reform. >> so, you only get to potential tax increases as part of a second stage of spending cuts that a committee has to agree to. >> well, the first stage is clear in the first stage what we are going to get is an extension of the debt ceiling and get the first set of spending cuts over $1 trillion and then the committee chargeded with reporting out hopefully a balanced budget reduction. >> what about this balanced budget committee, and you talk about a super committee, and 17 months ago the president convened a committee of the proposals not acted on by president and congress and now another committee and nobody is yet making the hard choices about two-thirds of the budget, which is entitlement spending. so what is healthy about this debate? >> well, it is certainly not been a healthy debate in the short term and the american people are sitting back and saying, you know, i'm going through tough things in my life, and these folks are sitting there arguing with each other