they demagogued medicare to their own success. a lot of them got into congress demagoguing medicare. but if they want this, they are going to, a, need a democratic president to sign the legislation. it can never the republican party can t have it where it s all one party that does social security and medicare. that i have to be willing to say all right, they want to do this, they re going to have to give on something that they don t like, maybe even higher taxes and that s where moment was there. they almost got this president to move on social security. almost got him to move on medicare reform. and they didn t take the deal. the reality at the end of the day, they are going to walk away with this without any spending restraint. we ll get a deal that will do nothing on deficits. and it s their own fault. it s their own fault. i agree with that. let me bring up the gun issue. the president said he ll put his full weight behind his first year gun control legislation. but the q
president to sign the legislation. it can never the republican party can t have it where it s all one party that does social security and medicare. they have got to be willing to say, ok, if they want to do this, they ll have to give on something they don t like, maybe even higher taxes. and that s where the moment was there. they almost got this president to move on social security. almost got him to move on medicare reform. and they didn t take the deal. the reality at the end of the day, they are going to walk away with this without any spending restraint. we ll get a deal that will do nothing on deficits. and it s their own fault. i agree with that. let me bring up the gun issue. the president said he ll put his full weight behind his first year gun control legislation. but the question stands, does he have the stomach for how difficult this will be politically? i m not sure. i m not either. you know, there s a great line in tom sawyer where he says an evangelist that c
year gun control legislation. but the question stands, does he have the stomach for how difficult this will be politically? i m not sure. i m not either. you know, there s a great line in tom sawyer where he says an evangelist that came through town that was so good that even huck finn stayed saved until tuesday. i worry that our attention span on these things is so limited. you had to bring up the question of guns as the president was laying out his agenda. it is one of these cultural political issues where you have a ferociously well organized opposition, and a more diffuse common sense broader population. and i think that that is where the tension is. that also by the way is not the well organized interest plus the common sense diffusion is not just limited to guns. it s but, tom, talk more about guns. as you remember the assault