that's pretty significant. it's a bipartisan effort i must say. >> host: what about the white house? >> guest: president barack obama sent me a letter last january and he committed publicly to this process. so we haven't heard officially other than that letter plan hopeful that the president will support this process. we are demanding space process in afghanistan, iraq, iran, how come we will do it with 4 million u.s. citizens? u.s. citizens act we have always been willing actually to defend or democracy. actually there are more active in the armed forces than all states but one proportionally speaking so in that sense i'm hopeful the white house will support this effort but i'm cognizant of the fact congress has to take the lead of the stage and because there is so much more going on. >> host: let's hear from the calls. first is on the democratic line,

butch from jackson, wyoming. >> caller: yes, good morning. the discussion about the puerto rico status territory. number one, we've got. health care should be a right, not a profit. number two, we should discuss taxing church property. churches should be helping with health care. i don't understand why and number three, education for doctors is costing too much to become a doctor. we should be able -- the government should be able to pay for the health care by them volunteering into rural areas so that we can have health care. i would like to ask you a question, have you ever seen the movie "sicko"?

>> guest: no, i haven't. >> caller: with michael moore. he took three people that volunteered during 9/11 and helped find bodies, he took them to gitmo because the prisoners over there with so-called terrorists are getting better health care than american citizens. ..

i went in one of those trips, health care services in cuba are not our model. we should not be looking toward cuba for that. i believe we have excellent health care professionals in this country. of course, i agree that we need to make it easier to become a physician or health care professional in one way or another, but i don't think we should look toward cuba. we need to do is fix the system here, and we have a foundation to do that. >> host: on the independent line from illinois. >> caller: thank you, this is my first time calling, it's great to be on. allied to approve the last caller about how our medical system is costing too much and i believe that anyone that has in them to go through college and make it as a doctor or attorney should have their education paid for them for free and i also believe that the doctors are getting paid way too much.

on topical notes like michael jackson who just recently passed away, they reported there is only one doctor and hospital at the time he was brought in under his cardiac arrest. that is of a point that instead of spending a trillion dollars which is $10,100,000,000,000, that is 1 trillion with 12 as heroes behind it -- winston churchill said that a nation cannot tax itself into prosperity like standing in a bucket and tried to pull yourself up by the handle, it's not going to work. recently they are talking in the senate and house about missile defense bill and everything that caused $1.9 billion and i'd like to point out that barney frank has stolen over 50 billion, more than our country is spending on missile research. anyway i really wanted to call and say that the american people

are being taxed to death and we need to audit the federal reserve because 14 or $15 trillion of our wealth is being sent overseas and we cannot afford anything. and my last note, i just believe that if americans have access to dentistry we wouldn't really need all of this health care because we really have some minor things going on with us and we just want a little bit of care. adel think we're going to get it by spending ourselves to death. >> guest: first of all, i agree with the dental and the sense we should not be taxing the american taxpayer even more, i don't think we can carry that burden any further. what we need to do certainly is i believe we can be more cost-effective in many ways. i believe in competition, true competition could bring about lowering costs and i believe we need to make sure that we emphasize prevention.

health care prevention, something in this country we are not doing enough of here and actually we could be savings of a given amount of money by doing that and secondly when we address different pockets of a population there are some chronic illnesses that have to be addressed and what we should be doing is making sure that they have access, those with cardiovascular problems, asthma, or other pulmonary problems with diabetes. that they have access immediately not to the primary care but specialists that will take care of them actually quality of life will be much better and we could be saving some money but for that in order to do that the way the system is structured right now we are spending too much money, not achieving our goals as we should. >> host: georgia, on our republican line. >> caller: good morning, how are you both? >> guest: good. >> caller: i wanted to make two brief comments -- one is that i think it would be your

best interest with all due respect to actually think about running for a presidential candidacy in 2012 and i say that not to joke at all. the main thing is to get your message out in reference to state could four puerto rico and also just by you being in the public eye it would cause more individuals to be concerned about your plight and i do believe that taxation without representation is in hypocrisy that we do not deserve this nation. >> guest: thank you, sir,. certainly i will do what ever i can assure of running for any other office to make sure that we are heard. i thank you for your concern for the 4 million u.s. citizens that live in puerto rico and actually the fact is that any of my constituents move to any of the 50 states they could vote for commander in chief of the president, they would have two senators, and won a voting member of congress representing

them. the gentleman from georgia let's say to do some work there and retire, he would lose the two senators, you lose a voting member of congress and not be able to vote in the next presidential election in 2012 so is something that has to be fixed one way or another. actually the founding fathers never intended for 4 million u.s. citizens served in the military shoulder to shoulder with everybody else to be disfranchised and in that sense i believe the gentleman is right that we need to bring this issue about out in the open and hopefully congress will be addressing this producer and. >> host: as a constitutional matter can the governor of puerto rico run for president? >> guest: a u.s. citizen can run for president, i'm certainly not thinking about that i'm just trying to fix our budget and make sure that we are heard here at this man was talk about your budget in may 29th story from the associated press talking about puerto rico budget woes,

nearly -- the start of a wave of layoffs in the closing a budget of a soaked. as it struggles through its third year of recession it included clerical workers and education treasury held a department, governor fortuno says he needs to cut 30,000 public sector jobs on an island where one-fifth were for the government. >> guest: i inherited five months ago proportionately speaking of the largest a budget deficit and the country, worse than california's. so it is $3.2 billion in this budget for this fiscal year that commences next week we are forced to cut $2 billion on our state budget but i don't want to raise taxes. i'm very sorry, i think the taxpayer is carrying an of of a burden already and i am very sorry about having to cut. we are trying to cut everywhere we can. i traveled without state police. and i have to cut down on official vehicles. i canceled all credit cards

including the governor's credit card. and doing what we need to do two actually make sure that taxpayers' money gets were in the is to get to to those that really need certain services and i want the state government to get out of the way so that the rest of our citizens can actually improve the quality of life and get ahead and live and achieve the american dream. that is i think is our message and actually what governors across the country are trying to do. >> host: democrats line from rapid city south dakota. >> caller: hi, thanks for taking my call. i want to say that i entirely against this health-care proposal if you will. my gosh, congress is not listening to the american people. there are not listening to us on health care, they are not listening to us on the war, we are talking about a do nothing congress that bush had and now we are talking about a congress

that is full of deception and lies. as a vietnam veteran, let me say that the veteran association is taking care of me. i don't like them but they do the job. look at the number of veterans in hospitals with these colonoscopy checks. that is horrible. these are the true heroes end of the care we are getting through the veteran administration, we are getting neglected. >> guest: server, first of all, i want to thank you for a disservice to the country and i want to thank every veteran out there that has actually served our country as you have. actually i am sure many of my constituents served alongside with you in vietnam as they did

in korea and europe during second world war, as they did in both gulf wars and as they're doing today in afghanistan and iraq. and in that sense actually i have over 150,000 veterans and puerto rico that believe it or not they don't have the same access to the services you have today. tricare does not apply to puerto rico just because it is a territory, if they moved to georgia or florida or new york they would get tricare. that is another issue that i am raising all the time. we are treated equally in wartime but not in peace time and especially the plight of our veterans across the country but especially in my case those that live in a puerto rico is something that is very close to my heart. but just denying those young men and women in uniform from puerto rico that may have served alongside use our that do not have the right to their

commander in chief, just a mention of whether that is right, that is correct morally speaking in the 21st century in the freest in greatest country in the world. that's why i believe congress should act soon on h.r. 2499. >> host: independent line from alabama, good morning, how are you doing? >> host: good. >> caller: i am certain that puerto rico has been the of the same problems that the rest of the united states is suffering from and a lot of of it is simply core leadership. you know, you can't borrow the kind of money that they have borrowed can i just a couple minutes left in this "washington journal" segment, we'll leave it here and go live to the white house to join today's white house briefing. here is spokesman robert gibbs. >> let me just quickly do a week ahead in appear in the president will spend the weekend in

washington and has no scheduled public events. on monday the president will meet with president your rebate of kilobit at the white house. he will attend an event recognizing and silber did the accomplishments of ltv to americans and invited guests include volunteers and activists and community leaders. and tuesday the prison will hold an event at the white house. wednesday the president will hold meetings. it is unclear. on wednesday the president will attend meetings at the white house at an event in the d.c. area. a very good, we are expanding the circle. on thursday the president will attend meetings at the white house and later traveled to camp david where he will remain until saturday. on saturday the president will return to the white house and host a fourth of july events in the and as you all know on

sunday night the president will depart for moscow. >> [inaudible] >> i'm not that i am aware of. >> [inaudible] >> yanks. mr. fowler. >> robert, a quick follow-up on iran, the president said there is no doubt that any direct dialog response to iran will be affected by the events of the last release and i wanted to see if you could add a bit to that, what he means by no doubt there'd of what has definitely changed at this point and what is still remaining open? >> i figured the presidency at his news conference earlier in the week at right now the focuses on what is going on there in the ground. and obviously it was passed to daschle lot of things have to going to have to shake out and get figured out obviously as we

watch that. i think the president has been clear on matt. as i have mentioned here, there are multilateral invitations and looked, a lot of this is the iranians have been offered and a path away to meet their responsibilities. in many ways their actions are up to them and i think that's what the president said today. the g8 last night reiterated their multilateral invitations through a statement based on an ongoing invitation from early april. >> i understand you have been saying that the events have to play out of the u.s. is watching but when he says today there is no doubt that a direct dialogue is going to be affected by what is happening is a clear at this point regardless of what happens in the coming days that really something has changed? >> i think we've seen the

images, we have seen the violence, we have seen the actions in a way that leads i think many to believe that iran isn't going to choose the path way that has been offered by this and other countries as part of the teefive plus one. obviously it is again i think their actions are up to them. >> i also wanted to ask on the climate, the house vote to this morning on the climate bill nearly got to their. are u.s., and today as you were yesterday that this bill will ultimately pass? >> the president obviously has been engaged in talking to members as have staff members here. i thank you heard the president discussed the importance of this legislation when he met with you all with chancellor miracle and

we continue to work at heart and hope they will mark a big step in getting climate change and energy independence legislation one step closer to his desk. >> confident? >> yes. >> sort of various random question, when the president said there was no doubt did that mean it, in fact, he has decided to delay his outrage for now or is he just sort of a city of the obvious that the outrage can't proceed until the situation? >> stating the obvious and again reiterating what he said earlier in the wake fact -- that obviously the iranian regime is involved in what is going on inside iran right now, but again as i said earlier there are multilateral invitations.

again i want to reiterate most of all that their decisions relating to what is going on currently in iran and ways for them to be their responsibility is as it relates to nuclear-weapons or terrorism that are in many ways decisions that they have to make and is up to them to accept the pathway to responsibility. >> i also want to ask a question about the meeting with president uribe, colombia is interested in getting free trade agreement approved pending for a long time. are you expecting any concrete results to come out of this meeting that would advance that agreement? >> i will get ahead of what the president will talk about, what might come out of the meeting i should say, but i have no doubt that's it will be something that president obama and it president uribe discuss early next week to buy senator grassley has said

the administration is stonewalling on these agreements, is that a fair way to characterize it? >> i don't think that is the case. and i don't obviously know the basis for which team makes that statement. >> green peas announced yesterday that it proposes the energy legislation and another president wanted it or our originally proposal hundred% option for an add-on 215% and greenpeace says that the lobbyists have gone to this bill and voted it down so much -- watered it down so it can pass it. i wonder if president obama feels this is the best bill that can pass congress or if he stands by the content of the bell regardless of the political consequences and realities? >> look, i think there is no doubt that the president believes this would be an

historic step forward in energy and climate change legislation. that he disagrees with those on both sides of the political spectrum that criticize this legislation. date, i believe it the president with very clearly say, the administration is not going to make the perfect the enemy of the really good in a way that moves this bill, it moves this legislation for and gets us one step closer to taking comprehensive action to deal with dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that we all know threaten and endanger our planet. and i think that is why he is working hard right now to ensure that is one step closer today.

>> okay, the president has talked a lot about his love music. in posted stevie wonder here. he has talked a great deal about what is on his ipod, rolling stones, what was his reaction to the death of michael jackson? >> i talked to him about this morning. look, he said to me that obviously michael jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon. i think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching him moonwalk on television during the motown 25 anniversary. but the president also said, look, he had aspects of this life for saddam tragic.

his condolences went out to the jackson family and two vans that mourn his loss. >> [inaudible] >> because i just said it. >> you sent condolences to the family? >> not that i know. >> that was going to be my question. >> we are done. [laughter] you guys really didn't have much climate change questions either. i noticed you guys were a bit shy when the president was standing up there earlier today. >> we were shy? should we have shouted? >> i could have arranged through a third-party. [laughter] >> irish added once this week. the administration has consistently said that you have not wanted to meddle in the iran

elections been in the president's remarks today was thinking about the opposition leader mousavi he said he has captured the imagination of iranian people. isn't that an endorsement? >> no, look -- connected sounds like a strong endorsement. >> this wasn't a question about defending a statement that some of you have been critical of in terms of not endorsing him earlier. look, the president as he said today has taken great pains not to interject himself or the united states into this back and forth. i think we all understand and we've seen the actions of president ahmadinejad in just the last few days trying very desperately to interject some needles into this equation well people continue to have a make their voices heard in and condemn the violent actions of the government. i think again i have said this a

lot over the past few days and almost two weeks, but that is what some in iran want this administration and this country to do. and the president has spoken out about the universal principles involved here well not getting involved in a debate in iran. >> president clinton -- i'm sorry, president carter was in gaza recently and said the people there are treated like animals. does the president agree with pat? >> i have not seen president carter's statement on that. i think the president believes clearly that comprehensive peace can bring security, stability and opportunity to all people in the middle east. and the president has spoken and about ensuring that hope and

opportunity for palestinians. if both sides will have the courage to come together and see that long term peace. >> i have a follow-up. he speaks about the rights and greenpeace to assist but he doesn't speak about palestinians whose 70 percent of the land is under occupation, two then have a right to exist? >> absolutely. >> under occupation? for how many years? >> let's not purrs the president's words. if you look to the speech in cairo i think the president is pretty clear, a pretty clear in his support for comprehensive peace and as i said a two state solution that will bring stability, security and opportunity to everyone in that troubled region of the world. >> i only follow-up is in his public remarks the only speaks

of israel's rights. >> no, we will pull that cairo the president's we can have a conversation about different aspects of it. i think if you take a look at that again you can see the president. >> i am talking about other things that he talked about. >> does that time not count? >> how long does it go on? visit never speak to palestinians? >> i thank you can go back and look of his comments and he has been very clear on this. >> ever since the president toughened his language on iran and today is a note to things have happened, and least two and one is it has all been but crushed so is the powerless to affect the situation they're in second, ahmadinejad has attempted to use his words as of seven the kind of oil and political football the president wanted to avoid so is the president parlous there and never to come and did he give them the kind of ammunition he

was trying to avoid? >> no, interesting. interesting one a on your question from earlier in the week. >> i have changed. >> apparently. look, the international community continues to condemn what is going on in iran. i think if you ask the iranian regime where they are right now and where they sit in with a they think in control the country in a moment of honesty will get a farda in answer. the president again has done, has responded forcefully from the very moment of the elections. the first day that you all asked him questions in the oval office

about violence that might happen and violence but at that point had arnie happen. i think again with to see from ahmadinejad is probably right out of the regime's playbook. they were going to in many ways there were going to try to do this regardless of what we sen. i think the president in many ways to dispose seven mr. ahmadinejad and language from the past couple of days as the press earlier appear in. i think he has done what he needs to do to ensure that he doesn't become a foil by the regime and i think that has been reported by many of your outlets from people believing that and iran. ..