medicaid is the same. if you talk to any governor and ask what will happen if they upped the eligibility for medicaid, it will break them. we on the social security will run out of money. those points are well-taken. we have three giant social safety nets which work well. but something must be done about them. instead of writing of big, brand new social program that will be unsustainable itself. host: that concludes our show today. we will be back tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. have a great day. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] . .

! >> the journalists were released yesterday. this happened within the hour. >> please help me welcome them home. [applause]

>> of former president bill clinton speaking with the family and friends of the two returning and journalists of current tv. you saw al gore there, as well. john podesta accompanied mr. clinton on the trip. we'll show you all of this later on the c-span networks. it happened about an hour or so

ago from burbank. we'll take you over to northern virginia and our coverage of a conference. we will hear from tony perkins, the president of the family research council. he will talk about family and faith. the group will also hear from herman cain of godfather's pizza. live coverage from northern virginia here on c-span. >> good morning. i am an intern scholar here at the young america foundation, a leading organization on college campuses. if you would like to take advantage of the resources or campus activism, such as booking speakers were getting materials for events, please contact us by phone or online at our website,

www.yaf.org. our next speaker is president of the washington d.c.-based research council which leads the way in defending the judeo- christian values upon which our nation was built. he served in the louisiana state legislature as recognized as a pioneer by offering many measures. he hosts a national radio program called "washington watched weekly." his first book was released just last year. copies will be available of this book for purchase and signing after his talk. a veteran of the u.s. marine

corps and a former police officer and tv news reporter, he brings a unique blend of experience and leadership to the pro-family movement. please welcome mr. tony perkins. [applause] >> good morning. it is good to see a friendly crowd here in d.c. for a change. do not take what blair said too seriously. it sounds from my bio that i cannot hold a job. i've been with my current job for six years. i ran for the united states senate about seven years ago. my family and i traveled the state of louisiana for about six months and visited all kinds of places. it renews your hope in the

people as you begin to talk to people and understand their hopes and aspirations and their desires for changing the community and the country. we had a great time. i enjoyed it thoroughly up until election night. on the heels of that, i was recruited to run for commissioner. i was a reform candidate and was favored to win that race. i had a pretty good chance of winning. then i was recruited to come here to washington. i had to make a tough decision on what to do. i decide to analyze the situation. i took a sheet of paper and drew a line down the middle. i looks at the time that the family research council and

their 20-year history. i looked at the three previous occupants in the presidency. kerrey ran for presidency earlier. -- gary ran for the presidency. i looked at the three previous occupants and all three of them had gone to jail. so i showed my wife and said, honey, what you think? she said, you do not look too good in stripes. we decided to come to washington because we had an opportunity to deal with issues that are of significance and great importance to our country. i encourage and applaud you the fact that you are here and that you remain and increase your involvement. i was fairly young wife first ran for office.

unlike you, i was not involved in the political realm. i was doing enough to pay the tuition. it was all i could handle at the time. it was when i realized things were not going to when they showed that i needed to get involved. i remember my first campaign. has anyone in here run for public office? a couple. great. it is tough work. it is fun, but it is tough. it is challenging. especially in an environment where people are distrustful of government. you would appreciate this in the month of august when campaigns get their zenith. it is hot and humid. i was campaigning one day. we have these afternoon rain showers. i had gotten caught in one of

these rain showers. i was probably not looking at my best. i went to a door and knocked. the woman looked at the picture and she looked back at me and said, that picture is sure flatters you. so you have to roll with the punches. if we were to take a picture of america today, the picture may not be too flattering. but maybe it is a picture of just this moment in time. i think you are part of painting what the future picture of america looks like. it is really in encouraging and hardening to see so many young men and women coming to washington to embrace the value of faith and freedom. congress is at of town. i am wondering if we could make this trade permanent. i want to have a frank

conversation this morning. i think it is time that we speak frankly. i may say some things that are controversial. i make no apologies. you are here i suspect not because you hear -- you care about an issue or two or you love this country. but because you know that you are heirs to a great tradition, a legacy. it was captured in the run for office made by the most consequential president of the 20th century, ronald reagan. ronald reagan announced he would build his campaign on five pillars -- work, family, neighborhood, peace, and freedom. it is easy to forget after the legacy was built, revitalizing our economy and putting

communism to the ash heap of history, he dedicated himself to what some consider to be local or social issues. ronald reagan did not see it that way. he dedicated himself to the propositions and he began his campaign not at the defense place but in the south bronx, a community where pope was dim -- we're hohere hope was dim. ronald reagan dedicated himself to an even deeper proposition, one that is summarized in the phrase he took from governor william bradford, a vision that predates our founding and inspired our founders. the vision of america as a

shining city on a hill. it -- is the acceptance speech in detroit in the hot summer of 1980, a speech delivered in the time in nearly as economically fragile as ours today, ronald reagan called on his heroes to pray for the future, pray for our nation, and for the monumental challenges ahead of us. how large were those tasks? mortgage interest rates were in double digits. general interest rates of 20%. the embassy in iran. hostages had been taken and held for over 400 days. a deteriorating family structure. military service -- president carter proclaiming that the coming century and a new era of

limits in scarcity. in many ways, the challenges we face today pale in comparison. we did not just face sagging car sales of them. we faced a growing belief that the american spirit itself was sagging and could not recover. ronald reagan challenged the doomsayers. on the right as well as on left. they said america's best days were behind her. one by one, he faced the challenges of his time, the challenges of every time. he restored america's faith. he was right when he said, you ain't seen nothing yet. the doomsayers today are claiming we're facing a new era of limits. our population has grown too high. we have to cut growth.

they ignore the history of the last century. this see our government -- they see our nation as a negative force in the world. elected officials are going on apology towards all over the world. literally on the backs of babies born today who will be handed the bills and the iu used. they think that is the way forward. -- the bills and the i know yo'. when the treasury secretary blurts out the tax hikes may be coming for middle income americans, he or she gets a presidential smacked down whose insincerity would make the world wrestling federation proud. [applause]

you are here today because you know that we are not a nation of doomsayers. we are not a nation that is destined to the past. but yet, we are a nation whose future is bright as those who can dream about tomorrow. you hold the key to what america looks like. it is a picture that only you, your generation can be. we were not born to crouch and flinch before the opportunities before us by virtue of living in this nation. we are blessed to have the opportunities to shape our future. not everybody in the world can claim that. as americans, we have that ability.

you are neither dividers or young people willing to be divided. there are calls in some quarters that the core principles of reagan's conservatism be abandoned. usually the appeal is to lower our forces -- lower our voices on issues like abortion or marriage. sometimes it is the call to abandon ideas like missile defense. this dominated cold war ideology. or the call to retreat from the world stage and to no longer make the promotion of the republican form of government a key part of that. i believe if he were alive today, ronald reagan, who was the commander in chief when i enlisted in the united states marine corps, who brought back a sense of worth to this nation,

who made the men and women who wore the uniform of this nation proud to serve, willing to give their lives. i believe that if he were alive today, he would not be succumbing to these causes. economic freedom and social values. they represent the essentials of a conservative resurgence. ronald reagan showed us the way to build a winning coalition in the 1980's. i believe his model still applies today. at the end of his presidency, a few days before he left office, "ronald but reagan said his greatest regret was that he was unable to do more as president to protect the lives of the unborn, and that america would

be completely civilized as long as abortion on demand was legal." [applause] today, but my friends, future leaders of this nation, i urge you to stand strong with a vision of ronald reagan. the resolute in your convictions. -- be resolute in your convictions. if you are the only one standing, i assure you you will not be the only one for long. people will stand and speak out of conviction. there will soon be a crowd to echo your call. you are for liberty. you're not a pacifist.

you are for peace through strength. you are not laissez-faire economists. your for allowing men and women to dream, to invent, to profit, and to invest in keeping our community strong and our nation prosperous. your compassionate people -- you are compassionate people. you cherish human life. you recognize families as the fundamental unit of life. it is -- that is the legacy that you inherit. on a warm, autumn day in the fall of 1999 on the campus not too far from here at st. john's college, the nation's third oldest college, a 400-year-old popular tree was cut down.

this tree had succumbed to years of disease and decay and had dealt -- had been dealt a final blow. experts who had examined the tree declared that it was in danger of collapsing, proposed -- said it posed a safety hazard for those who walked on the campus. this was not just any old tree. it was a significant tree. in fact, it was the last of the liberty trees. the trees under which the sons of liberties and the patriots gathered. there was a treat like this in boston. -- there was a tree like this in boston. on that autumn day as this tree was cut down, a bell tolled 13

times, one fce for each of the 3 original colonies. the men and women had to establish this nation, this tree became an object of the past. i read that article on the morning after it occurred. while it was symbolic, but also saw it as a warning. our liberty granted to us and secured by those who love gone before us must not be taken for granted. it must be protected and nurtured by each succeeding generation. i questions and night -- my question and my challenge to you this morning -- will you take up this challenge? will you protect and nurture the

liberty that has been given to you by those who have gone before you? not just because of this will honor a tradition or even carry the hope of extending the legacy of ronald reagan, all of that which is noble. but because it provides future progress for america and will help unify nations across lines of history, ethnicity, and culture. that is your challenge, as the next generation. to on the blast -- to unapologetically stand for conservatism. that means defending faith, family, and freedom in this nation. i have interacted with many young people across this nation, rising leaders, and i will tell you that i have great hope for

the future of this country. you represent that picture of what tomorrow looks like. i hope that when i look back in my golden years, the picture is one of great hope that will challenge future generations. may god bless each and everyone of you, and may rise to the challenge that is before you. [applause] thank you. i am just about finished with the 12-step recovery process for recovering politicians. i did not take all of my time. i'll be happy and excited to take your questions.

i did not tell you you would have a microphone. i said you could ask questions. >> i have seen you on tv and as a proud catholic, i respect you and pray for you and my family does. i think that is important. i am a proud catholic who wants to make a difference in the world. i know a lot of my friends want to make a difference. a lot of us are torn on whether we should run for office or seek fame -- help other people in the private sector or go into charity work. my question is, what do you think the process is besides prayer? what advice do you have for us?

>> i would say d, all of the above. i do not think they are exclusive. i should mention my background. i have served in the military, and marine corps. i served as a police officer. i served in public office. i have been working at a public shelter for 20 years. i have worked at an orphanage where there are children who have died from aids. those things are not mutually exclusive. i write about this in our book. i think we have allowed the media and others to define what conservatism is and that somehow conservatives are only about public policy of restricting liberties. we are about encouraging the formation of those liberties and being involved.

we are working on a project to show the toll dimension of our faith. we have come to a point where i want to help people. i want to serve in shaping the next generation. do 1/2 to choose that? i did not think we have to choose. i think we can roll them all into one. >> do you think as conservatives we should stop looking for the next obama and start looking at ourselves? >> that is an excellent question. i agree wholeheartedly. we need leadership. i look across this room and i see leaders here in this room. i would say the question has been asked about social conservative movement that a lot of the elders that have retired

and who will replace them? i did not think you'll have one or two people. there is a whole host of people that are taking responsibility in the age of the web. i encourage, right where you are, use the influence you have to in it -- to move forward those ideas of conservatism. you can influence people in that realm. >> god bless you. thank you. >> my name is melissa harrison. i ever from a louisiana. >> welcome to washington. i will be in lafayette in the not too distant purchase -- in the not too distant future. >> my question is, from your experience in working in

politics, considering the current cap and trade bill, how do you think it will affect our oil-driven economy in louisiana and southern parishes? >> that is a good question, one we should be asking, not just how it will affect those in our states about being dependent on energy, but all of us. i am an outdoorsman. i was on a river in tennessee this week and rafting with my family. i loved tennessee. i have five children, so i am pro life. i have the evidence. i take it with me wherever i go. my oldest is 18. my youngest is 20 months. we love the river. they want to put us in the context of we want to pollute the environment.

i flew over the glaciers recently. i am along the lines of the teddy roosevelt. i believe we have a responsibility to protect our natural resources for future generations that cannot walk and drink water as i did as a kid. i think every generation should be able to do that. but i do not think that those ideas of protecting the environment and creating affordable energy are mutually exclusive. we have been given these resources by god of energy, coal, oil, and we have the technology to use these things in a responsible manner. i think the capital and trade bill is a disaster on many fronts. i think it will drive up energy prices in this country.

it will transfer at least 2.5 million jobs outside of the united states. it is an international welfare program by which we will force businesses here to buy these exchanges for pollution rights from developing countries. it is a bad policy. i am optimistic that there is a little more chance that this will be defeated in the senate and that it will not become law. but we cannot rest on that. it is important that those of you speak out on this issue and let your congressmen and congresswomen and senators know where you stand on this issue. >> are you going to lafayette for leisure? >> i was thinking lafayette. i'm going to be in a different city. i am going for dinner. >> thank you. my name is naomi.

i am a science student. you talked about ronald reagan. i am of the opinion that his success was the great economic policies or his charisma but the fact he was dependent on god and gave god the glory. if you look at political leadership we have today, it's almost like they are afraid to talk about god or the bible or their faith. look at the last presidential campaign with john mccain and his slogan, country first. getting your priorities out of order. when you look at his campaign, he did put country ahead of god. >> mile a question is, when are you going to run for office -- my only question, when are you going to run for office?

i could not have said it better myself. i think that history shows, and i think -- i am not alone in this. you share the same opinion. millions of americans share that same view that we do have to have our priorities straight. ronald reagan was one. i remember the statements we made. he was -- he was not afraid to say these things. i want to underscore this. this is important. i have picked up on this in this room, that you are not afraid. you are people of courage. you get a very small minority that wants to marginalize people of deep conviction and faith.

i found this out in politics. i did not think you have heard from mike yet. he is a dear friend of mine. i probably stole his opening line. just clap when he says it. but i share that with him. i have seen in my political career in the republican party where there is an effort to marginalize people of deep christian conviction. it is because social conservatives are really pretty fixed in their position. there are not a lot of negotiable. a lot of times i have seen economic conservatives who will negotiate away their conservatism. we have to be strong and unyielding and not afraid to be

challenged. i had an opportunity to see cable tv. i call them gladiator tv. when i speak the truth, even though there may be those who disagree, people respect that and i hear from across the country and people said, i wish i had the opportunity to say that. the point is, you do. don't be afraid to speak out. did not be afraid you will be marginalized by the other side. they are trying to push us into silence by attacking those values that have transcended from one generation to another. >> thank you. >> hello. i am from houston. i represent texas right to life. i am a single mother who became a mother in high school.

>> thank you for choosing life. >> one of the things that bothers me most is that there are more programs for women than there are to help women to choose life and decide to do what is morally right. i get a little of emotional about this. there have been 45 million abortions in this country and nobody is doing anything about this. the biggest planned parenthood is being built in houston, texas. i do not want to have to pay for tax dollars going to women getting abortions. i want to be able to sets them up for a success. i didn't feel like our country

is helping us do that. >> i do not know that i can respond to that. you have stated that so succinctly. you should be concerned about this health care bill. this is a bailout bill. they are going to receive millions more tax dollars through this. abortion will be funded in this country for the first time in over three decades. there is no escaping that fact. i serve on the board of a crisis center and have for about 18 years. i think we have made great advancements on the issue of life. >> i agree. >> we are this close to becoming a predominately pro-life nation again. i do not think it is because of

the policy battles we have waged. i did a number of those in louisiana that advanced the culture of life. that is important. but the number one reason i think we have gained ground on the life issue is because of the care pregnancy movement across the nation. there are over 1800 of them. to 0.5 million women who received services every year. -- 2.5 million women who receive services every year. these are private citizens who care passionately and help women. we need to do more to expand that. under this congress, there is and will be an intense effort to shut down that network of care pregnancy centers. planned pregnancy does not want competition.

they are investigating and harassing these citizens who care enough about young girls and women in times of crisis to help them make a choice that they will live with for the rest of their lives with happiness and not regret. i encourage you to keep speaking out. >> thank you very much. [applause] >> if i can, there is a young girl -- have any of you heard of lila? she is a one-woman army when it comes to exposing the agenda of planned parenthood. she will be speaking in washington september 18-19. if you're able to come back, i would encourage you to do so. i would encourage you to do that. we have a number of young people and bill o'reilly will

be there as well receiving an award for his stand. he has been attacked because of exposing george tiller and the late term abortions and the media have been hounded him. so we are going to give him an award for exposing the truth. >> my name is joshed lerne lear. there is economic, social, and foreign policy. one issue that comes up is a philosophy and there are tensions between these. their issues built within. i am a huge supporter of capitalism. the primary mechanism with which it works is creative destruction. it is destabilizing.

people do not like that. if you do not have a philosophical defense of capitalism, people forget why it is the best system in the first place. as a representative, i think you are probably more capable of making a philosophical case for capitalism. do you think -- i am right? the do you think this is an issue? what do you think this case would be? >> overwhelmingly, social conservatives are also conservatives economically and support the free markets and the whole idea of capitalism. go back to adam smith and his invisible hand. the idea that there are ways in which the economy works that functions well. there is this invisible hand that he acknowledged which is

the hand of god and the way he has structured the world. it just works. look at this nation. we hear a lot about the four. we should all be working to help those who cannot help themselves. -- we hear a lot about the poor. compare it to the rest of the world. why is it that our folks are doing so well? the poor have -- it is a government definition. that is prosperity in most parts of the world. [applause] i would argue that the reason for that is that we have pursued a free-market system. we do not determine from the

government. this factors into the health- care debate. we were talking about this this morning in our morning meeting. there is a loss of understanding of how a free market operates. i think that is by intention. there is rationing that takes place in the market. it is rational rationing. we can predict what the market is going to do. i think most would do the rationing based on supply and demand and who participates at and what choices consumers make, as opposed to the government being the rational force which is irrational and unpredictable. that is what we are going to experience in health care. there is going to be rationing. we have seen it in oregon where

people need treatment are not given the treatment but rather they are given the treatment -- the option of physician-assisted suicide because it's cheaper. >> mr. perkins, i am not talking about capitalism is good because it works. is there a moral case where you couldn't say capitalism is good? i think the case can be made from it philosophical and religious aspect. >> it can. the best evidence in defending it is by saying it works. there is nothing that compares to it. as a christian, my thoughts on these do emanate from the truth. i think it speaks for itself and

bills the idea of property rights. samuel adams -- i do not know if you have read one of the biographies on samuel adams. i highly recommend it. he was one of the primary founding fathers. he was really the father of the revolution. he constantly harp on two issues -- religious freedom and property rights. those two ideas are closely connected. they were connected in the minds of the founders and in the scripture. i think this is at the cornerstone of the capital system. >> thank you. >> good morning. i just graduated from college in northern california. >> a beautiful place. >> pretty, yes. how can there be such a thing as a christian democrat?

[laughter] [applause] >> i guess if you have a computer, you can write anything. there are some members of congress that i know that have deep convictions. we're grateful for the so- called blue dog democrats who have brought attention to the issue of abortion based upon their strong religious beliefs. i remember in the 2004 republican convention, probably the most conservative speaker of their was a senator from georgia who was a democrat, zell miller. i spent a lot of time with him. i have no question about where

his convictions emanate from and his allegiance to god. i actually think -- >> why is he a democrat? >> i actually think -- he is across the board conservative. i think that is good to have social and fiscal conservatives among the ranks of the party. i think it's healthy to have competition between the parties for the votes of conservatives. i personally do not like being walked in to where i only have a choice of going this way or that way. i like the competition. i think it keeps both parties on this. this health care debate is an example of the blue dog democrats who knocked off moderate republicans in the last

election and are now creating bankangst for nancy pelosi. that is a good day. [applause] >> thank you. >> you are welcome. >> thank you for being with us today. i am from the university of connecticut. as the youngest of eight children, my mother and father have been through a lot throughout the years. had you feel about tax hikes with respect to our economy? >> great question. i am very, very concerned about how we're going to pay the debt we are running up. it is spinning out of control before our very eyes. i want to comment on the

particular think you pointed out, coming from a family of eight children. the family research council put forth the idea that -- the idea of the child tax credit which eventually caught on and was signed into law and was expanded under the bush administration. i think we should be encouraging families to have children. i did not just say that because i have five kids. what my family is doing and what your family has done is that you are raising the next generation of those who are going to pay social security, medicaid, medicare, you're going to be paying the freight. there are those who have no war few kids. we're creating a work force. i think families should be encouraged to have kids and that the tax structure should be

encouraging and should recognize the contribution that those families are making by raising those children, feeding, clothing, educating, and equipped thiing those children. we'll see what it cost to fund this health care plan if, god forbid, it is successful as proposed. when you combine that with the tax breaks that are going to expire at the end of next year, we are going to see the largest tax increase in the history of this country. race will go back up even higher than when ronald -- rates will go up even higher than when ronald reagan was in office. it does not encourage growth in the economy. it does not encourage growth in our families. i encourage you to look it

demographics. demographics tell you what the future are going to look like. we're just at a sustainable rate. i cannot figure out how out gore and others can talk about how we are overpopulating and we are destroying ourselves by having too many children. we're at a 2.1 fertility rate. in many places in europe, there decline is irreversible. there is no way they can pull it out, even if they try. we should not discourage family growth. we should do everything we can to promote the health and growth of families. >> thank you. [applause] >> my name is the victor. i am with penn state university .

the conservative movement is growing. my question is, is that hitting home with people in washington? do politicians realize this is something that will be around for awhile like the obama rally was? >> that is a good question. if you happen to see the front page of "the washington times" today. they talked about going to see parties as an astro turf movement. that somehow we are directing people. i wish we could direct that kind of energy and angst across this country. i think americans have had enough. i think that this administration and these members of congress ignore or deflect that angst and

anger at their own peril. i think this is here to stay. i have seen it and have been a part of these tea party movements. people are starting to understand. the arrogance of congress to propose and pass a health care bill they haven't even read. captain and trade, which they did not read. people elect members of trade in a representative form of government to do business in their place. you would think they would read a bill before they vote on it. i think this is something that is building. i do not think it has reached a zenith. i think it is building. i do not think it is a windfall for the republican party. until they get the message straight and understand who they are and where they are going, they are not going to benefit. a lot of republicans were

forbidden from speaking at those empty parties. there is a concern. there is a desire to change things. we have to make sure we change it from the right direction and not just the fault to another party. >> i did not think any of us will stop anytime soon. >> that is good. keep on going. [applause] >> hello, my name is tracy abrupt. i feel universal health call is being pushed and people did not know all of the facts and they're getting swept up into the facts of free health care and they're on aware of the dangers like poor quality. you have any suggestions on how we can spread the truth about universal health care? >> as a premed student, this is an issue we're concerned about. it is the issue of conscience

rights. there is no prohibition in this bill. the act. administration adopted some strong conscience regulations to protect health-care workers. a nurse in new york was forced to participate in a late-term abortion against her will. she said she was a catholic mayors and did not want to be part of it. she was forced to do so. if you are forced going into the field of health care where you would not have a choice to engage in whether it be an abortion or end of life treatment if you're in a state such as organ or washington state, would that impact your decision to go into the health- care field? >> absolutely.

i am already questioning where my future is going. i will not be forced to do an abortion. i would definitely rethink my career. >> that is the answer to your question right there. you need to let people know that your generation will not be forced to person. -- forced to participate in ill- conceived policies. it looks like you are the caboose. >> hello. i grew up in a middle class, largely white neighborhood. there wasn't a planned parenthood to be found. if i drove down to a largely black neighborhood, there was one on practically every corner. this is not racism. it is genocide. 95% of african americans voted for an individual whose policies

are exterminating their race. how can they convince them that this is something worth caring about? >> i think it's somewhere between 80% and 90% of these clinics are in inner-city spirit there is no question. 75%. i was close. thank you for correcting. 75% are in these neighborhoods. clearly there is an agenda. what is happening is there are african american leaders, pastors and others, who have caught on to this. they know exactly what is happening and they are beginning to speak out. there will be a documentary released very soon talking about the genocide that is taking place through planned parenthood and indirectly through our tax dollars.

a third of their budget comes through tax dollars. it is -- it covers a their overhead. it operates in the same clinics that abortions take place. it is an educational aspect. this is another area where we talk about democrats and conservative democrats. i see the prospect of a conservative african americans in these districts that will be challenging the present leadership going into congress and legislatures that holds it to a pro-life, pro-free market position that will challenge the status quo. i think we should in courage it. .

we should go into those districts and encourage them to challenge the status quo. that should work in state legislatures all across the country. >> thank you. >> thank you all very much. it has been a treat to be with you this morning. i am encouraged to know that you are here. if as you dispersed across the country, you'll take back the challenges you received in washington and you'll make a difference right where you are. the courageous. be bold. be strong. -- be courageous.

stand your ground. kassan you'll find others will be standing with you. -- soon you will find the others will be standing with you. god bless you. >> he and other prominent conservatives are available to speak on your campuses through young america's foundation through the campus lecture program. conduccontact us by phone or on line. we ask that you stay in your seats. we will keep this moving along. >> good morning. i would like to thank you for coming. i welcome you to the 31st annual national conservative student conference at george washington university, hosted by the young america's foundation.

i am an intern scholar at the foundation. it is a premier organization that educates college students on the principles of liberty, government, individual liberties, strong national defense, and traditional values. for more information, go to www.yaf.org. i have had the benefit with working for the foundation the past three years. they have had 77 conservative speakers. you all can have great success with the foundation. i am very excited for our next speaker. herman cain is an accomplished speaker and writer on leadership, motivation, national and economic policy and he is the american dream. godfather's pizza was performing poorly before he became the president and transformed it by providing focus and getting people personally engaged in the turnaround. he empowered the leadership

skills and every individual in the organization. for his efforts, he was hailed by the wall street journal and business week as a visionary leader. he's been called a new voice for common sense, urging business leaders to stand up and fight against a government reregulation and taxation. he was the chair of the federal bank in kansas. he's been engaged with national debates on fiscal and government policies. his website is www.hermancain. com. he is a radio host in atlanta and can be heard weeknights. join me in welcoming mr. herman cain. [applause] >> good morning. good morning. >> good morning.

>> that is a lot better. it is about to get loud in here. tony is a good friend, but tony is a mild-mannered, great guy. we are very good friends. i've enjoyed his comments. i'm glad to be here with you today. like many of the other speakers that have probably commented on this, i am glad to see that some conservatives are still alive on college campuses in america. [applause] thank you. there is hope. this is encouraging. many of you will recognize these words. "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal. that they are endowed by their creator or with certain unalienable rights.

that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. but it did not say anything about the department of happy located in washington. it says the pursuit of happiness. [applause] what part of "pursued" and delta bandstand? -- "pursuit"don't they understand? in the declaration of independence you don't stop there. keep reading. the next paragraph says "when any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is

the right of the people to alter or abolish it." [applause] so, when you hear some of your friends say what can we do? tell them to keep reading. read the rest of that paragraph. because if you look at what is going on, we have some abolishing and altering to do in order to take back this nation and to take back our government. the thing that i would start with is to abolish the tax code and replace it with the fairtax. abolish the tax code. [applause] i was not here during slavery in this country, but i do know a little bit about it. the tax code has become the present-day slave master for all of us.

abolish it. we also have some altering that we need to do. we have some altering to do. we have got collectively to alter this liberal express going on in washington, d.c. we have to alter this liberal express. let's make sure we are on the same page. i am an old mathematics major. the first thing you do as a math major is to make sure you understand the assumptions and definitions. that is where you start. let me define "conservative." let me define "liberal," so you'll know where i'm coming from. part of the problem many of us have in trying to discuss something with a little is they don't know whether they are liberal or conservative.

i define conservative real simply as someone who believes in less government, less taxes, and more individual responsibility. and a liberal believes in more government, more taxes, and less individual responsibility. conservatives believe in the free-market, free enterprise, and freedom. liberals believe and government markets, government enterprises, and the governmengovernment. that is how you tell them apart. we have to stop this liberal express. now, there are three ways when you are trying to have a discussion with a liberal, three

key is that let you know how tough a job you're going to have been able to engage them in civilized dialogue. you have all been there. i get it sometimes from some of the callers who call us. they are determined that they are going to knock me off my game with their passion, with all of their unsubstantiated ideas. but i have noticed the pattern. this whole health care deform legislation. normally, if you reform something, it gets better. not one i did that is floating around in congress will make our health care system better. all of those ideas, either

individually or collectively, will further deform the best health-care system in the world. even though we have issues. yes, we have issues. i am a federally calling it the health care reform distraction. not a debate. liberals don't debate you. they tried to distract you. here are the three things to look for. one night i called my radio show. he is one of my regular flaming liberals that listens to my show a lot. i announced to the audience ahead of time, i said this is him coming up now. let me tell you what thomas is going to do. let me tell you how this conversation is going to go. because thomas is a flaming liberal and he just goes right down the script every time he calls. the first thing you look for when you are trying to have a

discussion with a liberal and you are about to nail them on a point, they changed the subject. they change the subject. you have had that happened. you can be talking about the tax code and out of nowhere they will start talking about "inner- city crime has gone up." we were not talking about that. so the first thing you notice is they will change the subject on you. second, conservatives like to use facts and logic. the liberals ignore the facts. they cannot handle the facts, as jack nicholson would say. you can have all the facts in the world, but they will just ignore the facts.

so, if they don't change the subject on you, if they don't ignore the facts on you, and you are trying to have a dialogue, the third thing that they do is they blame bush. [applause] it has to be bush's fault. so thomas called one night and we were talking about health care. that is exactly what he did. i just sat there and did not say a word for about two and a half minutes while thomas entertained my listeners. that is exactly what he did. let's apply this to the health care discussion. when the democrats in congress and the liberals in washington, d.c. could not convince enough of us to drink the health-care

the fordeform kool-aid, based oe erroneous statistic of 50 billion uninsured people -- 50 million uninsured people, they were trying to get 256 million of us to feel guilty about the 50 million. there were touting that 50 million people are uninsured. my, don't we feel sorry for them. we need to tear up the health care system and fix the problem for this 50 million. but a strange thing happened on the way to stretching the truth. in that 50 million -- and people started to figure this out -- i have talked about it -- we don't have 50 million chronically

uninsured people in this country. part of that 50 million, about 10 million or so, to give you a round number, they are illegal residents -- legal residents, but not citizens. if they choose not to have health insurance, that is their problem. why are we going to feel sorry for them? those are just the legal ones. then you have about 17 million of that 50 million, they make more than $50,000 a year. why should we tear up our entire system? don't get the idea that i am not

compassionate. i am compassionate. when it's as "the pursuit of happiness" it also meant the pursuit of your health and health insurance, but you have to do something yourself first, for the government does it for you. [applause] a lady by the name of sally pipes, the ceo of the opposite against -- ceo of the pacific research institute. she wrote "unraveling the myth about american health care." it is an easy read. she goes through all the myths that are there, relative to what is going on and the message that the leveliberals and democrats e trying to get people to believe. in arbuckle, she takes that -- when the book was published, the lie that they were perpetuating

was 47 million. she breaks down that 47 million by the various groups. she got the information at the census. that breaks down to tell you how many people are chronically uninsured. the number is anywhere from 8 million to 10 million. that is the real number. she documents it in her book. and so, the liberals, in an attempt to dismantle and confiscate our entire health- care system, have used this number to try and to convince the 256 million of us that we ought to turn our system totally upside down because you have 47

million people out there without health insurance. then they go a step further. they start proclaiming that people don't have access to health care. that is al lie. emergency rooms in america are not allowed to turn anybody away. they have access. [applause] and so, when you start trying to share the facts with the liberals, they changed the subject on you. they don't want to hear the facts. the good news about the whole health-care deform legislation -- i want you to get that into your lexicon -- the good news is you and i and the american people have been able to slow it down. [applause] before you reverse something,

the laws of physics say that you have to slow it down first. we are not going to turn it around overnight, but it is slowing down. why? many of the american people are starting to understand what they were trying to ram down the throats of the american people. we have had an opportunity to read some of it. those who did not get an opportunity to read it, have had an opportunity to listen to someone who has. a lady by the name of dr. betsy mccloy-- mccoy. i had her on my radio show. on my website page -- herman cain.com.

cain, like kane and abel in the bible, but i did not kill anybody. that is how you remember it. you'll see a big link that will take you to the radio station to my radio show. i have her interview that was so compelling that i have added a page for my radio show site that highlights three articles she has written. and you can listen to the interview i did on the radio. technology is a wonderful thing. her name is not spelled mccoy. she wrote three topics on healthcare in america and the legislation. when she was on my show, one of the things that impressed me so much was she has not only read

the 1018 page legislation, she has read it twice. i said, you poor thing. she has read it twice. she was able to tell you pages where you find the treaty language that does, in fact, lead to socialized medicine and lead to rationing and leads to end of life counseling, and leads to destroying the health insurance industry, and on and on. that is another source i would highly recommend it to you so that you can be armed with the facts. one gentleman was asking about the town hall meetings coming up. find one but near you and attend in your congressional district. i spoke at the las vegas tea party last april 15. i have spoken at a number of key parties in atlanta and around

atlanta. the administration and the liberals want to try to marginalize the people who are upset and frustrated. they want to try to marginalize folks for exercising their constitutional right to speak their mind. they want to ignore us. the thing about trying to marginalize and make the tea party folks and folks showing up at town hall meetings all appear like they are a bunch of crazy people, it reminds me of what my grandfather used to say, "we are going to show you some crazy." because there are some people in this country who are crazy about liberty, crazy about freedom, and crazy about keeping this country moving in the right direction, not moving in a backward direction. that is what we are crazy about.

[applause] and so, as you get into the discussion, whether it is healthcare or cap and tax or trade and kill, you need to arm yourself with the facts. then you will be on a much better -- in a much better position not to just counter the lynn brol rhetoric, but you will be in a position to appeal to a lot of people that just don't know. they don't have the time. they are busy trying to take care of their families, or they are working and don't have time to listen to talk radio or read articles. but you'll have an occasion to help somebody by giving them a few compelling facts about a particular issue. to give them -- to get them to

at least stop and think about rather than fall for the rhetoric of what i call the lapdog mainstream media, but that is what is right now. so on yourselves with the facts. i know that a lot of people get frustrated. i get calls all the time from thewho get frustrated when they see what's going on --. the misuse of power in washington. they always ask me "what can we do? we have a democrat in the white house and the democrat controlled house and senate by a large margin at least in the house." too many conservatives are being beaten into submission. they want us to believe that we should simply surrender.

every night on my radio show i send a message to washington, d.c. conservatives will never surrender. no matter what they say or what they do. we will not surrender [applause] i realize that we had -- we are at a bit of a disadvantage right now, but we have two powerful weapons. we just have to know how to use them. the first one is our vote. we got beat last november. no need crying over that. let's get ready for november 2010 when we get an opportunity to vote. because, unfortunately, too many conservatives kept their votes at home last november because they did not like either candidate. the popular vote difference was only about 4 million votes. pretty soon acorn won't have any

more criminals they can register. so, if the conservatives voted, we can beat them. they will run out of criminals to sign up. remember, let's start looking to november 2010. we may not be able -- then again we may be able to totally reversed control of congress. if you look at what is going on at these town hall meetings, there are some angry, determined folks out there. they are waking up. even though the liberals and the democrats don't want to believe it, there are more americans who are not stuck in stupid land today it than those that are. those are the people that are showing up. as tony said, that movement is real, because it is real people that have real anger about what

is going on and what is being shoved down our throats. don't forget the power of that vote. last week i was shopping at a store. a lady wanted to talk with me. she said, mr. cain, you are my favorite conservative. i said thanks, arguable or conservative? she said, i don't know, but i am having some real concerns about president barack obama. i said, did you vote for him? she said, nope. i said, did you vote for john mccain? she said no. she said ansari to say i did not vote. i said, i called her by name, although i won't call the now because she might be watching on c-span, i said, that is why the republicans lost, because they

were looking for the perfect republican candidate. and look what we got. sitting at home with your vote is a vote for the other side. in november 2010. don't waste your vote next time. [applause] the second thing that we have that is probably -- not probably, that is even more powerful right now than the vote is our voice. our voices. that is what we have that is powerful. this is what congressmen and senators will experience when they hold a town hall meetings, if they have the courage to do so. some of them, especially democrats, are canceling town hall meetings, because they are scared.

they say it in the country way 0 ,"scared." they cannot stand in front of their constituency and ecologica -- they cannot give a logical argument on why they are supporting health care legislation. so they are not showing up or they tried to control it to the point where people cannot get an opportunity to ask questions and voiced frustrations. many of you may be members of organizations on your campus. you may be members of some other national conservative organizations. we have plenty of them. my message to you is this, be a member of something where your voice can be expressed selectively, regularly, frequently, and loudly.

that is what we have, not just on election day, that is what we have every day of the year in between election days. i believe the voices of the people of this country are being heard, which is why we have been able to slow this socialist express down. your voices. your voices. if you don't have your favorite conservative organization that you are able to express your voice through right now, this is a shameless promotional plug from mine. it is called the intelligent thinker is movement. you can find it at herman cain.com. there is a link called hitm.

i wanted to call with the intelligence think this movement, but my staff said you have to put another letter in front of itm. so they said to put an h in front of it. so it stands for herman lator intelligent thinker is movement. check it out. you need to be aligned with some organization that can express your voice and my voice collectively, frequently, regularly, and loudly. that is what is causing the liberals to retreat on health- care legislation. i spoke earlier about how they will change the subject. since we did not to drink kool- aid about the 50 million people not having held insurance, they have changed the strategy now.

let's go after the insurance industry. let's demonize the insurance industry. let's demonize the insurance companies. we did not fall for it. so now they have a new strategy that they will try to explain to the people. isn't it ironic that they are not questioning the wrongheadedness of what they are trying to do. they just assume its it is a foregone conclusion that they have to do this. the american people are screaming at the top of their voice, we don't want socialized medicine in the united states of america. screaming it. so, on health care, they have changed the subject. instead of talking about all the chronically uninsured out there that cannot get access, which

is a lie, cannot get insurance, and now they are going to shift it to talk about let's demonize the health insurance industry. they have changed the subject. how about ignoring the facts? canada, england, germany, and other countries, fact, all of the country's that put in government controlled health care, eventually led to rationing. no country on the planet, in the history of the world has ever been able to avoid rationing when the government took it over.

but they are ignoring that fact. they don't even want to talk about that fact. they simply choose to ignore it. but then it is up to us to basically make people up and say have you noticed that it did not work in these other countries? facts. social security is a mess. fact, medicare is a mess. medicaid is a mess. fact, the prescription drug plan was passed in 2004 by republicans. the original cost was estimated to be about $300 billion. before the ink dried, they

realized that it would probably be over $500 billion. before they issued the first prescription, the cost estimates were close to $900 billion. those are facts. not one program run by the government in this country has ever hit the estimated cost, including "cash for clunkers." these are the same people that want to take over our health care. [applause] i don't edget it. whether they are talking a trillion or 1.5 trillion, it will never hit the number. that is a fact. they like to ignore the facts.

i am happy that you are here, because that means you are engaged and involved. keep up the fight. we are not going to surrender. we're not going to surrender. i know there are times when you get frustrated and you cannot do all what you want to do, you cannot have the immediate impact that you want. let me share this with you and then i will start taking some questions. the 2000 olympics had one of the most powerful closing songs i have ever heard. the words to the closing song of the 2000 olympics settled but life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible it is never easy when there is so much on the line, but you can

make a difference. there is a mission just for you. just look inside and you will find just what you can do. just look inside and you'll find just what you can do." the power of one begins with believing that you hold the key to all of your achievements. conservatives are not going to surrender. thank you. thank you. [cheers]

thank you very much. thank you, thank you, thank you. i think i will come back. thank you very much. yes, ma'am. >> i am haley from cincinnati. i don't know if you have listened to maddie, but it is urban and the verse. i think president obama went there because it is racially diverse and a lot of minorities feel like the conservative party is the white people. it's a big deal in ohio. what would you say to us to tell people who deale we are a white man's party? >> arm yourselves with the facts first. that starts with being able to point out to people a little bit about the history of the republican party and how so

many blacks and minorities went to the democratic party. they collected the credit for passage of the civil rights act of 1964. in fact, it took republicans and democrats to pass the civil rights act of 1964 off as well as the voting rights act of 1965. the republicans did a terrible job of getting their fair share of credit for making that happen. i always go back to how the republican party got started. a lot of people don't know about it. especially minorities. abraham lincoln said i cannot get these silly way to go along with me about getting rid of slavery, so i'm going to start a new party. that is how the republican party started. at the beginning of the 1900's, the first 50 years, the majority of blacks or african-americans were republicans. the clan was started -- the koga

clan-- the kkk was started by democrats. you should on yourselves about today's issues like the tax code and how it is more regressive on poor people than on rich people. don't fall for the rhetoric of class warfare. that is all that it is. arm yourself with the facts. so that when you get an opportunity -- the republican party, generally speaking, has done a terrible job of getting its conservative message out. tony said the same thing. i was talking to rod in the back. the more you are yourselves with the facts and history and be able to explain some of these issues like i talked-about health care, also cap and trade, then you will gradually get to

these people. first of all, you will not save everybody. save the ones that you can save. thank you. >> i think you could be our next black president. >> you are very kind. yes, sir. >> i commend you on your courage and your conviction. >> thank you. look at this room. you have a lot more courage than a lot of folks. what are you talking about? we have some work to do. >> as a black conservative, what more can i do -- i have called into the glenn baceck show and i had an op-ed. what more can i do as a person

of moral authority to expose those who owned slavery and segregation and social institutions, the party that owns it. like you said, the kkk and margaret sanger. and now has selected the biggest trojan horse to the highest office in the land, how do i get justice? >> do more of what you are doing like being here. there are radical ups. take some of your friends with you there. if you take them to an environment they would not normally go to. -- there are rotary clubs you can take your friends to.

speaking opportunities, especially you walking into an environment where they may not look like you and you take some of your friends with you, you have an opportunity to get themselves awakened. >> a couple of weeks ago one of my callers named mitchell called to say he often disagreed with me on a lot of things but he agreed with me on more things than he disagreed. he said he was black and voted for barack obama. he said he regrets that he did. more and more of them are starting to wake up to the conservative party. >> do you think i'm right by attacking the race factor? i am an american. i don't like race being put into

it. >> don't attack that person. when i ran for the u.s. senate, i ran for office in georgia in 2004 for the u.s. senate as a republican in georgia. look at me. georgia, republican. guess what, i finished an impressive second. not just seconds, an impressive second. you don't ever just finished second. georgia has 159 counties. i went to every one of them to campaign. i would walk into rooms that all white. people with their arms folded because they could not believe a black guy was running statewide in the state of georgia. by the time i left, arms or open, smiles on their faces, because i never brought up race. i talked about the issues. that we need to eliminate the tax code and what we need to do about things. i went after the issue. here's what we need to do to

stimulate the economy. you lead with solutions to the big issues. that is how you get the message across. lead with solutions. what is your name? >> jerome. >> i have some solutions at hermancain.com. >> kevin burns from the university of dallas. i read an article about how certain minorities are seen as traders of their race if they are conservatives and if they oppose a rsocial programs. whehow can we combat the assumpn that is brought by the mainstream media that all minorities are democrats? >> basically, ignore it. don't fan it.

it is easy for them to take something like that and generalize. i know a lot of black people that did not vote for barack obama. so they tried to use intimidation and they make blanket statements about if this person or not hispanic, they would be working for fox news. so i ignore that kind of stuff. you're not going to save everybody. save the ones that are saveable. you can say, here's a guy who is conservative and his black and his name is herman cain. yes, i get some brief from some of my friends, but most of them don't give me any grief because they know that i am firm in my convictions. that is how you combat it. stay firm in your convictions. >> thank you. >> my name is melissa harris representing the university of louisiana regions.

it is sad that everyone pays so much attention to barack obama when alan keyes was completely ignored. >> yes. >> i would like to ask, do you have a podcast on your radio show that we can access somehow? >> yes. i can go one even better. if you go to my website, there is a link called besto of herman cain audio and video. click on that and we have a collection of some videos and features i have done, as well as some of my best radio shows. if you go to the homepage of my soul, you can podcasts as well. the answer is yes. also there are some you can click on and listen to right there on the computer.

make sure you have speakers on your computer. we have a best of section that i think you'll enjoy. >> hello. steven lynsey from princeton. going off of what kevin just ask, after witnessing an early '90's the ordeal of black conservatives such as clarence thomas, why do you feel so many african-americans still are not resentful of the liberal african-american establishment being hostile toward the freedoms -- >> you have more conservative blacks than you realize. for a lot of them, it is easier to be below the radar than to be flying above the radar. i am just all out here. i cannot hide, but that is okay. the good thing in my case is every night five nights a week i get a 50,000 watt megaphone so i

can speak with 250,000 people. bring it on. they want to harass me, go ahead. there are a lot more of them that are conservative, but they are keeping a low profile. i go to church in savannah, ga., a baptist church. -- atlanta, georgia. we have 1400 members. there are a few white people in this church of 99% black. a few friends of mine say, i heard a radio show, i agree with you. they're whispering this. if they are trying to avoid the intimidation they may get. not everybody has the strength of character to say, if you disagree with me, fine, i'm not going to this appeal. >> if that is the case, voting in this country has done enough

with the secret ballot. no one would know how you are voting. why do the statistics prove so many of them of-- >> when people to exit polls, they don't always tell the truth. they don't know who is going to be looking at it. they may say they voted for barack obama but they might not have. i question the accuracy of the exit polls. if some stranger walks up and ask who you voted for. people get nervous. they don't know what will happen to the information. >> thank you. >> charlotte evans. richmond college in wisconsin. -- agilent college. if i go to your web site, [unintelligible] >> yes, thank you, darling.

there is a photo link. you click on it and i have two shots of me. one is my business attire that you see me in right now. the other one is me with my radio cowboy hat on. take your pick, darling. thank you so much. you are very kind. >> i would like one for my dormitory wall and my door. >> you are very kind. qwest it in wisconsin we have a program called badger care. the conservatives are not looking at that program and how it's doing in wisconsin. i have not seen any attention on the program, and it should be. i'm sick of paying taxes for

people who have too many children and cannot take care of them. >> of the same reason they are ignoring the facts in wisconsin, they are ignoring the facts in tennessee. tennessee has a similar program. they are ignoring the results in massachusetts. they choose to ignore the facts. it is that simple. i did not even know about the one in wisconsin. >> it is there anything to do to increase awareness? >> yes, make sure that you are affiliated with some organization in your state that can express your voice on a regular basis. indeed to be able to do that in state and nationally. >> i love you. >> thank you. aw, shucks. >> i met georgia perimeter college, political science major.

>> georgia. that's great. >> i've been working on a gubernatorial campaign in the state. in the georgia republican party, states' rights are becoming a big issue. what part do you think the states' rights and state sovereignty has played in the conservative movement, maintaining popularity in the nation as a whole? >> most recently it has played a big role. i hope it continues, because the more states that send a signal back to washington that we can insert -- can exert states' rights are a signal we need to send. most recently, that has picked up in activity. some states are going back to the 10th amendment, saying the 10th amendment says this, but that does not give you the right to impose this on us. 34 states have already passed legislation to that effect. when you get to that misstates willing to say to washington, we don't have to take some of these

programs, that could change things. >> thank you. >> university of chicago. joseph. god bless you. we have talked a lot about politics and race. the republican party has forgotten its focus on minorities and has written off the whole demographic of the african american community. mostly african-americans had been voting for democrats. now that the democrats have put a new set of strains on people, people may start noticing republicans are doing so much for folks like school choice and payroll taxes. if i have the guts in chicago to go out in the community. i volunteer. i don't see any volunteers that are conservatives out there. that discourages me. there are no conservatives at

the center that michelle obama started. these are my positions, i'm a republican, i go out to tell my position. i'm sure you have been called an old, along with other black conservatives. >> that's right. >>-- >> that you have been calld an uncle tom. >> if you are armed and courageous. don't just at random though do a particular part of town. you could become a statistic. i would not even do that. [laughter] but i am saying be persistent. remember, we can save the saveable.

the latest statistics shows you have a third of the people and a third of the voters -- the ones that don't vote, don't worry about them right now -- a third of the voters, less than a third -- it is in the 20's of people considering themselves liberal. the number of people who consider themselves conservatives are about the mid 30% of them. the remainder consider themselves independent. those are the people you go after. but remain persistent. >> penn state. thank you for speaking. >> before you go on, i hate to do this. we have five people. how many people? 5. ok. everybody gets a minute with the question and/or the answer. in five minutes i have to go catch an airplane. >> about the fairtax, i love the fairtax. when i tried to talk about it even to conservatives, they

don't get it. how do you recommend telling people what the fairtax is? >> if you go to buy websites, i have written the abc's of the fairtax. i have taken every letter of the alphabet and given an attribute of the fairtax. that is an easy way to get people going. print a copy of that. it is on my radio show page. start with the abcs. then you hav -- the abc's. i got the same question from a caller. go back to the abc's. >> owen from ole miss.

you mentioned at one time a vote -- not to vote for your guy is like a vote for the other guy. i am proud to say i voted for bob barr. i felt disillusioned that both parties needed a message from us. you mentioned we did use our voice and our vote. do you feel it is important to use your voice and your vote not just to send a message to one party, but to vote and send a message to both parties? >> some republicans are starting to say that we heard you. rev. wanda bynum-duckett. tony perkins said the same thing. it is i-- it is important to give your vote.

your conservative representatives need you to go support them. they need to know you support them. it is important to send a message to both parties. >> my name is stephanie hernandez from lone star community college. thank you for being here and for the animated speech. >> you're welcome. >> i don't support any of obama's health care reforms. i realized he is using the uninsured to bolster his policies. as someone who has been uninsured and the fact that there are people uninsured in the country, including the 9.5 million with no long-term health care, could you tell me if there could be changes in health care policy that do not involved

taxing people were taking money away? also, any conservative ideals? >> the first three things i would do, you never hear about this because the mainstream media don't want you to hear the proposals on the other side. first, level the playing field in terms of who owns their insurance. that has prevented new products from coming to market. the employers take a deduction, but if you buy yourself, you cannot take a deduction. as a result, if -- perspective of who bought it, a tax reduction under the current system, that lowers the cost for people who who would be able to go buy it themselves. second, i would allow group health plans across state lines. right now you cannot do it across state lines. what if all the barbers in america wanted to have a

barbarous health insurance program? they cannot do it because of the rules. remove the barriers. but in washington they call them association held plans. that is another thing you can do. if the third thing i would do, if they are so concerned about making health insurance affordable for people who chronically don't have it, allow them to buy a policy to participate in medicare. at least they would have something. they don't offer that because then they would have to defend the deficiencies in medicare. here's the fourth idea, if you want to help the people that do not have it chronically for whatever reason, what do we do with people who cannot buy enough food? we give them food stamps. this office as give them the health insurance voucher. first make tax deductibility the same for the individual as it is for the employer. those are four quick steps off the top of my head.

. >> go to the town hall meetings and take as many of your friends that you want. it does not have to turn into a shouting match. i can assure you that that -- there were probably 25 others that did not get into a shouting match. but the mainstream media want to try to help marginalize what is

going on. just continue to go, state your case and go on with the facts. i wrote a commentary, guess where you can find it? [laughter] very good, you are paying attention. i wrote a commentary entitled " seven ways to make health care better." i wrote another one that said " seven questions that president obama and the democrats cannot answer." you get those two when you put to a town hall meetings and that will give you structured. -- when you go to the town hall meetings. go and go in big numbers. last question. >> my name is erica from houston, texas. i was ecstatic to hear that you ran for office. i was wondering if he were considering doing that again.

in 2010, democrats stated they want to make a case and have president obama speak. i was wondering if you could say you are speaking as well. >> yes. [laughter] [applause] bring him on. contact my office. i tell you what -- let me answer the second one first. yes, i would consider coming for any event in houston, as well as to a lot of them, but it is all based on availability. if the president will try to draw a crowd, if you guys want to put something together, and when you guys -- when i come to speak i will not need a teleprompter. [applause] i promise, and i will not need a teleprompter. the answer to your first question, have i considered running again? this is the honest truth, i am still praying about it because i

believe in the power of prayer. [applause] i do believe in the power of prayer. the last time i ran for office i had to pray about it. this is a beauty about the power of prayer, when you pray about it and you know in your heart that is something you are supposed to do, you never looked back. i don't regret running even though i came in second, but i am still praying about when and if i am supposed to run again. thank you very much. you contact my office. i would love to be down there for that. let me leave you all with this. all of you all are much younger than i am, at that is obvious, but let me assure you that what you are doing can and will make a difference. one of the lessons i learned from the president of morehouse

college when i was a student, he constantly reminded us no matter how old you are, to always keep in mind as you are on your life's journey, as you are trying to make a difference, life is just a minute, only 60 seconds. you cannot refuse it, you did not choose it, but it is up to you to use it. you must suffer if you lose it. just a tiny little minute, but your eternity is in it. conservatives will not surrender. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> we will take you to indiana where president obama is speaking at the rv manufacturing plant. he is talking about jobs and the economy. >> even as countries like china

and japan are racing ahead. that is why this announcement is so important. this represents the largest investment in this technology in american history. i am committed to a strategy that insures america leads in the design and deployment in the next generation of clean energy vehicles. this is not just an investment to produce vehicles today, this is one to produce new technology tomorrow. this is about creating the infrastructure of innovation. indiana is the second-largest recipient of grant funding and a perfect example of what this will mean. you have purdue university, noted game, -- notre dame and ivy tech and they will all develop technology for cleaner vehicles. [applause]

we have a small business in indianapolis that will develop batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. you have a transmission co. in indianapolis and magna will help develop electric drive components for commercial vehicles. right here in this county, they have -- they will receive a $39 million grant to build 400 advanced battery electric trucks with a range of 100 miles. [applause] they are right there. [applause]

just a few months ago folks thought these factories may be closed for good. now they are coming back to life. thank the american people. the company estimates that this investment will help create or save hundreds of jobs in the area. there are folks that are being rehired, so overall the companies believe these investments in battery technology will save or create thousands of hoosier jobs. i want to point out these thousands of jobs would not be possible if it were not for the leaders in congress who supported the recovery act, leaders like evan bayh ahand joe donnely. these grants will create tens of thousands of jobs all across america.

today, vice-president for biden is announcing grant recipients in michigan. members of my cabinet are across the country announcing recipients elsewhere. we are providing incentives to those businesses that stand ready to help us lead a new economy by developing new technology for new kinds of vehicles. i don't want to just reduce our dependence on foreign oil and then end up being dependent on their foreign innovations, i don't want to have to import a hybrid car, i want to be able to build one cared. [applause] i want to be able to build a hybrid truck right here. i don't have to import windmills from someplace else, i want to build them right here in indiana. [applause] i want the cars of the future, the technologies that power them to be developed right here in

america. that is just the beginning. no area will innovation be more important than in the development in new ways to produce and save energy. we are not only doubling our capacity to generate renewable energy, we have held to reach an agreement to raise fuel economy standards. for the first time, we passed a bill to create a system of clean energy incentives which will help make renewable energy profitable. while helping to end our dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet for future generations. the bill passed the house and we are working to pass through the senate. we know the real innovation depends not on government but on the potential of the american people. if the american people get a clear set of rules that they know what is needed, what challenges we have to meet, they will figure out how to do it.

that is what our budget makes the tax credit permanent. it helps companies the ford what are sometimes very high costs in developing new technologies and products. that means new jobs. this tax credit returns to dollars to the economy for every $1 we spend here. for a long time we were just trying to renew aid once every year and companies didn't know if they were going to be able to get it next year. we have now made it permanent. i also proposed reducing to zero the capital gains taxes for smaller start up businesses, because small businesses are innovative. they produce 13 times more patents for employees than large companies. in order to lead in the global economy and ensure businesses can grow, we also have to pass

health insurance reform that brings down costs. [applause] reform that brings down costs and provides more security for those who have insurance and affordable options for those who don't. i promise you, we will pass reform by the end of this year because the american people need it. the american people need relief. [applause] we are going to have to make it happen. [applause] the recovery plan began the process of reform by modernizing our health care infrastructure. we took some long-overdue steps of computerizing america's health records, which can reduce all the errors that cost billions of dollars while protecting privacy.

it is important to know these records hold the potential of offering patients the chance to be participants in the treatment of illnesses. he will not have to fill out the same form a dozen times. -- you will not have to fill out the same form a dozen times. these also reduce your costs and lower your premiums and give you more security in your health care. in addition to energy and health care, we also know the nation that out educates us today will out compete us tomorrow. we are making a commitment to improving education from cradle through career. right now our schools trailed many of our competitors. that is why i have challenged states to improve achievement by raising standards and modernizing science labs, forming new partnerships to promote math and science, and improving the use of technology in the classroom.

in the next decade by 2020, america will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. we used to be number one and we will be number one again when it comes to college graduates. [applause] to reach this goal we have provided tax credits and grants to make college education more affordable. we have made an historic commitment to community college, which are the unsung heroes in the education system. america must have the best educated, highest-skilled work force in the world, because if we are building new cars in america, if we are building a new clean energy grid in america, and we will also need to build engineers in america and scientists in america, and skilled technicians in america. all these pieces and at fitting

together, energy and innovation, healthcare and education. these are the pillars of the new foundation we have to build. this is how we will not just rescue the economy, but we will rebuild it stronger than before. there are a lot of people out there who are looking to defend the status quo. there are those who want to see political advantage, they want to oppose these efforts. some of them caused the problems in the first place and then they are blaming others for it. [applause] they don't want to be constructive, they just want to get the usual political fights back and forth. sometimes that is fed by the cable chatter in the media, but we know the truth. we know that even in the hardest times against the toughest on

its, we have never surrendered. -- against the toughest odds. we have always indoor and worked hard, and we have fought for our future. -- we have always endured. that is the tradition of america. this country was not built by complaining, it was built by hard work and taking risks. that is what we have to do today. i know these are tough times. you have not lost a job, you know somebody who has, maybe a family member or a friend. you know it is difficult -- as difficult as the financial struggle can be, the sense of loss when you lose your job is about more than just a paycheck. we define ourselves by the work

we do, a sense that you are contributing and supporting your family, that you are responsible. the truth is, it can be easy to lose hope, especially when you see a lot of folks who failed to meet their responsibilities, from wall street to washington. it can be easy to grow cynical when you see politicians say one thing and do another, or say one thing and do nothing. when you have seen decades of broken politics and broken promises, but this is a rare moment when we are called upon to rise above the failures of the past. this is a chance to restore the spirit of optimism and optimism -- opportunity and optimism that has always been the key to success. we have to imagine a future where american cars are powered by new innovation, a place

where cities, leading the economy are doing the same, and for the united states of america. that is what we are fighting for, that is what this plant is about, that is what you are about here, that is what we will achieve in the weeks to come. thank you very much everybody. god bless the united states of america fifth f thank you. -- got bless the united states of america. thank you. [applause] ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> president obama at the rv manufacturing plant in indiana talking about health care, the economy and jobs. the labor department will release july figures on friday. federal aviation administrator will be talking about the latest developments in aviation safety. he will speak with other experts at an event hosted by the air line pilots association, the largest airline unit. our coverage at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. the senate is in session and members continuing debate about the nomination of sonia sotomayor. a final confirmation vote will happen before the senate adjourns for the august recess this weeks.

they could also take of the legislation that gives $2 billion in the csah for clunkers program. live coverage now on c-span2. two u.s. journalists detained in north korea right, today. they were accompanied by former president of bill clinton who secured their release after meetings with kim jong il. the two journalists who work for al gore's tv networks were held for five months after being captured. from earlier today from burbank, california. >> 30 hours ago, we were

prisoners in north korea. we fear that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labor camp. then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. we were taken to a location and when we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us president bill clinton. [applause] we were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end.

and now we stand here home and free. we would like to express our deepest gratitude to president clinton and his wonderful, amazing, not to mention supercool team, including john, justin cooper, dr. roger band, and the united states secret service who traveled halfway around the world and then some to secure our release. we would also like to thank president obama, secretary clinton, vice president gore, who we also call al. the swedish ambassador, linda

mcfadden and the people at the state department who worked so hard to win the release of their fellow americans, steve bing and his crew. i know that i am for getting a bunch of instrumental people right now, but forgive me if i am a little incoherent. to our loved ones, friends, colleagues and to the complete strangers with the kindness of hearts who showed us so much love and sent us so many positive thoughts and energy, we thank you. we could feel your love all the way in north korea. it is what kept us going in the darkest of hours. it is what sustained our faith

that we would come home. the past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time in our lives. we are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of north korea, and we are so happy to be home. we are just so anxious right now to be able to spend some quiet, private time getting reacquainted with our families. thank you so much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the families asked me to say a few words, and on their behalf and on behalf of the staff and

families of the tv station, we want to welcome them home. we want to thank president bill clinton for undertaking this mission and performing if so skillfully, and all the members of his team who played key roles in this. also, to president obama, president of, and members of his administration have been -- president obama have been involved in this humanitarian effort. to secretary clinton and the state department members, several of whom have been here, they have put their hearts into this. it speaks well of our country that when two american citizens are in harm's way that some many people would put things aside and go to work to make sure that this has had a happy ending.

we are so grateful to all of them. to the thousands of people who have held these two in their prayers, who had written letters and send e-mails, we are very grateful to steve bing and all those who made the flight possible, we say a word of deede thanks as well. -- we say a word of depp thanks as well. your families have been unbelievable, passionate, involved, innovative. you will hear a lot of stories and they are looking forward to hearing a lot of stories from the of, -- hearing a lot of stories from you. your mom has been making your special soup for two days. to everybody who has played a part in this, and a special

thanks to president bill clinton, so grateful. ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out. we will let these families have a proper reunion now, but thank you for coming out. [applause] >> coming up in about a half hour, the federal aviation administrator will talk about the latest developments in aviation safety. he was speaking with other efforts -- speaking with other members at an event. he will have live coverage at 1:00 p.m. eastern. according to a new poll, americans are worried about health care adding to the budget

deficit, but they generally approve of major pieces of the bill. more on the survey with the assistant director. this is about 20 minutes. >> good morning. i am the assistant director of the polling institute. i am here to talk about the latest poll that deals primarily with health care. we are the largest private university in connecticut and does public opinion polling as a public service on national and state issues. what is interesting about this poll in a political sense is that we are seeing something we really have seen in recent political history, which is that the budget deficit is becoming a big deal to average voters. over the last several decades,

candidates and organizations have tried to use it to mobilize political support, and it has not been very effective. ross perot tried in the 1990's and he finished third. you may remember 1984 when walter mondale campaign on the need for a tax increase to eliminate the deficit. what we are seeing in this poll is public concern about the public deficit, so much so that majorities are even willing to throw healthcare reform overboard if they think it will add to the deficit. for instance, by a to 55by 35% margin -- by a 55% to 35% margin, people are concerned it will add to the deficit.

by a 57% to 37% margin, voters say they would rather have no health care reform than that which added substantially to the deficit. one other interesting fact, when you ask voters what they want a bill that is just a democratic bill where it would only have democratic support, 59% say no. that tends to indicate the rising concern about the deficit. president obama, who had very high job approval ratings and was handling a multitude of issues, 52% give him a thumbs down job approval on healthcare , 39% approve of his performance. that is different from in july

when we asked this question when 46% approved of his performance and 42% disapproved. one other ominous sign for the president on health care and public opinion, almost 3 in 4 voters say they don't believe obama can produce a health care reform package that will not add to the deficit. the president says he will be able to do that. obviously voters are becoming skeptical. another interesting piece of data in this survey is that more voters think it will not help him quality of their health care than think it will. this is not all bad news for the

president. more than 60% of voters still support voters stilloption, but the number has decreased about five points. the vast majority of americans still say they would prefer to get their health insurance from a private insurer. much of the change in public opinion, and the reason why the president's numbers are down and support for some of these programs is down is independent voters. there are people who voted it very strongly for president obama in november, and they have been very supportive of him and his policies, but now the majority are opposing the other way or indicating that they are less supportive of the president. i will be happy to take your questions.

yeah. >> you point out that the president has repeatedly said he will not sign a bill that is not paid for. the house and senate proposals supposedly are fully offset, so why is it this reaction? it looks like people don't believe the government any for -- i don't believe the government anymore. >> that is a fair analysis. those of us in this room who cover politics or public opinion are by and large may have a different frame of reference and the average voter. the average voter is skeptical about government. some have interpreted president obama's election as a mandate for a larger government, and that may or may not be true, but

this shows a lot of skepticism about public officials still remains. >> do you think the republicans in congress are having this effect? >> to some degree, it is republicans mary's in issues that makes voters uncomfortable. -- it is republicans are raising issues that makes voters uncomfortable. even the blue dog democrats have made public their worry about the increasing deficits. it has obviously had an effect on the public. they have heard estimates of numbers that are very large, potentially trillions of dollars over the decades of more debt. it is worth pointing out that this concern about the deficit is very unusual in recent american history. it is something that has been

given lip service but has not generally moved voters. this is not an election, this is a poll, but we see that voters are concerned about the deficit. the question in which 57% say they want no plan then one then increases the deficit is pretty historic. what will happen is the republicans and democrats will spend a lot of money when they go home to see their constituents in dziewit television ens -- and with television ads, they will tell people the good part of the plant and the bad. we will know if they have been able to change public opinion. it is a fair analysis that the momentum president obama enjoyed on healthcare reform with the country being behind

him as slowly and perhaps stuff. that does not mean it will not stop -- that does not mean it will not start up again. polls are snapshots, but these findings in which voters are concerned that not increasing the deficit is an indication that the momentum has been slowed substantially. . >> there is a message that this is adding to the deficit is working. is there anything you what it buys democrats to use? >> what the need to do is to be able to reverse the number that says, is 3 in 4 don't think obama can sign a plan that will not increase the deficit. people don't believe the president and leadership that what they finally come up with will not increase the red ink. that is really the key to aid.

there is this gigantic battle that will go on -- that is the key to it. this will not be inside the beltway, it will be any place where americans are. what lawmakers find when they go home will determine what happens to this proposal, and therefore a what public opinion tells these lawmakers is critical. >> [inaudible] >> not necessarily. i don't know. >> if i could find the number here. the republicans in congress are even less trusted. >> that is clearly true. we asked who would do a better job on healthcare reform,

president obama or the republicans, and president obama has a 10 point lead. that is good for the president, but here is the bad news. when we did a similar poll one month ago, he had a 20 point lead. it is in your packet. that is another reflection of the momentum slowing and perhaps turning. a number of the aspects of the plans that have been tossed around the hill have strong support. voters think there should be a public option. they liked the idea of taxing business and the rich, they don't like the idea of taxing themselves through taxes on healthcare benefits. they support subsidies for large

groups of americans. we find strong support for subsidies for individuals who make up to $43,000 a year and families of four that make $88 -- that make $88,000 a year. those are large groups of americans that will get subsidies. median income family is slightly more than $50,000. americans back these subsidies, so they think government is a good thing, but on the other hand they are skeptical of increasing the deficit. this kind of insect -- this kind of inconsistency is not surprising. people want to know what is in it for me, but what is interesting is that many voters are concerned -- and roughly 85% of the electorate has health

insurance. many voters are concerned this will help others but not them. >> you point out here that' they want the rich to pay for it, they don't want to pay for it, so are they really worried about the deficit? >> as i said, public opinion is inconsistent. there is nothing new about that. you can go back over the years and voters want government to do certain things. what is interesting about this is we gave them a choice between no health care plan and no larger deficit, or one that would substantially increase the deficit. they don't like that trade off. it is hard to overemphasize how big a deal it is that the deficit matters to people. it really has not in recent american history.

ronald reagan got elected telling people he could balance the budget and do it all just by cutting waste, fraud and abuse. the most successful politician in recent american history. >> it shows that people actually support the main prospects of a plan, so do the results indicate more of a messaging success rather than -- >> i am not sure if that is messages. my guess is if we asked americans to finance anything, how do they want it financed? they would be much more likely to say let's tax the wealthy as opposed to the middle class. we could be talking about widgets here and voters would have those priorities. that is normal human nature.

>> apparently a lot of the messaging during the august break from speaker nancy pelosi is going to be about the insurance industry, the public plan, they are seeing support -- some polls have shown slippage in support for the public plan. given that they have come out and said that will be their focus over the break, you are saying that the key to it let's focus on the deficit and make people believe you when you say this will not add to the deficit. do you think that is in this use of their time and energy to try to get report -- to try to get support for the public plan? >> i had a pollster and not a political strategist.

what these numbers show is that voters are concerned about the deficit. that is not to say that it cannot be made by finding a villain and hitting them hard, but the voters are very concerned about the deficit. the recent political history is one in which the deficit gets lip service but does not matter. these numbers show that it seems to be a matter in. that is really different. >> [inaudible] >> one would assume that making a villain out of the insurance industry is targeted towards the president's pace. i think it is a fair assumption that the president's base is with him on this. whether it will cut into the group of independence to have been drifting away from him, perhaps.

they are smarter than i am and have a lot more experience doing this kind of stuff, so they must think it will work on non- democratic voters. and perhaps it will. david axelrod is a very smart guy. these numbers indicate the deficit matters more than anything else. at least to the people who have been drifting away from supporting the plan. >> do you have any insights on what a tipping point was? >> hidta pinpoint implies there has been a change that is set in stone. this is a poll taken -- >> people of the sudden being so worried about the deficit.

>> it may just be numbers being tossed around. trillion's is a big numbers. it also comes with time when the president paused job approval overall has been coming down -- when the president's job approval has been coming down. it may be a melding of a number of things. it certainly does not help the president that unemployment keeps going up, and the frustration voters have with the economy obviously has effects on how voters feel about any economic issue, and health care is an economic issue. go ahead. >> i don't see it in this poll, but in other states have you looked at how the impact of the economic stimulus package and if that was impacting him anything? >> we asked about the stimulus

package in polls, but we have not asked about in the context of this. >> is there any long-term indication as to [inaudible] >> if the president's numbers keep coming down, that is obviously not good for the democratic party. but polls are snapshots in time, they will not tell you what happens in the future. the trend is not one that makes them happy, but it does mean it will not be reversed. >> it seems like people would be less unhappy if health care reform does not get done, which is contrary to what we were seeing before. >> we did not ask this question in the early months of the obama administration, but during that time polls clearly showed faith in the president to deliver the

change that he promised in the campaign. what we are seeing here, and the 72% who don't think he can sign health care reform without increasing the deficit, that indicates a willingness to give him the benefit of the doubt is somewhat evaporation. -- it is somewhat evaporating. anything else? thank you. >> take care. >> in about 10 minutes we will take you to an event with the

federal aviation in minister , talking about the latest developments in aviation safety. -- an advance with the federal aviation administrator. live coverage is coming at 1:00 p.m. eastern. now i look at your phone calls from today's "washington journal." host: we want to hear from viewers on what is happening in your area and if you are seeing any lobbying efforts on health care overhaul. one newspaper offers a commentary piece talking about some of the protests and matches that have gone on in recent health care events around the country. the country. they write about one event featuring kathleen sebelius and arlen specter.

who are over 65 and disabled is in government-sponsored insurance program. it made public discussion quite difficult. carrying on on the front page of the "wall street journal," they have a story that health care lobbying heats up. with the health care legislation up until the august recess, interest groups are treating this as a critical time to try to snare one on one meetings with lawmakers in their home districts. the health-care industry is launching an effort to send employees to public meetings nationwide, but increasing criticism from the democrats. this will not help get anyone covered said one analyst.

they spent $1.9 million lobbying during the second quarter. the health-care industry is the biggest spending lobbying force in washington. in the second quarter, they spent $133 million pressing their interests. labor unions and others with a stake in the health-care debate are also lobbying heavily. if you want to call in on the republican line, dial the numbers. you can also send us a comment on twitter. let's take our first call from west virginia. caller: yes, this is roger johnson. i am just wondering why we don't hear obama talk about the tort reform as a serious consideration for reining in the health care costs, because that is probably at least one half of the excessive costs.

do you have any comments on that? host: it has been an issue in congress and i know several senators have brought it up. it will be a debate as to whether that will be part of the package. the next call is from north carolina. caller: i just want to know about the health care situation. i am a republican, but i don't understand what is going on with it. why do we have to change it? a lot of people don't understand it. >> you listen to people on the tv and radio -- even the president cannot make us understand what he wants to do. caller: do you have health care? i am happy with it. host: you don't think the health care system needs a major overhaul? caller: know, i don't. host: the next call is from

oklahoma city. caller: you have these republicans that talk all this noise and protest and don't know what they're protesting against. the reason why is the guy on yesterday, the reason why these people are not informed is because they listen to fox news. it is not the truth, yet these people make fools of themselves. what i like is that young people watch a station and they know the truth. when these old people get on and talk this noise, the young people understand. another thing is that the republicans are so pro-life until the child is born. after the child is born they could give a damn about the baby. it is incredible to where you have these people protest, and these are the ones getting

benefits from this. it is just unbelievable. host: tom on the democratic line. caller: mine is a question that i have not heard come up yet about the new health bill. i am on social security disability, and earlier this year social security mentioned there will be no cost of living increase to any recipient through 2010 and 2011 possibly. the medicare part d and b, will it be raised over the next few years? if it is, what will offset that cost? i will have to drop part b if it starts jumping in price and my social security check stays level for the next three years. i hope you have a guest that you

could pose that question too. host: we will keep that in mind. we have someone from illinois. caller: i just turned this on and i have not seen any lobbying efforts in the area. i have not been to any town hall meetings. host: do you know who your local congressman is? caller: yes, i do, but my concerns are the things that have been coming up that we have learned about. i do believe the way this is set up is that it will lead to a single payer program. one thing i understood is i heard the other day on your show on page 15 of the bill, that coming here after the program is put into effect, the insurance companies will not be able to -- you might be able to keep your insurance but you could not buy a new policy.

basically it will lead to single payer programs. whether you are 8 or 80, life is precious. to say that one group of people can get a certain kind of treatment is one thing and to say another people is another thing, it is all bad. everyone should be able to. no one wants to think that somehow they that somehowa car, it gets older and is not worth as much. i want to -- it is one thing to know that when you are sick or you could be dying and there is nothing that can be done for you, it is another thing to know that the medicine is there but you are not eligible because of cost benefit analysis by a government-run bureaucracy. it is none of their business.

i don't want anybody telling me at 65 i have to discuss about my future. i know what to do, i don't need the government involved. they have never done anything to make things better in my life. that is all i have to say. host: a story about how the administration is dealing with health care reform. as public skepticism amounts about president obama's plans to overhaul the system, the political scene is returning to the online world of grass-roots activism. white house officials have begun an internet campaign geared toward regional writing allies who back above last year and whose support will be critical in getting support. responding to a headline on the judge report -- on the dredge report website, they are taking

sentences out of context and putting them together to leave a false impression. let's go to our next call from texas. caller: yes, this health-care thing is such a load of crap. i listened to that young man from oklahoma, that little whippersnapper who thinks he knows everything, he does not. us old people listen to the news and we listen to all of that and watch c-span. i know what is going on. i want no part of no partoption. -- i want no part of this public auction. -- . option. before i was on medicare, sometimes i had health