mr. mcconnell, mr. bainer have said, no, that's not good enough, we want to spend $700 billion over the next ten years to give tax cuts to the wealthiest americans, millionaires and billionaires and our position is, we don't have $700 billion for that. that's not going to markedly help the economy. it's the least effective form of stimulus, and yet mr. mcconnell said, if it wasn't in the bill, he would filibuster that, on the senate side. so the real issue is, when are the republicans going to sit down with us and say, okay, we agree on this much. let's remove the uncertainty for middle class americans, and let them know come january first they're not going to see a too much increase. >> what do you make of the 39 democrats that sided with the republicans on this? does that spell trouble when the democrats eventually do take up this tax question in the house? >> i don't think so. i think among those 39 you're going to find people who are very eager to end this uncertainty, continue the middle class tax

mr. mcconnell. republican insistence they will block president obama's plan to extend tax cuts for every household on the first $250,000. >> right now, we could decide to extend tax relief for the middle class. right now, we could decide that every american household would receive a tax cut on the first $250,000 of their income. once again, the leaders across the aisle are saying no. they want to hold these middle class tax cuts hostage until they get an additional tax cut for the wealthiest 2% of americans. we simply can't afford that. >> last night, congressman chris van hollen came out of a meeting on precisely the issue on whether to vote on these issues before voters vote on them in november. and i asked him whether the house plans to do so. >> i think there will be a vote in the congress. again, this is something that's under discussion. i think there will be a vote in the congress whether the senate goes first or the house goes first. that's the kind of thing that needs to be resolved. >> wit

mr. mcconnell is advocating. >> lehrer: we have to go. you both >> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day: president obama appointed elizabeth warren to set up a new consumer financial protection agency; hurricane karl plowed into veracruz, mexico, causing widespread damage; and afghan president hamid karzai urged voters to turn out tomorrow in parliamentary elections. but taliban militants threatened violence. and to hari sreenivasan in our newsroom for what's on the newshour online. hari. >> sreenivasan: there's more from shields and brooks on "the rundown" later tonight. paul solman offers his analysis of elizabeth warren's role as a consumer advocate on his "making sense" page. a follow-up on the gulf oil spill. we talk to a scientist who is examining how bacteria deep underwater are gobbling up natural gas released by the leak. and on "art beat," jeff interviews author gary shteyngart about his new novel "super sad true love story." all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. judy. >> woodruff: and that's the

mr. mcconnell who is much more of a traditional republican or remain a kind of libertarian person who worksvery hard and brings about some changes and limiting government. over time i think another big question is with these candidates who are elected the tea party have been a sensible way up to victory it seems likely to happen, how they develop and mature as members of congress? nba also there's a question of whether they will go on to other causes, cabinet officials down the line. but if members of congress will they, in fact, become more traditional, traditional republicans and perhaps more adapted to the spending ways they have made the new officials, the new members have made it their task to change and two critique and run against. so down the line, in other words, will the mature and become a just like a normal expanding member of congress. well, i thought all of these issues in the spring were worth discussing so we set up this panel. .. he was editor of the libertarian magazine. welcome. we look for your comments. >> welcome, dave, and we look forward to your comments. >> in case

mr. boehner and senator mcconnell and... they weren't going to vote for any meaningful health care bill. they weren't going to support any student loan reform that the banks didn't like. they were going to oppose the financial oversight bill. we got a couple of republicans for that. and i think he was shocked at the intensity of the republican opposition. but they learned, from my first two years, that if you just say no, even though people hate it, you get rewarded for it because it discourages the democrats and it inflames your base. so they're doing just what they did in '93 and '94. and so far, it appears that they're being rewarded for it. i think that it disoriented him for a while. he just kept trying and kept trying. i also think he believed that if he accomplished a lot on the legislative front that would be reflected in a better political climate. but the problem is there's a huge lag time, once you get in a deep economic hole, between digging out of it and having people feel it. so i think, you know, look, bob, if

mr. mike castle of delaware. another moderate. i would be very interested to see how jim demint -- mitch mcconnell, he's a republican leader at thiser chief of staff, steve law, runs the largest -- one of the largest tea party groups out there. there is no tea party. this is the far right wing of the republican party and come november 3rd, they're going to rule the republican party. stripes and stars. that will be a very interesting party to look at. >> you mentioned a couple of moderates. mark kirk, mike castle. we have a very broad-based party. >> it will be interesting to see how they vote. >> mostly male, very monotone. in hue. >> in hue? a bunch of white guys? i think you said the tea party is nothing but a bunch of white guys. >> i think it's more diverse. have you been to a tea party? lots of women, christine, the lady from california, meg whitman is going to be the next governor of california. carly fiorina -- >> come on. >> suzanne martinez who's going to be the next governor of new mexico. marco rubio's going to be in the senate. >> we'll take this up next tuesday. to the wicked witch of the west we go. take a look at th

mcconnell. "after all, they are still looking for the shovel-ready jobs they were promised more than a year ago." today's speech was more about politics than economics and mr. obama launched a spirited attack against republicans by invoking his own successful run. [ chanting "yes, we can" ] >> i mean, i personally think "yes, we can" is more inspiring than "no, we can't." >> reporter: much has changed in two years. with the economy still sluggish and the jobless rate high, mr. obama's standing in the polls has dropped. now, even as he prepares to release more of his plans later this week, experts say a strong job market isn't likely soon. >> the economy is simply not going to improve before the election. there is nothing barack obama can do about that. >> they talk about me like a dog. >> reporter: part of the president's job today, to fire up the party faithful. with polls showing high enthusiasm among conservatives and independents leaning republican, today mr. obama served his base plenty of red meat. >> if i said the sky was blue they would say no. >> reporter: but experts say it all may come too late for democrats this fall. >> people are focused on t

mr. obama made his case yesterday on a visit to fairfax. >> we are still in this wrestling match with john boehner and mitch mcconnell about the last two to percent where on average we'd be giving them $100,000 for people making a million dollars or more and we just can't afford it. >> reporter: if congress fails to pass any extension at all the tax cuts will run out for every taxpayer. >>> tonight you will get a second chance to learn more about phase two of metro's silver line project. last night was the first open house about the extension. it will go from wheely avenue to herndon to dulles and ashburn. the line is scheduled to open in six years. on the's meeting is at the loudoun heritage farm museum just off of the cascades parkway in sterling, virginia. >>> in sports, the nationals need just three more wins in order to not lose 100 games. they are struggling to get them. they struck out a career high 1 batters last night and the nationals bell fell to the braves the orioles snapped a losing streak against the blue jays. scott singled in the game winning run last night. baltimore topped toronto 4-3. >>> 65 degrees here in northwest w

mr. obama supporters say he carefully deliberates over each and every pick. trying to find highly qualified candidates with bipartisan backingp and accuse republican senators primarily minority leader mitch mcconnell of using secret holds and other delay tactics. >> in some cases he demanded hours on nominees that are voted on 99-nothing on the senate floor, where the senate floor debate time is useded to debate other issues where the nominee generally, genuinely isn't controversial. >> reporter: as for nominees who generated controversy, the president is doubling down on berkeley law professor goodwin liu. he raised conservative zaire because of application of the constitution text must be "open to adaptation and change." he was nominated to the ninth circuit because bounced back to white house without a senate vote. on monday, the president renated him, likely setting up another contentious showdown. in washington, shannon bream, fox news. >> chris: the imam at the center of the debate over whether to build a mosque near ground zero is fighting another battle in new jersey. a judge has ordered feisal abdul rauf to produce documents proving he is making repairs to two apartment buildings he owns

mr. boehner's part a concession in an election year, a concession that lasted just about exactly 24 hours. today the top republican in the senate, mitch mcconnell, announced on the senate floor that actually, no really, republicans really are going to block tax cuts for middle class and poor people in order to try to force $700 billion worth of deficit spending on the very richest people in the country. they are really going for it. this election year, they're really doing it. hot damn. joining us now is chris hayes, washington editor of "the nation magazine" and an msnbc contributor. hi, chris. >> hey, rachel. >> did we just have a big republican wobble? is their position clear now? >> i think it is very unclear. part of it has to do with the different political calculations for the different houses. if you're john boehner, all of your members are up for re-election. there is an anti-incumbent fervor and you don't want them to have to vote against tax cuts in an election year. i think mcconnell because there's more procedural control in the senate and because cutting taxes for rich people is the core existential value of the modern republican

mr. senator, thank you. >> but my question, it's sort of going to be interesting, there are going to be there, and when they're there, what's mitch mcconnell going to do when they go to the floor of senate and say you know what, i don't think social security or medicare is such a good idea. >> there's nothing on that list that you read about buck dealt with the economy. none of that stuff matters. department of education? that sounds like 1984. it is going to come down to an economic message. and if the republicans are able to say what they've been doing is dead wrong, vote for us, they win. if democrats can't articulate a clear economic message, they lose. it's -- we can talk about everything else, but it will not matter unless it deals with the economy and jobs. >> erick, we'll bring you back into the conversation a bit later in the program. gloria just raised the point what happens if some of these guys get elected? that will be among our topics when we come back. just moments away from going one on one with senator jim demint of south carolina. he has made many establishment republicans angry by backing all these tea party candidates.

mr. obama says he could sign the bill into law if it were not for the republican leaders in the house and senate. >> we're still in this wrestling match with john bainer and mitch mcconnell, about the last two to three percent where on average we'd be giving them $100,000 for people making a million dollars or more. >> the two to three percent mentioned by the president are people making more than $250,000 per year. >> that's why i'm introducing legislation today that ensures that no one in this country will pay higher income taxes next year than they are right now. >> reporter: republicans and a growing number of moderate democrats would like to see the bush tax cuts due to expire at the end of this year extended for at least another year for everybody, arguing the recovery is too fragile to increase taxes on anybody. independent senator joe lieberman of connecticut makers this argument. >> i want them to have the confidence that we're not going to raise their taxes so they go out and spend all of that money and what happens when they spend? jobs are created. that's what we need. >> reporter: fox news has obtained a draft of a letter from some rank and file moderate hou

mr. obama has argued ending the tax cuts for high- income earners would save the country $700 billion over ten years. today the president seizeded on boehner's concession and mcconnell's disagreement. he spoke to a small group of supporters in a fairfax county virginia backyard. >> we could get that done this week , but we're still in this wrestling match with john boehner and mitch mcconnell about the last two to three percent where, on average, we'd be giving them $100,000 for people making a million dollars or more. >> ifill: the debate over tax cuts within the democratic party as well is expected to grow more heated as lawmakers return to washington from a six-week break. let's start with john boehner on face the nation yesterday. what did he mean? >> well, that's really hard to say. i mean my sense is that he made a little bit of a mistake. he went off message. the republicans have been so adamant that they don't think the tax cuts should expire for anyone no matter how much they make. for john boehner to say maybe he'd go along if forced with a proposal that would let them elapse for people who make more than $250,000. that seemed off message. the republicans we

mr. kasich is leading. he worked for lehman brothers. none of these standard lines of their worked. >> we were just talking about. you mentioned fringe. i asked senator mcconnello the senate. you've just written this article, "extreme makeover" whose subtitle is midterm elections could send the most conservative class of new senators in at least the past half century. what will that mean? >> well, it's going to be -- i think it's going to be a stronger infusion of conservative energy and more uniformly conservative energy than we saw even in the class of '94 or 1980. there are a range of views among this class, we looked at the 21 republican senate challengers with the best chance of winning. the range of views in terms of the long-range agenda. christine o'donnell or sharron angle or joe miller would go further than portman or blount, the more conventional candidates but when you look at what is actually going to be on the table, in the next couple year, there is more unanimity and a more consistently conservative line among this republican class than we have seen at any point. quick examples. all 21 say they will extend the bush tax cuts, 20 of 21 say they w

mr. chairman and secretary geithner. you indicated there is a direct connection between tax policies and deficit. there was a republican leader in the senate, senator mcconnell put forward a proposal that would add $4 trillion to the debt, essentially doubling the deficit over the next 10 years. as i understand the figures, china holds about 10% of the debt. states' that is about an additional $4 million of debt that would be purchased by the chinese if they decided to do it -- $400 million of debt that would be purchased by the chinese if they decided to do it. the danger is that it will have a drag on economic growth going forward. i want to get back to you about your opinion on what impact those big deficits will have on job creation. as you indicated during the previous administration they enacted tax cuts for wide group of americans. the tax cuts for middle-class americans -- 90% of the american people -- were set to expire, by their terms, at the end of this year. we're saying that we want to extend tax relief for 90% -- 98% of the american people. we are hearing an argument that it will have an impact on small businesses. the nonpartisan, joint commit

mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the time to be determined by me following nsultation with senator mcconnell, the senate proceed to consideration of calendar numbered 247, the f.d.a. food safety modernization act. s. 510. that when the bill is considered to be under the following limitations, that general debate on the bill be limited to two hours equally divided and controlled between senators harkin and enzi or their designees, that the only amendments in order other than the committee reported substitute be those listed in this agreement, with debate on each listed amendment lited to 30 minutes, with the time equally divided and controlled in the usual form. further, that when any of the listed amendments are offered for consideration, the reading of the amendments be considered waived and the amendments not be subject to division. harkin-enzi substitute amendment. tester amendment regarding small farms and facilities. harkin-enzi amendment. mr. president, i would just add editorially that these are the chairman -- this is the chairman and ranking member of that committee. both extremely