we are on the wrong track. [applause] ts ekn nse washington," presidentba' special election and blues >> i really think its r fendum against the president's policies. >>heresident and speaker of the house a dueling for jobs. >> t psin's proposals are a poor substitute for the for- growtholieit needed to remove barriers to job eation in america. tt >> romney, a champion of social security. social security is not a ponzi scheme. [alae] cial security has worked for 75ea pttda wl. >> rick prya amonf the christian values. >> it is thosehrti lu that this country was based upon. >> jkikeedinerwn words. captioned by the national captning instite --www.ncicap.org--

you remember anthony weiner, a democrat from new york? he resigned his seat after he had been tweeting pictureof s crotch, conduct is seen as unbecoming for aemr t house of representatives. the district had been a democrat since the 1920's. not this time to the new congressmans -yr-old former cable-tv executive, bob turner, creator of "the jerry springer show. >> we have had it with an irresponsible fiscal policy that endangers everyone of our social safetyetrk we have had it with your treatment of israel. [applause] >> congressman steve israel of

new york, who is trying to get democrats elected, is trying to play this one down. >> it is not pretty good about what is going to happen -- not predictive of what is going to happen. >> that is what democrats said after scott round shellacked -- after scott brown at shellacked martha coakley for the seat held by ted kennedy it republican also one in nevada. what do these elections tell you, charles? "conduct unbecoming of a congressman"? u chedn d iss the canary in the coal mine. on the issue of the economy and obama, it is a real message tt democrats are in trouble nationwide. >> democrats and republicans are

in trouble nationwide. the electorate is furious with both sides. 27% want to throw everybody ou 28% are frustrated. 30% wish they would compromise. -- 38% which they could compromise. the number doing the best they can, 8% . r what is wrong with washington, they put it on the republicans, although there is shared blame for democrats as well. nodys fet is cycle. >> jonathan? >> democrats have to be worried about the results this tuesday did to me it was the clearest illustration yet of the o in is about his economic policies. there was talkbo israel, but you have this city that is democratic, saying we don't approve of the job you are doing odd jobs -- on jobs.

he has got to get back on track oil on the economy brought democrats on the hill are very unhappy. we talked to a lot this week who want him to be more aggressive towards republicans, and 1948- style harry truman campaign against the gop in congress. we are hearing on-the-rerd quotations from democrats in congress, clear frustration towards the white house. >> colby? >> james carville put it best a- panic. it is time to panic. that loss ith congrsial district -- they made it from the outset a referendum on a barack obama, unequivocally. not just with respect to his jobs program with the economy, but also on the treatment of israel. he has got to decide now what to do a good james carville says to

fire people. >> fight. >> he has to show something, because this is a really bad and -- >> and execution. >> a democratic president cannot campaign in a new york city district for the democratic -- that is not a good sign. >> at a georgetown fundraiser, the president saw to reassure supporters who fear that these growing economic headwinds are going to reain danger his reelection bid he says the odds of his being reelected are higher than his being elected in the first place. >> and, it's always have advantages. the big disadvantage of running as the incumbent is the record. that is the problem. it is as bad that said, he has the record year -- is as jonathan said, he has the record

here -- >> kabul imagine, next year a democratic president may have to go to -- and you have imagined, next year a democratic president may have to go to new york to campaign? >> there is another dynamic here. when the republicans lost the special election a few months ago in buffalo, new york 26, the theme was not -- it was right after the release of the paul ryan and plan, the democrats ran hard and medi-scare and succeeded. and the republicans who did not admit that were whistling in the wind. right here in the game, they tried it again in new york 9, and it did not work. in part because obama gave indications in the debt debate that he might trim medicare or social security. he might have given away a piece of that propaganda, and it scared democrats -- in these

conditions, the only hope is that medi-scare. >> weak opponent, too. >> for a republican -- >> cops endorsed him. >> on obama, the good news for him is that he is not running against a generic opponent. he will run against a flesh-and- blood person who will be flawed. whether it is mitt romney or rick perry or someone else, he will face them next year and a one-third share of problems -- they will have their share of problems. >> list of your voice. if you think it is time to pass a jobs bill that will put millions of americans back to work, call on congress to do the right thing. >> we need to recognize who really creates jobs in america. it is the private sector. >> the number of americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped to the highest

level in three months, more bad news for the white house. there is bad news for members of congress. jeanne talked about the bloomberg poll. according to a cbs-"new york times" paul, only 12% of american people approve of how congress is doing its job, at six in 10 don't think their own member should be reelected. how about them apples, jonathan? >> it will be a tough year for any member of congress. pat leahy, who came in in the 1974 elections, says he has never seen anything like this in his career in congress in terms of a public anger. typically, is the in-a party that pays the price. but what is the in-party next year? president obama and the democrats, or the gop-led house? >> jonathan is right that both sides have to be concerned right now. they both had a hand in what is going on at year. there is one issue, jobs.

it is the one issue on which they are not getting anything at seriously down, and we have one emotion and is anchored. charlie coats has said that he thinks this could possibly be the first time we see a true anti-incumbent election, where it does not tilt one way or the other. is across the board and it could create all sorts of surprises. >> what are they missing on the hill? why are rented a hearing in this? >> they are giving us, but they are also hearing from their base. -- they are hearing at this, but they are also hearing from their base. no tax increases, cuts in entitlement reform. democrats say we want to do something odd jobs, but we also have to raise taxes -- do something about jobs, but we also have to raise taxes. the president is going to be left by himself, because the democrats seem to be willing to

run to the hills for themselves. >> if he is talking about spending more money, he is going to be hit by this solelyndra thing. >> yes, there is a little scandal called solyndra, which i'm glad you mentioned because there are no republicans and what i thought it would be overlooked. half a billion dollar stimulus, the first energy department grant to a company that -- accompany that. it went bust. by an amazing coincidence, the chief investor is a huge contributor to obama. congress is looking into this coincidence to see if there was any pressure from the white house. "the washington post" discovered e-mail's where the white house is pushing hard on omb to approve of the loan even though numbers on this company look really bad. one example -- it makes solar

panels at a price of $6, sells it at $3. the old jewish joke -- made up on volume, it didn't work. >> when in six americans live in poverty, the highest rate since 1993, since the government started keeping track. what does that tell you, colby? >> it reflects what happened to the economy the last several years, but also shows us the real disparity that this impact has sat on the country. you take kids in poverty, something like 40% are african- american. that is replicated throughout the adult figures as well. obama comes in for criticism because it appears that his policies are not even focused on that aspect of the problem. he has the view that the rising tide lifts all boats, and that

has been said by other presidents as well. but it is not cut the mustard on those numbers. >> why the republicans willing to deal on anything r? >> it does not sound like it. the speech at the speaker a port taxes were completely off the table when applied to the -- what applied to the jobs bill and the work of the super committee. i am not sure that a payroll bank tax -- i am not sure that a payroll tax -- when that became a gimmick, but it is now. they have gone back to their partisan camps. one last bit out of that bloomberg poll, 71% of respondents said that the fight over the debt ceiling animated their anchor. they are going -- they could make the public even more serious and somehow get under 12%. >> there are more incentives for

folks like john boehner to be seen as doing nothing than caving and raising taxes. all the incentives are geared towards rewarding or on political base and not anchoring your political base at. his base is hard-core activists who don't want compromise at all. these folks are more worried about primaries than general elections. >> has it occurred to anybody on the panel that may be a republican would believe that raising taxes in the middle of a terrible recession is a mistake? and also that the stimulus, which is now son of the stimulus, was tried two years ago, almost a trillion dollars, and might know where and might not be economically -- it repeated an increase our debt? anothere is a argument about the stimulus, that prevented things from getting worse -- >> the assumption is always on faith, which is what obama says.

is about reelection. republicans actually think that the economic policies of this administration have been misguided and should not be repeated. >> speaking of republicans, speaking of primaries, several say they are going to fix what ails us, but the focus is on two people, perry, romney and social security. >> do you still think that social security should be ended as a federal program, as you did six months ago when a book came out? >> i think we should have a conversation -- >> we are having a right now, governor. >> mitt romney, sounding like the program's great defender, says that is not a ponzi scheme to charles disagrees. i know that because i read it in his column this week. >> it is a ponzi scheme. the difference is, social security is mandatory. if charles ponzi had the force of the law, forcing a new entrants into his scheme, he

would still be going. he would be commissioner of social security. but it is an interesting and sort of amusing argument, but the fact is, ponzi or not, the problem with the social security is demographics. there are not enough young workers to support the boomers. you have to change the program. that is what the candidates, including obama, ought to be talking about. the steps they have to take are pretty obvious and simple, but nobody has the courage to talk about raising the retirement age, means testing or changing the social security formula. there is a report on friday that obama will not include any changes in social security in the debt reduction proposal he is going to make. if he does not, it is not serious. >> we have been talking about it for years, colby. >> my wife had a condition -- >> has she ever run a ponzi scheme on the outside? [laughter]

>> that is a good one. >> you would not be here, colby -- >> charles, i don't want to get in the middle of this one. trowels is right about when it think it -- charles is right about one thing. nobody is talking about what needs to happen, reform social security. talk about whether it is a ponzi scheme or not is political theater. >> romney came out better in the end, but not because of that he came out better because of what rick santorum and michele bachmann did on rick perry's right flank. if romney gets the nomination is it is because? santorum and michele bachmann weekend rick perry on the right -- weakened rick perry on the right. if he has weakened by the immigration and a vaccine

attacks on the right. >> let me talk about his populist message it wrapped up in the spiritual message of christian values. how will that play out in the primary, jeanne? >> it will play out fine in the primary because right now he has the support of evangelicals. there was of the speech he gave at liberty university in virginia at this week where he said christian values were the guiding principle for the nation. all of these things work well in the primary. the question about him is not whether he can appeal to the base republicans. he can a. is whether he can take that and flip it in the general. electability is the question about rick perry, not whether he is liked by the base. >> does he win the nomination? that is my question. >> he will not been strictly on the basis of his religious beliefs. but he does have to face the question -- this is a a diverse country as to indicate -- and he

has to indicate how he will go by the religious leaders and the country. >> what about james carville's advice? fight. what does he have to lose? >> this president is in the ivory tower and is not willing to go out there clinton-style and do some rousing. that said, next year this president is going to be very tough on whoever the gop nominee is a. when unemployment is 9%, the president has won a way to win, to basically make your opponent unelectable, unacceptable. they well guarded, however the candidate is -- they will carpet bomb whoever the candidate is. >> if yes to defend new york state are california, -- if the past to defend new york state or california -- >> he will be ok in new york

state and california. >> it will not come down to that, it will come to the swing states that we are familiar with. it will be one bloody race at. i was talking to a white house official recently and he said it will be so ugly. it is not just going to be the president. he will try to tear down his opponent. we have outside groups who are marshalling incredible amounts of money for these all-purpose of taking him down -- for the edsall purpose of taking him down did you look at the polls right now, the president has a little bit of a lead it, but he does not have a comfortable lead by any stretch and it has not even begun yet. >> there is another poll that shows "hillary remorse." >> cannot be a campaign like 2010 or the democrats run from their own record. if the president goes into it reelection next year with no

democrats defending his record, trying to win in their own race, it will be difficult. >> why would you stand with him? in new york 9, there was no advantage having obama come in. what candidate would want to have a man who, rightly or wrongly -- i never believed that presidents determine how the economy is -- but rightly or wrongly, we always attributed the economy to the president. why do you think republicans were destroyed in 2008? >> republicans have their own problems, too, gordon. the republican base does not really want mitt romney. they are looking for somebody else. it might be rick perry, but every time he goes to one of these debates, he has some, where he gives us pause to the republican establishment. >> is there anybody we have not heard from yet? >> it is too late.

>> we are starting to approaching deadlines in states to file ballots. realistically, only some of the likes of sarah palin could come right in at the last minute and raise money faster and get those things done. if you look at the polls, republicans and getting comfortable with this group. you can see them becoming resigned to it. >> to some extent, if you watched the debate, it is a group. they are a lot sharper, crisper. romney has performed extremely well. look, he has been running for five years nonstop. that is longer than the average career in the nfl. he is still a candidate. he has learned a lot, very polished. in the two debates, he really handled himself. perry looks like the one who last stop and think methought, and he is not sure how he wants

to go sometimes. >> the audience at these debates, the things that it and respond to. executions -- hey! death bed lady -- let 'em die. waterfalls. -- wonderful spirit. >> jackie kennedy in her own words. >> we saw the table in the carpenter shop, and we took six weeks to restore it. >> 80 million americans watched the that the kennedy family has released audiotapes. she was much interested in politics, but he became a great political asset to president kennedy, did she -- didn't she? >> she certainly did. there is a famous commercial she

made in spanish. she was fluent in many languages. i'm interested in the report that because of the release, at the age of 34 -- there's so much of her life and development that is going to come. i almost wish they had waited longer to release it, because then it would be more historic. now some of what she says it just seems outdated. >> we were a much more hopeful country in the 1960's, it seems to me. if you look at the polls and then and now, colby. people feel their kids will not have the same shot as in the 60's. >> it was kennedy who captured that. young president, young family, a spirit of optimism and that we could do anything if we put our minds to it. we have not encountered -- we had not encountered some of the setbacks that would,. we had not gone into vietnam had

not even had the bay of pigs yet. >> he put about 30,000 troops into vietnam. >> it would come here is been a rough road to hoe since the kennedys. >> charles? >> look, i am not a worshiper at the shrine of camelot, so i am not exactly objective. everybody can look at this with rz nostalgia, but the kennedy years are the years where we came within hours of armageddon, where we had the bay of pigs, the berlin crisis. it was not one of the great presidencies -- >> cuban missile crisis. >> right, that is what i meant by carmageddon. it is not have run over us today. europe and japan were rubble. of course we have a dominant, strong economy. we had no competition. living in a cloud of nuclear annihilation in a way we just do not remember now. it is different now.

our economy is weak, but it is a different kind of existential -- >> talking about this moment illustrates the fact that when you do is look back with rose- tinted glasses, because we're still talking about his presidency and its former first lady. >> i was on active duty during the time of the cuban missile crisis. i don't recall thinking we were under some nuclear powcloud. we had is owns it knocked out in cuba -- zones knocked out in cuba and were to do something. >> exactly. there was a chance of a nuclear exchange would which would have killed millions. you were at the time right at their. john mccain was also in florida at the time, waiting for his orders. this was as close as we ever got. it was not at the time. -- it was not a happy time.

>> it was not a fearful time, that is what i want you to understand. >> on that note, thanks. see you next week. for a transcript of this broadcast, log on to insidewashington.tv.

steves: the dramatic rock of cashel is one of ireland's most evocative sites. this was the seat of ancient irish kings for seven centuries. st. patrick baptized king aengus here in about 450 a.d. in around 1100, an irish king gave cashel to the church, and it grew to become the ecclesiastical capital of all ireland. 800 years ago, this monastic community was just a chapel and a round tower standing high on this bluff. it looked out then, as it does today, over the plain of tipperary, called the golden vale because its rich soil makes it ireland's best farmland. on this historic rock, you stroll among these ruins in the footsteps of st. patrick, and wandering through my favorite celtic cross graveyard, i feel the soul of ireland.

>> euromaxx highlights. here is your host, karin helmstaedt.