with us on set, steve rattner. i loved your piece in the "times." msnbc political analyst and visiting professor at nyu, former democratic congressman and new dad to georgia. is she beautiful. oh, she's perfect. harold. >> she's mine. >> okay. that's good too. >> today is my wife's birthday too. so happy birthday, sweetheart. >> happy birthday. what a beautiful baby. >> in washington, former white house press secretary and msnbc contributor robert gibbs. good to see you. i like your outfit. >> thank you. >> anything but that awful thing you once wore. >> terrible about the razor shortage in d.c. over the holidays. >> willie, you still got yours. >> wait a minute. what are you doing, giby? >> i'm looking on the screen. you still have yours? >> it's all the same. >> your growing a beard? >> yeah. >> i got lazy during the holidays. >> hey, let me give you a suggestion. it's time to go back to work and be a little less lazy. >> i'm going to write that down with your suggestion about my orange shirt. >> don't wear the orange shirt with that beard. >> got

rattner? why is it not nicole and steve or wallace and rattner?aw firm. >> sounds like a comedy act. >> some see it that way. >> it really throws them off. i'm sorry. >>> david, the best. a funny thing happened on the way to the decline of the united states and the rise of china, brazil and other emerging market. many prominent analysts began wondering if the pessimistic predictions about america were wrong. and whether it was the emerging markets that were heading to trouble. these international economic fads are always suspect, up or down. they seem to follow what i was told years ago facetiously was the guiding rule for columnists simply -- simplified and exaggerate. be aware of this later revisionism like any other variety as global competitors stumble the u.s. is picking up speed. remarkable new she will oil and gas sdrovers are reduced america's energy vulnerability and made it a relatively low cost manufacturing nation. >> i always go back, miles, to 1988 and 1989. everybody was saying japan was on the rise and united states was in decline.

we will switch chairs here as we get to steve rattner. the shocking jobs numbers that came out and what may be described as a sense of confusion now on wall street. traders are still unsure about the impact of the fed's decision to pull back its stimulus measures and while the stock market surged last year, it's off to a relatively quiet start in 2014. last week's disappointing jobs report wasn't enough to spook investors completely but it does illustrate a lack of enthusiasm, so let's -- enthusiasm to buy. let's go to steve rattner who has now jumped in the hot seat. first take us through how things are looking for the job market. >> let's start with the jobs numbers. the jobs numbers, the only good thing you can really say about the jobs numbers was that it was just one month and on several other levels, it was pretty disappointing. you can start with the actual number of jobs and you'll see that it was only -- excuse me. i'm losing my vioice. >> it does that to you. >> we only gained 74,000 jobs in the month of december compared to an

we'll get into the political implications with steve rattner and nicolle wallace. when we come back, we huddle around "the cooler." word of a 2-pac movie acre au addition has fans wondering of what he could have been. the role he wanted when "way too early" comes right back. so i tri ed depend so i last weekend. tri and it made the difference between hearing about my daughter's gym meet, and being there. yeah! nailed it! unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you new fit-flex®, our best protection. it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. hi sweetie! get your free sample at depend.com. this is the creamy chicken corn chowder. i mean, look at it. so indulgent. did i tell you i am on the... [ both ] chicken pot pie diet! me too! [ male announcer ] so indulgent, you'll never believe they're light. 100-calorie progresso light soups. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ stay in the groove with align. >>> at the top of the show, we talked about the harsh criticism of the obama administration in

nicole wallace and steve rattner are still bus."meet the press," david gregory. bl and chuck todd. pulitzer prize winning editor and msnbc political analyst, eugene robinson. good to have you all on board this hour. shall we dive right? >> let's go. >>> as democrats try to retain the senate, apparently many are not relying on the president for support as reuters points out, centrist democrats in tight race aren't clamoring to be seen account commander in chief. west virginia natalie tenant who is trying to keep democrats in control for retiring senator jay rockefeller's seat. an interesting dynamic playing out in louisiana. new orleans mayor mitch landrieu is but his sister is not. >> the same year he ran for his first election for the presidency he lost alaska by 22 points. i still won my election. if he wants to come up, i'm not really interested in campaigning. what i'd like him to do is see why his polls are wrong. if he wants to challenge alaska, i'll drag him around and show him whatever he wants to see but i want to convince

steve rattner had this rescue piece about what to remember about 2014. it was the year in charts. look what happened with wall street this year. up 30%. what happened to average american wages this year? up 1%. productivity, way up over the last decade. but american wages barely up. >> this may be an issue that washington actually do something about it. on health care they seemed to have stepped back. they have to wait for the results. it will still be a fight but maybe the economy can be moved by that. we'll be back with all of you. we'll talk about that and some of the other big issues like the marijuana fight going on around the country. i'll be back with the roundtable a little bit later. but first i want to move to another economy, the debate with the direction of the economy. on friday the outgoing fed chairman ben bernanke talked about a stronger year for america's finances. but how to continue the growth is being hotly contested in washington. president obama pushing hard for congress to restore those emergency long-term unemployment benefits thavt have been cut of to 1.3

." >> there's a steve rattner anecdote. >> that is uncool, man. >>> coming up next, what have we learned magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪  you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, d