it's focusing on congress's role at protecting interstate commerce and congress trying to take seriously what minimum simplifications they can require before they allow states to export their tax collection burdens on businesses that aren't even having a presence in those states. that's a conversation i am glad that we're having and we're having an opportunity to talk about multiple rates per state that is still 9,600 different rates. the states haven't all agreed for a single filing form or a single audit. we're on the right attack for that conversation. will it happen in 2012, i doubt it. >> in terms of the simplification that we need, what are your thoughts? are one of the bills better than another? are there things that congress should focus on that they haven't yet? >> the legislation differs in the kind of minimum simplifications. the quid pro quo it puts on the states in order to let them import, export their tax collections. they all include the notion that the states have to provide some sort of software. it's not enough to have a software that looks up a rate for a given home a

the original congress. when i worked on the hell i think some of the staff of the legislative council office had worked here since the original congress. i'm not sure. just a personal retrainee to get people generating bills or amendments in ex-im now. lets a practices have changed. when you look at the grading she right away that three at the bottom, those are really hard. things nobody ever really thought of before. we went to do our investigation of most a few of want to know to have good data about what congress is doing. go and see their is a constitutional requirement that each house maintain internal. if you want to talk about it heroically, it's just this basic bear bonds what happened. we got a message from the senate. we sent a message to the senate. we send a bill to the president. we received it. so, that journal has exploded because of the congressional review act, but if you want to see how the congress is working you would want the journal to be represented in data. it's not a huge deficit, b

represents a shift in power back from congress to the people whom congress affects. >> as we are gettingready to go to questions, i'm going to take a moderate is bright dividend just add one or two very quick points. in terms of successes that i have seen, there has been a cultural shift in the house. people in both parties in different races with the institutions are having a conversation that there really did not have before. i'm not saying this on the senate side. you can tell by my panelists from several committee who are sitting to the right, how difficult it is to have this kind of conversation in the other chamber. at least with house there seems to be a number of members who are serious on both these issues and that staff are able to get together and have these kinds of conversations. i mean, the congressional transparent secaucus, the fact that we can have you here at this conversation and a public place is a sign of a cultural shift that is really fascinating to watch as well as hopeful as it happens to be, but this kind of cultural change, even in the house is not spread evenl

how would the 113 congress able to do better than the hundred 12? >> if that happens we should stand firm on republican principles. we just had an election two years ago with the american people spoke up pretty loudly and clearly when they sent this class to republican hands. do you think they were sending us to washington, and now you can go there and compromise? we will need to go there and stop the crazy spending. stop obamacare. i would argue it is very clear that the american people said go there and stop what this guy is doing. i still think that is there. it will be there after the election regardless of what may and may not happen. we need to remember that. we need to stand firm on republican and conservative gang ofles >> the gam eight has been trying to come up with a compromise on the fiscal cliff. would you be open to anything they will come up with? >> i will not be open to raising taxes. that is wrong. that is the last thing we want to do. a bunch more tax increases are coming with obamacare. we do not want to increase the tax burden.

congress is doing better, though it's not -- in the a range, congress is doing better than the administrationight now. and this is an administration that came in three-and-a-half years ago touting transparency. and anything that's worth recognizing that we're talking about, um, slow, steady, slow progress here in the house, but the house deserves credit where i'm not willing to give, um, credit to the administration. maybe because the administration overpromised. but the house seems to have promised fairly accurately what it could do and is making steps forward toward that. more and more and more. >> well, you know, i would say we're doing everything great, and we need to build on that. you know, one of the things that i know you guys -- it doesn't necessarily become obvious to you all because you're the consumers of the end product, but probably where we these to make the greatest number of strides are internal tools to produce in this stuff. .. >> so you can just imagine saying hey, you can hyperlink to this, or we need to put this piece of metadata in your. all of those things, we need to

she's not running for congress.y wife has a right to certain degree of privacy. >> your wife maybe entitled from privacy and but they've entitled to transparency of candidates. >> let me say i released my returns. my wife is on there as well. i think that the voters do have a right to some transparency here. frankly, the fact that we don't know what was paid in those taxes, we don't know what deductions were taken, we don't know taxes were paid on domestic employees. we don't know those type of things. we know from past history these are some of the things voter have wanted to know. >> those are all legitimate. let me foul with that question from sam. do you think mitt romney should release his tax records? >> i do. >> i think this is issue trying to avoid the real issue. we need to have an economy focusing on jobs, focusing on making sure we bring manufacturing and healthcare is addressed. >> let's have conversation with this question. congressman dold, i begin with you, do you believe that tax cuts for wealthy sti

this is the most ineffective congress in the history of congress and he is one of the most ineffective congress people in our delegation. >> mrs. vilsack, as a catholic, how has your view on abortion been shaped by religion? >> i am episcapalian. my husband is a cathlic, my children are catholics. we raise our children as catholics. i am happy to talk about my view on abortion. it is that it should be safe, legal, and rare. i've worked hard on the rare part, because i wanted to make sure this is not just something that divides us politically, and that i would work to make sure we reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and helped unemployed men and women get a job. i work with an organization that does research and now has the beginning evidence to show that we have reduced the number of abortions in iowa by 26% and unintended pregnancies by 8%. i have been in washington talking about the results of this and we hope that this will be a model for the nation. we won't have to talk about abortion if we make sure that people have access to contraceptives. i would like congressman king

it's focusing on congress' role in protecting interstate commerce, and congress taking serious what simplifications they can require before allowing states to collect taxes frommenseses in the in that state. so i'm glad to have opportunity talk about rates. there's over 9,000 different rates and states have not agreed on sage filing form. so we're on the right track to have that conversation. but will ill happen in 2012? i doubt it. >> in terms of the simplification we need, what your thought? are there things that congress should focus on they haven't yet? >> the legislation differs in the kind of minimum sim mix fission simplification. they all include the notion that the states have to provide some sort of software. you see it's not enough to have software that just looks up a rate for a given home address. software has to do electronic filing for all the states. automatic remittance to every state, and there has to be compensation for vendors. software installation is expensive. handling questions from customers in 46 different states is going to be expensive for business. they need compensatio

they will make a decision on election day like the >> moving on to the next congress, and this past congress we have seen repeated instances where speaker bayer was able to pass a bill in the house of getting to the credit votes from his right wing. there are a maneuvering, looking for opportunities for they can become the pivotal players on bills. john boehner needs their vote to pass again. how do you do that? does it render the services less powerful? >> we do not know. we can say they think might happen. there have been a number of locations where the house republican congress has been united, passing good legislation that conservative support it. that made sense for taxpayers all over the session. you will see that again. they can speculate all they want. our job is to push policy in the direction we can. when we have been most united is will we have put forward good conservative principles, good policy and legislation. you will see more of that as we move into the next congress. attacks and libya against the there is a hearing held this past week. the "washington post" noted house repu

that's a do nothing congress. so, what makes romney and ryan think things would be any different if they get into this office? after all, does it really matter who occupies this chair? we're showing an empty picture for a republican because the problem is, it may not matter when there are people like this. >> the reason is simple. the the old style of tax reform is obsolete in a 2012 world. >> doesn't sound like a guy who's about to compromise with you, does it? we understand an overhaul is necessary. democrats and republicans, notwithstanding what you just heard there, mostly agree. we also understand that politically, committing to closing one loophole over the other could be suicide for the ticket, but if it's the rock on which your promise to cut tax rates rests and you're relying on congress to stand up to special interests to do it, well, houston, you got a problem. you might not get a tax cut. never mind an overhaul, so mitt romney and paul ryan need to get more specific. robert reich served as secretary as

i am a candidate for congress or the senate because congress needs to change, and i will fate to make that change happen. i never have and i never will be a cookie cutter politician. i never have and i never will be anything other than someone who loves nebraska and will always do what is best for our state and our nation. >> thank you, senator. now that the candidates have made their opening statements, it is time for questions from our panel of journalists. we begin with fred with a question for senator kerrey. >> you are running to be not just a senator from nebraska, but a u.s. senator. if elected, how would you balance the economic interests of agriculture with those of the nation as a hole. should congress require the use of 15 billion gals a year for ethanol when critics say that raises food prices for everyone? >> the nation he is and agriculture is align. we have a surplus. the interests of agriculture and the united states are aligned. i am appalled that neither governor romney or president obama is talking about agriculture in this campaign. it is the foundation of the u.s.

might have a more cooperative congress.two, if the president is re-elected, that is normally considered to be a mandate to get done many of the things that a president up for re-election wants to get done. this case, for example, raising taxes on the rich. most of the polls show that a large majority of americans think that's a good idea. politicians read the polls. if the president's re-elected that will be an agenda item that many politicians, even republicans, say well, i made the pledge to grover norquist, but the public wants it and the president was re-elected, that's part of the mandate. there may be other things like that. number three, there will be circumstantial changes. for example, something has got to be done on the budget deficit. there is going to be some sort of a grand bargain. the president is going to use every power he has and many republicans know that, again, a grand bargain has to be struck on the budget deficit. we can't be stuck where we were. all of these things, plus external events like say a mo

are there things that congress should focus on that they haven't yet? >> guest: the legislation differs in the kind of minimum simplifications, the quid pro quo it puts on the states in order to let them export their tax collections. they all include the notion that states have to provide some sort of software. but you see, it's not enough to have software that looks up a rate for a given home address. software's also got to do electronic filing for the states, automatic remittance to every state, and looking beyond software, there has to be compensation for vendors. software installation is expensive, handling questions from customers in 46 different states and handling audits is going to be expensive for business. we're going to need to streamline the rates and definitions. these bills don't even area require every state to have the same definition for items that are taxable. >> now, in terms of providing software, where are the states going to come up with the money to do this? we've such a difficult period of budget area concerns. is that going to b

the caucus has a record of 42 members in the asian caucus in congress. one of their very first things we want to say is it was a young man who was the first member -- we want to make note of that. the reestablishment of the white house initiative by president obama was another accomplishment. president obama's cabinets has dr. steven chu. the very first asian-american -- as ambassador to the republic of china. we have a lot of accomplishments. it was not that accident, my friends. everyone of you know that you work hard. all these things are done on purpose. i want to let you know that we also can boast twice as many asian-americans on federal benches. those of us to understand the impact of the supreme court and what it can do or on june, we know that having asian-americans on the federal bench is a line up for appointments to the supreme court. thank you very much for this opportunity. i want to say that silicon valley is the birthplace of high-tech. silicon valley is the birthplace of norm. five minutes? thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, c

that's what's wrong with congress, and i note the farmers adopt all of the district do not believe congress did not do his job. i go back today to give them certain. not a short-term extension which chris collins said would be -- give them five years. they need five years to be able to plan. >> a short time solution? collins: ms. hochul consistently mistakes my position. we need a short-term solution at least a we continue this. there's no way in the next six weeks after the election the farm bill is going to be passed when the sequestration and other things but what i'm saying is let's get something so there's something moving forward into next year in the new congress let's get it done for five years. we need the five year deal but we need something which we can have by december 31. and as a member of congress in the majority after the beginning of the year, there's a big difference for the viewers should understand, as your congressman i will be in the majority come in the room where decisions are made. ms. hochul is an ineffective in a row primarily because she's not in the room where d

congress is holding us back. and what we need to do is change congress especially in two ways. we need people who are more fiscally responsible and we need more people who know frankly the basics about how to work together. you will hear about these themes a lot tonight in my comments. concerning fiscal responsibility, i was the governor that drew a tough straw. i was governor in the worst recession sin the 1930s and i had to cut $5 billion from the state budget, including my own salary. i'm the only governor in modern times that left office with a smaller general fund budget than when i started. i know how to be fiscally responsible. my opponent has a different record. he went into the united states senate in 2001 with the biggest surpluses in the history of the united states and six years later, left with massive deficits. during his time in the senate, national debt went up by $16,000 every second and in an earlier debate, he conceded spending was a problem when he was in the senate. we also have people who know how to work together. as a nonpartisan mayor in richmond, i wor

in recent years when he served in the congress and now as the secretary of transportation. he knows full well the role that senator boxer played and he was a member in congress of the transportation committee and the consensus she is building in the senate on this is quite remarkable so i am honored to be here with senator feinstein and our colleagues and share in this for san francisco and what you see here mr. secretary is consent. our great mayor lee -- he is the consensus maestro and brings people together and he said "listen, listen" and we act upon the consensus of our community. it's about consensus. it's about community. it's about here comes the bus and now we can get on it, but it's also about all the things the mayor said. it's about the quality of our air. again sitting comfortably in other projects in california that secretary lahood hood worked so hard on. the two senators were instrumental in making better and we in the house urged passage for the high speed rail in the central valley, whether it's mass transit, rail, high speed rail and terminal and presidio

obviously, congress will look there.ut there are plenty of places where they can look in terms of corporate subsidies and things like that. i am sure those will be examined as we go forward. host: florida, a republican. caller: good morning. i have a request and then the question on the tax breaks. on city, county, and state, i find it ironic that these cra's are pushed for in the economic development zones -- businesses get tax breaks and then local tax breaks go up on property- tax. liberals are giving these tax breaks to big businesses and little businesses and they do beautification with the money and they can borrow bond money on these cra's. but the national liberals want to raise taxes on businesses, and we all know consumers pay the taxes for these businesses in the price of the products. i wish one of your reporters would do a story on that, the difference between the national taxes and local taxes toward business. my question on the taxes is, have any of your reporters asked the president or his surrogates what

congress has to lead. >> what about on the spending side?hat's the part everyone thinks there's the easy cuts to make. and i think in the republican world they think the spending side is easiest place to go to try and close the deficit. >> it isn't. what's occurring in my campaign there's a slogan we're going to have a balance budget that takes many town to 18% gdp and would savage everything people care about. so you've got to come in with the most controversial ones. that's again why the two most important and largest programs are controversialal to get after social security and medicare. when you're dealing with things that are controversialal that can be demagog, it's terribly important to start off with both a republican and a democrat on board who are willing to stay the course against often times opposition in your party. >> you're running against one of those spending cuts republicans who really wants to slash the budge fet, but is a beneficiary herself of the agriculture programs which was one of the biggest programs in nebraska. >>

could congress, anyone in congress, break the gridlock? nobody knew. the speechmaking was spectacular. guns were drawn on the floor of the senate. as far as we know. maybe some guys are packing today and would like to do it as well. can't speak to that. but i'm not going to read much at all but die want to read you a fragment of one of henry clay's magnificent speeches on the floor of the senate, introducing what would become the framework for the compromise, and clay was at this moment great, great senator from kentucky, one of the longest serving politicians in 19th 19th century american history. he has been inspired as a boy by hearing patrick henry in virginia, so he is a link with the founders and so on. at any rate, clay, who in effect drives this debate in the senate, often is called a slave driver or an overseer in the senate, but very few moments in american history when it was so that the country's fate hinged on one man0s ability to overkomrij edly held beliefs and to change minds almost on the spot. and the nation clay declared had become l

congress passed ited in the law. we think it's a government agency because if you don't obey the rules u they set down, you go to prison. it looks like a government agency. basically the answer of your question is it's the banking cartel. when did you get interested in the topic. in the 1960s. i was producing low budget documentary. i thought a god documentary would be on inflation. what's the cause of inflation. i wasn't too sure. it had something to do with manipulation of the money supply. i never produce the documentary. i got my interest in to it. i a box full of research and then anyway eventually got the box back out and started to get some talks on it. it do grew. there was no great milestone. more i learned it was a important topic to the future of our country. that's is called morm hazard. that's the name the insurance agency gives it. when you have a government industry that guarantee that banks cannot fail. they are going that take taxpayer money and make the banks whole again if they go belly up or if th

if somebody lies to congress, testifying before congress, like roger clemens on the steroid issue, congress will go after them. they did not do that with her. she gave the testimony and you saw it there. this notion that you can somehow discredit her and it goes away, you cannot. there have been other allegations before. this is not an isolated incident. there have been issues before. just saying that the senate ok'ed me anyway is not a defense of that. you have got to take the totality of it. who is telling the truth that night was between you and her. to say that this is just bitter politics, before this ad ran, there was an ad run by richard carmona about me about veterans with missing limbs and saying that jeff flake would not take care of them. that was certainly the implication of the ad. >> that was not what the ad said. the ad pointed out that you failed to vote on specific issues that would support our veterans. that is what it said. >> it is cherry-picking votes. that is personal to me. my father is a vet. my brother is in the military. the notion that i would stand by, whether it

and they are more than every day. >> i was asking the congress woman about the congress people are using iphones and social networks. i think we have come around some sort of tipping point here where yes my dad can't set up a wifi router but he can get on wifi. we sort of become tech nologically literate up to even older people. if you look at smart phone penetration we have amppple. >> google as done a little bit of work, as well. the penetration of over 50 the majority have smart phones. i think we are seeing a huge wash of technology that will just make it you biquitous. we want to make sure we have a service that is available to them. >> we have about a minute left. what is the head of a large hardware company doing running a social network? >> that's a great question. >> 30 seconds to answer it. >> i was interested in solving a problem that my family faced. care zone is exactly that. >> jonathan schwarz thanks for being with us. >>> "press here" will be back in just a minute. >>> that's our show for this week. my thanks to my guests and thank you for putting up with my slight cold t

except for those money interests that control our congress. we need to rise up as one and say legalize trillion hem p now. [applause] >> 40,000 people in prison on drug charges. now we have over a half billion of our people in prison? i would, as president, create a presidential pardon on everyone that did not commit other crimes from our prisons who were arrested for marijuana. [applause] >> anyone else want to reput? we have six questions in all and we are only finishing the second one. >> when i was governor, a meeting started, i didn't know what to expect. they said, hey, we're here to support you. we would like to share with you a story. >> only a minute. >> to pass on to others to let others better understand it. they said methamphetamine is really the boogeyman of drugs. people that do methamphetamine do horrible things. by the way, it falls on the poor. it is cheap, it is easy to make. so the consequences fall on the poor. if cocaine were legal, these people would be using cocaine without the negative behavioral impact. what i will tel

congress you have to understand. constitution was drafted by men afraid of government and trying to protect the people from their own government and not giving the government power to do something. but the powers in the constitution are negative to the government so that people will have as johnathon said freedom to do what they want to do. you don't need the other stuff to do that . >> at the same time is it better where we are with the economy now to have one party and at least get something done. it may not be the best thing but something done . >> i think not. i agree with johnathon which is frightening me right now. in britain it is a parlimentary and possible to force legislation and there is leding to austerit yenow too much too soon. america is brilliant with the checks and balances in place. it is the responsibility to make sure comis not a dirter word. it is allowed. >> guys making a point. 52 percent of the poll say this is the biggest number. 50 percent say one party. >> over the course of my financial jo

, more to do with congress. that economic storm blowing in from europe, kevin has said we have to be in good shape. i'm saying that may prevent us from being in as good a shape as we'd like to be. you argue that under mitt romney we'll start looking at government very differently, less paternalistic. >> time spas iis passing, and t from that great recession is passing, and the expansion of government spending to make a great recession not become a great depression. in four more years, no question exit strategies are going tok under way to rein in some of those things. mitt romney has said that, look, he believes in the safety net and he will repair it as necessary but the safety net is probably way too big. so under a president romney, no question you would see a different way of looking at government and probably a smaller government. now, this being said, gentlemen, i would just like to say the one thing that is certain, that is certain under president romney, by the year 2016, we will all be four years older.

and congress has not moved on that. and i truly worry about gridlock in the next administration really no matter who wins. and that's just a difficult issue and it does concern me that the republicans in the house in particular are focused on anything involving the government must be bad. it's just not true. and we need think about ways that the public and private sector can collaborate better. >> host: john? >> guest: i think there is a tendency to? discussing any cuts in potential and cuts and funding anywhere to draw the conclusion that well, nothing will happen. we won't be able to fund anything. there clearly is a role for research and basic research investment, questions is making sure those dollars when they're being spent is being put towards and effective use and not being put thwart toward pet project. you mentioned solyndra. and now the chinese government subsidizes have pumped up their solar industry to that extent, it's almost proverse we were borrowing money from china. the chinese were funding both sides.

but republicans in congress still won't let that happen. that's only held back the economy when we should be doing everything we can to accelerate our economic engine. let's be honest. republicans in congress won't act on this plan before the election, but maybe they'll come to their senses afterward if you give them a push. so contact your representative, especially if this plan will help you or somebody you know. tell him or her that american homeowners have waited long enough. tell them that it's time for congress to stop standing in the way of our recovery and start standing up for you. thanks and have a great weekend. >> hello, i'm jeff flake, congressman from arizona's sixth district. last week the obama administration confirmed that the budget deficit for fiscal year 2012 will be $1.1 trillion. this will mark the fourth year in a row that the federal government has spent more than it has taken in to the tune of over $1 trillion. with the school year underway across the country, it's not comforting to think that the class of 2012 who

the president can't order congress around. congress can't order the president around. that'snot bad for a guy never been there, right? but you have to work together. now, i have talked to the chairmen of the committees that want this. they're democrats. the president wants, but we can't get it, because we sit here in gridlock because it's a campaign year. we didn't fund a lot of other things this year, like the savings and loan mess. that's another story we're getting to pay a big price right after the election. the facts are though -- the facts are the american people are hurting. these people are hurting in the inner cities. we're shipping the low-paying jobs -- quote "low-paying jobs" overseas. what are low-paying jobs? textiles, shoes, things like that that we say are yesterday's industries. they're tomorrow's industries in the inner cities. let me say in my case, if i'm out of work, i'll cut grass tomorrow to take care of my family. i'll be happy to make shoes, i'll be happy to make clothing, i'll make sausage. you just give me a job. put those jobs in the inner c

that is why congress's approval rating is 9% or 10%. if congress refuses to do anything. guest: there is some truth to that, but the other side is that it does take leadership, and we saw the leadership that president lyndon johnson used in passing the great society legislation, civil rights, the big ticket items and a note earlier era. there is an argument about steady leadership that could pave the way. on the flip side, this is the most partisan, divided congress in 100 years, and that does not count for nothing. that plays a huge role. it also feeds into the frustration people have with congress -- why can they not get this deal done? we know it needs to happen. it is a growing problem. like so many things, policy- wise, it is difficult, if not impossible, and politically lawmakers tend to not want to do with it in until they're faced with all last possible moment to act because if they at earlier, they will certainly be criticized -- why did you make the deal this way or that way? both sides will be criticized. as we saw last summer during the standoff over raising t

mckenna: you should have stayed in congress instead of quitting congress halfway through your term.ongress that didn't even bring up comprehensive immigration reform during president president obama's administration. we do need comprehensive immigration reform. the question was about farm labor in particular. what we need is meaningful reform to make it easier for our employers to bring workers and to work hard and earn good money and to go home and enjoy the fruits of their labor and come back and work again if they choose. we need a reformed guestworker program that will provide workers not only in agriculture, but also in high-tech. microsoft opened the latest software development center in british columbia because they couldn't get enough visas to bring in high-tech workers to help them write computer code. this is a problem for much of our economy. we also need reform of the specific worker programs. inslee: it is a bit surprising. the whole irony. i will tell you why. we democrats have been fighting for a comprehensive approach, including guestworker provisions to help her cul

but in congress, it is clear. i am trying to determine the cause of it. when they take polls, most people self-described they are a moderate something. maybe the majority of people are close to it, most reverses' other people being extremist. the parties tend to be a little more extreme because of their views of being either a liberal or a conservative. it becomes difficult to get people elected in the middle. part of it is the political parties that have the ability to take some of what you mentioned and destroyed a person's voting record on that basis. it is also the media we tend to overlook. there has been a big change in the last 10 years in this country. the media has become more polarized. i am not all -- not talking just about fox news. a lot of the political pundits to do a lot of the riding on an ad an ideological basis in this country tend to be the ones who are also on the air. they do a lot of this talking. it is part of the demise of the moderate wing. their art -- there is not a lot of moderate answer to that. i have only had a chance to sk

the powerful democrats in congress were upset, southern democrats in congress were upset because buchanan promised he would take no action at charleston harbor and they saw anderson's move to fort sumter as action. they pressed buchanan to force anderson withdraw. divorce anderson to withdraw. but buchanan wouldn't do that. his decision to maintain anderson at fort sumter, and a decision he held to remain of his presidency, gave lincoln cars and lincoln would have had. on top of that, you can told major anderson at fort sumter that if he needed help, if he needed any help he had it read to come. they had an expedition ready to go. now, of course, if buchanan had been faced with what lincoln was faced with, overwhelming force is required, the army didn't have that much strength, buchanan in my judgment probably would have ordered withdraw of anderson. but buchanan did more than people give him credit for doing. and we didn't do as much as he probably could have. on the other hand, he had a terrible problem because he couldn't anything out of the congress. the republicans opposed everything

this is something that was put in place by congress, and while we are talking about the two candidater president, let's not forget that congress bears a lot of the responsibility for many of the problems we have now. they are the ones that write the appropriations bills and they are the ones who pass the legislation for more spending and for the various entitlement programs that people have troubleñr with. and so i think it is a close race, i think every american should look at both candidates carefully, measure them against your own personal views. i really am pleased the way the president saved the auto industry and i think that brought a lot of jobs back to ohio and michigan and other parts of the northwest. >> so you blame the failure to find a grand bargain on the congress and not on the president? >> the failure to find a grand bargain, why do we need a grand bargain? why do we need simpson-bowles? this is work congress is supposed to be doing, you are not supposed to need special committees to come along we have a congress of 535 people with dozens and dozens of committees, why

so there are a variety of different things that one can do with that, and congress has not, this congress has not moved on that. and i truly worry about gridlock in the next administration. really no matter who wins. and that, that's just a really difficult issue. and i -- it does concern me that the republicans in the house in particular are just so focused on anything involving the government must be bad. st -- it's just not true, and we need to think about ways that the public and private sector can collaborate better. >> host: john kneuer? >> guest: uh, i think there is a tendency to in discussing any cuts and potential cuts in funding anywhere to draw the conclusion that, well, nothing will happen, we won't be able to fund anything. there clearly is a role for research, basic research investment. the question is making sure that those dollars when they're being spent are really being put towards an effective use and not being put towards pet projects or other things. you know, you brought up, you mentioned solyndra, and now that the chinese government subsidies have pumped up their s

congress is the most powerful branch of our three branches. they don't use some of that power, but they have the tax part misspending park were declaration part of investigating power, confirmation power, on and on. they are the smallest branch of our government. we don't have to deal with millions of executive branch employees. we don't have to deal with judges therefore life in the courtroom. we deal with little congress. 500 or defragmented women to put on their shoes every day, like you and i do. endangering every day of getting votes. [laughter] but they have figured out that the way to get those dispersed to gerrymandered districts so that either the democrat wins easily for the republican wins easily, sometimes without even an opponent. have you heard a speaker john boehner? hears us that the democrats are. they have made sure that in southwest ohio, john boehner does not have a democratic opponent. so it's pretty easy for most of these people to get reelected. a lot of them have no opponents. more of them have nominal opponents of the

ahead -- >> ruban running for congress. >> his quest to become the first latino running for congress. >>> like republican brian sandoval, the state's first latino leader. >> i am not the most famous 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. washington, ruben makes a point to meet with key latino congressmen. of the 530 members currently in congress, 28 are latino, eight republicans, 20 democrats. >> you already lieutenant? >> i'm doing well. waiting to meet with congressman basserra. >> reporter: like charlie full participants in the electoral process. >> reporter: which is what we believe in strong the largest latino population in the state. >> i need your help. >> reporter: he says electing him to congress would give latinos a vote. >> hi, everybody. >> reporter: and democratic leaders hope ruben's candidacy would bring mo

what would the congress look like?would be thinking big, the question is, can he get big? >> yes, that's a good question. ron is the assistant managing editor for "time" magazine. good friend of our show. what does unemployment look like in 2016 if president obama wins? >> it will be ticking down no matter what. i think if he was able to get through some of the big jobs plans that he's been talking about, an infrastructure bank as you mentioned, really focus on manufacturing, help the resurgence that has been happening, i think we could go down to 6% or maybe lower. it's all about bringing congress together. it's not just about the president as we've seen in the first term. it's going to be very important if he's re-elected that he helps us get over the fiscal cliff. if he can build consensus and we're already starting to see a little give on the republican side. you have tea party supporters talking about possibly higher taxes. >> is there something the president can achieve differently in the second term if the make-