370 is still lost. it is friday, march 14th, and this is "now." >> forced us to widen the search. >> it's been one week, there's still no sign of the plane or its 239 passengers and crew members. >> massive expansion of the search area. >> the potential flight zone is now enormous. >> the indian ocean has 28 million square miles. >> there's no way you can search the entire indian ocean. >> two communications systems on board the plane stopped working. >> what was hatching inside that cockpit? >> did someone turn those off, or was there some sort of a catastrophic failure? >> investigators are focusing on the theory that the plane continued flying for four to five hours. >> malaysian officials confirm this morning they searched the pilot's home -- pilots' homes but found no clues. >> u.s. intelligence agencies weighing in, the faa, ntsb.

>> the investigation becomes narrower with time. >> we don't know a whole lot. >> this is not a normal investigation. as we enter the second week of searching for malaysian airlines flight 370, the search area is growing and so, too, are suspicions of foul play. either a hijacking or pilot sabotage. u.s. officials say two different tracking systems on board the aircraft, a data reporting system and the transponder, were turned off separately which is a strong indication that this was done manually. an exclusive report from reuters earlier today details new evidence suggesting the plane was deliberately flown off course. malaysian military tar at several points -- radar at several points tracked a plane believed to be 370 heading westward following a specific, established navigational path commonly used by pilots flying toward the mideast and europe. this indicates that it was either being flown by the pilots or someone with knowledge of the navigation weigh points, sources

told reuters. the information is in line with u.s. government sources who say the aircraft continued to ping a satellite, to send a signal for up to five hours after it last made contact with malaysian air traffic control. with the latest information, the potential search area now has a vast 2,500-mile radius. includes india, china, australia, and thousands of miles of the indian ocean which is the world's third largest. joining me today is former ntsb investigator greg fife. and from washington, msnbc counterterror analyst and former director of the national counterterrorism center, michael leiter. mr. fife, let me start with you. in terms of the latest developments, and there are developments by the hour, some get debunked, some don't. it sounds like with these two systems being turned off 14 minutes apart and with the potential for the plane to have flown on a series of weigh points, does it sound to you like someone was -- someone with

knowledge, potentially pilot, was in control and that mechanical failure seems less likely? >> absolutely. with what we know now, the fact that the systems were shut down, the way they were shut down, it sounds that somebody had to have a very high level of knowledge. this isn't somebody that just learned to fly on a computer sill simulator. this is somebody with an intimate knowledge of how the systems on that airplane work. when you look at it from that standpoint, there had to be human intervention. if there was a distress situation of any kind where they were trying to get the airplane back to kuala lumpur or alternate airport, they wouldn't be doing what this airplane has done. and it wouldn't be flying on the courses that it was flying that we know of right now. >> let me ask a followup on that. in terms of the weigh points, the sort of navigational -- like air highway, if you will -- >> yes -- >> to plot that out, one must have probably flown this route before. and i guess i wonder, it was

suggested earlier that maybe one of the reasons if someone was flying this path would be to camouflage the plane in some way. to -- to put it on the highway with other planes, if you will, so that it doesn't stand out as a blip in an area of the world where it shouldn't be. >> well, it will be a blip because without the transponders giving it a specific identity, and it's an unidentified target that could potentially impede those airplanes that are known to air traffic control, then it becomes a risk. and somebody's going to track it with even heightened awareness because it is something that shouldn't be there. so you can't blend it in like a car just blending in to a bunch of cars on the highway and try and be anonymous. in the air it's totally different. if you have an unidentified target, a lot of people are going to be looking to try and identify it. >> michael, let me ask you -- now that we're talking more -- and granted tomorrow we could find out that the military radar

is inaccurate and it wasn't, in fact, some plathis plane. the theories we're working out today, what from a terrorism and a national security standpoint, where is the investigation to your mind? would they be -- we think they have contacted the pilots' families. how much more with the latest batch of information do you think they are doubling down on efforts to get a deeper profile of the passengers on the plane and the folks piloting it? >> alex, one of the important things in doing these sorts of investigations and doing intelligence work is not jumping to a conclusion too early on. imagine if we had gone down the path saying clearly terrorism because of the two stolen passports and you miss other things. i think what the latest information is helping them do is slowly but surely work the funnel to a narrower and narrower point where folks like the fbi assisting the malaysian counterparts for i think a lot of the reasons greg stated --

knowledge of aircraft, possible knowledge of the route, moving toward looking at those human factors. i think generally moving away from some sort of organized, traditional terrorist event. at least the type of terrorist event that we've thought of over the past 12 or 13 years, since 9/11, and much more toward the human factors, one or potentially two actors not associated with a state but in some sort of mindframe that they chose to do this. >> let me ask you on this -- we talk a lot about lone wolf terrorists in the 21st century. do you think something like this could have been executed by people not working with a broader network? >> i think there are -- on the kind of network piece, there are two possibilities. again, i completely defer to greg on the factors of the flight that might lead in one direction or another. but you could have a state actor behind something, and frankly, i think that that is pretty outlandish and not in the realm of reason. if a state actor wants a big

plane, they buy a big plane. and in terms of an organized terrorist network, i think it's really highly, highly unlikely that any sort of network sophisticated enough to pull something like this off wouldn't actually be under super -- under, you know, study by the intelligence community in malaysia or elsewhere. and people simply don't see that. we don't see that here. we don't see that in the region. in that sense, i really don't see this as a network event. always possible, but really not very likely right now. >> greg, let me ask you in terms of data, the two fundamental questions -- where is the plane and what happened. in terms of the satellite data that we're getting which is suggesting that the plane followed this navigational path, the new york times writes, "the information from the company that owns the technology, inmar sat, could be the first big break in helping narrow the frustrating search for the plane." they may actually have geographic data that they can

triangulate. how optimistic are you that this is a breakthrough? >> the data that they have, alex, is right now nondescript. there's two parts to the system. there's the data part, that is the information that comes from the airplane that the maintenance group down at malaysia airlines wants. that data part had been turned off. so the good stuff is gone. it doesn't have an identification, it doesn't give you air speeds, altitudes, any performance checks that the system is designed to provide. that you will system has said now is that this box is alive. it's -- it's up and running. and it says i want to give you something. so the satellite says, okay, handshake, give it to me. there's no data to give because the data part has been gone. so what the satellite is looking at is basically an electronic signature in the sky over a very large area. it's going to take a high level of math to try and triangulate these four positions because each of these positions represents at least a handshake try once an hour because the

system will ping once an hour. >> from a -- from a pilot's perspective, is that technology that your average pilot would be aware of? if we're talking about someone actively turning off transponders and secondary radar devices, would they know to turn off the system by which this pinging occurs? >> a commercial pilot at this level would know the details intimately. you know where circuit brakers are, various parts -- circuit breakers are, various parts of the plane. that may be beyond the scope of what the pilot knows. in this case somebody studied what is needed to shut down the system and disguise what they're doing. they're running with minimum and a half skpigz and you don't need it if you don't have tan

intended deficstination or you n to let it fly 300 degrees, let it fly 300 degrees. >> how would you grade the malaysian government's response? we get reports from the "wall street journal" or reuters, they seem to be leaks, rarely attributed to any government official or someone working on the case. they are rarely if corroborated by the malaysian government. one can understand it's hesitant, but it seems like a constant back and forth even with the scope of the investigation. the area of the ocean that they are investigating, the malaysian government remains opaque. what is your assessment of how they've handled this? >> well, i think it's hard to say that they've bathed themselves in glory here, alex. on the other hand, i have a bit of sympathy because look at how the story has changed from everyone's perspective over past week. whatever happened, this was such

a low probability with high consequence event, it's hard to imagine that they knew where to look in the first instance, what would have occurred, that we'd end up at this point. i think they're absolutely right. clearly the information out of the malaysian government has been inconsistent at times, misreported, not necessarily open. all that being said, this is a mystery for a reason because there isn't a clear, easy answer. >> greg fife and michael leiter, thank you both for your time and thoughts. >> you're welcome. >> thanks. coming up, president obama meets with democrats and tries to shake off the new title that he has gotten of late -- deporter and chief. meanwhile, john boehner tries to shake off a group of dreamer at his local diner again. who is winning the congressman debate? we're joined ahead. and round two of the clinton papers. the national archives released another 4,000 pages from 42's stint in the oval office. the highlights ahead.

(music) defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. calcium citrate plus d. highly soluble, easily absorbed. predibut, manufacturings a prettin the united states do. means advanced technology. we learned that technology allows us to be craft oriented. no one's losing their job. there's no beer robot that has suddenly chased them out. the technology is actually creating new jobs. siemens designed and built the right tools and resources to get the job done. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about a biologic... this is humira.

this is humira helping to relieve my pain. this is humira helping me lay the groundwork. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. 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.

take the next step. talk to your doctor. this is humira at work. female announcer: what will you man:with your new i'm getting a camera!? - i'm getting an espresso maker! - i'm getting a new smart phone! female announcer: during sleep train's big gift event get a $200 best buy gift card with purchase of selected beautyrest, posturepedic or tempur-pedic mattresses. or, get 24-months interest-free financing. - a new tv... - a laptop... - a game console! female announcer: what will you get during the big gift event? ♪ sleep train ♪ ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

irish pride meets lgbt pride, and the results have not something to take pride in. we'll look at boston's ban on gay veterans in the country's biggest st. patrick's day parade just ahead. first, either john boehner needs to pick a new diner, or republicans need to do something on immigration. we will talk comprehensive reform, deportation, and the fear factor when congressman javier about sara and vicky defrancesca join us.

♪ ♪ ♪ hey kevin...still eating chalk for hearburn? yea. try alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heart burn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. alka-seltzer fruit chews. enjoy the relief! ♪ ♪

no two people have the same financial goals. pnc works with you to understand yours and help plan for your retirement. visit a branch or call now for your personal retirement review.

glass on floors. daily chores. for the little mishaps you feel use neosporin to help you heal. it kills germs so you heal four days faster. neosporin. use with band-aid brand bandages. neosporin. i just ah woke up today and i said i need something sportier. annnd done. ok maxwell, just need to ah contact your insurance company with the vin number. oh, i just did it. with my geico app. vin # is up to the loaded. ok well then jerry here will take you through all of the features then. why don't weeeeeeeeeeee go out to the car. ok, i'll just be outside... ok, yeah. his dad is my boss. yeah. vin scanning to add a car. just a tap away on the geico app.

i just want to ask you why you want broken the dream of the dreamers, of the students. just please, please can you explain your feel being that, one second. just one second. i really want to know why you have -- >> whoa, whoa, whoa. that's not -- >> that was a visibly squirming, defensive, totally awkward moment with house speaker john boehner yesterday when he was confronted in the morning at his local diner by immigration activists who do not think it is very nice that the house this week passed the enforce act. that legislation would potentially limit president obama's ability to stem deportations as he did in 2012 for a group of young immigrants known as dreamers. the latest provocation in pete's diner comes as the president

responds to his own set of pressures from immigration activists on the issue of deportation. after being called the deporter in chief in recent weeks, the president told members of the congressional hispanic caucus last night that he's ordered the department of homeland security to craft a more humane policy on deportations. to date, nearly two million people have been removed from the u.s. under president obama's watch. that is not enough for republicans who claim that the president can't be trusted to enforce law. its a charge that the white house answered this afternoon. >> if the republican message is they refuse to reform our broken immigration system because they have an issue with the president, i think they ought to explain that to the american people. what the president has said is, and he's made this very clear, there is no substitute for legislation that fixes our broken immigration system. congress ought to get about the business of passing that legislation. >> joining me now is the congressman from california's 34th district and chairman of the house democratic caucus,

javier becerra. thank you for joining us. i've got a lot of questions. the first is, your response to the reporting that the congressional hispanic caucus was preparing to demand action from the white house on deportations and then had a meeting with the president on thursday and sort of softened or walked back that request somewhat. your -- your answer to that. >> alex, thanks for having me on. i think it's been close to four years that the congressional hispanic caucus has been having conversations with the administration about what we need to try to do to make these broken laws work better. we have submitted to the white house in the past different ideas of how to try to make those laws function. and so this is nothing new. we have not changed our position. we continue to try to work with the president and will continue to do so. we were pleased that yesterday that he said we're going to have a chance to sit down with secretary johnson to continue that work. >> do you think he can and will

meaningfully change or craft different policy around deportations? >> well, he already has. the fact that there are a whole bunch of young men and women in america who are valedictorians in their high school, attending some of the best universities in our nation, who are dreamers, and today they can continue to dream about reaching the highest levels in this country is the result of the president taking action to defer any type of deportation against those young men and women who came at very young age through no fault of their own. so the president continues to try to find ways within the law to try to make sure that this broken immigration system doesn't separate families needlessly. so we're hoping that sitting down with homeland security secretary johnson we can ton do more. >> let me ask you about what senator chuck schumer said yesterday. he said they, referring to republicans, can either help pass comprehensive reform, or they can sit i'dy by and watch the president -- idly by and

watch the president curb deportations while americans live in deportation in america. some say curtailing deportations is a laudable goal. i question whether this logic doesn't somehow confirm republican fear mongering that the president is using sort of -- that he's not going to follow the letter of the law. and that somehow, you know, curbing deportations is coming at the expense of immigration reform when they should be -- one should dovetail with the other. >> alex, i think we have to take this in the right order. first, everyone agrees, republicans and democrats alike, certainly the public by some 70% agree the immigration system we have is broken and has to be fixed. secondly, we find that as a result of this broken immigration system, the law as it has to be carried out sometimes results in sending people away that you and i would say, my god, that's not what we meant by having an immigration system and laws that would deport people. so what the president's tried to

do is say, look, we have to fix these laws. the only way for that is for congress to do that. it's time for congress to take its step in passing a bill, give us a vote. if we do that, we'll be good. short of that, the president said let's make sure that we're not causing more pain to families than necessary so he's instructed secretary johnson of homeland security to sit down with us, to see what we can try to do to make sure, again, conforming with the law, that we make adjustments where possible. >> let me ask one last question before you go. when the president was called the deporter in chief, what was your reaction to that? >> i remember barack obama before he ever became president in 2007 and 2008 taking very, very difficult positions on immigration, driver's licenses for folks who didn't have documents, because the safety concern. which were politically unsuitable for most candidates. he's been out there since the very beginning. i don't question president obama, where he stands. i do empathize that he has had a

difficult time trying to enforce the law. at the same time, trying to push congress to give us a vote. if congress would give us a vote, we wouldn't have to wait another year, another month. we could do this tomorrow. >> your reaction to deporter in chief is that's not the president obama that you know. >> well, if congress didn't give the president the money to go out there and aggressively apprehend people and deport, people would say that the president wasn't doing his responsibility. the president has a role. he has to enforce the laws. what the president's trying to do is enforce the laws in a smart way, going after the criminals, folks trying to hurt us, instead of trying to separate families, picking up a woman who's shopping at the grocery store for her family or picking up her child from school. we do this smartly, we can do this well so we can finally get a vote, fix the broken system, and not have to deal withdrawal this again in the future. >> congressman becerra, thank you very much for your time. >> thanks. joining me from austin is professor at the lbj school of public policy at the university

of texas, vicki defrancesco soto. it's great to see you. what do you think of the news between the president and the congressional hispanic caucus and maybe trying to tackle the issue of the historic level of deportations in this country? >> it's a glimmer of good news. if you think about where we were this time last year, we were so excited, so optimistic. we thought that the gang of eight was going to put together a proposal that was going to get passed in terms of comprehensive reform. look where we are now. we're frustrated, we're angry as a latino community. but even though we're not going to have a comprehensive immigration reform, the whole enchilada in the next couple of months, we at least want to see something done. and in terms of halting deportations, this is a big deal. and especially given the fact that in the state of the union address president obama said if there's an action in congress i am going to take the initiative. i think this is where we're feeling the pressure, and also a little hope within the latino

community. >> let me ask you because you saw the congressman -- i asked him just now what he thought of the title deporter in chief, which some have assigned to president obama. it is a difficult issue because as you say, if immigration reform, comprehensive reform is off the table, you do -- you want to fix the system in any way you can, and deportations would be one of the first things you would look at. but if you talk about the issue of deportation, it draws the nation's attention to the fact that the obama administration is deporting -- is at historic levels of deportation. it's an incredibly double-edged sword. i guess, you know, from the community of activists and advocates who work on this issue, you know, how much is that a disincentive to truly tackle the issue? >> it is. it's not just the issue of deterioration, alex. it's also the issue of detention. so in fiscal year budget 2015, the one the president put forward, there is a clause asking for funding for 34,000

beds. an immigration detention bed quota. so every day of this calendar year there has to be 34,000 glimts detention, cost -- immigrants in detention, costing us $32 billion. not only are immigrants being detained at historic levels, but we're seeing the cost of that skyrocketing. you add that together with record high deportations, and let's not forget the fact that president obama campaigned in 2008 and then in 2012 that there would be comprehensive immigration reform. it's been six years, and nothing has happened. you can understand where that swell of frustration's coming from. >> yeah. and just -- sort of it's like the devil you know versus the devil you don't know. could you have a better partner in the white house than president obama at this moment, probably not. at the same time, i'm sure the frustration is measurable given how little progress has been achieved. let me ask you about something he talked about in his town hall the other week which is the fear factor. and the president was talking about enrollyes s -- enrollees

the affordable care act. he discussed that young people or regular people in mixed households, which is to say households where there is someone who may not have papers, and the fear of giving one's information -- even if you are in this country legally -- to sign up for health care or anything willing to give information to the federal government, there is an entire generation of young latinos in this country that are growing up with a sense of real apprehension when it comes to government. and i wonder from your perspective like what -- what do we do to ameliorate that, given the fear that exists on deportations and in and around the dreamers. i mean, how do you change that? >> comprehensive immigration reform. that's the short answer, alex. but there is tangible fear. and i think about it myself. i put myself in the situation of someone who is undocumented or in a mixed household. even though my rational brain tells me it's okay to sign up for bicycobama care or okay to r the census questions, my fear

factor says, no, don't do it. keep the family safe. we also see similar issues with census. we know that undocumented persons tend to be undercounted because people are scared. >> vicki defrancesco soto, thank you as always, my friend. >> thank you. as russia masses troops at the ukraine border, republicans hold hostage a possible aid package because they hate the irs? that's ahead. iwe don't back down. we only know one direction: up so we're up early. up late. thinking up game-changing ideas,

like this: dozens of tax free zones across new york state. move here. expand here. or start a new business here... and pay no taxes for 10 years. with new jobs, new opportunities and a new tax free plan. there's only one way for your business to go. up. find out if your business can qualify at start-upny.com ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

salegets up to 795 highwayeal's the passamiles per tank.seloctor salesperson #2: actually, we're throwing in a $1,000 fuel reward card. we've never done that. that's why there's never been a better time to buy a passat tdi clean diesel. husband: so it's like two deals in one? avo: during the salesperson #2: first ever exactly. volkswagen tdi clean diesel event, get a great deal on a passat tdi, that gets up to 795 highway miles per tank. and get a $1000 dollar fuel reward card. it's like two deals in one. hurry in and get a $1,000 fuel reward card and 0.9% apr for 60 months on tdi models. just this afternoon, the clinton presidential library made 4,000 previously unreleased documents from the clinton presidency available to the public. the latest pages show an administration reacting to the escalating threat of terrorism following the 1996 attack on the

kobar towers in saudi arabia and grappling with what they called an unproved possibility of a bomb on twa flight 800. the papers include memos from security council staffers, ones debating whether vice president gore should ask the russian prime minister about any russian information on john f. kennedy assassin lee harvey oswald. and there's plenty of the inner workings of the white house. and it says, "i really don't like the president making fun of our [ bleep ] whipping," not his words, "in november or suggesting it was because of him we got creamed." side note, is bleep whipping preferable to shellacking? another adviser offering a potential joke for clinton to deliver at the 1993 white house copters dinner. "i have a short statement, and then i'll be happy to take a few questions -- not." the clinton years, it was a

halcion time. eye time when, as the uffington post" sam stein notes, when jokes were a sure thing. then things got more complicated. a handwritten note on clinton's remarks after the 2000 election suggested that clinton commend and not congratulate vice president gore on his failed campaign for president. and indeed, clinton seems to have taken that advice to heart. coming up, they are not called the fighting irish for nothing. as the country gets ready to celebrate st. paddy's day, cities from boston to cincinnati are still battling over whether members of the lbgt community should be allowed to march in their st. paddy's day parade. ♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪

she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] with five perfectly sweetened whole grains... you can't help but see the good.

whole grains... your hepatitis c.forget it's slow moving, you tell yourself. i have time. after all there may be no symptoms for years. no wonder you try to push it to the back of your mind and forget it. but here's something you shouldn't forget. hepatitis c is a serious disease. if left untreated, it could lead to liver damage and potentially even liver cancer. if you are one of the millions of people with hepatitis c, you haven't been forgotten. there's never been a better time to rethink your hep c. because people like you may benefit from scientific advances. advances that could help you move on from hep c. now is the time to rethink hep c and talk to your doctor. visit hepchope.com to find out about treatment options. and register for a personalized guide

to help you prepare for a conversation with your doctor. (music) defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. calcium citrate plus d. highly soluble, easily absorbed. ameriprise asked people a simple question: can you keep your lifestyle in retirement? i don't want to think about the alternative. i don't even know how to answer that. i mean, no one knows how long their money is going to last. i try not to worry, but you worry. what happens when your paychecks stop? because everyone has retirement questions. ameriprise created the exclusive confident retirement approach. to get the real answers you need. start building your confident retirement today. a delegation of u.s. senators heads to ukraine while

some republicans hold up aid money because of the coke brothers. yes. because of the coke brothers. buzz feed's john stanton and "the new york times'" john baker join me. that's up next. first, the "market wrap." >> here's how stocks stand going into monday. the dow down 43 in today's trade. the nasdaq down 15, and the s&p 500 also ending the day in the red as investors increasingly worry about a potential slowdown in china and uncertainty in ukraine. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. what if a photo were more than a memory? what if it were more than something to share? what if a photo could build that shelf you've always wanted? or fix a leaky faucet? or even give you your saturday back? the new snapfix app revolutionizes local service.

just snap a photo and angie's list coordinates a top-rated provider to do the work on your schedule. the app makes it easy. the power of angie's list makes it work. download snapfix for free. marge: you know, there's a more enjoyable way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious, and a good source of fiber to help support regularity. wife: mmmm husband: these are good! marge: the tasty side of fiber. from phillips. ♪

see what's new at projectluna.com it's amanda. hey sweetie. what? [phones rings] okay, i'll send it. one hundred seventy-two dollars for a chemistry book, what is it, made of gold? just use citi popmoney. boom. ah, she's feeling lucky. hey sweetie...cancun, yeah no, you'll be spending spring break with your new chemistry book. with citi popmoney it's easy to send money to just about anyone, anytime. visit your local branch or citi.com/easierbanking to learn more.

after six hours of discussion today with his russian counterpart, secretary of state john kerry came no closer to a deal with the kremlin on the crisis in ukraine. crimea is expected to vote this sunday on a referendum to secede

from ukraine, but secretary kerry's last-ditch attempt to steer russia on to a diplomatic off ramp appears to have failed again. after a meeting with sergei lavrov, he spoke with reporters about the latest progress or lack thereof. >> i came here with good faith and constructive ideas. however, after much discussion, the foreign minister made it clear that president putin is not prepared to make any decision regarding ukraine until after the referendum on sunday. >> the secretary also said the united states would not recognize the results of crimea's referendum which is one of the many divergent vause between the u.s. and -- views between the u.s. and russia on ukraine. in kiev, a bipartisan allegation of eight u.s. senators led by john mccain arrived to meet with members of the interim government. the welcome to ukraine came on

the heels of a bitter departure. the senate put together an aid package for ukraine, one that is ready for a vote now. as is now typical, some republicans in congress and decided to delay the bill. not because they need to address the state of the ukrainian economy or to look into the needs of the ukrainian people. the bill is being held up because in the current republican party everything has a political price, even the passage of an aid package. in order to get assistance to the people of ukraine, mitch mcconnell and a group of his colleagues want the white house to delay irs regulations. you will notice that those two things are in no way involved. ukraine, irs. senator mcconnell, who faces a tough re-election fight, wants to make sure it is as easy as possible to get as much money as possible into an election, especially money from outside shady groups. the new irs regulations aim to curb political activity from tax-exempt groups known as 501c4s, groups that don't have to disclose names of their

donors. while these groups are not supposed to make politics their primary focus, they often do. 501c4s have been pouring millions into elections for years. so new irs regulations could complicate things for candidates who rely on outside spending to win their elections. what better way to derail new regulations than by playing hostage with something that the white house and, indeed, much of the global community would like to see passed. basically, the ransom note from congressional republicans reads, "slow down on regulating 501c4s, and ukrainians get their aid." really. >> our signal to the people of ukraine today is russian military forces are massing on their border, wait a minute, it's more important that we get our campaign finance regulations fixed. i've been embarrassed before on the floor of this senate, i will tell the president. but i haven't been embarrassed this way about members of my own party. >> what does that have to do

with ukraine? nothing. here's what it boils down to -- those who are making that demand are saying we cannot protect ukraine unless we're prepared to protect the coke brothers from the possibility of investigation and prosecution for wrongdoing. that's what it comes down to. that is an outrage. if you submitted that as a plot line to "house of cards," they'd reject it. >> joining me is "the new york times" white house correspondent and former moscow bureau chief, peter baker. let's start first with the diplomatic back and forth here. secretary kerry says that president putin is going to wait until after the referendum to make a decision on ukraine. read the tea leaves here. what do you foresee is -- in terms of putin's decision? >> well, there's a real game of brinksmanship here basically. the russians are going to go ahead with this referendum on sunday. very few people have much doubt about the result of that referendum. it is a -- 60% russian area, and

it's been historically part of russia in the past. and obviously the way the russians have shut off opposition to television and so forth, certainly has -- tilted the electoral map if you will in crimea. the real question is what happens after. does putin actually annex it, does he actually try to make it part of the russian federation. that would really amp up the tension in the region, but even without doing that, europe and the united states have said that after this referendum takes place on monday that they're prepared to move forward with some of the tougher sanctions that they've been avoiding so far. >> let me ask -- kerry also kept insisting that the u.s. was not issuing a threat to russia or not issuing threats to russia. and i feel like that seems sort of like a shift in tone, and then part of me asks why bother not issuing threats to russia at this point. >> well, you know, he's a diplomat using diplomatic language. it's a threat because he's saying if you do, this we will that. that's by definition, you know, you could call a threat.

but it's meant to deter or influence russian behavior. so far, vladimir putin has made clear that it doesn't much influence him. at least in terms of crimea. on the other hand he hasn't yet moved troops into eastern ukraine. that's the bigger fear at the moment. the question is whether the west can contain him and keep him from expanding what he's already done with -- with crimea. but it's a very uncertain situation, very volatile, and a lot of peril looking around the corner. >> peter, as in all things geopolitical and in terms of plot lines on the "house of cards," power is ultimately the sort of -- the decisive factor here. and one wonders if the russians just don't have more options than the west does. i mean, kerry has said that there will be sanctions if -- if the referendum is passed. and with that said, you know, there's reporting in "the daily beast" today that the nsc is prepared for potential russian

retaliation if we go through with sanctions including access for u.s. military to afghanistan which goes through -- via russia, destruction of the syrian chemical weapons which is a major priority for this administration, and of course curbing iran's nuclear program. i mean, it is hard i guess to really issue meaningful threats when the other side holds so many of the cards, it seems. >> well, look, russia has made clear it's prepared to absorb whatever cost the united states and europe are prepared to impose on it. the flip side has to be true, as well. the united states and europe are happy to be prepared to impose whatever costs russia might impose, particularly in europe where they're sensitive and dependent on russian gas. and there's areas as you pointed out that the united states depends on russia for cooperation. >> well, it is a moving chess game. we will follow it. peter baker, thank you for your time. joining me from washington is the bureau chief for "buzz feed," john stanton. john, this is a peter dispute in so far that itself decidedly

domestic and partisan and completely global. i want to focus on what's happening in congress here which is republicans attaching irs regulations to approval of an aid package to ukraine. this seems fairly unprecedented. john mccain seemed really, really angry about this. is mccain rage enough to sway the republican party? >> i don't know that mccain's rage is going to have much to do with this at all, frankly. i'm not sure that ultimately republicans are going to hold up this bill. right now i think for people like mitch mcconnell and some folks in the house, picking a fate with the administration over the irs is really good for them in terms of their primary politics. because of what happened withle controversy, they can point to that and say we're trying to stick up for you. the administration is drag its feet, they would rather go after free speech than help ukraine. ultimately they end up caving and letting ukraine go through. that's been the pattern with

them on things that they've fought with the administration over the last couple of years. to a certain degree it could end up that way. where they have a good fight, they can cut an ad and show that mitch mcconnell stood firm for the first amendment and then ultimately had to give in in order to help the people of ukraine. but it doesn't look good. certainly on the international stage for us to be having this random fight over something that really nobody except for a handful of people care about. >> you know, i will say, i mean, the white house -- this was made clear in an article in "the new york times" by jonathan weissman. there's mutual self-interest. the regulations iran even supposed to be done for a year. the white house could theoretically say, okay, fine, you get what you want, and we are advocates of free speech. that would be capitulation of republican dmemds name but not substantively at all -- demands in name but not substantively at all. the spins are -- they're going

after the coke brothers are renewed gusted oh. in my mind it's high time they did that. the coke brothers have been their whipping post for the last few weeks. to do anything that would take pressure off of them which is to say relax the regulatory process would be a defeat for the democrats if nothing else. >> harry reid is not going to let the white house do that. i don't think the administration wants to. president obama doesn't mind having fights with republicans. and most of the time, frankly, they've turned out okay for him. if you look at the shutdown from the early budget fights and appropriations fights when republicans first took over thenous 2011. he's always ended up sort of coming out at the end looking okay or better in some cases. and you know, in a situation like this where it is a pretty sort of down in the weeds kind of a rule where the base of the republican party gets this a little, the activist types understand the rule making and have opinions about it. for the left, any time you show

the coke brothers, their heads start to explode. for them there's no good reason to give in. they feel like they could end up winning this thing. i don't see either side bending in the end. >> i feel like everything that congress does these days is disturbing, but the fact that we are tagging the irs on that a ukraine aid package, it's like what's next, benghazi and sanctions? i mean, the whole -- my mind quietly exploded. >> i keep waiting for whitewater to come back somehow. >> john stanton, build it, and they will come. thank you for your time. happy friday. coming up, st. patrick is known as the patron saint of ireland. what would the ordained bishop who fought to better his country thought about excluding veterans from a parade that bears his name, next.

iwe don't back down. we only know one direction: up so we're up early. up late. thinking up game-changing ideas, like this: dozens of tax free zones across new york state. move here. expand here. or start a new business here... and pay no taxes for 10 years. with new jobs, new opportunities and a new tax free plan. there's only one way for your business to go. up. find out if your business can qualify at start-upny.com ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning.

today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor (knochello? hey, i notice your car is not in the driveway. yeah. it's in the shop. it's going to cost me an arm and a leg. that's hilarious. sorry. you shoulda taken it to midas. get some of that midas touch. they tell you what stuff needs fixing, and what stuff can wait. next time i'm going to midas. high-five! arg! i did not see that coming. trust the midas touch. for brakes, tires, oil, everything. (whistling)

as irish enthusiasts and lovers of alcohol everywhere get ready to celebrate the holiday of st. paddy's day, one of the country's biggest st. patrick's day parades in one of the most liberal states in the country is banning gay veterans from marching. the sponsor of boston's parade, the south boston allied war veterans council, has rejected an application by gay rights group mass equality to allow 20, 20 lgbt service members to participate in the annual parade. boston mayor martin walsh said yesterday he would make one more pitch to the council, but as of now, the council claims that the only way the lgbt vets will be allowed to march is if they do not reference their sexual orientation. by way of an explanation, they wrote in a statement, "it is our intention to keep this parade a family-friendly event. we will not allow any group to damage the integrity of the historic event or our reputation as a safe and fun-filled day for

all." to reiterate the council's logic, allowing people who fought to protect and defend this country and just so happen to be gay, allowing them to be honored in their home city would somehow sully the unimpeachable reputation that st. patrick's day parades tend to have. in reality, deciding to exclude certain veterans has not boosted the integrity of the council's st. patrick's day preparations. gay service members do not fit into the council's definition of family friendly, the parade's main sponsor, the boston beer company, maker of sam adams, has decided to back out. according to the brewery, it is hopeful that both sides of the issue would be able to come to an agreement that would allow everyone, regardless of orientation, to participate in the parade. but given the current status of the negotiations, we realize this may not be possible. and mayor walsh, for his part, said he will not participate in the parade if the dispute cannot be settled. so in the interest of preserving its reputation for family fun,

the south boston allied war veterans council has alienated not just the mayor of their own city but gay people and people who care about equal rights across the country and -- and it has alienated the company that was supposed to underwrite the whole event. hey, at least the day that is traditionally the biggest binge drink-a-thon of the year, when 300 million pint of guinness are consumed nationwide, when people dressed as "star wars" characters and fake elvis elvisesbecause why, for st. patrick, i have no idea, when they march through the streets of boston and boost the integrity of that historic event will be kept intact and not screwed up by a handful of gay veterans. that is all for me today and the show. luke russert is in for me monday at 4:00 p.m. eastern. erin go bragh, "the ed show" is

up next. good evening, americans, welcome to "the ed show," live from miami. let's get to work. >> it's time to build it. >> the administration is now the only thing standing in the way of thousands of american jobs. >> increase the supply of american energy and build the keystone pipeline. >> the international police which use the energy scarcity as a weapon against us all are watching intently. >> energy vulnerability equals geopolitical vulnerability. >> there's no reason scientific or otherwise to block this project any longer. good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. we keep talking about this, people are going to be paying attention and will start moving on it. now we're get something movement. now we're getting to the 11th hour. the fight over the keystone x.l. pipeline is heating up big time in congress. earlier today, house democrats led by jan shicowski of chicago, sent a