here with us now is democratic senator from pennsylvania, senator bob casey.agree with maureen dowd on the assessment of the president? >> i love maureen. >> smart man. >> we all love maureen? >> i love how you say that. >> i have great respect for maureen, her analysis. >> we all love her. >> but. >> however? >> i will say this. the president, i think, put forth a tremendous effort on this. i don't know what more he could have done. and i think as much as people are frustrated -- look, i was frustrated not just with the background check result which was bad for the point of view that i now hold, but i was frustrated with the votes after that. nobody is talking about the votes that occurred on the ammunition and the weapon itself. so there's a lot of frustration and i think that will continue. but it should fuel an effort to try this again. >> can we try it again? >> i think we can. >> do you think a possibility getting it back out there? >> i think there is. the key thing, i think, we have to remind people about the reason why we even have the conversation. t

. >> pennsylvania senator bob casey joins me now.l, senator, the president saying it is a shameful day. and he took the stick to democrats as well as republicans. is ofa and his campaign organization going to campaign, do you think, against some democrats who voted against this? >> well it's hard to tell what will happen in a political context, but i will say it was a terrible day for the senate. and for the country. because across our state of pennsylvania, you know pennsylvania well, we've got the second highest number of nra members, we've got over a million hunders. despite those numbers, we have people who hunt and don't hunt who believe we can have some commonsense measures in place, all of which were not passed today. i should say none of which were passed yesterday. we have to keep going because i believe the country is moving in the direction of making sure we have these measures in place. unfortunately yesterday's vote didn't go in the direction i wanted it to. >> your republican senator from pennsylvania of course, pat too

yesterday, it was pennsylvania's bob casey. to flip-flop from opposition to support. add him to the list of democratic senators mark warner, mark begich, kay hagan jay blumenthal and rockefeller who announced their change of position. among democrats that, leaves eight not yet on board. joe manchin, west virginia. bill nelson, florida. heidi heitkamp, north dakota. mary landrieu, louisiana. tim carper, delaware. joe donnelly, indiana and mark pryor, arkansas. now, look, each of them must fear that coming out for same-sex marriage would be bad for them back home politically. but they're dead wrong! every opinion poll shows that the american people overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage. except for religious conservatives and they're not going to vote for any democrat anyway. so we gotta keep the pressure on those eight senators until every democratic senator is in support of marriage equality. that's my parting shot for today. we'll see you with eliot spitzer back here again tomorrow.

down for a while today, including a hallway with the offices of pennsylvania democratic senator bob casey. >> there was a letter on this floor that was delivered that apparently is no longer a concern about, but in the interest of being careful, they shut down a corridor. >> reporter: in the past 24 hours, two other letters have reportedly tested positive for a poison called ricin, one addressed to president owe bam. another -- president obama, another to mississippi senator roger wicker. both discovered, stopped and tested at a postal facility before they were delivered. >> i would underscore the mail sent here is screened and that these tests are undertaken at remote sites to mitigate the risks both to those recipients and to the general population. >> reporter: both postmarked april 8 sent out of memphis, says the f.b.i. one quote from the letter, to see a wrong and not expose it is to become a silent partner to its continue causes. a suspicious letter reported at the office of senator carl levin. it's under investigation. back here in d.c., even the tourists feel the added police pres

over the country's participation in t p p particularly when it comes to the auto market senator bob casey said that the japanese auto market is nearly impenetrable for the american auto industry also that in an order the t p p to to work that aspect must change depends on market is all but closed to or automated fractures and i realize they've made some recent commitments. but i think we have to measure those and also continue its tough questions about now another area of concern the dairy market and new zealand alleged monopolistic industry structure now experts at the hearing are concerned that the t p p agreement would cause a surge of dairy products in countries like canada and japan from new zealand so much so that the us would not be able to compete with the new new zealand state on the dairy production now senator casey went so far as to call the issue the perfect storm of dairy dairy farmers also expressed concerns over the naming of classification of food considering different country in regional standards but perhaps the greatest concern coming out of the hearing today was the n

the next one, bob casey from pennsylvania, then senator tom carper, bill nelson from florida. two more, one from north dakota, joe donnelly of indiana. then tim johnson of south dakota toppled. that's 12 u.s. senators in three weeks evolving in rapid succession. that doesn't mean it is all of them. there are a few holdouts among senate democrats, by a few, i mean three. mary landrieu, mark pryor, and joe manchin. and being among those three is an awkward place to be. >> i have very personal views about same-sex marriage. i believe people should love who they love and marry who they want to marry. i am a lot like other people said my views evolved. my state has a strong constitutional amendment against gay marriage and i think i have to honor that. >> personally, i am totally for people having rights but you know, i am just a senator, personally love and marry who you want to love and marry but i will actively work to deny you your rights i believe you should have. leadership. arkansas senator mark pryor tried to justify being one of the last three. he said i would put me down

. >>> pennsylvania senator bob casey is the latest democrat to announce his support for marriage equalityblicans show no sign of rewriting their position any time soon and that is next in the "rewrite." >>> later, an author who says the war on drugs has only made our drug problem worse, and that marijuana does have some harmful effects, but still should be legalized. that's coming up. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer through 6 months. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events, including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region

. >>> to politics now where senator bob casey is the latest democrat to support same-sex marriage.t the same time, the head of the georgia republican party thinks straight people may try to abuse the benefits of same-sex marriage. sue everhart told the "marietta daily journal," say you had a great job with the government where you had this wonderful health plan. what would prohibit you from saying that you're gay and y'all get married and still live as separates and still get the benefits? i just see so much abuse in this, it's unreal. >> multiple reports that caroline kennedy will be the next u.s. ambassador to japan. she supported president obama early announcing his endorsement when the contest between obama and hillary clinton was tight. >> new jersey's governor chris christie has signed a bill banning kids under 17 from tanning booths. the bill came about when the tanning mom was arrested for bringing her young daughter to a tanning bed. >> white house spokesman felt he had to defend the president and joked "he didn't have time the practice, the guy's busy." and a column is al

. >>> pennsylvania senator bob casey was the latest democrat to declare his support for marriage equality statement he says took several days to right, he says if two people of the same sex want to marry, why would the government stand in their way, at a time when many la meant a lack of commitment, why would we want less commitment and fewer strong marriages. only eight are left that are not on the record supporting marriage equality. only eight left. in the senate, 47 democrats support equal rights, eight do not. it is easier to keep track on the republican side. on the republican side, only one senator supports marriage equality and he is easy to remember, rob portman, that's it. he announced last month he decided to support equal rights after living with the knowledge the past couple years that his own son is gay. he did not explain his evolution with much more than that declaration about his son. but just having a gay son is no self-evident guarantee of evolution on this issue politically. for example, over the weekend, a sad and awkward interview by another republican member of cong

. >>> pennsylvania senator bob casey is the latest democrat to announce his support for marriage equalityans show no sign of rewriting their position any time soon and that is next in the "rewrite." >>> later, an author who says the war on drugs has only made our drug problem worse, and that marijuana does have some harmful effects, but still should be legalized. that's coming up. but don't worry, he'll find someone else. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] used mops can grow bacteria. swiffer wetjet starts with a clean pad every time, and its antibacterial cleaner kills bacteria mops can spread around. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. ♪ lovely lady impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment informa

senior senator, tom corper, as well as other senators from republican mark kirk to rob portman to bob caseyouple of days. his role in moving that forward and insuring that that's at the top of the national agenda. even as we wait for a decision by the supreme court on whether they will repeal doma, joe biden's leadership role in the violence against women act, there are a number of things that he has done that has earned him a place in history and a role in the leadership of the political class of the united states. and i think it is too early for any of us to prejudge what should happen in 2016. obviously secretary clinton did a remarkable job as secretary of state. she would have a commanding national position were she to be a candidate in 2016. i think there's a lot of time to play out between now and then. >> thanks so much, senator koontz. and let's go back to seoul, south korea and richard engel. we had a little communications difficulty before. richard, i was asking you about the kim jong un threat to rebuild the yongbon nuclear complex, which the cooling tower as you know had been b

kay hagan of north carolina, tom carper of delaware, and pennsylvania's bob casey who called me about it yesterday. it's a big deal for him. and we'll be right back. >>> welcome back to "hardball." president obama won a resounding victory over mitt romney last november ushering in a second term with a promise was always there to tackle the issues important to the country. lately i keep feeling his absence. i mean the president's absence. i don't see him demanding debate over the gun issue, don't see him on the front pages or leading the evening news. is this strategic on his part? does he believe his all-out support would endanger gun safety, for example? well, his lack of engagement certainly isn't helping that fight. stephanie cutter served in the obama white house and was the deputy campaign manager for his re-election campaign. i told her a minute ago today, i think like a lot of people in the campaign did fantastic work. when you win, everybody did fantastic work. and sam stein is the political editor and white house correspondent. he is really tough. this guy is a solid, tough j

kay hagan of north carolina, tom carper of delaware, and pennsylvania's bob casey who called me aboutyesterday. it's a big deal for him. and we'll be right back. and every day since, we've worked hard to keep it. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy. we've shared what we've learned, so we can all produce energy more safely. bp's also committed to america. we support nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. >> announcer: did you know there are secret black market websites around the world that sell stolen identities? >> 30-year-old american man, excellent credit rating. >> announcer: lifelock monitors thousands of these sites 24 hours a day. and if we discover any of our members' data for sale, lifelock is there with the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. [♪...] [squealing, crash] call 1-800-lifelock or go to >>> welcome back to "hardball." president obama won a resounding victory over mitt romney last november

by the way, he's even with bob casey now. background check deal was smart.d it here, it's going to save that seat for him. we'll be right back. >>> would you like to see your >>> would you like to see your son, jeb, run? >> he's by far the best qualified man, but no. i really don't. i think it's a great country. there are a lot of great families. and it's not just four families or whatever. there are other people out there that are very qualified and we've had enough bushes. >> we've had enough bushes. welcome back to "hardball." that was barbara bush with what was perhaps the line of the year politically. americans like to talk about dynasties, political dynasties. the kennedys, of course. i guess cuomo in new york. andrew wants to be president. the bushes of course. then of course the clintons. active dynasty. hillary if he runs in 2016, somebody pointed out on our production team, chelsea clinton will be able to answer, what did your presidents do? they were both president. hillary is a democratic front-runner for 2016. everybody knows that. jeb bush is c

by the way, he's even with bob casey now. background check deal was smart. i said it here, it's going to save that seat for him. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] does youvibrant color just seem to fade away...? now start vibrant, stay vibrant! new vidal sassoon pro series has an exclusive hydrablock system that helps fight fade out -- for up to 8 weeks. vidal sassoon pro series. salon genius. affordable for all. by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. >>> would you like to see your son, jeb, run? >> he's by far the best qualified man, but no. i really don't. i think it's a great country. there are a lot of great families. and it's not just four families or whatever. there are other people out there that are very qualified and we've had enough bushes. >> we've had enough bushes. welcome back to "hardball." that was barbara bush with what was perhaps the line of the year politically. americans like to talk about dynasties,

if they-- there were regulations on the book that had been enforced under the pro-life democrat, bob caseyd restrict access, and ignored repeated complaints going on in the clinic, not just to the babies, but to the women and it was a horror show for the women in there, even the ones that weren't killed. they were often really butchered, just, i won't-- like i said, it's very graphic what happened to a lot of these women and the descriptions of what you saw when you went in there. so, it was just unbelievable lapse of regulatory oversight, but it wasn't an accident. >> megyn: and just to put a period on what you said, a health department official said in grand jury testimony that health department lawyers changed their legal opinions and advice to suit the policy preferences of different governors n this case she he said the state did not want to be, quote, putting a barrier up to women who wanted abortions and we're not talking again, about abortions in the early part of a pregnancy. 24 weeks, 30 weeks, 30 weeks, these infants were born alive and there is testimony after testimony of this

yesterday democrats tom carper of delaware and bob casey of pennsylvania made it two more democrats whoppose it. and hillary clinton as you heard jake talking earlier making a return to the spotlight in just a few hours from now. the former u.s. secretary of state will give her first public speech since leaving the state department presenting at the vital voices global awards ceremony in washington. >>> remember that sinkhole in florida that swallowed a man? well, we're getting a first-hand look inside the massive hole threatening an entire neighborhood. know, that could ba question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood press

senator bob casey joined a number of other democratic senators who have formally announced their views on that. we are waiting on other senators. what is happening on this issue? guest: it is quite amazing month in the senate. so the idea and reality of same- sex marriage has converged. the vast majority of people under 25 years old support it. i think we are reaching a point where it is a question of when, not whether. that said, the conservative right has done an awful job in this country. we have more than 30 states where there is either a constitutional legislative ban on same-sex marriage. we are at the point where people are going to support it but a loss prohibited and tweet 1/2 to work hard to undo those laws. host: we have not heard from two senators. guest: they are in red states. i think this is a red states/blue state bank. it will be up to the supreme court. how: as a republican, significant was senator portman's announcement that his own son is openly gay and his support for same-sex marriage? guest: the interesting point was the democrats. as soon as he made that announc

less than 24 hours later, bob casey switched. april 2nd, bill nelson on april 4th, two more on april 5th. then with south dakota's tim johnson switching on april 8th, that meant that in just 16 days one quarter of all united states senate democrats had dropped their opposition to the right of all americans to marry regardless of gender leaving just three senate democrats who still oppose equal status under the law for gay couples. it's not just gay marriage equality where a progressive politics are insurgent. after 19 years of virtually unbroken indifference to gun control, even in the face of multiple mass shootings, democrats this week picked up just enough republican support in the senate to kill a filibuster and open debate on expanded background checks and stricter penalties for gun traffickers. even george w. bush couldn't get republicans ta pass immigration reform. the bipartisan senate gang of eight is soon expected to release an immigration blueprint that will include a path to citizenship. cultural issue, it's clear the

enter bob casey joined other senators announcing their views on that.e are awaiting other senators. what is happening on this issue? guest: it feels like a roll call of "i do's." we have obviously reached a point with the american public that the idea and reality of same-sex marriage has converged. the majority of people that supported, the vast majority of people under 25 years old support it. i think we are reaching the point where it is a question of where and not whether. that said, the conservative right has done an awful job in this country. states more than 30 where there is a constitution -- constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. a majority of the people will support about the laws will prohibit it and we will have to work hard to undo those laws. host: we have not heard from two senators. guest: they are in red states. i think this is a red states/blue state bank. it will be up to the supreme court. as a republican, how significant was senator portman's announcement that his own son is openly gay and his support for same-sex marriage? guest: