now we need it. everybody concedes we need it. he wouldn t even discuss that because he didn t have to. congressman, thank you. always nice to see you, sir. yes, ma am. have a good weekend. and with the president threatening congress, will anything ever get done in washington and who besides the american people are are losing? joining us our political panel abc news political director elise klein and chief political correspondent byron york. rick, first to you, is there any indication that we are going to have the next 8 or 9 months anything but a food fight? will anything get done. god, i want to say yes but there is nothing to suggest that i m right on this. look, the president is going to have a opportunity next year. call it a year of action. if that s unilateral action that s a prescription of more of what we have seen. i m looking to the issue of immigration. we have seen some rumblings out of the house to suggest that they are ready you heard congressman gowdy mentio
fully accountable. that was in may. by july president obama started referring to serious injuries as phony scandals. joining us our political panel tonight amy walter the hill s manager editor bob cusack and bill garety. comparison between the two. two very different people, of course. the issue, i think, for chris christie is he had very little choice. he had to come out yesterday and show that he was doing something about these people who wrote emails that all of us could see that said i actually was responsible for shutting this down. that was understandable that he did that the other thing it shows too, look. at the end of the day, they are going to be held accountable for the ultimate actions, not just for the press conference. right? so, how is chris christie going to be perceived two months from now versus how was he perceived in the immediate after the press conference. same thing with president obama.
gates leveling criticism. joining us our political panel, abc news political director rick klein, a.b. stoddard and byron york. first to you, vice president biden. split from a lot of the military advisers on key pieces of advice and strategy. what we didn t know is that bob gates was so sure he was wrong and to say the vice president was wrong on every major foreign policy decision of the last four decades. there s almost nothing you can say that is harsher. i think he is the person that reads this book with the most at stake and the most to be concerned about and i think that s why we saw the photo-op at the white house. a.b.? i was surprised because it is very personal.
preparations for the nation s biggest new year s eve party. today workers putting the finishing touches on the famous new new year s crystal ball. this year s ball is made from more than 2,000 crystal triangles. they will make the ball shimmer as it crops to ring in 2014. that s tonight s speed read. and more than a million americans are bracing for tomorrow. that s when their emergency unemployment benefits will come to a stop. congress has already put off the expiration date 11 times. and lawmakers will fight that battle again in the new year. joining us our political panel, the weekly standard steve hayes. washington examiner susan and rick klein also a crowd favorite. thanks so much for joining me, everybody. steve, let me start with you. these benefits are for long-term unemployed. they were temporarily extended. 11 times they have been extended and the congress continues to fight this battle because republicans say they want it paid for.
preparations for the nation s biggest new year s eve party. today workers putting the finishing touches on the famous new new year s crystal ball. this year s ball is made from more than 2,000 crystal triangles. they will make the ball shimmer as it crops to ring in 2014. that s tonight s speed read. and more than a million americans are bracing for tomorrow. that s when their emergency unemployment benefits will come to a stop. congress has already put off the expiration date 11 times. and lawmakers will fight that battle again in the new year. joining us our political panel, the weekly standard steve hayes. washington examiner susan and rick klein also a crowd favorite. thanks so much for joining me, everybody. steve, let me start with you. these benefits are for long-term unemployed. they were temporarily extended. 11 times they have been extended and the congress continues to fight this battle because republicans say they want it paid for. democrats say that they