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Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee on the lasting political implications of the payroll-tax extension.
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Behind that spike OK let's shift gears here talk about the other huge story of the dead payroll tax cut extension President Obama.
-- -- statement in about an hour 12:15 eastern time there were no objections this morning in the fight now is officially over but will there be any lasting political.
Implications.
Take a moment here and we'll examine this and this morning -- talked to congressman Peter King Republican of New York appointed the finger in one particular direction within his own party.
Take -- listen to this.
Because we always self righteous anytime you think -- alone speak if the American people and again the way they were denouncing the senate bill was it was some.
You know left wing.
Manifesto the fact is it was that deliver improved by Bob Coburn.
Pat Toomey molecule rubio Scott Brown Donna -- and -- -- a whole list of solid Republican conservatives who supported that bill.
And that's that that's who's been quite not that bill was perfect award to remove -- a poker world.
You know like is -- perfect.
With more on all this now -- former governor of Arkansas host of Huckabee on the Fox News Channel joins us now.
First of all Merry Christmas -- -- -- Christmas to you to Connell what do you think what do you make of all this and how big of a problem is that the infighting within the Republican Party.
Well I'll tell you while a lot of people are preparing Turkey or ham for Christmas Republicans are eating a big.
Big plate of crow today.
It's tough for them and did the Democrats win the PR battle on this when.
And it's a battle that could have been avoided because the fact is.
-- nobody wanted to go home for Christmas with us on settled a two month extension frankly it's absurd it ought to be for year.
Forty dollars does mean a lot to people that's sort of the average of the paychecks.
But it means that people now are only gonna see the extension for two months not the full year.
But the problem is -- a lot of times people don't understand that governing is the art of getting what you can not what you want.
And so what ended up was they got what they could not what they wanted.
But they look pretty bad in getting it I wanna ask you about the economics evident just a second but just to stick with the politics for one more moment.
Speaker Boehner is he in trouble as a result of all this in terms of his leadership and -- in the house on the Republican side.
Not necessarily in trouble I mean he's embarrassed by this because he's.
That's not a position that helps him in terms of showing that he has strengthened has unity -- this party.
So he's weakened but not so much with his own party.
He's weaken even more in negotiating with Democrats and with the senate that's where it's gonna -- and it will hurt him.
Because now they sort of know that the house is.
Really.
Almost like an animal house out of control and there's no one in absolute control.
A bad day to day operations.
And.
In terms of the economics that you brought up a moment ago the forty dollars and I would for that argument did never couple weeks here.
Eighty dollars a month is what it works out to on average I guess what camp or UN because some of the Republican Party we're saying that you know on in terms of economics this does not make.
A lot of sense we understand the politics but we don't think that this will give the economy much of -- boost they argue it didn't do much this year.
But you're saying that they -- extended -- all along and gone with the one year and it does help the economy.
Well it you know wait let's look at it this way for for many of those people -- that maybe eighty bucks is you know -- nice tip that.
DC steak house but I'm gonna tell you something for a lot of Americans eighty dollars is real money.
That's a couple of fill -- That's serious grocery money.
That's money that goes on the ramp that's money that put issues on their kids and I think Republicans -- they're out they're saying eighty dollars doesn't matter they are totally out of touch and out of tune.
With the most.
Of the population in this nation for whom that's.
Important money right now.
And again it yeah you know something about this because -- approaching the Iowa Caucuses January 3 and -- you want an Iowa you know what it takes away did what does the what does this argument and this back and forth and within the Republican Party that you and I've been talking about today how does that affect the the presidential race here in the near term.
In the near term it probably doesn't make a big difference because Republicans are are pretty much zeroing in on who they're gonna support on the caucuses.
Long term if the Republicans don't recover if they don't show some sense of empathy for people who are struggling.
They're going to be in big trouble come November.
And it's time for them to get their heads out of the sand and I'll use that the sand -- for rather than a part of the body anatomy that may be would be more appropriate.
But it's time for them to get their heads out.
Get out there in the streets and talked to some folks who are hurting.
And realize they better make this election.
Not about the stock holders.
And not so much about the people in corporate boardrooms they better make it about folks we're trying to figure out how to put food on -- table and kitchens across this country second Republican well -- -- to -- to today with from some pretty strong words for.
His own party Peter King this morning in.
Mike Huckabee right now -- governor have Merry Christmas and and thank you very much for.
