Sen. Graham: Obama 'playing small ball'

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President Obama and house speaker John Boehner met face to face for the first time in more than three weeks hoping to kind of hammer out some kind of budget deal for this fiscal -- situation.

This as more Republican lawmakers -- Airways over the weekend saying that they are indeed open.

To raising taxes but only return for a plan that would get them a significant.

Amount of cuts in entitlement spending here's some of that and Sunday.

-- I accept a tax increases apart.

A deal to actually solve our problems yes.

I -- -- for for honesty minute F for effort you can't get it done Georgia we're going to solve the -- into bankruptcy and wish you deal with the structural reforms.

-- entitlement spending.

And -- Carolina Republican.

Senator Lindsey Graham joins us now having -- out by the New York senator.

Adamant craziness of Washington has a -- is -- my passport it's burns and the -- -- up at.

Okay let's not negotiating tactics does it make sense at this point again.

What is it did undercut John Boehner leverage when folks go out there and say you know well.

Were were willing to go even 39 point 6% back to the Clinton rates has -- -- -- over the weekend helped pull.

While I think is helpful to us -- for Republicans to show on the revenue side were willing to move but.

I believe in capping deductions -- Simpsons is a bipartisan proposal they didn't raise rates that getting the 66 senators three Democrats or Republicans.

They didn't raise raise -- cap deductions or create revenue raising rates has sort of a partisan political trophy for Obama.

I don't wanna go down that road -- put revenue on the table only if they they doing -- reform and here's what I don't hear I don't hear any.

Democrat of note saying here's what I would do on the entitlement side so far Republicans.

-- just be quiet for a while and see what the Democrats on the table for entitlement reform.

I you know but with that the big debate last week was -- Republicans saying we are gonna do exactly what you sat we're only gonna do.

You know cuts and in deductions were gonna eliminate loopholes that's how -- to get revenue that's our way to get revenue right.

It seem like over the weekend at least for some of them the whole issue dissolved into an acceptance of an increase in tax rates with the president made perfectly clear.

He said there's no deal unless I get that that's what I ran on American people are expecting.

What here's where the president has got to have a rude awakening.

We'll get to the end of the year and they'll probably be some small deal to get -- past the end of the year costs sequestration hits in January.

Wipes out the Department of Defense a lot are draconian cuts across the board and taxes on everyone goes up so I hope Boehner and Obama can find a way to avoid.

The initial effects of the fiscal cliff.

But in February or march you have to raise the debt -- and I can tell you this there's a hardening on the Republican side we're not gonna raise the -- -- it.

We're not -- -- Obama barring any more money or any American congress barring any more money into the week.

Fix this country from becoming -- and that requires significant -- -- reform.

To save -- -- in bankruptcy from.

So -- -- from bankruptcy so security is going bankrupt in about twenty.

20/20 five years.

Medicare's going bankrupt in fifteen or twenty years and now the baby boomers are coming in 101000.

A day and we just can't sustain it.

Present -- -- -- where we're not gonna say that came.

Is that woman must never outlet when they present healing up and -- to tell you right now you said something to this effect we are not gonna play that yes we.

We'll play that game Mr.

President -- not a game to game -- playing a small ball.

You're talking about raising rates on the top 2% that would run the government for eleven days -- got reelected how about doing something big that's not.

Liberal how about doing something big that really has -- partisan every big guy -- has is a liberal idea.

That drowns us in -- how about.

Manning up here Mr.

President and use your mandate to bring this country together to stop us we're becoming -- how about doing what Boehner what Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did.

You know this political trophy wanna raising rates runs the government for about eleven days so when it comes debt -- time mr.

Preston.

You gonna have a Republican Party -- gonna make sure we save Medicare so ski from bankruptcy.

And we save this country from becoming grace are you and you want a in in his one of this proposal is we should never.

Have any -- congressional check and balance of raising the debt ceiling.

He got elected president the idea that kinda that's going nowhere he's not -- -- they are you saying that the Republicans are willing to go to 39 point 6% to to back to that rate.

But the place where they will hold the line is on the debt -- The rates go up no matter what we did they needs the revenue component of any big deal I think capping deductions is better than raising rates.

But there come a day in February and march.

Where we have to raise the debt ceiling -- trillions of dollars for sixteen -- in -- is it responsible to keep borrowing money.

And never -- -- your debt began with in the long term indebtedness this country.

Is the baby boomers retiring putting pressure on Medicare Medicaid and Social Security.

So I hope my party will look out for the country not just the party itself and push this president to do something he's never done before.

Lead in about partisan like the White House says it they have come up with a trillion dollars in cuts that they've done just that the -- -- this a joke.

Have you seen any market reaction to their plan.

They do nothing to keep Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security from going -- -- there's an interest on the president's part.

To save this -- for the future.

You know or is it is it just a political talking -- is a small ball guy he's afraid of his own party.

He's afraid going into a progressive meeting and say.

If we don't adjust the age for retirement means test benefits for Social Security Medicare they're gonna go bankrupt a possibility to change those programs in a way that would really make a real change down the rabbit that he would be remembered for what I would like him to be remembered for president -- -- social security and Medicare from bankruptcy about working Republicans.

But he seemed to have no inclination to be remembered for any -- than a guy who that has a small view.

Our fiscal situation.

His proposal.

That he offered to Boehner was literally a joke is at fifty billion dollar stimulus package erase taxes by one point six -- -- the did nothing to save social security and Medicare.

They'll come a day in this called the debt ceiling debate.

Republicans will have leverage to save this country from becoming -- I hope we're strong enough as a party to seize that moment.

You'll see how back senator Graham thank you always good to have -- -- enjoy your visit here and keep shopping and Christmas lights and all of it why can't bring it back to Washington with a passport thank you sir did you get a set.

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Sen. Graham: Obama 'playing small ball'

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