TPMDC Sunday Roundup

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McCain: Obama Has ‘Learned A Lot’
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered some rare compliments to the man who defeated him in 2008, President Obama, saying that Obama had “learned a lot in the last two years” and since the November elections. “He is a very intelligent man. I think he’s doing a lot of right things. This emphasis on cutting spending that we’ll be talking about…was something that obviously was not talked about in the last two years,” said McCain. “I think there’s common ground because I think the president realized, as a result of the November elections, that the American people have a different set of priorities.”

McConnell: 2012 Election ‘Is Not Right Now’
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed away form his past statements that his top priority was to make sure President Obama would be defeated in 2012. “Well, the election is not right now,” said McConnell. “And the question is what are we going to do between now and ’12? Sure, I’d like a Republican president in January of 2013, but the real question for the American people right now is not the election in ’12, but what are we going to do now? And I’m hoping the president’s pivot to the center will be more than just rhetoric and we can actually do some important things for the country in the short term. The election will take care of itself over a period of two years.”

Cantor: ‘We’re Going To Really Have Three Bites At The Apple’ On Spending
Appearing on Meet The Press, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said: “David, let, let’s step back a minute and look at sort of the whole sort of continuum of the spending challenges. We’re, we’re going to really have three bites at the apple here as far as approaching reducing spending and the size of Washington.” The three bites, as he laid out, these “three bites” were the upcoming vote on raising the debt ceiling, the continuing resolution that will come up in the next month, and the next budget process.

Durbin On Health Care Repeal Chances: ‘There Are 47 Republicans, 53 Democrats’
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said he was open to working with Republicans to improve the health care reform law — but that outright repeal will not happen. “But here are the numbers that people should remember. There are 47 Republicans, 53 Democrats,” said Durbin. “It takes 51 for a majority. And I think there’s a serious question whether Senator McConnell can find four Democrats to join him in repeal. I certainly don’t believe he’s going to find anywhere near 60, which is probably going to be the vote required to repeal health care reform.”

Conrad: ‘There Needs to Be Leadership To Help The American People Understand’ Deficit Problems
Appearing on This Week, Sen. Kent Conrad discussed how politically difficult it will be to deal with the deficit: “The American people say, don’t touch Social Security, don’t touch Medicare, don’t cut defense. That’s 84 percent of the federal budget,” said Conrad. “If you can’t touch 84 percent of the federal budget — and, by the way, they also don’t want to touch revenue — you’re down to 16 percent of the budget at a time we’re borrowing 40 cents of every dollar we spend. So, you know, there needs to be leadership to help the American people understand how serious this problem is and that it’s going to take a lot more than cutting foreign aid and taxing the rich. You’re not going to solve the problem that way.”

Lieberman: ‘I Believed I Would Have Won Re-Election’
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the former Democrat who is retiring in 2012, said on This Week: “I believed I would have won re-election. Obviously, it would have been a tough campaign. But, you know, as I said, so what else is new? I’ve run — almost all my campaigns have been tough. That’s not the reason why I didn’t run. I didn’t run because I want to try something different.”

Powell: “I Am Not Committed To Any Candidate”
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who crossed party lines to endorse Barack Obama for president in 2008, said on State of the Union that as of now he is not committed to supporting anyone in 2012. “I’m not committed to Barack Obama. I’m not committed to a Republican candidate,” said Powell. “I am not committed to any candidate until I see all the candidates and finally see who the two candidates are who are going for this position.” He also added: “Right now I do not see on the Republican side any one individual who I think is going to emerge at the top of the pile.”

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