us. so, jonathan, this sounds like this was a good lame duck session for the republicans. well, okay. good in the sense that the republicans worked with the president finally to get things done. but here s the thing. it s vitally important, i think, that the president had all of these victories. the tax cut deal, don t ask, don t tell, the food safety bill, which is something we haven t really talked about and some other things that have happened because going into the next congress, let s remember that it s the old congress that s gotten this done. the congress that has the democratic majority in the house and a bigger majority in the senate. come january 5, the republicans will control the house. mitch mcconnell will have more republicans to work with in the senate and it s going to be a completely different, completely different political landscape. allow me to interject, john. here s the situation. even though the democrats have gotten some things passed and this is a marquis
looks like 12 more hours. and then finally, we will dry out here in southern california and all this flooding threat will start to die away. that s the latest in flint ridge, back to you. thank you. i m going to send it back down to mark whitaker in washington, d.c. hey there, mark. thanks, thomas. well, president obama is scheduled a last-minute press conference before leaving for his hawaii vacation. he s expected to take credit for a string of major legislative victories in the 111th congress. the don t ask, don t tell signing ceremony this morning the president played to the history books. today we re marking a historic milestone but also the culmination of two of the most productive years in the history of congress. with me now, ron brownstein, political director of atlantic media and editorial director of the national journal groups. a lot of history being invoked here. yeah. but how do you explain this paradox? on the one hand, all of these
opposition is highly political and about the atmosphere in these closing days of congress where patience is running out and tempers are flaring, several republicans are openly angry at democrats for using these last days before the democrats lose the house and lose seats in the senate to cram a lot of what s left on their agenda. republicans are angry that democrats passed the don t-ask, don t-tell repeal. it s pretty clear that s coloring their view of this unrelated s.t.a.r.t. treaty. to get the votes they need, two-thirds of the senate one strategy the office have a closed session where they could talk about the treaty. john kerry said he thought it was helpful in building support. it was helpful. i think it was instructive to everybody and hopefully provided some facts and some insights that people needed that may be able to help them on the treaty. after that session his new
the treaty. the landmark treaty could come up for a procedural vote as early as today. admiral mike mullen chairman of the joint chiefs of staff wrote a letter backing that pact and that could nudge more senators into the yes column. from nuclear weapons to your fridge, congress is on the verge of giving the thumbs up for bad food from entering the supply chain. the legislation would give the food and drug administration new strength and imposing tougher rules on production and trade. the house is expected to pass that bill today. and the president and the pen busy expected to sign the don t ask, don t tell repeal tomorrow but the 17-year ban on gay troops serving openly in the military won t end immediately. the law only changes once the pentagon proves to congress that the military has met several requirements including troop education programs. and the pentagon hasn t set a timetable saying that it s moving forward at a deliberate pace. you can watch the president signing the re
something to go wrong, but not this. the whole time whenever they were harnessed up going around the thing flying over us, i thought at some point they re going to get stuck and suspended up there, but didn t really expect this. spiderman was scheduled to open on broadway next month, but a series of mishaps postponed the debut of the $65 million production until february. to politics now. and a showdown today for the senate. a critical vote on the obama administration s nuclear arms treaty with russia. the new s.t.a.r.t. calls for limits on nuclear arms and launchers as well as new inspectors. most gop senators are questioning the timing and questioning what it may mean for national security. both the president and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff support the treaty. president obama will sign the repeal of the don t ask, don t tell policy tomorrow. but the policy is still months away from taking effect. the new law will eventually allow gay people to serve openly