i'm joined by former house speaker dennis hastert. sir, great to have you here. i want to start with this tense phone call we have been reporting on between the president and speaker boehner. you were able to sit down and get things done with bill clinton, who at the time was negotiating with a congress that impeached him. in your estimation, why does it seem so hard for these two modern day men to get around the same table? >> i'm not going to impugn anybody on this thing. everybody's got their problems. but i think where we're at right now, boehner's got a big load to carry, not only has to deal with the president, actually get something done, he's got to make sure that his constituency or basically the members of the house are happy about it. i would guess, i don't know what the inside deals are, i would guess right now that boehner's probably getting less from the president than he did this summer. it's not going to sell well, probably, with his conference. i mean, he's got a real hard -- there's always something called palace politics and political revolutio

of the majority, most republicans, in this case they're at majority, must support a bill before denny hastert would put it on the house floor. i don't get a sense that's where speaker boehner is. >> you could imagine a scenario where the house could pass an agreement that's reached in the senate, with a minority of republicans and dozens of democrats make up the difference. that would essentially be john boehner falling on his sword, diving on the grenade and giving up his speakership. you know, democrats might say this would be a great act of self-sacrifice, not the kind of thing you see in washington. there isn't any indication it's going to happen. it's worth reminding people, if we go over the cliff the world doesn't end. it gets worse the more time passes into january and god fored by february, but there's a good chance they will work something out in early january. unfortunately, the flip side, if they do a band-aid solution right now, we have the debt limit fight coming up. things are still in churn. it's not like it's black and white in the next 24 hours. >> really quickly, do you thi

a dennis hastert kind of a speaker instead of newt gingrich. not a revolutionary. not a member of the tea party. he wants a deal so he can talk later on about getting elected. this is the way boehner gets reelected as speaker. this is the way that obama wins injuries the media will declare him the winner. this is the way the republicans in the house get out of this box because they are going to vote no, not be primaried and then the train is on the track and sadly i think what is going to happen, sean hannity is the predictions of ernst and young and the cbo is between 250,000 and 700,000 private sector jobs lost because of this deal and that will be hung around the neck of barack hussein obama. >> you are saying bill cunningham that the people not being considered here are the american people. >> us. >> sean: washington is failing america at this moment because on top of it, they are not dealing with the real problem. >> no. >> sean: and all this discussion. >> sean, bill is right. >> sean: 6 cents of every dollar. >> can i just add? there is a difference between

everybody, every day who walks through there, looks up at the portrait you see newt gingrich, dennis hastert, this reporter will say this person did that. you see tip o'neill, reporters say, tip o'neill. john boehner wants that tip o'neill legacy. he wants to be able to say when you see my painting there will be universal praise. we won't agree with him here or there, least he got something done. >> can he get that without a sideways mention of the tan? >> newt gingrich has the contract with america in his portrait. >> and the crying. this is what i meant by the fact that obama helped him, because he allowed him to trim his sales get rid of the tea party complainers because now they say look the nation wants this. he looks like he's being broadly democratic for the best interests of the nation while shoring up his own, you know, particular interest there and he's been able to get help from obama to beat back the tea party. it's an ironic -- >> obama gave him -- >> he said the rich could pay. how about that? the rich would pay. >> obama gave him pow. >> we'll talk more about the rich paying.

something without the house majority of the majority that is something that house speakers back to denny hastert have tried to do, when they have the majority, get the majority of their members to sign on to it. he would have to pass it with most democrats and not a lot of republicans. arthel: there is such in-fighting in each party. speaker boehner is not going to speak after the president makes his remarks. i would like to see what you think of that stance on speaker boehner's part. >> reporter: trying to figure out if they can get the votes. the deal seems foe nebulous. what we are hearing about it -- i don't think the president is going to get into have many specifics here. we'll hear much of the same thing we have heard the past few days. i could be wrong. you are looking live at the eisenhower executive office building part of the white house complex. we are waiting for the president to come out in the south auditorium to make this statement. it's just going to be remarks here trying to move law makers to make this deadline. everything we are hearing capitol hill is this will be difficult.

ron is a former communications director to the house speaker, dennis hastert.e you both. >> good to sigh. >> gregg: donna, let's start with what the president was offering a. even democrats are criticizing him for demanding 150 billion in more spending. not less, including a $50 billion stimulus this next year. at a time when the focus perhaps should be on spending cuts, are those democrats right? >> well, i'm hearing many more democrats resonating with the message that the president is delivering and that message is that he ran on and got elected on the basis of more taxes for the most wealthy americans. i think that there is a real danger for republicans in not really hearing that message. i've been impressed by the number of republicans that have made positive indications that more revenue could be forth coming, even in the form of tax increases on the most wealthy americans. and i think that there is a little bit of danger i think for the republican party as they redefine themselves as the party itself has said that it must do if it will be a viable party i

boehner could have chosen to be a hands-off speaker like dennis hastert earlier in the last decade butants to be a strong speaker but he's not in a position to do it. partially because it's not a question of him being able to build a majority of house members. it's a question of him being able to build a coalition of a majority of republicans. and the median house republican is actually very, very conservative. and so there's just not very much space for john boehner to maneuver when it comes to dealmaking or coraling the caucus for much of anything. >> and -- >> can i -- i just want to say that while we're not focused on whether he's going to be speaker or not, i'm certainly not happy with him and i know a lot of people are not happy with him for removing those three tea party freshmen from their kwom assignments. that did not help his situation whatsoever. it was a power play from the caucus to say who's in charge. you got to show some good will. if you want people to come along and come together on something, you've got to show some good will and that was not the right thing to do.

he also served as assistant manager for speaker newt gingrich, the floor assistant for speaker dennis hastert and has served as the floor assistant for then-republican leader john boehner and now speaker john boehner. jay is loyal, knowledgeable, efficient, fair, and one thing i don't know how many of you have observed, he's also swift of foot. he -- he can get from that cloakroom to this floor or to the speaker's rostrum faster than anybody i have ever seen. during the 19 years i have known him, we pass each other here in the institution, but one thing that is important is that we are constantly recognizing each other and jay does that with all of us and the one thing that i'm going to miss, i don't have many people that i can turn to, he was always fair about giving me a clue about when we were going to leave this joint. and i'd ask him, now, jay if you know, i'm coming over there to shake your hand if you know when we're going to leave, tell me, please. we wish you well, my friend. god speed. thank you. mr. woodall: at this time it's my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. sm

throughout his tenure, he has since worked for speakers newt gingrich, dennis hastert and now john boehner. when i came to the house in 2003 , i have known jay to be a true student of this institution, he has helped me personally and countless other members. he's helped us to learn how this body works and he's been quick to assist a member with any question about the floor or even a good book recommendation. mr. speaker, what most people may not know about jay is that in addition to a bachelor's degree from westmont college and a master's degree from california state university, he earned his ph.d. from the university of maryland. in his upcoming retirement i want to thank jay for his service to this great institution and i wish he and his wife, jo ann, all the best in their future endeavors. my friend jay pearson. and i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady from ca

dennis hastert started and stated it. i don't know if boehner has ever stated it.ration at all. there is this view of many that eric cantor is standing right behind john bainer with a very sharp knife. if boehner undercuts the tea party and i don't know how many tea party members, how do you define if it's 100 or 120 very conservative members of the house, ultra conservatives, not just the mainstream conservatives, i don't know where they -- what they do if boehner takes it to the floor you get 180 democrats and 40 or 50 republicans. >> bill: i think that's why boehner is afraid to take it to the floor. he knows it would pass. also democratic leader nancy pelosi today is issuing her discharge position to try to get them. let's talk about that when we come back with senator sherrod brown and michael tomasky from the "daily beast." today's "full court press." >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." perspective. >>i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. >>only on current tv. how far will people go to relieve their sore throat? try these. new cepacol sensations

john boehner has followed what denny hastert used to impose as the majority of the majority rule.ou don't bring something to the floor unless most of your members are for it. i think john boehner in this case would be willing to set that aside. he would have something else for his members to vote for, which would be more favorable to those die hard conservatives who oppose the deal, but i think he would put it on the floor and i think eld pass. >> joining us now on the set is republican congresswoman shelly moore-capito and democratic congressman greg meeks from new york. congresswoman, i think he could do that and bring it and still be fine on january 3rd. is that your view? he would be re-elected speaker. >> i think he's going to be re-elected speaker, regardless. but i think there is a will in our conference, in the republican conference, to act, to have something on the floor to react to. i would say that it could be that it comes back from the senate and we act on it, but we amend it and change it. i wouldn't say it would definitely be the end game. that would be a nice, neat

then jay has served as floor assistant to three speakers of the house, including newt gingrich, dennis hastert and the current speaker, john boehner. the career that has spanned over 35 years, jay has served as an invaluable role for so many members in helping them to learn the ways of the u.s. house of representatives. i'm proud to be among those who have benefited from jay's service and friendship and leadership. but jay isn't just known for his expertise in parliamentary procedure. he's known to be an individual of substance and distinct professionalism. in fact, i personally would say he's the embodiment of a professional which is why he is respected by members of both sides of the aisle. you wouldn't know if you saw him in action, but jay never expected to work in politics. he earned a b.a. in english literature from westmont college, an m.a. in english literature and a ph.d. from the university of maryland. but life works in mysterious ways. rarledless, u.s. house of repive -- regardless, the u.s. house of representatives has been blessed to have him. thank you, jay pearson, for your lif