it could happen here in the u.s. private space flights in the future. what it means for nasa and the u.s. that is tomorrow morning. thank you for joining us on this sunday. i hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] what's coming up today, next newsmakers lead john cornyn, chair of the national republican committee.

followed by a look at sequestration by the budget director. later, a house hearing on spending by be budget illustration. >> joining us is senator john cornyn. thank you for being with us. here with this susan davis, jennifer duffy. let me begin with a poll focusing on the senate races in three key states for the party. they showed the democratic incumbent in all three stayed ahead by double digits in ohio. if you look at other polls, how does that impact your strategy in those three state? >> the work of the committee is to track these races and see which ones are winnable. then to concentrate our resources there to help our

candidates. just like the presidential race where romney and obama are tied, things have not really moved a lot yet. incumbents in joint name at a vacation advantage. -- incumbents have in joint name identification advantage. they have created a huge runoffs in debt. they have done nothing to take their fight off the throat of the private sector economy to get the economy growing and jobs back on line. there is a lot of work to be done. a lot more people will pay attention. >> do you want to list these days you think are on winnable -- unwinnable?

>> that could be a small list. our preferred to talk about the ones where i think we have the best chance of winning. i will not take any of the table. it will narrow down to maybe eight or nine different seats where there are competitive races. >> the biggest political story was in texas. what is the lesson here for republicans running in primaries? does it change the way you are going to run your own reelection in texas in 2014? >> people are mad and frustrated. obamacare passed. people went to town hall meetings in droves and came out and voted. the issue makes is roughly the

same. ted crews did a masterful job channeling that frustration and articulating their concerns about what needs to be done to change washington. there is still a prevailing attitude that business as usual is ok. it is not. our country is in serious trouble. fiscally, we have seen what is happening in europe. that should be a warning to us. there's no leadership at the presidential level to address the problems. i think ted came from way behind he structured it as a race of the insurgents. of theed to be a factoighter establishment. i look forward to welcoming him to the senate in working in to

try to change washington and making sure business as usual is no longer the order of the day. >> what about your own race at? does this give you any pause or that you need to keep an eye on things back,? >> i would always recommend that you go home and keep in touch with your constituents. we have senators who have lost races. there is a lot of skepticism for those who have been in washington. the important message that i need to articulate is that i am here trying to fight for change and not for the status quo. so far i think i have been successful. people like orrin hatch have been successful even against a very strong challenge. >> no. jennifer duffy. >> there is one senate race i

want to touch on. in maine, the candidates is running as an independent. he has said he will not decide what party he will caucus with until after the election. republicans are backing charlie summers. does this mean that when the election is over that republicans will not approach and to be in their caucus a? >> i would always say that on the table. it is fundamentally unfair to your constituents not to tell them what you're going to do if you are elected. it leaves a hazy look that is hard to accept. i think we all understand what is going on. my counterpart at the democratic campaign committee is doing

nothing to help the democratic nominee. they expect that the governor will caucus with them. governor kean has a record that i think bears scrutiny in the chamber of congress. he left the stage with a billion dollar debt in a time when people are most concerned about fiscal issues. that makes them somewhat vulnerable. i also believe charlie summers, who i have gotten to know better, is an incredibly impressive person. he is very articulate. he is very electable. i think there is a path to victory. >> if the polls right now are ing wins thiseen race, is there a case you can make to him to join the

republican congress? >> it depends entirely on him. does he want to be in minority? does he want to be in majority along with the benefits that provides for your state and constituents? right now it appears to me that democrats are basically supporting government king as a nominal incumbent that they expect to caucus with democrats. i have seen nothing to change that. hypothetically, yes. we will reach out to him if he would see fit to caucus with republicans. that would be a good thing. i am not holding my breath. >> you need three seats to win the majority if romney captures the white house. can you say will be the best

chance to pick up a democratic seat? >> north dakota looks pretty strong. it is a red stage. nebraska, deborah fischer is looking very strong. the republican primary will be held the seventh next week. i like our chances in wisconsin for the democrats have nominated the most liberal of the house of representatives, tammy baldwin. they are running a very competitive primary. those are some. there are plenty of others where i guess we have great opportunities.

places like florida, ohio, virginia. new mexico is a swing state. we have a very strong candidates in heather wilson. believe it or not, whole i.t. with the former governor there -- hawaii with the former governor there. >> could we see what happened in texas happen in wisconsin? >> it is too close to call. tommy thompson's lead has been eroding. we will have to see. it is a work in progress. any one of those candidates can and will beat tammy baldwin. we have to wait for the primary. >> jennifer the dow ft.

>> he mentioned missouri. there are a number of important primaries. on friday morning, at democrats went up with their second television ad taking aim at the front runner in that primary. claire had ads attacking republican candidates. republicans have been silent. are democrats working hard to pick their opponent? >> harry reid did the same thing in 2010. we were helping the party nominee what candid he thought he could most easily beat. i think it is too late in missouri. claire has made a decision to

embrace her on popular -- unpopular ideas. i think it is pretty much baking the cake. i do not think the efforts that democrats are making to try to play in republican primaries will have a significant impact. >> they're also playing in wisconsin. just a few hundred votes may make the difference there. do you feel the same way about a much closer race in? >> wisconsin is more difficult. the numbers have been moving around some. it is hard to call. tammy baldwin is way too liberal for wisconsin.

i think any one of our candidates who are likely to win the nomination will be able to win in november. what people want is not a return to the policies that have gotten us where we are today, high unemployment, a massive debt. they want a change. that is what any republican candidate will offer as opposed to tammy baldwin. >> scott brown is seeking reelection. virginia is an open seat. take the two races. how do you win that state? >> scott brown has done in madison job. -- a magnificent job. he has shown himself a great candidates and said it appeared

the quality of the person makes a difference. conversely, elizabeth warren has not met expectations. her fund-raising has been phenomenal. it takes more than money to win elections. way she is in nexept handling the unproven claim of the native american heritage and other issues with president obama trailing the claim that small businesses did not build the business and that it was government that did it, they are out of touch with folks in massachusetts. scott brown is an independent senator. his work across the aisle and been at a number of presidential signing ceremonies. people will see him for what he

is, someone willing to solve the problems that confront massachusetts and our country. he has been pretty independent. to correct what about virginia? about virginia? >> of virginia is very close. both of these men are well known. liability isiggest that he has been the biggest cheerleader for barack obama's policies. to the extent he has identified with the support for president obama's failed policies that i like george allen's policies. >> on the bush tax cuts, and a

lot of the focus is on the lame duck and what will happen. there has been a question of this. do you think republicans are going to have to accept that the high income tax brackets are going to rise? >> what is shocking when i heard patty murray saying they would hold the u.s. economy hostage and risk a recession unless they could extract higher taxes. it struck me as very strange. as part of that uncertainty, the economy is dead in the water. unemployment remains very high. the economy is not growing. i do not know how a party in power that is a good thing. people are pessimistic about the economy and about job creation.

it strikes me as odd, and their obsession with raising taxes. i do not understand how raising taxes during a fragile economic recovery is good for the economy or jobs. did you do not have to take my word for it. that was president obama's position on could 2010 when they voted to extend the tax provisions. >> the one thing that is becoming very evident is that the obamacare pain is working closely with a number of senate campaigns -- obama campaign is working closely with a number of senate campaigns, especially in swing states. do you expect republican candidates to work closely with the romney campaign? where would most help republicans? >> i am actually surprised that senate candidates will want to

run with president obama. in montana, the senator is doing everything he can to disassociate himself with the administration. i would be surprised to see that. maybe in some specific states that one makes some sense. the senate races are different from the presidential race. each state has local concerns and issues. i expect these races to be run on president obama and his policies against the people who have enabled those policies which were enormously unpopular and produce unemployment above 8% and the other problems we're having now. i think that is going to be the

focus. >> do you see some states where it might benefit your candidates to run with many romney? >> there will be some coordination, certainly, in terms voter i.d. maybe it is too early to tell. i do not know about hybrid television advertisements. it is something which i have not heard much about on our side. i think it is too early to tell. >> what advice would you give the romney campaign? some say he is not enough to tell his story. do you buy into that criticism? what would your advice be? >> governor romney must be doing something right. he is essentially tied with the

incumbent president of the united states which is pretty surprising given the beating he has been taken in advertising by the obama campaign. by comparison, he has kept his powder dry, wisely so. most people will start to concentrate on the presidential race in during the convention when he gives his acceptance speech. in many ways, this may prove to be a repeat of 1980 where jimmy carter was leading ronald reagan until people realize that ronald reagan was a viable alternative to what they thought was a failed presidency of jimmy carter. the numbers began to move significantly. that is what people will start paying attention. >> has the media been fair to mitt romney? >> i think president obama's has

gotten quite a few breaks. i have not seen governor romney get many breaks. this is a tough business were no one expects to get breaks from the media. gov. romney ought to be pleased with the fact that after all this money has been spent on negative ads, certainly not hope and change trying to drive this class warfare message. it has not moved the numbers. if you are mitt romney, you ought to be a pretty good. >> on another race, you expressed your desire to run for with. you are running unopposed. >> i will pay more attention to that. beenour years i've chairman of a senatorial

committee. after our loss and being in the minority them could 2009, i felt one of the most important contributions i could do was help as remagain the majority. i hope to pick up the number to get to the majority in 2012. i want to be part of leading our conference, working with senator mcconnell, keeping us unified. we are more affected when we are unified than divided. one of the most important things we are going to do right after the election when we get back in january is take up the budget. it is true. the reconciliation process will have a dramatic impact on everything from tax reform to undoing obamacare and replacing it with more cost-effective

consumer friendly health care. that is my focus right now. not so much of me personally but what i can do to help contribute. >> republicans are in the majority. how will republicans run the senate differently then harry reid? >> great question. the senate right now is broken. it does not run like the senate i came to in 2002. they do very little oversight. things come to the floor out of senator reid's office. they have said this is it. you cannot offer amendments. the only choice we have is to block legislation in order to protect the right of our constituents to have us offer amendments and shape the legislation. the senate has been broken over

the last few years. mitch mcconnell will return as to what i would call the regular order. committees will do what they're supposed to do. committees will do oversight and investigation to make sure taxpayers are getting their money's worth. legislation will come to the floor. we will have the opportunity for people to offer amendments and shape the legislation and for the senate to work its will. that is where the senate need to go to regain its reputation as the world's greatest deliberative body. we are not that now. >> jennifer duffy. >> you talked about two races. in new mexico and hawaii,

you have strong women. how do you overcome the fact that obama will carry the state by double digits? >> linda is an extraordinary candidates. she has to do some of what scott brown is doing in massachusetts. that is to run on their own brand and a unique personality in somebody he will exercise a fair degree of independence in recognizing the best interest of their constituents. scott brown reno is the massachusetts miracle -- we know is the massachusetts miracle and the successful running with that brand and image and reality. it is unique in that sense. i would say heather wilson, new mexico is a swing state.

it is not be a possibility that mitt romney will carry the state. i also think that heather wilson will likely run ahead of the republican nominee for president in new mexico. she is well known. she served in congress for a number of years and she is a good fit for that state. >> the next local gathering will be the convention in atlanta. do you have a favorite? >> i do not. whoever helps governor romney the most win the electoral votes he needs to win. that is my focus. i like a lot of the names that have been mentioned. bob portman from ohio, mark rupiah from florida, i would add

governor mcdonald from virginia. it could be a help to the ticket. i am for whoever helps governor romney gets elected president. that is what is going to be needed for us to change the direction. >> i think you have sent out more tweets than any other senator. why do you use twitter so often? >> is a virtual town hall. it is a great way to communicate things to people they may not otherwise see that i think are important or interesting. i get their reaction that. most of the time it is interesting and constructive. occasionally it is hard to read. i try to have a thick skin when it comes to people that do not agree with me 100% of the time. it is a great medium to communicate with folks i may not have a chance to face to face. >> john cornyn joining with us

from texas, thank you for being newsmakers.e on newsmaker a lot can change between now and november. what are the republican chances? >> as somebody whose job it is to figure it out, and it pains me that it looks like a 50/50 proposition. that is part of the reason i question cynic john cornyn so closely about maine. >> i agree. especially in the races, when he said ohio, pennsylvania, and virginia, i do not think we will know who controls the election night.

this race could be decided within 1000 votes. >> bill clinton had some political coattails in 1996. how popular is the president in some of these key state? >> it is state to state. we are talking about close senate races. virginia, florida, ohio. one of the questions we are asking ourselves now is look at virginia. you can envision this. energy is a big issue. are there a lot about barack obama voters? we