COUNTRY THAT'S RAISED A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION ON WHAT WE
AGREED WITH ON MONDAY IS STILL AGREED TO THE NEXT DAY.
>> YOU ASKED ABOUT REPUBLICANS WHO NO LONGER RECOGNIZE THEIR
PARTY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT'S FEUDS
WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY.
TAKE A LOOK. >> SINCE THE PRESIDENT WAS
ELECTED YOU'VE SAID YOU MAKE IT KNOWN TO HIM YOU DON'T WANT HIM
TO TWEET, BUT YOU'VE ALSO DEFENDED HIS ACTIONS BY SAYING
HE'S NEW AT THIS. YOU DIDN'T GO AFTER HIM BY NAME
AFTER CHARLOTTESVILLE. BUT DURING THE CAMPAIGN YOU SAID
IN THE WAKE OF THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE YOU WOULD NEVER
DEFEND DONALD TRUMP NOT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.
I'VE HEARD FROM CRITICS OF YOU THAT ARE REPUBLICANS AND DON'T
NECESSARILY RECOGNIZE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY UNDER TRUMP,
AND THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. >> THAT'S FINE.
I THINK THE BEST THING I CAN DO IS HELP US PASS AN AGENDA THAT
IMPROVES PEOPLE LIVES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE
THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT WORK. IMAGINE IF WE DECIDED TO GET
NOTHING DONE FOR THE COUNTRY. HOW DOES THAT HELP PEOPLE GET A
JOB IN HOW DOES THAT HELP PEOPLE GET MORE TAKE HOME PAY OAY OR
RELIEVE THE INSECURITY PEOPLE HAVE LIVING PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK? IT DOESN'T.
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS REGULARLY ENGAGED IN DISPUTES WITH VARIOUS
MEMBERS, BOB CORKER, BEN SASS OVER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
IS THAT HELPFUL TO YOUR AGENDA? >> T WHAT HE DOES.
HE AND I HAVE HAD OUR ENGAGEMENTS IN THE PAST TOO.
I DON'T THINK IT -- WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET OUR MEMBERS TO DO
IS FOCUS ON DOING OUR JOBS. WE'RE HERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT
OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO ADVANCE OUR PRINCIPLES AND PASS SOLUTIONS.
I TRY TO GET MEMBERS NOT TO GET DISTRACTED.
>> KASIE, WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE AWAY FROM THE INTERVIEW WITH
PAUL? >> I THINK THAT HE IS A LITTLE
BIT IN A NO MAN'S LAND TRYING TO KEEP THE TRAIN ON THE RAILS.
BUT POTENTIALLY RISKING -- HE IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS HAD VERY
STRONG -- HE WAS KIND OF THE GOLDEN BOY HERO OF THE
REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT, MAYBE NOT READY TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
IN 2016 BUT CERTAINLY SOMEBODY THAT THEY'VE LOOKED TO FOR THE
FUTURE. BUT THE WAY T THAT HE HAS BEEN
RESPONDING TO THE PRESIDENT, HE CLEARLY WAS BURNED BY WHAT
HAPPENED DURING THE CAMPAIGN. HE WAS OUT FRONT CRITICIZING
HIM. AND HE ENDED UP KRAUING BACK
FROM THAT AND IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST CAREFUL IN APPROACHING WHAT
THE PRESIDENT SAYS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
HARD CORE TRUMP SUPPORTERS DON'T NECESSARILY VIEW HIM AS AN ALLY
EITHER. AND I THINK SORT OF PAUL RYAN'S
STORY IN THE CAPITAL THESE DAYS IS TRYING TO KEEP HIS HEAD DOWN
AND KEEP THAT SHIP AFLOAT. I THINK THAT THERE IS AN
INCREASING SENSE ON THE HILL THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE
PRESIDENT -- THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE IT ENDS, AND THERE'S
A FEELING THAT IT COULD END BADLY, AND RYAN IS REALLY CAUGHT
IN THAT VICE. >> SO KASIE, IN ADDITION TO THE
INTERVIEW, YOU SEE HIM NEARLY EVERY DAY THAT YOU'RE UP ON
CAPITOL HILL. WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF PAUL RYAN
THE POLITICIAN? DO YOU THINK HE ACTUALLY LIKES
THE POLITICS OF IT, THE ELBOW THROWING, THE BACK SLAPPING,
PULLING PEOPLE TOGETHER POLITICALLY THROUGH YOUR
PERSONALITY? DO YOU THINK HE ENJOYS IT?
THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S BAD AT POLITICS OR IGNORES IT EVEN
THOUGH IN OUR INTERVIEW HE SAID I DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT
STUFF. BUT HE'S RAISED MORE MONEY FOR
THE PARTY IN BY SOME METRICS THAN JOHN BOEHNER.
HE'S VERY -- HE IS POPULAR INTERNALLY.
HE'S WELL-LIKED. HE'S THE KIND OF POLITICIAN
THAT -- HE COULD LIVE THREE DOORS DOWN FROM YOU ON YOUR
SUBURBAN STREET,TREET, AND YOU' EXCITED THIS GUY YOU KNOW WHO
WATCHES FOOTBALL WITH YOU EVERY SUNDAY IS SUCCEEDING AND DOING
REALLY WELL. THAT'S KIND OF HIS BRAND OF NICE
GUY POLITICS. I JUST -- I'M INTERESTED TO SEE
IF THAT APPROACH CAN WORK IN THE TRUMP ERA.
THE COUNTRY IS SO DIVIDED, AND HE IS NOT SOMEBODY WHO RELISHES
JUMPING INTO THOSE DIVISIONS. THAT MIGHT NOT PLAY WITH THE
BASE. >> I DON'T THINK SO.
IT DOESN'T WORK, BECAUSE PAUL IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MOTIVATED BY
POLICY. HE JUST WANTS TO KEEP HIS HEAD
DOWN, AND HE WANTS TO JUST GET -- BILLS PASSED.
>> WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO STEP UP.
>> THE PROBLEM IS THAT'S NOT THE TIME THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN
NOW, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN WHEN THERE IS A STORM
SWIRLING AROUND YOU 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE FOR PAUL RYAN, BUT TALKING POINTS AND
POLICY