last week out of the u.s. college. so far, that is as close as we have gotten. >> you see the same replace that we do. do teens have a mechanism to call terrible calls to the lead officials? >> we do, but let me -- i have enough time to tell you this story. i was once the general manager in the nba. i was one of those crazy people, always criticizing the referees and always questioning of recall just like all of us have been taught. the oldest baseball tradition is to go to a ballpark and yell of the empire. that is what baseball is all about. we grow up thinking that that is how you should act. that ended for me when i was involved in arguments with the referees. both were initiated by them and both times they called me out.

i did not need to be out there. that is not -- that is the kind of attitude i had back then. that all changed for me. let me give you this quick story. one time, the harlem globetrotters were playing. their legendary coach was snow then in rochester and could not get to the game. who was going to coast the generals? they picked their veteran player that day. because i was a little bit of a pain in the neck, i said that he could get into the history books. they had lost consecutive games. the call a couple of places and you would be a record books forever. you could see him getting fired up.

this was his opportunity. so the first half goes on and he is screaming in calling now plays and the globetrotters the sweet georgia brown and they did a bucket of confetti and all that and have time comes and they are up by 7-8 points. as the team as walking out for the second half, i go to the coach and tell him he is in this thing. he was out on the second half and he was screaming and yelling and the blues, the dribble the ball and they throw the flat basket and they have the river bend and they do all their stuff and the end the game and they sit on somebody's shoulder. they win by 15 or 16 points. the last player to walk off the court is this player and i told

them that he did a good job. he then complained about the referees. i said to myself that when that happened, i had to stop. we are all nuts. so i just stopped. >> what should happen to all the players that did steroids, specifically, should mark mcgwire, sammy sosa and at others be kept out of the hall of fame? >> that is a question that i can't ask all of the today. could we get some opinions out there? i have strong opinions if any of you would like to hear them. that is really all of your responsibility. i'll wait a responsible answer. >> why don't you share your opinions? >> it's your job. >> >> the nats have emerged

from the steroid scandal relatively unscathed. what is your secret? >> i do not want to make jokes about steroids. it is not a funny subject. forget its impact on the game, it has such a more far reaching impact on society in general. we do not have any secrets. we do not know that we have not been touched by it. the most chilling thing about the mitchell report was his declaration that he knew they got the mall. what am i supposed to do with that knowledge? we have not had any particular answer. we are all working hard. we have the most rigid testing in all professional sports. i think we finally have a handle

on it. i think it is by and large behind us. but i do not take it lightly. there were four years to get the solution and now we have the very commendable cooperation of the union. i think we got a handle on it. it is nothing that we take lightly. we also have to be vigilant for the next designer drug comes along. we are trying to stay ahead, but it is a tough, full-time job. >> any thoughts of suiting up rob dibble anytime soon? >> yes, but you do not -- you do not want to know what kind of suit i have in mind. >> , was with a broadcaster the other day. it least he has flute -- if your tattoos. i asked him if he knew that for sure. how do you know that? >> that is all i have.

>> what is your season ticket base? >> it is a number that we just have not publicized this year as all of our industry struggles. we understand the reasons. another reason is the second year in the ballpark. the biggest reason is a factor. all three of these things happened at the same time. it gave us quite a hit. i am pleased to say that we're far above what teams and our position and get. we need to get it back up and as we grow, i know we will. the one thing that i say for sure is how great it was and how much support there would be. as soon as we do our job, which

we have not done well enough yet, as soon as we do that, we are going to be one of those teams. i feel firmly about that. >> the nats are losing and tickets are plentiful. why should i renew my season tickets? >> that is a good question. i mean that sincerely because i have these conversations -- i have these conversations 20 years ago. i think the people that listen but to me never regretted it. i am going through this building process with young kids. i feel like a part of the building process. i hope that all of our fans buy into this and feel that these kids are part of their team. come on board in the part of this. it is your opinion. the seats that you get today, as

the team gets good, you will not regret in growing up. >> has the recession delayed a deal? >> clearly the recession has delayed the deal. we had conversations up to last summer. we were very good about not giving away any of our prime real estate in the ballpark. of course, we wanted to hold out for key areas. we did not want to just give it to anyone. this has to be strategic and it has to be something not just for the ballpark, but for the fans. yes, that is very much on the back burner as everyone in the media knows about it. your ad pages are down across all media. we are experiencing the same thing for the big ticket items. >> we're almost out of time.

before asking the last question, we have a couple of important matters to take care of. let me remind our members of future speakers. who will have the chairman of the financial standing sport and he will discuss regulatory reform. on july 1, the secretary of the smithsonian institution will be here and on july 8, admiral mike mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. i would like to present our guest with the traditional in pnpc mod. >> i now have a matching set. imagine my pride. >> for a final question, someone asked if your parents ask you not to play outside in the rain. what is with the playing outside during the downpour's? >> then i tell you how great national park is to come soon?

we have games and stuff going on. but it doesn't have a roof. i did not think we would need a roof in washington is always a tough thing. and these things are difficult in every city. if there is any way to play the game, we're going to play the game. that is because of all the workers in a prepared to play there and the people who bought tickets and travel to be at the game. if there is any way, we're going to play the game. of this inconveniences' other people. but there is no really good alternative. whether it is rain or shine, you should come because we are going to be playing. >> thank you very much. >> [applause]

>> i would like to thank you all for coming today. i would like to thank the national press club staff members for organizing today's lunch. also, thanks for the library research. the video archive for today's luncheon is provided by the broadcast operations center. our events are available for free download as well as on our website. unit purchased transcripts by calling. for more information, call our -- -- go to our web sites. thank you very much and we are returned.

-- we are returned. -- we are adjourned. >> this week's online address is also focused on the energy bill. first, president barack obama and then representative john painter. >> for more than three decades, we have talked about our dependence on foreign oil and for more than three decades, we have seen that dependence grow. we have seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our national security. we have seen that pollute the air we breathe and in danger our planet. most of all, we have seen other countries realize the critical

truth. the nation that leads in the creation of a clean economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. and now is the time for the united states of america to realize this to. now is the time for us to lead. the energy bill will create incentives that sparked a clean energy transformation in our economy. it will spur the development of low carbon sources of energy, from wind, solar and geothermal power to safer nuclear energy in clinical. it will spur new energy savings like the efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs and the summer. and most importantly, it will make possible the creation of millions of new jobs. make no mistake, this is a jobs bill. in california, 3000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant that will create 1000

permanent jobs. in michigan, investment in wind turbines is expected to create over 2600 jobs. in florida, three new projects are expected to deploy fort -- employ 1400 people. the list goes on and on. this legislation will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. that will create new industries and will lead to american jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced. i have often talked about the need to fill the new foundation for economic growth so that we do not returned to the endless cycle of will and bust that led us to this recession. clean energy and the jobs it creates is critical to this new foundation. this legislation will not increase the deficit. it is paid for by the polluters. it provides assistance.

it gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to generate new income. above all, it will protect consumers from the cost of this transition so that the price to the average american will be just about a postage stamp of date. because this legislation is so balanced, it is already attracting a remarkable coalition of consumer and environmental groups now, michael to every american is this. we cannot be afraid of the future and must not be prisoners of the past. do not believe the misinformation out there that suggest that there is a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. it is just not true. we have been talking about energy for decades but there is

no longer a disagreement over whether or not our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security. there is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is putting our planet in jeopardy. it is happening there is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 23rd century -- 21st century will be: -- clean renewable energy. i want that answer to be the united states of america. i believe that the american people and the men and women they sent to congress share that view. i want to congratulate the house for passing this bill and i want to urge the senate to take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations to our constituents, to our children, to god's creation and to future generations. >> i am john baioehner. when i am in my district, i hear

about the democrats. they promised unemployment would not rise above 8%, and there stimulus package was passed. unemployment has soared above 9% and now the president admits that unemployment will soon reach double digits. after all of this spending, after all of his borrowing from china in the middle east, our children and our grandchildren, where are the jobs? it is about to get worse for middle-class families. democrats are pushing for government takeover of our health-care system that will cost one trillion dollars. the president has claimed that americans will be able to keep their doctors and the democrat'' plan, but the nonpartisan budget office says that millions of americans would lose their health coverage and their doctors. >> another independent report projects that nearly 100 million

americans may be forced onto government rules. our nation could use an additional 4.7 million jobs under the democrats' health care proposal based on analysis developed by the white house chief economic adviser. small businesses are the engine of our economy. we should help them weather the storms and create jobs. this would be a real stimulus. washington has not tried that yet. republicans have offered a plan that would encourage this investment and allow small businesses and families to keep more of what they are in and to help our economy get moving again. a real stimulus plan we put together a better alternative that will reduce costs and increase the quality of care in a way that americans can afford without new taxes, costly mandates or a government takeover that puts bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions that should be made by doctors

and patients. this week, the president and democrats on capitol hill continue their push for the national energy tax. it by imposing a tax on every american who drives a car or flips on a light switch, this plan will drive up the prices for food, gasoline and electricity. even president obama has said that consequences would be severe across the country. the democrats will ship millions of jobs to competitors. a recent study estimated that it will cost us between 2.3 million jobs per year. we should be creating jobs, not destroying them. all of the above strategies to clear up the environment, lower energy costs and create more jobs. our plan will increase energy

production. it will promote the use of alternative fuels such as nuclear and clean coal and renewable technologies and encourage increased efficiency. republicans are offering common sense solutions that will make a real difference in creating jobs and make health care more affordable and promote a cleaner and healthier environment in reducing energy costs. we hope the democrats will work with us to make these reforms a reality. thank you for listening. >> up next, on c-span, a house hearing on health care. then a senate panel looks at banking derivatives and then, live at 7:00 a.m. eastern, washington journal.

>> tomorrow, on washington journal, a look at what the unrest in iran means for the future of the government with jack goldstone. then a discussion on the economy petermorici of the university of maryland. and then zero lizgarbus talks about her film. that is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. >> sunday on c-span to's "book to v." nicholas scmidle sits down with ralph peters. next weekend, three days a book to be starting friday morning at 8:00 p.m. including offered johnny ferling from mount

vernon. the entire schedule is online. >> a hearing on health care legislation proposals drafted by several house committees. speakers will include union and business leaders and health care industry experts. this hearing lasts about an hour 35 minutes. >> that afternoon, the committee on education in and labor will come to order for the purpose of conducting a hearing on the try committee discussion draft for health care reform in our country. before we began, i would like to

welcome congressman klein to his first hearing as our new incoming ranking member. he is the senior republican on our committee. we welcome him to the committee in that position and we say congratulations to him. we look forward to working with him to continue our efforts to improve the lives of american families. welcome. >> [applause] this hearing marks the next up to guarantee all americans access to quality, affordable health care. no one can argue that our nation's current health care that is sustainable. premiums and health care costs

have skyrocketed for families and businesses alike. the democrats get to decide the care for a patient and they can delay treatment based on pre- existing conditions. americans with health care are deeply concerned that their employee your may -- their employer may cancel the coverage. the cost of 47 million people in our country is unsustainable. this jeopardize is not only help but the economic condition. the uninsured costs the rest of us about $1,100 per family. this is combined to deliver a crushing blow to america's families and businesses last friday, the three committees

unveiled the draft for health care reform. it reflects months of hard work of extensive meetings with democrats and republicans and the congressional budget office and stakeholders in an opening clobber the process. consistent with president obama's goals, it is what is broken in our current system. it lays a foundation for an american solution that will reduce costs and insure access to affordable, quality health care for all. for americans just beginning to pay attention to this health care debate, here are some critical debates that it will help you in your family. our proposed reforms will cover about 95% of all americans. if you like your doctor, you can keep them. you do not have to worry about coverage. if your employer drops it or you lose your job.

premiums for coverage will lobby based upon pre-existing conditions, gender or occupation. you'll have a choice of high quality affordable insurance plans and doctors and nurses will have access to the best information that is organized in the best way to offer your individualized care this will help drive down health care costs in several ways. first, it ensures competition in the marketplace by establishing a new health insurance exchange that includes a strong option that will compete on a little -- on a level playing field. this will lower costs for everyone. it simplifies paperwork and the controls costs by reducing spending. these health care reforms will be fully paid for. president obama has outlined a menu of cost reductions that we will consider.

this pledge demonstrates that the president is successful in building a diverse coalition committed to reducing spending. our draft outlines what other significant portions will come from. it promotes a efficiencies. this does not mean that we will be cutting services. instead, we will strengthen the long-term sustainability so we can continue to provide the quality health care service for years to come. it will guarantee people a real choice for the exchange. if you like it, you can keep it. people who are not covered will be able to choose affordable plans. at this will be portable and guaranteed. finally, the insurers that

everyone will have affordable health care. this will include essential benefits. there'll be caps on expenses. insurers that the care will be as it should be. it will be driven by patients' needs. it will simply not invest in utilization, but more so when outcomes. it will avestan wellness and it is the insurance company is discriminatory practices. it requires shared responsibilities. it ensures that all americans have access to these benefits. in the coming weeks, we will continue to seek input from staplers of lawmakers. many are also clamoring for inaction. let me be clear on this one point. on behalf of every parent of six care for their sick child and for every american that -- i assure you that it is in fact

off the table and that is saying no to health care reform. to succeed, we will need the cooperation of all colleagues and our president. we must think about the future of our country and every american that expects that this year will be the year that we will make health care -- a health care system part of the shiny future and not a cause for further financial chaos. with that, i would like to recognize mr. klein. >> that you, mr. chairman. thank you for your kind welcome. that may be the only time i ever get a round of applause from all here mr. chairman. i want to think our witness for being here. you will be a very distinguished panel. there are a lot of interesting party sitting out in front of us. health-care spending accounts for one sixth of our