today without my father. if you believe you do not need a father it is lunacy. and also the virtues of motherhood. i like things have brought me to do the president edge of success. with then i lost it. hard work. discipline.s anybody will tell you that i respect time. it is the one thing you cannot get back. no matter how hard you try. ca respect to the virtue of time. n the book is not about me buty en what works. from the beginning ofe time ibe

don't care what anybodylea tells you, the absolute. somebody may struggle like breast cancer, diseases common -- , you learn things about yourself, how to fight to live. maybe a financial crisis everybody by -- faces a crisis but it is a blessing because you learn whohod you are trial by fire. what rupert murdoch goes through it will test hisroug character and we will see how the phoenix will rise out of the ashes. a i think about my friend.smit but it low always rise to the top. no matter what but you have two realize where does it come from? not from your marriage

therefrom what you do when nobody is looking in the moral choice it costs you make every day but ultimately makes of better life. thank you for coming. go out and thank you to our host. here is no way. they pray for thtoe books to sell. buy they are all paid for. [applause] . . i'm grateful. let me tell you i'm grateful but i want to thank you for coming reawakening virtues you have to reawaken the virtues and you. you know, no matter how blessed you are, no matter how fortunate you are coming you get to spend 20 years building something and you can lose it in a flash. the last thing i want to say is the virtue of friendship and relationship. you have to take care of your

relationships. not when you want something or when you need something. you have to take care of your relationships. if there's one thing i think i do a very good job at or with my relationships because they are very important to me, my relationships, i think i'd pick up the phone and call about 7% of the people in this room to make sure because i really wanted you to be here. it was really important to us that you come, because we want to not just reawaken the virtues in this room, but we need to reawaken the virtues of this nation, and get back to -- get the country back on the track of financial solvency, get rid of the issues like race and class, because you know what? we are all going to die, and when your on your deathbed, the last thing you're going to be talking about or think it is your entire and how much money you have to leave your going to be trying to save your soul. as a child -- and i will close with this -- one of the things the was always with me as a child, my parents were so obsessed with this thing called have indicated they really believed that there was a heaven. they really believed that there

was a life beyond earth. they used to tell me there's no more sickness, there's no more sorrow, there's no more sadness, there's no more hurt, there's nothing but joy. as a child, you imagine that there's a place like that that exists, does it really exist? even though my father passed away on his deathbed he was talking about a city called handan. he said boy come to know how you've got to get there? you've got to do good, treat people right, you got to be honest and have integrity. even when it is not your benefit, even when it means you lose. so, for me as a gambling man, and i take risks, as a gambling man, what i have to lose if i bit on that there's a place called him? that if i die tomorrow that i could lift my eyes and there's a place i have no more problems? can you imagine that? no more problems in the world. i can't lose on that bet. so my ultimate bet is in life. no matter what i do in the back of my mind, every day i say i have to work on armstrong and really think my mom was on to something because even if i'm wrong i don't lose.

so i have to work on this place, on that city, that bright light. you know, everybody talks about it especially in a crisis. but as a child, that was my obsession, trying to get to that city called have been to read and to get to that city, there's a certain way you have to live, and there's a certain way you have to give. there's a certain way you have to deal with same and if we get back to having a goal, not just the lofty goals of materialism on earth, but if you really believe that you can be free of all of these things, you can live the rest of your life in peace, i don't know what sparks you, i want to get there. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> thank you sir. [inaudible] >> my goodness. spearman your in this book. you know about that place called heaven, don't you? it's true, isn't it? >> you were doing quite a bit of preaching that there. [laughter] >> hey, come up here man. got to move this line. >> tim landis. actually, i am gigi's friend. >> a paper towel, please. >> i have to say goodbye. >> i have to sign your book. >> talk to you soon. congratulations. i'm not even going to tell you what he said. that's all you're going to say? that's okay. [laughter] stop, stop.

we will see you on the show this week. we look forward to it to expand this is a book party for armstr [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause] >> thank you. i've never gotten that kind of reaction before. i'm mike gonzalez, d. p. of communications your heritage. it is my pleasure to welcome ann coulter, the author of seven "new york times" bestsellers and a new one out right now called "demonic." it is very funny. my colleagues know a name but he won the first columns because am laughing out loud like a mad dance in my office. ann is more than funny. she's witty, clever, courageous, tackles issues that many will not. she stands up for her beliefs were others will waffle. that's because she is deep convictions. she understands conservatism. their many of us here, obviously, in the audience i want to recognize to be built. former attorney general ed meese, ronald reagan studies at the heritage foundation vice

president. [cheers and applause] and one more, m. stanton evans. are you here? he hasn't made it yet. he is the author of the sharon statement. he voted to cut i think i make it. the reason i'm recognizing them is because they are conservative icons. ann coulter is another iconic figure of conservatism. she will make remarks and then take questions from you. afterwards she will sign. i will ask that -- we may not have time for pictures, so this is signing first. afterwards, if there is time, she'll take pictures with you if there's time. [applause] >> thank you for coming. [cheers and applause] thank you. i really wanted to speak after the book signing because it turns out they are serving your

and wine and the ideal audience from you right wingers a little liquor to. and i don't have prepared remarks because i just had a book come out. i've never imagine -- a look ahead when your book is coming out, who else has a though,, who will you compete with on amazon. i never imagined i would eat competing with something called weinergate. unlike anthony weiner, you can telephone happy if i fenced behind a podium. a samuel ball had a chance to read some of my book or see one of my 8 million interviews in the last 10 days. but i'll just quickly say, "demonic" is a description of the moms. moms are always demonic and demon sir was mobbed. i described the democratic party of liberalism as a map, starting

with the french revolution, a revolt of the mob. it has been that way for 200 years in the process of writing this book, i certainly understand liberals in a way never did before. i consider myself something of an expert on liberals. there are a few things that always confused me. for example, paul krugman, frank rich, jonathan alter. they must be a start release they did well on the sat test because they all went to very good colleges and yet they seem so stupid. people in a crowd to lose some of the intelligence to matter how educated they are coming they will grasp onto conspiracies, turn their opponents into enemies. this is just as michael of mob psychology. beautifully described liberals

and not in the way you can describe conservatives yet that's all i will say because you are all getting a copy tonight. i've got to take questions because then i don't need prepared remarks. [laughter] >> rate here commissary. [inaudible] [laughter] >> actually, i loved the view. i've been on four times. we've had a great time every time since one, when they all yelled at me and i'd have to wait for a pause to get something out. that was the only time barbara walters was on the show. so by process of the lamination, i think the rest of them are lovely curls. i mean, usually interesting girls fixate on some small

pointless part in my book and i feel a thing i never talk about for the next month, which gets very tedious. for the first time i've been asked about the book, which is great. it's nice to be able to talk about it. on the other hand, i'm worried that a massive catfight, my book sales will suffer. >> break there in the blue shirt. >> 's looks like your boy, chris christie isn't running. who's next? >> i would like to say that if my boy, chris christie doesn't run, he will go from being my love to the enemy for life. i am not designing a parachute so i can type into the governor's mansion and group convince him to run. the country needs him. i think he is head and shoulders about the other candidates, who are they. it's worth noting every single republican in the debate monday night is better than john

mccain. [applause] it's not that i intentionally dislike any, but running against incumbent with all mainstream media against us. christie also won the governorship in one of the most left-wing states in the union. i was shocked when he won. i would've lost bets on that. i don't think it's a guarantee that to win reelection. he'll be a loser the next you run. or if your command line for president in 60 or spirit thirdly, we have an amazing american farm team coming up, but ted deutch nelly, if he runs for governor, he is like chris christie. he suddenly articulate, which is something for republicans because they usually can't put to some of us together. so if we get one who can talk, that would be something. you've got chris kovac, the attorney general of kansas, he runs for governor, think them. marco rubio is a fantastic

senator. he can run for president. so we have all this amazing talent at not going to be a cakewalk for chris christie in six years, particularly because i will be a sworn enemy if he doesn't run this time. >> how tall are you, ann? i am 66. >> i think about pete, seven. give or take. i do not -- [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] >> this should be, and we're counting on the heritage foundation. this should be a good year for the republicans in the senate.

unfortunately, you know, in 2010, we have a lot of obamacare. it was the luck of the draw. even though democrats hold it fast 60% cut of 70 are held, it was about 50/50 republicans and democrats. democrats up for election might harbor boxer were in solidly blue. we didn't have many opportunities in the election to pick up senate seats. but that changes next year. and it changes three years from now. those are two fantastic years to pick up seats in the senate for republicans. i don't know how republicans are going to blow it. it is your job to stop them. >> i just want to have the rear conservative of course, but not partisan. >> thank you for coming first of all, ann. do you think the liberals have a clue about the spiritual

component to why conservatives are in those? the doughnut like our policies, but it goes beyond that, doesn't it? >> that is covered more extensively in my book, about three books back, douglas: the church of liberalism. i think that explains why you do the altamont psychology, characteristics on the left and you really don't see it among right-wingers, republicans and we know from the polls that most republicans believe in god gave most democrats don't. want to claim they do are running for office and are lying. and if you believe in god, it's a vertical relationship. you don't have to care what people say in the crowd around you. and in fact, christians kind of like to be hated because christ that we would be, set makes us feel macho. whereas, if you don't have an outside relationship with god, then you have to care with the people around you think.

that's the one "the new york times" editor in your head, listening to every expectation or hope in that jon stewart won't say anything mean about you or even i.q. no, conservatives so don't care what people around them think and that's why you think liberals -- liberals don't believe in god, so they are faster for people around around him think. two more questions. >> what advice do you have for young conservatives on college campuses dealing with the labor mob? the >> first of all, don't go to law school. [inaudible] >> law? okay, fine. let the liberals go to law school. because unless you are going to be a scumbag trial lawyer like john edwards, you won't make that much money.

to be working weekends for the rest of your life and there's a lot of great jobs out there. i just met somebody with the strangest job. but was it? i forget. i said to her, did she know what you would be doing in college? the person who designs food for tv commercials. so that it looks attract. the lighting, how you put it on the plate. there are ipod of out there and they should all go and the media, become public-school teachers. and by the way, the pay is fantastic. last night college professors. college republicans could teach me a few tricks. if you are open republican on a college campus, you are apparently not going with the flow. and that is where you first see the pathetic mess of liberals, little apple polishers up to their professors.

teacher, teacher, i found another example of homophobia in hamlet. @johnny, settle down. i pick of great tips from the college of republicans who came up with the catch an illegal alien game, which i am just bulldozer and admiration with anti-affirmative action bake sales. i don't think i need to teach college republicans anything. but i will tell you the truth is inherently appealing and a lot of college kids don't have political belief yet. that is why i'm constantly going to speak on college campuses despite the risk of physical violence. they don't have clearly defined political belief yet. and the only conservative they're going to hear in four years of college. i've had a lot of things that could happen, but i'll just give you one. this year accused university, went to dinner with college

republicans and one told me what they say at the green meeting. the green said this, the green said that. i said, what are your secret law? if you know, used to be green and college. i said which issue? you said you were the only person that made sense right after 9/11. it does make sense for kids who are just forming their opinions. inherently appeasing. >> ms. coulter, thanks for stopping by. i'd like to ask you to comment on two quotes. one you'll know very well from page 14. as long as democrats win elections by demagogue and, dare happy to turn america into banana republic. but msn high-speed bullet train of bankruptcy coming to a democratic party refuses entitlements picosecond hokum american people want to cut spending because they know cutting spending will create a better environment for job

creation, entitlement programs, tax increases. that's what the next budget process is for. we'll have plenty of opportunity to talk about that march 3rd, 2011. speaker of the house of representatives. is it safe to say that both parties have a pretty unreliable record on pursuing entitlement? >> yes, there is. by the way, if i were picking up my most choice quotes from the book, the one social security reform would not be yet. yet and still, i mean, i said this to republican audiences. they may complain about their politicians and other chickens. well, sometimes they're not chickens. they're responding to the people and that's a great thing about the tea party movement, that you do have americans who haven't really been thinking about politics. they're busy. they have jobs. and now they are starting to notice that social security and medicare or ponzi schemes. they were set up as ponzi

schemes. i don't know if y'all watch msnbc as obsessively as i do, but they're constantly denouncing the ideas of some sort of insult, like we are using the again social security. it is the definition of a ponzi scheme. incoming money comes out to current recipients. that is pretty made us plan. and you know, creators of social security knew perfectly well they were creating a ponzi scheme. they be dead and buried before it went bankrupt. but we have to be able to educate people about that. i think the republicans, instead of proposing plans to reform social security and medicare, should do nothing but go on tv and talk about what the problems are, how it's bankrupt in 10 years, how current medicare recipients receive three times what they paid in. just keep talking about the problem and lets see what the democrats had to say.

>> yeah, sure. [inaudible] >> you mean it's unfair to throw michele bachmann in the same boat with sarah palin? i think she emerged from that compares then on monday night. i mean, i think michele bachmann is magnificent. i also think you can't win the presidency from the house of representatives. so if any viewer for minnesota, you better go back into work and i think that she can run for governor, or at least senate. [inaudible] >> thank you. you see, and a teacher orders? >> thank you, ann. >> thank you. [applause] >> please form an orderly line. ms. coulter will be inside signing books. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you. god bless you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> nice to see you again. you are such a great man. i keep seeing you at the things i don't get to talk to you. >> you've got a lot of fans here. >> you'll have to come back so we can talk sometime.

nice to see you. >> nice to meet you. >> court. >> court. >> it's actually a union person. >> a very nice young man. >> i want is for stephen and judy. >> stephen andrew? is that? >> the third one is actually mine. this one is going to be for mary kate and diane. >> you are not mary kay. >> mary kate. last time i saw you when you

came. >> that was fun. are you from michigan? >> now, i just went to school there. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> could i have the cover signed? i want to display it. i'm glad you took the suggestion. it's a beautiful cover. >> yes, how about that? >> of these taking her picture khomeini to face the camera. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. here's her copy. >> hello. [inaudible] >> and he looked familiar. excellent. is this for you? >> elizabeth. >> what are you doing now, elizabeth? >> i started college. >> great, don't go to law

school. >> hi, i'm christina. >> hi, christina. >> i want to say i graduated from college in your book taught me more than any professor. thank you. >> it's actually for my data for father's day. >> i have a lot of fans. >> okay. nice to meet you. >> hi, i'm sir.

it's for father's day. he's a big fan. >> where you from? >> i'm proud maryland originally. we have a growing tea party movement, though. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. >> do you want this for you? >> yes, tom. >> i have a growing fan base in maryland. >> it's an honor. >> sinus book for sale, please. >> sinus book for sale, please. >> for who?

thank you. >> hi, i'm patrick from oregon. >> from oregon? what are you doing in washington? >> my wife sat a graduation ceremony. my wife is a professor. >> i'm glad you're in town today. when is the graduation? >> the students are graduating tomorrow. >> hello. nice seeing you. where are you from? >> medals per pound. >> highlighted event here? >> two and half years.

[inaudible conversations] >> hello. >> pleasure to meet you, eric. i knew you looked familiar. >> you were debating chris mathews. this is for maytag. [inaudible] that would be lovely if you could. >> thank you for all you do. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> no, no, i talked to the last author. he's still alive. he's not gone. >> can you have a cocktail while i finish this and then we can talk? it's so good to see you. >> i saw sean hannity. he's as great as ever. i did great time in traffic listening to you.

>> can't let it go. >> see you later. >> see you later. >> are you going to be doing a photograph session? i want to get just one picture. >> banks. >> thank you. is this for you? >> it's for my parents. bob and mary ann. >> fantastic, you're a genius. otherwise there could be a site for the book. >> have a question. you speak about your mother -- [inaudible] >> paducah. i may be back there next month for a family reunion. hello, nice to meet you. nice to meet you.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> very fascinating. unfortunately, my writing is like chicken scratch. even when i'm really concentrating. >> hello. nice to meet you. >> what a fantastic father's day. you want this for patrick?

[inaudible conversations] >> here, i've got to get it for you. i've got a pair for you in a pair for someone. >> that's very nice. my father is the quarter i get it from. nice to meet you. [inaudible] >> when i was stuck in traffic, you were a great distraction. this is for my father. >> i know.

we have to do this before father's day. hello, nice to meet you. >> okay wait, i did not view -- [inaudible] >> i ordered the book online. >> hello. >> nice to meet you. thank you. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] 3inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you dream match. >> thank you.

>> okay. yeah, i like him. as there is a ways to go. do you want this for you? [inaudible conversations]

[applause] >> thank you. well, good morning. i've just come from meeting with the republican congressional delegation. [laughter] and dates so far has followed my plan to the letter. i met with them earlier this year. i told them i have a great idea.

if you just get rid of medicare, you're going to do even better than he did last fall. so, you are sitting in a state that has a big collection in the northern part of the estate here. last night, the democrats won. i think there's only been four democrats elect there since the civil war. so, it was quite something. my suggestion to the republicans today is don't start. medicare. the next thing they should proposes getting rid of the veterans administration. i think i will go over really big. and after that, the elimination of traffic lights. and then, kittens. get rid of kittens. just go all out and be opposed to kitty cats. they are going to do well a year from november here. alright, enough enough picking

on them. you know, they've got a rough road ahead of them. and i was saying last night, it just resembles, you know, they caught this great cat back in november, but then they started writing in the opposite direction on the football field, away from their goal. and you know, it's like democrats and liberals, you know, everybody is so peace, love and understanding. we are on the field going no, no, turn around. no, i have the ball. i'm going this way. yes, but people like their medicare. i don't care. i have the ball. so anyway, what can you do? so, i assume most of you are working in bookstores or own bookstores? the librarians are here.

[cheers and applause] and teachers? great. no, i mean, of course teachers are to blame for everything, right? you know, all that money they are seeking from us. so i have a new book coming out in such timber and it is called, here comes trouble, stories of my life. it's about of about two dozen short stories, but their own nonfiction, all from my life and i go through a number of interesting incidents and things that is happening to me before i made my first film. so this takes place all in the years leading up to roger and me and so, there is a short story

about getting lost inside the capitol building at 11 years old. i parents had taken us to washington d.c. tonight that last and walked into this elevator and i didn't see the sign that said senators on the. since the doors shut and there is a man reading a paper in a post to peeper down. i've got tears in my eyes because i lost my mommy and daddy ended senator robert kennedy. and so, the story is about his effort to find my parents that day in the capitol building. there's another story. i guess i parents effectively at home and i was 14. they said yes because i wanted to be up priest and they didn't want to get in the way of god's calling, so i went to seminary at 14 years old and so there is a story about being there at the seminary. and i of course have a lot of thoughts about the catholic church. as a recovering catholic.

so there's a whole bunch of things like this. and i found myself present at a paris incident that took disseminate teen 80s, particular day was only 19 people killed in probably about 120 or so injured from bullet and grenade shrapnel. and i was just coming into the airport to change planes. so i read about what it's like to actually be present at one of these terrorist incidents and live. so the book has a lot of these experiences and stories that are sort of maybe explained how i got to be where i got or why i ended up doing the things they did. and they are interesting and wild and some are funny and some

are not so funny. but it began the book in the present and i thought maybe i would read just a little. i don't know what are time constrained our here, but do i hear a little bit of this? i have not read any of this to anybody. in fact, it is still on the pages that it was type time. country and this is a quote that begins with a quote from glenn beck. i'm thinking about killing michael moore and i'm wondering, if i could kill him myself or would i need to hire someone to do it. no, i think i could. i think he could be looking me right in the eye. i could just be choking the life out of him.

is this wrong? i stopped wearing my what would jesus do band that i've lost all sense of right and wrong now. i used to be able to say yeah, i would kill michael moore and then see a little wristband that says what would jesus do? then i realized he wouldn't kill michael moore or at least you wouldn't choking to death. and you know, well, now i'm not so sure. that's from glenn beck's radio program may 17th, 2005. i can't remember the name of the reporter who asked the question, but i remember the moment very well. he said, are you surprised that you're still alive? there's lots of people that want you dead. he was trying to get a reaction out of me. we were standing there life on

the floor of the democratic convention in 2004. his tone of voice was one of, how shall we say, hope all? i looked at him and he didn't know how to respond. i tried to make light of it. in the interview was over, i couldn't put out of my head what you just said on national television. there are those who want you dead. i can guarantee that no filmmaker or political person ever been asked that question lies on national tv. it had been a rough year for me. the threats, the assault, the man who planned to blow up my house and now this journal has had to go and plant the seed of an idea in a few more deranged head. i sat on the floor and stared at him and he stared back. even if other reporters asking me questions, i would not take my eyes off him and then he lost it. for the first time in my life, i decided i was going to punch him right in the face. i walked back up and with dirty

harry column, i said this is absolutely the most despicable thing i've ever been asked on live television. he could see what was going to happen as an asteroid a few minutes before he was done talking to this guy. sure, punk, i can wait. and then he slipped away. but there would be nowhere for him to hide. he took refuge inside the arkansas delegation, the refuge of scoundrels. but i found him and i walked right up to them. within an inch of his face, i whispered, you may make it seem acceptable. you just told people it was okay to kill me. he tried to back away, but i blocked them in. i want you to think about your actions if anything happens to me. i don't in my family will come after you because they will. he mumbled something about his right to ask me anything you wanted and i decided it wasn't worth breaking my lifelong record of never having anyone,

cert and not some weasel from cable news. save it for "meet the press." he broke loose and got away. within the year, he would become a star and fox news, where he should've been in the first place. to be fair to him, though, his question was when i'd heard before. though maybe not post quite sweet really. it is not unusual to be asked, usually by perplexed europeans, how is that you're still alive? or for fans of night to randomly come then had me and say i can't believe you're still here. and they didn't mean in the building. why was i still here? in the first year of the war, i was told by security expert who was often used by the secret service that quote, there is no one in america other than president bush who is in more danger than you. how did this happen? i decided that i i'd brought this on myself beginning the

ninth of march 23rd, 2003, 4 days prior to george w. bush had invaded iraq on a country not only not attack us, but it was in fact a past recipient of much military aid from the united states. this is an illegal, immoral, invasion, but that is not how american side. over 70% backed the war, including liberals like al franken and the 29 democratic senators who voted for the war authorization bill, including senator chuck schumer, dianne feinstein and john kerry. plus, future maritimes editor, bill keller in the editor of the liberal magazine, "the new yorker," all supported the war. the times ran many bogus front-page stories about how saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. he later apologized for their cheerleading of this were. but the damage had been done.

he had given bush the cover he needed and the ability to claim it's a liberal paper like the times says so, it must be true. it must be true. so here it was, the fourth night of a very unpopular war and my film, "bowling for columbine" is up for an oscar. i went to the ceremony, but was not allowed to talk to press on the red carpet going into the kodak theater. there was fear that someone may see some team and in wartime, we need everyone on the same ph. the actress diane lane read the list of nominees for best documentary. the envelope was up and she announced that one. on the main floor, the actors, direct readers, writers, gave me a standing ovation. i invited my fellow documentary nominees to join me on the stage and they walked up with me and i spoke the following words:

thank you -- i want to my oscar speech impersonation. thank you very much. i've invited my fellow documentary nominees on the stage. they are here in solidarity with me because we like not fiction. we like nonfiction, yet we live in dictations times. we live in a time where we have vicious election results that elect a fictitious president. we live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. whether it is the fiction of duct tape or the fiction of orange alert, we are against this war. we are against this war, mr. bush. shame on you. shame on you, mr. bush. anytime you've got both the pope and the dixie chicks against you, your time is up.

it's weird. that's the first time i've read those words outside since that night. about halfway through those remarks, all broke loose. there were boos from the upper floors and from backstage. the producer of the show ordered the orchestra to start playing to drown me out. the microphone started descending into the floor of the stage. it was pandemonium and i was whisked off. a little known facts. the first two words every oscar-winner here's right after you win the oscar and leave the stage come from to young people that the academy has hired. they retired and former winner and they are standing in the wings to greet you. the young girl said to me, champagne? she held out a flute of champagne. the young boy next to her said breath mint? and he held out a breath mint.

champagne and breath mints are the two words of oscar winners here first. but i got to hear a third. an angry stage and came up to me and screamed in my ear asshole! the ever alert security backstage saw the rubble that was about to break out and they quickly took me by the arm and moved me to a safer place. i was shaken but i battled and due to the overwhelming negative rejection of my speech come inside of this been a moment of a lifetime, i was convinced i'd let everyone down. my fans, those against the war, the oscar organization, my crew, my wife, my tab in the audience, anyone who meant anything to me. i had ruined their night. and i suddenly sunk into a pit of despair. an hour later we walked into the

governors ball. the police to immediately silent and people stepped away from me for fear that their picture would be taken. i stood there along with my wife at the entrance, shunned by the hollywood establishment. only one person. to approach me. her name is sherry lamb being, the head at the time of paramount studios. she saw what was going on and so she walked up the center aisle in front of everyone to where i stood. my shoulders hunched over. my head bowed. she came right up to me and gave me at the kiss on the cheek. thank you she said. it hurts now. someday you'll be proved right. i'm so proud of you. and then she kissed me again. that was pretty much it for the name. we sat quietly at our table and ate our roast beef. we decided to skip the party and went back to the hotel.

i couldn't sleep, so he turned on the tv. for the next hour i watched a local l.a. tv station to their oscar post game shows. as i flipped between the tiles, i realize i listen to one commentator after another question my sanity, criticized my speech and said say it over and over in a sense, i don't know what got into them, but i can't see them having an easy time getting another movie made in this town. talk about career suicide. after an hour of this, i had this sick feeling the need i believed they were right. i got to listen to more booze over the next 24 hours, walk into the hotel, going to the airport. it was like i had cut the russians, through the olympics. he took up at least a dozen rows on the plane. meanwhile back in her home in michigan, the local

beautification committee had done three truckloads of horse manure in our driveway, waist high so we wouldn't be able to enter our property. a property, which by the way was nicely redecorated with a dozen or so times l2 or trees. get out. move to cuba. scum, traitor, leave now or else. it was time to call in the navy seals. and then i'm just going to skip to the end. i hired this group are ex-navy seals and army rangers and they became a security. i go through this chat or an echo to various incidents of people assaulting me, trying to assault me and finally somebody attempting or planning to blow up my house. and the seals basically saved me and kept me alive. i am the book describe these

incidents really for the first time because you're not supposed to talk about these things in public. so here's the end that chapter. one night in adventure of florida, this is after basically -- i started training with the navy seals and lifting weights and joaquin, then running with them. and they showed me all these various things, how they can take you out with a piece of dental floss. and things you probably shouldn't know, but anyway, now i was in condition. one night in ventura, florida, may nubus sells a lot with a friend, walking into immodesty movie. a young guy in his 30s passed amy. as he did, he had the sense to

say, shithead. i walked in turned towards him. hey you, get back here. the person i was with said mike, let it go. letting it go was what i used to do and that didn't really hope they heed her, it? backup walking. hey, don't run away from me i shouted louder. don't be a chicken. come back here and face me. chicken is a dish not well served with a gender with testosterone for their fluid. he halted and turned and headed back towards me. as he got five free for me, said the following. the gentlest voice i could muster. hey, why would you say such a thing to me? because i know who you are and you are a shithead. there you go again, using that word. you don't have the foggiest idea of who i am or what i'm about. you haven't even seen my movies.

>> i don't need to come from and they are suspected. pirating other commie steffi reddy put out there. okay dude, that's not fair. you can't judgment based on what someone else told you about me. you look like a guy who makes up his own mind. please watch one of my movies are a certified come you may not agree with all the politics, but i can guarantee you you'll instantly know i have a deep love for this country and you will see that i have a heart, that i care for people and i promise that you'll laugh a few times during the film. if you still want to call me after that, then fine. i don't think he will. he calmed down and we talked for another five minutes. i listen to his complaints about the world and told them that we probably have more in common than not. he relaxed even more and eventually i got a smile out of him. finally i said we had to go where it's going to miss my movie. hey man he said holding out his

hand. i'm sorry i called you that name. you're right. i don't know you. this site you stopped and talked to me after i said that, well, maybe i should. please accept my apology. i did and we shook hands. they've taken a risk for sure, but i'd had enough of this. there would be no more disrespect and are threatening me and that was the attitude that made me safe or as safe as one can be in this world. from now on if you mess with me, there will be consequences. i may make you watch one of my movies. last night a few weeks later, i was back on the tonight show for the first time in quite a while. when i was over, i was leaving the stage and the guy who was operating the blue microphone approached me. you probably don't remember me he said nervously. i never thought i could see you again or get the chance to talk to you one more time. i can't believe i get to do this. do what i thought.

i braced myself for the men's soon-to-be broken hand. i never thought i'd get this chance to apologize to you he said as tears started coming in his eyes. and now here you aren't i get to say this. i was the guy who ruined her oscar night. i am the guy who yelled into your gear right after you came up stage. he tried to compose themselves. i thought you were attacking the president, but you are right. he did lie to us. and i've had to carry this with me now all these years. and that i did that to you under a big night, i'm so sorry. i now he was shaking pretty bad and i could think of to do was reach out to give them a huge head. it's okay, man. i accept your apology. but you don't need to apologize to me. he did nothing wrong. what did you do? you believe your president. you are supposed to believe the president.

if we can't expect that is just a minimum from whoever is in office, then we are doomed. well, he said relieved, thank you for understanding. understanding i said, this is not about understanding. i've told this story for years about the first two words i hear. and then i got to your second word. don't take that story from me. he laughed and i laughed. there are many good stories like that. of course there were. i had a ton of them and i've been wanting to tell the stories for a long time, but they don't begin here in burbank. burbank is the end. the beginning began before i had even begun and it goes into the next. [applause]

so, thank you. that was really cool. i got to do this for the first time. they said we have time, a couple of minutes for a couple questions if anyone would like to ask me anything. you're welcome to do that. yes, sir, in the front row. [inaudible] >> the question is can i still do the same things? i can do the same movies, but is sending surrogates to do an interview with somebody that will talk to me. and then i said in that truck listening.

i'll repeat the question that way so that i can at least conduct the interview because you're right. some people will not talk to me now. but i found ways to get around. yes, sir. >> in "bowling for columbine," you talked about things and the nra. >> did i what? [inaudible] >> and i still nra member? i had a lifetime membership to the nra and they had a special vote to excommunicate me. so i don't think i'm a member any longer. but i still have the nice leather jacket they sent me. yes, sir and the i/o. [inaudible] >> well, you know, the republicans are -- they are very good at organizing and in some

ways they are smarter because they know how to get the job done and they took over the statehouses and governorships in november. and they didn't do it just so they could put it on my resume. they came in with a plan and the plan was to go after public employees, teachers, take away people's pensions, it better. i think they've shot themselves in the foot and i think senators in wisconsin i hope will be recalled. they got a taste of it last night. ..

[applause] >> i think that you are applauding the great idea but that won't even get us over to tenth ave. why don't the democrats do this stuff? why? there is a simple answer which is the same people and then there's the weird answer, they just don't have -- they are missing the backbone and for the life of me i don't understand the other side would never believe this way we don't want to hold it in the senate so

let's not do that to them right now. >> i like the fact that we are the understanding group but for crying out loud we are going to lose this country if we don't stand up and stand up against this madness. yes, ma'am. >> [inaudible] >> why? i don't know. that's a good question. i don't know. i just did that in the morning and i don't know. i'm a citizen of this country. it's redundant to say that i've never called myself an activist because i think if you say that you are a citizen of democracy it should imply that you are active and the democracy doesn't exist unless your active so i never really view myself that

way. yes, in the middle. >> i was just a guy from flint with a high school education, didn't know anybody. one. don't despair and realize that you're going to be a lot alone for a lot of this and you may have to put up with -- i told the story of a guy in fort lauderdale coming out of a starbucks in you can just see in his head and his face turns red and purple and he takes the lid off the top and throws it in my face. but because i had these navy seal with me and he didn't have

time to stop the guy said he put his face in front of mine and says he took a hit for me so they handcuffed him and called the police. i don't want to encourage anybody to have to deal with all of that. because, you know, not pleasant. yes, ma'am. >> [inaudible] >> she's referring to my film, "sicko" and what has happened -- well, we got the first half of it passed. i hope it's just the first. we need a single-payer universal health care for everyone.

[applause] we don't need a less secure we need more. medicare for all. the countries that have medicare for all spending and spend half of what we spend on health care. that is with free health care. if we got the american mind working that the government is going to pay for this it's going to break the budget. no, it's actually going to save us money. and people will not put off going to the bathroom and it doesn't cost as much later. people are not, even with insurance, not going to the doctor even to pay the deductible or the co-payment the deductible and copay and insurance they look at other countries like we are crazy. i have health insurance for

myself and there is no deductible. i talk to the insurance company and they are not exactly my best friend or what to do favors. what would it cost, shares the 2,000 the deductible or the 1,000 deductible, what would it cost for no deductible? noeth deductible? i never get asked that. he says $17 a month per employee. i said you've got to be shitting me. $17 per employee i can give them no deductible? yeah. i'm like a man this is crazy that we have a system someday they give up their free health care card in exchange for this

country they would never do it no matter all the money if the system was this set there's one, two, three, four years longer than we do. japan is even more. time for two more? who has the last one? [laughter] >> [inaudible] >> i don't even know what that means. [inaudible] it's too early in the morning.

[laughter] [inaudible] >> what about? it's about -- [laughter] it should be out sometime in the end of next year. [applause] thank you very much.

events surrounding the dedication on the c-span networks. >> next, booktv attended a book party for "reawakening

virtues" the book party was held in washington, dc. >> booktv is at the washington, dc home of marty and grace bender, where a book party for author and columnist, armstrong williams, is being held. mr. williams' latest book is called "reawakening virtues, restoring what makes america great." armstrong williams, why did you write this book? >> you know, many people remember back in 2000, and "no child left behind," when i was almost left behind, financially, emotionally, relationship-wise, and i'll never forget a friend of mine from new york, mr. doley, an ambassador, called me on the phone, and people were saying i would be no more than a footnote, no one would every see my face on television again or carry my column and i was doomed. i accepted responsibility for

the bad judgment. but just because we use bad judgment and accept responsibility for it, you still have a price to pay. you pay a price when you do things that goes against the virtue and the values upon which you were reared, and so from 2004 to about 2008, i was in the desert, and i was wondering if i would ever have my way of life back again, ever be a media presence again, and then i realized, there's one particular morning i was lying in bed, and a light just flickered, and after four years i had reawakened, and something just said, reawake your virtues and values. just as clear as i'm standing here talking to you. something said, go back to the roots, go back to the beginning. so i had to reawaken the value of truth and honest and integrity. i had to reawaken the values of

physiology, get back to the germ, taking care of my health, making sure i was in shape. but more importantly, i had to reawaken the values of whether i wanted to be a journalist, or whether i wanted to be hack for the republican party, and i decided that not only did i want to return to journalism but my voice could return as a voice of integrity. i realized i wasn't doing it for anybody else. it wasn't about anybody else. it was about me. about my truth and my getting grounded again. so i started back going to church. being alone with god, getting back to the kinds of things my parents taught me about honesty, about trying to be good, and sometimes being good, we say these things about being good but it's not enough just talking about being good.

it because of this i decided i needed to reawaken the virtues of my life. and things started coming around, and i also realized that things were not as bad as i thought they were, and even though my legal fees, even though i lost 80% of my business, i managed my business well, i managed my money well. i did not spend frivolously. bud but i did not have much overhead and debt, and the i had people who wanted to help me out financially, said, no, and returned to the virtue i built in the beginning, and i realized that all had not been lost, until i realized i had to reawaken myself and get back to where i was. >> how do you return that to america? >> you know, america is in a financial crisis.

america is in a debt crisis. if you -- and we talk about the debt ceiling. the debt ceiling and our financial crisis reflects who we are as america. we spend more than we earn. we buy things we cannot afford. and we don't want to make sacrifices. and so the united states has accumulated so much debt, $10 trillion or $15 trillion, we keep spending, spending, spending, and-under revenues cannot keep up with it. we have to get back to fiscal responsibility. if you max out on your credit card spin crease the debt on the credit card, and your interest rate -- either you have to pay the credit card off, restructure your debt, or you'll become bankrupt. so we have to return to fiscal discipline. and be responsible.

we should only buy that which you can afford, and a lot of this started with the real estate boom. so everybody thought that owning a home was a right and a privilege. you should only own a home you can afford. there's a lot of upkeep to the home that many people don't realize, and instead of listening to the government -- yes, the government is on the virtue of bankruptcy. in fact we're the 800-pound gorilla in the room. the only way the united states is going return to solvency, return to what people are accustomed to, the prosperity we once had, the american people must get their financial house in order. >> armstrong williams,. [inaudible] >> chris is my editor. this is important, a new

publisher. sometimes we ...

the integrity and the virtue of writing an honest book. the publishing he will awaken to be fair to both sides of. >> real beginning virtues restoring what america great is his latest. >> you made it. my god. >> i was reading a column.

sometimes when you write i get stuck in reading things and i kept reading and reading the. i sent him an e-mail and he never responded. so, when he said there he is. find the time, then you always agonize and people want to read this. is it life in the times you have to let all that dough. i started two years ago. spearman there was so much wanted to say but then i realized in order to reclaim virtue it stops with reclaiming yourself. it's the premonition you have to reclaim your virtues to this

gimmick even the people who don't like you like the book have to say that. [laughter] >> i stayed away from politics. i strictly dealt with the virtues. financial virtues of capitalism, savings. what. >> how do you know clyde? >> he is my lawyer. >> really? he called to tell me he said it be on the lookout. i said what does that mean? so, i'm just trying to water down here. what brings you to d.c. this

weekend? >> we are meeting up -- she is huge and art. in fact in jail but was his art deal. he testified against a woman who managed it in the art. i wanted to be down here select keep telling me that. i'm going to sign the book soon so everyone can get a copy, make sure everyone gets a copy of the book. you have to read the book.

>> let me tell you the book party books have changed so much since my first book in 1995. the publisher would do everything. they would set up the book parties and the media interviews and fight all over the country. basically now it's a partnership. they would publish the book which is wonderful. there is so much you have to do. the publishing is and what it used to be. i'm so glad i wrote the first book. this is the first book i've written in 16 years. >> i went through no child left behind in 2004, and i wanted to reawaken my own virtues. that's what it started with. you can talk about writing a

book but actually getting it done. >> i would like to thank all of you for coming to our home tonight. dr. ben carson and his wife and my husband and i are happy to have you out our home tonight for our friend, armstrong williams' book signing. we met armstrong in number of years ago at alphonso jackson, alphonso jackson was the secretary of housing at the time. we became instant friends and we are still great friends today. armstrong who gave me his book a few months ago. i read it. i feel like it's philosophical, it's his biography.

i have some issues with some of his comments. i want to elaborate on any of those, but the important thing, what made me realize the of something important to say and that is we have a really great country and we really were great and we really are great but our compromise broke somewhere along the line and it needs to get fixed but needs to get fixed with politically. it needs to get fixed with friends and most importantly with family. i was telling armstrong today that it makes me very sad to realize how many kids today are in families the mothers are working when i grew up the only mothers that work for those that

were professional doctors or lawyers and nurses. no one else worked, but the kids today, their mothers have to work to put food on the table. those are well-educated, because their mothers said get to a degree and walk wanted to work and didn't stay at home. so these kids are struggling for their identity, and it's a whole generation that's been lost, and i think armstrong's book touches on that. it may not agree with everything in it but you may agree that we are a great country, we've lost our compass and we need to get it back, and families need to get back to being families. so, armstrong, would you like to say something? [applause] >> sorry. my co-host, dr. ben carson and candy, forgive me for not

introducing you and you introduce armstrong. >> first of all, thank everybody for coming out and for this occasion. armstrong has been working on this book for a while, and it's been a very exciting project. as you probably know, this is not his first endeavor in the book room beyond blame and that is to the victims have also been excellent publications. armstrong and i have an opportunity to talk several times coming and we frequently when i am driving into work discussing the issues of the day of what is going on and most of the time he's right. [laughter]

a book about virtue is so timely and the timing in which we live right now because people have a tendency to do things and to manipulate situations for their own gain, for political gain as opposed to doing things that are right. and it seems to be a part of being an america that has been lost. in 1831 when alexis de tocqueville came to america to look at what was going on here because the europeans were just flabbergasted at how this nation, which was barely 50-years-old was already competing with all of the power of europe. and they said that's an impossible. as we have to go over and find out what is going on. but in the process of looking at our government, they also said let's look at the schools and

they were absolutely blown away when they saw what was going on in the schools in this country because first call anybody finishing the second grade is completely literate. you can go out in the mountains and find somebody and they could read and they knew all kinds of amazing things. anybody finishing the fifth or sixth grade was like a college graduate today. in fact if you want to be amazed, go look at the fifth or sixth street exit exam from the 1800's. i doubt that most college graduates today could pass it. but, you know, not only was there a high academic standard, but in the schools they taught the children values. one of our founding fathers set you educated person without teaching of values we are a menace to society. for we will see many examples of that in the society today and i

think this book that armstrong has written really addresses that issue on many levels is extraordinarily important for the time in which we live and an extremely proud of this man, armstrong williams. [applause] >> this is an awkward place for me but i will make the most of it. i'm not accustomed to being at high and looking low but i will do my best. you know, i want to thank grace for opening up their hearts to host this party and parsons, dr. carson and candy for making the time to be a part of this

because, you know, in the washington it's a lot about fielder. it really good friends of mine, their son, j.b. has been our producer for the radio show the last three years so when you call the office and hear that young voice that j.b. their son. so there is a real relationship here. and the parsons, murray and ross and all of them stay with me and we build a real relationship. it's difficult to build real relationships to really get to know people. how we make it work with dr. carson they will take everyone at 6:40 a.m. if he is in town. 6:30 a.m. and it's easy for me because every morning at 4:30 a.m. and on the phone with my mother and my brothers and my sisters. that has been going on for 15

years. no matter whether i'm out of the country or not to talk to my mother every day seven days a week between 4:30 a.m. and 4:45 a.m.. why? because i get to know who they are. sometimes you even know your own relatives. you're so disconnected from them when something happens my god, i didn't know that about my brother. i never had that issue because i'm in constant contact with them. it was part of my upbringing that communicates so it's easy for me. it's nothing for me to call you at 5 a.m. because i have been up for so long but that is how i operate. and, you know, it's the only way i can talk to dr. carson. he's a surgeon, he has those gifted hands. so i want to talk to him, so i respect time, the virtue of time. but i want to get back to the book and the very dear people here in the room. shirley, come up here. shirley has been with the 15 or 16 years and is one of my main editors on the book. [applause]

just a blessing. where is dr. person's son. he was one of the -- i've been writing this book almost two years. where is marie? yes, there you are. he doesn't want you to see his hair but he's going to be seen today. he was very helpful with the book. bo was helpful with the editing process and these are the people -- i don't go out and get professional writers. i get the best writers, the best editors committed these are the people who work with me the last three years on this book that makes the possible. [applause] >> i'm always responsible. >> so i just want you to meet the team of people who have made this possible and you will see them all in the book to read and i want to thank them before the season audience. thank you. [applause]

>> i would want to introduce you to my good friend david smith but i know he's not going to come up. jane, just leave that alone. okay, i will come and coby this year. let me tell you this. everybody remembers no child left behind from 2004. and there is the dolph. i must have said something that a weakened his virtues. [laughter] but anyhow, in 2004 was no child left behind, and it was a very tumultuous, not just a tumultuous year in my life -- oh my god. [laughter] angela, you have to follow the dog the dog is trying to tell us something. but anyhow, so obviously i have my moment in the valley from a child left behind, and i was trying to figure out because i lost my way of life, i lost 80% of my business but you know what

was interesting i never lost any of my friends, never did. my friends really dug in and hung in there with me and normally you say you find out where your friends are but it never happened with me. we've known each other for 30 years. we were in a realistic plastic and about our real estate license together and fight pastore, frank tucker that i can always go to to give me sound advice, you know my relationships never change and when your relationships never change, that says a lot about you and what you have invested in. so in her life because i lost my way of life and a lot of money i lost my credibility, and i also understand it doesn't matter how many books i read your columns i write people will always believe i have no credibility because i sold my cells out and brought about no child left behind without disclosing it. the good thing about life, no matter how much god forgives you or how much you restore yourself to a better place, you still

have to pay the price for your shortcomings and for falling short. that never goes away. and it is the price that i will always have to pay. so the lesson in life just because you forget, we never stop paying for your sins and shortcomings. don't ever forget that. there will always be a mark on my history. but you know what, it's okay because life goes on. you've just got to keep living, get in the morning, hold your head up high. you can't worry about what people say because you have to keep it up. building one cinderblock at a time you have to keep building. so, i realize in the real awakening virtues i used to be so busy writing about everybody else's virtues and problems, and it's so easy to write about somebody else, but i will come up one morning in something real weekend in me. i can't even tell you what it was. it let me know that everything was going to be all right but what i realized i had to do was to free a week in my own virtues. my virtues of truth and honesty.

my virtue of integrity and of capitalism. you see it starts within. if you work on yourself, the hardest work figure will do 24 hours a day is work on yourself. that is the hardest work in the world. work on yourself, try to be good because being good is not easy. it's a very difficult process and that is why it is much easier to point of the problem than somebody else and not look at yourself because you don't have to work on yourself. but what i've learned over the last several years the more i work on myself the better the world around me becomes. i didn't want to write a book bashing democrats i was tired of that. i wanted to write a book of virtues because they are not black and white, they are not liberal or republican. virtues are universal truths. and so we found this publisher, new chapter publishing out of sarasota florida.

i wanted a liberal editor. i sought him out. and i must tell you i realized how biased and locked down i was in my political ideology that i cannot even tell you the truth was unless we were republicans or conservatives. it took me eight months just to work out my own issues and being fair and this is what happens to us. we get so bogged down and get a democrat, you know, republican that we bite into so much that we have no idea what it takes to get to the truth. it took me almost a year to get to the truth of the things i thought i could never see they made me see the light. and i began to see things in terms of truth and honesty i began to see the issues with the republican party that i was in power. they had all the answers when you know the conclusion i've come to, they are all the same. because of the end of the day, an order for the country to get back to where it needs to be, we have got to get back to the virtue of savings and capitalism

if you want to know what is wrong with the country, why we have this debt crisis, it is because you look in your own home. people spend what they don't have. your home is just like the country. it's a corporation. you have the mother, you have the father, you have children, those children while they are assets that don't bring any revenues in the household. so all those debts, the corporate debt that you have. major debt. when you have to do, you have to sit down with your spouse and set up a budget because you realize the income will be generated and guess what, they will be with you for almost 18 years the u.s. to calculate. imagine you have that debt and the debt continues to come and to keep spending more than you have. you make 150 together you are making to the to spending to injured 50,000 then say to somebody i just coming over leveraged need to go and increase my debt ceiling. can i get an additional $500,000

to work with? i know the interest rate is high. i'm going to pay it off the imagine that accumulates over ten or 15 years. imagine what is going to happen. it's going to go bankrupt. you can't pay it. you're going to lose your home and we of life and it's going to impact everything especially your kids. so americans are living beyond their means. they don't want to sacrifice well, i want to get this or maybe i should sacrifice that ice cream cone it's just that simple. maybe i should sacrifice i don't need to go to tear up maybe i should go to a far more to something different. we are not willing to sacrifice. it's easy for me to sit and criticize the people in the white house and people in congress that reflect the we are coming and money and materialism has replaced god in our lives. we have to get back to the virtue of the south and what do i mean when i see the virtue which is in my book we have to find time to be alone with god, find the time to be alone with

our money and the time to be alone with our tully's, but we have to find the time to be alone with our creator so that we can redefine how we are. get back to the essence what once made america great. the virtues, honesty, hard work. we don't need the government to tell us to be charitable. we don't need the government to tell us -- we know how to take care of our neighbors and people come and you know, they bash the rich. it's not the issue about the rich, and i believe the rich they give, they have and they give. the issue is 40% of the people in this country don't pay taxes. and so the other 53% is carrying the 47%. i believe in virtues that everybody must be the senate should be 10% across the board. everybody should have skin in the game. that is not black and white that's just the way it is. and the problem is not everybody's pulling their weight in this country. and there has to be shared sacrifices. everybody must suffer in this

economy. everybody. no one would be left unscathed as we go through these very tough times. but you've got to make the sacrifices. for these entitlement programs, what effort is. whether it is the pentagon, the wasteful spending in congress, and they are all the same. they're like drunken sailors to keep carrying the bucket to the next party and we and george innovation, who were children will be d ultimate wants to pay the price. we have to get ourselves out of debt. you cannot stand, you cannot increase the deficit from 10 trillion to 15 trillion over to and have come you just can't do it, you can't live that way. and the problem is in foreign countries all our debt. look in your own home. if -- and i believe this because i know most of them -- is the government manage the household the we did you manage yours, i think america would be a better place. we have to get back to the virtues of capitalism and saving. what do i mean by savings? a great lesson my mother taught me. when the bill would come and my

mother would immediately. forget the fact it was to three weeks later she would immediately. just because you make money here you may make a lot of money this year there may be a drop next year. put something aside you never know when hard times are coming. you can't spend like everything is going to be a blessing because you have to go back to the virtues of the body and the stories of people who become have the have nots. you have to learn to save money. you never know when your store is going to hit. you have to have financial. and then the of a thing is when we talk about the crisis it's not the end of the world. mike crisis there's been no child left behind, and you know, for all practical purposes, not only that of surviving, but god has blessed me with a tenfold over. i can't tell you why. there are a lot of people who serve god and believe in god just as much as i do and they don't have much to show for it. not everybody wants the same thing. while we may be created equal we don't need this increases.

and you pay a price for your choice. there's a price you don't have a father in the household. i get back to the church of fatherhood it's not a criticism of the women but children are much better when they have a mother and father and if you don't -- if you think a father is a luxury to become your kidding yourself. i cannot be the man i am today if it were not for my father. for us to believe you don't need a father in the household is lunacy. and what we begin to believe is to tell us what we don't need and the virtues of motherhood, being mothers. we get back to the virtues of motherhood. they are rightly things that brought me to the press of his of success but then i lost that coming and i realize if i just get back to the simple things, hard work, discipline, sacrifice, respecting time. so anybody in this room will tell you if you have an appointment with me at 12:00 i will be there at 11:45 a.m. because i respect time. that's the way that i operate. it is the one thing that you cannot get back. you can never get time back no

matter how hard you try you have to respect the virtue of time. i really encourage you to read the book because the book is not about me. it's about what works. from the beginning of time more absolute, i don't care what anybody tells you, it will always be absolute. whether you believe it or not, we all have some kind of struggle. somebody may be struggling with breast cancer. when you struggle with disease, a terminal disease, you learn things about yourself that you never knew before. you learn how to fight to live. there may be a financial crisis. but everybody faces a crisis. but a crisis is a blessing because you really learn her you are when you are in the fight but when you try and fight. what rupert murdoch's coming through, the bottom line is it will test his character in a way that it has never been tested before and we may tell you, you will see whether or not the phoenix will rise out of the ashes. i think about my friend, david smith, what he went through that some -- sinclair broadcast.

it will always rise to the top. no matter where we are the world, we will always rise to the top. and you have to look at the virtue and the value of you and realize we're your strength comes from. it doesn't come from your dollar or your marriage, it comes from the deeds that you do when nobody else is looking into the moral choices that you make every day that meet your life better with ultimately making a life is better around you. i want to thank you for coming and i want everybody to go out briefly in the heat because i want to -- and thanks to the vendors and the carson's i dare you to buy a book today. there's no way. they pay for the book themselves candy and dr. carson, the books are all paid for. okay? [applause] and i'm grateful. let me tell you i'm grateful but i want to thank you for coming reawakening virtues you have to reawaken the virtues and you.

you know, no matter how blessed you are, no matter how fortunate you are coming you get to spend 20 years building something and you can lose it in a flash. the last thing i want to say is the virtue of friendship and relationship. you have to take care of your relationships. not when you want something or when you need something. you have to take care of your relationships. if there's one thing i think i do a very good job at or with my relationships because they are very important to me, my relationships, i think i'd pick up the phone and call about 7% of the people in this room to make sure because i really wanted you to be here. it was really important to us that you come, because we want to not just reawaken the virtues in this room, but we need to reawaken the virtues of this nation, and get back to -- get the country back on the track of financial solvency, get rid of the issues like race and class, because you know what? we are all going to die, and when your on your deathbed, the last thing you're going to be talking about or think it is your entire and how much money you have to leave your going to

be trying to save your soul. as a child -- and i will close with this -- one of the things the was always with me as a child, my parents were so obsessed with this thing called have indicated they really believed that there was a heaven. they really believed that there was a life beyond earth. they used to tell me there's no more sickness, there's no more sorrow, there's no more sadness, there's no more hurt, there's nothing but joy. as a child, you imagine that there's a place like that that exists, does it really exist? even though my father passed away on his deathbed he was talking about a city called handan. he said boy come to know how you've got to get there? you've got to do good, treat people right, you got to be honest and have integrity. even when it is not your benefit, even when it means you lose. so, for me as a gambling man, and i take risks, as a gambling man, what i have to lose if i bit on that there's a place called him? that if i die tomorrow that i could lift my eyes and there's a place i have no more problems? can you imagine that?

no more problems in the world. i can't lose on that bet. so my ultimate bet is in life. no matter what i do in the back of my mind, every day i say i have to work on armstrong and really think my mom was on to something because even if i'm wrong i don't lose. so i have to work on this place, on that city, that bright light. you know, everybody talks about it especially in a crisis. but as a child, that was my obsession, trying to get to that city called have been to read and to get to that city, there's a certain way you have to live, and there's a certain way you have to give. there's a certain way you have to deal with same and if we get back to having a goal, not just the lofty goals of materialism on earth, but if you really believe that you can be free of all of these things, you can live the rest of your life in peace, i don't know what sparks you, i want to get there. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> thank you sir. [inaudible] >> my goodness. spearman your in this book. you know about that place called heaven, don't you? it's true, isn't it? >> you were doing quite a bit of preaching that there. [laughter] >> hey, come up here man. got to move this line. >> tim landis. actually, i am gigi's friend. >> a paper towel, please. >> i have to say goodbye. >> i have to sign your book. >> talk to you soon.

congratulations. i'm not even going to tell you what he said. that's all you're going to say? that's okay. [laughter] stop, stop. we will see you on the show this week. we look forward to it to expand this is a book party for armstrong williams

>> it is an exciting day for us and i want to thank you for sharing this with a technical college. i am pleased that they decided to do this in atlanta, particularly the numbers -- after the numbers in unemployment. it is my pleasure to introduce the moderator's for this evening, joann read and jeff johnson. joanne read is the managing

editor and also an msnbc contributor. jeff johnson is an msnbc contributor and chief correspondent for thereall.com. please join me in welcoming them. >> thank you so much and good evening. [applause] one more time, good evening. >> [audience repeat] good evening. >> we want to make sure this is a discussion and a lively one, one full of family and concern and full of honest questions. with that, i want to be sure the energy level is up a little bit. one more time, good evening. >> good evening. >> that is fantastic. it is a pleasure for me to be

one of your moderators' this evening. joanne read, who is directly behind me, will be rotating back and forth to this podium. she is an amazing journalist and i am happy to say, one of my bosses. this is the continuation of what has been a long day of what has been a substantive to work. this tour has been to cleveland, ohio already, we saw over 6000 people come to a job fair. and in detroit michigan we saw a similar numbers. the over 200 companies in cleveland and 70 companies in detroit joined together to make sure that jobs were available. we are very encouraged by those who were in line as early as 6:00 a.m. to begin tuesday, i

believe i can get a job. -- to begin to say, i believe i can get a job. and i heard from two young women in particular who said this was the most productive job fair that they have been to in a year and two years since they have been unemployed. and both of them walked out with appointments to start work as early as next week. [applause] this was not just an opportunity to get first or second interviews. there were people who walked out today with jobs. i think that is meaningful. what i am pleased about as a journalist is, when you are able to think positively about an event not because you are positive, but because it is true. i think the black caucus should be commended even at a time when corporations will write checks

for anything, it just to have you say something good about them, but they have been actually showing out with jobs -- showing up with jobs. while not everyone may walk with a job, with no jobs are available. it is going to be our job to introduce you to this panel and move through this discussion. i would like to present the panel. many of you know who they are. some of you have been introduced for the first time. i will just start at the immediate roving left to a congressman that many of you know, congressman hank johnson. [applause] it is all right to applaud. to someone that i think, really needs no introduction anywhere in the world. he is truly one of the stalwarts of not only the congressional black congress, but of the

congress neare. he truly understands what servitude is. please welcome congressman john lewis. to his immediate left, sanford agip. to his immediate left, if you did not know who she was, if you watched the news today, you clearly knew who she was. please about a round of applause for congresswoman maxine waters. to her immediate left, congressman al green. to his immediate left, the vice chair of the congressional black caucus, congresswoman dandala christiansen -- donna christensen. to her left, congressman cedric richmond.

and to his left, congresswoman laura richardson. as we begin to bring our first presenter, i think is important to mention that you have a panel full of elected officials who could easily be in their own districts or be on vacation. i think it says a great deal that many of these representatives have, not to their own districts, but have been in districts that are not their own to create a level of solidarity on this caucus, to talk to people in different communities about how to create jobs, and even more importantly, the message they need to take back to washington from individuals like yourselves on what the mandate is from the people. it is my pleasure at this point to bring initial greeting from congressman hank johnson. [applause]

>> thank you, ladies and gentlemen. welcome here today. it has been a long day. for those of you that have been 6ere all day, i want to say, stay the course. we have been here to -- i want to say, stay the course. we are here to answer your questions. we have been here with you today. we are all in this together. we at the congressional black caucus are pledged to leave washington d.c. and come out into the areas that we represent, and since everyone is job hunting, we want to make those jobs available to you. that is what today was all about. i do not know what the headlines will be, whether the cbc and the

president are at odds, or the cbc against the cfc members. or, 20 people got sick today, or a prospective employer was overwhelmed by the outcome, or whatever. i do not know what the store will be. but what the truth is, that we had about 5000 or 6000 people come out today, many of whom stood in line for several hours -- [applause] and you know what, each and every one of them were here for a job. and it was not the recession --

excuse me. it was not the debt ceiling that they were concerned about. it was not the deficit that was on their minds. it was the american dream, feeding their family, being a homeowner, having a job, having a car to get to work. they want to live that american dream and we owe it to them. we have worked hard. but the jobs flew out from under them going overseas. we have got to make a difference. we have got to change that. and that is why we all should work together and not be swayed by those headlines that are going to slice and dice and give you half the truth in a slanted stories. the real story is that people out here need help. they do not need tax breaks. they do not need a tax credit.

they are not on wall street. if they are on main street. you are here today to ask some questions. i am just so happy, and i want to acknowledge my colleagues from the congressional black caucus. there are 42 of us. and we have eight of us sitting right here with you today, from as far away as california all the way to the virgin islands. they care about you. i want to thank you all for coming. i have enjoyed working with congressman lewis to make this event possible. without any further ado, i want to bring forward one of my friends and colleagues -- we work together on the local level. that is where the action is,

really, ladies and gentlemen. federal governments should be assisting state and local governments as they try to avoid layoffs. i want to introduce to you, my friend, fellow attorney and ceo, mr. bert lewis. [applause] come up here if you will. >> greetings, everyone. i want to thank my friend and colleague, congressman hank johnson. and thank you congressman lewis and congressman bishop. and also, thank you for your service to georgia. thank you in the black caucus for your service not only to your local districts, but for

your work for the united states and hard work that you are taking on. thank you for being here in georgia tonight. the key to economic recovery, i think we all know, lies in their creation of jobs. we have got to get americans back to work. we have got to get america working if we're going to seriously say we are beyond this recession. in cabot county we have 7000 employees and a budget of $1.6 million -- $1.6 billion and i know a little bit about public policy. we cannot create a good public policy by cutting and slashing the budget. we have to stimulate by creating jobs. we have a multidimensional approach to doing that. in katia county, because we passed a water and sewer capital

improvement program and we are going to be pumping $1.3 billion into capital improvements to upgrade our water system over the next eight years -- and we had to do that by raising rates, but the silver lining is that we are going to create thousands of jobs in the process. local jobs with incentives to hire local residents, and minority and minority-owned businesses and put back -- people back to work. that is going to be our local job stimulus program in the county. we could not have got there just by cutting spending. it would cut 20% -- we cut 20% of our budget in the last few years. but we also adjusted our taxes. we raised taxes.

we raised our water and sewer rates because we have to pump money back into the economy. government cannot do it alone. we have to institute smart public policy so that we can stimulate growth, get the private sector involved, and get them to be the major employers and get our people hired and back to work. that is what is all about. that is what this discussion today is partly going to center on, creating smart public policy so we can put americans back to work. i want to thank you all for being here. i want to thank you for your participation. members of cbc, i want to thank you for your service to our nation. thank you for being in georgia. thank you for putting americans back to work, for putting georgians back to work, and putting atlantans back to work. god bless you all. [applause]

>> i'm going to say good evening -- oh, you see, i got the same. i thought it was you, jeff. let's try that again, good evening. >> good evening. >> i want to thank jeff for the great job that he does at the grio and on msnbc. thank you all for coming. i think civic engagement is the most important thing that people can do after actually voting and showing up. it is critical. i am proud of you for being here tonight. i think you deserve a round of applause for being here. you have stayed over past the job fair to do your part of our talking to the government. i want to remind ever when that we are taking questions from the audience. it is very important that you stay engaged by actually asking questions of our members.

the people that are waiving, they have cards and pencils, so you can contribute your questions and some have already done. now we can get into the heart of the matter. i want to introduce to you your congressman for this district, the hon. john lewis, who will make some opening remarks. [applause] >> thank you very much, joann. jeff, thank you very much. thanks, the two of you, for being here. let's give ththem one more hand. [applause] i want to thank the president of this wonderful institution, dr. thomas. for making the facilities available. we really appreciate it, and are more than grateful to you and your staff. thank you so much. [applause] we realize that we have sort of

occupied your space today, and you did not kick us out. we want to say thank you. i want to thank each of you for being here, for being so patient. and i have to tell you, you stood in long, and moving lines. to send the strongest possible message that people want to work. that we want jobs, full employment for all of our citizens. and i tell you, the members that you will see sitting here, members of the congressional black caucus, we will not be happy, we will not be satisfied, we will not be at peace until we have jobs for all of our

citizens. it does not matter whether they are black or white, latino or asian american or native american, we all deserve to have a job. [applause] and i want to speak for my fellow -- i do not want to speak for my fellow caucus members, but i do want to say this, i am convinced when we go back to washington next month, the people meeting in cleveland, detroit, here in atlanta, and in miami and los angeles, we will have a message for the congress and for the president of the united states of america, that people want to work, to create jobs. we will get it done. [applause] i want to recognize one of these

wonderful city elected officials, and a dear friend of mine, the president of the event the city council, the hon. cesar mitchell. caesar, will you come up here for a moment, sir? [applause] >> good evening. it is a pleasure to see all of you here today. it is also very heartening to have the members of the congressional black caucus, congressional leaders here spending time with us, dialoguing about what it means to put americans back to work. i want to give a special thanks to congressman lewis. it is a little known fact that i got my start in public service

in his office in college at more house. it was as a volunteer in turn. in his office, i've learned about the importance of the political process. your presence here today _ your understanding of how important is to get involved and engaged in the political process. congressmen and congresswomen, i do appreciate you being here today. you could be at home in your district, talking with your voters, where you actually get the most bang for your buck. but you come on the road and you dialogue here in georgia to help give us answers, to help us develop a partnership and help develop the ways in which we will engage in putting americans back to work, and it certainly those in atlanta, and georgians back to work.

on behalf of myself and the city council and behalf of the citizens to call this tom, we thank you for being here. know that you have a friend in the city of atlanta. thank you, again. [applause] >> again, i want to thank all those colleagues for being here. and i want to take a moment to recognize just one more of the local officials for a moment, stage representative -- state representative ralph long iv. [applause] >> thank you, congressman lewis and cbc members. for all of you out there,

welcome to state house district 61. and most important, i have to thank the president of the college, dr. thomas, because he is always a generous to me and what ever ambitious a town hall i want to throw here. ony're doing great things his campus, atlanta technical college. we have some great offices in district 61. we have good schools and institutions that we can get our act together in. i want to tell you, thank you for getting out and getting involved in politics. we are here to serve you, not the other way around. i give out my cellphone number all the time. be my friend on facebook. coming to the for al

district. i appreciate you guys. thank you, congressman lewis. i appreciate you. [applause] >> thank you very much. and now without further ado, we want to introduce the vice chair of the congressional black caucus, the hon. donna christensen, who represents the united states virgin islands. give her a round of applause, please. [applause] >> thank you, joanne. good evening, everyone. i bring greetings on behalf of our chair, emmanuel cleaver and, who could not be here this evening. we have called this the jobs initiative for the people. we thank everyone of you that came out today. not only do we thank you from the cbc, but we thank you from all of the people across this country because today, you have sent a powerful message to

washington, to wall street, and to corporations across this country. far more effectively than we ever could come on a matter how hard we try. if we stay on the floor of the house every day, all day. and you have sent it on behalf of not only yourselves here in atlanta, but on behalf of all those across this country who are unemployed and are hurting and want and need decent jobs. yourself a round of applause. [applause] 90% and higher and african american chronic unemployment have always been cnbc's highest priorities. we have introduced over 40 pieces of legislation talking about the need for jobs and calling on republican leadership to bring legislation to the floor and get it passed. with no legislation in sight,

aristide chair, emanuel cleaver , and the -- our esteemed chair, emanuel cleaver, and he is deemed to chair that you will hear from later, made a decision to get out to atlanta and other parts of the country to reach out with jobs and come to some of the places that are the hardest hit. i want to say a little bit about health care before i leave. we wish we could go into every community, but we hope this will be an example and other people will take it up and it will catch on. and we need everybody in our country to be working. health care is the eighth largest employer. if we combine health care overall, i'm sure it is close to #one. we are particularly pleased to be here at atlanta technical college, where they are training people for that expanded

workforce. this is one area where there has continued to be hiring throughout the recession. but we can only continue to create jobs if we protect medicaid and medicare. that is in your hand, my friends. as you can see come elections matter -- as you can see, elections matter. medicare and medicaid are job creators and we need to help protect them. thank you for staying. we know it has been a long day for many of you. i want to thank dr. thomas, the president of this institution, all of her administration and staff that have made this such a good productive day. let's give them a round of applause as well. [applause] i want to thank our esteemed

host, the great civil rights leader who continues to be a drum major for justice and peace, the great john lewis. you have one of the hardest working members who represent his district tirelessly and effectively. we're glad to be here with you and we look forward to your questions and comments. i would like to turn this back over to our moderator's. [applause] bytes this is in the way of the cameras. so we want to move this as we go to our first question. poses to congressman lewis, congressman lewis, i was taught very early in my career to always acknowledge my elders

-- [laughter] but no, i would like to go to you first because i think this is about atlanta in particular. we have seen numbers in the last day where the unemployment rate for the city of a plant has gone up, and while it is slightly, it still has gone up. we begin to look at the sectors of the economy that have the best potential for job growth in the city of atlanta. what are those areas? and what are ways that those of the federal level as well as the local level can begin to push for a better environment for those industries? >> donna christensen mention the area of health care. in atlanta, you have grady, you have emery. you have more house med school. you have a whole range of health

facilities in the metropolitan area. i think it is one of the fastest growing industries. the atlanta airport is the largest commercial airport in the world. delta airlines is based here. coca-cola is based here. georgia-pacific, cnn, just to mention a few. and i know i left out some very visible ones. and we should be doing better. we have a long history of financial institutions. the banks should be doing more, much more. if we we bailed them out -- we bailed them out, we saved them. now is time for them to help out the people of metro atlanta

and those who live in the state of georgia. we have all of the education institutions. georgia state, one of the fastest-growing urban universities -- but i leave at any? did i get them all? i know this school here, atlanta tech, metropolitan college -- there are a lot of educational institutions here. part of the problem, jeff -- i will not say is a problem, but people think atlanta is a mecca. when i travel around america and around the world, everybody wants to come to atlanta. they say, atlanta, you may be

living in europe or from washington or from california. there are moving from new york, from philadelphia, from detroit. they are all moving back to the south. years ago we have a chicken bone special, where people were leaving the south going north. now we have people coming home back to georgia and other parts of the south. we must create jobs. >> thank you very much, congressman lewis. i want to direct my first question -- because i think i have lived in florida too long and we like to go right to the controversy and stuff where i live -- controversial stuff where i live. congressman maxine waters, you

may just a little bit of news in detroit and saying you would like to ask african-americans who loved the president and voted for the president to unleash the congressional black caucus to have a conversation with barack obama about jobs. i would like to know, what would that conversation entailed? >> first of all, let me just say that we are here in atlanta to support our colleagues john lewis and congressman johnson for the efforts that they have put forth to bring this job fair to the city. when we first talked about and decided in the congressional black caucus that we were going to get out of washington d.c., that we reported to hit the ground, that we were going to go in our districts and not only share with the people that we can feel their pain, but we were

going to do some the about it. we are policy makers and we introduced bills. but we decided to -- but we want to ask those companies that are asking us for the tax breaks, if you bring new jobs. that is why we are here. i have been to cleveland and detroit. i am here in atlanta appeared and i am going to miami and, of course, i will host a jobs fair. we feel good about in we feel in spite of the economy that is not performing the we have to do everything to bring

opportunities were there are people hurting. not only is the unemployment rate unconscionably high, but we have been impacted by the foreclosures on homes and cannot get loan modifications and we have lost wealth. now there is a 20% gap between white wealth and black wealth. white wealth is around 13,000 and black wealth -- i have come to some conclusions, and it is a difficult one. we have reached a point that may be a defining political moment for all of us. this moment in history may be a challenge to our political maturity. i believe the time has arrived when we must eliminate any fear

and discomfort we may have about raising difficult questions and creating challenge, even when we feel an obligation to protect the first african-american president of the united states of america. [applause] make no mistake about it, i support president barack obama. i would like to see the president reelected. [applause] however, my need to support the president does not trump might need to be a responsible united states representative. i must not, and the caucus must not, supplant the needs of our community in the interest of satisfying our emotional needs to support anybody. [applause] our responsibility must always

be the exercise of our influence and our power for the benefit of the people. the facts are indisputable. unemployment in the african- american community is a beneficial 16%, the highest in the nation, the highest since the great depression. and that does not rely calculate those who have been out of the employment market for over a year or more. in many communities is 35 to 40% -- 35% to 40%. let me just share with you that this discussion about whether or not you raise the question and you crave a challenge that you are being disloyal, it is not. the time has come for us to be politically mature enough to have great comfort in the fact that we can do this challenge if

we have to. we cannot do this work in silence. we cannot represent you in silence. as a matter of fact, the reason the tea party is so strong is because they stepped up, they talked of, and they worked it. they are not nearly in the numbers that we are. but look at the influence that they have been able to yield in this country. they have been forced the decision of the bill -- they have been forced the decision of the bill that literally decided whether or not we increase the debt ceiling. and we have had to suffer of these budget cuts. if we are silent, we cannot protect the people. if we are silent, we cannot protect the president. if we do not speak up, if we do not show up, and do everything that we can possibly do, our communities will be worse off. our children will graduate from college and not have any jobs. we will not be able to get the

mortgages. we will not be able to create the wealth. we will not be able to force these banks who took our bailout, who are not giving money to our businesses to create businesses and expand businesses and opportunity -- we will not be able to do any of that. ladies and gentlemen, i want you to feel comfortable. i do not want you to be embarrassed. i do not want you to sit back in your seat and say, whoa, if we are questioning the president that we are doing something bad. no, it is honorable to step up to the plate. it is honorable to do what needs to be done. [applause] and understand this, we can do both and do not let anybody tell you that you cannot. did that answer your question? [applause] >> yes, but i think there is more there. i think that was a brilliant introduction. but i think the president's announcement the morning prior

to the detroit information breaking news was the fact that he was going to be making an announcement about jobs in september. what opportunity does that give the congressional black caucus to not just silently and say, what are you talking about, all you are doing is complain about the president. what does that look like? and how does the caucus take advantage of it? >> there has been a lot of talk about reading and infrastructure bank. and when we when wewpa we are talking -- when we talk about wpa we are talking about public works, bridges and streets and water systems. i believe the president will have that in his package. we support that. we have been saying for a long time, and included in legislation one of the many pieces introduced by this black

caucus that we want infrastructure jobs because jobs, of course, will help to strengthen this economy. people spend money when they have jobs. too much talk about green jobs. where are they? we have not put the money into the training. we have not helped to support the investment in the factories that will produce the solar panels and other alternatives to the energy system that we have. i and others are focused on bringing the jobs offshore that have been set off shore to third world markets for cheap labor -- you call bank of america, the loan litigation department, you are talking to somebody in india. we want those jobs in those call centers and all of those jobs that have been exported back home. [applause] we want to make it too expensive for american businesses to keep

exporting these jobs. there has to be a consequence. and the president has to have a tax holiday. he has got to do something to incentivize the businesses to say, if you get jobs, you get tax breaks. that is all right with me. but i will never, ever again -- and i do not think the black caucus will -- make the mistake as we did in the bailout where we bailed out america's major institutions with no strings attached. we did not get anything for it. now they are courting the money. again, we want them to -- now they are hoarding the money. again, when to put it into small business. let's tie the incentives to real jobs. we want jobs to be a part of the package. we intend to put the face of everything that we have seen on that legislation.

there were 7000, 8000 people out here today. the same thing in detroit and cleveland. no one can say that they do not know, they do not understand. we have put a face on this as we traveled around this country. now that we have done that, we have to be part of the solution. we have to be consulted, and if we are not, we will give it to him anyway. we have to. [applause] >> i want to direct the next question to congressman laura -- congresswoman laura richardson. you serve on the transportation and infrastructure committee. i have a question from the audience about how congress can of jobs comethose types into the community. to what steps can be made in the house of representatives to crated bill that will actually pass to make what congress but -- congresswoman waters was talking about to make that next

that? >> and glad to ask that because i just wrote down about five recommendations for the president regarding transportation and infrastructure. now that we are past the debt ceiling vote, the next big funding bill that you will see on the floor is the reauthorization of the transportation bill. that bill, typically, we would rather it had been closer to $500 billion. it is going to be approximately half of that. it what are some things that the president can do and we can do to be included in transportation and legislation? number one, when you look at the $68 billion that was spent in the stimulus, we were told that a lot of jobs were created. where is the transparency to say, how many of those were new jobs? how many of those were jobs companies already had and they just kept working and no one else got any help? number one, we need to make

sure there is transparency. if we're going to have money for contracts, we need to know what your people you are bringing in off the streets that are new people and are now employed. we have to have transparency. number two, we have to make sure that the legislation includes money for training and apprentice ships. number three, we need to on bond of those contracts. to many of the developers are keeping the money for themselves. you have jobs being done in atlanta where you are bringing people from nevada to do the jobs, and that is wrong. we have to unbundle those contracts. fourth, many of our small businesses do not -- sure, they may be able to do a contract, but they may not be able to do an insurance bond of $10 million, $100 million. we have to include bonds.

finally, we do not want contractors coming into our community and not giving local people an opportunity to do a job. those are five solid things i would like to see in a bill and for the president to insist upon. [applause] >> there is a question i have here that speaks to national high-speed rail coming on-line and what the possibility of that is, but i think it speaks to a broader question. as we begin to think about transportation in this country, when will there be a substantive line between infrastructure for our current mode of transportation and real vision for the cries of transportation will be able to have in 20 years, and will also create jobs in places like atlanta? >> that is the exact problem. the president considers high- speed rail to be a part of his legacy, and he has dedicated a sufficient -- not a sufficient,

but an initial start, $8 billion. unfortunately, one of the areas that they are expecting that to occur is the northeast corridor, which is the only corridor that has trains moving over 95 miles per hour. what we have to ensure is that as high-speed rail is being considered, they are considering all corridors, not just the northeast corridor. what about the southeast corridor? if we're going to put those dollars there, we are allowing other people to come and work. and people should know about jobs for the high-speed rail and there should be training and a princess -- apprenticeships assisted with it. the problem is they came out and said, we need to spend $20 billion a year just to maintain our existing low. that is all we are collecting right now in our gas tax.

if we do not increase the tax revenue, which is one of the biggest discussions of the house, you will see no new projects or very few. that is why tax revenue must be on the table. >> i have a show of hands, questions from marvin on facebook. how many on the panel are small- business owners, or for more small-business owners? obviously, you have a different job now. the of a question from facebook -- the other question from facebook, when the tea party held the country hostage on the debt ceiling, why didn't the congressional black caucus hold out to for some action on jobs and minorities? and that is for anyone who would like to take it. [laughter] [laughter]