those parents more or less continually throughout these past three months. so i really hope, and i believe, that the president will mobilize and galvanize that majority all too often it has been a silent majority that favors those measures. he's right, 90%, 80%, depending on the poll you pick and the measure that you choose are in favor of common-sense and sensible measures like requiring background checks, banning illegal trafficking. school safety measures, a ban on high-capacity magazines. these are common-sense measures and i think that the president's remarks today are part of a national effort that will carry great weight in just a couple of weeks. >> you've been very passionate and written passionately about the idea of not losing the newtown moment. have you been frustrated by the sense that this debate has been crowded out by other things? the gay marriage debate happening. you've got things happening on immigration. and that we've sort of lost the

passion that people had right after newtown? have you been concerned that the white house has lost that passion before now? that passion will come back to the senate debate and the national discussion and today for example, the revelation that the trove of ammunition and arms in the lanza house, the search warrants have been unsealed today. showing literally a war arsenal. thousands of rounds that were bought by the lanzas before he committed this atrocious, horrific tragic act. and so i think there will be other events and facts revealed that will fuel and drive this discussion. but the passion is there and the president is certainly showing it. and i do hope that joe biden has that midas touch as you referred to it. because we will need every ounce of effort to overcome the staunch and steadfast

opposition. it is very ruthless and relentless on the part of the nra and that organization's allies. but i think they're out of touch with the american people and i think we have very good chances of prevailing. >> you've written about the fact that they've robo called families in newtown. they've been relentless and among adam lanza's possessions that we released. a certificate in his name from the nra, a holiday card to her son, in which nancy lanza made out a check for the purchase of a c-180 firearm. a school shooting at northern university article and a book, nra guide to the basics of pistol shooting he was able to fire 154 rounds in less than five minutes. one more question to you, senator, what really frustrates people about this, is people in your body, in the senate, despite the passion and horror of what happened in your state, it seems that the senate is slow-walking this. that it isn't moving fast enough. have you been able to convince

your colleagues on not just the other side of the aisle, but among dreemocrats, that this is moving too slowly. that we should move quicker. >> i'm new to the senate, i've been there two years, i'm still a freshman. my colleagues tell me that the senate is acting with some unusual speed. and that many of these measures, for example the last assault weapon took five years to achieve. that would be a major accomplishment. if we're able to do it within four months. there is a deliberative process and i'm not willing to concede in any respect that we have sacrificed any of our momentum or passion, because i certainly feel both and the president obviously does. and those victims, i think the personal stories speak volumes, they speak louder than any of my words or frankly, even the president's. the personal stories about their losses. i will never forget the sights

and sounds of those parents, i arrived there within a couple of hours of the shooting, leaving the firehouse in sandy hook, learning for the first time that their children would not be coming home that evening. those parents are on the stage, in the audience today. they are witnesses who will drive this discussion very, very powerfully. i don't think we've lost that passion or momentum. >> i want to come out to the panel. because you know, i think that is, that's the reason this just seems to, mind-bageling, when you see those parents and hear their stories, it's hard to believe that it isn't 100% of people who support the idea of sane gun control legislation. i want to play another bite from what the president said. he sort of started to frame the issue of gun control, of gun safety legislation in a political context we're now familiar with. by breaking it down by percentages. i want to play what the president said about the 90% and the 10%. >> how often do 90% of americans free on anything?

it never happens. many other reforms are supported by clear majorities of americans. and i ask every american to find out where your member of congress stands on these ideas. if they're not part of that 90% who agree that we should make it harder for a criminal or somebody with a severe mental illness to buy a gun, you should ask them -- why not? why are you part of the 10%? >> now benjamin, you've written a lot about the rural/urban divide on the issue of gun control. let's look at some of the people that would be i guess technically in the 10%. mark pryor of arkansas within his state 84% of people support background checks, universal background checks. mary landrieu, expect to be a potential no on gun control, she's in louisiana, 85% of people in her state support background checks. max baucus of montana, 79%. kay hagen, north carolina. is the divide 90/10?

or urban/rural? >> i think a lot of it is urban/rural. but we should be talking about policy terms. the reason we're at a debate that 90% of americans can agree on is more of the ambitious policy proposals that 30% of americans had agreed on or 60%, are off the table. we're no longer talking about something like the assault weapons back from '94. we're no longer talking about real restrictions on magazines. what we're talking about democrats and liberals were saying a few years ago, is closing the gun show loophole. that's not to say there's not a real public health impact. by making sure that more people with criminal backgrounds and people with records of mental illness don't have access to guns, you can. but where the president is right now is a much more modest place. a much less ambitious place than the ground that gun control advocates were staking out right after newtown. >> hugo, how can it be that to

that point, we are really only now arguing around the margins of gun control. there is probably no chance that we can get a high-capacity magazine ban. even though clearly in order for adam lanza to do what he did, he had to have that 100-clip magazine. how is it that for all that passion we saw from the president, that with all of this agreement among everyone that you've got to do something dramatic. that we're looking at barely what counts as gun control. >> a big part of the way, the anti-gun control forces have been effective is by sort of pitching this as like look, they're taking something away from you. that fills a lot of people with fear and it resonates with a lot of people's ideas about the government. that they're doing these things, they're taking these things away from us. it's a slippery slope to the next thing. pretty soon they'll be talking about assault weapons and magazines and that creates a powerful political force that is bigger than 10%, just by itself. i think that the, there's the president talked about running out the clock as something

that's happening that the opponents of gun reform are doing. that's a big point. >> what's looming here, it seems both far away and close, 2014 and the white house wants to get something done well in advance of that. because there's still a lot of fear about the electoral effect of this. >> you got to the clock, and megan, did the democrats who are for gun control legislation miscalculate not doing this in the lame duck? by not doing this immediately in the way that for instance the department of homeland security, the patriot act, were done right after 9/11. >> you can argue that, but you also have to remember the lame duck session is hard time to get something done in, especially in a political environment that's as poisonous as ours is. there's a little bit of monday morning quarterbacking, it might have had better chances immediately. but also it's really hard to get stuff done. you have some people leaving and willing to give you a vote and other who is are willing to run out the clock and wait for the senate to turn over. >> the lame duck section was fiscal cliff. there's only so much the folks

on the hill can handle. in terms of oh my god, crisis thing that we must get done. i want to make sure we understand that it's not like they were not doing anything. >> i want to give senator blumenthal the last word. will the people of your state be satisfied, if what we get out of gun control is something on background checks, but nothing on magazines? >> i think we're going to achieve a measure on illegal trafficking, which by the way law enforcement folks and i've been a prosecutor for a few decades, involved in law enforcement will say is one of the most effective things we can do, a ban on illegal trafficking, straw purchasing. background checks are important. school safety. and there will be an amendment on the floor and i'm going to be helping to spearled that effort on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. the people of the state will be satisfied if we have a vote and we push forward. >> thank you so much, senator, richard blumenthal.

while the supreme court ponders the future of same-sex marriage. conservatives ponder the future of their aproex to same-sex marriage. and so far, signs aren't encouragin encouraging, we'll discuss the gop's awkward messaging, straight ahead. for over 75 years people have saved money with...ohhh... ...with geico... ohhh...sorry! director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable lahtuger). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me. i'd like one of those desserts and some coffee. sure. decaf or regular? regular. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. ♪ oil or cream?

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♪ back against the wall ♪ ain't nothin to me ♪ ain't nothin to me [ crowd murmurs ] hey! ♪ [ howls ] ♪ the momma grizzly tries to claw her way back into the political conversation with new video. and comedy central newsman, jon stewart may have finally unravelled the mystery of the former vp candidate. >> i think i finally figured out where sarah palin came from. someone cast a spell on a youtube comment and it came to life. >> we'll discuss palin's new message and never-ending quest to stay relevant, just ahead.

the supreme court heard arguments on the national fight for gay rights this week. but while that battle is playing out every day in communities across the country. one charter school in ohio is standing up against discrimination against gay students. the arts and college preparatory academy teaches acceptance and a third of the student body identifies as lgbt. one student told npr, i don't know if we're the gay high school. i feel like we're the safe high school. the better high school. the school is developing a reputation for tolerance and actively working to spread the message. each year students produce a play called the equality project, which they take on the road to other schools. >> disparity, diversity. >> inequality in size. >> the numbers. >> distances, emotions. >> acceptance, it all begins

now. >> now. >> arts and college prep has grown from 60 students to 240. and it's now drawing students away from top-rated schools in the area. they're showing that even among teenagers, tolerance can be popular. and jonathan, i'll a little torn on this story. i think it's great they're doing a school like this. i think it's great for students to have a safe space. the suicide rate among gay teens is the highest among teens because the of the bullying and the isolation. is it a great thing that the students have a safe space or is it kind of a sad thing that they have to? >> it's both. but i would go that it's the former. look is supposed to be the place where kids can go where, where they are safe and they can learn. if a child doesn't feel safe, a child is never going to learn. so it's unfortunate that there are idiots out there who brutalize and humiliate and bully teenagers for whatever reason. but if there's a place where they can go and they can learn and they can excel the way kids

are supposed to, that's great. and the successful thing is the idea that that school is now pulling students from all the top schools? that for me right there is icing on the cake. >> i guess it is sort of a wonderful thing that we do live in an age when people care about the age of nurturing healthy mental attitudes, rather than pigeonholing kids and expecting them to come out as healthy adults. >> turning from progress to the exact opposite. and nothing says political evolution like comparing hxality to beastialty and ped feelia but when you're behind the curve and you know it, sometimes you stumble mightily. so it goes with the right flank when it comes to same-sex marriage. and we'll discuss, next. [ male announcer ] citi is over 200 years old.

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the last two days that the supreme court have left gay rights advocates feeling cautiously optimistic, but the battle isn't over. as it's written in the "washington post," listening to the supreme court hear arguments on same-sex cases, was like watching a novice diver inch toward the edge of the high board for the first time. while a majority of justices appeared skeptical on striking down prop 8. five justices seemed to be leaning down the core of the defense of marriage act. while this would be a partial victory, for supporters of same-sex marriage it would insure that the debate continues, bad news for republicans. this week has given conservatives an opportunity to explain why they're against same-sex marriage. and make rational, not bigoted arguments for their position.

so far, they're failing epically. >> i recognize the culture is moving away from the traditional standard. it's almost like saying well we have a basketball team and nobody on the team, or very few can actually hit the goal that's ten feet off the floor. so we're going to lower the goal down to six feet, that way everybody can slam-dunk the ball. so the question is have you improved your basketball game or have you actually just changed the standard so it looks like you're doing better. >> okay. everybody got that straight? huckabee is saying gay americans need a six-foot basketball hoop because we're not able to score on a ten-foot hoop by marrying someone of the opposite sex who they don't want to play this particular basketball game with anyway, because they're gay? if you're not confused inform. here's ben carson. the neurosurgeon touted at cpac as the latest great republican hope for 2016. he says it's not just about singling gay americans.

>> no group be they gays, be they namla, be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn't matter what they are, they don't get to change the definition. it's not something that's against gays. >> he said nambla. republicans aren't doing themselves any favors. alexander burns writes in politico, that on marriage equality, the republican party has positioned itself at odds with young, educated and politically independent voters and he argues, the only obvious way to square that political circle in the short-term is by a sweeping supreme court decision. until the issue is settled once and for all, conservative intolerance will dominate the discussion and continue to alienate people from their party. aside from the fact we're talking about namla and people who want to marry animals, would it be better for the republican

party, for conservatism, if the supreme court took the issue across the table and decided marriage equality for the country. >> would it be better for the republicans? >> in the sense it would take it off the political stage. on the political stage, it isn't help them at all. >> this is one of those moments where you dream of direct democracy, let's put it to a vote, get it over with and they don't have to have these ridiculous conversations. i think some of the members of the supreme court risk enshrining themselves as unintentionally comic figures in history yesterday. they don't want to be doing that. >> there's another sense in which megan i think it could help the republican party. kind of an ironic formulation. if the supreme court, those nine black-robed dictators were to decide we're giving gay marriage across the country, in a way wouldn't that rev up the evangelical base that let's face it, raince priebus has kind of neglected. they would have a reason to be hopeful and active again? >> i think it would be good for the republican party. but i don't think it would be good for the party. i think this is the kind of thing, where if you look at

something like roev. wade, america is moving toward the consensus and you step in and say five people said note, this is it. and you rev up people who otherwise would have been putting energy into the political process. might have lost. >> what's the alternative? should the five people don't have an opinion? they don't act? i mean -- they're doing it, what's the other -- >> go ahead. >> i mean it's a matter of when they do it. clearly, the supreme court doesn't want to deal with the issue of same-sex marriage and constitutionality. and all of that. if prop 8 is struck down, it's not going to be struck down because they feel that there should be a right to mayory. it's going to be on the fact that fact whether the folks bringing the case have standing. if doma falls, you get the sense that it's going to fall not because of a same-sex marriage mindset, but because of not an equal protection grounds, but a states' rights ground. the question of whether same-sex marriage is guaranteed under the

constitution, i think, is going to come down, come down the road later. but i do think if prop 8 falls, and the lower court ruling stands, marriage will happen in california. and i think it will speed up the timetable. but the idea of saying that the court should just you know, back off and do nothing, is i think, ridiculous. you're asking people to wait decades upon decades for this stuff to unwind. >> i don't think it's decades, if you look at young evangelicals are not exercised about this issue. they still care about abortion and other stuff. they care a lot about marriage as a strong institution. young evangelicals do not care about gay marriage. except on the extreme kind of fringe. >> talking about people's lives being affected right now. it's hard to say, okay,well let's just -- >> it's going, i think it's going to fall within the next, in most states you're going to have gay marriage within the next five years. >> i don't know about most states, you still have an

evangelical core. >> mike huckabee and ben carson, they do speak support someone. >> when these things start to tumble. if you look at the sexual revolution. in 1960, the difference between what the public sexual morality in 1960 and 1970, completely different. you can actually once people get a sense that their neighbors are changing, these things tend to snowball. so i think we're now, the snowball is going down the slope. >> the snowball will melt in mississippi and georgia. and louisiana and texas. >> one of the things we're talking about on all of these issues is a kind of cultural federalism, right? we're talking about certain states, we have a general consensus on social issues, it's moving to the left. that contain as diversity of regional opinions, we have some states moving aggressively and some states moving much less aggressively. not just the supreme court, but really kennedy has done, is he's made federalism the kind of pivot point for this issue. he said we're aren't comfortable

with a situation in which each state makes up its own moral mind, it's own ethical mind. one question for progressives going forward is how they feel about that. and there's a lag between how many -- the rights and responsibilities that are accorded to many gay americans and their sense of where the national consensus is. how far do you permit, mississippi and georgia to lang behind national consensus, before you say hey, wait a second, there's a real problem here. >> the justices, the conservative justices and a lot of conservative commentators seem to be worried about is imposing a morality, that isn't in a sense an elite morality. i think at elite levels people don't care that much about this issue. but there's a base -- >> about what issue? >> gay marriage is not at the top of their agenda, among elites, you get the sense at the grassroots of the conservative movement there's still a large swath of people in mississippi, in louisiana, that don't want

the change made and historically we've looked to the courts to impose civil rights on the country when a lot of the country still resists them. so i think the court is concerned about doing it. >> i do want to read the smartest commentary, we've done the dumb commentary. but ranesh had a piece of smart commentary. we're supposed to add the commentary. this is what he said. that i think it gets to the point of how things will change in mississippi. he said in 2003, the most effective gay strategy, well maybe that part wasn't so smart, was not a political strategy at all, it was the choice much individuals to identify themselves openly as gay. perhaps a strict matter of logic, that should not have affected their views on sexual morality. so the idea being just the openness itself is changing the country faster than the courts could change it. >> it's the harvey milk strategy. harvey milk i believe it was in a speech in 1978, but it was in

the '70s where he said -- i call on every gay person in america to come out. because once they see that we are their friends, their neighbors, their co-workers, that we aren't these monsters, that we aren't this other. that we have the same hopes and dreams as they do. and we have seen, probably in the starkest example of the power of that, was senator rob portman. the idea that his son, could have the courage to come out to his father who happens to be a powerful republican, member of the senate from ohio. but that his father wand open and willing to hear his son. unconditionally accept his son. and to hear his son make the case for why he needed to change his stance on marriage equality. that is the harvey milk strategy and it's happening in homes of the powerful, but also the homes around the dinner tables of people around the country. who have to have these

conversations every day of the week. >> to say nothing of dick cheney's daughter, whose father is dark vader. she has a new book coming out about the war on christmas. and she also has a slick new pac, we'll discuss sarah palin's "look at me" efforts, next. look, if you have copd like me,

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ask your doctor about spiriva. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost.. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you can get all this with a prepaid card. spends like cash. feels like membership. momma grizzly sarah palin may not have a real job or even a reality show on the horizon, these days she looks like she's gearing up to be a game-changer in 2014. yesterday, palin's discreetly named super pac, sarah-pac gave

an endorsement in a new video called "loaded for bear." for someone who criticizes the lame-stream media, she sure does like what they have to say about her. >> she knows how to fire up the conservative faithful. >> she is a superstar ands she's used that. >> she is fearless, principled. she can pick winners. >> she's definitely proved she can be effective endorsing candidates. >> the next election is 20 months away. of the last thing we need is washington, d.c. vetting our candidates. >> okay. panel, sarah palin -- irrelevant or awesome? >> that gave me goosebumps, it was one of those before the big game, nfl things where it's like the kansas city chiefs on the cold tundra. >> it's the big comeback video. i think -- the right answer is awesomely irrelevant. >> awesomely irrelevant.

one thing i'm wondering in the next presidential cycle, after herman cain and after sarah palin we will view more cynically candidates who seem to be running for president as a way to amp up their speaking fees in the future. >> over the bus. i think herman cain and the whole issue of taking money from his campaign. >> ha do you think his speaking fees are up? >> before he ran for president? >> before he was the head of a pizza chain. >> now he has a nationally syndicated talk show. there's something to be said for the sort of presidential ambition for marketing strategy. you have had people in the past that have used it to relaunch themselves. newt gingrich i don't know if he thought he could be president but he brought himself back on to the national stage. we laugh at sarah palin, she is funny, but she still has relevancy. there's a palinite caucus within the republican party.

could she have some utility for the party in 2014? just firing up the base? >> yeah, sure, fine. all the people you mentioned were irresponsible. herman cain, newt gingrich, sarah palin -- swooping in whenever she felt like the media spotlight was even inching a millimeter away from her, they brought, they did nothing to the political discourse. i think they fouled it, herman cain was the front-runner for the republican nomination for a few months there. he couldn't even explain on meet the press. newt gingrich was a front-runner for the republican nomination for a certain point and he ran around the country saying the president of the united states was a food stamp president. these are people who -- should never be considered presidential timber. never have gotten the platform they got. and sarah palin, i've watched this four times, i'm still trying to figure out what's the point?

what are you trying to do? >> the point is her celebrity. in a lot of ways, sarah palin is kind of the kim kardashian of politics. she keeps getting on your tv, she keeps getting coverage. listen, you can't knock her hustle. she was a completely unqualified vice presidential nominee, megan and yet it was john mccain who took a hit in terms of his esteem, not her. she's still out there. >> i would like to announce megan mccardell for president in 2016. bumper stickers. commemorative ash traitrays. >> i want to thank you all, that is all for now, i'll seal you back here tomorrow at noon eastern when i'm joined by sam stein and sister simone campbell. can you see alex tonight and every night this week at 8:00 p.m. eastern for a little "now" at night. this evening she'll be joined by david axelrod, david sorkin. barry levinson and former new

jersey governor jim mcgreevey. "andrea mitchell reports" is next. we understand. our financial advice is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. life brings obstacles. usaa brings retirement advice. current events. comfortable temperature. biceps. he maintains everything for your pleasure. he has the nicest car you can think of, but longer. with one hand he can roll down 10 windows plus the partition. everything he does, tacks right off. and of course he dines upon the liquid gold of velveeta shells and cheese. end of story. liquid gold. eat like that guy you know. i took something for my sinuses, but i still have this cough. [ male announcer ] a lot of sinus products don't treat cough. they don't? [ male announcer ] nope, but alka seltzer plus severe sinus does it treats your worst sinus symptoms,

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call 877-242-usaa. right now on "andrea mitchell reports," call to action -- as new details of sandy hook are revealed today, the president tries to mobilize the public for gun laws. >> less than 100 days ago that happened. and the entire country, was shocked. and the entire country pledged we would do something about it, and this time, it would be different. >> shame on us if we have forgotten. i haven't forgotten those kids. shame on us if we've forgotten. >> advocates for stricter gun laws are holding 140 events in 29 states to pressure congress on background