0 correspondent mike allen. thanks to both of you. chris cillizza, the nra going out really strong against the momentum, the momentum around the country, if not in congress for new gun laws. >> yeah, it's fascinating, andrea, i think you've put your finger on it. even as we sort of see this, at least concerns being raised by gun rights, gun control advocates, about this senate bill out there, it's likelihood of passage. you see connecticut, you see colorado, you see other states moving toward at the state level, moving toward more strict gun control policy. it's fast naturing, when we analyze the effect that newtown has had, have a tendency to look at the national level. which is important. but we should look also at the state level, at least in several cases, connecticut and colorado being the two most obvious, you are seeing some tightening of gun laws. >> of course mike allen, connecticut and colorado both having been so damaged by point out and to colorado tomorrow. so he is becoming more active, there's been some criticism in some circles that he hasn't been active enough. the other big issue that we're talking about is gay marriage. mark kirk now becomes the second republican senator to come out in support of gay marriage, today, chris cillizza. >> yeah, look if you ask me for five republicans who would be the most likely to do this, andrea, mark kirk would be on that list. he's in sort of the centrist coalition, in the senate. we have seen someone like lisa merkowski as well from alaska saying her position on that is evolving, but she's not come out to say that she supports gay marriage. my guess is you'll see one or two more republicans come out in support of same-sex marriage before you see all of the rest of the seven democrats. if you take tom carper from delaware who came out and said he supports gay marriage. there are seven democrats left. joe mansion, west virginia, mary landrieu, louisiana, potentially mark pryor, i think may be the last hold-out in arkansas. who may not sort of join the momentum among democratic senators, in get on the issue. i think the story may shift to what republican senators are now and republican house members are coming out and saying yes, i now support gay marriage. >> and senator kirk's statement, when i climb the capitol steps in january, i promised that i would return to the senate with an open mind and greater respect for others of same-sex. and he goes on to say, same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. our time on this earth is limited, i know that. so what is the impact of that, mike allen? >> yeah, andrea. in that statement of course we have senator kirk, referring to his amazing recovery from a stroke last year. he was away from the capitol. the first week in january, we saw it on this program. we saw the amazing shot of him walking up those steps. and andrea, i think what we saw in the statement today was an indication of how republicans are going to be moving. now you're not going to see as chris cillizza suggested, a lot of republican senators coming out and saying i'm nor gay marriage. but andrea, i know you're hearing the same thing around town. that republicans at all levels say that this issue is moving much faster than they expected. even a few months ago, republicans told me they thought going into the 2016 cycle. we think it should be a state issue. try to punt that way, saying it is up to the states. senator marco rubio of florida is headed that way. but as republicans read the polls and look at the amazing age split on this issue. realize that even if opinion doesn't change any more, that just in a matter of time, this will be a 70-30 issue in the country. you you say republicans are going to need to find something new. i think the new middle ground is going to be for republicans to say we're going to put aside gay marriage as a legality for churches, we're against it. but we're not going to take a position for the state. so that they're not going to impose it federally. but say it's a religious issue, that's going to be the new ground. >> mike allen, thank you so much, thanks, chris cillizza. a bipartisan group of former lawmakers and political leaders is working on its own recommendations for immigration reform. trying to push the debate forward on capitol hill. joining me two co-chairs of this bipartisan policy centers, former pennsylvania governor and nbc news political analyst, ed rendell and former republican governor, mississippi governor hailey barbour. haley, what do you say about gay marriage, what john lewis has described as the civil rights issue of our generation. >> well my state -- my state had were you in the white house, too. it took the full two years of the congress. it is enormously complicated and complex. and it is great do see people getting closer and closer together, agreeing on principles, working on this and that. but we shouldn't forget that this is an enormously complex piece of legislation that has many facets. ed talked about just some of the things that very little has even been said about. so i wish it would be done next week, but it's better than it be done right than it be done in a hurry. >> ed rendell, let me ask you about someone you worked vr closely with. hillary clinton is reemerging a bit more this week. she's got two big speeches, tonight, vital voices the organization she found and friday, women in the world and she's going to be out on the lecture circuit, she's writing a book. what does this tell you, if anything, about where her head is now? a month or two out of public office? >> nothing specific, andrea. i think it tells you that hillary clinton is going to have an active life regardless of whether she chooses to go back into elective office. hillary clinton is going to push for the issues she believes in, either as hillary clinton private citizen, former senator, former secretary of state, former first lady. or as a candidate for president. but you'll hear from hillary clinton either way. i truly believe that hillary clinton hasn't made up her mind. we hillary clintonites may have made up our minds about what she should do, but i don't think she's made up hers, yet. >> what do you do if it becomes hillary versus joe biden. he'll be on the stage with her tonight at the kennedy center. >> i think most of us care very deeply about both of them. but as i said, i don't think he can stand in the way of history. i think the time has come for a woman president. the only one on the horizon right now who could fill that role is hillary clinton. and i think joe is going to hear that from a number of people, his supporters and hillary's supporters as well. and he's going to have to make that decision, it's tough to stand in the way of history. we found that out in 2008. >> and haley barbour, one who knows politics very well, is hillary clinton the kind of candidate who would clear the field, should she run? >> well i would have thought that in 2008. and in fact i'm one who said she'll win the 2008 democratic nomination going away. that's not what happened. a different historical strain prevailed i wouldn't bet against ms. clinton. one thing i've learned is it's way too early to be talking about presidential politics in the democratic party or the republican party. we got a lot to do and right now guys like ed and i are trying to work on real legislation that ought to have bipartisan support. that will be good for the country's economy, for economic growth at a time when we need more economic growth and job creation and so i'm glad most democrats are not thinking about 2016. they're thinking about what we ought to be doing today on issues like immigration reform. >> haley makes a great point. immigration reform has always been looked at as sort of a civil rights issue or personal issue, it's wls a huge economic issue for this country, the h 1 b visa question, the guest worker question for migrant workers and people who work in restaurants and hotels. it's a huge economic driver as well. that's why optimism is high, it appears that the afl-cio and the chamber of commerce have reached a broad agreement about the guest worker provision. >> ed rendell, haley barbour great it see both of you. coming up, north korea saying it will restart a nuclear reactor. how real is that threat? and still ahead -- clinton is back, her former chief of staff on what's next for the former secretary of state, plus voices tonight. 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