reminding all of us that there's real people behind all the things we're doing here. these are real people with real families, with real children, with real wives and kids, and it always does us good to be reminded of you that. with that, the health committee will stand ajohned. [captioning made possible by espn, inc.] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> today on "washington journal" -- a look at the 2010 midterm elections and the effect that the tea party could have with david wasserman of the cook political rote and rhodes cook, author of the rhodes cook letter. also a discussion on how the deficit could affect defense spending with james carafano of the heritage foundation and

senior fellow of the american security project, bernard finel. that's live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. today on "news makers," senator mark warner on the financial regulations bill and his hope for bipartisan support. that's at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> what i think is veelingts now is that the american agree to talk to the taliban leadership. >> in 000, ahmed rashid wrote about the taliban and the rise of osama bin laden. now with the 10th anniversary edition of his book, he looks at what's next on "q&a," tonight on c-span. >> now a look at red carpet arrivals of several celebrities and political figures who attended the white house correspondents determine last night. shortly after the arrival, a look at last night's dinner with featured speakers

president obama and nbc's tonight show host jay leno. the white house correspondents association determine took place in washington, d.c., with almost 3,000 journalists, politicians, and celebrities attending the event. this is about 55 minutes.

>> there's just three special women in this audience whose love and support i feel every single day. and i'd like to just acknowledge helen ferguson of sterling, virginia, my mother-in-law, nancy chen of portland, oregon, my mother, and my darling wife, meredith, who is the light of my life and with whom i'll be celebrating a 35th anniversary this year.

and i would be remiss not to recognize the product of this happy union, matthew of houston, texas. >> thank you again. tonight i think is going in three ways. it reduces a carbon foot present of this determine, and there's more information about that in your program. and i'd like to thank the natural resources defense council, which helped guide our efforts. and they're represented here tonight by the executive director. thank you for coming, peter.

so thank you to the washington hilton hotel. and tonight also marks the first time in the 96-year heft of this association that the two presidents at this head table are going to challenge the old ways of doing things in washington and shatter some feelings. so thank you. and finally, i think we're on the road to making history by having the shortest dinner program ever here. so i would close by thanking the seven other members of the white house correspondents board. each one of them over the past year has very difficult

assignments, always a switch here, and great verve, and they all have results to show, so thank you all very much. it's been a privilege to serve with you all. >> finally, this dinner would be unimaginable without the tireless efforts of a woman who spent the last year introducing me to other people as her boss. i'll tell you a little secret. she's the boss, and she's the brains and the braun behind this determine, and i have learned so many ways of saying no. please welcome julie we areman, our executive director. >> and with that, i would ask them to pick up a wine glass and joan me in a traditional

toast to the president. i think it's seaf to assume that not everyone in this room agrees all that he has done and all that he's trying to do, but i think we can all agree that the staff are working their hearts out and also i would like include mrs. obama in this toast because she works so hard being our beautiful first lady. so mr. president and mrs. obama, thank you for being here. we're honored by your presence. may you have a healthy and long life. and now i give you the 44th president of the united states, barack obama.

>> thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you so much, everybody. thank you. please have a seat. >> thank you to all the other board members. to honored guests and to the lovely first lady, good evening. ed's right. i work a lot, and so i wasn't sure that he should actually come tonight. he was talked into it. he leaned over and said, mr. president -- this is no ordinary dinner.

this is a big [beep] meal. it's been quite a year since i've spoken here last. lots of ups, lots of down, leak my approval rating has just gone down. that's politics. it doesn't bother me. besides, i happen to know my approval ratings are still high in the country of my birth. and then just today, my dear

friend, hillary clinton, pulled me aside and she gave me a pep talk, and said despite the numbers, don't worry, barack, you're likable enough. which made me feel better. of course, i may not have had the star power that i once had, but in my defense, neither do all of you. people say to me, mr. president, you helped revive the banking industry, you saved g.m., chrysler. what about the news business? i say, hey, i'm just the president. i'm not a miracle worker here. so i am glad the only person whose ratings fell more than

mine is here tonight. great to see you, jake. i'm also glad i'm speaking first, because we've all seen what happens when somebody takes the team slot after leno. by the way, all of the jokes here tonight are brought to you by our friends at goldman sachs. so you don't have to worry. they make money whether you laugh or not.

we we do have a number of notable guests in attendance here tonight. obviously mostly michelle accompanied me. she doesn't always go to these things. and there are few things in life that are harder to find and more important to keep than love. well, love and a berth certificate. the jones as brothers are here. they're out there somewhere. sasha and malea are huge fans. but boys, don't get any ideas. i have two words for you -- predators. you will never see it coming. you think i'm joking.

speaking of tween heartthrobs, scott brown is here. i admire scott, a rare politician in washington with nothing to hide. now, you should be aware that scott brown is not the only one with a photo spread floating around. david axelrod was offered a centerfold opportunity of his own. now, i did not know that very much east cream had a catalogue. -- that krispy kreme had a catalogue, but it's true. i saw michael steele backstage

when we were taking pictures, a.k.a., notorious g.o.p. michael, who knows what truly plagues america today, tax's without representing. my brother. i did a semiroutine last year, but it worked. odds are they're still here. there haven't been people that are moren welcome at a party than charlie crist. unfortunately, john mccain couldn't make it.

recently he claimed that he has never identified himself as a maverick. and we all know what happens in arizona when you don't have i.d. adios amigos! look, i feel for john. you know, we were on the road together and obviously had a hard fought battle, and you learn, politics is neither. this year i've experienced my share of disappointments. for example, i had my heart set on the nobel prize for physics. but you can't been them all.

speaking of this, a few weeks ago, i was able to throw out the first pitch at the nationals game. and i don't know if you saw it, but i threw it a little high and a little outside. this is how fox news covered it. president panders to extreme left wing of batter's box. on the other hand, msnbc had a different take. president pitches no-hitter. and then cnn want a different way altogether. >> he was just asking, how can you get a volcano in iceland? isn't it -- when you think of the volcano, you think of like hawaii and long words like that. you don't think of iceland. you think it's too cold to have a volcano there. >> i guess that's why they're the most trusted name in news.

look, i have a republican teags forgiving cabble a hard time, so let's pick on politte co-for a while. you know, people attack politte co-for putting a new focus on trivial ears. political fodder, gossip sheet. that's not fair. politico has been doing this for centuries. just check out the head leans. our researcher found these. japan surrenders, where's the bounce? then there's this one.

lincoln saves union, but can he save house majority? there's a little portion there, he's lost the southern white vote. astute analysis there. and my favorite, july 3, 1776, senior official, talks break down, end pence dead. so this is nothing new. but even though the mainstream press gives me a hard time, i hear that i'm still pretty big on twitter. facebook, or as sarah palin calls it, the socialized media.

of course, that's not the only thing that we've been accused of socializing this year. as you might have heard, we passed a healthcare bill. was that roger ails applauding out there? some republicans have suggested that the bill contains a few omissions. that's ridiculous. there aren't a few secret provisions in the healthcare plan. there are like hundreds. tonight in the interest of transparency, i'd like to share a couple. let's see, this revision is called the bay state of denial. it reads, this bill shade cover short-term memory loss related to the passage of massachusetts healthcare reform.

so good news, your condition is covered. this next provision is called the jersey shora. it reads, the following veds shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill, snooki, j-wow, the situation, and house minority leader john boehner. this also put a common misconception to rest. it says right here, if you do not leak the ruling of your death panel, you can appeal.

now, look, obviously i've learned this year politics can be a tough business, but there are times where you just can't help but laugh. know what really tickles me? eric massey. apparently massa cleamed that ron came up to him one day in the house locker room, stark naked, started screaming obscenities at him. to which i say, welcome to my world. civil you. it's a tense moment. you know, even as we enjoy each other's company tonight, we're also mindful of the incredible

struggles of our fellow americans. those leading the efforts to stem this crisis and those along the coasts who's livelihoods are in jeopardy as a result of the spill. also the men and women in uniform who put their lives at risk each and every day for our safety and freedom. so in that spirit, i'd also like to pay a tribute to the journalists who play an extraordinary role in telling their stories. earlier today i gave the commencement address at michigan, where i spoke to the graduates about what is required to keep our democracy thriving in the 1st support are you. one of the points i made is that for all the changes and

challenges facing your industry, this country absolutely needs a healthy, vibrant media, probably more than ever day. they say technology has made it possible for us to get our news and information from a growing change of sources, you can pick and choose not only our type of media, put also our preferred prospectus. and while that accident poses us to an unprecedented array of opinions and analysis, points of view, it also makes us that much more important that we're all operating on a common baseline of facts. it makes it more important than georgists who seek only the truth. i don't have to tell you that. some of you are seasoned veterans who have been on the political beat for decades. others here tonight began their careers not long ago, but i

think it's father to say every single reporter believes in journalism. every one of you, even the most cynical, understands and cherishes the function of the free press and the preservation of our system of government and in our way of life. and want you to know for all the jokes and the occasional gripes, i cherish that work as well. in fact, tonight i wanted to present all of you with a bipartisan congressional resolution that honors all the wonderful contributions that georgists make to our country and to the world, but unfortunately, i couldn't break the filibuster. thank you very much, everybody. god bless you. god bless the united states of america.

>> we have made history tonight, so it's not 11:35 p.m., but i give you a man who's good at any time of the day or night, jay leno. >> thank you. >> thank you, ed. thank you very much. this is every comedian's dream, rich people eating. as you know, there was quite a secure line here. i got stuck behind the arizona delegation. luckily their papers were in order. and i have the distinct honor of being the only person on this panel not subpoenaed by rod blag owe jesk, so i think that's pretty impressive he was. i can see the white house press corps very excited tonight.

this is about as close to a press conference they've had in a year, so this is it. enjoy it while it lasts, yeah. i'm not looking over at you, am i? some of the other news mentioned the president is getting brazen since taking office, but he's had his share of stress, a tough economy, two wars, healthcare fight, iran, north korea, his mother-in-law moving in with him. i think that would break most men. sometimes the press can be one-sided. as you mentioned, all during the election, they would ask things like, is obama black enough? is obama too black? never the other way around. is john boehner orange enough? is he too orange? we never hear that. and the president and first lady have a wonderful family. i'm sure you remember this heart-warming photo. take a look at this photo. we all went -- take a look here. remember that? wasn't that wonderful? i think it reminded us all of a similar photo taken in a previous administration.

take a look. oh, yeah. and our hats off to michelle obama, who's made childhood obese the one of her causes. yes, congratulations. she has -- she has started a more intense program, it's called leave no child with a bigger behind, and i think that's a wonderful thing. but mrs. obama, with all the good work you have been doing, it's been undermined by others in your administration. here, take a look. >> it's easy to say anything. it's just as easy to say we'll start tomorrow. but our kids are running out of time. the first generation that meent live as long as their parents because of the health risk associated with being overweight. what can we do to help? be the example they need.

make healthy choices and help them do the same. let's move to raise a healthier generation of kids. and there was a big setback for nasa this year. as you know, president obama cutting the space program. we're not going to send any more men to the moop, although we can point to one major achievement during our time in office, mr. president. we did get an astronaut on "dancing with the stars," and knowing that's something we can all be proud of. surprises me to hear critics describe the president as cold and aloof. i never fond him that way. he loves to socialize. healthcare, car companies, things of that nature. well, i want to congratulate president obama. he has done more than anyone for the american car industry, except for toyota. of course, toyota. and as you may have heard,

there are more problems for toyota today. apparently two of the crash test dummies refused to get in the car, so it's not -- things are not looking good. but one wonderful thing about president obama. he never lost his street cred, he knows how to deal with the average guy. look how instantly he can relate. >> we're about to go -- the president, again, is expected to talk about small businesses and how he's going to help them in this hurting economy, what he's going to do. >> another piece of cake? when you were elected, thank you for picking joe biden, we appreciate that. joe is a great pick, because so many more media savvy than joe

biden. here he is with andrea mitchell. now, the word he is looking for is avatar. the word he is looking for aavatar. let's take a look. >> you've been a very busy man. do you and mrs. biden ever get to the movies? academy award picks. oscar nominee? >> yeah, as a matter of fact, we do. and i -- i think the -- one of the odds-on faverts is -- is -- this -- this new program that i looked at -- which i received from c.d., you watch this science fecks thing unfold in front of you -- avatar? >> avatar. >> avatar, joe. it's avatar you're trying to say! because as you know, a lot of republicans would not be here tonight because of his dollar drink night at the bondage club. and michael steele is here.

where is michael? hey, michael, this has got to be pretty boring enter attempt for you. i know what you guys are used to. there are a couple of guys talking, come on. that was my favorite story, republicans and a lesbian bondage club. so i thought that was interesting. i did think that was interesting. washington is a dangerous place. i can't wait to get back to hollywood, someplace wholesome, where people have values. i want to talk about white house security for a moment. now, it's supposed to be the most secure place in the world. here's president obama and vice president joe biden, the two most powerful men in the world. so watch the door behind them. how does this happen? take a look. >> good evening, everybody.

tonight, after nearly 100 years of talk and frustration -- >> that guy! how did he get in there? what is he, did he warned off? and according to the pentagon, al qaeda is in financial ruin. know what broke them? health insurance premiums. you know the monthly premium for suicide bomber? do you have any idea what it is? if you took all the money republicans spent trying to stop healthcare, all the money democrats have spent trying to get healthcare, you know something? we could have had healthcare. we could have had it a couple of years ago. now, supporters of this bill say american people will now get the same health benefits that members of congress get. of course, that's great. how about some of the other free travel, envelopes with cash in them? how about some of that?

get out of jail free card. why can't we get that? you have to give a lot of credit to nancy pelosi for the way she sold it to the american people. the way she sold it, she went to the new media. she went to youtube. here, take a look. >> quality, affordable healthcare for all americans, it is essential that everyone participate when they are well. and not just join in when they are sick. so it's all better quality, lower cost, more access if everyone is mandated. and you have to admit that this changed once the healthcare bill passed, because i watch the shows every day, and i would see you come into the pressroom before the bill passed, you know, kind of slmped over, looking a little depressed, didn't have the

spark. here's the president the day after the healthcare bill was signed. take a look. >> he should step in here in just a second. robert gates announced they'll ease up on the don't ask, don't tell policy. they said that the homosexual behavior will still be against the rules, but nobody will be actively enforcing it, kind of like ethics regulations in congress. it's basically the seam sort of deal. without him this would have been an early bird dinner, we would have eaten at 4:30. and, of course, david axlerod was on my show.

when i told him he was going to be on with a star the "kick ass," he said, ron's here? as you mentioned, air he can massa said he was confronted at the shower. congress has a jem? anybody in congress look like they work out, huh? did it take barney frank 30 years to get that body? what is harry reid bench pressing? five pounds? as you you know, the president has the most diverse staff in history. they represent every ward of chicago. and i think that is fantastic, mr. president. we have a lot of movie stars. michael douglas is here. where's michael? michael diagnose lass. as you know, he won an oscar for his portrayal of an evil greedy wall street broker who was willing to manipulate the market for his own personal gain. where does hollywood come up with these crazy ideas? where's bill maher? one of my favorite comedians.

bill is the reason we have no opening prayer tonight. they were afraid he would boo, so we couldn't do that, so i'm sorry. and speaking of that, you know, everybody complains about the lack of civility on both sides. you see it in sports, you see it in politics. i think we have the answer. take a look. >> would not apply to those who are here illegally. >> are you tired of people saying what's on their mind? >> we ought to have one of the best videos of all time. everyone's got an opinion, and they're all compelled to share it with others. well, those annoying comments can go away with this, duct tape. just a few inches of this gray, stk east fab rec solves it all. duct tape, the all-american solution to everything. >> because osama bin laden releasing tape blaming the united states for global warming. you know, i think he's run out of ideas. even the united states blames the united states for global

warming. i think he wants to quit al qaeda and join al gore basically. and as you know, president obama has been promoting alternative energy. texas state university has now developed exercisee quement that operates electricity when you exercise. they generate enough power from their homes by exercising, huh? well, you thought americans were hiring a lot of illegal aliens before, huh? keep pedaling! and last month, you mentioned president obama threw out the first pitch at the washington nationals game against the philadelphia phillies. he dent tell thaw biden got concluded out for cursing at the umpire. you did not bring that up, mr. president. did you see the pitch? it was not a good pitch. but for fair, he'd just come from an interview on msnbc, and i think you were used to softball, so that's probably what it was. oh, i'm going to get fired again. i tell you something, a lot of critics felt that president

bush did a better job. that's what they said. but on the other hand, president obama can talk, so i think it balances. i think it does. and as you know, president obama and the first lady very much committed to education. in fact, here is their latest program. >> president barack obama says a good education is everything to a child's future, but what do you do with a child that can't? or worse, a child that won't learn. thanks to a bold new government program, you can rein them in! it's cash for flunkers! bring in that sempleton you call your son and get up to $4,500 twrd the purchase of a new or select used child. that's right, up to $4,500 for that wannabe gangster. or that morbid guy.

so don't be stuck with that disobedient tramp you gave birth to. get a kid you can be proud of. get cash for flnkers today. all children taken in by outsourced to malaysia. >> i read that book "game change about the. you know what i learned from that book? reporters hold back all the good stories in the newspapers, they can get really rich. and nice to see chris matthews. chris is here. chris, where are you? chris has been on the tonight show a number of times, always a great guest. he comes out, sets down, talks straight through for 10 minutes, then i ask hem a question. then he talks another 20 minutes. let's talk about the press for a meant. watch how different networks cover the same story. now, remember that story a while back about president obama, somebody had a jacket and they had a big poster in times square, well, here's how

cbs voted it. take a look. >> and president obama no longer had the commanding presence in another new york location. remember the huge billboard with his likeness? it was removed yesterday from times square. mr. obama's peculiarity is not supposed to be used for commercial purposes. >> look how fox news carried the exact same story. >> timing is everything. >> but to be fair, it is a two-way street, and i think the white house likes to play games with fox news. i'm going to show you some tape. now, this tape has not been altered in any way. we didn't change anything or do

anything. i'm going to show you some reporters outside the white house. now, notice how quiet it is when the msnbc reporter is reporting. and then watch what happens with fox. again, we vanity changed this in any way. >> does make a couple of problems go away. >> press briefing by roberts gibbs, an emergence of this side of the party is not necessarily a good thing, and john boehner said -- >> the past few minutes that it involved more than just congratulations --, it's a special race, update new york, republicans have held it -- >> it may be the kind of thought that you don't want to look too closely at, but -- >> you be the judge. then you mentioned the situation in the gulf of mexico. there's talk now this oil spill could end up being bigger than that huge disaster they had up in alaska. really? bigger than sarah palin? that is unbelievable.

and wolf blitzer is here. hello, wolf. the name of sarah palin touching a helicopter, wolf blitzer, doesn't it seem like that? wolf, the answer is stay off queb slit jeopardy." the big rumor is sarah palin may ran for president in 2012. as you know, she wants a former beauty queen. if she wins, it would make history. it would mark the first time a beauty queen could actually bring about world peace. they all talk about it. but she could make it happen. did you see her campaigning last month? it was beauty and the deceased. sent that what it looked like? and my favorite democrat in the past year, senator john edwards. a personal injury attorney who turned out to be a sleazeball. who could have seen that coming? i was stunned, stunned by that revelation. now there's talk of a john edwards sex tape. oh, huh? there's something people haven't seen before, a lawyer

screwing people, wow. how unusual is that? of course, the first lady on television, betty white is here. where's betty white? we love betty white. hi, sweetheart! betty has a long history in this town. as you know, her first stage performance here was interrupted by john wilkes booth, and that was a sad day. you know, the last time i was here was 2004, and at that time, clinton clinton's campaign had $0 million in it. now, of course, mark penn has it. a littlen side baseball. oh, the rich guys get it, yeah. "newsweek" is reporting clinton clinton has been talking to friends about stepping down as secretary of state, but, you know, knowing i pked up a clue in a recent interview of what she plans to do. it's a little subtle, but take a look. >> so i want to ask you again,

you're never going to run for president again? >> i have absolutely no interest in running again. none. i mean, i know that's hard to believe, but -- >> and virginia governor bob mcdonald is here. bob, where are you? yeah, i heard him say, he heard the president was going to be here, he said, what, jefferson davis is coming? i couldn't believe it. oh, it's a tough room. my good friend joy behar from "the view," where is joy? i give the ladies there a lot of credit. i've seen president obama in tough negotiations with the russians. i've seen them get in a show don with kim jong il. i've seen him get tough on the president of iran, president "ahmed-nut job"? gut the only time he was nervous and fidgety is on "the view." look how many times he fidgets

here. take a look. >> i am surrounded by women. >> we're not surprised. >> i am surrounded by women. i'm always surprised. you always surprise me. you always have something. >> well, i just to want say, in fact, over the weekend, i re-read "dreams from my father." >> all right, let's wind this baby up. my favorite moment of the past year, though, was seeing all five living presidents together in the oval office. something spontaneous happened. i thought it was just fantastic. take a look. >> ♪ what it is >> ♪ war what it is good for line lien absolutely nothing line lien say it again y'all ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, this is indeed been an honor and privilege. this is the greatest job i've

ever had. for the president of the united states, first lady michelle obama, thank you very much, everybody. have a great evening. bye-bye. >> thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen. please stay where you are, and david jackson, my successor, will escort the obamas out. thank you again, mr. president, mrs. obama, for coming. good night, everybody. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

. >> coming up -- we'll take your questions and comments. then on news makers, senator mark warner on the financial regulations bill. and later, another look at last night's white house correspondents' dinner. .