i think do you have any thoughts about the way such information should be handled in the future for the president and vice president? i believe, i can't think of another instance where as much information is provided on a regular basis for each and every one of the incidents. i can go into gw for a calf and no one would know about it. tv cameras outside. it was not like it was a secret. when i had heart attacks i was always in the hometown newspaper. i got ready to have quadruple bypass and we announced it so there was anything that was kept secret in my mind and the book itself a think is the most

complete disclosure of the health of any you know constitutional officer in the public. maybe someone else put up more and i don't know who it was. roosevelt, fdr also had cancer in his latter days in office. then there's all the discussion about jack kennedy and all of his health problems. i think our track record is pretty good in that regard and i think we put out the right amount of information. in the end you can substitute medical judgment with a political judgment especially where the vice president is concerned. we provided -- he had full and complete knowledge of my situation. we have a situation where i

didn't keep anything from him and i gave him all the reasons why and he went ahead and did it anyway. so i don't, i'm reluctant to say that somehow we have to have a medical board set up so you get a stamp on your forehead that you are certified healthy enough to be vice president. the other point i guess i would make is you could have a very strong healthy 40-year-old and might have been a great half bad for redskins or whatever, a great athlete. >> it would be good if there was a good halfback. we could use him right now. >> based on my health -- they picked me for my experience. the secretary of defense is what he was looking for. from having done two vice

presidential searches for george w. bush i can tell you the perfect candidate does not exist. i always end up at the least worst option in case -- except in my case obviously. >> laughed. [laughter] that's a good point in which to close out the evening. >> on to thank everybody for coming and a special thanks to the george washington university heart and vascular institute that helps promote this event tonight and to the staff of the press club. now for a special occasion we have if i can get up here without dropping it. this is a big event of the night. [laughter] the national press club mugs. we always presented to our

special guests. thank you all for coming. [applause] >> he will keep coming back until he gets the whole set of the half dozen. please join me in thanking the vice president and dr. reiner for a fabulous presentation and as you can see the book is wonderful so get it. [applause] ..

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[inaudible conversations] >> this is really wonderful. i really enjoyed it. >> good job. >> you look great. >> welcome to the club. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> the minute we take a quick picture? >> no, not at all. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> i have a good friend of mine who finds out here. >> oh, that's wonderful.

[inaudible conversations] >> thank you for serving our country. >> you're welcome. >> thank you. i want to thank you for everything you have done. >> thank you i get a lot of questions and there's 80 million people out there. so every time i look at the crowd, 25% probably had something to do with that. >> an important lesson you've done in charge of your own health care, and you have done that. thank you. >> thank you. it is good to see you, sir. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> you're watching c-span2 with politics and public affairs, weekdays featuring live coverage on the u.s. senate. on weeknights watch key public policy events and the latest nonfiction authors