unfortunately, the rnc was unwilling to do that. rich, what do you counsel the rnc?rst of all, always comb your hair. i think in this case, governor, everybody is right. i think the rnc. they're getting great traction on this. there's nothing going on this august. >> great traction with whom? great traction with the base. they don't need great traction with the base. >> this is 2013, ed. we've got a long way to go. i guarantee you, they're not going to be talking about this every day between now and three years from now. so -- but it is getting traction and it's getting coverage, which is okay. in this business almost anything is good news. but i also agree that they have a case that mrs. clinton is probably going to be presented very wonderfully. >> the clintons don't want this to happen either. they have reached out to us for some of my reporting and said this is one of the few times where we agree with the rnc. everybody is on board, we don't want these to happen. >> i tweeted the other day, if you don't want to watch it, don't watch it. just don't turn it on. >>

we heard from the spokesperson on the rnc invitation.aid he is building a unique could ligs of voters that is a blueprint for others. he's bringing people together from across the political spectrum. republicans, democrats and independents. maybe not rand paul. this year, christie sort running in a blue state. he's sort of an outlier among republicans, isn't he? >> yes, and we made a big deal about booker's margin of victory. the one thing christie and his campaign are hoping is a decisive victory in the general election in november. to be able to show a republican can win by a very large margin. of course, we still have to get to election day. we need to see that margin. if christie's able to get in the high 50s or 60% of the vote in new jersey, in november, he's going to be able to go back to republicans. if he has his eye on 2016 and say, look, i can win a presidential contest in new jersey. i can have a big appeal. i can win over independent voters. that can give some conservatives who had their doubts maybe a second look. >> mark mu

that was rnc chair reince priebus earlier today at the rnc's summer meeting in boston, delivering a spirited indictment on the liberal bias he says the media shows his republican donors and friends. now, today the republican national committee unanimously passed a resolution preventing itself from partnering with nbc or cnn for debates if the networks move forward with planned hillary clinton productions ahead of what they say is a likely 2016 clinton presidential run. but is this a smart move by priebus and the rnc? after all, hardly none of the tough questions in 2012 came from cnn or nbc and beyond that, many of the candidates' worst performances like rick perry and his oops moment were self-inflicted wounds. it would be a stretch to blame cnbc's john harwood for having asked that question. joining me is abby huntsman, co-host of the cycle on msnbc, and dnc communications director mo elleithee. thank you both for being here. according to the rnc's 2012 autopsy report, which conducted a thorough review of the party's performance and problems from gop insiders, the report said this. the rep

this also speaks to what the rnc is doing with its debate.t want this the focus of the primary season. journalists want to tease out the difference between republicans. republican party wants to gloss over them if they can control the moderation and control who airs them maybe they can damp down this divisive rift in the party which is percolating up right now and if rand paul nominee would explode wyatt open. the rnc wants to keep this under wraps. >> another thing getting attention is barbara bush saying she hopes hillary clinton runs and calling her, quote/unquote, accomplished. barbara bush did not say who she is going to vote for. what do you think when the daughter of our former president comes out in favor of someone on the left? suzy, is that odd? she didn't say she hopes she wins. she only said she hopes she runs. >> well, to a certain extent, it isn't a surprise that members of the bush family, for example, have expressed support for gay marriage, that there is a sense that there may be a generational difference there. but i don't t

sean spicer is the communications director for the rnc.ood morning. >> thanks for having me. >> dnc spokesman says an odd way to start your meeting by attacking them. he says your only message is they don't like us. what do you that i so them? >> i think we are talking about this week is a fundamental shift we had in our party after the last election when we looked at the tactics and techniques it takes to win and put a permanent ground game in place around the country of more staffers now that will live and breathe in each of the states making relationships building connections and helping our candidates and second is making our party completely centered on digital and technology advances that benefit the entire party. the difference, chris, is this. what we are doing is a fundamental shift for a party. we are building a party send tri sent rick change here. what ofa did was built a fantastic operation that was great for one candidate who is sort of like one use only. and it has done so at the expense of the cdn. the dnc is $18 million in

and head of rnc demands both nbc and cnn drop their clinton projects. how will it all end? oprah speaks out about the trayvon martin shooting. did her words help or hurt racial tensions? and democrats have become the targets of late night jokes. >> it was the president's birthday. look at this recent speech. >> you will interact with all americans of all walks of life because our citizens can learn too. >> kelly: judy miller, jim pinkerton, ellen ratner and affair ard grenell. i'm kelly wright. fox news watch is on right now. >> end of the war in afghanistan doesn't mean the end of threats to our nation. as i said before even as we decimated the al-qaeda leadership that attacked us on 9/11, al-qaeda affiliates and like-minded extremists still threatened the homeland, still threaten our diplomatic facilities, still threaten our businesses abroad. we've got to take these threats seriously and do all we can to confront them. >> kelly: president obama at camp pendleton delivering a sobering message about the threats we still face from al-qaeda and other extremists. he also comm

unfortunately, the rnc was not able to do that.bc previously released a statement saying, nbc news is completely independent of nbc entertainment and has no involvement in this project. mark, since the rnc has never approved or funded primary debates, what's the practical effect of today's vote? >> that's a great question, craig. in 2008 and 2012, all the primary debates on the republican side and also on the democratic side actually came with the rnc not sanctioning the events. for example, in 2011, nbc partnered with politico to put on the debate. the rnc didn't have a role. you could make the argument that this is more of a symbolic vote. however, what we have tried to see is that the rnc is trying to take a more active role on its debates. rnc chairman has previously said they had way too many debates in 2012. they want to be able to whittle those down. to be able to do that, you need to have fewer debates. i would make the point in 2008, there were some 20 or more democratic debates. that did not seem to hurt the party in that

it wouldn't be rnc sanctioned. he has little power over this process but he's making a stink over it. >> states can do what they want. >> i think the debates from mattered. the definitive moment of that debate is when she couldn't answer the question on eliot spitzer's i.d. law for undocumented workers in 2012, mitt romney famously said, his self-deportation line during the debates. there are moments where these things can matter. i think the quality of the candidates is far more important. >> doesn't it matter the quality of the candidates hooked up with the rnc and who reince wants to steer with the funding and money he's been able to amass. he's pretty good -- he spends five hours on the phone a day fund-raising. >> there's no perfect formula for how this works but he's trying to limit the amount of debates what is it comes down to. >> the other major story overseas, egypt, the i vens escalating and it's now on both sides. at least 24 policemen were killed this morning. the officers were on their way back to the

. >>> the rnc reince priebus gets a little backing. we will tell you who is supporting his ultimatum. that is our question for you. is the gop looking for cover after its own post 2012 autopsy in which it called for fewer debates? head to my twitter or facebook page and weigh in. being sixteen, alex thinks he's invincible. his dad knows he's not. that's why dad got allstate accident forgiveness. it starts the day you sign up. [ female announcer ] with accident forgiveness from allstate, your rates won't go up just because of an accident, even if it's your fault. call 866-735-9100 now. kim and james are what you might call...overly protective. especially behind the wheel. nothing wrong with that. in fact, allstate gives them a bonus twice a year -- for being safe drivers. [ female announcer ] get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. switch to allstate today! call an allstate agent now and see how much you could save. now that the kids are out of the house, so are frank and sandy. hitting every flea market they can fi

the rnc readopted their platform against same-sex marriage early this year.you think chris christie is looking like that moderate republican. they want to see hip as a straight shooter, but when it comes to an issue like this, socially he looks behind the teams. >> chris christie is not a moderate republican. he talks a good game. on issues like this that are very important to the majority of the people of the state of new jersey he's on the wrong side and he should get on the right side. >> great to have you here, sir. thanks for making time for me, i really appreciate it. thanks for the book, too. >>> another court defeat for california's proposition 8 the state's supreme court yesterday refusing to revive the legal challenge for the marriage pan. it was reinstated after a supreme court decision earlier this summer. >>> so, send in the clowns. have you heard about the rodeo crown who got kicked out of the missouri state for wearing an obama mask in he's been invited to the lone start state insaid. kentucky senator rand paul said no objective evidence that b

that was rnc chair reince priebus earlier today at the rnc's summer meeting in boston, delivering a spiritedndictment on the liberal bias he says the media shows his republican donors and friends. now, today the republican national committee unanimously passed a resolution preventing itself from partnering with nbc or cnn for debates if the networks move forward with planned hillary clinton productions ahead of what they say is a likely 2016 clinton presidential run. but is this a smart move by priebus and the rnc? after all, hardly none of the tough questions in 2012 came from cnn or nbc and beyond that, many of the candidates' worst performances like rick perry and his oops moment were self inflicted wounds. it would be a stretch to blame cnbc's john harwood for having asked that question. joining me is abby huntsman, co-host of the cycle on msnbc, and dnc communications director mo alithy. thank you both for being here. according to the autopsy report which conducted a thorough review of the party's performance and problems from gop insiders, the report said this. the republican party nee

the rnc was not willing to do that. you make a good point. this negative response does touch a bigger issue. this has been true that the two things that rev up republicans are the complaint liberal media that's not being fair and who will appoint supreme court justices. they tend to really get the base excited. think believe there's a bias against them and may were made to talk about trivial issues during the debate. part of what those debates do is give an even platform to those that don't have the money to campaign in the way that front runners do. it will be interesting. they say they will punish candidates who agree to debates that are outside what the republican party agrees to. they also know you can not have it welcome a convention. you can thot have debates that are seen a infomercials either. >> thanks very much. we'll have more on this later today in the "situation room." candy has invited senator john mccain back from egypt. we'll see you then. thank you. >>> coming up, protecting your little dog from getting injured in car acciden

but is this a smart move by priebus and the rnc? after all, hardly none of the tough questions in 2012 came from cnn or nbc and beyond that, many of the candidates' worst performances like rick perry and his oops moment were self inflicted wounds. it would be a stretch to blame cnbc's john harwood for having asked that question. joining me is abby huntsman, co-host of the cycle and mo elithy. according to the autopsy report which conducted a thorough review of the party's performance and problems, the report said this. the republican party needs to stop talking to itself. we've become expert in how to provide ideological reinforcement to like-minded people but devastatingly, we've lost the ability to be persuasive with or welcoming to those who do not agree with us on every issue. mo, i've got to believe you would love it 239 debates in 2016 featured limbaugh, beck and hannity as the sole interrogators. >> look, this is -- i don't understand what they're doing strategically, but man am i glad they're doing it. this is a party that h

. >> reporter: they have a lot of work to do according to one member of the rnc. >> i hear democratshat want you to stay where you are. we have to give hope to be better than they are. >> reporter: to catch up to democrats in the digital campaign, the rnc hired professionals in silicon valley to modernize its technology. >> we're not trying to do what would have won in 2012 and trying to do what will win in 2016. democrats are out there with their data scientists to target what is next. this time it might not be african-american women over 45, it might be a different thing. >> reporter: new jersey governor chris christie addressed them and those that heard him said he took a shot at bobby jindal who said the gop should stop being the stupid party. christie said he didn't come to the rnc to call them stupid and got a big round of applause. >>> hillary clinton has more immediate concerns than any republican negative advertising aimed at her. new information has come to light about the family's troubled foundation raising questions about where philanthropy ends and politics begin. chief

they were meeting up in boston this week, the rnc.sting rohring from jonathan martin in "the new york [ female announcer ] are you sensitive to dairy? then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love. then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love. >>> we're back this morning with "sunday inspiration," a reminder that not all news is bad news. a symbolic step on boston's road to recovery. the last business to reopen on boston's famous boylston street, the site of the april 15th marathon bombings. the second bomb in the attack that killed three and injured hundreds more exploded outside the front door of the forum restaurant. in the chaos that followed, the employees sprung to action and were widely praised for their response. >> are you heroes? >> you know, like, some people have a

they were meeting up in boston this week, the rnc.ing rohring from jonathan martin in "the new york [ female announcer ] when you're ready to take skincare to the next level you're ready for roc® new roc® multi correxion has an exclusive 5 in 1 formula it's clinically proven to hydrate dryness, illuminate dullness lift sagging diminish the look of dark spots and smooth the appearance of wrinkles together these 5 elements create ageless looking skin roc® multi correxion 5 in 1 it's high performance skincare™ only from roc® the recent increase in cafeteria prices is not cool. when you vote for flo, we'll have discounts. ice-cream discounts. multi-cookie discounts. pizza loyalty discounts! [ kids chanting "flo!" ] i also have some great ideas on car insurance. [ silence ] finding you discounts since back in the day. call or click today. i like her. >>> we're back this morning with "sunday inspiration," a reminder that not all news is bad news. a symbolic step on boston's road to recovery. the last business to reopen on boston's famous bo

. >> reporter: both networks accuse the rnc of overreacting.s we would encourage the members of the republican national committee to reserve judgment until they know more. nbc has already cast actress diane lane as clinton. even some clinton insiders have suggested the networks rethink their plans. nbc news correspondent chuck todd argued it would damage the perception of the news division. >> this is why the mini series is a total nightmare. people see the peacock and think they can't be that separate. >> reporter: in a column titled reince is right wrote fills can dramatically alter the way people are viewed. 2016 white house hopeful rand paul says the concerns remain justified. >> the question is are you going to get a fair shake. i think is a reasonable question for republicans to ask. >> reporter: national political parties have had no control over presidential primary debates. the media sets the terms and lets the candidates decide if it is in their political best interest to take part or stay on the sidelines. >> thanks. >>> let's bring

they were meeting up in boston this week, the rnc.reporting from jonathan martin in "the new york times" this morning about how chris christie is positioning himself to run and have broader appeal. we'll talk about that with the roundtable right after this. because of a migraine. so they trust excedrin migraine to relieve pain fast. plus sensitivity to light, sound, even nausea. and it's #1 neurologist recommended. migraines are where excedrin excels. it's back to school time. and excedrin wants to make sure your child's school is equipped to help your child excel. purchase excedrin for a chance to win one of 5 $10,000 donations to your child's school. go to excedrin's facebook page to enter. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ "sunday inspiration," a reminder that not all news is bad news. a symbolic step on boston's road to recovery. the last business to reopen on boston's famous boylston street, the site of the april 1

they were meeting up in boston this week, the rnc.ting rohring from jonathan martin in "the new york times" this morning about how chris christie is positioning himself to run and have b [ ice freezing ] [ wind howling ] [ engine revving ] ♪ [ electricity crackling ] [ engine revving ] [ electricity crackling ] ♪ thones getting involved and staying engaged. they're not afraid to question the path they're on. because the one question they never want to ask is "how did i end up here?" i started schwab for those people. people who want to take ownership of their investments, like they do in every other aspect of their lives. a quarter million tweeters is beare tweeting. and 900 million dollars are changing hands online. that's why hp built a new kind of server. one that's 80% smaller. uses 89% less energy. and costs 77% less. it's called hp moonshot. and it's giving the internet the room it needs to grow. this&is gonna be big. hp moonshot. it's time to build a better enterprise. together. >>> we're back this morning with "sunday inspirat

coming up on "the lead," the rnc threatens a 2016 debate boycott with cnn.ve you the whole story next. and if it was an adorable contest, well, he'd win hands down. but did this 4-year-old win his mayoral reelection campaign? we'll be right back. you really couldn't have come at a better time. these chevys are moving fast. i'll take that malibu. yeah excuse me, the equinox in atlantis blue is mine! i was here first, it's mine. i called about that one, it's mine. mine! mine. it's mine. it's mine. mine. mine. mine. mine. it's mine! no it's not, it's mine! better get going, it's chevy model year-end event. [ male announcer ] the chevy model year-end event. the 13s are going fast, time to get yours. right now, get this great lease on a 2013 chevy cruse ls for around $149 a month. i get out a lot... except when it's too cold. like the last three weekends. asthma doesn't affect my job... you missed the meeting again last week! it doesn't affect my family. your coughing woke me up again. i wish you'd take me to the park. i don't use my rescue inhaler a lot... depen

if you're the rnc. willie, i want to follow up with something robert said, i think it's very important. the rnc after the report did say this. i was saying this all along. the reason why the romneys woke up on election day thinking they're going to win, the reason why the romney campaign woke up believing they were going to win, the reason why conservatives kept yelling at me from september on saying you're rooting for obama, i said i'm not, i'm voting for romney, they're going to lose. their campaign stinks. they have to do this, this, this and they're not doing it. they were inside that bubble. and they thought i was from mars. or at least msnbc. and i was right. they were wrong. but why? because they were in the bubble. they were preaching to the choir. you know, if i'm a candidate, in a general election or i want to get my message out, the last thing i want to do is just preach to my choir. that's a recipe for failure again. >> yeah. i mean it makes sense. and i guess the argument from conservatives

last week, rnc chair reince priebus spent time on television threatening cnn and nbc he will pull gop primary debates in the presidential cycle if both networks move forward with planned specials about hillary clinton. but over the weekend, "the new york times" revealed the conservative fox news channel's own sister entertainment division, fox television studios is in talks to produce and distribute the script for the miniseries being planned to air on nbc. candy crowley confronted priebus putting the chairman on the defensive about those revelations yesterday on cnn. >> "the new york times" is reporting that the nbc clinton series might likely be produced by fox television studios. that's sort of a sister company to fox news. so the if we follow your logic, do you think that there then is a connection to fox news and would they be subject to the same kind of scrutiny? >> i'm going to boycott the company that puts the miniseries and the documentaries on the air for the american people to view. i'm not interested in whether they use the same sound studio or whether they use the same se

the back story, rnc wants fewer debates, makes sense.got out of control and everybody got sick of it and candidates got beat up agent and again. if all the candidates end up on fox that might be good for this network but not good for the republican party. >> their reaction is understandable, when you for example look at the head of nbc bob green blat's comments, means their mini series will be very flattering. he said, quote, i think she's one of the most fascinating women of our time and this world. howie, she was sort of gushing like a betwetweenage girl when said it. does lead you to believe it's a flattering portrayal. there are a lot of ways to describe hillary clinton. i'm not sure why fascinating will be one of them. >> people will watch and why networks are doing it to mine the ratings. cnn points out the script hasn't even been written for its documentary. while i think this is not a wise move for the republican party, this has been a debacle for nbc, msnbc and cnn because it does look like they're runnisupport hillary clinton a

the rnc chair told reporters, using the word self deportation, it's a horrific comment to make. it has anything to do with our party. when a candidate makes those comments, obviously it hurts us. he did not say, however, it is racist. so just horrific, not racist, clarification. thank you for michael, sahil and karen. you can watch "disrupt" with karen on weekends. if everybody doesn't tune in for that show, everybody should throw their television out the window. until then find us at facebook.com/alex. andrea mitchell reports is next. [ man ] look how beautiful it is. ♪ honey, we need to talk. we do? i took the trash out. i know. and thank you so much for that. i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? [ male announcer ] whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some

>> but i ancestries the rnc and media matters partner and work together maybe did what the documentaryhillary because it will upstage obama that we did not elect hillary because we elected obama. lou: it does get complicated but not as complicated at the lexicon they're using. i have seen administrations tried to control the language that is a slight political correctness if you do that you control thought. >> this administration takes it to a level i have never seen. >> but they did is that if you tell the american people when they see a dock it is enough and they know the difference. [laughter] >> but they realize the war on terror continues whether osama bin waed is dead does not mean al qaeda is dead be cleared out 20 embassies around the world to move this tax out by the way we caot say evacuate. it was the orderly departure th know what igoing on and they are gting troubled by the fact that the lexicon has reached every part of the admistration whether iras iras, defense department, war on terror, they will call it their own dictionary still believe we should move the white house

rebecca since the rnc has never approved or funded any debate, what's the prakctical effect? >> they think the number of debates that took place last time around were bad for the party, cost mitt romney at the polls. there's a good case to be made they're right. the issue is you have really strong base in the party that wants to see these primary debates. they think it allows underfunded candidates, candidates that don't have the financial backing that front runners would have to make their case and speak out. one way that the rnc thinks it can impose discipline is to limits the number of debates and also pushing to more friendly moderators. moderators that are less likely to push. the core issue really is limiting the damage that can be done. there's no reason to have, they think, primary season debates that allow these candidates to make statements they may have to answer for in the fall. >> overall, david, does this vote mean anything? it never approved or sponsored a network debate. >> that's exactly right. it depends on who the candidates will be and what they want to do

the rnc is very concerned about documentaries planned for hillary clinton and aired on cnn and nbc they would proposed to exclude those networks from the primary debates in the 2016 election cycle. share of the rnc, reince priebus said today's first step more productive debates for the candidates and voters as well. they actually sent a letter to those networks, nbc and ccn if they didn't drop plans to run these programs ahead of what many believe would be likely run for the white house for hillary clinton that this vote would take place. it has yet to take place this morning but it is expected to take place rather soon. just a few moments ago, mr. priebus actually got a standing ovation when he talked about this. take a listen. >> that's why we said to the media, with a united voice, that a network that spends millions of dollars to spotlight hillary clinton, is a network with an obvious bias and that's a network that won't be hosting a single republican primary debate. [applause] >> reporter: mr. priebus believes now is the time to call out media bias. that's why they're taking this m

what is that mean for the rnc?he overarching message concerning reaching out to more diverse communities. they are concerned about a long- term basis. communities were republicans may be did not always think they could play before. they're looking at raising that up early, building permanent things and all kinds of places, not just an republican voting communities, but in a diverse array of neighborhoods, hoping contactincreasing voter and by broadening that base they will be able to kind of further expand that republican brand. host: two upcoming items i would like to get your reaction to -- first, governor chris christie, one of two gubernatorial races. he will be addressing the rnc, but it is closed to cameras. guest: which is interesting. they do that sometimes. not everything is open to the press. it would have been interesting to see how chris christie brought his message to the rnc. he is one of the top people in the party. is looks to be a top possible presidential contender. maybetainly would have liked to

the founder of the liberal watchdog activis organization, a media matters joins the rnc chairman grantsh reince priebus calling abc and nbc to call the special former secretary of state hilly clinton leading up the elections. telling cnn your network issued a statent asking the rnc to reserve judgment until they know more about the documentary. this suggest they could be pleased with it which is reason to have to suspend aa3 thproject. lou: you could not invent american pplitics right now. nor would you have any need to the real deal is too much fun. joining us now is 59 former assistant to george w. bush and angela, media matters as great about the potential the republican party would be pased with something to put them into a tizzy is fun? >> but i ancestries the rnc and media matters partner and work together maybe did what the documentary on hillary because it wl upstage obama that we did not elect hillary because we elected obama. lou: it does get complicated but not as complicated at the lexicon they're using. i have seen administrations tried to control the language that is a sl

that was rnc chair reince priebus this morning continuing his one man media blitz.ess both networks agree to pull the plug on upcoming programming. not just any programming, of course. he's not upset about "parks and rec." two productions featuring hillary rodham clinton. at issue, two scheduled television events about the former and perhaps future presidential candidate. one, a cnn documentary that will be released in theaters and air on the cable news channel, the other an nbc miniseries starring diane lane. priebus sent letters to cnn and nbc and informed the two organizations they would not be allowed to host any 2016 primary debates if they go through with their plans. priebus argues that the film show political favoritism instead of objective story telling. he's not seen them, of course. he spent the better part of this week making his case. >> unless you're an idiot like anthony weiner, generally i will tell you, generally, erin, these are positive developments for candidates. it builds up that personality, and cnn is going to play a role in it. my point is t

the rnc doesn't actually have the power to approve and to fund these debates. so they can say that all they want, i mean, they can convince the candidates to essentially boycott the debate, but that's not going to happen. so, you know, the party, it's frustrating, the party used to have this -- be confident in their own skin. you know, we used to have, you look at individuals that have paved the way for the republican party, like jack kemp. you know, ronald reagan, abe lincoln, teddy roosevelt, imagine them in the meeting this morning when they voted not to have these debates. what would they have said? they probably would have said, what are we doing, guys? what are we doing? why are we tasting time talking about hillary clinton when we have to rebuild our party, when we really need to focus on our own message. so this is one wing of the party that you're talking about that the media is focusing on, but then there is another part that i feel like i'm part of and many other republicans are part of. and we're watching this play out and we're saying, this is not