52,000 unaccpanied children have crossed the u. S. , Mexican Border with 3 4 of them originating. In honduras, guatemala. And el salvador. Local Detention Center have been overwelmed by the influx. Attempts at housing the immigrants elsewhere in the country have been met with resistance and protest. President obama on his fund raising trip to dallas, texas, declined to visit the somewhat distant texas, Mexican Border. And was criticized by both republicans and democrats for failing to do so. Afterall, he had air force one. But he dismissed the visit nonetheless. Theres nothing that is taking place down there that i am not intimately aware of and briefed on. This isnt theater. This is a problem. Im not interested in photo ops. Im interested in solving a problem. The president said this knowing that texas governor, rick perry, wanted the nations leader to see the complexity of the situation firsthand. What has to be addressed is the security of the border. You know that, i know that. The president of the United States knows that. I dont believe he particularly cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure. The two men met at the Dallas Airport and in a meeting with other elected officials, they discussed the border problem. In a later cbs interview, governor perry likened the president s decision to not visit the border to the katrina moment, when mr. Bush did not visit new orleans after a hurricane devastated that city until many days later. The parallel for me is that when we know a hurricane is coming, we put things into place so we can deal with it. I have told this administration and others have told this administration for years that this is exactly what was going to happen. Question. In its february 2014, six months ago, budget proposal, the department of health and Human Services requested funding for an anticipated 60,000 unaccompanied minors at the texas border. Is that six months evidence that obama, the white house, knew all along about the borders . Namely, that they would be swamped. Pat buchanan. John, it is an argument that fulfills what people have been saying, that barack obama is asleep at the swit. He is not a hands on president. Things are going on that he never knows about until afterwards. Ben ghazi and the rest of it. More than that, his failure of refusal not to call an audible and go down to the border when a democratic congressman who has a border district down there said come on down and is comparing him to katrina, indicates this is a serious problem for the president , but more important, hes not running again. This border issue, john, this issue is going to matastasize, its going to be a border issue, kill reform, and be a major in the politics of 2016. Eleanor. Well, the administration knew for many months that the numbers of unaccompanied minors were flowing across the border. So it was not a surprise and they were trying to put the resources in place to deal with it. He didnt go to the border. If he had gone, you would be accusing him of grand standing, im sure. But i think you can cant argue that you dont like photo ops and then spend three days on the road, essentially doing photo ops, meeting with voters in a diner and shooting pool and all of that. So, i think the optics are terrible. The meeting with governor perry, they found lots of agreement. The president said he is open to the National Guard. He has deployed the National Guard to the border once or twice before. President bush also did. Maybe this is time to think about, you know, putting some troops along the border as a deterrent. But in the meantime, these are children that have been sent by desperate parents to get them away from, for boys, what is the equivalent of assassination squad, the gangs rule these places and for girls, its sex trafficking. And you know, both parties are come basically said these children should get due process and treated as refugees. We dont want to walk away from that. We need to remember what this country stands for. On january 29 of this year, the federal government issued a bid for vendors to handle an influx of 16,000 unaccompanied minors. January the 29th, so there was a lot of notice given to this. Is this evidence that the obama knew the numbers would surge this year . Absolutely theres evidence of that, but lets also remember that the republican controlled house also knew about it. Both sides of the aisle are come complisit. Not going down to the border, his entire message would have ressic resignated. However, what we have to consider is he actualnow said tolt to the congress. He is open to changing the legal structure right now to give his departments the power to kick Illegal Immigrants out more easily. Particularly from honduras and guatamala. What are they doing . They are arguing about whether to fund the initiatives that rick perry is asking for. So both sides are complicite. The president asked congress for 3. 7 billion to deal with the texas crisis. Heres the money breakdown. 1. 8billion for childcare, food, shelter, and medicine by the department of health and Human Services. 1. 1billion for the immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Ice. Within the u. S. Department of homeland security. With that 1. 1 billion, including expenses for undocumented adults traveling with children. Their detention and removal. Another separate dispursement, 433 million for homeland securitys customs and border protection. Also, 64 million for teams of immigration judges. Expansion of courtroom capacity. And, 295 million to reintegrate migrants to Central America. Aka, send them back. For the funding of media campaigns in Central America to discourage migration to the u. S. Warning that such journeys are very dangerous and children will be sent back if they are unaccompanied. 5million. Question, is money the answer to this growing calamity . Mort. Of course, its a part of the answer. Theres no question about it that well have to expand the court system. Well have to expand the officers who are patrolling the borders. Were going to have to expand all kinds of support facilities for a lot of these people who are coming in. Whatever we may do on the border. The problem is, look, its always been the case in the United States. The president is the person who symbolizes policy. And for him to have a drink at a bar, you know, instead of going down to the border, just terrible Public Relations for him. And gives people the sense that he doesnt care. It may be unfair, but youre the president of the United States, you have to show up and he didnt show up. John, but look, this problem has existed since i ran in 1991. Down on the border, terrible problem then in san diego. Its the failure of both parties, congress of both parties, and its a disaster of this country, and quite frankly, one of the problems is, the United States will not call up the government of mexico and tell him look, you are letting these children walk up to our border and walk into our country and you are going to stop doing that or you are going to cancel nafta and call up the Central American president and say if you want another dime in foreign aid, you will deal with it at home and not create this problem for us. Before 9 11, people in guatamala and el salvador would come to this country rather freely and work at very low wages and they would send money back and they would leave their children in these countries. After 9 11, the gates came down and now these children are coming. They want to be reunited with parents they havent seen for a decade. They want to go home. I dont think thats the answer, pat. When people made their lives here, thats what congress is sorting out. If they have broken in, they broken in because our businesses want to employ them. We want them to take care of our children. They deserve something in return. Republican house speaker, john boehner, responds to president obamas request for money to deal with the immigration crisis. Our priorities are clear. Take care of these children, return them safely home to their home countries, to their own families and secure the border. I sent a letter to the p last month laying out some specific actions that he should take to address the crisis, including sending in the National Guard. The National Guard is uniquely qualified to address these types of humanitarian crisis. And utilizing their expertise which will free up Border Agents to focus on their job of securing the border. Now the president said yesterday he consider doing that only if he gets more money with no strings attached. In other words, he wont do it for the kids. Its all about politics. This is a problem of the president s own making. He has been president for 5 1 2 years. When is he going to take responsibility for something . Question, is this a problem of the president s own making . As Speaker Boehner asserts . Guy taylor. I think to some degree, it is. I think thats why john boehner just took off like an airplane, so to speak, and began turning this into hyper politics. At the same time, however, boehner is not offering a real solution. The obama request, the white house request to congress for the money, specifically said, tell me how you want the money spent. So, rather than ranting from the podium, john boehner could be saying we are preparing that right now and its going to include National Guard and well give you the money if you do this. It has to be legislation on the floor and the senate pretty soon. Senate will go to house and well see what john boehner does. He could pay Immigration Reform based on that senate bill. It would pass in a minute. He could no longer be speaker. And i dont think that this matters that much in this country. Reform is dead and mr. Perry, if hes a wise man can ride this issue into e primaries. Its a blazing issue. It has Gone National now. Its been on television. He must have 30 stories about it up on his website. It has gone on for weeks now. And obama is on the defensive. Okay, adding fuel to the fire . Prior to visiting texas, the president was in the state of colorado. Where he shot some pool tuesday night at a bar. Originally founded by colorado governor, john hickenlooper. One offer was made to mr. Obama in which he declined. A man off camera held up a marijuana joint and extended an invitation to the president , quote, do you want to hit this, unquote . Listen closely. Do you want to hit this . Colorado recently legalized recreational marijuana. Question, so why is the president obama so uptight about taking a friendly toke . Wasnt that rude . Pat . I thought he handled that pretty well. But look, the contrast between whats going on in the border and him shooting pool and having a beer. I know its legal, but it looks like he is relaxing and having a wonderful time and you go to this crisis on the border with these kids. Also republican politics. I dont mind if he does that, but he has to show up at these kind of places. Its also republican politics desperately trying to whip this up for november. After this Party Looks Like its rejecting the Fastest Growing voter block in this country. I dont think they are going to get many hispanic votes and rick perry wants to stamp out ted cruz in texas. If he mingles with the people, he gets hit. If he doesnt mingle with the people, what is it . I think the marijuana that he was offered was grown in the United States. And it may have actually been a good move for him to have accepted it. Because it is legal there. I dont think so. He is promoting is saying that instead of the marijuana was grown in the United States or grown in mexico. The issue is, its marijuana. The president of the United States does that, he is caput. If he smoked that marijuana, there would not be a democrat that would want him to campaign for them. Exit question. Exit question. Is the border breakdown helping, hurting, or having no impact on president obamas political standing . Pat buchanan. I think it is really hurting him badly and the white house staff, and my guess, is tearing its hair out that he didnt go down there to the border. I think he should have gone to the border, but with the senate at stake, i dont think we know how this will work. Thats going to hurt them politically. Do you think it will be neutral . No side can claim its going to flip one way or the other. Right now, very little. I think there are latin american groups on the far left that dont like his openness to changing the rules, which he suggested. But more importantly, john, this is affecting rick perry more than it is barack obama. Positively or negatively . Positively. The plane has taken off, right pat . It is head to head with the president of the United States, which is where you want to be as a republican. And who won in that battle . Rick perry. He is winning. The president . Well, look where rick perry started. Rick perry out and president obama. Im talking about the visible exchange we just had on television. Rick perry for you. He is all over himself in the publics fear three years ago, he is now using this to come out. Rick perry look president ial to you . Yes, he is, and he is very capable and he is not to be under estimated. Im not saying im supporting him as a candidate, but he is terrific. A star is born. Dont forget the Mclaughlin Group has its own website and you can watch this program on the web at any time from anywhere in the world at mclaughlin. Com. Could anything be easier or more enriching . I cant think of anything. Issue two, more angst for john kerry. At the start of his tenure as secretary of state, john kerry made reenvying ration of the peace talks between the state of israel and the Palestinian Authority a top priority. Heres what secretary kerry said on july 30, 2013, one year ago. Quote, the parties have agreed here today that all of the final status issues, all of the core issues, and all other issues are all on the table for negotiation. And they are on the table with one simple goal. Of you to ending the conflict ending the claims. Our objective will be to achieve a final Status Agreement over the cost of the next nine months. Unquote. Well, that was then. Heres the situation now. Fighting between the palestinians and the isrealis has heated up. Since the murders of three isreali teenagers followed by the apparent reprisal murder of the palestinian youth, said to have been burned to death. Hamas launched hundreds of rockets at israel from the gaza strip. And israel has retaliated with targeted strikes against hamas militants. Question, are those peace talks now dead . Mort zuckerman. No, they never will be dead. It doesnt mean they will happen or successfully at this stage of the game because all that is going on. But no, i dont believe they are dead. Both parties need it and some point or another will have the proper result. Whats happening now, though, is one of the most serious moments of clash between, particularly because hamas merged and that changed the whole plo. Thats changed the whole role of mahmoud abas. He is dealing with the terrorist movement and that puts a whole different character to it. Even having said that, i think there is going to be a chance for some kind of a progress, not a final solution, it wont happen in the short run. Hamas is very hamas is very weak at this point, okay. They joined up with the palestinians. But they are broke. They had 40,000 employees. They had no money, and the plo is refusing to pay for it. The Palestinian Authority isnt going to pay for it. They are being marginalized. John, the peace talks are dead for now. They are dead indefinitely. Who did not want to give up gaza is not going to give up the west bank. He may go back into gaza. As for hamas, they are not going to negotiate with the isrealis. The one thing they would do is sit there. They wanted a ten year truce and quite frankly, this is a bloody mess and it is very difficult to see how not that you get back to peace talks, but how you get this to a truce and stop the fighting and stop the killing because this could spread not only to the west bank, but into the larger arab world where arabs are forced to respond. They need challenges to deescalate. I dont think either side wants a war and i dont think israel wants it. But neither of them know how to walk away. The emotions, because these are kids who were murdered is really driving this. Give me a view on this. Wheres the offramp right now . Its great to think this could end, but everybody ive talked to in israel who is watching it closely, including representatives from the Isreali Defense forces will admit that theres not what about the gurus at the state department . They have no leverage at this point. What do they think . Martin, he declared the process dead. When . A couple days ago . In the last week, basically. But its important, i think, to look at the facts here that the way the cease fire in 2012 between hamas and israel was reached was through an interlocator, which was Mohommed Morsi of the muslim brotherhood, who is now out of power. The new president of egypt is a tremendous supporter of this in part, because his influence over hamas. He is blocked hamas, okay. He stopped a lot of what they do. He stopped their smuggling. He weakened hamas dramatically. Exit question. On a scale of one to ten, one being recoverable disturbance. How much will these hostilities delay the peace talks . It killed them for the indefinite future. 4,. 6. When are you going to decide when you are running for president . You know, im going to decide when it feels right for me to decide. By the end of this year . Well, you know, certainly not before then. I just want to get through this year. Travel around the country, help in the midterm elections in the fall. And then take a deep breath. There are three Democratic Women who might give hilary a run for her money and they are all liberals or quote, unquote, progressives. Senator elizabeth warren, said to be a favorite of the white house. Kristen gilibrand, and senator amy clobashaw, who made several exploratory trips to iowa. All three Democratic Senators signed a letter to hillary, pledging their support if she does throw her hat in the ring. A challenge to hillary from the Democratic Left would help her redefine herself as a political person. A shift that some say is already underway. Question, would Hillary Clinton be better off with a strong challenge in the democratic primaries or is she better off facing a field of lightweights that she can easily beat . Guy taylor. I think that she would be better off facing a challenger, but i got to tell you, john, she looks like shes gaining steam and polish and all of the criticism that has been hurled at her when she was secretary of state. It is still there, but it is not gaining steam. So, its almost as arbitrary. Why do you think she would be better off . It would force the party to come together a little bit and hash out differences between the far left and the center and been on the issue of Foreign Policy, i think Hillary Clinton didnt really like the Foreign Policy of the obama administration. If she had, she would have stayed a little longer. How did that show itself . It showed itself now in this kind of alignment she is making with people who are on the right. Particularly neocons. She would have wanted a harder hitting, more nation building style Foreign Policy. Do you share his opinion on that . I do in this sense. I think hilary would benefit from having a good left wing. Give their ideology a jolly run in the yard and go out there and then let her bring them back into the camp for the general election. However, let me say one thing. I do believe that hillary has suffered tremendously in the last month. Her book, all this money she has, 250,000 for speeches at colleges. I think she is moving herself far away above and beyond the populous base of the democratic party. Opening vulnerability there that could be filled not by a woman. She will have a populous message by the time the primaries get underway. I love all three women you mentioned. Warren, gilibrand, but that would be like fielding the Harlem Globetrotters against the nba. They arent going to run. They are all committed to hillary. There will be some male candidates in the race, but the shoot them up will be on the republican side and all the history of primaries show if you dont have any serious primary opposition, that gives you a good head start for the fall. Well have plenty to do watching the republicans chew each other up. Similarly, about the globetrotters, the globetrotters is hillary. No, no. The globetrotters is the fake team that would get on the field. Washington general. The globetrotters always win. All right, so are you confused . Is this a slip on your part . No, its just ignorance. Im glad you know what i mean. The Harlem Globetrotters used to beat every game. You want to Say Something to rescue her from any further interrogation. Have you seen hillary play basketball . Shes fantastic. I think hillary is an outstanding candidate. She is overwelmingly the choice of the democratic party. She is going to get through whatever the primaries are and be the democratic nominee. People see that . She will have plenty of exposure. She was afterall, not only secretary of state. Theres nothing like having a debate between two candidates at a primary. You know what a primary is . I read a lot about them. She is definitely going to be as articulate as anybody can be. If you were giving advice to hillary, would you advise her to be primaried or not to be primaried in. I would go straight for the nomination myself. You dont want to take any risk. Exactly. What about you . Its not up to her, either. I stick to what i said before. I think it will help the erertz this week on moyers and company. You cant look at the roberts court. Workers rights, environmental progress. I think its hard for anybody looking at this court objectivelyto come away not thinking that its a court of an agenda. Funding is provided by ann gumowitz, carnegie corporation, the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, the