history, a show that i think chaed tv forever. neither tony soprano nor jim gandolfini will ever be forgotten. it's time for martin. >> that's a lovely eulogy. thank you, too your ray. it's friday, june 21st. welcome to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. just ask speaker boehner. >> i didn't come here to be speaker because i need aid fancy title and a big office. >> we have a disaster. >> it's a bunch of malarky. >> how we intend to proceed on immigration. >> idiots like paul ryan will vote for you. >> an that's a spanish word. >> the bill is not passed. >> what an indictment. >> i almost feel bad for baner. >> major amateur hour. >> there was never intention for our side to say we wanted to take away the safety net. >> the republicans inability to give a majority vote to their own bill.

>> the bible also says the poor will always be with us. >> 62 of your members voted against your bill. >> it also says if you don't work, you don't eat. >> are you worried. >> pick yourself up, dust yourself off. >> i've taken a lot of hits, a lot of hatchets thrown at my back. ♪ >> it is the first day of summer, and a busy one at that. . we've got a packed hour ahead for you. the president has just nominated jim comey to be the nation's next fbi director naming a republican to a top national security position at a time when the administration is facing questions about secret surveillance programs. more on that just ahead. the jury is seated in the trial of george zimmerman with opening statements set for monday morning, we'll have a preview just ahead. as we mentioned, it is the summer sol stis with self-confessed pagans gathering

at stonehenge basking in the longest period of daylight for the entire year. but if anyone's really feeling like it's the longest 24 hours he's lived through, then it's got to be house speaker john boehner facing renewed serious questions about his inability to lead. after this week's farm bill went down like a lead zeppelin. and we're not talking about jimmy paige delivering some sizzling guitar so lose. quite the opposite. the house gop appears to be a band revolting against their leader in the midst of a disastrous breakup tour. you can hear the opening chords in the remarks of agriculture committee chairman frank lucas before yesterday's vote. >> vote with us. vote with me on final. and if you don't, when you leave here, they'll just say it's a dysfunctional body, a broken institution, full of dysfunctional people. that's not true. >> no, of course not.

pay no mind to today's headlines. farm bill setback opens house gop up to new attacks about ability to lead. the house gop revolts. john boehner officially has no control over his caucus. and this other simple headline "the dysfunctional house." totally unfair. it was democrats who ganged up and prevented the bill being paed. majority leader eric cantor. >> what weep saw today was a an democratic leadership in the house that was insistent to undo years and years of bipartisan work on an issue like a farm bill and decide to make it a partisan issue. it really is a disappointing day. i think that the minority has been a disappointing player today, mr. speaker, on the part of the people. >> that's right. you tell them, mr. cantor. naturally, minority leader nancy pelosi, the former house speaker, had some sympathy for paul releaguered boehner. >> you know, it's always

interesting to me when people blame other people for their own failures. if we ever came to you and we had the majority and said we didn't pass a bill because we didn't get enough republican votes, you know, that's really -- it's silly. it's sad. it's juvenile. it's unprofessional. it's amateur hour. >> okay. or not in any case speaker boehner knows the infighting, back stabbing and au-around thrashing, hey, they're all part of being a front man. >> as the speaker, i take a lot of hits. i get a lot of hatchets thrown at my back every day. listen, it comes with the territory. >> don't worry, speaker boehner. you can tell your side in the much anticipated documentary "spinal tap, the speaker's edition." let's get to our panel in washington is dayne fa milbank, columnist for "the washington post" and here in new york is my msnbc karen finney host of "disrupt," 4:00 p.m. on saturdays and sundays.

pity poor john boehner. he can't get the band to go along. eric cantor says it's all because of the democrats. >> it's all because of the democrats because we couldn't even get the votes of our own people. i mean, he's not acknowledging they lost republican votes, too. a, and b. >> over 60. >> i think it was like 62 or '3 by the by. you have to love this idea so it's nancy pelosi's fault that for the sixth time, this is the number six as a count it, john boehner and his whip team couldn't get tear act together. they have to stop blaming her and hiding behind her and take accountability for the fact they didn't whip the votes right. >> they cabinet count. dana, in general colin powell's famous 1 lessons on leadership which i know you've read, lesson five says never neglect details. when everyone's mind is dulled or distracted, the leader must be doubly vigilant.

now, dana, if you consider yesterday's disastrous farm bill vote, speaker boehner's mind is not only dulled but he's completely at sea. he simply can't count the votes, can he? >> people ask why he cries so much in public and why he smokes so much. i think he cries so much because of the 62 republicans in his caucus and he smokes so much because he has to listen to eric cantor whining like he did on the floor yesterday. he has people working for him who were supposed to be counting the board. i guess they were terp using a ouija board rather than counting noses. largely it was of their own creation. they did have the votes and snuck through an amendment they knew that every democrat was opposed to but one in the entire house. they knew or should have known this would bring the thing down. so john boehner has a choice. he can get stuff done in the house by working with the democrats or keep his job at speaker by placating his base but not get anything done.

>> this is another testament to how weak his leadership is. they snuck something in thinking they would get democrats to go along. there were enough republicans who said why am i going to stick my neck out if we're losing democrats. clearly he does not have control of his caucus. >> dana, it's not even mere counting because republicans sacrifice democratic votes with the extreme sutherland amendment you referred to. incentivized states, kicking families off of s.n.a.p. and the far right jump ship anyway, i can't tell you which is worse, their morality or political instincts. >> they jump ship for a couple of different reasons. the fact of the matter is, this bill was going to pass even though there were cuts to food stamps. the republicans weren't -- the 62 republicans weren't at all concerned to the cuts to the food stamps. they wanted more.

the conservative heritage action the club for growth were saying we're going to mark you down. the tea party set if you go along with this bill. that combination is what brought it down. that's why if this speaker wants to have something done, he's got to learn to bring the democrats on board as he did with the hurricane relief, as he did with the fiscal cliff. >> this suggesterland amendment itself, i was reading a piece from the central and budget and policy priorities. the provision is not a normal work requirement. work requirements in low income programs require people to look for jobs to accept job offers. that's not what the suggesterland amendment would do. that was a vicious amendment which no one, if they read the detail, with any kind of sean mind, would support. >> and you know what's so despicable about it, this is something you've talked about before. this idea of the war on poor, war on children. who actually would end up getting hurt the most with something like that?

not just the parent but the child. a lot of times we're talking about families impacts. what's so immoral about it though and we're going to talk about this this weekend, essentially you're setting up the premise being in need in and of itself means there's something wrong with you. it sets up a negative. in this country we're supposed to be people of generous heart who say we want to help you get through the tough time. >> stigmaization. >> dana things have become so bad for boehner, if your latest column, i read everything you write, you urge him to follow the lead of the great newt gingrich who, of course, lost his job as speaker. can you explain, dayne fa? you're a very intelligent man. on this one, i'm struggling. >> in 1998, gingrich went to the floor and talked about the petty dictators in his party voting against everything. yeah, there was a coup.

he lost his job. not before he reached significant compromises that set the government's finances in the right track. john boehner could get something done. he'll pay for it with his job. >> maybe the country might benefit. maybe the country would benefit. how about that? >> it's a quaint notion. >> it is. >> maybe he should take notes from nancy pelosi. when she was speaker, things got done. >> absolutely. that's because it was a woman in charge. dana milbank and karen finney. a reminder you can watch karen on her new show "disrupt" saturday and sunday 4:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. coming up, when in vegas, vice president joe biden goes all-in on gun reform. we'll take you there in a moment. hey linda! what are you guys doing? having some fiber! with new phillips' fiber good gummies.

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despite congress's failure to act, the issue of gun safety is gaining new life. thanks largely to the efforts of families who have been the victims of gun violence. but the courage to do this along with the fear and quite frankly, the danger is one of the least reported aspects of this story. take for instance, this rally tuesday in new hampshire. you can see there a group of anti-gun control protesters interrupteding a group associated with mayors against gun violence. but take a look at what happens as the man at the microphone tries to read the names of those who have died due to gun violence including that of his own daughter. >> he speaks the truth.

>> the names i delivered were the names of young people like my daughter melissa. sir, please have a little respect. >> thank you. >>. >> you won't have to read all the propaganda. >> joining us now is the man you just saw. john contin of new hampshire. good afternoon, sir. >> good afternoon. >> mr. contin few of us can imagine standing next to our own daughter as she's being shot and killed and also taking a bullet ourselves. and, of course, that's exactly what happened in your own experience. so i want to begin by extending my own condolences to you in relation to what happened. just tell us. >> thank you. >> just tell us a little more about that day that we just showed on video. you show up. and you start speaking. what happens next? >> yeah. well, there was two others before me and they got heckled.

however, when i went up, i just looked at some of their signs and talked to them and realized they really didn't know much about what they were there for. but anyways, as i started speaking, this man came up to me on the right side and he tried talking to me or yelling at meet actually and trying to intimidate me. the intimidation didn't work. i kept on reading. what i had he mentioned that all the propaganda that you have, you should know that by heart. but he didn't realize i was talking about my daughter. i don't think what happened to my daughter is propaganda. it's fact. >> yeah, it's certainly not propagan propaganda. this man in the red shirt who approached you, the bonton globe reports he was later arrested. but what was he actually saying to you personally? >> well, i blocked him out. he kept saying something about what kind of gun. he kept repeating. he had a very limited vocabulary

from what i can see. he wasn't making a lot of sense. i don't even know if he knew why he was there for sure. but he just didn't realize, i don't think he realized what we were actually there for. i think they think we're there to take away their guns. i'm a supporter of the second amendment. i reserve the right to want to be able to own a gun. i'm military retired. even though my daughter was shot, we should all be able to are the right to own a gun. we just don't want people who may be mentally ill and dangerous you know, the internet is very easy to get guns and at gun shows here in new hampshire. we need to have expanded background checks to enforce that. >> in the video, you can hear people shouting ayot which refers to kelly ayotte. senator of new hampshire who voted against the background

checks amendment. you voted for miss ayotte if i'm correct. what are your thoughts on. >> yes, i did. >> what are your thoughts on her today? >> well, i think she should talk to us. so far, from what i've seen with the newtown, connecticut, i'm not impressed what i've seen on television for what she has to say. and just before the rally, i was brought to her office in manchester. i had a thick book. it was about this thick. it was very impressive. it was 6140 names of people killed for various reasons across this country. i dropped that off in her office, will evident my name, telephone number, address if she wants to write. so i left myself open if she wants to contact me. >> mr. john cantin, thank you so much for your courage and of courts, as i said earlier, we

convey our thinsympathies to yor your loss. >> thank you. >> now let's turn to rt rye back, the mayor of minneapolis. welcome, sir. >> happy to be here. please, my sympathies to john, as well. >> the vice president said earlier this week that the country has changed. and people who oppose a deal on gun safety will pay a political price. what have you seen as a mayor that lends credence to the vice president's assertion versus that of the nra's wayne lapierre who says americans simply refuse to have any new gun legislation? >> well, i haven't really experienced this issue from washington with wayne lapierre and all these other folks. i've experienced it sadly from meeting many people like john who are parents who have lost children who are grandparents hosh have lost grandchildren who, are floends have lost

friends. so many people i know have been involved in gun violence. i'm not alone. people all around this country have. so the thing that has changed is very tragically, there's been a growing lobbying force, republicans, democrats, independents, people like john who voted for a republican senator who is, you know, going about his daily life and a horrendous thing happens and suddenly politics isn't about politics, it's personal. that's what guns have become. i'm not in this because it's politically had advantageous. it's a tough thing to do politically. the president had a lot of other things he wanted to do, but when newtown happened i'm so proud of a president lo said look, i could do a lot of other things. they're easier. it would be more convenient and successful but i can't look away from a country where that hideous thing happened in newtown or from a country where 6,000, more than 6,000 people have died from gun violence

since then. there's progress. colorado, connecticut, new york, delaware, all passed universal background checks. nevada passed it through the legislature till the governor vetoed it. we're making progress. we're not giving up. it's not politics. it's personal. >> what would you say then to congress where it seems to have been impossible to move any kind of legislation? what do you say to senators and representatives, house representatives on this issue of gun violence? >> well, the first thing we have to do is talk to each other. i think so often with this issue and i know in the wake of newtown, everybody said something has to happen but nothing happens. so this whole cynical narrative came in. the fact of the matter is, this is tough politics. and congress is absolutely dysfunctional on oem levels. i don't think we have long enough in the program to get into it. but congress isn't the point. the point is ta we have to keep fighting. we will keep fighting.

the vice president, i would be at his speech but it's more important to talk to you right now. >> i'm grateful to you for doing ta. >> i've talked with him before. and this isn't about politics for him or for the president. we're going to keep fighting. we are not giving up. and there are people all around this country who are going to do that. i don't think it's so wrong to say if 60% of the people in this corrupt have a background kek we shouldn't also have the other 40%. that's not extreme politics. it has to do with fairness and safety. and those are pretty american values. >> mayor r.t. ryeback of indianapolis, thank you for your service and for fighting on this issue. >> not giving up. >> coming up, in a week full of crazy, someone someone has to be the craziest. >> what she's got to do is somehow show that sunny side and show people that this is not the real paula deen. >> yeah. the hope is that america won't think of her as paula deen the casual racist but more as paula

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let's be honest. we've reached the end of a week during which has featured some quite sensational right wing rhetoric. a week in which dueling irs and immigration rallies drew the biggest tea party stars to the brightest television lights but who in this bulging catalog of crack pots is deserving of the title "whack cobird of the week"? may we suggest texas representative louis gohmert who staked out this position on immigration. >> don't come in to be a taker. come in to be a giver. we should not be giving a chance to be a taker. >> how welcoming. this was just the start of his war on mitt romney's takers. up next for mr. gohmert, those

food stamp moochers. >> the big king crab legs, i love those. we haven't been able to have them in ourous in who knows when. but i'm standing behind a guy that has those in his basket and then sees the food stamp card pulled out and provided. >> only the finest delicacies for america's poor and needy. but what really takes the biscuit? yes, the cue da grass may well be an exchange between mr. gohmert and think progress, a reporter asked him about the employment nondiscrimination act which would protect lgbt workers from hirings due to sexual orientation. gohmert who said he was not aware of the specific legislation replied "who wants to go talking about sexual orientation when they're working? good grief!" who who would want to the talk about sexual orientation while

working? how about texas congressman who said this on the floor of the house? >> if you're oriented toward animals, bestiality, if you're oriented toward corpses, toward children, there are all kinds of perversions. what most of us would call per investigations. some would say it sounds like fun but most of us would say were perversions. >> to quote you one more time, congressman, good grief. stay with us. the day's top lines are coming up. [ male announcer ] erica had a rough day. good thing she's got the citi simplicity card. it doesn't charge late fees or a penalty rate, ever. because she's got other things to stress about. ♪ go to citi.com/simplicity to apply.

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i started getting really nauseous and i felt like i was going to pass out. luckily there was an emt working out. he suspected it was a heart attack. he gave me a bayer aspirin. bayer aspirin was a lifesaver for me. i don't ever want to have another heart attack. i'm on a regimen of bayer aspirin. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. never assume that it can't happen to you. be proactive. see your doctor. ♪ prosecutors cannot say that trayvon martin was racially profiled. it's just one of the dozen and don'ts the judge has ruled on today ahead of opening statements in the trial of george zimmerman set for monday morning. the jury seated yesterday is made up of all women.

we're still awaiting a ruling on whether a prosecution expert can testify on who they believe is screaming in the background of a 911 tape the night martin was killed. zimmerman is charged with second degree murder. he's pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of the unarmed 17-year-old trayvon martin. he claims he shot martin in self-defense. joining us now in miami is msnbc contributor goldie taylor and in philadelphia, msnbc contributor professor james peterson. professor, if i might begin with you. the judge has ruled that profiling by race cannot be brought up. however, prosecutors are free to use the term "profiling" as long as it's not in a racial context. and used possibly charged terms like wannabe cop and vigilante to describe zimmerman. what do you expect from the opening statements, given the restrictions placed on these proceedings?

>> well, one i think the opening statements are going to be very, very important to this trial and we'll all be watching this very, very closely. msnbc will be watching this very, very closely. i think it's a victory for the prosecution in a week where they may have taken a couple lss depending how you interpret this panel of jurors. being able to use the term profiled is not the best case scenario for the prosecution but still helps because you want to establish with this jury the simple fact that mr. zimmerman made some rushes to judgment in the last few moments of trayvon martin's life. i think it's also equally important that they can refer to him as a wannabe cop and vigilante. that goes to their case and helps them to roll out all the evidence of all the 9/11 calls he made, all those things factor into who the prosecution wants to say george zimmerman is. >> right. >> goldie, the jury is seated.

all women, and the attorney for trayvon martin's family weighed in on some of the potential issues of stereotypes that could come into play with msnc's reverend al sharpton last night. the reverend asked about a juror who skewed why trayvon was out late at night. take a listen to this, goldie. >> that yor is a white female. she wondered why trayvon peculiar tin was out late at night. the state tried to strike her but she made the jury. was trayvon out late at night? >> he left for the 7-eleven before 7:00. as we all know now, he was killed right around 7:16 that evening. so i don't know who thinks 7:00 at night is out late at night for a 17-year-old teenager, but that's the stereotype. >> goldie, what do you make of the jury that's been selected? >> you know, i'm a bit troubled

by it, honestly. at the end of the day, i don't know a jurisdiction in this country even with the most strict curfew laws surrounding our young people who thinks that 7:00 or even 7:30 p.m. is a good curfew hour for a 17-year-old young person. so i've got to question a juror. i think that very same juror referred to the protests that came on the heels of this incident as a riot rather than the very peaceful protests that they were. and so i think that first juror having made this panel might be a bit unfortunate and may be grounds later on. the idea that there are six women on then panel and by the way, you have six jurors because 1 are only really necessary or are required when you have a capital punishment case. this is not that. this is second degree murder case. so six panelists is the order of the day. but to have six women to me as a woman does seem out of the ordinary when you're looking for

a jury of george zimmerman's peers. and so can -- would not his peers be more a diverse group and include men, for instance? would not his peers include people of color, for instance? would not his peers include people who have a greater range in age? so to have six women, five of them are white, one of them is nonwhite or undisclosed mirt status. >> unspecified. >> unspecified minority status. so i have a bit of trouble understanding that this is, indeed, an injury of his peers number one. but i have a bit of trouble understanding based on the question that they answered in open court about how they viewed this case. if we have indeed a fair and impartial jury that we all want to have in this case. >> indeed. professor, george zimmerman's attorney has not shied away from discussing some of his strategy. and he was asked at a press conference yesterday if mr. zimmerman would take the

stand. take a listen to what he said. >> that's a dynamic decision that's got to be made within the context of a trial. don't forget the defense problems absolutely nothing. this case will fall on the fact that the state cannot convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt with their evidence that a crime was committed by my client. so i think that's the only standard we're going to have to get to. when they get to that, they simply can't problem their case, we'll be done. >> professor, do you expect mr. zimmerman to take the stand? >> i think it depends on -- like his lawyer is saying, depends how the trial unfolds. if they get this audio data in there that is essentially going to problem it was trayvon martin screaming the last moments of his life that, might sort of force the hand of the defense here. it depends how it unfolds. if they can rest their case without hip testifying, they will do so. >> james peterson and goldie taylor, tachings so much for joining us. coming up, could he be the

republican party's last best hope? plus, it's getting hot in here. our top lines week in review is next. >> i'm actually going to take off my jacket and anybody else who wants to feel free to. [ male announcer ] running out of steam?

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so far it's about the best strawberry i've had this year. walmart works directly with growers to get you the best quality of produce they've ever had. all this produce... is from walmart. oh my god. i'm shocked. (laughing) i know where i'm going to be shopping for strawberries now. get 2 full pounds of strawberries, just $2.98. backed by our 100% money back guarantee. walmart from raving liberals to questionable swim wear. here are today's top lines, the week in review. what could possibly go wrong. >> you set an example for those who seek a peace of their own. >> we will not keep ourselves on a perpetual war footing >> on scattered corners of the world, there are people living in the grip of conflicting >> another week and a half are you going to be walking around the jersey shore in a speedo. >> an. >> we don't want to subject the people of the jersey shore to any more tragedy. >> you're going to like the way

you look. >> always been xenophobia that xis in parts of america. >> i am here to say to the liberals. i am here for a long, long. >> it's the end of america as you know it and i know it and these people know it. >> don't come in to be a taker. >> that's just mean. >> as we like to say at fox and friends, what could go wrong. >> that's baxter. >> you know how to cut to the core of me, baxter. >> thursday night is mexican night. >> come again? >> you know i don't speak spanish. in english, please. >> not janis joplin, not columbia university and it sure the hell wasn't a labor union. >> in a glass case of emotioning >> standing in line at a grocery store behind people with a food stamp card. >> mm. that is good fondue. >> i love crab legs. >> the democratic leadership in

the house want to blame the democrats. >> long, long time. >> you're in charge of the house. >> this is a very difficult issue. >> they didn't get results and they put the blame on somebody else. >> i fully expect to be speaker. >> it's amateur hour. >> as the speaker, i take a lot of hits. i get a lot of hatch heets thrown at my back. >> the gop leadership got blindsided. >> as god gives breath in my body, i am here. >> what a week it's been for the right wing in this country. pretty much every political pathology has been exposed. it there a silver lining to all the gloomy reactionary clouds? a profile of rand paul in the latest issue of the new republic takes a look at kentucky's junior senator and finds that his growing political skills are nothing to be laughed at. of so let's bring in the author

of this much discussed article, the new republic's julia yoffey and toure the much discussed co-host "cycle." i'll start with you julia, because you won't get a word in edgeways if he starts? >> your fascinating piece in the new republic features the following quotation from senator paul who says "democrats have done a better job of being a party of people from all walks of life and we need to do that. we need to have people with earrings, nose rings, tattoos, ties, without ties, pony tails, no pony tails." fast forward to the republican convention 2016, rand paul takes the dais and looks over a crowd where nose rings i guess are replaced by i guess barbara bush's sensible pearls. is that right? an. >> you know, i think he would hope to see a more diverse crowd with people ho aren't just white and old.

it was interesting to see him speak at a fund-raiser in iowa actually. tan connects to what's happening now with the immigration debate. he's actually a really good salesman of immigration reform. he got up to speak after two very nativist people who opposed any immigration reform, grassley and king. and he said you know what? you may not like it, but we're not sending these people back. we have to do something about it, and we have to be more respect it will about the way we talk. we need to have our party look more like the way the country looks now even if it's not how we in this room look. the room was totally silent. it was interesting to see him sell it to a white crowd. >> that's amazing evidence that she's talking about there, that he's talking about basic common sense. we need to have a party that looks like america. we cannot physically depart 11 million people. yet the audience is like what are you talking about? that's the last thing we want to hear.

they are in a demographic death spiral and can't get out of it without without at least getting back to some sort of even keel with america's hispanics, the latino community but they're not moving toward that. the house this week passed a measure that would make it a federal crime to be in the country legally even though the supreme court has said that is not a crime. so do you think this house is going to pass immigration reform that the senate is talking about? of course, not. >> to julia's point, this is a man at least articulating a desire to engage with some of these issues. that does make him something of a contrast to people like michelle bachmann who we saw earlier this week. >> he is not a whacko bird on this particular issue but he is a whacko bird on other particular issues. >> julia, go ahead. >> yes, i was going to say that it's not just that he's stating this desire that yes, it's a little baal to say we should have a party that looks like the country if we wanted to be a

national party. but is he unlike many other republicans give him credit. he's going out there and reaching out to hispanic groups, african-american groups. that sounds pretty. >> fundamental? rudimentary? basic. >> he's at least doing it. >> are we saying that. >> he's trying to calibrate his message accordingly. he's learning very quickly. >> are we say tag going to howard university and somewhat offending the black community there, that that was reaching out to african-americans? >> he did go to simmons two days later and he actually had learned something. okay. senator paul was one of the headliners at this week's tea party protest on capitol hill. let's hear his big zinger. take a listen to this. >> anybody want to fire some irs agents? why don't we start with the 16,000 irs agents that are going to implement obama care? >> julia, is that the rhetoric

of a future leader of the free world or is it just a demagogue lying to people about abolishing the irs which is never going to happen? >> i think it's both. i think it's a little bit of. >> thank you. >> i mean, look, it's like running for class president and saying if you make me president, il abolish all homework and the candy in the candy machine will be free. you know. it's an easy applause line. he knows how to feed catnip to his base. >> he does. >> i think the ultimate question around the rand paul experiment rising from the tea party to being a senator who makes a lot of political theater but does have institutional power, some real power. >> and who's developed and refined his performance. >> the question is, is there the potential for lasting power in an extreme ideology? being at the edges of the political spectrum. there is no power to be had being in the middle of the spectrum itself because we are so hyper partisan. being on the edges doesn't lead

you to real national lasting power either. you have to be a moderate within your side of the aisle to have a serious cannes at power. >> toure, thank you. julia ioffe, thank you so much for joining us. it's a great article. >> coming up, whatever you do today, don't ask mitch mcxwonl perhaps the most important issue facing our nation right now. no, that question is off limits. asional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues... with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'.

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mitch mcconnell is nominally the leader of republicans in the senate. i say nominally because sometimes you'd never know by watching hip at work. take today, for instance. after his speech before a group at a conservative washington think tank, he took questions on subjects ranging from the evils of the preds and michael bloomberg to the joys of anonymous cash in political campaigns. but when he was asked about the

future of the immigration reform bill in the senate, this is what he had to say. >> yeah, i'm not doing an immigration press conditions here. as you know we're going to be on that matter for another week or so. we'll see how it guns 0 you the. >> joining us now is democratic congressman john yarmuth of kentucky. good afternoon, sir. is that fairly indicative of the leadership style of the man you've come to know? remain silent on issues of national importance while running away with so-called scandals involving the irs and stuff like this? >> exactly. he has the chauffeur style of leadership. he just wants to drive. we'll take you anywhere you want to go. he just wants to stay at the wheel. >> that performance there where he simply refuses to even say anything about immigration reform, that's standard, is it, for him? >> it is. if anybody's seen him on national talk shows, mitch never talks about things. mitch doesn't want to talk about. he's a master at controlling

both access to himself and the conversation. and you know, i hope the senate campaign next year changes that. i hope he has a camera in his face wherever he goes which might happen because so far, he's really good at not talking about things that make him uncomfortable. >> his speech today was on the subject of free speech. but mr. mcconnell sounded very paranoid throughout. at one point he remarked about an enemies list and the president's culture of intimidation. but is it the president or is it 2014 that's making mr. mcconnell a little paranoid these days? >> clearly it's 2014. mitch mcconnell knows how to do one thing and that's stop something, sop things from happening in government. he has to create olympiansters he's going to stop because he had has no vision for the country or kentucky. that's all he nknows how to do. i think the sad thing is, i've known mitch for a long time. he doesn't believe any of this

stuff. he believes it's useful for him him to say it. >> as we know, you are a member of the house of representatives. mr. mcconnell is in the senate. let's turn to mcconnell's counterpart in the house is, speaker john boehner. what is your analysis for him after the failed farm bill vote which let's be honest, is entirely of his own making? >> there's no question about that. i mean, there was the environment to do a farm bill on a bipartisan basis. >> right. >> he allowed some poison pill amendments to be passed that lost him virtually all democratic support and he into you that would happen. speaker boehner has a real problem on his hands. he has about almost half of his conference of the republican members were elected in the last two years. they're very, very quefrt conservative. they come from virtually all white districts not representative of america as a whole and they really are not vulnerable to anything except a challenge from the even farther right.

he has a hard time bringing them into the tent. so you know, i his this his job is probably not at stake because while i think the tea party members can keep him from being speaker, they can't elect another person. i'm not sure there's anybody waiting in the wings that would be able to garner the support. so i think his job's probably safe. i think the future of the house of representatives is less certain. >> sure. so in a word, sir, is immigration reform possible or not possible with the leader as weak as jan baner? >> i think it is possible. speaker boehner is going to have to -- it's all depending on him. it can't happen without his leadership. i think there's some different circumstances surrounding the immigration debate. i think that there's a much broader base of support for immigration reform and also there's political motivation on both sides to get it done. i think he has a better opportunity to bring a substantial portion of a conference to a comprehensive

immigration proposal. >> democratic congressman john yarmuth of kentucky, thank you for joining us this friday. we'll be right back. with scottrade's online banking, i get one view of my bank and brokerage accounts with one login... to easily move my money when i need to. plus, when i call my local scottrade office, i can talk to someone who knows how i trade. because i don't trade like everybody. i trade like me. i'm with scottrade. (announcer) scottrade. awarded five-stars from smartmoney magazine. her long day of pick ups and drop offs begins with arthritis pain... and a choice. take up to 6 tylenol in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. all aboard. ♪

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thanks so much for watching this afternoon. i hope you'll have a great weekend. don't move. chris matthews and "hardball" is next. >> mitch is pitch. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. the propaganda war for 2014 has begun. the man who wanted to destroy the obama presidency is out there with the first big fire bomb of misinformation. it's about the irs problem. mitch mcconnell who set his heart publicly on limiting president obama to a single term is now declaring that the -- well he's declari