john boehner gave it his all. he tried as hard as he could, out there on the floor, grabbing members, putting his arm around them, trying to reason with them. he worked very hard to try to get this through. >> narrator: many of the conservative true believers were angry that plan b included a concession: raising taxes on millionaires. >> i got to tell you, i was very disappointed in some of my republican colleagues who didn't see the wisdom of moving in that direction. >> even guys like cantor and ryan can't bring along the most conservative members of the caucus. and that's how unruly the republican caucus is right now. >> narrator: boehner knew that plan b was in trouble. and just before the vote, he called an emergency meeting. >> so boehner calls a surprise conference meeting. all the members get a text message, "come to the basement of the capitol right now. at 7:30 at night, we're going have a meeting." >> narrator: every republican caucus meeting starts with a prayer. >> but usually boehner does not himself

what is more offensive, john boehner's language or john boehner's job performance? text "a" for language. text b for performance to 67622. you can always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. we'll bring you results later on in the show. >>> joining me tonight, congressman chris van hollen of maryland. he is a ranking member on the house budget committee. congressman, good to have you with us tonight. >> you too, ed. >> i just want to cut to the chase on what boehner is telling the american people. he says that they have passed two bills. that was in the 112th. legally, they don't apply right now. is that correct? >> that's exactly right, ed. it is totally false. the republicans have done absolutely nothing to replace or avoid the sequester in this new congress, nothing since january 1st. and whatever they did last year has absolutely no force of law, period. so they've done nothing, nada. >> okay. so now you have come forward with a solution on the house side to get things moving. it's to the point. it has revenue. but the republicans are saying they're done with revenue

i don't think john boehner has stood up on anything. there are at least some republicans on immigration doing something. i don't see him anywhere. >> i disagree. i think he had guts and then lost his guts. he actually started out doing this grand bargain and as soon as someone said boo, notably, the people in his own leadership team, then he realized he had no guts at all. so, you know, i guess that redefines guts. >> sequentially, he had the guts to negotiate with the president to a certain point, but then he did not have the guts as he says here to take on his own -- >> there is that. i think evaporating guts don't -- >> i try. >> the republicans have been consulting pollster neil nuhouse, quoted as saying this "i kind of emphasize to the members that second midterm elections have never been friendly to the president. you can't count on that. that's not going to happen. we've got to realize that the house republicans are going to be obama's top target." so boehner is being told, don't just sit there and think on a midterm you guys aut

because john boehner couldn't control his caucus. don't forget, that's how we got into this mess in the first place. as you pointed out, talk about a lack of leadership, my goodness. >> steve, isn't this what the republicans have wanted all along, across-the-board cuts? i know they're very concerned about defense spending and defense projects, because it's in the backyard of a lot of these republicans. but across-the-board cuts is really what they wanted all along, because this is going to force the democrats to possibly go after the big three. what about that? >> i think there is something to that. i mean clearly their hopes all along were the sequester, as damaging as it is gives them the cuts that they want without any real revenue. the president was able to get $600 billion in revenue towards the end of last year. but at this point republicans are thinking no more revenue, no more compromising, and they want a deal that has 100% cuts, zero percent revenue. and for all the ills, all the damage it's going to do the military, the ec

john boehner and the republican caucus in the house. the only people standing in the way of avoiding this disasterous sequester, which will kick in friday unless they act. great do see you today. we've got lots and lots to talk about here across the board. we have a new secretary of defense, chuck hagle and we've got more warnings about -- more concern about horse meat in ikea's meatballs. they say they haven't found any in the united states yet is the key word, i believe. whatever it is, you are going to want to talk about it. you can do so by giving us a call. 866-55-press. you can join us by following us on twitter and give us your comments. we invite them @bpshow. and i can join us on facebook. become our friend on facebook. facebook.com/bill facebook.com/billpressshow. friends of the entire team, peter ogburn and dan henning. doing good? >> yes indeed. >> hump day. >> already. boy am i tired. >> and phil back we can's has the phones. sip ran on our video cam, of course, this morning. hell 0, cyprian. and, you know, i must say, i do

. >> john boehner shot back. quote, the president got his higher tax. $600 billion from higher earners with no spending cuts at the end of 2012. he also got higher taxes via obamacare. the president's sequester is the wrong way to reduce the deficit, but it is here to stay until washington democrats get serious about cutting spending. the government simply cannot keep delaying the inevitable and spending money it doesn't have. unquote. question, president obama wants to pin sequestration on the republicans. speaker boehner calls sequestration, as you saw, quote unquote, the president's sequester. is he right? >> yes, he is right, in that it was proposed by the president and by his folks when they had the budget impasse, as a way of i say, putting pressure on both sides at some point to deal with it. but our government is so dysfunctional we are at this particular stage now. the problem now is, where do we go from here in terms of this is going to undermine the confidence of the country in the government, and its

so that's mitch mcconnell, harry reid, nancy pelosi and john boehner. in response i think to the number of democrats and the first lady bringing victims of gun violence with them as guests to the state of the union this year, to highlight that issue, one republican member of congress this year has decided to do his part to advance the serious consideration of gun violence and lawful gun ownership in america by inviting as his guest for the state of the union this gentleman. >> mr. ted nugent is a musician. i believe he is still mostly known for "cat scratch fever", but i could be wrong. he was investigated by the secret service last year after telling an nra convention in april of 2012, quote, if barack obama is elected, i'll either be dead or in jail this time next year." texas congressman steve stockman has invited ted nugent to be his guest for the state of the union. but if you think about what he got in trouble for with the secret service last year, barack obama's elected i'll either be dead or in jail this time next year, if you think about that,

john boehner said the president was using troops as pawns. but, you know, if you look at woodward for example, bob woodward's column, there is this beltway fever in washington that everybody in order to be taken seriously has to support cuts-to-medicare and social security even though that is widely unpopular with the american people. so what you end up with in washington is what is typically he said/she said journalism. the president has put out detailed plans on what he would like to do. he has offered opportunity to negotiate, and john boehner as speaker with the emperor with no clothes. there is nothing speculated that if he compromises he'll lose his speakership. >> michael: right. and on the other side people saying if he doesn't compromise he is going to lose his speakership as well. >> right. >> michael: along those lines, then, karl -- yeah what were you going to say? >> no, go ahead. >> michael: along those lines i want you to put on your gop dunce cap, how could the republican party win over public opinion on the sequester? >> it i

neil: you know what i read into, katie maybe you can help me, john boehner saying i'm done. he is tired of it, he is not playing the game if it means he will take some heat, he is willing to take the heat, my own reaction, i wish he were of that mine set about 8 weeks ago, but coming as it does now, i argue better late than never. >> goodly is realizing it, the fact is that republicans have passed budget after budget, plan after plan to reform entitlement and they are not getting the credit for plans they have passed and democrats have somehow pinned blame of all economic problems on the republican, joe john bain are saying look we're not getting credit for the work we're doing so why continue to put the hard work in to the plans, if is time for democrats and white house to pro sent to us what they want, and minoritity will look at it when they are done with the heavy lifting. neil: you know what would worry me more, i think it is a do something that pushes the sequestration cuts down the road again. however they cobble together a deal. i think that markets fall on impact on

john boehner said in april 2011 he got 98% of what he wanted. i'm not sure that a lot of that caucus is not just delighted with this. i really believe that. i think they're actually excited about this. beats me why. it's going to really hurt middle class people a lot. macroeconomic advisers out of st. louis, probably the most respected in the country say this is going to shave 6/10 a percentage off gdp. >> if you have a $3.5 trillion budget for the year and yank $85 billion out of it over a seven-month period, obviously it's going to have an affect. republicans don't even seem to be on the sage page with their message. some of them say the cuts are president obama's fault, and the others are saying the cuts are no big deal. here it is. >> i would say balderdash. it's true. unfair, dishonest, disingenuous, the president is making stuff up. >> why are they having so r such a hard time with their message? >> well, the truth of the matter is they came up with the idea because they said this is so insane, this is so out of bounds that no one would al

so i would echo john boehner's words and say guys, get to it. of course, we had a contest between harry reid today and john boehner on who had the toughest, roughest childhood and heard the saltiest language growing up, whether you heard it in a bar or growing up in ohio or whether you heard it in a small town in nevada growing up amongst brothels. i don't know. we may have to have a throw-down on that one. >> all i can say is please, harry, john, just get out of the sandbox. thanks to both of you. >>> still to come, for the first time in 600 years, talk about tradition, a pope is stepping down. he will keep his name but will be called pope emeritus after he steps down as leader of the roman catholic church on thursday. he's going to change his wardrobe. so much of this is about pomp and circumstance. that's what makes a lot of organized religion. he will no longer be wearing the red shoes, opting for brown and dressing in white. what do the changes mean? it's the pomp and circumstance that can be fascinating. i notice some people may say these

john boehner, eric cantor, and paul ryan, and paul ryan and cantor are going to keep boehner to the right. i mean, cantor and ryan's advisors have told us privately there is no opening for tax revenue in this deal at all. i'm want sure if john boehner would do it independently of them, but the people that we've seen who have been completely ineffective are the people on the house armed services committee, the people who make these decisions usually, but the chairman has not been able to sway boehner at all. we've seen the stalemate because of that, and cantor and rooen are going to keep boehner on the right. >> people outside the process are saying this is the dumbest way to do business, to have a meat ax approach and have across the board cuts. yes, it does achieve some budget savings, but does it not in any kind of intelligent way of planning. >> which is why if you talk to the people on capitol hill, the people who are making these decisions, they say that down the road if there are huge economic damages -- i mean, we don't really know what's going to happen to the economy if the seque

that is something john boehner pointed to saying we have looked to cutting. and then you actually look at the numbers, and they were called out on it today. it doesn't cut. so the plan and threat doesn't involve something they want to do. and the so-called cutting doesn't cut, because they can't shrink the government this way. >> so are we headed for another time-buying maneuver at the last minute that creates another 30-day window in which to decide this this? >> well, it looks like the sequester cuts will take some amount of time. maybe there is a solution there. it is hard to see, nobody is negotiating, nobody is working with each other. everybody is trying to figure out the best political position. >> and nothing until 11:00 p.m., until the sequester hits. >> it doesn't even seem like there are the movements towards negotiations. and it is hard for me to see, i think both sides feel like they prefer the sequester than to any deal that the other side is offering at this point. >> krystal ball and ari melber, thank you for joining us. >>> and we'll see more

the house republicans are saying what is john boehner's plan. they know what it is because they passed two bills. you said no one wants the plan. we just heard john explain a majority of the public wants the plan. the democrats may have a plan somewhere in the vapors. when it comes to language on paper and having votes, they haven't done that. when it comes to a plan period, we tonight have that from the president whatsoever on paper. specifics. he is running around the country yelling about doom and gloom and no specified plan to forestall it when it is his idea in the fist place. >> he may get in trouble if the doom and gloom don't work out as wilbur suggested they won't work out. i agree. the president is going to lose a knock or two on the polls. it was the bernanke rally today. got us about halfway back from yesterday's stock market decline. up 116 points. that's progress. good economic reports as well. we're going to get wilbur ros' thoughts and as mr. ross said, don't forget the free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. i lov

so i would echo john boehner's words and say guys, get to it. of course, we had a contest between harry reid today and john boehner on who had the toughest, roughest childhood and heard the saltiest language growing up, whether you heard it in a bar or growing up in ohio or whether you heard it in a small town in nevada growing up amongst brothels. i don't know. we may have to have a throw-down on that one. >> all i can say is please, harry, john, just get out of the sandbox. thanks to both of you. >>> still to come, for the first time in 600 years, talk about tradition, a pope is stepping down. and we have some very specific things that are going to happen. one of them has to do with his ring. thousands of you sent us feedback about a story we reported on yesterday. did yahoo!'s ceo go too far? vo: business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! vo: earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality. i work for 47 different companies. well, technically i work for o

with john boehner. if you recall, he even came up to the capitol hill, he even talked to the house republican caucus trying to get their support for his stimulus package and boehner and mcconnell and eric cantor were down there at the white house for meeting after meeting after meeting and what do they do every single time they walk out of the meetings, they walked up to the microphones at the stakeout position and they trashed obama dumped on obama stabbed him in the back. they never went for anything that he proposed. john boehner then met privately with the president three different occasions three different times. they made a deal. and then john boehner came back to the house. eric cantor said oh, no, you don't, buddy. john boehner reneged on the deal. what is the purpose of meeting with john boehner and mitch mcconnell? nothing is going to happen. the president's put a plan out there. erskine bowles and alan simpson who now are considered the gods of budget deficit they've had the same plan out the

and john boehner's response, as you just heard, he just did that. >> that's the thing. we always heard, you guys raise taxes, cut defense spending and then we will come back with a compromise on spending cuts. but, no, we raise taxes. we come forward with pentagon cuts and the president comes back with, you know, we want to tax more americans. let's raise taxes, again. >> you wonder where this ends now then. because if the president is not going to go anywhere without any more revenue, where does this take us? we have the plan in place that was supposed to do both of those things. we're at that point on friday and we're going to hit it and neither side is going to get to it. what's the end game? how do we end up? >> how do you think it's going? i'm just curious. republicans always lose these budget battles and i get a sense for the first time that it's the president that's overplaying his hand and talking about fear and loathing. now talking about more tax cuts, saying that, you know, speaking of dogs, your dog is going it be forced to eat dandelions in the backyard. >>

what john boehner has to decide is whose side is he on? is he on the side of the country or will he be let himself be led around and dictated to by these tea partiers. at a point americans don't say w -- care who said what to whom, who started it. that's part of the problem. i think the republicans are so busy fighting each other, they can't even see what a bigger problem they've got. >> luke, if you're still with us, i'd loov to ask you this. is speaker boehner, did he have some kind of experience, epiphany over the christmas period, where previously he was prepared to resolve this matter with the president and now the tea party has got back at him and he's back under their control and their sway. is that what happened? >> reporter: i think what karen said is really dead on in terms of the importance of these cuts for those tea party republicans. they believe this is the tangible thing they can point to that they did when they came to washington. >> right. >> so john boehner being in a very difficult position to stop them -- >> therefore