but charlie crist is basically a mccain guy and because charlie crist back the stimulus, which mccaind not, that is something that really hampered him. rubio, who is just viewed as an up-and-coming star, newt gingrich had said a lot of good things about him over the years. really closing in but that image of charlie crist hugging obama and then charlie crist recently saying he really didn't back the stimulus has hurt his political standing. but charlie crist is still a very shrewd politician. anyone who counts and out could be foolish. host: washington, pennsylvania. paul on the republican line. caller: i would like to make a comment on the 2010 elections. i don't think there are going to be any presidential coattails. i certainly hope we can include arlen specter in that retirement party. i'm always amazed, mr. cusack, people like you, will have such a wealth of information -- i guess it is your job -- but it is good to hear people like you because we get to know a little bit more about what is going on besides watching c-span. lastly, i would like to say, i will harkened back to ger

. > charlie crist, who was mostly an absentee governor. >> monica. >> tim geithner. >> the leaders ofost of our major financial institutions in this country. >> the most overrated is freedom. when faced with economic uncertainty, people don't want freedom. when they can't see their economic future, they want the nanny state. okay the most under rated. >> robert gates, most powerful man in the cabinet. >> eleanor. > nancy pelosi, who held together a caucus and is raising money like crazy, so she can prove all you people wrong. >> sarah palin, she has a lot more cultural power than her critics can see or admit. >> mort. >> dennis >>> most underrated, the intensity of the anger in the u.s. middle class. 78million american baby boomers will wake up to the fact that their net worth is shatters and 15 million americans will realize their jobs are not coming back. we'll be right back with new year's resolutions. when planning for retirement these days, the forecast is full of ifs. if i'm too exposed to downturns. if i'll go through my savings too fast. to help you feel more confident conside

but charlie crist is basically a mccain guy and because charlie crist back the stimulus, which mccain had not, that is something that really hampered him. rubio, who is just viewed as an up-and-coming star, newt gingrich had said a lot of good things about him over the years. really closing in but that image of charlie crist hugging obama and then charlie crist recently saying he really didn't back the stimulus has hurt his political standing. but charlie crist is still a very shrewd politician. anyone who counts and out could be foolish. host: washington, pennsylvania. paul on the republican line. caller: i would like to make a comment on the 2010 elections. i don't think there are going to be any presidential coattails. i certainly hope we can include arlen specter in that retirement party. i'm always amazed, mr. cusack, people like you, will have such a wealth of information -- i guess it is your job -- but it is good to hear people like you because we get to know a little bit more about what is going on besides watching c-span. lastly, i would like to say, i will harkened back to

this is the conservative pushed again cornyn's candidate charlie crist. the democrats say it means the republican party is again tearing each other up. i think it's good competition. if at the end of the day the winners are the primaries are supported by the republican voters. >> interesting trends starting in late 2009. two governorships in virginia and new jersey going republican. >> paul: right. >> you had some democrats in vulnerable districts announcing they're not going to run. party switch, conservative democrat switching to republican party. it will be interesting to see if the republicans can continue the momentum going forward in mid-term. >> paul: steve? >> could i raise a point about sort of what the democrats do now? assuming they've got their healthcare bill pretty much passed, now the democrats that i talk to say we have to president pivot back to the middle. get to the middle. how do they do that? what issues will they do it? the president will sound next year like a big ronald reagan fiscal conservative, deficit hawk. i don't think he can

in florida o'rubio, against charlie crist. the democrats will say this means that the republican party is once again tearing each other up. i think it's good competition, if at the end of the day the winners of those primaries are supported by the republican voters. >> and you'll have interesting trends in 2009. the two governorships in virginia and new jersey going republican. >> right. >> and you had some democrats in vulnerable districts announcing they're not going to run. you had a party switch, conservative democrat switching to the republican party. so, it will be interesting to see if the republican can continue this momentum going forward in the mid terms. >> go ahead, steve. >> can i raise a point about sort of what the democrats do now. assuming they have got their health care bill pretty much passed, now the democrats that i talked to say we have to pivot back to the middle. get back to the center where the american electorate is and how do they do that on what issues, what issues are they going to do that. clearly

there is some speculation as to whether charlie crist will be in attendance along with joe biden. in fact, he will be there. part of this plan is $8 billion for high-speed rail. it will connect orlando with tampa. there are seven other locations that will get some of these earmarks. is this a jobs program? >> it sure is. it will put people to work. this is the kind of program that puts people to work. it does not redress the fundamental imbalances between the u.s. and the rest of the world which makes it necessary for a 4.1 trillion dollar deficit. the other side of the budget deficit is the trade deficit. we have these huge trade deficits. in order to have domestic demand, we have to import more than we produce. the ceo's have been talking to the president ad nauseam about this. they have been telling him that they have to export more and do something about trade. this will be necessary to balance the budget. if you do something about that, you change one of the most critical statistics that the president carries on his back. the u.s. economy has not operated a single private sec

to questions, how is the senate race between mark rubio and governor -- the governor going, charlie crist, and what can you as a junior, you know, one year senator do? >> as a senator, even if you are a one years and after you get an awful lot of ability to affect things. but i can do is find my voice and energy and efforts to try to make this country better. i've got three small kids that are six, four, too. so everyday i think about them and making sure they are going to inherit as good if a country as we've had the opportunity to enjoy. as for the race is very spirited. i am a partisan for governor crest. i think he's done a great job in florida and i think he's going to win that race but it's a very spirited contest. >> senator lemieux, thank you for being on c-span. as we continue talking with the members of congress and the senators and another senator and we are going to put you on the x, senator kec. thank you. we appreciate that. now we're being joined by senator bob casey, democrat of pennsylvania. senator, if you had to write a headline tomorrow about the president's speech, wh

the popular governor charlie crist, mark orubio. >> the politics will dominate but also what the psidents gone through with the aftermath from this christmas day terror plot. david broder wrote on friday this about the president. this is a priority now. >> it's a priority and clearly was barack obama taking charge of this national security team, not just being a passive recipient of briefings but really saying what are you doing, what are you doing, who is talking to whom. this is yourast warning. you guys have got to change things, you have to start communicating better. it wasn't obviously that they didn't have the information. the analysis was not tough enough. they have to be much more rapid. with this -- with all of the new technologies they have got the tools to do it. the people were not up to the job. >> now a new warning out this weekd about a reminder of the threats that come not just from somalia and yemen but also from pakist and afghanistan. >> and this brings it home because al qaeda we've been saying has become franchised and have gone from al qaeda central to these other

tomorrow the president will travel to florida where he and charlie crist will be in attendance to talk about high- speed rail. as always, we want to hear from you on the republican sponsors from bob mcdonnell. we will look ahead at the congressional agenda for 2010. a live view of the u.s. capitol and a look inside the house of delegates in virginia out where bob macdonald is giving his remarks. we will be underway in a couple of minutes. on c-span2, an interview of those in attendance. we will get a reaction for the president's speech. let's see what is happening is in richmond as bob mcdonnell appears ready to deliver the republican sponsors ready to go about 10 minutes. [applause] [applause] >> thank you, thank you very much. thank you. >> good evening. i'm bob mcdonnell. eleven days ago i was honored to be sworn in as the 71st governor of virginia. i'm standing in the historic house chamber of virginia's capitol, a building designed by virginia's second governor, thomas jefferson. it's not easy to follow the president of the united states. and my twin 18-year old boys have added to

he is coming to the tampa bay area and another at charlie crist put it to him for a stimulus for high-speed rail. jobs for americans. i see three bridges going up on of the world trade center from day one. in battling cancer and have been sick from 2003. i have seen three bridges to appear, contracts are awarded to canadian contractors from there, all mexicans working on these bridges. not one american died. i used to watch this while i exercised. it is what will happen with a high speed rail -- all foreigners living these things because they work for cheap, cheap labor. guest: patrick brings about three different issues. first, you have cancer and i wish you great luck in fighting and winning over the cancer. that is one reason the president says we cannot give up on health care because he should have health insurance whether in perfect health or with the condition. secondly, in terms of the jobs -- you are right. we need to make sure that we create jobs in america. we did with them for a structure projects. we have to make sure concerning immigration that we reform a broken system to allo

then he will be joined by charlie crist. after that, he will go to new hampshire. what did you think of this speech? caller: i thought that he gave an excellent presentation. i like the other state of the unions with president bush even with gov. mcdonald. he was very precise. when he mentioned the jobs and income and employment and housing and security, he mentioned he was very precise and open. you have to look at the point. he said he had two wars, he had a fiasco in wall street, he almost had a collapse of the economy. this is like going and purchasing a house that just burned down and he has to rebuild it. i think he is a very good leader and i think that if he continues, we should have a country. >> was there a phrase or something in this speech that struck a chord with you? >> well, i like the idea that about generations. even in a time of success or failure, you can still get ahead in america. we are at a time now that americans are disillusioned with the the leadership. i think that they are trying to solve his problems and i think that we can work togethe

in the florida, charlie crist is running as the establishment. it seemed like a good idea of a couple of years ago. he is now getting a serious challenge from rubio. he came from the legislator, came from the house, but he has not been able to tap into that frustration about the establishment. here the republican establishment is considered to not been listening to the voters. that is one race, in particular, the news media will be spending a lot of time to assess aning. host: we often see this story of mr. brown goes to washington. guest: the real question is, now that they have arrived, what can they accomplish? what we hear from voters time and again it is what can they do? how will you work together to get these things done, on drums, the economy, health care, -- jobs, the economy, health care, global warming? host: next phone call. caller: i could not believe with senator kennedy being sick, the democrat party did not look forward and see the position they were in. this is a senator who championed a lot of wonderful things for the people. i