Cenk one fact of the day former senator scott brown has invented a new excuse for his inappropriate from a couple of weeks ago. Pocket tweeght. Well explain what that is on the young turks later tonight. Viewpoint is next. John washington, d. C. Or as fox news put it, a few people loitered around outside the white house. Tim tebow is so christian hes going to speak at a Church Whose Pastor has hatred for jews and gay folks and catholics. Since tim tebow thanks goode when he place football, does he have to thank football when he goes to church . Tonight we launch wtf america where each week well highlight the most ridiculous stupidity of a different state. Tonight we honor mississippi for finally ratifying the amendment that bans slavery after someone saw lincoln and realized they hadnt gotten around to it yet. Today is the birthday of Smokey RobinsonBenicio Del Toro and it is the 540th birthday of nicholas cop in cuss, the mathematician who said the sun didnt move, the earth did. Kansas is sure to start teaching that in Public Schools any day now. This is viewpoint. John good evening im John Fuglesang. Thank you for joining us tonight. Coming up, the White House Press corps demands complete transparency where the president s golf dates are concerned. Tens of thousands march to demand action on Climate Change. I hope you didnt hear that here first. Republicans in congress to cost Elizabeth Warren one job, now have big reason to regret their choice. But first he doesnt talk. He doesnt write. He doesnt have republicans over for pound cake. When he does try to lead on an issue, he cant help but mess things up. Yes, if you can believe the g. O. P. President ial obama is responsible for pretty much everything thats wrong in washington, d. C. Today including the traffic. From refusing to reach out across the aisle to the sequester that threatens to disembowel the federal government with 1. 2 trillion in spending cuts starting a week from this friday, it is all obamas fault. Though if you can believe the president , imagine this now, let me stretch your credulity here, the president wasnt entirely to blame. Obama the whole design of these arbitrary cuts was to make them so unattractive and so unappealing that democrats and republicans would actually get together and find a good compromise. Unfortunately, congress didnt compromise. John mr. Obama at least seemed logical to compromise with republicans. Obama i am willing to cut more spending that we dont need. Get rid of programs that arent working. Ive laid out specific reforms to our entitlement programs. John now if youre like me you just heard the president offer to cut spending and reform entitlement programs which means cutting them back. However, speaker of the house john boehner using powers only known to the g. O. P. Leadership, was apparently able to parse that offer and what he heard and i quote was once again the president offered no credible plan that can pass congress. Only more calls for higher taxes. The American People understand that that revenue debate is now closed. Then he leaked from his eyes. Obamas unwillingness to cut programs is a trap. As for who is responsible for the sequester mess in the first place, house budget chair paul ryan knows. Dont forget. It is the president who proposed the sequester. It is president who designed the sequester. John but who passed it, paul . Senate majority leader harry reid kind of knows the answer to that one. 174 Republican House members voted for this. 28 republican senators voted for this. This is not the president s sequester. John you killed filibuster reform but thats another argument. Mr. Obamas bill. Though a gang of eight in the senate is working on immigration, president obama has said he will step in if the evident fails. While some republicans accuse the president of failing to lead, a leaked white house proposal on immigration had other republicans calling for mr. Obama to stay out. Republican senator marco rubio insisted that if actually proposed the president s bill would be dead on arrival in congress. A bill that he pretty much agrees with all of the contents therein and congressman ryan, like the speaker of the house saw more machiavellian mischief from the white house. The president on most of these issues and this one now like the others, seems to be looking for a partisan advantage and not bringing the parties together. John loyal opposition or an everyone tent fractured or an everyone tent fractured party. Congressman ryan, you think helping the president fix the economy might do you some good. For more, Alex Isenstadt is a political reporter with politico. Rick ungar is a contributor with forbes. Org. Thank you for coming back on the show. My favorite place to be. Thanks for having me. John let me start with you, rick. Republicans are whining the president wont lead and when he does, it is only playing politics. Is this the typical whining we hear from the power who is always out of power . We heard plenty of complaints from democrats about president bush or is it personal this time . It is clearly personal. I think senator rubio told the truth. Even though it is pretty much the same bill he would propose if the president proposes the immigration bill, it is dead on arrival. It has to come from the republicans. That spoke volumes. John it was true. Alex, according to the white house, president obama did reach out to speak with senators rubio, graham and mccain on immigration today. Now, is that really so unusual . I mean the white house insists this president makes regular contact with Senior Republicans but doesnt publicize his calls at least before today. Sure. Theres been some grousing among a lot of among several republican senators. My colleague, reid epstein had a story in politico today talking about this. The white house wanted to push back on the line of attack saying the white house is very much engaged with republican senators who want to work with him or willing to work with him. John well, rick, as the president tried to go over congresss head with the state of the Union Address where he urged followers to contact their representatives directly on issues like guns and immigration. Is that because his outreach with republicans hasnt worked or there hasnt that much outreach in the first place . This is sort of like who asked you to the prom first. Look, nobody wants to talk to anybody. We can blame all of them and im including the president. He is the president. Hes the grownup. We all know thats true. If he invites somebody to come see the movie lincoln at the white house and they say no, you know what he has to do . He has to send them chocolates the next day tell them how badly he missed them and that he will be inviting them to the Party Next Week and he really hopes theyll show up and keep inviting them until they come. John it is a good point. Alex, we know that president bush was a really warm guy who had cunning little nicknames for everyone in congress. The rap on this president is hes an unfilling vulcan who doesnt hold their hand at the prom. But a recent Washington Post abc news poll showed the president s position on immigration and runs did much better with Republican Voters and some independents as long as his name wasnt attached to them. So doesnt it seem like they like his policies fine . Theyre the ones who dont like him despite calls from g. O. P. Leaders finish the president to lead on these issues . Do you think he would be better off if he stayed on the sidelines . The president is going to stand on the sidelines. As you pointed out, he will go right to the voters. He believes he has the upper hand on these issues and with the midterm 2014 midterms around the corner, president obama believes he can go to voters and sell the fight to them rather than going directly to lawmakers where frankly hes had a hard time getting things done. Im going to jump in on that. Hes gotta do both. You know i loft president. I do. But on this one subject again hes the grownup in the room. Yes, he can go over their heads. He can go to the voters. I think hell be successful but it will make his life a lot easier. If he just keeps pursuing these people who dont want to go out on a date with him. John hes a grownup with nine days left to make a deal. This one might be a little late. Lets face it. Congress is out of town. The president i never troubled by the president playing golf. I wish i had got ton play with him this weekend with tiger but you know what . This might have been a good weekend for everybody to stay in washington. I mean everybody. John fortunately john mccain has a jet pack that gets him to meet the press every weekend. Alex, is president obama that much worse than his predecessors when it comes to working with congress . Well, look, president obama is dealing with a fairly unique situation that probably is likely to confront future president s which is that hes dealing with a polarized congress. The congress that youre seeing, particularly in the house of representatives and also in the senate is frankly polarized. Thats hard for the president to deal with. John is it more polarized now than it was under president clinton . I will say that president bush after 911 sort of had cart blanch he controlled the house and the senate and the democrats were much more given to supporting his agenda following that crisis and attack on our nation. So is it really that unprecedented or does seem like over the last three administrations, it is okay as long as you give us, the republicans, what we want . Its not totally unprecedented. Whats pretty clear is this particular congress, particularly coming after the last round of redistricting and with the rise of the tea party and the conservative branch of the Republican Party this is conservative with republicans pretty far to the right. Democrats who frankly in many cases, particularly in the house are pretty far to the left. John well, rick, it is true. It is nice to remember we do have democrats who are liberal in the house. Is this another taste of the Republican Party doubling down on obstructionism . The policy that does not work for them in 2012 . I dont think they know what else to do. Look, we have such a weird dynamic now. Elections today in the house are not about republicans versus democrats. If youre an incumbent dont worry about the democrat. What theyre worried about are other republicans. It is all about primaries. So now theyre forced into this position where they cant be rational because they think theyre going to lose their job. We all know what matters. It is their job, not us. John is that a fair argument . Ronald reagan raised the debt ceiling 17 times 198 total. He didnt have republicans terrified of being primaried by tea party members. Is that what were seeing here . The republicans are being tainted into an ideological corner by the fringe of their base . You better get ready for a wild primary season, particularly on the republican side of the aisle. That republican primary season is going to start in the next few months. So if anything, a lot of this dynamic that rick just described, this is something well see really intensify over the next few months. John it seems to me thats winwin for the president. It worked in 2012. Theyll do everything they can to get fringe g. O. P. Candidates who cant win against a moderate democrat. Not necessarily. This is the strange thing about it. You go to some of the congressional districts and if it is a stronghold for republicans, theyll vote for the Tea Party Guy or girl if thats who wins in the primary. It is not necessarily going to help us in the house. John maybe. To keep from getting everything done. John for every ted cruz who gets in, you got a richard mourdock. Alex, if the sequester takes effect and these cuts go into play, who takes the blame at the end of the day . Well, it is a great question and right now, im talking with some republican strategists who were fairly concerned about this. They believe that sequestration is an issue that could hurt them in some districts particularly districts that have very heavily with military plants. John exactly. Not even a close call. Clearly the republicans. Dont think for a second they dont know it. John thats why theyre trying so hard to assign this as being an obama sequester. They know it wont work. The vote will be in the congress. Congress will be blamed for this and it will be the republicans. They know it. They just dont know what to do about it because theyre scared of being primaried. John thats everything you need to know about the fiscal crisis of this month. You guys are the smartest kids in class. Political reporter with politico Alex Isenstadt. Rick ungar, thank you for your time tonight. The president went golfing and he did not invite the press. Is barack obama trying to cover up the most pointless fluff story of the week . Billy zane stars in barabbas. Coming in march to reelz. To find reelz in your area, go to reelz. Com john welcome back to viewpoint. Its time for the thing of the day. Tonights thing the confusing chauvinism of the day from republican congressman jimmy duncan jr. From the great state of tennessee whos on the fence about the violence against women act. Hes against it. But he told the Chattanooga Times free press hes deeply concerned about violence against women because most men can handle it a little better than a lot of women can. Isnt that sweet . He may not spend money to help stop the violence against women but a real gentleman can always find the time to be patronizing to a lady. So talk about making a mountain out of 18 holes the White House Press corps erupted with furious complaints about lack of access after president obama played a round of golf with tiger woods and didnt invite the media along. Ed henry fox News Reporter and president of the White House Correspondents Association released a statement expressing extreme frustration about having absolutely no access to the president of the United States this entire weekend. There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead transparency. Yet while waging this war for access, the White House Press corps sadly and as usual failed to cover the real story of obamas golf ought ignoring the fact that while over 30,000 people were marching in washington to protest the keystone xl pipeline led by Michael Brune of the sierra club who will join us later in the show, president obamas golf foursome included jim crane a houston businessman whos made millions off the oil and gas industry. Just going eye way for a guys weekend with obama and tiger woods. Joining me now is one member of the press who did not miss the story, dave zirin Sports Reporter for the nation. This book is required reading. Dave, good evening welcome back to the show. Great to be, here john. John great to have you. A little bit of irony. The press is complaining about a lack of access while completely failing to report the only real story that emerged from the president s golf outing this weekend. First to the White House Press corps, i almost want to get on my knees and beg them to get assemblance of dignity. Learn a trade. Learn how to lay a brick. Do something with your life for goodness sakes other than what youre doing right now. Youre giving nothing back to journalism or greater society. This is politics as political theatre. And it comes off about as sad as the place that employs ed henry quite frankly. Now, as for the story that you just said about the real story is i couldnt agree with you more. I was out there, i live here in d. C. , the number one thing about living in d. C. Is the short distance you have to go for national demonstrations. So 10minute drive, i was with 30,000 of my closest friends protesting the horrific Climate Changes taking place around the world. Among the people demonstrating was sheldon whitehouse, the senator from rhode island. There were other big heavy hitters there. It was not like president obama did not know we were throughout and doing this on this freezing cold day that we trudged out there on that day. But it says something about i think, the nature of this white house. That he would go out there with jim crane, on this day of all days. Jim crane, as you said, not just an investor in natural gas in oil, as you said but also an investor in the very thing we were protesting which was the Keystone Pipeline as well as an investor in the offshore drilling operation that led to the British Petroleum disaster of several years back. It says something pretty horrible about what it takes to get the president s ear. It is like what can i do . Can i organize 30,000 of my closest friends to go out on a frigid day and march with my 8yearold and my 4yearold who are screaming at me as being the worst dad in the world for dragging them out on this freezing day . Should i do that or just make a million billion dollars call up the white house and get out the clubs . John i dont think its news when a moderate democrat throws an oil derrick. It would make obama look like a moderate and not a raging socialist. I want to take five seconds to defend ed henry in saying dont they have a case of saying that they at least deserve a chance as the Fourth Estate of American Government to know how the president s doing on the back nine . Well, i would only say that as the Fourth Estate, theyve so abused that title at this point. I mean look, the day that a certain gentleman who hosts meet the press David Gregory, got up there and rapped with karl rove and they did their hiphop thing at the white house correspondents dinner, that was the day where the entire institution of inside the beltway reportage officially jumped the sharks. John i would ask a followup q