would you take leave from the rga?d to focus on governing the state and dealing with the controversy. in chris christie's world and he is not yunique never show weakness and i think if he stepped down from the rga it is hugely overinterpreted for what it meant and the symbolism would take on a big stake. i don't know if he was ever helping people that much by campaigning for them. the rga he is to raise money and meeting people. he is going to meet people. i think in the room he has to show he is not distracted. from what i've heard and seen myself a little bit, he looks a little distracted. he looks a little bit like it and understandably so but in these meetings, this is his chance. how many times is -- has he gone to iowa and new hampshire and illinois. if he wants to run for president still, he has got to meet those people and got to try to win them over. that is hard. if you're president, as president obama, has he dealt with things this distracting? yes. this is a chance to prove he can do more than one thing at

. >> right now, he's a distraction to the rga. if republicans' job is electing governors, and you got a guy running the rga that has republican candidates running away from him, that's a serious problem. >> rga made chris christie their chairman and top fund-raiser in november. over the past few weeks, christie's been traveling around the country to fund raise for candidates. the problem, none of the problems he's working to elect want to be seen with him. first, there was florida where things didn't quite go as planned. >> governor christie, do you have a few seconds, sir? >> the normally talkative new jersey governor would not stop. in fact, if it wasn't for this brief sighting in palm beach saturday, you'd be hard pressed to find evidence chris christie was actually here. >> christie was supposed to be in the sunshine state to campaign for rick scott. instead, rick scott spent the weekend avoiding a public appearance with christie. then there was christie's trip to texas last week where both the current governor and the man who

new jersey all it can be. >> you know, the rga has a vice chair. >> in short, to be the governor. >> it's undeniable the rga job is a major distraction. >> i have a job to do. >> especially when he's the hea on top of the scandals. >> my job is to be governor of the state of new jersey. >> when he gets control of his governor's office -- >> he's trying to go back to talking about what he thinks are going to be the big themes of 2016 and beyond. >> and christie's mind, he clearly still is a presidential candidate. >> i am not preoccupied with that number. >> his poll numbers as far as running against hillary have jumped off the gw bridge. >> you guys worry about the bridge, i'm going to worry about the contract. >> christie's focus is on showing he's still in the game politically nationally. >> no one is going to stop me from doing my job. >>> with a possibly huge snowstorm bearing down on new jersey and new york tomorrow, chris christie canceled his town meeting in new jersey tomorrow. g governor who spent yesterday in chicago was greeted with an editorial in his state's biggest news

but here's what the rga tells me. to meet with any of these four guys because the rga doesn't get involved in primary politics. when the republicans finally have one nominee, then they say christie will be out there trying to help them win back that seat. >> so there's the optics and then there's reality, and i guess there's also their own realities, right? i'm just curious, though, when you look ahead, how long do you think this backlash is going to stick with him about this whole thing? >> reporter: yeah, this is the troubling part for chris christie, is you're right, perception is just as important as reality, just like we saw when christie went to florida and texas, you've got the media really focusing in on this and asking questions about the controversy. so, they're following christie wherever he goes. and let's be honest, that is a serious problem. another thing, the media, as i said, is taking this so seriously that even cnn, we are sending one of our top correspondents, dana bash, she's out there in chicago.

the rga does not normally release its monthly fund-raising totals.e, there was a small protest today at the george washington bridge. really small protest based on that shot. where a national group organized victims -- some of the victims of the lane closures to speak out against christie. also today the christie campaign won approval from the new jersey election law enforcement commission to spend campaign cash to fund its respond to the subpoenas over the bridge scandal. christie, himself, said during his public event in chicago that he still hasn't gotten to the bottom of what happened. >> we're in the midst of an internal review now, and whatever that internal review discloses we're going to release to the public and if there's more action that needs to be taken, i'll take it. >> chris christie's doing a lot more than just looking at members of his own team. leading that internal review is a high-powered defense attorney, rudy giuliani associate named randy mastro, seen as a prosecutor, not someone you would be hiring to play defense. he has been

you have christie last night raising money with mitt romney for the rga and million dollars in bostonput this into context for the future of christie and any potential run for 2016? he seems to be making a little bit of a come back here. >> the rga thing in 2014 is linked to 2016 and any ambitions he has right there. it is like -- he's got to hang on as the chairman of the rga earn show that he can raise the money and do the appearances and put in the kind of work and be the asset he was supposed to be as chairman of the rga right now because that is a test of his national appeal within the republican party. if it reaches a point he has to say, i'm not raising money, too much of a distraction, have to stand down and take a break as rga chairman, he might as well being admitting, i have to stand down as 2015 candidate too. to be viable for 2016. >> steve kornacki, thank you for your reporting as always and we'll see you tomorrow morning on "up" at 8:00 a.m. the long wait for rain is over in california, but now there are new fears with flooding and mudslides expected over the next 24 ho

and the fact is right now he's a distraction to the rga.ublicans' job is electing governors, you've got a guy running the rga that has republican candidates running away from him, that's a serious problem and he needs to sit down and do some soul searching and see whether he wants to defend charges against him or continue this. i don't think he can do both. >> that is of course former republican congressman and msnbc morning joe host joe scarborough telling chris christie that he cannot run the republican governors association and defend himself before a new jersey legislative investigative committee and an investigation by federal prosecutors. and yesterday the largest newspaper in new jersey rewrote its editorial endorsing chris christie in his re-election campaign. yesterday's editorial in the "-star-ledger," written by tom moran is entitled "chris christie endorsement is regrettable." yes. we knew christie was a bully, writes tom moran, "but we didn't know his crew was crazy enough to put people's lives at risk in fort lee as a means to

they still want the rga money. so you sort of have to hold him at arm's length, but if he stays in place and the investigation drags on until november, you still need him to raise money for you. >> the interesting thing about the town hall meeting if it comes to pass -- >> and the only thing that could derail is it a big snowstorm coming as well. >> or it could be derailed also by chris christie. because, you know, his weapon of choice in these sorts of situations in the past when he's been challenged is to call people idiots and to drown them out and to be dismisive and really to in public to really try to shame and shun. and he can't do that anymore. so he has to find a way to get back to that sort of bold straight talking guy while saying things that don't make sense while also playing the victim card, which we saw there. it was about his feeling. he felt disappointed. oh, but i'm not going to wallow. not chris christie, i don't do wallow. it's about how he felt betrayed. not how he didn't get to the bottom of t

so his presidential ambitions are so tangled up in the rga thing, that to back out of the rga thing iseally to back out of the 2016 thing. i think that's complicated things to another degree for him. >> i agree with every word. especially his campaign started the minute he decided not to run last time. but look -- i just want to show what this is creating for other republicans. you know, bobby jindhal goes on tv, wants to have a little chat on cnn. let's see how that goes. >> should the governor step down from his republican governors association chairmanship? >> no. here, i think the press doesn't quite understand how rga works. no one governor is more important than the other. >> david axelrod, what makes that question go away for republican governors who go on tv? >> i don't think they will go away. i think the smart answer is look, these questions will be looked at. he say he wasn't involved in it. i wouldn't dance about it. but one thing that's interesting is the one sort of small by-product of this that christie can perhaps grab on to is he got an invitation to the cpac meeting.

that's more than twice as much that has been raised in a signal month in rga history. joining us guy benson, fox news contributor. i don't know, guy, how you did in math in high school or college, but you didn't have to get an a-plus to figure out that's a lot of dough. >> well, it's a record amount of money that governor christie has brought into the coffers at the rgand this is a glimmer of good news for governor christie amid a very difficult month for him. i think it will quell some of those murmurs you have heard about maybe he should step aside, maybe he is a little too toxic to be running this particular organization, and based on what he's experiencing on the campaign trail with these governors, at fund-raisers, talking to big money people within the party, he is excelling. he's brought in a record amount of money in fact as you pointed out in the month of january. gretchen, last week "the new york times" published a story that revealed that top democrats at the very highest levels of the party are having regular conference calls, the purpose of which are to di

the big question for the rga will probably happen in four to six weeks.ngs, one will governors and republican candidates stand with chris christie? and two, has the money dried up? >> we know at the end of the day, your second was the most salient, when the money stops zblsh that's what it's going to take. that's what he really has on the line right now. the chairmanship of the rga. >> the media, the mainstream media, we're used to being attacked. everyone does that to a certain extent. we get that. but to put out that memo, that -- >> that he wrote himself. it seemed like a second grader after school, got together with other second graders. >> i'm willing to bet anything, influential people in his circle stepping up, saying, you know what, you need to debunk this guy and show more strength. he did put out a proper statement on friday. >> you know what, forget it not being presidential, that's not gubernatorial. >> but that also goes to the point that he doesn't have people around him that are willing to call it the way it is and say, no, governor. >> rea

that's when the rga stuff comes in to the fore.ctually in new jersey legislatively. >> think about what a shift that is. he was the republican brand. he won the landslide victory. he became the brand, this guy who's different, he won sam african-american votes, latino votes. now, julie pace, some republicans are nerve ugs and they are beginning to look around. there's this guy named jeb busher, the former governor of florida -- the former part does help you sometimes. he's been asked many times le run in 2016. this week he said this. >> i'm deferring the decision to the right time which is later this year and the decision will be based on, can i do it joyfully, because i think we need to have candidates lift our spirits. >> something switched in jeb in the sense that instead of the push-away, he's talking, a, about a timetable. he's actually thinking about thematics. >> donors in particular are looking for someone who's not chris christie. jeb bush has a lot of support in the section of the gop, the country club republicans who's a

the reality is rga is about the 29 governors that are members.bout the 36 governors' elections we've got this year. i know the media's got attention on one particular governor in rga. he has been an effective leader of rga. i think he should remain. the reality is chris -- he is taking responsibility. he has said he'll cooperate with all of the investigations. i don't know what more we can ask him to do beyond that. yes, he can be effective. >> chris christie is not the only republican governor with problems these days. >> question. if county workers were doing nothing wrong, why should they be using a private e-mail account? >> well, but that's exactly to my point. you had a democratic district attorney spend almost three years looking at every single one of those communications. interviewing people, talking to people. and closed the case -- >> private e-mail account. >> it's one of those where i point out the district attorney has reviewed every single one of these issues -- >> but sir, you're not answering my question. >> no, because i'm not g

i want to talk about the rga.ip of the republican governor association is an important thing for him and the party. the governor's mansions are a point of pride for the party. they've got 29 of them. there's 22 republican governors up for re-election this year. some really important states. florida, michigan, illinois, wisconsin, ohio, colorado, including pennsylvania where tom corbett according to chris cizilla is the most vulnerable governor in america. important for the gop to have the governorship of pennsylvania for so many reasons. how long does the gop, does the rga say, okay, we're going to stick with you, chris christie and at what point do they say, you are not the rainmaker that we thought you might be because he's continuing as we see there, he's continuing his rga tour, dallas, chicago, coming up. how long do they keep going with limb? >> oh, i think they go for a while here. i think they'll let things play out a little in new jersey. i think based on what i've heard about a fund-raiser he was at in f

. >> christie remains a very effective rga fundraising. >> in spite of the scandal. >> but he can't leave behind questions about the bridge scandal. >> i'm shocked you brought that up. >> this isn't going away for him. >> i don't think it will curtail a second-term agenda. h. >> he's optimistic he can regain his agenda. >> some stranded in the traffic jam demanding his signatures. >> 14,000 signatures saying governor christie must resign. >> it's virtually impossible to see him getting anything done now in the near term. >> 18 more subpoenas. >> we have several investigations going on right now. >> this is a story that's going to be decided by the evidence. >> this investigation is going to go on for a while. >> it is no wonder governor chris christie is getting out of town. >> a god awful winter that i wish would end. >>> chris christie hit the road once again today for the republican governor's association, this time traveling to chicago. but unlike his recent trips to florida and texas, chris christie did not hide from the cameras all day. he had a luncheon chat with the very well heel

rga is not about one governor.out all 29 of these. >> finally, in louisiana the last i saw there will be the excuse of a man next week by lethal injection. he was found guilty of murdering his 6-year-old stepson. you are using in this lethal injection the same two chemicals that are now under scrutiny because of an ohio execution where the man being executed was -- we were told it took ten minutes for him to die, writhing in convulsion. are you comfortable with this excuse going forward. >> we are in front of federal court, district court as well as united states supreme court. the judges have to decide whether we are allowed to proceed to fulfill the court's verdict. we are looking at and will likely support legislation in this session to give the department of kreshcorrections options. we had had a different protocol we weren't able to get that drug. we're likely to go to the legislators this year to ask them to give the department of corrections other options. we're not always able to find and secure these drugs

since then, the bridge allegations, you said he should step down as the chair of the rga. but why?s proven he did anything wrong, and he categorically denies it. there's not been any proof at all. >> yeah, and i don't suggest that he did anything wrong. obviously, there was pettiness there, people on his staff. that hasn't reached him. my comment isn't a legal comment, it isn't -- it isn't anything other than reality. you just told us what happened in texas, and guess what? that's going to happen all over this country. my comment a couple of weeks ago here on cnn was just a very practical observation. is that a republican in any state where they can lose -- so not utah -- is not going to want to be seen publicly with governor christie until this is entirely behind him, because the point of having a rock star governor from out of state come and help you is to help you. if the story the next day is about a lane closure on a bridge in new jersey, then you're not advancing your candidacy, and the goal, for instance, when nikki haley came in to help me last year, she talked me up and th

>> whether he remains as rga chairman as up to the republicans.s chris christie actually ha that's highlighted himself really held up a neon sign and said, look at republican governors and specifically said look at me as the model of good governance. and you know, if we're taking a close look at what chris christie's brand of good governance is, that isn't very pretty. we're just happy to help them out if they want to continue to highlight that chris christie's version of good governance is the direction the republican governors would take us. in texas today, just like a couple of weeks ago in florida when rick scott wouldn't be seen publicly or privately within -- five inches of a camera with chris christie, today we have the republican candidate for governor in texas who is literally hundreds of miles away from chris christie and not appearing with them even though he's doing san rga fundraiser in texas and to add insult to injury, rick perry, the current republican governor, former republican candidate for president is not anywhere within hundr

he was supposed to be traveling the country with him in his role as chairman of the rga. this is a guy he trusted immensely. these are people he has had with him for a long time. they're really close to him. to me that meant that he trusted them to be high-ranking members of his staff and to do some big jobs for the state. i don't know if there was more implied there or not. >> i don't know whether it's implied either. let me go to robert on that question. it seems to me that he has been making nice of his public statements about the people who may testify. have you noticed they were liars and stupid a couple of weeks ago, or a month ago? and now they're all people who are victims of bad judgment. is he trying to soften the attack, make people feel guilty out there like wildstein? i don't think wildstein is in a position to be nice to the governor. he is going to save his life. your thoughts. >> i thought it was interesting that he said someone, it sounds to me like that list that you ticked off, it was someone's plural. >> boy, a lot of people. >> seems to think that fir

i go back to him as the head of the rga.der if this is a role that serves governor christie well at this point or serves the rga that well. look. this is a guy who has got to do a lot to get his house in order if he is not just going to have a political future nationally or a political future in new jersey. >> i like chris. i trust chris. i still take him at his word. but i'm always blunt and the fact is right now, he's a distraction to the rga. if a republican's job is electing the governor and the rga candidates running away from him that is a serious problem and he needs to sit down and do soul-searching whether he wants to defend charges against him or continue this. i don't think he can do both. >> a couple of other stories we want to get in here. the headline many are waking up to in "usa today." job gains in the u.s. are expected to average 200,000 a month, but after friday's dismal report, some are questioning whether these predixs can be trusted. the economy only added 113,000 jobs for the month of january and it wa

it was hardly a ringing endorsement. >> i think the press doesn't quite understand how rga works. no one governor is more important than the other. i don't think he should step down. i think he should stay there. rga is not about one governor, it's about all 29 of the governors, all 36 races. >> one more thing. an interesting development this morning. nbc has learned that christie has been invited to speak at the conservative political action conference, cpac, and he plans to go. talk about your odd timing, but with that crowd, a republican being under siege and the media attention that comes with it, could be something of a positive. enemy of my enemy is my friend, we guess. if christie is complaining about media attention, he'll find plenty of allies at cpac. there's your launch of monday first reads. up next, slow walk for fast track. there's a growing divide in the democratic party, between the white house and senate democrats, over whether they give the president the power to negotiate trade deals that he pushed during the state of the union. and before we go, here's a live l

is the clock running down on christie's time as head of the rga?> i think it's telling that the four candidates running for governor, four republican candidates running for governor in illinois, none will be appearing with chris christie while he visits. we saw that happen when he went to florida recently as well, rick scott, the governor there not appearing in public with him. i still don't think he's going to step down from the rga chairmanship unless and until his hand is sort of forced. i don't think we're there yet. he's still able to raise a lot of money. the rga continues to be one of the most high performing committees in terms of raising money. i think if he starts to not be the fund raising draw or if you have a lot of candidates in high profile races saying we don't want this guy around, that's when i think he might go. >> ruth, finally this report from diane blair's archives, one of clinton's closest con fidants, do you think there's something to it or early research, what we'll see for the course of the next three years. i'm truck by t

chris christie raised $6 million for the rga, that is some sort of record a one-month record. is this a story that is -- that resonates with a certain portion of this country but a lot of folks don't seem to care? >> well, there was concern that this would trip up his ability to run the rga, the republican governors association but those numbers demonstrate at least in the short term he hasn't necessarily had any problems. yes, there were embarrassing revelations and a lot of questions raised but the money keeps rolling in and no one really has suggested to him -- put it this way. nobody has cancellinged an appearance that he had scheduled with them in recent weeks. he had stops in florida and some in chicago. >> some who had not necessarily wanted to be seen with the governor on stage? >> yes, absolutely, he can turn to a $6 million hall in the weeks after this scandal broke out, that would suggest he's doing just fine. unless something else comes out, he'll continue to be in charge of the rga. >> the white house of course, as you know yesterday, announcing that the president

how does that $18 million compare to previous rga chairmen? >> here's how, a record. first three months steering that committee. this comes, you mentioned, during the rga meeting happening right now in washington, and this is the first time chris christie's meeting up with fellow republican governors since that george washington bridge controversy went viral early last month. we know chris christie is considering a run for the white house in 2016 and taking over at the chairman of the rga was seen as a possible warm-up act for a potential presidential run. the bridge controversy put a business of a question mark on his political future. one thing is for sure, chris christie can raise the money, he can bring in the bucks. >> they like that. so if christie does decide to make a run for the white house in 2016, apparently texas governor rick perry could potentially be a main poeoppone. a bit of what perry had to say to wolf blitzer about chris christie. >> we're on the same team, working together. let me tell you something, he's a kpecompetitor. i'm going to compete agai

within the republican party, who are the top gives to the rga.s billionaires who want to take over state politics. i think his ego is in great shape. his poll numbers as far as running against hillary have jumped over the george washington bridge. i think people are kidding themselves if they think they're seeing a christie comeback in this. >> christie now trails hillary clinton by 21 points in a hypothetical 2016 matchup. that's an eight point drop from a poll done in january. but it just seems there are people with microphones who are of the conservative persuasion who are doing everything they can to present that chris christie is having a good day. it's almost like walkeritis, isn't it? >> yeah. i think that just not going to fly in a national election. christie makes this pitch that he's the great uniter and the bipartisan candidate. it's not working for him. once you get out of the primaries and you get to the general election, the shine is off christie. >> they looking for a comeback narrative here of sorts? >> they're getting help from p

the governor to explain exactly what happened, he's continuing to travel around the country as the rga chair to raise money for candidates who seem to refuse to be seen or photographed with him. i was the governor of a large state. i was surrounded by top staff. and my judgment, it is impossible for these kinds of things to have happened in chris christie's office without his knowledge or his consent. so governor christie needs to stand up and clear up what he knew and when he knew it and explain just how deeply his office was involved in the scheme that has caused this evolving scandal. and while the investigations are going forward, christie and his office should stop orchestrating attacks on those conducting these investigations, news outlets and other reasonably asking tough questions. i'm suggesting two things. two possibilities. either the governor knew and he is lying, or he is the most inept, incompetent chief executive imaginable. as i said, i was the governor of a large state, and i had a close-knit staff. now, governor christie in his press conference i think tried to absolv

road -- >> his third out of state trip since bridgegate began. >> christie remains a very effective rgaf the scandal. >> but he can't leave behind questions about the bridge scandal. >> i'm shocked you brought that up.

this is a huge year for the rga. i think they have 22 incumbent seats to protect, and they want to expand that obviously. they've been a very, very effective organization the last couple of cycles. and the tide is with them probably in 2014 as well. so you can see this as kind of the bad news for them that they have this guy who should be the rainmaker, and their candidates and their incumbents are going to be averse to being seen with him. it's not the ideal way to go about kind of winning in 2014. >> what do you make of this interesting nbc/wall street journal poll saying the positive feelings for christie have gone up in one category of americans. it's not republicans generally, its core gop voter, the real hardline guy or woman. look that it's going up ten points. what do you say at the bottom on there. 10 points from 32 to 42. is that reaction to media coverage of this thing? is it democrats enjoying it? why do they leap to support someone who is clearly got a taint, if not a real problem on his hands? >> well,

after it was known that he was going to head the rga but before this really became a scandal. so i'd love to see if he keeps raising money at that level. but this is a really -- you know, this is a process -- he's been so damaged in washington. the republican insiders were ready to really put their full weight behind this guy and ready to line up endorsements for him and money for him and so on and so forth. and that's just in deep freeze now. >> mike and bob, a big thanks to both of you. appreciate your time. we are also following some breaking news right now in iowa. emergency officials there are asking residents in the tiny town of northwood, asking folk who is live in northwood, iowa, to evacuate immediately because of a fire at the northwood municipal airport. the worth county sheriff's office says a building with chemicals including sulfuric acid, build rgs on fire there. again, residents are being asked to head to a community center about six miles away. so far no injuries have been reported. we have our eye on what's happening here in this iowa town. we will of course

>> listen, i don't know but 6 million coming into the rga is big.running for governor is hiding from him. if they don't take pictures, that will be a big embarrass zblmt we'll leave it there. thank you for a heated discussion. >> we're just getting started. >> we're minutes away from the arizona governor. she'll be making a statement about the controversial bill. we'll bring it back to you live. very important moment for jan brewer. we'll see what happens when a weather man meets a spider. [ male announcer ] there is no substitute for experience. for what reality teaches you firsthand. in the face of danger, and under the most demanding circumstances. experience builds character. experience builds confidence. and experience... has built this. introducing the 2014 glk. the engineering and the experience of mercedes-benz. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. through mercedes-benz but with less energy, moodiness, and a low sex drive, i had to do something. i saw my doctor. a blood test showed it wa

>> listen, i don't know but 6 million coming into the rga is big.lem for the governor is some of those republicans running for governor who are hiding from him, if they don't start taking pictures with him over time, that's going to be the bigger embarrassment. >> we'll leave it there. thank you for a heated discussion. >> we're just getting started. >> we're minutes away from the arizona governor. she'll be making a statement about the controversial bill. it has the entire country talking. we'll bring it back to you live. very important moment for jan brewer. we'll see what happens when a weather man meets a spider. and [ female announcer ] new fiber one protein cereal. ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! ♪ we are one, under the sun ♪ under the sun... [ female announcer ] fiber and protein. together as one. introducing new fiber one protein cereal. [ female announcer ] fiber and protein. together as one. knows her way can run in high heels. must be a supermodel, right? you don't know "aarp". because aarp is making finding the career you love, no matter what

get this over w he can be governor of new jersey, he can run for president and be head of the rga. >>ore clearly in this investigation in the new jersey legislature continues and things clarify. so i think he'll wait and see. >> it might be premature. >> why, why would he. again what new has actually come out. an allegation but there's been no significant shift in the basis of information we have here. >> kimberly what was your take away from house majority leader eric cantor. i pressed him twice on what the house republican principles on immigration actually exped he wasn't even comfortable saying what they said on camera. what do you think house republicans actually are as oppose to do what they represented rhetorically. >> i was actually out of the republican retreat for a bit this week. here's the good news. the republicans, there's a growing number of republicans who do seem to understand that they are going to have to address this issue sometime. by the way that's a big shift from even a year ago. i think there's there's a huge number of excuses why not to do it now. and there's

head of the rga, which is the group that's dedicated to electing gop governors across the country.he wanted to tour the country, get his name out there, take advantage of that post. obviously the first few months of the year have not gone as they originally thought. i think the jury is still out on the walker issue. it is not quite as clear as it is there with governor christie there was wrongdoing. certainly with christie it is pretty obvious at the staff level at least. what's so fascinating to me, john, watching these governors is that there's no obvious heir apparent. how many decades have we seen in the republican party that there is on obvious candidate. that person doesn't exist. some would have said chris christie last year. that's certainly not now the case. it is a wide-open race as wide open on the gop side for probably the last four years, maybe more than that. >> the question for governor walker in wisconsin is whether he as a milwaukee county executive whether he had people on the govern payroll doing his campaign work or whether or not there were not clearly defined

he's leading the rga meeting.esterday, in his first town hall since the summer, he couldn't avoid questions about being mocked by his idol bruce springsteen, telling voters, i don't do drugs, i don't drink, this is it for me. i still live in hope that some day he'll wake up and go, he's a good guy, we can be friends. all right. the boss with the governor. i think they'll make up. anyway, joining me now is one of the governors that wants to bring policy ideas to washington. also former congressman, so he's done this trick back and forth. indiana republican governor mike pence. good morning to you, sir. >> good morning, chuck. >> i want to start with this issue -- in your state of the state, you seemed uncomfortable with what your legislature was doing on the issue of marriage, and you seemed to almost -- were trying to encourage the legislature stop taking up this issue. is that where you are on this issue? i know they want to -- there was even some talk of banning civil unions in the state of indiana. where are yo

editorialize all they want, the only thing that would compel republicans to move chris christie from the rgaenough money? has he raised enough money? has the scandal in new jersey become a distraction? raised money in chicago and texas last week, did a pretty good job. this week he has a meeting, private meeting with the republican governors executive committee, a meeting that will include rivals rick perry and bobby jindal and will present to them their 2014 strategy and how much money he has raised. and we'll see what comes out of that meeting, but that's going to be the real test for him whether he stays in that position. barring a further -- >> the real jury of his peers, you might say. >> maeve? >> mother judgment day coming up for chris christie which is cpac which is coming up, the conservative gathering at the beginning of march. he generally -- that audience has been very cool to him, but the one interesting thing that we've seen in the polling is that while his numbers have slid among independents, democrats, all those folks that he was strong with before, it actually -- his number

that would put the rga on a track to get over $70 million. it raised $50 million last year.good starting number. some of that may be tact cal. they renewed people's gifts in december. but some of them is the star power and going to places around the country to hold fundraisers. bill: we are looking at 2016. a lot of thing are popping up. way just said is rumors of his deniet --rumors of his demise ay exagerated. rand paul is pounding on the clintons. >> each of these candidates need to do something in 2014. they need to make this about something bigger than their personal ambitions. rand paul spending a lot of time talking about the mistakes that bill clinton does not look like a big agenda for the future of the country. the second thing they need to do is strengthen their skills as a candidate. each one of these people has run and won in a state. but they are about ready to enter a koon tes -- they are abo enter a contest that will cover most of the 50 states. they have to strengthen their skills. i'm not sure beating up on monica lewinsky is a great thing. bill: we'll chec

instead, we'll hear from jindal, who's the former chairman of the rga, and some other republican governors. you know, is this because of the bridge scandal that's enveloped his administration? possibly, because certainly there'll be a lot of questions about that here in d.c. but he says it's for his daughter's 18th birthday, which she turns today. so he wants to get home for that. so work-life balance is what he's saying. >> he was here over the weekend as the governors were seen around town. and john dingell. longest serving congressman in u.s. history. >> in history, yeah. >> tell us about why he's decided to retire. >> entered in 1955. he's worked a long time on health care, in particular, and, you know, he worked on not only the affordable care act but medicare way back in the day. >> that's right. >> when that was finally implemented. so this was a big deal for him to be able to see it -- see the affordable care act through. you know, of course, he's getting older. been there since 1955, like we said. so i think at some point everyone expected he would retire. >> there has been talk t

it is undeniable that the rga job is a major distraction especially when heaped on top of the scandals. so give it up, governor. time to focus on the job you were hired to do. christie seems to be carrying favor with the right wing of the republican party which never liked him. after days of playing the favorite past time of attacking the "new york times" christie hit democrats for their focus on income inequality. >> i don't think the american people want income equality. what they want is income opportunity. and i make that one of the big discussions in conversations is do you want medicrity or greatness. >> no one is talking about income equality. they are talking about the difference in incomes never seen before in this country. let's call it his attempt to show proof of life out there. the former democratic governor of ohio and a reporter for the "new york times." governor, i like the fact when people go out and attack something that no one said. i never heard the democratic party say they want everybody to make $100,000 a year. i have heard the pope among other people get very co

the rga is telling us last month in january, he was responsible for raising $6 million, which they say is told to us as you know, carol, you can imagine why, to underscore the fact that they believe he is not damaged by the scandal for doing the job he has to do as rga chair, which is to raise money for all the gubernatorial candidates around the country. he is also against a lot of democratic criticism, ads that say he is a pariah. it is true we had no public events we saw with the governor in florida when christie was there, with the candidates and officials in texas where he was last week but in terms of this state and this visit here to illinois, it might not be the case. the governor here is a democrat. the candidates to replace him have not yet had their primary, the republican primary. i am told it is possible that at least a couple of those candidates might show up at this economic club meeting, which is a public meeting today. >> we'll check back. dana bash reporting live from chicago. we're going to take a break and be right back with much more in the "newsroom." discover car

the rga said a fundraising record of $6 million in january. let's get to dane a bash. she's in chicago. christie's supporters are saying that he's a pariah in his own city? >> it certainly was proved false for one of the candidates who is looking to be governor of illinois, a man by the name of bill brady. he came to this public event and made a point to do so and show support. he told me point blank why he shouldn't come. this flies in the face of what democrats are saying. but i think big picture what was fascinating about this hour-long discussion that christie had at the economic forum was that he only had one question about the scandal that has embroiled him and his administration. more generally he talked about things that have made him a national figure, including hitting washington. but also it was pretty clear, jake, that even when he's talking about things he talked about the past that make him different, they have a little bit of a different context now. li listen to they and you'll know what i mean. >> voting, especially for an executive, a governor, or a p