mr. blankfine does. it's not something to trifle with. it's easy to put ideas like that out there.n the other hand, good for him. it suggests increasing rates is something that business leaders would accept. that's what the president has put on the table. i think we're not getting off to a great start in terms of what we're hearing from the republicans. but we'll see. >> okay. so right now, robert, politico's headline, rough start for fiscal cliff talks. this piece is suggesting staffers aren't having an easy time with this. is it looking more like we're going to have one of these two-part solutions, kind of like where wheef been before, that somehow they're going to punt partly again? >> possibly. it looks that way. it looks like perhaps there's going to be a band-aid right now to get us through the end of the year, beginning of next year, and then actual -- a real substantive conversation when the next congress gets sworn in. or, this could well be we're seeing the sausage made here where both sides are in deep negotiations where they're really sticking to their ground here, but

mr. blankfine throws a scenario. people don't have 25-year careers. they have 40-year careers. and construction people when they get in their early 50s and worked for 30 years, their bodies are broken down. >> exactly. >> what are they supposed to do? hang around for another 15 until medicaid shows up? they are paying lip service. it's romney 2.0. that's all it is. so what should liberals in this country be prepared to accept at this point as you see it? >> i really think that we should go back to the clinton rates, which are still lower than they should be. that's where we ought to start. if people want to talk about tax reform, let them get specific. because there are certain forms of so-called tax reform that could hammer the middle class. do we want to get rid of the mortgage reduction to hit middle class people? we can't do that. >> that won't happen because the real estate lobby is too strong. and i wish the country would stop talking about the mortgage deduction. it isn't going to happen. there's enough people in washington that are going to make sure. it's a good talkin

mr. donor himself. he funnels the donor money. who is actually in charge? these guys. this is lloyd blankfine david coast, they're also on this thing called the ceo fiscal leadership council. what is that? that's a bunch of ceos who got together and said, all right no more being zealot, increases or any kind of revenue increases fine. but obama is offering an awesome deal. let's take it, it's over. they're sending their messages out to the republican senators and congress saying it's time to make a deal. this deal still kicks ass for us. we'll cut the living hell out of what we call entitlements, social security and medicare and medicaid. lloyd blankfein listen to what he said about so-called indictmentment. >> you'll have to lower people's expectations, the entitlements and what people think they're going to get because it's not going--they're not going to get it. >> cenk: you're not going to get it. i'm going to get it. that's lloyd blankfein. this is the guy whose company took $10 billion in federal bailout and an extra $14 billion through back door bailouts of aig. in the last quarter--th