not all ideological it's personal. if they feel like they can connect to the person they don't necessarily agree with the person on every issue but they want to know does this person know people like me? does this person care about people like me? do i like this person? what i'd invite them into my home? when you say is a personality, it always is. a person may be brilliant and have all the right pedigree but if he is unlikable he is not going to be elected in america. so i'm convinced that it's a combination but ultimately it's the messaging. part of the theme that i want to convey even as i wrote the book was to say to people if you are that person out there living in the heartland of america and you think nobody is pushing the

cultural center, nobody who is running government or entertainment or whatever it is they don't know me understand matches want to say yeah not only do we know who you are where of you and by the way you are not alone. there are millions of you and you matter and your views and your values aren't crazy. and you are not. one of the statements i make in the book, if you read this book you will discover those good old boys are not so after all. >> host: republicans as you know have taken the senate and taking control of the house and we have had eight years of president obama. if they can't seal the deal in 2016 is there something wrong with the party? >> guest: may be something wrong with the people who carry the message for us if that is the case. 16 not to be a great year for republicans. as is often the case that democrats won back in 2008.

i remember the obituary for the republican party was written. in 2010 the republicans came soaring back into congress in 2012 everybody talks about what it takes with it was for democrats but it was only a sweep in the white house. white house. congressional republicans said fairly decently in 2012 in 2014 it was republican blowout. if we look at it it's not so much democrat republican. there's a view of politics i have held for a long time and it really mirrors and reflects the values i share in the book and that is this. for the practitioners of politics everything is horizontal. left right, liberal, conservative, democrat republican comets all horizontal but for the people who decide the election the people who don't live every day on politics politics, elections are vertical and the way they vote is not left or right, they vote up or

down and they ask is this person going to take us up or will this person take us down? will he make things better make it worst? >> host: i hope 2016 is a great year for republicans and i hope and a couple of months you will let me know what you decide. >> guest: i will do so. >> host: thanks so much governor huckabee. great talking to you. ..

and that is what this treasure of dolly madison is. we have the story available to the public. and displaying items from time-to-time. and trying to include the story from county to her death 1849. so some of the item that's we currently have on display a carved ivory calling card case it has a card enclosed with dolly's signature as well as that of her niece anna. and small cut glasper fume

bottles and a pair of silk slippers that have tiny little ribbons that have tied across the hard arch of hadder foot. the two dresses are the reproductions of a silk peach silk gown that she wore early in life and a revelvet gown that intriged both that is lasted and was apart of the collection and there is also allege end now that is accompany the dress watch our event from greensboro saturday noon eastern c-span's book tv and sunday afternoon at 2:00 on american history tv on c-span 3 journalist april ryan has kofrdz politics and the white house for over 25 years. in her book the presidency in plaque and white she discusses race in america as it relates to the white house april ryan sat down with abc news white house

kofrment ann compton to talk about her book on after words this. is an hour april ryan i don't think that anyone. any african-american reporter has covered white house as long as you have now have you taken the clinton-bush 43 and obama years and written about them through the prism of something that is important to your listeners on american urban radio networks that is the issue of race relations in the united states have i to ask you as when you first arrived at the white house in 19 the 7, did you imagine that would you ever be there to cover the first african-american president? never never. just saying that i am getting chills as you said that in my home. we have pictures of john kennedy growing up? yes. in baltimore we had pictures

of john kennedy. and martin luther king jr. and we have seen unsuccessful attempts by african-americanes to become president. i have heard from many people right now in this town who may not want to say that they have said this but they said barack obama had a special type of juice and he must have. for so many years, we thought that maybe a white woman would get the position first before a black man and to be able to say that i have covered the first black president it is just amazing time something everything is in life. and i think that first you met him when he was a senator. you were covering the white house? what happened the bush years. there was a thing called stakeout and all of the reporters gathered outside after the meetings with the president and the principals and they come out of the west wing front entrance of the west wing x they stand at a bank of mike phones and the person to the meeting with the president. and at this time it happened to be the congressional black caucus that had just

obtained the newest member senator barack obama. from chicago and everyone was looking for gnat the senator obama. and i could not see him i was so excited about trying to get an interview with him. and a the that time it was interesting because i kept remembering where you know where is he? what is his name? how do you say this name? he was new he was barack obama, barack obama. but i transposed his name and he said well first of all i said i do not know what i called him he said first of all, get my name right. [laughter] i was so excited to see him. he was the rock star in chief now this is not a bad about me personally but it is me as a reporter trying to get to him before anyone else and that is what you do in the business. the first with the most. i was so excited to get to this new rock star on the hill that i could not get his name right. it was a mess. he wasn't. you are are right in the

bob. he was not particularly popular within the congressional caucus senator. rest were house members. did they recent the new comer? they did recent the new comer. he was an enigma really. some be that tried for congressional seat against one of the fellow members and they are very loyal to one another in that group, because they are a small group on the hill, they are loyal to one another so that is one strike against him the second strike was. he was a senator. and he was a black senator something that really rarely happens in this country he was also on a different schedule in the house. the senate and the house on the different schedule. so when the congressional black caucus mostly house members would meet this. was not on the time. so he would kind of ask if he could be placed in the front part of the meeting to deliver statements over what is going on in the senate

and many times they ignored them and he was left to leave meeting without presenting anything. and it was a lot of hard feelings there. do you think that talking about your time kofrth white house. can you talk a little bit about how you explain in the book. how you were treated as not only as an african-american or black reporter. but that you were a woman reporter that was still not a lot of women in the press corps let's start with the first year when bill clinton's second term and you arrived at the white house to cover sitting in the briefing room every single day. it was rough. i replace add gentleman that was iconic there. and he was actually the first african-american to become the president of the white house press corps. the late bob ellison who had shoes so hard to fill.

and when i came to the white house many people reessential the fact that it was not there anymore. and i could understand that he was told so many of the veterans there. and also i think that coming in. and rally pressing on urban and african-american issues which really was not done that much. as much as i had, it rubbed people the wrong way. it was not on the agenda. and on this consistent basis daily basis. and many people were wondering is she military. what is she. who is she? she is a strange kid. you know? who is she? and i had a lot of push back i got a lot of push back what from within. within the press corps people were very by me being such a new bee. and not being in washington. apart this washington press corps that is coming out of the baltimore really there was a lot of push back. and people wondered how is she getting interviews with

president clinton how is she doing this. and she is not in the pool. i have a lot of push back let's break it down into three categories you write about not only your interest accurates with other reporters and your interaccurates with presidents and of course press secretaries too. talk about a couple of those moments start under the bush administration tony snow was a new press secretary. what happened with the tar baby comment? you know. of the first day, the first day that he came into the press briefing he was a rock star in chief when he came in so many people were in that room i could not get into my seat so typically. when you are in the white house, and you are in the briefing area. you are downstairs and doing your work upstairs doing work and you have a designated seat. and you feel comfortable that okay. i can wait for the last minute. and come up to get my seat. that wasn't the case. to my surprise. when i came up the stairs

every seat was taken standing room only. so i was on the right side of the briefing room against the wall and there was a question posed to him by abc's martha erratic. he was explaining what was going on and then he said i am not going to hole or touch that tar baby. i shrinked because that is that is something that -- that phrase. that phrase was very sensitive. racially insensitive it is from an old brare rabbit story. i actually had that book to remember just to remember that this is what used to be but it should not be. so i couldn't believe it when you their the topic and the tar that the rabbit put together so the fox would not find a rabbit i said okay. so then unfortunately there

is was a reporter standing in front of me that turned today me. and told me shut up you tar baby. i couldn't believe it. so after the press briefing the first press briefing. i marched up to tony snow's office i said do you realize what you do? he apologized and from that moment on we struck up a really good relationship and he apologized for the insensitivity. he did not realize hoin sensitive it was and what it would spark. to the credit of the white house correspondence association, i talked to mark smith who is was a president at the time and he addressed the issue. i got an apology but people really do not understand from the reporter. the reporter that did that. and people do not understand how much what you say what happens at the podium it can reverberate in the room or outside of. there are so many ripples to go beyond that room and it really affected me that day. the press briefing. you and i have cover the

white house together for many years. when i was with abc and the press briefings were off camera largely up until about the time that you came in mike mccurry was the second term clinton press secretary and agreed to do this on camera. something that you quotas being now regretting. and i tend to agree with mike that the press briefings are supposed to be the raw ingredients of the news. not supposed to be an event of themselves but you had a dust up. that is not the right word which struck me. because i was there for it. and not just because not because you were an african-american reporter but maybe were you a woman. that was with robert gibbs. yes i think that you may be right about the woman issue. the gender it could be a little bit of race. it will be also i think i am specialty media get to the special media in a second tell us what happened the

issue is that this is not apart of the main street and first and second row. terrible special teement that specializes on urban and northern america how dare she. that is the way that i filth at the time and how dare she ask the questions? they were relevant questions they were questions that i was hearing from my sources in side and from outside of the white house. there was not a personality issue but a real issue unfortly. what the camera saw was the last day. they did not when people were watching was the last day. they did not see the two dates. the culmination of the two days that crescendoed into the moment. this was after a couple crashed the first obama state dinner the white house social secretary who was african-american from chicago friend theirs was taking the heat for dropping the ball on this. you asked robert gibbs specifically about the the role. what is it that he said to

you? i said

why do you sister disrespect me so of you tell them to e-mail me. and i will talk to them. and i said to myself. what did i do to deserve this craziness? and sometimes it is rough-and-tumble there. and when you are someone that they perceive by yourself because i don't have the backing of larger networks you understand. i do not have the backing of having other people you know being apart i do not have a lot of specialty media that are there to foxous the same issue to have my back to follow up on questions so it felt like i was alone but i wasn't alone. and to my surprise many of myful owe correspondentes to

include yourself were really supportive of me for the fact that saying that should not have happened that way. it was a serious line of questions and the sore that's told me stood by. and because of that, there was change at the white house they went back to the old procedure of how to allow people to come in and to admit people into the white house for events. and you have to remember this was about the security of historic presidency and this historic president a first african-american with so many death threats this. is not only about being african-american but any president but this type of thing to happen i mean that is what it is about for me talk about the specialty media. i think that a lot of americans may not understand that they are the network and the wire service that's get the front row seats and major newspapers have front row seats. you rally do cover white house and write about it in this book from a very particular vantage point which is crucial important

to those that listen to you. of the specialty media is media that is not necessarily. we don't necessarily focus in only the triading a we are the group that we don't sit in the front row. and the specialty media could be tv. and radio. and newspapers but we are not the abc's and cbs and the cnn. we are the american urban ready radio network and bet. we are the telemundo and u.n. version. we are types. we are also lgbt newspapers and christian broadcast networks. all sorts of different thing that are not necessarily apart of the illustrious. have you a seat i do. smack-dab in the middle i work so hard. i used to be in the 6th row when i start and we moved up. we moved up to the third row i do have a seat i think that it is because i am

there every day and i ask cueves the principle. and i asked other questions and we have the audience to get a message to does sometimes the president or at white house communications operation take advantage of your specialty media by saying that we want to get this race story out there? the urban story out there and they will seek you out? how does that work? not just me. but recently. president obama did a interview with bet. it reverberated more with bet than it did with a cnn or an abc. so when they want to put out the information. they will put out where the go to person they used to call me. a foil. i am not a foil. but i will let them use me. at the same time. so, in ken strickland washington bureau chief sometimes that have you to use to your a vantage. that was to my advantage.

and if i am working for a minority company that focuses on urban and african-american issues i also will question on other issues as well. mainstream issue sfooz. so how did you deal with the second group press secretaries the white house press colleagues that i for years sat right down the road from you at abc and you write about asking a question your first presidential news conference. and you said . that after you asked that question that you were treated like media a slime what happened? it was a rough and tumble business and we are happy for one another. why not me? why not. why did i not get question. and that is why they are asking. and i heard them the last couple of times to get the question from the president. the press could not friends and the last one here at the end of the year and the one

here summertime how did she get that well why not. if you get the questions all of the time i seldom will get to ask questions in the press could not friends as much as others but you know. we are a group that we are hyper sensitive group and we want to have that moment where we will get a question. we want that question. and others will say, how did she get it. how did she get it. i think that some of that was a problem and also i was enough. brand-new and i worked hard. how did you get a question being brand-new well. at the time when i first came to the white house. it was more open than it is right now. and were you there when it was much more open than it is now in what sense you can walk around more. and run into the presidents more. i would be coming from outside with my coat on. i walked into the lower press. and there was a the that time. i don't think that there was

a door. this is the staff area i don't think that there was a door at the time. that could you see people walking back and forth i just happened to be assistanting there and i asked if i could go to the upper press they said which is just the press secretary's office. and up the short hallway. and outside of the oval office. yes i was heading to the press. to see the press secretary they happened to be in the time the secret service said that will you have to go back up. you know. have you to go back. they told me to come up not understanding what is going on and the secret service i did not really understand. so all of a sudden. walking down the hall with a eating pretzels was president bill clinton. so he did not know who i was at the time. and i guess that he thought that i was on the staff or something. and he was talking and stopped in the hall way. i was standing there and looking at him. at the bottom of the step. talking to the staff.

the lower press area. and i introduced myself and i got myself together i said call on me sir. if we are in a press conference. he said okay okay. there was a press conference that followed immediately. and he didn't but the next one he did. and i really i said maybe it did work to say hello to him and i told mike mccurry. thank you. and i said thank you. sent a note to mike mccurry. and to the president. i said thank you. the president wrot me back. a note on white house letter head that is all she wrote. that is it that is a good one writing a thank you note to the president forgetting a question in. and then getting a getting a letter back. right how in the news conferences you talk about that first question when you were consider a you considered yourself a media slime of that the content of

the question? what is it that you felt? were reporters hostile to you? i do not think that it is a content to the question. but the media slime. a friendly adversarial relationship in the building. american public to an extent do not like us to an extent and others do so when we get classified with the negatives, i say that we are media slime it may have been for the others if they did not like the questions. they may not have but that was not for them to say once again. the specialty media were there. and focusing on one thing. you may be focusing on another. and that is great nullness of having the people in the room. that they asked different questions that should be moved around. and they will ask the different questions. verses staying on the same jub yekt into this is a daily briefing and the press conferences. this is more. and more. going on in the world than just one thing let me ask you about the bush 43 and george bush news conference when he had a foreign visitor you were seated not with the white house press

corp? i was not where were you seated? i was seated with the african delegation us found that very interest. >> why. it was a faux pas on their part on the part of? the white house. i was told after the fact that i should have been grateful yeah because i was in a seat to be possibly called on. but were you with other black reporter? african reporters yeah. and i had to problem with that, but i am a white house correspondent and american journalist. and even. it was so odd. because my colleagues on the other side of the room said what is going on? i said i was placed here. and even the president. president bush even noticed during the news conference. he says why you are sitting over there are you trying to get a question? i said i was placed here he kept he at least

acknowledged three times during the press conference. and he tried to put me out so the african president would call on me and he didn't it was a faux pas and andy card the chief of staff at the time said that it was bad. it was a bad move. a bad move and do you think that presidents regarded you than other reporters because you were black. and because you represented a specific specialty media because were you a woman? did it in some ways work to your advantage? i believe yes, it did work to my advantage but also my disadvantage because president clinton even told me. sometimes they did not know what to expect from me. with the other people that knew the news of date. and the current events of what was going on. they did not know he what to expect from me. and they did not have an answer for me. so many will times would you not be call on and so i

figured if president clinton told me that. that is the thought that is going down the line so it work today my advantage when they wanted to talk to the community. to the black community urban community. and it work today my disadvantage because she did not call on me so much. they did not know i was coming so it was an interesting dime an i can in your book you write extensively to put the day's presidents in a historic perspective of where the race relations have come in the united states. and you make clear that there is still ways to go december 1964, this is before either of us were covering the white house the civil rights act has become law now the folk suspect the voting rights act and martin luther king jr. is in the white house urging president

linden johnson to move on it. and the film selma that has come out has been criticized by some for putting lyndon johnson in a very bad light. you write about your conversation with the other person that was in the room at that moment. tell bus that presidents and race in america. i have an exclusive interview on the record with ambassador andy young in the room with dr. king andrew young was not only a prominent figure in the civil rights community. but a former congressman from georgia from the u.n. ambassador and somebody that works for at that point relatively low-level white house staffer. a credible person. more than credible. he was in the room. so this is what i do not

understand with this all of the piece of it. that i do not understand about all this back and forth about lbj and selma. lbj did say that they did not have the power to push it forward. and talking about the voting rights act 1964 and after they successfully got the civil rights act and reverend jesse jackson said. and this is something very interesting he said. people like dr. king as a martyr and not a marcher and strategically the civil rights leaders had to figure out how to give him the power. so they worked. they had tactics that they worked in strategically to get the power for the president to get down to alabama and for the presidency. and plaque and white.

how at the time in alabama. three african-americans could not be on the streets together it was against the laws there for three people to be on the street together because that would be considered leading to a protest. so they would have to find away to be in a meeting to begin the process for the marches they worked through that and they would have to figure out how to present the situation so that lbj will have the power to push through the voting rights act. so this is actually some be that of in the room with dr. martin luther king jr. also reverend jesse jackson who is one of the lieutenant that's are in the book on the record. and talking about this. there are audio recordings yes of that former secretary. joseph wrote about i believe using the tran scripts of the recordings held up for the stud east presidency of the university of virginia

so. it should be a well documented fact you are surprised by the type of reaction that the movie has brought? is it progress to finally have a movie that has turned out to be a commercial success about the life of dr. martin luther king jr.? well i think that the movie was magnificent when i say magnificent it brought me to tears. and i felt like i was in a black church somewhere. it was an amazing movie to see when you saw i knew had a when i saw the four little girls. i into you what would happen. tears to my eyes and just to talk about it brings tears to my eyes it. is very graphic to see them going back and forth on the bridge to understand that i am an african-american if they had not done this and you and i would not be able to talked to. i would not be able to question three american presidents. the boo being would not be here so, that movie -- i don't believe it showed

everything that should be showed because it was very graphic but tv more brutal than what we saw and the movie touched me. and i think that i common oprah. and brad pitt all of them that did at the present time it was a wonderful movie much and have you to remember. the people that want to preserve history, the people died. this was not an easy struggle. people want to believe oh it was not. it is sanitized. people died. they knew that people were willing to hurt and die so that was some of the impetus black people and white people died for the right for the black people to vote. the resonance from that into the reporting career that have you had condoleezza rice was a friend one of those girls yes. from birmingham alabama. and she worked within the bush administration -- obviously, national security adviser and is being treef

state. did she also feel she had a race portfolio? secretary rice is in this book on the record. and i thank her for her truth she said she was there and she brought to the table what needed to be brought to the table in race whether it was time to have anniversary of you know. she said we must we must have this anniversary event. if not for this event. i would not have been able to sit in a restaurant or eat in a rain. she says that in the book her father could not vote until 19 52 and she said she could not go to a restaurant. with her family until 1964 right. so she said. if if it were not for this act, she said. no we will have to stop and celebrate this. so she also. there was another controversial piece. and at the very beginning of the bush years. there was president bush had decided to write a brief.

to do a friend of the court brief. and he said it is was about the university of michigan it is an affirmative action. he did not want there to be preference peripheral treatment in the admissions process there so condoleezza rice second tree. at the time national security adviser condoleezza rice said to him. look there needs to be targets of opportunities targets of opportunity are the words she use ted time and giving black candidates for admission that extra measure of boost? right. and the problem is that i don't know how it happened. but she supported president bush and wanted today make sure that rice royce's story was told properly. and had a to go to the doctor.

a doctor's appointment. and i got a call from ari fleischer white house press secretary at the time. do you want to interview condoleezza rice? i said sure. and he said you know what is going on i said yeah so she. we ultimately talked. she made it clear perfectly clear, she supported targets of opportunity that some would consider affirmative action. so she was against the train of thouth that there should not be preference. should not be pref rents in admission with the university specialty media reporter like you. gets that message to the audience that cares the most not just to my audience. this is the great thing. not just to my audience. now it will reverb arity to the "new york times" and into cnn. reverb rates into abc. to the "washington post" i am not the specialty media. i am a personal. a go-to person that the other media would feed off of when there is a black issue. or a black or urban issue something of that nature

into did you cook a stove food dinner for bill clinton when he was president? . >> did not cook it my aunt did. and we brought some start us from the beginning of the story. the timing now. as i recall from the book it is late into the bill clinton administration was it the time when he was saying i am still relevant. the campaign was on for his successor and he was out policying the car, and wash walking the dog. why and you were in washington still in the white house every day how did you come about inviting the president to dinner? well during the clinton years. there was a lot of african-american reporters producers yeah we sometimes talk amongst ourselves we were saying well so and so had an otr. did you have an otr. off the record with the president of the united states so and so had an otr.

did you get one the of it was back and forth. with we are caucusing saying what is going on here? so we said hmm-- we started to scratch our heads we ultimately started to talk to mike mccurry. and so bill douglas and his wife bill douglas a wonderful reporter that he reports right now he opened up had his beautiful home. to allow us to have dinner with mike mccurry. and so we could talk about this. at the time, the president wanted to talk about race as well he wanted to get a little bit more information about our thoughts about race. the race issue that he had on the table at the time was floundering he wanted today get our thoughts. he a parentally the president liked us. he wanted to hear what we had to say so we initially

started the process with mike mccurry. had dinner with mike mcoccur other. and he like it had so much he brought his own pepper sauce. we had corn bread, collared greens. and we it was a real soul food dinner and i am from the south. he rally welcomed it. and so it was in the black community, food brings you together sun dinners after church and just the anniversary food is a very common sort of item to perpetuate free throwing conversation. we had a beautiful time. and all of the black reporters and producers at the white house at the time. and then he said look want to talk to us about race let's bring the president here. and not only that he has not had an otr with any of us that is not fair and yeah. yeah okay. so we thought once mike

mccurry left it would not happen. and especially with everything that was hanging overhead, the monica lewinsky and things of that nature. president clinton by there time had been impeached? yeah. so this was 1999 and this was the summer 199 and actually we were surprised that we got a call. it will happen so at the time. i was one of the main people. along with sonia ross from the associated press. who were trying to make this happen and they said april, there is no way to get into your house in baltimore there. is taxpayer money. so they were like the house. again bill douglas opened up his beautiful home. we were thankful for that we had the best time president clinton. talked so much. and enjoyed it so much. he had to pull him out of the house 11:30 so, we talked if you are around president clinton he will talk sometimes a monologue.

but you just listen and to have the united states president sitting there with you in a soul food dinner. garlic fried chicken i mean he was eating and i am sitting there watching had up put chicken and potato salad and collared greens on one fork and eating it. going oh my gosh [laughter] but i mean to have the conversations that we had as a reporter what do you get from that? you better understand him this not a story that you do the next day no. it was off the record what it is that you always want time with the principals and to get to know who they are. and to get into the head to see what they are thinking and why and he talked to us so much about things that happened in africa and on a trip. he just talked about a hodge povenlg issues and we got to know him a lot better. to see who he was. and what he was thinking. and why this was happening why this was not going to happen it was an interesting time so it is off of the

record and the moments in the obama administration that you will get to towards the end the book are the ones that i think that so many americans are a cutely aware of the beer summit into the trayvon martin would look like president obama's son if he had a son. what do you make of president obama's handling of some of rather explosive moments unhis watch? the first term, first term was rough many african-americans were looking at him as a savior. and he even wanted to make people believe that change was going to happen when he was running for the office at the time. the first time. he can never reach that level of expectation that he set for himself. so people were looking for a savior. particularly

why not? he is president of the united states. race has come to every president in that building. and race is coming into every president. and lbj. and john kennedy. abraham lincoln. eisenhower. all of the presidents truman? yes, have dealt with issues of race and acted on it. yes. so people have to understand and when i get these calls. why would you ask about race to this president. it come to the president. he is the one that can affect change bill clinton. did he come close to issuing what some of the african-americans would consider apology for slavery? he come close? he wanted to. and there was a speech that he gave when he covered him in africa.

he did not apologize for the slave reechlt there was a back and forth fight within the white house that was for and against i will never forget it. and he was telling me. you are not going to get apology for slavery. i am not looking for apology and not only that. the issue of preparation people were like no. it will not need to happen. and yes it needs to happen. bill clinton was the one that it could have. he was the one. he was the only one that could have done it. why is that? he have the white president. the time is right and he was the first black president george bush says that the africans participated in the slave trade into and he was not going to take ownership for what america did. and president barack obama at the time and he was not right time i guess for him. and he this president has had to navigate through the waters so that he could successfully get a second term. and i do not think that it

would have been the right time for him. and bill clinton was the hope of the time of this era for there to be a follow apology. and factions within the white house in the book presidency in black and white we have the accounts from the e-mails where they were crossing out certain words. the strength of the words that were almost close to apologies. i just couldn't believe it. they were close. they were close. but it did not happen. so april have you covered the white house. have you covered it through a prism. and also you are an american. you are a mom. yes two beautiful kids not that small anymore. [laughter] yes. >> and you have come from a strong close family. well do you vote? there are some reporters that don't or think they shouldn't how do you handle your own personal political beliefs through there are

some colleagues saying that they did not vote. i am saying to myself. they will not go to some the funks because there is so strong in feelgdz that they can cannot mix. i must say that i am an objective reporter. i am a person like anyone into and we talk about being a woman. the strength of women. i am a woman. >> and at the same time i am a reporter and would be an objective reporter of the sometimes the hat comes off. and i do vote. i do vote. i am not telling you who i vote for. you register i will not get into that well registration the district of columbia with no party you vote in primaries as well as general elections. and i am a registered voter. and i want to um get into just one other footnote that i noticed from the book that struck me as a very

nice touch. when you talk about black and white. and blacks and whites. will you capitalize the word black and capitalize the word white. i think that it will give both terms a sign of respect was that intentional on your part? we are all here together. i have black friends white friends. have i love my white friends and black friends. i am not you know. people want to believe that when you talk about black and white there is a race that is about history. it is a you will about putting out there what is going on. it shows that the desparate and my what i want to impart is that we will need to know what is going on. we will need to know what is going on this. is not to say that you, you, you did this, or did not do this. but it is all about us coming together and talking

and working it out. it is a much respect for each side. and much respect for the community and do you think that the white house press corps as a whole will show that same type of respect? his historically we know what happened with harry. and 70 years ago. tell everyone who harry is and how he was honored by the white house correspondence nation and hundredth dinner. will you make me cry 70 years ago there was a gentleman by the name of harry a word smith. a reporter who. a print reporter yeah. who took his job seriously, and wound up becoming a civil rights person but hairies of a reporter in the white house. the first african-american reporter of the white house. ands he was told by the white correspondents don't come in this room. if you step on someone's

toes, to find out what is going on. this is when roosevelt was giving news could not friend? why is, yes. don't come in here, if you step on a reporter's toes there will be a riot if you step on a white reporter's toes there will be a riot. so ultimately roosevelt president roosevelt let him come in. and the bottomline is 70 this. happened 70 years ago 70 years ago. and it just bog wills my mine. we worked so closely to one another. and that place we worked so closely. and to think that where i stand now moving fast forward to the day, you will always have a difference of opinion. and will you always have that. some differences may be racial other differences may be just a difference of opinion. i think that as a whole we are trying to do better. as a group. i this i that we as a group

number one -- we do not want anyone to get a vantage of us to have another story. that is one thing there is racially. there could be, there could not be. i have incidents have i questioned. but have i to shake it off and do it again. another day. this is not worth fighting over right now. april ryan do you something most many reporters do not do at the end of the book. you conclude with explanation of how you have graded the three presidents that you covered and while i do not want to be on how the book turns out. you covered bill clinton, you covered george bush. and you covered barack obama three modern day president that's got 8 years. two terms each none of them

well there is apiece of one that flunked. and the grade race relations and noncome up nobody comes up with the a either you write that you rate president clinton as a reigning champion. of diversity. he has had the most confirmed african-american staff cabinet. and marshals. judges. not judges but barack obama has now the reigning champion that one. and it is as far as marshals. and u.s. marshals. cabinet persons they have confirmed the positions they worked hard on diversity there. and when i say that they worked hard to do that and i give him the grade that i give him this. is good that he did that