churlish. thank you for watching us tonight. i'm bill o'reilly. remember the spin stops right here, because we are definitely looking out for definitely looking out for you. captioned by closed captioning services, inc ♪ ♪ >> sean: hours ago, president obama's own deficit reduction commission dropped a bombshell on the administration. now if you thought obamacare was controversial or stimulus or tarp or the auto bail-out, wait until you hear what the government is considering now. at a press conference today, washington, commission unveiled its plan to show us how we're going to slash the nation's deficit. take a look. >> every member of a commission today, when we were thought this was a mysterious plan. nobody i think likes everything in it or dislikes

everything in it. what we need to do is debate it and try to come up with the reasonable compromises and modify those things that need to be modified and change those things that need to be changed but this is a really strong starting point. >> sean: what exactly is the so-called starting point? let's take a look at some of the recommendations. first, they want to increase the federal gas tax for a starting in 2013 by 15 cents per gallon. next they propose increasing the social security retirement age. third, the commission is calling for cuts in both social security and medicare benefits. they want to end tax breaks like the mortgage interest deduction. that so many americans rely on. and over $200 billion in discretionary spending cuts. by the way, half have been proposed and half of those come from slashing the pentagon's budget. that's the game plan that was announced today. now the question is will president obama take his own advice of his own commission? here in studio to help break down all of this former white house communications director

author of x-rated brand new book "18 acres," nicole wallace is with us and sandra smith from the fox business network. >> the we get an "r"? >> all right. draw me up off the "new york times" best seller list. >> sean: the first female president whose husband is having an affair with a reporter. >> it's a pg-rated affair. >> sean: okay. you heard that. now that is clintonesque as anything i've heard. i got to tell you. i'm looking at this. i have mean this. people thought the stimulus, tarp and the auto bail-outs were bad, we have a deficit commission. they want to gut the pentagon. raise taxes. and i don't hear, i don't hear anything about economic growth in this. >> that is the biggest problem. there is nothing showing, promoting economic growth, job growth anything that corporations will look at this and say this is going to make things better in the future. yeah, it talks about the tax hikes, spending cuts. most of the spending cuts come from -- >> sean: pentagon! they don't realize there is a

war! this is what is infuriating. they don't realize there is a war. >> first, this is going to go nowhere. this is going nowhere. 18 members of the commission, 14 of them have to approve the recommendations. one of them has already said he won't vote for it. another said he doesn't like any of the ideas in here. so really, this is just a menu for everybody to look at and everybody to hate, because nobody likes what is in this. >> well, let's remember why we're talking about deficits. we have at many points in this councilmemb country government operated with deficit but they didn't create the anxiety that they are. >> sean: we never had a president create more debt from washington to reagan in three years. >> anxiety coupled with the deficit because nothing is happening in the economy giving corporate america, the people who hire people confidence. and if these proposals don't increase the confidence in the american economy we need to add jobs, then there will be no political will.

the only reason there is pressure on washington to do something about the deficit is because we're in dire straights with the economy. >> sean: we have to deal with the entitlements. i don't have a problem dealing with entitlements. >> but the last president that tried to do it, george w. bush -- >> sean: it didn't work. >> he grabbed the third rail and put his arms around it and hugged it tight. he thought it was in the interest of the program's long-term ability to continue to exist for your kids, for my kids. it went nowhere. not the political courage -- >> sean: if you are going to say to the american people after they squandered our social security trust fund and never put in a lock box and they bankrupted a country and say bay the way, we'll give you social security the day before you die if you're lucky. we will means test it. if you paid your life, we'll confiscate it. >> they will take away your benefit more after you reach the age of 68.

and then 69 once they up the age more. >> sean: they have to do all of that. let me opt out now. if that means i get old and squander my money, let me eat dog food. leave me alone. i'll pay my whole life and people will not see a penny of benefit. >> nobody is going to like what we have to do to lower the deficit in the country. this is just a menu of things. the thing i was talking to nicole about there is nothing in here, sean, that says we're sacrificing the first born here. there is nothing in here to show they're targeting the deficit we have. i'll tell you to the credit of one idea is they talk about lowering the corporate tax rate. >> sean: wait, but they give on the one hand and take it away on the other. >> that is the problem. >> you're laughing at all my notes here, looking through this today. they're talking about lowering the corporate taxes. >> sean: taking it back. >> with all the tax deductions they take out of there and all the -- >> sean: it's a net tax increase. >> it raises the corporate taxes $700 billion.

>> sean: good point. >> that is the opposite direction we need to go to inspire confidence of the business community to hire. >> sean: isn't the answer we repeal healthcare, lower taxes, stimulate economic growth, let the private sector create jobs and increase revenue to government? >> they should have given you a seat on the committee. >> sean: they would have gotten an earful today and i would have come out immediately after the recommendations. i have know these things are more symbolic. and i know that we talk about earmarks. it's a very small part of the budget. it's not going to balance the budget. john boehner did something that i am encouraged about, because it shows that the republicans have gotten it. he is going to return nancy pelosi's gulf stream and fly commercial. the republicans in the house said they are saying no earmarks. jim demint trying to get the senate to do the same thing. small, but symbolic and important message. >> actionable. things like this from the obama deficit commission is

something that looks good on paper. john boehner, he is doing something that we are all going to be able to see, something he is actually going to do. she committing himself to it. people like to see this. this really means they're taking it for real. >> sean: if they want entitlement reform, they have to provide the american people choices. if they pull this away from young people and cut benefits and raise the retirement age and means test it when it's said and done, why don't they give us a choice? it's not part of the solution. >> i think you have to trust the public to make smart and wise decision about their future. the reality is we're not going to have social security. it won't be around anyway. >> sean: we pay all our life. are they going to steal it? >> they already are. >> it's insol vent and won't be there. >> sean: they look to demonize the corporation. what if a corporation did this? >> i'd be hauled up. >> yeah. >> obama would tax them and take away their bonus. >> sean: they would be in jail. that's how criminal this is. rick perry got in trouble

saying it was a ponzi scheme. he's right. >> we're printing money on a regular basis now. talk about $600 billion that the fed is willing to buy back our own debt. we're watching our dollar go down every day and the deficit continues to rise. it's a mess. this isn't providing a solution. >> sean: so your book, the first female president whose husband has a report with a reporter. you want it "r" rated? >> i'm sure she is for deficit reform. more reason -- >> sean: a conservative who stabbed in the back by her liberal husband. >> it's not "x" rated. retract that. >> sean: it's r-plus. text to vote time. which federal benefits and programs would you support cuts to? text us -- 36288. and h1, social security. h2, medicare. and h-3, federal salaries. we have the results at the end

of the program. straight ahead, more "hannity." >> as the international tour continues, the anointed one rips israel in the muslim world. still no answers on the mystery objects spotted off the coast of california. but we have a new theory of our own. >> thank you joining -- thank you -- >> they never let me do it. >> plus outtakes from my interview with former president george w. bush. much more "hannity" straight ahead. it's our honeymoon.

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>> sean: the anointed one may be a great speaker, but not many people are tuning in to his weekly addresses. since may, most of the addresses on youtube got only 20,000 views, to put it in context his first youtube address got more than 1.2 million views. that is a decline of well over a million people. if the midterms didn't send the president a clear enough message, maybe that will. when we come back, michelle in 90 short seconds. powered a ram truck.. it was born up here. tested down here. and proven beyond a doubt, out here. and is only available in a pickup, under here. the ram 5 year 100,000 mile warranty covers you everywhere.

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don't let deposits hold your car back. get castrol gtx. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. >> sean: president obama wasted no time fleeing the country. i have can't say i blame him. he's now in south carolina site of the g-20 summit. before arriving there, he was in indonesia, a country he lived in for several years as a child. yesterday in jakarta, he visited indonesia's largest mosque. the president made headlines on the trip for all the wrong reasons. most recently by attacking our closest ally in the mideast. while in indonesia, he ripped israel's plan to build in east jerusalem. take a look. >> this kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations.

i'm concerned that we're not seeing each side make the extra effort involved to get a break-through. >> sean: if you notice he chose to make the statement in the country with the world's largest muslim population. talk about playing to an audience. here with reaction is the author of the number one best seller "culture of corruption." michelle malkin is back. good to see you. >> you, too, sean. >> sean: the president goes in the country with the largest muslim population, rips israel, followed up the day after hillary today, and joe biden today followed up on the same thing. now benjamin netanyahu is fighting back saying excuse me, jerusalem is the capital of our country israel. why would the president do that? >> i think for many reasons, for most of which is he saw this trip as in essence a jihaddy promoting jaunt. that has been the message.

whether it was visiting this massive mosque in indonesia. that happened to be according to terry jeffrey of the news, the same mosque visited by ahmadinejad a couple of years ago where he called for the annihilation of israel, denied the holocaust. and referred to every muslim man as, "an atomic bomb." i think a clear message was sent to the muslim world. and to jihadi sympathizing countries and governments across the world, yes, obama is back in business. >> sean: it's on the heels -- a student asks him on the trip. what do you think of jihad? what is your opinion of jihad? jihadism? the president's response is shocking. >> the phrase "jihad" has a lot of meanings within islam.

and is subject to a lot of interpretations. but i will say that first islam is one of the world's great religions. all of us recognize that this great religions in the hands of a few extremists is extorted to justify violence. so i think one of the challenges that we face is how do we isolate the notions? >> sean: i look at that answer. it was tortured. for a guy who was supposed to be the great orator and had the ability to woo all the crowds. it was painful, tortured. he didn't answer the question. the question is what is your opinion of jihad? not of islam. i also sensed by his slow answer fear. he was projecting fear. did you get that impression?

>> certainly, sean. i also think when you are struggling to deny the truth, it clouds not only your brain, but also trips up your tongue. that is why he had to measure every word. the fact is we've been shown and it's demonstrated in bloody gory detail over and over again, not just on september 11, but well before that, all around the world that there are millions, not just a tiny minority, quote/unquote, millions of isz lammists who believe -- islamists who believe literally so and preached for centuries dating back to muhammad that jihad is meant to be, quote/unquote, violent armed struggle. and it's interesting that he went to indonesia, which, of course, is the most populist muslim country in the world. 240 million, 85% of them practicing muslims. there was a poll i reported on

a couple of years ago, and muslims were randomly surveyed by an indonesian academic institute for their views on islam. and one in ten of them believe that jihad is meant to be violent struggle against all infidels around the world. >> sean: michelle, jihad is holy war. those who use religion to kill innocent or justify the killing of innocent men women or children. that was a simple answer. it seems the president who is so willing to criticize israel and lecture what they should or shouldn't do in terms of building settlements couldn't answer a basic question, and that goes back to man caused disasters, overseas contingency operation. he seems to be unwilling to recognize we face an enemy and that america is at war. >> precisely, sean. i think that there is an added insult that all of this lack of clarity, which is rooted in his left wing transnationalist

ideology comes at the same time roughly that we are commemorating the first anniversary of the fort hood massacre. did you hear much from this administration paying tribute to our american heros who died on american soil, who were slaughtered by a muslim jihadist who warned his own military superiors about the fact that millions of muslims around the world believe and practice violent armed struggle holy war against westerners here and around the world? >> sean: frightening. michelle will stay on it. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. >> sean: and there is plenty more "hannity" coming up. straight ahead. oklahoma judge blocks a measure that would stop the enforcement of shariah law. >> i brought dozens of cookies to the students. >> sarah palin picks a fight with the first lady over what

to feed our kids. >> strategy, not strategery, c'mon! >> show you a side of george w. bush you've never seen. that and the great, great, great american panel. much more "hannity" ahead. [ male announcer ] millions of men 45 and older

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a federal judge blocked amendment to the oklahoma constitution that prohibits state court using shariah law when deciding cases. temporary restraining order will remain in effect november 22 and hearing handed down in response to a lawsuit filed by the director of oklahoma council on american-islamic regulations arguing it was in violation of his constitutional rights. voters overwhelmed approved the measure with 70% supporting it. legal experts say it's unnecessary because there is

no danger of the shiria law overtaking the u.s. justice system, so it's really unnecessary, it's just symbolic, what is the problem? state pass all the time that are purely symbolic. meanwhile, nearly a year after he announced his original decision to hold the 9/11 trials in new york. the attorney general eric holder says he is close to making a final decision where to try them. here with reaction to all of this is nationally syndicated radio talk show host, salem radio network, hewlett olinsky and friend, shoornin harney is with us. you are friends with faisal and his wife? >> i am. >> he wants him to be fundamentally compliant. is shiria law at odds with the u.s. constitution as it is applied in islamic states?

>> no, actually, whatever is applied today in america in terms of -- >> sean: i didn't ask you that. answer my question. shariah law, for example, where women can't drive, can't be seen in public with men, males but -- >> women can drive. there is not such thing -- >> sean: is it in compliance with the u.s. constitution? >> it depends exactly what you are talking about. women can't drive only exists in saudi arabia. women can drive. define what it is and we can apply it to the constitution. >> sean: excuse me. recently in the united emirates, supreme court decision, hugh, that approved the right of a husband to beat his wife. there are different aspects to shiria law. as it's applied to the islamic state, do you see it's in compliance with the u.s. constitution? >> very straightforward. answer is no, it's not. it cannot be reconciled with

the constitution and statute 755 is not unconstitutional in making that very simple assertion. a lot of hubaloo about nothing. it's unremarkable statement that shariah cannot be reconciled with the constitution. >> shiria law is like jewish law and it's principles guiding people in religious practice from giving charity, marriage, inheritance, et cetera. it's a system that applies only to muslims. it doesn't apply to other people. what is contested in court -- >> sean: some -- [ overtalk ] >> it's done if line with the u.s. law, civil law. >> no, it's not. >> that has happened. >> sean: no, it's not. >> it has. >> sean: no, it's not. >> the new jersey case, the new jersey court, the decision that was in -- >> sean: overturned. >> it was not -- it was overturned. why?

it could be in line with the u.s. law. where is the threat? >> sean: there are certain aspects, we have saudi arabia, we have in other countries where women are stoned to death, women if they are victims of rape need four male eyewitnesses. this is the real-life application of shariah law in -- >> application of shiria law, sean, where? in two or three muslim countries out of more than 50. we cannot use the actions of a few countries and generalize and say this is what 1.5 billion muslims practice around the world. >> sean: this has been tried in european countries. those countries are moving away from it as quickly as they can. it's not compatible. >> it's important to recognize. i want to speak slowly here and i don't want to rush through this so juhan has a right to understand. archbishop of canterberry in

2008 went for perillism in institution of courts there was a blow-back, though there are many shiria courts in the united kingdoms. americans are concerned with parallelism in the united states where the individuals want to import in american law precept of religion practice. that's unconstitutional. it would be unconstitutional for roman catholic and unconstitutional for jews. they have not tried to do that as been tried in the united kingdom. i think she is being disingenuous when she refuses to recognize there is a move in many places in the world, especially in the united kingdom to import shiria law to the common law or statutory law systems. it's menacing and disturbing. the oklahoma statute says it will not be accepted in the american courts and ought not be accepted by the american courts. international law, fine, if we agree to it or adopt a treaty. i'm sure for example -- >> by the way, 30,000 -- >> let me finish one thing.

i'm sure you will agree that israel has a right to exist. that's international law and been accepted by the united nations. that the international law that is binding. it is not however, law that is backdoor -- >> the 30,000 muslims in oklahoma did not actually lobby for using shiria in court. they don't even, they don't much care about using it. but what is happening is this has been bushed by this anti-muslim fervor that there is a threat of shiria that doesn't apply to other people, only applies to muslims. infringing on the right anding fringes on their right. >> sean: shiria law, because of the application in many countries. we have to run. remember by the way -- >> wrong application. >> sean: out of time. we ask which federal programs and benefits you would support making cuts to. text your vote to 36288, h-1 for social security. h-2 for medicare. h-3 for federal salaries. and the results are coming up at the end of the show. also, president george w. bush like you have never seen him

before. out stakes from my one-on-one interview with the 43rd president of the united states. that's coming up straight ahead. ♪ for he's a jolly good fellow ♪ the meeting's tomorro in dals ♪ ♪ we need to finish tho projections ♪ ♪ then output the final presentations ♪ ♪ sally, i'm gonna need 40 copies, obviously collated ♪ wht's going on? when we're crunched for time, brad combines office celebrations with official business. it's about efficiency. [ courier ] we can help. wh you ship with fedex, you can work rht up until the lastinute. it gives you re time to get stuff done. that's a great idea. ♪ i need tspeak with you privately ♪

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>> sean: it's been days since a mysterious vapor trail recorded off of california's coast and the federal government still can't provide a concrete answer as to what it is. now the pentagon says they are satisfied it was likely caused by an aircraft. while we wait for the truth, other theories are making the rounds. here to submit a few, retired air force lieutenant general todd mcanerny with us, war correspondent for the examiner, sarah carter. and rich adminiter. conventional wisdom is this is

an airplane. i'll willing to listen to that. but don't we need to know what kind of aircraft it was, what kind? why can't we get a definitive aps? do you agree with the assertion? >> i don't agree with the assertion and we should get a definitive answer. you're correct. this is not an airplane because of the plume. airplanes do not come at sea level or 5,000 feet like that. i spent 35 years flying fighters and i never saw an airplane con like that. it's a missile, launched from a submarine. you see it go through a correction course and it gives a smooth trajectory meaning that the guidance system has kicked in. going at 45 degrees away from you. you're not eseeing versatile velocity. >> sean: general, are you 100% certain? >> sean, i've watched that film ten times. i have watched 15 other try dent films -- trident films,

missile 3 and t-launches. i'm absolutely certain that is not an aircraft. >> sean: sarah, we're told this is an optical illusion, that you have to see it in this context and everybody seems to buy in the conventional wisdom. i listen to general who has tremendous background and experience and he says something very different. your reaction? >> i haven't just heard it from the general. i've heard it from other sources as well. i'm hearing the other side. i'm not an expert on aircraft and trajectories. i think the general is much more an expert than i. he is an aviator and he understands aircraft and he understands missile systems. i contacted norad today and spoke to officials there and they told me it was not a missile, but they didn't give any other explanation what it could be. so it leaves me to wonder if our defense department and our folks at norad have no idea

for the last day-and-a-half what this is, so speculation is out there. >> i thought it was very clear it was not a foreign launched product. they had not been observing any launches from any naval aircraft. >> sean: you think it's an airplane, richard? >> i don't know. it could be an airplane or toy rocket launched as a test. >> sean: a toy rocket? it looks like a toy rocket to you? >> we don't have anything to look at the scale. >> sean: it doesn't look like a toy rocket to me. >> some of the toy sophisticated, sean. >> sean: i don't know what your parents gave you for christmas, but it's no toy rocket. it's an airplane or missile in my mind. i got to be honest. there is something -- look, i'm willing to accept that there are optical illusions. i'm willing to accept this might be something else. this might have been an aircraft. i'm not a conspiracy theorist.

when i hear the general with his background and his expertise, him being a pilot and his definitive answer this is a missile i'm nervous maybe my government is covering something up here. >> i can't imagine this is a foreign submarine launches a missile off the coast of the united states. >> sean: did it look like an airplane to you? it could be. >> sean: i agree it could be an airplane. i totally agree. >> it could be kids on a boat launching something or it could be experimental -- >> sean: richard, this is not a roman candle for crying out loud. this is not a sonar jet. what toys did you get for christmas? >> did you see six months ago they put something in orbit? >> sean: if in fact this is a missile then we have a major national security threat here.

>> i don't think it's a foreign threat. they made it clear. >> sean: is it possible we fired off a missile? >> pentagon denies it. >> if it's a black program, classified program, and for whatever reason and i don't know why because you're asking the right questions, missile went off. if you go to a fighter squad or air force in the world today, they will agree with me. they have a prom they don't want exposed. there are a lot of them. could be experimental missile. i don't believe it's foreign entity. >> i heard that as well. >> sean: does the public deserve an answer? does the public deserve an answer? general? >> yes. >> sarah? >> yes. absolutely. >> sean: richard? >> absolutely. >> sean: all right. we all agree on that.

thank you for being with us. time to check in with greta van susteren who has all the answers as she go -- what do you think? >> greta: i have a question. when are you going back to your own studio? why is the space needle behind you? >> sean: i'm comfortable in the imus and cavuto studio. >> greta: are you going back to your studio? >> sean: i don't know if they'll let me back. stole it for the election. >> greta: the election is over. >> sean: i was happy. this might shock people out there. i'm very honest in my conservative views. what is coming up tonight? >> greta: there is a fox news alert. we have a great show. former speaker of the house, newt gingrich. a special treat. the former president of pakistan pervez musharraf goes "on the record" for the first time and it's particularly important because the president was just in india. and pakistan is not happy with india tonight. >> sean: we'll watch in 19 short minutes. when we come back, wait until you see the outtake of my interview with george w. bush. we did a studio audience show

and it has not aired yet and at my expense he got them bursting out with laughter. we have that with the great, great, great american panel next. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief for all-over achy colds. the official cold medicine of the u.s. ski team. alka-seltzer plus.

>> sean: tonight on our great, great, great american panel, we have the national campaign manager for howard dean's presidential campaign. peter johnson junior. joe trippi is back. and fox news con trainor andrea tantaros. good to see you. thank you for being here. >> good to see you. >> sean: i went to crawford, texas, and i did an interview with george bush that aired last night. while that was airing last night, we taped the studio audience show with the president. peter, you were there. >> great. tremendous show. >> sean: this was an amazing

hour. we're going to air it next monday night on the fox news channel. we had people from the administration that were there. the firefighter who was with him when he held up the bull horn and many other people. i don't want to give away all the surprises but we had one minute, one second, one moment where i messed up. became of moment of humor. >> joining us -- joining -- let me do it again. >> they never let me do it, you know. [ laughter ] [ applause [ applause ] >> it would have been under mast itted. >> this is all included -- >> it's strategy not strat strategery, c'mon! >> this is what people miss about him, how sharp he is. he didn't get enough credit

for his sense of humor. >> i know you and your liberal friends beat up the president. i got to tell you something. do you know how many people miss him? through history we learned in two years we'll take him back. >> i have a lot of disagreements with him but he had a sense of humor. he would look at himself and be self-deprecating. a big thing in the president. bill clinton had that as well. like to see more of it in obama. >> it was funny, dramatic and interesting. one of the intest interview i have seen of any president. i was blown away by it. he speaks clearly, we understand what he's saying. the motives are pure and he talks about america and the importance of america's strength in the world. and what he had to do after 9/11. >> sean: i really like this book and i'll tell you why. i wanted him to tell his story. he is in the white house.

it's after 9/11. he's got to make decisions on his own that will impact the safety and security of the country. we talked about how some democrats made the case for w.m.d.s and when it became hot potato, they ran. we have another clip here. this isn't aired. when i asked him about waterboarding here is what he he said. >> i make it clear that we were careful about the law. and we adhere to the law, but also we gained a lot of information that protected lives. >> what you said that information of detainees in the c.i.a. program reveal constituted more than half of what the c.i.a. knew about al-qaeda. >> yeah, that's right. >> sean: i have a hard time listening to this. >> eme, too. i understand. my job was to protect the country. we did so in a legal way. i can understand -- if there is a distortion of what was going on, nobody likes to think their government is breaking the law.

we weren't breaking the law. >> sean: peter, when you bring it down to the personal side of enhanced interrogation it's a different issue. >> he said there were two other modes of interrogation that the c.i.a. and justice department found the be legal. he found distasteful and wrong and wouldn't sanction. he sd we had lawyers look at it. as a result of what happened, plots were stopped and thousands of lives were saved. what i liked about the show. i have won't give it away, you have dramatic reunions with heros in the show. incredible. it was amazing. >> sean: what i don't understand about the left. we got more intelligence according to george tenet than all our intelligence communities combined.

more from enhanced interrogation. liberal oppose it. i don't know why. >> the president writes about it in the book and talks about how you have to give things time. we'll find out whether it's true and -- >> sean: if you take a terrorist head and slam it in the water and doctors standing by in case he gets distressed and he gives up information to save lives. is that not the right thing to do? >> i think -- >> sean: you're not answering. >> i think it's going to be clear as history moves on what the president said. >> it will be clear when it's too late, when we had a criminal in our possession, we tried him with a civil trial instead of military trial and we missed something. then everyone will say bush is right. maybe there was something to that. >> sean: why didn't we? >> exactly. >> sean: at that point he will be blamed and is responsible. >> and god for bid lives are taken. >> sean: clear, save lives. no contradiction to that. it's not matter of time. >> i was saying -- >> sean: we have to take a break here. >> it's the law. it's question whether it was or wasn't. i don't know the answer to

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>> sean: it is time to reveal the result of the text voting poll. we ask which federal program and benefit would you support making cuts to? 95% said federal salaries. 3% said social security. and 2% said medicare. thanks to everyone who voted. we continue with the great american panel. "usa today" article average federal salary $150,000. not quite. the public sector not keeping up there. >> no, it's gone up in the last five years that number. that's when it's really escalated. when the democrats had control. >> another study i saw that showed the average americans going down. as the federal employees. public employees went up.

>> sean: peter, does the american -- do the american people have appetite to deal with entitlement reform and cut koeshl security and medicare? >> -- cut social security and medicare? >> in the end they have to. this is a matter of education. this is tough news for all americans. but if we're going to come to terms with it and we're going to be true to our principles and true to the majority the we've seen in this election, i think we have to do it. there is no other. >> sean: if we will means test it and raise eligibility ability, people who paid their wol life if they're successful, the government legally confiscates the money they paid all the years? >> i'm not suggesting it and recommend it. >> sean: but would it not be -- if it's means tested, okay, you have enough money. we keep your money. >> we have to decide where we'll go and how to cut and can we reduce taxes while cutting? s>> >> the first part of the

question, i agree with employment and what people are paid. but if we knock it down, it wouldn't do much to deficit. >> it's entitlement. >> right. that is one thing that both parties have to get. the tea party, everybody talks about the tea party to the right. no. that may be true. but it was a rebellion against spending. we have to tighten our belt and do something. there are democrats and progressives that feel the same way. >> sean: who? >> there are. >> sean: who? >> c'mon. . >> boehner said i don't need the airplane i'll fly commercial. jim demint says do the same in the senate. this is not a big part of the budget. this is small, it's $100 million here and there. symbolic. symbolism matters now. >> exactly. even if you talk about cutting npr funding, $1 million.

the liberals are howling. what is $1 million? that's where we're at. it doesn't mean anything anymore. >> a guy who is now governor in california, jerry brown. started his first governorship getting rid of the limo and the jet and the mansion. realized that that -- >> earmarks are -- >> do it again. >> sean: last thing. the interior department inspector general says the white house edited a drilling safety report in a way that made it falsely appear that scientists and experts support the idea of the moratorium on drilling. i'll be more blunt. they purposefully distorted the document and lied to the american people. >> should someone be in jail for this? this is a serious issue. i'm glessing the white house is excite -- guessing the white house is excited this came out after the election so it will get buried. this is not the first time they've done it. last month, the commission he put together accused the white house of delaying a report showing where the