on that i want to bring in our company, bengy sarlin and bob herbert. good friday to both of us. benjy, kick it off for us. we haereard from a white house adviser a little earlier. >> more choice for a narrow and shrinking universe of people who we've been trying to accommodate for the past month. this has been from the beginning about making sure that the transition that the afford care act anticipated is smooth. >> all right, benjy, we also are learning just this hour that president obama will be making comments in a news briefing at 2:00 p.m., just getting that into msnbc. so the president will be making comments. what do you expect him to be saying about this, and is this really about making a transition? this transition as we go forward to the next year smoother. >> well, the president is making such a big deal out of relief for those people with cancelled plans because they're definitely afraid this is the next major political shoe to drop, in addition to presenting policy obstacles for the law. the nightmare scenario for the white house after they have gotten the website u

. >> i want to bring in our company, bob herbert, e.j. dionne, good morning, guys. >> good to be with you. >> the white house hasn't exactly declared victory, bob, but 90%, obviously the pages are loading much faster. is this a sigh of relief or are they still on pins and needles? >> sort of a short sigh of relief. there's general agreement that there's been significant improvement in the website. the question becomes, you know, how many people can really actually sign up, actually get insurance. and that remains to be answered. >> and they have until december 23rd we should say to sign up. e.j., is that when the real test begins, when we start to see, number one, how many people actually got enrolled, how many young people, and if that back end is working well enough that people who are actually getting insurance can actually see a doctor and not have problems with that? >> right. i think the big tests are december 23rd and next march. can they sign up all the people they need to, and particularly can they sign up young people to create a

joining me today senior editor and staff writer for new yorker rick hertzberg, distinguished fellow bob herbert, white house correspondent for "washington post" juliette alpern. this is dichotomy. when it comes to affordable care it is outsized factoring into the news of the administration so it is important. >> it's hugely important. it's going to be a few months before we have a sense of the impact both in terms of individuals and their insurance and how many people sign up, there's no question that the administration is working overtime trying to ensure that they can tweak it enough to make it a success or at least something democrats aren't on the defense about in 2013. >> there's a "wall street journal" poll that says what's most likely to shape your person of president obama in 2013, 50% said health care, 25% said economy, 23% said government shutdown, down from there. domestic issues like immigration and guns 14%. less than one in ten said nsa and privacy. obviously health care has an outside influenced on how the president is perceived. he's not up in 2014. the democrats are up. >> schu

. >>> joining me now, bob herbert, senior fellow, and schwartz economic policy analysis, i want to talk the inequality, social mobility, the conversation i just had with michelle rhee about those issues. >> well, when you look at the education, my personal opinion is the so-called education reform movement is the biggest fraud in my opinion. one is we have been cutting funds to schools, look at chicago, we have been firing teachers over the past several years. >> particularly in the wake of the great recession. >> not responding when the economy has gotten a little bit better, so the idea we're trying to help these kids at the same time we're cutting service to public schools is crazy, the second thing is you're never going to be able to improve the schools, the education outcomes in this country if you don't deal with poverty. >> and i thought the president today gave a comprehensive vision on social mobility, you can't just education your way out of the problem. >> you asked the question whether or not it is better to be rich, and have bad teachers, or whether or not it is better to b

senior fellow bob herbert, nbc correspondent luke russert who mercifully is not wearing a fancy christmas sweater. >> stand up to kearns, great organization. >> had to do it. now i feel bad. i now i just feel bad. i have to go to you first, jonathan, that whole series, soliloquy. >> stand up in october. where was that man in october? where has he been the entire of his speakership since the tea party folks came in. this bipartisan feeling and spirit that sort of washed over a bit of washington now, you know, it's sort of been there. the debt ceiling crisis, government shutdown, all those things could not have happened if john boehner decided lets just pass it. republicans you don't like it, don't vote for it, bring it in with democratic votes. what's about to happen today could have been happening all along. the whole time. you covered capitol hill. that's what's so amazing, john boehner has refused to put on the floor what extreme parts didn't want precisely because these outside groups doesn't want it. now he's throwing the outside group under the bus saying i never wanted that. does th

gordon johnson and bob herbert from demos, thank you, gentlemen. to hear republicans tell it, voter fraud is everywhere, running rampant and must be stopped. it's so out of control that iowa's secretary of state made it the centerpiece of his campaign. how that worked out for him, next. sleep train's interest-free for 3 event ends sunday! it's your last chance to get 3 years interest-free financing on beautyrest black, stearns & foster, serta icomfort, even tempur-pedic. plus, get free delivery and sleep train's 100-day low price guarantee. but hurry, sleep train's interest-free for 3 event ends sunday! superior service, best selection, lowest price, guaranteed! ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ >>> today in a surprise ruling, a federal judge said this about the nsa -- "surely, such a program infringes on that degree of privacy the founders enshrined in the fourth amendment." in the spirit of this ruling, my question for you tonight is this -- which modern-day governmental policies and practices do you think the constitution's

gordon johnson and bob herbert from demos, thank you, gentlemen. to hear republicans tell it, voter fraud is everywhere, running rampant and must be stopped. it's so out of control that iowa's secretary of state made it the centerpiece of his campaign. how that worked out for him, next. k. which means it's never been easier to get a new 2014 jetta. k. it gets an impressive 34 highway mpg and comes with no charge scheduled maintenance. and right now you can drive one home for practically just your signature. sign. then drive. get zero due at signing, zero down, zero deposit, and zero first month's payment on any new 2014 volkswagen. hurry, this offer ends january 2nd. visit vwdealer.com today hey there, i just got my bill, and i see that it includes my fico® credit score. yup, you get it free each month to help you avoid surprises with your credit. good. i hate surprises. surprise! at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card and see your fico® credit score. >>> today in a surprise ruling, a federal judge said this about the nsa -