joining us is david goodfriend, krystal ball, and michael gerson. ou. you look great. kind of holidayish and cheery as we end the year. david, let me start with you. highs and lows for you in 2011? >> well, i would have to give as my high point this last go-around on the payroll tax fight. it really laid bare what the house republicans really stand for. they would rather stop relief for the middle class and give tax relief to the millionaires. that's who they really are and they were finally exposed. as for a low point, i think when the entire field of republican presidential candidates and the entire leadership in congress failed to say a word about the end of the iraq war, a war that president bush started, that just proved to me that their hatred for president obama is greater than their love for the troops. and that is the bottom line. they want this man out and they will stop at nothing. so that was, for me, the biggest low point. >> i get to render a verdict on each of these now before i pass the baton. i love it, although the idea that the pay

david goodfriend with a message for occupy d.c. and they're protesters. bring it on!t tourism season in years. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out, they couldn't wait to get here. this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. but also

epa must update power plant standards to protect our kids. [ baby coughing ] >>> now david goodfriendt. >> hey, dylan. i wish my grandfather, irving michaelman was alive to see what's happening these days as people come to grips with wall street and what the role of government ought to be in the market. he would have been right in the thick of it. you see, my grandfather was part of the greatest generation and pursued the american dream, but he also developed a keen sense of the role of business and government and how they should work together in our modern american economy. his father, abraham michaelman started a small consumer loan business in new england that my grandfather and his brother took over in the late 1930s. after serving in world war ii, the michaelman brothers built their loan business, one branch office at a time. they were a community-based lender, grounded in values. ab ram hamlet people take out loans and not pay them back until he found a job. an old company advertisement said, if you become unemployed due to illness, we won't charge you any illness on your loan.

. >>> but first, from the home of the liberty bell at independence hall, david goodfriend with a daily] what can you do with plain white rice? when you pour chunky beef with country vegetables soup over it... you can do dinner. four minutes, around four bucks. campbell's chunky. it's amazing what soup can do. ♪♪ ♪ if you're like my patients, you want to hear you've done a good job caring for your mouth. that's why i recommend a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. because not all rinses provide all these benefits. so be ready for your next dental check-up. crest pro-health multi-protection rinse. [ male announcer ] try any crest pro-health rinse. complete satisfaction guaranteed, or we'll buy it back. >>> well, from the birthplace of america, david goodfriend with a rant on what the founding fathers would think of the antics. our friend from harvard just visited and said these people are not serious. i'm interested in your channeling of the originators of this fine nation's document. >> well, to that end, dylan, i wanted to get out of

. >> a lot to get to this morning, let say hello to our pan that will we have assembled, david goodfriend, democratic strategist and former clinton white house staffer, tony frato, bush 43 deputy press secretary and msnbc contribute ber. i want to start with you, tony, nikki haley's endorsement, take a listen this coming from mitt romney today. >> what it comes down to is how do we get every person a job? how do we make sure our economy gets back on track in the only way to do that is go with someone that has done it not talked about it but actually done t. >> nikki haley giving that endorsement. how does this, tony, help him, romney, that is, and also, in your estimation, did romney stop the momentum that newt gingrich has last night? >> i think so. let's get to the momentum in a minute, because i think what's happening is people are taking a second look at newt gingrich, but as for the endorsement, it is very significant for the romney campaign. if you think about the, you negotiate sort of number one concern among republican voters is, you know, has -- is mitt romney consistently conse