jim pinkerton, conservative magazine and ellen ratner, radio news service. i'm jon scott, fox news watch is on right now. the fight over guns and the news of another school shooting, breaking at the very same time they were meeting at the white house trying to figure out what to do about all of the gun violence. >> the white house ready to take action on gun violence. >> the vice-president has been tasked with coming up with recommendations for curbing gun violence. >> vice-president joe biden heard from the other side today in the debate over gun control. >> jon: he will wthe debate over gun control took the top spot in news coverage this week, the media in overdrive to push their positions on the issue. as the white house ramped up its agenda to try to curb gun violence. vice-president joe biden heading his boss' task force to come up with a plan, had this to say on wednesday. >> the president is going to act are executive orders, executive action can be taken. we haven't decided what yet, but we're compiling it all with help of the attorney general and al

"morning joe" regular steve ratner tweeted, the only thing worse than this deal would have been no deal, or maybe not, he added. ezra kline wrote, obama isn't making it easier for res to vote for this deal but probably thinks if the rs kill it they get all the fiscal cliff blame. >>> now deals on secretary of state hillary clinton and the blood clot that has her hospitalized. the clot is located in a vein in the space between her brain and skull near her right ear. it did not cause a stroke or neurological damage. doctors say clinton should make a full recovery and she is making excellent progress. the blood clot is related to the concussion clinton suffered earlier this month. it was discovered during a follow-up exam sunday. >>> from amazing fireworks displays to ancient traditions to our favorite polar plunges. folks around the world marked the beginning of 2013 in their own unique way. kirk gregory takes us on a tour of all those crazy celebrations. >> reporter: the first major city to celebrate 2013 was auckland, new zealand. fireworks and boat horns rang in the new year. in austra

"morning joe" regular steve ratner tweeted, the only thing worse than this deal would have been no deal, or maybe not, he added. ezra klein wrote, obama isn't making it easier for rs to vote for this deal but probably thinks if the rs kill it they get all the fiscal cliff blame. >>> new information on secretary of state hillary clinton and the blood clot that has her hospitalized. the clot is located in a vein in the space between her brain and skull near her right ear. it did not cause a stroke or neurological damage. doctors say clinton should make a full recovery and she is making excellent progress. the blood clot is related to the concussion clinton suffered earlier this month. it was discovered during a follow-up exam sunday. >>> from amazing fireworks displays to ancient traditions to our favorite polar plunges. folks around the world marked the beginning of 2013 in their own unique way. nbc's kirk gregory takes us on a tour of all those crazy celebrations. >> reporter: the first major city to celebrate 2013 was auckland, new zealand. fireworks and boat horns rang in the new year

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump.

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman cross-talk rules and i think that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it i mean is it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and th

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman cross-talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want my very much encouraged karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and the muslim

blogger in cairo we have while eskandar he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we cross to ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project all right gentlemen crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want my very much encouraged karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it and because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and the

east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we cross to ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project all right gentlemen crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and th

in cairo we have while eskandar he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ario ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project right gentlemen cross-talk rules and i think that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it i mean is it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and t

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman cross-talk rules and i think that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it i mean is it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore.

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it and because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and the

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman cross-talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it and because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have started it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and th

middle east blogger in cairo we have while he is a blogger and a journalist and in washington we crossed ratner he is a fellow at the truman national security project or a gentleman cross-talk rules and i think that means you can jump in anytime you want i very much encourage it karl in london what's going on here how do you look at it because it looks like it's two step forward two steps back i mean what's in play in the egyptian revolution if it's even a revolution anymore. i think we have to put this in a more historical context of what the revolutions go through and they take time and if you look in previous examples they would take five ten twenty years to settle onto something now the immediate context of what's happening in egypt is there was a process of change that resembled their evolution but in the aftermath of that there is no single authority that have stomped it's not active on what the meaning of the egyptian revolution is unfortunately the political opposition currently isn't kind of able to articulate that and the leadership of the country in the form of mohamed morsi and the

steven ratner helped general motors get back in to the black as president obama's car czar. one of the things people say that president obama needs to do is to create a sense of confidence among the business community which will drive investment, which will drive jobs. so how does he do that? >> i think the president is off to a much better start but need a set of policies in place for long-term tax policy, budget policy, regulatory policy. not careening from a debt ceiling debacle to a fiscal cliff to some other issue with tax credits that expire every few months and all that kind of stuff so i think somehow the government as a whole has to come together in order to give business the confidence it needs. >> the single most important cost that we need to get under control is health care. which now takes up 17% of gdp and still rises much faster than inflation every year. peter or zag ran president obama's office of management and budget in the first term. he says obama care moves us away from a bad model where doctors and hospital haves a financial incentive to sell you lots

steven ratner helped general motors get back in to the black as president obama's car czar. one of the things people say that president obama needs to do is to create a sense of confidence among the business community which will drive investment, which will drive jobs. so how does he do that? >> i think the president is off to a much better start. but we need to have a set of policies in place for long-term tax policy, budget policy, regulatory policy. not doing this a few months at a time. not careening from a debt ceiling debacle to a fiscal cliff to some other issue with tax credits that expire every few months and all that kind of stuff so i think somehow the government as a whole has to come together in order to give business the confidence it needs. >> the single most important cost that we need to get under control is health care. which now takes up 17% of gdp and still rises much faster than inflation every year. peter orszag ran president obama's office of management and budget in the first term. he says obama care moves us away from a bad model where doctors and ho

steven ratner helped general motors get back in to the black as president obama's car czar. one of the things people say that president obama needs to do is to create a sense of confidence among the business community which will drive investment, which will drive jobs. so how does he do that? >> i think the president is off to a much better start. but we need to have a set of policies in place for long-term tax policy, budget policy, regulatory policy. not doing this a few months at a time. not careening from a debt ceiling debacle to a fiscal cliff to some other issue with tax credits that expire every few months and all that kind of stuff so i think somehow the government as a whole has to come together in order to give business the confidence it needs. >> the single most important cost that we need to get under control is health care. which now takes up 17% of gdp and still rises much faster than inflation every year. peter or zag ran president obama's office of management and budget in the first term. he says obama care moves us away from a bad model where doctors and ho

two of the directors of this movie, brett ratner, starring hugh jackman, halle berry, really big crude r rated comedy with all these interconnecting story lines. they've been trying to keep it very secretive because a lot of it is shock value. you don't want to give away like -- oh, there's -- >> maybe that's the point. you have to go see the movie. >> you have to go see it. >> another one out this weekend, big theatrical release "hansel & gretel:witch hunters." why is everything about hunting? >> i know, playing bananagrams. they've grown up, hunting witches for a living like bounty hunters. people love horror movies and it has this, obviously, built in appeal. >> we have the s.a.g. awards sunday, which will lead up to the oscars. what should we expect? >> i think "lay mishl miserables." it will be a three-way race between "les miserables," "lincoln" and "silver linings playbook." >> that's your banana gram. thank you so much. savannah? >> moving on to what's up, suzanne zuckerman is here. the adele mystery. she didn't want to reveal her son's name. there may be a hint in a necklace s

ellen ratner, fox radio news service, both fox news contributors. on april 29th this year, assuming nothing happens before then, and i don't see a sign it will happen, ellen, it will be four years since the democrat in the passed any kind of budget. they are legally required to do so. why haven't they and why are the media haven't getting away with it. >> they have a budget control act that has limits. in some respects there has been a budget passed but the issue why isn't the media is looking into it i think the reasons are pretty complex. having to deal with personalities. having to do with whether members of congress in the senate and house are really willing to talk to the media. whether both sides more interested in throwing words at each other rather than looking at the details of the budget and those are difficult. jon: all right. the jim pinkerton, you're good at breaking down complex issues. why don't you tell us the complexities involved here? >> well, actually no offense to ellen. i don't think there are any complexities. it is really sim

let's go to our news watch panel, ellen ratner is bureau chief and fox news contributor. radio talk show host mary walter also with us. welcome to you both. mary, what about that. in 2008 president obama was on the campaign trail, you know, bragging about the fact that he had, you know, voted against raising the debt ceiling. that was at a time when our national debt was much smaller than it is now stpheu don't know, jon, round like a little romnesia doesn't it? this is what happens. this is what they do. you're not going to hear it from the media, because have you ever noticed whenever something happens with this administration there is always a special circumstance witness, there is always a reason why it's not hypocrisy this time. there's also a reason why it's different this time. and that's their way of i guess kind of expunging what little record he has on voting when he was a senator. this way they make an excuse for him every time. well, it's not the same this time as it was when bush wanted to do it. and that's what they are going to do and they'll continue to do

steve ratner agrees. zeke emanuel agrees. democrats, good democrats, agree. that medicare and medicaid are going to be bankrupt us and this president is doing absolutely nothing at all, nothing at all, to save us from the debt crisis. >> that's two separate conversations, though. the debt ceiling versus how we balance those two -- two programs. should say create some reforms there so we can create new savings. you know as well as i do that the debt ceiling, they ran these bills up a long time ago. whether they should have or not, where the president should have been more responsible in this conversation, there's a lot of argument, to use the debt ceiling, you and i both know, talked to many in the business community and financial services and mainstream business community outside of new york, if we don't raise the debt ceiling in a potential -- real potential, reality, for. >> okay, okay. but, you know can't do it with the debt ceiling, fiscal cliff, you can't do it when you are shutting down the government. all i'm talking about is the president of the unite

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ratner? >> the time had come. it was just kind of an acronym. they were doing everything else. >> meacham? >> my sense is, when you talked to people in the military, it was recognizing a fact on the ground. women were more and more in these roles, but weren't being given the proper recognition. >> in talking to members of congress, they all said, in our constituents and home states, we know so many women who have been put in such positions of treachery, peril, injury and death, and this is a way to get the credit for being in combat to advance. >> exactly. and willie geist? >> more than a hundred women have been killed in iraq and afghanistan, hundreds more have been wounded. they're already up in those positions, if they want to be there and qualify to be there -- >> they want to be there. >> and donny? >> no brain, obviously. >> what's that? >> no brain. >> they've earned it. we continue to move in the direction of less and less difference between the genders in terms of professionalism. this is no difference. >> in almost every organization y

joinings conversation, "morning joe" economic analyst steve ratner. >> always a financier. >> and margaret karlton is back with us. let's start with the top story. president obama begins his second term and no longer in a free fall. the employment rate was back to where it was when he took off at 7.8% and the dow jones up 5,000 points compared to 2009. also up, way up, the national debt. ballooning for $10 trillion in his first inauguration to $16 trillion now. yesterday on "meet the press," former senior adviser david axelrod said growing the economy will continue to be a priority for this administration. >> a larger priority is how do you create an economy in which the american dream and it's fresh approximate people feel like they can get ahead. that's about education and researching development and controlling our energy. all of these are part of the equation. >> president obama has outlined debt reduction as a top priority and high on the list is immigration reform and developing renewable energy and perhaps the most urgent for the president is gun control. why don't we stop there. >>

joinings conversation "morning joe" economic analyst steve ratner. >> always a financier. >> and margaret karlton is back with us. let's start with the top story. president obama begins his second term and no longer in a free fall. the employment rate was back to where it was when he took off at 7.8% and the dow jones up 5,000 points compared to 2009. also up way up the national debt. ballooning for $10 trillion in his first inauguration to $16 trillion now. yesterday on "meet the press," former senior adviser david axelrod said growing the economy will continue to be a priority for this administration. >> a larger priority is how do you create an economy in which the american dream and it's fresh approximate people feel like they can get ahead. that's about education and researching development and controlling our energy. all of these are part of the equation. >> president obama has outlined debt reduction as a top priority and high on the list is immigration reform and developing renewable energy and perhaps the most urgent for the president is gun control. why don't we stop there. >> m