>>> WELCOME BACK TO "THE LEAD."
TIME NOW FOR THE POLITICS LEAD.
SOME WOULD CALL IT A 
HEAVY-HANDED PUN.
OTHERS, A FAT SHAMING CHEAP SHOT
BUT NO ONE WOULD CALL IT SUBTLE.
THIS IS THE NEW COVER OF "TIME" 
MAGAZINE WHICH IS OWNED BY OUR 
PARENT COMPANY, TIME WARNER.
IT FEATURES CHRIS CHRISTIE, NEW 
JERSEY'S GOVERNOR, WHO HAS 
BATTLE WEIGHT ISSUES ALONG WITH 
THE HEADLINE "ELEPHANT IN THE 
ROOM."
IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE HE'S BATTLING
A SERIOUS WEIGHT PROBLEM.
LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL.
MICHAEL CROWLEY, CNN POLITICAL 
COMMENTATOR HILLARY ROSEN AND 
SENIOR EDITOR FOR THE NATIONAL 
REVIEW, RAMESH.
YOU DID NOT WRITE THE COVER, I 
DO NOT BLAME YOU FOR THE 
COVER -- 
>> NOTHING TO BLAME.
>> WELL, DEFEND IT.
WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH PEOPLE, 
KIDS ESPECIALLY, DON'T BULLY, 
DON'T MAKE FUN OF HOW PEOPLE 
LOOK, AND THIS IS RUDE.
>> WELL, LOOK, FIGURATIVELY 
SPEAKING IT'S VERY TRUE.
THE 2016 RACE THAT'S GOING TO 
FORM AROUND CHRISTIE, HE'S THE 
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IN THE 
RACE.
IS HE GOING TO RUN AND THE OTHER
CANDIDATES WILL BE 
ANTI-CHRISTIES IN VARIOUS WAYS.
FUNDAMENTALLY, THAT'S WHAT THE 
COVER'S ABOUT.
THERE IS A LITERAL ELEMENT TO IT
AND I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT 
GOVERNOR CHRISTIE HIMSELF HAS 
POKED FUN AT HIMSELF.
HE PULLED OUT A DOUGHNUT ON 
DAVID LETTERMAN AND I THINK THAT
HIS WEIGHT IS PART OF WHO HE IS 
AND HIS POLITICAL PERSONA.
BASICALLY THIS IS A STORY ABOUT 
HOW HE IS A HUGE POLITICAL 
PLAYER IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY 
RIGHT NOW AND WILL DECIDE THE 
EARLY CONTOURS OF THE 2016 RACE.
THAT'S WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT.
>> I'M SURE IT'S A FANTASTIC 
STORY BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING 
ABOUT THE STORY.
IT'S THE COVER.
>> ACTUALLY, THE ELEPHANT IN THE
ROOM MEANS THE PERSON WHO NOBODY
TALKS ABOUT.
CERTAINLY EVERYBODY'S TALKING 
ABOUT CHRIS CHRISTIE.
EVEN THE ANALOGY DOESN'T WORK.
LOOK, I FEEL FOR CHRIS CHRISTIE 
HERE.
I'M SURE HE IS -- YOU SPENT THE 
DAY WITH HIM -- IT IS CONSTANTLY
TALKED ABOUT.
EVERYBODY ASKS HIM ABOUT IT.
HE LIVES WITH IT AND I ASSURE 
YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO STRUGGLES 
WITH WEIGHT MYSELF, I'M SURE A 
DAY DOESN'T GO BY WHERE HE 
DOESN'T FIND HIS OWN REMINDERS 
OF IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, FOR THE MEDIA TO 
KIND OF TAKE IT AND EXPLOIT IT 
THAT WAY IS JUST KIND OF -- I 
AGREE.
IT'S JUST RUDE.
>> HE HAS THIS HISTORIC WIN, 
WINS 60% IN A BLUE STATE.
OBAMA WON BY 18 POINTS.
HE ACTUALLY WON BY MORE THAN 18 
POINTS, HE WON BY 22 POINTS.
HE WINS THE LATINO VOTE, THE 
WOMEN'S VOTE RUNNING AGAINST A 
FEMALE.
"TIME" MAGAZINE COMES OUT, 
YOU'RE FAT.
>> THERE'S A LOT TO CRITICIZE 
HIM FOR, BELIEVE ME.
>> I THINK THERE'S A LITERAL 
COMPONENT BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT
THAN THAT.
>> I READ THE ARTICLE.
IT'S A GOOD ARTICLE.
IT DOESN'T GO INTO IS HIS WEIGHT
SOMETHING THAT SHOULD WEIGH ON 
VOTERS' MINDS, SO TO SPEAK, IS 
IT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE 
A PROBLEM.
IT DOESN'T DISCUSS THAT.
THE ONLY TIME IT COMES UP IN 
THIS CHEAP SHOT ON THE COVER.
>> I'M GLAD YOU POINTED OUT 
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE STORY IS 
ABOUT.
THE STORY IS ABOUT HOW HE IS SO 
IMPORTANT TO THE REPUBLICAN 
PARTY RIGHT NOW, THE DIRECTION 
IT DECIDES TO TAKE, IS IT MORE 
OF A CENTRIST MODERATE TACK OR 
MORE OF A TEA PARTY TACK AND HOW
THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE WILL 
BE DEFINED AROUND HIM, AND IN 
THAT SENSE, HE -- 
>> LET'S GET META FOR A SECOND.
IF WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF THE 
COVER, IF THEY HADN'T DONE THAT,
WE MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT THE 
GREAT STORY IN "TIME" MAGAZINE 
ABOUT GOVERNOR CHRISTIE.
>> PROBABLY NOT.
WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE.
NOT TO SAY YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE 
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU 
DIDN'T WRITE THE STORY.
IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO GET BUZZ 
AND GENERATE CONVERSATION ABOUT 
"TIME" MAGAZINE AND IT DID SO, 
MAKING THE CONSTRUCTION LIKE 
IT'S WORTH IT, WE'LL TAKE SOME 
RAPS FOR FAT SHAMING.
IS THAT A FAIR ANALYSIS?
>> I'M NOT SURE -- LOOK, I'M NOT
SURE THAT'S RIGHT.
I THINK THAT THE POINT THAT THE 
COVER MAKES IS AN ACCURATE ONE, 
THAT THIS IS THE GUY WHO IS 
FIGURATIVELY, IT IS ALSO 
LITERALLY TRUE THE BIGGEST 
PLAYER IN THE ROOM AND IN THE 
REPUBLICAN PARTY RIGHT NOW, AND 
I JUST THINK THAT'S A TRUE 
WAY -- 
>> I'M PUTTING YOU IN A TOUGH 
SPOT.
>> THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING 
HIGH-MINDED BY NOT USING 800 
POUND GORILLA. 
>>> YESTERDAY THE PRESIDENT MET 
WITH 15 DEMOCRATIC SENATORS WHO 
ARE UP FOR RE-ELECTION TO TALK 
ABOUT THE DISMAL ROLLOUT OF 
OBAMA CARE.
ON THE LIST, MARY LANDRIEU OF 
LOUISIANA, ALREADY THE TARGET OF
THIS POLITICAL AD.
>> SHE SIDED WITH BARACK OBAMA.
>> IF I HAD TO VOTE FOR THE BILL
AGAIN, I WOULD VOTE FOR IT 
TOMORROW.
>> THEY ALREADY PUT THEIR 
POLITICAL CAREERS ON THE LINE TO
GET THIS BILL PASSED.
MANY IN THE HOUSE WERE NOT 
RE-ELECTED.
HOW BIG A PRICE WILL WE SEE WHEN
IT COMES TO SENATE ELECTIONS 
NEXT YEAR?
>> IT'S A LITTLE TOO EARLY TO 
SAY THERE'S GOING TO BE FALLOUT 
BUT I THINK THESE SENATORS ARE 
PUTTING THE ADMINISTRATION ON 
NOTICE THAT UNLESS, YOU KNOW, 
THE ADMINISTRATION CAN ACTUALLY 
KEEP ITS PROMISES THAT IT'S MADE
TO HAVE THIS THING FIXED BY THE 
END OF THE YEAR, THAT THEY ARE 
GOING TO BE CALLING FOR AN 
EXTENSION AND THEY MAY EVEN PASS
IT OVER SOME OBJECTIONS AND SEE 
WHERE THAT GOES.
YOU KNOW, SO FAR, THE SENATORS I
TALKED TO STILL HAVE THE 
ADMINISTRATION'S BACK, STILL 
HAVE KATHLEEN SEBELIUS' BACK.
I THINK THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW 
THAT ON THIS NEXT ROUND, THEIR 
CONCERNS HAVE BEEN HEARD AND THE
PROBLEMS GET FIXED.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE 
A DEMOCRAT WHO IS UP FOR 
ELECTION IN 2014 AND YOU'RE NOT 
CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS IS 
GOING, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR HEAD 
SCREWED ON RIGHT.
I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF 
NERVOUSNESS ON THE HILL AND A 
LOT OF GLEEFUL ANTICIPATION OF 
THIS AMONG REPUBLICANS, AND I 
THINK ALSO, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS 
BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE AS TO HOW 
MUCH OF A FACTOR THIS WAS IN 
VIRGINIA, A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN 
ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, HAVE 
SNEAKING SUSPICION THAT THIS 
HELPED MAKE THAT A CLOSE RACE.
>> YOU THINK SO?
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
DO YOU THINK THIS HAD AN EFFECT 
IN VIRGINIA, I THINK THERE'S A 
LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT THAT, AND DO
YOU THINK THIS REALLY COULD 
CAUSE MARY LANDRIEU OR ANY OF 
THESE REPUBLICANS -- I'M SORRY, 
ANY OF THESE DEMOCRATS IN PURPLE
MAYBE RED-LEANING STATES OR 
MAYBE SOLID RED STATES, TO LOSE 
THEIR JOBS?
>> I DO, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF 
THEM.
I THINK THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, THE
SUBSTANCE OF THIS IS TERRIBLE 
BUT IT ALSO CHANGED THE SUBJECT,
RIGHT.
SO THE DEMOCRATS HAD THIS 
WONDERFUL STORY LINE WHERE THE 
REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS THREATENING
TO TANK THE ECONOMY WITH THE 
SHUTDOWN AND THEY WERE ALL 
FIGHTING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND 
SOME OF THESE TEA PARTY FIGURES 
WERE SAYING THINGS THAT WERE FAR
OUTSIDE THE POLITICAL 
MAINSTREAM, AND THAT 
CONVERSATION JUST SCREECHED TO A
HALT.
NOW THESE POOR DEMOCRATS WHO 
REALLY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO 
WITH THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION 
OF THE PLAN SUDDENLY ARE FINDING
THEMSELVES IN THE HOT SEAT FOR 
THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO 
DO WITH TECHNOLOGY PROBLEMS THAT
WERE MANAGED OUT OF THE FEDERAL 
BUREAUCRACY FAR FROM THEIR DAY 
TO DAY LIVES AND THEIR OFFICES.
>> IT'S NOT JUST THAT, NOT JUST 
THE TECHNOLOGY.
WE ARE TALKING ALSO ABOUT 
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOSING THEIR
HEALTH PLAN DESPITE PRESIDENT 
OBAMA'S -- I THINK WE MOVED ON 
FROM THE WEBSITE IN SOME WAYS.
>> BUT THEY INTERSECT IN SUCH A 
DAMAGING WAY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT 
THESE PEOPLE WHOSE CURRENT 
INSURANCE PLANS ARE BEING 
CANCELED WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE 
TO GET NEW INSURANCE AND WILL BE
FINED IF THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THE 
WEBSITES AREN'T WORKING.
>> THAT'S WHAT REALLY IS 
UNFORTUNATE ABOUT THIS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO 
SUPPORT OBAMA CARE, WHO WANT TO 
SIGN UP FOR THESE PLANS, AND 
BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE
WEBSITE, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO 
RIGHT NOW.
>> I THINK WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM
THIS, YOU KNOW, BEING THAT KIND 
OF CRISIS.
>> WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
NO, NO.
>> DEADLINE'S IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
>> YOU SAID END OF THE YEAR.
THEY ACTUALLY SAID END OF 
NOVEMBER WAS WHAT THEY 
ORIGINALLY SAID.
