>> offensive line really -- i think we should go -- >> but this year they're comfortable. >> once they get a skilled position player, maybe we could get a quarterback. they haven't won the first round since like 1985. >> not a lot of dancing at the draft. former heisman trophy winner johnny manziel, how far the texas a & m quarterback fell and the team that traded up to grab him. investigating the tragedy in benghazi, big decision from congressional democrats today. will they take part in a brand new select committee in the house? defying vladimir putin, the move by ukrainians as kiev goes on high alert. this is "way too early." good morning. i'm mika brzezinski in for

thomas roberts. it's friday, may 9th. welcome to "way too early." violence one day after prorussian militants defy a request by president vladimir putin. marking victory day, anniversary of nazi germany's surrender to russia. a symbolic victory lap in that contested region. he was at moscow's annual parade earlier this morning. criman flags were on display. separatists rejected putin's call to delay the referendum. despite putin's calls for dialogue between the countries, there were still strong signs russia and ukraine have a long way to go. putin personally oversaw military exercises, including rocket launches, ground troops and military vehicles. pro-russian militants are continuing to take over buildings throughout ukraine.

hundreds of separatists took control over regional government buildings after ukrainian soldiers fled. the members of the u.s. military that specialized in intelligence and communications are on their way to nigeria right now to help in the search for nearly 300 kidnapped school girls. secretary of state john kerry says he is optimistic the islamic militant group behind the abductions will be brought to justice. >> our interagency team is hitting the ground in nigeria now. and they are going to be working in concert to do everything we can to return these girls to their families, to their communities. we'll do everything possible. the entire world should not only be condemning this outrage, but should be doing everything possible to help nigeria in the days ahead. >> nigeria's president said the

abductions will mark, quote, the beginning of the end of terrorism in the country. the kidnappings had sparked an outrage around the world and criticism that nigeria's government has not done enough to find the girls. yesterday, we brought you the breaking news. this morning we have the video reported to be that bombing when they met a major hotel in the city of aleppo, used to house syrian military forces. rebels reportedly used tunnels to plant explosions under the building. the rebel group claiming responsibility say they killed 50 people, but there is still no official death toll. in just a few hours, democrats are expected to decide if they will take part in the latest investigation in the 2012 attack in benghazi. the house approved the select committee in a 233-186 vote and the white house says the republican effort to fund raise

benghazi shows political motivation. >> four americans died in benghazi. should the nrcc fund raise off your efforts for the select committee? >> our focus is on getting the answers to those family whose lost their loved ones, period. >> should the nrcc, if they're fund-raising off of it right now, is that -- >> our focus is getting the truth for these four families and for the american people. >> the campaign committee which you are very involved in is fund-raising off of this. why is that happening? >> our focus is on getting the truth for the american people and these four families. >> three questions and he can't say it's wrong. congressman trey gowdy, who is leading the panel, said thursday on "morning joe," it would be wrong to raise money off the benghazi attack and then e-mails

went out raising money for the benghazi attack. all hospitals, subpoenas for e-mails have been issued for administrators including secretary of state shinseki, veterans in the phoenix area waiting for care while, waiting for care, they died. when this woman's father went to the hospital for urgent care, the staff refused to treat him and told him to see his primary va doctor instead. >> i'm sorry i'm shaking, but they -- >> it's okay. >> they were quick to dismiss my father. all the people that were part of this, they should be held accountable because it's a crime. you know, delayed care is denied care and it's just not fair. >> the last few weeks have been a model of va stonewalling, which precipitated the need for this subpoena. >> secretary of state shinseki

will testify on capitol hill next week. governor chris christie's problems in new jersey are more about budgets than bridges these days. as politico notes today, the latest challenge centers on the state's economic troubles and that was made quite clear on sunday with a giant front page headline in the star ledger. the garden state's unemployment is well above the national average. the jobs recovery is still lagging and the real estate market is also in tough shape. christie's administration is facing a $1 billion budget gap. for the fifth time since he took office, the state's credit rating has been downgraded. the governor says to undercut the governor's message of an economic miracle in new jersey and chris christi he's troubles open the door for trouble for other potential presidential contenders, including mike pence. former congressman says he is, quote, listening to fellow

republicans who are urging him to run in 2016. supporters site grassroots support plus legislative experience in both washington and the state capital. a big question is whether he can drum up the huge financial backing necessary to launch a white house bid. obamacare can be a difficult subject for senate democrats who lost re-election battles. perhaps no one faces a tougher challenge than that of kay hagan of north carolina. these are the headlines this morning online, huffington post, endangered dem comes out swinging on obamacare and washington post, vulnerable dem offers strong case for obamacare. during the confirmation hearing, hagan offered her support for a key portion of the affordable care act. >> last year in north carolina, our state legislature, as a

result about 500,000 people who have qualified for coverage through medicaid are now not able to do so. >> and speaking with the charlotte news and observer, hagan goes a step further in defending the affordable care act. in the interview she fights off republicans suggesting to repeal the law by ticking off the law's benefits. when asked about her legislative record she explains, i voted for it. i think there are common sense fixes that must be made in this bill but i also talk to people all across north carolina who have seen the difference that it has made in their lives. she's sticking to it. disgraced clippers owner donald sterling is back with a new audio recording. this time reacting to his original racist rant. radar online released the audio of sterling defending himself

against the charges of racism. >> how could you think meef as a racist, knowing me all these years? how can you be in this business and be a racist? do you think i tell the coach to get white players or get the best player he can get? >> sterling also said he's not willing to sell the team. quote, you can't force people to sell property in america. meanwhile, sources tell usa today shelly sterling wants to keep her 50% share of the team. head coach doc rivers thinks the team may need a clean break from the sterlings. rivers said, quote, i think it would be a very hard situation. i'll say that much. i think it will be very difficult. i guarantee you, every person wouldn't be on board with this. i just know that it would be a very difficult situation for everybody. yeah, i think so.

cnbc steve sedwich. did i get your name right or should i continue to call you sandwich? >> you can call me whatever you like. >> ah. >> stock under a lot of pressure, blue chips in the dow were up. janet yellin didn't say anything new she hadn't said in the previous session. mortgage rates, little bit better if you're looking for new mortgage. 4.21%, down from 4.29. slowish housing market. under a lot of pressure, stateside as well. housing prices still on the up, slower pace. houses were up 11% year on year in march. mika? >> steve sedgwick, thank you. big deal with beats for apple. do you know those headphones? do you use those? you don't use beats? mike barnicle, you use beats?

>> i do. i'm young and trendy, you see, mika. that's what it's all about. it's all about being young and trendy. >> we'll see how big of a deal that becomes. still ahead on "way too early," disappointing night for johnny football, the team that finally nabbed the heisman trophy winner three hours after the draft began. it's one of those videos you're going to want to watch again and again and again. and wait until you hear the sound. that story -- what? that story and a check on weather when we come back. one year and 11 months a couple of miles from here, the impeachment inquiry got under way.

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time for sports, round one of the nfl draft is in the books. no surprise with the top pick. >> with the first pick in the 2014 nfl draft the houston texans select clowney. >> what was surprising is how long johnny manziel waited. >> with the 22nd pick, the cleveland browns select johnny manziel. >> the browns moved up four spots to grab the former heisman trophy winner who waited an excruciating 3 1/2 hours -- that hurts. >> it was painful. >> playoff action now, hosting the blazers in game two of the

western semi finals. ginobli added 16. spurs win it 113-97 and take a 2-0 series lead. let's go to miami. nets and heat in game two. less than four minutes left in the fourth. the heat play keepaway. brooklyn didn't even touch the ball for nearly two minutes. lebron james scored 22 points and the heat pull add way late for a 94-82 victory, the eighth straight playoff win gives the heat a 2-0 series lead. tonight the pacers visit the wizards and the clippers host the thunder. both of those series are tied at 1-1. to the ice and round two of the stanley cup playoffs. >> they score! a beautiful setup for salani and anaheim breaks the tie. sets up for the shot.

bouncing -- he scores! >> bruins and the canadiens tied at two games each. and the kings lead the ducks two games to one. they fight for their lives in pittsburgh and blackhawks and game four. to the nfl draft, shall we? eric ebron was grabbed with that tenth pick. that might not have even been the best part of the day. he proposed to his girlfriend on top of the empire state building earlier in the day. and she said -- >> what do you think she's going to say? he was about to be a millionaire. >> she's shaking her head. she's shaking her head. yes. adorable. that might have contributed to his luck later in the day. very cute. very cute. almost as cute, not, as bill karins. let's get a check on your weather. >> that was too ease. >> i too easy. did you propose that way? >> no, i did not.

no, no. we will not get into that. >> okay. >> are you looking forward to mother's day? >> i am, but i'm seeing a lot of rain. >> i know. it's hit and miss. we're all right here. we're all right. just don't travel to st. louis or kansas city. >> everybody needs a good mother's day, bill. >> i know we do, but it can't. it won't happen that way. as far as what we're dealing with last night, a lot of severe weather, especially in areas in the middle of the country from minnesota all the way down to texas. a bunch of tornado reports, too. we didn't get any horrible tornadoes. we didn't have any fatalities or injuries like that. that's good. numerous areas of rain coming down. new york city had a big thunderstorm overnight. it looks like we'll get another drenching as we go throughout the next hour. chicago, rain for you. we've made the switch from spring almost to summer where it's a little more humid now. we'll start getting these downpours daily in many areas of the country. getting drenched also there in mississippi. let me take you through the forecast. if you're going to get storms today, dangerous winds or hail,

we're talking st. louis, memb memphis, little rock, dallas, houston. as we go through the week, unfortunately, we'll shift to the east. friday we have the storms pretty much in the gulf up to chicago. and saturday, as mika was mentioning, the eastern seaboard, we're warm. we're humid with a chance of storms. thankfully, just for mika, we clear it out for a beautiful sunday. unfortunately, our friends in the midwest, not as lucky. >> john power says you probably proposed in your birthday suit. am i right? >> i mean, thanks for the visual but, i mean, no. >> it's not a good one. not a good one. oh, hello. >> speaking of visuals. >> are you my celebrity judge? >> it's getting worse. >> nice to see you. yeah, go sit down. coming up at the top of the hour on "morning joe," governor chris christie, major budget

issues that could damage his standing. when we come back here, we'll huddle around the water cooler. is it lewis? is he back? all right. political debate can get pretty feisty here in the u.s. sometimes discourse goes to a whole new level in jordan. we'll be right back. good job! still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories. man: yeah, scott. i was just about to use the uh... scott: that's a bunch of ground-up paper, lad! scotts ez seed uses the finest seed, fertilizer, and natural mulch that holds water so you can grow grass anywhere! seed your lawn. seed it! a short word that's a tall order. up your game. up the ante. and if you stumble, you get back up. up isn't easy, and we ought to know.

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political discourse couldn't get any worse, check out this debate from jordanian television. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> joe and donny, you guys have nothing on these guys. debating civil war in syria. one accused the other of taking bribes from the assad regime. look like a fluffy teddy bear

compared to those guys and their show. this video has gone vier. see if you can figure out why. [ speaking french ] >> in case you missed it, be sure to listen to the sound of the impact. [ speaking french ] >> that poor kitty. that's so sad. the show is called the best bakery in france. i don't think kitty thinks so. is this what lewis does, this kind of stuff? boom! let's check in. you can go sit down. go ahead. no, go ahead. with stephen --! with stephen colbert keeping an eye on one particular race in

florida. >> florida's third congressional district, the fighting third, off-brand chocolate drinks ted yoho against fellow republican jake rush, running on a platform of traditional marriage, strict constitutionalism, strong national defense and repealing obamacare, everything you could want in a congressman and maybe more than you do. >> rush running for third congressional district in north florida. >> conservative straight shooter. guess what, he happens to be a vampir vampire. >> did not see that coming. with a name like jake rush you thought the most soft core porn. next on "way too early," a look at the stories you'll be talking about in the days ahead.

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a taste experience like no other. in cheesy, creamy, homestyle, or garden sauce. friskies. feed the senses. my dad has aor afib.brillation, he has the most common kind... ...it's not caused by a heart valve problem. dad, it says your afib puts you at 5 times greater risk of a stroke. that's why i take my warfarin every day. but it looks like maybe we should ask your doctor about pradaxa. in a clinical trial, pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate)... ...was proven superior to warfarin at reducing the risk of stroke. and unlike warfarin, with no regular blood tests or dietary restrictions. hey thanks for calling my doctor. sure. pradaxa is not for people with artificial heart valves. don't stop taking pradaxa without talking to your doctor. stopping increases your risk of stroke. ask your doctor if you need to stop pradaxa before surgery or a medical or dental procedure. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding or have had a heart valve replaced. seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding,

like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition or stomach ulcer, take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners... ...or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctors about all medicines you take. pradaxa side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you or someone you love has afib not caused by a heart valve problem... ...ask your doctor about reducing the risk of stroke with pradaxa. let's get a start of what's happening today before we start "morning joe." everyone's ready, right?

right. democrats will meet to decide whether they will boycott a committee investigating the attack on the american embassy in benz ben ghazi. if democrats boycott, there would only be republicans left on the committee, which is likely to hear testimony from high-ranking obama administration. behind the popular beats 5 -- a deal could be announced as early as next week. if finalized, it would mark apple's largest acquisition to date. beats, huh? day two of the nfl draft kicks off today. defensive end clowney went on to the houston texans in the first round. browns traded up to draft johnny manziel in the 22nd pick. he waited a long time for that. that's it for "way too early." "morning joe" starts right now.

snack? >> no. >> did the sponsor consider as the potential state snack, raisins. >> did the sponsor consider perhaps pres els as the official state snack? >> never. >> never! i never did and i never shall! >> what if the pretzel was dipped in yogurt, would that been -- could we consider that would be two in one. >> oh, my god. this guy is batman. what say you, senator hasselhoff? >> yogurt would be