christopher buckley discusses his latest novel to gain congressional approval for a secret poppins system. this is about 40 minutes. [applause] >> thank you for coming out on a lovely friday night and washington that is truly in its glory. you have traces didn't the founding whether but you honored me by being here.

[applause] >> this is my 15th reading. don't worry. barbara need with one introductions started to introduce me the lo we use of politics and prose. i grew up here but my first reading was 1982. thank you for the generous introduction to although they can be funny. after a couple of books i tired of green beans the author paragraph. you know, the parched

writing the back they pretend they did not. i started to make them up. [laughter] is saying he and ben adviser to every american president since taft. [laughter] about day 10 of the book tour this is only did number five. a freshman college roommate is here. by day number 10 you are a little punchy. merisel hierarchy of interviewers, npr and c-span of course.

but there were cars honking in the background. [laughter] but in response i went into the studio the host was a hunch over over the and then to say you were the adviser to william howe word taft? [laughter] and said yes. yes i was. now going into the cro-magnon we could talk about that.

>> but then invited back it was worth it. [laughter] here i stand before you. and new view a reprocess. but it is great to be back in washington. i can no longer be accused of being the inside the bill late elitist burper i am now the fine and a number five. this is lourdes washington losses and where i came to write speeches or george h. to be bush when he was vice president.

but in washington the characters come us scoundrels my 10 to take after their author. reversed one add a tobacco lobbyist. they made a move the. >> you are not afraid. [laughter] >> man on subway platform. [laughter] i urge you. [laughter] so in the course of 20 years

echoes from the tobacco lobbyist but i've wanted to write to book. >> maybe a rehash of 10 enough to remember president eisenhower's farewell address with the military industrial complex. here we are 52 years later. by a look at. england spends 62 and france

is 62 point* 5 billion. i think they want to keep parity testing case. [laughter] >> the main character of the book bird mcintyre looming characters is based in alabama. in the book the congress is concerned about spending. so you know, right away it is fiction. [laughter] and he has come up with the

scary weapons program aimed at tied at. >> but not be enough. there is the entity the code dependency council. who is to say they are listening? we depend on china to pay our monthly mortgage. redo that in order to build weapons to protect us from china. for those moments somebody

informed yogi berra o jewish woman was head of the blood and he said only in america. [laughter] so with the fomenting anti-chinese says it is time to put the red back into regina. he goes off to do research how to do this. he sees a woman named and tumbled 10. with a ph.d. pentagon work and reminded you of the outrageous planned it.

>> some day i would like to have my own think-tank. it is the institut -- institute for continuing conflict as part of the movement from the outside and the inside, they do not care brought domestic policy as long as america is involved with more. drones are okay but not to end combat as long as they do not have to get their hands dirty. they remember us feigns. >> it was perfectly sound but seoul explains the

situation and senses he is of the right place for the institute of conflict is the quote by a barry goldwater, and the defense of liberty is no vice. so they have this polymer -- burma proposes a planter rumor that the chinese tried to assassinate the dali lama. he has become convinced with of power grab. ito is skeptical.

watery offering for evidence ? the she is still little skeptical we posted on the facebook page you expect this on with their are details to be worked out but the dolly lawmen is the one paying that americans care about. human rights? chinese factories? global warming, taiwan? wasn't that the novel? when is the last time you heard anybody say we must food to war with china over time one but the world loves this guy. he is 75 year-old as glasses and sandals and peace and

harmony and reincarnation prepare you cannot get enough of him but if the american public retooled the evil economies wine put to radioactive pellets in the yak butter is it that appear problem? they said beijing will just the ninth it. that is the beauty. again and again the end again. they can say we did not do that to the dali lama. angel says please don't use that expression. so they plant the rumor and things take off from their. this is the first book i have written involving china. there was a challenge

involved you have to make up the names for characters and charles dickens was pretty good. [laughter] but chinese names are complex. who can recite the full name of the blind activist seeking refuge? but even end over there using the initials it looks like kfc and looks like they are promoting pride chicken. i thought i had pressed me -- keep the names memorable.

so it occurred to me that all of the names are variations of the musical scale. [laughter] i once had a character named tofu pro this was a talented. i came across but it is less risky. [laughter] your henry kissinger you can just call your book on china. they will buy it. [laughter]

but this term as but term called that means roughly the art of understanding the masters in flocks. shi happens. and there is a lot y / we've been there? there would tell you more but then what incentive would you have? also to mention the new study that just came out to mr. delaware, very scientific that shows people who pay full retail price.

[laughter] he was very sad to evict and conducted by the authors guild. i believe to entertain questions on the greatness odd charlie peters. [applause] but only one. >> we have time for questions but you need to come to the microphone. >> i can and asked myself the question.

charlie how have you been? [laughter] [inaudible] charlie peters founding editor asks what has happened to liberal republicans? and why? is this a trick question? i was saddened to see richard lugar was defeated.

he was mayor of indianapolis and defeated in a prairie contest by the candidate of the tea party. so what seems or the electorate went to the heart rate or the hard left i was struck by the fact the french, by law, elections can only last one month. it is not a perfect system. you still end up with a french president. [laughter] but maybe we take a clue from the french playbook. it talks about the sensible center and then for the

vacant space there are many factors. the 24/7 news cycle. when it was growing e. when it was growing up when they decided to extend walter cronkite act 30 minutes. what do we put on? but there it is the scorpion and the bottle element. but that is not the main problem. [laughter] but perhaps it will come back.

these campaigns drive away some of their people. it has become very easy to be cynical. >> but what about south dakota? yes? [inaudible] >> did i immerse myself in chinese literature? deeply. i would have talked about that but it is a very

sophisticated subject program not sure an audience like this could keep up. we can talk about shi. [laughter] what does it say? >> following up i am curious since you can nine and some of which he must have seen in the closing days of his life. but now b.c. may be that is

not a fair question. >> thank you for the question. it is the novelty to challenge. it did not end up so well. my father died 2008 and i think although had it not been -- it has been said i faint he lived to see

history coalesce and that certain ways. but he launched shi. not flippantly but the direction of velocity of ideas. he was asked some time before he died put he thought of the modern conservative movement. he answered in the way he thought the movement was being made kristian is a shin. [laughter] that sent a few people to the dictionary. imus him terribly and mentally i reach for the

phone went into that this take putt ironclad he is not >> >> there could be the element of complexity commerce bourse phone-number grow i grew up with the father of fiscal republican and i didn't realize there were certain things we were issued. i did not know being gay was an issue. we were taught to be tolerant. he was the child of an immigrant. the depression for his being

a republican and fiscally but at the same time he could embrace or respect being very able to her and his views. by this him desperately. but i find that is missing man as we are a nation of a fundamentalist. i don't think it is just my perspective. >> it is surely us subject for better mind to address every time you look up somebody goes on. but if you look back at the

18 1/6 the campaign but in this newspaper editorial but our current president, i suppose. we do seem to be angry and frankly and i am sorry. i tried to write funny books but the book is also about to the fact we are running on deficits.

>> i remember the educational films we would have been grade school in essentially propaganda but the one that got to me why is china, the sleeping giant. i had images that cheney's would climb in our would boost and take us over. [laughter] i look forward to reading your book. >> thank you for your question. [applause] >> any chance doomsday could become a movie? this the tells really well. i cannot wait. >> number of my books are

what is called in development hell. [laughter] >> it takes several miracles for a book to become a movie unless the author is steven kane or john grisham. ernest hemingway, most of his books were made into movies and apparently he hated every one. but he despised that world so formulated hemingway's rules for dealing with hollywood. you take a manuscript of your book then put it in the trunk of your car. drive to the california state line and stop and take

the manuscript of the trump and make them throw the money across first of five then you hurled the manuscript and drive east. it is said could rule but 445? let sure these the rhone is officially attached to of florence -- lawrence of arabia. sheet is attached to the project. what does that mean? they have stapled her to the script? [laughter] and you will have noticed

that her latest movie was not this one. [laughter] the answer is, i don't know. but to say i have nothing for you on that at this time. >> once you start hardie you discipline yourself and what is your day like? [laughter] soleil people say you write funny books do you laugh?

>> some they once asked of anthony, who was he could write two books per year? it does not quite to work. how long did the last one take? >> 59 years. [laughter] that is true. >> you said you don't laugh when you write to but to. >> one does laugh when they read it.

[laughter] my wife was trying to read another book at the time. i would say you have to hear this. [laughter] and then finally she said shut up. but then it is not a question really. with then to say things that remind you of its. doomsday.

or lawrence of arabia. as a mixed grab i should not quote what comes up. [laughter] not a question and and but thank you for going through the agony. >> arrow was afraid you word quote a great line mark twain said about a book of the henry james. once you put it down, you can pick it up. [laughter] thank you. [applause] >> my history of financial institutions is learning these things.

in 1811 misstated new york created a new securities law that, a corporate law to allow anybody to set up a corporation with minimal restrictions. and if you were in a company accused of wrongdoing the lawsuit could not go after your assets because you invested in the company. before that people were and -- are afraid so it made it a family business. the law changed everything. according to david ross, it created s sense of pleasure

and people used to invest in the lottery. gambling. finding out if your number came up. as a limited liability, it was fun. people need to enjoy life to get out of bet. it looks like they play the game and is selfish but others say it is gambling and we should shut it down. worse than that. but after years of experience 18 people say we need to let them in gold to to -- indulgent.

so let me go another 10 or 15 minutes. so to talk about the future and the radius, to move into the future, what happens tomorrow is obama's said he will sign said jobs act. is called tums hurt the business start-ups. it swells jobs. i like it. but as an experiment it may not work well. but the jobs act from they

wanted to create a fun day would say. but then thousand serve millions of investors all over the world can send money to start a business. bid is endorsed by a lot of people. and it is just as wild as wikipedia. before that started to say i will open the on-line encyclopedia and anybody can add to it. my first reaction is coming back is a dumb idea. but it is about how people can work together.

this is a good experiment. there are a lot of cheap its and somebody will still many. with the legislation you have to document your and come in comes up of 40,000 you cannot invest more than 2 percent of your income. it is small for each individual. it is designed to protect people. did you get eno enough you have real capital

>> i am wrapping up citizens of london. a marvelous history of the prominent people of edward r. murrow. the fayyad rather strongly held views and abell harriman sent to deal with the land lease program and to the ambassador who replaced joseph kennedy's father who was partial to the german zeiss suspect have roosevelt brought him home. it is day interaction end aggressive advocacy of the united states breaking out

of isolationist mood to get out of four. and another book called trouble some young men. those who rallied behind winston churchill and orchestrated his riotous to the prime minister's job when they felt. but it is a great look at the early stages of world war ii. i highly recommend them.

research included traveling the globe to speak of the president's relatives to discover his ancestry with lake victoria. also found the origins of his mother's family. the story comes out june 19. looking at exclusive pictures or video from when we traveled with the author 2010.

and then your phone calls on booktv. lots of candles plenty of cake. >> what was your first job at the new york times? >> i was at general assignment reporter which is really all i ever wan