after the election said we owe it to the american people to focus on their concerns, which are jobs. and right now we need to do that and the way to do that is to provide some certainty so people can get hired and the way to do that is you don't raise taxes on anyone in the middle of a recession, chris. >> but it does seem to be drawing a line in the sand and it does seem to send a message, excuse me, that the senate can only get one thing done at a time. and while i understand the republican argument that this was a change election, i also have to say that 75% of people in our nbc poll said that they're afraid the country is headed for a period of division with parties showing little willingness to work together or to compromise. does this letter, in fact, send the signal but by drawing a line in the sand the republicans are all about business as usual? >> the line in the sand and the message i think that this letter sends is, let's focus on, as the president says, what we owe to the american people, which is to