democratic strategist, and it made him look, impotent. >> a democratic official close to the white house who was watching the news conference when the president said there's nothing i can do. i can't wave a magic wand and have a jed i mind trick and nothing i can do to bring them around. it's not a strong politicalization for the president of the united states to take, that he has to at least look like he's trying and he can't be giving up on the idea of bringing the parties together and solving the generation debt problem. >> you covered this president and other presidents and we go back to covering bill clinton and you covered this president. what do you think? do you think that he is serious about this reaching out to republicans and potentially there can be a grand bargain or is it just for show? >> i don't know. that's the question i do raise in my story. he's a very serious man and a very skilled man. it's amazing that he's been leched twice which shows you