>> first of all let me congratulate the honorable gentleman understanding violation in his return to this house of commons. and i know he always speaks with great power and great force. but on this issue i have to say i profoundly disagree with them. our troops are in afghanistan, not fighting a war against islam, but at the invitation of an islamic government and under a u.n. resolution to try and help that country to have a peaceful, prosperous and stable future. and he knows the dangers in the past are walking away from afghanistan and leaving that country to become a terrorist supporting haven that it is under the taliban. we mustn't make that mistake again. i would urge him not to play to the gallery on this issue but to speak up for the work of forces are doing to make afghanistan a safer country. [shouting] >> order. point of order. >> mr. speaker, before t monday.

can he correct the record before he leaves the house, mr. speaker? [shouting] >> order. order. order. these matters will be the subject of debate later today. i didn't know the right honorable member, as well as i do, i would think that he was trying to use the device of a contrite point of order to continue the debate. but because i know him as well as i do, he, take it d

>> three days of live testimony by james murdoch and his father before the inquiry. this is an investigation into the practices of british newspapers in light of the phone hacking scandal that resulted the closure. this begins tuesday. live from london at 5:00 a.m. eastern on c-span2 and c-span radio. competition,ear's we asked students to create a video telling us what part of the constitution was most important to them and why. today we're going to florida to talk to the second prize winner. he is a senior at cypress ave haskell. how are you doing?

>> good. >> why did you choose a topic of the post office fax >> it was timely. there are a lot of post offices in our community that could have been closed. a lot of activists were coming to our community to draw addition to this issue. we feel very strongly about the post office. we think there's something powerful about a letter. we don't want to see it go. spreading awareness. >> where did you start when he began researching? >> it was timely in terms of the news. he could see an active is being interviewed. they're testifying to congress. we interviewed post office workers off the record. they cannot speak on the record. we went to people who started

post office movements. we utilize all their remarks in sentiment about the issue to compile it. >> what would you say would be the understanding you took away from interviewing? >> a couple. the first was the gentlemen the start of the post office moment. is that theealized post office is surely a place where people can get a prescription medication. a lot of people use this as a bank. we never thought of the post office and that way. from the activists we met in fort lauderdale, she showed us how it is a place they can get together. there is a law a different function it can have. a lot of people did not realize that the post office is the basis for a dollar trillion --

four and $1 trillion community. without the post office as it is today, we could see a huge loss to our community as a whole. >> be visited this. what is the top? >> it was a converted toolshed. its services the population. -- a population of 11. the population of 11 is entitled to a post office. the only way they can get those services is of the post offices know where it is located. at the end of the day, it connects the small population of 11 to the global system of this. it is how they enable people to do. if you lived in a rural community and not have access to

this, you cannot communicate with them by walking. you have to expand. that have been able the people to do. but what is the most important understanding that you took away? >> the post office is an extremely important assets. we have to make sure we do not just let it fadeaway. but thank you for talking with us. >> here's a brief portion of the documentary. >> we have a lot of things that need cutting the post offices are not among them. there's something special about the letter. and e-mail has all the charm of a three train. but he understands the importance of the postal

service. he started a nationwide movement and has been this. we sat down to discuss the various reasons he founded it. >> many of the ones they want to close are in inner cities. they're under developed neighborhoods. they can serve populations that tend not to be on the internet. they're dependent on the post office. i was shocked to learn how to people did not even have a bank. >> you can see this entire video at studentcam.org. continue the conversation on facebook and twitter. >> up next, a conversation with house majority leader erich can cantor.

then a senate committee meeting on the 2013 budget. >> john has an update of afghanistan security efforts. you also talk about the military operations taking place in two southwestern afghan promises. live coverage hosted by the atlantic council begins tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. eastern. >> there is room for positive government policy. they drive development of private sector. it really feels it. we have some vision of where we are going, some encouragement. if ever we needed that, there's an opportunity trading this.

>> former member of the education commission on legislation to reform the sec. >> political's playbook breakfast series posted eric cantor on thursday. he discussed a number of topics including tax reform and the 2012 presidential election. mike allen moderated the conversation. this is one hour and 27 minutes.

thank you for coming. i am mike allen, the chief political correspondent for "politico." hello to c-span and cnn. thanks for following this. we are on twitter. jake sherman will join me in a minute for some pre-game. one of our great congressional correspondents is going to take us behind the scenes a little bit, set the table for a great conversation with house majority leader erich -- eric cantor. i would like to think the bank of america for their continued partnership, talking about the issues that matter most in washington. thank you for coming and making this possible. >> it is great to be here. enjoy getting applause.

we do not get that everywhere, so thank you. we did announce earnings this morning, and actually made money. >> that was the applause. >> hopefully there is a future for our relationship and support of politico. we appreciate the opportunity to have a sober political dialogue on important topics of the day. it is my job to meet with a lot of consumer groups, groups where we engage in discussion about important issues facing the future of the financial- services sector. we know that those conversations have been heated at times. the opportunity to really have a balanced, sober conversations about tough issues, i think is something we feel strongly is

very important as we head into challenging times for the country. one other point i want to make is we are very proud to have a relationship. you will see on your chairs some cereal -- some material about the urban alliance foundation, a mentoring and jobs program for high-school students here in the district. a shameless plug -- i was one of the early founders of that group about 15 years ago. in my absence as i moved to charlotte, it has become one of the great youth employment and job training programs here in the district. it is always looking for host sites to take students and put them into employment opportunities, internships, given the job training for their futures, to have great opportunities. we have some of the students representing the program here. i would encourage you, if you have the time, talk to them. they are a source of great inspiration and optimism for the future of the country. it makes us all feel like there is hope ahead.

if you are interested in hosting a student, you all worked at institutions and organizations here in town that i know would be interesting places for these students to have an opportunity to work. look at the material. feel free to call veronica nolan, the executive director. truly one of the great nonprofits in the country. reach out. we would love to have additional support for the program. thank you. >> thank you for coming up from charlotte. i appreciate you having the idea for the urban alliance, which is a great program. thank you very much. before we get started, i want to remind you, #playbookbreakfast. jay sherman, a gw graduate, a hard-working congressional correspondent. you do my homework for me. what is the most important question i could ask the house majority leader, eric cantor? >> the big thing as we get

toward the end of the year will be the tax rates. all the income brackets go up. >> taxmageddon. >> and there is an election going on, so this is not an easy time for things to get done. we will see toward the end of the year republicans tried to force a lot of votes on tax rates, corporate stuff, individual stuff, trying to get democrats on the record for supporting higher taxes. that will be a big thing. >> back up. get them on the record supporting higher taxes. this is a show trial, right? >> it is also a way for republicans to lay the groundwork for the rest of the year. they want to show what they

support, which is important for them, as they go to this taxmageddon. there is not much moving. it is almost may. we have until november for the elections. they have to fill the time, which is always interesting. on capitol hill, there are always interesting things to fill time with. that will be what we pay attention to. obviously, the election is huge. i would be interested to hear what cantor says about this. >> you had a story, "your congress at work." the story is the top of our home page. it is about the do-nothing congress. tell us what you said in the story. >> it is always interesting to take a step back and look at what congress is doing, as if you were not involved in the political process. if you looked at yesterday as an individual day out of a year, there were votes to honor roll alan berg -- to honor raul allengerg. there are striking a coin for jack nicklaus. opening federal land for hunting.

remember, we have gas prices above $4, $15 trillion in debt, as a backdrop for those books. the senate is trying to reform the postal service. that is bogged down in an unrelated argument over aid to egypt. >> let us say reforming the postal service is the big thing the senate is doing. >> right. also marking up a budget, but they will not allow any amendments to come to the floor for a vote. so if you are watching from ohio or west virginia and you see this, my sense is you would not be particularly proud of your elected officials. >> some of these art easy punch lines. but you point out in your story that this raises larger questions. >> the large question people should ask and to ask is -- is it congress's mission to lay out messy votes, or work together to find solutions?

you'll get various answers from people. that is the constant struggle. there is a vote today on the 20% business tax cut. a lot of support from republicans. but the obama administration and the senate have said they have no interest. >> is there support from democrats? >> to be seen. they say it will give tax cuts to hedge fund managers and rich folks, which is always the argument they have when tax boats go up. we will see, but it has no chance of passing. >> will democrats work with republicans? we had a fascinating story about the death of the blue dogs. i think there are maybe 24 blue dogs. six of them are retiring and five are in danger, largely because of redistricting. >> one bright point for republicans yesterday is they passed a highway bill that is going to go to congress. the senate, there will be a highway bill in the next couple

of months. it cut huge democratic support, and democratic support to build a pipeline from canada, the keystone pipeline, which has been a huge political issue. they worked together, and it passed. the payroll tax cut is another example. but there has been no grand debt deal. there has been no huge "we put the nation on a stable fiscal trajectory puzzle -- trajectory." >> we are going to ask at the top about the possibility for some sort of deficit deal this year, or in the lame-duck session after the election. what wheels are turning on that? what is underway? >> at this point, there is not much in plain view. the idea is that when the tax rates are up at the end of the year, there is a chance for a massive deal. it depends whether romney wins the white house or obama wins the white house.

obama has said he is interested in an executive deal. so has romney. we will see. they have tried, as chronicled in recent news stories and books, to get a deficit deal, and they have stumbled at every opportunity. >> what is the most optimistic case for a deal? what are the conditions where a deal could happen? or is it impossible? >> we saw that it was close. the idea would be when the tax rates are expiring, obama would say, "i am not extending the top rates." the idea would be to reform the tax code and do something to change the rates that republicans would like and democrats could agree to come and kind of lump in their medicare, medicaid, social security -- a grand bargain. that is the best-case scenario at this point, to couple them with these tax rates, which both parties agree need changing. democrats say they do not want to extend the bush tax cuts. republicans want to reform the whole code. >> it was said on one of these programs the other day that there just are not the conditions or the incentives for

there to be a deal in the lane duck. on the other side, i cannot imagine these guys having the guts to raise all those people pay taxes. i can imagine at least an extension. >> that is right. >> you think jim is wrong? >> well, no,. ' -- well, no. jim is right, for the record. but if obama wins the white house, they might do an extension. once there are new legislators in place, january, february, march, there could be a large- scale deal. if romney wins the white house, i do not see there being an incentive to get anything done, if the senate gets more republican. >> when there are no cameras around, what do they tell you about mitt romney? >> even when there are cameras

around, they do not say the greatest thing. a conservative republican from texas is more excited about the prospect of beating obama than about romney. >> can you explain to them they are related? >> that are related. that has been the tenor. a lot of people are excited. they could be obama if the conditions are right. >> i would not have predicted that. >> republicans on capitol hill would not have predicted that either. >> why is that? there have been stories about it. but why? it is in their interest for him to do well. why do they not at least act fired up? "like to complain is the main thing. -- >> they like to complain, is the main thing. at the end of the day, they need to rally around him. john boehner and page mcconnell have been quiet throughout the process.

>> went out on a limb. >> a moment of courage. but they need to get excited. that art starting to, behind the scenes. there are machinations, getting them on the same page, talking about the policy of the leadership. >> walk through that. >> the hudson conference calls, at least two, between top romney policy advisers in boston and top advisers to eric cantor and john boehner, mostly planning sessions. when mr. chen was in d.c., he met with congress members not committed to romney, trying to get everybody on the same page, talk about how they can work together. this is going to, if not complicate -- it will complicate. it will make the coordination difficult, going forward. they have to make sure their presidential nominee is on the same page. even people close to romney say they are not always on the same page.

it will be interesting to watch. >> while congress was on its district and state work period, jake, for spring break, went out and covered mitt romney. >> in beautiful pennsylvania. >> what is it like to cover mitt romney on the road? >> it is different. on capitol hill, there is never a time you cannot ask the decisionmaker a question about his decision. they do not always answer, but you can always -- there are very few times you cannot find somebody to answer questions. romney, you are lucky to get a question on the rope line. that is the defining difference between covering the campaign and covering congress. >> that is intrinsic to a national campaign. what specifically moves from the?

how long were you with him? >> i was out with him two days. i have been out with him for similar times throughout the year. he gives speeches and shakes hands. other than that -- >> did you talk to him? >> i shouted a question. i would not say he was -- >> have you shaken his hand? >> i do not know. maybe in new hampshire, early on. but it was really cold. >> there truly is very little interaction. >> the reporters on the trail, he has not been available in months. if john boehner or eric cantor was not available for a month, i can not -- i cannot imagine the outcry from reporters on capitol hill. >> what did you learn about the country or the process? you are coming at this process with fresh eyes. >> mostly that it is a lot different from capitol hill. it is really a bubble. i know it is a cliche, but it cannot be overstated how kind

of -- >> we sort of knew that. but what raised it? >> after the first event, hearing the same thing for several days in a row -- i was at an event at the launch of his pennsylvania operation. rick santorum was still in the race. he was giving a speech from a rooftop of the building where his offices are. i was not even able to view -- i was in a side room, listening on speakers. i could just stay home. there is not much. but news organizations have to be there because it is important. but there is not much interplay with reporters. >> you have also been on the road, covering congressional races. interesting primaries coming up. >> in arizona, an interesting one between the son of former vice president dan quayle and a traditional conservative guy and a tea party guy.

in florida, john mica, the transportation committee chairman. it is very close. quayle is losing by a hair, but his people are confident he will pull that out. in florida, the transportation committee chairman, a longtime member of congress, versus a freshman, andy adams. they got redistricted together. mica is favored. there are some nasty races across the country. baucus is in arizona. florida is also this summer. republicans will hold both of those seats, so it is not a big deal for the overall outlook of the house. but inside the republican conference, which is kind of what insiders care about, and very interesting.

>> we have already had at least one long-time member about up. >> who is that? i forget. >> who is in danger of being knocked off? >> interesting strategy from the democrats -- you're talking about gene schmidt. i am sorry. the democrats think they can capture seats in california, illinois, and new york. that is one of their paths to winning the house. they are trying to knock off longtime members of california, a big stake. they think that is their way to gain seats. if you talk to republicans, i think mr. cantor will agree, between 8 and 15 seats is the ceiling of what republicans think they can lose, which is a long way off. >> and the flip is -- >> 20-something. the math is not so clear at this point in the morning. that would put them a long way off.

>> take us behind the curtain. what is it like to cover eric cantor, they today? >> covering the house republican leadership, there is a lot of availability. they have a conference every week. they do speak to the press. mr. cantor is very accessible to reporters. he does not do a weekly session anymore. a lot of members of congress are frustrated with the 24-hour news cycle. he is not even close to the only one. >> what do they articulate? i think it would love it. most members of congress want coverage. what is the frustration? >> i think twitter is a big thing. @jakesherman follow me. not a big problem for me. steny hoyer and two democrats in the house -- his staff has asked people to not tweet, not file from inside the room.

the have not prohibited it, but they have asked for attention. congressmembers one respect, to think people are listening to them and paying attention. >> but they are tweeting themselves. >> a lot of them are not. the smart ones are not. they want things to be about substance, and not quick questions. people like eric cantor have 900 million things on their plate. they might not know the answer to question x, and that becomes a big story. >> next tuesday, a book is coming out by robert draper. he had a lot of behind-the- scenes access. his shtick was that he was physically on the hill every day of the session from the midterm to when he finished the book. you have not seen it. >> i read the excerpts.

>> part of a good breakfast. what do you hear about the book? >> there has not been much buzz. i do not know how much new ground there will be tread. >> people know he spent a lot of time with the number three house republican. >> he spent a lot of time with kevin mccarthy. he had a favorable piece in the "new york times "about kevin mccarthy and his process as a whip. because of the 24-hour news cycle, a lot of this stuff gets out. a detail from the meeting will not hold five months, let alone five minutes. >> what do you wish you knew? if we took you out for a month, which we are not going to do, so do not get your hopes up -- if you had a month, what would you like to know about the hill?

>> if i were him and i was not going to report everything for months at a time, i would want to go into a closed republican conference. that is kind of where the sausage is made. >> what do you hear about them? are they collegial, hostile? >> a lot. they are friendly. they are a group of people who are not afraid to share their opinions. >> let us be specific. who are you talking about? >> there are members who stand up -- >> like who? >> i am trying to think how to answer that fairly. there is definitely -- i will put it this way. this is a well-known story. during the debt ceiling deal, jeb hensarling, the house republican conference chair, held up a copy of "politico" and was not happy with the leaks. people have the incentive to

share what is going on, because they do not want to be blamed. they want somebody else to be blamed. they want to shelter their allies. you have 242 republicans. one member said it best to me. it is like being in a group of high-school class presidents. they all are trying to outmaneuver one another in subtle ways and very bold ways. i would want to get inside of those meetings even more than we do already. >> people talk to you because you are charming and hard- working. why else? >> you have to ask other people. i think the key is a lot of reporters who are here -- you just have to be here all the time. >> that is different from the white house. >> you could be there all the time and not break news and it would not have to do with you. the white house wants a story out and they will go to "the new york times" or "usa today."

for capitol hill, people do not always have press secretaries. members of congress, people who have power, they are walking alone, and they will talk. these are former state legislators. these are former state political people. they like attention. they love the game. that is why they are here. they are playing the game, and they are better at it than anybody else. they want to be liked. they want to show how smart they are, how they are gaining the system, how other people are gaming the system. that is why information is free-flowing on capitol hill. >> who is known to talk a lot? we know mccain would talk after the tuesday lunches. >> there are a lot of people on the hill. jason chavis is on all the time. anthony wiener was on all the time, but not anymore. >> that is one of the experts from the robert draper book.

he would go and complain to his staff who would not talk. >> there are people who complain to their staff still. it is a double-edged sword. some republicans love the fight. others shy away from it. there are people who will not talk to hill newspapers like "politico "and "roll call," because it does not help them back home. >> to bring you into the conversation -- this is your chance to take a shot at "politico" hill reporter. what have you got for jake? >> i read the "new york times" piece about why the debt deal, the grand bargain, fell apart. maybe this is living outside of washington.

but it seems so obvious that you could get a deal done. there seems to be a common sense approach that will raise some revenues and cut the spending, and that there is a massive consensus in the country that would support that. and i always am stunned that it cannot get done. why can't simpson-bowles simply get enacted? >> the framework was up for a vote, and i think 33 out of 435 members of the house voted for it. here is an overriding problem. the republican leadership has spent 16 months since the new majority -- they have spent a year saying, "revenue is not a problem. this is spending." if you have people who you are supposed to trust, and that you

admire, people in the leadership, saying, "we do not have to raise taxes," at what point do they come back and say, "let's do that." this has been a talking point for a year. they do not fundamentally believe that raising taxes is a good thing. everything needs to be revenue neutral with these guys. every deal that they have done, they have made sure it was generally -- some of it had a little bit of revenue, selling off spectrum, things of that nature. they have said it is not the problem. these are people who fundamentally, a lot of them, do not believe that government is any part of the solution. they do not believe in government, a lot of them. they do not believe the government has the answer. giving the government more money, they do not think, will solve anything. >> that is half an answer. one of the tension points in the

story was that there is blame to share. i think he put more of the blame on the house republicans, but the white house was also to blame. >> john boehner set that up everywhere he can. >> this is half of 1/3 of the government. that is what he says. >> said on cbs that the president lost his courage. i think it is a mix of both. i think a lot of democrats think the president has gone too far already. why keep going and doing what house republicans want? and now we are kind of way beyond any reasonable point of return, at least for this year, at least until the election. >> how do house democrats look at the white house? >> depends who you ask. a lot of people are disappointed, but they see 242 republicans who, in their view, have been unwilling to do anything, and unwilling to strike a compromise.

they think the president of hands are tied. other people think that if he had said no, republicans would have relented. obviously, there are shrewd people down at the white house. >> if we put house democrat leader nancy pelosi on truth serum, do you think she would regret what she did, losing the gavel? >> i think she thinks she will get it back. she thinks she is the once and future speaker. they think they will get the house back. she raises twentysomething million dollars for them. that is hard to say no to. even by democrats who do not like her. >> do they really think they will get the house back? >> a lot of them, yes. but remember that in 2010, after it was called a republican house, they did not believe it. this is not over yet.

nancy pelosi is a masterful fund-raiser. she has done north of 200-some events this year, which is unheard of. she is an animal. she is everywhere. she raises money in texas. she raises money all over the country. >> breakfasts, lunches. >> and the time the house is in session, she has raised money. she is the rainmaker for them. >> cantor is a prolific fund- raiser himself. >> he has done a lot of good fund-raising in new york. >> he has been doing this since before he was elected. >> one of the ways he got into leadership, one of the ways he is so powerful, is he has a lot of money, and he gives a ton of money away.

he raises money in new york, chicago, los angeles, and increasingly san francisco. >> clothes are all blue areas. >> there are still people in financial services who lean republican. he raises money from pro-israel and jewish donors, being the highest-ranking jewish official, or jewish democrats who think he is very strong on israel. money is the key in this game. >> who else is known for being good? >> john boehner. eric cantor tends to raise and give money out. it is an interesting distinction of the two. mccarthy is very good. you have to be good at this game. alan west, a freshman.

>> with cantor, it is putting in the time. constantly. >> you need to be personable. these are people who are cutting checks. they can donate $50,000. you are asking for $50,000 with little return. that is a lot of money to hand over to someone you may not see again. you need to be personable. you need to put in the time. you need to be willing to be away from your family on the weekends. >> he is the author of a book called "young guns." are they still the three amigos? >> paul ryan is very interested in the budget staff. less political, but interested in policy. there is a young gun super pac. there is a cantor brand attached to it.

there are two eric cantor people running it. they have all donated to it, i think. they too have all given money to the super pac. >> what about the speakers? there is also a speaker's pac. "politico" had an interesting story. how much is there regarding this? >> it will be super important. the congressional fund i believe swooped in.

that will be a force. very established super pac. a lot of money behind it. this'll be the first election where these super pacs with a brand play a big part. they will play a huge part. >> do super pacs last? >> i recall him saying he does not remember any cry to not have them anymore. you run the risk that it will not allowed to coordinate officially. that could be a problem.

>> last question, if republicans keep the majority, will there be a change of leadership? >> if they keep the majority by one seat, i guess there is a possibility at that point. it would be difficult to see how somebody as a majority speaker would be in any danger of leaving. >> what about on the democratic side? >> that is a mess. nancy pelosi will do what nancy pelosi wants to do. a lot of people tried to get her out last time. it'll be interesting to see who will be the next democratic leader. there is a gap in a lot of different parts. >> who would be on the list? >> i think that there are two it

names that people should watch out for. >> thank you to you, jake sherman. we are glad to welcome eric cantor. thank you for coming. we appreciate it. thank you for coming. i have been covering you for a while. >> yes, you have. good morning. >> thank you for being here. what was the first political office you held? >> being a delegate in the 73rd district in the virginia house. >> how is that similar to what you do now? >> it is somewhat similar. there is a confidence that voters give you to be able to go and reflect their views in a policy making role. i tell you, i started my

political career based on the experience i had as a small- business person. i was a real-estate lawyer and developer and ran a family business along with my brothers. i faced the challenges that most businesses do every day. i brought that experience with me to the table at the state level and policy making level and interacted with regulators and administration there. trying to make it easier for entrepreneurs to succeed. >> what we are hearing from business people now is there is some sort of deficit deal that there could be a slowdown on the consumer side and the business side. >> there is a lesson to be learned from what happened last year. i think the public expects

results from washington. a lot of us are frustrated that we are unable to see the results that we would like. as you recall, speaker boehner put a goal out there that if we are going to increase the debt ceiling, we will make sure that we will find the right cuts to match that increase. unfortunately, we cannot get congress to go along with it. i think we need to do everything we can to watch the spending. we need to be managing this deficit in a big way. over time, people are beginning to appreciate that watching the spending and shaving off unnecessary spending and getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse is one thing. but getting to the root of the problems is where the two sides have a lot of difficulty coming together. >> what is the chance that there will be some sort of deal after

the election? >> again, i think the country is in no mood. the economy is very frail. we cannot get another near calamity. the debt ceiling is not a positive thing. we all need to work together towards resolving differences. in the lame duck session, the country will have spoken. there is some indication of a direction that the majority wants to see us go. we need to avoid calamity on the debt ceiling. >> let's say that governor romney is elected. >> you can look at it that way. a month later, the tide can turn. the new party can be in place. hopefully the election will serve as the end point of this

big discussion and we can get on about solving problems. that is my hope. the lame duck will then be, ok, voters have the opportunity to speak out. we are where we are. let's get together and solve problems. >> do you foresee a deal by december 31 to avoid the bush tax cuts? what will happen? >> the house will do everything it can to make sure that taxes do not go on anyone. we will make some moves throughout the year to reflect the notion that we do not think washington -- >> the house can do everything it can, that is fine. but some say there is a possibility that these tax cuts will expire. >> it depends on who wins. it really does. i believe that mitt romney will win.

he is in a position to make sure that no taxes will go up on anyone. we can also provide for a transition period so we can put tax reform in effect. >> a letter was sent to house republican leaders for ways to avoid spending. as i look through the ways that you suggested to cut, it sounds very much like the ones that you were dismissing a moment ago. restraining spending on bureaucracy and waste. >> i did not diminish the importance of doing that. >> what is the dollar volume you're likely to get out of the next few months?

>> you will see a reconciliation package that will allow us to save at least for a year so we do? not see the pentagon hit with a sequester after the president's budget. these are not inconsequential savings. it really is the entitlement question that we have to address. >> if i am working in the pentagon, should i be worried or not? >> there is no question that the pentagon is trying to do more with less.

>> let me try to diagram that sentence. you want to support the pentagon in trying to do more with less. >> they are trying to do their best under the president's budget. they are going through the motions of where there can be savings. they are finding out more efficient ways to do things. bring innovation to bear. managing techniques. we want to preserve investments in our defense community. we want to shave off the inefficiency and waste and get on about with the mission that the pentagon lives under, which is the defense of our country. >> i had a conversation with jake sherman earlier.

it seems as if there could be a lot of changes for taxes, but it would not help people. >> the 20% business tax cut was never proposed to be the ultimate. we know what we have to do. we need broad tax reform. it lends itself to the competitiveness of our country worldwide. it will make sure that investment flourishes again in this country and get washington out of the way it from picking w[here capital should go. that is what tax reform does. the 20% small business tax cut is something that we felt would help. we know jobs in the economy is the number one issue facing people today. they want to do something about it.

>> let's see how good you are. how many democratic votes will you get today? >> i never pretended to be a good counter on the other side of the aisle. i think the president signaled that he wants to help small business. that is why i question the signal that he will veto a small business tax cut. >> you mentioned tax reform. "politico" had an interesting story. there is a push to get tax reform that you can take up in 2013. how far do you think the tax reform will go this year? >> the whip and another are planning sessions on what to do with our tax codes. >> that does not sound very specific.

>> we know that the goal is to bring down rates. we know that the goal is to get washington out of the business of honing capitalism and rewarding those with affluence. get rid of the preferences and the loopholes. make the system a lot flatter and simpler and fairer. we also know that over 45% of people in this country did not pay income taxes at all. we have not questioned whether that is fair. it should be broadened, the base, in a way to lower the pay for everybody. if you have 45 percent of the people who are not paying income taxes in the country, should

they even have a dollar in the game of income taxes? the purpose should be to bring down rates for everyone. look at the corporate rate. we have the first highest corporate tax rate in the world. that does not look well for america. >> how might that be addressed? >> we need to look at where the burden is and what is best to help those who are at the bottom sector of the income scales. how do we help them with their income mobility? that is what we want to do. how do you help people who want to have a better life? who want to have higher wages? you create growth in the economy. how did you do that? straighten out the tax code and flatten the tax rates. look at the reality of the income disparity in this country. how do you fix it?

increase income mobility. >> after many years, the shape of the tax reform debate is clear. president obama has put out a plan where he talked about lowering corporate tax rates and getting rid of loopholes. it sounds like this should be doable, but you are smiling. >> again, we should be putting into effect tax reform. what we hear from the white house is that tax reform means tax increases. >> but that is not what they say. they say they want to lower it. >> but that does not happen. when president obama unveiled his proposals for international tax reform, all of a sudden, there is now a minimum international tax that american- based companies will have to pay.

that puts them at a disadvantage. >> that would be a deal killer for you. >> you have to think about what the goal is. we need to be more competitive. we want more revenue generated by a growing economy so we can help manage the deficit and debt. you do not do that by saying that he will raise taxes. there are consequences to that. we want to create jobs here at home. but companies may move abroad to escape higher taxes. >> so house republicans will have a package to move forward? >> we have been very bold in putting forth prescriptions, something the other side has not done. i believe that we will be

looking at all of the issues. there was a hearing on the retirement provision in the tax code and what tax reform means to those retirement provisions. this is not easy stuff. >> do you think the comprehensive tax reform will pass in 2014? >> this is tough stuff. we want to make it simpler. >> it sounds like you are not really confident on comprehensive tax reform. >> i believe that there will be some comprehensive tax reform. we know we are working with 435 members in the house and others in the senate. we all have to learn that in order to get results, we will

have to come together. when you say my kind of tax reform and other tax reforms, really we all want results. >> for those of you on c-span and live stream land and twitter, give us your questions and responses. that will be handed to me in a minute. we will hear from a white house respondent. but first, let me ask you about the house leadership. "politico" talked about peace talks. why can you not get along? >> we really do get along. there is some notion among your profession that we need to have a story there and say that we do not get along. we do get along. the speaker and i meet all the time, one-on-one and in groups. >> let's be accurate. >> i can tell you that we do get along.

we have a professional relationship and a personal relationship. we are able to match as a speaker and majority leader in a way that allows us to function. we have regular communication. i think that there is a fascination that is misguided. >> does it bother you? do you think you should do more to correct it? >> i think the misplaced fascination no longer bothers me. >> so you are saying that there is no reality to it at all? >> no. >> at the white house, they are giddy at the opportunities that you have represented to make this a contrast composition between president obama and the republicans.

do you feel in the sense of where this goes now that you need to listen to what the republican nominee wants going forward in order to that contrast the white house is eager to get? >> the public polling suggests that it will be about jobs and the economy. we welcome the opportunity for voters to see the difference as to our vision of the direction the economy and country should take versus the president's. his policies have failed. people understand that. that is why you can see in polling that anxiety levels are very high in this country. they do not have confidence in their ability to make it through the month. it is tuition prices and health

care prices and gas prices. it is the uncertainty. that is why we welcome the opportunity to debate the differences that we have with the white house. >> is mitt romney a true conservative? >> yes, he is. he is someone who has a proven track record in the one area where voters are most interested to see results, and that is jobs in the economy. he is the only one who has that track record. he certainly beats the president in terms of job creation. he also wants to put out a bold plan for growth. this president has not done that. >> you have a lot of irons in the fire. what role are you playing in the romney campaign?

>> we want to help him in any way we can. i am very focused on helping our candidate deliver the message that we are the party of small business, opportunity, and job growth. we have the prescriptions and want to put them out there to help small businesses and entrepreneurs and how to ensure that america becomes a star country again. we used to be known as the place to come to if you wanted to make a better life and strike out on your own. we really are the country of economic freedom. we are the country that says that, economic freedom for its ordinary people and the ability to do extraordinary things. that is what we want to restore. mitt romney has the track record to say to people, it is all of us together reclaiming that dream.

>> why are so many republicans lukewarm toward mitt romney? >> i do not think that is true. >> do you talk to them? >> again, i would say that we need to stop selecting the ones who may want to give you the message and the narrative you want to portray, but our conference is excited about uniting behind mitt romney. this election is about making life better for people who seem to think that america has forgotten what has made us so great. >> you think republicans are on fire and excited about mitt romney? >> i have been to a primary process and it has been pretty

rigorous. i think we are now at a point where members in our conference are satisfied that mitt romney is going to be a terrific candidate for us. they are getting behind his candidacy and his policies in contrast to those in the administration. >> what is the law for the house? >> i am very bullish on the house. i am very confident that we will strengthen our majority. as you know, we had a program in place that stemmed from the young guns program that is in place. it served as an excellent vetting and grooming program for candidates. redistricting has yielded a safer playing field for us.

i think many incumbents that were elected and what were swing seats have been shifted off the category. we are looking at playing offense and potentially having 30-40 seats in play. >> what is the most that you can gain? >> if we are looking to make sure that we are playing offense -- >> i am sorry. how many do you think you will gain? >> 30-40 seats in play is our goal in offense. >> you think you can pick up how many seats? >> we will see how things will go. on offense, 30-40 seats. >> most people seem to think that you will lose some seats,

but you are saying that you will gain seats. >> i am optimistic about our ability to strengthen. >> but that is not what you said before. >> but that is what i said. aboutve got a question running. should he put bob macdonald on the ticket for vp? >> i think he would be a great vp. >> how would that help? >> i think he would be great. if he is on the ticket, he will help us in virginia and north carolina and in a lot of states where voters matter. bob macdonald, he was my seatmate in the house of delegates when you and i first met. he is a father, a family man, a businessman.

he is someone who understands what the independent voters wants and that [gets] results. >> and you heard some of the issues that came up in virginia? >> i think that his leadership in virginia has been stellar. look at the public polling in virginia. bob macdonald is very popular. he has been able to manage the budget. the state has unemployment numbers that are much less than the average. i think he is very strong. >> what about paul ryan? >> paul ryan is terrific. i said that before and i will say it again. he would be a great leader. >> how would he help mitt romney? >> paul ryan demonstrated the ability to lead on matters of budget.

he has a clearer grasp on the budget than anyone i know. he is serving in congress. he understands that we need to get our fiscal house in order. >> would that give him some vulnerabilities with the middle? >> i think right now people are squarely focused on making their lives better. they want higher wages. what to see tuition come down. what does the health care costs and gas prices come down. they want to see their neighbors and they have more job security. all of these things have been out there and provided uncertainty in people's lives for too long. and the leadership they are looking at in the white house is not responding to that anxiety. i think that is why mitt romney and whoever he picks as vp is going to be the antidote people are looking corporate >> jonathan carl has a question.

>> i was about to ask about ryan and mcdonnell paired for something that you mentioned and i heard this meant a lot by conservatives, 45% of americans not paying federal income tax. i am just wondering what to do about that? are you saying we need to have a tax increase on the 45%? >> i am saying that just in a macro way of looking at it you have to discuss that issue. what is going to fund the national -- necessary operations of the federal government? how do we allow for that to take place in a way that we can see a growing economy? because whatever scenario you may choose to embrace about cutting the spending or reforming entitlement programs, the necessary piece is a growing economy or you are never going to manage down and back to

balance in the budget. so that has got to be the goal. how do you deal with that? how do you deal with a shrinking pie and number of people that support the operations of government, how you go about continuing to milk them more if that is what some want to do but preserve their ability to provide the growth engine? that leads me back to saying those at the bottom end of the income scale want nothing more than to increase their income, to get up that ladder of success. so the goal should be, how do you do that? i have never believed that you go and raise taxes on those who have been successful, that are paying in, taking away from them so that you hand out and give to someone else. those someone elses want hand ups. in the broader question, those are the kinds of issues we have got to be asking and finding a

resolution together so we can effect a tax reform heard >> quickly on 2012 and the vp search, i am wondering if you can give us some general principles that you think should guide romney in this choice. should be geographical, radiological diversity? she tried to put a woman on the took it? your name was bandied around for mccain. should eric cantor be on the list? would he accept if offered? >> no to that answer. eric cantor is not interested and is not interested at all in that. jonathan i would say this. the election is going to be very clear. there is going to be a very clear choice. mitt romney. he will make that decision. i think he will set the tone of what the terms of the debate are. and we welcome that contrast

with obama in terms of the economic vision of this country that is so central on the minds of so many people right out in america. >> you got in hot water for supporting a challenger to a house member. what did you learn? >> i can just say i made a commitment to a colleague of mine way back and i felt it was necessary to live up to the word i gave that colleague. >> and what have you learned from that -- you have gotten a lot of blow back from your conference. >> again, decisions that you make sometimes are not easy. but i think most importantly, you live up to your commitment. in make sure that your word stays good. and the word does not mean that some days it is good in others it is not. >> a very interesting behind- the-scenes story on political about this. it said that the member who lost

represented -- don manzulo, said according to republican sources, he said that you would not be saved. what did you take from that? >> again, i do not want to discuss that. i will just say this has to do with the commitment i made to a colleague and my decision to live up to that commitment. >> to you believe he said that? >> i am not commenting on it. upstanding's an individual who served his constituents well. >> have you detected any anti- semitism? >> no. again, i do not want to say anything about those remarks. i do not want to talk about anything having to do with the sort of darker side of sort of any kind of comments made or whatever. >> so you are saying there is a darker side? >> i think all of us know that in this country, we have not

always gotten it right in terms of racial matters, religious matters, whatever. we continue to strive to provide equal treatment to everybody. but to sit here and say in america that we have it all right now, i think that pretty much all of us can say we have work to do. >> we are talking about the house republican conference, not america. >> [laughter] >> innovation. you are back from a field ship to google and facebook. you are the first member with a tweet wall. >> have to go to where the people are. we tried to beat very aggressive and opening up the kinds of things that we're doing here and making them accessible to the people of the country. so much of what the people of the country see and feel that is coming out of washington has for the longest time been controlled by others. but social -- what social media

has done has enabled people to assume ownership, to control what it is the kind of news they want. to be able to interject themselves in the debate occurred >> tell us what your wall looks like. >> it is a twitter wall that is a panel. >> it is in here waiting room? >> it is in the lobby. everybody has to walk by to get into the office. it is a clear reminder that everything we are doing should be ventilated with the public and the people that sent us here. and we will end up getting a better work product if we pay attention to the fact that we have to engage the public. it is they who sent us here. i think that is what social media, whether twitter or facebook, is any of the platforms now online and on your belt or in your pocket that allow people to engage in a much more rapid fashion. in a fullyer way.

the more that we can do that, the more we invite people in. we have a program called citizens co-sponsor that we launched. it was launched to be compatible with facebook and other social media platforms where people can incorporate sort of what they like in the things they are tracking in the legislative process into their home page, into their profile page so that their friends can see what is going on, their friends can get the updates. maybe it will spark some kind of interest that i can go in and begin to figure out this as well and become an owner of the process. >> what can washington learned from silicon valley? >> one of the things i was told when i went out there earlier on was in caen value -- a way of thinking globally. in silicon valley. i think it means that we are out

there competing every single day and making sure that we are the first to innovate and that we can be the first to take those ideas and bring them to the market. and so what i think we learned from that is that the entrepreneurial drive, that commitment to make sure that we do not stimy innovation is what we learn from silicon valley, that america has served as a frontier to the world. >> specifically, how could the house changes workflow or its approach that would mirror those? >> one of the things you mentioned is open up for ideas. that is why we have the twitter wall. that is why you see so much activity with the republican members of congress on line. the more we can stay close to

that exchange of ideas and input from the people that put us there, the better the work product is. but i think one of the things we try to do with the schedule in the house this term was to make sure that members going home and living with the people that elect them and do not stay with in the beltway confines under the dome to think that all answers come from washington because they do not. this is a country that is unique in history -- power derived from people. we have to make sure the government is working for the people and not the other way around. >> when you were at google, you saw the driverless car. >> it is awesome. >> tell us. >> it is phenomenal. there is a prius that they have now taken and they have put cameras.ees ans and and they have a laptop in the

front seat. they have put a goagole maps and images so the car knows what you're passing by, whether it is trees, bushes, another car, a person walking across a crosswalk. so it census where things are moving around at and is -- i was speech was to see what was going on. there was a driver and the seat in case something went wrong. and an easy shut off switch. it is truly amazing. i think the goal they have got is to make sure those who are less fortunate, maybe wounded veterans, or those who are kept have the ability to get around. imagine what you could do per -- to provide mobility to people like that. it will be going to a lot more testing. >> you have been an apple pie. you were one of the first

offices on the hill that was a a mac and are meant. >> i am all about this. this is an unbelievable tool that we have before us. thing is, and i want to show you i have my political open. we had a little technical difficulties with our politico app the other day. this fixed. the amazing thing is this app here, the drop box app. if anybody has not seen this, there are competing apps, but my office is trying to go completely paperless. so when we talk about preparation and staff is exchanging memos, it is done electronically. so you are not looking around any kind of prep. and information for meetings is all right here. >> your briefings, in through drop box. what other apps do you like?

>> i got to say politico. the "richmond times-dispatch". absolutely. there are tons of apps on here. >> do you play games? >> [laughter] >> not a scrabble guy. >> i've got sudoko. >> one of the reasons that you went into real a state would have to do with the theory of how people choose where they live. tell us about that. >> i really like people. if you're in the business of a like this service that you have to like people. and you have to want to find out what drives them, what makes them choose their lifestyle, what kind of outcomes they want. estate i got into real a s

because i had a father who was a lawyer and developer and a family in the business. and what i saw is you have an ability to start from literally the ground up. and when you plan the project, my family was in land development, and so when you start and neighborhood, a subdivision, you begin to think about what people will see and do everyday driving to the streets of that neighborhood, turning on the main thoroughfare. what kind of conveniences' are around them. what kind of shopping is available, what kind of entertainment, what kind of services do they need. it is about patterns of life. >> tell us how that applies to shopping. this is interesting. >> how it applies to shopping? again, if you think about it, -- i was recently in florida and was on an island where people live and was wondering how do they go shopping?

how do they go get a carton of milk? or how did they go get medicine but very quickly without having to go off the island? i was told later that there were some stores you know, what are the necessities of life? what are the elements that family is required to support their existence? i know from being a parent when your child has a homework assignment, the bank and is there is a wal-mart down the street that is open 24 hours the king going access what you need. is that kind of everyday need that really forms the basis of a community. it is not just school supplies. what kind of health care services are available. when you have a retirement

community. what would they be interested in tax there certainly interested in making sure a hospital is nearby. as somebody in that business, it it starts to community. what is a book e think we should read? >> i am reading "boomerang" by michael lewis, the sequel to the big short that he wrote. they're trying to learn from that experience. >> music that is on there, red hot chili peppers. >> that is true. on hab ve a little jay-z

there. the lyrics are horrendous. we try to have a clean up version. many live with teenagers you try to understand what they are about. >> i see you played golf with my feet. -- mikey. you just got one out. >> i have one going out. he is headed to new york. he is going to work up there and the financial services industry. my wife is always had a quantitative head. is probably following her footsteps. and very proud of him. >> you also have a daughter?

>> is finishing a perce of maria this next year. my youngest is 17 -- she is just finishing up her sophomore year. my youngest is 17. emptyyear we will be in th nesters. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> president obama will take part in the annual commemoration of the holocaust. the president will discuss the administration's strategy to prevent an response to mass atrocities. our coverage begins at 9:45 a.m. eastern. >> we ask students across the country what part of the constitution was important to them and why. today second prize winners selected article one. >> i count on the post office. >> i am 100 percent disabled. i've been coming here for 30 years.

blacks want to fight for our post office. >> several members of my family have worked for the post office for as long as i could remember. without it, i'm not sure what they would do. is sore's something that inexplicably powerful about a note.ble look goo >> i read the 60 million americans do not have access to the internet. what they supposed to do? ♪

>> like a fool i went in stayed too long. baby here i am, signed, sealed, delivered i'm yours in the time i went and said goodbye now i'm back and not >> they allow me to send a handwritten note from california. it remained an important part of our daily lives. due to the increasing popularity, the post office has suffered some heavy blows. this could also be a tribute to win the government made a decision. >> >> many individuals have expressed their concerns about potential post offices.

he has organized an effort to save a fort lauderdale post office. >> they give basic services to the american people in light of more expenses. i think about expenses of how much money is wasted in war. 60 billion has been misspent. 60 billion. >> what would happen to the rest of america? particularly rural and small towns. does anybody think that you would be able to send a letter

from the florida keys to alaska for 44 cents if government was not there providing a universal service? i don't think so. >> may i help you? >> i like to cancel my mail. >> thoughnot all americans count on the post office for their communications. >> we have a lot of things that need cutting the post offices are not among there. and e-mail has all the charm of

a freight truck appeared >> he understands the importance of the postal service. he said in a nationwide movement and has been featured in the washington post. we're discussing the various reasons. >> many are in inner cities. there are low income neighborhoods. they tend to serve populations that are not on the internet. they are dependent on the post office for social security checks. our shocked to learn how many people do not even have a bank. >> the post office is especially important in small isolated communities. we traveled into the heart of the everglades to visit america's smallest post office.

this converted to a shaky people connected with the outside world. the person delivers the mail has a route that stretches across three counties. >> sometimes we have to make and understand how a business decision needs to be made. they now have to move instead of this. it is wiser. you have one truck coming in. we have to get all these people coming out.

>> if you have a post office and you close it, it doesn't just affect as 200 employees. it affects their families and all the businesses around the post office. it is about a $1 trillion economy employing about a million other people. as these plants close, and lots of the community around the plant and communities will be affected. >> this tells congress they have the ability to do something about the situation. this is when the things that americans need on the daily basis.

>> six days a week, a provision is sitting in my mailbox. i cannot imagine life without it. >> go to studentcam.og to watch all the winning videos. >> next, a discussion on the roles of candidates wives and the 2010 campaign. after this, douglas wissing on "funding the enemy: how u.s. taxpayers bankroll the taliban" >> charles colson later became

an evangelicals creature died this past weekend at age 80. he talked about the white house taping system in 2007. >> kissinger had the right although he abused it to come into the oval office. kissinger packages walken when he wanted. nixon told them that because it was foreign-policy missions to just come in and interrupt anything. henry would do it for trivial things. we're in the executive office building. nixon and not appear to look. i know he knew it was senate. he said i think it is time we use nuclear weapons.

this was pure humor. nixon loved it. >> hear more about his political rare, watergate, and his work in prison reform at the c-span video library. >> my discussion of the roles of wives in the 2012 presidential campaign. this is just under an hour. but i want to welcome to veterans at the white house. this is tipper gore appears thank you for being with us.

the role ofng on ladies. thank you for being with us. >> he frames the debate this morning in an article for the newspaper. guest: so much of it is larger than women's issues, there are family issues. i think this notion of where women belong in the debate is really pretty limiting. they belong in the entire debate. i think we have put ourselves in a position of lamenting the role that women can play in this conversation. >> in this morning's "washington post." guest: women care about all kinds of issues. at the end of the day, when it comes to voting, you vote for

the person who you think will represent the issues that you care about. whether that is a woman or a man or a republican or democrat. host: let me ask you about the comments made. what she said about ann romney and the political tactics that followed. was she right or was she wrong?

guest: it was wrong in the mean spiritedness that it seemed to come into play. and also the non-apology apology. that bothered me more than anything. when i saw the clip, what she was responding to was the fact that the candidate romney listens to what his wife has to say. she is out there traveling. when she hears these things, of course, she will share them with her husband. i think that was unfortunate that it came out that somehow her voice is not of the value. because she had not been a working woman outside the home. host: this this was made by a democratic operative who is not involved in the obama campaign. the mitt romney campaign jumped on in, and even today, they are writing that it was a win for the gop.

>> the remarks were unfortunate. most campaigns agreed that spouses and children are off the table in terms of making comments about them. each of these women who are campaigning for their husbands are doing the very best job that they can. they do bring a unique perspective in terms of how they are the first of all voices. the outcome of world needs to respect the rules that each of them will play. host: you wrote about this in a blog. guest: there was a similar circumstance in the campaign

2004. they alluded that laura bush did not have a real job. mrs. bush was the first, she never fueled the flames. she knew that this is politics. sometimes in politics, we say things that we do not mean. she really did not enter into the debate at all. i think mrs. kerry felt badly that she had said that. sometimes we say things we do not mean. there is a great example from 1984. barbara bush made a comment about geraldine ferraro, about two words. to this day, she regrets having

made that comment. many years later, they became very close friends. those are things in the heat of the campaign, this is what happens. host: use study and teach about this topic at american university. guest: yes, and we enjoy it. first lady said that an impact on politics and policy and diplomacy. some have been more willing partners than others. at the end of the day, they are the best advice giver, the best confidante to the president. their antenna are greater than most political operatives. host: let me share with you, these are comments going back to 1992, when hillary clinton made news for her comments, but also for the interview she did with "60 minutes." [video clip]

>> i suppose that i could have stayed home and baked cookies. host: in the interview, she said, i could be like tammy wynette. guest: that is what is unique about the role of the first lady. each of them find their way through a campaign, which are very long process these. many of them have served in public life before there has been some chose to run for the presidency. some of them are more familiar with what can come up during a campaign, and some of them are not. the interesting thing is how different each of them are. and how they choose to

campaign, and on what issues. guest: i could not have said it better. caller: good morning, how are you doing? ok, as far as what hillary said about ann romney, it was true. it was not mean-spirited. even she admitted that herself. why are you sitting there letting this man get away with this -- there is no dignity in the work. that is the husband that is running. that is what is mean-spirited. i do not understand you democrats. you let the republicans did away with it. you do not stand up for the democratic party. i wish you guys would stop that. play his clip. that is on dignified. host: what do you want from mitt romney?

what you want to hear? caller: he should apologize. poor people have worked all their lives in one capacity or another. we have cleaned people's houses, we mopped their floor. why would he say something like that? his policies will make sure that women are in trouble. i would not fall for that if i was a woman. host: barbara, thank you for the call. guest: she is making a very good case for us.

my comments are more about the role of the first lady and the role of the campaign. as opposed to begin at the issues that she is referring to. she makes some valid points, but the most valid point is that that is where the candidates come into play for us as the spouse. what she has pointed out about mitt romney is something that people evaluate as they move forward. those are the types of things that really happened on the candidate side of the equation. host: there are a couple of photographs i want to show you. there is a photograph of pat nixon with her daughters and richard nixon. there is a photograph of hillary clinton as she and graduate -- congratulate her

daughter. how the role of the first lady has changed from the 1950's and 1970's to the 1980's and today. guest: throughout our history. a first lady has been a bellwether of changes to come, but also has been reflected of what is happening in the country at the time. most people, when they think of activists first lady, they think about our roosevelt. in some ways, yes, she broke the mold. all first ladies have had an impact on issues that they care about. they are best when they select things they have some background on, experience, and credibility. guest: absolutely. when they choose something they are compassion about, when they really have an impact. oftentimes, with the work their husbands are doing, they can be a force to be reckoned with. host: the other photograph, ladies first. this is not only everything they

say, but what they wear, everything they do is the focus of scrutiny dating back to jackie kennedy. test but it is true. guest: it is true. we have a fascination with what our first ladies wear. it is a fact of life. it is human nature. we want our first ladies to be comfortable with who they are and to represent as beautifully. sometimes, some of that plays out in how they are dressed. host: can either of you share any advice that you gave to michelle obama or laura bush? guest: my advice to a number of the people that we work with, let's make sure that whatever we are doing is authentic to her. mrs. obama also shared some very important advice. there is nothing on her agenda that is more important than what is on the president's agenda. between those two pieces of

guidance, we were able to help per creates -- helped her create a very impressive set of work and objectives that you wanted to accomplish. the garden was one of those things. it can capture people's imaginations. her work with military spouses. raise the awareness of what these families are going through. if you are able to connect all of those things, you really do have a winning combination. host: laura bush? guest: laura bush came to the white house before i worked directly with her. her love of reading and

literacy and the national book festival, now going into its 12th year. that is something that is a legacy. i absolutely have to agree you are best at this role when you select things that you care about that can support the issues and goals of the administration. people do respond to that authenticity. when i came to work for mrs. bush in the second term, you are freed up from elections after you have won a second election. she knew exactly what she wanted to do. frankly, she knew what she went to do when she first came to washington. in the second term, to do more of the global work, aids relief and malaria. we made five trips to africa. 15 countries. we went to the middle east on a health diplomacy project.

we traveled all over the world on issues to support the administration. host: is the top of the hour. our guests are anita mcbride and camille johnston. our look at the role of spouses in american politics and first ladies. our phone lines are open. you can also send a comment on our twitter page. guest: absolutely true. she is an impressive woman. she always was. there were moments for her that were harder than others. she was one of these transitional first ladies. but i think her career has borne her out in terms of being an impressive person from start to

finish. guest: i would like to add one thing to that. her role as first lady of the united states only helped her in the position she had a secretary of state. she is our nation's top diplomat. it was a platform that allowed her to be what she is, a terrific secretary of state. host: on our twitter page -- guest: i thought about that when you were talking about that. she truly is the nation's first hostess. host: the pictures of our first lady and president. michael is on the telephone.

caller: good morning. steve, i do not know, with 16 trillion dollar deficit, this seems like it is a diversion. but it is an interesting topic. you made comment of ms. hillary rosen. you stressed that hillary's connections were with cnn as a journalist. host: she is not a journalist. she is an analyst. she gets paid by cnn. caller: the audience would be well served to know that she has been to the white house over 30 times. you tried to stress that she has no connection with the obama campaign. i find that a little bit doubtful. i find any analyst "that's been to the white house 30 times."

i think she has ties to the obama campaign. host: you are absolutely right. she is a democratic strategist. my point is that you did not have somebody directly involved in the campaign, but certainly involved in democratic party politics. i was asking a tactical political question. please go ahead. caller: the reaction by team obama reflects their recognition of her connection to them. i am old enough to remember when the women's movement started. i am a conservative and i think it would be fair to say that generally, liberals have found stay-at-home moms and traditional "leave it to

beaver" moms, but that aspect of american womanhood to be less than what they think can be accomplished or should be accomplished by american when men. this is reflected in their attitude in many things. you played the comments by hillary clinton and so on and so forth. i do think it is an undercurrent that runs through the left that stay at home moms, and women that do not pursue professional careers, and even if they do, as you mentioned about laura bush, who has a master's degree they still get derided. host: michael, i will stop you there. guest: i could not disagree more herb. the democratic party has a very big tent. there are women who stay at home and women who work outside the home. women who are single mothers and their working for those reasons. women work because they choose to. there are also women who stay

at home and vote democrat. it is too much of a generalization. the president and first lady both spoke very highly of ann romney. these are choices that women can make. whichever they choose is to be respected. despite the fact that we are still talking about this a week later, i think everybody agrees with that. host: the political tactics behind what she said and how the campaigns reacted? guest: the campaigns reacted very quickly. this is something that people are sensitive to. the women's vote is a demographic that we all care about. the leader said in the parties care about women and care about

women's choices and care about the fact that the debate should be that we respect the choices that women make. the debate should be is that rerespect the choices that women make. that is at the heart of it. making a choice of what you want to do. if you want to work outside the home, if you do. some people have to. we have to respect that, too. what the economics are for women that make these choices. pew had some great research that came out in the last week about the growing trend of how many women, 18 to 34, that really care about getting out and the workforce. they also care very much about being married and having a family. it is a classic -- we are always trying to balance doing both. to feel that you are making a

contribution in both ways. it is hard. it is hard work. guest: these are not monolithic. host: when will we have a first man or a first spouse? guest: well, we got close in 2008. we almost did have a first spouse. we had secretary clinton, then senator clinton running for president. but it will happen. you know what, i'm very optimistic about how our country manages transition. we will manage that transition well, too. guest: probably less focused on what he is wearing. host: we will go to richard in new york city. good morning to you. caller: i have a question. who pays the salary of the

communications director of the first lady? guest: the white house. all the staff on the first lady's staff is considered assigned to the first lady's office to assist in those duties. guest: it is helpful to have anita here because there have been misnomers. they're very identical. host: richard, did you want to follow up? caller: in this area of concern about government spending, hello? how much money is wasted? the first lady is not elected. she's a family member. she deserves civil service protection but does she deserve god knows how much spending? we are all concerned about

paying taxes because most of our taxes are wasted. this represents a significant waste of our money. guest: i will use a quotation that a former president said. we get only one employee in the united states government for free. and that is the first lady. it is not an elected position, not an appointed position. it has no statutory authority. it also gets no salary. it frees up the first lady to do the kinds of things that they care about and without having any statutory requirements. by and large, we can imagine the role and see how much of the contribution they have made to raise the national debate and awareness on issues of concern to everybody in the country. we cannot drive down a highway in any state in the united states and not think ladybird johnson for her efforts for the highway beautification act that her husband signed.

but it's because of her that we don't have litter on our highways. caller: this is on our twitter page -- host: this is about women's votes up for grabs. he said -- he points out that gloria steinem was dismissed kay bailey hutchison as a female impersonator. this goes on both ends. guest: women can be as brutal to women as men. guest: let's focus on the issues that everybody cares about. host: margaret is on the phone

from new jersey. caller: you have yourself in a pickle this morning by naming hillary rosen's name. i would like to concur with the lady from chicago. if you listen to hillary's entire comments, it was that women of means have an easier time deciding whether or not to stay at home as opposed to those women who have to work outside the home and care for their children. i have another comment, if i may. this fellow from north carolina, i would like to know if he considers ted nugent's comments reflected of romney's views. thank you. host: thank you, margaret.

guest: the obama campaign did that this time. host: please ask, the first families have been poor. the president talked about this week, a growing up in a single family. how he and michelle took out two lones. -- loans. laura bush broke up central texas and a middle-class family. guest: a great number of them. abraham lincoln. his wife tried to prove to the country and prove to the country and the congress that because he came from the country, and somehow he was not able to govern. really was the only one that could hold the nation together. i just think it's reflective. our candidates are reflective of america. we have americans in all stages of their life in all

demographics, all economic stages that represent our country. host: ann romney said that her husband has to loosen up a little bit. he's got a great sense of humor but it doesn't come up on the campaign trail. guest: this is another important role for the spouse. humanizing the president. you want the first lady out there doing no harm on the campaign trail, spreading a lot of good will, trying to humanize the candidate, showing a different side of who they are. you are right, i think at an event in washington, just last week, she talked about the decision making process. some in the family who didn't want him to do it and those who did. at the end of the day, these are family members, too. they're just like any of us but they have struggles and hopes

and joys and fears and happy times and sad times. you want to hear a lot about that. you want to find some way to connect. host: that same process in 2007. you were not part of the campaign but michelle obama weighing whether to run or not. guest: absolutely, for ms. obama this hadn't been a lifelong career for them. under those circumstances, there is a lot to weigh. working for tipper, she and al had been in public life for a number of years, so the decision was different for them. but the process of running is no different. you hear about the wife as the secret weapon. i don't think it should be a scleet the wife is and important tpwhep the arsenal of a campaign. tipper certainly played that role in the 2002 election. everybody said, al was better when tipper was around. and so there was a lot more of

a concerted effort to do things together. people say the same thing about mrs. obama. she was the closer. they say that about ann romney. they bring about a comfort level that let's them -- reminds them of who they are and what they're best at and just go out and be authentic. host: michelle obama on the campaign trail. she will be in nebraska this week on tuesday for a series of campaign related activities. and then on to iowa, which is a key battleground state. friday, in naples, florida. how does this come together? how does your campaign schedule mesh with her duties as first lady? guest: you will see her out more on the campaign trail more than she has been because of the timing. i remember campaigning with tipper, and we would go have lobster rolls when we were in

maine. it's one of the ways that question make campaigning interesting for people and not just a drudgery. mrs. obama will be fund-raising. she will be out doing events. she will be talking about the things that she cares about. the one thing that they all share in common is that they are passionate about this as they are about anything else. because they believe that their husband is the best person for the job. and if we stewart that premise, the amount of work and time is based on the other responsibility as a mother or as another job that they have in terms of the role of the first lady. but all of them are out there doing this because they believe that strongly.

host: anita mcbride served as chief of staff to first lady or a bush. i want both of you to think about this. what is one little-known fact of laura bush and michelle obama would you share with our audience? let's go to joanne from florida, good morning. caller: my comment is, we have no elected a team. a presidential team. we have elected one person. i am mindful of the fact that women's work is important, whenever we can do, whatever work we can find in this economy is important to us and to the country. i'm also concerned about the amount of money spent on images, at the image of the first couple. the staff for a first lady.

what happens if a president is a male and single? does he have to find a wife before he can expect to be elected? host: grover cleveland. >> there have been a few, a sister or a niece that could fill the role. host: but only one single. james buchanan. >> but you're absolutely right. we do not elect a first lady. once they are elected, and they are a partner, the spouse is a partner in the process. has a tremendous opportunity and a platform immediately to talk about issues that they care about. we have an increasingly greater expectation as americans that the president and spouse do

something with this time that they have of living in the white house. host: the role of spouses and first lady is in presidential elections. i want to share with you the comments of michelle obama the generated a lot of attention as she was campaigning for her husband. >> what we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. it is making a comeback. it is making a comeback. and let me tell you something. for the first time in my adult lifetime, i am proud of my country. and not just because barack obama has done well, but because i think people are hungry for change. host: people are hungry for change, first time being proud. that generated a lot of political buzz in 2008. guest: i remember it as well. we had just touched down in slovenia.

mrs. bush made her third secret trip there. we were doing an interview with john karl of abc news. he asked mrs. bush about that comment. we had not had the benefit to know that it happened. her instinctive response was, i am sure she did not mean that. she tampered those flames down immediately. she understands trick questions. she also understands that in a campaign, in politics, things get said, people do not really mean. she also respected the fact that, of course, michelle obama is going to be proud, the first african-american running for president. she did not take the bait. i wrote about that, too. caller: good morning. when you were talking about the first lady works -- republicans want to cut all the want to cut all the services.