"mad men." >> what did you learn? >> we should read jim martin's book on jesus. >> yeah, we certainly should. thomas? >> i learned "mad man" joby will be excellent. the discovery project. >> only takes nine hours to get to the top of mount everest and ten minutes to get down. >> longer for us, like you said. >> cigarettes. >> a month and a half. we had the planes coming over. they had to pierce you down. >> chesterfields and -- >> chesterfields. stop for lunch. >> okay. wrap it up. i'm trying to be nice -- >> if it's way too early, it's "morning joe." who's next? >> kristen welker. it will change your life forever. "the daily rundown." i mean that. >>. >> the pope and the president. a historic meeting at the vatican for president obama, gifts are exchanged and smiles all around. but what did they say? we'll go live to vatican city. also new this morning, the

search and recovery effort presses on in the wake of that deadly washington state mudslide, and there's new debris spotted in the ocean, rough weather forces the search for malaysian airlines flight 370 to stop until at least saturday. plus, president obama offers more tough talk for russia as europe wonders what putin's next move might be, and a former ukraine leader declares she wants back in power. and a very good morning from washington. it's thursday, march 27th, 2014. and this is "the daily rundown." i'm kristen welker in for chuck todd who will join us in a minute from vatican city. that's where we begin with today's historic meeting between president obama and pope francis. the president was greeted at the vatican by members of the iconic swiss guard after a slow and deliberate walk through the halls with dignitaries. the president arrived outside the papal library where the pope greeted him in the small throne room. photographers snapped their pictures when they were joined

by translators for a private meeting. after their meeting, the president and the pope exchanged gifts. the pope gave the president a copy of his papal letter, the joy of the gospel, in which he calls for a church that is poor and for the poor and the president offered this. [ inaudible ] and it's not the first time president obama has met with the head of the roman catholic church. he set down with pope benedict xvi in 2009.

president obama, who's made income inequality the defining issue of his second term has talked about how he has been inspired by the people's pope who has captured the imagination of millions around the world with his commitment to fighting poverty. >> across the developed world, inequality has increased. the pope himself spoke about this at eloquent length. how can it be, he wrote, that it's not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points. >> in an interview with an italian newspaper published today, the president said he wanted his conversation with the pope to focus on income inequality across the globe, calling it a moral issue, and saying, quote, i hope to share with the pope some of the work we're doing in the united states to create jobs, raise wages, boost incomes, and make it easier for families to get ahead. and chuck todd is traveling with the president. he joins me now from vatican city. good to see you, chuck. so what are your takeaways so

far from the meeting? how much is the white house hoping that this meeting between the president and the pope will really help to boost the president's domestic agenda, particularly when it comes to income inequality? >> well, i think when you look at sort of how this week is laid out, as far as this overseas trips -- and overseas trip, especially at a time when the public doesn't want to hear about international events, wants to have their political leaders focused on domestic events -- this is the one day that the white house circled on their calendar as the one day on this trip where they could be talking about their domestic agen agenda. the president -- i mean, it was fascinating in that interview with the italian newspaper this morning where his answer about what is he looking forward to in meeting with the pope, and obviously you went through an excerpt of that, but when you read it, it read like a stump speech these days, when he goes around and talking about the campaign coming up, talking about his agenda, his economic agenda. even brought up the minimum wage. so it makes you wonder, does he

actually talk about that? we'll hear from the president himself and his real reactions to what he talked about with the pope in there when he has his joint press conference later this morning, or at least this morning your time, later this afternoon here in italy. but what's equally as fascinating here, while the white house very much wants to emphasize what they agree where the pope and the president agree on income inequality, the vatican made it very clear in the run-up to this meeting that they've got some -- they've got some disagreements with the obama administration, in two big areas, both cultural issues of significant importance to the catholic church. one has to do with the contraceptive mandate part of the health care law, which, of course, that's sitting before the supreme court, number one. but it was the vatican's press release, previewing the visit brought that specifically up. in fact, it was fascinating in the press release, the president's health care law that

is known as obamacare -- it was just interesting to see that phrase written by the vatican in their english version of their release. but then they also brought up it is troubling to the vatican the expansion of the legalization of gay marriage that's taking place across the country. so it is clear that the vatican was not going to be shy about bringing up some of those differences. now, talking to somebody that's close to the church here, they did indicate that the pope himself probably wouldn't be as political with the president in that one-on-one meeting, but the issues would come up in the larger meeting they had afterwards that included the large american delegation that also has john kerry in it, as well as the secretary of state of the holy see here, kristen. >> it's been fascinating for to you cover as a journalist. next up will be equally fascinating, president's going to meet with king abdullah in saudi arabia where some of the thornier issues between the two

countries actually might come up in that meeting, right, chuck? what are you anticipating there? >> oh, more than might. this is a -- this is a -- i've called it i'm sorry visit. the chemistry isn't there. it's not something the saudis are used to. they're used to very good personal relationships with american presidents. this one is not the best of personal relationships. there are a lot of disagreeme s disagreements, particularly the saudis not happy with the united states on the syria policy. but i have to say, the saudis aren't making a very good first impression with the decision to deny a visa, which seems is an outrageous decision to deny a visa to our colleague for the jerusalem post. it isn't a way to win friends with the obama administration. >> all right, chuck, we will check back in with you tomorrow. safe travels. thank you for that report. >> all right, got it. and uh turning to the tragedy in northwest washington

state. search crews are on in rescue mode this hour, still hoping to find survivors after that massive mudslide swallowed a neighborhood six days ago. 90 people are still either missing or unaccounted for. conditions are just miserable. the mud is deep, and some spots are like quick sand. the forecast calls for more rain later today. nbc's miguel almaguer has been following it all. >> reporter: kristen, good morning. search teams are entering day six of the search. the official death toll stands at 16, though authorities do fear they've discovered another eight bodies. the number of missing is down from 176 to 90. there is still plenty of grief in this community. we spoke to many survivors who say they rode a wave of mud more than 200 yards. folks survived that landslide, but more than anything, there are still many victims left on that body, authorities fear. the national guard as well as local and federal agencies are up on the hillside today

scouring the square mile of debris, looking for any sign of any survivors. the search here will continue, but authorities say it would be a miracle if anyone is still alive on that mountain. kristen? >> all right, miguel, thank you for that report. we are also getting a better idea of the sheer size of the landslide. nasa just released these images showing the aftermath. the mudslide covered almost a square mile. it's big enough to change the local map. you can see how the slide carved out a new landscape around oso, and its deepest, the mud was 30 to 40 feet high as it raced down the hillside. that's about the height of a four-story building. the rescue effort is not over yet, and the idea of a cleanup is probably overwhelming at this point. i'm joined by washington senator patty murray who's been talking to the victims of this disaster. thank you so much, senator murray, for joining me this morning. i appreciate it. >> thank you very much.

>> first of all, i want to say our thoughts are going out to all of those in your community. you have been speaking to some of the family members. what have those interactions been like? what have they been saying to you? what assurances and reassurances have you been giving to them? >> well, this is so difficult for so many people in that community. it is a small rural community, darington, oso, tough-spirited communities, but they all know each other. the rescue workers that are on the ground know the victims, oftentimes family members, and they have come together in an unprecedented way. it is just heartwarming to watch. it is so difficult to watch, because there are so many that are still -- they are still unable to find. so it is a challenging time. at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level, every effort is coming to bear to make sure that everyone --

i've talked to fema. i've talked to-- to be out in the safety of the rescue workers also has to be taken into account. so one of the most difficult disasters that i have ever seen -- and my heart and prayers go out to everyone who's been involved and impacted and on the ground who are searching. >> and i want to follow up on that point, the assistance that federal, state officials are trying to give to the communities who've been hardest hit. i know the federal highway administration has given $1 million to the victims. but before any more money can be a allocated, emergency assessment teams have to get in there, but they can't because it's not stable enough. is that accurate? how quickly do you anticipate they'll be able to make those assessments, and will it be fast enough to get the folks there who are hurting so much the help they need? >> it is true that the

assessments are very difficult to do right now, but despite that, fema is ready and is offering every kind of assistance that is being asked for and more. so we know everybody is working despite the fact that paperwork and getting those asoosessmentss a challenge. i'll be heading back out there tonight to be on the ground throughout the rest of this weekend to make sure that anything that is needed, we are -- stand ready to help them with. >> looking a little bit more long term, i've been reading that less than 5% of the residents there have insurance that would cover a disaster like that. is that your understanding? what can be done and will be done long term to help the folks who don't have insurance? >> well, certainly, again, this is a small, rural community, and many of those folks didn't have a lot of resources. we're going to have to assess everything from housing to travel. highway 530 is a major route of travel there. it's where many of the cars were

that we have unaccounted victims of at this point. that will have to be rerouted. but there's now a river that's changing course. so it's going to be -- it's a real challenge. this is not something that will be solved in a few days or a few weeks. the federal government, the state government, the local communities are going to be working at this for a very long time to come. and we are in it with them every day till it gets done. >> all right. senator murray, thank you so much for those insights. we appreciate it very much. >> thank you. coming up, new developments on the search for flight 370. a thai satellite just spotted about 300 objects floating in the indian ocean that could be debris from the plane. that's ahead. plus, with the senate set to vote today on sanctions, punishing putin, two republicans on foreign relations -- senator bob corker -- joins us. we're just minutes away from the president's meeting with the italian prime minister. we'll bring you that when it

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we have some developing news to tell you about. on the nsa bulk data collection, this just in from the white house. the president says he has decided that the best path forward as to how nsa collects meta data is the government should not collector hold this data in bulk. instead, the data should remain at the telephone companies for the length of time it currently does today. we will have more on this developing story coming up. well, we want to turn now to ukraine where russia is reportedly ramping up its troop presence on the border, increasing levels from 20,000

last week to over 30,000 today. now, this comes as president obama works to shore up international alliances to confront russia's aggression before things get worse. >> russia's leadership is challenging truths that only a few weeks ago seemed self-evident. that in the 21st century, the borders of europe cannot be redrawn with force. that international law matters. that people in nations can make their own decisions about their future. >> on the international front, the imf says it will loan up to $18 billion to the new government in kiev, and the united nations is preparing for a critical vote later today. nbc's amon has more on that from inside eastern ukraine. >> reporter: good morning, kristen. ukraine officials will be watching a very important vote that is scheduled to take place at the general assembly at the united nations later on today. now, that vote, according to ukrainian officials, is expected

to pass by their estimates. they believe this resolution is going to send an important message. that message, that the international community stands firmly with the ukrainian government. it respects the territorial integrity of ukraine. and more importantly, rejects the referendum that took place in crimea that effectively allowed russia to annex the crimea peninsula. ukrainian officials i've been speaking to are aware this is a symbolically resolution, not binding like a security council one. nonetheless, it sends an important message to the international community is standing behind the government in kiev. kristen? >> thank you for that report. nearly a week since putin annexed crimea, congress is finally on the verge of responding. today, the house and senate are poised to pass legislation on sanctions and loan guarantees, although it still needs to be put together into one bill. joining me now tennessee republican senator bob corker, ranking member of the foreign

relations committee. thank you so much for joining me this morning, senator. i appreciate it. >> good to be with you, kristen. thank you. >> i want to start off by getting your reaction to some developing news. we just found out that the former ukrainian prime minister will republican for president in the may presidential elections. your reaction to that, senator? >> obviously, you know, i knew there was interest there. i know there are a couple of other candidates that are also very pro-western, and at the end of the day, it doesn't make sense for me to weigh in, other than i hope that as this evolves there's a unified approach towards the pro-western group. so other than that, it doesn't surprise me at all. i know there's a couple other candidates that are looking at it. and we'll just see how that's the way democracy works, and hopefully it will work well in this case. >> and obviously, the big news from the hill today, legislation that is going to go through the senate, that would increase

sanctions on russia. do you expect that this legislation will make its way through both chambers by the end of the day, senator? >> i do. you know, the imf provision was dropped. it was something i strongly supported. but it obviously was not going to make it through the house. in order to get a rapid response, yes, there is -- we've -- there's a bill that's come over from the house that we're going to utilize to send back to the house. but it will be the senate language, and it looks like at 12:15 today we'll vote on that, send it over to the shohouse, ai expect quick passage, yes, i do. >> i want to play you something one of your colleagues said and get you to respond on the other side. >> if you want to make putin think twice about what he does next, he's got to pay a price greater than he has for the crimea. if he gets away with this, and he doesn't pay any price, he's going to be on steroids. >> so, senator graham calling for more action.

you have said that there -- you need to go after state-owned companies in the next move. is that something that you anticipate will happen, senator? >> i do hope so. i'm a little worried -- i do understand the balance, kristen, of you don't want to throw the kitchen sink on the front end and not have anything left, otherwise putin has nothing to lose. on the other hand, i do think that our response has been timid. and i would like to see some greater sectorial responses. i do think there are three, four banks there, if we were to sanction them, would send incredible shock waves through their economy. so i don't think we're quite where we need to be yet. i do think, though, the economic aid package that'll come out today, where we're helping the european community and the imf stabilize the economy, i do appreciate the sanctions that the president has put forth, and his executive order to do the sectorial sanctions. but i think we need to go ahead and exercise, though, based on

the comments he's made over the last couple of days in europe, they still seem cautious and timid. and i do think that putin is one of those folks that only responds to something that's direct, that has impact on him. and i don't think we're there yet. so, yes, i do hope to see increased sectorial sanctions. i hope they'll come soon. there are a lot of troops building up on the border of ukraine. if russia doesn't feel they'll pay the economic price, a big price for doing this, i'm afraid they're going to come on in. >> let me pick up on that point. as you say, we are learning about increased troop levels today. do you anticipate -- or how concerned are you that putin is actually going to move into other parts ever ukraine? and does this legislation that you plan to pass today, is it going to prevent him from doing that? >> you know, really, kristen, i'd love to say that what we've done here in the senate is just absolutely the knockout punch. what it does really, just

reinforces what the administration is doing. it does make it mandatory, it does put it in legislative language, and it does show a unified strength here. as far as putin goes, i don't think he knows what he's going to do. i think he's calculating what price he would pay if he went in. i think he's watching the european union and our president and state department. and i think he's calculating, again, is he going to pay a big price if he goes in or not? i think that's why we need to go ahead, turn it up a notch or two, send another shockwave into their economy. we all know they have an incredibly weak economy there. they're basically an autocratic petrostate. again, i'm afraid that we're sounding and acting slightly timid right now. we need to turn the volume up. >> all right. and i just want to -- one final point, president obama, we're getting new poll numbers today, in terms of his handling of the ukraine crisis, 57% say they

disapprove. 40% say they approve. how would you rate how president obama has handled this crisis so far, and then on the other end of that, do you agree with his assessment that russia is a regional power? >> well, russia certainly -- you know, russia is a regional power. i did appreciate him saying that. but at the same time, our actions, kristen, and i've said this over and over, since august in syria, have turned him -- his image into something much greater than that. we basically have empowered him like never before, because, again, we shunned away from the -- what we were going to do in syria. we basically jumped in russia's lap. so i forgot the first -- what was the first part of your question? i apologize. >> well, i'm wondering what you think -- >> the handling. >> -- the handling of the situation, just quickly, because we're almost out of time. >> yeah, i know, so we were off

guard in the beginning, behind. i felt like we stepped up fairly well. i did appreciate the sanctions that were put in place. this last week, i do believe that he's been very timid. and i think what overall americans are seeing in these numbers is that the administration has created an air of permissiveness all around the world, an air of weakness. and i think they see -- especially watching russia. they didn't pay so much attention to russia. but when it's russia, people are paying attention. and i think we are projecting, again, timidity, permissiveness, weakness, and i think americans are responding to that. >> all right. the debate continues. senator bob corker, thank you so much for your time this morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you. and it's time now for the first number in today's data bank. 114. that's the number of days charlotte mayor patrick cannon served before resigning on wednesday. cannon stepped down after he was arrested on federal corruption charges that he allegedly

accepted thousands of dollars from undercover agents. if convicted, he could face up to 50 years in prison. the fbi began investigating cannon last august when he was a member of the city council. next, we will go to australia for the very latest on the search for malaysia flight 370. but first, today's tdr 50 trivia question -- if i can impart one lesson to a

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because of bad weather. these new images from a thai satellite show about 300 objects floating in the indian ocean near the search zone, about 1,600 miles southwest of perth. nbc's ian williams joins us from perth, australia, which has become the international base for the search operation. so what's the very latest there, ian? >> reporter: well, good morning, kristen. as you can imagine, there's a lot of frustration here out at the air force base, which is the hub of the search operation. after it was grounded for the second time this week by bad weather. aircraft did take off this morning, but had to turn around almost as soon as they reached the search area, because of that weather. the commander of the u.s. flying team here described visibility so bad, he could hardly see the ends of his wings. now, they were to have checked out objects identified by a french satellite last sunday, but that simply wasn't possible. one bit of encouraging news

today, as you point out, was that thai satellite image appearing to show 300 objects down there in the indian ocean, in the southern sector, objects ranging in size from three to four feet up to 50 feet. but the thais did caution the resolution is not good. also, we haven't yet heard from either the malaysians or the australians and their reaction to these images. on top of that, the thais said the location of this debris, apparent debris, was about 200 miles from where the french saw their debris the day before, and that's a long way for things to drift. suggesting that perhaps it is not the same objects, kristen. >> all right, ian williams, thank you for that report. we appreciate it. and now, here's another data bank number. 24. that's the number of pages in a ruling by the national labor relations board granting northwestern university football players the right to form a union. it states players should be eligible to unionize because of

the time they devote to football. the control exerted by coaches and the compensation they receive in the form of scholarships. northwestern plans to appeal that ruling. and, by the way, the tdr march madness rolls on. the voting is open now for the first round of the slate 20th century. it's your chance to pick history's top white house contender, or pretender, who never made it to 1600 pennsylvania avenue. john glenn, bob dole, ted kennedy, and gary hart are just a few of the familiar names fighting it out today. go to rundown.msnbc .com to cast your votes, and tweet us your picks. we'll unveil all the winners of the round 64 next week. we'll be back after a quick break. a low sex drive, a low sex drive, i had to do something. i saw my doctor. a blood test showed it was low testosterone, not age. we talked about axiron the only underarm low t treatment that can restore t levels to normal in about two weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer.

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farming and ranching has been the bedrock of the south dakota economy. thanks to rich cropland in the eastern part of the state and space for cattle herds in the west. today, agriculture is the state's leading industry with a $21 billion impact. topping the list of products, corn. south dakota farmers plant more than 4 million acres of it every single year. cattle, soybeans, wheat, hog farming are also among the state's top exports. it's the second largest producer of sunflower seeds and oil production in the u.s. if you thought the farmers' way of life was disappearing in the u.s., take a look at this. there are nearly 32,000 farms in south dakota today with an average size of more than 1,350 acres, the equivalent of more than two square miles. and while the rest of the country was tightening its belt during the recession, south dakota's agriculture industry continued to grow. from 2007 to 2012, south dakota actually added hundreds of new farms, and during that same period, the value of crop and

livestock production skyrocketed 55% to more than $7.5 billion. now, earlier, my colleague luke russert spoke to south dakota republican senator john thune and asked him why the agriculture industry has been so successful. >> i think part of it, luke, is just there's really strong global demand for american agricultural products, and it's raised commodity prices in this country, and when commodity prices are good, more people want to farm. our state of south dakota is the $21 billion industry in our state. and so, it's the number-one driver of our economy. we pay close attention to it. it has put a floor under our economy. and i think it's helped the national economy in the same way. when you have a really strong agricultural sector, it helps sort of prop up some of the other areas of the economy that aren't performing so well. >> and that's now allowed you to keep your unemployment rate so low? >> it has. you are our unemployment rate is

higher than north dakota, 2.6%, and nebraska is about 3.5%. so we're number three in the nation. i think that's part of it, because when the ag economy performs well, then the other businesses, when the farmers come in, the ranchers come into the communities in south dakota and they're doing business there, it helps the entire economy. it gives it a lift. we got very low unemployment. we have a strong economy. we have very favorable climate for doing business. and that's attractive to businesses. we've seen a lot of them move to our state. >> one issue on that regarding the businesses. you guys obviously have a very attractive business climate. cnbc ranked you as the number-one place to do business in the united states. one area where you're lacking, though, is the lack of internet and the lack of broadband speed. what is being done to try implement that throughout the state so that you don't lose that number-one seed? >> well, i think that is a key, and technology is important. we have a number of rural areas -- i've been a big advocate as a member of the senate commerce committee, in making sure every part of the country participates in the

broadband revolution, that we see even the smaller communities, more remote areas in places like south dakota get connected. and that will be a challenge in the future, because it's harder sometimes, a sparse population to get the kind of private investment that it takes to really have that -- you know, have everybody connected across our state and across our country. but that is happening. and the reason we got the cnbc rating, i think, is because we've got a zero personal income tax, zero corporate income tax, really strong workforce, strong economy, good quality of life, and those are all factors that weigh into that, and the technology component of that is important, as well, but it's one we're addressing, and we continue to see success with that, and we continue to build out platforms all across our state that serve pretty much every corner of south dakota. and i think we're going to see that all across the country. >> you're in the leadership of a senate republican conference. it's getting more conservative, it seems, by the year. one issue that's come under heat

is that of ethanol. you are the fifth largest ethanol-producing seat. is ethanol subsidy still needed in 2014? >> the tax credit went away a couple of years ago, but the renewable fuel standard is something that i think is important. and we've advocated for that, the epa this year has lowered the number -- the volume number. we've been trying to work with them to get that adjusted. but i think it's important for a lot of reasons. it displaces the need for foreign oil, that we have to import. obviously, it's good for the environment, cleans it up. it's good for the economy. and we're growing jobs in places in the midwest rather than creating jobs in places like the middle east. we think there's a good story there. obviously, it's an issue that creates a lot of spirited debate across the country. but if you're from a corn-producing area of the country, it's something that's important to your economy. and so, those of us who represent areas of the country where corn production, agricultural production, ethanol production can happen and happen

well, are very supportive of it. >> there's been some movement in your local statehouse about trying to get the federal government to recognize the viability of hemp as an agricultural product. do you support that? do you support hemp as an agricultural product? >> in the past, it's been sort of a controversial subject in our state, and a lot of other states because of the similarities to marijuana, now that marijuana is becoming more legalized across the country, it seems like maybe it's a less of an issue. obviously, it's a debate that our state legislature has. i don't think we'll decide that here. we don't have a farm program in washington, d.c., although in this last farm bill, there was some dollars committed, i think, to hemp research. but i think it's one of the issues we'll continue to discuss and debate. it's not something in the past i've supported, but obviously, you know, it's an issue that continues to come up every year, every time we have a new farm bill, and every time we have a

state legislative meeting, i think in south dakota they're getting opportunity to debate it anew. so we'll continue to have that discussion and see where it leads. >> is it fair to say you're open to it if the state legislature was supportive? >> i think it's -- yeah, it will depend largely on where our state legislature, the people of south dakota decide to go on that subject. i've had concerns in the past, like i said, because law enforcement communities have had concerns. but if that changes, and we start to see some movement, some modification there, i think all of us will look at that issue, and perhaps be open to drawing different conclusions based on new evidence and new conclusions that are drawn by our state legislatures and the people in our states. >> great discussion with luke and senator john thune. and before we break, today's tdr 50 soup of the day. they're serving up new orleans style gumbo at parker's bistro in sioux falls, south dakota. sounds good. we'll be right back, everyone. iwe don't back down. we only know one direction: up

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we want to take you back to italy. these pictures just in to msnbc. just moments ago, president obama arriving to meet with the italian prime minister. ukraine will undoubtedly top the agenda. now, after that meeting, the two will hold a press conference. that's expected to last about an hour, and msnbc will, of course, bring it to you live. we anticipate the president will talk about his meeting with the pope. now, for the last number in today's data bank. 199. as in the number of days since two access lanes to the george washington bridge were closed, igniting the bridgegate scandal involving new jersey governor chris christie. governor christie's legal team hired to conduct an internal review of the scandal will release their final report and take questions today at 11:30 a.m. stay with msnbc for more details. trivia time now. in 1912, south dakota voted for progressive party candidate, guess who, teddy roosevelt, for

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with many grace reform stalled in the house, democrats are launching a longshot effort to advance an immigration bill. on wednesday house democrats announced a plan to introduce a discharge petition on. it's a procedural tactic that allows the majority of house members to force a floor vote on a bill even if leaders of the majority party oppose the measure. the president applauded democratic efforts saying in a statement, quote, the only thing standing in the way is the unwillingness of republicans in congress to catch up with the rest of the country. today vice president biden is likely to push that message again in a speech to the hispanic chamber of commerce, but the near-term prospects for

immigration are slim. yesterday congressman paul ryan wouldn't put a timeline on reform, telling the same group, quote, it's not a question of if we fix or broken immigration laws, it's really a question of when. meanwhile, all three republican co-sponsors of the immigration bill democrats hope to bring to the floor say they oppose the procedural effort. even majority leader nancy pelosi said in a recent interview, it won't succeed. >> now, we'll never get the 218 on the discharge petition, this is more technical, because the republicans would generally not sign, but the fact that it's there and the outside mobilization is saying all we want is a vote. >> democratic congressman joaquin castro of texas joins me now. congressman, thanks for being here this morning. >> thanks for having me. >> let's pick up right there. even nancy pelosi is saying the matt just isn't there. you don't have 218 votes. is this really more about the

politics of it in trying to garner momentum in this midterm election year? >> well, you know, democrats here are listening to the american people. we also promised we would use every single toot at our disposal to the immigration reform pleasure. and leader pelosi is right, it is tough. i think the last one that was successful was probably about ten years ago. we're going to do every single thing we can inside the congressional chamber and outside to push immigration reform. >> when you look at the politics, though, there doesn't seem to be a real appetite. when you look at constituents particularly in some of these red states, they're not pushing for immigration reform, so you have a lieutenant of republicans who say it doesn't make sense for them politically. is there any hope it could get done this year or really is your best chance 2015? >> i think that we have probably until the end of july realistically to get something done. if you look at the calendar, the

congressional colonel dear after july 31st we're only in session 26 days the rest of the year. just to be clear you think you can get something down on immigration reform by july? >> well, i guess let me put it this way. if something is going to get done it's going to happen, i think, by the end of july. the prospects for getting it done are tough, you are gerrymandered congressional districts, and republicans listening mostly to the tea party and nobody else even though two thirds of americans support comprehensive reform. if we're going to do something, i think it's got to happen by the end of july or i think you're moving on to the next term. >> let me get your take on something that president obama recently announced he's asked the department of justice to review the deportation policy to see if there is a way it can be handled more humanely. has the white house given i any sense of their timeline for this? have they given you any

assurances it would lead to fewer deportations? >> it was a great signal that the president asked the homeland security director to meet with the congressional hispanic caucus, they'll take a ser resue of the practices, so there was no specific timeline given, but i think it's a good sign. the obama administration announced what some are calling the delay. speaker boehner called it a joke. is the white house undermining its own efforts here? could that hurt democrats? 2014? >> not at all. with any big bill, whether it's health care, banks, mortgages, you'll have to go back and tweak that bill. if the congress sun willing or unable to do that, the president is taking executive action to improve the law. that's exactly what americans want. i would also point out that president bush also extended deadlines on health care. one of them was for six months. this is by no mean

unprecedented. >> all right. congressman castro, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. that is it for this edition of "the daily rundown." up next much more with the pope and the president, expected soon live from rome. have a great day, everyone. i'm meteorologist bill karins. we're finally done with that big huge nor'easter. it's been a cold start to the day in areas of the northeast, but at least the afternoon will be dry. the middle of the country is the stormy portion. we could even see strong thunderstorms as we go through the late afternoon and evening, maybe even some severe storms. have a great day.

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stopped. >> i was thinking, well, this is the end, i'm going to die. >> there are new satellite images that show 300 objects in the indian ocean, but bad weather is stopping the search yet again. good morning. i'm chris jansing. two huge global stars, pope francis and president obama in a historic and highly anticipated meeting this morning, their first. with it comes some high expectations that the leaders, who differ so much on social issues like abortion and gay marriage, can find important common ground in their shared fight against economic inequality. on the surface we saw all the pomp and tradition of the vatican, the president's walk through the has of the appear stoutic, into the ornate papal library. >> wonderful to meet you. thank you so much. >> presidents and popes have been meeting since wood row wilson. while we're still