Transcripts For MSNBCW Andrea Mitchell Reports 20160112

To caucus for me over either of the other two. Secretary clinton and her campaign now know that she is in serious trouble. I like donald trump. I respect donald trump. Hes welcome to whatever attacks he wants. Ted cruz has a problem because the problem is, is he a natural born citizen. The president told matt lauer on today he is not talking about the republican frontrunner. Talk to me if he wins. Can you imagine donald trump standing up one day and delivering a state of the Union Address . I can imagine it in a saturday night skit. And the Vice President talked to Savannah Guthrie about what is hardest about deciding not to run for president. Heres whats hard to let go. From the time i was 28 years old, i have held public office. Its hard to figure what replaces that, that sense of purpose, when youre not in this office. Coming up here, we will hear from all sides. Deputy National Security advisor ben rhodes, House Republican congress fer Congress Conference chair and our exclusive interview with House Democratic leader nancy pelosi. Good day. Im Andrea Mitchell on capitol hill. President obama will be trying to reassure americans about the threat of terrorism but already today, another terror attack shaking a key american ally, turkey, a member of nato, in the very heart of istanbul. A bomb blew up 25 yards from the famous blue mosque, apparently targeting german tourists. Turkeys Prime Minister says the Islamic State is behind the attack. At least ten people were killed, 15 others were wounded, most of them foreigners. Officials say the suspected bomber was syrianborn, a man in his 20s. The attack comes at a time of heightened violence between turkey and a kurdish insurgency as well. The country is also dealing with more than two million Syrian Refugees and a wave of migrants from other countries. Nbcs chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel joins me from istanbul. Please bring us up to date on this terror attack. Reporter andrea, no doubt terrorism will be a focus of the state of the union speech tonight, and yet again, terrorism has struck. It appears that most of, if not all of the victims were german. They were part of one german tour group that was in this tourist area right in the center of istanbul. They were next to an egyptian obelisk that is very close to the blue mosque when a suicide bomber approached. A syrian man who has been identified as having recently entered turkey. He detonated a device, killed ten people, wounded 15 others. The tourists who were in this area also class trip, we have been told a group of fifth graders was also in the area. The tourists and the visitors started to scatter. They went into the surrounding hotels and restaurants and shops that cater to the tourists, many of them pulled down their security screens, closed the doors, people barricading in place. The turkish government says that the bomber has been identified as someone from the Islamic State, from isis. A terrible attack. Isis has struck in turkey before, but not targeting tourists in the center of the city in this way. Before they have been more politically motivated attacks against kurdish parties or against youth groups that are aligned against isis. This was a much more random target, if you will, in that it just targeted foreign visitors to this country. Richard engel, chief Foreign Correspondent in istanbul, thank you so much. I want to bring in ben rhodes, the White House Deputy National Security advisor. Ben, thank you very much. I know you have been working around the clock on the state of the union but lets talk about this attack and how the president will frame the threat of terror tonight. Well, first of all, of course our hearts go out to the people affected by this attack. We will provide whatever assistance is requested by the turkish government. They are working very closely with us, both hosting some of our infrastructure that is dedicated to the fight against isil in syria. They are working with us to seal their border so that isil fighters cannot move back and forth across that turkish border. I think what the president will be doing tonight, of course, is stepping back and laying out once again the strategy that we have in place to push back against isil safe havens, to take out isil fighters, weapons and Oil Infrastructure and to put this organization on a path to defeat. The president has said to newspaper columnists and other visitors that isis is not an existential threat to america. That is the reality. But thats not the way americans feel. Americans are now putting terrorism and the threat of terrorism and the fear that they or someone in their families will be the subject of a terror attack at the top of their list above the economy. This after San Bernardino and paris, perhaps not surprising, but how does he frame that in a state of the Union Address that is optimistic and uplifting and looking forward . Well, first of all, its at the top of our National Security priority list. Every morning im in the president ial daily intelligence briefing with president obama getting the latest news on the effort against isil. We recognize that this is the greatest danger that we face as a nation. Terrorist organizations like isil, like al qaeda, that seek to attack the American People and our allies. I think what he will reassure the American People of is that just as we were relentless in going after al qaeda and taking out their leadership and disrupting their plotting, and dismantling that network, we are doing the same thing with isil today. We have seen isil pushed out of safe havens recently. In ramadi they lost a major Population Center in iraq. We have an air campaign in place. We have forces we are supporting on the ground. I think what he will convey is that the American People are up to this challenge and that we will be able to defeat the threat posed by isil and other terrorist organizations. Wanted to ask you about el chapo and sean penn, because nbc news and others are hearing information first of all that american officials, embassy officials, security officials, people from the state department, actually told the mexican authorities to stand down back in october and delay a raid on el chapo because sean penn and the mexican actress were in the area. First of all, did the white house, the state department, tell mexico to delay raiding this most wanted man trying to capture him because of an american actor . Well, look, the white house clearly does not get involved in operational with respect to are you aware of state Department Officials . Im not aware of specific operational matters along those lines. What i would say is we have very robust cooperation with the mexicans when it comes to breaking up these cartels, going after cartel leadership. We share information, we provide support to their intelligence and Law Enforcement capabilities. We have been a partner in the fight to apprehend el chapo for years, and we recently had a significant breakthrough in his recapture again so this is an ongoing cooperative effort with mexico. In any case, of course you want to make sure you are getting the man who is the focus of your efforts and you want to be aware of what the circumstances are in terms of where he is, who hes meeting with, but our role has been one of supporting mexicos efforts and i think playing a Critical Role in helping them apprehend el chapo just as they have been able to take down or apprehend other cartel leaders. Did sean penn help or hurt the effort . Well, look, you know, i think sean penn as he has said himself was there to conduct an interview. He was not there as a part of any u. S. Government effort to apprehend el chapo. The fact of the matter is, though, we do dedicate significant resources to helping them find, identify and apprehend people like el chapo who lets bear in mind is responsible not just for the trafficking of so much illegal narcotics to our country and other countries, but also for some of the horrific violence we have seen in mexico. So this is an individual who belongs behind bars. Its a good thing that thats where he is. Is it acceptable if extradition takes months, even years . When would you expect mexico to turn him over to u. S. Authorities for a trial that could be, in fact, we are told, in brooklyn . Well, we have had an ongoing dialogue with the department of justice. They handle matters related to extradition. We do believe its very important that justice is done and that el chapo is kept behind bars. They are significant crimes hes committed related to the United States, related to our people, so we want to see him tried and put in prison. I think the mexicans have been receptive to discussions with the department of justice. They of course are going to want to have their own process with el chapo, have their own interviews to gain whatever information and intelligence they can from those discussions with him, and those around him, but thats an ongoing process that we will pursue with them related to extradition. Let me ask you about syria and the horrendous starvation. Is there anything more that the u. S. Can do about what is being used as a weapon of war by both sides as we see in these syrian cities . Yes, andrea. First of all, we are the most significant humanitarian donor to try to provide support to the Syrian People who are suffering. What we have been able to do in the past and i think we are going to be able to do in this instance is negotiate access for the United Nations and for nongovernmental organizations to get into syria and to get assistance to those who are so badly in need. Again, there should be a process in place and we have been able to do it in other parts of syria where we work with the government, we work with the opposition to ensure that when you are talking about vulnerable civilians, children who dont have enough to eat, that the United Nations using the donations from countries like the United States, and their nongovernmental partners, can get that access to the people who need it. We have been working to get that done in this case. I think we will, and i think going forward, we want to make sure that this war that has been raging for far too long does not continue to put civilians at risk of this type of famine and vulnerability. John mccain said today on morning joe that he would put several thousand american troops back into iraq and he would put 10,000 forces on the ground, sunni forces, regional forces, and go after isis and take them out. The president tonight is going to have a very different posture. Well, a number of things. First of all, the iraqis are not requesting for the United States to put thousands of troops into iraq. That is not the way that they want to deal with this threat and its frankly not the way that we believe this threat can be dealt with most effectively. What the president will say tonight is that we have to be relentless in going after terrorists and taking out their infrastructure, their fighters, their safe havens, but the best way to do that is not for us to take ownership of these countries as we did in iraq for so many years. Not only is that an incredible amount of resources and blood and treasure from the United States, but frankly, its not the sustainable solution. We need forces to stand up on the ground in these countries, take responsibility for their own security. We can support them with air power, with intelligence, with special forces so they are more effective but we should not take ownership of rebuilding these societies. That is too costly and frankly, has proven in the case of iraq to not be the most effective way. When it comes to Foreign Forces on the ground, we are doing exactly that in syria. We are working to organize and support both kurdish and sunni arab forces that have made progress in pushing back isil. Again, thats why the president authorized the deployment of special forces teams to facilitate their operations and thats why we have taken thousands of air strikes in support of their advances on the ground in syria. Finally, personally, just looking at the picture on the front page of the New York Times today and it is of Course Online as well, you sitting on the couch next to the president , the other side is his speech writer, across is jen psaki, communications director. You have been at his side since the very beginning. What are your emotions going into this . So many personal connections through tragedy and triumph over these years. Well, its eighth state of the union i have worked on with the president. This is the tenth year i have worked for the president. And i think the emotions really are stepping back and taking stock of all that we have been able to do. All the difficult things that we have had to respond to but also, i think the president will speak tonight to the year weve had in having a Nuclear Agreement with iran that is about to be fully implemented in the coming days, having the opening to cuba, accomplishing a trade agreement with 40 of the global economy. These things are things that hes been working on for years and thats why we do these jobs, to get things done. I will say in looking at the photo, my daughter looked a lot better in her elephant costume in the oval office than i do. That gives me a lot greater joy, looking at her, than seeing me on the couch there. But ill take it. Thats one of my favorite pictures, your daughter, your baby, in the elephant costume. I know you said it only in passing but the opening to cuba was your secret negotiations so i just want to say these are historic moments. Thank you for being with us and sharing them. Thank you. You bet. Coming up, the state of the race today on the 2016 trail, new polls sounding the alarm for the Clinton Campaign in New Hampshire. As they dispatch Chelsea Clinton to fend off a surging Bernie Sanders. The latest just ahead. I take pictures of sunrises, but with my back pain i couldnt sleep and get up in time. Then i found aleve pm. Aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. Im back. Aleve pm for a better am. Paul ryan will be viewing tonights address from a new vantage point, behind the speakers rostrum sitting next to the Vice President. Ryan of course ran against joe biden four years ago. This is a year where we are going to go on offense on ideas. This is a year where we are going to give the country a bold progrowth agenda so that they can choose the direction this country will head. That way, next year, when its a republican president coming to address congress, we will have a mandate to do the big things that we need to do to get the country back on track. Washington congresswoman kathy mcmorrisrogers joins me now. Thank you very much for being with us on the other side of the hill. Lets talk about paul ryan and what changes do you see from the john boehner speakership to paul ryan . Is there any wiggle room, any chance to Work Together with this Democratic White House in the closing year of this administration . Well, sure. Paul ryan believes its very important as we head into this year that we are putting forward as he just said, that clear choice for the American People and i can tell you that the members in the house have been reinvigorated by his desire and are ready to go to work, to present those bold and specific proposals, whether its economic growth, the future of health care, and an area where we should be able to find Common Ground is on protecting the country, the security of this country, which is on the forefront of so many peoples minds right now as you see continued terrorist attacks. What is the biggest difference between ryan and boehner in working with him as the new leader . I think for paul ryan, that he has come in at a time when the conference wanted that person that could really just unify us, that welcomed the competition of ideas that needs to take place in the house. In many ways, we are the think tank for these ideas and welcoming all those ideas. Hes come in with broad support from our conference so hes on one part is to unify but also to inspire. As we head into 2016, be presenting, challenging the members. He wants it to be bottom up. He wants the members to have their voices heard in this process because then that means the peoples voices are being heard in their government. This is how Representative Government should work. Speaker ryan has not pulled his punches when it comes to criticizing Donald Trumps temporary ban on muslims entering the country. How does that shake up the conference and what do you think about it . You know, i think that our responsibility is to make sure that we are doing our jobs as representatives of the people, that we are being effective. People across this country look at congress and you know, the polls show that our approval is not good. They see us as being dysfunctional, as fighting too often rather than really focused on them and on the needs that they have, the concerns that they have. So its really a new day, a new start for us. It gives us a chance to present what we believe to be those solutions that are going to give everyone greater opportunity and give them and recognize that we trust people to make the best decisions rather than so often, the Solutions Coming out of this administration by president obama that are top down government knows best solutions. We want to provide that choice to the American People heading into 2016. Congresswoman, donald trump has made a big issue out of ted cruzs canadian birth although of an american citizen mother, and he said that it needs to be clarified legally. Do you think that ted cruz has an issue, that he needs to clarify as to whether or not he could serve if he ends up being the nominee and gets elected president . I will let the legal folks figure that one out. What i know is that i want a president , i want a president that is committed to inspiring this country, unifying this country and presenting a vision in which every person in this country no matter who they are, no matter where they come from, have the opportunity for a better life. And thats what we are on a mission to do this year is to present those solutions that are really driven from the bottom up that are going to result in every person having the opportunity to live the american dream. Congresswoman, thank you very much for being with us. Great to be with you. Coming up next, we have an exclusive interview with House Democratic leader nancy pelosi. The possibility of a flare swas almost always on my mind. Thinking about what to avoid, where to go. And how to deal with my uc. To me, that was normal. Until i talked to my doctor. She told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications havent worked well enough. 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All with a great taste. I dont plan on slowing down any time soon. Stay strong. Stay active with boost®. Wfrom your cold flu. You give them a case of the giggles. Tylenol® cold helps relieve your worst cold flu symptoms. You can give them everything youve got. Tylenol® do you mean you think you made the wrong decision or youre sorry youre not running for president . Explain. I made the right decision. Im positive of that. The right decision for my family in terms of the timing that was available. Is there no scenario in which you could see yourself getting into this race in 2016 . I learned never to say no but i cant imagine one. I cant imagine one. Well, you heard it there. The Vice President did not completely slam the door on a run for president with Savannah Guthrie on today although the calendar and missed filing deadlines certainly argue against that possibility. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joins me now. Leader, welcome. Very good to see you. Good to see you. You can sense the regret. He said he regrets it every day. Is joe biden still an option if something were to happen, something, you know, really bad happen to the frontrunning nominee . Lets go with the candidates we have for now. They have made an intellectual political personal commitment to the race and lets watch the race as it goes forward. Watching the race as it goes forward, a lot of people, democrats, tell me privately they are worried about Hillary Clintons progress or lack of progress, that Bernie Sanders has surprised. He is now ahead in New Hampshire, thats next door, but he is now just a few points behind her in our latest poll within the margin of error in iowa. A very surprising finish in iowa. What happens to her if she loses iowa and New Hampshire . Dont people start revisiting, are we putting our money on the wrong person . After iowa and New Hampshire is nevada and South Carolina and other states. But i think that all of the candidates on the democratic side are going to contribute to the success of our eventual democratic nominee which at the moment appears to be Hillary Clinton and i think the respect that everyone has for each other and the people who support our candidates is going to be essential to our success. The last couple of days its gotten pretty nasty out there, though. They have been taking shots at each other which they hadnt done before. This is what joe biden had to say today to savannah about who was out front really on the issues of banking and banking reform and wall street. What i meant was for the last five years, she has been engaged in foreign policy, for four years here this has been bernies mantra from the time he got involved. Even when income inequality isnt as serious as it is today, it was his drumbeat. So thats what i meant. She is coming up with some very good ideas but bernie is pushing the envelope on this, and for everyone, for everyone involved. Does Bernie Sanders have a better message about wall street reform for the general election than well, bernie has a strong connection with people who are disenchanted with what happened in 2008 and since. The issue of income inequality but i would enlarge it to just say opportunity and fairness in our country, prosperity, where many more people participate in the success of our economy, is one that is the lifeblood of the Democratic Party. Its in our dna. Its what we fight for. Its what president obama has had such tremendous success with, not complete, though, since when he took office, imagine this, seven years ago on the steps of the capitol, almost to the day, he called for swift, bold action now to create good paying jobs and education for the 21st century. A week and a day later, congress responded. At that time, when he stood there, the deficit was 1. 4 trillion. Its almost 1 trillion less. Unemployment was at 10 . Its at 5 . The stock market was at 6,000 something. Its now 10,000 points higher. 70 straight months of job creation, almost more than 15 million jobs created, and 17 million or 18 Million People having access to quality, Affordable Health care in our country. A major accomplishment. But more needs to be done to have and the fight will be over the trickledown economics of the republicans where the middle class economics of those in the middle class and those who aspire to it, and they both, all three of our candidates are making that argument. Donald trump accused by Hillary Clinton of sexism. He then tweeted out watch out, if you go there, im going to go there and then he goes after bill clinton, and bill clintons past, and we saw a noticeable change in clinton world. I was out on the campaign and the pulling back by both hillary and bill clinton, the new caution out there, because obviously, donald trump is a volatile adversary. How fraught is this with risk for the Democratic Party and for Hillary Clintons candidacy . Well, i believe that Hillary Clinton wants to talk about the issues that affect people and their everyday life. But on this issue of sexism and the issue of bill clintons past, is that fair game and it would be if he were running for president , but he isnt. Hillary clinton is running for president. But hes a chief surrogate for her. What do you do now that trump has opened this up . Well, i think that you stick with what is important to the American People, and what is important to the American People is their financial stability, and that is what elections are about. Thats why i say its a race between trickledown economics, tax breaks for special interests and the very wealthy and hopefully it trickles down and creates jobs, or recognizing we are a consumer economy and the success of the middle class and its Consumer Confidence is what is going to grow our economy. Its essential to the growth of our economy, and thats what this election should be about. Not about what bill clinton did two decades ago. Why do you think younger women on the trail dont seem to be connecting with Hillary Clinton as much as older women . Younger women dont seem to have that same sense that she would argue is an historic opportunity to elect a woman president . My understanding is between women between 18 and 35, among the very young, between 18 and say 20 something, she doesnt do as well but she overwhelms among women 26 to 34. She overwhelms. So i think shes doing just fine among younger women but young women are just like young men. They are part of their generation, and their generation is attracted to what Bernie Sanders has to say and thats a good thing. Hopefully he delivers them in the general election for the election of a democratic house, a Democratic Senate and of course, the most important part of all, electing a democratic president of the United States. How important is it to you to have a woman be elected president and that person obviously would be Hillary Clinton . Well, with all respect for all the candidates, im a big fan of Martin Omalley being from maryland myself originally, Bernie Sanders, my former colleague and now great messenger for economic fairness and justice, and of course, Hillary Clinton respecting all three of them, i think if we were to let a woman president of the United States, i can only speak for my own experience when i was elected with and then leader and then speaker, the response i got from all over the country, and from fathers of daughters saying thank you for breaking the marble ceiling, now my daughter has much more opportunity. I think the presidency of course is so far beyond that, it would send a message to the world. What can be accomplished in this final year of the Obama Presidency . Are you finding in your dinner with paul ryan that this is a new relationship and that something can be done . I certainly hope so. When i was speaker, and president bush was in office, we disagreed where we disagreed but that was not a barrier to issues where we agreed like energy and low income tax credits, those kind of things. We had a number of successes working together. I hope and wish the speaker much success and hope that we will have some accomplishments this year. I feel pretty confident that we will. You will have a great seat tonight to watch all the action. Thank you very much for taking time today. My honor to be here. Coming up, state of the union meets stump speech. What will the 2016 candidates be listening for tonight . Heres the president s speech writer on the monumental job of writing tonights address. The moment you stare at a blank page whats going through your mind . An equal mix of hope and fear. Fear that you wont know what to say. Hope in that you can make it into something nice. To folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain. Shoots and burns its way into your day, i hear you. 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If youre a mom, you call at the worst time. Its what you do. If you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. Its what you do. Where are you . Its very loud there. Are you taking a zumba class . The messages Donald Trumps putting out has had adherence a lot of times during the course of our history. Talk to me if he wins. When you stand and deliver that state of the Union Address in no part of your mind or brain can you imagine donald trump standing up one day and delivering a state of the Union Address . Well, i can imagine it in a saturday night skit. Look, anythings possible. Anything is possible. In fact, donald trump getting the nomination is now being taken seriously by a lot of people as he continues to dominate the polls. Joining me now for our daily fix, chris cillizza, msnbc contributor and founder of the Washington Post fix blog. Usa today Washington Bureau chief susan page. Nbcs Hallie Jackson in New Hampshire covering the ted cruz campaign. And Nbcs Kristen Welker live in iowa covering the Clinton Campaign. Kristen, first to you. Now we see as the polls are tightening, Hillary Clinton really ramping up her criticism against Bernie Sanders on the gun issue. This is what he had to say she had to say, rather, about him moments ago. Yes, i did represent new york as one of my opponents constantly reminds people. I find it kind of interesting, he always, whenever i say you know, you voted against the brady bill five times, you voted for what the nra said was the biggest nra priority, giving them immunity, he says well, im from vermont. Pat leahy, the other senator from vermont, voted against immunity for the gun lobby so no, thats not an explanation. Kristen, this has gotten a lot nastier on both sides since we have seen a tightening of the poll, a new monmouth poll shows him with a bigger lead than the former tie, he was a couple points ahead in our poll just yesterday. What are you sensing out there . Reporter well, im sensing that the Clinton Campaign is feeling the heat, and as you point out, you are seeing that play out in secretary clintons increasingly sharp attacks against Bernie Sanders. Not only on the gun issue, as you pointed out, but again today, she slammed him for his health care proposal, essentially arguing that its unrealistic and would ultimately lead to an increase in taxes on the middle class. The Sanders Campaign pushes back against that. But shes making a broader argument which is that she is the strongest candidate to go up against republicans in a general election. She laid out a series of instances in which she could have essentially been taken down and she said im still standing. This is part of her closing argument, the counter to that on the Sanders Campaign you hear vermont senator Bernie Sanders saying look, shes not necessarily the inevitable candidate so thats where the battle lines are being drawn and as you point out, the rhetoric continues to just heat up as we get closer to the votes being cast. And hallie, when we talk about the republican candidates and who is the stronger democrat, our own wall street journal nbc marist poll shows in hypothetical matchups, Bernie Sanders does better than Hillary Clinton against the republicans, including the republicans whom you have been covering. Reporter absolutely. Ted cruz is one of those folks. One of the things that hes been dealing with over this last week or so are an increased attack from donald trump on this issue of his canadian birthplace and his eligibility to run for the white house. Others weighing in even in iowa, the governor saying if we take a look, saying quote, when you run for president of the United States, any question is fair game, so let the people decide. I can tell you that from the cruz campaigns perspective, the people have decided in their view this is not an issue that is resonating with voters or that will resonate with voters, particularly in places like iowa and New Hampshire and in fact, theres a sense that by forcing this issue to the top, donald trump is forcing other candidates to talk about ted cruz and not their own messaging. We should note that with senator cruz today, we are out in New Hampshire, not in washington, obviously, for the state of the union. The senator making the decision to skip the president s speech tonight. I asked a Campaign Aide about this and was told the senator could be disappointed in president obamas policies in the chamber or he could be disappointed out here on the campaign trail in New Hampshire and they made the decision to be in New Hampshire doing this Second Amendment progun rally. And chris cillizza, donald trump and ted cruz are basically neck and neck in iowa now. I think one of the most fascinating things, we talk about hillary and bernie rightfully so. One of the most fascinating things, i think most people thought ted cruz is now passed donald trump in iowa, he will keep going up. Trump remains strong in New Hampshire. Well, donald trump showed this when ben carson challenged him. It wasnt that long ago that ben carson was in first place in iowa. He has a sticking power. He is able, theres a resilience that exists here and i will tell you even if president obama cant imagine this, if donald trump wins iowa and New Hampshire, its going to be hard to stop him. Doesnt mean it can happen but it will be difficult to stop him from being the nominee and if so, who is going to do it . Thats you got to beat you dont beat something with nothing. Whos going to do it . Rubio is the most obvious, maybe cruz, but if they cant beat him in iowa and New Hampshire it complicates the argument. Indeed it does. Susan page, on the democratic side, Bernie Sanders in your usa today poll of millenials, Younger Voters really are thronging to Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. We talked about that with nancy pelosi, about the younger women. We are seeing younger women, young men, they like bernie. You know, our poll found not only does Bernie Sanders lead among millenials, voters under 35, he has a gender gap working in his favor. That is, younger men millenial men support bernie by four percentage points. Millenial women support Bernie Sanders by 19 percentage points. So the argument that has worked for Hillary Clinton with older women, with baby boomer women, that its time to break the last Glass Ceiling does not apparently resonate with younger women who have had very different Life Experiences and who are much more intrigued with the idea of Bernie Sanders as president. Susan page, just very quickly before we go, you have seen so many of these states of the union speech. How does barack obama keep it fresh tonight . I think hes going to keep it shorter. I think hes not going to do the laundry list. Hes going to try to tie it back to the big themes he struck way back in 2008. Susan page, Hallie Jackson, kristen welker, chris cillizza, thank you so much. Coming up, building the legacy. We will hear the president s renewed push for action on guns. Will congress be listening . In new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. 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Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. Decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. Use caution when driving or operating machinery. Most common side effect is nausea. Being a nonsmoker feels great. Ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. I have a massive heart attack oright in my driveway. D the doctor put me on a bayer aspirin regimen. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Go talk to your doctor. Youre not indestructible anymore. At tonights state of the union speech, there will be an empty seat in the first ladys box in remembrance of the victims of gun violence. Senator chris murphy of connecticut is someone who knows a lot about this, dealing with the tragedy of sandy hook in 2012. How do you even assess the lack of progress on combatting gun violence, for everything the president said, everything he will say tonight, still no action. In fact, we are going backwards. My guess tonight is mark barr bard, who lost his son in sandy hook. The fact is, there are 20 families who every night deal with an empty seat at their table in newtown. Its maddening, frustrating that there hasnt been much progress at all except for the fact last week was a really important week for those families and the antigun Violence Movement to finally get an executive action that is going to save lives, that gives life to the movement and i think to hear the president follow up with it, with what i think will be emotional words on this issue tonight. I think its going to sustain this organization and this grassroots effort for a long time to come. And that is some so lslace. Not enough, but some. Isnt it likely this will all await legal action, lawsuits from critics . Wont the president be stymied on his executive action . I dont think so. I think this executive action is on absolutely frm legal ground. This is bread and butter executive function, taking a look and interpreting it to help people who are selling guns and Law Enforcement. I dont worry about how this will play legally. What we do need to make sure is that republicans dont gut the enforcement that is necessary to actually make this executive action by taking away the money. For atf or the prosecutors throughout the country. They are certainly going to try to do that. I dont think they had have any democratic support in the senate. I think this executive action will go forward. Are you disappointing that the president hasnt been able to create better coalition, show more effectiveness . I am not disappointed. In fact, im thrilled with how emotionally invested hes been in this issue. Listen, he can try to lead a horse to water but cant make them drink. Republicans right now are in the pocket of the nra. I think hes right to really challenge america to go to the voting booth and elevate this issue of gun violence when they are casting their votes. The nra built their political power over the course of 20 to 30 years. The president s legacy is going to be building up an antigun Violence Movement that has power and i think hes committed himself to spending his postpresidency on this issue as well. Thats really important, too. Hillary clinton has been making it a big issue again today against Bernie Sanders, yet he is doing surprisingly well in the polls and in fact, leading her, not only leading her in New Hampshire but in a virtual tie in our poll in iowa. This is an important distinction between the two of them, and you know, i dont see any reason why as a party we wouldnt nominate a candidate who isnt 100 on the issue of guns. This is a seminal issue for our party and i want our standard bearer to have been there on this issue since day one. And this is an issue that does distinguish the two of them. Bernies a good friend, but this is an important issue in New Hampshire and iowa and i dont think its a mistake for her to be playing it up. Senator chris murphy, thank you very much. We will all be watching tonight. Well be right back. ray id like to see more of the old lady. Id like to see her go back to her more you know social side. vo pro plan bright mind promotes alertness and mental sharpness in dogs 7 and older. ray it was shocking. Shes much more aware. jan she loves the food. ray she wants to learn things. The difference has been incredible. vo purina pro plan bright mind. Nutrition that performs. Its a wonderful spectacle. I remember the first time i did it, and youre standing behind the door and mr. Speaker, the president of the United States, and you walk down that row and members of both parties are on either side and theyll shake your hand and as you said, you see all of government gathered in one place its the one time of the night where even the Opposing Side stands and cheers you. Its not just the cheers. Its the sense of a celebration of democracy. Theres no doubt that i will always remember the ritual, whether im going to miss writing the speech and leading up to it, i dont know. Well see how this one goes. Of course, that was the exclusive today show broadcast, historic from the white house. You can see more of that, the president , with matt lauer, savannah and joe biden throughout the day here on msnbc and of course, stay tuned to msnbc tonight for the state of the Union Address with all of our great team led by rachel and chris matthews. As well as on nbcnews. Com. Stay with msnbc for full coverage of the state of the Union Address. Right here on msnbc. 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We went through a lot over these last ten years. We went through katrina, we went