GOP failing first big test after re-invention

>>> show." well, the first big test of the new republican brand party is just around the corner. and folks, it really isn't looking too good. the filing deadline for the special election to fill the seat of senator john kerry is february 27th . now this was supposed to be a real good opportunity for the republicans to get a pickup here. former senator scott brown picked up the seat of deceased senator ted kennedy three years ago. but what a difference a few years makes. brown has since been defeated, and he says, well, he is not interested in this special election thing. former massachusetts governor william weld , he has also said no. tagg romney says i'm making too much money. the son of the former gosh and the former presidential candidate says no, it's the cash. these are not the only republicans who have passed on the opportunity to pick up a democratic seat. former state senator and a former lieutenant governor have also said no. the latest entry is fox news personality keith ablow , who is probably best known as glenn beck 's tv psychiatrist. sheer an example.

>> i did not evaluate joe biden , but if someone said to me listen, we want you to do what is really required to know what happened there, you have to put dementia on the differential diagnosis. get your own white board like glenn beck , right? because you've got to immunize yourself. because when i was on his show back at cnn when we first met, i was amazed by how willing he was to come forward with his pain.

>> pain! that's the key. dr. ablow says he will only declare his candidacy if no other republican challenges him. he wants a clean slate . state representative dean winslow says he is forming an exploratory committee . massachusetts republican strategist says "i think it's close to a lost cause. most people, including the b tier candidates felt scott brown had a chance to win the special election , but no other republican probably did. let's turn to democratic strategist chris cafinas. chris , great to have you with us tonight.

>> thank you.

>> it's just a good collection, isn't it?

>> dr. ablow, i think he needs a psychiatrist.

>> well, he would be interesting on the senate floor if he ever got that far.

>> oh, not going to happen in this lifetime.

>> all right. is this the republican party can do? or is there somebody really waiting in the wings and it's a timing issue and just hasn't stepped out saying hey, i want this seat?

>> this is the best they can do. it's a reflection of where the party is. by the way, in the northeast of the united states , california, the republican party is a dinosaur. it's extinct. and it's becoming more so because their policies and their national message is alienating the very voters they need to win in places like that. but they're actually having bigger problems in places like iowa , which i would consider a toss-up, or places like alaska where in that senate race it looks like joe miller is going to run again. and you have -- he is going to go up against a senator, senator begich, who is very popular, and he is already behind in the polls that have come out. so they're having problems all over the place, even in states where they arguably should be very competitive, if not leading.

>> they should be doing better in iowa . republicans were pretty excited about iowa , senator tom harkin leaving. but polls show the leading republican congressman steve king gets beat by any likely democrat. this a surprise? what do you think?

>> it's a surprise in terms of iowa , having done some work there, it's a rural state. it's not the northeast of the united states . it's not massachusetts. but they're also very progressive, and they're also a good judge of character. they kind of see through the game, if you will. and i think the state has changed over the last four or so years. it's kind of moved if you will more to the center, more to the center left . and candidates like congressman king and others just don't i think reflect the values of the preferences of the state.

>> now, on the national level, there is new jersey governor chris christie . let's take a look at his appearance on david letterman .

>> i've made jokes about you, not just one owere to. not just ongoing here and there, intermittent.

>> i didn't know it was going to be this long.

>> joking aside, christie has an innate ability to know the room and be the regular guy. and isn't this what the republican party is lacking right now? i mean, they've got an identity crisis. why not start with the regular guy next door? is he the best bet they have?

>> to some extent, the problem is how does he get through if he runs for president, how does he get through that republican primary . the party right now is dominated by a clear faction on the right that thinks their policies are the right ones for the country there is no negotiation, no compromise. whether that's on immigration, whether that's on taxes, whether it's on social issues. the problem that they ignore and the groups in the tea party in the farr right ignored is the country has moved. it's moved more to the middle. it's moved in a more progressive direction. and they don't want to change. and the mistake the republicans keep making at the national level is they think this is a branding problem. this isn't a messaging problem. they have the wrong policies for the country. and until you come up with new policies, they're going to continue to be in this tortured state.

>> but wouldn't christie be their best chance? i mean, if you wanted to get some moderate voters or possibly some independent voters, i mean, self-deprecation goes a long way in politics. if you want to win at the national level and have a guy that can go into, you know, all walks of life and meet all different types of people and be able to connect, chris christie is a very charismatic guy. he knows how to talk to different folks. he would be their best bet . but i think he's got about as much chance as i do of winning the republican nomination.

>> okay. i think they're doing all this playing around with gerrymandering and also electoral colleges because they know how strong hillary would be to beat. the only way they would even have a chance is to rig the field that of course is a different subject we'll do another day.

>> i think you're right about that.

>> chris kofinis, great to have you with us tonight. thanks for coming.

>>> coming up, house republicans held a hearing on immigration reform today. folks, it wasn't pretty. one of their ideas could create a whole new underclass of americans. i'll bring you the details.

>>> and later, a look at the government document making the case for killing americans suspected of terrorism. our panel weighs in. robert greenwald just back from pakistan, joan walsh with us tonight, and lawrence korb . we'll talk about president obama 's