Paul Begala

The Ryan budget doesn't even reduce the deficit in the first ten years, because it takes the savings from ending Medicare, get this, and gives it to tax cuts for the rich and for oil companies. It's unconscionable.

The Ryan proposal is a setback for that, because it doesn't ask rich people to pay more after they've gotten now three tax cuts, each of which were nearly a trillion dollars.

Yes, the Democrats did go first. I mean I just said they cut half a trillion from Medicare spending for which they were viciously attacked by the same Republicans who now want to do away with Medicare all together.

Medicare, Medicare, Medicare.

Yes, the president is always at his best when he feels like he can bring both sides together. But they did move a long way, both sides. The continuing resolution that they're about to pass in seven days cuts $78.5 billion from the budget…

I just don't think that Mr. Ryan or the Republicans have any credibility here.

We just did a poll, CNN, 85 percent of the American people say we ought to keep Medicare as it is or increase it.

The Republican's priority is to get rid of Medicare and to fund tax breaks for oil companies and other wealthy elites.

Speaker Boehner has a terrible choice. Either he takes the position of the Republican base... or he tries to find a bipartisan solution.

The Republicans are passing a long-term budget, which they have already passed through the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, which according to 'The Wall Street Journal' -- will essentially end Medicare.

They're so hell bent on this, apparently this Planned Parenthood thing that they're willing to shut the entire government down over it.

This is going to be his choice and he's going to sleep on it, I suppose, tonight. Either he takes the position of the Republican base... or he tries to find a bipartisan solution.

I think David Gergen is right in the earlier segment, this is just the warm-up bout. The Republicans are passing a long-term budget... which will essentially end Medicare.

The Democrats say look, we've been arguing about abortion for 40 years in America, and the Hyde Amendment... already says that no federal funding can go to abortion and the Planned Parenthood money goes to non-abortion women's health.

The Republicans killed the budget.

On December 14th, a Democratic controlled Senate Appropriations Committee bundled together all 11 appropriations bills... Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, said, and I'm quoting him here. He said, 'I am actively working to…

He was more specific about the deficit than Congresswoman Bachmann and Congressman Ryan combined.

I wanted a plan, a practical plan. And he seemed to give us that.

$81.5 billion of that deal went straight to the wealthiest two percent Americans, straight to people who make over $250,000 right to fat cats like Fleischer sitting there by you. It makes Democrats really angry -- make Democrats really…

I think they're going to like it, I do. There was this or that that was certainly calibrated to tack for the center or so forth. But you know, mostly progressives love this President. They want him to succeed.

I think this is simple stuff. I have never seen the country more focused on one -- one -- one need, and that is jobs.

Let me tell you, I know -- I will have to actually be covering it, I suppose, and analyzing it for CNN, so I can't do it, but I want a drinking game where, every time he says the word jobs, I get to have a beer.

So, it hammers the middle class, creams the poor, and helps the rich. That's the Ryan plan.

This president has always looked for unity and always called for civility.

I think he mailed a powerful point that when these crises happen, we want to try to impose order on chaos.