likes public policy and likes trying to fix things, yes. and i worked here 40 years ago as a staff member in the senate. and to come back as a senator is almost surreal. but it is pretty -- i mean this, week is pretty awful. i mean, there's no question. >> can i just turn the conversation back? we only have a minute left to the paul ryan op ed. because i've heard republicans talk about maybe this could be a big grand bargain. maybe what we could get out of this is lifting the debt ceiling, reopening the government, normal funding levels, not the sequester levels that house republicans want. >> he suggested in there there are ways to deal with sequester. >> entitlement reforms and tax reform. is that something you think would be ultimately good for the country? >> yes. we do have to do something about the debt and deficit, we do have to do something serious. although the deficit is coming way down. it's fallen 60% in the last year. we're lot better off than we were. but we have to do more. and i think what he's proposing is we ought to at least open