STATEMENT. IT WAS JUST THE PRESIDENT WHO
DIDN'T WANT TO SEND IT. >> THE PRESIDENT JUST TWEETED.
HE SAYS THIS. REPUBLICANS ARE GOING FOR THE
BIG BUDGET APPROVAL TODAY. FIRST STEP TOWARD MASSIVE TAX
CUTS. I THINK WE HAVE THE VOTES BUT
WHO KNOWS? UM, I WOULD THINK HE WOULD KNOW.
I MEAN, OR I GUESS HE DOESN'T? RIGHT?
>> WELL, HE DOESN'T KNOW, AND IN PART, HE DOESN'T KNOW FOR
SEVERAL REASONS. YESTERDAY OR THE DAY BEFORE WE
WERE TALKING TO ROB RYANER ABOUT LBG WHO WAS SO CONNECTED WITH
THE PROCESS THAT IF HE HEARD A BILL WAS BEING SLOWED DOWN IN A
SUB COMMITTEE, HE WOULD PICK UP THE PHONE AND HE WOULD CALL A
STARTLED SUB COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN IN THE HOUSE AND SAY HEY, BOY,
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY BILL? GET IT MOVING.
I MEAN, SO HE STAYED ON TOP OF IT.
OTHER PRESIDENTS SEEM TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH
LEGISLATION. THIS PRESIDENT DOES NOT.
RICH LOWRY HAS A GREAT COLUMN OUT THIS MORNING IN POLITICO
WHERE HE SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS FORMIDABLE
OBSTACLES BUT NONE AS BIG AS THE FACT THAT TRUMP DOESN'T KNOW HOW
HE WANTS TO GOVERN. TO PARAPHRASE, PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS A POSITION ON LAMAR ALEXANDER PATTY MURRAY'S HEALTH
CARE DEAL, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, HE HAS ANOTHER ONE.
YOU CAN APPLY THAT TO HEALTH CARE OR THE BUDGET OR TO JUST
ABOUT EVERYTHING. A PRESIDENT WHO IS ENGAGED AND
WHO IS NOT ON AN ALTERNATE PLANE, NOT JUST LOOKING AT CABLE
OR TWITTER NEWS IS A PRESIDENT ON THE PHONE SAYING SENATOR
CORKER, YOU'RE WITH US? WAIT A SECOND.
HE INSULTS HIM. SENATOR FLAKE -- HOLD ON A
SECOND. YOU CAN GO DOWN THE LINE.
THIS PRESIDENT CAN'T CALL THESE PEOPLE AND ASK FOR THEIR VOTES
BECAUSE HE'S INSULTED THEM ALL AND THEIR MARGIN OF ERROR IS SO
SMALL, HOW CAN HE PREDICT WHAT ANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO DO.
>> THIS IS THE DAY TRADING. HE HAS TO ANSWER A CRITICISM
WITH AN INSULT AND DOESN'T THINK ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF
GOING AFTER ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT STEVE BANNON HAS THREATENED
TO CHALLENGE IN PRIMARIES. ALL OF THAT.
PHILLIP, I THINK WHAT I READ IN THE TWEET IS NOT ONLY IS HE NOT
AWARE OF THE VOTE COUNT, NOT ONLY IS HE NOT NECESSARILY
WHIPPING VOTES BUT HE FELT BURNED BY THE REPEAL AND REPLACE
OF OBAMACARE WHERE HE ASSUMED HAVING WON THE WHITE HOUSE, THE
HOUSE AND THE SENATE THAT IT WOULD BE A QUICK AND EASY ORDER
OF BUSINESS. I THINK WHAT HE'S SAYING IS I
THINK WE SHOULD HAVE IT, BUT THESE REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT SHOWN
THE ABILITY TO GET ANYTHING DONE.
>> AND THAT TWEET, I READ IT AS UNDERMINING McCONNELL'S
INABILITY TO COUNT VOTES. THIS IS AFTER THEY DECLARED
THEMSELVES BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. AND HERE IN HIS TWEET, HE'S
SAYING I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN TRUST HIM TO COUNT THE VOTES.
>> IS THERE ANYONE IN WASHINGTON D.C. WHO BELIEVES THEY ARE FAST
FRIENDS? >> WAIT A MINUTE.
ISN'T HE UNDERMINING HIS OWN ABILITY TO LEAD?
HE'S SAYING HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE HAS THE VOTES.
>> IT'S PART OF THE REALITY SHOW OF GOVERNING.
STAY TUNED. WE'LL SEE IF THEY HAVE THE VOTES
NEXT EPISODE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
McCONNELL WOULDN'T BRING A VOTE LIKE THIS TO THE FLOOR IF HE
DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. >> I THINK THIS PRESIDENT'S
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REPUBLICAN-LED CONGRESS IS ONE
OF THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS OF THE PRESIDENCY NOW THAT HE'S
BEEN -- IT CAN'T REALLY CALL IT BRAND NEW ANYMORE.
AND THERE ARE REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN CONGRESS WHO ARE FROM THE GET
GO, IT WAS ASSUMED, WOULD COOPERATE WITH THE WHITE HOUSE,
WOULD TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN WHERE THEY DISAGREE WITH THE
PRESIDENT OR DISAGREE WITH HIS TEMPERAMENT AND STYLE, THIS IS A
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO GET DONE THINGS WE CAN ALL AGREE ON LIKE
TAX CUTS. IT'S ALMOST THE END OF THE YEAR,
AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T REALLY ACTUALLY JUMPED IN WITH BOTH
FEET TO TAX CUTS, AND I THINK YOU SEE THE FRUSTRATION PLAYING
OUT ON ALL SIDES. YOU CERTAINLY SAW IT IN THE BODY
LANGUAGE WITH MITCH McCONNELL IN THE ROSE GARDEN THE OTHER DAY.
HE SORT OF LOOKED LIKE HE WAS BEING TAKEN HOSTAGE AND KEPT
BACKING AWAY FROM THE PODIUM. AND LOOKING AT HIS FEET.
HE WANTS THE OUTCOME THAT CAN COME WITH WORKING ALONGSIDE A
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, BUT HE DOESN'T LIKE FEELING LIKE -- I'M
SURE HE DOESN'T LIKE THIS SORT OF TACTICS TODAY LIKE WHERE THE
PRESIDENT IS BASICALLY SAYING HEY, IT'S ALL ON YOU, MITCH, CAN
YOU COUNT THE VOTES? I DON'T KNOW.
>> YEAH, JOE? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE INSULTS
HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON REPUBLICANS.
MITCH McCONNELL HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST APPROVAL RATINGS IN
AMERICA FOR AMERICAN POLITICIANS.
DONALD TRUMP STILL OVER 80% WITH REPUBLICANS.
DONALD TRUMP IS THE DE FACTO LEADER OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND OBVIOUSLY AS PRESIDENT, HE'S THE ACTUALLY LEADER OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND ALL THE NASTY TWEETS AND THE INSULTS AND
ATTACKS OF SENATORS AND ATTACKS OF CONGRESSMEN ACTUALLY ARE
PAYING OFF BECAUSE NONE OF THE SENATORS ARE CONGRESSMEN OTHER
THAN BOB CORKERER FIGHTING BACK. WHEN THEY DO JUST A LITTLE BIT,
THEN THEY BACK OFF. IF YOU'RE BEING BULLIED, AND I
SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE, BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU'RE BEING BULLIED,
YOU LEAN IN, AND YOU KEEP HITTING, AND YOU KEEP POUNDING,
AND YOU MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE BULLY THAN THE BULLY IS
MAKING IT FOR YOU. YOU RIP THE BULLY TO SHREDS.
YOU HUMILIATE THEM, SMOTHER THEM.
YOU DON'T JUST POKE THEM AND THEN BACK AWAY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN ON CAPITOL
HILL HAS A POLITICAL SENSE TO FIGURE OUT.
THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO BEAT A BULLY, AND YOU KNOW HOW YOU BEAT
A BULLY? YOU BEAT A BULLY.
RHETORICALLY, YOU STAY AFTER THEM, AND YOU HAMMER THEM.
YOU DON'T LET THEM DO THAT. >> I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW
SO MANY REPUBLICANS ARE ALLOWING THEMSELVES AND THEIR POLITICAL
CAREERS TO BE RUN OVER BY A PRESIDENT WHO ISN'T EVEN A
PROVEN REPUBLICAN AT THIS POINT, AND HAS -- WELL, A TRACK
RECORD -- >> LISTEN --
>> THAT IS FLAWED TO SAY THE LEAST.
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S CONFOUNDING TO ME WHY THESE
REPUBLICANS HAVE SOLD OUT CONSERVATISM.
IT'S CONFOUNDING TO ME WHY THEY'VE SOLD OUT THE IDEAS OF
RONALD REAGAN. IT'S CONFOUNDING TO ME WHY THEY
HAVE SOLD OUT THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
AND WHY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY REALLY WAS EVEN ESTABLISHED FOR
A MAN WHO HAS BEEN A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT WHO GAVE MONEY TO CHUCK
SCHUMER AND WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH HILLARY CLINTON WHO GAVE
MONEY TO THE -- MORE MONEY TO THE DNC THAN BOB MUELLER'S
ENTIRE STAFF EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT DOING IT.
IT'S JUST CONFOUNDING. THIS IS WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES.
IF THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PLAY SCARED, THEY'RE GOING TO BE
BEATEN. BUT THEY DO NEED TO PASS
LEGISLATION FOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL SURVIVAL WITH OR
WITHOUT DONALD TRUMP, BECAUSE THEIR NUMBERS KEEP DROPPING,