david gergen, thank you so much.nd brianna keilar, for us at the white house, really appreciate it. >> three gunshots 50 years ago, and america changed forever. please watch the assassination of jfk tomorrow night at 9:00 eastern and pacific right here on cnn. >> as david was discussing, not only are we remembering the anniversary of jfk's det, but this year also marked the 50th anniversary of the presidential medal of freedom. so significant because kennedy established this award in 1963 when he signed the order for the civilian highest honor, the 50th anniversary of honoring these individuals and recipients. you have former president bill clinton. talk show host oprah winfrey. music legend loretta lynn and arturo sand oball, ernie banks and gloria steinem, also founder of ms. magazine, and president obama said the medal of freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives, really, to enriching others. here's just a sampling from this morning's ceremony. >> he doesn't stop. he's helped lead relief eff

back with our panel, andrew sullivan, david gergen, angela davis and dr. ruth westheimer.life is the subject of a one-woman show called "becoming dr. ruth" stars actress debra joe ruff. it's so great to have you here. >> thank you. i want to tell you something right away. the selfy phenomenon. i have nothing against you and me hugging and you and me holding hands. but please, make sure that everybody knows, nothing below your neck. >> no selfies below the neck. >> absolutely. i'm really worried about that. >> you are? why? >> it's not necessary. and i'm old-fashioned and a square. you know i talk about those things. >> you're not a square. >> who would call you that? >> i call myself a square. but please make sure selfy from whatever word you want to use, it's fine to show a picture above the neck. >> okay. >> dr. ruth says so. >> okay. there you go. >> interesting, michaela, you look at the selfies out there. it is the ubiquitousness of it. >> it's interesting. because in culture we've already seen self-portraits. it's an extension of self-portraits. we've always been fas

joined now by political commentators will cane, marc lamont hill and cnn senior political analyst david gergenood to see all of you gentlemen. david, you first. how damaging is it for president to have some democrats revolting? can he recover? >> it's deb tate stating but it may not be fatal. we've seen other presidents in the past, ronald reagan notably in his second term had iran-contra. he recovered from it because he had an extraordinarily team working on damage control. bill clinton had had monica lewinsky, got impeached but he came back and had several balanced budgets in in a row and got other things done, he got several with reform done and other things. so you can come back. but it's a long road. it's uphill and it's something very precious has been lost for president obama now. >> that whole credibility thing, trust? >> trust is a precious, precious asset for a president. even if people disagree with you, as long as they think you're telling it to them straight, then they're more likely to go along with you or at least say okay, it's okay. if you really want to do this, i don't like

david gergen former adviser to presidents nixon, ford, regan and clinton.u get one more president in there? >> i'm trying. i might have one more chance. >> and julian zellizer, from princeton tonight. some on twitter said, don, come on. all these guys, was not rumsfeld not available? as a matter of fact, we asked for him and he was not available. >>> valarie jarod is top adviser to president obama. she has known him since his early days in chicago. she has a huge amount of influence. mr. mclarty, does every white house have people close to the president who wield a lot of power in that way, in wait that valarie jarrett does? >> i think the answer is yes. i think the president will have a number of influences as it will. i think certainly the white house staff, i do think this president has had tighter control of the white house. and not used his cabinet quite as much as other presidents have. but you also got the first lady always influential with every president as andy and david know firsthand and foreign leaders. depends on the subject matter, don. and t

joining me to talk about this is cnn political analyst david gergen. >> hello, carol. >> thank you so much for joining me. i want to take a closer look at the new york city mayor's race. it's fascinating this year. recent polls show democrat bill deblasio is poised for a blowout. his political skills are not the only reason for his success but his modern fael, a family on full display in this ad, featuring deblasio's biracial teenage son. >> he is the only democrat with the guts to really break in the bloomberg years, the only one who will raise taxes on the rich to fund early childhood and after-school programs. he has the boldest plan to build affordable housing and is the only one who will end a stop and frisk area that unfairly targets people of color. he will be a mayor for every new yorker, no matter where they live or what they look like, and i would say that even if he weren't my dad. >> david, as you well know, that ad has received more than 280,000 views on youtube. we were trying to think of another political family that looks like deblasio'

election in massachusetts, against martha coakley, she had all of her problems as a candidate, but david gergenabout the obligation of this is ted kennedy's seat you're running for. scott brown replies, this isn't the kennedy seat this is the people's seat. i wonder if the kennedys being established as a political dynasty over the years has a backlash -- a certain backlash to that built up over the years? >> i think ted kennedy said that the family forechutunefortunes, politically, ebb and flow, and there rupps a are ups and downs. in massachusetts, there aren't a lot of downs. i don't think kennedy will lose massachusetts in part because of the commitment of the kennedy family has had to what kerry talks about, public service and reforming government and the inspiration that we all experience for president kennedy and bobby kennedy and teddy about our need to become involved in these very important issues. joe's doing very, very well. young joe. and i think he has limitless future, whether in massachusetts or nationally, whatever he chooses to do. and who knows what other kennedys might come a