. >> joining us now is nia-malika henders henderson, a political reporter with "the washington post,"e toure, one of the co-hosts of "the cycle" here on msnbc. toure, i would like to show you a photograph for a moment. it was from today's "new york times." it shows john mccain uncomfortably sharing an elevator with rand paul, the young lady there appears to be sort of preventing them from killing each other. on thursday mccain and lindsey graham, as you know, skewered mr. paul, particularly his filibuster. so who wins this rare old tussle? is it the old guard or the new guard? >> it is an interesting establishment gop versus this tea party gop -- >> who wins? >> you know, i think rand paul within the conservative bubble comes out looking better. now, obviously to you and me we listen to it and graham and mccain are making more sense. rand paul is fighting a good fight against a problem that does not exist, a wild hypothetical that has not happened, perhaps never will happen. part of the gop's program of like real solutions for fake problems. americans in restaurants can rest assured t

let me bring in from the "washington post" nia malika henderson.nia malika, are lawmakers in washington feeling the pressure from these extreme pro-gun groups? >> i think they are in the sense that the nra remains a pretty powerful lobbying group for the gun lobby. and they are obviously looking at the 2014 elections. you saw these recent bills come out of the judiciary committee very much along partisan lines. the vote was 10-8. the democrats who didn't support the stricter gun control laws are from states that already have pretty strict gun control laws as it is. the eight republicans mostly from southern states, places like texas, iowa, south carolina. so i think a lot of what we knew coming into this, those factors about region, about senators who are from states that are more sort of progun, more southern, those factors are still going to be in play as the president wants to see these bills work their way through the senate. i think he still has to worry about whether or not he's going to be able to keep the democratic coalition together. ther

actually, the president's naming, i know, nia malika just mentioned it. there's no better strategy than that. it pulls vr well with the american people i hope organizing for action takes hold of that and asked people are they committed to being a part of the common sense caucus, whether they vote on the floor or not. i thif it's a brilliant strategy and it's way to galvanize people towards forward movement. it's a relly, really good strong point that the president made. >> well, nia malika let's use paul reilly. let's use him r him as a measure. he savings that from the affordable care act, he says this is how he wants to balance the budget through president obama's policies: now, if you look at what he's saying here and you compare it to what he was saying when he was running on the romney ticket, then he would claim president obama was raiding medicare to pay for health care. he said raising taxes would hurt economic growth. so he's clearly compromising now based on what he was saying less than a year ago when he was the vice presidential candidate on a

. >> let met bring some "the washington post" nia malika henderson and susan feruccio. good to see both of you. if the president thinks he can put together a grand bargain, does he have the wind at his back when you see what wall street is doing? >> i think he has the wind at his back. economists have predicted probably about 12 million jobs created over these next four years, about 250,000 of this last month. also i think the reality is if you talk to those senators who were at that dinner a couple nights ago, they are tired of the gridlock, tired of going from crisis to crisis. some of those men will not run for reelection ever again, so the sort of risks in terms of what reaching a grand bargain would mean to their reelection just isn't a factor. so i think he's doing himself some good by reaching out. republicans have criticized him for not reaching out. democrats have criticized for the same thing. this is a flashback to july 2011, where there did see some movement around a grand bargain. the takeaway from the sequester is as much as the president ran around the co

nia malika henderson, james peterson.going to stop you right there, mr. president. good matza? that's what's known in the business as a goi tell. unless that smothered in flutternutter or jammed inside a wich, it tastes like the box it came in. look, if you have copd like me, you know it can be hard to breathe, and how that feels. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or pro

. >> joining me live, "washington post" national political reporter nia-malika henderson.r. what do you make of him not using explicitly, rand paul, the word citizenship? is he for it or just green card and visas? >> it's hard to know at this point. you think if you think about marco rubio and how he went before the conservative audience and did not even mention immigration reform. he knows that this will be a hard sell to folks in his party. so that's why he is tiptoeing very generally around this issue. as you said, he didn't specifically say citizenship. there is a debate within the conservative movement, within the republican party about whether or not they should just do green cards or they should follow the senate's plan which suggests the path way to citizenship based on, i guess, it is 13 years or so. that's what he is facing. that's what all of these senators, marco rubio folks in the house will have to think about. what their base wants to do in terms of immigration reform. >> that is the crux of the debate. that 13 years and how to divide it to get to citizenshi

. >> now, nia-malika, isn't that momentum when you start seeing a right wing senator like this usings kind of rhetoric? tea party guy like rand paul? >> yes. i mean, this is a big surprise. that you have democrats and republicans really from both wings of the party, the far right as well as the far left, singing from the same prayer book on immigration. as you said, he implicitly seemed to support a pathway to citizenship. i think his aides later on sort of backed off of that and said they -- they support green cards. that really is the debate that i think you're going to have happen between republicans and democrats. are they for a full pathway to citizenship. the problem with that for republicans is that republicans hear citizenship, and they hear amnesty. then in their mind they also think that there are going to be lots of immigrants who are getting welfare, who are getting -- who are getting government benefits, and they don't want that to happen. so i think the white house is certainly pleased with where this is going. you have a bill probably that's going to be introduced next

he's going to have a tough time, as we've already seen that he's had one. >> steve schmitt and nia-malikarson, thank both for joining me tonight. >> thank you. >>> coming up, you will meet the one brave democrat who is ready to run against chris christie in new jersey. the woman who would be governor is coming up. when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. our financial advice is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. life brings obstacles. usaa brings retirement advice. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ stay in the groove with align. ♪ need help keeping your digestive balance in sync? try align. it's a probiotic that fortifies your digestive system with healthy bacteria 24/7. because your insides set the tone. stay in the groove with align. plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. my name is sunsh

kn nia malika henderson for the woe "washington post." the president made clear many reasons gun control legislation deserved a vote, a vote, not even a vote, just a vote. >> deserves a vote. the families of newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of oak creek and tucson and blacksburg and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence, they deserve a simple vote. >> well, in a letter to senate majority leader harry reid, five republican senators disagreed. they write, "we the undersigned sfwe intend to oppose any legislation that would fringe on american people's constitutional rights to bear arms or exercise this right without being suggested to government surveillance. we'll oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions." a filibuster declared. ron reagan, they're not going to fight this thing but make sure nobody gets to vote on background checks. they consider it a privacy matter, apparently. >> there are a couple thing

he's going to have a tough time, as we've already seen that he's had one. >> steve schmitt and nia-malika henderson, thank both for joining me tonight. >> thank you. >>> coming up, you will meet the one brave democrat who is ready to run against chris christie in new jersey. the woman who would be governor is coming up. [ bop ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit. so even you... could've had a v8. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10

nia malika henderson for the "washington post." the president made clear many reasons gun control legislation deserved a vote, a vote, not even a vote, just a vote. >> deserves a vote. >> gabby giffords deserves a vote. the family of newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of oak creek and tucson and blacksburg and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence, they deserve a simple vote. >> well, in a letter to senate majority leader harry reid, five republican senators disagreed. they write, "we the undersigned intend to oppose any legislation that would fringe on american people's constitutional rights to bear arms or exercise this right without being suggested to government surveillance. we'll oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions." a filibuster declared. ron reagan, they're not going to fight this thing but make sure nobody gets to vote on background checks. they consider it a privacy matter, apparently.

. >> nia-malika, happy easter to you. >>> one reason republicans are going to make such a time tough courting groups they lost in last year's election. congressman don young referred to immigrant workers as wetbacks. thank you, sir. an article posted on face back saying gays live a filthy lifestyle. republicans will not win new friends by calling them names. big surprise. it also doesn't help when you try to stop democrats from voting. we saw how that worked in 2012 or didn't work. but there they go again. republicans in north carolina pushing bills to restrict early voting and sanything they can t focus on the other side and keep there from being allowed to exercise their democratic rig s rights. >>> also, one of the reasons behind the surge and support for same sex marriage is the dramatic shift among the last group of progressives resistant to the idea of african-americans. they've been shifting on the issue. there's been a 35-point net swing towards supporting same sex in just three years. finally, the right-wing cheering section over at fox is upset sequestration has ended white

the "washington post" chris cillizza, my alter ego, and the "washington post's" nia-malika henderson.u, chris. >> i'm putting that on my twitter feed. andrea mitchell's alter ego. >> my best guy. first, this is the president trying to turn the conversation to private sector investment in miami. he is at the port of miami after a very busy week. he's talked about guns and immigration. his polling slightly down. is he getting the conversation where he wants it to be? >> well, look. this is your classic sort of bully pulpit. when the president goes anywhere and says anything, he will get more coverage than any other politician in the country. i'm not sure infrastructure will bump up into the guns conversation. he is going to denver next week to talk about guns. that will override. he talked about infrastructure and the state of union. andrea, he has all these balls up in the air. there's only so much he can catch. he has acknowledged he only has until the 2014 mid terms to get done what he wants to get done. i don't doubt his sincerity in wanting to spend more money on infrastructure. th

joining me, nia malika-henderson.c headquarters when the staff says we have good news and bad news. ann coulter has endorsed you, that's the good news. the bad news, she did say that your district would vote for hitler. this is as ugly an endorsement as you could possibly get, isn't it? >> yeah. and i'm guessing bostic doesn't want that endorsement, and barely to be quite frank doesn't necessarily benefit that much even from santorum's endorsement. folks in south carolina in that district don't care about these folks weighing in. this is a district, very conservative. it is going to be about who they feel comfortable with. this race, you know, obviously sanford was in that seat before, a former governor. let's also remember newt gingrich won the south carolina primary by a landslide, and santorum won something like 17%. so in previous campaigns, you have seen south carolina embrace men unfaithful to their wives. >> mark sanford is way overfinanced compared to bostic. he has $271,000 at this point, bostic, $56,000 for

nia malika-henderson has the last word. thank you. alex wagner is next. >> edith windsor and thea spire got engaged years ago. it's wednesday, march 27th, i'm alex wagner. and this is "now." >> i am today an out lesbian who just sued the united states of america. >> the supreme court cracks open doma. the skim milk marriage. chad griffin helps us dissect today's developments. >> you are serious? you want to equate interracial marriage to a homosexual marriage? >> susie orman will break down what will happen when the right wing realizes it's wrong. >> i'm not concerned about the democratic party. i'm concerned about the people whose lives will be impacted by it. >> but will he make the moves? don't call it a comeback. >> toss the political scripts. >> sarah palin releases a new video with one message, 2014. >>> and a shocking report on the culture of violence in the military. no, not the one on the battlefield. the one on women. >> in 1965, edie windsor meat thea spire at a new york city restaurant. she would later tell the times that

. >> our senior south carolina correspondent, nia malika-henderson has the last word. >>> equality. let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews. in washington, let me start tonight with this. justice. rights. fairness. equality. bias. these are the matters argued today in the supreme court. can people of the same sex be denied the opportunity to marry? is it just? is it constitutional? is it equal protection of the laws? or is it unjustified, unconstitutional, unfair and unequal? well, the court must now rule on where the defense of marriage act fits by these standards. can it be defended as just, fair and equal when it so clearly be deaf significance is not? can it be declared consistent with our american constitution which says we cannot be denied life, liberty or property without due process of law? tonight we try to discern where the high court is headed. how it will rule on this sensitive question of american rights. the freedom we enjoy in this land and recognized and enshrined in its declaration of independence, the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happin

listening to those notes of warmth between the two sides, i have to say like nia-malika, i am cautiouslyptimistic. >> i want to go back to who paid for this lunch. there are problems for everybody above. our nbc news report says, as for who paid for dinner, several senators said they had no idea. the problem there is the senate ethics rules that do not allow anyone to pay for their dinners if it's more than $25, and at that place, richard, you know it was. >> oh, my goodness, yes. >> if the president paid for dinner, as it indicates he probably did, there may be another problem there. the exception to this $25 rule is very simple. the exception is the old friend rule. you can pay if it was an old friend who paid. it's normally defined as someone you were very friendly with before you became a senator, and unfortunately, the president never met any of these people before that. i think we can wait for the senate ethics committee investigation as to exactly what the propriety of this was. >> i expect future nominations to be strongly blocked by republicans until we see the token moments. >>

let's bring bag our gaggle, nia malika henderson, and michelle marcus.l i've seen that i'll follow, there's a third national poll that showed something, the president's numbers softened a bit. sequester, we saw it at the beginning of -- he polls better than republicans, but it softens. >> and let's face it, he went out there saying that the sky was going to fall. as far as i can tell, it hasn't fallen yet. he spent a lot of capital on it. >> in their defense on this sky's falling, they said it starts april 1st, but they started saying that a little after they said the sky was going to fall and criminals will be let go. >> it goes to the larger issue every time they get succeed -- i feel like they saw this polls, too. >> there has to be, like everyone else, he's not up for reelection himself, there's nothing to be gained by blaming things on an obstructionist republican party. >> not in an odd-numbered year. >> and the country wants us to move forward. >> ruth, the fun stuff, 2016, hillary, and christie, biden and christie, a bunch of fun matchups. here's

joining me right now nia-malika henderson who covers all this. and former mayor willie brown.about the appearance of this and the reality of this, which is more important? >> it is the appearance of it. for all reasons fall beyond anything we can ever fathom, this is the kind of thing that should have been done from the first day that the president was elected. he should have been able to develop a relationship with every person holding office one on one by first name. many times you get better results out of those relationships than you do out of substantive merit. he's attempting to do that, and that's proper. >> nia, i think there's a part of this that bugs me a bit which is sort of the staging of it. if you want to make friends with somebody, you have to say let's meet for a drink after work or however it's done. i don't do this anymore. let's meet and have a hamburger somewhere. do you stage it with such pretense, such ruffles and flourishes? it reminds me of the henry gates beer time. it was so choreographed you wonder how they can speak without being ratted out. don't t

john mccain, lindsey graham, we're talking about the south and the southwest which going back to nia-malikahere you see the argument. and harry reid is from nevada which has a very large latino population. so they wanted the players most engaged to be doing legislation. we haven't spoken about the house. even if they get a senate deal -- >> back from immigration to guns, anything that's being discussed right now when you switch to the house, you hear wonk, wonk. a lot tougher. you know and anticipate a no, right? >> they don't have a filibuster in the house. they would be able to get to it a vote. the democrats would vote for it. if they could get enough republican votes, they could get it done there, too. >> there are enough republicans in those states who see this in their benefit to vote for it. >> thank you both. greatly appreciate it. attorneys for oscar pistorius want to change the conditions. >>> we'll get the first read on how the budget momentum could bleed over and stall everything from guns to immigration. i had enough of feeling embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of