she wouldn't buy the "los angeles times", it wouldn't occur to her. she would go online and do it that way. the collapse of this advertising is an enormous part of the industry. host: newspapers and television, and the internet is dynamic. and your columns probably get comments being posted around the country. do you read the comments? guest: if they are called to my attention, but i would do nothing else if i followed those out there on the internet. host: when you read them, do they cast nuances? guest: sure and i respond to them. host: we have one more caller, reed. caller: good morning george, i

am trying to get more understanding of the economic downturn problems and try to get to the accountability on wall street but get us accountability on the i.m.f. procedures and who is our world financial broker? and who are we really indebted to and who have we had to pay back, that i feel like the first bush tarp stuff is about. thank you. guest: the caller has a good point, it's a problem of transparency. and there are a lot of money and that from south carolina are sloshing in the system, and we are not sure who is in charge of it. and it gives people a high anxiety that will provide a public outlet. host: we have joe. caller: hi, how do you factor

public reform? guest: you are right, defensive medicine, doctors ordering tests to fend off the trial bar if something goes wrong and no one knows how much, let's say 20% to the health care bill in the country. now the president talking to the medical association the other day, and tip-toed up and said, i am for health reform, and with the boo's, but against capping awards under malpractice. that means he's not really for very much tort reform. and in the fact that's not surpring because the trial bar and lawyers are huge contributors to the president's party. host: as we close here, give people a glimpse into a day of

your life. guest: when i first started writing a column, i asked my friend, bill, do you have trouble coming up with things to write. and bill said, the world annoys me three times a week. and the world annoys me five times, or the columns i write. i think that the happiness of the columns reflect the public, and it's a great time to write. host: how do you stay up with it all? guest: read incessantly, [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> tomorrow on "washington journal," a round table discussion with "washington times" columnist and commentator with sky news on iran, health care and u.s. politics. tom dastes will talk about the republican party and issues like health care. and kevin bacon discusses his recent story. "washington journal," live at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >> up next, president obama at the radio and twation correspondents' dinner and on "america and the courts," justice kennedy delivers the commencement address. and then confirmation hearing on the chairman for the f.c.c.

>> more top, nonfiction authors and books throughout the weekend on c-span's book tv. john talbott discusses the recession and jay richards about why capitalism is the best way. and the end of overeating, former f.d.a. commissioner, david kessler. and on "after words," from the garden of eden to today. recollection of 600 stories and talks to a are columbia university professor. we have the entire schedule and great new features and streaming

videos, archives and simple ways to share your favorite programs. booktv.org. >> president obama was the featured speaker at last night's radio and tv correspondents' dinner. it was held at the washington, d.c. convention center and lasts about 15 minutes. [applause] >> thank you so much. thanks to all of you. have a seat. before i get started as the father of two girls, can i just say how incredibly impressive those three young ladies were. dad would be proud. to heather and all the others who have made this evening possible, thank you so much. it is wonderful to be here.

i want to express my appreciation for the opportunity to tell jokes that weren't funny enough for me to use when we did this five weeks ago. [laughter] >> the jokes may not be as good, but neither is the guest list. [laughter] >> there's no contest, why bother hanging out with celebrities when i can spend time with the people who made me one. i know where my bread is buttered. plus we have our own here in attendance. the junior senator from wyoming is here. [applause] i'm sorry, he skipped

this evening. let me tell you for those who haven't met him, he is the george clooney of junior senators from wyoming. [laughter] it is great to be here. so much talent in the world of tv and radio, despite the flood of new media, i think your programming is more relevant than ever before, that's the impression i get when i read the blogs every day. good to see a number of hard-working correspondents. chuck todd over there. at this dinner, chuck, embodies the best of both worlds, rapid-fire style of a television correspondent and the facial

hair of a radio correspondent. [laughter] >> mika is in the house. we have a lot in common. we have partners named joe who used to be in congress and don't know when to stop talking. and happening now, wolf blitzer is here. he's the only man in america with his own situation room. people assume that mine is cooler, but this is not the case . as hard as we've tried, we have not been able to generate the band width necessary to turn larry summers into a hologram. [laughter] >> one person who could not be

here tonight is secretary clinton. hillary broke her elbow a few days ago on the way to the white house and we wish her a speedy recovery. i have to say, while it has been reported as an accident, there were some suspicious circumstances. just before the incident, secret service spotted richard holbrook spraying wd-40 all over the driveway. on top of the costs of health care, energy and the recovery plan, we've got another fiscal problem. fortunately, the lawyers told me that hillary is ready to settle. i have to admit though, it wasn't coming up with fresh material for this dinner. i was up tossing and turning trying to figure out what to say. i rolled over and asked brian

williams what he thought. [cheers and applause] >> now, the truth is brian williams is actually a terrible house guest. you put an empty milk carton back in the fridge, we're pretty sure he clogged the toilet and didn't tell anybody. [laughter] >> i must say the whole thing was worth it inside the obama white house is my favorite new show. there's just something really compelling about the main character. wonderful narrative. in fact, the show has been such a hit that all of you guys now want to come and tape one in my

house. abc is planning a series called "dancing with the zars." tlc has something called "jon and kate and peter orszag." knick at night has one called "leave it to weegers". given the fiscal crisis in california, the shows will be competing with governor schwarzenegger's new reality series, "i'm a celebrity" "get me out of here." >> that's how i feel tonight. it's nothing personal, but this

dinner conflicts with my date night. i was supposed to going out with michelle for thai food in bangkok. [laughter] >> but i have been doing a lot of traveling, i just returned from a trip from in egypt and we had the opportunity to tour the pyramids and you have seen the pictures of rahm on a camel. i was nervous about the whole situation. i said, there's a wild animal, known to bite, kick and spit, and who knows what the camel might do. [laughter] >> but i have to say as i traveled to all of these countries, i saw firsthand how much people have in common with one another, because no matter where i went, there is one thing i heard over and over again from every world leader, no thanks,

but have you considered palao? [laughter] >> of course, most of my attention has been focused here back home. we have been trying to repair our financial institutions and auto companies, but you wouldn't understand the concept of troubled industries, working as you do in the radio and television industry. [laughter] >> we don't joke about that, huh? [laughter] >> that's not funny. one problem we're trying to solve is the high cost of health care in america and i'm pleased in our quest to reform the health care system, i have gained the support of the american medical association. it proves true, the old

expression, it's easier to catch flies with honey and if honey doesn't work, use an open palm and a swift downward movement. now the challenges we face are many and i don't have all the answers. and when i'm not sure what's right, i often ask myself, wwld, what would a wise latino do? [laughter] >> i'm proud of my nominee sonia sotomayor and to all those who say there's no place for empathy on the bench, i say this, i completely understand how you're feeling. [laughter] >> when you're upset, i'm upset. another difficult challenge is how to help our auto makers

thrive in the 21st century. we have tried a number of different approaches and tonight i'm announcing a new one, a plan a passed on by oprah winfrey. if you look under your seat, you will find thaw get a car company. you get a car company. and fox, you get a.i.g. [laughter] enjoy. the truth is as i have said all along, i have no ambition to run an auto company. gm will rise or fall on the quality of its products, like the taught athletic design of the enclave, warm wood tones,

and it's a modern driver's retreat. come on. work with me here. i've got cars to move people. [laughter] >> in all seriousness, despite the jokes i've told, i'm here tonight because i appreciate the work that all of you do and the role that you play. you report the news as it happens and you are covering history as it's made with a hand-held camera or mic or a cell phone or blog, you bring the truth to people and allow people to bring truth to the world. we're seeing that now as history is unfolding from the images broadcast from iran in the last week, we have seen professional journalists act as a joyce for those who want to be heard,

bearing witness to universal aspirations of democracy and freedom, often at great risk and sometimes with great sacrifice, they do it because the rest of us need to hear the stories that they tell. in recent years, we have seen the same courageous reporting in iraq and afghanistan and the congress and every dangerous -- congo a every dangerous corner of the world. these are changing times and as journalists, you understand that better than anyone. one thing that will never change is the need to report the news as it happens, wherever it happens. this is what you do. and this is what will help us meet the challenges of our time. we are grateful to you for that. thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. [applause]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> president obama discusses his proposal for a new agency to oversee the sale and marketing of financial products to consumers. he is followed by senator mitch mcconnell warning against health care proposals that would increase medical costs. >> as we continue to recover from a historic economic crisis, it's clear to everyone that one of its major causes was a break downin oversight that led to widespread abuses in the financial system. an epidemic took hold from wall street, to main street and the consequences have been disastrous. millions of americans have seen life savings erode, families have been devastated by job

losses. businesses large and small have closed their doors. in response this week, my administration proposed to set a major reforms to the rules that govern our financial system, to attack the causes of this crisis and prevent future crises from taking place and ensure our markets can work fairly and freely. we're go to go promote markets that play by the rules and stand up for a system in which fair dealing and competition is the only way to win. we are going to level the playing field and go to go have the kinds of rules that encourage innovations that make our economy stronger, not those that allow those to exploit weaknesses. and one of the most important proposals is the consumer protection financial agency and charged with one job, looking out for the interests of ordinary americans in the financial system. this is essential, where this crisis may have started on wall street, but the impacts may have

felt by ordinary americans. it's true that this crisis was caused in part by americans who took too much debt and took out loans they couldn't afford, but there are millions of americans that signed contracts they didn't understand offered by lenders who didn't tell the truth. folks signing up for a mortgage, student loan or credit card face incomprehensible options. companies compete by offering fine print and hidden terms. it's no could insid science that the lack of protections led to abuse, the lack of rules to stop deceptive lending practices. this new aagency will have the responsibility to change that and have the power to set tough new rules so companies compete by offering innovative products that consumers want.

those pages of fine print that no one can figure out will be a thing of the past. you will be able to compare products to see what is best for you. the most unfair practices will be banned. and the rules will be enforced. some argue that these changes and the many others we have called for go too far. i welcome a debate about how we can make sure our regulations work for businesses and consumers. but what i will not accept, what i will vigorously oppose are those who do not argue in good faith, those who would defend the status quo at any costs and those who put their narrow interests ahead of the interests of ordinary americans. we have seen special interests mobilize against change, and that's not surprising. for these, interests have benefited from a system that allowed americans to be exploited. millions of people are facing

the consequences of this crisis in their own lives. these interests defend business as usual, even though we know it was business as urble that allowed this crisis to take place. the american people didn't send me to washington to give in. they sent me to washington to stand up. and while i'm not spoiling for a fight, i'm ready for one. the most important thing we could do to put this era of irresponsibility in the past is to take responsibility now. that's why my administration will accept no less than real and lasting change to the way business is done, on wall street and in washington. we will do what is necessary to end this crisis and we will do what it takes to prevent this kind of crisis from ever happening again. thank you. >> nime senate republican leader mitch mcconnell of kentucky. republicans and democrats agree that health care is in serious need of reform.

millions are without coverage. and millions are worried about losing the care they have. that's why many of us are calling for reforms that would bring down the cost of care and ensure that those who need coverage can afford and obtain. republicans have put forward commonsense solutions like reforming our laws like junk lawsuits, strengthening wellness and health care programs, such as quiting smoking and addressing the needs of small business without imposing new taxes that kill jobs. unfortunately, some in washington have insisted on a different set of proposals that could make our current problems even worse, driving costs even higher and forcing those into a government-run system that could lead to the same denial, delay

and rationing of care that we have seen in other countries. their proposals aren't the kind of reforms americans are looking for. and this morning, i would like to focus on just one area where their proposals fall seriously short, cost. throughout this debate, the administration's argument has been that america needs health care reform for the sake of the economy. every health care proposal democrats on capitol hill have offered would only hurt the economy. this week, the independent congressional budget office priced a portion of these proposals at well over $1 trillion. the total cost would be much higher, burying us in deeper and deeper debts and democrats want to rush the process. the democratic motto is clear, rush and spend, rush and spend.

if all this sounds familiar, it should. remember that the economic stimulus bill from earlier this year was sold along the same lines. the administration said the stimulus was necessary to jum-start the economy, even though it would plunge the country deeper into debt. they predicted if we passed it quickly, unemployment wouldn't go higher than 8%. here we are and the unemployment rate is approaching 10e%. you might remember that the administration also promised it would keep an eye on every dollar spent. we are learning about projects so ridiculous only the government could make them up. $578,000 grant that a town in new york didn't request for a homeless problem it said it didn't have. a foot long turtle tunnel at a lake in florida, that is more

than a quarter of million dollars per foot for turtles and this one takes the cake in north carolina, more than $40,000 in stimulus funds will go to pay the salary of someone whose job is to apply for more stimulus funds. now, faced with rising unemployment and reports of stimulus waste, the administration concedes it made a mistake on its predictions about the stimulus, but that hadn't kept it from pushing a government takeover of health care that america's doctors oppose. before the administration said that government spending would keep unemployment low. now they say a new government health plan will keep costs low. expecting a government-run system to help the economy is like praying for rain in the middle of a flood. the thing you are asking for is the last thing you need and that's been the message of every independent analysis who has looked at the democratic plans for health care.

if the stimulus plan taught us anything is that we should be wary any time someone in washington says the sky is going to fall unless congress approves trillions of dollars immediately. once again in the health care debate, it's rush and spend, rush and spend. americans want health care reform, but want the right health care reform and that means taking the care and time necessary to get it right. against republican advice, they rushed the stimulus. we shouldn't rush again on something as important and costly as health care. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> next, on "america and the courts," justice kennedy delivers the commencement address at stanford university. and after that, the confirmation hearing for the chairman of the f.c.c.

>> this week on c-span's "news makers," representative pete stark discusses legislation. he talks about one proposal that would establish a health insurance plan that would compete with private insurance plans. >> at the end of the day if you choose to have a plan that's dependable and affordable, you can't do it without having a public plan there. and that creates the competition for the private plans. so, yes, there will be a public plan in the bill. will people vote for it? i don't know? who wants to go home in next year's primary and say i voted against a plan that's going to provide 30,000 people in my district, most of whom are