FOX: Huckabee "very much considering" running for president
ABC: Moammar Gaddafi's son -- "We didn't use force" against protesters
NBC: McCain -- "We've really got to get tough" on Libya
CNN: Lieberman, McCain discuss military option in Libya
C-SPAN: Van Hollen "cautiously optimistic" shutdown will be averted
CBS: Christie -- Collective bargaining rights "didn't come down from tablets on top of the mountain"
FOX NEWS SUNDAY
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) said that he's "very much considering" running for president again but is "working through that process," noting that he's looking at whether he can raise the "obscene amount of money" necessary to compete in the GOP primary and against a president "who's going to have a billion dollars piled up just waiting on somebody to come after him." Huckabee criticized President Obama on the economy, charging that he "has created more debt in two years than George Bush did in eight." He also said that Obama has "alienated the African-American community" by directing the Department of Justice to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, adding that Obama "better explain" why he changed his view. Asked about his previous criticism of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) on health care, Huckabee said that Romney's role in implementing health care reform in Massachusetts doesn't "disqualify" him from running for president but added that Romney should acknowledge that "it didn't really work like we thought. ... That's what leaders do."
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) rejected the idea of making a deal with Democrats who have fled to Illinois in order to block action in the state legislature, saying that "we will talk about what sort of changes or amendments they might want, but while they are subverting the democratic process, there is nothing to talk about." Asked how he would reform Social Security, Daniels said that he would "bifurcate" it so that those who are already in the program are "good to go" while younger people would have a "brand new compact;" he also advocated for raising the retirement age. Daniels sketched out a similar "bifurcated" approach to Medicare, noting that he would leave the program as is for older Americans and support a private voucher program for younger people. Asked about his tenure as budget director under President George W. Bush, Daniels said that voters should look at his six years as Indiana governor; "don't look at two-and-a-half years where I was in the supporting cast with no vote." On his call for a "truce" on social issues, Daniels said that "it's only a truce if both sides agree to stop fighting for a little while." He also declined to give a timeline on deciding on a presidential run and joked that "if it comes down to height and hair, I probably wouldn't do very well."
ABC: THIS WEEK
Moammar Gaddafi's son: "We didn't use force" against protesters
Saif Gaddafi, son of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, said that the crisis in Libya right now is not "American business" and that the government didn't use force against protesters. "Show me a single attack," Gaddafi said. "Show me a single bomb. Show me a single casualties. The Libyan air force destroyed just the ammunition sites." On the resignation of senior Libyan officials, Saif Gaddafi said that "the ship is sinking, they think, so it's better to jump." He dismissed the possibility that he or his father will leave the country. "We live here; we die here; this is our country," he said. He also charged that "there's a big gap between reality and the media reports," contending that much of the country is calm. Another of Gaddafi's sons, Saadi Gaddafi, warned that there would be "civil war" in Libya if Moammar Gaddafi were to leave the country. He also contended that Libyans have had normal freedoms. "Everybody wants more; there is no limit," Saadi Gaddafi said. "You give this, then you get asked for that, you know?"
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R), Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) discussed the ongoing standoff in Wisconsin. Patrick argued that states can make tough budget decisions "with labor at the table, instead of doing it to labor." Haley charged that Democratic lawmakers who left Wisconsin were "cowardly" and "irresponsible;" Brewer called it "despicable" that the Democratic legislators "would leave their job." Meanwhile, Patrick said that his predecessor, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), "deserves a lot of credit" for co-authoring the state's health-care overhaul. And Haley declined to make an endorsement among the potential White House 2012 contenders, noting that "there is no one that I feel like I owe at this time."
NBC: MEET THE PRESS
McCain: "We've really got to get tough" on Libya
Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), speaking from Cairo, sais that he agreed with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice's statement that Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi "has lost the legitimacy to rule." Noting that the Libyan government is "using air power and helicopters to continue these massacres," McCain said that a no-fly zone could be imposed and that the U.S. should recognize a provisional government in eastern Libya. "We should make it clear that we will provide assistance to that provisional government, and finally, we should make it absolutely clear that anyone who continues or is engaged in these kinds of barbarous acts are going to find themselves on trial in a war crimes tribunal. We've really got to get tough," McCain said. He said "Gaddafi's days are numbered" and the question is "how many people are going to be massacred before he leaves, one way or the other."
McCain also projected that the types of uprisings happening in the Middle East could spread to other countries, pointing to recent calls for protest in China. Asked about the recent Rolling Stone report that he was among several senators targeted by alleged "psy-ops" by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, McCain said he wasn't sure whether anything happened that went beyond the legitimate way that briefers are briefed, adding, "put me down as skeptical."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) defended his position on curtailing collective bargaining rights for public employees. Asked about exemptions for police officers and firefighters, Walker argued that "this is not a value judgment about employees, but it is ultimately about preserving public safety." Walker stood by his remark that "this is our moment in Wisconsin's history," saying," I make no apology for the fact that this is an important moment in time."
Asked about how the standoff may end, Walker described himself as "an eternal optimist" and predicted that "at least some" of the state senators who have fled the state will return. He cautioned, though, that if the bill fails to pass by Tuesday, the state will lose $155 million in savings, and "if we continue down that path, we start seeing layoffs." Walker also said he had rejected the idea of planting troublemakers into the crowd of protesters. "The bottom line is we rejected that because we have had a civil discourse," he said.
CNN: STATE OF THE UNION
Lieberman, McCain discuss military option in Libya
Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) joined in a pre-taped interview from Cairo to discuss the uprising in Libya. Asked if there was a military option for Libya, McCain said, "I think there possibly could be." Lieberman joined McCain in criticizing the Obama administration's response as being too slow and not clear enough, acknowledging that the White House had been cautious in its response due to safety concerns for Americans still in Libya. "Now is the time for action, not just statements," said Lieberman.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) discussed the fast-approaching threat of a government shutdown. Conrad said that House Republicans' most recent two-week proposal is "acceptable" but "not the way to go," urging passage of a longer-term funding measure. Asked whether he felt he could cut $57 billion out of the 2011 funding measure, Conrad said it was possible, but that the ramifications of such deep cuts could be unsustainable. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) discussed the states' budget crises and the ongoing union protests in Wisconsin. "Do I think the Democrats look great in this? No," said Malloy, calling the situation in Wisconsin a "travesty."
C-SPAN NEWSKAMERS
Van Hollen "cautiously optimistic" shutdown will be averted
Maryland Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen said he was "cautiously optimistic" that a government shutdown would be averted, at least for the next couple of weeks. He argued that "what Republicans are proposing right now is reckless," citing reports that immediate deep cuts could prove problematic.
"I think we can come together on some specific cuts based on the merits," he continued, calling it "wrong" to put forward a specific projection for total cuts. "Republicans should not be using the budget process to deal with hot-button social issues," Van Hollen added, referring to recent Republican amendments such as one that would block federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
CBS: FACE THE NATION
Christie: Collective bargaining rights "didn't come down from tablets on top of the mountain"
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) discussed the situation in Wisconsin and the continuing protests by state government workers against a move by Gov. Scott Walker (R) to eliminate collective bargaining rights. Those rights "didn't come down from tablets on the top of the mountain," Christie said. He also had harsh words for the teachers' unions, charging that they "protect the worst of the worst...and it's ruining our education system." He praised President Obama's overall approach to education reform. "I think the president's been on the right track," Christie said, praising Obama's push for merit pay and the "Race to the Top" program. But Christie added: "Overall, I didn't vote for him, and I doubt I'll vote for him next time."
Christie reiterated that he will not run for president in 2012 and declined to say who he would support among the potential candidates, noting that "we don't have a field yet." He praised Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), saying he was addressing real issues. "You cannot be blow-dried and poll-tested," he continued. Asked if he was referring to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (R), Christie said his comment was aimed at all of the potential candidates, but that the first time he made the comment it was indeed directed at Palin. Christie also declined to say whether Palin was ready to run for president, saying that it was a decision for her to make. Christie also said that he thought criticism of First Lady Michelle Obama's attempts to push for better nutrition was "unnecessary," acknowledging his own struggles with his weight and his support for efforts that would help children avoid such struggles in adulthood.
Washington Post Felicia Sonmez & Emi Kolawole
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