i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. it's deja vu all over again. congressional republicans promising to block nel increase in the debt ceiling unless it is offset by spending cuts. the leadership of both parties is meeting at the white house for the first time since february at a d.c. sandwich shop today, the president previewed the hoagie summit. >> my message to congress and i'm going to have a chance to see the congressional leadership when i get back to the white house, i'm going to offer them hogies while they're there is let's go ahead and act to the help build and sustain momentum for our economy. there will be more than enough time for us to campaign and politic but make sure we don't lose steam at a time when a lot of folks like these are feeling optimistic. >> what about speaker boehner this morning about the debt? >> thank you, everybody. thank you, guys. >> not worried about another showdown. >> thank you very much. >> nbc news chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd and the host of the daily rundown" is here. they're finally meeting at the white house over hoagies. john boehner talked about a showdown over the debt ceiling. i don't think thapg turkey and provolone will solve this. >> it's a head scratcher. the president wants saying hey, guys, i want you to pass these things. i had a bunch of these things to pass. >> it doesn't work that way. >> of course, they haven't met for 2 1/2 months which why isn't this happening more. on the same be token, he's allows boehner and mcconnell to say fine, let's meet and talk about the bigger issues. you wonder, the obvious refrain you hear boehner saying where is your plan. there's a lot of democrats saying to the president quietly, just put simpson-bowles on the table and go for crying out loud. >> that's what the business community is calling for. >> that's what he whispers to people complaining about this saying no, wait till after november. you're like just go now with simpson-bowles. enforce their hand a little bit. this is a game of leverage. we know what's going on. bane ker looked up and realized who's got the leverage? democrats might have the leverage on the bush tax cuts expiration of those. he's looking for leverage and wants to bring the debt ceiling issue back. >> there is a theory a lot of businesses are not investing because they're looking at this nightmare of a lame duck session and the possibility of a congressional showdown all with what's happening. >> manmade economic disaster again. washington did it once. >> so they're not hiring, not investing. banks aren't loaning. credit isn't moving because they're looking forward and seeing that washington is gridlocked again. >> right. and what boehner did yesterday is feeding a conspiracy theory among democrats. barbara boxer almost went there on my show this morning when he she said it seems they're trying to create a crisis to make the economy stall in order to hurt the president and win. she said hurt democrats and win election. that's all this is doing. you sit there and wonder where are we headed. you wonder at one point, is someone going to say enough already. but -- >> in order to catch up on all of this -- >> seg gaue time. >> you've got the nbc politics app. >> it's a free app. download it now. great stuff you can do. it's all of our stuff. okay? this is from every -- this is all of the news latest news. you can go by show. sometimes. >> sometimes if i'm on my way to the white house and haven't seen every second of mitchell reports, now i can do this. >> as unlikely as that is. >> i can go and you can create a mitchell reports news feed. there's also a daily rundown feed. with nightly press, put it all together. my favorite part is the map. you can do all sorts of stuff. you're not sure about a scenario where someone is, you can do your own battleground pap. >> joe biden is in ohio today. >> gee, i wonder why, because it's one of our yellow states. there it is, it's one of -- is there a path for mitt romney that doesn't go through ohio? >> he has one. i can tell you what they're counting on, on sweeping the south at that point. when you sweep the south, that gets him to 254. he needs one of the industrial states especially if let's say nevada does come through for him. they do believe the foreclosure issue. that could come up in nevada. there's a lot of republican pescy mix about colorado and democratic optimism. give that to the president. if you see here it, romney is still ten electoral votes short. they need wisconsin in play. michigan, too. they need one of those. they're ten short. one of those four industrial states, wisconsin, michigan, ohio, pennsylvania. there is no path for romney to the white house even if he sweeps the southern states. >> even if he gets north carolina. >> and florida. if he does not win one of those in the industrial midwest. >> pennsylvania is like losing the football. >> wisconsin is fascinating. talk about a time-out. we talk about gridlock here, this is a gridlock on steroids if you will when it comes to wisconsin. no one has decided to call time out there either. the last undecided voter, they say they're basically people who can't stand the governor and who can't stand the fact that labor is trying to roll back some of these things. >> you and i could talk about politics all day. thank goodness we've got the app. >> by the way, quickly. >> the afternoon tip sheet is the also a cool thing where at 3:30, there's always something new to let you know the, everything you need to know in five seconds. >> whatever news made on andrea mitchell reports. >> driven by this hour as we all know. >> thank you. >> we were the number one news app yesterday. let's keep it up, folks snees keep it up. thank you, chuck. >> bye. >> and it's free. have we mentioned that? it's free. has the gsa learned from its mistakes? after its spending bender in las vegas led to the firings and resignations? the agency that controls government spending says it is cutting corners at this year areas training conference if san antonio. there will still be a visit to the alamo but did exclude extras including an ice cream social. joining me is joe lieberman, chairman of the homeland security and government fairs committee. is it because of you they're giving up ice cream? unfair. are you persuaded they still needed to go to san antonio and spend all this money they are spending even in a budget connentious way we are told? >> that's exactly what we're told, too. well, i suppose they need to go somewhere so their vendors can come and have a productive you interaction. we're watching it carefully. this is going to be a very low budget operation. i can't claim credit for being the grinch that stole their ice cream. but i hope that in some small way, i encouraged them not to do anything but the business that the conference was supposed to do because what happened in the other gsa region in las vegas was just outrageous, particularly in this terrible economy. so my committee is working on it. senator collins and i have sent a series of tough questions to the inspector general for the gsa, to all the region heads. we want to make sure that what happened in las vegas conference is not happening anywhere else, hasn't happened anywhere else and that the autonomy, budget autonomy that these regions had is being much more closely watched and controlled from washington. so that we can make sure that what happened in las vegas not only doesn't stay in las vegas but never happens again. >> and what about the secret service scandal and the follow-ups on that investigation? what have we learned? what are you learning in your committee? >> well, we enta series of interrogatories to director mark sullivan of the secret service agency. i'll say this, he responded to two days ago on time, which is rare for an executive agency to respond to a congressional inquiry on time. we're going over those answers. and director sullivan will make his first appearance before congress on then matter cartagena, colombia, next tuesday with the inspector general of the department of homeland security. so one, we want to get a review of his investigation of what happened in colombia, which i believe so far has been thorough. and and fair. secondly, we're looking to see whether there was a pattern of misconduct before the colombian scandal that will should have the sent a warning message to the agency to take action to prevent what happened in colombia, and third, we want to know what they're going to do from here on in. so it's -- it's a great agency. the secret service agency performs heroic extraordinarily excellent work. but those agents in cartagena by their behavior really put a cloud over this great agency. i think together we want to work to remove that cloud and have them do what they do which is to protect the president and other high officials of our government. >> and transportation subcommittee of your committee held a hearing today with the tsa administrator on security breaches, and he testified that only 42% of the breaches are reported. and that many of them involve employees. what needs to be done on that at airports? we're talking in particular the incident at newark. >> yeah, well, obviously, the tsa and the airports have to work to reduce the kind of employee breaches of security. these are ultimately not conscious sequenceal, but they shouldn't be happening. i know it's easy to knock tsa, but i think director pistol and the thousands of people who work for him and us around the country at the airports really have had an effect in deterring terrorist attacks against the united states since 9/11. are they doing everything we ask them to do perfectly? no. but they're constantly improving. and you'll see more of those improvements being announced in the months ahead. bottom line, i'm convinced that if that bomber from the terrorist from yemen was not an undercover agent but a real terrorist and tried to get on to a plane here in the united states, for instance, with that explosive device on him, he would have been stopped. he never would have made it. that's because we have multilayered defenses. some of which you see, some of which you don't see at airports in our country. thanks to tsa. >> that's what we want to hear. it's got to be some reason why we have senator dianne feinstein and now we learn secretary former secretary henry kissinger both being patted down. got to be some benefit from all of that. thank you very much. >> there is. thank you. have a good day. >> you, too. thanks, senator. and next, my conversation with one of president obama's closest spiritual advisers. what did the president tell him about the decision to endorse gay marriage? this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. here to h my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. 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[ announcer ] all work and no play... will make brady miss his favorite part of the day. ♪ [ upbeat ] [ barking ] [ whines ] that's why there's beneful playful life, made with energy-packed wholesome grains... and real beef and egg. to help you put more play in your day. beneful. play. it's good for you. from time to time, friends of mine some of whom are here today, friends like joel hunter or t.d. jaks will come by the oval office or they'll call on the phone and or they'll send me an e-mail and we'll pray together. and they'll pray for me and my family and for our country. >> president obama spoke from the heart talking openly about his faith at the national prayer breakfast in february and the help he gets every reverend joel hunter. the president has diverged from their path with his recent commitment to same-sex marriage. he called dr. hunter to explain his thinking and try to avoid a public rift over the issue. reverend hunter joins me now. thank you very much. thanks for being with us. tell me about that conversation with the president because it must have been very challenging, very difficult for him. >> well, i think it was. we starred off the conversation just with some personal, i was with my wife becky. he wanted to say hi to becky because he knows her. i asked about his wife and children as i always do. then we kind of got into it, and he just got right into it. and said basically this i just now did an interview, this is what i said. i wanted you to know about it. i know this is going to be difficult for you, want to make sure our relationship is okay and so we just kind of went on from there. >> had you advised him against doing this or had you counseled him about this subject in the past? >> we had not talked about this specific subject. i'm a pastor in his life. i don't really talk to him about politics or policy. i just talk about his personal life and his understanding of scripture. but he knew where i was on this. and that's why he was calling, and i told him in the call, i can't find this in scripture. i don't see this. and, of course, his basis for decision wasn't just scripture. it was anecdotaanecdotal. he talked about the friends he has and, of course, the servicemen and he has a real heart in his role as president. everybody has a quality. so for him that translated into marriage. for those of us who believe god defines what marriage is, that doesn't translate. >> the president had said that he was evolving on the subject. and there was sort of indications people thought they knew where he was coming. but do you think from talking to him that it was simply his personal experience that took him to this place or do you think it was a political decision? >> well, i was, i told him the way it came out and he has said that he was kind of prompted into this decision by the biden announcement and so when you're in that office, it's always political. but that doesn't mean it's devoid from a sense of personal responsibility and personal morality the way you take it. and so i think he's a very serious man. he wants to do the right thing. but for him, that doesn't come straight just from scripture. for those of house are biblically obedient christians, it does and for those who internet skcripture there are other considerations that he made. >> it must be a huge responsibility to be counseling someone who is the president of the united states who has the awesome responsibility at times to order men and women into combat, all of the other obligations and burdens that he bears. but how do you counsel him on something like? since you believe it violates scripture and god's word and he believes that faith takes him to a very different place. >> well, you know the life of a pastor is fairly simple. you just tell whoever is willing to listen what you believe the bible says, and then you believe the rest to god. and the president's a man. you know? and i love him. he's a friend. but with the rest of my congregation i if he ever know how much of my counsel they're going to take or not take. my job is just to do the best i can to share with people what i believe god is saying and then leave the rest to him and love them and just stay in their lives. >> you have 15,000 congregants. have you built an amazing church in orlando. are you going to preach against gay marriage and preach against what the president has done? >> i don't preach political matters. i preach scriptural standards. and so, when i preach about marriage, i will say that it's between a man and a woman. and give script turl references for that. i simply stay away from politics when it comes to preaching because the word of god is too important on its own to communicate. i can't really get detoured from that. >> dr. hunter, thank you very much. thanks for this conversation. i've learned from you, and i appreciate it. >> thank you. the vice president biden keeping up the pressure on mitt romney. the politico briefing up next. and case closed. john edwards' defense team resting without calling a single blockbuster witness. we'll be live at the courthouse. ♪ [ henry ] well there's nothing like being on the top of the podium i think about it almost just about every day and what it means to me what it means to my country my family my parents came to america over thirty years ago from mexico to live the american dream. i'm proud to represent the usa because it's just to me it's the best country in the world. this is what the red white and blue means to me, what does it mean to you? ♪ good to have you here. >> i've invited him back every other day from now until november. >> i'll be here most of those days. >> vice president biden, i think he's going to getting a new address in ohio switching from lightning rod on same-sex marriage to a more familiar role, hitting swing states to the attack romney's record. correspondent joe williams joins me now. biden was in full throat, full voice. and listen to this. i don't know if this was a fraudian slip or not, but with joe biden, you don't know. >> i resent the fact that they think we're talking about we're envoy. it's job envy, it's wealth envy that we don't dream. my mother believed and my father believed that if i wanted to be president of the united states, i could be, i could be vice president. >> i'm told actually that he does want to be president. he does want to run in 2016 and this hillary clinton joe biden match-up is already shaping up. but anyway, joe biden, the importance of ohio, he's going to be there. the president's going to be there. they already are there. and you know, this is really where it's at. this is defining the campaign. >> that's right. and basically, joe biden is fulfilling the role that he was brought on board for the obama campaign to do. when he goes to places like ohio, a factory, working class people, he can legitimate little say something that even president obama can't say and certainly mitt romney can't say which is they don't get us. they don't understand us. i understand you. so his very real value to the campaign is in reachingous to disaffected voters who won't necessarily hear obama sound like them and resonate with them and joe biden can do that. >> he can do that and he can particularly in ohio and in pennsylvania because he was always considered the third senator from pennsylvania from neighboring delaware. he's from scranton and so he's a key factor in that electoral map strategy. >> that's right. it's authenticity that he brings. and authenticity is what's going to be most required to win those swing states that you and chuck were talking about that were so crucial to president obama's re-election hopes and so necessary to mitt romney's hopes of getting the white house. so that's his secret weapon. depending on who mitt romney picks as a vice president, lease nobody on the ticket that's going to be that equal. i think it can pay real dividends down the road if he's deployed correctly and if he stays on message. >> especially if rob portman from ohio ends up being on the ticket. thanks so much, joe. with our political briefing today. john edwards' lawyers foregoing firewor fireworks. the latest from the courthouse in north carolina. plus l.a. mayor antonio vil vil on the crisis in his state. this is andrea mitchell reports only on msnbc. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ delicious gourmet gravy. and she agrees. with fancy feast gravy lovers, your cat can enjoy the delicious, satisfying taste of gourmet gravy every day. fancy feast. the best ingredient is love. the jury will not be hearing from the main players in the edwards drama. john edwards, his daughter cate nor rielle hunter none of them taking the stand. the defense team rested their case today. lisa myers has been covering the trial. what went into that decision? >> well, i think there was a calculation that they had poked enough holes in the government's case and that putting on some of these witnesses all came with risk. certainly i think there were many analysts and most of john edwards' friends thought he would take the stands in his own defense. his success as a trial lawyer and politician were based in large parts on his skills of persuasion. in the end the defense may have decided there have been too many lies he could could have been con fronted with during cross-examination and he could have been asked about some of the facts of the case and not had really good answers. clearly they calculated they were better off doing a limited defense and not exposing john edwards to the jury. the other issue is whether the jury would have found him believable and believed that he finally was telling the truth. and you know, that goes to his psyche and i think his lawyers probably know that better than the rest of us. >> and, of course, i can understand not putting rielle hunter who many thought was a could have been a loose can fon on the sand but cate edwards would have been such a something witness. what was the downside to that? perhaps not putting her through it? we were told she was willing to do this, that she is completely protective and defensive of her father. >> i agree. yes, i agree with you, andrea. she was willing to do this. a lot of people think that it may have been john edwards the father overruling john edwards the defendant and deciding he did not want to put her through this, particularly if he was not going to take the stand himself. imagine putting your daughter through that and then saying sorry, not me, i'm not going to testify. that may have been part of the thinking. >> although he of course, has more vulnerability legally than she would just as a character witness, but this drama it's been an amazing story. closing arguments tomorrow. thank you. go ahead, lisa, sorry. >> but it also, it would have been agonizing for her. she would not have been subject to this horrible cross-examination. but imagine the emotional angst and anguish of having to relive those last three or four years of her life publicly in front of a jury. i think that no matter how willing she was to do it, it would have been very tough for her to do. >> indeed. lisa myers, thank you very much. there at the courthouse. we'll be waiting for the arguments, the closing arguments tomorrow. california governor jerry brown has an opening argument. he's going to have to hiketachs, cut health care for the poor and elderly and trim the state's payroll if he's going to fix a nearly $16 billion hole in the budget. antonio villaraigosa is the democratic mayor of los angeles and joins me now. thank you very much. this is a mess. the california fiscal meltdown. you are where the rubber hits the road in the big city and having to deal with it. what can be done, what can the mayor do? what can the governor do to help the mayors? >> it is a mess. i was speaker of the assembly from 1998 to 2000. we have a smaller budget in the state today than we did in those years. with almost double the population of the state of new york. we have a budget about 45% smaller than new york. so when you look at what that means, cuts in public health, cuts in public safety and education, in higher education, it means that the people of l.a. and people all across the state aren't getting the services they need at a time when they really need those services. >> at the same time, you've got a national election to worry about. you're the head of the convention. the democratic national convention and a big advocate for putting into the platform gay marriage. has the president now guaranteed that that is going to be the case with what happened last week even though his hand was clearly forced by joe biden? >> i don't believe his happened was forced. i believe that the president was going to be making a statement on this issue. i haven't spoken with him on it, but i can tell you that i knew that there was going to be a statement made soon. i believe that it's consistent with his values and mine. the values that say,000 shall not discriminate. i'm here because there was a civil rights act and a voting rights act and he is, as well. and this was the last frontier. the last frontier of civil rights that we needed to finally say, we were going to vindicate as a nation. >> mr. mayor, it may not have been the -- it's clearly was going to happen, but the timing was forced by joe biden. there were a lot of leaks from the white house staff about joe biden. does this help the campaign to have staff members and the president's payroll really trashing the vice president behind his back to the press. >> i don't know that to be the case. i'm not going to trash our vice president. i think he's a great partner to the president, and he also believes that marriage equality is about who we are. as a nation. that's why the president and the vice president supported eliminating don't ask, don't tell. that's why they don't want to provide the legal defense to doma. that's why there has been a consistent record on protecting civil rights for gays and lesbians across the board. whether it will hurt us in the election, the answer is in some places it will, no question. but i think in the end when you stand up for the currently of your convictions, you're authentic. it speaks to character. when you look on the other side, mr. romney has said that he not only will enshrine in the constitution an anti-marriage act but he'll also, he says, not support civil unions. so you see that there's a difference between the candidates on these issues and i think it's a difference that the american people will have to decide which one is more consistent with our values and who we are as a nation. >> mr. mayor, thank you very much. thanks for joining us today. meanwhile today, voters in five key battleground states are being started with i a new obama ad airing only today slamming romney for his ties to bain capital and his role in shutting down a kansas city steel plant. he's laying the groundwork for a much larger ad buy from the president's super pac supporters pushing the same theme in the same key states. >> mitt romney was deeply involved in the influence that he exercised over these companies. >> they made as much money as they could and they closed down and filed for bankruptcy without concern for the families in the communities. >> it was like a vampire. they came in and sucked the life out of us. >> it was like watching an old friend bleed to death. >> win webber is an adviser for the romney campaign. well, a vampire bleeding to death? you know -- >> this is the campaign that's restoring civility and unity to the american politics. that's about as divisive an ad as i can imagine. bain capital is not the only company in the world that engaged in private equity investments. including sports authority, home depot have been launched by private equity and the obama campaign is not making that distinction. they're damning private enterprise on capital investment. >> do you think it works politically? >> i think it works to polarize the country further which i think is the strategy of the obama campaign and it divides the country very evenly. i don't think in the end it will win the election. i think governor romney is going to be elected. it's the best strategy they've got since they cannot run on a theme of having restored strength to the american economy. >> joe biden in ohio today, i wanted to play more of ohio rallying the troops, the faithful in ohio which we both would agree is a critical not the critical state. >> ground zero. >> i resent when they talk about families like mine that i grew up in. i resent the fact that they think we're talking about we're en envy. it's job envy, it's wealth envy. that we don't dream. my mother and father believed that if my brother or sister wanted to be a millionaire, they could be a millionaire. my mother and father dreamed as much as any rich guy dreams. they don't get us. they don't get who we are. >> does he get who the voters are? is he connecting? >> i think first of all, most of us have met or worked with the vice president know he's an extremely likable guy. i think that his resume translates well for blue collar audiences. that's who he's talking to there. in that respect, he's kind of like the best lawyer with the worst case because he's got to convince people whose incomes have been stagnant under this administration and whose children have to pay the $5 trillion in debt added under this administration that this is a good economic policy. good guy, bad message. >> what about the gay marriage issue? and the way mitt romney is against civil unions, he's against gay marriage. are you comfortable? you're not socially conservative i don't think. >> i'm pretty socially conservative. >> are you comfortable with his position on this? i'm not talking about the politics of it. >> his position reflexes the position he has always taken and that the republican party is going to take in its platform. we'll have a clear distinction going forward between president obama who supports gay marriage and the republican party that believes the marriage is between a man and a woman. >> is this going to be a big issue or does it all boil down to the economy? >> i think it will be an issue for a slice of voters, not a huge slice. the economy is the driving issue in this election unless something happens on the foreign policy front. >> of course, while we've been speaking herman cain has endo e endorsed mitt romney. you were waiting for that. you were so eager. we've got live pictures. you've got michele bachmann there. but the herman cain endorsement and steve king i guess. it looks like it's finally all coming together for mitt romney. >> i don't know why her man delayed so long but we're glad to have him. we're going to have a good string of surrogates. i talked to newt gingrich last week who is very committed going forward. however nasty the primary campaign may have been, people in the republican party are ready to help mitt romney and defeat president obama. >> this afternoon president obama is going to an award the nation's highest military honor to army specialist leslie sabo 42 years after he saved his platoon members from a north vietnamese. the q paperwork was lost. he was a newly wed when he died. president obama will be presenting that award to his widow and his brother this afternoon. >> i'm full of pride, i'm very proud of him. and i wish it would bring him back but i know that won't happen. so this is my way of him coming back to me. sven's home security gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! how does this thing work? 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[ male announcer ] every day we help students earn their bachelor's or master's degree for tomorrow's careers. this is your moment. let nothing stand in your way. devry university, proud to support the education of our u.s. olympic team. but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. hi everyone. coming up on "news nation," we are following developing news. president obama tells congressional leaders at the white house he won't allow a repeat of last summer's debt crisis. those new comments after house speaker john boehner promised a fight over the debt limit. i'll talk with james clyburn live. plus, former president bill clinton taking on governor romney after romney used clinton's name in an attack on president obama. >> he said they ought to give him a promotion. he told the truth. >> we'll have more on what clinton had to say and the defense rests in the edwards trial without edwards, his daughter cate or his mistress rielle hunter taking the stand froo. >> from the controversy over contraception to the cover of "time" magazine, women are at the center of the political controversy today. the archbishop of washington, d.c. to prevent georgetown university from having hhs secretary kathleen sebelius as the school's commencement speaker because of her role in implementing the president's health komplg for contraception. joining me is gail lemon. first of all, this whole controversy over a au commencement speaker. the president of georgetown is standing birm. he also issued a very strong support of sandra fluke when that controversy emerged that kathleen sebelius should be the commencement speaker. again, engaging on this whole question of contraception and what will women should have access to. >> right, and this whole question about the war on women and women at the center of the campaign is not going away. you know, it depends on which way you frame it. some people are framing it as reproductive freedom and some as religious freedom. the white house wants women's votes. the obama campaign is focused on women. we saw the barnard speech monday, "the view" on monday, the life of julia be the week before. i think this whole discussion cuts both ways because in some ways are you going to a yinnate people who would be your natural allies but women stay at the center of the discussion. >> women stay at the center of the discussion here at home, this whole contraceptive debate, 30 or more states now rolling back contraceptive rights. at the same time, you have focused so intensely, you lived in afghanistan and worked and written about the women of afghanistan and are preparing to go to the nato summit meeting. we're clearly going to see an accelerated withdrawal timetable for combat forces from afghanistan. what are we going to leave behind in terms of the women and their rights and opportunities? >> you know, i think it is such an open question right now. women have really been talking about this among themselves. and women leaders have been speaking up. but they still get shutout of so many conversations. so it's going to be up to the international community i think to help amplify their voices. i did a piece recently for foreign affairs about how we've all been talking about the importance of human rights. whether we back that up with financial support for people fighting for them and education support, i think remains very much an open question. >> and i wanted to ask you about the piece you wrote i guess linked of pegged to mother's day about single moms and your own mom which was so affecting. i didn't know the history of your mother and all of her struggles. and your close connection. >> i mean, i think what moved me to write the piece which was called "in praise of single mothers" was so many people have talked about single moms this campaign season but season but people write about single parenting, single moms with the familiarity they use as mars. they have absolutely no concept of what women's lives look like, and so many timesvil v implt ll things they don't know and they are teaching hard values and responsibility and sacrifice and that you should embrace things that are hard and not just go for the easy path and that's what i learned from all the single moms i grew up with not a one of them that graduated from college and were all on the economic edge all the time. >> how did your mother give you the tools to do everything you have done, harvard, business, foreign policy. she launched you into the world with so much. >> it is so funny. people ask me where do you get the work ethic. the funny thing is our upbringing looked more like 9 to 5 through the ice storm so we grew up women that were hustling and working two jobs and and sometimes three to make sure they fed their kids and got their homework done and the school registration done and always well fed and at least decently clothed, you know, and all of this stuff was because we saw women who never gave up. so that, when i read about people calling women who are single moms, you know, as part of the destruction of the fabric of society i want to say there is a whole other way to look at family values which is that these are the women that are teaching all the things that really matter in a generation that wants everything easy and quick. >> it is such a pleasure to see you. >> great to see you. >> you're a role model. thank you. what political story will be making headlines in the next 24 hours. that's next on "andrea mitchell reports." ♪ [ male announcer ] hunger getting to you? 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[ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you. jonathan capehart, editorial writer for the "washington post" is here. i am looking at the edwards trial. the judge just dismissed the trial for the day. the jurors are excused and now she is listening to lawyer's arguments over instructions to the jury and there will be closing arguments tomorrow. this is it. it will go to the jury most likely tomorrow. >> most likely tomorrow. once the jury gets it into its hands, the case in its hands, they have to decide whether john edwards is guilty of the six counts, criminal counts against him involving conspiracy, illegal campaign contributions, false statements, and if he is found guilty, he faces up to 30 years in jail and a $1.5 million fine. >> what a dramatic case it is. thank you so much, jonathan. we'll be looking at that tomorrow. thank you today and that does it for us for this addition of "andrea mitchell reports" and my colleague tamron hall has a look at what's next on news station. >> in our next hour we are following developing news. president obama tells congressional leaders he won't allow a repeat of last summer's debt crisis. the new comments come after house speaker john boehner promise the a fight over the debt limit. will we have a repeat of last summer? i will talk with james cli born live and former president bill clinton taking on mitt romney. >> that etch-a-sketch guy, they said he ought to give him a promotion and he told the truth. >> the defense rests in the jeds trial without edwards, his daughter cate or his former mistress taking the stand. we'll have a live report. a foret may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... 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[ male announcer ] the all-new subaru impreza. experience love that lasts. ♪ the news nation is following developing news this hour. the fight to the death happening right now in washington and the power players meeting behind closed doors. in the past few minutes the white house says president obama told congressional leaders he will not allow a repeat of last summer's debt ceiling battle. >> the president reiterated any serious bipartisan approach to tackle the deficit must be a balanced approach and made clear his willingness to work with republicans and democrats to stake out an agreement along those lines. >> president obama wrapping a rare bipartisan meeting with john boehner, mitch mcconnell, nancy pelosi and harry reid. the meeting was originally scheduled so the president could push congressional leaders to break tlul the log jam on his so-called to do list of economic policies, and before going int