this morning we'll talk to the right on line. and attorney for the association of credit and collection professionals. a look back at the water gate scandal. washington journal is next.

host: that is the topic of the first 45 minutes. aarp talking about is it time for social security cuts. the number is on the screen.

>> the decision which aarp hasn't discussed publicly came after a debate inside the country. aarp lead the effort to kill president bush's plan.

host: that's a little bit of what was being reported in yesterday's wall street journal. we want to find out what you think. is it time for social security cuts? we'll have more from the article and regarding aarp. first, let's go to the phones. the first call is from columbus, ohio. caller: thank you for c-span. i would have called in on

seniors but i dialled in on independent first. i'm 80. this is the most ludicrous thing. you know, aarp is nothing but a big insurance company. i wish to goodness, you would do something on c-span about the $100 something billion cuts they are making on the military. making the seniors and poor and children pay for this cal amity that's been caused by the millian airs and banks. thank you very much, rob. you have a great day host: next is bill on our line for republicans in new york.

caller: seriously, dude, i don't know what is going on with social security codes and everybody stealing them. i think it is total bull s -- host: the decision by aarp, the senior entitlement lobby to maintain the possibility of cuts is a 9. 0 on the budget deficitscale.

>> listen, i stopped paying into them four years ago. they are still sending me insurance information. >> what about the social security cuts. caller: my advice is pay it back. quit dipping into it host: john on the line for republicans. caller: it's been all spent it

would be illegal if you did that in the private sector. aarp is exactly right. why would aarp support the unaffordable healthcare act that would put us on the road to more? maybe they are waking up in the serious debt situation where we are borrowing $100 million a month host: how old are you? how big of your retirement plan is social security? caller: it's not. i'm 48 years old i hope by the time i reach retirement we are not in a serious depression.

if we did have a trust fund. they somehow opted out back in 1981. the county public employees actually had money put into a low-risk fixed plan where it yielded interest where it was allowed to grow. people are now collecting and getting $50% more than what we represent from ponzi schemes. >> we'll leave it there and move on to saratoga springs. on the line is grace. >> good morning. i remember years ago when i was a younger person, the government was baroing all the time from

this social security fund that had so much money. always baroing from the fund. i never heard it got paid back. i don't understand what we can cut. we are in poverty right now living off what we get from social security host: the group's stance generated the move from all sides with added ammunition to chip away at benefits it promises older americans. our goal is in any changes for

older americans. we want to see the system made solve and the group stance should be seen as less a major change a position than realities facing country as a whole. >> dorothy, you are on washington journal. caller: i'm only 56 years old at the moment. to seniors and americans they are going to take the rest of our money. i've been paying social security since i was working when i was 16. all of that money reserved foreseenors will pay down the

deficit. we are not making a deficit. but they are going to take our money to pay it down. it is wrong. i like views of republicans and democrats at different times but if the republicans get in, be careful. they are going to take social security and healthcare. i pay into it. i'm a christian. >> host: next caller. caller: my gripe is that more people don't get social security because of the work they do. congress last fall with $22

trillion out of medicare. i find that totally disgusting. you have a couple of honest men to take away what we have worked for all our life is totally disgusting both parties are working on paying off the debt. taking us off the gold standard. jill on our line for democrats. go ahead. i can't believe they want to

attack social security. that is the one program we get that we have paid into. why not get something like food stamps. give people that need food, food. i don't understand them taking social security. it is disgusting. host: sorry about that, jill. this is the story slammed for not fighting social security cuts hammered for refusing to close all benefits. long held as a way to extend their life. the group which has 37 million americans opposes cutting benefits to help reduce the budget deficit says the organization's director of

legislation policy. for years, they have acknowledged that cuts may be necessary to improve the programs finances. >> back to the phones. is it time for cuts? you are on the line caller: hello. can you hear me fine? host: go ahead. doug? we'll move on to our line foreseenors. from maryland. caller: good morning and thank you very much for c-span. i think that the best way to remedy our problem with social security is to, as you know, under ronald reagan in 1983, foreseenors who had better income. they started to get a tax on

their social security income. i think that tax should be raised so that the seniors who correct social security who are wealthier can include their social security income in their taxes and be taxed a little more. i don't want the age raised. there are a lot of people who do hard work. they should be able to collect social security. it shoulz already be up to 67. that's enough. those seniors should pay a higher tax. and social security can be preserved. i did not want it privatized. when george bush tried to privatize social security, it made social security unsafe.

it takes everyone working contributing into social security. if you draw off funds from people who work into a private at account, there will not be enough money coming in to social security on a daily basis to fund it here are some numbers provided. if your full retirement age is older than 65, you still will be eligible to take benefits at 62.

>> back to the phones many michigan. caller: all this social security stuff like this. they've been rating stuff like this for years. what they need to do is stop all of this in the united states. a lot of our money is going overseas. stop foreign aid, clean out the illegals and get people working. keep raising the retirement age i don't think is a good idea. you are holding somebody in a joob who is not as productive. by moving people out into retirement, you are creating

jobs and putting more into the security system. it needs to be an overall change in washington as to what washington does rather than buying the best friendses that the united states can buy, we ought to worry about buying into our own health and welfare. >> mary is on our line for democrats calling out to ohio. caller: good morning. thank you. this is an important subject. years ago, aarp fought the fan congress had passed for major medical health insurance foreseenors. i never contributed to them since. it was a very reasonable amount to pay foreseenors and aarp stopped it.

that is correct. the most the average worker from that point on, it's the younger people paying but older people are collecting they need to keep the age limit. when this is started, the average death rate of seniors was 62. >> how far would you like to see the age limit raised? caller: i'd like to see it

raised according to the number that we know is the death rate of seniors slowly. seniors are living longer because they are getting better care host: from new york for republicans. caller: i know there's a lot being said. i want to ask a general question

why are they calling social security an entitlement when i'm forced to pay into. entitlement, i'm forced to pay into i'm ordering up the money and it is on me. i don't have to worry about congress taking and spending my money. i just need that answer. host: from the website. aarp ready to show the benefits what does research show. one 2004 study publiced in the journal population and development review in 2010 analyzed the net value of social security

>> back to the phones. john is on the line foreseenors. caller: i've been watching c-span now over 25 years. i'm really disappointed.

it seems as though c-span has become a propaganda for the rich for wall street and the corporations. if you really think about it, look at all these walls unnecessa unnecessary. look at the trade differents. all that free trade was was sending out get some of these people standing on the corners. bring one of these jobs back. bringing the job in, there's no problem with social security. it doesn't take a rocket

scientist when is c-span going to do a story on who got the money? we haven't had a bonfire. someone has the money. here are some other numbers analysis of social security data. overtime there will be fewer taxpayers. typical lifetime benefits will grow because people are living longer they are supported by

155, 170,000 taxpayers. as we move into the future, the number of taxpayers increases as we move into the future. back to the phones from yashg for independents. caller: we could solve this by doubling the taxes to social security and call it done. host: how would doubling the taxes solve the problem. putting the revenue in there to shore, one. the basic problem of social sek security you see hummers and

other high dollar cars pulling up to wal-mart and parking in disabled parking. they get out and look like gangsters. you have all the poor people. i'm won of them. my mother was the same. she had eight kids. she could not afford a dog. the quick, short, hard answer is to mandate sterlization after one or two kids. >> we'll leave it there. >> a national debt that needs to be paid back.

back to the phones. good morning. caller: aarp needs to stay out of toss. they are an insurance company looking for a free ride. social security and medicare and medicaid are safety nets that have kept america going for the middle class and the poor that we need. the rich are going to get richer, that's fine. they need to balance this out. they need to find themselves in a work situation this is why

social security and medicare, medicaid was created. >> the news outside of our discussion of social security cuts. the tribune has this as their lead. president hopes golf round helps build links with house speaker. there's commentary including the wall street journal, which has this article. obama, bainer, golf in death talk shadow. it's an unusual thing for the president to mix business with leisure. the high stake negotiations in the hands of two men.

obama versus bainer. cooper writes this game is not about debt ceiling negotiation. it's a chance for mr. bainer to take on the most powerful man in the world. for the competitive mr. obama to measure himself against his political ememy sis.

host: taking a call from a senior named carol. caller: good morning. i do think. not that washington doesn't have enough money it has too much

money. can you imagine any one of us that run a house hold keep spending money and do not have the money to pay for it. that's what government does. they see a pile of money and they take it out and use it for let's see how the turtle crosses the road or where to moths meet. they spend on all these projects that are out. most likely somebody in congress has a relative for a friend. if you give us a couple million, we can use this to check the turtles. crazy things like that that drive me crazy. that one young man that called and said we have to be careful.

now people depend on that for their living. the other thing is with us giving money to all these foreign illegals. we worked for all that money now illegals can come in an obama is giving them money for social security money. that's crazy. host: we'll leave it there. navy's top ranks seeing turmoil. craig writes that the past 18 months, the navy has sacked nine officer

host: tj is on the line for democrats. go ahead. sorry, i punched up the wrong line there. in fair go ahead. caller: i thought i was on the line for republicans. am i? host: you are. caller: i've been watching

c-span full time pretty much since i retired. you've had multiple people on washington journal from reputable to less reputable organizations and the government itself they have been saying constantly when asked this question the social security trust fund doesn't exist. it is an accounting gimmick we are on the hook for the money in the trust fund. the simply special issued ious. we owe the government money. we pay it now or later and the special interest paid on the notes i know the people

listening think ronald reagan stole their money. host: we'll leave it there. host: you can see coverage live. we'll pick up coverage at 1250

this afternoon. c-span radio wraps up with presidential candidate and the chairman. that's the republican leadership conference starting at 12:50 eastern. carlsbad, california phyllis. caller: carlsbad, new mexico. host: in new mexico. go ahead. caller: i don't care whether you are independent, republican, democrat. stop taking all the wages away from them working in washington or living outside of it.

take all their perks away and start hurting like the rest of america is hurting. we are. i brought a daughter from one side of the country to another because of no business. they've lost it all. start letting them feel the pinch. host: we have a tweet from dean he writes instead of cutting benefits, congress should be cutting waste and tax loopholes. send us your tweets at c c-span wj. on the line for republicans. caller: good morning. i'm 52 years old. i've been paying into social

security since i was 14. i've been an independent contractor most of the time. i believe the problem with social security is that people are getting a lot more than they paid in. it's like trying to nail jel low to a tree. start out by making it optional. let's pay everybody back what they paid in and kill the system and let people keep the money and invest it for themselves. it's going to work out a lot better. host: thank you. john trying to nail jell-o to a tree. >> medicare claims show greater cost and risk seen in mainly

small hospitals about the overuse of ct scans. host: illinois on the line for independents. caller: hello. thank you for taking my call i believe the social security system is unconstitutional. i believe you should only get

what you pay in in one lump sum. by the time you are old enough to take care of your money, you can invest it the way you need or want people aren't getting more than what we paid in i don't think it will be around by time i'm ready to collect. thank you. rick. caller: that's rex. good morning. i'm close to 79. i would like to debate anyone but i know that would take too long but they need to leave social security alone for the senior citizens. there are people we know that

fake disabilities and all. clean that up. people that's disabled, i'm not against that. they need to clean it up. we see it all over stores. there are people you know are able to work and they are drawing social security checks. another thing is all these people say give back the money you paid in. that's not the way. a 401 k, i know my daughter has lost a lot of money in hers. what you pay in really and truly have revealed from everybody of what people live and all that's supposed to be. it's just rated. we give money away to other countries. i am a korean veteran but i

think we should pull our troops in from he's other countries. host: recommend, we are going to leave it there. we got this from the gal lop organization. 17% of americans approve of the job congress is doing. similar to where it was in march and april. congress's approval rating was below 25% since january 2010. bell mont, texas on our line for democrats. go ahead. caller: i appreciate you taking my call. i am 76 years old. i worked until a year and a half ago when i had a heart attack. when i worked, i made very good money. i paid social security all the time because i was working. i believe congress that sits up

there, that they ought to start having to deal out many money. pay interest on that money, put it back into funds. there for social security wouldn't be in what shape it is in i also think people saying everybody drawing social security is on all sorts of things. i've worked all my life and never drawn anything.

causing profound disruptions >> today on the line. we have to do something. one of the things people don't really understand is the unfunded liabilities. we are looking at $50 trillion.

in today's dollar, we'd need about $38 to $40 trillion. we've kicked the can and kicked the can. what that means today. most people can't work beyond 67.

host: our last call for this segment comes from jackson, florida on the line for independents. caller: thank you so much. i've been a c-span watcher since 1979. i hope maybe i'll get a little bit of time to put my feelings across. i'm 64 years old. i don't think there's ever a good time to cut social security benefits. it is the working efforts of the people that supported that program. we have some real problems with organizations like aarp. these people looking to continue to raid the seshl security trust fu

fund. people are just being robbed. people calling in letting congressional people know how opposed they are to the cuts. it's our money. it's not an entitlement. it's our money. we really need to get back home and start supporting the american people and senior citizens when it comes to social security. host: greg, we'll have to leave it there from jacksonville, florida. thank you for your call. we'll be back with valarie hays. today is june 18. we'll be right back.

>> this weekend, we'll visit the

nixon library and video of nixon's first speech on breaking water gate's story. the american history guides as they talk about succession in the civil war. we'll hear from duke university on the american defeat of japan. get the schedule at c-span.org/history or have it emailed to you by pressing the c-span alert button. blackberry users can access all the time. all available around the clock wherever you are. down load it free from

blackberry app world. washington journal continues. host: eric telford is the executive director of write on line talking about social tools and networks used for the media network. first off, tell us what is write on line. guest: we bring together bloggers and on line activists that want to learn to use tools like blogs. folks from center right organizations and from states all across the nation bringing people together with a goal of how can we be more effective and

achieve goals and use the internet to do just that. we offer great panels and training. the basics on how to set up an account and be effective and more advanced courses for folks already doing it. what's been the topics so far at the conference. what seems to be popular with folks there and people you are communicating with on various social networks. folks that are bloggers and existing on line activists have been wanting to learn more to more effectively engage with them and other cools and resources where we have had other places like facebook coming in. among grass roots activists, the

more 101 level track where people are looking to be engaged is popular as well. we are talking conservatives and on line activism. the number is on the screen if you want to get involved. addresses electronically are journal-

host: what kind of changes are we going to see as the 2012 campaign picks up? guest: it's been fascinating for me to see since back in 2008. the left was so far ahead of us in the realm of on line activism. we looked at the left and they had a conference called left roots nation. we really had nothing comparable. the most interesting development that will come about in 2012, we'll have a lot of engagement in the upcoming election cycle but it will not be will republican versus democrat. it will be conservatives that want to hold to the fire.

host: in the daily caller, you wrote, against the odd right leads on line. tae party groups are using technology used largely by left wingers to denounce and often defeat the establishment that these institutions stand for.

you mention tea party groups. are they using this more than others they are drawn to the internet. people go there when they feel locked out of power and like nobody is listening to them. in the age of tv, you could yell at the tv but nobody was listening. there's nobody standing between you and your ability to get your message out on line. a lot of these tea party realm,

they use it as a tool to mobilize. our first call comes from portland, maine. caller: are you going to be covering net roots nation. you are trying to build something up from a grass roots level that happened spon containiously in the left roots level. it seems to me redid you knowed and for this to be happening with the internet on your end

really what we were looking to do it is vital to have citizens paying attention we have the tools engaged i think it is great to have that dialogue and have folks talking on the left and right.

letting everybody know who is listening and watching this morning. we'll have more in a few minutes. host: back to the phones. maryland on our line for independents. dave. caller: i don't know how old this wroung man is he doesn't know his politics. the tea party was born out of the 1968-1972 election. that is the foundation for it. that is factual. that's why reagan went to mississippi to announce his running. that's the place of evangelical revolution, the south vote. ok with the mid-west vote to go

to the presidency. that is factual. i probably read more books than you. you have no understanding what the republican party is about. it's about two things, destroying medicare and social security and keeping the industrial war machine going. that is factual. one day, they will destroy medicare and social security. >> eric? >> i would advice the caller that just because he says things are factual doesn't mean they are. they are off based of everything they just said. i do admire their sense of self importance. maybe he should go check out a tea arty and get to know the people, his allegations are very off based. host: to the phone.

caller: why are the right wingers in this country so uptight with personal freedoms. i'm an old guy. 65 years old brought up in the woodstock generation. it's really uptight people that never really seem to enjoy life unless they have a pocketful of money. i struggle a long time, i'm actually a veteran too i'm all

about personal freedom i'm all about people enjoying economic liberty. i think the caller should come to our right on line conference. host: tell us about the environment right now and how that is being enhanced by social media. absolutely. we have seen a level of engagement that hasn't existed for some time. it's phenomenal in seeing people active. social media has made that very easy. folks are able to form a row bust community strongly interlinked. a lot of folks weren't engaged

before. they are in a very blue state. being able to connect on line has been empowering. it's going to play a big roll in 2012. host: the next call from buena park, california on the line for washington journal. caller: i have a website called lj christian at securing the usa having to do with freedom and safety on the internet. log on and learn more about it. i too agree that we should be free to use that data on the internet as help to businesses, corporations and individuals. we need to be free from people stealing our identity and

information from corporations. like what happened to weiner. if he had not contacted a 17 year old, he'd still be in offi office. i too feel we need an internet but we need one that's more pleased. one that can help us and keep us safe. host: eric. go ahead. guest: i'm not sure that was a question. i agree with some of her objectives. the internet is the ultimate example of the free market at

work. it's working right now. we don't need to hamper it with more regulations in new orleans. we are talking about meeting with obama. what is the right on line conference does it go beyond 2012? >> it goes beyond that. our job is to make sure good public policies go on. folks need to be held accountable. folks need to be elected and empowered to make the right choices. i think that's really what distinguishes us.

>> back to the phones. the next call from republicans. caller: i'm a conservative from new hampshire. when i see young guys like you do what you do, it's fantastic. my wife is a computer engineer. when i list tone some of the comments from the left on c-span, i am absolutely shocked. go eric. go right on line. i'll be on there soon now that i know about you. host: bill, how much political information are you getting on line now as opposed to traditional forms of media?

caller: a tremendous amount. i just attended the republican debate. from on line, my library of information is row bust. caller: thank you for your kind words. it is a frightening thing. i pressure call and kind words. i encourage you. we gave an award to one of your fellow new hampshire ites.

1490 a.m. radio show. skip received an award some recognition for his great work. encourage the caller and anybody else in new hampshire to check out his work. host: yesterday, saying what was said and get a response. >> he really stood out as someone that was willing to stand for something. i think she's got to prove not that she is consistent in her principals but that she knows how to organize a national campaign effort. it is not just enough to believe the right thing but you have to win these primary states and about building a campaign team. >> former governor,?

>> everybody thinks he failed the challenge to discuss romney care or what they call obama care. he's still in it. he has to step up his game and see whether or not he can do more eric, go ahead. i believe in the debate the other night. it has given her broader appeal. it is a strategic campaign roll out. after all the headlines had ads in place and running. we'll see if that continues.

there are some good questions. i hear questioning if he's too nice to win. he'll have to prove he's able to get a little tougher on some other candidates. i was really impressed. i thought his passion really shown through. >> among the candidates out so far for the 2012 race, who seems to be getting the most traction from social media right now as far as folks you've been dealing with at the right on line conference? >> i should have added that we will be hearing today from congresswoman bachmann. write us to at rightonline.com.

somebody takes the time is herm an cain. congresswom congresswoman bachmann has been strongly utilizing the internet. republican party years ago didn't even want to touch the intern internet. if you want to get more details for our coverage, we'll be

taping events and airing them in the middle of the week. go to the website and there's nothing on there now, give it a few hours and come back later, we'll have information for you. on the independents line you are on live. caller: good morning. after listening to this, i have come to a conclusion that anything you have to say on there probably has been said and done and isn't going to make a differen difference. probably like rush limbaugh been a bell cleansing treatment.

we need to look at what makes sense and what doesn't. we are spending our nation into bankruptcy. we are hanging our children with debt in the future. unborn generations that already owe tens of thousands. that's really not fair. we owe it to our country and the future of our nation to be responsibly. there are certainly huge areas where waste, fraud and abuse can

be eliminated. host: the executive director of the right on line conference. he's organized organizations. michael on the line for republicans. go ahead. caller: i wanted to thank eric primarily. it is amazing to listen to the comments and questions. the baseless count of accusations and bad history. this young man seems to know his business. hang in there. you are well spoken and well thought through attitude and understandings are a compliment and a blessing. whether you are a tea party, republican or democrat, we need

people that can think and reason things out. thank you very much. host: next up, brooklyn new york, lenny on the line for democrats. caller: good morning. i don't understand when republicans talk about freedom. the only freedom they seem to expose is the freedom for the rich to keep their money. they shouldn't pay taxes. they shouldn't polute the ear. if they clean up, then they are spending money. the same people who are for freedom, they fight against unions. why? they require them to get more money. the same government also want to go into your bedroom. the only freedom they care about

are the freedom of the rich. thank you very much. caller: i believe in freedom of jobs. a speaker has produced fire. these are costing america jobs at a time we can't afford that we need people to have them is there any way to gauge how many people are watching your activity on line and if there

has been any increase over the yea years. we started out in austin, texas with below 800 attendees. we went up to pittsburgh and broke 1100 in las vegas. last night, we had over 1500 registered attend ys this is the first year we put a lot of elements on line. i haven't had a chance to look at the reports. i am eagle to see that and the growth we've experienced since we started. host: more on the line for republicans. caller: you are doing a great job.

all the democrats and republicans and inters, we need to get together on this. this is like our last shot. if we don't get together, we are done. we won't have anything to play with anymore. i like the idea of ron paul. thank you very much. host: eric. caller: thank you. i think the caller is right. we are at a critical point in our nation and history. we can't keep playing politics. to see people care about this country. we've been closer to them than ever before in the history of our con freeses seeing there are human beings on the other side of the keyboard i hope that

continu continues. host: we'll be talking with raven brooks shortly. the executive director of net roots nation. they are having their conference in minneapolis. was that a coincidence or did you plan to do that? we started taking them on in 2008. they got a head start in a few years and identified them as one reason left was so far ahead as the right. that really inspired us. we wanted to use it as a rallying point. we got to get engaged. take it head on and beat them. i do admire the work they are doing. we have taken them on head on ever since. yesterday, raven brooks, my

counter part who you'll have on in a few minutes compared us to the little brother tugging at their shirt asking to play with their toys. i liked that analogy. host: do you believe that the use of social networking media like this will do -- will reduce the an muss between republicans and democrats or conservatives and liberals? caller: it's really easy when you are engaging to see just a user name and let your passion overtake you and get the best of you. you forget there's another human on the other side of that screen. it's vital to have events where people see each other face-to-face. people from different sides run

into each other and have a chance to communicate and realize we are all here because we care for this country. we are human beings, we are for the most part civil. it's a great message to both sides that we need to conduct ourselves in a respectful manner. let's disagree on policy but be polite as people. host: the caller on the phone calls himself is et. caller: that's correct. the problem is he's never read the constitution or the northwest ordnance. the first inaugral address of george washington. host: why would you say he's never read the constitution. caller: simple just like you

probably haven't he either. article 4, section 4, u.s. constitution states, we are a republic with a guaranteed republican government. the problem is 90 years ago, they took out definitions of a republican form of government. we are not a democracy. please learn your history. you are up there saying false food along with c-span.

i do appreciate that. i thank the caller for clarifying that point a big success in two ways there was no obvious in crazy town in a functionally 50/50 nation and ca campaign. second and more important. the foreign policy discussion limited. there was no spirit and lights at the end of tunnels. more muted with that this

signals a real shift. do you get the feeling that there has been a shift in the republican party? caller: absolutely. that was encouraging to see. the broad consensus i saw was that everybody was a winner. certainly nobody lost or was concerned. there's been a shift that focussed more on the issue than the party from our perspective,

we have wanted to see for a very long time. >> next up, on the line, you are washington journal. republicans record in building for tax rates. moving american jobs off shore the situation where he will work on their terms. the republicans, it is a lot of salt on the american working class. thank you.

let's talk on the issue. they don't want to bring them back to america. they are taxed if we want to bring more jobs back to america, we need to fix that. allowing more american jobs. right on line, on line for republicans. you are on the line for washington journal. caller: i have a suggestion about how you can reduce the national debt if every week, the bushls of corn and wheat are shipped out, donating one penny per bush will to reducing the

national debt, over 36 weeks, that would be $36 million that they could buy back the bond from china and japan. another suggestion is that they have paid $1-4 dollars per bussel on that grain. we have to look at cuts big and small. guest: that starts with smaller amounts but we have to look at a much bigger picture. beyond what we can afford.

i appreciate our callers conference hopefully we'll see. we'll see that conference in that arena host: if you want to follower yik. he's at joe taxpayer. he's been talking with us from minneapolis where their conference is going on this weekend. thank you for being on the washington journal. guest: thank you for having me. host: later on, we'll talk with valarie hays to talk about the debt collection industry. first we'll take this break. right after that, we'll be back with more on washington journal.

>> this weekend on book tv, authors on many topics. former new york times science writer from 9 development of alphabets to the generation of information age. look for the complete tv sked assume at book tv.org and sign up for the alert in your in box. the supreme court book. this new edition e book includes a discussion with the newest

supreme court justice. available now wherever e books are sold. >> mr. president, thank you. i feel deeply honored. learn more through his nearly 50 appearances on line. nearly 15,000 people. all searchable and free. it is washington your way. . .

host: we had hoped have raven brooks with us, but there was a scheduling snafu. we will open our phones for the next 15 minutes of the "washington journal." this article in the "wall street journal." many american commanders say relentless military pressure over the past few years has left the taliban weekend and pushed out of areas they once

controlled. taliban commanders say that while they are not looking for inspiration, they are trying to score a psychological blow using tactics borrowed from terrorist crews. they insist they have not given up on securing a military victory. open phones, carry, pennsylvania is where our first phone call comes from on a line for democrats. stanley, you are on the "washington journal." caller: this is ierie.

what i have been hearing about with taxes, you get the republicans and democrats, they say they will cut taxes and stuff like that. every time when they talk about they cut taxes, you get more money in their pockets. i never seen that. i never seen a park where more money gets put into my pocket. it is ludicrous where they get people to believe that at all. social security, i live off of social security because i am a disabled vet. i had to do that because of my back. because of social security, it is ludicrous.

host: we are going to leave it there. did you, iowa, and next call comes from brian. -- dubuque, iowa, next call comes from brian. caller: i wanted to say that i like the show. and the person who called in about social security disabilities, he claims he can tell at the grocery store are completely capable of working -- i wanted to say that that is a falsehood. there are a lot of people out there struggling, a lot of people have mental illnesses, and there are a lot of people -- a lot of things that people are struggling with. it is not good to label anyone any particular thing.

host: this is from the "wall street journal." the justice department expected that out the head -- ousting the head of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. c-span has covered two hearings in the past week that have to do

with operation fast and furious. if you want more information about those hearings, go to our website, c-span.org. savannah, ga. on a line for democrats. maria, you are on the "washington journal." how are things in savannah? caller: just tell little hot water -- a little hot weather. i enjoyed the "washington journal", and i wish that they would have more blacks and other than new. i get the impression that as you look at c-span and other networks, there aren't any black people going in for mass media and journalism. i like to see more diversity of a melting pot. host: washington crossing pennsylvania. caller: i was hoping to hear the

person from, i forget the name. host: netroots nation. caller: because i live in washington crossing, and they recently tried to privatize part of this historic park. people jump on the tea party and say that they are for the privatization. that t party was in full support of not turning this park over to private interests for $1. democrat, independent, republican -- there are a whole group of people out there that absolutely are looking at some of these off privatisation situation, especially a national treasure like washington crossing, and they are saying no, we are not going to let that happen. i am sorry to have missed raven

brooks. once again, i think that r, d, an i will disappear when it comes to lock historic places. host: from the "free press," mayor tries to get back on crack. he announced the hiring of a new chief of staff and place to show his administration is focused on city business after chaos triggered by a whistleblower lawsuit. the focuses on what i have done and will continue to do to address the challenges facing our city. during a brief news conference, he declined answer reporters' questions. he will remain focused on the task hand and remain focused on reaching a budget compromise. that is what residents expect

and deserve. that is from this morning's "detroit free press." baltimore, maryland, you are on the line for "washington journal." caller: i tire of hearing the republican party line. if you just go back over a month, every republican you have has come out with the same stuff. cut, raise taxes, cut, cut. but cutting is not how we will get out of this mess that the republicans got us into this life. the independent voice of bernie sanders, the progressive voices of those missing in action today, i am sorry but i wanted to hear them today. but the issue a party of no is simply no taxes for the rich and take you all can from the poor.

it is ridiculous. i am appalled that i wish that your republican colleagues would call in and comment on how they can cut everything without addressing the revenue side of this problem that we have. i respect c-span. i thank you for being there. but just like the lady said, we need more diversity, and i mean politically, not just color, but with ideas. host: let me ask you a question before you go. the president has been in office for going on for years now. the democrats control both sides of congress for a significant portion of those three years. at what point to the democrats need to take responsibility? caller: at the. dollars where you have all loyal opposition. this is been a disloyal opposition. the party of no. if you look at the record number of filibusters through the first few years coming to see that the democrats have not been in

control of everything. if you look at just that filibusters, the record number by the party of no, then you will see what the president has barely been able to squeak by with a few major developments. it is not obamacare, it is affordable health care. host: william in baltimore, we will leave it there. gabrielle giffords was back in her home town of tucson. it is the first time since january. jensen beach, florida , if gary on our line for democrats. caller: it is jerry.

i watched all of this newt gingrich, how come i have never seen any footage of this guy when the republicans kicked him out of office. the day after, he was interviewed, he said i'm going to make 10 times more money and go lobbyist. why is that not showing up on tv? this person was defeated by the people of his own party in his own state. this is ridiculous. furthermore, when this government or the whole world stops to try to regulate morality with this section -- with sexual dysfunction, abortion, drug use, you have this forcing your morals down people's throats, putting them in jail, and running their lives. host: we will leave it there. jim on all line for republicans,

go ahead. caller: good morning. can you hear me? host: what is undermine this morning? caller: mark twain said get the facts first. you can distort them later. host: and we will leave it there. "richland --ing's "richmond times-dispatch," u.s. department has approved they new districts drawn up by this general assembly this spring.

westchester, new york, on a line for democrats. caller: i wanted to follow-up on the comments, the last couple of guys who called on the democratic line. i have to say that sometimes i think you'd do a great job and i love watching this. it would be nice if sometimes the moderator's like yourself would jump in when one of your guests really goes -- the cliche is of left field. or right field in the previous case. they get so far away from the facts. the inconsistencies in both parties are pretty amazing. i think that is why people like ron paul and libertarians appeal

to as many people as they do. even when they are wrong, at least they are morally consistent. and it would be nice if you would jump in a little bit more, i think, and keep the facts on the table straight. host: give me an example of where you think we have fallen down on that. caller: you move so fast that sometimes it is hard -- [laughter] it is hard to keep up with the debate. the previous debate, that guy was talking about respecting individual rights and freedoms. it occurs to me, what is it that all of his people on the right are against roe v wade and the woman's right to choose, a total and frenchman on a woman's liberty. host: next up is deland,

florida, on our line for independents. surely, you're on the "washington journal." caller: i think the politicians salaries should be cut. if they do not show for work, they should not get paid. i do not. also, it's a security and medicare, if they cannot manage it so that everyone can have what they have paid in, then maybe they should pay back to the person with interest. maybe they could sound better. host: thanks, shirley. the political memo and this of the " new york times."

that is in this morning's "new york times." pendleton, md., on our line for independents. caller: i had been listening to c-span for years. i am a political junkie. living in the d.c. area, if you get all of the beltway stuff, all the political shows. the reason i am calling it is that i find it appalling that

the people on the left, and i used to be a democrat, of very left-wing democrat back in the 1960's and 1970's, became a republican in the 1990's. they left me. they moved to left. i do not think i changed. but the vitriol and hate from the left, they talk about the rich like the rich are this more as class. i read one time that the rich, there are people moving into that floor and they are leaving that for all the time. they start a business and they failed. people are for the rights of freedom, what they want to take away the freedom to have a right to have an abortion? we believe in the freedom of the baby. host: we will leave at that.

our last call from this open fun session comes from hunt's though, alabama. caller: nice to see you smiling again. i want america to know that i had never voted republican before but i would vote for mike huckabee. the other of the clowns, i would not vote for them. if i had my choice, i would have senator coburn. i would vote for him tomorrow. but it looks like i will have cut hold my nose and vote for obama again. host: in a few minutes we will talk with our days of the association of credit and collection professionals. she will talk about regulation of debt collectors. you're watching the "washington journal." today is saturday, june 18. we will be right back.

>> linda hogan's books focus on women's issues in the native environment, including her latest, "round in the human corner." join our three-hour conversation sunday, july 3, at noon eastern on c-span2. >> the c-span networks -- providing coverage of politics, public affairs, nonfiction books, and american history. it is all available to you on television, radio, online, and on social media networking sites. find our content anytime through the c-span video library. we take c-span on the road with our digital content bus. it is washington your way. the c-span networks -- now available in more than 100 million homes, created by cable, provided as a public service.

>> "the supreme court" is available as a standard and enhanced e-book. 11 our original c-span interviews with current and retired justices. this includes an interview with an u.s. supreme court justice, elena kagan. add to your experience by watching multimedia clips with all of the justices. available wherever e-books are sold. blackberry users coming you can access our programming any time with the c-span radio app. it is all commercial free. you can listen to our signature figure -- interview programs each week. it is available round-the-clock wherever you are. download it free from blackberry app world. >> "washington journal" continues. host: mallory hayes is general

counsel of the association of credit and collection professionals, a.k.a. aca international. she is talking about recent efforts to ask for forms that governed the industry. it will fall under the supervision of the consumer financial protection bureau. tell us about some of the reforms that aca international is looking for regarding the debt collection industry. guest: we want to improve the communication between debt collectors and consumers. we are looking to make communications more simplified between consumers and debt collectors, said that consumers understand what their rights are under the law. we're also looking at the issue of what documentation is needed for evidence of that debt, how much debt is owed by the person to that entity, and other

things, advocating for the possible use of litigation with in the debt collection industry, and access to reports as well as limitations for collection. and once the seven years are up, you're not able to sue on that debt any more. host: some of the changes to the fair debt collection act that you have been talking about, it includes modernizing and clarifying it so that debt collectors can communicate with consumers using technology is now available. tell us about the changing of debt collection with the advance of communications such as cellphones, online, social media, that kind of thing. it is not just about making a

phone call anymore. guest: it is about communicating effectively with the consumer in the manner in which they want to be communicated. many consumers would rather communicate in an electronic format. that is something that has been problematic for the industry, looking at the various laws we have to comply with. when you look at telephone communication, the vast majority of consumers are using cellphones. 25% only have cellphones. there are several laws in place that would prohibit us from using the cellphones to communicate with the consumer. it is really about communicating in that method that the consumer would prefer. host: we are showing some elements regarding the fair debt collection practices act, including prohibition of calls before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., and also it prohibits calls at work is prohibited by

the employer. it prohibits contact if represented by an attorney. also, but their debt collection practices act prohibits the use of threats or the use of violence, profane language, public information, or the use of the telephone with the intent to annoy, of use, or harassed. the publication of information, a lot of times they say that they will use any information that they get in order to try and help track you down and settle the debt. guest: one of the resources that the industry has, they want to make sure that they are communicating with the proper consumer who oppose that debt. they used racing to find the correct consumer. this information is used to make sure the consumer gets the

validation that explains the debt that is owed, the person to whom it is owed, and the consumer's rights. collectors are then prohibited any information that they learn from the consumer or with regards to the debt, they cannot share that with any other third party. he can only be shared with the consumer. you mentioned been prohibited to communicate once they have an attorney. that information can be communicated to the attorney, but no other third party. host: we're talking with valerie hayes of the aca international. we're walk -- talking about the regulation of debt collectors. give us a call for the numbers are on the screen.

coming up next month, i believe, is the debt collection mechanism which will come under the consumer financial protection bureau which begins operation next month. how do you envision that collection changing once it comes under the arm of the sea of the been the but as the cfpb? guest: when they take over their powers, they will have regulatory authority over the industry. one thing that will change is that under the fair debt collection practices act, the cfpb will be able to implement regulations, which is something the previous regulator did not have the power to do. and the collection industry is in a unique position is that the cfpb will have regulatory

authority over the industry, while the ftc will maintain enforcement authority. we will be working with both to try to modernize the laws and address these issues that we have identified in the blueprint we have drafted. host: the federal trade commission has no federal regulations that deal with that collection? guest: they did not have the authority to implement regulations. it was something that we need to be done by congress rather than through regulatory reform. host: our first call comes from mcgregor, minnesota. caller: just a quick question on credit charge debt. if i had a credit card in my name only, and i die, when my wife you responsible for my debt?

guest: it would depend on when the debt was incurred. if it was incurred during the marriage, your wife would be jointly responsible for that debt. even though it is in your neck, your wife would be responsible for that debt after pass away. host: salmon on line for democrats. -- sam on our line for democrats. caller: i think this issue impacts a lot of people. recently, i am in the process of buying a house. it turns out that there is something that has been addressed 12 years ago still on my credit. i called them and said, listen, you need to take this off because this lien has been satisfied. it was a tax lien. and they refused to appear they

are telling me is my responsibility. the credit agencies are now reporting this because it has been satisfied. and then they said it would take over a month to address this. when the consumer has the rights to get these things cleared up? it is holding up this transaction that is supposed to be creating jobs. that needs to be some kind of way where people can address this rapidly, especially when it is very clear that the credit company are messing up. they are too powerful. and why is it so easy that you can get stuff on your credit even if it is not true? >> there are mecknifplgs with 3 of the major credit card agency for you to dispute that debt. and you did a great first step

is contacting equifax. contact the consumer reporting agency. go online. take a look at their website and they will explain the detailed information that you need to follow to dispute that debt and make you do that. communicate with them, tell them that you've settled this amount. it's no longer due in owing and it should be something that will come off your credit report. but you need to make sure you follow those steps that are on the website describing how you dispute those steps. host: getting a call from a collector is never a general pleasant experience but make the case that collection practices are not a form of harassment. guest: they don't want to harass people. it doesn't help collect the debt. it doesn't help -- it's really difficult. nobody wants to be communicated like you said with a debt collector and it's their job to communicate with the consumer effectively and try to work out some kind of arrangement to help the consumer resolve the obligation that's owed and it's not going to help the situation to harass the consumer.

and the industry is very much of the belief that those people who are using harassing tactics, they should be -- they there should be consequences for those actions. it's something that they are ethical -- using ethical and legitimate practices to communicate with those consumers and they want to communicate effectively with those people. host: if you feel like you're being harassed, what's your recourse? guest: if you feel like you're being harass by a debt collector, you have the opportunity to file a complaint with the federal trade communications. that will switch over to the consumer bureau next month. a.c.a. has an opportunity to communicate with us and we will help resolve that situation with the consumer and with the collection agency. and often if you communicate directly with the collection agency, all a.c.a. members have a contact who will handle complaints they will receive

with consumers. communicate with that agency and explain the situation that you're in. host: valerie hayes as we said is general council with the association of credit and collection professionals and also known as a.c.a. international. linda on our line for democrats. you're on republican -- republican, i'm sorry. you're our next caller on "washington journal." caller: thank you. i tried to get through earlier but i couldn't. yes. i have a friend who has some debt. and she is constantly being harassed and threatened by the collection agency and i want to know one example of her employer gave her a cell phone and you know, somehow these debt agencies even got that phone number and she didn't even know how they could have done that. but when they call her, you

know, they make threats she calls me in tears and she's afraid. she's, you know, afraid and doesn't know what they're going to do to her, even being afraid to the point that they'll, you know, hurt her physically. and this is really unacceptable and i think even illegal. what can she do? guest: you're absolutely right. that is illegal. it is not acceptable for a debt collector communicate with the collect or harass the consumer and what your friend can do is off couple of different options. she has the right to go back to that debt collecter and make sure she finds who who that debt collector is. send a letter saying do not communicate with me, whether by phone or at this address anymore. and she has that opportunity to ask at that person sees communicating with her.

and you also have the opportunity if it's got on the level of threatening or harassment, like i mentioned earlier to rob, you have the opportunity to file a complaint the f.t.c. or ork with a.c.a. or better business bureau but it isn't a situation that your friend should have to deal with if it is one of those threatening situations. host: next up, huntsville, alabama, billy on our line for independence. you're on the "washington journal." caller: good morning, c-span. ms. valerie, back in november 28, twix, i watched -- 2006, i watched it unfold on television. but my history of credit card and you know, it's an insecured loan, you know, it's what it is, and i defaulted at least seven years ago on mine about $8,000 worth and i still have it on my voicemail, my cell phone from california collection agency and boy, it was threatening too.

so you say seven years, is that correct? >> it's seven years under the fair credit reporting act. caller: that answered my question. host: billy, union said they threatened you, what specifically did they say? caller: my garnished my wages to the state of alabama or take me to court. host: charleston, south carolina, mary, you're on the "washington journal." caller: good morning, rob, how are you? host: just fine. caller: great. hello, valerie. i'm calling because i got a new phone number about two years ago and the person who had it previously, i've been receiving calls forever. and i understand that you're talking about regulation with advances in technology and stuff, but it seems to me that as with as many calls that i've gotten and as many times as i've said, this person doesn't have that number, the rude tons me

and they're not even looking for me, but i mean the things that i hear from them, the things that they say to me and just hanging up when i'm trying to explain, whatever and there's no way for me to get to anything because if i try to look up somebody's company on the internet you see how there are all these people getting folks from them and they're chasing them. and so i don't have the sympathy saying -- and i understand they're trying to collect a debt but if you can't even get straight when you're call the wrong number for such a long time, how am i supposed to feel sympathetic that you need, you know, other forms or other ways to try to find people? so that's it. but thank you. have a great day. host: valerie haye, a.c.a. international. guest: and that's a situation to be in. it's frustrating. you do need to continue to tell the debt collector, i'm not the right person. this isn't the right number. and part of the problem is the debt can then be if the collector decides we're not going to collect that debt from you anymore, it could be

forwarded to another agency for a collection and you get into this cycle where now you have to tell this new person that you're not the person that could be reached at. take a look at your credit report. pull a copy through one of the consumer reporting agencies and see what information is being reported on your consumer report, whether it's your number, somebody else's number, and you can try to post something on your consumer report. communicate with the c.r.a. to let people know that this is your number and this is a person associated with that contact information. host: how do debt collection agencies make their fun? and what percentage of the debt do these agencies get and what kind of commission do the collectors get? guest: that would vary depending on the type of debt that's being collected. generally the way collectors make money is through a contingency fee based on the amount of debt they're collecting. the debt will be faced from a creditor. they place with it the

collection agency with the understanding that the collection agency will take a percentage of that fee. that will vary depending on state law, depending on the contract they have with the creditor and it can be anywhere from 6% commission to in some situations depending on regulation and state it can be up to a 30% commission. so it would be a percentage of that amount that's collected from the consumer. host: so say you have a debt and to a particular company. they pass that debt on to the collection agency. to clear up your credit reference, is it better to pay the debt collectors or go back to the original company and pay them? guest: it's really it's going to be either way, it's just better to pay off the debt to get it off your consumer report. so whether you're paying directly to the debt collector or going back to the collector, sometimes it's easier to go back to the debt collector because they're the one who is have the account now and they will forward that money to the

collecter and make sure that money is pulled off to the consumer report. often it's the debt collector that is making that debt so they have a better direct line to make sure that information is updated when you do pay off that debt. back to the phone, dave on our line for republicans. you're on with valerie hayes, general council with the a.c.a. caller: yes. the woman's philosophy this law that she's trying get passed, it reminds me of how inglouriously this type of thought was sucking the butt of woodstock which was defined from the 1960's only in the music, a dissent howling version of our national anthem played bay soon-to-be dead rock star dosed in drugs. she just encourages irresponsibility and me, a

lender would simply tell the poor soul needing the money or needing help i'm sorry, i'm not going to help you because i can't -- you can't trust anyone. host: dave, we'll leave it there. valerie hayes. guest: i think it's important the vast majority of consumers think it's important for consumers to may off the obligations that they owe and i think that helps the credit system that creates jobs. it lowers tax, it creates more credit for people when people are paying for those obligations and within when you look at the lives, it's important to strike a balance to collect that as well as ensuring consumer protection. host: next up, manchester, new hampshire, donald on our line for independence. you're on the "washington journal." donald? caller: hi, rob. hi, valerie. you know a lot more about the subject than me, but i -- i have to respectfully disagree with you about the collection calls being -- i think they're rude

and they are threatening. i like to tell you a real quick story, rob. it won't take long. two years ago, there was a well-known credit card company. i like to say the name but i won't. they would call me 10 times a day. i owe $1,500 on this credit card. i fell on hard times. numerous times, i told him yes, i owe you money. can i give you $50 a month? that was not good enough. and then they would call me at work. and finally, they called me for the last time at work and this ignorant person on the other end said expect less on your wages next week. right then, called the lawyer and they bloke brooke the law big-time. and i would like to give the american people heads up. not only the lawyer waved the $1,500, i got $5,000 on my pocket. they were harassing me. i like to disagree with you on their tactics. thanks, valerie. host: valerie? guest: thank you. the vast majority of collectors are legitimate business who is

are doing their jobs and they are not harassing consumers. do you just like in any industry, you are going to have the bad actors and rogue collectors throughout who are using harassing tactics out there. that's what we're trying to address with our blueprint to make sure those entities are responsible for those actions and to ensure consumer protection as well as effective communication. host: next up is kirkwood, illinois, on our line for democrats. you're on the "washington journal." will? caller: good morning for taking my phone call. i had a debt. good morning. thanks for taking my phone call. i had debt about nine years ago and at that time, that debt was sold to another agency, collector agency and was settled with them and at that time would make -- of the bills and the check and then about two years later, another debt collection agency sends the bill again and

we sending copies. so they were saying we had settled with the other collector agency. and now, but another collection agency call and that -- and it's just being ongoing. what precautions can we use or should we wait to be take top court? i was just concerned about that. can you help me out? i would appreciate it. guest: you definitely should not wait until you're taken to court. if you pay that debt, you need to make sure when somebody contacts you an that debt that you follow up as soon as possible with that collector explaining we've paid that debt and this is why it's very important for consumers to maintain records of debts that are paid when you've paid off a credit card or when you've paid off a medical debt or any other type of debt and providing that documentation back to that debt collector who is collecting that debt that interview previously paid. make sure you communicate and tell them i don't owe this debt anymore.

host: next up, john for republicans. you're on the line with valerie hayes. caller: my name is john. last year, my wife went to a local hospital here to their outpatient facility and had some sonograms that was supposed to be covered by screening process and it turned out that the hospital, the doctor made the mistake of putting a diagnostic versus a screening and anyway, something that was supposed to be for free that she had done for the last four years turn into a $1,900 x-ray and sonogram from the local hospital. so i've been, you know, trying to, you know, correct the problem. we made them an offer to pay them $400-500 like they had charged from the past when it was done, you know, out-of-pocket. and so we keep going back and forth and i just don't think it's right.

i don't think it's fair because oh, the other thing that they did is they changed their facility setting from a hospital setting -- no, from an outpatient setting to a hospital setting and then they're billing hospital charges. and i have no debt. i have no problems with debt. i've paid all my bills. but this is something when you do to a hospital, you have no control how they're going to charge you. the insurance company tells you they should tell you how much it's going to cost but they say they can't tell you because they have an agreement with the insurance company. so as consumers, with a high deductible plans, we're having a hard time getting prices from hospitals and you just never know what kind of bill you're going to get until you go through the whole system. host: john in miami, florida. guest: that's a really frustrating process to be in and it is something in that situation you really do need to go back to that hospital, back to that outpatient facility and talk to them and explain to them

the situation. you should also talk to your insurer and see if there's any assistance that your insurance company can provide in helping you reduce that amount explaining the situation whether there's a mix-up in the filing or the doctors miscoded and explaining the situation to the debt collecter and working with them and communicating and trying to explain your situation. host: this is not necessarily a one-way stream of consciousness. so tell us. are there any laws that protect how debt collectors are treated? guest: no. there aren't any laws that protect how debt collectors are treated. it's a difficult profession to be in. it's a job where people have a hard time communicating with debt collectors. they don't want to hear from debt collectors and you'll hear stories where debt collectors are being threatened by consumers and that situation happened and there was an article in the "new york times" this past week talking about a couple of those situation where is collectors have been harassed by consumers and collectors are

trained to work with the consumer, communicate with them, try to talk down that type of situation and deal with it effectively. host: our last call for valerie hayes comes from hobart, indiana. george on our line for independence. caller: good morning, folks. i'm glad you took my phone call here. i just wanted to inform folks that this lady is basically pro collection agency. so she's not really there to resolve any kind of issues but to direct you to like the f.t.c. to another lawyer forum, to the a.c.a. but my main question here is -- you're on the east coast. i live in the central time zone. now, the call times between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. now, you're on the east coast. it's 8:00 there, but it's 7:00 here. have you broken any kind of rules as far as time zones are

where they're placed from? guest: between communicating 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., it's the place are the consumer is located. if you're located in the central time zone, that collector can only communicate with you between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. central. and i think something else to your point, it's very important that consumers understand what their rights are in regards to the law. and they have created website to our foundation where we respond to consumer inquiries and we answer all the questions, post them anonymously to that website and give consumers some accurate information regarding what their rights are and it's important for consumers to know what as the rights are and understand them. host: general information regarding the association can be found at their website acainternational.org. we've been talking with valerie hayes, general council at a.c.a. international.

thank you very much for being on the program. guest: thank you very much for having me. host: we're going to take a short break and when we come back, we'll be talking about the watergate scandal 39 years later with presidential historian and author doug weed. you're watching the "washington journal." today is saturday, june 18. >> c-span has launched a new easy to navigate website for politics in the 2012 presidential race. with the latest events from the campaign trail, bio information on the candidates, twitter feeds and facebook update and links to c-span media partners in the early primary and caucus states. visit us at c-span.org/campaign 2we68. -- 2012. >> the times sort of ordered the world when i was growing up. >> "page one" andrew rosi looks at the changing newspaper

industry and takes an inside look at the "new york times" through the eyes of the staff. >> i came into it without a grand sort of sense of what the solutions are for traditional media. >> he will talk about his documentary sunday night an c-span's q&a. >> blackberry users now you can assess us through radio app. all commercial-free. you can also listen to our signature interview programs each week and it's all available around the clock wherever you are. download it free from blackberry app world. >> this weekend on american history tv on c-span 23, we'll visit the nixon library on watergate and special programs including our archival video of nixon's first watergate speech and katherine graham on the

breaking watergate story. we'll join the american history guys at the university of richmond as they talk about succession in the civil war and we'll hear from duke university professor john david lewis on the american defeat of japan in 1945 and get the get the complete schedule at www.hbo.com/boxing. -- c-span.org/history. >> "washington journal" continues. host: doug weed is a presidential history cran and author, his more than 30 books include "all the president's children." "the raising of a president." and "a leader among us." he is here to talk about the watergate scandal 39 years later. it was 39 years ago yesterday that the break-in took place. what's been the lasting legacy of the watergate scandal from your perspective? guest: well, it's bribery is now

legalized, you could say. everything is legalized. wars are different. watergate happened during the context of the vietnam war. that was part of the justification for the extreme action that the plumbers took and that the white house eventually later justified or covered up. host: so the wars are fought differently the kill rate is reduced. they may end up in a hospital with cockroaches 20 years later but they'll keep that body alive because they know that wars can be sustained longer if the kill rate is down. lobbies now give money legally to campaign. host: you talked about lobbying and bribery. talk to us a little bit about how money was being used back in

1973 and 1972 and how that has changed now in 2011 and if you can, give us maybe one or two examples of something that was illegal back then that is now legal and commonplace today. guest: well, i can give you a very good example of watergate example. there was the what was called the townhouse affair, which was a spinoff of watergate and in the townhouse affair, it was learned that the nixon administration wanted to have some leverage on incoming senators and congressmen. and a law was passed even then that a congressman or candidate for office could not take cash personally. couldn't be handed to you personally. you would say hey, give it to him and they had to keep careful record of that. that law just been pass and most senators and congressmen were not aware of it.

so an torn was hired to set up an attorney out of a townhouse to keep all of his receipts, to travel the country and to hand money personally, to hand $5,000 to the senatetorial candidate or the congressional candidate and say here, this is a contribution from dick and pat nixon and if the congressman or senator took it, it was a crime and supposedly the administration would have leverage over that congressman or senator when 44 went into office. -- when he went into office. that sort of thing, campaign runs from it. they stay as far away as possible, but the point is human nature hasn't changed. it's exactly the same. there's opposition research in some of the campaigns that do the best and the most are the campaigns that win. host: you interviewed president ford about watergate. tell us some of the things that he told you that may come as a

surprise to our viewers and listeners about his role as the vice president and then president post-watergate. guest: i don't know that they would surprise the viewers he felt he made the right decision in pardoning the president in september, 1974 that he gave an official pardon to richard nixon. he felt that was healing for the couldn't what might surprise some people, surprised me is what a policy -- president ford is. the public portrayal was that he wasn't so smart. that's often the portrayal of some of these presidents and is not true and in private discussions, he knew the policies backwards and forwards and was very informed, very a bright and he made a very informed decision that he felt was best for the country. and he's gotten some bumps up

from historians since that time saying that it probably was the right decision for the country. host: how far in advance of the -- president nixon's official resonation -- flagrants was it in the mind of vice president ford that he was going to pardon president nixon in an effort to try and move on from what was described as the great american nightmare? guest: well, he never told me that but i can tell you from having to work in the white house and interviewed and known many of the families of presidents that even without watergate as a vice president, it's there in the front of your mind completely. you've had a chance to think all of this through to exhaustion. because it's there. you're next in command. host: we're talking with doug wead, presidential historian and author about the watergate scandal, 39 years later. if you want to get involved in the conversation, give us a call

. you can also send us e-mails and messages by twitter. our first caller for doug wead comes from sebastian, florida. ray on our line for independence. you're on the "washington journal." caller: yes. hello, fellas. can you hear me? host: yes. go ahead. caller: all right. mr. wead, are you familiar with the event that was happened just after the actual watergate break-in and lady ford got through the white house and that was called d erik mogate. -- demogate. guest: i don't know. i can say the watergate burglary if you're alluding to the fact that other presidents and other times have done outrageous things and illegal things, arguably illegal things.

victor lasky wrote a book about it call "it didn't start with watergate" and it was the bestseller at the time. and unfortunately, when you look back on watergate, that's one of the conclusions you come to that lord acton's axium hasn't changed. human nature hasn't changed. some of the laws and procedures and method have changed because of watergate. but i know democrats as well as republicans have made many mistakes. in fact, some historians ding fixson because they see it as an immoral act, the whole watergate episode, but the wonderful books that have been written about lyndon johnson and the history that has come to light including the tapes that have been released from the kennedy era, kennedy administration show that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

a good example of that is in president kennedy's administration, we murdered a head of state, jim, who was the leader of the south vietnamese who was a roman catholic as john kennedy was from a catholic and he was not just murder. but in an ugly way he was taken into custody and promised freedom and his brother in law with him and then shot in the back of the head. you can go online and you can listen to the tapes for robert kennedy, the president's brother, as he discusses this whole episode before it happens and at first, there is some discussion on the morality of it but soon, the discussion moves

to how it could be done in a way that would protect the interests of the united states and not become public. the fact is that people in power do make bad decisions and abuse their power often throughout history. it is not just republican or democrat. it is the nature of power. host: back to the funds involving our discussion of the watergate break-in. caller: good morning. 39 years ago, i made a threatening letter -- i wrote a threatening letter to nixon. before i knew it, i was sitting in the jail. they had the secret service fly a helicopter and land in the back parking lot. after they talked to the judge, they figured the best thing to

do was to put me in a mental hospital. i think our country, a lot of our leaders are nothing but crooks. i don't think too many in office are hon. because many times nowadays when you do something, it is like this morning -- i called to report somebody breaking into one of my vacant apartments. when the police showed up, they charged him but they do not taken to jail. they charted for trespassing and let him go. i don't understand our laws and more. what used to work for us does not work anymore. guest: there is a lot of injustice and there is a lot of times for the laws don't work the way they are supposed to work. i don't know the particulars of his case and what he went through but i know we are

ferocious at protecting our presidents. host: we have some sound from the former president richard nixon. making his resignation. we want to show our viewers and let our listeners listen in and get a response from professor douglas weeds. >> interest of the nation must always come before any personal considerations. from the discussions i have had with congressional and other leaders, i have concluded that because of the watergate matter, i might not have the support of the congress that i would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interest of the nation requires. host: presidential historian doug weed, president nixon almost looks relieved at that point. guest: suppose he was.

he resigned august 9. he was very exhaustive and did not sleep the next day. he did not sleep all night and then he said farewell at the white house. that was very emotional. power is an intoxicating thing. i have been a part of seven presidential campaigns over the years and in the interest of full disclosure, our enterprise is a consultant to the ron paul campaign. if i sound like i am a constitutionalist, that's where it comes from. i have also served in the white house and interviewed seven american presidents. it is remarkable how they go into power saying they will be different and it is obvious that power corrupts and know that. even so, within weeks or months,

it is pretty hard to resist some of the trappings that come with such adulation. host: having worked in seven lighthouses -- guest: i worked on seven presidential campaigns. host: you did work for george h. w. bush? and you were campaign liaison to constituent groups for george w. bush? guest: yes. host: working in those white houses as a presidential historian, without the presence or the staff without mentioning the phrase watergate, how much did that hang in the back of their minds? if there is a major screw up, we are out. guest: very, very heavy.

i remember traveling with george w. bush. he was not yet owner of the texas rangers. his political ambitions were very underdeveloped. we traveled together for his dad's campaign and we would have long conversations on the plane or in the car, wherever it may be. we talked about everything as two men would stuck together for long periods of time on the road. we covered every topic. when we got to anything that was in the least bit sensitive that might be misunderstood out of context if it was made public, he would discuss with the grunts and groans and rolled eyes and moans. i can't conceive of a modern president today saying that we

need to take up this person. i cannot conceive of a person that valerie plume should realize i am her boss. that discussion would never take place nor need to take place. people want to please the president. they want to do this with silence and leaders in business can communicate to their underlings. that is the way it is definite done now. post-watergate. host: 1 the elements of the watergate story has to do with an 18-minute gap in the tapes coming out of the nixon white house. they talked about it in yesterday's " the new york times."

what are watergate historians and people who have dug into this subject matter, what are they looking at in that 18.5 minutes? guest: they don't know what is there but that the nature of the erasure raises their suspicion. the five different attempts to arrest it shows the person who erased it tried five times. they decided it was not good enough and erased more. that is very suspicious. the common-sense answer that many people assume and you don't when you are a soon -- when you

are an historian, the common- sense answer is that there is speculation that the president thought he better listen to this end he might have thought that was bad any better a racist. the more you listen, the more he thought he had to be raised it. -- erase it. it is remarkable to me what we learn about history given enough time. it is remarkable. what we are learning now about franklin delano roosevelt's era and we read books about him and we read them too early. right now is when you should read about fdr. the same would be true of kennedy and nixon. and watergate. future generations may know the answer to that question you asked. host: is the most remarkable thing you have learned in 39 years since the watergate break- in? about guest: watergate?

host: and by extension the nixon presidency. guest: it is depressing but i would say that we have legalized corruption. i have had long conversations with people in the cis, from kazakhstan and russia and other countries and they will argue that. i will say that you have rampant bribery and how the new function and they say you have the same thing in the united states but it is legalized. we have legalized best. if you are elected to the united states congress, you will not get elected -- reelected easily if you don't take major money from lobbies and they will ask for things. the major lobbies may be a hamburger company that will say that we want federal money and the congressman will ask why they should get federal money.

the company will say that we are selling hamburgers in france and we have to compete against french companies that are subsidized by the french government. we need taxpayer money to be on an even footing. the bottom line is the young couple wants to open a hamburger store is competing and using their own tax dollars against competition. there are too many regulations and their -- and the competition is receiving federal funds. that is a type of corruption of the system. it is not illegal. but it is where we are today. host: presidential historian doug weed is our guest. thank you for waiting. caller: a pleasure and honor to speak with you. tell me something -- as far as writing books again, i look for to reading your book about watergate. will you ever plan on doing any more writing with business

owners such as dexter yaeger or other business owners? guest: i might. i like country and ours and i love what they do. i'm focused on history right now but i suppose i may be tempted as a diversion to write about entrepreneurship and some of the great heroes who are entrepreneurs. herman cain is a businessman running for president. no businessman has ever been elected president. there is probably a reason for that. many of our laws are so gray that it is hard to be successful in business and come out of it with a record. that is probably why donald trump dropped out in my personal opinion. balzac once said behind every great fortune, there is a great crime. it is pretty tough to earn large

amounts of money. the rockefellers and the kennedys, usually is future generations from those great families that can get into politics. because the work of business is sometimes messy. host: iowa is where our next call comes from on the line for democrats, go ahead. caller: good morning. i would like for you to talk about the office that they broke into at the watergate hotel and it was larry o'brien's office and his relationship with richard nixon and how this was about money and who had it and who knew if i had it and where it was at. the o'brien relationship ties that back to nixon in the late 1950's when he lost his bid to kennedy in 1960 by a close margin. a loan was defaulted by his brother donald nixon back then and o'brien was the reporter that broke the news and nixon

always blamed him in secret because it was a close election. my dad and i enjoyed the story and i enjoyed your book. this has been fantastic for made. what a great morning for my day off. i cannot thank you enough. guest: you are absolutely right. i would urge viewers to get recently published books on watergate because some of the best stuff, the most interesting parts of watergate, the relationship of donald nixon and howard hughes with larry o'brien and how that triggered plumbers and the break-in at the democratic national committee -- that is fascinating stuff. often politics is personal. often it is personal and as our caller just said, it is almost always related to money. host: bloomington, ill., on airline for republicans, go

ahead. caller: i would be interested in the author's comments as an historian who interviewed mr. ford with respect to being -- to the involvement of general alexander haig in the communications with president ford and/or his staff. they talk on behalf of president nixon. it has been suggested but not necessarily truthfully that general haig was possibly crossing illegally in those communications. my recollection is that president ford made it clear -- you have written many books and

i am interested in your perspective of the comments that were made to him by gerald ford on that subject. guest: i did not talk to gerald ford exactly about that. we skirted the subject but i did have conversations with alexander haig. he was a great leader, a forceful leader. he seems to be running the white house at times. because of the destruction of this ongoing crisis, watergate, and all the little elements that lingered that were associated with watergate. having said that, i will correct this occasional public perception. there is no question that the president is the boss. when you see movies like i saw a movie about the kennedy white house and kevin costner played a special assistant to the president, there were moments of all office where the president look like a dunderhead.

his special assistant was speaking up and directing things. that does not happen very the power of the presidency is so great and the celebrity of the presidency is so great that the president, whoever they are and whatever their iq may or may not be, they totally dominate their entourage. i can tell you that we're as alexander haig may have had much more power and authority than most aids ever have because of the distractions of the political crises of watergate and the lingering effects, it was gerald ford was president during his time. richard nixon was clearly president during his time. host: we want to let our viewers know that this weekend on american history tv on c-span 3, we will be visiting the nixon presidential library's newest exhibit on watergate.

we're looking at special programs including archival video of nixon's first watergate speech and katharine graham on breaking the watergate story for you can get the complete we can schedule at c-span.org/history or you can have a e-mailed to you. back to the telephones and our conversation with presidential historian doug weed. caller: good morning. i have a question and comment if you don't mind. if memory serves me, were you the liaison between the george h. w. bush white house and the evangelical community? a moment ago you implied something that was not true. the kennedy brothers did not intend that the south

vietnamese leader was assassinated. they were shocked when it happened. some of the arguments this morning seem to be along the nature that they all do it. thank you for your comments and i look forward to them right now. guest: the actual tapes of robert kennedy's discussion are available online now. you can google assassination of diem, robert kennedy, you can go and listen to those tapes and obtain some of the transcripts. it could be compared today, if you can imagine, the american government -- with in the american government, someone saying we need to have a regime

change in afghanistan because president karzai is corrupt and it is hurting our cause there. i will agree with you that there are defenders of president kennedy and his brother. there are some that say robert knew about it because of these transcripts but president -- but the president himself did not and a brother kept it from him. i agree that it is still debatable. our children will probably know the answer to that fully. i am not justify what happened -- watergate when i say and i am not saying that everybody does it -- i will say abuse of power is extremely common. when there is power, it tends to corrupt almost anybody and almost everybody. host: at some point in time,

then president nixon had to have had discussions with his attorney general, john mitchell, about trying to protect the presidency and the white house and, in effect, breaking some laws. tell us about those conversations and did it take a lot of convincing on the part of the president to get john mitchell to break laws or look the other way? guest: no, unfortunately it didn't. the taping several old office which formally became public rebuild that nixon was taking a leadership role in what is called the cover-up especially the conversations with john dean. john dean said this would be obstruction of justice. the president basically says it has to be done. in other words, we have to pay

the expenses of these men who are in prison and one can argue generously that the president did not want to abandon them and say you could make that moral argument. certainly, the first loyalty of the president has to be to the constitution and a lot. there is a famous quote where nixon said, "if the president does it, it is legal." that is in violation -- this was the great breakthrough in civilization of the persons when the people of the king. it reveals what i was saying earlier that what happens to the mindset of any of us when we attain power. if the president does it, it is legal. it is not. host: one of the man that had to be protected was g. gordon liddy. how -- how does he go from

being staff assistant to the president to the ringleader of the watergate burglars? guest: it was his skill set and his past abilities that made him a more and more go to guy. he had no compunctions about it. you can hear him even today to talk about it. . in his rationale, we were in the vietnam war and we were at war with communism on a worldwide basis and the danger of the planet was at stake. this was his rationale for leaving the plumbers. it is interesting that g. gordon liddy out of all these people landed on his feet probably more than many along with bob woodward and carl bernstein through this whole crisis and the whole scandal. host: our next call comes from austin, texas on our line for independence.

caller: i guess i am naive. i have always felt that historians are objective and academic people and not career partisans to actively campaign for several presidents. i am disappointed that mr. weed is presented as an historian and i wonder how he can be objective. we have journalists on one side or the other and our definitions of historians has changed. guest: i write about president shall children and i read about presidential families. i have not written a political book in many, many years. we're talking today about watergate. it is a fair point. washington has become very partisan and very politicized. most of the talking heads the to see on television -- that you see on television are consultants to one political

party or another or to one political figure or another. not all of them come out and tell it like i did this morning. i wanted you to know that. it does not color my views of what happened at watergate. in fact, we are talking about a republican president and the failings of a republican president. host: next up, schenectady, new york, on our line for republicans. caller: i was so impressed with what you said about corrupt congress people and being illegal. i want to bring that back to the hamburger stand and said the big con agra/fast food farms and the ones who put diseased a hamburger for the market -- if we had summoned the investigative -- if we had some good investigative journalists, they could help shut those down. the larger the farm, the more dangerous they are. i agree with your guest so much.

i think journalism could turn this around. i also know obama took more health care money when he was a senator. host: we are going off the rails. talk a little bit about investigative journalism and the fact that bob woodward and carl bernstein almost single-handedly created a whole new industry within journalism. guest: they did and bob woodward today is an associate at "the washington post." carl bernstein is that "vanity fair." there was a time when journalism was very adversarial to the white house. i would have to say that not too long after watergate, by the time i was in the white house, i was surprised at how tame it was. you are on the white house press corps and you are covering the president.

if the president and his step don't give you access, you are dead. you will not function well as a journalist and restores will not be printed and will pull you off the beach. host: carl bernstein and bob woodward were not technically white house reporters. guest: that's right and that may have been part of the reason why they got the green light and went further. if i am a reporter assigned to the white house, access is everything. "the washington post" had a reporter who was a great writer. he would read his opening paragraph and they were classic eloquent. he was soon pulled off the beach because he broke the story of where the next gorbachev-bush summit would take place. the president was so angry that the order came down from the chief of staff that anybody seen in the presence of this reporter would be fired. " p toullngton post's

him. host: our line for independence. caller: i respect your opinion and i love history but i am an advocate of those who can't do teach. we are talking about watergate and corruption within the government. i would like to hear your opinion on the current administration and their actions with wikileaks and the revolution in egypt and the cia involvement in general. the internet is changing human rights. guest: the internet has changed everything. every campaign has opposition research. now you don't need burglars to to the opposition headquarters. there is so much on line that you just have to have a team of hundreds that can go through that to give you what you want. in the interest of full disclosure, i should say that my

company is a consultant to ron paul who is running for president. ron paul and some democrats and republican congressman a few days ago sued the president under the war powers act. that we were killing people in libya and the white house has defended itself saying no one on the american side has been killed so it does not pass that threshold. it gives you an example of how long after watergate this whole idea of abuse of powers of the presidency is still very much in discussion. host: our last call comes from richmond, michigan, our line for democrats. caller: good morning. i would like to read you a few things. our people were not told of the close of the bush family to big oil. your guest knows about that. your guest knows about that.