what matters more is whether he he can lead -- >> chris: harry truman most famously have run against do nothing congress. >> you can run on that but people will hold you accountable for where the country is. are you going to do something to change the fundamental dynamics? in terms of him talking about bigger issue things like entitlement reform and corporate tax reform, the white house has said there is going to be another speech. he's just not doing it as part of the jobs speech. he wants thursday to be specifically about jobs many then later they have plans to do something that will layout more deficit reduction stuff. i think -- he may talk about in this speech, setting a higher goal for the super committee in terms of deficit reduction. they don't want to muddy the waters with two messages. >> chris: i don't have to tell you bill, political reporters are frustrated policy people. we all think if -- if you wanted to propose comprehensive immigration reform you have to establish you are going to do something about the border first. it seems the president would have a much better c

my sincere thanks goes to state senator jay nelson, state senator chris harris, state senator john carona, and state representatives vicky truett, burt solomons, linda harper brown, and todd staples. these brave men and women have taken a courageous stand on this issue and i feel it's my obligation to follow through with their request. the federal government must end sustained deficit spending. in fiscal year 2010, the federal government accumulated a deficit in excess of $1.3 trillion. an annual deficit that exceeds the entire gross state product of texas. in order to finance our current deficit, we borrow 40 cents of every dollar we spend. 40 cents on the dollar. money that could easily go to pay our national debt down. the longer we wait only results in more debt, debt that we will pass along to our children and to our grandchildren. national debt -- our national debt currently stands at $14.7 trillion, which equals a debt per taxpayer, per taxpayer of $131,288. this is a problem that we can no longer ignore. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the texas legislature's request

chris, welcome. you have harry reid, basically, taking his sweet time on this and he says, well, you know, i have a number of other things on the agenda before we get to this and it will not happen until after next break and that is not the language the president is looking for? >> remember what the majority leader has, he has a bunch of democrats who are in vulnerable seats in red states and look across the country and see all of the democrats who are facing tough races and harry reid knows he cannot leave them dangling. martha: no doubt. what do you make of this, rand paul, when bill spoke to him, he said i see this as a make or break moment for the president. and i find it very interesting that you have so many democrats, who are kind of keeping the whole jobs bill at an arm's length at this point. >> well, look at what happened in the special elections in nevada and new york this week, that is an indication to the president, and to his fellow democrats the gas is not in the tank, politically, now and the presid

chris: good question. does he look better the next couple months, related to harry truman? >> yes, he looks better. but i think michael is right, unemployment rate is going to hurt him. chris: still off target, off message? >> he's a man who campaigns like ronald reagan and governs like george h.r. bush. the question is whether -- chris: that's hardly a case for re-election. >> i think george h.r. bush was an extraordinarily good president. and i think ob, and like george h.w. bush, can turn on the vision in the oorty. people want change, yes, but they also get nervous and they sometimes stick with the devil they know rather than pick the devil they don't. that's why romney really has to reassure people and that's why perry is a disaster for the republicans. chris: same thing that gets people to vote for romney rather than perry can get people to vote for obama -- >> right. you have seen that in some of the polling in florida where the president is well ahead of perry with the support of independence but well behind romney with romney getting the support of independence. >> here's the problem. peopl

. >> chris: congressman ryan can he pull a harry truman against the do nothing congress? >> guest: we passed a budget by lowering tax rates and closing loop holes and passed new energy development to expore energy production. we have passed so many bills and they are sit negligent senate. if he want to run against the do nothing congress. run against the do nothing senate. we have passed ours in time. the problem is in congress is the senate . not doing a budget two years to me is ridiculous. we have a difference of opinion on how best to fix the problems. when the president does things like this, it leads - to me he is in a political warfare campaign mode. >> chris: we have less than a minute left, congressman ryan. i want to ask you about solyndra, the solar making company that got a loan from the government. the company went bankrupt and lage off a thousand workers and leaving taxpayers footing the bill. less than a minute. what is the lesson of solyndra. >> guest: there are billion more that came out of the stimulus that produce these results. this is industrial polic

. >> chris: congressman ryan, can't he pull a harry truman and campaign next year against a "do nothing congress"? >> we passed a budget. the balance of the budget pays off the debt. reforms the tax code by getting rid of loopholes and lowering tax rates. we passed regulatory reform. we passed new energy development legislation to explore domestic energy production. we passed so many bills out of the house to create jobs and they are sitting in the senate. if he wants to run against a do nothing congress. he should focus on the do nothing senate democrats. we passed our budget ontime. i think we should take a look at where the problem is in congress and i would argue it is the senate not doing a budget for two years to me is just ridiculous. and so we have a difference of opinion on how best to fix the problems but you when the president does things like this it leads me to believe that he is not in bipartisan census making mode. he is in a political class war fare mode and campaign mode and that is not good for the economy. >> chris: one last question. solynd ram. they got the loan gua

. >> chris: congressman ryan, can't he pull a harry truman and campaign next year against a "do nothing" congress? >> we passed a budget that balances the budget, pays off a debt, reforms the tax code by getting rid of loopholes and lower tax rates. we passed regulatory reform. new energy development to explore production. we've passed so many bills out of the house to create jobs and they are sitting in the senate. if he wants to run against a do nothing congress he should focus on do nothing senate democrats. it has been 817 days since they bettered to pass a budget. we passed ours, on time. -- we look at where the problem is, i would argue it is the senate not doing a budget for two years is ridiculous. we have a difference of opinion on how best to fix these problems. when the president does things like this, it leads know believe that he's not in bipartisan consensus us is-making mode he's in campaign mode and that is not good for our economy. >> chris: solyndra the solar panel making company that got 535 million dollar federal loan guarantee from the government as part of the firs

harris, you're a brilliant guy. still waiting for rubio. i think chris christie is taking his job as choice for running mate. thank you, steve mcmahon. thank you, todd harris. >> coming up next, rick perry in today's verbal "sideshow." [ kristy ] my mom is well...weird. she won't eat eggs without hot sauce. she has kind of funny looking toes. she's always touching my hair. and she does this dancing finger thing. [ male announcer ] with advanced technology from ge, now doctors can diagnose diseases like breast cancer on a cellular level. so that women, like kristy's mom, can get personalized treatment that's as unique as she is. [ kristy ] she's definitely not like other moms. yeah, my mom is pretty weird. ♪ if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal,. think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend

harry reid needs to take it. and gets us on the flide path >> chris: the senate already tabled it?> guest: come up with a proposal of your own that reduces the affect of additional spending. we can't borrow money every time something bad goes wrong in america. are you able to borrow money every time there is something bad with your business? we have to have priorits. the house version said a disaster has to be dealt with and we'll help people affected by disasters and cut the government in other places where the money is not important. i support the idea of paying for this. >> chris: finally, sir, 2012. you said in terms of the presidency is the gop's election to lose. rick perry stumbling, and a lot of conservatives that are not satisfied with mitt romney and herman cain winning the florida straw poll. are you worried about disarray for the republican. >> guest: we have obama policies that will not be working. and it is our race to lose. we have to get a candidate to beat president obama. thirnings are so much worse. it is ours to lose . the vetting of candidates is tough. i am pr

harris, you're a brilliant guy. still waiting for rubio. i think chris christie is taking his job as choice for running mate. >> coming up next, rick perry in today's verbal "sideshow." so i took my heartburn pill and some antacids. we're having mexican tonight, so another pill then? unless we eat later, then pill later? if i get a snack now, pill now? skip the snack, pill later... late dinner, pill now? aghh i've got heartburn in my head. [ male announcer ] stop the madness of treating frequent heartburn. it's simple with prilosec otc. one pill a day. twenty-four hours. zero heartburn. no heartburn in the first place. great. >>> back to "hardball." now for the "sideshow." stop smiling, that's how many residents and lawmakers in south carolina are feeling this week after a new mandate from governor nikki haley which requires, catch this, state workers to answer the work phone by saying, hello, it's a great day in south carolina. with sky high unemployment in the state, the chairman of the state's democratic party says of the governor, she believes that i

harris, you're a brilliant guy. still waiting for rubio. i think chris christie is taking his job as choice for running mate. >> coming up next, rick perry in today's verbal "sideshow." americans are always ready to work hard for a better future. since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪ she won't eat eggs without hot sauce. she has kind of funny looking toes. she's always touching my hair. and she does this dancing finger thing. [ male announcer ] with advanced technology from ge, now doctors can diagnose diseases like breast cancer on a cellular level. so that women, like kristy's mom, can get personalized treatment that's as unique as she is. [ kristy ] she's definitely not like other moms. yeah, my mom is pretty weird. ♪ [ jennifer

harry reid to take it. it does fund disasters. it gets us on a glide path -- >> chris what do you mean the senate already tabled it sir. >> come up with a proposal of your own that reduces the effect of additional spending. we can't borrow money every time something bad goes wrong in america. are you able to borrow every time something goes bad with your business or family? you have to have priorities. something we don't accept up here. the house version says the disaster has to be dealt with, we are going to help people, but start cutting the government in other places where the money is not so important. i support the idea of paying for this >> chris: finally, 30 seconds left. 2012, you said this in terms of the presidency is the gop's race, election to lose. you've got rick perry stumbling, a lot of conservatives who aren't satisfied with reut . herman cain, winning the florida straw poll yesterday, are you worried about disarray in the republican race for president? -- >> best thing we've got going is obama policies that won't work and never going to work and seems

chris robin n robinson, c is the answer. he passed away last week. question number 2, democrat president harryruman won re-election in 1948 in one of the most shocking upsets in american history. >> all the election signs point to a dewy triumph. president truman votes in his hometown, independence, missouri. he has been campaigning against heavy odds, the close election and it becomes evident that victory is there for president truman. >> bill: which newspaper screwed up by prematurely printing the famous headline, dewy defeats truman. which newspaper screwed up? and that is correct, ladies! the chicago tribune. dewy lost because of his mustache? and number two, i actually have that newspaper in my office. he hasn't come up and taken a look at it. >> thank you so much! >> bill: look at that. we'll be up soon. question number 3, barack obama was elected in november 2008. >> is anyone out there who still doubts that america is a place where all things are possible? the power of our democracy. tonight is your answer. >> bill: now, mr. obama became the 15th president from the democratic party. wh

president above partisan politics or a fire breathing harry truman willing to take the fight to the republicans in congress this next year? >> well, chris he is go 20g have to be is both. because we are going to have to take the fight to congress so that congress will stop playing the same old washington political games that we have seen over and over again and have prevented action on plans that will help this economy grow and create jobs. that's what the president's going to outline tomorrow. but it's got to be more than a speech. it has to be congress putting their party aside and putting their country first to get something done. >> do you believe as a political person that eric cantor, larry mccarthy, all those republican hot shots, joe walsh, the ones we see on television all the time, basically thumbing their nose at the president? they want him to get re-elected? they want to give him a solid economic program to run on? >> no, i don't -- i'm not under the he lugs that eric cantor might vote for barack obama in 2012 nor that he voted for him in 2008. but each of those individuals took an oath to do what was best for this country

but chris, it is the president's job approval number that is a factor in the election and not congress. congress is divided. disapproval of congress can be disapproval of harryohn boehner. there will not be a lot of split ticket voting. but that said, i think it is important that republicans continue to demonstrate the willingness to work with the president on an agreement it find jobs. >> chris: kristen. >> the president is not running against congress. 92 but the president have run against do nothing congresses. >> you can run on that. but the people are going to hold you accountable and are you doing something that changes the fundmental dynamics. and terms of entitlement reform, the white house is going to have another speech. he's not doing it as part of the jobs speech. he wants it specifically about jobs and later they have plans to do something to lay out deficit reduction steps. and i think that he may talk about in this speech setting a higher goal for the super committee in terps of deficit reduction and don't want to muddy thuars. >> chris: it is interesting. i don't have to tell you, bill. if we were taking our advice, just as i think that you r

chris would be thrilled we played a historic reference like that. >> that was great. >> what relevance to this cominç campaign? >> what a great speech. you can say fdr, that's great. maybe a better precedent would be harryu can hear obama talking about a do-nothing congress. they won't do anything. washington's gridlocked and setting himself up that way, which turns the failure to get a lot of things done perhaps into an asset because it is a detriment to the other side. >> susan and i are destined to disagree on everything today, but i don't think that will work, because i think too many people also blame the president. including his own camp. people on the democratic side to some extent blame the president for gridlock. that's too technical an argument and too procedural an arguments. he's going to go -- doesn't matter what i think. i think he's going to go in the direction of franklin roosevelt in '36. an apocalyptic thing. roosevelt saying these people are out to strangle our way of life, and i have stood there and taken it, but i've stood in the way of the evil people doing what they want to do. >> got it. thank you both very much. >>> up next, the other big scheduling snafu, this one involving sar

chris lawrence takes a look at the slow evolution of this law. >> reporter: "don't ask, don't tell" is the tale of soldiers and sailors and politics and presidents. begins in 1950 when president harryruman signs into law the uniform code. years later under president ronald reagan, the pentagon issues a directive stating that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service." end of story until candidate bill clinton promises to lift the ban. his election sparks congressional hearing and in 1993 a compromise emerges between senate republicans and the new president. >> the joint chiefs of staffs have agreed to remove the question regarding one's sexual orientation from future versions of the enlistment application and it will not be asked in the interim. >> reporter: in other words, the military won't ask if you are gay, but you can't tell anyone. ten years later, the nation is at war and nearly 10,000 troops have been killed out for violating "don't ask, don't tell." the government accountability finds that the pentagon spent nearly $100 million to replace them, although the supreme court effectively upholds the ban in 2006, all the democratic candidates for president oppose it.