minister churchill. he took churchill to the foundry methodist church in washington for christmas morning and churchill for the first time in his life heard a little town of bethlehem song. he was not a churchgoer despite his name. >> stanley weintraub this is your heard book, isn't it, and christmastime? >> i think it may be my fourth. silent night about the christmas of 1914, world war i, was the first. i did one on the revolution. george washington coming home at the end of the war and actually arriving at mount vernon on christmas eve. i did another on the battle of the bulge, 11 days in december that was a wartime christmas and general sherman's christmas on the capture of savannah during the civil war.

>> what is it about christmas? >> it's a remarkable time for families as it was a remarkable time in our history over the years. >> i hope this will be my last christmas book. >> pearl harbor christmas, a world at war, december 1941 is the name of the book. historian stanley weintraub is the author. >> a discussion now with arizona republican governor jan brewer. she discusses her tenure in office and presents her thoughts on illegal immigration. >> my name is john, and for those i have not met i think they're a couple of people that fall into that category. in the executive director of the ronald reagan presidential foundation and it is my pleasure to well, all of you here this evening. in honor of our men and women in uniform who defend our freedom around the world i would like to

ask you to please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag, of the united states of america. and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. thank you. please be seated. before we get started, i would like to recognize and special guest that we have with us this evening and i will start with the ventura county clerk, mark lund. mark, there you are. [applause] michael brewer, the son of governor brewer. michael. [applause] and of course our library director. [applause] okay. i would like to take you all

back in time to just under three years ago in january of 2009, and play a little game with you. i want you to imagine waking up on the morning of january 21 that year to learn that you were about to become the governor of one of our 50 states. now, we are going to blindfold you and ask that you throw aid dig dart at the map of the united states. and which whichever state it lands on, that is yours. you get to run it. now some people here are probably envisioning that dark lands on say california. so we would finally have someone in charge with enough common sense. [laughter] [applause] who can turn the state around. some might be thinking colorado

for the great skiing. others might think florida for its winter, or vermont for its colorful fault. but now i want you to imagine that regardless of where where you are aiming, your dart lands squarely in the middle of the state of arizona. now, some of you are probably imagining its glorious weather with over 300 days of sunshine each year. or it's fascinating native american and cowboy culture. or the magnificent grand canyon, the rocks of sedona, the red rocks of sedona you, flagstaff for the amazing rivers and lakes that dot the landscape there. now our special guest today did not hit arizona with a dark three years ago by locke. she became its 22nd governor after many years of tireless work, starting in the state legislature in 1982, moving to

the state senate in 1987, the chairman of the maricopa county board of supervisors in 1996 and secretary of state in 2003. in that time, she has never once lost an election. if she had to do it all over, i am sure governor brewer a 40 year resident of the state, would have chosen to live in and governed arizona as her first place no matter where her dart landed but it's the circumstances she inherited when she took the office where she might have wanted to see a change or two. she has had her hands full. following the financial collapse of 2008, she inherited one of the worst financial crises of any state in the country. and like most every other governor, she has had to fight to diversify arizona's economy, to improve the chair of higher

paying jobs and revamp the education system. but very few governors, in fact none, have had to face the challenge of their federal government refusing to exercise its constitutional responsibility to protect its sovereignty and the safety and well-being of its own citizens. governor brewer has. [applause] this governor does not back down from a fight when it comes to protecting and improving the lives of people of her state. [applause] and her life is a remarkable tale. if you didn't pick up her newest book before you came in here i urge you to do so on your way out. it is a great american story

told by a great american governor that we are honored to have with us this evening, so ladies and gentlemen please join me in welcoming governor jan brewer. [applause] >> it thank you all very very much. thank you. thank you and good evening to you all and thank you john for that very kind introduction. i must tell you that it is an extreme honor to be here with you all tonight in ronald reagan's library. it is quite awesome. thank you for allowing me to be here. i probably don't have to tell you that i love arizona. it's my home.

it's an extraordinary place and after a long, hard day i look forward to walking in my garden to rest and relax and to enjoy the wildlife, watch the sunset and plan for challenges that i will have to face tomorrow. however, there is something special about being here in this place. it fills me with great joy and it fills me with an overwhelming sense of peace. for me, is this really is america's chapel, a place to find confidence and faith in our destiny and yes, dare i say it, our exceptionalism. [applause]

outside these walls, those feelings have been hard to come by recently, especially for anyone paying attention to what is happening to our country. not to mention to the governors who have been battling the bureaucrats in washington. here in the reagan library, my spirit is lifted and i am filled with renewed confidence in our country. i find myself thinking about young americans and how things would look for them in decades ahead and how we must prepare our children to compete and to succeed in a changing world. i know this is much to envision our future. we must understand our past. to decide what they will be and what they will give, young americans must grasp what they have received. the year i was born, america was a nation of nearly 130 million

people. only about 40% are -- and the world was at war. three years earlier, we had been attacked at pearl harbor, where the uss arizona still rests today. our country sent its beloved sons to fight in unfamiliar places far from home, just as we have sent our sons and daughters today. we have sent so many, and so many were lost, from the outpost in the battlefield of world war ii, more than 400,000 americans would not return home. it is hard to fathom those numbers today. very few americans even know them. the remaining survivors of that conflict, the last of the generations which save the world

from tyranny, are in their late '80s and 90s. soon, they will all be gone. four days from now we will pay tribute to our nation's -- so this is a good time for remembering. dwight eisenhower told his troops, poizner the benches of normandy, they were about to embark upon the great crusade. the eyes of the world are upon you he said. the hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. a company without grave allies and their brothers in arms on the front, you will bring about the discussion of german war machines, the elimination of the nazi tyranny over the oppressed people of europe and security for ourselves in a free world. ronald reagan called them the voice of -- the men who took the

cliff, the champions, the heroes who helped end a war. those men are now our heroes, forever a part of the greatness of america. so when we gather soon for thanksgiving, let us be grateful for the blessings of america and the sacrifices of those who built it and lent it to us. my father, wilford, was doing his part fighting the nazis, working as a civil servant at the hawthorne navy base in western nevada. he passed away when i was 11 years old. his death came after a long and painful battle with lung disease. contracted following years of exposure to the hazardous chemicals and toxic fumes at the base. even in the end, when my dad

struggled for breath, he never regretted serving his country and i'm proud to tell you of his patriotism. i am also proud to tell you that the most important mentor in my life was my mother, edna drink wine. you see, i know what it's like to be a single mom, struggling to make ends meet while caring for your family. i saw my mother do that after my father died. she had never worked outside the home, but my mother knew she had to support her family. my brother and me. with meager savings she brought.a. small dress shop and i work side-by-side with her until the time she sold it when i was 40 years old. that dress shop was really a classroom for me, where he learned the importance of hard work, responsibility, honesty,

integrity and yes, courage from my mother's example. i think about my mother every day, especially since i was challenged with the opportunity to become governor of arizona. eisai challenge because i inherited the worst state budget deficit in the nation. well, i am my mother's daughter. i was up to the challenge. i am a problem solver. i made a lot of painful decisions. some still weigh heavily on my heart. in arizona, expenditures are almost down 20%. the number of state employees is down almost 15% and state employees, including me, took a 5% pay cut during the crisis but do you know what? we now have a balanced budget and a positive cash balance for

the first time in five years and it feels darned good. [applause] our state government is smaller. our state government is more efficient. our state government is focused on the future. arizona is poised to move into our second century with the creation of a new model to advance our economy, the arizona commerce, a public-private entity focused solely on quality job retention and recruitment. meanwhile, education in arizona is being transformed. it's a transformation supported by education and business leaders all across america. called arizona ready. we are engaging in families across the state to take charge of their families education and expect more from their public

schools. adoption of higher academic standards and wield -- the elimination of teacher tenure. they included employment policies that prohibit giving retention priorities to teachers based on seniority and ensuring arizona has state-of-the-art educational data systems so teachers have real-time information that can be used to improve instruction, so that they can be helped -- held accountable for their results. now, fixing what afflicts our great nation will not be so easy. however, if there's one thing i learned from my mother, in my years of public service is that life is about choices. it's that doing the right thing almost always means doing the hard thing. it's choosing what's tough over

what's tempting. it's choosing the truthful over the falls. speaking about choices, voters had before the 1984 election president ronald reagan said, and i quote, the choices this year are not just between two different personalities or between two political parties. they are between two different fundamentally different ways of governing. their government of pessimism, fear and limits and hours, of hope, confidence and growth. end of quote. it seems to me there are still two very different visions of the future. we face increasing economic and military challenges around the world. yet, we have a president more

inclined to apologize for america then twofers uphold its principles. we have a president who seeks deeper division to class warfare, a calculated politics of envy and cynical appeals to racial grievance, even as he issues earnest sounding calls for civility. we confront persistent economic instability and decline, yet we have a president who demands more of the same big government excess that triggered it. but, what should bother us most is that we have a president who suggest that america is not an exceptional nation. and imagine. what other country has sent its

finest young men and women to fight on distant battlefields for justice and peace? what other nation ever rose not to conquer but to protect. what other such nation has acted not to dominate but to liberate? we are an exceptional nation alright. that's just a fact. [applause] written in blood and sacrifice of american patriots and their families. president obama does not have much in common with ronald reagan, but the principle difference between the two men is fairly simple. one longs to spread the wealth.

the other lives to spread freedom. in my book, "scorpions for breakfast" i tell of my meeting with president obama in the oval office where it looked him in the eye and i told him i didn't want to talk about his so-called comprehensive immigration reform while our border was out of control. i stand here today aiming to make a simple case on the subject of america's borders with mexico and our immigration policy. i know my words will be distorted by those who disagree. my opponents have already paid -- painted me as hardhearted and uncompassionate. they are wrong. my career, my record, my life all stand as truth as to how wrong the critics are. the truth i have come to share with you is anything but hateful. it has nothing to do with skin

color, nothing to do with extremism. instead, it is routed in freedom. my truth shares the spirit of our founding fathers quest to form a more perfect union, establish justice and insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty. we must secure arizona's and america's southern borders. that is my truth. we must secure our borders to keep our citizens safe. we must secure our borders because we are nation of laws. we must secure our borders to ensure our continued relationships with mexico. there is no other choice, no better option. there is no next best, easier truth. of course, there are those back

in washington who will tell us from 3000 miles away that our border is more secure than ever. tell that to the survivors and friends of rob or friends, dedicated community minded man shot to death on the same cochise county ranches family had called home for more than 100 years. tell that to the friends and relatives of raben noble patrol agent, agent brian terry, a victim of a border gang that was armed by our own federal government, allowing guns to be shipped into mexico and the scandalous fast and furious operation. tell that to the arizonans who wake up to find house raids in progress or witness high-speed chases on our freeways and our

neighborhoods or who spend hours in an overburdened emergency room on a saturday night while waiting in consoling a suffering child. tell that to our taxpayers who are -- more than 630,000 illegal alien felons at a cost of $1.6 billion each year. those are the facts, plain and simple. our opponent, the self-styled do-gooders, try mightily to bury them. they shout hate and announce. disc disagree with them i have learned is to suffer incredible verbal abuse. but let me assure you, i can live with those consequences because i believed in the truth and i believe in taking action to protect our hard won freedom.

i sometimes wonder whether the present time is inevitable and whether this drug will make us stronger. yoolasee and left tilted media but i believe the american people are taking this in right now and moving to correct the course. the 2010 election was historic and consequential and if we continue to pull together and work hard, there is going to be another in a year from now. [applause] when i was here in february, for the president reagan's centennial birthday party former senator john danforth describe ronald reagan as an example of someone

may god always less the united d states of america. [applause] thank you. [applause] [applause] thank you so very very much. [applause] [inaudible] >> he did. >> we have time just for a few

questions and then the governor will be signing books for those of you who are wise enough to get one. if i can just ask one favor before you ask your question. raise your hand and you see we have staff in each of the isles. hold up your hand and they will give you a microphone and introduce yourself and we will we'll go from there. yes, right here. >> i am john from burbank and i was wondering if there was any possibility of view you using state resources to prosecute some of the people involved in fast and furious? [applause] >> well you know, the details of the investigation are going on but i would assume that it will be handled on a federal level. i will tell you as you well know, of course we are just getting our budgets under control and they don't have a whole lot of money but i think

certainly we will oversee prosecution and persons are going to be held accountable for what india has taken place in arizona and in america. >> over here. >> i just want to thank you for championing s.b. 1070 and i know you have a recent press release said it would probably go all the way to the supreme court. would you consider championing the immigration issue within the gop and may be inviting some of the other governors who are facing the same situation that arizona faces now? >> well i think each state we believe certainly in the new federalism where our state has all the rights and we have certainly all join together and knowing certainly what america is facing. i've had so many of our governors not only hosting the western area of america but throughout who have been very

supportive of us and we certainly reach out and support them. i am sure that if we don't get somewhere gleason and that there will probably be a national movement that i am really looking forward to this next election and it is going to count our a lot of people. i think we will see an exceptional election year in 2012 and we might have the battle one. [applause] >> i and am victor from calabasas, and my impression of the current administration is that their belief system, that this is an unfair world and the only way that people can get ahead is to pick on someone else who is accomplish something. there was a recent statement on the part of the industry should that as you said earlier america has lost exceptionalism and a specialness. the two are in conflict with each other. you can't have one and the other the same time. if you were running things, what

the-somethings you would suggest to turn the country around somewhat quickly and somewhat effectively? >> i think ashley wit remember what america was built on and i think we all know that america is all about freedom, and i believe so strongly and i think that every president in every administration not to look to the states to give them the federal responsibilities that are given to them in the constitution, and i also believe the federal government should have a strong defense. i see a complete division between the federal government and the state government, and -- [laughter] ..

principles of what this country was founded on america will be the great country that we know so well, that exceptional country that we have fought for and need to maintain and it's going to take all of us, you and i and everyone in america spreading the truth and i will look and tell you doing

the right thing means doing the hard things that americans are up to it. [applause] >> i don't have a specific question that you are the reason i got involved in policy. i started writing at chollet i write michael riggins's report and a video show. i was terrified with california hard to be a conservative but after i saw a few standing next to that signed in america saying stay out its dangerous, and our own country. and when i saw you standing up to obama and you didn't back down all of us kept thinking she can't keep going like this. she's going to give in. and you never did.

you just sat there and all you wanted was to defend your own state. cingular such an inspiration to me and i can't shut up any more. i never will again. [applause] thank you very much. this is what the republican party needs and by so much appreciate your comment, and it is amazing when you think about our government coming into my state north of the border and putting signs in my desert that we hike and bike and sea travel not you're own risk and if you see anything called 911, [inaudible] [laughter] that's not protecting my state. that is flat out surrender. [applause]

>> and you know it's just absolutely coming here being with all of you tonight it's like being actually in a state among the storm if we don't all come together and stand of our principal and get the right people elective where are we going to be and we will have no one to blame but ourselves. [applause] >> we have time for one more question. >> it's an honor to be here. i was just curious if you had planned to make an endorsement for the nomination. >> i've been asked that by a lot of people as i travel around the

united states and people have been calling what are you going to support what are you going to do? i'm going to wait until i have my debate in arizona and hopefully we have some defined questions and the answers to will satisfy me but i think we have a great candidate willing to stand up what they believe they can do for our country of ours so i'm going to hold out and wait until i am totally satisfied to what their answers are and with regards to our jobs and economy and certainly in regards to what they're going to do about our defense and how are they going to handle health care and by goodness what are they going to do about illegal immigration. [applause] i tell you it is going to take us all i can't say this much

more because i've been a grassroots worker for the republican party for probably 45 years. i believe so strongly in our principles and philosophy, so i'm not going to stop, i don't want you to stop and i would share with you we are asking for people to participate so that we can work collectively together across the united states to get the right people into the right opposite to protect us and our principles. [applause] >> for more information, visit azgovernor.gov. here's a short author interview from c-span's campaign 2012 bus as it travels the country. >> set the stage for the book. what is it based on and tell us

what the readers can expect. >> the book is based on my time in the navy and active duty 1964 to about halfway through 1977. the reason i wrote the book was i was speaking to my cousin monday about how i hadn't done anything and he looked at me with a funny look and he said done anything. maybe that's an idea and i talked to my wife used on a lot of stuff. write this up a little chapter. like a chapter and then figure out the time frame and then clean it up, so why did.

>> i wrote to some people my experiences and they said i remember doing things like that so turned out once it was published lagat feedback on the internet this reminded me of the stuff i did and got away with and lived through, so it had an appeal with most young kids who drink the military i was 18 and i was 31 or something like that when i got off active duty and i still meet people who read it and said that's great, i loved it, it just reminded me of some of the things that went on. so maybe i've got a winner. speaking right in the till the circumstances which led you to serve in a branch of the armed service the armed forces. can you explain how you end up serving a navy and the capacity

that users? >> i was in school but a sort of put aside the time i graduated from high school, and i had gotten to the photography and i worked and as an administrator when somebody went on the occasion. i learned a lot of things but i decided my only option in the situation was to join the military if i'd wanted to get out and do something interesting, so one day i was down the post office and i was going to go see the recruiters and i spoke to him told him what i had in mind i'm going to quit high school and get out of town. he said don't quit high school. he said steve and i guarantee

you will go to school. so i stayed the extra two or three months and graduated and went in the navy and the rest is history but did not choose a photographer which is the closest thing i could think of that i was doing on the outside and later become a diver. >> you talk about what people thought of the military services 1960's. can you explain how was viewed then and how you talk about it in your book? >> exactly worse than what i talk about in the book. after all got back from vietnam late 699 went back to the east coast, and a friend of mine and i used to go to washington and take pictures of these demonstrations we didn't have an opinion about them, but i couldn't believe the stuff that

was being said about vietnam veterans, and they were portrayed as druggies and people could make it on the outside and to that nature later on i found this was basically a bunch of garbage and a better chance of getting a job and less severe side and less drug addictions in the general population and so on and never had anybody stand on this as can be proven but i'm not still in prison, and we didn't pay a lot of attention we hung around with people who were of our same way of thinking and we didn't pay any attention to it for the most part. >> there are a lot of books written about individual experiences during the vietnam. what messrs. different or sets it apart?

>> based on the information feedback on the book this is not just another one of those vietnam books. i give people credit where credit is due, and as it came out i love to help other people succeed if possible. there are some interesting stories and a fair bit of humor and i tried not to get too technical in cases where i did use technical stuff like that footnotes for the most part, so it's fairly easy to understand. i don't go into a lot of the acronyms and things like most military books to come and i hate to say yet, but they are very good, and it's about, i think it is 80 or something like that. the first edition was printed by random house. it was poor quality. and as a paperback and its

larger print fer old guys to read. >> the specific event you've written about in your book that stands out in your mind? >> the first time i got shot at i found out you don't have to be shot at very many times before you realize it is not a nice way 30 seconds, however long the fight lasted. one of the guys we worked with mutilated the dead body. i felt i didn't hate the viet cong or anything like that. i never shot or wounded myself, but i worked with people who eat to the fee it vietnamese but i

can't process the information. i felt they were in a bad situation we were trying to help them and were not very successful in the 94th congress that is another story. >> the c-span campaign 2012 bus visits communities across the country. to follow the truffles, visit www.cspan.org/bus. i look at why the country as well or why it doesn't and i think it is fundamentally values. it's not natural resources. these are really crucial values. do you believe the future can be different than the present and do you believe you can control your future? these are not universal. some places they have it and some places you don't. in the u.s. we have an exaggerated control but it's good for us to have that. >> the sunday questions for author