that's the question. >> joining us now is ezra klein, columnist for the "washington post" and bloomberg and our msnbc policy analyst. ezra, it's great to have you here. thanks for being here. >> good evening. >> if everybody agrees that the cuts that are to go into effect next friday, the sequester, if everybody agrees that they're bad for the country and they don't want them, does congress have the option to just not do them, to just repeal this stupid thing? >> congress does have that option. what congress gaveth the country for no good reason, it can taketh away for a very good reason. at the moment they're not doing that, because in the weird calculus of the sequester, they created a thing so terrible that we would never let it happen, and thus we would come to some bigger deal they would like better. we didn't come to that bigger deal, and so we now need to let the thing that we would never let happen now happen. it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it appears to make a kind of twisted sense that is appealing to house republicans. >> let's say they did not do the thing that everybod

joining me now, msnbc columnist ezra klein. show everybody, as we look at these numbers, nearly 100% of those polled in virginia, new jersey and p.a., they favor background checks at gun shows. but i want to play for everybody what republican senator roy blunt had to say this morning with our chuck todd on "the daily rundown" . >> i'm focusing my efforts on what we can do in the mental health area, what we can do in sharing information among law enforcement and security agencies. >> so is it the scene that the republican argument about gun control, the focus still remains on everything but guns. everything on the periphery. how much do you think the president is going to be able to push when the gun control tour begins next week? is it really the push to change hearts and minds of what we hear like of senator blunt's? >> yes, the underlying strategy for folks who don't want to pass any further gun control is to not talk about gun control. and that's an porchlt point, right? it isn't to oppose gun control. certainly isn't to opp

now it is time for "the last word" with 100% ezra klein more than usual, good to see you, ezra. >> and i'm exciting about this world where in which i look bad in a picture i can doctor it. >> i am going to say all the pot belly, i have added the leftist fact for a reason. >> thank you for joining us tonight. for years now, there has been a war going on inside the gop. but in the last couple of months, the non-tea party guys have for the first time in a long time started to win. >> it is time for a new republican party that talks like adults, we have got to stop being the stupid party. >> and the republican establishment striking back against the tea party. >> the conservative victory project. >> but it is not being used against democrats. >> we're talking about extremists, right? >> with a goal of recruiting. less extreme candidates. >> who can win. >> there are a lot of republicans who dislike each other. >> one possibility is a civil war. >> i feel like we should say oh, oh, oh. >> okay, then. >> karl rove as the reformer. >> you're talking about karl rove? >> he built this thing. >>

joining me now are our msnbc analysts, ezra klein and jared bernstein. ezra, we have the simpson-bowles to deal with, but most important thing, i'm scheduled to fly next friday. i have a change of planes here, what does that look like? how many air traffic controllers working? one per airport? what is going on. >> i wouldn't say the air traffic controller situation was looking so great before, i have flown out of jfk before. it is not easy, but the big thing about the sequester is not the amount of cuts that are crazy, although they are probably too high. it is not where the cuts are even going in a broad way is crazy. it is even within that, what we have done with the sequester is we can't choose where the cuts go. we can't say air traffic controllers, we actually need that. what we don't need so much of is farm subsidies, we get everything except a number of sort of social security and medicaid and a couple of other low income programs. everything else gets the exact same percentage cut no matter how valuable it is. so your air traffic controllers get

we dig into that next with ezra klein. you're one of theme who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. 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+. ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪ i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪ so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. if you have certain stomach

[laughter] and yet the maddow-blazer-wearing ezra klein-holes out there are still calling for bankers to jail. why can't they just let bygone pensions be bygones? [laughter] now the banks are also getting heat from congress. and not in the usual way, with a warm tongue bath. [laughter] no. [cheers and applause] two weeks ago -- [cheers and applause] calm down. [ laughter ] also a big part of lupacalia. [cheers and applause] two weeks ago, senators chuck grassley and sherrod brown accused the banks of not only being too big to fail but also, "too big to jail." [laughter] maybe so. but haven't they been punished enough with stinging wordplay like that? [laughter] and folks, i want you to know this is a personal issue for me because i have a lot of friends on wall street. we're super-tight. they call me up and give me stock tips, and i pay them. [laughter] well, i've got some bad news for my bro-- kers [laughter] the government has finally grown a pair. >> the federal government and 16 states declared a kind of legal war on s&p, the huge ratings agency. >> the justice department accuses

joining me, ezra klein of "the washington post." ezra, we need your help. actually, everybody needs your help. ezra, what's the deal with the sequester? we have, like, six different ways of reading this. on one hand, there's a chicken little stance that everything's going to end on march 1st. there are these drastic draconian cuts that are going to take place. on the other hand, there's a new theory of late, which is nothing is really going to happen on march 1st and we're going to see the next couple weeks see the republicans and democrats sit down to actually make a deal once the sequester is passed. >> well, i am happy to say, because it means we don't need to go back into is this rabbit hole. the sequester is not a cliff. it's not a cliff, curb, drop, it's not a debt ceiling, it just begins on march 1st. it doesn't mean anything gigantic happens. the cuts will be spread out over the course of a year. you don't make them all at once, but it's bad. it's a bad way to run a government, bad way to cut spending. jared will tell you he thinks the gdp numbers w

. >> ezra klein holds out there are calling for bankers to go to jail. >> this is what she knows best. this was her moment. >> that is why she was sent to washington. >> also gets a triple a rating from standard employers. >> the weirdest thing happened in the days after the state of the union. my colleagues in the press, they watched the exact same speech i watched, i think. they heard the same policies i heard and a lot of them walked away saying kind of, nothing new here. the headline in the national journal was nothing big or bold about obama's state-of-the-union address, nothing big or bold. really? i had exactly the opposite take, i thought president obama's state of the union was shockingly bold. and the reason i say shockingly is that usually you get the second-term agenda during the re-election campaign. in fact, usually you get more in the second term agenda. politicians running for re-election are not known for being modest. the plans tend to be something like that every american gets a poopponent -- pony, no, a unico, if you remember, that is what mitt romney's tax reform

we get ezra klein in. >>> plus, the highlights and no-lights of the super bowl. a record-breaking night in so many ways, on the field and on the clock, but also an electrifying night when the power was working, of course. then the power goes out. it was crazy. what was your most memorable moment of the super bowl? [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the sam

it's huge. >> it is. >> brian sullivan, ezra klein, thank you very much.lowing this. >>> from "town & country" magazine looks at the inside world of prince harry. keep it here on "morning joe." ♪ [ construction sounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ so we created the extraordinarily comfortable sleep number experience. a collection of innovations designed around a bed with dualair technology that allows you to adjust to the support your body needs - each of your bodies. our sleep professionals will help you find your sleep number setting. exclusively at a sleep number store. sleep number. comfort ... individualized. at the ultimate sleep number event, queen mattresses start at just $599 . and save 50% on our innovative limited edition bed. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fideli

from washington is msnbc policy analyst and the washington post chief wonk, america's wise boy, ezra klein great to have you on shoet. >> how are you? >> a lot of debate over the minimum wage. before we fwet into whether it is good or bad, i think it's important to talk about where wages for the middle class and working poor are right now. in 2010 93% of income gains went to the top 1%. if you look at corporate profits, those have increased as u.s. wages have declined, so in terms of whether or not this is a good time to be having a conversation like this, it would seem to be just about time. do you agree, ezra? >> i think it's always a good time to be having a conversation about how we can better share prosperity. i think the economics of the minimum wage are really complicated. on the one hand you have a lot of studies looking at what happens to employment, and there are a bunch of studies that show there's no effect, and then there are a bunch of studies that find there's a very small negative effect. now you can sort of pick which ones you believe. i think both have good points behind

i'm ezra klein in for lawrence >> wild rover. let's play "hardball." >> good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. scared of its own shadow. that's how scared the republican party is. the latest, if you can believe it, karl rove, the architect of the debokle. the valerie wilson affair. last and not least, bush's brain with neither honor nor irony. well, this same karl rove has just declared plans to keep the republican party what he and she wants to do, vote for the most right wing candidate in site. bush's brain is now mocking the republican brain with his announcement that henceforth he, not those primary caucus voters will select the best candidates for senate and other high offices. he, the architect will design the winning republican offering for 2014. what this says is that the mightiest mus in the republican party happens to lost his faith in the party. he and she will throw up more disasters for the voter to reject come next november. more aikens and murdochs who has made the grand old party can tillon of calls. who

. >> i'm ezra klein in for lawrence o'donnell tonight. richard luger was born in indianapolis in 1932. he was an eagle scout, and not just an eagle scout. he was distinguished scout, a very exciting award. in 1950 he graduated first from his class, very nicely done, and then in '54, graduated again first in his class, and then won a rhodes scholar. richard luger was one of those guys who it was clear from a very early age was marked for greatness. he didn't disappoint. he was mayor of indianapolis by 35, and a u.s. senator at 44. in fact, in the election when he first went to the senate he won by 19 points and never looked back, in 1982, won re-election by 8 points, in '88, by 36 points, in 1994, lucky number 36 points, a huge landslide victory. and then in 1996 he decided to run for president, but didn't win that race, perhaps because of ads he put out like this one. >> i believe in the second amendment and our right as americans to own a gun, for self-protection, to hunt and to collect. but there is no right to sweep a playground with a

ezra klein, maggie haberman, howard wolf, joy reid help us figure it out. >>> and feisty john mccain a downright level-headed stance on immigration. are we on the border of real reform? >>> then we will discuss cyber espionage and pre-9/11-style warnings on the next national security threat. >>> plus, a visit to the new frontier of neurodiversity. we'll talk about all this when "now" starts in a mere 180 seconds. [ jackie ] it's just so frustrating... ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪ i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪ so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma, or can not empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. get emergency medical help right away if your face, lips, throat or tongue swells. toviaz can cause blurred vision, dizzin

that is how the ezra klein challenge was born, can i tell you really important things in under two minutesexcited to try. today i have a good one for you. i want to tell you how a sequester actually works. if you're the literal person in charge of making those cuts, how do you do it? it all comes down to three little words, but before we get there, can i get my clock? okay, there is my clock. all right, go, the sequester is set to go into effect on friday, a week from today and make big spending cuts across the board. but not, and this is really important, not everything. it can't cut social security, or medicaid, medicare beneficiaries are spared food stamps and pel grants, but pretty much everything else takes a big hit. but the thing that makes it a dumb way to cut spending, we can't choose what the cut. you can't decide farm subsidies are not as important, so they get less cuts, you have to spread everything between the cuts that are totally protected that i named. big cuts, no real choosing between them. the law says, and i'm quoting here, that the same percentage sequestration shall

that is it for us, i'm ezra klein. follow us on twitter. >> america's prisons, dangerous, often deadly. there are 2 million people doing time. every day, it's a battle to survive and to maintain order. >> down! on your feet! down! >> this is "lockup." ♪ >>> in rural indiana, stands a maximum security juvenile facility charged with rehabilitating some of america's most dangerous teens. >> they don't think. they don't plot. they don't plan. it's whatever is happening right now, they respond to that. >> this 91-acre compound is the end of the line for kids who are repeat offenders. the kids other institutions simply can't handle. it didn't take our cameras long to document why. >> with the restraint chair, you have the restraints for the arms. >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> you need to stop. >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. blp. >> we're having a hard time getting somebody to come into seg right now. >> stop. >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. >> calm down. >> calm down. stop kicking my door. stop! stop! stop! >> [ bleep ],

. >> there was an interesting article by ezra klein today in his blog. i don't know if you saw it.the history of various wars and how much defense budgets were cut after these wars. they tend to be in the 30s and even 40% cuts whereas he says this defense cut by the sequester will be about 31%. how worried you about the way this is going to be applied? >> i am worried not just because of sequestration but also you have a president and secretary of defense now also interested in just cuts in general. you know, a lot of conservatives and republicans believe the number one priority of the federal government is to protect this country and that you start first with the federal budget that gives secretary what he needs, not start cutting there so we can waste money somewhere else. >> the point ezra was trying to make and again i don't know if you saw it, but when wars end whether it's the cold war or the korean war, you know, defense budgets get cut. >> they do. but again, the president talked about in his budget last year the importance of looking to the future and seeing what are the t

i'm ezra klein in for lawrence o'donnell, "the ed show" is up next. >> our law enforcement officers should never be outgunned on the streets. >> the president pounds away on gun safety as shiny objects dominate the beltway media coverage. >> how often does the president go skeet shooting? and are there photographs of him doing so? >> tonight, i'll take the fourth estate to task for missing the big picture with katrina vanden heuvel of "the nation" and msnbc's richard wolffe. >>> plus, minneapolis mayor r.t. rybak on how he is lowering gun violence in his city, and why he thinks senate majority leader harry reid needs to get to work on guns. >>> the boy scouts are getting ready to end their policy of discrimination against gays, and the president is standing with them. >> should scouting be open to gays? >> yes. >> i'll tell you how conservatives are fighting the process. >>> it's the super bowl commercial everybody is talking about. >> god looked down on his planned paradise and said i need a caretaker. so god made a farmer. >> god created the family farmer. i'll tell you how republicans a

host: annie lowrey with "the new york times and mary to answer client -- a married to ezra klein.ll talk about job creation proposals. later, jefferson keel, the president of the national congress of american indians will talk about the status indian nations. .e'll be right back [video clip] >> the communism of china basically is communism in name only these days. it is to preserve the power of the members of the communist party. they basically threw most of the ideology aside when the country was opened up, and it is now a capitalist haven. communism now in china, they talk at great lengths at these party congresses about marxism, leninism, etc., but it is all about preserving the party's power economically as the country continues to grow, because they threw aside most vestiges of communism a long time ago. in north korea, it is all about preserving the power of the military and the kim dynasty, as you have there. and again, it has nothing to do with what karl marx envisioned as communism way back. someone could do a fascinating book on how communism, when it moved into asia, di