were a lot of relationships on capitol hill that he didn't build in the months and years when he was far more popular that he might have seeded them then and they would be growing into the kind of thing where he has some friends on the hill who can help bail him out in a time of need like now. now, they also scoff at that here at the white house because they say that they have had a determined republican opposition at every turn, no matter what kind of democratic friends they have up there. the republicans will try to tear this law apart and they still believe when they get past these website problems, et cetera, that come a year from now, voters might look at this on balance and say that the president was standing up to giving millions more insurance while the republicans didn't have an alternate plan and that is a fair question to raise if the republicans want to tear this down, what are they going to do instead. there is an issue to deal with and they haven't really put together some broad-based alternative. >> very quick question, ed. what are you hearing about your christmas plans? are you heading to hawaii for two weeks with the president? >> there are rumors of a hawaii