this is "first look" on msnbc. we begin with rounding the bend. in a rare bipartisan push, the senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a people that will prevent a new year's day tax hike for millions of americans. still, despite the inclusion of a provision to provide jobless aid to many house democrats will try to make one more change before it's a done deal. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. house democrats are making a last-minute push to make that estate tax. one would pass exactly the version that passed in the senate with the exception of a higher estate tax. if that happens everything goes back to the senate and looking at possibly long delays in trying to get it done. the second would pass exactly the same version that came through the stat and very likely go straight to president obama's desk for his signature. also today, the senate has begun debate on the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. the house has passed that measure by 75 votes which included 15 republicans but the question

you are watching "hardball" only on msnbc. >>> back to "hardball." sideshow time, of course., elvis is alive, well and back in the building. here is jon stewart on last week's incredible scene in the white house briefing room. >> i'm gonna let him speak very briefly and then i have actually got to go over and do some -- just one more christmas party. >> you're gonna leave that guy, the michael jordan of press briefings, in charge, while you go to a christmas party? >> go ahead. >> mr. president, is there anything else that can be done, in your opinion? >> the comfort lean. ah, the precious. the precious. it's mine. you can't have it back. nasty obama says. look at this guy. it's like he never left. he is doing the creepy smile. he is doing a little knuckle point, a little lip biting. what the [ bleep ] was that? he has introduced the tongue swirl. guy's got moves we have never even seen before. it is a virtuoso performance. obama what are you doing? >> stewart at his best. i actually consider it a show of confidence on president obama's part, passing this tax day would be a h

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin with legislative logjam. a final vote on the president's tax cut plan should happen in the senate today. however a trillion dollar spending bill proposal and a plan to repeal don't ask, don't tell could keep congress on the hill into their holiday break. tracie potts joins us from washington with those details. tracie, good morning. >> lynn, good morning. as you can see there is a lot going on. let's start with it taxes. the final senate vote is scheduled to happen it today. it appears they do have the votes to get that passed and it will move on to the house where despite the opposition of many democrats, house democratic leaders, also say they think that this can pass. republicans have warned them, don't change the bill or we won't approve it. even more urgent now, though, is the government spending bill, trying to keep government running and preventing a government shutdown. their deadline, saturday. that's when temporary funding runs out. democrats have put forth a $1.1 trillion bill that republicans want

you are watching "hardball," only on msnbc. if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. >>> well, sarah palin, the former governor of alaska, says that washington elites don't like her and guess what she is right. a new politico survey put out just today says that 11% in d.c. say she is qualified to be president. she can actually 150e9 1% from alaska. 86%, a lot easier to see, say she is not qualified. get this, while 15% of washington elites in the survey say palin is a breath of fresh air, 79% find she is a negative influence in national politics. don't come to washington, governor. we will be right back. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. princess of the powerpoint. your core competency... is competency. and you rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size pric

this is "first look" on msnbc, but stay tuned. too early with willie geist" starts right now. >>> president obama's tax deal expected to breeze through the senate perhaps later today after picking up 83 votes in a test run yesterday. the question is, will democrats in the house put up a big enough stink about e estate tax to prevent it from passing that chamber. we'll see. >>> meanwhile, the president's signature legislative achievement is picked apart by a federal judge who declares parts of the new health

this is it "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin with testing the waters. the senate will get its first crack at the president's plan to extend tax cuts for americans today. it waifs the way for a final vote later in the week then on to the house where critics say the real battle will begin. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the details. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. the senate vote thaad is essentially procedural lew will tell us whether or not there is enough support to get it passed in the senate and expect to take a final vote perhaps as early as tomorrow. now, dick durbin, the number two democrat in the senate is urging the house to get this passed. he says they won't be in as good a position to fight it next year when republicans take over. meanwhile, house democrats say they'll bite the bullet on tax breaks for the wealthy but it's the estate tax that they're really frustrated about. republicans say they need to stick to the president's deal, but democrats say it is excessively generous. they want a separate vote on that. but ad

that's at 4:00 eastern right here on msnbc.friend, tamron hall, has a look at what's next on "news natio nation". >> great show. good seeing you in new york as well. >>> in our next hour, we'll pick off where andrea left off. the senate just approved the president's tax cut deal. now the white house is calling republican opposition to the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, quote, a new low in political stunts. we are live on capitol hill for the developments. >>> plus, right now the house is now taking up a new repeal of don't ask, don't tell. we'll have the latest from the senate, which we're watching and the house. >>> i'm joined by one of the florida school board members targeted by a gunman who opened fire inside a school board meeting. we're learning more about the gunman. we'll find out what that school board member was thinking when the shots were fired at him. >>> and a high school football player is told he needs to cut off his braids if he wants to play ball. all of that, plus more next on "news nation." [piano keys banging] [scrapin

chuck todd's the msnbc news chief white house correspondent.rk halperin, the senior political analyst for "time" magazine, msnbc. we think we're going to hear from the president any moment now, but your assessment of the senate vote. >> this was the easy hurdle to clear. they've got this and you heard dick durbin say because the president negotiated this with the senate. everything, his entire presidency has been about trying to get stuff through the senate. don't think dick durbin and reid were more looped in than house democrats. >> let me go to mark, the question of this clinton coalition. the most powerful reality in the country now is the democratic parties united as never before despite this this week, they are united. 80% support for the president. how's it going? what we saw on friday, what's it tell us about bill clinton and president obama? >> the interpersonal drama, bill clinton was on friday, very supportive in public and private with the president. giving advice to people in the administration, having a lot of his people populatin

this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc.ittle family reunion. [ wind rushes ] whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa! we're cereal here! what? just cooling it down. enough said. gotcha. safety first. whoo-hoo! watch the whole grain! [ female announcer ] try kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® hot. just add warm milk and you've got a hot way to keep your kids full and focused all morning. oops. dude your eight layers are showing. [ female announcer ] mini-wheats® hot. keeps 'em full, keeps 'em focused. if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. to my friends, i say, you know, check with your doctor, 'cause it can happen to anybody. [ male announcer ] be ready if a heart attack strikes. donate $5 to womenheart at iamproheart.com, and we'll send you this bayer aspirin pill

this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning for better or worse, finally, a done deal. house lawmakers cleared the final hurdle last night, sending a sweeping bipartisan bill to extend busch era tax cuts for all americans to the president's desk before they expire january 1st. tracie potts joins us from washington with those details and more. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. a lot going on here on capitol hill, including a final vote on that tax deal. the house voted late last night just before midnight 277-148 with both democrats and republicans supporting this bill. so now it goes to the president's desk for his signature. this will keep our current tax rates with no january 1st hike. unemployment will be extended for 13 months. a 2% payroll tax cut next year and business tax credits in addition to that estate tax that democrats did not like. don't ask, don't tell, which has passed the house, will be voted on in the senate perhaps today or tomorrow. it will take 51 votes to pass

and i think that what we had to do with msnbc was figure out its voice. and its roll. and i think the success of keith olbermann gave us a path that we hadn't necessarily predicted would be the voice of that network. but it put us on a path and then we built upon that and i think today msnbc is incredibly successful. and again part of that powerhouse news and information portfolio that i talked about. but you know, fox news, msnbc they all play, they play a roll in news and information and opinion. and there is a role for all of them. >> so the power that they may have doesn't bother you at all? >> look, i think ultimately the viewer decides here. and the viewer is smart enough to make their own decisions and i think that there is more access to news and information today than there has ever been. and the fact is if you go back 25 years you know when you basically had three evening news programs that were being programmed by you knowivey educated graduates, that were all delivering the same kind of program, i think the fact is today there is much more varied choice tha

both are msnbc political analysts. gentlemen, before we proceed, i just got one of those flash news news flashes that i have to report immediately upon getting it. congresswoman michele bachmann of minnesota has been named to the intelligence committee. what genius, howard, thought this was the perfect match? >> i have no comeback. i just think that that speaks for itself. >> it really does. >> okay let's go to the higher ground. let's go to the president floyd that signing ceremony. i thought it was interesting that speaker pelosi was absent. >> well, kind of interesting. >> what does that tell you, it's low profile on purpose? what would you call it? >> maybe low profile on purpose. i mean she did it after all in the end facilitate the passage of the compromise. >> she makes the schedule. >> right she sets the schedule. >> but didn't want her -- >> and put her pedal to the metal. >> 1984 when the democrat got wiped out 49 states, remember mondale? speaker o'neill took a backseat for a couple of months there and even

. >>> new video we want to show you just coming in to msnbc. police widening their search on long island after the gruesome discovery of four bodies along a desolate beach. officials say none of those remains match a prostitute who went missing in may. that is a bit of a setback for investigators and their hunt for a possible serial killer. clint van zandt former fbi profiler. clint, one officer said four bodies in the same place can't be a coincidence. so, if police are dealing with a serial killer and now their thought because of a mother who said maybe one of those daughters is mine, she's an escort. that has turned out not to be so. where do they go from here? >> yeah, i think the general idea, chris, like the unsolved murder of four women in atlantic city, new jersey, about three or four years ago, they thought perhaps these unaccounted for women may have been prostitutes. that doesn't necessarily there to be the case. as you know from your reporter, the first thing they have to do is identify these four female victims and then they have t

those are your number ones on msnbc on saturday.ys. ♪ ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. >>> knew newark place say it is unlikely they will find more bodies. it could take weeks, or months, before authorities are able to identify the bodies. officials say a serial killer could be responsible. joining me live is fbi profiler clint van zandt. good morning. >> alex, good morning. another tough topic. >> here in the holiday season as well. police have been searching this long island beach all week long for more bodies. what do you make of police saying they don't expect find anything more? >> it's christmas. while everybody else is engaged in wrapping present

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msnbc's rachel maddow weighs in on whether the white house has taken its tax cut compromise too far.d hear what johnny depp has to say about his new thriller "the tourist." >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.

you're watching "the daily rundown," only on msnbc. my doctor said most calcium supplements... aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. also available in small, easy-to-swallow petites. citracal.  missing something? now you get a cleanser with scope freshness. ♪ new fixodent plus scope ingredients. ♪ cleans...kills germs that cause denture odors... and provides your dentures with the freshness of scope. ♪ new fixodent cleanser plus scope ingredients. >>> it's hard to say no, but at some point, you can no longer, with a straight face, i think, carry the proposition that we are going to do this whole long list of things before the christmas recess. it's simply impossible to have the time to do them right. >> well, it's shaping up to be a very busy day, particularly on the senate side in capitol hill. the final days of this lame-duck session upon us. the senate tries to juggle several major bills at the same time today. >> first, the passage of the tax cut exten

both are msnbc political analysts. gentlemen, before we proceed, i just got one of those flash news news flashes that i have to report immediately upon getting it. congresswoman michele bachmann of minnesota has been named to the intelligence committee. what genius, howard, thought this was the perfect match? >> i have no comeback. i just think that that speaks for itself. >> it really does. >> okay let's go to the higher ground. let's go to the president floyd that signing ceremony. i thought it was interesting that speaker pelosi was absent. >> well, kind of interesting. >> what does that tell you, it's low profile on purpose? what would you call it? >> maybe low profile on purpose. i mean she did it after all in the end facilitate the passage of the compromise. >> she makes the schedule. >> right she sets the schedule. >> but didn't want her -- >> and put her pedal to the metal. >> 1984 when the democrat got wiped out 49 states, remember mondale? speaker o'neill took a backsee the for a couple of months there and ev

she is now an msnbc political analyst, so is pat buchanan. reverend jesse jackson.ard on this, if this passes the senate and goes to the house, if all the lawmakers pass this tax cut compromise, what is your prediction for how it affects the nation? >> the price for the $56 million workers is a trillion dollar deal in the jaws of china. there is a tax cut for the wealthiest americans cutting revenue from our budget. by april they will say we have a deficit crisis let's cut spending. that is cut medicare. cut medicaid. cut social security and so it is tax cut in december, but it is spending cut in april and the most vulnerable americans will be in that cut. >> karen, let me ask you. this is expected to pass the senate and go on to the house. what is the likelihood amendments are offered in the house that delay or kill the tlegs? >> i think, unfortunately, most of the democratic -- fortunately, the democratic members of the house know there will not be an opportunity to make changes. the change would have to go back to the senate and that violates the agreement. they

you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. but now, to get it really cooking, you need a little website development. some transparent reporting, so you know it's working. online ads and 1-on-1 marketing consultation. yellowbook's got all that. yellowbook360 has a whole spectrum of tools. the perfect recipe for success. visit yellowbook360.com and go beyond yellow. >>> back to "hardball" an the "sidesho "sideshow." yesterday, the texas republican congressman urged his follow members to vote against the don't ask don't tell repeal because he says it threatens america's very existence. see if you can follow this line of well, reasoning. >> to my friend who said history will judge us poorly, if you will look at history, when militaries throughout history of the greatest nations in the world have adopted the policy that fine for homosexuali

. >>> if ever a story was wrapped in a bow and handed to msnbc, it was this one. a new study shows the effect of watching fox news, it's what you thought and much worse. next. oil or cream? cream. some use hydrogenated oil. reddi-wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi-wip. oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. ♪ [ male announcer ] you know her. we know diamonds. together we'll make her holiday. that's why only zales is the diamond store. where you can get up to $1,000 off now through sunday. ♪ [ male announcer ] enjoy everything the xps offers. download, chat and stream on the go with verizon wireless mobile broadband built-in. order a dell xps laptop and get a free mobile broadband card plus a $100 credit when you sign up with verizon wireless. you can tell it's a great deal. you can tell it's dell. ♪ that boulder is like your insurance deductible. big, always hanging over your head. but, vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance takes $100 off your deductible every year you're a safe driver, until... amazing ! you saved me ! oh it was just an analogy

on msnbc, is it a market choice to go in that direction?his whole debate is to remind everyone but the size of the audiences. the highest rated show on msnbc is key doberman -- is keith oberman. his main competitor is bill reilly and -- bill o'reilly. o'reilly has a third of the viewers of other newscasters. >> to be fair, you would not be happy if none of these people were watching. >> the thing about cable television is that it is not -- it is almost intentionally a niche. cable has a vault for good reason because more people can look for more specific programming that they are looking for. in has work financially for advertisers who will pay a premium to reach a smaller audience of people who have a defined profile. in the same way that entertainment, lifetime, the usa network and others, cable news has turned out that the same thing is true. cnn, over time, has lost viewers. and that does not mean that there are not people that are not interested in the news, but they are going to stick with network news which still has a net -- has goo

watch "news nation" weekdays here on msnbc.roberts picks things up after the break. the pringles superstack can makes everything pop! ♪ ♪ whoa-oh-oh-oh ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ hey, hey [ male announcer ] the choice is yours... 100 of these or 100 pringles. same cost but a lot more fun. everything pops with the pringles superstack can! ♪ if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. to my friends, i say, you know, check with your doctor, 'cause it can happen to anybody. [ male announcer ] be ready if a heart attack strikes. donate $5 to womenheart at iamproheart.com, and we'll send you this bayer aspirin pill tote. >>> hi, everybody. great to have you with me. i'm thomas roberts. we have a fast-moving hour coming up. it all comes down to one statistic. 15 million ame

pacific time right here on msnbc. >>> there was a big bidding war over lee harvey oswald's coffin.u won't believe how much it brought in. >>> plus, rahm emanuel is leading the race for chicago mayor right now but it's not really going to matter if his name is not on the ballot. this is my band from the 80's, looker. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an

welcome to msnbc saturday.he senate plans to vote on hotly contested measures today, number one, repealing don't ask, don't tell, and the dream act. it offers a road to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought here as children. in addition, there are several other key issues that it hopes to vet on before the holiday break. ken strickland live on capitol hill, it's a busy day. what all is on the agenda there this morning, alex? >> good morning, alex. i would call it a rare saturday session, but since the election, this is the second time the senate has been, like christmas shoppers, trying to get things finished up. let's take a look at what congress is working on today. first of all, as you mentioned, there will be a vote at 10:30 today, a procedural vote on the dream act. it's an immigration reform bill designed to give adults who are brought to this country a path to citizenship. also a vote on the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. that's what everyone is watching for today. supporters of the repeal say the

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eastern here on msnbc.ight now, the federal reserve is ending months of uncertainty over debit card fees and is proposing new rules on how much companies can charge merchants. the announcement is being made in the first ever live web cast of a federal reserve meeting. you're watching the meeting right now if you look at your screen. as of now for every $10, banks are charging merchants about 13.5 cents. it's expected under the new rules that banks could charge merchants 6 3/4 cents. they're expected to cost banks billions of dollars and they're almost certain to try to make that up in other ways, such as cutting back on free checking and adding other fees to you and me. thought we would let you know that. hollywood saying bah-humbug to hollywood movies. let's get the scoop from courtney hazlett. >> you do a really good bah-humbug. >> if you've been to the movie theater this season, you're not going to see anything specifically holiday themed. it's not like national lampoon's christmas vacation. it's not tha

courtney hazlett, msnbc. so obviously that was all the film run down.re's also a ton of television shows that get nominated for the golden globes as well. that's why the show is so much fun. best drama, boardwalk empire, dexter, the good wife, madmen and walking dead. best tv comedy musical, tough, tough category. then the remaining ones there, it's anybody's game. so there are head scratchers in year at the golden globes. mainly the tourist. i don't understand why that got so many nominations. the hollywood foreign press, you can't predict them that well. but interesting list. >> it always reminds me of how many movies i haven't seen. there's a lot of good ones. what happened to hugh jackman. he's in australia taping oprah winfrey's show. she's doing a huge stunt in i it of itself where she flew audience members to australia. he was going down the zip line from -- here you see him. from the sidney opera house. he's meant to land on the stage but he's still going. his brake never hit. he runs into the lighting and the set there -- oh! poor wolverine. go

the ed show right here on msnbc. >>> we're taking you live inside the courtroom in chicago. this, of course, is rahm emanuel, former chief of staff to president obama, who left the white house because he wanted to run for mayor of chicago. here's the rub. his critics have said he can't run. he has not been a resident of chicago for the last year, which is the requirement. he not only, of course, was living in washington, but he was renting his house. his argument is, look, this is a part of government service. this is the way it is. he moved to washington, you serve but i still went back there. my family is still there, i was still voting there, my voter registration was still there, so, this is a critical hearing for rahm emanuel who for his whole adult life said his goal is, his desire is to be mayor of chicago and now he is fighting for that. >>> here's the scene outside of a british courtroom. so much going on this morning. london julian assange is going to get out of jail. the judge has just granted bail. peter alexander was inside that courtroom when that decision was

president biden a little later today on "andrea mitchell reports" 1:00 eastern time right here on msnbc. >>> later this morning, the president officially unveils the administration's review of the afghanistan war effort. the headline, new strategy showing progress and troops still on track. the surge troops to start coming home next summer. live for us at the white house, athena jones, lay out how they're going to roll this out today. >> reporter: good morning, chuck. 11:45, it's president will come out and give a speech talking about the assessment, then roll out secretary clinton engaging and talking to the press. important to note, no big surprises are expected in the assessment or review in terms of strategy. without gibbs pointed out yet, months of meetings with the national security team on afghanistan, afghan policy, no surprise our strategy is working. would have made adjustments along the way, reports coming back weekly from the field if they thought their overall strategy wasn't working. the go remains the same. dismantle and defeat al qaeda. breaking down the assessment into

much more to come from seneca falls new york, only on msnbc. nobody in my family ever had a heart attack. if anything, i thought i'd get hit by a bus, but not a heart. all of a sudden, it's like an earthquake going off in your body. my doctor put me on an aspirin regimen to help protect my life. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone. so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. to my friends, i say, you know, check with your doctor, 'cause it can happen to anybody. [ male announcer ] be ready if a heart attack strikes. donate $5 to womenheart at iamproheart.com, and we'll send you this bayer aspirin pill tote. but these days you need more than the book. you need website development, 1-on-1 marketing advice, search-engine marketing, and direct mail. yellowbook's got all of that. yellowbook360's got a whole spectrum of tools. tools that are going to spark some real connections. visit yellowbook360.com and go beyond yellow. host: could switching to geico or more on car insurance?ercent do woodchucks c

he's also an msnbc contributor. sarah silverman is hilarious.ou do have some people wondering if it's ever okay to kind of, you know, work the action that's going on there or if we've loosened up when it comes to be overpl politically correct. >> i'm the wrong person to act. every time that jackie mason has come to broad wway with his politically incorrect shows, i've gone to them. i love them. you can do it if you're an equal opportunity offender. tamron, i do think that self-dep riication is a good thing. having fun so long as there's not any animus involved, as long as it's not mean-spirited. and this is to raise money for charity and, man, they've been effective at it. >> maybe if it's your own, we see tracy morgan who is obviously not jewish. i won't say the name of the comedian, but there's a very famous white comedian and said to me, what is with you blacks and your names? i laugh ten years later, but at the time i did not think it was funny. does it matter if you're on that team or in that tribe when it comes to what you say? >> i think

we will have more on that union fight as msnbc continues. i'm andrea mitchell live in washington, and we begin with news that ta virginia judge has struck down part of the president's health care law as unconstitutional. and pete, let's break it down, because thisis arguably the most imparent part of the law. >> it is. and the judge said it is one thing for the congress to regulate activity, and the congress has broad powers to do so, but what it can't do, the judge said, is to regulate economic inactivity, and that is what happens if someone chooses not to buy health insurance. and the obama administration said that everybody participates in the health care system sooner or later and even if you choose not to buy insurance, you will be hit by a car or get old, and ultimately, you are in the health care system, so the government argued not being a part of it, but the judge rejected the argument and i'm quoting from the decision, this dispute is not about regulating the business of insurance, but about an individual's right to choose to parti

you're watching the daily rundown on msnbc. ♪ my doctor said most calcium supplements...n't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. also available in small, easy-to-swallow petites. citracal.  i'm a member of this hotel'sre loyalty program.ce. well, how far away is it? okay, we take a train to a dude ranch, then we canoe to the conference. or we could book with hotels.com and stay closer. [ male announcer ] accumulate 10 nights and get a night free. welcomerewards from hotels.com. >>> i want to be clear. this continues to be a very difficult endeavor. but i can report that thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians on the ground, we are on track to achieve our goals. >> well, the obama administration status report on afghanistan is out. critics say it gives the soft cell to some of the region's most persistent problems, glossing over corruption in the afghan government, and pakistan's reluctance to do more about insurgents squatting along

that drew a tart response today from vice president biden in an interview on msnbc. >> get out of the way. there's too much at stake for america's national security. and don't tell me about christmas. i understand christmas. i have been a senator for a long time. i've been there many years where we go right up to christmas. there's 10 days between now and christmas. i hope i don't get in the way of your christmas shopping, but this is the nation's business. this is the national security that's at stake. act. act. >> woodruff: and the chairman of the foreign relations committee democrat john kerry said republicans have nobody to blame but themselves. >> they just delay and delay and delay. and i'm not going to stand here listening to them come to the floor of the united states senate asking why we're trying to do the important business of the country at the last minute. because all they have to do is look in a mirror. that's all they have to do. >> woodruff: the president has pushed for ratification before the lame duck congress comes to an end. and late this afternoon, senate majority

mark halperin for "time" magazine, msnbc. as hard as it i will let you two guys talk because you want to let you know. your assessment of the senate vote right now, the fact that they've already voted cloture. >> this was always the low hurdle, the easy hurdle to clear. they've got this and you heard dick durbin say, because the president negotiated this vote with the senate. everything is n his entire presidency so far has always been about trying to get stuff through the senate. don't think that dick durbin and harry reid, certainly were more looped in than house democrats. >> okay, let me go to mark, the question of this clinton coalition with the offset for months. i mean, we all know this, we all watch the same thing, the most powerful reality in the country right now is the democratic party's united as never before, despite this kerfuffle this week, they are united if you look at the numbers. 80%-some support. what does it tell us about bill clinton and president obama? she well, in terms of interpersonal drama, bill cl

host of msnbc's "morning joe," former republican congressman from florida, joe scarborough, mayor of newark, new jersey, democrat cory booker. republican strategist and co-founder of no labels and former adviser to senator john mccain, mark mckinnon and nbc news chief foreign affairs mccain, mark mckinnon and nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> eight republicans join with democrats to end the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. fell short of the 60 needed to overcome republican opposition, the fate of the new start treaty, nuclear arms treaty with russia, which will continue to be debated today in a rare sunday session. i sat down late friday with the president's point man in dealing with congress, the vice president of the united states, joe biden. >> welcome back to "meet the press." >> good to be back. >> good to have you here. it's an important time. end of the week saw you and the president closing a very important deal. this compromise over an extension of the bush era tax cuts, a bill signing at

it seems msnbc's host thinks he has the answer to what is wrong with american politics. and that answer is more v neck sweaters. actually it is worse. he will appear at the debut event. later this month he was injod by michael bloomberg, joe lieberman, christie todd witman and other incredibly dull people. what is the message of this news fest? don't be so mean you big mean knees. nancy jacobson launched it. we are not labels. we are people. is this a song lyric? we believe bipartisan ship is destroying our government. we may disagree on issues, but we do so with saville tee 1k3 mutual -- saville tee and mutual respect. screw you. now i am cranky. maybe this will make me feel better. >> that's civil. it is strange, but civil. >> and this seems right up your alley. how come you were not speaking at this event? >> i don't know. >> i think they are pushing their dark horse and they will take them by surprise, lamar alexzander. >> you know, he is so out of my consciousness, i can barely remember what he looks like. it was like the father of the waltons, right? >> you know wh

the highest greatest show msnbc has 1.5 million viewers on hours.he major competitor is bill o'reilly, who has less than 3 million viewers. both have less viewers than you. bill roth has about 1/st. of the viewers that brian williams has hashe -- bill o'reilly about 1/3 of the viewers that brian williams has on the nightly news. >> you will not be happy if 9 million people were watching. >> the thing about cable television is that it is not -- is almost intentionally not just in the news put an entertainment sort of niche. that is help cable has evolved. more choice means people can look for more specific kind of programming. it has worked financially. advertisers will pay a premium to reach a small audience of people who have a defined profile. in the same way that in entertainment, lifetime and espn and the food network sort of speak to very specific audiences, i think cable news has the same thing is true. the one cable news network that has stood for being more middle of the road in this promotion, cnn, over time it has lost viewers. that does n

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coming up, "the lost word" and msnbc announce a new partnership with unicef to make a difference in africa. i'll tell you what you can do to help. and later, huffington post's nora ephron is here to discuss her new book "i remember nothing." we'll make her holiday. that's why only zales is the diamond store. where you can get up to $1,000 off now through sunday. and the life you want to live. with rheumatoid arthritis, there's the life you live... fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. ask your doctor if you live or have lived in an area where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're

coming up, "the lost word" and msnbc announce a new partnership with unicef to make a difference in africa. i'll tell you what you can do to help. and later, huffington post's nora ephron is here to discuss her new book "i remember nothing." [ female announcer ] how well did total effects body wash shape up for good housekeeping? they believe with olay you can challenge what's possible and gave us their good housekeeping seal. for smooth, firm, younger looking skin shape up in the shower with olay total effects body wash. for smooth, firm, younger looking skin naturally colorful vegetables are often a good source of vitamins, fiber, or minerals. and who brings you more natural colors than campbell's condensed soups? campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ >>> still ahead on "the last word" my trip to africa to help get schools something they are in desperate need of there, and a special announcement tonight on how you can help as well. and in tonight's "rewrite" congressman louis gomert says if don't ask don't tell is ended, it will basically be the down fall of the united states of a

the man you just heard there questioning senator jeff markley is dave weigel, an msnbc contributor. thanks for your time. that audio we just played is from a conference call that these two young senators, senator markley and udahl held today. is it your idea they've had a strategy built in place? >> the strategy has been in place for about two years. jeff merkley, they've been giving interviews for this subject for sometime. it was mostly liberal outlets. the rest of the media has not been taking it seriously. there is a disbelief any of this can happen. the strategy of this call today was this to come up tomorrow. it's very heated. unless people calm down a lot and have powerful smelling salts at home, democrats are going to come tomorrow looking for a way to change the way the senate has been. that's why they're going to have cloture votes possibly on saturday on the dream act and don't ask, don't tell. here's the thing that no one takes seriously. >> my sense about this is that the reason it feels like this is impossible is because senators are always so worked up. and people who