we want to sit down and do what the president says he will do. we want to sit down and negotiate. we want the c-span cameras in the room. we want to do something which is bipartisan which is good for america. we know the health care costs are out of control and we have to address the issue of medicare is going broke in five years. but the fact is this is an a contradiction and contravention to how the united states has acted every single major reform bill that's been passed in the history of this country has been bipartisan. there's no bipartisanship here, there's no negotiations, there's no conversation, and no one knows what's in this bill but one senator, one senator knows what is in this bill and included in that of course we have no cost estimate from the cbo and apparently it is all

going to be sprung on us tomorrow morning in the middle of a snowstorm. that is what america wants. .. let me also address the issue. the majority leader is in charge of the schedule. i mean, he's the reason we're doing the defense bill and the bill of the health care bill.

i think we've made it rather clear we're not going to expedite consideration of the health care bill. now that the defense bill will pass, it just won't pass as quickly as he would like for it to pass. that he's in charge charge of the schedule. he's got the debt ceiling hanging out there. he's got the defense bill to pass andy's going to try to jam the american people on this mysterious spell that no one has seen before christmas. >> last night three republicans ended up voting for the defense bill yet senator burr had to come back at one in the morning and cast a vote that seem to cause some problems for them. why the decisions to pull back the republican funds when you knew -- >> every senator makes a decision about whether they want to come to a vote and it not uncommon for senators to miss those. it happens from time to time, but we're also there to do our duty and make their own individual decisions about whether we come to a vote.

[inaudible] >> as i said, every individual senator makes a decision. >> could i mention never address one other aspect of this debate that's really unfortunate. i've been around here for more than 20 years. yesterday on the floor of the senate, the senator from connecticut was finishing up his remarks and as we always do, ever sense i've been here, as we always do, he said i'd like an extra minute to finish my remarks and he was subjected to buy the newest member of the united states senate. in the most brusque way. that's how the comedy in this body has deteriorated. we've got to stop. we've got to stop this kind of behavior. i've never seen anything like that and i hope we don't see it again. [inaudible]

>> it is our intention not to pass this bill easily. i think we've made it pretty clear. i have had a practice of not telegraphing ysidro moves that may be available to us and i'm going to continue that practice. i don't think anyone remoteness that this bill ought to pass and were not in a hurry to complete it. >> but can i also add, if we haven't seen it don't you think we should have time to at least examine it? i mean, i don't think would be outrageous to ask for a bill to be rad that we haven't seen that affects one seventh of our gross national product. >> given the senate's track record on secrecy -- isn't your complaints about your shock that this is happening -- [inaudible] >> that is my favorite movie.

look, there are bills and there are bills. this is a major restructuring of one sixth of our economy. a manufactured deadline which senator snowe has pointed out for weeks needed to be dealt with in a more deliberate and bipartisan way. but we are in this position because of their desire to back us up to christmas and to not only role the opponents of the bill, but to roll and deceive the american people. that's why we're in this decision. [inaudible] >> i don't think so. now, i don't think so. i mean, we haven't had a bill like this since you and i've been here of this magnitude. >> i've never seen a bill that no one knew the details of until the time for beginning to vote to pass it. that's just not -- i've been here for many reforms, while for

reform, social security reform, campaign financing reform, i've never seen anything like this and i don't recall -- i ever talk to anyone who has seen anything like this. [inaudible] >> everybody knew at the bill was. i mean, there was debate of horse, but everybody knew what the bill was. >> you know the concept, you don't know the exact legislative legislative -- >> how do you do it? if there's ever an example of the devils and the details we need to know how we are going to do this. i think it's even more vital when you're talking about these massive changes that this legislation details. >> look, your job is to ask tough questions. i don't think that's a tough question. i don't think you can argue with

a straight face that an issue of this magnitude, that an issue of this magnitude should be dealt with this way. we will have ended up spending two weeks amending this bill. we spent four weeks on end in a farm bill last session. seven weeks within the last decade on an energy bill. seven or eight weeks to create the department of homeland security. this is an outrage. you all up and around your while. you know this is not the customary way of dealing with bills. this bill is much bigger as senator mccain has said and i said, much bigger than any of the things that i've mentioned. [inaudible] >> it's beyond fixing. you know, it's not fixable. it needs to be stopped and rain to start over as senator snowe has repeatedly reminded us and senator mccain mentioned again to do these major bills in a

bipartisan way where there's buy-in from both sides. this was an effort from the very beginning to unify the democrats, take off or republican or two, duty and secrets,. >> if it's not fixable and you're determined to defeat it, why should the democrats amended for seven or nine weeks. >> because we want to do with the president said we would do about over 2008. he said he would sit down together, republicans and democrats across the table and negotiate out so we can fix what is a failing financially health care system and preserve the highest quality health care in the world. that's what we're asking for. we're not saying do nothing. worse they let sit down. we have good ideas. let sit down and negotiate together. >> you get 60 votes for cloture -- what's the point then of a drawnout procedure? >> i'm not going to ask a hypothetical like that.

it's a good chance that will not be able to get their numbers do lock arms and walk off the cliff. every single survey, every one shows either fairly significant opposition to this bill or overwhelming opposition to this bill. they are basically thumbing their nose at the american people who are virtually screaming at us, please do not pass this bill. >> and unfortunately, were not the last time in the next few days would like to wish you a merry christmas. >> thanks everybody. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

>> good morning. i'm very pleased -- early this morning we were able to invoke votes are on defense appropriations bill giving resources to men and women who are forced to work during this holiday season. i found it white interesting that so many of our republican colleagues who were criticized criticizing the president for dithering on his decisions decided they weren't going to act and fund the troops this morning. i think that suggest that something else is here. all i know is that 60 democrats along with three republicans decided that the welfare of our

military forces was more important than a legislative games with respect to health care and other issues. secretary gates was very clear. we were running into a position where lack of funding could begin to interfere with operations. i think we all took that to heart and hopefully as this bill comes up for passage, that message will get through to all of our problems. when senator durbin asked unanimous consent to proceed to the bill and consent was tonight. in the past we have had votes on cloture with respect to military appropriations, generally after cloture was invoked and moved very quickly to pass the legislation get the resources into the field trip the bill also includes an important aspect for americans here at home, extension of unemployment benefits for two months, expansion of cobra subsidies for two months, and also additional

resources for nutrition programs across the country. were many, many families across the nation and in rhode island, during this holiday season they are doing what they thought never in their life they would do. subsist on unemployment benefits, need assistance to pay their health care insurance, and in many, many cases actually need assistance to buy food and put it on the table. and i think in different last evening at some of our colleagues to their plate is lost insignificant. a lot of what's been said about the reason to abstract the proposal to move to the appropriations bill was about health care. again, i am committed and my colleagues are committed to move forward responsibly to pass good health care legislation. i think in this regard we have

been working for months now to craft a bill that is going to provide access, affordable access for all americans. that's going to provide for budget savings over the ten year time. here it is going to be a significant way in which we can not only help american families but also deal in a real way with a looming deficit and also in a real way with a more competitive global economic climate. and so i hope that the delay that was demonstrated and at least attempted to be demonstrated will not continue and we can move forward to a final passage on the health care bill. and without them introduce my colleague. >> thank you very much, jack. and thank you off for being here. i have to give you an idea. i served as mayor of anchorage, alaska for a period of five

years were just connected to the military significantly. we have before it rich. we spend a lot of time working directly with the military. we have over 4000 of our troops across the state of alaska now deployed, one of the highest in the country and percentage. we have a high amount of people who return and become ventures, was 11% of our state. i want to emphasize last night when i came and asked one of the reporters asked me what it's like coming in at one clock. i had to remind them where four hours back so it's early for me, but the fact was we had to be there at 1:00. and when i decided to run for this office and served one of the reason i decided to run what i think the system here has to change and the games that's going on last night is another reason why americans are outraged by what's going on on this important piece of legislation. it emphasizes when you think

about it that the system that we're engaged in here trying to move forward on a very simple piece of legislation, the defense appropriation act which clearly provides the sources that senator reid talked about. all the services that are necessary. secretary gates and his concern that this is not passed in time what the result could be. we are fighting to warfront and it is critical that we make sure our troops have the resources, not only from a financial but also the equipment and dod backup. in this bill, also i want to emphasize not only is it important for the troops on the ground and overseas, but for the families. the families that are wondering about their troops, about their soldiers and making sure they can make their ends meet as they move forward to the end of the year and into the first of the year. i mean, in this bill we have a pay raise for military long-overdue. house and senate increase the amount that was not there for them. but for me it's a very

frustrating time. last night, senator durbin tried to get a very simple you see to get people to move forward on this piece of legislation. earlier today a press conference that was done by the minority leader made it very clear that yes, this will pass, then why not just do it? to do it now for our troops. do it for this country move forward and much of the debate and let's have a decision in regards to health care. and that's what really this is about. they are using the military soldiers as pawns in this playful game. that's not why i came to washington d.c. i came here to get business done, support our troops, do the things that are necessary to improve its economy and to this country in the right direction. so, if it means we are here every hour, and here. i sent my family back to alaska this morning bright and early at 1:00. i'm here to do what i can to do the business of congress and what the american people expect us to do. i will again emphasize it

somewhat shameful to see the press conference that was done this morning and they acknowledged absolutely there will be votes. the fact is they're just going to cause the 30 hour delay for no other purpose than to drag it out as much as possible. and who they are putting the game or making upon and this is our military and our armed soldiers. and i think that's just outrageous. i will additionally comment that i want to thank the three republicans collins, snowe, and touches them for stepping up the line and coming over and be part of 63 votes to support the troops. i will tell you the visual i saw "after words" in the discussion they had but i'll say that i'm glad they did. they did it for the right reasons. we just hope that more will come and move this forward. well, and i'll make as he watched the debate today it's amazing how many and this again is because i'm new to this whole process watching some of the senators that voted no last night and tonight and are today

taking credit for all the great things in the bill, which is unbelievable. and yet, they take credit for something they didn't help with. it shows the american people are fed up and that's why i came here to serve, why they wanted to join senator reid to layout my thought on a state that significantly impacted by military. we see it every day and i just appreciate your time and thank you very much. >> will open up for question. but before that i think it's important to know that among those who have passed is russ feingold who has made it very clear that his opposition to operation -- military operation in afghanistan and iraq, that he understood that this was it was the way for them to undermined health care, undermine the process, undermine the essence of why we are here which is not

described as standing up and voting for measures that are important for the country come important to our armed forces. i think russ' leadership and inspiration in the vote yesterday was a significant act. so if you have a question. we must've done a great job. >> i'll just talk generally about the schedule. senator beckett she said he sent her family home presumably to celebrate the holiday. have you made any plans to come back right after christmas, but before the new year to do work? are you just kind of en garde before that for anything to happen? when they have also learned is to be on guard all the time. the schedule is changing every moment. but to be very frank, are the minority leader say as a is up to the majority leader. actually it's not. we set it in a sense of what is up and what is next by their actions and their delay tactics.

i'd make would be great for all of us and the folks here in the audience to be home with their families. i mean, defense authorization as we will be here until it is done. i'm just on hold. my family i will call them tonight when i get back to alaska to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday and i will call and wish them a happy birth day. and they'll be watching tv in two or 3 feet of snow. i know how that works in d.c. you get one mentioned everything shuts down. >> i'm a little close to the mark. and a little more easy to get home. like him, i'm prepared to be here to vote. this is a critical moment in our history not only with the defense appropriations bill that the defense health care bill. it is to pass these measures and get prepared to come back and

continue the work in a new year. anyone else? well, thank you all very, very much. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

he was not imposing figure. he was not a giant of his time. and yet he emerged as the nominee at a time when the party was populated by big figures. >> his mark on history includes manifest destiny and in his new biography of james k. polk, a country of vast designs, robert and mary looks at the life and times of our levins president sunday on c-span's q&a. >> now tomas perez of the assistant attorney general will be hearing about his agenda for his office with the justice department. the american constitution society for law and policy host this event. it's about an hour. >> good afternoon, everybody.

i'd like to welcome you to today's event. i'm caroline fredrickson, the executive director of the american constitution society for law and policy. also known as acs. acs for those of you who are new to this organization is a national network of lawyers, law professors, policymakers, law students, and judges that promotes the vitality of the u.s. constitution and the fundamental values that express is, individual right and liberties, genuine equality, access to justice, democracy and rule of law. and we are so honored today to be joined by the assistant attorney general for civil rights, thomas perez. i think it's clear to all of us in the rim how vitally important for civil rights division is and how critical it is for the

division's leadership to believe that its mission is to advance civil rights. since it was created in 1957, the division has played a pivotal role in upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all americans, but particularly the most vulnerable members of our society. every day attorneys and staff work to enforce the federal statutes that address discrimination in education, employment, credit, housing, public accommodations, voting, and state and local government programs. in addition, they prosecute hate crimes, human trafficking crimes, and criminal interference with access to reproductive health services. without question, the civil rights division is instrumental in our nation's battles to advance civil rights. and because of this critical

role, attorney general eric holder has really called it the crown jewel of the department of justice. it takes a very special person to lead the civil rights division. thomas perez was educated at brown university, harvard's john f. kennedy of government and harvard law school. he has devoted his life to public service areas he has worked in every branch of government and at every level, federal, state, and local, serving at different times as a career of pointed and elected official. his background has given him a deep and broad set of experiences to draw from. i will detail his entire background here. you have a handout that does so. that i will highlight a couple of aspects that make them particularly well qualified for his current position. tom's first job after a clerkship was as a career

attorney and the civil rights division. he knows firsthand the work the division does every day. he went on to leadership positions in the civil rights division and then served as the direct or of the office for civil rights at the department of health and human services. and most recently he was the secretary of maryland's department of labor, licensing, and regulation. in between, tom served as special counsel to the late senator edward m. kennedy for civil rights, criminal justice and constitutional issues. and that's when i had the good fortune to get to know tom. he was then elected a member of montgomery county at the m-mike emery council in maryland and i have to admit that i also had the good fortune there to be one of tom's constituents. to top it all off, tom was a professor for six years at the university of maryland school of law and taught at george washington school of public

health. in the history of the civil rights movement, there have been times of hope and times of despair. the progress and periods of terrible setback. that has also been true for the civil rights division. but the pendulum has now swung towards hope and progress. in good measure, thanks to the leadership of tom and his outstanding team and the civil rights division as well as the perseverance of the career employees who carried on the work during good times and during god. so it is a real special honor for the american constitution society, for me to be joined this afternoon i assistant attorney general for civil rights, tom perez. please welcome tom. [applause] >> thank you so much.

thank you. carolyn, thank you for that very generous introduction and thank you were the opportunity to speak here today at acs. i do the local elected official in me wants to tell you when it snows tonight i'm not sure i can help you with your snowplowing but i will do my best to direct your call to the attention of the department of public works in montgomery county. but not smiling anymore. i can tell you are remarkably fortunate you are at acs to have carolyn at the helm, lisa brown, carolyn frederick -- fredrickson. it has done so much in different areas and i want to thank you here it i want to us to thank you for your journal. i read it. i especially read the article regarding the civil rights

division from senator kennedy and i'm very, very grateful for the commitment and the contributions that you have made here at it's really for me a pleasure to be earmarking about 70 days on the job to give you a report on what i've learned and where we are going as the division. and it's so appropriate to do this with the acs because i actually looked at your mission statement and it says to promote the values underlying our constitution including individual rights and liberties and to be enforced for improving the lives of people. am i looked at that i thought to myself that sure sounds a lot like what the civil rights division does as the moral compass of our nation. and so, i want to thank you for this opportunity. you know, and 60 short days i've had a real opportunity to ponder the state of civil rights and the 21st century. in light would never stop learning and have learned a great deal in these two short

months. i have learned, for instance, that there are some in our nation remarkably who believe that we no longer need a civil rights division. and their effect is no denying the fact that we've made remarkable progress and we elected an african-american president. we have a latina on the supreme court. we really have a remarkable progress. some believe that we can check off the civil rights as something that's been done as a result of these accomplishments. but as i reflect on this and i think he may agree. it really was not a culmination of our journey, the election of president obama but rather was an important mile marker along the way. and i would ask those who believe that we have indeed reached the ideal of a post-racial society to consider the following set of facts. on the very night that president obama was the lack it, three men in staten island reacted to that reaction in the news by going out in their community and

targeting african-americans to assault and retaliation for this election. or we consider the fact that we have a latina on the supreme court a source of great pride for everyone. the first press release that we issued during my tenure was a guilty plea from a louisiana man who couldn't stand the fact that hispanics have moved in across the street from his house, so they shot into his house, made them flee and then burned the house to the ground. 2009 and the united youth of america. should we tell those people, those victims and their families that we do not need a civil rights division anymore? should we tell the residents and of shenondoah, pennsylvania. should we tell the african american and latina to try to rent an apartment, were playing by the rules only to be subject to discrimination that we don't

need a rights division anymore? should we tell the high school girls in florida, some of whom nearly lost their chance he participates in high school sport that their problems have been solved? and the civil rights division intervention in their case means that we don't need a civil rights division? on a personal matter, as the father of two girls getting ready for high school, i'm a big fan of title ix. should we tell the young people who are housed in substandard juvenile facilities in new york that we don't need a civil rights division anymore because we are in post-racial america? i often reflect on my friend and mentor, senator kennedy, and he reminded us with regularity that civil rights remain the unfinished business of america and i could go on and on with stories of that nature. i've learned a number of other things in the last 60 days. one of which ten people often

ask me tom, what are your first impressions. and one of the things i tell them is that the more things change the more they stay the same. one of the first case it -- one of the last cases i worked on before leaving the civil rights division in 1999 involved in murder of a doctor who provided reproductive health services 2 miles from the house where i grew up in buffalo, new york. and one of the first cases i got briefed on when i returned ten years later was the murder of dr. tiller in kansas. the more things change, the more they stay the same. people are still having issues with who won the civil war. crosses continued to get burned. they got burned ten years ago, 40 years ago and regrettably could they got burned a few months ago and we continue to deal with all these issues. i had to stand naïvely it turns out for the benefit of hindsight that the issue of interracial marriage was an issue that we

had put behind us. i thought we at shutdown that unit in the civil rights division only to learn two weeks into my tenure that there was a justice of the peace in louisiana who did not tank that interracial couples were not good for louisiana and therefore denied marriage licenses. apparently in the belief that people like our president are never going to get anywhere in life if they're the child child of an interracial marriage. scheuer says our president back, didn't it? i've learned a lot of other things in this job, not the least of which as hubert humphrey was indeed correct when he said that the moral test of government is how we treat those in the dawn of life are children. how we treat those in the twilight of life, our elderly. and how we treat those in the shadows of life. and we've made so much process, but despite that progress there are way too many people living in the shadows and that is what the civil rights division is about, transforming shadows into sunshine. all too many people with the ability still living in the

shadows, institutionalized when they could be living in community-based settings. all too many of our muscle american brothers and sisters subject to post 9/11 backlash. all to communities of color, disproportionately affect it by the subprime meltdown by unscrupulous lenders using the corrosive power of fine print to tear communities apart. all too many algae bt brothers and sisters living in the shadows trying to be judged in the workplace by the content of their character, but forced to confront discrimination. all too many children lacking quality education, all too many children who want to learn english who cannot learn english because we have all too many school systems that have not provided the necessary services that are required by law. all too many newcomers like my parents came to this nation to give the same freedom and opportunity that our parents and grandparents taught and sought and they find themselves the targets of hatred and bigotry.

too many people in the shadows. but perhaps the most troubling thing that i've learned through my service both on the transition for the obama administration and in the last nine months as i prepared for this remarkable privilege for which i am ever so grateful to our president into our attorney general, is the precise back of what took place over the last eight years because i've had the opportunity to drill down and see what happens. i've seen the eyes and the faces of the wonderful career professionals who have toiled during the last eight years, did their best and did so much, but it was so difficult. and to see the division and a division leadership that treated the division like the buffet line at the cafeteria where you pick what you want to do and you pick what you don't want to do. and the civil rights division is not the buffet line at the cafeteria. we must enforce the law, all the laws fairly, impartially, and.

during the last eight years there were very, very few parents practice cases brought in the employment context. despite the subprime meltdown, the civil rights division played no role in holding underwriters, holding servicers, holding other lenders accountable for the discrimination notwithstanding the existence of the fair housing act and equal credit opportunity act. in the clinton administration the appellate. and the bush administration, 424. the appellate situation was further than from talking to other sections of updates related matters, forbidden. communication is pretty important i learned the first week of law school. the communication was rebuilt in for appellate lawyers. disability rights section in the

clinton administration brought 228 losses compared with 126 and the bush administration. the housing section in the clinton administration by 676 cases compared with 324 in the bush administration. the voting section about 35 section two cases in the clinton administration compared with 15 filing in the bush administration. and the hate crime context, in 1996 when i was still a deputy chief in the criminal section of the civil rights division, there were 51 hate crime prosecutions involving 82 defendants. fast-forward to a decade later, 2006, 12 hate crimes prosecutions am a 22 defendants. fy 07, 14 hate crimes brought prosecutions, 15 defendants. look at the data from the southern poverty law center. hate crimes are going up. look at the data from the hate crimes statistics act weird hate crimes are going up or look at the data from the prosecutions.

hate crimes prosecutions went down. and every year when people like michael lieberman and others try to advance the hate crimes bill, they were met with an industry shunned that threatened to veto. i must say i wasn't surprised by much of this data. i rather expected it, but i was rather shocked in a hate crime setting because they made hate crimes reported. rod reynolds needed a birdie. john donne made hate crimes a priority. torch herbert walker bush made the prosecution of hate crimes a priority. bill clinton made the prosecution of hate crimes a priority. and barack obama and eric holder will once again make the prosecution of hate crimes to significant priority. but you know what? enough about the past. i want to talk here about the future, where we've gone and where we are going. i've learned that the next chapter is going to be and

already has a chapter of restoration and transformation. and what does that mean? well, let me tell you what it does not mean. we are not here to re-create the department of justice civil rights division that existed january 19th 2001. we are to create and restore and transfer may division so that we can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow and beyond. that is the mission and short of the civil rights division. and that is what our agenda of restoration and transformation is all about. and so what it involves is rebuilding some work competencies, reinvigorated our enforcement, recognizing areas where we haven't been involved, understanding emerging civil rights areas and civil rights challenges and recognizing that we are not simply opening for business, but we can and must and are doing business in different, in new ways, and better ways than ever before.

and what that vision of restoration and transformation in mind i was in the last 70 days listening to our wonderful career stuff, listening to external stakeholders and working with our leadership team to really reevaluate our agenda and move forward. and we've done a lot of things in the short period of time. first of all, we've restored the nonpartisan merit based trance parents hiring process for all attorneys. go to our website and you will see the hiring policy and i am going to be calling each and every one of you to recruit you because we've got 102 new positions in our budgets. and so we're going to be moving forward. that is something to cluck about. [applause] you know, budgets are moral documents. when i was on the montgomery county council i always said don't listen to what i say. look at what we do in a budget. if someone tells you the issue access a priority i always say

look at the budget. that will tell you if it's really a priority and we had flatline budgets over the last eight years and civil rights in this president and this attorney general and this congress came in and said, big part of the mission of restoration of this division is restoring the budget so that we can again pursue the agenda that we need to pursue of restoration and transformation. and so i am ever so grateful to our president and attorney general and to our congress for their advocacy in that area. we have renewed our commitment to combating hate fueled violence and are actively working on the implementation of the landmark matthew shepard and james junior hate crimes prevention act. and the authority midsemester of progress in this area. and the first 60 days that i've been on the job, we have already done as much a kind of activity as was done in the entire fiscal year of 2006. and by the way that was a leap

year. and we've done as much as was done in fiscal year 2007. and we're going to continue to enforce vigorously to human trafficking laws, but we are not going to do it at the expense of hate crimes laws. we will continue and we have doubled our efforts in the area of disability rights and under the leadership of spam i get stopped with some wonderful leadership in our disability rights section enter special litigation session, and are housing section. we have understood that segregation people with disabilities and institutions is every bit as wrong as every bit as illegal as segregating kids of color in schools, schools that were all too frequently inferior. and so you look at our actions. don't listen to my words. look at our actions in the first 60 days. we've had landmark cases we've been involved in a new york state, in georgia, and illinois, and don't simply look at the

cases. look at the priest that we are filing because in the old era, and the whole paradigm of -- we all too frequently looked at the question of what the facility safe, with the constitutional bikes and those are important questions that will begin to ask and will continue to ask. but equally important question is, should people be in these institutions to begin with? and if you look at the illinois letter of finding, if you look at the georgia letter of finding, if you look at our involvement in new york state, if you look at rma gets grief in connecticut you will see that we are asking both questions, should people with disabilities be in those institutions and if not, why don't you have a comprehensive effectively working plan for moving them out into communities. and those are the cases that we are involved in and we will have many more because this is a significant problem. and in 60 days we authority done

so much to transform our work in this area. we've also in the fear lending work played a very important division has played an important role in the broad enforcement task force. and we have committed significant new resources to our fair lending work. we've already saddled and our fair housing work the involving discrimination and rental housing. the owner of the los angeles clippers, donald sterling was the defendant in that case, a $2.7 million settlement, the largest settlement in the history of the civil rights division. or in 2005 to 2007 there were 16 cases total brought under u. s-sierra, which is the statute that brought servicemembers are in discrimination when they were turned to the civilian workforce. in the first eight months of the obama administration we have

filed 18 cases. so we have picked up at pace of our efforts to protect servicemembers who are doing so much to defend our nation and then confront discrimination at home. we have dusted off our desperate impact theory that the fax support it whether it was in context from the voting context, the employment context. people accused the desperate impact theory because every court that is ruled on this has said that it is permissible to do so. and we are not the buffet line at the cafeteria anymore. some people don't like that line because they eat everything at the cafeteria. i couldn't do that. i could need all that stuff there. and so we are also ramping up our efforts in the voting context, recognizing that every ten years we have so much additional work to do above and beyond the robust case law -- the caseload that exists already

and we are making very, very significant preparations to ensure that during this next cycle of redistricting that we are prepared and that we are actively enforcing not simply section five, but section two, section two of three, the motor voter act because once again the voting section is not the buffet line at the cafeteria. we will continue for instance to do and build on the very good work of the bush administration and the section 203 area. they pursued many, many righteous case says in that area and we should give credit where credit is due. but that work will not be done at the expense of section two or the expense of section five are the expense of voter voter. we can and will do all. again, as i said, transformation and restoration is what it's all about. and what transformation means

among other things is recognizing these emerging areas of interest, areas where the civil rights division may not have played a large role historically, but most playable today. one area, one such area is the area of civil rights and human rights. recognizing that we must set an example for the world. and i was very proud to days ago to testify along with assistant secretary michael poser from the department of state at a hearing convened by german durban on how the civil rights division is fulfilling its obligations under several international human rights treaties. and we will be working very closely in the months ahead with the department of state on what's called the periodic review. and what that means is that we will be convening town hall meetings along with the department of state in which we will be evaluating player -- what we are doing in the united states. we are holding ourselves

accountable because we must set the standard for the world and these hearings will enable us to figure out what is working well in the united states and what is not working so well so that we can again hold ourselves accountable in this area. there are many criminal justice issues that have a civil rights dimension. and i applaud the attorney general for his leadership in direct and division components to review the racial profiling guidance that was issued in 2003. and we are at the table in discussions on racial profiling. we're at the table in discussions on issues of crack and powder and addressing the issue of the crack powder disparity, working very closely with the criminal division and other doj components to ensure that we address these issues. we are working equally efficiently to ensure that our lg bt brothers and sisters can be judged as i said earlier by the content of their character. and the first hearing i had

after my confirmation was to testify on top of the administration in support of the employment nondiscrimination act. it took 13 years to pass a hate crimes bill and it was introduced even earlier than the hate crimes bill, but i'm confident that 2010 will finally be a good year and the critical year for passage of end. [applause] and we've recognize how in the aftermath of 9/11 we must be vigilant and addressing backlash issues. we spend a lot of time with our arab american and muslim american communities ensuring that backlash incidents don't happen. i was recently in los angeles a couple of saturdays ago addressing the conference of a group of muslim americans and we talked about the fact that we can never again fall into the

trap of believing that we can either protect our national security or safeguard our civil rights and civil liberties. that is categorically a false choice that the attorney general rejects, the president rejects, i reject, and we will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that we never fall into that trap as a nation. we must recognize that we are not simply the departments litigators. we're the department the departments problem solvers. when i was on the hiring committee 15, 16 years ago we used to give up those brochures that said department of justice, the nation's litigator. well today we are the department of justice civil rights division, the nation's problem solvers. we have many sections whose primary work is not litigation and they do remarkably important things to ensure equal opportunity for communities, whether it's in the grant to confront discrimination because they have an accent or their

foreign looking. whether it's their coordination review section working with our agencies to ensure compliance with critical title vi obligations and other obligations under federal law. and so, our role as litigator is now only one arrow in a multi--- something like that. one arrow, one of many arrows in our quiver. and part of our transformation is transforming how we do and how we enforce title vi. mr. patrick used to tell me title vi is the sleeping of loss. when i worked under hhs i saw that in action first hand and they grew to appreciate what we can do in the title six context. we've had very many productive meetings with learning so much about the power and potential of title vi.

not sleeping giant is waking up and that is a big part of our transformation as a division. transformation also means taking partnerships to new levels and transforming our relationships with our sister agencies. we cannot possibly succeed in the olmsted contacts for instance unless we involve the substance abuse and mental health service administration and the senator for medicare and medicaid service at the department of health and human services. they are the money people and money without -- if we do not have the money with us, we cannot fully succeed. similarly, for the most remarkable words in the english language, affirmatively further fair housing and we're working very closely with our sister agency egghead and with many other alphabet soup to give meaning to those remarkably important words. transforming our relationship

with hud. earlier today some of our senior staff was meeting with the eeoc, series of meetings that we've had there to develop a memorandum of understanding so that we can do joint enforcement, recognizing that when we worked together we can maximize the synergies of our agencies. that's what transformation is about. is transforming relationships with sister agencies. its training state and local agencies to recognize hate crimes so that they can prosecute as well as the federal government prosecuting hate crimes. it's making sure that u.s. attorneys offices continue to serve as a force multiplier is so that all the work that we are doing here can be assisted by u.s. attorneys and it's making sure that our community partners are nonprofit partners can be -- continue to be of remarkable assistance. elected some of the most important cases we've brought over the years among many of them we've intervened in cases that you've brought, many of them we filed together and we

continue to do that robust outreach so that we can move in that direction. and we're also transforming the way we approach cases because oftentimes the challenges confronting communities are multifaceted here it i come a medical family and when you have multiple medical problems, they're referred to as multiple -- they're referred to as homer of the duties. you've got a number of things going on. there are a lot of communities across america that have a number of challenges that have emerged. and all too frequently we have taken a rather stove piped approach to confronting those challenges. we send one section out or another section out or sometimes three sections out in the same community, doing various work of enforcing bayer slice of the united states code. and seldom do the twain meet and seldom do the twin communicates all too frequently.

and so we need to understand what nonprofits have grown to understand, which is that oftentimes you need place-based approaches to problem-solving. you need to go into a community with an interdisciplinary team of civil rights lawyers and investigators to look at the entire range of problems and challenges confronting a community. and that's precisely what we are beginning to do in communities across this country that are regrettably facing multiple problems of the civil rights dimension. and if the solution is we've got to bring in our sister agency hide or we have to bring in somebody else from another agency that's precisely what we'll do because we are the department of justice civil rights division, the nation's problem solvers, not simply the nation litigators. so that's what we are going to do. we have a very broad, a very ambitious vision. it's a very exciting vision and i wake up every morning with a

hop in my step because i am so excited to be here. you may be asking and i'll close on this, but i must confess that as i read or was preparing for today and i've been asked this more than once. i've had people ask me, well, tom this is an great, this is ambitious, were very interested in this, but how are you going to do all this? how are you going to avoid being in the buffet line at the cafeteria? how can you enforce every law? that's a very fuller question. here's the answer to me. first of all, more people. 102 new positions thanks to the leadership of eric holder, president obama, and the senate. we have more people, flatlined over the last eight years 102 people when added to a base of 715 people gives you -- even in bob dole's role that's real money and that's real people and

that's a real opportunity to make a difference. but it's more than just more people. we already have great people. and i am so impressed by the work of our career staff at the department and they are so motivated and so excited. i am a firm believer that if you want a job done well, give it to a busy person. and we are having a lot of busy people at our department, but they are motivated. and when you're excited to get up in the morning and say hi, i'm tom perez, when you have a hop in your step and we spend a lot of time listening to staff and addressing their concerns. when you are a motivated staff come you are a much more productive staff. another way we will accomplish what we do is to make sure that civil rights lawyers work on civil rights work. the appellate section for instance was doing immigration appeals for a good part of the last eight years. there's enough civil rights work to go around. i don't think we're going to be able to do that anymore.

smarter. and i've already described our partnerships. our stovepipe implosion initiatives. our partnerships with u.s. attorneys' offices, the force multipliers that they will be. our partnerships with others. and when you expand those partnerships, when you do things that you've never done before, when you do things in a way you've never done before, i think you can get a lot more done. so i am confident that when we have more accountability, when we have more people, when we have more motivated people, more excited people, and we have these partnerships, that we can, in fact, get the work done. if it hasn't dawned on you already, let me just say one more thing -- i love this job. okay? and i want to tell you why. [ applause ] i want to tell you why. my 11-year-old, we go to church here on capitol hill, and

periodically after church we'll go to the office and she'll run around. i'll work for a little while. and she asked me a couple of years ago, you know, "why do you work so much?" and i said, "well, i love my work. they pay me to do this. it doesn't feel like work when yo i love my work because i've got a great boss eric holder home-schooled this division the crown jewel of the department of justice and has done everything we've asked of him. i love this job because i have a great president has made civil rights a major part of his agenda of transformation of this nation. i love this job because there are remarkable people in this division who do remarkable work. i love this job because there are people in the audience carrying the torch doing so much

stuff. i love this job because you read about cases that blow you away some of which you ask yourself how can this be in the 21st century? today's lesson which i learned about literally only three hours ago was a case in alabama a couple adopt a foster child, hiv-positive know, 2-years-old. the father is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer of his own. they go on a big trip and are at an rv park and the person who runs the park somehow finds out the two-year-old is hiv-positive and doesn't let him use the facilities. this is the 21st century, 2009, a week or so ago a few racists

in south carolina pleaded guilty a father and son team, the second bother and son team i've encountered in 60 days on the job. african-american is going to a restaurant to use the facilities and the chase him out. one guy grabs a chain saw, a chain saw, starts the chain saw and chases him down the road. the other guy grabs the car that that person was driving. it had been parked there and they set it afire. to white people come to the person's age. if they attack them. this is the 21st century. this is our work. and they pled guilty. this is why i love my job. and working with all of you we will move forward and we will make sure this chapter of our

history is the best one yet. thank you. i look forward to your questions. [applause] thank you. >> im alex, director of communications acs and would like to thank you for those remarks. mr. pervez has agreed to take a few questions, and just a couple things you need to know. one, there's a microphone's please leave for the microphones we can get your words as well as the answer on tape, and please make sure you know your affiliation particularly if you are a member of the press. and finally please as in jeopardy majeure form to the question is for what a question. [laughter]

>> yes sir. >> bob ritter attorney with the legal center. thank you very much for your remarks and putting the floodlight on many of these civil rights violations. i have 1i believe that shadow is still there and that is the government's treatment of non-believers. the government for example in salazar versus peono is fighting to keep religious monuments on property. i got a call today from someone in delaware concerned about legislative prayer or council prior. i get calls regarding holiday displays where atheists or free thought groups are not being treated the same as others. what can your department or your

section do to try and obtain neutrality or faithfulness to the first amendment? >> well, we have a robust docket of cases involving discrimination against religious minorities. cases in the employment context again, in new york city for instance against transit workers who were discriminated against because they were a head scarf. other cases and the employment context were cases in housing context we have mazel embrum law is one of my staff people in the front office along with eric treen working on issues of discrimination so we have a rather robust docket and continue to have a very aggressive investigation enforcement and if you have specific cases that you want to bring to our attention on invite you to do so and we will take a careful can't apply to the law and in short the received the

treatment they deserve. >> [inaudible] >> well i'm happy to take a look at all the cases you want to bring to our attention. yes, sir. >> hi, gerald -- [inaudible] board member of the d.c. chapter of acs. given what occurred with some of the u.s. attorneys and other employees of the doj, who based of their political affiliation were removed or had other problems, and relating to the issue of job satisfaction, would the doj effort consider permitting its employees to ever again be involved and i guess federal employee labor unions where they can be members of those to protect their rights?

>> could you -- i heard the u.s. attorney's side of your question and the issue there but i didn't hear the second half of the question. >> during the reagan administration, and this is what i understand, the doj kind of barred employees from participating in federal labor unions. well that ever change? >> well, i met -- my goodness, a couple of weeks ago with representatives of bargaining units within the civil rights division so i'm happy to look into your question, but one of the first things we did on the job was to reach out to i think it is the afsme locals representing the folks in the division who are part of a bargaining unit, suite actually had a fairly robust dialogue and they've been very helpful on and number of work life issues that we are looking at. so, i confess i'm a little bit surprised by your question as it relates to the civil rights division because we do have an active and robust union working

there. >> yeah, eddie, president of afg where attorneys are -- justice attorneys are not and wondering whether you would allow -- if attorneys voted to be -- whether you could work to allow attorneys at the department of justice to have the same rights that attorneys and other parts of the federal government, that is the right to organize and the right to collectively bargain working conditions. >> the justice management division is the component in the department that addresses issues of this nature. i haven't had any conversations with the division about this particular issue and i am happy to have a conversation with them. i haven't had any to date.

>> josephine heriot, d.c. chapter member. can you hear me okay now? >> yes. >> okay. i did an internship in civil rights division will school during the bush administration, and i noticed that there were a lot of people -- and news reports confirmed this some people were hired into the department on the basis of their connections to particular causes and ideology, and what i observed was a less than heartfelt commitment to civil rights in the mission of the division. have you under your leadership have you addressed that? has that come up, and how do you bring these people along and help them increase the vision you have for the division when they were specifically brought on in order to embrace and further the agenda of the previous administration?

>> [phone ringing] excuse me. [laughter] my kids -- you can put your own room tone on it and that's my seven-year-old. i thought i turned off. says "dad, pick up the phone." [laughter] he just wanted to participate. [laughter] you ask a very good question, and regrettably, the inspector general report documented hiring practices that violated a number of provisions, and i had the good fortune of serving on the hiring committee under both republican and democratic administrations, under john donne and in deval patrick, and i can tell you that there direction to us was identical. hi your the best qualified people. and if you look at the document on our web site now the hiring

policy for lawyers, and again i encourage you to apply the was a document prepared by the career staff for the career staff and it sets forth in a very fair and transparent fashion what we will do. as it relates to the folks on board frankly it doesn't matter whether you came on board four years ago or 20 years ago. my philosophy is the following: we communicate expectations. this is what you have to do in this job. if you do the job and carried out effectively, we want to have to as long as you want to be here. and if you don't do the job, whether you were here four years ago or 20 years ago, you will be held accountable. and the way to move forward on our robust agenda is as i said before, to ensure that we have more people, more passion, more accountability, and that's what we will do.

>> by mr. perez. i'm with mean justice.com. there was a story in today's "new york times" about certain muslim groups being upset and thinking about not cooperating with the fbi because of their use of informants. i was wondering if you could speak about balancing national security interest with muslim organizations such as the group you spoke with a couple of weeks back. thanks. >> that's a very good question, and we have a lot of contact with their american muslim american organizations, and i think one of the keys to the successful relationship we have is when evens occur we have very good lines of communication, and again, we have to -- we have issues that involved security and we also have issues that

involve post when 11 backlash, and i think the key to the relationship that we have had so far has been a very open line of communication. i have participated in my office in three or four meetings, large group meetings with various organizations, and what we have done is brought all the components together so they are not simply meeting with tom perez. they are meeting with the fbi, dhs, they are meeting with u.s. csis, et cetera. and i think those have proven effective. are there challenges that come up from time to time? there are undeniably challenges the the key to resolving these challenges i believe is to make sure we communicate as best we can and we are going to continue to do that. and when i was at the impact conference a couple of weeks ago, one of the leaders opined and i was heartened to hear this, that the relative dearth recently of the post-9/11 backlash incidents was in part we have built this partnerships

we have been aggressive out there in communities talking about how especially in the aftermath for instance of the fort hood incident, talking about how we are aggressively pursuing those incidents. one more? yes, sir. >> i'm from the national public radio -- >> i heard you yesterday morning i believe. [laughter] you must be tire. [laughter] >> i was able to speak to the costly past 2 a.m.. in the past the civil rights has been posting significant case is that merit a press release on the website command wasn't until the gao report came out that we learned the specific numbers of cases in the previous administration and then you said the members for this administration. would you consider posting every single case so that on a week by week basis we can see the progress you've talked about in part how many cases in each category have been brought, how many settlements, how many guilty pleas, not just on the case is the desert a press

release but on every one. >> i'm happy to take a very careful look at that because we want to build systems that are as transparent as possible, and our web sites are a good vehicle for communicating that. so i'm happy to take a very close look at that. yes, sir. >> my name is charlie salon.com and i direct and international prison reform organization. i can't you know, being a councilman that there are a lot of people going into prisons and jails. i think 14.5 million a year are going in and out of jail. i think 4 million of the 13.5 million go in multiple times. we have 2.3 million incarcerated. have you given any thought to having more outreach and access by prisoners to the civil rights

division? >> well we are working -- we are a very much a part of the criminal justice policy group that the attorney general has put together, and we are looking at a host of interventions that will -- and putting the conversation about crack and powder. including conversations i've had as recently as this morning with lori robinson about reentry and there are more reentry dollars in this budget so that we can address the cycle that you correctly referred to and ensure we have systems in place that can hopefully prevent recidivism or reduce it as best we can. >> what i was asking for the participants felt that there be help reach that they have a civil rights for prisoners and also access to the civil rights division which we get letters every day that the civil rights are violated, they do not know where the remedies are. they are very much in legal

ease, etc.. how can we provide outreach that these individuals have civil rights, and secondly, that they can do something about them by contacting the civil rights -- >> we just completed i believe it was yesterday a trial involving an assault in a jail in the oklahoma city i believe it was, robert? and so, and we've done a number of other cases involving violations that have occurred in jails, and then if we look at -- you looked at the juvenile justice system of new york and we are involved in that. so i'm happy to entertain any suggestions about additional ways to get the word out, but we've had a fairly robust program of enforcement in the present context and we will continue to do so, because of the laws violated we will hold the file leaders accountable. >> on behalf of acs please join me in thanking assistant attorney general. thank you. [applause]

now available, c-span's bouck abraham lincoln great american historians on our 16th president a perfect gift for the history buff in your life. it's a unique contemporary perspective on lincoln from 56 scholars, journalists and writers from lincoln's early years to his years in the white house and relevance today. abraham lincoln in hardcover at your favorite bookseller and now in digital audio to listen to any time, a table where digital audio or sold. learn more at c-span.org/lincolnbook. now a discussion on the obama administration's education policy. with dennis van roekel, president of the national education association. this event is hosted by a washington, d.c. consulting firm called the raben group. this is an hour. >> we will get started. so, good morning everybody. i want to welcome you to this policy breakfast.

for those who don't know me, i am told packer, a principle here with the raben group. robert raben, our president and founder is sitting back there. this is actually his house and he general ausley picks this available. this is one in a series of policy breakfasts. i think this is the 35th polis breakfast we have had this year. for those that don't know about the raben group we are government affairs, public affairs firm, by majority, minority firm and a whole range of clients and issues including education among other areas. we are honored to have this morning as our guest speaker dennis van roekel, the president of the 3.2 million member national education association. a couple things i want to say about dennis, for those who don't know she is a high school math teacher. he taught math for 23 years. i think that kind of defiance dennis, a lot about him.

[laughter] [inaudible] -- dennis is a very precise person. [laughter] he taught in arizona in paradise valley, though he actually grew up on a farm on a lot, so he can tell a lot about farm life. he's been president of the nea for about a year and have now, previously served as vice president and treasurer of the executive committee etc. and the arizona education association. before i turn over to dennis i want to read three quick quotes from dennis that i think again somewhat define his views and also set the stage for hopefully some of what he's going to talk about. so, dennis, the website says the mission and vision of nea absolutely defines who i am and what i care about and what i believe in. what a powerful statement for any organization to say that the reason that we exist is to fulfill the promise of public

education and not just for some but for every -- to prepare every student to succeed. i'm proud of that and i want to continue that journey. dennis also said on september 30 if when he testified before the house education and labor committee that nea's visiones for a great public school for every student. he went on to say though unfortunately, the intense attention of nea members to many students do not enjoy the benefits of a great public school because the schools are often chronically underfunded, understaffed and unsupported and this is simply unacceptable. and the last quote i will read is about an issue that has been a little bit controversial on the education community, then a child left behind law, the current version of the -- dennis said this year the time to fix the flaw of education law is now. we can't afford to start another

school year living with the unintended consequences of the law that is the students based on standardized test scores and narrow the curriculum at the expense of preparing students with 21st century skills. in that kind of backdrop, dennis, under the current issues i will turn over to the president of the nea. >> alright, thank you. [applause] i asked joel am i supposed to stand up or sit down. normally in the living room i don't get to stand when i speak they sit down, dennis dewitt i am pleased to be here and thank you very much for the invitation and vice introduction by whole. i've known how long time and we qaeda him about his 92 sleight powerpoint that he develops. but it's all a not kidding because what an incredible talent that we have benefited from for many years at nea. his ability to read digest and bring to all the rest of us the absolute, incredible amount of information through all of this

statute is amazing. he always -- if they put out new regulations one day the next day joel can do a powerpoint. she is that good. [laughter] he knew all of it. yeah, he's good at that. i was thinking this morning, december, 2009, december, 2008. now i don't know exactly what i expected would come during the next year, but i know it wasn't this. i never in my anticipation of what could be during this first year of the obama administration and just the environment i didn't anticipate this. this economic crisis even a year ago today what we were talking about compared to our current reality we didn't say those things. the intensity and impact on individuals and state and local government is so amazing. i would guess most of us now know someone personally, friend

or family who's either lost a job, lost a house, and then on top of that i read a recent article about the wage in america, and i really it when i read that to all of the things i see. the intensity of the tone is so different, and i don't think i'm different from any other american right now. i think most people realize this is a tough time as a nation. and how is it that we find our way through this and build something that we talk about all the time? has joel mengin, nea has a vision for a great public school for every student. in this environment what is it that you need to do? been joel says he has three copies he wants me to talk about in ten minutes. that is a challenge. i have a hard time saying hello and ten minutes. but i'm going to attempt that. the first thing we talked about is turning around low performing schools. i want you to know in our language in nea we don't call

them low performing we call them high priority schools. they ought to be a high priority. and in this area of trying to turnaround schools this is not a new topic for us. really since the 80's and the nation at risk in april of '83 we have been about trying to change education, and we have done a lot and we have seen a success and failure, and what we really have seen most is that we started and created campfires of excellence as one of my colleagues used to describe. he said we build these campfires of excellence but the design of the campfire is that it should and spread. and what we really need is a brush fire, something that moves across the system. so we have been in this a long time. and more than ten years ago we developed a report called priority schools, high priority schools, and was about the schools that are not serving students. we are not giving students what they want. and what is kind of exciting looking back -- in alabama they passed a state all way before no

child left behind with the did the same thing. they measure students' progress and if you failed one year you move a different level and then in the third level you qualify for state takeover. after three years they had seven schools that qualified for state takeover, and our fleet, alabama education association went to the park at education and said would you be willing to partner with us? basic yes. they conducted a three and a half day training with teams from all seven of the schools. they went back to their schools with a commitment they would do the training using our high priority schools model. and in one year all seven of those schools went from the lowest to the top tier. now what i think the most important lesson in that is that it takes collaboration. everybody has this idea or bad idea. they think it is an activity if you just have uniforms. if you just do this that will transform the school. it's not what you do, it's the

collaboration. i firmly believe unless you have management the school board or the funding entity and employees in the union you can't change that system because the people in the system are part of the system and to ignore one of the three groups it won't work. it's a waste of time, effort and money. and having those three isn't necessary but not sufficient because they must reach out to the parents and community. even if a school was perfect not taking into account the environment -- you can't change a school, and i can show examples all over the country from california with the schools where they put the money and to make a difference in low performing schools, colorado, connecticut, new york, evidence of the indiana, the list goes on and on. but where it's working, where they are changing what happens to kids is with collaboration.

in this environment with race to the top funds and school improvement grants i think the greatest challenge is it is a time of incredible opportunities secretary page has a $17 million for innovation. arne duncan has close to $7 billion. so there's opportunities to do things we've never been able to do before but the contradiction for all of these people who work in schools is they are also fighting to survive. with cuts and budget at every state level laying off people furlough days how do you inspire people to take advantage of an opportunity when in the day-to-day world they are just trying to figure out how to survive? but it is in that context for nea we want to be part of that challenge and to take it on. we've put together a new effort taking our high priority school's materials and models and we are committing a million

dollars the next six years in high priority school's campaign. we want to work with any and every state that gets money through the race to the top or school improvement grants with locals to see what is it we need to do to turn the schools around? i'm excited about that. in addition we just got a million-dollar grant from the ge foundation over a two-year period along with a $358,000 planning grant from gates and it's for building a local association capacity meaning their ability to be part of designing and implementing a plan to turn the school around. i urge every local infil nea, some 14,000 last if you are in a bargaining state, bargain a memorandum of understanding saying to the at the mysteries and what's bargain language of what we are going to do to turn the schools around. if you or any non-bargaining state senator to the superintendent president of the board inviting them to sit down with you to develop a plan.

i believe with that collaboration we have an opportunity to change things. the secondary and he asked me to speak on is improving teacher quality. this is near and dear to my heart. and it is very discouraging to me when i hear people who have their silver bullet. if it would be easy to get rid of bad teachers that will solve the problem. get rid of the due process, and i look at them and wonder. i speak with people especially policy makers and say give me the number of percentage of bad teachers exist, is it to%, 5%, seven, whenever you say i will take. let's suppose we can we've the magic wand and they disappear. do you honestly believe you solve the problem? how did they get their? if you tell me there's a terrible teacher and they've been there ten years, how did they stay there? there is a system of recruitment, training, induction, licensure,

evaluation, professional development, national board certification. it is a system and when you think you can tweak one activity and will change the system you are wrong. you've got to look at the system starting with recruitment. i was telling this morning i'm so excited about a project in new jersey where finding good, well prepared science physics teachers is difficult. instead of trying to get people and physics to come to public education they are taking people in education, giving them a college degree in physics to come back and teach that, grow your own. very different strategy, very successful. they've already made the commitment to education so let's bring them back and do that. the whole teacher training amazes me you don't have to be accredited. anyone can say i am a teacher training institution. why do we not require accreditation? then when they get into the induction and licenser, here's a

story i love telling. i was getting a here cut in arizona where my home is and the barber inspector came and was talking about in these hard times the barber shops are springing up everywhere. people are trying to make a living and he is shutting them down and listening to this conversation and say is in this amazing you can't cut here in arizona without a license? what is the worst that would happen? you get a bad haircut. it grows back yet we will allow someone not licensed to walk into a room with 35 kids and say they are a teacher. how can we tolerate a system that we give young people five to 7-years-old or high school and the are not even licensed? i don't understand that. but that's part of the system of the licensor and mentoring. in the evaluation. in most states it takes three to five years before you have a right to due process.

in those five years what do we do? in most state laws it says the purpose of the teacher evaluation is for improvement of instruction. if that is the purpose why would you design a system where somebody comes in my room for 20 minutes once a year and then writes a report at the end? that will not improve instruction and if there's a teacher evaluation system that isn't absolutely connected to and part of a professional development system you have missed the point. my first year teaching i was not as good as i am leader. by february or march couldn't wait for the second year to start because i learned so many things not to do and wanted the new class to start over. it's got to be built into professional development. in three to five years you ought to know whether that person ought to be a teacher in the classroom. if they can't or are not willing to learn they shouldn't be in teaching but the idea we don't do that in the first three to

five years and then blame a due process system is wrong. we've got to do it, and we are getting at this. the gates foundation is committed about $355 million to do a deep learning experience and for school districts. to develop a teacher evaluation system tied to develop and compensation, the whole thing. one of them is hillsborough florida. one of our merged locals with a hefty. they've already had an experiment paid for test scores that field. it didn't affect achievement so now they are saying what should we do about measuring student learning and teacher evaluation? the committed, with them just the one is $100 million over seven years to develop that system. the national board of professional teaching standards just this week announced they've developed standards for principles and school leaders. what you ought to know and be

able to do just as we do for the national board certification. the last thing i want to say about improving the teaching profession i don't miss an opportunity whether it is testifying at congress or any other place where they talk about teacher quality that i don't say to them i want you to know what an insult it is to me as a professional when you think anyone with a degree in math can do what i do in the classroom. i don't think i can do every job that requires a degree in math. but don't say to me that anyone with a degree in math can do what i do in a classroom. there are professional skills and fault and if it was only content delivery we've really wouldn't need people. we could run a tape over and over, just deliver content. and you know, what is so amazing to me is without or own children we already know all the things we did wrong so we tell them that. do they listen to everything you

say? why do you think a math student is going to listen to everything i say? if i just say it, he or she knows it. i think we have to honor the profession. and you cannot build a provision by people coming for two years and leaving. you can't build a profession that doesn't honor the recruitment, training, licensure and professional development. as a profession, and once we recognize that i think much will change. the third area of priority for the 111, chris kump kudos to the house this week passing jobs for education, $23 billion. that is incredibly needed. the 53 billion out of the american recovery reinvestment act that went into the stabilization fund which went into the funding formulas in states saved over 300,000 education jobs. now even seating of those jobs we have class sizes in the 40's and in california at 50. can you imagine in a room built

for 28 to have 45 kids in there and i'm supposed to teach. what i said all the time i can teach any science class you want from 15 to 100 but i will tell you this light don't use the same methods because if i have 100 kids there are certain things i must do in order to, quote, survive and teach, to give content. but if you give me a class size that's reasonable there are many things i can do the i can't do with a larger size but our other priority is the reauthorization of notes to yield left behind. one thing i can be sure of it won't be called that again. laughter, which damaged goods. the name evokes the motion. there is no federal law that is better known to 3.2 million members who are members of nea than i know a child left behind and the reason they know it so well is it has impacted their daily life for seven years. it has changed the educational

philosophy. i can't tell you how many teachers i talked to personally to say to me i couldn't believe that our first faculty meeting at the beginning of the year when the principal explained our strategy for the year. these kids who've passed? they are okay. the ones who are low, we are not going to get them there in a year. so they have different names, the golden ban or the double kids, the ones that are just below passing the standardized test or hitting the market. and they say all year long we are going to focus on this van of children. as a teacher, as a professional you say that can't be our philosophy in this school. we have to be for every student. it's wrong to do that. they've watched the narrowing of the curriculum. i was an tennessee. it was fascinating to me. they were showing the scores of four states including tennessee and on till 2001, the scores

were on a pretty good incline going up. and as of 2001 in that area they really leveled off. i said why do you think that is? what's going on? well, then you look what nea, national assessment of educational process, what does it measure? maseth reading? yes. history, civics, arts? we are not doing this anymore, we are cutting them out of the curriculum. why do you think we would do well on naep if they are measuring things we no longer focus on? so we've got to get backed to an assessment system and understanding of what we ought to be giving. and for our teachers d.c. that curriculum being narrowed. they are tired of a test label and punish. the idea all in one day in the morning you can decide who my student, how to label them as proficient or not. i was testifying at the aspen institute and said let me give you a personal look simple.

my last year of teaching i have to general math class is. geometry and precalculus. so april, however, they take the test and there is another for every one of those 160 kids that i taught what is my number? how are you going to label me? is the average of all 160 or do you wait that? what a diverse group of students, freshmen taking general math to precalculus most of them juniors and seniors? so how are you going to aggregate all of those scores for me? teachers know the system is wrong. there has to be accountability system. and the good things i see coming out of the administration their understanding the has to be multiple measures. not a single score, both for assessing student learning as well as determining whether someone is a -- knows what they should know and are able to do as a professional, with the of to do.

the other thing they've done is understanding that assessments have to be made better. all of the talk that we hear assessments are the foundation. if you don't have the assessment most of the other things fall. the other thing they are talking about that rings wonderfully jul er is the idea of developing a data system that makes sense. comparing this year's third grade with last year's third grade doesn't make sense. the idea that everyone by 2014 will be, grade level, or proficiency doesn't make sense. i remember a state legislator telling me that he wanted everyone above grade level and i said you understand what a reference test ase? even if we tripled the knowledge there will be half above and half below. it's the average score. he said but i want them all above average. i said i am sorry you can't have that mathematically.

so the idea that we are changing our concept what a good assessment of student learning is we will see what comes out of it but at least we are addressing it and we need to look at assessments that in form and structure. that is what my teacher made tests and quizzes to comedy in form plight instruction, and we are talking about growth, not just in the steady score, not just the score you got on april 7th. it is the growth over year and those are all good. let me close because i know i went over to minutes. i told you it's hard for me to say hi in less than ten. as joel indicated, i grew up as a kid in a rural community in iowa, 1700 people in my town, 200 my high school, 51 in my graduating class. about what was so powerful for me in that experience is that my parents, teachers and all employees who worked in that building, because they all kept you on the straight and narrow, harold marks was the head

custodian. if i was screwing around he straightened me out as well as everyone in the communities and one message clearly: wherever it is you want to go education is the way to get there. whenever you would like to do, education is the answer. and i decided in seventh grade i was going to be a high school math teacher. first i decided i would be a teacher, then i felt like teach? english. who would want to greet all of those things? and i didn't get poetry very well and i felt no liable to think that's it. history just didn't cut it for me. i didn't feel the passion. i go to mass, that's easy. the papers or easy -- i will be a math teacher. [laughter] and for 23 years i got to live that dream. for 23 years i got to do what i started dreaming about in seventh grade. and so, i believed back than what they were all singing to me that the way to make a difference, the way you have an opportunity to go where you want to go is through education.

i believed then and i believe it now. the idea in this country that in this country, the richest most powerful nation in the world we have designed a system that for the last 20 or 25 years guarantee's 25 to 30% of kids will not graduate high school. if you're hispanic or african-american it's close to 50%. it happens every single year. that system is designed to do that. it was designed at a time we didn't need everyone to graduate high school but i think in the 21st century we do need them. we have to transform that system. not reformed but transform to remove it from where it is into a system that is designed to do what we need for our young people. 1.2 million kids a year drop out of school. in ten years, 12 million americans from the age 16 to 24 are out there trying to find their way to the american dream

without a high school diploma. i mean mo would you say to them? what is their shot at their dream? what encouragement would you give them? we have -- the status quo is not acceptable in america, and we have to find a way to do that. and what makes me also proud is to be part of the national education association. joel read a quote i used about our mission statement. we've looked at our self very closely over the last seven years. we worked with dr. daniel cao of mit with the pegasus conference. he's worked with singapore for 15 years. we recognize the world has changed and we have to change and look at ourselves, and part of that self analysis was to look at our purpose, our mission statement. why do we as an organization accessed? if we disappear tomorrow what would happen? what could know whether organization to if we were on their backs out of that commission statement that says

the reason we exist as number one to advocate for professionals. they have to have an advocate. as a classroom teacher i'm working every day in a classroom. i need someone advocating to policy makers to say what you're doing hurts when i am trying to accomplish with students. but it doesn't end there. it says we want to unite members in the nation, not just for any reason, but who fulfill the promise of public education. to prepare every student to succeed and the diverse and interdependent world. i'm proud of that mission statement and no matter how tough challenges are and how many obstacles we see because of today's environment, that is where we are headed and that is what we need to accomplish. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much, dennis. for covering quite an array of important issues. we will open up now for questions. people when i call on you you can see who you are, what you

work for or your interest. adel would be great. so there are questions or comments? don't be shy. we will start in the back. >> on the work with joel and one of the clients i've been working on this focused on early education which is not something you talked about at all and i was wondering if you could say a few words about that? >> we were very supportive of them. senator obama running for president because we often cities he gets it, the emphasis on pre-kay is essential. and what is hard to get people enthusiastic about that is because the payoff isn't in a year or two it is a longer term. we believe very deeply in the importance of early childhood development through crutch what school and we do advocate for that, that wasn't one of the topics joel gave me so i didn't mention that. [laughter] but thank you, yes. >> [inaudible] [laughter]

>> i'm from pre-k on the states and just a couple of miles away one of your great affiliate's, montgomery county has done a great job in thinking that out pre-que and how to fold that in and the teachers and staff, that we want kids to bridge it from college what we need to do to graduate from high school we need to get them ready this week and make sure they take algebra. we need to make sure they have a good education experience, and so i am wondering -- final de nea has been great on early education and has a position supporting education, supports funding streams for pre-k. what you see the opportunities are in the reauthorization to make sure school districts like montgomery county but there are more of them that integrate pre-k and make sure that those early years are fundamental. >> the first point i want to make is montgomery county is an excellent example of the collaboration works.

they've got the employees, management and the board committed and it makes a difference. in terms of the sca reauthorization, one of the things we mentioned to people that both the white house and the department of education, in his campaign obama talked a lot about parents and early childhood and we don't hear much conversation. so i think we are going to have to push that up and it's got to be a way to provide assistance to states. it can't be prescriptive. but they have to provide something that, like wouldn't it be nice instead of seeing you may not have a barrier that says you can't use test scores for teacher evaluation, that is a prerequisite. why don't they say you are not going to get funds unless you develop an early childhood program? there would have been forced changed policy to say we have to have this. what ever we can do with you and others as we work through reauthorization that would be great. >> jim and dan [inaudible] >> jane west american

association [inaudible] back to the remark on accreditation of institutions that prepared teachers, when president obama was candidate obama one of the platforms was every preparation program would be professional the accredited, via alternate, what ever. that's another thing we don't hear much about since they've gotten in there. there's been no discussion of it, no initiative in fact some of the requirements of race to the top of the opposite direction. i just wonder if you see any sort of opening to pursue that. >> i've given the administration a little slack in that i've heard obama say he didn't really run for president to get this country out of its worst economic crisis in 50 years. that isn't why he ran, so i know there are many things he believes in deeply she's not

which is number one the economy. i am pleased out of his top three education was one of those. i don't know where we would be today if in the american dream inn recovery reinvestment that there hadn't been $30 billion for education. it kind of scares me to think how we are still fighting to stay afloat but still have the potential of doing things that none of that would have been there. we would have only had the cuts. so i think we just have to keep that in mind and as soon as this economy comes back, and for the public as i mentioned they are going to be a year behind, their toughest year will be july, 2010 to july, june, 2011. that is the thing on the horizon for us but then we need to get -- and he made a lot of comments about the profession which i liked. that will keep the fire burning and when it's time we need to get that on the agenda, too. >> chiarelli with the hispanic

service -- >> good to see you, charlie. >> question naturally on educating the war and the english-speaking child, in my 50 years as a journalist i've seen the rate say the same and i would like to know whether anyone can do anything about it and whether you have something different to offer students and their parents who are learning and languages other than english, and also touch on language education, and there are areas along the border as you probably know now where for years it has been the practice to let kids from the other side of the mexican border, and to go to school and some of the communities north of the border and now that is people are trying to cut that out and not let them go to those schools

anymore, and those are small towns, villages on the other side of the border. should they be allowed to go to school and what can you do to change that 50% rate? >> on the issue of the whole school lange, that changes with the immigration policy and that is one that will be coming up over the first of the year and i think that will play very heavily into what is allowed and not allowed and that will be fought out in congress. in terms of what the nea is tamminga especially for english-language learners, the world has changed. it used to be those of us in the southwest. we had a lot of bilingual and english language learners. as we've become more and more the last ten or 15 years in nation of immigration again and not for an english-speaking countries, it is happening all over the country. what we found within nea is huge demand from members who know more about teaching english language learners. that is most places it is a variety of languages, not just want to read it used to be from

my staff that there is some spanish and english but now it is multiple languages in schools so what we have developed our good training modules and now to the point singing how do we make these available? electronically, and we've got to get this out because educators are just hungry for good training about techniques and practice that makes you more successful with english-language learners. so we will continue that effort for sure. and we recognize the dropout rate has stayed pretty constant although there are in some locales the percentage of hispanic students taking advanced placement courses is jumping in the 60's and 70's percentage so we are doing things. and the other thing is high priority schools campaign. those are often predominantly the hispanic or african-american, and as we move our efforts in that we will have a real impact. we just did -- i saw a poll the other day. people think that hispanic

parents think their kids out to get a job and not go to college, not true. they believe very strongly in education and the importance of kids going to school and they want their children to have more education opportunity than they had so we need to use that and leverage that with members of congress to enhance those kind of programs. >> one question for a good follow-up quickly. with regard to students and the rural areas where there are kids from the other side of the border, do you feel they should be allowed to attend those schools and -- >> in my own experience in my own state there was a very positive experience from that, and there are so many different ideas of how to do that. for example, we have schools in arizona where students to come speaking only spanish and students who come speaking only english by the end of sixth grade they all are bilingual so there are many great programs to do that. i support that personally. organizationally we don't have a position on that, but we do have

a position that we believe all children ought to have access to education. >> my name is bill tayler. as an educator and as a lawyer and for the past 55 years when the supreme court decided in brown v. board of education as soon as i got out of all schools i've been working on civilized matters, first they're good marshall -- thurgood marshall and a variety of other positions. i guess what i would like to hear at this point is what is your -- borut objectives are in the area that most concerns me and a lot of other people in civil rights, and that is whether you agree or not with

the goals stated in no child left behind and that the gap, the achievement gap should be closed between white kids and black kids between kids of color andpulled. florida keeps it going. dominic moore. shorthanded breakaway. scoring for good measure. panthers lead 6-3 in the 3rd. >> capitals and the canucks about to get it on in vancouver and you can see it right here on comcast sportsnet. they have won eight of their last 10. thank you for watching comcast sportsnet washington sports leader. >> for michael jenkins i'm chris miller. now let's head to vancouver, the caps taking on the canucks. papa john's opening face-off coming up. captions by: caption colorado, llc 800-775-7838 email: comments@captioncolorado.com

"this broadcast realtime captioned by becky lyon." >> beautiful vancouver, bc. the olympic hockey tournament taking center stage in 60 days. tonight vancouver fans get an eye full of the capitals. next. the caps couldn't wait for the truck to drop in denver crashing the party was the objective for this first timer. kyle wilson found splash in a flash. giving them the rocky mountain high. tonight in vancouver, a swedish nanny would have a tough time babysitting these twins. if you have a camera we have the man for closeup on comcast sportsnet.

>> hockey fans from east to west unite this is comcast sportsnet nhl extra. this evening the capitals rev up their motor inside gm place where the canucks won't mind going for a drag race. >> very pleasant welcome to you along with craig lockland i'm joe. after a six-goal eruption in denver. something that has happened under head coach bruce boudreau. >> ahead of the caps chicago, philly and pittsburgh. 18. calgary 16 times. tied with boston with 15. nhl record, joe, 40 times in one season by the 83/84 oilers. >> top line took a back seat to these two groups. >> we will take a look at the

third line. doing a nice job against them. connecting for two goals. tom fleischmann is red hot for the caps. this pass picture perfect from wilson. switching gears and now going to the fourth line. this threesome did some damage. they worked the puck aggressively down low. steckel going for a rebound. then a shot off the back of the leg of the goaltender. >> you're right the grinding efforts of matt bradley are producing results. >> already six goals. in his ninth nhl season. odd pace for a career pace 14 goals. his best year was his first when he broke in with the sharks when he had nine goals out in san jose. >> capitals winning eight of their last 10 overall. three men have amassed a sum of points. >> you're looking at the big gunners. this threesome right now the last ten games have combined for 16 goals, 23 assists, 39

points and a plus 23. obviously they bring a lot of fire power to the table each and every game. a beautiful shot beating the goaltender. or alexander semin scooping up his own rebound. they have been all over the score sheet. >> only the san jose sharks trio better. one, two, three with the ducks combining for 100 points also. >> we should address one more hot topic from the colorado game back on tuesday. there was one second period collision that had the news wires humming. >> it's called a cheap shot. running over mike green. you never hit a guy in the back of the numbers but he did. got a five-minute major then had to answer the bell after

that hit from mike green. >> bruce boudreau didn't mince any words in how he hopes the league would respond. >> first and foremost he called him an idiot then went on to say i hope they throw the book at him. he couldn't play in the ahl. to me that is a bush league hit and i don't understand why the nhl didn't suspend him. >> green a very tough competitor and succeeds in the lineup. >> last four seasons green has only missed 15 games due to injuries. caps much better when he is in picking up points in over 58% of those games. when he is out you see that big drop in winning percentage. >> this is a special weekend visit for brenden morrow. the current cap was a fixture on a very formidable line for the canucks in the past. >> when your line has a name and it is called the west coast express you know you're racking up points and making it a problem for the opposition. marcus nasland. one of the most productive lines from 2001 to 2005.

they had speed, skill and razzle-dazzle and little bit of everything the line named after a train line here in vancouver. >> they were frightening. brendon had this to say about the special makeup of that group. >> i think each of us brought something to the line. todd bertuzzi. physical presence. marcus a pure goal scorer. could move the puck, handle the puck. myself brought some creativity. some passing and speed with my skating. all these things kind of just mesh together. >> then this year's production which could turn out similarly to his best years in vancouver. >> best production has always been when brenden morrow has been healthy. he was an ironman in the nhl and look at his points in games played. last two seasons he has been banged up. this season back to being healthy and productive for the caps. >> facing a challenge is what a roberto luongo lives for and

dives all around the rink for. jose theodore no slouch in the reflex department. using his catlike abilities perfectly. next on csn.

>> joe: hottest ticket in town on a friday night in vancouver inside gm place. nhl on comcast sportsnet. one and only meeting between the capitals and canucks. joe and craig with you. >> craig: two canadians facing off against each other. one of the best goalies. roberto luongo going for win number 16. a beauty between goaltenders and teams here tonight in vancouver. >> joe: been amazing the last three days. capitals got in and were able to watch roberto luongo tangle with the anaheim ducks. have had a couple of days of practice to recharge and get set an look for win number 22

in the process. first place in the southeast division. brenden morrow returning to a place where he played so very well. washington on the road in the white the opening face-off presented by our friends at papa john's. the vancouver canucks still in the midst of an eight-game home stand. they are in the blue. daniel sedin working up front to get things started. centering pass. guided away by jeff schultz. >> craig: would like a better start than against the ducks. only two shots in the first period. >> joe: quick clicker there from burrows. 25 seconds in. >> craig: that's an early save you want from theodore. coming off a nice win against colorado but those type of savings will be imperative for bruce boudreau if his team will come out with a win. at the other end roberto luongo, joe, doesn't give up too many. got to be a fine shooter here

tonight. >> joe: you saw the on ice officials. mike knuble tries to work out of his own zone. speedy mason raymond on the fore-check. mike knuble. a convincing triumph against avalanche. to the front. it was a layup for nicklas backstrom and he missed. his hands were half up because he knew it too. mike green puts it back into the corner for mike knuble. they continue to cycle to alex ovechkin. just set up number 19 in the white in expert fashion. nicklas backstrom going along with a nice clip did not convert. protects it along the well.

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and welcome back, baseball news now, the o's have made it official, they signed free agent pitcher, mike gonzales to a two-year contract worth $12 million but it could be worth as much as $16 million with incentives. he went 5-4 with the braves and had an e.r.a. of 2.42. >> i feel really comfortable in the position. not just that. also looking at the lineups with the team seeing the core. these guys are not just young but very talented guys. you obviously look at the defense. i have a great middle defense in the front. middle infield, outfield, it's a good -- definitely as a pitcher, that's what you want and what you look for. seemed like a good fit for me. >> the sponsor fallout continuing for tiger woods.

tag hoyer will temporarily suspend the ads with tiger for the foreseeable future in the us. gillette said they will stop airing his ads. he has taken a recent leave from golf after admitting his infidelity. because of the snowstorm we expect over the weekend, the kickoff for the home game against the bears has been pushed back to 4:15. if you're planning on going to the ravens game on sunday against the bears, you may want to leave now. they are expecting so much so in baltimore, 700 workers will stay overnight at mnt stadium to clean everything up. the national weather service is predicting thunder snow. thunder snow is apparently a real thing. if the ravens are going to make the playoffs, they have to roll through december. it's a three-game season. that's just fine with the team knowing they are playing with

the post season on the line. >> december is when you got to win. i just think it creates something it creates a certain buzz. you watched the steelers last year. you get hot. if you get hot, it's hard to stop the team once they get hot. it's what i said earlier in the year, whether you're hot sooner or later. for us, it's always been later in the season when we played our best football. for us, that's what we have to do. we have to get the december rolling and let the playoffs take care of itself. >> december football is really -- the way ray puts it, it's championship football. and when you're at a playoff place, especial where we're at, that's the place you cherish forever. these are one-game seasons, and when you get them accomplished, something like ray said

especially, you look back on years and years saying we made the push for the playoffs and obviously everything else, you can write your own story in december. >> the ravens are feeling depleted with injuries. jarrod gaither will not play. neither will kenny. among the key members on the defense listed as well are jarrod johnson and ed reid. how about this? if you can't make it to the ravens' game on sunday, there's another reason to avoid the storm is stay home. the former raven's head coach, brian bilick will be part of the broadcast. this will be the first time he will do color commentary for his former team. that should be interesting. college football news, junior offensive tackle bruce campbell says he's going early and entering the nfl draft.

the 6'73"10-pounder could be drafted as earl -- 6'7", 310- pounder could be drafted as early as the first round. we have more redskins coverage coming as chicago hernandez goes one on -- as chick her hernandez goes one on one with jerry gray. we are getting closer and closer to tipoff with the wizards and war no, sir. -- warriors. keep it here on comcast sportsnet. girl: my name is emily, and in 7 years... i'll be an alcoholic. all: hi, emily. announcer: kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. so start talking before they start drinking. someone needs to lighten up. ( women sing ) ♪ priceline negotiator! ( coughs ) - no vacation? - ( laughing ) i can't afford it.

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the anticipation is building for tonight's matchup between the wizards and war no, sir you. can see it here on comcast sportsnet plus. tip time in 10 minutes. the wizards trying to snap the six-game losing streak. here's flip saunders. >> tonight is a unique situation because of the way they have got all their big guys injured. nelly right now is at his best. he loves where he can play five guys or all perimeter people and spread the floor, and tonight is a game where we are probably going to have to watch our matchups more than in the past, because we can't be in the situation across mass or we have too many big guys guarding we have a problems anyway trying to contain the ball. they do that as well as anybody in the league. >> as we mentioned, the warriors will only draft nine players, one more than the

minimum. they will tip off at 10:30 con comcast sportsnet -- con comcast sportsnet plus. go to csnwashington.com and enter wizards for your chance to win. when your team has been eliminated from the playoffs, focus on the positives. one bright skin for the redskins has been the play of the rookie brian. racked up four sacks, and he's the defensive player of the week. the coaching staff has been a bit distracted with the hiring of bruce allen, but the show goes on. here's chick hernandez with jerry gray. >> reporter: what a way to get ready for monday night football game, you've already, there's some changes high above. what do you make of that vinny leaving before the season was

over yet? >> jim told us in a team meeting. we know what we have to do. that's playing for the giants. you know you can't get distracted with everything else that's going on, and forget about what you have to go against, the number four ranked offense in the league. if you do, you will really get embarrassed. we have to focus as a team, and look at this and hopefully it will bring you closer together as a team. you can't hound on the side of what you can do. >> you have to focus on the giants, before we let that topic go, with the new executive vp, you expect more changes to come when you bring in a new guy like this? >> you can say that, but the thing you can't do is you have to go and do your job. if you're a coach, you coach. if you coach and do the thing you're supposed to do, you have the chance to be around. >> you mentioned the number four offense of the giants. eli started off strong.

he's tapered back a bit. what do you see about this guy? he's not the most mobile, but he makes a lot of moves. >> he makes a lot of plays. you to understand starting off the year, they started off with the oldest receiver they had was in the 4th year. i know their system is complicated with a lot of reads and stuff like. that i think steve smith is having a probowl year. you look up and say those guys are in the thick of things with the young receivers. i think eli has done a fantastic job of holding everything together until the guys catch up. you can see the numbers and see the receivers play. >> obviously last week with the sack party that was going on in the back field with brian and andre carter, you want to have that as a defensive unit, we saw leron play up more. will we see the same thing this week? >> yeah, to me i think you get to see more on the line of scrimmage. i think he's comfortable at

home. what he did in alcoholic beverage, blitz a lot. that's what you have to get back to. he hasn't done that for a year and a half since we lost young. i think that's something we have to keep putting in position to make the plays, and i think that's where he's strong at. >> thank you, gentlemen. check trevor and antonio to get you ready for the game monday night at 7:00. you will hear more from santana moss' interview with kj. that's monday at 7:00. the wizards will try to forget about this, what happened the last game in sacramento. in mere moments, back out to golden state. the wizards and warriors here on comcast sport plus. keep it right here.

i touched the ball before it went out, coach. team! alex. alex, good call. alex. alex, good call.

welcome home, man.

welcome back. let's go to hot atlanta. the red hot hawks taking on the jazz. turning on the heat in the 3rd quarter. out of the gait, sharing is caring portion of the show. nice ball movement. al finishing the reverse layin. later, jazz trying to get something going. they turn the ball over. atlanta on the fast break. it's what they do west. johnson to williams. alley oop playup. in the -- layup. in the 3rd quarter, carlos boozer, watch your head. josh smith doing the service. thank you very much. the hawks cruise 96-83. to boston where the celtics are nearly unbeatable. the sixers up by one. the turnover leading to the

sixers' fast break. tough layup. boston up 95-94. still up by one, under 20 seconds to play. the jumper, that is off the mark. allison brand there for the tip. the sixersersers with the lead up. pierce trying to be the hero. allen getting off the shot at the buzzer. it's off as well. philly pulling the upset. 98-97. >> just about tipoff time with the wizards taking on the warriors. you can see it right here on comcast sportsnet plus. that will put a wrap on this edition of geico sportsnet. >> for chris miller, i'm michael jenkins. the papa john's opening tipoff is next as the wizards try to break the six-game losing streak. enjoy the game every

learn more at supportyourvet.org. close but no cigar. six game thrusting washington into the record books. tonight in oakland the wizards playing out west. in an effort to slam the door shut on the four-game losing streak. off and running on comcast sportsnet, next. cold and snowy back home, nice and clear here in oakland, california, as comcast sport net bring use wizard

basketball. the wizards continuing their road trip looking to stop the six-game streak as they meet monta ellis and the 7-18 golden state warriors. itst great to have you with -- it's great to have you with us. steve buckhantz with phil chenier. like the six consecutive losses, the past two have been extremely close and frustrating. in la and sacramento. >> they played so well in sacramento, and that's the difference. you had the situation where they don't even get a shot off. you see the ball being dribbled off the leg, and they go on to lose by three. same thing two nights ago. you have the wizards down by one. this field here by tereke evans. but this just wasn't meant to b. they played really well, steve, because they were down

by 11 with 4.5 to go, but they couldn't pull it out. a new nba record of consecutive games. the record is 2-6 in that time. they have six straight losses. that tied the pheonix suns in the loss department. >> in the game against sacramento, phil, antawn jamison came out as aggressive as we have seen him. results in his third straight game of 30 or 40 points. it's third time in his career he has done that. ironically the first time when he played here at golden state. >> it had not been done until a couple of weeks ago. monta ellis had it. seven seven of the last games have been 3046 point -- 30- point games to lead the team in scoring. another 30-point game last night against san antonio. he's a player that is very exciting. he last year only played 25

games, but he's back, and leg and ankeny really healthy. he's putting on a show. >> most improved player three years ago, increasing his scoring average from 7 to almost 17. >> jamison, boykins and haywood have been down this road before. looking to stop the warriors, next in oakland. ne of us... - which one would you save? - easy, you! - ooh, me or your mom? - uhh sorry mom! your miller lite? oh man... ( mumbling ) how high is the cliff? do you love the taste of your beer this much? well, you could. try the great pilsner taste of a triple hops brewed miller lite. taste greatness. if me and buster were hanging off a cliff... what is she talking about? i know.

comcast sportsnet coverage of the wizards basketball is brought to you by geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more an car insurance. visit us on geico.com. and by papa john's. order your pizza online now. sacramento in your sights along with oakland, california. >> a spectacular day here. we know you in the nation's capital are in the process of getting belting with a major snowstorm. here it's been beautiful. in la and is san francisco today. we are at the oracle arena in oakland. across the bay from san francisco. for the wizards and warriors a homecoming of sorts.

antawn jamison beginning his career here and also easterly coy bio-- earl boykins. 3-9 on the road and six straight losses, gilbert with deshawn. caron butler, and antawn jamison. flip saunders the 22nd coach in team history. in his 14th year as a coach in the nba. his first with washington. against the golden state team who also had their problems. 7-18 own the year. 4 -- on the year. 4-6 at home. monta ellis 17 in the scoring. chris hunter instead of

modovich. 69-year-old don nelson, second winningest coach in nba history. he needs just 17 more to surpass wilkins as the all time leader. he's in his 4th year of his second stint as head coach with the warriors. our toyota ones to watch tonight has been terrific. stephen curry, tremendous player from davidson, and he's playing well in the nba also. >> he is. >> taking after his dad, beautiful shot, interested in watching him first hard. this will be my first time. of course davidson put up great numbers. there now he's in the starting lineup. gilbert, i mean he's still putting up good numbers, shooting the ball well, we just haven't seen him with the old opposing games, and we were looking for that in the sacramento game. >> it was very frustrating for

gilbert. he had the ball stolen away beautifully by evans. in the game before that boykins with earl unfortunately committing the turnover. as you said in the open, they never even got the chance to tie or take the lead in the game. >> that's what you want, give yourself a chance to get the shot out. if gilbert fouling out in each of the last to games. >> yep. how about the keys for the game, phil. the wizards have lost six in a row. they know they are playing good basketball, just not winning. >> i look for andre blatche to have a great game. he -- andray blatche to have a great game. he combined for 12 points. washington cannot settle. they have to mix it up and go inside. golden state of course the faster, the better. they like to get up, run up and down, i don't know if it's -- i think it is by necessity as opposed to by choice.

they have so many men down, especially big men in the middle. mikey moore having surgery -- mi can, ki moore had surgery, and most -- mikki moore had surgery, and most of the guys have been hurt in the lineup. >> they are playing with just eight guys available. an amazing amount of injuries. you also mentioned biedrins, wright. bell has not played yet and now the other day mikki moore with bone spurs. this is the papa john's opening tip yaw. i -- tipoff. i wonder how many calls papa john's will get for pizza. >> phil: i wonder if they will deliver them. >> steve: that's the chance. phil chenier and steve buckhantz here. they give it to the war no, sir. >> phil: i heard flip saunders

talk before the game, they will see if brendan has it going early. more importantly, if he can control the boards in there, limited to one shot, one shot only and maybe get some blocked shots, that certainly will go against the team scoring so many points, over 106 a game. >> you just saw anthony morrow. second year from georgia tech. now gilbert with the crossover. it's knocked away. >> phil: tough bounce pass for him to handle. brendan leading the league in steels coming up with -- steals coming up with that one. >> steve: they will call the foul on deshawn stevenson. that will send maggette to the free throw line. last year they visit a pair, each team winning on their own home court. the wizards winning by 24

points in november at verizon center. golden state evening the series with a victory in oakland in january. they had won three straight games against the wizards here on the west coast. washington's last win here coming march 27, 2006. four seasons ago. >> phil: that's something that corey maggette does well, he get to the free throw line constantly, challenges his opponent. >> steve: jamison who got off to a very good start in sacramento, 20 points before he could even blink. here's morrow for three, and he wins it. i was really impressed the way antawn came out against the kings. >> phil: we both were. 15 points in the first quarter, nearly was perfect from the field. >> steve: nice from gilbert. drawing the foul. he goes to the line. refs, bill, rodney --

>> phil: you will not have a lot of shot blocking. you want to drive and get to the basket and get the and 1 to give yourself a chance to apply the pressure to them to maybe get to the free throw line yourself. >> steve: gilbert taken in the second round by this team back in 2001. the 31st pick overall. he played a couple of seasons in the bay area before signing with the wizards in the summer of 2003. against the warriors, he's one of the top scorers, averaging 27 points a league. >> phil: against his old team, he has one. >> steve: big night the other night from gilbert and antawn. 33 and 30 points respectively for the loss in sacramento. we will talk more about that production from the two, which they did one time here in

golden state when they played together. he's been having a tough time finding -- >> phil: but, steve, there's one of the quick shots we have been talking about, good offensive rebound. nice pass to jamison. couldn't get the foul. maggette the other way. 6-1, golden state. now hunter will try the jumper and miss it. hunter getting the start tonight. here's gilbert's first outside shot. that's no good. washington still looking for its first field goal, 0 for 5. >> phil: again, this is what they want.

this is what they do. they have the small lineup. they want to push the ball, get quick shots. averaging 85 shots a game. third most in the league. so this is right to their liking right now. >> steve: last summer, #th -- 7 7th overall pick in the draft. steff curry from davidson, another field goal, and fellowship saunders will take a -- and flip saunders will take a timeout to keep this situation from getting out of hand and the wizards digging too deep of a hole in the first quarter. monta ellis and his pregame routine. >> steve: two, one from half court, and one from the baseline over his head. they were not doctored. >> phil: you talk about guys

loving the home court advantage. monta ellis fifth best in points per game at home after 27. about three or four points above his average. he's an explosive player. i said he was first in the league in steals. let's me correct that. second in the league. >> steve: you were close. >> phil: i was one off. >> steve: that's right. knocked away by jamison. and the wizards still searching for their first field goal we have played three minutes, and they don't have one. curry with the wicked cross over. now out to curry. >> phil: when they came in to showcase the play for the wizards before the draft, they were impressed with his play, but more importantly, they were impressed with his shooting touch. >> steve: now butler, short jumper. that's washington's first field goal coming in 8:34 left in the quarter.

corey maggette signed a year ago july after eight years with the clippers and his first year in orlando. butler called for traveling. >> phil: haven't seen good ball movement so far. there the traveling is actually called traveling, but it looked like he also traveled when he first made his first move. >> steve: coming up on eight minutes to go in the first quarter. 13-3. deshawn stevenson with the defensive play. here's gilbert from way outside. good for three. three-pointer for gilbert arenas. the wizards' second field goal. he made 41 of them on the season. he's 4th in the league in

scoring at 21 in a game. baseline jumper is short. haywood is. there the wizards playing against a team that is ranked 30 30th in 30 teams in rebounding. >> phil: also giving up the most rebounds to their opponent. it's the situation if you show the offensive position for your rebound. you a chance to get the shot. >> steve: maggette fouled by jamison who could not keep pace with him. >> phil: like i said, that's what maggette does. he's always been among the league leaders to get to the free throw line. the minutes changed from time to time when he was with the clippers and here, but he's always one of the guys to force the action and get to the line. in fact the last three games, all 24 point games for himself he's averaged. >> steve: very productive guy.

last year second most points off the bench in the nba. only jason terry he has had more. >> reporter: the last three games he averaged ten free throw attempts. that's what he does and he does well. >> steve: golden state lost to the spurs on wednesday night here. that was the fourth straight loss. they have dropped 10 of the last 12. : under 7 minutes to play. warriors by five. here's maggette with the open jumper. he makes the catch. left wide open, and he scores. game. the wizards four of nine from the field. here's jamison. first outside jumper, good. >> phil: three. >> steve: three for antawn who had 30 on wednesday. curry answering on the other

end. >> phil: a variety of shots for this guy. >> steve: move by gilbert, trading and stopping and elevating for the jumper. ten points already for gilbert arenas. wizards now down by four. anthony trailing by as many ten. >> phil: nice play inside. >> steve: the lead is down to two. >> phil: that will not make him happy. that was slow, lackadaisical part of getting back into position to transition. transition to gilbert from jamison. and stopping play and talking things over as the wizards came back from ten town to cut it to two. gilbert arenas with his second assist on the corner. behind the back pass to jamison who converts, and it's a two-

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straight points in around minute and cupped the ten-point lead down to two, and gilbert arenas started hot. four of five from the field. already has ten points. >> good look from three-point range. able to set up, nice bank shot off the glass. very soft. we talked about behind the back. warriors slow on getting back, and they take advantage of it. >> steve: living up to it. >> you want to see how the young rookie will fair. 33-point game, but it did not end well for him. >> steve: we used to love watching the majority of his career with charlotte.

he with the hornets at the time. >> steve: down around harrisonburg. >> phil: yeah. nice stroke, beautiful relief. seems to have picked up some of the family straits. but two. >> phil: talking to jim barnett who does the games for the warriors said he's a throwback, he loves to play with him, and he does a lot of little things in picking up the assists department. he has been doing good defensively. 25 steals in the last 9 games. >> steve: here he is for the three-point jumper. 28.5 points per game and made 133 three-pointers and for his career, 4th all time as butler scores. >> phil: career high so far, 22

points, but he has 12 already. that's the first myth right there. >> steve: 22-19. gilbert penetrates, and before the shot goes occupy, rodney mott calling the foul on golden state. that's steph curry. >> phil: gilbert handles the ball so well, able to cross over and get the angle on curry and draw the contact. the last eight field goals, make that nine. >> phil: nice delivery from caron butler that time. he waited for him to get in position. again, take advantage of the fact they have such a small window. >> steve: over jamison, and misses. brendan haywood with another

rebound. that's his 5th. >> phil: i was going to say the team has 6 rebounds, and he has five of them. >> steve: the wizards came back to take the lead making ten consecutive field goals. what a comeback by washington trailing -- after trailing by 10 and the warriors got off to a quick start. jamison will try, he misses. kipped in the air, curry. four minutes to play in the first quarters. hunter with the short jumper, couldn't get it. he has another one, that's seven. >> phil: all are defensive rebounds. that's so important playing this team that likes to run, you want to control the ball as much as you can.

>> steve: saunders getting nick young into the game for washington. >> steve: checking in after his second year from lsu. we see nick young for the first time tonight. wizards coming back with the two point lead. nick with the fading jumper, good. catches defenders off guard sometimes. >> phil: and he feels comfortable with that move and getting the separation off. >> steve: curry is fouled, and let's see who they got it on, it's caron butler. >> phil: the interesting thing, i don't think the contact affected his shot. it was after the release. there was some contact, and he wisely made sure he hit the floor. don't know if he was really hit

that hard. >> steve: wizards on the 9-0 run. now 9-1 in the last 2. -- 2:19. he is first in steals among the rookies as phil said. second overall. >> phil: third and fifth. he's doing some of those other things as well, but tonight he really has the shooting going. 14 points already. >> steve: here's gilbert among monta ellis. butler's jumper is good. he barely missed the three- point shooter the other night. >> phil: got a good look and got the separation he wanted. >> steve: on the word, the rebound, the wizards have the largest lead of four. gilbert on the fading shot. dumped underneath for haywood, beautifully passed. >> phil: you saw brendan patiently allow the defenders

to go by, and then stroll up and throw it down. >> steve: that's the sixth assist of the quarter for gilbert arenas who gets it blocked. and tipped away, the wizards get the steal. here's gilbert the other way for butler. four pullups and a jumper. that's good. >> phil: and you notice, gilbert clearly made sure he had both feet in bounds before he got it to the other end. >> steve: the wizards came from ten down to lead by eight. off the screen, and back to randolph, fans a little restless here at oracle arena. gilbert firing up the jumper for another three. he is on fire. gilbert arenas is six of seven from h