>> my god. >> tax cut, democrat saving mueller. >> ah -- look. donald trump looked happy today. >> he did. seemed to like that legislating. >> that -- that's good for you, john? >> look, you know, on a day when donald trump is happy he's less likely to do something. >> like fire bob mueller. my thanks to you all. in a does it for our hour. "mtp daily" starts now. hi, chuck. >> nicolle, we missed somebody wits perri whispering into the president's ear this was a bfd. i'm hoping it was don young. most likely to do it. >> if you have it -- i'm watching your show. >> we know don young was thinking it, anyway. if it's wednesday, we know the president is finally putting some points on the board. tonight a victory lap on taxes. >> it's always a lot of fun were you win. >> you're one heck of a leader. >> sometimes when you win, you

can still lose. will there be repercussions at the ballot box if tax cuts don't deliver. and later why one of the leaders in the russia investigation is now seeing more than just smoke. >> i think more and more this picture is coming into view. >> this is "mtp daily," and it starts right now. good evening. i am chuck todd right near washington and welcome to "mtp daily." the republican party's brand has been crumbling under president trump, but he just scored his first major legislative victory. the big question -- do the president's accomplishments in 2017 bail republicans out in 2018? or does trump's brand and that

set accomplishment actually do him in? moments ago president trump held and event with republicans at the white house to spike the football and dance around the end zone, because they finally have a major congressionally approved achievement to sell to voters in 2018. >> it's the largest tax cut in the history of our country. records all over the place. we are making america great again. you haven't heard that. have you? >> we essentially repealed obamacare, because we got rid of the individual mandate which was terrible. >> but this wasn't just an event too fawn over the tax bill. republicans leaders also took turns fawning over the president. >> there's been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the trump administration. >> exquisite presidential leadership. >> the president laid out his vision for a tax cut that would be a middle-class miracle. and that's exactly what the congress passed today. >> and we're going to make this

the greatest presidency that we've seen, not only in generations but maybe ever. >> paul ryan just said, how good was that? >> only a week ago that they were fighting over roy moore. no anyway, the strange part, at republicans celebrate the tax bill democrats seemed downright giddy about it, too. >> republicans think this is going to help them win elections in 2018? do you think the tax bill will help republicans. >> let me think that. [ laughter ] >> folks, if republicans see salvation in president trump, so do democrats. a gop tax plan starting off very unpopular according to our new nbc/"wall street journal" poll and are viewed as the party better hand -- to handle taxes by in our-point margin. on the any, a five-point margin and the economy, 10-point

margin. the lowest rating for any president. and four of ten want impeachment hearings and that democrats not republicans should control congress next we're. we showed you moments ago, republicans are cozying up to the president. seemingly betting that these achievements including these tax cuts, will counteract what feels and seems like an increasingly toxic political environment. whether it's this tax overhaul or repealing the obamacare individual mandate, confirmation of neil gorsuch, all the stuff they're activist base wanted, also a bunch of stuff donors wanted. what about the voters in the middle? are they going to be fired up about it? that's the one that decide this in 2018. joining me, republican congressman diane black of tennessee, house budget committee chair, member of the house ways and means committee on the committee tanked at finalizing the bill. you got to keep the government

lights on. i know there is work to do there. congresswoman black, thank for coming on. >> thank you for having me. >> you're in a celebratory mood there. let me ask you this -- on one hand it's celebration and having my own flashbacks to when democrats were celebrating obamacare as the public was scratching their heads going, the public many not excited about this. you have a similar problem. the public is not excited about this. why are you convinced you're going to change their minds? >> i'll convinced, chuck, because when they see achange in their paycheck they'll recognize a good thing for them. not different than reagan when reagan's tax reform was done. there wasn't a convincing -- that the american people thought it would help them, but when they saw the economy start to grow. their paychecks grew. in this case, we really looked at middle income. look, i understand this on a personal basis, because we really wanted to make sure that the middle income earners got the greatest relief, and having

been a mother of three, a single mother, working hard as a registered nurse, working night shift every single dollar mattered to me, and we're looking at that middle income of $50,000 to $70,000, getting $1,000 or more in their pocket. every penny was important to me. in february when we finally see the results of this and seem see it hard earned dollaring coming back too them they'll be saying, thank you. thank you, congress, for doing what you said you would do, to reform a broken tax code. >> let me ask you this, though. if you think the reason why there's been so skepticism is that they look -- the priority seemed to be make that corporate tax cut permanent. do the best we can for the individual. but you know what? not much we can do. by the way, we've now scheduled automatic -- a temporary relief. automatic tax hike comes that corporate america doesn't experience. that doesn't play well in a

political year. >> so what i will tell su th that -- you is i know the other side is trying to keep things the way they are. they're not working. an economy less than 3% under president obama. the average economic gdp growth under all of the other presidents, were around 3%. that is the average over the last 50 years. it's not working. why would you want to keep the same thing? i feel very confident that where we're going when we look back. look back at history. history tells us undermeath the reagan, clinton and even president kennedy, when there was tax reform and more people had an opportunity to keep more money in their pockets and also the businesses grew. when the economy gets better, that means there are more jobs available. more competition for raises. for getting people to have more money in their pockets. so, look, a rising tide erases

all boats. that's what this tax reform will do. i'm convinced of that. >> you were in the conference committee. take me behind the scenes on one issue. gary cohn works for the president, in the negotiations. he was pressed this morning, asked if there was one thing the white house didn't get that they wanted, and he said it was this -- he said, we would have cut carried interest, been trying to cut carried interest. probably tried 25 times but hit opposition in that big, white building with the dome at the other end of pennsylvania avenue every time we tried. congresswoman, who in that conference committee was fighting this white house about keeping this carried interest loophole? >> chuck, let me say this. this is not a perfect tax code. i will say and have said already there are some things we have to go back and revisit. but the things we looked at, hedge funds. a big part of what we were doing with the carried interest to say these hedge funds need to be, we need to adjust there, and so we did raise it from one year to three years, but i'm not going

to discount as well that we need to go back and take a look at this again. it is a big tax reform. but that's not a perfect tax reform and there are things we will have to go back and revisit. >> look it is not lost on us and my team here that starting in 2011, and pretty much every year, you have been hitting -- hitting the issue of the national debt, in 2011, concerned when it hit $14 trillion. 2013, $16 trillion, 2015, concerned when it hit $18 trillion, get my drift here? this bill is increasing the debt. maybe not by the full $1.5 trillion. grant you that, but it is going to increase the debt. why is this not a concern to you on this legislation? >> it is still a concern to me, and it has been. you know that our committee under my leadership addressed this issue and put out the most conservative budget that, in 20 years. we actually started to cut

mandatory spending and were able to pass that out of the house. it didn't get through the senate. we need to go back and do this. we need to do welfare reform. the other thing that happened under the previous administrations, too, when there was tax reform done. more money come in, but an increase in spending. we have to remember there's a balance. it's not one or the other. it is a balance. we have to make sure we don't, when think money comes in, start seeing this economy boom, there's a jolt that we don't think, oh, wow. we have more money. go ahead and spend it. in this next budget, we have to once again look at the mandatory spending. it's the only place that you really can go to do get control over that spending and that has got to be done. >> i will say this politically good luck calling for cuts after cutting taxes on folks. you know how well that goes over. let me ask you quickly on shut dou shutdown. government funding runs out in some 48 hours.

backed off passing the alexander murray deal, backed off daca, punted for a month. how is the government getting funded in the next 48 hours. >> probably a continuing resz resolutisolutio resolution. i don't know what that's going to look like. we cannot close down the government. nats not good for the american people or for our economy and frankly not good for the confidence people should have in congress. we need to get our job done. i see that this will be a continuing resolution -- >> clean? >> keep the government open. there may be a few things added in there, but i think this will be one that both the house and the senate will agree we need to keep the government open until we get back after the 1st of the year and need to deal with the big issues you mentioned. one of my frustrations here that we don't deal with things in a timely matter. wait until we're on a clifr af then make that decision. >> a month, three months? >> maybe a month we'll look at,

and have to address the big issues when we come back. >> congresswoman diane black, appreciate it. a bunch of questions i want to get to. good luck with tennessee football next year. it's a political football for you there. appreciate sharing your views. on it's other side of the aisle democratic senator chris coons of delaware. welcome. >> thanks, chuck. >> it is odd to me both parties seem excited today about being able to run on this tax bill. somebody's going to be rowrong here. why do you think the republicans are wrong and you're right? >> you just heard from congresswoman black. i think as clear as day that she recognizes that this big comprehensive tax cut bill is going to add to the deficit and debt, and when you asked her how you think -- how she thinks we ought to deal with it, she said we ought to do entitlement reform. tackle welfare reform. tackle mandatory spending. what she didn't say what was in

the budget resolution. big cuts to medicare and medicaid. very large expensive programs that benefit millions of americans and i think part of why every democrat ended up voting against this plan was because it was brought forward through a budget projects that identified an intention to make significant cuts to medicare and medicaid going forward. the average american will get a tax cut in the first couple of years of this bill of a little over $1,000, maybe $1,500, $1,600, but if they know at the end their taxes will go up a decade from now, and there will be big cuts to medicare and medicaid coming, i don't think most americans will be happy with that deal. >> if democrats get control of congress and the house, there they aemttempt to repeal this t? >> i can't speak if there is is a new house democratic majority but i expect try to roll back some provisions. bill. we've seen in recent history when a big, complex bill is done

with one party only it isn't sustainable. the last time big tax reform was done back in 1986 under ronald reagan it was bipartisan. democrats and republicans worked very hard together with lots of hearings to ultimately cobble together a bipartisan bill that stood the test of time over the decades bp this bill was done with only republicans. very few hearings, a very rushed process. there's a lot of provisions to this bill we're just now learning about, because the frau process was so rushed. >> why am i convinced we'll keep doing this ping-pong, one party gets control, do everything one party. the other party wins control, the country thinks, ah, that other party went too far and we go through this herky-jerkiness and, look, obamacare is sort of a mess on its being managed right now. this tax bill, you could just sense there will be likely

issues like that. when is somebody going to cry enough of this ridiculous way to run the senate? whether it's harry reid or mitch mcconnell? >> well, chuck, one of our challenges is that we keep having people elected to the senate, to the house, who come here not to compromise, not to seek bipartisan solutions, but to join sort of their team. i worked very hard two and three weeks ago to try and get an alternative path for this tax bill. meeting with republicans, putting together a proposal that would have cut corporate tax rates and delivered a real middle class tax cut. the sort of thing donald trump actually ran on, but we not ultimately able to get enough members to agree to it. ultimately, the outcome was republicans all voted for this bill. democrats all voted against it. what i hear from the people of delaware, chuck, day in and day out is that they want me too work across the aisle and to find positive ways to work together going forward. i think part of why we've had divided government, republicans and democrats controlling the

white house and the congress in different past -- in different periods is that the average american does want us to work together. does want us to compromise. >> yes. i don't know whether work together or just want that check on each other sometimes. let me ask this -- what about this tax bill? you said you would likely work to repeal parts of it. what do you think -- what's a good idea on this tax bill that you think, you know what? this part i wouldn't repeal? >> well, i'll tell you. i have two bipartisan manufacturing tax provisions where i've got conservative republican co-sponsors. they weren't included in the bill, but i believe they would have strengthened it. i do think that we needed to bring the statute other corporate rate down from 35% to be more competitive, but a huge amount of money is now going to come back into the united states, and corporations can do whatever they want with it. and early indicators are, most corporations will do big stock buybacks, big dividends and won't do the sorts of things

we'd hope they'd do with it. invest in hiring people, wage increases, bonuses, invest in capital equipment. we could have structured this a significant corporate rate reduction and funds steered towards positive growth in the country. >> it's interesting. you do often speak in bipartisan terms. talk about trying to come up with, a lot of different foreign policy. in our poll do you know that 70% of democrats wanted impeachment hearings held? i wonder, a., where you are on that question and, b., if you're not at impeachment what do you tell a majority of your own party rank and file who want impeachments? >> i'm a member of the judiciary committee. i think the investigations currently under way bry the intelligence committee and judiciary committee and most importantly the independent special counsel, that investigation that robert mueller is proceeded with, i think they need to follow

through to their logical conclusions. i think there is more and more evidence coming forward as key individuals in the trump campaign and the trump administration are being interviewed and i think we should allow those investigations unimpeded by the administration to get to their logical conclusion. >> you're not shying away from the "i" word, doesn't sound like? >> i'm not calling for the president 's impeachment at thi point. we haven't seen the evidence to justify it at this point. i'm a political realist. it's a republican controlled house and senate. impeachment won't move forward unless there is something that shocks the conscience of the average american and persuades a majority of republicans this president committed high crimes and misdemeanors. it's premature to even discuss that. >> i like that phrase. shocks the conscience of the average american. i don't know what that looks like but i think we'll know it when we see it.

democrat from delaware. happy holidays. >> thank you, you, too. the bill is almost signed, but what will tax reform mean on both sides of the i'm? we'll break down the major impact for washington and beyond with tonight's panel, just ahead. ♪ this holiday, the real gift isn't what's inside the box. it's what's inside the person who opens it. ♪ give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions... ♪ ...and open up a world of possibilities. ♪ save 20% for the holidays at ancestrydna.com. ( ♪ ) more people shop online for the holidays than ever before. (clapping) and the united states postal service delivers more of those purchases to homes

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ain't elections great? we have is is a surprising, crazy, new development in that state house race that we thought was just determined in virginia. one day after a democrat appeared to win, a recap, by a single vote ending republican control of the virginia house of delegates, this afternoon a court of virginia certified that the vote is actually a tie. they found another vote. this time for the republicans. so now we have a tie. so what happens? the winner will be determined by either a coin flip or draw out of a container. but it's not over then. more importantly, the losing side ask for another recount in this virginia election.

guess what? this isn't going to be over anytime soon. this whole thing made us wonder how are tie toos like this usually broken? the "washington post" reports that 35 states determine a winner by a coin toss or some other game of chance. a mississippi house race in 2015 was decided by pulling straws. that's the winning straw, in case you wondered. check it out. and a few employ hats for this occasion we th occasion love the hats. pilgrim hat, and last year a primary was decided by a literal roll of the dice. the six beat the two in case you're wondering. yes, the loss son, every vote matters. sometimes in politics, a little lucky, too. we'll be right back.

i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late. or make me feel like i'm not really "there." talk to your doctor, and call 844-234-2424. let me bring in tonight's panel. political analyst and chairman

of the rnc, and others. joking. republicans put on the planet to cut taxes, why they're seb braer to celebratory. democrats equally giddy. who's right? >> both. that's how it works. republican get to say today this is what we did and look, ma, no hands. got it passed and go out over holidays talk about it. democrats likewise are saying you've heard the narrative about the impact this is going to have on families across the country, and also the truth and reality there's another play to come on social welfare and health care programs. so, yeah. >> ruth what i don't understand is what political planet are they from if they really aren't going to tackle medicare and medicaid? >> the republicans? >> yeah. i know what paul ryan wants to do, but candidate donald trump said no cuts. that's going to get shoved down their -- throats a million times. >> how many times will you run that clip? i'm not going to touch your social security, not going to

kuch nor medicare. they will get zero, zero. is there a number less than zero? political support or backing from democrats and they will dispose themselves. >> that's what i think. >> to horror. >> the ballot in 2018. >> i was talking to a senior republican about this the other day. there's no appetite. all the hand wringing, ooh, ooh -- what they can do, and i think there is appetite for is, so go after programs like s.n.a.p. used to call food stamps. add work r50ir78to people with stamps. make lives a little more miserable because those are not their voters. >> another part of are the rally that seemed odd. right? first flashbacks to '09 or march of '10, democrats celebrating and two-thirds saying what are you celebrating?

this feels like that. we're a week removed from the president dividing the party disgustingly in half over roy moore. then using words like extraordinary, exquisite, one heck of the leader. makes this president great. the greatest in generation or maybe ever. >> i think broad shouldered today, i didn't hear, my personal favorite. >> mitch mcconnell, exquisite presidential leadership xxxvi. wow. i am surprised how much they all -- they didn't just hug the president. they went all-in. >> do we need a reminder how desperate for a win? this was the year -- >> politically embracing him personally seened interesting. >> i wonder if it's part of the strategy. seems the republicans figured a way to get everybody on side, push it through, meet the deadlines, keep the president involved, not too involved, learned from health care with the last go-round and let him have the victory lap.

he's happy with it, gets the tv time, and part of the strategy. that's what he wants. >> he'll pay the price at the ballot box next year. >> i get a feeling we'll see puerto rico's and mitch mcconnell's overly flattering words used -- >> absolutely. that montage at the white house today with all ofs smiling faces and the back slapping, the hand holding over taxes, yeah. that's good commercial. that's going to play into a broader narrative about the party and its lack of interest to the typical american voter, but to your point, ruth, about those folks who are on s.n.a.p. and c.h.i.p. programs, that's not our voters, in fact they are. look where the legislation hits the hardest, whether the medicare aspects of it or the health care aspects of it, the tax aspects, it's all of those folks -- >> last time i checked s.n.a.p., red districts with s.n.a.p.

cards. >> significant number. >> in grocery stores. you have to account for that a as a party. today we celebrate. >> the alternative, go out and not give him credit, also look strange. >> it was very -- i mean, they've learned the same lesson the foreign leaders have learned. right? the best way to deal with donald trump is to lavish him with praise. the foreign leaders don't have to deal with voter dealing with their attitudes towards trump the same way these guys do. >> the most interesting proclamation, maybe, i have a feeling he may start to believe this. the president said when the individual mandate is repealed that means that obamacare's being repealed. okay. he now believes that, alexander murray needs to be passed and susan collins took a hit on this. no, no. i ask issed them not to include it for now. get it with a real budget deal, they'll do a quickie short-term save the daca and health care fight for beyond, but if this is

what he believes, is alexander murray in trouble? republicans have -- would they pull back on that? >> i think -- >> they would? >> yes, i do. because i think that the numbers, the reality, all of that does not add up for the party. that's been the problem from the very beginning. >> just let people sign up for health care. that's the part i don't get. >> i don't get it either. >> you think they may pull the plug on alexander murray? >> what other choice? how to cover it? pay for it? >> pass it. >> they care about paying for it. >> onced president has something in his head, it's hard to dislodge. he believes obamacare is gone. fine. he doesn't have to fight against it and can do things that shore up markets -- >> just don't call it obamacare anymore. fix it, don't get him involved in it. >> that's right. vanquish obamacare. also we'll find out what

actually happening when you repeal this and maybe revisions happening. important to watch, too. i agree with ruth. can say he slayed the dragon, move on, check it off the list. >> interesting from chris coons, how he quickly said, and, yes, people will see a tax kwcut in e fix couple of years. he gulped a little on that. you could tell, i think democrats are nervous, ruth, when people see that, it may calm the -- improve people's perceptions of are this tax bill. >> two quick points on this. one, we know this from the obama tax cuts. when it's a very small amount, they see it but don't really kind of resonate to it and don't get that thrilled about it. but what's going to really determine who's -- who this was a good day for actually isn't how people feel about the tax cut. it's what the economy does. anything this economy does from now on for better or worse,

fairly or not, it's goging to b tied directly to the tax cut. >> side bar. how many fixes to the tax bill do they have do can do between now and july 1st? i think at least three. oh, didn't know it would do that. didn't know that. because they rushed it. dangerous, i think. >> i say three, probably a little more, because there are a lot of worms in that particular bill that are going to come back and they have to deal with and poke out their heads. >> everybody is still learning details of the bill. i can't believe republicans didn't learn that lesson from the democrats on obamacare. anyway, stick around. coming up, the top democrat on the senate intel committee o opens up on trump, mueller and the russia investigation and says it's more than smoke. that's next. ( ♪ ) ♪ one is the only number ♪ that you'll ever need ♪ staying ahead isn't about waiting for a chance.

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any attempt by this president to remove special counsel mueller from his position or to pardon key witnesses in any effort to shield them from accountability or shut down the investigation would be a gross abuse of power,

and a flagrant violation of executive branch responsibilities and authorities. these truly are red lines. welcome back. senator mark warner on the senate floor actually moments ago. sending a warning to president trump as the top democrat on the senate intel committee of russian interference in the 2016 election, warner said there was a lot of smoke, but yet to identify a smoking gun when it comes to the question of collusion between the trump campaign and russia. take a listen to what he told my colleague john harwood earlier this week. >> you've said in the past that on this issue of collusion, you've seen smoke but not fire. is that still the case? >> i think more and more this picture is coming into view. i think some of the comments i made literally months ago i would amend those comments in terms of where we stand today. >> well, let me bring in the

interviewer of said senator warner now. john harwood from cnbc. good to see you, sir. >> hi, chuck. >> clarify. he said he would amend his comments. one of the smoke comments to me earlier this year, is he amending it saying more smoke or starting to clear up and he knows it's more than just smoke? what's he trying to say with all of these subtle hints? >> well, i think he's trying to say that he's seen something you and i would regard as fire without saying that word, because when i followed up and said, have you seen fire? he says, well i don't want to pre-ju judge but was absolutely amazed by the number and extent of the contacts between president trump and russians over the course of the campaign. a picture filling out all year long beginning with the papadopolos issue earlier in the year, of course, the meeting with donald junior, subsequent contacts after that. wikileaks contacts with donald

trump jr., and he is, seems to believe that there is a lot more here than even he thought when this investigation started. >> and it seems the way you delved into this with him got into a lot of the financial, potential financial connections. i want to play another excerpt here asking to do with deutsche bank. the only major financial institution really that does business in this country still doing business with the trump organization, but also a lot of business with russians. here's what senator warner said to you. >> we have heard a host of rumors, and rumors oftentimes coming from the press, the president's activities, because he wasn't able to be banked by many of the american banks, bank from deutsche bank and russian dollars were in mirror trading

and helping the banks to back some of those deutsche bank loan, just from a plain counterintelligence standpoint, that would raise, set off a lot of alarm bells, because of the fear of potentially being compromised or having undue influence. >> that is -- john, seemed like he's um plying deutsche bank's involved with this and maybe -- may be complicit, not just a third-party just sort of -- entity here? >> yes. depending how that mirroring process that he referred to actually worked, and i don't purport to know how that would work. maybe robert mueller has found that out, but this is important, chuck, because what senator warner has said is that, you know, trump has made the point that it would be a red line if he looked into my business dealings. that's illegitimate. some supporters saying, no, no. shut mueller down if he's doing

things that involves business, but warner is saying these are part and parcel of the entire investigation and told me that the financial ties are critical elements of the dossier. the famous dossier, which he said has not been disproven. so he said he believes mueller is looking into those financial ties and those will be an important part of the resolution to this matter. >> does he get a sense how far back he's gone on finances? 2013 or back to 2008, the first time donald trump jr. dragged about russian money? >> we know donald trump has had, went to russia long before that, but when donald trump indicated during the first decade of this century that a disproportionate share of the trump organization assets had come from russia, that is an indication that by that point, donald trump had a serious amount of financial

overlap between russians and what mark warner is saying is that sets the table for a potential quid pro quo or a dependens on russians that vladimir putin might hope to be repaid some day, and, again, mueller is going to get to the bottom of that and mark warner told me that he thinks by the end -- by one year from now, bob mueller and the senate investigation will both be done. >> well, by one year from now. think about what you just said, john harwood. one year from now. may mean all the way through most of the calendar year of 2018. john harwood, if i don't see you, happy holidays and happy new year. >> you, too. some say it's the absolute worst it's ever been since the dawn of humanity. maybe even earlier. extreme political hyperbole, and why i'm obsessed with it, next. ♪

almost think of the note prior to it as being your most important note. so [singing]... if you nail that, then you're golden. ♪ i look where the rim and the net meet. put that basketball right on those hooks, and that's what i lock in on. ♪ let's talk about the equation of cooking. ingredients, and execution. the ingredients are controlled by somebody else.

execution is all about you. ♪ welcome back. tonight i'm obsessed with the single biggest threat in our nation's history. worse than hatred, slavery, a threat that promises to kill you and everyone you love. today. we don't act now it may wipe out democracy and human kind as we know it. our planet is at grave risk. talking about political hyperbole, of course, and it may be the one thing in washington truly bipartisan. a sample of the criticism of the republican tax bill.

>> this piece of legislation is the single worst piece of legislation i've seen in my time in the senate. >> it's dusting, smash and grab. >> we are witnessing highway robbery in broad daylight. >> it's the worst ever. >> it's an alloutloyoall-out lo america. >> can you vot for this bill with a clear conscious? hell now you can't. >> you think that's over the top? don't forget about what republicans said about obamacare. >> shattering the economy in all 50 states. >> it is as destructive to personal individual liberty as a fugitive slave act. >> the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery. >> you're going to die sooner. >> let's repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior

citizens. let's not do that. >> let's not do that. aye! let's not say every tax cut is the biggest ever, eveit's lione the movie "spinal tan tap." in all seriousness, no one's listening. you yell like this, everybody tunes you out. no wonder. i'm outta here. it's absurd. can we all just wait in the world really is sending before we declare that world is ending? we'll be right back. you manage your a1c,iabet, but you also have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. non-insulin victoza® lowers a1c, and now reduces cardiovascular risk. victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill. (avo) and for people with type 2 diabetes

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side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. ask your doctor about victoza®. whcold sore.et you? grab lunch? cold sore. when a cold sore takes over, campho phenique's topical anesthetic plus anti-microbial action soothes pain fast. what's for dinner? meat loaf. campho-phenique on, cold sore pain gone. it's what's inside isthe person who opens it.x. give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions. save 20% for the holidays at ancestrydna.com. welcome back. there's a weird is he or isn't he? it started with a long political magazine piece about paul ryan

eyeing the exit. it said, quote, in recent interviews with three dozen people who know the speaker, fellow lawmakers, congressional and administration aides, conservative intellectuals and lobbyists, not a single person thinks he will stay in past 2018. here's the thing. he won't actually deny that he is not going to run again. here's his latest not very good dismissive nondenial. >> are you committed to run for your house seat and speaker? >> i'm not going any time soon. i'll address questions way down the line. >> you haven't decided to run for re-election? >> it's not even 2018 yet. that's something my wife and i discuss later in the campaign year. >> wow! my panel is back. >> we've been doing this a long

time. that's the answer you give when you're not running. and let's be serious. today was a great day for paul ryan. it is not going to get better for him from here. you know -- >> do you know what he gets to do next is the sexual harassment settlementes? do you think he's excited about that? >> and even that aside, and it probably won't be aside, the caulk us is a little divided and they are going to rediscover the deficit we were talking about earlier. and they're going to start squabbling among themselves. he didn't want this job. he wasn't dying to have this job to begin with. i don't know what he'll do but if he was smart, he would call it a day. just to avoid the hassle and go out on a high note. >> it always seemed like he was willing to do this on an interim basis. he never said this was a career decision. he wasn't looking to break dennis hastert's record as

speaker. >> he was effectively drafted into it and he took up the mantle of leadership. we remember that moment. he is certainly not articulating any great reasons why he wants to stay. >> you're right. he didn't say we have so much work to do. >> he didn't say that. so many people to get out of the hammock. >> what does that do to the rank and file? >> of course, you know, kevin mccarthy going, how does this look? >> he tried it and it didn't work too well. the suit didn't fit as nicely. from what i've been hearing, scalise is someone people look at and have got a twinkle in their eye about. >> the way he, look, he went through a horrendous thing. and he himself, there is, he has this happy warrior feeling about him.

you get the sense like paul ryan, yes, he's probably more conservative but he knows how to get along with people. they like him. the thing about it is he has a relationship with the folks on the other side of the aisle as well. >> he may be more conservative. >> it works better in what will be a new environment. particularly the democrats, even if they don't take the majority of pick-up seats. >> i want to say about john mccain. the governor of arizona did something interesting today. he said the following. to the politicians out there, that have been openly lobbying for this position, they basically disqualified themselves for showing their true character. there's been all sorts of speculation about john mccain resigning, to focus on the battle. it was so, literally, they put out a statement saying it's not trooflt you covered the united states senate for a long time. john mccain will stay in the senate forever. okay? until he can't. >> as long as he can.

and people -- i understand people want jobs. there's jobs we all want. how you behave when you want the job tells us who you are. hello, taking names. how offensive is it that towed say that? >> and you were making a list of people in this town you should not count out ever, put him at the top of the list. >> i was going to say. this guy survived, that on, with camp. if anybody pulled this off -- >> i don't think he's sweating for his job. >> good for the governor on that front. i'll not going to see you for a little while. merry and happy. >> merry and happy. >> you were looking at him! >> we'll be right back. i've got some uplifting holiday travel news.

( ♪ ) more people shop online for the holidays than ever before. (clapping) and the united states postal service delivers more of those purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. ( ♪ ) because we know, even the smallest things are sometimes the biggest.

welcome back. in case you missed it, terminal three at the phoenix airport is getting a new name. it will soon be known as the john s. mccain terminal. the city council voted unanimously to nail it after arizona's senior senator. he tweeted about it saying i have rarely felt at once so honored and yet so unworthy of an honor than i do today. even though it is only one terminal. you will soon be able to fly from reagan to mccain.

and more importantly for mccain, he'll be able to fly from mccain to reagan. and he can fly from mccain to kennedy. he can go from bush to mccain back to reagan if you're doing the old houston to phoenix to washington. and then don't forget, you can throw in a bob hope or a john wayne if you're going to california. it is very cool. we look forward to senator mccain flying nonstop back to reagan. that's all for tonight. we'll be back tomorrow. "the beat" with ari mel better right now. >> you've probably been on that beat. >> it was, the 2008 version. >> '08. so straight talk, in the air, in the airport terminal, wherever it is. a nice honor for john mccain. >> absolutely. >> thank you, chuck. we begin our news with breaking news on the russia probe. with