windor. >> we know how this is going to end, don't we? >> yeah! >> this -- this is going to end with our full acceptance and inclusion into the life and citizenship of this nation. and even conservatives, those out there making all that noise, even they know it. >> we should not alter the purpose and meaning of marriage. when we stop this action, the court will respect our differences and marriage is between one man and one woman. >> today is the continuation of a watershed week for marriage equality. yesterday's hearing brought crowds to the court steps but little indication of whether justices were prepared to go big or safe. >> you want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution which is newer

than cell phones or the internet? we are not -- we do not have the ability to see the future. >> you're really asking, particularly because of the socialogical evidence you cite for us to go into unchartered waters, you can play with that metaphor, there's a wonderful destination, a cliff, whatever. >> here are the headlines, the "new york times" say justices say time may be wrong for ruling on gay marriage. >> i think this court very much wants to punt this bad boy back to the states as fast as they can get it there. they are more than hesitant to jump into this. our special guests at the top of this hour, former rnc chairman, ken mehlman, and david cissilini. i want to start with ken mehlman, former rnc chair, former campaign manager for

george bush's '04 campaign. it's been written about you that you are the highest profile gay republican in american history. it just crossed the wire from roi reuters that t-- >> i was actually in the hear g hearings yesterday in the oral argument, what i saw yesterday were justices that were taking a very serious issue, very seriously. they were asking a lot of tough questions to all three of the counsel that were appearing before them. what was interesting to me was that you heard from all sides two things that i think are important. one was how important the issue of marriage is. how central it is to an individual as a person, to their freedom to their essence.

as ted olson said, the single most important relationship you have. and the fundamental nature of that right, which in my judgment and our judgment the constitution ought to protect. a lot of discussion and issues. clearly the court was where res with it. >> you've been able to raise millions of dollars in support of marriage equality issues across the issue. 135 different republicans have signed on in favor of marriage equality. do you think these effort also pay off as we are hearing there is hesitation from all angles about whether or not these angles should be coming before the supreme court? hesitation from kennedy himself, considered to be the most pivotal swing vote. >> i think anybody who this you can watch an oral argument and predict what the court will do should be disabused of that. the health care case showed that was foolhardy to try to do that. what i hope that brief does is

it reflects how a lot of folks think around the country. that is make the conservative case for why we think marriage as a fundamental right ought to be available to all americans, gay or straight. the first point we make in the brief is that fundamentally this is about freedom and the job of courts, even if you feel as we do, don't believe in the courts getting 1r06ed in decisions that ought to be left to the legislatu legislature. if you believe in fundamental government it is the job of courts in some circumstances to come in and say the state or a referendum have file laviolated fundamental right. >> on that point specifically, i want to play some sound yesterday from what we heard that plays very well into what you're say being how the court might come down on this.

take a listen. sorry, i thought we had the sound from inside the court yesterday. forgive me. this is really where they were showing their hand, so to speak, tipping the fact that they were conservative. maureen dowd wrote in the new york time s ths that courting courting cowardice. this court is plenty bold imposing bad decisions on the country, but given the chance to make a bold decision, putting them on the right and popular side of history, they squirm. why do you think the justices are so cautious? >> it's a mistake to try to predict based on questions where the justtiices are. there's a lot of discussion about the fact we're in unchartered waters. in a lot of ways we're not.

marriage for 5,000 years is an institution that has helped improve societies all over the world where it's applied. it's helped to encourage stability, make sure that when someone gets old there is available to them someone else who will care for them. it's helped encourage mult wall commitment. and it's helped raise kids. what we're saying, is to take a group of people and say you are excluded from this conservative institution, this institution that promotes conservative values is wrong. justice kennedy said children are being raised by loving couples who happen to be of the same gender in california. the fact their moms or dads can't get married, that hurts those children. so we think from a lot of different perspectives, a freedom perspective or a promoting family values perspective, it makes sense for the court to overturn proposition 8. >> you've been very good using your connections to reach out and connect to people across the

aisle, come forward and show support for this. laura bush did not want to be part of a marriage equality ad from a cnn interview where she was in support of marriage equality. do you feel disappointed by that? and are you working behind the scenes to get the former president and the former first lady involved? >> i was happy when the former first lady supported her right to marry. whether she wants to be in a particular ad or not is a much less important question. she's been on the record saying that. i respect her very much and appreciated her position, as i did when vice president cheney took that position several years ago. >> want to ask you, as a maryland guy, a guy that lives in new york -- >> fellow maryland guy. >> correct. a guy that lives in new york but also d.c. a lot, are your plans to get married? >> i have no plans to get marry, if you have any telephone numbers, let me know. >> stand by, we want to bring

into the conversation, the former president of equality members and former adviser to president bill clinton, and rhode island congressman, david sis cicalini. i want to play this sound inside the court with justice scalia and bringing up reservations. >> i'm curious, when -- when did -- when did it become unconstitutional to exclude homosexual couples from marriage? 1791? 1868 when the 14th amendment was adopted? >> may i answer this in the form of a rhetorical question? when did it become unconstitutional to prohibit interracial marriages? >> congressman, i want to ask you, when we talk about that, those kinds of comments, do you think that the justices are going to use yesterday's questions in the same way to approach doma today? >> i think, again, as ken was

saying, it's very hard to predict what the court will do based on their questions. i think that question illustrated that it becomes unconstitutional to deny people access to marriage when the court says it is unconstitutional. probably that same question was in peoples minds when the court struck down the ban on interracial marriages. i think the difference today will be that the federal courts have recognized that states have the right to define marriage, that has always been the case. what doma does for the first time is injects the federal government into that and denies people benefits that married people get based on sexual orientation. i think today will be a different argument. it will be, again, honoring the decision by states, requiring the federal government to recognize marriage as defined by states. >> as the congressman brings up, it's about loving versus virginia in 1967, to overturn the ban to interracial marriage. at the center of this is the 83-year-old edith windsor denied

benefits when her partner of four decades passed away, they were married in canada, however that marriage was not legal here. she had to pay over $300,000 in taxes. bill clinton signed doma in 1996, then we have former secretary of state hillary clinton coming out in favor of marriage equality. how much could your former boss's reversal be a factor in today's hearing? >> could be a big factor. it's very rare for a former president, especially the president to sign the law to come before the supreme court and say this was a mistake. i think it could have a big impact today. >> congressman, a number of democrats in the senate have flipped on marriage equality this week along. and nancy pelosi who will appear at those doma arguments wrote an op-ed saying we could bend the moral arc of history once more

towards justice and secure a future of equality for all american families. why were democrats who were not previously evolved seem to be racing now to support marital equality? >> i think they understand where we're headed and want to be on the right side of history. i think this is an example where the court is behind the public. the public has moved on. the majority of americans now support marriage equality. this is an instance where the court has a chance to catch up, that we will be a country in which everyone has access to this important institution. and i think everyone wants to be part of this and look back and say i stood on the right side of history. i stood for equality, for preventing discrimination against people with sexual orientation and support of marriage in civilized society. it's being driven by young people who are changing the hearts and minds of parents. >> is it silly to read the tea leaves? >> i think it is.

you can never tell what the court will do based on the questions they ask. so much of it is positioning for each other and testing out certain ideas. today's case also, i think, is a much easier case for them. there's a federal law, a number of federal appellate courts have struck it down. the case yesterday, prop 8, was asking the court to think boldly. i think they may still do that. if we get a big ruling on the doma case today, whatever they do, it will be a momentous term in the supreme court for gay rights. >> gentlemen, thank you very much. appreciate all of you being here. coming up later in the hour, i will speak with mayoral candidate for new york city, christine quinn, and karen morgan will join the show. this is her first interview since charlie's death. coming up, a public apology from david petraeus, what he

said and how it could impact his future. today's question for you, will the supreme court dodge the issue of marriage equality? h. they don't? [ male announcer ] nope, but alka seltzer plus severe sinus does it treats your worst sinus symptoms, plus that annoying cough. [ breathes deeply ] ♪ oh, what a relief it is [ angry gibberish ] like shin splints... over here. or runner's knee... ah. i recommend dr. scholl's active series insoles with triple zone protection to help reduce pain from three sports injuries. i can feel the difference. i'm a believer ! dr. scholl's active series. i'm a believer.

so, america's view of congress has been on a steady slide with members getting dismal numbers in the polls. today a new poll out showing congress is getting more popular among one group, hispanihispani. 30% of americans have a favorable view of congress, that number jumps to 56% among hispanics. with me now, perry bacon, msnbc contributor, angela rye, political strategist, and robert tranum, former bush/cheney adviser. kind of a mini reunion. got see ken mehlman.

>> indeed. >> as we looked back in november of 2011, only 25% of hispanics saw congress favorably. now 56% does this mean republican efforts show that the change and stance on immigration is working? >> i think congress shows us that everyone in congress, republicans, democrats, et cetera are working on immigration reform. that's the key here. they're moving towards an issue that hispanics care about and moving aggressively on it. >> president obama with a 57% favorability rating, down 3 points from the end of january, but his favorability stands at 83% when we speak specifically of hispanics. he won the hispanic vote in november. is the minority support among democrats wrapped up in the support of president obama? we think about pushing ahead to 2016, whoever will step in as a democratic candidate, they need to know where the democrats are

on immigration reform. since the president promised this in '08 and 2012, they want something. >> sure, as we should. we are all citizens, deserve not only to have our issues heard but acted upon. the president has made a commitment, reaffirmed that commitment. he urged this gang of eight to carry on. you see them now at the border dote. i think that their support is in part tied to immigration reform but also has a lot to do with the progressive agenda he's pushing, whether it's gun control, gay marriage or anything else. >> let's talk about gun control, robert. politico headline out today says that -- it's catching attention. that gun control momentum is gone and has washington waited too long. enthusiasm is far greater among gun control opponents than it is among advocates except during the immediate aftermath of the massacre, referencing newtown.

is the momentum gone, and is what what opponents, obstructionists wanted? they wanted the heat to die down over peoples emotional reaction to what happened in newtown? if i could change the question a bit, when you look at what harry reid is trying to do, the democrats control the senate but there's alre deep, deep red states and also blue states that don't meld with gun control, north carolina, virginia, south carolina, arkansas, those are some states that are deeply conservative from a cultural standpoint but also from a philosophical standpoint that democrats control the senate. when ask you those senators will they support a universal background check, the answer is no. it's not necessarily a talk abo democratic senators and wavering on expansion of gun control.

there is overwhelming support for background checks in their states so why are these lawmakers, when they know there are constituents that want to see this, tougher gun regulation, why would they waiver? >> a couple of things. some of them have elections coming up. not that that makes it right, but it is what it is. special interests are winning out here forsaking what just happened. you also have a situation where there was a poll that was relesira pole released yesterday about gun control. forget background checks, background checks is an easy win from the african-american perspecti perspective, we're talking about assault weapons that they won't even take up on the senate floor. folks are lacking connecting to communities of color in the states. >> thomas, this is not the nra speaking here in the states, these are the constituent

speaking. this is a deeply conservative culture where they really do -- i don't want to say cling to the second amendment but the gun culture is extremely rooted in their culture, so these are the constituents speaking to their senators saying we're not the bad guys, we love our guns and are respectful to the second amendment. >> how do we make perry bacon look short on tv? it's impossible to do, but we do it. >> i'm six feet tall. >> i know, you're a tall man. so nice to be here with all of. coming up, you'll mete the woman who will be running the secret service. the first female to lead that agency. first today's produce's pick brought to you. an upscale restaurant in beverly hills has taken a different approach to those who don't show

up for reservations, they shame them on twitter. you can check out my facebook page for some of the shame tweets, and we are hearing from that british teen turned millionaire after yahoo! bought his app for 30 million bucks. he said he had no plan for a shopping spree. >> well, i can't really touch the money. four years ago the founders of the company tongal reimagined how commercials could be made. instead of hiring expensive ad agencies, they could get inputs from all over the world. today ford, mcdonald's and nasa are all using tongal. nice! great! [ laughs ]

a shot like that calls for a postgame celebration. [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat! [ male announcer ] from the way the bristles move to the way they clean, once you try an oral-b deep sweep power brush, you'll never go back to a regular manual brush. its three cleaning zones with dynamic power bristles reach between teeth with more brush movements to remove up to 100% more plaque than a regular manual brush. and even 76% more plaque than sonicare flexcare in hard to reach areas. oral-b deep sweep 5000 power brush. life opens up when you do.

at a hertz expressrent kiosk, you can rent a car without a reservation... and without a line. now that's a fast car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. i never worked with a female asian before. how many are there? >> about 125. >> pure window dressing. >> excuse me? >> window dressing. >> remember that? a scene from the movie "in the line of fire" it could be at the heart of a groundbreaking decision by president obama. the president made history yesterday when he appointed agent julia pierson to head the

secret service, the first time a woman has been in charge of the agency. of the 3,500 secret service agents, women make up just 10%. the "washington post" reports that pierson signed off on the 2005 decision to destroy videotapes of prisoners subjected to what some called torture. the appointment comes at a time when the secret service is still recovering from a prostitution scandal that took place last year. prosecutors in italy have three months to explain why they want to reopen the case against former american foreign exchange student amanda knox. another conviction could land knox back in an italian jail. her original conviction was overturned by an appeals court. kercher's mother and sister said they welcomed the retrial. they said all they want is justice for the victim. more trouble for justin bieber. one of his neighbors in california tells police bieber

attacked him during a shouting match yesterday. the battery allegations come on the heels of a series of meltdowns and bizarre behavior that the pop star has shown. all smiles for this weekend's powerball player, he claimed his cool $381 million prize at a formal ceremony yesterday. the convenience store owner is recovering from a string of bad luck including a fire in his store that happened three years ago. and this is collie, an orphaned polar bear cub making some new friends at the alaska zoo. he will stay at that zoo until he is taken to his permanent home located in buffalo. [ male announcer ] what are happy kids made of?

bikes and balloons, and noodles on spoons. a kite, a breeze, a dunk of grilled cheese. catches and throws, and spaghettio's. a wand, some wings, soup with good things. sidewalks and doodles and wholesome noodles. puddles and pails and yes, puppy dog tails. for a lunch like this, there's a hug and a kiss. because that's what happy kids are made of. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

so we're keeping a close eye on the situation happening at the united states supreme court. justices there about an hour into the oral arguments on doma, the defense of marriage act. those arguments are expected to wrap up within the next hour.

one of the most memorable public protests happened in 1971 in new york city when a group from the gay activists alliance walked into the city's license bureau and did this. this is the marriage bureau, but it's been taken over by the gay activist s alliance. i'm sorry, we can't help you. sorry. if you come down, we'll be glad to talk to you. give you some free wedding cake. we may even have a gay celebration at the chapel. we'll be here for quite awhile. >> over 40 years ago. joining me now is new york city council speaker mayoral candidate christine quinn. speaker quinn, great to see you today. >> nice to see you. >> if elected you would be the first openly gay female mayor of new york city. you represent the city, where we see that demonstration taking place back in 1971. when you look at what's taken place, this watershed week for the supreme court, what does

that mean to you and your family? >> it's just remarkable. it's amazing how far we have come because of the hard work and activism of the people like the ones you just had up on the screen. in a short time, if you think about the course of history, we have an incredibly huge question that will make all families like mine equal in the united states before the supreme court. we have a moment where the supreme court can make a decision and send a message that the united states of america embraces all families equally under the law. that is a huge moment for our country to move forward to really become a more perfect union. >> edith windsor, 83-year-old edith windsor is the plaintiff at the core for the doma case. she will serve as grand marshal at the gay pride parade in new

york city. she suffered a large financial loss when her partner died. some call doma the epitome of big government. asked whether bigotry is too big to fail. what do you think of that? >> edith's case, she's such a wonderful woman. look at the story there. women who were together for decades, their whole life together. one got sick. the other one didn't walk away, she stayed and took care of her until she died. that's a commitment. that's a union. that's a marriage. and then a little bit after her wife died, she gets a letter from the federal government saying you are less than everybody else, we'll really make you feel that you're less than everybody else through making you pay over $300,000. it's not about the money. it's about being left out from the rest of the country at a particular moment when you need everyone and everything support.

bigotry has failed and been eroded and taken down time and time again in this country. the progress we're making on marriage is remarkable, edith's bravery is part of what is compelling us forward. i believe we will see bigotry further taken down by what happens in the court. >> we should know from the court at the end of june when they come back with rulings on prop 8 and doma. i want to shift gears. there's been an unflattering coverage of you recently. the "new york times" wrote an article about you and your candidacy for mayor of new york. i want to show everybody this direct quote saying that controlling, tem peramental and surprisingly volatile with a habit of hair-trigger eruptions of up checked face to face wrath. is that how you work in politics? >> i always said i had a big personality, i always said i'm a pushy broad and i want to get

things done. sometimes to get things done you have to be aggressive. i hope i'm never over the line, and the times that i have made mistakes and been over the line i'm the first one to pick up the telephone and make an apology. but i'm passionate about the work i do, passionate and in a rush to make things better for new york city. sometimes you have to push to make that happen. this is a tough town. you need tough people leading it. i'm never going to apologize for fighting hard for new yorkers. if i step over the line on it, i'm sometimes too loud, i'll apologize for that, but i'll never back off from pushing to make new yorkers lives better. that's what they deserve. that's why they elect to us office. >> if we look at the parallel of that, or a contradiction of the tough persona on the cover of new york magazine, you said you took your cues from the magazine's creative team. a lot of people call it glamorous. other people, detractors took hits at you.

you're the only woman in the field of man mayoral candidates in the city. it was asked if the new york would have profiled you if you were a man. you know, instead of being described as the way that you were, that it would have been described in a way of showing tough leadership skills. what's your take on that? >> my take is on the new york magazine is that i look good. i like the picture. i had a lot to of fun i took it. it was a fun once in a lifetime day to kind of get that model treatment. and, look, i'm christine quinn. i wake up every day, i'm a woman, i'm a lesbian and fighting hard for new yorkers. if people want to write a story about that and the totality of who i am, that's their business, they can. if they want to write stories about other people, they can do that, too. i'm proud of the work i've done for new yorkers, seven balanced on-time budgets, keeping fire

houses open, passing more pro-tenant legislation than anyone in the history of new york. growing manufacturing jobs during the recession. i've gotten that done with my colleagues, it's not easy. it takes hard work, that's what i've done. >> christine quinn, great to have you on. >> thank you. >> yes, you did look good on that cover. >> thank you. >> thank you for joining us. we have a new battle over abortion on the line in the midwest. north dakota's republican governor signed three anti-abortion bills yesterday. one is considered the strictest in the nation, banning abortions once a heartbeat is detected. the attorney general said the state is ready for lawsuits. joining me now is the director of the red river clinic, the only abortion clinic in the state. what is your reaction to the governor's decision? this is not just one, but

talking about three different bill bills. >> right. it was a disappointment when he signed them. we had hoped he would veto them. he took an oath of office that said he would uphold the north dakota constitution and the u.s. constitution, and he basically just set north dakota tax payers up for a long, lengthy battle over this. i don't think this is what every day north dakotans want from our state. >> the senate for reproductive rights says it will challenge the bill on the clinic's behalf. you said the bill is not the one that will end abortion, so why -- are you anticipating a massive legal fight in the days ahead? >> you know, we are already in a legal battle with the state of north dakota from legislation they passed in 2011. we go to court in april on restrictions for medication abortion again with the help for

the center from reproduction rights. the center vowed to fight the heartbeat bill. but it's duplicate of what's happening in mississippi where doctors are required to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. there's only two hospitals here, and one has requirements that doctors will not be able to meet. we're up for the challenge. we have had donations rolling in. people walking in the door, people calling, sending donations in. it's been a flood this morning. so we're ready for the battle. with the center's help i feel confident we'll prevail in the end. >> you talk about your current battle. since 2011 we've seen different states pass bills that ban abortion after 20 weeks. arizona now prohibits abortion 18 weeks after fertilization. on march 6th arkansas banned abortion ten weeks after conception. why do you think this is now coming to north dakota? >> well, i think there's a

perfect storm that's happened here. north dakota legislature only meets every other year, so they're kind of playing catch up with some other legislatures. we have billions in reserve. we have a budget surplus from the oil money, so nobody is afraid to spend the money. we had in 2011 another person who had a bill come forward, and a senatesenateer killed the bil was redirected, he had to run again, he lost his spot. so other senators and representatives are scared. they want to keep their jobs, keep their seats, and they have been bullied and threatened with losing their seats if they don't get in line and vote with the bills. >> tammy, nice to have you join the show today. thank you. >> thank you. thanks for having me. just ahead, the military

officer's dying crusade was to fight doma. she died right before leon panetta extended benefits to zf members. i was cooking dinner for my family.

all of a sudden, i was just wringing wet from head to toe. boom. heart attack. i'm a nurse and a care giver. never once did i consider that i might be having a heart attack. it can happen to anyone at any time. the doctor recommends bayer aspirin to keep this from happening to me again. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. it's working. six years and counting. know the symptoms. talk to your doctor. ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just tastes that way.

[ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it. heart-healthy, whole grain oats. license and registration please. what's this? uhh, it's my geico insurance id card, sir. it's digital, uh, pretty cool right? maybe. you know why i pulled you over today? because i'm a pig driving a convertible? tail light's out.. fix it. digital insurance id cards. just a click away with the geico mobile app. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word... if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts... well muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour one

on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour three. zyrtec®. love the air. waiting to give your newborn peanuts, milk, fish or eggs due to food allergy concerns in new recommendations suggested these foods can be given to children as young as four months, prior to contradictions of waiting up to age three. so they proudly fought in our nation's military branches, now they're home and looking for work, looking for jobs. hiring our heros is a $45 million campaign by the u.s. chamber of commerce and nbc universal and helping to get vets back to work in different

jobs. more than 18,000 veterans have already been hired through the program. right now in new york city thousands of vets are lining up to speak with potential employers at a hiring fair. richard lui is there. explain what typening into and jobs they could get hooked up with. >> i'm right in the middle of the main floor. we have toyota to my left, bosch to my right. we have the new york state troopers. they hired 300 vets last year. they'll have a test in about two months, many individuals interested should look at that. nestle waters, they have jobs. the most difficult part is that transition from military service to civilian industry jobs. some of them are even facing this as couples. >> it's not really competitive, it's more like a friendly competition between us. not that we're going against each other, but on a positive

side, it feels like it increases our odds of one of us getting hired. >> give them a road map so they can follow some things which they knew instinctively. other things which they did not, but it certainly gives them confidence that they can get it done. >> the medal of honor recipient, colonel jack jacobs talking about the trouble transitioning. they're trying to help vets and spouses get jobs. a great accomplishment. some of those tools that the colonel was talking about is this here, heroes get hired. this helps with jobs specifically, and another book that has come out, everyone serves. thomas, this book also assists with trying to get whole family s families to go through that integration process. thomas? >> very cool.

thank you very much. great to see you. a public apology from general david petraeus. in his first public speech since resigning over an extramarital affair, the former cia director apologized at the university of southern california's an whnual dinner for veterans and rotc students. >> i apologize for my circumstances that led to my resignation from the cia. >> chris christie promises to play the heavy to prince harry's ways. the republican governor joked he plans to keep a firm grip on the british heir by personally chaperonining harry around the state. >> i will be spending the entire day with prince harry. believe me, nobody will get naked if i'm spending the entire

day with him. new york city mayor mike bloomberg not only wants to hide cigarettes but ban the cheap ones. a companion bill to the smoking legislation sets the minimum price for a pack of smokes at $10.50, and that's using your head. president obama, take a look. using his hoed. there we have it. john kerry using his head, too i think the president might have been better there. they were displaying their prowess to the l.a. galaxy team. we've shared what we've learned, so we can all produce energy more safely. bp's also committed to america. we support nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. oh.

let's go. from the crack, off the backboard. [ laughs ] dad! [ laughs ] whoo! oh! you're up! oh! oh! so close! now where were we? ok, this one's good for two. score! [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat! [ construction sounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪

there's a moment where the sergeant touches the flag to the coffin, just a moment, before he hands it to the general, who then handed it to charlie's wife kar karen, her wife. the new hampshire national guard knows what marriage is.

that was an emotional moment on the steps of the supreme court yesterday honoring charlie morgan. the former army officer became a staunch advocate for the rights of same-sex couple until breast cancer took her life earlier this year. it happened the weekend before then chief panetta extended full benefits to same-sex couples. joining mess is karen morgan. first off, it is with such heartfelt sadness that i welcome you back. every time we've had a chance to meet, it's always been with charlie by our side. just know for all of us here we are very sorry about charlie's passing. just to remind everybody, charlie was diagnosed with this recurrence of breast cancer. she fought it valiantly, but she said something very important on this shy on our air when she appeared last. take a look.

>> time is of the essence for me, because if something was to happen to me, as i said before, i want to make sure my family is provided for. i came back from deployment, proving i'm willing to put my life on the line for my country. it's important now that my country protect my family. >> karen, you are still a doma plaintiff. as you pay attention to what's happening today, what are your hopes for your family? >> i'm optimistic and hopeful that the supreme court will find that doma is unconstitutional. our family and many, many other families across the nation with gale spouses of soldiers deserve to be recognized, and i'm hoping that the supreme court will be able to do that this year. >> your family is still not eligible for those benefits that we mentioned about leon panetta extending after the death of charlie, because they say the rules cannot be appliedport humously.

where does that leave you and your daughter casey elena. >> yes, that's correct. charlie passed away the day before lee zone panetta made his announcement. i was informed that those benefits that he was able to extend would not apply to me. now, casey is a legal dependent, so she will be taken care of. however, i will not be eligible for social security or v.a. benefits, and i will not be able be buried next to charlie in the veterans cemetery here in new hampshire. in fact, panetta's announcement didn't touch the issues of va benefits, social security, and health care for gale spouses. those were not included in the benefits extended under that announcement. i have since applied for a v.a. and social security and been turned down due to doma.

and how hurtful was that that this happened on the heels of charlie's passing, know they knew full well of charlie's valiant battle? >> yes, it was hurtful, however, it gives me hope. charlie and i knew that this was possible that our family would be left out of whatever decision was made in the long run, if she passed away before a decision was made. so, you know, in the end, even if something is not extended to me, the important part of our fight really is that other families across the nation will be recognized ultimately, receive benefits in recognition that is due to them as soldiers who put their life on the line for their country. >> i think it really is amazing to people to think that out of what evolved from repealing don't ask/don't tell, and

charlie came out live on our air when don't ask/don't tell was repealed. that started our relationship with you. and that started our relationship with you coming on this program. is your hope for casey elena that this will rectified this summer absolutely. i think it's really important for this generation. one of the beautiful things that i have noticed and remarked upon in the past is that casey is not aware of discrimination. she does not understand it. she doesn't have the language to sdrip describe it. that's the case with a lot of kids her age. they just don't understand how different types of people can be treated unfair ly i'm hoping tht is the legacy that charlie and i pass on action is that future

generations just take fairness and equality for granted. >> karen morgan, nice to see you. thank you for coming on. i appreciate it. >> thank you, thomas. good to see you. >> absolutely. so that's going to wrap things up for me today. thank you so much for joining me. i do appreciate your time. we will be back with you tomorrow. now with alex wagner coming your way, joy reed fills in for her today, after this. because alls aren't healthy unless you actually eat them ♪ multigrain cheerios. also available in delicious peanut butter. healthy never tasted so sweet. we make meeting times, lunch times and conference times. but what we'd rather be making are tee times. tee times are the official start of what we love to do. the time for shots we'd rather forget, and the ones we'll talk about forever. in michigan long days, relaxing weather and more than 800 pristine courses make for the perfect tee time.

because being able to play all day is pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org. vo: to the elegant trim es in each and every piece, bold will make your reality a dream. a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring.

like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto®