rerun it there. >> i should have thought of that. >> let me save time for mike barnicle here. orge w. bush. what do you think of that? >> i think he had a lot of influence. >> i've got to say, mike, i'm surprised he's not number 1. >> he is number 1. >> because we went for better or worse in bush's world. >> he is number 1. you are absolutely right. the world we live in now was heavily influenced by george w. bush's actions as president of the united states. he invaded iraq. his actions after september 11th what he did to pull the country together and what he did not do to urge the country to stay together for the months and years after september 11th, in my mind he is the single most influential figure. >> you know, he really is. >> the most of what this current president encounters today is a result of the previous president's actions. he's dealing with wars, and he's dealing with what's the biggest political issue right now? the bush tax cuts. >> seriously. the bush tax cuts, the bush wars, the bush deficits, the bush housing crisis. and, again, for better or worse. afghanis

joining us on set are msnbc contributor, mike barnicle. hello, mike. >> hello, mika. >> yeah.d thing you're awake. national affairs editor for "new york" magazine and msnbc political analyst, john heilemann. >> hi! >> yeah. hi. and from cnbc headquarters, co-host of cnbc's "squawk box," andrew ross sorkin. >> do i need to make a joke about school being out? >> that's so yesterday. we're tired of that, actually. >> you like kind of grown. >> he went from being a little kid to adorable. >> he's a grizzled old vet. the grey hair is coming in. >> and from washington, nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent, host of "andrea mitchell reports", the lovely andrea mitchell. >> happy holidays. >> and "washington post" columnist, jonathan capehart. thank you all so much for being with us. and why don't we just start really quickly with the story of the year, mika. and that, of course, barack obama wins, the republicans lose. and in a way that perhaps is more telling than just what one election result might suggest. >> well, i think it certainly does. and it gives him a certain platform a

that. >> i think what you need whenever looking at these jobs numbers to show the restraint of mike barnicle'sdeline. >> you don't blurt things out. >> let the numbers speak for themselves. let them breathe. >> another barnicle -- another barnicle friend comes to mind. >> who is that? >> senator moynihan. said we're entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts. if you can't talk about it then it's or well bean. >> it's stupid. some people still think on the far, far, far right. they few, though, i'm going to say, that it's still a week before the election. i've noticed a lot of the people on the far right, not the far, far right, willie, it's like they get the memo. our stupidity was not rewarded on election day. perhaps we're going to have a more fact-based view of the political scene not the entire world. >> bill kristol said it about turning down the conservative -- what did he call it? >> entertainment complex. >> time to tone that down, and then you see it from john boehner, you heard bob corker talk about it in these negotiations. they know their position has changed. they know the

and in new york, msnbc contributor, mike barnicle. and the co-anchor of "street signs," brian sullivan. we've got a lot to talk about, mike barnicle, but i saw a headline on the front page of "usa today," a tease that is very intriguing, and that is one of the greatest players in major league baseball trying to get his worth right now. and if i were a major league team, i would pass on josh hamilton in a new york second because the guy phoned it in when his team needed him the most. there's an attitude problem. and yet he could be such a huge payoff. are the red sox looking at josh hamilton? >> i think any team that's looking at hamilton is looking at no longer than three years with him because of the things you just mentioned. >> he, of course, had an addiction problem, a terrible addiction problem. he got passed -- it was an inspiring story, but he seemed to fall off the cliff. not on alcohol or drugs, but something's up. >> yeah, he appeared to be mailing in his at-bats during the month of september when texas really needed him. an

mike barnicle and john holliman rejoin the table as well.ood to have you on board this morning. >> good to be with you. >> we're talking about obviously lessons from the past year. tell us what steven spielberg's movie, inspired by your book, inspired by abraham lincoln teaches us in the aftermath of this election and in the middle of some pretty damn difficult debates over our financial future and how best protect our children. >> i think the most important thing it teaches us about presidential leadership and about what politics can do to make life better for people. we have such a cynical view right now of our politician bus what lincoln shows and what movie reveals is in the hands of people like abraham lincoln, who was a man, not an icon, it's possible to have deep convictions. he was willing to go to war to save the union, to screw his second term to get that 13th amendment passed but decide those convictions, he was willing to compromise to do whatever was necessary to reach the goals. he never lo his connection it that popular assemb

. >>> well now let's turn to sports and before i get to the patriots highlights, mike barnicle, i hopemorning you and all the new england fans wake up and thank tom brady. you've been going for a decade with this glory ride and it makes me sick. >> what a beating they gave them. >> you know how lucky you are, right? >> oh, absolutely, yeah. >> some day you will have mark sanchez. >> no, no, we're not going to have mark sanchez. >> yes, you will. >> that's not going to happen. >> let's get to sports in the nfl. patriots hosting the texans. no disrespect to the broncos. this could be an afc championship preview. interception pras, brady. brandon loi. who was covered him. there was almost 21-0 as they went to the half. third quarter, more from tom brady. this one -- i didn't know this guy was still in the nfl. donte' stallworth breaks away and gets into the end zone. that's 28-0 brady -- patriots. did i just call it brady? is that the name of the team? danny woodhead, used to be a jet. never should have let him go. followed by j.j. watson. into tend zone. touchdown recovered there. brando

i'm mike barnicle, and as we pull toward the end of the year, this is a special reprise edition of "way too early," one time only, the show that got another lump of coal in its stocking this christmas. you're not the only one keeping track, santa. thank you for being up with us this thursday, december 27th. there is a lot to talk about, including a new warning from treasury secretary tim geithner. he is now telling congress that the u.s. government will reach its borrowing limit by next monday, the 31st. remember how much fun the last debt ceiling fight was? well, that news comes as president obama rushes home to washington, cutting short his hawaiian vacation in order to resume talks on the fiscal cliff. there are just five days remaining to strike a deal. we'll get to all that in a moment, but first, we begin with a massive winter storm that made holiday travel miserable for millions of americans, including me! winter storm euclid -- what, are we naming snowstorms now? euclid. you can lid? well, euclid blanketed much of the eastern half of the country yesterday, dropping blizzard-like

willie geist, mike barnicle, thanks for watching our special, "the most." it was a lot of fun. >> yeah, it was. >> even if george bush was on the list. i thought you behaved yourself very well. all right. >> yeah. >> well, thank you so much for being with us. >>> merry cliffmas. let's play hardball. >>> good evening. i'm michael smerconish in for chris matthews. leading off tonight, fiscal cliff hanger, president obama calls on congress to act after christmas on a scale-down deal that would spare the middle class from tax hikes on the first of the year. the president met with harry reid and spoke with john boehner. is a grand bargain still possible when everyone is leaving town? >> a week from the shooting massacre that left 20 children and six educators dead, we have heard plenty of people calling for new gun control laws but very little from the national rifle association until now. in a bizarre news conference, the head of the nchl ra said the solution of gun violence in this country is simple, more guns. armed officers in every school. it is the same li

with us, we have mike barnicle, author of "thomas jefferson," willie, joe and me as well. >> that wassn't it? >> that was. that was dead serious. he was not feeling anything else at that point, i think. >> i tell you, yesterday really did touch americans in a way, this whole weekend, and the president's speech and people like joe manchin stepping

mike barnicle. >> that's what i learned. i almost put a gun in my mouth.

we have mike barnicle with us. you're not an exception. beautiful piece in "the daily news" today. we'll read that in must read. thank you very much. former treasury officials. mark ratner is with us as well. he has a must read. i'm serious. >> beautiful. >> also in washington, washington anchor for "bbc world news america" katty kay. >> no pieces, sorry. >> you'll write one next time. thank you. so we've got a lot to get to this morning. >> a lot to talk about today. >> those exceptions, what are you talking about? >> just in the conversation about everything you thought there were two exceptions. >> rick perry, governor of texas, and -- >> is it bob -- >> they said we need to -- we need to arm teachers. >> we have to think about it. >> somebody in the school with a gun. >> guns in school. that's great. you know what? this gelts me thinking, right? >> really? >> so that's what we're going to take care of last friday. so the shooting in the mall in oregon. >> yeah. >> i'm thinking maybe if we arm like the people that do the smoothies and whatever. >> or the sun glaglass hut thea or

that is a nationwide project. >> mike barnicle?wer, it occurs to me, is not part of our problem here in the united states, to be rather parochial about it, is the definitions of things that we have about us, infrastructure, for instance, when we think about infrastructure with regard to politics, people think about bridges, highways, roads, but infrastructure, ought not it to mean to cope with these issues, infrastructure ought not to include the element of kindergarten, of day care, of early childhood education? i used to measure it, tom, when you were in beirut in '82 and '83, i used to measure a child's future, if you don't catch him by the third or fourth grade, you're going to lose him forever. now i think it's down to age 4 or 5, but we don't pay enough to infrastructure in this country. do you agree with that? >> i agree totally. we kind of speak in the language of k-12, but it's really now, you know, "b" through retirement, birth right through life. and the big change that is happening and needs to happen much more quickly,

that's the question. >> very good, mike barnicle. >> not to shock you, mika, i disagree.e, compromise. and if not willing to compromise -- >> yes, that's the difference. >> if they're not willing to compromise, don't cave. >> republicans that won in their districts, landslides, they can stare down the president and just wait. don't wait, but do compromise. and there's no sense this president wants to compromise. and right now, there's no sense that republican leaders actually want to put real cuts on the table. $2 trillion, i'm sorry, we -- the starting point is $4 trillion. and even if we cut $4 trillion over the next ten years, we're going to go even deeper in debt than that. but don't cave. >> that's an -- >> compromise. >> it's a really important distinction. >> would a compromise include ticking up the marginal rate on the top earners so it's not 39.6%, but it's 37%. the president has to get something. >> and by the way, we talk about the art of the deal, mike talks about the art of the deal. i could see and the numbers would add up if you said to the president you'r

joining us on set this hour, we have mike barnicle and john heilemann. gentlemen, thanks for joining the conversation this morning. we're taking it slow today. >> yeah, we are. >> easing into all the inevitable debates that will follow. but here they will stay a conversation. >> they will. there are several debates that we have to have. and i know all of you saw, as the news was breaking, the things that were saying online, both sides were saying online, even before we knew how these kids were. and it's so easy for ideologues on both sides to cling one thing and say, this is the cause of the problem. it's not that easy. mike, we've got the gun issue. it's just got to be addressed. the "new york post" is saying it. a lot of other conservatives are going to be saying it in the days and weeks to come. we've had a mental health crisis. how is it -- >> it's equally as grave. >> -- how is it -- well, of course, it is, yeah. and it is. and how is it that we know usually when something like this happens, what the profile of the shooter is going to be? and then y

i'm mike barnicle in for joe, mika and willie.oining the table, we have political editor and white house correspondent for the huffington post, sam stein. >> hi. >> applause for sam. "fortune's" assistant managing editor, leigh gallagher. and the president of the council on foreign relations, author of "foreign policy begins at home: the case for putting america's house in order." and in washington, vice president and executive editor of msnbc.com and msnbc political analyst, richard wolffe. a minor round of applause for richard wolffe. >> one hand clapping. >> first of all, can anybody here come up with a synonym -- i don't care what it is -- so we don't have to employ the phrase "fiscal cliff" at all during the day? any ideas? anybody got any -- >> how about deadline? >> how about do your job. how about just do your job time. it is ridiculous. a little news, then we'll chatter about this. as if tax hikes and spending cuts weren't enough, there's a new reminder that the nation's debt ceiling is also hanging over the budget talks

with us on set, msnbc contributor mike barnicle, pulitzer prize-winnering historian jon meacham, author of "thomas jefferson." "fortune's" assistant managing editor leigh gallagher and political analyst, former chairman of the rnc, michael steele. and i'm willie geist. joe and mika have the day off today. there's so much to talk about, but we do have to begin with the ties, if we could. it's not just mike. mike's getting all the focus here this morning, and that is inexcusable. >> could i just say, in the words of speaker john boehner, we need to find common ground here, and we need to do it quick. >> there ain't going to be any between these two ties, my man. over here, good news, jon meacham will be number one on "the new york times" best-seller list this weekend. >> hear, hear. >> his book, "jefferson." bad news is he's going to get there wearing that tie with bunny rabbits on it. here they are. could we get a text poll? >> can i just tell you, i got this from harold ford. >> that explains a lot. >> so there you go. >> that means it's free at both ends. >> it's a disgrace to michael

people like the mike barnicles of the boston globe.d.c., but there are other places as well. we tried to keep an eye out for maybe people we hadn't heard of. >> like the los angeles times. >> wonderful, wonderful writer, pete dexter, and there are lot of people like andy rooney, who everybody thinks of as a tv guy, who wrote a column three days a week. >> in this volume, which is "scandals, tragedies and triumphs." read that brief excerpt. >> he's writing about a lot of the confusion and he's cutting through the confusion around the wmds and why we went to war in iraq. he says here, when i raised the mystery of the missing wmds recently, they fired a barrage of reproachable e-mails to me. but there are indications that the u.s. government souped up intelligence and leaned on spooks to change their conclusions and conceal contrary information to deceive people at home. >> the date? >> may 6, 2003. early and right. it doesn't get any better. >> do you think the first volume "deadline artist" and this is the second volume, as you go throu

with us, we have mike barnicle, author of "thomas jefferson," willie, joe and me as well. >> that was fascinating, wasn't it? >> that was. that was dead serious. he was not feeling anything else at that point, i think. >> i tell you, yesterday really did touch americans in a way, this whole weekend, and the president's speech and people like joe manchin stepping forward, really, i think -- i think it's got americans talking, for the first time, on this issue, in a really surprising way. i was -- i was struck not by how many democrats or liberals called after the show and said, boy, we really liked what you guys did and the conversation was needed. i was struck by how many friends of mine from first baptist church in pensacola, florida, that are lifetime members of the nra, who went out hunting across northwest florida and alabama and georgia and mississippi, from the time they were 9, 10. jon meacham, you were raised in a similar culture. although you were wearing white gloves during your formative years. i'm sorry. i was struck that the most passionate people that said what you alway

mustache to epilepsy, 50,000 people a year lose their lives, people like our daughter, lauren, mike barnicle'st so much because of epilepsy and have fought through some very difficult times. so we're trying to raise some money for research, and we have. we made a challenge a month ago, if we could raise a million dollars in a month, i would shave my mustache off on this show. >> we did it. >> and we did it. >> willie, what do you think? >> i don't know how to use this. >> i don't think i would trust mika. >> does this hurt? >> did you practice? >> no, i've never done this before. >> is there a professional in the house? >> it's a concept. >> should i let a professional do it? >> leave it to the professional. >> steve, take it away. >> here's the man. >> i don't think i want to see this. >> i am, yeah. i'm grateful for a professional. >> okay. so while that mustache goes away, i'm not sure we want to see this. >> no shrieking. >> four years ago i had a scar under my mustache. >> joe, i thought you were going to step in with a straight razor in this operation. what happened there? >> mika was wi