Hotline After Dark -- Ask Mitt Anything

"World News" led with Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-KY) obstruction of the unemployment benefits extension. "Evening News" led with the aftermath of the Chilean earthquake. "Nightly News" led with the proposed U.S. Postal Service cutbacks.

Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) sat down with FNC's Hannity 3/2 p.m.

Romney, on whether America is in danger of losing its "exceptional" place in the world: "I've seen the kinds of challenges that we face year in and year out not being addressed. And as a result of that, I think that there's a very great risk that America will be eclipsed at some point during this century by another nation or nations that may not value freedom and free enterprise the way we do."

Romney, on whether Pres. Obama is "tone deaf": "I think he's a lot worse than tone deaf. I think he has such a low level of experience in dealing with tough situations like this that he's made some classic errors. One of which is not to focus on job one from the first day he was in office. ... And then the second issue should have been making sure that we're successful in our fight against terrorism around the world particularly in Afghanistan."

More Romney, on Obama: "But instead he diverted onto health care. And what he's doing for the Democrats right now is really -- I'm sure for a lot of them very, very frightening. He's making senators and the representatives walk the plank. ... In my view, while he has the greatest of desires to help the country, I'm sure he's made some enormous errors."

Romney, on who he'd like to see run for WH '12 if he doesn't run: "Lots of folks. ... There are some that I don't think may have heard of like [Gov.] Bob McDonnell [R] in Virginia. ... [Gov.] Chris Christie in New Jersey, this is a guy who has -- talk about taking on a tough task. If he's able to turn that around, wow. [Ex-eBay CEO] Meg Whitman [R], my friend in California. ... We get some great leaders in the Republican Party as well as those that are on everybody's list" ("Hannity," FNC, 3/2).

After the jump, pundits and pols react to Bunning's one-man filibuster, and the health care debate continues.

YOU REALLY THINK IT'S COOL FOR YOU TO HIT THE SAUCE WITH A BUNNING IN THE OVEN?

The Nation's Hayes, on whether he expects Obama to mention the Bunning incident as one example of how DC is "broken": "Well, it should be. ... For some reason, they're extremely reticent about calling anyone out. They always kind of have this big hand-waving about obstacles or procedural impediments or something. So, I'd be very, very surprised if the president actually made explicit reference to this" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 3/2).

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), on the Senate passing the bill Bunning had been holding up: "All I can say is that, you know, this place -- I've been here for a year, and it does feel a lot like 'Alice in Wonderland.' It doesn't make any sense" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 3/2).

Newsweek's Fineman, who took a ride on the Senate subway with Bunning 3/2: "My sense of him was that he was perfectly happy to be the center of this controversy, utterly serene about the whole thing. Although right at the very moment, I was talking to him, which was mid-afternoon, he'd already basically decided to cut the deal. The pressure on him was enormous, even from his own party."

More Fineman: "The Republicans realized, even the conservative Republicans, that the one-man tea party that is Jim Bunning should not be allowed to rain on the topic of unemployment benefits. It's just too difficult even for tea party Republicans in the Senate."

More Fineman, on Bunning's future: "He's retiring. He's 79. He's got 40 grandkids. He said to me, 'You know, I'm just going to be happy watching my grandkids play ball. I don't care.' I don't think this is the last we've heard of Bunning. As he himself said in his floor statement a little while ago, 'We're going to see how this works'" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 3/2).

I'M NOT DEAD, I'M JUST FLOATING

Health care continued to dominate the discussion 3/2 p.m.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), on whether he's hoping for 50 sens. to sign onto his letter calling for the return of the public option: "I think that would be great and that is one of the goals. But the other thing was, it was happening at a time when I think there was a view from some of the special interests in Washington that health care was dead. ... I just thought it was important to remind people that we're not dead yet" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 3/2).

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), on whether he'd support the public option if it was included in the reconciliation bill: "It would depend entirely how it's constructed. And, you know, I wouldn't sign a blank check for any provision. I'd want to know the details" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 3/2)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), on Dems' approach to health care: "The one thing that I think we should have learned and internalized much earlier is that when you're trying to stop something, it's much easier. You know, it's the old expression, it takes a great woman to build a barn, but any jackass can kick it down. We learned in health care that that's certainly the case" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 3/2).

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), on Obama's new plan: "Well, we got the letter from the president today, and it's a nice letter. And basically, what I get out of this is he's going to take the 2,700-page bill that he's been trying to pass all year long and add maybe 30 or 40 pages of Republican ideas to it. It still has the 2,700 pages in it."

More Ryan: "We tried to make our point very clear at Blair House, and I think we did, which is this entire bill is the problem" ("On the Record," FNC, 3/2).