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 the state

snack. the pretzel would not. >> the pretzel if so dipped would be the yogurt delivery method for which designation i refer you to the subcommittee on snack transportation. >> good morning. it is friday. can you finally believe it? it's the day before mother's day weekend, you guys. just remember. friday, may 9th. on set donnie deutsch, mark heilemann, mike barnicle, and npr senior analyst coky roberts. and the former director of the cia, retired general michael hayden. so joe, a great group this morning. >> and you have a great weekend mother's day for you. your mother's coming up to spend time with you. i know you're excited. >> worried.

>> a little scared, but excited. >> actually we have a piece on her galore of the forest. >> does she bring the chain saw everywhere she goes? >> you will see her with it. it's scary. we have an incredible panel to talk about this. ukraine is voicing concern this morning one day after pro-russian militants defied a crest by vladimir putin. the anniversary today nazi germany's surrender to russia. they intend in crimea a victory lap. he was out in moscow's parade this morning. crimean flags were on display. final preps are underway in eastern ukraine for this weekend's vote on independence. despite putin's calls for dialogue between the countries,

there are still strong signs they have a long way to go. oversaw a series of exercises including rocket launches, military vehicles. pro-russian militants are continuing to take over buildings. hundreds of separatists took over government buildings after ukrainian soldiers fled. they're taking over tv stations. joe, it continues. >> it does continue. coky, roberts, obviously it continued irritant for the president of the united states and our allies that care in europe. so what does it mean for the president? what does it mean for this crisis if vladimir putin does take a victory lap and go to a victory parade in crimea? an area that russia basically just annexed. >> it's a continuing problem for the president. and the sense that there's just

total weakness here is pervasive now. that we're not doing anything that's making any difference. that putin is saying don't have this referendum, please. he knows perfectly well they're going to do it and they're going to vote to separate. it's going to be a continuing irritant unless the united states and nato really do get their act together. >> general hayden, i'm getting tired of people saying there's little the president can do. i think there's lots the president can do short of firing a shot. we could actually make our strategic alliance with the poles much tougher, much stronger, and actually send a stronger message by putting more american forces in a place where they want us to be. >> no, i think you're right, joe. we had an understanding with the russians we would not deploy in the new states of nato in

eastern europe, poland, and the baltic states. frankly what russia has done in crimea and the threat in ukraine, i think that agreement is null and void. we should just put nato forces where they should be to be responsive to current threats. we need to teach putin that actions have consequences. you're right. we put 150 paratroopers in each of the baltic states. i think the commitment that we're willing to get serious there would be an important message to putin. >> we took three divisions out of germany over the past five years. it wouldn't be bad for mr. putin to believe that we might put one of those divisions back in poland. and the defense, the missile defense system that we walked away from and insulted our polish allies, maybe we need to

talk about putting that back in there if we're told this is putin flexing his muscles to try to impress the russian people. the consequences of having a lot of american troops, a lot of nato troops in poland will actually undercut it and send a strong message that perhaps this wasn't the best play for him. that actions do have consequences. right now they have no consequences for putin. >> i think you're right, joe. there are things we can do in the whole russian reset. we did an awful lot of things to accommodate russian interest and russian concerns. my personal view, this is hard stuff. my personal view is we overachieved. we don't need to overachieve any longer. our friends in eastern europe wonder where we have gone. now we have an opportunity to go back. and joe, let me give you one other concrete recommendation. we don't have to send american troops to ukraine. lord knows we're not going to do that. what about advisers?

look. the ukrainians, the new government in kiev lacks the ability to govern, to mount military or even police activity. i don't think we should be reluctant to send people there who can revise them on how to handle the current situation. >> we'll touch back in on this. obviously a huge developing story. turning to some politics now. governor chris christie's problems in new jersey are more about budgets than bridges these days. as politico notes today, the republicans' latest challenge centers on the state's economic struggles. that was made clear on sunday with a giant front page headline in "the star-ledger." right now the garden state's unemployment is well above the national average. the real estate market is also in tough shape. the administration is facing a $1 billion budget gap. and the state's credit rating has been downgraded. the numbers threaten to undercut

the governor's national message of an economic miracle in new jersey. john heilemann, might this be the bigger story if he jumps into the fray? >> it's always been a big issue. that the economy in new jersey was not that strong and it would be hard to sell. it was the one thing people looked at beyond the personal issues, behind temperament issues. the one substantive thing people pointed to back then, it's going tor hard to sell a new jersey miracle. there are things they've gotten done over time, that's why governors have a good chance. but if you don't have a record like that, everything else has to be working. if you don't have the economy and your personal image is dented, it's a difficult sell. >> everyone is trying to figure where this is going to go.

>> that's one of the problems with being governor. you're there every day. and affects real people in a state. coky roberts. we remember the massachusetts miracle when he ran for president and it disassembled because of dukakis' campaign was flawed. it was not exactly what he was selling to the country. this, too, in new jersey it looks like. >> it's not miraculous. new jersey has had a lot of trouble recovering from hurricane sandy and that is legit. but chris christie, really, there's no there there. the only thing he's got going for him is he won a lot of voters that most republicans don't win in his re-election bid at a time he was riding high in

response to his response to the hurricane. and no hurricane, no economy, bridgegate, and republicans who don't like northeastern moderates in their view anyway. i don't see anything going for christie. >> donnie, branding chris christie, where is he now? >> his whole talk about getting them done. all of a sudden he's not getting it done. when you put that combination as far as john said with bridgegate and this, it's damaged. >> there's the obamacare issue for the midterms that can be a difficult subject for senate democrats locked in tight 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 at obamacare. and "the washington post,"

vulnerable dem offers a strong case for obamacare. yesterday during the hearing for kathleen sebelius, she offered her support of the affordable care act. >> last year our governor decided against expanding the state's medicaid program. and as a result, about 500,000 people who would have qualified for coverage through medicaid are now not able to do so. >> speaking of the charlotte news and observer, hagan goes further. in the interview she bites off republican interests by asking about the benefits. she explains i voted for it. i think there are common sense fixes that must be made to this bill. but i also talked to people in north carolina who have seen the difference it has made in their lives. joe, we talked about this and

whether or not democrats should equivocate or even push away anything to do with obamacare. she's doubling down. it was one of the things we thought they should do. >> no doubt about it. we've been saying it over the past month, been saying if you voted for obamacare you need to campaign on obamacare. because you're not going to be able to run away from it. donnie deutsche as i saw all the time in politics, nobody stops you if you're going 90 miles an hour forward. you do that plus hammer on the component we've been talking about here that democrats should use against republicans if they voted for the bill and they're stuck in this corner. talk about the medicaid expansion. a lot of americans don't understand why people in their state wouldn't support medicaid expansion that other states are getting. and it seems to me you look at the polling, this is one part of obamacare along with the pre-existing conditions issue, along with more portability, along with allowing your children to stay on until

they're 26 that actually do connect with individual voters. >> absolutely. you know, it's very interesting. all of a sudden republicans have shifted the megaphone from kill obamacare to benghazi. now they double down. exactly what she did. you have the proof this is working. and to me i don't think you can go at it strong enough. like i said, very quiet on the right. >> hey, donnie. don't you agree with me, donnie? you have to personalize it. if you can get jane johnson in raleigh, her younger son had been bumped off of insurance. he needed this treatment. he didn't have it. they'd been kicked off insurance rolls. but after president obama blah blah blah. and then you tell the story, show the personal story. then suddenly it's not about barack obama. it's not about nancy pelosi saying all the things she said

about the bill. it's not all the ugly way the lobbyist got their fingers in the pie. it's about this person in raleigh, north carolina, everybody can urns. suddenly you take it out of washington and bring it to north carolina. it's personalized. that may be more of a winning position. >> voters vote for me. and i'm also going to contrast it back to the benghazi thing which is not me. you may agree, disagree, it may infuriate you. this whether i can pay for my frosted flakes, these are the things that affect me. i think kay hagan is setting the playbook right. >> the fallout is growing in the scandal surrounding the department of veterans affairs. subpoenas have been handed to executives including secretary shinseki. so far shinseki has resisted called by top veterans groups to set aside the department's response has angered congress

and family members of the dead. sally says when her father went to the hospital for urgent care, the staff refused to treat him. and told him to see his primary va doctor instead. here's nbc's jim miklaszewski. >> reporter: sally lost her father-in-law to cancer last november. and she blames his death on the va hospital in phoenix. >> i'm sorry i'm shake, but they were dwik to dismiss my pop. >> reporter: she says when they went to the hospital for urgent care, the staff refused to treat him and told him to see his primary doctor. he waited months but died before he could get an appointment. >> all the people that are a part of this, they should be held accountable. because it's a crime. you know, delayed care is denied care. >> secretary shinseki will testify on capitol hill next week. joe? >> you know, general hayden, when people came up to me and asked me about my time in

congress, they talk about irs must have been horrible to deal with, you know, social security administration would be horrible to deal with. i said no, ironically, despite the fact i had more veterans in my distract than anybody else, i could call the irs and get things done. the va, they didn't care who i was, where i was from. it was the worst bureaucracy and it was always the slow roll. it was bad then. my god. the stories coming out now, absolutely horrific. why can't we take better care of the men and women who take care of us? >> joe, i know eric shinseki a bit. a good and honorable man. he's got to be appalled by the information that's now coming out. but with regard to the veterans administration, you're right. it's a paper-based bureaucracy. and what eric was trying to do was to move it into the digital age which is a good thing. but at the same time, he had this entire new generation of veterans coming out of iraq and

afghanistan that were swelling their rolls. look, if he were ever to turn to me for advice on this crisis, based on my time at cia, get the facts, get them quickly, and get them out. that would be my counsel to him right now. >> cokie roberts, this is -- >> that's awfully good advice for pretty much everything. >> exactly. everything. >> particularly anything that seems to be under investigation. get the facts, get them quickly, and get them out. and with any luck bury your opponents with them. but the va has a legitimate problem which is it's ununderfunded agency with so many veterans coming in. and still veterans from past wars very much to be supported. so we still have, thankfully, world war ii veterans around and their widows and children. and you go on from war after war

after that. korea, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan. and a lot of veterans in this country. obviously we have a huge debt to them. but we're not paying it as a country. it's not just the va not doing it. it's the u.s. that's not doing it. >> cokie, you have lived the largest part of your life in washington, d.c. your family is in washington. your father, your mom. you yourself. it strikes me is there is no other issue so fraught with hypocrisy than what is happening now with the va. it's been going on for decades. it's not just now. it's not just general shinseki and yet the members of congress stand up and applaud the troops, they have their bumper stickers, support the troops. and yet they do very little to straighten out the va in at least a three to four to five-decade long issue. >> it is. and one of the reasons for it, mike, you talk about the number of years i've been here. when i was growing up almost

every member of congress was a veteran. they came in after world war ii in two huge classes of '46 and '48 and they had tremendous understanding of what veterans' lives were like. now hardly anybody in congress has served in the military. and of course we've lost in the last year the world war ii vets are gone. and so it's a completely different attitude. and so as you say, a lot of lip service, but not a lot of cash. >> no, not at all. mika, just reading a tweet here from @jaycaruso and this is a peek into why we're scared of obamacare. there is a real fear when you have the federal government taking over health care and don't think for a second when people see this happening with our most important men and women who defended us, that they're not afraid it could happen to them.

it could happen to their family members. this va scandal exposes a decades of inefficiencies that need to be vixed up. i couldn't agree with the general more. >> there's no question the va needs to be cleaned up. general hayden, thank you much for being on at this early hour. still ahead, mitt romney joins us for an exclusive interview. at 8:00, katie couric is here with her latest on the food industry's secret. and how to find success. bishop t.d. jakes is here. ahead in this hour, first round of the nfl draft. all-time great deion sanders will be here in just a bit. and this weekend, joe and i are going to be participating in a special event with my mother emily brzezinski the sculptor. we will be talking about art and politics and balancing both in the white house years.

let's go now, though, to bill kairns for a check on the forecast. bill? mother's day. >> mother's day forecast coming up. you may get a good crowd there on saturday especially if it rains. we are watching rain move through new york city. some heavy down pours. even some lightning with this. as we go throughout the middle of the peak of our rush hour. that's going to cause some delays obviously. and a wider view shows more showers behind it. they're not alone. wet weather there in the middle of the country. as we go throughout the afternoon, look at d.c. it's almost like summertime. much cooler. boston only at 58. big changes as you're traveling through the northeast with temperature and rain. middle of the country, lots of rain today. back up towards chicago through mech memphis. as we go through the afternoon, this is where we focus the

severe weather. we didn't have fatalities or injuries from tornadoes yesterday. watch out from indianapolis, st. louis, memphis, little rock to dallas to houston. here's your forecast as we take you through your weekend. we're watching those storms today. southeast all the way up through chicago and around new york city this morning. on saturday, quick-moving down pours possible for many of us. but look how warm it is. it's almost summerlike conditions out there across the nation. and finally for mom, your mother's day forecast, it's not going to rain out all day in the midwest. but we will see a storm bringing rain in the afternoon and evening hours. the northeast, mid-atlantic, ohio valley clears out nicely for your mother's day. but this morning a lot of travel delays expected around new york city. thunderstorms about to move through. ♪ it starts with little things. tiny changes in the brain.

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all right. let's take a look at the morning papers. "the miami herald." 243 people are in custody in venezuela after authorities raided protest camps overnight in the capital of caracas. cleared out four opposition camps. they confiscated drugs, weapons, and explosives. more than 40 people have died since anti-government protests began in february with calls for president nicolas madiero's resignation. >> "the new york times." south korea ferry ceo arrested. 273 people were killed in the accident. 31 still missing. >> apple is reportedly in talks to purchase beats clinics for $3.2 billion. the company is known for its

popular line of headphones, beats by dre. >> that's the doctor. dr. dre. >> this is the largest acquisition in apple's history. a deal could be announced as early as next week. >> that's interesting. "the seattle time" and snapchat. settling with ftc over concerns. that supposedly disappear in seconds. >> they don't, donnie. >> i know that. the ftc accused the company of misrepresenting its service stating that anything sent could be saved. >> snapchat ought to stop. you can take a picture of snapchat. you can take a picture of a snapchat and aif it forever. >> i do know that. >> then you can post it on facebook. >> you know what? once it's 8:00 at night, i step

away from my device. >> he says he doesn't drunk text. >> >> he means when he's hammered. >> this whole thing is for those with those over 40. >> with us now the chief white house correspondent mike allen is here with the playbook. the rnc is planning a big shakeup when it comes to presidential debates. >> first thing's first, happy friday. mother's day weekend. so this is going to be a huge change. there were 20 republican debates last time, and the party really felt they were out of control. the rnc chairman, reince priebus. when he says this time we're going to vom control over the moderators and the panelists, he says it's one of his biggest applause lines. he says people go wild.

they thought there were too many got ya questions. they're going to make this official today. they're going to make a change for the republican national committee to control the media partners for the debates and how many there are. we figure that means will be half as many debates this time. maybe 10 instead of 20. the way they'll enforce this, if there's any candidates that aren't part of the rnc system, they won't be able to participate in the official ones. so who will this help? this will help the establishment candidates, the people who are already well known. your equivalent to mitt romney. and it will help the broadcast na networks. it will hurt underdogs, your newt gingrich, your rick santorum. the ones who need the oxygen of 20 debates. and hurt the cable networks. >> mike, what do you think of the contrary point of view put

forward by in a store by ron clain that in fact the republicans would end up regretting this. because at lot of debates with unruly process helped mitt romney to rise above less electable candidates. and even though it's a pain in the butt, it helps elect the most stable candidate emerge many the pack. >> there's no question about that. and the thing is people paid attention to these debates. they want to add conservative commentators to the panels. politico is saying the consequence of this is to be easier questions. easier questions is going to be less coverage, less attention. the reason to have 20 debates, to have media partners is they were covered everywhere. it was great for the party. >> i think there's a real chance republicans will look at the end of this and go this is a really

good idea that didn't serve our process that well. >> mike allen, happy friday. thank you so much. >> and happy mother's day weekend, mika. >> thank you. still ahead, nothing can keep these apart. after a turn to the worst. >> how are they fighting over the desk? >> what are we doing with this table? let's put it over here. >> that's coming up in news you can't use. coming up, primetime comes to "morning joe." that's primetime right there. deion sanders. here to help break down the 2014 nfl draft class right here in the studio. we'll be right back. ♪ [male announcer] ortho crime files. gross misconduct... ...disturbing the pantry. a house, under siege. homeowner calls in the big guns. say helto home defense max.

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with the draft happening across the streets, the sidewalks were packed with football fans. we sent our writer arthur to get opinions on the draft down there. the only thing was they had to dance the whole time. take a look. >> what is your team strategy going into the draft? >> so the packers always pick the best player available. so this year they'll probably pick defense. >> we need someone like, like

ebron if we want to trade up. >> i think really you should draft offensive line. and if that doesn't work -- >> i think this year they were comfortable with 12 picks. >> if they getted a skilled position player, maybe a quarterback. we haven't drafted one in the first round since like 1985. >> that's adorable. >> i said it. >> this is not the time to say that kind of stuff. >> no, it's not. but would you dance like that. >> not like that. >> i wouldn't dance like that. >> you don't watch games. definitely not. >> i'm sorry. that was pathetic. joining us on set, football hall of famer deion sanders. good to have you here. >> good to be here. >> class act. walks in on the set and everyone starts to behave. joe? >> it's unbelievable. hey, deion. it's great to have you here. been a big fan for a long time. you know, there just aren't

enough players who come into a playoff game in a helicopter, baby. >> it was a necessity. >> i remember. that was a highlight. so we had jon gruden on yesterday talking about the possibility of manziel going second, third, fourth. that didn't happen. why down to 22? >> people are afraid of the total package, what he brings on the field as well as the baggage off the field. i don't think consider it baggage. i think manziel is a once in a lifetime player. he's electric and good. it's ironic two other plays that played with him we want in the first round consecutively. >> you know, deion, you were flamboyant, but everybody knew when you played for the braves you were the first one out, last one to leave. same thing with football. aurp hard worker. there's a question about this kid, a question about his character. not that he's done anything terrible, but he may not be the best teammate in the world, may not be a team player and work as hard as you did. >> i don't think that's an

accurate assessment of this kid. he is a winner. i think the people assessing him that way are insecure people. this kid is a tremendously confident player. and i love him. i love all his attributes and i think he makes everyone else better around him. >> it's a quarterback league, isn't it? >> yeah. >> if you don't have a franchise quarterback, you're in the middle forever. >> when you have a franchise quarterback, ironically you find yourselves in the playoffs. those not in the playoffs don't have a quarterback. the problem with johnny manziel, the reason people criticize because top quarterbacks don't have his personality. he's not a peyton manning. he's not a tom brady. he's much more exciting than that. >> not one run back in the first round. this is a very different nfl than i grew up with where if this is a league, literally not one running back. >> most high schools as well as colleges run in the spread offense. there's not a lot of emphasis on the running back.

you feel you can get that guy in the second or third round or catch him on sale in the free agency. >> deion, you were an awesome football play and baseball player. >> thank you. >> wait, wait. he was an amazing football player and pretty good baseball player. >> let's not get crazy. >> that's a great assessment, donny. >> i'd like to see you play as well as him. it always strikes me the baseball draft, you know it happens, it's important. but it's nothing like the show that the football one is. >> it's boring. >> why is that? why is football an event, an extravaganza, and baseball nothing? >> same reason why football game is an extravaganza and baseball game is an eye catcher. they play 162 of them. how can it be a commodity when it's 162 of them? >> but there's only one baseball

draft. there's no college baseball stars, we don't follow them like we do college football stars. is the nfl just better as marketing? they've turned this into a show that attracts a lot of attention for itself. >> the nfl is the flee sexiest initials in the world. when you say nfl, you've made a statement. >> i think about it now. major league baseball is associated with mike barnicle and god knows there's nothing sexy about had him. he's very cute. >> i think mike's very handsome. >> the difference between the two drafts is simple. the nfl owns tv. they own tv. baseball doesn't. baseball is a series of regional sports networks. it's a show. >> but ironically playerwise, baseball is the most attractive. they pay players the most. it's the most lucrative and it's guaranteed money. >> yeah. >> ultimate metaphor for the draft was there's a red carpet.

i mean, that says it a all. >> so this week we've been talking about one athlete who recognized his mother on the stage. and we had wanda pratt on yesterday. we saw an incredible show of emotion from kevin durant in that moment. you had a similar one when you were inducted into the hall of fame. let's take a look. >> there's something inside, momma, that i never told you, that i never could admit. and i'm going to share it with all of you because now we're family. i played for a team called the ft. myers rebels. everybody on that team their family was the chief of police or doctors. me and one of my friends was the only african-american kids that was on that team. and it was a very affluent team and i was ashamed. of my momma. because my momma worked in the

hospital. she cleaned up the hospital. she pushed a cart. and i was ashamed. >> that's hard to watch. that's hard to watch. because it was so true. and you never know what's behind a man and what pushes a man to progress through life, through all the challenges. my whole career people never knew that i was working and playing for my momma. that was it. >> and it's a message that really can resonate with a lot of young people today who want to be just like you. do you take it with you? >> well, the thing about it, your drive has to be bigger than you. if it's all about you, there's something wrong with your dream. your dream has to be bigger than you because we have the propensity to quit on ourselves under severe pressure. it has to be something out there that's bigger than you that keeps you driven. >> i want to know what else drives you and i believe it is a school.

that you've started. a charm school. >> i have a charm school. and i'm an advocate for american federation of school children as well as school choice. i truly believe you should have your choice in what school you deserve to go to. it would be like choosing the beauty salons in your area. or only buy suits that's in your area. but that's what we have when we're talking about schools. and often times in the inner city, schools are failing. we should have the opportunity to choose which school to go to as parents. >> it's really wonderful to have you on right before mother's day after talking about that. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> appreciate your being on the show this morning. >> thank you. >> everybody, deion sanders. deion will be with us this afternoon on mojoe for more on the work he's doing all the

field. visit afternoonmojoe.msnbc.com. and coming up, how would things be different if mitt romney was in the white house right now? the answer will come right from mitt romney himself at the top of the hour when the former republican nominee for president joins us. don't go away. we'll be back with much more "morning joe." ♪

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women of the world summit, tina brown. >> hi, mika. >> you have a doozy today in the daily beast. touching on a conversation we had earlier this week. i'm going to go right into it. monica lewinsky by tina brown. monica lewinsky is right about the lack of empathy shown by the feminist lobby who joined the hyena pack casting judgment on her youthful conduct. other women can often be the worst at cutting any lack towards the love interest in a sex scandal. but she is short of empathy towards the woman whose husband she was romping with. she uses the word troubling as hillary said she blamed herself somewhat for bill's straying. now everyone is leaking and tweeting and posting on everyone else is the acknowledged way to get ahead in the 21st century. the digital age has no idea what has been lost to the freedom of

intimacy that has no fear of being recorded. monica's new musings just remind us of how the death of privacy started. and it really did start with that. it exploded across the world. >> it did. the things that shocked us at the time, the absolute violations of privacy, the wholesale dissemination of embarrassing sexual revelations, the no holds barred cast who just leaked and just put it all out there, that's what we live with every day now. as i looked at the horrific cast of the time. all of these grotesques is the truth. we have another one every day whether it's v. stiviano or sidney leathers. these are now the extreme of garbage that flows through our heads. >> having said that, there's two players in this scandal.

both have had very different futures after the moment that this broke. cokie roberts, what do you make of all this? >> well, obviously she's coming back into the news wanting to have some sort of limelight again. and i don't -- she says she wants her life back, but i don't think this is exactly the way to do it. you know, you wonder how much of this is aimed at hillary clinton. and what that's all about. i mean, with any luck it's out of the way. >> cokie, you don't buy that she sort of in a way was touching on what tina's talking about, the end of privacy and how many people including the young man who was caught on a web cam in his college dorm and it spread all over the campus and he ended up committing suicide and she remembered what it felt like to be the butt of a national joke. and that her mother stood by her for weeks and weeks and weeks worried about her equilibrium

because of what she was going through. that doesn't at all be a way why she wants to speak out? >> if you want your privacy, why do you go to "vanity fair" magazine? if you want privacy, you're private. this is the opposite. >> the problem with that cokie is this happened 18 years ago. bill clinton has become more revered by the day and monica lewinsky has been basically the butt of jokes. she's been a punch line her entire life has been reduced to this miserable existence. if she stays in an apartment in l.a. and doesn't say anything, doesn't come back out and try to define, sort of retake control of her name, of her reputation, then this is how she dies 40 years from now, as a joke. as a punch line. i just -- when she was being attacked by these so-called

feminists not only during the scandal but over the past week or two, i just sat there wondering how she stayed quiet as long as she did. >> well, look. i think the vilifying of her was horrendous. and the truth is she was a kid in the white house and regardless of any consensual sex and all of the stuff she's talking about, her boss who was a much more powerful person than anybody but certainly than she took advantage of her in a way that was something that in any workplace in america would get somebody fired. so i think that all of the vilification of her was awful. but i also do think that coming back out into the public is just asking to rehash the whole thing again. and that doesn't get you anywhere. >> i'm not sure what other choice she has. really quick. >> the problem is there's no hiding place now. your reputation.

in london when the whole perfumer scandal happened. john perfumer disappeared. you can't do that. because google brings it to everyone's faces every second of the day. >> tina brown, great piece. thank you so much. see you tonight. >> looking forward to entertaining you mum. >> it's going to be incredible. coming up, a new film uncovers the deepest secret of the obesity epidemic. katie couric is here with her new project "fed up." but first news you can't use. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪

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all right. so there's one way to have a political a debate. we just had one, but we have a great panel coming up in our next hour. it's going to be amazing. and i think we've got an example of how it should go. this is i think morning television in jordan. [ speaking in foreign language ]

>> okay. we'll see if things come to blows in our round table. donny, you take the table. you look big and strong. >> i like when you talk that way, mika. >> oh, god. >> i'm a cynic. i feel like he's upstaged. >> senat >> mitt romney standing by. all that and more when "morning joe" returns. ♪ ♪ ♪ make every day, her day

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♪ welcome back to "morning joe." it is nice to see you all at the top of the hour. a nice shot of the white house on this beautiful morning. joe, i think it's fair to say we have a very special guest this hour. kind of an exclusive going on here. >> a very special guest. of course we're talking about governor mitt romney, former governor of massachusetts. and of course in 2012 he was a republican nominee for president. still, governor romney, we showed a picture of mika holding up a mitt sign, mitt 2012. and i'm still trying to figure out what went wrong. well, actually, maybe that's what went wrong. but how are you doing? what are you doing in washington, d.c.? and how's the family? >> the family is great.

we're doing well. and i'm in d.c. part for politics and part for media. i'm back in business trying to do our best to help our economy. >> good. how's our economy doing? >> you know, it just continues to bump along. i saw a statistic that came out of brookings last week which was for the first time in history, more businesses closed their door last year than actually opened doors. and that's a very frightening thing. we're an entrepreneurial nation. growth is all dependent on innovation and entrepreneurship. entrepreneurs decided this a bad time to open a business. and that's a problem. >> jeff knows a thing or two about business and economies. jeff likes to say if the economy's growing at 4%, everything's going to take care of itself. and we can have all the debates we want to have, but the economy will be fine. if we're only growing, stumbling

along at 2%, 2.5%, there's nothing we can do. there's nothing we can cut. there's no government program we can enact that's going to make a big difference in the life of americans. how do we get that 4% growth every year? >> well, what causes growth is innovation. innovation drives higher wages for our workers. productivity is all driven by what happens in the innovation room, if you will. and unfortunately, over the last several years, we made it less and less attractive for people to innovate to begin brand new businesses, to open doors. and our growth has been slow. you ask yourself has anything been done in the last five years that's made it more likely for an entrepreneur to want to start a business? and the answer is no. when the person who leads papa john's pizza said if he was starting today, he wouldn't open doors because of the tax and

burdens placed upon starting a new business. >> governor, i want to look at some of the issues of the day here. democrats, of course, discussing whether or not to participate in another investigation in benghazi. i have no problem with questions being asked and i believe there are some. but i'd like to ask you if you could go on the record because some of your republican counterparts seem uncomfortable with answering the question as to whether or not republicans should be making money, should be fund raising for their political campaigns off the benghazi investigation and disaster in itself. do you think it's wrong to be fund raising off that issue? >> i think what the republicans have every right to say and is appropriate to say is is that if republicans were were not in the congress, there would not be an investigation into benghazi. and i think there are questions that have to be answered that have not yet been answered. the white house has apparently withheld information so congress is going to look into it. there would not be an

investigation of benghazi. there would not be an investigation into the irs. were there not a republican house. and so to say, look, elect republicans so we can have these kind of investigations is appropriate. >> governor romney, it's john heilemann here. i'm going to stick with foreign policy for a second. there's a story a couple days ago of boko haram, the militant group responsible for abducting 200 girls in nigeria. secretary clinton branded that an act of terror this week. the story in the daily beast pointed out when she was secretary of state, she had refused to label that group officially a terrorist organization even though the fbi, justice department, cia wanted to have it happen. i want to ask you a two-part question about that. first to address that specific story. and secondly to ask you a broader question whether you think secretary clinton's time as secretary of state would be an asset or liability for her if she runs for president. >> first of all, we'd like to

hear whether she believes the failure to label boko haram as a terrorist organization was a mistake on her agency's part or it was not and what's the logic for not identifying this group as a terrorist organization. she hasn't done so yet. i think people would like to hear her answer to that. with regards to her career as secretary of state, i think that's going to be an enormous liability for her. because this is, after all, the -- if you will, the essence of her leadership capacity and the four years she served as secretary of state were not good years for the united states of america abroad. she worked hard and she shook a lot of hands and people said, boy, she's been on the airplane a lot. that's a good thing. but if you look around the world, whether in asia, latin-america, the middle east, north africa, this was not a good time for america. as a matter of fact, it's hard to think of a nation that over the past four, five, six years thinks more of america, respects america more today than when the president and secretary clinton

took office. so i think her record there is a very substantial liability for her campaign in 2016. and i think it's going to raise a lot of questions about her capacity to actually accomplish things of significance. particularly on foreign soil. >> governor, i'm not going to ask you to mess up your hair, but i am asking to put an a consultant's cap here. your party seems to have an issue with the changing demographics of this country. and given the changing demographics of this country and your ambitions or past ambitions for the white house, how do you cope with the changing demographics of the country when you have an increasingly conservative bend with regard to issues like immigration, marriage equality, and minimum wage? >> well, different members of my party have different views on those different issues. and for instance as you know a company with many of the

conservatives in my party on the issue of minimum wage. i think we ought to raise it. quite frankly our party is all about more jobs and better pay. and i think communicating that is important to us. i also believe the key for our party is to be able to convince the people who were in the working population particularly in the hispanic community that our party will help them get better jobs and wages. that's what our party's beliefs do. the democratic party has shown that over the past five years of their leadership, income inequality has become worse. and the policies over the past five years have not worked for hispanic families or african-american families. minority families have been the most hard hit during these past five years. so we've got to make sure people hear our message. >> we want to go from domestic policy to foreign policy. i want to put you in a time machine and take you back 19 or 20 months. take a look at this clip. >> governor romney, i'm glad that you recognize that al qaeda is a threat.

because a few months ago when you were asked what's the biggest threat facing america you said russia. not al qaeda. you said russia. and the 1980s are calling for their policy back. the cold war's been over for 20 years. but governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the policies of the 1980s just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s. >> and governor romney, here we are almost 20 months later, vladimir putin about to take a victory lap in crimea. questions on whether he's going to continue pushing westward toward kiev. 150,000 dead in syria in large part because of vladimir putin. the refugee crisis across the middle east as spilling out from syria in large part because vladimir putin continues to hold that regime up. iran moves closer and closer to a nuclear weapon in large part

because of vladimir putin. it all leads to one question 20 months after the president mocked you. is the world less stable today because president obama miscalculated on putin and russ russia? >> no question on that. >> how does that make you feel looking at that clip seeing that you actually have been proven correct by history and yet you were mocked and ridiculed by the president of the united states on what many say is the biggest issue overseas. >> i don't look back to the debates. i instead look at what's happening in the country and what we need to do to make sure that our interests are promoted around the world. what we've seen over the past five years has been retreat of our interest globally. fewer and fewer nations respect us and bow, if you will, to the

demands of their people. and there's no question that vladimir putin and russia in particular are our geopolitical adversary. doesn't mean they're our enemy and i never called them our threat. the greatest threat is a nuclear iran. but i did say they were a geopolitical foe. and frankly you've seen russia consistently over the past several years line up with the world's worst actors. whether it's with assad or kim jong-un or around the world. this is a nation intent on pushing back against the united states in the interest of freedom. >> governor romney, what is your concern if this continues indefinitely with putin's behavior toward ukraine and the oppression there. and what do you suggest happens right now that you think isn't happening? >> well, the key to leadership is identifying the tomb when you can take action that will make a

difference. and the key with ukraine, for instance, was to identify at the time there was the revolution in the streets and people jumping up and down with demonstrating in various ways to recognize that russia might take an interest in crimea. that was the time for the president of the united states to make sure we and our friends around the world communicated to russia the sanctions that would follow in response. and the president didn't do that. he sat and watched. in syria, for instance, we don't have good options right now because the president sat and watched at the very beginning of the most critical time in syria. you have to take action when action has the potential to really change events. and the president has not done so. and leading from behind, sitting back and observing affairs in the world is not a way for america's foreign policy interests to be carried out. >> governor, i'm coming back to 2016 because i am who i am.

>> obsessive-compulsive. >> correct. your party right now is in an unusual situation in the sense there is no clear front runner for your party's nomination. usually you know by this point in the cycle, the party knows who the front runner is and usually becomes the nominee. i'll ask you to be sure and ask about it here, is there -- are you ready to say for sure that you will not get into the race in 2016 and that we don't have that to look forward to at least as a possibility. >> i'm not running for president in 2016. i'm going to be supporting someone who represents the practical conservatives that i think we need. you know some of my favorites. paul ryan, of course. i love paul. we were a great team together. but chris christie and jeb bush and rob portman. the list is long. scott walker. there are a lot of fellows and hopefully some women as well that are looking at this race and we'll get a chance to see someone new. i think our best prospects of

getting back the white house are with someone who has not run twice before as i have. so i'm going to be a supporting our nominee and looking forward to seeing the race come to fruition. >> i bet your wife feels good about that. >> that's right. >> what women are you looking at in the republican party you think could stand out? >> well, susana martinez, governor of new mexico, obviously has great potential and leadership. and i'm sure there are many that we could think of, mika. i'm not going to go through a full list here. but you've seen a number of women take on increasingly responsible positions in the republican party. frankly our party has women, has minority leaders that i think ought to be looking at the national stage. >> so let's move on and get back to the economy. i want to talk about keystone. yesterday we had the ambassador of the united states from canada to come on. and it sounded like he was reading off republican talking

points when he talked about 44,000 new jobs that would be created. talking about how it was more environmentally safe to have a pipeline than have this oil shipped in other ways. and then at the end, he held up a document and said all he was doing was quoting a state department report talking about why the keystone pipeline made so much sense. how important is it for us to go ahead and move forward with the keystone pipeline? and why is the president of the united states having such a hard time doing that despite what his own administration reports are showing? >> well, the president is, of course, playing to the base. the extreme wing of the democratic party. there are some, if you will, aggressive environmentalists who were not tied into what's right for the environment or the country in my view. but instead what's right for their fund raising efforts. they're jumping up and down.

they'd like to see oil not being used as an energy source in this country. frankly that's not realistic. and as a result the president is doing their bidding. i think it's an enormous mistake. it's a small item compared to the overall economy issues. but frankly it typifies the fact that the president plays politics as opposed to what's doing right for the economy and the american job market certainly having additional energy in this country and holding down energy prices is good for the consumers of america. for people of all classes and it's good for job creators. this is a no brainer. but the president's not willing to do it. because of those extreme groups that are raising money off of stopping the pipeline. >> okay. mitt romney, thank you so much for being on with us this morning. what are your plans for mother's day? >> well, you know, i always get lilacs for my wife on mother's day. i find some place in the

neighborhood where i can cut some lilacs. so i'm going to be looking or going to the grocery store and finding some. >> boy, your neighbors must love you. it's mother's day again, romney's in the back yard. call the cops. >> i just found three things in this interview we have in common. number one, we're both in business with marriott. we're in business together. you must be excited about that. more jobs, better pay. minimum wage. and like you, my father goes into the neighbor's house and cuts down their trees to make his view better in maine. so perfect. thank you very much. >> thanks, mika, joe. >> great to have you on the show. >> thank you so much, governor. really appreciate it. >> good to be with you. it's being billed as the movie food industry doesn't want you to see. how sugar is ruining the lives of an entire generation of children. katie couric is here with her

latest project. up next, senator pat toomey, chuck todd, david gregory and howard dean. and this weekend joe and i will be in a special event with my mom emily brzezinski to discuss art, politics, and balancing both in the white house years. that's saturday in connecticut. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. ♪ to truck guys, the truck is everything. and when you put them in charge of making an unbeatable truck... ... good things happen. this is the ram 1500. the 2014 motor trend truck of the year

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i don't want to ever hear about that again, barnicle. joining us now, senator pat toomey. and in washington chief white house correspondent and political director and host of "daily rundown," chuck todd. and the moderator of "meet the press," david gregory. and here on set, former governor of vermont and former chairman of the democratic national committee, howard dean. and joe, thank god you are on location. because, well, he could flip the table. >> oh, i know. >> we could be a table flipping round table. >> it's happened before, mika. i suspect it's going to happen again. let's go to pat toomey.

senator, we just had mitt romney on. and the governor and former republican candidate for president said he supported raising the minimum wage because republicans are about good jobs and good wages. this past week rick santorum's come on, former pennsylvania senator, he supports raising the minimum wage. former minnesota governor tim pawlenty also supports raising the minimum wage. where do you stand on those issues? >> i disagree with those folks. agree with a large majority of republicans. joe, i think you understand. we want higher wages. we want better jobs, but we also want more jobs. if the government comes along and issues a fiat and picks an arbitrary number and says you have to pay at least that amount, there's some people at the low end of the skill spectrum, maybe it's a teenager that needs the first opportunity. they won't get the job. this isn't just my theory.

the cbo said if we went ahead with the democrat proposed increase, the best estimate is we'd lose half a million jobs in that. >> david gregory? >> senator, i guess a follow-up to that, understanding that you and others may think, look, let's improve our jobs picture before we take a look at the minimum wage. what about the argument that for a lot of the working poor who want to work, who want to provide for their families they're simply not able to make it. if you have real challenges with regard to transportation or for housing that you certainly can't make it on a wage at this particular time. as a conservative do you worry that lower income workers are then draining the resources of government even further because they're frankly not earning what a lot of people would call a livable wage? >> there's no question, david.

we have many very extensive programs to help people cope when their income is, you know, at low levels. and if their income were higher, then they'd spend less in these areas. i don't think they get there by issuing an edict from washington. you just price people out of the workforce. that's much worse for those people and for the federal budget. i think the way you do it is you have a vibrant economy that is demanding ever more workers and putting upward pressure on raises. that's the answer. >> chuck todd, i think it's interesting that we have seen governor romney, rick santorum, also tim pau pawlenty and other republicans starting to come out in support of the minimum wage raise. do you think we may end up at $59 an hour minimum wage increase? >> you and i talked about this all week. i've been surprised that isn't there. i find it intriguing that the three most prominent republicans

supporting the raise of the minimum wage are three guys who sent a lot of time on the campaign trail, thee guys having to campaign in blue states and purple states on that front. senator toomey, let me ask you this. it doesn't sound like you're for a minimum wage, a national mandated minimum wage. would you -- if there hasn't been one -- i mean, where are you on this? >> the question before us is do we increase from the current level? obviously if you don't increase the minimum wage over long periods of time since we generally have inflation and not deflation, then it becomes irrelevant and it's not something that matters. >> we haven't increased it in years. longest period without an increase. >> that's right. and if we do, we're going to put some people out of work. so i guess the question is who are we to make the decision that we're going to give a raise to some people at the expense of destroying the jobs of other people? i don't think that's a good call for government to make. i think instead we ought to be

creating more demand for workers, more jobs. and as i said before the upward pressure on wages. >> so you would get rid of the minimum wage? you wouldn't have -- >> that's an irrelevant discussion. the question before us is do we raise the minimum wage and i think that would do harm. so i'm not going to support that. >> senator toomey, on another issue, we had governor mitt romney on last block and he very carefully and articulately made the case for fund raising off of the benghazi issue. and he said if republicans had questions about this and they want to get elected so they can continue to raise issues, then it is okay. do you think it is okay to raise money off the benghazi probe and the questions surrounding what happened there? >> i don't know, mika. my fund raising, i don't make any reference to benghazi in that. i think we've got to be really careful that that doesn't get politicized. i think the response of the administration was a political response. and that's a real problem.

we still haven't gotten to the bottom of what's happened. that's why i think the house's action this week is constructive. i'd be very careful myself, in fact, not sure it's a good idea to fund raise on the basis of those mistakes of the administration. >> okay. >> and of course trey gowdy agrees with you and he came out forcefully and said it yesterday. he was undercut by the nrcc. i suspect that probably is not going to happen again. let me ask you again about obviously keystone is a critical issue right now. the debate continues to rage. we had canada's ambassador of the united states yesterday talking about all the jobs we'd create in the united states. i want to bring it closer to home though. because you can look at what's happened in pennsylvania over the past several years and look what's not happened in new york state over the last couple years because andrew cuomo refuses to allow innovation in energy in new york state. people aren't getting jobs because of it.

talk about how fracking in pennsylvania makes a difference to working class people there. >> you're absolutely right. there's a fascinating map that's come out by the census bureau and it shows every county in america that's had an increase in median wages every single county fits into one of two counties. it's either washington, d.c. or an energy-producing county. in pennsylvania, natural gas is changing our economy. it's the direct benefits in the areas and they're localized, but those areas in which the drilling is occurring. but it's the availability of incredibly affordable, low cost, clean natural gas. i've been at ground-breaking ceremonies with manufacturers that are bringing work back from china to pennsylvania in part because the advantage we have with low cost natural gas is just transformative. quite frankly, it's working for

us in pennsylvania. >> howard dean, i want to talk to you about this energy issue on a larger scale. democrats obviously have to be very careful. they certainly are concerned about the environment. their base more concerned about the environment than, let's say, the middle of america if you just look at polls. how did democrats balance this moving forward where they want to be part of the energy revolution, they want to help the working class. may be helped like some people in pennsylvania. but also they have to worry about the environment. it seems like actually a pretty fine line they have to tread. >> one of the fastest growing energy installers is solar. i've got an interesting question for senator toomey. you don't want washington interfering in setting a minimum wage, but the republicans in washington don't seem to have any problem giving tax breaks to -- which is our money -- tax breaks to oil companies, tax breaks to wall street. how do you rationalize government intervention to help the largest corporations in the

country and the world at our expense but you won't let people making $8.25 to support their family with a little raise in the minimum wage? >> i'm not sure there's anybody in washington that's been more outspoken than i've been about having a tax code that stops picking winners and losers. we've got a tax code that's a total disaster. some of the worst and most egregious offenses are in the area you just mentioned. huge subsidies for solar energy, wind energy. you wouldn't have windmills if it weren't for taxpayer subsidies. in committee i sit on the finance committee over the tax code, i offered an amendment to wipe out those subsidies. it's not good for our economy. i don't support it. >> governor dean, i was watching you during the intense questioning of senator toomey. i felt badly for you because your head seemed to about explode. but you sat there quietly. >> i did. >> you referenced the tax code and minimum wage.

the pipeline has been discussed. i would like to ask you about financing, potentially financing one of what i think is the greatest issues confronting this country. the rebuilding of america. we just had a rainstorm last week and roads collapsed. >> this is actually something senator toomey and i may have agreement on. i think most of the infrastructure in this country will be -- there are ways to do this. you can build railroads with public financing if you use real estate to do it. i think you've got to be a lot more imaginative. there are ideas on the left and right that could migrate towards the center. if the sponsors would be willing to give on a few things. >> senator toomey, jump in here. can you agree with him on anything here? >> we might find some agreement here. i've got to be careful. >> i promise not to endorse you, senator. >> thank you, thank you.

i would just add one thing. with road construction in particular, it's one example that seems obvious to me. when we create new capacity, it needs to be told. why would you build a new road and not put a toll on it? this is a user fee, a toll is. if it's new capacity that didn't exist before, give people a choice. if they want to ride on that, let them pay a small amount to cover the construction. the technology makes it easier than ever. i think there are ways to be innovative and get the funding we need. >> i want to bring up our political experts now. if we could get john heilemann and chuck todd and david gregory up on the screen. i want to ask them a question. i think it was absolutely fascinating the interview with mitt romney. john heilemann, what i heard mitt romney say in response to your question is not what i've been hearing in new hampshire, not what i've been hearing in south carolina, not what i've

been hearing across america. there are people that believe mitt romney is going to run in 2016. i would have to say one of the top republican strategists over the past 20 years told me yesterday he thinks romney's in. what are you hearing, john? >> well, i think the likelihood mitt romney will run is very, very low. although i joked the ann romney thing with him, i don't think she has the stomach for it. there's no doubt there's a group of supporters of mitt romney who are talking it up in a lot of places. because there's such a vacuum right now in terms of there not really being a front runner in the party that usually has one by now, that talk gets more traction than it would ordinarily. chuck, let me follow on from that. let me ask you a question about the same issue. governor romney mentioned a bunch of names of people he liked. and in order i think he mentioned jeb bush -- paul ryan, chris christie, jeb bush, and

rob portman. none of those four people -- all four of those people may not run for president. what does it say about the state of the republican party that the last nominee's top four picks are all people who night not get into the race. >> that is exactly the point i was going to make, john. i assume romney's not going to do this. everything you hear about his family and from what i've understood in talking to people indicates what you indicate. there's just not the -- he just doesn't have the family support to do this again. but you look at who he mentioned and walker's the only guy he mentioned that may end up running in this list. the other four you could easily picture scenarios where none of the other four end up running. portman is someone who hasn't been making many moves at all. i think it's interesting he inserted him into the list. don't forget mitt romney's description of what he's looking for. right? the practical conservative. an interesting adjective to put in front of conservative there.

i have a feeling that romney is going to be this shadow, sort of the way gore and hillary hovered over the '04 field for awhile. romney may hover over that field for awhile particularly if there isn't a big establishment name sucking up all the oxygen early that you will have these constant rumors. the same way christie sort of hovered over the field for awhile when romney struggled. >> if jeb bush isn't in the race and chris christie isn't in the race, i'm hearing people talk about the fact that romney may be a lot closer. what are you hearing? >> i agree he has the prospect to hover over the race. by staying relevant, by staying critical of the administration. beyond his personal walls he has

the ability to raise money. he's got the name recognition. i think the biggest reason against it is not just his family but he's proven to be flawed as a candidate. not once but twice. i don't think you reinvent yourself politically in a way the party rallies around you or the country rallies around you. i think that's a big problem. i also think the party right now is still hanging back. there are some of these key figures, jeb bush principle among them not feeling any need to commit too early to jumping into the fray with all of that entails. so i think there's a number of figures who want to see how things play out. then they're going to -- then they'll move up. but there's no question about this k this, joe. and you've talked about it a lot. there's a certain amount of waiting for superman, waiting for jeb bush. does he have the stomach for it? that practical conservative idea, the one who can bring it together, right now it feels like jeb bush is the one wearing that hat. people worry whether he really wants it. >> all right. our thanks to senator pat

toomey. thanks for being on the show this morning. chuck todd, we'll watch you on "the daily rundown" -- >> by the way, breaking news here. i think howard dean is planning to go to pennsylvania to endorse pat toomey. >> come on. come to philadelphia, howard. let's do it. >> just tried to flip the table, but it's nailed into the ground. so we're good. >> team toomey 2016. >> chuck, we'll see you at 9:00 a.m. david gregory, howard dean, thank you so much. donny, thanks to you, too, i guess. an exclusive coming up. how swing voters feel about their jobs, families, and the changing american dream. ♪ we're moving our company to new york state. the numbers are impressive. over 400,000 new private sector jobs... making new york state number two in the nation in new private sector job creation...

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louisiana some are breaking with their party and openly supporting the project. in fact, keystone support is not limbed to democratic incumbents alone. in kentucky, challenger allison lundergan grimes is going against mitch mcconnell. but not every democrat up for re-election is quick to embrace the pipeline. mark udall signed a letter calling on president obama to approve the project. the american petroleum institute wants voters to take notice. >> but one jobs plan brings both sides together. it makes so much sense, even a divided congress approved it. tell senators udall and bennett, approve keystone xl. >> keystone could prove to be a deciding issue in colorado. with a recent gallup poll showing half of the economy is the problem, keystone is bound to be a slippery issue come september. back to you.

>> thank you. coming up in the 8:00 hour -- just get the shot off, barnicle. katie couric joins us on set then bishop t.d. jakes. but first facing tough choices. balance the budgets or face financial ruin. one city may have cracked the code though. we'll tell you which one next on "morning joe." ♪

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>> are you sure? >> yeah. my 5-year-old and i will be making breakfast in the bed. >> dozen roses. you need any other help? you don't want to lose her. she's adorable. so we want to talk about cracking the code, balancing budgets and trying to break through what all these cities are grappling with. you have some answers? what's worked for cincinnati? >> well, in cincinnati we have, first of all it's great to be here. i love the show. >> oh, thank you. >> what's your favorite thing about the show? >> yeah. >> well, donny -- >> no, no, no. don't do that. >> don't suck up to donny. >> do you want your wife to talk to you again? >> i saw wh where you brought her a pair of shoes. >> that lives on. it's amazing. >> donny, i'm due. >> you are. >> buy the shoes in cincinnati because it's the number two city in the country in. >> reporter: -- let's get back to business. >> for people that haven't been

to cincinnati in a long time, we are in the middle of a major urban renaissance. the public and private sector spent $2.5 billion revitalizing our river front park, fountain square, new restaurants, new night life. ge just announced they're bringing 1400 new jobs. >> fantastic. >> yeah. and unemployment is only at 5.8%. >> so that's really interesting. that's a hot city. do you think there's anything you have done differently compared to different politicians in your position around the country? is there a different approach. >> first of all we're leading in a bipartisan effort to focus on the operations of a city police, fire, public services. we're cutting out a lot of promises that were made that we couldn't afford. we're making the tough decisions of balancing our budget. we're going to deliver the first structurally balanced budget in years. but at the same time we're seeing this huge re-urbanism,

excitement, vibrancy of our downtown. and cincinnati is on the beginning of a huge wave. and it's really the place p&g, may scy macy's, kroger. if you have the chance to bring your product in investing during the great recession. >> one of the things i find interesting about you is your background. that you go to harvard law school. but harvard divinity school. how do you apply a graduate from harvard divinity school to the day-to-day work of being the mayor of a major city. >> i wanted to ask for forgiveness in advance is my joke. >> that's a good one. 99% of all jokes are true.

>> i certainly believe to whom much is given, much is expected. certainly my faith plays a role in my effort to reduce poverty in the city. while the city is growing bigtime, we have disparities between black and white and white and hispanic. we need to make a difference there. that's been a focus of my administration. >> what sent you to -- what within you sent you to divinity school. >> you know, i blame the jesuits. >> real quick, what'd you think of the bengals pick last night? >> i'm excited. i really am. >> this is a political show, right? don't we talk about politics on this show? >> really quick. >> you've got a governors race coming up. just like the overall national -- >> that's not real quick. >> who wins this race against john kasich? >> the police and firefighters

are still upset about kasich's efforts to undo their collective bargaining. in addition, he cut local government fund which hurt dramatically. the income tax was originally promised for local government, but he cut the local government money but didn't lower the income tax. so we're still paying the tax. so we're still paying the same money to columbus but we're not getting the return. >> the cutest thing i've ever seen, your wife is still taking pictures. sheep has not stopped. >> she's the cutest thing ever. >> you're now on television. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> adorable wife. >> coming up, emily brzezinski can wield an ax and a chain saw like no other mother. that's my mother. don't mess with her. how my mom balanced being an artist and mother of three, a white house wife all at the same time. her story and her incredible body of work coming up in our 8:00 hour. you're watching "morning joe."

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there's some late breaking video just in. a clip from a competitive baking show in france has gone viral. see if can you tell why.

[ speaking french ] >> for you cat lovers out there, in case you missed it, here's another look and make sure you listen to the sound on impact. >> let's be clear. the cat was not hurt. ouch. >> you don't know that. >> i have people over there. >> first of all -- >> oh, poor kitty. >> is it a cat or is it a squirrel? >> is there a difference? i'm kidding. i love cats, i love cats. >> the best bakery in france. >> coming up top of the hour. we love katie couric. we love her. she'll talk about her new

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welcome back to "morning joe." it's the top of the hour. 8:00 eastern time. joining us on set, host of the daytime talk show "katie" and also, i am not done, boys. >> you never are, are you? >> i know. you getting tired of me, donnie? >> i love katie. i'm so glad she's here. >> try and focus.

she's the producer of a new documentary "fed up." we were talking about it at thrive. you had a great panel on it. first a look at some of the big headlines today. ukraine is bracing for more potential violence today as russia marks a national holiday celebrating victory in world war ii. meanwhile, vladimir putin is visiting the contested region of crimea, a day after overseeing massive military exercises. secretary eric shinseki will testify on capitol hill about the growing issues of veterans affairs. and mitt mutt addressed republican attempts to raise money off the attacks of benghazi. >> i think what the republicans have every right to say is if

republicans were not in the congress, if republicans did not have a majority in the congress, there would not be an investigation into benghazi, and i think there are questions that have to be answered that have not yet been answered. the white house has apparently withheld certain information and so congress is going to look into it, as i think they should. there would not be an investigation into benghazi, there would not be an investigation into the i.r.s. were there not an elect house. to say elect republicans so we can have these kind of investigations is appropriate. >> he's the first republican i've seen say it makes sense. >> and yet trey gowdy has said it's not a good idea to fund raise off of benghazi off of the death of four americans. >> just take a position. >> i suspect you'll see more deference given to trey gowdy

than anybody else. he's going to make sure there isn't a question of impropriety. it's going to be absolutely critical that it doesn't look like there's even a whiff of partisanship. >> well, i'm just fed up, actually -- >> you seem fed up, mika. you're angry. >> i'm angry. the movie, katie couric, we're talking about called "fed up," i take it there was even a controversy over the letters at one point. lori and i were talking online. apparently they were doing advertising and everybody has been jumping and seizing about "fu." >> oh, the posters, yeah. i think that was a very savvy advertising ploy. >> it was. >> anything we can do to get

people talk about this movie and talking about this issue is fine with us. because i think it's related to the obesity epidemic, how it started, how we got here and all the different factors that have intersected to make statistics like this is the first generation of children expected to live shorter life spans than their parents. 1980, zero cases of type two diabetes, 20105, 58,000 cases. in two decades, 95% of americans will be overweight or obese. it's clearly such a critical issue that we have take action and take action pretty soon. >> what you're trying to do with the help of laurie david is look at the diet that our children are eating.

it becomes the way they're eating for the rest of their lives because these substances are addictive. >> they've shown sugar is incredibly addictive. the fact that there are 600,000 products in the grocery store, 80% of them have added sugar and often times we don't even know it, simple things like spaghetti sauce. what happens when you extract the fact it takes, like robert lester said, card board. so they started pumping in the sugar. the safe threshold of sugar is 6 to 9 teaspoons a day and the average american tax in 22 a

day. >> and these products advertised to children have less scrutiny than to adults. >> that's true. advertising and online advertising of junk food to kids increased by 60%. they're inundated. they did a study and showed kids exposed to junk food ads in the course of watching television were given a bowl of goldfish crackers. the ones who watched the food commercials ate 45% more goldfish. all these things are working against us to trigger neuropathways in our brains to make us crave certain foods and it's adding up to this horrible epidemic. >> what do you do about the fact that the cults aadults are doin shopping? >> well, think, mike, they're

trying to do the right thing. all these mixed messages they're getting, my profound hope is that families and adults will be armed with the right information they need so they can make educated choices when they're shopping at the grocery store. i used to get low fat everything. yeah. of course i'm going to get low-fat mayonaiss. but all these things are pumped with so much sugar and ingredients we can't even pronounce. >> the federal government subsidizes the corn industry. all that stuff gets pumped into the food. michelle obama has done a lot of great stuff on eating better and let's move and all that stuff, but the policies haven't changed. we still prop up the corn

industry. don't we have to get to the root of this and stop subsidizing the industry that makes us sick? >> i think we take a close look at the usda. i think they have a real conflict of interest. they're charged with promoting agriculture. we talk about the advent of skim milk and all this fat is taken away from the milk and the dairy farmers are like what do we do with all this fat? and everybody says cheese, let's make more cheese. remember that commercial ♪ cheese, glorious cheese and they were starting to get people to eat more cheese. which is more fat and more calories. so they're promoting agriculture and also establishing dietary guidelines. so they're telling people to eat less cheese but we'll spend more money telling you to eat more

cheese. >> the number of kids, especially at bus stops and in cities eating ring dings at the bus stop. the number of children that go without breakfast that are at the bus stops in the morning. >> there's also real food. we had dr. oz on the show. he says why are you drinking skim milk? your fi your milk needs to be healthy milk. >> i used to put tons of sauce on my pasta. i'm like why do you like this sauce so much? my husband is like sugar.

you're eating sugar. >> the point of this is to know what you're eating and then you'll be able to make better choices for yourself and your family. and understand the role of the government has been complacent if not complicit with the food industry. we're talking about huge money with these food lobbies. every time they try to do something on capitol hill, then all the money from the food lobby comes in and voila, minds are changed all of a sudden. i think we have to get smart and get real about food. >> so you talked to bill clinton about food for the movie? >> yes. >> let's look. >> do you think the government is behind when it comes to helping americans reduce the sugar intake? >> yes, i do. >> why aren't they doing more? >> i can't answer that, particularly since corn has been

turned into fructose and used for a sweetener, which i don't think is a good use for corn. i think america is still insufficiently alert about the damage we are doing to our long-term health due to sugar intake. >> hand he would know. >> he's become a veganvegan. >> he's probably more healthy than he's ever been but after doing damage to his body. >> he's done incredible work, really trying to focus on getting junk feood out of schools. 50% of school districts in the country by 2012 were serving fast food. i talked to a lovely woman

working saying we offer healthy options but out of 300 kids, 25 of them choose healthy food. it affects them academically, it affects their quality of life, if they're destined to a life of obesity and disease. >> and so many schools now have no physical education. >> right, that's true. we do dismantle this mantra of ex exercise, calories in, calories out. we can't exercise out of the epidemic. >> a medium bag of french fries, you have to swim for an hour and 12 minutes. >> a 20 ounce soda would mean

cycling for 20 minutes. >> and i'll go a step further but there is no place for some of these foods at all. they're addictive, the smell of them. you're going to get the 350 kids eating the french fries because they are drawn to them because of the substances in them that are addictive. >> they smell so good. >> you just got to start with the parents. >> and you don't need soda. >> it's interesting. my kids have never seen a juice box and they don't want a juice box. >> they're called convenience food for a reason. and i guess, you know, we all think -- we have to realign our priorities, right? some things are worth taking a little extra time to do. there's also the socioeconomic component. we couldn't deal with everything in a 90-minute documentary.

but i feel like, you know, we all have to make a commitment to say we're going to spend a little more time or a little more thought or focus a little more because we have to do it. it's part of the responsibility of being a parent. >> we're going to die, die younger every generation if we don't. the government and food industry needs to be more honest and make what's healthy. "fed up" is in theaters today. go see it. katie couric, great work once again as always. >> thank you, mika. >> coming up, t.j. jakes, coming um on how to unleash your inborn drive. and later we'll look at the career of a remarkable woman. yes, that woman, emily brzezinski, my mother and her chain saw. how she thrived as a white house wife and raising three children. she's really good with the chain saw. >> now we get it! >> that was literally coming out

of my mouth, i get it now. >> does it make sense now? ? i i'm stuttering right now. how she balanced her life as an artist and being a white house wife. >> how are your chain saw skills? >> she says there's no good chain saw that is blunt. >> verbal chain saw. >> exactly. >> what's the weather? >> let's talk about this wet forecast that continues. areas in new york city, as expected, as soon as it rains the airport delays, laguardia an hour and a half, 30 minutes in philadelphia. that should improve over the next couple hours. also, expect delays in the chicago area. light rain continuing over the region. further to the south the rain goes all the way down into areas

of luouisiana. bottom line is we're kind of in a summertime weather pattern now, getting the daily storms. st. louis, little rock, memphis, dallas to houston. i don't think tornadoes will be a problem. how does the weekend forecast shape up? as i mentioned today, numerous downpours out there, a few severe. into saturday, i don't think too many people will get their day washed out but even up the eastern seaboard to new england. finally, your mother's day forecast, apologies to the colorado and denver area, you have a snowstorm coming on sunday. can you believe it, snow in the middle of may. sorry, mom. in dnc.c. it looks like this, kd of foggy this morning. you're watching "morning joe."

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♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ my instincts are calling me to what is organic and natural for me, but my experiences have not prepared me for the opportunity that stands in front of me and so i stand here caught in betwixt and between two opinions. something in me is telling me to go ahead and something in me is telling me to stay back, something in me telling me can i do it, something in me says i better be careful and something in me says break out in the wild and figure it out as you go,

something about me says if you break out of the cage, you're going to die, this is all you know, this is where you came from, this is all you know and i'm stuck between tonight and abuse. >> oh, yeah. that's good. here with us now for our faith on fridays, found are and senior pastor of the potter house, t.d. jakes, the author of "instinct." you write "our instincts are the treasure map for our soul's satisfaction. following our instincts can make the crucial distinction between what we are good at and what we are good for, the fulfillment of our purposeful potential. that about says it all. sometimes we get those things mixed up, don't we? >> we do. we become so engrossed in what we're doing, we forget who we are. we haven't organically produced

who we are authentically from the center being of your core. >> but don't we get it mixed up also in the day-to-day actions of our lives and what we're doing, to make money, to attain material satisfaction. you get caught up in the moment to moment. how do you separate that? >> so many of us are fliensed by what we need to do, we've never gotten what we're designed to do. reacting, mothers, fathers, sons, i need you to be there, jobs, i need you to be there. the most successful people are those who focus and finalize who they are and do what they were created to do and let everyone else adjust to that. >> so instinct. we think about what instinct is, what our gut tell us to do. you think about that as the opposite of rationality. you think is through and analyze it.

do you think that dichotomy exists or is there someplace where instinct and rationality come together? >> after a lot of research, i've come to the conclusion that intelligence loads the gun and instinct pulls the trigger. we want to couple them together. we want the information, the data, the validation of our past temperature are education. ultimately if you are true to your core and instinctive, if you flow in that and invest in that and harness that. fi for instance, with children, we need to put them in an environment of who they are instinctively. >> what do you do with children when growing up that your instinct is somehow thwarted by danger.

for instance, deion sanders was in here earlier. i asked him how old he was, what age he was when he first got used to the sound of gunshots. he said he was 8 years of age. his instinct was to stay away from the people he knew sold drugs or what not and yet there was a danger in staying away from them because they want you, they want to co opt you. what do you tell younger people how to combat those two things. you follow your instinct but there's going to be danger here but you got to learn how to get around it? >> the whole center of my book was centered around the safari that i went on in south africa and what you're talking about is surviving in a jungle. when you look at deion sanders, he used to tell me a story about how he used to run because he was afraid of the cemetery and when he got to the cemetery, he would start running and that's

where his career began. instinctively he was a runner before we even knew who he was. and that same degree of athleticism has brought him before us to recognition. so many people are trying to produce in life what they are not organically and intrinsically endowed with. we're imitators, we're spectators, we're copies. but when you do what is intensely within you, you're profitable. one of the things we must teach our children is to be honest at your core to be who you are, not necessarily to seek the money but seek fulfillment. if you seek fulfilfulfillment, will be successful in life. >> i have two teen-age daughters. it's very hard. i don't deny struggling teaching my daughters everything they

need to know and finding their own way sometimes. i want to ask about yours. she became a mother at a very young age. >> absolutely. >> and sheep has her own book now. she's had certain detours in life. she doing well today. >> absolutely. i don't know how i handled it, i survived it. what you implanted in the early years, it disappears in the teen-age years. >> it does, it does. >> but because it is in there, it comes back to them. i thought, oh, my god, is this ever going to happen? i thought i can't take it anymore. a lot of parents are feeling that way, too. trust what you put in them. even though they deviate from it, they come back to it. >> i need to hear that.

can you say that again? it will come back? >> i've raised five children, they're all grown, my wife and i survived, we're all happy. the bible says something funny, raise up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. didn't say anything about the middle. trust their instincts, put values in them and watch them. we as parents want to control everything. observe. >> they call me a control freak. they do. >> what did you say, accurate? >> your children are good journalists. >> the book is "good instincts, the power to unleash your inner drive." >> thank you.

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joining us now, editor and chief of "parade," maggie murphy. it's their mothers issue of course. and they're revealing a new poll here exclusively on "morning

joe," mother knows best. tell us about the poll. >> the poll is walmart mom's research project. republican and democrats. taking the swing voter that john will know well and trying to figure out walmart mom, children under the age of 18 at home and basically shopped at walmart once a month, what are they thinking, how are they doing. right now they're saying 58% still feeling the effects of the recession. >> and they are the ones who spend the money. 35% say not having enough money, making sure their kids get what they need is the top stressor as a parent. and 58% say they're living on the financial edge or making it but worried what the next day will bring. that's our country. >> and here's the thing. the poll itself is a thousand women. we interviewed over 35, we

focused on six in the issue. terrific women, great spirit, great can-do attitude but they are still in the midst of this. they have this country on their backs. >> something a mother is supposed to be is optimistic and they are, for the most part. you have 60% feel somewhat very optimistic about their family's personal economy. 65% feel they are likely to achieve the american dream. >> i like that number. that's in direct contradiction to the last poll we had where 63% believed the country was on the wrong track. and 65% of the moms polled feel they're very likely to achieve the american dream. >> i think they're personally optimistic because when you're down this low, there's nowhere to go but up. that's their sort of bedrock

foundation. >> you hear their stories but these numbers and questions are good. moms with close-knit families. >> go ahead, read it. go in order. >> 19% live with grown children, 22 live with parents, inlaws or another relative, 78% eat dinner together with their kids most nights. >> 38% consider themselves to be better moms than their on mothers. >> i'm in the remaining. >> do you think that's a high number or a low number? >> i think that's -- that was an interesting number. i really -- i don't know. i think a lot of them feel their moms made some mistakes and they're trying to correct those mistakes and i think there may be some tension. but 80% think it's harder to me a mom today than it was then. >> i think that's a really convoluted issue. i think mothers and daughters

and their relationships are so dynamic and intermixed with different, strong feelings. >> don't leave out the sons there, mika. >> it's very hard to judge yourself. >> and women are hard on themselves. >> but we're hard on our mothers. >> we're hard on our mothers. i think the interesting this evening about the entire group, in some ways to mika's points, they understand their value in their family and they understand their need to keep a sun is shining view, even if the world around them is basically giving them every message the other way. >> yeah, you're going to make it. >> you have to do that. >> okay, regrets. >> that's my favorite. >> 33% wish they chose a different spouse. 49% wish they listened more to their parents and 61% -- i think women should listen to this one -- wish they had gotten a higher education degree. >> i'd be interested to know the

first question, if thwished the chosen a different spouse, i wonder if you add the word "occasionally." >> and amy burke talks about having not made some great decisions but she's moving forward and she's going back to school and she's really amazing and she's going to need to learn how to ask for a raise. >> we put a blurb, the know your value conference on may 16th. we're going to have such a great group there, gayle king is the keynote. someone is going to win 10 grand right then and there. >> but not you and i. >> not i. >> the mother's day issue of "parade" is out.

up next, speaking of mothers, i want to share the story of mine, emily brzezinski, daughter, wife, mother, sculptor. all next on "morning joe." ♪ you're out of luck and the reason that you had to care ♪

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welcome back to "morning joe." emily brzezinski, my mother, is an accomplished artist known for her monumental wood sculptures. she has searched the globe for failed trees and breathe news lives into their hollowed knots and cracks. and at 83 years old, she still use as chain saw, an ax and chisel to create her master pieces.

♪ >> emily brzezinski was certainly not like any of the other moms i knew, not even close. >> do you remember us being very embarrassed by you? >> all the time you were embarrassed by me. i think it's very difficult for children to grow up with an artist mother. they really did -- for instance, mark really wanted me in high heels, otherwise i'm not a mother. >> how do you differentiate between playing the role of a wife and a mother and an artist and is there a difference or a priority when it comes to the identity of you as a person? >> well, for me i do what's in front of me, what is most important. i prioritize and usually everything works out just fine. >> really? really? did we ever compete with your

desire to do your art? >> no. >> really? >> somehow things don't get into each other's way. >> what about dad? >> that's a different problem. >> that problem was managing the role of a white house wife since my father sfrd as national security visor under president carter. while he didn't always make it easy, he knew he had married an artist, who had then become an artist and mother and she would never leave who are trees behind. >> she always had other things to do. she persisted and she's been very creative. >> he helps, too. for me he's the common man. i ask him what is coming across in this vision? he tells me.

sometimes i don't like it but i appreciate it. >> my mom may be her toughest critic. >> i can't say i'm proud of my work. i like some of it mother than the others. i like this lazarus. for me this is an appealing figure. >> she's so passionate about her work she spends most of her time across that kitchen from her home in mclean, virginia into that studio for 40 years. >> i was working in large size and it was too awkward for me to work on these big pieces. >> what drives you to work in that studio? >> first of all what drives me is an idea, a dream. and i just love to be in the studio. i law the sawdust and the smells that come from the wood.

it's something which is really very pleasurable. this is a very instinctive process. i don't think too much when i'm cutting. i just go at it. and whatever shape presents itself, i just do what is needed. not much rational thought goes into it. it's exhilarating. yes. actually, when i get going on the work and the work is going well, i do get exhilarated and i enjoy it and it leaves me feeling i guess the word would be a little high. >> while she may consider herself a wife and a mother, it is the artist that brings her to life. >> all the lines and all the striations and the deep cuts were done at the last minute in a very kind of emotional effort. i'm very happy with this sculpture. >> her newest piece entitled

"lament" debuted at the huffington conference. >> it's a very powerful statement. >> i think you like standing under the arches and it frames you. >> that's my ego. >> my mother's sculptures line the landscapes of cities around the world. >> i have to tell you that all my life -- i can't say in the beginning i got this. i can't say when she was like climbing trees on my school property i fully understood the scope of this, but as i've become a wife and a mother myself and i saw how she defied, quite frankly, she defied gravity to bible to find her way

to thrive, i can't be more impressed with any other person on the face of this earth than my mother, emily brzezinski. >> thank you. >> with what are you trying to do to me? my mother's book "the lure of the forest" is out this month and it's beautiful. it's absolutely stunning. this weekend my mother will be involved in a -- an event discussing art and politics. we'll have more information on those events as they get closer. again "the lure of the forest" and alice and skutro, thank you so much. the week in review. we'll be right back.

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all right. you want to do it? >> yeah. >> what's the time for now? >> you know what time it is? >> what team? >> it's time for our favorite thing, the week in review. >> we've been taking all the money we make here, right, and the coupons that fel griffin gives us -- >> you know i'm not done introducing people. >> i know. i get little cesar coupons but

i'm investing now in tech stocks. >> no, no. ♪ ♪ >> i love america, too, willie. that's why we have those behind us just in case be in doesn't know. >> did you get a tat, chuck? >> you'll have to wait to find out. i may have started the process. >> coming up, fedex answers the age old question -- really? does size matter? okay. >> the answer is yes. >> you said you're going to be in the white house in 2017. why doesn't we do a freaky friday switch. he wants it to be morning -- >> he's a former attorney general, she's a former whatever. >> everyone at the table has a contributor title. i'd like one. can i work something out? >> ironically you do contribute. >> she poured her heart into this, blood, sweat and tears and

talked about her struggle with food. come on! the freaking title! >> they had these out and i was tempted to bite into one but i don't want to have to run off in the middle of a segment. michelle obama is rolling over in her bed right now. how dare you eat that. >> it's our 36th anniversary today! ♪ and they called it puppy love ♪ >> doesn't he look presidential? i can't tell if that's like the open of an hbo show -- >> he can break one of those columns with his bare hands. he's so strong and manly. >> john, i'm not running for president in 2016. i'm going to be supporting a nominee. >> i bet your wife feels good about that. >> i would have never stumbled on to a back road and gone to a cock fighting rally. >> i'm going to check that. >> can you put your arms toward the camera for a virtual hug?

>> thank you! >> i want another hug. >> yes! >> up next, what, if anything, did we learn today? >> a lot. >> all right. ♪ how can we leave you to saturday night on sunday morning ♪ ime with priority mail flat rate shipping. our priority has always been saving the day. because our priority... amazing! ...is you! the amazing spider-man 2 delivered by the united states postal service. there was a boy who traveled to a faraway place where villages floated on water and castles were houses

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right across the streets, the sidewalks were packed with football fans with the draft across the street. we sent our writer out to get information about the draft. the only thing is they had to dance the entire they answered. we call it questions & danswers. >> i think really we should draft offensive line. and if offensive line doesn't work, we should go middle linebacker. >> i think this year they'll be comfortable with 12 picks. >> maybe we could get a quarterback. we haven't drafted one in the first round since like 1985. >> time now to talk about what we learned today.

john? >> i learned that deion sanders is even more charismatic and compelling in person than he is on tv. >> maggie murphy? >> now i take chain saw lessons from your mother. can you make that happen? >> i suggest you don't do that. >> mike? >> i learned deion sanders is more charismatic. and i learned 78% of the moms polled had dinner with their children and family nearly of night. i was stunned. >> that's great. we just have to work on what they're serving. >> that's it for us. have a great weekend, everyone. i never mess with a woman with a chain saw. i learned that when i was think 8. we'll see you all in new canaan. join us at 4:00 to me my mom if you have the guts. look, i'm stuttering, i'm stuttering. if it's way too early, what time is it? >> ordinarily it's time for "morning joe" but right now it's

time for "the daily rundown" with chuck todd. take it away. >> the mayhem has only just become. north carolina is off and running, arkansas, kentucky and georgia are about to put their primaries in the past. but which current colleagues are causing the most concern for the majority leader? we have more from my harry reid interview. and as the outcry over the v.a. hospital horror stories continue and the alleged coverups grow louder on capitol hill, an unusual move to acquire e-mails from a cabinet secretary before he testifies. >> plus, ahead of mother's day, we have a fun new poll question for you. about the feelings on the self-proclaimed mom in chiefs and her immediate predecessors. it might surprise you who the country most admires and where in the country lives depends on who you admire.