we're joined by louise slaughter and alan grayson. the papal conclave begins in rome. we've got a big conclai. everyone agrees the cardinals should pick a vibrant young man in his early 70s. we're joined by progressive theologian john shelby spong. christmas is coming early for comedians because sarah palin is writing a book about christmas. birthday of liza minnelli, darryl strawberry, governor mitt romney and adult film star ron jeremy, three of whom are actually quite wholesome people. black smoke rome, cardinals the big vote. this is "vatican idol." >> john: good evening i'm john fuglesang and this is "viewpoint." democrats and house republicans agree, the nation needs a budget. house budget chair paul ryan led his committee to a podium where he unveiled his latest if you'll excuse the term path to prosperity. so just how are you going to do it this time, paul? >> we cut wasteful spending. we repair the safety net so that we can help those in need. we protect and strengthen key priorities like medicare. >> john: you don't say. that sounds like a pretty progressive

. >> john: congressman alan grayson lost his seat but ran again and won.it's the lobbyists and who made it that way? >> john: by passing all these laws. if you have a big government there is more government to fight over. >> there is that argument, but will the real well think is not in washington, d.c.. >> john: it's on wall street, he says. there is a lot of money there, but there is a big difference. >> in the private sector if you can find a way to cut costs you are a hero. if you can find a way to cut costs in bureaucracy you are goat. they measure success by the size of their budget. >> big budgets give special interests reason to invest in d.c. and invest they have. unions say teachers are under pay but their union looks rich. this is their headquarters. we're told it's worth hundred million dollars. the atrium is called an environmental oasis. they didn't want us to take pictures of it. >> take a picture of it? they told me to wait outside and officials waited to see if we can videotaped. >> we read about the beautiful lobby and i would like to sho

congressman alan grayson and cynthia tucker, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you. >>> aheadmichele bachmann training for a marathon? nope. it's just a mad dash from the facts. what a story. >>> and it's march tradition like no other. brackets, basketball, and gop derangement. all that madness is next. [ shapiro ] at legalzoom, you can take care of virtually all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. mommy's having a french fry. yes she is, yes she is. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. 100% vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle. >>> let the march madness begin. president obama's back with what's become a fun tradition, filling out his bracket for the ncaa basketball tournament. >> as president, we have a new term, one in three. >> i think we can do better. >> okay. >> 400 years. >> let's see what we can do. louisville looks good, st. louis is looking good. >> i still need to go with duke. >> noi don't know if you saw th

. >> alan grayson's letter on the house, the house side, he said he wants progressives to sign on sayingcuts for social security medicare, medicaid under any deal. do you agree with that, or do you think that that's putting too harsh of a red line. >> i want to trust the president mostly on this, but i also draw the lines, too. for instance, i was in youngstown in a town hall maybe two years ago and a woman stood up, she said, i'm 63 years old. i just want to stay alive for another year and a half so i can get health insurance. that's what her focus in life was, to stay alive. we have no business raising retirement age for social security and medicare. >> that's a red line? >> people who dress like this and work wherever, they can work until maybe 70 sometimes. but a lot of us, could. but someone who works in a factory, works construction, works in a retail operation cleaning hotels, waiting tables, they can't work until their 70 in most cases. we have no business raising retirement age and inflicting them with that. >> how about change cpi. >> i think there may be--i don't know what the

alan grayson brought a few posters along. >> if you get sick in america, this is what the republicansyou to do. if you get sick, america, the republican health care plan is this. die quickly. that's right. the republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick. >> well, now to the campaign trail. remember when mitt romney's advisers said a transition from primary season to the general election campaign was almost like an etch a sketch? you can kind of shake it up and start all over again. well, enter romney's opponents giving new life to what i thought had become a forgotten children's toy. >> imagine had mitt romney been around at the time we were drafting our constitution? he'd have just shaken it and just shook it up after to rewrite it. >> given everything people have said about governor romney's flip-flops over the years, this was sort of capturing what everybody was afraid of. in a way we probably ought to thank his communications director for telling the truth. >> finally, minnesota senator al franken made transition from comedy to politics he left funny stuff behind to take o

. >> what toys say that alan grayson, for example the past and present congressman the -- there is noa polarized environment and both sides have called each other names. on the theory that talk is inexpensive, i'm looking at this morning's "politico" and there is an article, quote democrats not sold on grand bargain. and it mentions a letter that the majority of the democrats in congress signed saying look we are not for any entitlement cuts, medicare changes, social security changes, anything, don't think about getting us to vote procedure them because we won't. which suggests the democratic campaign committee which on the weekend paul ryan's plan quote was to destroy medicare may not be the basis for a deal no matter how charming president obama was over dinner. >> we are talking about obama himself who has compromised 0 tax cuts, finally -- they finally agree to raise another tough 1%. he compromised on healthcare, wanted a public plan, didn't go with that. we have the affordable care act which is more complicated. he's finally doing the right thing, inviting ryan to lunch, invitin

there are bills in congress and the one that we favor, h.r. 1346, just introduced last thursday by alan grayson from florida, and it was entitled -- catching up with 1968. 1346. host: our guest is ralph nader, the author of the book 17 solutions -- the author of the book "17 solutions." to join the conversation and speak with mr. nader, for republicans, 202-585-3881. for democrats, 202-585-3880. for independents, 202-585-3882. see theld you like to president called for in terms of minimum wage? you mentioned what he talked about now and what he talked about before. what does your bill do? when would you like to see it go? host: that it is time for the workers to be paid what they were paid in 1916. -- guest: that it is time for the workers to be paid something equal to what they were paid in 1968. productivity has doubled. you could argue that workers should be given the benefit of the increased productivity. let's put it this way, given the state of the republican party in congress i think the first step should be $10.50 minimum wage and an adjusted for inflation store for the consumer price i