we will bring that to you live. >>> up next, republican senator john thune. send me your thoughts on twitter. follow the show online. >> as soon as the house completes its vote tonight or this afternoon, the senate will move to take up that message that they sent to us. [ male announcer ] members of the american postal workers union handle more than 165 billion letters and packages a year. that's about 34 million pounds of mail every day. ever wonder what this costs you as a taxpayer? millions? tens of millions? hundreds of millions? not a single cent. the united states postal service doesn't run on your tax dollars. it's funded solely by stamps and postage. brought to you by the men and women of the american postal workers union. ♪ >>> that is not fair. that is not fair to the american people, to hold out and say we won't agree to raising the debt limit until we pass a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. it's unfair, it's bizarro. and maybe some people who have only been in this body for six or seven months or so really believe that. others know b

now, that's progressive. >>> joining me, senator john thune, republican of south dakota, and senator mccaskill, democrat of missouri. welcome both of you to "meet the press." well, this is really where the action is right now. it's in the senate. senator thune, as a republican here, somebody who's reportedly in play, what has to be in this agreement to get you to yes? >> well, i think a couple things, david. first, no taxes, spending reductions at least equal to the amount that the debt limit would be increased by, dollar for dollar, and i think a pathway to get a result on entitlement reform. those are the elements that i think a lot of republicans are going to be looking for in order to support a final bill. >> so, you heard david plouffe a minute ago, that mcconnell is saying there's no tax increases in this deal, and that's true, but there is still, again, another committee that's going to look at making the hard decisions about entitlements and tax reform, and the president, you know, is going to look at that committee for tax increases to be part of that approach. >> well, i th

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and a n a moment, john thune of south dakota. where the president is reacting. jessica yellin is standing by. >> reporter: the president has not himself put out a statement. but john carney said the house vote, if passed, forces us into another crisis. they say that it's dead on arriv arrival. that is a quote. and it pushes forward to senator reid's bill and the it calls on the democrats in the senate to find common ground. they want it to head to the senate where it's headed and they want it to happen as quickly as possible. is there enough time to get it done in the remaining hours? there is no plan. the officials have made it clear, if it is productive, it can happen. it's no so close. >> jessica yellin, a good question. would it be productive. john thune, if you are an average american watching the home, why does the house have to plant the flag knowing the democratic senate will not pass it and the democratic senate majority will not say yes. when can people sit around the table and figure it out? >> if you go back to last we

lisa murkowski of alaska, bob corker of tennessee, roy blunt of missouri, john thune of south dakota, scott brown of massachusetts. they're publicly out there. we do know privately a handful of others. so you see how this coalition is going to come together. the question is how big will it be in order to get it so you get a bipartisan vote on the -- out of the house there, lester? >> chuck todd at the white house, thanks. >>> now back to the economic data we got today. gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy rose just 1.3% this spring. that's weak. and below what economists had forecast. the really bad news came in the revised number for the first quarter of this year, 0.4%. the economy was basically flat lining. this didn't help matters on wall street today. the dow was down under 97 points. the nasdaq was down almost 10 points. the s&p 500 fell more than 8, capping the worst week for the markets in a year. cnbc's david faber joins me now. there is no way to sugar coat the numbers. is the bottom line was the recession deeper than any of us thought? >> the recessio

but there are people publicly today that came out for cutting a deal, including john thune from south dakota, murkowski of alaska. roy blunt of missouri. i didn't mention the main republicans most assume would be available for potential crossover appeal. i can tell you this right now, harry reid is dangling a lot of things to try to attract republicans pap few more cuts up front. a promise of a vote on the balanced budget amendment, not linking passage to the next round of cuts. making the "trigger e" stronger for the second round reef duction. of course, all this is about one thing that the white house tears about. giding rid of the second debt ceiling vote that would take place in six to nine months if john boehner and mitch mcconnell got the bill they want. >> is the starting point that's about to start in the senate that which just passed the house? you said to me prior on "hardball," it's of no consequence, adopt the number from the bill and treat as it a blank slate. >> true. exactly right. but there were similarities to the bill before boehner put the balanced budget deal in th

there are people publicly today that came out for cutting a deal john thune from south dakota, bob corker of tennessee, roy blunt of missouri, scott brown of massachusetts. i didn't even mention the main republicans who most people assume would be available for a potential crossover appeal. but i can tell you this right now, harry reid is dangling a lot of things to try to attract republicans. a few more cuts up front. a promise of a vote on a balanced budget amendment. not linking passage to the next round of cuts. making quote, the trigger stronger for the second round of deficit reduction. all this is about one thing that the white house cares about, getting rid of the second debt ceiling vote that would take place in six to nine months if john boehner and mitch mcconnell got the bill that they wanted. >> is the starting point for what's about to transpire in the senate that which just passed the house, prior to the vote here on "hardball" you said it was almost of no consequence, they could adopt the number from the bill and treat it as a blank slate. >> that's exactly right. there we

first, south dakota senator john thune. >> as we are list anyone to the two speeches do you think we are at all close? >> what was striking about the president's speech is what he didn't say. he didn't say i will veto a short term extension of the debt limit that was significant. other parts of the speech were you would expect. everybody is trying to win the message war. right now we need to get something done. the president needs to provide leadership. i hope that he will. i hope he will step up many if congress can move something through this week, he will agree to sign it. >> greta: two plans, speaker boehner's and senator reid's. speaker boehner said this week while the senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and washington gimmicks, he talks about his speech that doesn't sound that the republicans in the house of representatives are the least bit interested in the senate -- reid's bill. >> the key is what republicans are interested this is real spending reduction. real spending reforms, entitlement reform. those are all things missing from senator reid's

if john thune can't vote for it, we are not going to get his vote. there are a dozen republicans that will be more reasonable than that and are patriotic enough they don't want to see the united states of america default on its obligations. >> what do you think as it's been bandied about if congress fails to pass anything, would you encourage the president to use the 14th amendment to raise the debt limit? >> i don't want to go there. i don't want people who have taken an oath of office and have the responsibility to do the right thing, i don't want them to think, i'm not going to vote for this. let the president do it. i don't think that's good for the country. i don't want to comment beyond that. i think we are going to get to an agreement. enough republicans will look out for their country before they look out for political gain in the end. they are "check the box" with the tea party team in their states. >> you say if it does come to a compromise, how does speaker boehner comes out? >> i think if speaker boehner brings 75, 80 republicans, coupled

we have john thune joining us. our guest is angry at these conservative republicans.can, ron johnson back at

joining me john thune and jeff sessions. gentlemen, welcome back. senate democrats your colleagues sent a letter to john boehner who has been fighting his own caucus, fighting conservatives to try and make it so the country doesn't default after he passed the ryan plan and cut, cap and balance. the president still doesn't have a plan. now harry reid says dead on arrival. the president says he would veto. all democrats say no. where do we go from here? >> president sure hasn't provided leadership in this sean. fortunately john boehner and the house republicans are stepping up to the plate again. we've seen that repeatedly. they passed a budget on time, they passed the cut, cap and balance bill, sent it to the senate. senator reid tabled it wouldn't debate it and get an up or down vote on it. the house republicans once again assuming the responsibility for dealing with this crisis. and i hope that the senate democrats will, if the house republicans figure out a way to pass this tomorrow, at least give it an opportunity to be heard in the senate. 53 de

what about his colleague, republican senator john thune? me joins us. accept, good to see you.ow, i questioned senator coburn about some of the tax elements in the gang of six plan. and it emerges he would consolidate income tax rate interests three brackets. lower brackets and reduce corporate income taxes and i thought that was a huge attraction for conservatives. do you find that attractive? >>guest: absolutely. that is one of the best selling features of their plan to reduce marginal income tax rates on businesses and individuals which we believe is going to be key to get the economy going and to get jobs created in this country. so, had are elements of that plan that we all are reviewing and clearly like anything the devil is in the details and all us want to know about the particulars. that is certainly something that we believe would be very, very important if we are talking about economic growth and job creation and that is what most members want to see us focused on. >>stuart: and there would be $500 billion in immediate spending cuts attractive to most conservatives.

. >> republican senator john thune, thank you for coming on this morning. >> thank you, chuck. >>> was president's too little too late? we'll ask dan pfeiffer why this didn't happen a few weeks ago. will the president really get out his veto plan? and still to come, daily rundown geek fest. we're looking at which party is most likely to win senate majority in 2012 with two of the best, charlie and stu. i told you yesterday, you never know what is going to happen. we don't see him publicly. but who's to say that doesn't change? you're watching daily rundown only on msnbc. honey, i can't walk any faster. [ female announcer ] oscar mayer deli fresh turkey comes in a clear pack... [ cellphone beeps ] [ jeff ] ooh. thanks hun! [ female announcer ] ...so the freshness you see is what you taste. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice... and my hands were full. i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare, it's different. we have access to great specialists, and our pediatrician gets all the

tomorrow, republican senators john thune and mike crapo joining us on the show. oberts is in for tamron çhall. >> coming up in the next hour, speaker john boehner has a tough message for republicans telling them they need to get in line and get behind his debt bill. i'm going to get reaction from republican senator roy blunt, plus the very latest from the white house. >>> plus, we are just one year away from the kickoff to the 2012 summer games. we bring you a live report from london with peter alexander where the olympic countdown is just about to get under way. well-being. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life. somewhere in america, a city comes to life. it moves effortlessly, breathes easily. it flows with clean water. it makes its skyline greener and its population healthier. all to become the kind of city people want to live and work in. somewhere in america, we've already answered some of the nation's toughest questions

good evening, senator john thune. the gang of six -- does it have the answer? >> no, no. i think they have made a good-faith effort. there are a lot of colleagues who put a good amount of work into this. but there are a lot of details that we don't know. many of us who have looked at their proposal think a couple of things about it. one is it freezes spending at 2011 level, which enshrines the huge spending increases we have seen in the last two years. >> you want to go back to what, 2008? >> 2008 or cap and cut goes back to 2006. but we have been spending like drunken sailors. on the revenue, it is unclear which baseline you are using and we all agree it cons states a -- consitutes an increase. and that's something we shouldn't be doing. >> from what i understand it, the gang of 6 plan is a proposal. it's not laidout instructions. right? this is what we would like do in general? >> it is. i mean, they have handed out a three-page outline. but it has not been put into legislative text. there is no draft yet of it. and so it's really hard to make an evaluation. we have got

you have senator john thune saying we're closer than you think we might be, even senator jim demint,ervative saying i don't want to get this close and play with this deadline. so i think you are going to get a deal in the senate, it just e depends on how big it it is then when it goes back to the house. >> is there enough time to get it together and actually pass something? >> you know, i think there is in washington time. it doesn't look like there is because of how slow things typically move, but this is very, very real, and when you're scheduling 1:00 a.m. cloture votes, they know the time is ticking. it's 85 hours and counting, and you know, they're going to have to get a deal because they see the consequences, not only economically, but politically. >> okay. as ridiculous as this may sound to some, was there ever a possibility about like a one-page document simply raising the debt ceiling and then dealing with the rest of this stuff when we don't have this, you know, deadline hanging over our heads of august 2nd? >> that's what the house republicans and sort of the tea party cau

first, south dakota senator john thune. >> as we are list anyone to the two speeches do you think we are at all close? >> what was striking about the president's speech is what he didn't say. he didn't say i will veto a short term extension of the debt limit that was significant. other parts of the speech were which i think you would expect. everybody is trying to win the message war. right now we need to get something done. the president needs to provide leadership. i hope that he will. i hope he will step up many if congress can move something through this week, he will agree to sign it. >> greta: two plans, speaker boehner's and senator reid's. speaker boehner said this week while the senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and washington gimmicks, he talks about his speech that doesn't sound that the republicans in the house of representatives are the least bit interested in the senate -- reid's bill. >> the key is what republicans are interested this is real spending reduction. real spending reforms, entitlement reform. those are all things missing from

including john thune, lisa be ray corker. i didn't even mention the main republicanes who people assume would be available for potential cross-over appeal. i can tell you this right new, harry reid is dangling a lot of things to try to attract republicans. few more cuts up front. i promise of a vote on the balance budget amendment. not linking passage to the next round of cuts. making the quote trigger stronger for the second round of deficit reduction and all of this is about one theng that white house cares about, getting rid of second debt ceiling vote that would take place in six to nine month fess john boehner and mitch mcconnell got the bill they wanted. >> is the starting point, that which just passed the house because prior to the vote, here on "hardball" tonight, you said to me, it was almost of no consequence, they could treat it as a blank slate. report report that's right. but there were similarities to this bill before boehner today put the balanced budget amendment deal in there. and that was some of cuts up fro

it and another to actually have it what is the real story just joining us is republican senator john thune. the gang of six, do they have the answer? [ laughter ] >> greta: laughing is not a good start. >> they made a good faith effort. there are lot of colleagues who put a good amount of work into this but there are still a lot of details that we don't know. and many who looked at the proposal think a couple of things about it. it freezes spending at 2011 levels which enshrines and locks in the huge spending increases of the last two years. >> greta: and you want to go back to 2008? >> the cap and balance goes back to 2006. we want to go back to before we were spending like drunken sailors here. it isn't clear which baseline you are using. we all agree it constitutes a tack increase. it is how big a tax increase. that is something we shouldn't be doing in the middle of an economic downturn. >> greta: the gang of six is sort of a proposal what we would like to do in general? >> they handed out a three page outline but it has not been put into legislative text. there is no draft yet of it a

tomorrow on the show, senator john thune, and we're busting out the battleground maps with charlie and chris januarysing and company, and then at 1:00 don't miss andrea mitchell reports. >>> i'm meeshtologist bill karenins. the big story last week was the heat wave, and it's still the story this week, but it's mostly in the middle of the country. showers and thunderstorms are going to cool off. some in the east today, including new york and d.c., baltimore, and philly, and atlanta has a chance of storms. we're nice in detroit and chicago. look at the heat in dallas. today up to 103. jeff, lunch! uh-huh. jeff! honey, i can't walk any faster. [ female announcer ] oscar mayer deli fresh turkey comes in a clear pack... [ cellphone beeps ] [ jeff ] ooh. thanks hun! [ female announcer ] ...so the freshness you see is what you taste. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ but not your wrinkles. new neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. its retinol formula smoothes wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. oh, just booked a summer vaycay. ooo. sounds pricey? nah, with the

>>neil: a union ad attacking republicans including my guest, john thune, the senator from south dakotashing legislation, or blocking any attempt to save this country from the debt crisis. so, senator, you are singlehandedly destroying the country. >>guest: well, it looks like they rounded up the usual suspect and now the defenders of big government are running ads. >>neil: this is familiar theme. that by blocking a debt debt hike for whatever reasons, social security recipient are sure, our medicare recipients are hurt. >>guest: this is fearmongerring. either way, we will have a deal. but in the over vent we didn't, you will protect social security accept recipients and military, and you will pay bondholders. that will be taken care of. the ad is come floatly off -- completely off the mark playing politics. we did not need that. we should focus on fixing the problem. my view is we ought to be doing less of that and more of sitting down and trying to figure out how to get there between now and tuesday. >>neil: the house is still pushing this measure, i know, and the senate separately, t

the very latest with david plouffe and claire mccaskill and john thune discussing the latest discussionseet the press." >>> that will do it for us on this sunday morning. richard lui and janice huff, thank you very much next week on "today" i want to toronto and climbed the tower and scaled the top of it. that's not even sort of a joke. we'll have that for you. >> you know they have an elevator. >> yeah. they didn't tell me that until after. >>> also, don't miss brian williams' special "inside congress" a special "dateline." cc1:

. >> but john thune said that mccain was trying to make a point that conservatives have already won aattle. >> i think the tea party and any conservative who wants to see this debate move forward and advance ought to look at where we have come from. we have made enormous stride. it's now reducing spending. >> i need your help. i can't tell you what it is. you can never ask me about it later, and we're going to hurt some people. >> reporter: there are signs that message is going through after they played the clip from "the town" to rally their forces some house tea party-backed freshmen are starting to get in line. >> is this as big as we wanted to go now? heck no. but this is the only proposal on the table that accomplishes the goals that we set out to do. >> reporter: that's because there is one line from "lord of the rings" that republicans don't want to here. >> you cannot pass! >> reporter: sorry, i couldn't resist. sarah palin did not respond, but she posted a message on her facebook page -- everyone i talk to still believes in contested primaries. we could not track down senator

. >> you know, first of all, i think the first time i noticed it was the stress that senator john thunehair and broke part of it off. either that or he's just really strong. but everybody -- >> he's a man's man. >> wanted to talk -- >> did you see that -- >> but it's a big piece of wood and he just broke it. >> but anyway, what's your point? >> and then justi put it on the table. >> what's your point? >> this broke in the "new york times" today. people want this over, it's something we haven't seen before on this specifically and also a renewed or a first time ever, at least i have seen larger national awareness about the debt. having said that -- >> they're playing the town as an inspirational flick. >> you've got a problem. >> brain twister for you, is there anything the president should do at this point to get the upper hand at this point or is this over? the way you two talk, the way all of you talk, it's over. >> chuck, i think at this late date, all the president can do is wait for legislation to come. i still don't understand the speech. was the speech trying to frame the debate

john celock will be with us and we will have time for your calls. >> thune in this independence day. panelists will discuss if the united states can remain united. >> at the political level, we are more divided you look at polarization's sense any point since the civil war. >> talking about religion, violence, and the death penalty. later, nixon and seiders discuss his foreign-policy. monday, july 4th, beginning at 8:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. for the entire schedule go to c- span.org. >> mission control in houston. >> roger, discovery. >> nasa is on schedule for the final launch this friday with the launch of sts-135 atlantis. you can look at the march of columbia 30 years ago and explore what is ahead for nasa on mine in d.c.'s ban video library. search, watch, and share. >> they had decided a few days before mckinley arrived that he was going to kill him. he went out, but a pistol, he followed the bus in the newspapers which were reported in great detail where the president was going to be. he began tracking him. >> on september 6th, 1901, he fired two fatal shots at president wil