the room. for some reason, women are a little less likely to do that. i don't know why. >> i would say that, to the extent that women have led divergent actual experience than men. there will be areas where women have a better understanding -- at least something to add to the understanding of it. it might be family law or -- i could name a whole list of things, i suppose. one of the things that has happened is that we are converging. perhaps we are more alike than different. . .

>> good afternoon, i have been practicing with the army for six years, now. obviously, we have a lot of men in the army, a lot more men than women. i find it quite comfortable going to both my male and female superiors for advice on legal matters. i know that somebody asked about mentor ship. -- mentorship.

are they coming to you equally? is it still more even or is it still women going to senior leaders? >> does anybody want to tackle that? >> i have a little trouble with mentor. i did not have one, that i know what. i did not even know what the word meant until i was practicing law. it seems to be a modern day. we talk about mentors and mentorship. i am not a good contributor on this because i do not know what it means and i do not -- i did not have any. maybe it is just everybody you learn from. is every teacher a mentor? i don't know. >> it is people who go out of

their way to help you get the next chance and helps to open doors. that is at least what i think. >the help to prepare you and help to open doors for you. >> well, we have all had some of those in a lifetime. my companions were a bunch of cowboys. they were opening the doors. -- they bore not open any doors [laughter] -- they were not open any doors. [laughter] >> start by getting a good babysitter. and it has been that understands. that is a good start.

try to get a job that will enable you to do the job that also allowed to to be at home. you have to explore carefully what the job requirements are. don't you think that you need to explore? it is hard to find the perfect set up, but a good babysitter helps. >> i cannot understate this. looking back, the women who have been really successful had guys that did not stand in their way and some of them had partners that were extraordinarily helpful to them and supportive of them. the history that i have studied shows that the early women that

had a supportive spouse did better than anybody else. i would put reason ginsberg in that category, perhaps justice o'connor as well. >> not perhaps. >> [laughter] >> i think that ruth ginsburg and i had a husband that but it was wonderful. my husband knew it before we married that i planned to work. i think it can be more difficult if you do not talk about your career plans before you get married. did you? >> then you -- yes. >> then you are ok. >> w3i was a fellow at the court in 1994 and 1995 and i had the privilege last year of attending the arizona strip search case involving the 13-year-old girl

and it seemed to me that justice ginsburg was perhaps the only person on the bench that day that understood what was going on in that case. i had the privilege of asking her if she had opportunity to change some minds and she just smiled and said that she thought it was born in the other way, too. i wonder if this might be a part of the answer to an earlier question. i wondered what you thought about that case. >> i think that any member of the supreme court bench can, at the end of the day, have influence on the others by making good arguments. that is what we all try to do. i feel sure that she probably

did that. >> [laughter] >> i think she agreed with you. >> yes, judge? >> i would like to go back to the question that was asked that raised the issue of the wise latina comment. i was surprised that nobody mentioned the importance of public education in addressing those issues. i am proud to say that i was the first female supreme court fellow. i had been a judge on a los angeles superior court and i know that in my experience, when

i was first on the court, the male jurors would say to me that it is terrific to see a woman judge. the that declined sharply. the thing that i associate with the decline is not the increase in the number of women judges, but the fact that l.a. law was a wonderful telephone program, but almost all of the judges were women or minorities. it became much less of a surprise to people to walk into a courtroom and see a woman judge. the public discussion about it, and the fact that people -- the problem i saw with it is that nobody ever commented that white males seem to be neutral in our society and if you are female or a person of color, that was all

outside of the norm. i wonder if your views on the issue of how important public education is to do with the kind of problems that we were talking about. >> i take that education is the most important issue in the country on a whole range of things. >> that sounds right to me. justice o'connor gets the last word. >> are there any other ready questions? >> we have two hands up. should we take one question or a t a boat -- two. i>'i÷mn and the gentleman in the front,n please be prompt. >> how would you recommend that women deal with the old boy's

club? it was mentioned by ms. mahoney. i think that young women know what i am talking about. how do you deal with that in the government and in the private practice and in the academia. >> i will take a stab at that and say that you do the best you can do to get out there and put on a good show. it will help. çvóño.'çóeveryd work when they see it. there may be some initial believed that she is a woman and will not do a good job. i do not know what else to say. >> they are always creating girls clubs, too. as more and more general counsels become women, it makes a difference for women lawyers.

that is right. >> this gentleman will get the last question. >> others talk about the great strides that women have made over the last 100 years. do you see some time in our history -- what scares me are the strides that the african americans have made. some time in our history, there will be in a cycle backwards? >> absolutely not. i do not think we will go backwards on any of these things. there are too many of us. over half the people are women, do you think we will let it slide back? no way. [laughter] [applause] >> justice o'connor, whenever you want to exercise your first amendment rights, our doors are always open to you. [applause]

>> wednesday webster williams, marine hoenig, and a course sandra day o'connor, thank you very much for joining us. [applause] >> and thank you. >> let's go back to our little rooms for a picture. can we do that? >> you can watch this program again or other recent america and the courts programs at c- span.org. just click on "america and the courts." join us next week at 7:00 p.m. on c-span. >> coming up next, the discussion of the tea party movement. been a former alaska gov. sarah palin speaks at the tea party convention in nashville. then, president obama's comments

at the winter meeting. >> members of the tea party are holding their first national convention this weekend in national -- in national tennessee. they spoke of the future of the moment -- of the movement. it is about one hour. >> thank you. welcome. this is our forum on the future of the tea party movement. by the way, i have been asked to make a couple of announcements. a couple of folks have lost cameras. one is a blue camera and another is black. if you happen to have seen them, if you would turn it into the command center, that would be very helpful. we have a panel of a credible people who are quick to talk about where we are going from here. 2010 is a huge year of change

for the tea party movement. we will have people talk briefly about what they think will go on and we will open the floor to questions. if you want to ask a question, just a few real simple ground wills -- ground rules. think about your question and be very brief when you get to the microphone. ñiwe have our friends on the soundboard. if you get too long, we may have to cut you off. our panel, from atlanta georgia, a kramer -- amy kramer. you know you can get your friends when you introduce them right as they are taking a drink. from that is, tenn., mark skoda. you know you are special in the movement when you are recognized by a single name.

dave. [applause] what i will do to start with is go down the line and we will start with amy and go to dave. i want you to tell us what you think the two-party movement is doing right now and where we need to go in the next few months. >> as i said when i spoke earlier, i think that we have huge momentum right now and lots of energy. we need to harness that energy and get more people engaged and focus on these primaries. that is our number one priority. after the primary season, we will look into the election. it behind your candidate. these candidates, it takes them money to run. it is great when we all send them emails, but they need money, too. i encourage you to support them. we all need to unify and stay

focused and keep moving forward. >> we have been saying a lot for the past few days. the energy that is here needs to be taken back. it needs -- leadership leads to good scholarship -- all oufollor ship. i think the key party movement needs to go back and animate your followers -- the tea party movement needs to go back and and your followers. i think that the movement is maturing. it is important that we support candidates. this is about election, not about education alone. i think these people here õnderstand that. it is clear to me that we are not a bunch of raging lunatics. we are people with skills and

knowledge and capabilities that love their country. [applause] >> i think that in that sense, the tea party movement is important. we need to continue to represent that. the dialogue that goes above the name calling and represent yourselves. thank you. [applause] >> dave? >> david d. will be fine. >> david d. >> i agree we need to take the energy back with us. on february 20, we are holding a town hall in the raliegh convention center. that evening, we will have

another event for gooh.com. they are to of bids in one day. this is an important -- these are two events in one day. we have found out that the politicians what our endorsement. has anybody heard that before? we went to our representative that is running in the fourth district against david price, one of the worst of the worst. there is a conspiracy. this man is so bad, he voted not to defund acorn. [groans] we went to one and they said they would like to be an hour debate. that area is very corrupt.

we have what they called gerrymandering. we had two different house districts converge on us. big jump in. we went for the 13th. they jumped in, too. we are going to have a candidate debate in raleigh n.c. they want our support and what our boats -- and they want our votes. we hope to show washington and north carolina that we are still around and we are coming for the north carolina general assembly this time. [applause] >> the next question for all three panelists in no particular order, should the tea party move

indoors specific and that customer -- a move that endorse -- movement in doors specific templates? as i said before, you win elections by endorsing something and promoting them and their candidacy. my perspective is that the tea party movement needs to support and endorse candidates to win. otherwise, you will be represented by somebody do not support. if you simply want to agitate, have at it, but that is not how you get people elected. you still have to vote. you need to know about your elected official. in that context, i am very committed to endorsing candidates as an individual.

[applause] >> i will agree on one wall. we can go and educate people by having the debate, but if you are going to stay true, you can't lose your focus. if you cannot take your initiative to do your own research, you should not be voting. [applause] >> i have to agree with what mark said. we do need to endorse candidates in our local communities. we know that politics is local. there are more to be groups that endorsed politicians or candidates across the country. as long as they stick to those principles and values, i imagine that we will be endorsing the same people.

i think that our job is to not only get behind candidates but also to educate so that people vote on principle and values and not according to the letter next to somebody's name. that has to happen before you go into the voting booth. [applause] >> for those of you that wanted to ask questions, you are going to get a chance, now. do we have a mike runner? >> if you want to ask the panel requested, think about it and can't get your -- hold up your hand. the perception is that in last february or last election, the tea party union was solidified. i did not know about n.c.. i know it has happened in memphis.

none of us are thrilled with the idea of some of the bitter attacks that some groups have launched on us, but as far as the tea party movement, it is a unified movement or a bunch of separate movements. what is the best? >> you are right. i have been under attack. as some horrible, mean things. but it does not matter. you can kick me off the board and you can take a title away from me but that is not what gives me the power to do what i do. no one can take that away. [applause] >> at the end of the day, as long as i am standing on the front lines with the west of you, i feel like i am doing my job -- the rest of you, i feel like i'm doing my job. we will remain vigilant and be successful in what we set out to do. it does not matter what group

you are with, as long as you stick to those principles and values. [applause] >> much has been set in the press about this to this of the spirit is divided because we are/states -- about this divisiveness. this is divided because we are divided by states. it is very apparent to me that there is a shared of value and a shared sense of place. i think that is a powerful element that some people have not understood. i would suggest that while there will be different views of how this matures and how certain actions are taken, that is what we celebrate if we are truly about america. in that sense, i do not act in a way to divide or suggest that

other actions are wrong. at the end of the day, let the leaders determined the best course of action locally. i think that is where we receive power. >>[applause] >> hopefully, everyone will be coming at 1:00 p.m. when we address what we are doing in north carolina. i think that everybody needs to agree that we will disagree on some things. we will never agree from one at t party group to the next. -- from one t party group to the next. -- one tea party group to the next. [applause] >> i know that a lot of people

would probably like to ask questions. now is the time. we are starting. here is what i want you to do. when you get the microphone, tell us your name, were you aware from and ask your question. >> i would like to ask and suggest that we pressure outburst date, our local and federal legislatures and candidates to certify under oath that when they are voting for a bill, that they have read it. [applause] otherwise, they should have to abstain. >> i think that most people within this movement would agree to that. how can you vote on something that you have not read? >> david? >> we have unlimited resources,

so we have to pick our battles wisely. i would like to see that and i would like to see the twentieth amendment -- keep the status short and say that this is how we can enact this legislation. that will keep these bills shorter. [applause] >> i will be divisive, del. at the end of the day, this is what the problem is. we have more laws and regulations that are destroying the fabric of this country by trying to institutionalize the behavior. -- good behavior. it happens for character. -- a 3 character. -- it happens the character through character.

-- it happens through character. that is unnecessary and less you elect a person from main and did you choose that person carefully and you that that person -- you vet that person. it is the shameful experience that our local elections are so under voted -- under-boded. -- under-voted. this is the point about what this movement should be on the education side. the responsibility at the voting booth is yours.

this should be understood by the people that are making decisions. >> let me get a follow-up on that real quick. we did a town hall and a man a said that he voted for a friend of his and he had all these grand ideas and we thought he had a good moral character. he called up and said he was a rock star. he said that he could get anything he wanted. he asked what the average time was in washington to corrupt a good moral man. two weeks. we have to clean up washington. >> i completely agree. [applause] >> somebody right here? >> my name is frank and i am from north carolina. when i signed a contract, i do

what i contractor to do. why cannot we ask our politicians to buy a $100,000 bond for $2,000 and the personable -- personally liable and the bonding company would pay the voters back? >> york too late. bondedtermlimits.com is online. they were at the same town hall. about was one of the men that responded. you put up a bond for $200,000. you say that if you do not lose -- if you do not do these things, you lose your money. >> thank you for being here. i am from shenandoah valley,

virginia. to reference back to the supposed of divisiveness, may i suggest to everyone that when someone comes up to you and is ugly or unpleasant or talking about divisiveness, why don't you simply look at them and ask them what our goal is. it is very simple. what is our goal? everyone of us has a singular goal. we want good government and constitutional governments. that is overriding all of the divisiveness. they may get their noses bit out of joint -- a bent out of joint. when you look at them say that you were angry about paying something, it is time to look at what your goals are as opposed to what our goals are. thank you. [applause] >> i will not a personal

comment. i have had a recent experience with divisiveness. just a little experience. one of the things that we need to do as the tea party movement is go back to ronald reagan. it ronald reagan's 11th commandment, thou shalt not speak evil of a fellow conservative. i think that we need to do the same thing as a movement one thing about the two-party -- p.t. party -- tea party and is the free-market of ideas. the market comes up with individual groups and ideas. that is how we got to be here today. room that will come up with the next great idea. we need to sit there and support the movement and tell others to

jump in. it does not matter who leads. you will get things done if you don't care who takes the credit. at that is where we need to be. -- that is where we need to i talked to a judge and somebody was running their mouths and the judge said that you have the right to remain silent, but apparently not the ability. i think it was calvin coolidge that said that which you never say can never be held against you. sometimes, if you disagree, just go on and do your thing and let everybody try to get on board and achieve our goal. >> i am don curtis from florida. a reporter began to ask me a myriad of questions about all kinds of conservative issues and where the tea party is.

my question to you is, do you think the tea party movement will mature into being the big tent for conservative ideas? will it be brought and become more mainstream -- a broad -- will it become broad and become more mainstream? >> where we will be one year from now, no one knows. we need to -- and i >> we need to not touch social issues -- >> we don't need to touch social issues. will republican, democrat, libertarian, every person across the spectrum. i think that we need to stay focused on that.

if we stay focused on those issues and unite, i think we will be more successful. [applause] >> i would like to address this and last question to the other. i have been asked a lot about divisiveness. ñiçómy answer has always been, s convention will either be a success or a failure." whether it is a success or a failure depends on you, the people that paid the money and what we take, and report back. the future of the movement depends on you. we need to keep it at a grass roots level to get rid of the ego and get rid of the political agenda and take control of the country.

>> i am having problems. >> next question? >> i am from tennessee. since we'veáisedñi our debate from the grass roots movement, how does a person like me, who is not a candidate or a bush, but wants to become politically involved and get elected and represent people. how do i do that can balance the fact that i have to pay my bills and take care of my family. >> that is the question of government, isn't it? i would suggest to you that one of the things that we have found in shelby county is that 60% of the local offices from school board president to show the county commissioners that are not even being run by any republican conservatives. average citizens have not stepped up to contend with those things.

if it is really grass roots, it is a leadership role in which you can influence policy. you not always have to be congressmen or senators of the united states. it begins in your community. helping people achieve those efforts appeal local level, alternately, i can assess their effectiveness and their character and values that we want to embrace. you do not need to be a full- time employee. most of them are part-time jobs. get your feet wet. you can experience government. this is a process by which we legislate and represent our people. policy is the process by which we make our voices heard. as we have done here, we recruited a woman who is

running in a largely democratic area. she is running as a conservative candidate. those are things that we need to do. ultimately, you may not know how to run a campaign. you may not know how to run for office, but we need leadership. those members at the grass-roots level can develop those skills sets and sometimes just the moral support necessary to become successful, but first, you have to stand for something and then you have to run on it. >> i want to answer your question, but i was having technical difficulties. i have done what you are talking about doing. in 2002, i decided to run for local county commission. here's how you do it. get involved with a political group. if not, you run without a team.

you make a decision and you go out and collect your campaign signatures and make a list of your friends that will give you money. it is not the greatest feeling in the world to go out there and ask for money. especially to your friends and family, but you have to be able to do it. did you get out there and get involved and get somebody who knows what they are doing. a campaign manager is the most important person you will have working with you. your campaign manager will be a volunteer but you have to know somebody who has experience that can keep you out of trouble. it will take time cared when i ran for county commissioner, i was running my own practice and i was doing other things and have family obligations, but i took the time not to run. the final word of advice is to not get bit by a spider. [laughter] >> i think -- i do not really know about running for office.

i will never run for office. but one thing i am hearing lately, from many people is how important the money is. there are key party people running all across this country and i keep getting these emails deputy party activists are great at writing letters but are not contributing. these emails that tea party activists -- at these emails that the party activists these emails that -- these emails that the party activists are great writing letters but rep attributing. >> mainly if you do not have a conscience, it will not bother you. you have to belly up to the buzz saw.

mark is the guy to talk to about this. who here is thinking about running for office? raise your hand if you're thinking about it. >> who is running for office? can we have those that are running for office to please stand? >> what to give them my hand, people, please -- let's give them a hand, people, please you up to surround them. it is an angelica meeting if you will. pop them up and support the -- propped them up and support them. -- prop them up and support them. >> one of the things that i have had the privilege of being in front of groups and telling them is that the tea party group is not complaining about bad leadership. we must replace bad leadership with good leadership. if you are out there and

involved in this movement, you need to think about running for office. be it school board, county mayor, these are the crucial races. school board is how you influence the next generation. one thing that we will try to do is to work with mark. martineau's computer technology inside and out and i will tell you that i do not. computer technology makes the internet the great equalizer. you can run a campaign on thousands of dollars. >> can adam come up your immelman? >>-- come up here a moment?

adam is an example of someone who ran as a common guy who decided to contend for the gubernatorial election for the state of illinois. 12 days ago, he was down 20 points. he brought in some local people and he lost by some 50,000 votes, but he came up to be a contender. he represents the best of what this movement is about. interestingly enough, i spoke with his campaign after the election. the next day, after they announced the loss -- by the way, the two top contenders were split by 500 boats. -- five riverboats -- 500 votes. he received e-mail saying that he had support.

i hope we will hear from them in a bit. these are average people. one of the things i am frustrated by is that washington is some alien entity and for many, it is. but they are you and me. they are people of america. they somehow lose their way or have never been properly assessed. do not discount the fact that they are still americans. without our support and our guidance and without holding them accountable, the goal of the road. -- they go off the road. as an american, i think about our system of government and the free enterprise system and everything that goes on and it is extraordinary even for the best of humankind. we have to have some empathy for that without degrading that they have decided to serve. think of what sarah palin has

gone through. she does not deserve that. none of us deserve that. as americans, i would encourage the tea party, in particular, to raise the dialogue and discount the name calling and be supportive of your elected officials. that is how we change america for the better. >> i agree with mark. but i also have to say that some of these that are dropped on power have to want to be helped or it is a lost cause. if they do not want to be held, it is time for them to go back home. >> help for a politician that is drunken on power is called retirement. >> one more comment on that, we were talking about what we can do. north carolina actually did it. there was a concerted effort started to take a county school

board. there were nine people on their and four seats were open for election. we took back the school board. they are one to get rid of diversity, year-round schools, and do you know what they said ? "we didn't know we were supposed to come out and vote." that is how we can take back the country. [applause] >> who do we have next? >> good morning, my name is larry morris. my wife and i drove here from southern california. [applause] if i may give you a little bit

of advice -- >> laudeouder! " i read with a libertarian party and it was taking off pretty big and it just did not get to where it should have. but to get back to stay unified with all the groups, my advice would be to stick with what i believe are three main issues and that is defending, the debt, and taxes. i believe that math is the lowest common denominator. stay focused on those issues. did not get split and divided and conquered. stay united.

one final thing is the youth. go with the schools and get the young people and the high schools and the college and get involved with that big time. they are our future, thank you. >> that you for your comments and your advice. i would agree with you on staying focused on those issues. when it comes to the youth, that is one of our biggest challenges. i have always been a conservative, and last spring, i went to the republican state convention in savannah and my 19-year-old daughter was with me. when we went into that convention center, the first thing that i noticed was the age of the people there. they were all great people, wonderful people, but there was no one there other than one young guy my daughter's age.

we talked about it and it is obviously a challenge that we face. i am not sure what the answer to it is. the answer lies out there somewhere. i would love to hear from someone who has the answer to bring you into this movement. it is something that we definitely need to be focused on. >> there is an easy answer. we need to make our schools schools again instead of indoctrination centers. [applause] >> take back the schools, take back the churches and take back the government and we will solve the problem. there is your 3. >> one of the things that we have done, we have a lot of issues we agree on. once you get beyond those issues, there are a lot of

people who have different issues. what we need to do is work on the issues that we all agree on. the other things, some we will be on board with and others we will not, but the big issues of what we are together on, that is where we need to push the ball forward. who is next? >> i am from hawaii and i am a community organizer. [applause] >> i moved to oklahoma in 1995 and wanted to retire and have a little bit of land and some horses, which you cannot do if you stay in hawaii. been there since 1995, i am now running for district to house of representatives -- district two

house of representatives against an incumbent democrat that voted 90 to 8% of the party -- 90% with the party. i told him that -- a 98% with the party. i told him that he needed to go back to washington. he did not vote because he was allowed not to. i want to share something with you from hawaii. this is my husband's birth certificate. [laughter] [applause] >> this is my son's birth certificate. there were born 30 years apart. this piece of junk is what you get if you do not have one of these.

do you want to take a lot? >> thank you. -- do you want to take a look? >> i need everybody's help. i have been with all of you the whole way. i have decided to challenge the incumbent and i have the support of all the tea party members. i have t-shirts for $15. if i can get $440 to take home with me, i can buy 2500 cards. >> we are starting to run up against a time crunch. we will take two more questions than we will have final words for our panel and we will have to get ready for the next event. >> i am jeff and i think i am the only montana native here.

we keep talking about focusing on core issues. i keep hearing that we refer to ourselves as conservative. that is not a bad thing, but it is a word that has connotations. i'm just wondering if maybe we should refer to ourselves as patriots as opposed to cubs -- as opposed to conservatives. >> i will take that one step further. you can take 10 people that say that they are conservative and you will get 10 different answers as to what that means and what that represents. here is what my wife always record -- always yells at me. what is the difference between a patriot and a conservative?

a patriot will do anything he can do to take back this country. he knows what has to be done and he will do it. life, fortune, sacred honor means something to some people. >>[applause] >> we talked about this definition. language has differed connotations. if we have tried to create the national 2 party of america, you can't even vote for anybody in chelsea county unless you live there. the issue about whether we are clearly defined and how we view ourselves in a definitional role is not as important on the local level. i am less concerned about where the national movement goes as i m of making sure that as i am of

making sure that people vote. -- as i am of making sure the people vote. we tend to try to see these movements as something unique and differentiated over history. what is unique that is going on is that for the first time, conservatives that have expected people to do the right thing are now stepping up to hold them accountable to do the right thing. only you, for your votes and actions can you determine that. if you are finding that you are looking to the wrong things. your vote is the only thing that matters. you can raise your voice. many of you have been injured by the press.

some of you were misquoted. what i will tell you is that you need to dismiss that because no one is shooting you. no one is trying to take your life in america. in that sense, we can be proud that the difference of opinions that we share with one another about who we are does not need someone else's definition. i am encouraged as an american, a conservative, republican, a father and son. if we try to develop a philosophy around this movement, then we lose our focus. energy should not be spent on trying to establish some unique platform or some unique element of a new constitution. [applause] when i did a survey on the memphis to party, it was amazing to me that 97% of the people

that responded had never been to an event of this nature. more importantly, half of them had not voted recently. you cannot be someone who suggests that you wish to change america without boating. if you do not vote -- without voting. if you do not vote, then do not interrupt me because you did not to legitimize -- did not legitimize your citizenry by voting. >> i want to echo what mark said. you can call the conservative, you can call me patriot, but first and foremost, i am an american. i want to protect my rights to call myself what i want. >> there were four pages that were written long ago that do not need to be rewritten. that is what it needs to be an american. >> right. [applause] >> who do we have for the last

question? >> item from indiana. i would like to thank all of you for this convention. it has been fabulous. >> of but you for coming. -- a think you for coming. -- thank you or cumming. >> one way to turn people off is to ask for money. i know that it has to be done. my question is, other than just outright asking for the money, what would you recommend as far as students are concerned -- as events are concerned to raise money. >> that is the question. you are here, you are spending your money. let us not be an ambivalent about that. it takes money to win. asking for a check in sales is a pretty standard. i get nine nos and i get one yes

and i make my money. if you do not get money, you ask them for time. if they will not provide their time, then go onto the next possible person. we do t-shirts, we do printings, and we obviously ask people to subscribe. the radio show that i do in memphis, i go out and i sell radio time to find my radio show. -- to find my radio show. -- to fund my radio show. you go out and you learn -- you earn your living and you bring the cashin. do not be ashamed of asking for the dollars that are necessary to support you. they will not think it will -- it will not think elihu if you

ask politely. -- they will not think ill of you if you ask politely. >> we will leave this event to go live to former republican presidential candidate serum palin. she is about to address the attendees at the event being held in national tennessee. this is live coverage on c-span. >> well, i have never met sarah palin before. i always imagined i would meet her. a man can have his fantasies. i just never knew that it would be in the middle of tennessee in

the biosphere, or is it the international space station, or is that the set of avatar? i loved tennessee my first time here. thank you for your hospitality. what a great place to kick off the tee party movement. . .

>> she has been an unbelievable inspiration to this country. she was the first to bring up community organizing as a kid was not helping your aunt helen across the road. we now know what committee organizing is about. it is robbery -- thuggery. that the courage. she was right. sarah palin was also the first person to be very politically incorrect and tell us about the death panels. [applause] i know the death penalty did not exist, but they got rid of it anyway about two days later. some kind of conspiracy that was.

this person is so great, in that she irks the right people the right way. [applause] more than that, everyone in this room knows that she is accountable only to herself. she is an independent spirit for whom even the republican party cannot control. [applause] we may not disagree on everything, but isn't that a great thing about this tea party movement? there is no leader and we do not agree on everything. how wonderful is that. politically correct, i believe media --no offense, i know i am on tv. it is nice to hear somebody with whom you can agree to disagree.

i will end on this note, cnn. "new york times." this woman -- i am going to end on this note. this woman sold millions of books and was on the new york times best-seller list. i think that is the greatest sentiment of what this person has created in the year and a half she has been in our life. she is a true courageous leader. ladies and gentlemen, sarah palin. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you so much. god bless you. thank you so much. [applause] i am so proud to be an american. thank you so much for being here tonight. do you love your freedom? if you love your freedom, say so. any of you serving in uniform, past or present, raise your hand. we are going to salute and honor you for your service. thank you. i am so proud to be american. thank you. thank you. happy birthday, ronald reagan. [laughter]

a special hello to the c-span viewers. you have an invitation to the tea party. [applause] it is very good to be in tennessee, the volunteer state, the home of good country music and good southern barbecue. it is great to be here. it is some southern sweet tea. in alaska, we have ice-t -- iced tea. i am a big supporter of this movement. i believe in it. i have a lot of friends and family in the lower 48 that attendees immense. america is ready for another revolution and you are a part of it .

i look forward to attending more tea party events in the future. it is so inspiring to see real people, not politicos, not inside the beltway professionals -- it is great to see you speak out for common- sense conservative principles. i want to start off with a special shout out to america's newest senator, scott brown. [applause] in many ways, scott brown represents what is beautiful movement is about. he was just a guy with the truck and a passion to serve our country. he saw that things were not quite right in washington and he decided he was going to do his part to put our government back on the side of the people. it took guts and a lot of hard

work. with support, scott brown carried the day. it is so interesting to watch the aftermath of the massachusetts'revolutions. the white house blames the candidate, their candidate. nancy pelosi blames the senate democrats. rahm emanuel criticized upholstered -- a pollster. yet again, president obama found some way to make this about george bush. [laughter] considering the recent concerted that elections --conservative elections, when you are 043, stop talking and start listening --when you are 0 for 3, stop talking and start

listening. we have some advice for our friends on that side of the aisle. this is what got you into this mess. the obama-pelosi-reid agenda will leave us more under the thumb of big government. it is out of touch and out of date. if scott brown is any indication, it is running out of time. [applause] from virginia to new jersey to massachusetts, voters are sending a message. in places like nevada, connecticut, colorado, michigan, north dakota doss the liberal left is running scared. the bottom line is that it has been a year now. voters are going to hold them accountable. out here in the cities and towns across this great country

, we have some big problems to solve. we have gotten tired of looking backwards. to look forward --we want to look forward. the future looks really good. if there is open massachusetts, there is hope everywhere. he --" in massachusetts, there is hope everywhere. [applause] brown's victory is exciting and is a sign of more good things to come. they are going to put it all on the line in 2010. this year there are born to be some tough primaries --going to be some tough primaries. i think competition is good. i hope you will get out there and work hard for candidates who reflect your values and priorities.

despite what the pundits want you to think, this is democracy at work and it is beautiful. [applause] i was the product of a competitive primary where running for governor i faced by guys. -- faced five guys. we put our ideas up for dead by -- debate. it is a healthy process. in 2010, i tip my hat to anyone with the courage to throw theirs in the r and made -- in the ring, and made the best candidate win. understand that the candidate is human and they are born to occasionally disappoint. when they do, let them know, but

do not get discouraged and sit it out because the stakes are too high. the stakes are too high and your voice is too important. work hard for these candidates, but put your faith and ideas. in that spirit, i caution against allowing this movement to be defined by any one leader or politician. the tea party movement is not a top-down operation. it is a ground-up call to action forcing both parties to change the way they do business and that is beautiful. [applause] this is about the people. this is about the people and it is bigger than any king or queen of but tea party and a lot

bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter. [applause] the soul of this movement is the people, everyday americans to grow are few, run our small businesses, teach our kids, and fight our wars. people saw what was happening and were concerned and they got involved. like you, they go to town hall meetings and write op-eds, they run for local office. you have the courage to stand up and speak out. you have the vision for the future that values the conservative principles and common-sense solutions. if that sounds like you, you are probably feeling a bit discouraged by what you see in washington, d.c. in recent weeks, we have grown even more uneasy about our

administration's approach to national security. it is the most important role ascribed to our federal government. it is not politicizing our security to discuss our concerns. americans deserve to know the truth about the threats we face and what the administration is or is not doing about them. let's talk about them. overseas contingency operation instead of the word "war" reflects a world view that is out of touch with the enemy we face. we cannot spend our way out of this. it is one thing to call a pay raise a job created or saved, it is quite an other to call the devastation of homicide, can inflect a man-made disaster. national security is the one place where you have to call it like it is. [applause]

in that spirit, we should acknowledge that on christmas day the system did not work. umar farouk abdulmutallab passed through airport security with a bomb, intent on killing passengers. he trained in yemen with al- qaeda. his visa was not revoked until after he tried to kill hundreds of passengers on christmas day. the only thing that stopped the terrorist was blind luck and brave passengers. it was a christmas miracle. that is not the way the system is supposed to work. [applause] what followed was equally disturbing after he was captured. he was questioned for only 50 minutes. we had a choice in how to do

this. the choice was to question him for only 50 minutes and then read him his miranda rights. the administration says there are no downside or upsides to treating terrorists like civilians. a lot of us paid to differ -- beg to differ. there are questions we would have liked him to answer before he got a lawyer. before we gave him the constitutional right to remain silent. [applause] our u.s. constitutional right. [applause] >> our right that you've bought and were willing to die for to protect in our constitution.

my son, as an infantryman in the united states army, is willing to die for. the protections provided thanks to you, we're going to bestow them on a terrorist who hates our constitution and tries to destroy our constitution and country? it makes no sense. we have a choice in how we are going to deal with terrorists. we do not have to go down that road. there are questions we would have liked to have answered before he lawyered up. who were you trained by? when and where will they try to strike again? the events surrounding the christmas day plot reflect the kind of thinking that led to september 11. the threat then our embassies were attacked was treated like an international crime spree,

not an act of war. we have seen that mind-set in washington. that scares me for my children and your children. treating this like a mere law enforcement matter places our country at great risk. that is not how radical islamic extremists are looking at this. we need a commander in chief not a professor of law standing at a lectern -- the lectern. [applause] >> it is that same kind of misguided thinking that is seen

throughout the administration's foreign-policy decisions. our president spent a year reaching out to hostile regimes , writing personal letters to dangerous dictators, and apologizing for america. what do we have to show for that? here is what we have to show. north korea tested nuclear- weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. israel, a friend and critical ally, now questions the strength of our support. plans for a missile defense system in europe have been scrapped. relations with china and russia are no better proof relations with japan, that he is an ally, are in the worst shape in years. are around the world, people seeking freedom from oppressive regimes wonder if we are still the beacon of hope for their cause. the administration put forth democracy program.

with the president has been unclear, i ask where the strong support is for the iranians who are risking all for the opposition to accommodate a job --a madonna job -- it is a short list. he spent only part of his state of the union address talking about foreign policy. there were not many victories for him to address. there are so many challenges in front of us. it can seem overwhelming. despite these challenges, we have hope that we can do things in the right direction. it requires the administration to change course. we need foreign policy that distinguishes the american friends --america's friends from enemies. [applause]

we need a strong national defense. i think he would agree with me, as ronald reagan used to talk about that. in that respect, i applaud the president for following at least a part of the recommendations made by our commanders on the ground in sending reinforcements to afghanistan. we must spend less time according our adversaries, more time working with our allies. we must build effective coalitions capable of confronting dangerous regimes like iran and north korea. it is time for more than just tough talk. you probably get tired of hearing that talk. [applause] tired of hearing the talk. it is time for some tough action like sanctions on iran.

in places of the world where people are struggling in the press, america must stand with them. we need a clear foreign policy that stands with people for democracy, that reflects our values and interests. it is in our best interest because democracies do not go to war with each other. they can settle their differences peacefully. the lesson of the last year is this. foreign policy cannot be managed through the politics of personality. our president would do well to take note of an auburn --of an observation of john f. kennedy that all of the pop world problems -- all of the world's problems --the problems with base in the real-world require will solutions. we better get to it. the risks they pose are great and grave.

as barry goldwater said, we can be conquered by bombs, but we can also be conquered by neglect, ignoring our constitution, and disregarding the principles of limited government. in the past year, his words rang true. washington has replaced private irresponsibility with public irresponsibility. the list of companies in industries the government is crowding out and bailing out and taking over continues to grow. first it was banks and mortgage companies, financial institutions, automakers. if they had their way, health care, student loans. in the words of congressman paul ryan, the $700 billion t.a.r.p. has morphed into crony capitalism and is becoming ua slush fund, just as we had

been warned about. people on wall street are collecting billions of dollars in bailout bonuses. among the top 17 companies that receive your bailout money, 92% of senior officers and directors still have their good jobs. every day americans are wondering where the consequences are. where are the consequences? [applause] when washington passed a $780 billion stimulus bill, we were nervous. they just spent $700 billion on wall street. on the state level, as a governor, we knew that money came with that strings attached. the federal government was going to have more control. there were going to disrespect the 10th amendment of our constitution by bribing us to

take the federal money and they were going to be able to mandate a few more things. i join with other conservative governors around the nation in rejecting some of those dollars. legislators -- [applause] it turned out to be nothing to applaud because legislators then were threatening lawsuits if governors did not take the money. i do it --vetoed some of the funds. these were borrowed up and printed dollars out of nowhere. even in alaska, a republican- controlled legislature, might be to -- my veto was overridden. the federal government will have taken more control over the people living in our states. i understand wanting to believe this is free money.

for some it is tough to tell -- people know in tough times --it is -- for some, it is tough to tell people no in tough times. president --and vice-president joe biden was put in charge of a tough oversight. nobody messes with joe. [applause] this was all part of that hope and change and transparency. a year later, i have to ask the supporters, how is that stuff working out for you? i tried to look into that transparency thing, but joe's meetings with the transparency and accountability board were close to the public.

-- closed to the public. they held at transparency meeting behind closed doors. i do not know if anybody is messing with joe, but here is what i do know. a lot of that stimulus cash ended up in some pretty odd places, including districts that did not even exist and programs that really do not have a whole lot to do with stimulating the economy. nearly $6 million was given to a democrat pollster who had already made billions during the presidential primaries. nearly $10 million was spent to update this the milles website --the stimulus website. as someone put it, this was a million-dollar effort using your money to tell you it is spending your money. it did not create a single job. these uses of stimulus funds do

not sound targeted or timely as we were promised. they sound ways all. in the case of those signs, kind of relax --the sound wasteful -- they sound wasteful. in the case of those signs, kind of ridiculous. did you feel stimulated? it turns out that washington got the price tag wrong. these programs cost billions of dollars more than we were told. it is closer to $860 billion. the white house cannot even tell us how much jobs were created. it is anywhere from thousands to 2 million. whenever we are sure of is the unemployment number at 9.7%. that is well above the 8% mark we were promised. unemployment --under employment

is now 16.5%. people are just giving up and not even enrolling in some of these programs pri is tough to count them. i will not go into all of it, but the list of broken promises is long. candidate obama pledged to end closed-door deals and no-bid contracts once and for all, but just last month his administration awarded a $25 billion contract. it is not hope,. . it is same old, same old. we got a cornhusk your kick back, the louisiana purchase -- cornhusker kickback, the louisiana purchase. they handed out waivers to lobbyists and left and right.

more than 40 lobbyists work at the top levels of this administration. most members of congress do not get to read the bills before they have to vote on it, but less to pledged that a bill would not be signed into law until we have a five days to read it online. it is easy to understand why americans are shaking their heads when washington has broken the trust with the people that these politicians are to be serving. we are drowning in national debt. many of us had had enough. -- have had enough. [applause] >> now, based on principles in all of this, it is easy to

understand, it really is. the seat would just love for us to believe this is way over our heads. somebody in tennessee, and alaska, she will never understand what we're talking about here in washington, d.c. when our families, small businesses --we start running our finances into the red, what do we do? we cut back and tighten our belts. we teach our children to live within our means. that is what todd and i do. we have to plan for the future and use a budget. in washington, why is it the opposite of that? this week, the unveiled a record-busting, mindboggling $3.80 trillion federal budget. they keep borrowing in printing the dollars and keep making us more beholden to foreign countries. they keep making us take steps towards insolvency.

what they are doing in proposing big new programs with giant price tags --they are taking -- they are sticking our kids with the bill. that is immoral. that is generational debt. we are stealing our children's future. [applause] freedom lovers need to be aware that this makes us more beholden to other countries, less secure, less free. that should tick us off. with all of these serious challenges ahead, we have private sector job creation that has to take place. economic woes, health care, the war on terror. as the saying goes, if you cannot ride to horses at once,

you should not be in the circus. here is some advice for those in washington, d.c., who want to shine in the greatest show on earth. too often when big government and big business get together and cronyism steps in, it benefits insiders but not every day americans. the administration and congress should do what we did in alaska when the good old boys started making backroom deals benefiting big oil and not the citizens of the state. the citizens of the state -- alaskans put government back on the side of the people. bigwigs started to get in trouble. some of them went to jail over their backroom deals. [applause] our government needs to adopt a pro-market again that that does not pick winners and losers but invites competition and levels

the playing field. washington as to lower taxes or smaller businesses so that our mom and pop can reinvest and hire people so that our businesses can thrive. they should support competition, innovation, and reward hard work. they should do all they can to make sure the game is there, without undue corrupt influence. they need to get government out of the way. [applause] if they would do this, if they would do this, our economy would roar back to life. for instance, on health care, we need bipartisan solutions to help families, not increase taxes. remember the red reset button that secretary clinton gave to putin. we should ask for that back and

hand it to congress and tell them to start all over on the health care and pass meaningful, market-based reforms that incorporate simple steps that have broad support. the best ideas, not backroom deals. injured purchases across state lines and tort reform. -- insurance purchases across state lines and four or four. -- tort reform. the things that are common sense. they do not want to consider those. what is their motivation? what is their intention if they will not even considered these common-sense, broadbased ideas? and to create jobs, washington should jump-start energy projects. i said it during the campaign and i will say it now, we need and all of the above approach to

our energy policy. proven, conventional resource development and support for nuclear power. i was then all that the president mentioned nuclear power in the state of the union. we need more than words. we can pave the way for projects that will create jobs -- those are real job creators and deliver carbon-free energy. let's expedite the legal processes for on an offshore drilling, instead of paying billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars that are now being sent to foreign regimes. we should be drilling here and now instead of relying on them to develop their resources for us. [applause] what we have to do is ask that plan for capt. tax -- cap-and-

tax, it was going to pass the burden of paying for it to our families. we have to make washington start walking the walk. after putting us on track to quadruple the deficit, perhaps the spending freeze is a start, but it is certainly not enough. it is like putting a band-aid on a self-inflicted gunshot wound. we need to go further, cut spending. do not just slowed down the spending spree. we have to ask for a second stimulus when the first has not even been measured for success yet. kill the plan for the second stimulus. [applause] be aware that the second stimulus is being referred to as a jobs bill. these are not the only ways to reduce spending. they are not enough. they are not enough to tackle the insane debt and deficit that

we face. they are a good way to start and show that we are serious about getting our financial house in order. i have spent the last year thinking about how to best serve the and help our country. how can i make sure that you and i are in a position of nobody been able to succeed when they try to sell us to --tell us to sit down and shut up? how can we best serve. in 2008, i had the honor of a lifetime, running alongside john mccain. i look at him as an american hero. nearly 60 million americans voted for us. --16 -- 16 million americans voted for us. while our boats did not carry the day, it was still a call to serve our country. those voters wanted us to keep on fighting in take the gloves

off. they want a common-sense, conservative solution and for us to keep on debating. each of us here today is living proof that you do not need an office or title to make a difference. you do not need a proclaimed leader as if we are all just a bunch of sheep looking for a leader to progress this movement. [applause] that is what we are fighting for and fighting about. what we believe in. that is what this movement is about. people are willing to meet half way and stand up for common- sense solutions and values. we want to work with them. in that spirit, i saw independents and democrats like bart stupak who wanted to protect the rights of those who

are unborn. i applaud that. [applause] when we can work together, we will. when the work of washington by late our conscience -- violates our consscience -- conscience and constitution, which will stand up and be counted because we are the loyal opposition. we have a vision for the future of our country and it is anchored in time tested truths, that the government that governs least governs best. it is the constitution that provides the best road map for the more perfect union. [applause]

>> bad only limited government can -- only limited government can expand prosperity and ought to --opportunity for all. it is worth fighting for. god bless you. [applause] america's finest are our men and women in uniform are a force for good in the world and that is nothing to apologize for. [cheers and applause] these are enduring truths that have been passed down from

washington to lincoln to reagan and now to you. while this movement's roots are in our spirit, they are historic. the current form of this movement is fresh and young and fragile. we are the keepers of an honorable tradition of conservative values and good work. we must never forget it is a sacred trust to carry these ideas forward. it demands stability and requires decent constructive debate. opponents of this message are seeking to marginalize this movement. they want to paint us as ideologically extreme and the counterpoint to liberal intolerance. outrages conspiracy theorists. unethical shameless tactics like considering a candidate's children fair game.

unlike the elitists who denounce this movement, they just do not want to hear the message. i have travelled across this country and talked to the patriotic men and women who make up the tea party movement. they are good and kind and selfless and deeply concerned about our country. i ask this -- let's make this movement a tribute to their good example and make it worthy of their hard work and support. do not let us have our heads turn from the important work before us. do not give others an excuse to turn their eyes from this. let's not get bogged down in small squabbles, let's get caught up in the big ideas. to do so would be a fitting tribute to ronald reagan. he would have turned 99 tonight. [applause] no longer with us, his spirit

lives on in his american dream and doors -- endures. it is here in our communities where families live and children learned -- and children with special needs are welcomed and embraced. [applause] thank you for that. [applause] [applause] >> the best of america can be found in places where patriots are brave enough and free enough

to be able to stand up and speak up and where small businesses grow our economy 1 job at a time. we know that america is still that shining city on the hill. i believe that god shed his grace on thee. we know our best days are yet to come. tea party nation, we know there is nothing wrong with america that we can not fixed as americans -- cannot fix as americans. from the bottom of my heart and speaking on behalf of those who would encourage this movement, this movement is about the people. who can argue a movement about and for the people? the political power is inherent in the people and government is supposed to work for the people. that is what this movement is about. [cheers and applause] from the bottom of my heart, i

thank you for being part of the solution. god bless you and god bless the usa. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> i am going to -- are we on?

>> god bless you. thank you. >> i could be wrong here, but i think you all like her. [applause] >> let's sit down. >> a few weeks ago, we worked out something where there would be a brief question and answer session. we ask the folks on tea party nation to submit questions to ask governor pailin tonight. she has graciously agreed to ask a few --answer a few questions. we're going to take a few minutes and asked and answered a few questions. is this your first time in ask bill? >> it is. i brought one of my daughters with me. she wants to find miley cyrus.

my first time here. >> mcaleese idriss lives not to -- miley cyrus lives not too far from where we live. i am sorry we could not work that out. next time. how do you see the future of the tea party movement? do you see this movement becoming part of the republican party or becoming a third independent party? >> the republican party would be start -- smart to strike and try to absorb this movement. it is the future of politics. it is a beautiful movement because it is shaping the way that politics are conducted. you have both party machines running scared because they are not knowing what we are going to do if we do not have tea party support. they know they will not succeed. >> outstanding. [applause]

at the convention here, we have at least three people who are running for congress. if you had the chance to interview some of these people, what questions would you ask them to determine whether or not he would support the? >> are we taxed enough already? if they say yes, i'm going to ask what are you going to do about it. we want to know they walk the walk. via a record that proves to us. i want to encourage people without elected office experience, not some of an elite resonate in their back pocket, i want them to come out and run for office. start changing the world. if they feel they have been taxed enough already and they make a commitment that they're born to do something about it, and they believe --and they are going to do something about it

and believe in limited government -- a lot of things that are detailed. the things on the periphery -- perhaps i would not agree with every single aspect of their agenda. if they have the basics down, it would be wise for us to be supportive. [applause] >> i am going to have to wait to let people applaud. >> yeah. >> yeah. it goes without saying, the endgame for the tea party movement for 2010 is a conservative house and conservative senate. i had the chance to tell people that next year at this time we need to see the title former speaker nancy pelosi and former senator harry reid. [applause]

when we are successful and have a conservative house and senate, as soon as that happens, what are the top three things that have to be done? >> rein in spending. we cannot just breeze a couple programs. we have to rein in spending, jumpstart energy projects. it is ridiculous that we have warehouses here in the united states of america, rich resources, oil, gas, coal, we have to actually walk that walk, to and allow them to come to development. it is tougher to put our arms around, but allowing america's spirit to rise again. do not be afraid -- did not be

afraid to go back to some of our roots as a god-fearing nation where we are not afraid to say, especially in times of potential trouble in the future, where we are not afraid to say, we do not have all the answers. we are callable men and women. it would be wise of us to seek divine intervention again in this country, so that we can be safe, secure, and prosperous again. to have people involved in government who are not afraid to go that route. people who are not afraid of political correctness. -- political correctionists. >> amen. we know conservatives are never harassed in the media. the following is clearly a

hypothetical question. in the instance that there were ever to be a conservative who were harassed in the media, what would you say to them? >> plow right on through it. at the end of the day, who cares what and irrelevant, mainstream media is going to say about you? the political pot shots they want to take that you for standing up and saying what you believe and proclaiming the patriotic love you have for your country. they do not want to hear that. at the end of the day, it really does not matter what they have to say about you. i really believe there are more of us, than they want us to believe. that should and power and strengthen us -- empower and strengthen us. plow right on through it, please. [applause]

>> we have mentioned today is ronald reagan's -- or would have been the 99th anniversary of his birth. one thing he did in the white house was create this great majority that was based not on republicans and democrats but he had a conservative majority in congress. what can we do to get conservative democrats, libertarians, independents on board with the tea party movement so that in 2011, it is conservative? >> it is pretty cool to see some of the blue-dog democrats peeking under the tent. i am scared if i am not a part of this. the nice thing about the tea party movement is that it is not just a bunch of hard-core, registered republicans. i make a confession, my husband is not a registered republican.

he is much too independent, but probably more conservative than i am. he is an example of many others who do not choose to be part of a registered party because they see the problems within the machine. they see some of the idiosyncrasies of the personalities who control the political machines and they do not want to waste time dealing with that. they are independent, but they are believers in the movement. i think you'll see a whole lot of independents and more conservative democrats who are emboldened and will say they will come out of the closet. i believe in it, too, they will say. [applause] as i talk about todd, and claim he is not a registered republican, i need to apologize to the republican party. some people have said, you are a pretty weak republican spokesperson if you cannot get

your husband to convert. he is much too independent. >> my wife left the republican party, too. we hear about the obama plan. what is the pailin -- palin plan? >> it is quite simple. i get a kick out of that. it drives some of the elitists crazy. they say i am too simple-minded and too plain spoken. my plan is to support those who understand the foundation of our country, when it comes to the economy. it is a free-market principles that reward hard work and personal responsibility. [applause] when it comes to national security, as i ratchet down the message on national security, it is easy to --to some oedipal --

to sum it up. bottom line, we win, they lose. we do all we can to win. [applause] >> for you, national security is a more personal issue. how is your son in the army doing? but he is doing awesome and i am so proud of him and a decision -->> he is doing awesome and i am so proud of him and the decision he made. these people could be doing anything or nothing else in our world, and they have chosen to serve something greater than themselves. they are not just wasting time in the young years of their lives. they get it. they understand the need to

protect our security and to really be willing to die for our freedoms. when i talk about my son -- and he does not like me to talk about him. he looked to me out if he hears about this. >> he may be watching. >> i do not think he has ever turned on c-span and his entire even life. [laughter] i am proud of him and the decision he has made. they are serving greater than themselves. as he would tell me, do not pick me out to the end me -- to thank me. thank those i serve with and those who have gone before me to allow me to do what i am doing. [applause] >> 2010 is an amazing year.

it is an election year. we just got through illinois primaries. are you going to be endorsing specific candidates? >> i will. i will attend as many events for these candidates as possible. i will probably tick off some people as i get involved in the primaries. i want to encourage contested primaries -- this is how we find the cream of the crop. let's not be afraid of contested primaries . i will get out there and campaign. this common sense, a conservative message. >> i can think of two words that right and liberals -- that frighten liberals -- preisdent -- president palin.

[years and applause] -- [cheers and applause] >> sarah! gorun, sarah! run, sarah! >> we may not get to finish this. it seemed to be two words that get everybody on their feet. this is going to have to be our last question. if you are president tomorrow, what the three problems would be the first you tackle? >> we talked about the energy projects that have to be introduced. we're not just talking about them and we talked about the spending cuts that have to take place and the growing debt we need to get our arms around. i am all for the bipartisan work

ethic --effort that is needed in washington d.c. one issue that has to be tackled is to not make the promises about bipartisanship if the promise cannot be fulfilled. if there is no intention to work with the other party --there are so fundamentally disagreeable. .

if i had anything to do with any of the controversy that some of the media's on up. >> what controversy? >> i am happy, honored, proud. if anything was ever to be written out for me as a check, i would turn it right around. this is not about money or a title or a leader position. this is about the people. i will live, i will die for the people of america, whatever i can do to help. this party that we call the tea party, this movement is the future of politics in america

and i am proud to be here today. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. [cheers and applause] ♪ [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> we had more questions we wanted to do, but we were getting from the side that governor palin will have to leave in a few minutes. this would have been ronald

reagan's 99th birthday. i never met him, but i have some -- i have met sarah palin. on behalf of tea party nation, i want to thank everyone who came to the convention and dinner tonight. i want to thank those who will go back out into the communities with what they have learned to help take back america. this is our year, 2010. we will take the congress. 2012, we will take back the white house. we are going to take america back. [cheers and applause] if you are not doing anything on march 27, -- governor palin is

leaving the building. if you are not doing anything on march 27 in nevada, tea party express will kick off their torpor. i will have the privilege of being there along with governor palin. for those of you who have not heard, this is not fit for the national tea party convention. july 15 through july 17, we will do this again. we will announce details in the very near future. one final thing. i forgot to think somebody very special who helped make this event really great tonight. he will come up and close in just a second. -- phil valentine. [applause] i worked in radio many years ago. you pick up the things that make you know someone is really good at what they do. i will admit i am biased. he is a friend of mine, but i

rate him up with russia and vanity. he is that good. -- rush and hannity. he is syndicated on the radio. call your station and say, i want to become a friend of phil's. thank you so very much. we wish you save travels back home. god bless you all and god bless america. [cheers and applause] >> hey, folks. as i told you, this is just the beginning. what will you do when you leave here? work. working it. >> former alaska governor sarah

palin bringing to a close the first tea party national convention in nashville. we will take your phone calls on what you thought about her speech. we have four numbers for you to reach as. republicans, dial -- democrats, dial -- our first call is virginia. p.j. on the republican line. >> it is actually c.j.. i am really impressed with governor palin. it is incredible to see. i love how much she energizes the base of conservatives and tea party supporters. she takes criticism from the left-wing media on her experience on the world and her not wanting to know, but tonight

proved that wrong with what she said about foreign policy. she is committed to learning things about the world. i believe she is going to be a candidate for the conservatives in 2012, and if she cannot do it, i am not sure a true conservative will do it. i think ronald reagan is smiling in heaven, looking down on us tonight. i am proud and i cannot wait to see what else she keeps doing for the party. >> and gary in san jose, california, democrats line. >> i believe that sarah palin means well. she seems genuine and all. the problems are complex and i think the national tea party is not really looking deep. take the health care issue. millions of people, millions, 5 million people per year lose their health insurance coverage. there is no simple way to attack this problem without adjusting

the company's abuses and stuff like that. it makes it seem as though the national tea party will come along and say these people from without having insurance and people are going bankrupt because of it and the suffering -- it is ridiculous. this is a difficult issue and i think the tea party is trying to make it sound simple and it isn't simple. these issues are difficult. i did not hear a lot of substance, just stone-throwing at the democratic party. >> on the independent line, david from chicago. >> i would agree with the very last caller. i think sarah palin tends to capture the discontent of the grass roots movement. in terms of her foundations, i did not hear anything of substance tonight. what amazes me, whether it is republican, sarah palin, the democrats, in terms of creating jobs, this is a crucial issue.

nobody's talking about the fact that we are allowing in 1.5 million legal foreign workers every year into the economy when american citizens are being displaced and bypassed. that is why there is the seething discontent and reach. we are all trying to make this country work. the people that the everyday to earn a paycheck. if only sarah palin could of said that tonight, she could have offered some substance. instead, i did not hear anything like that. >> 1100 people paid over $300 each to attend this speech tonight. she has also said that she would be taking part in a rally next month in harry reid's backyard, searchlight, nevada. a political event will happen in boston next to peoria, arizona -- boston. next, peoria, arizona. >> i want to say how wonderful it was to hear syrup talk --

sarah talk. i have been writing e-mails, attending tea parties for almost a year now. it is nice to see that we are coming together and can bring some of that common sense back. get the lead to hear us. even with massachusetts, the president made it clear, he did not hear us. i am thrilled to see this today. >> thanks for your call. next, phoenix, arizona, on the republican line. >> i agree with what the independent said. i saw i lack of intellectual substance on the behalf of ms. palin. to have her get up there and invoke god and then talk about how we need to get god back into our public life, and then to support somebody like brown, who is a pro-life -- who is a pro-

choice republican, i kind of find it ironic and intellectually dishonest. >> as we look at pictures of sarah palin from earlier, we are taking your calls and getting your reaction to her speech. we next go to las vegas. henry on the democrats' line. >> i would like to say that american politics are becoming a comedy of errors. they accept what this lady is saying, they deserve what they get. the american public deserves what they get. hopefully, somebody will come to their senses and look at these people for what they really are, a bunch of jokes. thank you. >> on the independent mind, robert in the nation's capital. >> my most -- the thing i like

most about her speech tonight was her emphasis on national security. it has taken a backseat to domestic priorities as of late. this president is seriously endangering our national security, domestically and abroad. it is glad that she touched on those things and was responsible and brave enough to bring up topics the mainstream media will not address. with a girlfriend of -- with a girlfriend on the afghan border, i am glad that she's willing to bring these issues to the forefront and address it. the mass media probably will not pick it up and c-span is responsible enough to do so. thank you. >> sarah palin reported in "usa today" that she was paid $100,000 for her speech tonight. she said she would put her feedback to the cause. on the tea partiers line,

missouri, spencer. >> i would just like to say i am continually amazed by this woman's performance. i am an 18-year-old soon to be voter and and excited to be able to vote for this woman in upcoming elections if she chooses to pursue it. i really enjoyed her emphasis on returning back to country basics and being able to emphasize how we have strayed away from conservative values that we have long valued. i really enjoy how she emphasizes these issues and once again look for to not only voting for candidates like her in upcoming elections, but her in the future. >> next, dennis in apple valley, california, on the republican line. >> yes, i was impressed by her speech. i am glad she gave back the money to the cause. the democrats you had on earlier who said all the health care issues are so complex that tea

party people cannot figure it out, our president cannot figure out much of anything without a teleprompter. i am glad she is up there and i am glad you are doing what you're doing. i am a frustrated republican from california. hopefully, we can change this stuff around here. that is what i have to say. thank you very much. >> on the line for democrats, we go to rita in north carolina. >> yes. i watched a couple of the segments earlier during the day and i watched this one tonight. i agree with the previous caller, who said that he thinks former governor palin means well, but i think she is just not comfortable being thrust in any sort of leadership role with the tea party nation nor the republican party. there were a couple times during her speech where she said that she did not think the tea party

nation needs to have a leader re-emerge. i disagree. the segment i saw earlier today left me with the impression that there is some disarray within the party. there are so many different philosophical ideas that have slowed it. there were some members who were active. the leader of the -- the founder of the tea party nation is trying to bring some sort of ideological base in the discussions earlier during the day, but at times, his voice and opinion seemed to be drowned out. i am just a little concerned about what i saw today. i am trying to be open-minded. thank you. >> after this rally, sarah palin heading to texas for a campaign event for republican governor

rick perry. our final call is from washington. jeannie on our line for tea party members. go ahead. >> hi. i have to tell you that sarah palin brought so much energy to the presidential election that even with a loss, i attended my first-ever rally in our little town. there were about 100 people there. it was very exciting to see what events we have all started in this tea party movement. it was exciting and i have never done anything like that before. i am very excited about sarah palin, in whatever capacity she chooses to assist in this new revolution.

>> thanks for your thoughts and thanks for all your calls. if you missed any of the speech from former governor palin, we will air it again tonight at 12:50 eastern and tomorrow morning just before "washington journal." >> coming up next, president obama's remarks at the democratic national committee winter meeting. then, the funeral service for charles mathias. that will be followed by a discussion on the future of the tea party movement. >> watch "washington journal" for conversation, comments, and your calls about the public affairs, live daily from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. eastern, c-span, covering washington like no other. >> now, president obama meets with fellow democrats at the

winter meeting in washington. he talks about his legislative agenda for the coming year. this is 25 minutes. it is good to see you. it is good to be among friends. i am so committed to the future of this party and the country. i am willing to brave a blizzard. snowmageddon here in d.c. somebody had "californians for -- 4 obama." i was thinking, you guys are not used to this. i have got some special thanks for the folks here. first of all, i want to thank omar norton for fighting the good fight in the district of columbia. our dmz vice chair from new hampshire.

dmc secretary and treasurer, thank you for the great work that you do. i want to thank tim kane, who is an outstanding former governor and an outstanding leader of this party. [applause] he is building the best grass roots organization we have ever had. give tim kaine a big round of applause. [applause] if i am not mistaken, we have a couple of terrific members of congress here. mike, are you here? he is on his way. he is still shoveling. how about barbara lee? is she here? we love her anyway. give them a big round of applause. [applause] i want to thank the governor, the legislators, the mayors from across this country who are working to move their states and

communities forward in extraordinarily challenging times. they have done heroic work. i want to thank the dmc members, state party leaders, and the millions of americans who have taken up the cause of change at the grass-roots level in all 50 states. now, i just want to remind everybody, we knew from the beginning that this would not be easy. change never is. that is especially true in these times. we face an array of challenges as tough as any we have seen in generations. president kennedy once said, when we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we have been saying they were. [laughter] the truth was, things were worse.

we took office facing a financial crisis that was something we have not seen since the great depression, an economy that we now know was bleeding 760,000 jobs a month. a $1.30 trillion deficit, two wars that were costing -- costly in every sense of the word. from the specter of terrorism to the impact of globalization, we faced tremendous new challenges in this young century. all of this comes on top of one of the top of a decade or middle class had ever faced. the decade were jobs grew more slowly than in any prior expansion, where the income of the average american household actually declined, where the cost of everything seemed to keep going up.

everything we have done over the past year has been not only to break the back of this recession, but also to secure the middle class families that have been slipping away for over a decade now. there was a political decision to jump in the back seat and let us do the driving and critique whether we were taking the right turns. that is ok. that is part of what it means to govern. all the steps we took were necessary. none of us wanted to throw the lifeline to the banks. the outrage should not be that we did because it had to happen in order to prevent millions more from losing their jobs, millions of businesses and homes

to foreclose. the real outrage is that we had to do it in the first place in order to fend off the collapse of the financial system. that is the outrage. [applause] we passed tax cuts for small businesses, tax cuts for 95% of working americans. we put americans to work building the infrastructure of tomorrow, doing the work america needs done. we passed the credit-card bill of rights to protect consumers from getting ripped off by credit-card companies. we put the lot behind the principle of equal pay for equal work. [applause] we extended the promise. we protected every child from being targeted by tobacco companies.

we passed a service bill named for ted kennedy that gives young folks and old folks new ways to give back to their communities. we appointed sonia sotomayor to the supreme court. [cheers and applause] we began working with congress and our military to repeal the law that denies gay americans the right to serve the country that they love because of who's they are. -- because of who they are. [applause] overseas, we began a new era of engagement. we're working with our partners to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to seek a world free of nuclear weapons. we banned torture. we have begun to leave iraq to

its own people. we have charted a new way forward in pakistan and afghanistan and has made good progress. i went to cairo on behalf of america to get a new dialogue with the muslim world. we are living up to a moment that the man's leadership by standing side by side with the people of haiti. [applause] if you look at a tally, the things we said we would do, even in the midst of this extraordinarily challenging economy, we have kept our promise. we have kept our commitment. we have moved forward on behalf of a more prosperous and more secure future for the american people. for all our efforts, we have to with knowledge, change cannot come fast enough for many americans.

the reason we visited allentown, pennsylvania, ohio, florida, an asheville, no -- new hampshire, talking to workers in factories and diners, they want to know how they will find a job when they only have had one trade in their life. how will they send kids to college? how will they pay medical bills? how can they retire with their rich -- rich401k's so banged up? -- with their 401k's so banged up? i understand your frustrations. you understand it as well. michelle is always a good barometer. i was talking to her the other day. the front page was, oh, what is obama going to do to get his poll numbers up? are the democrats in a tizzy? she said, listen.

if you are the average family, if i am a mother out there, i am working, my husband is working, we are worried about losing our jobs, hours have been cut back, the cost of our premiums just went up 30%, the credit card company jacked up our interest rate, our home value has gone down by $100,000, suddenly someone calls up and says, so, how do you think president obama is doing right now -- [laughter] what are they going to say? what are they going to say? of course people are frustrated. they have every right to be. i know that during the course of this gathering, some of the

press have been running around, what do you think we should be doing? this and that and the other, what is the strategy? look. when unemployment is 9.7%, when we are still digging ourselves out of an extraordinary recession, people are going to be frustrated. they are going to be looking to the party in power. when you have another party that says, we don't want to do anything about it, of course people are going to be frustrated. folks are out there working hard every day, trying to meet their responsibilities. all around them during this last decade, what they have seen as a wave of irresponsibility from wall street to washington. they see a capital city where every day is treated like election day. every act, every gesture passing through a political filter. they have seen the outside

influence on lobbyists and special-interest, who hijacked the agenda by leveraging campaign money and connections. of course they wonder if their leaders can muster the will to overcome all of that and confront the real problems that touch their lives. here is what everybody here has to remember. that is why i ran for president. that is why you worked so hard to elect a democratic congress. we knew this stuff was tough. we stepped up because we decided we would take the responsibility of changing it. it may not be easy, but changes tough. -- change is tough. [applause] i believe so strongly, if we're

going to deal with the great challenges of our time, if we're to secure a better future just as past generations did for us, we will have to change the prevailing politics in this town. it will not be easy. we have to care less about scoring. some more about solving problems that are holding us back. at this defining moment, that has never been more important. we can continue to be consumed by the politics of energy, but we know that the nation that leads the clean energy revolution will lead the 21st century global economy. we know that a failure to act will put our planet in deeper peril. we know china is not waiting in india is not waiting in germany is not waiting to see is that future and america cannot afford to wait, either. [applause] i don't intend to spend all my

time taking calls to figure out whether we will see that future or not. we can continue to spend our wheels with the old education debate, but bidding teachers' unions against reformers, and our kids keep trailing their counterparts from south korea to singapore. we know the education -- we know the countries that out-educate us today will out compete as tomorrow. those children will be condemned to a lifetime of lower wages and unfulfilled dreams. america cannot afford to wait. i will not take a poll to figure out whether or not we will tackle education. we can continue to allow the same special interests who stacked the deck in favor of financial speculator is in the last decade to block reform again in this decade. if we have learned anything from the devastating recession, it is that we know that wise

regulation actually can enhance the market and make it more stable, make the economy work better. we cannot return to the dereliction of duty that helped deliver this recession. we know that to do so would be to put at risk our jobs, families, businesses, and our future. america cannot afford to wait. we cannot look back. yes, we could continue to ignore the growing burden of runaway costs of health care. the easiest thing to do right now would be to just say, this is too hard. you know? let's just regroup and lick our wounds, try to hang on. we have got a long and difficult debate on health care. there are some, maybe the

majority, who say, perhaps it is time to walk away. here's the thing, democrats. if we walk away, we know what will happen. premiums will skyrocket this decade and a decade after that and a decade after that just as they did in the past decade. more small businesses will be priced out of coverage. more big businesses will not be able to compete internationally. more workers will take home less pay and your races. millions more americans will lose coverage. we know our deficit will inexorably continue to grow because health care costs are the single biggest rival. so just in case there is any confusion, let me be clear. i am not going to walk away from health insurance reform. i am not going to walk away from the american people. i am not going to walk away on this challenge. i am not going to walk away on any challenge. we are moving forward.

[cheers and applause] we are moving forward. sometimes, we might be moving forward against the prevailing winds. sometimes, it might be against a blizzard. we are going to live up to our responsibility to lead. i am confident that if we stay steady, if we stay focused on all the people that we meet each and every day who are out there struggling, if we have got them in mind, we are working to

deliver on their behalf. in the end, that will be good politics. it will be good for america, not just good for democrats. but in order to get any of these battles done, we will have to change the way that washington works. now, we may not get a lot of attention for it, but we have already begun to do that. we rain in the power of the special interests with the top this transparent rules of any administration in the modern era. we're the first white house ever to post our business online. we have excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs, federal boards, and commissions. i called on congress to make all earmarks' public. i want a central website. you will know how the money is spent. we're going to have to confront

the gaping loopholes that was recently reopened in the campaign finance laws allowing special interest to spend without limit. [applause] we also said that as we work to change the ways of washington, we would change the way we do things. this committee is the first to ban contributions from political action committees and lobbyists. i am pleased to see the recommendation cemented aimed at improving our nomination process. i believe the more americans that get involved in this party, the strong the -- strong for the party will be. yes, we need to change the way we work with the other party as well. now, i am proud to be a democrat. i am proud to be a leader of this great party. i also know that we cannot solve all of our problems alone. we need to extend our hands to the other side. we have been working on it.

if we are going to change the ways of washington, we have to change this. as a step in that direction, i visited with the house republican caucus last friday. [applause] we had a good discussion about the challenges facing the american people and our ideas to solve them. it was good for the country. it was a robust debate. i had fun. we have to a knowledge there'll be some issues that democrats and republicans do not see eye to eye on. that is how it should be. that is how democracy works. there has to be some issues on which we can find some common ground. it is one thing to disagree out of principle. it is another to simply stand in the way because of politics. now is not the time for sitting

on the sidelines or blocking progress or pointing fingers or assigning blame. now is not the time to do what is right for your party or poll numbers. now is the time to do what is right for the country. now is the time to do what is necessary to see us through these difficult times. now's the time to do everything in our car to keep the american dream alive for the next generation. that is our mission, democrats. i know we have gone through a tough year. we have gone through tougher years. we're the party of thomas jefferson, who declared that all men are created equal. we had to work long and hard to ensure that those words meant something. we're the party of franklin roosevelt, who in the midst of depression, said all we had to fear was fear itself.

we saved freedom and democracy from being extinguished on earth. that was hard because the impulse was to fear. we as a party helped to lead the country out of that fear. we're the party of john f. kennedy, who summoned up to serve and called us to pay any price, bear any burden. we're the party of edward m. kennedy, whose cause and doors, who said that here in the united states, the promise of health care should not be privilege but a fundamental right. that is who we are, a democrat. that is who we have got to be today, for all the stories we have heard, after all the campaigns, after all the promises we made, this is our best chance to deliver change that the american people need. if we do that, if we speak to the hopes of the american people instead of their fears, if we inspire them instead of divide them, if we respond to their challenges with the same sense of urgency they feel in their hearts, we will not just when

elections, elections will take care of themselves. we will once again be the party that turns around the economy and moves this country forward and secures the american dream for another generation. thanks very much, everybody. god bless. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ["stars and stripes" playing]

♪ ♪

["stars and stripes" continues] >> coming up next, the funeral service for former maryland senator charles mathias. then come a discussion on the future of the tea party nation. after that, former alaska

governor sarah palin's speech at the tea party convention in nashville. >> on "newsmakers," senior advisor david axelrod discusses the obama administration's priorities, relations with congress, and how the white house views the 2010 elections. "newsmakers" sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern on c- span. >> now, the funeral service for former u.s. senator charles mathias, who died last week at the age of 87. he served the state of maryland as a republican from 1969 until 1987. prior to that, he served four terms in the house, representing the state's sixth congressional district. among those remembering him at washington national cathedral this week, his former senate colleague, vice president joe biden. this portion of the services an hour.

-- service is an hour. >> mr. vice president, distinguished guests, friends and family, thank you for being with us today. we are here to celebrate the life of a great man. the public story has been well told. statesman, the conscious of the senate, protector of the chesapeake, friend of nations, fierce advocate for the equal rights of all men and women. ours was a heavy household to grow up in, but through it all,

dad was still deaad, full of loe and devotion. through it all, a light lessons emerged. dad love to travel and he would take charlie and me whenever he could. it was part of our education and a great gift that he gave us. i remember our first trip to san francisco, i was young, maybe 12 or so. dad was there to make a speech and i was a long to see the city by the sea. one night, we were on our own. we went out to dinner and for a short walk. we climbed one hill and then the next. i started to whine, suggesting we find a cab and go back to the hotel. just one more hill, he would say, as we went up another and then another. i learned on that trip that san francisco is built on seven

hills, each of them walkable, and that my father thought calves were a waste of money. it was not until later that i learned that he and the senator had an ongoing contest as to who was the cheapest man in the senate. later in life, i was lucky enough to accompany him to the city of lights, paris. he was there with some important purpose. abbas primarily along for the ride. now well versed in my father's aversion to taxicabs, i was not surprised to find us on the paris metro. on this particular day, dad was wearing his red lapel ribbon, denoting his membership in an organization. the ribbon is inconspicuous, boeing mostly unnoticed, except for a few. as reported the metro, there was

an elderly gentleman sitting in the seat reserved for the disabled and senior citizens and veterans of foreign wars. the man looked up, and when he saw that ribbon, he jumped up. with great excitement, he said, mon general, assez vous. my father, much to my horror, took this 102-year-old man's seat on the train. it would have been rude to have done otherwise. it is great to be great, he would say. he would have a twinkle in his eye when we would encounter such acts of kindness. we knew what greatness meant in your father's side. by his example, greatness was defined by humility, graciousness, and service.

i will never forget a time immediately following the 1968 riot when he piled us into our buick station wagon and drove us down to the mall to see resurrection city, the tent and plywood village that had directed itself in the midst of the turmoil. at a time when my friends family were fleeing the city for the safety and security of the suburban countryside, dad drove the of our way. he drove us into the heart of the problem so that we could see it and understand it for celts. it is a lesson that has stayed with me ever since. dad always had room for people from all parts of life, be they the watermen from the chesapeake, the residents of pick town in baltimore, or the presidents and prime ministers, kings and queens of europe and the middle east.

this was one of the hallmarks of the slightly round man in a rumpled suit. not long ago, dad was giving my in-laws a tour of the capitol. his beloved foreign committee room was locked, but he found a key and they let us then. while we were inside, some tourists appeared in and began to push their way through the open door. we quietly nudged them away, whispering that the room was close to the public. dad caught what was going on out of the corner of his eye and he interrupted in self. come in, he called, welcome. take a look around. let me know if you have any questions. he continued with his oral history of the various treaties that had been negotiated at that table. lesson learned. dad also was a great scholar. a lover of history, he was one of the best red people i knew --

best read people i knew. i often thought he was spoke -- he was born 200 years too late. he could recite the confederal as papers from memory and had the love of and respect for the constitution of an original author. this was all an important part of life with father. i remember a time when i was in college research in a paper that was due the next day. this was long before the advent of the google machine. there was a point i wanted to make, but i needed historical context and some actual fact would predict actual facts with which to make. i called my own personal search engine. he opined that herodotus had first introduced this particular line of thinking and was a worthy place to start. when i opined that this was interesting but not that helpful, as i needed source material and footnotes that

night, he told me he would call me back. two hours later, well past midnight, he phoned with the volume, paragraph, and page number, along with the relevant quotation. for the previous two hours coming he had been sitting in the attic, going through his volumes of herodotus to help his errant son out of the jam. stick with dad and you'll be glad is the refrain that he would chime whenever we would arrive at a hard to find destination or when the result of a seemingly hairbrained schemes of his actually turned out as intended. charlie and i would groan and roll our eyes come as any normal sons would do. stick with that and you'll be glad is how i regale my girls when i deliver them on time to one destination or another. i take great pleasure in their subsequent rounds and i rolling movements. i guess it is true. -- subsequent groans and eye-

rolling movements. i guess it is true. like father, like son. dad was wickedly funny. i love to hear about his stories -- i love to hear his story is almost as much as he loved to tell them. i remember one summer night at a dinner table when dad suddenly laid down on the floor, hands and feet wriggling in the air, demonstrating the proper technique for playing dead ants, something he apparently learned in the navy. then, there were summer visits in maine, where dad and david would play with their world war ii vintage walkie-talkies like two adolescent boys. they were sitting next to each other. the portrait of this man would

not be complete without a mention of data as the grandfather. in -- of dad as the grandfather. in a word, he was wonderful. he took great joy in experiencing the joy of our children. from the day of their birth, he treated each one with love and chris -- with love and with love. always with a lollipop in his pocket, he greeted them each with a hug and a squeeze and rejoiced in the pursuit -- in the reciprocation of that act. from early days at the farm and there were babies to more recent times when he would surrender old trinkets to their young in curious hands, dad always welcomed his granddaughter's into his life, sharing what he could, always offering more. our children to their grandfather, and for this, i am forever grateful. but dad's life was not a one-man

play. he had a wife of 51 years, a devoted son charlie, of whom he was so very proud, an extended family that supported him always, colleagues and friends who advised him wisely, and the best friend in the u.s. senate, all of whom he treasured, and all who were part of the achievements who now mark his life. i'm grateful to you all. patients, humor -- patience, humor, kindness, humility, these are all qualities, all lessons that my father taught me. perhaps the single greatest lesson that he left me with is the power of perseverance. the simple act of moving forward. keep moving, 1 foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

never give up. never lose hope. never lose sight of that which is in front of you. persevere. this really is how dad lived his life, from his view of family and friendship, to his philosophy of government, to the way he chose to live with parkinson's disease. parkinsons was the darkest and perhaps most unfair chapter of his extraordinary life, but he never gave in to it. he never surrendered to it. he never once complained about it. he just kept going, one step at a time, 1 foot in front of the other, every day, until the very end. preserve. it is what he goes for -- chose for his coat of arms. it is the family motto. it is an ode to a great man.

preserve, dad. we love you and we miss you. >> when word of the passing of our beloved senator charles mathias reach me, i felt the same way winston churchill said england felt with the death of king george the sixth. the news struck a deep and solemn note that made people pause and look around them. a new sense of values took possession of human minds. at the same moment, it is solemn

and sorrow, it is blended and painful, in the region in its fortitude and in its suffering. mac mathias has gone home. so, we gather today to celebrate the life of a man who did his duty by meeting his high calling. we send out our compassion to his wife, who was a perfect blending of old stock new england with the highlands of frederick county. our own compassion goes out to charlie and robyn the rest of the mathias family. his dignity, wisdom, courage, and integrity earned him the respect and admiration of all who met him, all who knew him, a number far too high to measure.

still, the celebration would be incomplete were it to conclude without a few words without mention of the other members of the month i is family, who were also called home from above. first, let us speak of shanny. may i see a show of hands to those who recognize the name? pri those of you in the dark, that was the lead role in "cujo," about a big dog that terrorized the town in maine. he played the cujo role in congress. mac mathias loved