. >> who is this jerk gruber anyway? >> jonathan gruber is an economic professor. >> he spent his entire life in academia. >> all we need for a boogieman bingo for this man to have a pinched nerve tone. >> what have you done? >> that's painted a new data algorithm. >> well, does he? >> this bill was written from a way that they did not mandate taxes. they demand the taxes, the bill dies. it's a huge political advantage and basically, call the

stupidity of the american voter or whatever, but basically, that was really critical to get to the past. holy sh -- >> good morning, it's wednesday. great to have you here with us on set. and washington senior political editor and white house correspondent for the huffington post sam stein, sr., such a heavy. >> i know. >> weighted guy. >> i didn't comment that much. >> former chairman of the republican national chairman michael sillk and press secretary robert gibbs and senior analyst cokie roberts. cokie, i can read the script. why? we know what happens. keystone. >> keystone. >> keystone goes down with one vote. with that, most certainly, if mary landrieu the woman i have

been predicting will win by six-and-a-half votes now. if she had any chance of doing that, i think that pretty much got wiped away last night. >> it was a hail mary. nobody caught it. so the fact is she was already in a very tough race. her opponent polls show him up by 16 points. another by 20. so she's going to have a very hard time t. state has really turned against the presidential. that's what she is doing. >> so, robert, explain to me if you will, we will show people this a little later, but explain to me why the presidential. why the democrats wouldn't help mary landrieu out within the state department in its environmental assessment said two things, one, keystone would not help greenhouse gases. two, the alternate methods of moving the oil actually would create more greenhouse gases.

i'm trying to fog out why they would go, environmentalists, we understand you want to scalp, but this is the wrong scalp. we will try to save a lousiana senator in louisiana. >> i would split the two issues. >> but you can't. >> you really can't, i don't think quite -- >> if you are mary landrieu. if i was mary landrieu, you can't split those two. i'd say, wait a sec, you will appease billionaire extremists. >> if you think you don't -- >> i'm telling you what mary's got to be think zblk i think your first point, which is i don't think the keystone pipeline was going to integrate issues in louisiana. there are 20% of people that will clang their vote because keystone passes the senate. >> in lousiana? >> in louisiana. >> it creates jobs in louisiana. it shows she has impact in louisiana. >> you think one in five voters currently supporting one candidate would vote for another cad if the pipeline passed? >> i would say instead of

throwing a hail mary pass, are the staints saints kneeling on their own 15 yard line? >> the point last week -- >> i would -- >> i think she had a chance. >> i wouldn't go that far. i think, look, her biggest problem was that the democrats lost the senate because her biggest asset was, aside from diverse certain in the state, is that she was going to be chairman of the energy committee and losing the senate for the democrats meant she was no longer going to be chairman -- so a lot of business people who have been supporting her now say well -- >> cokie, don't you do everything that you can do to help your own, to elect your own. >>. >> you know, it was very interesting, the democrats that voted for keystone yesterday were pretty much every democrat who lost with the exception of udall voted for keystone and it shows you that they're the people who are chasing under the current regime. >> robert, let me get back to you.

why is this such an important point if the president's own state department says that these environmental impact is worse having tractor-trailers move this than having the pipeline. >> or trains. >> or trains. i think what members of the democratic caucus would tell you is that they believe that if you are going to make significant progress on global warming that this is the type of oil we have to start weening ourselves off of. in the meantime, because the refining. >> the process, assess, specifically, 11 volumes of study that this will actually lessen greenhouse gases. >> how do you know it will pass in january? >> it will pass. it will be interesting in january is whether or not you get 67 vote margin, which is capable of overriding. . >> you guys are satisfying. >> but, what robert just said, though, i understand environmental alarmists say it. billion fair environmentalists

say i. but the state department doesn't say it. 11 volumes of studies doesn't say i. there is just not going to be. it's not that big of a deal. >> what justification. >> there you go, the senior an listing. >> throw your brow. >> listen, if you look at nit one way, whereas the pipeline will be completed regardless of who completes it. if someone else will, that will always be sucked from the ground. in that case the state department analysts are right. it's probably clean tore transport it through the pipeline. if you consider the idea of killing it, never developing it. not transforming the oil at all, then you do have a different environmental caucus you have to make. i think a lot of people are. >> killing what? >> if environmentalists want to get some tanks an invade -- >> really. >> sam, come on over here. >> but it's going to be developed. >> well, if you believe it's going to be developed. >> if i believe the canadian

ambassador that comes on the show. this is cleaner. >> now, hold on a selling. in the process of getting this developed, trans-canada has been forced to take actually more concrete steps to insure the pipeline is safer. those are, hold on, hold on. wait a second. >> mike ral. >> i'd like to finish the one thought. so if you are going to have a debate that goes on for this long, there are going to be more concrete steps made to pass the critics. >> we have to go to the other republican on the panel. happy days are here again. >> here you go. here we go. >> there is what it sound like for ten years trying to justify stupid, stupid, stupid things. like if we argue against logic and science, it hurts. >> let me just say, are you guys all of a sudden scientists, let's get that on the record, if there is anything we would like this do is get something on the

record. >> i like to say before, i am not good at science. i am on the side of science. like i said, michael, there is no doubt climate change is happening. global warming is happening. it is caused by man. it is caused by man. we have got to dramatically reduce emissions here and across the globe. >> i'm with you. >> we all understand that. but the problem is right now democrat democratic the democratic party seems in the middle of an energy problem him democrats are on such the wrong side of this because their biggest contributors, the big money on the left, are all environment am, not all, but there are a lot of environmental alarmists out there that don't care about science that don't care about 11 volumes of study and barak obama is unmistakable. >> it's the truth that drive

these issues. whether it's a conservative issue on the right or an issue on the left, that's what's driving the policy. the question i have, we have been sitting here, doing this dance what six years, seven years, this is not something new t. sciences, we have 11 volumes of science on this thing. let's pass it, go at the time jobs going, get the economy moving. bought the reality of it is -- it's going to be longer term. >> and we've heard this over the years about all of these things, the alaskan pipeline was going to kill the caribou. the caribou loift. they sort of codes up to it. that's right. i'd love to have one right here right now. but so it does, we are in a place where the united states is now extorting energy. this is a huge deal and, by the way, i torting it through new orleans, which is my state. so you know, this is an opportunity to really become energy independent.

>> that is what mary landrieu was saying. >> we will be the number one producer of oil by 2020. the natural gas revolution. democrats will have to figure out how to get right with this issue. but you keep laughing. no, no, i am dead serious, democrats -- >> but hold on. hold on. >> there is a perfect example of democrats are on the wrong south island. >> give me a minute here. you would think that democrats are totally opposed to energy. >> well, i think keystone. >> keystone is one aspect. >> there are plenty of democrats that are for fracking. there are plenty of democrats for natural gas, quite frankly. it's far from -- >> other interests. >> the problem is -- so, robert. >> that's not -- any democrat that isn't fair. >> i am totally for it. >> i love those things. >> republicans are the only ones who are driven by their narrow

interests within the party? come on. >> guys, for one second, i got to ask you a question. >> you've asked me like eight, go ahead, try fin. go for to it. >> silence him i'm going to cc a question now. your point is this. >> go ahead. >> the debate if walk t. debate on editorial pages. the debate on cable news and prime time is twisted and distorted by big money and politics. i will say for the left, keystone, i believe, is an example of sthoorks now when we have an important debate about climate change and how we reduce emissions, we have what i call climate alarmists versus science diners diners, thdeniers dinere.

>> they continued the energy exploration to power both our economy and hopefully fuel most of the world's economy with something cleaner than the argument that you need tore in the next 15 years is not to continue to pull out the same amount of energy that emits the same science in order to make progress on climate change. i think the fundamental argument that ultimately people will make, you alluded to this you said the environmental is more of a medium or long-term impact. if you believe in that sec

circle, which is that science denying circle, ten you are going to have to physical out ways in which the country in the world are powered using energy that emits less pollution in the future. >> obviously, we can do that. but there are long -- we are going to have to make investment unless infrastructure. we can have a green energy zbrid coast-to-coast. obviously, transportation that gets people out of tear cars into other modes help, cafe standards, 40 miles per hour, all of those are going to take a little longer because you don't want to shop for the economy. >> i have a question for you, because i get your point about the influence of money and politics, tom stair didn't just spend 70 million dollars to get democrats elected. they turn around and 14 defect on the keystone vote him i'm kind of curious how to square zblits a part of the budget or what. >> still. he went out there.

>> the most important democrat is listing to stooir, suggesting he would veto this bill. >> i was wondering what it would be like to be a republican. i woke up, the "new york times," two headlines, gorgeous headlines, so, first, of all, careful, republicans, they're obstructionists, move to restrict data collection. blah. >> by gop. >> the democrats were on the other side of blocking it. it's senate hands narrow coast to pipeline. oh, a merry, merry day. so that's what it's like. got you, "new york times". the nsa issue i think is is up a fascinating whysh. >> absolutely. absolutely. and people voted against it,

both because they thought it went too far and both because they didn't think it went far enough. >> right. there is where we have the libertarians and the liberals coming together. >> which you do more often than you realize, particularly in the body of politics. there are people that are for the tea party and for elizabeth lawrence him you know. >> and i wonder, too, what impact the rise of the islamic state and, quite frankly the overall general increase in the feeling of insecurity and terror the world had paused. this is an issue that was really, really white hot say the weeks right after edward snowden and now, quite frankly, is one of those things where you are like -- >> another american beheading. it's like the wooekd weekly standard had an interrogator. one of the interrogators who actually told his side of the story and talked about briefing nancy pelosi in 2002.

serve like, hey, that's fine. that's cool. yeah. is that going to be enough? to get what we need? of course, three, four years later, everybody feels safer, suddenly, democrats are shocked, shockeding shocked by what's happened. >> and the exit polls from election day, which is suspect we didn't pay that much attention to, but it was striking. 72% of the people, almost three-quarters of the people said that they were frightened of an imminent terrorist. >> right. >> that tells you where people are. >> i have been really concerned about the drone policy of this administration. i've said all along, while voicing my protests about dropping drones on a house and killing 35 innocent people to get the one bad guy that i know the american people aren't with me on this one. i just know it. there is a fear out there. >> well, these beheadings are so hor risk. >> that was before all the beheadings him but i think this has completely changed the debate. robert is right.

>> i tell you, if you had this vote a year ago, it would have gone dramatically dichl although, there are still obviously hawks in the republican party who don't want to end these types of programs. they say would hamper our war on terror, possibly. what is funfully to me is the border elements of this, which is we are in this debatant executive power and overage. that leads to the immigration policy and other stuff. it's always through the eyes of the beholder, they don't want to curb executive powers when it comes to nsa. >> obviously, big news out of israel, the headlines. it's absolutely terrible, cokie, the chance for peace in that region seems to grow more and more remote. >> what it starts to do, space not coming any time soon or in the next millennium, but the -- >> next millennium? >> it's been a couple millenia, so i think what we are really seeing, though, is the

destruction of the economy is throughout the region now. because people are afraid to go. so much is dependent on people coming. >> what is scary about this, it looks like a religious war. >> there has never been an attack on it. >> of course you got the republicans who will now be giving, obviously, a lot more support to netanyahu, who, obviously, has a strained relationship with tpresident -- relationship with the president. >> he will have the backhand support of the republicans, i'd say even some democrats, quite honestly. so the president now is really going to i think have to step into this space in a different

way in dealing with israel. >> my guess is he steps out of this space altogether. >> that ultimately is. >> still ahead, we have congressman rogers, keith ellison will be here and steve scalise and senator rob portman will join us later on "morning joe." plus more allegations against bill cosby. this time it's a super modem who says she was assaulted by the comedy legend. also, is twitter the new battlegrounds for the war on terror? why the state department is taking the fight against isis online and you can be guaranteed, i will be asking robert gibbs what he thought about alabama jumping from number five to number one? this is "morning joe." we'll be right back. [ music playing ] ameriprise asked people a simple question: in retirement, will you outlive your money? uhhh. no, that can't happen. that's the thing, you don't know how long it has to last. everyone has retirement questions.

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. >> all right. take a look at the morning papers. we start thomas in houston with the houston chronicle. a texas judge has denied governor rick perry's request to

have the criminal indictment against him thrown out due to a paperwork technicality. they said the special prosecutor is not signed. perry was indicted in august onning a sakesles he abused his power. >> joe, good morning to you and the gang down in d.c. this is a big story that happened overnight. nbc news.com and model janice dickinson coming out accuseing bill cosby of assault him dickinson says it happened in 1982, she traveled to meet cosby if town for a performance at the time. she says she remembers the comedian givening her a glass of wine and a pill before the alleged assault occurred. an attorney for cosby calls her claims a complete lie and points to an interview about her book when dickinson said she refused his advances. in the past, he denied allegations by several ought women.

he has never been charged. nbc was in development for a show with cosby. last night, however, netflix announced it postponed its upcoming comedy special, bill cosby 77. it's something, joe, they taped over the summer on his 77ing birthday they had in the can. they are postponing that at least for now. >> all right. from the walk post, the u.s. state department is mocking islamic state militants on twitter. an account called state of islam saying the extremist fighters are quote saving millions of muslims. hours later, they tweeted the middle photo is taken from hungarian porn. it's supporting your lost cause. >> how would they know? >> i would ask them who in the -- wait a second. >> oh, i recognize that.

>> wait a second. all i can say is that must have been some pretty intense hungarian porn. >> don't ask questions. they've cracked the kasem just don't ask questions. we get this from the "new york times," minnesota vikings running back adrienne peterson will not see the field this season. after assaulting his four-year-old son, peterson was suspended without pay. they announced they will appeal the suspension and will demand a neutral arbitrator. while that is pending, he will remain on the exempt list with pay. nfl commissioner roger goodell said peterson will have to undergo counseling and return no sooner tan april 15th. in a statement, he said to peterson, you have shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct. so really coming down harshly. obviously, all of this is beyond the ray rice situation and completely different, dealing with child abuse allegations,

mr. goodell coming down pretty strongly. >> it certainly is different, obviously, it's child abuse stetd of domestic abuse. no doubt, roger geeld has turned a page in the nfl playbook. >> it's about time. >> when it comes to this. no doubt about it. that sort of strong response would have helped the nfl a lot if they had done that immediately after ray rice. this is a hollywood reporter, actor/completd yen tracy morgan is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered in a car accident more than five months ago. his lawyers said while he is making progress in rehab. it is still unclear if he will be quote the tracy morgan he once was. he went on to say, he is still fighting and trying to live his life and trying to get better. he is just not better. we are hoping and praying for to him get back to where he was him but the jury's out. >> pope frances in the new york daily news says he will meet with children on the autistic

spectrum to break down social barriers and stick mas one in 16 children in the u.s. have been diamondback noesd with the disorder. in other countries, it often goes undiamondback nosed. he is handling a conference on autism this week. it's finally we got confirmation the pontiff is coming to philadelphia coming up in 2015 for the world family's conference and that is big fuse. >> city of brotherly love. >> yes. >> i love it. he's going to be there. fantastic. coming up, the chairperson of the house intelligence committee mike rogers will joins on set. first we have jean robinson with the must-read pages, more fighting will ensue with our senior huffington post. >> political editor.

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the must read offense pulitzer prize editor of the washington post political analyst gene robinson. let's go to the "wall street journal," they have an editorial, jihad in jerusalem to understand why peace in palestine is years if not decades away. consider the palestinian celebrations after tuesday's murder in a jerusalem sin going

of five israelis, including three with joint u.s. citizenship. two palestinian cousins armed with meat cleavers and a gun attacked worshippers. hamas paparazzied the murder as a response to continued israeli crimes. the barrier is a culture of hatred against jews nurtured by palestinian leaders. >> abbas will come down against them. >> the palestinian authority had a strong statement against the atrocities that took place. >> hamas actually celebrated it. >> because they weren't in favor. so one thing that i think this, you know, tragically teaches us again and again and again is that policy ought to try to strengthen the moderate palestinian authority and weaken hamas, sometimes our policies and, frankly, the israeli

government policy don't do that. >> that's been true for decades. >> that doesn't take the honus off the butcherers who did this, but it does suggest that, come on, you know, this is kind of obvious. >> ruth marcus writes this in the walk post, every democrat should be nervous about president obama's plan for unilateral action on immigration reform. not because of the impact on an already gridlocked congress, or because it ricks inflameing the increasingly hostile public, democrats should be nervous about the implications for the president to act on his or her own. there are compelling humanitarian reason force president to act, but the president and his allies must keep in mind, presidential power, once expands, cokie, how is this different from reagan and george wind chill bush? >> it's not significant difficult. it has nothing to do -- maybe it las to do with the humanitarian response. it has to deal with the

political response, hispanics went off 9% on democrats from this election. their vote for democrats dropped 9%. the asian vote for democrats dropped by 24%. >> really, oh my god. >> yes. this is all ability immigration. the democratic party has got to get out front on this issue to keep the coalition together that elected it in 2012 and they want to re-elect it in 2016. and that's what we are doing. >> gene, republican versus to deal with this, too. think cynically the president will pass it, there will be republicans talking about impeachment. the rest will say go to the back and shut up if you want to talk that way. they will sit back and do snug because they won't have the political will to draft their own bill. and this will become the law of the land. a lot of governors in colorado, i am shocked, i am shocked. are you against it? well, this is unkos

institutional. that's my main -- so everybody plays their cynical game until it becomes the law of the land. >> you know, and let's look forward. >> elects are about the future, not the past. >> it takes you to the republican primary, which is where that becomes the cauldron for a lot of the crazy noise that you are going to hear on this issue of immigration if the president -- >> let me ask you, though, that obviously would have happened in 2010. you look at people who were so dramatically different from the ones that won in 2010. i'm wondering the they did not say the debate of mitt romney. >> i don't know how you get around that, joe, if you got some of the folks that they're talking about the ted cruz and others are in that primary, i don't know how you get around that conversation.

>> they have that conversation. >> ted, let many eask you this, do you want hillary clinton to be president for the next eight years or not? >> that becomes the news. >> the answer to that question might be yes. when you get into these extreme ideological positions, people say, oh, it's better to have the opposition in than to have a moderate of our party. >> the one concrete step that was taken was fewer of the debates that saw the answers that mitt romney and others produced on immigration. you know the self deportation answer. the attack on rick perry for basically the texas version of the dream act all happened, not out on the campaign trail. it happened in those debates. republicans have, i think for them, smartly slimmed down the number of those appearances. >> ted roberts, there is not going to be a way to do that. if a media organization holds a debate and invites people and

they show up, the party can't do anything about that. >> the question is who shows up. i think there will be a significant. i think there will be a significant number of candidates that decide not to show up, particularly if, the one thing the parties can significantly do is change delegate rules to restrict candidate base. >> to my point, i appreciate, this happened on my watch. we had a lot -- i, quite frankly, enjoy having those, you know what it did? it opened up the process to have the conversation despite the crazy noise, at the end of the day, whether you say something crazy in the tenth debate or the first debate, it's still saying something crazy. so the number of debates won't change that. so the reality gets back to what joe is talking about, how do you explain that argument on an issue like immigration or the economy within the party and project that forward. >> the voices are. >> and that's, the immigration is really going to be the thing. >> i think we will change it

slightly only in the sense towards the middle of those debates last time, you really did have people that were only running campaigns in order to show up for debates. >> right. >> you had candidates that were literally campaigning one day a week to debate and five days the rest of the week they were not doing their thing. >> there was a cartoon that said, it's come to this. it was the republican debate channel. >> i mean, you have republicans that are going to have to face a couple realities. >> mm-hmm. >> one, what do you want to pick from here? they're not going to deport. >> right. >> it will be wrinkled. >> especially the ones with children and the question is, are you going to be seen as the party that says, we ignore -- like i was saying on keystone earlier -- this is a reality. it does not increase greenhouse gases. this is the reality in this immigration reform debate.

it is not going to lessen the number of illegal immigrants here. give them liam status and let them work and pay taxes. >> exactly. but you are calling for reality based politics. you are beyond the -- >> i feel it. >> you asked whether the republicans have learned their lesson. it seems to me political parties rarely learn lessons permanently. they learn them for a while then something else comes up, they unlearn them. so i'm not quite sure, you know this cycle could be -- >> michael and i have talked about this, within i was a kid the republican party in the south was african-american. if you turned on the convention and saw the louisiana delegation to the republican convention, it was primarily african-american, the party of lincoln, all of that. >> right. >> then what happened, just the civil rights revolution. during that time the republican party, even though the white

democrats in the south were the segregationists, all that the republican party seemed to be not as receptive to the calls of african-americans for equal rights and they have turned off the republican party forever as far as we know. >> forever. until it is forever until the day it changes and that could change. >> immigration could do the same thing. >> gene, stay with us. still ahead, we will be taking a look at keystone politics north of the border. the canadian ambassador to the united states joins us to explain what his country has at stake in this fight. also up next, isis expands into africa. it raises new questions about the efficiency against a militant group. what will we do? 23 will be talking to the chairman of the house intelligence committee, mike rogers, thanks for being with us, good buddy. .

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. with us now, outgoing chairman of the elect committee from michigan congressman mike rogers. we have to talk about that isis. one day i read a report that isis is expanding. the next i read reports that we are somehow cutting back there, making more potential -- where do we stand? >> it's probably a little of both. so what we saw. >> how can it be a little of both? politician, you only have a couple more weeks. >> actually, it can be both. so their ability to maintain when poven caches and other things diminished a bit. however, ideology, we have 21 al

qaeda affiliates, half have expressed logistical and moral support to isis in their actions. >> that means they have opportunity for logistics sharing and other things. it becomes important in sustaining their campaign. >> my biggest concern is all the oil money from turkey and other people. they accumulate enough money where they can buy a nuclear device, are we breaking up their ability to make money? and if not, why don't we bomb the pipeline that they now control? >> you asked some very good questions. we have asked ourselves, oh my gosh. so here's a part of the problem. we've gone into a war of semantics before we went into a war with isis. we all agreed isis is bad, it is dangerous. it's dangerous to the middle east. it's dangerous to stability. obviously, they're trying to export terrorism, australia, united states, canada, europe. they've done all of those things. we have a very limited campaign because, again, we're trying to

arc you what is a boot on the ground? is it a special forces boot on the ground? we spent a lot of time wasting. >> there should be a movie on that. >> absolutely. >> we need to move quicker. we said last month, if we are talking about this a month from now, what the battle foot print looks like, we will be if trouble. i agree we are in trouble. >> robert. >> what's the biggest thing that this country can do to send the number of people joining the exact ideologys that are you talking about. what do we curtail that membership? >> the first thing we can do is have a high sustained effort against syria in iraq. the syria piece, we're not winning great battles there, i'll tell you that. so we have done this, well, we will protect the kurds, the peshmurga. we will push them out of the areas in which they took in iraq. we will deal with syria later. we had some increase in bombing

there. without the intelligence packages, candidly without special capabilities soldiers oh, those intelligence packages get smaller and less accurate. >> i think what is disturbing is they are taking over aid packages so one of the ways that you can get to people is through aid and the isis people are saying, we're really delivering this, not the united states of america and that's, you know, that becomes, then the latest beheading was of an aid worker. so you get this any attempt to sort of do hearts and minds becomes a real problem. >> so what is the solution to syria? you know, you can imagine questions or something like it for the current policy in iraq. you could imagine it. right. you can see if the iraqi army somehow miraculously get together, if the peshmurga can hold on, maybe something will

happen. what in the world is the solution to syria? doesn't that require a much, much more ro bust u.s. involvement? many more boughts if we are going to influence the outcome there? >> no, i don't think so. i think will you have to have big boots on the ground if we decide we will do nothing. this will careen out of control where at some point you will need big troop movements, removable elements on the ground. i don't think we need that today. but we do need to act today. >> to do what? >> again, here is a couple things we need to do, engage our special forces capability. allow them to go downrange with the soldiers. >> define down range. >> into syria, into places in iraq. those units, the peshmurga ga, the syrian rebels will fight better. will you have bigger bang for your buck by allowing those u.s. troops, no one does this better to keep them into the fight and target them into the right places. it allows us to put the packages

together. >> how many american troops need involved? >> again, that's a special forces called. when people talk about boots oak, here's where we got ourselves in trouble, america. people think the 10 is1st airborne division standing there, dicking in. none of that needs to happen. >> cokie was talking earlier about some of the americans scared of an imminent attack. robert, do you think the calculus, political can you lus has changed over the past several months with all the beheadings, where the americans would support special forces boots on the ground? >> i do. my question, how do uconn vince military communities, families and folks that are worried that a small operational special forces group doesn't lead to 15, 20, 25,000 bother on the ground. >> it's vietnam. >> i was going to say, come on, they have one more.

>> come on. >> here's the problem with that. we got ourselfs, we have to shake ourselves out of this. they are promoting acts of terror in the united states, in canada, in australia, in europe. it's happening today. this isn't it could hawaii this isn't theoretical. they have access to almost 20,000 individuals with western passports. >> unlike vietnam, hochi-min was not going to -- >> get here. >> -- get enough money and put a bomb -- >> you were talking about ungoverned spaces in africa and the middle east, wherever they occur. syria is the ultimate ungoverned state. right. so sit necessary for the united states to pick a side, not just say, we support the pod rat syrian rebels, but, in fact, in a way to influence the outcome of the syrian conflict in order to test out isis? >> again, tear self proclaimed

capital is iraq. that's where tear capital is. that's where they're coordinating, selling black oil on the black market, getting more financing. all of those things, this happens in syria. that's why we have to have a specific plan. >> what about that question about the pipeline? >> well, actually, we soul take out their ability to produce, refine gasoline. you know, they can refine enough gasoline to keep their own trucks moving. that's a problem. >> mike rogers, thank you so much. great to have you here. >> coming up next, two toddlers are in big trouble. this is quite a shift. after giving their home a makeover. we will show you how dad handled that situation coming up next. sheila! you see this ball control? you see this right? it's 80% confidence and 64% knee brace. that's more... shh... i know that's more than 100%. but that's what winners give. now bicycle kick your old 401(k) into an ira.

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. >> who got the paint out? brother did. how did he get it? are you guys if trouble? >> yes, daddy. >> do you think you guys should have timeouts? do you think i should not give you guys any more juice? you guys have paint everywhere. >> in our hair, daddy? >> both of you guys are in big,

big trouble. >> big trouble? >> big trouble? >> it's not funny. it's not funny. >> that is so cute. >> houmont versus you done that? >> oh my gosh, we still do it. popped out of no where here. coming up, the senate comes, are we going, yes, we are going to the top of the sevens, keystone pipeline advocates will likely have to wait until next year to have the bill to pass. where does that leave mary landrieu's re-election. stay with us. right here on "morning joe." >> i love that op-ed like the end of the world. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance could be one of them.

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. >> nancy pelosi has a chance to showcase her principles. >> she requested a vote by proxy. >> thank you, have you as to fight for these -- wait. you rejected, you suppressing the vote of a minority pregnant woman who is a wounded war veteran? she is everything you supposedly stand for stuffed into one individual. she is a democratic demographic to duckworth. why? why would you do this? >> minority leadish pelosi defended the decision saying,

it's against house rules and that making an exception for duckworth puts them in an unwanted precedent. >> what? it seemed okay with setting a new precedent when you became the first female house speaker or when you filed the supreme court amicus brief whose employer refused modifying conditions so she can continue workleing. let me say this you go girl! seriously, you should go. >> welcome back to "morning joe." we are live in washington. michael steele and robert gibbs are still with us him joining us editor-in-chief christi na mela connian. >> let's ask the congressman, should she have been able to use the proxy vote? >> i would have supported it

personally. that's what i'll tell you. >> good answer. >> he's got to go back to the hill. >> the argument that people keep relying on is that it's precedent. you never allow it. you allow it for one person, another person has to be a fundraiser. >> we're just talking the presidency. >> you do that, it's the sort of the slippery slope argument. this morning your vote is at 8:30 on this fight and have you the veterans affairs whoo fight. have you tim wall sayinging hey, wait a minute, i want to chance to be voted on be i this whole caucus, thisifies amongst the democrats has people worried right now nancy pelosi is saying it's a precedent thing. >> there are a lot of important things to do, immigration, keystone, all these things are very important. these fights we are having right now will be a footnote in a week. >> you hope. you hope.

it's not -- >> i'll go with that. >> let's start there, the keystone pipeline and perhaps mary landrieu's shot at re-election have come short in the senate. the senate bill came up short, ultimately came up one vote short. landrieu had predicted it would pass and made an impassioned speech before it failed. >> the added benefits are these, we don't have to be dictated to by russia and china, hooray! we can also create jobs not just in the u.s. but in mexico. hooray! you know, people that can work in mexico and have good jobs in mexico might stay in mexico and hooray for that. instead of desperately looking for work in the united states, it can help us solve some of our immigration problems. what is wrong with that? >> landrieu's runoff opponent in louisiana, republican congressman bill cassidy sponsored a version in the house that did pass.

his campaign says the bill's failure in the senate shows for lack of clout in terms of political implications, the keystone failure spares president obama the use of a veto. republicans are vowing to try again when they take over in 2015. the state department has said crude extracted from tar sands in canada causes more greenhouse gas emissions than the average barrel of crude, using transportation options would actually create 42% more emissions than the pipelines or the environmental issues. >> it's the state department. we were talking about to the last hour. the state department has 11 volumes of study. they find out the pipeline would actually cut greenhouse gases by 42%, by 42% and, yet, they push mary landrieu over a cliff. >> and the argument they are waiting on the nebraska courts. this is something that's been going on now for more than three years him it's something in the

white house. every time barak obama was at a college campus, you had people protesting there. a lot of young people were engaged. shelves able to get a lot of democrats on her side. >> why is it so symbolic when the state department says that it actually cuts greenhouse emissions 42% instead of by rail and -- >> republicans of what they stand for versus what some democrats stand for and, you know, mary landrieu has been a champion of this for a long time. so this has nothing to do with -- >> where does this notion come from somehow this was going to be her savior? there was nothing out there in the political ether to show she was going to win from the beginning. so this hail mary pass comes off as kind of you know, what, why? >> i think it was her last shot. >> really? was it a last shot? >> you think so, if it had

passed. if she got that 60th vote. did she go from being 12 points down to being 6? >> her argument was give it to the presidential veto. that's okay. that will help me to be a:of. this bill cassidy would be a vote for this. >> this bill is a bad idea. i mean, it exists even the cleanup from this is supposed to be there so in the case of spills. there have been other keystone related spills that exist now. this thing. it also may cut greenhouse gass compared to if we do it compared to a trucking. but what if we meant for removals, which we should look. >> canada, the state department said also in the study, canada is going to do the. the question is, what's the cleanest way to get the oil out of the ground and get it chipped? >> like you said, this is not for american consumption this is a pipeline through our country.

not to our country. so that's another thing. so it's not forbe us. it's spill problems, where we want to bear the costs and the weight of that. it's not going to promote. >> he says it's more environmentally safe than shipping this through rail lines. >> what about the fact that there particular bill does not require them to fund these? that's a problem. >> it's a bill. why don't you put another bill on the floor that will fund it. >> amend the bill. >> you can sweeten the deal for the democrats. that's the reporting is perhaps they're holding out. they left the republicans out if january. >> i think that's the question. let me ask you this, when you have something that actually would have less of an impact on the environment, this keystone pipeline, would you if republicans said, okay, let's

make a trade, you give us keystone, we will agree to raise minimum wage to $9.50. does that make sense? >> you know, i wouldn't make that trade. >> why not? >> because i think that we're talking about increasing greenhouse gases. >> no, we are not. we are talking reduceing greenhouse gases. >> you are. >> they are doing the study. >> i've read it. >> i have read it. >> or you wouldn't say what you just said. >> no, i don't assume we have to use this kind of oil. i think we feed renewables. we need to do global energy. >> what do you want us to do, chew bubble gum really fast? >> how about wind, how about all these things. >> in 2015, this is going to continue, keith, you know that. >> i'm not so sure. i think it las to do with what world prices of oil are. how expensive it is to extricate. china is trying to lead the

world the renewables, we need to be doing the same thing. we need to make those kind of investments as opposed to the dirtiest kind of stuff that you can find on the planet. >> we are going to be the number one producer of oil by 2020. fracking has opened up the natural gas exploration. it will create an economic revival in this country. >> what tide side are the democrats going to be on that? >> look, i think that -- >> is it good or bad we will be the number one producer of oil in 2020? >> i think the united states producing energy it can rely on, it doesn't have to depend on foreign sources is a good thing. i don't think we should say it's a good thing, it's over. we need to be pursueing renewables. >> from a progressive way. all of the above. >> i have always approached it here and now. have you this right here and now, so you are just going to let it sit? >> this isn't fair for us. you feel like a lot of

republicans. >> it's a job boom that keeps going. millions. it's going to fade the economy. >> are you saying barak obama -- >> i'm just saying -- >> well, i'm just concerned about the environment and maybe nobody else is. i look at these studies. i move by science and the 11 studies in barak obama's state department says it will reduce greenhouse gases, it's 42% more than the other approach. if democrats don't believe in science, robert, it makes me sad, but i'll just have to deal with it. >> i think again to reiterate was i was doing, your assumption is that the oil is coming out of the ground and i think some people that want to see huge progress on climate change believe that, the refining of tar sands oil in and of itself is something that which ought to be weening ourselves off of.

>> i agree. >> let's be clear, burning the oil does not save greenhouse gases. if assumption in the study was if the oil is being used, therefore the transportation advance. >> is that assumption wrong? >> we will have the ambassador to the united states of canada on. we can ask him. >> it's our assumption. if we're going to cut greenhouse gases. >> this is going to happen. canada is going to take it out of the ground. and that question -- >> yes, they are. their question is, the assumption of where we use domestically to fume our economy is based -- fuel our economy is based on what we decide it to be. >> i'm talking about canada, they are going to get it out of the ground. how are they going to ship it? >> let's move on, it seems-to-so patently obvious. >> what about building it in

vancouver if it's such a good idea. >> if you want vancouver to have the job. maybe richard trunk et doesn't know what's best for the workers of the aflcio? maybe one of the union members who want this -- >> we started this in the last conversation, i think this is a very different issue for a lot of people. i don't think this is a democrat-republican issue. i don't think there is a mary landrieu, you set this up originally mary landrieu versus other democrats. i think it's an issue that's very region am it's not sort of monolithic on any side of it. >> you used gun making it's what the unions say. >> today the house republicans are expected to ratify the party recommendations of several key committees. there will not, however, be chair of women. it is fixed for the 114th congress. despite a record number of women elected to office, there will be no new faces. paul ryan will control the

influential ways and means committee, just one republican woman candace miller of michigan will serve as a committee chair. she leads the house administration committee. so there you go. >> can we show that full screen again? yeah. michael steele, let's look at that. >> wow. >> put those baseball cards back out. >> i'm thinking maybe -- >> that's going to really help. >> you got to compare this to the freshman class photo yesterday where you have a lot of republican women joining the ranks from this last election. i don't know if you have that image. you've got at least seven or eight new women coming in from the republican party and they love -- >> the women currently serve before this class shows up? >> right. >> in congress more than a term, so, hello -- >> one chair woman? >> one chair woman. seriously, you got two rows of

faces there. >> two rows of white men. >> amazing. >> it is, it certainly is, the democrats have a much more diverse space. >> we look like america, the democratic party does. i invite everybody to join. >> all right, oh, here's the video you are talking about. let me see, are there any women there? >> yes. >> oh my goodness, look at all of them. >> one thing interesting about this photo is martha mcsally is in the photo. she has not won her race against mike barber at this point. she showed up for the class photo. >> great job. >> it was 25 degrees yesterday. look how quickly. >> that's the quickest they have ever taken a photo. smiles, bye-bye. moving on, a senate bill to reign in the nsa failed last night. the procedural motion which is

thought to have bulk election. there were two reasons, notably to republicans, majority leader mitch mcconnell thought the measure went too fall while rand paul argued it didn't go far enough. sponsors like mike lee of utah said it would address the government spying on citizens without cause. marco rubio argued, there were no clear examples of abuse, kaug calling it quote, a theoretical threat. interesting in there we were talking how fascinating ideologically the lines cut here. you add libertarians on some would say the far right and people on the far left all joined together. >> and this has been happening for several years. i remember when dennis kucinich was becoming a favorite of the right of this libertarian wing on this very issue and you've got rand paul out there talking, it's young people with this connects, you have been a leader on there issue, congressman ellison so it does connect with people of a certain generation.

it's something that surprised me that mark udall did not campaign on in colorado. >> so with this failing, congressman, what are the next stems for those who want to see nsa reform? what do you do now? >> i'm optimistic. i think that even after the 1st of the year, we are still going to have the strong constituencies in the house and the senate or democrats and republicans who want to see this reform done. i don't think our constituents will stop demanding these changes will happen. i think we will take another whack at it and keep on pushing. i'm not pessimistic about this. i think we can get it done. >> all right. keith, it's great to see you go. good luck. i want you to michael and me, we hope peace breaks out in the democratic caucus. >> really. it's bad when you guys are fighting. >> remember rodney king. >> all right. thank you so much as well. still ahead on "morning joe," the house majority whip

congressman steve scalise joins the conversation. plus, israeli leaders promise to respond to tuesday's synagogue attack. many fear there may be more attacks on the way. the israeli ambassador to the u.s. is our guest. you are watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. ameriprise asked people a simple question: in retirement, will you have enough money to live life on your terms? i sure hope so. with healthcare costs, who knows. umm... everyone has retirement questions. so ameriprise created the exclusive confident retirement approach. now you and your ameripise advisor.... can get the real answers you need. start building your confident retirement today.

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. >> house pla majority whip from louisiana congressman steve scalise, good to have you on the show this morning. >> good morning, good to be back with you. >> great to have you. sorry to have you walk into a buzz saw. we just showed a picture of the republican party's chairman on capitol hill. there weren't any women. we were just wondering, obviously the freshman shot you had much more diversity, much more many more women. we were wondering why there weren't women actually running

committees in the republican party. it did not look like a very diverse group there. >> well, as part of the leadership, we have a lot of women in our leadership team, i was with our conference chairman last night. obviously, we have another other women talented a part of our conference leadership. which also as well as chairman, in other words, the committee, but if you look at this new class, especially, such a diverse group and varied background, they will come and give us a really strong boost in the new congress. >> steve, do you support under any scenarios a government shut down in response to the president on immigration? >> look. we made sure there wasn't a government shutdown last time we were up here just a few months ago. we have been working to make sure we can work with the president to get it done and keep the government funded at

the proper levels, which means under the spending caps that we have right now. what the president is doing is trying to create a diverse, not just within washington, but in the country of immigration. the american peel said they want washington to work. they want the president to work with congress and the president really is going to be setting this tone, work with us on getting the economy moving again, that should be his first focus. that's the american people's focus. >> what about passing a bill on it? i understand it was a meeting yesterday and you guys are looking into alternatives to a shutdown, what are they? >> we are looking at all kind of options. frankly, there are a lot of things we are looking at. we got a lot of creative ideas. we want to make sure we can focus on getting the economy working again, getting congress working again and it's time for the president to put the

divisiveness on the side, roll up hills sleeves. they sent bill clinton on the campaign trail. he worked with republicans and balanced the federal budget. president obama would be wise to call his old buddy they love sending out on the campaign trail and say, how'd you do it? bill would tell them, it wasn't going it alone. it was rolling up his sleeves and doing the hard work of making washington work. >> congressman steve scalise, thank you. >> greatly appreciate it. >> as you always say, too, i say, we worked with bill clinton and he got at lot of great things done even though we didn't necessarily like each other. then you impeached him. >> yes, compactly. there is that but they still got things done. i don't know what their options are on immigration. i didn't hear an answer. >> i think it's much easier for them to complain about the president doing this and not

pass anything and get something lou the house. i don't see that as a possibility. so let's turn now to the grim news coming out of the middle east. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is promising a heavy response on an attack on a jerusalem synagogue. five people are dead, three a rabbi with dual american citizenship, in other words, a rabbi with british citizenship him with us now israel's ambassador to the united states, mr. ambassador, we begin obviously by just telling you how sorry we are. >> thank you. >> for what happened in your country. where does this put us? this seems to be a new low in middle east violence. i think is it the first time a religious place of worship? >> no, a few years ago, it was a seminary where religious students study. there was an attack on it five or six years ago in jerusalem. so it's not the first time it

happened. in jerusalem, these types of attacks have been going on for a very, very long time. it's important to understand what's driving it. what is driving it is a culture of incitement and hatred that pops to the surface from time to time. you saw as bad as it was what you saw yesterday in the synagogue, what was no less revolting was the celebrations that occurred in good za afterwards. a society is tested not just by thing a os of an extremist, how that body responds to the extremists. >> we did. hamas saying things sickening. >> it's also fatau, it's president abbas' party. >> didn't the president abbas come out actually condemning it? >> no, the president abbas had a statement of condemnation, if you put it up on your screen the first sentence is we condemn this action. the second sentence is accusing

israel of invading the mosque. i brought an example, i don't know if you can put it up. this is the types of thing that you see in palestinian media day after day. this was in the newspaper that is controlled by the palestinian authorities and they are inciting day after day accusing israeli of destroying in this case the dome of iraq. these are false allegationings, it's libels. it's leading to these attacks. the world has to tell president abecau a abbas he has to stop it. >> what's the future of israel's policy to temple mount which obviously has caused these types of concerns in the muslim faith that jews are trying to overtake it, which seems unfounded him i'm curious, what are the policies? >> there will not be a clang to

the status quo. they said it time after time. on the palestinian side, they are wliping up this incitement and hatred t. status quo is essentially muslims are allowed to pray there. jews can go up to the temple mount, we don't pray there. in our system, we den allow jews to pray there. a lot of people have problems with that, that's what the status is. israel did something in 1967, usually in the middle east when people go into an area, they usually destroy the religious site of their enemies. the only time had freedom of warship in israeli is when we control, for christian, muslims and jews. >> michael steele. >> there is a clear strain between the israeli government and the president as well as the european allies, how do you see that evolveing? do you see the hard-liner making

a harder argument, now it will certainly draw republicans standing with netanyahu, for example, which creates internal tensions here? how do you see this playing out politically for israel in terms of its partners in the u.s. and europe? >> i don't see there is much gaps over issues like this. you saw a strong condemnation from secretary kerry. i don't think there is any difference of within. i think there is a problem in europe, a serious problem. today you had another case spain that voted to give the palestinians a state and to recognize a palestinian state. remember, the president of the palestinian authority is sitting in a government with a bunch of terrorists with a hamas held organization. now, you are rewarding him the day after these actions happen that are celebrated both by his party and hamas. you are rewarding him. that sends the wrong message t. message that needs to be sent not just by the united states

but all your european allie, don't sit with a terror organization, stop the incitement and move towards peace with israel. >> all right, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> coming up, canada's ambassador to the u.s. joins us next with his take on the keystone pipeline debate. then, beating the mid-line crisis, new research behind the biology happiness ahead on "morning joe."

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watch your personal dvr library where ever you go. with the x1 entertainment operating system. . >> joining us now, canada's ambassador to the united states gary doer. it's great to have you on the show. >> thank you. >> you are doing incredible things including the comments about your prime minister to putin, himself. i like that a lot. i like that a lot! >> on the big issues, we are doing very, very well. we have been analyzed since the war of 1812. we are proud of our prime minister's comments and the strong stands the president had on ukraine. we, obviously, are working together on isil. we are working together on al qaeda. >> this dog gone pipeline.

>> 75 to 76 pipelines seems to be hitting a speed bump. >> from 75 to 76 pipeline when you had some deaths, maybe if we block there may be they won't pull the oil out of the ground. >> yeah. they have been say tack for six years. so the last time i was on your show, we talked about it. we'd move on rail. the first three months after that show, 200,000 birls a day from canada to the united states. part of it's coming down on expanded pipelines and i would bet, we haven't got the numbers yet, half is coming down on rile. the question, i've listened to the show earlier. the question isn't climate change or energy or this or that. it's what kind of infrastructure do you want to have in both canada and the united states to move the oil? do you want it on rail from north dakota and montana and

canada or on a pipeline? >> and the state department you brought up the last time on this show we were getting a piece of it, 42% environment am impact is 42% less according to barak obama's state department by pipeline instead of by rail? >> that's right. if he says no to the pipe lean, he is saying yes to the emissions. >> his state department. >> his scientist. >> right. >> the president signed a memorandum in 2009 saying science would dictate the government and the administration not ideology. so we take him at his word. we want science to dictate his decision i would also add after again being on the show three months ago, there was a new report that came out on safety which increased the number of potential deaths if the pipeline was not approved comparing rail and pipeline.

so the issue of safety is never a part of this debate. if you are the president or the secretary of state and you get option a is this number of deaths and injury, and option b is much less than that, zero, you always would go, i would think, with the safest option. >> so on the sciences, 11 studies, still the kines is very clear, on emissions, the pipeline actually is more environmentally friendly, on safety the pipeline is safer. that's science. i'm confuelsed as to why the president is not following science. >> where the politics confuses the science clearly is not being considered in the politics. i think the president has his own particular view of this thing that he wants to stay or close to where his base is on this issue for political reasons, which leads me to the question, how do you, mr. ambassador, answer the president's charge this week that, well, there is just the pipeline cutting through our

country. we get no benefit from this. so why would we do there? it's only going to create 50 jobs and put us if an ad verse position on the environment. what's the american benefit from the canadian's perspective in building this pipeline? >> i was surprised to hear 345u7b9 and north dakota were headed to canada, it said all the oil would come from can dam i think a number of senators are both democrat and republican were surprised to hear that, because about 15% of the oil is american oil from the backen field to the gulf coast of members colorado so not withstanding that, it's both canadian and person oil proposed to go on the pipe lean. it's now going on rail as the pipeline is delayed and it's going to u.s. refineries. u.s. steel workers working in bo ler ro and other refiners on the gulf coast and, of course, the

construction jobs are documented in the state report. 44,000. but we have a supply cheney across our two countries. there are 68 companies in illinois that supply caterpillar tractors to places like the oilsands. it's one supply chain unlike other countries and they don't have that. >> sam as you brought up the aflcio report. loum of those 45,000 jobs are there after two years? >> okay t. supply chain has 1, are 200 -- 12,000. >> how many remain after two years? >> on the pipeline the state department has documented 44,000 building it. 35 jobs operating it. it's also documented that thousands of -- >> and that's 35. back to your original point earlier today when you said

maybe if the pipe lynn isn't built it would be a symbol for climate change. well, every month it's not built it's more coming down on rail. >> the administration lookles at it this way. i think the administration does want to get to yes here. they want to do it if a way to cover themselves with environmentalists. why not attach something, do some sort of green projects here, renewables here. >> we will see what happens there. >> i don't get what -- >> there was an opportunity, partman, shannine was a proposed amendment that would have worked. >> mr. ambassador, thank you very much. >> ambassador, thank you so much. >> you guys need to lug each other. [ male announcer ] some come here

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worked. . >> all right, speaking of the devil, rob portman of ohio. how are you? >> i'm good, how are you? >> were your ears burning? >> were they burning? >> so we were talking, you and jeanne shaheen have bills that you think can possibly get 67 votes to override a veto? >> i do. i wish we passed keystone last fight. i think it's a no-brainer. it adds jobs, the ambassador was talking apt. it is better for the environment. >> what is the energy efficiency side the president would like? >> not just to produce more energy but also to use it more efficiently and create more jobs and also help on the environment

i think in the past we talked about combineing the two. there are other things we have to do in terms of permitting and rec lakess getting in the way of not just oil and gas but wind and solar that gives you an opportunity. i'm excited about it. >> what would be the difference in what didn't pass last night, especially environmentally in terms of concerns, is there something that makes this work on both sides, a excise? >> one that is popular that folks are concerned about emissions. >> right. those concerned about jobs. it's a good way to bridge the gap. second, more time elapsed with the president's process. >> which could help the whoulsz. it's the right thing to do. we out to be focused on who to get wages up, jobs, this does it. it's not just the immediate job. you made the point, it's 42,000 jobs right away.

it's manufacturing jobs in my home state of ohio. it's a lot more oil from the backen. >> i know the canadian ambassador is very excited to find out they afixed two states. are. >> we have to worry about what we have to do in the states. >> so let me ask you about shut down politics, immigration, john thune said something this past weekend that his office says was taken out of context. >> they really pushed back. >> where he said that john is against government shutdowns, said it's counterproductive. >> that talks were ongoing. but he opposes a government shut down. the question was it's not being considered. is there talk other than ted cruz in the senate about the possibility of responding to the president's action? >> there may be talk. no one in the leader scholarship or the republican side wants to

see. >> is it going to happen? >> no. >> why would you shut down if the immigration. >> i hope the president does not move forward with executive action. it would be crazy to do, i think it's also illegal. it's a prosecutorial discretion, there issue on dependent children. it shouldn't be aplead to 5 million children. >> if it is, there won't be a government shut down? >> even if he would do it. we have to reup to fund the government. you could take the parts on immigration and put that off a month and see what happened. >> if you think it's illegal, don't you have some sort of obligation? >> the president said it's illegal. >> but let's say he does go forward with it. >> by a change of heart. let's say he goes forward with

it. you said it, you said it's ill leeshlgs don't you have an obligation to stop it? if you do, what do you do? >> it would be much smarter for him to say the american people have spoken, basically this election said washington is broken, why can't you guys work together? let's wait until january 6th. let's be sure the republicans will work with them on this, we have to deal with people that are here. we all know that. manner making it improbable. >> before, america spoke in november. the senate spoke on immigration bypassing a bipartisan bill. why hasn't there ban greater effort by republican senators, including the white house, to emphasize that to house members, to sort of push our help maneuver within the republican caucus to give boehner the space spo bring that vote to the

floor? because it would pass, wouldn't it in the house? that senate bill. rubio stuck it out there on the line, pay the price. >> would that pass now in the new congress? i don't know, joe. it would probably in the old congress. >> should john boehner put it out for a vote? >> no i vote against the senate bill. i believe that strongly. i was actually a part of this commission that put together the 86 bill way in the day. the problem there, when we passed immigration. >> it's worse tan inflation and 6 million people came. >> it's what you can. >> thank you for coming on. >> coming up, why happiness after a so-called mid-life crisis needs to be graded on a curve. >> oh. >> oh my goodness on a curve? >> i didn't see this. we'll be right back. a secure retirement.

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the mid-life crisis. it's a common phenomenon of self-doubt and self-discovery. but what's the cause behind it all? here with us now, contributing editor of "the atlantic" jonathan roush who writes the cover story on the real roots of mid-life crisis. think, let's see, one, two, three, four of us definitely.

sam, how much time you got? >> i think i got like eight years. >> really? >> that's optimistic. >> jonathan, what's so fascinating, you have a u-curve here that we have. >> that's it. >> that actually shows you bottom out in the late 40s, early 50s, and then life gets pretty good. based on stats, people get happier. >> men and women? >> men and women, countries all over the world. it's not all people. it's not all countries. these are statistics that kept falling out of global surveys again and again. they kept finding this curve. >> so the curve really goes up when you turn 60? >> the recurrent pattern is there's a trough in the middle of life. late 40s. and then you tend to get happier and happier as you get older which is of course not the stereotype. >> this is the cliche on the cover. the guy who buys the sports car to try to feel young again. exactly. so what are the signs of a

mid-life crisis? warning sign, symptoms? >> well, i can tell you, in my case, it was an inability to feel grateful. part of what this article is about is the problem with the word mid-life crisis is it sounds like chaos or disruption and you throw your life away. most people, including me, don't do that. >> it's a bottoming out. >> a feeling of dissatisfaction. even though things were going very well objectively, i kept judging my life harshly. i felt bad about myself. i wish i knew then which is what i know now. >> you say humans are hard wired to drop in our 40s? >> we don't know that yet but we're starting to suspect it. there are studies now on chimps and orangutans that find the same mid-life trough in terms of their happiness. their well being is measured by the people who take care of them. this has people really scratching their heads, that there's a pattern here that may apply to primates.

>> and is the emotions that you described, inability to be grateful, is that self-inflicted or is that -- do you put that on other people around you as well when you're going through a mid-life crisis? >> well, i had to resist these unbu urges to just quit my job and walk away. >> we feel that every day here. we're both laughing. okay, so hold on. let's just check. okay, so mika, you're right there. things got objectively worse but i started feeling better, like a fog started to lift. i started going, this is strange. then i discovered this literature on economists. how do you avoid this? >> how old are you? >> i'm 32.

if you're feeling low in your 40s, it may not be your job, it may not be your marriage or anything else, it's a transition to a different way of thinking about the world. one that seems to put more emphasis on relationships and -- >>cy ju ci just want to quit my. >> ways so fascinating is you talked about in your own life, things got objectively worse as you got into your mid-50s and yet you were able to process it. you felt better even though things were going worse. we're all talking about, again, it's the view of the world. it's your mind-set. >> and it's the mind. i think maybe my brain is changing. one of the things i did in it the article is go talk to neuro scientists who are doing brain imaging on older people. turns out older people are much better at staying level. they don't react as much to negative emotions.

they don't experience as much regret. and they tend to get wiser we think with age. that's not proven yet. >> we could talk for three hours. we'll be look for the new issue of "the atlantic." jonathan roush, thank you. this is a good one, as always. up next, divided government on steroids. it's not like democrats versus republicans on capitol hill. now republicans are taking on republicans and democrats are fighting other democrats. the reason behind these interparty disputes ahead on "morning joe." ountry. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment.

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who's this jerk gruber anyway? >> gruber is an economists professor. >> he spent his entire life in academia. >> gruber works in massachusetts. >> all we need is for this man to have the pinched nasal tone of classic movie nerd eddie decemberen. >> boy, are you guys dumb. that system could have a new algorithm. >> well, does he? >> this bill was written in a torsion way to make sure cbo did not score the mandate to taxes. lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. basically call it the stupidity of the american voter or whatever but basically that was really, really critical to get the thing to pass. >> holy [ bleep ]. good morning, it's wednesday, november 19th.

great to have you here with us on set. and watching. senior political editor sam stein sr. such a heavy title. >> it didn't cost me that much. >> former chairman of the republican national committee michael steele. robert gives. and cokie roberts. cokie, i could read a script but why. we know what happened. keystone. >> keystone. >> i mean, keystone goes down by one vote. with that most certainly if mary landrieu, the woman i've been predicting, is going to win by 6 1/2 votes, if she had any chance of doing that, i think that pretty much got wiped away last night. >> well, it was a hail mary. and it didn't -- nobody caught it. the fact is, she was already in a very tough race.

her opponents polls were up by 15 points. she's going to have a very hard time. the state has really turned against -- and that's what she's dealing with. >> explain to me now, and we'll show people this a little later, but explain to me why the democrats wouldn't help mary landrieu out when you have the state department and its own environmental assessment said two things. one, keystone would not increase gas houses. and two, the alternate methods of moving the oil actually would create more greenhouse gases. i'm trying to figure out why they would go, okay, environmentalists, we understand you want to scout, but this is the wrong scout we're going to try to save. a democratic senator in louisiana. >> i would split the the two issues. i think there's -- >> you can't. >> you really can't because i don't think -- >> if you're mary landrieu, if i

were mary landrieu, you can't split those two. i said wait a second, you're going to appease millionaire extremists? well, i'm just telling you what mary's got -- >> which is i don't think the keystone pipeline was going to -- it's a great issue in louisiana. there are 20% of people who are going to change their vote because keystone pipeline passes the senate. >> in louisiana? >> in louisiana. >> it creates jobs in louisiana. it shows she has impact in lap louisiana. >> so would vote for a totally different candidate if -- >> i would say instead of throwing an hail mary pass it's the saints kneeling at their own 15 yard line. >> the saints that played last week against the bengals and -- >>cy thi ci think she had a cha >> her biggest problem was the democrats lost the senate.

because her biggest aset was aside from -- serving the state, is she was going to be chairman of the energy committee and losing the senate for the democrats -- so a lot of businesspeople who had been supporting her now say, okay, she's -- >> but don't you do everything you can do to help your own? >> it was very interesting. the democrats would voted for keystone yesterday were pretty much every democrat who lost with the exception of udall voted for keystone and it shows you they're the people who are chafing under the current regime. >> so robert, let me get back to you. why is this such an important point, if the president's own state department says that the environmental impact is worse, having tractor trailers move this than having the pipeline? >> or trains. i mean, i think what members of the caucus would tell you is they believe if you're going to

make significant process on global warning that this is the type of oil we have to start weaning ourselves off of. in the meantime, because the refining process -- >> but the state department says specifically 11 volumes of study that this will actually -- >> and you know the republican -- how to we kndo we it's going to pass in january? >> right. >> i'm trying to figure out the logic is whether or not you get to that margin which is capable of -- >> try this because you've -- >> but what robert -- >> i'd be wrong. >> but what robert just said though, i understand environmental alarmists say it. but the state department doesn't say it. 11 volumes of study doesn't say it. there's just not going to be -- it's not that big of a deal. >> so what's the justification -- >> the senior analyst. >> well, listen, if you look at

it in one way where the pipeline will be completed regardless of who completes it, right. that oil's going to be sucked from the ground. in that case, the state department analysts are right. it's probably cleaner to transport it through a pipeline. if you consider the idea of just killing it and never developing it and not transporting the oil at all, then you do have a different environmental caucus you have to make and i think a lot of people -- >> what's the answer -- >> hold on -- >> killing what, if the environmentalists want to get some tanks and invade -- >> sam, come on over here, really, this is -- >> but it's going to be developed. >> well, if you believe it's going to be developed -- >> if i believe the canadian ambassador that comes on our show and says it's going to be developed -- >> this is cleaner. >> hold on. in the process of getting this developed -- >> you're just making it worse. >> canada has been forced to take more concrete steps to ensure the pipeline is safer.

hold on, hold on. i want to finish one thing. if you're going to have a debate that goes on for this long, there are going to be more concrete steps made to pacify the critics. >> let me get my other republican on the panel. happy days are here again. >> here you go. >> this is what republicans sounded like for ten years, trying to justify stupid, stupid, stupid things, like when we're trying to argue against logic and argue against science, it hurts. it's much better to be in this position. >> are you guys on the side of science? i want to get that on the record. like, get something on the record. >> as i said before, i'm not good at science but i am on the side of science. like i said, michael, you know, i -- there's no doubt climate change is happening. >> and it's bad -- >> it's caused by man, it's caused by man.

we have got to dramatically reduce emissions here and across the globe. >> i'm with you. >> we all understand that. but the problem is right now, democratic -- the democratic party seems in the middle of an energy revolution that is going to create an extraordinary amount of economic growth over 20 years -- >> already is. >> -- their biggest contributors are all environmental -- not all but there are a lot of environmental alarmists out there that don't care about science that don't care about 11 volumes of study and barack obama's own -- >> it just speaks to the spheres of influence that drive these issues and whether it's a conservative issue on right or an issue like this on the left, that's what's driving the policy. and the question i have is we've been sitting and doing this dance for, what, six years now, seven years? this is not something new. the science -- we've got 11 volumes of science on this

thing. let's just pass it and get the jobs going and let's get the economy going. it's going to be longer term. >> we've heard this over the years about all of these things. the alaska pipeline is going to kill the caribou. the caribou love it. they sort of cozy up. i'd love to have one here right now. so it does -- we are in a place where the united states is now exporting energy. this is a huge deal. by the way, exporting it through the port of new orleans which is also very important to my state. so this is an opportunity to really become energy independent. >> we're going to be the number one producer of oil by 2020. the natural gas revolution. democrats are going to have to figure out how to get right with this issue. you keep laughing. i am dead serious.

this is a perfect example of how democrats are on the wrong side. >> you would thing that democrats are totally opposed to energy. and i think that -- >> well, think keystone -- keystone is one aspect -- >> highly symbolic -- >> plenty of democrats that are for fracing. plenty for natural gas. that's far cleaner -- >> those aren't the voices you're hearing. they're being overridden by special interests -- >> -- any democrat that says it's unfair -- >> oh, it's totally fair -- >> republicans are the only ones who are driven by their narrow interests in the party? >> let me get a question in here -- guy, stop for one second. one question. >> you've asked me like eight but go ahead and try nine, i'm all for it. >> all right, let's -- silence. i'm going to ask a question now. >> the bigger point is this. >> all right, go ahead. >> the debate in washington, the

debate on editorial page, the debate on cable news in prime time is twisted and distorted by big money and politics. i would say for the left keystone i believe is an example of that. now when we have an important debate about climate change and how we reduce emissions, who has what i call climate alarmists versus climate deniers. even let a democrat dangle in the breeze. on the other side, you've got people that get all this oil money that are denying science that global warming exists. isn't this a much bigger problem that so many of our debates are twisted and contorted by big money? it only took me 11 minutes -- >> i would agree with that.

money on both sides plays a big role in this. if you're going to merge these two circles into some overlap that requires continued energy exploration to fuel our economy and most of the world's economy with something cleaner, than the argument you have to have in the next 15 years is not to continue to pull out the same amount of energy that emmises the same amount of carbon dioxide if you believe in the science that has to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in order to make progress on climate change. i think the fundamental argument that people are going to make, you alluded to this, you said the environmental is more of a medium or long-term impact. if you believe in that second circle, which is the science denying circle, than you're going to have to figure out ways in which the country and the world are powered using energy that emissions pollution in the future. >> obviously, we can do that. we're going to have to make

investments in infrastructure. we can have a green energy grid coast to coast. that certainly helps. obviously transportation that gets people out of their cars and into other modes helps. cafe standards of 40 miles per hour. although are going to take a little longer. anyway, you wanted to -- >> your point about the influence of money in politics. but, you know, they did just spend to get democrats elected and then you turn around and 14 defected on this keystone vote people curious how you square that with -- >> a bunch of them lost. >> yeah, i understand, but still, he went up there and he tried to elect them. >> the most important democrat is listening to tom styier instead of his own state department. suggesting he would veto this bill. anyway, i was talking about what it was like to be a republican and i woke up and read "the new york times" this morning.

so you have two headlines here. they're gorgeous. headlines. first of all, terrible republicans, obstructionists, move to restrict data collection blocked by gop. about the same vote happened where democrats were on the other side of blocking it. senate hands narrow defeat to pipeline. merry, merry day. you know, it's -- so that's what it's like being a republican. >> got you, "new york times." >> so this nsa issue is -- because it totally causes party lines -- >> absolutely, and people voted against it because they thought it went too far and they thought it didn't go far enough. >> this is really where, robert, you have the libertarians and the liberals coming together. >> which you do more often than you realize. particularly in the body politic. there are people who, you know,

are for the tea party and for elizabeth warren, you know. >> i wonder too what impact the rise of the islamic state and the overall general increase in the feeling of insecurity and terror the world has caused. this is an issue that was really white hot, say, the weeks right after edward snowden and now quite frankly is one of those things where you're like -- >> another american beheading. it's like the weekly standard had an interrogator, one of the interrogators who actually told his side of the story and talked about briefing nancy pelosi in 2002 and everybody's like, okay, that's cool. is that going to be enough to get what you need? then everybody feels safer and democrats are shocked, shocked, shocked by what's happened. now i think the pendulum has turned back because of isis. >> in the election polls --

something we didn't pay that much attention to but it was striking, 72% of the people, almost three quarters of the people said they were frightened of an imminent terrorist event so that should tell you where people are. >> i've been really concerned about the drone policy of this administration. but i have said all along while voicing my protest about dr dropping drones on a house and killing 35 innocent people to get the one bad guy. that i know the american people aren't with me on this one. i just know it. there's a fear out there -- >> well, these beheadings are just so horrendous. >> and that was before all the beheadings. i think this has completely changed the debate. >> totally. i think if they had this vote a year ago, it would have gone dramatically different. there are still obviously hawks in the republican party would don't want to end these types of programs and they say it would hamper our war on terror policy. but what's funny to me is sort of the broad -- which is we're

in this debate about executive power and executive overreach. it's always through the eye of the beholder, right? they don't want to curb executive powers when it comes to the nsa. >> big news out of israel, just absolutely terrible. cokie, the chance for peace in that region seems to grow more and more remote. >> peace is obviously not coming any time soon or in the next millennium. but the next -- >> next millennium, geez, cokie. >> it's been a couple of millenn millennia. what we're really seeing is the destruction of the economies throughout the region now. because people are afraid to go. so much is dependent -- >> it look like a rblgs weligio, which is slightly different -- >> there's never been an attack on a synagogue. >> the pictures are gruesome. >> and of course you've got the

republicans who are now going to be giving obviously a lot more support to netanyahu, who obviously has a strange relationship with the president -- >> i think it polarizes that relationship even more now because netanyahu has no impetus, no incentive at all to meet the president anywhere along that spectrum. netanyahu, you see what's happening here. you need to come here and deal with this here in this environment. he's going to have the support of republicans. i say even some democrats, quite honestly. in light of yesterday's attack. so the president now is really going to have to step into the space in a different way in dealing with israel. >> my guess is he steps out of the space altogether. >> still ahead on "morning joe," another nfl running back is out for the year following a major crackdown by the league against violence. away from the field. plus, will his lawyer do his

best to keep the texas governor out of court? also, ron forneier with the biggest force derailing the administration. you're watching "morning joe." be right back. a secure retirement. a new home. earning your diploma. providing for your family. real associates, using walmart's benefits to build better lives for their families. opportunity. that's the real walmart. ring ring! progresso! i can't believe i'm eating bacon and rich creamy cheese before my sister's wedding well it's only 100 calories, so you'll be ready for that dress

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it's time to take a look at the morning papers. thomas roberts is with us in new york. we start, thomas, in houston, with the houston chronicle. a texas charge has denied perry's request to have the criminal indictment against him

thrown out due to a paperwork technicality. saying it was not properly signed. perry was indicted in august on accusations he abused his power. >> good morning to you and the gang down in d.c. this is a big story that happened overnight. nbcnews.com. model janice dickinson coming out accusing bill cosby of sexual assault. cosby's camp fighting back on this one. dickinson claims the event took place in 1982 in lake tahoe where she traveled to meet with cosby in town for a performance at the time. she told "entertainment tonight" she remembers the comedian giving her a glass of wine and a pill before the alleged assault occurred. an attorney for cosby calls dickinson's claims a complete lie and points to an interview in 2002 about her book when dickinson says she refused cosby's advances. in the past, cosby has denied allegations made by several other women and he's never been criminally charged. nbc entertainment was in development for a show with cosby. hasn't commented on its plans

for that program. last night netflix announced it postponed its upcoming comedy special bill cosby 77. something they taped over the summer on cosby's 77th birthday. but now they're postponing that. >> from "the washington post," the u.s. state department is mocking islamic state militants on twitter. an account called state of islam sent out propaganda and graphic images on monday saying the extremist fighters are, quote, saving millions of muslims. hours later, a state department account responded by saying the middle photo is taken from hungarian porn. stop using fake photos to trick people into supporting your lost cause. now, how do they know -- >> i was going to ask, sam, who in the state department says, wait a second -- >> i recognize that. >> that's hungarian porn. >> obviously kerry himself, from the top. >> all i can say is that must have been some pretty intense

hungarian porn. >> don't ask questions. they've cracked the case. just don't ask how. running back peterson will not see the football season this season and perhaps beyond that. two weeks after plead nothing contest to reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son, he was suspended without pay. the players association announced it will appeal the suspension. it's going to demand a neutral arbitrator. while that is pending, peterson will remain on the commissioner's exempt list with pay. nfl commissioner roger goodell said peterson will have to undergo counseling and will return no sooner than april 15th. in a statement, goodell said to peterson, you've shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct. so really coming down harshly. obviously, all of this is beyond the ray rice situation and completely different, dealing with child abuse allegations, but commissioner goodell coming down pretty strongly. >> it certainly is different,

obviously. because we are talking about child abuse instead of domestic abuse. no doubt roger goodell has turned a page in the nfl's playbook when -- >> about time. >> when it comes to this. no doubt about it. i mean, that sort of strong response would have helped the nfl a lot if they'd done that immediately after ray rice. this from the hollywood reporter. actor and comedian tracy morgan is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered in a car accident more than five months ago. morgan's lawyers said while his client's been making progress in rehab, it's still unclear if he'll ever be, quote, the tracy morgan he once was. he went on to say, he's still fighting and trying to live his life at the same time and trying to get better, and he's just not better. we're hoping and praying for him to get back to where he was. but the jury's out. >> we look at this from the "new york daily news." pope plan sis saying he's going to meet with children on the autism spectrum in an effort to break down social barriers.

while 1 in 60 children in the u.s. have been diagnosed with the disorder, in other countries, it often goes undiagnosed. joe, it was just the other day, we finally got the confirmation the pontiff is going to be coming to philadelphia coming up in 2015 for the world families conference. that is big news. >> city of brotherly love. >> yes. >> i love it. coming up, ron fournier says the president has destroyed the government. light touch a feather there. he joins us to explain. plus, neera tanden, the president of the center for american progress, will be with us to join the conversation. we'll be right back. ♪ (holiday music is playing)

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welcome back to "morning joe," live in washington, d.c. look at that beautiful shot. sam stein. eugene robinson back in this. joining the table, he's the grim ripper. we have ron fournier.

also, neera tanden, from the site of their annual policy conference. good to have you all on board, neera. >> all right. let's talk about ron first, the end of the presidency in the world, and then we'll -- >> -- so neera can -- >> you write about the extraordinary smallness of washington. president obama is shrinking been our eyes. squint and you might see his rivals running congress, it'ses bitsy john boehner and minute mitch mcconnell. this is an era of tiny challenges and tiny politics. the republican and democratic parties preen and pose but ultimately duck their responsibilities to solve the trap seconscendent problems of times. >> ron, i agree. >> men don't like -- anyhow, your language is tough.

>> the smallness of washington, d.c. >> i was watching you guys talk about keystone for the last hour and a half. incredible conversation. really spirited. really smart. about what? about 50 permanent jobs. on the other hand, no impact on the climate. do we need to be debating energy policy? do we need to be figuring out how to stop the globe from melting down? do we need to have a real jobs policy that helps people -- >> the ambassador said, okay, excuse me, why is it so hard to go from 75 pipelines to 76 pipelines? >> it is a minor issue. it is a pimple on the entire body -- >> this one, we tried to get out -- >> good lord. >> on something small. >> this one he talked about with robert begins, it's hard to get it out of him, the fact is is you've got president obama not playing for the cheap seats but playing, as john lennon said, the royalty, rattling their jewelry. it everybody's playing to the big money. the big money on the left.

that says even though the state department says the environmental impact is less if you have a pipeline, this has become a cause celeb. for environmental, i would say, instead of -- well, some activists who are just ignorant. but also a harmists. on the other side, you've got big money that has science deniers saying, oh, there's no global warming. that's our debate. >> i know sam has written about it. it could be a really good piece of leverage. a bargaining chip to get something bigger done in this town. but they're not talking about -- >> i think it gets to your point, there are very logical deals that can be made around keystone and a number of other things. that requires each side to grant the other side a small victory. >> exactly. >> with key stone, it's pretty simple. you've talked about this too, a minimum wage hike attached to the bill or money invested into clean air type of things. >> if i were a democrat and i

could get the minimum wage up to $9 -- >> oh, my lord, exactly. >> for a pipeline that the president's own administration says will actually have less of an impact on omissions -- >> that's a win. >> -- president who doesn't do that sort of horse trading. this is a congress that seems to be incapable. let's just fill in that line you drew between big money on spending, both sides, and the smallness of what we're talking about. so what are we going to do about that, right, because campaign finance reform is -- i mean, those are -- that's a dead language. nobody even understands that when you say that in washington anymore. and if anyone did understand it, i doubt the supreme court would let it stand. >> here's another thing we will deal with. we have such a deal waiting to be made in campaign finance reform. it's very simple. anybody gives all the money they want to give the second they give it. they scanned the check.

they put it up. and it's transparent. republicans don't want the transparency. democrats don't want the limits blown off. so we've got a deal there. you want to be able to trace all the hidden money, all the secret money, put that in the bill. >> so there's a deal to be made on campaign finance? >> that would be fine with me because i think that's the best deal. >> i think there could have been a deal that could have been made on keystone that would have been good for everybody and we've got everybody overfocused on shutting down the government on immigration as opposed to passing a bill. neera what about the center for american progress? do you have some solutions? >> that's a softball question. >> that's what we're really excited about today actually. i actually agree with much of what ron wrote in his piece, which is there are big issues in the country. i think part of that is because we have, i would say, an

intransigent congress. i think the parties are really far apart and they've argued to a standstill in congress. we're not passing legislation. i actually agree what we're going to discuss today at our conference are the challenges the country's facing. wage stagnation. climate change. bigger bolder solutions. bigger bolder and practical solutions to these problems. i think, you know, we haven't litigated them out recently but i believe in the next two years as we head into a presidential debate the country's going to demand solutions to the big problems we're facing in their lives. >> neera, what about getting something that -- i don't know, i could say cafe standards at 40 miles per gallon or something. they are a green grid, energy grid, nationwide. why not get something in exchange for passing a pipeline that has not only minimal environmental impact but actually has less of an impact? i mean, what -- what if there is

some deal to be constructed out of that framework? what sort -- what sort of bill would you want that would help reduce emissions? >> i mean, there's a lot we could do on addressing climate change. the problem we have, i mean, i look at any proposal to look at the consequences of climate change. the challenge we have is we have a lot of members who deny climate change is happening. that's the problem we have today. the polls are so opposed. people who won't even recognize climate is a challenge. whether keystone is part of it or not. if you can't even agree there's a problem to be solved. >> fair enough. >> i think that's a good point. i have a question for you. i agree with -- i would take the keystone for minimum wage in a heart beat and most americans would be behind it. even minimum wage is small ball. it doesn't help a lot of people.

the issues like you talk about, income inequality. what could be done that would be practical, that would move the ball in a big way and help people be able to move ahead in this economy, which they haven't in the last 30 years? >> what we've seen over the last ten years, not just for the great recession, but over the last ten years, we've seen that wages have stagnated and costs have gone up. costs, higher education, health care costs. there are new ideas cap is developing around solutions for that. we'll talk about some of those today. on the wage issue, this is -- you're absolutely right. we should pass the minimum wage, but that's not going to be sufficient to all our challenges. so we have to think new ways to raise wages. we need to make sure we're getting rid of tax incentives to lower wages. i think those are solution, that i hope you could actually get the right and left to agree on. >> you can watch the live stream, by the way, of the

center for american progress' 2014 policy conference today starting at 9:00 a.m. on msnbc.com. neera, thank you so much. have a great day today. ron, thank you so much. so negative. my god. >> i expected more -- >> small and puny. lord. still ahead, a look at the life of legendary newscaster and reporter john palmer. tom brokaw and john's wife nancy palmer joins us. first, a preview of wall street is next on "morning joe." the holiday season is here, which means it's time for the volkswagen sign-then-drive event. for practically just your signature, you could drive home for the holidays in a german-engineered volkswagen. like the sporty, advanced new jetta... and the 2015 motor trend car of the year all-new golf. if you're wishing for a new volkswagen this season...

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brian. >> you know, guys, you guys have been doing an amazing job in debate and discussion around the keystone pipeline. i want to chime in with something that maybe hasn't been talked about enough. let's not forget the cost of oil production up in the northern ta tar sands of can that is very high. right now, the current cost of production averages about 68 buck, a barrel. oil prices continue to fall, just under 75 now. if oil prices continue to fall, this could render a lot of discussion moot because many producers might shut down their rigs. that's just something to watch. keep an eye on those mid-60s price ranges. those kinds of keys could end up doing the keystone by itself if oil prices continue to fall. stock market continues to soar. one of the strongest rallies in a month in more than 20 years. federal regulators are saying they are calling for a nationwide recall of all calls

with the takata air bags. ford, mazda, honda, bmw and chrysler, preferly before 2008, are models that may have takata-made air bags. just something for all you listeners out there to keep an eye on. >> my goodness. brian sullivan, thank you. up next, remembering the work of the late nbc news reporter john palmer. our conversation with his wife nancy palmer and tom brokaw next on "morning joe." dad,thank you mom for said this oftprotecting my future.you. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are uniquely thankful for many things,

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about a minute after the launch of the space shuttle c g "challenger" from cap canaveral this afternoon, there was a huge explosion in the air, about 28 miles west of the cap canaveral launch site. >> boy, he really inspired me years ago. that was nbc's john palmer, breaking the news of the "challenger" disaster in 1986. john spent 40 years here at nbc news covering the nation and the world. he passed away last august. but his stories live on in his memoir, "newscatcher." >> we sat down with his wife nancy palmer, along with nbc's tom brokaw and mike barnacle to get a sense of the legendary newsman. >> so he was working on this and

actually i'm reading here you actually brought it into the hospital. >> he did, actually. he had written this memoir and kind of put it aside. and then he was very ill at the end, in the icu. our daughter molly thought, just start reading chapters of the book to him. he was finishing every story. because he was a born storyteller. it was a huge comfort to him and to us. so i really -- we'd been thinking about publishing it. it took a little while. i assembled all the pictures which is actually a really good thing to do. it was more healing than i thought it would be and not hard. we love the book. it's pretty great. >> i've known john from the beginning. we were part of the first generation after the founding fathers of this business. the cronkites, the older guys who came out of world war ii. john and i represented the next generation. we were both from small towns. i can't tell you the impact it had on me and i know on him because we talked about it. when he first appeared on the air in 1955.

you could see the world every night for 15 minutes. they were worried they couldn't fill 15 minutes. i remember thinking that's what i want to do. john in a small town in tennessee had pretty much the same feeling. john is in atlanta as the 11:00 anchor man. he gets a big break and taken to chicago. for reasons still not clear to me, they call from atlanta, say, we hear a lot of good things. they hire me to become the 11:00 anchor man in atlanta at age 25. i'm a yankee. i get hired by nbc six months later. as i'm leaving, i said to the guy who hired me in atlanta, why did you hire me? he said, to tell you the truth, we hired you in part because you look like john palmer. we thought nobody would be able to notice. >> that's a compliment, tom. >> i was going to ask what made john so special at what he did. you just answered it. you guys looked alike. what made him such a great journalist? >> he had an every mankind of attitude. he didn't puff up.

he was ill withi iwilling to go. he had a big mideast assignment that was extremely dangerous. he was a white house reporter. he was a crack reporter. if it was a yearbook, he'd be voted most popular. >> he was the white house correspondent during the carter years. that's where you met. tell us about that. >> our first date was at the king and queen of belgium. john invited me but i was working in the office as a p.a. at "nightly" and i didn't know if he was asking me out to be nice. amy carter played the violin. that was the entertainment at the luncheon. it was a big date. >> nancy and tom, i didn't want to diminish anyone in the news business today. the news business is filled with a lot of terrific reporters. we all know that. there was an element to john.

i don't know if it was generational or from his roots, small town tennessee, he was a nice man, a generous man, willing to spend enormous amounts of time with younger reporters, imparting his wisdom to them. do you sense that is missing at all today? >> i think our generation was grateful for the opportunities we had. that had a lot to do with it. i still have the feeling someone's going to tap me on the shoulder and say "you got to go back now, this life is over." i think john felt the same way. plucked out of the small town, able to travel the world, be on the air, be in the middle of what was happening, and it was breakthrough time. now the business is flooded with people who take this for granted quite honestly. they think it's part of my birth right. we didn't feel that way. >> tell us about john and sadat and introducing himself. >> yes, he wanted to get in and get an interview. so he had his producer dress as

a chauffeur. he said john palmer, american embassy. he said john palmer, american nbc, but it sounded like john palmer, american embassy. like, oh, he's from the state department, let him in. so that's how he got in. he didn't misrepresent himself but he wasn't being -- >> but he slurred. >> he was nice but he got the story. >> yeah, got it. the book is "newscatcher." nancy palmer, so nice to have you on. tom brokaw, as always, thank you. stay with us. we're back in a moment with much more "morning joe." so,as my personal financial psychic, i'm sure you know what this meeting is about. yes, a raise. i'm letting you go. i knew that. you see, this is my amerivest managed... balances. no. portfolio. and if doesn't perform well for two consecutive gold. quarters. quarters...yup. then amerivest gives me back their advisory... stocks. fees. fees. fees for those quarters. yeah. so, i'm confident i'm in good hands.

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about the way your wealth is managed? wealth management at charles schwab welcome back. it's time to talk about what we learned today. >> the atlantic, mid-life crises. don't let the cover deceive you because women can have them too and they're really bad. >> oh, really? i loved when he said that -- what jonathan said, one of the things that we were going through, it makes you want to just quit your job every day. what do you like? >> i knew that, but -- >> that was obvious. >> what i learned is that the state department apparently knows scenes from hungarian porn and uses those scenes to troll isis on twitter. >> to make fun of isis. >> what do you know about

mid-life crisis, young man? i learned everyone agrees washington only talks about little bitty stuff but nobody seems to know how to fix it. >> puny stuff. according to ron. >> if it's way too early, what time is it? >> it's time for "morning joe." but now it's time for "the rundown" with jose diaz-balart. >> "the rundown." >> have a great day. good morning, i'm jose diaz-balart. first on "the rundown," deadly snow and historic cold. a lake-effect snow warning in effect across the upstate new york region. has already killed six people. it could dump two more feet of snow in some areas today. for some, that's on top of the five feet of snow that's fallen over 36 hours. take a look at these pictures coming from buffalo, new york. you can see drivers stranded. planes frozen on the tarmac. the front page of this morning's buffalo news perhaps says it all. a wall of snow. a