International and domestic news is all on the table for you this morning as we open up the phone lines. Also, send us a tweet. Or post your comment on facebook. Or send us an email. We will get back to that New York Times story. First, some other headlines on the domestic front. Here is the Washington Times. Also, sticking with the senate, the Baltimore Sun reporting this headline in politics, here is the denver post open phones before the first 30 minutes. We have a short show because the house is coming in at 9 00. Steve in gaithersburg, maryland, a republican caller. Caller host when did the Republican Party become the party that restricts poor . I understand the tax cut for the rich is important to some people, but i feel the good thing would be unlimited in of government at the federal level. That has nothing to do with this. That would be more on the spending cuts. Host what do you make of the back a plan being reported by the New York Times saying if we cannot come to some sort of deal, we should just passed tax cuts for the middle class americans and then fight later on for spending cuts and increasing taxes for the wealthy . Caller the tax cut for the general population is great. That would be good for stimulating the economy. But the big thing is hit there needs to be a balanced plan. We need more revenue and we need less spending at the federal level. What is good for california is not good for virginia and whats good for virginia is not good for maryland. Maybe we need to focus on reducing the federal government overview. Been there would not be as much spending or taxes needed. Then let the states deal with the taxes they need to take care of their citizens. Host robert, milwaukee, democratic caller. Caller i would like to say that the Republican Party, not all of them, i think its just the tea party, they are destroying the Republican Party. When i saw senator dole in his wheelchair yesterday and military disabled individuals throughout the world, when they did not pass the ada treaty, which was signed in 1990 by president george h. W. Bush and then it continued on with president bush and clinton and everyone else thereafter, when they did that, now i understand they are just not the party that any of us would want to be involved with. Thats all i have to say. Host the video we just showed was shot by a cspan producer with his iphone. It was the former senator in a wheelchair making his way into the chamber yesterday for that vote. Heres the New York Times with that story. And a screen grab. Seven he sat in support of the tree. He sat in support of the treaty. Hes 89 and is a republican at who was the majority leader. His wife Elizabeth Dole and he left the port and republicans voted down the street. He was recently released from walter reed military center. Now an independent caller from ohio, lee. Caller good morning. I am calling about something i have not heard about. People willing to take the 15 or 20 extra theyre getting from the to tax break, it is coming off their pension when they retire. Social security is based on what you contribute. Host you are talking about the payroll tax cut, extending that possibly as part of the fiscal cliff negotiations. Caller right. It will cost them in the long run. Host because the money is coming out of Social Security. Politicians say that will not happen. They say Social Security will have its money. Caller they tell you all kinds of things. Host john in atlanta, democratic caller. Caller how are you . It seems like it is open phones. I think as far as the fiscal cliff is concerned, the democrats and republicans need to come together and they need to do that rather quickly, because thats the way i feel about it. Host do you think it decides it should just agree to pass the tax cuts extend the tax cuts for middleclass americans and then wait until later to resume the debate over spending and tax cuts for wealthy americans . Caller they should start with that. And if they agree on that, then they can go on to the next thing. But this lagging and dragging along on both sides makes no sense. Host here is the Washington Post this morning. [video clip] i dont think the issue right now has to do with sitting in a room. The issue right now that is relevant is the acknowledgment that if we are going to raise revenues that are sufficient to balance with very tough cuts we have already made and further reforms and entitlements im prepared to make, that we are going to have to see the rates on the top to go up. We are not calling to able to get a deal without it. Host that was the president talking about whether or not he has sat down with House Speaker john boehner, saying you dont need to sit in a room to get it done. Mitch mcconnell in the papers this morning reportedly saying there are no formal talks havent. Those talks continue behindthe scenes. The Washington Post this morning reports in a News Conference last month obama suggested he might let the top rate rise to levels somewhat lower than a 39. 6 . Thats the Washington Post this morning. Below that, governors say the fiscal cliff would hurt their states economies. Several governors met at the white house yesterday and with political leaders to Say Something needs to be done or their economies and on the state level will be heard. Be hurt. Lets go to walter in new jersey, independent caller. Good morning. Caller good morning. I dont know whats wrong with these people, because they have to come to some kind of agreement. The gop has to give ground, taxes wouldybodys go up just to save 2 . It just does not cut it. It is a bad move politically and bad for the country. Host polloi in johnsonville, virginia. Floyd. Caller i was thinking about the fiscal cliff. I dont think thats the problem at. The problem is when we fell off the moral cliff. Our president said gay marriage was ok. And america killing so many babies. Side,e get back on gods Everything Else will take care of itself. Thats the way it is. A guy said it seemed like christians are down and out. Let me tell you, christians are the happiest people there is, because we have read the book and we know how it ends. Kristin people have a better Life Christian people. We need to get on the moral cliff. Host now the Washington Times front page inside the paper, they quote several conservative house lawmakers. An Iowa Republican says the speaker has to look at where the votes are going to come from. And a republican from texas says lot of backlash in the papers after what the speaker put out yesterday, from his own rank and file, including senator jim demint, who represents the Tea Party Caucus in the senate. And this in the Washington Post sticking with the tea party, here is the headline in the Washington Times mike in florida, cocoa beach, democratic caller. Caller good morning. Thank you guys for cspan and for washington journal. That is the program that gave me the capacity to listen to an opinion that is maybe 180 degrees opposite of what i think. What im calling about is we all want to have a strong country. We all want to solve our fiscal problems, but nobody is talking about the military. I lived on a military base four years. Waste is rampant. I lived 3 miles from one today. They put new windows and doors in the house and a new roof and then they tear it down in three years. Ive walked them now they are building a deck outside their Officers Club on the ocean. So much waste is going on with the military. We all want to have a strong country, but what is wrong with changing the accounting principles of our military . They use a budgetary accounting system. That does not work. If they dont use all the money in their budget, then they get their budget cuts. But if they use it all, they get to continue to operate as normal. If you are tearing down buildings that have new windows and a new roof, it seems wasteful. I think that area of our budget needs to be closely looked at so that taking it away from seniors and school kids is the wrong answer. I dont understand why everybody in this country does not get that. Host a tweet now . Mike, an independent caller in wisconsin. Caller the fiscal cliff and are 100 trillion dollar debt, mostly its the fault of the American People. I blame congress in general for not having the courage to tell us the truth, but it is the American People who dont want to deal with that is essentially forcing this thing. Host 1 cumene . Hat do you mean . Caller we have unsustainable debt. It has to be reformed. For decades we have been electing politicians will tell us what we want to hear, but we cannot pay for the programs we want. Until the American People themselves can deal with the truth, were not going to solve this. Contacting our politicians, offering sacrifice of the programs we like is the only solution. Until then, politicians will not have the courage to cut the programs that we simply tell them not to touch. Host here is the editorial in the wall street journal this morning rick . Caller its like a bar tab. We are the runs that ran up the bartec. Our grandchildren will ultimately have to pay it until we realize we have to stop drinking and start paying the bill, nothing will happen. Host what should happen to tax cuts . Caller it should not be one or the other. It should be all of the above. The rich should go back to the clinton era tax cuts where they did a fantastic. The middle class should pay a portion. Everybody should pay something. The big elephant in the room is entitlements. We have to address health care. In the end, like it or not, we will go to a single payer, because it is the only worldwide system that provides services at reduced cost. Host we will keep taking your phone calls. Some other headlines, in the Baltimore Sun, they are reporting manning is confident things will turn out ok if he does not spend the rest of his life in prison. And some other news. We told you about protestors reaching the palace in egypt. This is the headline and picture in the Washington Times 100,000 people protesting against the islamist leader. And in the Baltimore Sun, patriot missiles going to turkey. And in the Washington Post, the front page on syria, the syrian army weakening as rebels make gains in that country. In the New York Times, a school is hit in the violence and school shortages worsening. In germany, the headline in the wall street journal, a popular german chancellor Angela Merkel launches a bid for a third term. We will hear from rick in lodi, california, a republican. Caller the disabilities act is a sham. I am in building construction,. Works. They are already trying to come out with an International Code book on disabilities. Not going tos its change the laws, and he is lying. Host youre talking about yesterdays debate in the senate. Caller exactly. I wish he would be as passionate about try to get people on the west coast back to work. If they would work as hard on that as the disabilities act, this country would not have the fiscal cliff because people would be working. Everybody is always trying to blame the tea party. But tea party did not put this country in debt. But the party is trying to bring it to the attention of the people that these entitlements cannot be afforded any more. It is like your charge card. If you keep charging and taking and taking, pretty soon you have to pay it back. That is what is going on with this fiscal cliff. Its time to pay. Its not the Republican Partys fault. Obama has been in office four years. He has doubled to the trillions of dollars in debt. Host are you a tea Party Supporter . Caller im not affiliated with the tea party, but i am tired of hearing them blame it, because i see the hardworking generation that are in their 60s that paid in and they are saying enough is enough, we are tired of you taking it out of our wallets. We are tired of crazy liberal laws being shoved down our throats. Our rights are being taken away from us day after day and we are like zombies in this country. Host sumter, south carolina, william, a democrat. Were listening to your thoughts this morning on open phones. Caller i am a new listener and a veteran. I am trying to figure out whats going on. When people see that the fiscal cliff and all this other stuff i am trying to understand, how it came about, it was from all the money being spent on war. And i wanted to mention about the veterans. We are the backbone of this country in a sense. Thats what they need to focus on more. Host thanks for calling. And thanks for watching. Bloomberg is reporting this morning that senator reelect Elizabeth Warren from massachusetts is poised to join the Senate Banking committee. And aside story, front page of the Washington Times has this piece about the former president and secret service. Thats the story. The New York Daily News has this picture of mitt romney shopping at costco in california and a dark hat and dark sunglasses. They did not agree on much in the president ial race, but its clear mitt romney and joe biden share a love of bargains, both of them shopping at costco recently. And the Baltimore Sun has this headline on their front page the storm caused 127 million of damage in maryland. Now to republican caller in california, sandy. Caller i just went through an experience with my mother who went from the hospital to a nursing home and was told she could not have any rehabilitation services, that she was only allowed to stay in the nursing home seven days. Then we had to make arrangements with hospice. They will all the paper that seven days. And she has to pay for Everything Else honor own. If hospice came to her house, she will have to pay. She paid into medicare many years. I think all seniors need to be aware and be prepared that this is what will happen to them. Thats my experience. Host in philadelphia, rick is a democratic caller. Caller i cannot believe i got through. The last time i spoke with c span was 2003. Give me about a minute and 30 seconds. Host go caller i think barack obama should keep doing what he is doing, hold his ground. I think it is cold hearted and evil that these rich people dont want to pay what needs to be paid to keep the country running. Everybody in the capital what is the definition of entitlement . People in the capital get pensions and Free Health Care for not even doing anything, and personal cars and things like that. So do they want to be a country unto themselves, a country of texas or a country of florida . Host running out of time. We only have about 30 minutes for open phones this morning. I will have to let you go. The hottest property to emerge from obamas victory over the running is not the much lauded campaign theme, is something far more valuable that is being guarded as jealously as the pentagon, obamas database of 16 million voters, volunteers, and owners. And wall street journal, gop immigration push grows. George w. Bush in a speech yesterday argued immigrants could be a force for good in society, yesterday. In the Baltimore Sun, this headline the Washington Times reported this morning, president obama defaulted on freedom of information act compliances. The front page of usa today as a lengthy piece about poverty in this country. Springfield gardens, new york, independent caller. Caller how are ya . It seems to me that the debt goes up because of the wars. When they want to pay for it, they want to pay for it with entitlements. I heard one of the congressman talking thethey cut 500 billion from the military budget, and he does not talk out the percentage of the military budget that was cut and then compare that to the so called entitlement they want to take away. The last thing i want to say is this, those people first of all, i would like to make it clear i dont have anything against any people, but there seems to be a problem when people to think about israel, because they say that they are entitled to the land because of the bible. But i think people should actually read the bible and find read galatians 244 that says it is an analogy. So it is a story to describe something. Its not even real. Thats all i wanted to say. Host were learning former representative jack brooks, a texas democrat, who was one of the giants of the house during this time, died tuesday at the age of 89. He was in the motorcade when jfk was assassinated in 1963 and later lost his seat in the republican wave in 1994. Many of you had comments on the so called fiscal cliff and that is our topic. Will c. Wood peter welch, a vermont democrat, and chief deputy whip for the democrats. Later, a discussion on the estate tax and Capital Gains tax. We will speak with peter welch, a vermont democrat. We will be right back. Were at the new york state museum. This is art gallery that dedicated to the history of september 11, the attacks at the World Trade Center in new york. We decided to tell the story for the first moments of the attack using objects and photographs from the World Trade Center site. This is a piece of steel from the south tower of the World Trade Center, 4 1 7 th