>> price waterhouse cooper. >> we have brought from price waterhouse cooper willie geist, who's been ntant there for 47 years. willie, you've been protecting this list. it under lock and key. this is exciting. am i on the list? >> who's the most sought after dinner companion? >> hmm. >> number 10. >> yeah. >> colin powell. >> okay. >> number 9, warren buffett. >> okay. >> surprised? >> i don't know. he's got like billions and billions of dollars. maybe he'll tip you. >> number 8. >> like $300 million before he leaves the house. >> bill clinton. >> that would be good. >> that would be fun. >> hillary clinton, number 7. >> yeah. >> number 6, angelina jolie. >> for drinks, not dinner. >> drinks? >> drinks, not dinner. >> an after-dinner drink. >> maybe. >> maybe a quick drink. but i'd bring somebody else along. i wouldn't want to make conversation. what else you got? >> number 5. author of "decision points." george w. bush. >> let me tell you something. that guy, seriously, i was surprised the first time i met him. you put him up with a microphone and a teleprompter and he's lost. you ge

co-host of the third hour of "today," big willie geist. >> hey, willie. >> i want to point out this is hoda fits hers. >> it's the first hat ever that fits her. >> you, me, and willard scott. >> matching giant heads. the two of us. let's get serious for a moment. it is christmas. so this is christmas carol trivia. our first question. my favorite christmas carol personally, "little drummer boy." true or false? this is also one of david bowie's favorite christmas songs. >> of course it's true. of course it is. >> oh, you -- >> false. that is correct. it is false. >> you are not taking this. david bowie hated this famous rendition so much he made the writers rework the song right before he recorded the famous duet with bing crosby, peace on earth, little drummer boy. hated the song. sang it with bing crosby, anyway. you're hearing it now. >> she does not get a point for that. >> she said true and i said false. that's the way it works. >> second question, which movie made the mariah carey song "all i want for christmas is you" so well known? >> "love actually." >> boom. >> that is my movie

i'm willie geist with erica hill. joining us this morning, great co-host. >> i can't believe i'm on the plaza. with all these fine people coming out for new year's eve. so nice to meet you, too. >> nice to meet you, too. >> the billy to the willie and i'm coming in hot. >> i think you're going to like t we'll talk more about kit. >> learn everything there is to know about kit. also ahead, we're taking a look back at some of the best in entertainment of 2012. oh, yes, here they are. of course, all the movies. you name t we'll also look ahead to 2013, what you can expect. >> all right, guys. on the computer, those instagram, but now there's cinnagram, poke. >> i'm big on twitter. i'm getting better on the other stuff. >> i'm following my 10-year-old on this. aall the trends for 2013. >> plus we'll take a look back at the year that was, some of the best doing gangnam style. >> yes! >> lots of dancing on this show when you look back. al getting loose. man! you don't realize how much dancing there was until you see it all

willie geist. we have roused hoda kotb a little early this morning. >> there we go. >> she's been up a little late. we should mention that. and among the topics hoda will be weighing in, the grammy nominees. >>> also ahead, if you have an idea for a new product but you're not sure how to get started, we'll ask our friend solei moon frey. they actually had an idea, put it together, made it work despite the hectic family schedules too. >>> and we've got gift ideas for women with style. everything you need from beauty products to fashion accessories, all for $100 or less. >> that sounds good. as parents, i think we all agree we make judgment calls every day. how about disciplining someone else's kid. maybe someone's over for a play date. do you impose your values and rules on that child? how about sharing family financial problems with your own children. we'll tackle some of those questions with real moms just ahead. >>> but first, turn to your left a little bit, we have pat moynahan here, the front m

i'm savannah guthrie alongside al roker, david gregory is in for matt, and willie geist.hat do we got coming up? >> well, we're going to go back to newtown and talk about the tragedy there. we'll talk to natalie in a few minutes, but also look at some of the gentle acts coming out of there, including some comfort dogs that have been brought in from chicago, just so kids and other people can pet them and feel a little bit better this week. >> we'll talk about the acts of kindness that people are doing as well just ahead in our take three. >> and speaking of take three, jenna bush hager will be joining us. she herself having been a teacher. we'll share some thoughts about that. and then we're going to take a turn toward the holidays. we've got three amazing gingerbread homes. these are more than homes. these are incredible structures. >> gingerbread mansions? >> some mansions. one is a cathedral. >> i've been nibbling at those all morning. is that wrong? >> i know. i wanted to speak to you about that. three finalists competing in our quest for the best competition. how will

are these your alter egos, willie geist on the wall? >> pop psychology, i like it.> oh, come on. how about a wanna-be? >> maybe, yeah. see, five years ago, i had a child, and i got on a show that started at 5:30 in the morning. >> you have no time -- >> so any bad boyness was sort of sucked out of me. >> how about the lucy and george thing, do they -- do they kind of like yo, dad, can we play, climbing all over you? come on, they're little. >> they are. the good thing about my job, i've always said this, is working so early in the morning, i get home in the afternoon, and i still do get home in the late afternoon, and i can see them for dinner, so i mean there are times, yes, when i'm on my laptop, in my room trying to get something done and my 3-year-old george will just come in with like a flying knee drop, and just get you right under the chin. then he puts the bubble guppies on the computer. they understand a little bit what i do for a living. they're just not interested. at all. in what i do. and i take no offense to that. i want them to know that. >> more of o

i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist.t seems it was a very merry christmas for jessica simpson. mother of 7-month-old maxwell sent a tweet -- actually, maxwell sent that tweet revealing she's going to be a big sister soon. we'll have more on that story coming up. >>> countdown to the fiscal cliff. what does it mean for you and your family if the country does, in fact, go over the edge? we'll tell you now what you can do to protect yourself. >> the weather is a big story today. we'll begin this half hour with that post-christmas snow storm. the weather channel dave malkov is in fishers, indiana. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, s savannah. it is getting very windy and very snowy in fishers off i-69. this is nothing compared to what it's going to be like in the next half hour to hour where the wind starts to pick up and the snow starts to accumulate. we're talking about six to eight inches of snow on the ground here. that is -- could possibly push the record that we saw of the entire snowfall of the entire wi

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she was amazing in both. >> besides willie geist, leading man for 2012? >> channing tatum. along with magic mike. i think that's why women loved him so much. he is the new hunky leading man that all the women look out for. he is also expecting a baby right now. it's going to be a big year for him next year as well. they're also doing "21 jump street." >> are you on board with that program? >> will ferrell, when i have to pick my go to guy, will ferrell is my guy, anchor man. >> really? >> yeah. >> somebody for everybody. >> yeah. >> as they say. >> i've never heard that from the woman's point of view. >> little belly on him. >> man's guy, funny. >> man's man. >> is there an it guy in hollywood this year? >> channing tatum, of course. he really ruled it. you also saw ben affleck who is always a hot guy in hollywood. blew people away with his direct orrial skills, daniel day lewis as "lincoln," hugh jackman in "les miserables" and ann hathaway, of course. i saw it last night. it blew me away. >> what about music? >> one of the best years like ever for taylor swift. >> ever, ev

i'm willie geist. >> and i'm erica hill. matt and savannah have the morning off. >>> we'll have the latest on secretary of state clinton's condition in a live report straight ahead. it is the last day of 2012. >> you and i are both in the same situation with young children. >>> people filing into times square in new york city. it is the world's biggest party. of course, security will be extremely tight. we'll check in on celebrations there and around the world. >> then we'll catch up with three women that had us talking in 2012, including a mom that sparked debate over this picture. and an anchor who caught flack about her weight. >>> andrea mitchell joins us with the condition of secretary of state hillary clinton. >> her spokesman called a blood clot stemming from the concussion she had sustained earlier. the administration's most high profile frequent flyer, 112 countries, nearly 1 million miles, more than 400 days of travel, now grounded under doctor's care at new york presbyterian after a spokesman says physicians disco

i'm sa van -- savannah guthrie alongside willie geist in for matt.ficult year in many ways, but also the summer olympics brought us some happiness, some light. we're going to look back on our month in london together. also coming up this half hour, "today's" top clicks. that old video of the goat in the elevator has been sitting atop our list now for weeks. can anyone unseat the ghost in the elevator? we'll find out coming up a little bit later. >> all right. let's get over to natalie morales with a look at the day's top stories. >> good morning, everyone. another winter storm is pushing east today while much of the midwest and northeast additidig from record snowfall. at least 16 deaths are blamed on that storm. >>> one of the great military giants of our time has died. general norman schwarzkopf died thursday in tampa, florida, from complications from pneumonia. he was 78 years old. in 1991, schwarzkopf commanded operation desert storm, the first persian gulf war that forced iraq out of kuwait. president obama says we have lost an american original

. >> out on the plaza, along with potty mouth, i'm matt lauer, al roker and willie geist. can we stop for one second? we did something not together but the same thing on saturday night. go ahead. >> stones. stones in brooklyn. >> they were unbelievable on saturday night. >> i'm seeing them saturday. >> are you? >> yeah. >> it's a fantastic, fantastic show. >> people keep saying they're too old to do it. they're not. mick is flying around the stage like he's 20 years old. >> classic sopgngs. it's like tuning into a classic rock station. >>> these are the questions that dog us. if you're traveling on an airplane, who gets the arm rest? the person in the middle gets both arm rests? >> no. >> no. >> that's an important one. what do you do about the kid who is kicking the back of your seat? how do you address that one? >> you turn around and you ask the parent please keep your kid from kicking the seat. >> that's one way of handling it. >> then if he keeps doing it? >> then you kick the parent. >> you ask the stewardess. >>> sparkly and shiny, big fashion tips straight ahead. >

i'm willie geist along with erica hill and maria larosa.lk about that character, if you haven't seen the movie "django unchained" he is a reprehensible character. leonardo dicaprio said i read the script and hated him immediately and i had to play him. >>> this half hour, party season. new year's eve coming up on monday. chances are you'll have a cocktail or two perhaps. what should you drink if you're watching your weight on new year's eve? >> i'm guessing not the eggnog that we were drinking earlier. >> no. >>> standouts of 2012 when we're talking health and beauty. some of them are very affordable. >> what to do for christmas if you're a member of the royal family? how the queen and duke and duchess of cambridge spent their day. first a check of the weather from maria larosa, in for al. >> a little rough still in parts of the southeast and eventually into the midatlantic. sort of round two here with the severe weather. even the threat of tornadoes in that area in red especially, eastern south carolina, eastern north carolina during the a

i'm willie geist along with natalie morales, erica hill, and maria larosa.g to check out the gadgets and gizmos that stood out in 2012, including the swiss army knife of bartending. >> really? okay. interesting. >>> plus, everything you need to throw for the ultimate new year's eve party, including creative cocktails to homemade center pieces that go beyond simple flowers and candles. >> all right. sounds good. >>> first, erica, you have a preview of what's coming up this weekend. >> indeed, i do. we will be keeping a close eye on the fiscal cliff negotiations as that clock ticks closer to january 1st. also, "mad" magazine celebrating its 60th anniversary. how its biting humor and scathing satire have given them their staying power. >>> plus, a little visit to the barefoot conetessa's kitchen. how she entertains over the holidays and how she's spending her new year's. >> i think that's my dream, to have a dinner party at her house. have her cook. >> she's lovely. we see her here sometimes. just as lovely at her home. >> you call it a visit. it's more like a

. >> and i'm willie geist in this morning for lester, he is out on assignment. good to be with all of you. the nfl starts another sunday with heavy hearts dealing with tragedy. dallas cowboys player killed in a car accident, his teammate has been charged with intoxicated manslaughter. police say alcohol was a factor in the crash. the accident comes a week after the murder/suicide involving voeian belcher of the kansas city chiefs. we'll have details from dallas in a moment. >>> there is an emergency board meeting today for the australian radio station involved in the prank call about the duchess of cambridge's hospital stay. the meeting to address the mounting criticism and public outcry after a nurse who took the call at that hospital died. >>> plus, mtv well-known for its reality shows, some of them like "jersey shore" and "teen mom" have been very controversial and now one washington lawmaker wants the network to pull the plug on its new show "buck wild" before it even airs. >>> then we'll switch gears and talk about letters being written to santa this year.

natalie morales along with willie geist.lot of you will hit the malls today with last-minute shopping. we'll tell you which stores are open and where you can find deals aat this late hour. good news is there's still time. >>> also ahead beach volleyball great kerri walsh jennings joined us after the london olympics and she revealed she was pregnant during the olympics games during her run for the third gold medal. is baby boy -- is baby number three a boy or girl. they're going to tell us moment rim. i can't wait. i'm so excited for them. they have two boys already. what do you think the odds are? i don't know. i'm thinking boy. >> you're thinking another boy? >> i don't know. she says she thinks girl. we'll see. >> we'll find out in a few minutes. we put ourselves to the test to see which of us knows the most about the holiday season with a little trivia game. i hope you're ready for that. >> i feel a challenge coming in. erica hill is at the news desk. >> 93 million americans are traveling for the holidays and many could r

willie geist, mike barnicle, thanks for watching our special, "the most." it was a lot of fun. >> yeah, it was. >> even if george bush was on the list. i thought you behaved yourself very well. all right. >> yeah. >> well, thank you so much for being with us. >>> merry cliffmas. let's play hardball. >>> good evening. i'm michael smerconish in for chris matthews. leading off tonight, fiscal cliff hanger, president obama calls on congress to act after christmas on a scale-down deal that would spare the middle class from tax hikes on the first of the year. the president met with harry reid and spoke with john boehner. is a grand bargain still possible when everyone is leaving town? >> a week from the shooting massacre that left 20 children and six educators dead, we have heard plenty of people calling for new gun control laws but very little from the national rifle association until now. in a bizarre news conference, the head of the nchl ra said the solution of gun violence in this country is simple, more guns. armed officers in every school. it is the same li

. >> but if they were -- >> but willie geist -- .e needs to be in that mix. >> he's also happily married. but anderson -- never mind. thank you, sara. >> all right. from the hilarious to the ridiculous, you never know what's going to come out of our mouths. we'll take a look back at a full year. and the laughs don't stop. we pulled together the year's funniest moments. >> how is that even possible. >> we'll show you how to spice up new year's eve. all of that is coming up if you can stand it. 2@ >>> we're back with today's beauty, break through products of the year. every year hundreds make their debut. >> but which are really worth trying. grace is here with the best picks. >> you combed them all and wh whittled them down to just a few? >> there are over 8,000 products launched every single year. the only new thing with most of them is just the marketing. so we've brought products that have new technology. bare minerals are legendary for their mineral foundation. >> and it's so clean and good for your skin. >> yes. they finally put

. >> i'm willie geist in this morning for matt. we have the party music on for a reason. it's someone's birthday in this room today. happy birthday, savannah. >> thank you. i'm getting my musical request for today. a little techovibe. >> we will have the carbon daters to take us back to the day you were born. >> do you need to tweet out my age? >> i gave some hints. >> turning 30, very excited about that. >> we'll let you have that one. >> a lot of wind in the new york area. other parts of the northeast, it is a blanket of snow. >> other areas could see two feet by the time the storm is done. >>> mark zuckerberg's own sister with a post of holiday settings she said was posted just for friends and how did it end up being viewed by tens of thousands of strangers. >>> and a remarkable affaquariu with tens of thousands of sharks burst. >> i might have had a mirm lini like that recently. >>> now, we go to the christmas travelers. and mike seidel is just outside buffalo, new york this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. in buffalo, they picked up 11 inch

willie geist used to babysit you? >> he did. richwood, new jersey. >> really? let you run around with scissors? >> i believe so. >> very nice. wow. okay. turned out all right all right f wil willie. our our picture today, san antonio, sunny, warm, 80 degrees. don't know if it's true or not but but i like the sign. you can see we've got a lot of wet wet weather making its way into new e new england and snow in some of up up thor reaches of maine. we' we've got another big system out west where it's going to be dum dumping a ton of snow. we're talking about the rockies, look looking at central rockies, rain through the southwest pacific northwest as well. snow showers around the western plains and look for plenty of sunshine. we have more vision tors here. what's your name? >> carmen. >> happy birthday, today's your birthday? >> how old? >> 9. >> you say everything together all the time? >> no. >> okay. here you go. you just did. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening if your neck of the woods. >>> good morning, this morning a lot of c

i'm natalie morales alongside willie geist and maria larosa and honey boo-boo, not so sure.ile, ahead, still making new year's eve plans? a lot of you are. and meanwhile, if you have little ones, you may want to get creative as you bring in the new year. >>> plus, as you pack for a trip, do you struggle to get the necessi necessities to fit? we will compete in a friendly challenge to see who packs the best bag. i think i have had more practice than willie does. >> you never had a friendly challenge. you're competitive. >> i reinforce friendly challenge and mia will show us the way to do it. >>> did you know you can actually get paid to shed those unwanted pounds? we'll tell you about that and hot health trends to watch in the new year. >>> maria has the weather trend. lots to talk about. >> the northeast system impacting and heavy rains. and tomorrow, more showers and thunderstorms across the south. more snow into parts of the ohio vehic valley and great lakes, not so much like this stiystem but som areas could pick up 3-6 and new york to boston and buffalo and maine. more s

let's check in with willie geist to see what they're working on this morning. >> richard, good to see. on a busy morning on "today," more on the health scare for hillary clinton, the secretary of state in the hospital this morning after doctors discovered a blood clot. we'll have the latest. >> also ahead, we're live on capitol hill where you are with the last minute wrangling over the fiscal cliff. just a few hours left. can lawmakers reach a deal? >> then on a much different note, kanye west surprises concert-goers last night announces he is having a baby with kim kardashian. we'll have the details and reaction from kim's family. >>> from party ideas to the hottest trends in music and movies, everything you need to get set for 2013 which comes tonight. >>> all that and more when we get started on new year's eve monday morning here on "today." you guys got off to a good start with that redskins game last night. >> i'm a giants fan. we'll be watching you in the playoffs. >> we'll see how it goes. don't get too confident. thanks a lot. we'll see you later. >> time right now is 6:37. wh

joining us now, of course, willie geist. and willie, you were in newtown on saturday.as a reporter in the state of connecticut for more than ten years and spent time in newtown. this is a place you go to get away from things, to get away from things like this. >> yeah. people from new york city move there because it's safe, because it's removed from all the dangers of urban america. joe, i know you were there. i got there friday. you pull in, and it's been said many times over the last few days, but it's hard to overstate how quintessentially new england this place is. >> it's perfect. >> it's perfect. it's perfect. little shops. a brook that goes through the town. but then when you go over a hill just on the other side, a quarter mile away from the little village of sandy hook, the worst thing imaginable happened. i got there on friday evening. you go up to where the live television locations are, and you come upon first a firehouse which has become very familiar here. a firehouse where kids were rushed a few hundred feet away from the school. and where parent s went

. >> i hear chuck todd reported yesterday behind the scenes a top aide to barack obama, willie geist.nd this -- i don't -- i'm not really good at reading the tea leaves. maybe this is good, maybe this is bad. but a top obama aide yesterday told chuck todd that if the republicans -- if these republicans were in power when abraham lincoln were there, there would still be slavery. does that help the process move along? or does it hurt? i don't really know -- >> reading between the lines. >> i know one direction, i know boy bands. >> reading between the lines, that's probably a bad omen. we do have four weeks, though. >> that's bad. >> absolutely. we have, i believe, we have 27 negotiating days. until the year end. >> there is a rule in life. >> what is that rule? >> i think that slavery analogies and hitler jokes never work out well. >> you don't do that. >> never end well. >> usually they have a bad, you know -- >> but if you're a reporter covering this story now, you don't need to sort of badger people at the white house or on the hill for negative stuff on the other side. they're reac

. >> willie geist, hamilton because, let's face it, most likely to be shot in jersey. >> that's true.> yes. >> scarborough, commanding george washington. >> washingtonesque. >> tall. >> yes. >> dignity. >> same, 6'4", same thing, yeah. >> so clearly, it's mika brzezinski. >> really? >> when i left, they're still clapping. >> really? >> renaissance woman. >> is it the alcohol? >> i think it's more of the slaves, actually. >> the what? >> nothing. i didn't say anything. >> gotcha. >> you missed that. >> i did. >> the you're the jeffersonian. >> the art of power. the art of navigating power. >> with that, let's go to the most jeffersonian figure for the news. >> all right. we begin this morning with new urgency in the fiscal cliff negotiations with now just 21 days to reach a deal. that's three weeks. today president obama returns to campaign mode, taking his fiscal cliff message to detroit. yesterday the president and speaker boehner met privately at the white house. their first face-to-face meeting since they agreed last week to clear everyone else out of the negotiating room. neither

in office politics, willie geist experiences as an olympic host and the sexiest man alive. >> he personallye. >> i love you, willie. >> we love you, willie. imt thank you, alex. up next, the story that inspired nerdland this week. a struggle for education from which we can all learn. you turn for legal matters? at legalzoom, we've created a better place to handle your legal needs. maybe you have questions about incorporating a business you'd like to start. or questions about protecting your family with a will or living trust. and you'd like to find the right attorney to help guide you along, answer any questions and offer advice. with an "a" rating from the better business bureau legalzoom helps you get personalized and affordable legal protection. in most states, a legal plan attorney is available with every personalized document to answer any questions. get started at legalzoom.com today. and now you're protected. well, having a ton of locations doesn't hurt. and a santa to boot! [ chuckles ] right, baby. oh, sir. that is a customer. oh...sorry about that. [ male announcer ] break from th

willie geist used to babysit you? >> he did. richwood, new jersey. >> really?ntive. >> unattentive! let you run around with scissors? >> i believe so. >> very nice. wow. okay. turned out all right in spite of willie. let's check things out. i think. our pick city today, san antonio. sunny, warm, 80 degrees. don't know if it's true or not, but i like the sign. you can see we've got a lot of wet weather making its way into new england, and snow in some of the upper reaches of maine. we've also got another big system out west, where it's going to be dumping a ton of snow. we're talking about the rockies, looking at central rockies, rain through the southwest, pacific northwest as well. snow showers around the western plains. and look for plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast. some more visitors here. what's your names? >> carmen. >> and? >> hadley. >> today is your birthday? >> yes. >> how old? >> 9. >> do you say everything together all the time? >> good morning. we are watching a front that will produce a sprinkle or a rain shower in spots. otherwise, a mixt

. >>> in today's office politics, my conversation with "the today show" and msnbc's willie geist. about his roots in sports reporting and why he's already dropping the doors on his alma mater vanderbilt. i asked him about his official gig as a co-host on "today." >> it's cool. i mean, i grew up dreemg of playing for the new york yankees. that hasn't quite worked out yet. yet. i'm still a free agent. i go to spring training every year. security ushers me out. i'm still going to make the team. >> don't show up to "today" he got drafted. >> the "today" show is like playing for the new york yankees. you've got a responsible to a 60-year legacy of greatness. and that's very humbling. and at the same time we're at a moment where we're pushing the show forward. it's time for some change, some self-reflection and all that is happening over there. when i go there, there's no head hanging of oh, my gosh we've slipped back. it's a land of opportunity. it's like okay, what do we need to do now. so to come in at that moment when everyone is thinking that way is really cool. >> that's perfect f

willie geist talked about the morning after the 2004 election, you had liberals on the upper west sidewalkinground like zombies. some of them walked straight into the hudson river. that doesn't happen. we're not the smart party, we're the stupid party. what happened? >> well, there's that. >> what happened in '12? how did we perform so badly? is it our tactics? >> well, the primary process obviously didn't help us when we had such a crowded field. we couldn't rally around a candidate and set of ideas and philosophy. if you back up even and s say -- forever ah would have said in the white house when we passed the bush tax cuts the focus of all the attention, if you would have said a second term democratic president was about to lock in 98% of those tax cuts, we would have been saying high-fives, wow, we won. i will say republicans have an obligation to hold the congress and white house feet to the fire when it comes to the spending. this conversation we're having is crazy it's all foc element. as was said in the previous report by vanderheim. everybody understands what has to happen and one of

. >> where's that willie geist? actually, that's heilmann.urprised connecticut has a pretty darn liberal law. >> colorado. >> colorado, man. >> what's in "parade" this week, joe? >> in "parade" this week, winners of their first annual holiday bake-off. >> oh, good, maybe good recipes. >> in "parade" magazine. >> i want to make cookies. >> i'm sure as a marijuana -- >> now, stop p continue look how adorable that picture is. i'm going to make cookies just like that this weekend. >> chow on those and marijuana. >> stop it. >>> mike allen is here with the morning "playbook." we haven't talked a whole lot about jim demint leaving. i had a call with him yesterday, and he said and he believed, and i certainly understand it, he's leaving because he'll have more money running the heritage foundation than being 1 of 100 senators. and i must say -- >> running think tanks is a good thing to do. >> running think tanks, not bad. i must say, there have been several times over the past several years that people have approached me and asked me to run for sena

and i'm willie geist. joe and mika have the day off today. there's so much to talk about, but we do have to begin with the ties, if we could. it's not just mike. mike's getting all the focus here this morning, and that is inexcusable. >> could i just say, in the words of speaker john boehner, we need to find common ground here, and we need to do it quick. >> there ain't going to be any between these two ties, my man. over here, good news, jon meacham will be number one on "the new york times" best-seller list this weekend. >> hear, hear. >> his book, "jefferson." bad news is he's going to get there wearing that tie with bunny rabbits on it. here they are. could we get a text poll? >> can i just tell you, i got this from harold ford. >> that explains a lot. >> so there you go. >> that means it's free at both ends. >> it's a disgrace to michael steele who dresses so well each and every day. >> look, i just show up and play, baby. that's it. >> you're doing a good job with that. >> got the pocket square. steele's going for if. >> congratulations

>> we'll also be talking, willie geist, about rex ryan and how quickly he wants to be fired. >> wow. >> can you believe that? >> this can't go on like this. >> he's got to leave new york. >>> up next, the top stories in the "politico playbook" with mike allen. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're

i'm al roker alongside willie geist and natalie morales.oss the country are as well. it's been so hard to come to grips with how something like this could happen. and one of the things i think we're all asking ourselves is how do we talk about this with our kids? coming up, we'll have expert advice for parents on how they and their kids can cope. >> wondering how much to share or whether to share at all. we'll get into all of that. we actually thought with such a tough few days in the country might be a good time to make a little comfort food for you. we'll make some delicious recipe that is ought to taste good in "today's" kitchen. >>> a lot of people may be making resolution to save some cash. we've got things you can do right now before the year even ends to grow that nest egg. >> first al has a check of the weather >> checking out first of all today, we have a real mess along the eastern seaboard. look for strong storms from the tennessee river valley into the southeast. snow in northern new england. out west a big storm bringing mounta

willie put out. i think there are other factors. >> rhetoric inside the capitol building was also heated. before the bill passed, democratic state representative douglas geistepercussions in stark terms. >> we're going to pass something that will undo 100 years of labor relations. and there will be blood. there will be repercussions. we will relive the battle of the overpass. >> there will be blood. >> michigan house democrats twitter account even tweeted the comments later in the day. let me be clear, i do not want to see history repeated. my caucus and i stand against the use of violence and do not condone its use. we condemn violence, the destruction of property and all other illegal activity in the strongest possible terms. >> which happened outside the capitol after he made those statements. >> yeah. >> destruction of property. violence. >> of this legislation and opponents to stand by me in my call for nonviolence. >> union leaders talking about civil war. >> there will be -- okay. >> not helping the cause. >> it's a really fascinating and potentially disturbing discussion we've been asking. >> the union strength and union membership in this country o