democratic strategic jimmy williams. wabz radio talk show host mark seimone and washington times opinion writer cari picket. we have a number of topics to chew on this evening. let's begin with the breaking news out of the scouupreme cour and a legal challenge major implications for federal and private benefit payments. cari, let me go to you first and get your first reaction to this. federal versus state. constitutional liberty and rights. the end of the doma act. how do you see this? >> one of the first things that usually comes to my mind when i think about prop 8 was that you had the people of california, they looked at having this particular law upheld as simply because they're the ones who wanted it to happen. and the courts there decided no forget about it. it's simply not going to happen. not only that but if you remember, the donors who were supporting this law, they had a lot of people come after them during that whole scenario. also remember, a lot of businesses who whether it be say wedding photographers, wed

msnbc contributor jimmy williams is here with more on why this appointment matters.rning we're watching the business roundtable with the president meeting with the power brokers of our country. >> yes. >> mcnierney said there are no wall flowers in this room, elizabeth warren is no wall flower. the financial industry is "going nuts" we're told about this news. are a lot of ceos sitting down with the president trying to figure out damage control mode if that is really a possibility? >> i don't think first of all, any ceo or any banking ceo that thought elizabeth warren was not going to get a seat on the banking committee was deluding himself or herself. she should go on the banking committee, she understands the banking law. guess who else will sit in front of her, joe manchin, the junior senator. she can try to screw over the banks as much as she wants. who will negate her vote, joe manchin, not by accident or mistake they did this. it's not so much that elitz bza warren is sitting on the banking committee, it's she has knowledge of and input and she's not going to f

i want to go right to jimmy williams because you have been a senate staffer. you understand how this thing works. why would the white house even bother to increase from 250,000 to 400,000. they don't really have to. they're winning this fives fight. >> the only people that actually care whether or not the threshold is 250,000 to 400,000 are these people that are going to vote on it. nobody else really cares. all they really care is that you get a deal. these people are sitting at ground zero. these snores, these liberals. i'm a liberal. i don't care what the thereby hold is. i don't give a damn if it's a million. i just want them to get a deal or go over the cliff, but somebody just make up your mind up on capitol hill. that's what the american people would like to hear. here's the bottom line. even if they do get a deal at 450,000 or 500,000 or whatever that number is, barack obama will sign into law at some point a tax cut for millions of american people. they will no longer be the bush tax cuts. they will be the obama tax cuts from millions of medal class f

jimmy williams is here with more on why it matters. me to susan rice, why is john mccain going after her so forcefully, basically giving a pass to secretary of state hillary clinton, but going after rice. >> it's interesting, because that is the committee of jurisdiction. any nomination will be sent to the committee for an up or down vote. with jim demint resigning, there's an opening on the committee and john mccain wants it. he's already lost his ranking membership on the commerce committee, so what's john mccain, the elder statesman supposed to do, be the most junior freshman of the foreign relations committee that he's going to try to stop any nomination brought to the hill for secretary of state. it's a very interesting move on his part. >> meanwhile, there's been grand speculation of whether or not this nomination will rise up and go forward. republicans have certainly been forcefully trying to stomp that down and even promote john kerry to that role, but does the president get backed into the corner by the fact republicans have b

i'm just saying i don't want to know. >> jimmy williams, toure has just said to you that he does giveout that issue and there are many americans who do. but both of you are proud americans and i adore you both. thank you. >>> next, the clock ticks toward a vote on boehner's ridiculous plan b. stay with us. ♪ ♪ ♪ i want candy ♪ ♪ i want candy or treat gas with these after you get it. now that's like sunblock before or sun burn cream later. oh, somebody out there's saying, now i get it! take beano before and there'll be no gas. 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+. >>> in just over two hours from now, the house of representatives will go through a pointless exercise in voting on speaker john boehner's so-called plan b to avert the fiscal cliff. today the speaker once again offered his own fantasy as to why talks with the president are now deadlocked. >> for weeks the white house said if i moved on rates, they would make substant

jimmy williams joins me to break it down. plus a live report on london from this big news from the royals confirming after months ever speculation the buzz now from across the pond, clarence house confirming will and kate are preggers. [ male announcer ] at scottrade, we believe the more you know, the better you trade. so we have ongoing webinars and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. [ male announcer ] we began serving handcrafted coffees in seattle, and people seemed to like it. so we wondered -- where else could we take this? ♪ for over 40 years, we've brought our passion for fine coffee and espresso to people everywhere. but one place was impossible, until now. our lattes, espresso and brewed coffee, now in your

>> jimmy williams is here with a better idea, ban cameras from the senate floor, but he wants them turned on him instead. >> we will try anything at this point. fortunately, we are leaving the cameras here, they are kind of important. >>> we are at halftime in our fiscal cliff. yes, kornacki, i said fiscal cliff you and it is a basketball game, as each side continues its talking, stalking and posturing. >> let's get real. let's really get real about this, if we are going to have a solution and let's stay here and sit at that table and call, you know, make that charge okay, here are the president's cuts. have you seen the president's specific -- well, no, so why -- the president has been very specific. >> but here we are at the 11th hour around the president still suspect serious about dealing with this issue right here. it is this issue, spending. >> let's really get real here, guys what about basketball, you say? well, according to our new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, the fans want it settled and want it settled now but what we have, at least publicly is like tonight's l.a. laker

. >> here so explain why it matters is democratic strategist jimmy williams. in all fairness, though, when it comes to gay rights, hagel has many coout to apologize for those remarks that he made almost 15 years ago. explain the unique situation that hagel is in here where he's being hit from both sides, democrats and can republicans. >> listen, i was a gay staffer on the floor of the united states senate. i didn't like his policy positions then. he has since grown on the issue. if that's the case, and the president wants to actually nominate here and hrc, which is actually the preeminent gay rights equality group in the country is out there saying they accept his apology for wa it's worth. i accept his apology. what's happening is the nominees who haven't been nominated yet that are being, i guess, in a way beaten down or voted down in the arena of public opinion before they even get to the chamber as an actual nominee. that's a problem. and that, to me, is you have a lot of senators, both on the left and the right doing these things. i'd rather the president

. >> let's bring in the new year with our panel, jimmy williams and susan del percio and angela, general for the congressional black caucus. welcome all of you. jimmy, let's start with the fiscal cliff. >> fiscal cliff. >> we're hearing about a strange marriage between minority leader mitch mcconnell and the vice president. why is the senate's top republican having to go to the white house for help with democrats? >> well, i mean, they have been running around saying we want the president to lead, we need the president to show leadership. john mccain just went to the show and said the president needs to show leadership. does he think the vice president's office somehow got moved away from the executive branch? i'm pretty sure the president via his vice president is leading. if that's the case, it sounds to me like they don't like what he's leading with. >> you said via. he hasn't built the relationships with members of his own party or the other party. so, yes, it makes sense that vice president biden is brought in because he still has relationships with people on the hill. >> but, susan

toure is co-host of "the cycle" here on msnbc and jimmy williams is an msnbc contributor.guys, when you see that, don't you just get nostalgic for the campaign. it's the talk of the 47%, free stuff, and the latest from tagg romney that apparently his dad never really wanted the job anyway, right? >> the clown car is so stuffed what mall aproposeisms and other stuff. we didn't know rick perry forgetting to name some -- and newt gingrich's press release and any number of comments from him. >> but there's more. let's take a look at what i'm going to call the most monumental piece of found that didn't make it into that montage. >> there are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. there are 47% who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims. and so my job is not to worry about those people. i'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. >> i didn't want to disappoint. >> we've got to see that. i'm not sure and i wonder what jimmy would say about this, i don't know

chuck todd. >> jimmy: brian williams and david gregory. thank you, restaurant menus with wacky fonts, for basically saying, "eating here is a really bad idea." [ laughter ] >> steve: "i'll have the -- >> jimmy: "you gotta try the suicidal wave." [ light laughter ] >> steve: "no, i don't. no, i don't." >> jimmy: "you gonna try that one? you want hot? or you can get devil's butthole." [ laughter ] "yeah, the whole family's eating it." >> steve: the devil's butthole? i don't think i want to eat that. i don't want to put that in my body. >> jimmy: yeah. ♪ thank you, mitt romney, for losing out on your bid for the white house. guess you'll just have to settle for your blue house, your yellow house, your gray house, your red house -- [ cheers and applause ] -- your brick house, your dutch colonial, classic tudor, neo-victorian, french chateau and your summer house that has a tree house that's the same size as a regular house. [ cheers and applause ] he's disappointed. ♪ thank you, ice, for not minding that you float in a pool of your own blood.

i'm sorry, i worked with billy dee williams, i'm sorry. >> jimmy: you're family is coming?. >> jimmy: who cooks? >> this is the second time they come in for thanksgiving. we divvy it up. i like cooking the turkey, my grandmother had a method. my mom and dad take over the sides. i'm building a new barbecue at my house, smoke a couple turkey breasts to change it up. >> jimmy: smoke it up. >> we have that in common we love to cook food. >> jimmy: that is right. congratulations. >> what was funny about that? >> jimmy: i don't know. we'll take it, though. eric stonestreet. "modern family" wednesdays at 9:00 on abc. we'll be back with l.a. reid. [ mannounce >> dicky: portions of "jimmy kimmel live" are brought to you by bud light. here we go. but this story has two sides. this is the devil's cut: a more intense bourbon trapped in the barrel wood... that we found a way to unlock. the result is a smooth, slightly sinister, bourbon... ...and it ain't for choir boys. jim beam devil's cut. ♪ ♪ "are you a cool mom?" i'm gonna find out. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet's pads are bet

joining me now is former white house deputy fres secretary tony fratto and msnbc contribute jimmy williamsk both of you, what was your initial reaction when you heard the news? i had the sense of how could this happen again. jimmy? >> it was here we go again. it was -- i was working in the senate in 1998 when that guy walked in and killed two u.s. capitol policemen. and i thought, i mean, how many times do we have to go through this? this is coming from a guy, by the way, that's from the south. this is coming from a guy that owns guns, that sit in my home unloaded. no kids in my house, just to be clear. this is coming from a guy they grew up in a household with guns that sat in a locked gun closet. i knew that if i went near them my father was going to beat the hell out of me. i knew it. but we are now at a tipping point. we are now at a stage where we are almost ten years after the assault weapons ban has expired. if you need a 223, if you need an ak-47 to shoot bambi, you have bigger problems. you don't need those guns. you don't need them to go hunting. i get gun rights. i totally like

is jimmy williams, msnbc contributor and joe watkins, republican strategist and former george h.w. white house aide. he was also a romney surrogate. jimmy, do you know how much msnbc pays versus cnbc? i mean is there a reason that you feel more aligned with -- what do we got to do to get you here, anyway? >> pay me more, baby. it's called capitalism. >> oh. now -- >> the democrat speaking. >> now you like capitalism, when it applies to you. okay. we got it. jimmy, can they do anything to -- between tonight -- or they can meet with the president today, and then the house gets back on sunday. do you think they can do some stripped down bill? >> i think that -- i know they can. but they won't. and the reason they won't is because speaker boehner, who i like and you and i have talked about, cannot get -- listen, if he can't get a million bucks threshold on a tax cut through his chamber, what's he going to do get $500,000? it's not going to happen. what i think is going to happen at the white house this afternoon, though, is these folks are going to come in, sit down with the president,

ever drove back to the white house with the president in 1909 with william howard taft and the obama's what part of the distance. jimmy carter and rosalynn carter walked the entire distance in 1977 from the capitol back to the white house. in the inaugural parade that will take place the reviewing is always set up in the white house there's the white house in the background and is a classic inaugural parade and the capitol is in the background with the bands marching. in 1953 famous cowboy named monty montana lassoed dwight eisenhower with his permission. [laughter] in the afternoon of inauguration day back in 1829 to was a sort of stampede in the white house the had a big party there and the people trampled the place with their boots and direct the curtains and the carpeting and finally the fiasco ended when somebody had a brilliant idea of putting a large tub of whiskey on the white house lawn and everybody laughed. the inaugural ball athlete, this is 1953 come here are the kennedys and 61, george and laura bush and dhaka and michelle obama. the young plant inaugurations are also a big part of inauguration day. well

. >> jimmy: she gives her speech like that. [ laughter ] everybody's still talking about prince williament. and get this. using the faces of the royal family, a forensic artist has created an image of what the royal baby might look like. we have it right here. take a look. [ laughter ] that's interesting. looks like grandpa. >> lot of hair for a baby. >> jimmy: lot of hair. good head of hair. here's a local story. yesterday, mayor michael bloomberg announced that new york will hold a contest to redesign the city's payphones. yeah. top prize -- a brand new walkman. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] a walkman. >> anybody want a quarter? >> jimmy: 1-800-c-o-l -- this is kind of scary, you guys. anderson cooper -- he's fine now, but he said that while filming a segment for "60 minutes" -- you hear about this? he got a sunburn on his eyeball and was temporarily blind. either that, or anderson cooper is terrible at faking a sick day. "oh, yeah, i got a sunburn on my eyeball, so i can't make it to work. bye." last night was the big "victoria's secret fashion show" over at cbs, or as husband

william howard taft. we will see that again this time. the kennedy's, obama walked part of the distance. jimmy carter and rosalynn carter walked the entire distance of the my yolly and half in 1977 from the capitol back to the white house. in the inaugural parade will take place reviewing stand is always set up in the white house that's grover cleveland back in '95 there's the white house in the background and is a classic inaugural picture the capitol is in the background with bands marching in 1953 a famous old cowboy named montana lassoed july eisenhower with his permission. in the afternoon of inauguration day backend 1829, there was a sort of stampede on the white house. they had a big party at the people trampled the place, trampled the white house with their muddy boots and the wrecked the curtains and the carpeting and finally the fiasco ended when assembly of the brilliant idea of putting a large tub of whiskey out on the white house lawn slowly but surely every left 1953 there's the kennedys and 61, george and laura bush, bartok and michelle obama and planned inaugurations are also a

brendon and ray rice and williams will host the toys for tots party at jimmy's seafood restaurant.re looking at what's going on outside right now. and we can see sunshine trying to push into bel air trying to dry things out. but we are also dealing with temperatures that have ben above average coming in at 48 degrees right now. we can see on satellite and radar showers back off towards the west these are going to move in going into the afternoon hours so there's a chance for a shower in the forecast. but temperatures we will stay mild as we go throughout the day. and let's check the traffic with lauryn cook. >> reporter: good morning many we are dealing with a crash on 95 blocking one southbound lane at o'donnell street. traffic is going to be jammed back to white marsh and problems persist on route 295 a crash north bund at the beltway. here's what 695 looks like at liberty road. we are dealing with a little congestion on outer loop. that will continue as you make the push to route 40 and here's what 83 locks like in hunt valley. nice and clear. megan over to you. >> all right we