call, what governor christie is running into and it is generally in the good. what do you make, i don t know if you had a chance to hear what pat said about caution for republicans that they should not overdramatize this and should not try to make this look like something they are shoving down the union member s face. i guess the equivalent of spiking the ball. what do you think? guest: i have unique credibility in this area, coming from a union family, with reagan democrats, my dad was a teamster truck driver, and i was in a union for six or seven years so i know the issues and i have lived them personally and grew up in a meat packing down and they are out-of-control. they are part of the reason we are going overboard. that does not mean you spike the ball as you said, but we have to tell people the truth. the truth is the unions are getting a better deal than the taxpayers and they are part of the reason why government is going bankrupt and we have to fix them and that takes streng
democratic senate for what amounts to concessions on public workers when it comes to paying more for health benefits? guest: no, we in delaware approach things differently. we actually invited the unions into the room in december. and we laid out for them the magnitude of our challenge, and why what we were paying for health care and pensions was not sustainable, and i said, i gave them a target of what we had to save and i said i am in the interested in a debate whether there is a problem, but if you want to be at the table we with like to have you and to the credit of the unions, junior public me and public education unions they came to the table can we worked together, bipartisan group of legislatures for two months we worked together. people on both sides recognize the issue but the public employees want to be respected. they are doing very difficult and hard jobs.
private unions. many in the public me unions tend to be democrats, not all of them. but face it, they have a sweet heart deal for a long time. when i has the bus driver strike and people driving a bus were getting a better deal than the taxpayers and i told the people they were paying for it, and thought they we should do something. we will never win over the public me unions, but those private sector employees, the unions that do not get a good deal who are unemployed who see their brothers and sisters in the public tore get a better deal many are open to republican arguments and we did not have to do better overnight but over time we have a good chance to demonstrate our case and why a growing economy is good for them. neil: as you enter the presidential battle, what did you make of axelrod emphasis comments over the weekend that the president s popularity
capability. neil: always a pleasure, congressman. unions taking shots at boeing or the white house is. and today a congressman is here to talk awould that it. ! it s like our safety net. to help with the mortgage or whater we need! so my family doesn t feel the pain too. ha! [ male announcer ] help protect your family at aflac.com. [ pigeons ] heyyy! hooo!!!
democrats and say we will remember you. guest: the answer is, well, if we keep going down your line we will not be here anyway. the point is, the world has changed. they need to recognize it. the country is changing. the battles we will have this summer, we will see in wisconsin and ohio and the big states, where the unions are saying this is where they are drawing the line, fighting to the death of the recall of republican state senators in wisconsin and the governor, they hope. by the way, the republican party is slow to engage on this. they better understand this is the game and it will affect 2012 and each of the states. neil: and the republican party in relation to the union. the rap has been that they are anti-union. and if chris christie succeeds to the degree he seems to have in new jersey, and wins over union in the process is that fair? guest: not a fair rap when he says he is for the teacher