. >> suarez: michael beschloss, thanks for joining us. >> pleasure, ray. >> brown: next, margaret warner continues her reporting from post-revolutionary egypt. tonight, she talks with political activists trying to find their way in an uncertain future. >> warner: the road from tahrir square to a new egypt winds through modest neighborhoods like embaba in cairo. and last night, volunteers from the new "el adl," or "justice," party descended on this coffee shop with cheer and resolve, bearing brochures and campaign videos.

at least the idea he might have was enough to make her very angry. >> presidential historian michael beschlossr joining us tonight, michael. >> pleasure, lawrence. >>> coming up, it took a wrestling match with god for rick perry to find religion. penn jillette, author of "god, no!" joins me to discuss that one. >>> and in the rewrite, what rick perry doesn't understand about economics and the lesson in the crucifixion of jesus christ. important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endo

at least the idea he might have was enough to make her very angry. >> presidential historian michael beschlossasure, lawrence. >>> coming up, it took a wrestling match with god for rick perry to find religion. penn jillette, author of "god, no!" joins me to discuss that one. >>> and in the rewrite, what rick perry doesn't understand about economics and the lesson in the crucifixion of jesus christ. woman: we love ordering sushi, but it was getting expensive. so to save some money... man: looks great, hun... woman: ...and we're not real proud of this. man: no...we're not. woman: we...um... teen: have you guys seen captain stewie and lil' miss neptune? dad: did you look all over the place? under your desk? all around? teen: uh, they're fish, they live in a bowl. dad: what're gonna do? anncr: there's an easier way to save. anncr: there's an easier way to save. teen: whatever. ncr: 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. [ male announcer ] when a moment suddenly turns romantic, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily us

at least the idea he might have was enough to make her very angry. >> presidential historian michael beschlossleasure, lawrence. >>> coming up, it took a wrestling match with god for rick perry to find religion. penn jillette, author of "god, no!" joins me to discuss that one. >>> and in the rewrite, what rick perry doesn't understand about economics and the lesson in the crucifixion of jesus christ. opens its doors or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion. a vacation on a budget with expedia. make it work. booking a flight by itself is an uh-oh. see if we can "stitch" together a better deal. that's a hint, antoine. ooh! see what anandra did? booking your flight and hotel at the same time gets you prices hotels and airlines won't let expedia show separately. book it. maj

. >> suarez: we listen in, along with historian michael beschloss, to some remarkably candid conversations with former first lady jacqueline kennedy. >> brown: we have the tale of a marine whose death-defying rescue mission in afghanistan led to a medal of honor awarded at the white house today. >> you did your duty above and beyond, and you kept faith with the highest traditions of the marine corps that you love. because of your honor, 36 men are alive today; because of your courage, four fallen american heroes came home. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> oil companies have changed my country. >> oil companies can make a difference. >> we have the chance to build the economy. >> create jobs, keep people healthy and improve schools. >> ... and our communities. >> in angola chevron helps train engineers, teachers and farmers; launch child's programs. >> it's not just good business. >> i'm hopeful about my country's future. >> it's my country's future. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that

michael beschloss hailed him as part of the most smartest guy ever to become president, unquote. why would you say such a thing? i mean, other than an impressive talent of self-promotion what has he ever done? even as the legendary thinker, what an original thought has he ever expressed in his entire life? and yet he's quote probably the spores got every to become president says michael beschloss, and he's a presidential historian, so he should know because he's a smart guy, too. and lending a hand, another smart guy, david brooks, of "the new york times" hailed the incoming administration as a collection of supersmart eggheads, credential to the health quote, if a foreign enemy attacks the united states during the harvard and yale game, anytime over the next four years, we are screwed, unquote. he was right. over a quarter of obama's political that ties to harvard, over 90% had advanced degrees, and yet we are screwed anyway. how did that happen? what kind of supersmart guys all think the same thing? we are governed by conform bureaucrats who live in a bubble. where the ruling c

the idea of michael beschloss behind closed doors advising bill daly of the senior staff -ç >> i'd ber citing the excellence of "time." now that i'm at "the huffington post" it doesn't matter. it's preposterous to suggest that ronald reagan's re-election campaign is going to be a template. ronald reagan's central message in the campaign was encapsulated in a tv ad called "it's morning in america." >> as a matter of fact, we have it. i'd be remiss if i didn't cue it up now for you. >> do it now and then we'll talk afterwards. >> play the tape. >> okay. >> this afternoon 6500 young men and women will be married and with inflation at less than half of what it was just four years ago they can look forward with confidence to the future. it's morning again in america. and under the leadership of president reagan, our country is prouder and stronger and better. why would we ever want to return to where we were less than four short years ago. >> i remember it being unveiled. i was in dallas that year. what's the point you take away from that? >> the point i take away from that is at least now

on thursday, ray suarez talks with historian michael beschloss about some surprisingly candid conversationsh former first lady jacqueline kennedy about her husband as well martin luther king and others. i'm jeffrey brown. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org u forget it. yourself, so don't fall. u forget it. now he tells us. how far am i off the floor? about twelve inches. twelve whole inches?

yet he is probably the smartest guy ever to become president since michael beschloss and he is a presidential historian. so he should know because he is a smart guy, too and lending a hand to another smart guy to the house conservative of "the new york times" hailed the incoming -- hailed the incoming administration has a collection of super smart egghead credentials of their health, quote, if a fall in enemy attacks the united states during the harvard yale game anytime over the next four years, we are screwed, end of quote. he was right. over a quarter of obama's pub bickel appointees with ties to harvard over 90% have advanced degrees, and yet more siggerud anyway -- were screwed it any way. what kind of smart guys all think the same thing? we are governed by the come for immigrants who live in the self reenforcing bubble. we have a ruling class that thinks alike and cannot concede that anyone other than the racist, terrorist or a mentally ill of lunatic like my colleague at fox news juan williams when he got fired from npr for accidentally wandering off of the reservation for 30 seconds t

he works michael beschloss, a number of people. i don't know all of his clients but he is the best. and he was, hugh washburn, a little brac ground. washburn was a congressman from illinois who was a fellow congressman or fellow politician in illinois with abraham lincoln and a very close friend of abraham lincoln's. and when lincoln became president it was washburn, as much as anybody else who kept telling lincoln, you've got to give this man grant full chance to show what he can do because washburn came from galina, illinois, which where grant was living before the civil war started. but what also distinguished washburn, he was one of four brothers who all served in congress, in the house or the senate. all four from different states, all got reelected regularly. all four had distinguished careers. one was a general in the civil war. another was as mayor, as the governor of maine, was, it appears to have been the first person to refer to the new political party as the republican party. and they grew up on a hard scrabble farm in western maine in utter poverty. and, 10 children, an

. >> michael, i think the single most important line or principle outlined in your piece is that you say no iron law in politics is ever 100% accurate. and that was beschlossece. because we have been hearing this relentlessly now, as long as i can remember in the discussion of this campaign, that, hey, the unemployment rate is above eight, if it's above nine, it's hopeless, it's over. we had allen lickman last night saying it's important, but it's one of many things. he actually lists 13 other things -- 12 other things ins to that that he actually weighs equally, including things like scandal in an administration. and strength of the opponents. strength of the opponents is exactly now where the white house is focused. does that mean they're planning on running in effect a negative campaign on whoever that nominee is? >> no doubt it will be negative. the question is whether it will be a personally negative campaign or a negative campaign built on issues. you cannot talk to a democrat in this town or even in chicago working on the campaign without them volunteering information about what allows the candidate they think mitt romney will be, the candidate that