hearings. we may even hear from some military folks who have strong views about how it made them feel that harvard made the decision it made in that case. >> you're the co-author of a new biography. what is it called? >> it is a biography of justice william brennan coming out in october, and it is called "justice brennan: liberal champion." >> thank you for being here. i appreciate it. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> he was a volatile, emotional, complicated, depressive young man, and very adventurous, so he was 25 and having an adventure. >> taken to look at alexis they tocqueville and his discovery of

america. now a debate between gresham barrett and nikki haley, who are running in the republican runoff election for south carolina governor. the winner of the runoff will face the democratic nominee in the general election. this is about 50 minutes. >> live from columbia, this is a special presentation -- the race for governor. >> good evening, and welcome to the gubernatorial runoff debate. >> we are glad to have you with us this evening. participating in this debate, gresham barrettand nikki haley. although this is co-sponsored by the league of women voters and the aarp, they have complete

control over the questions asked. they will have one minute to answer each question, rebuttals, and follow-up questions. >> we are going to get right to the questions. we received an e-mail today from a registered republican of over 45 years and a retired army infantry officer. he is upset about one of your commercials that identified you as u.s. army retired and referred to you as a military man when you serve on active duty for and a half years and resigned more than 20 years ago. what do you say to him and other career military veterans who believe that was dishonest. >> it was an honest mistake.

we put that add up. we were running 120 miles per hour. as soon as we saw it, we took it down. i am proud of my military service. i have never hidden the fact that i have served four and a half years and the army. unfortunately, it was a mistake. it has been corrected. >> how long did that run? it ran several weeks. >> absolutely not. i can tell you as soon as we thought it we fix it, and i apologize, because it was an honest mistake. >> you criticized in this ad. >> stimulus spending, career politicians, south carolina can do better. >> but just this week, when he endorsed your campaign, you then said this. >> i think the attorney general is probably the person i knew the least, and we got off to the

campaign trail, and he was one i care the most about. this is one endorsement i could not be more proud to have. >> with mitt romney region mitt romney and sarah palin, now one of your -- with mitt romney and sarah palin, now one of your competitors is the one you are most proud of. how can you explain that slip? >> the difference i showed with mcmasters is that he had been in office for a long time. they have done this all their lives. i am an accountant and small business person who wants to show government the value of the dollar. attorney general mcmasters handled himself with incredible respect throughout the campaign. i got to know him very well, but he handled himself with respect, always nicely throughout the campaign. i was thrilled to have his support, and i look forward to him campaigning with us on the

campaign trail. >> what do you say to voters who are so disenfranchised with the political process, and they feel as though candidates change their talking points as a matter of convenience? >> i did not change my talking points. he has been in public office since 1986. it has been a long time he has been in office, but in very much appreciate his support -- i can very much appreciate his support. he had a huge local following, so it is a great win for me, but i did not change what i said. he has been in office since 1986. i think south carolina is moving in a new direction, and i think that is what i am trying to do. >> we have one more question before we move on to more important issues. let's look at and and that has recently aired. -- an ad that has recently aired. >> you make me want to vote for you. >> some critics believe the

staff sergeant saying he wants to vote for you imply is a military endorsement. how do you answer that? >> it was kind of a funny way to approach an issue. i had been so stiff and rigid for the last 18 months. i had so many friends and colleagues who really know me who said, you should loosen up a bit, and it really broke through. when we put up the first thing that the political campaign headquarters or boot camp, it was a spoof, but i am very proud of my military record. it did not mean to be a military endorsement. it was a fun wayyto present who i am and what i.m. and what i am all about. >> let's delves into the budget. there is a $1 billion budget shortfall expected next year. the state budget will have to replace federal stimulus money if lawmakers had to use to

cobble together the budget. agencies have already taken huge cuts. the question will go to ms. haley. what would you do to generate revenue quickly? >> it ii not about generating revenue. it is not about what you spend but how you spend. i can tell you we have to stretch dollars. we have to make sure we see this as the opportunity it is. first i am going to audit my agencies, go back to 0 and say, what do we have to have. i am going to propose a budget so we're not just handling this year but we are thinking about your three and year five and here 7. it is time to look at state government as a business plan and start understanding everything we do affects everything else. we have to make good decisions. this is a good opportunity to learn lessons, to prioritize spending, and to make sure we are covering our services -- our

core services. >> despite the current budget crisis, you do not believe there is any need to generate new revenue? >> i thing we need to clean up our spending. we had the most vetoes sustained in history yesterday when we spend 20 hours on the house floor. 51 out of 170 were sustained. it was incredible, and that showed the legislatures' willingness to understand the value of the dollar and the willingness to understand you cannot keep spending the way we always have. >> congressmen their right, same question. -- barrett, same question. how you tackle that issue? >> we have to go back to the basics. we have to understand what the government's responsibility is. there are four core issues. number one is to keep the people safe with the judicial system, the prison system. not only is that safety but economic development.. also, education and medicaid.

once we cut that down and focus on core issues, it is important to grow the economy. it is important to grow jobs. i would do three things from the outset. number one, comprehensive tax reform, a system that helps businesses here and coming into south carolina. number two, focus on the department of commerce, having a first-class department of commerce and a governor that is going to roll up his sleeves and bring jobs and economic growth. we have 40,000 jobs in south carolina that are unfilled because we do not have skilled workers. let's make sure we have on-the- job training because it is of benefit to the unemployed worker. >> the governor said the next budget writers for the next fiscal year will be forced to choose between savagely cutting state agency budgets and thereby hurting the least of these or material raising reading material i -- or materially

raising taxes. which would you choose? >> when we talk about tax reform, we have to come up with a more stable system and putting all options on the table. we have to look back of the core issues. what is the government's main responsibility? in good times we have said everything is a priority, and when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. we have to live in how we spend. we have to have a total of the endowment of our agencies to make sure we are not duplicating -- told a look at our agencies to make sure we are not duplicating our services. >> rep paley, this is for you. it says, many have said if you are elected, we will have another four years of an executive relationship with more gridlock. please differentiate your

approach versus the approach of governors sandford. >> we are different people. people are different in terms of their personality. i have been in the legislature long enough to know what the problems are, but i have not been in the legislature enough to be part of the fraternity. the key is to put forward a plan that can tell them where we want to go as a state and educate the people and legislature on how we want to get there. the second is being predictable, giving them consequences before they happen. the goal i want to have is the first year to give south carolina to win. i want the legislature to feel what it is like to relate know what it -- to know what it feels like. this can be done, but it takes a governor who can show an agenda of where we need to go, how we need to get there, what they plan looking at here three and five and seven. i think people will be pleasantly surprised.

>> you say you're not part of the fraternity, but in order to get anything done, don't you have to drink from their keg? >> you do not have to. i was chairman of the freshman class. i was majority whip. i was put on a powerful subcommittee chair. i can lead, but when i saw something wrong, when i resolve votes were being passed by avoid -- by a voice vote, and i sat there and said, we have to start voting on the record. we differed on that. the legislature oppose me, but i knew until we got a good government we could not get a working government. i got workers' comp done. tort reform. we will continue to work on other issues, but when they are done, my goal is to side with the people of the state, not the legislature. my goal is to make sure people know what they are doing and why they are doing it. i will make sure they vote for

good government programs, but i will also be there when they vote against its and hold their hands tied. >> let me go to a brief follow- up before we move to the next question. he said he was committed to and no new taxes' pledge. are you also willing to commit to that? >> it is a piece of paper that says you're making a promise. i will tell you, look at what i have done. i have never spent taxes because i think what you spend is important. running a small business, we saw what it meant to stretch a dollar. i will tell you i will not increase taxes, but i will focus on how we will spend. >> emergency rooms are becoming holding areas for mentally ill, because patients have nowhere else to turn. given the state budget crisis and drastic reductions in mental health that they have already endured, what would you do to address this problem? >> taking care of people that

cannot take care of themselves as extremely important. that is the mandate the state government has, and we have to give back and take a look at the core issues. there are some things the government does that they should do include times, but when there are not good times, we need to think outside the box. is there something we can do a public-private partnership, where we can have inclusiveness in thinking of different ways to find it? is there some way we can privatize? i think there are so many things we always think the government has to do. >> do you think mental health as one of the things the government has to take care of? >> absolutely. >> how would you take care of that problem? >> we have to talk to the hospitals. the governor has to bring people together and address these issues, because we are going to have to cut major spending. we're going to go to find out how we can sundays through outside sources. >> i want each of you to

prioritize these different issues -- illegal immigration, jobs, and education. how would you rank those if you become governor? >> jobs first, education second, and illegal immigration third. >> i think she is right, and but it is hard to separate any of them, but i would go with jobs first, education second, immigration third. >> we will tackle those when we come back after this short break. ♪ >> welcome back. before we went to break, we ask the candidates to list their priorities, and jobs came up at the top, so we want to talk about jobs. rep paley, your plan was to

eliminate the -- rep haley, your plan was to eliminate the income tax. how would you replace that loss of revenue to the state? >> first, as an accountant, we have one of the most band-aided tax structures. we need to look at every feet. one of the first things we need to do is look at the income tax. right now it is 3% of our budget. in 2005 through 2007, when government grew by $1 billlon a year, nobody asked what he wants to cut, but at this point when we talk about eliminating income tax, everyone wants to talk about how you're going to pay for it. when you give them profit margins, the first thing they do is hire people. it is the number one thing that can get people back to work quickly and help the economy grow and way that will make it strengthen, so it is 3% of our budget. i know there are things we can

cut. the education oversight committee advises as opposed to doing something. also, of turning around and looking at the budget control board that employs 1057 people. >> the first time on your web site is to take action to fill job openings. explaine how that is different? >> it is roughly 30,000 to 40,000 jobs better on film because we do not have trained workers. what we would do is link of unemployed people with those workers, hire them on the spot so they get off the unemployment rolls, and give them on-the-job training. we have two work force development funds in south carolina. we need to make sure we are streamlining budgeting when we are looking for every dollar.

in education, we have a for your educational budgets in south carolina. as a former business person, it makes sense when you are stretching every dollar, and out of 65 cents, only 44 cents a message to the classroom and south carolina, but when you are trying to stretch those it makes sense to streamline the process and be as effective as you can be. >> you say we should take intended of our technical skills. the leaders of the technical college say that is exactly what they are doing. can you be more specific in explaining what needs to be done differently? >> we are spending $12,000 a year to educate in the state. it is going to 1000 people, and

85 school districts, before it ever touches a school district. we are only touching one not of two kids every four years. we are losing them in ninth grade. we need to look at what is happening in eighth grade. we need to the vocational programs in ninth grade and strengthen our technical schools. they are not getting the funding they need. we need to hold institution of higher learning accountable. right now funding is happening based on the number of lobbyists in the state house. that is not how we need to be working. if you look at the funding they get, it is not violence. we need to make sure they strengthen the schools so we are helping small businesses and recruiting for the state. >> you talk about technical schools not being funded correctly. we know thhir budgets have been cut by nearly 50%. you were part of the legislature that allow that to happen.

do you bear some of the responsibility for that? >> as governor, i would show the importance of why we need to strengthen that. yesterday when we dealt with the vetoes, those were three i over road. that strengthens jobs. that will help our unemployment rate, so i stand by making sure technical schools are strong. >> we have the same question from a viewer who has served on a technical college board for 16 years, and he says the only way to balance the budget is increase tuition and that they are now threatened by a senior centeofficial. what would you do to bring it up to par with neighboring states? >> they are not technical schools anymore. they are community colleges. give them some flexibility. if we are going to fund them at the levels we tell them, we're going to say, this is the way we

have to work. let's give them some flexibility. let's give them the ability to go outside of the box to figure out how they can keep their tuition low, how there can be a better dollar value. my son went to his first year at the community college, and i saw a self-confidence from my son that i have never seen before. they are vital parts of our community, and giving them the flexibility is vital to our funding needs. >> our next question involves an issue brought up by one of our sponsors. this question is for you. your opponent's plan includes improving our infrastructure. what specific improvements you have that you would like to make, and with the billion dollar budget shortfall next year, where are we going to find

the money? >> we are looking at economic development. when companies come to the state, they do not need to be coming because we take them to dinner. they need to become -- to come because we have a good business climate. we need a system that allows them to strengthen. that is something i will work on right away. the second thing we will look at is a skilled work force. it is the reason we need to pay attention and make sure we are giving them the work force they need. the third thing they look at what infrastructure. it is roads, air fare, and our ports. making sure our exports are strong so they can come in and out. it is a simple process of making sure the environment for economic development is strong in the state, but we also want to make sure we are not just looking at bringing large quantities of companies to the state but we are also looking at the qualities of the help the small businesses we already have. >> is building our infrastructure -- is that out of

the question for the next fiscal year because so much money has been cut out, or are there other ways to fund this? >> it is all about priorities. everybody is talking about the fact that we do not have money. we have a tight budget year. we have the ability to prioritize. we have to decide, are we going to realize that infrastructure is an issue, or are we going to say that spending on this education oversight committee which does not do anything is an issue. it is about not having things that maybe are not working for more important things that would work. that is an important thing, and as an accountant, we are going to jump right in and make those decisions, but they are going to be decisions that affect people a immediately. >> your plan also includes promoting tourism in south carolina. the specific in its spending how you do that and put a price tag on that? -- be specific when how you would do that and what the price tag is on that? >> south carolina is a wonderful place to visit.

it is a good, clean industry. >>, would you spend on that? >> i do not know if you could put a specific dollar amount on that, but bringing people to the low country, to the beautiful mountains where i live, is a wonderful way to not only showcase our area but to get those dollars in, and when we are talking about bringing tourism in, we have to think about infrastructure, too. do we need to think about public-private partnerships? do we need to think about working with local delegations on our infrastructure? what about devolution? i have been working on that issue. south carolina is a donor state when it comes to road tax money. let's keep our own road tax money. let's solve these problems because we can do it better than any federal agent. >> we are going to go with some yes or no questions for both of you. would you support any of these ideas to increase funding for are deficient highway system.

increasing fuel taxes? >> no. >> how about adding fuel tax to fuel? >> no. >> increasing user fees? >> no. >> telling some highways. reaching tolling -- tolling some highways? >> no. >> yes, if it is additional construction, that is something we can think of. >> you are talking about band- aiding a structure. we need comprehensive tax reform. we are not talking about absolutely cutting everything. you cannot say we are going to do this but not that. we have to have a complete plan for the money is going to come from and where it is going to go. >> it is also thinking from outside the box. we're in uncharted territory. we have never had a downturn in my lifetime. we have to think outside the

box, and i think that is one month -- one solution. i'm a big proponent of the natural gas reserves. it could be $250 million at a minimum according to the national petroleum incident that we could use for what ever we see fit, and what i propose is that we use 70% for infrastructure, 20% for law enforcement, and 10% to roll back into renewable energy. >> you have mentioned several times you want to completely revamp the tax code, liggett every exemption. give voters a realistic time line on -- revamp the tax code, will get every exemption. give voters a realistic time line. >> we will put something together so after the first year we have something in place. i want to show you what will happen in the first year, year three, year five, and years seven to make sure it creates a competitive business for the state. >> what is your plan for

creating economic support? you believe in her plan to bring more jobs? >> i have not seen the actual plan. i believe we should bring more people back to work. it is a plan we worked on for over a year with people all across the state. we have worked with economic developers. we work with senators, with legislaturesors. we put a plan together. even though i would like to see the hands of the governor strengthen, it is still going to be a legislative state. when you propose something you have to have people buy into it so it is not my idea. it is our idea. that debt is how we propose -- that is how we propose the plan. >> it is not about what you say. it is about what you do. that is why have talked about tax reform and court reform and

making sure we put an economic development director in place that i work with every single day so we can compete to get good quality companies in to the state. >> it is not your opportunity to pose a question. >> i have said earlier we have been on the campaign trail so many times i know everything he is going to say before he says it. i will give the same question i gave earlier today, which is do you regret passing the $800 billion part bailout that literally would cost south carolina families and everyone across the country $6,000 perr family? >> i will say it again. i did not have six months to wait before i made a decision. we came to president bush and said, we are going to have a global problem. big businesses, small businesses. i believe we were at a point within days or hours if the people were going to reach into their back pocket, allow their

atm cards, stick it in side, and nothing was going to come out. i could not wait. that is what leaders have to do. did it avert a major crisis? i believe it did. has it been implemented like it was supposed to be? absolutely not, and no one has fought harder to make sure every dollar was repaid to the american taxpayer and that it never happens again. >> we will come back to talk about education. we will be back with our gubernatorial debate. ♪ welcome back with our -- welcome back to our gubernatorial debate. the next question is an important issue to the league of when voters, but also for everyone who cares about jobs in south carolina. just to give the background,

this took effect in 2007 and will exempt owner-occupied homes from property taxes to pay for schools, that was supposed to repay the revenue, but the recession hit, people stop spending, and school districts say it does cost millions of dollars, so what used to be a predictable source of income has become very volatile i'll based on the mood of the economy. . the biggest plus some warned was

that there is never an next year in the legislature. do it the right the first year or do not do it all. >> you cannot effectively plan and budget if you do not know how much money you are working with. the look at their current funding at the beginning of the year. it changes throughout the year and a half it to cuts at different point during the year. looking at education as a business, is that sound business? >> what is sound business is reforming our education funding format. i was raised in our rural area where we did not know we did not have. now i am bluster represent a county where every public stood rigid school is funded. there is a smart board in every classroom. other classrooms do not have those opportunities. children deserve a good quality education. not based on where that they --

where they are born and raised. when we reform the way we find education and and merit-based pay for teachers, and then turn around and give teachers bonuses for improving educational standards that will separate the good from the port teachers in terms of performance, and turn around and make a huge difference. >> of quick follow-up it before we got a congressman barrett. many republican legislators and do something as a tax increase. >> we cannot say we are not going to tax that. >> the support changing or repealing at 388? >> act 388, the grocery tax, the cigarette tax, we have to look at our tax system holistic play,

one that is fair and flatter, more sustainable and more accountable. and i think that is important if we're going to budget like you are talking about. i have also talked with a dear friend of mine on the budget forecaster board. we need to take the look at how we budget in south carolina. what about doing something -- of budget freeze one year and totally do something different where we actually know how much money is in the bank before we allocate it? then we would not have to go back three times and change the budget. >> specifically with act 388, are you willing to repeal it? >> i think we silica everything holistic way.+ >> the question --

what would you do to keep the best and brightest teachers in our state, especially in rural areas? >> in business, when really -- we always cut revenue. we should not be talking about teacher furloughs or layoffs. we have a thousand people working at the department of education and 85 school districts. if that money is not going to a teacher, student, or technology in the classroom, it is not going to the right place. right now that has not been the issue. until we realize that we're top- heavy in the state, we have to do merit-based pay for teachers. when the improve educational standards, we need to give them bonuses just like in business, because we will separate the good teachers from those who are not performing as well. government needs to get out of the way of that teacher, let the

teacher teach, and look at how we pay them based on performance and not throw tons of things and expect them to produce. >> any ideas for keeping quality teachers in south carolina? >> i believe and merit-based pay. but it is like our front-line soldiers do not have the resources that they need. my wife is the first grade schoolteacher and i cannot tell you the number of sunday's where she is packing material that we have bought for her classroom. only forty-four cents of every dollar makes it to the classroom. the national average is sixty- five cents. those dollars in need to go into instructional classroom needs where they are most needed. our teachers on the front line. we can streamline the process. we of 46 counties and 85 school districts in 64 different

funding source is going into the plate of spaghetti. we can streamline the press -- the process. the business person says, one makes more difference than four. >> thank you very much. >> next question, a story that got a lot of attention here. the state recently purchased school buses from another state. the buses become more unreliable as the miles are added on. what is your solution to make sure our children are transported safely and on time? >> we are the only state in the country that does not privatize our school bus system. the government should not be in the business of maintaining and having school buses. every other state in the country factors that out to some other country.

you have good quality buses that have air-conditioning, if they break down some one as quickly there to deal with it. that is the problem in south carolina. we try to be all things to all people. we do not need to be in a school bus business. we need to privatize the school buses. >> you have been there for some time. why is it not happened are smart >> it has been proposed and it has not happened. as governor, i will show how much we're losing and how much we could save. >> the same question. >> i think it is a great idea. i don't know that 49 are wrong and one is right, but it is thinking outside the box. to even think about putting children on a sub standard mode of transportation when they are the most precious thing in our lives, and i know that my children are, i think it is

unconscionable. >> you mentioned the number of school districts in the state. when you are as, why do we have had 85 school districts? >> could be changed? absolutely. should be changed? i think so. we always talk about mission creep and the federal government coming into the state and telling us what to do. we always talk aaout the state coming in and telling locals what to do. that needs to be a locaa decision. let's work a deal here. how will give you some flexibility in your school district if you show me accountability, if you show me transparency, and you show me that those dollars are actually getting into the classroom if you got one county and 10 school districts -- i think you will get the point. our school districts will say, we can figure it out better than columbia. we know how to get those dollars into the classroom. we need to streamline the

process. i don't need someone from columbia telling me how to do it. but with accountability and transparency, it is a great solution. >> we are being held accountable here. more specifics on merit-based paid for schoolteachers. what would entail? >> i do not know about the specifics. i know that it works in business, and it can work and education. if you expect a teacher to go into it challenged area where they have to be the parent and a and turn around and pay them the same thing you would pay a teacher in an area where they do not have those duties, i think merit-based pay needs to happen. that is the only way to get a strong and new work force. it is why you need to reward teachers for doing well in the classroom. we have to improve the morale of our teachers. when we strengthen them, that will happen. we will look at how other states do it. >> a quick follow-up on merit-

based pay. your, -- your pundits suggest that it is a good idea but said it up on a system. >> is already happening now. we already do that in the department of commerce. it is not trying to implement that now. >> do you want to respond? >> i think it is a great idea. >> but it is not needed? >> i am glad that they've implemented it, because it works in the private sector and it should work in the public sector. >> we allowed nikki haley to ask greshem barrett a question. it's now your turn. >> we want a thank you for putting all of your documents out there. i just want to know, have all of your -- are all of your disclosures public and have you left anything out? i understand there might be something with wilbur smith.

when one major that everything is in there. >> everything is in there. we've released our tax returns. we also released our funding disclosures from everyone and i have no problem doing that. everything is out there. >> we will take a short break and have our final round of questioning when we come back. ♪ >> welcome back to the debate. we will continue worth questioning to congressman barrett. we will talk about illegal immigration now. you put that at the forefront of your campaign. you estimate 65,000 illegal immigrants are here in south hal is there any possible way to are in the state? >> it is a best guess.

illegal immigration, every state is the order state. you're taking jobs away from south carolinans. we need to do several different things. i applaud jim brewer in arizona because she is trying to take first day back. the federal government has not done that. south carolina can do a couple of things. we can hold our employers are accountable, make sure that who they hire is a they say they are hiring. and we can enhance immigration laws with common sense additional planes like what they did in arizona. and we can implement a plan where we train our local and state law-enforcement officers on how to enforce immigration law in south carolina. we're doing and and charleston it is actually working. we can be masters of our own destiny. >> you say that these workers

earn $186 million here in south carolina. on those illegal immigrants, who would fill those jobs? they are hard labor jobs. >> i would hope that they would be south carolinans. our unemployment was around 11.2%. i think we're looking at putting people back to work in south carolina. if they are here legally, god bless them. this is a nation of mmigrants and we have laws to do that. if you want to come into this nation and do it legally, god bless you. but if you are here illegally, if you're knowing fully and lawfully -- if you're knowing fully breaking the law, we will enforce the immigration laws and get you out of our state. >> representative haley, i want you to get away and on the illegal immigration issue. do you support an arizona-style

law here in south carolina? >> i am a co-sponsor of the arizona-style law. as the daughter of immigrants who came here legally, we are a country of laws. and when you give up being a country of laws, you give up everything. >> any concerns about enforcement? >> i do, because we passed a bill last year. they turned around and praised the fact that there is a new verify system that small owners have to go through. the problem is that they did not put the first dollar and to the prosecution fund, and still we looked at the stimulus package. that is why not -- that is why government needs to be accountable. we have to go back and make sure that it actually works and that we have reports in place to say how he of any illegal immigrants are here, and what are we doing about it. and the question about what would you do for these jobs that we cannot fill? we need to expand our worker

visa program. we need to expand that so that those farmers and contractors and people it cannot fill those jobs, there is a way to do that legally. no amnesty. >> going on to the next question, an opportunity to respond on an attack ad concerning your faith. we've got one question from lexington, you say that all things through got are possible. where you were should? >> i will tell you that i am very proud of my parents. i am proud of the ways that the rate does. they talked as work ethic and everything that i know i am today. i will never apologize for that and i will always continue to be proud of everything that they have accomplished in this country because they reminded us every day how blessed we were to be here. i chose to become a christian woman. my husband is a christian man. we have a christian family.

when they come to visit my church, absolutely i cut it visit their church. but the bottom line is that i chose the christian faith. what i know about christianity is that they are all except in and they bring more people in. they denied judge people. i attend a methodist church in lexington as do my husband and children. >> i think people have questions about things that they do not understand. explaining -- explain to us about the sikh faith and will let your conversion? >> we all have decisions to make. when mine -- when my brother and i decided to go with chris janet, it worked for us. i did not want to talk about anything about the sikh faith, because i am proud of the way that i was raised. i am proud of the people there raised me within that charge. the decision to michael and i made was the decision to work for family. we try to be better people, working in strengthening our relationship in the lord, and

that is something that we will continue to do. i am very proud of my parents and the way that they raised me. i don't want to say anything negative against them or against their faith. >> how the religious beliefs play a role and what you do every day? if you are elected governor, would your religious beliefs influenced decisions that you have to make? >> it is too i am and why i am as a person. it drives my every decision. that drives the way i bring up my family. i am a sinner saved by grace. he is in my heart every day. and there are absolutes. when i talk to my children and at schools, i say that things are not shades of gray. there are absolutes in our life. and there are 10 of them, if you want to be exact. and i try to live by them every day. my children were actually saved during this campaign.

when our lives, that is what is important. -- win or lose, that is what is important. >> if elected governor, you would be working for all the people in the state. the question is, as we look at television ads, particularly on the republican side, we don't see a lot of racial or ethnic diversity. >> you are looking at a minority female. ethnic diversity -- >> the other people depicted in the ads. obviously your background and raising, but why don't we see more diversity on the ads? >> i don't know about the commercials as much as the state. as people talk about the tea party and as i talk about joining the movement, i think that they are republicans, democrats, and independents it who have had enough of government. we want to take it back.

those are all minorities. it's one of the things that has made south carolina come together and want to take our government back. you can talk about commercials but i will talk about what i see on the campaign trail. as i go across the state, i have never seen more people so serious about government and elected officials more scared. it is a beautiful thing. >> the same question. your ads with masters and bowers and ms. haley's adds, when you play them on the air, you hope to show the people who you are reaching out to. i know that the republican party in the state is trying to be more diversified. but the decisions like that being made when you're coming up with your campaign plan and your ads? >> we can all be more sensitive than we should be. we're going to back and take a look. but as a congressman, i have diversity on my staff, in my district.

it is my job to serve everybody in the third congressional district. i don't care whether they are rich or poor, black or white, male or female. if they walk into my door and all my heart, i don't care who you are. i don't care if you're not in my district. we're going to help everybody. in south carolina, until we pick up the bottom boat, and raise that level, then we are one to suffer. and you're right. we all need to be more sensitive. >> the next question is a representative haley. mitt romney it will be here to campaign with you tomorrow. he is the presidential contender for 20 tell. if asked to be na and the ministration, would you question are >> no, i've always talked about joining a movement. i know what the movement to be about a person but the people of the state. reminding elected officials who it is that they work for.

just as i announce that i would not be a part of the negativity, that is not what michael and i think about. we want to make a true difference to the people of the state. >> that is a firm note. >> of yes. >> thank you. >> you advocated for nuclear energy in congress. voters are working -- looking for results. name three of your most significant accomplishment since being elected. >> i thought your point ask me about fred thompson. i am scrapping and clawing to make a gubernatorial race. being part of the bush tax cuts was a huge thing. making sure that people can keep their own tax money as a good thing. being a strong nuclear opponent at the national labs, getting national lab status down in that neck of the woods, making sure that it nuclear sure it program in savannah is first and foremost on my mind, especially

when it comes to my district. in my legislative career, and is down, whether state or federal, the ban on partial birth abortion. it was a crowning moment in my life. i think it was a wonderful moment in south carolina and i don't think the thing in my local career could come close to that. >> putting that question to representative haley. in your campaign, if you talk about things that you fought for in the state legislature. he said that you fought the battles for 2.5 years. voters are looking for results. if elected, -- since you have been elected since 2004, please name your three most significant accomplishments during your service. >> brutal battles to get legislators to vote on the record. when you get a good government, you can get a working government. they have to vote on the record and we're looking to make that

permanent law. it passed the house and we're pushing to push it in the senate. that is one of the hardest are those i have gone through but one of the most rewarding. i know that the people and see how the legislature's vote. workers' compensation, i was very involved. coastal insurance reform, when people on the close were losing their homes and giving up businesses, i was involved with that and i worked on tort reform which hurt small businesses. >> the wrong office five days from now and we wish you both the best of luck. -- the runoff is five days from now and we wish you the bows -- wish you both the best of luck. >> we want to let you -- let us know what you thought about the chances that you heard. much more coverage coming up. and the winner of the republican runoff will go against state center of vincent

shaheen. that is coming up this tuesday, june 27. >> we have time to vote. exercise your right to vote. much more on our web site. the polls are open from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on tuesday. good night. >> c-span cameras went along with the oral and officials to get an update on cleanup operations i didn't -- clean up operations in plaquemines parish. this is about 30 minutes. >> how are you doing? i came in to see you. >> you should have. >> how are you, baby? >> how are you.

>> let's go upstairs. i will show you what we're doing. >> they went to school together. trichet and that's the truth and more. i knew i was going to shut down sen. i haven't had a day off. a gain 90 pounds since i've been involved. i know. you keep going every day. >> you know jackie? >> yes. >> and danielle. they're beautiful pr people. [laughter] >> were you expecting that many

people? it was unbelievable. >> i wanted it to be nice. they need to know what they need. they knew. -- they note i knew. >> we went to high school together. he went off to be a movie star and left us here on the west bank. [laughter] >> are you feeling better today? >> better. i am dragging. i'm not going to stay long. i wanted to tell you so you could stay with us. early on, we saw right after the accident, we knew that we were

going to have problems. they said that the dispersants would make it sink and it is not coming ashore. so we had asked for, because businesses right here, and we knew we had to stop the oil here. we have asked that jacked up votes -- we have asked that jack-up boats, the president did not hear about a plan so he said put that in the plan. we've gotten one placed here. one on this side. and at the or kamen, we send additional boats. they sent does no more additional boats. we go by the coast every morning and night looking for oil. the first oil that came ashore came ashore in a storm. the next morning at 6:00 it was there. it was over in this area. three weeks later, it still has not been cleaned up.

it killed everything in the marsh. >> what took so long? whose call was that? as i was saying, everyone was worried about was coming out of the ground. we were worried about what was hitting the ground. isn't that as important as what was coming up as going out? >> offshore, we've seen some tendencies, but most of those can swim away. hear, when it comes in, it blankets and smothers everything. >> and you can get it out of the wetlands. >> it is really heartbreaking to see what is goong into the area that is it for three weeks later, they still did not have a plan. the governor and a lot of local leaders came in, we went out and suck it out. and we embarrassed them into acting. today at 2:00, i will not be there because i am under the

weather, he called last night to find out they will finally put in a machine. unlike what we have which states that everything, his machine takes the oil and water but puts the water back with less than 1% of the oil. >> how many boats of kevin's did they -- >> i think they're doing 20 of the big units. we are asking for 18 of the small units in here, for the smaller boats. the larger units are going out to the barrier islands and try the sake of -- soak up the big stuff. we're losing the battle once again we embarrass them into doing the right thing by putting these -- >> whoa kevin be here? >> yes, they're going to where

they are deploying the first ones. >> i just got a call and they said it where were going to do it today. >> i cannot believe it. >> if only eliot ness were here. >> he comes back 25 years later. >> he's hysterical. >> but we've gotten everyone of these blue dots where they've got oil. >> it's staggering. >> the wave and the wind blows it one way or the other. our big fear is that all of florida, we get a hurricane or a small tropical storm, it will blow it up into the bayou. it devastates the west side and then the east side. >> if they get these machines, does he had 18 machines?

>> he's got 30 of the big ones. that is what they're talking about today. and they're going to take them into what they call the blue water. the one that we had asked for, they just tested them for brown water, which is in those tests where they're supposed to give us 18 of them. i think the pressure of bps today shutting them -- the bp yesterday shutting them down. >> you heard about that. shedding non those barges because of life preservers? -- shutting down those barges because of life preservers? come on. >> and the coast guard agreed with that? >> i am not after the guy. he is shown no leadership in this whole thing. you get comments like consider,

maybe, mike. that is not a leader. let's go do it. you don't and singer -- consider bringing in vessels from other part of the world. >> you just have to do. >> you pull out all the stops and make all the things -- anyone in the world that can pick up this oil should have already been deployed. in a discussion yesterday, they said that it would take two weeks. do we think this is to be gone into weeks? >> what i said when it first happened, if you're the only one on the scene at that time and you are already predicting what could have been done and what should have been done immediately and was coined happened and what they could do to prevent. i said, listen to him. circle the wagons. i told this to the us secretary of the commerce. i told him again publicly the other night. we told you all to listen to the

local parish presidents, don't get every ship you can get your hands on, circle the wagons, get a big circle around the well and don't let it pass there. that is what you do in war, for god's sake. >> in nooth found washington, where are all the boats, where is it? >> every military budget that we young -- every military boat that we own. >> even the numbers that they're putting out there, 26,000 people on the ground, i still do not believe that. i have asked them with my guys in a helicopter, start counting what they have coming in. they said that there are going to do it but it still was not been done. >> they say that it is empty. indeed one animal preserve, he said people should be put out on

the beaches collecting it at 6:00 a.m. and nobody was there. judy when she called me, she was crying because she saw brown pelicans. when she first call me. >> they've got them tried to crawl back up. and what has happened, we had been meeting here yesterday because the person that bp hired to be over the animal thing refused entrance to one person. we were one and ago to the lsu tigers, and i was dropping the chain, and they said, hey how are you doing. in a nice to see. nice to see it. hey, how are you. >> good to see. >> he just said -- they do not want you out here. it's a contractor talking about the bird flies down the highway. the state and local people met, but to find out that they said it was the federal while white

people, it is a contractor of bp. what is happening, they are making up their own rules. right. i was out there with anderson cooper the other night. they let him on the ground. when i knew he was coming, they let us send. it is my land. they cannot stop us. they are making up rules that you can take these pelicans and say, we leave them for five days with the also that they calmed down. show me were that as a role. that is not true. you might one believed them overnight if they're really upset, but five days -- >> that is what this mess is. there are hundreds of people waiting to come and help. wildlife experts waiting to come to our shores. why are they not here? >> one group from australia was told to come. they walked up there and they said, we don't need you, you can

go back home. from australia. and the guy came to see me, and here is what they're doing -- they are expanding because they need to. we asked them to add another bird place because you can transfer the board -- transcript the birds within 40 minutes. i think they're trying to keep their mouths of work spread out. like, we will get an area inundated with 100 birds. if they clean it up with volunteers as quickly as possible, they are out of work for three or four days. or they do not want to work them long hours. they will keep them up for a week, that is on excusable. and that is what they're doing. if that -- you can see the pelicans that have not -- should and covered with goals for days -- >> covered with oil for days?

who made that decision? that is a bp decision. that is not a wildlife expert. what about the young man on the national show, i cannot remember his name, but he was saying that there were plenty of people waiting. >> there putting the state and federal wildlife over. >> you remember this. we have one of our best experts, they were performing better than most of the state probably put more into their hands when it was mixed at mobilize them. -- miche that mobilized them. >> the problem as. >> bp is controlling it. >> they are not trusting them. and there's nobody on the ground with bp saying, no, that is the wrong way. we're going to do it this way.

>> how you actually get someone to finally move bp out of the way. >> yesterday's with the meeting with state wildlife, we got them control.ze that they are not in >> can all of us make that official, that bp no longer has control of your parish? >> is the coast guard supposed to be in control right now. i will love to be sitting around the table working for every issue with them. i would much rather be cleaning up the old been yelling and screaming. and i have done that for a couple of weeks in between, and just like right now, and there are a lot of coast guard people here and local bp people are great, but we have got to get to a point where when something needs to be done, i can grab that person by the arm and say, let's fix it. and it is not to that point

right now. >> you got four states being affected directly right now. why is there not a single point person with coast guard, bp, for each of the four states so that when you as a parish their resident -- as a paris president has an issue, there's one single person that can clear all of this. whether a wildlife issue or a boat issue, or clean up the issue, anything that we're dealing with. it doesn't seem to be that difficult the process to create. >> i appreciate -- is sam here today? sam is a great guy. but you sing, sam could pick up the phone and call, let me check with that. sam does not have the card is on that -- sam does not have the authority that thad allen

says that he does. it sends up the chain of authority and never gets an answer back. i think a lot of the bp people on the ground do not have the experience or rely on contractors that to me are more interested in putting bodies out there to make money than they are cleaning up the oil. >> from the bp and coast guard standpoint, whoever is local, state wide not only needs to be named but have authority and decision making power so that they can make some calls so that you do not have to go to that person and they have to wait for coast guard and bp. there needs to be more of a controlled decision making process created here to get things moving faster. >> last saturday, we said this is alan is to be done, pull every ship in the war will -- in the world with a separate group, we need vacuum trucks

along the edge, skimmers on the outer edge, and a crew on that beach. when the oil comes up, when it comes up, you better get it or it goes back out the city. people stationed on the beach 24/7, and it s covering the territory. the skimmers are not going to do it. 500 ft. of boom, you boomlets' slowly and it goes back and forth that cover the whole bay. it can be done with four or five teams in a day's time. you circle it a lot. but you have to do it first light, late in the evening when the water is calm. you skim along the edge, you get the heavy march out, and the last part of that team is going to be -- and it better be doing it now -- one of three things.

something to spray 1 marks to give it a chance to come back, secondly, something to get the sticky blackness of, for third to absorb all like peat moss and blowing in there. they need to test all three, but once we get all the oil out, we need to be ready to spray. i am not an expert, i don't know which is the best, but someone should be testing something so that when it is time to do that, we can have the best chance of saving the marsh. all those teams need to be deployed by area. if he is in charge of this area, and we see that there, we call a month, he brings the team there. >> exactly. >> if this team has no oil, they can come over and help this team. we know more is coming. we know the wind and the waves

are going to pick where it goes. we best start having attained, like, i start with one team and i took to others out. so that they know what to do. they go out and do it. today, we're not supposed to, but we started looking up the oil boom because it is not getting picked up. we brought 20 garbage cans with bags, put them in and tied them up. we went and got a shot back and pick up 110 gallons in 15 minutes. we've got some word about the electrical components. we got an air compressor run in the vacuum so that it is going out today. tomorrow, if it works, we bring in four teams. >> engineering. >> if bp does not put the votes

out to circle all, we will then put three teams together to do that and then go out with these machines. >> those are ready to go back up. we know we had that delay in jefferson, but they are back and ready to go now? >> are they not out? [inaudible] >> if i am not in my boat and the coast guard pulls up, they want to know if i'd been drinking, if i have my life jacket on, my registration, and many of those, they write me a ticket or they take me in. they do not shut me down that is what i did not understand. i have been on offshore vessels, where they pull up and get on board and they go through whole vessel, and then they get off and leave. why would they shut them down? [inaudible]

it is frustrating. it is hard. >> they have a book that they go by. if it deviates from the plan, it is not on the book. they do not know how to do it. >> if they are not flexible, then you need someone out there who is flexible. >> a lot of people are out there watching i was glad the president approve that when he came down the first time. we would like to add additional boats to be more on top of it. we had eight boats on standby. the president thought it was a pretty good idea. and i have done emergency response. >> i think obama should make you in charge of everything.

>> no. >> i think you should be running it. >> he knows you much. >> is a lot of simple things that can be put in place. >> i know patricia was saying that in jest, i think, but to take that point, why not if it is not been done, why not have a daily capt. meeting, two or three times a day a cabinet meeting where you and chris roberts and some of the other leaders from all of the affected parishes -- the mayors, all on the phone, at least once or twice a day, directly with washington so that they can make those calls right there in that conference room. >> we were in a conference call with the white house, but it is pretty much, we will take that under consideration and mbeki. >> i'm talking to someone

literally right under the president that can make the call. >> wherever the command centers are, the person -- there should be one coast guard, one bp, sitting there and i should be able to go down and get an answer. >> you should be in charge. people elected you. you know your areas. we had a resolution yesterday that said it emulated the regional planning commissiin that said that for every parish, the president is in charge. do was the president needs. if it is a berm, if it is a rock side, if it is a barge, don't question. we got a resolution saying give you all the power. you know your area, you know what is best, and it will be different in the sherry. why they trying to figure it out globally? that is not going to work. >> just like the berms. some of the naysayers have been

because they did not want to spend the money to do it. the question was not -- you know if you get something out here, is going to catch the 00. the one and the governor changed from the coastal plan, if you go look at the oil, it is this that that is washed up on the beach. it is kept out of the marshland. just that 15000-foot area. >> and when we brought this resolution of, one of our council members was a word about the scientific criticism of the berms. she weighed in on that but i came right back, we both came right back and made the statement that, that is not true for every area. the berms will work somewhere. that criticism has been because they are doing everything globally. it will work somewhere. >> when the president said we're going to have a roundtable discussion in the next three days, hancock and within 24

hours i will give you my answer. i said, that is fine, mr. president. what we heard was a bunch of naysayers halfway through. i one up and said, this is a dog and pony show. i am one to call the white house. i left the meeting and went outside and had an interview with somebody. i went back and, he called interrission, he said, we're going to give the parish presidents and the governor a chance to speak right after this hearing so that we can hear their side. i said, i am ok with that. we all spoke. at the end of that, the secretary stood up and she is giving her points of view, and i said, let me cut to the chase. are you for or against the berms? she said, well. no, i'm ok with them. i will take that as a yes. now to the rest of the panel, you of all ledger of his -- you have all had your peace. are you for or against them?

everybody against it, raise your hand. you're all for it. we need to go back to the president say we're in favor of ending could ago. no one here is against it. and i was on conference call for weeks leading up to this. they all had the water flowing over there 20 years ago, we had an islander. it did not look so bad then. let's put the island back. at the end of the call, and i asked everybody, anybody on their wants to say don't do the berms, because the alternative is oil in march. nobody would say no. but they would say why we should not do it all along, but at the end of the call, to this day, i cannot find one person that will say in a yes or no question, note, do not do it. >> i said that they are not

scientifically unacceptable. there were scientifically not preferred, but that was in a perfect world. the alternative to oil in the marshes brings a whole different picture. and that is what they are not taking into consideration >> fimian the governor flew over yesterday. the land is actually coming out of the marshall rig. i got goosebumps flying over it. the federal wildlife said, if you don't know what you've done done. we would never live to see those islands bill back. and they should be billed back. we will lead to this as we go forward. but because of the challenges of naysayers, and this of the federal wildlife people that have that taken care of, we have been trying for 20 years to add dirt out there. when we hear from the ocean current experts and florida, it

is going to take more beach awful florida beaches. wait a minute. they were there 20 years ago. now that they are there, adding to them will not be as difficult. so this will be something historical for the whole region. as long as we can get through this hurricane season, we're going to on them. we've already started a foundation for people who have donated money to help on them. we will put in trees that will keep them growing in salt water. >> i go back 16 years. from family different. -- 60 years, blue water fishing. he is simple water. >> i caught a king mackerel. it weighed more than i did. >> we know you're talking about.

we saw those island. we watched him disappear with the layman's eye. whatever you can do to restore them is where we have to go. it is where we had to go before katrina and before that oil spill. it is worse now. >> you kill two birds with one stone here. this is almost a no-brainer because you were helping the oil spill but you are helping -- especially we get past this year and on them -- your help in for years to come. that was one of the most encouraging thing about the president's speech. he started really focusing on the coast restoration which we have all been working on but now there is more and national spotlight. >> we have to be a very aware of this. i had a hundred or oystermen going crazy with a national people talking about, we let the levees go and that's what we need to do.

there's a $200 million diversion being looked at with moral growth started many years and in the planning stages. my thought has always been, our coastal plant is putting a berm on the levee to protect the parish, then to come out and build a natural riches the way they were before, pump them up 6 feet with trees, and in the barrier islands. in total, it would add 15-18 feet to our parish. the important thing and all that every time we get a 10- m.p.h. wind, it comes out here. if we had this, this, this, and this, that salt water is not going to get there. it is going to come here. then all of this is going to grow. we do not need a better one. we're going to show, and we're

working on a locally with the scientist, we are going to show green arrows coming out of there, and salt water pushing it back up. then we will put our model here and show that those green areas come to hear. with the present version. after the barrier islands and all of our ridges and islands we reestablished, if we determined we do not walsall water up here, and we want to increase the diversions, that is the time to increase it. but let's spend our money keeping the salt water out. because you're never going to fight mother nature. making a diversion without restoring out here, it is a fight that we're not going to win. we've put more water out, a strong wind will blow it back again. that is why our focus, and sitting on the governor's board, they're letting too many scientists have their input into the plans. in needs to be more practical plan. a plant that is going to get the most bang for the buck.

[inaudible] i started the foundation years ago. i gave them catering free and was emboldened to clean up the lake. it has turned into one of the most extreme groups. they were against the berms. i ask for a statement saying that and it would not do that. they said that everything is bad for the empowerment. they are to diversions, don't build nothing. right now, our pompous about as high as 4 feet. i had mitigation since i was building on the airport which is absolutely ridiculous. >> from pure scientific statement, we have no maritime industry. how practical is that? there has to be a compromise and a balance. i don't know why -- again, the local parish presidents are the

ones who are the boots on the ground and understand what is best for your area. i -- they do not understand the salt water -- that is not figured in when they talk about berms. they don't realize what it is preventing. they only talk about the perfect world. >> we agreed to go to half the barrier island out. the back side, you can have nesting and that is great and we will protect them. but it this island was not held within a year or two, those islands are continually -- so those pelicans move further and to other islands. the nesting grounds are all but gone anyway. this berm will give us protection that we need now to allow them to start to nest out there again. >> go back to that point. driven you want to get down to

see someone? in this weather, the boats that we have, it would be risky. beacon still go out on our planned trip. but if you wanted to see kevin, we would need to leave and we need to get a bigger boat or drive. one of the other. >> i just wanted to go out. >> then we will go for with our plan. [unintelligible] >> let me tell you. i am sure he is coming back to new orleans tonight. i will check to see where he is going to be. >> i will track and down later. >> ok. and it is stormy out there right now.

>> when i shut down, i shut down. i haven't eaten since yesterday it. if i go three more days without eating, i will be all right. >> we're ready to just boat today. where are we looking here? >> we haven't figured that one out. >> we will look there first. all right back row. >> there we go. >> all right, wonderful. >> thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]