"the ed show." "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev, happy new year. >> good evening, ed and happy new year to you. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead the white house hits the gop over steve scalise. the powerful republican congressman who spoke at a white supremacist event in 2002. today the white house press secretary questioned whether scalise should still be the third ranking republican in the house after admitting he spoke before a group founded by former kkk leader david duke. >> who they choose to serve in their leadership says a lot about who they are, what their values are, and what the priorities of the conference should be. mr. scalise reportedly described himself as david duke without the baggage. so it will be up to republicans to decide what that says about their conference. >> it's the first time the white

house has gone on the record about scalise's past. and it comes just a day before what was supposed to be the gop's triumphant takeover of congress, with a new republican majority. but now, speaker boehner finds himself trying to put down a tea party revolt in the house and senator mcconnell finds himself having to assure voters that the gop won't be quote, scary. he might not want americans to be afraid but just listen to what they've talked about in the last 24 hours. >> at a minimum, stripping away the most damaging parts of the health care law. >> we think it's a terrible piece of legislation. we're certainly going to be voting on that if we can put either repeal or take out pieces of it. >> we're also going to use the power of the purse. >> trying to do everything we can to push back against this

overactive bureaucracy of the current administration. >> not have the president overreaching consistently as he has in the past with executive power. >> we'll be voting on things i know he's not going to like. >> taking health care away from millions of people from people that need it it's pretty scary. especially if you're one of those. today the white house made it clear that some americans could find it scary to see someone in power who once spoke at a white supremacist event. joining me now, democrat from pennsylvania and jess mcintosh from emily's list. thank you both for being here. >> great to be here. >> happy new year to you and to your viewers. >> thank you. congressman, let me start with you. the white house came out strong today on scalise. this is the triumphant gop takeover day after tomorrow. is this what the gop wanted the day before they take over

congress in this whole big spirit of this is their triumphant walk into washington? >> well, i think what the white house has made clear and what the president has made clear is that there's going to be no 85ication, no compromise. we're not going backwards on health care. we're not stepping in the wrong direction. if they want to work with the president on moving the country forward, he's prepared to work with them. because, you know he has not been someone who's been shy about sitting down with republicans. the problem has been they have not been willing to compromise and to work together in the interest of the country. so we've had a period of time where they've just been fighting him. now with the control of the house and the senate they have an opportunity to show the country where they really stand. now, if their idea is to take millions of americans and take away their health care or to stand in the way of moving our country forward, then i think the president's going to be there and he's going to be prepared with his veto pen to

say no. if they want to go and work in a collaborative fashion, i think they'll find a partner in president obama. >> but just what does the scalise controversy reveal about how republicans, how they deal with fringe groups or how they're trying to move forward? you know they did this autopsy and now this comes out. >> right. >> what does this say about the republicans and how they deal with those elements? this man is in the leadership number three. >> yeah. anybody who thinks that there could be a david duke without the baggage has no business in government. david duke was nothing but baggage. and baggage is exactly what steve scalise has brought to the republican party. this isn't just a side issue. it isn't a distraction. it isn't about aesthetics. it's not just that he spoke to a white supremacist group, which is insane that we are even suggesting that somebody who had done that is still going to be

making laws for an america that is not made up entirely of white men. this is the problem that the republican party has. their agenda offers nothing to african americans, to women, to latinos, and we are going to see all of those fractures really exposed as they take power in both chambers and we get to see exactly how extreme their agenda is. their priorities just aren't with the average american family. they're incredibly extreme and they're catering to special interests. they have never had a problem doing that and i think we're going to see that play out more now. >> congressman, one of your colleagues on the other side of the aisle, congressman tom cole a key boehner ally i might add, he defended scalise from the white house comments. listen to what he said. >> this totally blows out of proportion what happened. a single incident 12 years ago,

six years before he was in congress, not even clear that he knew the group that he was addressing had any affiliation with mr. duke. so it's just simply if there was a pattern here then i think it would be worth raising the issue. >> i think the point is congressman, the point is that you know we can go in the weeds, or we can deal with it. here is a party that's trying to rebuild their image and reboot and say we're open to everyone and here they have this man in the leadership number three, and he says he didn't know what group he was going to. but he knew he was invited by someone who was the political adviser to david duke. wouldn't you, if you were having david duke's political adviser arrange for you to speak at a group, find out what the group is before you go? >> well what i think is that we should focus on their agenda and i agree that their agenda is anti-thet cal to what we need to be doing to move our country

forward. i don't think we should be dealing with personalities or persons. none are perfect, as you know reverend. i've dealt with scalise. we've met on important, critical issues facing our country. the republican party has enough of a challenge with the agenda that they are putting forward. and even though we know people who have been attacked personally, i don't think we should get into that business. i would hope that we should focus in on here's a party that what they're offering to the american public is going backwards. millions without health care with an economy in shambles with less regulation and protect clean energy. let's have safer meat and that means we have to have a government strong enough. >> i don't disagree with you at all. and none of us are perfect and all of us have had to correct things in our life. i certainly have. but you don't project a newness

and then not become transparent about what you're doing. i'm not even making judgment here. we're talking about the politics of this. if you are making a political appeal now, then you ought to live up to it. no one's saying you can't make mistakes, and all of us have along the way, but you're talking about a political appeal, an autopsy now, you're in the majority now. do you live up to that appeal? the white house threw this out there and that's why i'm discussing it tonight. >> i think the congressman is right, that it is about the agenda. i think it's the same disregard about what america stands for that leads somebody to speak to that kind of a hate organization that leads them to develop the kind of policies that are going to hurt the average american worker, that are going to stymie job creation, that are not going to improve the economy. it's the same disregard for what the average american experience is, and i think republicans can know that they have a very

narrow view of america and that they need to broaden it politically in order to stay relevant as a party, but they can't seem to change it because it's too engrained in their dna. and that's why when we have these personality flare-ups, like a todd achin moment everybody it is it's just this one thing, but it ties back to an agenda and that agenda is at odds with most americans. remember how few people voted in 2014. america did not vote for a hard right turn. america largely didn't vote. >> and i think that's important, jess. but congressman, what i'm saying here is the politics of it. because maybe the reason they cannot move forward with an agenda is they're so weighed down by the fringe groups that they can't make a break from it. that's what i'm talking about. let me give you an example, though. the politico reports that president obama isn't backing down from executive action

something you brought up. the obama administration is preparing another executive action in 2015 pumping out new rules and enforcing others for the first time. and the president has a busy week ahead this week. wednesday he'll be in michigan talking about his plan for jobs and the economy. thursday in arizona, he'll talk about his policy on housing. on friday he'll be in tennessee talking about higher education. how determined is the white house to set the agenda just weeks before the state of the union? that's an issue. and whether these guys cannot meet him halfway because they're linked to these kind of crazy groups. but despite that congressman, how determined is the white house to move forward with this agenda? >> well i have been so proud of the president. he's been unrelenting in positioning himself, not only opposed to what the republicans are offered, but offering the

country a path forward. we've seen uptick in jobs high school graduation rates. so what he's offering is a way forward that's positive. republicans are going to have difficulty. they can't produce enough of their members for this far right-wing agenda, and they can't compromise with the president without breaking their caucus. it creates a real problem for them. tom cole, who you mentioned is one of the most reasonable leadership members in the republican party but he's found it difficult to get a majority of members of most of the bills. >> that's the point. i'm not questioning somebody's heart. i don't know it. but i'm questioning their politics. if you can't deal with certain things, because of that, you can't makes moves that's good for the country. thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you reverend and happy new year again. >> happy new year again to you.

coming up new york mayor de blasio breaks his silence about police protests and making big news about why crime in dropping in new york city. nearly 21 months since the boston marathon bombing, the trial is under way. what happened inside the courtroom when the suspect came in? and the chris christie hug that could impact his political future. no no, not that one. this one. yes, just five days into the year, this might be our hug of the year. "conversation nation" is ahead. [ fishing rod casting line, marching band playing ] [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart.

[ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. [ m'm... ] [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® they're coming. what do i do? you need to catch the 4:10 huh? the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. questions? anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! live the regular life. phillips'.

"politicsnation" weighed in on social media today on the issues president obama should take action on this year. on our facebook page samantha wrote, minimum wage. anthony posted the failed war on drugs. linda said mr. president, the ball is in your court. take as many free shots for the people. we have your back. i like that one, linda. coming up new york city mayor on police protests and criminal justice reform in america. but first, please keep the conversation going on facebook or tweet us, @politicsnation. she inspires you. no question about that. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph,

like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips tongue or throat or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

millions of americans are talking about the state of police and community relations. and nowhere does that conversation resonate more than here in new york city. right now the city is mourning the death of two police officers killed on duty. in the wake of that tragedy, mayor bill de blasio was out today with some positive news. >> this department did things that previously were unimaginable in terms of bringing down crime. overall major crime down 4.6%. 2014 compared to 2013. overall crime down 4.6% the lowest number of homicides since the modern policing era began in 1993, since what we call the comstat era. the lowest number of homicides

we have ever seen. >> the city's lowest murder rate in the era of modern policing, a credit to the police and the citizens of new york city. it comes after reforming the policy of stop and frisk, and after scaling back low-level marijuana arrests. some on the right had made dire warnings about changing those policies. today we got proved those warnings weren't true. but these numbers don't change the fact that there's a lot of work to do. yesterday some officers turned their backs on the mayor as he spoke at one of the officer's funerals. today he said the city is ready to move forward. >> let's talk about where we need to go as a city. let's talk about a positive vision, about what the people of this city want us to do together. i see a new york where our streets will be even safer.

i see a new york where citizens and police officers are partners in the endeavor of making us safer. >> citizens and police need to be partners. so how do we make that happen? joining me now is bob herbert, former "new york times" columnist and distinguished senior fellow. thank you for being here bob. and happy new year. >> happy new year reverend, great to be here. >> so bob, stop and frisk was reformed this year and crime still went down. doesn't it show that smarter, more sensitive policing can work. >> well we knew the stop and frisk didn't have anything to do with fighting crime, because the overwhelming number of people that they were stopping and searching and humiliating, had not done anything wrong. so that was a red herring. it was ridiculous. i was never worried about crime going up as a result of stop and frisk going by the boards.

>> the mayor said today it was disrespectful to officer liu's family the deceased policeman, who was viciously killed, it was disrespectful to his family for officers to turn their backs at the funeral. you've covered this city for a long time. what was your reaction? >> well my reaction is that the police department embarrassed themselves, those officer who is turned their back on the mayor. i do think it's important to point out that there were i think it was 20,000 or more officers at the funeral and it was only maybe a couple of hundred who turned their backs on the mayor. but those officers should be disciplined. you know many years ago i was a sergeant in the army. we had civilian control of the forces in this country and that kind of disrespect ought to be dealt with. >> and it was done after the commissioner of police appealed and sent a memo for them not to do it. so they not only did it with public opinion against them they defied the commissioner.

>> what's interesting, this takes away from some really positive things that you could be saying about the police department. for one, you just talked about the crime statistics police have a role in that. they're not the only ones. you pointed out, the citizens are also responsible. but crime is way down in new york city. but we have the protests that went on before these officers were murdered and those protests were peaceful but also the cops behaved reasonably in policing those protests as well. traffic was tied up but we didn't have huge problems there. so there's an awful lot -- i mean, we just went through the times square new year's celebration, which is a very difficult issue. >> a million people. >> in this age of terror i thought the cops behaved wonderfully there in keeping norknew yorkers and out of towners safe. so there's a lot to be proud of and that should not be tainted by the rogue officers turning

their backs on the mayor. >> and this is true across the country. it's not just new york. all over the country, l.a. everywhere i've gone. some of the marches, police and community working together addressing issues even if they don't agree. >> exactly. >> but i think the tone must be set of mutual respect for people's views. and for the input, so that we can make people safe and at the same time respected officers have their lives on the line. >> i think that's exactly right. so now you've had this terrible tragedy where the two officers were assassinated. i think it's wrong to associate that with the protests. this was a disturbed individual who also shot his girlfriend and killed himself. but we still have this issue of some police officers not treating people with respect, or in many cases being brutal. in some cases, committing homicides that should never occur. so the protests against that

sort of behavior needs to continue. >> now a grand juror from michael brown's case is suing the prosecutor saying he mischaracterized the case. the juror is arguing, the investigation of wilson had a stronger focus on the victim than in other cases presented to the grand jury and the legal standards were conveyed in a muddled and untimely manner. this speaks to the issue that some of us raised about having a fair process that is not tainted by local political grand juries. >> yes. >> and you know last 20 25 years, we've been arguing about these local grand juries with law enforcement. >> because it happens so often and we see the results, in tragedy after tragedy. i think that when you have serious charges against police officers they have a right, like everyone else to be

considered innocent until proven guilty. >> absolutely. >> but you need to have an impartial observer come in you should have a special prosecutor to take charge of these cases so that the public and the police departments themselves can feel confident in the investigations and in their outcomes. >> we'll certainly be watching it. bob, thank you for your time. >> thanks so much. still ahead, we'll go live to boston for day one of the marathon bombing trial. also what governor chris christie is saying today about the hug, the orange sweater, and 2016. but first, why can't republicans give credit to president obama for falling gas prices? that's next. in tonight's gotcha. ♪ in tonight's gotcha. in tonight's gotcha.

welcome to the most social car we've ever designed. the all-new nissan murano. nissan. innovation that excites. you park your car. as you walk away crunch! a garbage truck backs into it. so,you call your insurance company, looking for a little support. what you get is a game of a thousand questions. was it raining? were your flashers on? was there a dog with you? by the time you hang up you're convinced the accident was your fault. then you remember; you weren't even in the car. at liberty mutual we make filing a claim as stress-free as possible. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance sunday dinners at my house... it's a full day for me, and i love it. but when i started having back pain my sister had to come help. i don't like asking for help. i took tylenol but i had to take six pills to get through the day.

so my daughter brought over some aleve. it's just two pills, all day! and now, i'm back! aleve. two pills. all day strong, all day long. and now introducing aleve pm for a better am. you're driving along, having a perfectly nice day, when out of nowhere a pick-up truck slams into your brand new car. one second it wasn't there and the next second... boom! you've had your first accident. now you have to make your first claim. so you talk to your insurance company and... boom!

you're blindsided for a second time. they won't give you enough money to replace your brand new car. don't those people know you're already shaken up? liberty mutual's new car replacement will pay for the entire value of your car plus depreciation. call and for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. switch to liberty mutual insurance and you could save up to $423 dollars. call liberty mutual for a free quote today at see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. >> just a few short years ago, republicans were all pumped up about high gas prices and there

was only one person to blame -- president obama. >> gasoline prices have doubled under this president. doubled. >> the president, who has seen gas prices more than double on his watch. >> and since the day that president obama first took office, gas prices have doubled. >> gas prices have more than doubled over the past four years. doubled in just four years. >> he gets full credit or blame for what's happened in this economy. and what's happened to gasoline prices under his watch. >> mitt romney had one thing right, president obama certainly got all the blame for high gas prices but now the national average for gas has dropped to just below $2.20 a gallon. that's great news. so president obama's getting all the credit right? wrong. over at the propaganda wing of the gop, they're scrapping the bottom of the barrel with all

the supposedly bad news about low gas prices. >> be careful what you wish for, especially when it comes to tumbling oil prices. that's good for your car, not necessarily for your 401(k). >> i know that everyone says that low oil, cheap gasoline is a great thing for the u.s. economy, but those people are spending that extra money that they're saving but what about the down side risks? welcome relief for drivers but there's a down side to lower oil prices in the u.s. too. >> down sides? really? high gas prices blame president obama, but now low gas prices are too bad too? so who's supposed to get the credit for gas being available for under $2 in 33 states? >> under president bachmann you will see gasoline come down below $2 a gallon again. that will happen.

>> and it did happen. president bachmann recently tweeted this picture outside a station, selling gas for $1.98, writing, $2 gas anyone? so let's all thank president bachmann for bringing down the cost of gas. but to all the other republicans who refused to give the real president credit for anything that goes right, did you think we wouldn't notice you're running on empty? nice try, but we gotcha. ster's big shrimp festival. i get to pick my perfect pair from six creations for just $15.99. so open wide for crispy jumbo tempura shrimp with soy ginger sauce, and make room for creamy shrimp scampi linguini. yeah, we're gonna need a bigger fork. unless i eat those spicy sriracha grilled shrimp right off the skewer. don't judge me. join me. but hurry, because the big shrimp festival ends soon.

moderate to severe crohn's disease is tough but i've managed. except that managing my symptoms was all i was doing. and when i finally told my doctor he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible.

why do i cook? because i make the best chicken noodle soup. because i make the best chicken noodle soup. because i make the best chicken noodle soup. for every way you make chicken noodle soup, make it delicious with swanson®. our eyes... they have a 200-degree range of sight. which is good for me, hey! ... and bad for the barkley twins. your brain can send information to the rest of your body at 268 mph. three times the speed of a fastball. take care of your most important parts with centrum. multivitamins expertly designed with nutrients people don't get enough of from food alone. centrum. for the most important parts of you.

if a denture were to be put under a microscope we can see all the bacteria that still exists. polident's unique micro clean formula works in just 3 minutes, killing 99.99% of odor causing bacteria. for a cleaner, fresher brighter denture everyday. the boston marathon bombing trial started today. nearly 21 months since the tragedy shook the city and the world. and nearly 21 months after we all learned what it meant to be boston strong. the explosions at the marathon killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy. a few days later, and m.i.t.

police officer was killed. the manhunt for the brothers accused of setting off the bombs brought the nation together. one suspect died during the manhunt. his brother was found hiding inside a boat in a backyard. today he was in a boston courtroom as jury selection got under way. 3,000 potential jurors will be questioned. sketches show he wore khakis and a dark shirt and now has a beard. he faces 30 federal charges and he's pleading not guilty to all of those charges. joining me now, kevin cullen. columnist for "the boston globe." he was inside the courtroom today. kevin, it must have been a very powerful -- being there in that

courtroom today. what were your impressions? >> well it was a little more laid back than i would say you would think, al to be honest. it actually wasn't a courtroom per se. it was a jury assembly room. >> okay. >> and they put about 200 to 250 potential jurors in two batches in front of two tables and the prosecution stood on one side and the defense sat on the other and judge george o'toole, who will preside over this case basically waxed philosophic about the importance of our jury system and the civic duty and the democratic honor that comes with being a member of a jury. >> so they dealt more with the big picture of jury today. but what struck you about sarn yef's appearance? >> one thing i think we can

assume from his appearance today that he does not believe in the defense tactic of cleaning up for the jury. he had a bird's nest of hair. he had a very scraggly sort of uneven beard, which he continually played with and you mentioned his -- the slacks. he obviously doesn't believe in that adage that after labor day you don't wear white pants because he had white pants on and a dark sweater. you've been in courtrooms, al there's always a big transformation from the moment of arrest to the time of trial and generally the defense tactic is to clean up the suspect so that at the very least, a jury even subconsciously will look and say, look at this nice young man, he certainly couldn't do these terrible things. >> does he appear nervous? >> no. i've seen him in all his appearances and it's always been sort of jockular, laid back

showing no emotion. almost bored, if that's the correct term to use. when i looked at him today, he looked almost bored. he folded his arms played with his beard a lot. i wrote a column and went live on the website. i said that if his mother was there, she'd probably tell him, stop playing with your beard. >> did he make eye contact with any of the potential jurors? >> he looked out at one point. his eyes were down most of the time, but he did look at one point. it's almost like a huge cafeteria, the setting. and the press and the few public that were there were on this other side of this clear plastic -- clear glass looking in. almost a fish bowl effect. and if you look over the shoulder you look out in boston harbor, as the federal courthouse opens up and you can see all the coast guard boats with guns patrolling the harbor which would let the potential juries know they're not about to sit on a jay walking case.

>> now, there are some indications or some reports, none of course confirmed, that the defense would like to try and cut some plea deal here. do you think that's even possible? >> well clearly they have wanted all along to cut a deal but there are procedures here. there are things set and last january, almost a year ago to this day, i think it was january 14th last year the attorney general eric holder authorized the prosecutors here in boston to seek the death penalty in that case. that began a certain process. now, from that moment on the defense would have to produce some piece of evidence some piece of information, something not known about the defendant that would then lead the justice department to deauthorize the death penalty prosecution. and that has not happened. and whether in fact the

defense -- my sense is if the defense had something that they felt they could present to the court and say, this is new evidence that shows mitigation here this kid should not be subject to the death penalty, it would be out there. so the reports are accurate as much as clearly the defense all along has signalled this as recently as september, there was a hearing. and one of the defense lawyers said this case could have been over a long time ago if the prosecution was willing to take the death penalty off the table. but it's not as simple as it's been presented in some forms and some outlets, that they can just remove it and say, let's call the whole thing off. it isn't that simple right now. >> kevin cullen from "the boston globe," thank you for your time tonight. >> thanks al. coming up the chris christie hug that has the political world talking. plus sarah palin's dog walk. why is president obama now being dragged into it? "conversation nation" is next.

we come by almost every day to deliver your mail so if you have any packages you want to return you should just give them to us i mean, we're going to be there anyway why don't you just leave it for us to pick up? or you could always get in your car and take it back yourself yeah, us picking it up is probably your easiest option it's kind of a no brainer ok, well, good talk [container door opening] ♪ what makes it an suv is what you can get into it. ♪ [container door closing] what makes it an nx is what you can get out of it. ♪

introducing the first-ever lexus nx turbo and hybrid. once you go beyond utility there's no going back. ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. easily absorbed calcium plus d. beauty is bone deep. you show up. you stay up. you listen. you laugh. you worry. you do whatever it takes to take care of your family. and when it's time to plan for your family's future we're here for you. we're legalzoom, and for over 10 years we've helped families just like yours with wills, living trusts and more. visit us today for legal help you can count on. legalzoom. legal help is here.

they're still after me. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on.

quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable. nation." joining me tonight, msnbc's crystal ball "new york times" reporter josh barrel the

grill's zerlina maxwell. thank you all for being here. now the governor christie's hug seen round the world, he's a life-long cowboys fan and was in dallas yesterday for the playoff game as a guest of cowboys' owner jerry jones. he was slammed by local new jersey fans for going. but it was this that sent twit or fire. the celebration, yes, the christie and jerry jones hug that we won't forget. the governor tried to go with the high-five, was left hanging and then went to the awkward hug, but it got us thinking he's in texas. jeb bush is from texas, and has a great following there. and mike huckabee just quit the fox news gig. so could it be a political play? >> i've been a cowboys fan the whole time. and when the cowboys are losing the last game of the year the last three seasons, not to make

the playoffs there's nobody getting on social media giving me a hard time about being a cowboys fan. >> right. >> so we all know what this is about. so that's fine. believe me i will take all the abuse that i'm taking from some of these folks in return for cowboys' playoff wins. as a fan, that's what it's all about. >> josh your reaction first to the hug and whether there's go politics in play. >> well i think this is the second chris christie hug story we've gotten to have. >> he's a hugger. >> clearly a hugger. >> he wasn't too successful with this hug. >> i think this is actually part of chris christie's brand, where he likes to be like i'm the guy who tells the hard truths and keeps it like it is. and unlike some politicians who will put on a new york yankees cap because they just moved to new york to run for a senate seat in new york. he's like i'm a cowboys fan, and even though i'm a new jersey politician it would be advantageous to be a jets fan, i'm going to stick with the

cowboys. but really it's an easy way to be on a limb. nobody actually goes and votes based on who you're a football fan of. or at least i assume they don't. >> so you don't think it's politics. >> no. except to the extent that it's a way for him to be like i'm real. >> but crystal, all right, fine he's a cowboys fan but how do you explain that sweater? [ laughter ] a lot of people on social media didn't like the sweater. >> apparently the sweater was a lucky sweater. i mean you can't fault the guy for that. so i'm a lifetime washington sports fan, grew up cheering washington football teams. can't stand the dallas cowboys. but i have to say, i agree with josh i'm so sick of politicians who put on the cap of wherever they happened to be and pretend to be life-long fans. this is the least of my problems with chris christie. i'm glad he was out there having fun. >> and he says the team wins when he wears that sweater. >> obviously he's correct on that. >> is it because the sweater distracts the opposition?

>> well i don't want to go there. i don't want to go there. that's really dangerous territory, because it's bright. so there's a lot of things going on there. but i would say, in terms of screams with ending howard dean's presidential run and these hugs and charlie crist hugging obama and chris christie hugging obama before and now this hug. are we still at the point where screaming and hugging is ending your political campaign? i think that's silly and i hope we're not there. >> i think there's some credence to what you say, josh authenticity. talks what he feels, doesn't do what is politically acceptable. i mean there is some politics in that and there's some advantage in that with some voters, all jokes aside. >> i think that's chris christie's brand. he says i'm not going to tell you the thing that makes you happy. to some extent he's telling voters that in order to make them happy, but this is an easy way for him to signal that. it would be easy for him to just be a jets fan, except for you know the process of being a jets fan.

>> we can empathize for the moment when you go for the high-five -- >> and you miss. >> everybody's had a high-five miss and some of us have had people that didn't want to hug us back and i imagine even some of us have had super bright orange sweaters. some of us. now to a new year a new congress but the same old tea party problems. the republican house will vote for their speaker tomorrow. and speaker boehner is facing opposition. texas tea partier louie gohmert is launching his own campaign for the gavel. >> it is time for a change. you said you'd fight amnesty footh and nail. you didn't. you funded it. it follows a number of broken promises. it's time for a change. >> fellow conservative has also expressed interest in challenging the speaker.

nobody thinks speaker boehner will lose the gavel, not to gohmert, but does the show of having this opposition does it show that there will be continuing battles in the right-wing? >> i think so. i think this is the fight for the heart and soul of the republican party because for so many different cycles now, they've fought to you know, elect the most pure candidates the tea party really was, i think, the republicans trying to become more conservative and weed out the people that were moderate, willing to compromise. i think this is another example of that. but i think that obviously, when i first heard this story, i was like, he's casting aspersions on speaker boehner's asparagus, because that's his most family uttered line. >> it's going to be a show a circus. >> i'm really interested in seeing how this plays out because i think the republicans have to deal with the results of the autopsy. they have to deal with the fact that they have these very conservative people in their party who don't attract people

of color and women to vote for them. >> crystal? >> republicans have created a situation where it's in the best interest of people like ted cruz and yoho and louie gohmert to oppose the establishment and oppose governance. the establishment, the john boehners and mitch mcconnells of the world who are happy to ride that tea party wave, they created this very situation. so zerlina is right, this is the battle for the heart and soul of the republican party. everyone who wants to right the obit of the tea party is wrong, because the relationship party has fed the base this message of we've got to impeach obama, that he's the anti-christ, and they're not willing to let that go. >> right. >> but, josh is gohmert and yoho and them, are they more gad flies? >> i think louie gohmert is doing this for attention. you had challenges to john boehner two years ago and again, people talked about there's going to be a revolt. ultimately he got the majority. it's easier this time around.

republicans have the largest majority in the house since before 1960s. that means boehner can lose more members while still building a majority. >> because they have enough. >> yes. >> everyone, please stay with me. when we come back sarah palin versus peter. and why is president obama involved? that's next.

we're back with our panel, krystal, josh and jerleena. now to sarah palin's war with peter. last week palin posted these photos on social media showing her son who has down syndrome standing on the family dog to reach the sink. he added the following message, quote, may 2015 see, every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward. animal rights group peta said palin had, quote, no apparent sympathy for the dog and called her a, quote, bizarrely callous woman. palin fired back quote, dear peta chill. at least trig didn't eat the dog. a reference to president obama's childhood in indonesia where he

ate dog meat as a little boy. is this a legitimate debate or has it gone to the dogs? >> this story, there's so little here, but there's also so much here. to me the dog seems fine. i'm not an expert. i don't know. but i have to say, peta was very smart in choosing the target of sarah palin because she'll freak out and get them lots of attention. >> she takes the bait. >> she always takes the bait in the biggest possible way. and sarah palin, you have to be impressed with the way that she can bring anything back to an attack on president obama. >> josh? >> so sarah palin is somebody who used to pretend to be a politician. it's not clear to me who she is now, why she's still famous. i don't really care what she posts on social media. i mean this is an amusing story and fight, but -- >> would you be amused if you were the dog? >> i don't know. i've never been a dog. but i think this sort of is reflective of the fact that sarah palin is not a political

factor anymore. >> were you saying something about the status of dogs when you -- i mean you were kind of dismissive. >> do i have my own scandal here now? uh-oh. >> i got friends over there. [ laughter ] >> i think sarah palin is fighting with someone on her level. i'm not a fan of peta although i do support the humane treatment of animals. because their ads are sexist in going after that goal. but this is again, so silly. >> explain to me the sexist part. >> many of their ads have been misogynist and sexist in the past so i'm not a fan of peta or sarah palin and i'll just let them have at it. >> krystal, josh and zerlina, thank you for your time tonedight. when we come back remembering

sports caster stuart scott. he covered heros and became one himself. that's next. welcome to the most social car we've ever designed. the all-new nissan murano. nissan. innovation that excites. ugh... ...heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm... amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. ♪ nineteen years ago, we thought "wow, how is there no way to tell the good from the bad?" so we gave people the power of the review. and now angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. you can easily buy and schedule services from top-rated providers. conveniently stay up to date on progress. and effortlessly turn your photos into

finished projects with our angie's list app. visit angieslist.com today. ♪ you get sick you can't breathe through your nose suddenly, you're a mouth breather. a mouth breather! well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. cold medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip and pow, it opens your nose up to 38% more. so you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do sleep. add breathe right to your cold medicine shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. and look for the calming scent of new breathe right lavender in the sleep aisle.

finally tonight, remembering stuart scott, the espn newscaster died yesterday at the age of 49. from the beginning, he did it his way. he used everyday language to connect with his audience. his catch-phrases like boo-yah went global. tributes and accolades have been rolling in from celebrities and athletes across the country. they talked about his bravery his courage, and his non-stop fight against cancer. lebron james said thank you so much for being you and giving us inner city kids someone we could relate to that wasn't a player but was close enough to them. president obama said quote, i will miss stuart scott. over the years he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us with courage and love. that love was most prevalent for

his two daughters who he fought so hard for. and he inspired everyone battling cancer. at an espn awards show last july he talked about who he was fighting for. >> every day i am reminded that our life's journey is really about the people who touch us. when you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. you beat cancer by how you live why you live and in the manner in which you live. [ applause ] so live. live. fight like hell. and when you get too tired to fight, then lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you. >> stuart scott beat cancer by how he lived with cancer.

he was a man who spent his career covering heroes. and in the end, he became one himself. may he rest in peace. he fought a good fight. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. >> republican leadership in the hot seat. too close to david duke. let's play "hardball." ♪ ♪ >> good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. well, the republican party, which begins the new year firmly in control of congress does so with a brand new burden. it's chief whip in the house of representatives admits to speaking at a meeting of white supremacists. a group founded by international holocaust denier david duke.