washingtonpost i am having coffee with elvis this week. He works at the mocha moose in wasilla. A big rollout for its breathlessly awaited swimsuit issue. This year included a planned segment with david letterman. But the big unveiling was spoiled by a fashion blogger. Who got hold of the cover, featuring model kate upton not even wearing a bikini top. Must have been a disappointment for si that sells more than a million copies of the issue, but, hey, also more free publicity. Im howard kurtz. If you missed our program, check us out on itunes every monday. Just search for reliable sources. Were back here next sunday morning for another critical look at the media. State of the union with Candy Crowley begins right now. Have bully pulpit, will travel. Today from decatur to asheville and chicago, the president pushes gun control, a higher minimum wage and universal preschool. And that whole plan, well, others by the way, is a trade we could use more often in washington. A conversation with senator Chuck Schumer on the president s wish list and senate reality. What and when can the senate deliver . And, drawing the line. Read my lips. Im not interested in an 11th hour negotiation. Republicans dig in from budget cuts to some of the president s nominees. Well talk with a member of the Republican Leadership team, senator John Barrasso from wyoming, and mandatory spending cuts take effect 11 days from now. It would have destructive cuts on National Security, defense. Average wait times to clear customs will increase by 50 . All this is purely the Collateral Damage of political gridlock. Senator jack reed of rhode island and Intelligence Committee chairman mike rogers on whether sequestration is that dire and that inevitable. Sort of predictable. The head of the Motion Picture association deflects criticism that entertainment violence contributes to gun crime. That and more with our political roundtable. Im Candy Crowley. And this is state of the union. Before taking his show on the road, the president laid out his agenda in front of congress. House Speaker John Boehner called it more of the same and suggested where the president could take his proposals. The president likes to attack congress, but if hes serious about enacting his agenda, i think it must start with part of this congress it a his party controls, the United States senate. You know, what can he get passed in the United States senate . Joining me now is the number three democrat in the senate, senator Chuck Schumer out of new york today. Senator, thanks for joining us. Good morning. Let me ask you that question. We see the president. He wants to increase the minimum wage. He wants to do something about reducing carbon in the air, universal preschool, immigration, guns, more money for infrastructure. You know congress. I know congress. What is reasonable to expect you will get done this year . Well, i think that theres going to be more done than most people think, and thats because and that would be what specifically do you think will get done . Well, i think immigration has a very decent chance of getting done. Were working hard on a bipartisan proposal on guns. I think were going to avoid sequestration, and the proposal that weve made will prevail. I think that on some of these jobs issues, you heard eric cantor in a speech where he talked about the same issues that the president did, so i think youre going to find out on minimum wage, were going to bring that to the floor this spring, and i think youre going to find well get more republican support than people think because the policy thats different than passing it, as you know. Theres a lot of thought that the minimum wage, which appears to be something thats not going to clear congress is this year, is more about setting up 2014 to give democrats something to rail against republicans on. Well, it is an issue of fairness. If you work 40 hours a week, you shouldnt be way below the poverty level. The minimum wage is at a lower level than 1960, and i think that you may find some republicans changing their minds on these issues. What i was saying, candy, i think theres a sea change in our politics. The politics of obstruction, the politics of just cutting, cutting, cutting and shrinking, shrinking, shrinking, not things that need to be shrunk or cut, but everything across the board is losing clout. And i have seen it in many areas. Our republican colleagues are coming to the middle to meet us. Well have to come to the middle to meet them, too, but there will be less obstructionism. I cant predict which issues, but i predict it will be a more Productive Congress than the last one. Let me take some of these issues one by one. First of all what, makes you think that sequestration will not take place which, boy, most people up there this week have said, yeah, its going to happen, and that is the acrosstheboard spending cuts. Heres what i think. I think democrats have the high ground, both substantively and politically, and we will win on this issue. Why . The bottom line is very simple. The republicans are proposing devastating cuts. They would lose 750,000 jobs but you all agreed to these acrosstheboard cuts. Please, i would like to finish what im saying here. 750,000 jobs will be lost. The economy will shrink by 6 , and what weve produced is very simple. Its closing loopholes. The only people who support them are the people who benefit them from them, oil and gas loopholes, the idea that businesses shouldnt get breaks by sending jobs overseas, the idea that someone who makes over 1 million should pay a higher rate than others, and whether its right on the eve of sequestration or if god forbid it has to take effect for a few days, the devastating effects will be so strong. The president will be out there on his bully pulpit that just like on the fiscal cliff republicans will come on board. They have no choice. Their arguments are untenable and dont meet the favor of hardly anyone other than themselves and the few whose special interests they are protecting. Let me move you on to immigration simply because we now see the white house sort of draft immigration bill, at least the skeleton of it, has been leaked out there. We know that democrats had been saying to the white house we dont please dont put your proposal out there because these are very delicate negotiations. We see marco rubio, part of the Bipartisan Group that you are also working with on immigration, said the president s plan is dead on arrival. This leak cannot help the cause on capitol hill. Well, look, i i dont know what bill the president has out there. I havent seen it, but they did say last night when this leak occurred, and i dont know how it occurred, that it wasnt their final or complete bill. The president and those of us working on immigration are working very well. Senators durbin, menendez and bennett and i met with the president wednesday, and he agreed to give us the space we need to come up with a bipartisan proposal, so were working well together. I know that senator rubio was upset with this leak, but are you upset . We talked to him. No, i am not upset. Weve talked to senator rubio, and hes fully on board with our process, and i am very hopeful in march we will have a bipartisan bill. You know, its obvious. If a democrat, the president or anyone else puts out what they want on their own, its going to be different than what you have a bipartisan agreement, but only way were going to get something done is with a bipartisan agreement, so im happy with the president. Hes given us the space, and im optimistic we can get something done. I have to move on to guns now and ask you. Youre also working on a deal and on a bipartisan basis. How close are you to a deal of putting bill on the floor about gun control . Well, look, we have democrats and republicans, some of whom are pro nra, have been supported by the nra and some of whom like myself have been opposed by the nra sitting down trying to negotiate the sweet spot where we can get something done. Were talking. Weve made some good progress. There are still some hard issues to be resolved. Guns is a very difficult issue, but our talks continue, and weve solved a good number of the problems. We have some significant problems still to overcome. What significant problems are there yet . Well, im not going to get into the details of our negotiating publicly, but i can tell you we both made progress and have a ways to go. Do you think that there will be any kind of assault weapons ban in your bill . Well, i think that certainly senator feinstein has championed assault weapons, and it will be voted on by the senate. Whether its part of our bill, weve been focusing on universal background checks where i think theres a greater chance to come to a bipartisan agreement. And do you have at least within your Group Agreement about universal background checks, at least to include those gun shows . We are. Im not going to get into any details. There are many issues weve resolved and some we yet havent. So as i understand you, you are looking at perhaps your bill and then maybe a separate vote on assault weapons which looks a lot less likely to pass, is that correct . Senator leahy is going to determine the structure as we move through Judiciary Committee and senator reid as we move to the floor. But youre going to recommend something . We are hopefully going to recommend im certainly going to recommend; and hopefully it will be bipartisan, and hopefully it will have those, both supported by the nra and those opposed by the nra on it. And finally, is there a Mental Health component, do you think, in what your group is working on . Well, theres one of the aspects of things we have to clear up is Mental Health records. The Mental Health records is part of the nix system are weak. Five years ago i did negotiate an improvement in that system with the nra support, and were continuing to work in that area to tighten it up more than it was back in 2007. Senator Chuck Schumer, thank you so much for joining me this morning. Thank you. Good to talk to you. Appreciate it. Should your pediatrician be allowed to ask you if you keep a gun in the house. President obama thinks so, but some republican lawmakers say its an invasion of privacy. Next up, ill ask senator and dr. John barrasso. Whats. That. On your head . Can curlers tomato basil, potato with bacon. Weve got a lot of empty cans. [ male announcer ] progresso. You gotta taste this soup. Schwab bank was built with all the value and convenience tdd 18003452550 investors want. Tdd 18003452550 like no atm fees, worldwide. Tdd 18003452550 and no nuisance fees. Tdd 18003452550 plus deposit checks with mobile deposit. Tdd 18003452550 and manage your cash and investments tdd 18003452550 with schwabs mobile app. Tdd 18003452550 no wonder schwab bank has grown to over 70 billion in assets. 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Im sorry for the president. Im sorry for the country and im sorry for you, but were not going to give up on you. Democrats vowing to stand by their man, even as republicans delivered a sharp rebuke to fellow republican chuck hagel this week in his bid to become defense secretary. Joining me now is republican senator John Barrasso from wyoming. Senator, thanks for being here. Thank you, candy. Something caught our eye that senator mccain said in explaining the republican part of the republican resistance to hagel in which he says it goes back to theres a lot of ill will towards senator hagel because when he was a republican, he attacked president bush mercilessly, at one point said he was the worst president since Herbert Hoover and said that the surge was the worst blunder since the vietnam war which is nonsense and was very anti his own party and people. People dont forget that. Is this a revenge vote . Mean, this seems i understand that people, a lot of republicans who personally dont like chuck hagel but is that a vote against him . Thats not a reason. The reason is if anyone saw his testimony. It was very unsettling. It was weak and wobbly, and, you know, you want competence and confidence in the person that is going to be secretary of defense, and what we saw was a lot of confusion by this nominee. So what were doing is just asking for some information, a little more time to get some more of the speeches that hes given, to see what he said because he said one thing on one day when its popular and then at another time says another thing. The Defense Department this is a very, very important job. This is the number one employer of the United States, and we need to have somebody there who can manage that, do it well and give confidence to our military. Do you worry that there is a line between being the loyal opposition and being labeled as obstructionist, and you know that thats where democrats are going now, saying they say no to everything. This is unprecedented, et cetera, et cetera. Do you think holding up the hagual vote was worth it and do you think it puts another chink in the party image . This is a nomination thats being rushed through by the democrats. The hearings were only two weeks ago. The vote in the committee was just last week. There really shouldnt be a rush in something of this importance. All weve asked is for another week, asked a number of questions. They have continued to obstruct this. President said he have the most Transparent Administration in the history of the country. Why are they trying to hide and not allow us to get some information so we can vote a week from now . You sound a little bit as though youll vote against him. I have grave reservations. I think hes been wrong about iran, wrong about israel, wrong in iraq, wrong with nuclear weapons, absolutely i plan to vote against him. So do you think that the sort of discussion that has come up and the hold or whatever you want to call it that youve put on the hagel nomination, which we still expect to pass, do you think that harms soontobe, if you agree with that, secretary hagel in his dealings with congress . Is he rendered less effective by this process . Hes going to be less effective because of the fact that the president nominated him. There were a lot of democrats on capitol hill that dont believe he was the best choice, and im sure the white house is very disturbed with how poorly he did during his confirmation hearings. I think it will impact him as he tries to limp across the finish line to get confirmed. I dont believe this is obstructionist. John kerry just got confirmed a week or two ago for secretary of state, 96, 97 positive votes in his favor, but the cabinet is in chaos right now because of so many resignations, and i think we have another seven or eight to confirm. What about john brennan then, nominated to be head of the cia. Hes had his hearings. Had his hearings. Not come up for a vote. There are questions by both democrats and republicans, questions about drones, questions about benghazi, lots of questions both sides of the aisle so they are not making a political statement on him because democrats have legitimate questions that they want answers to. What is your state of mind when it comes to a confirmation vote on brennan . I still want to review the hearing. They have classified hearings and then those that are not classified. Ive seen the public. I want to read some of the other information. Are you leaning one way or the other . Not at this point. How about jack lew, treasury secretary . Jack lew, a long histo