honest with ourselves is that we have a political culture that doesn t seem willing to make the tough choices to move america forward. we have a willingness to play partisan games and engage in brinkmanship, that not only costs us in terms of the economy now but also is going to place a burden on future generations. and the question is, can we break out of that pattern? can we break out of that pattern? think about it. we just went through this debacle with the debt ceiling, an entirely self inflicted wound. it wasn t something that was necessary. we had put forward a plan that would have stabilized our debt and our deficits for years to come. but because we have got a politics in which some folks in congress, not the folks who are here, but some in congress would rather see their opponents lose than america win, and we ended up creating more uncertainty and more damage to an economy that was already weak. now we can t have patience with that kind of behavior anymore. i know
been quietly working with white house lawyers to prepare for her big moment in the political spotlight. every aspect of her academic career and government service scrutinized for clues about the kind of just she would become. the president who nominated her last month thinks he knows. that understanding of law, not as an intellectual exercise or words on a page, but as it affects the lives of ordinary people had animated every step of elena s career. reporter: republican senators for their part promise a fair but tough coming of her record in two democratic administrations past and present. possible areas of concern her resistance to allowing military recruiters on campus when she was dean of harvard s law school. this because of the pentagon s don t ask, don t tell policy on gays in the military. she called the policy a profound wrong. also, her often politically focused views as a top aide in the clinton white house. on a range of hot button issues
economies agreed to ambitious targets for controlling bulging deaf sits, pledging to cut them in half by 2013. at his closing press conference, president obama went beyond economic matters. he had tough words for china and its, quote, posture of restraint in dealing with north korea, especially after the attack and sinking of a south korean ship. i think there s a difference between restraint and willful blindness to consistent problems. this is not an issue where you have got two parties of moral equivalence who are having an argument. this is a situation in which you have a belligerent nation that engaged in provocative and deadly acts against the other. reporter: on afghanistan, president obama said even with u.s. involvement, no one expects a complete transformation any time soon. or even in the next five years. what makes you think that after declaring victory in
-so you re thinking.? -[ dog barks ] i agree. preferred. only meineke has options. and now 50% off brake pads and shoes. my money. my choice. my meineke. more on our developing story right now. senator robert byrd, the longest serving member of congress in history, reported in serious condition tonight in a washington area hospital. his office says the 92-year-old west virginia democrat was admitted last week initially believed to be suffering just from heat exhaustion and dehydration. but doctors say other conditions have developed and he is now described as, quote, seriously ill.
been working with them. every aspeskt her career and government service scrutinized for clues about the kind of justice she would become. the president who nominated her last month thinks he knows. that understanding of law, not as an intellectual exercise or word on a page but as it effects the lives of ordinary people has animated every stech elena s career. reporter: republican senators promise a fair but tough examination of her record in two democratic administrations past and president. possible areas of concern, her resistance to allowing military recruiters on campus when she was dean of harvard s law school. this because of the pentagon s don t ask, don t tell policy on gays in the military. kagan called the policy a, quote, profound wrong. also, her often politically focused views as a top aide in the clinton white house. on a range of hot-button issues