there. name and town if you wish to opine. word of the day, don't be parse monous when writing to us. the spin stops here. we're definitely looking out for you. >> and tonight with 92 days to go, republicans are striking back at the baseless attacks on mitt romney as nancy pelosi joins with a ridiculous statement of her own. tonight dick morris, senator joe lieberman, fred thompson, and the man rumored to be on mitt romney's vp short list, governor bob mcdonald will be here tonight. first i traveled to wyoming for an interview with former vice president dick cheney, to talk vice presidential picks, sarah palin, president obama, and much more. neither you, nor president bush, will be going to the republican

convention. you just made an announcement recently about it. why? >> well, after you've been there, and i've been to a lot of conventions. i mean, going back to '72, the nixon re-election convention, and overseeing the operation in '76. as a delegate have wyoming, as a vice presidential candidate, once you've done all of that, to go back now, with no role, what would i do? sit in the gallery and watch? you can see it on television. >> a few people might want to see you. >> well, they might, but it's going to be the mitt romney show. it ought to be. he's our nominee. he ought to be the focal point. and, you know, i'm happy to do whatever i can to help, but they don't need to see me at the convention. i'm pretty well known at this stage of the game, and this is a new era, if you will, and a new set of officeholders. i think it's very important that we defeat barack obama. he's been a terrible president.

frankly, i fundamentally disagree with him on anything. i think mitt romney will win. we just did a big fundraiser for mitt here in -- at our home in jackson hole. >> the biggest in -- >> the biggest in the history of wyoming. so it's been a -- an effort on my part to do everything we can, but not to get in the way. i think at the convention i'd just be in the way. >> just a little over 90 days to go. >> uh-huh. >> you're one of a select group of people that knows that feeling three months out of a presidential election. what do you think's going through mitt romney's mind, or is he just so busy with the day-to-day activities he probably does not have the perspective? >> i think he has a better perspective than most of us.

very important, because the candidate sort of sets the tone for the entire campaign organization. you've got a candidate who spends his time laying awake at night wringing his hands, worried about th minutia, he's confident, upbeat, his organization is behind him, he's got good prospects of winning. >> sean: you were a big part of the decision-making process for candidate bush, then president bush, for vp. we expect in the next week,

couple of weeks, that we're going to get a decision from governor romney. >> right. >> sean: he said the single most important criteria for a vp choice has to be the gas of that person to -- capacity of that person to be president, and you said that's 82 picke why you pi. ryan and rubio, portman and pawlenty, jindal, christie. does everyone on that list we hear about matt meet that crite. you're laughing? >> because i'm not going to answer your question. there's two lists. there's the big list. on that list -- i mentioned before, i had people called me, dick it would help me in my race back home if i'm on the list. >> sean: just put them on? >> but they were never really under consideration. >> sean: i might call over to the romney campaign.

maybe they could put me on the list. >> why not? you'd probably win. then a shorter list, three or four or five people under serious consideration. in order to get on the short list, my argument would be have to be that you have to pass that test, capable of standing in tomorrow and taking over as president of the united states. that's the requirement. >> sean: governor romney did call you, said, mr. vice president, i'd like your advice, you've been through this process, been through these campaigns, you've been vice president, who do you think -- give me two names. this way you're not -- >> sean, if i had offered that kind of advice, i wouldn't want to talk about it except the candidate himself. it ought to be a private communication. he ought to have people to seek private counci counsel without t appearing in the press. >> sean: let me see if i can go about this another way. do the people we hear about meet

that criteria? we always hear about electoral votes, swing state, maybe certain demographics could be hit with a certain candidate, that he might appeal to certain demographics, but your criteria is steadfast. you'ryou've got to be able to sn from day one to be the president of the united states, most important job in the world? >> right. >> sean: without mentioning names, all the flame names you , are you confident they meet that standard? >> generally confident. i don't want to pick out any one individual. there's a new generation of republicans coming along, a very attractive generation of republicans, and you mentioned a lot of the names in terms of the prospects that he's looking at now at this point. and so i feel very good about that next generation. i think he's in a position, my sense of it is, just from watching and listening, that the governor's very much of a-minded that you've got -- you've got to address those other issues --

gender, race, geography, all those things of things -- will ultimately be debated, but that the basic fundamental test is can this individual be president of the united states. if they don't meet that test, then as i said they shouldn't be on the short list. after they've been on the short list, they get over that hurdle, then you can consider those other prospects. the other thing i mentioned, too, is this is the first presidential level decision that a candidate, in this case governor romney, will make. first time the american people get to see him make a decision that has absolute direct consequences for what his government will look like. it's a real test. i think everything i can tell that in fact governor romney is treating it with that kind of seriousness. >> sean: you made a comment recently about governor palin. >> uh-huh. >> sean: governor palin responded this week. and she basically said, you know, everyone's allowed to make a mistake, and she pointed out

poll numbers, other things, others have pointed that out. what did you mean by that, you kind of standby that, or do you -- >> well, i like governor palin. i think she's very able and effective spokesman for the party, for conservative causes. she believes in a lot of the same things i believe in. i think she's been very effective at that. the question i was addressing when i was interviewed was the question of process, and did i think, for example, that the mccain process that was used in 2008 met the standards the way i described them, and my answer was no, i didn't think it did. it wasn't the name so much governor palin as the basic process that mccain used. >> sean: governor palin told me once she didn't even know she was being considered until four days before she was announced. >> yeah. well, i called her -- >> sean: are you talking about that process? >> that's a big part of it. >> >> sean: you mentioned experience, too. >> i think experience is important as well, too. i voted for her, just like i voted for the ticket.

but my point basically dealt with the process in terms of that basic requirement, is this person prepared to step in and be president of the united states when they're picked. and it was my judgment -- i was asked if i thought the mccain process in '08 had been well done, or was it's a mistake, and i said i thought it was a mistake. that's not so much a criticism of governor palin as it is that i just thought it was not -- that the process didn't meet the standardsle i would like to see our candidate pursue when they pick a running mate. >> sean: coming up, the vice president opens up president obama and yes thinks his political career should end with one term. later senator joe lieberman in studio tonight. also fred thompson in studio. and dick morris as a busy monday edition of "hannity" continues. [ female announcer ] with swiffer wet

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>> sean: continuing now with my exclusive interview with former vice president dick cheney. when you talk about barack obama, you talk about you believe he will be a one-term president, but you've also said he's an unmitigated disaster for this country. we're talking about preparedness for the vice president. >> yep. >> sean: was he prepared for this job? >> not by the standards that i would apply. i think if you look at president obama's background, he served a couple of terms, undistinguished terms in the illinois state senate, missed a lot of votes,

ran for the house of representatives once and got beat, then ran for senator from illinois, and his opponent withdrew partway through the race because somebody had leaked some information on a divorce proceeding. >> sean: i wonder who. >> i don't know who. it came out of chicago. so there was -- i swore him in as he came in. that's what vice presidents do, swear in new senators. then he disappeared for two years. never heard anything of him while he was a member of the united states senate. then all of a sudden he's running for president. that was sort of the sum total of his, quote, experience. and he obviously ran a good campaign, was able to defeat hillary clinton. that's not an easy task, but i was -- you know, if i were to apply the standards that i've talked about you want in a running mate, barack obama didn't meet that test. >> sean: interesting, governor palin has had far more executive experience than barack obama. >> it's true. she was governor for two years. >> sean: yeah. and mayor prior to that.

almost on a daily basis, including this very week, the president goes out there and attacks your administration, the bush administration. we inherited, we inherited. liberals kind of get mad, because he claims kiosks, atms, tsunamis, earthquakes. i use the term, almost to this point, it's like president crybaby. >> uh-huh. >> sean: when you hear all these instances where he's blaming your administration for his troubles 3 1/2 years in, what's your reaction to that? >> well, my reaction is he hasn't got anything to talk about on in terms of his own record. he's had now almost four years in the white house to deal with the major issues that we face as a nation, and he hasn't dealt with them. classic example, simpson-bowles, the commission set up, partly with his support, and al simpson, one of my closest friends, and erskin bowles put

together a great package, but obama ignored it. it was a proposal, and it should be let's sit down and start talking about. certainly one of the most important," we face long-term is the debt crisis in america and where that's going to take us over the cliff if in fact we don't address those basic fundamental problems. he's never addressed them. he's basically taken a pass on what one of his most important responsibilities when he got elected in 2008. >> sean: july of 2008, he said about george bush, that he is unpatriotic and irresponsible for $4 trillion in new debt over eight years. he said george bush and his administration took a credit card to the bank of china in the name of our kids and grandkids and, you know, has spent us into

oblivion. >> uh-huh. >> sean: he's accumulated over $5 trillion in 3 1/2 years. >> right. >> sean: so at this level, you'ryou're talking about takine country over the cliff. are you serious? what about greece? if he were to get re-elected and continued with the same policies, what do you see? >> significant added debt. we're already approaching the point where our debt is, what, 70%, 80% of our national income. and that's going to continue to grow at dramatic levels given the fact that he has not been part of trying to go after it aggressively. there's no question but what the debt did increase on our watch. i can't deny that. on the other hand, we also had the crisis of 9/11, 3,000 dead americans, and a continuing threat to the safety and safety to the united states. for those reasons, we undertook

the policies we did and it cost money, no question about it. on the other hand, in the relative scheme of things we, thought it was very, very important to address those issues. i think it's very important at this stage to come back on this basic fundamental proposition of debt. what drives the entitlements? defense is a small portion of the budget. we've already agreed to cut $500 billion out of that in a budget that's going to start in october. they want to take out another $500 billion out of defense. it's going to be devastating to our military capabilities and he appears to let that simply happen and not join in an effort, for example, that's been led by the house republicans, they've already passed legislation that solves the sequester problem without any tax increase or further cuts in defense. >> sean: you said the private sector is doing fine, a line that now everybody is repeating, you didn't build that. >> right, somebody else did. >> sean: somebody else did that. >> yeah. >> sean: you've had time now to

study barack obama for four years. what do you think you know about him now or believe about him now that you didn't believe four years ago in terms of his ideology, philosophy, governing philosophy? >> well, i think, as i looked at him back in that time frame, of course, we're on our way out of office, not running for anything in 2008, and what i thought was, you know, if he wins, this is going to be sort of a traditional, typical democratic administration, liberal, certainly more liberal than i would have liked. that's not what it's been. it's way over there to the left. one of the things that's been most enlightening for me is to read this new book that's out that is -- deals with this whole question of competence, written by ed klein, used to be with the "new york times." it's called "the amateur." it goes into great detail in a whole number of different areas in terms of his philosophy, why he believes what he did, how he got there, how he's managed or failed to manage in the white house.

i think what's happened, at least my own conviction, here's a man who doesn't believe in a lot of things that most americans i think do believe in, in terms of a strong international role for the united states of america. we got all kinds of developments underway in the middle east and he's headed for the exits. our friends and allies over there, israelis, saudis, united arab emirates, countries that look to the united states for leadership especially with their security is threatened, and what they see is the united states headed over the hill, you know, pulling out as fast as we can. i think with respect to the economy, the whole thing was encaptured in that statement the other day to small business, you know, if you've got a small business, you didn't build it, somebody else did. i've got friends that -- you know, that's been their success story of their lives. it's one of the great success stories of america, that we can do that sort of thing in the united states, and barack obama doesn't appreciate it or understand it or have any sympathy whatsoever. he thinks everything that happens that's good in the country comes from the government. he's just dead wrong.

>> sean: coming up, senator harry reid is not backing away from his unfounded claim that governor romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years. we'll explain why one republican is calling him a dirty liar. senator joe lieberman is here to react to the whole thing. plus a new tell-all book reveals president obama's feelings about governor romney and it's personal. dick morris has that. and senator fred thompson tonight straight ahead. [ male announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role

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>> the word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for 10 years. let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't. >> sean: this is just the latest example of the baseless attacks coming from democrats trying to smear governor mitt romney. senator harry reid claims that he heard that information from "an anonymous source." over the weekend democrats were attempting, well, kind of, sort of, to distance themselves from reid's unfounded claim. watch this. >> is it appropriate for the democratic leader in the senate to make a charge like that with no more evidence an anonymous source? >> well, george, i don't know who harry reid's source is, but -- >> that's the point, isn't it? >> everybody is responsible for saying the things that they have information on. harry reid says that he has a credible source. >> to the propriety of the

leader of the democrats in the senate, accusing, based on a source, the republican -- presumed republican nominee of not paying taxes for 10 years, is that something that chicago has encouraged? do you want him to stop? >> look, let's be clear, i don't think anybody controls harry reid. >> but if you asked him to stop, he would. >> again, put the tax returns out. >> sean: this just proves democrats will do anything and say anything to stay in power. joining me with reaction is the author of the book "the gift of rest" now out in paper book, which is a great book, i've read it, joe lieberman. welcome. >> glad to join you. >> sean: president obama lectures everybody on civility, and he has reid calling him basically a felon, takes he have an obligation to stand up to his own party at this point?

>> there's been so much nastiness, both parties. the whole campaign, voters will go to the poll and vote against somebody, not for somebody, and that's not good for our country. i wish the president would blow the whistle and appeal to both parties to cut the negatives, the nastiness, unfounded charges -- >> sean: let me put you on the spot. >> i know you're going to do that, because you're my friend. >> sean: out of friendship, obama said conservatives want dirty air and water. do you think i like dirty water? >> no. >> sean: this is what he's saying. give me an example where republicans are doing that. >> look at some of the ads on the different democratic candidates around. the whole thing is so negative. i wish we'd see from both parties -- i'm an independent. i think most independents want to know what's the president going to do in a second term,

what's romney's going to do in a first term if he's elected. the kind of name-calling that's going on brings the whole process down, makes people distrust their government. >> sean: you ran as vice president with al gore. is this because the president -- he said he'd cut the deficit in half, gave us $5 trillion in new debt, fewer americans working today. isn't he a very different guy? isn't this a different campaign from hope and change in 2008? >> it's a dramatically different campaign. look, i was for john mccain in 2008, so i knew how it was to be running in a campaign against barack obama. i mean, he was walking on a mountaintop. he was a transformational figure. everybody felt very good. the country needed it. that's why he won that election. but now, you know, it's different. he's been president for four years, things are not as better as he hoped they'd be, and the country hoped they'd be. in my opinion, too much of the obama campaign is negative about romney. >> sean: do you think this will come down to fewer americans

working, $5 trillion in new obama debt? i have, we've never had a president accumulate that -- he called george bush in 2008 unpatriotic and irresponsible for $4 trillion in eight years. >> yes. >> sean: how do you run on that record? >> obviously i'm not here to defend the president. >> sean: so you're voting for mitt romney? >> well, as you know, i'm a noncombatantist here. i haven't decided. i could vote for romney or president obama. the president is saying, it would have been worse if i hadn't been president. that's tough to run on. a better thing to say is here's what i'm going to do in a second term. give me an opportunity to do this again. governor romney has to be clear based on his experiences what he would do differently. i think each of them has to give the public a positive vision. in governor romney's case, because he's coming in from outside, he really should convince the public -- again

this is what independents want to hear -- that he's going to reach out to democrats, that he's going to look to build bipartisan coalitions to solve the nation's problems, the biggest one being the debt and obviously the economy and jobs. >> sean: we'll have you back on friday night. you are a rare breed now. >> yeah. >> sean: a conservative democrat, although you're a independent officially, but you caucus with the democrats. we'll ask what happened -- what happened to those democrats, the scoop jackson democrats? >> well, yeah, they got mostly pushed out of the party. i mean, to a certain extent it happened to me in 2006 when i got denied the democratic nomination in connecticut because i believed that we shouldn't concede defeat in iraq. i thought it would have terrible consequences on our security, ultimately our freedom and position in the world. i think ultimately the people in this country want to make sure that their president will protect our country and each of us in a world that remains

dangerous. >> sean: well, we're going to get into this on friday. senator, great to have younew y. good to see you again. >> great to be here. >> sean: the book is awesome. i turned off my blackberry for a whole day this weekend. >> you're on your way to a real sabbath observance. god bless you. >> >> sean: thank you, my friend. coming up, a new book that reveals president obama's real feelings about mitt romney. much more coming up straight ahead. ♪ these are the days

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>> sean: tension is rising inside the obama camp. according to a new e-book released later this month called "obama's last stand," aides reveal that president obama has a general disdain for mitt romney. it reads "he began campaign preparations feeling neutral about romney, but like the

former gop opponents he quickly developed a disdain for the man. when he talked about romney, aides picked up a level of anger he never had for clinton or mccain, even after sarah palin was picked as his running mate. ouch. sounds like president obama isn't just mad, maybe he's scared. maybe he should be, because according to a new poll put out by resisrasmussen report think n is supporting him on fixing the economy. here with analysis, former clinton advisor, author of the best-selling book "screwed," dick morris. it is interesting. the era of big government is over, that's not obama. >> he's reversing welfare reform, clinton's sayin signatue achievement. i had an opportunity on friday

to go through the polling at a major group that i can't identify, but it's a polling that's professional that i accept, with 650 interviews in each of 13 swing states, conducted in the last seven days. and the methodology, the firm, and everything is stuff that if i were running a campaign it would be something that i would take as a gospel. i wanted to share it with your view, because it's totally different than what the media is saying it is. >> sean: interesting. >> romney is leading in all states mccain carried. plus he's now ahead of obama in the following states obama carried -- indiana, new hampshire, wisconsin, nevada, north carolina, and colorado. that gives him 228 electoral votes. he needs 270. he then has to carry florida, where he's now only twoehind. plus either virginia or ohio. he's two behind in virginia and one behind in ohio. carry two of those three states

and he ends up being the president. and then there are six other states where obama is under 50, when incumbents under 50, good chancy loses. iowa, emergenc, new mexico, pena and new jersey and -- interesting of the states that tracked, romney gained in nine of them since july 1st, and slipped in four of them since july 1st. this whole media stuff that's out there about how romney is slipping, obama is surgings, one idiot from "newsweek" said he thought there would be an obama landslide coming up, it's just disinformation. it is not true. if you want the details on this, go to dickmorris.com. i have it all in a column and video there. >> sean: you really think wisconsin? for example, look, i think the events that will -- that we'll look back that shaped this election haven't even happened yet. who does he pick for vp.

we've got conventions. we've got debates. i think debates probably more than any other year, if the primary was any indication, will have a big impact on this election. >> i have a different take on it, sean. i think that everything that's already going to shape this election has already happened, and it's the economy and it's obamacare. and i believe this election is sitting now, most people think in -- i think it's sitting as a big romney win. i think if the election were held today, romney would probably get 350 electoral votes. >> sean: wow. you're really -- look, you went out on a limb in 2010. >> yes. >> sean: i was with you. i'm not as confident as you are today. >> sean, i'm the only guy talking about these polls in public, except for rove. >> sean: don't start a karl on my show. >> in the senate race, the picture is superb.

there are six seats that we're within grasp of picking up. we're ahead in north dakota, nebraska and wisconsin, the three open seats. solidly continuously, although only three points up in montana, but it's been three all along. missouri, which has its primary today, we're beating mccaskill by about 10. >> sean: she's gone. >> i want to urge voters to support sarah steelman, because she has the best chance to beat mccaskill. it takes a woman to beat a woman very often. and florida, where the race is 42 nelson, 40 connie mack. but nelson is at 42. it's going to be overwhelming mack. that's six seats. that gives us 53. in virginia it's tied. >> sean: george allen. >> in michigan, ohio and new mexico, it's very close. and where there's an incumbent, he's under 50. and there's an outside shot, because the incumbent's under 50, in both pennsylvania and new jersey. on the negative side of the ledger, we lose maine, because snow is retiring and king will

vote as a democrat. i don't know about scott brown yet. that's hard to read. and other than that, we hang on to everything else. so you're looking, i believe, at a large electoral college victory, a popular vote victory of more than five points, and at least six and maybe nor seats in the senate. >> sean: we don't have enough time tonight, because we went long with the vice president. dick, i appreciate it. we'll have you back next week and we'll talk more about it. pretty interesting analysis. i'm not as optimistic as you, but i got run. >> these are the polls. >> sean: 92 days to go. we'll know soon enough. coming up, the romney campaign is hitting president obama over a lawsuit to limit the number of days armed service members can vote. fred thompson is here with reaction. his name has been thrown around as mitt romney's running mate. virginia governor mcdonald is here to talk about that straight ahead. [ male announcer ] at scottrade,

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members of the military that allows them to vote as late as the day before election day. now, the romney campaign released a statement saying "president obama's lawsuit claiming it is unconstitutional for ohio to allow servicemen and women extended early voting privileges during the state's early voting period is an outrage. this is merely the latest in a string of missteps by the obama campaign and all of the gaffes are having an effect. according to the top democrats and insiders, are terrified that many seats at the dnc will be empty during obama's acceptance speech. there's a list of convention speakers, and among those set to address the delegates are top female conservatives condoleezza rice, south governor nikki haley, suzanna martinez, and not included on that list are other high-profile party members like sarah palin and former presidential candidate rick santorum. joining me with reaction actor -- former senator and

presidential candidate, fred thompson. how are you? >> i'm good. >> sean: appreciate you being here. >> great show tonight. >> sean: thank you. what do you think? i didn't see a lot of strong conservatives? >> where's that? at the convention? >> sean: yeah. >> i don't know. i'm not sure the lists are reaction. maybe they're testing the reaction to some of them. they can all make a case they ought to be there. i think palin and santorum, all of them, but, you know, there comes a point where you got to cut it off. you know, it's about romney, it's not about anybody else. it's not about what's fair. it's not about what deserves what. it's a matter of what's going to be best to move the ball down the road, you know, to help him. they'll make the decisions and come up with some good folks. >> sean: they have gone ballistic against governor romney, you know. president himself, artiste air, water. paul ryan throwing granny off the cliff. harry reid basically saying he hasn't paid taxes for 10 years.

he has a source he won't reveal. you have another campaign staffer accusing him of being a felon. you got a woman in virginia on the, quote, truth team, accusing him of being a racist. obama says nothing. >> i've never seen in my lifetime a president who's running -- an incumbent president, who is engaged in such small ball, number one, and such viciousness against an opponent, number two. especially him. he came in with hope, you know, sunshine and light, you know, lower the seas, all of that. >> sean: part the ways. >> part the ways. you know, it's -- it's remarkable. i think things have become so embittered and the negativities have become so great it's not having the effect it used to have. i think that's why -- although romney's being outspent a lot, especially in the swing states, it's not having its evening. of course i was glad to hear what dick morris had to say.

hope he's right about that. >> sean: who do you like for vp? >> i'm not going to pick one. any of the numbers -- any of the members -- the names that have been mentioned i think would serve the purpose. i mean, you could make a case or you adviserybody on the list. romney to deal with the president and his team, and that includes his surrogates that accuse him of being a racist, a felon, and harry reid saying he never paid taxes, how do you deal with that? >> this tax thing -- some of it deals with itself. harry reid is a classic example of the peter principle. you know, when he was just a senator, walking around and slapping people on the back, i was over there, and, you know, inconsequential and all, and he's revealed for the small,

little man he is. he goes to the senate floor to announce an anonymous accusation, which would have made joe mccarthy blush. >> sean: he wrote he was embarrassed he did it. >> i'm glad to know he can embarrass himself. >> sean: he hasn't learned anything. >> on this tax thing, for example, you know, i think romney needs to stay tough. he needs to put -- like i said, put meat on the bones, some of these things he's saying, he needs to explain why america needs to play a strong world in the role for freedom's sake, for prosperity's sake, and why capitalism is a good thing, make no apologies about that. and on this tax thing, i'd go contrary to what some of my republican friends are saying, i'd tell him to fly a kite. he said a couple of years he was going to give. it's what both sides know, if you don't reveal 10, 20 years of your taxes, you know, you're going to take some grief. if you reveal several years of

your taxes, you're going to take some grief. you know, taxes, it's a unique situation in our political systems these days. it's the only thing where if you do everything that's right, totally moral, totally legal, and you do everything that the inquistor is asking you about, it still turns out to be a negative when it's revealed because of somebody else's notion of how much taxes you should have paid more than what you're required to pay. put it aside. >> sean: isn't this because the president can't talk about his record? >> it is personal, mean, and vicious, and i just don't think the candidate of hope and change, with the -- everybody knows the economy's the situation. i don't think that a guy who personifies one thing can turn around and be something else -- something exactly opposite the next without it unsettling the american people. i think he's doing himself tremendous amount of damage. i think -- i think romney is

remaining -- every campaign that's been run has made mistakes. you get a lot of advice from a lot of people. he's being strong, not being flustered, chasing every rabbit they throw out there. i think that maintaining himself and not letting it get to him is -- is part of the key to success, especially considering that they've spent a lot more money he has so far. he's outraising the president right now. >> sean: senator, great to see you. >> thank you. my pleasure. >> sean: you didn't bring the better half of the "jerry and fred show." >> somebody's got to work. >> sean: senator, good to see you. >> thanks a lot. >> sean: coming up, the man said to be on the short list, that is mitt romney's vp short list, virginia governor bob mcdonnell addresses the rumors coming up next. nology as the world around it. with the available lexus enform app suite,

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>> sean: mitt romney's potential vp selection is any day now, and joining us is a man you often hear on the short list, virginia governor bob mcdonnell. are you being vetted? are you going to help us out here? give us inside scoop. >> sean, as much as i'd like to

give you inside scoop, there's a small list in boston, and only they know who is on it. all i can tell you is governor romney has asked me to head up a platform at the convention, head of the republican governors association, and doing everything i can to help mitt romney win in virginia, but other than that we have to wait. >> sean: you know you're being vetted. can i ask you that? >> you can ask. [laughter] >> sean: i'm getting beaten up by you, rubio, ryan. you guys aren't helping. you aren't doing anything to give me a scoop here. you can't blame me for trying. >> sean, i'm doing everything i can to help win in virginia, because this is a swing state. both romney and obama said whoever wins virginia will win. the momentum is great for romney, enthusiasm is great, and the independent voters, sean, that care about jobs and the economy and taxes and spending, i see those people overwhelming going for mitt romney. i think he'll win virginia and will do everything i can to help

him. >> sean: governor, one of the things that impressed me when you became governor -- i was there the day you were -- i think it was your party nomination convention -- >> yes. >> sean: that's when i really got to know you. i was very impressed that you took your state back -- what was it? 2008 spending levels? or 2006. you went back far. you cut the budget that dramatically. how did you do that? >> sean, it was 2007 levels. it was -- >> sean: figures the one year i didn't say. >> it was using common sense fiscal conservative principles, same way you balance your checkbook at home. same way every small businessman in america balances theirs. you can't experience more than you have for any period of time or you go broke. i wish the president and congress would understand that. we had to set priorities, i'll be honest with the people of virginia, we can't keep spending. we cut in in things that had

lower priorities, and eliminated a budget deficit without raising taxes. here's the good news. third year in a row with a budget surplus. our unemployment is down to 5.7%. listen, this is the same thing mitt romney will do for america. he's been a governor. he dropped the unemployment rate there from 50th to 30th. he cut $3.5 billion in a deficit there. this is a guy who understands the bottom line. that's what we need for america right now. >> sean: can you transfer what you're doing and scott walker is doing, can you transfer that to the national level? i love the mac penny plan. cut one penny out of every dollar for six years. is that doable? that seems to make sense to me. >> well, sure, it's just going to take longer because this president has increased the national debt to $16 trillion, the largest amount in american history, presided over