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THE SAKE OF THE GREATER GOOD?
WE ASK SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED
SIDE BY SIDE WITH SENATOR
MCCONNELL FOR YEARS, RICK
SANTORUM.
ALSO JOINING US, THE PARTY
ACTIVISTS JENNIFER.
WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT HE STUCK
TO HIS GUNS?
>> NOT AT ALL.
MITCH McCONNELL HAS READ THE TEA
LEAVES.
HE KNOWS THE POLITICS OF
SPENDING, PARTICULARLY PORK
BARREL AND APPROPRIATION BILLS.
IT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF VOGUE.
I AM NOT SURPRISED HE TOLD THEM
THIS WAS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF
WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SAID ON
ELECTION DAY AND WOULD DO REAL
DAMAGE TO HIM AND THE
BRAND.
[TALKING OVER EACH OTHER]
>> WE HAD NINE SENATOR IS GOING
ALONG WITH THE DEMOCRATS AND
ACCEPTING WHAT I CALL BRIBES IN
ORDER TO VOTE WITH SPENDING.
NOT EVERYBODY IS IN ALIGNMENT.
>> SOME OF THESE GUYS ARE ON THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
THIS IS AN APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE A LOT OF
PROJECTS BUT THEY'RE NOT COMING
BACK.
THIS WAS THEIR LAST GO AROUND
THE.
THIS WAS THEIR LAST CHANCE TO
GET SOMETHING IN.
IT WAS A TOUGH THING.
IT WAS A VERY SMART AND ALMOST A
WON'T A HEROIC BUT A WISE THING
FOR MITCH McCONNELL AND HELPFUL
FOR OLDER MEMBERS.
IT SETS THE RIGHT TONE FOR GOING
NEXT CONGRESS.
>> YOU DID TREMENDOUS WORK IN
HOLDING THESE PEOPLE'S FEET TO
THE FIRE.
I WAS GETTING MESSAGES LIKE
THIS.
TEA PARTY TO CONGRESS, WE ARE
WATCHING.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF PHONE CALLS
AND E-MAILS FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY.
DO YOU THINK THEY WILL KEEP UP
THEIR BACKBONE?
THAT THEY WILL AVOID THEIR OLD
HABITS?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM SO
MUCH BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- WE ALWAYS
USE THE WORD TEA PARTY BUT WE
ARE JUST AVERAGE ORDINARY
AMERICANS AND WE BELIEVE IN OUR
COUNTRY AND FIGHTING FOR OUR
PRINCIPLES AND WHAT MITCH
McCONNELL DID AND THOSE NINE
SENATORS DID WAS A WONDERFUL
THING AND WE THANK THEM.
THAT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HE
DID THE RIGHT THING.
WE MOVED 500 PEOPLE TO RALLY
AGAINST EARMARKS.
MITCH McCONNELL FOR AND WE THANK
HIM.
WE CONTINUE TO HOLD THE LINE AND
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND --
>> NOT EVERYONE IS IN AGREEMENT
THAT THE HOUSE SIDE WOULD BE THE
SAME.
WE DON'T HAVE NEWT GINGRICH BUT
ALSO JOHN BOEHNER WHO IS A
LITTLE SQUISHY WHEN IT COMES TO
THE ISSUES.
>> I CAME INTO CONGRESS WITH
JOHN BOEHNER IN 1990.
HE IS A TRUE BELIEVER.
LAST WEEK, HE COMPLETELY GETS
WHERE THE ELECTORATE IS AND
COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDS IF AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO INTRODUCE
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN A
COMPLETELY NEW FORM TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC, THE ELECTION
THAT THE TEA PARTY FOLKS SPOKE
LOUDLY AND YOU WILL SEE JOHN
BOEHNER AND MITCH McCONNELL OUT
OF THE BOX SINCE THE PASSAGE OF
THIS TAX BILL WHICH DID NOT CUT
SPENDING THEY WILL COME OUT
RIGHT AWAY AND SAY WE WILL
OFFSET THE BILL THAT JUST
PASSED, THEY WILL PUT FORWARD
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN CUTS IN DOMESTIC SPENDING,
AND PUSH IT TO THE SENATE.
THE HOUSE WILL COME OUT SWINGING
GUARANTEED.
>> IF YOUR SWINGING ON SPENDING
YOU HAVE TO TAKE ON SOME OF
THOSE POLITICK ISSUES LIKE
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE.
THE ENTITLEMENTS WHICH
POLITICIANS ARE ALWAYS AFRAID OF
EVEN IF THEIR SPENDING IS OUT OF
CONTROL AND THERE'S MORE WASTE
AND FRAUD IN THOSE THAN MOST
COUNTRIES HAVE IN THEIR GROSS
NATIONAL PRODUCT.
>> LET ME POINT SOMETHING OUT TO
THE POLITICIANS.
I SAW NEWT GINGRICH ON THE OTHER
NIGHT AND THEY ASKED HIM, WILL
YOU CUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND HE
SAID NO.
THIS HAS TO BE DONE.
LET ME EXPLAIN.
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, GET YOUR
OF, THEY WANT MORE ENTITLEMENT.
THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING
REMOVED.
WE ARE TAKING TO THE STREETS
SAYING STOP.
IT IS TIME POLITICIANS REPRESENT
THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SEND THEM TO
WASHINGTON.
PEOPLE THOUGHT WE WERE ANGRY AND
A JOKE.
WE WILL BE ABOARD LEADING
NOWHERE TO BE --
>> I GOT TO TELL YOU, WE HAD
MEETINGS WITH UNIONS AND THE
WHITE HOUSE AND HAVEN'T HAD
PEOPLE ON THE STREET BECAUSE WE
HAVEN'T CUT YET.
IF THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS GETS
SERIOUS ABOUT CUTTING YOU ARE
GOING TO HAVE A BACKLASH FROM
THE UNIONS.
ALL THESE ORGANIZED
DEMONSTRATIONS.
PEOPLE WILL BE SENT TO THE
STREETS AND IT MIGHT GET UGLY.
>> THE FIRST THING IS THEY WILL
NOT GO AGAINST MEDICARE AND
SOCIAL SECURITY BUT
DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
THEY WILL HAVE APPROPRIATIONS
SPENDING AND STIMULUS MONEY.
THEY WILL GO AFTER LOW HANGING
FRUIT.
[TALKING OVER EACH OTHER]
>> YOU ARE BOTH RIGHT.
THEY WILL REPEAL OBAMA ATCARE.
THAT IS THE BIG ENTITLEMENT THEY
WILL GO AFTER.
THEN DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
I BELIEVE THEY WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL.
THEY WILL PASS BOTH IN THE
HOUSE.
I GUARANTEE REPUBLICANS IN THE
SENATE WILL GO ALONG WITH THOSE
PROPOSALS.
IT IS WHETHER THEY GIVE ANYTHING
TO THE DEMOCRATS IF HE IS
WILLING TO DO ANY SPENDING
REDUCTION.
>> WAS THERE ANY COMPLACENCY
AMONG TEA PARTY ACTIVISTS AND
OTHERS YOU HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH
WITH AFTER THE ELECTIONS, OR
HAVE THEY KEPT UP THE VIGIL?
>> I GOT MORE CALLS ASKING TO
RUN A PROTEST TO WASHINGTON
OVERS THIS AND THE OMNIBUS BILL.
LET'S GIVE IT A TRY AND USE OUR
PHONES.
LET'S GET ON THE PHONE, TWITTER
AND FACEBOOK AND EVERY MEANS
AVAILABLE TO US.
IF THAT WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH
THERE WOULD BE 100,000 IN
WASHINGTON.
WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY.