allow them to be taxpaying citizens, without exception. >> justice o'connor, do you want to step to the question about what needs to be changed with these offenders? >> legislative bodies have to look at the mandatory minimum sentencing laws. . . >> his point was, they have the ability to depart. all cases are the same -- are

not the same. they do not say, this is a different case from the other smith, jones, or williams cases. they say, i cannot tell legislature what to do, they automatically can't touch them. there is room to think about judges being independent. >> i think he was talking about the federal sentencing scheme. every state -- is the states that have the bulk of the crime. every state has to take a look, frankly. >> you were talking earlier about the difference between powdered cocaine and crack cocaine. one is sentence with a far longer term. >> it is a matter of money here. one is far more expensive than the other, and it is also about race. one is predominantly used by a sort -- by minorities.

to bring some equity between that would be very encouraging, because it was unfair in the first place. it didn't work. it didn't deter. it has been ineffective in rehabilitating people. i wanted to interject something quickly, too. if we do rehabilitate them while they're incarcerated, and they do get the degrees or the skills, it does not have to be education, it can be some sort of trade or skill that makes them of marketable. you can have a skill and still not have a job. we have to do some kind of tax incentives for business owners to get second chances to people who do have skills. they did are really benefit appropriately. as much as the government is doing to encourage it -- i am saying the tax incentive would pay itself off rather than the person and in the back and knee system again.

>> in this economic situation, jobs are really hard to get. why would an employer pick a prison inmate over someone else? with a tax incentive, they might. >> we have not talked about private prisons. how the lowest bid prison affects it. >> it is not an economic factor. we have not seen a lot of success with them. >> i am dan sharp. one of the interesting ideas i heard from your panel is that all of us should consider writing letters to prisoners. i am not sure many of us would know how to make the appropriate contact so that we are more constructive. can you expand on that?

>> i would be happy to do that. the prison mentoring is the last resort. the real mentoring is when kids are in elementary school or middle school, starting early. prevention rather than treatment is my point. wherever you live, there are still public schools. and a at a public school is different than in a at a private school. one has honors courses, field trips, etc.. it may be 28 miles from where you live, but you say, i would like to volunteer once a month to take twenty eighth graders to one of the museums. there will be kids that lived -- people in washington d.c. have never been to the white house or to the air and space museum. they don't have to go to france to see monday -- money, this is

-- to see monet, this is for them, too. all of the learning skills are pretty significant. if you tell me where you're from, i will be happy to direct you. let me tell you one of the things that troubles me the most. the reason i am here today, to parents from alabama and arkansas that did not finish, they made sure that i went to the library. i was there reading books and learning. the libraries have shorter hours than any other institution in the community. when a kid can't walk into a library it 10:00 on saturday morning and stay until the kick you out, they are not even open on saturdays in some places. if kids can't access self

learning institutions, that is a problem. getting someone exposed to a library is interesting and exciting, the kind of thing that makes an enormous difference that everyone can do. >> there are great programs where you can say, ok, i will offer to maintain contact over a period of several years with a youngster who is very likely going to be in trouble if i don't. because the father or the mother is in prison or something has already happened. you can be the contact that can see him through a period -- see him through. >> both of my kids played soccer because we wanted them to be a part of the community. i look at soccer fields, and i did not see any children of color. why? because there is a $100 entry fee that seems small.

there are parents too embarrassed to say that they can't afford it. they will say, let's do something else on saturday. look around. is the most universal support in the world. think about -- their kids in your community that are not there. kids like to run and kick, they love the snacks. it seems trivial to think about how to get other children involved, all of these qualities will help them in school. >> to your point, i think there is a degree of intimidation when you cross color barriers. to deter that, sports can be a common denominator.

something big you are interested in that they're interested in that is non threatening to either of you. many times, people do want to help. but they have a fear of rejection so we do not bother them. consequently, the child is not exposed to many things you call normal. how can this town and up like this? we live in the same city, but not really. you are having a totally different experience. bringing them -- music is a huge tool. you can be in a nonthreatening environment. bringing diverse kids together, just one of the different people. somebody that helps you relate to the child. and sponsoring kids to go to events that are culturally sensitive. there are all kinds of things that we can do to live together more effectively. >> this is a man who is the only minister i have ever heard of that has a dance minister.

yes, you. >> of the microphone is coming your way. >> my question goes to a juvenile rehabilitation. the woman back they're mentioning there was a program in new york and how successful it is. i really want to talk about an alternative institutional as asian that we see in the public schools -- are rising in the public schools, and its application to a juvenile rehabilitation. what i mean by that is, we have a totally dysfunctional public- school system, and you have a new idea called the charter schools where all of the various methodologies are intervening to create alternative institutional

benefits and funding as a challenge. if they should jakes -- if a kid was going to go off to prison and we know that is $7,000 a year that he says, and i am challenging you, -- within that sentencing, we have a charter school. rather than spending that money in prison, we will take 50 kids in the charter school that the present system would otherwise have and we would begin to explain to legislatures, look how much more successful it is. my question is, which advocate to legislature a system like charter schools in the juvenile justice system? >> when i was a child in mexico,

the judge had the discretion to tell the parents, it is going to be juvenile justice or new mexico military academy. >> to his point, i think it is a good idea, and a viable option. it is similar to the idea of the vouchers where parents have the opportunity to choose where they send their kids, not only because of something illegal they have done, but to get outside the prison of some of the public systems. the dallas school system is getting better, but it has been a wasteland. many people are trapped in a system that does not allow over a small amount of money to get their children out even if you can't get the parents out. you also have to understand the importance of faith based initiatives, not just for the strength of the faith itself,

but to understand that in different cultures, the church means different things. it is more than about religion and faith, though we are not ashamed of those primary goals. it is also about being the hub of our community, and to ignore it, you have alienated a major part of our community because people will come to the church. they won't come to counseling. they won't open up to you. you have to learn to speak a language the community service. >> the last question comes right straight ahead of me wearing orange. she is going to get there. we could always throw at you. >> thank you, this was so stimulating. some any ideas. i am just wondering, you sort of

touched on this -- creative solutions to rehab people and provide jobs for them. dr. ogletree, you probably know leon jones. is there any money being invested in programs that link issues to areas such as creating green jobs? why can't there be money put into programs to train people getting out of prison to install solar and learn about when a generation, etc. it seems like is a no-brainer. we have to be creative about hitting these issues altogether. >> is a very good point. the african-american writer from yale law school spoke at tapis

smiley -- at tavis smile's state of the black union in february. president obama was listening. jones has left oakland and is now in washington working in the administration, using green jobs as part of the stimulus bill to target people. we employ unskilled workers, semiskilled workers, and unskilled workers. these are people that had barrier to admission. the stimulus package is designed to do that. green jobs helps everybody. jones' work was very important. at that is why he is out there now making sure this becomes an issue. we will have many more sort of

environmentally conscious efforts to address these issues. it reaches the committee we described. >> that is it, thank you very much. >> this took place in aspen, colorado on june 30. you can see this program again at c-span.org. in to join us next week for "america and the court's." saturday evenings at 7:00 eastern on c-span. on "newsmakers" this week, james clyburn gave his thoughts on the arrested at harvard professor. >> he can be no more or less of what our experiences have a blessed to be. i think the police officer in this was responding to a call.

the question to me was, if this was a neighbor calling, what was a neighbor's role at all of this? did the police officer take into account that the neighbor may have overreacted? there are so many variables and all of this that i think nobody is indicting the police department in cambridge. certainly, the police officer has a record that seems to be admirable. i have watched him on the tv, and he seems to be a good guy. i think i am a pretty good guy. there have been times when i have overreacted. that is human nature. >> you can see the entire interview on "newsmakers." sunday at 10:00 a.m. at 6:00 p.m. eastern.

>> the house returns monday at 12:30 eastern for morning hours speeches and business at 2:00. the measure calls for $636 billion including $128 billion for war operations in iraq and afghanistan. it is the last spending measure that needs to be considered for fiscal year 2010. also on the agenda, food programs executive compensation. live coverage of the house on c- span. the senate also returns monday at 2:00 eastern and plans to consider fiscal year 2010 energy and water spending. in the next two weeks, the chamber is expected to debate the supreme court nomination of judge sonia sotomayor. the final vote could come before the august recess. >> on "the communicator's."

leaders attending this year's media conference, including bill bradley from fox digital media. >> you are watching c-span, created for you as a public service by america's cable companies. next, friends and colleagues pay tribute to longtime cbs news anchor walter cronkite. and this week's addresses from president obama and republican congresswoman rogers. after that, the discussion on a new study that covers the disproportionate amount of white inmates serving life sentences. -- of non-white inmates serving life sentences. earlier this week, friends and colleagues paid tribute to longtime cbs news anchor walter cronkite. the service took place at saint

bartholomew's church in new york city, a regular place of worship for the cronkite family. speakers include andy rooney and longtime cbs evening news producers. this is an hour and 15 minutes. >> i am the resurrection and the life, said the lord. either you believeth in me, th ough he were dead, though shall we live. those who believeth in me shall

never die. i know that my redeemer liveth. he will stand on the latter day upon the earth. and though this body be destroyed, yet shall i see god, who i shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold -- mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. for none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. if we die, we die unto the lord. therefore, we are the lords. blessed are the dead who die in

the lord. the spirit, for they rest from their labors. welcome today to saint bartholomew's church, and the celebration of a great life. let me ask you a couple of favors, please. first, please turn off anything that makes noise. second, please abide by the cronkite family's wishes that there be no photography or audio recording during this service. i ask you to find a hymnal and the pew in front of you enjoyed the in the singing of hymn 608. a him chosen because it is the him for sailors -- a hymn chosen because it is the hymn for

sailors. ♪ [hymn singing] ♪

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[hymn singing] ♪

>> the lord be with you. >> and also with you. >> let us pray. god, whose mercy's cannot be numbered, accept our prayers' on

behalf of the servant, walter. and grant him into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of thy saints. through jesus christ who liveth and rigneth with one god, now and forever, amen. please be seated.

>> let love be genuine. hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. love one another with mutual affection. it outdo one another in showing honor. serve the lord. rejoice in hope. be patient and suffering. persevere in prayer. bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. rejoice with those who rejoice. weep with those who weep. live in harmony with one another. do not be haughty, but associate with the lonely. did not repaid anyone evil for evil -- do not repay anyone evil

for evil. live peaceably with all. leave room for the wrath of god, for it is written, the vengeance is mine. if your enemies are hungry, feed them. give them something to drink. by doing this, you will burn coals on their heads. overcome evil with good. the word of the lord. >> the twenty third psalm, please read along.

the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want. he maketh me lie down in green pastures. he restoreth my soul. though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil. for thou art with me. thou preparest the table before me and annointests my head with oil. my cup runneth over. i will dwell in the house of the lord for eveever.

>> reading from the gospel according to mark. on that day, jesus said to them, let's go over to the other side. they took him along with them in the boat just as he was. there are rows a fear scale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat. jesus was asleep on the cushion. teacher, do not care that we are perishing. he said, >>, be still. -- he said, hush, be still. they became very much afraid and said, who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? the word of the lord.

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[choir singing] ♪

♪ [choir singing] ♪

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>> i did not know where i was going, so i did not know what i am saying. [laughter] is some of and when you have to have someone like me speak at your memorial service. walter was such a good friend. i can't get over it. we met in london. we were both covering the air

force when i was with united press. i was with "stars and stripes. he sent his stories back. they would tell us when there was going to be arrayed, if you can believe that. these days, you're lucky if they tell you after they have had a raid. [laughter] walter and die at three or four other reporters would get on a train and go out to bedford, a town that had fibers six air force bases around it. we would ago, split up, and cover a base that we like to. we would write our stories, and we would go back to the headquarters of the air force and they had it set up so we could write and send our stories

from there. and that is when i got to know walter cronkite. i got to know him well. i just feel so terrible about walter's death that i can hardly say anything. he has been such a good friend over the years. please excuse me, thank you. >> pardon me. it is hard to follow an act like

cronkite. there has been so much about him in the last week, there is nothing else to say about him. i would like to point out a couple of things. he had a reputation for being cool, calm, and collected no matter what the circumstances or the occasion. that doesn't do him any justice. he was really ferocious at times. in the 1968 democratic national convention, some security agents roughed up dan rather on the floor. walter lost his cool on the air, shouted about it on the floor of the convention, and felt embarrassed and ashamed that he had lost his cool that way. the next day, to our shock, they talked about what happened the night before. the kick me out of my seat, sat down, and walter interview him about the events of the night

before. from walter's point of view, it was one of the low points in his life because he felt like he was not forceful enough with the mayor and had not defended the troops and the media and the rules of coverage. in the fall of 1969 spiro agnew delivered his famous attack on the media. part of the eastern establishment elite that were neither elected or selected. we found out that that was the initial attack on the media by the nixon people. walter was furious about that on the grounds that if the media was not going to defend itself, who wouldn't? the two of them flew out to st. joseph, missouri. walter's birthplace.

they had a town meeting with citizens of st. joseph, letting the citizens explore the whole idea out that we were -- and of course, it caused quite a stir. cbs broadcast that town meeting that night. it was the event that kind of signal cbs news as an enemy of the nixon white house. there were other aspects of walter that would drive anybody crazy. there is the idea that he would add lib -- ad lib the newscast and recite the stories important tenought -- empirortant enough

to report. and is cast as the most structured event in any news media. walter insisted that when it came time to roll a piece of film, he would russia's knows. -- he would brush his news. [laughter] i kid you not. we were talking about film, not video tape. it would take six to seven seconds to get up to broadcast speech. he had to be tendered out this, and we never made it. it was utter chaos. nobody knew what was going on, especially any sort of -- it lasted for two days, and we went back to conventional script. there was a time he forgot his

name. this is -- it was a blank. [laughter] finally, the comptroller rescued him by taking it away and going somewhere else. he never figured out what had happened. he also had a horrible problem with the second month of the year. he could never pronounced it right. we would get all sorts of complaints before blogs and the internet, either by telephone or mail. it got to the point where we would rehearse him for about the last week of january about how the state. [laughter] it worked for a deer to, and there was a relapse. -- for a day or two, and there was a relapse.

and there is something called the magic number. if you were anywhere around our newsroom at the time, you would hear people shouting about something called "the magic number." it was a piece of sorcery invented -- i can't claim credit for it. walter was very diligent and precise about timing things. it had to do with his time on the air. he would time each piece of his copy down to the precise second, except on rare, it never matched. it drove everybody crazy. somebody with a more mathematical mind that i have, calculated how much for did there was -- calculated how much footage there was. it gave him a number that was less than he actually was. on air, he would expand to what we would call the magic number

we cheated him every day. whether he knew this or not, i don't know. we never had the guts to talk to them about it because we did not want to open up the whole can of worms. we live with that for years. i will let you know, he was a lot of fun off-camera. he played the clarinet badly, good enough to get on his high- school band. in recent years, his pal mickey brought him a set of drums that absolutely enthralled him. several weeks before the end, jimmy buffett flew his plane, landed on the east river right next to walter's riverside apartments, came upstairs, and opened up this beautiful ukulele

case. she thought was the most beautiful thing in the world. he serenaded walter with a little ukulele beside him. he was always a loyal service reporter in his heart. -- a wire service reporter in his heart. get first, but get it right was the at age. was the addage. -- was the addage. the copy boy had to get the houston bank clearing number every day, and it was published on the front page of the houston press in a little box. it was a multimillion-dollar number. one day, he got the cents wrong. he put down 27 when it should

have been 17 at the end of a $3 million -- he got called up. he was really beat up by the editor. the way he described it, he went out feeling hangdog about it, and all of his buddies were saying, you better get out of town. you better be careful. you have discovered that that little number was the key to the gambling #'s game in houston. the last five digits of the clearing number was the winning number. here he put down 27 instead of 17 and his life was endangered. he always used that as an example of the importance of accuracy and the most terrific details. one contract negotiation, and that i will lead.

-- then i will end. he did not want to raise, -- a raise, but he wanted three months off. they were just jolted to say the least, because of a fear of evaporating ratings if he was gone for three months. the editor at the time came up with what seemed like a reasonable solution. walter should made his boat assignment. then, during the three month hiatus, we would say, waslter -- walter is on assignment. [laughter] he never thought it was funny. the day he left to the -- to be a cbs correspondent, he accepted

an invitation to something called bohemian grove, which was a camp in northern california for grown-up men, establishment men, bankers, politicians, serious scholars, and it was an off the racket -- off the record wituation -- situation. the following week, he announced he was going to bohemian grove that summer. he had been invited previously, but felt it was not acceptable given his role in the news to go. once he felt free of the news, he was out there and went there every year. we don't know what happened, but acted like a teenager. he became a member of the cbs board, of course.

he once said to me, you know, you don't know how many ways there are to say earnings per share. we sat there for hours and discussed earnings per share. it is remarkable to me. every time i bring up a question about television, nobody wants to talk to me about it. that is a little bit of a wall to rhino. -- the walter i know. >> i did not work with walter. i was his friend for a long time. like everyone that new walter, i was always asked, what is he

really like? i would answer, he's just the way utopias. it was always, -- he's just the way you hope he is. he was the guy that most of america guess he was. he was physically brave, and not afraid to show his emotions. he was a gentleman, fun-loving, and good company wherever he was. to steal a line from melville, he was my harvard and my yale. i began to think and appreciate and observe the world the way that walter did. i learned to handle my very small celebrity watching him and joy, with good humor and a smile, his slacks jot admirers -- slackjawed admirers.

we were hosted a fund-raiser at the chesapeake bay. walter had a celebrity couple. it was a rather dull affair. mrs. cronkite seemed content that she was whistling a little ditty to herself. all of us know betsy's little whistle, and the horn on a nuclear submarine might herald the same concern. she was ready to go to the waterfront to visit a small, 100-year-old saloon that i just happen to tone -- happened to won. -- to own. that was the first day of a

lifetime of sailing together. there was laughter and a lot of adventures. walter and i sailed our boats side by side and shared the same back for the next 35 years or so. we had the best seats in the house for the latest broadway shows in new york. let me tell you, with, right, -- with cronkite, that was quite a ride. late at night, the call would come up the stairwell in the old brownstone uand,, good night ol. good night, walter. thanks for a great night. we dined with president and explore the caribbean by sale. the family folded me into their

life, and i became a trusted member. by the way, sailing with water -- with walter was not for the faint of heart. he loved the sea. we left our secure mooring and set sail. usually a lot of sail. wind, sea conditions, bah. hoist sail, pointer c word, and the way we would go. -- point it seaward, and away we would go. the brave crew hanging on for dear life, walter hunched over the helm, will catch my eye, gramm, and over the racket of the wind, haller, sensational.

-- grin, and over the racket of the wind, holler, "sensational." i comfortably -- confidently i should say trailed walter into every cove and harbour in maine and new england. walter knew them all. he could not wait to share the beauty and perfection of a hidden cove and show them off to his chesapeake friend. after setting the anchor and another pine scented cove, and after our bodies recovered for

the obligatory plunge in the always frigid maine water, the time would call for pop popcorn and cold beer. then, dinner aboard his boat or mine with a decent wine and never-ending fascinating conversation, whoops of laughter. after dinner, a pipe and a brandy on deck. once, aurora borealis flashed across the night sky and seemed to last for hours. finally, softly, well, good night old boy. that was sensational. good night, walter. it sure was. this became an annual boy's sail.

eventually managed exclusively by ex military pilots. they were tough, dependable gentleman that loved to trade stories with the captain. the problem was, there were too many captains. all of us captained our own boat. we were either unable reserve captains, airline captains, or air force capt. captains from stem to stern. we commissioned walter commodore. capt. of all captains, and as you would guess, walter had no problem adjusting. the rank became commonly used among his friends and family. when i got a call that walter lost his final battle, the message was, the commodore is gone.

the commodore and die assailed throw wild storm on a race to bermuda one year, -- the commodore and i sailed through a wild storm on race to bermuda one year. a lifetime friendship bonded that dark and stormy night. walter was more than a crusty old sailor or iron pants editor. he had an antenna sensitive to a friend's pain. he could chase the worry and to make things good again. he was the kind of guy who could, openly and without shame, shed tears with a friend when his old yellow lab died. my brother, my teacher, my

shipmate and pal, it is time for me to say, good night old boy. it has all been sensational. i love you and miss you so. fair winds and following seas forever. rest in peace, my dear old friend. >> well. i loved my dad. i loved him coming home for dinner so we could talk about that night's program.

i love the riding my bike to meet him when he drove home to the country house. i love sailing with him, trimming the sales. he was good that, too. back in the days before satellite navigation, he would get us right to the mouth after hours of dark fog. . he liked to quote thomas

jefferson, a nation that expects to be ignorant and free expects but never can and never will be. my folks lived through the depression, the war and cold war before i was born in the same year as sputnik. dad said he walked home from the hospital that morning along the east river making plans for this new son of his. i think most of those plans came true. thank you, dad. thanks for rushing to the side of the boat when the boom knocked me overboard. you stood there ready to jump in after me and then you were glad you didn't have to. [laughter] >> thanks to getting ready to take out my appendix yourself with a sharpened spoon on the planes of africa two days' drive from a hospital. that time i was glad you didn't have to. [laughter] >> thanks for being such fun to work with, as you and sandy and i went from one small production company to another

in the 19 0's. thanks for being such a good role model, doing your homework, being polite, saying to mom as you passed her in the hall or kitchen, shall we dance, and then taking her for a few turns around the room. i'm happy for my dad. i'm happy he had so many interesting and varied friends over the years, and that he'd bring them home. i'm happy he finished his autobiography of a porter's life before his health began to fail. i'm sorry i insulted him by saying i was surprised at how funny it was. he said, i should have known how funny he was. [laughter] >> i'm happy he had such caring doctors and nurses in his last few years. when we were young, my sisters and i came to sunday school here at st. bart's. four years ago we memorialized our mom here and then went out to kansas city to bury her. we'll be going back out soon to put dad's ashes next to moms.

>> in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, amen. 2000 years ago a group of witnesses began to tell a story that proved to be the story about a man who was, as they say, one of the axial persons in human history. the world turned on his soul and his teaching. now we are here today to give to god one of his great witnesses.

he was a man, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a mentor, and someone we would say in our new york religious terminology, a mench, a full human being. 2,000 years ago the first christian witnesses also began to write what they witnessed and those accounts are the true context today in which we remember him. and through which we commend him to god. they give us the words that we need at least to begin this prayer, and only begin. and to proclaim what we do in this sacred hour. we simply thank god for this good man. we really can go no further

because though there were witnesses at the resurrection, those who claimed to be witnesses, there were really no reporters, and certainly no video. nevertheless, we claim that this is news and good news. it is not journalism because it is not disinterested. it is the word of witnesses whose own lives were changed and who therefore wanted to change the lives of others and to effect the course of the world and to do justice and to heal and to love. you may have noticed that there were two very powerful readings today, walter's family drew on their own inclinations and knowledge of scripture to pick them. the first was one from st. paul, his letter to the romans, part of his passionate wisdom.

if you read it closely, you will find that this is the wisdom of all the great living religions and it was one of the first claims of christianity that in some ways it was not going to be different from what went before. it was going to pass on great wisdom. let love be genuine, paul said to the romans. hate what is evil. hold fast to what it good. love one another with mutual affection. outdo one another in showing honor. only people who believe that they are loved can show that kind of love. do not lag in zeal. be ardent in spirit. contribute to the needs of the saints, show hospitality to strangers. these again are the hallmarks today of true religion, and of the things that when we see them in others, great people and people of no name, we know

that we have seen the truth. but all great witnesses and all great reporters that the truth begins with that last word that paul left with the romans. do not claim to be wiser than you are. do not claim to be wiser than you are. that means you have to dig for the truth and then you have to live the truth. trust is built on that kind of work. and then they drew on one of the great sailing stories in the bible. some friends of jesus were out on the sea of galilee, a little late but subject to squalls and there was a storm and he was asleep. he was a daredevil on the sea. and they didn't like that. but the lesson he ultimately taught them, he did what no sailor i knew can do, he calmed

the storm. but when he did, he showed them that it really is a way to live your life if you can afford not to be so anxious, to be the least anxious person in the boat is a gift to everyone else. but we are anxious, generation after generation. we look at the events of the world, we look at the conditions of the day and it makes us anxious but occasionally someone comes along who says i have done, i have looked for the truth, i have witnessed it to you, and in the end, all will be well if we dig for the truth. it's not the story or even the ultimate truth that makes the difference in the end, it is, as paul said, our ability to show the truth with love. let love be genuine. hate what is evil. and do not claim to be wiser

than you are. amen. of >> now will you stand, please. in the assurance of eternal life given at bapttism, let us proclaim our faith and say i believe in god, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. i believe in jesus christ, his only son, our lord. he was conceived by the power of the holy spirit and born of the virgin mary. he suffered under pontious pilate, was cruise tied, died and buried. he descended to the dead. on the third day he rose again, he ascended into help and is seated at the right hand of the father. he will come again to judge the living and the dead. i believe in the holy spirit,

the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, amen. now let us join in the the words that jesus taught his disciples. our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and forever, amen of the >> in peace, let us pray to the lord. almighty god who is knit

together in one communion and fellow ship in the mystical body of thy son, christ our lord, grant we beseech thee to the whole church and paradise and on earth and by light and by peace. amen. grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage and who walk as yet by faith, that thy holy spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. grant to all who mourn, assure confidence in thy fatherly care, that casting all their aggressive on thee they may know the consolation of love. amen. give courage and faith to those who are bereaved and especially to this family, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope in the

joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. help us, we pray in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. amen. grant us grace to entrust walter to thy never failing love. receive him into the arms of thy mercy. and remember him according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people, amen. and grant that increasing and knowledge of love of thee he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. amen. please be seated.

♪ >> ♪ precious lord take my hand lead me on let me stand i am tired

i am weak i am old through the sun through the light lead me on through the night take my hand take my hand lord and lead me home ♪

>> ♪ take my hand lord precious lord lead me god like a river hold my hand

take my hand take my hand lord and lead me home ♪

>> i first met walter cronkite under a piano. it was a big party betty had given up at her apartment on 86th street. i was cruising the original tonight show with steve allan and we didn't get through until 1:00 in the morning so i was very late for the party. and i saw a man under this -- in the well of the piano there on a big pillow. all the seats were taken. it was jammed. and he waved at me to come and

sit to an empty pillow next to him, which i did. and during our first meeting over half a century ago, we learned that we both had boats and loved sailing. walter was a better sailor than i was, but i had my sailboat and the wind got down to half a knot or a knot i would turn the engine on. not walter. he would wait for the breeze. we sailed together from maine to the virgin islands. in the yachting language, walter cronkite would be called a one-off. he was absolutely an original. whatever place he was or in any room, it always was more fun.

he was truly a life enhancer. just a few days ago with kathy cronkite and marlene adler at his bedside, i took his hand and whispered, walter, let's go sailing. had us eyes lit up and he smiled. i recited a poem with only slight modification because i wanted to make it more personal and kathy asked me to share it with you. so with apologies to john maysfield, i looked at walter and said -- you must go out to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky, and all you ask is a star ship and a star to serve by. and the wheels kick and the

wind song and the white sails shaking and a gray mist on the sea's face and a gray dawn breaking. you must go down to the sea again for the call of the willing tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied. and all you ask for is a windy day with the white clouds flying. excuse me. oh, yes, and the flung spray and the blooms spew and the eagles crying. you must go to the sea again to a vagrant gypsy's life in the whale's way and the wind is like a whetted knife and all

you ask for is a merry yarn from laughing rover and quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip is over. good sailing, walter. slice the main brace. >> this next hymn is a family favorite. it is a hymn who expresses and loves his own country but is also a citizen of the world. i think you'll recognize the tune. the words are printed in the bulletin. "this is my song."

♪ >> ♪ this is my story

["this is my story"] ♪ ["this is my story"]

♪ [this is my story"] ♪

♪ ["this is my story" plays] ♪

>> now i invite you all to join in this final commendation. give rest o, christ with thy servants an saints where sorrow and pain are no more, never sighing but life everlasting. thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind and we are mortal, formed of the earth and unto earth shall we return. for so thou it's ordained when th, ou created me saying dust

thou art and to dust thou return. all we go down to the dust, yet even at the grave we make our song hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. give rest christ to thy servants with thy saints where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing but life everlasting. now into thy hands o merciful savior we commend thy servant walter and acknowledge we beseech these a sheep of thine old a lamb on to thy flock and a sinner of thy redeeming. receive him into the arms of t had, y mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. amen.

life is short. and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. so be swift to love. make haste to be kind. and may god's blessing, father, son, and holy spirit be with you and remain with you always. amen. let us go forth in the name of christ. thanks be to god. ♪ >> ♪ o when the saints go marching in o force when the saints

go marching in o lord i want to be in that number when the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ >> ♪ o lord i want to be in that number

when the saints go marching in ♪ when they gather on the dawn o lord i want to be in that number when they gather all around ♪ ♪ ["when the saints go marching in" plays]

["when the saints go marching in" plays]

["when the saints go marching in" plays] ["when the saints go marching in" plays]

["when the saints go marching in" plays] >> still to come on c-span, today's weekly addresses with president obama and washington

representative kathy mcmorris rogers. later, a discussion on a new study that examines the disproportionate amount of nonwhite inmates serving life sentences. and after that, remarks from the red cross c.e.o. on challenges the organization faces during the current economic recession. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captioning copyright national cable satellite corp.2009] >> you'll hear two perspectives of what democratic propose ams would mean to small businesses. first president obama, followed by house republican conference vice chairman kathy mcmorris rogers. >> i recently heard from a small business owner from new jersey who wrote that he

employs eight people and provides health insurance for all of them. but his policy goes up at least 20% each year and today it costs almost $1,400 per family per month. his highest business expense besides employee salaries. he's already had to let two of them go and may be forced to eliminate health insurance altogether. he wrote simply, i'm not looking for free health care, i would just like to get my people dwrums -- get my premiums reduced enough to afford it. day after day i hear from people just like him, workers worried they may lose their coverage if they become too sick or lose their job or change jobs, families who fear me they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a preexisting condition and small business owners trying to make a living and do right by the people they employ. these are the mom and pop stores and restaurants, beauty shops and construction companies that support families and sustain communities.

they're the tiny startups with big ideas hoping to become the next google or apple or h.p. and has shown in a new report released today by the white house council of economic advisors, right now they're getting crushed by skyrocketing health care costs. because they like the bargaining power large businesses have and face higher administrative costs per person, small businesses pay up to 18% more for the very same health insurance plans. costs that eat into their profits and get passed on to their employees. as a result, small businesses are much less likely to offer health insurance. those that do tend to have less generous plans. in a recent survey, 1/3 of small businesses reported cutting benefits. many have dropped coverage altogether. and many have shed jobs or shut their doors entirely. this is unsustainable. it's unacceptable. and it's going to change when i sign health insurance reform into law. under the reform plans in congress, small businesses will

be able to purchase health insurance through an insurance exchange, a marketplace where they can compare the price, quality, and services of a wide variety of plans, many of which bill i -- will provide better coverage and lower costs than the plans they have now. they can then pick the ones that work best for them or their employees, small businesses that choose to insure their employees will also receive a tax credit to help them pay for it. if a small business chooses not to provide coverage, its employees can purchase high quality, affordable coverage through the insurance exchange on their own. low income workers, folks who are more likely to be working at small businesses will qualify for a subsidy to help them cover the costs. and no matter how you get your insurance, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition. they won't be able to drop your coverage if you get too sick or lose your job or change jobs and will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay out of your own pocket.

to view the new report and learn more about how health insurance reform will help small businesses, go to white house.gov and send us your questions and comments. we'll answer as many of them as we can later this week. over the past few months i've been pushing hard to make sure we finally address the need for health insurance reform, which has been deferred year after year, decade after decade, and today after a lot of hard work in congress, we are closer than ever before to finally pass a reform that will reduce costs, expand coverage and provide more choices for our families and businesses. it's taken months to reach this point. and once this legislation passes, we'll need to move thoughtfully and deliberately to implement these reforms over a period of several years. that's why i feel such a sense of urgency of moving this process forward. i know there are those who are urging us to delay reform, and some of them have actually

admitted this is a tactic designed to stop any reform at all. some of you even suggested regardless of its merits, health care reform should be stopped as a way to inflate -- inflict political damage to my administration. i'll leave it to them to explain to the american people. what i'm concerned about is the damage that's being done right now to the health of our families, the success of our businesses, and the long-term fiscal capability -- fiscal stability of our government. i'm concerned about hard-working folks who want nothing more than the security that comes with knowing they can get the care they need when they need it. i'm concerned about the small business owners who are asking for nothing more than a chance to seize their piece of the american dream. i'm concerned about our children and our grandchildren who will be saddled with deficits that will continue piling up year after year unless we pass reform. this debate is not a political gain for these americans and they cannot afford to keep waiting for reform. we owe it to them to finally

get it done and to get it done this year. thanks. >> this is congresswoman kathy mcmorris rogers from washington state, vice chair of the house republican conference. like millions of parents, the health of my young son is our family's top priority. when he's sick, my husband and i take him to the doctor and expect the doctor not just to do something but to do the right thing to help our son get better. this is the same philosophy i brought to the ongoing health care debate in washington, d.c. some politicians, including the president and democratic leaders in congress are demanding that we do something to change our system. i believe it's much more important to do the right thing, which means reducing skyrocketing health care costs while protecting a patient's ability to choose the right treatments. unfortunately, the democrats' health care plan crafted largely behind closed doors isn't the right thing. it's a prescription for

disaster. one that will put washington bureaucrats in charge of your family's personal medical decisions. medical decisions that are some of the most personal decisions you'll ever make. as a mother, i want to make those decisions for my son with a doctor we choose. anything else is unacceptable. also unacceptable is how much this will cost you and your family. according to the nonpartisan congressional budget office, the democrats' proposal will drive health care costs higher than ever. the agency also warns that millions will be forced off their current coverage under the democrats' plan, even though they continue making the discredited claim that if you like your plan, you can keep it. millions of seniors will lose their health care choices, too. because the democrats' plan cuts medicare, making it more difficult in rural areas across the country like mine in eastern washington, for seniors to obtain the coverage they need.

>> the house democrats' plan will add $239 billion to our deficit, $23 billion more tacked on to the tab we're passing along to our children and grandchildren. families, seniors, and future generations will not be alone in struggling with this bill's cost. america's small businesses will pay a steep price as well. because the democrats' plan is bank rolled by a small business tax, more jobs will evaporate. we've lost more than three million jobs since the beginning of the year, and americans have every right to ask, where are the jobs? according to the national federation of independent business, the democrats' plan will destroy a million more small business jobs. according to the methodology developed by the president's own senior economic advisor, the democrats' government takeover of health care will cost at least $4.7 -- 4.7 million jobs over the next 10 years. >> because of these

extraordinary costs to families, small businesses and future generations, alarm bells are sounding across the country. one democratic governor recently expressed concern about the bill's cost at $1 trillion or more. another called it, quote, the mother of all unfunded mandates. republicans have offered to help make a truly bipartisan plan that will improve the health of americans. the democrats haven't wanted our help. the republicans want to seize this opportunity to make health care more affordable. now in the house of representatives we've outlined an alternative that reduces costs by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse and reigning in junk lawsuits that cost families millions each year in higher premiums. our plan lets small businesses purchase health insurance for employees at a lower cost. for those who are uninsured now, it offers affordable choices. reforms regulations so insurance companies compete for your business, and you can shop around for the best coverage

and price. and under our plan, if you like your current health care coverage, you can keep it, no questions asked. finally, our plan encourages americans to take advantage of preventative medicine and wellness programs. in the end, our real goal isn't just to have medical coverage but to have healthy families. our reforms will lower health care costs for you and your family. they won't increase taxes on small businesses, and they won't saddle future generations with hundreds of billions more in debt. it's time to do the right thing. and that starts with scrapping the democrats' costly plan for government bureaucracy and working in a bipartisan way to make health care more affordable and available. thank you for listening. >> health care continues to dominate politics here in washington. last week, senate majority leader harry reid announced his chamber will not debate a

health care overhaul bill until the fall, despite president obama's request that a bill be passed by august. but it is possible the house could consider a bill before leaving town for the summer recess. house democratic caucus chairman john larson said he plans a meeting starting at 4:00 eastern monday to go through the health care measure section by section, according to c.q., congressman larson said the committee will stay in session as long as necessary to answer every question members have. the bill is not final yet but larson says most of the legislation is in writing and ready for members's analysis. >> sunday harvard law professor henry louis gates jr. on the african-american experience, 10:00 p.m. eastern on c-span 2's book tv. next, a discussion on a new study no exit, the expanding use of life sentences in america. it examines the disproportionate amount of

nonwhite inmates serving life sentences. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captioning copyright national cable satellite corp.2009] >> what is the sentencing policy? >> a organizationering working on criminal justice issues. >> you just put out a new report who gets life sentences in the united states. what is the genesis of this report? interested in understanding the use of life sentences. the bureau of statistics collects a lot of this data and had not collected it recently. we had known there's been a rise in the use of people being sentenced to life, even more importantly, people being sentenced to life without the option of parole. as there's greater discussion at the state and federal level about the size of the prison population, the amount of correctional budgets being dedicated to incarceration, we felt it was critically important to get a graph of the number of people serving these sentence and discuss the discuss and

implications. host: from looking at this, were the numbers a main concern or actually the people involved getting life sentence a concern? guest: i think both are a concern. anybody who studies the criminal justice system will not be surprised to know that there's racially desperate impact in life sentencing. in anything from arrests all the way through. we see these disparts so when you're talking about racial disproportions. in the numbers we have one in 11 people serving a life sentence. that's a significant number of individuals who have the possible to spend the reneighborhooder of their life so when we're talking about locking somebody up 30, 40, 50ers years, to the tune of more than $1 million a person, it's important for to us look back at this policy and ask the critical question, for what purpose are we dedicating these resourceses. host: 140,000 people? guest: 140,000 people, out of 1.4 million people in prison.

so it's a significant number of individuals serving a life sentence. when you break that down to people serving a sentence with life without parole a little over 41,000. so those are individuals who at no time will ever be released. host: 2/3 of those with life sentences are classified as non-white. 68 -- or 100 -- guest: of the 6,800 people serving life sentences are justify niles. a little more than 1,700 of those justify niles are individuals who will serve life without parole, never be released. these will people who could be sentenced to 18 and life and never get out. host: why are these people getting these type of sentences over others? guest: i think that's where we get into the important discussion. the fact of the matter is these numbers have risen significantly. part of it is the numbers. part of the fact that we've gone up from about 12,000 or so serving life sentences back in the middle 1980's to the significantly higher number of individuals that are now serving

up to 140,000. and this has not been a direct reflection of crime rate. these are decisions -- the prison population increasing is a function of two factors. one is more people going to prison. and then the second factor is people staying in f a longer period of time. the more people going to prison element has received attention within recent years. there's a lot more discussion of alternatives to incarceration, diverting the level drug offenders, to community treatment. the community courts. it's important and critical that that discussion continues happen. but at some point if we're going to talk about wrestling with the world highest rate of incarceration that we have in the united states by a long shot, then we need to also talk about sentence. what this report hopes to do is get that policy conversation going. host: what would your organization like to see -- i guess what goes into determining a sentence? guest: i think when we're sitting down and determining what an individual sentence should be, there's two things. there's the front end of what their sentence will be and the back end.

when they're released. >> think with life sentences, we don't disagree with the fact that these -- many individuals commit very serious crimes and in many cases will probably for the safety of themselves and community need to spend the balance of their life in prison when we talk about life sentenceses or particularly what we advocate for is an abolition of life without parole is notion that when somebody's sentenced 20, 25, 30 years old for a crime and they're a very different person when they're 40, 5060, those individuals should have the opportunity after the pastime to sit before a professionalized parole board, have the circumstances of their time of incarceration evaluated, program participation, how they've been behaving, and should that professionalized parole board determine at this point when this individual is in their 50's that it is appropriate to release them to the community that option should be available. that's taken away with life without parole. and what you have are individuals in many cases who are some of the most well adjusted people in prison, people who have really, truly changed, become mentors to a

younger population. these are people who could go out in the community and assist but are not permitted to because we have this blanket policy from the get-go that says once you're in, you're never getting out. host: the study of no exit, the expanding use of life sentences in america. if you want to read it, go to our c-span website. we've set up a link there from the sense toking project. but can you also ask our guest questions for the next half-hour. if you are a former inmate or family of someone currently serving a life sentence and you have experienced or have a question to have, we set up a line for you to call as well, 202-628-0184. one of the parts of the survey looks at states. most of these life sentences, some without parole, take place. as far as the high amount, alabama, california, massachusetts, nevada, new york. what's important about those

states that just identify. guest: those are states that in some cases have one in five of their prisoners serving a life sentence. we think that when you're talking about a 20% -- in the neighborhood of 15% to 20% listed serving a life sentence, that is a significant portion of the prison population. not every one of those individuals is going to spend the balance of their life in prison. those aren't all life without parole. but those are people because of what we know about the nature of parole and the political nature of parole, particularly the role that governors play in a lot of states, a life sentence even with the eligibility of parole is not necessarily going to result in a person being released from prison. in many cases we've seen governors. we talk about the report of prior governors and the current governor of california, for example, that have stepped in, had a blanket policy where they have overruled the parole board. even though the parole board has determined should be should be eligible for release, the governor stepping in from a political nature and prior governor, gray davis, said that

the only people that will be released from the life sentence will be people being released in a pine box. that type of political tough on crime rhetoric that goes on in a lot of states. so for many individuals, even when they are eligible for pa roacialg even when parole boards determine they can be released that doesn't necessarily equate to somebody being ee reese load because of the political -- being released because of the political obstacles. host: so what usually goes into that determination by these boards? what do they look at? guest: there's a whole range of factors. it's going back to what the particular crime was, the severity of it. whether it's a particularly high-profile crime, that is frequently considered in a parole board. victim's testimony, the impact of the crime on the surviving family members. and the community. and then, of course, how the person has progressed while they've been incarcerated so they have been behaving themselves, taking advantage of programming. have they taken responsibility for the act and accepted that? and wanted to move on and sort

of repented for lack of a better word? and so those are the many of the factors of parole boards. unfortunately, i would also lay in that the political element of it is there as well. when you release somebody from prison on parole, it is a major risk. whether it's somebody under a life sentence or something in for a low-level drug offense. it's major risk if that individual rio fendz if your viewers, i'm sure don't need to be reminded going back to more than 20 years ago, if the furlough situation. when somebody comes out that's a political liability for members of the parole board or for the governor and for members of the legislature if they felt the institute of policies so it is a major risk. that is a consideration that's go fog go in -- going to go in to making that decision. host: new mexico, you're first. good morning. caller: good morning. mr. king, i'd like -- it sounds like i'm speaking to united states senators this morning. my reason for calling you is because i'm concerned about mr. madoff. from the tone of your voice, it

sounds like he is going to get parole eventually in the future, i'm assuming. i just don't know. it sounds like you have a job that i'd never want to have. but do you think mr. madoff will be paroled? guest: mr. madoff's sentence is in the neighborhood of -- i don't know -- i don't remember the number of his sentence off top of my head. but i think there are a couple of factors. his advanced age plus the length of his sentence was a dig duration coupled with the fact that in the federal system there is no parole, there's not a situation where mr. madoff would be released at any time early outside of some extraordinary action. host: so even in that case you have someone of a celebrity in the sense of what he did. it doesn't matter as far as the person involved, parole or life sentences could pair out that way. what i'm trying to say is does a person's fame determine the length or the ability to get

parole? guest: not in the federal system that is life without parole. states like pennsylvania and louisiana in the federal system there is no life sentence. every life sentence is a life without parole sentence so that individual is going to serve the balance of their sentence before they will be eligible for release. and in mr. madoff's case, the sentence language escapes me at this point coupled with his advanced age. i don't think he'll be being released. host: are there states rethinking it because of the costs involved? guest: there are states certainly rethinking the use of life sentences. but i think that the conversation around correctional budgets, as i mentioned earlier, focused upon front end diversion for individuals and drug and property crimes. and i think because of the population, these are many individuals committed violent crimes. these are people who have had a significant impact on community and family. and because of the political nature of that this is an issue that i think once legislatures sit down at the table and talk about cutting costs, they're less likely to want to wrestle

with this than wanting to advance drug treatment. host: we hear from a former inmate. georgia, go ahead. caller: yes. good morning, gentleman gentlemen. i'm a former inmate, like i was telling a young lady who answered the phone. i've been out for two years. i had a drug charge. i was a business owner also. i had my own business, trucking business. i basically got locked up. and ever since it's been so so hard to find a job. and, i mean, i believe i paid my debt to society. i was locked up with a lot of guys who were violent. i was locked up with a lot of guys who actually were rehabilitating themselves like i was. i took the chance. and i took every class that i could, even though i knew how to fill out applications already. and i knew how to do a resume. a lot of guys didn't. actually helped in that form i was in there. i've been out for two years. i already know the economy is all messed up. i'm neither democrat, republican. i'm just a guy who was a

democrat who just doesn't believe in the system anymore. i believe that once you get rehabilitated, you're put in a box. and everybody just views you a certain way. and it's been very difficult, very very difficult. guest: your story, you be of unfortunate fatly -- unfortunately, is a common story. it's part of a broader set of policies. what we identify as the collateral consequences of having a felony conviction so for an individual who was incarcerated above and beyond their time that there in custody and any obligation of being under community supervision after the custody, they also have barriers to certain services, for example. so whether it's having a drug con fiction, not being able to access benefits or federal student aid, for example, not being able to vote in a number of states vague felony conviction. or the difficulty in getting a job. they're both formal and informal barriers that are in that. you have the formal barriers, certain industries where you are explicitly prohibited from

working in law enforcement, for example, if you had a felony conviction. but it's the informal, the one that you're pointing out. that's the real tragedy. which is the stigma of having the conviction. when there's a stack of resumes, particularly in a tight economy but even when the economy is plush, and there's a stack of resumes on a person's desk, they're going to sit down and that employer has the opportunity to go through each one if they can identify either through your resume cover letter or through conversation that you have a felony conviction, even if it is against the law to discriminate based on a felony conviction, the fact is it's very difficult to demonstrate. and we know time and time again from people coming out of prison, it's very difficult to lock up a job. and what's most tragic about that is the two best predictors of success of people coming out of prison and staying out are being able to get housing and being able to get a job. and unfortunately we don't have a lot of policies in place that help encourage those things so we have a recidivism rate for people who are released, to about 2/3 of individuals released from prison. they are rearrested within three

years. and about half of them end newspaper prison within about three years. i would say a significant . and i applaud you in your efforts to take a job and empathize with you greatly. . . 5twzuno carrierring0 .

officer unions and law enforcement unions lobbying for it as well. as far as the second question regarding child murderers and people convicted of rape, there's a broad range that results in life. not looking at every single case but certainly those are the types of offenses that would be eligible in many states for a life sentence. host: on our democrats line, louisiana. guest: yes, sir. y'all had a saying on statistics that 2/3 of the people serving life in prison are non-whites. well, i do research. there's a source book and federal document. that number would be right for the number of violent crimes they commit. i know they commit 62% of the aggravate add salt, 45% of rape.

and, of course, that doesn't even count the mexican population. so that 2/3 of them income jail for life sentences, they generally have committed murder, rape and robbery. so those numbers are correct. guest: one of the contributing factors to the disproportion ats in life sentence and in all incarceration is the actual crime measures, crime commission. but it's a bigger story than that. it's not simply the fact that our desperate rates of incarceration, life sentence are in religious to the crime. there are other factors that go into that. it's not purely particularly when you look at other types of crime, in particular, the reflection is much about where those law enforcement resources are directed and where those crimes are pursued so to speak. by law enforcement. those arrest rates reflect that and there are a whole host of

factors from law enforcement patterns to court case processing, pretrial detention, defense, all of these things contribute as well as crime rates to these desperate rates of incarceration that we see. host: susan on our republican line from baltimore. guest: good morning. my question, i guess, is obviously horrific crimes, when someone commits a murder or rape or whatever it is that they're doing, that the courts have determined that they need to go to jail for the rest of their lives. in the states, how many of these states have this over population? states that do not have death penalty. because, you know, some states have a death penalty, then obviously they're killing the people instead of keeping them.

i'm just curious. because everybody, they have a lot of pure rights or against death penalty. we still have to do something with the people, life without parole. how does that play into your statistics? guest: i don't know specifically overcrowding figures, weighing those over capital punishment. i think that's what you're touching upon. but can i say that the use of capital punishment is not significant enough that it would have an impact on the prison population. so, in other words, what i think you were getting at is do states that use capital punishment more frequently have a lower rate of prison overcrowding because of their use of capital punishment? that is not the case. there's no better example of that than texas, a state with significant prison overcrowding. also the nation's leader of use of capital punishment. host: from michigan, to the line we've set aside to hear from stories from former inmates. anthony. good morning.

caller: good morning. how are you doing? host: fine, anthony. it says that you, yourself, are a former inmate and that your step-mother also got life? caller: yes. we was from a little town in illinois where 14 of us indicted on drugs conspiracy. it's a small little town. and the majority of everyone pleaded guilty. but by my step-mom not pleelding guilty and taken to court, she received a life sentence. since then -- this is in 1996. the laws, like rule 32, changed that. she was sentenced under what you call ghost dope. that there was really no dope. it was just on statements what people had made. and also the law that was in effect against powder cocaine all is being reversed.

the sentencing commission said that there was really no basis for the rational -- [inaudible] because the substance was the same. even powder cocaine and crack cocaine. but now she still is in prison under this life sentence where the courts have proved that the way they sentenced back then was really unconstitutional. guest: is this -- host: he's gone. guest: i was going to ask -- he's talking about the crack and powder disparity that's in the federal system. i believe that was what the caller was referring to. and the courts, although there has been a lot of movement around -- and this is just very quickly. there are differential penalties for crack and powder cocaine based upon perceptions in the middle 1980's that one drug was

much more severe than the other, crack cocaine being moch severe than powder despite them being derived from the same sentence. they have been proven incorrect and there's an effort to reform those laws to equalize the penalty. there was a bill passed under the subcommittee in the house that would seek to do that just this past week. and there's a bill in the senate as well. but those changes have not taken effect. statutory changes have not taken effect yet. the changes by the u.s. sentencing commission, of the guidelines amended somewhat but have not reformed them entirely. host: what's the connection between those who receive life sentence on drug charges? goich well, i think ther cases r people depending on the quantity of the drug, the value, or whether there were firearms present, or repeat offenders that could trigger a life sentence. so there are situation where's there are people in the federal system and in some states who are serving a life sentence for a drug offense. host: a viewer asked or says that it would make more sense to put drug offenders in a rehab

house. at half the cost it would fix the problem. guest: that is when talking about two functions of the growth of prison system. more people coming in, staying for longer peertsz. where a lot of legislative movement in the last 10 years or so particularly as the correctional budgets place a greater burden on the states, has been around diverting low-level drug offenders. we have mountains of research now that show that rehabilitation programs and diversion are far more successful than just locking somebody up and putting them in prison for a drug offense and not actually addressing what the underlying cause of the drug abuse was. host: georgia on the democrats line. caller: yes. i just wanted to ask your guest there, and i appreciate him being on today, about if he's looked at other countries. how are they in terms of length of sentences for the same crimes, the means of incarceration? the american prisons are really -- they keep people sometimes inside a two-by-four cell for like 23 hours a day.

people can't vote for a long time. when they get out, they have a hard time finding a job. it's like we're harking back to the puritan past who people who were adulterers had to have an a. if you had did anything wrong -- it's like we had to point out the devil so we could feel successful, like we had to isolate the person who was an evil man and point to him. how do other country dozen this? guest: that's a great question. the fact is, we are from arrest through to the use of capital punishment alone in the global stage in terms of our use of the criminal justice system. so for life sentence in particular, the simplest way to put it is no country puts more people away for more types of offenses, for more time than the united states. so the notion that an individual would go away for a life without parole is generally far in what we would describe as our pure democracies.

there's really -- the fundamental difference, and this is my opinion -- this is a much debated point in the literature. but the fundamental differences is what the role of incarceration is. to what use are we using life sentence? are they for rehabilitation, for deterrence, for punishment or purely attributive? i would argue that our prison system by and large its implementation at this point in time is purely retributive. this is a tragedy. prisons back to the birth of the nation were seen as a humane alternative corporal punishment. they were supposed to be used in the rarest of cases and as i tool for rehabilitation for people who hadn't been able to respond to other community measures of dealing with deviant behavior. but now it's sort of the first response for this broad range of offense. nobody else in the world looks at prison like that. i think the model in western

europe, for example is one of rehabilitation. one of identifying the problem, dedicating the resources, and seeing it as a real tool of change. maybe the culture in the u.s. was like that in the 1950's and 1960's where there was the model and belief that we could change people. but that has largely been aabandonned to the current point. host: oklahoma city, oklahoma. reginald, good morning. guest: good morning. how are you doing? caller: i am calling in reference to my younger cousin who basically had spent time in prison. they gave him 1,600 years to life in parole for accused possession of drugs. and i was wanting to know when they say life without parole and 1,600 years for a drug offense, through my research i have never even realized people have. like jeffrey dahmer and people like that have never had extensive sentence like that. is there anything we possibly can do in the legal realm to see what we can do to actually get

that sentence reduced or anything, something like that? guest: unfortunately that would require the assistance of an attorney to sit and look at the actual case files. that's something that i can't do remotely. i apologize. host: one more call from columbus, georgia. we hear from william, according to the information we got, he received two life sentences. caller: yes, sir. host: go ahead, sir. caller: i don't know what the public actually thinks or doesn't think. i'm not a scholar. but i'm one of the people who received two life sentences at 17 years old. i went in and got a high school diploma, college diploma. they make you go through a ton of counseling. they don't train you or teach you for real world when you get out. thank god i've never had a problem since i came home. but you can't get jobs. you can't get a respectable job.

like you said, if they read a resume it doesn't matter. people just look at it and no thank you. . host: how was reprocess of getting paroled. to what was that like? caller: skerries moment of my life. your evaluated come on your counselor's have to recommend you even to be paroled. there is a group of counselors and when you come close to your time, a year before, you are putting counseling to see if you are -- if, in fact, you deserve parole. it is a hit and miss. it really is. guest: how long have you been

out? çcaller: went in in 1978 and i got in 1990. guest: congratulations. caller: i never got a speeding ticket. i am married, children. but then again, i did have cancer when i made parole. guest: was that a contributing factor? caller: it makes you wonder. what i still be there, not still be there? i know a lot of people that never made it out. i'm sitting here talking on the telephone shaking. it is not something that you advertise in your life, but you try to vote, you try to live a normal life, there is no normal life after prison, especially with a life sentence. host: will have to leave it there, but thanks for your input. guest: thank you for calling in sharing your story. sharing the stores is the only

way we can ever let people know his case is a perfect example of why we're talking about parole need to be an option. -- needing to be an option. that is a factor in too many states at this point. what we are talking about is having a policy in place where individuals like william will have a fair shake before a parole board. host: we have one more call left, danbury conn., democrats line. veronica, go ahead. caller: hello, good morning, gentlemen. hello? host: go ahead,. -- go ahead, you'll have to turn your tv down, but go ahead and make your statement. caller: can you hear me now?

host: host: yes, go ahead caller: can you hear me now? host: chronic a, you are hearing yourself through the tv. just go ahead. caller: son has been sentenced to 40 years. and he was involved in a crime. it smelled a lot of crooked politicians, police and everything. i did not have money proper defense and he had a public defender. is there anything i can do? he has gotten 40 years for manslaughter and the people that he was involved with relatives and everything and they turned state witnesses against him in this case. i'm just trying to find out if there is anything that can be done. key will probably be like 50

when he gets out. -- he will probably be like 50 when he gets out. guest: i am sorry to hear the story of your son. fortunately, that is a situation where you need an attorney to sit down and look at case files to see if there's a valid point of an appeal. it is not something i can answer sirte. host: when you put these types of surveys out, who do you hope to reach? guest: everyone from the president to people sitting down and watching the show and the general public. our goal is to get a recognition that there is too many people and president -- prison. we want to begin a, versus -- we want to began his conversation.

-- we want to begin a conversation. host: this report is weak to our website. -- brian king is a co analyst -- a co-author of the report. >> on sundays "washington journal" political strategist kevin madden and steve mcnair on the news of the week and what is ahead in politics. then georgia representative tom price on health care and the u.s. economy. after that, and economic -- after that, an economics writer talks about the economic outlook. "washington journal" live sunday at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> on news makers this week, house democratic whip james

clybourn discusses the politics behind the health care debate and whether the president of the right approach on the health çcare -- on health care. good i think he did the right thing in saying to congress, you work your will. here is a place holder, i think around $634 billion, a place holder. you will flush this out. that is recognizing the role of the congress. a lot of people said he can do more. maybe it would. i am very pleased with what he has done. and i think that so much of what the problem is has got to do with the regional differences that we have within our caucus. you've got a caucus where the southeast and the northwest are pretty much on the same page when it comes to reimburse their rates. and you have other people who are doing pretty good and they are not too sure that they want

to have any changes because they feel that you may bring our rates down and bring other rates up. the question is, how you determine what the rate card? i do not think you can get that kind of result from the president. that has got to be done by those people elected in those congressional districts. we're the ones that have got to flesh that out. >> in to the entire interview sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. here is our schedule. next, remarks from the red cross' ceo on the challenges her organization faces during the current economic recession. after that, friends and colleagues paid tribute to walter cronkite. and later, another chance to see

a discussion on the new study that examined the disproportionate amount of non- white inmates serving life sentences. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> q&a sunday, susan jacoby on the public's ongoing as -- fascination with the trial of alberta this. -- a alger hiss. >> next kaman remarks from the ceo of the red cross. she spoke earlier this week about the challenges her organization faces during the current economic recession. from the national press club, this is an hour.

>> i was hoping to join a common -- a little over a year ago when i joined the red cross, i was hoping to join an organization that would present a challenge. and let me tell you, i have been challenged. [laughter] 8 hurricanes and tropical storms right after i joined. a record tornado season, the worst wildfires in california's history, the worst flooding in the midwest in 15 years. we also had an operating deficit of two under $9 million and a mandate from the board of governors that we would have eliminated in just two years. last but not least, i join the red cross to travel before our country went into a major recession, which is causing more and more people to seek help for nonprofits at a time when it is more and more difficult to raise funds.

please do not get me wrong, i am not complaining. [laughter] olli i have the best job in the world and i am humbled by it. i pinch myself every day because i cannot believe i am part of this remarkable institution. and let's face it, the red cross is not alone in this. these are challenging times for the entire country and for all of america's nonprofits. giving usa, which is a philanthropy research organization, reports that donations to nonprofits in general are down 5.70% in 2008. that is the biggest decline in more than 50 years and is down by $6 billion in -- over 2007. corporate donations are down by 8% individual giving is down by 6.3%. the chronicle of " -- of

philanthropy report of last month that the problem is only getting worse in 2009. these are certainly interesting times in which we live. a few months ago, but "washington postç" asked a grop of economists, politicians, labor leaders, ceos, head of nonprofits to share suggestions for books that would be relevant for their readers to read in these interesting times. when i was asked this question, i thought about it for awhile and at first i give consideration to the usual suspects, business books, philosophy books, history books and the like. i ended up suggesting two classics by lewis carroll. the first was an open " alice's adventures in one in -- in wonderland" and the second was "through the looking glass. and then the first, -- and in the first, she was in a world

where your sense of reality completely fails and nonsense becomes the norm. and in "through the looking glass" she finds herself in a place where she has to go in the opposite direction in order to get anywhere. this is why i picked those books. in these times, it is often wise to consider going the opposite direction from the rest of the herd. and as strange as this world has become, sometimes falling down the rabbit hole can bring you a strange and unexpected delight. and as with the economy, sometimes you just have to go with the force of gravity. the fact is that this economy is certainly presenting many challenges for nonprofits. but is also providing the impetus for the american red cross and other nonprofits to make needed and, in some cases, overdue changes. simply put, there is a greater acceptance to change in the middle of a crisis and when the economy is roaring, problems can

be glossed over. prosperity can actually cover a multitude of sins. we need to leverage the economy and a force of gravity to be able to affect change. let me suggest five ways that can help nonprofit successfully navigate these turbulent waters. first, have a mano-maniacal focus on your mission and the people that you serve. more and more people are hurting because of the economy and they have put their trust in the american red cross to be there in times of emergency, to be there in times of need. many people think about us during catastrophic disasters or when they need blood or, perhaps, when they are donating blood. but consider this, 200 times a day american red cross volunteers help a family who has lost everything in either a house fire or another disaster.

475 times a day the red cross connects men and women who served in the armed forces to their families. 21,000 times a day someone receives a blood transfusion from a red cross donor. in fact mother national press club does blood drives -- in fact, the national press club does both drives here and we're very appreciative for that. 290,000 times a day a child receives a measles vaccine from the red cross or one of its partners and the last time it -- and in less time than it took me to make that statement, 150 different lives reader served or touched by the american red cross. -- were either serve or touched by the american red cross. when i think of the people in the armed forces who we lift, when i think of the remarkable act of our donors to actually open up their gains to give the gift of blood, when i think of

the millions of people that we train to save lives and when i think of the people that we help in their darkest hours when they have lost everything and they are turning to us for the basic need of food and shelter, i am absolutely awestruck by the responsibility that we have to our citizens and to our country. despite growing storms -- storms and tornadoes -- despite growing bills from the storms and tornadoes and floods and fires we did not walk away. the red cross will not pack up and go home if there is even one person left in our shelters. the country depends on us looking at everything that we do and every dime that we spend and to eliminate all the string is

activities that do not support the people that we serve. that brings me second key to successfully navigating through these rough waters. we must be even better stewards of our donors dollars. we have to be relentless in demonstrating that their hard earned money is being well spent. since the owners are finding it harder and harder to give, we have to show them that we are çbeing as efficient as humanly possible. we are very proud of the fact that 90 cents of every dollar goes to the people that we serve, but we have to find even more ways to be smarter in how we run the organization. this has been one of my main areas of focus. we have 33,000 employees. we have 722 local chapters. we have 36 blood services regions and we have over 500,000 volunteers. we have to streamline our services.

we are consolidating our chapters back off of operations. we're sharing best practices and promoting teamwork. our thinking behind is -- these changes is very simple. we cannot do the same thing at 722 different ways. our local chapters are absolutely the heart and soul of the american red cross. it is a grassroots organization and we need to free up those chapters of that they can focus on the mission and avoid having each local leader focus on things like finance, payroll, and accounting systems. we are also reducing expenses in a variety of other ways to adjust the $209 million deficit that i mentioned. we are reducing travel expenses, telecom expenses, vendor costs. we are even renting out floors from our headquarters building. we had to lay off over 1000 people at headquarters, and

over 350 people in the field. it has no impact on -- on our mission or the people that we serve. i know, given this economy, that all of you are hearings stories like this. you are used to hearing about cost cuts -- cost-cutting end headcount reductions. but pause for a second and consider the implications of this in the nonprofit world. and please join nonprofits because they -- employees join nonprofits because they are drawn to the mission, they want to give back. in short, their humanitarian spirit -- they are humanitarians. imagine how difficult it is to see them lose their job. this was extremely difficult for us and it was my fervent hope that we would not need to make this kind -- that we will not need to make these kind of cut again. we have had to make decisions

that have caused every employee to have to make sacrifices, suspending or 401k match. closing of our pension plans to any employees that join the red cross after july 1. and you know what, have not heard a single complaint. employees have actually reach out to thank me. people would rather sacrifice a pay increase and see a colleague lose their job. this is just one of those unexpected surprises that come from falling down the rubble, i suppose -- down the rabbit hole, i suppose. we drove down the $209 million deficit to $50 million in just one year. that is an extraordinary achievement. it is actually $86 million better than where we thought we would be at this point and we are working very hard to try to balance the rest of the budget for next year.

that actually brings me to the third key factor. nonprofits how to find new ways to raise money and to engage their dollars. we have been working very hard just to do that at the american red cross. in september at the heart of hurricane season, we launched a $100 million campaign to replenish our repeated disaster relief fund. this was a serpent -- this was certainly an audacious goal considering the fund was actually empty when we started. in just nine months, we surpassed that goal. i am delighted to report that we raised $95 million in cash and $15 million in in-kind donation and the most challenging time in over a quarter of a century. how do we do that? the field is using state

coordinators of they can share best practices around the country. we're using blue state digital, and that is the digital media agency that worked to raise funds for the obama campaign in order to make a stronger push on line. we were able to raise $1 million on line with blue state digital in just three weeks and the average donation sites was less than $100 apiece. we're using grass-roots techniqums- like the national day of giving, during which we send all the chapters out into the streets to start raising funds. and they did everything from bake sales to public service announcements and local athletic events. on that day alone we raised $850,000. in other words, we used a combination of tactics from good old-fashioned community rout reach into digital media. we learned the key is to set your sights very high and dry lot of different approaches.

we are thankful for every single dollar that was donated and sorely needed to assist the victims of the disasters of 2008. the generosity of the american public never ceases to amaze me. i also have to thank the members of congress, who allocated up to $100 million to the red cross to cover the unusually heavy costs that we incurred in 2008. we are not a government agency and our funding comes from private donations. but in this crazy year, we needed help from our government and we are grateful for their response. we are heading into this next fix it -- this next fiscal year with limited funds, but we are absolutely in much better shape than we were at this time last year. we are now raising money to respond to the disasters in the months ahead. our goal is not just raise money episodic the during a rare -- during a disaster, but to make

sure that we have the funds before disaster strikes. we respond to 70,000 disasters a year and we spend on average $500 million annually to do so. by the way, the national weather service is predicting a normal hurricane season. that means there will be four to seven hurricanes and one to three of them will be major ones. regarding major disasters, a big lesson that we learned during katrina was that building relationships with other non profits within the community is absolutely essential to help people in need. we built relationships with local churches, synagogues, mosques, other agencies like the naacp, southern army, southern baptist convention, charities.

our model is to be inclusive and diverse. it really does take an entire community to be able to respond to a major disaster. we need the support of our partners and the american public now more than ever. our daughters are telling us that it is harder and harder to give right now, but they are also telling us that it feels better than ever. the fourth way for nonprofits to survive in these turbulent times is to embrace new tools. the disaster victims, volunteers, financial and blood donors want information quickly and they rely on new forms of communications in order to get it. the nightly news and newspapers are obviously very important part of communications, but more and more people of all ages are getting immediate information from the web and from their phone. nonprofits have to embrace these

five forms of media. -- of these new forms of media. this probably seems like an obvious set of statements that i just made. but again, pause for a moment. and we are 128-year-old institution, so do not underestimate the massive change in the mindset that this requires. we are not google. we are not at all. -- apple. but we are realizing that it is essential to embrace technology. we are tweaking. i am personally blogging caridad these tools can pick -- can carry multiple messages constituents, but more broadly it can connect constituents together. when i got my m.b.a., i was taught in marketing that there are two different kinds of models, business to business

communications and business to consumer communications. while i was teaching in harvard, i realized that the most important is a consumer to consumer. consumers trust each other. you probably get on the web before you buy a book, go to a movie, go to restaurants. consumers want to talk behind the institutions back. they want to talk about our brand and we have to facilitate that conversation. i mentioned earlier that the state digital to help us raise $1 million online. they have also helped us to connebd our daughters and our volunteers together. they helped us do an essay contest where you could actually, right in 75 words or less why you love the american red cross and a posted those so others could enjoy them. they also helped our donors match gifts from other donors. they helped us all over facebook. there was a mad, viral frenzy when target of $3 million and

said we're going to, give this out proportionally by votes to these 10 charities and everyone was clicking like crazy. we got $794,000, 26.6% of the votes all because of the communications. it was amazing. we have also sent e-mails with tips to first -- to prevent the spread of the h1n1 virus. we had announcements with heidi klum, the runway model, and the second baseman with the new york ranks -yankees. these activities have brought us 9000 new donors. 6% of them committed to a sustainable giving, meaning they were giving at least $20 at least each and every month. but despite these challenges, a 128-year-old institution can participate in the digital age.

this brings into the final success factor in these times. keep looking to the horizon. cost consciousness is a critical element for nonprofits, but it is just going to take you so far. we also need to ensure that we look toward the future to stay relevant and to grow. i recently met with the senior leaders of our chapters across the country and we conducted a series of brainstorming exercises. i provided the group with a picture of what i thought the world might like in the year 2020. now, i tend to be an optimist, so my 20 -- my 2020 vision is extremely rosy. i painted a picture where america is embracing diversity, where most schools and businesses has a requirement that their students and employees volunteer. but detroit develops a smoke and

hot electric car that takes the world by storm, that jobs are created in the alternate energy sector and hundreds and hundreds of people are finding work because of it, the dow is at 17,000 -- [laughter] it is possible. anyway, you get my drift. i asked the groups to generate ideas that would help the american red cross grow and prosper during this kind of time and the ideas they came up with more creative, wild, wacky, and the truly showed the out of the box thinking. the exercise has me thinking of quitting my own future is group composed of volunteers will help us keep our eye on the horizon. you can easily imagine a world where the obama administration is united we serve initiative is the beginning of a whole new era of volunteerism and service. where the culture of service

extends from the retired baby boomer to tomorrow's teamens the power of it is incredible. you can change lives starting with your own. as ralph waldo emerson once said, "is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can help another without helping himself. in the last year, i have seen examples after example of that with the american red cross. i go to a lot of blood collection sites. i know women who did it but because she has a 3-year-old child with leukemia and she gets a lot of blood transfusions. i met a man who was best friend was in a car accident and he had 12 blood transfusions and this is the way he gives back. i actually met a man in his sixties who had donated 49 gallons of blood. and when i asked him why he would do such a thing, he said,

because i love the american red cross and it is the right thing to do. i met a mother who thank the need for helping -- before -- to thanked me for how the red cross helped her son in afghanistan. i was told that one in five people in the united states have been touched by the american red cross. i asked the store manager at wal-mart, stand up if you have donated blood and raise a hand if you have had cpr training and raise a hand if you have hadç lifeguard training. when i was done, as far as the eye can see, thousands of people in the audience were standing with both arms up in the air. it literally took my breath away. i also have to tell you that i had the privilege of being with

our volunteers, ike and christoff. -- gustav. four hours, i was ladling out chili for people in the committee after they have lost -- in the community after they have lost everything i went straight from the airplane still in my red cross t-shirt and i have to tell you, i smelled. i smelled from chile, from perspiration. i was afraid they were going to have to evacuate the plane as i was walking down the aisle. and they did not evacuate the plane. people were touching my arms because they could see my t- shirt and they were thankin g me for helping them in the state of texas. i have never felt that proud of being part of an institution in mind the entire life -- in my

entire life. these are extraordinarily difficult times for nonprofits, for businesses, and for families across the nation, but i believe if we focus on our mission, if we're outstanding source of r doniger dollars, if we leverage new tools and seek for ways to engage new donors and keep our eyes on the horizon, we will weather the storm. the country needs as more than ever when times are rough and that is what we are at our best. thank you. [applause] >> we have got a big pile of questions here, so we will get started with those. do you expect non-profit donations to pick up as soon as the u.s. economy does, or will

americans be accustomed to giving less? >> as i said, i am so taken aback by the generosity of the american public and when nonprofits seek their help, they tend to be right there to help. i believe that when the economy bounces back that people will reach into their hearts and their wallets and even their veins and continue to help nonprofits serve the rest of the country. >> given all leadership told at the red cross recently, why should i choose you to receive my charitable dollars? gregg's i'm going to twist the question around and answer the following, which i get all the time, which is, are you planning on being there for a while? which i think is really the crux of your question. i think they're going to have to drag me out of the american red cross. i, too, have fallen in love. you will find my fingernails the scratched across the desk when

they finally pulled me out. i have one employee say to me, you're going to be here a long time? and i said, i intend to. and she said, for 25 years? and i said, i will be 81 then, and i doubt i will be here then, but i'm hoping that with this data this team that we have throughout the entire organization, the passion and commitment t, and that the toll will have stopped and will be the charity of choice for people to give their dollars. >> what steps are you taking to regain public trust? gregg's i feel the best way to regain public trust is direction. you mentioned in your opening remarks that we performed well in august ogustav and i. we serve 8 million meals in just 60 days.

and the press did not make a peep because we were really there and we did the right things. we did this despite accelerating costs and i think that is the way you gain the trust of the american public, by serving the mission, by no missteps. that is the way people begin to address the american red cross -- to trust the american red cross brand. >> did that explain the uptick in donations? >> i certainly think it did. it was extraordinary that we were able to reduce our deficit so much in just nine months. it was one of the crazy things i've ever doneç starting a campaign with $0 starting out. as i said, the public-interest -- the public came through for us and the gifts were amazing. >> you think that president

obama's focus on volunteering will translate into more donations for charities? >> i think it will translate not only into more donations, but more volunteers. we have over 500,000 volunteers of the american red cross and we do what we do so well because of the volunteer force. i am optimistic that it will translate into additional donations, but i am also optimistic that it will translate into more volunteers. >> what are blood donations like as up compared to monetary donations? >> meaning, what is it like to donate blood? [laughter] those are incredibly valued as well. we provide 43% of the nation's blood supply and it is a very important element of our mission. when people donate blood, it is

an amazing gift and we estimate that for every single unit of blood that is donated, it can save up to three lives. it is a very important piece of our mission and something we would like our people to participate in all of the country. >> you are speaking to a review -- a roomful of reporters on deadline and somebody in the audience asks, has the red cross ever thought about ways to speed up the -- the blood donation process as a way to entice potential busy blood donors? >> part of the blood donation process is the filling out of the patient history form and that is the key to making sure that our blood supply is safe. we asked a lot of questions and each and every question is there for a reason. we do so to make sure that the blood that we provide hospitals for their lifesaving mission is absolutely safe. that are probably will not be

shortened. the technology is there to maybe to extract the blood quicker, but if you make an appointment when you go to a blood drive, it will cut some time down and our goal is to get people in and out as quickly as possible. >> just as long as you do not eliminate the cookie portion. [laughter] what have you done to fix the problems in managing blood donation, storage, and distribution that resulted in the fine? >> we are spending an incredible amount of time ensuring that our blood products are safe. over the last 18 months we have consolidated testing and manufacturing, we have seen a 33% decrease in problems and 51% decrease in problems that are severe. but we are spending a lot of calories to ensure that the blood supply is safe.

>> he came from a background in corporate america, how you approach managing a nonprofit different than in the corporate sector? >> i do come from corporate america. i also have a lot of experience and -- in a letter. i was on the board of the children's hospital and also john tompkins university. i would describe beating in a nonprofit -- a leading in a non- profit and are meant as very similar to business. you want to make sure you set goals and have ways to measure them. you want to make sure that people understand what is expected of them, so they understand the mission and what you are trying to accomplish. the difference is that the american red cross has heart. it has an incredible amount of heart and that passion and that commitment coupled with the talent really makes it a pleasure to read in a nonprofit space.

i said this is the best job i have ever had and i feel in a lot of ways i have been training to do this my entire life. >> now that you are on another side, what is that the -- what is it that corporate america could learn from a non-profit? >> that is a great question. i'm going to repeat my answer, but in reverse order. i believe that all human beings want to be part of something that is bigger than themselves. every institution actually has a higher purpose. you have to seek it. my advice to the corporate sector is to ensure that the employees understand their higher purpose, understand how they fit in the lead with a little bit of heart as well. -- and that they leadç with a little better part -- a little bit of heart as well. >> can you describe the border

directors? >> i have a dream team of -- on our board of governors. they made some very difficult decisions that cause them to shrink the size of the board. our board of governors are smart. erased fabulous sounding board. i am on the phone -- but they are a fabulous sounding board. i am on the phone with them regularly. we have businesse owners, philanthropists. our chair is phenomenal. ishe is just amazing. >> how much of the red cross' deficit is related to the economy and how much is related to other factors, such as management deficiencies? >> the $209 million that i described when i first came to the american red cross consisted

-- existed before the economy went into a recession. i would say that a lot of it was a big insurer, as i said earlier, that everything -- that we look at everything we did through the lens of our mission and remove any extraneous activities. i would say the $50 million that we are now having as our gap, that is largely due to the economy. and we are assuming that donations will be down somewhat and that is very much baked into our activities. it is impacting us as you would suspect, but the last dollars are the hardest to find, but we are bound and determined to have a balanced budget in fiscal year 2010. >> you, like other nonprofits have had to scramble for voluntary donations. how about the volunteers? do you have a shortage, a

surplus? tell us about their quality. >> we have the most remarkable volunteers. having spent a lot of time with them, they are truly extraordinary. all of our local chapter boards are all volunteers. the people that served in ike and gustav came from 40 different states and dropped everything to help in that disaster. we can always use more volunteers. the country can always use more people that are stepping up to serve. our volunteers come from every walk of life, from every age, from every demographic, from every educational background. they are a pleasure to work with and i would encourage anyone that wants to give back to consider doing so with the american red cross. >> how are your numbers? do you have a shortage or a surplus? >> right now, we have what we need, however, we can put anyone to work that wants to volunteer.

[laughter] we are very serious about that. we're prepared for this, of coming hurricane season and reflect we are going to be in very good shape, but having said that, we would like everyone to be part of the american red cross family and we will put everyone to work, whether it is an hour, or three weeks in a disaster. we welcome as many volunteers as possible, but we do feel that we're going into this hurricane season very well-prepared. >> are there particular skills or people who speak particular languages that you are most in need of? >> we welcome diversity and that is very important as regard to various communities. if you have a hard, if you want to help, if you can give back, if you have a shoulder to cry on, if you can get a hug, then you can be a volunteer for the american red cross.

>> what percentage of your nations are small vs. large? what is the average donation size? >> when it comes to individual giving, the average donation size is probably about $200 or $300, but a large number of our guests come from big donors, big -- of our gifts come from big donors, big corporations. when i look at those kids, they range from $250,000 up to the wal-mart give, which was $5 million. it depends on which segment of the market you are looking at. >> the essence of marketing, someone in our audience asks, is consumer to consumer. how you utilize that in marketing the red cross? >> whoever has it -- as the çquestion, i could not agree more. people who do not facilitate that conversation are atk