Why the chances for a grand bargain may be fading

>> big news.

>>> other big news today. march 13th . george scarborough 's birthday! happy birthday , george!

>>> down to politico, mr. mike allen , has a look at the playbook. you guys are taking us behind the curtain as you so often do. talking this morning about the grand bargain. bl they, won't they get one? based on what we saw yesterday, paul ryan 's budget from the house and patty murray 's budget from senate democrats more or less likely today we can reach a grand bargain?

>> less likely. we agree with the point that joe is making at the top of the show that there is a bargain to be had, but the truth bomb, it's much more difficult than it would have been before the fiscal cliff at the end of the year, before sqeequesterion kicked in. democrats with focused on immigration. and on gun measures. if this is going to happen, it's not going to be because of some secret talks that are suddenly ignited by these dinners. it's going to be as part of the regular budget process . maybe the biggest thing that this charm offensive will accomplish is give the president some cred with republicans and help him with some of his other priorities and senator rob portman of ohio told us maybe the most sensible point. he said that republicans should assume the president is sincere. he says republicans should engage. the worst that can happen is they tried. a little moment from saturday's gridiron dinner showed us how far there is still to go. kevin mccarthy the number three house represent, during one of those breaks when everybody was milling around, saw that up on the head table there was an empty chair next to the president. he is like, this is my chance. so he went up and sat down next to president obama who was on his blackberry. when the president and mccarthy was thinking to himself the way that some other presidents would have been working that room at the moment. when the president looked up from his blackberry kevin mccarthy was kidding him. so when is my dinner invitation? the president said, i listen to paul. deal with paul, paul ryan , someone who is intellect, he respects. they had a chilly, short conversation. the president said if you're going to get what you want, you need -- it was definitely a mars and venus conversation what people were looking at in an era of good feelings .

>> the quote that congressman mccarthy gave us after the encounter about the president, he is still a law professor and would rather lecture you and put a red mark on your paper than talk with you.

>> very different styles.

>> mike allen with a look at the playbook behind the scenes . thanks, mike.

>> have a good week.

>>> coming up next their last name is their bond. two members of the kelly gang join us next. brian kelly and keith kelly here to raise money for a good cause and talk a little football too. more " morning joe " when we come back. i