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And welcome to FOX News Sunday panel plus with -- Brit Hume Bob Woodward build trust dole and Evan Bayh and Edwards since we finished the show.
We've continued to talk about our second panel and really.
And a week before the inauguration.
The challenges facing both the president.
And also the Republican leadership in the house because that's the one of those branch of government when I do have control.
Going forward Brit I -- if you had fifteen seconds to make complicated statement at the very again -- had expand on your thoughts well I've.
Just think that the reason why it the parties can't agree on these major questions and had to do -- spending and taxes and debt is that.
Each side would be asked to give up something that is extremely dear.
In order to get a deal -- in effect beach side is being asked to give up what they hope to get from the negotiations.
From the deal to get the deal.
And that's a formula for this kind of still may we now have I mean I think it is manifestly clear.
That the president and his party are determined to protect entitlement spending to the extent it possibly can.
The president has made some noises and some gestures in the direction of entitlement reform.
But then nothing has ever really come of them.
The Republicans can't get where they -- -- go -- they wanna see the country go without doing that.
The president would need to raise huge amounts of taxes beyond way beyond.
What he is now shown he's willing to do in order to try to avoid -- retrenchment in the spending in that area.
But he has shown no disposition to do retrenchment either.
So we're in a -- situation where it looks like this deficit debt problem was -- worsen in the next several years and I wonder if that's down deep.
What the president wants to leave behind it won't -- certainly won't look good in the history.
Bob you were talking during the show about the fact that they're going to be Republican retreat this week and trying to figure out.
What signals from a group video was pressed a little darling did speak to them me.
About waiting for guidance when it comes out and rove then everything.
That's kind of an image I have to think about for a -- but but but here's the thing.
The Democrats law that won the White House they picked up seats in the senate and even though that the Republicans held on.
To the house in fact more people voted for democratic.
Numbers for congress.
Then voted for Republican members of congress -- just because of the that Republicans actually got the majority of seats so it seems to me to that it -- there's soul searching that needs to be done is the Republicans that need to do it.
How debate I mean whether it's its gap and they obviously have made a big concession on taxes whether it's immigration reform a lot of these issues.
How -- they maintain their core values but on the other hand -- understand that.
That the platform they presented to the country in 2012 was rejected but yet.
The well but do we really wasn't rejected and I think the soul searching he's got to be two way street how do you see it as not having been protective of well first of all the Republicans did retain the house and they have you know that is city.
Effectively a veto power over any legislation.
Or deal but.
You know it is Paul Ryan and live with the budget chairman in the house who I think says this in a way didn't even know Obama agrees with -- -- is.
The problem.
Confronting the country.
Is runaway spending on entitlement you hit the entitlements Medicare Medicaid Social Security you have to get control of this.
The president his intellectual way and when I talked to -- six months ago he said oh yes.
Not cutting these things is untenable.
But -- right -- -- these are noises but when it comes down to sitting at the table and making the deal -- really cutting something.
That has not happened it's got to happen it's -- Any sign maybe you know in the in the -- of the election I'm not gonna caved to them again do you see any sign that this president is going to be willing to make.
Entitlement reform that will really.
Make people in his -- yell Holler as part of the grand park not enough.
And indeed it's really got to happen and -- you you pose exactly the right question do you want four more years.
No way action these things that just kind of -- -- small Boris solutions or do you want something that says we're gonna dress what if someone acknowledges.
Is a real problem I go back to.
Whose responsibility.
In the end is that it's the president.
He's the leader he's got to -- he's got to define and that's kind of is.
Number one challenge in the coming.
Months I'm sure.
They'll argue that I do think speaker Boehner has a tough job and really -- about -- and I said in a couple what's gonna show that I thought Republicans should compromise on.
Tax increases and got a bunch of phone calls and emails from members of congress -- I didn't run on that I ran -- -- any tax hike and they didn't run on it and as Bob says they want.
So -- it's kind of the public choice issue of us and our collective.
-- problem he individual Republican member feels correctly that he.
Posted to this position has yet to do what he said he would do which is gonna guess attacks like -- from a sort of collective point of view.
There's a president and there's another body the senate and in this case I think and speaker -- that the right thing and ended up letting tax hikes passed in the senate or letting taxes on the wealthy go into effect.
With the support of only a third of the caucus this might have to happen on a couple of other issues like -- and we ask a question.
99.
Plus percent of Americans.
-- the bush tax cuts were institutionalized.
They were passports or ever.
Why isn't that a huge Republican.
I think I debater than -- pretty good job be kept taxes low and we -- a moderate Republicans.
Take.
They -- get an answer quite run on that and also is that we I think you restrict just -- some of -- there -- also I think limits that there -- tax -- that took off the table for the next few years and I think -- limited President Obama and I respect about 600 billion dollars over ten years which is little less than he thought hoped to get to fund.
The offers -- I think properly understood Republicans say you know what given that we had -- -- -- said is that -- -- stands.
They did a pretty good job of that negotiation.
Going forward though I mean they have a very Dicey situation they have the -- that ceiling which is what mid late February 3 followed by the continuing resolution running at the end of march NASA -- west -- a sequester.
They would watch that's always the hardest of those Republicans to fight on because people are spooked by what would happen if we went to forget the debt -- And I know that the speaker's staff and other Republicans -- it.
Are trying to think creatively about how to -- -- these fights so they get him on -- more advantageous playing field but it's it's tricky.
It is little this little thing that don't miss this whole thing Chris on the the the budget deal with the end it was a big victory philosophically for the Republicans they got 99% of what they wanted.
But that shows how absolutist -- polarize the political processes -- -- -- 99% isn't good enough anymore.
And you've got outside groups of a lot of money that enforce political.
Well orthodoxy that punish any deviancy.
And so what used to be viewed as an act of statesmanship principled compromise now is viewed as an act of betrayal and that's why the most likely scenario going forward.
-- minimalist steps I group's efforts and it's likely that the deficit will continue on and an unsustainable level.
Will periodically take small steps toward correcting it but not enough to actually get the job done and tell the markets or some other outside forces -- to force.
But that's just what it is about to run out quickly finals and I don't mean.
Effect here the really the reason Republicans were unhappy.
In this fiscal cliff deal is they got no spending cuts no entitlement reform.
Which they know and Obama knows is the real problem that has to be addressed.
-- a stronger position on the debt ceiling because of the sequester working in the background that automatically goes into effect if nothing is done.
It's the reverse of the situation of tax increase taxes going up if nothing was done.
Thank you panel.
Check in with us throughout the -- let us know what you think about all these issues look for -- Monday edition of Wallace unplugged.
Which you can find right here at FOX News Sunday dot com we'll see it next Sunday for the president's.
Inauguration.
