to know howard baker through the years. there are so many people who have -- i take a little bit from everyone. i do not know that i could say there was anybody who was my perfect role model. >> if you look at howard baker -- lamarr alexander and your brand of politics, is it different from other states or legislators? >> i do not think so. when you say different, what do you mean by that? >> you are not aligned with the tea party, you are often viewed as the bridge between democrats and republicans. >> yeah. i look at myself as a true fiscal conservative. i really do. mean, we havei laid out those stuff things that need to happen to save our nation. justnot talking about laying them out rhetorically. we have written bills that have the tough medicine in them that lay out what needs to happen to make sure that the entitlement programs that semi-people depend upon are solvent over the next 75 years. that our country is saved in the process. i think one of the things that would make me unique possibly in our state is the fact

to know howard baker through the years. there are so many people who have -- i take a little bit from everyone. i do not know that i could say there was anybody who was my perfect role model. >> if you look at howard baker -- lamarr alexander and your brand of politics, is it different from other states or legislators? >> i do not think so. when you say different, what do you mean by that? >> you are not aligned with the tea party, you are often viewed as the bridge between democrats and republicans. >> yeah. i look at myself as a true fiscal conservative. i really do. mean, we havei laid out those stuff things that need to happen to save our nation. justnot talking about laying them out rhetorically. we have written bills that have the tough medicine in them that lay out what needs to happen to make sure that the entitlement programs that semi-people depend upon are solvent over the next 75 years. that our country is saved in the process. i think one of the things that would make me unique possibly in our state is the fact

when ford lost he a blamed it on reagan some then the bush family rose up and howard baker and try to stop reagan. they said he cannot win arranges extremist. the same kind of language -- devil's advocate -- you're pointing out. the opinion is an articulate, knowledgeable, conservative, with artic utable agenda who do it with confidence is going to win. >> i don't seive that yet among -- i don't see that yet among the cast of characters. ronald reagan had an ability to coalesce all of that. >> no. matter of fact in '74 and '75 he was crashed heavily by "the wall street journal." he was trashed heavily within his own party. >> i know. the voodoo economic things. i'm saying, today, of that crowd think the cruzs and rand pauls and others do you think they would be able to bring all of that together in an appealing way to the american people if for some reason or another, looks at these guys with raised eyebrows. >> i don't know. >> i want you to know. you're a rock star. >> that's the nature of the political process. i will tell you what we'll lose. i just saw it. a romney, mccain, dole,

i loved getting to know howard baker through the years.here are so many people who have -- i take a little bit from everyone. i do not know that i could say there was anybody who was my perfect role model. >> if you look at howard baker and lamarr alexander and your brand of politics, is it different from other states or legislators? >> i do not think so. when you say different, what do you mean by that? >> you are not aligned with the tea party, you are often viewed as the bridge between democrats and republicans. >> yeah. i look at myself as a true fiscal conservative. i really do. i think that, i mean, we have laid out those stuff things that need to happen to save our nation. i am not talking about just laying them out rhetorically. we have written bills that have the tough medicine in them that lay out what needs to happen to make sure that the entitlement programs that semi-people depend upon are solvent over the next 75 years. that our country is saved in the process. i think one of the things that would make me unique possibly in o

written on november 16, 1983, by president ronald reagan, addressed to then senate majority leader howard baker. president reagan, i believe, my good friends on the other side of the aisle, have deified him as a fiscal warrior, a true conservative. yet we know that ronald reagan raised the debt ceiling 18 times during his presidency and in this letter to senator baker lace out in bold, uncompromising terms the consequences of a failure to raise the debt ceiling. this is not a partisan issue. we as democrats are not standing here on the floor of the house of representatives because we want to beat up the other side. we're here to defend the best interests of the american people. east, west, north, south, rural america, urban america, and suburban america, because the consequences of a failure to raise the debt ceiling will hurt everybody. so if the distinguished gentleman from nevada could just react to the notion that this is somehow a partisan issue that needs to be discussed, so that president obama is being fiscally irresponsible by requesting that congress do its constitutional duty. mr. ho