sun-times" stepped off a plane in colorado and headed to a federal prison to begin a 14 year sentence for corruption. it's the latest chapter in the downfall of a politician that seemed more like a bizarre reality tv show than a legal battle. he stepped before the cameras yesterday for a final news conference and this morning he was surrounded by a crush of cameras and microphones and he did make this brief statement. >> i'm going say a couple of quick things. first saying good-bye is the hardest thing i've ever had to do. i'm leaving with a heavy heart. clear conscience. and high, high hopes for the future. and among the hopes is that you guys can go home and our neighbors can get their neighborhood back. i'll see you guys when i see you. i'll see you around. thank you much. >> rod blagojevich before getting into a car then on a plane and then to a federal prison in colorado made that

statement in chicago. this is "washington today" on c-span radio. more in a moment. >> linda killian is our guest this friday on after words on c-span radio. she will be discussing her latest book "the swing vote." >> we get more and more extreme candidates on both end of the spectrum who are nominated by the party activists. and men that's who we are getting elected to congress. coupled with the way congressional districts are drawn another big problem which is leaving out the middle. middle is totally disappearing in congress. centrists are disappearing. you have the far left and far right and unable to cut deals, unable to govern which is why i think we have congress with a 9% approval rating right now. >> linda killian author of the book "the swing vote." that's friday 7:00 p.m. eastern

on after word here on c-span radio. welcome back to "washington today" here on c-span radio. if you smoke or are thinking about smoke new information tonight from the federal government. smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the u.s. killing more than 440,000 americans every year and more than 8 million americans living with smoke related diseases. today the u.s. department of health and human services directly attacking the nation's tobacco addiction with a series of advertisements that is highlighting the grizzly toll of smoking. it's a kmain the federal health officials hope will renew the decline in the share of americans that currently smoke. we'll begin with the announcement early today from kathleen sebelius. >> we're here today to announce the latest step this administration is taking in our fight against the number one cause of preventable death in america. we have a new ad campaign that we're launching today and i want

will feature some of the most moving and attention grabbing stories about smoking's devastating effects. these stories really haven't ever been seen in popular media. and we expect it will lead to more than a half a million smokers seeking out the resources they need to quit. now when we look back on just a few decades to the days of smoking on airplanes and elevators, it can be easy to focus on how far we've come since then. it can be easy to be lulled into a sense of comply scenecy and start to think that tobacco use is a problem that will go away on it's own. but unfortunately we know better. and the numbers actually tell a very different story. tobacco in this country continues to kill 443,000 americans every year. and for every person who dies

from smoking, at least two new young smokers take their place. in total, across this country, we have 4,000 young americans under 18 smoking their first cigarette every day. recruited by a tobacco industry that spend more than $10 billion a year to sell its products as cool and fun. so the ad campaign we're launching today will tell the real story of how tobacco use can change your life. the courageous individuals who volunteered to be in this campaign have lost lungs, leg, fingers, and the ability to speak as a result of smoking's toll. stories like these are familiar to millions of americans already suffering from tobacco related illnesses and their families and friends. but we hope these ads based on the successful campaign in several states will be a wake up

call for the smokers and potential smokers who are not yet aware of the notorious damage they may be doing to their health. the campaign will build on a broad agenda we've undertaken in the last three quarters to stop kids from starting to smoke, and help the 70% of smokers who want to quit, making that important leap. we've enacted historic anti-tobacco legislation that cracks down on the back door tactics tobacco companies use toing market their products to kids and restricts the use of misleading terms liking light and mild. the reforms had been debated for years and now we're pleased to say they are the law of the land. we've also pass ad health care law that's making it easier for people to get counselling to help them quit smoking. and we've made a key change so that medicare now covers the treatment before people get sick instead of forcing them to wait

until symptoms start to show up. we're also supporting state based quit lines and backing proven local anti-tobacco efforts that can eventually become models for the rest of the country. and there are signs that the momentum is building around the country. for the first time we now have comprehensive smoke free laws in more than half the states in the country. >> the continues from the newseum by kathleen sebelius on this new ad campaign taking direct aim at those who do smoke or are thinking about smoking with some rather dramatic photographs and stories including terry hall who is featured in one much these ads. she joined the secretary in washington to discuss her own situation. she's 51 years old. is a former smoker and now battling head and neck cancer. >> i want to thank you for allowing me to tell my story.

i started smoking at the age of 17. i've smoked for 23 years. at the peek of my addiction i was up to two packs a day. at the age of 40 i was diagnosed with larynx cancer and now i have a hole in my neck. i've had cancer 11 times. seven since my larynx surgery. in 2001. you think that this only happens to other people. well i'm the other people. when i was growing up there was no tobacco education in north carolina. what the cdc is doing today through this campaign is moving

us into a positive direction. i'm grateful for the opportunity to share my story. hopefully that will keep others from making the choice that has so impacted my health and my life. thank you. [ applause ] >> in rather dramatic remarks by terri hall telling her story. she's heard from north carolina. 51 years old. has been battling cancer for the last 11 years. she will be among those featured in this new ad campaign sponsored by temple university government and he department of health and human services. >> the transportation binghampton don't a moving target. it did pass the u.s. senate. i want goes back to the house next week when the house of representatives reconvenes. senator inhofe praised bipartisanship on this issue but another oklahoma senator voted no described the spending plan as something that's immoral, a $109 billion spending package.

he questioned the way the measure would be financed. today the hudson institute senator coburn talking about the overall budget process and calling for ways to fix the budget process and reduce the overall debt now approaching $16 trillion. here's republican senator tom coburn. >> my name is blair. i'm an economic development consultant here in washington and also a member of the no label citizens movement. i appreciate your remarks senator and emphasis on the importance of the budget. informed decision-making choice, accountability and the importance of a robust representative government. and i think those of us in no labels feel particularly that not only are some of our systems broken as you've alluded to some of the problems with medicare, but congress is broken now too and not really -- we wish that members of congress were all about the importance of the budget and informed decision make accountability and

representative government and i wonder if you could share with us your thoughts. you've seen how sausage is made there on capitol hill and we as taxpayers certainly have some skin in the game not only on what happens to medicare but many other important issues. what can we do and that could help fix congress so that some of these same principles you've talked about today can be a part of the decision-making process under way so that thoughtful proposals such as the one you've described can be honestly considered and debated? >> well, that's a good and tough question and it's going to get me in trouble and i don't mind being in trouble with my peers. i think the first thing you can do is quit sending career politicians to washington. you know, we have the government we have because american people have sent the people that are here here. and they are wonderful people.

they have great hearts. the fact is most of them lack a reference about what the real world is like. when you take somebody that has never had real exposure in the real world on real issues that require blood, sweat and tears and hard knocks and you have people without that who have been in a political position the whole time, they are working at a deficit and the deficit is the real world and common sense. and so if you look at the senate's 65% to 70% of the senate is filled with people who are opposite, the exact opposite of the guy by the name of barack obama. ron johnson had no political experience whatsoever. what's his number one thing? fixing our problems. he doesn't care about the politics. as a matter of fact there's more conflict on our side of the aisle with guys that want to fix the problem rather than care about the politics.

the second point i'd say is that hurts decision-making in washington is everybody is always thinking about the next election which means they really like the job. and what we need is people who hate the job like i do, but want to fix the problem. and so what i would say if you want to fix washington, you can do process reforms and it will make some impact but it won't change until you change the motivation of the people that are here and it's always the next -- the horizon is the next election. we'll fix it after the next election when we're more secure. and that want just goes back to human nature. it's like senior buying medicare. everybody wants to get stroked. politicians stroke is getting re-elected. i think what we should do is fix -- you know we have the capability to fix every problem in front of this flights now. that capability is there. the problem is, is if we fix it we'll all get fired.

great. let's fix it and all go home. the point is, is most people don't want to go home. i can't wait to get home. i would tell you is you have the congress you've sent her because you have, as americans have decided you're going to put your vote and your vote with career politicians who tell a big story but their action -- they are great salesmen but their action is far different than what you've been sold. ask yourself the question. there's a bipartisan bill, i think 37 co-sponsors called the fast act which will address tons of the fraud that's occurring today in medicare. bipartisan support in the house and senate. that we work with cms to develop this bill. why isn't it on the floor and passed and sent to the president? has nothing to do with medicare. has everything to do with the

next election. you know, i mean there's hundreds ever things like that. there's 27 different jobs bills waiting that have passed the house that aren't going to come to the senate floor. not because the country doesn't need them. because it doesn't fit with the scenario of the next election. so what is the motivation? we ought to be americans first and republicans and democrats and independents second. and you see exactly the opposite of that. we can change all the process we want. until you change who is coming up here and what their motivation is in terms of being here and getting the stroke, you're not going change it. >> senator tom coburn republican of oklahoma. his comments earlier today at the hudson institute here in washington, d.c. earlier this week in the "anchorage daily news", senator murkowski wrote this. alaska and america watched the trial of ted stevens play out in the fall of 2008. we watched it unravel ever

since. she talked about the troubling tendency over to years of prosecutors to bend, twifrt and break the rules of their case. and in this editorial she brought up the case of brady versus maryland a 1963 case. it's been re-interpreted. it required the disclosure of any evidence to both the prosecution and the defense for a fuel and fair trial. senator murkowski says over the years there's been 97 different brady rules in federal districts across the nation. she points out in this piece that she will introduce legislation to restore what she calls just toys our judicial system. with that back ground tissue coming up today is senator murkowski questioning fbi director robert mueller at this subcommittee hearing. >> this morning the investigative report that details the prosecutorial misconduct in the case against senator ted steven's was

released. it was precipitated almost that the brady violations came about but it was not until five months after that trial was completed that we learned of these violations and it came about because of the, a complaint that was filed by an fbi agent that alleged the prosecutorial and other law enforcement misconduct in that case. in my opinion that was exceptional good work by that fbi agent and judge sullivan suggested that were it not for the complaint of that agent, that in fact we might not have learned of the misconduct. i'm joined this morning or this afternoon with many of my colleagues including senator hutchison in filing legislation

that would address some of the laws that are in place that allowed for this horrid situation to move forward. but because this whole thing came about because of the acts of an fbi agent, i would certainly hope that that individual has been recognized for his just persistence, standing up for the constitution. he did right and i hope that recognition has been given by the fbi. >> i would have to get back to you on any particularized recognition. the case is still under review by opr. both justice department as well as our own opr. but i will say that the agent who came forward and did that was doing so in the tradition of the fbi. it is the legacy to adhere to

the constitution when you see something wrong to bring that to the attention of others. and that is exactly what we teach in our new agents twrang as they come through. there's no case that is more important than biding by the constitution, the applicable statutes and the attorney general guidelines. >> i appreciate that. you mentioned the report that is still under way. i've asked the office of professional responsibility to conduct this formal investigation, and i am hoping that the fbi will work with opr as they look into some of the issues that were behind the stevens matter. >> senator murkowski dweg fbi director robert mueller at today's subcommittee hearing looking at the be fbi budget. this is "washington today" on c-span radio.

patrick leahy said he would like to hold a hearing on this matter now that the report is out. "usa today" is writing about a new government report looking into the investigation of alaska senator stted stevens. it says the davis per me jatd by the concealment of evidence favor zwrobl his defense. joining us on the phone with more background is the investigative reporter for "usa today." thanks very much for being with us. what did you learn? >> well the report today is the report of a court appointed investigator who was brought in to look at the possibility of filing criminal contempt of court charges against the prosecutors who represented the government in the stevens case. and it concluded that the case was quote permeated by the systemic concealment of evidence that could have helped stevens in his defense. at times it found intentional withholding evidence that would

have undercut the credibility of government star witnesses or really beefed up the senator's contention that he didn't do anything heath, let's look at the timeline in the fall of 2008. senator stevens up for re-election was convicted of seven counts. he lost his re-election effort. then in 2009, a federal judge threw out the conviction. then in 2010, a arena in senator stevens was on crashed. he died in that accident. >> that's right. and it was -- it should be noted the conviction was thrown out because attorney general eric holder brought in a new team of prosecutors to look into the case when allegations of misconduct first came up. it was at the justice department's case that they dismiss the case before stevens was ever sentenced. >> explain what this report said about the prosecutors making "astonishing is misstatements." what were those misstatements? >> the report is 525 pages. so it gets into a fair number of them. but some of the specific things it talked about were prosecutors

knew that their star witness, there was evidence in their files that he had previously caused a former child prostitute to make a false affidavit in a different case. which they view as subordination of perjury that if the jury in stevens case had heard he had done that would have seriously damaged his credibility. that information was never communicated to stevens' defense. it appears that it was never communicated to the court either even when they were asked about it. there were other issues with that sort of concealment, as well. including some statements about whether senator stevens intended to pay for the work that was being done on his house that was sort of the central underlying issue in all these ethics violations. >> we should point out that this investigation began when the justice department was under the

jurisdiction of president george w. bush and then transferred over to the obama administration. did both administrations cooperate in this investigation? >> the justice department apparently cooperated with the outside investigation and it's running its own investigation too, that attorney general holder told a subcommittee hearing this week, he told them it's nearly complete and that we should expect to see the results that have soon. >> what kind of reaction from senator stevens' family? >> we only have a short statement from his wife, but she expressed surprise at the extent of the wrongdoing documented in this report as did senator stevens' attorneys who have been very, very critical since 2008 of the government's handling of this case, but when they saw the report and the findings in it, they were surprised to see things that they didn't know about before. >> this is a 525-page report as you review this as an investigative reporter for "usa today," does anything surprise you, anything stand out as

somebody who has been following the story for a while? >> i'm surprised by the extent of some of what came out in this and some of the explanations for it. i've seen cases before and we did an investigation in 2010 looking at this type of misconduct inspired in fact by the stevens case. but to have this many issues in any one particular criminal case is really quite uncommon. >> and let me ask you specifically about the charge. $250,000 in gifts and services that he had received in renovating his alaska home. were there any other factors involved in this investigation, or was that it? >> this was a wide-ranging corruption investigation in alaska. i think they called an operation polar pen. so it also involved prosecutions of a couple state lawmakers two of whom also had their federal convictions overturned for some of the very same reasons at play

in the stevens case. >> brad heath who is following the story for "usa today," investigative reporter. it's available online at "usa today."com. thanks very much for being with us. >> thank you. >> this is "washington today" on c-span radio. >> on capitol hill the senate is taking up the reauthorization of legislation that could turn out to be another battle line between democrats and republicans on women's issue, the violence against women act, the landmark measure is up for renewal this year and harry reid saying he expects a vote in the next few weeks. democrats see this bill as an opening to continue accusing republicans of waging war on women's rights. in recent weeks, the democratic senatorial campaign has used this issue and 11 democratic women running for the senate to raise money from supporters. the bill did clear the senate judiciary committee last month coming after republicans opposed some new elements of the legislation that provided

protection to immigrants and same-sex couples. republicans raising concerns about the accounting and effectiveness of grants that the federal government authorizes. here's more from the senate floor as senator amy klobuchar, democrat from minnesota, speaking out on this. >> six weeks ago we pass the reauthorization out of the judiciary committee and that the boil has the support of 58 senators including six republicans. i'm glad that this bill has continued to attract bipartisan support. i wish it was unanimous. just seven years ago, in fact, the reauthorization bill pass the house by a vote of 415-4 and passed the senate by unanimous consent with 18 republican cosponsors. i know that this year some of my republican colleagues on the judiciary committee are not sportive of this bill but it is my hope while they may disagree with the bill, they will not stop this bipartisan bill from advancing. combating domestic violence and sexual assault is an issue we

should all be able to agree on. many of the provisions in the reauthorization bill make important changes to the current law. the bill consolidates duplicative programs and streamlines others. it adds more purpose areas to the list of allowable uses. it has new training requirements where people provide legal assistance to victims and takes important accepts to address a disproportionate lit domestic high violence rates in native american communities. it also fills gasp in the system and includes the legislation that i introduced with senator kay bailey hutchinson to address hi-tech stalking where stalkers use the internet, video surveillance and bugging to stalk their victims. the bill will give law enforcement better tools for cracking down on stalkers. just as with physical stalking, hi-tech stalking may foreshadow

more serious behavior down the road. it's an issue we need to take seriously. we need tools for our law enforcement to be as sophisticated as those who is are breaking the law. i want to end with this. i know senator feinstein is coming soon and we have a number of women that are going to be speaking today. but i want to remind everyone in this chamber that domestic violence takes its toll. one of the most memorable cases that i had in our office when our -- was when our office prosecuted a case of a woman killed in eden prairie, minnesota. she was a russian immigrant. the her husband was a russian immigrant. they didn't have many friends in the community. she was fairly isolated. she was most likely a domestic violence victim for many, many years. one day, this man killed his wife. he then took her body parts down to missouri. he left some of the body parts there and the entire time he had their 4-year-old daughter in the car with him. he then drove back to minnesota,

confessed to the crime. and when they had the funeral, there was only me, our domestic violence advocate, and the grandparents that had come to russia, and this woman's identical twin sister. and what had happened at the airport when they arrived was that this little 4-year-old girl who had never seen her aunt who had never seen her mother's identical twin sister ran down that hallway we she saw her aunt for the first time and hugged her and said mommy, mommy, mommy. because she thought that her mom was back. it reminds us all that domestic violence isn't just about one victim. it's about children, it's about family, and it's about a community. and we all know that this bill has always enjoyed broad bipartisan support. the women of the senate knows it. there are already three republican women on this bill and many others i hope to come.

>> among those republicans supporting the bill, lisa murkowski of alaska, you were listening to amy klobuchar as she spoke out on the reauthorization of the violence against women act. you're listening to "washington today" on c-span radio heard coast to coast on xm 119 and streamed on the web. >> walter williams, george mason university, our guest this sunday on q & a is also a syndicated columnist and author will talk about his libertarian views and tell the story of how he came to be a substitute for host rush limbaugh. he'll talking about growing up in the projects of philadelphia and the segregation he faced in the u.s. military in 1959. walter williams, economics professor, george mason university, syndicated columnist and author, our guest this sunday, 8:00 p.m. easthe