with us onset this morning we have the executive editor at random house jon meacham. jon meacham. >> yes, ma'am. >> and visiting professor at nyu, former democratic congressman harold ford jr. >> good morning. >> and joining us from cnbc headquarters in new jersey -- >> yes. >> the cutest thing in the world. >> we've missed him. >> i missed you guys. >> co-host of cnbc's "squawk box," andrew ross sorkin. >> i missed you guys, i really did. >> he's hard to book now that he hosts his own show. >> he's a diva. he's got -- you wouldn't believe his expense account over there. things he requires, room temperature water -- >> oh, my god. >> he's like madonna. >> whole green room set up with the green m&ms. >> i'm wondering how you're surviving on this schedule with twins. >> we can talk about that off air. but it's working out okay so far. >> i feel your pain. i feel your pain. we're going to talk about the overall economy moving forward. with all of the events last week the failure of the super committee and the response on the markets, the plunge that we saw. when we look

>> jon meacham?rking american, though he doesn't get paid $60,000 a speech like celebrities like newt gingrich. >> if you can arrange a freddie mac contract for me. >> we'll see what we can do. >> but talk a little bit about where you all see the american jobs act. a lot of us responded so well to the president's speech to congress. and it's gone through the legislative sausage making and unmaking progress. how does it look from where you all sit? >> we're very frustrated, just the way the american people are. time and time again, the republicans in congress have refused to support the american jobs act. as i said a little earlier, it would create jobs right away and our economy certainly needs that jolt. our unemployment rate as high as it is and families sitting around the kitchen table every day trying to figure out how to make ends meet, this is an act that would've delivered on behalf of the american people. as the president has traveled around the country, he's received a great deal of support

oh, meacham -- perfect! you're here. work out. >> what did you get? >> it wasn't a good fit. i wrote a white paper. no. i think this is why gingrich is one of god's gifts to american politics, is because he always does this. now he's become even more compressed. the cycle of newt riding high, down. right? used to at least take a week. now it's 48 hours. and you know, there's an intuitive understanding, public understanding, whether it's pizza or the mortgage crisis, that there is aç system, wheth it's cultural -- the fact that it is cultural is actually scarier in a way. if it were simply a matter of legislating something and moving on. but people -- money and politics always finds a way. it is like water leaking into your house. you block it one place, it is probably going to come in the other. so it is a very hard reform argument to make. i think this is interesting because geng grich in a week, i don't see him as a plausible nominee. maybe i'm alone in that. >> no, you're not. >> you are not alone in that. i think it

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meacham? >> we talk a lot about an independent movement or some third force between the two established parties that have dominated american politics really since the civil war. >> right. >> exhibit "a." >> exhibit "a." and you know the thing is this chart is actually -- and i didn't know they were going to put it up. this is real -- it doesn't tell the story. if you did it per year, it would be even more pushed to the guy who claims he's with the occupy wall street movement. there are two wings of the same party. there is no doubt -- >> the data also shows the largest banks have increased their assets by 10% by the beginning of 2009 and have reported profits of $34 billion so far this year. wall street's salaries have grown on average by 16.1% and last year financial firms gave out more than $20 billion in bonuses. really? it's just unbelievable. the "washington post" article points to the low-cost money the banks received from the federal government along with not being compelled. i think th

executive editor of random house jon meacham and presidential historian michael beschloss.elcome everybody. hope you had a good thanksgiving. the great thing about thanksgiving get everybody around the table, and unless you talk about food, you might get into politics and the big issues. this race is getting very, very interesting. we mentioned it all morning, the union leader of new hampshire endorsing newt gingrich in new hampshire. america's at i crucial crossroads. we're in a critical need of innovative forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that gingrich has shown he's capable of providing. deso with the contract with america. he did it in bringing in the first republican house in 40 years, and balanced budgets, and even a surplus despite the political challenge of dealing with a democratic president. a lot of candidates say they're going to improve washington. newt gingrich has actually done that and in this race he offers the best shot of doing it again. he has the experience, leadership, qualities and vision to lead this very in these trying times. this is

daniel meacham, good to see you. >> good to see you. thank you. >>> here's a recipe for disaster. living room and saw this? flour everywhere all because of two little boys. you're going to have to stick around, i guess, to see the video. two little boys kind of had a field day with a five-pound bag of flour. and it's everywhere. would you kind of blow a gasket or would you say, it's all right? >> i would probably blow a gasket. i would blow a gasket. that's my daughter. >> you'll have to stick around for our viral video. this was the end result. >> oh, my gosh. >> i know. we'll be right back with more of this viral video. subaru owners care about. that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and $250 goes to your choice of 5 charities. with your help, we can reach $20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. at liberty mutual, we know how much you count on your car and how much the people in your life count on you. that's why we offer accident forgiveness, man: good job. where your price won't increase due to your first accident. we

back with us on set along with willie geist and me, jon meacham, harold ford jr.n week lows. the major u.s. index fell 2% each. hours before the midnight deadline, the leaders of the bipartisan panel issued a statement. they say in part, despite the ability to bridge the committees significant differences we end this process united in the belief the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed. we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve. >> that was your job. >> wait a minute. i thought that's what you were doing. that was the thing. then there were these triggers going into effect immediately, right? >> you got it. >> the breakdown of the supercommittee will trigger $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts including up to $600 billion from the defense department that's already getting pushed back. a number of congressmen are trying to stop that. the defense secretary, leon panetta, says it could tear a seam in the nation's defense. president obama is vowing to block an effort to avoid the trigger saying congress must stick to the guidelines of the deal. >> already so

mark what is it the show all over again get it meacham spicules watched. claims in a new report that iran is moving ever closer. a very warm welcome to you this is your news today protesters on the walls seem to play at. least in gippsland the chances to get a glimpse of the status of the human experiment gifts little in the weeks you will probably miss the music on which it snows the libby trial sensibly economy and it's all changed things as financial tips the reason to maintain our confidence in markets and. wants to be easing trade imbalances recession look to the nation's close to collapse in the subprime loans close. to fail so we played the game feel like there's us crash and imminent smashed ceiling is closing the book is an inspiring the i can't sleep just programs increase the total economy. the be. losing. the book. the headlines on all. he blames syria's increasing international isolation on the west and plans to bring about regime change and the arab league has turned its back on president assad with the u.s. and its allies but action to bring

. >> nicole meacham had been asking for the special brand of help for several weeks.e was in luck. >> i'll do it for free today. and it's on the house. what's your name? >> nicole. >> okay. i'm just -- it's not a hustle. i care about people. i genuinely care about people. seems like a lot of shampoo, and it is, and i'm sure you know what you're doing. i accept tips. some girls have given me, like, oh, my god, thank you so much, have given me stuff because it really helped me out. ready? going in. let's go. did it help? >> yes, it did. >> so people should stop giving me a hard time? >> yes. >> yes, because i'm doing a service here. i'm here only to help. >> she sure does help. >> she loved it. >>> coming up -- >> this is the wild, wild west. >> more of the unusual personalities we found in maricopa county. >> officer solomon, you have that voice and face for radio. get it, face for radio? >>> during our extended stay at the maricopa county jail, there was no end to the lineup of interesting people we met. >> yeah, you guys are cool, man. that's why i've been talking to

. >> and meacham.t on the show when he talked about the other presidents. this guy, you just sense he doesn't like people. he's not comfortable in small groups, but -- and i do think that's hurt him with the electorate. but i think peggy noonan framed this several months ago better than anybody else has. i don't think the question's going to be how -- what did he inherit and how are we doing now? the question is, did he make things worse? >> right. >> and i think that -- if i were running and steve, we'll get to you in a second. but if i were running, i could make a really strong economy t-at he took a bad economy and now, steve would disagree with me. but i think this is the issue of the campaign. >> right. if we start litigating the nature of the mess he inherited, republicans will lose, the republicans should concede he inherited a mess and then make the case or ask the questions -- did he make it worse? and the question is, was that a good use of time, resources, and political energy to spend his f