mr. clinton to defend the president's tax deal with republicans. >> the agreement taken as a whole is, i believe, the best bipartisan agreement we can reach to help the largest number of americans and to maximize the chances that the economic recovery will accelerate and create more jobs. >> reporter: then the president stunned everyone by announcing he was leaving for a holiday party. >> here's what i'll say is that i've been keeping the first lady waiting for about half an hour. so i'm going to take off. but-- >> i don't want to make her mad. please go. >> you're in good hands. and gibbs will call last question. >> help me. thank you. >> reporter: that left the former president to do the talking, and talk he did for more than half an hour in all. he explained at length why he thinks the compromise on taxes was necessary. >> if we had 5% growth and unemployment was dropping like a rock, maybe you could have the so-called mexican standoff and you could say, "it will be you, not me, the voters will hold responsible for raising taxes on middle class people, if they all go down, you know, n

mr. clinton correctly?> i don't -- as to the choreography of their appearance together and his leaving and all that. i don't know about that. i don't think it matters much. the fact he was there and said what he said is more important. the president does need to learn a little bit more about how to go about this dance we call triangulation. which the president, facing a partly hostile congress and skeptical electorate and a potentially resive base, places himself somewhere where he's not quite with one or the other but in part with both, that's triangulation. that's what bill clinton did. if the president is going to it he needs to do it in a way when he reaches a deal with the other party that he seeps to like it, believe in it and be gracious about it. >> bill: do not say they are hostage-takers? >> i think it was unnecessary. made him look like he lost. you want to look like you are winning. particularly if you are engaging in something the public likes and the polls show the public likes this. you don't

mrs. clinton in particular. the legacy of his historic role that he played. she describe id the peace accors that ended the war in bosnia. he managed to bring warring leaders to the table. more recently, there was his role as president obama's envoy in afghanistan and pakistan. many will be asking the question who is to succeed him in the time when the u.s. is pushing to stabilize the situation in afghanistan and perhaps a transfer of more afghan troops forces involved in the fighting. >> i spoke earlier to the pakistani ambassador to the united states to was a close friend of richard holbrooke and met with him a few days ago. >> we had breakfast on thursday. the day before he was admitted to hospital. we were very close. we spoke frequently. i will remember him as a great diplomat who was able to show, while being loyal to the u.s., he was there friend and wanted to do good by them and his country. >> if you do not mind me questioning from your twitter freed -- quoting from your twitter feed. you said you asked how long he planned to work and he said as long

mr. clinton to offer support of mr. obama's tax compromiscompromise has some democrats really >> gibbs will call last 20 minutes on a whole litany of topics. >> in my opinion, i believe the congress, i took my foundation trip to asia. i flew overnight to get here today. i had quite a good time. i had a long talk with the prime minister. deflation. if i were in office now. one more, i got to get out of here. health care. student loan reform. the economy first. thank you. >> that kounlds at monday's briefing. >> reporter: the man loves to talk policy. like a flash back to '96 there. his bottom line, this is the best deal democrats could hope for at this time, says mr. clinton. but tonight, we ask, by letting the former president take the mike, does president obama help or hurt his cause? is this a sign of confidence or desperate need for an ally? we already heard from many of you on facebook and twitter. we're hoping you'll join the conversation, as well. tell us what you think on the "nightline" page at abcnews.com. >>>

mr. clinton said if he were president he would have made the same tax deal, and he urges fellow democrats to support it. >> i think this is a much, much better agreement that would be reached were we to wait. i think we will have a much more positive impact on the economy. >> and while that was going on bernie sanders fought against the tax cut with a marathon speech in the senate lasting more than eight hours. >> you can call what i am doing whatever you want. you can call it a filibuster or a very long speech. it sounds like a good idea for working people. it is actually a bad idea. again, it has to be put within the broad context of what's going on in america. >> the senate is expected to approve the bill next week. but most democrats in the house are refusing to support it because it extends tax cuts for the wealthy. some unseasonably warm temperatures in our forecast. >> that's ahead. and the injured sea lion who is being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. and a santa fired from the union square macy's. >> and do you over indulge during the holidays 1234* just use your imagination.

mrs. clinton. he is best known for the peace accords that ended the war in bosnia.initial results from the parliamentary elections in kosovo suggest that the prime minister's party has won the big money coalition partners to govern. opposition parties have demanded a rerun. french police have ended a hostage siege at a nursery school after a youth armed with two swords or least four children and their teacher. earlier, the 17-year-old had taken 22 children hostage. most were released as the police moved the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, chernobyl, has built its first official chores for next year. they are working out safe routes through the areas so they can learn more about the explosion from 1986. in the past few weeks, but japan and south korea have conducted large-scale joint military exercises but the u.s. china calls this an attempt at american containment in an area that beijing sees as its responsibility. a correspondent giant the american aircraft carrier uss as george washington of the coast of okinawa in southern japan. >> id is a formidabl

mr. clinton's first term as president. president obama is now in the same boat come january.heir meeting this afternoon will be behind closed doors. president obama may also seek advice on this week's tax cut deal that has members of the democratic party boiling over. >> in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the house democratic caucus. it's as simple as that. >> the president made a deal with republicans this week on extending bush era tax cuts for another two years, including cuts for the wealthiest americans, something democrats say will just drive up the deficit. >> to add insult to injury, they added the state tax which is a bridge too far for many of our members. >> in an interview released today, president obama says despite the rebellion by many democrats he believes the deal will pass saying congress won't allow taxes to go back up and possibly drive the economy back into recession. over in the senate, a more friendly atmosphere. members unveiled their version of the bill with added sweeteners including tax breaks to promote alternate energy. it

mr. clinton said he supports the president's tax plan and urges the democrats to get behind it. >> this agreement will help america over the long term because it continues the credits for manufacturing jobs relate to energy coming into america. i remind you just in the last two years there of been 30 high powered battery factors either open or presently being built in america taking 22 percent of the world share of that it will probably be 40% by 2014. it's important thing. manufacturing back to america is a huge multiplier to creating jobs jury and >> he added the does not believe there's a better deal out there. some congressional democrats are opposed because it includes at extending the bush air tax cuts to the wealthy. they believe those cuts should only be renewed for the lower and middle class is. it is the largest november budget deficit on record. more than $150 billion the treasury department says the budget gap was 25 percent more than in november of last year. the government's deficit are set to climb higher if congress passes a tax cut plan that estimated to cost $855 billion over tw

mrs. clinton has her work cut out for her. >>> back in washington, some of the president's top legislative priorities are in jeopardy this morning. republicans in the senate say they will block almost all democratic measures during this lame duck session of congress. >> the gop has already blocked one major piece of legislation, the extension of long-term unemployment benefits. emily schmidt is joining us now from washington with more on that story. good morning, emily. >> reporter: vinita and rob, good morning to you. 24 days, now, until christmas. and many americans now face a much grimmer deadline. 1.6 million people will lose their weekly unemployment checks by the holiday. millions more will feel the impact. >> pass it now. >> reporter: these were the last-ditch hopes that congress would pass last-minute unemployment benefit extensions, for people like melody hart. >> i don't want to be on unemployment. none of us do. what we want is to get a job. and that unemployment at least gives us food. >> reporter: now, her small bit of security is more limited. congress failed to agree on a pl

mr. clinton acknowledged that the high-end tax cuts in the deal that so many democrats loathe will benefit him, but he said that's not why he's supporting the deal. >> i really believe this will be a significant net plus for the country. i also think that, in general, a lot of people are heaving a sigh of relief that there's finally been some agreement on something. >> reporter: and diane, the former president joked that he's happy to be in a place where political bullets fired will not hit him. but he said he spoke out today because fundamentally he thinks president obama made a good decision. diane? >> well, jake, we should note for everyone that even as president clinton was weighing in with support at the white house, there was an old fashioned filibuster under way from the opposition on capitol hill. take a look at this. senator bernie sanders, an independent from vermont has been speaking virtually nonstop, just one break, since 10:25 this morning. reading passages from books and articles. and winning a stamina award of some kind. >>> there was drama inside an outside a courthouse in

mrs. clinton now has in front of her, one at a time to smooth a lot of ruffled feelings, beginning tonightthia. tonight, magic johnson. autumn reeser is here. music from miguel. and we'll speak to the boy that was attacked by an otter. "jimmy kimmel live" is next.>ñ>ñ>ñ>ñ>ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñ@Ñçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaçaça [ female announcer ] give yourself the gift of time with the kfc festive feast. twelve pieces of the colonel's hand breaded original recipe chicken.

mr. clinton supporting mr. obama, we do need to have compromised. i agree with what former president clinton said about having compromise. you cannot have everything you want in washington. i think it is a good deal and mr. obama is doing the best that he can. host: cook seville, tennessee. caller: the democrats have controlled the hut was for the last three or four years. they never, never compromise with republicans at all. when they got a health care bill, they did not listen to republicans at all. when 50% of the people said that we did not want this, they never compromised. now they are forced to. democrats are still loading this up with pork. it should be an up and down vote. no extra things attached to it. it is the right thing to do for the american people. host: where is the first place they should use some inroads for compromise? when john maynard becomes the speaker of the house, but should be the first in road of compromise? caller: i do not think this is a good bill, it will lead more to the deficit and people like that do not want this.

mrs. clinton and those stealing credit card numbers could be prosecuted.we know if they're committing crime, albeit petty one in our name? >> for years we were committing many crimes and they were called fortorture. >> yes. >> credit card numbers are petty and illegal, do we want transparency? why are we just talking about assange? he threw his comrades under the bus overseas. >> that's a good issue. the government claims over a million pages of documents were stolen by one buck private. i have difficult believing that he had the chance to get these things and distributed them on his own. the government kept him locked up 123 hours a day for six months claimed that he and he alone did this. do you believe that? >> the more government clamps down, more is denied to the public. the more assange and bradley manning there will be. he may or may not have released the document. i have no way to no. you are right, he is getting harsh treatment now, the treatment we reserve for the convicted murders with the dispalestinian problems in jail -- discipline charges in

mr. clinton said if he were still president he would have made the same tax deal. he urged fellow democrats to support it. >> i think this is a much better agreement than would be reached were we to wait until january. i think we'll have a much more positive impact on the economy. >>> while that was going on, vermont senator bernie sanders fought against it. with a speech lasting eight hours. >> you recall what i'm doing today. you can call it a filibuster or a very long speech. sounds like a good idea for working people. it's actually a bad idea. >> again, it has to be put within the broad context of what is going on in america. >> the senate is expected to approve the tax cut bill early next week. most democrats in the house are refusing to support it because it extends tax cuts for the wealthy. the sale of 24 state owned buildings has been given state approval. about half the proceeds will to help pay down the deficit. most of the office space will be leased back to the state. critics argue that the deal will cost taxpayers more in the long run than it would hav

mr. clinton has been active in democratic causes recently campaigning for president obama's tax deals and for jerry brown in the california governor's race. >>> people in san francisco will soon be able to start recycling their christmas trees. trees will be picked up curbside from january 3rd through january 7th. a second round of pick-up is slated for january 10th through the 14th. the trees need to be clean of decorations and placed next to the trash cart before 6 a.m. on a scheduled pick-up day. the recycled trees are cut into wood chips which go to a biomass energy facility in tracy. >> the weeklong celebration of kwan z kicked off today. the observance lasts seven days. each day represents a different principle such as unity or creativity. the first kwanza was celebrated back in 1966 as a way for african american families to connect with their roots. a non-religious holidays modeled after if i can africa's harvest. it means first fruits. kwanza runs through january 1st. >> singer tina marie has died. her manager said the 54-year- old died in her sleep last night in her santa monica

mr. clinton endorsed president obama's deal, you wrote that both of them are wrong. one of them you served. why do you think they're both wrong? >> well, a lot of people, including president clinton and the current president, believe that the current tax deal is sort of, now i guess to what bill clinton did politically, by triangulating and cooperating with republicans, getting the deficit down in the 1990s. supposedly that helped the economy. actually the analogy is wrong. that deficit and that original recession that bill clinton kind of got the tailwind of in 1992, 1993, that recession was very, very narrow and small, and indeed, we had a jobless recovery. i was there. we could very, very easily come out of that recession environment in the 199 os, create a very, very fast growing economy. alan greenspan, remember, could lower interest rates. but right now it's an entirely different economy. this is not analogous to bill clinton's economy. we have had a great recession that came not out of the fed raising interest rates too high, but really out of a huge asset bubb

mr. clinton has no comment about davis's remarks. there are new laws issued to comply with international rules to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. the move comes as the vatican dozy own bank is implicated in a money-laundering investigation. and finally, the media advocacy , reporters without borders says 57 journalists were killed worldwide this year. the most dangerous was in pakistan, where 11 were killed in connection with their jobs. overall, the death toll was down 25% from 2009. but the group says in its annual year-end report that kidnappings increased dramatically in 2010 to 51 cases of from 33 in the year before. those are some of the latest headlines on c-span radio. > this weekend on c-span3's "american history tv" the recent discovery and exploration of 200-year-old slave quarters. and a never before televised oral history of the black congressional caucus on its work and -- on its work. see the complete weekend schedules online at c- span.org/history where you can also press the c-span of urban and half a

mrs. clinton now has in front of her, one at a time, to smooth a lot of ruffled feelings, beginning in kazakhstanhe nation whose defense minister enjoys, one cable said, drinking himself into a stupor. oh, dear. what's a diplomat to do? just like a dinner hostess, smile and say nice things. >> you have to get along with people. you have to listen to them, even if you disagree with them. >> reporter: whenever you're in earshot. even, apparently, when you're not. i'm john donvan in washington. >> that's why i just talk behind people's backs, i don't write it down. >> it's much easier. >> easier, yeah. >> she has a tough job. to sell america. sounds like someone opened up america's diary and started reading. kind of embarrassing. >>> coming up, susan boyle's singing challenges on "the view." >>> from the basketball court to divorce court. tony parker's new legal drama. all that coming up in "the skinny." ab >> take oprah's ultimate test. oprah: have you ever lied about your weight? how often do you have sex? >> are you "normal?" oprah: i don't believe! next "oprah." >>> so depending where you live,

mr. clinton continued to take questions for another 20 minutes. it was a little bit of deja vu. it was like the '90s, the form that the president, president clinton showed when he was president. >> he seemed very happy to be there. before you go, let me just ask you. i know they're livid in the house side, the democrats. what are the odds of this tax cut bill passing the house and the senate? >> reporter: it looks like the senate will pass it on monday. democrats admit on the house side they've put themselves in a box, saying they wouldn't consider it. they're going to look to change it slightly, that they can get the senate to agree on. a lot of work left. not a lot of time. >> some face-saving measures. david kerley, thank you very much. >>> let's turn now to my friend, ron claiborne, with a check of the morning's other top stories. >>> we begin with escalating violence in afghanistan. 15 civilians were killed in helmand province. by a road side bomb. and in kandahar, a car bomb exploded outside a police head quarters. wounding at least six people, two civilians and four police

mr. clinton said if he were still president, he would have made the same tax deal. he told fellow democrats to support it. >> the same were we to wait until january and i think we'll have a much more positive impact on the economy. >> while that was going on, vermont senator bernie sanders fought against the tax cut compromise with a marathon speech in the senate lasting more than eight hours. >> you can call what i'm doing today whatever you want. you can call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech. sounds like a good idea for working people. it is actually a very bad idea. again, it has to be put within the broad context of what's going on in america. >> the senate is expected to approve the tax cut bill early next week but most democrats in the house are refusing to support it because it extends tax cuts for the wealthy. the city of san carlos which just turned over all police duties to the sheriff's department to save money is getting a rude awakening. as vic lee explains, a 30-year-old cost-sharing agreement for the fire department is not working o

mr. clinton said if he were president still, he would have made the same tax deal. he urged fellow democrats to support it. >> and i think this is a much, much better agreement to reach were we to wait until january and i think will have a much more positive impact on the economy. >> well, while that was going on, vermont senator fought against the compromise with a marathon speech in the senate lasting more than eight hours. >> you can call what i'm doing whatever you want, a filibuster, a very long speech. sounds like a good idea for working people. it is actually a very bad idea. again, it has to be put within the context of what's going on in america. >> the senate is expected to approve the tax cut bill early next week. the most democrats in the house are refusing to support it because it extends tax cuts for the wealthy. the sale of 24 state-.ed buildings has been given final court approval. half of the $2.3 billion in proceeds will be used to pay down the budget deficit. most of that office space will be leased back to the state. critics say it will cost more

mrs. clinton and president obama, a question that is, you know, a little awkward, they laugh. >> it's thevous. [ laughter laughter. it gives them a few seconds to gain control. >> bill: it's not funny. >> not at all. it allows them a few seconds to kind of get their thoughts together. that's really all you need. >> bill: i don't think that's a voluntary -- that's involuntary. >> it is involuntary because the brain is going at such a pace that you suddenly realize you don't have an answer. the distraction comes in. you are able to laugh, collect your thoughts and then verbalize. >> bill: okay. so that's number one. number two, is he tilting his head. >> when he talks about sarah palin? >> bill: does that mean anything? >> it depends. when he talks about sarah palin, see that? >> bill: yeah. >> he is disengaging there. as he does that he breaks eye contact and he also breaks the connection that he has, the forward facing connection. when you do that, you are able to desengage and kind of reevaluate. he does that and immediately after lifts up his chin in that kind of superiority gesture. >>

mrs. clinton. he had built a powerful set of ties to the afghans, to the pakistanis, to some 30 other nations. >> rose: and the indians. >> and the indians. and perhaps most of all he knew that his own achievements in life, his reputation, protected him from the kind of silly sniping that goes on in the battle of ideas in washington. he was secure. there was no serious rival. >> rose: but it was ruff. >> it was ruff. >> rose: that's what i'm asking you. you can't be immune to that. >> no, he was not immune to it. but he had a toughness about him that got him through it as he'd gotten through other periods in life. >> can i just add something to that because dick is making an important point. dick thought it was his toughness and he was tough. but he was also a fragile guy and these things bothered him enormously. they would bother anyone and even someone as tough as dick holbrooke. >> rose: you saw his vulnerability on that? >> oh, sure, he didn't hide it from us. >> he was troubled by it. he was t

mrs. clinton request the pleasure of your company at ceremony to be held at the white house on monday morninguld be another 52 years before baker received our nation's highest recognition for valor on the battlefield. the medal of honor. thank you, vernon baker. comes in all forms -- >> i'm not the hero. i only did my duty, help people who need help. >> osgood: she died this year. we have her to thank for preserving the diary of a young jewish girl who wrote of her life in nazi occupied amsterdam. the girl and her family were taken away to the camps, she rescued the diary hoping the girl would reclaim it after the war. the girl, a north carolina frank, did not survive. but her words and her memory endure. we owe that to her. we owe so much to shows who fight in the ongoing war in afghanistan, who still face violence in iraq. more than 500 service members have died in combat this year. their sacrifice affects us one and all. all the problems we face down here on earth, there is solice in the beauty of the evans, astronomer recognized that atoms make up the stars make up our bodies as well. cos

mr. clinton said, "i don't believe there is a better deal out there."wsroom for what's on the newshour online. hari. >> sreenivasan: watch more of jeff's interview's with common, kurtis blow, and the editor of the "anthology of rap" on "art beat." and we have more on the conviction of three new orleans police officers in a killing and cover up after hurricane katrina. we talk to one of the reporters who helped break the story. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. jeff. >> brown: and that's the newshour for tonight. on monday, we'll look at the senate's first vote on the tax cut measure. i'm jeffrey brown. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. "washington week" can be seen later this evening on most pbs stations. we'll see you online, and again here monday evening. have a nice weekend. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> okay, listen. somebody has got to get serious. >> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet. >> you hear about alternatives, right?

mrs. clinton said again that it's a difficult and emotional issue. it requires a just and permanent solution. is it time for the palestinians to recognize what basically everybody knows and that is that not all the 48 refugees are going to come back and that there must be a just compensation and a just solution to all of this. can the palestinians do this? >> the formulation used by the secretary at this event forum two days ago was appropriate. she talked about trust and fair resolution. this is one of the issues to be actually discussed and agreed along with borders, jerusalem, settlements and the rest of the issues so we're looking forward actually to a process that could begin immediately. we already have indicated to the americans where we stand on the basic issues. i think what really needs to be done now in order to give the process the kind of credibility that is required is for us to really know the position -- where it is that the government stands on the fundamental issue of what it is that's meant by an israeli occupation. what is it that

mr. clinton was one had to the presidency several notches -- right there with warren g harding. the guy was impeached. he pled guilty to perjury himself. get a $25,000 fine and he can practice law in any court in the united states. >> host: hey, jim, who is your favorite contemporary president? >> caller: while by far, ronald reagan. ronald reagan, as far as i am concerned is first of all -- i think a fee, if you analyze his initial economic -- he faced an economic crisis, not unlike the latter bush and current president. >> host: all right, we got the point. tevi troy. >> guest: i've got to disagree with the collar. there's bipartisan disagreement. the bush presidency was an eventful president me. a lot of things happen with a the financial meltdown and 9/11. so is quite eventful and kept us quite busy at the white house. i do take what the caller said fiercely. he made some interesting points about that in this boat. one point he makes is that he didn't want to dump this on obama. he wanted to get this sorted out before hand. and i thought that was an important point. and the