this week, the tea party faction including your own senator jim demint said that's not enough. they proposed a freeze to 2006 levels to reduce our debt they say by $2.5 trillion over the next decade. do you support that, senator? >> i think we ought to try to reduce spending as much as we possibly can. there will be a lot of different ideas as we work through the legislative process. by the way, chris, it's not just the short-term annual debt we're talking about here. we sold look at the long-term unfunded liabilities program, and they can only be tackled on a bipartisan basis. we will look to the president what we wants to do about our long-term problem as well as the annual deficits we're running which are completely unsustainable. >> chris: when you hear this tea party idea, $2.5 trillion over the next there some spending cuts that are too much? >> look, there are 535 members of congress, a whole lot of different ideas. what we're going to try 20 do is reduce -- try to do is reduce discretionary spending as much as we possibly can to get a signature by the president. i welco

he is talking to the tea party, trying to mollify jim demint. if you think raising the debt ceiling is going to be a walk and the park, you are delusional. it is going to be tough, it is going to be difficult, and it will come down to cutting off the salaries of those in combat in afghanistan, their families, of food stamps, military housing. that is the confrontation they are going to be facing. >> what about in the senate? democrats say they have a plastic to keep republicans from posting their fondest is not -- they have a plan to keep republicans from frosting the fondest desires. >> listeningo the mark, i understand why birds are falling out of the sky. [laughter] and of days -- end of days. oh, yes, the filibuster. i would love democrats to succeed. i want to see its complete abolition. years ago, democrats hold up nominees to the court of appeals, the republicans said to abolish the filibuster. i am amonghose who want to abolish it. >> there are radicals who want to -- >> not radical enough. >> it would be interesting if they actually had

and alaska sarah palin got 7% of the vote and that was voluntarilied by michelle balkman and jim demint5%. high profile political figures did not score well with republicans. newt gingrich, and mitch daniels and huckabee. meantime the white house is gearing up for the campaign and staff changes, the president chose a new campaign manager. he is currently the deputy white house chief of staff. and senior presidential adviser david axle rod is moving to the chicago based campaign operation. fox news. >>> one bay area city is saying no to cash. discovery bay residents will not be able to pay with cash. officials say the new policy will ensure the safety for town clarks. critics con tend it's a way to stop requests for public report. >>> apple's apps store is celebrating the person that downloaded the 10 billionth app. they will get a gift card. they launched in 2008, they sell applications for apple products. >>> the first waste collection drive was held. the electronics will have the lead removed and keep that out of state landfills. >>> a pet can be a friend to those in need or ill. a gr

. >> reporter: conservative crusader jim demint and the freshmen senators he helped to elect, planted their tea party flag today. the tea party caucus claimed credit today for the g.o.p.'s new hard line on spending. >> we will do everything we can to cut wasteful government spending. >> reporter: they even see their influence in the president's state of the union address. >> if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, i will veto it. >> did that come from his side of the party or did that come from the tea party? >> reporter: their assertiveness has caused heartburn for g.o.p. leaders like when congresswoman michele bachmann insisted on delivering a separate tea party response to the state of the union. and when tea party enthusiast, sarah palin, invoked a vulgar acronym, to describe the president's speech. >> his theme was the "w-t-f," you know, winning the future. and i thought, okay, that acronym, spot on. there are a lot of "w-t-f" moments throughout that speech. >> reporter: but friction between the republican party and the tea party doesn't trouble supporters who say that's

jim demint is still floating himself. sarah palin hanging around.g iowa. that's a swing state. you can't stipulate states. he can figure out how to tie down expectations. this idea of skipping states i think is political -- >> how do you look to republicans in congress to try to set up their nominee? >> they will tribute i think the real action will be in the state level. these governors who are attacking pension liabilities, republican governors attacking big budget deficits are going advantage themselves and in the last few days who would have thought a week ago a republican would have shown knowledge about middle east beyond afghanistan and iraq. so mature, adult like candidates who are focused on real issues in their states and can show some agility and smart toughness have moved to the front. romney is stronger today than and he was week ago because he's more of an adult. >> we'll leave it there. thanks to all you. a lot of ground cover. that's all for today. we'll be back next week and marking 100th anniversary of president reagan's bitter. wh

i don't for the life of me understand why jim demint and michelle balkman want to make this a point of debate. you can't win it. you're going to raise the debt ceiling. you've got tdo it. i'm perfectly happy to have someone like paul ryan, i'm a great fan of congressman ryan's try and use it for leverage to get real spending cuts in place but this is not the place to do it. and if republicans say, as senator demint did, which is no matter what i would get if i was able to get a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, you shod stilvote against it, i think is extremely unwise and i can't imagine that the leadership in the senate or the house agree with it. guest: i think it is going to happen, it is going to pass. guest: it is going to pass. it is worth pointing out that barack obama in 2006 voted against raising the debt ceiling. now he's asking that people do it and that just shows when you're president sometimes your obligations change. so since i agreed with bill on one thing, let me disagree on the cbo issue of the scoring o the health care bill. the way it works, you know t

he's going to be sitting next to the conservative senator, jim demint of south carolina. democrats and republicans sitting next to each other tonight, which will create a very different feel in that room. >> i want to show everyone mrs. obama arriving just a minute or two ago. she's going to go down and take her seat. of course, with dr. jill biden and the family of christina-taylor green. she's going to be sitting next to them. >> you see her kissing roxanna green there, and father john green, of course, the little girl that was lost in tucson just a few weeks ago. >> let's introduce you now to our political powerhouse team watching the speech with us and with you tonight. christiane amanpour, hello, great to have you here. george will, central voice of the conservative movement in america. matthew dowd, who has advised republicans and democrats, not only president bush but also president obama called him last month after the november elections. and donna brazile, democratic analyst, you've seen her so often with us here. >> and our top correspondents on capitol hill, ja

senator jim demint offered during the last election cycle, is to go to a -- system. a tremendous way of engaging the private sector to help us fix medicare, giving people more control. one of the biggest difficulties -- and i hope this is relatively well accepted in washington -- is part of the difficult with health care, is people don't know how much things cost. we have a disconnect for people buying things and they don't know what it cost, then it's expensive. if you think health care it is expensive now, just wait it is -- until it is free. host: a former reagan economic adviser -- wrote in "forbes" magazine about the vouchers in medicare. the amounts are considerably less than estimated medicare spending per enrollee in 2022. so there is a sharp cut. furthermore, they will only be indexed to have the historical rate of price inflation of medical care. the inflation-adjusted voucher amount would fall. to cover the short call beneficiaries will either have to pay out of their own pocket for medicare or private -- by private insurance over and above. guest: what yo

some interesting partnerships between jim demint, bernie sanders not wanting to fund the tax cut.here is that potential out there. also, in the spirit of independence, we are seeing some interesting movements out there. for example, lisa murkowski, scott brown. they have joined forces with democrats on some issues while remaining republican. both of them voted on the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. obviously, someone like senator lieberman constantly playing that role in the middle. so you have these members of congress who can and will play a pivotal role, especially in the senate, too. we have a number up for reelection in 2012. all of those elected in 2006, a lot of democrats were sort of from red states who came in on that wave, and will be having to defend their seats. senator tester, a castle, -- macaskill, webb. host: in that same had a net of partisanship, who will in the white house be watching in the congress for who they can work with? guest: first of all, the mcconnell-obama relationship has thawed a little bit. not to just focus on the headlines, but john boehner is

i don't for the life of me understand why jim demint and michelle balkman want to make this a point of debate. you can't win it. you're going to raise the debt ceiling. you've got to do it. i'm perfectly happy to have someone like paul ryan, i'm a great fan of congressman ryan's try and use it for leverage to get real spending cuts in place but this is not the place to do it. and if republicans say, as senator demint did, which is no matter what i would get if i was able to get a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, you should still vote against it, i think is extremely unwise and i can't imagine that the leadership in the senate or the house agree with it. guest: i think it is going to happen, it is going to pass. guest: it is going to pass. it is worth pointing out that barack obama in 2006 voted against raising the debt ceiling. now he's asking that people do it and that just shows when you're president sometimes your obligations change. so since i agreed with bill on one thing, let me disagree on the cbo issue of the scoring of the health care bill. the way it works, you

we have everybody from olympia snowe to jim demint. we have pretty broad philosophical difference. geographical difference. different points of view already. i don't see much difference other than at 47, you're more likely to end up where you want to than at 40 or 41. >> a lot of times the group still has muscle and their aims aren't exactly aligned with yours. >> well, you know it is one of the favorite press parlor games to try to look at divisions among republicans potentially. i think a much more interesting thing -- >> it is not potential. >> let me finish my answer. >> it is not potential. >> let me finish my answer. much more thing would be observe democratic differences. query, how many of 23 democrats up in 12 will start voting with us? and maybe my number is not 47. maybe it is 51? or maybe it is 60? query, how many of the democrats in the senate who are up in 12 are still comfortable with all of the ways they voted in the previous congress and may want to go in a difficult direction this congress? so i think a much more interesting story is going to be the potential demo

i don't for the life of me understand why jim demint and michelle balkman want to make this a point of debate. you can't win it. you're going to raise the debt ceiling. you've got to do it. i'm perfectly happy to have someone like paul ryan, i'm a great fan of congressman ryan's try and use it for leverage to get real spending cuts in place but this is not the place to do it. and if republicans say, as senator demint did, which is no matter what i would get if i was able to get a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, you should still vote against it, i think is extremely unwise and i can't imagine that the leadership in the senate or the house agree with it. guest: i think it is going to happen, it is going to pass. guest: it is going to pass. it is worth pointing out that barack obama in 2006 voted against raising the debt ceiling. now he's asking that people do it and that just shows when you're president sometimes your obligations change. so since i agreed with bill on one thing, let me disagree on the cbo issue of the scoring of the health care bill. the way it works, you

. -- tied for fifth place are republican representatives michele bock and jim demint. the poll was surveying the republican state committee in new hampshire. meanwhile, tea party-dec businessmen invested and established it to become the state party's new chair. -- an established candidate to become the state party put the new chair. >> c-span2 local content vehicles are traveling the country. we take you now to detroit, where the north american international auto show is taking place. while there, we caught up with the governor of michigan as a toward the shelter >> the rebuilding of michigan, the reinvention of michigan are the companies here, not the fact the government is here. his companies, innovators that are going to create the more and better jobs of our future. our role as government is to be a supporting player in that. we are committed to that. we are going to make that happen with tax reform, regulatory reform, and having asked the best economic development people in the world to create an environment for success. i'm excited by the opportunity we have in f

jim demint is one making this into a moral issue says i will refuse to vote for the debt ceiling increasethat? >> without spending -- >> they may have said period. can you, i mean, can you -- what do you think about that strategy? >> well, well, just refusing to vote for it, i don't think that's really a strategy. i believe, i don't want to rubber stamp big government in raising the debt ceiling. do i want to see this nation default? no. but i want to make sure we get substantial spending cuts and controls in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. that is related. it's not an unrelated item, and so i believe if we're going to do this, and obviously you can't default, we need to have some real fiscal fixes in order to do that. this is very serious. it's something we care a lot about, and we're not going to turn the fiscal shift around overnight but we want to point it in the right direction. the debt ceiling is not dealing with current spending. it's old spending. >> right, but fiscal recklessness of the past is your watch. >> it's our watch, and so will the debt ceiling be raised or have

jim demint is one of them. michele bachmann, and other making almost any moral issue that i will refuse to vote for the debt ceiling increase without major spending reforms. >> they might've said. , that's right. >> i'm in the major spending reform camp. >> the cameo -- what do you think about that? >> well, just for using the vote for it, i don't think that's really a strategy. i believe i don't want to rubberstamp the government and raising the debt to ceiling. want to see the nation to follow? no, but i want to make sure we get substantial spending and custom controls in exchange for the debt ceiling. that is related. it's not an unrelated item. and so i believe before going to do this, which obviously you can't default, we need to have several fiscal fixes in order to do that. this is very serious. it's something we care a lot about and were not going to turn the fiscal shift around overnight, but we want to point it in right direction. the debt ceiling is not telling with current spending. it's old spendin