they were brothers. competitive... stubborn... and always pushing each other, the way only brothers can. ♪ one hundred years later, their spirit lives on. isis and american troops their closest encounter yet. sbrorm. if you're in the northeast in the united states you're waking up again to a blizzard warn withing and arctic cures that could drop as low as 35 degrees below zero in some places.

they are running out of places to dump all the snow. more specifically if you are waking up in oregon oh what the heck is happening there? the state's governor resigning late yesterday. now the feds getting involved. a new governor takes over next week. a bizarre scandal. we'll take you through it the in a live report from out in oregon for you. if you're still sad about jon stewart's departure from "the daily show" you're not alonement that and more throughout the morning. we begin with chaos across the globe. violence breaking out now about 150 miles west of baghdad. isis militants waging a suicide attack on an air base. isis seizing control of a town a few miles from are the base

launching a showdown with iraqi troops and american air support. meanwhile in eastern ukraine, russian-backed separatists undertaking a brutal last-minute assault to gobble up more territory hours before tonight's midnight cease-fire is supposed to take effect pummelling a railway hub with shelling. this is a last minute grab for territory. looming cease-fire also a tenuous one. will are it last at all? that question hangs over all of this. meanwhile in yemen united arab emirates announcing this morning it's joining saudi arabia italy and germany in shutting down embassies in the country. this as yemen's political structure disintegrates as al qaeda's grip on the arab world's poorest country is getting stronger before our eyes. in afghanistan, night raids by u.s. special forces newly revealed by the new york times shows americans are continuing

in a combat role calling into question how reel the supposed draw down of troops is. we begin this morning in iraq. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel with exclusive reporting for us on the horrors that residents on the ground are facing from islamic state militants. >> reporter: the u.s. started bombing isis to stop an atrocity atrocity -- the systemastic slaughter of the yazidis trapped in the mountains. thousands of men have been killed. and yazidi women by the thousands were taken as slaves. we met 12-year-old hawata and 19-year-old farida in northern iraq. they were bought and sold raped and beaten for months before escaping from their tormenters. farida told us her painful story. what did you say to them i

asked her? we said we are human beings. they said, you are our propertile. you are infidels and we will do what we want with you. >> all right. that was richard engel reporting from northern iraq. lawsuit yesterday, rear admiral john kirby confirming two dozen isis fighters dressed up like iraqi soldiers reached an air base in anbar province which houses 400 u.s. troops. the defense department claims the americans were two miles away when the fighting occurred. all of the isis fighters were killed by members of the iraqi army according to the pentagon. some may have detonated suicide vests. joined now at the big board by british royal air force officer and foreign affairs correspondent michael kay. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. good to see you. >> this is obviously scary news to hear american troops 400 of them apparently close, they are

saying a couple of miles. they are in the base the isis militants are attacking. we have an aerial shot. take us through what happened here. >> first thing that's important is to pick up on what richard was saying about the context of the threat. in terms of the threat to the u.s. troops on the ground on this air base the threat is min pal. there is a reason for that. we have to look at the size of the air base. these are the two main runways. it's standard for a middle eastern iraqi air base. these are a mile and a half long. you can see the whole area. you are looking at three miles in indictment. you have the living quarters we have up in this area and the air base as well should have a sing point of entry. >> the bottom line is ti tack would likely have been in this region. the troops could be down here in hangars, anywhere really on this

camp when conducting training. i was based in kandahar for a while. kandahar is a huge operational base the americans and the brits used. this is a built up area. we used to have mortar fire which used to be incoming into the air base here. actually just launching an attack on the single point of entry. if i were isis i would go for longevity which is launching mortars into the area and hoping for something that way. >> it seems like a bit of a trojan horse strategy. they have done it before. dressing up as members of the iraqi army being welcomed in. oh they are with us. and a suicide attack happens inside. we put it in perspective. this is a town isis took just on

friday. this is isis territory. al baghdadi is a few miles from the base we were talking about. now a battle for control. the air support from the united states, trying to win back the town. >> this is important. i want to link back to the point you made about the isis insurgents dressing up. isis took the village fist. this is important. one of the key ways we counter isis is through intelligence but not just from predators whether it's image or electronic intelligence. it's about having people situated around the area that if they see see something, that's the way hezbollah works in south lebanon. through a network. if you have a pair of eyes and you can report anything untoward that you see. human intelligents are maintaining the loyalty of the societies within the local

towns. it's key to fighting isis. the other thing i would like to point out is the geographic disposition of forces. we'll start with iraq. yes. we have isis here. it's not all lost. in this region this is the kurdistan region where you have 110,000 peshmerga forces. they came through turkey into syria and helped the syrian kurds defend against kabani who are key in the fight against isis. you have popular mobilization forces down herement shia organizations coming in from iran. the bader organization, hezbollah brigades. these are also very much opposed to isis. then you've got the main governmental forces. the iraqi forces which used to this in 2009 at the height of the american equip and train program were with up to 200,000.

let's jump to syria. three main groups. uh you have al nazra in the west. isis trying to maintain territory in the southeast. then hezbollah and assad forces trying to hold onto damascusment the three main protagonists in iraq. you have the peshmerga, iraqi forces and popular mobilization brigade. it is a complicated beast. >> we talk about the american troops. none harmed yesterday. but how close militants got and to defend this base this town we are looking all the a combination of ground troops from iraq and air power from the united states. there was a potential for ground

forces to get involved. it's the idea of mission creep. we are not saying that is major combat operation or anything like that. is it something that could happen because of all the dynamics you're laying out? >> p what's important is i think with the latest aumf the president briefed last week i think lessons are starting to be learned. we went for an occupation strategy in the whole of iraq. we had 160,000 u.s. coalition troops in 2008. it didn't work. we had the most sophisticated air bour in the world. what's happening is that the president is trying to go for an attrition strategy pt this is an occupy strategy. he'll be using special forces and i know there are special forces laid out. they are picking off isis militants. reportedly up to 200 in a month. what allows the president and

the coalition to do is maintain an enduring presence. momoar omar said you have the watches but we've got the type. we need to have an engagement strategy that uses nearby forces that can be employed over 30, 40 years so we can hammer at these guys. we don't need to start occupying. >> if you just take the pen off for a second, we can cycle through. this is attitudes in the united states. we'll have more later. this was a new poll conducted for nbc news about ground troops being sent in to fight isis. 26% say they are ready for a large number. a limited number 40% say that. two-thirds of americans say at least a limited number of ground forces should be sent over. none at all, only 26%. that started to change. that's something we'll visit later. we wanted to get those in for

perspective. thank you, michael, for the great information there. appreciate that. turning thousand back to yemen, that's where this morning we are learning more about embassy closures following the united states united kingdom and france fleeing as the nation continues to collapse. yemen's top u.n. envoy warns the country is at a point now between civil war and disintegration. yemen's -- resigning after a power struggle with rebel s who have taken over the government and nearly half of yemen's provinces. for thousand we are joined by the senior national security correspondent for the daily beast, nancy let me start on the current state of yemen. we hear about yemen as a haven, breeding ground for al qaeda. we have western embassies pulling out now. we have reports that this is a country close to disintegration. does this mean al qaeda is getting stronger if yemen as we speak? >> well it means the country is fertile ground for groups like al qaeda to mernl to establish

themselves, take new territory, create safe havens. it's unclear now they are fighting the rebels who kicked out the government last month. they are working with sunni militants, attacking, trying to take territory. it's hard to say they are stronger. but they see an opportunity to take ground and build and expand their safe haven. >> what would happen. we hear about the idea of yemen disintegrating. what would happen? we think back to afghanistan 20 25 years ago. >> yemen has always been a fragile state. the situation is worse day by day as the groups fight. you have the huthis reportedly backed by iran. you have those who supported the ousted president hadid, those

who supported the president before him ali salahu ousted during arab spring. in the battle if it separates in a country that's 60% sunni, 40% shia you have another country in the arab world, the poorest of them that becomes unstable divided, fractious at a time when the region is already quite unstablement for the united states it becomes much harder to wage its counter terrorism and counterer intelligence campaign that it was engaged in heavily in yemen. >> also we mentioned earlier the fighting between ukraine and pro russian separatists in ukrainement the cease-fire going into effect just hours from now over there. in the run-up to the cease-fire all sorts of heavy brutal action. there is last-second territory grabs. when you look at the cease-fire do you think there is a chance it will hold? >> well certainly looking

promising. even those who created the cease-fire, france and germany who led the effort were with quite pessimistic. that said this was arguably the least of the bad options. what the u.s. and western world confront is ongoing sanctions that haven't stopped russian involvement and the potential of using or giving the ukrainians defensive weapons, anti-tanks missiles, things like that to confront russia. there is no guarantee the weapons would work. if the u.s. and the western world decide that this isn't going to work and they have to go down that road the question is if the defensive weapons don't work do we have an escalation of u.s. involvement to offensive weapons and potentially laying the groundwork for ukraine to become a proxy war. >> my thanks to nancy youssef in war washington. this is a busy weekend in the world. much more on the show today throughout the weekendment still

ahead on the show with jon stewart making his exit who will deliver your daily moment of zen? will anybody? next the front page in oregon today calls john kitzhopper's resignation defiant. we have all the latest from that bizarre political dra pa that the came to a head yesterday in oregon. stay with us. how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40 $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty years that retirement challenge might not seem so big after all. ♪ ♪

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huge news to tell you about this morning. after a week of a bizarre unfolding scandal, oregon governor john kitzhaber announcing his resignation late yesterday. just hours ago this is how the story was reported this oregon.

>> this is kgw news at 11. >> good evening. i'm laurel porter. >> i i'm joe donaland. by this time next week we'll have a new governor in office. for john kitzhaber this is not over. >> for the first time tonight we can tell you without a doubt he and his fiancee sylvia hayes are facing federal scrutiny. we have kgw live team coverage where it's been anything but business as usual. >> following the story so closely. to say the last few days have been wild would be an under statement. it's an emotional roller coaster, so much so that the halls of the state capitol for a ghost town by afternoon. a lot of lawmakers feeded to escape the chaos. not before weighing in on the big news of the day. >> hell of a way to celebrate a state's birthday. >> reporter: volunteers got ready for oregon es 156th birthday party. the decorations coming hours after governor kitzhaber announced his resignation.

>> i understand i have become a liability to thor very institutions and policies to which i have dedicated my career and my adult life. >> reporter: the governor delivered new in an audio clip and written statement. the decision to reion wasn't one the governor took lightly. >> it is not in my nature to walk away from a job. it is to stand and fight for the cause. >> reporter: news spread quickly through the capitol. >> i'm torn to pieces over this. >> reporter: long time friend and colleague senate president peter courtney said it would be unfair to let one poemt define the gov for. >> there's not been a public servant in oregon's history given the length of time, he served in two branchs, who's done more. i mean that. >> reporter: on the other side of the aisle, mike mclean said there is nothing delightful about this. >> this is a sad day for oregon. we haven't had a governor resign under circumstances like this. >> reporter: secretary of state kate brown is slated to become the next governor. judging by her brief statement

she's well aware of what's at stake. >> this is a sad day for the state of oregon. i am confident that legislators will come together to move oregon forward. >> that was the 11:00 p.m. pacific time newscast of the nbc station in portland, oregon. kgw did a great wrap-up as only the local news can of stories like these. not only the news that kitzhaber is resigning but the delivery of subpoenas unveiling a potentially massive criminal investigation by the fbi into kitzhaber and his fiancee sill vae i can't hayes accused of missing personal and state business. for the latest on this will the's go to the reporter you saw in that broadcast voluming the governor's every move. mike benner joins us by phone. i wonder if we could with start with -- if you could thin it down for us. a national audience not following oregon politics

closely until a week ago finds out this governor who has been in office for a long time. this is his fourth term. seems to be a veteran, wiley politician is suddenly at the center of a scandal involving his girlfriend or his fiancee and mixing state business with their personal business. what exactly is it he did wrong here ? >> that's the million dollar question. as reporters, we are still asking the question. every day that passes. every hour that passes it's becoming more clear that something is going on here. you have to understand that this all started last year when the governor's fiancee first admitted to a sham marriage to an ethiopian immigrant. she got cash, the kid got a

green card. then she admits to buying a pot farm in washington years ago to illegally grow pot. at that point she had our attention, the governor's attention but he was standing by her and he was relekted. then the tone changes a bit. we learn that while an advise are to the governor there are reports that the fiancee was taking consulting jobs with companies that had direct interest in oregon policy. at this point it's unclear if she even reporteded the income on tax forms. that's why, as you mentioned at the end of the piece there why the oregon attorney general and federal officials are now investigating both the governor and his fiancee. as he was resigning yesterday they are filing criminal subpoena s seeking records related to any of this work. >> love is love. it's valentine's day, so it's especially true today. given the history you are talking about. the green card for cash scheme

she was involved in, a lot of stuff has come out in the last few months. there is some stuff that would be concerning about her. she came into his life at a later point. he's 67. i think he was in his mid 50s when they got involved. here's somebody who's covered him for a while. did you ever notice a change in kitzhaber when he pet her or a change in his life before he met her? it seems that's a creditle call turn point in his political career. >> that's a good question. not necessarily. the guy carrieses himself with confidence. he was an emergency room doctor before getting into politics. 's well respected, well liked. nothing really changed when she walked into his life. in fact, he was quoted at some point during this whole thing as saying he's in love but he's not blinded by it. very fitting on this valentine's day.

just a bizarre situation as the secretary of state mentioned herself. i'm not sure if your viewers are aware of how that went down. she was at a national conference -- leading a national conference on the east coast earlier this week when she was summoned back to oregon. so she, of course, hopped on a plane. she was summon bid the governor. she hops on a plane, gets here and is whisked away to a private meeting. as soon as she gets there she says the gov authorher, what are you doing here? she's like, what am i doing here ? you called me back. he says he's not resigning. this is on a wednesday. he proceeds to talk about transition which is the transfer of power. it's bizarre. >> what a crazy week you guys have had in oregon. you get a new governor next week. sounds like an investigation into what's going on with kitzhaber and his fiancee will be going on as well.

that's to be continued. mike benner from portland, appreciate you joining us. thank you. >> you bet. >> all right. still ahead, what happens when reverend al sharpton meets reverend al sharpton, or the snl version. we'll sow you that in a little bit. next ruth bader ginsburg tells the not so sober truth about just why she nods off during the state of the union address. stay with us. yet. a car that can see trouble... ...and stop itself to avoid it. when the insurance institute for highway safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. not honda. not ford or any other brand. subaru eyesight. an extra set of eyes, every time you drive.

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boxes in every room. (hs lowe) cable isn't wireless but you just gotta put something in front of them. (lowe) i'm still in awe of how great my tvs look. (hs lowe) and i'm still captain of the team. (lowe) don't be like this me. get rid of cable and upgrade to directv. call 1-800-directv. all right. there is a lot going on this morning. time to get caught up on other headlines making news with the catching up segment. sort of a rapid fire look at headlines around the country, around the world. got them in index card form. >> not many. >> here's the first one. we have the washington post. the scalia ginzburg reality show. a not 100% sober friendship. this is justice ruth bader ginsburg asked about how she

falls asleep at the state of the union address. she's been caught on camera. she said, quote, we sit there stone effaced sober judges but we're not. at least i wasn't 100% sober. before we went to the state of the union we had dinner together. i vowed this year, just sparkling water. stay away from the winement the dinner was so delicious it needed wine to accompany it. so she showed up a little tipsy maybe at the state of the union and dozed off. it's easy to doze off without booze. >> you don't need a glass of wine to sleep during the state

of the union. people head fun of the fact she fell asleep and her grand daughterle called to say, what's going on. a lot of people watching tv were asleep, too. the camera wasn't on them. >> i'm shockeded there are people who were sober. i was a few times now but it's definitely improved usually by some adult beverages. i think she's awesome, i do. i'm a big fan of though no tore rous r rbg. the thing that bothers me isn't that she wasn't 100% sober but they are best buds. >> it's a mysterious culture. >> they travel together. >> the incident scalia and his reputation private different than pub publically. they get along. i was in the front row of the balcony at the state of the union. i didn't pay attention to the speech. i paid attention to who was sleeping. democratic congressman from california. i won't say his name. i'm 99% sure not 100%. he was asleep for the entire speech. >> this is the benefit of lifetime tenure. if you can't get fired -- the congressmen stay awake because they could lose their election. >> the justices aren't supposed to show agreement or not. you have to sit there. >> neutral. >> what else? howard dean making news about

scott walker. scott walker sud ly all the rage in the republican race for president. here's what howard dean had to say. >> scott walker would be the first president in many generations who didn't have a college degree. he never finished. >> right. the. >> the issue isn't just dancing around the question of evolution for political reasons. the issue is how well educated is this guy? >> scott walker attended marquette university left before graduating and didn't return. 311% of americans have a college degree. i don't think this hurts him. >> i don't think it hurts him. governor dean oh went to yale like i did, but i don't want to be a snob and suggest this isn't a problem for walker. a lot of americans went to college for a while, didn't finish. this is not an unusual story. it's a perfectly reasonable thing to do. walker, as far as i can tell he should have done better.

he should answer questions. evolution isn't a great answer. he should show he's smart enough and up to the job. >> a lot of americans are -- maybe college -- it's an expensive price tag. you don't necessarily get the pay off when you get out. a lot of success stories aren't just politics. john macki of whole foods didn't graduate college. the late steve jobs didn't graduate from college. success doesn't always have a college degree. >> this hurt it is democrats more than it hurts walker. to have dean be the face of the argument makes people who might have arguments against scott walker look superficial and silly. he almost granule waited and he left for a job. >> to work for the red cross. >> this is a sensitive subject for mement when i was graduating i had no money. i charged 25 meal points.

i had five tuna sandwiches. they hand me the diploma, it's empty and say you owe the school $25. i told my mother, collect every single one of them when they come in. when it costs them more than $25 in postage i will send them the $25 and say, give me my diploma. i technically graduated. npr has this one. for valentine's day, that's today. it's a $25 app called the invisible boyfriend with personalized texts. add on voicemail or cards. customize the name and traits. for example saucy and sarcastic or lovingly nerdy. you build a virtual relationship with this spp just to be clear it's also girlfriends. >> probably. >> equal opportunity. >> i'm guessing.

i'm not going to say who might be interested. part of me wonders if it might be boys more than girls. whatever. it's sad. one thing i read is it's supposed to help keep unwanted suitors awayment like i have a boyfriend. this strikes me as not just passive-aggressive but an unhealthy way to get out of a potential situation. i don't want to talk to you is a perfectly acceptable thing to say to somebody. this strikes me as creepy. >> isn't it also okay to say i don't have a boyfriend and i'm okay with that? a lot of people say we are using the app in a way of friends think i ief got somebody or mom and dad think i have somebody in any life. it's silly and sad. >> i wonder if they think differently. >> maybe the person is real? >> it's the illusion. >> it's emotional porn. >> i have used the service several times.

that's not true. still ahead, massachusetts has seen so much snow this winter. plows shoveled enough to fill the home of the patriots 90 times they could fill it. er more snow on the way this weekendment we'll go live to boston to see how the city is preparing, if they can prepare. they are talking about dumping snow in boston harbor. next she was against jeb bush running before she was for it. a flip-flop. last night from a very famous woman. discover card. hey there, i just got my bill and i see that it includes my fico® credit score. yup, you have our discover it card so you get your fico® credit score on your monthly statements and online...for free. that's pretty cool of you guys. well we just want to help you stay on top of your credit and avoid surprises. good. i hate surprises. ahhhh ahhhh are you ok? nope. we treat you like you'd treat you. we've already given more than 175 million free fico® credit scores to our cardmembers. apply today at discover.com

barbara bush is giving in. the former first lady made headlines a while back when she poo-poo'd the idea of jeb running for president in 2016 telling nbc's the "today" show there are other people out there that are very qualified. we have had enough bushes. not exactly a ringing endorsement from mom. now barbara bush is pulling a 180, making a surprise video

appearance in florida late last night at an event where job was speaking. she tried to set the record straight. jeb, it's mom. according to reports she put in. listen, what do you mean too many bushes? i changed my mind. now word that it was george h.w. bush who is the most eager to see his son run. the sun he saw way back as a president more than george w. his name could haunt jeb's campaign and joeshlg w.'s name came up. jeb asked how he would have handled iraq and afghanistan differently replying with this. >> i won't talk about the past. i will talk about the future. if i'm many the process of considering the possibility of running it's not about relitigating thinking in the past. it's about trying to create principles and ideas that help us mover forward. >> this comes with the washington post reporting last

night jeb bush is far outpacing the rest of the republican candidates when it comes to raising money. the post reporting bush's two fund raising committees are on course to rake in ten s of millions of dollars by spring and the overwhelming dominance in the race to line up financial backers has come at a speed that impressed long time money players who say wealthy backers rapidly migrated to bush since mitt romney decided against another white house run two weeks ago. interesting this morning. look i get it politically. he doesn't want to answer questions about his brother's presidency. no mystery there. at the same time i'm picturing if we got to a bush-clinton race and people are asking about bill's record and asking jeb about george w.'s record, i imagine that's something hillary wants to talk about and jeb doesn't. that's a bad contrast. >> if they are asking about iraq and afghanistan those aren't issues that are somehow in the distance past. they will be issues -- that

particular question is is relevant for both hillary and jeb. not just about past answers and things we have done but what they would do moving forward. i think for both of them neither -- there are reasons hillary would talk about the past and lots of reasons she wouldn't. both will use a line spg like that which is to say, no we'll focus on moving forward. there are mistakes and statements to be held accountable for. the last names they are never going to escape. you can't run on a last name which both of them are doing and say, i'm sorry. >> i'm my own person. was it the right decision by the country in 2003. can he answer that question? >> maybe. he can answer the line on benghazi. what difference does it make? he can throw that line out. whoever the candidates are will answer questions about what they would do and what's been done in

the past. he has to answer those questions. >> one thing for jeb is the advantage that no republican wants to be on the record saying this war -- maybe rand paul. i suspect a lot of other people. scott walker. it will be hard to say i was opposed to the war. hillary clinton voted for the war. jeb is not necessarily in a bad placement on the fund raising piece, one, i would argue mitt romney isn't running because jeb has already locked fundraisers down. he's done a good job. a lot of fundraisers are people joining jeb who are based around the new york city area. in theory they could be for the governor near them. think about this for chris christie. people in his area right around him are choosing -- this is an anti-endorsement as well as endorsement. they aren't for christie. they are for jeb. christie should be getting new york support and he's not.

>> this is exactly what the bush people are going for and what george w. bush did when they locked up the republican nomination. monopolize big money people raise an eye bulging amount of money and intimidate everyone out. i wonder if in today's republican party given resistance to the bush name the rises of the tea party. the billionaire-funded super pacs that can equalize things can that work? if he comes in with obscene money does it have an intimidating effect? >> it helps him. but one, you have different play the in terms of who can donate the rules of the super pac and a lot of people get in with a few people behind them and they can stay in for a while. number two, you have more qualified candidates ready to stand up against jeb bush than george w. bush in 2000. a lot of people are interested in them. so, somebody just has to take fire. and the money starts coming in. >> this is a different world than george w. bush. this is a different fund-raising

environment. i think when you pointed out -- when perry pointed out this is new york money and east coast money backing bush that's not necessarily a good thing for other candidates. they will point to that as a weakness. that's the establishment. those are the people backing bush. don't you want something different? in some ways bush and hillary have a lot oh commiserate about. they faced similar narratives in conquering them. they face a base that's not necessarily happy with the choices they have been given. the republican base feels more positive. >> i think republicans are excited about having a primary. >> debate. >> and a good primary. not just a bunch of people on stage but qualified people on stage. i see democrats wanting the same thing. the fact that elizabeth warren is outpolling hillary clinton if iowa and new hampshire now, maybe it's a blip. >> i'm not sure i believe the numbers. >> i'm not saying people think she can win. i think they think a little bit of a primary can be good for

somebody. i'm sure hillary would say, no, that's what happened last time. i may not want it again. >> there is a difference between the once in a lifetime challenge from barack obama or a real race from martin o'malley or someone. but youlele poll nationally now and jeb bush is at 15%. hillary is at 65%. she'd rather be in that position. thanks to the panel. we'll see you in the next hour. still ahead, alabama has become the latest focal point in the fight over same-sex marriage. it's a reminder that many people are opposed to gay marriage. we'll use the big board to show you who exactly and where that gay marriage opposition is coming from these dais. next, we are going live to boston bracing for yet another major winter snowstorm. the fourth to hit new england in as many weeks. how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40 $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards

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englanders riding out yet another winter storm this weekend. if you think you have heard the story before it's because you have. this is the fourth major storm to hit the region in as many weeks. this is what boston looked like yesterday, before the latest storm is set to hit. that was bad thuf for the city. city officials removed more than 10,000 truckloads of snow this winter. shaping up to be so far the snowiest in boston history. at least for february. reynolds wolf is live for us now in bostonment you're halfway covered with snowment it will be up to your shoulders in a few hours, i think. >> reporter: we are to the point where this is not weather. this is punishment. it's ridiculous. stepping off the plane yesterday and chatting with people in the airport at the hotel and certainly people we have spoken to this morning, people are tired of it. we are going to is see more snowfall over the next 12 hours or so. the amount of snow the amount of this stuff we could be dealing with could measure up to a foot.

maybe some locations more. that's one factor we are dealing with. the second issue which is nonexistent for the time being is the wind will pick up. we'll have blizzard-like conditions. you have winds spinning around which will cause the water to pile up. we could have serious beach erosion and coastal flooding. very very nasty stuff on this valentine's day. in terms of travel traveling by foot will be one of the best ways to get around. the streets are in good shape. they have done the best job they can. you have places where snow is piled up so high on both sides of the street. with the additional now it will be tougherment traveling will be ethics to impossible for tonight. mass transit, the last subways will be operation alal.

trollies ferries, city buses sh not operating. back to you. >> reynolds wolf proof that god must be a seahawks fan. that's my only conclusion. still ahead we'll talk with members of congress from both parties about president obama's military authorization request against isis. next as of this morning two-thirds of alabama counties are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a week of legal wars. who is against gay marriage if alabama and everywhere many this country? that's next. top stop.

big news this week. in alabama they were refusing to send out gay marriage licenses in places.

if youle poll this question nationally now 55% of people support it. 42% oppose it. we are talking about how gay marriage is more popular but the 42% is still a big number. that 42% is a lot higher this some states. states like alabama. we said let's take you through where you will find the most opposition to gay marriage. the youngerer you are, the more likely you are to support it. 56% of 18 to the 49-year-olds. 38% of those over 50. level of education. if you are a college grad, 6 of 10 support are gay marriage. if you have no college at all, 39%. a big gap there. if you call yourself a liberal, overwhelming support. moderate pretty strong. conservatives, one if four conservatives support gay marriage. here is another way to look at it. it's religion. among jews heavy support. three in four support gay marriagement those with no

religion heavy support. catholics bs just over 50%. protestants lower at 34%. there is a reason are. we can look closer at protestants and see gaps. among white main line protestants it is majority support. 52%. in black churches it's lower at 35%. in white evan gelle call or born again christian churches 19%. that's the lowest. in alabama, heavy evangelical population. that's one of the reasons gay marriage is still unpopular in alabama. all the stuff you saw this week happening there. thought we would look at that. pr to come next hour including the congressional reaction to the president's request for military force against isis. ♪ at kraft we start with eggs oil, and our own crafted vinegar.

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thanks for staying with us this saturday morning. we have a lot to get to. in a few minutes we'll talk about the president's request to define the fight against isis with democratic senator bob casey from pennsylvania and carly dent. if you are chilly this morning you're waking up to some of the coldest temperatures in a year across the country. also jon stewart, one of the most influential people in american politics. he's stepping away from "the daily show." you probably heard that this week. who replaces him now? msnbc's politics nation withal al sharpton gets a surprise visitor ahead of the snl 40th anniversary spectacular. we have the highlights from the memorable, funny appearance on the show yesterday. we begin this hour at the white house. six months after the united states began bombing isis president obama asked congress to authorize the use of forcement he included no geographic limitations in the

request. he did ask that the approval be limited to three years at which time congress would have to reauthorize. >> i don't believe america 's interests are served by endless war or by remaining on a perpetual war footing. it is not a timetable. it's not announcing that the mission is completed at any given period. what it is saying is that congress should revisit the issue at the beginning of the next president's term. >> nbc's kristen welker is live at the white house this morning. they put the proposal together this week. congress has been starting to chent on itment a lot of criticism from the left and right for different reasons. how is the white house handling the criticism it's heard so far? >> you're right. the white house is preparing to make a robust push to get this passed. the reaction as you point out,

has been mixed. there is bipartisan support for passing the aumf. lawmakers are divided about how specifically to do it. in fact, obama ally house minority leader nancy pelosi acknowledged it would be a tough lift, in her words. a lot of the more liberal democrats say the language is too open ended specifically when it comes to the issue of ground forces. they want the aumf to ban the use of ground troops altogether. as it is now the legislation would prevent the use of enduring offensive ground combat operations. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are asking what does that heen? what does enduring mean? what does offensive uh mean? white house press secretary josh earnest said the language is fuzzy to give the president flexibility. democrats worry that nonspecific language could be the start of mission creep. ter they are criticizing this aumf for no geographic constraints in the language. the president needs to be able to pursue isis and its targets

wherever they may exist. republicans feel as though the aumf limits the president's power too much. john boehner this week vowed to work through the issues one day at a time. i am told this could pass by april. even that may be generous. this is a big fight. a lot of thorny issues to work through. steve? >> a lot of drama still to play out. thanks to kristen welker. appreciate that. how does the american public feel about this? a new poll asked how they thought their congressman should vote on the plan submitted. 54% want congress to vote for it. 32% said against. asked if the united states will defeat isis 66%, two-thirds answered the u.s. can do that. 23% said they wouldn't. as we noted last hour a majority of americans believe the u.s. should send at least some ground troops to battle isis. the plurality, 40% siding with a

limited number. it's now up to congress to decide. we are now joined by the senior senator from pennsylvania, bob casey, a member of the bipartisan national working group from pennsylvania. i appreciate you taking the time this morning. i will start with the question raised in that report we got from kristen welker. she said some of the criticism, some of the concerns raised about what the president is looking for here has to do with an attempt in the language here to limit the use of ground forcesment that's very fuzzy language. lots of potential loopholes. this could potentially exploit to very much expand the ground presence there. is that a concern you share? >> it is. i generally think the president, the proposal he made is headed in the right direction.

there is no question. kristen was right. it will be a big battle. this is the grave question of war. we have a national security threat from isis. congress has a duty to debate this. not for a couple of hours or a few days. we should dedicate time to this by way of debate and briefings and engage in debates that get at the basic question. i have a concern about what that means. what does enduring offensive ground combat operations just five words. what do they mean and what does it do by way of a constraint but not a constraint that will disallow or in hibt the president from fulfilling his obligations as commander in chief. >> i it's early. this process could play out into april. but as you look at the this now what do you need to see change? what do you need to see added

here that would make you comfortable supporting this? >> well first i want to know more about what those words mean. if it's not the most important it's number two. uh i think it is the most important. the fact it has a three-year time horizon is good. that's what i suggested in a speech in december. as well as a commitment not in the proposal but in the transmittal letter from the president which said -- he raised the question of alterering or amending and repealing the 2001 authorization in the aftermath of 9/11. i think that's hanging over this as well. a lot of folks are concerned that becomes another way to deploy troops or another way to engage in a broader offensive i. >> we put some of the thubs up

fl the new poll. i want to show you another one. americans were asked about the confidence in president obama's strategy against isis. they say a plurality say they have not much or no confidence in the strategy. only 45% say they have a lot. the message i'm getting is they feel we should be doing something proactive here dealing with isis. when they look to the president they are not seeing much of a plan. are you? >> he's laid out a good strategy months ago now. i showed a will the of forbearance in not criticizing it. some criticized it before the inc. was dry. that's not appropriate. i don't think he nor his administration is doing enough to communicate what the strategy is and to do period ic if not

daily reporting on where things are going well where things are not. you can't just have a strategy. you have to communicate it effectively and repeatedly. you have to spend the time. that's a difficult assignment. those who say he doesn't have a strategy are wrong. they have to be much better at communicating wins and losses successes and constantly re-evaluate. even as we debate the authorization we have to continually assess how the strategy is being implemented. does it need to be changed. do we have to make adjustments? that's why we need a big debate. it should be a long and important debate. >> all right. senator bob casey, democrat for pennsylvania. appreciate the time this morning. thank you very much. >> thank you, steve. >> now to get a view from the other side of the aisle. an hour's drive down interstate 476, charlie dent republican from enpennsylvania joins us now. congressman, i will start where i started with the senator.

you have seen the request from the president. you have seen the polls, too. when you look at the request are you comfortable supporting it right now or what would you need to support it in the future? >> i believe we need an authorization for force but i'm not comfortable with the one presented. i don't think a three-year timeline is particularly a good idea. it sends a bad signal to allies to our enemies. it will handcuff the next president of the united states. that's a problem. >> do you want no timeliner or a much longer timeline? >> i wouldn't put a timeline in at all. he touch on somethingment we need an authorization. the authorization to use force is not a strategy.

the strategy must be more clearly articulated than it has been to this point. every expert with whom i have spoken said there needs to be a ground force there in order to deeffete isis. air power alone will not do the job. i'm not suggesting there be american ground forces there in massive numbers. it's not what i'm arguing. there will have to be a multinational sunni arab and turkish force on the ground to defeat isis. i don't think we have a strategy that does it. there is iraq and syria. there is a much clearer path forward on how to defeat isis and iraq. syria, much more complex. there is not a sunni political infrastructure within syria. that's important.

i understand the path in iraq. >> what is the mood of your colleagues? i wonder if you've got democrats you're talking to i'm curious and republicans. hanging over this is the experience with iraq. the last ten years of american foreign policy. you see how just throughout history how our decisions on war generally decided in rear-view mirrors way. world war i haunted this country for years. people say we should be confronting hitler. memories of world war i gave the isolationist movement power. now we are in a condition where the disaster of what played out this iraq caused so much hesitancy to get involved in this, get involved in a big way in this going forward. are you sensing that resistance among the members, sensing that maybe they are thinking about this and starting to change?

>> my colleagues are sensitive to what happened if in 2001 and 2003 in iraq. no question about it. at the same time we realize what happened in syria one with could argue about this detachment. now we have seen hundreds of thousands of deaths. we all agree to that point. the issue becomes we all want to defeat isis. we can't do it without the ground force. i could argue this is half willing in many cases. not so with the jordanians and the uae. we need the turks and saudis engaged. they are looking at the aumf too. if they see a three-year timeline. they see a lack of resolve on behalf of the united states. it's tricky.

it plays into assad. the turks in particular feel assad must be defeated. the president. that's something we have to consider here. a different view of how to deal with assad as we continue front isis. >> a lot of different moving parts here. a complex issue, obviously. this is a debate as we say just at the beginning stages. congressman charlie dent appreciate your time this morning. thank you. >> taung. >> all right. a lot ahead to come this morning including the battle for the top job in fake news. we are taking a close news at the contenders for jon stewart's chair. how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40 $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty years that retirement

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nancy pelosi making the case for not putting resolutions battling isis. add it to the latest nbc marist poll numbers showing americans are almost split when asked what amount of confidence they have in president obama's strategy against isis. 45% say they have a lot. 48%, a plurality say they have not much or none. this is a reveal one from the poll in how president obama will be remembered for overseas conflicts. 40% say he'll be remembered for ending the war. 44% for starting a new one. back at the table is genevieve wood with the daily signal.

i forgot to introduce them the first time they were on. everybody recognizes you. thank you for putting up with my idiocy on that. i will start with the poll question that i ended on. that jumped out at me. the whole impetus for barack obama's presidential campaign. the whole reason democrats rallied around him in 2007 and against hill clipt was ending the iraq war. the war hillary clinton voted for, barack obama was going to get this country out of. now more people say he'll be remembered for starting a new war than for ending one. do you think he will be? >> those people have bad memories. the public is off here. when obama started we had 100,000 troops in iraq more in afghanistan. we are getting near a small number. it's hard for me to understand how the public views it that way with. the right critique might be he with drew troops from iraq too fast. in terms of -- and therefore we are in a situation where we had to go back in.

the notion he's known more for starting a war than ending unis confusing. >> this is a poorly phrased question. we are in a forever war. that's just true. since 9/11 that's what we have done. nothing we have done legislatively or tactically has done thinking to either start a new one or oh end one really. we are just in the midst of a perpetual conflict. the aumf the way we are talking about it shows we are unprepared to reconcile with the fact that we cannot even think of these things as wars in a conventional sense. >> right. >> we are fighting an ideology a frame of mind. not a particular geographic location. what does it mean to defeat isis? there is no definition of it. this is not a country that can wave a white flag. >> the question is how do you contain it. any president who says we'll end a war or won't have another war,

that's bad foot. go back to woodrow wilson the war to end all wars world war 1. then we find ourselves in world war ii. people don't feel -- just bringing troops home but still having the chaos going on over there. and americans feeling their security is at risk says look we don't think this is over. they aren't confident we are doing a good job containing and fighting it. that's why you see the president making the move. this is a p.r. move more than anything else. democrats don't seem to like it. most on the right don't like it. >> what's going to happen with this? traditionally you submit this to congress. there would be a negotiation and a settlement on it. they are moving in opposite directions here. we heard it in the last segment. the democrat came on. said a three-year window makes sense. the republican says i don't want a window on it. i want it open ended. not like they are moving on a year and a half or -- >> both are arguing out of ideology not practical

consideration of what it would mean to engage in this war. the democrats say it because that's what they think democrats want to hear and the republicans think that's what their base wants to hear. congress has not listened to the military or intelligence communities when it comes to fighting this war. we have people in gitmo the intel jens community says should be let go that congress is considering legislation to preevent them -- >> but you can say the same -- >> out of political motivation. >> you can say the same thing about the president. many people will say the president has not listened to secretaries of defense, the current one who is about to leave or the defense intelligence agency. the problem here, i think you have a lot of politics involved. i don't think there is a doubt about that. many people, including the public are concerned we are not in a good place now. they are very worried something big could happen shortly. i'm worried that's why the president is making a move now. he knows something the rest of us don't know and he's trying to get cover on this. >> it looks like congress is

converging but are they coming together? they are coming out with positions that would argue maybe they don't want a vote. maybe they really don't want to. maybe they just want the president to go through with it. democrats say we have to have lots of strings, it's hard to see how a vote comes together fou. i think that might be the intention. a lot of people in congress remember. they got to congress because they replaced someone who with voted for the iraq war. they would love not to be on the record for fig. >> it's presidential campaign season. a number of senators locking to run for president. maybe democratic too. there is always an opportunity in these things to frame it in a way where, here i will make a stand for my base that's being sold out by this. you could make that from the left the right. there is that incentive to disrupt on this. we'll keep an eye out for that. the panel is staying put. before we get back to them we want you up to date on

late-breaking developments in that pending cease-fire in ukraine. fighting now intensifying in eastern ukraine with separatist rebels trying to take control offer more territory before the troop takes hold. the cease-fire is set to begin at hid night in ukraine, hours from now. stay with msnbc and msnbc.com throughout the day for updates. still ahead, new developments in the investigation into the shooting deaths of three muslim college students in north carolina. what police say they found in the suspected gunman's apartment. (vo) after 50 years of designing cars for crash survival, subaru has developed our most revolutionary feature yet. a car that can see trouble... ...and stop itself to avoid it. when the insurance institute for highway safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. not honda. not ford or any other brand. subaru eyesight. an extra set of eyes, every time you drive.

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craig hicks is charged with three counts of murder. he was the neighbor of the three victims. police said a dispute over parking led to the shooting. the father of two of the victims says it was because the three students were muslims. he called it a hate crime. president obama weighing in on the killings yesterday release ago statement that reads in part no one in the united states of america should be targeted because of who they are, what they look like or how they worship. turning back to politics nowment what grade would you give our last three presidents when it comes to race is? we'll ask the question right after this. later, with jon stewart leaving "the daily show" there is a scramble for the chair. many are asking if a woman will finally get a seat at the table.

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america persists. we've got more work to do on that front. >> that was president obama responding to a question about the state of black america where senior white house correspondent for urban radio networks april ryan, a familiar face to viewers of this show. she's been covering the white house since 1997. her book "the presidency in black and white" looks at how the three administrations she's covered, the last three administrations have covered race issues. ryan grades each president on how they have managed the complicated terrain. george w. bush brings up the rear with a c minus. bill clinton and president obama get a b plus. she originally gave obama a b but raised the dwrad after his handling of the shooting of michael brown in ferguson missouri. april, thank you for taking a few minutes. congratulations on the book. that's interesting.

barack obama, first african-american president in history. shatters all expectations in getting elected. your instinct was to give bill clinton a better grade. >> yeah. thanks for having me steve. yes. first time for president obama is different from the second term. you have to remember this president had to navigate the waters to successfully get a second term. this second term playly in the fourth quarter you see a much different barack obama as it relates to race tan you did in the first term. the first term they had to be very strategic. the white house even said everything will follow him for history's sake to include politics and race. so today really had to navigate the waters. they said if there was a subject and it veered off into the issue of race it would have just changed the subject and that subject would not be. it would be more about race. they really had to be strategic in how they handled the first

term. that's why i changed the grade. >> you are talking about the specific policy questions that come up which are hugely important. when you give a grade out to barack obama is there credit given for just the fact of his victory, what it says to people about what ab african-american can do what it says to young people who had never seen an african-american president before. does that factor in? >> it's not necessarily that he just became president. remember, i am a reporter who questions every president i cover. it's about what they are doing. it's the questions of accountability. what have are you done what are you doing, what do you plan to do? the first term was weakerer than the second. that's what it's more about. really, to be honest with you, there could be another book in the making to round out the grade after this administration is over. >> that's interesting. >> let me ask you about the other one. george w. bush with a c are minus. >> yes. >> give us the low light of the administration when it comes to

race and what's the highlight? >> well, let's start with the good first. the highlight is his work in africa. he's known as the president who did the most for africa. he established pep far. you have former president bill clinton on the record in the presidency in black and white, my book talking about the fact that he helped george w. with bush gain that recognition because they were talking on the way to the funeral of pope john paul ii in 2005 and trying to work out how to get drugs, the much needed drugs at a discount price. they worked it out and this happened. he's known to have done a lot on hiv/aids in africa tuberculosis malaria, mosquito nets things of that nature. he still goes back to health. now on the low side president bush did get an f for hurricane katrina. any time you have anyone die,

that's bad. the f is for that as well as the fact that you have a group of people who felt they were not connected in any way to their country. they were left to find their own way. if they survived they survived. if not, they did not. it was a sad time. for people who lived in the hurricane katrina ravaged areas. >> congratulations on the book. you have done a great job. i wanted to ask you, you have talked to all three of the previous presidents about race. can you talk about with a today told you about how they view race and how they view black american race if america. >> let's start with president clinton. former president bill clinton really believed in moving america forward. one he saw the nation was browning. we will be a nation that will be

a majority soon. he started to start a conversation on race in america. he tried. one thing about that we had an intense conversation. an interesting and intense conversation about race. the reporters who covered them and at that time it was more african-american reporters and producers than it has been since then. we don't have that many now, as you know. joernl w. bush we talked a lot about race. on the record and off the record. i remember some instances and it's in the book as well when just before president obama's historic election to the president we were talking in his limousine about race the overt and subtle racism happening in

the country during the time of the election process in the run-up to the elections and how the nation was divided over this potential -- possible president, over this candidate. then senator barack obama and his run for the oval office. then president obama, we talk about race but it ees's more of an instinct off the record and on. >> p april ryan that's the title of the new book. the presidency in black and white. thanks for joining us. appreciate it. >> thanks for having me. >> up next the leaderer of the free world gets ss ready for a cause. do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40 $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards

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today. time to oh get caught up with it in our catching up segment. lots of headlines, people are talking about. i will pull out the random index card. here we go. we've got -- this is interesting. this is a video generating a lot of conversation this week. you may have seen it. let's play a little bit of it. ♪ [ photos snap ] >> oh! thanks, obama. >> thanks, obama. >> mr. president? >> can i live? yolo, man. >> that's for buzz feed. technically the justification is the white house is trying to

talk about the enrollment deadline for health care. it was mentioned in there. this starts out when a president acts like a human being we have the debate over whether he or she maybe is beneath the dignity of the office. it used to be time in history when campaigning, a president campaigning was violating the dignity of the office. i'm hearing that debate here. anybody think this cross it is line? >> stupid. everyone talks about it when any president is inhuman. the other side picks up on it as a reason to criticize. i'm curious about the cleanliness of the white house mirrors. it made me as an o oh cd person want to scrub. i thought it was a cute video. it probably reached the audience it was supposed to reach. he's done stuff like this. every president has done stuff like this. republican and democrat. i think obama carries it off with a certain coolness. i don't necessarily mean that in a compliment that's distinctive

to him. but um -- >> no no. >> he's got the sunglasses. >> you see a little bit of why he can be difficult to caricature on saturday night live or something. >> i don't think it's demeaning. a lot of people do. i wouldn't put it in that category. we we had the beheading of an american in the middle east. this is put together within 24 hours of us losing a young woman over there. timing is important. when you think why are americans concerned we don't have a strategy and they see this going on and being done. >> that's the other -- >> use this video as a way of oh deciding it. >> i think this is also a question for journalists. buzz feed was helping him promote a particular policy. would msnbc have gone to the white house and said we'll help you promote one of your plans? that's also kind of interesting. >> buzzfeed is -- >> we have another one of these

index cards to get to. this is from buzzfeed. arkansas legislature passes a bill allowing lgbt discrimination. approving a bill to block cities and counties from enacting anti-discrimination laws to protect lgbt people. asa hutchinson said he will let it become law. employees were rescinded by the gov for out there sam brownbeck. interesting when the rights get on the book today don't get taken away. now in some places they are. >> well the judgment of history will be harsh on these things. i believe these things will probably -- i mean this is a roll back. in a way it's a wake-up call for people who have been taking it for granted that the future of gay and lesbian rights was proceeding at a pace and the country was behind it.

this is a reminder that there are still people on the wrong side of history. and we have not sort of gotten as far as we thought we had. >> there is an interesting thing here. over 80%, 88% of fortune 500 companies are offering benefits on their own. you don't have to have the government to step in and do it. >> 20% aren't doing it. >> hold on. people are making the voluntary decisions. businesses on their own. the concern many people have especially with religious convictions, they believe in religious liberty cases popping up. we see them happening. people are concerned about religious free doms too. there has to be a balance of rights. >> it's preposterous. >> not when people's businesses are are being shut down because they as religious believers don't want the participate in a same-sex wedding. people ought to say i don't want to participate in that. >> in a way. >> that's where you are seeing a reaction here. >> when the debate turns into should this bakery have to bake

a cake for this wedding, itle tells you how far the debate has advanced that that's the level we are at as opposed to should there be a wedding. >> and roy moore is the only person defending -- not supporting -- he feels roy moore, even other judges in alabama went against him. he was fighting to stop same-sex marriages. he's left alone. that's where the debate is headed. >> finally, this happened last night. >> coming right up we're going to be talking about -- something. just stay tuned for it. coming back for a commercial. >> we'll be right back. we'll be right back. >> we'll be right back. kay nanne -- >> keenan. >> oh my. keenan thompson reverend al sharpton. the highlight to me of the current snl version are the reverend al sketches. they are dead on. that was hilarious to see. also if you missed it on

"hardball" chris matthews had a great compilation of chris matthews sketches. that was fun to watch. perry bacon, anna marie cox, genevieve, thank you. the guys at snl aren't the only ones to skewerer media in politics. jon stewart has done it for 16 years. he announced this week he's done. can anyone fill his shoes? we'll talk about it next. would you be willing to give up sharing your moments? sacrifice streaming all night long? is it okay to drop a connection, when you need it most? if you're not on the largest, most reliable network, what are you giving up? verizon. i make a lot of purchases for my business. and i get a lot in return with ink plus from chase. like 60,000 bonus points when i spent $5,000 in the first 3 months after i opened

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for just $397. ♪ mattress discounters ♪ you get in this business with the idea that maybe you have a point of view and something to express and to receive feedback from that is the greatest feeling i can ask for. >> that's jon stewart tuesday night, you know the deal. 16 years as the host of "the daily show." he's stepping aside. who better to talk about it then two great people here. the co-creator of "the daily show." jason zinman writes for "the new york times." thank you for being here.

liz, let me start with you. i remember when jon stewart took over "the daily show." i thought this show is going to go downhill. craig made this unique thing. he got picked up by cbs. he's going to the big theeg leagues. jon stewart is going to come in. then it became the go-to political satire show for the last decade and a half. can it keep being that with a new host? >> i think it has to be -- i think the tenants that it has to live up to is to have a strong point of view to be this place that cares about the hilarity and about the news and, i think it can be. whoever the host is will be able to make it their own. jon made it a different show than craig. anybody who watched it in the early days remember for lack of a better way of putting it it was more like colbert in the

sense that everybody was staying in on the joke. there was no voice of the person. and jon came in and transitioned it into he was our voice. so he surrounded himself with the lunatics that represented our media and then was able to be like i know what you're thinking and i'm going to be that voice for you and did it brilliantly. >> jason, do you have any sense what comedy central is thinking right now about how to go forward forward? hugely important show to them. a big moneymaker for them. but do you have a sense what kind of show they want to have going forward? any specific musts? >> no, and the important thing is most people talking about this also don't know. and i think most of the discussion about who is going to replace jon stewart is just fantasy. it's like talking about donald trump running for president. we don't know who wants it. the big question is do you wanted to go some place in

house, in which there's several very good candidates, or do you want to look elsewhere? >> who are some of the in-house candidates? >> jessica williams has gotten a lot of attention. comedy central has taken a big. blow. they have lost a lot of talent. >> i heard jon oliver went to hbo but for the the right price he could come baa back. >> they ruled it out. i think that we have to look -- this is a job that ucht to do because you love having a point of view and love the concept of getting information and cutting the bull out. it's not a job for somebody who is can be an incredible actor doing a role. you can't put somebody in there that's great at executing jokes. it has to come from within you. you have to have a base of

historical knowledge. you have to be a news junkie and be funny and be a leader you have to have grav it is a. you have to have so much stuff. >> who has that? >> who do i think? >> yeah. >> outside the box people i would say i love ted alexandro. i love rhachel maddow. if you want a woman and comfortability behind the desk is really smart, could keep that i have faith in the show that i'm going to get information and smartness alive. by the way, i'm sorry, rachel. >> i think i would love to see a woman get this job. we're at a real great time for women in comedy. not just true with big names like tina fey and amy poehler, but the comedy clubs all the time. there's a a huge amount of

talent. on youtube, twitter, if they want to cast a wider net, which i think they should do because they are not going to find someone with the same skill set. they have to be willing to make the risk to evolve. if you looked at his early shows, if you look at what he did, he took a little while to become the jon stewart we know. >> i say comedy central open up for amy poehler. that would be my dream host. thanks to both of you. appreciate you stopping by. thank you at home for getting up with today. in honor of "saturday night live"'s 40th anniversary, a roundtable including tim meadows here at 8:00 a.m. eastern time. stick around for melissa harris-perry. she's next, see you tomorrow. expert negotiator to get a fair deal. i hate to haggle. when you go to a restaurant you don't haggle over the chicken parmesan.

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