henry aaron tracks entitlement and budget issues at the brookings institution. and norm ornstein is a long-time congressional observer at the american enterprise institute. we thank you all three for being here. norm, on this i guess momentous day, was this committee doomed to failure from the start? >> i don't think it was doomed to failure from the start. i actually had what had to be cautious optimism which meant maybe there's 25% chance of success. because there's some things that drive them towards an agreement. that includes dire economic situation in europe and the possibility that failure will lead to something much worse. but, you know, in the end the dysfunction in the system and the partisan divide meant that an agreement, a template out there that we've had now for more than a year from three separate bipartisan groups, they just couldn't bring it together. it was the tax issue and the republicans just' inability to move on that in a way that simpson-bowls, the gang of six, the three groups that have done this had set out for them. >> woodruff: was o