all that plus e.j. dionne, karen finney and jonathan alter on why conservatives are actually trying to blame the super bowl blackout on the president. good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching there is a major development on gun legislation today, but there is a good chance you haven't heard about it. president obama continued the push for common sense gun reform today in minneapolis. he was surrounded by law enforcement officers with the city and the state. the president asked americans to stand with the men and women in the line of fire. >> weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threatening our law enforcement officers. our law enforcement officers should never be outgunned on the streets. >> the president has outlined a full list of proposals to curb gun violence in america. very quietly, many of those proposals are picking up steam on capitol hill. senate majority leader harry reid said he expects a bill will soon move to the senate floor. the package will inclu

i really don't see a whole lot of hope for a compromise. >> e.j. dionnehas the republican from virginia scott rigell ended his career with republicans now that he was traveling with the president of the united states today to talk about fixing a financial problem in this country? >> i actually don't think so. i think to go back a bit to our earlier conversation, as liz suggested, there are two kinds of conservative right now. there are conservatives who say there is nothing wrong but the packaging and are really taking this hard line on the sequester, and there are conservatives saying hey, wait a minute, we got to rethink some stuff. we lost five of the last six elections. and i think people like the congressman from virginia are going to look very good come november of 2014, because this sequester is just stupid. we're taking a whole lot of money out of the economy at a moment when we should be goosing the recovery, not pulling it back. and i think a lot of republicans in their heart of hearts know that, at least republicans in the electorate, if not in

a lot of americans don't think we live under a dictatorship, and they're right. >> e.j. dionne, setting the barlow there. hopefully we can agree on that. thank you for being here, e.j. it's great to see you. >> thank you. >>> lots more to come, including a follow-up on michael isikoff's scoop from last night's show. that story has gotten much bigger since then. and eliot spitzer live here with us tonight. please stay with us. >>> last night on this show investigative agent michael isikoff broke a story about obama and its policies. he broke the story ahead of the president's announcement for new choice of cia director, john brennan. john brennan was once the deputy cia director. he is now president obama's counterterrorism director at the white house. but if he is to run the cia for president obama, john brennan is first going to have to face questions on thursday about some of what michael isikoff turned up here on this program last night. a justice department white paper elaborating the administration's reasoning for why it thinks it is legal to kill american citizens on the

. >>> joining me now, melissa harris-perry and e.j. dionne. thank you both for coming on shot tonight. >> good to be with you. >> listen, the parents has the upperhand politically but the republicans haven't been moved. what is going to happen? >> if you think about what we're looking at with this sequester versus what the president laid out in the state of the union, just two weeks ago, right, when he lays out a vision for building our infrastructure, building our roads, keeping the nation's safe and here you have republicanes who are willing, not just to make budget cuts, that's what they long said, but they are willing at this point to do it with a hatchet, with a chainsaw, right? no reasonable, like expectation of actually looking at what can go and what can stay and how much we need. but simply going in and lopping it off. >> e.j., when you see the confusion, let me give you an example, senator hatch, he really showcases the gop confusion because on one hand he says to the tribune, i'm for sequestration, hatch said. we've got to face the

. >> joining me now, "washington post" columnist and msnbc political analyst, e.j. dionnes also on the nra's enemies list. e.j., first of all, congratulations of making the -- >> it's a my honor and distinct privilege to be on that list. >> a lot of us are kind of jealous. you're in distinguished company. frank rich, jimmy breslin. they concentrate on columnists. they still think that you wield all the power in public o pin where on. so there's a compliment there, i think. >> i also think it's a fairly old list. >> yes, it is. >> that list has been around for a while. i'm not sure they fully updated it. when they do, you'll be at the top i think. >> i'm going what i can. >> i say that as a compliment. >> i'm doing what i can to get there. so, e.j., wayne lapierre wrote a crazy op-ped piece yesterday somewhat in response to the president, then there he is today. and it's clearly a -- he keeps repeating this line, buy more guns, buy more guns. it's almost more overtly than ever a gun industry shill of let's just run up the sales. >> well, you know, i thought long and hard ab

thanks for coming on, and e.j. dionne, mr.merica and french canadian and all kind of things. >>> dick cheney, from the sublime to the ridiculous. dick cheney can't stand the fact that his side lost the election, dick. that he and his neocons are under assault and in retreat, thank god. he's saying president obama is picking second class people. we'll be right back with the story of dick cheney. >>> also the white party. how did the gop become the home office for conservative whites? a fascinating new story in "the new republic" argues the cause is not overt racism but is based on the pre-civil war southern interpretation of the constitution shared by modern day republicans, you know, secession, nullification. >>> plus, the man who shot osama bin laden, we don't know his name yet and have never seen his face yet, but the member of the s.e.a.l. team who pulled the trigger three times has told his story to "esquire." we've got the author here tonight, phil bronstein. >>> let me finish with some thoughts on the stripe of republica

a lot of americans don't think we live under a dictatorship, and they're right. >> e.j. dionne, setting the barlow there. hopefully we can agree on that. thank you for being here, e.j. it's great to see you. >> thank you. >>> lots more to come, including a follow-up on michael isikoff's scoop from last night's show. that story has gotten much bigger since then. and eliot spitzer live here with us tonight. please stay with us. [ male announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ m

a lot of americans don't think we live under a dictatorship, and they're right. >> e.j. dionne, setting the barlow there. hopefully we can agree on that. thank you for being here, e.j. it's great to see you. >> thank you. >>> lots more to come, including a follow-up on michael isikoff's scoop from last night's show. that story has gotten much bigger since then. and eliot spitzer live here with us tonight. please stay with us. i'm serious, we compare our direct rates side by side to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! ♪ don't know what i'd do ♪ i'd have nothing to prove [ male announcer ] introducing the celebration diamond collection. zales is the diamond store. let love shine. you ready? [ female announcer ] second kid by their second kid, every mom is an expert and more likely to choose luvs. after thousands of diaper changes, they know w

. >> joining us now is e.j. dionne, "washington post" columnist, senior fellow at the brookings institution, and msnbc contributor. e.j., it's good to see you tonight. thanks for being here. >> good to be with you. >> i've been trying to understand what is the new calibration of what might be possible in terms of legislation? a lot of people say that an assault weapons ban is on the far end of possible. closing of the background check loophole might be on the near end of possible. where do you put the extended magazine ban on that imaginary number line of possibility? >> i put it right near the universal background checks. i mean, that is the measure that has the best chance of passing. but i think the ban on the big magazines is right up there because in the odd calculus of some members, but if it works for the ban of big magazines it's all right with me, it's not banning a particular weapon. with the assault weapons ban it's a ban on a particular weapon. this is a ban on an accessory to a weapon. the other legislatio

it just doesn't a single journalist, just cartoonists, that is where you find frank rich, e.j. dionnenist, jimmy breslin, from whom every newspaper columnist has learned a thing or two. i want to be on the fun section of the list, where albert brooks is, it is by far the longest section of the list and includes more friends of mine than any other part of the list. norman lear, spike lee, rob lowe, madonna. okay, i don't really know her, i just met her a long time ago. you get the idea, this is the fun group. this is where you want to be on the list. here is hoping the next time the nra writes the list, they find a way to squeeze me in with the fun crowd. it really would be an honor. this is so sick! i can't believe your mom let you take her car out. this is awesome! whoooo! you're crazy. go faster! go faster! go faster! go faster! no! stop...stop... (mom) i raised my son to be careful... hi, sweetie. hi, mom. (mom) but just to be safe... i got a subaru. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru a subaru. more "likes." more tweets. so, beginning today, my son brock and his whole team

it just doesn't a single journalist, just cartoonists, that is where you find frank rich, e.j. dionne jimmy breslin, from whom every newspaper columnist has learned a thing or two. i want to be on the fun section of the list, where albert brooks is, it is by far the longest section of the list and includes more friends of mine than any other part of the list. norman lear, spike lee, rob lowe, madonna. okay, i don't really know her, i just met her a long time ago. you get the idea, this is the fun group. this is where you want to be on the list. here is hoping the next time the nra writes the list, they find a way to squeeze me in with the fun crowd. it really would be an honor. howr car running like new? you ask a ford customer. when they tell you that you need your oil changed you got to bring it in. if your tires need to be rotated, you have to get that done as well. jackie, tell me why somebody should bring they're car here to the ford dealership for service instead of any one of those other places out there. they are going to take care of my car because this is where it came from.

e.j. dionne, you know, initially i think had some issues with the way the administration handled this, was filled with positive accolades on this and said -- he calls this an olive branch to the catholic church and says america's big religious war ended on friday or at least it ought to. the decision the administration's second attempt to -- ought to be taken by the catholic bishops as the victory it is. we know that the u.s. conference on catholic bishops has sort of given an initially positive review of this. to what degree are you guys -- are women's groups like yours in touch with catholic groups like the u.s. conference on catholic bishops to come to consensus on something like this? >> well, i mean, to some degree our mandate is to make sure, as many women as possible have access to the health care that they need to get contraception or safe and legal abortion, or for that matter, prenatal care and family planning if they choose to have a family. you know, i think that there is infighting w

e.j. dionne has suggested a nun be selected. we don't think that's going to be-to-happen.d. we do not think that that is something that is going to happen. robert costa what, say you. if you could pick the pope, who would you pick? >> when we see that white smoke coming out of the vatican i would love to here a sinatra tune, new york, new york. so here's nye headline. start spreading the news, new york's tim dolan tapped as the first american pope. >> really. again, this is if you could, you know, if you could pick the pope. >> i think cardinal dolan has really been a force in the church the last few years. he's been a great voice for american catholics, so he's my pick for sure. >> you are a devout catholic. i ask you to pick a pope and have some fun and you give me an actual cardinal. >> tim dolan is great. >> i've met him before. he's great. >> chris smith, did you think outside the box or did you go with -- >> as long as we're in the fantasy religion league, i won't with -- i went with soemtier. it would be to be a woman in america, that's not going to happen, but it d