and these two very fine men standing next to me who you have watched grow up, reese and bennett lincoln. they know how much i love them. i'm so grateful for all they do. i want to say a special thanks to my mom. president clinton thinks i'm related to 2/3 of the state. he may be right. i want to saw a special thanks to our come pain state. they have done an unbelievable job. they have been great. if i could, i would name each one by name. they have fought uphill battles and been out there with a kind of enthusiasm and a zoir to really make things work in our great state. i see some that have been with me since 1991 and others since around the corner everyone has given 150%. in the next three weeks, we are going to give 200% >> i want to say a special thanks to our senate staff. they work so hard. thank you for the incredible job they do working day in and day out. i want to thank them wholeheartedly from the bottom of my heart i want to say a special thanks to our regional headquarters. phone bankingnd getting out and mommies for blank night and the whole works. that's what this year is

saying there is -- this election cycle coming up who not toe the party line, such as robert bennett and blanche lincoln on tuesday, will suffer the consequences. what are your thoughts and with the paper called partisanship and paralysis? >> i do not know. i think the senate is still filled with people with good will and purpose. you cannot do much unless you're willing to go across the aisle. it is usually 60 votes. on big, complicated issues, the american will not accept partisan proposals. they want bipartisanship. it means there has been some sort of thoughtful input from both. it seems fair. i believe these really big issues that are very complex like tax reform that center -- that senator widen and i put together -- those issues must be done in a bipartisan way to get the support. things like social security, medicare should have been done this way -- it was not. tax reform. it is one of the reasons why connor and i came up with the idea of a commission we make a totally bipartisan commission and have it report. although it got a majority vote it did not pass, but the president picked it up with

this election cycle coming up, people who do not toe the party line like senator robert bennett and blanche lincoln will suffer the consequences. i was wondering your thoughts on what "the washington post" called"partisanship paralysis -- called "partisanship or paralysis." >> you cannot do much in the senate unless you're willing to go across the aisle. it is usually a 60 vote place to begin with. on big, complicated issues that affect most americans, the american people will not accept partisan proposals. they want bipartisanship because, by definition, it means there has been some thoughtful and point from different philosophical inputs and is seen as fair. i believe that these really big issues that are very complex, like tax reform, really has to be done in a bipartisan way in order to get the momentum and support from the american people necessary to address it. things like social security, medicare, tax reform needed to be done in a bipartisan fashion. it is one that reason -- one reason why we make a totally bipartisan commission to have a report and congress vote on that. although that got

bennett is the third, and mccain's state is still in doubt, blanche lincoln., when he changed party, there was a framing. he said i'm just doing it to save my own skin. it didn't work. >> there could not be a worse year for that. people are in a mood of hating professional politicians. hating washington. and for him to say, i'm doing this to win, and the end of that ad says he was protecting one job. his. and -- people hate the phoniness of it all. >> there is one aspect to the specter failure to be re-elected. here's president obama on the campaign trail with the four candidates that he is supporting as president. they are deets in virginia, corzine in new jersey, coakley in massachusetts, and arlen specter. do we have the tape? >> we know where mar that coakley stands. arlen knew it was more important to answer to the people that sent him to washington. you're going to be looking at the next governor. your governor, my friend, john corzi corzine. >> he's 0 for 4, donna. >> i wouldn't blame it on the president. arlen specter has been running for office as lon

lincoln sort of in the middle. last week we talked about bennett, sort of in the middle and they are either out or endangered and replaced by somebody further on the edge. so the country is furious at all the cooperation and civility i see in washington and will not have any of it. >> lehrer: there is an unusual -- >> it is, that is provocative . mark russell, i think, had an even better take. he said the voters are so angry in 2010 that if gandhi came back, he would be bran brandishing a pitchfork. st. francis of asissi would be in a duck blind with ak-47 shooting ducks. there is an anger out there, i think we saw it. peter hart put it to me very well. he said there is an-- . >> lehrer: democratic -- >> there is an i before e election, i said what do you mean, you want to be an insurgent rather than establishment. and there was no better example than pennsylvania. okay. here is joe ses tack -- sestak, two term, three star general, taking on arlen specter endorsed by the governor of pennsylvania, the mayor of pittsburgh, president of united states, the vice president of the united states, the entire democratic establishm

well, may 18 we have spector and lincoln, and then robert bennett, the utah conservative senator whoas to get by a state convention may 8, a week from yesterday. he may be knocked out right there. so, and then there are a couple other senators and house members down the line that normally the primaries are a pretty easy hurdle for incumbents. this year may not be the case, and if so you may see some signs that old familiarity, the old shoe is not working. but we should have some good clues in the next few weeks. host: david, you wanted to jump in? guest: sure. over the course of the next month we'll be watching two special elections, and this is going to be a good test case whether republicans can actually motivate independents to their side. in pennsylvania's 12 district on may 18, the special election for jack murtha's seat couldn't be happening in a worse district for democrats or at a better time for republicans. republicans need a shot in the arm to prove that they can actually win these special elections after losing two very close ones last year. but those two elections last y

bennett of utah was knocked off the november ballot in the convention. and how toxic it is, this tuesday when democratic senators arlen specter of pennsylvania and blanch lincoln of arkansas attempt to fend off primary challenges of their own. joining the panel, wall street columnies, dan ettinger, jason riley, opinion journal.com editor, james. and dan, we've got an incumbent thrown out. a democratic incumbent thrown out. is there a common theme underlying this? >> i think there's a big common theme and would sum it up in one word, reform. i don't mean reform in the normal sense of the word where you say we want to change something. i think the american political system is entering a formal era of reform, similar to the progressive movement. i think the american people have decided that the aggregation of government over a long period-- pardon? >> okay, i'll take your point, but isn't that what obama promised, reform in washington. i thought we were in that era the new progressive era. >> i completely agree. barack obama overthrough the democratic establishment. he didn't deliver what people thought they were getting. i think that's a symptom of what was to c

bennett of utah was knocked off the november ballot in the convention. and how toxic it is, this tuesday when democratic senators arlen specter of pennsylvania and blanch lincoln of arkansas attempt to fend off primary challenges of their own. joining the panel, wall street columnies, dan ettinger, jason riley, opinion journal.com editor, james. and dan, we've got an incumbent thrown out. a democratic incumbent thrown out. is there a common theme underlying this? >> i think there's a big common theme and would sum it up in one word, reform. i don't mean reform in the normal sense of the word where you say we want to change something. i think the american political system is entering a formal era of reform, similar to the progressive movement. i think the american people have decided that the aggregation of government over a long period-- pardon? >> okay, i'll take your point, but isn't that what obama promised, reform in washington. i thought we were in that era the new progressive era. >> i completely agree. barack obama overthrough the democratic establishment. he didn't deliver what people thought they were getting. i think that's a symptom of what was to c

and the names of those people are barrasso, bennett of utah, cochran, dorgan, feingold, graham, grassley, harkin, hatch, hutchison, inhofe, isakson, leahy, lincoln, mccain, risch, sanders, thune, vitter, wicker, and wyden. those are the people supporting the legislation. this amendment coming to the floor has 20 cosponsors, republicans and democrats alike, and i want to thank all of those 20 senators for their support. madam president, in terms of progressive grassroots organizations, this amendment enjoys the strong support of the afl-cio, the sciu, america steel workers of america, public citizen, the center for economic policy and research, the roosevelt institute, the u.s. public interest research group and americans for financial reform, which, in itself, is a coalition of over 250 consumer employee investor community and civil rights groups. and let me just read you a letter of support that i received for this amendment from bill samuel, the legislative director of the afl-cio. and this is what the afl-cio said and i quote -- "on behalf of the afl-cio, i am writing you to support" -- this is a letter going out to other senators -- urge you

bennett and west virginia congressman alan mullahan, both sent packing. coming up on tuesday we're going to test the political winds as pennsylvania senator specter and blanche lincoln fight for political survival. just how toxic is it for incumbents these days? joining me now is john, good to see you. polling data can be revealing. let me mention a few of them. the president's approval rating has dropped to about 50% which is pretty low. a poll shows preference 44-37% over democrats. i was looking at another poll just out that finds that republicans are far more motivated to vote, roughly two-thirds, compared to just half for democrats. then the "washington post" poll found almost 60% of american voters want to vote against their incumbent. in your judgment what does all of this portend? >> i think both parties are seeing a lot of ferment. senator bennett says people hate washington. no they don't hate washington. they hate what people we send to washington do. they ignore the american people. democrats are also upset because in utah, left wing democrats decided to attack the only democratic congressman because she voted against the health care bill. they forced hi

that is senators barrasso, bennett of utah, burr, coburn, cochran, crapo, demint, feingold, graham, grassley, harkin, hatch, hutchison, inhofe, isakson, leahy, lincoln, mccain, murkowski, risch, sanders, thune, vitter, wicker and wyden. those are people who are on the original legislation. 33 cosponsors. and as you can see, they range from some of the most progressive members to some of the most conservative members. the amendment that is now on the floor has, i believe, 22 cosponsors, republicans and democrats alike. and i want to thank all of them for their support. you know, the american people are asking: can people work together? can they come together on important issues? if there is an important issue that people with different ideological background have come together on, this is that one. and i want to thank my republican friends and my democratic friends who every other day are fighting like cats and mice, but on this issue have come together, and i appreciate that. but it's not only the members of the senate. mr. president, in terms of progressive grass roots organizations, this amendment enjoys the strong support of the afl-cio, the serv

barrasso, bennett of utah, boxer, brownback, burr, cardin, chambliss, coburn, cochran, cornyn, crapo, demint, dorgan, feingold, gramm, grassley, harkin, hutchison, isakson, landrieu, leahy, lincoln, mccain, murkowski, risch, wicker and wyden. this is a very broad cross section of ideological opinion in the u.s. senate. mr. president, in the house of representatives, a similar process has taken place, and this concept has been cosponsored by 320 members of congress. that is a lot. that very rarely happens. and that legislation was authored by republican congressman ron paul and democratic congressman alan grayson. the amendment that i will be bringing to the floor of the senate has 15 cosponsors, republicans and democrats alike, and i very much appreciate their support. mr. president, this amendment is simple and it is straightforward. at a time when federal reserve has provided over $2 trillion in zero or near zero-interest loans to some of the largest financial institutions in this country, this amendment requires the fed to tell the american people who got the money. now, i don't think that's a very radical concept. this amendment would simply do two things. number one, requir