>> may it be said of our party in 1980 that we found our faith again and may it be said of us both and dark passages and early days in the words of tennyson that my brothers quoted and lebanon has special meaning for me now, i am a part of all that. i have that too much is taken, much abides. that which we are, we are. one equal temper of heroic part, strong in will to strive, find, and not to yield. for me, a few hours ago this campaign came to an end.

for all those whose careers have been our concern the work goes on, the clause in doors, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. [applause] host: this is "washington journal" for august 26. that is senator kennedy from 1980 conceding to jimmy carter. the flag is flying at half-staff today in honor of senator kennedy who died this morning. the kennedy family says that they have lost the center of their family and the light of their lives.

there is a special one we have set aside for massachusetts residents to give your thoughts, personal as they would be, probably different from those of the rest of america on senator kennedy. this is a statement from the president of the u.s., president obama, saying that the nation has lost the greatest united states senator of our time with the death of ted kennedy. for five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil-rights, health and economic well-being of the american people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. he was 77 when he died. put into perspective the whole of senator kennedy's political career, the good and bad of it? guest: he has had a long,

legendary career. public service that lasted a lifetime in some cases. suddenly he was elected the year i was born. he has been in office more than many americans have been alive. he came from the storied family. his two brothers were prominent public service. their lives were cut short early. he became the standard bearer it seems at a time when he was not quite ready for it. he had to grow into the job of being the united states senator and it took many, many years. ultimately, he became one of the most respected figures in public service, and certainly a leader of the senate who will deeply be missed. host: how do think the senate will do without his presence? guest: certainly there will be

less bipartisanship then there is now. he is widely regarded as someone who can reach across party lines. he is respected leader, someone with a gravitas that you do not often see in the u.s. senate. he was a rare figure. he came along once in a lifetime. he was a generational leader able to talk to republicans as well as democrats, and had the respect of both sides of the aisle simply because of who he was, what he endured, how much she had overcome. the fact that he was a very strong, very principled politician, you knew where he stood but he was able to compromise and work with people as diverse as president bush and ronald reagan, as well as president obama and suddenly the liberal wing of the democratic party. you heard repeatedly -- many

people in the healthcare debate said that if ted were here we would probably be further along, and if you were here we would probably be able to give bipartisanship going to move this past some of the sticking points. host: i read somewhere that he has the influence of 2500 pieces of legislation, or something along that line. talk about the scope of the issues he was concerned about and how the played out in legislation? guest: his signature issues were poverty, the healthcare disparity. that was something he himself called because of his lifetime. school lunch programs, civil rights issues -- basically, just about every issue you could think of that the left cares about and that the right had an interest in in either helping to shape or get consensus on.

housing, education, the no child left behind was a piece of his landmark what decision. there are a lot of smaller issues, too, that we're missing that he helped to shape and get on board. certainly, the big liberal issue of the day he had a hand in. host: there is a store this morning by peter, the editor of a book on senator kennedy and it quoted one of the professors from boston university talking about his career. specifically when the subject of chappaquiddick comes up, michael is quoted as saying "i think you finally put chappaquiddick behind him, not so much by doing penance, but by public service." how would you respond to that? guest: i agree. chappaquiddick had been the defining moment of his life and up until that time and a little

beyond it he was considered a dilettante, someone not too serious who took a vantage of his name and place to get further than many other hard- working politicians would. but the defining a moment of his life seemed to sort some of his presidential ambitions would haunt him for decades afterwards. but through working hard to get past the disappointment of not becoming president himself and the legacies of his brothers who were taken way too early he managed to overcome and grew into the job of becoming the u.s. senator from massachusetts and a liberal icon and certainly one of the most respected politicians perhaps in history, if not in our lifetime. he got past a by diligence,

studying, becoming a strong voice, and by using skills and gifts as the order to champion a saucethe cause of those who have less. host: when you hear the name kennedy, you hear a lot of talk about who takes the standard as far as the dynasty is concerned. is it over as far as this passing, or are there other kennedys still in politics who might be willing to take up his standard? guest: certainly politics is the family business and the family is pretty broad. his son patrick serbs ryland. there was talk about carolina becoming the u.s. center of new york, but they came and went. there are nephews and nieces and who could emerge as the next

kennedy standard-bearer in the world of public service. certainly he is irreplaceable. it will take a while for the next kennedy to evolve and reached the status. it certainly is possible. it does not seem immediately apparent at this point. family business, it is significant. the family is large enough and the roots run strongly independent that there could be a kennedy who will emerge. the right now he is irreplaceable. host: joseph williams is the washington deputy bureau at the boston globe. thanks for your time this morning. again, for the remaining minutes of this phone segment, your thoughts on the passing of senator kennedy. there are four lines you can choose from. and four massachusetts residents, this special line.

the first call up, orangeburg, south carolina, on the line for democrats. caller: good morning, i just wanted to say my condolences on the air to the family. just say how ted kennedy will be very messed and how he inspired me when i was only 18. the first, i ever voted was for his brother. ever since then i have been a voting person. it is just that all the things that senator kennedy did in his life inspired my children, myself. he has done so much. he will be very missed. host: diane on the republican line calls is from arkansas. caller: i don't mean to put too much negativity in this, but let's remember how all the negative and he calls came in

when president reagan called in 2005. ted kennedy got by with too much as far as i'm concerned, as far as chappaquiddick, his womanizing, his drinking. no republican would have gotten by with that. in fact, there would have quit, not live. i have sympathy for the family, but as far as our country is concerned, i think he did more harm than good. host: the president is expected to address the nation later this morning about the passing of senator kennedy. we do not know details of the timing. conn, steve, on the independent line. caller: well, the glory of christianity is forgiveness and i think there is a lot of forgiveness for ted kennedy's

faults. three of his brothers gave their lives for this country. my family is from cape cod even though i'm from connecticut. these people have a huge influence on the locals in the region. we will miss him dearly. host: again, if you are just joining us senator ted kennedy passed away last night, early this morning, and we're taking calls on his political career. you can e-mail us or send us a message by twitter. here is the statement from president george h. w. bush on the passing of senator kennedy. he writes that barbara and i

were deeply saddened to learn that ted kennedy lost his valiant battle with cancer. but we did not see eye to eye on many political issues through the years, i always respected his steadfast public service. so much so, that i invited him to my library in 2003 to receive the bush award for excellence in public service. ted kennedy was a seminal figure in the u.s. senate, a leader who answered the call to duty for some 47 years. barbara and i send our heartfelt condolences to the family. next, a caller on the democrat'' line. caller: i was not going to call, but then this woman called from arkansas. her opinions were so-at a time like this. i'm sure that there are other politicians who have done equally as much as he in the

negative sense, but he was out in the public so everyone knew about him. but i did not call about that. i called to say that i am very proud that he was an american and represented not only his state of massachusetts, but he helped people in the district of columbia where i used to live. i think he did quite well and he was a standard-bearer, not only for the few americans that loved him, but also for many people around the world. the tanker. host: north carolina, on the republican line. good morning, jane. caller: yes my thoughts go for the family.

but back in the 1950's and 1960's he was not all that like he is now. back then when he was going up and following his brothers, john f. k., he, the girl -- the girl who worked in the office with him his name was jane. he left the scene when her car plunged over the bridge. she drowned. he took a person's life away. he came on the news and said he was guilty. not only do you do that, but i also think -- not only did he do

that, but i also think that he and jfk and his brothers had something to do with [unintelligible] host: we will leave it there. gov. patrick writes that one of the brightest lights has been extinguished with this stuff. he writes that he was a compassionate and effective, visionary statesmen as low as a family man and friend. there was no mention made of plans to replace kennedy in the senate. within special laws a special election must be held within 145 to 160 days. the senate resumes debate on health care when their returns on the big. our next call is from cape cod

on the line for democrats. caller: good morning, we have lost a voice, a neighbor, and a friend. he's spoken out for all of us here on the cape. whatever his faults he did his best for his people, and he should be remembered as a gifted public servant. thanks. host: before you go, jeff, a lot of people were remember and think of senator kennedy differently than those who know him nationally. what could you tell us or give us insight as to what he was like back home? things you did for the state? caller: they are to numerable to express it in just one phone call. host: virginia come rita, on the independent line. caller: good morning.

i just wanted to say that i think it is terrible. i can remember him so well and the things he has done. i hate that someone would want to put him down. i think he was a wonderful man, and i can always remember the kennedys. i just want to say that i feel for the family. thank you for taking my call. host: the numbers will be on the screen if you would like to give your thoughts on the passing of senator ted kennedy. we have set aside a special line for massachusetts residents. st. petersburg, fla., on the republican line. caller: good morning. it is a bad thing when politicians die. i still go back to the time when he jumped out of the car after he ran off the road. he was probably drunk, he really

was. kennedys have always done with the well-to-do to destroy this country. he is so far left -- once he did that with the woman, ran around on his wife, his just like bill clinton. now they are all bidding on this government down in south carolina about this woman -- they are old beating on him. but they do not know anything about john edwards, or even his brother. he probably was in the bed with marilyn monroe. host: this is senate majority leader harry reid, that as we mourn the loss we dedicate ourselves for the causes for which he so beautifully

dedicated his life. he stands as one of the most patriotic men ever to serve. macon, ga., on the democrats climb. -- on the line for democrats. caller: no, this is washington, d.c. i just wanted to say first of all that he who is among those without sin, let us cast the first system. we have to be americans and realize that the kennedy family has made so many sacrifices for america. we have to look past certain things. just get over it. thank you. host: the joining us with a different perspective is michelle, with the "boston herald" -- what would you add to the conversation as far as his political career? guest: good morning, pedro. well, this was never about

ideology. "the boston herald" had a few ideological differences with ted kennedy over the years, but i don't think any single politician ever did more for this state. in representing massachusetts he was absolutely indefatigable. a lot of that was over issues of health care. you can imagine i lived in downtown boston and you cannot spit without having a teaching hospital. our health care issues were unique and required an awful lot of tweaking in washington in terms of getting reimbursements for medicare and medicaid. he was always there on issues like that. the real basic kind of bread- and-butter work that gets done

in congressional and senatorial offices, no one did it better than ted kennedy. because he is such a huge figure it is one of those things come on so many different issues, sometimes the little things get lost. at the end of the day they're not such little things to the people who are waiting for a visa for a relative, or passport, or waiting for someone to clue through the thicket of red tape in washington to get something done. so, those of the things that kind of stick out on the local level for us. there is probably not a reporter in town who does not have a billion personal stories. this man, it did not matter

whether you were for or against him. he was always just a very kind hearted and a thoughtful. and more than one occasion he would pick up the phone in the morning and it would never be some secretary or press secretary asking to hold for the center. it was always "hi, chelley, this is ted, and that was a terrific article and i think it will help." it was a terrific approach. we will miss that. host: it is still early. any kind of movement as far as those in boston, people you have heard from of the passing of the centsenator, is it starting to e

waves there? guest: it is still very much the debt in the family and people are feeling a personally. as much as you anticipate bit, and we all knew over the past couple of months, that an end game was in place, in many ways you really cannot anticipated. his presence was so enormous. the sadness that summit people -- -- that so many people, it is just beginning to dawn on people, the sense of loss. it will be around for more than a few days.

host: that is rachelle from "the boston herald." thank you. back to calls, n.y., joe, on the in the benign. caller: good morning. i loved his brother john kennedy. ask not what your country can do for you, and nine days later he was assassinated. -- this is joe on the independent line. caller: the state of massachusetts has laws. one of them is that if a senator passes there is to be a special election, the will of the people. they will elect a new senator. he tried to circumvent that the law are writing a letter to the governor, do not let the people have a special election. appoint somebody, let's get our

boy in. how sad. that that is how he behaved in his final day. host: on the line for democrats, georgia. caller: good morning, i have seen mr. kennedy on the floor many times. i have seen him literally beg republicans and even some democrats to do the humane thing. when i say that i mean at the humane thing. to all these colors, what that man did with chappaquiddick, god knows people, that was what, 30, 35, 40 years ago? jesus, the man just died last night and you're going to ream him for that? i do not even want to know people like that. you need to give him his due. trust me, i have watched every

hearing they have held in the last two years because i broke my back and watch c-span. there will never be a republican that someone will say that he made a difference to the people of america. you republicans need to start watching parents because they are making differences for the companies they represent. you will see that clearly. the war in iraq was ok and everyone stood up ford on the republican side for $1 trillion to democratize people that you hate. every day they said that they are bringing democracy there. well, why are you taking democracy to people that you hate? you don't want them here, they should be dead. host: we will leave it there. omaha, neb., betty. caller: ted kennedy will certainly be missed because you knew where he stood.

he stood for what he believed. he will truly be missed. we need to put things behind us and go forward with all of his principles and get things done. my heart goes out to the family. host: vernon, n.y. caller: within weeks of the tragedy -- it is said that the republicans cannot forget to kennedy for whatever happened, and nobody knows for sure what did. he served 47 years. he will be the giant of the

american senate. he stands above all other senators in history. he has been a truly great legislator, a great champion of the people. i hope that will maybe give a second thought to all he has done. host: a couple of program notes. at a 30 a.m. today the president will address the passing of senator ted kennedy. we will carry it live. you can look at our website for more information about the late senator edward kennedy. you can also see his speech from 1980. you also see a speech to the democratic national convention. again, c-span.org. also, if you are joining us on

this weekend, the editors of " the boston globe" have compiled a book looking at senator kennedy's political life. if you would like to see it on a. but tv" you can see it twice, and in the morning and in the evening. guestcaller: good morning, the e who are calling in with this hateful stuff -- i used to be a republican and i felt that way for years, but in the last couple of years i started looking into what ted kennedy has done with his life. i think that we have most the glue that has held the senate and the house together, the legislation that he stamped, and

we have to look past -- i'm sure he was very sorry for a lot of the things he did. we all are sorry for a lot of the things we do. i just want to give my condolences to his family and to this country because i do not think people realize what we have lost. host: the title of the book -- there is the cover right there. one more call, from oregon. caller: good morning, i think the country has reached a political loss in the kennedy situation. when i met mr. kennedy, my father was a staunch republican

and was testifying in the committee 15 years before i met him. we were having lunch in palm beach, fla. for the kennedys also have a hong. my father pointed across the dining room to mr. kennedy. and i said it certainly is, what an honor. mr. kennedy got up and walked across the room, stopped and turned to my father, and said jim shea? and i said he knows you. that was 15 years after my father was on that committee. he remembered him. it is the only time my father ever met him, a remarkable memory, what a great presence, a huge loss for the country. i just want you to know that i was born november 17, 1963, returned from the hospital the

very day that his brother was assassinated, so i have always had a large lumlp in my throat every time i hear a tragedy in their family, and i just want to bless them for what they have done for our country. host: that is the last call for now. over the next three days we will have a special series of segments that take a look at medicare. we will look at par a, b, and c. we will have special guest to better inform you about how these programs work. today we will tackle medicare part a, concerning health hospitals get paid. our guest will talk about that and we will have questions, when we come back. >> ladies and gentlemen, senator edward kennedy.

♪ >> as the debate over health care continues, c-span is health carehub is a key resource. go online to follow the latest links. wash the latest events, including town hall meetings. share your thoughts with your own citizen video, colluding that of any town hall to have gone to. there is more at c-span.org/ health care. >> go inside the supreme court to see the public places and those releasing spaces. hear directly from the justices as they provide inside about the court in building. the supreme court, home to america's highest court. the first sunday in october on c-span. >> private donations? >> grants, and stuff like that.

>> public television? >> i do not know. >> contributions from donors? >> america's cable companies traded c-span as a public service, a private initiative, no public mandate or money. host: what is medicare parts a? guest: it is the biggest part of medicare. medicare is of $480 billion per year program. it covers 45 million seniors and disabled americans, people over 65, and those under 65 who are disabled. part a concerns hospitals, and patient services, and the like. you get into complications of a lot of co-payments and

deductibles, but the biggest part is in nursing homes, home health agencies, hospitals, and a variety of other things. it is paid for largely by hospital insurance tax that you and i see from our project if you are working. it is a 1.45% tax on the individual, along with your social security tax, and the same on your employer. everyone pays 2.9% to finance that. the taxes collected on the hospital side many times go back out to pay for medicare part a. host: a lot of information in that answer. let's pretty dumb. who is eligible for medicare part a? guest: the largest segment our seniors over 65. you have to have paid to be

eligible und65thon -- on your 6h birthday. but, basically, then you are in. additionally, there is a large population of people who are disabled, about 7 million. they are declared by the social security administration to be disabled. after a two-year waiting period, then you are in. that is about 16% of the population. host: why do you have to wait two years? guest: there is a resumption that if people are long term disabled and fundamentally dissemble, -- there is a presumptive the note is to show that you could go back to work,

or if you have lou gehrig's disease, or certain other types like renal disease, their qualifications to get in more quickly. host: those two? guest: als only happened a couple of years ago. it hits quickly and disabled people quickly. waiting two years is often not approve. when you have a kidney failure and have to be on kidney dialysis three times per week to survive, there are other qualifications. so, there is the acknowledgement that those two diseases lead to much quicker terminal illness. host: everybody pays 1.45% of their income to medicare? guest: if you look on your social security taxes on your

paycheck, it's sayshi tax -- that is hospital tax -- it says hi tax. the best book of working americans pay this tax, as does your employer, alter your working life. that goes to the hospital insurance trust fund. that collected about $205 billion last year through various mechanisms. it then pays out the hospital insurance benefits or to a home health agency, or such. host: who administers into? guest: by the centers for medicare and medicaid services which i ran for two years in the early 2000's. it is in transition. medicare sets the policy.

it is in baltimore. the program is administered by contractors, blue cross plans. in 2003 and was involved in putting a policy where we had contractors who are called fiscal intermediaries, which are largely blue cross plans. there used to be 26. by region there would pay out benefits. if you submitted your claim after going to the hospital, the check would come back, usually would be to a contractor. there was a judgment made largely by me and others in congress that it was too complex. b in part a have all been joined together to consolidate the 15 original contractors. the will be 15 years from now. all the payments will come through 15 plans.

host: those are 15 private plans? guest: they are 15 contractors that medicare pays, largely still across plans. they are blue cross by state. the contract with medicare to pay benefits on behalf of medicare. it has evolved over the years. for many years of mutual of omaha was a big contractor. essentially, the government uses contractors to pay them out. host: if you were 65 years old and eligible for medicare, you do not pay for it anymore, correct? if you are not working? guest: foreparts a. the net to various creeley. if you have to buy private insurance, for the average senior it is about a $11,000 per person. -- for part a.

it varies greatly. so, basically once you hit 65 you are covered. generally, you'll pay about $1,100 per year for premiums for a $11,000 benefits. 90% is covered by the treasury. it includes the taxes you paid your whole life. so, the premium is about 10% of the cost. the rest of it is covered by taxes you paid during your working life. host: for the next three days we want to explore medicare. how it developed and how it is paid for and how it fits into the healthcare debate currently going on on capitol hill. we will put up the phone lines. we have divided them differently. if you are 64 or under, dial in

on the first line. if you are 65 or older, dial into -0002. then, we would like to hear from healthcare professionals on the third time. what services does medicare part a cover? guest: all inpatient hospital services. the deductible is a lifetime cap. medicare stops covering at some point. but party a has a $68 deductible which has been adjusted for inflation over the years. the first 60 days you are in the hospital, you pay the first $1,060.

medicare pays the rest. if you are in for another 30 days after that, there is a copayment of $267 per day. beyond that $9, it gets more expensive. the best book of seniors have some type of supplemental insurance. -- the best part have supplemental insurance. -- the vast part. it tends to be about $3 or $4 per month for the supplemental insurance. -- $300 or $400 per month. the next for you about is medicare advantage. it is a private medicare plan to provide different benefits that

usually do not have these gaps. host: why is there a deductible , $1,000.68? jake -- $1,0068. guest: it is not intended to cover every dollar. is more like if you hit a certain threshold it will cover these expenses. lower income people have medicaid instead. their 7 million seniors who have dual coverage. medicaid also provides supplemental coverage. so, the issue is that for people who are notpo poor, this should

cover some of the cost. the idea was to make sure that the beneficiary has some sense of sharing the costs. and also to keep the cost down. host: what is the theory behind after 60 days of big co-pay kicks in? guest: a lot of it was cost. in 1965 the program was originally projected to be $3 billion per year. this year is $470 billion. so, the issue is largely because. hospitalization is pretty high. very few seniors see the deductibles. the issue was cost. there's times the legislation was passed to cut some co-pays

and deductibles for seniors. host: is the hospital fund self-funding? guest: yes, it is. it has a surplus that theoretically goes until you bring in more revenues until about 2019. that is before you have spinning going higher than the revenue. -- before you have spending going higher than the revenue. host: alex from cq politics is also joining us. is this part of the healthcare debate taking place on capitol hill? guest: yes, they have to pay for the bill somehow. one big way they want to generate revenue is by making some spending cuts to medicare.

i hesitate to call them cuts, because they're more like decreasing the rate of growth. they add up to a substantial amount of money over 10 years. it is $200 billion in the house bill just from spending changes within part a. host: how did they make those changes? guest: by tying future adjustments and payments to medicare providers to productivity growth. this gets a little technical, but basically medicare at the moment does not take into account productivity improvements in the economy when they are updating payments for medicare providers. they will start doing that. that measure alone raises within part a about $100 billion. host: what does productivity

mean? guest: slowing the rate of inflation. hospitals every year get 3% inflation adjustment for cause. you can assume that for productivity reasons they do not need three%, but less -- so it is lowering that to slow the rate of inflation adjustments they get. over a few years if you give them 2% rather than 3%, over 10 years you imagine to save quite a bit of money. host: how does medicare and set rate for open heart surgery in tennessee or new york city? guest: it is fundamental. my old agency, 500,000 people make judgments about the right amount to pay for heart bypasses.

they do it based on hospital costs data from the private sector. it might be 15% more in new york city than in the rural area of new york or wyoming, but fundamentally every doctor and hospital is paid the same with regional adjustments. host: do hospitals lose money on medicare patients? guest: hospitals generally, you can debate that. generally, there is a cost shift across the board. medicare per service -- the argument is that there is much more volume -- but generally, hospitals probably break even or marginally lose money on medicare patients. they shift the cost to the private sector. there would probably charge of private insurance company 10% more than medicare pays.

most health providers lose money on medicaid, a break-even on medicare, and make money by shifting the cost to the private sector. it is one of the reasons why people in the private sector want reform. host: so, it is not really a fee-for-service? medicare pays you a certain rate, regardless? guest: yes, i was in the first bush administration -- it seemed like a great idea at the time what i was doing. the average physician had an average rate of $34. today is about $35 after 20 years. the adjustment system ratchets down the stretch. what are you going to do? the physicians will provide more services, invest in and outside services and equipment.

the system that sets prices in new it does not matter where your tenure is as a doctor. in theory by unit you are restricting in controlling prices. but there is a lot of volume and very few ways to control. host: is there much fallout on the proposed changes on capitol hill? guest: some polling suggests that seniors are the most opposed in the country to the president's plan over all. they are clearly concerned about what congress is doing with medicare as part of this effort. i think congress faces a difficult task. they are trying to toe the line between medicare spending in medicare benefits in cutting. if that sounds like a distinction without a difference, some republicans say that it is. host: let's go to calls. we have divided on lines a little differently today.

-- divided the phone lines a little differently. our guests are tom scully, former head of medicare and medicaid during the first bush administration. andalex wayne of cq politics.com. irma, in arlington, texas, under 65, good morning. caller: good morning, this is my first time to calledlive. my comment is that in regard to the medicarea, or b, for senior citizens, or even for the disabled -- personally, we have suffered a loss in my family. my father turned 62 and he wanted to retire at 65, but got

very ill with terminal cancer. according to the positions they told us he had may be less than six months. we turned around and applied for social security and disability benefits. they told us we had to wait six months until medicare would kick in for his disability. needless to say, what happened, my father's life depleted and he passed less than seven weeks later. of course, my mother was left with hospital bills that she could not get help with. according to the social security administration and the rules, my father did not last long enough to wait the six months to qualify for disability. it would be nice if there were a way they could find especially for the terminally ill, no matter the age, that you would

not have to wait six months to qualify for any kind of benefits. host: thank you. guest: that is the whole debate about health care, try to find a way for those people, often right before medicare, and between50-65, so for such a sad example -- there would be away. host: is this the hospital portion, is it efficiently run? guest: yes, probably. if you good to george washington hospital down the street, 60% of their payments come from either medicare or medicaid and the price is the same. in the long run, what are the incentives to be the best hospital in town if it will pay the same as the worst

hospital? if the program more run efficiently, well, i do like my old agency, the do the best they can be no administrative costs are about 1.5%. i think it is run pretty well, and contractors to a pretty good job. host: bill, a health-care professional. what kind of professional are you? caller: i am actually a bureaucrat. i wanted to think mr.scully for his service to the medicare agency. my question is, if he could explain the role of states in pain for the cost-sharing for the low income beneficiaries, and ask -- he did mention that he thought medicaid was essentially under paying hospitals, and to what extent that medicare cost-sharing by states was adequate on behalf of the low-income beneficiaries?

also, i do not know if he had any comments about senator kennedy's death, or anecdotes about interactions with him? host: bill, you call yourself a bureaucrat. what agency? caller: department of health and human services. guest: i won't say anything about senator kennedy because i will get choked up. he is a good guy. i spent a lot of time with him over the years. anyway, what do we think about the medicaid program? it was one program, but 50 programs. there are 50 different states -- excuse me, i'm sorry. but 50 states do different things. some have extensive coverage like california, new york. others like taxes do not have quite as much. at what income level are you

covered depends vastly on where you live. all 50 states have different measures. some states do at a very good job of covering low-income single, and some do not do as. much it is all subject to state politics. it is roughly 60% by the federal government, and the rest run by this. it is 50 vastly different programs. you might be a low-income beneficiary in one state and the completely covered, whereas in a different state you would not be. host: is the healthcare debate on capitol hill taking on geographical flavor? guest: yes, absolutely. there is a group of conservative democrats known as the blue dogs who have pressured democratic leaders in the house to increase medicare

reimbursements for rural providers. they feel medicare payments are not generous enough there. doctors are leaving small towns, going to larger city. that is definitely an issue. host: we're talking today about medicare parta which is the hospital insurance portion. our next call comes from maryland on the 65 and older line. caller: i have two questions. the personal question is, i have been told that i am prohibited from signing up for social security only. either i have to some of for medicare too. i have an excellent policy that my former employer has guaranteed me for life. i do not need medicare. i'm not interested in it as being my primary payer. why can't i sign up for just so-

so security alone? the next question is in regard to the healthcare debate. why couldn't medicaid be tweaked to accommodate those people who can demonstrate they either do not have the means to get insurance and certify they do not have and available at work to fill in the gap? hostguest: the second question s simply a matter of expense. you have so many millions who are uninsured. their programs similar to medicaid. and the cost is now over $400 billion per year. you certainly could do that, and many states have along with the federal government. but the issue is cost. bingham.

. . hit 65 years old but you won't realize that medicare is paying the bill but you'll save your

employer. so you may not want medicare part a. you're going to get it. medicare is paying before your employer does. it should be seamless to you, but medicare part a, congress made it mandatory. host: medicare part a 65 years old you are on it, period. guest: you are on it if you pay in. host: florida. caller: this is dr. mckayla, thanks for c-span for doing this important segment. my question is why medicare denies the american liberties to patients and how they're going to make it worse. the medicare is running out of money. if you're a patient you want to pay an extra $50 to your doctor

to get seen quicker, medicare denies that right to patients. also, if you want to leave the medicare program, as jat just said, you are de-- as the gentleman just said, you are trapped in that program and there's no competition. finally, medicare wants to institute called pay for performance that wants to pay doctors for meeting certain government cree with the medicare with the medicaid supplemental because medicare pays 53% of my costs so i lose money every time i take those patients. basically, why is medicare denying patients the benefits they expect and why won't they -- host: what is your practice? caller: i do trauma call.

the system needs to change. and we cannot have more government control. it's breaking the economy. and in the end the rights will be denied fishtse and there are rationing boards being set up. host: tom scully. guest: the more you have rational debates. i'd like to see health reform pass this year. less screaming, less politics, less people throwing bombs and talking more about health policies is a good thing. i disagree with one. we talked about health care policy for years. and another former c.m.s. administer is a good friend of mine. the doctor made a good point. a lot of crazy things in the system. we need to fix them. it's been going on for 40 years. people thinks it's a war about anything. the fact it's a very complicated system.

it's the single biggest thing our government does other than the defense department. we need to make medicare better, medicaid better. and the commercial sector. the history of the balance billing cap comes back. i was involved with this in 1989. there were some patients, some low income, and this the arp was saying you cover $50 a payment and some doctors, very few, would be charging $150 and the patients would say i'm getting this balanced bill for way more than medicare pays. so the reform that was passed in 189 and i was george bush number one's staffer back then, would have put a cap on it saying you can't pay as a doctor, if medicare pays $50 you can't charge more than 15% above that. that was part of the bill that was dealt with at the time because there was perceptions there was abuses of some providers, not just doctors, 20

years ago charging significantly more than medicare would pay and seniors were upset about it. they can't charge more than a certain amount. in private health plans, part c, if you are in a private medicare plan the rules don't apply. if you sign up for a blue cross plan or united or cigna or aetna, 90% of seniors do, the senior population, then those rules do not apply. host: the doctor called pay for performance, what is that? guest: it's saying, paying a hospital $20,000 for a stint insertion, we're going to measure your outcome and we are going to play some plus or minus 2%. we are paying doctors plus or minus a couple percentage points. i think that's absolutely the right thing to do. i had the first pay for hospital performans.

it's measuring hospitals' outcomes and doctors' outcome . it says we'll pay you plus or minus 2% or 3%. i think it's better than doing nothing in my personal view. it's like having the defense department go out and pay trucks and pay 2% more for mercedes than we would for a ugo. on the margins i happen to believe that more private sector-driven -- my view -- works better. that's the system we have. but within the medicare system, there's a big movement which i totally support saying we ought to measure outcomes for all of the providers and the better ones get paid a little bit more and not a little bit less. host: alex wayne, any comment to what the doctor had to say? guest: i think it was more of a statement than a question. a couple callers ago mentioned medicaid and whether that could be tweaked to cover more people

without insurance. the fact is that both the house and senate are looking to doing exactly that. they are looking at expansions of medicaid that would cost on the order of $450 billion over the next 10 years. they would cover practically everybody right around the poverty level using medicaid. and that would be a big change from now because right now medicaid eligibility varies from state to state as tom discussed a little bit, i think, and it averages about only 68% of poverty nationwide. so democrats see a medicaid expansion a major piece of their health overhaul efforts. host: tom scully, we've been referring to this as hospital insurance. what does part a cover again? guest: it covers nursing homes. you have to be in the hospital first and then go to a nursing home, medicare covers the first 180 days. if you have a hip replacement or knee replacement and go to a nursing home it covers that. and rehab hospitals if you have

a hip replacement and goes to a rehabilitation hospital it covers that. key term hospitals for long-term illnesses. host: so skilled care? guest: it doesn't cover long-term care. if you need to go to a nursing home, lower acute hospital, it covers that. but after 100 days it doesn't cover it. it covers hospice care and after you come out of the hospital and the nursing care and also homebound. you have to be homebound. inability to leave the house. it covers home care for another 100 days with certain other provisions. nursing homes, hospice, home care and the acute care hospitals. host: that's all part of part a? guest: all part of part a. host: debbie who is under 65 from mobile, alabama. debbie, please go ahead. caller: yes. mr. scully, i'd like to ask you a question. i'm fortunate to be a young woman, 54, that i've had to get

on disability. and i'm having to wait 24 months before i can get on my medicare. and i couldn't figure that out either, but i had called and discussed it with the social security office and they explained the issues with me. so i'm hoping in march i'll get my medicare. but i need -- i wanted to ask you something else. you talk about it takes corners working -- 10 credits, what do you have to get the -- to get your medicare or whatever it is? guest: you may have a spouse that qualifies as well, more complex, but you have to pay the taxes during a lifetime for 10 quarters. if you paid your 1.45% and the employer pays theirs for 10 quarters which is obviously 2 1/2 years during your lifetime then automatically when you are

65 you are eligible for medicare and you are already signed up. if you paid for that period of time, there are other qualifers, you can actually buy into the program but you're automatically in if you paid taxes for 10 quarters. host: if you work full time for 2 1/2 years? guest: if you work for 2 1/2 years you're in. caller: i am a 75-year-old retired mathematician. i call up a lot because there are lots of myths associated with health care. i call up every 30 days. i am going to talk about the myth of cost sharing. i know you people get attached to myths so i hope mr. scully will keep an open mind. if i say anything you don't understand please interrupt me and ask a question. ok, your claim is that since medicare doesn't pay enough, hospitals have to charge private insurers more money to make up for the loss than the medicare payments . now, if this were true it would have to be on a hospital by

hospital basis. it doesn't do hospital b with all the medicare patients any good if hospital a charges private insurers more money. and this is true that private insurers do pay hospitals with differently sums of money for the same treatment. so if there were cost sharing hospitals with a large volume of medicare and medicaid patients would have to be paid and have to charge more to the private insurers. but medpac has looked into this and there is absolutely no correlation between the volume of medicare and medicaid patients and the amount the hospitals charge private insurers. some hospitals have a lot of medicare patients and they get paid less than private -- by private insurers than other hospitals with almost no medicare patients get paid by private insurers. cost sharing like others -- like malpractice is a myth and it's a myth that spread by the private insurance companies because they don't want us to

consider the real problems in health care which is mostly caused by private for-profit insurance. i hope you understand this argument. did you understand it? guest: sure. i'm saying that medpac and -- it's the medicare payment assessment commission which is the advisory commission to congress. it's an advisory group of medicare experts, health care experts around the country, doctors, hospitals, administrators who make policies about enhancing that and making it a much stronger role. host: who appoints it? guest: the government accountability office. technically what happens the chairman of the ways and means committee, which runs medicare in the house, and the chairman of the finance committee, makes recommendations and largely congress suggests strongly to the government accountability office, the government accountability office who to pick. they do a good job.

a lot of discussions. senator rockefeller, good friend of mine, has suggested enhancing it. you can debate that for three days as well. but they make most of the -- if you are a staffer on the hill and looking to write a medicare hill the first part is the medpac recommendations. that's the starting point for where these bills starts on the hill and it's a good start. host: how many people serve on it? guest: 20. i think there's roughly 18 or 20. host: all right. go on with your answer. guest: the point is there are many studies. you can certainly make the argument that different hospitals, but there's very little doubt, there are many studies out there that show on average medicare pays, depending which study you want to pick, 6%, 8%, 10% less. there's a huge program in the medicare practice.

i think it's now doctor 25 billion a year. -- $25 billion a year. if you're a hospital that takes care of a disproportionately number of medicare patients and medicaid patients, you get supplement payments . the point is you take care of a large chunk, if insure boston and you get more seniors than the hospitals down the street you get a more supplemental payment for medicare to take care of that. and medicaid in every state has a disproportionate share of hospital payments . that's something up to $40 billion in medicare payments . if you take care of more medicare and medicaid patients than the guy down the street you get paid more. i would argue that substantively there's not much question that there's some cost shift to the private sector. host: alex wayne, is cost sharing the debate on capitol

hill? guest: kind of. cost shifting is an interesting issue. i don't think anybody has a good handle of the extent to which the problem and how it balances out. what my understanding of it is that cost shifting often depends on who has more weight in a given market. if you have a big hospital group and a lot of insurers, the hospital has generally more influence to dictate prices to the insurers. conversely, if you have a big insurance plan in a state that controls a big piece in the market and a lot of maybe smaller hospitals take a rural state, like alabama or mississippi, in that case the insurer can dictate price to the hospital. medicare kind of gets caught in the middle of this kind of battle between insurers and hospitals over how -- who's going to pay for what and how much they're going to pay, i think. host: how big is the lobbying activity on behalf of hospitals

and nursing homes during this health care debate? guest: well, there are two very large hospital associations in town. they are both heavily involved in this debate. they've already kind of struck a deal with members of the senate finance committee and the white house to contribute some savings to the costs of the overhaul. and so right now -- excuse me -- hospitals are supporting the overhaul or at least they aren't making much noise about opposing it so far. host: well, tom scully, you're former head of the federation of american hospitals. guest: i was the president of one of them for six years in the 1990's. host: what's the strategy for the hospital associations to support, as alex wayne said, the current health care debate? guest: money moving around for hospitals. than anybody else. and they probably have more political support than anybody else because every town has a

hospital in it and people are fond of their hospital. the real issue is you have 47 million uninsured people. so the average hospital has anywhere 8% to 12% that walk in the door have no insurance coverage. and as you mentioned, medicaid frequently underpays their costs. i won't debate about that. medicaid almost never costs in any state. they have to cost shift. you have 8% to 12% of your patients that are uninsured, you're cost shifting the other patients. you're getting a lot of losses. if there is a coverage that covers everybody, that's a great win for them. everybody comes in with an insurance card. that's the right thing to do. you can average hospitals are excited about their bad debt being from 10% to 12% to 2% because nobody is talking about covering illegal aliens. there will always be some portion of people that aren't covered. if you are he a hospital that's a big wind fall for you. there is about $50 billion a

year that is out there to pay for hospitals to help them -- help the costs. they get significant payments for medicare and medicaid to pay for this uninsured population, sort of a back door subsidy. if you have people that walks in for a blue cross card or an aetna card, should you give back some of those subsidies? and the hospital is saying, let's gets everybody covered. and as the existing subsidies go away, that's their concern. you can imagine hospitals are like universal coverage. they don't get to cover this enormous group of people that doesn't have insurance coverage. and they don't want to give up the existing subsidies before people shows up with insurance cards. it's a cost shift issue for the hospital. host: do hospitals have to treat anyone? guest: they have to treat

anyone by law. in the emergency room, at least. there are certain places where you can transfer places out. by law it's the emergency room -- i won't get into the details -- you have to take the patient and treat them and stabilize them at least. it's a significant cost to hospitals, normally in urban areas. most people don't understand that. hospitals have a good argument. on the other hand, hospitals would love, just to give you the other side, they would love to have 47 million people all covered and not giving up their existing subsidies. how quickly do you get back the existing subsidies while if you get the universal coverage which i think certainly financially it would take a decade for a phase in this. host: lerla is a health care professional. what do you do? caller: i practice primary care. host: you're a doctor? caller: yes. host: go ahead.

caller: i am calling because i am a supporter for medicare for all. however, there is some inherent and unfairness in medicare, as you've just spoken about, the cost shifting. especially as far as physicians are concerned. we've had a very small increase in our reimbursement over the 29 years that i've been practicing. and we get no supplement if we are in urban areas where we're more likely to see more medicare patients and more medicaid patients. i think that our health care system needs a complete overhaul. the insurance companies have also discounted their services in line with medicare. and so the cost shifting has become their bottom line profit because of that adjustment and their payments to physicians. so i'd like for mr. scully to talk about the unfairness that

medicare has caused because it does not pay the provider adequately as a private -- as the private insurers follow suit. and there is no clear redress for physicians because of this. host: now, is she talking about part b more than part a? guest: all physician payments, even if you are in the hospital, they get paid by part b. when we talk about part a and you get a hip replacement, the hospital gets paid. the physician that comes in that gets the surgery, they're paid by part b. whole different schedule. the physician is paid separately on a whole different fee schedule out of part b. host: and, doctor, i promise you we will talk about cost shifting, that issue tomorrow on this program at about the same time we are going to be talking about part b which is

kind of a medical insurance, i guess. is that a fairway of describing part b? guest: yeah. part b is basically physician payments, other professional services, other cairo practers, at the die terrorists. if you go and have surgery at an outpatient hospital, that's part b. guest: if there is a heart surgery being done anywhere in the country, is it the same amount of money that's paid by medicare to that hospital for the services? guest: adjusted for geography. if you happen to be a hospital in new york with a high level of uninsured, you may get a supplemental payments . the payment is adjusted for geographic differences, and then there are some supplemental payments . essentially the price is the same. host: carolyn in kileen, texas, go ahead. caller: i'm retired and about

63, i'll be 65 in maybe a little over a year and right now i pay blue cross blue shield with $155 premium and then i pay $3,400 above and beyond that for whatever i need for the year. when i turn 65, what supplemental insurance will i need besides part b so i don't have to pay so much out of pocket? guest: well, that's a complex question. if you go to the traditional medicare program which 80% of americans are, you are going to pay $98 a month and you'll get part a and part b. in addition to that, you can choose part d, which is the medicare drug benefit. and the premium there can go anywhere from $15 to $60 for supplemental drug benefits. you're still going to have significant gaps in coverage and you're probably going to want to buy private medicare

gap insurance. you can go to the website. aarp has probably the largest. it's so you don't have large co-payments, probably from $150 to $300. you are going to have a significant savings over what you're paying now because the reality is you are going to have essentially $9,000 to $10,000 subsidized medicare benefit. so your costs will go down significantly. another option is look for medicare advantage point which is a private insurance plan. none of these medicare rules apply. the government says here is $11,000, blue cross of texas or humana, call us next year and frequently what you'll find, and we'll get on this on friday, probably your costs will be lowest in that program for a variety of reasons. we can explain on friday. you need to look at that if you're relatively lower and

worried about your cost. you will have to go into a network of providers. very likely you'll get more benefits at a lower cost but your choice of physicians and hospitals and other providers will be limited. you're basically in an h.m.o. host: alex wayne, once again, medicare part a, the hospital insurance part, what's its role in the health care debate on capitol hill right now? guest: right now democrats are looking at it as a source of revenue, essentially, for paying for the health overhaul effort. they'd like to reduce the growth rate, the rate in spending, i'd say about $120 billion over the next 10 years. they're trying to avoid those cuts resulting in cuts in benefits. and right now they seem to be toeing that line pretty successfully. aarp so far has not voiced any opposition to the medicare

changes proposed, at least in the house version of legislation. host: with all the town meetings going on in august on health care, what are members of congress hearing? guest: well -- host: regarding part a and the medicare issue? guest: sure, i went to one last night and ploo of the opponents were -- looked to me were seniors. so seniors are worried about what congress is doing because opponents of overhaul are portraying the medicare changes as cuts in benefits. and so democrats kind of face the challenge and fighting back against that messaging and trying to reassure seniors that the changes they're making to medicare, it's a huge program with lots of money that the democratic argument is that they can make this program more efficient without really affecting services and benefits. host: how much waste, fraud and abuse is there in medicare that could be cut? guest: there's a lot.

when you have a -- and there's a lot more waste, fraud and abuse in south florida than there is in north dakota. it depends on where you are. look, it's a big program. there are a lot of providers out there. there's always a couple billion dollars a year in a $484 billion program that you could save from waste, fraud and abuse. you should always limit waste, fraud and abuse and hammer providers that are scamming the taxpayers and the trust funds but you can't fix the health care system by going to waste, fraud and abuse. in health care debate, which i am a big fan of, you know, a moderated form of, is all about fixing the commercial insurance system for people under 65. medicare is to slow the growth of medicare and finance it. you can get into the debate of hospitals, honestly have proportionately and historically, relatively small cuts they are talking about. hospitals have great political support in congress.

congressman rangel in the house is the major players. very close to the hospitals. senator bacus, very close to the hospitals in montana. cuts in nursing homes and health agencies. on a proportionately basis. i don't want you to get into debate here, for the point of seniors, benefits are not changing. paying nursing home less for their posthospital stay, ising that go to affect your care? they're trying to slow the growth rate saying, if we are going to cover 47 million people the money has got to come from some place. ising that going to affect benefits -- is that going to affect benefits? it could. host: what's a d.r.g. guest: diagnosis related group. host: what is it and how is it

part of medicare part a? comboip there was reform in the early 1980's. if you were a hospital you sent in your costs for everything, the nurses, the laundry list, medicare paid your cost. it led to rampant inflation. congress said we're going to figure out what the cost of a heart bypass operation is, everything, and we are going to tell the hospital in philadelphia that your total costs are $50,000 on average. call us later. so the average hospital stay is 10 days, you make it work. it's one payment per diagnosis. when you go in the hospital, you get the code, that's all the hospital gets. if you stay in the hospital and have problems, they get supplementals. if you go for the heart bypass and the length of stay is seven days and average cost is $50,000, you get out in four days, they get $50,000 which is

one of the reason why they want people out quicker. if you are longer you'll get more. the hospital gets on average -- and it encourages better behavior. hospitals get paid one bulk amount and it draws better behavior. it's clearly worked much better and the hospitals were finally opposed to it at first and now likes it. host: 65 and older, go ahead. we are going to put you on hold, kathryn. you know the rules, you have to turn down your volume on your tv. joe, 65 and older, please go ahead. joe. caller: yes. hello. i just got out of the hospital last night with a major, almost died in the hospital, and i asked the administration office here what three or four months ago and was deemed totally disabled. now they say i owe 20% of a

$240,000 bill. how can that possibly be? host: this is on medicare, right? caller: yes. i was deemed totally disabled. i had medicaid and said i could not have both. host: 20%? guest: your hospital deductible, assuming you were in the hospital more than the maximum number of days, 60 days, your deductible for the hospital is by definition $1,068. if you had serious surgery or major complications, medicare part d, which is physician services, does have a 20% co-payment. as i mentioned, 89% of seniors don't generally see it because they have a supplemental service. they have a 20% co-payment. if you had a significant illness with many doctors visiting you, could you have a 20% co-payment in theory? yes. if you are on medical, which is

medicaid in california, and you're qualified for that, sounds like another complicated issue in that case, that should cover the bulk of it. but your hospital, the hospital cannot charge you more than $1,068. physicians and other related part b services, have a 20% co-payment. and many of the costs coming out of the hospital are physician-related. host: our last call for tom scully and alex wayne comes from under 65. caller: i have a question about death bed care. i've had two parents here in m.d. anderson hospital in houston and they had cancer and when they were terminally ill in a hopeless death bed situation their care was very aggressive. and the costs were just enormous. and i don't -- i didn't understand how the government would allow hospitals to extend

the death experience and rack up big charges and pay those charges and it was very inhumane. i've talked to the many people whose parents at the time of their demise have been aggressively treated. and i think there's some advantage taking here of the government payments . guest: well, this is a raging debate in the health reform debate that gets out of blown out of proportion which is the end of life -- you know, a lot of costs are -- many people have family members who are sick. obviously senator kennedy family's -- kennedy's family succumbed to cancer. on the other hand, i think a lot of people believe about the hospice benefits.

if a doctor diagnosis you within six months of care, can you go to another care which you can essentially acknowledge that you are terminally ill and have much more aggressive and comprehensive home health services and other support services to take care of you. many people choose that. there will be more education about that. some people when you are terminally ill and think hospice care is the way to go. there is a lot of bombs throwing back and forth within the last month, people want to ration care and take away your end of life choice. i think the less screaming and yelling and the rational discussion of these issues, when should somebody get the last $50,000 treatment in the last week of life, that's a choice you have to make. these are all -- these are some of the biggest costs to the medicare program. certainly i think a rational policy debate about it rather than a political debate is meaty. guest: i think they would default to providing as

aggressive a treatment as possible unless the patient has what's known as an advanced directive in place dictating what kind of care they want in their last days. and lawmakers are paying attention to this issue. there is -- right now there's a provision in the house version of the legislation that would pay doctors and medicare for counseling their patients on making -- writing advanced directives or living also. that provision -- living wills. that's come under a lot of criticism. i think it's been -- inaccurately described by some of the opponents. this is where the term death panels comes from and that sort of talk. the provision wouldn't require anyone to write an advanced directive and it doesn't -- it is not based on whether somebody decides they want less aggressive treatment at the end of their life or not. it's simply -- it's simply

designed to encourage people to have these conversations with their doctor so they don't wind up in the situation that the caller just described. host: alex wayne of cqpolitics.com, tom scully, former head of the centers of the medicare and medicaid and former president of the american hospitals. what do you do today? >> i spend half my time in new york wan investment -- with an investment firm. and then i mainly work on health care policy in both jobs. host: thank you both for helping understand medicare part a today. tomorrow bruce will be on the show. he was head of the health care financing agency, the former c.m.s., under the clinton administration, and we'll talk about medicare part b which is the physician payment part of medicare.

>> as the debate over health care conditions, c-span's health care hub is available. watch the latest events including town hall meetings and share your thoughts on the issue with your own citizen video, including any video of any town halls you've gone through. and there's more at c-span/healthcare. go inside the supreme court to see the public places and those rarely seen spaces. hear directly from the justices as they provide their insight about the court and the building. the supreme court, home to america's highest court. the first sunday in october on

c-span. how is c-span funded? >> private donations. >> you know, grants and stuff like that. you know, public television. >> donations. >> i don't know where the money comes from. >> federally. >> contributions from donors. >> how is c-span funded? america's cable companies created c-span as a public service. a private business initiative. no government mandate, no government money. >> "washington journal" continues. host: we will continue your calls on the passing of senator edward kennedy. here are the numbers. 202-737-0001 for republicans. 202-737-0002 for democrats. 202-628-0205 for inds -- independents. and for those that live in massachusetts, we have a separate line. that is 202-628-0184.

send us an email at journal@c-span.org and you can do that as well. we will take those calls and emails in just a moment. during this time, not only will we hear from you about the passing of senator kennedy, we will also show you some video from past members experiences. this one coming up, it's from 2008 and the night he gave his -- i guess his endorsement of barack obama. >> there is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass through we will reach our destination. not merely victory for our party but renewal for our nation. and this november the torch will be passed again to a new generation of americans.

so with barack obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. the work begins anew. the hope rises again. and the dream lives on. [applause] host: senator kennedy from denver, colorado, last year. donald ritchie from the u.s. senate joins us. he's their associate historian, for his perspective on the passing of senator kennedy. mr. ritchie, your thoughts, please? >> yes, a very sad -- senator kennedy was a real institution man. he's the third longest serving senator in the history of the u.s. senate. he spent most of his life in the senate. he was 30 years old when he came and that was 47 years ago. he's chaired two committees. he's authored major

legislation. he's done just about everything, you know, a u.s. senator can do. he's a very major part of this institution. host: what happens as far as the senate body when you have a vacuum like this develop? >> i think it's developed a long time ago since when he became ill and i think a lot of senators on both sliles regret he was not there -- sides of the aisle regret he was not there for much of the health care debate. he was a major person on that issue. host: as far as his relationships go, we heard about across the aisle and worked on -- with. who were his colleagues, who were his friends? >> it's interesting, when he came he was the first u.s. senator to come to office with a relative living in the white house. a lot of people thought he was going to coast on his relationship with his brother and be focused on the executive. but he played the role of a senator right from the start. he became very close to a lot of the senior senators,

surprisingly, even knows like jim eastland who he disagreed on most issues. he worked on many committees, the judiciary committee. he carved out himself on the judiciary committee. and he's always maintained very close relationships to the older senior senators. including people like robert c. byrd who once defeated him in a race for the party whip. but they became good friends over the years. he came into office with senator inoue. i think they've been very close. there have been a lot of senators in that back row right around ted kennedy sat. many of them have already left the senate. but there are quite a few who still remain who are those, the senior people that he's been very close with. host: part of the secret to his success has been able to pull away and not been known as the president's brother? >> his two brothers, john and robert kennedy served in the senate but both of them were known for their national ambitions.

and ted kennedy became the legislative kennedy, the man who made his career in the legislative branch and who shaped more legislation than probably any other senator with very few exceptions in the century. host: do you have a sense of how he related with associates and not directly relating to power -- equal in power but how he related with his office staff, other staff, how did he work with them? >> he had a tariff staff. he was very famous for having a terrific staff on capitol hill. his staff always said he threw himself into legislation. when there was a bill he was particularly interested in, he would have them to his house on saturday to go over the briefing books and they would go through line by line by line how each provision would be dealt with. by the time he got on the floor he was as well versed as anybody on those issues. that's a rare commodity in senators. most senators are too busy to do that some kind of intense work on legislation. he got -- he was very well liked by all of the senators.

it's clear from the tributes that have been in the record in the last few months, surprisingly senators like senator innsy of wyoming, a very conservative man in wyoming talked about how close their relationship was and how much they -- how able they were to work together behind the scenes to craft legislation and how much they could agree with each other even despite their very different voting records. host: what kind of remembrance process will happen in the senate now? what kind of memorials will take place as far as history or tradition is concerned? >> well, this is a very collegial body. anybody that's been part of the collegial body for half a century is quite unique. and the senators will give -- when they are in session will give copious testimony to him and they'll probably fill up a book fill of it. they'll probably print a book

full of memorial addresses when a major leader dies. there will be some service. there will be senators attending the funeral. there will be a lot of activity in the next week or so. and they will all indicate both of their political ties to him but also their personal ties to him. host: donald ritchie, the u.s. senate associate historian, thanks for your time this morning and your insight. >> ok. host: if you want to call in and give your thoughts, 202-737-0001 for republicans, 202-737-0002 for democrats, 202-628-0205 for independents. and 202-628-0184 for those in massachusetts. carol on your democrats line, go ahead. caller: before i get to senator kennedy, i need a lead in to his illness and treatment.

what the bills are avoiding, the democratic bills are avoiding is actually calling this a proposed health care what it really is which is what hillary clinton and the clintons proposed in the 1990's. it's going to be managed care. when president obama says you can keep your doctor, what he really means is your primary care doctor. but imagined care operates in a way to -- but managed care operates in a way to restrict -- host: ok. your thoughts on senator kennedy. caller: well, i want to lead into this. the bills proposed do not put people in congress in the same predicament as the rest of the population. the people in congress and federal workers have essentially something like medicare. they have c for service. they can go to any hospital they want. they can go to any doctor they want. host: please, your thoughts on senator kennedy. caller: i'm going to talk about that. if you will please let me.

host: ma'am, we have a lot of people. caller: i know. this is an important point. host: you have 30 seconds. caller: you know, that's not fair. i have to be able to say something. he -- senator kennedy is not -- will not -- was not put in the same position as everybody else will be because he was an employee of the federal government. therefore, he could in a hopeless cancer situation was entitled to go to all -- through all kinds of procedures and brain surgery and treatment which prolonged his life, from what i hear, maybe a couple of months. he was nopt subject to the conditions that everybody else is going to be subject on this health care bill. host: denver colorado, republican line, go ahead. caller: yeah. i cannot believe all these people holding him up as a great hero. he killed that poor woman, you know. i don't know about drunk driving in massachusetts, but in my state it's illegal.

when you kill somebody, wow. i just -- your thoughts on that. host: north hampton, pennsylvania. we go next to barbara on our democrats line. caller: yes, good morning. host: good morning. caller: i'm calling because i lived in massachusetts for 62 years and i live in pennsylvania. and i have very deep ancestral roots in massachusetts. and i want to go back to a question that you asked the previous guest about his impact, and i want to bring up his part in creating the kid cardinal seashore. if he hadn't done that, all of the cape would be looking like hienas or someplace like that, very developed. and i thought it showed great foresight for him to have this idea to set aside the seashore

for the enjoyment of the greater public. i think that's one of the great things that he did and i just wanted to make that comment. host: how did you become aware of that? caller: oh, i lived in massachusetts when it happened. and i'm very familiar with cape cod. i lived there for a few years of my life, and every time i visit that area i am very thankful for him for his effort in that project. i also want to point out that i think somebody else brought up the word shakespearian. people remember shakespeare and his kings. they're all flawed in one way or another. and not in the minor ways either. so i think he was a great presence in the senate and for the most part when i lived in massachusetts i felt that he represented me well. and i feel it's a great loss.

host: sacramento, california. carol on our republican line. caller: yes. i am a former democrat of many years, as a matter of fact. i went to attend boston university way back when j.f.k. was president because i was so proud of the kennedy family and the contributions they were making to our society. however, with this health care reform, he hasn't had -- he didn't have much to say on specifics about health care reform in this past -- especially in recent weeks when he's been so very ill. i wonder how he would have felt about his -- barack obama proposing $177 billion to be taken out of medicare over the next 10 years. and now that number has increased to $500 billion. host: and we'll leave it there. again, we're looking at the passing of senator kennedy day, asking you to share your thoughts on that.

we were expecting the president to make a statement on about 8:30 this morning. we are told it will happen closer to 9:00. regardless when it happens, we'll take that when it does. this statement from president carter this morning. he writes that rosalynn and i extend our condolences to the kennedy family. senator kennedy was a passionate voice for the citizens of massachusetts and the unwavering advocate for the millions of less fortunate in our country. the courage and dignity he exhibited in his fight with cancer was surpass only by his lifelong commitment and service to his country. you're on, sir, go ahead. caller: yes. kennedy was a great man. you know, a lot of people don't like him because what happened in the 1960's and 1950's with civil rights. people got their rights. money is the root of all evil. if you put money before a

person's health, then i -- america really -- we're not looking good. now, let's do this. since americans went over to africa and stole the black people, let's just give them all health care. host: boston, massachusetts, on our line for those massachusetts residents. we talk to chris on our democrats line. good morning. caller: hi. my name is christopher young, actually. the use of mr. kennedy's death as a propaganda tool to pass this health care program, which everybody knows is going to do, all throughout the media they're paying patriotic music and they are going to use his passing to try to pass this health care bill. this health care bill represents nothing that the kennedy family, which, you know, cam lot is over now. it's over with the death of ted kennedy it's over, ok. patrick kennedy is not a member of camelot, not a member of the

original family. host: no one that will pick up the political mantle that senator kennedy started, in your opinion? caller: of course not because they are not the original members of the family. and the issues of john kennedy, who was the real leader in that family, the issues which was the creation of currency backed by silver certificates to pay off the national debt is not supported by the rest of the socialist agenda of the rest of the members of his family. the problem is that this health care program is a program to get rid of the elderly. it's -- there's a committee, the council -- there's a council that's been set up through tom daschle that's funded by $1.1 billion of this money that's headed up by ezekiel emanuel who is a ugenesis. host: next is nancy rageon on senator kennedy. she writes, "i was terribly saddened by the death of

senator kennedy tonight. given our political differences, people are sometimes surprised by how close ronnie and i have been to the kennedy family. but ronnie and ted could always find common ground, and they had great respect for one another. in recent years, ted and i found common ground in stem cell research." we are talking about senator kennedy today. go ahead. caller: hi. i'm just so shocked by the last caller. i know you can't cut people off when they start talking about ugenics and death squads. it's shocking to hear about that especially when we were talking about the passing of senator kennedy. host: that's our goal. go ahead. caller: i remember really well when j.f.k. was assassinated. i was in second grade. then bobby kennedy. and then senator kennedy, i actually did have a problem with him. i don't know how many of your viewers are associated with the

documentary produced in 1994 where they reopened the case. according to the friendsic evidence, her -- forensic body, her body was not damaged at all which shows she was driving. also, it would have been impossible for him to swim to the top. you know, i don't know where all this anger from chapaquitic is coming from. i thought they were supposed to forgive and forget. but anyway, i think it's the passing of a great man. my dad died last year from cancer. and it's a passing of a great generation. and it just makes me really sad and it makes me sadder to hear people on the right hard and unforgiving. they're christians. i'm not a christian. i don't get it. but anyway, i just wanted to express my condolences.

i think to his country but to the country. we lost a great man. he fought for civil rights. he fought for women's rights. he fought for health rights. you fought for everyone. thank you. host: on our republican line from fayetteville, arkansas, we speak with jimmy. caller: good morning, sir. i really must take a different tack ton this. i always when -- on this. i always when there is a public figure, i say god rest his soul. you're sorry that anybody dies, especially someone you've seen. however, when you discuss something like on c-span and you discuss his life, those of us who disagree with his politics are not being mean-spirited to bring out some things that happened when he was a leader in politics. this mary jo thing, the reason people still bring it up, had

it not been for the kennedys, the kennedy influence, the kennedy money in massachusetts, he would have been charged with manslaughter. he was driving the automobile. it was a car that was part of his -- part of his campaign. and he was driving the automobile. he went, according to him, there was no hanky pangey going on when he -- hanky-panky going on when he drove her. he drove off a bridge and never reported it. only when her body was found in the automobile did he come out, oh, i dove in a number of times to try to save her. people said, oh, come on, he skated a manslaughter charge. and he was extremely pro-abortion catholic. and i'm a catholic and i just completely couldn't ever believe a man who is a roman catholic and all the time they went to mass and everything, this guy pushed more pro-abortion legislation through the congress than anybody that i can remember.

and then he constantly -- you would have these stories coming out of the kennedy compound and his nephew charged with rape out there and kennedy was a witness in it. now, the guy was acquitted, but it was always just looking other way because of the kennedy money. his dad was an anti-semite in world war ii. it's always no matter what the kennedys did or passed, pro busting legislation he pushed through, we have a lot of things that were done when kennedy was a senator we disagree with but -- host: and new york city is up next. jerry on our independent line. caller: yes. i want to pick up where the last caller left off. i am a catholic, kennedy, i'm sure he did many good things. i wish him peace and mercy through christ. in either case, there were million of aborted kids that he never had a change of heart on

that. and i feel that it's a shame so many individuals never get a chance to live their life as he did, you know, to the full. and that's all i have to say. . >> for lauderdale, florida will be our next. may it be said of our party in 1980 that we found our faith again, and both in dark passages

and in bridey's may be said of us, in the words of tennyson that my brothers quoted and loved, and that have special meaning for me now -- and a part of all that i have met, too much is taken, much abides, that which we are, we are. one equal timbre of her rope parts, strong and will to strive, to seek to find, and not to yield -- of heroic parts. for me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. for all those whose careers have been our concern the work goes on, the cause indoors, i hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. host: back to your calls, for lauderdale, fla., on the line for democrats. caller: good morning. i think that kennedy was a great man.

in my opinion as my grandmother said, she cried when kennedy died and i think he was a very good man. i also want to bring of the healthcare. in the 1800's through the 1920's when people were coming through ellis island, who pay the money for their medicare and health care? host: here is a story by the associated press -- kennedy's successor to be chosen by a special election. unlike most dates, his seat in the senate will be chosen through a special election, not by gov. the law bans an interim appointee. the law changed in 2004, when senator john kerry became his

party's presidential nominee and the republican mitt romney was the state's governor. before the change, the governor would have appointed a replacement to serve until the next general election. that would give created the opposite before tromney to install a fellow republican in office. last week, kennedy asked massachusetts lawmakers to change state law to give massachusetts's current governor a fellow supporter. on the republican line, steve. caller: what are we going to do with that committee? host: bethesda, md., mike, on the independent line. caller: i would like to extend my condolences to the kennedy family and said that i believe that ted kennedy was a really great man.

he spoke out eloquently and wholeheartedly supported rights for millions around the world. that will not be forgotten. host: chicago, ill., on the line for democrats. caller: good morning. i would like to offer my condolences to his family. the kennedy family has given so much to this country. it cannot ever be repaid. i'm listening to these colors. the republican party -- these callers. the republican party has become the party of hatred and bigots. they killed president kennedy in texas and have never been held accountable. they have killed every democratic leader that we have. ever have they have never accounted for that.

they are just full of hate and they are bigots and they just need to go way. host: from maryland on the line for republicans. caller: hello, good morning. i'm a black man here in america. i do recognize a lot of the things that the senator bdid, and many other leaders of our times for civil-rights, women's issues. but when it comes to the new civil rights issues of our times, that is the children, unborn children, the senator was awol.

that is sad that he missed a the most important of civil rights issues. he was on the wrong side of abortions. he had an opportunity to live life to the fullest, but he never stood up for babies, children to have a chance to live the american dream. that is just really sad. he was a failure in that respect. others should join us to fight for equal rights for all americans to have an opportunity to live the american dream. he never did that. host: to give us insight into senator kennedy's local politics, a democrat from cape cod joins us on the phone. senator, how would you describe

senator kennedy's presence back at home with his constituents? guest: he was an enormous presence, loved in this community and vary widely respected. in respected. he is a model for all from a political perspective. people will miss him a great deal. the state will have a great loss here. host: how did you relate with him personally? guest: i was fond of saying that he was my senator, and my favorite senator. i represent the islands, so he was a constituent. we were involved in things over the years and had events together often. i had not a close personal relationship, but knew him and had affection for him. host: what kind of things when you related with him, what would you talk about? can you tell us a little about

the efforts he made back home? a caller brought up previously that preserving the coast was one, health care and other. guest: obviously the family was involved concerning the seashore. health care was lifelong as a passion, immigration reform. on the state level, americorps. he was very much responsible for that and felt strongly about it. it was kind of a domestic extension of his brothers' efforts with the peace corps. he was involved in local issues, of course, and would weigh in on occasion, oftentimes around environmental issues. he was someone you could go to when you had a particular

problem around a particular issue. kennedy's office and kennedy personally was very available. he had no pretense. that was very striking. he was known worldwide and yet he was a very approachable person without any pretense. on a personal level people who did not agree with him, some of the most ardent republicans in this area were among his best friends. host: how did critics treat him? guest: people who did not know him might lash out, listen to talk radio or the blogs, those who knew him well and were close to him, regardless of their politics all fell -- from what i have observed a over the many years had enormous affection for him. they will miss him. we all love him. host: i have read a couple of

stories about the session and how that works. what is currently on the ground floor? is it still a special election within 145 days? guest: yes, and that is a problem some of us are trying to change. the current law which makes sense and will support is a special election. that would play out in early january. the problem is it created and diverted me -- inadvertently, by leading a hole there, and now some of us are trying to fill that with an interim appointment. the senator and issued a the process. he sent a letter a month ago to the leadership in the house and senate and to the

governor asking us to look into the issue. by doing so it allowed us to begin the discussion. it was tough to have that discussion while he was still in office, very much alive. he sent a letter saying you need to look at this. it allowed us to look at what we need to do to ensure that the commonwealth has two votes this coming fall. we know there are many international issues, among them healthcare, among his most near and dear. we want to make sure that we are participating fully in that debate and vote. right now it appears that we will not be. there will only be one senator from massachusetts until january under the existing law. host: has been any announcement about memorial services locally there?

guest: i have not yet heard anything. thank you for your time, sir. host: our next call comes from providence, rhode island. caller: it is sad when one dies, but the healthcare bill he is pushing -- he really is, and this is not propaganda, but this is a eugenics program. there is an act that would demand that any qualifying private plan or government plan would provide for code term for abortion. he did not die within the catholic church. if you support these, then you are not catholic. i really feel sorry for him

because these are eugenics programs they are pushing. the saddest part about his passing is that he obviously did not repent. host: this is from "the boston globe" -- it says it would be premature declare and end to that tradition, speculation is rampant that the senator's nephew or widow would run for his seat. some observers predict a quiet transformation in the family's identity. to a large extent the pack is already being touted by many of his two dozen plus nieces and nephews. they have been out across the non-profit, charitable, or private sectors. rory kennedy is a respected

documentary filmmaker. her sister kathleen kennedy townsend who served as lieutenant governor of maryland teaches at georgetown university school of public policy. their brother robert kennedy, jr. is an environmental lawyer, author, and ready of us. anthony, the son of sargent shriver and eunice kennedy runs best buddies, a nonprofit for developmentally disabled people. pennsylvania, maria on the republican line. caller: i'm truly sorry for the kennedy family, but he left behind a legacy that i will never understand, being a catholic. he supported abortion rights. being hispanic and see many abortion centers near people who

are either hispanic or black, i find it very discriminatory. it is a program of systematic eugenics. god rest his soul. i'm very sorry that he did not do what he was supposed to do as a good catholic. host: to our independent line, andrew from florida. caller: good morning. i'm an independent, as you say. i grew up with the kennedys, even with vietnam, but i see all of these people despising the man and i do not see where they have the right to through the stone at someone. they are cleaning their catholics and catholics are the ones who give a false name to the crater.

the name was yahweh and yeshua and now all of a sudden they're perfect. the catholic religion has aborted almost the whole u.s. and other countries. host: i wanted to let you know that if you want to find out more, see more of senator kennedy you can go to our website where we have video from previous speeches, a biography, and some other links. c-span.org. he was born in 1932 and passed away earlier this morning. to texas, on the line for democrats. caller: yes, i am here. the morning, i would just like to express my condolences to the kennedy family.

truly the american people and the people in the world have taken a big hit losing this last brother of the kennedys. i'm originally from connecticut and was born and raised in hartford, conn.. alderman live -- all through my life i have really respected the kennedy family and everything they have done for african- americans which i am. we will miss him. i would hope and pray that the rest of the kennedy family, the younger ones still with us, someone would actually step up to the plate.

that they would do for people with human rights. i am sure that president obama it is sad and by losing such a great friend. i always felt that the kennedys are part of my family. i was born in 1962, so was young when john kennedy died. i have a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 13. they have hopes and dreams one day of going to harvard. maybe they will be politically inclined. i always tell them to use them as an example of what to do for people and help people. i just hope the rest of the kennedys there would come on up and fill those shoes.

host: another perspective to talk about senator kennedy and his work. joining us is bill, the ceo of the health care center in massachusetts. what is your connection with senator kennedy? guest: he was a very real presence for those of us who work in committee. held committee codman square is in dorchester where rose kennedy happened it to grow. it connected the committee health center to ted kennedy and the kennedy family. host: how did you get involved on the local level? guest: the fact that there are committee held senators is a tribute to him. ted kennedy is a bald in every major piece of legislation that affects poor people in healthcare that exists on the books in the u.s. community health centers which serve millions of americans,

mainly low-income, but not exclusively, are the product of his legislative expertise and ability to foster compromise to get bills passed that will help people. as a result we have about 1200 health centers in the country to deliver services to poor people. host: when the senator talk about this on a local level, did he talk about how he first got involved in the issue and what made him sensitive to it? guest: i have heard stories about when he was in the plane accident and hurt his back and was in hospital for a long time that it made an impact on him. all that i know is when he came to our health center which was fairly often to deliver some speech or make a visit to talk about women's health issues or health care for children, ihe was tremendously impassioned.

he gave that fabulous speeches. he brushed out of the car to a big crowd of people, talking about childrens' health, and asked to sit in my office. he wrote down five things and give the 20 minute speech that was mesmerizing. he knew what he was talking about and could really explain it in ways that made sense, as well as the people in motion necessary to understand why something like children's health care was so important. host: legislatively and that he worked with republicans on various pieces here. does he have the same type of reputation back there in massachusetts, especially on health care? guest: we called him uncle ted in codman square. everyone just loved the guy. he would give you as much

attention as anyone else, whether president obama, the queen of england, or some person in a forgotten corner of an inner-city neighborhood in boston. he cared deeply. the kennedy name is just gold and in massachusetts, but especially among low-income people who basically would not be getting any of the benefits or services they get now. host: bill walczak is the ceo of that committee health care center, codman square. thanks for waiting. caller: good morning, and thank you for c-span. although his past life may have been somewhat flawed, there's one thing that can be said for said thsenator kennedy and his brothers -- there were never for

sale for special interests and that is more than can be said for the vast majority. host: anything to say locally about how you do business there or when he returned to talk to constituents? caller: he was always an advocate in massachusetts as well as the rest of the country for the. working the i think that is what public service should be all about -- as well as for the rest of the country. caller: i kind of feel bad for these people who keep calling in and desecrating his death. all the kennedys have been good to the people through the years. yes, he might make mistakes when he was young, but to disrespecting like that on the morning of his death -- with a lot of people out there who have not too many brain cells.

host: the caller has left us. this is one of many who have been weighing in this morning and she writes that ted kennedy's with it and stories, passion for a cause and his country, and a love for the senate just made you want to go to work every day. i had the privilege to serve with him for two years. he was a mentor to many not in a traditional this is how you get done, but instead as an inspiration. he never gave up and had a fire recessed for the legislative battles that were always tempered by a bipartisan pragmatism. he was incredibly strong and effective and had the deep respect of everyone who worked with him. my thoughts are with his wife, children, and the rest of the kennedy family. chicago, caller: good morning good morning, i wanted to offer

my condolences to the kennedy family. i wanted to take issue with you, sir. you allowed the lady from chicago to say that the republicans were responsible for the assassination of john kennedy and the republicans were bigots. you did not cut her off or find anyone who do not have anything to said it was a peachy about the kennedys. you cut the called short and moved on. republicans are, would not be responsible for kennedy's assassination. as far as everything was known, the guy was a communist. all republicans are now bigots. i did not want to get into it, but you're not been balanced about this.

if somebody has something negative to say you cut them off. you let people ramble on when they have nothing but good things to say. host: i will say that senator kennedy had plenty of critics, many expressing their opinion this morning. texas, good morning. caller: i was a lifelong republican, but voted democrat last time, but consider myself an and pimm. i grew up as a goldwater republican. that is enough about me. -- i am an independent. during my lifetime i came to understand more about senator kennedy and understand his a truly great man, a statesman, more than a politician. i appreciated his attitude, the things he fought for. if we had a senate full of people with his kind of

enthusiasm and intelligence and dedication of all views, then we would be a much better country, so we have lost a great man today. host: this is a statement from chris dodd this morning. he says he is not sure that america has ever had a greater senator, but he knows for certain that no one has had a greater friend. he says he will always remember ted as the ultimate example for all of us who seek to serve. he were tiretirelessly. he fought to ensure that all americans have health care they need. houston, texas, on the line for democrats. caller: i would like to send out my condolences to the family. senator kennedy will be greatly missed. i am very sad and today that

stability amongst fellow americans has been replaced by so-called civil liberties where people feel it is their liberty to denigrate and talk about anybody and down them for not having the same ideals and thinking. what we can't be civil to one another? i am so tired of people just destroying this abortion thing -- people are being misused through the faith. roe v. wade was put into place to keep people who decided to have abortions from being butchered in back alley clinics. this is being so greatly distorted. the people who choose to have abortions are not the ones who should be -- and they are the

ones who should be taken to task. host: here is a statement from sam brownback. it says that senator kennedy was a lion in the senate. he fought for what he believed in and did so with passion. he was professional, courteous, and thoughtful. my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. we have set aside a special line for massachusetts residents. add the word, on the republican line. caller: yes, senator kennedy has been my senator for a long time ago he was pretty wild when he was younger, but is a classic american story of a man who turned his life around and we should all respect him for that. host: dallas, texas, next on the republican line. caller: yes, i was a a young man stationed in germany when the news amount that to the kennedy allowed a female worker of his

to drown in the chappaquiddick. the one time that he could have stood up and been a man he literally ran off and left her to drown. he used political influence, his family influence to pressure her family by using bishiop sheen to talk to her and not make a big issue about her death. his complete lack of true character -- i'm not sorry to see him go. i wait for the inevitable concerning health-care passage. host: stockton, calif., on the independent line. caller: yes, i offer my condolences to the kennedy family. the people you are hearing railing against the kennedys and people like them are the children of slavers.

they can sell another man's family and sit down to dinner and not feel in their heart they did anything wrong. as for the person who said that the kennedy dad was anti-semites i challenge the so called christians to read the second epistle of john and ask themselves whether they believe it is true. host: we hope to hear from the president shortly. he was at last count t supposed to speak about now, at 9:30 a.m. we will continue to take your calls until the. -- until then. caller: yes, i'm going to give my condolences to the kennedy family. i know that he would love to be around with respect to the healthcare plan going through. secondly, i would like to address a couple of things with

people vilifying his name. what about all these right-wing christians who continue to call in and talk about the incidents he had back at chappaquiddick -- i wonder how many can talk about individuals where they have thousands of priests who were pedophiles, taking advantage of young people. they still sit down in a trick in do not ask questions. then all the talk about it is this abortion issue. they are not pro-alive, but they are just pro-birth. once a child arrives they do not want to do anything or provide funding or vote for anything to help the mother with the child. i guess that would be more to of and for their priests to abuse. these people sit back. they spew hatred everytime about anything. they do not care for their

fellow man or anything. they always want to talk about how religious they are. host: from boston, mass., on the independent line. caller: good morning, i am a nurse in a boston hospital. i listened to the doctor for rumcodman square health center -- from codman and i concur with his comments about how much senator kennedy has done for our poor people and for people who lack health care. i am grateful for his service. did he make mistakes in life? like all of us, yes. he is only human. i like to express my condolences to his family. however, i like to make a statement about the healthcare bill. i am also disgusted by the hatred i have heard this morning by my countrymen. i am disgusted. it has made me become much more

political savvy and becoming involved in politics because there is what is called the separation of church and state in this country. when i hear them talk about, well, he was a catholic and he passed abortion legislation -- you know what? healthcare is between a woman and her doctor. host: greensboro, n.c. go ahead, veronica. caller: i was calling to let people know that senator kennedy gave more than he ever took, ok? excuse me -- because it really upsets me. for what ever he did in his past he answers to his god. for those who are judging senator kennedy understand you have opinions about this man

good or bad, but who are you to judge? jesus christ was judged by people like you for being the man that he was. all you are judging this man as well as others, god is judging you. please keep that in mind. it has nothing to do with being a democrat, republican, or independent. host: we are continuing to get your thoughts on the passing of senator kennedy. washington, d.c., on the republican line. caller: i have two comments, one is the defense. we have had a lot of democrat callers who want to point out that republicans are these religious nuts. i have been a republican as long as i can remember and i am an atheist. that is not an accurate

portrayal, being religious or being a right-wing fundamentalist. that is a hijack of the republican principle. the part about ted kennedy, a lot of the criticisms coming through are amusing. i have not heard anyone who has criticized him on religious grounds. they are talking about his policies and that they have always had the opposite effect of their intention. that is what happens when people legislate with emotion rather than logic and reason. when you promote expensive minimum wage and other social- type of activities they end up hurting the people they're supposed to help by increasing unemployment for low-skill, low- wage workers. economic journals are packed with evidence of this.

people should step back. they should examine the issues rationally. host: kansas city, missouri, on the independent line. caller: 01 to express condolences to his family, but my issue is the hypocrisy and his politics. when the law in massachusetts did not serve him on appointments to centers come now he wants to change it when he originally changed because the democrats were in power. his hypocrisy in politics are my issue with him. host: randolph, mass., alice. caller: i just want to thank his family. i am from a family of 12 siblings and i know how devastating a losses. he has done great work for the

state and former the people of all different backgrounds. i will not talk about the people who are calling who were talking negative about him. as martin luther king said, those who remained silent, their voice will be heard. host: did you ever have the chance to meet him personally? caller: i have had, as a very young college student i write a letter to him about the veterans. as usual, in his gracious way, he responded. i have that letter now. host: washington, on the republican line. caller: hi, my mom is very politically-minded and informed. she has never agreed with

kennedy's policies and politics. in spite of that i would like to wish condolences to the family. i know that he served long and hard and even though i'm not on his political side i just wish the family well in their recovery and grieving. host: new iberia, louisiana. caller: i would like to think the kennedy family for all the great sacrifices on behalf of the common man. a family with such wealth and power, he would not even get into politics much less buy for the common man. oftentimes they felt themselves on taxes. i defy any republican to produce such a man.

i defy the republican party to name one thing they have ever done for the common man, other than theodore roosevelt. all these detractors, these people of low virtue who pick one cause and sacrifice everything else for that -- as another caller said, people on one side pick the site. none of us from either party may agree with all aspects of abortion, but we realize that once they're born they have to be taken care of. the parents have to have economic justice and opportunity to work. with all of senator kennedy's personal flaws -- i would rather stand beside him on judgment day than ronald reagan who robbed from the poor and gave to the rich. we'll never see another family like this again, i'm afraid, with some much wealth and power who were so dedicated to the common man. god bless us, god help us all.

host: the phone lines are open. for those who live in massachusetts, there is a special line for you. tucson, ariz., good morning. caller: i want to express my condolences. you had a caller from texas who said he had been in vietnam and was born in 1962. i would like to know how that happened. your other caller who wanted to know about a republican who did something for the people, you forgot all about abraham lincoln. maytag kennedy rest in peace. host: we hear next from the former senator -- what was your relationship with senator

kennedy? guest: we were elected on the same day and served together for 18 years. we were on the judiciary committee. this is more than a loss of a senator and colleague. this is a loss of a friend. host: as for a short friendship is concerned, being collected together, talk a little about the relationship during those first days? guest: ted and i came to the said it in january 1963. that was a very exciting time. we had president kennedy in the white house. also later, with bobby. in 1964 we passed the landmark civil rights act. ted and i were on the judiciary committee and there was a group of us who were determined to get

this done. your former caller talked about lincoln. this goes clear back to the emancipation proclamation that we have not really guarantee to the minority voters full equal opportunity. the act did that in 1964. in 1965 we passed the 65 voting rights act. we were very active in that. we had a group determined to get it done and we got it passed. host: you also work together when the plane crashed with senator kennedy, right? guest: yes, that was a painful experience. a lot of talk about approaches to health care -- do you think that incident shaped his approach? guest: frankly, i don't think?

and had anything to do with his sensitivity for health care. he had a sensitivity before that. the whole issue of such a basic thing of human rights and values. that is where ted was coming from from the beginning ride until his last breath. we will miss him terribly. host: many people talked about his relationships across the aisle. all was that like as you saw it firsthand? guest: ted was one who could communicate with individuals, personalities. it was a different time when we tried to get things done in a bipartisan way. we would not have been successful in passing the civil rights act in 1964 if we have not had some of the republicans. we lost all the southern democrats.

ted could talk across the aisle. his relationship with hatch made possible for us to put the two in one room -- we would have healthcare program everyone could live with. host: talk also about the work you did with title 9, the education act. guest: kennedy was a strong supporter of title 9. it was in the quality of option and the program. it was my privilege to introduce that. at the time it was very controversial. it was a quality of opportunity program. we have spent a lot of time about minority rights and now we need to make sure we have majority rights, women's rights, and in the educational landscape of the country. host: that is former senator

rich bye joining us. thanks for your time, senator. guest: thank you. my heart goes out to the family. host: new albany, mississippi, on the republican line. caller: yes. it is like a tall lady, no matter what good he has done in the senate -- like i told the lady, the fact that he got drunk, drove off a bridge and allowed the young lady to die -- the only reason he was knocked tried for the homicide was because his name was kennedy. host: miami, fla., on the line for democrats. caller: you have a lot of

disembodied spirit that will always comment negatively because their parents, their grandparents, and great grandparents, when they came over from england basically had good intentions, but there was another crowd that a general brought that were in the jails and prisons. what we have are the children of those-prisoners and bad folks that were in england who were not want to the. it has come home to roost. -- you have the children of those prisoners and the folks that were in england that were not wanted there. not all republicans are the sending of the rockefeller republicans are from the republicans you see now. they took over the part.

it is reaping what sow. host: how does this relate to senator caller: kennedy instead of saying to senator kennedy, god bless you, may your soul rest in peace, they want to keep thisvenom spitting out. likeherod for there were five generations, and none of them did right. up until the fifth generation of all those brought over by the general, all these you see now who are raisingh hell, they will suffer, and so will their children. host: on the independent line, now. caller: yes, i want to cancel the family of kennedy and also make a comment to the comments by some of the fellow republican. it is unfair at this time when this man has died to be making

all these comments about his past life. apostle paul messed up his life. the past life should not comein. we should look at his present life. if this man has madeamends and has repented -- repent means to turn around, then i think that god will receive him in heaven. for the republicans to be making his comments, it is unfair. despite differences to his policy, we need to console and be behind his family. he has done a lot of great things for people in this country. host: albuquerque, new mexico is next on the republican line.

caller: the kind of example that this guy set was just-- with stolen elections this guy was a criminal. his last thing was to change the rules. i'm hoping the people of massachusetts can now have their vote and not just have the kennedys shoved down their throats. host: steve is next from san diego, california. caller: good morning, i hope everyone understands the republicans who call in who do not acknowledge a lifetime of service is the exact hate and fear that is destroying this country. this is a great man and we lost a great man today. he is from a great family when people call in during the time

of mourning for a good american makes me so sad. thank you. host: on our independent line, long island, new york. this is bob. caller: good morning, i'm a conservative independent, and a long time listener, a student of politics. i have listened to the calls this morning. i'm a christian, but now a rabid christian. i find it sad that he is gone, however, i am listening to all the people from the left calling in. i think that c-span ought to do a lengthy examination of hate in america because there is as much on the left. if george bush died you would be heraring hate calls about him rather than sympathetic, sad

calls from the left. they have shown more hate for george bush and republicans and for people who do not agree with liberals then anybody. host: cape cod, mass. on the line for democrats. caller: hello, i worked in a program for the elderly on cape cod. there was no better supporter for the elderly than ted kennedy. he worked with us on the formation of the bill. his excellent staff worked with us on the legislation that provided our funding. he was a great supporter of the elderly which has not been included in your list of people that he has helped over the years. he will be greatly missed in the

hope his health care program as he sought it voted -- as he saw it. host: the president is set now to talk about 10:00 a.m. caller: it isfielddale, and for some say that my condolences it are to the kennedy family even though i am a republican mega i like ted kennedy as a person, but did not agree with him politically much. let me say that you will not ever see a true liberal lion like him again. the values and issues he stood for for many years, and the

health care issues, one of his truest hallmarks, i hate to say, but i feel like the healthcare will not go anywhere since his passing. host: stockton, calif.? caller: good morning. first of like to start by offering my condolences to the first lady of california as well as the entire. kennedy entire -- the entire kennedy family. we have lost a great man and i wish americans would take a moment to reflect on his tireless and devoted service to this country, and as well as the entire families devotion to service. i wish we had more politicians like him. thank you for taking the call. please, people, let's have a

little respect. the man just died. let's have some respect for his family. host: john on our independent line. shreveport, louisiana. caller: good morning, i would like to give my condolences to the kennedy family. i grew up in massachusetts. my parents dr.octor was the anesthesiologist and probably delivered john and teddy kennedy. i have long been a republican but feel that ted kennedy has shown an ability to go across the aisle and work respectfully.

i think there is a comparison between ted kennedy and our recent presidents -- both were not great students at outstanding universities and had a strong family influence in they're getting ahead in politics, but i think there is at this similarity --a dissimilarity. ted kennedy has been a leader and is independent of folks around him. he has shown an ability to work with the other party out overspent. although i do not agree with many of his positions, i wish the republicans would learn from

his method. host: there is about one minute until the president addresses the passing of senator ted kennedy. caller: hello, i am so glad to get on this modem. i listened real early when the doctor was on, calling from another country. he was describing the disease he had, how terrible is and how card is to cure. host: we will have to leave it there. here is the president. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> i wanted to say a few words about the passing of an extraordinary leader, senator

edward kennedy. over the past years i have had the a virginity to call him a counselor, and friend. although we have known this was coming we have a we did it with no small amount of good -- i have had the opportunity to call them counselor, a friend. we looked at the courage with which he battled his illness. although these months have been hard for him, it has allowed him to hear from every corner of the world how much he meant to us. it was something we were denied when his brothers were taken from us. the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye. the outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we have all borne witness is a testament to the way the singular figure in american history touched so many lives. his ideas and ideals are stamped

on laws and reflected in millions of lives. for seniors who did not know dignity, and families who now no opportunity and children who now know education's promise, can pursue and america that is more equal and just. that includes myself. the kennedy name is synonymous with the democratic party. in the united states senate i can think of no one who engineered greater respect or affection for members of both sides of the. i'll with seriousness of purpose, he matched ones and good cheer. he passionately battle the others on the senate floor for the causes he held dear. he still maintained warm friendships across party lines. that is one reason he became not only one of the greatest