trickle down into other administrations. >> george w. bush had an african-american secretary of state and a national security advisor and a second african-american secretary of state at a time when the united states was very, very engaged around the world in troubled spots. does he get good points for that question. >> he gets great points for that. he said this during when president bush was president and he said at last year at this time last year. george w. bush did have the most diverse republican administration. it's interesting that it was a republican in that position who are african-american. that was interesting that it took him to do that. so this was the first administration when you saw, this time the prominent african-american that followed suit in the obama administration with the attorney general. >> that doesn't counterweight

president bush's experience after katrina. was that racial? >> i don't think president bush was being racist with his handling of katrina. >> this was the hurricane that of course affected so many of minorities and lower income people who were hurt by the storm in louisiana mississippi. >> particularly in the ninth ward of new orleans. we saw people people on rooftops waiting for help. i think, and even president bill clinton in this book, he says i don't think it was an issue of racism, his policies just did not help elevate people in poverty. now we talk about katrina. president bush got in a lot of trouble for the fact that he was caught up in the state right

issue. the state had to deal with it and that was what bogged him down. because people felt disenfranchised from their government, they felt left alone. because people died, people died, he did get in trouble. >> barack obama is the first, probably not the last african-american president that you will cover but his grade isn't as high as bill clinton's. >> because of the first term. because in the first term, the i'm not going to say in action but because he did not come out. there are two different brock obama's, obama's, first term and second term. we see a more african-american president who is african-american versus i'm a president who happens to be

african-american. he's comfortable in his skin and he's not ashamed of it. it was the first time he had to be strategic. it was very strategic. very strategic. there is a fight within the white house. he was the president who did the black farmer payout after 17 or 18 years of waiting for that money. he was the president who did that and at the same time it wasn't necessarily, i'm going to do it. it took tactics. >> are you surprised that pres. barack obama didn't make a stronger cases first term? >> know because looking back he had to be who he was. he had to be. >> because of the economy was in such trouble? because. >> because i remember hearing from people within the administration, we don't want to amplify issues of race. we also know race and politics

will always follow this precedent. a lot felt they had to walk the fine line because anything they do in this administration that specifically targeted african-americans, they would hear from certain parties, certain groups and go against everything they tried to do. >> april ryan you have been at the white house through a very, very exciting time. thank you for sharing your thoughts and your book here with us today. >> thank you. anytime. put tv continues this weekend. former mike huckabee discusses his book in american culture. at 9:00 p.m. then carson on one nation, what we can do for america's future.

then marco rubio on american dreams. then hair hillary clinton on her book hard choices. that's that's at 8:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span2 c-span's road to the white house coverage and candidates at the iowa state fair continues on friday. that is live at 10:30 a.m. eastern on c-span. later road to the white house joins donald trump when he speaks at the town hall style meeting in new hampshire. we will be live from the high school in hampton starting at 710 eastern also on c-span.

this weekend on the c-span network, politics, books in american history. live from the iowa state fair, presidential candidates because the des moines register candidate soapbox. beginning saturday at soapbox. beginning saturday at noon we will hear from republican rick santorum and lincoln chase he and bernie sanders. we will have more live coverage from the iowa state fair later that afternoon. on c-span2, saturday night at ten eastern, where mccaskill. he talks about his legal situation with campaign finance law. on c-span three, sunday morning at ten am, with many presidential candidates visiting the iowa state fair we will learn about the history and its tradition as a stop on the road to the white house. saturday evening at six, on the civil war, on the 1864 battle of mobile day.

it was the closing of one of the confederacy's last major port. get. get our complete schedule at c-span.org. with the senate in its august break we will feature book tv weeknights on c-span2 starting at eight pm eastern. for the weekend, here are a few book tv special programs. saturday, august 22 we august 22 we are live from jackson mississippi for the inaugural mississippi book festival beginning at 11:00 a.m. eastern. issues on harper lee, the civil rights. on september 5 we are live from the nations capital for the 15th annual national book festival. book tv on c-span2 :

it's a message that 103 letters that i wrote to president bush and president obama from 2,122,015, were very few exceptions were not acknowledged not answered. so i thought i i would embarrass myself by putting them all in a book to raise a bigger issue, which is

almost democratic media when a priss makes writes a letter to an official they can't be censored, can be distorted and not to respect it or try to answer even acknowledge it, so people know it's not going to a dark hole is a major issue i think. most young people don't realize that a written letter to a politician has far more impact than anything else. >> they get a lot of letters i think about a half a million a week. certainly don't expect them to answer every letter. >> no. here's how i break it down. a lot of people don't know that teams of volunteers, regular volunteers go to the white house every morning and they separate out all these letters. now, no one expects the president to answer these letters, but he has staff, he has departments, he has

departments, he has agencies throughout the executive branch and they should all be acknowledged at least. that's my can play. they have rowboat letters for high profile letters, they will send out robo which is often like this. they don't even answer the letter or they write letters to reporters or contributors and the president do write personal letters to a governor, or mayor who supports the president or who gives some financier gives money. if anyone says the president doesn't find particular letters to particular people doesn't know what they are talking about. so they do play favorites. they also, here's where you get a letter automatically you say dear mr. president i want you to attend my daughter's high school graduation. so they have to be polite. so

they they write a letter expressing regret,. >> or dear mr. pres. i want to give you money. >> of course. >> kozol answer right away. >> i have a variety of letters they could have farmed out to the sert or tarry of energy, had a federal trade commission, no. they don't even acknowledge my letters, so i wrote bush and obama letter and said what is your policy on answering letters, right? and i didn't answer that one either. so my comparison i sent to critical letters to the prime minister of canada, and that came with formal acknowledgment by the director of correspondents say may have absorbed my message and have referred it to the respective ministry. so at lease know a human being, or more answered the letter. if it all goes to a dark hole and it is not acknowledged, and the fewer people will write letters and the postal service shows that letter writing is declining and not just because

the internet. what's interest justine in canada that they have a affirmative policy to encourage people to write letters to the members of parliament or prime minister because it's free. no stamp is needed. in our country, the politicians are free, they sent letters to us, but we can't do it in reverse. >> so you said that most of the letters were not answer, couple work and you speak about that question mark. >> i want to make it really easy for pres. obama, when he's running for reelection, i said, i said here's what president carter did once he went to a major hotel borrow room three blocks from the white house and we filled it with a thousand liters of citizens groups, labor environment, religious, charities, community groups you name it who have millions of members out there around the country to support these groups. it's called the nonprofit

sector. i said you gone to india, you always have to have some type a spark of the letter, you gone to india to promote harley davidson motorcycles, boeing airplanes, this is just three blocks. >> surely you can walk her across the street. >> yes and he did walk across lafayette park to pay homage to the congress who criticize them every day so he didn't answer the letter. i thought it was good for him and good for the not nonprofits because he would bring visibility to him and they would get more contributions from people. by the way a lot of jobs are involved in the nonprofit sector so more contribution, more service for poor children, people in need, et cetera. i sent the letter copy to michelle obama and she writes back and says, thank you you very much but the president is too busy. you know. so you see when you do persist,

when you try to get an answer, you get a response that is more interesting. >> now there is another letter you got from president bush where he actually invited you to contribute to the library, and what did you reply. >> this was a letter, to me by name you know they can do that and separate out dear harry. >> was that in response to u's center was that just a random letter? >> it was out he was out of office it was 2012. he's asking me. he's asking me for money because of his presidential library, i consider george w. bush a certified were criminal along with dick cheney, i i picketed him, i challenge them publicly. the computers nonpartisan. so anyway, i chided him on his

criminalization of iraq and how he didn't even have the decency to open up to iraq you refugees who were who were not supportive of the mission but to feed the family they were chauffeurs, translators, they put their lives at risk, some of them lost their lives because of that and he would let them in. we let hundred 67000 enemies refugees in bed maybe only 10,000 at the most iraqi refugees. and. and then said i think i want to make a contribution and kind so i sent him a book by clyde and the title of the book is a rogue nation. >> did you get a reply to that? >> no, i'm going to check someday to see if they catalogued it in the presidential library. >> now there is a lot of letters that are funny in some ways, you you wrote one about a terrace named e. coli can you speak

about that question mark. >> yes there is a bacterial outbreak in europe, some people died. it was a violent of bacteria and bacterial gave it the name e. coli and then some numbers. i've been trying to get back to president clinton to this redefine terrorism, and if you're worried about the loss of innocent civilian life you better worry about viruses and bacteria. and not just the ones that come from africa or asia, were dealing were dealing with a lot of mutations, you are a scientist, isn't this a scary thing, if we don't get ready in time it could be like the influenza epidemic after world war i. sans and how my going to get to these people, so i decide to write a letter in the name of e. coli. e. coli is sitting in a petri dish in austria, if life is very limited, they're going to come and get it because they have analyzed it at a it has no more use. this e. coli figures i need to do something to redeem myself and so the letter in the book return to sender made the case for the president to raise the

priority for resource focusing concern to prevent deadly at adamic sell over the world. there's no one better than the united states to confront that if we can get over the restriction of the word terrorist to a few gangs. >> yes, i was at a few of the events you spoken about the book. one i was at was about the conflict and prose in dc, i wanted to ask you i was fascinated by how that talk away, it was was a great talk obviously. the first question you got was about why did you give the election to al gore in 2000, have you ever been to the events where you spoken that question was not asked question marks the mac very rare. >> and i thought your answer so spot on and so directs, in fact the audience there tends to be rather skeptical about against democrats, but you got applause,

please talk about the answer i think it's important for people to hear. >> because we can never tolerate political bigotry against their party or independent candidates area we all have the right to run for election, if we all have the right to run for election, big guys, third parties, we all have the right to get votes from one another which means we are either spoilers of what are no another or none of us are spoilers. why should a green party candidate be a green be a third class citizen? if you ask al gore why he lost the election, he was a 1i won the election. i won the popular vote, the electoral the electoral college antiquated through it into florida and then he will say it was stolen from them. in in a variety of ways, in florida secretary of state, jeb bush shenanigans and those of us remember all of that and then the supreme court.

also he would've been president if you would have just won one state, his home state of tennessee. that he represented in the house, and his headquarters were there. so when you see us these situations one, two or three any of these with situations would put him in the white house. >> 250,000 democrats voted republican, in florida. >> the how much was that election loss by. >> 537. >> 250,000 democrats switch parties, basically to vote. also arkansas, the state of where his vice president to clinton. that went. >> because he didn't like clinton to campaign, kling could've gotten arkansas. >> i'm just amazed at how many times people continue test that

question. >> part of it is an alibi, they go for the least worst, they sold dislike the republicans will accept anything the democrats offer. i try to tell them if you do that you lose your bargaining card. the corporations are pulling onto parties 24 seven. so how do you the progressive wing, the wing, the democrat party which is becoming corporatized and militaristic, corporatist, wall street, timing hillary clinton is a militarist corporatist. not by same are going to go with the least worst, i'm not going to put any pressure on you in april, may, june, july. they tell them or july. they tell them exactly what they want to hear witches blanket support no matter what the democrats will do that you don't like because the republicans are worse. now every four years of at least worst mindset, both parties get worse. >> back to the book return to sender, have you sent a copy. >> yes i sent a copy and a

letter, know the certification that a guide to the white house. all packages have to be screened. but now i think i have a contact in the white house and i may give give it to her so she can give it to the president in the oval office. >> what would be a victory for you? a phone call from the president, and invite, what what would be a victory? >> first of all to acknowledge the letter, and by the way i send these letters around, you can't put all your eggs in the white house basket. he said he said it to white house reporters, opponents, members of congress, you send it around to university professor who is interested in the subject. acknowledgment, a courteous, it

would have to do with courtesy here and i would like substantive responsive for example, we tried for six years to try to get an appointment with the secretary of energy, he is pro-nuclear and weak meets all the time of the nuclear energy and i had the four leading anti-nuclear groups that that have been around for decades and never been able to see him. he would just blow us off, so i wrote to president obama and said, your secretary is not given equal time here, anywhere near. no answer, they didn't even refer to the secretary of energy for a response. i would like the sprawling executive to get some of these letters and respond if they come from the white house, they should have more meaning where the secretaries are assistant secretaries to respond. >> you stuck to two presidents, bush and obama.

obviously written letters previously to other presidents, why did you stick to those two? are they more egregious than the others? >> yes, it's getting worse. even senators and representatives when it comes to letters and shock, they don't even respond. >> is a because of email question is it because of e-mail question mark. >> it's because they're very secure in their seats, save republicans safe democrats, they have rowboat letters and don't want to be bothered. >> so it's safer to ignore than to answer in the wrong ways. >> yeah, the interesting i was writing to jimmy carter and once in a while he would respond or his special assistant would respond. i would say right to center worn mate asking for a congressional hearing and it would be in the washington post or in the new york times. now, no matter how fresh, new new or authoritative the letter is, but it comes from a professor from mit against missile-defense, it's nine

billing it year almost the entire budget of the epa, suppose he writes a letter and its new, the press just degrades letters. they don't refer them them the way they used to. i once wrote a letter to a public official on what we call white lung disease in the textile houten rooms, the dust and it was killing workers in north carolina south carolina. it was on page three of the washington post. it is a dying media, we gotta revive it and there is no one who can stop us. because no one can stop us from writing letters and sending them around, no one can stop us from writing more powerful letters by putting cc to all different parties so all the white house says that this is a networker, it's going to a reporter, reporter, i better write it back. >> you have a podcast people can go to at ralph nader.court org

do you put those in the podcast or do you have other ways to bring it out, obviously sending them to the white house you not getting the in the response and attention. there's people out there listening to alternative media and radio, aside from the alternative let's talk about the use of the podcast and getting that information out. the ultimate goal is to get the information out to the people, it's, it's not just to get an answer obviously. do you do a multitier approach to sending out this information question works. >> i should do more of that. the radio program basically interviews people are very important subjects that are not in the news. so that is the whole bulk of the program, like i just interviewed steve silverstein from san francisco who is a philanthropist and he helps others fun seven or eight people who are going to replace the

presidential practice where you can come in second in the popular vote is to become president. like what happened to four times in american history most recently in 2000 gore came in first and bush came in second but the electoral college put bush, with this appearing court help. and who knows about that? they now have 165 electoral votes, that is they have laws passed from maryland, new york, illinois, california, if they go to 270 that's the end. what are these loss say? the losses in maryland, or california that they will throw the electoral votes completely to the winner of the national popular vote, so they redefined what the electoral college cannot do. so we had him on, but you're right i should herald some of the letters and summarize them. >> i mean one way would be to put the letter out, let say that

you sent to the white house and along with it you would do some sort of a crash roots activism so people could actually write, focus on the issue, call the white house do whatever it takes. a lot. a lot of times from what i hear, from people in congress and even the white house, they do respond to the number of calls. but when you have the same voices being heard over and over again, there is a little a little bit of a ticket in their. >> and they count the letters. that they counsel calls, the council letters. they may not respond, but it has an impact of his coming and in large numbers. >> if you picked up the phone and call the white house do you ever get a callback question mark. >> if i called the special assistant, like jean sperling, i would get a get a call back maybe after the third call. you have to be quite persistent. >> when was the last time you are invited to the white house question mark. >> it was under bill clinton, he would assign mr. mccarty who is

a special assistant to handle our groups, so to speak. we were invited were invited several times but only to see him. >> i see so here you are named one of the hundred most influential people of the 20th century by time magazine, by life magazine, by atlantic, monthly, i'm just flabbergasted at having run for president and having an impact, i understand assaulting a politics that you bring your friends closer and your enemies closer so whatever you are whether you seen as a friend or an enemy, bringing you closer would probably be a better purpose don't you think. >> why do you think there is this resistance to ralph nader question mark. >> i think to reason one the 2000 campaign. it produced a lot of shunning by the democrats in congress and the white house. how dare i challenge a mutating

democratic party that is a shell of what it was in the 1960s. we could've gotten through all these bills for environment, worker safety, we could've got them through today. we got them through today. we got them through the 1960s. i think the second thing is, if you don't get mainstream press coverage they don't think they need to respond to you. so the new york times decides they're not going to cover a certain citizen groups they will say why should we bother responding. it's too bad, because these letters often point out things going on in their own government they don't know about. things going on in the country they don't know about. they don't like the criticism, they like the praise, but it's just not the politics. i think you point out, it's not good politics to do that.

if i was in the chamber of commerce, if i was a national association of manufacturers, you you can be sure they would respond. they respond to perceived power. in the 60s if you had good knowledge, good information about how cars could be made safer for example, how the air could be clean that up and went over the hurdle and you could get press. if you got press the senators and representatives would brett would respect you more. >> a lot of people, when they talk about, when i speak to friends about you, they will oftentimes speak about the legacy, you are 81 years old. you must be thinking about that, you must be thinking about what will the average american, let say who did not grow up in the 60s and knew you in a very direct way with the issue of gm and all of that, what would you like people to know u.s.

question mark. >> more than that we would like to have a big seller ration for the 50th anniversary of safety and speed which is in november and then have a series of events to help create new groups, help create and introduce new leaders whose names are not on the evening news. that's really what legacy is all about, it's not about memory, it's about putting forces and motion and then multiply themselves. like we started the public interest research groups back in the 70s, there are over 25 of them now, they are student find it, full-time staff, scientists, lawyers, lobbyists, it, full-time staff, scientists, lawyers, lobbyists, places like massachusetts, new york, they representative file lawsuits and referendums. they're multiplying multiplying themselves. i like to give people ideas that they put into place, for example we had a discussion with you on what a great community restaurant would be like and now

, you have several restaurants which have a bookstore, an event room with events all most every every night, artistic, poetry, music, political, nothing's up the limits. and the food. >> that can be added to your public interest founding have another organization which is interesting because that to come out of a conversation that we had. i remember us talking about it when jerry brown was running for office and you helped him cobble together his platform at that time. >> fantastic in the 1990s he still has a box full of them in his basement. >> i remember it and had a picture of the statue of liberty with a scaffolding around it. >> yeah. >> i have copies of that from originally we start talking about it. your idea was that you really do believe in citizens. that's the beauty of all this, you believe in citizens and you feel very strongly, have

annoying you for so long, having talked to you for so much, that you've made this known that if people just knew how much power they had, and what it is they are up against, what, what it is they can do that they can infect affect change. >> yes. >> has your faith in it the amount average american or citizens strengthened over time, has it weakened over time, do you do you feel that you're up against such a tide that it hard to get your news it your views across? >> there is a progress factor here. that is people know who is doing them and now. in now. they didn't even know that the auto companies were selling them less than safe cars. the gleaming 55 chevrolet with with the hood ornaments, and the music. now. >> only cuba now by the way. >> but now, they they know who rules, they know who's degrading

them, under insuring them, denying healthcare, screwing them as consumers, marshaling exclusions, they know all that. so that's step one. step two, is to avoid demoralization, that's a big problem in this country. people have given up in on themselves, you can't buy the big boys, just sort of live a pleasant life as much as you can, text message, watch tv, play sports or watch store sports. that's the biggest problem. demoralization means they've given up on themselves even though the constitutions starts and ends with, we the people. so you have demoralization here's my antidote. as american history shows 1% or less less of the people who are seriously engaged throughout the country on redirections and

reforms, that are supported by the majority of the people, that's all you need. so people go around saying i just gotta to get one out of 100 people in my town, or in my congressional district, or in my state legislative district to put in 200 to 300 hours per year on an issue they believe inches luck people put more than that in their bridge game, their bowling league are there watching birds. it's all over. like minimum wage now is a big issue, by the way listeners here's a restaurant to her who believes in a higher minimum wage, he even organize restaurant or owners in that respect. that's why call him a restaurant to her. less than the population of the city of waterbury connecticut, and put this on the political map.

people took a few hours to demonstrate in front of mcdonald's, burger king, walmart, walmart, look there's 30 million workers making less today than in 1968 adjusted for inflation, that's a disgrace. less than the population, 100,000 100,000 people scattered around the country, getting media and maybe if you think takes, may be a few groups like ours, contacting politicians, writing ipads, putting out reports, doesn't that encourage people? that's what made obama pay attention cap, that's what made cities and towns they were were not waiting for this government, the federal government which is still stuck at seven, their race in it. l.a. is just as city council is $15 an hour over three years. less than 1%, i could talk about wall street when wall street was just 1% of the ruling class, we, we need to talk about the other 1%. with majority support, abraham

lincoln said with a public sentiment you can do anything, without public sentiment you can't. there's so much majority support for whole area of improvements in the country, minimum wage restoration, for medicaid for all, corporate tax reform majority support, 90% support to break up the big banks that are too big to fail. there's just huge support against empire, support against bloated military budget that is destroying so much abroad while our bridges and sewerage, and highways, and schools crumble here at home. this idea that we are polarized, and we are red, blue, that's the dividing rule tactics of the ruling groups. >> he wrote a book about that. >> yeah the unstoppable, merging the left right alliance to the

corporate state. >> and how often times we are put into a red and blue situation, again it's basically politics that really don't necessarily affect our life in a very direct way but yet we continue to be very divided, like you mentioned we have so much more interest. >> all much more, 24 areas of major convergence. look at the look at the left right now, prison reform, juvenile justice reform, the reform reform of the war on drugs, trade is coming out. it's just all all over, certainly left right support against capitalism or corporate welfare, but the ruling groups like the focus and the press falls into that trap. in areas where he disagree like reproductive rights, school prayer, considered overregulation. >> is that because it's just easier it's a black white thing,

is it more difficult to deal with more those issues? >> if they pay attention to the areas where left right agree, it's over for them, they're not going to be really nice. it's unstoppable. the thing the senator fears the most, our governor, whether they are republican or democrat is someone walking into the office, left, right. they can't game it, they can't play, right. they can't game it, they can't play it. left, right people come into the office and that's what's passing juvenile justice legislation in over 15 states are ready. by the way the coke brothers who are oil and gas, they are are lobbying to get a surtax on solar panels and southern legislators, they're not winning. there's no such thing as a republican or democrat solar panel, that means jobs in every neighborhood. >> wow so you spoke up 1% and i haven't heard you talk about specifically like that before, you're saying if you're saying of 1% of the population get activated, they can actually tip the others. there's been books written about the tipping point and you having

10% of the people to have that effect but you're saying you don't really need 10%, especially i suppose you take into account the new social media and other ways people can reach others. >> the key is public opinion, if over over 50 or 65, or 78% support higher minimum once you get the on 60, you have an unstoppable public support. which politicians know because they see the polls and then, all you need is 1% or less. we defeated the coal industry, we defeated the auto industry, we got through all kinds of things with handfuls of people that you could put into an auditorium all over the country, but serious, tactical, smart. there's a lot of smart people in this country, they don't give themselves a chance to be

cynically smart. that's why tell people, little humorously, that when you meet people why waste it by saying how are you? and of the other person says i'm okay even though they have a sore throat, have a sore throat, right. why waste salutation which are billions, why don't you say hi, how is your civic life? >> the maybe a the do a double take like what you say it will catch on. >> it's like the trampoline. >> or the pogo stick. so in taking it back full circle are more hopeful today for the average citizen becoming more effective, more involved or do you feel, what is it that needs to happen to get people, because whatever i talk to you ralph, you seem like you're in a hurry, you're in a a hurry to get things done. they're so much to be done and there's a sense of urgency in your approach, how effective do

you think that is? is this how, is it just a matter of noticing the urgency and look for doors that a matter of process issue? what is it that stops people from moving at the speed that you like them to move? >> is a strategy because in history the greatest changes occur pretty quickly. in legislation, and and i mean quickly in terms of decades, for example auto safety regulation. my book came out in november 30, 1965, by september of the next year, lyndon johnson had me to the house i need the motor vehicle safety laws. on the other hand president truman, recommended medicare back in the 40s, for all and we still don't have it, because it was spread out. i have this theory when the public is for something, majority opinion, now

is the time to move fast. you can do it with less than 1% of engaged people. >> it but it but it was a very different time then. >> it was. >> honestly didn't have that white noise, that jerry brown is to talk about, with the internet and all that information going on, people all of a sudden we have also is the entire new cycle, suddenly whatever your wish working on, is way down the chain, how do you fight that question speaking. >> it's simple it's less than 1% you can always find 1% of serious people on issues. not only that but you can get sort of instant public re-action on social media. you don't media. you don't have to wait for the gallup poll. so that is another plus and it's important. or you can say congress is more right-wing now, we tell you something the one thing everyone in congress wants, unless the ready to retire, his votes. they want to be reelected, both are more important than raising

money. they raise money to go on tv to try to get a few more votes, and once the message is clear even to the ones you think would never stand for environment, climate change, or consumer protection, labor rights, just like that. we had right winged senators and representatives in the 60s, they could care less for anybody but the industries that were in their backyard, back home, the steel industry, the maritime industry., the maritime industry. within a couple of years they were raving consumer advocates, the auto safety bill passed on was unanimous mostly in the house even though it was opposed to the end by the auto companies, which are probably powerful forces. once people wake up once they feel their power, once they understand the 1% strategy reflecting majority opinion, one opinion, one victory, like a minimum-wage victory will lead to another victory. i think there'll be a major push for single-payer, full medicare

for all as insurance companies in the next few months raise their premiums and are misleading and. >> and were seen some from the business perspective the obama care and affordable care act, how complicated it is. i'm thinking why can't we have single-payer it would be so much easier question mark. >> is unbelievably complicated. >> and there's so much regulation that businesses have to deal with in order to be in compliance. >> the complications are irritating for everybody. business, patients, everybody, but his business. business. it creates consulting birds, litigation,. >> were seen in from all angles. >> now, the obama care legislation is hundreds of pages of long, the regulations are thousands of pages, due to how

many pages the canadian medicare for everybody bill was? speemac, the fray because is going to make me really mad. >> 13. do you know you can have a hip replacement or break a hip and i get operated on and get rehabilitated and you don't even see a bill. the american people see reams of inscrutable, coded bills. that's why a man like malcolm spiro, who is from harvard estimates the fraud, just by computerized billing fraud, this year, is is at least $400 billion. billion with a b. were dealing with fraud, crime, complexity, bureaucracy all of which generates jobs, it generates profits, it's just a perverse incentive that we are

tying ourselves into knots with corporate tax phoniness, were tyner cells and knots with healthcare and forms, and do you qualify for a subsidy etc., co-pay. why are we tying ourselves into knots? because we have lost confidence in ourselves. we've lost confidence in our history and how we change things for the better and we don't know the 1% rule. >> one know the 1% rule. >> one think the 1% rule has done is the trading raiment, the tpp, i'm amazed when margaret fowler who are great advocates and proponents against this, they were take talking about it one year ago, and it wasn't on anybody's radar. suddenly it's on everybody's radar, there is a lot to be learned about the success they have accomplished and it's a very complicated issue and it's

not just black, white. it's a complicated issue to expand people. it's remarkable, have you been involved in that question like. >> while i started it. when we got well like into this and she is now a huge coalition called trade watch.org, she has taken this complication you'll see it on the website and boils it down to precise shifts of power to global corporations of our democratic procedures, our environment consumer labor, all of these disputes go into secret tribunals which are part of our court system. that's why ll morrison, the lawyer who teaches at george washington university put out a memo on this, it's unconstitutional these tribunals. so not only that, she shows how people can get involved in congressional district after congressional district. now they have blocked the most awesome power combination you can imagine. you have the business lobbyist, the corporate law firms, the hench people in congress, and the president of the united states. and they beat him.

and i don't think they have a half of 1% out there around the country who are even calling their members of congress, because people in their gut, and knowing how communities are being hollowed out, jobs, industries out, jobs,ñi industrs sent to fascist and communist regimes, stripmining america. you don't have to tell people they see it every day in their towns and villages. >> will they see it but they don't react the same way, i'm amazed. >> because they don't have that part of that 1% seriously engaged in every can get congressional district by the way, and on capitol hill. they don't have that vanguard, the two worked together. the whole point of return to sender is not just showing people hey, these are all kind of interesting things that affect your life and they don't even care or nozzle letter, is to try to get young people, and were going to try to get social studies teachers around the country, we want to have a contest where students with the

best letters judged by a panel of social studies teachers to the president, and they win prizes. it. it gets them to be engaged, because once you write a letter your over hurdle long, you're much more competitive committed to the issue if you've written a letter. that's exactly what the wall street 1%,. >> yes when you create that future civic engagement that way. i remember for my daughter, there is a lot of speeding happening on our street and they needed a stop sign to slow cars down. the third grade decided to make it that their civic project, every kid in that class is hooked. they are hooked for life because they see they were able to make an impact, they got that sign in place. >> perfect example of what we

should be doing in elementary schools and other than this core curriculum. here's the point, were upset with test, test on thursday, test on tuesday, high-frequency testing, corporate core curriculum. look, one day a fifth grader, a little girl walks into a classroom insult city and says to the teacher, i think i've located a waste dump. she she says what you talking about? she says it's only five blocks away. so they took a little journey and it was like a square block with brush all over it, it turned out it was a waste dump. they exposed it, the press gave them publicity, the mayor invited them and they cleaned up the waste dump, and as you say, they're they're never going to forget that. actually they testified on the superfund legislation in the state legislature, and the

teacher was so motivated, she writes a book called kids and social action. she just put up a second addiction and she's now lecturing around the country on how you can met motivate elementary school country children to learn about their civic responsibilities and improve their communities instead of watching screens and text messages area and see how simple it is. you have to stop thinking, zero it's awesome because that's what the power structure wants. they want to breed us in a way when we grow up corporate, to to shut up and shop as george w bush once encouraged us to do. and live our private lives in increasingly degraded standard of living. >> i want to ask you ralph what has been your biggest disappointment let's say in this last president, obama has now been almost seven years, he came with so much hope, i think. and me being included in that wave of excitement that brought

him in, i think a lot of us are disappointed in many ways. you are speaking about, don't raise your hopes up too high, i remember then but what is been your biggest us appointments? >> in my own small way i ran against him, iran for president 2008, i2008, i knew about his legislative record in illinois state legislator laid sure which is not very courageous at all. he he dodged a lot of controversy over both by not voting and you can see he was a maneuver us. he was trying to figure out how to climb the ladder of power. >> if you want to know who will be the next person climbing the ladder look at the person was the least legislative record, that's really true. >> but it really comes down to character and personality. for. for all politicians, he was a conflict averse, when it came to challenging the power structure,

be he wanted desperately to win so therefore he was very easy on the military-industrial complex and the war machine, and empire. in three he wasn't you elected on a mass movement, it was nothing like 1912, there are no popular mass movements where they sent him there, he had an email list of 13 million people who sent money, and that's a problem with all these politicians. unless we have a mass movement likely did in the populist progressive. over 100 years ago, where the ones 100 years ago, where the ones who are elected new where they're coming from a and they knew they were coming back,. >> so hope is not a movement question mark. >> know hope is a slogan, so that's the problem. he didn't have a transformative personality politically, a he

had transactional, and the worst thing is he didn't even have the personality to deal with congress. you have to schmooze with them, you he paid the price of the trade bill. >> while he was transformative in some ways by bringing people from the right and left together under, whatever it is hope call it magic trick that brought all these people together, so you have to have that transformative ability and i think for a lot of us we saw that as a potential for for other transformative things to happen, having all that mantle of the people, being able to make and affects some great change right from the get-go. it's all it's all in time and sometimes. >> yet he last he was transformative in terms of votes and bringing minority groups in and he gave a good speech but it stopped at water's edge and when you have to go in deep water as

a president, you have that critical two years when the congress was dominated by his party, the house and senate, big majority. and he blew it. to blew it. to a point where he promised to go for $9.50 by 2011, he never mentioned it in two years when he could've gotten it through congress. same with healthcare. he punted on the public option and healthcare. he punted on the public option and now the insurance companies are laughing all the way to the bank and soar the drug companies with these staggering prices of medicine. again we can turn it around, people don't like this in big majorities, less than 1%. >> it hasn't been talked about we had a majority, house-senate and president all democrats. and yet at that moment passed. >> i'm so glad you mention that because most people don't talk about it. we have a colony in the district of columbia. >> a hundred 50000 people who cannot elect a representative. >> and i'm from morocco originally i'm able to vote in

the iraqi parliament today and have a representative and i run, i haven't been to iraq in 50 years. my daughter was born here, hardly speaks arabic is able to vote in the iraqi parliament yet we both live in d.c. and we cannot hope for a representative, a full representative in d.c. a senator or representative. >> another thing is if people out there need to be supportive of us here and around the countries because there's no capital of any country that even has a hint of been a democracy where the people who live in the capital, like paris, london, cannot vote. >> i think the statistics show at about 80% of the people throughout the country don't even know that. that's part of the reason why we don't have, because other congressmen decide her fate