Sen. Udall: After the election, it's time to get a grand bargain done

>>> back now with "the cycle's" top-notch election coverage. joins us now is senator mark udall from colorado . the latest polls say the president has a slight leader. obviously, your state is one everyone will be watching. what do you think it is exactly that made colorado a swing state this year?

>> s.e., thanks for having me on. the polls are open until 7:00 here. we're excited. i think the president will win in the end, but colorado has been a swing state for a number of cycles and it's reflective of the independent voters here, suburban women and hispanic vote. what's important and what we're proud of in colorado , our politics work. statewide politicians are forced to and i think want to work to solve problems. i think that's reflected in the fact athat this is a nip and tuck race in colorado .

>> for a long time i say that latino voters are decisive in the election. they are enthusiastic and their numbers are huge. colorado is one of the states where they should have a huge impact. what is your sense of what the latino impact on this election in colorado and the nation will be?

>> steve, you're spot on. with all due respect my republican colleagues think they lost a real opportunity here with the rigid thinking about immigration reform and the role immigrants play in our society. we registered many, many thousands of latinos. there's energy there and enthusiasm there. i was in the city of pueblo yesterday knocking on doors in latino neighborhoods. people are voting in huge numbers for the president.

>> senator, at the risk of being wildly premature, i want to ask what comes next after this election. since we have you here now, and that is if president obama is re-elected tonight, the first thing on his plate is this whole issue of the fiscal cliff. i don't like the term "cliff," and i think it's more of a gradual slip. schumer said the democrats' bottom line position on this has to be that the bush era rates for high income earners need to go, period. we need to go back to the clinton era rates of 36 and 39.9%. we need to start negotiations from there. the bottom line is at the end of the whatever we come up with, you need that 39 in 39.6% in clinton era rate for the wealthy. is that an a bottom line issue for democrats?

>> i think that the clinton era experience is a very important one to consider, steve. as part of a larger package, i think what senator schumer proposes makes sense. job one, two, three, and four when we return is to get a grand bargain on the fiscal front. i think we ought to stay in session right until christmas if we need to. let's provide some certainty and direction. it would be the most powerful stimulus, if you will, that we can provide to the economy going forward.

>> senator, this is krystal ball. i want to jump the gun and talk about what would happen. assuming democrats maintain the majority in the senate, harry reid had interesting comments to our colleague ed schultz about the filibuster. let's take a listen.

>> they're filibustering until we have to change the rules. we can't go on like this anymore. i don't want to get rid of the filibuster, but i have to tell you, i want to change the rules and make the filibuster meaningful.

>> he goes on to say that it can be done with a simple majority if the president is re-elected. filibuster reform, is that something you would support?

>> i do. i supported it in the last session of the senate. we need to maintain the right of political minorities to be heard, krystal. it's been used 386 since he was majority leader and it was ooused one time for lyndon johnson . the senate has to deliberate and legislate, and we have not been doing so over the last two years.

>> senator, two last questions for you. one, where are you going to watch returns tonight?

>> i'm going to be in downtown denver at the chariton with the democratic party celebration. i'll also spend time with my good friend, congressman ed who i expect to be re-elected tonight.

>> finally, what county should we walk as a bellwether to let us know, if this county is calling it for bahama or romney, then the state is basically called.

>> look at jefferson county aptly named after their third president. two other counties to watch, larimer and aarapahoe. larimer is where ft. collins is and arapahoe is around denver. jefferson county has gone for the victor always.

>> good to know. thank you.

>> thanks for having me on.

>> now, i understand we're very excited about this presidential race , but not everyone feels the same. speaking of colorado , rocky mountain state voter abby sl a little tired of all the campaigning.

>> i'm tired of blm barack obama and mitt romney .

>> that's you're crying? oh, it will be over soon, abby.