illinois republican senator mark kirk, former member of the house as well. thanks for joining me this morning. >> you bet. >>> up next, is the tea party reaching its boiling point. what the poll says about the growing tension between nontea party republicans and independents and the tea party itself. we're going to crunch the numbers with the pollsters. >>> plus independents and the tea party were in the same place in 2010. right now they're not. what does that mean for the presidential race in 2012? you're watching "the daily rundown" on msnbc. >>> bottom of the hour. just 13 days left until the august 2nd debt deadline, and both sides could soon return to the bargaining table perhaps at the white house today. the outline released from the senate's gang of six is getting much attention but realize it is not the vehicle to get the debt ceiling raised. >>> more than 30 states from the midwest to new england are under heat advisories as blazing temperatures move east. relief isn't coming fast enough as cooler air isn't expected to start pushing out the heat un

here now republican senator mark kirk. thank you very much for being with us. your spokesperson said, quote -- >> gregg: senator, doesn't that plan include revenue increases or tax hikes, and many of your party say it would cost jobs. are they wrong? >> i think there is broad bipartisan consensus backing the president's bipartisan commission report, simpson boles. it's a $4.5 trillion reduction in spending and balanced budget amendment. it tremendously reduces future borrowing of the united states and has strong bipartisan support. >> gregg: i spent the morning rereading simpson-boles and it includes revenue increases of $995 billion. so you are advocating a tax increase, aren't you? >> i think the key features of this bill are number one to cap spending and generated savings there. number two, the reform of entitlements including social security and medicare. then number three, tax reform that wipes out all tax expenditures but defend mortgage interest and charitable interest deductions. that goes from 39% and 28% and share the revenue between deficit reductio

a great deal out but we want it we're ready to go all right very good point mark kirk with a clean up we're going to let everything go for all right now we are going to crocker momentarily as we've also been reporting averse will mark the end of the u.s. space shuttle program making the russian soyuz capsule getting leeway and getting out to the international space station something that's going to be a lifeline for the sas and now the countdown has resumed twenty five seconds to go so we use program will be a lifeline for you says up until twenty other private firms within us come up with an alternative to the space shuttle program something that we've been reporting on . go for me there you see the main engines have been a warning up. so so. again it's up and burning two one zero and lift off the final lift off of it lands shoulders of the space shuttle america will continue the dream. granted. houston now controlling the flight of atlantis the space shuttle spreads its wings one final time for the start of a summer mental journey into history. twenty four seconds into the flight pr

hundreds of people lined to watch and cheer local bands and organizations and dignitaries senator mark kirk was in the celebration in for him it represents the time to show support for those serving the nation's armed forces. >> they stand on the shoulders of veterans from the past, vietnam, world war two, korea and even the revolutionary war and we think about their sacrifice and with the young men and women are given up today to make sure that we are safe and free. >> and the boys are back in town, it is a welcome home party for two u.s. marines, a lance corporal spent the afternoon greeting old into new friends and they signed an autograph for two, they offered a special escort for the big bash at vfw and the family are very happy to have the soldier's home. a chicago police officer who died in the line of duty is remembered on the north side, the annual memorial service was held this morning for officer richard francis who died three years ago today officers in the 19th district of the service at belmont and western at the spot where francis died, fellow officers say he lost his life wh

i ask this because i want to play something senator mark kirk, republican from illinois, said to me yesterdayt of the groups, for example, under vice president biden, et cetera, were run by the loyal partisans of both parties, and that is a recipe for long-term failure. >> where do the non-members of leadership, which of course if you're in leadership, you're partisan. your job is to either stay in the majority or get the majority. that's why you get elected by your peers. but is that -- is senator kirk right? that's a recipe for long-term failure? >> i think the only way forward is for us to begin at the center and work our way outward. i agree with senator kirk that we need to engage the broad middle of both the senate and the house. it is partisanship that has ground this institution to a halt. in my nine months here i've been struck at just how divided things are and how rarely we have constructive bipartisan conversations and how few meaningful pieces of legislation are able to get passed, the constant filibusters that the other party is using to slow up the workings of the senate. in my

we are talking on the back row, mark kirk and i, we try to meet every week to sit down and converse.e can to reach out. i think they are going to get that done. harry, working with all of us, i believe that mitch will get his group together and we will work together on the senate and maybe move something. if they want a bigger deal, we'll give them one. we'll give them a deal that republicans on the senate side agree to and maybe the house can move this thing. >> peggy noonan. >> what is the general sense among your colleagues about august 2nd. is there a sense, wow, this is a really hard wall? or are people rethinking that and thinking we have to get something done by august or are they thinking september? what about the mystique of august 2nd. is it helping to shape the thinking of your colleagues in the senate? >> the thing i found out since i have been here, you almost have to set a deadline. you know, it's been said in government many times crisis is a horrible thing to have and might be a horrible thing to waste. the deadline puts a wall there where you have to get over that wa

republican senator mark kick said the legislation would save the state $800 million in the next ten years. kirks colleagues asked c.m.s. to re-examine his decision. c.m.s. spokesman tells fox while some of the state initial proposal did not comply with federal law, c.m.s. worked hand in hand with the state to offer alternate solutions to address their concerns. finally, there is a growing online campaign to support current russian prime minister vladimir putin for president. again. it has women ripping off their clothes. the group calls itself putin's army. invites girls to strip for putin. for the chance to win an ipad ii. in a video, a blonde student strut ace long moscow's streets before scrawling on a white t-shirt with lipstick in russian, "i will tear off my clothes for putin." and then begins to do just that. we're not showing the whole video here. putin served as president from 2000 to 2008. >>> of the nearly 2 million americans who suffer brain trauma each year, 90,000 survive with long-term disabilitys but the insurance benefits are limited and fill with loopholes. correspondent laura

mark of this milcon v.a. bill is consistent with the level of funding in the house-passed measure. i'd like to thank chairman johnson and vice chairman kirk for their brilliant work in producing the bill that provides essential support to our veterans, our active-duty military and their families. the resources provided in this bill will fund vital construction projects and will ensure that our wounded veterans and warriors receive the excellent care they deserve. madam president, it's good to note that we are moving the first of our fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill under regular order. as i've said on numerous occasions, the best way to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely is to move our 12 bills through the committee, the full senate, conference with the house and through final passage in both chambers. our ability to work together on this important bill serves as a reminder that bipartisan compromise can be achieved by the united states congress even in the most difficult of budget environments. it is my hope that the spirit of bipartisanship embodied in this bill will serve as a model for the remaining fy 2012 appropri