harsh weather had closed factories and slowing home sales. month.ease in wages last the report suggests employers are confident consumer spending will pick up and coming months. that is from the associated press. john boehner reacted to this morning's jobs report saying "it is good news that more americans found work. there are far too many asking the question where are the jobs? more thanbeen waiting five years for an answer from this president. all he has offered is a disastrous health law." 10 minutes,t continuing coverage of the conservative political action conference, cpac. speakers include mike huckabee, rick santorum, and kentucky senator rand paul. at 10:10oin in live eastern on c-span. we will look for your thoughts and comments on cpac.

on facebook or twitter using the hashtag #cspanchat. remarks from rick perry who spoke for about 10 minutes. ♪ > [applause] >> good morning,. good morning in america. we are getting to stand in the presence of american patriots. [cheers and applause] i am reminded this morning of words that's big to the american soul. words spoken by thomas littleon, who said "a rebellion now and then is a good thing." our country is in peril.

our deficit is at a record amount. our economy, the economic recovery is stagnant. our place in the world is weakened. so i have a simple solution. ime for a little rebellion on the battlefield of ideas. [cheers and applause] instead of looking to washington to find the front lines of the battle, i ask you to look to the states. we find the laboratories of innovation. 50 different experiments in democracy are taking place. twog the states, we see visions for america. there is the vision, and -- there is the vision commion in blue states where the state

plays an increasing role in the lives of citizens. taxes are on the rise, pensions are out of control, and jobs are leaving by the truckloads. then there is the vision common to red america. [cheers and applause] vision,state america the freedom of the individual comes first and the reach of government is limited. in these states, taxes are low, spending is under control, jobs are on the rise and opportunity is being sought far and wide. we see opportunity for sharing in -- we see opportunity led byhing in states governors like nikki haley, bobby jindal, got walker, rick scott. [cheers and applause] southgovernor haley's carolina moved 20,000 citizens from welfare to work.

under bobby jindal, louisiana has become more competitive for jobs. under scott walker, red state principles have been brought to wisconsin. the public union leaders balked and instigated this massive disruption of government. because scott walker had the urge to reform pension programs fairly, the people of wisconsin did not recall him. they stood behind him and reelected him. [applause] scott, florida's unemployment rate has dropped for 3 straight years. his just four years ago predecessor presided over the loss of more than 800,000 jobs. now, that guy wants his job

back. with a record like that, he is running to seek it this time as a democrat. [applause] yourself,a, -- ask what is the common denominator in these states? cutervative governors who taxes, control spending, invest in jobs. they trust the people more than the machinery of government. it is conservative governors who know the freedom of the individual must come before the power of the state. [applause] contrast with blue states is crystal clear. pick any two. heck, let's pick the two biggest, new york and california. [laughter] from the east coast to the west coast. note two states have lost more

personal income to other states than new york and california. to moveent a u-haul your company, it costs twice as much to go from san francisco cannotin because you find enough trucks to flee the golden state. [laughter] [applause] york has this new advertising campaign, "the new new york." are implementing the tired old recipe of backbreaking taxes and you guessed it, regulations larger than a 30 ounce big gulp. [laughter] let's pick a large red state. shoot, let's pick texas. [applause] we cut taxes. the money.spend all

we created a fair and predictable regulations. we stopped personal injury trial lawyers from filing frivolous lawsuits. [applause] we have created almost 30% of the nation's jobs while keeping taxes among the nation's lowest. we have presided over an energy boom. the nation's largest population boom of monumental proportions. we have demonstrated that no its wayn tax and spend to prosperity. but with the right policies you can grow your way there. the red state-blue state the da -- the red state-blue state debate matters because it is about the future of america. the vision that wins out. government,ig protectionist nanny state offered by liberal leaders or

the limited government, unsubsidized, freedom state offered by conservative leaders. it will determine the future of our nation. [applause] cannot sustain its current fiscal course. we cannot continue to borrow trillions of dollars from bankers in beijing and brazil and tokyo. ,he downgrading of our credit for the first time two years ago, it should not have surprised anyone. our leaders were fighting over a few billion dollars in spending cuts while our debt has soared by trillions in the last 5 years. how can the greatest nation on earth continue to spend its way withoutnding debt the bill ever coming due? how can we explode budgets with

unreformed entitlement programs without the bill coming due? syrian we appease a tyrant and embolden his russian ally without the bill coming due. there is a price to be paid for policies that destroy our economy and embolden our foreign enemies. to say we do not have to accept recent history. we just need to change the presidency. [applause] it is not too late for america to lead in the world. it starts by leading at home. it starts by returning to the founding principles of democracy. found in our constitution.

among the enumerated powers of congress are the power to lay ebtscollect taxes, to pay d and provide for the common defense. to regulate commerce with foreign nations. to declare war. to raise and support armies. to provide and maintain a navy. but nowhere does the constitution say we should federalize classrooms. [cheers and applause] nowhere does it give federal officials, nowhere does it give federal officials primary responsibilities over the air we breathe, the land we farm, the water we drink. nowhere does it say congress has the right to federalize health care. [cheers and applause] you see, it is inherent in human

nature. to never giveer, it back. let me tell you something. this human tendency is a bipartisan offense. must elect the right kind of leaders to represent us in washington. leaders who devolve power to the it.es, not rob them of leaders who believe in free markets and not a bigger federal government. leaders who respect the freedom of the individual instead of depriving them of the power to realize it. >> see the rest of governor in the c-spans video library. going live to cpac from lieutenant colonel oliver north and. -- oliver norton. news offered me the

option of being here or in kandahar. to be here.l i am a representative of obamacare, i heard it was your responsibility, you young people, to buy into the program to help old people like me. get with it. [laughter] years since i started reporting on and documenting what our american heroes do. theve described them as finest military force the world has ever known. [applause] our military, in the hindu hush, mesopotamia, africa, the persian gulf, the indian ocean, all of them are the stars of what they have done in my reports and my books. they really are the bravest and best of a generation. they are, as i described them to

be, america's heroes. [applause] i would like to remind young people that heroes are not the people who catch passes in the end zone or set olympic records. even those who appear on comic books and creations of television in a spandex suit and a cape. flak jackets and combat boots and flight suits. they worked in the most difficult races on the planet earth. real heroes are selfless. for put themselves at risk the benefit of others. that is the classical definition of heroes. .4 million young americans have forfeited the comforts of home and have gone into harms way like you see on that screen. for the first time since the american revolution, every single person serving in uniform

is a volunteer. it has never happened since, it is happening now. today's troops are the brightest, best educated, trained, let, and equipped military force the world has ever known. they rarely get the accolades they deserve. today's troops did not volunteer to fight for gold or colonial conquests or, quite frankly, the international community. they volunteered to protect us from an enemy that is dying to tell us. -- that is dying to kill us. at risk themselves every day. they and their families have made sacrifices for all of us. they deserve better than a commander in chief, garbed as a nobel laureate, trotting around to foreignkowtowing leaders and apologizing for america. [applause]

they deserve a commander-in-chief who knows america, the greatest force for good the world has ever known, has no thing ever to apologize for. not once. [cheers and applause] the members of our armed forces than beingtter treated like laboratory rats in a social experiment. at people of ukraine are this very minute paying the terrible price for america's leadership deficit disorder. and the obama organization's utopian rushed to unilateral disarmament. we do not need a head of state who guts our defenses and draws phony red lines with a pink crayon. yeah, i did say that.

our leaders should be trusted by our allies. at leastared, respected by our adversaries. between now and 2016, when we hire a new commander in chief, in congressjority who will insist on the role of law in washington. [applause] i want to make this very personal to the young people in here. you and your children are threatened by a mountain of debt, unconstrained spending, ever higher taxes, and a headlong rush to socialism. our congress must hold accountable and administration that offers the protection of constitution to our enemies but strips those same protections from our own people.

we need a congress that will stop this administration from perpetrating assaults on free enterprise, private property, and civil liberties in our bill of rights. we need a congress that will lose the power -- that will use the power of the purse to defend our national sovereignty, our borders, and stop the obama team from suborning our nation's and saying we cannot use our own national resources. the obamacare debacle is the tip of the confidence -- the tip of the incompetence in washington. the first three words of our constitution, can demand accountability for a string of coverups starting with benghazi, the irs, and government spying on american citizens and reporters. ae the people" is not

political slogan. it is a commitment and a way of life. it must be if we are going to improve things. [applause] weommitment is not just what say. commitments are what we do. the framers who crafted our constitution were counting on "we the people" to hold government accountable. some say we must ignore social issues like the definition of marriage, the sanctity of life, and religious freedoms. those are deeply moral and spiritual issues. they should be part of america's elections. [applause] the 1850's, a political party was born on the idea of a great moral issue -- human bondage. the abolition of slavery in america. if we as conservatives ceased to be a place where people of faith

and those who believe in strong moral values can come, we will cease to be a political force in america. america's greatness was founded on the shoulders of people who staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor on a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. he also said we have responsibilities. to take on theou task of inspiring our countrymen. to dismiss and reject ideas like unilateral disarmament. to achieve peace. to try to spend our way out of debt. of regulatinga our way to prosperity or surrendering our sovereignty to secure our nation's future.

i urge you to commit to assert the moral authority of a free people. the next election is 243 days away. make a commitment here at cpac congress who will preserve america's freedoms. the opportunities that our nation has become great in offering others. that will stand up for the liberties granted to us by our creator and enshrined in our constitution. we owe that much to the young americans who put their lives at risk for us. the president i was blessed to serve told us that we have a rendezvous with destiny. he asked us to commit to ensure that we remain a nation of, by, and for the people. that will not perish from the earth. the words of that first republican president who lifted those words from the bible. remain theamerica to

land of the free, we must make a commitment here. and show friends, domestic and otherwise, and adversaries here and abroad that we are not just the land of the free. we are still the home of the brave. alliance, ouredom booth is outside. join us in helping america's heroes. god bless you and thank you for being here. semper fi. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, founder and president of life outreach international. ♪ >> it is my privilege to introduce a man who came to work for me in his early 20's.

i was in my early 30's. a baptist evangelist hired a young ministerial student from southwestern seminary who believed in the supernatural. little did he realize what he can to work with me that he would confirm the fact that iron must always sharpen iron. but in order to do so, it comes together like this, but not like this. that is what you must learn as the truth to set us free and keep us free. when mike huckabee came to me, we found ourselves fo praying fr a nation in distress. the result of a prayer meeting called by billy graham. we pray that we would send one of our sunday school teachers back to his class in georgia and send an actor from hollywood by the name of ronald reagan to the white house. [applause] helped build the

momentum for that supernatural, absolutely essential miracle. we need another one like that today. here is a man who loves god, his family, faith and the freedom that we all cherish. knows how to who lead and difficult times. welcome governor mike huckabee. [applause] ♪ >> thank you very much. be here.onor to i want to say thanks to a dear friend, james robinson, more than just a friend and employer, but a true mentor to me at an important part of my life. i have been given 10 minutes to get this done. there is a lot more in my wagon than i am going to be able to unload. [laughter] arecally, newsbreaks on fox

longer than 10 minutes. obama longerck than 10 minutes every day just to complain about fox news every press conference he has. i am not going to be able to take the time to tell you the things i think or believe. i want to share with you some things i feel like i can say that i know. , i knowhere is a god that this nation would not exist had he not been the midwife of its birth. [applause] exists by the providence of his hands. if this nation forgets our god, god will have every right to forget us. ruth graham bell, the wife of dr. billy graham, in the 1970's made a profound statement. she said 40 years ago if god does not bring fiery judgment on america, he will have to

apologize to sodom and gomorrah. she said that a long time ago. before we evert have to receive his fiery judgment. i know that he is. i believe that a nation that can remember him as a nation that will be remembered by him. ourther way to explain history other than by his hand of providence. i hope that is something americans are never ashamed of and afraid to speak. no, it is not politically correct and embraced by those who control to mecca farms. in the hearts of most americans, we know it to be true. countryhere is not one on this planet with whom we have a better relationship today than we did five years ago. for all of the bluster our president gave telling us how he would play the flute and the charmed, thebe

snakes are running all over the world. there is not one country om we have ah wh better relationship than we did before. needss not where america to be and it is not where the world needs to be. something else i know -- you can 't keepur doctor, you can your insurance is not less than before obamacare. republicans have a better idea. then taking those who cannot find insurance and putting them in a special pool that makes it possible for those with severe developmental disabilities. people with extraordinary medical costs. but not at the expense of changing the insurance market where nobody can afford it and all the part-time workers stay

our time. full-time workers become part-time. people who used to try to grow businesses to everything they can to keep their businesses under 50. that is not how to build a healthy economy. [applause] i know that mothers and fathers raised better children than governments ever will. we need to tell the government thank you, we had the children and we will raise the children. [cheers and applause] pickingt need you everything from their menu to where they go to school. in the case of the young lady from massachusetts. what a shame that the government mother andr than the the father. there is something wrong when a government kidnaps children from their families. [applause] four americanst were murdered at benghazi and our government lie to us. it had not one thing to do with some ridiculous video. withw something else --

all due respect to hillary clinton -- it does make a difference why they died and who did it. [applause] i thank you for that, but do not clap all my time away. i know the irs is a criminal enterprise. it has become a matter of cancer in this country. the best way to get the irs off our backs and out of our lives ir tax that will eliminate the irs once and for all. no longer will they be intimidating americans who are conservative. i know that life begins at conception. [cheers and applause] sacrifices its

own children is no better than the ancient philistines. our country was built on the notion that all of us are created equal. every person has intrinsic worth and value. and that no person is worth less than another and therefore no person is worth more than another. we all have value. none of us are disposable. everyf us are expendable, life should be treated with dignity and respect. i know that people in uniform deserve better than to come home from having fought the wars we have sent them to fight and then to be told that they have to wait in line for months before they will be able to receive treatment they were promise d. ptsd or a physical ailment with visible scars. this nation must make sure that the first fruits of its

treasury goes to those who have served in uniform. everyone of us must stand behind them before we receive anything from this government. [applause] i also know that >> it must be changed and changed out. i know that the only time that couldn't services when he has assured off in a cold russian winter. he is not the least bit worried about we think of him or what we may pretend that we are going to do to him. guns.e unloaded our own no one trusts us no one listens to us no one respects us and no

one fears us. our treatment of our one true ally between all of africa and israel, hasnd of been mistreated by the .overnment we put pressure on the iranians to stop building bombs that are pointed toward us. that is insanity. i know it and you know it as well. [applause] i know that peace is not the result of a military that is dismantled. it is so awesome and its capability and its readiness and its sheer force. it.ne earth dares to poke

that is what we will never actually have to use. it provides a fearsome inhibitor to those that would ever seek to provoke it. the projections of our government in taking down the military away from a point of readiness, that does not make is world a safer place. it the duty and responsibility of the government to make us safer and more secure and not less. this i know and this you know as well. [applause] know the first amendment guarantees the right of free speech. it guarantees the right of a free press. libertyntees religious for every person. it was prohibited of the government to dictate how much faith a person can have and to

what extent a person can believe. the government says it is ok to have faith but only this much because when you have this much it may conflict with something government has passed, it is time for the government to scale back. [applause] religious liberty should be unimpeded in this nation. the second amendment is the only last resort we have in this country to protect all of the other freedoms that we enjoy. [applause] this is a time where conservatives need to focus on how we will lead america. not just how we will lead each other. too much is at stake. thefuture of our country,

future for our children and grandchildren is far too to spend our us time fighting with each other with the real battle is not a fight against liberals or democrats, it is a fight for the soul and future of this great republic. this is a fight for which all of us must know we have to engage. we must do it now. know, myne thing i time is up. thank you and god bless you. [applause] [inaudible]

>> good morning. i think you're going to find this one of the most interesting panels. it is on criminal justice reform. we have a panel for you. is the governor of texas. [applause] the president of the americans for tax reform a, grover norquist. [applause] bernard kerrick, the former new york police commissioner. [applause] we will discuss the consensus among conservatives that the criminal justice system is

broken and in need of repair. crimes, topansion of the height reset a schism rate of 40% to the cost of our prison conservatives concluded that our system is out of control. think of the resources wasted on a witchhunt against scooter libb he and ted stevens. it was not until after he had been defeated for reelection and .as replaced think of the swat team that rated gibson guitars. why did they need a an armed team to raid a business?

who knew fish or wildlife had a think of the widening net for crimes in which we incarcerate people. transpose numbers on the epa. inadvertently mislabeling a shipment of orchids. there has been an alarming increase in the scope and authority of government. you would think a agents would have enough trying to catch terrorists and murderers and drug kingpins. lock people up. there are dangerous people that should be segregated from society. the bureaucrats have overdone it. over 2 million americans are

behind bars. that is one out of every 100 adult americans. fewer than half are in for violent crimes. post are serving drug offenses. that is wasteful. prisons are for people we are afraid of. we are filling them with people we are just mad at. i got to work with chuck colson. he was a prison reformer. he summed it up pretty succinctly. an a nation that is rich stupid would put billions into a system that leaves prisoners andformed, victims ignored, communities living in fear of crime. conservative leaders have taken the lead in trying to bring about reform. the effort started in texas. prison population

was going to require three new prisons. this took money away from roads and schools. policyas public foundation develop solutions based on conservative principles. they met the needs of victims and offered opportunities for inmates to turn their lives around. their top priority was to keep the public safe while bringing prison costs down. witheforms were passed bipartisan support. governor perry signed them. the results are impressive. .nmate population has decreased there are no new plans to build new prisons. texas $3ms have saved billion. the crime rate is now the lowest it has been since 1968.

[applause] panel over here. if you have questions for us, tweet us. #nolanpanel the governor will be right back. >> he walked out of me. >> i just wanted to make another entry. we were talking about programs we did put in place. i had a more expanded list. think that what we have

done in the state of texas can be a model. states need to be laboratories of innovation. they are going to be some states the put programs in place. i will give you a good example. jindal in louisiana was involved in creating a seminary program in angola. it was the meanest resins of all time. bobby was engaged in getting the seminary started. inhas made a huge difference that population over there. ofis a faith-based way affecting people in a house of way. i'm not going to say that it is for everyone and everybody should do that. it.ook it and appropriated

we appropriate good ideas from each other. i think it is important for all governors to understand that concept. it is the laboratory of innovation that occurs in the states. if you see something in louisiana, we took it to the department of criminal justice and implemented it. now it is a very prospering program. there is southwestern seminary. concept.rivate sector --inity degrees are being divinity degrees are being bestowed.

those individuals go to other prisons. it is a powerful program. it is making a big difference. i am not saying it is for everyone in every state. concepts thathose is making a difference. you have made use of drug courts. with all the money you saved, you are able to put some of that money into treatment. most prisons asked in a get treatment. treatment.0% get in texas, every single one has treatment available. was started in 2000. i want to say 2003. i'm sure some he will fact check me on that. it is been a decade.

this was a democrat district judge in dallas texas who came and sat with us and talked about the initial drug court concept. it made sense. we have implemented and it has worked very well. i hope people across the country -- there are not many things that the president of united states and his attorney general and i agree about. president obama and attorney general holder pointed to texas and what we are doing with our drug courts. rate in the state of

texas is as low as it has been since 1967. we have prisons. isifornia's prison capacity at 180%. in texas it is 96%. we set a prison down last year. that is the message across the country. you want to talk about real conservative governance? shut prisons down. save that money. that is what can happen with these drug courts. they use the different tools. power toudges the decide.

hope we will talk about mandatory sentencing guidelines. this is a really bad concept. texas is a tough on crime state. i don't think anybody gets confused. somebody,t to murder texas will not be the place you want to go do that. we are not soft on crime. i would get a reputation for being a smart on crime state. this is important. expect a not discussion about criminal justice reform and prison reform . this is a big problem. it is an expensive problem.

it creates more expensive problems. conservatives can fix this. our friends on the left have zero credibility when it comes to focusing on reducing criminal activity and punishing people who deserve to be punished. this is not a moderate liberal thing where we should be. this is getting to punishing real criminals. are keeping the cost down so we don't have to loot the american taxpayers to fill prisons. if you leave them in prison long enough, you get additional problems. this is about fighting crime smartly. there is a group i want to take a look at. barry -- they are center-right

political leaders. if these ideas had not started in texas, it would be harder to sell them. it could be a really good idea. the number of states that have passed progress along the lines , these areking about not blue states. i walked in and said i have a good idea and they do this in vermont. they would laugh at you. right cang from the seriously criminal justice .eform people whose lives are damaged because the bad guys are not in prison because we were dealing

with people who did not need to be in prison. about a conservative initiative. these are ideas that have worked in texas. this is federalism at its best. it. you take why did they not do that to vermont first? the right ona of crime, smart on crime reforms are coming state-by-state. if something is not working, i want to find out about it in arizona.

the number of states was just added to last night. the mississippi senate passed in a series of reforms. the texas model is now being used in the other states. the laboratory of the 50 states has shown that it works. we have a person here who is the most unique point of view on prison. he ran the largest prison in the united states, rikers island. then he became an nypd commissioner. he was commissioner on 9/11. he is an american hero. targeted by the left. was in theman present and spent three years in

custody. he has the perspective now of .hat lee's share with us your observation. , ai have been a cop correctional officer, a detective thomas drug agent. ran the nypd. i was nominated for homeland security. i would to prison for three years. i have been in this business for 30 years. dedicated. i know the job. i know the system. i know what it is supposed to accomplish. i know it is broken. men that id with believed did really bad things.

people would tell me i have 10 years. people would tell me i've got 15. i am in my 19th year. ais is for a first time nonviolent drug offense. a young man with five grams of cocaine gets 10 years. i was in prison with a man that sold a wales tooth on ebay. he went to federal prison for selling a wales tooth on ebay. fishermen caught too many fish. i put people in prison. i put them there for a long time. these were bad man who did bad things. they try to kill me. they killed my partners.

i seized tons of cocaine from them. then i go to prison and i am housed with men that are therefore first time nonviolent nonsense offenses. did i do something wrong? maybe. did they do something wrong? maybe. we are putting people in prison for regulatory and it been a straight of issues. they do not need prison. if some he told me i would meet good people, i would have laughed in their face. i met some really good men. decent men. good family men. they made a mistake. some of them did not even know what they did. they went to prison. they went to prison because the system is broken. there are people who belong in

prison. i have to compliment the governor. texas started the change in this country. the rest of the country should follow. it texas realized it's unsustainable economically. you cannot continue down this road. all the states of the following texas and will continue to follow texas because they have to pay for their budgets. they have to pay for those people going to prison. the federal government prints money. where is the biggest harm in the federal government? the mandatory minimums. we have to create alternatives and we have to stop putting that don't have to be there to know their mistake. i was sentenced to three years. i know many were sentenced to a year and a day.

it is not really a year and a day. it is a life sentence. i knew a 19-year-old young man. a military man. he sold night vision goggles on ebay. he went to prison for three years. if that guy lives to be 110 years old, he is going to be a convicted felon and it will have his entiren him for financial future. anything he wants to do with his family. there is a list. they have a list of 50,000 different things that come from that label of being a convicted felon.

you have to do something to change that. you can't punish some before life for making a mistake. more times than i can count. this country that has constitution, as is broken. the punishment does not fit the crime. [applause] realize that when i was in the legislature. i presumed people prosecuting crimes were the good guys. a lot of them are. most of them are. there is also a bureaucracy. understand, the

people doing time for these small amounts. these heavyors have sentences. only seven percent of the people they prosecute our four major dealers. most of them are the small fry. why pick on these first-time offenders? taking on a big kingpin means you are threatened. a lot of bureaucrats afraid. they go after the numbers of small people. that is not getting cocaine off the street. score. run up there one of the things we need to realize is this is not just program.overnment

we should be as suspicious of the departments of correction and their spending as we are the department of transportation and the department of health. this is a scarlet letter for life. felons fromprohibit cutting hair. one of the things you learn inside prison is to cut hair. they are prohibited from cutting hair. why on earth would we prevent them from that? most won't ever be able to work in a school question could they not be a gardener? why would be prohibitive for working in a school or a hospital? these are impediments we put in their way. part of the conservative effort needs to be looking at these

things and saying the bureaucracy should not be stopping these people. it should be protecting the public. the workers who are in competition. you have gone to all of these states. an apostle of this. i hope you'll go by the booth. can you tell us right on crime? >> we had great leadership from the texas policy foundation. i ran into it with a little working group. we did not have broader conservative movements. it took me aasons couple of years, this was the one person in the room of 10 who had not been to prison or had a

family member in prison. the others had learned that there was this problem. i used to visit prisons for my was in college. it is not the same thing. they let you out at the end of the day. begun torvatives have say a couple of things. th [applause] clear on the government should not do these things. however, having armed forces to keep the canadians on their side of the border, that is written down. aisons to punish bad guys and judicial system to enforce the law and properly right contracts. that's in the constitution. that's a legitimate function of government. we need toes --

spend as much time thinking how we do the stuff government should do intelligently and less expensively and better than any other country or any other state in the world. that is as important as making sure of the things the government should stop doing. it's a more mature conservative movement to say that we are ready to start governing as well as cutting it back. getting it smaller is important. but even the list of things that are mentioned in the constitution that are legitimate functions of a reasonable list itself can be done more intelligently and less expensively and controlled by people. leader looking at the disaster of world war i said war is too important to leave to the generals. the judicial system is too important to leave to the prosecutors. you need to get more involved

and not have one set of people set the rules to make risen .uards' life easier not to have less recidivism and other things. we needed to focus on running prisons right and the judicial system right and the military right while saying that the government ought not to do these things of all. i have a request for them. i'm a techno-klutz. i can't see what the questions are coming from the audience. perry, you came up with --olution >> the texas aggies going to fix it. [laughter]

we are offering solutions. it seems the republicans governors association would be a great forum to share this and have them according to campaign --und the country >> i was reading more of the retweets from those going on social media that rick santorum is outside having a good event out there. [laughter] your wife says to bring back the milk. [laughter] he asked about the republican governors association and the interaction between governors. we do that. that there are other organizations out there, the democratic governors interacting

-- we are not that siloed. we do compete with each other. it makes people uncomfortable. competition is uncomfortable. when i show up in maryland with some tv ads that are talking all have and you wouldn't it be rise for most of you to move to texas so you don't have to pay those outrageous taxes? the governor of those states sometimes get a little bit peeved. but that's ok. it's not personal. this is about having an open conversation. people should be able to pick and choose the place they want to live, whether it is economic issues or social issues. the most comfortable ones. that's the beauty of these laboratories of innovation. we do look at best practices and economic best practices

and educational best practice and criminal justice best practices and the republican governors association share those. i want to go back to the president of the united states and the attorney general. both recognizing that what we have done in texas -- i know this is probably hard for him to the minimum sentencing .uidelines are wrong they are not working. there is a place that has implement it some programs that are making a difference in people's lives economically, making sense. recidivism rise is making sense. --ting people's lives back if we are going to be honest citizens of this great country, teeny able to give people a second chance -- being able to give people a second chance is

really important. we are not perfect. towards perfection everyday. we hope someday to obtain it, but probably won't. the fact is, that should be our goal. up idea that we lock people and throw them way and never give them a chance at redemption is not what america's about. i hope that's truly what the conservative cause in america is all about. [applause] congress aboutin suggesting that they think through mandatory minimums and have a list of what they were. it there was a list of things that had been in the headlines and a politician wanted to have orress conference, raising establishing a mandatory minimum saying, i am against carjacking.

treason has a minimum of five years. were way other crimes out there. just outrageous. it was clearly proven by somebody's need to get a headline one day and relive with s later.ade's le there are families against , speakingminimums specifically to that issue at the federal and state level. there are a couple of bills before congress right now, you can find out at the justice fellowship site or write on crime -- >> all the good guys on our team are taking the lead on this. there is a problem. you can't let the left once again identify correctly a problem and then stick on top of it a solution that makes it

worse. we have to wrestle with the problem and come up with a solution consistent with conservative principles. >> if any of you want to contact me about the acu involvement in criminal justice, e-mailing. secondernor mentioned chances. as ais something that, christian, i firmly believe in. even non-christians believe in giving people a second chance. have seen the people that have tremendous potential. but because of the felony conviction, they are held back. tell us about your thoughts on second chances. kid getsear-old arrested in baltimore. for minimal possession of cocaine. he is tied into a conspiracy. he gets 10 years.

he is sent to prison for 10 years and he does a .5. during that time in federal prison, he really gets no , no life improvement skills, no tools necessary to be a better person when he gets on the outside because he gets no education. he is sent to prison for 10 8.5. and he does he learns to steal. it's a training ground for criminality. you put this kid in prison and years andor a . 8.5 is and we believe he is going to go back to society a better person. and i wouldlass talk to these on men and say, listen, you have to get your ged. you have to get education. you have to pay attention.

that same young man looked at me and said, i am black. i'm a convicted felon. that ged is not going to help me ever. you know what? i know men right now who went to prison on minor white-collar offenses that have doctorates. they have masters degrees. they have bachelors degrees. they can't find work. they can't get hired. if they can't get hired, do you is everat young man going to get hired? never. the problem with that is, there are thousands of them in prison. is that really what we want for society? you want to take all the societal values out of a person have and infuse them

with institutional values? and then let them go back to society. it is wrong. it is wrong for this country, wrong for this party. if there is ever a time that this stuff can get fixed, this is the time. i will say it one last time. if texas can do it, the entire country can do it. [laughter] [applause] your remarks -- thank you for your service, sir. thank you for giving back so much to this country. ofust want to, for the sake some governor somewhere who will see this, over the course of

just this last legislative session, i want to go over a number -- we had a very successful session. i signed into law, requiring our prison system to provide vocational programs to inmates based on the texas job market and what we were going to need when individuals would be able to get out. requiring inmates to be given more information so that they would have professional licensing information and restrictions before they enrolled in a vocational program. liabilityve limited to employers that hire former inmates. that is a very powerful message. people say, oh, you've been to prison. to see that piece of legislation

, here is the protection that you need from a limited liability standpoint. i prison entrepreneurship program that was organized by a houston nonprofit and baylor university to issue certificates in entrepreneurship when they completed this program. prisonsose prisons -- are going to be used as a training ground. one way or the other. whether you will train them to criminals ord train them to be entrepreneurs. the choice is ours. neighbors.l be our 95% of the prisoners will be released sunday. wouldn't it be better if they had skills to have a job and to be a good parent? to be a good citizen. there is no lawyer up in

pennsylvania -- he was a member --the federal reserve board over half of his employees at his plant rx offenders. are exis plant offenders. he said because jesus told us to. he found is that they are the best employees because they are so grateful. he's careful who he chooses. but they look out for each other. they keep each other on the straight and narrow. over 50% of his employees now are asked offenders because they offenders ex because they show up and recruit each other from the good guys inside. they know who the good guys are. this is one businessman doing it. he said not only is it a moral

decision, it's a good business decision. if you have a company, think bout hiring ex offenders. put them with a chaplain to see how they are. but then with some club or church that you are in. give them that second chance. we are coming to the end of the time. i will tell you, eli wrote for the weekly standard that this effort of conservatives taking arguably the most significant social reform movement from the right in decades. it is. this is our chance to show that we can provide solutions to a vexing problem and show that they work. we invite you to be part of it. it's exciting. we're making the community better by applying conservative principles. >> let me wrap up my part by , asng, our goal and our job

governors or legislators, is to create a climate in which investors can create jobs. this country does not have the jobs available, whether it is our veterans coming back or inmates that are being released gottenciety, we have not to the real heart of this issue. my plea for the folks in washington -- my plea specifically for the president of the united states is to open up the xl pipeline and open up our federal lands so there is jobs being created and using the resources we have in this country. but tax policy into place that basically gives incentives to people to move their manufacturing back to the nine states. if the president really cares

about these individuals, whether they are veterans or inmates or young men and women going into the workforce -- >> this is the way to do it. >> create a climate in america where the entrepreneur knows that he or she can risk their capital and have a chance to have a return on that investment . then the american dream truly becomes available for all. give them a second chance. [applause] >> thank you all very much. thank you panelists. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ralph reed.

>> good morning, cpac. are you having a good cpac? it's great to be with you this morning as we celebrate not only the conservative movement but we celebrate america and what made this country great. my friends, make no mistake about it. what made this country great, what still makes it exceptional and unique today is the fact that the pioneers who were fired by spain and founded this nation crossed oceans, braved dangers and settled a continent to build a nation that honored almighty god. today, the greatness of the nation that they built is in grave danger.

it is in grave danger in no small measure because our freedom as americans to practice our religious beliefs and to express our faith in god is under assault as never before. there is in truth a war on religion and a war on religious values. being waged by this administration and by their radical allies. a war that goes between a stubborn, secular insensitivity outat times, all hostility to those in the faith. unless you think that is hyperbole -- let me point out that two years ago, this administration sued an evangelical lutheran church that had dismissed a minister and a

teacher and actually argued in federal court that no church in america has a right to hire and fire its own ministers. this astonishing argument was so morally and legally repugnant that the supreme court ruled against the obama administration 9-0, including both justices appointed by the president. [applause] week, left wing bullies force to the defeat of a religious freedom bill that did nothing other than allow people of faith, standing in court, do defend themselves when they are forced to violate their deeply held religious police. here in maryland, not far from where we are gathered right now, this administration is attempting to force an order of

catholic nuns who care for the elderly and for the poor to pay for health care services that violate their religious teachings and assault their conscience, including taking the lives of the innocent unborn. now, thisna, right administration is trying to block the right of minority toldren to receive state aid attend either a religious or a charter school where they are safe and where they can learn. 50 years ago, george wa llace said that african-american students could not come in. today, the obama administration stands in that same schoolhouse door and refuses to let those children leave. it was wrong then and it's wrong now. obama, butresident

those children go. [applause] , in a brazen act of lawlessness, the attorney ,eneral of the united states speaking to the association of state attorneys general, him not tounseled defend their state's marriage statute. why? because he did not agree with those laws. the chief lawen enforcement officer of the united states shows no respect whatsoever for the rule of law and shows no respect whatsoever for the state constitutions and the duly passed laws of sovereign states, particularly when that same attorney general

has lied under notes and congress -- lied under oath in congress and has been found in contempt of congress, i say that is an impeachable offense and is time for eric holder to go. [applause] but that's not all. irs,e scandal plagued while senior officials take the fifth amendment, that agency is thatpting to enforce rules would deny our first amendment right and shred the constitution of the united states. these rules would outlaw voter registration drives in many churches, prevent the distribution of nonpartisan voter guides in proximity to a primary election and, believe it or not, these rules would even

prevent the posting of the voting records of elected officials on websites. there has been a torrent of protest against these regulations over 140,000 comments filed, demanding that these regulations be withdrawn. but more than just amending that the regulations be with drawn, we call on this administration to fire those responsible and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and fumigate that building and abolish the irs once and for all. [applause] none of this is terribly surprising. from an administration that has been led by a man who once said the american people "cling to guns and religion" because they have antipathy in their hearts

for people different from themselves. ort's equally disappointing more disappointing is that this radical secular agenda and this war on religion is, at times, aided and abetted by republicans who lack the courage to stand and fight. [applause] all, last week in ohio, georgia and arizona, it was republican legislative leaders who caved under pressure from the liberal media and the lies of the radical left and killed releases -- killed religious freedom bills that were modeled after the federal religious freedom restoration act passed by a bipartisan congress and signed into law by bill clinton. i have a message for these d cowardice who show the

backbone of the chocolate eclair. we are done following those who advocate mushy moderation. we are no longer going to follow the counsel of those who offered compromise.e who counsel only the suggestion of surrender. we will not follow lukewarm so-called leaders anymore who's is to seek the approval of those who sure none of our core values. we will not follow them any longer. [applause] from now on, we are going to

2014-2016 and beyond, nothing but unapologetic conservatives that defend the principles upon which this nation was founded, including the biblical principles of freedom of religion, the sacred institution of marriage and the sanctity of life. [applause] , may ithour of testing be our finest hour as conservatives. , this save this nation last best hope of mankind and give them the country they richly deserve. thank you very much. god bless you. and god bless america. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please --come tim neely and >> things for listening. -- thanks for listening. we open up our minds so

nothing truly remains. step to repentance, admitting we were wrong. ♪ i pray for courage. i pray for a few good men. ♪ we will not falter. stay in the lions den. believe in a place of glory. you.tle too ♪ i want to move these mountains.

i want to walk on water. ♪ suite believe. we believe. we believe. register juliett can move and we are bringing you

live coverage of cpac, taking place not too far from the nation's capital. we are between speakers. a little musical interlude now. panel of will be a on conservatives in hollywood. we continue to invite your reaction via facebook and twitter. we will continue with live coverage in just a couple of moments. during this musical break, we will take you back to earlier nynay when senator john cor cpac.sed >> it's great to be with you this morning. i want to thank our friends at

the american conservative union and all of you for all the work you do around the year to promote the conservative message. i have to admit, governor perry is a tough act to follow this morning. [laughter] but it's a privilege to do so. under his leadership, texas has shown the world that conservative economic policies absolutely do lead to growth and prosperity. [applause] we have a few texans in the house this morning. [applause] experiment in one of our nation's laboratories of democracy. it quite a successful one compared to the failed experiment of big government during the last five years. has ever hadcpac to texans speak back-to-back before. that takes some chutzpah on their part and some patience on

yours. let me vent for a few moments this morning. i promise i will be brief. i don't want my brevity to distract from the seriousness of the topic. this morning, what i want to talk to you about is accountability. specifically, the importance of accountability in our government and its shocking abandonment by the obama administration. accountability is the fundamental virtue we hold in high esteem. people who are cap all to themselves, to their families and to god. american history is filled with stories that celebrate the accountability of some of our greatest leaders. from the founding father who famously couldn't not tell a lie to one of the founders of our party known as honest abe. we as a nation celebrate accountability. it makes sense to do so. not just because it's a morally

admirable trait but because this entire experiment in self-government depends on it. thomas payne said a body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought to not to be trusted by anybody. [applause] as public servants, we must be forthright in our actions and fully accountable to those that we have the privilege to serve. as citizens, we must hold those in public office to the highest standard of accountability. because unaccountability has always been the refuge of autocrats, scandal makers and stubbornly bad government policy . for the last five years now, five long years, president obama has put this maxim to the test.

he has advocated for a larger, more intrusive total government -- federal government. for five long years, the president has refused to take responsibility for his own actions. let's look at the record briefly. when it was revealed that eric holder's justice department had let weapons be smuggled to mexican drug cartels, did we get ?ccountability act oh > no! >> when the president invoked executive privilege and a state department official dared to speak the truth about that terrible night in benghazi, a night when poor americans lost their lives, did we get accountability ac? >> no!

>> when it came to light that the irs was targeting americans whose only offense was to disagree with the president, did we get accountability? >> no! >> we got a campaign donor to the obama administration to lead the investigation. then, of course, there's obama care. where do we begin? [laughter] when the website that americans must use to purchase government mandated health care did not work, did we get accountability? >> no! >> we were told that the errors were "great problems to have." people employed to handle --sitive information

>> they've got me going this way now. how is everybody doing? bring out ance to couple of legends from hollywood and we can talk about their films. one of which i'm involved in. [applause] we will be debuting the trailer here right after we are done. then we will have him come out. out thef, let me bring director of "persecuted." coming out this may 9. let me bring out dr. james higgins. he plays the president in that movie and is one of the producers. then somebody am sure you're all

familiar with. fred thompson is in the film. [applause] and then come academy award you guys have a new movie coming up. we will show that trailer. i know how difficult it is to get a film. what inspired you to make this film and why is the time right for this now? currentrange because events have caught up. i wrote this script five years ago and i had this vision of this man running through the woods with this deeply held conviction, standing up for what he believes and this intrusive government trying to clamp down

his religious freedom. it was a vision of me seeing that through what that meant and asking questions about who that character is. he's an evangelist and there's this.egislation around it was a pursuit i had to fulfill. it took several years and then eventually we have an oscar-winning producer who produced the godfather who came aboard and fred thompson. it has been a deep exploration that has taken quite time. have any stock tips coming for us? did you see that five years ago? it's funny how a lot of people don't understand how long it takes to get a film from concept onto the screen. these journeys are a long time. the average in hollywood is about seven years from development all the way through. you have a studio behind you. >> the closest thing i can likeared to, it's

birthing a child for five years. it's the closest thing i can come to. i'm so grateful to be here and be sitting with all of you and have the movie done with such a great cast. what people are receiving is a great political thriller. >> we will be taking questions here. if you want to send us a question, you can get us #sullivanpanel. you are a cardiologist. how did you get involved in this? and the cardiologist way down the list in my considered an actor. m iway down the list an

considered an actor. things and over 2000 i have 1300 left for i do. one was to be in a movie. be holding awould newspaper. this script was presented to me and i read it will all times. some people call a christian-based movie. it is. but i also love that because it's a political thriller. when i got to read the script, it was not five years ago. it was recently. things were coming about in this country where i thought it was very apropos to do this movie. st me it and daniel cosa as the president of the united states. i'm an evil character. >> was that type casted? sitting ate easily

home collecting on a reverse mortgage. [laughter] how did daniel entice you to get off the couch and come out and lend yourself? >> i heard that there was going to be one of the world's leading cardiologists in the movie. [laughter] i would like to say as close as stay as close to people like that as i can at this point in the game. it came to me in an unusual way. i looked at the script and -- it's unusual. are a lot more independent movies nowadays than there used to be. a lot of people -- you don't have to go to a major movie studio anymore in order to get stuff done. that's good news for conservatives and good news for the country. what you are seeing is things are starting to happen that have

not happened before. one is this movie. takes on the theme of church and state or church and the government. in this movie, it has to do with government trying to dictate what christian ministers could say. and would say and not say. the idea a few years ago that tellhurch couldn't religious folks what they could and could not do in terms of providing services was pretty far-fetched. today.far-fetched it takes that on. it has been said, the framework .f a political thriller

s entertaining. that's the bottom line for success in this business. you have to have folks that find it entertaining. i think this one fits that bill. i'm delighted to be a part of it. >> we have our first question for you. it says, do you miss being arthur branch? >> a time and place for everything. i don't really. i don't think about it. that was the law and order thing. i did that -- it's no longer with us. nithave special victims u the old one i was honest not aroun.

it anything they pay you for eventually turns out to be work. the same is true with that business. it's assembly-line work. you go there and you learn your lines and some 25 your old guy tells you where to stand and what to say and when to say it. there are upsides and downsides to everything and the long hours and sometimes you work at 11:00 at night. place -- it was wonderful and i loved to be a part of it. they let me massage my character and take a copy of the constitution off my wall and handed to sam waterson and say, where is there a right to privacy in this? he couldn't answer that. things like that were fun. that was the end. this is now.

>> i want to talk a little more about "persecuted." andill show the trailer then get into hollywood itself. a lot of questions on hollywood and why there are some liberals -- so many liberals in hollywood. i know an independent film -- it's hard -- we don't have a studio behind us. we started in one theater and 1100to five, then 10, then , then 2000, then 2800. [applause] thank you. we did that from starbucks because we were running around the country doing it. you don't have a studio behind you. it's really good -- what can we it's help you guys?

screening tonight at 8:00. fred will be at the one at 1:00. what can we do to help you guys? >> there's not a big studio behind it. everybody's involved with the funding of the movie. made. grateful to have it we need people to go and act now to go to persecuted movie.com to bring the movie to your city. there's a link you can fill out. we have a commitment of 500 tickets with each city in order to justify bringing it to that city to cover our heart cost. from there, we hope it will be successful because maybe a studio could just throw it out but 3000 theaters and the chips fall. -- and let the chips fall.

persecutedmovie.com. screenings tomorrow night. please come out and see those. are -- we don't have the resources like hollywood does. we are stuck with the budget. the average budget as close to $60 million right now. if anybody does have $60 million, i will be in the back, available to take -- we don't have those resources. you guys did make this a thriller. you could've made a documentary or something like that. you guys were tackling this in the medium of film. even though it has big ideas in it. >> we just recently streamed

this for members of congress here in washington. what the response was that they were shocked it was actually suspense entertainment malley. i took this as a hitchcock approach. i have followed that it's scarier what you don't see. people see this as a real movie. it's legit suspense. it's not a documentary. if we can get the culture engaged on that level of entertainment value, that's where the results will be. >> i want to show the trailer here. we will talk a little bit about america and hollywood. let's go ahead and roll the trailer. >> they claim your ministry is

intolerant. it may even threaten the freedom of others. >> your ministry -- you need to get up and fully support this bill. >> i can't put down the gospel to advance anybody's political agenda. do you mind if we get -- >> x mile. excellent. smile. excellent. >> i didn't know where else to go. >> you are charged with first-degree murder. >> i need your help. >> your husband is a fugitive. [applause] they wanted to stop it short,

i guess. out may 9.es -- for us as independent filmmakers, we are outside the studio system. meaning that we see all of our funds come outside. there is no place for us to go to get funding. i go to paramount and warner bros. and sony. i've not done everybody's door. it you are that guy with that an are that guy with idea for ronald reagan movie. how quaint. it opens some doors. i didn't know they would be exit doors to some places. [laughter] .t is a bit difficult that way you have been in the business for a long time. you've work with steven spielberg on 13 pitchers. he won the academy award t for

schindler's list and rainman. when did you see this real shift away from mainstream, traditional heartland values in hollywood? >> as far as values are concerned, i would say probably in the 1980's. television started to change in the early 1970's. we started seeing more films that were rated r. they were pushing the envelope. elevatee trying to films as we know it. there, it was almost like it was a slide downhill. you mentioned the number of liberals in hollywood. there was a lot of them were very powerful. there is a lot of people who are

probably not liberal who say they are. there's a lot of conservatives who are not. it's a sad thing. hopefully people like this gel men on my right -- like this gentleman on my right will help change that. [applause] it's necessary for our kids and our grandkids. movieare working on a called "america 2016." in that, we tackle some big issues with the niche on that. how were you treated by your other friends in hollywood after 2016 or anything of that nature? let me back up further from that. the change came in 2008. >> what happened in 2008? [laughter] >> you used to be able to have

political discussions and they could get heated. a discussions about our different opinions. -- lively discussions about our different opinions. if you disagree with some issues, you could be called a bigot or a racist. that was a crying shame for the country because it shut down a lot of debate and a lot of conversation. where otherly --anizations in hollywood people found a place to go undercover. we need to take that back. we need people to step up to the --te and [applause] their.lead the pack

.- lead the pack there deliver a product to the american people and get people to stand up and speak out. >> i think we have some other people on this panel who are able -- there is a shift. i have seen it over the years. with movies like "lone survivor." i thought it was pretty true to the book. god" opening at $26 million, twice the estimate. you are seeing some bright spots. i feel like sometimes, hollywood is not seeing those bright spots will enough that way. how do we respond to that? the best way to get them to

respond is what you just said about making money. unfortunately, that's the best way. a little plug for persecuted, daniel did such a great job with the script that the cinematography in this movie is as good as any movie. the score in this movie is original and it's as good as any score. the actors that are in this are top-notch, excluding me. [laughter] that's the kind of thing that will change the movie industry. it's a very great film. it's very well done. hopefully, with your support, it will make money. the more money it makes, the doing ae you can add to sequel or something just as good. it sends out great messages and terms of religious freedom, first amendment rights and the overbearing government that sometimes is hitting us today. moneyis really about the

and the box office. people vote with their dollars and ticket sales. mexico this film and new . many of my crew members had just ofe off of raking bad -- off breaking bad. they wanted to make a good movie. i think a lot of people like -- i will go see a movie if it's a good movie. we have to start there. the we have the best crew and some of the best actors and they wanted to contribute to what we felt was a great story. that was our focus in the end. with theirill vote box office dollars and get behind it, i think the problem is there is a certain crowd that art.otivated towards we have to get the younger generation behind it and make

good quality art. [applause] theack to your question -- movers and shakers in hollywood are somewhat like the media in washington. they operate and do their job for the praise and benefit of each other. more than anybody else. movies thatgood -- they-american themes are hard to find -- the market is mostly a foreign market -- that affects how many pro-american projects you'll cia or things that cast the or fbi in a good light. movies andke good movies that families can go see or films that show the triumph

of good values and things like that, they do well. they do very well. they are interested in the bottom line out there. there's not that many people who know how to do that. and are willing to do that to the possible scorn of their colleagues out there. from a bottom-line standpoint, it is better to be tapped into .y the people up here they are beginning to do that. it hits home with you. that has been my radar. >> there is a double currency. otherttom line like any business. then there is the cocktail currency. they can't be that person that funded that movie because it will affect their peer group. i have encountered that.

we were inside and we were talking about his love for president reagan. he is just almost jumping on the table talking but reagan. as soon as we got out in the as soon as we got into the hall, it was almost a whisper. you are the president of the studio. i realized then the kind of currency that you are talking about there. do we see something going on, baby tv response a little bit faster. we have seen that a little bit more. doug dynasty, the biggest reality show -- "duck dynasty," the biggest reality show post up star,"e "pawn i'm just standing," pulling out things like "pawn hass"