. >> what we learn side steve ratner spends an amount of time. >> it's a detailed paintings on the faces. >> as do we all. >> what do we learn? >> i got here and the next time i saw mika's pj's.

phil lebeau joins us and steve ratner one of the key architects in gm's bailout, that's next. [ male announcer ] here's a question for you: where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. afghanistan in 2009. on the u.s.s. saratoga in 1982. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. >>> welcome back i'm sharon epperson at the nymex. where gold prices are getting ready to close momentarily. we're looking at a surge in gold up more than 25 bucks above 1260 an ounce an part of the reason is the dip in the that are here. the dollar index below 80. add to that the short covering we're seeing. we saw shor

former treasury official and "morning joe" economic analyst steve ratner joins us. >> thank you, mika. >> steve. >> and in washington, white house correspondent for the associated press julie pace joins us as well. good to have you all on board this morning. >> how was your weekend? >> it was very good, thank you. >> what you laughing about? >> nothingp. just a good weekend. >> south of france? >> no south of france. stop that. >> where were you? >> i was home. >> you have a smile on your face. >> you do have a smile on your face. tell us what happened. >> i'm a happy mom. >> what happened? >> can i do that? >> sure. >> i think you already have. >> you do it. >> you do it. >> oh. i have a kid in college. >> all right. >> good for you. >> congrat layings. >> where is she going? >> johns hopkins. >> wow. great school. >> very relieved. >> she goes to johns hopkins, going to look like mike bloomberg. >> i emaeld him. he was so nice. i e-mailed him so excited and he wrote back, conxwratss. he's so loquacious. >> that's more than he writes back. >> he doesn't usually write back. >> you sai

steve ratner and others are concerns about long-term debt and entitlement spending.dent and congress. not good news for either side. >> definitely not good news. more than a year after winning reelection, president obama finds himself less popular than ever. according to a new "wall street journal" poll, 54% disapprove of president obama, a record high and the quinn pi action university finds it dropped to a new low. 57% disapprove due in large part to obama care. 58% said the health care law is the main issue shaping their views of the president. just 34% say the health care law is a good idea. 50 approximates are percent say it's a bad idea. the law could have ramifications at the ballot box. more americans say republicans, not democrats should take control of congress, but of course the poll also said that congress's approval ratings in the tank, i think 1% of respondents say that congress is doing an excellent job. we should go out and find that 1%. >> it is the friends and family plan. they say they are doing excellent. obviously a lot of problems here. you go t

but steve ratner, the car czar who headed the president's auto task force, said in "sunday morning" interview in 2010, it was worth it. what would have happened if we lost g.m.? >> you would have lost jobs a million jobs instantly. it would have been an economic disaster. >> reporter: in all of its bailouts to wall street and detroit, the government has recovered $432.7 billion after paying out $421.8 billion-- a profit for taxpayers of nearly $11 billion. a study by the center for automotive research out today found that if g.m. had failed, it would have cost $1.9 million jobs and more than $39 billion in tax revenue. >> pelley: but anthony, you have to wonder, if the government had waited, would taxpayers have lost less? would the stock have gone up? >> reporter: the stock is at its high of the year, scott, that's one thing to consider. the other major reason the government did this is they made a pledge earlier this year they intended to be out of general motors by the beginning of next year. >> pelley: and so they are. anthony, thanks very much. there is more snow coming to places still r

. >> what we learn side steve ratner spends an amount of time. >> it's a detailed paintings on the faces> what do we learn? >> i got here and the next time i saw mika's pj's. >> i learned that. what did you learn? >> this has been another great year with you. so generous and so good. you won't let me tell people my secret. >> we will see you tomorrow morning on christmas eve. let's go to the daily run down. >> the world is being ripped apart by violence, helping

our friend steve ratner when they reached out to the private sector to save the car industry. these are the smartest mind. i think it's a step in the right direction. also new poll numbers, i think there is a 70% increase or decrease as far as people's negative views of obama care in the last month. you know, there is a process to slowly, slowly rebrand this thing. it's not going to happen overnight. and the numbers over the next six to nine months really have to swing definitively in the president's favor. there is a bottoming out at this point as far as a negative brand of obama care from what they do from here. >> it's going to be hard to completely turn that aroundr around. i think if we turn it around, it will be person by person, family by family. >> that will take a really long time to do and they could do it. but just for political reasons. they're on a very, very short time frame because of the election that's in what 11 months. >> we'll see. i have a prediction. coming up on "morning joe," -- no, we have to go to break. for tim kaine joins us. >> it will work. >> yes

. >> steve ratner. we'll be right back.zards blowing ♪ 8 front yards blinding ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans, you can even watch us get it there. ♪ if every u.s. home replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, the energy saved could light how many homes? 1 million? 2 million? 3 million? the answer is... 3 million homes. by 2030, investments in energy efficiency could help americans save $300 billion each year. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity th

democratic infighting and then they denied there's democratic fighting and then howard dean and steve ratneret me speak because you know i'm right. >> nothing makes me sadder and beckham, too, than watching democrats fight like that. >> sitting back with a slurpie and popcorn applauding. >> what i just saw was the former vice president, i like him very much, but that was something -- there was something dils honedishonest about that. >> he's a politician! >> you are so clear. it is so easy for you to criticize the president vigorously, vigorously. and to use descriptions of things that he said that are -- why can't you call a spade a spade? >> my problem has been that i haven't criticized republicans on this show. is this what you're suggesting? >> no. that was just -- chris christie doesn't deserve -- >> republicans could give you a long laundry list of republicans i have attacked on this show for being done. that's much ado about nothing. you see dick cheney go all crazy. i think you have a crush on this him myself. i think you like it. i think you like that strong, forceful guy, kind of a