>> willie geist? andrea, i wanted to ask you about those 3:15. >> reporter: hey, willie. >> i'm sure the cia will be very interested to debrief former president bill clinton about any observations he made about kim jong-il, anything he may have come away with that could help them assess his state and, in fact, the state of the north korean regime at this point. >> reporter: that is certainly the case n. looking at the pictures, the video, and i've met kim jong-il in 2000 when i went with madeleine albright. i was back with bill richardson. he did not get a meeting with the leader and since then he's had the stroke. he looked very thin but he was ebullient. as critics have suggested this was a propaganda coup for the north koreans as much as they want to make of it but what hillary clinton and the white house is doing is trying to say these are separate issues, that north korea has the opportunity now to take a different route but that does not mean things will get back on track. if you'll recall just

it's a fantastic, fun story into the heart of the american we sa cover. >> willie geist has been for gone where few reporters have gone. willie, i turn this interview over to you. >> up close and personal. >> very close. some of us still believe in the promise of the american dream and that lives right there in las vegas. most of that dream takes place between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., i would submit to you. but rick, this is, as you said, a story about america. tell us about what's happening with the housing market there. >> we were just talking about that among ourselves. joel goes on a trip with a real estate broker around to different houses in las vegas. there is a big scam going on in las vegas -- it's going on in other parts of the country, too, like florida -- if you buy a house for $500,000 and now it is underwater and has much less value, the the real estate broker will take to you another house, in another neighborhood, it costs $250,000. you guy it with these new mortgages they're giving. you default on the new loan. this is happening all over las vegas. >> if

also we have willie geist here. >> willie. >> actually we on "morning joe" do support turning willie over to the death penalty but, i mean, it's nothing personal. we have to cut somewhere. we have to cut somewhere. it's like logan's run, they all about around in those track suits and then they walk -- you can live to 30 and it's a great life. do you remember it from the 1970s? >> do you know what i'm looking forward to is when the new administration takes power and you're trying to get an ambassadorship and they go, no, no, no. we do have a spot on the death panel. >> i told my wife, hey, honey -- >> speaking of the death panel. >> we have pat buchanan with us. i don't think that was a good segway. hey, pat, she's a little rusty. got to work on those segways. pat is not that mean. pat, here's what i was thinking this morning, as i come in and i'm reading all of these horrible quotes and you've got the death panel from sarah palin -- >> evil. >> and then the evil and you have newt gingrich talking about the death penalty, nancy pelosi last week talking about swastikas and nazis at the

. >> willie geist up in new york.u know, i twitter all the time -- >> right. >> and you have these people, this is the worst thing -- you know, buchanan and i and anybody else who's been out on the campaign, especially '93 and '94, we see those people all the time. i saw those people all the time in town hall meetings. they would sit there, scream and yell, you just listen to them. this has turned into such theater town. the people upset at the town hall meeting knows the cameras are on them. the democrats are saying, wait, let's try to make these people look like rabid dogs that want to blow up the world and republicans -- i saw a talk show i'll talk about last night where conservatives are ginning this up. i would say in 1800 thomas jefferson and james adams faced pretty hostile crowds. >> it's hurting the health care reform effort. it is. >> what i'm saying -- what do you mean by that? >> i think it's been very difficult for the white house to get their message out. you're hearing from these people. they're getting

. >> willie geist, why don't we go to news and then we'll continue this effort?little break for news here. look at some of the top stories. in just hours, the nation will mark the first formal tribute to senator ted kennedy. he, of course, lost his battle with cancer on tuesday. after a private family mass, the senator's body will travel from hyannis port to the jfk presidential library in boston there, thousands offer people will attend a public wake. a memorial service is scheduled friday, ahead of a saturday funeral where president obama welcome deliver a eulogy. the senator will be buried at the family plot in arlington, alongside his brothers. meanwhile a tribute from the senate and long time friends continues to pour in. >> for decades to come, history will talk about his legislative accomplishments and difference he made to public policy. for me, i lost my best friend in the senate, just a great friend. i was here on many occasions, right here on this river. it's been a long year, a year and three months. i'm saddened by it deeply, like losing a brother. i

willie geist, savannah guthrie and me. a lot of stuff going on.f concerning me. can you read one. >> this is from brian in los angeles. he says, you tell joe to lay off savannah's outfit. she's so hot that if i had a better opinion of myself i would ask her to marry me, drug addiction and all. >> thank you so much. >> getting my brother to write. >> which explains why somebody is up at 4:00 in the morning. >> that's a drug addiction. >> we'll have something in common, so it's a good place to start. >> that is a good place to start. >> a lot to talk about today. let's begin with willie with the news. >> today's top stories, nbc news confirming president obama will nominate federal reserve chairman ben bernanke to a second terp as expected. in a prepared statement the president credits better than ann for his leadership during the recession. the president said, quote, ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom, bold action and outside the box thinking that helped put the brakes on our economic free fall. mr. bern

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first, here is willie geist. he's got the news. which wi willie?re following a breaking story now. live pictures from miami where continental airlines flight 128 was forced to make an emergency landing this morning. the jet was en route from rio de janeiro when it was diverted because of bad turbulence. according to fire department officials 26 people treated for injuries, four of which we're hearing considered serious. >> evacuate add couple days ago here in new york. >> they thought it was a suicide bomber. >> people hospitalized for turbulence, that is serious turbulence. >> we're still getting information on this. the u.s. military says it has identified the remains of an american navy pilot shot down in iraq during the persian gulf war. they say they led marines to the gravesite of captain speicher missing for nearly two decades. the u.s. is calling now on the swit government to help with the release of three americans in iranian custody. sarah shourd, shane bauer and joshua fattal apparently strayed across the border while hiking across iraq.

willie geist, i swear you have made broadcasting history again. >> barnacle sits over here during way too early, which is distracting enough in its own right, but he's critiquing the show as it goes. telling me, no good, i won't make it. >> joe and i realize we can say we are here at the beginning exactly. it's like being present when milton beryl came out. >> or the big bang. >> a big story, bill clinton touching down. we begin with breaking news. former president bill clinton is in north korea on behalf of the obama administration. he's trying to negotiate the release of those two jailed american journalists. reporters euna lee and laura ling sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally crossing the border. adrian joins us live from beijing -- she's not with us right now. we'll try to get back to her. pat buchanan, let me ask you. what do you think is going on here. can you remember a precedent for something like this? >> i think jimmy carter -- jesse jackson went into syria, i think, to get those two flyers back or one african-american flyer that had been shot down. i think ji

we are going to talk to john meacham, willie geist is with us, pat bu kchanan is in washington.et the scene for us. a lot of people just waking up and hearing the news that senator ted kennedy passed away in the night. >> reporter: they are going about their scenes. people biking and jogging. one woman came over with flowers and balloons to pay tribute to the senator. it's a fairly quiet morning where we are because many of the streets to the kennedy compound have been blocked off by the police. the media continues to grow. i would say about 50 cameras now outside the kennedy compound, which is behind me. you can see it down the avenue behind me on nan tuckette sound, the sound senator kennedy loved so much. the family said the senator passed away late last night. they said that he was the irreplaceable center of their lives, but there's something else they said that i found interesting. he said our best days are ahead. it's hard to imagine any of them without them. the kennedys have been fixtures for more than six decades here and it's where joe rose and brought their family he

>> i've been in the industry for two decades start willie geist humana.i gradually began to understand how insurance companies make money. to do that and meet wall street expectations they have to get rid of risk. often they will take action toss cut people off, whether they have individual insurance or small employers. they call it purging in the industry. >> how do they do that? how do you percentage someone like me who has had three knee surgeries in the last four or five years. >> if you are in the individual market, going for another surgery, look at the application you filled out when you applied for insurance, see if you might not have disclosed something that indicated you had a knee problem. if if they thought you had not disclosed it, they would cancel your policy even if you had been paying and paying for years on time. another way, you work for an employer and got sick, your whole company might lose coverage because the insurance company will jack the rates up when it comes to renewal because one or two people had claims. >> a lot of people wi

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by the way, willie geist, a big weekend for you.ed up in my favorite soccer theater, watching games -- >> yeah, in a lazyboy. >> liverpool started with a big loss. apparently, if you are against liverpool, you can use your hands. you have no idea what i am referring to, but that's it. the president is still pushing the health care plan this weekend. we appeared to get a retreat from democrats on the public option plan. >>> michael vick, "60 minutes." quite an opening for "mad men." nobody watched it but me. >> well, don't tell everybody what happened, because people tivo it. we'll talk about michael vick after the news. it's not that i was not convinced. >> and also howard dean. >> that was interesting. >> that was a bob and weave, and he said they will pass a co-op out of the senate and then in reconciliation, they will go back to the public option. >>> let's get to the top stories. to regain control of the health care debate, the white house appears ready to concede on the so-called public option portion of the health care reform

. >> willie geist and i who were staying at our homes in yonkers is what we do. >> we share a duplex little catch in the backyard and some flip some burgers and call it a weekend. >> here's mika with some news. >>> time for a look at top stories. in a new book, former homeland security secretary tom ridge says he was pressured by top bush administration officials to raise the nation's terror alert level just ahead of the 2004 presidential election. he writes, "a vigorous, some might say dramatic discussion ensued. . ashcroft urged an increase in the threat level and there was absolutely no support for that decision within our department, homeland security, none. i wondered if it's about security or politics. post-election analysis demonstrate a significant increase in the president's approval rating in the days after the raising of the threat level." a spokesperson for donald rumsfeld calls the suggestions nonsense and given the ongoing threats, it would have been irresponsible not to discuss the alert levels. >> richard haas, are you surprised by what you're hearing from tom ridge?

. >> that's what willie geist and i go through every day. >> what?to talk about "morning joe." >> what happens? >> they ask what mika is like, why isn't mika here. >> so not true. >> we do this. >> it's hell out there. you're the tony danza of the program. >> it's surprising. you've known her 20 years. she was upset. she seemed pretty angry. >> i think there's more doing on there. we have to get behind the scenes to figure out why she had that strong reaction. >> was it sort of hangover from a weekend in north korea? >> she looked a little tired, too. it was a long trip. >> how about you work really hard to make a name for yourself doing the job that you're doing, and then someone asks your husband's opinion about that job. >> the translator, apparently, is the one who got it wrong. >> exactly. the question was, are the sox go to beat the yankees by the end of the year. >> mangled it. >> one of the worst translators since jimmy carter in 1979 was accused of telling the polish people -- >> stop it. >> that was a low line for translators. >> i'm not a

. >> willie geist, he is a patriot. willie, it's way too early. what time is it? >> it's "morning joe." and it is time for the morning meeting with our good friend, dylan radigan. >>> good morning. contessa is off, chris jansing will join us for the balance of the day. mr. capehart is here. >>> the lockerbie bomber may be getting moved back to libya. families of victims of that bombing will join us. is this a game of oil politics using a convicted terrorist as leverage? we'll have that conversation. >>> also, hillary clinton on the one hand tina brown says she's doing a spectacular job, great six months. at the same time there is this nasty web clip of her carrying on. then the generational divide. is health care quite simply about old and young and at what point do the young in this country say enough is enough. there's our friend secretary of state hillary clinton. i've referenced her just a second ago. again, we'll talk about her past six months. but let us begin first here with the lockerbie story. >>> i think we have stephanie gosk live at the libyan embassy

willie geist, if it's way too early, and if it's time for awkward good-byes, what time is it? >> it's time for "morning joe." >> good luck in your future endeavors. >> thank you. >> dylan ratigan takes over now. >> with the "morning meeting." >> she was found alive in antioch -- excuse me. >> the father of elizabeth smart, my guest, as live pictures from the john f. kennedy presidential library, where an hour ago the public is allowed to pay tribute to senator ted kennedy, and thousands standing in line for hours. this morning, we are hearing from his family as well. >>> will you be grounded by swine flu this fall. homeland security may change its tune about sick airline passengers. first it was cash for clunkers. now cash for used cars. and cash for kribz. maybe an air-conditioner. what do you have? it's 9:00 a.m. join the "morning meeting." >>> good morning, to you. we begin with the masses joining this morning to pay their final respect to the late senator, ted kennedy. the doors opened about an hour ago. 25,000 already passed by. his body lying in repose. mike taibbi in bo

. >> willie geist, if it's way too early, what time is it? >> time for "morning joe." but dylan ratigan is up with the "morning meeting." >>> topping the agenda today, the torture prosecutions also required. new details about what was done by u.s. operatives to for suspects being released. >>> meanwhile, dramatic rescue caught on tape after an enormous wave from hurricane bill sweeps more than a folks off a pier, and it killed a 7-year-old girl. new details in the death of a model, now her reality star husband has been found dead. his mother-in-law speaks out in an exclusive interview. >>> and michael steele coming out with a new gop line of attack on health care reform, and protecting our seniors. we will get a response from a key democratic in the house. pull up a chair. >>> we begin with the office of professional responsibility. it's part of the justice department urging eric holder to reopen nearly a dozen cases in which cia interrogators abused terror subjects. and the cia report may push mr. holder in that direction. we have the latest from the pentagon. >> repo

if i was work willie geist a news organization i wouldn't have been able to go? >> why not?e taliban. they get no support. the only way we could go was because i decided to spend some time in jalalabad and actually meet the governor of the province. i had dinner with him and the hospitality code in afghanistan. he very nicely gave me 12 border security as an escort to go down there. i don't have my own security so i have to do things like that in order to get my story. >> jonathan? >> sam, that leads to me question, when miss lee and miss ling were arrested they had vice president al gore and his company to call. since you're an independent filmmaker and on your own, if something happens to you and you're kidnapped or jailed ar god for bid worse, who do you call or who has your interest at heart? >> that's a very good question. i think about that quite a lot, actually. i am -- i have many friends here. that's the thing. there's a a freelance journalist. you wind up in bad situations. don't you think these things are inevitable because of how difficult it is to make it and by

an expert on that, willie geist. >> knowing very little. >> an expert. by the way, i'm wearing a tie for your guy. >> did you hear about that? >> no, willie wears a tie and good things happen. >> not to me, for the viewers. >> mika, let's go through news. we have a lot of polls. a leading democrat out there saying he's not going to vote for the health care plan. it's exciting. pat buchanan, our main main in washington, d.c. >>> time for a look at top stories, breaking news out of afghanistan. officials in kabul say a bomb has exploded on the road leading to the largest u.s. base in the country. the suicide attack killed at least three civilians and set several vehicles on fire. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in afghanistan and brings us the very latest. richard, what can you tell us? >> reporter: mika, i'm at the scene of that blast right now. it is on the eastern edge of kabul. it is apparently a british military convoy targeted by the taliban. the taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. right now i've been seeing british m

and here is willie geist, and he is a statesman and has the news. >> we have been looking at live pictures the viewing of ted kennedy. this is the first of several ceremonies planned over the coming day. and nbc mike tie aeby joins us. >> they are saying 25,000 people passed by. now the crowd stretches as far as the eye can see. this morning we arrived under a mackerel sky, and now i see a horizon. and there should be crowds here until 3:00 when the public viewing ends, preparing for a memorial service tonight at which many people will speak. four of kennedy's colleagues will speak from the senate, and the last speaker will be caroline kennedy, and that's a private viewing, and it will be covered by pool coverage from the media. and today it continues to be a long day of remembering by a crowd that is diverse by age and race and mobility, and there are a lot of people needing canes or something to walk. and there are planes over head. big crowds expected until 3:00. >> mike taibbi with us, and we thank you so much. >>> and eugene robinson with us, whose article today is entitled "a prince'

to mika brzezinski to madonna to willie geist. what we will call it. chris, we will let you defend yourself. >> why would you do that? >> i want him to defend himself. readhe j.c. watts' quote that -- >> we finally did the research, and it's the political argue, and he says the sacrifice and commitment, that message probably resinates with a lot more. >> the republic-- what year was? >> '79. >> that was one of the great orange bowls, nebraska won. that was beautiful. >> that was twofold, j.c.? >> i am excited about who is joining us now. with us now, msnbc political analysts, pat buchanan. >> twinkle toes buchanan. >> we decided your dance was called -- >> the chop. when did "dancing with the stars" notify you, and did you consider doing it? >> it was an e-mail, and it was about six months ago, and they asked if you were interested, and i went back, and then they came back to me and i said, no, i don't think so i am not in that good of shape right now. and they are probably out there saying is there any dumber conservative in this

willie geist, what's up?orning, a senior taliban commander in pakistan is confirming reports that the organization's chief was killed in a missile strike. for years, he helped orchestrate a campaign of suicide attacks against the government and is also suspected in the insolvement of the assassination of benazir bhutto. >>> judge sotomayor will be sworn in tomorrow. she won confirmation yesterday by a vote of 68-31, although just nine republicans supported her nomination. both parties were you nan mouse in praising her life experience. >> i feel very badly that i have to vote negatively. it's not what i want to do when this process started, but i believe that i'm doing the honorable and right thing, even though i feel badly about it. >> in a few hours, we will have achieved something truly great as a nation. our first african-american president has nominated the first hispanic justice to the united states supreme court. times are changing. >> little known fact. lbj twittered a lot. i twitter also, doris kearn

. >> let's do it quick, a three-story grind with willie geist. >> start in the senate, they're set toer seat on the bench is nearly assured after another two republicans announced their support yesterday. >>> meanwhile, the senate will also vote today on a plan to add another $2 billion to the cash for clunkers program. drivers will have until september to trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles. >>> for the first time in 4 1/2 months, american journalist euna lee and laura ling are waking up as free united states citizens. the two arrived in california yesterday after former president bill clinton negotiated their release from north korea. >> we were taken to a location and when we walk in through the doors, we saw standing before us president bill clinton. we were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end and now we stand here home and free. >> great moment there yesterday in burbank. there have been some people saying this was a mistake and in fact dangerous for president clinton to legitimize the

>> all the talk, willie geist. >> you have your finger on the pulse. >> it's the newest cult.ou have to apply to belong to the cult of "way too early." >> i've been surprised the people we've convinced or duped to call in and be guests on the show at that hour. >> after lying on your bed, why not? >> before we get started, your husband, jack, recuperating? >> he's doing better. thank you for asking. he's doing well. good morning, jack. thank you. slow but steady improvement.

joe scarborough here with michael barnicle, willie geist. that was a scene from tampa, florida.ad a town hall meeting. >> i don't get it. that was a wild scene. that's happening throughout the country. >> that is happening throughout the country. a lot of upset people, willie geist. >> but the white house and others on the left say they need to purchase tools of conservative special interest groups sending these people out. it's not real outrage. >> yeah, pat buchanan, if only conservatives and republicans would have been this efficient over the past decade, i ,

and of course willie geist.t is smart journalism. >> can you see the girl hitting the roof -- >> yes, i did. i suspect tim lehreer will be talking about that on "news hour." >> he's threatened by me, i feel. >> there's no doubt about it. let me tell you something, you're like the park avenue of newscasting. you're in his neighborhood now. "way too early." here i come, alabama. pat buchanan is in washington, d.c. got a lot to talk to you about, pat, including john bolton's comments criticizing bill clinton for going over to north

with us here, mike barnicle, willie geist. we've got pat buchanan. saw pat last night on hardball. >> who doesn't love pat? >> the guys on hardball last night. i tell you what, between chris matthews and -- first of all, looks like they are trying to use this bercher, you didn't get time to talk last night. >> i thought it came off fine. the birthers have been affirmed by all this publicity they have been getting. >> that's the first thing can you do in politics, if you can find some crazy people on the other side, you jump up and down and yell and point and say look at the crazy nuts on the other side.

i'm mika brzezinski, along with joe scarborough and willie geist.ridley is here with us this morning. good to see you. >> you know what, the family's back together. we started it all right he