chuck todd, "the daily rundown," straight ahead. have a great weekend. as always, thank you for your patience. i just can't help myself. i'm sorry. i try. can't wait for the state of the union? well, lucky for you, there are state of the state speeches. they've been happening all across the country this month. a look at what nine governors have said so far and what it tells us, actually, about the politics of 2014 and 2016. also this morning, a preview of msnbc's exclusive interview with attorney general eric holder. ari melber will be here with what the top cop said about voting rights and a lot more. and new developments in the ongoing federal investigation of senate foreign relations committee bob menendez. the new jersey senior senator misuse his powerful influence to help two ecuadorian brothers accused by that country of stealing millions before they fled for the united states? good morning from washington. it's friday, january 24th, 2014.

this is the "the daily rundown." a busy friday show. we're also going to hear from penny pritzker, live from the economic forum in davos, switzerland. let's get to the first reads. tuesday night, a big night. president obama will deliver his fifth state of the union address, but we don't have to wait to hear how things are going across the country, because we've heard from a lot of governors in their state of the states. they've been defending their records, pushing policy agendas. in their own state of the state addresses. to start the year. and on monday, we'll look at a lot of the policy themes that are dominating the speeches this year that we actually expect to be part of the president's, as well. but first, there's a way to look at these guys another way. a slew of the governors, of course, are up for re-election in the fall. a handful of others are eyeing a 2016 run for the white house or simply want to be invited onto a national ticket. so today, we'll look at the politics of the chief executives who want to be rehired, and those who are vying to be considered for, say, bigger things.

with the economy improving, one message that's dominating among the governors on the ballot in 2014, to hear them tell it, is that apparently they each represent the comeback state. >> we are turning things around. we are heading in the right direction. we are moving wisconsin forward. >> we were hired to do a job. i'm proud to report tonight we're getting that job done. we are reinventing michigan. michigan is the comeback state. >> we are being referred to, which i love, as the beast of the southeast. >> colorado does not shut down. colorado does not quit. >> these critics who have long recited our state's decline perhaps have nothing to say in the face of california's comeback except, please, don't report it. [ laughter ] well, i'm going to report it. >> these speeches are typically when governors roll out new policy ideas, but in an election year, incumbents can be very cautious. take california's jerry brown,

now had his 30th year in office and 12th as governor. he still may not use a teleprompter, but three failed presidential runs have taught him an election year is no time to talk about california's pension problems or unemployment. >> i used to say, take the ends and throw them out. take the outs and put them in. i don't say that anymore. [ laughter ] my message -- there's no substitute for experience. >> well, can an insider elected official sell an outsider populous message? h running against the republicans in washington. >> the average coloradoan doesn't think much of politics or politicians, and who could blame them? shutdowns, debt ceiling duels, parties locked down, unwilling to compromise, so much negativity.

>> hickenlooper touched on topics from marijuana to decreasing the wait time at the dmv, but after a year dominated by gun control battles at the state legislature, he only briefly mentioned the gun debate. another state governor silent on the issue was nikki haley. her 90 minute speech was dominated by education reform, but didn't mention the phrase common core, which she's told the press she wants to eliminate quickly. and michigan, rick schneider balanced the budget amendment, and projected $971 million in revenue windfall, which has lansing buzzing, but the most interesting policy idea he expanded on, and touting in videos, he plans to ask the federal government to grant 50,000 visas over five years for highly skilled immigrants who would move to detroit. >> if someone has the

opportunity to come to our country legally let's hold our arms open and say, come to michigan, this is the place to be. >> and if you are playing a drinking game in madison, would you have scored big with one word, wisconsin scott walker made it clear how he's trying to brand himself to a national audience, because he used that word 45 times. >> jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. jobs. >> three years ago, walker promised 250,000 jobs by the end of his first term. critics point out the state has created just over 100,000. a long way to go to hit the target by november. he defended his decision to reject federal funds for a medicaid expansion. rollback eligibility for so-called badger care to 1% of the poverty line and put everyone making between 100% and 200% into private subsidized coverage that they buy on the new marketplace. >> i believe medicaid is for those living in poverty, and our goal should be to help lift more

and more people out of the depths of economic despair. we're able to reduce the number of uninsured and still not expose wisconsin taxpayers to the uncertain potential costs of the federal medicaid expansion. >> now, walker isn't the only potential presidential candidate who we've heard from over the last few weeks. while the national media has been laser focused on a wanna-be, christie, a slew of others have hinted who they'd like to take national. andrew cuomo talking about extreme conservatives that they, quote, have no place in the state of new york. he since said he was only talking about their ability to win races. but in his state of the state speech, cuomo focused on a $2 billion tax relief proposal, universal pre-k, and ethics reform. though his speech was mostly received warmly, the protesters, they were from the left.

environmental activists opposing fracking and liberals who said cuomo has not done enough to combat income inequality. big takeaway, he has his eyes on a national political future. take a listen. >> i believe it's like fuel for a rocket. if we have the trust of the people and they're watching us perform and they're seeing this state move, then there's nothing we can't do. and i don't want to see any limit when we have so much more to do. >> and andrew cuomo, also proved that when it comes to rhetoric, he is clearly his father's son. by the way, cuomo's staff provided reporters with the number of times he was applauded -- 65. two candidates on the ballot in 2016, governor martin o'malley, who's doing everything he can to enter the 2016 conversation, mostly without success, and new mexico governor susanna martinez, who will likely be on any republican vp's short list. they dealt with health care in their speeches. o'malley tried to frame his accomplishments, touting

maryland's new gun control laws, passage of the dream act, as well as gay marriage, but forced into a mea culpa on maryland's health care exchange. >> being accountable also means acknowledging when we have fallen short. the health care website failed to perform as designed when it was launched, a source of great frustration. my administration and i have not succeeded at every first try, but we have never, ever given up. >> down in new mexico, martinez defended her decision to expand medicaid, something that's unlikely to play well with some conservatives. >> now, i want a supporter of obama care, but under its mandate, we had a choice whether to expand medicaid using federal funds. we chose to expand medicaid, because it was the right thing for new mexico. >> and, yes, susanna martinez

wins the contest for best backdrop for her state of the state. don't overlook mike pence. he's a 2016 dark horse on the right there with his state in the middle of a contentious debate over a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. pence called on lawmakers to resolve the issue once and for all. >> i believe in traditional marriage, and i've long held the view that the people rather than unelected judges should decide matters of such great consequence in our society. reasonable people can differ. and there are good people on both sides of this debate. so let me say from my heart, no one -- no one on either side of this debate deserves to be disparaged or maligned because of who they are or what they believe. >> kind of can tell this is a guy that's not excited to be talking about that issue, in particular, and have it dominate 2014 in his state. of course, he's not up for re-election until 2016.

before we go to break, some developing news out of cairo where there's new violence between egyptian forces and government forces, following a suicide car bomb that killed at least four people. the explosion went off in the parking lot of the cairo security headquarters, which houses police and state security. at least two smaller blasts were also reported in the egyptian capital. at the same time, there have been violent clashes on the road to the pyramids of giza between security forces and 2,000 supporters of the deposed president, muhammad morsi. we'll have more on this as we learn more. up next, an nbc news investigation exclusive. new revelations on the federal criminal investigation into new jersey senator, democrat bob menendez, chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. and we'll talk about mike huckabee. he served up red meat, potential 2016 candidate, says democrats think women can't control their libido. not a lot of republicans are

happy with mike huckabee this morning, actually. a look ahead at the politics planner. you're watching "the daily rundown" only on msnbc. the president will have a bit of a down day today as he works on his state of the union. they lived. ♪ they lived. ♪ they lived. ♪ (dad) we lived... thanks to our subaru. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. 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. ♪ all aboard. [ female announcer ] no matter the occasion..., your home's the place everyone gathers.

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we're keeping an eye on the federal district courthouse in richmo richmond. that's where we expect bob mcdonnell and his wife, maureen, to be formally arraigned today on public corruption charges. the former governor and his wife are going to be arraigned separately. he will go first at 10:00. her court appearance is scheduled for 11:00. the two had tried to have the arraignments postponed, but the judge rejected that.

-- in exchange for the governor's help in promoting williams' business. not far from that virginia courtroom, another politician is facing a potentially damaging public corruption scandal himself. we are learning more today about the extent of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into new jersey democratic senator bob menendez, the powerful chairman of the foreign relations committee. apparently the justice department, which we know has been investigating whether menendez misused political influence to help a donor, now he's being accused of potentially helping two brothers accused of stealing millions of dollars from ecuador before fleeing that country. menendez is already being looked at for allegedly use that influence to help a florida doctor. this morning, his office is calling the allegations outlandish, but the investigation is just getting started. jonathan deens broke this story, and he joins me with more now. jonathan. >> for the story, we've spoken with current and former officials from the justice department, state department, homeland security, and congress.

we also spoke with lawyers and people who have been contacted by the fbi in this investigation, many who have raised serious questions about the senator's actions. the criminal investigation is dpo focusing in on part on these two brothers, william and roberto. the brothers have been fugitives from their native ecuador for more than a decade, sentenced in absentia for embezzling millions as the bank they ran there was collapsing. officials say at issue, did senator menendez cross a line in trying to help the fugitive bankers stay in the u.s.? the brothers now live here in coral gables, florida, running several successful businesses. they've never been charged in the u.s., but back home in ecuador, they're wanted men. back in the 1990s, outraged ecuadorians took to the streets demanding their money back after several banks collapsed, including the country's largest,

which had been run by the brothers. banking authorities in ecuador found the bank lost hundreds of millions of dollars. in 2005, u.s. ambassador christie kenny wrote a cable to the state department, saying they absconded with $100 million and used their ill-gotten wealth to buy safe passage from ecuador. the ambassador recommended the brothers be kicked out of the u.s. but to date, the justice department says ecuador's government, which has been at odds with the u.s. in recent years, has not provided enough evidence to warrant extradition. linda jewel is a former u.s. ambassador to ecuador. she says the fact that they continue to live a life of luxury in the u.s., while their accountholders are suffering in ecuador, has been a constant concern between the u.s. and ecuador since their flight. in 2010, ecuador had interissue international arrest warrants.

they say they didn't steal any money, and are victims of political persecution by ecuador's government. >> and that is the problem of them, that they have committed the crime of being rich in a poor country. >> reporter: he says the bank was in fine shape until the government took it over, and he said the justice system in ecuador is broken. are you telling me there's no justice in ecuador? >> -- impossible. they would not get justice in ecuador, not at all. >> reporter: ecuador has seized many of the brothers' assets in that country, but so far, a florida court has ruled against ecuador's efforts to seize their assets here in the u.s. and for years, the brothers have been seeking permanent residence here. officials say they turned to the powerful new jersey senator for help. multiple officials say senator menendez wrote letters and made phone calls to the department of

homeland security and the state department in support of the brothers. >> the fact that the number of attempts he made to -- >> reporter: we asked the former head of the fbi in new jersey whether such letters and calls would be considered normal practice. >> it's shocking. i think most people would know and would believe that it be appropriate to keep your distance from individuals who are convicted of crimes in their homeland. >> reporter: on april 2nd, 2012, for example, officials say senator menendez wrote high-ranking homeland security officials asking the brothers get full consideration, and that dhs expedite its review. investigators say they want to know whether the senator attempted to influence immigration officials in 2012 in exchange for campaign donations. reached by phone, roberto told us that as a nonresident, he can't make donations to a u.s. campaign, and that he does not have anything to do with any senator or politician. federal election records show

relatives of the brothers, who are residents, donated more than $10,000 to the senator's 2012 campaign. and those records show roberto's family members also donated at least $100,000 to the democratic party in 2012. scott fredrickson prosecuted federal corruption cases for the justice department. >> if the government, when they look at this, can establish that in exchange for donations from citizens not of this country, of gifts that the senator took official action to benefit them, now -- now we're talking something potentially illegal. >> reporter: so far, authorities have not filed any charges, and legal experts say it can be tough to prove that kind of case. but this government watchdog says, it's not just a question of legality. >> for senator menendez, who is chair of the foreign relations committee, to be involved in

something that has a foreign component and might raise concerns about the national interests with other countries, this is an incredibly serious matter. >> now, senator menendez' office has released a statement, jonathan, after you reported this story. this is what they say. once again, we see anonymous sources making outlandish allegations. our office works each year with hundreds of individuals and families from across the country seeking help with the immigration process. we review each and every request we receive, and if we feel any inquiry is appropriate, we make it, in this particular case senator menendez believed the family had been politically persecuted in ecuador, including through the confiscation of media outlets they owned, which were critical of the government. we're not aware of any inquiries. the last part of the statement intrigues me. this is news to them, this part, do you read it's news to them that the investigation has moved

to the brothers, or that it's news to them that this is even being investigated? >> it sounds to me like it's news to them that this is even being investigated. the investigation, as you know, chuck, has been going on for quite sometime now, and it includes this piece. it includes the florida eye doctor piece. it includes some other pieces that were not yet fully aware of. it is ongoing. we are told the public integrity division in maine justice has the lead on this investigation, and is expected to make some sort of determination on whether to move forward with any sort of criminal case in the coming weeks, and/or refer the matter to the senate ethics committee for action, or perhaps nothing gets done. but the investigation is ongo g ongoing, and a lot of questions regarding the senator's actions in the florida doctor case and also in this case. >> jonathan, very quickly, we'd started this off noting mcdonnell, in many ways, it's the same burden of proof on the

federal government here with both mcdonnell and with menendez. they've got to prove the quid pro quo. >> yeah, it's very difficult, the legal experts we've been speaking with, what's interesting in this case, you have law enforcement officials following a money trail, apparently still working on the embezzlement allegations of $100 million. ecuador is stepping up its efforts to get the brothers extradited at the time, that now the senator's letters and phone calls begin on behalf of the brothers, and the donations begin. so all of this is sort of the behind-the-scenes picture, could be coincidental. it could be that, look, the ecuadorian government has not been cooperative with the u.s. officials, and there are a lot of problems down there with its justice system. >> right. >> so lots of issues both ways in this case. >> jonathan, working on this for quite sometime. thank you very much. >> thank you. up next, destination davos, where billionaires and business

leaders rub shoulders with politicians, kenny pritzker will be here. and these pictures are just in. there's former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife arriving at the richmond courthouse a few moments ago. we'll now head to break. before we go there. a little trivia question. people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪

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>> i will say that, you know, he broke the law, that he caused harm to our national security, and i think that he has to be held accountable for his actions. the notion of clemency, a simple, you know, no-harm, no-foul, i think that would be going too far. but in the resolution of this matter, with an acceptance of responsibility, you know, we would always, you know, engage in those kinds -- those kinds of conversations. >> so, of course, snowden has been hiding out in russia since last summer indicated in an online chat on thursday, he does want to come home. but said right now it's impossible. this is what he said. returning to the united states, i think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself. but it's unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistle-blower protection laws. this is especially frustrating, he said, because it means there's no chance to have a fair trial and no way i can come home and make my case with the jury.

with me is ari, and he sat down with the attorney general for the exclusive interview. and there's a ton in here. we had the snowden part. we wanted to get to that. i know you have a particular interest in voting rights and what the justice department is doing. let's focus on that part of it, and we'll tease some more of it when you've got what you have coming up at 3:00. let's focus on the voting rights aspect. >> i'm sorry, i thought you were going to play sound. >> we can show that photo i.d. -- photo i.d. efforts are done inappropriately and for improper reasons. i think that ought to be the basis for federal intervention. >> and so, when some republicans say voter identification is for election integrity and, thus, is different than the history of racial discrimination we've seen in this country, they may be of good faith, but you think they're wrong. >> yeah, there are some who, i think, are coming from a good

faith perspective, but i think many are using it for partisan advantage. >> yeah, chuck, that was some of the attorney general's first comments on the voting rights act amendment, a bipartisan bill, and which would go a long way towards dealing with the supreme court decision in the shelby case that knocked down part of the voting rights act. but his concern is it takes some of the power that would traditional be under the justice department to patrol voter i.d., and he's clear about saying while some may, as he says, have good faith concerns, many people are using this in the republican party for partisan purposes. >> and it seems to me that he's hinting -- not just hinting to you in the interview, but the actions, that this justice department, the whole justice department plans to be aggressive on this with these states, that the states that are passing the new laws that are basically going to be for the potentially implemented for the first time in november of this year. >> that's right. and regardless of whether congress acts, he's using authority that still exists in different parts of the law, section 2, to take those cases to court.

and even under this compromise that is in congress as a proposal, when he wins those cases, those would count towards federal supervision, which is the big thing that mlk and everyone fought for. so in that sense, he's eye-to-eye with the reformers, but it was interesting to hear him be pretty direct about the politics here. >> very quickly, and i'm going to play this bite, and you asked him about the mcdonnell case, but considering what's going on with the federal government with the menendez, actually very similar cases, right, they're trying to prove this issue of trying to prove a quid pro quo, when you're helping donors or receiving donors and this sort of fuzzy area of the law. and it is. you know, it can look very unethical to the average voter, average reporter like you and i, but the law -- and it was interesting his philosophy on this seems to be to be aggressive, and we're seeing, as the justice department has been aggressive with menendez and aggressive here with mcdonnell. >> it's a great point, chuck, and as you know, the attorney general started his legal career

in the public integrity office of the justice department, prosecuting members of congress, pursuing these cases. i put the question to him, what about the idea that mcdonnells' lawyers have raised that this is just routine politics? there's some back-scratching. and he said, broadly, because he wasn't speaking specifically to this indictment, but he said broadly, he doesn't view it that way at all, this is when there are allegations of bribery or horse trading of any kind, he said that is garden variety, classic corruption. they will pursue it aggressively. >> yeah, it's been very clear that this justice department has done that. all right, ari melber, you have a lot more. >> yeah. >> you've been all over the map with him, so we'll see you at 3:00 with the full interview. you'll be able to watch it then, 3:00 on "the cycle" right here on msnbc. we don't see a lot of eric holder interviews, and ari went all over the map, it's a great job. thank you, ari. >> thank you. a lot more coming up, penny pritzker, more cabinet secretaries. we'll be right back.

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some of the world's wealthiest people and representatives from the most powerful nations are meeting at the world economic forum in davos, switzerland. as we speak, at least 80 billionaires and 2,500 business and political leaders are talking peace, climate change, women's issues, and finance. so where does the united states fit into this fiscal discussion? well, we've apparently slipped to number two. a senior fellow at the center for global development reports china's already edging out the united states in total imports and exports, and now china's economy is growing twice as fast as ours. what does this mean for america's future? we no longer quote/unquote number one, joined by secretary of commerce, penny pritzker, attending the world economic forum in switzerland. madam secretary, good morning. or i guess it's good afternoon to you. >> well, good morning to you, chuck.

>> let me start with this statistic that's out there and that's been covered in different ways, but essentially america's number two. obviously, that isn't what america wants to be when it comes to being the global economic driver. but do the statistics lie here? is that the case? china is now the world's economic driver? >> you know, i think, chuck, america's in a terrific position. you know, we're sitting here with great rule of law, strong i.p. protection, low cost and abundant energy, and a great, phenomenal group of people that work in our country with great ingenuity. and so, our workforce is one of our greatest assets, as well. and so, for me, when i look at the opportunities in america, i see endless opportunity. and what's happening is, so are

foreign companies as well as american companies, there's great potential here. in fact, i was at a lunch with jamie diamond. he's saying america's number one, and this is the place to invest. that's what we're seeing at the department of commerce. we have a program called select usa. we're attracting all kinds of investors from around the world. we also at the department of commerce run a program to help companies export. we're seeing growing and record exports from the united states. so i'm very optimistic about what we can get done here in the united states. >> does this perception, though, matter to you? do you think this perception does become a reality if we're not careful, this idea that, you know, where global companies say, boy, the fastest way to make money now is not the united states, it's china? >> you know, that's not what i'm hearing, chuck. what i'm hearing is, companies want to be in the united states. they look at the assets of the united states, as i said. you know, and they want to be here.

they're coming in droves, they're coming to the commerce department for help. so that they can put their plants and grow their businesses here. >> let me ask you about -- i know one of the things you're dealing with. you're talking about boosting not just exports, but, also, getting more companies, you're saying they want to come here. one of the different things that's being worked on by the administration has to do with this trans-pacific partnership. there are a lot of concerns among labor unions and among some progressive democrats, the speed with which this deal is being negotiated. jim mcdermott, a congressman, democratic congressman, from washington state. he call it is nafta on steroids, and he doesn't mean that as a compliment. he believes that nafta was a mistake. how do you reassure those members of labor unions and those in the progressive left that this tpp partnership isn't going to take jobs away from the united states the way a lot of people, particularly in the

midwest, believe nafta did? >> well, let me start with, you know, how do i look at my job. i view my job, i get up every day and think about how do we create the conditions in which american companies can grow and create jobs. and i think tpp is one of those great examples. and we know for every $5 billion of additional trade, 5,000 jobs are created in the united states. so what we need to do is educate our representatives and our senators, as well as the american public about the opportunities that come with free trade agreements, and we know that our companies, the number-one thing i heard from companies -- and i went out in my first 100 days in my position and spoke with business leaders. the number one thing they're interested is in for free trade agreements so they can grow their businesses -- >> right. >> -- so they can hire more people, because they want to export. >> so this is misinformation? you think that this concern on

the left -- let me ask you this. do you think nafta was a success? do you think nafta's been a success when it comes to creating jobs in this country? >> well, when you look at the north american platform, which is really created out of nafta, the integration of supply chains that exist throughout mexico, the united states, and canada, what you see, for example, of every product that's exported out of mexico, 40% is u.s. content. so, you know, i think it's been very successful, but what we need to do is create a new, high-standard agreement, which is what tpp aims to do with 12 different economies. and so, i think it's a big opportunity for the united states and for job creation. >> let me ask you about the perception of dabos, a gathering of all of the world's rich and powerful people, and they will

tell the world how we should organize the financial pawns of the world -- i'm being a little sarcastic here -- but you know the perception of the events is sometimes they're a little bit elitist, and they really don't actually have a good sense of what's going on on the ground. davos. obviously, you're there. you believe there's good things that come out of it. help me about some of the misconceptions. >> well, let me start with why is it useful for me to be here. first of all, a number of my counterparts around the world are here, and so, it's very efficient for me to be able to meet with them and to hear about what's going on for them on the ground and for them to hear from me what's going on in the united states and the opportunities for us to work together. second is, it is an opportunity to talk to business leaders, and we at the department of comme e commerce, businesses, our customer, if you will, and so, we're here talking with specific

businesses about the issues that they're facing. and so, for me it's very much an on-the-ground experience, because i'm in essence talking to the key people the department of commerce needs to deal with. in terms of -- i think that there are lots of sharing of ideas, but i do think it is good to step back, and i think davos tries to get people to reflect on major themes, income inequality is a major theme here, obviously something very important to the president of the united states, and the fact that it's getting -- that some themes are getting attention is valuable. i'm not suggesting that every insight that's available it comes from davos, but this is a theme that i think is useful that's being talked about. >> all right. secretary of commerce, penny pritzker, thank you for your time, coming to us from davos, switzerland. >> thank you very much, chuck. >> it's actually colder here than davos, right?

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the democrats want to insult the women of america by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control, because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it, let us take that discussion all across america, because women are far more than the democrats have played them to be. and women across america need to stand up and say, enough of that nonsense. >> well, the rnc winter meeting's been taking place here in washington, so i'm joined by two men in the audience at the rnc meeting during the huckabee

speech. chris devaneny, and joe nossup is the chairman of the mississippi republican party. gentlemen, welcome. i want to note here, i don't know what he was talking about, not the way i would have phrased it. joe, obviously, part of the party's rebranding issues have to do with talking about women's issues. what did you make of the comments? >> a few months ago, i was on another program and the subject was "the new york times" article that talked about how the country's basically split on the pro-life issue, and maybe a little bit ahead. but republicans sometimes have a hard time explaining that in a smart way that doesn't talk about contraception, rape, something like that that offends 53% of the population. so i thought that was another -- >> were you offended by the -- >> i wasn't offended by it, but my point was, it's distracting. our position is a very -- i mean, i believe over 70% of the

people think abortion should be wrong after the first trimester. i think last poll, 48% of the country is pro-life, so a reasonable position, we should be able to argue -- >> and let me just say, that's not -- [ overlapping speakers ] >> that's not the way i would have said what he did. what we need to do is focus on as a party, people talk about -- people don't realize that 80% of households, women make 80% of the decisions on the finances of the home, on health care, and so, what we need to -- you know, like my wife, she wants security. and so, we need to talk about the republican policies that provide the kind of security. that's what we need to talk about. >> did you think it was a mistake to have huckabee on this topic? >> i would not have talked about that. i would talk about the economy. >> you're both chairman of the republican state parties, you have incumbents being challenged from the right. yours is not as -- senator alexander, i don't want no

challenges, less than what senator cochran is dealing with on senator alexander's renomination? >> we don't get involved in primary stuff. we don't do that, but look, i don't think there's a split in the party. really, it's a healthy -- i know this is a cliche, it's a healthy thing to have a republican primary. the democrats in tennessee can't even find anybody to run. it's legitimate. >> why is it, i'm curious in your state is seems quote, unquote, the establishment wing has been stronger in tennessee than the tea party compared to other states. why do you think that is? >> well, we have a history of electing, you know, pragmatic leaders, conservative leaders actually, fred thompson, bill frist, and people gravitate to those kind of people, yeah. >> your state is a little more contentious, thad mcdaniel, cochran. is this healthy for your party,

or not? democrats could end up finding a candidate, attorney general or somebody else there, and could cause you headaches, could it not? >> it could be healthy. we have to see. >> you're not 100% convinced it's healthy yet? >> my goal is not have people look, if it weren't for mississippi, we could have taken the united states senate back. we have a state senator with a lot of support from out of state groups and other people, senator thad cochran, o'brien, who's popular with everybody, chief of staff kirk sims to manage the campaign, which is a positive thing for thad cochran. it's going to be an interesting race, but our goal is not have a circular firing squad. >> sounds like you're weighing in on the side of thad cochran. >> i'm not breaking it down. state party is prohibited from endorsing. >> how many? >> we need to get one, yeah.

we need another one. we have a big pitch. >> chris, joe, thanks for your time. apologize it got a little short here. got a big package, tribute time, herbert hoover is the longest serving secretary of commerce. he served for seven years and he's also the only secretary of commerce to become president. congratulations to today's winner, ben goodman. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] with five perfectly sweetened whole grains... you can't help but see the good. i took medicine but i still have symptoms. [ sneeze ] [ male announcer ] truth is not all flu products treat all your symptoms. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus severe cold and flu speeds relief to these eight symptoms. [ breath of relief ] thanks. [ male announcer ] you're welcome. ready? go.

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take away time, and it's the friday take away. little bit of light hearted here. if you think giving the state of the union speech is hard, how about responding to it? recent history doesn't bode well these days. it's amazing when you look at this. current hhs secretary kathleen sebelius gave the speech in 2008. lately she's been at the center of a botched health care rollout controversy. paul ryan was mitt romney's

presidential pick. we know how that played out, but of all the most recent ones, he's doing okay. others were rising stars before they gave the state of the union response, like bobby jindal, marco rubio, but they ended up getting lampooned for awkward moments, say, an entrance, parched performance. two other recent responders got out of the game altogether, former virginia senator jim webb and mitch daniels are both now former politicians. not in the game anymore. as we speak, former virginia governor bob mcdonnell will be arraigned on public corruption charge. so who is this year's lucky or unlucky pick to be the responder? poor cathy mcmorris rodgers. she's this year's pick to give the republican response. we have to ask you, congresswoman, are you sure you want the job when you see everybody else who has been totally -- this has been a tough position.

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one of the things you say in the film is, when people lose a presidential election, when someone loses, branded a loser for life. do you really feel that way? >> well -- >> mitt romney talking about a brand new documentary about his run for president. why couldn't his campaign capture the personal side of mitt? now, this gop in-fighting, is this the worse you've ever seen it? >> no, well, maybe it is. probably. yeah. >> john boehner talks tea party and tanning on "the tonight show." and the cover everyone is talking about, "planet hillary." have the stars aligned for her in 2016? good morning, i'm chris jansing. right now, former governor bob mcdonnell is in front of a federal judge, his first court appearance since taking