being the fiscal watchdog. american people are waking up to the cost and consequences of the democrat agenda in washington. we can't afford it. we are spending money we don't have. and frankly, we are not focused on what we ought to be, which is job creation. i think what you would see out of any republican who is here in congress or that would look to 2012, you will see a republican very focused on the issues at hand right now for working families which is they want a fair shot at reclaiming their economic security. host: congressman eric cantor, always appreciate your time. deaver for joining us. guest: thank you. host: we will turn back to the situation a cow -- south carolina, here is part of what mark sanford said yesterday in colombia. >> the bottom line is this, i have been unfaithful to my wife. i developed a relationship with a -- what started as a dear,

dear friend from argentina. it began very innocently, i it -- as i suspect many of things do. just a casual e-mail back and forth in advise on one's life there and advice here. but here recently as last year it developed into something much more than that. and as a consequence, i hurt her, i heard you all, i heard my wife, i heard my voice, i heard friends like tom davis and a lot of different folks. host: we want to go back to the question of private lives for public officials. of "the los angeles times" says another gop bomb shell. we have a line to set aside for those living in south carolina -- 66-0184.

phone lines are open for democrats, republicans and independents. you can send us an e-mail or you can also send a twitter comments. another headline from "the atlanta journal constitution, " coslet confession for south carolina governor. an open "the washington post" begins with this sentence, wow, was that a press conference. from the style section. the front page of " the new york times" has more on a story, ending a mystery the governor says he had an affair. the confession, apology, and rambling nationally televised news conference left mysteries unsolved come as to whether he lied to staff members as late as monday about his whereabouts, whether the fair had definitely ended, whether he would resign from governorship and whether he would even have acknowledged the affair had not been met at the airport in atlanta by a reporter upon his return. again, we want to hear from south carolina voters as well.

202-626-0184. first-come a call from linda from atlanta. caller: i want to say i'm a conservative and i am very, very disappointed with what happened here, and i do hope that the governor will step down and resigned. that being said, i think the media's response to this -- and i am not accusing c-span here, i am talking about the mainstream media -- i think has been egregious. joe scarborough this morning on msnbc said that he has seen nothing but unbridled glee on the part of democrats to the governor.

it was like they are communicating, this is payback for what happened to bill clinton. no matter what happened in the past to president clinton, this is now how we respond to it is important. i think i a also have witnessed this unbridled glee -- bill press, i heard him on, i think it was cnn the other day, and he said that he was giggling over this whole affair because he was delighted to see that something like this was happening now to republicans. so i would like to say to the media, what the governor did is certainly an example which is

very poor character and the way you are responding to it is not any better. " but the question we're asking is, the private lives of public officials -- host: of the question we're asking is the private lives of public officials. senator john ensign, republican from nevada who admitted to an affair last week and senator john edwards spoke on abc's light 9 -- nightline program last summer and former governor of new york spitzer who resigned over his own affair. we really want to get your broad view, whether democrat or republican. henry is on the phone from spartanburg, south carolina. good morning. good morning, henry. caller: of this latest pick -- this latest is not indicative of one party and i think it shows why the american people are just so frustrated with politicians and our political system in general.

but what makes this really, really bad is that republicans are along with the evangelical right conservative, they always preaching moral values and determining who is going to heaven or hell. so when it happens to them, then it puts it in another light. if they would just be for real and stop trying to always dictate to other how they ought to be living -- sanford was fighting for everything going to be here for south carolina. on the one hand you are not taking stimulus money and unemployment money for your people and on the other hand you are taking our state taxpayer money and running off on junkets with your mistress and everything, and it is just the hypocrisy of it and everything. so if you are going to take this moral road and claim that you

are at the party of moral the use of and everything else -- values and everything else, this is part of humanity, but the start to always be the purveyor of righteousness and then you turn around in the spotlight like this, sure, forgive, but there are consequences. as a christian nation, talking about we believe in god, god forgives us but there are consequences that go with that. host: should your governor resign? caller: i feel, yes, he should resign. not only him, but these are the same guys that fought so vehemently against bill clinton. " scott related hemline -- host: a related at headline, social conservatives of the moral high ground. former gov. pierre sane honesty may be the best policy for saving his career.

the greedy, the former governors saying he can't relate to the emotions sanford felt when he announced his extramarital affair -- mcgreevy said he is filled with pain and anguish for his family. remember he resigned five years ago because of his own illicit affair with another tenant. pam is on the phone from texas. caller: first of all, i almost hung up because henry from south carolina said everything i wanted to say. i just want to add one thing, i feel -- i do feel bad for the governor because obviously he is in love with two women, and i feel extra sorry for his wife and children. host: let me just show you when the full court put -- photographs, would "the wall street journal." governor sanford's odyssey and in tears with condition of an affair. this photograph from january of 2007 as he was sworn in for a

second term with his wife, jenny, and four sons. caller: it is unbelievably sad for the kids. but the reason it is being talked about, the lady earlier said earlier saidglee -- earlier said glee is it is a two-way street. no party is pure as the driven snow. everybody makes mistakes. and as henry from south carolina said, all the preaching about family values, etc., it is like, we are all the same, all people. that's all. host: thank you for the call. at the top of the hour we will turn our attention to homeland security, six years after the agency was formed, and also no. 3 a, iran, and pending in politics former pennsylvania gov. tom ridge. later in the program, sir david frost with the latest of the nixon tapes released from the national archives. you might remember the interview

from back 1977 made famous by the ron howard movie. still ahead. mary is joining us from maple shade, new jersey. good morning. caller: thank you so much for c- span. i want to make a comment. first of all i feel very sorry for governor stanford and his family. i don't think it is a coincidence that this man is being targeted by the press because he was one of the few governors that wanted to refuse the stimulus money that the obama administration was sending out to the different states. i think there is definitely a double standard between what people accept from the democrats and republicans. and a prime example is john edwards. when john edwards sordid affair came out, everything humanly possible was being done to cover that up. yet here we have a man who i think is basically a good man at heart, and because he is a republican, it is really being

exploited. when we look at the figures in the democratic party, like barney frank and christopher dodd and nancy pelosi and even clinton himself, these people do horrendous things and yet nothing is said or done about it, but now we have a situation with this man and i think it is basically because he is a republican. host: i will let your comments stand. this is your says even jesus had disciples fall off the wagon, should they have stepped down? to air is humid and to forgive divine. -- to err is human. john edwards said minutes was on a fair. elizabeth edwards will appear on cnn later on "larry king live." here is what john edwards said last summer. >> two years ago i made a very serious mistake. a mistake that i am responsible for and no one else.

in 2006 i told elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for for forgiveness, asked god for his forgiveness and we have kept this when it -- within our family since that time. all of our family knows about this. just to be absolutely clear, none of them are responsible for. >> is this a fair completely over? >> yes, it has been over for a long time. host: the questions we are asking, private lives and public officials. the home state newspaper in columbia, south carolina "the state." wayne washington in his piece saying the presidential dream is dead. whatever hopes mark sanford had to become president withered during his mysterious absence and died altogether during wednesday's explosive news conference, according to political observers. also the, stanford has much to do to make amends for deceit. the editorial said legislatures

do share part of the blame for the disintegrated relationship but their complaints that mr. sanford refuses to work with them and uses them as a whipping boy is legitimate as well. editorial does point out there are many in the state calling for mark sanford to resign. they are saying right now that are not ready to go to that point. this story, according to the editorial, is still unraveling. carol is joining us from charleston, south carolina. good morning. caller: good morning. one of the things that concerns me about what is going on with governor's sanford -- gov. sanford is not about his moral -- but he holds other people and his self high in terms of morality. when it issues that he had with accepting the stimulus funds was the fact that he did not find that it was morally correct.

he has people in south carolina who are dying on the vine in terms of their economic status. we have one of the highest rates of unemployment here. our educational system is the lowest, if not the second lowest in the country. we fall under educating our young people here, under third world countries, and our governor will stand up and speak of the morality of not accepting the stimulus money when in fact he is not dealing with the issue, the real issues that are going on with the people of south carolina. host: should he stay on as the governor? -- caller: i do not think he should, not because of the affair. i think it is totally hypocritical, saying walking right and speaking left, you cannot walk right and left at the same time. " scott thank you for the call.

the state newspaper says, sanford e-mails outline his affair. and also his resignation as head of the national gop governors' group, the piece we read earlier about this 2012 prospects shattered and a statement from jenny sanford saying she and the governor supported two weeks ago, adding reconciliation is still possible. also heard extended statement available in the newspaper and on line. naomi is on the phone from jacksonville, florida. the republican line. caller: i was just calling about the subject this morning about governor's sanford -- gov. sanford. the lady two or three calls earlier comparing the democrats and republicans and the response from the news media and the difference and the contrast. as a female, i believe that the marriage is between the two people and what happens is between the two people and i

think these two people are trying to work out their problems. i do believe, like the lady before me, that if you are a conservative, you are going to be treated almost -- different than the democrats are treated. and that is through the media. but you have people out here who know and see through this, as i as a black female, i am not from south carolina but i'm from a for giving family. i do know this man is really neat and humble -- meek and humbled did i think the white already know about. trying to work it out. somebody in that state's hate his guts, he stands up and is a maverick and stands up for what he believes in. yes, he felt -- please, don't cut me off. but all of us fall, but we should not be utterly cast down.

i believe the governor should have a reconciliation with his wife and family, and please stop throwing up the kids. regardless, unconditionally they love their mother and their father, so we as the public should stop this and stop it right now. let them figure that out. he is a governor who stands for what he believes in, just as bill clinton did, just as edwards did and as the others -- barney frank and all of those. barney frank was running a prostitution ring in the white house -- not the white house, but in the capitol building there. bill clinton did his indiscretions in the white house. so, let's stop this. the man made a mistake. i forgive him. i think he is a good man. and he should not, not, i repeat, not resign to these evil people who are saying that we are for moral values. of course we are. who should be? host: thank you for your perspective.

also this morning from "the washington times, " he referred to bill clinton people appeared during and after their pursuit of president clinton on impeachment charges the for a sexual liaison with an intern, several republican luminaries and not as dave, also, and elkton affairs and cling pro- life leader henry hyde, former house speaker newt gingrich and former rep bobolink is -- bob livingston who resigned just before assuming the speaker chair. mr. sanford voted in favor of three of the four articles of and be against it in -- mr. cullen. he was in the house of representatives before being elected. geraldine is joining us on independent line from mount pleasant, south carolina. caller: good morning. i object to of the fact that all of the news media and newspapers are focusing more on the fact that what he did to his family, what he did to his sons, that is all well and good. as far as i'm concerned, his

private life is his private life. but when it affects the people of south carolina, then it is morally and very objectionable. he left them for five days without a leader, no one knew where he was. he probably would have been gone long. if somebody had not said to him, he was the national object of scorn. but he left us unprotected. no one knew how to get ahold of him. and this is not the first time. when the fires were up and myrtle beach he was not anywhere around. so, to me, that is where the public officials, when they let their private lives interfere with protecting and taking care of the people under their care. host: should he stay in office as governor, resigned? caller: i think to the -- he let

his private life tell him what to do rather than -- he knows what he should do as a governor, but that should come before what he ran away from. it host: to your friends and not pleasant share your sentiment? caller: i have not discussed this with them at all. host: thank you. headline from "the richmond times dispatch." a common from a viewer saying, what is the difference, government using tax dollars for an affair or nancy pelosi using military planes for vacations? next is mary from grand rapids, michigan. good morning. jocaller: wanted to see if anyoe else is noticing, these are all white guys in suits, aren't they? what does that say about the leadership and moral authority in this patriarchy of a country of ours? steve, i want to chastise you for bringing up ted kennedy and

setting up a question forc -- for cantor to respond to for us not all having the availability and technical equipment. what a nasty thing for you to do. maybe we should ask the question of cantor, too bad we cannot all have your kind of insurance. but you know what? shame on both of you. we all need insurance or rather we all need care for our health. host: i appreciate your comment. i should point out the question did not come from me, as your question came from you. that was a comment from a viewer and a question we have had from others as well. caller: i see. host: this is the chance to you -- for use at the dialogue. and you hung up, so we will go to you this from charlotte, n.c. -- eunice from charlotte, north

carolina. on a cut in regards to the morality issue, i have a german sang it is better to have standards rather than none at all -- caller: in regards to the morality issue, i have heard a gentleman say it is better to have standards rather than none at all. i lived in south carolina and graduated from south carolina school system, how school, tons of family there. in regards to the situation, i feel bad for his wife and certainly for his four young children. in regards to the taking of the trip, i believe the gentleman from spartanburg mentioned that, it was on the taxpayer dollars. those are facts that have not come out yet. in regards to whether or not he should resign, i don't think due to just the affair, although it is certainly wrong as a christian and people think that we in both christianity, but, by golly, the bible is clear for all of us, those who want to follow christ, we have a bible

and there are certain standards. not that we are better than anyone else, or look down are being judgmental, but we need standards. no, i tried to teach my children and my parents tell me that they are just the values, you want to have that in this country. now, if he did something in regards to taxpayer dollars, i think he should resign. there again, you cannot say it is ok for him to take the taxpayer dollars, especially with their unemployment rate where it is at, but if he is not at fault he should not resign. that should be a choice that he makes for himself. host: you might want to go to thestate.com and that is one of the issues that outlined in one of the editorials. one comment from steve, governor spitzer did get roasted and john edward tapppan during the election because it got less pressing than usual. i slid the details were after the risk it if he preached morality, livid. coming up in just a couple of minutes from a conversation with

former presidents -- pennsylvania governor and homeland secretary tom ridge on the issue of national security. the situation in north korea and iran and the apartment of home as security and at the bottom of the hour, new nixon tapes and more on the nixon-crossed conversations and the movie with sir david frost as "washington journal" continues, but first a news update. . >> numbers just released by the government show the economy shrinking at a 5.5% pace in the first quarter, that is slightly less than previously reported. the number of people filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits increased last week, partly due to layoffs related to the end of the school year. the labor department says new jobless claims rose by 15,002 627,000, more than expected. community service and immigration are on the president's agenda today. this morning he heads to fort mcnair to help volunteers

prepare backpacks for children of servicemen and women, and back to the white house for a bipartisan meeting on immigration and tonight the president hosts a hawaiian luau for members of congress and their families. the house ethics committee voted to investigate officially connected travel sponsored, fund, and arranged by an organization known as carib news. a subcommittee will determine whether the trips violated house trip will spread under investigation are chairman of ways and means committee, charlie rangel, and four of the democrats. senator bob brown bought -- senator brown back is the third above and sang he will vote against sonia sotomayor's nomination did any speech the senator said he is afraid judge suleyman york -- judge sonia sotomayor wants to be a player more than an umpire. >> "washington journal" continues. host: we welcome former

congressman, governor, and secured a secretary, tom ridge. the department of homeless security formed in march of 2003. has the the problem of that to your expectations? guest: yes. i think one of the problems is when the aggregate 180,000 people, different agencies, and still try to build a system that works a more collaborative and effective fashion. but, yes, i think it has appeared a lot of people work very hard to form a fundamental policy decisions to assist not only president bush but on which president obama and secretary napolitano. it is still a work in process, but, yes, i think it has. host: any disappointments? guest: i had several disappointments. one is a design of a regional structure that i thought could drive some of the deaths -- decision making oversight and the building of the relationships with the states and local down away from washington, d.c.. you can't really secure the country from inside the beltway.

and one of the challenges i thought we had and i think one of the responsibilities of the department was to establish and sustain ongoing relationships with our partners, as a former governor, at the state and local level. but that did not come to fruition and that was when my greatest disappointment. host: of i want to share from the president's speech last month. he outlined challenges facing. national-security issues. homeland security, guantanamo bay. but talk about a response to 9/11. if you join president bush shortly after that. here is what -- we will share with the president said, but in essence he said we were rushing into to much. guest: i disagree. on chartered waters, but i think if president obama look historically, presidents, republican and democrat, said we need to build eight centric agency, and with the shrinking

of the world we started to monitor the goods that can cross the border, so the whole notion of a border-centric agency has been on the back burner for decades and the catalyst was 9/11 i think president bush after considerable reflection and debate internally as to whether or not the department made the right decision. host: one of the words he used was the response was too hasty. guest: i would like to know in what context he was referring to. they sponsor in afghanistan was not too hasty -- the response and afghanistan was not too hasty. the discussion over homeland security went on for several months and in fact there had been several commissions out there. the gilmore commission as well as several other studies that basically had said it is about time we took a look at all of these departments and units of government that have some responsibility for our borders.

obviously we pulled some other departments and agencies in response to 9/11, including fema, which i think was a very appropriate add on. but i don't think the response was anything other than thoughtful and appropriate. not only due to the circumstances of 9/11, but it had been much considered an much ignored until 9/11. host: but let me ask you about north korea appeared you are back from asia. how serious a threat? guest: of the instability and unpredictability of this leader gives rise to hopefully more productive engagement and collaboration with the chinese particularly. i think it is another example in the latest u.n. resolution showing how limited even the potential effectiveness of these multilateral organizations, such as the u.n., would be in a 21st century world. i think it is one of