• Post Show Thoughts: Looking at Sequestration

    With all eyes in Washington focused on the upcoming budget battle in Congress over the automatic Sequestration spending cuts, Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Assistant Democratic Leader in the Senate decried the policy as being designed "as a budget threat, not as a budget strategy."

    Durbin cited the "dramatic negative impact" it would have as reason for both parties to work together towards an agreement that is "evenly split between revenue and cuts."

    On the Republican side, House Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) chided the president and congressional democrats for continuing to push for more revenue in negotiations. "Every time you turn around, the answer is to raise taxes," he said. 

    He hopes the president will work with the GOP for "much smarter cuts" than those that will take place because of the sequester.

    Watch the entire program on our website including a lively debate on our roundtable about the administration's use of drones in the war on terror. 

    We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press. 

     

  • GOP senator: Fair to put raising revenue on table

    Karen Bleier / AFP - Getty Images, file

    Senator Lindsey Graham speaking on Capitol Hill on Nov. 14.

    By NBC News staff and news services

    A Republican senator said Sunday "it's fair to ask my party to put revenue on the table" as part of the solution to avoid the looming automatic tax increases and across-the-board spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

    South Carolina's Lindsey Graham said he's "willing to generate revenue" by steps such as capping tax deductions, which he says would most affect upper-income Americans. But he says he won't agree to higher taxes — a position shared by most Republicans in Congress.

    President Barack Obama wants to let tax rates rise for wealthy families while sparing middle- and low-income taxpayers.

    Graham told ABC's "This Week" that "for the good of the country," he's ready to violate an anti-tax pledge followed by most Republicans if Democrats agree to big changes in entitlement programs.

    Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said a pledge signed years ago should not necessarily apply in economic conditions that have changed greatly.

    Congressman Peter King discusses the various options available for a compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff.

    "The world has changed, and the economic situation is different. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill realized that in the 1980s. I think everything should be on the table,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

    King added: “Let's find a way to get resolved as much as possible between now and the end of the year so both the new Congress and the president, in his second term, can start off with a clean slate.”

    Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said lawmakers have made little progress in the past 10 days toward a compromise to avoid the harsh tax increases and government spending cuts scheduled for Jan. 1.

    Without action by lawmakers and Obama, roughly $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts will start to hit households and companies in early January.

    "Unfortunately, for the last 10 days, with the House and Congress gone for the Thanksgiving recess ... much progress hasn't been made," Durbin said on ABC's "This Week.” 

    Still, lawmakers in both the Democratic and Republican parties have been trying to convince the public - and financial markets - that they are willing to compromise and can reach a deal before the end of the year. 

    The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

  • Post Show Thoughts: Durbin, Ryan debate the economy, 2012

    As David pointed out at the top of this morning's roundtable discussion, "just listening to Chairman Ryan and Senator Durbin, it doesn't sound like the election is actually going to solve anything that's going to lead Washington to govern any better."

    In response to that specific question, House Budget Chair Paul Ryan dinged Democrats and said, "if the last four years is any indication of the next four years under current management, we'll keep kicking the can.  We'll keep making empty promises to voters."

    Senator Durbin, on the other hand, pointed to the now-stalled Simpson-Bowles debt reduction plan as a hope for bi-partisanship in Washington and attacked Paul Ryan for not supporting it.

    "If we're going to compromise and give the American people an answer instead of a political speech or a soundbyte, we've got to get back to the same basic Bowles-Simpson principles that Paul Ryan and, unfortunately, the three House Republicans, refused to vote for."

    There was also a lively debate on our roundtable about the personal attacks taking place on the campaign trail between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

    Obama supporter, and Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker (D), said he was "uncomfortable" with the President's recent ad attacking Romney's record at Bain, and even defended the company. 

    "I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity.  We're getting to a ridiculous point in America... If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses."

    You can watch the entire program on our website to hear more of our discussion with Sen. Durbin and Rep. Ryan; as well as our roundtable conversation that addressed the question: What would happen if the election were today?

    Plus, don't miss PRESS Pass with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about her new book, foriegn policy, and America's role in the world.

    We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press. 

  • Post Show Thoughts: Politics on Easter Sunday

    A slight slowdown in economic growth this week as new unemployment numbers showed that March only added half the amount of jobs February.  We featured a debate this morning on the role government should play in a struggling economy. 

    Ohio governor John Kasich (R) argues that the nation's economic recovery is "too anemic" at the federal level and that his state could be a model. "Ohio's coming back because we set a clear path," Kasich said. "We cut taxes, we balanced our budget... And we've created an environment and an atmosphere for job growth."

    Senator Durbin, on the other hand, argued that following Republican [and Mitt Romney's] proposals for the federal budget would take the country backward and harm economic recovery.

    "I think governor Mitt Romney's approach to this thing sadly is a return to the same economic policy we had under President Bush that brought on the worst recession since the Great Depression."

    As for the GOP horse-race, Governor Kasich has not endorsed anyone and says he will wait until a nominee is chosen before weighing in. However, in the fall, thinks his state's contest will be "tight as a tick," adding that independent voters will be the key.

    Watch our entire program on our website including a special roundtable discussion on the role of faith in our politics and whether or not a politician's religion should matter to voters.

    We were joined by Archbishop-designate of Baltimore William Lori; daughter of Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz; United Methodist Pastor Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO); member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID); and Executive Editor at Random House, as well as author of “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation,” Jon Meacham.

    We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.