brad blakeman is a former assistant to george w. bush. dick harpootlian is also here with us.s this mean cut spending and raise taxes later. >> compromise means finding middle ground. i might point out if you look at history, bill clinton left, had tax rates that were higher than they are now, but he had tax rates that stimulated business, encouraged investment, and left a surplus as far as the eye could see in the federal budget. alisyn: you're saying that tax hikes are always a part of compromise. >> no, no, no, no, what i'm saying is there is a process -- if we're going to continue to subpoensubsidize donald triumphs and oil production and hedge fund managers when every american is paying twice that amount are those tax increases? i don't think so. i think it's closing loopholes for the greed heads on wall street and business. none of those guys create a single job. alisyn: brad, your response to that. are republicans willing to close some of those loopholes that dick pointetted out and would that be compromise. >> absolutely. we are willing to do that. the trouble is, if y

. >> we are joined by broad blakeman, johby brad blakeman and marianne.s retiring but he says the president is way too focused on it. >> you heard kay bailey hutchinson say it's time for the posturing to stop. any republican that is opposing a two-year term is playing politics. any republican opposing a deal without revenue in it is playing politics. that is exactly where the congress is right now. they would like to have this debate two or three more times during this election. the more time we have to debate the debt the more we focus on jobs. martha: it feels to me, brad like we are in a stalemate on both sides. could the same thing not be said of democrats who aren't willing to go through this process without raising taxes? >> absolutely. look, this president said it himself, just a few days ago, that he demands a deal that will take us past the 2012 election. this is cramping his political style, he's not able to do fundraising, not able to do what he does best and that is campaign. he's not a leader, he's not a governor, he's a campaigner and he's b

heather: brad blakeman is a former assistant to george w. bush. and alan pwoepls is a fox host.president obama has not put a plan of his own because he's worried about political ramifications. >> that's what the republicans would like to believe. you have republicans putting forth plans that have no chance whatsoever. they are doing it for show to prove to their tea party brothers that they are actually in the corner, then they'll submit and say, okay we did the best we could do. they are wasting our time and taxpayer money putting forth plans that have no chance. that is not leadership. the president over and over again have incited leadership to the right to the white house, working with them. that's leadership. it's working whether in front or behind the scenes in order to get something done. that's what leadership is. heather: brad, what do you think about that? are republicans just coming up with plans to come up with plans? >> absolutely not. look, would this president ever been elected if he said to the person people u know what, i don't have any plans. i'm just going to

joining us now are doug schoen and brad blakeman, former deputy assistant to president george w.nk you. >> heather: once again, let me look at this, what gregg mentioned, what harry reid is saying. the question is, are we closer to an agreement? the answer, no. that's the very latest coming in from our producers there on capitol hill. so doug, i'll begin with you, what do you think that means now? >> i think it means we're still two days away. given that the republicans and democrats as the president said, are basically in agreement on spending, that they put aside any issue of raising taxes now, there are a couple of hurdles to get over, which are can we do a one-stage versus a two-stage process, which is what the democrats want? and can we do away with the balanced budget amendment that the republicans are insisting on, which is a nonstarter for the democrats. if we can, i think there can be a quick agreement. >> heather: brad, i got to point out, this really, really shows how fluid this situation is because not even 15 minutes ago i was going to toss to you and say hey, we thi