my colleague from ohio, senator portman aannounced an amendment that i think makes a great deal of sense and i intend to support that and this is somewhat of a similar amendment except that what this requires is that whatever a state puts into the trust fund, it receives at least an equal amount back. my e many states across the nation, draws the short end of the stick in terms of getting our money back. and it turns a trust fund into a distribution fund based upon the outdated formula and continuation of the broken earmarking process. let me explain that. i've said that citizens expect that when they fill up their car and pay their federal tax, they'll see it coming back. but in reality, many states, as i've said, receive less than they put in. interesting part of all this is there is a formula created by which an average of the amount

of money spent by states is calculated, and states are rewarded on the basis -- and the money is distributed on the basis of how that historical average is calculated. so states that have had very efficient members of congress creating earmarks and pouring more money into their state by earmarking end up with a higher historical average. as a result, those states benefit now from the distribution from the trust fund to a greater degree, in fact, they're called the donee states because they receive more than what is put in from the donor states. those states that have taken more responsible fiscal measures in terms of how they spend their money and how they spend the taxpayers' dollars, like the state of indiana, end up being shortchanged simply because we have been more prudent in terms

of how we spend our money. we haven't poured in the earmarks which raise our historical average. as a consequence, we end up being a donor state. more money going out than is coming back in. the senate has recently passed legislation to end the practice of earmarking, and i think that's a very positive step forward. but here we now have a federal program that in a sense is calculated and based on past earmarking. so if we're really serious about eliminating earmarking, we're also going to need to fix the formulas used in current programs to end that practice in terms of rewarding states more money than they deserve. this amendment fixes this inequity and restores the trust fund to its original intent to give taxpayers money back to them in the amount that they deposited. under my amendment, each state will get back what it puts in out of the total available funds. it's a fairness issue and a means by which we can restore

the confidence of the american people that a trust fund is truly a trust fund. this amendment will send a message that congress is truly serious about managing culture change in washington. the american people have rejected earmarking and it would be irresponsible for this institution to reward that practice under this highway bill. so i urge my colleagues to support this important amendment that takes a stand for fairness and fiscal integrity. it will be brought up on tuesday. i'm not sure exactly where i am in the queue, but i urge my colleagues to take a look at this and support this both from a standpoint of fairness, which gives back every state and every taxpayer the money they put into the trust fund on a fair basis and on an equal basis in terms of money in and money out, as well as ends the practice of -- continues the process of ending the practice of earmarks which benefits some states and not those that have been fiscally prudent. mr. president, with that i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. mr. blunt: i'd like to call up amendment 1540 which is at the desk and ask that it be reported by number. the presiding officer: without objection, the clerk will report the amendment by number. the clerk: the senator from missouri, mr. blunt, for himself and mr. case kwraoerbgs proposes an amendment -- casey, proposes amendment number 1540. mr. blunt: i thank the clerk for reporting. this amendment deals with the whole issue of off-system bridges. these are bridges that aren't part of the state system, aren't part of the federal system but normally are run by county governments. our states, like most of the states near east of the mississippi river, we have lots of counties. we have 115. they have large numbers of bridges. and for a number of years now

have benefited from 15% of the bridge funds that go to states. i think most of us would, if we meet with county commissioners or those responsible for county government about their highway concerns, this would be an issue that we've all heard talked about. mr. casey, from pennsylvania, and i have introduced this amendment. it doesn't change current law. in fact, it just goes forward with current law in this bill. this bill would eliminate the requirement of states to give 15% to counties if counties have a use for it. and i think that would be a mistake. i join mr. casey and others in hoping that we're able to approve this amendment next week. mr. president, i'd also like to speak on another amendment, an amendment that we apparently will not vote on. that's amendment number 1743. it's not at the desk, i don't think, at this moment.

it doesn't need to be read if it is. but i hope this is an issue that as this transportation bill progresses, we can continue to look at. this is an amendment that i've introduced with the senator from south carolina, mr. demint, and the senator from utah, mr. lee, on the commerce portion of the highway bill. overall, almost every portion of this bill has gone through the open process of committee hearings, of markups. and now of floor time. the one part of this bill that hasn't had a committee markup or even a committee hearing this congress is the rail portion of the bill. in fact, the first time i saw this version of the bill was just a few weeks ago when the underlying bill was already pending and too late to have the normal process to look at what could happen and should happen as it relates to railroads. as a member of the committee of jurisdiction, the commerce committee, i'm concerned that we haven't done our due diligence

here. and my amendment would simply strike this section of the bill in response to this closed process. i hope that that's the final determination of this bill before it goes to the president's desk. since the congress abolished the interstate commerce commission in 1995 there's been no federal licensing system for entry or exit of new rail passenger operators. only federal requirements to ensure safety. so that meant that anybody who wanted to get into this business could as long as they met the safety requirements. currently state transportation agencies increasingly use competitive bidding to choose a contract rail operator who can provide the best value. as a result, we're starting to see an actual competitive and robust rail passenger market with more than seven companies, which includes amtrak but isn't limited to amtrak, competing for

these contracts. unfortunately, the language in the highway bill today requires passenger rail operators, both public agencies and private businesses, to deal with an expensive and time-consuming licensing process in front of political employees at the service transportation board. however, this new regulation will not apply to amtrak, putting its competitors at a distinct disadvantage. the bill as it stands today would subject the passenger rail industry to an ever-changing political dynamic at the discretion of the surface transportation board, likely resulting in a government-sanctioned passenger rail monoply. the board would also hold broad veto powers to prevent a track-owning railroad to make agreements with any preferred operator other than amtrak. this bill would also require passenger rail operators to obtain a new license, a new

board license every time a contract operator is replaced. this requirement appears to be aimed at preventing competitive selection of private-sector contract operators, discouraging the replacement of operators through competitive bidding. at a time when we're looking to promote private-sector job creation, this language, i believe, mr. president, is simply a step in the wrong direction. if this language becomes law, it will stifle any kind of private-sector competition in job growth. the seven companies that have been formed in recent years and compete actively against each other will no longer be doing that. and it will promote a government-run taxpayer-subsidized rail system. my amendment would take this language out of the bill so that we could go through the normal process and decide if that's what we want. and if the congress through the normal process really decides that that's what we want to do,

that's one thing. but putting a big bill without hearings, a bill that we all believe to be important, i think is the wrong step. the american public transportation association, the american association of state highway and transportation officials, national railroad construction and maintenance association, the united brotherhood of carpenters and joinedders of america all are supporting this amendment. we will not be voting on it next week. but i would thaoep as this bill -- i would hope that as this bill progresses toward what would be signature by the president, that we at some point take another look at this part of the bill, really decide if this is a step that is in the best interest of the country or rail passengers now, or future rail passengers. i think the answer to that is "no." i'm prepared to live with whatever the answer is if it's an answer we arrive at through

the normal process. i would yield back, mr. president, and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now ask consent that we proceed to a period of morning business with senators allowed to speak for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now ask that we proceed to s. res. 393. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 393, designating march 11, 2012, as world plumbing day. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there being no intervening action or debate, that any statements relating to this matter be placed in the record as if read. the presiding officer: without

objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the vote changes with senators mikulski, collins reflect that the vote on the vitter amendment was vote number 28. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, --

the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i failed to bring the senate's attention to the following. i ask unanimous consent that on tuesday, march 13, the senate resume the sequence of votes remaining under the previous order, the time to be determined by the majority leader after consultation with the republican leader, following the provisions of the previous order remain in effect. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, as i indicated, following morning business, the senate will resume consideration of the surface transportation bill. as previously announced, there will be no roll call votes on monday. the senate should expect several votes tuesday morning and into the afternoon and evening to

complete the action on that bill. if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it adjourn under the previous order. and i ask consent that my -- i ask the chair to rule on my consent that we come in on monday, march 12. you didn't rule on that earlier. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate stands adjourned the senate stands adjourned

i is so much admiration for what they have done to get us to the point where we are now. as i said, and you've heard me many times, not everything around here should be a knockdown drag out fight.

this is an important piece of legislature, not to attend the jobs are hundreds of jobs or thousands of jobs, but millions of jobs. over a thousand groups support this legislation. what a shame it is taking so long to get to the senate floor. i have talked see how a couple of groups that would not let today. they are here and the pta and i told don, come to the gathering. you will see some votes on a highway transportation bill. but you'll see the first 10 amendments have nothing to do with transportation. that is the price bid to pay to get where we are. the house is going to pass this now business jobs bill today and that's commendable and i think that's good. we are going to do our own. i went to deuce that though next

week. it's going to be different than the house bill and i will say the house bill is very bad because it is a step forward. i'm glad to see it is going to pass in a bipartisan basis of it there. we will take up the bill we've been working on a long time. in the banking committee committee and we've done some excellent work on this. we will, but their own bill and move as quickly as we can on that legislation. but if you compare two measures are highway bill did millions of jobs right now and not small-business jobs package that we did this to it's quite different. i call upon the speaker to take a barbell and we note that the house has been -- let's see,

what would be a nice city status -- they've been foundering in their own problems over there. the highway bill was taken away as we read the press that the chairman of the subcommittee and there's probably a little bit of background and has some basis for doing that. the assay bill that by house chaired, we at 22 extensions before were able to get it down. we don't need 22 extensions of the highway bill. we need to take up the bipartisan bill. this is a bipartisan bill. the germane amendments and a number of them are extremely bipartisan. so we need to move forward on this legislation. i repeat this overwhelming bipartisan support in the senate and an enormous impact on our economy. i have a chance to vote chance to vote will be a true test of what the house republicans are actually interested in pursuing commonsense bipartisan legislation to create jobs.

in the press today we have mixed messages from the speaker. we heard today to different messages. we'll take up the senate bill, the other if he is struggling to revive his partisan approach. an approach that secretary leavitt called an ipo, the worst, most partisan transportation bill he's ever seen and he has been around washington a long time. we've had enough of this. the american people have enough of this so i hope the speaker will spare the american people yet another unnecessary battle and pass the bipartisan transportation jobs bill. senator durbin. >> thank you, senator reid. the thank you per se because to be warier today on the transportation note that sheer hard work to put together this amendment package. let me say at the outset that

this is the senate jobs bill, compared to the house jobs bill come within a jobs bill has 2.8 million jobs at stake here. passing this bill and the senate and in the hospital put america back to work. not to take anything away from the house jobs bill. it's a good bill. including small business is something we this country but when it comes to job creation, there is absolutely no comparison. i hope we can pass this bill in the house as quickly as possible. one fundamental problem speaker boehner round in suit time and time again when he creates a bipartisan bill things fall apart. take a look at the so-called house jobs bill. it's a bipartisan bill supported by the president. it's an indication that we can still do when it comes to the largest jobs bill comes in a jobs bill. he can work together with the democrats in a tradition -- and it's been done for decades. this is to be the easiest bill

to pass on capitol hill. that is that the house public works committee so many members. people couldn't wait to pass this bill every five years and look what has happened in the house. it is fun apart repeatedly because he thought it to be drawn up and written by people who have extreme views and all republican caucus. if you respect your traditions, bipartisan transportation bill, then the house can pass a bipartisan transportation bill and create jobs. i want to thank senator boxer and inhofe. talk about a political odd couple. they come together and created build a to 30 had a single vote of 85 senators in support of it to move forward when they finish the appropriations process i expect a similar bipartisan majority to support it. this is how to get things done and put people back to work parasite of the house and as quickly and pass senate jobs bill. >> mr. schumer. >> thank you. and the next couple of weeks

coming speaker banner will face a choice on two important issues. the question is, will the speaker choose partisan gridlock over bipartisan cooperation? the person on this bill is the highway bill, the deadline for action at the end of this month by tuesday the senate will have passed with bipartisan to your packets, creating close to 3 million jobs, many in the construction trades, which has high unemployment and which has been a drag on our economy. in previous economy, they would lower interest rates, construction workers and start to work on building housing and the economy would get going. we don't have that now in this highway bill will fill that gap. so in an election year like this one, the bipartisan senate agreement is a rare accomplishment. after the senate passes the bill on tuesday, all eyes will turn to the house to question again to be, what will boehner do?

earlier this week on a indicated he was opening up the senate bill and yesterday he again tried to rally his troops in favor of sharing original proposal that's going nowhere. speaker boehner told its members to get behind and make a bill because it bears a stand. well, the senate bill bears the bipartisan stamp and i just heard the speaker boehner has now said that he wants to pass the senate bill or something close to it. he should stick to that commitment and get it done right away. last time the speaker tried to do a bipartisan bill he came to regret it. the speaker should remember the lesson of the payroll tax cut debate and not repeat his mistakes. whenever he lets a small group on the hard right dictate what he should do, he loses. and america loses and bipartisanship loses. we hope he has learned that

lesson. it's clear he's wrestling with it. not only in his mind, but inexperienced statements is only one right past. and while we're at it come the same thing is happening on the budget. yesterday the assist you less reported a story that undersea party pressure the house gop may renege on a budget deal. the speaker should remember a deal is a deal. the house republican leadership should not go back on their word, just to quell another upgrades and a tea party. again, you will lose on the budget, like everything else that they let the small group on the hard right dictate where it the whole house should go. that's true on the highway bill. that was true on the payroll tax cut and the ob chew on the budget. the senate has shown the willingness and a bipartisan way. look at the capital formation of the house is taken up today. it's filled with group things

and later read has said we will move a similar bill in the senate. our bill will have more consumer protections. investor protections, but it will be similar. we're not standing the way the bill because it originated over there. make no mistake. we will pass the small-business bill similar to the one the houses producing. the question is will the house passed the bipartisan have a jobs bill coming out of the senate? so there's a bipartisan deal at hand. we will work on a jobs bill, doing the small business. they should pass the highway bill, the larger jobs bill dealing with infrastructure. on the house republicans need to do is not mucked it up. the speaker faces a choice. cooperation or gridlock. he should choose wisely.

>> well, today we're proving that the senate really can get work done to boost the economy when we don't have to fight back on women's health care. democrats and republicans have come together in a deal that will create or save millions of jobs in our country to invest in a rosen bridges and helps communities across america lay down a strong foundation for long-term economic growth. we have worked together across party lines and focused on our priorities to get this done and this is the way the senate is supposed to work. i hope that means the republicans are finally going to stop obstructing everything from around here and that they plan to continue to work with us to get our economy back on track. this bipartisan deal is a great accomplishment, but with a lot more work to do and the more the republicans obstruct, the more they will slowdown caused, the progress and our ability to really deliver for the american people. so torture back and that this. i hope the house does their job and passes this bill and shorter

order. it's very concerning to me. the reports i hear out of the house that they are once again considering a hyper partisan highway bill extension that would endanger the progress that we have made. so my message to them is look what we've accomplished today. by bringing republicans and democrats together in a commonsense solution is moving forward at a time when millions of jobs thing in the balance. we can't go back on the progress. we've got to get this bill to the white house come assignments a lot to get people back to work again. >> we will take some questions. [inaudible] -- speaker boehner said in the house will wait the senate on the highway bill and pass something similar to what the senate and you all are working on. what is your reaction to that? >> reaction to that is a significant step forward and the

information they've gotten. passing a similar bill is pleasing to my ears and they should forget about their job destroying come destructive bill. chairman mica to that body. use the republicans with criticism to the approach is not democrats only. its premise on members, own republicans. >> to have the votes to defeat the amendment? there's also reports that obama is personally lobbying the democrats. feature request that quick >> the answer is yes. everyone should just calm down and keystone. just take a deep red, folks. half of it is being constructed as we speak. and the other half, there's been a new application filed to get

rid of some of the contentious problems that the company knows they have. so the president has not come out saying i oppose. he opposed and the matter being jammed down our throats. so the answer i repeat is yes we will defeat that because that is what we should do. >> is your will to try to help slow down prices? >> the purpose of this bill is to continue the highway program started by president eisenhower. it is, as we've indicated here, everyone is talking about the millions of jobs this will save. we know to do this is extremely important. we have 70,000 bridges in a state of disrepair or needing replacement. 20% of all highways and america are not a purist or two a

highway bill? of course we need to do a highway bill. and in answer to your question, i don't want to belabor this, but i will because they want to make sure you understand where we're coming from. several years ago my wife and i took a trip during christmas and went to the southern california. i decided to do something different. we were going to drive back from the san diego area to las vegas. i hadn't done that in a long, long time. does such an eye-opener to me. the highway was so crowded. we came to a complete halt many times. i say many times, it are nine times. every time he came to complete halt, cars are idling. using gases should be i'd only. trying to move commerce across the country, using a lot of fuel. but the answer, yes, highway construction will save fuel.

>> what does you think and what was your reaction to the attorney general and his statement that congress passed years ago justifies his killing of american citizens overseas as terrorist and that the cross that is not necessarily judicial process? >> i have not studied the decisions in the opinion that he wrote, but in substance they support him hundred%. >> on judicial nominations, how was the press is going quite >> you'll hear about that later today. we have now, not counting the circuit judges, we have 17 trial court judges being held. 17. it is just so around. it is not fair and the american people understand this clearly

is another part of extraction is then taken place here. these men and women who want to become at the request of the president and judges, they have halted their lives. i practiced law for a while. you're been asked to be a federal judge and you have to be aware of cases you can take, what you can do and this has been going on for months and months for some of these people in simply wrong. we are not going to stand by and have been dribbled out to us. i do not >> peter mcconnell -- [inaudible] >> i talked to senator mcconnell to speak about a lot of things, but not about the small-business jobs bill. >> i have not done that.

>> what is that is the only thing quick >> i think it would be a bad thing. to have short-term extensions. remember what would happen with the short-term extensions. it brought construction one time when funding was not completely. we could even get a short-term extension. that was very bad. they've been bad with the short-term extensions because you can't let a contract for another two weeks to do that with the highway. this is the construction time. the cold weather is ending. it's a time in both construction needs to take base. thanks, everybody. [inaudible conversations] >> democratic leaders before the debate got underway on amendments in the senate today. a number of amendments are considered and voted on. they failed to pass an amendment that would approve pipeline.

they need 60 votes. it was 66 to that fortitude. they did approve an amendment that would provide 80% of the bp finds in the gulf coast. >> they are not fighting and dying because there are qaeda and sacrificing their lives because they're muslim extremists. they are fighting and dying because they want the same universal rights and freedom that we guaranteed in our constitution. >> i think if we don't get the international community together in a coalition of the willing soon, we'll look back and say we not only didn't do the right thing morally to step in the innocents have been killed, witnessed an extraordinary strategic opportunity. >> atlanta make the point that the concerns that senator mccain and you and others have

expressed are exactly the concerns of the administration. we are not divided here and we are not holding back. this administration has led an imac. the lead in afghanistan and the war in terrorism. we lead in libya and religion in syria. we are working with those elements to try to bring them together. if the agreement here is we ought not to simply go in unilaterally, then we have to build a multilateral coalition. we've got to deal to work at that. it's not that easy. the deal with some of the concerns out there. >> from the national press foundation awards dinner. we will hear from eric schmidt,

from google, and nick andersen of the "houston chronicle" and chris wallace of fox news. this is about an hour. >> a series of talks who want to present from leaders who live at the intersection of technology and media, which is after all where we all live and where we are going to live for some time to come. in addition to his many honors come eric is a member of the president's council of advisors on science and the prime minister's advisory council and the united kingdom. he joined google in 2001. eric is going to speak for 10 minutes and then take questions for five minutes and they would be; sound in the ballroom that way. but please go to the center aisle microphones until he has finished speaking. eric schmidt. [applause] >> thank you. this is a fantastic group here and saw this are here to support

this foundation. what i wanted to do is talk about what will happen in the next decade, in particular, about how so many people and train new people join the conversation were part of. last year they reached a new world record of 70 billion, but the number of people on line is still roughly 2 billion just 1 billion of those people in the world have smartphones. the world wide web, which we are so proud it has yet to live up to its name. imagine how much better the web would be with another 5 billion people on line. more innovation, more opportunity, more creativity. the past decade has ties if you could ask people with information that will change the world trade as technology develops, however in my view, a new kind of digital divide will emerge. the next decade will see the emergence of three distinct groups, differentiated mainly by conductivity. an attack about the first group. the first group assaulter connected people, pretty much

everybody here. it is hard for us to stay off of our smartphones, blackberries and what have you. we work for organizations with the will and resources to embrace the cutting edge of technology he. but the most part, we start with huge advantages in life, a good education, economic disparity, democratic government here. for this group, the future is prescribed only by the limits of what science can deliver and society deemed ethical. and it will look a lot like science fiction. so the people who predicted intelligent robot and virtual reality a self driving cars will soon be common place. in fact, people driving cars, not to mention something havarti travel 200,000 miles in states like nevada, florida and california are now changing the plot that makes it possible. it's real. the technological advances that are redefined the way we live,

the way we interact with each other, but the ultimate achievement in this future is that this technology will actually disappear. i think technology will become less relevant. it will become part of everyday life. people will have to spend less time getting technology to work for image cables work in computers, all of us anytime to this. where's our content stored because who will be seamless. it will just be there. it will be everything. it will be nothing. it would be like electricity. first group. the second group, just below the first group is another much larger community, the connected contributors. this is a generation who grew up with increasingly sophisticated technology as part of the daily life in a quick discussant to show that precedes to use them, but also in the middle class up at the same level of technology assets to you and mr. technology will give the connected contributors they wish to exchange information.

as an example, how the presence technology will allow you to experience events in remote areas and places if you were there. also be connected in meshes of high-speed links for sharing everything. beaming information from phone to phone. being invested in the common spaces of the web, this group, these connected contributors will speak with a loud voice to defend those shared spaces, if you will, from attacks of freedom of expression and basic rights. the things we care so much about. they were forced into the open actions that would otherwise remain their tools, quickly designed to do with extreme circumstances and crises. they are perfect examples come to developers the sensor engineers of argument. by combining a passion for this, they create tools that network

of mines and they collect the intelligence and global conscience. very proud of them. look at the way that people came together last year to help those japanese earthquake. no barriers to where imagination or our compassion of the second group. but there's been much larger group still coming. think of these is still a minority, right? this next feature, the next 5 billion is going to be very interesting. in communities all over the world, they're only pockets of conductivity. this will be susan my deserts. people who don't have local data centers or copper wires in the ground. says data access arrives at scale a month is the group.

they are skipping dial-up modems and dsl lines and going straight to mobile devices. so imagine in the future the poor of the world will have a computer and a really smart site kick all rolled into one in their phone. today we party seems smartphones successfully converted into microsoft's those to provide infield and scientific capabilities and places that noah took power at all. in 2020, the same devices will be able to diagnose medical conditions and all the things people care about. 4g technology and sent the other mesh networking will provide the data connections for all of these new devices and allow deployment of wireless networks in the most remote regions of the world well beyond the reach of large-scale data centers and infrastructure. so when this model, the network because the dish of water at home where people meet and hang out in every village will have an internet café for people to

connect to talk to each other and no one is suggesting -- i want to be clear here, but this technology is going to set a transform the social, political and economic conditions have communities. technology does not produce miracles. but conductivity, even modest amounts changes lives. so in times of war and suffering, it will be impossible to ignore the voices that cry out for help. think about the extraordinary pictures to come out of serious everyday. besides brutality on display for all of us to see and propaganda will be harder to sell to the public when the chinese government try to curb the reporting of a high-speed train crash last year. they were widely ridiculed by the chinese web users in spite of a very sophisticated censorship system in china. so with information comes power and with power comes choice. smarter resourceful citizen will demand a much better deal for

their communities, more ethical and responsible behavior from all of us. pretty good. what are some of the problems? the world is not quite yet they are. there'll be some obstacles. the internet is not an npo prater flexed humanity, the good as well as the bad. so i worry about three things i want to serta briefly mentioned. the first is the internet was built without criminals in mind. when we built the internet we didn't think they would show it. honestly a hoax. i know. and we were in graduate school. there's no criminals they are. so while it's getting to be more and more secure, the inherent vulnerabilities in our design will exist for at least another decade or so fixing this problem is a huge task except for military networks, every single note on the web is connected -- to be upgraded for new technologies to be developed now. amethysts come from individuals

and even groups of people, the biggest problem of the activity stemming from nations that seek to do harm to others. it's very difficult to identify the source of criminality and stop it. problem number one. problem number two, fat there's no delete button on the internet forces very difficult policy choices we never really imagined. much of the existing privacy debate centers on the tension between the public's right to know and the very important rights of individual privacy. so you have a situation where false accusation in your use use to fade away, they now can remain forever. i certainly hope that ranking and other things like that will emerge to distinguish between truth and falsehood would allow people, for example, to start over in a new fitting. and finally worry about governments filtering information they feared or prohibit. it's easy to see their logic, but where does the line get drawn? last year we saw what happened when a government tried to turn

off the internet. now, smarter, many companies try to build their own balkanized web in which you and i cannot see the same information and no one knows what is then sent to you. not only does filtering out work, it creates stir places where he's been radicalism and crime can flourish. it's much better to find and stop the criminal rather than merely black his or her webpage. filtering technology, which obviously i don't like will inevitably become more effect if it will fix the very real possibility we can end up living in a society where it delete their voices, thoughts and our culture. so addressing these challenges and i want to conclude by saying that this is going to be tough. but this is a worthwhile struggle. it really is. i am a firmer -- i firmly believe that technology will ultimately be a force for good here. the next decade we will see a new generation of tech knowledge

it that will extend the frontiers of human existence in society to the internet we have a chance to build a truly inclusive global community and technology will be a great leveler. there were still believes. they won't have a monopoly on progress and opportunity. the week will be made stronger those with nothing shall have something. and technology is necessary, but not sufficient. some governments will try to fight this transition and use technology to suppress and not enhance access to information. and i think they will fail. the internet and technology like water. they will find a way through. no system of censorship can never be absolute. there always beaching switch off the citizens will find information and organize through. as you well know, the truth really will win out. the future can be to the comment that it cannot be denied. let us resolve right now as

leaders and journalists. i think everybody here would agree that we need to get there faster and to fight for a future where everyone has a chance to be connected and the information is the birthright of every one, all people everywhere. this'll be a tough fight, but it's a long one. but this is a struggle to believe, especially to achieve the highest principle and greatest qualities that society, the quest for the inalienable rights that have driven all of us, especially here in this room and let assaulted early here is part of this wonderful foundation. in this century out of the a part to play connect in the world will free the world. thank you so very, very much. [applause] and i think -- i think we have time for a couple questions. maybe if the comments or questions on this or anything else. we do have a thousand journalists in the room. and i assume we are on the

record. [laughter] just kidding. >> there's some microphones in the center aisle. go ahead. >> hi, mary when she whacks at mci. today i showed this has not shown people as they move to mobile are spending all their time on games and social media, just talking to a friend. is there anything we can do to get people more engaged and content so as we move into this more mobile future, we are getting the eyeballs on the news and not just on angry birds? >> are got angry birds, too. if you think about your children from the moment they are awake, to the moment they are asleep, they are online now.

they should be of concern. i think the reality is this is going to be addressed. your point is very well taken, will be addressed by new forms of content. there's a lot of evidence that the gaming paradigms are really part of a new way of learning in the camps in fact have produced very, very stellar educational opportunities, just not about the right things. i believe over the next few years come you're going to see a whole new generation of information services and opportunity will be circuited exactly at the issue you are basing. i am concerned and i want to be clear here that the circuit interrupter world that we thought builds and i certainly have my part and not the sort of taking us away from what i'm going to call deep breathing in deep thinking and we need to fight for that and probably the best way for us to fight for that is to invest more and more in education at every level,

ultimately learned how to read, learn how to think and so forth is really related to that. that is never going to go away. >> cohead, yes, sir. >> jeremy arba c-span. we are broadcast in the seven seas intubate out. >> you bet. wondering about what is google's goal for the media? how can we use it? and what you hope we can do at this? >> for the same point of audience building, google places on the order of 100 million users these days and it is a credible alternative to getting your message out. my case i use google class to talk about things i've been doing. it's interesting because of its authentication and maiming another tactical matters. i get better and more informed comments in a doing anything else. so it looks to me lately is google google class has started

with people who are pretty passionate, get a lot of attention and contact to to each other. so that'll be a differentiator for the service well. you should do the others as well. otherwise you don't just take one. you stuck to the audiences. there's a lot of things we are doing to make it more interesting. the most interesting is where groups of people have sort of ad hoc video network. entire broadcaster here at figure out a way to hangouts with my fan and have them scale. >> last question from the fire might. >> leo battenberg from china central television and tv news. you mention the worlds of 7 billion. assist developers in china and you've made comments about censorship's in china. i'm wondering if you could address the voltage you think china's population will play in the integration of the world

wide web, the world of parallel, partial world wide web. how do you see china becoming a part of that? >> we don't know china's future web planes because they don't tell anybody and are not going so google. on the list we are not on the phone call lists. technically the way the internet works in china is something called the great firewall, which is a series of products these which actually censor content by looking at what is called deepak infection. they literally look at the package is the prohibited words and so forth are going through them to do this for all information services. that's also the case in china that if you run a site where you publish information on an actively police censorship list, your order to take down and do so pretty brutally and that's under the threat of criminal prosecution. in fact is censorship at its worst and google doesn't like this. the next thing that china can do

is they can begin to close off access to other sites, not just part of the information, but to do so would also expose their censorship more directly to citizens. and they run the risk of ignoring their citizens more than verdi had. some i just gases they will go down this very tight censorship model whether actively prosecuting blockers using. rod beings, but not shut down the entire internet. we don't know how far they will go and information seeps into the country. the more they shut off the barrier, the more they hurt themselves because one of the things that i've got the internet is if you want to run a global economy you need access to what's going on in other countries. we are critically dependent on that. countries try to shut it down because they hated to miss a source for information, et

cetera ultimately discover they can't run their countries about it. i hope that the internet will soar to stay there and partially transformed and my eventual hope is to citizens will say enough is enough. we really want free speech. thank you so much. [applause] >> talk about tough acts to follow. our next award is the clifford k. and james keith terry mann award for editorial cartooning. this year goes to nick andersen at the "houston chronicle." nick. [applause] >> thank you. i feel like obama with these teleprompters appear. a little joke for the conservatives in the audience, don't get too comfortable.

first i like to thank my editor, jeff cohen. a few years ago he asked me to reinvent the road of staff cartoonist by eliminating them. [laughter] by eliminating them. [laughter] ample i've got one that still believes in what ample i've got one that still believes in what i do. second i could think with kerry, governor of texas. [laughter] for providing me so much over the last year. and third, i can't remember the third. i'm sorry, i can't let it go. i'm still in mourning that is not running anymore. now one of the ways that jeff has inspired me to do different things. i do full-page cartoons and a decent animations. and a lot of cartoonists are getting into flash animation and i decided i was a little too lazy to learn how to do that. i decided to go restaurant get into claymation this past year

for my son brought home claims that he wanted to learn how to do this and i said this is pretty fun. i could try this. i'm excited i can get them done pretty quickly and i've got this first one that is on rick perry as a matter of fact. so can we take the lights on and show the first intimation? >> you know, we've all lost her train of thought, but not many of done it on national tv. if you want a slick debater, i'm not a c. not your type. but it got a clean house in washington with a flat tax and a part-time congress, i'm your man. i'm the perry. what's that line again? i'm at perry and i approve this message. [laughter] [applause] is it that way from beginning to end that was one day come as i can crank it up quickly. although it's all just takes me weeks i take a week off.

i've got a dozen cartoons to show you tonight, still cartoons with campaign season in full swing, seems like earlier on there was the new player for the week every week and so the first cartoon, you get the finish eating, but go ahead and show the first bite. the next player of the week was newt. now, the number of gop debates has always been a 20 gop debates. we made another one, donald trump wanted to have his own as if we need another one. of course the main issues are going to talk about was donald trump. so here is the trumped up a. first i depicted gingrich as they need. moving on to mitt romney, the knock on rodney is that a 6 million. so here i have in this next flight, go ahead and show the next flight. at first i say seems like voters

want anyone to admit. and that says i can do that. [laughter] as sex scandals for cartoons or is really challenging because the jokes are easy, but most are unpublishable. and that's from the editor comes in. he likes to kill my cartoons when i do an appropriate once an idea. so when anthony. twitter travel. [laughter] incidentally i think that was my favorite parts in last year, which is where my maturity level is. the next cartoon is little more cerebral. of course anything is a little more cerebral than this, but the first ranks of federal spending, social security defense, et cetera and the second frame, federal spending is used by the average american. things that benefit me personally and waste is everything else. thank you. most people you touch it and

really don't know what government spending really is. where am i? the tea party has been a big theme for cartoonists. here's the tea party driving us into the tea party congressmen, driving us into the debt ceiling issue. now i do pick on obama sometimes. and i'm going to show you both cartoons i know, last year. no action a bit more, but not many more. the first is on celinda. i'll go ahead and show the size. the shuttle ready taxpayers clean out the splinter scandals. and obama has pushing pension for difficult issues into the future. go ahead and show the next flight. we constructed the bad side but issues out past the 2012 election in the keystone maxell pipeline. it is popular in houston, two. most of my cartoons are very popular in houston. can't imagine why.

we can't ignore social issues in the debt cannot these are very big issue as you know. we actually see people for not using their turn signals in texas. here is the texas justice simmons fan base your hand if you think race played a part in your death sentence. and there's another texas one that's going to ring true for those of you who have been filing with the everything in my? the state of texas. this will ring pretty true to you right now because you can substitute the word virginia for texas right now. here's an old cartoon that we be published for the 10th anniversary of september 11th. missing towers. it's a little more subtle. you can see the shadows of the people who do not come home on september 11. i did a cartoon on the ten-year anniversary, but it wasn't as good as the wheat in one. this is what we did on the first

or anniversary, but we've reran it. too light and a little bit, the last cartoonists over 800 months compound they found a stash of orthography and he says no know your enemy and the little movies says debbie does to buy and blonde bombshells. and i've got one more animation to show you. herman cain was probably even more fun than the area. herman cain is the former ceo of godfather's pizza and a brainstorm how to pull this together when he was making excuses about his alleged affairs and i spent about eight hours going through all of his video footage and taking little pieces of it together and i came up with this animation. >> i can only recall one thing that i was aware of that is called harassment. i wasn't even aware of it.

was unaware that an agreement was reached and yes, there is some sort of settlement determination. no, i just started to remember more. here we go again. >> this individual is going to accuse me of an affair for an extended period of time. >> no, no, no, not going to do that. >> no, no, no. he's the same height as my wife. [applause] >> thank you a match. >> congratulations. thank you very match.

>> ladies and gentlemen, mr. knight template pair, editor-in-chief of kiplinger publications. [applause] >> well, talk about some of the ridiculous to the sublime. our next honoree was a remarkable organization, the reporters committee for freedom of the press and its equally remarkable direct air, lucy dalglish. for more than 40 years, the reporters committee has been that goes to organization, the 24/7 defender of our first amendment rights. the committee was born of crisis in 1970 when our profession was struggling with this spate of subpoenas seeking to force the disclosure of confidential sources. that year, a group of distinguished and very concerned

journalists from all media met in washington and decided to form a posse. a quick response team that could rise to the defense of the league are journalists, without signs to defend themselves. to this day, thousands of journalists have been helped by the reporters committee and none of them has ever been sent to bill for this valuable legal advice and counsel. the committee felt covers the waterfront, a small town paper hit the baseless libel suit, filed by well-heeled local business interests. reporters pressing foia actions against the secretive government agency or fighting subpoenas from local police and judges. there is even a 24 hour hotline when there is no time to spare. now this tireless commando squad

was built at the committee's courageous early direct to your, jack landau and continue to grow and prosper under jack's successor, jean kirtley. for the past decade, it has been headed by a woman who is uniquely suited to this task because she is both a journalist and a lawyer. lucy dalglish's knowledge of media love is rich, but happily for us, she writes like a journalist and not a lawyer. her editorial from the committee's quarterly magazine, the news media and the law are a monolith we go with them and journalistic clarity. if our profession needed the reporters committee and 18 to be, and it certainly did, we needed even more today. to quote lucy dalglish, and these days the dwindling medical budget in traditional newsrooms

and nonexistent legal budgets for all of their journalists, it is important that we teach journalist to be knowledgeable about their eighth and confident and not to engage in self-help to defend them. reporters working in traditional newsrooms, she writes, robotic houston to have an attorney sokolow via in-house counsel or special relationships with the local media lawyer. but now that many of these journalists around the she warns, they need a real alternative. that's usually the reporters committee. and she says, we are ready and willing to hope. now that we have that ready and willing to fund being an evil as something else. the committee is able to do is work because the generous donors to the reporters committee for freedom of the press, both in

the media world and corporate america. if you're not already a contributor to the reporters committee for freedom of press, it's high time you were. i cannot think of a finer recipient of the debian kiplinger award for distinguished contributions to journalism than the reporters committee for freedom of the press and his wife guiding light, lucy dalglish. lucy, come on up. [applause] 's >> thank you so much, mr. kiplinger. i'd like to thank the national press foundation for its wonderful education services for journalists and for the recognition of both the reporters committee and myself.

the reporters committee has been very proudly providing free legal and educational and advocacy services to journalists all across america for 42 years. we exist to serve you and we are committed to ensuring we provide comprehensive up-to-the-minute services or years to come. we tried very hard to stay on top of your needs and developments in the law. like most of you we do more with your resources. we have never been so busy and in many states they no longer had discretionary dollars to pursue. we are fighting for a meeting to make his court closures and frivolous viruses. you can call our hotline 24/7 and get us on the internet.

every year brings a new challenge. this year it seems to me to be the bewildering number of reporters and photographers across the country while covering protests, demonstrations and ordinary old typical crime stories. we and our local volunteer lawyers will be at the nato summit in chicago and that the political conventions ensure that an tampa and coming months to make sure that those journalists who will inevitably be swept up in that address are back out on the street covering the news news as quickly as possible. we survived on contributions from media related companies, foundations and folks like you and many of our supporters are in this audience tonight in the thank you. we are appreciative and are grateful for every tax deductible and nickel us.

in addition to thanking our wonderful dirty member steering committee for the support and some of the media players who are volunteers in the audience tonight. they are a couple of reporters committee staff members who share this award with me. with me tonight are a freedom of information direct or, mark america and the jack of all trades brainiac behind our legal defense work, our publication in their internet services craigslist lead. and i thank them for their hard work and for this wonderful award. [applause] >> sadly the national and international communities last thing he can't play since in that a year ago.

many of these people have joined us at this dinner. some of them are friends of mine, some of them are friends of many of you in the audience. we want to recall them now. andy rooney, the popular sas. tom wicker, "new york times" columnist, bureau chief and offer. christopher hitchens, columnist and social critic. tony blankley, author, columnist and political observer who headed the editorial page of the "washington times." though gretchen, the cartoonist who created the cartoons out of balance and chronic. charles waldo bailey this i can come in come in the former editor at the minneapolis "star tribune" and a novelist whose works included seven days in may. joseph d. novak, former ap reporter later served as press secretary to the democratic

national committee. frank jackman, newspaperman for more than 50 years. jeffrey zaslow, "wall street journal" columnist and book author. lane bernardo's, former cbs news producer. richard throw cut, cbs news correspondent. earl h. voss, journalists at the washington star and government public affairs officer. his daughter a national public affairs manager for tejada is a test tonight and she's been a supporter of the npf for many years now. [applause] not three correspondents and if you knew who died covering the conflict in the middle east. anthony should deed, foreign correspondent and most recently if any are times. laurie coleman, "the sunday times" of london and bermuda old

schlick, the freelance photojournalist. andrew breitbart and finally cbs correspondent robert year point for distinguished reporter and when you didn't take himself all that seriously. beyond made an indelible mark on our profession. thank you for letting us honor them tonight. [applause] our next award is for excellence in all my journalism presented to i watched neustadt or the online home for public integrity. expecting the worst cucina committee can committee, officer of the senate. christine. [applause]

>> hi, i am absolutely honored and humbled to be standing up your accepting this award on behalf of the center for public integrity and especially for our leader, executive director, bill peterson berger had the vision and the courage to last year completely transformed the senate for a public integrity. 22-year-old nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative newsgroup. it has been going around pretty good in 22 years in nonprofit years is like 100 journalists in years. the bill had the courage really to say we need to leap headfirst into the 21st century. and so we launched i watch news and a new content model. we try some new revenue models. we could greatly offended the newsroom and we survived. as of this award recognizes that risk and i think to me that this kind of the most important thing we can do right now is to talk a

lot about the future of news and local news and global news and the biggest thing to journalists can do is not changing not adapt. so i'm proud to represent the center. i'm proud of what we did in thank you for this award. [applause] >> nick, can i say that i am not using the teleprompters either. so just in case there's any doubt about that. i don't know why they're there. our next award is benjamin c. bradlee editor of the weird work, the oldest for editorial leadership in the united states. this year the award goes to david neuhaus, editor of the patriot news in harrisburg, pennsylvania. his paper broke the story. you all know it, a bit abuse scandal at penn state university and then stayed with the story for many months what it was all allowed and when it was

criticized for looking at the tv is that the football coach and his team and its coaches. after we select it david for this award in november we called ben bradlee's office to tell him our choice and then immediately dashed out the following note. dear david neuhaus, i have turned 90 last summer and to tell you the truth, i'd forgotten there was such a game as the benjamin c. bradlee award. but this is just to tell you i'm glad she won it. better to win these things than to lose them i always say. it was a of a story with lots of meaningful reverberations. best wishes, pcb. david, are happy to have the snow for you tonight on with your well-deserved bride. david. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you. i'm just trying to figure out i'm going to get that thing in my carry-on. they have the first slide, please. i would like to thank the national press foundation for this truly unexpected honor. my father, nor may neuhaus is actually editor of the and press during the 40s, 50s and 60s and died in a years ago, but he was certainly my inspiration pad like to think this was for him. dishonor really belongs not to me, but two other journalists at patriot news either to mention just a couple. the culture shock project was a personal mentor to me. my partners in crime, executive editor craig. and mike seely and of course our leader order on the sandusky story. at the age of 24 commissary had

as much drive and integrity and she's videotaping me now, as much tried and integrity as any journalist i've ever met. it is a joy to work with you. next site, please. ongoing show you a few front pages from november but i'm not going to talk about how we landed these stories because i think they're very boring. there is no magic formula here, just a lot of long hours and the journalism by sir and her colleagues. next slide. the funny thing was how the national media kept describing us. ..

>> the thing is today, information, as eric was talking about, is instantaneous and ambiguous, and as my daughter used to say, information is

ickybigatous, and if information is everywhere, having information is no longer enough, stuffed to the gills with information is starving for real reporting, including real local reporting, for reporting that digs, that makes connections. next slide, please. now, i know that's a challenge for the great news organizations represented in the room, and on behalf of small news rooms 234 america, it's a huge challenge when there's 19 news reporters to cover 5 counties. there are days, i look up, and i said, lord, if you didn't want my staff covering meetings, why did you create zoning boards? [laughter] next slide, please. seriously. s -- seriously, the tragedy is at this moment when the public is desperate for real local reporting, budget cuts lead news rooms to choose the opposite,

cutting back on enterprise, and to chaise the exact same information that everybody else has and in connection withingly our readers already know anyway. years ago, we made the decision to hop off of that merry-go-round. our reporters have to master their beats, report information, and, yes, preferably first, but that's not their job. that's the precursor, the context of their job. i always say if somebody asked you what you did on vacation, you're not going to say, oh, i did the dishes. maybe you did, but what did you do? next slide. our reporters gather and post and tweet plenty of information, but that is not what they do. they have one assignment above all, bring ugh the stories that no one else has, bring ugh the stories that no one else has.

of course, who knew they would take me seriously; right? my kids never did. next slide, please. well, people responded. in november, our digital readership tripled to 6.5 million readers and we retained many of them with readers in 223 foreign countries. a story like this does not come along every week. that's not sump a bad thick. i had an e-mail from a reporter from a major daily who said, keep up the great work, you can sleep when you're dead. [laughter] when a news organization with daily print circulation of about 76,000 continues to attract 4.5 unique visitors a month, mostly in central pennsylvania, thankfully for the advertisers, but literally from across the globe. well, it says something that makes me optimistic about the industry.

it says even amid the digital information glut, what readers want most from journalists, including local journalists is for what we do best. recognizing that in harrisburg and our entire staff, i thank you very, very much. [applause] >> this dinner tonight marks the end of my two year tenure and happy to contribute to an organization that's doing important work for the industry at a time when news organizations can't necessarily do for their own what they used to do which is provide institutional support, help, and training to professional journalists in the field. the npf steps up to try to do that and succeeds more often

than not. leaving in great hands, however, as my good friend, former colleague of the "wall street journal," john walcot will take over. [applause] john, all yours. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you, jerry. let me just say a brief word about jerry's leadership in the foundation. i don't need to tell anyone in this room this has been a time of transition, and in some ways, it's a difficult time for the news business. we've had to cope, not only with the business side, but also with some of what doctor smith talked about, and jerry provided extraordinary leadership to the foundation as we, too, try to make a transition towards a new age of information, and the best i can promise jerry is that i'll try to continue in your footsteps, and that's what i'll

endeavor to do. our next award is the award for excellence in broadcast journalism. this year, the judges have selected chris wallace of fox news. i'm pleased to tell you chris donated his award winnings back to the national press foundation to help us continue our educational work. chris, thank you very much. [applause] here's a brief video about chris, and then we'll hear from him live and in person. >> a roller coaster ride and other crashes caused by bombs, and the white house admitted. >> nbc nightly news reported by chris wallace. ♪ >> good evening, at the last news conference four months ago, you said that israel had nothing -- u.s. had nothing to do with israeli armed shipments to iran when you knew that was

not true. why did you say that? >> chris, i'm glad you asked that. >> so, what are you saying? you don't think the press gave you a fair shot? >> i'm not saying, that chris. >> well, what are you saying? i'm certainly not saying it. >> from washington, nbc news presents "meet the press," the longest running program with chris wallace. ♪ i know it's a little perm, but how much of an allowance do you get? >> $7. >> each? >> yes. >> a week? >> yes. >> what do you do? >> make our beds. >> please don't let him win. >> now, that would be dog, wouldn't it? >> i've known chris wallace

since we were correspondents together in the house of representatives nearly 35 years ago. he was a terrific correspondent then, and he's got nothing but better sense bringing strength to fox news in every way, but especially hosting fox news sunday, now the king of sunday morning, in terms of being the best, precise, and toughest interrogator, fair too. why didn't you do more to put bin laden and al-qaeda out of business when you were president? >> you did fox's bidding on this show. you did your life little conservative hit job on me. what i want to know -- >> wait a minute. i'm asking the question -- >> no, it was a perfectly legitimate question, but i want to know how many people in the bush administration you asked this question to. >> what do you make of the basic charge that pre-9/11, that this government, the bush administration, largely ignored the threat of al-qaeda? all the talk about the nuclear programs were wrong. >> you never feel far away from

the job as far as wherever you go, but i feel somewhat out of the bubble. >> thank you for having me. >> long time, no see. >> well, you know, takes me about 772 days to prepare for these questions, but although, i think there is -- this was a leap year in there, so i think it's just 771. >> no, i think we checked that. for all the excitement about president obama, there's also talk about his inexperience. they said the same thing about your brother, john, back in 1960. do you see any parallels? >> well, first of all, my brothers are my heros in a category by themselves. >> i'm talking with chris wallace today, i think some are saying, dang, we were hoping she'd sit down and shut up. >> where do you stand on the right to return? >> the ride of return? >> the palestinian ride of return. >> this was on fox news sunday. thanks, chris, i'm glad you exercised the right for me to

return to the show. >> that's a political comment? >> you think that's a political comment? >> we. >> you're insane. your agenda is out there and push more than you attend to. >> you don't retire because? >> because i love -- it is not work, what i do. i love what i do. when i get up in the morning and i think, i am going to have the opportunity to -- i was not that happy to wake up with you -- >> well, i felt the same way. [laughter] >> congratulations, chris, winning an award a an amazing thing. fox news, you've done it, we're proud of you in the news division. [laughter] you're a great questioner. you're a great journalist, and, frankly, every guest that comes on hates you, which is good because that makes people watch, and president clinton, for instance, said you made him angry and president obama and many, many of the republicans won't even go near you, but that means you're really, really good

at what you do. you're been here since 2003, possible you'll get ten years, the jury's out, we're looking at it. [laughter] only occasionally you have divaititis and you did the cook book with your wife, and by the way, you married well, and when you did the cooks on the show, that was sort of irritating, but -- [laughter] [applause] >> thank you, all. i have 20 say watching some of those early videos from literally 0 # years ago was kind of interesting. it's like seeing a son you never knew you had. [laughter] i want to thank marty ryan and the great staff at fox news sunday for putting together that wonderful and overly generous video. you put it together just the way i wrote it. [laughter] i also want to thank the national press foundation for giving me this award.

as has been made clear earlier, you do a great job in providing educational programs for young and aspireing journalists from this country and around the world. i'm honored to receive it, and as you guys mentioned, as john mentioned, i want to donate the money that comes with it to the press foundation to continue your programs. [applause] thank you. i want to note this is the award named, for a lot of you, named after the founder and the editor of broadcasting magazine. sol was a dear friend of my stepfather, bill leonard, and it means a great deal to receive an award, especially in his name, and especially with his grandchildren, rob r -- rob, here. rob, please, wave to the crowd.

[applause] i want to thank my dear wife, loraine, aka, mrs. sunday. she feeds me, as roger sort of unfortunately mentioned, she feeds me soup on sundays after the show, and she also feeds me chicken on saturday nights before the show as all of you will learn in her new book called "mr. sunday's saturday night's chicken," and that's for sale in may, and i'm not kidding -- [laughter] she said if i didn't thank her, forget about coming home, and quite frankly, i can't think of anything worse in the world than not being able to come home to my dear loraine. [applause] i want to talk briefly tonight about three men who have been giants in broadcasting and who have meant so much to me both in my life and in my career. first of all, the fellow you saw there at the end, rornlger, the

chairman of -- roger, the chairman of fox news, and to put it simply, and he's not here, i'm not blowing smoke, he he is the best boss i've ever worked for. think about it. this is a man who created an enormously influencing source of information for the american people out of nothing. 15 short years ago, fox news didn't exist. now it is, whether you like it or not, a central part of the national conversation. roger also communicates a sense of mission more effectively than any boss i ever worked for. the highest professional standards and unrelenting drive to win and continuing sense that we're the little guys, but when people come to fox news, what surprises people is what a nice place it is to work. no one, well, almost no one is a

jerk because roger won't allow it. i don't have to tell you that's not an easy thing to pull off in television news. as roger wrote to the staff we contribute to the most exciting profession in the world, and we live in america, that is the house that roger has built, and i'm so proud to be a part of it. the second thing i want to talk about is my late stepfather, bill leonard. most of you don't know who he was, but he's the single most important person in my life all because of tv news. back in 1952, my mother was watching coverage of the democratic national convention in black and white on television when she saw a handsome man recording on adelai stevenson who was staying across the street from our apartment. she used me, only as 4 years old, as bait, putting me on my bike for a ride around the block to see the excitement.

five years later, they married, and bill leonard became my stf. now, any of you who knew him remember what an absolutely wonderful man he was, what a kind man in a business killed with sharp elbows and sharper words, he was a truly gentle man. he was also a great journalist. he invented exit polls. he invented election night projections. he was largely responsible for the creation of "60 # minutes" and "cbs sunday morning," but the broadcast that i remember the best were the ones that we did when i was a kid in our oldsmobile whenever the car reached a milestone, 10,000 mile, 25,000 miles, riding in the car, true story, we'd do a cbs news tv special report. [laughter] he was the anchor, of course, in the driver's seat, and through it to me sitting in the backseat as the white house correspondent

reporting on what the success of our car meant to the u.s. auto industry. [laughter] or i'd be in the assembly line in detroit with the auto worker who put together the car. yes, the specials were over produced, and they always came in over budget. [laughter] i thought they were just grand. [laughter] finally, i want to talk about my father, mike wallace. you know, it's funny, i spent so much of my early life trying to get out from under his shadow. now as my father nears his 94th birthday and is slipping away, i don't want you to forget him. he was not easy. any of you who knew him can testify to that, but he was vibrant and funny and demanding and a truly great reporter. as someone said, he had an under developed sense of other people's privacy. can you imagine -- [laughter] can you imagine coming home as a teenager from a date and mike

wallace is sitting up waiting for you. [laughter] [applause] where did you go, he asks. what did you do? how would you like to explain these hid p camera -- hidden camera videos? [laughter] maybe one of the reasons that fox has been such an easy fit for me is because he was such a contrarian. i remember one classic story he did for "60 minutes" back in the 60's at the height of the busing controversy. he came to washington to see where all the liberals, the folks telling all the people in south boston where to send their kids, where all the liberals were sending their kids. ted kennedy, private school. jess see jackson, the same. the only democrat he found who sent his kids to dc public schools and who did it because he thought it was the right thing to do was a so-called conservative democratic henry scoop jackson. my father taught me so much

about this business. he taught me to always pursue both sides of the story, to prepare so thoroughly for an interview you make it clear to the subject that there's no use in even trying to spin you because you know too much. what all of these men did, roger rails and bill leonard and mike wallace is to teach me what a great way it is to make a living, what a big responsibility it is, how hard we must push ourselves to meet the highest standards of professional ism, but also, and never forget this, and i think i speak for everybody on this day is how lucky we are, the opportunity to travel the world, to meet key players, to ask the questions that so many americans would like to ask if they were sitting where we are, and to be an eyewitness to history. i'd have the opportunity to travel with the great cold warrior, ronald reagan, to moscow, to conduct presidential debates, to play horse with

michael jordan, or dog, and, yes, even to integ -- interrogate the olson twins. it sure beats laying pipe in ohio. never forget that, and thank you so much for this very special evening. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> well, i hope that this program and the award winners up here have helped provide some answers of their own to the question we were asking, why journalism matters. please join us at the post dinner reception in the lincoln room, on this level, where you can dance to the music of my friends in nobody's business. i promise you if you hear them,

you will not be disappointed. see you next year. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

>> and not fighting and daying because they're al-qaeda or sacrificing lives because they are muslim extremists. they are fighting and dying because they want the same universal right and freedom we guaranteed in our constitution. >> i think if we don't get the international community together in a coalition of the willing soon, we're going to look back and say we not only didn't do the right thing morally to stop innocence from being killed, we missed an extraordinary strategic opportunity. >> i want to make the point that the concerns that senator

mccain and you and others have expressed are exactly the concerns of the administration. we're not -- we're not divided here, and we are not holding back. this administration has led in iraq, led in afghanistan, led in the war on terrorism. we led in libya, and we're leading in syria. we are working with those elements to try to bring them together. if the agreement here is that we ought not to just simply go in unilaterally, then we have to build a multilateral coalition. >> we've got to be able to work at that. it's not that easy to deal with some of the concerns that are out there. >> watch these hearings and news conferences whenever you want online at the c-span video library. search events from today, this year, and earlier, over a quarter century of american politics and affairs on your computer at c-span.org/videolibrary. >> i believe that it is yet

possible that we'll come to admire this country not simply because we were born here, but because of the kind of great and good land that you and i wanted to be and that together we have made it. that is my hope. that is my reason for seeking the presidency of the united states. >> as candidates campaign for president this year, we look back at 14 men who ran for the office and lost. go to our website, c-span.org/thecontenders to to see those who had a lasting impact on politics. >> we have a challenge to go to work effectively and immediately to restore proper respect for law and order in this land and not just prior to election divaititis either. >> c-span.org/thecon tenders. >> the american israel affairs committee held a policy conference this week. one of the sessions included

discussions on the iranian nuclear threat and political unrest in syria. speakers included former state department official, liz cheney, and former u.s. representative jane harman. this eight aipac panel is 35 minutes. >> good morning, everybody. i'm the founding editor of the times of of israel. [applause] wow, thank you. this morning, we're going to take a tour of the region exploring the many challenges that face the united states and israel. here with us today is the former deputy secretary of state, liz cheney. [applause] also joining us is middle east analyst of his real's channel 2 news, international fellow of the washington institute, edward yari, and last, but certainly not least, former member of

congress, president of the woodrow wilson center, jane harman. [applause] now, let's jump right in with the most difficult and comp -- complicated issue, iran. in the last few weeks, iran threatened to close the straits of hormuz, terrorist tacks with ties to iran occur in georgia, thailand, india. jane, i know you see iran as a global problem, not just for israel. talk a little bit about that. >> i'd love to, but let me first say thank you to the republicans and democrats in this huge hall for so much support and love over 17 years in the united states congress, and especially -- [applause] in 2009 when i was the victim of a political smear campaign, i will never forget we, rosenberg, and others to meet with me saying, jane, we have your back.

[applause] it really meant a lot. my one key to all of you is you visit congressional offices in the next two days and push for an agenda which i fully share is that you urge them to stay bipartisan on the state of israel. israel loses if we make her a political football in this came pain. [applause] now, about iran, you are right. i have long worried about iran. i'm a jewish grandmother and soon to be a jewish great grandmother so i come by this honestly, but iran not only is an existential threat to israel, which we all understand and get and the clock is ticking, but iran has shown over the years they are capable through approximateys like hezbollah to attack this hems --

hemisphere. .. in a terrorist armed with a nuclear weapon. anybody think about the fact that iran is one of the worst state sponsors of terror today and our sponsorship as those

groups hamas and hezbollah tells you that not only do you run the risk that they will transfer the weapon at upcoming transfer a charity bomb, but also the potential for nuclear blackmail. and when you think about people who say we could contain a nuclear armed iran, you hear people often say we contain the soviet union. but i would tell you that when you think about a hamas, hezbollah terrorist who is interested in doing anything possible to die for allah, that that person is much more likely to actually use a nuclear weapon in the soviet union never would have banned. the danger is much greater. [applause] and i just want to make one other point in this issue. when you hear the news discussions about the united states intelligence sides the israeli intelligence is why, i would tell you that america's track record on predict dean venetians reach nuclear capability is abysmal, that we

completely mass -- [applause] the indian trust, the pakistan hs before the first gulf war. the israelis understood far better than we did the status of saddam's nuclear program and just back in 2007, it was not until the israelis came to the united states with photos of the nuclear plant the north koreans were building in the desert that we understood there was a nuclear facility thayer. so putting your -- putting your security at the united states can a state of israel in the hands of american intelligence ability to predict the nuclear program i would say it's a very dangerous path to go down. [applause] >> can you paint a picture of us, how far does iran's influence reached already in but does that mean quite

>> well, i think iran was trying to play. the brother missile big brother for the middle east. and they do believe they are having a nuclear bomb for the perception that they are very close hanging in there, just beneath the nuclear threshold will give a boost to thayer operations for hegemony. that there are three things the iranians are now engaged in. number one is trying to save prep the president after the massive share of the spotter in the city of primary importance to them because this is the formation between hezbollah, iran and syria. number two, they are making absolutely concentrated effort in order to prevent their

relationship with the greatest in a state in the region and the middle east from becoming relations of rivalry and set up relations at sun cooperation. and the other thing is that the iranians are trying to prove to the movement, which are taking over many countries in the middle east, that the sunni shiite divide is probably bridger bowl. and i just refer you quickly to the fact that because the leader of iran was the translator about the muslim brotherhood writing and they are making enormous efforts, saying to the muslim brothers, hey, your concept of islamic states is not that different from how many conduct peer >> will come onto syria in a minute. then they come back and talk about sanctions. we see the reality is having

difficult conducting financial transactions. but the nuclear program continues. semi crash and has come our sanctions having an impact in what work can be done? >> i think it is clear that the sanctions are having an impact on the economy of iran. there's no evidence that the sanctions are having an impact at all on the nuke their weapons program that iran is undertaking. and i think it was important to remember here is a look at what iran is doing. it often seems to be the case that people say they need to obtain it up a sophistication that other countries have attained. they need to be able to weapon nice the iranian put the rainy anonymous soul and be able to test it in a way that we've seen other nations do. i would urge that in fact it's absolutely not the case.

it is critically important that we understand where the redline should be. iran cannot be allowed to be capable of doing those things. [applause] and finally, i would note that anyone who tells you they haven't decided whether or not to pursue a nuclear weapon needs to explain why then are they willing to stomach the economic pain of the sanctions and why are they turning the iaea away repeatedly emphasized as the international community wants to see. >> i may want to comment on this as well. let me ask you. should that be a redline to the united states? what dangers does that pose even before it becomes an iran got a nuclear weapon about to break out to the nuclear weapon? >> i think iran is pose considerable dangers for other reasons that have been mentioned. i do however disagree about the

assessment of our intelligence capability. this is something i'm very close to and after our initial failure in iraq, congress passed the intelligence reform act and we do much better. iran is one of the toughest targets, but it's really graced us that iran is at least a year away from having a test of a weapon and two years away from being able to put it on a missile. that's the general agreement. then comes the question in the meantime. that was a very tough issue. israel is struggling with it and so are we. it was hard to read the interview that president obama had with jeff goldberg in atlanta magazine where he made it clear it is not the blessing and containment is not an option. containment must not be an option. we must all agree on that. >> he pointed out or who just pointed out that the muslim brotherhood is now and political

power, and countries surrounding israel and it's very important to think about the changes in the neighborhood as we think about how to stop iran. so my suggestion here is with respect to sanctions first, they will fully cake and this summer, even the iranians have admitted that they are fighting. the route has been divided by 75%. the transportation banking and petrochemical industries have been davis stated inside iran. there are no spare parts and factories. the gdp is that any iranians compared to polls are blaming their government which is fighting with each other rather than mass. the entire world disk operating. he is 300 sales to iran has cut back on his purchases of gas from iran and gas and oil and it seems to me that we should let a

few more months go by to give success to chance. finally, let me comment on syria. if we can break syria away from iran and tonight he ran for backdoor to hezbollah and to hamas and to lebanon into israel, that will be an additional excuse strategic letter to the iranian regime. so i think we have a few more months and i think cory would urge our president, obama is to make absolutely clear that he will at, use the military component if he has to do to prevent iran from getting a nuclear weapon. [applause] >> i imagine they could spend the entire panel talking about iran, but i do want to cover more ground. i imagine we'll hear more in the next couple of days about the american assessment and israeli assessment and so on

rootlessness onto syria which is in the midst of an horrific crackdown. eight dollars is a fairly widely circulated figure people killed at the regime. first of all from the effective affaires, what does the instability in the north mean for israel? ironically it has been a very, very quiet order for us for decades. >> first, just a word about iraq. it's very important to keep in mind the iranians had taken a decision. they've taken a decision. the decision is to do everything so they get as close within reach of the breakthrough, which will probably take 60 days, no more. it is between the visit of the iaea inspect as to iran will be able to enrich uranium. so this decision has been taken.

i think israel has taken a decision, a quiet decision that we do not know in syria is better than the devil we know. the nuclear terror, the total support of syria and makes will fire israel and the war in 06 and missiles that came from iran, for example. i believe from an israeli perspective and iran is extremely important. i do not share the concern of many diphtheria is bound to fall under the leadership. people tend to forget. syria is a country consisting of about 40% minorities. 10% christian, et cetera.

it's going to be very difficult to gain faith jury in syria at the same way they did in egypt, iraq and lately morocco. so from an israeli point of view, let it go. >> let's be specific. how can we get rid if the machine that damascus? is military intervention something that should be considered? >> at a military pension would be difficult or i would lose the coalition we put together with the tragic exception of china and russia to support regime change. i did suggest in an article last week in "the wall street journal" that the example of yemen might be worth looking at. six months ago i would've said at least for that snapshot in time to yemen was the most dangerous place on earth. that is before president obama helps to take down unlucky in a

couple of others who regaining materials into our country and inspiring seminar country to engage in acts of violence. in addition of that, what we did in the forty-year dictator and gannon although i've persuaded the committed war crimes against the people. the better course is to get the nod as they are just now headed to exile and there's a peaceful transition and an election of his former vice president who has pretty much universal acceptance in the country. the acts of violence has stopped more or less. the united states still has access to curb any al qaeda people who may be hiding out in the boonies of yemen and intend to attack us. at that kind of deal could be worked in the area, even though i had the same view as all of

you do about the atrocities committed, i think we would keep that country and break it away from iran and that would be a very big component of our strategy to change policy in iran. >> the question of the potential regime and especially implications for iran. >> i'll answer that, but i want to go back for just a moment because it is such a hugely important issue. the test here is not when will i grant it's what then? the breadline must calm much thinner than not. and second light, the president interview with jeffrey gold urkel interestingness not a policy to never run in the room

knows that president obama has spent many, many months now issuing public statements more focused on containing the israeli action than they have been westphalian iran. [applause] i think everyone on this panel and everyone in this room hopes that military action could be avoided. that is the only possible way for it to be avoided if it the iranians understand that we will stand firmly, shoulder to shoulder with the israelis and we will in fact take military action if necessary. [applause] >> let me ask you very quickly to address that series of questions. the consequence is invoked in hezbollah.

>> clearly as james said in this that cometh in america's interest for us not to go and israel's interests than it will clearly hurt iran. iran odyssey is the syria and bishara sought as a toehold in the arab world as a place to which they funnel weapons to terrorist nations and it's past time for thought to go. having said that, assad's departure is necessary but it's not sufficient. we had to be concerned with what comes next. here again i think it is important. i wish it had more faith in the current foreign policy teams here in washington. it's a very complicated situation. we would not like to see the muslim brotherhood comes to power after his thought. we need to be working very closely with the opposition in syria. we had to be arming the opposition in my opinion today and we should be working closely with them to ensure that the muslim brotherhood dismount

alouette. >> i'm going to press on now but there's still a fair amount of ground want to cover. we tacked to a hezbollah and syria and iran. also from hamas and and a possible reconciliation between hamas and the palestinian authority. so what is not noted by thinking by inviting him into his government? >> i don't think i've ever been asked before to speak to the palestinian authority. >> i think it's absolutely clear that the message from washington d.c. publicly must be that the palestinians will never have they stated that terry is in their government. [applause] >> let me quickly go on with gene in the same train of thought. it is expected to go bond with

the matter for hamas? >> no. absolutely not. they may disagree that what was his comments about this administration focusing only on containing israel. it think this administration has done more than any in history to help israel protect yourself. there is a 10 year come at $30 billion military commitment in the $3.1 billion in this year. there's over $600 million to be spent on missile defense, twice so we spent. it's already saving my spirit is strong credit to israel's qualitative edge in a definite military intelligence cooperation between our countries. i agree that it is important for president obama who will speak to sam to get the israelis and the iranians to believe that he

will act including what he calls the military compound that in order to prevent iran from getting a nuclear weapon. it's important to gain that trust in the way to do just make clear he will act. if iran almanacs and she proceeds will be used against her. so the strongest possible communication is necessary. but in the end, we should understand we have a world coalition now supporting sanctions against iran. we have most of a world coalition trying to force regime change in syria. the sanctions have not only taken a fact yet and if we can find the man's to stop iran, stop iran from getting a nuclear weapon short of military action, i think we could potentially prevent something that has been hard for our country, which is the ten-year saga in iraq and

afghanistan. it's much easier to go into a country and to leave it and we have paid dearly in treasure and lives and the results in those places are still uncertain. it's very upsetting that the head of iraq, maliki is pro-iranian. that is a very, very troubling facts. there seems to me to the extent we can be clear eyed and focused together an initial set of guidelines and it is absolutely clear that the u.s. will act hopefully with the world coalition can and using military force if nothing else works, and that is the best defense of israel and the best way to change the policy in iran. [applause] >> what i want to do now, i hope we'll be able to, was spoken of some of the guys in israel's borders and some on the ground inside. i see my colleague to go live to the diplomatic correspondent of the times of israel.

as an israeli, what are the threats that most concern you? >> good morning, david. >> good morning, raphael. >> well, of course everyone is talking about iran that we are very well aware that the oxygen mashhad regime is inching towards nuclear weapons and we are keeping an eye on the situation of course looking forward to what's been discussed at the aipac conference in the meeting between president obama in prime minister nat and yahoo!. then the conversation between those who feel that israel needs to launch a preemptive strike at iran to perpetuate in a way that was cited in 1981 when israel established that it will not tolerate acquiring nuclear weapons, then there is those supporters who feel that the consequences of a military

strike in iran would be so dangerous that it would be about twice as far as he sat in israel that 20,000 missiles are being lodged in israel that could be fired at any given time if israel attacks anyone decides to retaliate. bishara said spoke recently at about such in retaliation, so we are very worried that, but on the other hand it would be a mistake to think that iraq is are panicking. they're certainly not panicking. the same is true for internal assent. it is of marginal phenomenon as a state and israeli fields pretty safe. a quick word on syria. of course the topic that dominates the headline here over the weekend. people are outraged when they see these images on a television

and of course everybody is worried what is going to happen the day after. finally a word on egypt. of course we are very worried about what is happening in egypt, the peace treaty is very important to israel strategically in israel's remember very well last year with israeli embassy was attacked and the embassy is actually still not in its original state. the new ambassador however gave last week as credential to mission tallied in a cordele ceremony i think was placed in hansford shaked and were exchanged and told the israeli that it's very important for the two state to maintain the peace that was signed in 1979. >> ostia back in new york on

wednesday. >> let's move to the fact that for 30 years israel has been able to plan it to kerry's strategy with a secure seven border in mind. with the changes in egypt and israel has to rethink its baseline for different needs. so i was looking at eject. do you think that the new egyptian government as it takes shape will seek to uphold the peace treaty? >> i believe the position of the muslim world would like to preserve the peace treaty. every statement i've collected of the leadership indicates that they don't want to bury the treaty. there is talk about some amendments which is very dangerous. not the amendment but they are seeking has to do with what the military deployment. but here is the point.

accepting a different planet that is closer to the israeli border for the simpler reason that admit to is three times bigger than the state of israel has become the black hole and the triangle of peace between israel, egypt and georgia. it is full of malicious. the machine can have become the new camelot. they write poems and songs to the toyota reveals to write only son for the camel. it's a different situation there and it's a pity, that the egyptian security services and egyptian police. in sinai, the egyptian government has become so under him. so there is a possibility to work out a new arrangement with

the new regime in egypt and i can say one sentence out. one sentence. and that is we have an understanding going over over a decade with the egyptians. it's called the agreed activities mechanism to the imac though, which is what the u.s., which allows for the parties to change the deployment that each of them among the puerto rican mutual concerns because activating this and then we will have it probably better chances at preventing a flareup in the peninsula. >> we are very short on time but i want to ask each of you to give us one prediction about the middle east of what we'll be talking about maxtor's policy conference. let me start with you. you've got about three seconds. >> there are clearly lots of debates here about policy in which way we have to go, particularly with respect to ibm. it's important to listen to the

rest of the speakers here that she remember there are facts. one fact is that there is no president who has done more to delegitimize an undergrad state of israel in recent history than president obama. [applause] >> let me stop you there. >> it is important to remember that president above the city went to cairo in june in 2009 and he equated the holocaust with the situation under which the palestinian side today. don't forget that when you hear additional different words for that president. i predict that when we meet here next year for the policy conference, it will be to celebrate a restored american israeli relationship under random american president. [applause] going to ask you your

addictions. >> i think it is a grave mistake as i said at the beginning to turn the support of israel into a political for all. and i won't. my prediction is the world community will stick together on iran and by the end of this year, this is a game changer year. we will can't together to the right answer about how to stop iran, but also he must pay attention to pakistan. let's not forget that as a country next-door door to iran with 100 actual nuclear weapons and building more in the family of failing civil government, a military force protecting terror groups inside of pakistan and jeff goldberg's last article was called allies and made the point that there at least six nuclear sites in pakistan that are not adequately protected areas of

this matters to israel and aipac and the united states, to. >> mixtures protection. >> by next year we will see more countries and wedged the arabs are transforming themselves for the first time in history from subjects to citizens. number two, i think that next time this year we will appeal to judge better weather it is democracy, which is coming to the arab world or sound systems, was unfortunately a possibility. and it very thing we will be seeing them made into nuclear program or the rain and spoke the quite a bit ahead. >> thank you, ladies and gentlemen so much for your attention this mong