it is challenging a provision of the tax code that grant the tax >> i do not think that deals directly with the taxpayer. even if you disagree with me, you have to have a tax credit that will not cost the government money or save it. if you have to know that the government will not cut spending to make up the shortfall in revenues. you will have to do all of those things, none of which that you have to do in a flask situation. regarding state action, i think it is this court's precedents are quite clear in saying that

that the fact that the government funds something does not transform it into a state actor. if it did, then they will all become state actors. that would be an enormously damaging precedent for this court to follow. what blanc says is that the performance of a traditional prerogative, and here, all the sto is doing is handing out money and it is doing so on a neutral basis and anyone can form an and anyone can -- a guy -- form andthe case is submitted. next, a discussion on the impact of campaign financing. then, a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new veterans memorial in washington d.c.. after that, interior secretary

can salazar discusses plans for the national. >> a discussion on the role of money in political campaigns. we will hear from charlie cook. and she looked on old, the director of this is an hour and 10 minutes. this is just over an hour. >> let me describe briefly the formats of the event, then i will make a couple introductory remarks and introduce our first guest. introductory remarks and introduce our first guest. charlie cook is sitting just to my left and he will give some brief remarks and we will open it up to questions. he has to run to a previously committed events right after that. then we will introduce our panel.

each of them will speak briefly and we will open up for more questions. we have about an hour. we look forward to the conversation. on behalf of common cause, i am delighted to help frame this conversation and hope we can get a rich guy look onhe importance of this issue. just a couple of facts to put this in context, the 2010 midterm election last week was the most expensive one ever. when all the spending reports are finally tallied, the spending on that election will probably exceed $4 billion. that compares to $2.6 billion in the 2006 midterm elections. of that, almost $300 million came from groups operating independently of the candidates and political parties. paris recalled -- they were free to spend without limits and except unlimited donations from wealthy individuals, corporations, trade

associations, and unions. about half of that money, it came from groups not required to identify their donors. and it worked. independent expenditures donated in this last election were important to the results in seats that changed hands, democrats, republicans, independent groups spend an average of $764,000 on the winner. those supporting the loser only spend $273,000. this was an important topic and we look forward and engaging in this conversation and what follows the money. i would like to introduce a man that i am sure you already know. is charlie cooke. he is the publisher of the cook political report. he writes regularly for the national journal magazine. he has a regular column for the washington quarterly.

he is a political analyst for nbc news. let me turn it over to charlie. [applause] when bob and mary asked me to do this, i was delighted to do it. i do not consider myself a hard- core reformer, but i do see myself as someone who sees the problem with the system. i do not have solutions, but i think that the dialogue and discussion is important. i am not going to give my normal she'll -- steel -- lessons thate learned again is that money is hugely important, but it is not

determinative. in fact, there are times where there is a law of diminishing returns or where the public just says, no mosque. with the meg whitman's spending in california, it seemed to be working, working, working. and then suddenly, people to said know. they kind of rebelled against it for a little bit. there may have been a little bit of that with conn with linda mcmahon. it did not happen every were obviously. money is hugely important, but there does seem to be some limits to what it does. i confess this whole area sort of unlimited/undisclosed money is discomfiting for me because frankly, i was not comfortable when we saw a lot of that on the

democratic side in 2006 and to doesn't aid and i am not so comfortable with it on the republican side. i think it is important for every ready to be consistent. i do not know what the solutions are. i really do not. in the absence of amending the constitution, i do not know where we go. i think we cannot assume that there is a problem. because of the importance of money has gone to the point where i think it really is creating -- and i am not from the selling outside as much as it is harder and harder for elected officials to maintain any kind of connection with the voters when they are chasing money so hard. there is not the time. i sat in on some focus groups and were watching a video

dominant of some focus groups with a wal-mart moms. just sort of average and working place -- working-class mom suit all shops at walmart within the last month. the level of abandonment that they felt from both parties and washington was really telling. this one woman, a schoolteacher in denver, she was passed -- the focus groups were done by walmart, but they had a democratic and republican pollster overseeing it. one of the questions they asked was, if elected officials in washington understood your lives, what would they do differently? this one in london, the schoolteacher in denver, said, i cannot and imagine the elected officials in washington understanding my life. another one, i think it was in

st. louis, another woman said, too bad this is not like on tv that shows of undercover boss. were elected officials could, live with us for a day or two and see what our lives are like. just sitting there, this was not a conversation about campaign money or anything, but it did reinforce a message to me of how abandoned and isolated so many americans feel. the thing about it is that i do not think in most cases these elected officials, these politicians are selling now some much as i do not think they have time to talk to people in informal settings. you remember back in 1976, when jimmy carter was running for president. he would sleep on the sofas of families of homes to save money,

but also to establish a connection. how quaint that sounds today when these folks and these terrific figures of how much a typical member of congress has to raise every single day of their two years of the house term or six years of the senate term. i do not have solutions, but at least i am encouraged that the biggest money does not always win. the biggest money does when a lot more often than not. there does seem to be limits for of voters on how much or how much of a disparity they are willing to pluck up with before they sort of rebel. i think we did see that. this was obviously a huge election. i tell people that it --

typically, they are kind of ragged. they are not uniform. some parts of the country are worse than others. some demographic groups were worse than others. in terms of -- i would describe using the starbucks vernacular. that is the 20 downsized. the senate and governor's were grande. there were big wins for republicans, but not as much as they wanted to get. the biggest win for a party in any election since 1948. the biggest midterm when since 1938. obviously, the economy played a huge role, but there was a lot more going on than just a horrible economy. to me, what i would look at it

is independent voters and these are the voters that are the most disconnected from politics. look at what is -- what has happened the last three elections. in 2006, those independent voters voted by 88 -- an 18. margin for the democrats. in 2008, they voted by an a. margin favoring democrats. this collection, they voted by an 18-point margin in favor of republicans. at 56% for republicans. 38% for democrats. when you were talking about a 36 point swing from one midterm election to another, or a 26- point swing just from one election to another, that is absolutely enormous. when you look at some of the other things -- what we are

looking at is a house of representatives that is sort of a lot more aligned -- there will be a lot less fish out of water in this next congress and there has been. there will be very few -- only a dozen democrats. about 62 republican sitting in districts that barack obama 1. keeping in mind that the big john mccain was not exactly the high water mark for the modern republican party. this was not about turnout some much. democrats turned out a lite bit less than before. republicans turned up a little bit more. it was not about defections. democratic voters voted 93-7 in favor of democratic candidates. .'m sorry, i got that wrong 92-7. republican voters voted 95-4 in favor of republican candidates.

it was the independence swinging making the biggest difference for this. i think that the great thing about making changes 10 years out is that it does not apply to most of the current people. it is easier to convince elected officials to do the right thing if it will not apply to them or a fool not apply to them anytime soon. getting over the next two or three years, getting people to focus, giving states and voters in the media more focused on redistricting reform and to do it for a time frame looking at the 2000 -- 2021 redistricting process.

that would have accomplished more than almost anything we could do right now. why don't we stop and open it up for questions? whenever i can help talk about, i would be happy to do. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, charlie. i will open it up for some questions. we do not have microphones in the audience, so i will repeat the questions. make sure it is a question and not a speech. >> [inaudible] could you talk a little bit about its public opinion -- there is been a lot of back and forth about whether voters care about the money. >> what is the view of independent voters about reform?

what is your feeling? >> they are the only ones to do really care about reform. democratic and voters are in favor of reforming republican and republican orienting groups. republican reformers are in favor of performing democratic groups. no one wants to go -- to do anything to cut in on their own side the independents are the what one sadr most disaffected from the political process. they are the most cynical. they are the ones you are a lot more open to ideas of reform, of honest reform, as opposed to trying to take advantage of the other side under the guise of reform, which is what partisans on the republican and democratic side too often do. i think there is a constituency

for that. i think -- what is coming out of -- what will come out of this election is because there are so few liberal moderate republicans left, because there'll be so few conservative moderate democrats left in congress, the american people are sort of of an ideological and shape of a bell curve. slightly more right then left. most americans are between the a 30 yard lines. congress is now -- it is like a camel with to hopes -- to hans. the homes are getting further and further apart. there will be nothing left in the metal in terms of congress. -- nothing left in the middle in terms of congress. the ideological nature of the parties is such that the feeling

of estrangement that people in the middle have is enormous and it will be growing after the selection, even worse than a was before. -- after the election, even worse than it was before. >> [inaudible]

>> i am not a lawyer and that is not my field. i have never seen any felony committed in my presence. i think there is no chance of any reform measures being done during the lame duck session. that is really not what lame- duck sessions are for. i cannot respond to that because i think the system is screwed up, but it is not felonious behavior. >> you talked about the independencys. nts. [inaudible] could you talk to that?

could that encourage participation across the political spectrum? >> i think the american people have long been open to the idea of a third party. i think they are increasingly would love to see that happen. i think a fundamentally do not trust and have good reason not to trust either party. they are incredibly open to it. the problem is that it is rare that you find an independent or third-party candidate setter not sort of fringe characters that cannot get broadbased support. most cases that i've ever seen are not deserving of broadbased support. in 1996, if colin powell had run, that would have banned aid -- an interesting case. he was a major figure, someone who could draw a broadbased support and someone who would be

worthy of a great deal of support. >> [inaudible] >> excuse me? what ministry to bloomberg. -- let me go straight to bloomberg. i do not want to get into -- i think there is a thin line between independent and flaky. independent is a good thing. i do not think anybody has referred to michael bloomberg as flaky. you can like him or dislike him, i spent an hour with him one time and he is one of the most impressive people i've ever met in my life. to hear them talk about what he is doing in new york city is amazing. the fact is, i cannot come up with a single other name of someone who could be incredible, a formidable third-party

candidatin to a dozen 12. -- 2012. if there is another name, please let me know, but i cannot think of one. i think that with the economy, we will be looking at economic growth of probably somewhere between 2 and 3% through 2012. unemployment and a 8.5 or 9% range of 32012. economic climate is going to be a very, very difficult one for president obama seeking reelection. the honeymoon period will run out early next year. there is a possibility of problems on the -- with the afghan war. he is going to be in a weakened condition and lord knows what republicans will come up with. if i were president obama, i

would be on my knees every night prank for the afghan surge to work and for sarah palin to get the nomination. >> [inaudible] >> to be honest, i have not looked much at the environmental -- the ballot initiatives on the environment. i cannot speak to that. the thing is, at timing in politics is critically important. there is a good time when people are open to debate and dialogue and new ideas on things like climate change and then there are unfortunate times.

i do think that cap-and-trade played a very significant role and what happened in this election. when i go back and looked at where did he will star wobbling on the democratic party, it was before the focus shifted to health care and it was soon after the cap-and-trade vote. one member started coming back from the fourth of july recess of 2009, that was the first sign that things were going wrong and that was preceding the real focus on health care. last year, i think the american people would be open to a conversation about health care reform. they would be open to discussion on climate change. but when you've got unemployment that was heading up toward 10%, at they wanted a laser beam like a focus.

it was a matter of -- there is a time and a place to focus on things, but when unemployment is skyrocketing, that was not the time. i think it was -- cap-and-trade was a contributing factors to that election. in the midwest heartland, and south. in terms of the ballot initiatives, i cannot address that. in another time, that would of been a conversation that people would have welcomed. it is not that they're close to the idea of addressing the problem of climate change.

don't do it in the face of a recession. >> we have time for a couple more questions for charlie. >> [inaudible] >> do you see and the 2012 time frame a large surge n independent groups on the democratic side as well? >> i do not think it is the beginning though. we have seen in the last decade -- i do not know that there is a difference between george soros and peter lewis on the left or the brothers on the right.

to me, and there is a sense in this country that money spent on behalf of the people i like is an investment in democracy. money spent on the against people i like this special interest and corruption. well, that is a framing that i don't care for. to me, democrats exploited the law and a left exploited the law to its fullest extent in 2004 and 2006 and 2008. republicans did this time. -- did this time. it is like an arms race. beachside is pushing -- each side is pushing. this was a cycle when it was republicans that raised the bar of how far to go over democrats.

before -- it is just going to keep getting worse. i look point is the system so it strange -- at what point does the system so strained? >> [inaudible] >> there was a lot of big money. go up to wall street and look around at how many people wrote a big checks to the democratic party. they got -- the idea that this was fuelled by a small donors -- know. that is delusional. i really do. it was money going into -- to

narrow the focus down on just one into which campaigns. i do not buy that. i do not buy that at all. the democratic machine -- both parties apparatus has been funded by large donations. you know, i do not buy that for a second. [applause] >> we have an opportunity to have a conversation with a distinguished panel of folks with real experience and campaign finance issues. i will introduce them briefly and ask before opening remarks.

to my immediate left is sheila who is the executive director of the center for responsive politics. she has been the executive director since 2006. prior to that, to serve as the research director and oversaw the analysis for -- was the assistant editor for their flagship magazine. to her left and in the center is a butler derrick. he is a south carolina and washington-based lawyer. he is a former u.s. congressman, serving 20 years in the south carolina house before that. he is also a member of the national governing board. to his left its peers sen. he was the direct vice- president of programs for common cause.

he has had experience of the citizen of leadership fund. with that, let me turn it over to our distinguished panel. sheila, we will start with you. [applause] >> good morning, everyone. let me just at the many of the same comments that charlie made. money was certainly a big story in 2010, but it was not -- outside spending is not new. it was just more free-flowing after the citizens united and speech now decision. more of that was hidden this time around. it is not a guarantee of success. they are relying too heavily on

their money and not enough on their own candidate skills. once again, we saw not just record fund-raising but shattered records. far, far in excess of the rising inflation. where will this end? what will this mean for democracy? let me start by saying that crp has been predicting that the election would cost $3.7 billion throughout this year. based on the numbers that we're seeing, and expenditures, we appear to be at least on target to meet that $3.7 billion and likely exceed that. for that matter, there is little doubt that spending is much higher than what is included in the reported expenditures. when you looked at to -- if we could look at the unreported expenditures by outside interest

groups, some of this is for issue advocacies, some of it is going to be termed operation costs, but additional large sums were directed at influencing politics. only the sources of this camp -- of this money will never be disclosed. even the expenditures themselves will be reported. day of announce that they have raised $71 million in these elections, way beyond their target. they only disclose expenditures for half that amount, $38.6 million. pbs funding sources for political ads remain anonymous. that an anemone was critical for their ability to raise that 71 -- that anonymity was critical for their ability to raise that money. more than $3 billion have been

spent. we will not know what the final tally is and where that money was coming from for the last several weeks before the election and until early december. a great deal of focus has been justifiably placed on these outside groups that have grabbed the spotlight and drive considerable fear and loathing. this spending amounts to $437 million. a 13% of that total of $4 billion. all spending is not created equal. this is less valuable to the candidate, this outside spending, it is not money in their pockets. it is not money they can control. it is far more negative, less accountable, often misleading, and even containing an outright lies. of course, people want to know who put up this money. they also have an obligation to

note, to guard the democratic process. a huge chunk of this was bankrolled by anonymous donors. of the $293 million, alt outside groups have reported spending about 47% came from groups and are not required to disclose information. 52% has been on a general election, communications. 47% of been on independent expenditures that overtly advocate for a candidate. some of these groups, it is logical to assume -- and there has been anecdotal evidence that corporations are providing the bulk of the funds. the u.s. chamber has received a

big contributions from a small number of large corporate donors. companies that can give an have given millions of dollars at a time. in the last cycle, the chamber received a gift of $15 million. we're not talking chump change right here. this is serious money. the bottom line is that this is pretty big money. between $400,000,000,000.1783793664 dollars. -- $400 million and $500 million. the overall also spending was a balance between liberal and conservative groups. when you separate the primary from the general, there was much more balance between the groups. most of the gop advantage was an

election and communications. the real imbalance was and the primary. a lot of the messaging happens prior to the general on hot- button political topics played a critical role. these to play a role in how campaigns were waged. what the messages were that were emphasized during the election, what messages were hammered hundred groups may save a exists to educate the public, but then their messages are highly political and they limit their spending to immediately before the election. how the suspect, i think. this money played a role in expanding the territory that the democrats had to defend the cycle. it had a big influence in

specific races. much of it is anonymous. it is hard to quantify the effect of the enemy. money is not the be all and end all of politics. this is one that has enormous significance because of the huge dollar figures. this is a warm-up for a much bigger onslaught in 2012. it is not just the donors, but the groups themselves, that are unaccountable and hidden and secret. no bricks and mortar presence. the persons that can be contacted. because these groups are often irresponsible actors, flooding the airwaves with half truths, and because their message to grace the level of discord and obscures' more important policy matters. to the anonymity has to be public enemy number one for campaign finance.

if you did not have the chamber, the topics would of been different and the outcomes would of been different, too. the biggest concern is not known who is funding these efforts. the impact of anonymous sources is difficult to quantify. how might things have changed if we knew the source of cash? americans have a right to know. i want to turn now to looking at the harvard by industry. a very quickly. lawyers and law firms lost. the biggest winner and the senate was retired people and the house. did ready for part reform.

-- gets ready for tort reform. >> thank you very much. it is good to be here. i think the greatest issue for us to date is money. it -- if you take any problem that this country is having today end trace it back to the rates, you will get to the money. i do not care if it is military, private sector, government, or what it is. i will tell you that as we have elected 68 new members, -- 60 new members, and having been there myself for 20 years, they have absolutely no idea what they're about to face. i had no idea when i came. and i only spent less than $200,000 and half of that i mortgaged my home to raise. i said no idea that one of these days, i would become a money

raiser and nine to a congressman. i went back to south carolina this past weekend and i went to my son is " class. it is mostly small businessmen and a carpenter or two. i tried to get the sense of what they were thinking about. what i found out is that most of them voted for obama. two years ago. most of them voted for a democratic ticket. he is a retired chief and the navy. he said, those people are ruining my country. who are the people? he was not sure who it was, but he knew one thing, that it was obama and nancy pelosi. you give me enough money and i

can turn the bible into pornography. did enough money and you can make anyone into what you wanted. unfortunately, that is where we are today. i hated raising money. hated it. that is after 20 years, i did not run again and that is one of the reasons i did not. it just got to the point where it was simply ridiculous. congress is a microcosm of our society. most of the people, with the exceptions of a few bad apples, are very decent hard-working people who are trying to do the best to represent their constituents. they came to congress with a

wonderful idea. all the sudden, they met this wave of -- that came over them where they had to spend half of their time raising money. most of them hated it just as i did. this past election, i go back and i think about teddy roosevelt. he busted up the trust back in the first part of the 20th- century, but he never got elected to another public office. i think the business community has turned on those who helped them when they were drowning. they turned on those to save their lives. of course, when you talk about a free enterprise society, we do not have a free enterprise

society. we never have. what we have is a free enterprise society that is regulated. throughout our history, depending on which party was can and what particular the situation was, the regulation was listened. provincially, we into pretty much in this situation the we are in today. those of us to are close to the system here in washington did not think a whole lot about it. but i will tell you that the average person out there is convinced that to this is the corrected -- crookedest city in the world. no one up here is honest. they keep sending people appear and they keep getting dishonest. they pull them back and they

send another one. we know that is not true. we have to do something to stop this flow of money. i thought about it a great deal and i have equivocated from time to time about what we need to do. there is no perfect answer to it. i think the best answer that i can think of is that we need some form of public financing. when i say public financing, i mean the financing together with a limitation on the amount to of the nation. think how wonderful it would be if a congressman in a perfect world did not have to go out and raise all this money until obligated. when i raise money, i consider

myself a very honest person, i've never been accused of being otherwise. when somebody gives me a big check for my campaign or right solicited a donation, i am not going to tell you that i did not feel a little bit to -- a little bit not exactly what i had in mind for my future. i endedp having to spend too much time do not. this past year, the supreme court ruling on an opening the corporate treasuries of this country was like pouring gasoline on our roaring fire. i think public finance is not a perfect answer to the problem. but i think it is the only answer that is reasonable to

expect that the congress might take seriously and do something with. although that is wishful thinking. >> can i get you to wrap up? >> you want to hear one of my long speeches. [laughter] anyway, common cause -- we are headed in that direction. on the leadership of our -- of bob edgar and hopefully, we will be able to bring some sort of final resolution to this problem because it is a big problem. i think it is close to being the biggest problem that we have. thank you. [applause] >> ok, so now we know what a $4

billion election looks like. it was not pretty. i think this one goes in the record books. it is not only the most expensive election in american history, but it is our first secret election since the watergate scandal and is our first election since 1907 were corporations and unions were allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the outcome. i do not think anyone really believes that people were better served as a result. airways were flooded with attack ads. what does this mean for our democracy? first of all, to paraphrase thomas hobbes, our elections will become a nasty, brutish,

and very long. karl rove have already started planning for the kid doesn't fall election cycle. bait -- for the 2011 -- to doesn't fall election cycle. we are in an era of a new arms race. the end result is going to be that the people who were sent to washington to grapple with our nation's problems and serve the american people are going to spend more and more time fundraising. the conflicts of interest revolt -- resulting from that will become more intense. within the next year, we may have to start a liberation program for the members. it there will be locked -- they will be locked in the cubicles, dialing for dollars. the biggest problem with -- what

happens after the election is the biggest concern to us. we spent the last two years documenting how the major industries in this country target their millions of dollars of campaign cash to members of different committees. pick any one of those industries, all parts of $1 million a day on lobbyists. you had to that, -- u. add to the climates of conflict of interest. add to that a new fear factor. those who vote their conscience in this next session of congress on the tough challenges that face us know that they will be

persecuted by two dozen 12 from unlimited spending. this is clearly not what american voters want. i think charlie painted the picture there. we have seen big swings last three elections. we've had three change elections in a row. it is safe to say that the voters are not looking for one party over the other. they're looking for a change in how our government works. i am not optimistic about what they're going to see this time around. we have done a lot of falling over the last year. you have one of the memos to your press packet that tries to summarize it. what we found repeatedly is that large majorities of people, 75% of people from across party lines, want to see spending limits. they want less special interest influence.

in almostthe party's equal disregard. they have completely lost space and congress. the exit polls in 2006 -- those issues pulled strongly in the last two elections as well. we did a poll on election eve and found that three of four of voters were very concerned that all this was yttrium -- just as many want to see congress take immediate action. what is next and where do you go from here? i will lay out our 20-point plan. [laughter] the challenge here is that the

roberts court made it extremely difficult to have any impact on political spending from a regulatory approach. we need to be looking for new solutions. solutions that raise up the voices of small donors instead of focusing on trying to hold down spending by other straight common cause is going to be working for the next several months by pulling folks together to generate a another grass- roots uprising. i will mention three things that i think our key to that effort. one is no more secret elections. it is time for the parties to get together and put an end to what we saw this year and make sure we have full transparency moving forward. second, we need to change the way we pay for elections.

it is a grossly inefficient system. it creates huge conflicts of interest. we have worked hard on a model for small donor public funding that change is how that operates. third, i think it is important to say that the citizens united decision just cannot stand spread like the dread scott decision, citizens united is based on the ideologies that has no basis in reality. it will eat away at the soul of our democracy if it is not changed. corporations are not people. their role is to maximize profits, not to serve the national interest. it may take a constitutional amendment to win this fight ultimately, but it is a fight that we must win. thank you very much. [applause]

>> we have time for about 10 minutes of questions. it wants to go first? -- who wants to go first? >> i am not sure of what percent of the reform our community is engaging in this constitutional amendment activity to change what the corporation [inaudible] >> will be efforts to try and make a constitutional change delayed efforts or is there a way that can be done to get attention on the other reform topics? anyone to answer? >> they do not need to be in

competition with each other. they are all part of a comprehensive solution and there is a natural time sequence do that. we could do something about sensible action. we could do something about the disclosure issue right away. we have worked for years on a model for how the elections can be run that is different from the way there are now. we have successes and the states. the constitutional amendment is clearly a long-term proposition. it is having that discussion is part of what it takes for people to come to a shared understanding of what the problem is. to be ready to move forward. >> i think it would be a positive thing. i do not see it as negative.

>> what effect does citizens united actually have? [inaudible] >> the customer is about the effect that citizens united has. >> there was a psychological effect that voters no longer had to worry about illegalities. it is possible that disclosure would not be an issue for the irs, but mating taxes would. if they were an organ that -- but pay in taxes would. there were spending too much of their expenditures on political activities, the threats just kept growing smaller and smaller. it opens up the field for new players to spend and these are players with deep, deep pockets. there was a sense of -- they

could look at a more ale set of opportunities for them to have -- >> [inaudible] >> we of god pretty much -- we have pretty much a sense of what has been spent. i do not think there has been enough of a race by race analysis on whether or not they played a role. some of the action really took place before -- in determining who will win the primary. >> i should point out that the citizens united decision was a combination of a series of decisions that has deregulated

campaign finance. that started with wisconsin right to life. the constraints on all sides spending have been chipped away. but we have seen is an escalation of that spending. i do not know if we can quantify that because a lot of it is not reported. there is been some good reporting work done going back in it from the other end. if you look at what the chamber of commerce spent, it is hard to tell how much of that was money that was freed up under citizens united. short answer. >> [inaudible]

[inaudible] >> the question was, to what

extent is there direct disruption and to what extent public financing will help with that and small donors and the ability to support small candidates were not part of a large donor system. do you want to try that? >> sure. one of the big fights that we will have immediately this year is preserving the office of congressional ethics, which is the only independent watchdog that we have on the hill, and clearly any time you see the amount of money spent on elections that we saw this time, the opportunities for correction are ripe. who knows what k street and others are going to want to call in for the spending, and it is important to have an independent

watchdog look into that. just on public financing, the fair elections act, i think if we want the government to be accountable to the people, then the fund needs to come from the people in from the voters. that is the only way that you get rid of that conflict of interests. i>> other questions in the back? >> i am wondering what the panel thinks realistically [inaudible] being passed between now and the 2012 election? and second, with the chipping away of campaign finance laws, how much effect does this have? >> the realistic prospect for disclosure laws before 2012 and what impact they could have.

>> i am all for disclosure law, but i don't think that is the answer to the question because the folks out there are not paying that close attention, frankly, and i think the answer is, as i said earlier in my remarks, is public financing. i think disclosure is good, and i support it, but i don't think it comes anywhere near close to what we need. >> you think it will happen? >> our best shot at it is clearly in the lame-duck. we have majorities in both chambers that supported it before. we did not win it because of the filibuster by the republicans. we have the incoming senator from illinois who will be seated this fall who supports disclosure. i have sat in the past with senator olympia snowe and talked about these issues and she has been a strong proponent of campaign finance reform and the

past and feels that the system has gotten out of control. i think our best prospect would be for a stripped-down version of this disclosure bill to pass before the end of this year. i have not done the math on the prospects for next year. but it is challenging. >> ok, in the back. >> [inaudible] >> the question was the impact on state disclosure laws and court cases about citizens united being applied at the state level for disclosure in water the prospects there -- and

what are the prospects there. >> i think it will have a positive effect. the last question before this, i don't think the lame duck session is going to do a darn thing. i think the last about a week, and i will tell you why. because the democrats have had, as the president said, a shellacking. they are uneasy about who they are and so forth, and you'll like it anything positive out of it. it -- and you will not get anything positive out of it. >> citizens united not only over turned out the law but spending in 24 states. others have had a very concerted long-term plan to dismantle our campaign finance

laws and have set their sights on disclosure. bob has filed suits in probably 10-plus states, challenging disclosure laws. he has not gotten much traction on that yet, and i think of any of the areas, this is where we have the most support on the current supreme court. so what will be a big fight and will be a big fight to improve the disclosure laws in the states to keep pace with the new realities of spending. >> yes, and the front? >> [inaudible]

the constitutional amendment, the citizens vs. united, was there a clerical error that set that out? [inaudible] >> i have seen in a number of places [inaudible] and my question is, what about the

president? doesn't he have a role to do some corrective action? >> the question was what role does the press play in combating the misinformation that may be out there? >> there has been the health care reform legislation, in particular, incredibly complex, and there is a lot of effort on the part of the media to distill it for people, but there have also been efforts by groups like factcheck.org that have tried to do very factual, hard- hitting, truth telling to a lot of the misinformation about health care reform or about financial reform or the stimulus or the bat out, but -- or the bailout, to inform the voters.

when an organization is outright lying. there have been a number of efforts. i don't know if it has risen to a level of notice of the voters, particularly in the din of information about the races by these groups. >> last question. >> i was wondering if you thought there would be in the interest in the next congress to focus on the appropriations process? it has something that has been discussed and it picks up on some of the concerns of the conservatives who have been swept into office and who have talked about trying to control earmarks. there is a story recently about group contributions. >> is there any likelihood of reform on earmark legislation in

the next congress? >> i think there will be. the new speaker of the house has been there i don't know how many years, 20, 22 years, and he has never gotten an earmark as i understand it and he is adamantly opposed to them. i think whether it will be legislation passed or what not, i thinkhis will be part of it. i think in the senate, jim dement it was having a bay got row in south carolina about getting an earmark for the port of charleston, whether i agree with him or not, he is consistent. i think you will see quite a decreasen earmarks. >> ok, thank you. unfortunately, we have reached the end of our time.

please join me in thanking our panel. [applause] thank you all for joining us for the conversation, and thank you to common cause for putting this event on. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> next, a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new veteran's memorial in washington, d.c. after that, plans for the national mall. then, the impact of midterm elections around the country. tomorrow on "washington journal" political roundtable with a republican strategist and a democratic strategist all the politics and policy of the upcoming 112 congress. terence samuel identifies the new members to watch in the house and senate. martin klingst and robin harding discussed between the meeting in seoul south korea. washington journal wide at 7:00 p.m. eastern -- 7:00 a.m.

eastern on c-span. on wednesday, house speaker nancy pelosi, veterans affairs secretary eric shinseki, and other dignitaries took place in a ground-breaking ceremony for a memorial for disabled veterans. this is one hour. . . .

[singing "the star spangled banner"] ♪ d glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still

there. oh, say does that star spangled banner still wave? or the land of the free and the home of the brave. >> please remain standing. oral bluand now please welcome r

master of ceremonies. >> please, nbc did. -- be seated. that me welcome all of you to this special gathering, speaker pelosi, mike rogers, welcome and thank you all for being here. president art wilson and the entire board of directors and my colleague, it is an honor and privilege to have you all with us. thank you for being part of this and then to break ground for

the disabled for life memorial. this'll be the first national tv to the service and sacrifice of americans for disabled veterans and admiring the accomplishments. they are the reason we are so dedicated to creating a memorial. this year, a commemorative coin was produced to help fund the memorial. today there are more than 3 million disabled veterans. many thousands of service members have been wounded or otherwise disabled in afghanistan, iraq, in the war on afghanistaterrorism. the values of duty, honor, and country. they carried the torch of freedom high when they were called upon to do so.

many of them paid a high price for this service in our nation's defense. those disabilities are part of the continuing cost of war. that is why it is so important that the memorial become a reality. we need a reminder to future generations to the service and sacrifice that these young men and women made for our nation and the ideas of freedom and democracy. let's get things srted this morning with an invitation by aplain cross.

in a spirit of reflection, a thanksgiving, and some sense of joy. we celebrate our brave men and women who are here for the freedom of our nation. we are allowed the opportunity to return home to the coury. we ask for your continued lessons on those who served on this very special occasion as the break ground for the veteran -- disabled veterans for live memorial. this memorial will forever remind us of the suffering of the service and sacrifice of those to return this still continue the words. this is a source of inspiration and encouragement for all to experience. we recognize that it is made possible through the

contribution. we also authored banks. we ask a blessings for all in tendance today. >> thank you for those very inspiring words of prayer. let me introduce someone who is truly an interim -- inspiration into what this memorial means. nancy pelosi is in his second term in the house of representatives, and having made history in 2007.

she made history in november 2002 when house democrats elected heard the first woman to lead a major political parties. she brings more than 23 years of experience in the house, representing the city of san francisco since 1987. before being elected, she served as house democratic whip for one year. she comes from a strong family adition of public service. her late father served as a baltimore after representing the city for five terms in congress. her brother also served as mayor

of baltimore. please welcome into pelosi. [applause] >> good morning. what a beautiful morning it is. we can have the perfect day to take an action and it is appropriate for us to do. i want to think any. we take great proud in each other's work. i think him for his general introduction. winning the bronze star for valor -- we are all very proud of you. is appropriate that you are

at our presentation today. he is a decorated soldier in his own right in firmly committed to the well-being of all veterans. thank you. i first met him in bosnia. we went to visit him there to see his leadership. it forces protection. that has always been for the security of the american people. i need your knowledge -- i need of knowledge so many people who were responsible for protecting american people. chairman of the board.

all of the leaders of th disabled veterans foundation. for your dedication to this cause entered determination to do right by our wounded soldiers. we think gary sinise serving the national spokesperson and not been there for our veterans. very generously, the secretary reference my family and for my brothers. my father bought the baltimore orioles to a maryland. they had to build stadium. it is clear it to the baltimore stadium in honor of the service of our veterans.

it said time and not dim and the glory of their deeds they do every memorial to our veterans shares that thought. i want tof knowledge of the soon-to-be chairman. -- i want to acknowledge the soon-to-be chairman and those who made the legislation possible. john mccain, bipartisan all the way. this is such a high priority for

him. there is no question that the funding for this memorial was happening. i want to of the knowledge of their strong leadership. -- knowledge -- anowledge all ofheir strong leadership. we need to remember the true cost of war and conflict to our troops and their families. we paid to the to the sacrifice of those who served in came home changed forever but not their spirit. they gave part of their lives abroad so we can do this. we need to be there for them and

make sure everyone remembers the sacrifice. president kennedy was elected two days ago 50 years ago. he said we will pay any price. you know the rest. many of you have paid more of a price than the rest of us. we need to the knowledge that in every way. veryecretary said i'm proud of some of the work that was done in congress for our veterans. i want to make the additional point that when we did the new gi bill and increased the reliable funding -- these were priorities that the veterans brought to us. there are so many neat for

their -- needs. what are the priorities? those were our marching orders. i thank my colleagues for their leadership. i think the veterans community for making all of that possible under the leadership of president obama. together all of these accomplishments are bigger than anything since their original g.i. bilin 1944. we nee the parties to go forward.

in the name of all veterans, we break ground today to ensure that time does not in the glory of their deed. they hold it in the highest esteem. there is not a day the wind by my father did not reach a day that went by my -- there was not a day the web by that my father did not think about his brother. the tributes to those who lost their lives continues. today we take a very specific step in recognizing those who were disabled and to still continue to contribute to this strength of america in so many ways. as we approach veterans day, we

reaffirmed our commitment to the patriotism and service of all men and women in uniform whether they are in the saddle or wherever. because if you, we are the land of the free in the home of the brave. we are taking a critical step forward and the filling our pledge. this is our troops leave no one behind on the battlefield, when they come home, we leave no veteran behind. thank you to all of you who are working to make this memorial a reality. god bless our veterans. god has truly blessed america with our veterans. god bless america. thank you all very much. [applause]

>> lobbying has been out front for a number of years. he is a commander of the .isabled veterans but ther he is a member ofhe w. he was injured when enemy forces exploded a 500 pound bomb who is burned over 40% of his body. he can overcome the mental challenges he faces the dea.

he received a master's of education degree predel. taught high school and had careers as a juvenile probation counselor and the director edit family supportenter in texas beg. bobby has received many awas and honors including the disabled veteran of the year bill. his humility has taxed the lives of them. >> thank you so much.

good morning to everyone. this is truly a remarkable day. we are here to mark a major milestone in the quest it created the first national memorial honoring the service and the sacrifice our nation's disabled veteran special. i want to thank each one of the for being with us here this morning. the memorial will rise from the ground tt we break today and will make a very powerful .tatement upon th [inaudible]

last year we participated in a flyover and the indy 500 race as bombers flew over the race ceremonies. on the two days before t race, of orientation flights were provided to certain vips. the most important were returning troops who led been injured in iraq and afghanistan. one of the men had been paralyzed from the waist down. his father pushed the young man in his wheelchair. to enter the bomber, one has to climb up a stepladder under the belly of the aircraft. i had already flown in it. i knew what a challenge it would

be for this young man to enter the aircraft. i can thinking, how is he going to enter this aircraft? when it does time for his plight, the father rolled a wheelchair under the aircraft. he walked around, knelt in front of the wheelchair. the son leaned forward wrap his arms around his father's neck and shoulders and lean forward as much as he could. with his son on his back, the father climbed up the ladder and the aircraft. that moment to playback 40 ars when i began my journey as a disabled veteran. at that time, i was carried.

when i thought i could not take another step, when i thought that everything was so dark, when i thought i did not have the future, when i thought i cannot continue, i was carried. i share the story? what we are doing tod, breaking ground for this memorial, is a direct reflection of all disabled veterans and their attorneys that beg -- their journeys that began when they enter the call to duty. the journeys continue their out there honorable service through the trauma of his injuries. it continues today through their recovery and their renewal of purpose. what the father did demonstrated

that he would never abandon his son. this memorial clearly demonstrates that the american people will never abandon our nation's disabled veterans. [applause] within full view of the capital, the memorial will be a poignant reminder that our nation has a duty, those lead given so much of themselves. all who served share the horror, brutality, and hardships of defending our nation, especially in wartime.

the memorial is intendeto bring a greater awareness of what disabled veterans have already sacrificed for as. more than that, and the american veterans disabled for like memorial is a tribute to what they can accomplish. they know the challenges of rebuilding and resuming productive lives. they have excelled in life. those of you who are in the audience are the fine examples of what i am sharing with you.

it will educate the public and remind the nation about ito issues concerning disabled veterans. throughout our history, we have erected monuments to our heroes. this traditional display of admiration have come up short stock in honoring america's disabled veterans to continue to bear the deepest wounds and the scars of war long after the guns have fallen silent. by honoring these men and women, this memorial will be a declaration that america is forever grateful to her disabled

veterans, a declaration that in nerco will never forgive their service and their continued sacrifice for their. it will become one of our nation's most treasured landmarks. are making the stream in reality. i take great pride in all our veterans. om our hearts, we say thank you, america. [applause]

>> what a wonderful moving reflection of what this memorial means. >> to treat the disabled veterans live a moral foundation. it is her fondest wish to honor the of disabled veterans who served in the war in iraq and afghanistan as a low of all of those throughout our history the memorial is scheduled to be completed and dedicated in 2012. one of america's leading philanthropists have provided awards for medical research,

scholarships, summer camp programs, and humanitarian relief, and animal welfare. it is my great pleasure to introduce the heart and soul behind the american veterans disabled for life memorial. a lady of of a common vision and dedication, mrs. lois pope. [applause] >> good morning. it is great to be here. as it has been done for decades, our nation will pay

tribute to marron november 11 to marron november 11 to our veterans for the sacrifices they have laid for our people and our way of life. today in the shadow othe united states capitol, we break ground on the memorial that will honor the 3 million living disabled veterans in the millions who have died and tragically all those thawill become because the war on terrorism. the hundreds of disabled veterans who are with us this morning represent all of their brothers and sisters. they are soldiers of every race, creed, color. they have been severely injured while defending our freedom. far too often they have been

neglected, suffering long after the battle has bee one and the guns have grown silent. this is a small part of repaying of what we owed them. , a veteran's liberated victims of nazi oppression and freed a continent from the yoke of tierney. in the 1950's, they were our warriors on the battlefield and korea. in the '60s and '70s, they bought in the marshlands and jungles of vietnam. they sve their nations in the hot spots around the world.

today there defending is on the global war on terrorism. since the beginning of this conflict, tens of thousands of men and women have been wounded in action. some or minor wounds. far too many of these brave men and women will carry their stars in disabilities for life. we owe them so much. we can never thank them enough. the memorial will go a long way to showing our admiration, respect and gratitude. our journey began in 1998 when i met with the jesse brown. the secretary of veterans

affairs and with art wilson, ceo of the disabled american veterans. together we form the disabled veterans like memorial foundation and began our 12 year effort to bud this permanent public tribute to these unsun heroes. my personal commitment began a decade before. i was a singer back then and was performing for a group of vietnam era soldiers at the institute in new york. seeinghem there, and realizing how much they had given to the country, was one i made a promise that if ever i had a financial means, i would do all

in my power to honor their service in a more meaningful way. fast-forward to 1995 he told me that no such moral existed. i said there has to be one for the he said there is the washington, it jumpers 0, lincoln, but none for disabled veterans. that is the moment when i realized what my life's purpose would be, to build a memorial to you.

it is about the human cost of war. today that dream is one step closer to a reality. to borrow a phrase from abraham lincoln, the world will little remember what i said here today. but we will never forget what you have done for theand that we love. thank you disabled veterans. god bless america.

>> thank you for making this day possible. and is my great pleasure to introduce gary sinise. >> thank you. thank you very much.

what a day. good morning. they ask me to try to explain why i have been involved. i will attempt to do that r those of you that might not know. president john adams once said you never know how much it cost my generation to preserve your free them, i hope you'll make good use of it. since the beginning of our gre democracy, the young people we have sent off to war had paid an enormous price so that mean they live in freedom. so many have paid with their lis and part of their bodies and in some cases their minds upon the. of the 26 million veterans today, 3 milli are permanently disabled from injuries suffered in our nation's defense. many of these three heroes have not been treated as ey should. many have been marginalized or

forgotten altogether. coming from a family where a number of relatives have warned the various uniforms of our services, i have learned about the tragedies and triumphs of war. my grandfather served in the army in world war roman one driving in angeles in the front lines in france. my two uncles surgeon of world war ii. they survive 30 missions over year. my father served in the navy in the 1950's. my wife's two brothers both served in the army and fought in vietnam. one was a helicopter pilot. the other an infantry officer who graduated from west point, served two tours in vietnam and went on to become a lieutenant- colonel. a born leader, he rewrote the leadership manual for the united ates army before he passed away from cancer at age 39.

i have spent a lot of time talking in learning about the vietnam war from him. my wife's sister was in the army for 10 years and retired as a captain. when it you just returned from afanistan would be 82nd airborne. i did not serve myself. i'm especially proud of my family members who have. in the early 1980's, i directed a play in chicago that was written by a group of vietnam veterans and was based on their experiences during that war. the time spent with these veterans of all along with my wife's two brothers and another brother-in-law who was a medic in vietnam left a lasting impression on me. i commit in my timeo veterans ever since. in 1993, i had the distinct honor of portraying a disabled vietnam veteran on screen.

having spent some time of veterans, i felt i was well prepared and eager to play the part of lt. dan. such moments are rare for an actor. hoehling this rule change to me and educated me about the strange thing character of our disabled veterans. the story is a hopeful and positive story of triumph over adversity. he was driven by his desire to serve and devote his life in service to this country. when he severely injured and his dream of becoming a great officer is alter, he goes through understandable pain and anger. he eventually learns to live with his disability. in the end he finds peace. the final image is one of great power. lt. dan is standing strong and proud.

he is but his injury in perspective and has moved on. the ultimate recognition for an actor is winning an oscar. for me it was another war that holds the most cherish spot in my heart. that honor came in 1994 from the disabled american veterans which cited me at this national convention for my patrol lt. dan. it is a great moment. i cannot have been more moved. it was heart wrenching. but it was also heartwarming. i have met many veterans with catastrophic injuries. despite their disabilities, like

lieutenant dan, if they demonstrated and unclenching will not just to survive but to flourish. i was so inspired by the first introduction that from that moment on i have stayed actively involved with the dav and was bumbled and art wilson asked me to become the national spokesperson. i'm purpose to have helped raise money coming down public- service announcements. for the past five years, my band has performs dav be's national convention. [applause] starting in 2003, after we went into afgnistan and iraq three or four times a year, i visit our woued at the medical center.

rohm & hoss on each of these bids it, i am struck by the humility of the young men and women receiving treatments, their courage and determination, their acceptance and their dedication to their country. lending a hand is one of the most rewarding things i have done in my life. for all they have done in sacrifice, they do not as much in return. knowing they are not forgotten it makes a world of difference. that is why we are here today. to make a world of difference. war is notike what you see in the movies or on television. war is very real. while many of these veterans

have adjusted to their disabilities, there'll always be a constant reminder of the hell they went through. a reminder that they and their care givers lived with each and every day. they may have been which our nation's enemies, but their lives definedy l, by physical and emotional scars, remains firm. we cannot give them back to their real arms and legs. we cannot give them back their eyes or ears are pieces of themselves that have been lost, the mines that have been altered, but we can give them and we must give them our respect and our everlasting appreciation. being part of this memorial effort for me and my involvement is a wasting thank you to my family and friends who

have served into the thousands of disabled veterans i had met during my visit this may mean not just a better actor. you may need a better man. it to be a way for all of us this memorial to say thank you to all of them to ensure that the sacrifices are always remembered. calvin coolidge once said, "a nation which forget its defenders will itself be forgotten. that is why the american veterans disabled for life memorial is so essential.

its more than the nation's first public tribute to more than 3 million disabled living veterans and the hundreds of thousands that have died. it will show america's eternal gratitude to the men and women whose lives were forever change in service to our country. american economic and will not forfeit its defenders. it has been my pleasure to serve in this effort. thank you to all of you who have contributed to making the stream the lolas, art, and jesse had years ago into a reality. god bless you. god bless america. thank you very much. [applause] >> we owe you an enormous debt

of gratitude. it is a privilege to introduce our next speaker. he graduated from the military academy at west point. in a few weeks, he and i will what the big game in philadelphia. whoever wins the contest, they will go often served in afghanistan and iraq. secretary sinn secch served two tours in vietnam where he was twice wounded. he remained on active duty. he served as commanding general

and commander of the nato led stabilization force in bosnia. in 19909, he was appointed chief of staff of the army and retired in 2003 after 30 years of service in uniform. on december 7, 2008, he was nominated by president obama to leave the department of veterans affairs and was confirmed by the senate on january 20, 2009 and was sworn in at c seven secretary of veterans affairs on january 21, 2009. secretary of veterans affairs and life member, eric shineski. [applause] >> thank you for that very kind introduction and also

for your past leadership. let me was all the marines a happy bird then and -- which all the marines a happy birthday. let me further acknowledge nancy pelosi. madam speaker, thank you for honoring us with your presence here tay. thanks for your leadership along with president obama. you have done terminus work for veterans this year. we are indebted to you. senator bob dole i believe was trying to be here, a distinguished soldier and statesman. it is always great to have an opportunity to share time with them as i did last rickettsias looking forward to being released from walter reed where he had undergone some surgery.

ambassador from canada and other distinguished guests from canada, thank you for being here this morning. thank you for the generosity of the reception and luncheon following the ceremonies. members of the va team, thank you for what you do. i will add my thanks to low as hope -- lois pope and all the under a wonderful members for all of your work, and your devotion, your efforts for this wonderful private. scott brown is here. his dad has been mentioned several times already, former secretary of veterans affairs jesse brown who signed the original agreement with lois and

art wilson. bobby andbarrera, i always learn sending when you get up and speak. thank you to all the butter and service organizations who are represented here today. you all have contributed to making this memorial a reality. please join me in recognizing the disabled veterans who are here in the audience. there are several hundred of us. [applause] thank you all.

it bears repeating, this ceremony and this memorial are all about you, acknowledging your service, honoring your sacrifice. other distinguished guests i may have missed, i am honored to join you on breaking ground which will sure to enhance washington's landscape and the symbolism reflected in the landmarks and monuments. our deepest things go to lowest pope -- lois pope u.s. trade bill legions of supporters of across the country for this noble and were the idea. she has been the engine behind the enormous effort to honor men and women of every generation who have given so much. for some, everything short of life itself for our democracy.

thank you. george marshall, are great soldier statesman, once described the value of america's defenders. it is impossible for the nation to compensate for the services of a fighting man or today fighting lawmen. there is no pay scale that is high enough to bring the service of a single one of them, to buy the services of a single one of them during even a few minutes of agony o combat, the fiscal mysteries of the campaign, or the extreme personal inconvenience of leaving home to go to the most dangerous spot honor to serve our nation. america has been blessed with sons a daughters in view that unwavering sense of purpose to something greater than self, as

dead as sense of duty to a nation that we all -- a steadfast sense of duty to a nation we all love. it has led so many to give what president obama called the last full measure of devotion to safeguard our principles, mainly life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. as it was in lexington and concord, it is still today from bunker hill to basra and kandahar, the price of liberty has been paid by the valor of young americans to put principle and i feel the force of interest, comfort or safety. all too often their noble

service ended in le altering injuring, stark reminders of freedom's costs. there are few who have given more to our country than the 3 million disabled veterans living amongst us. this tomorrow is putting tribute to patriots who answered the call of duty and you have -- and to have showed as a quality of courage in which we can only marvel. in the saddle of our nation's capital, and the disabled for life memorial will stand as an enduring tributeor the towering courage, a selfless sacrifice, and staff as loyalty of all of our disabled veterans.

it symbolizes the sain of their warrior herite -- the strength of their warrior heritage and will reaffirm their heroism. the passage of time will not dim the memory of such selfless service. i extend personal regards and profound respect for your sacrifice. on behalf of the department of veten affairs, i offer you our respect and admiration for your service and courage in living life every day. on behalf of president obama, i extend to you the heartfelt thanks, a great respect and dignity for you from your commander in chief. may god bless those suits served in to have served in the nation's armed forces and they got continue to bless this wonderful country of ours.

thank you very much. >> thank you for your inspiring words. now the moment we have all been waiting for. are from brokers take their place? -- may i have our distinguish groundbreakers take their place t?

[muffled announcer] >> ladies and gentlemen, please, break ground. >> thank you very, very

much. >> next, ken salazar discusses plans for the national mall. then come a discussion on the impact of the midterm elections on governors' seats around the country. epithet, a look at the influence of the tea parties on the next session of congress. >> "booktv" this weekend, in one of his first tv appearances since the publication, george w. bush discusses the critical

moments of his presidency and his personal life. live sunday at 4:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. >> monday, a hearing will be held to determine whether any of the 13 counts against congressman charles rangel have been proven. the hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. we will have live coverage on c- span3. interior secretary ken salazar on tuesday signed a national mall plan and announced the next steps to revitalizing and restoring the mall in downtown washington, d.c. work on the plan began four years ago and this half-hour of that began with jon jarvis, the head of the national park service. this is just over 30 minutes. >> good afternoon.

i'm the director of the national park service. thank you for joining us today for this milestone. it is an incredibly important milestone in the life of the national mall. joining me today are the secretary of interior, ken salazar, tom strickland, and two of our partners, coca-cola, who has been helping us on the mall with our recycling program, and the trust for the national, which has been an incredibly important partner that will be with us for the mall's future. the national park service is in the perpetuity business. we make sure the national parks, all 393 of them, are here to share the stories of this country for all visitors and for those who come from around the world.

in order to that, we have to do planning. this plan has been a long way coming. we must express the vision of this great place as well as these stakeholders that have provided extraordinary input into the development of this plan. more than 30,000 americans commented on this plan through the process and even got a comment from around the world, one from mozambique. there is a large interest around the world. it speaks volumes to the values that are embedded in this national. nothing in washington, d.c., is done alone. there are many partners that weighed in and past legal requirements to participate in the development. my job this morning is to recognize many of them for their

contributions and involvement. certainly, the members of congress, the appropriations and .uthorizing committees the national capital planning commission, they did send the plan through. they completed their review and their record of decision. the u.s. decision on fine arts, the smithsonian institution, the arctic of the capital, the national gallery of art, the district of columbia's planning transportation offices, the advisory council on historic preservation, the transportation authority, the holocaust museum, the federal reserve, the national archives and records, the department of the agriculture, general services,

bureau of engraving and printing, national endowment for humanities, everyone of those had involvement as well. we have had organizations participate. the american planning association, the american institute of architects, the american civil liberties union, the committee of 100 for the federal city, d.c. preservation league, downtown business improvement district, the guild of professional tour guide, the national association of olmsted parks, the national coalition to save our mall, the national parks and conservation association, and the national trust for historic preservation. without the help of all of those individuals and all of those agencies and organizations, we really would not be here today. i think with their input, we have crafted a great vision for the national mall. one of those keys and absolute partner in the development of this plan and the future is the

trust for the national mall. it is a great honor i get to introduce the chairman. [applause] served as the spark's superintendent for the majority of the time. she had a major degree of been put in what was in this plan. the trust is honored to be the national parks honor -- partner in this and visionary -- this vision your project. this is a terrific day. the secretary of state said, be careful what you ask for. you might get it done. this is what we ended up with.

i want to acknowledge the 30,000 people the director mentioned that participated in providing input into the plan. their input is valuable in helping craft the final plan. i want to give a special thanks to susan. will you stand up, please? susan is the project manager for the team who could reach two put together the national mall plan. they put in efforts. did you understand how much effort it took to read the organizations that had to be consulted on this thing? 17 organizations had to approve the plan. we want to thank her for helping with the plan. i thank her for getting it finally approved. americans have a great tradition of protecting our public spaces. about 25 years ago, the public- private partnership emerged as

the organization. it was instrumental in getting many of these projects off the drawing board and to completion. there are wonderful examples, the statue of liberty, ellis island in new york, central park, and the renovation of the star spangled banner itself, and many more. the relationship with the national park service has evolved over the last three years to one of a 50/50 public- private partnership. we've taken on the job of restoring the national mall. it has been 30 years since any amount of money has been spent on series renovation of any park on the mall. the valor and the bravery of those who have fought to preserve our freedoms and those monuments of our iconic leaders

are being dishonored from simple neglect. america cannot stand by and let the national mall continue to be a national the straight -- disgrace. the plan is our guide. trust is committed to raising the private sector's half of the funds to restore and improve this space, to make it something that we all can be proud of. mr. secretary, since your appointment, you have been a steadfast supporter and excellent partner. he has put his money where his mouth is. he committed a significant amount of money to three critical restoration projects, evidence of which is right here. we're excited to begin working with you and your entire team and the national park service to execute this plan. together with your leadership

and commitments you have made to the project, i know that we will accomplish our shared goal. that is to make the national the best part in the world. thank you, sir. [applause] i would like to introduce to you the president and ceo of coca-cola refreshment. coca-cola is another great partner. they provided the funding for the first-ever recycling program on the mall. thank you for your generosity. we look forward to building a great relationship. >> thanks very much. thank you, secretary, for inviting coca-cola here today to share in this terrific national mall signing. the coca-cola company is thrilled to be standing next to our national park partners and participate in the work of

restoring the national mall, one of our true national treasures. the coca-cola co. has been partners with the national park service for more than 30 years. with more than 30 million visitors each year, there is no better place to launch a comprehensive greening effort than right here on the national mall. i told them 15 more minutes before i was ready. this year, coca-cola contributed more than $1 million to the national park foundation and partnership with the national park service and trust of the national mall. today, i am proud to say we're launching a sustainable, permanent recycling program to help restore and preserve the national mall. before starting the project, we invested in research with our partners to determine what motivates people to recycle and also what features make it easier for them to do so.

this includes researching everything from what color bins caught people's eyes to the shape of lids on each recipe. starting today, you will see blue recycling bins dotting the landscape -- landscapes from the reflecting pool down to the lincoln memorial and right here at the jefferson memorial. the coca-cola company is donating 320 recycling bins to use by the national park service throughout this great property. we recognize it is not enough to keep up with highly-traffic events that take place here. we have donated two recycling trailers that house an additional 400 pins to be used during the great special events that happen here, such as the fourth of july celebration. because we believe that education is the key to changing people's behavior and generating a commitment to recycling, coca- cola will make available for special events and mobile

educational vehicle to educate consumers on the importance of recycling. if you think about it, recycling is the easiest and most effective way to protect our environment. recycling is something we can all do as individuals at home, employees at work, as businesses in the communities, and as visitors to places like the national mall. we started coca-cola recycling in 2007 to support the goal of eliminating all waste during the life of our packaging through efforts to reduce, recover, and reviews all of the materials in our business. as part of this commitment, in 2009, we opened the world's largest bottle to bottle recycling facility in south carolina. this 30-acre plant is capable of producing 100 million pounds of recycled plastic each year.

that is about two billion 20- ounce coca-cola bottles. it is our goal to eliminate 100% of the waste in our production facilities and divert it into the recycling program. we all know that recycling is only one part of the equation. we are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to reduce our environmental footprint and make our businesses and communities more sustainable. this includes introducing the first-ever climate-friendly beverage coolers on capitol hill and converting our delivery fleet to hybrid trucks that use about 30% less fuel, and therefore produce 30% fewer emissions. we want to develop sustainable, renewable packaging with things like our new bottle, where 30% comes from plant-based materials. these are couple of examples of how coca-cola is making sure we

are doing our part in building sustainable communities. caring for our environment as part of our heritage and we are committed to preserving and protecting it. we look forward to continuing our partnership with the national park foundation and hope this is a successful inaugural recycling program. after the press conference today, i would love it if you join me in a brief demonstration of the new recycling equipment we have available here at the national mall. now it is my pleasure to introduce the assistant secretary for fish and wildlife. tom? [applause] >> thank you. thank you to coca-cola for their support of this beautiful place. the national mall, like all of the parks in the national park system, is a treasured landscape. it belongs to all the people of

america. it is unique because of all of the lands in -- it is unique, because of all the lands in america, it is -- it serves a unique role in terms of expression of our first amendment rights. it is a place to celebrate, to see the magnificent structures, like the one we are in front of, the jefferson memorial. 22 months ago, about 2 million people celebrated a moment in this country's history. a few weeks ago, we had congregations of folks with vastly different points of view seek out the national mall to express their views about this country. it is the most popular piece of real estate in america and the most profoundly important piece of real estate in the world. this vision of the mall is the first up in bringing it back to the level of beauty and special

place that it so much occupies in our minds. it is a product of a collective effort. i congratulate our leaders. it is a program that the director of the national park service, who i suggest will go down as one of the greatest directors in that group's history, jon jarvis, started his career as a park ranger of the jefferson memorial. you have come a long way. we are proud of you. let me say that we have a stewardship responsibility as the department of interior. none is more important than the places we are honoring with the small. we have someone who has a profound sense of history, a profound love of the outdoors, who has shown great vision and leadership to lead this department in the 21st century. join me in welcoming ken

salazar. >> we will sign the record of decision, we will make comments, and i will happy -- i will be happy to take questions. if i could have maria, peggy, everyone who was a park ranger, a park official who works with us, come and stand behind us as we sign this. i want the members of the national mall -- we will make this a reality. come and stand with us. sally, lead the gang appear. stand right here. both sides. you and i are standing over here, and i will make a few comments.

[laughter] [laughter] [applause]

>> let me make a few comments and take lessons from the press. you work for me. come over here. if we could get the horses, we would have you in here. first and foremost, when we look at what is going on here today and the national mall, this is about jobs in america. this is about jobs that are created by the 30 million people who come to our country, to our nation's capital, who stay in our hotels compete in our restaurants, and creating jobs here in america. this is the kind of project that is so important. we think about the challenges our nation faces. this is but one for us.

our national parks, our wildlife refugees -- refuges, everywhere you go, historic preservation is an opportunity to create jobs for america. this is an exciting time for us as a nation. today, we are signing the record. i will speak to it in a minute. there are other things that are going on here in the mall. our parks people, contractors, the other organizations that have been involved with us are doing a herculean effort in moving from what essentially was a static and stagnant effort to get into being on the verge of doing some things that will go down in the history of our country. you do not have to think for a long time to sense what is going on here. we have the celebration here at the jefferson memorial, where

$12 million have gone into this project. they tell me that it is in perpetuity, the kind of protection we are doing here. down on the mall itself, think about the history of the reflecting pool. that place is already being remodeled and refurbished with a $30 million commitment we have placed into the reflecting pool. think about the world war i memorial that had been abandoned for so long. it is not ending their. we pushed through the final efforts with the martin luther king memorial. in october of this next year, we hope to celebrate one of the iconic figures of the united states of america in celebrating martin luther king and his legacy to civil rights.

there is a lot that is exciting and a lot that is happening right now, today, in the nation's front yard. i want to give the people behind me around of applause, because they are the ones who make it happen every single day. [applause] i want to say quick word about recycling. when you think about the world we live in today, it was not long ago when recycling was not a consideration. overtime and the last 10, 20 years, recycling has become a way forward. i am delighted with coca-cola and with steve and the rest of the people who come here together to help us get recycling done on the national mall. i have often run the national mall. i think it is a stain on our nation's capital that the front yard did not have their

recycling initiative, to make sure the thousands and millions of bottles that are discarded here were simply going into the land fills of america. that will no longer be the case. we said we were going to change it. it was not completely gone on the fourth of july. we did not have them all up. now the recycling bins are up. i want to thank the national park service, coca-cola, and tom strickland for making it happen. [applause] finally, as chip and sally well know, the record of decision is a good way forward, but there is a lot that has to be done. there are critical issues that have to be made and critical resources will have to be invested. we have a head start, but with the help of the national trust,

we hope to be able to raise the money from the private sector and the kinds of partnerships we see here with coca-cola to make the reality of this decision move forward. for me personally, as i have watched the condition of the mall, it has from a condition that was a very bad condition to one that, maybe i would give a touc -- give it a c grade. we have to get better. whether it is improving the turf on the mall, or whether it is other iconic structures where we need to do more, our work here today is one that will continue on into the future. i am confident that with those of you who are involved in making this happen, we will get it done. i want to make a couple of comments. one of the things that destroys

the national mall are the heavy impact uses on the mall. when you have vehicles that weigh 20, 30 tons on the mall, and you have places that are used as construction on the national mall, it keeps our turf from growing. yes, we are moving the decathlon on off the mall. we do not believe it is appropriate to have those types of pieces in this particular place. as we manage the multiple uses that some of the speaker spoke about, they are addressed in this record of decision. how do we find those areas in this limited land of the mall? you can have those heavy impact uses. how do we have opportunities for people to play baseball and have other uses on the mall? this record of decision is a road map that will take us there as we address all those

issues that profoundly affect each and every one of the visitors that come here to the national ball. -- national mall. it is about jobs all over america. millions of jobs are created through this type of investment. it is also another great part of the interior's responsibility. that is how we tell america's story. that is our job. a senator has often told me that the job is being the custodian of america's national resources. we tell america's story. there's no better place than the united states and here, the national, to tell the story of america. thank you for being a part of it. we will be happy to take questions. yes? >> you are shoring up the sea wall.

can we assume the government will never have to come back out here to spend money? >> there will not be in need to reconstruct the wall here at the jefferson memorial during the lifetime of anybody here. i asked the contractor that question. he said it is built for -- it is a 100-year life. it is being built in perpetuity. they are going all the way down into bedrock. these things will need maintenance. what you are seeing here is a permanent kind of construction that will sustain itself over generations. yes? >> thank you. [inaudible] some people are worried about [inaudible]

the new business center might be underground. how will you keep the memorials that celebrate freedom open [inaudible] >> we at interior will take the security of our national icons very seriously. the washington monument is here, the statue of liberty is in new york city. they are important icon. we have security platforms around them. we have seen restrictions that have been put into place. some of them are more passive. some are more aggressive. it is our responsibility, along with others in the united states of america, to make sure we're keeping our places safe for people who come to visit them. we will take the appropriate measures that to ensure safety, but ensure there is a level of access to provide enjoyment to

people. other questions? yes? >> [inaudible] >> which one of the project? >> the goal is to raise the grade to an a. how long will that take? >> i will have peggy answer that. i have a comment on that. construction -- whenever we take a construction project, it affects traffic. you have seen the martin luther king memorial efforts affecting construction in that area. there is a priority to try to minimize those construction affects. in terms of how long it will take to do everything that is

set forth in the record of decision, that is a question that will only be answered by what kind of support we are able to get from the private sector to invest in these projects that are outlined. we get support from congress as well as we move forward in implementing the aspects of the plan. peggy? >> i think you did a fine job. i will say that the good news is the plan is -- the next good news is the money will come in increments. not all the projects will be started at the same time. they will be phased as funding is available. we work hard with the district of columbia and the other entities in town to make sure we each know what the of the organization is doing and planning. we try and coordinate our work so we are not creating gridlock every day for our commuters. >> thank you all very much for being here today. watch our work continue here at the national mall, america's

front yard. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [crowd murmurs]

>> in an ideal world, the fact that there were people shorting the mortgage market would have sent signals. they're smart investors who think this thing will crash and burn. you could not see that the way you can see it in the stock market. because of the way the instruments work, you were not getting real mortgages. you were inventing a casino version of the market. >> bethany mclean wrote about enron. now she will talk about the future of the american economy. that is sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on "q&a." >> next, a discussion on the impact of the midterm election

on governors' seats around the country. up to that, a look at the influence of the tea party on the next session of congress. then, a discussion of salaries of federal employees. see what people are watching on the c-span video library with the most recent videos and those shared. it is on our home page. you can click our special 2010 analysis tab to view our continuing coverage of elections. watch what you want, when you want. republicans picked up a net gain of five governorships in the recent elections and now hold the majority of the state houses in the nation. these results were discussed on thursday in a forum in washington, d.c. later, you will hear analysis from the races from chris salizza.

dutko worldwide hosted this event. >> i appreciate it, especially on veterans day. let's all remember it is veterans day. my commute was fantastic this morning. thanks very much for coming. it is great to see you here. obviously, it illustrates what we're talking about. pretty fascinating election. i am craig. i know some of you. i run the state and local practice of dutko worldwide. i am passionate when talking about government and politics. word were talking about government i am passionate about governors. i'm guessing you are, too. i'm guessing you are too or you wouldn't be he right now unless somebody told you you had to be. but hopefully that's not the case. it's been so interesting the

pastix months has been the te of governors races i got started in 1993 when i got kicked out of the bush white house and feels very similar to the way it felt for the past si months. not necessarily a democratic or republican thing, but just a resurgence in the power of governors vis-à-vis you not only inhe states, but also here in d.c. and again, if you're here, chances are that your bread and butter. that's what you'll do. for all very interested in the role that governors play in the states play in terms of impacting federal policy and national policy and the implementation of the policy. and for me, what as really interesting in this election was you had some of the individual races which will talk about in a minute and yes, some of the broader political trends. what does this mean about obama's administration pluck, pluck, pluck.

to me the most interesting thing is this resurgence in federalism. the past five to 10 years, governors have been playing third string, but they are definitely back. have a really active crop of new governors that are going to be very good, both for the national governors association as well as the rga in the tga and on their own. and we have a whole slew of federal policy that are cong back up again, whether it be rother it be rasterization, no child left behind fo transportation funding. you know, exactly how health care reform. that all shakes down to the states now. so it's a very exciting time to see a large group of governors coming in. it will be interesting to see how the new speaker approaches and handles his relationship with governors. i think governors have felt way on t back bench, regardless of

what you think about nancy pelosi. even for the next 10 years. what was so great about 1994 is not a speaker and a president and a senate majority leader at that time, bob dole, running for president, all paying attention to governors and that's what he saw such a great partnership. so i'm really excited about it. so the purpose of today is to talk to those governors races in sort of what happened and why. we've got sort of two discussions. remaking the shorter the way down in the past because everybody has got worn out last year. the first panel for going to be talking about the races themselves. and we're very lucky to have the senior folks for the rg here to talk goes through. and i were going to do some q&a and, probably take a quick five minute i opaque and then chr cillizza will be here later this

morning starting at 10:30 to look at some of the political and media aspects of the races. and will be done by 12:00, i promise. i had some other notes, but they're kind of moot now there is the sole state and legislative aspect to it as well, which maybe we will talk about another day. there were 16 states that had control within the state legislators. i'm not a lot, especially going into a redistricting year. but there's a whole another conversation to have about that. in any case, let me turn it over to the first panel and get it started. we really enjoyed doing this with the rga and vga. most of you are probably involved in the rga and you probably know that they are two of the most effective organizations in the country and certainly in washington d.c. both in terms of providing opportunities to interact with governors and staff, but

providing real funny to those governors and staff as well, going well beyond the dollars they raise for the races. the reason that certain nations are so effective is because they very well run. make eric and nathan daschle run for organizations and they would love to get together. nick had to hop ona plane to go out and get ready for the upcoming rga conference, which i'm sure we'll see many of you. phil cox, political director with the rga, who is here to talk about the races. horse nathan daschle from the democratic vernors association. and we've asked josh kraushaar to come and moderate the panel. josh is a former reporter for politico and now a columnist with national journal.com called against the grain and executive editor of the hot lane. i'd like to turn it over to these folks and the format really is up to the three of you. josh, i guess it's mostly up to

you, but you can le it be organic and you know, let's have a half-hour 40 minute discussion and then i would love it if you could help stimulate some q&a from folks, sort of see where it goes. thanks. >> thank you, craig for the introduction and i'm very excited to be here talking about the governors races in the statewide landscape, especially now that it's a week out of the holidaycome about from time to to digest the results and get some sleep and the partisan bickering and look towards the governing aspect. and to do that i'm really leased to be joined by two of the sharpest operatives in washington who i've known for quite a while. [inaudible] [laughter] >> nathan daschle, chairman of the democratic governors association -- [inaudible]

and republican governors association political dirt, phil who has been here. they've been as many of you know as they connect to director that manages all the dga policy, finance, political efforts, you name it and under name his leadership at dga has played a pivotal role in helping the democratic gubernatorial candidates across the country and the dga really has become a force in natial democratic politics especially over these last few years. so, before joining the rga service as a campaign richard burr current virginia governor donald andy engineered one of the gubernatorial victories of the election cycle. and he's been the campaign manager and consultan to over all the way down to the state legislator and also served as

mcdonnell transition direct care. one of the reasons i'm very excited about moderating this panel is nathan and fell for together aggressively on the political battlefield, but this is true for the ga and dga as far as all the political committees that get along with each other outside the office. i've been a part of many panels and it's not always the case. sometimes you have to really play moderator and kind of separate two sides. a very partisan operation at times. i'm impressed with both the work of nathan and nick they can play aggressively in the political battlefield and get together for drinks and work together and there's not a lot of acrimony, so that's a real testimony to the work these guys do. you know, there's a couple big

teams but the governors get lost at times but the senate race of the national attntion, but the governors races are among the most important and consequential concepts that we saw this november. and i think will have the most lasting impact on the political scheme in the lst few years. and the republicans picked up the key presidential backgrounds with pennsylvania, oio, florida, you know, vis-à-vis the races where the presidential race in 2012 and then i'll have an interesting impact on how these play out over the next few years. president obama is preparing for his fall election. there's a lot of very, very top democrat and they're going to have to figure out how to move forward in this day. so i went to kind of delve into

how the governors races, how they are affected and affect the presidential races in two years. another big theme that came out of the governors races redistricting. try not, is not necessarily the most thing when it comes to politics, but when you look at the house race map and the state legislative races for years and years to come, these are one of the most consequential governors races because the governor can do the bold work. if you have a democratic governor in a state with republican legislature, they can make it much for a bipartisan effort and vi versa. a lot of these big states, a lot of states where we seem governors and parties which is, they are goi to be a lot of lasting impact and i want to go into that as well. there's also a lot of a lot of proven others, fresh faces, 24, 25, couple dozen. you've got folks that haven't been around before with familiar faces like california judge

jerry brown and morgan john kitzhaber and a genuine tea party governor paulo page. you've got a guy ho was around washington d.c. in congress they ran for president in 2005. there's a lot of colorful characters and i want to go into some of the more interesting storylines also from 2010. but first i want to take a really big picture look of the night on election night. and kind of close to similar questions. governors gained five governorships you win some, like son. he said five saves will do better than a lot of the expectations for democrats heading into election. so i want to -- nathan, are you satisfied and how do you think it does for the upcoming governor's races? >> well, thanks. first let me thank dutko f