0 things they hope they wanted to do, they figure voters endorsed them and endorsed everything they said they were going to do. that is actually not the case. a lot of times voters decided they like the incumbent than the other guy, trusted him more than the other guy he was running against of the you have members from your own party, you're on your way out two years from now and four years from now, why do we have to stick our neck out for big things but we have to pay the price and we would like to stick around for a while. having said that, for all the problems bill clinton had in effect in his second term he pick up seats, his party did in the 1998 midterms. when you look at george w. bush and his presidency, republicans had been in control of congress for a dozen years and there was a general hangover and rejection of republicans running everything in town and that was reflected in the results of the '06 midterms. here republicans control the house of representatives and that is something i think the president is going to reelected nonetheless. while eventually i think voters might get fed up with his economic stewardship, they might not. secondly whether the president wants to hold up shiny objects for the press, we know the debt ceiling fight will come to a head. we know it will be a major clash. the president wants to maintain upper hand here. not so much what you or i might think is really going on. it is what voters think is going on. how they see things. he wants to maintain his image at a reasonable, rational guy versus a, band of republicans he wants to faint as extreme, out of touch and unreasonable. jon: weill look for him to, at that conversation at this news conference. david drucker. >> that's correct. that's what it is all birks we'll have to leave it there. thanks, david. >> anytime. heather: as we wait for the news conference scheduled to take place just about 11:30 eastern time. let's talk about some good news this morning and possibly good news for former president george h.w. bush as we learn he may finally leave the hospital this week. he has been recovering from bronchitis since the month of november. andrea watkins joins us from our fox affiliate, kirv, live from houston with the latest. good morning. what are we hearing from doctors and medical professionals there? >> reporter: we don't hear very much from the medical professionals because they saved the message for the family and family spokesperson. but what the family is telling us is that they are definitely hoping to get out of the hospital sometime early this week. now the reason we're talking about it is because over the weekend the former president's son, jeb bush, the florida governor jeb bush, told a group during his speech that his dad would be getting out of the hospital today. bush 41, he is 88 years old. he has been in the hospital for seven and a half weeks now, since the day after thanksgiving. he has had coughing and breathing problems brought on by bronchitis. he spent the week in christmas in intensive care because of a high fever but apparently he has been on the mend since then. whether or not he leaves the hospital today we'll have to wait and see. his long-time spokesperson jim mcgrath told me this morning he could not be as definitive as jeb bush was over the weekend. he said the family simply hopes that mr. bush will be able to get out of the hospital, first part of this week but, you know, ultimately it is up to the doctors and they are taking every precaution necessary. back to you. heather: we're certainly hoping for the best. andrea watkins, thanks so much, joining us from houston this morning. jon: we wish bush 41 well. a long time to spend in the hospital. we're awaiting president obama's news conference set to begin about 20 minutes from now. the president will take questions from the white house press corps in the east room. we'll bring it to you live. this cops as big congressional battles loom from the debt limit to gun control and questions mount what the obama administration will achieve in a second term. we'll continue to break it all down coming up "happening now". [ male announcer ] now many humana medicare plans