but mitch mcconnell has the right to offer an amendment. if he does, if the republicans offer an amendment on the floor, then we will require them to vote on the individual protections in the bill that are very popular. and that even some of the new republican house members have said they support. so, in the end, their repeal bill is going to be so full of holes it looks like swiss cheese. let me give you some examples-- are republicans going to vote no on a provision to maintain the donut hole benefits so that seniors pay less for prescription drugs? are they going to vote against the ability of 21- to 26-year- olds to stay on their parents' they're new in the job market and often can't get it themselves. are they going to vote to repeal the mandatory... not the mandatory, but the free check- ups that seniors on medicare get which save billions of dollars in prevention. we all know early check-ups work. so i think, at the end of the day, their effort to repeal is not going to work at all. it shows something, bob. there are places we can wo

mitch mcconnell and some of the senate republicans held their own celebration. it was notable that michael steele was not on the podium. the next day you had mitch mcconnell, john boehner, and hailey bar bor who heads the republican governor's association all standing together claiming credit and talking about republican winds. the r.n.c. wasn't represented. they st weren't there. so it's been interesting. whether or not you think steele deserves credit for wins in 2010, there 45s been a noticeable effort to sort of block him out and not allow him the same credit some organizations are trying to claim. host: joe in new york calls us. good morning. caller: good morning. thanks for c-span. i just wanted to point out that a lot of what we hear in the mainstream media is all these new republicans, and i think a lot of that is simply becse they don't have a record because rublicans who have a record, whose record is known, who are noun what they've done to this country couldn't get electsed dog catcher for the most part or couldn't get elected president certainly. we

>> harry reid and mitch mcconnell, the real guys that are running congress are harry reid and mitch mcconnell. harry reid is the pocket veto. president will not veto anything in his first term because of harry reid. chris: when we return, by the spring, who's going to be on top, key question, the president or republicans in the house? ♪ let's go out to the dmv ♪ it's ok that we're number four hundred and three ♪ ♪ we'll find ourselves a comfy seat ♪ ♪ and watch some shows and stuff ♪ ♪ ♪ let's follow that lady with the laptop ♪ ♪ and watch day-time dramas at the bus stop ♪ [ male announcer ] now you can watch hit tv shows on your laptop and smartphone with at&t u-verse tv. now get up to $300 back in promotion cards. at&t. rethink possible. now get up to $300 back in promotion cards. shift your weight forward onto the left foot. take the right leg up, holding the inner arch of the foot... introducing instant action alerts, only from chase. left arm up... manage your account and help avoid overdrafts with a click of a button. just reply to the alert with how much you want to transfer. inhale, a

mitch mcconnell, very clear, open for business. the people planning the re-elect.hey want to run against the republican parties. and bring out all the scary tactics which will be effective. we have a window here for washington to jump off the cliff together politically. i hope the president takes up the republican offer. >> harold ford look at the president's job approval. an 11-point switch. his approval now over his disapproval. the question is, the state of the union, the emphasis on investment on additional spending to get that balance right to innovate the economy can he retain independent support? >> he can. i think a big part of that number has to do with the president forging or creating an environment for democrats and republicans that work together in a lot of ways alienating the far right and far left. i hope there's courage around entitlements. there's some encouragement from what mitch mcconnell said this has to be bipartisan. if he's willing to deliver some of his members the president should walk to the middle and get something done with them. again

>> harry reid and mitch mcconnell, the real guys that are running congress are harry reid and mitch mcconnellharry reid is the pocket veto. president will not veto anything in his first term because of harry reid. chris: when we return, by the spring, who's going to be on top, key question, the president or republicans in the house? [ female announcer ] to do well, kids need to eat well. and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. and general mills big g kid cereals can help. did you know it's the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? cereals they already love, like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch. give your kids more of what they need to be their best. grow up strong, with big g kid cereals. ♪ chris: welcome back. this week's a new era in washington with republicans in charge of the house and a stronger republican presence in the senate which brings us to the big question this week. by spring, the end of this season, who will have the upper hand, president obama or the republicans running capitol hill? >>

republican leader mitch mcconnell connell said he welcomes the president's attention to the issue. >> i'm all for the president changing his tune, but unless he has a time machine he can't change his record. and if we're going to make any real progress in the areas of spending, debt, and reining in government, the president will have to acknowledge that the policies of the past two years are not only largely to blame for the situation we find ourselves in but that unless we do something to reverse their ill effects, the road to recovery and prosperity will be a bumpy one. >> reporter: majority leader harry reid said upcoming debates over deficits raising the debt limit and health care should be based on facts not empty rhetoric. >> the american people voted in november for a divided legislative branch of government, a democratic senate, a republican house. they didn't elect houses led by competing political parties because they want us to compete. they did so because they want us to cooperate. we cannot cooperate without an honest debate. we cannot have an honest debate if we insist t

i know mitch mcconnell, see. i've been watching him for about 30 years. that man will say anything to get his agenda passed. anything. now, i'm from kentucky. been there all my life. i'm over 50. o what we have to do is quit lying and telling the truth. there isn't such thing as obama there isn't such thing as obama care.

guest: this will be a real test for john boehner and mitch mcconnell.here are many tea party conservatives in the house who are not about to vote to raise the debt ceiling grid it would be a complete contradiction. what that means is that one of these government shutdown confrontations, which many of those folks would like to have, is the lesson of when that happened between bill clinton and republicans on capitol hill. it backfired and the country thought it was irresponsible. they let the government shut down because you would not pass the spending bill. i think there will have to beat a compromise. -- be a compromise. there will have to be some government control and a demonstration that they have a plan. host: this past friday, the president traveled to capitol hill. families usa gathered and the president spoke to the organization about his health care bill. he said that he will work with members of congress to change parts of health care but will not repeal health care. here is more from president obama. >> i am willing to work with anyone, republ

is he going to be able to roll investment at a time when mitch mcconnell, senator mitch mcconnell said investment is latin for more spending. >> they're going to have to work out the details. much of the speeches are worked out in the long run. this speech began 60 days ago, and to quote, paraphrase a commercial, when he took a licking, he started clicking. and along the way, he's step by step proceeded to build the idea that he is governing differently and he's succeeding at it. >> and jake tapper, in some ways, the president going back to the future here, going back to themes that he was sounding even before he became president as a senator. >> reporter: that's right. he first versed on the national scene in the 2004 democratic national convention by posing, receiving himself as a unifier, somebody who would bring both countries -- well, saying that there aren't two countries, we're all one united states of america. and that is the theme he's returned to since the so-called shellacking of the mid-term elections and more so since the tucson tragedy. one other point i wanted to make, w

we are blessed to have speaker john boehner and senator mitch mcconnell as our leaders. we will work with them. we appreciate them. as chairman of the party, is part of my job to support them as well >>. >> you don't have a ton of experience doing something like this record. are you prepared for this? >> wisconsin is a targeted state and i have talked to many of you here. we are not unused to dealing with lots of press in a state that barack obama visits every other month. i have talked to a lot of you already about some of the things we have done at the rnc. i am prepared for this but with god's help, anything is possible. >> [inaudible] >> that is the job of the republican national chairman. we will deal with that tomorrow morning. i just grabs the gavel to run the next election. we will bring a team together. we will take the executive committee of the rnc and we will be the transition team of this rnc. we will build unity on this committee and everyone will have a say. we will do this together and we will bring real leadership back in the building and get this train

i know mitch mcconnell, see. i've been watching him for about 30 years. that man will say anything to get his agenda passed. anything. now, i'm from kentucky. been there all my life. i'm over 50. o what we have to do is quit lying and telling the truth. there isn't such thing as obama care. it's health care for american people. when mr. obama was disrespected at the last time of the union when the man said he was lying, he isn't lying. he isn't giving health care to no illegals. host: well, that point of true also goes to issue of democrats and republicans sitting together side by side, which is something that seems to be gaining steam. to that point and to his point about everyone lying, john. caller: h guest: well, let me address the first thing first. i've been to several states of the union and over the last 20 years, it's kind of devolved into a competition about who can stand up or sit do you know the first and really taken away from the discussion of the president's giving. and i think that one of the best things about having the members interspers

or mitch mcconnell. that is how it would shake out. we have had these problems over the years where high-profile exhibits cannot -- cannot -- came up with any number of barriers between the funding and the practitioners. you will have greater government control over content. the issue that i wanted to address, sandy, you talked about being connected to the diversity. ron, you talked about the current toxic atmosphere. you'll mentioned -- several of you have mentioned that quality journalism is happening in this country. there is no question about that. the global post and in international areas, there is quality journalism. the question to me is not whether there can be quality journalism, but how as the news media becomes increasingly atomized around the country, how can anyone get a comprehensive view of the world? it used to be that we could pick up the chronicle and hope to find at least as close to a comprehensive review as possible. no longer. they will have a couple of stories per day plus a lot of opinion pieces and a map telli

he is their warrior now going against john boehner and mitch mcconnell. his base problems for the next few months at least are gone. they now have someone they hate more than the president. >> that's because the aclu put out a press release bashing the president for making fun of tsa patdowns. just saying. [laughter] >> mark is right. if it was a republican president in the same situation there was nothing in the speech for his base. he's their warrior. this is the beginning of reelection cycle and it's the base thinking about the reelection cycle long before a lot of other voters in the country. >> the face of the white house. >> that's very, very true. they are going to stand by him. they are going to -- it's not knuckle under but work hard to get him reelectricked. that's the most -- reelected. it's the most important priority regardless of what kind of policies he is pushing for in the next three or four months. >> charlie. >> rose: yes, john. >> let's always try to keep in mind the difference between the what the white house want -- what robert gibbs

. >> reporter: in turn, republican leader mitch mcconnell insisted the public wants more debate, not less. >> and the response they're now getting from some on the other side, instead, is a proposal to change the senate rules so they can continue do exactly what they want with even fewer members than before. >> reporter: that momentary clash foreshadowed bigger fights to come from repeal of health care reform to spending cuts as the 112th congress gets down to work. >> lehrer: and for more on the launch of a new congress, here now are historian michael beschloss and norman ornstein of the american enterprise institute. >> what kind of opening day if boehner have? >> it was a terrific day for john boehner, and a day very didn't from, say, when nancy pelosi first came in four years ago, or when newt gingrich came in triumph antd in 1995. those were victory dances, historic change. this was low key, and speaker boehner appealing to something higher. how long that lasts, however, beyond this first day is a different issue. >> how would you describe the expectation about him? >> i think a

mitch mcconnell is here and two of my best buds, richard from north carolina, zachary chandra liss along with my buddy lauthan. thank you, gentlemen, for being here. i appreciate it. i'm honored and humbled to represent a great, hard-working community in congress, the people of ohio's 8th congressional district continue to afford me the privilege to serve, for which i am deeply grateful. we gather here today at a time of great challenges. nearly one in 10 of our neighbors is out of work. health care costs are still rising for american families. our spending has caught up with us and our debt soon will eclipse the entire size of our national economy. hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th congress. no longer can we fall short. no longer can we kick the can down the road. the people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin to carry our their instructions. in the catholic faith, we enter into a season of service by having ashes marked on our heads. the ashes remind us that life in all of its forms is very fragile. our time on this earth, fleeting. but as the a

although republican senator mitch mcconnell insists there will away vote. >>> arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords recovery is progressing so well she's expected to be transferred to a houston rehabilitation center as early as friday. in another significant milestone, a hospital spokeswoman says giffords was able to stand on her feet with assistance from medical staff yesterday, and look out the window at the mountains outside her hospital room. a federal grand jury has indictindict ed jared loughner for attempting to kill giffords and two of her aides. >>> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. in new jersey, surveillance shows the violent robbery and beating of an unsuspecting video clerk. the suspect attacked the man, ran behind the counter and smashed the cash register. he got away with hundreds of dollars and left the victim with a broken nose. police are looking for the suspect. >>> in rhode island, firefighters came to the rescue of a dog in distress after it fell through an icy pond. rescuers used a pole with the loop to secure the animal. then pull

mitch mcconnell and some of the senate republicans held their own celebration. it was notable that michael steele was not on the podium. the next day you had mitch mcconnell, john boehner, and hailey bar bor who heads the republican governor's association all standing together claiming credit and talking about republican winds. the r.n.c. wasn't represented. they just weren't there. so it's been interesting. whether or not you think steele deserves credit for wins in 2010, there 45s been a noticeable effort to sort of block him out and not allow him the same credit some organizations are trying to claim. host: joe in new york calls us. good morning. caller: good morning. thanks for c-span. i just wanted to point out that a lot of what we hear in the mainstream media is all these new republicans, and i think a lot of that is simply because they don't have a record because republicans who have a record, whose record is known, who are noun what they've done to this country couldn't get electsed dog catcher for the most part or couldn't get elected president certain

>> senate democrats don't want to have this conversation because mitch mcconnell as soon as the house passed the repeal bill tonight, gwen, mitch mcconnell said "we must vote on this" and you saw the political pressure going out to all the potentially vulnerable democratic senators running for reelection this next sake. hey, join the republicans, we need a vote on this, the american people won't a vote on this. you can sense the republicans want to pressure harry reid as much as possible to give them a vote even though they know it won't pass. they, too, want to fulfill the campaign promise. >> ifill: if it's true that the republicans really did expect the senate not to take it up or the president to sign it but the president to veto it why have this debate? what was the reasoning? >> well, john boehner made it very clear. the speaker of the house went to the floor of the house today during the debate and said "this was a campaign promise. we made a pledge to the american people and this is what they voted for." in talking to republicans on capitol hill today, you got a sense they did

leader mitch mcconnell. senator, welcome back to "fox news sunday." >> glad to be here, chris. >> chris: the word from the white house is in his "state of the union" speech, the president will focus on jobs at a time when republicans are talking mostly about the deficit and healthcare reform. in the latest fox news opinion dynamics poll, 45% say the economy and jobs should be the top priority. 17% say the deficit and government spending. 14% say healthcare. question: i know you think that they are all related, but can the president frame this as he is focussing on the future and you guys are stuck in the past? >> i don't think that will work for him. in fact, the issues are all related. the excessive government spending of the last two years is one of the reasons the private sector is not doing any better than it is. the president needs to pivot. he seems to be pivoting on virtually everything else. i don't put him down for that. he obviously saw what happened in the november election and is trying to go in

mitch mcconnell is understood by the country as the co-leader of the senate. co-leader of the senate. >> chris: the biggest battles, i think it's fair to say, will be over government spending and the healthcare reform. as we sit here a couple of days, three days before the new congress goes in, bill, handicap it for us. how do you see -- there are a couple of benchmarks, the "state of the union," there is the debt limit, the c.r. running out, the continuing resolution running out in early march. how do you see both sides making their moves? >> i think it's up to the republicans who will repeal obamacare, clean, absolute repeal. >> chris: in the house. >> in the house, in january, before the "state of the union" and ask senators to take it up. let harry reid explain why he is not taking up legislation passed by house members. republican senator could have it on the floor. that will have more momentum than people think. they will pass spending cuts next week in the house. send it to the senate. the president will give the "state of the union" and try to show he

that is why mitch mcconnell, circumspect and careful in speech, said that the most important thing he is granted to it in two years is the fee obama. 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. >> listening to 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 among those who want to aboli

the head of the senate republicans mitch mcconnell said he will not take part. david kerley, abc news. >>> some of the doctors and nurs caring for congresswoman's gabby giffords will be at the president's special state of the union address. doctors say giffords is more alert in improving every day, however a buildup of brain fluid has temporarily delayed giffords' transfer to a rehabilitation center. >>> security measures are being reviewed after a gunman opened fire inside a detroit police station. four officers including a commander were hit before the gunman was shot dead. all of the officers are going to be okay, including one sergeant saved by her bulletproof vest. >>> nows of newly leaked documents show at that palestinians offered some huge concessions to israel during peace talks back in 2008. far more than first thought. perhaps most surprising the palestinians seemed willing to concede enclaves too israel in exchange for land to the west bank. reports are denied saying portions of the documents are fabricated. officials say they can't vouch for the pap

. >> if you look behind him, you see two senior republican leaders, eric cantor and mitch mcconnell. in the choreography this is supposed to flesh out with a bipartisan spirit. >> this is as close as we come to the opening of parol lt. -- parliament. we don't have the robes and gowns, but this is as good as it gets. last year obama rather frontly criticized the supreme court for a decision, and there was some question as to whether all of the particular conservative members of the court would turn up tonight. i haven't seen the lineup tonight. but one of the things worth watching is whether samuel alito returns to the chamber. >> he's going to be in hawaii tonight giving a talk at the university of hawaii. so he will not be there tonight. >> what's interesting, the speech last year was the beginning of the year in politics when one congressman shouted out from his seat and told the president to be quiet. >> and said "you lie." i had not seen that in a presidential address. >> i don't think we'll be getting that tonight. >> i think this is for the moment fairly collegial. and i think,

>> they're -- so so long as the vote was over with, mitch mcconnell said we'll have the same vote in the senate and the harry reid said not likely. does this go anywhere from here? >> it does. it was symbolic but i don't think it was holl hoe. i think it was meaningful. gwen: what that means. >> this was the first salvo in what is going to be a year-hong, probably two year long republican gir la war against the -- ger la war with the health care plan. they'll try to defund it and there's a proposal to prohibit the government from the courts. that's probably not legal. they'll try to take funding from it and throw sand in the gears. the other things that the house leadership ininstructed its new chairman to do was sit down and produce finally a real republican health care bill that does all kinds of good things, lets kids stay on the plan until they're 26. the popular stuff, but lowers costs, has no individual mandate. if they could pull that off, that will be a miracle because thob been able to figure out how to do it. but if they could do it, they'll deserve every reward they get. >

lawmakers plan to break away from traditional seating, don't expect to see senate republican leader mitch mcconnell to do so. he says that he plans to sit where he normally does with the republicans. but he says that, of course, that lawmakers that want to mix it up are certainly free to do so. joel? >> musical chairs in washington. ines, thank you. >>> and now to that abduction case involving a young woman stolen from a new york hospital as an infant 23 years ago. the suspected kidnapper will appear in new york federal court today. ann pettway surrendered to the fbi in stratford, connecticut, yesterday after being spotted in a pawn shop in nearby bridgeport. >> the detective responded with the follow-up to confirm, in fact, if it was her or not. they determined, based on the video that it was, in fact, her. >> pettway is suspected of kidnapping carlina white when white was just 19 days old and raising her as her own child in connecticut and the atlanta area. >>> detroit's chief of police says pandemonium erupted in a precinct headquarters when a man with a gun walked in and started shooting. the p

mitch mcconnell. couple of years ago to my friend, charlie rangel, a book, "of the coldest winter." charlie and of course can always be best for himself. "once was enough." and extraordinary, difficult conflict. today, we honor the men who fought that war in some of the mosworst terrain and challenging conditions american warriors have ever seen. we remember assaults and battles. we remember the men who fought, for their courage and the sacrifices. and defending freedom against its enemies. many of these men were already heroes who fought nazis, fascists, and the japanese just a few years earlier in world war twii. lt. cmdr was one of them. he was a football star at oklahoma high-school. he gave his life for his country on march 9, 1951. for his valor, he earned the navy cross for extraordinary heroism. three years ago, he earned a permanent place in the aviation hall of fame in lexington. sometimes, we fight wars where the outcome causes people to wonder whether it was worth it, yet nowhere is the co

and i know the people i worked with in the senate like mitch mcconnell and jon kyl understand that governing is good as long as you're doing it from a standpoint of getting things done that they see as progress. and there are a lot of areas where there's fertile ground for progress which would involve both the president and the republican leadership. for example, energy. i think some of the immigration issues could be addressed. health care in some areas could be addressed. tax reform is a major area of opportunity for both sides to move forward on. obviously education. so i'm not quite as pessimistic. i think sure you'll see a flash and there will be some confrontation, but this is not the congress that you got in the 1995 period when newt gingrich came in after 40 years of democratic control which was basically a revolutionary movement at the time for all intense and purposes. and it turned out they were good revolutionaries but not such great governors. i was in that congress. i wasn't in the congress but i... actually, i was in the congress but i wasn't in the house. and i think this is

we are blessed to have speaker boehner and senator mitch mcconnell as our leaders. we are going to work with them. we appreciate them, and as chairman of the party, it is part of my job to support them as well. >> you do not have a ton of experience doing things like this. are you prepared for this position, the communications aspect of it. >> wisconsin is a targeted state. i have talked to a lot of you who are standing right here. we are not unused to having what the press. we deal with that as a state that barack obama visited things like almost every other month. i have talked to a lot of you already about some of the things we have done at the rnc. i am prepared for this, but with god's help, anything is possible. i believe in that. >> last question. >> i have not made any decisions on that. we are putting a team together. we will take the second committee of the rnc and they will be the transition team of this rnc. everyone is going to have a say. we are going to do this together and we are going to bring real leadership back in the building and get this train