Billion in entitlement cuts and for our first halfhour this morning, what do you think of the proposal from the white house . What do you expect might be the reaction from congress . With those two thoughts in mind, give us a call. 202 5853880 for democrats. 202 5853881 for republicans. 202 6280205 for independents. We have posted this on facebook if you want to respond at facebook. Com cspan or you can email us at journal cspan. Org. Highlighted in the pages of usa today this Morning HouseSpeaker John Boehner, the headlines, some of the details of what the white house offered. A little rundown. Host again, thats just some of the highlight from the what the white house offered from tim geithner. Well show you that during the course of our time together. But again, we want your reaction, not just to the proposal itself but what you think congress should do about it. So if you want to give us a call, 202 5853880 for democrats. 202 5853881 for republicans and 202 6280205 for independents. The Washington Post this morning also profiles the man who delivered the message. It was tim geithner. Obamas unlikely negotiator, read the headlines. Another wrote that mr. Geithner plans to step down in january and the fact that he selected him shows how much the president has come to rely on him. The Huffington Post if you were to go to their website has this to add to their story about the proposal itself from tim geithner saying the proposal wasnt new. That have it was presented earlier this month by the president at the white house. Host so again, to reiterate what the proposal is. And like i said, over the course of the next halfhour well show you highlights. But it called for 1. 6 trillion in new revenues and an extension of the Social Security tax, oneyear deferral of sequest vacation and stimulus spending with at least 50 billion in the first year an increase in the debt limit that would change the law for congressional approval. Well show you more but lets hear from you. Duluth, minnesota. Hello. Caller good morning. Thanks for taking my call. My comment is about the fiscal cliff and Social Security, i dont really think that Social Security has really ever been a cause of the deficit. Theres more funds coming in than there is funds being sent out in checks. And this whole security tax is a separate tax from the federal tax. And host so this proposal includes the extension of the payroll tax cut. What do you think of that proposal . I think thats fine. I think extending the payroll tax is probably something were going to have to look at doing. But when they Start Talking about using Social Security money, that botters me, because Social Security is never needed has never needed federal dollars before to fund the program. Host ok. Off of twitter this is reding who says they have not offered a deficit reduction plan. Republican big pledges tax reform and closing unspecified tax loopholes. Arthur, good morning. Go ahead. What do you think about the proposedal . Caller i think the proposal is kind of ludacris. But i really think that the republicans should back away. They should take their people, stand back and let the democrats have their way and let them do what they want to do and when everything melts down in four years, the republicans will be back in power. Host you said it was ludicrous. What exactly is it about the plan that you find lose cyst, in your stpwhords well raising taxes on the wealthy is not sensible at all. Im 63 years old. Ive seen it done over and over and over again. I lived through regan. I lived through watching jimmy carter bring this country down to the ground. And thats exactly what the democrats are going to do if they follow 4 throw with all these proposals that they want to do. Thats why im saying, let the democrats have their way, back away from the table and sit back and let them do what they want to do and well see what happens. Host this is john boehner from yesterday talking about the white house and congressional leadership. Heres what he had to say. The president has warned us of the dangers of going over the fiscal cliff, but his actions have not masked his public statements. Members of his own party seem quite comfortable in sending the economy over the fiscal cliff. Two weeks ago we had a very productive conversation at the white house. But based on where we stand today i would say two things. First, despite the claims that the president supports a balanced approach, the democrats have yet to get serious about real spending cuts. And secondly, no substantive progress has been made in talks between the white house and the house over the last two weeks. Listen, this is not a game. Jobs are on the line. The American Economy is on the line. And this is a moment for adult leadership. Host up next on the proposal that was offered by the white house on the fiscal cliff. This is jon. Independent line. Hello. Caller hello. First of all, happy holidays. Not sure. Happy holidays, anyway. Second of all, you people are journalists. You people are true journalists. I watch every day of the week. And one more thing, that fool that called yesterday, must be a product of inbreeding the way i dont know how they let him in. Host before we go back to yesterday, what do you think of the proposal today . Caller well, you dont know what they do behind closed doors. What they put out to the public is one thing and from both parties. They both have a little spin here and there. Politicians to me, ha, i could tell you a story that happened when i was a kid in the 1950s. Im originally from new york and some woman asked a politics who was running, why should i vote for you . And he said outright, because time biggest crook in this neighborhood and that guy was always voted in all the time because he was honest. We dont know what goes on behind closed doors. People are getting all worked up about this. They let their emotions get the best of them. Host so youre saying youre not worried about what might happen or youre thinking something might change before the end of the year . Caller something might change before. Host kansas city, mizuho missouri secure they . Hello. Caller yes. That was just an election, and this was the best and the president won. So there. Appear them to start now to put this roadblock shows that they are not serious. Let the democrats come back with legislation and lets see how the public votes. Host what do you think about the 1. 6 trillion in new taxes. Entitlement cuts but what do you think of those aspects of what the white house is offering . Caller republicans have been against every type of Social Security, medicare, but all you have to know is that there is no way you can cut your way to a balanced budget. Host from maryland, republican line. Hello. Caller i watch you every morning. They keep talking about entitlement. Why dont we cut some of these entitle appellants to politicians . The state and the federal. It was just in the paper. The state workers are getting a 47 cost of living raise a 4 cost of living raise. What about their transportation is paid for, their insurance, their food. Their hotels. They get six figures of pay, plus all they do is campaign. Obamas in the air again, campaigning in p. A. Today. Could you imagine what it cost us for him to constantly campaign since 2006 . Host so far his proposal has entitlement cuts. 4 billion. What do you think of that as a proposal at least to talk about as the discussion goes forward . I say take some from them. Host but what do you think about the cuts to the entitlement programs themselves . Some need to be cut, granted. Because theres too many people setting back and doing nothing. They talk about medicare. Im 68. Im on medicare. I have no medical care. If youre overweight or on drugs, you get free transportation. They can cut that back. But i mean, as far as yes, theres some people that need help. Host rick. Ohio, independent line. Caller yes. When you start breaking this stuff down, first of all, you have to identify your problem. If you knew what was going on right now, i would say 90 of the problems can be directed to the state of texas. Thats where the last five wars are started. Thats where halliburton and brown and root is. Thats your Largest Military base in the world. Thats where all your nafta and all your illegal labor. Host i dont understand the connection to what we are talking about. Caller well, youre talking about the fiscal cliff. That could be sucked out. 1. 5 trillion out of our economy a year for oil and war. Thats texas and virginia. Texas and virginia is your war. Now youre talking about taxes. If voted go to delaware. Thats where all your tax shelters are and your credit card companies. A trillion dollars in credit card debt. Now you go to the state of new york host youre saying overall states are the problem . Theres three states in this country that are responsible for 95 . You have the east coast jews. Host ok. Wild and wonderful from twitter this morning, better the fiscal cliff than the one that could result from a compromise for compromises sake. On the democrats line, hi. Caller thank you for taking my call. Host go ahead. Caller no problem. I just wanted to say that, you know, awful smart guy came one some pretty good ideas. I live in rightwing i mean, this is very republican and conservative area, here. And just about everybody i know , the republicans want to see taxes raised on the very rich, and youve got a guy making 10 million a year paying lower taxes than his secretary. You know, paying lower taxes percentagewise, thats crazy. We need to fix this. Host lets hear from we heard from Speaker John Boehner before. Lets hear from the Senate Majority leader harry reid responding to what has been out there regarding the fiscal cliff talks. This is from yesterday. Republicans know where we stand. Weve said it and said it and said it so many times. The president said the same thing. Its been at least two weeks since we met at the white house and were still waiting for a serious offer from the republicans. Really now is the time for the republicans to move past this happy talk about revenues, illdefined of course, and put specifics on the table. The president made a proposal. We need a proposal from them. The proposal includes 1. 6 trillion in new revenues. Other proposals out. Some deal with unspecified entitle cuts and some spending, theres a writeup in usa today. Well show you that during the course of this segment. But thats the proposal as far as it was delivered by the secretary. I suppose more reaction will come today. But were getting your thoughts on ways to prevent this from happening, you can alsoal reach out to us on twitter and facebook. Here is front royal, virginia. Ramona on our republican line. Ramona, are you there . I am here. Caller thank you for let me me speak. I am for keeping the bush tax thing. For the majority of people. But for the upper 2 , let that go back to the old tax thing. But do not penalize people for making money, and producing things for the country and hiring people, which is where the upper income, that 2 usually do. But lets do keep the middle class taxes intact. Host do you think that raising those taxes on the upper brackets wont be a penlization of their earnings or what they do . Caller i think maybe, but it might satisfy the stupid democrats who like the speaker that just spoke policies to him. Not much. Because of that, we would concede to that. If it just raises the taxes, but not to penalize them. Just raise their taxes as it was prior to the bush holding of taxes. Host heres mike from ohio, independent line. Caller morning, pedro. Host morning. Caller the problem were having right now is we still have a twoparty system. The system is so corrupt theres no way a party can get in. Can anybody say iceland . Iceland had the right idea. They went in, threw all the banksters in jail that were creating all this fraud and anybody hear about the libor rating out of london, england . What were going through is nothing compared to what will hit us. Because they have been able to keep it quiet is because they have Goldman Sachs and those. Look at london. Can anybody say Goldman Sachs . We need to wake up. If not, our corrupted leaders are not going to do anything. Host twitter john says more taxes. No cuts, soaring deficits. Sounds about right. We hear next from fort lauderdale, florida. This is jeffrey on the democrats line. Caller yes. Im calling concerning the fiscal cliff. I was wondering funding is going to be cut off such as unemployment. Id like to know where do it stand and what is it being done . Host an update this morning on the former president george h. W. Bush this according to reports out of houston saying he was in the hospital thursday for treatment of a lingering cough. He is 88 years old and has been in and out of the hospital recently because of complications due to wrongitis. They say expect the president to be released on saturday. He has been under hospital care for nearly a week. This is the republican line. Hello . Steve . Good morning. Caller yes. Good morning. Pedro, off question and comment. One problem is completely out of control. And they continue to dont want to touch in this country. Because the prices of the medical are too government i dont want to medicare, keep complaining about and because the hospital and they never contribute that much noun medicare. And they put all the money they could toward the working if you add them up, its not that much money. Host to the proposal at hand, what are your comments or thoughts about it . Caller i think it should be cut a lot more than what they cut, because environment is what is killing this country and upping medical costs. They should get the sobel security. But i thought thats what the problem is and the congress and legislator to stop to fay medical. Host well leave it there. You may have seen this picture, its the president of the United States in the oval office with his foreman opponent, mitt romney. According to some it was a private launch the featured turkey chili and the actual conversation that never happened while two president ial nominees are come paining against each other, they pledge to keep in touch and maybe even Work Together all that according to what happened behind closed doors, the two men themselves never faced reporters. As you look that the picture, we will go to the independent line. Caller hello. Hi, id like to know what happened to the cuts to the military spending. Were hearing about these entitlement cuts but whabbed what about the medical taxpayer cuts . When are we actually going to see returns from that . And what about the savings we were supposed to get they called it Affordable Care act not obama, where are the savings . All were seeing is more taxes, but im not seeing where are the doubts our bigbudget items like the military. Host all that was mentioned as far as the 4 billion and entitlements. But where is the military cuts . Host what do you think about what is put out on the table . Caller well, i think that the revenues that they are talking about, the top 2 , they are not really going to, like people say it only covers eight days of the budget, they are symbolic. I think the real things would have to be cuts to the programs i dont think republicans want to give up. The military is a jobs program as they see it. Host calvin. Up next, democrats line. Caller hello. How are you doing . Host fine, thank you. Caller i want to comment on the deal that was made yesterday. I think the republicans should go ahead and take that deal, because you got to realize, this the top 2 are saving up their money and have been for 30 years. They have not been taxed enough for 30 years. Can you imagine how much money the top 2 have right now . And them republicans, just trying to save their money. I mean, thats the bottom line that what i think is if they dont let the democrats let their budget go, we should go ahead and we will be going off the fiscal cliff. Thank you. Host fort lauderdale, florida. Republican line, pete. Caller hello . I actually believe all these numbers that were showing up here on tv are just smoke and mirrors. Basically the important part was the last one where he doesnt need congressional approval to change anything. This, the government is basically set up to govern themselves, each step of the way to make the rules. He doesnt want that to happen. He wants to make the rules himself, this is not that type of place. Just looking, everybody is concerned about the 1. 6 in taxes, blah, blah, blah. Thats nothing. The last part is the important part, because now he can have complete control over everything and anything. Host before you keep going on to highlight for the viewers at home maybe did not see this. Part included the changing of the current la that specifically goes to requiring congressional approval. Go ahead feignedish your point, caller. Caller like i said, the last part is the important part. The last part, he is going to twist it. Like Everything Else he has been doing, trying to go through little back doors slipping this and that in, that would change the current law requiring congressional approval . It just doesnt make sense. Host heres the photo from the u. N. Yesterday. The headline is the u. S. Heightens the state of palestine, this is Mahmoud Abbas congratulated by turkeys foreign minister as this took place as 130 countries agreed to upgrade palestine to trying to palestine and going on in the story of break downs, 138 countries in favor, nine opposed, 41 abstaining so the president is backing for the palace at a difficult time host one more call. Ron, this is evansville, indiana on our independent line. Caller how are you doing . Host fine, thank you. Caller well, i tell you, a lot of people just aint getting whats going on here. The republicans are trying to defund the government to the point where they can get rid of the social programs they cannot stand. They cant come in and just willy nily say they are over but they can defund the government and legitimately say we can e we cant afford them. They divided the country in half and turned part of the country against the other part thinking its all their fault. Well, its not. Its been a plan by the republicans to defund the government so they can get rid of these social programs they dont like. The job craterors. Where are they at . 10 years of bush tax cuts and lower jobs. They are not creating the jobs. 30 of the g. D. P. In this country comes from banking. They dont have 1,500 employees working on a manufacturing line. They have that money