Winners and losers in tax cut deal

>>> now let's get some rapid-fire response from our panel on these stories tonight. mr. country first, john mccain , got a direct appeal from a 9/11 first responder to support a bill that would help workers sickened at ground zero . mccain's response, i can't help you. and defense secretary robert gates says he is not optimistic that congress will repeal "don't ask, don't tell" this year. with us tonight, joe madison , xm satellite talk show host and ron christy, republican strategist. gentlemen, good to have you with us tonight. ron , you first. the tax cuts . is this a big victory for the conservatives?

>> well, thing is a big victory for the american people . z a time when we're" serious economic crisis, we shouldn't be raising taxes on any hard-working american who is earning a payroll, paying taxes and trying to contribute to this society.

>> well, that's what the republicans got. so it's their victory tonight, right?

>> it's an american people victory. i think when john boehner came out and said on election night we are not out gloating. we are not taking victory laps when one out of ten americans right now is unemployed. now is not the time to gloat. now is not the time to declare victory. now is the time to try to make sure that all americans who are looking for a job can have one. and i think that's what we've seen tonight. all americans who are paying taxes will not have their taxes increased.

>> joe madison , the democrats and the obama administration just signed on to a tax rate policy that drove this country right into the ditch. can you believe it?

>> absolutely, absolutely. and i'm going to tell you. what we really should be doing, we ought to be in the streets. we ought to be jumping on these greedy republicans who have the audacity to try to keep going what they have going for the last ten years. here is what i would tell republicans. okay, baby, it's in your court right now. create the jobs. and you've got 13 months to get these people off of unemployment that you held hostage. you've got two years to create jobs in this country instead of spending that money on your luxury items. ron is full of it. this is an attempt to just allow rich people to maintain their 100,000, 300,000, 400,000. create jobs or shut the hell up. and the american people ought to be in the streets screaming, not at president obama so much because i'm going to tell you, you guys sat here and held -- you held the poorest of the poor hostage. you played chicken with poor people 's lives. and you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

>> well, have i too much respect for my friend to get into class warfare arguments. the fact of the matter is the last three tax cuts that we have seen in the last 50 years, 1961 , 1981 under reagan and bush -- wait, ed, it's interesting. ed, let me answer. you guys both try to demagogue the issue. i will answer the question. i think the fact of the matter.

>> you're going to listen to me. i want to know why.

>> the fact of the matter is that --

>> why the republicans used unemployment as a bargaining chip. how do you feel about that?

>> well, i think it's important that we provide a safety net for those who are most at risk. i think the president got what he wanted. he got 13 months of an additional extension.

>> oh, god, i hate this kind of conversation.

>> excuse me, joe, the fact of the matter is -- the fact of the matter is. i didn't cut you off when you were talking.

>> one more to get. to.

>> it's this filibustering. you can't handle the fact of the matter we have -- we have 66 republicans who are elected in the house.

>> good to have you with us tonight.