down an american movie, censor an american picture it doesn't like, wrong in not calling him first before buckling before a north korean dictator. this is obama laying it on the line in a press conference that signalled all the audacity he's packed into a week since the november election, the deal on climate change, the protective order for people who came here illegally, and including the post of an american ambassador with the communist government in cube a taking questions from all women reporters in today's press conference, where will this obama audacity take us? i'm joined by david corn, and by actor, writer and director sean penn who joins me now by phone. first of all, here's the president speaking about sony's decision to pull "the interview," the movie that inspired the hacking. let's watch. >> sony is a corporation. >> i would agree with the president. i think that, you know, i'm not speaking as an advocate for the motion picture industry or as a critic. but we have to realize this is a genuine emergency, this is the popularization of cyber war and it requires an alternate threshold on the thinking and the language that we use. when representatives of sony deny that they pulled the film and put it on distributors, that it's not really recognizing the same responsibility a parent has to drive the show when something threatens their child. in this case, it doesn't matter whether it's an individual, a government, or a company, the response of sony should have been to say, we'll make our apologies later and we'll put it online open and free for the world to see. so i would say it's a cop-out popularized taking a weapon and shooting at civilians on the street. it shows the possibilities. once those possibilities go out into the culture, just like guns, we've got a computer in every household, and this is not technology. this is far from the hands of anyone. >> let me go over to david corn. your view on this as a guy who writes all the time. it does seem to be an easy call. as sean penn just said, they could have gone other routes besides the regal theater chain. we're going to put it on a network. they could have put it out themselves on a website. >> they could have said we take these threats seriously to the theaters. if they feel they can't have security, we'll do it another way. at the end of the day, unless they put it out -- they still can put it out. they can put it out for free. or set up their own website and anyone who wants to see it pays ten bucks and that's it. if they don't do that, at some point, probably some point soon, it just sends the message, that this works. i've heard some conservatives today criticize the president for saying what he did too late, after sony already did what it's done. and the question, though, is, is this going to set a precedent or not? that's why i think it's right for the president and for the others to say, we don't agree and try to give them some more spine, give them some support, back them up a bit. and so sony still has a chance to make this right. >> but they're engaged now in what looks to be and sean penn, i want to bring you in. sony is engaged with a dialogue in the north koreans. they thanked them today by saying, thank you for doing what we told you to do. if you keep doing that, don't show this picture, then we won't cause you any more trouble, we won't release any more of the information from the hacking. it seems like they're almost in league now because they're being thanked for it, and told, if you're a good boy, we won't bother you anymore. it's an engagement of relations now, it seems. >> yeah, i think that sony has made themselves almost irrelevant in what's going to be a much, much bigger and more dangerous story. they might have been the trigger that participated in what was a mistake here. but, again, i think that if we don't take this on, on a united nations level, if it -- if we aren't waking up and recognizing that what happens once, and recognize that we just got hit by a truck and we can't tell ourselves that we have a mild headache and we can go home and go to bed, because you're going to wake up with blood in the brain. that's where we are on this cyber war issue. the declaration has been set. it's not even -- it's not sony. it's not even north korea. north korea is the size of mississippi. that can be handled by the mean spirited in a day. and it's also that which gets into the minds of a culture with a lot of disease in it. >> is there any way the creative community, the directors, writers, the actors, are able to leverage this? i mean, it's always dangerous in a tricky career to make demands be on, pay me and put me to work. but is there any way actors or writers could say, you're going to green light this movie, okay, when you green light it, it stays green and no dictator is going to stop it? do you think there's any chance, or is that too far a hope, that the creative communities will say, i'm not making movies to be stopped by the bad guys? >> i think there will be discussions and there will be attempts to put lobbies together on that basis. but i think that the very first thing that those in hollywood or wisconsin can do is stand up as a country and stand up as a united country that this be taken in a serious way. >> well the me show you more of the president today. i thought it was a first-rate press conference. clarity, and good guys, bad guys, it wasn't the soft line he sometimes has taken before. here talking about north korea and the sony hacking. let's watch again the president today. >> i think it says something interesting about north korea that they decided to have the state mount an all-out assault on a movie studio because of a satirical movie starring seth rogen and james flacco. i love seth, and i love james. but the notion that that was a threat to them, i think gives you some sense of the kind of regime we're talking about here. they caused a lot of damage. and we will respond. we will respond proportionally and in a place and time and manner that we choose. >> i wonder, when you make a movie, you've made some really important films, and i was thinking, part of the decision to make a movie is that you want the bad guy to hear it. it isn't just a joke by seth rogen, a satire movie, but it wouldn't bother you a bit to know that the people being satirized hear it and it hurts them and humiliates them. what did you make of the president saying, it's a seth rogen movie, it's a bit over the top to begin with, that it would scare them? >> well, you know, i go back to, i think it was 1997 when martin scorsese's film came out on tibbett and the chinese were in negotiations with disney, who backed down tremendously on the release of that film as a result. and whether or not it's the president framing it as a marginalized threat based on the movie, it really goes deeper than all of that to me. i think that when eisner was interviewed and said disney was not in the human rights business, they were in the entertainment business, that he really missed the mark. we are all in the human rights business today, whether in our economy, or in our homes. and i do think that sony does have an opportunity now to do something heroic, but more importantly, i think that moscow and beijing and washington have something to do that's very important. because this is something that threatens all governments, all corporations. it calls into question, you know, where we divide our capitalism and our recognition of human rights, and i think it's a really, really big historic moment. and if it's not taken by the reins by some brave people, we'll be heading into a world that we never imagined. >> sean, thank you for coming on and for the great work you've done, all the greatest performances, dead man walking, every one seemed like it dealt with an important issue and you were on the right side. thank you very much and thank you to david corn. coming up, president obama in his press conference, it was kind of a press conference, not the idiotic swagger of w. it was real, it was human. this is a changed president, a confident president. you can see it in the way he's talking and acting. if you watched it today, you may have noticed that the president made some history today. he called only on women reporters. didn't mention it. i noticed it halfway through. somebody called it to my attention when we were covering it live. more on that decision in a minute. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ look here, daddy, i'm never coming back... ♪ discover the new spirit of cadillac and the best offers of the season. lease this 2015 standard collection ats for around $329 a month. l today sony pictures released a statement that said the studio did not cave to the threats from the hackers. the studio says that when theater owners refused to run the movie, they had no choice but to pull it. we'll decide. the statement adds that the studio is surveying other platforms in which to release the film. i'll believe it when i see it. we'll be right back after this. thank you. ordering chinese food is a very predictable experience. i order b14. i get b14. no surprises. buying business internet, on the other hand, can be a roller coaster white knuckle thrill ride. you're promised one speed. but do you consistently get it? you do with comcast business. and often even more. it's reliable. just like kung pao fish. thank you, ping. reliably fast internet starts at $89.95 a month. comcast business. built for business. >> hello, everybody. we really got a full house today, huh? well, all i want for christmas is to take your questions. >> well, since the midterm we've seen there again a self-confident forward-leaning president. and in today's final press conference of the year that he hopes will capture the year, he commanded the room, ticking off his accomplishments. here he is. >> all told, over a 57-month streak, our businesses have created nearly 11 million new jobs. america's now the number one producer of oil, the number one producer of natural gas. our rescue of the auto industry is officially over. we've now repaid taxpayers every dime and more of what my administration committed. we've created about half a million new jobs in the auto industry alone. about ten million americans have gained health insurance just this past year. we're leading the coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy isil. and in less than two weeks, after more than 13 years, our combat mission in afghanistan will be over. >> there he is talking about his successes. joining me now, washington bureau chief for usa today. and from national urban radio. we'll have you on to talk about your book, april, if you'd like. april, you were there today, and i want to know what the reaction was from your male colleagues to the fact that not one -- i could be a male and say, why did you invite us if you weren't going to let us involve ourselves in the q & a process, mr. president? your thoughts and feelings. >> you know for one thing for sure, in this town, it's a white, male dominated town. i know for a fact. i just walked out of the white house and the press area. many of our male colleagues have been going into the press secretary very upset that they were not called on today. but let me say this to you. as a woman, as someone who's been covering the white house, it's nice. and someone who sits in the third row, not the first row or the second row, but the third row, it's nice to see a change of pace. and from some of the white house sources that i talked to tonight, apparently there was a plan not to go -- this is not the first time, but not to go to the networks. this is not the first time that this has happened. they said, okay, since we see we've got a lot of women in the audience who are really good at what they do, let's call on the women. so -- >> he didn't call on you. >> yes he did call on me. >> you demanded -- >> chris, i raised my hand like a reporter's supposed to. >> why don't they have the old tradition of reporters waving their hands and the reporters get the attention of the president. >> i raised my hand. that started during the bush years, like a good reporter is supposed to. >> who else raised their hand besides you? >> i don't know. i didn't see behind me. >> anyway, good for you. and how would you describe the men's attitude? we were they whining or bitchy, the fact that they didn't get called on? >> let me tell you something, the cameras on the front row, they'll keep cool. but behind the scenes, they're not happy. phone calls are being made. but they'll be cool. you'll always see a cool demeanor, but they are not happy with it. >> what do you think of that, susan? i didn't even notice for the first six or seven, then somebody pointed it out and said, it's all women. and he's going to keep this up. and he went to the end and -- >> i think clearly they had a plan to do this. >> what's the point? >> a little mischief. why not? >> what's the purpose of this thing? >> what was the quality of the questions? >> i have to tell you -- >> sounded pretty good to me. >> i have to tell you, i didn't notice anything was going on. in fact, i wouldn't have noticed they were all women. >> so that's a great thing. >> let's talk about the president today. april, you cover him all the time, and susan. there's something different about the president. i wouldn't call it swagger, because i hate it. some presidents being like w. swagger sitting down, i don't know how they do it, but they do. the french word i like is alon, a quiet self-confidence in the president. he didn't have before this election. something liberated this guy. >> i don't know if it was liberation, but i think it was more so what he had to present to america, an optimism. because they got a shellacking in november. and he had to come out, everything is changing, i'm optimistic, we are americans, we can fix problems. that's what he said to the end, we can fix things as americans. so i think he wanted to come out with an optimistic tone, looking forward to the positive. and one thing that i took away was when he said with the democrats and the republicans, the fight, he said, yeah, there are fighting, but there are things that we also agree on. so he's looking to the positive in 2015 in closing out 2014. >> how did you react to him talking about the quality -- in fact, let's watch him respond to you. >> okay. >> i actually think it's been a healthy conversation that we've had. these are not new phenomenon. the fact that they're now surfacing, in part because people are able to film what have just been in the past stories passed on around a kitchen table, allows people to, you know, make their own assessments and eflgdss and you're not going to solve a problem if it's not being talked about. >> did you buy the fact that people and race relations? >> i saw his optimism and his hope. you have to remember, when you talk about race in this country, the president did get it right. this is centuries' old. centuries. and it stems from slavery. went to jim crow and it's moved on. it's not just a legislative issue. it's a heart issue as well. i do think people want to see a better day, but are there still vestiges and residue of the past? oh, yes. as a reporter, i did like the fact that he did kind of change his answer. because i asked him six years ago this month, in the oval office about the state of black america, and he harkens to charles dickens talk about the -- >> the best of times and the worst of times, yeah. >> yeah. for african americans who have a good education, it's a good time. but for those who don't, it's unemployment and lack of opportunity. when he talked about black america, as well as all america is better in the aggregate since his administration, it was interesting to hear that versus six years ago this month in the oval office from my interview that i had with him. >> thanks so much. >> you know, one thing that struck me about his answer was how much different just cell phone technology makes. that picture, the video of eric garner makes all the difference in settling the he said/he said debate. it makes all the difference for people who might have denied what had happened there. there was no denying it. >> i don't know anybody that thought that was a proper decision. sometimes you have to have a trial before a jury before a -- >> thank you. >> i raised my hand, chris. >> by the way, i love the weather today. did you like the weather today? >> it was okay. >> see, you have to disagree with me. [ laughter ] i proved it now. every time i say something, this reporter has to find a different conclusion. anyway, it's style. thank you very much. coming up, a new biography of john f. kennedy jr reveals new details about the relationship with his mother jacqueline kennedy. the author joins us next to talk about a little bit of glamor here in politics. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. right now, you can get a single line with 3 gigs for $65 a month. 3 gigs ... is that a lot? that's about...100 app downloads, 45 hours of streaming music, and 6 hours of video playing. (singing) and five golden rings! ha, i see what you did... (singing) four calling birds...three french hens... (the guys starts to fizzle out) two... turtle... doves... i really went for it there ya you did... you really, really did now get 3 gigs of data on one line for $65 a month. switch to at&t, buy a new smartphone and get $150 credit per line. intbladder leak protection.ant new always discreet underwear for sensitive bladders from always, the experts in feminine protection new always discreet underwear absorbs heavy bladder leaks faster than the leading brand, so you can feel comfortably dry. plus always discreet has a discreet fit that hugs your curves. you barely feel it. new always discreet underwear. now bladder leaks can feel like no big deal. because, hey, pee happens. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on. quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable. worked for president kennedy in the white house. they had a great time. people loved politics. it was a positive thing. and that's been missing. >> yeah, i mean, i think it's like anything else. if, you know, the trick is catching people's attention. and the only thing that people see are a bunch of men fighting on television all the time, or negative commercials on television, or acerbic editorials, they'll turn their attention somewhere else. we wanted to bring some fun, some levity, but be serious-minded at the same time. >> christopher anderson joins us now. he's out with a masterful biography called "the good son." thank you for joining us. i ask that question, what did we miss about the upbringing of john kennedy jr? >> first of all, i have to say, you look much better today than you did back then. [ laughter ] and i love all your books as well. look, what we didn't get right about jfk jr is that he was more bouvier than kennedy. that was a wonderful interview. you mentioned alon and president obama and a transformation that's taken place here and that is a quality that both jfk jr and his father had in spades, but i think more so in the case of jfk jr, because he was really a natural politician in many ways. his dad was a little reluctant with the kissing-babies thing. but john could connect with people. he was self-efacing and incredibly articulate. if you look at the pictures in the relationship with his mother, and the reason i wrote this book, that was a phenomenal relationship he had with jackie. they were each other's protector from the very beginning. >> did he ever think of becoming a european movie star? he looks like a european movie star. he looks french. >> there's the bouvier. you see pictures of his grandfather on his mother's side. he looks like that side of the family. he did want to act, as you may recall, and jackie pulled him back from the brink. she did say one of the most wonderful thing was seeing him act and she did on many occasions when he was at brown university and afterwards, but she thought there were great things ahead for him. her whole attitude was hands-on. she said if you bungled raising your children, nothing else in life matters. so she kept him away from -- >> people are going to go out and buy this book right now. it looks like candy for christmas. especially for those of us who grew up with the kennedys. the pictures in this book are enough. let me ask you about his possible running for politics. i talked to kennedy jr and said his numbers were very good. my question, john f kennedy jr, did he get polling done and see if he could beat hillary clinton? >> indeed there was a private poll, taken just before his tragic crash, his death. and he, by all accounts, his close friends said he intended to seek the seat of daniel patrick moynihan. he had gone to the new york chairwoman of the democratic party. he was intent on beginning his political career. ed koch told me, even if she tried, she couldn't have got that seat from kennedy. i think he was right. >> let's talk about the horrible ending. i read along the line that jacqueline kennedy was concerned about her beautiful son's interest in aviation and wanting to be a pilot someday. >> absolutely. >> and it's so unbelievable. it's a premonition from hell, but go ahead. >> she shared that with maurice templeton, the last significant relationship she had in her life. look at the kennedy track record. uncle joe died in a plane crash. his aunt kathleen -- >> teddy was almost killed. >> alexander o'nasis, the son of john's stepfather was killed in a plane crash. so there's a long and terrifying list. that was the one thing that she worried about. it was only after that she passed away that he went ahead with his plans to get his license. and we see the tragic consequences. >> great book. the book is called the good son, about the attractive son of kennedy. you have a great son-in-law running a good part of this network. >> thank you, he's a great guy. >> sure is. up next, the big fight on the right between rand paul and marco rubio's regarding president obama's historic shift of policy on cuba. plus stephen colbert says farewell. what a show it was last night. all that straight ahead. you're watching "hardball," a place for politics, where you hear the debate. and cialis for daily useor you. helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, 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it won't be a white christmas for most of the east coast, but it will be a wet one. a storm system is expected to bring rain from florida to maine along with high winds. the midwest will see snow and ice. and health officials say the flu is widespread in 29 states. the strain in most cases is not covered by this year's shot. back to "hardball." ♪ ♪ >> at a minimum, i would say this, barack obama is the worst negotiator that we've had as president since at least jimmy carter and maybe in the modern history of this country. >> i intend to use every tool at our disposal in the majority to unravel as many of these changes as possible. >> this is all one-sided. that's what happens when you send a speech writer to negotiate a deal with a dictator. >> i think it sends an awful awful that the u.s. under this president is no longer a reliable ally in the feet for freedom and democracy. >> you saw marco rubio, jockeying for position in a crowded republican field of possibilities, launching an assault on president obama's deal to restore relations with cuba. he has a fight on his hands with senator rand paul of sdk and things are getting personal. rand paul bucked rubio by declaring his support for president obama's goal to end the cuban embargo. >> i mean, if the goal was regime change, it sure doesn't seem to be working. and probably it punishes the people more than the regime, because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship. if there's open trade, i think the people will see what it's like to -- all of the things that we produce under capitalism. so in the end, i think probably opening up cuba is a good idea. >> here's rubio with his lesser abilities going back at paul on fox last night. >> like many people that have been opining, he has no idea what he's talking about. the embargo is not what's hurting the cuban people. it's the lack of freedom, and the lack of competent leaders. >> today, the senator unloaded on rubio, saying, i'm a proponent of peace through commerce. i believe engaging cuba can lead to positive change. seems that rubio is acting like an isolationist who wants to retreat to our borders and build a moat. i reject this isolationism. it's a shot here against rubio. he was 7 years old during camp david when jimmy carter, the guy he said wasn't a good negotiator, brought together israel with his major strategic enemy, egypt, and forced a permanent peace treaty between the two of them. match that, marco. just do something like that in your lifetime. let's talk about this interesting fight on the right. we grew up with the idea, we all did, that the republican party was the hawkish party, anti-communist, anti-everything, anti-everybody, let's go to war. and now you see an interesting intra-mural battle where you see rubio carrying the traditional baggage of the hawks. but then you see rand paul, who's got to be the most spontaneous, and i have to say scrambling arguer i've ever seen. he doesn't say in the pocket. he's scrambling like rg3. he's always got something. >> you know, it's an epic battle between conservatives and libertarians -- >> it's epic, but it's new? >> it's fairly fresh. it's been simmering for some time, but coming out before the 2016 cycle and rand paul is playing on that and he's also playing on the fact that this is marco rubio's token cuban kid moment. hey, i'm cuban american, let me get some headlines here. so this is his way to come out and say really outrageous things, whether they be right or wrong, just so he can say, i'm out in front of the beipack, because he knows rand paul is playing it effectively ahead of that cycle. one thing rand paul is doing, why he's taking obama's position on this. he's saying, we do need to change up our strategy on this. he knows there's young voters who want to vacation in cuba. they know the strategy is outdated. >> and the cuban american vote is about 50/50 now. it's a wash. so don't assume you have to move in the direction of the red hots. >> the issue of cuba is no longer a defining issue for republicans. 20 years ago, the republicans came down hard. a lot of them in the house in the senate now don't care about this one way or the other. it's ancient history. they're more concerned about domestic policy and spending. it's going to be much more difficult for marco rubio to try to push rand paul to the side than maybe five or ten years ago. >> how does the white house sum this strange bedfellows situation up? >> president obama said he will continue to press this on. he had a press conference this afternoon and said he was planning to do what he wanted to do despite congress's opposition, and this is obviously one of those things. but he'd rather work with congress. but this is definitely something they've come out for and they are full throttle to do what they want to do. >> here he is, he fired back on critics of the cuba deal. let's watch him. >> what i know deep in my bones is that if you've done the same thing for 50 years and nothing's changed, you should try something different, if you want a different outcome. and this gives us an opportunity for a different outcome. through engagement, we have a better chance of bringing about change than we would have otherwise. change is going to come to cuba. it has to. they've got an economy that doesn't work. >> that sounds so millennial. the old guys didn't get it right. we'll try something new. >> it's a reflection of the administration trying to pivot into this kind of a mode. i think it's going to be, people want to get everything they want on this deal. republicans may be able to force their hands on things like maybe opening an embassy -- >> how do you do that? how do you stop the president who has the right to declare diplomatic relations with another country? >> they'll go to go to congress to approve shipping money in the state department to open up the embassy. congress will say no. they'll need that. without that, that could have an impact on some of this. but it depends on how much having a physical embassy matters. >> is that the house and the senate? >> both. >> obama made this announcement a week after they pass a $1.3 trillion budget. so he has the seed funding to move forward with the staff -- >> it strikes me as a little pissent. to not let the guy name an ambassador. just seems so petty, kate. it's not like debating. it's saying you can't do what you have a right to do. it's like saying we're not going to pay for the white house meals anymore, or close down the electricity in the executive branch. just seems so small-minded to use your power that way. >> congress will do everything they can to stop it the way they think they can. i called the man who is down there already ambassador. so there may not be an ambassador there, but there's a presence there. >> it's going to be very difficult for them to really -- the fundamental change has already happened. we are now talking about having normalized relationships with cuba. it's a fundamental shift and there's not a lot republicans are going to be able to do other than -- >> -- the cuban americans, jose diaz-balart, that would be hard for the republicans to shoot that down, i would think. >> in many ways, there are things that have ticked down over the years. the president has, you know, loosened travel restrictions. there's a pretty robust u.s. presence there, where they route things through the swiss government. so there's a presence there. >> really quickly, the underreported political dynamic, russia is about to build a spy base and the cuban relationship with venezuela and with people like iran, north korea, it's a very clever move by the president. >> and it could continue in the wrong direction for a while. i don't want to deal with the communist government. i don't want to meet with these guys. i'll go with a travel agent. their time is up, by the way. the roundtable is staying with us. coming up, stephen colbert's big send-off last night. looked like a lot of fun. alan alda, george lucas what a crowd. we'll talk about the beautiful song they sang on the way out the door last night. this is "hardball." thanks. ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin) ♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪ >> state of the union address will take place on january 20, that's the date that house speaker john boehner chose. we'll be right back after this. but i've managed.e crohn's disease is tough, except that managing my symptoms was all i was doing. and when i finally told my doctor, he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. when electricity is generated here's awith natural gasu: instead of today's most used source, how much are co2 emissions reduced? up to 30%? 45%? 60%? the answer is... up to 60% less. and that's a big reason why the u.s. is a world leader in reducing co2 emissions. take the energy quiz -- round 2. energy lives here. if this is your first time tuning into "the colbert report," i have some terrible news. this, in fact s your last time tuning into "the colbert report," until -- no, no, no. folks, until ten years from now, when they reboot it directed by j.j. abrams. >> we're back. it's officially the end of the era. stephen colbert signed off and the satirist did it in style, leading a massive course of celebrities at his sing-along. ♪ just like you ♪ always do tell the news ♪ ♪ keep the dark clouds far away ♪ ♪ we'll meet again >> we'll meet again. >>. ♪ some sunny day ♪ just like you always do ♪ ♪ till the blue skies dry the dark clouds far away ♪ ♪ so will you please say hello to the friends that i know ♪ ♪ tell them i won't be long ♪ they'll be happy to know that as you saw me go ♪ ♪ i was singing this song ♪ we'll meet again ♪ don't know when don't know where ♪ ♪ but i know we'll meet again ♪ some sunny day >> we're back with our great round table. charles and katie and john. did you realize what was going on is there? the last music from "dr. strangelove" when the bombs are dropping, and then henry kissinger while they're singing "we'll meet again." what did you think? i was supposed to be there but i had a brother-in-law party last night. >> i'm curious to see what happens when he goes -- >> will he be a new permit? >> well, he has to be. >> he can't be himself, though. >> but i want to see how much of the politics he's able to bring into late night sort of basic television. i think that that will be an interesting thing -- because he's done such a great job of helping along with jon stewart create this new brand on cable. and i noticed kimmel is getting better. isn't he? i don't know what the competition will be. i have a feeling he's a really nice guy when you meet him but he's a regular guy. i think he has to develop a hybrid of the guy he plays because chevy chase, as i said the other night, didn't work as chevy chase. he just disappeared because when he wasn't playing that character -- like jerry lewis played a character, the jerk, he called him. most guys play somebody. >> right, right. >> he made political news reporting more approachable, the whole game of politics more approachable. he represents that rat pack. >> let's watch more from colbert's sendoff last night. he reflected on some of his major accomplishments over the last nine years. zoe all those things they said i did, save olympics, the rally to restore sanity and/or for and/or cat stevens' career. none of that, none of that was really me. you, the nation, did all of that. i just got paid for it. thanks. thanks. that was really cool of you guys. >> nice when good things happen to good guys. thank you. when we return, let me finish with president obama today and how things are going racially in this country. i'm going to let the president speak for the president. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. thanks to angie's list, now it is. we've made hiring anyone from a handyman to a dog walker as simple as a few clicks. buy their services directly at angieslist.com no more calling around. no more hassles. start shopping from a list of top-rated providers today. angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. visit angieslist.com today. ...the getaway vehicle! for all the confidence you need. td ameritrade. you got this. were. the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists. and we've got more work to do on that front. i've been consistent in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow and slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks. and i think the overall majority of black people understand it's not an excuse. they're working hard. they're out there hustling and trying to get an education, trying to send their kids to college. but they're starting behind oftentimes in the race. what's true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up. not a hand up but help folks get that good, early childhood