and then we were joined by bob corker and bob conrad. corker said we need to focus

i think bob corker would say that. we have had discussions, we're friends. almost all democrats and all republicans believe that. i think it's also true our preference would be to do this by two-thirds in a bipartisan way. there are all kinds of discussions going on with all kinds of groups to try to come up with a agreement. the basic problem is republicans say we don't allow them amounts. we say they don't allow our bills on the floor. you can deal with those evenhandedly. if we can't come to an agreement, whether we go to the constitutional option, our caucus will have to discuss that in the coming weeks. our hope would be to be able to come up with a compromise. there are interesting and productive discussions. >> let me ask about the filibuster. when democrats were in the minority a few years ago and you guys were filibustering george w. bush's judicial nominations you had a different view about the filibuster. >> the wisdom of our republic shows when the senate slows things down, when the senate does invoke checks and balances that the republic is bett

i will start with my left, which is where bob corker says i always start. tim pawlenty, former governor of minnesota. i wrote that i thought that if he could get the nomination he would have been the strongest republican presidential candidate. i was absolutely right -- we just could not figure out how to get there from here. tim is now the head of the financial services round table, a job he took just about a month or two ago, and will be a huge player in washington in the coming months and years. chris van hollen -- first of all, he was redistricted and he kept 2/3 of his old district, but your margin did not go down at all. maybe a little -- one county he represents, where my son is, let's just say that they think that attila is a liberal. but he did an incredible job. chris, i would say, we are with two senators now, and i am always reminded of when bob dole in 1968 left the house to go to the senate, he said in that single act he enraged the intelligence of both bodies. bob corker is from the state that i think has produced more interesting and importa

eastern, senator ron johnson and bob corker.resident obama issued a warning on "meet the press." >> on midnight, december 31st, if congress doesn't act, then everybody's taxes go up. and for the average family, that could mean a loss of $2,000 in income. for the entire economy, that means consumers have a lot less money to make purchases, which means businesses are going to have a lot less customers, which means that they're less likely to hire and the whole economy could slow down at a time when the economy is starting to pick up. >> but after it was all said and done, leaders on the senate floor couldn't get anything done, at least not yet. >> there's no single issue that remains an impossible sticking point. the sticking point appears to be a willingness and interest or frankly the courage to close the deal. i want everyone to know, i'm willing to get this done, but i need a dance partner. >> this morning, we've been trying to come up with some counteroffice to my friend's proposal. we haven't been able to do that. i've had a

democrat charles schumer and republican bob corker. then the u.s. draws a red line telling syrian president assad not to use chemical weapons in that country's civil war. we'll discuss the latest intelligence and fallout with michael oren. a fox news sunday exclusive. plus the supreme court agrees to take up same-sex marriage. we'll ask our sunday panel if the court is likely do decide whether gays have a constitutional right to marry and a final farewell to my best friend winston, all right now on "fox news sunday." hello again from fox news in washington. it's beginning to feel like groundhog day in the talks of the fiscal cliff. both sides dug in, no agreement in sight and we're 23 days from the brink. join us to break down where it stands, two leader senators, charles schumer and bob corker. house speaker boehner said friday another week has been wasted. given president obama won the election and seems to have most of the political leverage, what's the realistic deal to be made in the next 23 days? >> first of all i think something's going to ha

we're waiting for the house speaker and senator bob corker out of tennessee. don't know what you guys are talking about, we're a long way from a deal on this thing. the markets are up, that is good news. the republicans meeting on the president's offer. if the speaker gives too much will republicans pay a hefty price? will republicans even go along with him in the house? we'll debate it. martha: and new details on this very important story this morning. this is a u.s. marine who locked up in a notorious mexican prison and chained to his bed as his family pleads and says this is a huge mistake. they want help from the government. >> examine this case. this is wrong, and do the right thing. he should be released immediately. this was an administrative mistake. he is not a gunrunner. and you know it. please release him. feeling isolated because your family and friends find it difficult to talk with you? discover the siemens difference with eclipse, a giant leap forward in hearing technology eclipse hearing aids are fine-tuned with such precision they're like high-

bob corker, a member of the senate foreign relations committee was questioned yesterday.o you. >> good morning, bill. bill: what you think? >> we need to have another hearing. secretary clinton said she takes responsibly for what happens and she needs to come to our committee and talk about the flavored things that have happened. causing the security at benghazi to be so lax. bill: they were saying even 99% is not good enough. they talked about needing more money. >> yes, that's the most -- the main part of this. in hearing this the other day in a closed session, everyone is talking about the need for more money. the fact is that they had 16 security officers that were being provided for free as it relates to the state department. they sent home three weeks prior to this happening. this is not about money. unfortunately here in washington, the first answer always is money. that's not the issue here. i think the state department has a culture there that doesn't breed any kind of creative thinking. thinking outside the box, making sure that things are done in a detailed way

and, republican bob corker, of tennessee. lemen, house speaker boehner said on friday that another week has been wasteded. senator corker, given that president obama won the election, and seems to have most of the political leverage, what is the realistic deal to be made in the next 23 days? >> first of all, i think something will happen. i hope it is large enough for people like me that want to see entitlement reform to vote for. the president has leverage and the republicans have leverage with the debt ceiling and the c.r. which ends in march and hopefully cooler heads will prevail. there are different theories coming forth on how to deal with this and again, chris, it is a unique moment in history, where every developed country in the world, economists on both sides of the aisle, know the greatest threat to our country is fiscal solvency and we have a situation where the minority party is trying to leverage the president into doing something that is great for our nation and it is a very unique time and i hope the president

and later, senators bob corker and tom coburn. and congressman tom cole.s an update on the condition of secretary of state hillary clinton who is hospitalized with a blood clot. we'll have a live report. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. >>> the offers that i've made to them have been so fair that a lot of democrats get mad at me. i offered to make some significant changes to our entitlement programs in order to reduce the deficit. they say that their biggest priority is making sure that we deal with the deficit in a serious way. but the way they're behaving is that their only priority is making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest americans are protected. >> all right. we're taking a look here as the clock counts down as we head over the fiscal cliff. a live look at capitol hill as the sun comes up over washington. they're working, working away there on capitol hill. here with us now from washington, former white house press secretary and former senior adviser to the obama campaign, robert gibbs, who looks like he's on a ski vacation.

senators claire mccaskill and bob corker, coming up next. ts. ts. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. >>> we'll hear more from our roundtable in just a bit. but first, i'm joined by two key voices calling for compromise. tennessee republican bob corker and missouri democrat claire mccaskill. welcome to both of you. senator, what's changed in washington? where is the room for real bipartisan to avert this fiscal cliff? does it exist? >> i think it does. i think we understand that this is about our country first. and it really is a time we need to put politics aside, and it's going to be painful. none of us are going to get the deal that we exactly want. but we have to keep talking to one another. and bob and i have talked this week. i'm talking every day with my republican colleagues.

i think the big one was bob corker, ari, let's play a little bit of sound from corker. >> there is aup of folks that are looking at this and realizing that we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue before year end. i mean, we have one house, that's it. the presidency and the senate and the democrats' hands. >>> and kevin mccarthy on "meet the press." he didn't say they weren't going to be for rates. he said raising tax rates isn't enough. >> everybody supports raising taxes. >> everybody is for raising taxes on somebody else. >> it's just whether the rates will go up. they are speaking more openly about going over the cliff and negotiating about getting the automatic rate hikes back down and republicans do not want to see that. >> chris, there was republican infighting among conservative intellectuals, bill kristol versus "the wall street journal" editorial page. essentially saying to bob corker, shut up. and kristol going, what do you want to do, given the democrats more leverage in january? this was his message. >> if we go over the cliff, the republicans have zer

bob corker is from tennessee and joins us now from capitol hill.enator, welcome, and first of all, we heard late today that there was a phone conversation between the president and speaker boehner. have you heard anything about that? >> no, i haven't. i've been in multiple conversations today about this. but i've been in a meeting until right now for the last two hours. so i have not been aware of the phone conversation. sphwhrood well, we not hearing any reports other than the fact the call took place, but the fact that it took place, is that good news? >> oh, i don't know, judy. i think there are a the love discussions about what is the best way to get the type of entitlement reforms that everyone knows needs to take place, both republicans and democrats. judy, i have been in i don't know how many meetings in the last two years where there is a lot of commonality around the issue. as you know, the president has been, you know, sort of a-- not to be pejorative, but sort of a one-trick pony on this tax rate increase issue. what that's doing is putt

we are joined by republican senator bob corker. he's a member of the banking committee. ve been talking with you just a week ago you told us that you would have to see some serious budget cuts and some serious issues to address entitlements before you would agree on any deal. >> yeah. >> does this proposal from the president do it? >> no. i'm really surprised, at the reporting today. unless something happened this morning at 6:00, we're not close to a deal. and i've been trying for three weeks. i've been standing on my head, doing cart wheels to try to pivot towards entitlement reform. this is not a deal here. this is -- i think the house is going to move today to rescue the bulk of our country from a tax increase, and unfortunately, that's all that's going to happen this year. because, think about this. i mean, there's -- if my understanding, only $400 billion in real cuts that are offered, only $200 billion of those are in entitlements. the rest of it is to be determined down the road. giving up the debt ceiling. giving up the $1.2 trillion in sequester. so, again, ever

it's bob corker.t he's marching to his own drum when it comes to the republican side. bob corker, the republican in the senate said he would break the grover norquist push. he didn't talk about the tax rates. as we all know, the key is the president's and democrats insistence on the rate going up from 35 to 39n't 6%. this week, he was much more specific. he's saying to republicans, hey, cut our losses now and live to fight another day. here he is. >> has a growing group of folks looking at this and realizing we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue. we have one house, that's it. the presidency and the senate in the democrats hands. a lot of people are putting forth a theory. i think it has merit. you go in and give the president the 2% increase that he's talking about. the rate increase on the top 2%. all of a sudden, the shift goes back to entitlements. >> what corker is also saying, what he went on to say is when we hit the debt ceiling next year, in february, then republicans are

listen to republican senator bob corker. >> there is a growing group of folks that are looking at this and realizing we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue before year end. a lot of people are putting forth a theory and i actually think it has merit where you go in and give the president the 2% increase that he's talking about, the rate increase on the top 2% and all of a sudden the shift goes back to entitlements. >> so senator corker, john, is part of a growing number of republicans who are saying that. let's cave on income tax rates. maybe not go all the way up to where the white house and senate democrats want. but let's give some on this so we can talk about entitlement reform, reforming medicare, reforming social security. this came on the heels of some developments on friday. remember house speaker john boehner came out and said i have no progress. this isn't a progress report. i have no progress to report. but then you also saw maybe the white house signalling that they're negotiable on just how much the rates go up because senator joe biden indicated that

we're going to speak live to senator bob corker and we'll show you what that could mean for the pricesou pay at the supermarket. >>> also a fascinating "60 minutes" preview a double agent says he infiltrated al-qaeda and used facebook to help an american terrorist find a wife. very busy friday and i can't wait until it's over mike and jess. see you guys later. >> i understand you've been working a few hours lately jeff. >> see you later guys. >> take care have a great weekend. it is the holiday season and people are going out the o afterpies -- out to parties but don't get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. >> we've been talking all morning about the science behind the field sobrieties test. we had the ride along and great stuff so far this morning. what's up for this half hour? >> police are very passionate about this subject of drunk driving. and trying to get these people off the roads. and essentially we're going to have some very emotional interviews coming up in the next 15 minutes with a sister of an officer who was killed and his co-worker who was there at the time. of

also, senators mark warner and bob corker, a republican from tennessee. this is one hour. >> good morning. i'm the head of bloomberg government. thank you for joining us today, and thank you to deloitte for partnering with us in this event. when we launched bloomberg government just about two years ago, we had the aspiration of creating a one-stop shop, with data, tools, news, and analysis to help government affairs and government sales professionals make better and faster decisions. we went a long way toward achieving that aspiration. a big part of it is conversations on the important issues that face our nation today, particularly at the intersection of business and government. today's discussion on the fiscal cliff clearly meets that. we are honored to have such a thoughtful panel. senator mark warner, senator bob corker, congressman chris van hollen, governor tim pawlenty, who is currently president and ceo of the financial services roundtable. moderating our discussion today is al hunt. we always love having al over here. he really put bloomberg on t

in 30 minutes, senator bob corker and kent conrad.astern, representative scott garrett and sander levin. remember "squawk on the street." >> that's right. "squawk on the street" we have a lot to come, as well. the two senators we're talking with next, two members of the gang of eight now. we'll talk to them. guys we'll send it back to you right now. >> great. thanks, guys. appreciate that. we are now, though, going to flip it over to phil lebeau who is in new york and he's got breaking news. >> as expected we knew that delta was in negotiations to buy 49% stake in virgin atlantic. the deal has been completed. the price is $360 million for that delta will increase its access to heathrow. that's really the key here. 31 daily nonstop flights. that's all part of what goes between the uk and north america for virgin atlantic. the brand remains, guys. make that clear here. the virgin atlantic brand does not go away. what changes is that delta has a 49% stake in the company. there's going to be a press conference later this morning here in n

bob corker serves on the senate foreign relations committee and heard testimony during the closed session with the committee today. there will be open sessions tomorrow. they just briefed at the state department, in fact, that's still in progress. senator, one of the conclusions is that security was -- that there were security failures there, before, during, and after, but particularly before and during, that they were relying on the local militia, which was completely grossly inadequate, the reports said. what are your conclusions following the briefing that you received from the top leaders? >> well, i had seen films, andrea, last week of both the security cameras, but also later from drones. it was later in the evening, but the security personnel we had out front literally jumped on a truck and left as soon as they saw a crowd coming, so -- >> you're talking about the libyans, not the americans who were trying to stay. these were the local hires. >> these were the local hires, absolutely. we have some heros that did incredible things on behalf of our americans who saved other americans

. >> the co-chair of that committee senator bob corker indicated he still wants to hear from secretary herself. >> i think it's imperative that she come before this committee and i think it would be a shame to turn the page on this and go to a new regime without her being here and i do look forward to that happening when her health permits. >> mark, it's good to have you here. senator corker calling for clinton's testimony, meanwhile, the fallout from benghazi and the attacks from this report continues yesterday where three state department officials, they resigned because of it, but i do want to play for everybody more of the hearing itself and this sharp exchange between bob corker and state department officials who appeared to secretary clinton's behalf. >> secretary clinton just sent up a notification asking for $1.3 billion, why did she never ask for any notification or change of resources to make sure benghazi was secured? why did that not happen? you all have had 18 arbs in the past and you have never fully implemented one yet. not one. so i don't want to talk about this arb. i

the quote that is catching everybody's attention comes from tennessee senator bob corker. he said republicans know they have the debt court of appealing that is coming up right around the corner, and the leverage is going to shift. hopefully we'll do the same thing we did the last time. and of course he is referring to the summer of 2011. so the question is are they agreeing to rate hikes and then go ahead and take the economy hostage? what is your response to that? >> well, they have part of this right, and they have part of it totally wrong. what they're right about is they see the handwriting on the wall and the fact that they're going to have to join with democrats to extend the middle class tax cuts. because if they don't, the whole country will see that they were willing to tank the entire economy and give everybody a tax increase in order to get this bonus break for folks at the top. so i think you're seeing more republicans recognize that fact. where they're just dead-wrong, ed, is thinking that they're going to gain leverage over this debt ceiling. because the ame

we interviewed bob corker of tennessee. aid "i've been successful in business and have made a very good living. why should by getting benefits as large as someone who earns a lot less? >> well, you know, senator corker doesn't have to accept those benefits. i hear that all the time. "i don't need social security. i have my own resources." sometimes the people that say that to me are getting social security. you don't get social security automatically. you have to go down to the office of social security and apply i tell them "if you feel that strongly about it, you don't need it, there's a form on the social security web site that you can fill out and you won't get your benefits. >> pelley: so you're saying it can be done on an individual by individual basis? >> i think so. i think changing social security from an earned ben nate you pay for while you're working into a means-tested program, let's be frank, that turns it into welfare and welfare doesn't have a lot of support in this country. >> woodruff: finally, what about t

. >> well, let's mention, bob corker. let's take a listen to what he said. he is also -- i mean, you're hearing more about the debt ceiling, which seems to be -- if republicans have any leverage going into the next six months, that would seem to be it. let's hear what bob corker had to say. >> a lot of people are putting forth a theory, and i actually think it has merit where you go in and give the president the 2% increase that he is talking about, the rate increase on the top 2%. republicans know that they have the debt ceiling that's coming up right around the corner, and the leverage is going to shift as soon as we get beyond this issue. the leverage is going to shift to our side. hopefully we'll do the same thing we did last time, and that is if the president wants to raise the debt limit by $2 trillion, we get $2 trillion in spending reductions. >> okay. so there seems to be the beginning of an abandonment about the push against raising the top rates and a reliance on the debt ceiling to leverage entitlement reform cuts. >> so you have had this whole g

tennessee republican bob corker and missouri democrat claire mccaskill. welcome to both of you.enator, what's changed in washington? where is the room for real bipartisan to avert this fiscal cliff? does it exist? >> i think it does. i think we understand that this is about our country first. and it really is a time we need to put politics aside, and it's going to be painful. none of us are going to get the deal that we exactly want. but we have to keep talking to one another. and bob and i have talked this week. i'm talking every day with my republican colleagues. what has to happen, though, there has to be a realization that if we do nothing, the republicans are going to have to live with the fact that they are willing to stop a deal all over a tax rate for the top 2% of this country. and, frankly, i'm really hopeful that doesn't happen. and i know bob feels the same way. >> senator, lindsey graham has said in this past week, quote, no republican will vote for higher tax rates. will you? >> well, the negotiations are between the president and speaker boehner. and they will get

even if we come up with this patch, martin, as you heard senator bob corker say the tough questions of entitlement reform and tax reform, those are going to end up kicking in in february when the debt ceiling occurs, we need to face the fact which could very well go over the cliff but this is becoming a predictable problem that has roots in something profound. our basic capacity to self-could have verne is starting to be diminished by the polarization in congress and it should frustrate americans, great ireports, people deal with different people with different opinions every day, they find a way to work together and solve problems. how come that attitude is totally absent in washington? >> i think one of the great -- certainly the greatest things of americans is the ability to compromise. you seem to be implying here that all of democracy is threatened by this. >>? a crisis of self-government. we have had divided government that's worked beautifully before. we have got the marshall brandon, the highway system, civil rights bills in the 1960s, lbj as president, dirkson in the senate. w

. >> up next, senator bob corker joins me in studio to respond to the president's assertion that he has a mandate to raise taxes on the richest americans. i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away. you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims service. >>> the u.s. will tumble off the fiscal cliff in less than 48 hours. that's the main reason why president obama's sat down for a lengthy interview that aired on nbc. >> there is a basic fairness that is at stake in this whole thing that the american people understand and they listened to an entire year's debate about it. they made a clear decision about the approach they prefer, which is a balanced, responsible package. they rejected the notion that the economy grows best from the top down. >> joining me now is republican senator bob corker of tennessee. let's start with what the president -- you heard what he said. look, he argues we had an electi

what we're hearing today from congressman engel and from bob corker is that they want their jobs to matter the want to bring these committees back to some sort of position of prominence. it is not clear that is going to succeed. the republican side of the committee, you will have many people in that leadership who are committed to passing a bill on issues like abortion and climate change in immigration, all sorts of things that are never going to see the light of day in terms of becoming a lot. the same thing in the senate. there is not a lot of bipartisan cooperation to advance middle interests. >> moving from capitol hill to the other side of pennsylvania avenue, we had a discussion about two nominations. potentially john kerry, and the debate over new defense secretary. what did you learn that was interesting? >> i thought was interesting that he came out so strongly against chuck hagel. congressman engel is a very pro- israel congressman. i am surprised he did not come out even stronger. it was interesting to see him say that it was not something he would do if he was in a position to