GUESS. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ THANK YOU FOR WATCHING EVERYONE.
FOR WATCHING EVERYONE.
>>> IF PRESIDENT REAGAN WERE
AROUND TODAY, HE MIGHT BE
EXILED BY A MODERN REPUBLICAN
PARTY THAT, IN MANY WAYS, SEEMS
DEAD SET ON ABANDONING THAT
SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY NEVER TO
DEFAULT.
>> THE ONLY SOLUTION IS
PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN
SLEEPWALKING TOWARDS THIS
CRISIS.
MR. PRESIDENT, TIME TO WAKE UP. >> WELCOME BACK.
>> WELCOME BACK.
A LACK OF ACTION COMES AS THE
DEMOCRATS ARE FEARING POLITICAL
BLOWBACK FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN IF
THE NATION ENDS UP DEFAULTING.
I AM JOINED BY OUR SENIOR
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT AND THE EDITOR AND CEO OF THE
THE EDITOR AND CEO OF THE
DISPATCH.
THE FACT IS, DEMOCRATS SHOULD
BE FEARFUL OF THIS.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011.
HAPPENED IN 2011.
NOBODY -- THAT WAS THE LOWEST
POLE NUMBER OF THAT YEAR.
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS,
THEIR APPROVAL RATINGS WERE LOW.
THERE IS NOT A WIN HERE FOR
ANYBODY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS ARE VERY
MUCH OF THE STANCE THAT THEIR
MESSAGING WILL BE IT IS ALL THE
REPUBLICANS FAULT. THEY LIFTED
THE DEBT CEILING A NUMBER OF
TIMES UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP,
AND THEY CAN MAKE THAT CASE TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
YOU HEARD MITCH McCONNELL
SAYING WHAT THEY WILL SAY, IT
IS ALL THE FAULT OF THE
PRESIDENT.
I THINK REGULAR VOTERS WHO ARE DECEIVED AND MAGA NATION WILL
DECEIVED AND MAGA NATION WILL
LOOK AT WISH WASHINGTON AND SAY
THIS PLACE IS NOT WORKING FOR
ME AGAIN.
PEOPLE LOOKING AT THEIR
401(K)S, BY THE WAY, DEMOCRATS
YOU ARE THE ONES IN CHARGE IN
THE OVAL OFFICE.
WHY CAN'T YOU FIGURE THIS OUT?
THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
WHERE YOU WILL SEE EVERYDAY
AMERICANS SAYING THIS IS
ANOTHER TIMER WASHINGTON IS NOT
WORKING.
>> THIS IS THE CHALLENGE FOR
YOUR PARTY.
THOSE THAT ARE WELL-INFORMED,
YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT
THEY ARE POSTURING.
BUT FOR FOLKS WHO AREN'T PAYING
THAT KIND OF ATTENTION, YOU ARE
IN CHARGE HERE.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FIGURE THIS
OUT.
>> I DO HAVE TO SAY, IT WOULD
BE GREAT FOR MITCH McCONNELL TO
BE A LEADER, CERTAINLY AT THIS
MOMENT.
HE NEEDS TO TAKE SOME
RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT THE THING IS, WE HAVE TO BE
VERY CLEAR THAT WE ARE READY TO
NEGOTIATE ABOUT THE BUDGET.
REPUBLICANS WON THE HOUSE,
BARELY.
LET'S NEGOTIATE ABOUT THE NEXT
BUDGET.
THE DEBT CEILING IS NOT ABOUT
FUTURE SPENDING.
THERE IS NOTHING IN IT ABOUT
REDUCING THE DEBT AT ALL . IT
IS JUST ABOUT PAYING THE BILLS
YOU ALREADY INCURRED.
IT IS SHAMEFUL TO POSTURE ABOUT THAT OR TO PUT AMERICANS IN
THAT OR TO PUT AMERICANS IN DANGER
DANGER LOSING OUR FULL FAITH
AND CREDIT, THE EFFECT ON
SOCIAL SECURITY, PENSIONS, AND
EVERYTHING.
>> AT THE END OF THE DAY,
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS GOING TO GET
LEFT HOLDING THE BAG IF HE
DOESN'T GET THIS DONE.
>> I THINK HE WILL GET IT DONE.
I THINK HE WILL GET IT DONE,
BUT I DON'T THINK NEGOTIATING
-- IF YOU SET A PRECEDENT THAT
YOU WILL NEGOTIATE OVER THIS
DEBT CEILING, WHICH VIRTUALLY
NO OTHER COUNTRY EVEHAS, IT
IS AN ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT, IT
MAKES NO SENSE.
IT IS HARMFUL TO THE WHOLE
ECONOMY AND TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> THE 2011 WAS A MISTAKE?
>> I THINK SO.
>> EVERYBODY IS HYPOCRITICAL ON
THE DEBT CEILING.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, AT
SOME POINT, THERE ARE GOING TO
BE NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT SPENDING.
I AM SYMPATHETIC TO THE
ARGUMENT THAT REPUBLICANS ARE
HOLDING THE HOSTAGE THE COUNTRY
HOSTAGE. I AM TROUBLED BY THE KINDS OF
I AM TROUBLED BY THE KINDS OF
RHETORIC FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
I THINK IT IS MISLEADING.
THE PRESIDENT PUT OUT A TWEET
THAT EITHER WILL HAVE 22% CUTS
IN DISCRETIONARY SPENDING,
INCLUDING FOR VETERANS, OR
THERE WILL BE A DEFAULT.
IT IS NOT THE CHOICE OF
REPUBLICANS.
THERE WILL BE A DISCUSSION.
HE INVITED THEM TO THE WHITE
HOUSE.
THE MORE HE BACKED HIMSELF INTO
THAT CORNER, THE LESS LIKELY, I
THINK, WE ARE TO SEEING A GOOD
OUTCOME.
>> WHAT IS A COMPROMISE LOOK
LIKE?
I DON'T THINK THE DISCHARGE
POSITION IS.
IS IT A COMMISSION?
MORE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ARE
OPEN TO A SHORT-TERM EXTENSION. >> THE FEELING I AM GETTING IS
>> THE FEELING I AM GETTING IS
THAT THEY WANT MORE TIME AND
PARALLEL DISCUSSIONS.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SAID, WE'RE
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET,
WE JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE
ATTACKS ON THE DEBT CEILING.
I IMAGINE IF THERE IS A
RESOLUTION, A BIT IF, THAT IS
WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
YOU HAVE THE WHITE HOUSE AND
PRESIDENT BIDEN WHO DON'T WANT
TO LOOK WEAK ON THIS.
THEY WANT TO STICK TO THEIR
GUNS.
WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO
REPORTERS AND REPUBLICANS, THEY
ARE NOT MOVING ON IT.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE 14th AMENDMENT IDEA?
AMENDMENT IDEA?
OR THE COIN?
ALL OF THESE HAVE TO BE TESTED
IN COURT.
IS IT WORTH GOING DOWN THAT
ROAD?
>> I THINK IT IS FINE TO
EXPLORE ALL THOSE OPTIONS, BUT
THE REAL SITUATION HERE IS THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE BARELY HELD
REPUBLICANS HAVE BARELY HELD
THE HOUSE, AND THE SPEAKER, IT
TOOK 15 OR SOMETHING VOTES FOR
HIM TO BE THE SPEAKER, THEY
HAVE PASSED IS SOMETHING THAT
IS SO ABSURDLY OUT OF STEP WITH
THE OVERALL COUNTRY THAT WILL
NEVER GO ANYWHERE IN THE SENAT
, IT IS NOT A BASIS FOR ANY
COMPROMISE.
AND SO, WE REALLY HAVE TO GET
-- YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THE DEBT
CEILING AND THEN NEGOTIATE ABOUT THE BUDGET.
ABOUT THE BUDGET.
>> McCARTHY HAS TO DO
SOMETHING. >> HE CREATED HIS OWN BOX.
>> HE CREATED HIS OWN BOX.
DEMOCRATS ARE UNITED.
WE NEEDED SERIOUS PROPOSALS TO
CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF DEBT.
McCARTHY PUT HIMSELF IN A
POSITION.
AS LONG AS REPUBLICANS ARE UNITED AND McCARTHY GETS
UNITED AND McCARTHY GETS
BACKING IN THE HOUSE AND FOR
SENATE LEADERS, REPUBLICANS
WILL BE IN A POSITION TO SAY TO
THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU HAVE TO
TALK TO US ABOUT THIS.
>> ENTITLEMENT REFORM IS A
SCENE THE THING THEY DON'T WANT
TO TALK ABOUT.
>> I WANT TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT
FROM COLIN ALLRED, A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS FROM TEXAS WHO HAS DECIDED TO CHALLENGE TED CRUZ.
DECIDED TO CHALLENGE TED CRUZ.
>> I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THE
SOUTH COMING CLOSER.
I TEXTED MY WIFE, WHATEVER
HAPPENS, I LOVE YOU.
I TOOK OFF MY JACKET GOT READY
TO TAKE ON ANYONE WHO CAME
THROUGH THAT DOOR.
TED CRUZ.
>> WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY.
>> HE HID IN A SUPPLY CLOSET
WHEN THEY ATTACKED TO THE
CAPITOL.
WE DESERVE A SENATOR WHOSE TEAM
IS TEXAS.
TED CRUZ ONLY CARES ABOUT
HIMSELF.
YOU KNOW THAT.
>> I THINK THEY FOUND SOMEBODY
THAT IS NOT BETO O'ROURKE.
BETO O'ROURKE WAS A VERY
PARTISAN DEMOCRAT.
COLIN ALLRED, HE SAYS WHEN
SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN TEXAS,
YOU KNOW CORNET IS THERE.
GO AFTER THAT INDEPENDENT
REPUBLICAN VOTER.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY HE
ROLLED OUT THIS VIDEO, TED CRUZ
IS LAUDABLE ON THAT CHARGE.
HE GETS A LOT OF MEDIA.
>> THE RIGHT OF CENTER.
HE SEEMS TO BE HEADING FOR
THAT.
>> I THINK EXAGGERATED WHAT TED
CRUZ WAS SAYING ABOUT JANUARY
6th.
TED CRUZ INITIALLY CALLED IT A
VIOLENT TERRORIST ATTACK.
HE INITIALLY SAID THAT, EVEN IF
HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF
THE RHETORIC. >>
WITH HIS UPBRINGING, IT'S TOUGH.
LOOK AT HIS FOOTBALL CAREER,
LAW SCHOOL, TERRIFIC LAWYER.
I WAS WITH HIM IN CONGRESS AND
HE REALLY IS A BIPARTISAN GUY
WHO I THINK IS REALLY
ATTRACTIVE TO TEXANS ACROSS THE
BOARD.
>> DO YOU THINK THEY ARE TAKING
TEXAS SERIOUSLY?
>> I THINK THAT AFTER GEORGIA,
PROBABLY.
WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT,
DEMOCRATS HAVE DECIDED THAT WE
CAN LEAN IN ON THIS AND GET
PEOPLE TO GET ANGRY ABOUT IT.