so when i talked to president bush last week, mr. rovei was surprised when he said this. 2012 republicans have optimism that he will take the white house back are you going to help him. >> if somebody wants to know what it's like to run for president we will talk. >> bill: you won't be like bill clinton going state to state and stuff like that. >> i probably won't do that no. >> bill: are you surprised to hear that that? >> no. no he is a former president. it's not his obligation to gout out and there. >> bill: but it would help. >> well, you know what? he said probably. he didn't say no. but he said probably. >> bill: are you going to try to convince him. >> he this is something every former president has to be comfortable with doing. 41 when he left the white house was uncomfortable with jumping back into politics. ultimately he did. mostly for his family members and also for friends. this is something every former president has to -- >> bill: reagan didn't want to do it? >> reagan as we now know was beginning to suffer the onset of alz

you know it is your fault, mr. rove. >> i thought it was all your fault.'m willing to accept part of the blame. isn't that amazing snarky dana milbank who writes a column several days a week that is bitter and brittle and nasty to people on the center right of politics he has to call doug shone a nominal democrat. was joe trippi who ran howard dean's campaign, you know, not enough of a democrat for mr. milbank, kirsten powers who writes columns advocating the democrat line and disagreeing with republican line, is she not enough of a democrat because she generally keeps her columns focused on the issues and not on the snarky little personal sniping that dana milbank has made specialty of at "the washington post"? i mean, you know, i love this. here is my injunction. this is worthy of a white board. dana milbank, he should stop taking yourself so seriously or be consistent. if you are upset with people making a joke, then why don't you go out there and be serious about all the people who say ugly things about republicans who are not making a them a joke as y

[applause] and this year's national book award for fiction goes to lord of mr. rove.[applause] we might need some smelling salts over in the corner there. [applause] [applause] >> the this is really heavy. i am totally unprepared, and i'm totally surprised. a lot of friends of mine called me up and said, if you could get this finalist thing, that gives us hope. and i feel as though this is as much for them as it is for me and for everybody who was involved in this book in any way. thank you very much. [applause] >> okay one more time your applause for the winners in all of our nominees. , on. [applause] ladies and gentlemen thank you so much. i had a blast and i want you to join "the daily beast" after party up on the balcony sponsored by st. john. check it out. in this has been the 2010 national book awards. good night. [applause] >> you for more information about the national book awards, visit national book.org.is >> this is richard rhodeswinnerf whenever the pulitzer prize and his new book the twilight of api bomb. recent challenges, new dangers and the prospect f

mr. rove's but we are looking to make america better today.in two years' time, people can have another chance to make the decision on who they want to lead them. host: the congress says that they will want to reduce the retirement age down the road to increase savings. would you support that? guest: the people that i represent, they worked all their lives and they thought that there would be a safety net for them. again, government overstepping and doing what they should not have been done. host: where would you make the cuts? guest: we need to look to the future. the people who are nearing social security, they need to have a guarantee. will there be changes in the future? when you look at the actuaries, what is happening, -- the term is an adult conversation -- but we need to be more realistic about what we can and cannot do. i think we need to look at everything. we need to talk about everything intelligently and make sure that what we told people in the past is there for them. there are opportunities in the future to look at things differe