robert costa, let me begin with you. what is this sebelius is referring the website breakdown to the inspector general? that's not what inspector generals are for. they are for corruption and misleading and illegal stuff. the website is the website. it's a technical problem that they bombed out on. what is this, passing the buck. does she think the ig will get fired instead of her. >> interesting political back story. last time we saw secretary sebelius come to capitol hill she was quite combative, very defensive of the law she was trying time pleament. now you see her having a reform study to look into the problem. the reason for this senate democrats, vulnerable democrats up for re-election in 2014 are feeling nervous and they want the administration to do something. >> so, they thinks -- she thinks they will off load at least that part of the rob. i mean there are serious other structural policy problems with this plan but in terms of the computer breakdown she thinks she will off load that to the inspector general. >

here now is ace political reporter and cnbc contributor robert costa. they reach out to the blue states, bob costa? >> reporter: it's going to be difficult, larry. republicans right now are trying to to have a narrow focus on obama care, to put pressure on blue state senate democrats like mark pryor and mary landrieu. there's new sites they're coming out trying to hammer that message to independent voters in blue states. >> if they do that -- let's go into the heart of it. michigan and california and new york -- stranger things have happened in new jersey. doesn't the gop -- i'm not asking for an opinion, more for political take. does the gop understand that one of the key questions for obama care is that it's helping sick people? the so-called pre-existing conditions people? that that was one of obama's big starting points. his plan is flopping. the republicans can help the needy, help the safety net, can help the sick. wouldn't that be a reach-out right there? >> reporter: that's exactly right. you're trying to see republicans trying to reach out to vo

we turn now to cnbc political analyst robert costa.he big debate we've been having for years now, especially since snowden opened up a whole new can of worms, is, is it worth giving up some of our freedoms if it means keeping the country safe? one of the key findings in this report is the bulk collection of american's phone records was not essential to thwarting terror attacks. it's hard to look at the results and say, you know, maybe it's all worth it. how do you expect the president will respond to this? >> i think the president's going to go to hawaii for vacation and review this report. big picture, i think this report gives the public some reassurance. the government is taking a look at how it collects data and what it does with that data. when you look at republicans on capitol hill -- >> well, robert, i have to say, i find it pretty remarkable. of course, the president was pressured into having this report written and potentially making some of the changes that are embraced in the report, but i think it's pretty remarkable that

robert costa. thank you ever so much., happy new year. >> happy new year. >> so let's move on. whose strategy is going to come out on top in the 2014 election? here now is larry sabato, director of the university of virginia center for politics. larry, welcome. happy new year. as always, great to see you. let me just ask you this, just sort of continuing this. the democrats want to get off the subject of obamacare. it's easy to see why. and they want to talk about income inequality and unemployment benefits and minimum wage. do you think that strategy's going to work for them? >> larry, if they have a card to play in 2014, it's got to be the economy. it's improving whether people recognize it or not. maybe they will recognize it in ten months. but we're talking about midterm elections and we're talking about the second midterm of a two-term president. the so-called six-year itch. the structure of these electionsize that the out of power party, the white house out of power party tends to pick up seats. at least in the hous

. >> joining me now, cnbc political analyst, robert costa, were you surprised by the political venom by john boehner about the press conference and heritage action? >> no, i was not surprised. this battle of temperament and how to handle the government has been going on for sometime. when you handle the issues between him and ted cruz, they're almost the same. it is about how to handle strategy and how to handle the cards the gop has been dealt. and i think right now boehner is just fed up, especially after the shutdown, groups who look at governing as if it is a combative republican primary. and they look at it as a campaign that needs to be won, rather than a governmental policy that needs to be set. >> do you think this was a sign that boehner thinks he has truly vanquished that power caucus. that he has the upper hand to deal with this deal, and there is a certain type of cockiness that he had, that you very much did not see during the long days of the shutdown, and we played the tape where he was asked about the shutdown, and he said pass. >> he was trying to represent the leade

robert costa is the contribute who will be starting with "the washington post."ood morning to all of you. since you necessary charge of america's news wire, the gun issue is exactly where all the conventional wisdom and people in washington said it was going to be at the time when emotions were running high and here we are a year later and basically the gun debate is at the same stand still it has been at for two decades. >> the point you made, the easy answer is it's the nra is there is powerful lobbying and lawmakers don't want to work them. it's much more complicated than that. what's missing from the conversation is the reason why people are so pro gun rights right now. the libertarian stream that is going through the country. when you look at that, there is a feeling that government is too big and too much in my life. too much involved in my decisions. that's the thread. the libertarian. >> to give the other missing piece here, the mental health discussion. when this is framed around mental health, you can find bipartisan agreement. i know that sounds harsh

robert handa, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> we have breaking news now from contra costa county. people are told to stay indoors because of a gas leak. the leak is at k2 pure solutions. it is a chemical company in pittsburg. there is a problem with a chlorine tank. workers are trying to fix the problem. these are live pictures from news chopper 2. over the next few hours it is possible, possible that the tank could leak so they want people to stay inside, keep your windows and doors closed and if you have a respiratory condition get out of the area, anyone within one mile of that spot in pittsburg. this is breaking news here from pittsburg. we are working to get more information. as we do we will bring it to you. >>> a loaded shotgun brought on campus. frightening moments at a san francisco school after a student brought a loaded shotgun to school. why students and parents say the school didn't do enough. >> businesses having to pay to get their names back, people came out to talk to us. 2 investigates the problem and how businesses are dealing with the ultimatum and a new lead i

concerned about the fire fighters' safety we had a chance to talk with robert marshall the public affirmation officer with the contra costa county fire and he talks about how they are fighting the fire but also about public safety about what burning inside that building. >>: it's been a defensive fight to the whole time because of how far against the fire was. we went defensive very early there are portions of the building that have collapsed and others that are in danger of collapsing there's not a lot of residential neighborhoods that are very close here. a fairly industrial area. if anybody a sensitive to the smoke we ask that the shelter in place but there's no official shelter place an order. >>: i can tell you firsthand that when you come out here there is a have the heavy smell of plastic and electronic time burning out here. we are very close to buchanan field for it not sure if that is affecting air traffic and there are not three it will have to get an update on that situation as the morning continues. i can tell you this is 4 1/2 hours after this initially started. this continues to burn. basically what they're