Its a tale as old as time. Three pigs three houses. Straw, sticks bricks. But only one that i really want to get in to the white brick house, the strongest of them all. These others are just in my way, but not for long because in this town you have to know which way the wind is blowing. And right now, its about to get very windy. I cannot believe that. Thats the house of cards. Yes, it is. Muppet style. I like it. Welcome to morning joe. Mike barnicle is here along with willie, joe, and me. Good morning. Hi, willie. How are you . Pretty well. We have a huge show today. Gosh ann curry is going to be on Elizabeth Warren is going to be on. Your president ial candidate. Are you going to beg her to run or throw money at her . Ill try to keep myself together. You can have a fundraiser over there with all of your rich continental friends. I think shes good. So you see this va story. Yeah. Yeah. Why dont we starter there actually because i want to take a look at the video again. Veterans Affairs SecretaryRobert Mcdonald has been forced to admit he was not in the special forces as he once claimed. The Huffington Post reports mcdonald actually served in the army with the 82nd airborne after graduating from west point but it was this january when he made a comment to a homeless man caught by cbs that prompted the
report. Last night. Even the vas new secretary Robert Mcdonald was out counting. Are you a va veteran . Yes. Really . Army navy, air force . Army. What unit . Special forces. Special forces. What years . I was in special forces. According to the Huffington Post, mcdonald told him, quote, i have no excuse. I was not in the special forces. I reabouted spontaneously and i reacted wrongly with no intent in any way to describe my record any different than it is. The white house says it has accepted mcdonalds explanation. Lets bring in the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who broke the story, david wood. David, bring us up to date. Good morning, guys. Well, its created, as you can imagine, quite a storm. Look whats important here is that this man is the person to whom weve entrusted the care of our veterans. Yeah. It would be different if it was the secretary of education who made a remark like this. And you know we hold people accountable. Thats what we in the press do we hold them accountable. What happens now i think depends on how this is received by veterans around the country. David its willie geist. Is there any indication that theres a pattern of this from bob mcdonald because if this is in fact, a slip of the tongue hes obviously a guy who has served his life and served with a lot of diss tinkstinction. He graduated from west point and served in the military. Is this evidence of something that should be looked into further . Of course it should be looked into further but i couldnt find any instance where he made this claim before. But, you know heres a guy who made the claim, as i say you know, we hold people accountable. And so i think a lot of people will be watching from this point out. The other point is that he does have a good military record. He served with distinction in the 82nd airborne he went
through Ranger School which is famously very very grueling and he took a number of other courses, desert and arctic and jungle Warfare Training served admirably in the 82nd airborne, rose to be a captain. So he has a good military record. He doesnt need to do this which makes it even more perplexing that he did. All right. David wood thank you very much for bringing us this story. We appreciate you being with us. Mike barnicle what do you think . I think were going way overboard here. With all due respect to david and his reporting youve got a guy here, west point grad 82nd airborne, encounters a homeless person in the streets of los angeles, a guy with no resort to anything. He says, hey, what did you serve with . Special forces. Trying to establish this thing, yeah, i was with special forces. Let it go please. What do you think the people in special forces think . Nothing. You dont think anybody in special forces think anything about a guy who claims to be in
special force . Again 82nd airborne west point grad serving his country now with distinction, let it go. I think what they care about is what he does for the va now. If there is a pattern revealed bigger story. Correct. I dont see it at this point from looking at that. Big news overseas. Potential breakthrough in the talks between iran and United States. Thats just what i was going to say. Really . A new round of negotiations was going the take place next week after senior u. S. Official revealed that progress was made. At this moment the deal would involve a Nuclear Freeze for at least ten years. American officials were pushing for up to 20 years. The deal would keep iran at least one year away from being able to make a bomb but the restrictions would likely be eased as time goes on. Israels defense minister quickly criticized the developments warning while agreement threatens peace in israel and the west it comes as a top secret document from
israels spy agency in 2012 contradicts claims made by Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu in a dramatic speech at the u. N. Where he warned iran was about one year away from making a nuclear bomb. If these are the facts, and they are, where should a red line be drawn . A red line should be drawn right here here, before before iran completes the second take of Nuclear Enrichment necessary to make a bomb before iran gets to a point where its a few months away or a few weeks away from amassing enough enriched uranium to make a Nuclear Weapon. Supporters of the Prime Minister are warning there will be political consequences for democrats who skip his address to congress on march 3rd. But two senior Democratic Senators durbin and feinstein, are infighting him to a closed door meeting with democrats during hiss have it. Mika obviously republicans, john boehner have been attacked for inviting him over for republicans dealing with Benjamin Netanyahu. Now the democrats, you know the president not going to meet him. Doesnt want to see him. Now the democrats are joining in John Boehners game. I think its uncomfortable and divisive. One argument is hes here lets try and meet with him and lets try and make this so both parties have a chance to talk to him. Were running up toward the elections there. The whole thing is wrong. Benjamin netanyahu should cancel. So should the democrats cancel their meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu . It seems to me like theyre stirring the pot even more. At the same time they might be looking for equal time. The whole thing is wrong. Do you know why the democrats are doing this . I think they would like to have access to benjamin
netanyahu as well and hear from him as well and speak to him as well since hes going to be here addressing congress on the invitation of the republicans. I think theyre scared. I think just Like Netanyahu supporters said, democrats who dont show up that dont show up are going to be punished politically and these democrats, after criticizing boehner, are now rushing in the fray to say, me, too, me too, me, too, which i find to be when they say theyre going to be punished politically, what do they mean by that . How would they be punished . I think theyre going to be punished. They are going to look at the people that stand with the Prime Minister of israel whether they like him or not, during a time when a lot of israelis and supporters of israel including myself, across the world believe that irans future is determined by whether iran gets a nuclear bomb or not. So if democrats want to sit on the sidelines during this time let them sit on the sidelines. But people wont forget. Major talks potential deal with iran and six powers right now, its a bad time for this type of political game. If you dont trust the administration and you dont have a Good Relationship with the administration and you are elected to protect and serve the people of israel i think now is the perfect time for Benjamin Netanyahu or any israeli Prime Minister to come over here. I mean when should he come over here . From whose perspective are you speaking . Israeli people. Okay. If lets say and this is so hard for americans to do. But lets say that mexico has been promising to wipe america off the face of the earth for 20 years, just say since 1979 and then we find out that mexico has a Nuclear Program and new zealand is the country thats negotiating with mexico on theirNuclear Weapons and new zealands leader just doesnt seem to like israels leader. So do you sit back and not get involved in that process or do we have a say as americans about Nuclear Weapons in mexico city that could be pointed up at us . You smirk as if the prospect of a Nuclear Holocaust in israel is a laughing matter. Im not laughing. I just think that its interesting the perspective that youre taking here and i think youre very good at what you do. Whats that . What perspective is that . I ask from whose perspective is this beneficial . And you went right to the people of israel. Israel. Maybe you ought to lead tours like another president ial candidate is. Im telling you right now this whole visit that was started off by john boehner and the republicans and now democrats are getting involved for whatever needs they have is, i think, playing with fire
political gamesmanship and undermining to our president from the perspective of the United States of america. Our president will be just fine. You asked the question though and lets be focused here on what im answering. And that is your question as to why he would come over here now. Im explaining why now because the talks are at a critical stage. I asked why this was a good idea and from whose perspective. Its a good idea from the perspective of a lot of people in israel. Okay. You always smirk. So lets get to the Nuclear Talks between iran and six world powers. Should i talk about the people of monaco better . Should i talk about the people from nice the people you are more familiar with. Maybe the people who represent us in washington who started this whole thing. Im curious as to whether you think its a good idea from that perspective. Well, i think the democrats will jumped onboard so they obviously think its pretty good idea. Jumped onboard. Why do you jump onboard a bad idea. Im holding you to your words. If a ship is going down you dont jump on it. I heard that. Joining us now from washington, codirector of the Trans National threats project at the center for strategic and international studies. I know that place. Tom sanderson. Congratulations, tom, for coming. Were going to let you sort out the debate from mika and myself. And from istanbul Richard Engel. So tom, we have some really interesting developments overnight obviously. Weve got the leaked documents from assad suggesting that the iranians arent actually as close to getting a Nuclear Weapon as Benjamin Netanyahu said they were in the u. N. Speech. Tell us about that. Well, it seems that we have a nice confluence of events here providing a tail wind to the Nuclear Negotiations. You have the leaked documents. You have the continued low oil prices that are pushing the iranians in the direction of making a deal as well as just the overall concern that the hard liners can only be pushed back for so long. In the u. S. You have our president who is eager to get
this done before the election. So you have quite a bit of momentum here that seems to be positive. It looks promising. From the experts that youve talked to from the experts that you trust, from the people that have been involved in these talks that you trust on both sides of the aisle, is this a good deal for america, is this a safe deal for israel . Well, it seems to be the best deal thats out there. I think thats what people are focused on. Youre never going to get the perfect deal. I think the leaked documents reenforce this notion that israel can live with this deal and i think that the u. S. Will as well. So again, its a good deal or the best deal that seems to be on the table right now. Richard engel, let me ask you because its always fascinating. We in america always look at this as an iran versus israel battle when in fact youve got the sunni states across the middle east that are just as fretful of iran getting a Nuclear Weapon as israel. Can you tell me what the response has been as youve gone around the middle east and now in turkey about the possibility of iran getting a Nuclear Weapon . There is an absolute panic in this part of the world about iran getting a Nuclear Weapon. Saudi arabia doesnt want it absolutely. Turkey doesnt want it. The uae was in fact a couple years ago quietly pushing for the u. S. To take preemptive military action against iran. So this is something that israel is deeply concerned about. And the Sunni Arab States. Going back to that leaked document. What exactly did that leak documented say . The leaked document said that when netanyahu went in front of the u. N. With that famous picture of a bomb that his intelligence agencies didnt agree with him, that he was way out ahead of the intelligence agencies and that his intelligence agencies didnt think that the threat was that real. So thats one argument as the other guest was suggesting that would say, well, maybe there is room to have a compromise with
iraq. But what critics have been saying, including in israel and including in the arab world is how do you monitor this . The idea is to keep iran one year away from having a bomb. Well, how exactly do you do that . It involves lots of monitoring. It involves a degree of good faith. Think about iran having all of the pieces for putting a nuknuclear bomb together. Think of a motorcycle thats been taken apart and all the pieces are sitting out in front of a blanket. This is how one analyst described it to me. All you have to do is prevent iran from putting the pieces together. How do you monitor that . They have all the pieces. You just have to watch them and make sure it takes them at least a year to do this assembly project. Thats a very hard thing to monitor. Tom, its willie. From the iranian point of view what is their incentive right now and is their incentive different than from years past from developing a nuclear bomb . Why would they be more so to do it now . I think theres a clear concern that certainly among the leadership the religious leadership, that they very noorly lost the public and the economy is going down the drain. So those are two big incentives on the part of the iranians. They want to be reintegrated normalized and they want to reintegrate with the world economy. Those are huge huge goals for them and this deal gives them a facesaving out. It gives them some capability over time and i think theyre going to take it. Lets move on now to iraq where officials are saying theyre making gains in the fight against Islamic State militants. The progress is being made in the town of el baghdadi. Iraqi Officials Say 70 has been liberated from isis control. Some residents are beginning to return to their homes. And new skooe landzealand will be sending 100 troops to help train iraqi forces. Over in syria a human rights
group is report that isis kidnapped 100 people from christian villages. Meanwhile, new defense secretary Ashton Carter met with more than two dozen military intelligence and diplomatic officials in kuwait to discuss the u. S. Strategy against isis. He referred to the group as team america and told u. S. Troops he is confident victory will be achieved. We are crashing isil from kuwait and elsewhere and we will deliver lasting defeat. Make no doubt. Richard, weve heard a few reports about obviously making gains against isis in el baghdadi and also some supply routes. David ignatius reporting earlier this week being cut off. Isis may not be on the run but certainly over the past couple of weeks, other than putting out horrific videos they do seem to be back on their heels. What are you hearing over there though . I would not be overly
optimistic that they are back on their heels, frankly. Theres been some advances in baghdadi that the government is talking about. The kurds who took that strategic supply route a couple weeks ago are still advancing and theres a Shiite Militia massing on the edge of tikrit. I dont know if you consider that progress or the opposite. But isis still controls the main cities of mosul and isis just broke out into libya. It is effectively taking over a new country. So if that is defeat of isis or isis on the road to defeat i would hate to think what isis success would look like. Richard engel, thank you have been much. Some a very cheerful. Thank you as well, tom. Thank you, richard, as always for always providing a very clear idea of whats going on here. We really appreciate it. Thank you, tom. So mike are we taking isis
seriously enough still . Do you think we finally awakened to the threat . Oh, i think we have awakened to the threat quite a while ago. I think ash carter had it down pretty well. Meeting in kuwait with all the field commanders. I think he has a new purpose, outlining a new purpose. I think were more than taking it seriously. What are we going to do . The president hasnt quite figured out what to do has he . Its a multifacetted threat. Again, you get to our culture more than what isis is doing the, horrendous t