a lesson learned from the recent special election is that medicare cuts were an effective campaigning tool for democrats. i want to cut medicare on the supplier side not the benefits side. that's a distinction that's tough to sell, and i don't think that democrats are going to be happy to make it. >> i think this is a huge victory for the republicans. we now have the capitulator in chief. this goes beyond deal making. >> we have to see what's in the details. >> here's the detail. the detail we know is that the republicans are never going to cave in on tax cuts. >> yeah. >> the other fact of the matter is,the american people are with the president on this. he doesn't have to negotiate, he is in a position of strength. and i think it's better for him to run out the clock than it is to turn on the majority of the american people. and also undercut the democratic strong hold of what's made this nation fantastic, which is