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club for growth, the tea party. the major policy difference between cochrane and the challenger, their views on what to to with federal fund iing. cochrane has a track record of funneling federal dollars from 2008 to 2010 alone he secured . 2.6 billion in earmarks for projects in mississippi. that was before the earmark ban, a tea party concoction which he opposed. he used to be really good at this. and assuredly that contributed to the fact that mississippi gets nearly half of its general revenue from federal dollars, the most of any state in the country. mcdaniel's supporters attacked cochrane for bringing home the bacon. >> in mississippi thad cochran's name is on many buildings. it's on bailouts, tax hikes and debt, lots of at the time. >> the tea parties to not like pork with their tea. in the end cochran, however, won
is talking about republicans as though they work well with democrats right now in the first place. i mean, that's ridiculous on its face. but, you know, i would have personally liked to have seen the tea party break off. i think what they've done for the republican party has been really detrimental. i think the big thing here that no one is really latching on to is earmarks and the effect of earmarks. they've been a part of own country's history since its beginning. where you have a case like eric cantor, who's the first majority leader we have seen since the earmark ban, had a very hard time making a case to his constituents to bring him back. then we have thad cochran, who was able to make that case, basically pointing to appropriations. so this kind of anti-government rhetoric and the no-no-no, shutting down the government, voting 54 times to defunds obamacare has kind of moves the republicans away from the fundamental job of government, which is to spend the taxpayer dollars in an appropriate manner. >> i mean, it's not mccochran, but i know he's mclovin these
objection. >> you find the violation of the senate earmark ban. the american people really expect you to live up to it. others argue the request be directly from the executive branch which is bound by the self-imposed earmark ban. because it never went through the pros tess cess it doesn't m earmark. the back door move by the administration and is pledging full opposition by the appropriations committee. supporters of the deal say there have been bipartisan support and several republicans including john manzulo. senator dirk durbin says senator deserves credit for getting a deal done. >> he represented the state in the united states senate a man who hasn't forgotten his home state of illinois. >> documents filed in
>> they could right after the election by executive order, they could do this. what they're doing here violates the law. you have never had a reprogramming of $165 million earmark, never been done. and yet they've done it. alisyn: how do you know this'll be used for gitmo prisoners? >> well, you could then put the people into supermax in colorado in thomson and then move the people from guantanamo there. the president's goal was to shut down guantanamo bay and move the prisoners here. this gives him a good opportunity to do it, particularly right after the election. alisyn: you're a congressman in virginia. why are you so concerned about what's going on in illinois if how did you -- >> well, we have stopped earmarks here in congress. so what you've had, the obama administration violating the earmark ban and having $165 million. secondly, you probably have a justice department that, i mean, fast and furious and so many others, one of the most
longest serving members in the united states senate. after six terms, indiana republican richard luger is in the fight for his life. with two weeks to go. polls show him running neck and neck with his opponent. richard mordock that has the support of tea party groups and the national rifle association. now assistant editor of the opinion journal and has been covering the race for us. alicia, what is the case that mordock and the tea party groups are making against senator luger? >> he says he is part of the establishment and it's time to get him out. >> paul: what are issues that they are citing that say, okay, this is why he has to go? >> for instance he voted against earmark ban. he supports corn ethanol
created 1.8 million jobs. barack obama has created 1.1 million jobs. so, you know, that's just not correct. >> also factor in the jobs lost. jim demint nailed it. jim demint said the president should have just admitted last night the stimulus didn't work and we spent a trillion dollars and unemployment remained virtually the same a year later. >> uh-huh. >> we were saying yesterday, why don't they just say something bold in this speech. otherwise, people start nodding off and it's sort of the same sort of thing year after year. >> he did call for -- last year, he was flat out angry. last night, you know, i'll be honest, i thought it was dull. i thought it was kind of rambling and boring as well. he did suggest an earmark ban. he also talked about -- >> that's a novel idea. >> exactly. >> it's already been done! >> didn't even pass. didn't pass, john boehner said he's not going to let the bill get to the president with an earmark in it. anyway -- >> because what's extraordinary about that is the fact he's got a fight with his own party. it's the democrats that he's got
income taxes. business loves that idea. he says he wants to lower corporate taxes but do it by closing loop holes. he says he wants to reform social security without cutting benefits for current recipients. at a briefing yesterday, the president's economic adviser, gene sperling says they don't see this as a deficit-cutting exercise. the president is going to have a bunch of fights with congress even though he's doing it with a big smile on his face. >> another one you have on your list, earmark ban. he said he would veto any bill that came to his desk with earmarks in it. >> hasn't john boehner said he won't send a bill with earmarks to his desk? >> that's exactly right. the president a year ago said earmarks can be a good thing. that's part of the rhetoric. this is where we see the president really moving abruptly centrist, doing a full clinton, much faster than president bill clinton himself did. the president's already re-oriented himself. clinton aides tell us after
giving the president more power. he has enough power already. >> bret: not a fan of earmark ban. >> i don't doubt that there are some democrats and some republicans. we saw this at the end of last year that are not going to agree with the president on this. if everybody will lighten their belts and make domestic spending cut and cut money from the defense budget, if everybody will tighten their belt, that has to mean everything. the president is serious about this. >> bret: in just the past few minutes we received an excerpt from the republican response already put out by congressman paul ryan, house budget committee chairman i'll read a piece of it. in this very room he will say the house will produce debate and advance budget. last year in unpress dented failure congress chose not to pass or propose a budget. the spending spree continueed unchecked. we owe you a different choice
help him with independent voters. this is the last stage for him before there is a real showdown on spending cuts. how specific will he be? he doesn't have to be but if he is not he will miss an opportunity. if he starts about the investment and education and energy and infrastructure and he talks about the earmark ban and a budget freeze, without being specific, i think people are going to tune it out this is his moment to build his credibility, on the issue of deficit reduction. if he lets it go, then it's back on the republicans playing field, and they are in a huge fight. i think that this is a very important moment to be detailed. >> bret: charles? >> i think the question is how serious is he going to be.
the future and compete for tomorrow. that is reforming expectation and tax code and increasing experts overseas. again, creating jobs right here in america. those are thingous will hear from the president. >> bret: we heard about a possible earmark ban. republicans have talked about it what about the president and what he will say about it tonight? >> well, look, i think what you hear from the president is one of the things that animates this budget discussion, american people ought to know what the government is spending money on and we ought to be transparent about it. president will draw sharp line on pet projects, going into the spending of our government when we need to tighten our belts. >> senator reid, the senate majority leader was asked about that today. listen to his response. >> it takes power from the legislative government. i don't think it's helpful it's pretty talk but only