gail collins. >> i'm not done with gail yet. >> the sting, right? >> that was a sting. sort of the sign, okay? use it in your next column. anyway, so it's a losing proposition for the republicans. so what do the republicans do, gail collins? because i know every republican that's being sworn in right now -- >> they want to know what you have to say. >> -- what does "new york times" editorial writer gail collins have to say? >> they're always calling me asking me that, when your mother is calling. they always ask. >> gail, what should we do? >> i'd say the spending argument, pay off the debt and then start fighting about the spending because you've got the sequestration coming up right after that. and fight about how much to cut then. don't fight about paying the bills. >> a couple more questions for you, gail. how was your new year's eve? >> excellent. sleeping. very good. >> that's fantastic. wept to sleep early in >> went to sleep early. >> what's your big goal for 2013? >> wow. my goal is to find some future presidential candidate that maybe threw his cat out the win

and in part because of more generalized federal spending has become really wealthy. >> annie, gail collins-- >> hi, gail. >> -- but she's right here today. >> can i ask you, this is so interesting about washington, and it's not only washington where economic booms are being pushed by federal spending. i mean, i keep reminding people all the time that texas has a ton of federal spending, but it tends to be mostly military, or at least a lot of it is. and then federal contracts. how much of the spending in washington is militarily driven, and how much of it is from other stuff? >> i think that the thing is that a lot of the new spending, since 2001 especially, is military. so it's going to the military. we built a whole new department in the department of homeland security. things like the cia and the, you know, just the nsa budgets have increased quite a bit. so i would describe it as defense and security as being really the heart of this, even if it isn't military precisely. but, you know, the military budget has expanded hugely. this is something that "morning joe" was talking about this

the columnist gail collins writes in today's "new york times," the bar is low since some people believehe departing 112th congress was the worst in history because of its stupendous lack of productivity and the favorability rating that once polled lower than the idea of a communist takeover of america. indeed, with expectations so low, at least there's no risk of anyone being disappointed. joining us now is nbc's luke russert live from capitol hill. >> welcome back, buddy. >> thank you. i'm delighted to have you with us. if you had been responsible, luke, for leading an institution to an approval rating of just 10% last year, if you were deemed to be the most disliked member of the house leadership with a net favorability rating of negative 20, if you couldn't even persuade your own colleagues to vote with you on a fiscal cliff plan "b," would you, luke, expect to be re-elected or fired? >> reporter: well, me personally, martin, i have the benefit of not running for the speakership of the united states -- >> that's not an answer, luke. would you expect to be re-elected or fired? >> repo

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