Paul Begala

But we also have a federal agriculture policy that has been driven by corporations and by corporate agriculture conglomerates, instead of small family farmers.

If we didn't have an agriculture policy, mostly fostered by Republicans, I have to say, that favors these giant corporate agribusiness combines, then our kids would be healthier.

The guy has been... a magician. They need to build a statue to him.

The president personally lobbied on this in the most effective way. He didn't go out and make a big public statement about it.

The vital signs here are jobs. Can he create more jobs? We don't have enough jobs being created in this presidency.

The guy has been -- (CROSSTALK) ... a magician.

The President personally lobbied on this in the most effective way. He didn't go out and make a big public statement about it.

I think he's doing all he can. I agree with his economic theory, but the reality is, we need more jobs in this country.

The problem is, the majority doesn't rule in the Senate. The Senate is supposed to be deliberative and slow and difficult.

This is like -- Lincoln told a story about the man who murdered his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.

I -- I -- President Obama, I know, called her last week and personally lobbied her on this.

It's usually a safe bet that things die in the Senate. That's been the pattern for many years now.

The problem is the majority doesn't rule in the Senate. The Senate is supposed to be deliberative and slow and difficult but it also -- and I've checked the Constitution, it's supposed to run on a majority. Not 60.

This was -- this was the Republican talking point. See they are saying that if the senators have to work somehow that offends Jesus.

They even filibustered the -- the -- the help for these 9/11 first responders. They will filibuster anything in order to get their tax cuts for the rich.

You know, it's -- it's usually a safe bet that things die in the Senate. That's been the pattern for many years now.

If all of the $8 billion, $8 billion of earmarks in this bill, if they're eliminated, instead of a deficit of $1.3 trillion, we'll have a deficit of $1.292 trillion and at that pace, we will pay off the deficit in 163 years.

The Democratic Party is the party that balanced the budget the last time it was balanced. The Republicans haven't balanced the budget in over 60 years.

But when the Republicans had the House, the Senate and the White House they destroyed all of our fiscal discipline.

Yes. I think any congressionally-directed spending is an earmark. Now I don't think all earmarks are bad at all, as long as they're transparent, disclosed, subject to debate.

A lot of people in diplomacy particularly at his level are very bright and a few people are very tough, but it's never the same person. Richard always was the toughest and the smartest guy in the room.

He didn't say that he would just make cynical political deals. And I think that's what this is.

I would have one important correction. They didn't have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, or they would have done this.

The president is the commander in chief of the military. If he believes, as he says, that discriminating against, kicking 14,000 men and women who are qualified and serving honorably, 14,000, kicking them out, that hurts his military, he…

I believe in a democracy. It is the sacred obligation of every citizen to support and protect and defend its country.