if it just slows things down and stalls everything, i don't think it should be something that is a prioritized just for the sake bipartisanship is bipartisanship. host: shar more of that message guest: i think i have a fairly nuanced view of the president. i think in terms of the report that i did for the book, i followed him for not prioritizing his supporters as much as he should've been. i followed him for what he did on the stimulus. i don't think tax cuts or big enough. i think there were too many deals cut for the health-care bill to get past.

i think they have not been as aggressive as they could have been in terms of dealing with the economy. i think there is a wide variety of criticisms that i do not like, and a think many obama supporters do not like the appointment in the white house, not enough new thinking and new ideas. i think the president has been far too passive at times selling his agenda and fighting for his agenda and laying out what his core priorities are and how far he is willing to push. i think those are all criticisms of the obama administration. if i am far from a stout obama's defender. sometimes i feel like i am portrayed as an obama critic. you cantt really

>> next, a look at the media coverage following the shootings in tucson, and a call by some to reinstitute the fairness doctrine. this is from today's "washington journal." week, nearly a week after the tucson shooting, what is your impression of the media coverage? guest: before committing to that, everybody should express's the nation's sorrow for the victim's and for those who continue to suffer and their families. the media coverage.

it has been a national disgrace. i can't get any harsher than that. every day that goes by underscores a that the national press had had a roofless agenda to use this horror for their own ends. even though on a daily basis, more and more evidence comes out that proves unequivocably that the media are wrong in what they are saying. they simply will not let up. host: why is it that they are saying that is wrong? guest: that this is politics in general, and conservative politics in particular, that this is about rush limbaugh, sarah palin, or glenn beck, about the tone of politics. we are learning that, for

example, this killer had no political affiliation. we know that he cited two works, the communist manifesto and mein campf. neither one of them are conservative. we now know that he never listened to talk radio. we know that he never watched the news, so how in the world is he affected by the news and by talk radio? if that is the case, then why the continued fascination with wanting to talk about that and halt talk radio has to curb its often do a better job, when in fact we know it has nothing to do with it? we might as well blame a game of parcheesi or the green bay packers for beating the philadelphia eagles. the reality is, those things had

nothing to do with this. this man was a killer. is this a demented person or an evil person? the conversation we should be having is that he is insane and evil. that is a far scarier discussion and then about sarah palin. let's stop using it for political purposes, which is what the media are doing. i think the answer to your question is it is disgraceful what they are doing. host: the numbers to call -- a piece from the new york times --

where is the harm in having this discussion about civil discourse? guest: , i think it is a very good discussion, don't get me wrong. i think it is a discussion which could have had 10 years ago and one that we have today, but do not tied it to what happened. what happened has nothing to do with politics. do not say it is because of sarah palin and the cross hairs on her web site, that this man was influenced. if we want to have a discussion on civil discourse and civility, i cannot be more supportive of this because it has deteriorated on both sides. i have no problem at all with brass knuckles politics, but the

rule of thumb that i follow is a simple one. at the end of the day, [unintelligible] if you can, ok. if you can't you went too far. sam donaldson -- we were debating on the crossfire. afterwards, we had a lengthy conversation about something, a private conversation, but i walk away with extraordinary respect for the man. i told him he was ruining my campaign because it was much easier for me to dislike him. he wrote me back in perfect words. he said remember, "always professional, never personal." if we could all remember that, that would be everything. if you want to have a

conversation on it, absolutely, but let's not tie it to this. host: arizona shooting coverage is a campaign -- when you use words like that, liberal sickos, and language that has its own punch to it, are you adding to the dialogue? guest: i am going to respond when someone in the press suggests that i am responsible for this, that the movement i believe in is responsible, that because i believe the gunman is out of control and we have to do something to rein in this flirtation with national socialism, somehow i am responsible for this carnage.

i get offended by that. then when they turn around and give me a lecture on the civility, well, maybe i will take the gloves off, too. host: hi, steve. caller: good morning. what you refused to seek is that this young man who killed people in arizona, [unintelligible] there are a lot of americans who are fearful of the republican party. they see the republican party as being a terrorist organization now. thank you guest: i don't know how to respond to that. to respond to that is to give credibility to an outrageous accusation, so i am not going to respond to it. host: do you deny that people are around jared loughner

created a toxic environment that included him? guest: good lord. at some point in this man's life, he went into a dentist's office and there was a newspaper with an editorial. do we blame the that writer for this? this is how ridiculous it is getting, that he might know someone that listens to talk radio, so it influenced him? we cannot go down this road. what if it turns out that for three hours per day, this man, this killer listen to rush limbaugh roo? does that make rush limbaugh and implicit or fair to say that rush limbaugh influenced him toward doing this? if that is the case, are we also going to say that all court

bears responsibility for the unabomber? where they're not reports that gore'sbomber had alcor's book bookes in his hut? are we going to blame them? of course not. you cannot do that, but is happening now. host: kathleen is on our republicans blind. caller: i have a couple of comments that i would like to make a question. i do have a question that would go to research, but i want to make a comment about the president's speech the other day. i watched it clear through until the cameras were off as he walked away. i was just dumbfounded as to how much of his speech took place about the young girl that was killed, and yet i waited to see

to shake the parents' hands, and from what i could see, he spent a few seconds with him and then he was off shaking hands with others and spending more time with political leaders. comment -- the second is talk radio and republican democrats -- what is being done and talked about going on in congress and changing everything, you are not exposed to classical music or jazz or reggae or pop music. we are going to make every radio station played every kind of music. the question is, in your research, have you ever been able to research who does the most name-calling? i always feel like when i of having a debate with a liberal

or a democrat or someone who does not have my point of view, if angry words or said or if name-calling, they are losing the argument so they cannot discuss ideas anymore. they go to name calling, the lowest level of debate. has there been any research to discover who does the most name- calling and go to that level? host: we will leave it there. guest: i cannot comment on a handshake -- the hand shake. this is how the far left has taken this tragedy and is playing politics with it, where overnight a member of congress comes out and calls for the fairness doctrine to be imposed because of this shooting. this is what i mean about the way it does become disgraceful on the part of some on left.

the third point she made about name-calling, we cannot with a report on our website -- we came out with a report that itemizes a litmus of commons that the been made by the left on liberal talk radio, on television, on pbs, where one after another, they call for the death of conservatives. i challenge anyone to show me where a conservative or fox has ever said anything along those lines. do we have to remember nina totenberg, saying she wished that one of his grandchildren would die of aids? this is the kind of comments that you have the from the left,

and yet where are the voices or the people who are supposedly calling for civil discourse? host: a piece this week from the new york times -- now, one thing to talk about

here, he says that the worst e- mail he received about the stability project were from conservatives with " unbelievable language about communists." "everything is in black and white and no conservatives see any redeeming value." guest: mark is a friend of mine and someone i have great respect for it. he is a very strong conservative. it is unfortunate that that would be the reaction. i know all three of those people. joe lieberman is a man with whom i agree with about 3% of the time. and yet, he is one of the ones in congress who i have the most respect for because he is always a gentle man and always civil. he has been on a campaign promoting decency for years.

he is my kind of liberal. i think it is unfortunate. i don't know what happened. but i know that market is a good man so there is something there reject but i know that marked -- but i know that mark is a good man so there is something there. i guess, a lot of it depends on who he contacted for what kind of response he got. host: what is your take about that idea, regardless of what group you are a part of, looking within your own ranks instead of pointing the finger? guest: i think all of us, all of us -- i do not suggest that i am

pure as the driven snow. i have lost my temper a time or two, absolutely. we can all look at ourselves. that is a good thing. about 10 years ago, i tried unsuccessfully to lure president bush 41 to washington to give a speech on the civility simply because regardless of what you think of george bush's politics, father or son, but primarily a father, i don't know if there is a more decent civil service person alive today then that president. i wanted to bring him into the national press club to make a speech. i think it is awful to use this

series of murders in arizona to do that. i think we need to mourn the families and the victims and not play politics. host: let's hear from catherine, an independent caller from virginia. good morning. caller: this is about civility but also about gun laws and how these powerful lobbyists are influencing these gop people as well as it democrats. rupert murdoch runs all of the media. that is not journalism. it is just entertainment. sarah palin is not a politician. she is just an entertainer. she shows her lack of education

all the time. host: we will leave it there. guest: i do not speak for the nra. if the laws were in place, they should have prevented this young man from getting the gun. the there is a body of evidence seemingly a mile long that he was mentally disturbed, if not very dangerous and should have been investigated by the police. if they had looked into it, they would've taken the steps -- host: there is no allegation at this point that any laws were broken when it comes to background checks. guest: these things were not investigated. these complaints were not investigated by the police. if he had been prosecuted, they

would have followed up with these complaints. i am not a lobbyist so i cannot speak for them, but what i can say is that it is inappropriate for bill maher to go on tv and say that the nra should be renamed the assassination lobby. there are millions of members of the nra who support them because they support the second amendment. he has just called them participants in an assassination. when he takes to the airwaves on tv and says that conservatives just want to kill liberals, and even jay leno was shocked because he was dead serious, and interestingly enough there were members of the audience who booed him when he said that.

this is the far left using this horror to promote an agenda against conservatives. host: let's go to louisville, kentucky. caller: i have a comment and a question. it seems to me -- if i am mistaken, i wish you would really correct me. every time i see anybody saying anything in regard to sarah palin, it is always about the congresswoman as a victim from the shooting. the only thing i have heard them do it is at play that. every time they play it, this clip, they expressly say they do not hold sarah palin responsible for it, so i think it would be irresponsible to not show that in light of the congresswoman being shot.

the only other thing i would like to say is, when you first came on, you stated how this is being made out into a political thing. i don't see how you could possibly be in the situation where politicians are being targeted and shot and it not being about a political purpose. he came to the place where a meeting was being held. if he agreed with the lady, he would not have been there to shoot her. because of him not agreeing with her, it had to be politically motivated or he would not have been there for the purpose of causing destruction and mayhem. guest: one, we do not know that. we don't know why he shot the congresswoman. did he do it because of her

beliefs? there is no evidence on that. did he do it because she is a congresswoman? is that it did not matter that she was a democrat or republican, he would have done it, too. i don't think that made a difference. she was a member of congress, an important person, a celebrity. that is why he did it, i think, and that is going to come out of it. you say that the media -- you notice something that is absolutely correct. the media say on a regular basis of a preface any story while saying although there is no evidence that sarah palin is connected, and then they talk about sarah palin. if there is no evidence, why are you talking about it? i will give you an example of how words are being twisted.

paul clark and of the york times wrote an editorial. he blasted congress, and michelle bachman because he said she has stated that she wanted people to be "armed and dangerous." he said that is the kind of language that is inappropriate and scary, etc. apparently, he said this on a radio talk show. the host of that talk show went public yesterday or the day before yesterday. they had the transcripts. they played exactly what it was she said. congresswoman michelle bachman was talking about cap and trade legislation, and she was saying the people up in washington were getting away with this legislation because the american people did not know what was happening, so she suggested her

job was going to be to educate the american people. . . >> let's go to the republican line in orange county. >> i am almost ashamed to say that i am a republican. for democrats, when obama was the president, and all during the campaign he talked about you is going to do health care, and all of the democratic senators and representatives said he is going to do health care, and the people of the united states overwhelmingly elected president

obama, a democratic congress and the democratic senate to get that done. the republicans chose to ignore the results of that national election. they filibustered the senate. they talked to down at obama. they called him a fascist and a socialist. they did all of this ugly stuff, and they did it to deny the people of the united states the control of their government. guest: 50% of the american people want obama care repealed. statistics. over 60% of the people. there is no single piece of legislation, i suspect, in history that has been hotly -- more hotly debated and closely

debated and has gotten more media attention than national health care. interestingly enough, the more it is debated, the more ground democrats lose on this in the court of public opinion. now, 50% is a big number. -- 60% is a big number. the caller as saying that the guarantees to listen to the people. i think he means that he supports its repeal. host: to clarify what we are for talking about earlier, this piece in the christian science monitor, there is evidence that the shooting suspect is mentally unstable. but he was never declared so in court. ... scrolling to the story you get to see more detail. why was he able to buy a gun?

guest: that proves the point. if the authorities had done what the authorities try have done, which is investigating these complaints about this bizarre man, they would have in all likelihood found him mentally unfit and he would not have been able to get that done. host: albany, georgia, welcome. caller: i want to say thank you for your common sense. cliff is nice to hear the truth out of it and not spin from the media. i have two quick comments. one is from a previous caller who said she was afraid of the republican party. i tell you, i have been afraid of the democratic party and the

policies that they have pushed through without the consent of the american people. another caller stated that if the shooter had not been politically motivated, he would not have been at the congresswoman's area to shoot her. mark david chapman, who shot john lennon, did not dislike him. he was infatuated with him. it did not stop him from being there. my question to you, sir, and again, i thank you for your common sense. if you were going to run for a political party, i would definitely vote for you. guest: and another one, john hinckley. the what did he have against ronald reagan? nothing. this is what happens when you are crazy. you do crazy things, if this man is crazy. we do not know because it has

not been determined yet, but we do not know if he was crazy or if he was evil. and that is a conversation, i think, that needs to be this -- to be explored. i think the media would do a much better service to the american people to explore what degree he was dabbling in the occult. because to the degree he that he was an to the degree that there is a connection, that, to me, is far, far more frightening than any silly discussion about politics or liberals or conservatives or democrats or republicans. that is far more serious than this, but nobody is covering that. it might just be that this man is simply a walk job -- whack job, but if that is the case, that we should have a conversation about that.

one of the terrible consequences of this is that from now on, every member of congress is going to need to have to have security, or they will believe they do. this country is losing its soul. you look across the state to the capital and it is just full of police and their kids because of 9/11. more and more, we are getting -- police and barricades' because of 9/11. more and more we are getting into the posture. you host: said you do believe in stability and this course -- host: you said you do believe in civility and discourse. what is served by that by calling someone a whack job? guest: yes. we cannot be so sensitive, so politically correct that we cannot say anything eveat all.

you hear so many words that we are told we cannot say any more, so many phrases that we are told we cannot under any more. it comes -- that we cannot under any more. it comes to the point where we need a super on our mouths. -- a zipper on our routes. if it turns out he is crazy, then he is crazy. host: a republican caller from baltimore. caller: i want to start off by thanking you for all othe you have done for the country and the conservative movement. what we have going on here is that government and governing means we have winners and losers and the more government you have out there, that is more ammunition you will have down the line. would you not agree with me?

>> more ammunition in what way? -- if guest: more ammunition in what way? caller: the more government you have the mowry the native americans you will have. guest: i had not thought about -- the more alienated americans you will have. guest: i have not thought about it that way. with more government you have more and more people who are participants in government, directly or indirectly, and fewer people who are not participants in government. here in the washington d.c. area, you never know that there has been a recession in this country. the homes are booming, the economy is growing nicely. everyone here lives of the government to one degree or another. this is not the real world.

and i do believe that this is a feeling of alienation about more and more people who feel that the government does not represent them anymore. they have their own agendas and they do not see themselves as representatives of the people. i firmly believe that. what does that have to do with the arizona killings? nothing. host: chad, an independent caller in michigan, hi there. caller: i would like to thank c- span for having this kind of discussion that we are having today. it is an indispensable value for this country. i will disagree with mr. bozell because there are some of the cliches that can be applied to conservatives and their arguments that he is presenting. they can dish it, but you cannot

take it. i believe this discussion is dealing with a political speech and how it applies to arizona. i would certainly agree that there is a tenuous connection that the gentleman has unhinged, however, you cannot escape the environment that one creates and the impact it has on others. you can see that when we have democratic presidents in the white house, you saw a ramping up of a republican rhetoric in a very militant way. as a person from michigan, the militia in the 1990's was very widespread. it is kind of like the tea party now. in fact, i have a manager that felt so comfortable that during

a break he brought me out to his car to show me the gun that he kept in his car and asked me if i was in -- interested in attending a militia meeting, which of course, i was not interested in. we saw a lot of this ramping up a of rhetoric in the 1990's with rich and others and the bombing of the federal building. i think we are seeing the same thing here. in his comments and many other conservatives, i think they sense this president is having similarly occurred. -- this precedent, having similarly occurred. it makes great news. it ultimately it has a negative impact.

host: let's get a response. guest: you just tied to the tea party to the militia movement. this is the kind of thing i am talking about. about the harshest in the tea party does is using "god bless america" off key. and now they have just been tied to the militia movement. this is the kind of thing that i think is reprehensible. where is the evidence that in any way directly or indirectly linked this killer to the conservative movement or even to politics at all? everyone is saying there is none, but we can see usain there is a connection. although there is not. -- we can see you saying there is a connection. although there is not. i want to blame parcheesi for this.

how can we be so high and mighty about this and not point fingers at ourselves? i would say to you, sir, where were you when president obama said, if they bring a knife, we will bring a gun. -- we will bring a gun? no one on the right said, mommy, he is tried to kill me. he has a gun. no, it is rhetoric. it is completely understood. no one in the media talks about bombarding someone's ground game. nobody complains about the media because you understand what they are saying. but let's be careful with these accusations. to accuse republicans of ruby ridge and everything else, this is beyond the pale. you should be ashamed of yourself for saying that.

if you want to be against republicans or conservatives, fine. but be careful with accusations. host: here is another article about tucson. guest: the press has been nonstop talking about politics played a role in this, and yet, 57% of the american people reject that argument. i think the public has a lot

>> today, an vice president biden announced his new chief of staff. bruce reed recently worked as an executive director on the white house commission for irresponsibility and reform. >> this weekend on c-span 3's american history tv, this is an american history conference in washington. a visit to the bureau of engraving and printing to learn about creating currency. as part of our continuing series on the civil war, a program on the first state to secede from the union. see the complete we can schedule online. you can also press the alert button and have our schedules e-

mail to you. >> the best way to carry on dr. king's work is to reach out to someone in need and make an ongoing commitment to community service. on the 82nd university -- 82nd anniversary of dr. martin luther king's, find a program and watch it and share it on c-span. >> earlier this week, attorney general eric holder led a commemoration of martin luther king jr. at the justice department. the former new orleans mayor andy -- new orleans mayor took part. >> we stand together unified to commemorate the life and the legacy of dr. martin luther king. we are humbled and the grateful that we have a part to play in the freedoms that he so valiantly fought for.

continue to put it in our minds and hearts to stand up and fight for righteousness and justice. amen. >> i would like to formally welcome our speakers at this time. the honorable eric holder, jr.. thank you, sir. [applause]

thank you for joining us today. i would also like to a knowledge of our deputy attorney general. [applause] as well as several of our heads who have joined us today. thank you for being here. we are fortunate to have with us the assistant attorney general for the civil-rights division. welcome. i would also like to extend a warm welcome to our keynote speaker. [applause] he is the president and ceo of the national urban league, the nation's largest civil rights organization. we also welcome lisa p. jackson of the civil rights division and

thank her for providing the opening and closing -- lisa n. jackson and thank her for providing the open and -- the opening and closing and locations. we are honoring dr. martin luther king jr. who worked tirelessly for equal justice for all. remember, celebrate, act. a day on, not a day off, remains the national theme of martin luther king day. his most powerful philosophy was that one of the best ways to achieve peace and civil unity was to help someone. it is my honor to introduce the assistant attorney general for the civil rights division. he was sworn in on october 8, 2009. he spent 12 years in public

service. he was the deputy assistant general under attorney general janet reno. he chaired the inter-agency task force and was the principal adviser on civil rights and constitutional issues. he leads the civil-rights division's efforts to uphold the constitutional rights of all americans. please join me in welcoming him. [applause] >> good morning. it is an honor to be here and to welcome a new deputy attorney general. it is great to see all my friends and colleagues as we gather here today to honor one of our nation's most cherished heroes. helping's commitment

shelter in some of our most critical civil-rights laws, laws that provide relief for those who reside in the shadows. every day is martin luther king day in the department of justice's civil rights division. his belief that the quality was inevitable set an example for generations of americans seeking to continue to perfect our nation. it continues to be felt here in the year 2011. each year, we celebrate dr. king to commemorate his great accomplishments and to honor his legacy and remind ourselves that civil rights remains the unfinished business of america. in dr. king's famous letter from the birmingham jail where he was detained because of his unwavering commitment to freedom and equality, he wrote that, i cannot sit by idly and not be

concerned by what happens in birmingham. injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality type in a single garment of destiny. whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. if dr. king were here today, he would recognize and applaud the progress we have made. he would feel proud of his great and lasting contributions to better our nation. he would have great pride at the fact that we have attorney general eric holder. he was the individuals who are still targeted for violence because of the color of their skin, the language they speak, the religion they practice our home they choose to love. he would speak out against all forms of injustice. he would see individuals without access to housing or education

or employment or critical services because they look different or because they have a disability and he would take action. he would continue to work to promote justice and equality through peaceful means. dr. king's legacy is far more than the civil-rights laws on our books and that we have the privilege of enforcing. it is a mind-set, a pragmatic and effective approach of solving the critical problems of today brings people together for a common purpose. it is a legacy of peace will progress. each year, we honor this legacy with programs such as this. we also honor dr. king by dedicating ourselves on a day of service to others. we should also honor dr. king by emulating him in our actions and our public discourse. we should remember that with systematic hate it, he has responded with reason and love.

i am pleased and honored to have the opportunity to introduce someone who carries dr. king's torch forward today, attorney general eric holder. he has been an unwavering support up our work in the civil-rights division. he has our back every single day. he has repeatedly and consistently made clear that the importance of our civil rights laws is a top priority of the justice department. he has backed up his commitment with action. we have made great strides to transform the civil rights commission -- civil rights division so that all can benefit from the laws meant to protect them. strides that would not have been made possible without the support of solid leadership. i am grateful to call attorney general eric holder my boss. i am grateful that america has the privilege of calling him our attorney general.

ladies and gentlemen, i bring to you attorney general eric holder. [applause] >> good morning. that morning. thank you, tom, for your kind words and your leadership of the civil rights division. i want to thank your team as well. for the work they have done more -- done in bringing us all together here. [applause] you have a school with a great tradition and you serve that great tradition. thank you for be distinguished guests and our keynote speaker.

today, we are together to celebrate dr. king. we are bound by a shared grief and a painful sense of loss. this weekend in an unspeakable tragedy, 20 individuals were shot in tucson, arizona. six people were killed, including nine year-old christina taylor green. this senseless and shameful act of violence serves as a reminder that more than 40 years after dr. king's own tragic death, our nation has yet to run its course of cruelty. the fight to bring those that use violence to justice goes on. threats against public officials continues to be a cause for concern. i do not believe these threats

are as strong as the forces working for tolerance and peace. at times like these, time's up inexplicable loss, the importance of the justice -- times of inexplicable loss, the importance of the justice department is brought into focus. many families were devastated by this tragedy. we must recommit ourselves to the work of this great department and to our professional and personal efforts to carry forward dr. king's dream. for 25 years, americans have been coming together around martin luther king jr. day to pay tribute to his life and enduring contributions. each year, this provides us with an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to dr. king's dream of racial, social, and economic justice. it is also a reminder of the power and the importance of service to others.

dr. king's example and his enduring legacy offer proof that the contributions of a single person can help to improve, inspire, and transform an entire nation. with his powerful words and his powerful deeds and with fearlessness and great race, dr. king helped to place a trail that i used to stand on this stage as the nation's first african-american attorney general. a just and includes a world remains one of our -- just and inclusive world remains one of our major goals. all employees should have an opportunity to contribute to the work of the justice department. in the decades since dr. king called for equal opportunity such -- opportunity so

courageously to move our nation toward and after he traveled here to share his goals and his vision, great progress has been made. for some, it may be tempting when you look at the many accomplished attorneys and public servants in this call to think that the nation's struggle for equal opportunity has ended. that is not true. we have more to do. we have further to go. i believe the best way to carry on dr. king also work is to reach out to someone in need and make an ongoing commitment to community service. without question, there are great needs to be met in america and beyond. i encourage each of you to help make certain the dr. martin luther king jr. observance day is at not just a day off. it must be a day on. we can insure it will be a day of national service. on monday, i will be in atlanta

speaking at a center that is named in dr. king's anna. it was founded to advance his vision of social, racial, and economic justice. i will have the honor of addressing congregants at the ebenezer baptist church where dr. king served as pastor. these events are to listen and learn about the needs and encourage community engagement. that is what dr. king's birthday is and can be all about. heating dr. king's example helped to steer -- heeding that the king's example helped to steer us and it can help us develop a just and more inclusive nation. and before the service you provide everyday. will soar grateful and proud to call you my colleagues. -- i am grateful and proud to call you my colleagues. i would like to introduce and a

private -- introduced and admired public servants. he has distinguished himself as a ceo, an attorney, and entrepreneur, a professor and as the head of our nation's largest civil-rights organization. he is my good friend. please join me in welcoming him. [applause] >> first of all, thank you to attorney general holder. let's give the general another big round of applause. [applause] let me say good morning.

it is great to be here with you today. that me again acknowledge the great pride and respect that i have for attorney general holder. our young people, he is indeed a role model who has worked his way up, who has accomplished so much and who is destined to be one of the great leaders of the department of justice. thank you again, attorney- general holder, for having me. thank you for your friendship. i also want to thank tom for his leadership. i want to thank them for the binding, resuscitating, and re- establishing the commitment of the -- for resuscitating and re-

establishing the commitment of the department of justice or civil-rights laws. there is no higher priority. let me also thank each of you, those public servants who work here at the department of justice. this department, since 1870, has been charged with an important responsibility, carrying out the names of justice as articulate and established in the constitution by the founding fathers and as improved over time by successive generations of leaders. i especially want to thank the front line man and women of the civil rights division. the civil rights division, for nearly 54 years, since 1957, has been a bulwark of civil rights

in this nation, and forcing the lots, education b -- educating the public -- enforcing the laws a and educating the public. thank you all for your tremendous service. it is an honor. to be able to speak at any time and any place about dr. martin luther king. but it is a special honor to be able to speak about dr. martin luther king here at the department of justice. of dr.ar's celebration king's life is special because i believe it is framed by a number of the events. first, as the attorney general has mentioned, the tragic events in the state of arizona. my thoughts, my prayers, and

those of the national urban league are with congresswoman giffords and the families of those who have lost their lives. that pain that we experience as a nation is no way matching the pain that the family members and loved ones of the people who lost their lives feel at this time. when death comes suddenly, when death comes in a tragedy, when it comes from violence and in such a public way, those family members will experience this pain for days and months and years to come. dr. king, the great nonviolent phet, histy and prof celebration is framed by the events in arizona.

this celebration is also framed by events 50 years ago. we began in 2001 this 50-year. period since the 1960's, since that time when this nation dramatically changed, decade of a great difference, that the decade of great civil disobedience. this celebration of dr. king is also a friend of the events -- all named by the events of 25 years ago. this is the anniversary of this nation's celebration of dr. king's birthday as a national holiday. it is hard to believe. [applause] it is so hard to believe it has been 25 years. i have a vivid recollections of

being out on the mall on a cold day in january of 1981. i was but a freshman law student. the great musical genius steve wonder -- stevie wonder led a tremendous march to say to the nation in 1981 that dr. king's birthday should be a national holiday. he performed that iconic happy birthday song to dr. king. 25 years after the signing of the king holiday, this is a year where this nation will once again recognized dr. king in a special way when in august of this year, the martin luther king memorial will be dedicated

here on the mall in washington, d.c. [applause] a first not only for an african- american, but a first for a nine-president. a significant undertaking -- the first for a non-president. i am proud that my own college fraternity conceived and has led the effort. toward the building and the ultimate dedication of that monument in august of this year. dr. king's birthday is also framed by the great recession. the great recession that we have experienced as a nation, the record number of job losses, the

record number of home foreclosures, the heroic effort by the president and his team and members of congress to respond to this great difficulty. there have been seven recessions since the great depression. none comes close to this one. in terms of depth and length, in terms of numbers of people who find themselves long-term unemployed. this holiday, for reasons i will share with you, is framed by that recession. i think it is fair to ask, there to suggest that if dr. martin luther king were with us today, what with his observation be and what might he say?

i know that if he were with us, he would be a vigorous 82-year old man collecting his social security check, relying on the important medicare program. but a man who would look back. he would look back to 50 years ago when he look at a little television. he might go to the internet. he might have one of those 50 inch high definition televisions. he might see that 50 years ago to the month, was a month in which the late great john f. kennedy, the man who asked asked not what this country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country, was inaugurated.

he would look at that decade of the 1960's, which led this nation's eyes to birmingham, alabama and the letter from birmingham jail and the battle against bull connor and the way the dogs and the hoses of bull connor shot to this nation into the cause of civil rights. it was a decade in 1963 when the great field secretary for the naacp in mississippi, medgar evers lost his life while standing in front of his own home. a year, 1963, when 250,000

people of all races, creeds, colors, religions, dispositions and natural -- national origins marched on a mall in this city to proclaim a new commitment and a challenge to this nation to live up to the true meaning of its creed, a that 50- year. 50-yeark at -- period and look at that march and determined it was not a march for television. it was not a march to give speeches. it was a march to compel the president and the congress to pass a civil rights act consistent with the ideals of this nation. he would have witness in that year another unspeakable

tragedy, the tragedy in dallas, when that great young president, john f. kennedy, lost his life. in 1964, kennedy's dream and king's work, the civil rights act, was passed. it was then that he'd won the nobel prize for peace. he did not stop there. the movement moved to selma, alabama and bloody sunday. it was not another march for the sake of a march. it was not another march because it was a way to get somewhere. it was a march to say that civil rights is incomplete without voting writes. the challenge to president johnson and the congress was to pass a voting rights act.

as that dictate elapsed, dr. king, at the moment and in the month before his untimely death in memphis, tennessee, began and embark on a new effort, an effort to recognize that economic justice, economic empowerment was indeed the next frontier of the civil rights movement in this nation. he conceived of and began planning for what he called not a march, not a sit in, but a state in, called -- stay-in called the poor people's campaign. what with dr. king think when the congressional black caucus was created? win african-american mayors were elected in every -- when african

american mayors were elected in every southern city which 10 years before that had been segregated. sometimes as many as 1/3 to 50% of people in those communities did not enjoy the right to vote. what with dr. king say if he would have witnessed in the late 1970's and the early 1980's the efforts by some to reverse the gains of civil rights by watering down the civil rights act and the voting rights act? he would have been proud at the bipartisan coalition that formed in the 1980's to rescue and to save and to push back on those efforts. dr. king would be proud if he had witnessed the 1990's when

the americans with disabilities act became a feature of this nation's civil rights panoply of laws. he would have been proud if he had witnessed during the clinton years a ron brown, an alex herman and a janet reno become members of a president's cabinet. he would have been proud to see that occur. but what would dr. king observed about this last decade that we have experienced in this nation? a decade of the 2000 florida recounts when the selection of the president of the united states ended up in the united

states supreme court. what would his observations and comments have been had he lived during 9/11 when 3000 people of all races, creeds and colors lost their lives during an attack on this nation? what would he think had he seen hurricane katrina in 99 degree heat with 99 degree humidity? i can tell you, it is nothing you know in washington, d.c. what would he have observed? what would he had observed if he had witnessed the great recession and the subprime crisis? what would he have observed had he been on the mall in january of 2009 to see president barack obama inaugurated as the president of the united states? what would he have observed to

walk through the front doors at 10th and constitution, in this building to look up and see those photographs on the wall and see barack obama and eric holder their? i think if dr. king were able to observe the last 40 years and had he reflected on his work in the 1950's and 1960's, which was the work of many, he as the leader, but the work of many, like the organization i lead, standing together in a battle and a fight for civil rights? dr. king would indeed feel a great sense of pride, a great sense of accomplishment that wog

joy to his heart. he would witness an achievement gap with not enough young people finishing high school. that the king would see an awful criminal-justice crisis which too many young men of color finding themselves in costar rate in this nation's penitentiary's. -- finding themselves incarcerated in this nation's penitentiary's. he would see what i see come a great and mighty nation of prosperity evolves into three americas, the america of wall street, the america of those who built a great deal of well at high levels of income and are in a position to live with great comfort, and america of main

street is struggling, hard- working, men and women, police officers, teachers, civil servants, nurses, front line administrative professionals who work every day, small business owners who live in our towns and our cities big and small across the nation. who are working hard for stability and for survival. then he would see an america of the back street, an america where record numbers of americans live in poverty, record numbers of americans are receiving food stamps. he would see the 16 million people out of work. he would see their struggles and he would feel that pain.

he would remind us that economic justice and economic empowerment and closing the economic divide it is the real unfinished business of civil rights in 21st century america. [applause] he would observe that while the civil rights movement was at its and fairness americans, it was about a broader principle. that is achieving justice and fairness and equity for all americans, regardless of their situation or disposition, regardless of who they love, regardless of their national origin, regardless of their race, their color and their creed.

his legacy would be that civil rights is indeed that great enduring principle. he would say that it is unacceptable for a nation with so much prosperity to tolerate poverty amidst all of this plenty. we cannot be an america of wall street, main street, and that street. we have to be an america where everyone feels that they have a justifiable path to economic security. that the king would also cousel us -- counsel us that this is a time to reaffirm our commitment to become one nation

under god, indivisible with liberty, justice, and economic opportunity for all. we must confirm our commitment that civil rights was not simply a time and an era the american history. civil rights is not merely a set of laws on the pages of law books. civil rights is not just powerful and compelling speeches. people get about the american ideals. in the 21st century america, civil rights must be an american value. civil rights is the fight in the battle. it is the fight in the battle to ensure that we the people of the united states in order to form a more perfect union -- and i

would note to -- establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, promote the general welfare, secured the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution. dr. king would remind us that the founding fathers did not use general welfare first. they did not use tranquillity first. they did not use provide for the common defense first. they used, to establish justice first in the preamble to the constitution of the united states. civil rights is the quest, the work, the battle, the effort to establish justice and fairness in this nation for all people. dr. king would be

[unintelligible] in the year 2000. he would say, this clause must in door. it is not finished. this call and this building -- this hall and this building are named after a great american, robert kennedy, who served as attorney general during that difficult time in the early 1960's. when he learned of dr. king's untimely death in memphis, tennessee, he was campaigning for the presidency. here is what he said. i close with this. what we need in the united states is not division. what we need in the united states is not hatred.

what we need in the united states is not violence and lawlessness. what we need in the united states is love, wisdom and compassion toward one another and a feeling of justice. toward those who still suffer. and i act, what did they be black, or white, or hispanic, or asian, or gay, or straight, [unintelligible] or of means or without means. that is the true legacy of civil rights. happy birthday, director -- dr. martin luther king. [applause]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> thank you, again. so glad to have you with us today. our sincere appreciation once again to attorney-general holder, the assistant attorney general, ms. jackson and the rotc for participating in today's program. i would also like to thank our department of justice co- sponsors including the executive office for immigration review, the office for u.s. attorneys and the u.s. marshals' service. i ask that the attorney general

take center stage. to express gratitude for his inspiring remarks, attorney general holder will present a token of our appreciation. [applause] to include today's program, we will have a final musical presentation and a final program invocation.

ms. williams. ["if i can help somebody" being sung]

[applause]

>> let us pray. dear god, we ask that each of us leave inspired. each of us has a role to play in fulfilling the dream. we ask that you give us the contents, the commitment, the courage -- the conscience, the commitment, the courage and we will do all that we can to fulfil the dream of civil rights. amen. >> before you depart today, we ask that you complete the evaluation form that was included in your program. you may leave them in your seat or hand them to a staff member at the back of the hall.

thank all of you for joining us today. special thanks to the participants of today's program. thank you very much. [applause] >> this is c-span, public affairs programming. next, the vote for republican

national committee chairman. then secretary of state hillary clinton on u.s.-china relations. after that, an update on victims of the shooting in tucson, arizona. now, the republican national committee vote on their party chairman. the candidates are michael steele, former rnc co-chairman ann wagner, saul anuzis, maria cino, and reince priebus. we begin with reports to the committee by the chief of staff and chairman steel. the event is being held at the gaylord national resort hotel at the national harbour and maryland. >> as you all can remember, we had a singular goal which was to fire pelosi, and thank business we did that. i wanted to just touch a little bit on some of the efforts that you all did, some of the victory staff in your states did and then talk a little bit about what the rnc has been doing since the election to prepare

for 2011. we were able to work with the state parties to be able to implement over 360 victory arses throughout the country along with 360 victory staffers staffing those offices and helping manage over 200,000 volunteers throughout the country, making or 45 million volunteer contacts. the results of all that work was 63 congressional seats picked up, six senate picked up and 12 governor picked up. we had over 693 elected republican state legislators throughout the country. it was a very exciting year and it it was my pleasure and honor to be able to serve during this exciting time.

since the election, some key things we have been working on at the rnc to get prepared for the next cycle, we have done an extensive review and after action reports for every department at the rnc to be able to make sure we are able to learn the lessons learned from 2010, so that we can move forward in a more efficient and more productive way. we learned some very good things that we did that were new and we learned some lessons that we can carry forward. we have also started preliminary preparations for the 2011 election cycle. i know is often easy to forget that we have off-year elections, but there are numerous gubernatorial elections that we are starting to prepare for, putting together victory plans and preparing for that. norm had mentioned we have dramatically upticks our efforts in the redistricting effort, led

are our legal department -- led by our legal department. we will be in a very good position but we cannot allow that to slip away, so we have to increase our efforts there and we have begun to do so. we have put together an extensive review of our finance projects an average going forward. the finance director and her team have put together a review from top to bottom of various different events and programs that we are anxiously prepared to move forward, starting next week. i appreciate the time and i just want to wrap up this report by saying thank you very much for allowing me to serve as your chief of staff and for working with all the members of the 168 and the wonderful staff at the rnc. they did phenomena work this

cycle and it was an honor to be part of this committee during a historic time. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, very much, michael. at this time, we are very pleased to receive a report from our co-chair, jan larimer a, who has been out there like so many of us planning seeds and working very hard to have those seeds grow, and they did. we are really grateful for her leadership and i am particularly group -- grindle for her partnership and the opportunity to serve together for the last two years. it gives me great pleasure to present to you our national co- chair, the honorable jan larimer , from wyoming.

>> good morning. the political conversation in this country is driven by numbers, polling numbers, fund- raising numbers, voter totals, and who is up and who is down in the country. you have all received a copy that i sent of a final report from the co-chairman of this. i want to give you a synopsis of everything that we accomplished. 18 million are the number of voters reached by our get-out- the-vote advertising campaign. 1.2 million phone calls generated by the rnc women's program, 128, the number of gop women who ran for the u.s. house in 2010. that is a record. [applause] 9, the number of new women who were elected to the u.s. house. that is a record. 17, the number of women who ran for the u.s. senate.

3, the number of new republican women who are governors. 5, the number of new women who are lieutenant governors in their state. 100 is the increase in gop women in legislative seats. there are over 40 states that i visited as co-chairman and i logged 300,000 miles. 2568 weeks have been transmitted, 86,000 or the number of voters connected live to our women's program phone calls, 3946 members are on rnc women, 60,000 is the number of e-mail addresses that we maintain and visit with each and every week and sometimes multiple times during the week, and we have passed out over 8000

training manuals which you have all used in your states to attract new candidat, new campaigns, and to get people elected. i want to recognize three people this morning because none of this would have happened in my office without elizabeth pierce , amy, and katie. are the three of you in here? you all know them. they have done an incredible job. has been fun working with them and all of you. you have seen some snapshots of many of you and what we did these last two years. you are all winners. we are all winners. the republican party did an amazing job because you are all in the trenches each and every day and you broadbent the kind of totals that two years ago, nobody thought were possible. so thanks for all that you have done.

thanks for all you are about to do for 2012. let's keep on and let's just keep this train rolling. i am proud to be a member to serve with all of you. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. i appreciate that. at this time we will have the chairman's report. over the last month or so we have had a chance to digest the opportunities, the successes, the ups and downs of the past two years. most especially, the past year. when i began my chairmanship, i thank you for the opportunity to serve. as we come to this particular crossroads and elections lie ahead for what happens next, i want to thank you so much for the chance to serve, at a time

when our party was changing, struggling to grow, regain its footing, find its voice, reconnect with people, and to stand proud again. the one thing i have learned in this role, this job, this responsibility, is that it does not get done without you. our state chairman, our national committee men and women, the numbers you just heard from our co-chair are not just numbers on a piece of paper. they are not. there is real effort behind those numbers. there are real men and women behind those numbers, and their

everyday struggles that were put into action by you. so i am grateful as chairman to have served with one of the best rnc committees in a long, long time. because you did not shrink from the challenge, you did not walk away from the opportunity, and for the first time in over a generation, we looked at america and we saw us, and we talked to us, each other, andrew n. mike -- and wheat drew in moms and dads, teenagers, college students, african- americans, women, hispanics. we drew in america. they responded to your voice and your efforts. those numbers are not just numbers.

they don't get tossed around and dissected and analyzed to score points, to make a point. you have to appreciate that behind those numbers are the efforts of your state central committees, your county committees, your activists, our friends in the tea party movement. don't lose sight of that. the responsibility of leadership in this party, not just in this office of chairman, not just in the office of co-chair or treasure or secretary, general counsel, but in the very ochses each one of you hold is to be a leader first. that is what the members of this party expect you to do when you come to the republican national committee. your efforts began in 2009 in a

little place called virginia, new jersey, and you shocked the world, because we were not supposed to win in virginia, and we were not supposed to win in new jersey. but you did. you know what else you did? it does not reported -- it does not get reported. 2009.n mayor's races in albuquerque, new mexico, the first time in over 20 years we had the mayor's office. county executive races, upstate new york, everyone was focused on other things. meanwhile, the party was slowly and steadily building brick by brick, the success that was borne out there. that is the type of efforts that this party has to be engaged income every single day.

some of the numbers i want to share with you again are not just numbers on paper, but they are a testament to the work that each one of you did, each one of the. not just what jan and i did, traveling four hundred thousand miles a year, randy getting on the plane and coming back and looking over books of sec reports, sharon out there are rallying the troops at the grassroots. it is not just what we did, but what you did every single day. 44 million voters voted for us in 2010. the highest midterm turnout for any party in any midterm in the history of this country. you did that. republican efforts smashed voter turnout records. more voters went to the polls

in 2010 than in the last midterm elections, a stunning 24% increase. you did that. all of you played a pivotal role in opening and establishing 360 victory offices across the country with a paid staff who were there on the ground with you, compared to just 154 victory ochses in 2008 and 140 in 2006. by virtue of the very plans that you put together, for the first time in the history of our party we had a 50-state strategy. it was not just the contiguous states. we won the lieutenant guam and places that people did not expect this to run and win. you did that. the use of less expensive and more effective new media. the rnc website was completely

revamped, driving page views of 100 pegeen 9%. the emailed list was also overhauled and the content of outgoing e-mail's was enhanced to become more effective. our e-mail achieved a 40% open rate, up from about 3% in 2008 and are click through rate was close depicting%. i know saul anuzis appreciates that. those percentages are real people coming to you, coming to our party to get information, to learn, to become involved. that is what you did. on the fund-raising side,

through your efforts and your state party and what we did nationally, get over 1 million new donors, small, medium, and large. is reversed the precipitous decline of new donors that we have seen in recent off-year elections, quadrupling the amount raised from new dollars in 2009 compared to 2007. you did that. the efforts of our party, a party once tagged as an endangered species, speaks for itself. i hope all of you, regardless of the outcome of this day, appreciate what you have done to establish firmly the republican renaissance that we all talked about two years ago. in those two years, look how we pull ourselves and move forward. now the task becomes harder,

because obama is waiting for you read the democrat party is waiting for you. they are going to engage us on the battlefield of ideas, the battlefield of policy, and i thank heaven we have speaker boehner right there on the front lines for us. [applause] and leader kantor and the leadership of our party on the hill, but most especially the leadership we have in our states, our new governor, are new state legislatures. on that front, because this is the real work that you did, we picked up over 680 state legislative seats. that is an amazing feat. do you understand what that means when it comes to redistricting?

194 congressional district lines were redrawn by republicans over the next two years. 44 congressional redistrict lines will be drawn by democrats. that is what you did. you made a difference through planning, hard work, in gauging not just our base and are active list but are grass-roots, folks who did not even know they were grass-roots folks who were part of our team. that is what a good party does. you have all proven and shown the republican party is a good party. and is ready and willing to work on behalf of the american people. i have been honored to serve these past two years as your chairman and i know the work that lies ahead will be difficult and challenging, but i have no fear nor doubt that you will rise to that occasion because you are the republican

party in action, every single day, in states all across this great country, in neighborhoods and communities. has been such a pleasure for me to watch all of you work outside your comfort zone. and we hope, through the efforts that you commit to when you leave this meeting, that you are ready to give the democrats hell over the next two years and that you are willing to work and fight on behalf of the american people, unlike anything you have ever done before, because the work is too important, the challenges are too great, and our grandkids and great grandkids are depending on us in this hour to get it right. that is what a good republican party does for the people of america, and i thank you for what you have done so far. god bless you.

[applause] >> now, the nominations for the candidates running for rnc chairman. >> we will now begin the nomination process. the secretary has confirmed that five candidates fhairman have demonrated the required support for nomination. the chair recognizes john ryder, national committee man for tennessee for the purpose of nominating a candidate for rnc chairman. i believe that we have lost john writer's voice. >> i am chair of the tennessee republican party and i am standing in for john. on behalf of all the members of the rnc members of tennessee i am proud to nominate ann wagner as the next chairman of the republican national committee. [applause]

we have some good people running, but i believe that ann wagner stands alone as the one candidate who possesses the complete package of skills needed to make a clean start for the rnc. ann wagner has served a republican party for 20 years. she has served our party at the local precinct level, at the township committee level, state level, and as co-chairman of the rnc. i know that she is a dedicated volunteer, able leader, and for me, a solid conservative. we all know how critical the next two years will be. these are critical times for america and the current administration would like to change this country in a way that i don't think any of us want to. the republican party is a critical organization to take our country back and put it on the right track. as state chairman who like you raises money on a daily basis, the rnc has lost credibility

with donors both large and small. in order to restore the credibility we needed chairman who can raise the money and manage the money that she raises. ann wagner offers those abilities. as a campaign chairman and state chairman, she has demonstrated her ability to raise money. she was part of the team that raise 280 four million dollars during the 2002 election cycle and $390 million during the 2004 election cycle. she has helped raise millions for the missouri republican party where she served nearly seven years as chairman. she has outlined an aggressive fund-raising plan that includes convening a new program for maxed out dollars. that program will also include regionally based finance committee that will report to the finance chairman. she also has the political savvy to lead our party in this

crucial election. have served both as a party official and campaign official, she has been a customer of the rnc and she knows what we need to deliver tuesday sent to the campaigns in order to elect republicans to office and when the white house in 2012. ann wagner will run a tight ship at the rnc, instituting management changes that will structure our organization more like a business. she knows what it takes and will run it like a ceo. she will be a member oriented -- run a member oriented committee. she is not with any special interest for any vendor. she will be a co-chairman and a members member. she will be a serb leader. in short, ann wagner will bring the full package skill set to the rnc -- she will be a servant leader. i urge you to join me in voting

for ann wagner as our republican national committee chairman. [applause] >> the chair recognizes jane stables for the purpose of seconding. >> we have an opportunity to make history by electing a chairman for the rnc. i there i enthusiastically second the nomination of ann wagner for chairman of the rnc. >> national committeewoman for oklahoma, i also second the nomination of ann wagner for chairman of the rnc. ann wagner is the complete package. >> i enthusiastically seconded this nomination for ann wagner for chairman. >> i enthusiastically endorse ann wagner as well.

>> i am proud to nominate and second the nomination of ann wagner. >> i join my fellow members in seconding the nomination for ann wagner. >> david cole, chairman of the great state of missouri. it is my distinct honor to second the nomination of ann wagner. she was a great chairman in missouri and a great co-chairman and she will be a great chairman of this committee. please join me in supporting ann wagner for chairman of the rnc. thank you. [applause] >> the chair recognizes steve king from wisconsin for the purpose of nominating a candidate for rnc chair.

>> thank you, madam chairman. on behalf of the governor of the great state of wisconsin, scott walker, our newly elected senator, ron johnson from wisconsin, our congressional delegation, and on behalf of the republican party of wisconsin, i am proud and happy to stand before you and nominate for our next chairman of the republican national commission, mr. reince priebus. [applause] i have been involved in politics for some time, and i have watched over the last dozen or so years the courier and leadership that reince priebus has brought to our party and our state, culminating several years ago when he became our leader. immediately upon becoming chairman, he retired are dead, he ran the house -- he retired our debt. he raised record amounts of

money. he recruited conservative candidates. he represented us wonderfully to the media. he stayed on message. he wrapped us -- wrapped his arms around the various coalition groups to include the tea party, and the results showed it on november 2. never in history of our state have return of our state around. governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, both houses, and two congressional seats. a state that was totally black and blue became totally red. and now he is offering to bring that kind of leadership to our national party. reince is the leader that we need to unify our committee, bring the resources we so badly need if we are going to succeed and build on the successes that we enjoyed in 2010 in 2012. i urge your support for the next

generation of leadership to our party, reince priebus. [applause] >> thank you, steve. the chair recognizes betty hill, national committeewoman from montana, for the purpose of seconding. >> i am happy to second the nomination for reince priebus today. he is one of our young, exciting state chairmen and he knows all about winning. >> i am extremely proud to second the nomination of my state chairman, as i have learned firsthand his strong work ethic and his commitment to servant leadership. >> i am supporting reince priebus for many reasons. he will be a great fund raiser.

on day one he has committed to call keep people, and financial leaders of our party. >> donna king from oregon. i am happy to support reince priebus. i believe he will provide the oversight we need for the next election. >> i second nomination because i have found in working with reince priebus that he shows uncommon respect for every member of this committee and he will show that as chairman. he is a committed conservative that we need to lead the way in 2012. >> i am excited to second the nomination of reince priebus. he will bring back the fiscal discipline this party needs. >> i am proud to second. i believe he will serve in a way that unifies us and restore

trust. he is the most humble person. >> i am supporting reince priebus for rnc chairman because of the way he works with the tea party organization. >> i am supporting and seconding reince priebus for chairman because i know he will uphold our pro-life platform. >> i am the youngest a german from the great state of oklahoma. he has a plan and the personality to be able to reach the next generation of voters. >> i am supporting reince priebus and seconding the motion because i know he has a laser focus on electing republicans and focusing on bringing the white house back to us. >> i asupporng reince priebus because he is

enthusiastic. he is the full package and a great neighbor to the east. >> if your time is up. if there are any others who would like to second, please let the secretary know and she will duly put it in the records. the chair recognizes the national committeewoman from hawaii for the purpose of nominating a candidate for rnc chairman. x is my pleasure today to make this nomination. i don't have to remind this group that together we all fired nancy pelosi in 2010, and now we have a majority in the house of representatives. we have taken over --

accumulated another 690 state legislative seats, the most since 1928, and we have a winning chairman. i would like to ask you at this time to join me in reelecting michael steele so that we can together defeat barack obama in 2012. thank you. [applause] >> the chair recognizes the national committeeman from florida for the purpose of seconding. >> i am proud to second the nomination of michael steele and thank him for reaching out and reconnecting us with the american people. the tea party boats and everyone realized that he helped and was listening to we the people for change, and republicans are back in the mainstream with america. thank you. >> i am supporting michael steele for reelection because he

is the individual in the best position to lead us objectively in the next election and to promote our common goals. >> i am honored to second the nomination of michael steele as chairman of the republican national committee, because he put us on the path to victory in 2010 and i believe he will see us through victory in 2012. thank you. >> i support and second the nomination of chairman michael steele for reelection because of all the money sent to our state for early victory ochses. our policy was the way to go. -- fire pelosi was the way to

go. >> i am supporting michael steele in his reelection because i have always believed in the ground up, as he does. at both the local, state, and national levels, this is the kind of leadership that we expect from michael and we will see from here through the 2012 elections. >> i am supporting michael steele because two years ago, this party was in dire straits, and i don't know whether you have noticed, but we just had the biggest year that this party has ever had. what corporation changes the head when you have just had the biggest win? it is insane. i urge all of you, let's not changed chairmen. let's keep it going. we want to win in 2012. [applause]

>> our success in november paved the winning pass to 2012, and i do not wish to change course now. join me in supporting michael steele for chairman of the rnc. he plotted the course, he will bring us home. >> on behalf of the whole delegation, when somebody makes sweet music, one is a good conductor, you do not get rid of the conductor, and he has made sweet music. we sat in the nomination of michael steele. join us, make sweet music. [applause] michael steele is the prudent leader with the energy and enthusiasm to lead us to victory again in 2012. is my honor to request your

support and your vote for michael steele. thank you. >> the chair recognizes the state chairman for ohio for the purpose of nominating a candidate for rnc chairman. >> ladies and gentlemen, fellow members, i know we have heard all of the speeches and i know no one wants to hear anymore, so let's get right to the point. the challenges that face this committee are incredible and they are daunting. in less than 22 months, we have to dig out of a $20 million hole, put $27 million in to the president of trust, fund a get- out-the-vote effort for our presidential candidate, we have to pay for national convention, identify that presidential candidate, and do so while facing a glut will likely be a billion dollar ground game in an effort to reelect obama.

i respect every one of the candidates that has put forth their candidacy of the last several weeks. i respect the heck out of region everyone of them, and you should too. i don't envy anyone who gets the job, but i know one thing. this committee needs a quiet, effective, experienced chair to tackle these tough challenges. i am confident that maria cino is that person. she is the only candidate in this race who has worked in and around the committee for better than 30 years. the only one who has managed the rnc not once, but twice. the only one who has run a national political operation for a successful presidential campaign. the only one to help bail out a national committee of millions of dollars worth of debt. the only one who has successfully funded and managed a national convention. the list goes on and on. she has the confidence of our ,arty's highest ranking leader

and i join him in respectfully asking everyone of you decastro for maria cino for chairman. it is my distinct honor to place into nomination for chairman of the name of maria cino. thank you. [applause] >> the chair recognizes the national committeewoman from utah for the purpose of seconding. >> in 1993, republicans were in big trouble. we had a charismatic young president, we had not held a house majority in 40 years, and the nrcc was $5 million in debt. maria cino clear that debt and raised millions more dollars. with the charismatic president whose policies are wrong for our country, i want a candidate for chairman who has raised the most money, elected the most republicans, executed most

programs, and demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the republican party and its ideals. that is maria cino. i am honored to second her nomination. [applause] >> in 1996, she raised $100 million and successfully defended our new majority in the house of representatives. in 2000, she ran a successful operation that elected a republican challenger into the white house. in 2004, she ran the political operations that devised and implemented the most successful victory operation in history of this national party. 2008, she ran a great convention. therefore, it is my great honor to second the nomination of maria cino to the next chairman

of our national republican party. thank you. [applause] >> i am honored to second the nomination of maria cino because it is time to elect a chairman who will restore credibility to the republican national committee from day one. it is time to elect maria cino, who will be able to raise money, millions of dollars from day one. it is time to elect rya cino, a chairman who will be able to elect republicans from day one. it is time to elect korea cino, who will stand tall for republicans across this country from day one. i have had 35 years with the national committee, and believe me, it is time. thank you very much. [applause] >> i rise to second the nomination of maria cino. she will help write the internal

ship that we have and helped rectify our deficit. she will help us reach out to our candidates with money, because when all else fails, we are going to have to have about $700 billion to win in 2012. she is the only candidate out there who has shown that she can raise that money. thank you. [applause] >> the chair recognizes the national committee man from virginia for the purpose of non and -- nominating a candidate for rnc chairman. >> it is my honor and pleasure to place a name in nomination for rnc chairman. we are fortunate to have well qualified candidates for national chairman. all of them have made their

cases with respect to fund raising and their political skills, and later today, one of our candidates will win a majority of our boat. as you consider the candidates, i ask you to keep in mind for questions. it would be most able to incorporate the tea party activists and other newly active grassroots conservatives into the campaigns of republican candidates in 2012? i know these activist organizations. i have trained many for the tea party groups an analogous organizations and i believe the answer to that question is saul anuzis. second, who is most likely to exploit fully the high-tech social media for republican candidates? the answer is saul anuzis. who would you be confident could

respond most effectively in spontaneous give-and-take with democrats and the news media? i think the answer is saul anuzis. fourth, hoon do you know would be the chairman most quickly to get back to you when you want to discuss something important about your state or the rnc? i think the answer is saul anuzis. two years ago, saw was my second choice. hear who one of many t has saul anuzis as my first choice. he is easy to like. i predict we will find on the final ballot that he is the second choice of a great many more of us. is my pleasure to nominate saul anuzis. [applause] >> the chair recognizes the state chairman for south carolina for the purpose of

seconding. >> ladies and gentlemen of the committee, it is my distinct privilege and honor to second the nomination of saul anuzis. this is a gentleman that does not just walk the walk. he talks the talk and he walks the walk. this gentleman is someone who carries the core competencies that we need in this position. he is a fund raiser. he is someone who inherently understands the ability to strategizing and he finally understands most importantly, technology and our reach. within 30 days of my nomination of state party chairman, the rest of the red states receives some tremendous news, our governor -- governor has foibles and they played out nationwide. for absolutely no money, he sat with us and help the strategize. i can tell you he made historic gains, and i attribute most of those to the foundations laid by

this gentleman. it is my privilege and honor and i asked each of you to take the arm-twisting and forget it. go to your hearts, do what is right, and vote for saul anuzis. >> fellow members of the rnc, it is my pleasure and honor to second the nomination of saul anuzis. he is a proven business manager and party manager. he is a tremendously successful fund-raiser. he is an outstanding manager of the republican message and he has been an effective communicator in all types of media. that is what he is and what he has done. that is what can be and can do for you and me as chairman of the rnc. i strongly urge that you vote for saul anuzis. i yield the balance of my time to the committeewoman from massachusetts.

>> i fully endorse saul anuzis for chairman of the rnc and i wish that you would all follow me as one of a handful of female chairman, i would like to say that saul anuzis is someone that the males can go along with. he works well b.j. that females can go along with. , butust because he is cute he understands the problems that we face. as a member of the young republicans, he can lead this grand old party into a new day that will take the rnc where it needs to go in 2012. thank you. [applause] >> since there are no other nominations that qualify, the nominations are now closed.

>> the voting began with 85 votes needed to be elected chairman. after four rounds with no winner being declared, rnc chairman michael steel announced he was dropping out of the race. his remarks are six minutes. >> thank you very much. how are you all doing? i just wanted to check. two years, we have had a good time. we have worked hard and build the party. it is very clear, the party

wants to do something a little different and hopefully a little bit better. i appreciate all the hard work that all of you have brought to the table. i said that earlier this morning and met it from a heart. this is tough, because it is what it is. but what is important, and i hope you do not forget that as this process unfolds, unification, moving forward, building, growing, winning. our target, our ground game, our opportunity rests out with the people of america. so i really thank you for the chairmanship of this party for the two years that i have had. at this time i will step aside for others to lead. but in so doing, i hope you all

appreciate the legacy we leave. despite the noise, lord knows we have had a lot of noise. despite the difficulties, we won. [applause] sit down, sit down. sit down, sit down. [cheers and applause] please, please. as probably many of you have figured out, i am a fighter. and i am a little bit obstinate,

but i am because i believe in the fight. i am because i believe that the greatest gift we can give to the people, politically, is our service to them. as i said this morning, that is your charge. you took that are seriously. we went out, we raise money, $192 million of it. we won 63 house seats, 21 state legislators slid from democrat to republican. as i said this morning, it was not because of what i did or what any of the offices, w you did. i will step aside because i think the party is ready for something different. at this time i release my supporters and i asked them to stand with me in supporting maria cino as next chairman of

the party. [applause] all the while, it is up to all of you to decide. we have been through some big storms, some small storms, but this storm, you cannot allow to continue. we must heal ourselves and go forward together and we must win. barack obama's agenda is not good for america. we fired pelosi. let's take the senate. let's take the white house. let's heal america, made her stronger, better, prouder, as we are today as republicans. unified, moving forward. it is important.

i thank you for the opportunity to serve and to lead, and now i exit stage right. [applause] [cheers and applause] >> after six rounds, candidate ann wagner dropped out of the race, and after seven rounds of voting, a winner was declared.

>> in descending order, priebus, 97, anuzis, 43, cino, 28. one more time, priebus, 97, anuzis, 43, cino, 28. the chair recognizes kevin dewine. >> i made a motion to recognize reince priebus as chairman of

the republican national committee. >> it has been moved and seconded. is there discussion? any discussion? all those in favor, aye. all those opposed, nay. the ayes have it. congratulations. [applause]

[applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. i am going to keep this really short. i just want to thank god, i want to thank jesus for this moment. i am so blessed, and i have said

that to you so many times, just being a little kid growing up in kenosha. my first date with my wife, i have to tell you with two great kids and jack and grace, we cannot wait to get to work here in the party and rebuild this party, move on to conservative candidates. i want to thank the republican leaders from my home state of wisconsin including steve king, mary, scott walker, ron johnson, sean duffy and paul ryan. thank you all very much. [applause] i want to thank all the candidates to step up and offered themselves to this tall

task, and i want to thank chairman steele for his leadership over the past two years. thank you. [applause] and i want to thank all of the rnc members who believe in my vision, who understood that some significant work that we need to do in the committee has to get done. we have to get on track, and together we can defeat barack obama in 2012. together, unified as a committee, with the election over, now is the time for the committee to unite. we must come together for our common interests. for the betterment of our party and our country.with that in mio

know that i am here to earn the trust and support of each and everyone of you. i towed to a would serve in humility and work hard -- i told you i would serve in humility and work hard and i am going to start working right now as your chairman. we all recognize that there is a steep hill here ahead of us, and the only way we will be able to move forward is if we are all together. we must never forget why we all do this. as reagan said, our nation is that shining city upon a hill, and we must work to keep it that way. we recognize that the democrats have taken this country on the wrong path, and it isn't going to be easy or glamorous, but together we must lead the way to a better committee and a better

america. i have spoken to most of you and you have seen my plan to move this committee forward. it starts right now on day one. it is now my duty to implement this plan and communicate it to the american people in real, clear terms. you all are the board of directors. while i may be the ceo, we must all remember that each of us, everyone of us, is still an employee to republican voters. to fulfill the mission of the rnc, and we are going to start by putting a solid business plan in place to operate effectively and efficiently to begin to restore the faith of our donors. we will work to

if with this new focused leadership, the rnc will move forward by restructuring our financial operation, reviewing our current plans of action, and hiring top notch staff. i am understand the challenges that lie ahead of us. it goes well past raising funds. we must know how to spend these funds effectively, to aid in a redistricting efforts, to support our 2011 candidates, to hold a world class convention, and to be sure that our republican presidential nominee has the organization in place to beat barack obama. [applause]

i am completely humbled to have the opportunity to lead this amazing party. starting today, starting now, as a committee, let's come together and let's get ready to elect republicans. and god bless the committee and god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. i appreciated. i will earn your trust every day. thank you. [applause] >> he basically just whittle down support from his rivals.

we sought and wagner dropped out before the second round of voting started. he ended up taking the chairmanship with a little more than 90 votes and came in and delivered a speech and promised a humble and new hardworking era. >> what is the strength of his previous with the republicans? six of eight house seats in wisconsin, what is it that sold the delegates there that sold the votes at the rnc winter meeting? >> i think you hit the nail right on the head as far as -- he came in as chairman of the wisconsin republican party in 2007. after that, he was able to

build a significant organization over there. that release with a lot of folks. he was really able to make the claim that, it would is typically a blue state, was got some -- wisconsin, they managed to lead the rnc ford. >> what are you looking for as we move into the chairmanship? >> the two big challenges that the chairman faces is, one, fundraising. there is estimates before the vote happen that he will need to raise at least $400 million in the next two years to compete with president obama and senate democrats and the dnc. the other challenge that he faces is the tea party movement. what we saw over the last cover up -- the last couple of years

is a decentralization of republican power into these groups, these nine are 12 groups. basically, they are activists and money were flowing away from the rnc into the grass roots movement. he has to convince those activists and those donors that the rnc is back and that it is a more viable and stable organization and they need to start putting their money and their efforts into the party. >> we appreciate your work today with us. we'll talk with you again. >> the new rnc chairman also spoke briefly with reporters following his election. this is just over five minutes. >> hello. hi. first of all, my name is reince

priebus. i promised the committee that i woodworking humility. i would work hard every day to help to bring unity to our committee again. we need to raise a whole lot of money, come together as a party, build on the success and victories that we just had in 2010, rebuild our credibility as a party, as the conservative party in america, with the right answers to help prevent our country from falling off that fiscal clef. we will do all that work together. we will uphold the principles of this party, raise the money that we need, get the money into the state's, defeat barack obama in 2012, save our country, and, in the process, save our party. with that, i will take any questions you might have. i am actually running the meeting behind me, if you have

not noticed. so i have to go back up, but i can take the questions. yes, sir. >> how serious is the deficit in the party and in the republican national committee as a whole? >> we are looking at at least $20 million in debt. we have a lot of work to do. we have to get our financial team together around the country. i'm going to get to work on that tonight and reach out to our major donors, getting them back on board, putting this party back on their shoulders so that we can have the money and the resources and the people that we need to rebuild the rnc. i would be remiss not to say thank you to chairman steel for his leadership. we respect them and we wish him well. i want to thank all the other michaeles, and wagneanne wagne, steele, and others. we appreciate their heart and efforts in this race.

these races are tough. >> -- >> i am the chairman of the republican national committee. i serve 168 members of that committee from every state and territories in washington -- and the territories and washington, d.c. we're blessed to have senator mitch mcconnell as our leader. we will work with them and we appreciate them. as chairman of the party, it is my job to support them as well. >> you do not have a ton of experience in doing things like this, fundraising -- this is a big deal right now. are you prepared for the communications aspect of this? >> listen, wisconsin is a targeted state. i have talked with a lot of you standing right here. we are not on used to having -- we're not unused to having the

press. i have talked to a lot of you already about some of the things that we have done at the rnc. i am prepared for this. but, you know what? with god's help, anything is possible. >> -- >> that is the job of the republican national chairman. >> last question. >> i just grabbed the gavel here to run the next election. i have not made any decisions on that. we will bring a team together. we will take these executive committee of the rnc and there will be a transition team and we will build unity on this committee. everyone will have a say. we will do this together. we will bring real leadership back in the building and get this train back on the rails. >> how relevant is the rnc? >> is very relevant.

we have to raise about $400 million over the next two years. we will do that through regional finance teams, regional finance directors -- but as said before, getting the finance chairman around this country back on board, putting the rnc back on their shoulders, and rebuilding this party. this will be hard work. there are no illusions about that. they believe in the republican party. they believe that we need to save our country. they feel that in their hearts and their minds. they want to be on board. i talked with many of them. they are ready to get to work. they want to rebuild -- to roll up their sleeves. i have to go back in and run this meeting. >> the help of the party, in terms of any division in the establishment -- >> i do not think so at all, not from the one of 68 who were in

their voting, not for me. i am part of the grass roots movement. our party is part of the conservative movement in this country. we are not in competition with it. we will do it right. we will do it together. we will win in 2012. thank you very much. >> next, secretary of state hillary clinton on u.s.-china relations. after that, an update on the victims of the shooting in tucson ariz. -- tucson, ariz. then immoral service for ambassador richard holbrooke. tomorrow, jennifer rubin discusses the future of the conservative movement in the u.s. freedom house executive director david kramer details his group's annual report on global

political rights and civil liberties. and george washington university law professor or incur talks about a case currently before the supreme -- professor orin kerr talks about a case currently before the supreme court about allowing police into the home only after establishing that a crime is under way. >> i think it would be best to reach out to someone and make an ongoing commitment to community service. >> on the anniversary of martin luther king jr.'s birth, use the c-span video library. find a program. watch it. click. and share it. >> now, secretary of state hillary clinton provides a broad overview of u.s.-china -- u.s.- china relations.

she discusses the connection between the two nations' economies and militaries as well as outstanding issues surrounding trade and human rights. her speech was billed as the first annual richard holbrooke memorial address, named after the u.s. diplomat who passed away last year. this is 40 minutes. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> is an honor to have all of you here. if you walk into the bureau of east asian pacific affairs, you are greeted by the dignitaries of foreign policy on both sides,

some of the greatest names who have served with great distinction for many years. these are all suitably somber black and white photographs, short hair, men holding pass, all except one. there is one man, enormous big hair, very young, unconscionably young, 34 years old, the youngest assistant secretary ever to serve, looks more like the drummer in the doors -- [laughter] a than a distinguished diplomat. that man was our predecessor, ambassador holbrooke, who served with distinction during a controversial time in our history. it is only fitting today that this inaugural lecture that will be given to you in a moment by secretary clinton the about this relationship, this incredibly

consequential relationship that will define the 21st century. without further ado, it is my great honor to introduce and welcome our wonderful and current secretary of state, secretary clinton. >> thank you. [applause] >> well, this is a bittersweet moment for me personally to deliver this first inaugural lecture. i want to think kurt for that introduction and for reminding everyone that you are a tough act to follow, my friend. [laughter] along with deputy secretary steinberg, they're terrific team has brought intellectual heft and vision to our diplomacy in asia. wherever i go in the region, people always have a curt

campbell story to tell. [laughter] some of them are even flattering. [laughter] so thank you to my great team here at the state department for all of your hard work and leadership. it is a special honor to welcome with someue along many distinguished ambassadors. to this inaugural richard holbrooke lecture in the state department in the ben franklin room, for nearly half a century, as a young foreign service officer in vietnam, as the tireless negotiators of the dayton accord, as the special representative for afghanistan and pakistan, richard holbrooke grappled with some of the most difficult and important challenges of american foreign policy. and he left an indelible mark on

this department, on our country, and in the world. because of his efforts, america is more secure. millions of people around the world have had the opportunity to live up to their full god- given potential. and we are honoring richard legacy in many ways. this afternoon, many of us will gather at the kennedy center to share stories and remembrances. one of the ways we have chosen is this new lecture series, which reflects richards passion for serious policy questions and his conviction that they deserve serious discussion. richard had a hand in nearly every crucial foreign-policy challenge of the last 50 years. if he was not invited to have a hand, his hand was there any way. [laughter] i look around this room, not only at americans, but at many of our friends from across the world and many of you know what i am talking about. he was tireless.

he was relentless. he would not take no for an answer. because i would give him no over and over again and it was not the answer he wanted. he worked with many of us on many of these important issues. today, i would like to focus on one that he knew well and that is on everyone's mind as we prepare for the important arrival of president hu jintao. the future of u.s.-china relations. as the state department's youngest ever secretary of east asian and pacific affairs, richard was, as curt has said, a key player in brokering the opening of formal diplomatic relations with china in 1979. later, he served for many years as the president of the asia society. throughout his career, richard understood that a strong u.s.- china relationship would bolster stability and security in the asia-pacific region.

he was also clear ride about the many obstacles to our corp. -- clear-eyed about the many obstacles to our cooperation. these insights remain just as relevant today. we heard them underscored this week by secretary gates in beijing and by secretary geithner and lot here in washington. three decades after our nation first opened the door to engagement, our relationship is marked by great promise and real achievement, but also by significant challenges as one would expect. and more than ever, we will be judged on the outcomes that we do produce for a greater peace, prosperity, and progress in our own country and throughout the world. america and china have arrived

in a critical juncture, a time when the choices we make, both big and small, will shape the trajectory of this relationship. over the past two years, in the obama administration, we have created the opportunity for deeper, broader, and more sustained cooperation. we have seen some early successes and also some frustration. moving forward, it is up to both of us to more consistently translate positive words into effective cooperation. it is up to both of us to deal with our differences. and there will always be differences between two great nations. we need to deal with them wisely and responsibly. and it is up to both of us to meet our respective global responsibilities and obligations. these are the things that will determine whether our relationship delivers on its

potential in the years to come. we have already come a very long way since the first tentative steps of the diplomatic opening in 1979. after many years of virtually no contact, we have had three decades of intense engagement. in the beginning, our relationship was almost exclusively focused on the common threat posed by the former soviet union. during the 1990's, we began to engage on broader regional issues. i remember with great fondness the trip that my husband and i and our daughter took to china as part of that intense engagement. today, our relationship has gone global. we debate and discuss nearly every major international issue in both bilateral dialogue and multilateral meetings. and these are on issues that we have concerns together and on

issues for which we have fundamental disagreements, such as human rights. when president obama welcomes president hu jintao to the white house, they will be on display. these three decades have also been decades of impressive growth for china. when richard holbrooke and his colleagues first visited china, its gdp barely topped $100 billion. today, it is almost $5 trillion. trade between our two countries used to be measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars. today, it surpasses $400 billion annually. china's transformation made possible primarily by the hard work of its people and the vision of its leaders. it was also aided by an open and dynamic, global economy and by the american power that has long

secured stability in the region. it has lifted hundreds of millions out of grinding poverty and now helps drive global prosperity. the united states has welcomed this growth and we have benefited from it. today, our economies are entwined and so are our futures. but despite its progress in the past 30 years, china still faces great challenges. when i speak with my chinese counterpart, they often talk to me in passionate terms about how far their country still has to go. even with all that growth, china's gdp is only one-third of the size of america's with nearly four times the number of people. and our trade with the european union is still greater than our trade with china. as secretary geithner noted this week, china has a lot of work to do to move from a state-

dominated economy, dependent on external demand and technology to a more market-oriented economy powered by domestic demand and innovation. more of its people are also seeking greater respect for their cultural and religious beliefs. they are seeking more opportunities for improved working conditions and for legal recourse for injustices. understanding these strengths and challenges is essential for us and others to understand today's china. it provides important context to the country's changing role on the world stage and to the future of the u.s.-china relationship. history teaches that the rise of new power is often ushered in with periods of conflict and uncertainty. indeed, on both sides of the pacific, we do see some trepidation about the rise of

china and about the future of the u.s.-china relationship. some in the region and some here at home see china's growth as a threat that will lead either to cold war-style conflict or american decline. and some in china worry that the united states is bent on containing china's rise and constraining china's growth, a view that is stoking a new streak of assertive chinese nationalism. we reject those views. in the 21st century, it does not make sense to apply zero some 19th century theories about how major powers interact. we are moving through uncharted territory. we need new ways of understanding the shifting dynamics of the international landscape, a landscape marked by emerging centers of influence,

but also by non-traditional, and even non-state actors and the unprecedented challenges and opportunities created by globalization. this is a fact that we believe is especially applicable to the u.s. china relationship. our engagement, indeed, our entanglement can only be understood in the context of this new and more complicated landscape. i said, when i first went to china as secretary of state early in my tenure, that there was an old chinese saying that when you are in the same the, you have to row in the same direction. we are in the same boat. and we will either rode the same direction or we will cause turmoil and will pose -- and whirlpool's that will impact not only our individual countries, but those within and without our

borders. we are two complex nations with very different histories, with profoundly different political systems and outlooks. but there is a lot about our people that reminds us of each other. it is an energy, an entrepreneur of dynamism, a commitment to a better future for one's children and grandchildren. we're both deeply invested in the current order and we both have much more to gain from cooperation than from conflict. that does not mean that we will not be competitors. that is the nature of human endeavors. it is who we are as people. but there are ways of doing it that are more likely to benefit than not. a peaceful and prosperous asia pacific region is in the interest of both china and the united states.

a thriving american is good for china and a thriving china is good for america. our friends and allies across the asia-pacific region would agree. they also want to move beyond outdated zero-sum formulas that might force them to choose between relations with beijing and relations with washington. all of it requires steady dynamic stewardship of this critical relationship, an approach to china on our part that is grounded in reality, focused on results, and true to our principles and interests. and that is how we intend to pursue a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship with china. i am sure you will hear that phrase quite a bit over the next week -- positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship. that really does capture our hopes for the future and that is how our two presidents have

described this relationship. but you cannot build a relationship on aspirations alone. that is what makes this a critical juncture. as i said at the outset, the choices that both sides make in the months and years ahead and the policies that we pursue will help determine whether our relationship lives up to its promise and it is up to both of us to translate high level pledges of summits and state visits into action, real action on real issues. to keep our relationship on a positive trajectory, we also have to be honest about our differences. we will address them firmly and decisively as we pursue the urgent work we have to do together. and we have to avoid unrealistic expectations that can be disappointed. this requires steady effort over time to expand the areas where we cooperate and to narrow the

areas where we diverge while holding firm to our respective values. as we build on our record of the past two years and shape the future of our relationship, the obama administration is pursuing a strategy with three elements that i will read it -- that all reinforce one another. we are practicing robust regional engagement in the asia- pacific. we are working to build trust between china and the united states. and we're committed to expanding economic, political, and security cooperation wherever possible. let me start with regional engagement. the united states, by the blessing of our geography, is both an atlantic and a pacific power. we are committed to our relationship through both of these great oceans. we are firmly in getting our relationship with china within a broader regional framework because it is inseparable from

the asia-pacific web of security alliances, economic networks, and social connections. in doing so, we will maintain an appropriate perspective on this relationship. today, it is as important as any bilateral relationship in the world. but there is no such thing as a g-2. both of our countries reject that concept. there are other key actors, allies, institutions, and emerging powers who will also work with us to shape regional and global affairs. over the past two years, the united states has reaffirmed our commitment to be an active participant and leader in the asia-pacific. as i said in hawaii this fall, we are practicing what we call forward-deployed diplomacy, expanding our presence in terms of people, programs, and high leveling agent at every corner and every capital across the

region. america has renewed and strengthen our bonds with our allies, japan, south korea, thailand, australia, and the philippines. we have deepen their partnerships with india and indonesia, vietnam, malaysia, singapore, and new zealand. we're taking steps to ensure that our defense posture reflects the complex and evolving strategic environment in the region. and we're working to ratify a free-trade agreement with south korea and pursuing a regional agreement through the trans pacific partnership to help create new opportunities for american companies and support new jobs here at home. those goals will be front and center when we host the asia- pacific economic cooperation forum in hawaii later this year. we have also worked to strengthen regional architecture in the asia-pacific, including signing deossie on treaty of amity and cooperation. and attending the east asia

summit for the first time and increasing basement in the pacific island 4 am. a more robust and -- island forum. a more robust and cohesive region benefits all of the spirit it in shows that -- it ensures that every nation and point of view is heard. it reinforces the rules and responsibilities from protecting intellectual property to freedom of navigation, to form the basis of a just international order. in these multilateral settings, we can work together to hold accountable those who take counterproductive actions to peace, stability, and prosperity. our regional engagement places this relationship in the proper context. the second element of our strategy is to focus on building bilateral trust with china. we need to form habits of cooperation and respect that

help us work together more effectively and whether disagreements when they do arrive. the most notable example of our efforts is the strategic and economic dialogue which brings together hundreds of experts from dozens of agencies across both of our governments, not only to discuss an unprecedented range of subjects, but to inculcate that ethic or habit of cooperation across our two governments. secretary geithner and i are looking forward to hosting your counterparts this spring for the third round of the sned. this is a good start, but i will be the first to admit that distrust lingers on both sides. the united states and the international committee have watched china's efforts to modernize and expand its military. we have sought clarity as to its intentions. as secretary gates stressed in beijing this week, both sides would benefit from sustained and

substantive military-to-military engagement that increases transparency. we need more high-level visits, more joint exercises, more changes from our professional military organizations and other steps to build that trust, understanding of intention, and the military. this will require china to overcome -- and familiarity. this will require china to overcome its hesitation to build a military relationship. but we think it is so much in both of our interests and we will continue to raise it and work on it with our chinese friends. but building trust is not just the project for our government. our people must concede to forge deeper bonds as well. in classrooms and laboratories -- our people must continue to forge deeper bonds as well. in classrooms and laboratories and more. we have lost a bilateral dialogue and people-to-people

initiatives. one program is sending more american students to china. those students are on the front line of charting the future of our relationship. i saw this for myself at the shanghai expo, where we were delighted to have 7 million chinese visitors come to our expo and they were all treated by american students speaking chinese. it came as quite a surprise to our visitors that we had so many american students who had studied chinese and were excited about being a part of such an incredible effort as the expo. global recession, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, private -- paris on the high seas, these are threats that affect all of us -- piracy on the high seas -- these are threats that affect all of us. we continue to encourage china

to help us to even more together, to work more actively with us to solve these problems. we have a wide-ranging agenda, a number of areas where we will ultimately be able to judge whether our relationship is producing real benefits. on the economic front, as secretary geithner discussed earlier this week, the united states and china need to work together to orient our economies to assure strong, sustained, ballast future global growth. in the aftermath of the -- balanced future global growth. in the aftermath of the recession, can you imagine where we would be economically it either china or the united states had failed to work together so constructively? it is almost a frightening prospect to imagine. we must build on that cooperation. in his speech, secretary geithner noted that chinese firms want to be able to buy more high-tech product from the united states, make more

investments here, be accorded the same terms of access that market economies enjoyed. at the same time, u.s. firms want to ensure that the $50 billion of american capital invested in china creates a strong foundation for new market and investment opportunities that will support global competitiveness. we can work together on these objectives. but china still needs to take important steps toward reform. in particular, we look to china in unfair discrimination against u.s. or foreign companies and measure that -- and any measures a disadvantage of foreign intellectual property. we need to open up more opportunities for american- manufactured goods, farm and ranch products, services, and allowing the currency to appreciate more rapidly. we believe these reforms would not only benefit both our

countries, but contribute to global economic balances, predictability, and broader prosperity. and we also need to work on some of the global strategic issues that confront us. take climate change for example. china and the united states are the world steel largest emitter of greenhouse gases. our cooperation at the u.n. climate conference in mexico was cleared -- was critical to the conclusion of the cancun agreement. now we must build on that promise by implementing the agreements on transparency, funding, and clean energy technology. there is no time to delay. the united states and china, working with other partners, including the eu, japan, and india, will set the pace and direction for the world to move rapidly toward a clean energy future. on international development, we could make a significant impact by aligning our investments and coordinating project.

we would ask that china embrace internationally recognized standards and policies that ensure transparency and sustainability. i often come in my discussions with china's leaders, hear them say that their country speaks to the developing world because of their extraordinary progress. but their development practices in africa it and elsewhere have raised serious concerns. we welcome the commitment to development, but we would like to work more closely together to have common standards and approaches. on security issues, there is also room to work more closely and constructively. on iran, for example, we have made progress, but now we have to follow through. as a permanent member of the united nations security council, china helped enact tough sanctions and now we're working together to implement them. and we look to china to help the international committee send a clear message to iran's leaders to cease its illicit nuclear activities.

let me go on to a problem that has vexed us over the last two years, particularly in the last several months, namely north korea. the united states and china both understand the urgent need to maintain peace and stability on the korean peninsula and to achieve the complete denuclearization of north korea. for our part, america will continue to stand with our allies, south korea and japan, as they contend with their belligerent neighbor. as secretary gates said last week, north korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs are becoming a direct threat to the united states itself. this is not just about peace and stability in northeast asia nuristani with our allies. this is becoming, unfortunately, more of a national security challenge to our own shores. from the early months of the id

ministration, the united states and china, long with our partners south korea and russia and japan, they have condemned north korea's nuclear tests. with china's support, last year, we can produce efforts that will achieve unequivocal message to north korea. china, as a country, with unique ties to north korea and chair of the six-party talks, has a special role to play in helping to shape north korea cost behavior. -- north korea's behavior. we fear that failure to respond clearly to the sinking of a south korean military vessel might and bold and north korea to continue on in dangerous course. the attack on yon peon soon

followed. -- on yeonpyeong soon followed. we have begun to work together to restrain north korea's provocative actions. we're building momentum in support of north-south dialogue that respects the legitimate concerns of our south korean allies and it can set the stage for meaningful talks on implementing north korea's 2005 commitment to irreversibly and its nuclear program. it is vital that we work together with china. we need to make it clear to north korea that its recent provocation, including the announced uranium enrichment

program, are unacceptable and in violation of not only security council resolution, but north korea's own commitments in the 2005 joint statement. until north korea demonstrates in concrete ways its intention to keep its commitments, china, along with the international community, must vigorously enforce the sanctions adopted by the security council last year. on taiwan, we are encouraged by the greater dialogue and economic cooperation between the mainland and taiwan. as witnessed by the historic completion of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement. our approach continues to be guided by our one china policy, based on the communiques and the taiwan relations act. ahead, we seek to encourage and see more dialogue and exchanges between the two sides as well as reduced military tensions and

deployments. finally it and crucially on the issue of human rights, a matter that remains of the heart of american diplomacy, america will continue to speak out and to press china when it senses bloggers and imprisoned activists, when religious believers, particularly those in unregistered groups, are denied full freedom of worship, when lawyers and legal advocates are sent to prison simply for representing clients who challenged the government's position, and when some are persecuted even after they are released. i know that many in china, not just in the government, but in the population at large reason or reject our advocacy for human rights as an intrusion on sovereignty. but as a founding member of the united nations, china has committed to respecting the rights of all its citizens.

these are universal rights recognized by the international community. so in our discussions with chinese officials, we reiterate our call for the release of riosa about and many other political prisoners in china, including those under house arrest and those enduring enforced disappearances. we urge china to protect the rights of minorities in tibet and the right of all people to express themselves and worship freely and the rights of civil society and religious organizations to advocate their positions within a framework of the rule of law. and we strongly believe that those who advocate peacefully for reform within the constitution, such as the charter 2008 signatories, should not be harassed or persecuted. we also believe that, when china lives up to these obligations of respecting and protecting universal human rights, it will

not only benefit more than 1 billion people, but will also benefit the long-term peace, stability, and prosperity of china. for example, an independent, impartial, judicial system and respect for the rule of law would protect citizens' property and guarantee that inventors can profit from their ideas. freedom of expression for everyone, from political activists to academics and journalists and loggers, would help foster the open exchange of ideas that is essential to innovation and creative economy, a vibrant civil society to address some of china's most pressing issues, from food safety to education, to pollution, to health care. the lumber china represses freedom, the longer it will miss at -- the longer china represses from, the longer it will miss

opportunities. i know that china's leaders believe that political reforms could shake the stability of their country and get in the way of the continuing essential economic growth. but we have seen nation after nation, from south korea to indonesia to many parts of the world, where, once they realize that the nine people the right to express their discontent leads to more unrest and unleashed new potential for development. it is clear that we cannot paper over our differences nor should we do so. but the future of our relationship can be strong if we each need our responsibilities as great nations. the world is looking to china and there is a lot of excitement about this. we think that there are ways that china can be the unique

leader in the 21st century. embracing the obligations that come with being a 21st century power will help to realize a future that will give the chinese people even more, in fact, unimagined opportunity. that means accepting a share of -- that excepting a share the burden of solving common problems. the united states first emerged as a true world power nearly a century ago. and there were times when, frankly, we resisted taking on new obligations beyond our borders. there is a strong internal position that goes back in our history, where we just want to tend to ourselves and let everybody else worry about the future. but whenever the americans turned inward, attempting to avoid accepting that responsibility, even as intervened and we were summoned

back to reality. our leadership in the world and our commitment to tackle its greatest challenges have not drain their strengths or sapped our resolve. on the contrary, it has made us who we are today, a force for peace, prosperity, and progress across the globe. this is a critical juncture, yes, but i would say to my fellow americans that this is not a time to fear for the future. the world has never been in greater need of the qualities that distinguish us, our openness and innovation, our determination, our devotion to universal values. the world looks to the united states for leadership to manage to the changing times and to ensure that this juncture leads to greater stability, peace, progress, and prosperity. that is what we have always done. that is what we will always do. that is what america is all

about. and we have a tradition of moving beyond past problems and conflicts. it is sometimes hard to imagine that, in the lifetime of my mother, the united states was involved in two world wars, a terrible depression where we sent many of our best young people off to war in far places, and yet we have forged close relationships with former adversaries. today, we have a positive relationship with china and the chance for a very positive future. the united states welcomes china as a rising power. we welcome china's efforts, not only to lift their own people out of poverty, but to export prosperity and opportunity. and we look to china to join us in meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow.

we look for two-time when our future generations can look back and say of us that they did not just talk about a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship. they made the right choices. they worked together. they delivered results. and they did leave us a better world. that is our vision and that is our commitment for this most important relationship. thank you all very much. [applause]

>> next, an update on the victims of the shootings in tucson, ariz. then immoral service for richard holbrooke. >> this weekend on c-span 3's american history tv, his torrance discussed the importance of their work on pop culture at the american historical association conference in boston. an oral history with the first washington, d.c. delegate to congress. a visit to the bureau of engraving and printing to learn about the icreation of currency. experience american history tv all weekend, every weekend, on c-span 3. see the complete weekend schedule online c-span.org /history.

>> middle and high school students, it is time to upload your videos for c stands before c-span's student cam. up load by genentech -- by general 20s for your chance to win $5,000. -- up load by january 20 death for your chance to win $5,000. it is open for students in grades 6 through 12. >> thank you again to everybody -- >> the latest on the condition of arizona rep gabrielle deferreds. this is almost 10 minutes. -- get real difference -- gabrielle giffords. this is almost 10 minutes. >> nothing is an expected at this time. barry betty seems to be making

progress -- everybody seems to be making progress. with that, we have one particular patient of interest to is making significant strides. i also wanted to state that we would like to have a few minutes of your time for a statement read by the douglas family, which will be followed with a few questions regarding them. >> as regards congresswomen we are confident that she is making progress now. her eyes are open. that kind of occurrence is more frequent at this time. we can even think that she is beginning to carry out more complex sequences, even, more complex sequences of activity in response to our commands or even spontaneously. we are very encouraged that she is continuing to make all the right moves and in the right direction.

obviously, we are very conscious that she makes them natural pace. again, we could not have hoped for any better improvement then we are seeing now considering the severity of her injury initially. >> with that, if i could have the douglas family come up. we have ginny and sister christie here who will make a brief statement. >> good morning. my name is jenny douglas. i am barber's daughter. standing behind me is my sister chris d. blake. our dad asked us to read a statement on his behalf as he is being discharged from the hospital today. here is the message from my dad. i want to thank the staff at university medical center for the incredible care and treatment they have given to me since i was brought to the emergency room last saturday. but first, do not believe i would have made it to the emergency room had not been for the aid rendered to me at the scene by end of ellis who

applied pressure to my blood wound. there are so many people who have given me and my family every time the support we have needed over these days and it would be impossible to name them all. but every one of them has had a profound impact on my recovery and the well-being of my family. ♪ ♪ staying alive [laughter] i would like to particularly acknowledge a few. dr. hughes and his vascular team, critical care services director jane wilson, the nurses technicians and all the staff in icu, case management, and social work staff and my therapy team. i have never met two more compassionate skilled health care professionals as tracy covert and but marcello. they feel like family to me now.

they have all contributed greatly. their help has made it possible for me to attend the funeral services for chief judge john role and return home. we are extremely fortunate to have such an upstanding medical facility in our community. and now the whole world knows about the high level of expertise and professionalism that is found here. i also want to thank from the bottom of my heart the people of tucson who brought their words of encouragement to the front of the hospital. i saw their tribute, candles, and photographs for the first time yesterday. i was deeply moved and uplifted. my healing process is well under way and so is the healing of this wonderful community we call home. i ask everyone to continue their careers for congresswoman giffords's and all the survivors of the tragic event last saturday. i have sent my condolences to

the families of the good people we lost and wished them spiritual solace and emotional recovery. we will take a few questions. >> -- >> he has been. he was asked to make a personal statement and he could not physically be in two places at the same time. it was very important that he be at the funeral and yes my sister and i to make it on his behalf. i was with him when he left the hospital. it was both joyous and sad at the same time. we have really created quite a family on the icu. we will miss them greatly. we definitely will come back and visit. it was quite a moment. >> did he walk outside? >> he really wanted to see what was going on. my dad is a hands-on kind of guy. being in a hospital bed does not

suit him. so he insisted that we take him out there. he wanted to see the entire thing. we walked the entire memorial. what he said in his statement is right. he was both, you know, sad but it was uplifting to see this community that the love so much come together in this way. >> he works so hard. that is something he taught my sister and i. he has always worked in service for his community. they have said he is the first to get to work in the last to leave. that is how we grew up. he loves his family.

areay's in our family family day. it is something he insisted on. he holds his family close to him and he works hard. >> [inaudible] >> people had been asking us that. it is hard to say right now. it has been such an emotional roller coaster for us. i think we will see the changes take time. >> is the walking? >> he is taking a few steps on his own with eight walker. class will he be back in the office on monday? >> we will keep them from doing that. he was in his bed with all of the staff and his co-workers around him. that was hard working -- or want to see. that is that.

i believe my husband has given permission to "the star" to release some photographs of this morning. >> [inaudible] >> he does not need any further surgeries. we do not expect any complications. he is doing well. he will have physical therapy and nursing care provided to him until he feels well enough to do things on his own. >> [inaudible] >> it will be quite a celebration. it will be mixed because we will be attending a funeral that day, but we will be celebrating. >> this will be the last time we meet regularly like this. at this time, all other information that we have will be website or our public affairs

office. if something was to happen and we need to reconvene, we will coordinate that to our public affairs office. thank you so much. >> lawmakers gathered on the house floor to pay tribute to gabrielle giffords and the other victims of the shooting in tucson. watch online with c-span's congressional cockles. follow the contents of your congressman. congressional chronicles, it is washington your way. >> a memorial service was held today for ambassador richard holbrooke. speakers included president obama, secretary of state hillary clinton, former president bill clinton, and joint chiefs of staff chairman mike mullen. ambassador holbrooke served most recently as special representative for afghanistan and pakistan. his career began in 1962 with an assignment in vietnam.

the service was held at the john f. kennedy center for the performing arts in washington, d.c. [inaudible crowd noise]

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[applause] >> well, i'm david rubinstein, the chairman of the kennedy center. on behalf of the kennedy center, i'd like to welcome everybody here for a memorial service for a extraordinary man who was often against so many odds. some of you maybe wonders why at a memorial service we have a palm tree. the answer is that south pacific is playing here now. we were going to move the palm tree, but kofi said "south pacific" was his favorite show. he was the asia and pacific

affairs. let's keep it here. i wanted to say thank you. behind me president obama, secondary clinton, president clinton, and a couple of foreign visitors who have come quite a way to be here. including president of georgia, the president of pakistan, president somewhere -- zardari, i'd like to recognize minister that's come here to acknowledge the president of afghanistan, and the chief of diplomatic corps that's here as well as all of the ambassadors that are here. thank you much for coming. dick was a friend of mine for 35

years. i first met him in a political campaign. it was clear to me then he is extraordinary different than anybody else that i'd met. in this campaign, nobody had their own office, telephone, secretary, until dick came. when dick came, all of the sudden he managed to get a secretary, several secretaries of staff to staff him, he managed to get the office, he has the office with windows. after a while, became apparent that the campaign revolved around him. [laughter] >> that's the way it should be. he did extraordinary things. sometimes dick might have been thought by others to have a large ego. but in truth as the famous american baseball pitcher, dizzy dean said, if you can really do it, it's not bragging. in dick's case, he really could do it. the intelligence, perseverance, patriotism, and commitment to make the world a better place. a service like this could be

held on dozens of cities around the world and attracted a similarly impressive group of people, a dozen venues in this city or new york, and attracted a similar group of people. i think the kennedy center is appropriate place for a number of reasons. it was president kennedy's who's inaugural address seven 50 years ago inspired dick to go into public service. @ president kennedy that created the peace corps, and that was where dick spent so many of the early years. it was president kennedy that had the diplomatic achievement, the cuban missile crisis, and during his period of government that dick had his time and dates and accords. president kennedy and nick had another combination, that's true as well. both of them were taken from us much too soon. while dick did live about 25 years longer on this earth than president kennedy, and it's not

therefore fair to say, dick, we hardly knew you. we did know dick. we knew him well, admired him, respected him, loved him, feared him at times, we always knew he had the interest of the american people and the interest the humanity at heart. therefore, everybody really respected what he had done and his commitment to public service. as with president kennedy, as with all of us, you never know when god is going to take you back. you never can know what the reason is. we'll never know why dick left us so suddenly. my own theory, somewhere in the heavens, there's a need for a negotiator, and intergalactic dispute only dick would solve. right now he's like you can make a better speech, how come so and so didn't come, but nobody would be more appreciative than dick.

dick said i can negotiate up here even better than down there if you gave me certain powers. for example, if only i had the power of thunder and lightning. [laughter] >> just think what i could do. think what i could do on earth, and now solving the disputes. no doubt, god is saying, dick, i don't need to hear anymore. i agree with you. you got what you want. the bible tells us blessed are the peacemakers, they are the children of god. on the 69 years, i don't think there were very many children of god that were better than dick. he devoted his life to peace and making the world a better place. all of us who knew him, we know that. those of you who didn't know him, i wish you would have. he was a unique individual. i was proud to call him a friend. i'm sad he's not here. i'm sad the missions in which he worked are not yet completed.

when the missions are completed, people remember that he started the efforts and some of what his great legacy will be will be finished in a few years. his legacy will include things that he already did with some of the things they are now being worked on when they are resolved with no doubt bear dick's fingerprints as well. dick, godspeed, i'm glad to have known you and called you a friend. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, david, for hosting the remarkable memorial for richard. mr. president, mr. president, mr. secretary general, admiral mullen, vice president biden, beloved friends of richard, good afternoon to you. here's one fact about my husband that none of the thousands of remarkable tributes from the corners of the world have mentioned, richard was a very

good husband. from the time we came together 17 years ago, we were full partners. with richard, that moment no boundaries between our personal and public lives. we gave each other courage, great courage, knowing that the other was always there. not a single day passed wherefore he was without a phone call. we married during the fateful year of 1995. the deadiest year of the balkan wars. on route to our wedding, he was on the phone urging strobe talbot to start the bombing. that was my initiation into life with richard would be like. on the way to our honeymoon in france, he addressed the council of europe. from the podium, he produced me, his new bride, a local girl. as we were making our escape, a group of very determined bulgarian ladies came up to him. am bad door, they called to richard, we did not know you

were looking for a bride in the region. we have so many beautiful ladies in bull -- bulgaria. but it was too late. a few weeks later, he returned to washington with the coffins of his three comrades. following their funeral, richard headed back to the balkans and did not quit until he brought the warring parties to the air force in dayton. his breath-taking performance, corralling, outmaneuvering, and finally breaking the murderous will of some of europe's to havest autocrats was something to behold. if i wouldn't have been in love with him before, i would have then. when necessary, he deployed me. on the night of the peace conference, he seated me between two foes. make them talk to each other,

richard instructed me. thrilled to play my small part for richard and for history, i succeeded. by evening's end they were talking to each other. at the u.n., too, we were full partners, traveling to 11 african countries which opened both of our eyes to the full ravages of aids. those trips led richard to persuade the security council to aids on it's agenda for the first time. richard made me feel whatever i was working on, book, ngo, was as important as he was working on. i think he did that for a lot of people. in recent days, i've had thousands of letters from people's who's lives he touched, who's problems he tried to solve, from cyprus to tibet and better known places, i've heard from people he helped in some ways the small private acts of

kindness that did not make headlines. i tried to domesticate him. good luck with that as the kids would say. instead, he thought me the most valuable lessons. those who hold grudges are diminished by them. richard thought me that elegance is not about dressing well. lord knowing it was a rare day when his socks matched. elegance was about the spirit and the mind. oh he was an elegant man. always first to call a friend who's stumbled or been brought low by rumors. he taught me about patriotism. there was no job he would turn down if the president of the united states called.

the toughest job, of course, was the final one. i have never admired richard more than observing him during the final two years, facing layers of breath-taking adversity, he just kept on moving. in the depths of the night, when we were at our most open and vulnerable, i could see just how deep and genuine his passion to do good and make use of his god given talent ran. so he ignored his friends who told him his final mission was mission impossible. i never urged him to come home, because i knew him too well. from richard, i learned that a life of meaning is worth more than a life of ease. and perhaps even more than a long life. we had many plans for our next chapter. none of those plans involved

anything other than a life of full engagement. here's a consoling thought for all of us. richard was not looking to the last mission for his place in history. as something of a historian himself, he knew he had earned that place already. he was just going to give this last task as he had the others everything that he had. i look around this beautiful hall at the hundreds of young people that he mentored and inspired, including my own daughter, and in their eyes, i see my husband. richard is right here with us, very much alive. i will miss him forever. [applause] [applause]

>> dear dad, i'm writing this letter now because you are so far away. i imagine that you are busy enjoying the company of governor harriman and other v.i.p.s in great beyond, probably guzzling diet soda around the snack bowl. we had so many times and trips together. like when i was just 10 when you took me to china. i remember how the people all rode bikes, wore mouth suits, and stared at the foreigners in the square. when you are ambassador to germany, and you brought david and me to see the official departures to see the russian

troops, we watch you had in disbelieve as mr. nelson jumped on stage and did a impromptu dance. or where he stayed with the nomads until you ate almost all of their yogurt. reflecting on the trips also forces me to realize that you were not presence at any key moments in my life. when you gave me that brand new baseball glove, it was my mom that i learned to play catch with. or the day that i scored three touchdowns against our rivals. i wish you could have been there. i may not have realized it then, but i did come to understand that you weren't there because you were working. working hard to find safety and shelter for tens of thousands of refugees fleeing cambodia or

laos, or finding a way in the balkans to end the blood baths. you were saving thousands of lives. the day when my son cyrus holbrook was born just six months ago, you were off in the mountains in afghanistan and pakistan. but the day i'll remember most is the magical day at the state department just a short while ago. it was our last day together. watching you race down the hallway, holding cyrus like a football. with cyrus' mother agap, me and 20 staff members following in your wake as you carried cyrus right into the press briefing room. dad, while you didn't always have a perfect attendance record, what pride, deep pride, i take in being your son. i wouldn't want any other father in the entire world. afterall, how many sons can say

their father saved lives and made the world a better place? the pride i take in being your son will have no end. i love you, dad. and, yes, it is your suit. [applause] [applause] >> this past summer, a friend came to our home in brooklyn for the first time. after looking around the living room and seeing family photos with his holiness, the dalai lama, bill and hillary clinton, president obama, my friend said this is not a normal home. [laughter] >> it's not a normal home because i did not have a normal father. my father was an extraordinary man. but as anthony mentioned, he was not a natural parent. internal and external pressures prevented him from being there as much as he wanted to be.

but when he was, i saw the world from a remarkable vantage point. he went to game on the subway series, he sat in george steinbrenner's box. when we went to dinner in new york, we ate with hillary clinton, joe dinero, pleasing my wife greatly. we stood with my father in the white house after president clinton named him ambassador to the u.n.. it was the only time i ever remember seeing him get choked up. my favorite place to be with him was in telluride, where he loved to ski with his grandchildren. of course, i always had to make sure they skied behind him. because he had an unfortunate history of barreling into people. [laughter] >> but it was even more fun, and a lot safer, simply hanging out

with him at our home there. his shirt untucked, lose and relaxed, playing ping-pong and explaining to the kids why "blazing saddles" was such an essential film. i wanted so much more for my children. their grandfather was not a normal grandfather. now tragically we have all lost him. but as painful as this loss may be, my family is enormously proud of his legacy, and i know it will inspire each of us and each of you to contribute to the world in our own way. his way -- now that was something. my father was described as a human title wave. diane sawyer said being with him was like being in the eye of the hurricane. this week, i encountered another extreme type of weather. on monday, four days ago win think, on monday we were in the heart of the floods in

australia. when it seems certained we'd be stranded in queensland and miss this occasion, i thought about my father. what would he do? how would he get out of here? i decided that he would call anyone, i mean anyone, who might be able to find a helicopter. which is exactly what sara and i did. here we are. by the way if anyone from hertz is watching us on c-span, we're really sorry about your toyota. it is on high ground on a town called gimpy in queensland. judy has the keys. thank you. as screwy as it was, i'm certain my father would have relished our australian adventure. he would have brought as much relief to the people suffering there as he could. like i said, he was not a normal father. the kids and i recently read the book, "danny champion of the world."

which ends with this epilogue. when you grow up and have children of your own, remember something important. a stood dwi parent is no fun at all. what a child wants and deserves is a child that is sparky. my brother and i certainly got that. we miss you so much, pops. [applause] [applause] >> richard and i had a rocky start. when he first came into my life, i did everything in my 14-year-old power to ignore him. i thought i didn't need him. i was wrong and completely outmatched. richard barged through the wall that i set up and planted himself in my life. our relationship became one of support and complicity, shared interest, movies, food, any kind of food, a passion for texting,

the u.n., traveled to places most people can't locate on a map, and a mutual love for really bad tv and all nighters. over the years together, we plotted my future, looking for ways that i can make a difference. we talked boys as many of the women here can attest, he had a knack for relationship wisdom, and the advise often in a form of a text came at all hours and usually when he was in the middle of a meeting. [laughter] >> he became my greatest advocate, both personally and professionally. we don't get to choose our family, but richard and i chose each other. at the center of all of this was the implied but never stated recognition that we gave each other another chance. for him to be a father one more time, and for me to have one again. within of the last times that we were together walking on the beach at thanksgiving, he insisted that we talk about the

parallels between his work in afghanistan, and mine in haiti, no matter how new i was to the country or to the issues and how much i had to learn about a world that he had been navigating mastfully long before i was born. he treated me in a partner in understanding and making our work count. richard supported and taught so many of us, pushing, dragging, leading, or standing beside us, allowing us to shine when the time came. but nemertea -- no matter our proximity, both of us never came close to catching up to him. we are forever transformed by, in his wake. on the night the richard died, i came back to the arena. it's not the critic that caughts, the credit belongs to the man who was actually in the arena who's face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. reading this today, i hope seals

a pact between nerve -- between everyone in this room to continue to challenge and elevate, to fight our for appeals and people who do not have a voice. it will take all of us. richard expects it. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> to kofi, anthony, david, and elizabeth. to all of the friends and admirers of richard, we come together to celebrate an stood life. in 1999, at the height of the

crisis in kosovo, richard gave an interview in which he addressed the question of why the united states was engaged in bringing peace to that war-torn corner of the world. why bother? his answer was simple. because we could make a difference. because we could make a difference. that is the story of american leadership in the world. and that is also the story of richard holbrook. he made a difference. in 1962, when he was just 22 years old, he set out from vietnam as a foreign service officer. he could not have known the

twists and turns that lay ahead of him and his country in that war. or the road that he would travel over nearly five decades of service to his country. but it's no consequence that his life story so closely parallelled the major events of his times. the list of places that he served, the things he did reads as a chronicle of american foreign policy. speaking truth to power from the delta to the paris peace talks. paving the way to our normalization of relations with china, serving as ambassador in a newly unified germany, bringing peace to the balkans,

strengthening our relationship with the united nations, and working to advance peace and progress in afghanistan and pakistan. richard came of an age looking up to the men who had helped shape the post world war. dean atkin atkinson, mr. harold, clark gifford, and in many ways he was the leading light of a generation of american diplomats who came of age in vietnam. there's a generation that came to know both the tragic limits and awesome possibilities of american power. born of a time of triumph and world war ii, steeped in the painful lessons of southeast asia, participates in the twilight struggle that led ultimately to freedom's triumph

during the cold war. after the shadow of communism, richard understand the we could not retreat from the world. he recognized our prosperity is tied to that of others. that our security is endangered by instability abroad. most importantly that our moral leadership is at stake when innocent men, women, and children are slaughtered through senseless violence, whether it's islamabad. richard possessed a hard-headed, clear-eyed realism about how the world works. he was not naive. he also believed that america has a unique responsibility in

the course of human events. he understood american power and all of it's complexities and believed that when it is applied with purpose and principal it can tip the scales of history. and that coupling of realism and idealism which is always represented what is best in american foreign policy, that was at the heart of his work in bosnia where he negotiated and congealed and threatened all at once, until peace was the only outcome possible. by the time i came to know richard, his place in history was assured. his options in the private sector were so many of his peers had settled were too numerous to mention. but for my first conversation with him in chicago, in my

transition office, a conversation in which he teared up when he began to talk about the importance of restoring america's place in the world. it was clear that richard was not comfortable on the sidelines. he belonged in the arena. to his wonderful family, i am personally grateful. i know that every hour he spend with me in the situation room or spent traveling to southeast asia, south asia, was time spent away from you. you shared in the sacrifice. and that sacrifice was made greater because he loved you so. he served this country until the final moments. those who take the measure of

his last mission will see his foresight. he understood that the future of afghanistan and pakistan are tied together and afghanistan he cultivated areas like agriculture and governance to feed stability. with pakistan, he created new habits of cooperation to over come decades of mistrust. and globally, he helped align the approaches of 49 nations. were he here with us, i know richard would credit the extraordinary team that he assembled. today i'd like to make a personal appeal to the s-wrap team. particularly the young people, stay in public service. serve your country. seek the peace that your mentor

so hardly sought. i also know that richard would want us to lift up the next generation of public service, particularly our diplomats who so rarely receive credit. i'm proud to announce the creation of an annual richard c. holbrook award to honor excellence in american diplomacy as we look to the next generation, it is fitting as david mentioned that this memorial will take place at the kennedy center. named for the president who called richard's generation to serve. it's also fitting that this memorial takes place at a time when our nation is recently received a tragic reminder that we must never take our public servants for granted. we must always honor their work. america's not defined by ethnicity, it's not defined by

geography, we are a nation born of an idea. a commitment to human freedom. over the last five decades, there have been countless times when people made the mistake of counting on