>> celebrating a dream of

dr. king but also susan b. anthony recognized on monday when we celebrated women's suffrage i dream of a nation that none of us would be judged either by the color of our skin or the number of chromosomes but by the content of our character and equal justice. this is a special time to talk with you about this commitment we all have a and the commitment of mind to write the book i thought it was an important time in our history following what we talked about with the election we recently had to recognize women really need to forge ahead not just freedom but the equal and full participation in our political life. i started to think about this book a few years ago

and i thought with those 18,000? in the glass ceiling what is needed? the typical book i looked at the books that was out there in nassau favor with fax in figures and how to meet fundraising reports or meeting deadlines or wonderful books about community organizing which we could talk more about which is a requisite step the what i did not see is why not me? the truce tallying inspiration all primer for women who want to be public leaders or the elected officials or appointed officials and i thought why not forge ahead? leer at a point in history

we have had a lot of experience we have been at this for decades in there is a lot of great wisdom to be shared in stories to be told and the encouragement to be given to our sisters and brothers who want to help. i decided on this inspirational book i thought what are that attributes? the number of things came to mind. but for me to share with you i cave in to the conclusion that the stories it would tell a ended the advice it would share would reflect. the book skinny bitch was a

whole different john rath with the cliche they say just doing. if you don't want to be fat then don't eat cupcakes. i can understand that i cannot apply that. [laughter] but it is true in this context if you want to campaign to win then stop sleeping late. i thought i will be as honest as that the and as frank as those authors has been. the second attribute harkening back to the year earlier for many of us that were involved in the fight was a book called sisterhood is powerful edited by a. robert morgenthau and i

thought yes, what is important about that 40 years later? we'll reassert that power in dissert that sisterhood we will and not only for ourselves as individuals but given as a group. secondly that was the message i wanted to communicate in this book that i think is terribly important today when there is perhaps the time when we focus on the individual and her achievements not enough on the group or what it takes to succeed is bigger better. the third thing that i thought about it as i was imagining the theme of the book was i remembered a continuing hero of mine once they that surely -- shirley said, i am paraphrasing but

she adds ben discriminated more as a woman they and african-american and impartiality and for president on because she was a woman he had wanted to make that statement. what i gathered from that's we must understate and as these fight in the political sphere there is that ongoing discrimination that is a very interesting comment to say i made a state misheard and and i made a set of beliefs we had other women follow her so i want to communicate that idea as well there is no sense to be afraid and holding back i

concluded this book to speak colloquial from my home tie up one dash hometown of chicago to say what type was for those who would to be public leaders and influential leaders. i will read some excerpts but i just want to say briefly why i felt i was the person to right this back. but when i concluded is being both the public official for many years and a leader of with his advocacy organizations my whole adult life that i understood this notice speak insider drill once you're in the office for the decisions are made, how that works. i also realized at the same

time that i really a person who identified is as her hero the women in the men beating down the door to get inside. that was a prospective i wanted to bring because if we are to move beyond the numbers that we have been in congress come as wonderful as they are we really have to work hard to encourage women to run. dash no longer a public official or running an organization i continue as an advocate so let me take a try at this. if i thought about the women who have remained as inspirational people for me and i realize in addition to

huge shirley chisholm, jane addams, i did b. wells wells, golden my year a and none of these amendments words none of them shrunk from a fight but stayed true to their heart that is what i was compelled we do the best we can but we tried to stay true to our hearts. a want to share several excerpts but let me tell you have the book is organized it is intertwined with advice and inspiration.

i interviewed people thought all of the country and rolled from the public record including secretary of state clinton. as i played in the introduction there were from the mississippi to manhattan that was deliberate and it is important to share the notion with women who dream of public office there are important offices everywhere not own the d.c. running big organizations. that is the commitment i made to share stories. these lessons are divided into four sections. the first is called every day is election day the second is take on the big boys the third, you can never cared too much in the fourth coopted and control.

i will read some excerpts that i look forward to looking forward to the discussion with there is some amazing women in some great stories i think we can all benefit from hearing at this very important rock obama three sid me he worked on the south side i chaired the committee to oversee the $300 million budget. despite all you hear about political deals being made in the smoky backroom it is not fundamentally a game. review have not been invited to the backroom. so what?

is start disorganizing people to get people to join your team. that is what neighborhood leaders for up to when they invited me to attend the developing communities project and that is what i was up to when i responded it would be my pleasure to attend. a hot august night in a long way from home, the invitation was for a meeting in a church basement, a housing project in in african-american community is far from downtown as you could go and still be in the city geographically klay and figure to play but i still web. he was not a big deal then did not because i thought i would hear a new agenda that i have not heard dad or agree with the of the park's. i already knew their wish list like every another group and every other under

served neighborhood a better field house, a swimming pools the and basketball courts. but i promised and they showed up even remember what i wore. because this meeting and had not wanted to stand out of just showed up. in the second to excerpt from a chapter called die been a and stars winning, -- i didn't -- dive in and start swimming, this chapter focuses on what i will read to you here, the only woman in american history that was a sitting u.s. mail senator

for elections no small deal. dive in and start swimming too many women that want to start to start public office to not want to dive in. some will only enter with an invitation after someone else decides they have turned it. when you jump into the political pull on your own interests are your right to be there whether a righteous cause or you want to be a political somebody don't assume the competition will be fair. to choose another metaphor metaphor, take the hit him to go back to your corner in wipe the sweat off your brow and come back swinging. barack obama is an excellent role model in this apartment two years and the senate, no foreign policy experience and no executive experience be he presumed he could be president of the united states. he did not lead to sure reza

may deter him nor was he deterred that he would be accused of hubris. he simply stated he wanted the job and was willing to enter the ring to fight for it. sarah palin is another chose the route. you don't have to like these folks to agree with their political views to appreciate their strategic brilliance they now picking a fight with the big guy helps in the effort to be tim but the louisiana governor my favorite example also knew it. before he was governor he was 25 running for a seat but did not spend his time writing position papers to get the big boys to like him he picked a fight with standard oil of the biggest in the breezy and at that time and said the huge company was his enemy

criticizing it vociferously making speeches to people struggling to pay their utility bills because he became their equal. stab and now was only one of 30 ever elected to the senate in she has been reelected twice. she was in her mid-20s when she first ran for office bt more established candidates before that she managed her campaign of her husband and then when he lost he said you should run your life to campaign and talk to people. said the staff and now uploaded had deeper roots in the community and more political experience but she ignored his advantages they moved ahead with the belief in yourself keeping the local nursing-home open to low income senior citizens to those who depended on it.

stabenow did not know health care policy or the ins and outs of the operation but she knew if she won, and nursing home residents could use medicaid to pay their bills. stabenow knew she was young but knew she could a and would learn more hall of those experiences are valuable you don't need a political science degree. >> in the third excerpt this is a chapter use your connections just like the men do. having a family member in public office should not be a deal breaker for a woman who seeks election this

could be used as a good although the mail dynasties hardly cause a raised eyebrow with the qualifications of their members but yet i see too many women who want to seek public office while praying to the fear that officials may seen the political connections off-putting and decide not to put themselves forward a and others drive down another dead end by get to the notion that women should be more pure a and then take a few digits being the insiders. as a practical matter somebody may open the door to a leadership opportunity but the woman house to move it earned a vote the floor is littered with those who thought otherwise. i tell the story of two people in this story one was the attorney general of illinois.

according to many people in illinois, the most powerful but i also tell the story of catherine campbell or there -- of the of the louisiana state supreme court recently retired. it is quite compelling. she was born into a political family with the web of powerful connections in married into another in first elected to a judgeship in 1980 to. when i went to see hershey work to no large courthouse you could not get inside without going through airport type security than the big guy walks you to the elevator and walks down the hall to her office where you find it justice campbell behind a very large task. on her home turf mother's father was the sheriff after he died my uncle became the share after preferred husband was a member of the

house of representatives in the district where he grew up and she replaced her husband's uncle running for judge. she says it was instrumental to herself. you get the pitcher but clearly this is not for the faint of heart when she fears what it will always foster, a criticism but softball is only played at campaign photo ops and hardball is the way to win. >> what i say here throughout the book is the tactical approach that women need to adopt is the same you have to get more votes than the other guy or

girl, right? but the messages in the belief that you bring the police said women and the power of women is what is different and important and thirdly what is so different is recognizing some of the truce that i just tried to share with you about being willing to do things that perhaps are considered impolite or aggressive or unfounded or go against the history of women as public leaders to make the place of a cleaner place. so this says "every day is election day" yes you can take a break to hang out with your girlfriends and go to paul leidy's class but if your dream is to be a public leader recognized you have to fit them in but if you'd

do you will experience a kind of joy speaking for myself, you won't find elsewhere and i just want to close by sharing this thought with you. i begin my work has the women's advocate in the early '70s the and we put together a directory of women's services and that had never been done before. i was part of a collective in the was the thing to do it was enormously difficult. we weren't paid, we published our cells we promoted it and we were actually very successful but there was a lot of sweat a and heartache that i went

downtown and i saw this book, and chicago women's directory in the bookstore at marshall field's and downtown chicago in that book talks about equity for women. we were leaders in the process and had realized our dream. this is what i dive in and the effort so many people are engaged in to educate, train, in courage courage, demobilize, inspire women all over the country who will go forth. last, but not least '01 to close with one of these inspirational stories of when page who is the superintendent of the east jaspers school district in the southeastern part of

mississippi close to where the civil-rights workers were killed in the '60s but glenn was born in the delta of group chopping cotton, living in a three-room shack outside of clarksdale. she went to the local community colleges and became the first african-american homecoming queen at the college then had two children and had her ph.d. by the time she was 30. i was told of when he hinted he said it you will talk to him and i thought to myself if she can realize this dream then we have a duty to

encourage other women end up ourselves to fight equally hard to hear them what of rituals reach the end. think you for being here. i will be happy to talk further. [applause] id as we go into cuba and a people should come up to the microphone. i want to recognize three women who have helped me along the way. marcia, heather, and to jane. thank you for being here. [applause] >> my neece wrote the book through the cracked ceiling. >> is a great book. >> but it does not mean that

blood is not thicker than water. there are some things the you have really downplayed downplayed, if that is all things equal there is confidence, a responsibility in the specifics of how to make things better despite have the sex of what you are a and the clintons are proving ronald reagan was not that tough line guy i have not forgotten white water in those responsibilities of options trading and those pardons that were not deserved in the deal was winning the election in new york is courtesy of rudy guiliani having a mess with his private life that made bill clinton look table along with his prostate.

>> thank you for your comments this is a and important point. one of the things i believe from my inexperience that i talk a lot about is how fallible we all are. agent how we all make big mistakes and falter sometimes have their own fault but that is not a reason to keep trying to do good and i think that is where i come out each of us has our own threshold and politics may vary but what i want to do with my own right team is to do the very best that i can and to encourage people to keep trying to make the world a better place i am particularly interested to see with into that but that is a helpful thing with the times that we aryan.

>> if the clintons gave new meaning to "don't ask, don't tell" therefore there is no responsibility. >> thank you. >> when you were introduced many things were said about your background but having known you in chicago, there are many things that were not said. i will not tell all the tricks. [laughter] but there are two sayings that i think among many that rebecca was one of the first or at least the most prominent person the white woman who supported mayor washington when he ran in the primary would it was a very unpopular thing to do. and played able to galvanize for one of the great mayors of great political leaders

and also across the contest -- constituency all parts of the city to bring us together so they queue especially for this dynamic role they played in the city in chicago and you said you were right team this to be true is telling it is operational and i found your presentation also but i do have a question. [laughter] you have given us this guide how we can move ahead. but it is a time where individual women may be moving ahead and there is a push back about what we care about jade was telling me north carolina is pushing

back on everything and certainly poteen rights and reproductive rights and health care and delivery of services and it is happening state after state. if you have the advice to face this backlash against women in particular and the fundamentals of this active democracy you talk about? >> host: day. . . asking that question. part of the device is what i've learned from there washington and i will tell you about that. when i was called by his then campaign manager rob incident took so lead at the time and he said will you join the campaign? i said i was waiting for your phone call.

i could tell you more stories about my relationship with the mayor i said yes of course, but i said i also have to talk to harold about this. so i met with mayor washington in a little chinese washington -- restaurant across from his apartment and we had a coke, coca-cola. [laughter] the mayor checks the cocktail that -- napkin and i said it doesn't really matter to me whether you renner lose because i am committed to what you stand for and he looked at me under his eyebrows and said okay listen to me he wrote doubt on the cocktail napkin

literally a list of 16 words if he got 90 percent vote it does not matter what white people did he would win in the primary. that was a very important lesson to be that i think about the times we are in and the battles we are fighting because i believe it is true if we were to successfully mobilize all the of wind and in the key precincts who believe as we do they should have the right to control their own bodies they could prevail in greater numbers in the legislative districts where there are anti-choice people making laws. that is one strategy.

i tried to talk about this in the books that the issue of women's reproductive rights is uniquely ours in women who want to be in public life need to understand a and we have not always done the best job to make that case that sometimes we fall prey that if we just talked to these guys were maybe if we hired them mate -- male lobbyist it wouldn't matter but we need to do a better job to explain to women beyond then natural constituency and i tell a couple stories in the book about this and one is a story of the vice president of the school board in montana and how to adopt a

sex education curriculum in a very conservative community. when i interviewed her at the end of the conversation i am paraphrasing but she said some issues are uniquely yours and we have to make them a priority. your welcome. >> i and very sympathetic ear and impressed by the book but i want to underscore a couple points that were unique and extraordinary the insightful and healthful and one was the juxtaposition with a very empowering stories of fascinating women they are a part of history but seen from a perspective that history does not always tell

and the relevance to an individual person in the ability to step up to make the difference but from the kinds of speech says if you have a success how you publicize and a step-by-step throughout the book is so important. we are issue advocates very much relating to people who end up getting elected. one of the issues right now is equal pay there is a lot of discussion why women don't step up in to

negotiate themselves harder. if you draw parallels between issue advocacy and advocacy on behalf of yourself to run for office? but also for the parallels of what may make some women step back either as candidates or public leaders or even as their own advocates an interesting study shows that if limited -- women have salary information in feel if they know what they are talking about they will negotiate for themselves. to be your book is so critically important about as a great contribution, it also gives us the how to.

that is so in powering for women. its -- some of it may seem straight forward but it does resonate in to articulate in a way that allows it to be intentional to have the confidence to make it work. >> the key for saying that. [applause] let me tell you a story related to what marcia has said it was very important to tell the story of how someone did it and what the practical steps were. marcia mentioned earlier there is a reception at the white house this evening for the leadership of civil-rights movement i was reflecting on that and

listening to us now remembering the story of another woman that i interviewed from new mexico and she started off as a very typical neighborhood mom there was not a sign that the school crossing and organized her friends and it did something about that and they said ryan for the pta and she said i dunno how so she learned then was encouraged to run for office and became the county board member than a few years later she was invited to be a special assistant to a cabinet secretary salazar from the pta to the white house learning what she needed to learn along the way, right? i share her story because i exactly want women to know it is not just a woman in a

far off place food new all the rules because her daddy was a senator but we can all duse's and if we falter we will get up again. think you for saying that. [applause] >> i don't know you but i wish i did. >> there have spent a number of women in other countries' ministers or presidents some have not paid attention to women's issues in the you have any thoughts of the women leaders did what they have to teach us? >> this is really a good question.

having women at these political decision making tables matters whether or not they are explicit advocates for women's issues but seeing a woman run a country i remember seeing gandhi even margaret thatcher that is very important so at some level rethink the more we see women empower the better it will be for young women at the same time i do say it in my book in the early chapter is six ec rules i talk about the fact you can win with women and four women that is something a really believe so i guess i would say if i could sit in their room with margaret thatcher who said

she was not a feminist would have reminded her that a feminist enables her to be in the place that she was. item of that was a radical. [laughter] liking it or not she did spend a bit of time on issues that women did think were critical and it would be hoover to spend more. i want to at all times to find a way to capture the strength in the power a and the boys fast they have a and to you can tell people when you have that place you can speak out on behalf of women. >> thank you so much for being here today. you talk about how women need to start competing like men but also i was thinking

that the public responds differently so knu talk about the ways women might experience running for things differently and how to prepare ourselves for those differences? >> a really important thing to think about. there is in the literature, a set of challenges that are recorded that women face working and family and whether they could raise enough money or they wait to be asked or wonder if they are qualified so one of the things that goes on is they do share those concerns and they have some difficulty getting passed to them. said is something i think

when they need to face to recognize we kuby weighed more like men if a woman says i see my state representative is working on education matters then she does not need to say i need to get a ph.d. in education education, she can say i want to be a state representative which is what a man will typically do. look at those historical challenges to figure out a way past them, there are challenges about how women are judge more severely in terms of appearance and there is some current debate about that. it and if you are single or married with out children

and to i a tell stories of women who have walked right past all of that. senator mikulski. the longest serving woman in the u.s. congress in our history. dishy fit that profile? no. issue successful in your district? yes. she has been reelected many times. successful on capitol hill? absolutely. successful in the world of the discussion of those issues? i tell a story in the book another mississippi story of a woman named monica banks who is the of clerk of the county the only african-american to ever be elected in the county that

is predominantly white and monica told me when she was in high school in a segregated community, a white woman who was the county clerk came to them and told them about her job it was a career day. monica told me she came home and she said i can do that. look at the barriers are the challenges she was contemplating so i think the barriers are real and sometimes you can go after it to the county clerk it was that open and chose another but at the same time i think there are a lot of examples in our current women's leadership of those

who have taken and play a non-traditional pass or background or a minority group there are too jewish senators in california. i have a chapter called your personality self test there is a bunch of attributes to think if you have them or if you don't but then after having taken the measure, a perceived. >> is there information about the policy is or let it blow dash literature about these policies over those in the legislative by a? >> this is important matter

it is historically the case when women started to be elected in a meaningful numbers in state legislatures issues like a rape, domestic violence came to the for a and what also happened but with the legislative caucuses to work on the issues there is absolutely a truce to the notion that when women are in office they tend to focus to help solve those problems is a great benefit to women. it is also ushers that in this era there is less than that of one at "the new york times" have the women

senators come to gather tear tried to identify the issues that they kievan were caught in a and say are successful. i am not pollyanna by any stretch and very much of a pragmatist that will lead me to the place where are those issues we can work on together with the success maybe we can move further? that is the practical approach i would recommend. >> 40 years ago when minister did to be elected in large numbers they had raised their children and had established themselves in the community. >> i remember when harry iran and had to be home

every night to have dinner on the table than the women said we will take care of the dinner in the laundry but it is the risk to start earlier? >> a couple of examples to come to mind senator gillette brand have very young children also senator haley also has young children those are just too. it is a traditional barrier that women waited because they thought if i could solve the child care problem and will be bad but they a understand the sooner they get started comment the more likely of the impact and evidenced in this regard. >> remember that said the

arc is 12 years from the place that which you start to the place that you end. and thin as jump up as high as you kiev and the fast as you kiev if you have the intelligence to do it. those 12 years if you look at the careers of a number of people not they would not stay in the last place for a long time like members of the senate, but to say some may have aspired to be president they probably will not be president smiley did encourage women to figure that out i do think the law

in this chapter is about having it all and how to figure out how to manage those i mentioned lisa madigan and she talks a lot about how tall she has work that out another including another woman who was then the second president bush's frustration and her husband had at house of molpus issues to be the youngest female ambassador we ever had. it could be done and probably should be if you believe the math. >> one more question but quickly i neglected to mention the title of the book is "every day is election day" a woman's

guide to winning any office, from the pta to the white house" if you have not gotten a copy yet but you cannot front you can order from us online 24 hours seven days a week. is a great book for women and we hope they will support rebecca sive and trying to get people involved. one more question. >> let me start by saying i am not in the political arena at all but i very much enjoyed the election but i dip my toes into the political arena in my realm and you have advice to bring women's issues to the forefront? for example, i will be the head of might association start seeing next year and the first woman to do that in 20 years and it is

wonderful but i don't want to scare it anybody so do you have advice? >> you cannot hide the fact you are a woman. [laughter] so don't be shy to say this is what i did and why i did it. there is the cliche all issues are women's issues but it is true but i imagine if you thought what your agenda of would be as a leader you will find a place to bring in the women's issue component if you think about it. i hope you will do that. >> is it your experience the other male colleagues tend to be supportive? >> there are as many experience is as people in this room.

i am a big fan of being polite but insisted did you have a good point of view. also faq to politics & prose for having me here and also c-span for joining us this evening and thank you to all of you. if you would like for me to sign the book i would love that. have a wonderful evening. [applause] >> science does not tell us what to do but what we seeing what happened then we have to make choices about that. because one of the implications is the earth is always changing we can j.j.?>?>> and adapt and of course, we

don't know that is necessarily the case but if you take that idea it leaves with the question of if we can is this the world we want to live in with that extreme heat and the sea level rise everything that we care about a and we do have a choice about this.

>> my father used to tell us stories about my ancestors and plantation owners. did i ever tell you about the red cab paul? he was a mean fellow fighting and indian wars and killed about 100 people. did i ever tell you about isaac the confederate? that was my father's grandfather and then fighting to this civil war that fought in carolina with the last day and. but for all these stories he never said much about the

slaves that my family owned. iron to later we had control 25 rice plantations north of the city of charleston we enslaved close to 4,000 africans african-americans over 170 years and then later calculated that at this sentence between 75,000 and 100,000 americans living today. my dad had a joke we are things family, religion family, religion, sex, death family, religion, sex, death , money, and is the negro's.

>> one day somebody is your lawyer than the government do you ever get confused? >> guest: no. because once people are in the government the relationship changes. you can be friends with people in the government, but you remember

with of those you think are not fair to your friends. sometimes the. >> did quarrel on our island has been going on for something like 100 years on the streets of my own city 800 years ago but the last

30 years has been a very part of what has been happening. in the north of ireland there is a million and a half people and three dash thousands have lost their lives that is one out of 500 people per day. that tells you how serious our problem is. . .