guest: this is a combination of both land lines and cell phones. basically 400 calls in each of these 12 districts. the incumbents of poll results that holon thehill.com. people can look at the polls a the margin of error. their various questions. host: in the poll was up on their website. thehill.com. delaware, democratic line. caller: good morning. thanks for c-span. ghostly registered democrat that will be voting for christie no donnell -- christine o'donnell. this is the first time that i have seen a poor person or middle-class person could actually run for the senate without having millions of dollars in elite. also, i am an unemployed teacher.

i was unemployed for two years. i got unemployment for six months of that, ani have been under employed cents. i am not custodian makg $8.50 an hour. a and obama misread his mandate. he did not have a mandate to go completely left. he had a mandate to get us all jobs. guest: that this an interesting take as far as the wealth of members. we adjusted our top 50 of the wealthiest members, and there are a lot of what the members of congress. but generally speaking, the pattern as people make their money and then run for congress. but you do not see a lot of pork peop in congress. christine is the underdog in delaware. there's no doubt about it. congressional republicans won in mike castle to win the primary. he did not. christine was helped by the endorsement of sarah palin. the democrat is the favorite. certainly the white house is

relieved that christine won because it increases the chances that they will retain their seats. host: there is another battleground district, the third house district race. >> it is kathy running against mike kelly. she is down 14 points. this is the republican-leaning district. she is one of the democrats who knew what she got elected, she had to work and getting reelected. but she is down double digits. she is one of the ones that is clearly in trouble. and republicans have to win a seat like this and they're going to win control of the house. if you did the polling numbers, the health care refo is not popular in her district. it is not popular in a lot of districts. democrats favor a repeal of the

health care law. obviously, independents are very much in favor of the repeal, and republicans are in favor of repeal. if you did some, even in new mexico, 49% of democrats support the repeal of health care. that is almost half of the democrats in the district. that is an astounding indication of which party has won the message war on health care reform. kathy voted yes. teague voted in no, and he is closer in his race. host: have the democratic campaign committees given up on this seat? guest: they will not said publicly that they have given up on anything. nancy pelosi, even though she is many democrats in her caucus, they do not agree with her. some are saying i may not vote for her for speaker next year she is fighting for all of them. but at some point, and those

decisionare probably going to be made in mid-october. who are we going to elect? you're going to try to sit? even though the democratic campaign committee has a cash advantage over the republicans, there's only so much money to go around. in way for elections, money does not matter as much as it does in a non-wave elections. host: david on the republican line. caller: i have been following this election since scott brown's victory. i understand barney frank is in trouble for a lot of people, that would be their wildest dreams. in fact, millions of americans. any comments? guest: he is running against a former democrat marine new conservative pundits are talking up this republican candidate. this is a very demratic

district. president obama won i think 63% in barney frank's district. they're saying the right wing media and pundits are after him. that is likely to stay in the democratic column. if barney frank loses, house republicans will probably win about 80 or 90 seats, and i do not think that will happen. host: he has focused on raising a lot of money, and that is hurting fellow colleagues who are used to getting monetary support from barney frank. guest: that is a great point. you did various german like the chairman of the arms services committee -- you look at various chairmen. a committee chairmen from we virginia. basically, all these resources, and if you look at who raises the most money in the house and the senate, it is leadership officials and committee chairmen. you have committee chairman spending all their money on their own races, are most of it,

and it hurts some of the ball marble ones. host: we talked about the chances of republicans taking back the house or democrats holding on. if people are going after these committee chairman, what is the likelihood they're going to get knocked off by republicans? guest: i think a couple of them could be. ike skelton could be. john spratt has been targeted before, but he may survive. he is from a safe democratic district. but those two are the big trophies that house republicans want. but come mid-october, republicans will look at their internal polling and decide, well, maybe we should not go after them. let's not spend all the resources to get the chairman. host: virginia, independent line. caller: i wanted to comment tha the president campaigned on a program that he would unite the

country and we would move forward for the average person. he hid the fact that apparently he is totally against wealthy people and the capitalist system. he's got to the last two years ofestroying our capitalistic stem. that is why we're stagnate right now. if you look at what is going on with the people that are going toote next month, i think you're totally underestimated what is going to happen. i think it is going to be an overwhelming landslide for the conservative approach. that is why our president has stopped becoming a president, and he went on almost 100% on the campaign trail. he sees it coming. guest: a lot of pdictions right now are that republicans are going to win the house. no doubt about it. one of the things, looking back to 2006nd the elections, there's a lot of anger out there. you had katrina, trouble with

the iraq war, and ethical issues hurting republicans. that year, democrats won 30 seats. this year, obviously a lot of anger. you can make the argument that there's more frustration. the and implement rate is higher than it was. that year, democrats won 30 seats. republicans need to win a net of 39 seats. the e a handful of seats that republicans will struggle to attain. they may lose a double seats. therefore, they may have to win 43 or 44 to win a net of 39. the one thing i think is a real possibility is that on november 3, we may not know who is going to be leading the house next year because a lot o races come down to 1000 votes, recounting the legal challenges. so on november 3, we may not know. on the other hand, we could know very early on november 2 that republicans have it and we will have a speaker boehner next year. our polling is showing that basically this thing is not over yet. host: any point out in this

story this morning of your first poll here that this is a glimmer of light for republicans, but not one of the 12 republican challengers have reached 50%. so that goes to what you're talking about. these could be close races on november 3. especially in the 12 districts. guest: that is right. basically what you have candidates that are not over 50%, then they will say we can define the republican party and attack their pledge to america, we can go after them and try to tie them to john boehner, tried to tie them to george w. bush. a lot of those strategies have not work, and democrats are still struggling for message. if we look back to 2008, and the democratic message was hope and change. and now people are saying, what is the democratic message of this year? basically, they have tried a lot of different messages. the one obama keeps coming back to is we do not want to go

backward, we want to go forward. but pollg is showing that the republican message is resonating much better this year host: one of tse tight races is the fourth district of colorado. marcus is down 3%. guest: in colorado, once again, another battleground district. those who one of voted yes on health care. i think she voted no the first time. but this is one of those races reblicans have to win. you have to take up these freshmen. of these 12 freshman, basically republicans are going in need -- are going to need to take out eight to 10 of these freshmen. at a minimum, six of them. so that is a tight race and one that could be decided by a debate or could be decided at the last second. host: sacramento, republican line. caller: i was just wondering,

when our our white leaders coming back to congress? there has always been white people there. and all these je -- host: all right, the te of your comment is inappropriate. we're having a conversation about campaign 2010. you need to stay on topic. you cannot call in with that kind of agenda. we're cutting you off and moving on. romeo, michigan, democratic line. go ahead. caller: i want to make four quick points. i am veteran. i am elderly, world war ii, and there is mention out there that republicans would try to privatize the va. if they do that, you have a march on washington. number two, social security, the want to change.

i wish c-span would get an authority on there. because you get into the details on social security, and it protects itself and we're good for the outer years. people do not understand that. number 3, the report came out yesterday about jobs being sent overseas tohina. they're sending money into our campaigns, and that money is being sent out. and because of the extreme court -- the supreme court ruling, that about being identified. guest: well, a lot to tackle. as far as the privatization part, that is a buzz word you hear democrats talking a lot about, whether it is social security or medicare. most social security. the republican congssman from wisconsin has a new budget blueprint. it is in somewhat controversial. republican leaders have not

fully embraced it. democrats say privatisation. republicans said that is not true. the fiscal commission will have to deal with that. they're coming up with a major report, the bipartisan commsion set up by president obama. their report comes out december 1. it will look at defense spding, tax cuts, and arrange of entitlement spending. and this debate over pushing up the retirement age for social security, privatization, certainly is going to be coming back. host: michigan's seventh district, dead even. i assume economy is the number- one issue. guest: the economy has been hit very hard. this is one of those races where out of the 12, the democrat that is doing the best, even in the race. this could be a reason because this is not exaly a fresh face for republicans.

a former member. it is tough to run on the outsider coming to washington to shake things up. this is still pretty good news for tim whalberg. michigan, ohio, and pennsylvania, and virginia i throw in, republicans have to do very well. the economy is hurting in a lot of this district and in other districts. we look at the senate race in nevada. unemployment very high in nevada. republicans are going after the senate majority leader, harry reid. that is a tight race, and it could go down to the wire. we might know who wins that until later in november. host: what about nevada third? guest: it is a tight race. titus is only down three gives the republican. that is not bad. but she is down. she could be up a little bit. or joe heck could be up more.

it is not double digits. nevada is one, like harry reid, and harry reid's sun is running for governor in nevada. the effect of the top of the ticket, reid, what it will do to titus is unclear. the issues in the ballpark. host: republican line, minneapolis. caller: thank you for c-span. i love your show. i want to make a point because there's a certain edge to the guests of voice. like he is trying to be very convincing. i do not believe that there is a democratic party anymore. i think it is a democratic socialist party. and he had a caller referring to christin o'donnell.

and he said the white house is happy that she won because it gives them the edge. but the caller called in to say he was going to vote for christine. but i am very concerned for my country. there was a gentleman from the armed forces committee speaking, and our defenses are being torn down. i do not look at polls. i just have this gut feeling that something is really not right. and you guys are so optimistic. even the young lady here on this show, your hostess, she almost sounds like she's a democrat. i am so perplexed. have you guys look at that? can you address that at all? guest: our publication is

definitely a indepennt, and we do notake sides. as far as christine o'donnell, she could win. no one predicted that she would beat mike months ago. the polling showed she was going to win. and there was a last week attack against her that did not work. now she's basically the republican nominee, who was behind in the polls, and the wave is very big in daware. but delaware is not like other states. it is not a deep blue state, but it is bluer than most to clearly went for president obama in 2008. we have heard congressional republicans will not be spending a ton of money there. she does not need to have a ton of money because she is such a darling for the republican

right. money will not be a problem for her. host: two races in ohio where part of this. guest: yes, the democrat is only down three points from the republican. but mary is not doing as well against kilroy. she voted yes on health care. republicans across the country, if you look at their web sites, house or senate, they're talking about health care and repealing health care. some analysts are saying they may be over promising. it will be very difficult to repeal the health care law until they have control of the white house. but kilroy is down by nine points. her colleague is down by three. kilroy is one that is one of the biggest ones in trouble. host: pensacola, florida, independent line.

caller: i have been listening to your show, and my question is, with the polling, if i went by that, i would not vote at all. i am independent and in northwest florida, which is super republican. but i still believe it is my right and obligation to vote. but when i hear a pollster coming on mons before the elections, telling me that my vote is not even going to count, i feel that we're being dishonored with our voting. when you look at how the polls are done, he set out of 18,000, they called 400 people, and those people have already told him who is going to win the election. guest: if you look at polling, some of it is accurate. and over the years, we have seen that polling has been inaccurate. most famously, hillary clinton

in the democratic primary in new hampshire after barack obama won iowa, and basically was deemed too is going to win new hampshire, hillary clinton was going to be done, and barack obama had a clear path to the democratic nomination tn the pundits, poles, the media, hillary clinton won. and that bame one of the most protracted battles for democratic nomination in history. it is important to vote, no matter what the polls say. this gives you a glimpse of where the races are. it could change dramatically. also, there operatives on both sides of the aisle, some data to look at ways to -- look at which race to invest in and which e to not two host: virginia has two races on the battleground congressional districts. guest: this is the race, the establishment in washington

heurt. hurt is up by one point in our poll. in virginia 2,all are within si. >> one more on this list of 12 districts. arizona's first district. [applause] yes, -- guest: yes,gosar is beating kirkpatrick right now. that is an area brendan t. party is quite popular. there are some areas where it is more popular than others. perhaps because of voter security, but the tea party is

very popular in that dtrict. she is down, but certainly could come back and win. host: bob husak, managing editor of "the hill" talking about new polls out. this is the cover of "the hill" newspaper this morning, talking about the 12th batter brown districts. the next issue will focus on what? guest: the second installment will be open seats. that poll and ll come out next week, and we will be coming out with thatith analysis on our website and newspaper. if a wave comes, republicans should do very well in open seats. and once again, these are not seats where a liberal member retired. the third one will be second term lawmakers.

we will be focusing mostly on democrats, but we will be focusing on a couple of reports that -- republican that are in battlegrounds, districts that they really need to retain. the last one will be longtime incumbents that republicans are targeting. that will be right on the eve of november to. that will show -- november two. that could >> on tomorrow's "washington journal," the attorneys who argued the first amendment case snired versus phelps before the supreme court. ilyse hoguo on grassroots. and ryan crocker. "washington journal" begins live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> 17% according to sheriff

cross our borders. >> we need to secure our border. we need federal immigration reform. >> now through election day we are covering more than 100 debates throughout the country. if you miss one, you can find it online. search it, watch it, share it, all free. it's washington, your way. >> most generals, their greatness is what they do on the battlefield. warrant's greatness was as much what he did between battles simply holing the continental army together. >> sunday, part two of our interview with ron chernow. on c-span's "q & a." >> c-span's local content

vehicles are visiting communities and congressional districts as we look at some of the country's most hotly contested elections. >> nice to meet you. >> hi, brian. >> nice to see you. >> how are you? >> how are you doing? >> good, yourself? >> are you from delaware county? where abouts to you live? >> prospect park. >> i hope you will vote for me in november. >> fran. nice to meet you. >> pat meehan. >> this is a lawyers' thing. >> two lawyers in town. >> candidates in the 7th district, the democrat is brian

lentz, who is up and coming. he was a prosecutor in the city of philadelphia, an army range who served in iraq. he is very ambitious. he was going to run for congress in 2006 when jeff sestak decided to come back to his home town in the district, where he hadn't lived for many years and run for congress. he did such a phenomenal job of fundraising, sestak did, that rom manuel and other party members told lentz to go away. we have somebody who is perfect for this district. and lentz did go like a dutiful guy that wanted to have a future in the party. lentz ran for the state house,

and he has been there for a couple of terms. the republican candidate in the 7th district is pat meehan. he was the u.s. attorney under bush. he racked up several convictions in philadelphia. he has great law enforcement credentials. he is a local boy with deep roots, and he was the party candidate for district attorney in delaware county. he also has a lot of experience as a political operative. he ran the state-wide campaigns of both arlen specter when specter was a republican, and the very conservative rick santorum, which is a neat trick. he has ties to all wings of the republican party, and he is very well connected.

>> one of the reasons this race is so interesting is because it is a case test for the messaging that republicans are trying to put across in these types of districts they think are up for grabs. >> people on the street will come up to me and grab me by the hand and say you have to help me get a job. they are out of work, and they are worried about where am i going to find the next opportunity to get back? >> our things in the past 10 years has been focused on wealth. the stock market went through the roof, and a lot of people made a lot of money. there is nothing wrong with that, but there wasn't enough focus on jobs, and particularly jobs here. >> the 7th congressional district is unique in that it has been a republican

stronghold since the civil war. it is like right outside the city of philadelphia, near suburbs. it includes ethnically diverse poor towns and the main lines, and the blue bloods, and the philadelphia story and all that. delaware county in particular, which is like 70% of the district, has been voting for democrats in national and state-wide races for a long time now. the current representative from the 7th congressional district, jeff sestak, who is running for senate, creating the open seat, he is the first democrat in 26 years to have won election there. the democrat that precede him was from the watergate era.

it took watergate to get another democrat in there. >> it really does encapsulate all the dynamics we are seeing in the competitive district. you add to that the fact that these are two good candidates, and that is what makes it really competitive. when you run for congress in the phily area, these races are won and lost on tv. this is an expensive place to run. it costs about $500,000 per week to be on the air, and this could really come down to who has the more compelling narrative to put on tv and who has the money to put it into people's homes on tv. >> for mour information on our coverage of the 2010 midterm elections, visit our website at extratv.com. >> the two candidates running in pennsylvania's seventh district recently appeared on a

local philadelphia tv station nbc 10. this is 20 minutes. >> now on nbc 10 at issue. >> good morning. joe sestak is running for the senate and decided not to seek re-election to the 7th conscience ol house steep he has held since 2007. with me are the democrat and republican candidates. thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> the election is seen by many as a referendum on president obama in the last 21 months. when he took office, we were

losing 750,000 a month. the deficit was about $1 trillion. the economy was declining at about a 6% annual rate. given this was the greatest depression since the great depression, why is it unreasonable that the president and the congress that supported him should not be given more than 21 months? >> thank you. as i am talking to business people who are trying to figure out how we create more jobs, the biggest issue they are talking about is the uncertainty that has been driven by the actions of this particular congress, a congress that nancy pelosi has led, one that my opponent is deeply attached to. the real issue is business people not knowing what is going to come next. i have been a prosecutor, and i can feel out there the pain that people have. i understand it, and i can feel the concern they have right now with this joblessness. what has been happening is not

working. we spent $800 billion on stimulus, and still we have 10% unemployment. >> we will get to the stimulus in a moment. glen hubbard was chair of president bush's council of economic advisors. he is now criticizing president obama and says america is very close to a destructive tipping point. taking off on what mr. meehan says and what mr. hubbard says, your thoughts? >> i am assuming he is referring to the national debt. the debt is a major problem that neither party has faced. pat says i am attached to the congress, and i am not attached to the congress. pat put an economic plan out the other day that adds over $1 trillion to the deficit. we had two economists look at it, and they both said his plan

would add $1 trillion. that is the tripping point. i want to make sure capital is available for small businesses. number one issue for small businesses. >> let me pick up on what mr. meehan brought up. according to the congressional budget office, in the second quarter of this year, the stimulus made sure that the unemployment rate was.7 to 1. points lower than it would have been. they are saying it works. >> talk to the people who are out of jobs. we are $800 billion more in debt. the jecks generation is going to have to pay that off and people are still waiting in unemployment lines. it created a circumstance, but the same policies that have been coming out of this congress -- brian is trying to distance himself from pelosi, but he is adopting the same policies. they are worried about what congress is going to do on labor issues. they are worried about what congress is going to do on cap

and trade. these are job-killing issues. >> some things worked and some things didn't, the wine train construction in napa valley? >> as with anything the government does, it was far from perfect. there was a school district that received a 22% increase in funding. ask the hospitals, which is the number one employer in the 7th congressional district. he would go to washington and vote against the bills that help the school district. if you are interested in the day, why are you advocating a plan that is going to add $1 trillion in debt? >> what would you do in headline fashion, three or four things you would do to get jobs soon? >> the first thing is to get capital to small businesses. businesses throughout delaware county are poised to do things,

to push things. let's get that capital flowing. that is why the small business credit act they just passed was important. education. the only way we compete with people overseas is not by making things cheaper, but making things better. so innovation. and employee training. we have to make sure we have the best trained, best educated. that is investing in education. giving comes incentive to train and give people a skill. equipment purchases. we say that people should take 100% write-off in the same year they make an avefment. >> let's see what he is in favor offer. >> he says they need demand create the. we talked about a payroll tax

holiday to allowing the small businesses to keep their doors open. that will allow them to take capital gains off for those who come in early and take risk now. we have to hold down the cost of government. one of the things is to repeal and replace health care so we can create a sense of certainty for business people to create investment. >> let's talk about what you would cut they have been. if we are spending too much as a nation in our federal government, if you cut all discretionary spending, you at best will eliminate the annual deficit. some say half. that is getting rid of almost all non-defense department. what would you cut? >> let's take the stimulus dollars that haven't been spent and put them back in. >> what programs would you cut? >> let's take the dollars that

have been spent now for the bailouts and put them back into reducing the deficit. >> but in education or energy, what would you cut? >> i have talked about going right across the boort and doing performance based budgeting across the board. >> are you in favor of the republicans proposal of a 20% cut? >> what they want to do is let's make sure the dollars are being spent smartly and appropriately. >> mr. lentz? >> you have to start and look at everything. the first answer is everything has to be on the table. pat says he would cut the stimulus that is already spent and the tarp. he is not willing to identify a single program that he would cut. you can't be serious about deficit reduction -- >> what would you cut? >> i would look at defense. i think secretary gates has done an heroic job of confronting the defense budget. that is the biggest item. >> i want to pick up on defense and what might be cut in a

moment. more coming up. stay tuned. >> with me or brian lentz and pat meehan. each seeks to be the next conscienceman. we spend about $300 billion a year in 2000 under present, now we are up to 650 billion. should we go back to the clinton era levels? >> you can't be serious about tackling the debt and deficit if you are not willing to take

on the defense industry. we spent $100 billion a year in afghanistan. for one year in afghanistan, we could revolutionize the rail service. >> could weigh back to that $300 billion. >> we are in afghanistan because of osama bin laden. the fact of the matter is nobody is against taking a real look at defense spending. i worked earlier when the base realignment commission came together. what they did was they made sure there were educated and principaled cuts in defense, and it worked. you have to fight for the things that made sense. we have to make sure we fight for the things that work. i'm going to fight tooth and nail for the chinook and the b-22 in our region. >> let's talk about it. the b-22 is made in the congressional district. it has been said it can't be used in hot welcomes, it can't

be used in cold welcomes, it can't be used in sand. the list of what it can't do is longer than what it can do. they said you should basically look for alternatives. i know it is here and a lot of good people work on it, but is it the west use of taxpayers' money. >> the fellas that use it the most are the ones who are on the line. it is proving itself on the battle line. the military is asking for it. >> pat brought the chair of the armed forces committee in to criticize me for suggesting we cut any defense funding. today he says he is willing to consider it. he is not willing to stand up and cut it. who is in a better position to defend them? i was an airborne range in the army. >> the army doesn't want anything to do with the b-22.

>> well, the marines are using it in afghanistan because it is good in the terrain they are facing there. i can make that argument. as a former infantry officer i can make the argument in congress as so why they should be preserved as programs. >> i am glad brian brought up the fact that the head of the armed services came up and talked about that, and he talked about his position. unlike brian, who is afraid to stand up to nancy pelosi. there are things i will take a look at. >> you both have things that you genuinely believe, that the b-22, that people have criticized is the best use? the f-16 didn't have this, the f-16 and others didn't have this? >> vertical insertion is a key ability in terrain like

afghanistan. does it have kinks that need to be worked out? absolutely. overall it is a sound concept. >> both of you say you're going to fight for that program? >> but on the other hand, as a former infantry officer, i am equipped to defend that program but point out the programs that have to be cut. pat doesn't have that experience. >> should openly gay and lesbian americans be allowed to serve in the u.s.? >> yes, >> yes. >> would you vote for the dream act to allow people to go into the military as a path for citizenship? >> yes, >> yes. >> would you reinstitute the death tax? >> to the wealthiest americans, yes. >> no. >> will you pledge not to take a pay raise the first two years in congress. >> whatever congress does.

we are working down there. >> i have given my cost of living increase to charity. i would do the same. >> the last time he ran and what he said was he wasn't going to take a car, and yet he took a car. he said he wasn't going to take per diem, so what he says he is going to do he does. >> he deserves more time to answer that. wall street reform, leave it or loan, repeal it or increase it? >> i would leave it where is. >> we have to take on fannie mae and freddie mac and finish the job. >> do you believe your opponent is an ethical man? >> yes. >> sure. >> our discussion continues in a moment.

>> we continue here with our candidates for the 7th congressional district. thanks again for being here, both of you. let's talk about the stuff you have said. mr. lentz, you have said of mr. meehan he has never led soldiers, never been a legislator? do you have to have served in the military to serve in office? >> no. he got his jobs through politics. >> by that standard, sonia sotomayor wouldn't be a supreme court justice. >> i think it tells people that he got his jobs through politics. he has been in politics for 30 years. i have been in politics for four. i have led soldiers, prosecuted

cases for six years, and i have been a legislators. >> he put a bug in the mayor's office. >> i don't think he did it. >> your response? >> i am a prosecutor. i have been on the lines. i have had an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives. i am the one who has been leading the offices. when he talks about getting appointed, i got elected twice by the people. when i was in that office 21 days, did you popt committed a crime, and the world et cetera attention came, and we got the conviction. i've proved myself by doing things and leading offices, but using the resource toss make a difference in people's lives, senior citizens, keeping neighbors safe, droketting prosecutors like brian once was, but doing things that changed, from domestic violence to predatory lending, changed people's lives forever. >> you said mr. lentz's

campaign ben fated people. he has not been accused by any official of any wrongdoing whatsoever. hasn't been a target or anything like that. he has said he was totally unaware that these people who were higher up in the democratic establishment would do that. is it fair? >> brian is the one who said that people are responsible for those who work under him. he set the standard. there were people who went to jail for using those employees who then and went and worked on those campaigns. it was a legitimate question to ask when did he know and what did he know about it. >> he says it is a legitimate question. what he ought to do is apologize for going to the capital and saying it was a crime scene and implying that i was involved in criminal activity. i invite people to go online.

go watch the videotape of pat meehan's video conference and see that he had no answers for the acquisitions. he is a politician, and they sling mud to get elected. i have been in politicses for four years. before that i was an army officers and a legislator. i want to go to washington so solve problems. >> if brian lentz is happy with what is going on in harrisburg and a defender of what is going on in harrisburg right now when he had the opportunity to genuinely stand up when it counted and take on the croppings, like i took on the corruption in the city of philadelphia and prosecutor others -- >> what about the prrks in delaware county? that is a fair question. did you ever prosecutor anybody in delaware county? >> how about the guy i

prosecuted that did the cheeding on the election bureau? i prosecuted him for the same things that brian has brought up in the campaign. >> you have brought up that mr. lentz said he wouldn't take a car. he didn't in his first term. >> that's right. >> and in the second term you have gotten a stipend for a card. you have said you were not going to take per diems, and you said you wouldn't. >> there is a still practice still ongoing in harrisburg of legislators who go there five days a week to collect them. the legislator that i beat was among those that would go there just to sign in and get a per diem. i said i would not engage in that practice. if you look, i have one of the lowest per diem collections of any member of the general assembly. people are less interested in how i get harrisburg.

he is wrong in saying that. >> he is saying that now. but when he was a candidate and running, he said something different. he said i am not going to take the per diem. look at the record of what he actually said and did. the fact of the matter is what you said is different than what you did. >> a politician slings mud. i didn't go there to get the per team. >> thank you. >> next up, social security. would you raise the retirement age? >> no, >> no. >> would you raise the payroll tax? >> i think it has to be one of the options. >> no. >> the congressional budget office says social security is

solvent through 2034. is it a red herring to panic about it and say something has to be done? >> best way 0 keep it going is to get our economy going again. >> i was endorsed by the committee to preserve and protect social security and america dark medicare. >> we are out of time. i want to give you a chance to comment. >> thank you for the chance to be here. i want to fight for the people of the congressional district. i have done that in the past and made a difference in their lives. i want them to look at who the person will be they can trust to be an independent fighter for them. i want to put people back to work, and i want to make sure the jecks generation has confidence in the future of america. >> mr. lentz? >> people should look at the choice in this campaign and ask

themselves who do they want representing them and fighting for them? i have experience looking out for people as a platoon leader in the army, as a soldier overseas, three times as a prosecutor and legislator. i know what it means to stand up for people. this is an important discussion. pat and i have been invited to a dawn hall. and i want to ask pat if he is going to show up october 18? >> we will have to leave it there. good luck. my guests have been brian lentz and pats meehan. they and james sneller are on the ballot for the lakes. thanks for joining us. enjoy your weekend and join us next weekend after "meet the press."

>> our 2010 campaign coverage continues tomorrow night with governor debates in ohio, nevadan georgia. live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. you can find more on all of this year's political campaigns by visiting our politics website, where you will find campaign debates, profiles of races. it's all at c-span.org/politics. >> this weekend, c-span-3 takes a trip to virginia in search of missing historical documents. also from the national archives, songs that unlifted soldiers' spirits during the time of lincoln, and how harry

true man's containment policy affected americans. american history tv, all weekend every weekend on c-span-3. >> most generals, their greatness is what they do on the battlefield. arguably washington's greatness was what he did between battles simply holding the continental army together. >> on sunday, part two of our interview with ron chernow. >> candidates for delaware's at-large house seat participate inside a debate tonight on the campus of the university of delaware in newark. this is an open seat after mike kansas el ran unsuccessfully for the senate. the university of delaware's center for political communication and delaware first media organized the

debate and released a national agenda pole showing john carney leading with 41 to 38% of likely voters. this is an hour and a half. >> we do appreciate the financial support of aarp delaware and of the american cancer society cancer action network. we appreciate those who have gathered here with us in

mitchell hall on the university of delaware. tonight's debate is divided interest two parts. following a two-minute opening statement, i will be possessing questions. responses in this section are limited to two minutes with a one-minute rebuttal. then we will have time for a follow up discussion. then we are going to turn to the students of the university of delaware for their questions. response ns this section will be limited to one minute. each candidate will always have two minutes for a closing statement. our live studio audience is here in mitchell hall understands there will be no applause during tonight's debate. now to introduce our candidates, we are joined by democrat john carney. >> great to be here. >> and republican glen erichart. >> great to be here.

>> we had a coin toss, and it was determined that we begin with glen. you have our first opening statement. you have two minutes. >> thank you, nancy, thanks you original i see aers, university of delaware and everyone who made the debate possible. it breaks my heart when i see so many dwarnlse -- dwarnse delawareans out of job. i am the great grandson of an indentured servant. i have been blessed to live the american dream. i began a business with nothing, and we have been blessed to create jobs for other people. but i'm concerned, as my wife, angela, who is with us tonight, my bride and best friend of 33 years, we have five children and 14 grandchildren, and we are concerned about their

future and the students at the university of delaware and elsewhere who are afraid they won't get jobs. i am a proven job creator. we can do it the way kennedy did with tax cuts, the way reagan did with tax cuts when i was privileged to serve in that administration for seven years. we added seven million net new jobs. canada has added jobs by cutting taxes. we can do that in america as well. my honorable opponent is a career politician, and he sat silently while this state piled up $800 million of new debt and destroyed jobs. i don't know how he will be able to stand up to nancy pelosi when he didn't stand up to ruth ann menor. so i ask you to send me to washington. i have stood up to my own party, and i have won.

if you want an independent voice in washington, if you want a proven job creator, i ask for your vote. >> mr. carney, your two-minute opening statement? >> good evening. i want to thank the university of delaware, the delaware first media, aarp and the american cancer society for hosting this debate and all of you for skipping the feals game and coming out. it's great to be back here at the university of delaware. it doesn't seem that long ago that i was here working on my master's degree in public administration and coaching freshman football. i was delighted, and i am sure many of you were to hear this morning that a former professor here at the university, richard hect, was awarded the nobel prize in chemistry for his research. that is a great honor for him and a real tribute for this university. i am running for congress because now, more than ever, we need strong leaders to address

the serious challenges that we face as a nation. i've spent the last year traveling up and down our state talking to delawareans about the challenges they face every day. people are struggling. thousands of our neighbors are out of work. more people than ever are out of work six months or longer. last year 6,000 delaware families faced foreclosure on their homes. in these difficult times, our representatives in washington have let us down. we need new leaders who will put progress over politics and do the right thing for the country. delawareans are frustrated with what they see going on in washington. my opponent wants to go to washington and say no to every proposal to address problems. he wants to talk us back to the failed policies of the past that got us into this mess. he wants to repeal herk reform

and roll back the answers in wall street. those are not the southwest we need. we need to get our country back on track. thank you for coming again. [applause]

the doctor margaret hamburg was unanimously confirmed last year, the second woman to serve at the job. she is a graduate of harvard medical school and one of the youngest elected. prior to having the fda, she held key positions at the nuclr threat initiative. earlier, she served as assistant secretary for policy and evaluation in the u.s. department of health and human services under president clinton. in the 1990's it as commissioner, she was celebrated for curbing the threat of

tuberculosis. she fac and new challenges from that and other issues today, including the impact of health-care reform on her agency, the need for more inspectors, and more efficient clearances for live-saving medicines, as well as faster response to food safety scares. today, she will discuss regulatory science, the signs of developing better and new tools, standards, and approaches. welcome to the national press club, dr. margaret hamburg. [applause] >> thank you very much. it is a pleasure to be here. i enjoy looking out and seeing

some friends and colleagues in the audience. it is wonderful to have my parents with me as well. have to confess that when i first agreed to come give a talk at the press club today, i had a very clear idea about what i was going to talk about, and it was going to bebout the passage of the new food safety legislation. however, that legislation is still being debated in the halls of congress. instead, i decided to talk about another subject close to my heart, medical products and regulatory science, which is an issue that more and more people are recognizing as critical to progress for patients. we lived at a time of huge opportunities to improve health,

translate breakthrough discoveries and innovation into benefits for people to allow better diagnoses, treatments, and new opportunities to prevent or cure disease. we are more poise than ever to deliver the promise of science in the service of patients but to do so will require the advancement and more effective application of regulatory science, the discipline at the very heart of our mission at the fda. if our efforts are to be succsful, we need a full engageme of the scientific community and beyond. this must be a top priority for us at the fda and for our nation. this is something that i had not focused on so much before i became the fda commissioner, but in this role, i have become profoundly impressed about the

importance of regulatory sciences. unlike to offer some thoughts this afternoon and what the fda can do to better serve the public health and realize biomedical research. i am pleased to announce today we are releasing a white paper, a framework for fda possible regulatory science -- for fda's regulatory science. let me begin by making sure that we are all on the same page about what is meant by regulatory science. some of you probably heard me talk about this before. some of you probably have worked on related issues, and some of you have no idea what that

means. i am referring to the science and tools needed to assess and evaluate a product safety, efficacy, and performance credit regulatory cents and false the development of new methods standards, and models to speed the approval and ongoing oversight of medical products science underlies the foundation of the food and drug it ministration. today, a century after teddy roosevelt signed the act that led to the creation of our agency, our goal remains to embrace our origins as a science-based agency that relies on data-driven decision making to promote and protect the health of the public. we sit at a critical juncture. science and technology are changing our world in far- reaching ways. we're seeing an explosion of a ideas and capabilities from

around the globe. do any of us believe we have adequately delivered on the opportunities of science today? those science -- although science and technology have progressed rapidly, we have not seen equivalent progress with the diseases and conditions that affect our friends and families. we have been fighting a war on cancer since it was declared in 1971. 40 years later, many cancers are still difficult to treat and some are incurable. if you are a diagnosed cancer patient today, the standard best practice treatments you receive from your doctor will likely include toxic drugs that were approved for treatment more than 20 years ago. in another realm, there is increasing ala about the

oblems of antibiotic resistance. we worry which could cause. today cannot mechanisms have been -- today, mechanism have been reported for drugs approved for clinical u. people actually talk today about a potential return to the "pr-e antibiotic era." clearly, we must encourage more jucious use of these important drs to it and proved infection control, rational prescribing, and better patient compliance. resistant bacteria will continue to develop. no matter what, we need new and

better drugs, and we need them now. yet the research and development pipeline is distressingly low. the number onewly approved antibiotics has fallen steadily since the 1980's, and the range of new antibiotics is disturbingly limited to the types or class's of antibiotics available and diseases they can treat. overall, the reality is that billions of dollars have been invested in biomedil research. in 2008, more than $80 billion by the private sector and more than $30 billion in the national institute of health. we have witnessed the result of discoveries that hold major promise advance in fields like

synthetic biology, stem cells, and nanotechnology. right now, we lack the ability to effectively translate many of these developments into vital products for those that need them. the number of new therapies is actually in that decline, whi the cost of bringing them to market has soared. to put it simply, there is a troubling gap between advances of science and available pient care. we need to build a bridge across this gap, and that bridge is regulato science in myiew. a bench scientist may develop a new approach to a disease, a clinician may be able to show it works, but regulatory sciences must develop them into those products that hold so much promised. but we cannot take advantage of the breakneck speed of biomedical research unless we

also emphasize innovation and regulatory science. just as biomedical research has evolved over the past few decades, regulatory signs must also involve in important and powerful ways. regulatory science is an essential part of our overall scientific enterprise, yet it has been under appreciated and underfunded. because of this, we have been unable to apply the best possible science to the task before us, and we are left to rely on 20th century approaches of the treatments of the 21st century. it now is the time to move forward. a robust field of regulatory signs would allow us to effectively translate many of those breakthroughs into therapies and cures. it can enable us to use our knowledge biological pathways to

help eliminate in effect of drug candidates earlier in the pipeline and help foster the use of advanced data and bio markers to find faster paths to disease targets and. without advances in regulatory science, promising therapies may be discarded during development because we lack the tools to recognize their potential, and because of outdated inefficient review methods unnecessarily delay the approval of treatments. on the other hand, but significant dollars in many years may be wasted assessing a novel therapy that, with better tools, might be shown to be unsafe at an earlier stage. i should emphasize, regulatory

signs comprises an array of disciplines and approaches. it takes place in laboratories but also involves clinical research and statistical tools, things like bioimaging, and affirmation gathering systems as well. regulatory science is important for multiple products and its stakeholders. the knowledge informs a whole body of innovation rather than a single product. it will take new investments, approaches, and partnerships for regulatory signs to evolve the way that by medical and life sciences research has in recent times. but we must pursue it. some $2.7 billion in over a cade of time was spent sequencing the human genome, which was successfully completed about 10 years ago.

yet, some 30 therapies or fewer actually have that genetic tests as part of their labeling. that is why we need regulatory science. even though we know there are promising cell-based therapies, we still don't know how to define the right number of cells to infuse what happens to them after they are placed into the body, and that is why we need regulatory science. we don't have good models for predicting toxicity in humans, which leads to a lot of time and money spent by pharmaceutical companies each year developing new therapies with a failure rate often as high as 90%. that is why we need regulatory science. we increasingly call on the safety-focused science to use data set and reported information to monitor the

post-market environment for safety signals and risk concerns, but we still need meingful strategies to quickly evaluate concerns and a short the proper balance of risks and benefits. that is why we need regulatory science. we need a regulatory sense to place the emerging, promising areas of science and technoly fully at the service of public health. how do we move forward? we make investments in projects driven by a regulatory sense that really work. i want to give you a few exampl. the fda is working to optimize the dosing of drugs and therapies so patients receive the most benefit at the lowest risk. a case in point is the updated the building for a widely prescribed anti coagulant that about 2 million new americans and consumers take each year to

prevent blood clots, architects, and strokes. the optimal dose the berries and was known to be influenced by several factors, including age, diet, and use of other medications. then, the fda evaluated the determination that the genetic makeup also influences how a patient responds to the drug. that change to the label provides health-care provirs with a genetic test that can improve the dose for individual patients. this is an example of the personalization of medicine, or tailoring a particular therapy for a particular patient. it is a regulatory science at work. you heard a little bit about tuberculosis and my background dealing with it in new york city. it is, in fact, a worldwide surge that has eluded us for

centuries. i worked hard to turn the tide on tuberculosis back in the 1990's. although i pushed hard, as did others, dealing with this resurgence of tuberculosis, we still lack of effective diagnostic tests as well as the combination drug products that would make a real difference to treatments. with regulatory science comes promise. this past week, the fda awarded $2.9 million in grants to support regulatorscience for tuberculosis, including projects to develop new markers for vaccines, to create a specimen repository, to design new models for the drug design products, and to develop new points of

care tests. in addition, a foundation has been working with others to advance the critical path to tuberculosis program, involving companies with tuberculosis candidates to accelerate the development of new tuberculosis drug regimens. a promising research is underway using stem cells to restore brain function lost in patients with parkinson's disease and to treat various other medical conditions. the fda is helping to scientifically develop valid standards and manufacng processes for stem cell therapies so they c be produced reliably and safely. without these, the technology omise cannot be realized. basic research studies are developing --

for these markers to be applied in clinical practice, ushering in an era of personalize madison, the agency is using new signs to guide the assessment of sub-populations of the responders and use of new diagnostic tests in that context. another important challenge is the development of medical countermeasures. in augt, the health and human services secretary announced an important initiative to develop the countermeasures we need to strengthen and speed our nation's response to bioterrorism and naturally occurring disease threats it. this was a top priority for the administration and our nation.

the review identified our agency as critical to the success of the overall enterprise, and we were awarded $170 million to support our efforts. activities will include enhanced review and novel manufacturing approaches for the highest priority countermeures, assessment and optimization of the legal policy and regulatory framework for countermeasures, and advancing our regulatory science base and collaboration'' to improve his evaluation, create viable pathways, and speed develoent. this is the greatest infusion of regulatory science dollars in any project to date and shows recognition across government of the importance of filling the mission at hand and a key role of the fda and making it happen. the fda has been working hard with nih, foundations and

industry to develop something called anenormous value this har patients with type 1 diabetes and their families. this is a complex task, and for patients to benefit, we havto develop a testing path that insures the devices that controls blood sugar level without risking hyperglycemia. next month, we are holding a meeting on establishing standards for approval of this artificial pancreas. this kind of innovation and exemplifies the type of progress we hope to make across a wide range of diseases. all this is just the beginning. through the new regulatory sense initiative, i have made it our priority to work with our partners to lead the effort to

advance the field. the bulk of our resources will be used to mobilize external partnerships, particularly with academia, and support studies in major regulatory science research areas. in 200011, which will continue to make support our plan and to establish pilots and feasibility studies. we hope to expand its activities in the next two years to establish centers of excellence funded by the fda and focus on a collaborative, a multi disciplinary research activities, most likely house in an academic setting. these centers will be true collaboration, bringing academia and scientists together to conduct research in targeted priority areas. we are also working with the national institutes of health

foa new initiative to encourage research in the field. just last week, which jointly awarded more than $9 million to four projects. they include research on nano particles,a heart-lung model in, innovative trial drug design strategies, and a strategfor preventing eye irritation so, let me begin to move toward the end, but i really want to underscore that the leadership from the fda requires more than just a vision for what is needed and the external partnerships to work together on these projects. we must also possess the tools and knowledge necessary to advanced regulatory science from the inside out, which means we are accelerating efforts to recruit, train, and retain

outstanding scientists and build the science base within the agency. after all, i think it is obvious that the agency charged with evaluating the safety of the central product must possess the scientific capacity equal to if not greater than that task. all these issues, as well as the promise of regulatory signs for seven critical public health areas, are outlined in this paper that i referred to earlier. you can find a copy of the paper on the fda webte, and i think we also have copiesor distribution today as well. hopefully, this paper will persuade you that regulatory science really matters, and the time to act is now predict regulatory science can deliver us better, more targeted

therapies and more swiftly. it can impact not just individual health but improved our health-care system more broadly, and it can lead to significantly lower costs for the drugs and medical products that we need. the power of regulatory science is greater still. as a nation, a major priority is to focus on investments that benefit the entire nation. investments that will grow our economy, that will increase high-value jobs in key sectors, that will foster innovative products that will drive economic development, that will enhance the safety and value of our exports, and elevate our global economic competitiveness and overall economic psperity. investing in regulatory science is, in fact, uniquely positioned to do all of this as well. but, probably what matters most

to all of us on a day-to-day basis, that a robust field of regulatory sense will truly enable us to reap t benefits of modern science. scientific advancements are rife. these can be transformed into therapies to alleviate or prevent much suffering and products to enhance our quality of life. this will take time, this will take effort, but we c do it, and it will make a difference. thank you very much for your time and attention, and i hope you will join me in rengening our regulatory science. [applause] >> thank you very much for your time today, dr. margaret hamburg. it has certainly been a challenging schedule for you.

we have a lotf questions here. please keep them coming up predict earlier this week, your agency announced a two-day meeting. how soon will companies and consumers seek cheaper alternatives to expensive biologics? >> we are very pleased to be able to begin to really implement this new program for those of you who are not sure what they are, they are basically this sort of generic equivalent of biologic drug products. they are complex molecules in many cases, so the science of it evaluating them is not as straightforward as chemical

generic drugs. so we have a complex set of scientific issues to address as we look at establishing the regulatory pathway for follow-on biologics. we are moving forward in a concerted way. we have a team that cuts across the agency that is working on this. but i think it is important to recognize the biologics for the reason of science. there e more complex. we will not have a one-size- fits-all approach.

they will have to be assessed to be able to show equivalents and substantive ability for these so-called follow-on biologics because we want to be able to assure patients and their health care providers that when these new products are substituted for the original innovative products, they will in fact have the same biological effect. it is a complex challenge. i cannot put a date on the timeline for these innovations. they are expensive products as they currently exist in terms of the innovative products, so we see a lot of opportunity to make these important products more available to people at lower cost as we move forward in this effort. >> how vote does congress's

continuing resolution in pecker plan to boost the investment in science as well as the -- how does congress's continuing resolution plan to boost the investment in scice? >> i do feel strongly that the fda is a very unique agency in the government. we have a wide array of products that we are responsible for overseeing -- drugs, medical devices, biologics, vaccines, etary supplements, cosmetics, certain products that emit radiation. now, tobacco products, and food safety and nutrition. we regulate products that account for somewhere between 25% that every dollar that

consumers spend on products in this country. we regulate products th really matter to people. they use them every day from the time they wake up in the morning and have breakfast to the time they take their medications, put on their sunscreen, where their cosmetics, brushed their teeth at night -- just in so many ways, we impact people's lives in ways that really mattered. we are unique. there is no other agency in government or entity in the private-sector or in academia that does what we do and has the authority and expertise to do what we d if we cannot do our job, there is no one dared to backstop behind us. there is a growing recognition that the fda has not been adequately funded.

a strong fda is in everybody's best interest. i am optimistic that despite these difficult economic times, we are going to continue to get some of the critical support in key areas that we need moving forward. >> you discussed antibiotics and itsesistance. y are antibiotics still routinely administered to imals? >> it is a very important question. historically, there has been a very considerable use of antibiotics as part as animal and agriculture treatment. for many years, individuals and organizations and public health

have raised this very concerned about what is the impact of the use of antibiotics on animal populations. we are in the midst of very serious scrutiny of these issues, and we have made recommendations in support of the judicious use of antibiotics. no one wants to deny antibiotics to animals that need medical treatment. but to use in certain preventive contexts, where it is not clearly medically indicated, it is a growing concern and an area in working with our partners in government, both the cdc and usda and others, we are taking a very serious look at. >> this refers to a recent new

york times article of two brothers with cancer. one brother was refused and medical trial and diet. what concerns do these real- world store is raise for you? >> i think that situation really speaks to the importance of regulatory science. it speaks to the importance of continuing to advance our knowledge of certain bio markers that can indicate potential opportunities for targeted treatment and the importance of continuing to understand the underlying mechanisms of disease so we can target therapies more effectively. it also speaks to the importance of developing new strategies for clical trials, new, more adapted clinical trials that can

enable us to get the kind of answers we need to know whether something works or not, but without putting individuals at any unnecessary, additional risk. so i think it is obviously a circumstance that is very poignantor the individuals involved and where we feel very real responsibility to make sure that we are working with the company to support the appropriate, technical, and ethical scientific studies. at the end of the day, what it really speaks to is the importance of strengthening regulatory signs so we can serve the public better. >> yesterday, i was at a small gathering predict according to

the story, a respected and skilled investigators needed in certain liquid to complete a study. the fda, he said, had an abundant supply but refused and any. if you other scientists in the room nodded knowingly, apparently having similar experiences. do you think this goes on and how do you combat it? >> i am sure there is an occasional episode of that kind of behavior, but i think it is far from the norm. there is an enormous amount of collaboration. for many years, fda scientists worked on the nih campus. we are involved in many activities, including this new one that just began this year,

thats an fda-nih initiative to support regulatory science. we also created a new council with representatives from nih and fda that meets on a regular basis, that develops shared agendas, and shares information and strategies for working on important public health concerns. so i think that that is probably an isolated case. >> how do intellectual property concerns slow research and what can you do about that? >> that is a very complex set of questions and probably best answered by a lawyer, not a doctor. but i think that intellectual property it is obviously

influencing on the patents of drugs in terms of market share and incentives for other companies to develop new products. there are, sometimes, technologies that are patented and affect peoe's ability to use them as well. from my perspective, at the end of the day, we have to always keep our eye on public health and the importance of achieving important public health outcomes and adjusting unmet public health nee. intellectual property should not be the kind of barrier to achieving what is necessary to meet medical needs. we must have systems that recognize the intellectual property from work in our

country. we must always collaborate around important science. >> regulatory science has been the theme today predict and regulatory signs keep up with the pace of scitific change? >> i think that right now regulatory science is not as robust a field as it needs to be. part of the challenge is to strengthen regulatory science to expand the capacity is in the field, th in terms of the trained individuals, the resources to support the regulatory side, and that debt and breath of research so that regulatory science can go forward in parallel with advances in biomedical research. if we fail t do that, we will continue to fail to realize the

advancements we are making. >> one of the advances you were talking about was the artificial pancreas and dealing with juvenile diabetes. it is a growing health problem. it was very rare two generations ago. what meaningful strategies is fda implementing to address obesity in america? >> obesity is a major priority for this administration, with important efforts being spearheaded by our first lady. the fda along with many other entities of government has an important role to play. our involvement really comes in terms of our nutrition activities and in terms of what we do to provide consumers with accurate, reliable, and accessible nutrition information, things like the

nutrition facts panel on the backs of food that lays out some of the nutrients and the percentage of daily values in those product so people can make more informed choices. we are currently working on w to present that kind of information and a sampler, more understandable way on the front of packages so that those of us who lead busy lives can run down the growth restorer pilot and quickly assess which is the high sodium product or which is the high-calorie products and hopefully make more formed choices. so, that is really the main focus of our activities to support that. >> in general, what is the fda doing in the area of preventive medicine? it could save huge amounts of

money and prevent uecessary pain and suffering. >> prevention is the cornerstone of public health. it is an important principle to organize many of our activities around, i would say, first on the food safety side. prevention is key. our goal is to have the systems in place to better posion us to work with food producers, manufacturers, and distributors to prevent contamination and food-borne out bricks in the first place. the food safety billicks an important tool to help support us on those efforts. on the medical side, we are very involved in various medical products to prevent disease. vaccines is obviously one of the premier modalities that we

regulate the that is at the core of prevention. it is obviously very, very important, if you can prevent a problem from happening in the first place, that is our primary goal. >> h does a robust science program compete in the current media and litigation and firemen, were widely publicized anecdotes can erode confidence? >> i think that a stronger and more robust field of regulatory science will enable us to have the best possible decision making as we struggle with difficult, challenging questions where we do have to balance risks and benefits. i see regulatory science as a

huge asset as we try to strengthen our programs and try to really stick to our mission of being a science-based agency to protect the public. >> during your time as commissioner, the fda has made transparency parity. however, fda recently published a final rule on state reporting requirements on investigations of new drugs nearly seven years after the closure of public ruled comment period. how do you reconcile this? >> first, i would have to admit that transparency does not necessarily mean speed. i have been amazed how long it can take to move things through the system and the complexity of

those pathways. i am not familiar with the specifics in that instance, bought all of the rulemaking that we do and the regulatns that we develop and ultimately to implement have quite an elaborate notice and comment period and public meetings and open dockets and other mechanisms to get input. we take that inp very seriously i cannot speak to the specifics of that incident. >> how did europe approved new medical devices so much more quickly than the u.s.a.? >> it is true that there is a substantially different

regulatory framework for device approval in europe. it is one that actually it is at variable in different countries in europe, and it is one that it does enable a product to move through more quickly in many instances with your requirements to actually present the data for evaluation. i think there is real value in working with other regulatory authorities in europe and around the world to try to look at how we do our regulatory decision making to try to harmonize standard approaches, approach is based on the best regulatory science. we have been engaged with our

colleagues in that you. they have been looking at our framework of the oversight of devices, and i think they are thinking about whether they ed to make some of their oversight more stringent. we are looking at our own device review system. one of the things that can happen in regulatory agencies is that laws are put in place during one time and then the world can change dramatically. the world of medica devices has changed drastically. so i think it isppropriate that periodically we are reassessed and work with our sister regulatory authorities as we defined our thinking and approaches. >> going more deeply into the process, there have been reports that medical cocktails may be

the future of cancer treatment, but doing so would allow multiple companies and researchers. can this be done without developing restrictive trade charges? >> i am more focused on the complexity of the science of how to you evaluate combination products in a way that is accurate and efficient. it is a complex scientific allenge, but it is one that we are grappling with an number of areas. one aspect of the tuberculosis passed to deal with how do we combine different tuberculosis drugs to be evaluated as a combination product. if you wer evaluating each new drug individually, that would take quite a long time.

when you combine them together and try to evaluate them together, it is obviously much more scientifically complex and challenging. i think the public health -- i think public health demands that we look and see how swiftly -- how swiftly we can meaningfully assess these new products. we are looking at companies and products in the cancer arena as well. i think there are ways for these different companies to come together to work on these products together. it is somewhat new territory, and we are learning as we go. >> what can the fda do to encourage or require publication of-studies, that is, research showing that it does not have a beneficial effect? >> it is a topic of considerable discussion with the fda and

outside. the rationale of publishing- would enablestudies people pursuing similar pathways to understand why a given product fails so they wouldn't then invest considerable time and money to develop a product that would likely hit a brick wall. for an individual company, there is understandable reluctance after having investina lot in a product to have everything opened up for others to see. on the other hand, if you look at it in terms of the big picture, over time, one company might be making themselves a little bit vulnerable in one case but it would have the opportunity to learn from the

experiences of others. it is something we are looking at. >> what is the fda doing to attract and retain young scientists who received more lucrative reseah-based opportunities? >> it is very important to us to both recruit and retain these promising young scientists. we, of course, want to be sure that we retain our tried and true scientist at the fda as well, but we are trying to reach out and recruit. we'd like to create more opportunities for professional scientific exchange with their

professional colleagues outside of the agency,ncluding even potentially some sabbatical leaves and other things. have created a fellowship program -- we have created a fellowship program to bring those in the fda and expose them to what we are doing. they make a contribution to the fda while they are there. it is an exciting place to work. there is a al sense of mission. >> the answer to that question would seem to tie into a broader perception, which is the government worker in general being last paid the than counterparts in private industry. not as good as working conditions and possibly leaving as soon as the chance that they

get credit when people say that the fda has its hands tied, confli with the pocketbooks of the pharmaceutical and food agencies. this person is asking if you could share your thinking on that topic today. >> the fda, as i said before, is a science-based, science-driven agency. we need to lk at the data to make our decisions. i think we are really committed to that, and we really make science be our guide. >> we are getting near the end, but there will btwo more questions. this person asks, could the fda please order drug manufacturers to write warning labels and english? how could the average user no what day [unintelligible]

i don't even know if i am announcing this correctly. the warning states that th use of these drugs can lead to an irregular heartbeat. could you explain? [laughter] >> well, i cannot argue with white you just read it. we do have an initiative called, "plain language." it is an effort to try to really be mindful of the fact that we need to communicate in plain english or in other languages that consumers may need to

access so that they can understand the medical issues at hand. it is hard sometimes to find other ways of describing certain conditions, but we really need to pay attention. this feedback is always helpful. one can get a bit lost, so it is something that we need to continue to work on. >> i cannot challenge that question either because i have no idea what i just read. we are almost out of time. we have a couple more matters of importance to take care of. this friday, october 8, we are going to have the president and ceo of bank of america. on october 12, general norman

schwartz will be speaking. he will discuss the services ongoing efforts to organize, train, and equip itself. a week from friday, october 15, condoleezza rice will be discussing her new book and her time in the bush administration. i would like to present our guest with the traditional national press club mug. [applause] lead-'t know if it is free, but we will ask. thank you all for coming here today. we have one more question, and this one came out of a conversation with your father. he is very pleased with the recent move from new york to washington. he says you are doing a wonderful job caring for the whole family. what is the best health advice you can give your own family

each generation? >> early on in this job, i was warned never to answer personal questions. my best health advice is to do what your mother always told you. [laughter] can i stop at that? [applause] >> thank you, dr. margaret hamburg. and thank you all, again, for coming today. i would like to thank the national press club staff for organizing today's event. for more information about joining the national press club and how to acquire a copy of toy's program, please go to our website. thank you so much for coming out he [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

>> the attorneys who argued the first amendment case before the supreme court. ilyse hogue of moveon.org. tormer u.s. ambassador h pakistan, ryan crocker. it begins live at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >> c-span3 takes a trip to richmond, virginia for a civil war and antiques show. also, font that uplifted

soldiers' spirits and during the time of lincoln. american history tv all we can, every weekend on c-span3. >> enter c-span studentscam video documentary competition. make it 54 a year video on this year's theme, washington. be sure to include more than one point did you. download your video to c-span by january 20, 2011. you'll have a chance to win the grand prize of thousand dollars .or th it is open to all and students 36-12. 2. 6-1

>> president obama awarded an honor. he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and 15 afghan troops. following this ceremony, staff sgt miller parents spoke outside the white house. >> ladies and gentlemen, and the vice-president of the united states.

♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, mr. and mrs. michelle obama. ♪ please join me in prayer. we place our trust and as your blessings and the sacred hour as the honored the life in service of staff sgt miller.

it epitomized the balance spirit of the men and women of our armed services. here is a picture reminds is that those of nowhe character ss those of need more than their own. we gather here today to bear witness that they pursued a level of valor tempered with humility. thank you for charting his path to greatness. he dedicated every waking moment to becoming one of our armies quiet professionals committed to liberating the oppressed. in the spirit of those sacred hosts, you used him to rise to greatness in the chaos of combat, fighting with courage to protect, shield, and save his

brothers in arms. lord, comfort his parents, his brothers and sisters, his fellow green berets. give us all the insurance that his sacrificial actions were rewarded by your loving welcome. we play this in your holy name. >> please, be seated. good afternoon. welcome to the white house. spot siva for that beautiful invocation. we are a nation of more than 300 million americans. of these, a lesson 1% wears the uniform of our armed services. of these, and a small fraction earns the badges of our special

operations forces. in the finest military the world as ever known, these warriors are the best of the best bu. they are quiet professionals, and never seeking the spotlight. in a time of war, they have borne a burden far beyond their small numbers. training for military's to stand on their own, of bringing schools and medicine to remote villages, and taking to the terrorists and a certain set of those who plot against this. few americans ever see their service. all americans are safer because of it. our hearts swell ride this hearing their names.

including the legendary green berets. today it is my privilege to present our nation's highest military decorations, the medal of honor, to one of these remarkable soldiers. to do so, we are joined by vice president biden and a leader who helped make this day possible, a congresswoman. we are joined by robert gates, admiral mike mullen, and leaders from our armed forces. we are honored to be joined be

rob's fellow soldiers. his teammates from alpha company third battalion third special forces group. those who now welcome them into their ranks, members of the medal of honor society. most of all, we welcome more than 100 of rob's friends and family, especially his mother, father, and many brothers and sisters. it has been said that courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point burda for robb miller, came nearly three years ago in a snowy afghan valley. it reflects every virtue that defines his life. rob was wise beyond his years.

growing up in illinois, he was the boy in school who knew about the gi's in world war ii. men like rob would become himself. they thought day and night for what they thought was right. roth was born to lead. as clinton is that train so hard his coach had to take him and a dim mist that trade is so hard his coach had to kick him out at night -- a gymnast that trained so hard his high school coach had to kick him out at night. a devotion to duty, a sense of honor, a profound love of country. these are the virtues that found

their ultimate expression when rob was 24 years old and on his second tour. he met his testing point on january 25, 2008. robb and his team were in the remote northwest of afghanistan for them -- their mission was to clear an army of insurgents. when they became a compound, it they made their move, unleashing their fire and air strikes. they were on foot heading on to a destroy compound to gather intelligence. it is still dark. it was freezing cold it was silent except for the crackle of the radios and crunch of snow. like so many times before, and robert was up front leading a patrol of two dozen afghans and

americans on the trail along the valley floor deep mountains towered over them. first issue is just a single insurgent jumping out from behind a boulder. then the whole valley seemed to explode with gunfire. within seconds, they were pinned down with almost no cover. bullets and grenades rained down from every direction. when enemy reinforcements poured in, the odds were overwhelming. his small patrol of two dozen men was nearly surrounded by almost 150 insurgents. with the enemy of of just feet away, rob held his ground. despite the chaos, he radioed fthat enemy positions. he organized the afghan soldiers around the bi.

the incoming fire was simply astounding. he made a decision. he got for his team to fall back. then he did something extraordinary. he moved in the other direction toward the enemy, drawing their guns away from his team in bringing the fire of all those insurgency down upon himself. the fighting was ferocious. rob seem to disappear into clouds of dust and debris. his team could hear him on the radio still calling out enemy positions. they could hear his weapon still firing as he provided cover for his men. over the radio, and they heard his voice. he had been hit. still, he kept calling out enemy positions. still, he kept firing. still, he kept throwing his

grenade. then they heard it predicte. his weapon fell silent. this is the story of what one soldier did for his team and what they did for him. two of the teammates agreed the bullet and rested his age. in the final moments, they were there at his side. american soldiers were there for each other. the relentless fire forced them back. they refuse to leave their fallen comrade. when reinforcements arrived, the americans went in again, risking their lives, determined to bring rob out of that fact. after it raged for hours, they did nevada when the dust settles, there was no doubt they had struck a major blow against the local insurgency. five members of his patrol had been wounded.

his team had survived. one of the team anes spoke for all of them when he said "i would not be alive today if not for his ultimate sacrifice." this is the dollar that america honors today. i know no words can ease the ache in your hearts. i also know this. rob's life and legacy indoors. rob indoors in the private his parents. maureen, you raise a remarkable son. today and years to come a you find comfort that he gave his life doing what he loved. protecting his friends and defending his country. america is forever in your debt. rob indoors and loves his brothers and sisters. all seven of them join us today.

i suspect to be especially proud of his younger brother tom new is now training to be a green beret himself. rob endures in the afghan said he trained and that he began. he spoke their language, respected their culture, and help them defend their country. they welcome them into their homes. they presented him the people afghan rugs. it is a partnership between the people of america and afghanistan. rob miller indoors in the

service of this country. he bled to kim and fought to bring him home. the soldiers embody the spirit that guide our troops in afghanistan every day. they focus on their mission. it breaks the momentum of the taliban insurgency. afghans defended themselves. it nature that afghanistan is never again a safe haven for terrorists. that is their mission. that is our mission that is what we will do. -- i wouldsrob's team ask loved team that were with him that day to stand and be recognized. [applause]

finally, and all those give their lives -- every american is safer because of that. every american has a duty to remember their sacrifice. if we keep the legacy alive, if we keep faith with the freedoms they died to defend, you can imagine a day days from now when another trump said that his desk and ponders the true meaning of heroism and find

inspiration in the story of a soldier, staff sergeant robert miller and a generation that fought day and night for what they thought was right. that is the meaning of this metal. -- medal. please come and join me in in the readinge of this citation. [applause] >> the president of united states of america authorizes by an act of congress as awarded the medal of honor to staff

sergeant robert j , miller fourpence big u.s. gallantry above the call of duty. he distinguished himself by heroism.inary acts of terroris while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol, staff sgt miller and soldiers engaged a force of 15 insurgents occupying positions. he initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with this vehicles terret mounted automatic grenade launcher while simultaneously

providing detailed description of the enemy positions to his commands. following the engagement, he led a small squad for it to assess the damage. as the group neared the small valley, a large well coordinated insurgent force initiated an ambitious from elevated positions with ample cover. they were vulnerable to automatic weapons fire. as point man, he was at the front of the patrol. he was less than 20 meters from enemy forces. the total disregard for his own safety, he told his men to move back and see charge the enemy over overwhelming enemy fire. while maneuvering to engage the enemy, he was shot in the upper torso. ignoring the wounds, he

continued to push forward. he drew the ire of 100 combatants on himself. after killing 10 insurgents, when dozens more and exposing himself to enemy fire, he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. his dollar also please save the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 national afghan soldiers. his heroism is in keeping with the highest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the united states army.

[applause] >> join me for a prayer rive it is founded in the heart and soul of dedicated men and women alike staff sergeant robert miller. his legacy displayed and agassi never be forgotten in the annals of american history.

may we remain for ever grateful for the members of our armed services past and present whose courage and commitment to have kept our names in -- that our nation in the land of the cree and the home of the brave. bless our soldiers, sailors, and everyone that stand in harm's way. bless the family is the stand alongside them, especially those love lost them in battle. we pray this in your holy name. amen. >> thank you.

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