very nice to be able to talk to you. i too am a gm retiree of 13 years. >> oh, good. >> caller: my question is you mentioned all the plants in detroit are filled. well we have a plant here in wisconsin in janesville which is idle. and closed. are there any plans to reopen the janesville plant and if not, why? >> yeah, the janesville plant does remain idle. and by the way, i've been through quite a few launches truck wise there, so you've got a great town and a great workforce. you know, we can't -- we can't make a pronouncement on any production facility when you look at the economy and the fragility of the economy and the policies and economies worldwide, including europe and some of the natural disasters that have happened. so when people want to know what

the industry is going to run at next year, you know, i wish i could tell someone exactly what it's going to run at, set up our production facilities around that, and then operate to it. it would make my life a lot easier. i don't know all that. i do know that we have to be able to preserve the agility of the company to be able to make money at the very bottom of the cycle, which is about 10 1/2 to 11 million units. and be able to, you know, not have big swings in employment and plants until we get a sustained recovery in place that is based on jobs in the united states and north america. and so i don't think we have that yet. and so it's a long answer to the question. but there is nothing really wrong with any of our facilities that have made high quality products for the long-term in our company. but it's my job to make sure that the sustained recovery of general motors is permanent, and the agility around the

uncertainty and the greater economies, you know, that's intact for general motors so that we continually make money and get, you know, a divestiture and we get our stock price and our earnings on a sustainable basis. so hopefully that makes sense. but i love janesville. spent a lot of time there. and it's a great place. it remains great for us. >> last call for mark reuss, president of gm north america. mansfield. tracy? >> caller: good morning. i would like to congratulate you for the thrift of the t.a.r.p. money which the financial sector cannot claim. my question is about the bailout of the battery technology which gm owned 51% of its stock in. and which chevron subsequently sequestered from the automotive market, forcing companies like coda and tesla to use either foreign batteries or in the case of tesla, thousands of penlight

batteries for their technology. how -- how is this technology going to become not in no longer sequestered and bring down the price of the electric car? >> well, we have a partner in lg i think you're speaking of, and then we've got other partners that are new venture that we've invested in as the business i mentioned with john loughner. we've got sort of a broad portfolio of battery technology usage in gm. and i would also like to add that the rest of the industry uses lg, lg kim battery cells, a-123. there is a whole host of people that are in it. so we're getting scale. i'm not sure there is only one. but what we did when we put together the ip around the volt battery, for instance, in general motors was, you know, we really rely on lg to do the high volume sell production.

there is about 260 plus individual microthin cells in a volt battery that create a t-shaped battery that sets the formation of the battery in the car. the battery pack itself we developed in warren, michigan in gm. the chemistry of how the coolant provides an eight-year, 100,000 mile life was developed in proprietary by gm. and then finally, the integration of that battery into the car is proprietary to gm. so when we talk about scale, we're talking about making that scale in brownstown our battery factory right outside of detroit in michigan. we're talking then the cell skill that lg has invested in their holland plant in michigan. so there is a couple of components of that. there is not one formulation of it. and by the way, the spark that is going to go on sale next year will use a-123 battery technology. so there is different duty

cycles. there is different cars there is no magical solution for one of these that we're going to bet the farm on as an industry, nor should we, because the next development may come from one of those different investments that we've made. so we have to get off of the ground in terms of scale, though, so we can find out where those next developments can come from instead of betting on only one of those chemistries on a cell basis, and then betting the industry on it. that's what we used to do. we've got a very healthy i think supplier footprint of this. and we're going to see those things happen. and that's what i really mean when i talk about scale. so hopefully that makes sense. >> mark reuss, final question. during our national debate a couple of years ago on health care policy, there was lot of news about that it costs car companies more to pay for somebody's health care than it did for the steel that went into a car. is that an accurate assessment? >> boy, i don't know, because i'd have to know the timeline on

when someone made that comment. i really don't know if it's true today. we don't really look at it that way. we just went through a remarkable set of cooperation with the uaw and our unions at a local basis throughout general motors in the united states over this last summer. and we have a very good competitive agreement. so, you know, i feel really good about that. and health care is a part of that. and so i don't think that on a percent basis that agreement on a percent wage basis in our cars is something that, you know, is going to be a detriment to us over a long period of time buzz of the relationship we have with all of our workers that work for gm and our unions. >> mark reuss, a vice president of the gm corporation and president of gm north america. he has joined us here "on the washington journal" from the auto show in washington.

thank you, mr. reuss. >> thank you very much, peter. and thank you for questions and calls. they were great. . i do believe the west for all of its historical shortcomings, and i'm scathing in my book in discussing these shortcomings because they have to be admitted. for all of these shortcomings, the west still today represents the most acceptable and workable, universally workable political culture. >> in 1991, the united states was the only global superpower. today how to restore its status in the world. from former national security adviser zbigniew brzezinski saturday night on after awards. also on book tv, did fdr use world war ii as a cover to create a more powerful executive branch? burton and anita folsom, saturday at 11:00 p.m. and sunday night at 10:00 p.m.,

the new privacy is no privacy. book tv, every weekend on c-span 2. 1150,000 square feet of cars. that's what the vice-chairman of the washington auto show, kevin reilly tells me. what are the policy implications for the next couple days? >> it's tremendous for policymakers and consumer ace like to come down hereto. and of that 750,000 square feet we dedicate 65,000 square feet to what we call the advanced technology superhighway where we demonstrate the latest and greatest in hydrogen technology, electric technology, biofuel technology, natural gas technology, clean diesel technology. so if you're a policymaker and given all the corporate discussion of fuel requirements, you definitely want to be here at the d.c. auto show. >> for the general public, what is the purpose of an auto show? >> entertainment, to take a look at the new cars, maybe shop for a new car as well. bring your kids. we have a wonderful time. a lot of activities for children

down here. but also educational. go to that advanced technology superhighway and 65,000 square feet, the largest of any show in the entire world. they can learn more about where our industry is going and what we're doing to make a better planet. >> so for planning purposes, how long does it take to put these several days together? >> the whole year. the moment the show finishes, we're already working on the next year. >> tell us a little bit what to expect in the next 30 seconds or so for those in the area who might want to come? >> come down the show right here. you're going to see a lot of noeflgss in technology, hydrogen technology and safety technologies will be put forth at the show. but 750,000-square-foot of cars. you won't be disappointed. >> kevin reilly, thank you so much. >> thank you so much. on friday mornings, washington journal will talk with mortgage bankers association david stevens about bank foreclosure practices. then former "washington post" reporter thomas edsall on his new book, "the age of austerity."

and the discussion on the future of u.s. manufacturing. our guests are chris savage of the census bureau and chad moutray of the national association of manufacturers. up next here on c-span 3, we go to the state department for a town hall meeting with secretary of state hillary clinton. then a conversation on unemployment among veterans from the wars in iraq and afghanistan. after that a u.s. conference on reintegrating veterans into society. and more from the u.s. conference of mayors with a look at efforts to combat youth and gang violence. >> april 15th, 2010, i had arrived in paris, walked into the hotel lobby, met general mcchrystal for the first time. and he looked at me and he said "so you're the rolling stone guy. i don't care about the article.

i just want to be on the cover. >> michael hastings wrote in the june 2010 issue of rolling stone. >>. >> i said well, sir, i think it's between you and lady gaga. i was just trying to make some joke, not knowing that lady gaga was actually going to be on the cover. general mcchrystal replied just put me and lady gaga in a heart-shaped tub. and i thought this is a different kind of general, this is going to be a different kind of story. >> but just several months later as a result of the article, general mcchrystal had been fired. michael hastings continues the story and talks about his new book "the operators," sunday night at 8 eastern on c-span's q&a. . secretary of state hillary clinton said today that she is ready to leave the, quote, high-wire of american politics. she reiterated her plans to leave government service, even if president obama is elected to a second term. at a town hall meeting at the state department today, she also touched on u.s. policy toward

iraq, afghanistan, and other parts of the globe. [ applause ] >> good morning, everyone, and welcome to the secretary of state's town hall meeting. just one brief technical reminder. this session is being broadcast not only on the state department's internal closed circuit system, b-net, but also is being broadcast by a number of networks. so please always be diplomatic in your questions and in your performance.

and with that, briefly, it gives me great personal and professional pleasure to introduce the secretary of state, the honorable hillary rodham clinton. madam secretary. [ applause ] >> well, thank you very much, pat. i am delighted to be with all of you again this morning. the way down the hall i saw the overflow crowd. so i want to greet them. they're clustered around some of the tv screens out there. it's wonderful to have this opportunity so soon in the new year to speak with you face-to-face, to have a chance to bring you up to date and also answer questions. it is also an opportunity to understand the full seating capacity of the dean atchison auditorium, and i'm afraid test the fire marshall's patience.

many more people than even the very large crowd gathered here and out in the hall have contributed to the work that we are doing together. there is so much to talk about. i wish i could be here for days, and we could bring in shifts of people. but there is much work to be done of which you are essential partners. i do want to think carrie o'conner and molly moran for their great work running the sounding board. [ applause ] and they're giving everyone here in the state department a chance to ask questions. i'm also looking forward to going over to usaid. i see the deputy secretary. i know he is out of town, but

we're going to get a date very soon, because it is appropriate for us to have this chance to kind of catch up and look forward. and it is also so fitting that we would be meeting here in an auditorium named for secretary of state dean atchison, who cautioned us, and i quote, always remember that the future comes one day at a time. and despite the daunting challenges and the extraordinary opportunities that we confront, it is that one day at a time, one step in front of the next that really gets us where we're heading. in that spirit, i want to update you on the quadrennial diplomacy and development review which we launched in this room just over a year ago. our goals remain the same, to strengthen state and usaid as we

continue to strive to work better, faster, and smarter in the 21st century. during his state of the union address this week, president obama spoke about the essential role that america still plays in spreading peace and prosperity around the world. well, that was music to my ears, and i hope also to yours. the state department and usaid are critical to maintaining and extending american leadership, and we will be in the future called upon to do more in more places more frequently and most likely with fewer resources. the goals of the qddr, therefore, are even more imperative in times of tight budget constraints. we must show, it's up to us to show the american people and their representatives in congress that every dollar given to the state department and usaid is a wise and effective

investment in advancing the values, the interests, and the security of the united states of america. now over -- yes, i agree with that. [ applause ] over the past year, i have been so gratified to see how individual bureaus, missions, and posts have applied the underlying principles of the qddr. i'm seeing more interagency cooperation, people breaking down work silos, tapping institutional capacity wherever it exists. and we're also making great progress on the four main lines of activity that we identified in the qddr process. adapting our diplomacy to new threats and opportunities, transforming our development to deliver results, strengthening our capacity to prevent and respond to conflict and crisis, and working smarter by improving

our approaches to planning, procurement, and personnel. and let me just briefly share with you some of the progress we've made in each of these areas. first, adapting our diplomacy for the 21st century. we are empowering our chiefs of mission, our ambassadors as interagency ceos, and making sure to include their perspective whenever a division touches their country and their responsibilities within it. ambassadors now regularly participate in high-level interagency policy-making discussions with washington via videoconference. and they help formally evaluate employees from other agencies as part of our whole of government approach. we also created a home for all of our experts on one of the defining challenges of our time, energy. for too long energy was the second, third, or fourth

priority for several different offices. now the new bureau of energy resources is our single point of contact on all energy issues. enr is already working in close coordination with the department of energy to keep energy markets stable as we implement sanctions on iran, and to lead our global strategy with the u.n. to achieve sustainable energy for all. sand enr taps skill sets from across the government from treasury, commerce, interior, among others, to run the energy governance and capacity initiative, which is helping countries use their own energy resources transparently to actually benefit their own citizens. [ applause ] we also reconceived the role of

the undersecretary for global affairs now known as the undersecretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights. we wanted to focus on those areas. civilian security and the other essential elements of building safe, fair, and just societies. we erased the organizational distinctions between what was once viewed as hard power and soft power, you know, the kind of security concerns with the hard edge in order to look more comprehensively and in depth at an integrated and ultimately more effective approach. now counterterrorism and police training programs work alongside those that defend human rights, promote opportunities for young people, combat trafficking in persons. in other words, we are bringing a 360-degree approach to people

protection that addresses both the root causes of insecurity and its immediate threats. working closely with regional bureaus, the new j family works to make sure a government's first obligation is to its own people. that government institutions, including courts, police forces, and others that affect everyday life are rooted in the rule of law and respect for human rights. that refugees are protected from persecution, that the voice of you think people is heard and respected, and individuals are protected from the excesses of government. in the democratic republic of congo, for example, a country emerging from decades of conflict, the j family is working closely with the africa bureau to create the environment for more stability and security. working to prevent sexual and gender-based violence, break the

link between conflict minerals and violence, support democratic institutions that can promote lasting peace and achieve accountability for the atrocities that have been committed against innocence. we have also elevated the counterterrorism office to a full bureau that will help us build an international counterterrorism network that is as nimble and adaptive as our adversaries. the cb bureau is undermining attempts to find new recruits and shrinking the space available to al qaeda and its affiliates by increasing the capacity of our partners to combat terrorism on their own. now we also launched a new center to deal with countering violent extremism within the state department. and i attended the inaugural meeting just yesterday and saw the interagency in full splendor

as i sat between danny benjamin and ann stock and ambassador richard lebaron and across from representatives from dod, cia, dni, you name it. because it makes no sense for us to be trying to combat violent extremism, have expertise in the cia, expertise in dod, expertise across our government that is siloed in ways we don't even know what each other is doing. so we're trying to break down those bureaucratic barriers. we've also launched -- [ applause ] as an american initiative, along with our partners around the world, the global counterterrorism forum to strengthen counterterrorism-led efforts and further bridge the divide between security and

development. and in addition we've taken many other steps, one in particular establishing a coordinator for cyberissues that is going to be increasingly important to us. in order to respond quickly to 21st century threats. second, along with the great leadership of dr. raj shah, we are transforming our approach to development. we have made a long-term commitment to rebuilding usaid as the world's premier development agency. under the usaid forward reform agenda, we have strengthened aid's capacity to elevate development as a pillar of civilian power. we've built up the policy, planning, and hearning bureau. and i especially liked that initiative because we need to be constantly a learning organism. what can we do bern? what can we learn from others? it is now a thought leader on development. adopting an outstanding system

for monitoring and evaluating our work around the world, reinvigorating our investments in science technology and innovation, and stepping up our focus on democracy, human rights, and governance. we're also consolidating our administrative services when it makes sense from a business and operations perspective. you know, it no longer makes sense in a world of constrained resources in countries to have separate warehouses for state department and aid. we need efficiencies. we need economies of scale. and we're working through all of that. pat kennedy and his great m team is really helping. and as promised, we launched a foreign assistance dashboard at www.foreignassistance.gov. that lets anyone in the world with an internet connection to see where we are investing and how much. and i will be discussing this in

greater details at the usaid town hall. [ applause ] it's also nice to be able to refer our own inquiries that still people think we spend, you know, 20% of the u.s. gest's budget on development to tell them to go to the foreignassistance.gov and get a little evidence-based reality going here. third, because we recognize that it's more important than ever to address the problems of fragile states, we are strengthening our capacity to prevent and respond to crisis. we rolled out our new conflict and stabilization operations bureau, and in the past year, cso has deployed more than 175 civilian response core members to hot spots in more than 30 countries around the world. they come from nine different agencies and bureaus, including

usaid, which has expanded its own work in this area. they're working everywhere from afghanistan to south sudan to team more, often in some of the most remote and least governed places on earth. they can be found camped alongside special forces, sleeping under mosquito nets and campsites hacked out of the jungle by machete, eating mres, hitching rides in the become of pickups to meet with local leaders. not the common image of a diplomat. but they're among the hundreds of state and aid employees practicing a trade craft that now lives at the intersection of diplomacy, development, and security. and finally -- [ applause ] -- we are doing everything we can to work smarter. by improving our approaches to planning, procurement and

personnel. for example we have overhauled the way state and usaid go about setting goals and developing long-term plans. for the first time, strategic planning and resource planning are separate and sequential processes. now as obvious as it may seem to all of us here today, we now set our goals before we determine funding rather than doing everything all at once. and we're simplifying those processes to relieve unnecessary burdens. you know, in the press of the budget and the incredible pressure that comes on everyone every year, and especially last year and this year, it seemed to make sense in the past that we just tried to do everything at once. how much could we get, what could we do it for. what we have found in our engagement with omb and in our engagement with the hill, that if we have done our planning first and we have the rationales

behind what we are asking for, we will be more successful. we will make the case to both the omb budgeteers and the budget committees on the hill. it helps us focus on our highest priorities. and we're also investing in our most important asset, namely you and all of your colleagues. well set up new training through fsi to better prepare our staff for the demands of 21st century diplomacy. we have created multiple new courses designed to emphasize priorities ayifieded in the qddr, including training and development assistance, multilateral diplomacy, and social media best practices. we want to make sure that every person at state and usaid has the skills and resources necessary to do your job. we also want to tap all the talent and expertise of our civil service. [ applause ]