important question -- the answer lies within each of us. the answer has to be shared. the answer has to be shared amont all of us. we must help the american people hold onto that freedom as republicans, we must assert, once again, that the opportunities this nation has to offer the rest not in government, let me repeat that. the opportunities of this free land rest not in government, but rather in hands of individuals -- men and women sitting here -- the men and women out here, but most especially, the men and women out there, back in ou states who are trying hard to create a job, create a business,

trying their hardestoaise a family. public policy should empower citizens, not government. what we have seen over the past 18 months is something very different, where government is the solution. it is the final our tour. it is the debt -- are the tour. it is the decider. you and i know better than that. our mission dictates that we fight. our mission dictates that we help those hands that feel freedom slipping through it to close. -- to close, to clinch, to hold onto that freedom, and i liked the result. it is a statistic that is ready to fight for that freedom. it is a fist that is ready to move forward on behalf of

freedom. we all know thatur journey to this point has not been easy, and that the road ahead will surely test us. it will test ou resolve, and our ability to maintain our sanity at times. it will test our ability to remain united, certainly. we all remain -- we all remember the headlines from one year ago. i do not have to tell you how it's done. i do not have to tell you how it felt. the gop was finished. we are nothing more than a regional party. even our good frnds at "time magazine" advertised their post- mortem on us by declaring the gop an endangered species right on their front cover. how does it feel to be so endangered? [applause] >> if this is endangered, i will take it.

now, to be honest, things were pretty bad for us back then. the party was demoralized because over the last decade when wheat republicans lost our way. we know that story. we stood up honestly before the american people and spoke to them. the disparity between our rhetoric and our action grow until our credibility snapped with this country. our actions overwhelmed our words. it was not the fault of our ideals. let's put -- let's be clear here. it was not the fault of our ideals for the losses in 2006 and 2008. we understand now, more than ever, that it was returning to those ideals, standing on those principles, fighting for those ideas in 2009 that saw the victories in new jersey,

virginia, massachusetts, hawaii, new mexico upstate new york, -- new mexico, upstate new york -- 26 out of 39 special election is one in 2009. [applause] those ideas helped us win when we arrived as a team in 2009, the rnc was out of step with its base, and facing a new frontier. there was a ton of competition from newer a more funds from newly created 527 thank goodness they are ready to fight the fight with us. it is about time. [applause] >> we are part of helping america understand the agenda that this administration was putting out there.

we watched and participated with the people of this country as a form themselves in tea party is to challenge the stu quo. we faced a brave new world, and we, as leaders of this party had a decision to make. where we going to go back to the business as usual, or were we going to try to improve upon the structures and methods that have failed? where we ready to do something coletely different? well, ladies and gentlemen, jan did not provide the answer. sharon did not provide the answer. randy did not and -- did not provide the answer. michael did not provide the answer. you did. you did. state chairman, national committee men and women, county

chairman -- you provided the answer you showed the pathway. you created the light. not those of us with titles -- you did. you said it was time for our state parties, and th rnc leadership, to make bold decisions, to take risks. you did. he said it was time for the republican renaissance. i just said the words. you were the ones that require it happened. you wanted to catch hold of that momentum you saw building -- the voices you heard crying out for help and leadership. you said to this leadership local help us get it right" -- "help us get it right."

thus began our journey to this moment. the country and ourarty would have to adapt. the rnc would become scrap year. which had to work harder and smarter. we had to fly up the learning curve in the media world where obama had dominated since 2008. we have to rethink our infrtructure instincts and reverse course. where we had been the big old elephant ploddingly in the states, demanding and dictating to the states, requiring the states to do the most unthinkable things in politics that really had nothing to do withinning and electing republicans -- we had to change all of that. we had to move away from that top-down approach, and we had to focus on becoming more nimble. we have to focus on moving from town hall, to house party, to

county victory offices, where we were no longer going to settle for competing in 15 states. i love the fabulous 15 from the past, but this rnc is about the fabulous fifties. [applause] this rnc as about our territories. this rnc is about the leadership that is required to lead. where we had ceded states to the democrats in the past, we were now going to take our message to the streets. we are going to reestablish our group -- our grass roots. you, me, the leadership of this party --e are going to stand up with the american people for freedom. we all made a decision. we would no longer be the party of the politically tentative. we win back the people's seat

in massachusetts, mass., virginia, we would send a republican from hawaii, and we did. we would invest in every state's party, every inch of infrastructure, so there would no longer be the favorite few, and we did. while the other side is apologizing, backpedaling, and spinning their wheels in washington, we made the decision to be at clambakes, state party affairs, tea party rallies, block parties, small town events all across this country. small business round table's -- if we decided to be to we are -- to be the party of the people. to be the party of the people -- my friends, we have a lot of reasons to fire nancy pelosi.

[applause] weave a lot of reasons. and we have 88 days to do it. in less than two years, we have gone from a demoralized, super- minority party, to a legion of effective citizens who are on the offense, and making democrats sweat. how does that make you feel? [applause] >> how does that make you feel? [applause] >> as dan said, we can't rest. we can't rest now. we have to getut there. we have a message to deliver. we haveacist to run. we cannot rest on the -- we have braces to run -- races to run. we cannot rest on the success of

races. everything we have been doing, and all must do needs to be ramped up and maxed out in the next three months. every dollar needs to do the work of 10. every volunteer needs to recruit 10 more. every door that has been knocked, and needs to be knocked again, again, and again. sleep -- what is that? we cannot sleep until november 3rd. we just cannot. in fact, i am inviting every last one of you to join us, perhaps in the most important journey we can make toward november, a jury to fire nancy pelosi. our fire nancy pelosi bus tour will begin immediately after labor day. it will be a six-week, and nationwide tour. we will be living on that bus, sleeping on that bus, and bringing that bus to your

community. [applause] >> we are bringing it to your community. we want your candidates on the bus. we want party leaders on the bus. we are taking it to the street. we are the people porto party. we are taking our message back to america. we are the people's party. get on the bus. 117 cities -- get on the bus. every state get on the s. we are going to win in november, and nancy pelosi will be in the back of the boss. -- bus. [applause] >> it is time to stop messing around, and get the people's business done. it is time to stop messing around. when we rolled into your state,

i hope -- when we roll into your state, i hope you get on the bus, because we need you to be a part of this. we need you to be a part of this. i have saithis to those of you who have cornered me, and to have jumped up and down about all of the crazy issues. folks, this is our party. we love it to death. let's show that love for party by taking what she stands for to the people of america, and not hesitating anymore, not backing down from what we feel in our hearts, and no to be true. you argoing to spread the message. you are going to spread the message. your leaders -- this is your party. i would rather have 50 strong, independent states -- republican state parties that want massive, behemoth -- than one massive, a

behemoth, bureaucratic rnc. that is not what this is about this has never been about this for me. this is always been about you. i sat where you sat. i understand those challenges. our goal is to put the resources in your hands, in your community. so, when the boss comes get on it. get on it. we have a lot of work to do. but, i believe w a ready to represent a transformative moment that speaks with empathy and compassion to the american people, but is not afraid of hard truths and productive debate. we republicans will stand once again on timelessrincles, but we will do so with fresh ideas. we will do so with new leadership. many of you got to meet this

morning, just a small, small group of those men who are running for offices. stephan grodin is running for congress. where's the fun? stand-up -- where is stephan grodin? stand up. [applause] >> robert rodriguez. [applause] >> the first congressional district in idaho. [applause] >> damon done, who is an amazing talent running for secretary of state in california. damon. [applause] >> our code-share has showcased

just a small sampling of the women who are running, who are representing us, and. our standards. susanna martinas, mickey haley, mag whitman, all my -- oh, my goodness. you have to love it. think about one year ago. think about that. and if you are not inspired to go out and do you know what, i do not know what is going through your veins. this is our te, our moment. we're going to articulate that message, tha vision. it is time to stop defining ourselves by what we are not, and it is time to tell the voters who we are, and what we believe -- how we will lead, how we will help them make a difference. that is a wonderful time to be impaired our challenge lies not in beating democrats, but uniting get a message that

solidifies our ranks, and attracts a new generation to our cost -- our cause. my fellow activists, that is what you are. if you are in this body, that is what you are. we stand for american greatness, a proven exceptional was impaired the white houseeeds to understandhat- whitehouse -- exceptionalism. the white house needs to understand that. we stand for an economic recovery, that one on which, with lower taxes, reduced spending, and smaller governments. it would bolster the confidence. what part of fed do they not get? that is not rocket science. that is every day american exceptionalism.

these folks are out there ready to create a new avalanche of jobs. what is barack obama, harry reid, and nancy pelosi want to ? they want to grow government. 16,000 irs agents -- really? for health care? really? come on. the people are not buying any more. what we saw happen in missouri proves that point. we stand for freedom, folks. we put our trust i people, not in government, folks. we trust americans to spend and save money that you -- in a way that creates a legacy of opportunity for generations to come, not for the federal government, not for the state government. [applause] >> we stand for the rescue of our economy of the chokehold be of the spend more, tax more,

socialist wannabes in washington, d.c.. we stand for something bigger and greater because we stand for the american people -- we, you, me, all of loss -- we are about to embark on the next the of the selling a promise to the next generate -- of the selling a promise to the next generation. in 1775, the patriots of the second continental congress gathered in a small room, and wrote what just as easily could ve been penned today -- " honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us to release that freedom." in other words, let's create legacy. let's create legacy. we will work hard every day to empower the american people to restore the birthright of

american freedom the generations of americans have always passed on to their children. as our republican renaissance unfold we must once again we afford to the american people that our government should be lited, so that it never becomes powerful enough to strip that freedom away from them. if that taxes should be kept low, so that individuals can create what they want for their prosperity. what -- so that economic prosperity lies with the people, not with barack obama, and not with nancy pelosi, and not with harry reid. we can't do it, because we have done i before. when generation ago, ronald reagan had the audacity, not just to hope, but to get off of the golf course, and do the hard work to turour country around, insist on america's greatness, and to nev, never apologized for her greatness.

never. [applause] >> ronald reagan, when asked about how the cold war would end said very simply a call -- simply "we win, they lose." [applause] so, my friends, and november 3rd, as we wake up we will realize that it is a morning in america again because we win, and they lose. let's go to it. get on the bus. it is time to take our country back. god bless you. god bless america, and thank you for the honor of serving as your chairman. [applause]

>> president obama was back in chicago last week and he spoke at a fund-raiser for alexi giannoulias, the democratic candidate running for the senate seat once held by the president. this is about 25 minutes. [applause] >> hello, everybody. hello, chicago.

>> it is good to be back, and i am proud this be standing here -- proud to be standing here next to the next senator of illinois alexi giannoulias. [applause] first of all, our outstanding governor pat quinn is here. there he is. [applause] one of america's greatest mayors richard m. daley is in the house. [applause] secretary of state jessie white is here. >> [applause] a great friend of mine, the

comptroller. [applause] senate president john coulson. [applause] over there. is also a funny guy -- he is also a funny guy. the speaker is also here. [applause] congressman danny davis from the west side. congresswoman jan schakowsky from the north side. [applause] congresswoman debbie halvorson from the south side. [applause] it is wonderful to be here and it is wonderful to be with alexi. she is my friend. -- he is my friend. i know his character.

i know how much he loves this country and i know how committed he is to public-service for all the right reasons. i appreciate his strong sense of advocacy for ordinary americans. he is not doing this to help the lobbyists. he is not doing it to help special interests. he is not one of the politicians who put his finger into the vanilla -- the wind and changes where he stands to suit the political moment. you can trust him. you can count on him. on his very first day in office, he enacted the most sweeping ethics reforms of any illinois poet -- illinois state treasury and ensured that they could not pay to play for state business. he is not funding this campaign with federal or lobbyist money -- not even one dime. he wants to make a strong statement about who he will be

fighting for in the united states senate. as state treasurer, he has proven himself as someone who is not afraid to stand up to special interests. he took on credit card companies and banned them from aggressively marketing on college campuses, so that our kids do not graduate with credit card debt on top of tuition debt. he has reformed our state's college savings program. it is now ranked one of the best in the country. i'm sure a lot of you have heard of what he did for this clothing company that employed people in this state for more than one century. by the way, i am a customer. [laughter] [applause] when they fell on hard times and a big bank threatens to pull their credit and destroying more than 600 jobs, alexi debt in. he told the bank would no longer

be managing the money of illinois taxpayers. he helped say that company and those jobs. that is the kind of person you want in the united states senate -- somebody who does not forget why they are in this and who they are fighting for. we need fighters like him in a washington -- like alexi in washington. i do not know if you notice, but we have a lot of work to do. the last few years have been incredibly challenging for the united states. 18 months ago, when i took office, after nearly a decade of economic policies that gave us sluggish job growth, falling incomes, a record deficit, culminating in the worst recession of our lifetime, the worst recession since the great depression -- that month that i was sworn in, january, 2009, we

lost 750,000 jobs. in that month alone. in total, we lost 8 million jobs during that recession. now, we did not get to that point by accident. we got to that global after nearly 10 years of an economic agenda in washington that was pretty straightforward. it basically said, we will cut taxes for the wealthiest americans -- folks who do not need it and are not even asking for it. we will cut rules for interest -- special groups. we will leave working people to defend -- to fend for themselves. if you were a kid in chicago whose family had never gone to college and you aspired to go to college but you did not have the money -- tough luck. you are on your own. if you were a worker who was just barely hanging on, did not

have health insurance, even if you were working two jobs -- those were the braeaks. tough luck, you're on your own. that was the policy of the last administration and their friends in congress. they called it the ownership society, but it really meant you were on your own. if you were a wall street banker or insurance company or oil company like bp, you got to write your own rules. we know how this turned out. so, when i took office, we decided, not only were we going to have to heal the economy short-term, we had to revamp how we thought about the american economy. we had to put families and the middle class workers at the center of it. we put in place and new economic plan -- a plan that rewards hard

work instead of greed, a plan that rewards this one's ability instead of recklessness, a plan that is focused -- that rewards responsibility instead of recklessness, a plan that makes us more competitive in the long run, so that the plans -- the jobs of the future are found in the united states of america, not just china or brazil. instead of spending money that we don't have on tax breaks for those who do not need them, we are making smart investments in education, innovation, clean energy, that will benefit people throughout our entire economy. instead of giving special interest free rein, we're demanding new accountability from wall street to washington, so that big corporations played by the same rules that workers at small businesses do. it is only fair. now, because the policies of the last decade landed us in such a deep hole, it takes time to dig

ourselves out. we're not there yet. we have a lot more work to do. there are people hurting all across this region and across the country. after 18 months, i can see it -- carnation is finally going in the right direction. -- our nation is finally going in the right direction. [applause] instead of shrinking, our economy is growing again. instead of losing jobs, we are adding jobs. america is moving forward. and the last thing we can afford is to go back to the very same special-interest laden policies that created this mess in the first place. and that is the choice in this election. that is the decision he will have to make -- you will have to make when you walk into the

voting booth in november. everybody here in illinois and across the country past to make a choice. do we get -- go back to the policies of the past, or do we keep this country moving forward? i believe we have to keep on moving forward. alexi believes we have to keep moving forward. i think the american people want to keep moving forward. [applause] if you doubt that -- if you are thinking, that is just political rhetoric, i want you to think about what transpired within the republican party. it would be one thing that after 2006, 2008, all the problems that have taken place, if they went up into the wilderness and the meditated and thought, boy, we really screwed up. we have to come up with new ways of approaching things. if they were full of reflection

and soul-searching. they finally came back, we have new ideas. we will do things differently. we may not agree with the president, but we have a vision for the future that might work. then you could say, ok, maybe we should give them. but that is not what happened. they have not learned from all the mistakes they made. they promised to do the exact same things that got us into this mess. they have not come out with a single, solitary idea that is different from the policies that yearsway for eight before democrats took over. not one single difference that is discernible from george w. bush -- not one. what they are betting on is in asia.

-- is amnesia. [laughter] they are betting that you forgot about eight years they were in charge of washington. the a are betting that you did not notice -- they are betting that you did not notice that the recession started under their watch, that the deficit started under their watch, and that they have been trying to oppose us every step of the way in solving these problems. remember, these are the folks who spent almost a decade driving the economy into a ditch. and now they are asking for the keys back. the car went into the ditch. we got into the mud. we are pushing and shoving. we are tired. we are sweaty. they are standing, watching. [laughter]

you are not doing that fast enough. why don't you push a little harder? [applause] i think if you put your shoulder here, you would get a better grip. after all of our huffing and puffing, we finally get the car out of the ditch. we're back on level ground. what do they say? give us the keys back. you cannot have the keys back. you do not know how to drive. you got us into the ditch in the first place. [applause] we cannot give you the keys. i also want to make a simple point -- not to belabor this analogy.

[laughter] but, when you want to go forward, what do you put the car in? "d." [laughter] [applause] when you want to go back word, what do you put the car -- backward, what do you put the car in? "r." they cannot have the keys because they want to put us back in the ditch. [applause] they want to do it. you thought that was just an accident, but it is not. there is a sign there. [laughter] the choice in this election is between policies that encourage job creation in america and policies that encourage job

creation somewhere else. we have said repeatedly, instead of giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, we want to give tax breaks to small businesses who are creating jobs here in america. we have already cut taxes eight times for small businesses since i have been president. we want to do more. america's small-business owners are the backbone of the american economy. we are also a jump starting a home grown, clean energy industry -- jump starting -- we are also jumpstarting a homegrown, clean energy industry. i want to see that here in chicago, in the united states. [applause] the investments we have made will lead to more than 800,000 clean energy jobs by 2020. because our nation has always

been built to compete from the transcontinental railroad to the interstate highway system, we're investing in the 21st century infrastructure. not just new roads and bridges, but faster internet access and high-speed railroads. it will lead to private sector jobs and create a platform for us to compete in the future. that is our plan to keep jobs in america over the long-term. most of the folks in the other party have voted no on just about every one of these policies. no on tax cuts for small businesses. no on clean energy jobs. no on railroad and highway projects. it does not stop them from showing up, sending out press releases. they vote no, but they show up and tried to get credit.

are good at finding the cameras. they are waiting and bringing -- waving and grinning. the point is their obstruction takes us back worwards. we want clean energy. we want young people to be able to go to college in record numbers. we want the principle that everybody in america should be able to get affordable health care. we want that enshrined in this country. and that is the choice in this election. it is between policies that strengthen the hand of special interests, and policies that strengthen the hand of america's middle-class. a few weeks ago, the republican leader of the house was asked about his job plan. let's say they took control of congress next year. he said his number one priority

is repealing the law that we passed to prevent health insurance companies from denying new coverage or dropping your coverage because you got sick. that is his jobs plan. i am not sure how that creates jobs. it might create jobs or insurance executives or the folks who denying or claims, but not for the american people -- for the folks -- or for the folks who are denying your claims, but not for the american people. we have a different view. the health-insurance reform we passed is not used to prevent denial of coverage, it cuts taxes for small business employers who cover their employees, allows children to stay on their parents coverage till they are 26, lower the price of prescription drugs for seniors, and will eventually lower the cost of health care for every american.

the day, we got a report from the trust fund that manages -- today, we got a report from the trust fund that manages medicare saying that it will be more secure for seniors and it will be there for future generations because of the changes that we made. [applause] they want to repeal that reform and taken back to the days when companies could deny you care. we're not going to let that happen. we are moving forward. the other party wants to repeal wall street perform. most of them voted against it, including alexi's opponent. they now want to repeal it. worst financial crisis since the great depression -- almost put the entire economy over a cliff. 8 million people unemployed as a consequence. and their answer is, go back to

the status quo that got us into this? this is reform that is finally going to stop credit-card companies from charging you hitting and fees and unfair rate hikes -- hidden fees and unfair rate hikes, that stops on their mortgage practices, that ends taxpayer bailouts of wall street'. this reform protect consumers, responsible business owners, and our tonner -- and our entire economy. we need this reform. we cannot go back to the same rules and regulations that allowed this crisis to happen. opponent wants's to get rid of that. that is the choice in this election. on almost every issue that matters to middle-class families, that is the choice. the other party voted to keep taxpayer subsidies for big banks that offer loans to college.

i do not know what everybody understands -- the federal government to guarantee these loans for young people so they can go to college. banks were taking out tens of billions of dollars in profits, despite the fact that all loans were guaranteed. we said, let's cut out the middleman. we will have an extra $40 billion to give to millions more students so they can afford to go to college. we got no support on the other side. they did nothing about the fact that too many women are not paid as much as men for doing the same work. i signed a lot to help end discrimination so that an equal day of work -- a law to help in discrimination so that an evil day of work = and 80 they have pay -- an equal day of work is an equal day of pay. when they ask them about their

plan, they do not have one -- when we ask them about their plan, they do not have one. i gave a tax cut to 95% of working americans. they voted against it and against holding oil companies like bp accountable for every dime of the spill they caused. we forced them to set aside $20 billion for the livelihood of those whose lives depend on clean water and clean beaches. after we do that, the guy who call when they took over in the house of representatives, would be the chairman of the energy committee, apologizes to bp. he says, i am so sorry that the president is making you pay these fishermen and these hotel owners whose livelihoods have been wracked by your carelessness he apologized --

wrecked by your carelessness. he apologized to them. he called it "a shakedown." he might have added "chicago shakedown." [laughter] that is the choice you have -- folks that are looking out for bp and folks that are looking out for small businesses. we will make our middle class more secure. or you have more of the same. i know this nation has been through an incredibly difficult time. not all of the steps that we took to dig as out of this recession have been popular -- gave us -- the big pass -- dig us out of this recession have been popular. people say, why is he doing that? that does not poll well.

i keep on explaining that i have my own pollsters and i know that some of these things are not popular, but they were right. i was not elected just to do what was popular. i was elected to do what is right. my job is not to focus on the next election. my job is to focus on the next generation. that is why i ran for office. that is why alexi is running for the united states senate. that is what he will do if he is elected. we need your help. we're want to keep moving toward for years and decades to come. thank you, chicago. god bless you. god bless the united states of america. [applause] "stars and stripes forever" playing] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

them and now, a political roundtable on made-election -- >> now, a political round-table on made election politics. "american spectator". who will be the speaker of the house for the 112th congress? guest: i don't really know. republicans are within striking distance and possibly could take over the house. it depends on how things go round. in 2006, we had a similar situation, and the mark foley scandal hit and that is what turned it from a bad year for republicans and turned it into an election. we will see how the news breaks with charlie rangel and maxine

waters. that is the type of thing where that is the last hammer to drop, where you see parties lose their majorities. it is the ethics issues, because that is bipartisan. host: what are the issues that benefit the republican party? guest: the overarching issue is the economy and the health care bill. i think those are the big issues. in a broader sense, i think what happened was that when obama took over office at a time when there were a lot of problems, and the people hired the democrats to fix it. they do not want to hear now that he inherited a mess and it was bush's fault. all people know about is that people are out of work. so they do not want to hear about george bush anymore. so that is the problem for

democrats. now they own the mass. ess. in terms of the health care plan, that is indicative of something else. one of the reasons that obama was an effective candidates is he was able to signal to progressives and liberals that he was one of them of having a moderate, reasonable rhetoric and centrist rhetoric that he shared with the rest of the country. that was how he was able to unite a coalition of independents who were disillusioned with bush and the republicans as well as getting a progressive-activists to go and fight for him. once you are president, it is not about the rhetoric. it is about what you actually do. with things like the health care law and the failed stimulus bill, which is based on liberal economic views, he basically

went to the left of where a lot of independents were hoping he would be. at the same time, a lot of the progressives have been disillusioned because he did not do a lot of the things they expected him to do. "americanm serwer of spect."opro what you think about pulling george w. bush back into the 2010 election? guest: it's a little late. obama did not spend a lot of time explaining how we got to be point -- to the point we got to. he brought bush in late. obama -- despite the partisanship of the past two years, it was not because obama has the reached out towards

republicans. it is because republicans has refused to go along with anything the president has done. it is obstruction. the fact that obama has not been hammering republicans and has not been portis and makes it feels like they are dragging out bush at the last minute -- bush had eight years to mess the country up, and obama has only had two years to fitx it. the stimulus bill did not fail. the reason we are in a situation we are in is because the stimulus is not big enough. christina romer, who left the administration, her projections on recovery were based on a larger stimulus bill. and the administration went for a smaller bill because that was what was possible with the

congress they had, because there were so few republicans or willing to go along with anything. as far as the economy is concerned, the democrats are in a precarious place because unemployment is high. host: who will be the speaker of the house? guest: i will not make any predictions, but i will say that it is very clear to congressional republicans that continued economic hardship is helping their political chances. they are stymying any effort to bring relief to the poor. host: prospect.org. do you get more readers via print or online? guest: our online readerships

used towards a younger demographic. -- skews towards a young . demographic. guest: we focus on policy matters. we are not simply about breaking news. we are about ideas and policies and how to make government work better. host: what is the democrats' strongest suit in this election? guest: it is late for them to bring this in, but there strongest argument is the republicans have stymied any effort to stimulate the economy and to bring unemployment down. that is just how things have worked republicans have successfully turned washington into gridlock. there is nothing that can get done as long as there are some republicans in office. . .

guest: what is the strongest buying they can play? -- strongest thing they can play? they can hope the republicans should themselves in the foot by lousing candidates and not preventing -- presenting -- in the foot by presenting a lousy candidates -- presenting lousy candidates. that is the democratic strongest suit. host: what about what he said about the republicans being the party of no? is that effective strategy? guest: it depends on what you

are saying no to. being the party of no is the bad thing when policies being pursued are popular. given that obama's policies are not popular, the party of no is an effective strategy, especially in swing districts which voted for mccain, but voted for democratic members of congress. and if i can respond on the still last issue. there's a myth on the left that it's, if only it were bigger than it would have worked better. we've seen from history that despite what liberals, sort of, say, that we - that typically government stimulus product stimulus checks do not work. in the great depression, why did a deep recession turn into a great depression that lasted up until world war ii if stimulus

spending was so good? and if japan in the 1990's they spanned the equivalent of trillions and it was a lost decade. you think there's a new government program you can do and regardless of the economic arguments the reality is, if we're talking politics the american people think the was a failure. talking about bush does not matter. guest: i think there are different reasons why recessions happen and right now one is of weak aggregate demand. you ease the burden on middle class providing aid to the state as and unemployed and this is the problem. of phil, touched on something important, that people don't know that the stimulus helps. they think it didn't help. that's because of two things. the stimulus was two small to do

what it was supposed to do and as a result republicans can say it didn't work. what phil said about the democrats policies being unpopular. we're grading on a curve. tun the only people more unpopular is congressional republicans the economic situation is such that people are angry with uncouple bents but it's not a result of people loving republican policies, it's the result of the unemployment rate and the people being angry with the current office. host: (202) 737-0001, for republicans and (202) 737-0002 for democrats. if you reside outside the u.s. the international line is open. call now, we'd love to get your perspective on american politics. gene six, arizona. kathy republican you're on with

our two guests. please go ahead. caller: i want to say just to the gentlemen from the "american spectator," due to you i became involved in politics because i started reading the "american spectator" back in the clinton administration about the long march missiles and clinton and i started - i was raised - i tried again last segment but they wouldn't let me on for some reason. i was raised a democrat and my grandfather was a senator from the state of montana with democratic party but no one would vote for that party again and you opened my eyes and i mean, i was in college campaigning for jimmy carter. god forbid that i did. thank god for the "american spectator" you guys are great. host: very quickly, kathy. hurry up. caller: don't cut me off. i want to say what i've realized

is i love this country and that the democrats are, not even americans. i was a political science major and it's amaze together me what they're doing to this country and all the rest of it is follow knebo log kne bologne. guest: yes the democrats are clearly pursuing an agenda to the west of where the country is and that's picked up by poles. so i don't really see in terms of adam talking about republican obstructionism and so forth. democrats had 60 votes in the senate for most of last year, so i don't think that people want to hear about what they - you know - how it's democrats - how it's republicans obstacle

juksism's fault. they were able to get their agenda passed. on the stimulus issue responding to adam, i compare it politically not even getting into the merits of the debate. i consider the situation of democrats faced with stimulus potentially similar to what bush faced with iraq war. where is, is that you know, bush could invade the argument the counter factual argument without iraq war there would have been no terrorism. counter factual arguments don't work. all people krared about was they were against iraq war and things weren't going well in iraq. conservatisms saying if bush would have sent troops it it would have been different. all people knew they had problems with iraq so i think it's similar with the stimulus. liberals saying, it should have been bigger and democrats saying

it would have been worse is not an effective political argument. host: justin in tulsa, oklahoma, democrat line. caller: well, i think it's real interesting. should it have been bigger? economic stimulus, if that's good way to go in general. i think we're treating the symptom and not really trying cure the disease. the federal reserve system we have. creating extreme amounts of interest. and it's basically anything tons landing on the taxpayers back. guest: the federal reserve isn't very popular right now and i think it could be doing more to help the economy, but i'm not sure that the federal reserve is the problem as such. host: you sent out a tweet this

morning before you came over on the show, saying you'll be on with phil klein of the "american spectator," and we're going to find out which one of us is more american. what did you mean by that? guest: [laughs] i was kidding. one of the funny things that generally happens is - i've discussed this with phil, i'll call someone and sometimes i'll call a lib call group looking for comment and they'll say your from the "american spectator" and they'll it with dread. and i'll say - well i think the same thing happens to phil sometimes. one publication generally gets mistaken for the other and some times the results is funny. host: your both graduates from colombia journalism school. did you know each other there? and what was it like specifically to be i presume a conservative at colombia? >> i didn't know him.

we went different years but i guess, the thing is you spend a lot of time in new york and so forth, so for me, i'm often - i'm a jewish conservative so i'm kind of used to be the out lily among liberals. guest: good morning c-span. you guys hear me? host: please go ahead. caller: yes, the gentlemen from the "american spectator" prompted my phone call earlier in his comments about the inability of the white house to um... create a clear, simple, cogent narrative. but the most astounding and let me repeat. it's been astound together me, the if you look back a year ago coming out of this period in

august going in september when they have the townhall meetings, every major pole. nbc, "wall street journal," et cetera had one third to one quarter of the entire country believing the health insurance reform had death panels. at every step this white house has failed in leading public in what it's trying do. it's been a haphazard message. it's been, you know, one topic this topic this topic. franklin roosevelt had fire side chats in time of crisis to lead the public on every pole. it's the right wing thinks that obama is partly socialistic. not even born in this country. it's this great communicator obama that a million people showed up on the smithsonian mall has failed clearly communicate and i don't know if it's axel rod or obama but this

messaging has been - it's astounding how atrocious it's been. >> i think that it's clear that - administration hasn't been as aggressive as many liberals would like them to be. but ultimately the issue is e unemployment if the stimulus was bigger and the administration more aggressive in pursuing it. everybody would be doing some monday morning quarterbacking how great administration handled things politically. it really all comes down to the economy. i think there's way too much emphasis placed on things like narrative and sort of the peripheral political issues that don't really, aren't really as important as economic fun da member talls. >> florida. call all good morning, peter. i wanted to point out that the democrats have been in charge of

congress since 2006. the last two years of the bush administration they were in charge of congress and control of bush. now, unless the american people take this country back, we're headed for communism. socialism. tax is imwhichever you want to call it, it's all the same thing. host: when you say, take this country back, what do you mean? caller: everybody out and get somebody in congress that will listen to the people. host: alright. philip klein? guest: well, i think the issue again s sort of the an agenda pursued if you look at, sort of the health care legislation. the american people tried over and over again to send a message to congress that they didn't want this massive health care law passed. when they went into the town hall meetings, people, they were

dismissed by democrats as angry mobs sent by the insurance companies when scott brown won ted kennedy's senate seat in the most liberal one of the most liberal states in the country, they ignored that. they said the poles would improve once health care was passed and we still see amounting opposition and see in missouri for instance this week. 71 percent voted against the rejected individual mandate. that was sort of a central plank of obama care forcing individuals to purchase a health care policy that's dictated by the government and do so under the threat of attack. and these are unpopular policies pursued and just completely ignoring what the american people want, so it's not surprising that people want to throw democrats out.

guest: this is very strange rhetorical technique republicans use. they use the term, american people and it's very exclusive way in which democrats and liberals and people that voted for obama are as american as anyone else. to talk about taking country back as though americans are not in office is really a strange and ugly way to talk about things. however, as far as health care bill goes it's clear it's more popular than it was when it was passed and it's also clear that we - you know, we don't base political legislative agendas based on special elections in particular states. democrats won congress. obama won the presidency in 202008. scott brown wins in massachusetts it's not like no backsys. none of what happened in 2006

matters as far as missouri, when you put the individual mandate referendum when there's a republican party of course you're going to have a more republican electorate. one of the reasons we don't have a direct democracy in this country is generally there are part office legislation that are popular and unpopular. the mandate is an unpopular part of the legislation system. you can't say, it's also an essential part. that's the only way you're going to lower health care cost. when you give people a chance to pick and choose the unpopular and the unpopular parts of legislation obviously, they're going toeks ice the ones they don't like regardless how they are to the system working. guest: first of all, somehow to say it's unique is something you hear about on the left. it's unique of conservatives being out of power saying that they want to take back america. i point out during the bush

administration i attended an annual conference for liberal activists called the take back american conference so this idea that it's new to conservatives is absurd. people out of power always they say want to take back america. it's absurd to try to imply that there's some thing on tort about conservatives making same point. host: democrat in new york you're on with adam serwer and philip klein. please go ahead with your comment or question. caller: good morning, gentlemen. my comment is sh, i'm missing t last call in. disillusioned pretty much with washington. completely and none of the issues are - that are up right now, really concern me. what concerns me is the war. and i'm a veteran.

i just came home and, what my concern is, is that my family has lost four people in the war. a son, son-in-law - host: in afghanistan or iraq? caller: afghanistan. i was in iraq. i get pretty mad when i see the president come down to the v.a. and talk about pulling troops out of iraq and what the american people don't seem to understand is we have over 100,000 contractors so even if you bring the troop level down to 50,000. you still have a $100,000 contract inside of iraq. we have more contractors than military. host: we'll leave it there. thanks james. adam serwer, when it comes to the war as a political issue? guest: just thanks to the last caller for you and your family's

service and when your asking about the war your asking about the war in afghanistan? host: you can take that how you want. guest: i think the war in afghanistan is a bit out of site and behind for most americans. most americans want the war to be over obviously, but they're not thinking about it. we're in the middle of a harsh recession and unemployment is high and there's a small part of the population bearing a heavy burden in fighting the war and everyone else is suffering in a very different way but as a result, they're not thinking too much about what's going on over there and that's shame. host: next call for the two guests from jacksonville, north carolina. earl, independent line. good morning. caller: yes, you know all this talk about the republicans taking the house and senate back. think is an old columnist trick. in the beginning all the hype

from the media was about obama being the first black president and now there's not enough to make any money off so they come to this thing because they looking at history where you know, the uncouple bents lose out but we never had a black president or a president that had passed this much stuff in the first term. health care. financial reform. he's put in two supreme court he is wanted with little fight as nothing. thing is, american remember how we got in the mess we in and plus, this recession have never - we have never been in this kind of recession. host: philip klein? guest: again, i go back to the fact, yes. obama has been tremendously successful passing a lot of legislation. unfortunately for democrats politically it's legislation again that i go back to that's

unpopular with the american people. and you know, adam spoke about how the individual mandate, for instance is unpopular but it's the overwhelming way to reduce health care cost. guest: tell that to the people in massachusetts they've had individual mandate and a system that's very similar po to what obama is doing and health care costs are still sky-rocketing with the individual mandate. i think there's a lot of wishful thinking o on the democratic side but the more that this goes on the more people learn what's in the health care bill it's just going to continue to be unpopular and whatever comes before the voters, we've seen that. one more point. he noted how he tried to dismiss the missouri ballot measure saying it was voted on during the primaries when the

electorates helped the republicans, but why did it end up there instead of the november ballot. it was originally supposed to be there but democrats fought it being there because they were worried it would turn-out conservative tomorrow on "washington journal," general hayden, frank vargo, and yvan beliveau. ofll have a week-long series discussions on energy issues. "washington journal" is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> next, "q&a" with documentary

filmmaker greg barker. after that, john bercow. . .