Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell dug in this morning by not backing off earlier statements that the GOP would use the United States debt limit as a bargaining chip to get the president and his party to agree to more spending cuts.
Placing the blame squarely on President Obama’s shoulders, McConnell called it a "shame" that Republicans "have to use whatever leverage we have in Congress" to get the president at the negotiating table. He also declared the prospect of raising taxes, "over" and added that any new tax reform would have to be "revenue neutral."
On the roundtable, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich chided his Republican colleagues for using the debt ceiling as a political leverage, saying that two other issues, the pending sequestration cuts and the continuing resolution to fund the government, were "much better fights than the debt ceiling."
Gingrich continued, "The debt ceiling guarantees a crisis. It guarantees that the markets will cave in on the Republicans. And the Republicans in the end will give up."
There was also reports this morning that President Obama intends to nominate former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) to become Secretary of Defense this week. Constitutionally, the president’s cabinet picks must be confirmed by the Senate and the two Senators on Meet the Press this morning, Mitch McConnell and Angus King (I-ME) said they will wait until Hagel's confirmation hearings before deciding how to vote.
McConnell added that Hagel will "be treated fairly" by the GOP but raised the prospect of pressing the former senator on his stance toward Israel.
You can watch the entire program on our website including an interview with Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, who headed the president's fiscal commission, on why they think leaders in Washington missed a "magic moment" with the fiscal cliff deal.
Be sure to check out David’s breakdown of what federal finances would look like if they were brought down to family size.
We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.
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Those aren't your thoughts! That's a summary of your show. How about getting rid of the facade and tell us what you really think???? That's what your viewers really want to hear.
The Republicans have one agenda to destroy Social Security and Medicare because the Koch Bro do not want to pay their half of the FICA! SS is Americans money not the gov! Why have the media not exposed the lies that SS is party of the debt. 150 countries plus China draw foreign aid, Rep say nothing about quitting this. 35 countries draw SS and they can retire at age 62 full benefits. We have never had a good economy with Rep. in office. Ryan said we would have to suffer. FDR warned Republicans about trying to destroy Social Security. Said it would be the end of the Rep party, you see that now, the end of the Republican party!
Bill Clinton made liars out of the hype of the Rep that kept America in poverty, Clinton when he bal the budget and left a 3.6 trillion surplus. All we heard from the Rep we have to cut cost for the children. Also have been lies. America had the revenue before the Bush tax cuts, Rep want to destroy SS and MC.
McConnell did not elect Obama! Obama has a mandate from the American people to stop the Rep from returning this nation to the Bush with the same agenda.
We have to have Revenue to pay bills, Rep want to cut our ability to pay bills, they are using it an excuse to destroy SS and MC! McConnell; twisting the facts, Rep.lost big time because voters want them out of office. They have had a strangle hold on American for years and continue to do so. Obama need to stand fast and not be fooled by Republicans.
it amazes me how little goes on between the ears of Liberals. Although the math dictates the system needs reformed or bankruptcy is on the horizon, Loony Liberals just ignore the fundamentals with Mental being the key word.
I believe Chuck Hagel would be an outstanding Secretary of Defense. Speaking truth to power is a necessary strength in this position and the president has consistently sought wise, thoughtful leaders for this post. The Senate should review his record of judgement and trust him on this, he has earned it.
I agree with Mr. Gingrich that the debt ceiling is both bad for the Republican Party and for the nation, there is no upside to this fight. The sequestration battle is much more significant and both parties can work a mighty deed for the nation on this. I also believe that Senator McConnell is well aware of this, but must hold the party unfaithful in line with his current comments. I don't mind the gamesmanship as long as in the end they do the right thing.
can't really stand mcconnell. republicans are succeeding in getting more and more dislike, in my opinion
We give aid to 150 foreign countries plus China.We give billions to the NFL,Hollywood, social security to 35 foreign countries. Republicans only agenda to cutting cost. 1. social security which has nothing to do with the debt. Laws passed in 1990 made it illegal for congress to spend the trust fund. FDR warned Republicans way back then about trying to destroy SS. Said it would be the end of the Rep. party.
The national news media refuse to tell the American people the truth that SS does not have anything to do with debt or cutting cost!
Republicans have one agenda, not cutting cost or bal the budget. The only thing they want Obama to do is attack the seniors of America and to privatize SS and MC. This does not cut cost, it saves the Koch Brothers billions and other big corporation if the did not have to pay their share of the FICA.It seems that Republicans (which I am one a conservative),Boehner,Cantor,McConnell,Ryan are puppets of the Russian Koch Brothers who want them to destroy SS and MC.
Obama won the election big time with a mandate to stop the strangle hold Rep have on America.To save Social Security and Medicare which the Republicans are trying to force him to destroy knowing it would put them back in power at the midterm.
David, With all due respect, you would do well to study the moderator skills of your predecessor, Tim Russert. He always came across as fair where you let your left leaning views overtake the discussion.
Left leaning my foot! David plays soft ball with Republicans and choses to invite more conservatives and give more time to them. He never frames his shows so that left wing solutions are even part of the conversation! If he was fair, he would at least showcase someone on the left once in a while. Don't tell me Obama is left wing either. I've been around long enough to know he is more to the right than Richard Nixon ever thought of being!
That makes you ULTRA Socialist then? This failure has multiple transgressions against the Constitution and has basically waged war against the American people and it's economy. His 4 years of Economic failure and Expansion of the Welfare State has this country on a path to economic ruin by Social spending just as is the case in Europe. How do you miss the blatant disregard for the Constitution in most of his Legislation, be it Health care or even infringing upon the 2nd Amendment or his backdoor Amnesty,trampling on American immigration law.
David, you did an okay job today. McConnell didn't answer your questions and you had to move on to avoid being labeled pushy. Although it's obvious by other comments included in this discussion, we are still divided not because of fact but because of Party. As a Republican I cannot help but feel failure by both Party's? No one likes to lose and appears the only losers in this are the rest of us who have to listen to exaggerations of the truth.
The last time I looked it was the responsibility of the President to be the administrative leader of the government by proposing budgets, supervising cabinet members running the various departments, and push the agenda of his administration. It is the responsibility of the Congress to debate, modify and pass a budget and to debate proposed laws and passing the ones that can gain a majority consensus of the members. The President then signs or vetoes those proposed laws. Whether or not you agree with his proposals, the the President has and is doing his job! Mr. McConnell, It is not the Presidents job to lead or negotiate with the opposition party! It is the leaders of the House and Senate responsibility to run their respective bodies. They are failing Our Nation! Mr. Speaker, Lead or Get Out Of The Way!
Senator Mc. Connell sounded like a broken record, avoiding answering the questions, and repeating that the President is unwilling to cut spending. He does want to cut spending but in a different way: corporate welfare, unnecessary military program. THE SOCIAL SECURITY CAP NEEDS TO BE RAISED: 113,700.00 is way too low as many people make huge salaries. The medicare contribution amounts to 1.45% of one's paycheck. That needs to be raised too. Furthermore, if americans have access to affordable health care they will get to Medicare in much better shape.
As usual, a very right-wing biased show today. McConnell, Simpson, & Bowles - two conservative Republicans and a conservative Democrat. Not unexpectedly, all three are calling for drastic cuts in Medicare & Social Security. Where was a voice such as Senator Bernie Sanders who would point out the truth?
Medicare & Social Security are not what has caused the deficit. The deficit was chiefly caused by engaging in 2 wars without balancing their costs with tax increases or cuts elsewhere.
It was very telling in that during the entire show, the Department of Defense budget did not come up as a significant contributor to the federal budget woes. Too many wars, too many drones, too many highly paid defense contractors, too many secret overseas prisons, too many soldiers stationed in too many different foreign countries, all have taken their toll on the budget year after year. Corporate subsidies were barely mentioned. The biggest corporate subsidies go to the oil companies – not only through the tax code, but through defense and foreign policy.
Too many U.S. soldiers have died so that oil companies can profit. If the countries with large oil reserves don’t like the oil companies and want to keep them out or limit their activities or do other things that eat into their bottom line, let the oil companies hire mercenaries to protect their interests. Don’t send my military in which my friends serve which is supposed to protect me or use my tax money. Let the businesspeople pay out of their own pockets, not mine.
No one talked about all the rich Americans hiding their money in offshore accounts and effectively defrauding the government out of tax revenue. No one talked about all the offshoring taking place which has been crushing economic growth and federal revenues for years. No one talked about all the raiding of the Social Security trust fund for various people’s pet projects that went on for decades and making the raiders give the money back.
In short, this was a show by the 1% for the 1%, whether they were Republicans or Democrats. This is why I registered with the Green Party (www.gp.org) . Americans need to realize that both big parties are beholden to the big money interests and the existing political power structure will never work in their favor. For the sake of full disclosure, everyone on the show should disclose all their foreign investments, stock holdings in petroleum, defense, and agricultural companies, any companies that receive federal government money, and all offshore bank accounts and tax havens. What a wasted opportunity for a meaningful discussion. This show was a farce.
Having worked in the media I have always found it more important to read between the lines, what is NOT being said or asked is usually more important than what is said. To see talking heads like Davids who are so privileged to have access to our leaders asking the same irrelevant questions and accepting the same non-answers week after week is disheartening. They are all so imbed together it is sickening.
David I love you now. I have never seen such a plainly illuminating interview as yours with Mitch McConnell.
1) Thank you for granting him a gracious amount of time before (pat on the back) save him from his nonanswering, President bashing (Michael B. is looping) diatribe.
2) Thank you for politely insisting that he answer your question(s).
3) Thank you for intergecting useful political information into the conversation.
This was a great day!
McConnell's idea to negotiate from a bully standpoint is offensive. Win-win is when both parties negotiate fairly -- but from a point of strength. It's not the offensive idea of having to negotiate with a bully, it's the idea that a politician has this tool on his accepted list of behaviors. I expect a politician to have better people/negotiation/leadership skills, for starters. McConnell failed big time by putting the world's economy on a platter, to be toyed with by superegos out of control.
I don't understand all this talk that the President has to get specific about spending cuts. IMO, it is the Republicans that need to get specific. The Republicans like Boehner, McConnell, McCain, etc are all preaching it is now time for spending cuts. Well, where are their specifics? I see no one hammering the GOP for their specifics, not on MTP or any other show. Everyone talks about Obama needing to get specific. The President campaigned on higher tax revenues and a balanced approach. He is doing his part. Now it is time for the GOP to put up or shut up, IMO. When are the media going to start getting tough on the GOP leaders for their specifics? Their cuts will be unpopular. Let's see how far they really are willing to go.
Both sides have presented specifics. Both sides have ignored what the other side has presented. The Repub House passed a budget last year with 5.3 trillion in spending cuts (over 10 years). Obama's proposal for spending cuts amounted to 1 trillion (also over 10 years). Recall we had a yearly deficit last year of 1327 billion so Obama's big point he keeps going back to is somewhat insignificant. A starting point at best, about 8% of what is ultimately needed.
So both have thrown out specifics in various forms. What hasn't happened is the act of getting them together and forcing them to respond to each others ideas and make progress on some legislation that has bi-partisan support and starts to cut into the deficit *significantly*.
David - Too bad about those Redskins!
How do you get away with a blatant and pointless "crime" on broadcast TV that dozens of innocent citizens have been convicted and punished for? How do you live with yourself for being a total and complete coward and hypocrite? Have you no shame? No honor?
How are you still a free man? What exactly is involved in the "investigation" of you possessing an illegal magazine in DC on TV? Why have you said nothing about this? What are you afraid of? Are you a criminal or not? What do you have to hide?
Our clueless, socialistic President will apparently never get the word.
He cannot keep borrowing money forever., At some point he has to support decreases in spending.
He can tax every man, woman, and child at 100% and it will not produce enough "revenue" to decrease the debt.
Not sure if this is the best place to post. I don't agree eith Carly Fiorina's opinions. That being said, I don't understand why a failed business leader and failed politician should be on the panel as often as she is. Surely, there are more successful conservative voices, who I probably wouldn't agree with either, to resource. Anybody understand why David and the producers keep having her on the show?
David,
E.J. Dionne had an interesting thought - The GOP should come out and declare that they will not use the debt ceiling as a bargaining tool for fixing the debt. Sounded good. Rewording this, he is basically wanting the Republicans to lead. Again, this comes back to our main problem - we have no leader. Obama *should* be leading as the Dems have 2/3 parts of the puzzle. Someone should have asked E.J. why he thinks Republicans should lead and not Obama.
I swear David I never thought you could be as ignorant as the members of congress and our so called president but it turns out you are more ignorant that anyone of them. Have you ever watched yourself conduct an interview? You are pathetic!Ttim Russert would be flipping in his grave if he knew what his show had become
Hello,
It seems logical to me that if there is 'real' concerns' with firearms safety, we cannot exclude more clarity on Firearm Registrations, starting with legal firearms dealers and owners. This seems to be a 'missing or mismanaged link. Also, I have known of people in the past who have acquired firearms from licensed dealers at gun shows without background check or receipt and can then, as others with initial background check, be thereafter passed on to children, grandchildren, etc... without background checks. So Cruz's statement referring to 'no loopholes' at gunshows seems somewhat misinforming??? Thanks...
Hello,
It seems logical to me that if there is 'real' concerns' with firearms safety, we cannot exclude more clarity on Firearm Registrations, starting with legal firearms dealers and owners. This seems to be a 'missing or mismanaged link. Also, I have known of people in the past who have acquired firearms from licensed dealers at gun shows without background check or receipt and can then, as others with initial background check, be thereafter passed on to children, grandchildren, etc... without background checks. So Cruz's statement referring to 'no loopholes' at gunshows seems somewhat misinforming??? Thanks...
just a thought i am tired of hearing the word entitlements when referring to social security, disability, and medicare benefits. as a soon to retire american i have paid into these programs as well as my employers for over 45 yrs. congress needs to accept responsibility for misusing those funds, replace the funds they used for other purposes with interest and apologize to the american people for their short comings. we can fix america but it is up to our elected officials to do what we want them to do not what they think is best for us, we are not ignorant little children that need to be cared for. meaning we don't need big government. but we do need a government that protects the rights and well being of the majority of citizens rather than the elite one percent.
The word entitlement should not be used in the same sentence with Social Security and Medicare. I as well as many millions of Americans and their Employers have paid into these retirement programs for over 45 yrs.We are not asking for a hand out we are demanding the benefits we have paid for. Thank you