Sam Stein Discusses Obama, Paralyzed Congress On Morning Joe (VIDEO)

Huffington Post political reporter Sam Stein co-hosted MSNBC's "Morning Joe" today. During a segment with Bob Woodward, Stein asked the Washington Post reporter what President Obama can do to advance his agenda with Congress in such an extreme state of paralysis. Woodward hinted that the President needed to take a stronger role, saying Obama needs to "take the watch apart" and say, "look, I've got this problem, this problem and this is what we're going to do."

Woodward then pivoted to how terrorism can be a game-changer, and related a curious piece of information, that Mutallab, the Christmas Day bomber, "has a phobia -- he doesn't like Supermax [prison]. He doesn't like being locked up 23 hours a day. In fact he's so horrified by it, he's cooperating fully."

Presumably anyone would be horrified at being locked up 23 hours a day, but apparently Mutallab is so terrified of it that he is going to give up all the information he has. Woodward said that the Obama administration, amidst all the controversy over how to interrogate Mutallab, got "lucky."

WATCH: (More clips below).

Former DNC chairman Howard Dean and Sam Stein of the Huffington Post join the Morning Joe gang to discuss the impact of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus program.

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Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., discusses the lack of civility that's hampering business in the U.S. Senate.

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Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, David Gregory, of "Meet the Press," and Sam Stein of the Huffington Post join the Morning Joe gang to discuss Evan Bayh's decision to not seek re-election.

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The Huffington Post's Sam Stein joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss President Barack Obama's renewed commitment to nuclear energy and the ramifications for Republicans who may oppose the plan.

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Bob Woodward of the Washington Post reveals that the alleged Christmas Day bomber is cooperating with U.S. interrogators because he has a phobia about prison.

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Comments

[nicole473]

02:19 PM on 02/17/2010

Hey Sam, just wanted to say that you did a fine job!

[JennyT]

01:47 PM on 02/17/2010

SAM STEIN - why are you gracing HackJoe's show?!

Ditto for Dean! (Although I loved his line about, "Tell me ONE thing Republicans have done about jobs?" (could easily substitue in 'healthcare reform', 'financial reform', 'campaign finance reform' and so on and so on. -- Dang, every democrat should be saying that on every show from now til kingdom come).

And Woodward?? What's there to say? He's sort of like the crazy old Uncle who you feel like you should give deference to, even though mostly nonsense comes from his mouth. (But of course, HackJoe and Mika were all "fascinated" by Woodward's jibberish).

Aye-vay - once again Sam - what were you doing on that show? Hopefully its just a stepping stone for bigger and better things, - and you don't have to demean your intelligence for too long. Dude, you're a relatively serious journalist, - HackJoe is a talking head.

[nicole473]

01:35 PM on 02/17/2010

When morning joe, and pat buchanan defend obama, the tides are definitely turning!!

[nicole473]

01:44 PM on 02/17/2010

and yeah, I know what that means. I am a glass half full kind of liberal.

[JennyT]

01:59 PM on 02/17/2010

I don't think they were defending Obama. I think they're saying if you throw us a bone we're going to take it and run with it --- but we're still going to do everything in our power to get you out of office and get our country back on a anti-govt, pro-corporation, trick down economy.

[nicole473]

02:06 PM on 02/17/2010

Not sure why you would see it that way, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

[Highlulu]

12:07 PM on 02/17/2010

i'm completely shocked... the president actually got credit for how moderate he has been his entire presidency.

[catbite]

11:52 AM on 02/17/2010

Paralyzed is an excellent word choice. They have shut down the country.

[faith2hope]

11:46 AM on 02/17/2010

The paralyzed congress is due to an outdated, out of touch group of white men in the GOP who are fighting the President on every turn because of the color of his skin. You can call it what you want, spin it any way you wish this has nothing to do with gevenmental policies or fixing america's problems, terrorist, jobs, this is all about a man that considers himself black winning the office of President of the United States.

The NO's are not followed with logical or reasonable responses or solutions just NO. You hear the contempt in the response of the HP GOP thread commentors using phrases like "enlistist, and arrogant" this is hate that surpasses helping America this is just old fashion racism. It like the GOP has been told they have to free the slaves and are fighting it at all cost. For all of you out there who are against Obama's ideology because you see a different way that's fine but what we are seeing in Congress right now has nothing to do with that. If its just the ideas then we should be able to come to a middle ground as in the past with other President but we can't even reach a middle ground. There isno way to spend this its just racism with a political face.

[HeevenSteven]

11:16 AM on 02/17/2010

Anybody catch David Gregory's word salad?

[OhgReaTone]

11:12 AM on 02/17/2010

The Democrats won the election and acted as if they had won World War II - they demanded unconditional surrender by the Republicans. This act of retaliation for years of being mistreated by the Republicans has not served anyone. ...........

http://thefiresidepost.com/2010/02/15/how-to-lose-a-political-majority-in-ten-months/

[jcolumbus]

12:14 PM on 02/17/2010

You mean the Republicans can't give up their power from the last 8 years and work with the Dems.

[HeevenSteven]

10:51 AM on 02/17/2010

How did Woodward come up with that 'segue'?? I just wanna blab my scoop, and I'm outa here?

[bridgeman]

10:32 AM on 02/17/2010

Great leadership finds ways to create an environment for bipartisanism.
Reagan and Clinton figured it out.

Obama's mistakes are twofold.

1.He entered the stage thinking that his super majority was liscense to shove his ideology down everyones throat unchecked....chalk that on up to arrogance and inexperience

2. He handed key policy issues to the biggest bipartisan hacks in congress Reid and Pelosi.
Obama let them define him.

Note: Before you start blaming the repubs for everything
the dems better clean up their own house. Progressives are killing the Dem party.

You are learning first hand that America will never move that far to the left.

[citizen of the universe]

01:22 PM on 02/17/2010

The problem with your far left philosophy is that the country hasn't moved period. Also, note that the far right philosophy got tossed on its petard in 2006 and continued to be rejected until Obama's Presidency and it is still being rejected by the majority of Americans today. I know the media may have you thinking the Tea Party is representative of America, but they are a small group of misinformed Republican voters who vote against their own self interest time after time. I think Obama should move forward with the few Democrats in Congress with a spine. All those in the way should be voted out including the do nothing Republicans who are wasting their constituents money by being in Washington and not working.

[bridgeman]

04:08 PM on 02/17/2010

I know that you may think that every critical comment is coming from the far right...but i am an independent that leans right on some issues and far left on others.
I think you are making the mistake that most progressives and some tea baggers make....you attribute fair and honest criticism to the extremist on both political spectrum.
You have quite simply lost your ability to view political reality objectivity.
You may want to observe how independents are feeling and thinking...because they were a major reason Obama was elected...it's not a pretty picture

[zest]

10:19 AM on 02/17/2010

Just as the republicans keep on saying in public that they are willing to cooperate with the majority party to solve America's problems and then vote no on everything, the president needs to keep on reaching out to the minority party for their input and then ignore it and get on with his agenda.

[LucieLee]

10:00 AM on 02/17/2010

This whole issue is dangling on the verge of diversionary hysteria! I'd like to thank Sam Stein for being the only sane if not reasonable one on that set this morning!

[Tugar]

09:55 AM on 02/17/2010

The President has just proposed "Working Together" the solve our national debt situation! However, WITH ALL THE GOP HAS BEEN DOING........ thus far.....

To continue their non-cooperative stance concerning everything the Obama administration proposes, America does not need outside enemies. We will topple ourselves in a short period of time! Sorry to say it, But I truly believe this is what the GOP wants! If they're not in power, to get us into baseless wars,... run up our national debt: (because they started this red-ink debt business under the GW Bush Admin)., and cause us to have a senseless govt't, run by ill prepared people, they just plain refuse to do anything constructive, such as agree with the President to help America out of anything! All of the past year's Washington rangling really has opened my eyes to what these so-called, Senators or members of Congress (even a few Dems) are all about... What's in it for themselves and/or their particular states ! And on the GOP side, their main objective is to see that Obama does not achieve a thing as President, with their help and cooperation, (all of which doesn't help America) !

There has to be a better way then this to govern our nation!

[WoodyCPM]

09:52 AM on 02/17/2010

So then the answer to Congressional gridlock is to lock up the GOP members for 23 hours a day. I'm okay with that so long as Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Blanche Lincoln are locked up with them.

[RnR]

09:32 AM on 02/17/2010

The "paralyzed" congress is paralzed because of the repugs who are committing treason. We are in a time of war...the penalty for treason during wartime is, actually, much better than these bottomfeeders deserve.

[Thune]

09:42 AM on 02/17/2010

If that was the standard, Reid and Pelosi would have been in front of a firing squar years ago.

[justwaitandsee]

10:05 AM on 02/17/2010

Oh really... do you have a link to back up your ridiculous assertion... My guess would be NO... just like Republicans don't have any proof to back up why they should continue to earn over 150,000 for a performing the like CEOs on Wall street.... They destroyed our economy and think they should get reward by getting reelected...

[Sobeton]

10:10 AM on 02/17/2010

if that is the case then Boehner and McConnell should be standing right next to them.