founded. hi, everybody, good morning. i'm thomas roberts. it's the news topping our agenda today, poison plot. in the last hour we learned more about the message contained in the letters. the letter was intercepted at a mail sorting facility here in manhattan, the other opened by the president of the mayors against illegal guns at their office in washington, d.c. everyone who came in contact with the letters have either been checked and treated, listed as okay now, but those letters have louisiana postmarks. both were identical in content, containing warnings that arrived for bloomberg and his group that directly called them out for the gun control debate and their interference with gun reform. now, sources telling our affiliate wnbc the letter said in part, quote, what's in the letter is nothing compared to what i've got planned for you. >> i'm not angry. there are people who i would argue do things that may be irrational, do things that are wrong, but it's a very complex world out there and we just have to deal with that. >> president obama echoed mayor

blomburg's call to continue the gun control push during a stop in chicago last night. >> we know that 90% of the american people and 80% of gun owners agree with us. why aren't we getting that done? >> joining me is dan gross, president of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. dan, it's good to have you here. let's talk more about the specifics of the letters. we know the letters sent to mayor bloomberg and mark glaze were identical in their content. part of what they're saying, you'll have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. anyone who wants to come to my house will get shot in the face. the right to bear arms is my constitutional, god-given right and i will exercise that right until the day i die. dan, is this the point where we are now? is this what we should expect to see moving forward, more of this irrational behavior? >> absolutely not. this is the work of a single, deeply disturbed person that's not indicative of the dialogue that's going on out there in popular culture.

you know, not only are the overwhelming majority of americans in favor of background checks, 80% of people who own guns are in favor of them. you know, we know that the right to own guns and second amendment can co-exist with solutions to actually accomplish all of our goals, making this a safer nation. so i think it's important at a time like this not to let one deranged individual or a few of them distract us from the right conversation that's actually going on in the american public. >> you talk about this being from a deranged individual. i just want to remind our viewers a few facts about what ricin is. it's a toxin poison. it's found naturally in castor beans. but this poison can be made into a white powder, orange-colored liquid, aerosol mist, and people of died fromm ingesting or inhaling ricin. mark glaze actually received this letter but he is okay.

when we hear about this in the news and we hear that the feds are trying to track this down, what does this mean for you and people like you? i mean does this -- does this work to scare you off from the work that you're trying to do? that's what it's meant to do. it's meant to scare you. >> yeah, absolutely not. i think i can say with equal confidence that it's not going to deter mayor bloomberg and his team from doing the right thing on this issue either. i mean obviously, you know, we're taking every necessary precaution to keep our staff and our team safe. but at the same time we're keeping our eye on the prize in terms of making the american public safe. every year there are 30,000 americans that die as a result of gun violence and the fact is there are solutions that exist, solutions that the overwhelming majority of the american public support, the overwhelming majority of gun owners support and we can't let the actions of one disturbed individual deter

us from those goals, and they won't. >> you bring up the recent temperature of the country and as we dig deeper into that, the recent polling showing that solidly red states show bipartisan support for expanding background checks, including georgia, tennessee and arkansas. meanwhile mayors against illegal guns, which was founded by michael bloomberg, is running a new tv ad featuring angela barnes expressing disappointment in the vote against requiring background checks. take a look. oh, i'm sorry, i thought we had part of that. i was going to show it to everybody, dan. we've got video of the actual ad. where do you think this goes from here, the background checks and the debate in and of itself, because it seems as if the debate has stalled out right now. obviously these ricin-laced letters, that's going to bring a lot of attention back to it, but where does it actually stand with people that can get something done? >> it's all about closing the

extraordinary disconnect. a lot of it has already been closed between what the american public wants, what the american public knows is in our best interests and what our elected officials are doing about it. so when mayor bloomberg runs ads or we work to organize our nearly one million members and constituents in cities and states and communities across the country, it's for that purpose, to bring to bear the voice of the american public. and that's really the key at this moment. so we have to let our congress people know that they can't go back to their districts and assume it's business as usual when they're in recess and run and hide from this issue, that the american public not only is now overwhelmingly in support of these solutions as we've always been, but, you know, our intensity is far greater than it's ever been, and it's because of that no vote that occurred in the senate. you know, this defeat, quote unquote, defeat feels different than others in the past. what it's done is it has exposed in broad daylight the extent to

which our congress is undermining not only our will but our safety. and we now need to continue, keep this fire burning and continue to close that disconnect that exists between what we want, what we know is in our best interests and what our leaders are doing or shame fully not doing about it. >> dan gross, president of the brady campaign. dan, thanks for making time for us. i appreciate it. still ahead we'll talk to carolyn maloney who's very involved in the gun control debate, get her opinions on what's taking place with the investigation and also what's going on in washington, d.c., right now, get her take on the current scandals. >> i just want to be back home with my family and my children and my loving husband. i feel like trapped, like i want to find a way out and i'm telling i'm innocent, i'm innocent. >> that is yanira maldonado

breaking her silence to nbc news. today is her ninth day behind bars in a mexican jail. she's accused of smuggling pot. but new surveillance video could help prove her innocent. she and her husband were returning to the u.s. from her aunt's funeral last week when their bus was stopped at a military check pointing. officers say they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat. now her fate rests with a judge. but advocates here at home are pleading her case. joining me right now is a republican from arizona. the congressman has spoken with the u.s. ambassador to mexico and the mexican am wbassador to the u.s. and is in an effort to facilitate her freedom. you know this family and they claim she's being set up, was even asked to pay $5,000 to be let go. so what can you tell us about the process right now and what is your initial reaction when you first heard about maldonado's situation? >> well, again, i know her

parents-in-law. the maldonados were members of my same church for a number of years. in fact they were missionaries back in virginia. they're a wonderful, wonderful family, that's all i can say about them. they're great people. and as far as this case goes, i'm the chairman of the committee that oversees the western hemisphere for the foreign reegsz commlations comm i want to do everything i can to make sure that justice occurs here. i feel very, very uncomfortable with the fact that she was arrested initially. witnesses that saw her get out of the bus said that she only was carrying a purse and there's no way that that purse could have enclosed 12 pounds of marijuana. and there's just too many things about this case that are very, very unsettling. but i have personally talked with our ambassador, ambassador wayne to mexico, spoke with him a couple of days ago. yesterday i spoke with

ambassador medina mora, the ambassador from mexico to the united states in washington, d.c., and he said that they are monitoring this very closely, that there will be a hearing tomorrow and ultimately it will be decided by a federal judge in mexico whether or not this case goes forward. i think that there's been enough information that's come forward to cast doubt on the claims of the military folks that arrested her. i understand that yesterday in a prearranged meeting between the judge and some of the military folks that originally seized this marijuana that they didn't even show up, and so there's a lot of serious questions about this case. i personally -- and it doesn't -- it's not because i know her parents-in-law, that's not why i'm engaged, although i can vouch for this family. but the reason that i'm engaged is that is my responsibility as

the chairman over the western hemisphere. >> sir, as you bring up the authorities that made the arrest did not show up in court this week, we understand that a judge is expected to rule on her fate tomorrow, you mention witnesses say they only saw her with a purse that could not have carried 12 pounds of marijuana and now we've heard there's new surveillance video of the bus station showing that she didn't carry drugs on board. have you been granted access to see this video? what have you seen proofwise, evidencewise that's helping you in your talks with the ambassador? >> no, i have not seen any of the surveillance videos. i've reached out. i spoke with gary, her husband, about three days ago and gave him my personal cell phone, told him to call me as things developed and have reached out to the family personally. but no, i have not seen the surveillance videos. they're not -- they haven't shared a lot of information with those of us in the congress to try to get to the bottom of this case.

to me that's a little bit troubling. i want to see complete transparency. i've already said publicly and i'll say it again, that if tomorrow she's not released or they have not designated that this case is not going forward, if i have to go to mexico personally and get involved in this thing, i'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that justice occurs. >> congressman matt salmon, thanks for making time for me and we'll keep our eyes on this story and follow what you do. still ahead, controversy over a spirit week activity is forcing a school in milwaukee re-examine how to address its sexuality. also, who steps in michele bachmann's place as she is stepping down? our agenda panel will weigh in on the next leader of the tea party caucus. plus today's big question on bloomberg's ricin-laced letters. is the gun control debate getting out of control? give us your thoughts on my facebook page or tweet us @thomas a roberts. i am an american success story.

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new york mayor michael bloomberg refusing to be intimidated. he's saying he's going to move ahead with his gun control campaign even though now the fbi is investigating two ricin-laced letters, one sent to him and one to his gun control group. joining me now is new york congressman carolyn maloney. it's great to have you here. as we talk about this, you have spearheaded legislation in this effort trying to move the ball forward. we have mayor bloomberg's group pouring some $12 million into tv ads since newtown. you have sponsored numerous bills to prevent gun violence and bring reform. when you hear about this do you feel intimidated. >> not at all. >> or reinvigorated to this debate? >> more determined. these are irrational people, but any threat has to be taken seriously. when you see what happened at a town hall meeting in arizona with my colleague, gabby

giffords, they have to be treated seriously. but i think the mayor is determined to go forward. i am determined to go forward. it's common sense gun safety legislation. guns against violence has endorsed my bills and we need to continue working on it because it's going to save lives. and how this country cannot act after 20 young innocent children are mowed down in their classroom with their teachers defending them, it's just outrageous. and the response is arm the teachers. teachers want to teach, they don't want to be carrying guns. and the answer is to get the illegal, unsafe guns out of the hands of felons, bad people, gang leaders, and why this congress can't pass it is beyond me. i feel it's a national disgrace and i'm going to keep working on it. i know the mayor will keep working on it. we will eventually win. >> meanwhile there are some distractions in washington, d.c., right now. >> you better believe it. >> certainly taking the attention off of the gun reform debate. i want to show the new poll numbers we have up this morning from quinnipiac university.

the trio of controversies facing the white house, the obama administration. the first revealing an overwhelming number of american voters, 76% believe an independent prosecutor should be assigned to the irs investigation. when it comes to the continued investigation of the benghazi terror attacks, more voters than not believe congress is just playing politics, as usual, and then this morning, ann romney weighed in on the three scandals going on right now. take a listen. >> in particular i saw the polling numbers with the -- how people are upset with the irs scandal. we have to have trust in our government. we have to believe that they're doing right for us. when we feel like they're breaking our trust, it's deeply troubling. >> so right now you have the gun reform debate going on, you have budget conversations still stalling out. you want to get real policy work done, but with these three scandals still circulating in and around washington, d.c., how much of this is a distraction to the real work you need to get

done and also about the midterms coming up in 2014? >> well, in terms of her comments, everyone is united in outrage against the irs. so is the president. when we go back on monday, there are hearings in the appropriations committee, on tuesday there are hearings in ways and means and then the senate hearings, the i.g. report that they're still working on. then we have now a criminal investigation out of doj. so we have me, we are going to be irs to death in june. there's going to be so many hearings and so much out there. what we have to do is focus on how to fix that and fix other things. the poll that you mentioned and that she mentioned also pointed that the majority of americans were more concerned about the economy and jobs than anything else. just last week we had a major bridge on a major highway collapse with people and cars going into the river. thank goodness they weren't killed. but where is the infrastructure bill? where are these ideas to rebuild our ailing infrastructure?

repair these bridges! it's life-threatening. high-speed rail, where's our investment in growing our economy in that way? as you repair your infrastructure, you're creating good jobs. instead we had 37 votes repealing obama care. why? let's focus on the real problems in front of people. there's a lot of theater and positioning taking place, but believe me, the theater on broadway is much better and we should get back to what are the real concerns of the american people, growing jobs, growing confidence in our economy, employing people, moving our -- repairing our bridges and highways and getting going with high-tech jobs and industry. >> it all sounds really good, but we get mired down by what's going on in washington, d.c., and the politics being played back and forth, especially now that more is being revealed about eric holder and the department of justice right now, certainly feeling a lot of heat for personally signing off on a warrant naming fox news reporter, james rosen, a, quote,

criminal co-conspirator in a criminal leak case. lawmakers believe that holder may have committed perjury in his testimony back on may the 15th. he's invited news organizations now to come and have these one-on-one meetings, but they want it to be off the record. news organizations are saying no way. what do you think about that request, to come and take these meetings and have it be off the record? at this point don't you think everything needs to be on the record when it comes to this? >> i think we should be having a transparency festival. i think everything should be transparent. as many reformers have said, the best disinfectant is sunshine. let's put all of the issues out on the table, not only in front of the press who's going to these meetings, but the american people. let the american people know what's going on. these are huge issues that need to be debated. we're not talking about leaks about some scandal or corruption, we're talking about leaks that could have endangered american lives and american

security. we need to look at what should the limits be? what should the protection be in this particular area of national security? these are very, very serious issues, and i think everything should be transparent. >> do you still have confidence in aceric holder? >> yes, i do, but i think everything should be transparent. >> carolyn maloney, thanks for coming. we've got breaking information on those ricin letters sent to the mayor. we'll bring you up to speed on that after this quick break. . whether i'm telling people about how they could save money on car insurance with geico... yeah, a little bit more of the lime green love yeah... or letting them know they can reach geico 24/7 using the latest technology. go on, slather it all over. don't hold back, go on... it's these high-definition televisions, i'll tell ya, they show every wrinkle. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat.

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[ agent smith ] i've found software that intrigues me. it appears it's an agent of good. ♪ [ agent smith ] ge software connects patients to nurses to the right machines while dramatically reducing waiting time. [ telephone ringing ] now a waiting room is just a room. [ static warbles ] welcome back ervgsd. breaking news on the discovery of ricin-laced letters that were sent to the mayor and also the leader of mayors against illegal guns. jonathan dietz is joining me now with this exclusive information. what have you got? >> law enforcement officials telling us now that a third letter was mailed. that one sent to president obama addressed to the white house and that that letter has been intercepted by the u.s. secret service and is now being sent for testing, but investigators believe it is the exact same type of letter that was sent to

mayor bloomberg and that anti-gun lobbyist -- or that gun control lobbyist in washington. so it now appears the same sender in shreveport, louisiana, whoever mailed the two other letters mailed a third letter to the white house, addressed to president obama, containing it appears these ricin-laced threats that read "the right to bear arms is my constitutional right, god-given right and i will exercise that right till the day i die. what's in this letter is nothing compared to what i have planned for you." that part of the text of the typed letter. it is not signed. there is no return address. we're told that these are just postmarked may 20th out of shreveport, louisiana. two letters, again, confirmed yesterday with the mayor and this anti-gun or gun control lobbyist and now a third letter intercepted by the secret service on its way to the white house found ot a sorting

facility, an off-site screening facility. that's where the third letter was found by secret service agents. >> when it comes to the letters, one came to a sorting facility to the mayor in manhattan and one at a sorting facility to the president but one was able to reach glaze, the chief lobbyist in washington, d.c., everyone is okay with reference to the fact or anyone who came in contact with these letters, correct? we don't have any information about people being affected by the ricin-laced letters? >> first of all, in terms of the offsite screening, how that third letter to the lobbyist got through was that it was sent to his private office. he works as a consultant in a private firm and that's how that letter got through. in terms of illnesses, there are no civilian illnesses. the police department reported a couple of nypd officers had some upset stomachs. unclear if that's related. they were checked out as a precaution but we're told they are doing fine. again, no one injured.

but again the concern is real. ricin, if ground up and made inhaleable could be deadly by anyone who opens a letter of that kind. >> jonathan dienst, great work, sir. thanks for joining us. take a look at this. we talk about a lot of weather issues going on but flash flooding like you've never seen. 4 inches of rain fell in less than an hour and that sent a five-foot torrent of water blowing through the lobby doors of a student services building, straight into the foyer, destroying thousands of dollars in computers and furniture. fortunately, no students were inside. classes have been cancelled until friday. even luckies able to escape yesterday's 23 tornado strikes down south felt the power of mother nature. after last night's game between the rangers and diamondbacks, ground crews tried to cover the field. some of them got knocked down

and were dragged across the field but mother nature won out on this one. we'll be back after this. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. ♪ now you can give yourself a kick in the rear! v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. need a little kick? ooh! could've had a v8. in the juice aisle.

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at ducktherapy.com. you're the state where the shot was heard round the world at lexington and concord. >> i had a mother last night come up to me here in tampa, florida, after the debate. she told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter. >> let's repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens. >> between 1942 and 1947, the data that was collected by the census bureau was handed over to the fbi and other organizations at the request of president roosevelt and that's how the japanese were rounded up and put into the internment camps. >> the bachmann effect, now that she's out, who's in? we'll talk about that with our

agenda panel starting off this morning and then switch gears to talk about domestic terror. are more ricin letters revealing the dark side of the pro gun culture? testing the waters. is president obama goading the gop with three nominations to the important federal court. ian carmone, joanne reed and evan mcmorris santoro. we have wrangled all three into one space. evan, i want to start with you because you had a posting up last night talking about the legacy of michele bachmann and who's taking over. the title of your article "democrats plan to run against michele bachmann anyway." explain what you mean. >> michele bachmann is a candidate both sides liked. democrats liked to hate her. she was a great motivator, raised a lot of money for democrats running against her. republicans had the same thing. she fired up their base and brought people out and really got people going. now that she's off the political

stage, she's taken her time and she's retired, she's done, democrats are just going to keep talking about her anyway. that's sort of what they told us, me and my colleague, that's what they told us yesterday. we've already seen them launch some petition drives asking other republicans what they're going to do about bachmann, to talk about bachmann. they want to keep her around because she's a great tool for them in 2014. >> well, 2014 in, may of it now we have the court date that she's going to be in an iowa court that would coincide with her being out on the campaign trail. we have quote whether she's calling president obama a socialist or wishing elvis presley a happy birthday on the anniversary of his death, she frequently furnished evidence for her claim that god had called her to run for president if only to provide comic relief. is what evan says true, that she was good for the democratic party to raise money and meanwhile she was a fire brand in her own right to raise money

and stay relevant in a state where we now have marriage equality and she's been lampooning marriage equality and gay rights for a long time. is she just riding the sea wave of change coming down on her? >> i think evan is right that she worked really well for democrats. on the other hand, she may be a more telegenic form of crazy but that paranoid sentiment isn't going anywhere. that is still going to be part of the constituency and elected officials. we still have most of the tea party caucus. they're not exact low choosing their words carefully even if they're not calling fellow members of congress anti-american which is what michele bachmann did. what i'm wondering if she decides to run against al franken. >> let's talk about who might step in her shoes. we had ted cruz in new york last night and let's play a small part of how they got that crowd up on their feet. >> you sit back and you list who

are the brightest stars in the republican party? who are the most effective advocate for free market principles, you come up with marco rubio, mike lee, rand paul, scott toomey, scott walker. >> so he's trying to get them excited about who's on the mench and who's coming up. where does cruz fall in all of this and is he a logical person being over on the senate side that could take on the mantle of michele bachmann? >> what's fascinating is what you had in the beginning is the tea party being brought into the republican party through the house of representatives. now all those tea party congressmen are gall. michele bachmann is leaving, alan west. what you've had is this tea partyism in the party migrating over to the adult wing, to the senate. so now you do have rand paul, ted cruz, marco rubio. so now the senate side, which was supposed to be the place that was more adult conversation is now also a bastion of tea partyism. ted cruz is perfect for the tea party in a couple of ways. he's a very articulate

spokesman. he may say things that we think are extreme but not embarrassing and crazy like michele bachmann, but he also has that hispanic piece as welch is something that demographically the republican party really needs. i think it's fascinating watching him and marco rubio battle it out to be the supreme sort of latino tea partier. >> as we shift gears to talk about the breaking news we had earlier in this hour, jonathan dienst reporting that the president was also sent one of those ricin-laced letters found at a sorting facility in washington, d.c., based on the fact there were two others, one sent to mayor bloomberg in manhattan, the other sent to his lobbying arm for mayors for gun control in d.c., are we seeing the dark side of the pro gun movement? because this really muddies the debate and tries to just scare everybody into finger pointing. it adds nothing to the actual conversation of where we need to be in talks of reform. >> right. and people don't talk about it. but roger wicker from mississippi got one of those

too. what he had done is to vote to end the filibuster in the senate on that failed gun control bill. so you're starting to see the dark side of the gun debate. the pro gun side or second amendment side has said we are just peaceful gun owners. but the rhetoric in terms of media, in terms of online, even in terms of the nra itself, whether it's the new president of the nra talking about the war of northern aggression or wayne lapierre going on those rants against the government and making barack obama seem actually dangerous to people, this sort of conspiracy theories are now coming -- i think they're coming to fruition in a really frightening way. you see this violent undercurrent of if you come after our guns, we're prepared to do violence. you've had people say it in youtube rants and now you're seeing a frightening manifestation of it. >> do you have something to say? >> we have to be careful about the connection between these letters and people who are trying to oppose gun control. i mean when a guy with a backpack full of chick-fil-a sandwiches shot up the family research council, people on the

left were not saying that was something that should be attached to all the lgbt rights movement. i think there is a lot of rhetoric on that side that is really harsh. things that were said about obama by wayne lapierre as you mentioned and other people like that. be very, very careful to attach these things specifically to what people -- to policy goals or policy aims. >> it's not attached to policy goals. you didn't have rhetoric on the left calling for almost a revolution. what you have is this rhetoric of revolution on the right. not saying that it's tied to anti-gun control, but there is a lot of rhetoric i think that's irresponsible, that is not at least discouraged. >> it gives legitimacy. there is already this paranoid undercurrent looking for a venue and it legitimizes it when congress uses this rhetoric as well. >> is the president looking to stir that up as well by the fact that there are three possible contenders that the president wants to nominate in d.c. that are very liberal, judges, and the president is looking to draw republicans out that would be

obstructionist to this. >> this is not extraordinary at all. this is the ordinary business of governing. there's an unprecedented judicial vacancy crisis. these courts are so important in ruling on the domestic agenda from congress, especially the d.c. circuit. a lot of the state laws and reproductive rights, those go before federal judges. right now whoever appoints their judges basically has a long-term legacy when it comes to policy. so obama is doing exactly what it is his job is to do as president. and if -- and this is a really, really wise tactical move. if he nominates three and they find three reasons to filibuster all of them -- to block all of them, then you can say, well, at what point are you really going to let the president do his job? like what extraordinary circumstances are you going to find for all three of them? >> trying to draw them out. great to have all three of you here. i really appreciate your time. all right, so you didn't get enough from our agenda panel today? you can find more on our

website, follow the link to my name. thanks again, gang, i appreciate it. if there's one thing that you watch today, make it the gang over at the "today" show giving a tough mutter a try. the msnbc newsroom was cheering loud like it was a championship game. take a look for yourself, you'll see why. >> come on, now, you've got this. >> big willie down. >> very slippery once it's wet. >> perfect job. >> there she goes, doing it. >> there goes al, there goes al. >> help him up. >> here comes willie for the fourth try, and he did it! no. >> all the way up. he's going for it. he's going for it. up the ramp, right down.

>> savannah, savannah. [ horn blowing ] >> and there are more highlights and lowlights of watching the "today" show gang torture themselves there. if you want to see the fun from start to finish, check it out. we'll put a link up on my facebook page. (annoucer) new beneful medley's, in tuscan, romana, and mediterranean style varieties. ♪ just mix it in, and take play to new places. three cans in every pack. new beneful medley's.

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be the next head of the fbi. he would replace the current director, robert mueller. he had a defining roll in the hospital room drama over a controversial eavesdropping program involving then white house counsel alberto gonzalez, attorney general john ashcroft and bush chief of staff andrew card. in 2007 comey testified before a senate hearing about that incident. >> this was a very memorable period in my life, probably the most difficult time in my entire professional life. that night was probably the most difficult night of my professional life. so it's not something i forget. >> okay. were you present when alberto gonzalez visited attorney general ashcroft's bedside? >> yes. >> and am i correct that the conduct of mr. gonzalez and mr. card on that evening troubled you greatly? >> yes. >> nbc's peter alexander is at

the white house for us. peter, we know that comey is a big presence in washington, d.c., from past administrations and not for the mere fact that he's 6'8", but do we know whether or not he truly is the president's first choice and how republicans are reacting to that? >> reporter: it's a good question. we reached out to the white house a short time ago and they say at this point they have no comment on that. they will not confirm. but we do hear from sources close to this decision that it is the president's intent to nominate james comey as the next fbi director right now. you asked the question about what republicans think about this. the confirmation hearing would take place if it is to be comey in a senate judiciary committee. the top republican there is senator chuck grassley who didn't so much deride comey for his integrity but he did warn there could be some concerns about comey's past history where he served as general counsel on a connecticut hedge fund. grassley said among other things it raised questions about his willingness, to get it right,

build the case against some of his past colleagues, grassley said the president's handling of wall street in terms of criminal prosecutions has been abysmal to this point. so that is one of the things you'll likely hear if it is to be comey during the confirmation process. certainly none of the same language we heard when another former republican, chuck hagel, went through this confirmation process to become the head of the pentagon. >> peter alexander reporting from the white house this morning. peter, thank you, sir. appreciate it. well, the first lady lets it fly with a new fund-raising motto and some hoopster lingo. after being introduced by newly out nba basketball star jason collins at a lbgt gala in new york city last night, michelle obama showed her love for the player and the sport saying that she was proud of his character and her courage. she then urged attendees to write checks, what's my motto, max out. if you maxed out, get your friends to max out. the first lady also unveiled a 6

h6-minute video about the president's gay rights. ann romney suggested the opposition derailed their chances with anythinegativity, took her to task. >> there's criticism that you let that happen and that was the fault of the campaign and that was the intent to do from the beginning and the democrats understood that. >> well, i don't know if that's -- you'll have to go back -- >> you know that in fact there was this characterization in terms even commercials at the time way before the convention. >> yeah, there -- it's -- you'd always love to turn the page back and say if we'd had the crystal ball wouldn't it have been nice to have done things a little differently. >> mrs. romney went on to say that she and her husband have no regrets, no bitterness, and that she likes paul ryan for 2016. it seems that chris christie in his lap band surgery is helping. according to "people" magazine the new jersey governor says he

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so the straight allies and members of the lgbt community get ready to kick off pride month in june, there's a controversy over a spirit week activity, forcing one school in milwaukee to reexamine how it addresses sex amt. school officials at an elementary middle school planned this past friday as gender bender day. where girl was dress as boys and boys would dress as girls, but once parents expressed outrage, saying it promoted homosexuality. >> megan is the principal, walk us how gender bender day came about at tippacanoe. it got parents' attentions and it was changed to switch it up

day. what was the premise that brought this forward? >> well it was a spirit week that was planned entirely by the students at this school. it's two school communities in one building that are merging together. so they were particularly excited about spirit day this week. they, they wanted to plan a bunch of activities, they had crazy hair day, pa many gentlemana dpajama day and wear your clothes backwards day and switch it up day. and from what i understand from the evidence i've been gathering, this is something that's been going on schools around the country for years and years. and the strange part about it for us is why it's generating so much controversy right now. >> what do you say to critics who were concerned about this being a way as an effort to use the kids as political tools. or ways to teach maybe inappropriate lessons about gender or sexuality that the parents feel they should be

responsible for. especially when it comes to young kids. this was totally voluntary. this wasn't anything enforced from the principal on down. kids could choose to wear crazy hair day, pajama day and it was mixed in with that. >> voluntary, you know, i know that at my children's school right down the street, we forgot about every single spirit friday we had. except for pajama day and my kids certainly did not feel ostracized when they forgot about crazy hair day or anything like that. it was just an opportunity for kids to do something if it made them feel good. and since it came from within the students themselves, it was something that we, as a district we really wanted to honor. and it's unfortunate to me as the elected representative from that area, that you know, the parents made a decision to take a concern to the media. instead of maybe approaching me, approaching other people within the school administration. and sort of dealing with it as adults, because it's an adult problem and this shouldn't be affecting the kids, it shouldn't

be something that's going into the classroom, that's taking the principal away at the end of a school year as kids are articulating into their next year. taking away from instructional time. that's not helpful in any school building at this time of the year. >> it created a big dialogue, that's for sure. megan holman thanks for joining me i appreciate your time. that's going to wrap things up for me. i'll see you back tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., don't go anywhere, "now" with alex wagner is coming up for the next hour, hi there, alex. >> coming up on our show, attempting to meet the press. eric holder, tries to convene off-the-record meetings with the media to discuss the controversial leak investigations, but will anybody rsvp? investigative correspondent michael isikoff brings us the latest. as the gop lives up to its promise as the party of no, is the 113th congress on track for record-setting lows? we will discuss with chris hayes, karen finney, rick

hertzberg and ryan grimm, from the bush era, the new face of the fbi. all that's next on "now." music ... music ... music... congestion, for it's smog. but there are a lot of people that do ride the bus. and now that the busses are running on natural gas, they don't throw out as much pollution to the earth. so i feel good. i feel like i'm doing my part to help out the environment.

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that's allstate home insurance. great protection plus helpful tools to make life better. talk to an allstate agent... [ doorbell rings ] and let the good life in. is eric holder going to have an off-the-record meeting with himself? it is thursday, may 30th, and this is "now." attorney general eric holder is no stranger to controversy, but today his actions are being questioned by members of the right, left and ostensibly center. news of the doj's subpoenas and search warrants targeting the press last year has set off a chain of events that now finds the attorney general facing allegations of perjury for his testimony on may 15th. >> i would say this. with regard to the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material, that is not something that i've ever

been involved in or heard of or would think would be a wise policy. >> as nbc news michael isikoff reports, holder did sign off on a search warrant allowing for the seizure of fox news reporter james rosen's email records. that investigation was rooted in whether or not rosen violated the espionage act. yesterday, the two top republican members of the house judiciary committee asserted that holder's testimony appeared at odds with the role he apparently played in the rosen inquiry. meanwhile, holder's boss, president obama, has ordered the attorney general to review the justice department's leak investigations, but holder is off to a rough start. as part of that review, holder is calling for meetings with the media, but already several outlets, the a.p., "the new york times" and cnn have rejected the offer because the white house has stipulated it remain off the record. nbc news has been invited, but has not decided whether or not to attend. in a statement, a spokesperson for the a.p. says if it is not