, who i wrongly called george podesta.'t know what was going through my mind. i was looking at george will. >> he's been called worse. >> absolutely. >> gridlock? or any new solutions in this progress? >> you heard president obama in the days after the election saying that he wanted to reach out and find a way to find some areas of compromise. i think the republicans now have a responsibility to come forward and be partners in governing, particularly in the house, where they're going to have to put some of their own ideas on the table. and not just be the party of no. but i think we're still in a poisonous political atmosphere. so, i don't hold out tremendous hope for us to see things going forward. i think one of the early tests will be whether the senate takes up the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty, which has bipartisan support in the lame duck session. >> you heard rand paul saying he wouldn't vote for it. that would be coming in january. go ahead. >> i think there's a possibility of reaching compromise. whether there's a probabi

now, the center for american progress is john podesta. he was the chief of staff under clinton, like i said. he knows how to get things done. in fact, they just throwed this for the president of the united states. this is a study. they just issued a report filled with recommendations to advance progressive change. so what's his ad vice for obama to get things done without having both majorities? he says, quote one of the best ways for the obama administration to achieve results of that nature in the short-term is through substantial executive authority and to make and implement policy. that's fantastic. you know what that means? that means executive orders. which is really weird. because what he is saying here is you can't get anything done through congress. so the executive branch will do it and it sounds familiar because it sounds a little something like this. i think congress is overplaying their hand more importantly. i think they are being outlaid and outmaneuvered. i think they are making themselves irrelevant to framework obama see

progress not positioning is the counsel given by john podesta and his progressive group, center for american progress, issuing a report today identifying 30 specific areas where mr. obama could act. the best part, no congressional consult required. the president can use his authority by issuing executive orders, use rule making, a9e management and diplomacy. to further his agenda. among the group's specific recommendations, use the epa to lower greenhouse gas pollution and use commander in chief authority to stop the enhorsement of don't ask, don't tell. the center's report pointing to another democratic president facing similar republican opposition in the latter half of his first term, bill clinton. president clinton used executive powers to establish protection for medical privacy and put 1 million welfare recipients into the workforce. he protected more open land than any president since theodore roosevelt. ironic the de facto leader of the republican insurgency during the clinton years is now offering advice to president obama. former house speaker newt gingrich sitting down with christ

i told the story about john podesta gets into in a heated campai exchange with the campaign people.nd that. now the campaign people said this wasn't a minor thing. you know, this is what the candidate, the president-elect really believes in. and, of course, they watered it down one way or the other. he says well, he was really just hedging where the president wanted to hedge. but that debate about whether you should stick to the revivalist spirit of the campaign or govern and -- and mold yourself to washington, that has been the fault line running through this white house for the last three years. >> if it's obama loyalists, revivalists, valerie jarrett, that crowd, the veterans with him from the beginning versus the old-hand clintonists. if the president had repeatedly rejected this clinton model for his presidency, why were there any survivalists? and why were they seemingly in charge? >> well, that's a great question. and there were some obama loyalists on the survivalist side. it's not a clear obama/clinton divide here. but that framework from the primaries does set up what happ

it was a woman named podesta jones who teaches in prison. she actually lives in the bay area. some of you may know of her. and she is actually one of three people interviewed who teach in jails or prisons. and in a previous appearance, someone asked me g, y three people at a 51 teaching jails and prisons? and i didn't know the statistic, but i look it up. and an avid any given moment, 2.3 million americans are incarcerated. that's a large population. so on reflection, three people who teach them is just about right. where does the edessa jones mostly teaches incarcerated women. and this was the story that she told. she said i was hired by the california arts council 15 years ago to go into the city jail and teach aerobics to incarcerated women. for me as an artist, getting this call, i was ugly mystified, but i answered the call. so i just improvised every day for the first month. i started in there looking very fashionable, looking like danielle from solid gold, which was a television show from around that time. i just turned 40 and the women who are just fascinated. i was bl

also, a former cmb director and john podesta. fox news sunday begins at 2:00 p.m. with eric cantor, paul ryan, and darrell issa. at 3:00, tim pawlenty and rick perry, chris van hollen, and senator-elect pat to me. -- pat toomey. then, more talk about the elections with senate minority leader mitch mcconnell and house minority whip james clyburn. that begins at noon eastern. 1:00 -- meet the press. 3:00 p.m. -- state of the union on cnn. listen for them all on c-span radio. on you ripho -- on your iphone, satellite radio, or online. >> it is harmless to make a start out of britney spears or cher. when one takes the notion of starting out into the national security realm, then lives are -- of stardom into the national security wrong, then lives are at stake. americans get wise. in that amount of time, case and may harm -- chaos and mayhem may come to reign. >> derek leebaert will critique several foreign policy leaders tonight on "q&a." >> this weekend on afterwards hamilton.er nigel he profiles several presidents. he is interviewed by richard norton smith. that is t

american progress a think taeurpbg in washington which has been ledded by john -- head bed by john podestathere is a paper you put out this week, the power of the president, recommendations to advance progressive change. it is being picked up in a lot of columns. it is essentially a message to the president to assert yourself. what are you saying? guest: so much of the conversation since the election has been predictions that sort of the government is going to come to a halt because we have a divided government and differences of view about so many issues that are going to be debated in the congress and there is a lot of discussion that somehow legislative progress is going to be differ to make -- difficult to make. i hope those predictions may not prove to be accurate in talking about the congress. but our point was to say that government is not just about legislation. the president has enormous authority and responsibility to be able to operate as a chief executive of the federal government and we want to emphasize the ways he can help get things done, things that the public really needs

with top white house advisors like john podesta and paul volcker talking about the need for a v.a.t. tax, there was great concern that the fiscal commission would look to this tax as an easy way to raise more revenue. last week i was pleased to see that the co-chairs released a preliminary report that did not call for new v.a.t. tax. the ease with which a v.a.t. tax could raise revenue makes it especially dangerous. the government cannot create jobs and a v.a.t. tax would only further deplete resources from the private sector. the true septre of job growth. -- center of job growth. now we need to have a serious debate in congress about the best way to control government spending and let the private sector flourish and grow and create private sector sustainable jobs. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what reason does the gentleman from south carolina rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, the top priority of congress for this lame duck se

american progress a think taeurpbg in washington which has been ledded by john -- head bed by john podesta. there is a paper you put out this week, the power of the president, recommendations to advance progressive change. it is being picked up in a lot of columns. it is essentially a message to the president to assert yourself. what are you saying? guest: so much of the conversation since the election has been predictions that sort of the government is going to come to a halt because we have a divided government and differences of view about so many issues that are going to be debated in the congress and there is a lot of discussion that somehow legislative progress is going to be differ to make -- difficult to make. i hope those predictions may not prove to be accurate in talking about the congress. but our point was to say that government is not just about legislation. the president has enormous authority and responsibility to be able to operate as a chief executive of the federal government and we want to emphasize the ways he can help get things done, things that the public really nee

headed by john podestad and is very much involved policy development for the obama administration podestais a paper you put out this week, the power of the president, recommendations to advance progressive change. it is being picked up in a lot of columns. it is essentially a message to the president to assert yourself. what are you saying? guest: so much of the conversation since the election has been predictions that sort of the government is going to come to a halt because we have a divided government and differences of view about so many issues that are going to be debated in the congress and there is a lot of discussion that somehow legislative progress is going to be differ to make -- difficult to make. i hope those predictions may not prove to be accurate in talking about the congress. but our point was to say that government is not just about legislation. the president has enormous authority and responsibility to be able to operate as a chief executive of the federal government and we want to emphasize the ways he can help get things done, things that the public really needs and w

american progress a think taeurpbg in washington which has been ledded by john -- head bed by john podesta. there is a paper you put out this week, the power of the president, recommendations to advance progressive change. it is being picked up in a lot of columns. it is essentially a message to the president to assert yourself. what are you saying? guest: so much of the conversation since the election has been predictions that sort of the government is going to come to a halt because we have a divided government and differences of view about so many issues that are going to be debated in the congress and there is a lot of discussion that somehow legislative progress is going to be differ to make -- difficult to make. i hope those predictions may not prove to be accurate in talking about the congress. but our point was to say that government is not just about legislation. the president has enormous authority and responsibility to be able to operate as a chief executive of the federal government and we want to emphasize the ways he can help get things done, things that the public really nee