Obama’s ‘war’ on Christmas, ‘President’ Allen West, and Norquist’s Tea Party II: Electric Boogaloo

>> to our panel now. jonathan capehart is an opinion writer for "the washington post " and an msnbc contributor. and ana marie cox is a columnist for "the guardian." john, one conservative columnist is up in arms over the president's role in the war on christmas saying the president has too much of the christmas spirit . andrew malcolm writing for investor's business daily has criticized the white house for being extravagant in its show of the season. he just can't win sometimes, can you?

>> apparently not. i mean, could you imagine what would happen if, say, the white house had some scrawny christmas tree with a few colored lights, a couple of balls on it, and --

>> stop describing your own christmas tree .

>> i am not describing my own christmas tree . anyway, imagine what they would say about how -- here is the secret muslim who hates christmas and hates christians and is defiling the white house . it's ridiculous.

>> ana marie , we just saw a priest teaching the fox and friends weekend crew about the meaning of christmas . he says it's silly to spend so much energy getting upset at people during the festive clergy itself do esn't support the notion of a war on christmas , what is fox's purpose in continuing to hammer this line?

>> well, if you took away all the things that the fox news -- the morning show people especially get worked up about, that like really are not problems, they wouldn't have a show. i don't know exactly what they're going to do if you take the war on christmas away from them. i, of course, am protesting the obama drone strikes on santa's workshop. i think that's probably going too far . but i do dream of a world in which we can all celebrate christmas openly. so let's just keep fighting.

>> indeed. jonathan , alan west , who i know you like a great deal, is actually leaving congress. i know that's disappointed you, but listen to what he told npr about his future. listen to this, john.

>> and always remember, abraham lincoln only serve one term in congress, too.

>> dually noted.

>> when you think alan west , do you think abraham lincoln or are we to infer he's thinking of running in 2016 ?

>> good grief. he is no more like abraham lincoln as he was like harriet tubman . remember that classic historical figure he compared himself to? this is a man who has always viewed himself a lot more grandly than he really is, and it's a good thing that the people of his district voted him out so maybe now we won't be subjected to who he might compare himself to a couple weeks from now.

>> ana marie , do you share jonathan 's view or do you accept there's great similarities between the great alan west and abraham lincoln .

>> they walk upright.

>> this is true.

>> i'm thinking. i'm thinking.

>> two arms, two legs.

>> they're both men.

>> both men.

>> yes, they're both men. i mean, they both served in congress.

>> four.

>> i mean, i guess that's true. but also, you know, abraham lincoln i think decided on his own not to run again for congress. so there is a little bit of a problem even there.

>> didn't they also share the same hairstyle?

>> i think i have seen alan west in a stove pipe hat but i don't think there's any photographic evidence.

>> that's alan west and mc hammer .

>> that's right. i forgot. forgive me. grover norquist also made some headlines this week for something he said on "meet the press." both of you, listen to this.

>> that somebody is actually celebrating their faith and passing that onto me. i would respond happy hanukkah to you as well.

>> okay. one second. that was not the individual that i introduced. but here is grover norquist on "meet the press."

>> tea party two is going to dwarf tea party one if obama pushes us off the cliff.

>> so, ana marie , as sequels go, they don't often live up to the original. what do you think?

>> i'm glad you came to me first so i can say tea party two electric boog aloo before jonathan does. the tends for sequ -- rules for sequels tend to be they have to be more violent. i'm not sure there really is a tea party two, and if anything i think it's a weaker tea party moving into this congress. i'm not sure what grover thinks.

>> jonathan , what do you think? a tea party two? can anyone beat joe walsh of illinois, allen an west of florida?

>> i don't think there's going to be a tea party two. do you remember "alien." it was good. "aliens" the sequel was fantastic. " alien resurrection " not so much. if there is going to be a tea party two, it's going to be a " alien resurrection " feat.

>> grover norquist pregnant.