i don't quite agree with steve about what the white house strategy is because i think that they -- that the person who would benefit most from the kind of big deal where you solve the entitlement program going down, you know, years into the future would go down to the president's benefit enormously and would take the debt and spending issue basically off the table because would be a bipartisan deal. it would give the president a talking point he does not now have about how he's done everything he can to solidify the nation's fiscal situation and give confidence to the markets and all the things that might begin to get the economy moving. and make no mistake about it. a growing economy would do more than any tax increase on this economy could possibly do to raise revenue. that's what we really need. >> who allowed the bush tax cuts to be extended? wasn't that president bush? i mean, president obama in service to the economy which the republicans said is necessary for the economy to go on. >> that was his position six months ago. what's changed?