now, affleck is dropping a big hint about his future plans. and abc's john muller is here with more. do tell, john. >> ben affleck dropping more than a hint in an interview with gq.com. he fires off a verbal smackdown, when it comes to talking about a potential political career. all this as his political star and polish has ridden steadily in the last few weeks. >> we think everybody knows hollywood. >> reporter: we know him as a movie star and director. his handsome face attracting magazine covers and beautiful women throughout his career. but increasingly, ben affleck's name is coming up as a potential powerhouse political candidate. now, in an interview, affleck puts the brakes on all that speculation. saying politics is, among other things, ugly, toxic, horrendous and complete bull [ bleep ]. strong words after speculation the boston-born affleck might launch a potential senate bid to fill john kerry's seat now that kerry has been tapped for secondary of state. but affleck says, the answer is, i don't want to run for office. and i don't li

people get so wound up and so ugly now. >> my name is ben affleck. >> reporter: last week, affleck testified before congress on security concerns in the congo. he sat down to discuss politics and humanity concerns in africa on "this week." >> that's something that the united states can really have an impact on. >> reporter: but his youthful interest in a political career has been, quote, sublimated into a tremendous disillusion with the political process. which, as it turns out, is almost entirely about raising money. affleck goes on to tell gq.com, i have gotten myself into politics, only to find out it took the wind out of my sail. it's much more interesting from the outside than the inside. he said he could have more of an affect on change working independently rather than a partisan politician. >> he's very impressive. he's read in on politics. thank you. >>> time to check in with weather. over to ginger zee in chicago. good morning, ginger. >> good morning. that storm isn't quite done with us yet. parts of the northeast and new england, still dealing with it. and yesterday, it was cleve

kerry, of course, is from affleck's native massachusetts.is -- kerry is speculated front-runner to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. affleck is staying quiet about whether he's interested in the job. when politico asked him to comment on rumor on wednesday, he refused to comment saying, quote, that's not what i'm here to talk about. senator affleck. huh. >>> still ahead on "way too early," why are you awake? your tweets, texts and e-mails are next. "morning joe" live from washington, d.c. is just moments away. l ♪ ♪ you have a heart of gold [ male announcer ] vera wang love. the new diamond bridal collection from vera wang. exclusively at zales. [ male announcer ] the way it moves. the way it cleans. everything about the oral-b power brush is simply revolutionary. oral-b power brushes oscillate, rotate and even pulsate to gently loosen and break up that sticky plaque with more brush movements than manual brushes and even up to 50% more than leading sonic technology brushes for a superior clean. oral-b power brushes. go to oralb.

oh, i like that ben affleck guy. he's a good filmmaker. come on, kenny. i guess i owe the kids at school an apology. did you see argo, kenny? it's a pretty good movie. ben affleck has a lot going for him. not everything, but a lot. whoopee! news headquarters in new york, this is "the daily show with jon stewart." [cheering and applause] [theme music playing] >> jon: welcome to "the daily show." my name is jon stewart. we have a good one for you tonight. newark mayor cory booker will be joining us, but let's begin tonight as i really should begin almost every night, with an apology. we've had a bit of fun here over the years concerning what is commonly referred to this time of year as the war on christmas where a small band of 70% of the country have fought tirelessly for the right to openly celebrate the feast day of their lord's birth, to have a mass on that day honoring their christ, a mass christ, if you will. [laughter] now, we have poked fun at this, saying such things as, there is no war on christmas or you're [bleeped] crazy. [laughter] classic wit

mike, i have to ask you, what about this ben affleck for the senate? do you think he might do that? >> i don't upon i think there's a reason senator al franken is one of the few celebrities that actually get into congress but your conversation with him made it clear someone else who wanted to be talked about is ted kennedy jr. cthe senator's son, who we are told will announce today or tomorrow whether or not he'll go for senator kerr's seat. >> schieffer: do you think if he doesn't decide to seek that senate seat, do you think he'll try for something else? >> i think so bob. it's a little awkward for him. he lives in connecticut. he summers at hyannis port, actually in president kennedy's old house. we're told it's not a matter of whether he'll run but where. people who saw him at the democratic convention and were struck by how much he was his father's son, the booming voice, the passion for health care. so if he doesn't go for this senate seat we think he'll run for something in connecticut down the road. >> schieffer: i think basically on affleck, i don't think he'll probably run

well, it was really ben affleck's fault. >> reporter: yes, that ben affleck. >> like this?orter: earlier this year, we joined ben affleck and joe on a trip to the d.r.c., cocoa can only grow within a narrow climate zone close to the equator. in 2009 affleck started a charity called eastern congo initiative to spur economic development in this war-torn region. five million people have died here due to decades of conflict. >> as i was reading, i just sort of stumbled upon some of these statistics. i was struck not only by the numbers but by the fact that i hadn't heard about it. >> reporter: so affleck decided to use his celebrity as a sort of currency to attract investment. he led a small group of philanthropists, protected by armed guards, through jungles where cocoa trees thrive. and farmers struggle. >> the cocoa industry here has potential if the value can be increased. >> reporter: for the last two years affleck's eastern congo initiative has worked with winney and local groups to train farmers to improve the crop. cocoa grows in these greenish-yellow pods that are crac

affleck? >> i will yield to an expert fellow panelist year, but one of the -- the basic issue, and one that will go a long way and that i alluded to earlier, climbing some influence to president -- are applying some influence to president kabila so that payment is made to his troops. if there was one stroke of automatically improve people's lives, that would do it. that would take a wholesale step towards improving the security sector. the talk about the security sector as it is this kind of a mammoth thing. if you had paid soldiers who had an incentive to fight, he would not have had a major capital overrun and taken over by 1200 guys. that shows you the greed to which the federal government is unable to exert control, even the smallest amount of control in the east. that goes hand in glove with securities sector reform. >> very brief. this working and training local communities for self protection was done in rwanda against the fdlr. i am not so sure about doing this in the congo. it is attr

for most you we'll be back with our interview with actor direct activist, ben affleck.well as our political roundtable. stay with us. >> schieffer: we welcome now ben affleck film star and director whose new movie "argo" is being mentioned as a strong oscar contender and he is a political activist and founder of eastern congo initiative. he made a sobering appearance before the house armed services committee and told them horrifying statistics about what's happening there, not the least of which is, literally millions of people have died there since 1998. congo is now the deadliest place, the site of deadliest conflict since world war ii. thank you very much for coming. >> thanks for having me. >> schieffer: how did you get interested in congo? >> you know, i got interested because someone years ago-- 2005 or something-- asked me to participate in some philanthropic thing around africa to the except i would hold a kid's hand at the hospital and have a picture taken and i didn't want to be a-- and with the reading i read there is no tragedy like the one in congo where mi

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ben affleck new field about iran called are a go. i talked with him about it and how america should deal with the iranians. -- hurts the carter administration that's why he lost to ronald reagan. a guy you like you though wasn't conscious at this time why are you making a movie about this. >> great story. one thing it's a killer. actually a comedy with the hollywood satire. complicated cia movie. it's a political movie and it's all true. >> bill: so you wanted to make an entertainment about a serious subject rescuing americans from a dictatorship, iran? >> i did. and the serious aspect of it was that this is really a tribute to the folks in our clandestined services and diplomats in the foreign service risking their lives over there tragically seeing examples of that very recently. folks who are, what they give up to serve us and to serve our country. >> this is a valentine from ben affleck to the intelligence community. the same people who waterboarded the same people who renditioned, liberal friends going to say to you. >> i don't

the president of the national rifle association, david keene, and ben affleck on separate topics but both on "face the nation." >> osgood: bob schieffer in washington. they say a third of us in this country are traveling someplace this weekend and that two-thirds are staying someplace and that

ben affleck is keeping mum about a possible senate run. has been noted as a possible replacement for john kerry once he becomes secretary of state. in a pre-taped interview for "face the nation" affleck said he would not speculate about running for office, but did not rule that out. affleck was on capitol hill this week speaking about the house arms services committee to raise awareness about the issues facing the people of congo. senator affleck, how does that sound to you? >>> senator mccain is feeling the christmas spirit. the senator tweeted this yesterday. wackiest christmas card i've received, thank you, loretta sanchez. she is known for her creative holiday cards. this year's theme is a riff on the fiscal cliff. >>> a million moms plan to march on washington in support of gun control. a survival of gun violence herself and that's coming up and what does that mean when even grover norquist cannot get the gop to march in lockstep. does this mean the republican party is in disarray? our war room has more on that. ♪ ♪ ♪ clear, huh? i'm

he wrote "i love massachusetts, and our political process, but i am not running for office. " affleck grew up in massachusetts and was rumored to be considered running for senator john kerry's seat if he is confirmed as secretary of state. >>> time now to get ready to gamble. >> yeah. stay with us this morning. laws in maryland are changing. we'll tell you how casinos are getting ready for 24-hour action and table games. >>> also this morning, a place in different countries, a spiritual center in times of worship, celebration and sorrow reminds us to keep 20 young children in our thoughts and prayers. >>> it's a storm over the east coast that's affecting us today. there's a storm on the west coast that could bring snow for the weekend. details on that coming up. >>reporter: well, right now 695 is nice and clear just west of york road. i'll let you know what traffic looks like on 95 and 83 coming up on "good morning maryland." ...so as you can see, geico's customer satisfaction is at 97%. mmmm tasty. and cut! very good. people are always asking me how we make these geico adverts. so we

not "silver bells." >>> moving on, ben affleck has come a long way since "good will hunting."e's reaching new heights of acclaim with his latest film, " "argo." >> you saw that one in. >> i saw it. it was gripping. >> from the opening scene, it pulled you in. >> it's the all-too-outlandishly plot to rescue americans during the height of the iran hostage crisis. and affleck's rendering of the recently declassified story already has the actor/director earning serious oscar buzz. i thought the movie was amazing. i don't really watch movies, and when i do, i walk out of them. this was good. >> thank you. >> this was really good. >> thank you very much. >> this was like my muscles were clenched from beginning to end. and i still have images of the movie, and those moments especially when the embassy itself was being seized. it was just riveting. >> it really took you back. >> you know, it is absolutely going to be nominated and ought to win best picture of the year. the most amazing thing -- willie and i were talking about it earlier, the story itself. bill goldman used to say if i

affleck said on facebook, while he loves the political process he would not be running for office. >>> and a new nbc news "washington post" says finding people have a bleak outlook. 56% say they are fearful. >>> now to sports, the miami heat grabbed the top spot in the eastern conference while surviving a battle. lebron james, dwyane wade and mario chalmers combined for a whooping 78 points as the heat outlasted the thunder 103-97. in texas, rihanna and chris brown were court side with a victory over the knicks, kobe bryant scoring 34, topping 30 points for the ninth straight game. >>> urt a. as some investors head back to work today and retail numbers are rolling in and we're watching them. so far it is not that great. according to mastercard spending pulse, holiday sales were up 1.10% over last year. that's the slowest growth in spending since 2008. even online shopping which has posted double-digit growth the past two years, is only up 4.8% over 2011. kitchen specialty store sur la table has seen its biggest. >>> and intragram in the uproar over revised service terms are suggesting

that's what makes you beautiful ♪ >> to golden gymnast gabby douglas, to movie star/director ben affleckrbara walters picks the most memorable personalities of 2012, but who is the most fascinating? >> from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 11th, 2012. >> good evening. i'm bill weir. the line to see santa was growing and a children's choir was scheduled to see carols in a mall outside portland, oregon, tonight. but when as many as 60 shots rang out, the scene turned into terrified chaos. witnesses say a gunman wearing a mask and camouflage was behind the deadly attack and abc's david wright has the latest details. >> reporter: a shopping mall at christmas time is supposed to be safe. so today when witnesses first heard loud pops near the food court of this portland area mall, some thought it was bursting balloons. >> we thought it was balloons. and then we saw little fire thingies. >> like lights. >> reporter: and then the screaming and everyone knew it was something far worse. >> all of a s

. >>> and ben affleck is reportedly on the list of possible successors if senator john kerry is nominated as secretary of state. affleck will be in washington today testifying before the house armed services committee about the security situation in congo is that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. >>> the dow saw its first back-to-back triple digit gains in five months tuesday. that was amid optimism that a deal will be reached on the fiscal cliff. today investors will be watching for fresh housing data and earnings from economic and holiday bellwether fedex. >>> this morning, swiss banking giant ubs announced it will pay a record $1.5 billion fine over its role in a global interest rate fixing scheme. >>> in the wake of the newtown massacre, cerberus is selling its majority stake in bushmaster firearms, the rifle used in friday's school shooting. >>> mark zuckerberg is making good on his promise to donate the majority of his wealth to charity, donating 18 million facebook shares worth about $500 million to the silicon valley community foundation. >>> oracle beat the street's esti

. >>> senator ben affleck? has a ring to it, right? well, the rumor mill has been turning this we'll, and this morning the hollywood actor was asked if he would run for a massachusetts senate seat if senator john kerry becomes secretary of state. affleck didn't say no really. >> well, one never knows. i'm not one to get into conjecture. i do have a great fondness and admiration for the political process in this country. it's a big deal for me to come down here and be on your show that i've watched so much, but i'm not going to get into speculation about my political future. >> affleck. well, we call him affleck. he lives in massachusetts. he spends time in washington pushing for more u.s. involvement in the congo, among other issues. coming up -- ♪ >> ponder this. with the connecticut school shooting response be different if the gunman wasn't white? >> 70% of these mass shootings has been white men. >> we talk to the man who says it's time to think about profiling white guys. [ male announcer ] more than a security system, adt can help

actor ben affleck meeting with john kerry amid rumors he might replace kerry. affleck was reportedly mentioned as a possible replacement for kerry if he is chosen as secretary of state. senators taking a break from fiscal cliff talk or a movie night. >> a new birth of freedom that government of the people, by the people, for the people. >>> the senate holding a special screening of steven spielberg's lincoln. spielberg and daniel day-lewis were there as well. >>> this morning we are hearing from florida senator bill nelson. he has been working with officials to he can secure the release of john hammar who has been locked up in a mexican jail since august on a bogus gun charge. he was carrying an antique weapon across the mexican border. >> the obama administration has not been able to get him released but last knightsen tore nelson promised they are getting closer. >> i talked to the mexican ambassador to the united states. several times most recently today he is -- and by the way he's a good guy. he is working very hard to make sure that this happens. now here

ben affleck says he will not make a run and massachusetts open senate seat. speculation about a political ron began last sunday when he gave it non-committal answer. ben affleck said he is happy being in default on the outside . >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> time to take a look your morning commute. a pretty smooth ride for the moment. 55 miles per hour. no problems on the north side. this is franklin boulevard. southbound traffic is a little heavier down towards the owings mills area. the j.f.x. is running smoothly. 83 at timonium road. southbound traffic is still up to speed. week will keep you posted as things evolve. >> we have to worry about slick spots. about an inch or less of accumulation around the metro area. we could see a heavier amounts along the pennsylvania line. another wintry mix possible late tonight. we're dry by friday. some snow again on saturday. and any hint of wintry precipitation by tuesday. the tests are coming up. >> 6:35. >> how about 1000 santas? a holidayqt >> we know one person that didn't get any c

let's see if ben affleck is serious or not serious.r of massachusetts, he might want to be the democratic nominee. congressman ed markey, house of represents for a long time, his name is being floated seriously. ted kennedy jr. let's see what happens. there is a lot of potential democrats out there. we'll see how serious scott brown is about trying to regain that senate seat. >> okay. wolf blitzer, thank you very much. we'll look for you the at top of the hour. if i don't talk to you before then, happy holidays and see you next year, my friend. >>> the nra today bashing video games for playing a role in the mass shootings one week ago today. well, in newtown, a 12-year-old boy and his brother are vowing never to play them again. there they are. looks like with some video games there. you're going to hear the reasons and what their dad thinks about it next. four sixteen seventy six a month! okay, come with me -- we're gonna save you money. with straight talk at walmart, you get unlimited talk, text and data for only $45 a month per phon

, i mean ben affleck fork saw gone, baby gone, that is the best thing he hfer directed.his is such a perfect fill name story environment. i love the story and through the power of cinema, we can learn about these amazing stories. i knew nothing about this story. >> number four? >> this is zero dark thirty. i can't officially review this film until january 11th. this and argo will be nominated for best picture and best director. director. this is about the search for osama bin laden. it is such an emotionally gripping film but the key here is the performance from jessica chastain. a lot of controversy right now. senator john mccain came out and said the torture scenes are grossly inaccurate. see the movie for yourself. it is just a movie but it is apparently based on firsthand accounts. that is my number four of the year. >> i see moonrise kingdom. if you haven't seen rushmore or bottle rockets, i love this film. it is beautifully shot. it has a build where you can appreciate the film making. >> and number two. >> i'm getting a lot of hate for this one. >> cabin in the wo

. >> the same way that matt damon teamed up with ben affleck in 1997 for goodwill hunting now he hasamed up with jim from the office to write the screenplay and co-star in their new movie promised land the story of fracking injecting water deep into the earth to extract natural gas he plays a slip trap for a big money energy co. who was waving money in front of the faces of an economically depressed town for rights to exploit their land and the environmental damage that can be caused by fracking launching a grass-roots battle against the company pitting the two men against each other politically and also for the attention of the preschool teacher in town. it was incredibly similar to writing with ben affleck the major difference is a lot of the time my four kids are jumping around. we were moonlighting i was on the show he was shooting a movie in california so i showed up to his house and we worked straight through dinner and did the same thing sunday but you are right i don't know how we got as much work done as we did because putting on the little mermaid 17 times and making a lunc

affleck said, quote, that's not what i'm here to talk about. >>> a white house photo just released shows the president playing with the son of a staffer outside the oval office in october. he escaped quickly enough to win re-election less than two weeks later. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. >>> and now for a look at the national weather forecast, we turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. good morning, bill. sounds like it will be pretty bad. >> not as cute or funny as that photo of the president. it's an ugly morning. it's a classic plains blizzard we're dealing with, the gusty winds, the thunderstorms to the south of it, airport cancellations, highways closed. it continues now. sometimes when you get these very impressive storms that are this strong we get what we call thundersnow. maybe you've seen it yourself occasionally. you actually can see the clap and see in the distance, even though it's snowing hard, you get the thunder. it's almost like a blueish color when it's mixed with the color of the snow and it's usually at night time.

. >>> and is actor ben affleck consider a run for the u.s. senate? we will have his answer to questions put to him today. >>> and a teenage girl shot by the taliban for going to school, we will have an update for you on malala off salve zani. is still no deal in sight on the fiscal cliff. the president is holding firm on tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. republicans say that must come with government spending cuts. in a plan b by republicans failed to make it to a vote and that has sparked some criticism from within the party. >> two years ago, speaker boehner promised to restore that process around which our entire government was designed. and so far, he has failed to fulfill that promise. i fault him for that. >> steven moore is the senior economics writer for the "wall street journal." necessary chicago. steven what do you make of congressman mcclintock and a lot of congressmen out there that mr. boehner has lost control of his own party? >> well, he certainly did, miquel, temporarily last week. almost everybody expected that plan b, as you d

witness argo versus -- we will examine ben affleck's senate prospects coming up next.lways wait until the last minute. can i still ship a gift in time for christmas? yeah, sure you can. great. where's your gift? uh... whew. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. ship fedex express by december 22nd for christmas delivery. >>> it is no surprise that governor chris christie is thinking about a presidential run in 2016. especially given his recent comment that he will be more ready in four years than he was in 2012. another non-surprise? newark mayor booker saying he will be ready for a run in 2016. one of the names being floated as a possible replacement for senator john kerry is, wait for it, ben affleck. kerry's massachusetts senate seat will be open if he is appointed the next secretary of state. no stranger to politics, affleck has been an active member of the democratic party pour ten years and recently campaigned for senator-elect elizabeth warren. yesterday he was on the hill raising awareness about the violence of the congo. also on his agenda, a meetin

for most you, we'll be back with our interview with actor, direct, activist, ben affleck. as well as our political roundtable. stay with us. ,,,,,,,,,, [captioning made possible by cbs sports. a division of cbs broadcasting, inc.] [the captioning of this program is provided as an independent service of the national captioning institute, inc., which is solely responsible for the accurate and complete transcription of program content. cbs, its parent and affiliated companies, and their respective agents and divisions are not responsible of the accuracy or completeness of any transcription or for any errors accuracy or completeness of any transcription or for any errors in transcription.]

but from benghazi to ben affleck.t just happened. >> well done. >> that transition just happened. benghazi to ben affleck, also one of barbara's most interesting or fascinating people. i object. i object because if you are one of the most overexposed celebrities on the planet, i don't think you can still be fascinating. he was fascinating maybe in 1999 when we didn't know literally everything about this man. but even though he has gone through some metamorphosis, he has gray hair, a father, he is old, gray hair, he is choosing good roles finally, i don't find him fascinating. >> i was bored by him more than a decade, he was like the quint essential guy famous for being famous, what he basically informs the 2000, the us aughts. i saw "a go," i saw it a few weeks ago, stuck with me. i'm fascinated how a guy could be that boring for so long and then suddenly become interested. >> but you're -- you're talk bag previous ben affleck a guy of "goodwill hunting" cannot be famous for being famous. >>> immigration could be the

>> i want to pay a bit of sound here from ben affleck. >> one never knows. i'm not one to get into conjecture. i do have a great fonds in and administration for the big business in this country. it's a big deal to been on this show which i've watched too much. right now i'm being happy being involved from the outside. we have affleck, but also kennedy being brought up. >> the late senator's son is being talked about as a potential candidate. he could very well run, though he's never run for office before. obviously his name is golden in the bay state. three members of congress as well, some who have been there no decades, waiting for one of these seats to open up. i think it will be a very div e divided campaign. if they had one that could fund raise, that really does give him an advantage he wouldn't have otherwise. it will be interestings to see if massachusetts democrat it is can coalesce behind a single candidate, and avoid any party infighting. >>> the latest poll showing scott brown is the man to beat, but time changes everything, as we now, thank you

and i think "argo" as well, ben affleck's movie has a good shot of many nominations.amm, and we found out just before we went on the air they announced some of the nominations, and the host of the show this year, amy poehler and tina fey, are both nominated all right. >> yay. >> so that's really nice. >> this is tina fey's last season on "30 rock." >> that's right. and i think they're great choices as host as well. i think after a couple golden globe ceremonies with ricky gervais doing his aren't we naughty boys -- >> sorry we have to cut you off because we have to live to beverly hills for the announcement of the nomination. >> welcome to the nominations announcement for the 70th annual golden globe awards presented by the hollywood foreign press association. with us this morning are megan f fox, ed holmes and jessica alba. megan, please get us started. >> all right. our first category will be best performance by an actor in a television series drama. steve beau shemie, "boardwalk empire," bryan cranston, "breaking bad," jeff daniels, "the newsroom," jon hamm, "mad m

>> female population of washington rooting for ben affleck, of course, and if he did win, the first time history that there's any sex appeal in the united states senate, but the truth of the matter is that would be quite an interesting story, something that we would cover like crazy, of course. >> to both of you. what other big names do you think that you would expect to see in this race? whoever feels like starting. >> the one i find interesting to watch is ed markey, a longtime member of congress, very well known in massachusetts and would be a formidable democratic candidate. >> erin? >> and there's also michael capuano and steven lynch who are both democratic congressmen from massachusetts, but none of these three have quite the star power as not only ben affleck but also ted kennedy, jr., who looks to be a big name for this seat. >> speaking of massachusetts, there was a detailed post mortem of the romney campaign in today's "boston globe." romney was reluctant to run and did so at his son's tag's insistence. this story quotes tag as saying he wanted to be president less than anyone

actor, director, rabid red sox flan ben affleck will not be running for senator from his native statehusetts to replace john kerry, if john kerry becomes secretary of state. affleck took his facebook page -- took to his facebook paining christmas eve to make the announcement. he said, quote, i love massachusetts and our political process but i am not running for office. we're about to get a great secretary of state and there's phenomenal candidates in massachusetts for his senate seat. i look forward to an as amagging campaign. the buzz about ben began when he didn't completely rule out the idea of a politician on cbs's "face the nation" and ted kennedy jr. will also not enter a special election to replace senator john kerry. kennedy, of course, is the son of the late edward m. kennedy and made the announcement yesterday despite the fact he was thinking about it, grateful for all the support and people prodding him to do it, he won't do it just yet but did leave the door wide open for a possible run later. >> instagram is hit with what could be the first class action lawsuit over ange

. >>> ben affleck testified on capitol hill about the eastern congo and the estimated 5 million deaths there over the last 14 years. politico reports affleck would not discuss a reported possibility of a run for senate saying that's not what i'm here to talk about. >>> if you read only one thing this morning there is a fascinating new study on the happiest and least happy countries in the world. it's my must read. it turns out that money, education have little to do with how good you feel about your life and, for example, bhutan in south asia makes public policy based on what they call the gross national happiness index. this story will make you smile especially if you're from latin america. it's up on our facebook page at facebook/jansingco. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills. >>> vice president joe biden will meet with law enforcement officers from around the country today to try to find ways to tighten gun laws in the wake of newtown, connecticut. the vice president is leadi

>> i am -- >> matt damon, ben affleck?> no, i'm not ben affleck. >> my guys in boston aren't like you guys. >> who is your guy in boston? >> name a guy. >> my guys aren't the liberal guys. >> like who? >> i'm not going to embarrass them because anybody associate width me their whole life is over. >> i'm a jack kennedy democrat. my parents are irish immigrants -- >> but you were working class. >> i believe that -- i believe in strong military, and helping those below you, and if you're balancing the budget and doing -- you should be able to sleep with whoever you want. that's the jack kennedy approach. >> you're in that libertarian democratic precincts. >> i guess so. >> a lot of firefighters just beat the hell out of you because they're strong, conservative. >> i have a lot of conservative views. >> give me one. >> well, tattoos. i basically don't like tattoos. unless you're a firefighter who has a tattoo that has to do with that or a military guy. those are people who have shoo have tattoos. maybe if your keith rich shard

. >> are you ben affleck? are you those guys?. >> my guys in boston aren't like you. >> who is your guys in boston. you know i lived there many years. my guys aren't the liberal guys? >> like who? >> i am not going to embarrass them. anybody associated with me their life is over. >> i am a jack kennedy liberal. >> working class guy. i believe in strong military and helping those below you and if you are balancing the budget you did a good job as president you should be able to sleep with anybody you want. jack kennedy approach. >> libertarian democratic sense. >> a lot just beat the hell out of you they are strong conservative. >> i have a lot of conservative views on a lot of things. >> give me one? >> tattoos. i don't like tattoos. >> military guys those are people that should have tattoos. >> you don't like the spider on the neck. >> i think that sends a wrong message. >> more ron. >> you know what we found? common ground. >> america today. we don't have tuts like the greeks or the romans. >> sure. don't you think? >> i am ask

. >>> some other films to watch, ben affleck's nail-biter "argo." a best picture golden globe nomination. the critics have been raving about his directorial performance. listen to what he told me drew him to this project. >> i wanted to make a movie about people who sacrificed for their country were more grounded and realistic. what it cost them in their marriage, they never see their kids, they can't tell their family where they're going or when they'll be home. the uncertainty they have. will i ever come back? will i die overseas? >> and this isn't affleck's first time directing, he directed "gone baby gone" in 2007 and "the town." >> doc, she's crazy. >> and if you're in the mood for something more comedic, check out "silver linings playbook" which co-stars bradley cooper and robert de niro. lots of stars to watch, so many movies to see. get the popcorn ready. alison, christi? >> thanks, kareen. >>> so what do anderson cooper, kathy griffin, and nude pictures on a couch have in common? >> i don't think i want to know. >> why is it our own candy c

. >> and ben affleck has taken his name off the list for senator and says while he loves politics, he will not be running for office. >>> a bleak outlook for the coming year, a record low say they are hopeful and 56% say they are fearful. >>> the miami heat grabbed the top spot in the eastern conference by surviving a battle with the oklahoma city thunder. lebron james and whamm chambers been inned for 51 points. and rihanna and chris brown are courtside as the lakes pick up a victory, kobe bryant serving 34, topping 30 points for the ninth straight game. get out of the way. >>> numbers from the retailers are rolling in. so far not that great. holiday sales were up just .7% since last year, the slowest growth since 2008. even online shopping which posted double digit growth the past four years was up onl only .18%. and sur la table saw its biggest sales last saturday. >>> a class action against instagram in response to last week's uproar over revised service terms that suggest user photos might be sold without consent. facebook vows to fight it vigorously. >>> the tsa is testing a pil

. >> my name is ben affleck. i am the founder of the eastern congo initiative. we are the only u.s. grant-making and advocacy organization entirely focused with -- focused on working with and for the people of eastern congo, a region that has the unwanted distinction much being one of the most volatile in the world. >> he is from massachusetts. he did go to harvard. you know, that's enough to qualify. >> right. >> we know that he is the actor, producer, director of "argo" on iran. just saying, a lot of talk. >> i would say that maybe the most unnecessary words that have been said in washington this week, we just heard, my name is ben affleck. probably -- >> name recognition is nott going to be his problem if he were to run. >> exactly. he is a hooro in boston. very active in democratic politics. clearly serious on issues, but, andrea, over the years you've covered them, there's a reason that senator al franken is the rare celebrity that actually got into office. that's very unusual. other names that are out there to succeed senator kerry to run for his spot in massachusetts, ted ken

is he now the ben affleck of the tea party?nother insider said demint is the ceo of conservatism. >> it's hollywood for ugly people in washington. that's the old saying. >> it is. >> i think there is sort of -- it's sort of insane to me the way we've been talking about jim demint leaving the senate. for one thing this idea of him as a star. he's not a star legislator. he didn't pass any bills. >> i believe he's 0 for 35. >> exactly. so he may be a star of other things and there are people who use the senate as a platform to do sort of broader advocacy rather than legislation, but he's not a star there. he doesn't have a legislative record there. it makes perfect sense to me he would go elsewhere. >> professor dyson, what do you think? jur a man of letters, an academic. you take the political process very seriously. would somebody like stephen colbert standing for the senate make a mockery of the political system? >> well, if he could make a mockery ever his fellow conservatives that he plays on television, that would be good en

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. >> and ben affleck. >> ben affleck has come up. the democrats will be a divisive bloodbath of a primary. >> we're expecting the arrival of the president so i'm probably going to have to cut it short at this juncture and go to the president and hear what he has to say. we're going to go to the white house right now in anticipation of president obama. mike viqueira, i know you're still with us, and here is the president of the united states. let's all listen. >> good afternoon, everybody. over the last few weeks i have been working with leaders of both parties on a proposal to get our deficit under control, avoid tax hikes on the middle class, and to make sure that we can spur jobs and economic growth. a balanced proposal that cuts spending but also asks the wealthiest americans to pay more. a proposal that will strengthen the middle class over the long haul and grow our economy over the long haul. during the course of these negotiations, i offered to compromise with republicans in congress. i met them halfway on taxes and i met them

i want to talk about ben affleck. before you go. now they say that a seat is open in the state of massachusetts. and is it possible that ben affleck -- scott brown just lost his knee. anything to come out as a result of this? >> that's right, he has to like his chances, scott brown does. they won't have a regular election turnout, ben affleck can do whatever he wants to do. maybe people have seen the town in the and sends that the accents are cool. i don't know. but scott brown party has a campaign organization. he can spend right back up again. megyn: he's been in a bunch of movies and is quite dreamy. [laughter] not as dreamy as this man. >> oh, goodness. oh, dude, that is not cool, megyn. and it's almost christmas. megyn: it wasn't me. and it's almost christmas. that is an old picture. megyn: merry christmas. >> merry christmas to you as well. megyn: see later, chris. oh, boy. all right, coming up in just a minute, we want to get to a different story. an important angle to the stanley cup school shootings. have you had this conve

affleck was asked on "cbs face the nation" if he would run for the seat in massachusetts. the actor director said i have a fondnesser the political process. the interview was taped before senator john kerry was nominated for secretary of state. how about that? >> he would make -- >> he looks like a senator. >> a lot more depose into that. >>> 12:52. >>> next a string to take on obesity. >>> and a trend for kids with food allergies. what ends up happening on the playground. >>> plus the waiting hours for retailers and customers. how stores are come dating the christmas procrastinators out there. we'll be right back. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, comes to spending money. black friday weekend was strong.... sales rose more two- >>> many shoppers haven't been in the hold spirit when it comes to spending money. >> shopper track said sales failed by 4% in the second week of december. last week shopper track forecasted holiday spending to decrease by more than 2%. while people may be holding on to their wall etc., for some the sales are too irresistible to resist. >> was like i wasn't going

actor ben affleck will receive a special film making achievement ward for his film. >>> are you expectingonus to help with all that christmas shopping you still have to do? if so think of another way the complete that list. according to a survey of employers many companies are not paying their workers full bonuses this year. they're blaming the increase in eligibility standards and the struggling economy for the new trend. >>> you called it a roller coaster lynette. warm a few days ago, this morning when i walked outside. uh-huh. >> did you have the coat? >> no. >> you didn't bring your coat? >> what's wrong with you? >> i didn't want to go back in and get the coat. i'll suffer. >> okay, don't do what charlie did people. you want the coat this morning. he is not a good example whatsoever. make sure you layer yourself as you head out the door this morning and we have lots of sunshine though throughout the day. temperatures really dropping off this morning. because we don't have any type of cloud cover. no type of weather to talk about. if you want the weather you have to head back over tow

. >>> meanwhile, as for some -- moving on, ben affleck says he's not quitting his day job. he posted a message only facebook page saying he does not plan to run for office in massachusetts. the announcement comes after rumors that affleck may have been weighing in a run for john kerry pea senate seat. if kerry's confirmed -- kerry's senate seat. if kerry is confirmed, affleck will continue his work for aid for eastern congo and for veterans and fighting hunger. >>> jack klugman is dead at the age of 90. he was best friends with co- star tony randall until his death eight years ago. klugman worked more than 60 years in dramatic and comedy roles on broadway and tv. the family says he died peacefully at home last night. >>> hollywood lost another actor yesterday. charles turning died at -- durning died at his home. he did a little dance in the best little whorehouse in texas. >>> hundreds of people in south africa attended christmas services to play for the recovery of -- pray for the recovery of fell san mandella. he's been in the hospital since the beginning of the month. do

ben affleck.ng for oscar's best director and best actor for the true story of "argo." did you ever consider anybody else for the lead besides yourself? >> you know, it's one of those things where the actor was sleeping with the director. so -- >> reporter: exactly. >> had a good entree to get into the part. i loved the part. >> reporter: george clooney, your friend. he was chosen sexiest man in 2006. matt damon, your closest friend was chosen in 2007. of the three of you, which one is really the sexiest? >> well, matt has since shaved his head. and i always liked a man with a shaved head. the bullet-head look, which i think is very, very sexy. >> good year for those folks. think is very, very sexy. >> good year for those folks. see the special tonight. captioned by closed captioning services, inc. >>> we begin with breaking news in the south bay. a truck has plowed into an apartment complex in san jose. >> driver smashed the wall straight into a bedroom where a child was sleeping. that child is a