valerie jarrett. apparently in the room as "the new york times" noted. had you to find her leg there. ruth marcus to editorialize this morning, quote, obama needs some binders of women. playing off the famous line from mitt romney in one of the debates. yesterday press secretary jay carney defended the administration, clearly had statistics at hand. >> napolitano, cabinet level position, u.n. ambassador, u.s. ambassador of the united nations susan rice. you know, again, i can go through the list. this president has appointed -- made two appointments to the supreme court. both of them women. and i think that his commitment to -- >> do you think it is unfir charge? >> i think the record speaks for itself. >> one thing, though, just have to wonder some of our -- wondered aloud why there hadn't been a second-term transition director that said hey, you are about nominate five white men in a row, do you want to come up -- do some of your other appointment first? sprinkle it in, show diversity of appointments. it just seems that the -- this has been a little bi

i think no one would doubt valerie jarrett's influence not just from the white house but back in the day in chicago and a force of nature and the total view, talking about -- if you walk in to a fortune 500 company right now, people are looking to seedy versety and people of color. >> in fairness, i think the point was made about the big four. >> yeah. >> and the big four, there are no women and eric holder is african-american male and if he were to leave i think janet napolitano would be the front-runner for attorney general. >> yes. >> but look. i remember i lost a lot of my great colleagues as governor in 2008. i lost governor napolitano to the obama administration. i lost governor sebelius. >> what does he need to do next then? >> one of the people that's considered and probably will wind up in the cabinet, no insider information, is jennifer granholm. the former governor of michigan, a terrific, smart, able woman. >> no longer in tv. >> no longer in tv. and i'm telling you, if i'm worried about who's in the inner circle, i want the number one person in the inner circle to be som

is hidden behind the men. >> jon: that's just valerie jarrett's style. here she is at the '08 inauguration. here she is at tianamen square. here she is with buzz aldrin on the moon. she's like a living where's waldo. here she is behind waldo. you know what? i'd like to hear the president's excuse for this. actually, i can hear the president's excuse for this >> i'm very proud that in the first four years that we had as diverse if not more diverse a white house and a cabinet than any in history. what? i've made four appointments so far. i would suggest that everybody kind of wait until they've seen all my appointments, who is in the white house staff and who is in my cabinet before they rush to judgment. >> jon: for more we're joined by senior white house correspondent jessica williams. thank you for joining us ( cheers and applause ) jessica, all last year the concern about obama in his second term was going to be that he's going to go full on like socialist black panther one world government. now he appears to have gone more season one of mad men. what'

it's valerie jarrett's leg.out from behind the guy in the blue and white shirt standing next to jay carney. she appears to be wearing black tights maybe or leggings. but funny as it is, the trickery is not why it became notorious today, and it's not why they put it on the front page of the "new york times." it's because out of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 11 senior staff members advising the president in this photo, only one of the people barely in this photo is a woman. last month president obama held a press conference to announce he is nominating senator john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. so john kerry not susan rice. earlier this week, the president announcing that former republican senator chuck hagel was his pick to be the next secretary of defense. so chuck hagel and not, say, michelle flournoy, the very highly regarded undersecretary of defense for policy. no word yet on who president obama has in mind to be his next secretary of labor, but hilda so

valerie jarrett. of course, she occupies a unique space with both obamas. arguably, whether or not she plays cards or basketball or golf doesn't really speak to the issue of whether or not the president spends a lot of time with the guys in the white house and whether there are enough women in high ranking positions other than valerie jarrett. >> well, a couple of things, andrea. first, i was a high ranking official in the white house for many years, and i don't play golf. i do play cards. i wasn't looking to spend my personal time with the president. i was looking to work for him and to affect change, and he does listen to women. the same as he listens to men. it doesn't break down along gender lines in meetings about whose ideas are better. it's about who has the good idea and how do we move things forward? >> are there enough women in the room, though? >> absolutely. absolutely. and in terms of what happens in the second term, the president said it best at his press conference, just wait. you know, we're not even a quarter of the way through nominations

that picture was an anomaly probably. >> could be, but valerie jarrett could have been in the picturevalerie jarrett is actually running the country, which she is, by the way. stuart: i love that hand gesture, which she is. now this, hold on, the richest woman of the world of australia, tells people to start drinking, smoking and work harder. that's what she says. that's the advice to people. but the l.a. times blasts her for saying that. i've got a take on this. and it's next. -- tells people to stop drinking, stop smoking and work harder. the l.a. times blasts her on that. i've got a take on this next. what? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it? hello? hello?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello? ally bank. your money needs an ally. >> i tell you what, it is easy to do a cut and replace on microsoft word from hawaii. but let's take this seriously, okay? we're looking at an administration that's just been re-elected and the central core issue here is getting americans back to work and how do you create more jobs. you need at lea

is hidden behind the men. [ laughter ] >> that's just valerie jarrett's style.008 inauguration. here she is at tiananmen square. here she is with buzz buzz aldrn on the moon. she is like a living where's wall doe. here she is behind wall

you don't want a large photograph largely dominated by men. >> you see the picture of valerie jarretts in the center. i half jokingly pointed out yesterday that when it comes to influence on the president of the united states, valerie jarrett probably equals four or five of those guys who are -- >> which four? >> in the picture. that's another story, as we know. momentarily the president will be speaking. you're going to hear it unfold. right now, douglas brinkley, presidential historian, is joining us, as well. i'm going to cut you off quickly. but in terms of historic moments, doug, that started the second term, we often see a.ing to surround himself with people he feels very comfortable with. >> reporter: absolutely. jack lew is very close to the president. a long-time veteran of all the budget wars in washington. if obama really ran on bill clinton's budget on jack, part of that credit has to go his way. you're seeing the president getting people he's comfortable with. there is no time for a learning curve here. we have on march 1 a debt ceiling debate looming. getting somebody th

valerie jarrett. he's known her a long time. she was an executive in chicago. he knows her well.is an argument we'll have in america and we should always. >> and we'll judge him by the final results. i'll put that out there. >> thank you. >>> up next, press secretary -- let's take a look at the guy who's a far out guy. steve stockman who was an ally when he was first elected and now is in the mainstream of the republican party. the republican party has moved from mainstream conservative to radical. >>> we're coming right back with a curious case of the republican party's lurch to the far right. >>> we want all tools available to use, including the impeachment. using children. it reminds me of sadham hussein. >> steve stockton not only threatening to impeach obama, but likening the president to sadham hussein. it was linked back to newt gingrich's republican election back in 1994. his constituents back home and was not re-elected. an article reminded texas voters of stock man's highlights. he suggested president bill clinton planted branch davidian seeds. and he proposed a measure

the person driving the economic agenda is valerie jarrett.resting to see how valerie jarrett meshes with jack lew. another story we had had first here on fox business. ashley: aig. >> why did they say no to hank greenberg? there are many reasons why. i'm getting this from inside the company. they were not going to join this lawsuit earlier today. it was, it is so obvious. aig right now is applying to be about is known as a sieve if i firm. ive if i firm. system i financially important firm. systemmally important financial institution they are applying for that. guess who you don't sue. ashley: the federal government. >> this was a nonstarter from the minute they looked eight. should also point out another reason why, they have an ad campaign where they basically talk about how they're thanking the american tax pay fore --. ashley: turning around and suing the taxpayers essentially. >> those two things. systematically important issue made it dead on arrival. why are they taking it up? what they're saying internally and what they told me as we

appears to be all white men here, senior adviser, valerie jarrett, an african-american woman, said thisnn earlier today. let's take a listen. >> his cabinet, when he is finished, and he is far from finished, will have diversity, including women, including people of color. he believes makes his best decisions when he is surrounded by people who have different perspectives and give him their best ideas. and so, one picture does not speak 1,000 words in this instance. i spent a lot of time in the oval office and i am nee there with a great number of women who he listens to and whose counsel and advice he trusts greatly. >> you know, i have to admit, i know most of the people inside the white house, not all of them, but that picture really did a disservice to this administration and this president, who i believe is committed to diversity. i'm vice chair of the party, last time i checked, i had to check a few boxes on the list. our chair of the party is a woman there are women in his cabinet. >> talking about senior cabinet members. there's no question that hillary clinton -- >> when you loo

valerie jarrett's leg was in night's photo. >> that's important. >> are we going to hear pushback on this nomination at all from the left? lew has less wall street -- fewer wall street ties than geithner an he was a coo at citigroup. he said during the 2010 crisis he didn't believe financial deregulation was a proximate cause of the crisis. will we see pushback from the left on this confirmation? >> we saw barney sanders of vermont say he's against the nomination but there's another problem, too. house republicans who are the only republicans in control in town really almost despise jack lew, do not see him as an honest broker and someone to work with and a story on politico tomorrow i'm working on puts a nail in the coffin on tax reform and republicans trying to jump start for a long time and problems practically with house republicans and negotiating budget deals, with jack lew. i mean, john boehner doesn't want him in the room negotiating. he will be in the backseat for the next couple of months after this fiscal cliff disaster but he's not going to have a problem getting through

all of them in there are male except for valerie jarrett's leg there blocked from sight.he's of course very influential, but look at the ratio there. this piece points out 43% of obama's appointees have been women. but following a slew of nominations of white men for high possessions, we've seen them all. today it looks like a lot of white guys getting good jobs. and hilda solis is resigning. going to talk to joan walsh. which is fun in this discussion. and eugene robinson who writes beautiful columns and you did it again on rg3. is there something wrong with this picture, joan walsh? as we look at it. >> yes. obviously there is, chris. it would be a somewhat different picture if valerie had been actually visible in it. so that's a shame. but it's not enough. she is one of the most influential if not the most influential person in the president's circle. we've got to give him credit for that. i think it's unfortunate the "times" piece did not talk about the fact he did nominate two women to the supreme court. and the court nominees have been good in terms of diversity. th

we will circle the leg of valerie jarrett. you'll find her in that picture. however, she's behind the guy right there. that sparked the white house to release another photo. showing more women in the inner circle. a woman that came out wednesday. i want to start with you, is this reality or perception problems? >> this is our cover story right now. and it's a smart way to look at it, we in the media tend to focus on the big jobs. there are certain jobs sort of media more friendly. we tend to look at the cia and defense detectiver. those are the big positions to us in the media. >> the big boy jobs. >> we tend to focus on those. if i'm valerie jarrett who is probably the most influential person in terms of her ability to influence the president or counsel the president, i'm thinking about what me? and eric holder, he does happen to be black. it's not as if there are no african-americans or women in high-profile jobs just not focused on. >> and the first second cabinet shuffle has been an unforced error so far. >> i think part of it is we sort of have this high

is hidden behind the men. [ laughter ] >> that's just valerie jarrett's style. here she is at the 2008 inauguration. here she is at tiananmen square. here she is with buzz buzz aldrn on the moon. she is like a living where's wall doe. here she is behind wall waldo. please stay with us all weekend long for special coverage of the presidential inauguration. megyn kelly and i will be here. thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. that's it for this "special report," fair, balanced and unafraid. '. >> bill: tonight on "the fox report" americans still working to free americans in algeria. now we know one is dead. plus, what to make of the lance armstrong confession. >> did you ever take banned substances to enhance your cycling performance? >> yes. >> >> the cyclist revealing his dark secrets. why did he agree to this interview in the first place? and what does he do now? this man won the lottery and wound up dead. investigators say somebody poisoned him and today they dug up his body. >> i don't even know what happened. tonight, the evidence they are trying to

valerie jarrett. he's known her a long time. she was an executive in chicago. he knows her well.ll have in america and we should always. >> and we'll judge him by the final results. i'll put that out there. >> thank you. >>> up next, press secretary -- let's take a look at the guy who's a far out guy. steve stockman who was an ally when he was first elected and now is in the mainstream of the republican party. the republican party has moved from mainstream conservative to radical that even the radicals now fit right in. it's the moderates that don't fit in. this is "hardball," the place for politics. ford c-max hybrid. when you're carrying a lot of weight, c-max has a nice little trait, you see, c-max helps you load your freight, with its foot-activated lift gate. but that's not all you'll see, cause c-max also beats prius v, with better mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant

big things. >> valerie jarrett, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us this morning. >> mykind of a busy day for you. >> it's a great day. thank you, all. take care. >> thank you. >> kind of a busy day. >> just a little busy. >>> next, what we can expect from vice president biden in the second term? that's always a big question, right? we're joined by van jones and candy crowley. i need to rethink the core of my portfolio. what i really need is sleep. introducing the ishares core, building blocks for the heart of your portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. you name it...i've hooked it. but there's one... one that's always eluded me. thought i had it in the blizzard of '93. ha! never even came close. sometimes, i actually think it's mocking me. [ engine revs ] what?! quattro!!!!! ♪ >>> the most popular man

valerie jarrett. where have they been, though?ould the white house not have done a better job in terms of pushing back on this narrative? >> it's partly because of the sort of sexy job, the jobs the beltway media tends to cover are state defense, cia, those are sort of the jobs that get the most glam, right? people focus on them. then i think in the sense bill is right that it's partly because the white house wasn't seeing to fight for susan rice. i spoke with prom independent african-american politician yesterday who their complaint was that it's cumulative. the president wants seen to fight over susan rice, and the office of not fighting for her publicly is hurting him now. had he done that, he may have been insulated a little bit from this. >> ben, i want to know what you make of the insularity question and specifically on lew. bernie sanders has said he will not vote for him. he said in my view, we need a treasury secretary who is prepared to stand up to corporate america and their powerful lobbyists and fight for policies tha

. >> reporter: valerie jarrett says the first lady and you her staff are working on a new agenda. >>lly is very determined to make sure that they think it through thoroughly and that they don't just do one-off things. she wants to really make sure that it's thought out. >> reporter: ivillage chief correspondent kelly wallace covers michelle obama. >> she is obviously going to add other issues to her plate. i wouldn't be surprised if you hear her talking more about work/life balance. >> reporter: no matter what the first lady's new agenda holds, advisers say the role of mom-in-chief will always be her top priority. >> every day, i hope that i'm doing right by my girls. every day. >> reporter: malia is now 14 and sasha, 11. that means college applications and all the challenges that lie ahead. >> as i get a little bit older and as i have now so adjusted to washington, i think that frees her up a little bit more to spend more time on the initiative she is cares about, but she will never take her eyes off the two of them. >> reporter: kristen welker, nbc news, the white house. >>> we wil

adviser valerie jarrett is there, we're told, hidden behind the guys. as president obama filled his top cabinet post with nominees named jack and chuck and john -- >> it's time for me to move on. >> reporter: -- it was like "mad men" goes to washington, except peggy leaving ruth marcus. >> whatever white guy becomes chief of staff, i think it's actually kind of interesting that there are two women who are deputy chiefs of staff and no one has talked about them as possibilities at all. >> reporter: one of the two deputies, nancy ann deparle, a harvard lawyer, is leaving next week. epa administrator, lisa jackson. is quitting. so is labor secretary, hilda solis. disappointing some women who helped reelect the president. >> we have different life experiences. they're not better or worse than men's, but they're different. >> reporter: to some, it was dejavu all over again, two decades after this report on "nightly news." today clinton rejected women's groups. complaints that he hasn't delivered. >> people doing this talking by and large are talking about qu

valerie jarrett, a close family member and close adviser to the president and, frankly, to michelle obama short time ago, michelle obama's brother was here, turned to us, the media and, some of the other crowds that have gathered at the adams hotel to wave. and there's a big cheer as people anticipated their first chance to see this family on this uniquely special day. >> all right. peter, thank you very much. now, by the way, we're looking at the motorcade containing the vice president of the united states, joe biden. dr. jill biden, his wife, will be with him. and i would imagine -- i would assume their three children heading to this service as well. and we'll see them shortly. >> should mention the reverend, who is delivering the service this morning at st. john's church has a big day ahead of him. he will also do the invocation later today for this ceremony. we're joined in the studio here with doris kearns goodwin, david gregory, moderator of "meet the press" and tom brokaw, who needs no introduction. this is load with pomp and circumstance. what's the importance for the nation to se

> nobody was saying this in his first term, we know what that looked like, hillary clinton to valerie jarretts not clear, all the seats not filled around the table. in addition this not a staff. chuck hagel was a republican, is a republican, has diversity. give him time to finish, fill out the staff and more importantly, i want to keep coming back to, is this election was fought over the issues that are important to america and women clearly saw that this is a president that will fight for, affirm and advance equality or justice. >> i want to get back to some of the issues, the fights he is picking, the fight he could win or lose in the second term. i want to talk about that with the group when we come back, right after this. my heart burns for you... ♪ i'm up next, but now i'm singing the heartburn blues. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is! this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as part of your heart healthy diet. step 1. eat the soup. all those veggies

closest and somewhat say most powerful advise certificate a woman, an african-american woman valerie jarrett and white house aidees point out that the white house has more women than men. they also say stay tuned, the president has more personnel decisions to announce. >> pelley: john, thanks very much. the cdc said today that the nationwide flu epidemic has now taken the lives of 20 children. flu is widespread in 45 states. the white housebreak is straining hospitals. and today the makers of flu vaccine and tamiflu say they are running short of both. michelle miller is in boston where a health care emergency has been declared. >> reporter: elsie santa wago-- santiago came to the emergency room at massachusetts general hospital this morning. >> at 5:00 what did you feel. >> chills and shaky. >> reporter: she's one of 530 patients the hospital has diagnosed with the flu. that's four times more than they had at this point last year. santiago's asthma is only making her symptoms worse. >> so you went from being well in the morning to feeling the chills and by this morning, what happened? >> i w