. >> which is what olympia snowe wawas talking about at the beginning of that broadcast.bureau tells us that 46.2 americans are living below the poverty level the lowest in half a century. ared they talking about that? >> i would point out that for the last three years we have had a democratic president who promised he would fix this. >> you look at the -- >> i am asking about republican candidates. >> look, the republicans have a lot of strong politians -- ryan daniels in indiana, christie. theyey decided for whatever reon some personal, some political, they were not going to run. th is a relatively weak field. it is disappointing because there are heavy weights that would match the 1980 lineup that republicans had. if r republicans lose this cycle they will hahave a strong field in 2016 when all of these guys are going to run. it isemarkable in year one o the president is so weaeak, the economy is souch courage and, that the opposition, as in 1992 with the democrats, where all the heavy weights stay outnd then clinton said in. >> the problem is coarable to 1992 -- in 19

. >> which is what olympia snowe was talking about at the beginning of this broadcast. 46.2 americans living below the poverty line. >> for the past three years we had a democratic president who would fix -- who promised he would fix this. >> i am asking about republican candidates. >> look, the republicans have a lot of strong politicians. they have ryan, daniels in indiana. they decided, for whatever reason, some personal, some political, that the bank are not going to run. this is a relative -- lee that they are not want to run. this is a relatively weak field. if republicans lose in this election, they are going to have a very strong field in 2016, where all of these guys are going to write but it is remarkable in a year when the president is so weak and the economy is so much hurting that the opposition field -- as in 1992, i think, with the democrats, were all the heavy weights stayed out and then clinton slipped in. >> the problem is comparable to 1992. in 1991, when people made the decision to run, george h.w. bush was unbeatable. barack obama was the consensus -- conventional

concluding a centrist scott brown, olympia snowe, or a susan collins? >> we need a jobs bill to get through. that is the single most important thing we could do right now. my bill is important, but the single most important thing is to get a jobs bill through. they would accept the overall jobs bill, so we tried to piece it out. a little bit here, a little bit there. hopefully, they will agree to vote on one of those. all we can do is bring it up. if the republicans want to filibuster, and we do not have the 60 votes -- we only have 53 democrats. if republicans do not want a jobs bill, we will not have one. that is the fact of it. >> and then? you look to the 2012 elections. >> that is the sad thing. i think that is what is coming to. 25 million people are out of work. you would think people would realize and recognize that if we can pass a jobs bill and start putting people back to work, this will get the wheels going again. these people would start to have an income, it will put private sector businesses to work. if you are building new schools, the f

he faced criticism from the ranking republican on the committee, senator olympia snowe. >> i was here when president reagan was elected and it was severe circumstances and we had 10.6% unemployment and guess what? we have a democratic house and republican senate and we workeed d hand in glove to get it done for the american people. we are facing a decimation of our communities and they want help and they feel they are not getting any deference from the administration and in congress to work together. but if you're talking about policy in 2014 and 2016, we have policy in 2014 and 2016, we have had three years of the

here's senator olympia snowe three days ago. >> rome is burning.e're facing a december city nation of our communities and they want help and they feel that they're not getting any difference. >> yes, they want help, senator. you're right. rome is burning. but just 48 hours later, she lit another match. joining every senate republican in blocking a bill that would have kept thousands of teachers and first responders on the job. their problem? a 0.5% tax on millionaires. folks, this is the real class warfare. with 14 million unemployed, senator snow oig would rather risk teaching jobs. but you have a party fighting for the rich while blasting food stamps. >> no program in our government has surged out of control more dramatically than food stamps. we cannot do this. we don't have the money. >> we don't have the money. they have money for millionaires, but not for low and middle income students. folks, this is real class warfare and we can't let them get away with it. joining me now, ed rendell, former pennsylvania governor and nbc news political anal

but republican olympia snowe says the prescription is a one-year band aid. >> rome is burning. we want help. three years of the same unemployment numbers as we do today, mr. secretary. that is the point. this is nothing new. we need to get ahead of the curve at some point, to make long-term fundamental predictable changes in tax regulatory policies. >> her anger back up the white house view republicans feel heat at home, too. and would compromise to get something done on jobs. president has problems in his own right. former virginia governor tim kaine is close ally who is skipping the visit to the battleground tonight and tomorrow to cite scheduling conflict. republicans think it has something to do with the tight senate race. >> i had a feeling, i had a feeling. >> getting the barack obama feeling. >> in an interview today with the abc news program "night line" the president compared the occupy wall street movement to the tea party saying he understands the frustration of protesters now because people on the left and right feel isolated from the government. they are upset with

olympia snow and i, my colleague, we believe that the american people are rightly concerned with theey has been managed. it has not been managed well. we are using accounting gimmicks to spend more than the budget allows. we're not even passing a budget. in fact, we are now 905 days without a budget in the united states of america during the time we've had the greatest deficits we've ever had, really, 40 cents of every dollar we spend is borrowed and that's just unacceptable and unsustainable. >> i hear you. $367 billion is a lot of money and it's extraneous spending and i don't think anyone would argue with you it should be cut. i wanted to ask you this, because even when you do that it is 2%. when you look at the deficit -- i'm sorry, the federal budget for 2010, the year that we've got, you're looking at medicare and medicaid, social security and unemployment benefits and 76% of that budget. that's where you've got to cut, isn't it? >> we've got to cut in all areas. we have to look at every single expenditure, erin. you're exactly right and i've never said this budget act would so

senators like scott brown, olympia snowe, dean heller, you have a choice. are you really going to say no for 400,000 jobs? senators, you better thing long and hard, because next year, americans have a choice, too. your choice is next week. ours is next year. it's between a side that sell yes to job creation or no. >> let's focus on what will actually put people back to work. keeping first responders on the job, that's a jobs plan. putting more teachers in the classroom, that's a jobs plan. >> we're going to let them vote on each of these ideas separately. and we'll see if they fight just as hard for your jobs as they fight for their own jobs. >>> and another side that thinks even having this conversation is prepostero preposterous. >> it's complete le preposterous, at a time when 14 million americans are looking for a job in this country for the president to be riding around on a bus saying we should raise taxes. the president is out there doing his best howard dean impersonation. he's completely out of touch. >> only in a party where corporations are peopl

all these senators like scott brown, olympia snowe, and dean heller, you really want to vote against00,000 jobs? joining me now is senator barbara boxer, democrat from california. senator, thanks for your time tonight. >> good to be with you. >> are you expecting a vote tonight and what do you expect will happen? >> i do expect a vote late tonight. it could go over until tomorrow. i think we'll have it tonight. and i think it's the same old same old, reverend. if they wanted to work with us, they wouldn't be filibustering this mini jobs bill which is as understand 400,000 jobs for our first responders and our firefighters and our teachers. they're forcing us to get 60 votes just to take up the measure. if they were going to work with us, they said, a few of them, that they would work with us on pieces of the obama jobs package. they're not. and i don't know whether you're aware of this, but they have offered up their plan tonight which would he have also going to vote on, and you know what that plan does? >> tell us. >> it cuts $30 billion in the next 60 days that has to be identifie

olympia snow from maine is my co-sponsor and we intend to work hard for the bill. >> thank you.. >> thank you. >> coming up, dewpoint the government to see your medical records? how about the x-rated pictures from your colonoscopy. and what's up now when governor scott walker goes on the record? or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business. it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities. that's why we extended $7.8 billion to small businesses across the country so far this year. because the more we help them, the more we help make opportunity possible. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantiis proven to help people quit smoking. it reduthe urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking orood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any

olympia snowe and i, my colleague, we believe that the american people are rightly concerned with theeen managed. it has not been managed well. we are using accounting gimmicks to spend more than the budget allows. we're not even passing a budget. in fact, we are now 905 days without a budget in the united states of america during the time we've had the greatest deficits we've ever had, really, 40 cents of every dollar we spend is borrowed and that's just unacceptable and unsustainable. >> i hear you. $367 billion is a lot of money and it's extraneous spending and i don't think anyone would argue with you it should be cut. i wanted to ask you this, because even when you do that it is 2%. when you look at the deficit -- i'm sorry, the federal budget for 2010, the year that we've got, you're looking at medicare and medicaid, social security and unemployment benefits and 76% of that budget. that's where you've got to cut, isn't it? >> we've got to cut in all areas. we have to look at every single expenditure, erin. you're exactly right and i've never said this budget act would solve my d

one of those you would expect him to work with olympia snowe a key moderate republic was back in washingtonay at a hearing and gave a tongue lashing to the treasury secretary tim geithner, take a listen. >> rome is burning. and with decimation of our communities and they want help and they feel they are not getting any deference from the administration and yes in congress for that matter. >> the president may have trouble with former democrats. john mccain not attending the event any of the events tomorrow even though the current mcdonnell is not going. bottom line republicans think that's because kaine is running for a senate race. >> meantime police in virginia are reportedly investigating the theft of a pentagon truck full of equipment that the president uses when he speaks to crowds on the road. among the items they tell us that are in that truck, the president's teleprompter which obviously displays the speech so the president did read it lots of talk about that we're told the truck also contained presidential seals and podiums and sound equipment. cops found the truck but we have no w

susan collins, olympia snowe, you lost spector. >> it's ideas that matter. >> here's where ideas concerns is about compassionate conservatism, which is what bush jr. ran on. let's watch performances by past debates, what i consider outrageous performances by the audiences. >> in 2010 when i was deployed to iraq, i had to lie about who i was, because i'm a gay soldier, and i didn't want to lose my job. my question is, under one of your presidencies, do you intend to circumvent the progress that's been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military? [ audience booing ] >> your state has executed 234 death row inmates, more than any other governor in modern times. have you -- [ audience applauds ] have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent? >> no, sir, i've never struggled with that at all. >> that's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks. this whole idea that you have to prepare and take care of everybody -- [ audience applauds ] >> congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die? >> yeah! >> let minimum d

olympia snow, scott brown, they stuck with the republicans on this. there is no doubt the republican leadership wanted to stop the president. bill: they weren't even close to 60 votes. you wonder with president obama in virginia pushing for this jobs bill whether anything will get passed either now or in the coming months. do you believe that will happen? >> we have good evident maybe this won't happen. after this vote you wonder what did the bus tour of north carolina and virginia, what was it about? it didn't seem to move anybody. but there was another element of the jobs plan which is removing a 3% withholding tax on government contractors. democrats blocked that, too. because they wanted to just block it because republicans blocked theirs, which tells me they are in total elect warfare mode and unlikely anything will get passed. bill: what was the parting shot from dennis cardoza in california. >> he's the 6th law maker in the house to announce he's not going to run. they are all blue dog moderate democrats. he's particularly upset about the presi

senator olympia snowe. >> i was there when president reagan was elected.f faced more -- we faced a severe problems and we have a democratic house and republican senate and we work hand in glove to get it done for the american people. no, rome is burning. we are facing the decimation of our community and they want help and they feel that they are not getting any deference from the administration and from their members of congress for that matter to work together. if you're talking about policies in 2014 and 2015 and 16, with at three years of virtually the same unemployment numbers, mr. secretary. that is the point. this is nothing new to me to get ahead of the curve and the long- term fundamentals predictable changes in our tax and regulatory policies. i am hearing it from every by grief from fortune 500's, to companies of three or one, everybody is saying the same thing. they need certainty and stability. uncertainty has a huge price tag. and that price tag is being born right now by the americans unemployed. and that is what we have to correct. i am here

to do that with olympia snowe, eliminate a bunch of the gimmicks that are done such as taking the social, just make it october 1 and move about $3 billion out of this year so you can spend $3 billion more this year. there are o host of budget gimmicks like that that allowed us to expend more than we need to. it's great to be with general nixon. i truly believe we are the finest military we've ever had. they are exceedingly -- [cheers and applause] they have a greater number that are married. they have men and women of the highest character and integrity and courage. they go without complaint time and time again in the harm's way. it makes me proud that this nation can produce such men and women, and you see those that have been wounded and their positive spirit is just a moving thing when i know many of you have had that opportunity, so i'm proud of our military. we believe in that, and as we go through belt tightening, we do not need to do what admiral mullen said to break our military or hallow out our defense force and undermind the morale and courage of these individuals after all th

committee, the treasury secretary faced criticism from the ranking republican on the committee, olympia snowe. >> i was here when president reagan was elected and we faced a very severe circumstances, 10. and% -- 10.8% unemployment. we work hand in glove to get it done for the american people. rome is burning, and we are facing the decimation of our community. we feel we are not getting any deference from the administration and in congress, for that matter. about policiesng in 2014, 2016, we have had three years of virtually the same unemployment numbers as we do today. that is the point. this is nothing new. when needed to get ahead of the curve and make long-term, fundamental, unpredictable changes. i am hearing it from everybody from fortune 500 to companies of 341. everybody is saying the same thing, they need a certainty and stability. that price tag is being born right now by the americans unemployed. i am not here to find blame, i am here to get the job done for the american people. >> in addition to the treasury secretary on c-span at 8:00 eastern, on c-span 2, the senate, and securit

one of those republicans, you would expect him to be reaching out to moderate republican senator olympia snowe a tongue lashing to the treasury secretary, tim geithner. listen to this. >> rome is burning. and we're facing a did he say mation of our community -- decimation of our community. we have the same unemployment as we did three years ago. that's the point. this is nothing new. >> the president having potentially political problems on the road with fellow democrats. tim kaine, popular former governor of virginia not expected to be here with the president, even though he's the senate candidate. he says he's got scheduling conflict. republicans think it's because tim kaine is in a close x-rays doesn't want to appear -- in a close race, doesn't want to appear with the president. in some of these close states, a state the president won in 2008, very much up for grabs in 2012. >> steve: ed, before you go, do we know whether or not the president watched the debate last night, 'cause there was a lot of screaming. >> yeah. it certainly sounded like it. i know some of the president's staff on the

i have joined with senator olympia snowe to introduce the honest budget act, stripping away some of theous gimmicks that have been used in congress to advance spending beyond our limits. in fact, i will be filing an amendment today to stop the use of a gimmick called chimps, in one of the very bills that's before us this week. we'll explain that as we go forward how that leads to improper increases in spending. president obama is taking his bus tour around the country, riding in his taxpayer-funded million dollar campaign bus, really, telling people that we must raise taxes to prevent drastic cuts in federal spending. what the president doesn't say is just how much spending has increased in just the past few years. including through a number of gimmicks and just how much of that money is being improperly spent and wasted, indeed since the president has taken office the first two years, we saw a 24% increase in nondefense, nonwar discretionary spending. not social security, not medicare, but discretionary spending. it went up 24% at a time when this country has never faced larger deficit

in addition, bob casey, olympia snowe, jeff sessions, kay hagan and richard burr, as well as dozens of their work on this issue for many years. i also want to particularly express my appreciation to chairman max baucus and former ranking member of the finance committee, chuck grassley, for their leadership and work on the -- on currency manipulation. we believe that our bill is w.t.o.-compliant, and it is in part because senators baucus and grassley looked at our original bill and worked with us on suggestions as to how to change it to make it just as effective but within the rules of w.t.o. mr. president, today we have an opportunity to help put middle-class americans back to work and, amazingly enough, in a bipartisan way. today we stand together to defend american jobs against market-distorting, job-killing, exchange rate policies that subsidize foreign manufacturers at the expense of american manufacturers. these currency policies artificially raise the price of u.s. exports and suppress the price of chinese imports into the united states. undermining the economic health of america

in addition, bob casey, olympia snowe, jeff sessions, kay hagan and richard burr, as well as dozens of other cosponsors on this bill for their work on this issue for many years. i also want to particularly express my appreciation to chairman max baucus and former ranking member of the finance commit c work on the -- on currency manipulation. we believe that our bill is w.t.o.-compliant, and it is in part because senators baucus and grassley looked at our original bill and worked with us on suggestions as to how to change it to make it just as effective but within the rules of w.t.o. mr. president, today we have an opportunity to help put middle-class americans back to work and, amazingly enough, in a bipartisan way. today we stand together to defend american jobs against market-distorting, job-killing, exchange rate policies that subsidize foreign manufacturers at the expense of american manufacturers. these currency policies artificially raise the price of u.s. exports and suppress the price of chinese imports into the united states. undermining the economic health of american manufac

1726 is identical to the measure that was introduced earlier this year by senator scott brown and olympia snowe and of which i and 28 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle are cosponsors. now, given that we may get a chance to vote on this legislation perhaps in the form of an amendment to the bill that we're currently on later today, i want to say a few words to why i believe this represents the right approach to spurring our economy. i think there is a right approach and there is a wrong approach to getting people back to work in this country and getting the economy growing and expanding again. american businesses need access to capital. they need to be able to deploy their existing capital as efficiently and effectively as possible. if we don't act, come january 1, 2013, 3% of contracts between private businesses and federal, state and local governments will be withheld. this means that dollars that could be reinvested by businesses and new videotape or new employees will instead be used essentially to give the i.r.s. an interest-free loan. the joint committee on taxation estimates t