>> next is president obama's remarks on the economy. that is followed by republican remarks from house speaker boehner. at 9:00 p.m., the radio and tv correspondents dinner. >> during the white house news conference, president obama called claims about the white house was involved in a leaking national security in both insensitive and wrong. he says the administration has zero tolerance when it comes to leaking information. president obama also talked about the financial crisis in europe and the state of the u.s. economy.

he urged on congress to enact the remaining parts of the american jobs act. this is about 30 minutes. >> good morning. i want to say a few words about the economy and then i will take some questions. today we are fighting back from the deepest economic crisis since the great depression. after losing jobs for 25 months in a row, businesses have not created jobs for 27 months in a row -- have now created jobs for 27 months in a row. the whole we have to fill is much deeper. the global aftershock is much greater. we need to keep on pressing with action to further strengthen the economy. our concern is europe.

they're dealing with a financial crisis. to us because europe is our biggest economic trading partner. the good news is, there is a path out of this challenge. these decisions are fundamentally in the hands of the european leaders. fortunately, the understand the need to act. i have been in frequent contact with them over the past weeks. we know there are specific steps they can take right now to prevent the situation from getting worse. they have to stabilize the financial system. part of that is taking clear action as soon as possible to invest capital in weak banks. readers can outlay for work and a vision for a stronger

eurozone. it and collaborate on budgets and big thing policy. doing that will take some time -- they will need to collaborate on budgets and banking policy. doing that will take some time. greece will have elections next week. it is in everyone's best interest for greece to stay within that eurozone what respecting its commitments to reform. european leaders understand the need to provide support if the greek people choose to remain in their eurozone. greece and is to recognize that there are chips will likely be worse if they choose to exit from the eurozone. over the longer term, they also have to promote economic growth and job creation. some countries have discovered

it is harder to reign in debt as if your economy is not growing. leaders like angela merkel and francois hollande are working to put in place a growth agenda alongside with irresponsible fiscal plans. bottom line, the solution -- and responsible fiscal plans. bottom line, they have america's support. the sooner that the act, the more decisive and concrete their actions, the sooner the people and the market will gain confidence. in the meantime, given the signs of weakness in the world economy, it is critical that we take the actions we can to strengthen the american economy right now.

last september, i sent congress a detailed jobs plan full of bipartisan ideas that would put more americans back to work. it had brought support from the american people. it was fully paid for. if congress passed it in full, we would be on track to have more americans and it worked this year. the unemployment rate would be lower. our economy would be stronger. of course, congress refused to pass the american jobs act in full. it did pass parts of the bill. i appreciate them taking that action. but the left most of the american jobs act just sitting there. i urge them to reconsider. there are steps we can take right now to put more people back to work. they are not just my ideas.

they are ideas that independent, nonpartisan economists believe would make a real difference in our economy. keep in mind that the private sector has been hiring on a solid pace over the last several months. but state and local governments have laid off thousands of americans. these are teachers, police officers, and firefighters. congress should pass a bill to get them back to work. we do not want those layoffs to occur. in addition since the housing bubble had burst, we have millions of construction workers out of work. we have a lot of deferred maintenance in this country. it could be putting a lot of people back to work rebuilding of roads, bridges, and schools. there is work to be done and workers to do it. let's put them back to work right now. the housing market is

stabilizing and beginning to come back in many parts of the country. but there are many responsible home owners who want the chance to save an average of $3,000 per year by refinancing their mortgage and taking advantage of historically low rates. that is something we can do now to make a difference. congress should give small business owners that create new jobs in america a tax break for hiring more workers. these are ideas that again have gotten strong delegation from economists.t there is no excuse to not pass these ideas. we know that they can work. congress decides despite all of that that they will not do anything about this because it

is election year. they need to explain to the people why. that is a debate i am eager to have. but right now, people need to focus on doing what we can to keep our recovery going and keeping our country strong. that requires action on the part of congress. i urge them to take another look at some of the ideas that have been put forward. with that, i will take a few questions. i will start with someone who is about to get a fancy job. [laughter] we are all proud of her. >> thank you, mr. president. can you tell the american people what the u.s. is playing in the eurozone crisis? do you think the european leaders have a handle on the

crisis? can you tell us some ideas on how to shield the american economy? will you lay out additional ideas? >> we have some countries like greece that genuinely have spent more than they are bringing in. they have problems. there are countries that were running a surplus. they had similar situation in respect to the housing. it is not simply a debt crisis. the markets are getting nervous. the have started making it much more expensive for them to borrow.

that puts them on a downward spiral. we have been in constant contact with european leaders are the past two years. we have consulted with them both with the head of government and state level. i frequently speak to the leaders in formal settings like telephone.t also via our economic teams have gone over there to consult. as i said before, the challenges they face are solvable. right now, their focus needs to be on strengthening their overall banking system, much in the same way we did in 20009 and 2010. they need to make a series of actions that give people confidence that the making

system is solid and capital requirements are being met. various stresses can be absorbed by the system. european leaders are in discussion about that. there are moving in the right direction. in addition, they will have to look at how they can achieve growth at the same time as the are carry out structural reforms that may take a few years to accomplish. countries like spain and italy have embarked on some smart structural reforms that everyone thinks is necessary. everything from tax collection to labor markets, a whole host of different issues. but they need the time and the space for those steps to be completed. if there are just cutting and cutting and the unemployment rate is going up and up, and

people are pulling back further from spending money because they are feeling a lot of pressure, ironically that can make it harder for them to carry out some of these reforms. i think there is discussion in a sensible ways to deal with debt and finances. there is a parallel discussion that is taking place among the european leaders in how to encourage grow and show some flexibility to allow these reforms to take root. keep in mind that this can have a potential impact on us. europe is our largest trading partner. the good news is that a lot of work we did in 2009 and 2010 has put our financial system on a much more solid footing.

our increasing capital requirements for banks means that they can to absorb some of the shocks that might come from across the atlantic. folks in the financial sector have been monitoring this carefully. they are prepared for a range of contingencies. but even if we were not directly hit in the sense that our financial system still stays solid, if europe goes into a recession, that means we are selling fewer goods and services. that will have some impact on the pace of our recovery. we want to do everything we can to make sure that we are supportive of what european leaders are talking about. it is ultimately a decision that they need to make and how they move forward in terms of accommodating the needs for reform and growth.

the most important thing we can do is make sure that we continue to have a strong, robust recovery. the things i have outlined are the ones that are needed. we have sectors in our economy that are still weak. over all, the private-sector has been doing a good job creating jobs. we have seen record profits in the corporate sector. the big challenge we have is state and local government hiring. that has been going in the wrong direction. we have seen layoffs of teachers, police officers, and firefighters. the construction industry has also been hit. we have addressed those areas with our jobs plan. we will keep pushing congress to

move in this direction. next question. >> thank you, mr. president. i would like to know if you agree with former president bill clinton. he said in the past week that the european issue that you described is much like those of the republicans in this country. problems like austerity. the republicans have said that you are simply blaming the europeans for problems that have been caused by your own policy. also, how much time do you personally spend on the european situation? >> any other aspect of the question? [laughter]

>> first of all in the amount of time that i spend, it is fair to say that over the last two years i have been in a consistent discussions with european leaders. i also had discussions with my economic team. this is one of the things that has changed the world economy in the last two or three decades. this is a global economy. what happens anywhere in the world could impact the u.s. that is true of what we saw in 2008 and 2009. if you think about the situation in europe, they are going through a lot of things that we went through in 2009 and 2010. we took decisive action. the challenge is that they have 17 governments that need to coordinate.

27 if you include -- that makes things more challenging. what we have tried to do is be constructive. we are not trying to frame this as us scolding them are telling them what to do. we want them to stabilize the issue effectively. ultimately, they will need to make a lot of these decisions. what we can do is advise and suggest, but ultimately this will be their decision. in terms of characterizing the situation over there, what is absolutely true -- this is true in europe and in the u.s. -- is

that we have long-term and short-term problems. the short-term problems are how do we put people back to work? how do we grow the economy as rapidly as possible? how do we ensure that the recovery gain is momentum? if we do those things, it is good for families who pay the bills. it is one of the most important things we can do to reduce the deficit and debt. it is a lot easier to deal with deficit and debt if you are growing and bringing in more revenue. that means people do not need

unemployment insurance as much. they would not need the programs that are providing support to people in need because things are going pretty good. that is true in the u.s. and in europe. the problem that president clinton identified is that if an economy is still weak and a recovery is still stagnant, you would then resort to a strategy let's cut more so you are seeing more government layoffs and severe cutbacks in major investments that help the economy grow over the long term. if you are doing that at the same time as consumers are pulling back because they are trying to pay off credit card debt and there is general

weak demand in the economy as a whole, you'll get into a downward spiral. everyone is pulling back at the same time. that weakens demand. that for their cripples the desire of companies to hire. that is the pattern that europe is in danger of getting into. some countries in europe have an unemployment rate of 50% or 20%. -- 15% or 20%. if you have too much austerity and that unemployment rate goes up to 25%, that makes it harder to pay off your debts. the markets respond when they see this kind of downward spiral happen. they start making a calculation that if you are contracting, you may have problems paying us off.

we will charge you more in interest rates. it makes it that much more difficult. what we want for both ourselves and for europe is a strategy that says, let's do everything we can to grow now even as we locked in a long-term plan to stabilize our debt and our deficits. we need to bring them down in a steady and sensible way. that is what we proposed last year. that is what was proposed in my budget. let's make long-term spending cuts. let's initiate long-term reforms. let's reduce our health care spending. let's make sure that we have a pathway to fiscal responsibility. at the same time, let's not

under invest in the things that we need to do right now to grow. that recipe of short-term investments and growth and jobs with a long-term path of fiscal responsibility is the right approach to take for the u.s. and for europe. >> is it true that you are planning europe for your policy is? st this year000 jus thi alone -- the private sector is doing fine.

governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government. they did not have the same flexibility as the federal government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in. if republicans want to be helpful, if they want to move forward and put people back to work, what they should be thinking about is how do we help state and local governments? how do we help construction workers? the recipes that they are putting forward a basically the kinds of policies that would add the weakness to the economy. it would result in further layoffs. it would not provide relief in the housing market.

it would result in lower growth and fewer jobs and not work. jackson. >> thank you, sir. there are financial security issues. there have been reports of kill lists that you supervised. what is your reaction to this info getting out to the public? what is your reaction to law makers who say it was your team to promote your re-election? >> first of all, i would not comment on the details of what are supposed to be classified items. second, as commander in chief, the issues that you mentioned

touched on our national security. the attack on critical issues of war and peace -- they touched on critical issues of war and peace. there are classified for a reason. they are sensitive. because of the people involved, they may be in danger if they are carrying out these missions. when this information or reports, whether true or false, surface on the front page of newspapers, that makes the jobs of folks on the front lines tougher. it makes my job tougher. my attitude has been zero

tolerance for these kinds of leaks and speculation. now we have mechanisms in place where if we can root out folks who have leaked, they will suffer consequences. it is a criminal act to release info like this. we will conduct thorough investigations as we have in the past. the notion that my white house would purposely release classified national security information is offensive. it is wrong. people need to have a better

sense of how i approach this office and how the people around me to approach this office. we are dealing with issues that touch on the safety and security of the american people, our families. it could be our military personnel and our allies. we do not play with that. it is a source of frustration for my administration and previous administrations when this kind of stuff happens. we will continue to let everyone know in government or after they leave government that they have certain obligations they need to carry out. as has been indicated from these articles, whether or not the info is true, the writers have

stated that they did not come from this white house. that is not how we operate. >> what are you saying? >> i am saying that whenever there is classified info that is put out into the public, we try to find out where that came from. ok. thank you, everyone. thank you.

>> of house speaker john boehner and majority leader eric cantor talk about the weak economy. the republican leader spoke to reporters to pass job legislation. john boehner also said the house will vote to extend current tax rates. >> good morning, everyone. mr. president, take it from me, the private-sector is not doing well. the american people are still asking the question -- where are the jobs? stopping a looming tax hikes will help job creators because they will have more certainty about what the tax rates will be and help create a better environment for them to create jobs. we will vote to extend all of the current tax rates. the president should sign the

bill into law when it reaches his desk. we know his health care law is making it harder for small businesses to hire. we know it must be repealed in its entirety. this morning we learned more about the deals that were made that led to its passage. e-mails were obtained by the energy and commerce committee. it showed that the white house treated millions of dollars in the public's concessions to firma for millions of dollars worth of advertising. they manage the super pac, run out of the west wing of the white house. this is wrong. the white house must be held accountable for their actions. >> good afternoon. as the speaker said, we listened to the president say that the

private sector is doing fine. my question to the president is, are you kidding? did you see the jobs numbers that came out last week? the private sector is not doing fine. i would ask him to stop engaging in the blame game. it is not because of the head winds in europe. it is not because of house republicans. it is because of the failed stimulus policies and other items in his agenda that small businesses in this country are not going. we know that it is too tough right now to start a small business. small businesses are struggling because of the uncertainty. they are facing the largest tax increase in u.s. history. there are facing health care costs because of obamacare. they are facing uncertainty because of a very cost of

regulatory policy undertaken by the obama administration in washington. our summer agenda will be focused on how we can make the government better for small businessmen and women to grow jobs in this country. we will take a bill to the floor that will ensure that taxes will not go off on any one. we will take several measures to the floor that began to cut the red tape and will roll back the regulations that this administration continues to churn out and make more difficult for businesses to create jobs. and yes, we will take to the floor a bill that calls for the total repeal of obamacare. that's where we can start over and tell the american people we are on your side. we care about health care. we want quality care at an affordable price. many americans are looking for that. thank you. --day a thindo you think

is hurting jobs? >> i think we have frozen employers in place. we want to send all of the current tax rates. we want to provide more certainty for employers to hire the american people. >> to agree with what was said yesterday? as europe a drag on the economy? >> europe is a problem. it is affecting the old economy. there is certainly a sense that governments on the continent are not addressing their problems. it should be a signal to us that we need to get serious. the house majority has put forward solutions and to tell the shoot the we are here to

help solve problems and lead. >> just because you're has problems does not mean that we cannot solve our problems. there is no excuse why we should wait for the convenience of an election. let's get to work today. >> one of the reasons europe is in this situation -- [inaudible] >> the reason why europe is in the shape it is in is because they waited too long to solve the problems. that is why i was insistent that we address our debt and deficit problems last summer. remember one thing, it is the debt in europe. if we do not get busy and deal with our debt, we will be in the

same shape. we have time to deal with this. understand the debt is also tied to jobs. 16 trillion dollars worth of debt service like a wet blanket over our economy. it scares employers of all sizes. we need to extend the tax rates. we need to deal with our debt. then we will give job creators the freedom to create the jobs that they want to create. thank you. >> during his news conference, president obama said the private sector was doing fine. mitt romney responded by saying the president is out of touch on the economy. the president's clarification came in a meeting in the oval office with the philippines president. this is about two minutes.

>> ok. is everyone set up? it is a great pleasure to welcome president benigno aquino to the oval office and to the white house. i have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him most recently during my asian trip. we met most recently in bali. at that time, we discussed how important the u.s.-philippines relationship was. we have extraordinary links between filipino americans that have brought our two countries closely together. we pledge to work on a whole host of issues that will continue to strengthen and

deepen their relationship for the 21st century. we talked about how we can work on security issues and economic issues. we talked about a host of regional issues. i want to thank president benigno aquino for his excellent cooperation. we have made a great deal of progress on economic issues. the philippines is a recipient of a millennium challenge grant that is helping them to foster greater development an opportunity within the philippines. we have a partnership for growth that is working on how we can make sure that we are structuring the relationship of expanding trade and commerce between our two countries. i want to congratulate president benigno aquino for the work he has done on the open government partnership. it is consistent with his campaign to root out corruption.

on security and military issues, we have had discussions on how we can continue to work closely together and train together and work on a range of regional issues together. this is consistent with the announced. by the u.s. and reminded everyone that the u.s. considers itself and is a pacific power. they're out these exchanges and the work we have done, i have always found him to be very helpful partner. we have discussed military and economic issues and regional issues. we are trying to make sure that we have a strong set of

international norms and rules disputes inrtimitime their region. i am confident we will continue to seek friendship and strong cooperation between our two countries. mr. president, thank you for visiting. we look forward to continuing working with it. >> on that point, i would like to thank president obama for the support he has given us. we have shared history and shared the use. -- values. these meetings have deepened and strengthened the very long relationship our to the countries have. i want to thank him for all of the support.

thank you. >> ok. thank you, everyone. >> [inaudible] >> it is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine. that is the reason why i have a press conference. that is why i spent yesterday and the day before yesterday and this past year talking about how we can make the economy stronger. the economy is not doing fine. there are too many people out of work. the housing market is still too week and many homes are under water. that is why i ask congress to start taking steps that will make a difference. if you look at what i have said this morning and what i have been saying consistently over the last year, we have seen some

good momentum in the private sector. we have seen millions of jobs created. the folks who are hurting where we have problems. we have seen teachers, police officers, and firefighters laid off. when they get laid off, they spend less money buying goods and going out to restaurants. the construction industry is still very weak. that is one of the areas we have seen job losses instead of job gains. if we take the steps that i laid

out to make sure that we're not seeing teacher layoffs and we're not seeing police officer layoffs and providing small businesses with additional finance and tax breaks for when the high rer, if we refinance he mortgages so homeowners had $3,000 per year in their pockets, if we put construction workers back to work, all of those things will shrink in the economy. independent economists -- strengthen the economy. you cannot give a good reason as to why congress would not act on these items other than politics.

these are ideas that many have supported. the economy needs to be strengthened. that is why i had a press conference. i believe there are a lot of americans who are hurting right now. that is what i have been saying for the past three years. it is what i have been saying since i came into office. the question is -- what will we do about it? one of the things that people get fresh did it about is that instead of talking about what would help, we get wrapped up in political games. that is what we need to put an end to. i am interested in hearing from congress and from mr. romney and what steps they will take that

will make a difference. so far, all we have heard are additional tax cuts as opposed to taking steps that would help with the business in the economy and promote economic growth that we would all like to see. thank you, everyone. thank you. thank you, guys. >>, up, live coverage of the radio and tv correspondents dinner. house speaker john boehner and canadian wayne brady are the speakers. c-span coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. eastern time. now is a discussion of the sequestered cuts scheduled for january 2, 2013. this is about 35 minutes on

"washington journal." host: mr. bell will talk to us about jobs and the economy and what will happen if the sequestration goes into effect at the end of the year. this town gets wrapped around big words and we act like everyone understands them. define what it means. guest: across-the-board cuts. they decided they did not like what was happening. they said, we need to have some process. that is the first time i heard the word sequestration as across-the-board cuts. we did have across-the-board cuts. it was signed into law by president reagan. but as the first and only

sequestration. for 25 years, it has been dormant. host: is a useful to study what happened to the economy after the first round of cuts? guest: probably not. we are in the middle of a recovery. also, the u.s. west and unraveled superpower. this situation is different. host: i am guessing that most people watch congress closely. sequestration is being discussed because of what series of events? walk us through this. guest: in 2011, the new congress came in and wanted to cut spending, especially in the house. it thought it would save $33 billion. it did not. they were very angry about it, especially the house republican

caucus. the debt ceiling was close to being reached. that means the u.s. would not be able to pay all of its debt as\/ s. using that particular debt limit vote, the pri together something that would be called the joint select committee -- they put together something that would be called the joint select committee. under that law, the budget control act, if the committee came up with nothing, automatic cuts would be taken into the effect and generate 2, 2013. host: in this case, it did not work. guest: it is a great idea under some circumstances except it doesn't attack our national debt. our spending is making our debt go up.

second, it takes 100% of the cuts. the stock that is driving our debt is that entitlements. it does not touch it at all. host: your study projects that these automatic cuts could cost millions. how would that work? guest: it is starting right now. big contracts with the government are required under the law to tell the people who subcontract to them down the chain when they will get their contracts. will the contract be renewed or not? they are telling the subcontractors, i am not sure if five months from now i will be able to give you the same contract as it did before.

what happens is that small businesses suffer losses. we are beginning to see right now that the pentagon has slowed down its contacting schedule. if you are a budget officer, and you have been told that you will get 5% this year, you will not take chances. you slow down. contacting slows down. the economy slows down. host: i have been listening to people. many are happy to see the defense contractors are hiring fewer people. why day thing that is? -- do you think that is? guest: europe is collapsing and is already in a recession. china slowdown. -- slowed down.

host: i can see people on c- span calling themselves bipartisan. it is a tag line. is your organization to lead bipartisan? guest: sure. we have a democratic under clinton. we had jones out of europe who is a national security adviser under mr. obama. we have every tired republican senator. we had a republican, and obama administration official, and a former pclinton administration. host: why put the task force

together? guest: we were concerned. there were about eight of us still alive who put it together. we were concerned that the sequestered, which is different than the first one, was misunderstood by congress. it was put together in make a rush. it would have consequences at a time when our economy is really growing slowly. host: the report has a loggerhead line. here is the official title "the sequestered." it is available online. if you would like to read more and are interested, you can find it on their web site. let's get to calls. i'd like others to join in on the conversation. the automatic cuts could affect

millions of jobs. houston, texas. democrat. you are on the line. good morning. are you there? caller: yes. host: to have a comment or a question? caller: yes. i want to tell you, what happened to all the troops and everyone when walter cronkite was on the news? he presented the truth. host: i am not following you. what is the topic? caller: lies. host: are you referring to our last segment about leaks? caller: no, just lies.

when people run for office and are not telling the cheap. host: independent from virginia. we are talking about the economy and the sequestration. the automatic cuts that will set to take place. you are on a caller:. . caller: i think they are stealing the country blind. they do not care a hoot about patriotism or the country as a whole. it is a very narrow and selfish view point. host: thank you. mr. bell. guest: that is an extraordinary charge. most contractors i have dealt

with and only a little bit, they served in the military arnd are true patriots. that is going a little too far caricutre.t of a caretakit of a there aren't a lot who is the savings could be made. -- there are a lot of ways in which savings could be made. i think many would agree. it is the only agency that cannot be audited. everyone on our task force agrees we can save more money and help get more bang for buck. would be fewer banks and

ships them have ever had. the truth is, we have a defense contracting problem. procurement reform has been high for a long time. the former secretary said we need to have procurement reform. the cuts need to be intelligent. host: we spent the first part of our program talking about ben bernanke and the fiscal cliff. he called ronald reagan the original keynesian. here is the "financial times." the call for more stimulus spending.

here is a tweet. >> this is a live picture in washington, d.c. the radio and tv correspondents dinner is about to take place. the fair draws varies figures from the media and the government. john boehner and the comedianwayne brady will be speaking. journalists will be recognized in their field. this is live coverage. >> all communication with the jersey shore closed 10 minutes ago. our army is wiped out.

artillery, air force, everything went out. this may be the last broadcast. we will stay here to the end. >> yesterday, december 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy. >> ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. >> i have a dream that one day nation will rise up and live up to the true meaning of its dream. >> houston, the eagle has

landed. >> that's one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

>> touchdown begins a historic journey. we say farewell. ♪ [laughter] >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen. welcome to the 68th annual correspondents' dinner at the washington convention center. >> you all look nice to night in

your counsel and tuxedos. we are happy can attend another stuffy washington d.c. press dinner. it is time to loosen up those boat ties and put down your mobile devices, stop tweeting, and enjoy the evening. [applause]

♪ [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for york executive committee members. >> a graduate of yale university, from c-span, dan o'connell.

a graduate from sarah lawrence, now with c-span, the beautiful -- fundiny from penn state university, a producer with the alps zero network, jeff. from the university of washington, a producer for cbs ill jackson.

from in the and the university of pennsylvania, a camera guy for fox news channel, and a 2012 rtca charimirman, john wallace. from north carolina state, a multi media journalist for cbs interactive , leigh ann caldwel. from mcgill university in istreal, canada, which

like harvard, only colder, todd. and finally, your 2012 dinner chair, the first camera got elected as the chairman of the rtca executive committee, a camera guy for cnn, jay mcmicheals. [applause]

i think i will just stand behind this because i feel more comfortable this way. can everybody hear me in the back of the room? [applause] that is the guy i followed all over the road for about 20 years. i am done. let's hear it for the physicim. they are an incredible group of kids, who worked alongside a group of musicians who sponsor individual activities. we want to thank them for being here tonight. we have not heard the last from them. [applause]

let's get right to it. as the first camera guy to chair the committee, i want to say what an honor it is for me to be here tonight. as most of you are aware, we are a celebrity free dinner. we do not have any celebrities here. none of. i didn't see any in my camera. except for the guy over here looks sort of like george clooney. i don't think he knows anything about darfur. tom brokaw can now write an article about us. the greatest degeneration ever. generation ever.

my colleague will be the chair person in 2013. we want to say hi to her. we have the rest of the head table to introduce. with that said, give me that scan. kin. ♪ at the end of the table, the director of the radio tv gallery, mike mastrian. we have the communications director to the speaker of the house, and all-around nice guy,

kevin smith. he is very animated. we have the chairman of the house rules committee from the 26th rdistrict in california, david dryer. congressman david dryer. next is the assistant democratic leader of the house, a congressman representing the sixth district, a state where my mom lifts, south carolina. from south carolina state university, please will come congressman at james cliber. on at this end of the table, we

have the director of the house of radio and tv gallery, a great friend of mine, olga ram . please give it up for a midian. nadine. next to her is the communications director to the senate majority leader, adam. wayne brady is performing tonight. he has gone backstage to get ready. he will be out later. let me say that it is my high

honor to introduce to you representing the eighth district in the great state of ohio, and i do not want to say too much more, a graduate of exeter university, the speaker of the house of representatives, john andrew brennoehner. thank you, thunder machine. tonight is going to be sort of like jimmy fallon and the roots.

it will be fun. think you for joining us tonight mr. speaker. it is our honor to have you here. on behalf of the rtc a, i want to say how much we have appreciated your efforts to improve and expand press coverage on capitol hill. as well as for the additional parking for the crew. [applause] as you all know, if the crew cannot part, you do not get on tv. this is a symbiotic relationship last time i checked. that is just a thought for my future parking scheme of. i hope you take that under consideration.

would you like this? i would like to thank your staff, they have been great for helping us. on the senate side, i would like to thank the members of the house rules committee. the faster the crews get to the hill, the faster you get your product on the air. that's how it all works. our association is fortunate enough to the house gallery here as well tonight. they help us do our jobs on capitol hill. we could not do it without them. i would like to extend a special olga and her staff.

on the senate side, michael, and mallory. i also want to get some things out of the way. i want to thank our sponsors tonight for the evening. hugo creative has provided all of the graphics for the evening. including the new logo. it is a large logo. all the way down to the programs and one bottle labels. they will be showing us all what a google hangout is.

we hope you are going to the after party because we put an effort into it. it is a friday night, so no one is going home early. a camera guy is throwing a party. thank you. president obama could not attend our dinner this evening. according to a spokesperson, he is a pity -- busy governing and campaigning. they give for that response. we like to call up the white elephant in the room. president obama really does not like these dinners at all.

he pretty much hates them. the white house thought it would help us out tonight by sending us a message from the president. here is a message from the white house. ♪ good evening correspondence. i am sorry i was unable to attend this year. >> i have a struggling economy to take care of so what i sit down with people -- >> i am sure it will be a wonderful evening. i wanted to send a message wishing you well. we need strong journalists more than others. >> a specially all of the hollywood gossip. >> we are lucky to have all the

talented reporters and correspondence. >> all of the interesting news is coming from the internet. >> we are lucky to live in a society that values freedom of speech. >> [unintelligible] >> where would we be without the freedom to say what we feel? >> none of you will be interviewing joe for a long time. >> i know you work your hardest every day to create a better society. >> all of you except for fox who is doing everything it can get to create a society of -- [unintelligible] >> you blow up my earpiece.

>> may god bless you, and god bless america. [applause] >> where is greta van sundstrand. last i checked she was boycotting this organization. on a more serious note, we give journalism awards out every year, and this year will be recognizing excellence of the nbc reporter david bloom, a cbs face the nation producer john,

and this year we have on -- added a new zero award honoring the memory of cnn photojournalist jerry thompson. [applause] our first award of the evening -- i put all my money on him crying first. flood the golden retrievers. -- fluffy golden retrievers.

the plume of war will be presented by three young ladies that i used to see as young girls when the they were brought on white house trips during the clinton years. there are all grown up now. please welcome nicole, christine, and eva bloom. [applause] >> our dad passed away and 2003 while covering the war in iraq. it is our honor to be here to have the privilege of recognizing our father as well as other journalists to read this award is for daring

reporting and excellence in journalism. >> this year's david bloom award for the first time honors two incredibly brave journalists. the rest their lives to share images inside of syria during the yearlong military crackdown that has cost more than at 9000 lives. internet censorship and syria is expensive. -- extensive. they are making first and reporting next to impossible. most troubling of all, but journalists have been arrested and even killed. the bbc was one of the first to sneak into syria up from 11 on. they spent a week under cover with the factors and the syrian

military where some of the worst violence has taken place. they reported on this group's struggle to defend themselves against the syrian government's brutal and deadly crackdown .hree o >> these men are taking in the guns in support of the insurgency. they have been under siege for 40 years. the syrian army is all around. there will probably shoot if they spot us. after months of protesters being shot down in the street, the insurgency has become reality. the army is going on the offensive. a sniper prepares to fire on a

soldier guarding an army post. they believe that they can win if there is help from our side. more joined every day. a gun battle signals another defection. we could not go back. there were too many troops chasing us. they have been ordered to shoot unarmed protesters. we cannot just kill them. [applause] >> cbsgn correspondent clarissa the boaward was also reporting from syria up. she entered the country alone posing as a tourist. she captured a rare and first

hand look at the tragic resolution -- revolution. ward was blindfolded in the back of a car with her journey to meet with the underground group. >> i entered as a tourist carrying only a small camera. she took us to a family of this small boy who had been captured by force is the day before. the violence has only fueled the protests. after a certain point, we were blindfolded to protect the location of the safe house where we would find members of the free syrian army. >> civilians may be hurt in this conflict.

>> this 20-year old will be back on the street at the minute he can walk. basic necessities art scarce. we just had another black out. one soldier pulled out a photograph of his son. he said he was willing to sacrifice himself so that the next generation could be free. [applause] >> under extremely difficult circumstances, both paul would of the bbc and clarissa ward offered images that were rarely seen up syria. they embody what the david bloom award is about. they continue to apply pressure on policy makers and the

international community to stop the bloodshed in we are honored to award this year's bloom awarded to them. [applause] >> thank you so much. i never had the pleasure of meeting your father but we had a lot of friends in common. he was a much admired correspondent in our business. i am happy to be sharing the platform with you here this evening. syria is not an easy place to work in and we had a lot of help.

we were taken in by syrians who were taking us in in what was already a very risky place. [applause] he was a medic and a translator as well. i would like to thank the managers of bbc taking some very difficult decisions to send us and their four times now. we are only at the beginning of the serious story and have a long way to go. we are absolutely committed to seeing the story through to the end. i am deeply honored and grateful for this award to night treated thank you very much.

night. thank you very much. >> thank you very much ladies. clarissa is disappointed she cannot be here. she is on assignment in europe. she asked me to convey her thanks to everyone here. especially to the many brave the syrians who risked their lives to get in and out of the country

so she could tell the story. thank you. [applause] >> thank you plumbum girls. girls. our next presenter has been a friend and mentor of mine for the last 20 years or so. he will also travel many miles out of his way for a superb a bottle of wine. present this award, please welcome my friend and colleague bill. [applause]

>> thank you very much. almost any wine is better than no wind at all. e at all. good evening. this award honors the memory of joan barone. she started out as a researcher and became the executive producer of cbs's "face the nation." women were no where near as represented as they are today. she was smart and tough and funny and left us too soon. she had the kind of standards that the critics say do not exist anymore.

the winners of this honor year after year are proof that the standards do still exist. it is my honor to announce this year's winner of the award. for the "60 minutes," story on insider trading, steve cbs news. i want you to note that the judges called his story a journalistically strong piece of work which showed a spotlight on the inequity of lawmakers to make the stock trades on nonpublic information. these stories served as a catalyst to move the insider- trading bill. it showed how journalism can make the difference in lives of everyday americans.

i think she would be proud. [applause] >> you bought some insurance stocks. did you make those trades based on non-public information. i did not do it. do you think it is all right for a speaker to accept very preferential and favorable stock deal? you participated while you were speaker of the house. >> is only a conflict if you decide to will elaborate on a false premise. it is not true. that is that. [applause]

>> thank you very much. i want to of knowledge gabrielle and kyle rose and who were the producers on this story. i want to thank peter for giving us an early look on some of the research he had been doing. i want to thank kris for giving us the visa to come down and do this story. it is quite an honor for somebody from "60 minutes," who has never lived a day of his life in washington. i always somewhat regretted that. to be here among you to night -- i want to thank all of you,

whether you work on the hill or are a member of the congress or a speaker of the house, or journalists, for keeping this story alive. for showing that it is possible to rescue a long neglected piece of very good legislation and enlist support from both sides and get it passed. thank you very much. [applause] >> cool. this next award is a very personal or for myself and many of the people in this room. this award is new, meaningful, and it serves the journalism community well.

i want to thank my colleagues for approving the creation of the jerry thompson award. please welcome my friend and colleague, the second camera guy ever elected as the chair, john wallace dree hae. >> good evening. i want to take a moment to tell you about a very special journalist, jerry thompson. we now have an award to honors him and his legacy. he was the epitome of what journalists stand for to ensure -- i am sure that all of you have worked with someone like him during your career. we cared for him greatly, because above all, he represents all of the best qualities of a human being. he was a videographer at cnn for

25 years. he was a professional, an enormously talented, always reliable, and a mentor to many is. . \ he was always willing to lend a hand, even to the competition he was a friend to all of us who work in the field. he was courteous and kind to everyone he met. cnn new the talented they had in the jerry, so when the berlin wall fell, he was called upon to go there a media the. they knew he would get the best pictures, and he did. i knew what i had in a partner, through the smaller moments that told a bigger story.

one time during an interview in williamsburg, he stopped to care for a bird who had flown into a window. he ended up driving miles so that they could get the care that it needed. he always did what was right. i was his partner for six years, and honored to call him a friend for 25 years. i have never met a finer human being. what made him unfamiliar to most of you, he was a pretty quiet guy. he would not jump in your face in his shot.nd he your shot i never heard him utter a foul word the whole time i knew him. that should be a separate award for someone in our business to [laughter]

he lost his life to bring cancer a little over a year ago. he left behind his wife and two teenage sons and his young son brandon. would you please stand up and be recognized? [applause] this award honors his memory, but also what those in of fields emulate in and their careers. it is our way of saying thank you for being a friend and colleague for what can be a demanding profession. i am proud to say that the first recipient is also a friend and -- respected colleague.

please join me in honoring our cbs colleague, george christian. [applause] >> and his decades as a photographer at cbs, he had a front seat to history. he was aboard air force one on september 11, and covered the white house for more than 40 years. along the way, he continued to grow his craft and was recognized as one of the best photojournalist in the country.

he can assemble and create a working at a news bureau anywhere in the world. george is known for entering a younger generation at cbs, and as -- for his loyalty he is truly walking in the footsteps of the late jerry thompson. >> i want to say a word about george christian. he is the best photojournalist that i have ever worked with. it is one thing to have your pictures in focus. it is one thing to have the distance right. what george brings to the table is that he has the sense of knowing when something is going to happen and where it is going to happen. >> it is left to all of us to tell you about george because he would never let on that that he was anything but a humble camera

man. any president from richard nixon on could tell you all about george. he is an uncompromising journalist, a finder of facts, in addition to being an absolute artist with a camera. on the night that richard nixon resigned the presidency for the first time in american history, he ordered everyone out of the oval office as he prepared to make his address, everyone except for george christian. every time i went to the white house to interview george bush, it was a christian that he spoke to more than i. he knew about george's uncompromising values and ethics when it came to journalism. george has been a fixture in the washington pyrrho of cbs news for so many decades, and a teacher to every young man who has come through there.

we have all learned so much from george. he has been so instrumental in everything that we do here at cbs news that i worry if george were to ever retire, we would have to take the seat out of the cbs. -- the c out of cbs. [applause] >> i do not believe what i just saw. jerry was a great guy and had a lot of talent he was loved by all of his colleagues.

this makes me speechless. i do not know what to say. i would like to ask that my wife please stand up. [applause] in the last couple of weeks -- this is a complete and total surprise. thank you everyone. i do not know what to say. i appreciate it. [applause]

>> just so you know how these awards work, we had nothing to do with how any of these people were chosen we had subcommittees to work on these, and we were free and clear of any of the decisions that were made. when we got out that george won this award, we were both very happy about this. cbs has a total suite tonight. george just said that the check was in the mail. [laughter] it is incredible, and no one is more deserving than the -- for the award. that award was not a competition of any type. it was simply about the humanitarian and a colleague and

a professional that we all look to and admire and trust. that is george christian. thank you george. how many camera guys are in the room tonight? let me see some hands. a few more than before. i want to talk about an organization that we recognize and support and help. it is called radio prudes. roots. it is an after-school program that offers inner-city youth the opportunity to learn about and journalism skills.

if you would like to make a donation, -- it is a worthy cause. these kids are really hungry to be journalists. professional journalists. they have a passion for it, and it is a great group. for our guests of honor, john maynard. oehner. i was told he was not going to be funny. he does not do funny. he is that funny. -- bad at funny. the speaker never attends these dinners, but somehow we got him here tonight.

[applause] we have a pretty special relationship. we have a lot in common, we have football in common -- he played in high school under a legendary coach. i played at university. i was a quarterback and he was a linebacker. linebackers hate quarterbacks. i was confused one night and told him he played center. he told me to back up. i told them i just wanted him to come to dinner.

[laughter] he has a 10, and i do not. -- tan, and i do not. he does not speak to me because i am wearing a camera. i would like to show you some voters of are more touching moments. -- photos of our more touching moments. >> he looked like he wanted to practice a little bit. this is the speaker of letting me know i should probably go on a diet soon. i think his words were, "that is

kind of big." this is the speaker looking lovingly at me. yes, we have a man that crash. -- man crush. please put your hands together for the speaker of the house, john boehner. [applause] >> thank you. i wish you would get your camera out of the way. i m tripping over it. thank goodness you do not have that steelers had on. t on. i hope all of you are fined.

-- fine. it is truly an honor to be waned brady's warm up act to night. -- wayne brady's warm up act. one of my colleagues said, but do not even think about it. when i get ready to do an event like this, my staff usually comes in and tells me what to say. more accurately, they usually tell me what not to say yttri.

he is loud and reared and taller than everybody. the hate yourself. -- behavior yourself. i think we should take our work seriously. i never believe we should take ourselves as seriously as most people here do. i am trying to make our life a little easier. it was not much of a list, but when they said to me that expanded media access did not mean i had to do an interview. that was my idea of a grand

bargain. that is not real polite. i do not watch either, so i do not know. my staff told me to say it. the i have come a long way when it comes to dealing with the media. back in 1952, just as radio and television were coming a live, they banned cameras and microphones in all areas. they also refused to do any sunday shows. you hear that? he once said that the media plays a largely intrusive role on capitol hill. what gave him that idea?

his point was that the public opinion of congress -- then there was newt. he is in a league all by himself. these days, making our operation more transparent and accountable is a real priority. we have got cameras and a rules committee now. you can watch all of my press events on line. before you go up there, understand that the microphones and cameras are already on. i learned this the hard way when we were waiting for the president to come, and i was

standing up there with the vice president. we were talking about golf. thank god we were talking about golf. it could have been anything. thank goodness it was just golf. people ask what we do up there. usually what we do -- what i do is just listen because joe talks. you know the rest of the story. i am proud of the fact that we have opened up the people's house to a vibrant congress. i think that is a good thing for all of us. i never imagined i would have the chance to be the speaker of

the house. never imagined i would appear on all of these programs. i am thankful for the privilege and opportunity to make all of you look good. before i close, this is going to sound funny, we brought together the first branch of government and the fourth the state. i want to a knowledge everyone who did a great job for all of us on capitol hill. [applause] i want to thank them and their staff and the people who keep all of the trains running on time and help all of us do a better job on behalf of the american people.

thank you for having me and god bless the congress and got less are united states. -- god bless the united states. >> for those of you who do not know, he is a merlot man. we wanted to get him a good bottle of merlo. t. we found out there was a $10 limit to the kids we could give to congress. so -- 2 we went - we went to 7-11.

[applause] why don't you get ready, but do not start yet. i want to thank a couple of people joining us here. you have helped us of immensely on our projects. really great work from the awards committee people. amazing work. this has been a fun at dinner tonight. it is not over yet. we have a wayne brady still. i would like to hear from the howard thudnender machine one more time.

♪

[applause] >> that was a founder machine -- thunder machine. i see people walking. either you are going to the bathroom or you are coming right back, we are about to see weighing brady. this is going to be amazing. he needs no introduction. he is a superstar performer, a grammy nominee an amazing musical artist. he will star in a new show on abc in july called "trust us with your life." please welcome wayne brady. [applause] >> hello, everybody. how're you doing? c'mon now.

i understand you are all very wealthy and you are full. not to criticize, but the thunder machine was amazing. they were playing their behinds off. and you were -- that is so wonderful. could you play again and every single person clap your hands to the beat to make howard feel this. if you guys could play for me. you can do all that you were doing. [laughter] ready? >> one, two -- ♪

>> wait a second. stop. i'm sorry. there was one table that was so eager -- wowo. , . save that. now i know what i'm working with. those of you who do not know me, i started off as an improvisational comic on a show called "whose life is it anyway?" i am going to need you to be active part of this even though you are very happy with to liquor that was provided free. do a little bit of improvisation that i think you will be comfortable with.

we are going to do an improvisational rap, because that is what you look like you love. [laughter] oh yeah, for real. we have this easel right here and we are going to get words from you folks in the audience. in fact, i need an assistant. i need an assistant to help me. who would like to volunteer to help me? i would love to get a lady. you, right there. give her a big round of applause. hello, madam. what is your name? >> shawmut thomas, nbc news. >> nice to meet you. i'm going to give you this

microphone. in order to make this fly, i'm going to get words from the audience. i am going to take them word by word and create to the song as we go along. besides being my word turner and page person, you will also be my backup dancer. >> no problem. >> she said that quickly. no problem, back to you. and my family from howard, if you could back me up on this. that is what we're going to do. i needed words and and you never hear on the radio in a hip-hop song. pickles. true. let's make it hard. i know we have a lot of intelligent people. sequestration. sequestration.

ok. we also have pickle's just to balance things out. more words for me. jubilee. us not what you said? wolf pulitzer. that is not a word, that is an epic event. blitzer. cotillon, you never hear that on hot 97. filibuster. let's get two more words. compromise. way back there in the glasses. sorry? segue. perfect. now i need something. there are a couple of guys that they are angry about everything.

i am going to be angry right now, too. i am angry about something stupid. unmatched socks. something i am angry about. puppies. puppies and unmatched socks. why don't we do that. with all of my family from howard be able to come over here? or would that be a logistical nightmare? he is running, with the symbols -- with cymbals. ♪ look at that. you can skip with attitude. that is amazing.

♪ a hand-held for this one. hello, gentlemen, ladies. you guys follow with whatever he is playing. make this up on the spot. everybody over 50 is seeing you. ♪ puppies, mismatched socks, i am a bachelor i hate being a bachelor listen

i cannot even cut my yard i just sit at home all by my mom some -- by my lonesome. people are getting angry at me i got one a sock and the the other is blue and do not have a girlfriend sitting over here , close have not been washed i do not understand. you do not like me because you don't have any hair out there and thought i might have a cotillion i am just a bachelor i get busy when i seeing the blues.

i cried to myself i hate these puppies one and keep talking, my girlfriend goes blah blah blah filibuster. i guess the rest of my life i will be single i cannot afford a memo, i rode upon a segue you guys were amazing. thank you so much. let me help you off of here. that is what i am talking about. [applause] thank you somites. another round of applause for my friends from howard.

ladies, you are dismissed. i have never seen four people walk like that. that is awesome. one would look crazy. [laughter] what i would like to do right now, do you want to do the thing? should we get a lady out of the audience? -- i know we have a lot of news ladies here. there was a weather lady here. a gwen, or was a completely lives to earlier? to my right? could you join me on stage?

[localizing] -- [vocalizing] hey, gwen. nice to meet you. a friend of mine in the audience told me you would like to come on stage is so i figured we would bring you on and talk and then we are going to build a song just for you. she gets her own songs. stand up here. lovely dress, by the way. come on over here. i want you to grab the microphone. just talk. make mee not going to do the weather? but it is nice out today. i get some credit. >> i do not trust you. tell me about yourself. i know you do the weather.

>> right, in washington, d.c. i have been there for 11 years. it is whether whether you like it or not. >> and tell me the secrets to your trade. what are the secrets of the world of whether that you can share with us? you have been doing its 11 years and you do it well. people like you. if they did not like you, you would not do it 11 days. your own secret. >> make sure however i convey my message is that everybody understands it. the businessman going on the trip, the mother going out for the construction worker. i tried to use basic language and not get scientific. >> so you down down the weather for people.

-- dumb down to whether four people. incorporating your message of coming -- dumbing down the weather conveyed to you in a way we hope you like. ♪ i -- i want to make weather with you. keep it simple for the other folks when the water gets really cold, that is what it is doing

i'm a hot -- i'm coming over the west we collide, and we make what type of weather ooh -- let's get together over the midwest i think you are the best ooh because you do not use fancy words, that makes me happy you just dumb it down for normal

people to see is a cold outside baby, i want you to know, let's make some weather [applause] thank you for being a part of them. let me help you down. thank you. i will watch you do the weather when i am here. which is not often. you'll i -- you will need to tell me of the sun is hurting me. it is hot. to finish this right now. earlier, some of you till thou

song titles. the whole thing is just say a tight wire act. i do not know what is coming next. we're going to do three. i am going to and -- these titles do not exist. you will never hear them on the radio. unless it is right here. i will read their title and then i will perform the song. we will call out a style of music. the first one as sarah from manhattan. her title is stop drunk to taxing me or i am changing your number -- drunk texting me or ia am changing my number.

let's do that as an elvis song. ♪ where is the camera? take my number, from your contact list or else or butt're drunk dialing, leave me stop drunk texting me or i'll change my number out with your friends take your phone up again because i avoid you for a reason

your obsessive qualities that make you text me when you are drunk like a river blows into the sea, if you text me again, so help me i will call my friends back with you no matter what for i i am begging you on my knees, please do not ever, please stop texting me when you are sitting there in the club

and you are like oh my god that's our song and i'm going to move my butt and texting is the same as calling -- that's not cute don't call me anymore [applause] that just is not a song title, it is the last eight months of my life. from baltimore, she is a sensitive type. her song title is, "stay away, your breath is kicking." why don't we do that as the rolling stones? ♪ ♪

i can smell your breath from over here i was sitting there and your breath came out i was standing next to the speaker but it smells like something died when it comes out of your mouth, what the hell are you talking about? your breath kicked me right in michay eye.

because your breath is ticking. -- is kicking [applause] that is a love songs, by the way. this last one is from calling from north folks. -- colin from norfolk. he chooses not to put his hand up? it says love me even though i am republican. [applause] that sounds romantic so i think we should close out by doing a little prince. i think it fits. ♪ ♪

[vocalizing] i never meant to make you runaway that doesn't mean -- maybe you and i have a varying views on how things should be run

what can i do? because i love you love me even though i am a republican i am just looking out for you yeah all i want to do is make love to you i think i love viyou i'll make an exeption

of do anything to be with you i will pass any bill that needs to be passed yeah love me even though i am a republican right in the heart i have a heart yeah people think of being a republican makes me a bad person and does not when i lay down on my bed of money at night, and the house

that i built spelling my name out from hieroglyphics a tip from the mellon -- i took from the moon republican needs love [applause] thank you for having me tonight. i appreciate being here. thank you. what an honor. you guys are amazing. my mama's watching because i am

on c-span. i love you. take care, good night. [applause] >> who knew his keyboard player looks like david spade? i had no idea david spade could play keyboard. ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when a camera guy throws a party. i hope you have had a great time tonight. you have been a spammed relentlessly with these e-mails. it is a tradition for one chairman to pass to the other the gavel. it is my honor to pass this gavel to my dear friend john wallace.

we're going to do a toast with paper cups because that is what camera guys do. before i give this gavel to john, i want to say thank you to cnn for letting me wrong. to all of my bosses and gave me the time to work on this committee. we got a lot of stuff done in the last year-and-a-half. that is partly because of my bosses letting me do this. with that said, -- i love you, too. i have no clue who you are. i want to pass the gavel to john wallace from fox news. it is great to have you as a colleague and a friend and the 2012 chairman of the rtca.

everyone follow the harvard -- howard thunder machine to the party. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] ♪