let's go quickly now to leslie sanchez. robert zimmerman just joining me. let me start with you, robert. your thoughts? i think that is a poignant letter from the sergeant. this teachable moment, what is it? >> teachable moment was demonstrated by the example that was set of these individuals coming together, professor gates, sergeant crowley, the president and vice president. i mean that is a teachable moment that has to be replicated in our civic associations and our communities and our neighborhoods. >> harold? >> absolutely. in the confines of the white house and back in cambridge, it's a relatively sedate, sort of working through the problems. people are on their best behavior. the sergeant, as you said, very well spoken. this other sergeant writing a very eloquent letter. professor gates, i'm sure, is going to play his part. all outside, though, is a much rougher conversation. there are boycotts. there are all this angry talk on the airwaves. there's a boston police officer who sent an e-mail and is about to get fired. he had his gun and badge taken f

leslie, my namesake, let me begin with you. >> sanchez. sanchez. >> oh, sanchez. >> kidding. >> sotomayor. >> i know. >> hey, how did she do? did she hold up? did you like what she had to say? what did you think? >> i thought she did incredibly well. you know, she did a very good job of threading that very delicate needle between answering her critics with respect to empathy. she says one line. my personal and professional experience helped me to listen and understand. she's particularly talking about that empathy that president obama has talked about in selecting her. but she also applied another word, the word "apply," which is something that justice roberts also said. you know, when she's talking about the task of a judge is not to make law but apply law. justice roberts also talked about an umpire, you know, applying the rules. so, regardless of the politics, i think she did a very good job at introducing herself and very briefly. >> did you think -- let me ask maria this. at time when i was looking at her and she seemed to be annoyed

maria cardona is a democratic strategist, leslie sanchez, a republican strategist and former advisert george w. bush. great to see you ladies on our panel this morning. >> thanks, tamron. >> ladies, where were you monday and tuesday when we were talking about beauty and power? we'll get past that. >> we were in chicago actually together. >> that's right. they were representing. >> maria, let me ask you this. in every team there are people who are your stars and there are people who lag behind. looking at the cabinet six months in, who are the stars of the obama administration, people who are really holding their own here? >> i think the stars and the people who have really come out shining are, of course, hillary clinton, my former boss. i have to say that. but i think that you really have seen her make sure that the role of the secretary of state is taken incredibly seriously across the world. she's really started to fix our reputation overseas. she has been diligent, become a consummate team player, and has really focused on president obama's philosophy of smart power. >> so hillar

bureau, republican strategist, leslie sanchez.et me start, if i may, mark, with the politics of moscow and washington. any significance and substance to today's deal? >> it lays the groundwork for a lot of cooperation, not just on nuclear weapons, but on a range of issues. this would be a great thing for president obama to get done for the country and a lot of the problems the united states faces. iran, north korea, the russians could play a big part in trying to solve these problems, if he can revive the relationship. the meetings today are important. i'm looking forward to tomorrow, his meeting with putin is probably a bigger deal. i think this first meeting with putin will probably do more to answer the questions, can the united states get something out of this relationship. >> danube do you believe that it's necessary that we find out what mr. putin is thinking before anything real can be accomplished? >> i definitely agree with that. i also think that russia is at a very vulnerable point right now. it makes sense that they're

we're going to talk to leslie sanchez and jamal simmons about what is she going to do now?sident obama is meeting this morning with russian president medvedev, talks expected to focus largely on arms control and first lady michelle obama as well as first daughters sasha and malia will be joining the president on his week-long trip. suzanne, the relationship between russia and the united states, it could use a little work right now. what do you think the top priorities are going to be? >> it certainly could use some work. and one of the things we're going to see is how the relationships unfold. president obama meeting with medvedev today and tomorrow. and with vladimir putin, they are a little bit frostier when it comes to the two of them. we saw these two leaders sitting down this morning and they're going to be sitting down for hours, president obama saying he welcomed the hospitality saying even the weather favors us. chilly outside, but warm inside. some progress both of these leaders to announce later this morning that they're going to reduce their nuclear arsenals some