edward snowden, edith windsor, who was a plaintiff in the case. i had the absolute pleasure of meeting her, an incredible human being. her story is incredible. there is an incredible interview we don't have time to play right now, but we'll put up later. and bashar assad is interesting, it brought up the point that this is a moral designation, stalin won it twice, hitler has won it. but as time has gone on, "time magazine," the pr, in general, the hysterical controversy, is not going to name bashar assad. >> i think the last of the evil picks was the ayatollah after the iranian revolution in the late '70s. so i'm interested to see how did they actually frame these issues back in the day, how did they get the joseph stalin -- >> that is the difference. >> ultimately, when time magazine shows activist of the year, if we're talking about nelson mandela, see, that is what he was about. he said it is about the movements, not about the man, and that is really what makes it -- >> there was a protester in 2011, which is of course the year of the occupied

snowden's letter to brazil and a federal judge's ruling that agrees with edward snowden. a subaru... ...are the hands that do good things for the whole community: the environment, seniors, kids, and animals. that's why we created the share the love event. by the end of this year, the total donated by subaru could reach 35 million dollars. you get a great deal on a new subaru. we'll donate 250 dollars to a choice of charities that benefit your community. it feels good to be a helping hand. >>> after a federal court judge ruled that the nsa's mass collection of phone data is likely unconstitutional, edward snowden published an open letter to the people of brazil offering his help to the brazilian senate's investigation of the nsa's, quote, suspected crimes against the brazilian citizens. edward snowden explained that he is currently unable to help and would be an awful lot easier for him to help if he had permanent asylum in brazil. joining me now, steve clemons, washington editor at large and msnbc contributor and john schindler, former nsa analyst and counter intelligence officer. he

snowden's letter to brazil and a federal judge's ruling that agrees with edward snowden. ruled that the nsa's mass collection of phone data is likely unconstitutional, edward snowden published an open letter to the people of brazil offering his help to the brazilian senate's investigation of the nsa's, quote, suspected crimes against the brazilian citizens. edward snowden explained that he is currently unable to help and would be an awful lot easier for him to help if he had permanent asylum in brazil. joining me now, steve clemens, washington editor at large and msnbc contributor and john shind letter, former nsa analyst and counter intelligence officer. he's a professor of national security affairs at the naval war college. steve clemens, the judge's opinion yesterday, which i think shocked everyone because it basically involved a district court judge overturning a 1979 decision on which all other decisions were based about what the expectation of privacy is for phone records as opposed to the contents of phone calls. and he couldn't have reached this decision without d

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of offering edward snowden amnesty. i would take the deal. just come back with all the intel and all is forgiven. i'll tell you what to make you feel safe we'll meet in a special amnesty zone. >> good morning. it is tuesday, december 17th. >> boy, that was an amazing ruling, wasn't it? >> yes, it was. >> but the implications are pretty crazy. >> absolutely. with us on set we have msnbc contributor mike barnacle. national affairs editor for "new york" magazine and msnbc politicalo analyst john hamm monday and for bbc news world america, katty kay and jeremy peters. >> so i'm just wondering, if this -- if what the nsa did last year, what the government has been doing for some time, violates the most sacred tenets of the constitution, and as the judge said james madison would be deeply offended by what the federal government has done prying into other people's lives, does edward snowden then become a whistle blower because i don't know what the definition of whistle blower is but if somebody -- if let's say this is held up

they'll weigh in on edward snowden in this debate. should he have been chosen as time's person of the year instead of the pope in terms of debate? we'll have that coming up next. ♪ hey, that's the last crescent! oh, did you want it? yeah. we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. that's half. that's not half! guys, i have more. thanks, mom. [ female announcer ] do you have enough pillsbury crescents? ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills. >>> coming up, the roundtable is back. we'll talk more about the future of government spying. will the new limits of nsa have an impact on americans' privacy? the roundtable talks about it in one minute. spying. will the new limits of nsa have an impact on americans' privacy? the roundtable talks about it in one minute. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying

edward snowden has enabled that debate. we couldn't have been able to have the kind of decision we saw yesterday or the kind of cases aclu is bringing in federal court challenging the dragnet surveillance without the kinds of disclosures that edward snowden has made and made possible. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us from the aclu today. >>> we have some really disturbing news from california, from the most beautiful area of california. a wildfire burning in big sur that ha destroyed at least 15 homes and forced 100 people to evacuate. the fire burned 500 acres, including the home of big sur's volunteer fire chief who continued to work to fight the blaze even as her own home is burning. high winds fueling the wildfire which is only about 5% contained. [ female announcer ] arms were made for hugging. hands for holding. feet, kicking. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (

of offering edward snowden amnesty. i would take the deal. just come back with all the intel and all is forgiven. i'll tell you what to make you feel safe we'll meet in a special amnesty zone. >> good morning. it is tuesday, december 17th. >> boy, twa

they'll weigh in on edward snowden in this debate. they'll weigh in on edward snowd[ male announcer ] here's a question for you: where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. turn to roc® retinol correxion®. one week, fine lines appear to fade. one month, deep wrinkles look smoother. after one year, skin looks ageless. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. take skincare to the next level with new roc® multi correxion® 5 in 1, proven to hydrate dryness, illuminate dullness, lift sagging, diminish the look of dark spots, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. >>> coming up, the roundtable is back. we'll talk more about the future of government spying. will the new limits of nsa have an impact on americans' privacy? the roundtable talks about it in one minute. once upon a time, an insurance clerk s

. >>> and edward snowden's christmas stunner. in a groundbreaking new interview, the nsa leaker says his mission is already accomplished. >>> plus -- >> 10% discount as opposed to identity theft and all the problems involved with that isn't worth it to me. >> holiday shoppers angry about the target security breach, while disappointing new numbers are out about this shopping season. >>> and -- >> yeah. yeah, yeah, yeah. >> make a lot of money. >> yeah. i do all right for myself. >> looks like a good one. lots of movies about to hit theaters tomorrow. which ones are worth watching? we'll break it all down for you. >>> but we begin with the winter wallop. a developing story here on msnbc. thousands of people all across the country are without power as they wake up due to a nasty winter storm. and here's some coal in your stocking. that is all could lead to a dark christmas for a lot of people. in parts of maine, electricity won't be restored until at least friday. this monster storm has also slowed air traffic. more than 5,000 fligh

they'll weigh in on edward snowden in this debate. they'll weigh in on edward snmy mother and my grandmother are very old fashioned. i think we both are clean freaks. i used to scrub the floor on my knees. [ daughter ] i've mastered the art of foot cleaning. oh, boy. oh, boy. oh, boy. [ carmel ] that drives me nuts. it gives me anxiety just thinking about how crazy they get. [ doorbell rings ] [ daughter ] oh, wow. [ carmel ] swiffer wetjet. you guys should try this. it's so easy. oh, my. [ gasps ] i just washed this floor. if i didn't see it i wouldn't believe it. [ carmel ] it did my heart good to see you cleaning. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. [ daughter ] oh, yeah. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away. you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims servi

. >>> the nsa, edward snowden and the secrets we keep. glen greenwald, his reaction and developing news today. a federal judge ruling that parts of the nsa data collection program is likely unconstitutional. stay with us for that. [ laughter ] he loves me. he loves me not. he loves me. he loves me not. ♪ he loves me! that's right. [ mom ] warm and flaky in 15, everyone loves pillsbury grands! [ girl ] make dinner pop! everyone loves pillsbury grands! so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis them. was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of c

does edward snowden then become a whistleblower? >> joining me right now, senator bernie sanders, an independent from vermont. sir, it's good to have you here. i want to get your first reaction to this ruling yesterday. we have edward snowden coming out saying that he has been vindicated by this ruling. do you think it's a vindication for him? >> well, all i can say is that i very much welcome the judge's ruling. no question to my mind that what the nsa has done is unconstitutional. i voted against the usa patriot act. we've introduced legislation to curb what the nsa is doing. but the bottom line is if you are keeping records, phone records on virtually every call made in the united states of america, you know, who somebody is calling, what time they're calling, where they're calling from, it is very hard for me to imagine that this is not a clear violation of the fourth amendment of the u.s. constitution. so what i believe is we have got to be vigorous at protecting the american people from a terrorist attack. that's very real. bu

edward snowden is in russia right now. he claims to be in possession of a lot more documents, a lot more materials than he has released. i think whatever you think of edward snowden. when you think of how he has gone about doing this. it is clearly, this commission wouldn't have been empanelled if it hasn't been for the revelations that he brought out there, back in the spring. i wonder how do you think, norm, when you look at edward snowden's role in all this. the idea of should the government sut some kind of deal to get him back here. maybe to get possession if they could, how should we be thinking of edward snowden right now? >> it's so hard, no question he's had a profound effect now. much will be a positive effect. on the other handsh i don't think he's a good guy. i think the entire process the privatizizationation of security cleaners that got him this job, gave him this enormous access is something we got to rethink as well. >> that he went to hong kong through china, to russia, doesn't leave me feeling very posit

. >>> edward snowden's new christmas message invoking george orwell and the dangers of unchecked government surveillance. >>> tens are thousands are still in the dark and cold waiting for the power to come back on days after a big ice storm. >>> plus, a skier's camera captures terrifying moments in colorado. mcdonald's takes decisive action against its own employee site and how texting may actually help strengthen the family bond. >>> and a very good morning to you. i'm kristen welker. hope you had a great holiday. for some the grinch came in two forms this christmas. first stubborn weather left hundreds of thousands in the dark and thousands more woke up without their gifts. nbc's ron mott has more on the holiday that wasn't so jolly for all. >> reporter: near grand rapids, michigan, weather made for treacherous driving. at least a dozen accidents on i-96. crews spent the day in the bitter cold trying to restore power to more than 200,000 families left in the dark for days by a weekend snow and ice storm. >> it's very rewarding to be here and to help people out. >> reporter: and while roug

a lot of indication in particular for edward snowden. it wasn't spiking the football as much as saying my goal is not what some people in the government say it is, which is to destroy these programs. instead, it is to do what a whistleblower should do, bring these programs to light so people can debate whether or not they ought to continue. >> glenn, snowden said his mission was accomplished. president obama is coming out in january and announce it seems like some changes. if he does announce changes will snowden stop leaking information? will that be it? >> snowden hasn't leaked any information for six months. he gave us all the documents we have back in hong kong in june. as journalists we've been going through the documents he furnished us back then and we've been going through finding out what's a news story and how to report them. as a journalist i'm not going to conceal news worthy stories from the public. i'm going to continue to report them until each and every news worthy story is published, "the washington post," "the guardian,

relief could be days away. >>> and edward snowden's christmas stunner. in a groundbreaking new interview, the nsa leaker says his mission is already accomplished. >>> plus -- >> 10% discount as

edward snowden was a very compelling figure. whether you thought of him as an american hero or you thought of him as other people do, as a traitor to his country. he was a very strong compelling candidate. we had an interview with him by e-mail and just at the end we felt the pope was speaking to a larger audience, reaching a larger number of people and the change, the surprise that he's able to change -- this is a 2000-year-old institution he's changing. this is astonishing. >> part of the statement, reaction from the vatican, the holy father is not looking to become famous or receive honors but if the choice of person of the year helps spread the message of the gospel, of god's love for everyone, he will certainly be happy about that. let me bring you in and some of the images from the past year when the pope was in brazil and just mobbed by the crowds there, so eager to catch a glimpse of him. there was another image of the so-called selfie seen around the world. three young people took a selfie showing his embrace of modern

when does edward snowden leave rub russia? i don't know. where does he go? i'm sure that's still an open question and he doesn't know either. but these issues for him i think have really changed dramatically, even just in the last 24 hours. >> i would just add one thing very quickly. what's fascinating about the judge's ruling is that the nsa says we get sign off from the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch. now with this new panel coming back reporting to the president that this collection of meta data is probably unconstitutional. the executive branch has said it's not okay, the judiciary has said it's not okay and now the legislature is also saying it's not okay, which deeply undermines things. >> and real quickly, what's it going to be like in that room when the president meets with the ceos of these tech companies, right? they're really not very happy about the nsa snooping, so what's that conversation going to be? >> i think different people in that room have different equities. for google, this is a different conversation than it

intelligence world were rocked this year by the leaks from edward snowden. here's this week's front page of the "washington post." snowden was interviewed for hours and he said, quote, the mission is already accomplished, i already won. but questions remain for key plans in 2014. snowden's key adviser in the united states ben wizner joins me now. ben, good to meet you. >> good to be here. >> what happens legally when he says, mr. snowden, i've already won. there was a ruling in the u.s. district court that concluded the following: no doubt the bulk telephoney met adata collection program vacuums up information about virtually every telephone call to, from or within the governments counter punch. the cost of missing such a threat could be horrific.punch. the cost of missing such a threat could be horrific. the bulk telephone metadata is to reconstruct and eliminate al qaeda's terror network. so here's a district court judge disagreeing with another district court judge. if it's going to go to the supreme court, the u.s. court of appeals has to do something. i

we had one here, actually, over edward snowden versus the pope. it was very much a battle between the heart and the mind on some level. >> yeah, i think it was a very close call. you list the five names there, but really there were two that were competing for the top spot. these are two people who nobody really knew the name of. nobody in the world basically knew the name of either of them at this time last year. both came on the scene surprisingly. both have totally transformed the conversation in their respective areas. and they're very different areas. we look at snowden's impact on diplomacy, technology, legal challenges in the u.s. and congressional reforms. if you look at the pope's impact, especially in the southern hemisphere in the social debate that's taking place there. both are impacting billions of people. but in the end, the editors made the decision that if the criteria is influence, the most influence over the course of the year, that the pope edged him out. but i would ask everyone who's watching to read both stories. i think, you

much intel snowden took, nsa officials recently floated the idea of offering edward snowden amnesty. i would take the deal, ed. just come back with all of the i hope intel and all is forgiven. to make you feel safe, we'll meet you in a special amnesty zone. ♪ i always feel like somebody's watching me ♪ i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. you give them the giggles. tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol cold®. ♪ ♪ hands for holding. feet, kicking. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can lower your abil

snowden, the pope, and not edward snowden? >> what you're talking about is one person influencing in a very dramatic way the way the world thinks about technology and democracy. and snowden will change from here on out the way people think about these issues. you will have very real changes in the way the laws are, and intelligence, the biggest contribution is people think of their cell phones as tracking devices. they didn't do that before. and once that information is out, it is out there forever. but you're talking about the pope, a totally different issue. he is changing the issues around the church, and income equality, and issues such as bringing the world's conversation back to this idea of poverty and helping the poor. and income inequality. >> jonathan, let us know why you think he should be the winner? >> well, michael laid out most of the case. i would add to that what the pope has done in terms of his telling the church to you know, don't obsess over social issues such as homosexuality or abortion as happens here i

he then put on hold pending an appeal shortly after the ruling edward snowden published this statement. i acted on the belief that the mass surveillance programs would not with stand a constitutionalal challenge and that the american public deserved a chance. today a secret program authorized by a secret court was then exposed to the light of day found to violate american's rights and it is the first of many. joining me now former chief council for the house judiciary committee. julian, what is your read? >> you have to keep in mind the primary purpose of the program was to find out what phone numbers terrorists outside the united states are calling inside the united states and who in the united states are calling suspected terrorists outside of the united states. while this is a slap down of the nsa program for sure, i think the critics are popping champagne bottles too quickly. most of the cases going back to 1979 but even a couple of cases floating through the courts have held that this is perfectly constitutional even without a court order or a warrant. remember in this case you ha

he referenced edward snowden and we know aclu filed its lawsuit after the information was leaked. i would hope judge pauley's opinion would lessen some of the adullation as well as the rabid anti-nsa hysteria that is pervasive. i don't think anybody is surprised where peter king stands on this. the two decisions which which is not over, the latest compelling interview with edward snowden who believes in a sense he is working for the nsa and he continues to challenge the program and he says look for ways to improve it while protecting the privacy of americans now and even the children as he referenced who were born today. >> the first decision that came out two weeks ago was interesting because it was the first time that a court backed up what snowden was saying and saying you're right, there are problems here. that gave so many of em boldened him in the public's eye that there was a court standing behind him. there was another court saying it is legal. it's going to go back and forth for a few years and at some point we'll get resolution and not going to satisfy anyone until then.

you recently wrote an article on the nsa and edward snowden. and of course, the question, to spy or not to spy. you know, ellis, it's this question that not even the federal judiciary can answer. i wanted it get your take on what you make of those recent rulings. and also, what do you have to say about snowden declaring he's victorious here? >> well, boy, we sure will not be getting any guidance yet from the federal courts, right? one judge says the program is almost clearly unconstitutional. the other judge says, eh, looks pretty good to me. i don't see much of a problem here. inevitably, this thing does have to get resolved by the u.s. supreme court, and that's going to take a while, so we're going to be in this limbo period, and everybody can look at it and spout off, including, including edward snowden, right, who's now declaring himself victorious. >> right, and did he actually accomplish anything? >> well, you know, listen, i think it's pretty hard to defend all his methods. i do not want, and i don't think most americans want just, you k

edward snowden says his mission has already been accomplished. the nsa leaker telling "the washington post" he has already won. he says that's because journalists are telling the stories of the government's bulk collection of data. snowden says that he doesn't want to change society, he just wanted people to have a say in how they're governed. >>> pregnant women who eat nuts or peanut butter don't appear to be raising the risk of nut allergies for their children. researchers say kids whose moms ate nuts five times a month during pregnancy were less likely to have allergies. >>> pope francis paid a visit to the home of his predecessor pope benedict xvi. the two exchanged christmas greetings and prayed together. >>> in massachusetts a fireman makes a daring rescue to save a dog named crosby. check this out, the 5-year-old golden retriever fell through the ice at a remote stretch of the charles river so firefighter dave tied a rope around his chest and actually jumped right in pulling crosby to safety. it was not easy as you can see. another fireman

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nsa leaker edward snowden. he sent out what he called an alternative christmas message to the uk's channel 4. here's a portion of it. >> privacy matters. privacy is what allows us to determine who we are and who we want to be. the conversation occurring today will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it. >> and snowden made news again in a new interview published christmas eve in the "washington post" that said for me in terms of personal satisfaction the mission's already accomplished. i already won. as soon as the journalists were able to work everything i had been trying to do was validated. because, remember, i didn't want to change society. i wanted to give society a chance to determine if it could change itself. i'm joined by "the washington post" reporter who interviewed snowden, barton gelman who's also a senior fellow at the century foundation and harvard law professor allen dershowitz who has written a book called "taking

he beat out edward snowden to senator ted cruz. nancy gibbs, great to see you. thanks so much. why the pope? >> the pope because, really, in a year where we had a lot of interesting candidates, he changed the tone and the focus and the perception of one of the world's largest institutions and refocus the its energies on addressing the world's deepest needs. the fact that he was able to capture so many imaginations so quickly, not only within the church but all around the world, was really unlike anything i think we've seen in a very long time. >> now, the vatican issued a statement saying that the pope does not seek fame and success since he carries out his service for the prola mags of the gospel and the love of god for all. if this attracts men and women and gives them hope, the pope is content. if this nomination means many have understood this message, he will certainly be glad. >> that's exactly what i would expect him to say because so much of what he has done in addition to the institutional changes, the organizational changes he's making are symbolic ones having to do w

more leaks from edward snowden today and that includes 1,000 foreign targets, including prime minister's office and israel former prime minister, and that just adds more to this and there is the question of the federal judge's ruling as you point out this week, saying it was unconstitutional that again the president can say that's one judge but another judge in california ruled it is constitutional so we'll wait to hear how this evolves on appeal. i think there could also be other questions on the iran sanctions which he vowed to veto and foreign relations chair, menendez is still plowing ahead with that. more sanctions which could really blow up the ongoing negotiations under way right now in europe. and prudent, individual vladimir putin yesterday. and the interesting response if he's asked about putin. >> absolutely, an the issue of iran, the bipartisan legislation you were referring to with senator menendez makes the situation even more complex for the president and it would veto any more sanctions against iran this is bipartisan legislation and he would reject andrea. >> he would re

what do you think about edward snowden, what do you think about the situation with snowden. have you got anything to hide? >> i understand everything he said. >> because you're looking at him. when you don't see him you don't see the lips moving. >> stop saying he. i'm present. russell. what's wrong with your manners. >> you're good at that. >> i'm coming in tomorrow with a big necklace and opening it up. >> that's the problem with current affairs. you forget what's important. you allow the agenda to be decided by superficial information. what am i saying, what am i talking about. don't think about what i'm wearing. those things are redundant. be distracted. what do you think that gesture means the way you're touching that bowl. what is the subtext of that the way you're touching that bowl. lose that ring, mika because it means nothing to you. she's grasping for shafts. she's a shaft grasper. >> we don't need to see the tour. >> you're ovulating. >> oh, my god. >> we're ready. my work is done here. >> it comes to the u.s. in august. more "morning joe" in just a moment. >> wh

in the wake of edward snowden and those leaks, the new nsa surveillance disclosures, voters began to doubt the president's credibility. was he who he said he would be? and after syria crossed the president's red line by launching a chemical weapons attack on either own people, leaving the president looking indecisive. and then the government shutdown which showed the president couldn't deliver on his first promise, to bring a new kind of politics to washington. and then the health care rollout clobbered him on the competency issue. it's now the biggest thing driving public opinion of him and his administration. in the past even when the president appearanced a dip in his rating, his personal likability never took a hit. but this fall, his personal likability has erode. and it's set up a fork in the road moment for him. the three previous two term presidents all similar periods in their second terms. reagan and clinton both recovered. george w. bush did not. the next year will decide which side president obama ends up on. but the stench of tanking party brand approval set the stage fo

today, the editor of "the guardian" has only published about 1% of what edward snowden gave them. is that decision not to publish 99% an issue of bravery, intimidation? is that judgment? they are deciding, in effect, what we get to know about what our government does based on their judgment of what counts as news. and their judgment conceivably of what harm they could cause by releasing to the public what they as a news organization are privileged to know that the rest of us to do. it is a very, very uncomfortable thing. it is part of why the job of a free and responsible press is a hard thing, a hard job, hard to do well. you want the people that do it to be worthy of the responsibility they have. tomorrow morning in a law officer in dan bury, connecticut. the victims said they did not want those tapes to ever become available to the public. but a judge was ruled in the favor and appeals were dropped, and tomorrow morning in connecticut the media for the first time will get those tapes. and then what? now it's up to the good judgment of the media to decide whether those tapes sho

when you look at the things that happened to president obama, if he had the edward snowden and nsa thing, if he just had the check, if he just had the difficulty, but all three had been i think a giant thing on the show. >> absolutely. it's the region that they declared he had the worst year in washington. the year when a lot of people had bad years. when you go through that list, not only that, but when you look at the trajectory of what happened to him since a year ago since reelection. he came out of that reelection feeling emboldened. we saw it in the way he responded after new on the guns and in his inaugural address and he had a progressive agenda that he was determined to push hard and you look the where he is today. >> you see the republicans and you should sit there and say if you look at the president and say boy, republicans should be in a good position and perhaps they should be. >> they found a way to grab defeat and particularly the fixation of obamacare became an obsession to the point where they were blinded. they make it on the economy and jobs and things like that. they

there were 1.7 million classed documents taken by edward snowden and may or may not have been shared with the chinese and with the russians. no matter what you think of snowden himself, here is the question. if somebody who is about my age, the right person to make the call about opening up that classified information, opening up these discussions, he's -- >> i guess the question is whether or not he's a whistleblower is really fraught one, richard. certainly this ruling does much to support the idea that what the government has been doing is wrong. whether or not snowden is the right person to do it, is that the determining factor. well, your thoughts. >> this is a bush appointee, this judge who said this is almost certainly unconstitutional. by the way, didn't just take out the idea that the program had, you know, some judicial integrity to it, he said that the nsa's assertion that this had somehow filed plots was basically not believable. totally devastating position from any judge, and it won't be the only one in all likelihood, we can get into snowden's character, i think you've

edward snowden shocked the world. scrambling to not only keep up with the cascade of information, they have no idea what he has and what's coming next. i think politics are changing fast. used to be doing it to keep you safe. people are pretty much willing to accept that. so big and so complicated, so close to home, you see the president's numbers with young people declining. a big part is the sense too much -- the government is getting too much into their i was. the president has to balance national security interests going into the elections. very tough. >> i want, katty, how it simplifies things, a set of recommendations they have to systematically adopt or reject. they said we're not appointing a civilian to head the nsa. we're going to keep that. then the fisa court, adversarial process seems like right and fair if we're going to have it a court. having a judiciary, a court process, would presume that you have two different sides of the argument. >> right. what the intelligence community counters with, the troubl

they are harboring edward snowden. he says he envies, is jealous of president obama because president obama can get away with these things and nobody does anything about it. >> first of all, a four-hour news conference. i don't know if that's a reporter's dream or nightmare. you're right. this week has been sort of a public trading of jabs and public sign of how bad relations are. president obama announcing sochi delegation, he, vice president biden or first lady will not attend. first time since the sidney olympics that will be the case. with several openly gay members of our delegation, i don't think that was by accident. putin sort of responding in kind as he sees fit. this is -- you guys both know more about this than me. seems to me when diplomacy is being conducted via this way, it's rarely a good sign for more serious talks. vladimir putin seems like a kid throwing san in the sand box. >> indeed. ann, happy new year. safe travels. >> thank you. >> lets hope we're not on the road again with john kerry in the next

. >> i think our colleague -- >>> edward snowden returns to the spotlight just in fierm christmas. we'll talk to barton gelman next on "now." well i drove grandpa to his speed dating this week, so i should probably get the last roll... yeah but i practiced my bassoon. [ mom ] and i listened. [ brother ] i can do this. [ imitates robot ] everyone deserves ooey, gooey, pillsbury cinnamon rolls. make the weekend pop. i have a cold with this annoying runny nose. [ sniffles ] i better take something. [ male announcer ] dayquil cold and flu doesn't treat all that. it doesn't? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast-acting antihistamine. oh, what a relief it is! to the people of the uk. snowden was chosen by britain's channel 4 to broadcast its traditional alternative address to the queen's christmas day speech. >> a child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. they'll never know what it means to have a private moment to themselves, an unrecorded, unanalyzed thought. and that's a problem because privacy matters. >> snowde

the world of foreign policy rocked in 2013 by edward snowden, by a preliminary nuclear deal with iran and civil war in syria that is now tipped in favor of the region one side and al qaeda-influenced rebel groups on the other. i have two distinguished guests to discuss all of this, both from the clinton administration, former secretary of defense bill cohn, secretary of state madeleine albright. what a privilege to have you both here. >> thank you. >> first of all, iran. lets talk about united states and allies as a result of partly secret negotiations, bill, is in the middle of working out a preliminary deal. there's bumps along the road. is this a good thing or bad thing? >> we don't know at this particular point. i think what happened in the middle east with iran, we have lost support with our key allies who no longer trust us, frankly. the united arab emirates, saudi arabia, others in the region in the way in which this was handled and the fact it's ambiguous in terms of iran having an enrichment capability. u.n. security council precluded enrichment. it appears we're going to all