council, can act on security throughout the world for freedom, democracy, the rule of law. >> president obama hosted the french president this week. the two leaders stressed the vital points of the franco-american relationship. what are they? one, iran, both france and the u.s. are vigorously pushing iran to limit its nuclear program. >> we agree that next week's talks in vienna will be an opportunity for iran to show that it is serious about a sus the world that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. >> two, syria, the french president of the most vocal supporter of president obama's early plan to strike syria last september with aircraft rrcaier launch missiles to destroy the assad regime's chemical weapons

stockpile. the brits backed away from it. france supported the strategy. three, africa, french troops are on the ground in countries like mali and the central after can republic fighting islamists and backed by u.s. intelligence and airlift support. four, trade ties, as part of the e.u., france is negotiating with u.s. on an e.u.-u.s. trans-atlantic trade deal. if this deal were to some to fruition it could establish the largest free trade zone in the world. as the president of the european commission tells us, calling it a quote unquote, game changer. while the french president was in town he visited montselly, home of thomas jefferson.

on tuesday night he received the royal treatment at a state dinner in his honor. france's president came stag to the event as he was without his longtime partner and without his latest squeeze. question, what is driving this reproachment between france and the united states? >> both of them want to deal in foreign policy and obama because he's pretty much blocked here in washington, d.c., but i will say, this hollande is 20% popularity, unemployment is over 10% in france. he is really losing the battle against germany for preem innocence. the european union is in very serious trouble. this may they'll have parliamentary elections for the european you know and these pop list sovereignty party, anti-immigrant parties in england, the front in france, the party in holland, they'll

have a sweeping victory and very dramatic effect because they want to destroy the european union. the whole institution is very much in shape. you have the north-south battle between they're tired find bailing folks out. in england they have the european independent party that wants to get out of the e.u., in september they have a vote in scotland where they want to get out of britain. tribalism, if you will, is trumping over transnationalism in the continent of europe. >> in england they don't like the e.u. currency and want their own currency. >> the rise of the right in france and these other countries has more to do with the lack of jobs and the sluggish economy than it does with the drive to dismantle the european union. while he was here, president hollande visited silicon valley trying to get some ideas and trying to recruit some businesses because his 75% tax on the wealthy has backfired and i think he's trying to rethink

some of his economic policies. he's at 19% popularity which is pretty pathetic. but the president appreciates him and in part the french press is portraying this visit and this elaborate state dinner as a consolation prize for not going ahead with missile strikes in syria because hollande said he would do thank he didn't seek permission from his parliament and then the president backed away from it. it was an embarrassing moment for the french president. but these two leaders are clinging to each other in part because they're both going through hard times. they need each other. obama appreciates the muscular approach that hollande has towards foreign policy. >> do you think this reproachment between the two is partially motivated by the fact that his relationships, our relationships with germany are strained due to the number of

reasons including the listening in on the telephone of the head of germany. >> entirely possible, john. however, i think really what's happening here is not necessarily a giant reproachment or long term change. i think that ideologically the obama administration is pretty close to hollande. hollande is a social democrat. obama is a social democrat. they both like foreign policy that has teeth to it in going after islamists. so the two have kind of come together on this and the timing was right for hollande to come now because he's trying to escape this domestic scandal where he had an affair and it's blown up in his face in france and coming to the united states, the french public regard fltion their own domestic political situation, obama is pretty popular there. if you want to make references back it to old europe and donald rumsfeld complaining in the post-9/11 years about how

france and germany would not support american military adventurism, obama has ended that. obama in the last five years got the united states out of iraq. the french are happy about that. it's a safe bet for hollande domestically to come to washington and be seen as close to this intellectually, ground breaking, forward thinking american president. the extent to which it trumps germany's relationship with the united states, i don't think so. . >> i think that was not well received by merkel to put it mildly. she is the leader of that whole constituency in europe. i don't think she was very happy about that. i also don't think she was very happy about the obama administration and she has not

been for quite a qiel. where as hollande who has unique problems in france at this stage, had this was a perfect escape for him. it's the kind of public reaction that he got both here and in europe and france in it particular helped him. >> do you recall what the attitude toward france was on the outskirts of our move toward iraq? we wouldn't use the world french fries. >> it was contemptuous. they were called surrender monkeys. >> to gir you an idea of how americans have changed, according to a gallup poll, 34% of americans viewed fans france favorably in 2003. today 78% of americans view france favorably. >> let's not forget that america's it top diplomat in john kerry, one of the few languages that he actually speaks influencely, is french. on the trips that he's made to

europe, he's always seen out and about speaking french. we may not see that here very much in the united states. it does not play well domestically here. the french love that. to speak the french language to the french is a sign of respect. i think there is an intellectual elite in the foreign policy community in washington that also loves that. . >> is that complimentary to the elite in washington, the state department, the striped suit set? >> that's right same thing. >> as a presidential candidate kerry was mocked for being able to speak french. >> domestically. >> the exactly. >> he shouldn't have gone wind surfing. >> americans had to be reminded that the french stood tblus our river lose against the british. >> did you see how kerry has gone east now? he's over there in several countries? is he trying to stay away from that situation in europe? >> he's trying to stay away from any situation, everything. >> the israeli-palestinian peace, he's in syria, --

>> so you are a big fan? >> i will say he is taking tremendous risk. he's trying to do an awful lot. there's a real potential a lot of it could blow up. there is a possibility some of it could succeed. >> he has enormous energy. it's really extraordinary. he's always had that. >> you agree with him to negotiate now on the arab-israeli problem? >> absolutely. i've known i'm forever before he entered politics. i supported him the first time he ran. i will say the guy has enormous energy. he's very smart. he's very committed. i don't know that i'm going to agree with all of his policies but do i agree with the efforts he's putting in. >> don't forget "the mclaughlin group" has its own website. you can watch this program or earlier programs on the web anytime from anywhere in the world. death row reprieve, should more governors commute capital punishment sentences? that's after the break.

. issue two, death row, the governor of washington state announced this week that he is suspending all executions in his state as long as he remains in office. currently there are nine prisoners in washington state who are on death row. they will not go free but they will not be executed at least as long as governor inslee is in

office. making his decision the governor cited problems with the capital punishment system including the inconsistency as it to how it is applied. the governor pointed out that washington state's current capital punishment system was put in place in 1981, 32 years ago. since then more than a half of the state's 32 imposed death sentences have been overturned. the governor of washington says this, quote, when the ultimate decision is death, there is too much at stake to accept an imperfect system unquote. the governor's action does not sit well with everyone including jay rodney, the ranking republican on washington state's house judiciary committee who disagrees with the governor. quote, i think this is cruel to families of victims. justice should not be basically put on hiatus unquote.

governor inslee joins other governors who in recent years have issued stays of execution on their watch including the oregon governor and the governor of colorado. the number of executions overall has also dropped in the u.s. by 60% nationwide since highs in the 1990s. a majority of u.s. states, 32, do have capital punishment as compared to 18 states where it is outlawed. question, if governor inslee feels so negatively about capital punishment why has not he proposed legislation to outlaw it in washington state? >> because it's easier to order a reprieve than go through the mechanic knicks of passing a lawmplet this notion of -- it was begun by a republican govern in 2000, george ryan in illinois. this current wave is all democratic governors. most of them are just issuing

these reprieves. maryland did change their law, so it can be done. but it seems it to me that people are really waking up to the fact that there are too many mistakes made and that's been documented in washington state, two, it's incredibly expensive to have the capital punishment because you go through years and years of appeals and you might as well just incarcerate people. it's a lot cheaper. i think there is really a moral basis to this. people are sickened by what they see as a barbaric act. the fact that some of the medications they use have not worked properly, have really added to the public's discomfort with this. so i think the trend is definitely to do away with capital punishment. >> shouldn't the only criteria be in cases of capital punishment or that kind of punishment that's inflict other field of war, your own security, and it has to be free of what

can be interpreted to be reprisal against the criminal? >> it's such an interesting issue, because capital punishment sheer politicizeed at this level where the governor of washington gets a bump with his liberal base passing measures saying we don't do this. it's not used in a mickal sense as if we're going to show that an execution of somebody is to deter people from using crime. if you look around the world, the united states has done a relatively tiny number of executions compared to some of our adversaries. there are more than 3 nun china in the last year. in iran some sources say there were more than 600 executions. these are executions that are public hangings of people from construction cranes. >> i don't think we look to those countries for -- >> we don't look to those countries. i think eleanor made a good point about the expense of going through this appeals process which has now been exacerbated

by science and dna testing which shows -- >> leave it to the individual states. i agree with eleanor, you ought to be absolutely sure you have the right person. do you think the people that we captured after world war ii, the nazis we put on trial for mass murder, they didn't threaten us, we shouldn't have put them to doatsd? what is the proper punishment? judge is the godfather the safest man in the yard in the prison. when he suggests he is going to impose the death penalty, there isn't aappeal and it's immediate. of course it's a deterrent. holder is going after this fellow that did the boston marathon bombing. what is the right punishment for a guy that blows people apart, little children? >> it's in the constitution. nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted. when you take someone's life -- >> why do you say it's cruel

and unusual when they have the death penalty in every state when the constitution of ratified? >> unusual meaning you're taking a person's life. >> look, it's not altogether rare. texas has it. other states have. >> i'm attacking the prem thaits state can do it in any instance? >> where do you get that? >> a reverence for human life. >> why don't you protect innocent human life? >> i do protect innocent human life. >> how do you punish people that take innocent human laif as a -- >> jail them, put them away, incarcerate them. >> so the victims pay for this guy's room, board, medication for the rest of his life. the victims of the crime? >> that's justice? >> that's a curious way of putting it. the victims are not doing it alone. >> i get the feeling pat supports capital punishment. >> in some cases. >> hang, draw and quart them. >> i saw two guys executed in missouri. the crimes they committed they

deserved it. >> feelings about individual cases are certainly understood and i have great sympathy with the victims of these crimes. as state pulings i don't think that we're moving in the direction of expanding capital punishment. >> i think it ought to be rare and you ought to be sure but you have to have it. . >> here's what's behind that. political chief executives at all levels of government are likely to emulate obama's ten and phone strategy of governing without the legislature or city council. they'll be emboldened to stretch executive authority to its limits. that's obama doing that. the governor was doing it this instance. >> they're launching drone strikes and killing people. they're not in the field battle. >> i'm only analogizinging one

element. . >> we did not have a court that decided that he was guilty. we knew for sure -- >> i would say this. you should know for sure. >> you are also skirting around the -- . >> you can't always be sure. you will be dead. . >> you know what countries of the world feel about abolishing capital punishment? how many there are? 140. the retentionists that want to keep it, 58. so the number of countries that -- >> the united nations is going to decide what we do in the united states. >> the i didn't say u. it n. this is the catalog of the countries, the number of countrys who want to abolish it. think about it some more, pat. issue three rand's writ. >> this we believe will be a historic lawsuit.

we think it may well be the largest class action lawsuit ever filed on behalf of the bill of rights. >> republican senator rand paul served up president obama a valentine's day present had this week, namely papers naming mr. obama and the national security agency or nsa as co-defendants in a lawsuit. the class action lawsuit which is being litigated by former virginia attorney general seeks to expunge the phone records and meta data collected by the nsa's domestic surveillance program on some 386,000 plaintiffs. >> the essence of rand paul's lawsuit holds that the nsa searches violate the u.s. constitution's fourth amendment. the clause which protects against arbitrary search and seizure and rand paul -- >> we'll find out. fl go to the courts and go to the supreme court.

we'll find out. i don't want to insert myself in that particular part of it. i will say this about this, there are situations it seems to me where this this is valid. i think this is valid. if we are to believe people who really know about this, they said that we stopped the number of major terrorist attacks against the united states as a result of the information which weed from all of this eavesdropping. i believe that. i think the consequences for this country if we had two or three more terrorist attacks would have been disastrous. in one sense i think it was to protect the united states and i support it to that extent. >> his arguments make a lot of sense that the lawsuit will never reach the supreme court. it's a joke. it's totally partisan. he stepped all over whatever credibility it had. guy knows a lot more about it than i do. >> have been two cases, one involving verizon and one involving the aclu that were decided different ways. the stage is set for this thing

to go to the supreme court. why rand paul is jumping in on this trying to create a class action lawsuit -- here's what's i'll say about rand paul. he is one of the most refreshing and interesting voices in the u.s. senate right now. >> also tough. >> however, a move like this to create a class action suit exposes him as a libertarian activist. >> let's eliminate the flowery about him. we'll be right back with icpredtions.

. predicts, pat. >> a tremendous blow to the e.u. in the may vote force parliament in strasburg. >> uaw efforts to unionize the vw plant in tennessee. the results of that vote will tell the story of the union fight in this country for decades to come. >> families divided on the korean pence fliewr 60 years get to reunite for the first time in the coming week. >> the increasing weakness of the economy this year and the unpopularity of the president means that the republicanings will gain control of the senate in the elections coming up. >> this frigid winter of 2014 will cause public opinion it to switch dramatically against climate change. those they're theorists who persist that the planet is being heated by carbon emissions in a doomsday senator yoamplet happy

valentine's weekend. love is in the air.

welcome to government contracting weekly, sponsored by aoc key solutions, inc. government contracting weekly is the only television program devoted exclusively to the competitive and dynamic world of government contracting, a world where coming in second place is not an option, but where principle-centered winning is the only approach. good morning and welcome to government contracting weekly. i'm jim mccarthy, the owner and technical director of aoc key solutions and the host of this show. now, as our regular viewers know, government contracting weekly is all about helping contractors win or retain contracts. that's also the mission of key solutions, and i'm proud to say that to date,

we have helped our clients win over $130 billion in government contracts. so while our guests are generally top contracting executives and agency procurement leaders from across the industry, in today's show i'm joined by two of my colleagues right here at key solutions. together they bring decades of successful contracting experience and expertise to a discussion we're calling "tools of the trade." now, with me this morning is richard nathan, the president and ceo of key solutions, and keith highfill, our senior vice president and chief technology officer. now, we're going to cover a lot of ground, so let's get right to it. first question is what's the key to developing a winning strategy? richard nathan: well, you know, what's interesting is that we've had 40, 50 executives on this show so far, and we've asked every one some variation of that question,