0 we will see. we are keeping our options open, haven't made any formal announcements, we will see it will be up to my family and certainly utah. >> who has been the crowd favorite at cpac so far this year? >> i'm sorry? >> the crowd favorite so far at cpac who has been the crowd favorite and/or your favorite? >> you know, i haven't listened to very much of t of course, i always love to hear mitt romney spaep speak. i think's great -- a great guy, a great leader. and so, you know, i will get home and we will hear all the buzz about it over the week. so we will wait and see. >> about a dozen of the speakers at cpac this year are african-american. how does the conservative movement expect to gain more minority support next cycle? >> the problems we face in america are not black, issue, white issues, they are not gender issues they are american issues. we have to get to everyone and tell them that conservative principles are principles that will make everyone's lives better this long run and we have to make sure we keep the promises we need people here today and keep the promises we made to our children. so this is not just about a white/black issue you it's not just about, you know, some of these social issues, it's about really restoring this country so that we have a country to look forward to in the next 2, 300 years. >> why don't you think that message to this point, has resonated with a large chunk of the folks in this country who look like me and you? >> well, you know, i'm not sure if the right type of leaders delivering the right type of messages. again, i want to make sure that we are into the looking to washington to solve all of our problems. we have to get engaged. >> sounds like you're saying it's the messengers and not the message? >> i didn't even hear the last thing you said. it's a little muffled. i'm working really hard to hear what you're saying. >> that's okay. we are going to have to leave it there. mia love. thank you so much for spending time with you. >> nice to see you, by the way, we have got a race that's 198 miles and welcome you to come in and join our team, love to have you come in, i'm going to send you an invitation so you can run with me. >> you send me an invite, i will try to get back out there and run if my back's not boring me. >> i hope you have been working out, buddy. waiting for you to come to utah. >> all of a sudden, we lose our connection there thank you so much. good to see you. >> thank you. the cpac conference wrapping up today, but it certainly is going out on an energized note. this is what former alaska governor sarah pail-to slin had a short time ago to critics who say the gop needs rebranding. take a list un. >> we are not here to put a fresh coat of rhetorical paint on our party. we are not here to abandon our principles in a contest of government giveaways, that's game we will never, ever win. we are here to restore america and the rest is just thee at tricks, the rest is sound and fury. it's just making noise. and that sums up the job president obama does today. now, he is considered a good politician, which is like saying bernie madoff was a good salesman. the difference being the president using our money. >> joining me now, from washington, ed o'keefe of the "washington post" and at cpac, national harbor, maryland, msnbc's dave weigle who, of course, also writes for the slate. dave, i'm going to start with you, i have been enjoying your blog, blogging from cpac, how did sarah palin's speech go over there? >> it went over very well. this is a crowd that always adored her. always identified with what they feel was an unfair and cruel treatment from the media. you saw that when ted cruz, who was seen as the republican party future thought it necessary to come out and take a little bit of the glory from sarah palin's reputation. it was also a little bit contradictory though, because one of the themes from speeches earlier in the day or the week has been republicans need to stop being the stupid party. palin's big moment, everyone agreed and pulled out their phone to capture was drinking from big gulp. people like her for things like that but it's a little bit hard to square with the rest of the message here. >> ed, made your point that palin seemed to be making is that the gop does not need rebranding but on issues like immigration and same-sex marriage, it seems like the republican party is sort of starting to -- sort of starting to taken a inward look at where they stand. how prominent of a player is sarah palin at this point? >> i think if you're a republican worried about the future, you should be more concerned about what mia love is doing and saying, your last guest, than what sarah palin is doing and saying. i was actually kind of struck by what mia love said to you there about the need to find more people, more minorities, basically, to join the party or at least be wooed by it. sarah palin is not the person to do that. she sits there and talks about the fact they don't need to rebrand the party. that completely runs counter to what most national republican leaders and others across the country have been saying is necessary, is they need to go out and find a new way to sell their ideas and not necessarily change their ideas but just make it clear to these different populations that they are a party they should consider. cpac isn't necessarily the way or the place to do that and so i -- i don't necessarily think that this is a helpful exercise for all of them, a great chance for republicans to come, practice some talking points, score some rhetorical slam dunks, beyond that, this isn't necessarily the way to work on expanding the base. >> dave weigle, outside that room in maryland, it really does seem as if sarah palin has become a pretty much a sideshow. >> it does, the party has looked on. after palin spoke, a little after she spoke, there was a gear ing of ten republicans who people like us in d.c. haven't paid a lot attention to, state legislators in connecticut and arizona, heavy emphasis on the non-white members of the party who can speak, you know, convincingly about how republicans appeal to them as young -- as non-white conservatives, as the children of immigrants. newt gingrich earlier today, not somebody you would associate with this, the difference between whether republicans should change their principles or have new ideas. no principles are the same. let's continue quoting ronald reagan at every opportunity, basically, we need to have new ideas and need to have a new sheen on everything. that is the theme. not hearing anything here about what the republican party should abandon beyond, it should be less awkward than mitt romney at politics. >> switch gears quickly, wrote this week about the president's efforts to work with democrats and republicans on the hill this week, you wrote in part "republican senators have been a particular target of obama's so called charm offensive as a handful of members have expressed a new willingness to accept new revenues as part of a broad debt deal. house republicans are deeply opposed." so, how is anything going to get done at this point? >> i think the message from senate republicans especially, a group he is going to need no matter what, was as long as he stays engaged, as long as he keeps coming to visit us, invites us over to the white house for beers or to another dinner, we will keep talking to him. a lot of member he is who got to spend time with the president this week are genuinely impressed the fact he came to talk to them, talked specific, into the weeds on several different issues and said if that keeps up, i'm following play ball with him. i think the challenge there is you have senators and some house republicans willing to do that, but then you have people, where dave is at cpac who don't want to hear that any republican is negotiate become the president. they will face difficult decisions if, indeed, the president continues to play ball with them. >> ed o'keefe from the "washington post" and from cpac, dave while who is undoubtedly a crowd favorite there at national harbor, slate magazine and msnbc contributor. good to see you. don't forget to blog again today. >> i won't. that's all i can do. the president's noon get us off oil, plus north korea's bluster and our anti-missile buildup. former energy secretary and ambassador to the united nations, bill richardson is standing by to talk about it. also, senator rob portman's stunning reversal on same-sex marriage, what they are saying about that at cpac. 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>> i think the chances are good. this is a proposal by some business executives, military leaders. it's in the transportation sector, craig, so it doesn't get into the debate between oil and gas and renewable, solar and wind. so i think it stands a good chance. i think it is clear we need to move toward electric vehicles. this research into biofuels, into this battery technology, is positive. >> yeah. >> i think you're seeing the trend toward electric gas and natural vehicles get strong and stronger. >> secretary of defense chuck hagel saying yesterday we are now bolstering our missile defense against north korea, increasing the number of ground-based intercepters in california and alaska to 44 from 30 by 2017. does such a serious investment indicate a serious danger as well? >> well, i think the secretary of defense is doing the right thing, getting us prepared. i do think the north koreans are increasing their bluster, but what's -- what's a little difficult to understand, craig, is this new north korean leader, the young man, he is untested. it sun predictable. it looks like the hardliners in north korea have gotten his ear and that's little dangerous. that's not good. because the rhetoric is the most heated that i've ever seen. >> ever? >> that's right. i think eventually, we're going to need a dialogue with these guys, but for now the danger is a little conflagration with south korea, you know, a miscalculation on the north koreans' part. but their rhetoric is so bellicose that i wonder whether this young man realizes that what he's doing is really putting north korea in a corner in a very isolated stage. >> why is china even to this point, been able to rein in north korea? >> well, i don't think china wants to help us out on this security issue. they are the ones with the leverage, they provide food, fuel, energy to north korea. the good news is that china did participate in that security security council resolution that squeezes north korea with some serious banking sanctions, travel of the regime, financial resources of the leadership. maybe china is shifting a little bit saying, hey, we got to put some clamps on these guys. >> i want to talk to you really quickly, before i let you go, about immigration, hot topic on the hill these days, many prominent speakers at cpac, which is going on right now you they dodged the topic. marco rubio, kelly ayotte, rand paul, among a few of the big-name speakers to talk about it in depth was donald trump. take a listen. >> the 11 million illegals, even if given the right to vote you know, your going to have to do what's right, but the fact is 11 million people will be voting democratic. you can be out front, you can be the spear head, you can do whatever you want to do but every one of those 11 million people will be voting democratic, just wait it works. >> that the way it works, bill richardson? >> no. i don't know why donald trump gets so much coverage because he makes no sense. the best statistic us in a presidential race are around 65 to 70% does go to the presidential candidate. george bush, western he was elected, got 44% that's wrong. i think hispanics are, for instance you not like an afro-american vote, they vote in a block. and you have to some conservative hispanics, cuban-americans, others. i think the hispanic vote, yeah, is decidedly democratic, but to say that you're gonna get 11 million democratic votes is ludicrous. i think what's happening is the more conservative tea party types, like at cpac, are avoiding the issue 'cause they don't want to move on immigration and this eventually going to hurt the republican party, they took a real beating with the hispanic vote 71% went to president obama and if they want to stay a major party in america and win national races, presidential races, take over the senate, they are going to have to do a massive shift on immigration that is balanced. looks like people at cpac and tea party are not interested in doing that >> former ambassador and governor and secretary bill richardson. thank you, sir, good to see you. >> thank you, craig, all the best. rapper lil wayne had a seizure, he's in the hospital right now, but apparently feeling well enough to tweet. what he said and how he's doing in just a few moments. also, why is senator mitch mcconnell comparing couple of democrats to the golden girl you you are watching msnbc, the place for politics. s 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.