it's only if you frankly ignore ron paul and you ignore his issues and pretend all the other candidates are kind of like santorum and gingrich and perry and bachmann and all the rest of them. it's only if you ignore what ron paul stands for that you can see a non-romney consensus candidate emerging. wish ron paul away in order to do that. joining us, michael steele, former chairman of the republican party. it's great to see you. >> good to be back. happy new year. i see you're a fire brand as ever. i would take exception to a few of the things you're saying. >> tell me. >> just on two points very broadly. number one, with respect to the abortion question in particular. both ron paul and rick santorum, their objection, where they agree, is at the federal level. they don't want to grow government to get involved in that. they would actually like to move it back to the states and have the states decide these issues on a state-by-state basis which is more consistent with what republicans have argued.