i wrote an article to have the solicitor general file in. >> ruth marcus wins. that's the message. >> two quick points. the administration didn't have to file this brief. the president kind of overstated that. it is really significant that they did. they, of course, have another case involving doma at the court. so it would be odd for them to be silent here. number two, interesting also that the administration took a sort of halfway step here. not saying that every state law or state constitutional amendment that opposes gay marriage is unconstitutional, but that this one is. i think that's the smart move. but still interesting. >> fascinating. >> could have gone further, if they wanted. >> again, real big reverberations. my colleague ruth marcus, kristen welker, thank you, guys. >> thanks. >>> the president insisted that the american public was on his side when it comes to solving our economic problems. and that even some republicans actually do want to find solutions. >> we just need republicans in congress to catch up with their own party and their country on

ruth marcus, i can't see you -- taking advice from either one. but to be continued.nwhile, the blame game, the republican party chairman, raince priebus took a thinly veiled shot at his predecessor in trying to explain what went wrong for the gop. >> for quite a while when we walked into the inc, both credit cards of the rnc were suspended. this is before i walked in. now just think about this for a second. if you got one of two of the biggest national political parties in the world, that has both credit cards suspended. >> are you saying that former chairman steele ruined the party or at least the rnc financially? >> i'm not going to go there. listen, i think the numbers speak for themselves. >> they speak for themselves. and joining me now is former republican chairman and current msnbc analyst, michael steele. michael, he took a real shot at you. he said basically that you bankrupted the rnc. maxed out the credit cards and that that was the problem and that's the blame game. >> and i won and he didn't. and the bottom line is -- >> you won in the elections -- >> i

nature at its most delicious. >>> ruth marcus is back with us.know what will happen in the vatican. >> we don't? >> we are talking about ofa and this whole organization. i didn't have the chance it ask congressman israel of this, but when he spoke of it being a grass roots outreach, these are people putting up big dollars to have dinner with the president. >> right. i was watching with that interview and getting more and more steamed up. because really, his point was, and the president's point is, basically the ends justify the means. the other side is going to raise unlimited funds from their folks. so we're going to do it from ours. and look, ofa has retrenched in some important ways. they are going to expose their donors' exact amounts. but let's be serious, this is not the change from washington business as usual, that president and his supporters promised us. it is taking the new state of the campaign finance and tax laws and exploiting them to the max. and we've sin it before. and the next president who comes in may not decide to disclose a

that's "new york times" columnist david brooks and washington post columnist ruth marcus. mark shields is off today. welcome to you. so go back to its top of the show, good news, david, on the jobs front. good news for the economy, even as washington dysfunction continues. >> yeah, we overestimate how much effect washington has. sort of like you're so vein, you really think this economy is about you. i have asked a bunch business leaders. >> you don't want to sing that. >> not with my voice today. i have asked a bunch of business leaders, you know, over the past five years, what government actions have really affected a concrete decision you've made. and the you get answers all over the lot. there is no consensus at all on this question. the number i get is uncertainty. i can't plan because health-care cost, financial regulation. the number two answer is nothing. i can't think of anyway the government, even the big stimulus, the third answer i get is the stimulus helped us. the fourth answer i get is some other thing. and so it has what we do here in washington has an effe

the washington post chris, our daily fix, and ruth marcus and the washington post.hank you very much. chris, first to you. let's talk about the cr, the continuum resolution that will be passeded, an extension. john boehner, the house republicans, and they're going to ease the burden somewhat on the military side from the sequester. how is that going to end with house democrats, and is this basically a way of avoiding a shutdown of the government until september 30th? >> well, it's certainly a possibility, andrea. we know that both sides and when i say both sides, i mean congressional republicans and president obama have voiced their desire to avoid the government shutdown. i think no one sort of wants that scenario to happen. particularly after the sequester when no one wanted that to happen. house republicans will take a vote. one thing i think to watch, andrea, is there -- we've seen this in past votes that we assumed would go through. is there any revolt among the most fiscally conservative wing of the republican party about simply passing this through? you know,

don't hate her. >> and ruth marcus, isn't it interesting how the word that's greeted her is the word her. >> right. as we were saying don't hate -- nobody would ever say about a man don't hate him because he's successful. look. nature loves a good cat fight, and she is attractive. she is smart, she is young, she's impossibly rich and impossibly successful. what's not to get the claws out. and i blame actually for a change us women, because she said something provocative. she said something worth debating, but why is it that we need to debate it by sort of acting as if we passed around a note in junior high school saying, hey, everybody, let's be mean to sheryl today. >> why is the instinct, congresswoman, for women to be resentful of this sort of advice? is it a sense that it's incomplete? she doesn't get it? she comes from, you know, different circumstances? what -- how do you describe that? >> i think that women are constantly pushing to get the recognition that they so rightly deserve. as we have talked, you've always got to be twice as prepared as any man as you go into a room an

i want to bring in chris fratea and ruth marcus. good morning. >> good morning. >> the case was about edith windsor, they were together for 40 years, after her partner died, she got a tax bill of $360,000. if she were a surviving spouse, she wouldn't have to pay that. what's your take on this case today? >> we are seeing the fight over whether or not folks are entitled to benefits. that's a much smaller fight than we had yesterday when we were looking at proposition 8 in california. only nine states and the district of columbia nrecognize same-sex marriage. a lot of what folks focused on yesterday is there standing on this case? what's the broad implication for same-sex marriages? much narrower today going forward. i would caution folks as they watch the arguments not to read too much into what they say. health care reform years ago, folks were saying it's doomed. the obama administration looks like they're in peril, only for the supreme court to uphold it. i would be careful watching this today and stay very focused on that questio

appreciate ken vogel and ruth marcus.eturn, let me finish with my argument for cameras in the supreme court. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. tell you thau need your oil changed you got to bring it in. if your tires need to be rotated, you have to get that done as well. jackie, tell me why somebody should bring they're car here to the ford dealership for service instead of any one of those other places out there. they are going to take care of my car because this is where it came from. price is right no problem, they make you feel like you're a family. get a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation and much more, $29.95 after $10.00 rebate. if you take care of your car your car will take care of you. 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. ♪ at t

ruth marcus, jonathan martin, thank you.senator richard blumenthal on the future of the gun control legislation in the senate. you are watching "andrea mitchell reports." a febreze experiment. to prove febreze can keep this car fresh, we loaded it with fast food, sweaty hockey gear, and a smelly dog cage. and parked it at a mall. in texas. for two days. then put a febreze car vent clip on the dash and let in real people. it smells good. like laundry fresh out of like the dryer. yeah. a man fresh out of the shower. nailed it. oh yeah. proof. febreze car vent clips keep your car fresh. another way febreze helps you breathe happy. who checks all the weekly ads to get the best sale prices. let me ask you, do you think you can get the same great prices here with walmart's low price guarantee? let's try! let's go. i've got a full house to impress. well, you better ham it up! look at this price! [ laughs ] that's awesome! what's for easter desert? oh, sugar cookies! my son's helping this year. look at that! hey! there's my brand. t

ruth marcus and author of the book "life equity, realize your true value and purr sewer your passionse," marsha blackburn. i've got great advice on leading this discussion from my wife, beth, who says just keep quiet and let others speak. so i want to raise this, and i think the thing that struck me as i really followed this this week, look at "time" magazine where sheryl sandberg is on the cover. what's the headline, "don't hate her because she's successful." facebook sheryl sandberg and her mission to reboot ffem nism. don't hate her. >> right. as we were saying don't hate -- nobody would ever say about a man don't hate him because he's successful. look, nature loves a good cat fight and she is attractive, she is smart, she is young, she's impossibly rich and impossibly successful. what's not to get the claws out. and i blame actually for a change us women, because she said something provocative. she said something worth debating, but why is it that we need to debate it by sort of acting as if we passed around a note in junior high school saying, hey, everybody, let's be mean to she

. >> brown: david brooks and ruth marcus analyze the week's news. >> suarez: and we close with a writer'seflections on the earthquake and tsunami that hit japan two years ago. >> i felt the need to go, and it's been this lifelong thing about japan that has called me. i wanted to hear the stories. i wanted to help people. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and fo

ruth marcus commented on this, sort of the softening on the issue in the public and where it can go ine washington post" -- there comes a point where advocates have to stop letting the perfect by the enemy of the good. the clal includes is different. background checks with recordkeeping won't get 60 votes necessary to pass the senate or stand any -- without recordkeeping will. are we at the point where democrats and people who favor gun control will have to settle for the adequate, because even the public is backing away from. >> thrive done that already. they're warted it down a lot, and this is a classic political science issue of an intensity gap. the people who care about the second amendment via nra care about this on their top ten items of concerns, it's 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. the other people who are outraged by newtown have other concerns, too, and it kind of dissipates. >> and also because senate democrats aren't willing to spend a lot of capital on this. harry reid sort of backed down on strong filibuster reform. now here's what happens. >> there's an education gap as well. i thin

michael hirsch and "the washington post" editorial writer ruth marcus.d to see both of you again. michael, how might his death represent a different opportunity for a stronger relationship with the united states here? >> well, he was really a unique quality. it's difficult to say what the vice president who will be interim president will do, he was very devoted to chavez, and chavezista movement. he hurled assaults at the united states, so there's no change there. but he's also said to be a less charismatic, someone more willing to compromise, so there's certainly a possibility anyway that things could move beyond the democrat gogry we have seen for the last 12, 13 years. >> yeah, certainly not in support of the united states and trying to separate itself politically as well as economically. ruth, to you, we were just mentioning marco rubio. i also want to real this to you, from former congressman joe kennedy. he had this to say -- president chavez cared deep by about the poors of venezuela and other nations around the world. there are close to 2 million

we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening with david brooks and ruth marcus, among others. thank you and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >>> this is "nightly business report" with tyler mathisen and susie gharib. >>> make it three straight all-time highs for the dow, fuelled today by optimism in the job market. >>> how's the consumer feeling these days? we'll find out as we go in focus on the american recovery. >>> and i ask the ceo of general motors if people are feeling the mood to buy. >>> and the threat of hackers is engaging economic engine, small business,

we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening with david brooks and ruth marcus, among others. thank you and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> this is "bbc world news america." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. zte, union bank, and fidelity investments. >> this is what a personal economy looks like. and as life changes, fidelity can help you readjust your investments along the way, refocus as careers change and kids head off to college, and revisit your plan as

we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening with david brooks and ruth marcus, among others.nk you and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> bnsf railway. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsoreby macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

ruth marcus, writing for the "washington post," to listen to congressman paul ryan is to understand that the country should brace for a month's long slog from sequester to continuing resolution to yes, another debt showdown some time this summer. really, i ask? the debt ceiling again? i thought the republicans were determined to avoid replaying that losing hand. not this time, paul ryan said, before the words were even out of my mouth. paul ryan already gleefully planning for the next debt ceiling standoff, the next storm, storm f and storm g, francis and gertrude. what does it mean for us as a country that this is our weather pattern now? that this is how it goes now? this is what governing is like now. what does it cost us? and is this going to be the defining feature of the second term of the obama presidency? joining us now is a man who has spent a significant position of his career covering real storms. he once explored the idea of lashing himself to a tree to cover one texas hurricane early in his career. he has also weathered a lot of proverbial political storms in washington over

ruth marcus is a columnist for "the washington post."a reporter for politico. >> where do you see him going careerwise not that he needs to earn a paycheck. >> who things, not that he needs to earn a paycheck and not that he's going to be president. so careerwise, i don't mean this to sound mean, but kind of nowhere. i think the question is can he turn himself into some kind of elder statesman of the republican party snf statesman without actually ever having been head of state. he's got a hard -- like al gore, right, before i'm and others who have never gotten quite to the top. it's a very delicate thing and this is a hard loss for everybody to recover from. >> he's a relatively young guy and yet i buy that assessment for him in saying he's over for him. why is it over for him? >> he personifies some of the things that republicans have identified as their greatest weaknesses and the things that they're trying to move away from this this current rebranding. the inability to appeal to hispanics. the inability to appeal to women. this idea

and ruth marcus of the "washington post" had this column, this week she wrote, there comes a point wheredvocates have to stop letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. the cal can you husband is different. you have to let the adequate be the enemy of the incremental but significant. essentially she is saying that the assault weapons ban as we see it now has no chance. the only measure that could pass the senate is potentially the background checks. in getting that done, is there still the opportunity there to get that done and if so, how soon? >> there's the opportunity to achieve all of these common sense measures, strong bipartisan support for a ban on illegal trafficking and straw purchases which put weapons on the streets of hartford and new york, and school safety measures and mental health initiatives. and the national background check, universal background check proposal, i believe will come together in a bipartisan compromise. but there's strong overwhelming support for it, 80 to 90% depending on which poll you choose. i'm unwilling to concede that an assault weapons ban and