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Will there be a deal to include what's called serious entitlement reform and cuts? joining me now congresswoman bass of california. it's a pleasure to have you on again. >> thanks, thanks for having me on, tamron. >> absolutely. the president is in michigan. i want to read what senator dick durbin said on entitlements and reform. let me play it. >> i do believe there should be means testing and those of us with the higher income and retirement should pay more. that can be part of the solution but when you talk about raising the medicare eligibility age, there's a key question. what happens to ...

That. >> well, let's start with social security if i may. i think the president and progressives in congress made fairly clear they don't believe social security contributes to the current deficit woes. >> we have had many, many democrats on who are lawmakers and they say the same thing. >> right. okay. so i would argue let's set that aside. if the president is successful in setting aside social security as an entitlement reform issue, that's a big win for him and then you focus on medicare and i do believe the president, a the administration at least in past budgets put pretty significant ben...

>> absolutely. one of the things that nobody really bet on but clearly romney campaign repaired was a counterattack, jujitsu, going after the obamacare changes on medicare. at a minimum, that shows confusion. i'm willing to admit right here, i don't know what the heck is going on in medicare. i'm con includeed by the two sides' argue. i speak for voters when i say that. that will be good enough to nullify whatever worries the obama campaign might be able to jep rate a we're committed tg time to straighten it out. we spent seven minutes tonight. we'll continue to do it. fairly. >> the effect of...

Moving forward, ron barber put out a specific list of changes he wants to see in the law. for instance, ways to reduce costs for seniors on prescription medicines that they use at the veteran's administration but don't use in medicare. he has been clear about what parts of the law he is supports and what parts of the law he would change and work to get rid of. it is really important when people run for office they say specifically what they would do and that is what ron barber has done. unfortunately, with mr. kelly he has taken most positions on both sides of either issue. he says he wants to...

>> thank you for having me. >> shannon: tell us about what is underway and what can be accomplished. >> alzheimer's is a big challenge for america. one in three american families touched by this disease. a horrible disease. 8 to 10 years in duration. you lose your memory and ability to identify any family members and then lose capacity to perform any daily functions of daily life. costs $200 billion a year are to take care of alzheimer's victims today. 70% of that is medicare and medicaid. so what has happened is that we have set a national goal now of preventing and effectively treating the d...