GOP rookies willing to put defense spending on 'chopping block'

>> this. let's get to the "politico playbook." defense cuts have been a bit of a sticking point. we don't talk about them much. it's been all about taxes. you say some republicans now open to looking at trimming the defense budget .

>> well, they are. and this is another part of this republican reboot we're seeing just in the last week. three big issues where the republican party is changing before our eyes. immigration, they want to talk about president obama about it, work with him on it, gay marriage . the house leaders who asked for one of the supreme court cases , silent since the court took it. now defense cuts. more and more republicans are saying that they're willing to talk about it.

>> good.

>> saying it junt cuts their credibility on other spending issues.

>> good.

>> it's the pentagon.

>> there is so much waste in the pentagon. it's one of the few bureaucracies you can't audit. it is impossible. whether you're talking to peter peterson , dave walker , they tell you, you can't audit the pentagon. it is impossible.

>> and yet there are some republicans you say who are willing to go out on a ledge and say it's time to look at this. and what are the costs of doing that politically?

>> well, they are, and part of it is the changing times . it's not the cold war anymore. it's these younger members who are coming up. also to be consistent, you have members saying why are we opposing the sequester? why are we panicked that these spending cuts might take place? this is what we want. so that's another fight that's in the conference. are they going to be totally consistent on spending, or are they going to pick and choose?

>> you've been relatively optimistic that a deal will get done. we've got, what, three weeksish. what do you feel this morning?

>> 19 days in the hall right before the congressman gave the answer. go ahead. what do you have in the poll?

>> i think if a deal is not put in place by this weekend, it's going to be hard to put one together. i think this week is critical. and come monday next week, we'll have something.

>> i bet they'll have half a deal and they'll agree to put things off together. how boring.

>> did i hear this right? the president came out. i hope i didn't miss this. my top 12 list. the president agreed to go to $1.4 trillion on taxes.

>> but that's not agreeing to anything. that makes no difference.

>> he was 1-6. he was 1-4 if boehner goes from 8-1.

>> he wants the corporate cut as a part or overhaul of business taxes as part of the deal.

>> yeah.

>> which means they're listening to business leaders.

>> the parts of a deal -- and so i'm still sticking with december 23rd .

>> no, you're back at 20. you went to 30 at one point.

>> 10:00 p.m . i think we agree that they are going to look so silly --

>> i was on the show. i remember these things.

>> they are going to look so silly if they have the gist of an agreement and have to bring everyone back, members, aides, police, the snack bar workers to vote. we picked up on something else. another reason an incentive --

>> i think snack bar workers better get ready. they're going to come back.

>> it also may mean the president doesn't go to hawaii . the president may not go to hawaii --

>> come on.

>> oh, stop it right now.

>> there's no way. he's got to go to hawaii . it's his home! he was born there whether trump believes it or not.

>> majority leader reid says he doesn't believe there will be a deal by christmas.

>> partly because of the mechanics. another incentive, we're told if the deal stretches out, if there's no deal, if they're trying to fight over the fiscal cliff in january, senate democrats will be less eager to take on susan rice as the secretary of state nominee. they've said the president would win that fight. they don't want to worry about the massachusetts seat. but if they have all this stuff swap into january.

>> a related issue --

>> no, i have a feeling this is not going to be related at all.

>> very related. willie, what do you think the life expectancy is in new york city ?

>> male or female or just overall?

>> anybody. what would you think?

>> i'll say 81.

>> it's 81.

>> is it really?

>> howard wolfson just tweeted --

>> i made that up.

>> move to new york city . it is a remarkable thing.

>> thanks.

>> that gotham is -- you live longer here than you do on average in the rest of the country. 81.

>> i pulled that out of thin air. i figured it was slightly higher than the national average.

>> it's not 81. it's 80.9 years. i'm a politician, though. i round up. i gave you that. you live, in new york city , if you live here, till you're 87, on average.

>> there it is.