welcome back to "morning joe." this morning we once again look back at our biggest guests and best interviews of 2013. >> what a year. this has been an exciting year. >> in politics it wasn't the best year for republicans in congress. most will remember 2013 for being one of the least productive congresses in history. but while d.c. was mired in gridlock at the state level gop governors were getting it done. this year we interviewed governors chris christie, scott walker and bobby jindal who offered fresh new ideas for the republican party. >> what's happening in the states we're getting right

because 60% of the governors in america republican. majority of state senators in america republican. huge landslide since 2010. what are republicans not doing in washington, d.c. that republicans at the state and local level are doing. >> three big things. governors and state leaders were more optimistic than our friends in washington. we're not just against something. we're laying out a plan. we're laying out a vision. people gravitate. >> you got to. >> that's how you lead. you don't sit back and nick the other side. you have to lay out a plan. we talk in terms that's more relevant. sequester, goes right over their head. debt ceiling, fiscal cliffs. we talk about making our kids schools better, we talk about balancing our budget, we talk about helping our neighbor get a job again and finally the third thing is courage. having the courage to act. i think, unfortunately, a lot of american voters look at washington, don't think anybody has the courage to do anything. >> they don't have to do what

you guys do and republican and democratic governors alike got to balance their budgets. they got to run the schools. they can't run up massive debt. they can't push off the issues. you talked about being for something instead of just being against something. you caught my attention a couple of weeks ago when you came out and you thought -- you said it was a bad idea to shut down the federal government over obamacare. >> right. >> why? >> i have real problems with obviously obamacare and i laid it out. i didn't think the medicade expansion or state exchanges. there's a huge problem you know it back from the mid-'90s. >> we did it. >> that's exactly right. people want things to work. now a lot of people like myself we talked before about libertarians. most americans even if they don't like the size of growth of government they still want something to work. something very fundamental to work and that's the difference between washington and the

states. at the state level we may want as republican governors less government but we want the government that we have to work. >> you want to see school choice, balanced budgets, tax cuts, folks taking on public pension overall, governors taking on government unions, it's happening in state capitals. governors like scott walker and rick scott taking on the tough challenges and having great results. unemployment results one point below democratic led states. top ten states led by republican governors. absolutely it's important for us to say -- for too long we let d.c. define our brand. we'll stop that. >> how? they are drowning you out. >> we've done the policies. now it's about calling attention to policy results. folks in michigan -- >> you come every week and tell us about it? >> not every week. but look that's a real problem. >> i agree with you. i think the next republican president comes from a governor's mansion. how do we drown out the chaos in washington, though? >> a big part of the challenge

governors have day jobs. most of us are not near the media capitals. we are not near new york or l.a. or the coast. these reforms aren't getting covered. the reason why republican governors are doing so well in part voters see the results. they see improving schools, improving economies. they see the improving government finances. they see governors are making tough choices. it's not happening in d.c. or at the white house. governors have to speak with a louder voice. >> republicans will start coming to you, some republicans actually are interested in winning are going to come to and start talking to you about running for president in 2016. what are you going to say to them? >> i'm going to say i'm going to keep my job and when those decisions need to be made i'll make them. >> when will those decisions be made? >> probably not until 2015. >> kind of late. shouldn't he do -- >> depends on the speedo. >> oh, my god.

>> is it a color issue, mike or style? >> you think you could get elected in this republican party in a primary in iowa, new hampshire, south carolina? >> listen, i think what you said is absolutely right. that, you know, the republican party -- we saw this in 2000. you know after you lose two elections in a row nationally you want to win and i think our party should be focused on making sure we nominate the best possible candidate we can in 2016 to get elected. >> what's wrong with the republican party. what is the problem? what's happened? we lost five out of six of the last presidential elections in the popular vote. why? >> i think because we're not doing what we're doing on the state level where we're being successful. we have 30 or 50 republican governors in this country. why? i think that's because at the state level they see the republican party as being doers, that we get things done for people. and that we bring people together and do so by not violating our principles at the same time.

i think that's what we've done in new jersey and that's why people are responding in the way they are. >> is there a republican in washington or in office in this country that you think represents the future of the party? >> that's not for me to decide. you accuse me of being self-interested. you think you want me to answer that question and be accused of self-interested again. >> you see people every day. >> i do. >> ordinary people. >> yep. >> does it ever surprise you when you see some of the things coming out of the republican party in washington from the floor of the united states senate or the floor of the united states house of representatives in that it seems to be so far astray from the ordinary needs of ordinary people? >> mike, i would tell you i would broaden that. almost everything i see that comes out of the floor of congress from both parties shocks me. what you've seen in congress is people are in both end zones.

and nobody is playing in the middle of the field. nobody is trying to get things done. they are yelling and screaming at each other from both end zones. i see stuff that comes out of the democratic party that shocks me as much as stuff that comes out of folks in the republican party and sometimes even more. so i think that, you know, the fact is you need someone to take leadership down there. i'm disappointed that the president hasn't done that either. i heard you all talking on the way in about his early parts of his charm offensive. the charm offensive should have started in january of 2009. the fact that all of a sudden we're in june of 2013 and we're just talking about charm offensive and trying to get to know congress. you're in the fifth year of the presidency. it's a little bit late in the dating game to start to get to know somebody. >> it's going to be a really interesting republican primary in 2016.

we have no idea where that's going. but we'll be talking about i'm sure a lot over the next year. still ahead on "morning joe" -- >> a debate born of tragedy. joe biden joins us for one of the defining issues of 2013. more "morning joe" in just a moment. we're aig. and we're here. to help secure retirements and protect financial futures. to help communities recover and rebuild. for companies going from garage to global. on the ground, in the air, even into space. we repaid every dollar america lent us. and gave america back a profit. we're here to keep our promises. to help you realize a better tomorrow. from the families of aig, happy holidays.

we also look back on tragedy, december 2012, sandy hook, the tragedy there. turned all of our eyes and voices towards the issue of gun control. for vice president joe biden it was familiar ground. two decades ago as senator biden he helped pass comprehensive gun legislation. as the debate continued in the aftermath of newtown we sat down with the vice president along with a panel of experts to debate the issue. obviously good argument can be made that background checks would have done nothing to stop what happened at sandy hook. a ban on assault weapons, is

that something as a lot of our guests on the show from capitol hill have said something that you would like to work towards at some point. >> yes. well look, i think certain weapons of war don't belong on the street. look let's talk about sandy hook for a minute. i love the argument they say well there's nothing we're proposing could have done anything to change the circumstances of sandy hook. well, number one, the police got there in 2 1/2 minutes. if there had only been ten bullets in each clip he would have had to change the clip an additional three to five times. one of those kids would be alive. somebody would be alive. just statistically the probability is he would not have gotten off 150 shots. not as many people -- no one knows. so even if it just did nothing else other than to save one of those kids' lives, what is the inconvenience? what are we doing?

what are we doing to impact on a gun owner's right if he only has a clip with ten rounds in it instead of 30 rounds in it? >> okay. so i would like to now bring in a unique perspective to this conversation that's collin goddard. senior year at virginia tech you were shot four times. one of seven in the classroom who survived that day. what are you thinking listening to this conversation and do you have a question for the vice president? >> i'm encouraged by kind of the level of agreement and understanding that we have about the issues of guns in america. there are 300 million already owned that we have to be responsible and be safe with those. we always talk about in these discussions of how can we make us safer. we refer to the last major shooting and what can we do to affect that one. as opposed to all of the shootings that happened in this country in the past year and all the ones that will happen. in the case of what happened at

newtown is a case of a parent who left their guns accessible to their kid. you just can't do that. you can't do that. with legislation how we could affect that we can't stop that shooting but we could have made it far lesley that will. 11 kids are alive today because they escaped when he paused to reload. when you have 30 rounds in a magazine you don't have to stop shooting people for quite some time, you lead to more deaths. a limit on the number of bullets you can put in a gun, any gun. it makes sense. we're not going to stop every shooting but we can do better than we're doing now. we don't have to accept these things as normal. we don't have to accept it as part of the second amendment in our society. that's just not acceptable. >> could you jump in here. you and tina disagree in banning assault weapons. when you do so speak for 40% or 50% of americans who agree with you.

>> we have to do something. we have to do something that's relevant to the problem dean it now. there are 100 million high capacity magazines in america. banning the future sale of them is going to have no impact. the vice president said to us, the president said everything is on the table. i think it's time in this country that we have an adult discussion about the role of the war on drugs and the role it plays in violent crime in america. >> tina, let me ask you why do you oppose the banning of high capacity magazines and assault weapons? >> i personally don't think that's the issue. i think it's the mental health is the elephant in the room that we dance around. the high capacity magazines aren't the issue. you know, we have the person that goes and purchases the gun and go through the background check. they are the legal abiding citizen. why should they go ahead and have to turn in a high capacity magazine or not be able to use a specific gun? i think that is where we do

start treading on a slippery slope when we go ahead and start naming certain guns that we have to ban or high capacity magazines in which the gun does hold. >> no one challenged it, no one said it was unconstitutional. look there are all these -- >> what about the point where he said how many are already out there? >> 100 million. >> none of the kids who went out there, none of these people went out and did this serious high capacity i mean excuse me these mass murders, none of them had those or went to someone who already had one. they all purchased them. they purchased them as they decided to engage in this absolutely irrational act. that's how it happens. let's talk about the mentally ill. the mentally ill don't all of a sudden say, you know, i have a high capacity, i've had this high capacity magazine for the

last 20 years or the last two years, last five years. you know what i think i'm going to kill people. that's not how it happens. what happens is the pathology is i have a serious mental problem, i decide i'm now going to decide i'm going kill a whole bunch of people. so let me get the material i need to do that. they go in the market and buy that. they don't go to charlie or go to tina and say tina i know you have a whole lot of high capacity magazines. let me borrow one. that's not how it works. that's not how real life works. >> all right. mr. vice president, thank you so much. >> thank you all for being with us. >> thank you. it was a great discussion. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. you have changed the debate in america. >> thank you so much. >> the two guys that deserve anything gets done here are you and michael bloomberg. >> thank you.

>> i don't know that's going to help me in the future at a republican primary but thank you so much. >> probably won't help him either. won't help either one of you that i think you're great guys. >> still ahead on "morning joe" i step into the ring with iron mike tyson. i'm pretty strong. more "morning joe" when we come back. ♪ love...

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♪ >> i really don't know much about my mother. i remember her drinking a lot, angry, fighting. she dreamed of becoming a school teacher but then she met my father. or the man who i was told was my father. the cool, fancy dressing pitch. he's credited with changing my mother's life. then she started the street life. she drank to cover up the pain. i suppose my addiction started here with her. i was born with an addicted gene that haunts me to this day. it creeps up on me in my darkest night. it robs me of my brightest day. this is the only picture i have of my mother. seemed like she must have been

happy that day. that's powerful. >> scene from new spike lee hbo "undisputed truth." joining us now, film starring mike tyson, also the author of a book by the same name. quite a cover. >> great to meet you. congratulations, man. what a long strange trip it's been for those of us that grew up with you and, man -- >> just pretty strange. >> total domination. a dark period. now the other side -- a lot of great things coming your way. >> thank you. >> how did you get here? >> i don't know. >> how did you get through the pain to get here where you're back on your feet again? >> i don't know. when i first started to do this book two years ago, it evoked some nasty feelings. i don't want to do this any more. since then i got married. you need to do this.

i needed money of course. so i did this. and this is just what came out of it. >> yeah. >> it's one thing to be a fighter, and it's another thing to expose your pain. what's harder to do? >> definitely exposing my pain. from being a fighter, from being iron mike tyson, i can mask my pain. no one could know who i am and where the pain came from. but i had to be emotionally naked with my writer. some nasty stuff emotionally. i don't have a good psychological opinion of myself when i start talking about this stuff. >> you talked about your mom. that shot of you from spike lee film talking about your mom and the only picture you have of your mom. you looked like an actor up there. you looked like you have been

doing this your whole life? >> i was acting my whole life. that's why i was able to do that. >> looking back now, it's obvious, nobody ever beat you. you beat yourself. i mean you just got to a point where, you know, come on, totally focused, buster douglas is not going to lay a glove on you. who is, though, we should look back through history. who is a boxer versus ali. who would have loved to fight at their prime and your prime? >> none of those guys. because of those guys i got the inspiration to be a fighter. i looked up to the guys. dempsey and ali. i would never want to hit them. i woulding fight those guys. those guys are my inspiration. i never even had a pair of boxing gloves until i met stewart. i never thought about being a boxer. never knew what boxing gloves were. it kind of chose me.

>> this past summer, talking about some of your challenges. >> i want to change my life. i want to live a different life. i want to live a sober life. i don't want to die. i'm on the verge of dying because i'm a vicious alcoholic. i haven't had a drink or drugs in six days and for me that's a miracle. i've been lying to everybody else that i'm sober. i'm not. this is my sixth day. i'll never use again. [ applause ] >> you know, when i -- i didn't have to tell anybody that. that was just a form of me wanting to destroy myself hoping that all my sponsors pull out and i have a reason to die if something drastic happen so i wouldn't have to deal with the responsibility and all that. that's who i am sometimes in my life. i'm not always the guy i am now.

>> everybody likes talking about, you know, mike tyson. let's talk about the pain and the struggles. let's talk about some of the highlights. youngest guy ever to win heavy weight championship. you knocked out somebody faster than anybody else, eight seconds. what i loved about watching you getting in the ring, no frills, no fancy, just black shoes, black shorts and let's fight. what for you was the highlight in your boxing career? >> i don't know. maybe from becoming the youngest champ. that's something my mentor always planned to do since i was 12 or 13. i think that was just the highlight of my life. >> what did he see in you that others might not have seen in you? >> i don't have the slightest idea. that's the only question in my life i don't understand. how did he know? how did you know?

i don't know. >> yeah. >> i know what his best highlight was? the "hangover." >> that's pretty good. >> i walked out of that movie. >> oh, come on, stop it. you walked out of the "hangover." >> if i knew mike tyson was in i might have stayed around. >> it's great to have -- let's see the arm wrestling. i want to see how good of an actor he is. >> it's okay. i'll pretend to lose. don't worry. go. take him down. look at that. >> he's funny. >> he's a champion. >> listen, it's great to see you here. we want to see you in five years. >> god willing. that would be awesome. >> god willing. >> make it happen. >> one day at a time. i'm proud. i know. i had a lot of friends in music

and other areas that have struggled. they will tell you going 90 days sober that's an extraordinary -- >> that's a miracle. >> that's an extraordinary achievement. congratulations on that more than the book more than the film. >> the book "undisputed truth" is out now. mike tyson. we'll be back with more "morning joe." ♪ should not all those presents make the cut ♪

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>> one of my favorite moments in "the lion king" is when rafiki turns to simba and says, "what was that?"

i asked the same question after the russell brand interview. you pre-recorded that. we looked at it. we laughed. we thought it was a great interview, thought it was very funny. bradley cooper you're still pretending you never watch bradley cooper's film. >> i've seen some of them. parts of them. >> there were some people -- >> yes. they actually thought i was -- here's what it is. i have billy and joe -- you guys left me alone. >> people don't understand, you play this routine about oh, i don't know this. >> i didn't know who he was but that's okay because i usually have you guys here. >> we ask the questions.

>> instead i had katty and brian and they are as clueless. take a look. it's a complete mess. freak show. train wreck. >> joining us now he's a big deal, i know, i'm told this. i'm not very pop culture. comedian, movie star, author and host of the show "brand x," russell brand. embarking on his first worldwide comedy tour, the messiah complex. he already told brian he might want to disrobe. i'm just saying. >> i thought i could loosen up and show more chest hair. >> you look fantastic. >> very kind compliment. you also look beautiful. brian you're free to wear whatever you want. this is one of your freedoms afforded to you. >> i appreciate that. >> the boots? >> the boots are fabulous. >> put them on the table. >> kinky boots time.

>> those are nice. >> put your feet up. relax. >> i don't want to disrespect your program. >> a fellow english woman. >> we talked about kinky boots recently. >> russell -- >> that's all right. >> you disrespected the table. >> it's like jinga like your desk is a puzzle. >> be careful. that's a low-cut dress. i'm only flesh and blood. i got instincts. >> okay. >> tell me what you need to know. >> i'm just going to have a drink here. >> messiah complex that's the name of your tour. do you have one? >> no. it's mental illness. >> right. you don't have that either. >> i hope i'm here fully qualified professional gentleman free from mental illness. this is a hot bed of neurosis and psychosis.

i'm grateful to be here. >> joe is not here so there's no messiahs. >> that's true. although we bring more mental illness to the table than we admit at least on this side for sure. so tell me about the tour. you're starting in abu dhabi. is that where it begins? >> in a lot of the middle eastern nations. in your wonderful country and our country. i'm very -- yes, really good tour. i talk about martin luther king and jesus christ and other figures and how significant they are and how icons designate consciousness and meaning. >> what brings all those people together? >> they are all people that died for a cause. they are all people whose icons are used to designate meaning perhaps not in the manner in which they intended. >> kind of like that. that sounds dead serious. >> it's funny when you do it as a joke.

>> can we get like 30 seconds now? >> well, not really, love. >> gandhi, go. >> your message to gandhi and the people of india. >> it's funny, though, because i travel a lot. >> those people are at work, are they? work more quietly. >> they are facebooking actually. >> what are they doing? >> facebooking. >> facebooking? >> shopping. >> they are looking at pornography. >> i don't know. >> if they wanted to they can tweet or facebook. >> they have to. that's part of their job. >> they are tweeting now. they are tweeting themselves senseless back there. lovely. that's the creative sphere, the hot bed of news. they are fully qualified. >> yeah. >> they are now just looking for acting work. >> so you have a pretty broad range.

i'll ask a serious question. i'll try. >> go ahead. >> everyone asks what do you like better tv, movies or stand up. which one is more difficult. going on stage i think is probably pretty tough. movie can be boring because you shoot a thing a hundred times. tv is what it is. >> there are challenges in all of those different disciplines. i enjoy most the stand up comedy. in media people like to change the information. you're in a room with people what you're saying is clear. if you say something that people are confused about you can explain it to them then. if you say something as a joke people can pretend you're saying it seriously. i like having direct communication with people. i believe people are very intelligent, but the information gets manipulated and people have fake stares and stuff. >> the accent, when i see him in person totally fine, forgetting the tv show.

on satellite radio i can't understand a single joke. >> you can't understand it? >> when i'm driving the car and everyone is laughing, i have no idea. >> best you focus on your driving. you don't want to be distracted by humor. you might crash into a pedestrian. i think it's for the best. >> i think -- this is my first -- >> brand experience. >> yeah. i think it's not listening to him it's experience. just sort of taking it all in. >> you're talking about as if i'm not here and if i'm an extraterrestial. >> it's an experience. >> i'm glad it's positive for you. >> very positive. absolutely. any other questions? >> you've become nervous. why are you nervous? you're powerful woman. got a lovely job. what seems to be the trouble.

you have hair like princess diana. >> i'm petrified of her. >> what seems to be the trouble, love? >> would you do sarah palin with him. >> i don't think so. >> that's where he's heading. >> i'm all right. >> you shouldn't say he when a person is present. you should refer to the person by their name. that's basic good manners. >> who is willie? >> i don't know. russell brand -- >> this is what you all do for a living. let me help you. i'm here to promote messiah complex for people of america. i want people of america come see me do stand up. go to russellbrand tv where you can purchase tickets to see me. you convey news to people of america. people of america we'll be okay. everything is all right. these are your trusted anchors.

>> that's good. pen. you need a pen. >> okay. coming up later, we're going to be talking about the situation with edward snowden, this whistleblower is it good for what he's done for america or are our secrets being jeopardized. is bradley manning a hero or compromising safety of american troops. we care about your views. here with me brian and kat. what do you think about edward snowden, what do you think about the situation with snowden. have you got anything to hide? >> i understand everything he said. >> because you're looking at him. when you don't see him you don't see the lips moving. >> stop saying he. i'm present. russell. what's wrong with your manners.

>> you're good at that. >> i'm coming in tomorrow with a big necklace and opening it up. >> that's the problem with current affairs. you forget what's important. you allow the agenda to be decided by superficial information. what am i saying, what am i talking about. don't think about what i'm wearing. those things are redundant. be distracted. what do you think that gesture means the way you're touching that bowl. what is the subtext of that the way you're touching that bowl. lose that ring, mika because it means nothing to you. she's grasping for shafts. she's a shaft grasper. >> we don't need to see the tour. >> you're ovulating. >> oh, my god. >> we're ready. my work is done here. >> it comes to the u.s. in august. more "morning joe" in just a moment. >> who is joe? >> he sits right here. >> i'm sweating.

and you're talking to your rheumatologist about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region

where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your doctor if humira can work for you. this is humira at work.

here with us now, steinway signature artist and pianist to the president, david osborn who performed for president obama and his guests at this year's white house holiday parties. >> so how does a kid from oklahoma become piano to the presidents? how did that happen? >> well, way back in the '80s i went to a book signing at a gift shop in orlando, florida, where i lived at the time.

i was working there and performing for the hyatt. i've always been a big fan of jimmy carter. i went to the mall and stood for hours to get his book and i took out one of my cds and handed to it the secret service. he moved me on down the row. i met jimmy carter through this because his pastor who recently just passed away. i'm a southern baptist. i was raised southern baptist in oklahoma. he called me and asked me to play at the church in georgia. following president carter's sunday school lesson. >> my goodness. >> that was in the mid-'80s. it started i would go up every week. i would perform and do things for them. >> from there you have played for four presidents. >> five presidents. >> let's hear it. here is david osborn playing "have yourself a merry little christmas."

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honestly, as much as i love this job, i plan to do a lot more. i needed a new laptop for my pre-med classes,

something that runs office and has a keyboard. but i wanted a tablet for me, for stuff like twitter and xbox, so my downtime can be more like uptime. that's why i got a windows 2 in 1 which does both -- works as a laptop and a tablet. so i can manage my crazy life, and also have a life. [ beep ] gotta go. ♪

gotta go. "stubborn love" by the lumineers did you i did. email? so what did you think of the house? did you see the school ratings? oh, you're right. hey babe, i got to go. bye daddy! have a good day at school, ok? ...but what about when my parents visit? ok. i just love this one... and it's next to a park. i love it. i love it too. here's our new house... daddy! you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen.

a live picture from sydney harbor in australia. they are bringing in 2014 with a couple of fireworks there. with the new year does come new hopes of rescue for those passengers stuck in the ice off antarctica. we're watching that. from the