and those who support senator olympia snowe? guest: those who support term while they are vocal are a small group. i assume when we talk about supporting the senator we're talking about her voting against bringing the bill forward for debate? the majority of mainers did not agree with that. host: has she made any public appearances during her time over the break? guest: yes, but not town hall- style meetings. she is well known for what she calls her walks through communities and the meeting one- on-one with constituents. i'm sure that she is hearing a conflicted message. host: any sense of what she is hearing? guest: there are those who are strongly in favor of an overhaul with the public option. there are those who still pusher to support the public option, but has also heard from those who are very concerned about the cost. host: has there been any polling in the state as far as how the citizens generally look at this debate and what they want the public option? guest: polls have shown about 60% support the public option. it i

olympia snowe is a good example. she has a great feeling about the center in maine. we have seen this since 1978. this number, this is 176. the republican vote came after 2018. he was with the leadership because he would not be there for 218. the public auction is the same thing that means that this is too much government health care. this is not acceptable for what we think should happen. mitt romney passed a mandate, and it said, you do not need this for public out -- for a public auction -- public option. >> is it possible for a president to have a robust approval rating? something close to 50? or is this something of the past? >> does this work? i have been told by the microphone does not want you to listen to me. >> we did that earlier. >> it is possible for this president, right now, to be popular with republicans. it takes no more to be popular among independent voters. the obama who talked about budgeting during the campaign, he supported that. if that came back, he would score points. if obama said today, my girls go to the best school in washington. every a

and those who support senator olympia snowe? guest: those who support term while they are vocal are a small group. i assume when we talk about supporting the senator we're talking about her voting against bringing the bill forward for debate? the majority of mainers did not agree with that. host: has she made any public appearances during her time over the break? guest: yes, but not town hall- style meetings. she is well known for what she calls her walks through communities and the meeting one- on-one with constituents. i'm sure that she is hearing a conflicted message. host: any sense of what she is hearing? guest: there are those who are strongly in favor of an overhaul with the public option. there are those who still pusher to support the public option, but has also heard from those who are very concerned about the cost. host: has there been any polling in the state as far as how the citizens generally look at this debate and what they want the public option? guest: polls have shown about 60% support the public option. it i

the only boat was olympia snowe. -- the only vote was olympia snowe. >> although chuck grassley was negotiating all summer with max baucus. while he was doing that, they were publicly suggesting there would be a challenge. at the same time, tom harkin took that occasion to tell one of the newspapers that maybe we should start voting every two years on whether chairman keep their cavils. -- on whether chairman keep their gavels. is it a question of individual leaders or is there now a structural force represents the kind of things that baucus and crassly seems to know what to do -- grassley seem to know what to do? >> with the democratic majority in the house and senate, he does not have to reach across the aisle. he does that have to present legislation that is acceptable to mainstream republicans been. i think the main thing we can do is take away the majority. >> when you alluded to something earlier, any time a republican tries to be bipartisan, he gets crushed the next day by sean, rush, o'reilly, they automatically start rallying a candidate to run against them. it is a structural impedime

why do you have harry reid telling the president of the united states, no, i do not even what olympia snoweone republican supporting this health care bill. >> i would disagree right now. free enterprise is not worked well in healthcare. the administration raised -- >> we do not have health insurance of is competing across state lines. but that is the worst thing you could do. what are you kidding? >> in my state, under 18 everyone has health insurance. we cannot be reduced by any insurance company no matter what the reason except non payment of premiums. everybody gets charged the same. you cannot charge a sick patient who is older and more than 20% more than you can charge eight young and healthy patient. that has been going on for 15 years. [unintelligible] the not an insurance rate in texas is that 25% of adults. i do not want the health commissioner in texas have anything to do it by health care system. -- to do with my health care system. >> i have one question. >> we are over time. you have 15 seconds to ask a question. >> if we force the insurance companies to compete, competition is

folks like olympia snowe, merry land trooary laindru.hey had a major role to play in the passage of the vote to continue the discussion on legislation. host: are you able to track the major components and whether or not money follows it? for example, the public option? who are the people who are sending money to those supporting and opposing that? guest: there is the most activity by outside interest groups like healthcare action now, farm labour organizations, other labor organizations. a lot of the money that is spent by these outside organizations is not directed to the members themselves but by advertising to influence the debate, and to garner grassroots action. beyond that, there's much more money spent by very deep pocketed industries in order to suppress the public option or otherwise shape legislation to favor their goals and agendas. the pharmaceutical industry is the number one industry spending money on lobbying every year without exception. in the last few years, the health-care industry as a whole has been the number one se

olympia snowe, who has suggested that she was open to a public option if it includes some kind of trigger, insurance rates not going down by a certain amount over a certain amount of time. host: you mentioned the senator from alaska. other items on his wish list, what are some of the other things that we might see? abortion funding, what else might come this way? guest: one measure has been pushed by republicans that would allow americans to purchase insurance across state lines. a free-market approach that senators think have a lot of merit. they want to make sure there are no significant cuts to medicare services at rural hospitals within his state, alaska. with each senator you have these broad national and parochial concerns. it is a balancing act for the leadership to push something through. host: mitch mcconnell was described as the tortoise. what will his role be? guest: the minority leader from kentucky is pretty open about his role, which is to block the health care bill. he has attempted to do that, got pretty close in blocking it for coming up for a vote. at the very least he w

. -- olympia snowe.ey had major roles and the passage of the votes to continue discussion on the legislation. host: are you able to attract -- >> "washington journal" returns tomorrow morning. we are leaving this recorded segment and taken to the state department with a briefing with the middle east envoy george mitchell. >> the afternoon, ladies and gentleman. prime minister netanyahu has just announced his government's moratorium on new settlement building. i think it is important to look at this issue in the broader context, particularly how this affects the situation on the ground and how it can contribute to constructive negotiating process that will alternately lead to an end to the conflict and to a two-state solution. it falls short of the full supplement freeze but it is a more than any israeli government has done before and can help move toward agreement between the parties. as president obama has said many times, we believe that a two- state solution to the

specifically, why do you have harry reid telling the president of the united states no, i don't even want olympia snowe, i'd want one republican supporting health care bill? >> the truth is -- i'm going to disagree right now. free enterprise does not work particularly well in health care and i will tell you why. the administration rate -- >> we don't have insurance companies competing across state lines 3 >> that's the worst thing you could do. >> are you kidding me? >> yes. i will explain why this is. in my state, everybody under 18 has health care. you cannot be refused by any insurance company, no matter what the reason is. everybody gets charged the same. you cannot charge a sick patient who is older more than 20% more than you can charge a young, healthy patient. that has been going on for 15 years. if you could let people buy insurance across state lines, you are making the texas health commissioner be my health commissioner. do you know what the insurance rate is in in texas? 25%. 22% of children have no health insurance in texas. i do not want health commissioner in texas to have anything to do

. >> host: does olympia snowe need to win back the party to win back the majority? >> guest: republicans who believe in the principles that republicans and independentss believe, probably shouldn't spend more than you taken or of the degeneration is that that gounod's how high they will pay, you should have more faith in people to grow the economy bottom up than a few smart guys in washington. those are things republicans generally believe and as long as republicans do, and inclusive message that brings more people in and by the way we are really democrat light and you can embarrass a republican, half of one. that is a much better message and more encompassing message, that is what independents heard. state level races all up and down virginia. >> host: you said the republicans don't have a leading man. there is a leading woman in the republican party. we are about to answer an intense panel with a book relief, she was on oprah, this phenomenon, is it a good thing for the republican party to have someone that consumes this much every time she speaks? >> host: >> gue

interestingly, there is also one republican senator who appears to be in play, olympia snowe, a moderate republican, who has suggested that she is at least open to some kind of public option if it includes a trigger, meaning if insurance rates do not go down a certain amount over a certain amount of time, she might be willing to open up to a government-financed program. host: you mentioned senator mark begich of alaska saying that the public option is not crucial. what are some other things we might see, with the abortion funding issue and what else might come into play? guest: in the interview with senator begich, he mentioned one measure pushed by republicans, which would allow americans to be why insurance across state lines. -- buy insurance across state lines. it is more of a free market approach. it is one of the measures he would be willing to look at. he wants to make sure that there are no significant cuts or any cuts to medicare services at rural hospitals. in his state, alaska, a majority of hospitals, and the broad national concerns. is this a tough balancing act for the lead

the only vote was olympia snowe. this is not on the level. i do not blame the republicans. they are -- in this context, they want for him to fail. they are doing a terrible job of showing the. >> as he was negotiating all of this, and as he was doing this, we were publicly suggesting that there would be a primary challenge against him if he went too far. the other democratic senator from iowa took the occasion to tell the capital newspapers that maybe we should start voting over whether the chairmen are keeping their gavel. this was a message not to go too far with the deal. there is a mechanism that is here, and i saw the liberal groups announced that they have raised $3 million against any democrat who is against the health care bill. are these the individual leaders, or is there a force to prevent the kinds of things that they seem to do? >> the committee did pass the bill. the president -- they strongly support him, to make a bipartisan deal. >> with a democratic majority, in the house and senate, he does not have to reach across the aisle. he does not have to present l

olympia and portland. the rain is out there for oregon. concern for snow in the highest elevation. more in about a half hour. >> thank you. >>> what's for breakfast? is it waffles? enjoy. you'll be hard-pressed to find at least eggos into the next year. >>> and a frightening moment for a woman who frel the subway. >>> the shuttle poses for the station's cameras late this morning for a final check to make sure there's no damage. "atlantis," the live pictures. that's just cool. "atlantis" will remain at the space station for a week for the crews to unload spare parts. you just want to go into work. what are you doing? tap him on the shoulder. you don't mind if we're watching? everybody of us. cool. >>> new york city, raided offices at high-profile newspapers as part of a corruption probe. officers searched the circulation and delivery offices of the "new york times," and the "new york post," the "daily news ". local media reports the raids are part of a probe even the nape and mail deliverers union. the union is not commenting. >>> one of the soldiers killed at ft. hood will be laid