State of the Union Crib Sheet for Sunday December 23rd 2012

Show Highlights

Today, the NRA’s National Director of the National School Shield Program Asa Hutchinson speaks to Candy about the aftermath of the Newtown shooting and how to protect our children in schools. Connecticut’s Senator Joe Lieberman gives his different take on the shooting, the NRA, and a possible nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary. Then, the split amongst Republicans in the House of Representatives. Congressmen Steve LaTourette of Ohio – an ally of Speaker Boehner – and Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina – a leader of the conservative wing of the party – discuss why the speaker’s “Plan B” failed and the chances of going off the fiscal cliff. Finally, Ron Brownstein, Susan Page, and Mike Duffy are no longer optimistic that we’ll avoid the fiscal cliff.

ASA HUTCHINSON ON ARMED GUARDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

“I think there's voluntary programs you can look at if you have trained people, and we want to set up a model training for this. But it always should be an option that the local school board finally makes the decision. So I can understand skepticism, but I think that school safety is the debate. I think it is terrific that the NRA is willing to fund experts and solutions that will be provided free of cost to the schools.”

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN ON A NOMINATION OF SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL AS DEFENSE SECRETARY:

“I wouldn’t say that his votes disqualify him, but if I were in the Senate on the Armed Services committee and he was nominated, I would have some really serious questions to ask him.”

REP. MICK MULVANEY (R-SC) ON WHY HE SPLIT WITH BOEHNER ON “PLAN B”

“The reason I was no on “Plan B” was that I was never convinced – I’m still not convinced – that the Senate was ever going to take it up.”

REP. STEVE LATOURETTE (R-OH) WILL VOTE FOR TAX INCREASE, BUT….

“This needs the big deal. I'm okay to say, president, you won – you can tax these rich people you seem to dislike so much. But, you know what? Come up with spending cuts. We're borrowing ail trillion dollars a year, and he has not.”

USA TODAY’S SUSAN PAGE ON THE GUN DEBATE IN CONGRESS

“There is no consensus on what to do next.”

Video Links

Asa Hutchinson on NRA’s “Armed officers in every school”

http://on.cnn.com/ZsZddq

Will the NRA accept new gun control legislation?

http://on.cnn.com/ZsZjlk

Lieberman on America’s gun culture

http://on.cnn.com/ZsZiOq

Lieberman: Hagel’s confirmation would be “tough”

http://on.cnn.com/ZsZoWj

Lieberman: More than 50 percent chance we'll go over the cliff