we would hope that that would lead them to reconsider their positions not only with respect to nuclear weapons but, frankly, the export of terrorism. and it's not only in the obvious places with hezbollah and hamas, but in trying to destabilize many countries in the region. and beyond where they have, you know, provided support and funding for terrorist activities as far away as argentina. so i think that there is a very, you know, very sad confluence of events occurring. inside iran. i think eventually, but i can't put a time frame on it, the iranian people themselves will respond to. and we want to be helpful, but we don't want to get in the way of it. so that's the balance that we try to strike.

now, with respect to north korea we are continuing to send a very clear message to north korea about what we expect and what the six-party process could offer if they are willing to return and discuss seriously denuclearization that is irreversible. we are in intense discussion about this with all the other six-party members, and we're watching the leadership process and don't have any, any idea yet how it's going to turn out. but the most important issue for us is trying to get our six-party friends led by china to work with us to try to convince who's ever in leadership in north korea that

their future would be far better served by denuclearizing, and that remains our goal. >> as always, thank you so much. [laughter] for coming here, first of all, but also giving such a thorough and complete and comprehensive talk about american foreign policy. and i know i speak for everyone that we wish you godspeed and more in your work next week and >> on c-span tonight, president obama talks about the economy during a visit to the ohio. jo bonner holds a town hall meeting in his district. the democratic national committee holds a -- an event in

philadelphia. former gov. george pataki focuses on health care. >> at long last, the united states of america joins every other nation in the world to say that health care is a right, not a privilege. >> we have been covering town hall meetings. what's them on line at the c- span a video library. they are searchable and free on your computer any time. the c-span networks -- we provide coverage of politics, public affairs, and history. it is available to you on television, radio, and online. fight our content any time on c- span's video library. bringing our resources to your community. it is washington your way -- the

c-span networks. created by cable, provided as a public service. >> president obama calls for electing bush era tax cuts to expire. he accused congressional republicans of blocking small business of legislation in the senate. this took place in cleveland where senator manner just gave a policy speech.

>> i want to acknowledge some outstanding public servants who are here. first of all, someone i believe is one of the finest governors in the country. [applause] the lieutenant governor and sent to be junior senator prom ohio, lee fisher is here. [applause] i used to hear that line all the time about the senator from illinois. that would be me. the outstanding mayor of cleveland, frank jackson is

here. [applause] somebody who is fighting for work every day, your senator is here. three of the hardest working and fineness of members of the house of representatives, desk sets -- dennis kucinich and john pitari. good afternoon, ohio. it's good to be back. in the fall of 2008, one of the last rallies of my presidential

campaign was here in the we also hoped for a chance to get beyond some of the old political divides between democrats ample -- and republicans, read states and it blew states that have prevented us from making progress. although we are proud to be democrats, we are proud to be americans. -- if we are prouder to be americans. we believed then and we believe

now that no single party has a monopoly on truth. that is not to say that the election did not expose deep differences between the parties. i ran for president because for much of the last decade, a very specific governing philosophy had rained about how american -- about how america should work. cut taxes, especially for millionaires and billionaires. cut regulations for special interests. cut trade deals even if they did not benefit our workers. cut back on investment in our people and our future, education, clean energy, research, and technology. the idea was that if we had blind faith in the markets, if

we let corporations played by their own rules, if we left everyone else to fend for themselves that america would grow in america would prosper. for a time this idea it gave us the illusion of prosperity. we sell financial firms and ceos take in record profits and that record bonuses. we sell a housing boom that led to new homeowners, new jobs, and new construction. consumers bought new condos, bigger cars, and better tvs. but while all of this was happening, the broader economy was becoming weaker. nobody understands that more than the people of ohio. [applause] job growth between 2000 and 2008

was slower than it has been in any economic expansion since world war ii. the wages and incomes of middle- class families kept falling while the cost of everything from tuition to health care kept going up. folks, we are forced to put it -- were forced to put more debt on their credit cards to borrow against homes that many cannot afford to buy in the first place. meanwhile, a failure to pay for two wars and two tax cuts for the wealthy helped turn a record surplus into a record deficit. i ran for president because i believed that this kind of

economy was unsustainable for the middle class and for the creature of our nation. i ran because i had a different idea about how america was built. [applause] it was an idea of where did it in my own family store. michelle and i are where we are today because, even though our families did not have much, they worked tirelessly without complaint so that we might have a better life. my grandfather marched off to europe in world war ii low my grandmother worked in factories on the home front. i had a single mother who put herself through school and would wait before dawn to make sure i got a decent education.

michele can still remember her father heading out to his job as a city worker long after multiple sclerosis has made -- had made it possible -- had made it impossible for him to work -- what without crutches. yes, our family's believed in the american values of self- reliance and individual responsibility in the instill those values in their children. but they also believed in a country that rewards responsibility. a country that rewards hard work. a country built on the promise of opportunity and upward mobility. they believed in an america that gave my grandfather a chance to go to college because of the gi bill. and america at that gave my grandparents a chance to buy a

home because of the federal housing authority. an america that gave their children and grandchildren a chance to fulfill our dreams thanks to college loans and college scholarships. it was an america where you did not buy things you could not afford. we did not just think about today, we thought about tomorrow. an america that took pride in the goods that we made, not just the things that we consumed. an america where a rising tide it really did not lift all boats from the company's ceo to the guy on the assembly line. that is the america i believe in. [applause] that is the america i believe in. that is what led me to on

the south side of know, things t work out that way. some republican leaders figured it was more politics to sit on the sidelines and let democrats saw all the mass. others believed on principle that governments should not meddle in the markets even when the markets are broken. but with the nation losing nearly 800,000 jobs the month i was sworn into office, my most urgent task was to stop a financial meltdown and prevent this recession from becoming a second depression. [applause] in ohio, we have done that. the economy is growing again.

the financial markets have stabilized. the private sector has created jobs for the last eight months in a row. [applause] there are roughly 3 million americans who are working today because of the economic plan we put into place. but the truth is, progress has been painfully slow. millions of jobs were lost before our policies had a chance to take effect. we lost jobs in the first six months before i took office. it was a hole so deep that, even though we added jobs again, many americans remain unemployed. hundreds of thousands of families have lost their homes. millions more can barely pay the

bills or make the mortgage. the middle-class is still treading water. those aspiring to reach the middle class are doing everything they can to keep from drowning. meanwhile, some of the very steps that were necessary to save the economy like temporarily supporting the banks and the other industry -i also e political campaign, the easiest thing for the other side to do is to ride this fear and anger all the way to election day. that is what is happening right now. a few weeks ago, the republican leader of the house came here to cleveland and offered his party's answer to our economic challenge. it would be one thing if he had admitted his party's mistakes during the eight years they were

in power and then gone all for a while and meditated, come back, and offered a credible new approach to call -- to solving our country's problems. but that is not what happened. there were no new policies from mr. banner -- mr. boehner. there was just the same policies we tried when they were in power. the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place. cut more taxes for millionaires and cut more rules for corporations. instead of coming together like past generations did to build a better country for our children and grandchildren, their argument is that we should let insurance companies back to denying care for those who are sick or let credit-card companies go back to raising

rates without any reason. instead of setting our sights higher, they are asking us to settle for a status quo of stagnant growth and rewarding competitiveness and a shrinking middle class. cleveland, that is not the america i know. that is not the america we believe in. [applause] a lot has changed since i came here in the final days of the election. what has not changed it is the choice facing this country. it is still fear bursa's hope, the past versus the future.

that is what this election is about. that is the choice annual pace in november. -- that is the choice you will face in november. [applause] we have a different vision for the teacher. -- a vision for the future period. i never believed it was the government's job to provide prosperity. it is the skill and dedication of our workers that has made as the wealthiest nation on earth. i believe it is the private sector that must be the main engine for a recovery. i believe that government should be lane, government should be efficient, i believe government

should be free to allow people to make the choices that are ripe for their family so long as the choices do not hurt others. -- that are right for their families along as the choices do not hurt others. the first republican president, abraham lincoln -- i also believe that government should do for the people what they cannot do better for themselves. [applause] that means making it the long term investments in this country's future that individuals and corporations cannot make on their own, investments in education and clean energy, basic research and technology, and emperor structure. -- infrastructure.

corporations must play by the same rules as everybody else. [applause] their responsibility is to look out for their workers as well as their shareholders and create jobs here at home. that means providing handouts to middle-class families. if they work hard and meet their responsibilities, they can afford to raise their children and send them to college, see a doctor when they get sick, retire with dignity and respect. [applause] that is what we democrats believe in -- a vibrant free that works for everybody. [applause]

that is our vision. that is our vision for a stronger economy and a growing middle class. that is the difference between what we and the republicans in congress are offering the american people right now. let me give you a few specific examples of our different approaches. this week i proposed some additional steps to grow the economy and help businesses sparked hiring. we want to encourage companies to invest more in the united states. for years, our tax code has given billions of dollars in tax breaks that encourage companies to create jobs and profits in other countries. i want to change that. [applause] ayalon to change that.

-- i want to change that. instead of tax loopholes that incentivize investment in overseas jobs, i am proposing a more generous extension part tax credits that companies do right here in ohio, right here in the united states of america. [applause] i am proposing that all american businesses should be allowed to write off all the investments they do in 2011. this will help small businesses upgrade their plants and equipment and encourage bigger businesses to get all the sidelines and get to work in cleveland and at dayton. to most of you, i'll bet this just seems like common sense. [laughter]

but not to senator boehner and his allies. for years, republicans have fought to keep these corporate loopholes opened. when senator boehner was here in cleveland, he attacked as pork closing a few of these loopholes and using the money to help ohio keep hundreds of thousands of teachers, policemen, and firefighters on the job. [applause] senator boehner dismissed these jobs we saved teaching our kids, patrolling our streets, rushing into burning buildings. those are government jobs. jobs, i guess, he thought were not worth saving. i could not disagree more.

i think teachers, police officers, and firefighters are part of what keeps america strong. [applause] going tohink if we're get tax breaks to companies, it should be for companies to create jobs here in america, not to creates jobs here by it -- creates jobs overseas. that is what this election is all about. [applause] let me give you another example. we want to put more americans back to work rebuilding america. our roads, our real race, our runways. when the housing sector collapsed and the recession hit, one in every four jobs

lost were in the construction industry. that is partly why our economic plan has invested in infrastructure projects. altogether, these projects have led to thousands of good private-sector jobs, especially for those in the trades. senator banner and the republicans in congress said, "no," to these projects. they bought them tooth and nail. it did not stop them from showing up at the ribbon cutting, try to take credit. that is always a sight to see. [laughter] there are still thousands of miles of roads and railways and runways left to repair and improve.

engineers, economists, governors, and mayors of every political stripe believe that if we want to compete in the global economy, we need to rebuild this vital infrastructure. there is no reason europe should have the fastest trains are most modern airports. we need to get the -- we need to get to work and build them right here in america. [laughter] [applause] this week i propose a 86-year infrastructure plan that would put americans to work right away. despite the fact that this has traditionally been an issue with bipartisan support, senator says no to infrastructure.

that is bad for america. that, too, is what this election is all about. all give you one final example. it is the issue of tax cuts. under the tax plan passed by the last administration, taxes are scheduled to go up substantially next year. that is for everybody. by the way, this was by design. when they passed the tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, they did not want everybody to know what it would do to our deficit, so they pretended like they were going to end even though, now, they say they do not. i believe we ought to make the tax cuts for the middle class permanent. [applause] for the middle class -- permanent. [applause]

these families are the ones who saw their wages and incomes black line of the last decade. you deserve a break. [applause] you deserve some help. and because most of the middle class or more likely to spend their tax cuts on basic necessities, that strengthens the economy as a whole. but the republican leader of the house does not want to stop there. make no mistake, he and his party believed we should also give a permanent tax cut to the wealthiest 2% of americans. [crowd boos] with all the budgetary pressures we have, with all the bubble -- with all the republican talk about

strengthening the budget, they want to get a tax cut of about $100,000 each to people who are already millionaires. keep in mind, while the americans are just about the only americans who saw their incomes rise while republicans were in charge. these are the folks who are less likely to spend the money. that is why economists do not think tax breaks toward the wealthy will do much to boost the economy. let me be clear to senator boehner and everyone else, we should not hold middle-class tax cuts hostage any longer. [applause]

we already, this week -- we are ready to give tax cuts to any american and making $250,000 or less. [applause] that is 98%, 97% of americans. pour any income over this amount, the tax rate would just go back to what they were under president clinton. this is not to punish those who are better off. god bless them. it is because we cannot afford the $700 billion price tag. [applause] cardoza who claimed -- for those who claim our approach would be bad for growth and bad for small businesses, let me remind you

that with those tax rates in place under president clinton, this country created 22 million jobs and raised in combat and had the largest surplus in our history. [applause] in fact, at the republican leadership in congress really wants to help small business, they will stop using legislative maneuvers to block an up or down vote for a small business jobs bill that is before the senate right now. this is a bill that would do two things. it would cut taxes for small businesses and make loans more available for small businesses. [applause] it is fully paid for. it will not add to the deficit. it was written by democrats and

republicans. yet, the other party continues to block this jobs bill. it is a delay that small business owners say are leading them to put off hiring. look, i recognize that most of the republicans in congress have said no to just about every policy i have proposed since taking office. i realize that in some cases there are genuine philosophical differences. but on issues like this one, a tax cut for small businesses supported by the chamber of commerce -- the only reason they are holding this up is politics, pure and simple. [applause]

they are making the same calculation they made just before my inauguration. if i fail, they win. well, they may think that this may get them to where they want to go in november, but it will not get our country going where it needs to go in the long run. [applause] it will not get us there. [applause] it will not get us there. [applause] it will not get us there. [applause]

do we return to the same failed policies that iran and our economy into a ditch -- that ran our economy into a ditch, where do we go with a policy that is slowly pulling us out? do we settle for a slow decline or do we reach for an america with a growing economy and a thriving middle-class? [applause] that is the america that i see. we may not be there yet, but we know where this country needs to go. we see a future where we invest in american innovation and american ingenuity, where we export more goods so we create more jobs here at home, where we make it easier to start a

business or patent and invention. i do not want to see a new solar panels or electric cars or advanced batteries manufactured in europe or in asia. i want to see them made right here in the u.s. a by american workers. [applause] we see an america where every citizen has the skills and training to compete with a worker anywhere in the world. we set a goal to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. that is why we are revitalizing community colleges like this one. [applause]

that is why we are reforming our education system based on what works for our children, not what perpetuates the status quo. [applause] we see an america where a growing middle-class is the beating heart of a growing economy. that is why i kept my campaign promise and a middle-class tax cut to 95% of working americans. that is why we passed health insurance reform to stop insurance companies from jacking up your premiums at will or denying coverage because you get sick. [applause] that is why we passed financial reform that will end taxpayer funded bailouts, report that will stop credit card companies and mortgage lenders from taking advantage of taxpayers and

consumers. that is why we are trying to make it easier for workers to save for retirement and fighting the effort of the other party to privatize social security because as long as i am president, no one will take the retirement savings of a generation of americans and handed over to wall street. not on my watch. [applause] that is why we are fighting to extend the child tax credit and make permanent our new college tax credits because if we do, it will mean $10,000 of tuition relief for each child going to four years of college. i do not what any parent to not send their children in good

times or bad to college because they cannot afford it. finally, we see an america where we reduced to pass all the debt we inherited to the next generation. let me spend just a minute on this issue because we have heard a lot of moralizing on the other side about this. government spending and debt. along with the tax cuts for the wealthy, the other party's main economic proposal is that they will stop government spending. now, it is right to be concerned about the long-term deficit. if we do not get a handle on it soon, it can endanger our future. at a time when people are tightening their belts at home, i understand why a lot of americans feel it is time for government to show some discipline to.

-- shearson discipline, too. but let's look at some -- show some discipline, too. but let's look at some facts. if senator boehner was in charge, the number of the earmarks and pet projects went up, not down. these same republicans turned a record surplus into a record deficit. when i walked in wrapped in a nice boat -- when i walked in, wrapped in a nice boat, was a deficit sitting there on my doorstep. it was a welcoming present. [laughter] just this year, these same republicans voted against a bipartisan fiscal commission that they themselves had

promoted. once i was for it, they were against it. [laughter] when you ask them what programs they would actually cut, they do not have an answer. that is not fiscal responsibility. that is not a serious plan to govern. i will be honest, i reduced to cut back on those investments that will grow our economy in the future -- investments in areas like education, clean energy, and technology. i do not want to cut those things. that is because economic growth is the single best way to bring down the deficit and we need these investments to grow. but i am absolutely committed to fiscal responsibility which is why i have already proposed

freezing discretionary spending for three years. [applause] once the bipartisan distal commission finishes its work, i will spend the next year making the tough choices necessary to further reduce our deficit and lower our debt. whether i get help on the other side or not. [applause] of course, reducing the deficit will not be easy. making up for the 8 million lost jobs caused by this recession will not happen overnight. not everything we have done over the last two years have worked as quickly as we had hoped. i am keenly aware that not all of our policies have been popular.

so, no, our job is not easy. but you did not elect me to do what was easy. you did not elect me to just read the polls and figure out how to keep myself in office. he did not elect me to avoid big problems. you elected me to do what is right. as long as i am president, that is exactly what i intend to do. [applause]

this country is emerging from an incredibly difficult. in its history. an era of irresponsibility that stretched from wall street to washington and had a devastating effect on a lot of people. we have started turning the corner on that era. the part of moving forward is returning to the time-honored values that built this country. hard work and self-reliance. responsibility for ourselves, but also responsibility for one in other -- for one another. it is about living from an attitude that says, "what is in it for me," to one that asked, "what is best for america? what is best for all our businesses? what is best for all of our children?

these values are not democratic or republican. they are not conservative or liberal values. they are american values. as democrats, we take pride in what our party has accomplished over the past century -- social security and the minimum wage, civil rights, workers' rights, and women's rights. but we also recognize that to our history, there has been a noble republican vision as well of what this country can be. abraham lincoln set up the first land-grant colleges and launched the transcontinental railroad. the vision of theodore roosevelt used the power of government to break up monopolies. the vision of dwight eisenhower

who helped build the interstate highway system. and, yes, the vision of ronald reagan who, despite his aversion to government, was willing to help save social security porky generations by working with democrats. [applause] these were serious leaders for serious times. they were great politicians, but they did not spend all their time playing games or scoring points. they did not always prey on people's fear and anxiety. they made mistakes, but they did what they thought was in the best interest of their country and its people. that is what the american people expect of us today. democrats, independents, and

republicans -- that is what they deserve. that is the leadership we of them. i know that people are worried about the future. i know there is still a lot of hurt out there. when times are tough, i know it can be tempting to give into cynicism, the fear, and dow, oubt.ism, fear, dea that is not who we are, ohio. those are not the values that built this country. we are here today because in the worst of times, the people who came before us brought out the best in america. our parents, grandparents, and great bear -- and great- grandparent's were willing to work and sacrifice for us.

they were willing to take great risks, placed great hardships, and give us a better life. they knew that this country was better than the sum of its parts. about theis not ambitions of any one individual, but the aspirations of an entire people -- of an entire nation. that is a wheeler. that is our legacy. i am convinced that if we summon those values today that we are willing to choose hope over fear and choose the future over the past and come together once more around the great project and national renewal that we will restore our economy, rebuilt our middle class, and reclaim the american dream for the next generation. thank you. god bless you and may god bless the united states of america. [applause] thank you.

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>> president obama is scheduled to talk again about the economy on friday at 11:00 eastern time on c-span. up next on c-span, at a? -- alabama congressman, jo bonner, holds a town meeting in his district. a campaign event in

philadelphia. former new york gov. george pataki introduces a campaign ad focusing on health care. on tomorrow morning's "washington journal," a discussion about the obama and administration's foreign-policy. andrew zajac on regulations. "washington journal" begins live at 7:00 eastern on c-span. >> he is considered the father of modern community organizing. his book is still used as a blueprint for bringing about social change. >> it defies all the experience of what a rabble rouser is supposed to be. >> he talks about his book on sunday night's "q &a."

>> jo bonner spoke to his constituents in orange beach, alabama. congressman bonner is seeking his fifth term in the house. this is just over one hour. >> i have a blurred the value of allies -- i have learned the value of allies. i want you to know something, congressman bonior is my friend. >> congressman bonner is my friend. he has been there for us in

every fight, every battle we have had in the last four months. he took care of business. it means a lot to me and i hope it means a lot to you. he has done this for us. without further ado, i would like to welcome and introduce congressman jo bonner. thank you for being here, sir. >> thank you. [applause] thank you, mayor. thank you to the people of orange beach. thank you for coming out. i want to return the favor. things changed in a very real way on april 20. we have lived through hurricane season. we have recovered from hurricane season. but as the news broke that there had been a tragedy out in the gulf of mexico that none of us could have imagined, this

community, this island under the leadership of your local leadership and state leadership has been with one voice in solidarity to make sure that this tragedy did not go unnoticed by the people in the united states or people at the highest level of corporate america. we are so blessed to have your mayor leading this community. thank you. [applause] it is good to be back. this time last year when we were here, there were no seats in the room. the topic was health care. it was a topic that continued. we went back in discussion and it continued to christmas and new year's. as you know, the president got his way and the congress

eventually passed the bill. it has been signed into law. a lot has happened on the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina. as we celebrate, i think we should celebrate the fact that they have capped the well. it is not permanent yet. we have every reason to believe its will. we cannot celebrate without being mindful thatthe past 120 days have taken a toll on our area unlike anything we have seen or experienced. today, in addition to having a town meeting, this is the last town meeting we have scheduled for this week. i think we are at no. 12 or 13. i am not sure. it is appropriate we are finishing up here in orange beach, and this is appropriate that we welcome c-span who will be televising and replaying this town hall meeting.

if you did not have the chance to put on your powder, do not worry about it. [laughter] i did not either. when you have a question or a comment, we will ask you to raise your hand and they will bring a microphone so you will have a chance to have your question heard by citizens throughout the country. when we do townhall meetings like this, i always start out with a couple of words of thanks. i say this from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the privilege of working for you. you are my boss. you and the people who live in the first congressional district. thank you for coming out today to ask a question or offer a comment. many came out because you need our help.

that is good, too. i have people in my office. they are in the back. rachel kaiser is in a coral colored dress. she works in our baldwin county office. if you want the help of this office and you do not want it on c-span, you will have a chance to get them the information so we can go to work on your behalf. you might have a question that not only do you not want c-span to televise, but you do not want your husband or wife to know you asked.

i was a civil rights lawyer for several years battling for people who had been turned around from housing because of race or disability. i was a major. it is a tough job.

i had to be a governor, too. powell is almost always counted until the very end. i have faced tough odds before. i am used to be situation. i do not know all of you. i do know this. you do not mind tough. tough is what democrats do. [applause] we campaign tell us, and govern tough. we have always been the underdog party. we are always going to be the underdog party. we are the party that is the theme for regular people.

nation is countingo we will not make progress without fighting for it. are you ready to fight for it? as we start this home stretch toward the midterms, thank you for being willing. thank you for staying with this as they continue this battle for progress. we will keep america moving forward. thank you very much. i look forward to working with you. they should be healthier persuading voters. in pennsylvania, there is

supposed to be a predicted organization. "washington journal [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] how're you going to do that? we have tough primaries on our side. they have to cancel the unity rally. it was a challenging party. >> most are ahead. why? >> we are going to have close

races for the republican division is helping us. six months ago and lived difficult. we felt very good but the race now. it would have seemed a vocal that the to the craft would have finally got the republican amendment in place. it to be a huge hit for us. there are other races. in colorado, it seemed difficult for us. we are not taking anything for granted we have been patient. we think we do our best went door-to-door. >> what do you see about pennsylvania? what kind of money, resources,

what does that mean? >> there are three kind of resources that we make. the first thing we do is invest in state parties. at the end of july and august, we make investments in the state parties. it is paid for the dnc. they have been here since 2009. they are working on the coordinated campaign for the midterm elections. we raise sizeable amounts of dollars that we put into the dcccc they are making huge investments. we might be the biggest funding source. in those three ways, we are heavily invested.

there is a story that it had been happened. you talked about having conversations occurred how the people will be working? >> we will have a coordinated campaign it will there are also playing a significant role in funding the democratic senate campaign committee.

it makes him the kind of guy who will be a code member of congress. he will be independent. he will continue to be a real pennsylvania boys. he is a productive and cooperative person on issues that are important to the nation. >> democratic candidates, they run as saying i stood up against president obama. do you support that guy? >> i think it is important for people to run their own campaigns for the allied effort and to be an expert a.

anyone who is been in congress can sell turning the american auto industry around. if they can sell low-income kids a health insurance to anyone in congress right now is a democrat has the complete ability to stand and say "i am proud of the hard work we have been doing." i think of democrat to be proud of who they are. >> do you think they do that to tide people to obama deat? >> i do not have to get a kick to find reliable voters.

they know how to find the infant. those first-time voters voted for the first time in 2008. they voted heavily out of allegiance to president obama. they wanted to make history. they care deeply about his success. as we are doing our little corner, for president obama to succeed mcpherson me but on the agenda, if you have to make sure the partners are strong protest.

>> why do think there is so many loopholes in different places that showed the republicans up? what is it if the record is so good? >> midterms are always tough. here is the history of a midterm election. since teddy roosevelt was president, and present liz's 28 house seats and 24 senate seats. >> there aren't things how do

this the person who is about the substance. i know him extremely well. this is a president who has been a tough issue, can make it down the road? can we punted down, that has been the history. that is not how he thinks. even things that are not easy or immediately popular. that is the way to turn this economy from a near depression to growing a camp. he has focused a lot more on the substance of doing the things. gdp is shrinking. now is a time when the american public pays attention. >> do you think americans are so

fresh trade with washington are with the state capitol steps. >> our attention spans are becoming shorter. in terms of being able to be persuaded, the gallup poll last weekend republican congressional engineer ballot up 10. this week, it was tied. in one week. these are huge sample size polls.

you might see people might not make their minds at the end. i've seen that in other cycles. >> thank you. the 4 minear governor heads the group that has created a campaign ad targeting congressional candidates who voted for the health care bill. they introduced the ad during this 20 minute press conference.

it is one the first in a pennant advertisers to support scott brown. a passage of obama care was created to continue the fight against government overreach and to support the repeal and replacement of obama andcare. i like to introduce the chairmean. [applause] thank you for being ^ th here. crack>> scott brown one.

-- won.l i think the american people understood that when teddy kennedy's and the seed went to a republican, it means there was opposition to a government takeover of health care in the united states. there probably would be derailed. you saw what happened. the pelosi house and the harry reid senate rennet there any way against the wishes of the american people. president obama signed it into law. they still want to pass a you can learn about it. to this day, a clear majority of american people understand that means an overreaching by government. it is something that will increase deficits. it to make healthcare accessibility more difficult.

it does not achieve what it was marketed as stealing from the -- marketed as achieving what it was supposed to. revers america has two meanings. we love this country. we revered this country. it to reflect back to under 35 years ago. he went on his ride when american freedom was in danger. mayor and freedom is in danger today. it is endangered by politicians and washington ramming through policies that overreach that government power and then dictate to many aspects of the american people's lives of th.

it can empower the american people with better health care choices than they have today. we started out looking at the grassroots to go around the country and get a million signatures of americans committed to working with us. as a today, we are approaching a half-million. where in the neighborhood of 20,000 signatures and day. we are confident we will have more than 1 million americans who have signed up. we intend not just to work to educate the american people as to the back part of obama care -- obamacare, but to impact the makeup of congress come this november. revere america is not a partisan organization.

we are a policy organization. we are looking for policies in limited government. we are a 501c4. we will continue to be involved in advocacy. we also have the legal right to be engaged during the course of the upcoming political races. we plan to look to those millions of people who have signed on to replace obamacare and to encourage them to get involved in their district to help hold people accountable for their votes. we are going to be sending out this part come asking every single person running for congress if they will have worked with this to repeal and replace obamacare.

we plan to support those the will and oppose those that do not. we will begin the process of direct advocacy. we will be involved in one dozen house races. we expect to begin sometime next week. we do have an edge that we will be running in many of these races. if leakage is show what they will do of a crest . will do next. >> your congressman voted for obamacare. it is a bad plan. government bureaucrats will benefit. seniors will get hurt. costs will go up. care will go down. longer wait in doctors' offices and your right to pick your own physician taken away.

it is a plan we did not want. he voted for it anyway. defeat your congressman. revers american is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> we will target it to the specific district. we need is a power and appropriate message -- we think it is a powerful and a program message freudentha you have probably seen that those who want to try to educate the american people are going to be spending millions of dollars claiming that obama care is a good thing. senator-leading one of those. we do not want to sit back and allow the plane fell to only have one side. it is a bad ball. the american people know it is a bad law. unless there is anything else, we would be happy to open it up

to questions. let me think some of these grass-roots groups you are here today. we appreciate your coming this morning for th it depends on who comes out for vote. grass-roots energy is what we need to wimbledon -- need to win. >> any specific members you will retargeting? >> we have been looking at the races. we have a least a dozen we believe we will be involved in. at this time, we will not be releasing those particular districts. >> called after the election. >> i think that is important. we want to see the policy majority. you have three possibilities. you can have policy majorities

with 2/3 in both houses. i am a realist. i think this is very unlikely it the policy majorities in congress, you have a president who takes a look and understand that the american people have rejected this law and is willing to work with congress to replace it with the reforms that will work. the third is if you have a majority in one house. it will be able to block certain implementation requirements. the law has phased in over a number of years. a policy majority has the ability to prevent that from happening. it will require people to sit down and renegotiate in come up with true reform.

three-year america will be involved in a loss it been brought by the governor of missouri. it is based on some of the deals. you can live as an overwhelming number of cases, the ability to have medicare advantage unless you live in the state of florida. florida seniors are exempt. we think that is an unconstitutional denial of protection. we are hopeful the field will be able see replace obama care for the. >> thomas to you plan to spin? >> 7 figures. how much did this will be

evolving. >> please talk about the ball. >> one is lowering costs. the most obvious way in which a clear majority would lower costs is the bread of losses. it to the sears reconsider. that is wrong. another is allow people to purchase across state lines for does not make sense they have to purchase a with in your state and the -- to provide cooperation.

on the accessibility side, you could allow the creation a small private groups and individuals to pull together. you could put together a basic policies that provide adequate coverage. there will not allow an insurance campaign to drive someone after they have been there is simply because they are getting older. these are good reforms that are in obamacare that would be continued. in there are a number of very positive changes that could have

been made to improve the cost and the accessibility of health care that were not included in obamacare. by the way, right now our economy is not generating the jobs that we need. obamacare represents one of the largest tax increase is the country has seen, particularly on businesses. we need then to have the confidence to grow and expand. right now, if you are a business person, if the offer health coverage that is to agree, you will be fined under the cadillac plan. if you have health insurance does not meet the aircraft, he hit a one of the adequate enough. they are looking to create jobs.

we need more jobs. there will be higher costs. it is one the reasons we are not able to generate the private sector job growth will need. it will increase costs. can you talk about how it will impact it? >> we were told a number of things prevent. after the bill passed, it says that more than 10 million americans will lose the option. more than 14 million is the number of americans in a private health care coverage that will be required to change the coverage. it is simply not the case. they said it would not impact accessibility.

they did an analysis the said that medicare recipients of going to have a more a difficult time accessing healthcare coverage. that report said that as many as one in eight health care centers will be operating in the red because of the cut from the it threatened the ability people to access quality health care. they said it would drive down costs again. they said it would drive up costs. you can let it the obama administration's own analysis. it is going to drive a health care costs, and denying accessibility, particularly for senior citizens. it is imposing a burden on

businesses that need to have certainty and a healthy economic climate. >> they scored every pill at four and a $50 billion for their -- scored in a pill at $450 billion? how does the war? >> yes tenures of revenue. taxes are kicking in right away. some of them do not taken for a number of years if you look at the analysis that was done by hhs, it shows that the deficit would be greater paran>> d.c. te

vendor for these cases to go to the supreme court? >> i think there are legitimate constitutional issues. when the federal government is opposing new burdens, and does not provide any funding. i think there are serious constitutional issues. you are telling someone that does not want to be a part of it. if you are going to go get health coverage. i think it is unconstitutional. i think there is a real issue of unconstitutional imposition of requirements on states. when i said earlier, that in

florida they get to keep their medicare advantage, there is a real issue in of whether it violates the due process. it is appropriate that the legal charges are moving forward. i am hoping they will be successful. you cannot lie on the judicial system. we have a democratic government. it should reflect the will of the people. thank you very much. >> their traveling the country

this summer and fall. in the dead to this november's midterm election. >> how're you doing? it is nice to see you. how're you doing? where do you live? >> it is nice to me. thank you. how are you?

the democrats is brian levin, an up-and-coming prosecutor. he was an army ranger. he served in iraq. he is very ambitious. who's going to run for congress in 2006. he decided to come back to his hometown where he and not lived for many years and run for congress. he did such a phenomenal job fund-raising that rahm emanuel told him to go away. we got somebody with a lot of money. he was an admiral. here is like a macho new democrat. he is perfect for this district. here is like a dutiful by the wanted to have a future. he ran for the state house.

he is in there for a couple of terms. chelas the u.s. prosecutor under bush. he racked up. he is a local boy a. he was the party candidates. he ran the campaign's of both. it is a neat trick. he is very well connected to the it is interesting because it

is a taste test for the messaging that republicans are trying to put across in these tested district expect. they are worried about where they are going to find a next opportunity. >> our economic policies for the past 10 years of them focus on wealth creation. the stock market went through the roof. and let people make a lot of money. it was not enough focus on jobs year. it is unique it has been a stronghold since.

it is right of outside the city of philadelphia. includes border towns in the main line. it is shrinking quite a bit. it s been there for quite a long time for them. it creates the open seat. he is the first democrat in 26 years to have won an election there. the democrats that preceded him was from the watergate era.

it to watergate to get another democrat. >> it does encapsulate all the dynamics that we are seeing in these competitive districts. these are to the candidates. when you run for congress, these races are won and lost on television. this could come down to who has the money to put it into people's homes. cracks tonight, he is been2 -- c-span2 talks about her memoir of coming to the united states in the life she left behind bahia.

>> at long last, the night the state of america in torrance every other industrial nation in the world that says healthcare is a right in not a privilege. >> they have been holding town hall meetings in their states and districts. we have been covering them. watch them online at the c-span video library. it is all searchable entry on your computer any time. >> we and looking at issues facing congress as they return from their august recess. they will open a the phone lines to get your thoughts. will it affect your vote? this number to call.

202-585-3885 is the number to callf you're a democrat. republicans 202-585-3886, independents and others 202-585-3887. muteour television or radio when you call in. if you called any c-span program in the last 30 days, give others a chance to call in this afternoon. joining us to help understand some of the issues involved not just with waters and charlie wrangle is devn barrett with the "wall street journal" who has written about the issue as of late. thanks for joining us. two different approaches there. we've showed our viewers today, on the ethics charges facing charlie rangel and maxine waters. charlie rangel with a fairly paionate speech in the well of the house and maxine waters with a power point display a logical step by step approach to the charges she's faced with. >> yeah, it's very interesting how different the tactics are, but also there's one similarity

between those two, and that's that they're both decided to fight publicly right before an election cycle. that's pretty unusual. >> why did charlie rangel decide to go all the way to a trial? >> his argument is that whatever mistakes he made, they were honest mistakes and he wasn't trying to mislead anyone or create or have some ulterior motive on his part. that has been a sticking point in the negotiations with the house ethics committee. both sides don't like to talk publicly about those negotiations but they haven't succeeded. >> what about waters? will she face a house trial as well? >> she is scheduled to face simila proceedings as soon as the ranl wraps up. it's not clear how long the trial or hearings will take. >> over the weekend, you wrote about the hearing facing charlie rang rangel. the headline rangel hearings to test his party too in "the wall street journal" this week. you quote aid republican source

as saying in this is not a cou of law. this is more like a condominium association you. sit on the board, you still want your neighbor to check the mail while you're away." what did you take from his comments? >> his point is that while there's sort of of the trappings of a trial in this ethics trial that he faces, it's not really a trial. you don't really have a formal jue and a formal prosecutor in the sense that you do you in an actual court of law. and you're being judged by lawmakers who you will presumably go on the house floor and vote with and negotiate deals with as soon as you walk out of the ethics committee room. that's not a trial by most lawyers views. >> and the headline to your story the hearings to test his party too, the house leaders obviously have no choice or say on when these issues come up, do they? >> well, the calendar has been a big bone of contention here. and generally speaking, the ethics committee isn't supposed

to make a big move just before an election. that hasn't worked in this case. there's going to be, if the schedule holds, a pretty big trial just before the election. that will proposes some real challenges for both the people going on trial, in this case mr. rangel and then mrs. waters and the people doing the trying because they haven't done this in a very long time. >> calls waiting for you on the issue of house ethics. let's hear from phoenix first. this is jen on our republican line. go ahead. jen in phoex, go ahead. >> yes, thank you. i don't have anybody right now in oz on ethics but it does make you stop and think and it's amazing listening to congressman rangel and congressman walters both think they're above the law. they made mistakes but that's okay, vote me in again. i watched waters before. she was always, it's just like

that, what is it, a school in california she wants named after her, get mother money. they all want something named after them. give these kids an education. this is sad to watch her. she protests too much i think. but there just likes congressman rangel, he's the head of the tax things like timothy geithner and they can't figure this out. >> you rangel lost his chairmanship earlier in the spring over that. address her point about being above the law. do you get that sense from what they were saying? >> one of the things that's sort of interesting about both cases is that both of them have completely justified in their own minds their actions. and maxine waters believes she has a very powerful paper case to make to prove she didn't do anything wrong. rangel's argument is quite different. his argument is yes, there's all these documents i didn't do correctly or should have filed. but i really didn't mean anything by missing them.

that may be a tougher. >> in fremont, california, bobby on our independents line. >> hello. >> make sure it you mute your set. i'm going to put you on hold and go on to david new pennsylvania. also an independent. hi there. >> how you doing? >> fine. >> i think that my answer to that question is, is that my vote is always affected by the ethics because i find the democrats and the republicans to be professional politicians and without some kind of term limits and legislation, that makes them subject to the laws that they pass for other people i'll always have a problem with the ethics of democrats and republicans. >> devlin barrett, any thoughts on bobby's comments there? david's comments? >> i think that's a very common perception among the public that no one party has a monopoly on good or bad behavior. there is something endemic to the actual function of politics

in washington that creates this kind of bad behavior, at least in these two cases bad alleged behavior. part of what the democrats came to power on in 2006 is a promise to stop that. >> i want to see if you can explain is two-tier sort of system in the u.s. haas. you've got the office of congressional ethics, then the ethics committee officially called the committee on standards on conduct. how do two the bodies work together? >> the office of congressional ethics is the new creation. that is one of the ings that's being tested here, although the public test will definitely be for the committee, not the office. i know that's a little complicated. the oce makes the preliminary investigation and then makes a referral to the committee. now, in the case of maxine waters, the oce made that referral to the committee and the committee then acted on it.

in the case of charlie rangel, his issues were essentially he brought them to the committee after newspaper reports. >> charlie rangel actual asked the committee to investigate him, riht? >> that's right but did he so after reporters started writing stories about problems with his paperwork, problems with his apartments, problem with his taxes. >> there's a story today in the hill newspaper whether or not the republicans would keep that office of congressional ethics, that new body we were talking about was created saying that pressed for comment, gop leadership described -- declined to directly answer the question presumably seeking to avoid politically damaging headlines about how republicans want to strip the power from that office of congressional ethics. what's your take on whether that office would stick around if the republicans gain the house? >> i think that office is still in -- i think everyone sort of looks at that office and thinks i don't know if this guess to

work. but at the same time, you've got lawmakers, no one wants to be the person credited with shutting down ethics investigations in the house. that would be a pretty bad thing to try to live down. so i think they're basically both parties would rather just wait and see how it plays out and see if the answer sort of presents itself without the either side having to take a political hit for it. >> we're talking about charlie rangel and maxine waters but the office of congressional ethics has indicate that had they have asked the ethics committee to look into representative tom price, republican of georgia, john camp bell, republican of california, and joe crowley of new york in relation to some fund-raising events around the time of the financial regulations bill. what are they concerned about? >> that's a pretty interesting issue because what they're concerned about is the timing of fund-raisers right before or after key vote schools of thought on that. there's an old school sort of

capitol hill view that says you know, lawmakers make a point of not -- used to make a point of not scheduling fund-raisers right around the time of big votes because they don't want to the create the appearance that their vote is for sale. on the other hand, you've got a younger or newer generation of political aides and politicians who say we're fund-raising all the time. so if you, if i have to start canceling fund-raisers just because the leadership moves a vote, that's a big problem. if i schedule a fund-raisers three months in advance not knowing when the vote is going to be, why does that make unethical. >> joe crowley daily news saying he's clean in that ethics probe. it the office of congressional ethics submitting crowley's case to the committee with a recommendation its members order investigation. joe crowley the quantity county democr denied any wrongdoing and said he's always comply with

the letter and spirit of all the rules regarding funds raising and standards of conduct. back to the cellphones bobbi, an independen go ahead. >> yes. the ethics will not affect my vote at all. i think that most of the congressmen and senators are unethical. i'm following their vote. i want you to know that most people are going independent now. we're not sticking with any party. republicans stink. democrats are not strong enough. that won't affect me. i'm going with progressive voters. i need a person voting progressively in the congress. >> let's go to joe in michigan on our democrats line. hi there. >> hi. you're talking to me? >> we sure are. >> okay. i just heard the michigan part. i don't think it would affect my voting like the previous caller. i'm a democrat but also independent. i voten the individual. and i have to commend the obama

administration and the democrats for bringing this out in the light. i don't think the ethics commission is going to be stopped soon. i think there's going to be a lot more probing and investigations into alot of underhand dealings that everybody's aware of but nobody wants to bring forth thank you. >> devlin barrett, any thoughts on that? >> well, you know, i think in a lot of ways, voters' minds may be set on some of these issues. like i said, there's a lot of skeptism towards congresses in general. one of the things that the democrats haveledged to do is create the most ethical congress. that's going to be put to the test i tnk with these sflils these trials, this legal representation costs money. weekend that charlieangel had spent so far $110,000 on legal fees over two months and word today that maxi waters is forming a legal defense fund.

where does this money come from? >> it's from campaign donations essentiall candidates and lawmakers can use their campaign funds to pay for legal fees. and charlie rangel's legal bill is about $2 million at this point. he has publicly i think you played it a little earlier in that floor speech, he complained publicly how much his lawyers cost and doesn't understand why he neds so many. at the same time, he's hired them and he's paying them because he wants to fight. that is an expensive process. that is a process that ultimately gets its money from the fund-raising process that in some cases like you mentioned before is already under investigation. >> next up is calvert in west palm beach in florida. democratic caller. go ahead. >> hello. my name's herbert in west palm beach. >> go ahead, herbert. >> i was just calling because i watched the explanations given by congressman rangel and congressman waters. and it appears to me that they

made their case. if there was no benefit, then it seems to me they shouldn't be having to deal with these charges from what it looks like appears to be for political reasons. they are trying to drag, you know, oneide is trying to drag it out to get a political benefit but it doesn't appear that they actually did anything wrong. >> yeah, and i think that's an interesting point, and that's definitely what the lawmakers are trying to convey is that this is a raw deal that they're getting. i think when you look at rangels and waters, their cases are quite different in that rangels issues range more than a decade whereas watereds is under scrutiny for a very specific period of time and a very specific action. ultimately i think those two factors are going to lead to two very different cases and two very different defenses.

>> i found myself surprised in your article you point out, this is the first time that there will be house ethics trial since 1987. i believe it was representative austin murphy that you talked about in the article. what happened with jim traficant? there was not a trial? >> no, that's an interesting dynamic and what will be tested here. in jim traficant's case he was accused of all sorts of criminal wrongdoing and the fbi investigated him and he was convicted and sent to jail. del have a kind of ethics trial but all that essentially was done is the transcript and record of his criminal case was entered into the house coittee. that's not really what's going to happen here. in this instance, the committee does not have the fbi orhe justice department to give them a road map to the rangel case or the waters case. they're going to have to do the investigating and the lawyering on their own. they haven't done that as the story said, since 1987. >> so when people see jim

traficant went to jail, he didn't go to jail on the ethics charges but the charges by the just department? >> correct. >> this process does not send people to jail. this house ethics process at worst can lead up to a vote to expel someone from congress but the only way you send someone to jail in political terms is when the fbi and justice department get involved. and that's what happened in the traficant case. >> devlin barrett is our guest, "wall street journal" talking about house ethics issues. your comments too on facebook at c-span org. janice johnson writing dnc, mocratic national corruption, phillip byron writing democrats all the way. the age of conservatives has come and gone. betty indallas, texas, good afternoon on our democrats line. >> hi. i may be calling you as a democrat but right nowt seems like from the discussions that i

heard, i'm going to be pretty much changing the way i knew things as a mocrat. i'm looking at this i guess definition of what the ethics committee is, the body of people that will present whether or not someone has committed some wrongdoing in their political career. as you mentioned, it's been since 1987. >> correct. >> okay. i was a school teacher for 38 years. i'm looking at the fact that in the political arena of this country, it seems like people -- everything is brought out as wrongdoing and people following this or that process. this country needs to look at some of the other entities, some of the major entities in this country where people are just really raping this country finances, raping this country of its characterization of our

freedom being at bay. and i'm often wondering what, are we conveying to the young people this next generation? are we setting them up to say, well, i want to be a part of politics because if i forget to sign a document or if i can get to do this process, then five years down the road, somebody's going to say you know what? you didn't follow this procedure, you didn't do that procedure. why is this so, to me, it's so bogus. it seems like there needs to b a whole change of the mind-set of the way politics is ran in this country. it's like we take tings back to george washington's era when someone makes a mistake. >> you made your point. we'll hear what devlin barrett has to say. >> that's a lot of charlie rangel's argument is. his argument is i didn't do a very good job with my paperwork. i admit that and take whatever punishment i deserve for that.

he's point is i'm not going to admit to willfully lig on paperwork because i never did that according to him. i think it's an interesting argument. the problem he has on a political level and also a legal level for that matter is that he was a very important person in the tax writing committee. it's a much harder argument for him to make that he didn't understand what his tax and paperwork obligations are. that's what he lives and breathes and has done so for years and years. so it's more difficult for him to make that claim than another lawmaker. >> ron in new york is next up. go ahead, indendent. >> first, thank to you c-span for bringing real news to the american people. it's about the only place you can get real news anymore. and ethics have always and always will affect my vote. but i think the real ethical division in this country is between those hose think that

we're all in it together, which i think is represented by the democrats, and the republicans who pretty clearly state that it's every man for himself. and those are the kinds of ethics that will affect my vote. ethics that take nook account future generations, again, democrats do that. the republicans don't. real issues, and i think that will maxine waters and charlie rangel are red herrings to republicans have always been good at throwing up nonissues when serious things are happening. remember clinton was bombing osama bin laden and republicans claimed he was trying to divert attentioning from prosecute monica lewinsky. >> ron, devlinbarre, a red herring he called it. >> right, and this is one of the things you see is that because we're operating and we're

covering and talking about a political environment, everything's going to be seen through the political lens. it's impossible to take the politics out of the political discussion and in some ways to take the politics out ofhe ethics trial. but that's what they're attempting to do, and one of the things that will be tested is what is everyone's definition of unethical behavior? people do have different definitions for that. >> rick, republican in california. wh's your town there? >> beck caville. >> go ahead. >> yes, i didn't catch you from the beginning, but you stirred me up a little bit. >> glad you weighed in. what are your thoughts? go ahead. >> thank you. >> i'm hear listening to somebody talking about the stock market and stuff. when i look at it because i was in it and got out of it before the bond rating came in and countrywide because i saw what was happening. i started looking further around

me and i see a group of bankers that wto