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What Needs to Be Said at SOTU?

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    Former Clinton special counsel Lanny Davis on what President Obama should focus on during his State Of The Union address.

  • Duration 3:07
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-- Peter -- -- but our next guest has counseled many high profile.

Famous names including.

President Bill Clinton the former and a business magnate Martha Stewart -- his advice to the president have tonight's speech.

Take a leadership role and declare support for Simpson Bowles tax reform it's now -- former special counsel to President Clinton and Fox News contributor.

Lanny Davis good to see -- -- thanks for being with us.

Now it isn't often that.

-- fellow Democrat have to tell president to actually lead it sounds like you feel like present Obama has been following from behind.

Well no I wouldn't use those words he had the he won the election in the American people have given him a mandate.

But he didn't leave on Simpson -- his own debt reduction commission.

-- senator Dick Durbin -- liberal Democrat from Illinois and senator Tom Coburn a Republican conservative from Oklahoma.

Supported a four trillion dollar balanced approach which the Republicans have rejected by increasing revenues and closing tax loopholes.

And substantial entitlement reform.

That's what I'm hoping that pres Obama will do tonight.

And Dell also tell us what you think about debt as a moral issue that the president should kind of get classified in that way.

Yes I've really felt this way I have two younger children in the second generation of children.

And if I took a trip around the world.

And use my credit card for first class airfare hotel and meals came home and dumped all the receipts on my children -- -- said.

You pay for my trip.

That would be immoral but that's what our generation is doing to our children and -- -- Barack Obama is the one person all Americans vote for or against he's the only president we have he should say tonight.

This is the great moral issue of our time we've got to pay down this debt not ask our children our grandchildren but -- -- If you -- advising President Obama he can't possibly afford to to embrace -- on a moral ground candy we had ten trillion dollars in debt before it came into office.

Accumulated over 250 -- 300 years or some thing.

And then President Obama borrowed five trillion -- in four years how can he dare call it a moral issue he would be incredibly immoral what -- not.

Well both parties no I don't think he would be -- I think he would share the moral guilt of all of us -- -- both parties and Dennis Neil.

Is one of the courageous journalists who used to call on all politicians and still my inspiration Dennis.

That both parties are guilty George Bush took a trillion dollar surplus left to him by.

Bill Clinton and he's my friend from college -- but I say this he left us with red -- and then Barack Obama increased it.

I hope tonight that Barack Obama speaks about at least Simpson Bowles as the one bipartisan way to start doing something about this moral issue.

-- George Bush did borrow one point six billion dollars per day which was the most fiscally irresponsible president of all time.

Until well -- -- got -- their borrowed four point one billion dollars per day which is a good deal more thanks for being with us Lanny Davis we appreciate it -- ZLX speech goes tonight --