Paul Begala

I came to this congress for the jobs package. I compromised a lot. But here's my jobs package. Why won't the house Republic pass it?

He needs a jobs package. And then defy the Republican house not to pass it.

If I were David Axelrod, who I love and admire that he is strategist for the president, I would put a big picture of Henny Youngman in my campaign headquarters.

He needs a big, major jobs package and then defy the Republican house not to pass it.

I don't see it at the grass root yet. Its kind at the elite level. The truth is, his problem with voters is among independents, it's not among his liberal base.

I do think in the last 30 years the anti-tax position in Republican Party has become an article of faith.

If he wants to keep his job, he has to move the needles on the American jobs.

There's not going to be a primary challenge. In fact, President Obama is as strong as he's ever been essentially among Democrats.

I think Governor Perry has less of the capacity to move to the center than a Mitt Romney does.

First off, good for him for going to Eric's place. I mean I'm all for sucking up and Eric has a powerful movement down there.

This is not slavery. This is not civil rights. This is whether we should subsidize air travelers in Ely, Nevada.

It's a Republican-inflicted wound on America, and not even all Republicans. A lot of Republicans think this is crazy, too.

I think it's a monstrous thing. I think it's a terrible thing.

I think it's a route. I don't support their agenda. But if it's cutting taxes and spending, good Lord, this thing is a route.

I think that's a little much, at least for me and I was struck at how very different type of Republican we have in the Senate today.

This is the problem, is that the Commerce Department, Obama's, President Obama's own Commerce Department says that in the last quarter, austerity measures by state, local and federal governments, spending cuts by government, reduced the…

I do wish the Democrats would come forward with a jobs bill.

This obsession on the debt ceiling -- and it's an artificial contrivance -- we just created that as a country -- has distracted from what a lot of people think is a bigger problem, and that is jobs, growth.

He was dealing with folks who he believed were willing to harm the economy to pursue their -- their principles and perhaps even political agendas.

I do wish the Democrats would -- would come forward with a jobs' bill.

He's shown the most political courage. He has put Medicare cuts on the table.

The president has a 14-point advantage right now over the Republicans on this.

Either let us rule entirely, no compromise, or we will ruin the country by pushing us off this cliff on default.

I suppose that may be where it's going. I tend to be more pessimistic about this.

He's shown the most political courage. He has put Medicare cuts on the table -- 78 percent of Americans oppose cuts in Medicare -- but he's put that on the table.