she ran for secretary of state, she set the table for the relationships with other countries and they say that we are doing better than we were now when they obama administration took office and that guess what? nobody can give me the name of one country. not one of them. >> i still think that that is heartburn for hillary clinton. >> what do you expect democrats to do with a war on women?

especially if hillary clinton is part of this in the nomination. how would you handle that inevitability? >> i would hope that that is the best weapon that the left has because if it is we might as well start getting the inaugural ball planned. because that has proven to fall so short, that's a great example of how this message just brings so hollow. intelligent thoughtful strong women know that they are not helpless features. my daughter knows that, my daughter monos back, all the women that i surrounded myself with, many of my cabinet officers, they would be livid if i ever said that well, you know we're going to give you these jobs, you're you are not able to do them because you are a woman and you are helpless to your

gender and if you don't have some help from the government you will never be able to make it. well, fine, i have this lapse into the next county for saying something like that, women are capable of doing anything that they wish to do and women know that intuitively and i think that strong women are offended and insulted when someone tells them that they can't make it without the government coming around to bail them out and lift them up. >> well, we talked about millennialist and women, what can them -- what can they do to bring more into the fold more women into the fold in 2016. we lost a good amount in 2016. >> probably the only republican being in a remote list of people who can say that they had 49% of the african-american vote in the state, which i did when i ran

for reelection as governor, michael was in the high 40s as well, somebody for whom this is not an abstract, this is something i have actually done. you know i want to tell you that i get frustrated because i say to the republicans of the last 15 and 20 years that we shouldn't be giving up on minority votes. and they would be as we work at it and we do that not by pandering but building relationships and showing their policies lift up all the people no matter their color or gender or ethnicity and the reason we have that is that we build relationships with people in the community, and this would surprise people, minorities having worn executive level appointments than the republican administration than bill clinton's administration and

more women held high-level executive positions in my position than bill clinton's position. so maybe the republicans ought to put somebody who has a history of getting women and minorities to vote for them. who could that be? smacked you think that republicans have in many cases given up the minority vote to . >> of course they have, and it is absurd. when they say how do you get the votes and i say well, let's talk about giving them the power to choose the schools for their kids and making sure that they have access to a safe place for their kids to play and live in a neighborhood that they want to and there are a number of ways let's talk about the fact that

what people want are exactly what i want, the ability we to be treated fairly and justly and make sure that the criminal justice system does not unfairly punished him with a sentence that is distinctly different than if they were an upper-class white kid with an attorney. those are things that we can talk about. >> in the book "god guns, grits, and gravy" you write about that i would rather eat barbecue with your friend and fishing guide, i would rather sit in church with nancy the makeup artist and sit in an opera with european royalty. i am more comfortable in wal-mart than at tiffany's. what would you like people to know about you and why are you laying it out this way? >> i think sometimes that people believe that you are living in a world so mike beyers at your

life and values are so different and you can't possibly understand it. over the past five or six years i have been blessed to make a better income than i ever had but telling you something even to this day i am still the person that i was as a kid growing up on second street in hope, arkansas, whose parents between the two of them worked three jobs and barely make the rent on that little house. i'm still a kid that had to make this up because i had to use my imagination. i often had to learn to sit at the head table, but i always had more in common with the people working in the kitchen than those sitting at the head table and i think that people want someone can lead them, understand them understand how hard they work and for sometimes how little they have to show work. people don't want people at the

top necessarily be torn down or they just want the people at the top to know how hard the struggle is and to make a halfway so they can get to the next rung on the ladder. so i think it's missing in the message for democrats as well. >> do you think that 2016 is going to be one of those presidential years about personality or do you think that it will mostly be sort of that pendulum swing away from what we had with barack obama and maybe more towards, you know sort of a caretaker figure and set the theme for me a 2016. >> i think it also comes down to a sense of vision and leadership and i'm convinced that when people let a president it is not all ideological and it is personal.

they don't necessarily agree with every person on the issue but does this person care about people like me do i like this person would i invite him into my home and so i am just convinced that it is a combination and so if you think that nobody sort of pushing the cultural center, no one that is one government or entertainment or whatever, they do not know me

or understanding, and i just want to say that yes, not only do we know who you are but by either way you are not alone there are millions of you and you matter and your views and your values are not crazy. and you are not dumb. one of the statements that i make in the book is if you read this book you will discover that those good old boys are not so dumb after all. >> republicans as you know have taken the senate and controlled the house, eight years of president obama but they can't seal the deal in 2016, is there something wrong with the party? >> possibly something wrong with the people that carry the message is that that is the case, it ought to be a great year for republicans as is often the case when the democrats won in 2000 eight i remember the obituary for the republican party and then the republicans came soaring back and then in

2012, you know everybody talked about what a big suite that was for the democrats. but it was only a sweep in the white house. congressionally they did fairly decently in 2012 and then in 2014 it was a republican blowout. so if you look at it, it is not so much democrat republican but a view of politics that i held for a long time and i think it really years and reflects the values that i share in the book which is that for the practitioners of politics everything that is horizontal, democrat republican for the people that actually decide the election and don't live every day on politics elections are vertical. and the way that they vote is not left or right but they vote up or down and they ask if this person is going to take us up or will this person take us down. will he make things better or will he make things worse.

>> i hope that 2016 is a great year for republicans and i hope that in a couple of months you let me know what you decide. >> i will do so. >> thank you so much governor, it's great to talk to you. >> tomorrow on c-span2, the washington institute for near east policy host a discussion about how isis recruits fighters. and the u.s. general who oversees detainee operations in iraq, watch it live here on c-span2. >> c-span city tour. learning about the letter of the literary life and a visit to greensboro north carolina.

[inaudible] >> we looked over and saw an envelope with a seal on it and walked over and noticed in 1832 document. and then they discovered a trunk and books and portraits. and so this was this treasure and we had this story available to the public displaying different items from time to time, trying to include stories from her book and it talks about this through 1849. some of the items that we currently have on display include card inquiries and some

small cut glass perfume bottle is and a pair of silk slippers that have tiny little ribbons that cut across the arch of her foot. and the two dresses are the reproduction of a peach silk down that she wore early in life as well as a red velvet gown that is part of this collection and there is also a legend that now accompanies this dress. >> watch all of our events from greensboro. be sure to tune into american history tv on c-span3 as well. >> journalist april ryan has covered politics and the white house over 25 years and in her book the "the presidency in black and white: my up-close view of three presidents and

race in america" april ryan sat down with white house correspondent ann compton to talk about her book on "after words." this is one hour. >> april ryan i don't think that any african-american reporter has covered the white house as long as you have and now you have taken the bush 43 years and other years and written something important for the radio networks and that is the issue of race relations. when you first arrived to the white house in 1997 did you imagine that you would ever be there to cover the first african-american president? >> never. just saying that i am getting chills. in my home we had pictures.

>> this is growing up? >> yes, growing up. we had seen unsuccessful attempts by african-americans to become president. and i had heard from many of whom may not want to say that barack obama had a special kind of juice. and for so many years they thought maybe a white woman would get the position first before a black man. to to be able to say that i covered this is very interesting. >> timing is everything in life. i think you actually said you first met him when you were covering the white house. what happened to max. >> yes all of us gathered outside and they come outside of the front entrance of the west wing and they talk into a bank of microphones and at this that

this time it happened to be the congressional black caucus that had just obtained the newest member, senator barack obama from chicago. until everyone was looking for senator obama. and i was so excited about trying to get an interview with him. at that time it was interesting because i kept remembering, where is he what is his name. because at the time he was new and i think i transpose his name and i said first of all, i don't even remember. he said first of all get my name right. and i was so excited because this is not about me personally this was about as a reporter trying to get to him before anyone else. and i was just so excited to get to this new rockstar on the hill that i couldn't get his name right and it was a mess.

[laughter] >> you write that he was not particularly popular with a nice. all the rest are house members, what is it that made them resent him? >> they did resent him. he was someone who tried for this. [inaudible] and because they are a small group on the hill they are very loyal to one another. the second strike was he was a senator and this was something that rarely happens in this country and he was also on a different schedule in the house. so when the house members would meet, he would kind of ask if he could be placed in the from part

to deliver statements about what was going on in the senate. and he was left. and there were a lot of hard feelings. >> do you think talking about your time covering the white house, can you talk about how you explain in the book how you were treated not only as a black reporter, but a woman reporter, let's start with the first year bill clinton's second term, you arrive at the white house to cover this every day. >> it was interesting because they replaced the gentleman that was iconic. he was the first african-american to become president of the white house

press club and when i came to the white house, many people resented the fact that it wasn't him anymore. and i can understand that. but also i think that coming in and really pressing this issue this was a consistent and daily basis and many people were wondering who is she? we haven't seen her around washington. and so i have a lot of pushback from within the press corps and. and there are pushback

situations as well. there was a lot of pushback. and so i got a lot of pushback. >> let's break it down into three categories. because you write about not only your interaction with other reporters and your interactions with presidents, but of course press secretaries as well. can you talk about a couple of those moments you start under the bush administration tony snow was the new press secretary and what happened with this? >> oh, my goodness, the first day, he was with the rockstar in chief, so many people were in that room. and i mean you have the designated seats and you think i can wait until the two-minute warning get my feet.

but that was not the case. and so i was on the right side of the wall and there were the questions posed to him by this. and he would explain what was going on and say that that is something that was a phrase that was racially insensitive. >> it was from an old briar rabbit story. and i actually have that book just remember that this is what used to be but it should not be. as i couldn't believe it. so when you think about this put together, i said okay.

so then unfortunately there was a reporter at standing in front of me that told me to shut up. and so after the press briefing the first one and i said the realize what you did and he apologized. and from that moment on we struck up a relationship and he truly did apologize for what he did and he didn't realize how insensitive he whines and to the credit i talked to mark smith who was the president at the time. and i got an apology. do people really don't understand the apologies from the reporter who did bad and people don't understand what happens to deliberating in that room what goes beyond that room and it really affected me.

>> the press briefing, you and i covered this for many years, the press briefings were off-camera largely up until about the time that you came. mike was the second term secretary and agreed to do an on camera and i tend to agree that the press briefings are supposed to be the raw ingredient. and also do you have which struck me because i was there for it, not just because you are an african-american reporter, but maybe because you were a woman. >> yes, i think you might be right about this issue. it also could because i'm part of this specialty media. >> can you tell us what

happened? >> it comes with the issue and the fact that i'm not a part of the mainstream or illustrious well, i focus on urban and minority america. so how dare she, that is the way that i felt at the time. they were relevant questions are questions that i was hearing inside and outside of the white house. it was not a personality issue but they didn't see the combination of the two days that crescendoed into that moment. >> this was after a couple crashed first obama state dinner. and a friend of those with taking the heat for dropping the ball on this. and you asked him specifically about her role.

so what was it that he said to you? >> he said something to the effect of being on the role of having questions to calm down. .. >>

>> i just could not believe it. i asked a legitimate questions but what happened in my mind is that we have a the relationship now but there was loyalty there. and they supported one another. and they were very loyal to this woman. it was a folk lot to cause a security breach. >> host: did you see

robert gives at that point? the guy did. there were other people in the room and i remember him saying if i did in the think to offend the first lady and i said i was getting e-mail and text messages why did robert kids disrespect you? but i said what did i do to deserve this? but when you're seven the perceived as i don't have the backing of the larger networks i don't focus on the same issue.

and to my surprise many of my fellow correspondents they had so many death threats. , for this kind of thing to happen. >> host: talk about the specialty media because the very kids may not and trustee of that.

everybody has seats but you cover the white house from a very particular vantage point that is important to those who listen. >> specialty media real focus on the traditional. we don't sit in the front row it could be media or newspaper. that we are the american urban radio network, at telemundo, univision, also lgbt newspapers, a christian broadcast, those that are not of the illustrious front two rows. but i had us he'd smack dab in the middle. [laughter]

removed up to the third row and they do have the seats but that is because they've there every day and ask questions and ask pertinent questions. and they have an audience to get a message to. >> sometimes there is an operation to take a vintage of your specialty media and they seek you out? >> recently there was an interview with bt more than cnn nor abc.

the washington period she said you have to use to your advantage so the fact i am working for a minority company with african-american issues. >> have to do you deal with that second group? with the white house press colleagues you write about

he thought i was a staffer

in i'm standing looking at him and thinking he is talking to staff in the lower press area. i introduced myself. i said please call on me and he said joe k.. so that press conference he didn't put the next one he did. and i send a note to mike to say thank you and the president wrote me back on my house letterhead. that's all she wrote. [laughter] >> edits the a good one righty a figure go to to get a question and then getting a letter back.

in news conferences you talk about the first but what was it that you felt? >> until they get is the content it is think it was media's line and the public has a sense they don't mind us betted might have to and for others that may not have. but once again specialty media is focusing on one thing and that is the greatness to have a group of people in the we are of that task different questions but to stay on the same subject. there is more than just one thing.

>> let me ask you about a foreign visitor. where were you seated? >> with the african delegation. and i found that very interesting. it was a full pot on the part of the white house. i was told after the fact they should have been grateful because to possibly be called upon. >> host: viewers sitting with other black reporters? >> i had no problem with that but i of american journalist said a white house correspondent it was so i even my colleagues could not believe i was placed here even president bush noticed. >> host: during a news

conference he says why are you sitting over there? i said i was placed here he acknowledged it three times during the press conference several days the president would call on me. he even andrew card and after that said it was bad. it was a bad move. >> you think the president's regarded you differently because you were black gore represented a specific specialty media because you were a woman? did that work to your advantage? >> but also my disadvantage because even president clinton even told me i wanted to call on you but we did -- didn't know what to

expect from you and sometimes we didn't have an answer. president clinton told that i figured he tells me that that is the thought going down the line. so it worked to my advantage with it wanted to talk to the black for urban in command at -- community to was an interesting dynamic. >> in your book you writes extensively to put today's presidents did historical perspective to make clear there is still a way to go. this civil-rights act has become law now they're

turning to the voting rights act and to allocate, jr. is urging president johnson to do the film so much that has come out and has been criticized to put johnson in a bad light but you write about your conversation with the other person who was in the route -- in the room. >> in "the presidency in black and white" my up-close view of three presidents and race in america" i have an exclusive interview of the man who was in the room with several k. >> ballet a prominent figure in the civil rights community with a former congressman in georgia and former u.n. ambassador and at that point a relatively low level white house staffer.

>> a very credible person he was in the room and this is what i don't understand the piece that i don't understand about sova he says that lbj did say he did not have the fire -- the power after they successfully got the civil-rights act. so reverend jesse jackson said that people like dr. king as a murder but not a bircher. -- marcher. so they had used to tease you work to get the power for this president to go

down to alabama and how at the time they could not be on the street together. it took three people to be together could find a way to have a meeting and they strategically found out how to present this situation to pursues the voting rights act. also. >> there are audio recordings from the secretary that this should

be a pretty well documented fact. are you surprised that the kind of reaction the movie has brought? is that progress that has turned out to be a commercial success? >> it brought me to tears. i thought i was in the black church. it was an amazing movie to see i knew what would happen when i saw those little girls it is so graphic to see them go back and forth on that bridge. and i am an african-american i could not question i could

not be here and unbelief it shows everything because it was graphic but much more brutal then reach shot but the movie touched me i think oprah and brad pitt and it was a wonderful movie but people died it was not an easy struggle they knew people would be hurt so that was some of the impetus. >> and the residents from that condoleezza rice defended one of those. did she work within the bush

administration as national security advisor and secretary of state did she feel she had day waste portfolio i faked her for her truth she said she was there and she brought to the table what needed to be brought to that when it was time to have the anniversary event she said if not for this i would not be able to sit at a restaurant or e to edit a restaurant. >> father could not vote until 1952 until 1964 she said certainly not for this act we have to celebrate and there is another controversial piece at the very beginning of the bush

years president bush had decided to write a brief as a friend-of-the-court about the university of michigan about affirmative action he did not want preferential treatment so condoleezza rice said that needs to be talked about it is part of the opportunity. >> host: to give black candidates will ignition that extra measure of boost. >> but the problem was but someone said she supported president bush's and wanted to make sure that her story was told properly.

i've remember i heard all the hoopla about the news. i had to go to a doctor's appointment and i got a call from ari fleischer the u.s. press secretary. he said you know what is going on? so we talked and she made it perfectly clear that she supported targets of opportunity of affirmative action. >> and the specialty media reporter like you gets that message to the audience. >> not just my audience but it reverberates to "the new york times" and abc and "the washington post" and now i

am the go to person to feed off of when there is of black issue. >> host: did you really cook a soul food dinner for president clinton? [laughter] >> now we're finding out with the administration but that is when he said i instilled relevant but the campaign was on for his successor he was polishing the car and walking the dog. the result the white house every day how did you cut not to invite him for dinner to make during the clinton years there were a lot of producers and reporters sometimes he would talk amongst ourselves to say

somebody had an off the record with the president we said somebody had the otr. did you get one? so we started to scratch our head and ultimately we started to talk to michael curry. so bill douglas opened up his beautiful home to allow less to have a dinner with mike mccurry to talk about this and at the time the president wanted to talk about race as well to get more information because what he had on the table at that time was floundering. he wanted to get our

thoughts. and what we had to say so we started the process and might like it so much you brought his own hot sauce he had collard greens and if i'm the south but it was from that of black community to have those sunday dinners after church were those in anniversaries and we had a beautiful time at the white house at the time this said if you want to talk about race so we thought once mike

mccurry loved it would never happen especially everything hanging overhead from monica lewinsky. >> host: by this time he has been impeached. >> yes. 1989. -- 1999. and actually we were surprised so at the time i was one of the main people who tried to make this happen they said there is no way we can get into your house in baltimore. stick and we were thankful for that because president clinton talked so much to pull them out of the house at 1130 so if you are around

president clinton sometimes he has a monologue bayou are in grossed and just listen. so he is eating and i am watching him play it chicken and potato salad and collard greens on one fourth and e to them. oh my gosh. [laughter] to have those conversations. >> what do you get from that as a reporter? >> no. this is off the record you always want time with the principle to figure out what they want he talked about things from africa and we got to know him a lot better

about what he was thinking and why this would not happen but the moment is the obama administration are the ones that they are so aware of trayvon martin that he would like the president's son if he had fallen. what do you make of the handling of explosive moments under his watch? >> they're looking at him as the savior and he wanted to make people believe change would not happen after the first time.

and those that were hurting at a better standard is a black man. the first time it was the everyone issue and so was the second news conference in america rising tide lifts all votes. >> guest: the second time we announced the african-american and president the first-ever is a president who happens to the african-american and the reason why i say that's is he is open how he regard to

racial issues and as president your president over all-america to understand where you come from with certain issues. to hand what people had assumed when he arrived. but the issue of police involved in shootings right now you have to be dealt the problem stibnite should he have gone to ferguson? >> what would it have accomplished if he did?

>> visa don't go somewhere unless there is something. >> but it is the small piece of a bigger issue i call and the american version of apartheid that is why i say that because said the version of the power structure it is white and mostly black so with michael brown and if not obama, whose?

but everything comes to the president and this is the thing that bothers me so easily people say right asking him if you go to ferguson? why not? race comes to every president lbj. abraham lincoln eisenhower truman. they all had dealt with issues and acted on them. yes. people have to understand and i say why with u.s. about race? he was the one. >> host: but bill clinton, if he comes close to issue what some would consider an apology for slavery.

>> did he come close? he wanted. >> he did not apologize. there was a back-and-forth fight in the white house. attend the issue of reparations and. i think bill clinton was the one where the only one who could have done that. the time was right he was the first black president. he wasn't going to do it for what americans did a and president barack obama it was not the right time for