Deal with a budget that does balance in the next we 10 years whether you accept his math or not. How can you do that when the media preordained where we just got a counselor looking into this they have already said it is they facto fact already russia is controlling this country like it controlled the election and he is a puppet. This is on the cover of a major newsweekly, incredible. Fair and balanced, i think it not. For the next two hours we will step back from this to put it in perspective. We just hired someone to get to the bottom of this, former fbi director and you already have the media saying you dont have to bother. We already tarred and feathered and painted him red. Is that fair, is that balanced . It is not which could explain why an administration about to take off on its first key foreignpolicy trip Donald Trumps first as president of the United States is trying to get to work on the agenda but got him elected in the first place, that will include a lot of maneuverings behind the scenes on tax cuts, Regulatory Reform and addressing entitlements, not all entitlements for the kind of stuff that supposedly the American People are interested in. Blake berman with the latest. There is a focus on fiscal issues before the president goes abroad for this major and first 9day foreign trip, and with the omb director mick mulvaney. We could surmise good part of the discussion on the budget, the white house tells us next week they plan to roll out a bigger form of the budget at least their proposal and they tell us this morning that the goal will be to have a balanced budget over the course of ten years. However they intend to do this or propose it with pretty major cuts amounting into the trillions of dollars they will propose over time. Here are highlights from the proposed budget that will be rolled out next week, there will be no change to Social Security and medicare. There will be cuts the white house wants to medicaid, food stamps, federal Employee Benefit programs just to name a few but there will also be a new program, paid parental leave, something democrats have been pushing for quite some time, one of the biggestishes for donald trump, 2. 6 billion federal funding for the border wall. Part of the assumptions the tax reform will get done and there will be 3 growth by the year 2021 and if you look at the tax reform picture i was speaking with treasury official moment ago told me they are optimistic and you look at comments by paul ryan and Steve Mnuchin yesterday in washington ryan saying we are making good progress, Steve Mnuchin saying i am hopeful that we will get tax reform done this year. On the economic front still a push from the white house as they feel confident, they feel good about where things stand going forward. Stuart blake berman. On the issue of tax cuts, i spoke to the head of the house, ways and Means Committee on fox news and he made it clear they are going about their business coming up with a doable tax cut that would be ready by late this summer. Paul ryan echoing that earlier this morning saying that is the goal to get all of this done and wrapped up. There is a separate drama around the healthcare sing that if cbo score that is slated next week they might have to revote on that in the house. It is a moot point for the senate which is starting from scratch but i mention all these examples to put to bed this issue. Which my director just kicks off the floor when i threw it but it really bothers me. Former bush 41 campaign advisor, national chairman, gop strategist. What do you make of this . The media is jumping on the fact, there is no denying influence to this day at this time that the white house has all but moved to moscow. What do you make of this . It occurred the same day we are seeing a pretty aggressive republican series of initiatives on this domestic agenda which might or might not, you wouldnt know it from the covers. Your viewers dont have to take it from you or me or the republican strategists, democrat senators said the same thing, theres no evidence. What is happening now is parallel universes, National Beltway media and what really matters at home in the states. What really matters at home in the states is congress, house and senate, we have a majority, comparable legislation aimed at job reform across the board and healthcare on the president s desk. That is how you get things done in washington, not waiting around hoping malays will wash over washington, sitting around in neutral waiting for something to happen. They say the best defense is a very gd ofnse. Neil that is the attack republicans want to make, making progress on all the tax related funds even the budget thing in the house, not so sure in the senate where there is very little wiggle room but what do you see happening . This is a situation where you have to play the ball. We have a special prosecutor, special prosecutor will continue the investigation. Stuart say that again. We have a special prosecutor looking into this. This cover which prejudges his work is a waste of time. I just threw that in. There are 82 legislative days left on the calendar. Paul ryan is optimistic about tax reform and speaking to Business Owners and individuals around the country they are anxious for this kind of reform, to get the corporate rate down to make america more competitive for business and what is important to remember is despite the Ongoing Investigation republicans control the agenda. Dont forget the sweetener they added in in 2018 that is not on the agenda for this year but on the agenda right before the midterms which is infrastructure. Tell me those ten democratic senators, 12 democratic representatives want to go home and explain to their constituents why they are not addressing crumbling bridges and roads. Neil sometimes i wonder if those in the media will let them. On these stories we talked about it quite often, i am all for what is going on, progress or lack thereof on the russian investigation. I have time to talk about what is happening with the market. Im not going to prejudge that investigation or show you the Time Magazine cover because they wont get it back to me now so i can blame it on their rounds. I was so incensed by that. Going ahead and prejudging where all of this will end up, the white house is und communist influence, we might as well move the white house to red square. You are clearly trying to stop an agenda you may not like or the media may not like or those on the left may not like but you cant make this stuff up. That time covers proof the only collusion going on in washington, pick it up again. Between the media and the democrats. The only collusion going on, and old arabic proverb that says though the dog may bark the caravan moves on and the republican caravan moves on. People look at what has taken place on real substantive policy issues, brandnew trade representative, his first day on the job, and renegotiation of nafta. Steve mnuchin and gary cohen met with the Senate Finance committee, there are hearings on infrastructure and healthcare. The caravan moves on, policy agenda moving on, the bigger threat to progress, 82 legislative days, increase by 20 or 30. I say Congress Stays in session during the congress recess, they shouldnt get there are cargoes to break unless we get our tax break. Neil then you will flap around all week. Thanks very much. Again, we dont want to overly stress this. Think about what is being done here and framed here that there is simply no logic to continuing on with anything going on in washington because congress cant walk and chew gum at the same time. There i say you took that magazine away. There i say, get it for me, getting his work out, this is what the media is saying, we cant walk and chew gum at the same time, we cant reports on anything else at the same time, do what we do g this. If there is any there we are on top of that latest developments, closeddoor meetings and guys come out, talk to the microphones but theres other stuff going on like this budget thing where they are trying to come up a way to balance it in ten years if that is doable, they are trying to come up with the tax package, trying to come up with a way to score the healthcare thing, even if it means they have to revote on it so we are walking and chewing gum at the same time. The media has an obligation to walk and chew gum at the same time. This. Wrong, america. Wrong. Break through your allergies. Try new Flonase Sensimist allergy relief instead of allergy pills. It delivers a gentle mist experience to help block six key inflammatory substances. Most allergy pills only block one. New Flonase Sensimist changes everything. What we do every night is like something out of a strange dream. Except that the next morning it all makes sense. 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Stuart this is before the president takes off coming up with an fbi director, Joe Lieberman leading the pack but in wont happened necessarily today. That is what we are told. Connell mhaneith other details. Connell the president is leavg for overseas in a minute so with white house officials, makes the comments and the president very interesting, talking about senator lieberman, when he was top candidate to be the next director, he is, if there was a trial balloon, the reaction was mixed. If you look at congress, even though lieberman spent three of his four terms in the senate as a democrat it was former colleagues on that side of the aisle that have been raising the questions. Listen. It is a mistake to nominate anyone who has ever run for office. I spent a lot of time in Law Enforcement. This is a moment we need a Law Enforcement professional Never Campaigned for a president ial candidate, Never Campaign for office, never worn a party label to head the fbi. Connell the argument against. The idea that he was a senator respected on both sides is part of the argument in favor of Joe Lieberman. Since the fbi director does need senate approval. In a very divided Nations Capital and very divided country Joe Lieberman is the only person who could get 100 votes in the senate. Connell the resume, three terms in the senate, you mentioned earlier he was a democrat for one period and one term as an independent from connecticut, also background state attorney general, we see legislative notes and accomplishment, Homeland Security committee, repeal of dont ask dont tell, helping the depravity of Homeland Security get started. One of the concerns in addition to political background for lieberman as you look at the other candidates that have been mentioned, he is 75 years old. Fbi director abnormal term is 10 years. We dont know if the president is going back to the drawing board but we thought we might get an announcement before he left for overseas and we are told in the last few minutes by white house official that is unlikely. Neil former fbi director mark mueller in charge of being special counsel of the whole russian trump investigation, could take some time here. That is a separate drama that has to play out and it could be a while and the former white house independent counsel on this process, show you this again and thank you for getting it here, Time Magazine has already concluded it is all true. All the allegations are true, Trump White House has been moved to moscow. We dont need to have an investigation. We do need to have an investigation in the countrys best interests consistent with the decision of the attorney general to get to that task to get it done. Neil difficult with Something Like that. Dealing a political environment no one said it was going to be easy but i dealt with that and you do the best you can. It is important to show results and get to the finish line whatever the answer is. Neil no matter what you came out with their would be those in the media who would have an automatic reaction no matter how much you research, they wouldnt be happy. It comes with the territory but ultimately the guide is public sentiment about the ability to have an investigation with integrity. I had three statutory works i was charged with, prompt, responsible, costeffective, emphasis on the word prompt. Neil you kept your cool which would be tough for me. Let me ask about how long this could take. Some are of the opinion a matter of weeks. What do you think . It will not be a matter of weeks. Criminal investigation takes time to both investigatend make disions whether or not prosecutions are warranted and proceed from there. I dont think the public tends to understand how long that process can take. Warner the best guess . My own experience and we live through several independent counsel investigations where things took too long, four years, eight years, longer, i dont expect it should take that long, it shouldnt take that long, not enough Public Interest to do that. Neil is a Midterm Election comes up. It should be not because politics necessarily determine outcomes but in the political environment we are in it is desirable for the country to have some resolution with regard to this in a period of 12 to 18 months if it can be achieved. Neil know you are pushing it. If you were to advise, you have to keep blinders on but you appreciate the enormity is former fbi director did of coming out with what he said about Hillary Clinton, weeks, days. October surprises are to be avoided but i also have findings with regard to the former first lady in advance of senatorial election because i thought voters had the right to know what my findings were in advance of issuing more formal findings in the final report which was statutory requirement so it is important. You got her elected senator. Voters have a right to have some answers and i think they will have a right comey doing same with the original, saying he wasnt going to pursue it anymore. The timing wasnt his own making. He couldnt have made up anthony weiner, the laptop. But he did the best he could and he did it in july. Unfortunate he had to come back out again and make revisions to the outcome as a result of new information in the emails. Neil when you were conducting your investigation, media revelations, coming concurrently, simultaneously. In the Democratic Convention it was publicly disclosed that i impaneled grand jury which was supposed to be secret. I didnt tell anybody but people in my own office except the special provision and one of the three judges talked to a reporter and disclosed it to the media. That is how the public came to find out there was a grand jury investigation involving the president of the United States. I learned my lesson which is you dont want anyone in washington to know what you are doing you tell few people and the people you tell you are absolutely certain you can trust because leaks are part of life but to answer your question with bob mueller he has been through this before, he knows how to keep a secret and he will. Beyond what he is trying to control, within the Trump Administration there are a lot of leaks going on and i wonder if that goes back to the relationship with the intelligence agencies and payback time. What is happening . Some of that is possible and you are always going to deal with career people in washington who dont owe political allegiance to you. They are an important part of government which the president has come to understand. President s come and go, you have to deal with the situation carefully but as far as the special counsel investigation is concerned you have to do what you have to do understanding you are in that environment, leaks will happen, to protect the integrity, ongoing integrity of the investigation. Neil how much cooperation do you get from the people you are investigating, if you requesd anything from the white house, what happened to the report coming in . There were all kinds of battles in the Justice Department, the white House Counsel. Neil how do trump folks respond . Hard to say. He is going to hire counsel, legitimate questions and along the way. Neil what are your rights does he have free reign to get anything he wants . He will be given a certain amount of latitude and support, the Justice Department. With regard to dealing for his office and the white House Counsel and separately retained to represent the president s interest in connection to the investigation. Update among other people, on the oversight committees, Fred Thompson and a lot of people in congress. And update, 2 significant matters, Rob Rosenstein. Rosenstein never ran, recused himself at the white house, do we read anything into that