you have been as regular a presence in the prison what sort of relationships you are able to maintain with these men and then on the political front not for a false linaria but let hope perhaps do you already see in the argument taking on and more political role in terms of the movement of the mess incarceration that you mentioned for the recent gains and the critique. so personally where has the book to can you in your sort of afterlife but then also politically where do you see the book in engaging?

..

>> i did that. i talked a number of class's in the years that followed through the villanova program. is that enough? i don't know. i am not a perfectionists so i feel if i have some kind of irresponsible practice going and that is not the worst thing in the world. right now i am working on a project with of the anthropologist that has language from i zia -- isiah we are having a conference in the fall and writing a book i think that we will try to make public to

marshal the religious resources that might prove useful in helping to cultivate a mass movement against mass incarceration that we have going on a 200 years ago against slavery. i await to myself to be engaged in these practices in some way. >> host: we weren't just about at the end of our time. thank you again for the book which i think is a necessary voice and final contribution to these conversations. for any of us that might be concerned about the politics of mass incarceration. thank you for the concert -- conversation.

>> for those of a certain age now is a familiar face and this is kennedy.

mtv vj, kennedy, what is your full name? >> lisa kennedy montgomery. lisa montgomery was to log for the radio i started a los angeles 1991 so it was the virgin kennedy that was at a big alternative radio station. >> host: how did you get to mtv? >> guest: my boss, let's get that. people give me a hard time for being naked on a horse. i am not naked on a horse. that is a dante. back off people. my boss hired me when he went t me when he went to go in the show and and at the time they were tegea the look of mtv they wanted vj and i was at the

right place at the right time so i became a vj in 1982. >> guest: how did that change your life? >> i've moved to new york and i did not know what to expect i know the night before i was shopping at a garage restore in l.a. and i thought will i be mobbed? site that would be a light switch and people would follow me screaming. it to local long time to be recognized. it was interesting and strange and kind of lonely i was far away from my family but at the same time i knew this great adventure had begun and i made a personal challenge to myself the matter what happened i would maximize every moment to take advantage of every interview and every experience. >> host: were you a conservative at that time? >> guest: sova identified to service debt at that time i did that now with a

libertarian was an kirk loader introduced me to libertarianism. i knew it had a great mystique that was little understood within politics but i identified as a conservative republican. >> host: real out? >> guest: not a first because i went to a 13 week trial period and i did not want to get fired i did not know how easily i could be dismissed or try to keep politics to myself but i little -- to enjoy a little discourse i wait to jump in and correct course. >> host: why did you keep them private? >> guest: and tb was known for being pretty leftist. new york, 1982 lot of bosses were baby boomers site came

in during the first campaign i am not saying they were pushing clinton but a lot of people were excited about the idea of the clinton presidency. they did not try to hide their politics so at some point i was outbid from "the washington post". >> host: then we you allowed to talk politics of the air? >> guest: i was encouraged because i was not the host of a political show also not volleyball or auto repair but i did have a lot of interviews with musicians that consider themselves to be very political even with rage against the machine he has the ideology that is very confining that in his

world if you don't agree you are the enemy there is very little room for actual free thought. and then i call him on it. with the limits of their freedom you would assume that it was of lifestyle but in fact, their views are really confined with anybody else and i would come across in my career. >> host: kennedy how do you describe the political power during the '90s? >> guest: incredibly powerful because they realized they could pass in to a generation of future voters. this is also a time when you are your most passionate and realize you could turn that passion into politics it

would be an incredible force and regardless if ivory or disagree of the politics. i like the fact they've wanted to engage people and they wanted people to express them learn about their own political meanings and feelings. every once an a while i will get bloodied and mix it up i thought that was for the benefit of all. it will make you a better person for it. >> host: you had a campaign of jews clinton or abuse bush. >> guest: that is what it felt like a and a lot of people felt that way in 1982 it was still economically pretty depressed. as much as they did in 2008 they wanted optimism to turn the page in see the country

go in a different direction and here's someone that represented the ideology of most baby boomers is since baby boomers were running mtv is seemed very natural they would get caught up. >> host: in that "the kennedy chronicles" you write that the entire time i was drugged a vegetarian, a virgin and a smoke-free. was that rare? >> guest: to have all of those, yes -- yes that was pretty rare even the pop rockers that call that a straight edge. but like being in full control of your body, i did not have that intentioned but it just so happens to drugs and alcohol did not do anything for me.

but if i was under the influence i honestly did not need them and was more fun to document things that night before of the next morning. >> so you also talk about the amounts of cocaine that were available. of i joke there were mountains of cocaine and plastic surgeons are the call. [laughter] it was basic cable. nobody would foot the bill that was a joke. >> host: what happened when bill clinton and al gore came to the studios? >> guest: i will never know what happened at the studios because i was not allowed. literally they would find a far this place for me to

travel and put me in a car and take me there usually with camera crews so it was not like that was at the zoo because i would sneak onto a train to see if i could cause trouble there would always find a remote shoot for me when somebody was real power was visiting the studio. i think the word i would say something like i did to rod stewart not only embarrass the network but get in trouble with the government. >> host: you have a chapter in here i will show to the audience. what is this about? >> guest: the 1983 inaugural ball because the president has a great fortune to attend many cotillions and many word that knives -- were nice. >> host: explained mtv was a the thrilled and kiddie to finally throw a

rock-and-roll presidency a rock-and-roll is inaugural ball. this was the greatest concentration of power i had ever seen whether politicians, actors, musicia ns, in that moment, the biggest people on earth were all at the mtv inaugural ball park of you were a lobbyist, a staffer, you would have punched a person in the mouth to get a ticket to that yvette. i was allowed to go because i was a vj so when another vj where the people they barely lets into the fed to and i wented with a great deal of sadness because i felt the country was going down the tubes with socialism. >> host: when bill clinton and al gore went on stage you write that the grand old party boys and die distinctively started to chant nixon and now.

nixon now. >> guest: we figured it could not get much worse. [laughter] and there were a bunch of bumper stickers circulating he is arrested if he is ready because he was still alive and we thought how ironic. >> host: why are you here at freedom pass a libertarian group, a kennedy? >> with reason tv i have worked with them for a year-and-a-half and i love it and i love the pieces that i do with them. there is a tie-in of creativity with a solid message i don't think that libertarians should let that define them is different things to different people and you should find that for yourself. freedom fest is great because it brings people together who are questioning what is the function of

government? should be beyond the gold standard? we have a lot of precious metal. i am wearing it right now. >> host: have your politics changed over the years? >> guest: i would say not drastically but how i feel about certain issues has seibald. when i moved to seattle and i left mtv that i refined my voice as a libertarian because at mtv i was given iran a and it sure did meyer lemons i had the great fortune to you do talk radio and it is very leftists but if you get outside of seattle people are more conservative people who don't even know they are libertarians and that is what i really started to engage in the discussion to bring people to the light to realize for themselves and their belief is really limited government and let

them do what they do best on their own and they're the best barometer for their choices in action and said i always felt that way but now i just found out more with issues and being on talk radio and righty in working for reason has held that. >> host: would you think about the current political situation in america? >> guest: it is very interesting. ripe for a libertarian group of people to really show them how you doing it and how people's lives can be better because now we see in so many ways that people would not imagine four or five years ago that a terrifyingly force if you stop and think about it, when conspiracy theorist start selling rational you know, it is in trouble. >> host: you have another chapter in here is this

about mayor judy collins -- judea -- mayor guiliani. >> guest: into his tenure he tried to bring the video music awards to york city and had been in los angeles. i attended the last three at universal wert mtv was going to take it out a times square and the mayor said we will roll out the red carpet and they took on a challenge for the first year they said we will let some of the vj really be a part of the show and present the awards had we will treat you like stars. it is a new era. by 22nd birthday i was so excited. one of the very first things i did on camera with bill bellamy in the mayor of new york society -- new york city we about go on york tv

the biggest award of the night we were going to present that as i was standing there roseanne was the host she started to make fun of me and called me out as a republican she had seen backstage it is doing something with rush limbaugh and the crowd started to brew and it freaked me out. so they were booing very loudly i thought i have to get them back-and-forth so i did that thing with my mouth on the microphone that the crowd that she cited was rush limbaugh and they started laughing but would did not occur to vibrate in bat dimples this could have severe ramifications not only for me and my job and mtv and their relationship

so this ceo of mtv networks the odor of of viacom are watching this saying who is this kennedy? he literally wanted me fired back a second and then backed that i kept my job for three more years is a miracle beyond my understanding. >> host: what you think of their role of american society? is a positive? >> guest: by and large i think our era was very positive and that is one reason i wrote the book because every generation has there venera ease culture happens to have their time in the sun mine was in the '90s and it is such a great contrast with the way media is now. that is one of the reasons so many people come up to me they miss seeing music on tv that