calling the movie cassa blanca, would you rather be victor lazlow, the resistance hero in [speaking uit and -- in french] or rick, the sloon keeper played by hum ree bogart who stands in the shadows in his tuxedo and nods his approval. it was ben's smerble personality that he was both the man in the white suit who was our leader and the romantic man in the corner who made it cool and glamorous and real. future journalists should ask emselves with us, what would en do?

>> i'm from new york and i'm a heathen from television. but in 1973 i was a young correspondent assigned to cover the white house and water gate and modestly i thought i brought with me a pretty good reputation as a political reporter in california. i had covered the rise of ronald reagan. in 1968 eugene mccarthy and bobby kennedy, the night that bobby kennedy was killed is seared in my memory, chicago -- and cesar chavez, the anti-war movement, the nixon fundraising

apparatus. but in washington there was a lot of except six about whether i was -- skepticism about whether i was up for the job. after a month of being on the white house lawn morning, noon and night, ben bradlee who i barely knew put his arm around me and said, kid, you know what you're doing. it was began a great friendship. it was only deepened when he maried my friend sally. they had quinn. it was a privilege. i had been thinking about the words that had been written and spoken about been in the past couple weeks, including mine. they were some somehow inadequate to the point of knowing him which was a physical

xperience to be in that energy field that he brought into any oom that he entered. -- lets be ben clear about something. those were the sally effect. -- a lly he dressed pedigree that he was proud of -- he lways war wore once told joan vivian and john gregory dunn, if you think i'm cocky now, you should have known eswhen the bradlees had four at the end of their name. ben in his own way was born to

become the ben we all came to love and know and cherish and wanted to be part of life. had s the bradlee family somehow missed a beat in the that would have been a fake copy but there was nothing fictional about him, his life, his personality, his style, his accomplishment, his instincts and his love for everything in life. there are so many stories about ben and we've been hearing hear this morning. when ben was in his late 60's or early 70's, he joined a softball me that that we were having, he came to bat and he had a sharp hit to right field.

he took off for second, stretching a single into a double and sliding in. when the dust settled, there was ben safe at second, that killer smile on his face that he raised his fist in triumph. i remember watching all of this and thinking, maybe i should have gone to harvard. it was not possible, of course, because i was being raised at a time and a place when we thought on was a -- and although browaw -- it was just enough to know him and to love him and to his family i want to say, we share your sorrow. we also share your pride.

and we are the common stewards of all ben was and his love and his feart for journalism, his style, his character, and and as i came to know when i wrote about his war experiences with him, his deep love of his country. >> ben maried my mother -- sorry, when ben maried my mother, he took on four stepchildren under the age of eight in addition to his son ben junior and marina. by 1960, there was a huge pileup of seven kids in the georgetown house and ben was at the center

of this vortex with his ruthless teasing and his amazing tolerance for helping out with homework. at 6:00 p.m. sharp he whistled through the front door and the whole household would come rush sile -- the like poim ---p oem i'm going to read is ben's favorite. ralyzed by polio -- the poim -- poem. his last line was often spoken to us in the family as an ak lamb ation of somebody he had admired, like the plumber who fixed the sink. ben was stopped in his tracks by anyone who authentic dignity. he was the captain of his soul.

out of the night that covers me, black is the pit from pole to pole, i thank whatever god may be for my soul. in the clutch of circumstance, i have not witnessed nor cried aloud. in beyond this place of wrath and tiers tears -- yet the menace of the years find and shall find me unafraid. t matters not how charninged the punishment is scrolled, i am the master of my fate, i am the aptain of my soul.

singing] good

afternoon and thank you for coming. i'm ben bradlee junior. i'm proud to be his namesake. my first memory of my father is a bit of the traumatic side. it was in june 1951 when i i was not quite 3 years old and he put me in a swimming pool out of a blue. there were no floaties in those days and of course i was thrashing around, gulping for air. after watching me for a while, dad hopped in the pool and casually scooped me up amused as i recall by the entire scene. was an act of tough love, i

think. [laughter] this happened aboard an ocean liner as we sailed from new york to paris, where dad was embarking on a new career. four years later, my parents were divorced and my mother and i returned to the u.s. and settled in boston. dad came back to washington as bureau chief from newsweek and joined the post in 1965. he remarried and i began a routine of coming down to d.c. for visits, mostly in the summer, where i would often stay for several weeks at a time, hanging out with his new wife's four children from her first marriage. these were my new stepbrother anstey -- three stepsisters. i did not see much of him during this time because like many men of his generation, he was consumed by making his bones professionally. he worked long hours well into

the night. i was never the story then. in the years after i graduated from college, dad made up for long absences when i was young and we reconnected, making up for lost time. in 1971, when i was in the peace corps in afghanistan, he flew to the other side of the world to visit me. when my first child was born in a cold, january day in 1981, he came up to boston and delighted in holding young greta bradlee in his arms and he pointed out what he claimed were various bradlee features on the face of this grandchild. not long after that, i took greta to washington for a visit.

dad wanted to take marked on a personal tour of the monument, so they ventured out with the baby. then wanted -- ben wanted to push the stroll. he turned and he said, i know what you're thinking, that i am the father of the baby and a dirty old man. but he stared right back at them with a big smile of his own, content to leave the impression that he was perfectly capable of fathering a child, thank you very much. a lot of the ways dad and i related centered around the newspaper is this because we had that in common. he never urged me to become a reporter and i had no conscious desire to follow him. when i was in the peace corps, my supervisor was an editor at the press enterprise. a good paper. he offered to put in a good word for me. it was december of 1972, 6 months after watergate.

but the post was making its mark by then and i was perceived by some to be a political appointee, of sorts. one female reporter who became a good friend told me later when she saw me that first day, he is cute, but can he type? [laughter] yes i could, and i made sure i work harder than most, and soon, people have forgotten my last name was bradlee. i landed in my hometown at the boston globe, where i worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor. boston was, of course, dad's hometown as well. the city was vastly different than what it was when he grew up there, but he thought it was to parole real to continue through the ancient tribal wars.

when he called to check in on me, my father would always laugh and say, hey, how are the hearts treating you? we would tease each other with affection. once, when i had to have minor surgery to get rid of a painful kidney shut -- kidney stone that would not pass, and i was worried about it, he thought i was too worried. by way of trying to calm me down, he asked, there will not be any press in the operating room covering it, will there be? as his comets grew, he would profess to be worried about becoming the first celebrity ever because of the journalistic credo that reporters should always just cover the news and never be part of it. but the truth is, he loved being a celebrity. he owns three date houses featured in architectural digest or house and garden magazine.

sally may have arranged for those spreads, but dad secretly like them as well. he was not introspective in the least. he felt guilt about certain aspects of his life, but he did not dwell long, if at all, on personal fear. as david once wrote in the new yorker, dad gave the lie to socrates's idea that the unexamined life is not worth living. as is well-known, he was profane, and colorfully so. he would speckle off-color language into his everyday speech and into his writing as well. this was not gratuitous swearing, but just the natural way he expressed himself, a style which even those with more delicate sensibilities grew to accept and enjoy.

this is where i planned to tell that famous "dickhead" story, but that was told already, so i will move on. the real thing i have for you is to have a good time while you are in your jobs. have a good time. the newspaper will be great if you are having a good time. style, like the post section he named, was important to dad. he liked those who had it and of course, he had it himself, with those shirts. i am wearing one of his shirts in his honor today, and a tie as well. but i know they do not wear nearly as good on me as they did on him. he lived a full life and he was a man in full. he founded what he wanted professionally early on, but not

personally until he found sally quinn. sally really made him happy. thank you. i spent a week with dad before he died and i'm glad i had that time with him toward the end. when he could still talk, i asked him if he was ready to check out. he thought for a minute and he said, not yet, but he was thinking about it. then he reached out to take my hand and he told me he loved me. i love him as well. >> i am the son of ben bradlee and sally quinn. a lot of people have been talking about my father as a legend and i have to agree. he was a huge man. he was the simplest man i ever met, and he taught me, if you do the little things well and treat

everyone with respect, it can take you so much further than you ever anticipated. my father was the happiest man i ever met. i grew up with him telling me that my happiness made him happy. he never complained about anything. clap your hands if you feel like a room without a roof. clap your hands if you think happiness is the truth. when i hear these lines from a hit song, happy, i smile and think of dad. a room without a roof. that was my father. everyone who had ever met him wanted more of him. they wanted to be his best friend. they wanted to please him. they all react the same way. even though he would give each

of them something different. my father was the most courageous man i ever met. just be there for your kids might not he hugely creates it -- courageous, but especially at the beginning of my life, it was a courageous act. he could have said no, i cannot do this. but my dad always loved an underdog. he was always rooting for me, in part because he saw that i struggled more than most people to get by everyday. -- every day. he taught me that heart ache makes the life more interesting. he supported me and was teaching me and reassured me until he lost breath. much of what i have learned about life, i learned from working with dad.

we did not take that much in the words. the most piercing eyes. i could feel his eyes across an open field, watching what i was doing. he never made me feel he was disappointed with me, but he always showed me i had to do some things better. he taught me how to keep healthy. you must study it and figure out what is right, and where do you want it to fall? he taught me how to trust another person in the field. once the work is done, it is a small accomplishment that there is a big payoff.

you are taking care of a place he loves. it is about as good as it gets. as time passes, i am realizing there are areas in life that you need to tend in the same way we used to tend our fields. my father was the most confident man i ever met. he would never brag. he would play himself down. i remember someone asking about the name, specifically the state secretary. yes, the worst secretary navy in history.

[laughter] my father had the deepest voice and the broadest chest of anyone i ever met. i used to put my head on his chest as a kid. his heart rate would be so loud. i would have to lay my head over to the right side of his chest. my father had the biggest heart of anyone i ever knew. people talk about his colorful language a lot. but he also had the most colorful heart. people of all races and all walks of life, he could identify with anyone. he treated all people equally.

finally, my father was the strongest man i ever met. the last day he was able to speak, he could barely keep his eyes open. on that day, he was lying on his side and we lay down behind him. he just barely looked over his shoulder and said, "i have got a good feeling about you." "i love you." those were his last words to me. it is like something inside me quit. i will take care of her. with those eyes of his again, he does not have to say anything.

i cannot hear him. i get the message, hey, buddy, it is your turn, get it right, kid. i would like to end with a poem that came to me as dad was dying. i'm not a poet, but sometimes i get the urge. the lights turned down, but not off. the world goes silent. you hear not even a cough. gentle, not violence. for he is now the ages, no longer part of life's stages.

inside our hearts may ache and burn. outside, the world continues to turn. he lives, he loves, he laughs. we should all strive to take his path. ? ♪ ♪

♪

♪ ♪

>> in our 38 years of friendship, ben bradlee never said goodbye. he always said, keep the faith. i recently learned that the second letter of timothy was his favorite big goal passage. as for me, i am already being poured out as a libation. the time of my departure has come. i have fought the good fight. i have finished the race. i have kept the faith. from now on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that way.

not -- on that day. not only to me, but also those who long for his appearing. keep the faith, my friends. the word of the lord. >> thanks be to god. >> i cannot hope to add to the moving chorus of the praise. the range offered showed what friends love and admire and valued with this remarkable man appeared in the role of preacher, there is not a lot i can add to these tributes.

but because i am a preacher, it falls to me to say a brief word about what christian faith proclaims in regards to such a long and blessed and accomplished life. here are three readings for scripture today. ecclesiastes telling us there is a season and a time for everything. you heard from the 23rd psalm the assurance that god's presence is with us as we make our way through life, which that psalm calls the valley of the shadow of the dead. corinthians on the nature and purpose of love. each one of these passages reminds us of the final assurance of biblical religion. judaism and christianity, to be sure, but islam also. that final assurance is that human beings matter.

that our lives, experiences, joys, struggles, are all written on the heart of the one at the center of creation. if i listen to these readings, a single phrase comes to mind. nearly ended his words we heard him say this. we see now in the near, dimly, but and we will see face to face. now i know in part, then i will know fully even as i have been known. most of us gathered in this room today are knowing, worldly type. we live our lives thinking that we know what is really going on. it suggests a deeper mystery of our human experience. we see only through a glass darkly.

our day-to-day lives are spent focused on the claims that tell us they are urgent. we do not normally attend to the things that really matter. so, we do see through a glass darkly. every once in a while a person appears among us allows us to see more clearly. just enough to point us towards what really counts. these people are not usually conventionally pious. but they help us to see things from god's point of view. they point us towards just us -- justice.

they point us towards compassion. they point us towards truth. they point us towards the sheer exuberance of being alive. of the breadth and depth of human existence in all its possibilities. without trying to sound sentimental in a way that he would have found painful, i want to suggest that ben bradlee was one of these people. in his professional life, his family life, friendships, role as a live figure and citizen his work and values and commitments helped us to see through the dim darkness of our present moment into a glimpse of what life is finally all about. for people of faith the final truth about life, god, and the universe and every one of us is

embodied in the world -- the word love. it is acted out as affection and in our social relationships as justice. when we see through the dark glass we see a universe whose power, violence, and selfishness will always give way to love and justice and hope. the former poet laureate, mark strand, says this -- from the shadow of domes and the city of domes, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room and made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up your book, saw it the moment it landed. what i heard of ben bradlee's passing, i thought immediately of this problem not -- i want -- tell them -- poem. i thought of it frankly because he was a blizzard of one.

a single human being, like a snowflake, precious in his uniqueness, going through life generating the energy of the snowstorm. a human blizzard of life, love, work, energy, and charm. by thanking god for making, redeeming, and sustaining the universe in which load, justice, and compassion are finally the things that matter. i thank him for sending us messengers who help us to see through the dark glass of life into the luminous truth at the heart of the universe. i thank god that our personal, public, and spiritual lives are and together in a single continuous fabric of love and justice. in other words, i thank god for ben bradlee. amen. ♪ ♪

♪ >> glory, glory hallelujah

glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah, his truth is marching on ♪ glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪

glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪ ♪

>> let us pray to our lord jesus christ, who says i am the resurrection and i am life. you consoled martha and mary and their distress. draw near to us those who mourn for benjamin and dry the tears of those who weep. you wept at the grave of lazarus, your friend. comfort us in our sorrow. you raised the dead to life. give to our brother eternal life.

you promised paradise to the thieves who repented. bring our brother to the joys of heaven. comfort us and our sorrows at the death of our brother. let our faith the our constellation and internal life our hope. praying together the prayer that our lord taught us, we say -- our father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil in the name of the kingdom, the father, and the glory forever and ever, amen. >> ben was my friend and my patient from 1975 until his death. that's nearly 40 years. i treasure our friendship. his hearty welcome. "mike."

his autobiography is entitled a good life -- "a good life," and isn't i -- inscribed "for sally ann quinn, who might of my life -- sally and quinn, who light up my life." the end of our lives are uncertain with respect to cause, time, place, and circumstances. but we hope is that. a soft landing. ben had a good life and a good ending. for which sally deserves total credit. sally made this journey with her parents and knew how to travel this road. beginning with her total commitment to his welfare. she was extraordinary.

doing whatever was necessary to assure that ben was comfortable and well able to enjoy life with family and friends. quinn was always present. given his remarkable insights and their special bond, quinn knew where ben was and what would be comforting. carmen and george were exceptional caregivers, providing practical and tender care throughout this journey. then enjoy the good life with a good ending, care and loving support were ever present. now we mourn. but let us celebrate the life and legacy of our friendly, ben bradlee, the light up our lives. i am now going to say cut ash -- kaddish.

it is the most recited prayer in judaism. it dates back to the destruction of the second temple and the exiled jews to babylonia. it was originally written in aramaic. it is a player associated with morning, but it is not about morning. it celebrates the magnificence and glory of god and the world created, whatever our challenges that are being tested. [speaking hebrew] exalted and hallowed be god's great name in the world that god

created according to land. may god's majesty be revealed in the days of our lifetime and the life of all israel, speedily, imminently, to which we say amen. [speaking hebrew] blessed be god's great name through all intern at a. [speaking hebrew -- through all eternity. [speaking hebrew] blessed, praised, honored, exalted, extolled, glorified and lauded to be the name of the holy blessed one. beyond all earthly words and

songs of blessing, praise, and comfort, to which we say amen. [speaking hebrew] may there be a abundant piece from heaven and life were us and all of israel, to which we say amen. [speaking hebrew] may the one who creates piece on high bring peace to us and to all israel, for which we say amen. >> god of compassion, be near to all who call upon your name in the course of your daily life, work, and service. you call and gift us with work

that brings us joy and embodies concern for our neighbors. make us glad and grateful for the strength to serve you and our neighbor, weaved together the work of every hand and the commitment of every heart, for we recognize our interdependence, responsibilities to each other, and mutuality of our destiny. let us pray to the lord. praying together, lord, make us instruments of your piece. where there is hatred, let us know love. where there is injury, pardon. where there is discord, union. where there is darkness, life. where there is despair, hope. rather is darkness, light. where there is sadness, joy. to be understood is as to understand, to be loved as to love. it is in the beginning that we receive and it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

mr. you we are born to eternal life, amen. open our hearts to those who do stay face any great decisions. for all of them engage in settling the affairs of people and nations, for all who mold public opinions in our time, for all who write what others will read, send us forth to work another day surrounded by your lovingkindness. ledge to faithful service, standing in your strength and not our own. as former things pass away, god, make all things new. let us pray to the lord. thank you, god. >> ? overview the full, for

-- ♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain for purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain america, america, god shed his grace on the and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea

♪ ♪ america, america, god mend thine every flaw confirm thy soul in self-control thy liberty in law

♪ ♪ ♪ >> give rest, o christ, to thy

servant with a faith. they'll are only mortal, the creator and maker of human. we are mortal under the earth. to the earth shall we return as we are now created in saying -- shall return. yet even in the grave we make our song. into thine hands, o merciful

savior, we concert -- we confirm thy servant, benjamin, she providing on -- thine own folder, a lamb of a -- thine own flock. receive him into the arms of thy mercy. give them blessed rest of everlasting peace, headed into the glorious company of life. the lord bless you and keep you. the lord make it safe to shine upon you and be gracious to you. the lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ♪

♪ [taps] ♪

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♪ >> a look at the group susan b anthony list is playing in the 2014 campaign. after that, a discussion on how the elections could change congress. >> on sunday, c-span's coverage of campaign 2014 continues with the georgia senate debate between michelle nunn and david perdue.

here are some of the ads running in georgia in connection with the race. >> i am michelle nunn and i approve this message. >> my dad founded south wire. to date, it is the leading manufacturer of power cable in north america. when i hear david perdue say that he is proud he outsourced jobs, i have to wonder every time we invest in georgia workers, they can compete with anyone in the world. i don't you can be proud having sent american jobs overseas. >> david purdue helped create and save thousands of jobs here in america. we want to know where she is on jobs, education, national security. >> she supports president obama's agenda. we don't need more bad policy from washington. we need a new direction. >> that is david purdue. >> i'm david purdue and i approve this message.

>> i michelle nunn, and i approve this message. >> david purdue is defending his position in a new report. >> he spent most of his career spending most of his jobs overseas. >> the attorney asks, can you describe your experience? responds, yeah, i spent most of my career doing that. >> perdue doubled down. >> i'm proud of it. >> david purdue. he's not for you. >> michelle nunn admits she's too liberal, and her foundation gave money to organizations linked to terrorist. non-attacked david purdue. david purdue spent his career creating thousands of jobs. he will grow the economy and bring common sense to

washington. >> i am david purdue, and i approve this message. sunday, a debate between republican david purdue and democrat michelle nunn live starting at 11:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. now a look at state voting procedures around the country. this"washington journal," is 45 minutes. c-span. >> "washington journal" continues. host: joining us is stephen spaulding from common cause. we will have to go back to 2012. what was happening then? >> let's start with the let's start--guest: with the proposition that i think most people agree with, that voting should not be an endurance sport. election was long lines, under

resourced, polling locations, poll workers who were not trained to deal with a lot of the issues that crop up on election day. jurisdictions don't have enough paper ballots, machines breakdown, etc. when president obama took the stage in chicago to go -- to declare victory, there were no voters in line in miami-dade four, five, six hours. president obama and famously declared that president obama went out and famously declared obama went out and famously declared -- woman was-old looking on. he announced he was setting up a presidential election commiss ion.

he was asked to look up -- look at and come up with recommendations. guest: you put up your own model. what did you find in a general sense? that. we haven't fixed we are almost there in a lot of states. the presidential commission made 19 recommendations. the commission was made up of the top two lawyers from governing -- governor romney and obamas campaigns -- and obama's campaigns, and executives from walt disney, who deal with long lines all the time. in america, we have .ecentralized elections 8000 local jurisdictions run our elections. a lot of these folks are on the front lines. who work volunteers

for 10 hours with very little pay. we don't have a culture of professionalism. the commission made 19 recommendations, health four hearings -- held four hearings. it looked at the voter registration process, which is the gateway into our system. what papers do they need to register? states, we are still operating in the 19th century. we have not modernized the process. the commission recommended online voter registration. you should be able to get online, make sure your information is correct, spell your name correctly, and you are on the list. a lot of people go to the dmv to register. the data needs to be sent electronically to statewide election officials. they also looked at polling

places. all polling places should be extensible -- accessible and comply with the ada. a lot of states are doing a pretty good job of that. state of north carolina, every polling place has been photographed. pathan see exactly your into the polling place so voters with disabilities can figure that out. they looked into the machines themselves after the help america vote act. they are at the end of their lifespan. we don't have a commission in place to adopt new standards. they sounded a warning bell about the fact that we need new standards for our voting machines and we need voting machines that can be on the did so that we can check the outcome of elections -- that can be audited so that we can check the outcome of elections. common sense recommendations that will go a really long way. hastion administration

been, in many states, a political battle. this is a nonpartisan commission that came up with common sense recommendations to shorten lines so that people can make their voices heard. to talk toay want our guest about specific questions, voter turnout, your experiences, especially with the last election cycle. did we fix that, the report put out by common cause, taking a look at the recommendations of this independent commission. if you have questions for --phen spaulding, your work centers on several states as far as readiness for this election cycle -- your statescenters on several as far as readiness for this election site. talk about concerns as far as readiness for the voter experience. states

as far as readiness for this election site. guest: we look at 10 states where elections are expected to be particularly close. this is a warm-up to the 2016 election. there are some states that are still behind the times. in pennsylvania, they don't allow early voting. they don't have online voter registration. that was an important recommendation of the commission , that we need to expand early voting opportunities. you shouldn't have to just vote on tuesday. if you are a first responder, nurse, firefighter, you can't another save it is not have early voting. very close race here. did not have electronic poll booths. you still walk into a polling

place and you have a paper book that could have typos. you cannot update voter s. those are list states we need to look out for problems. colorado came out on top i far. they passed an excellent law last year. it will make it more convenient for voters. every voter will get a ballot in the mail they can drop off at a voting center, they can mail back to their election official, lots of ways to make sure they are counted with plenty of time to do so. if you're not registered in colorado, you can even register on election day. there were bright spots. again, online voter registration, a small ball but makes it a difference. expensive, soss that for states to keep their list updated. georgia, louisiana, colorado have all adopted online registration.

stephen spaulding with common cause to take your questions. democrat caller. -there.aller: all voters should get ballots which they consent to the state. that the photo id laws --they violate the constitution. new york does not have early voting. but they should. guest: great point. you're right. the commission agrees with you. we should expand opportunities

for voting before election day. i do think the colorado model is going to be key. it is going to improve the voting experience for a lot of voters. again, the issue of voter id is not something that the commission got into. the commission did not deal with footer id, it did not deal with big sweeping's federal estate recommendations. it dealt with professionalizing elections so that voters can vote with confident. we know voter id is going to be this election. certainly in texas there has been a lot of controversy about that law. the supreme court has allowed it to go forward. i think that is unfortunate. i think that is unfortunate because essentially, it is setting up--it is the perfect example of politicians many

plating the rules of the game for their own personal gain. manipulating the rules of the game for their own personal gain. they found it was unconstitutional, it was intentionally discriminatory, it violated section two of the voting rights act. 600,000 voters in texas do not have the very specific, narrow form of id they are now requiring. we have folks on the ground, the election protection coalition, my organization, working with voters on the ground to make sure it they have their votes counted but also to collect stories as we continue. paul decker of the wall street journal put out a piece liberalthe top 10 voter-- superstitions.

of the 17 states with the strictest requirements, 16 offer free ids. she goes on from there. a movemente has been in this country after president obama was elect did. enacted theseates voter identification laws. the issue is, they are requiring very specific forms of ids that a lot of people do not have. i just think that it is frankly un-american. 93-year-oldd veteran try to vote, showed up, it not have the very specific id. his drivers license expired. he voted for decades. suddenly, he can't vote because a politician required him to have a specific form of id. we see it played out across the country. there are senior citizens, veterans, students, young people, people are mobile. the population moves every year

and they do not always have that very specific form of identification that politicians are requiring. that is a threat to the integrity of our elections. people don't lick up in the morning and decide they're going to impersonate their neighbors people don't wake up in the morning and decide they are theirto impersonate neighbors. there are more threats, such as the fact that 25% of our population are not registered to we should be moving to universal registration, automatic registration canada has that. less costly. they have a number when they are bored. larry playing the burden on voters. --why are we putting a burden on voters? caller: have you looked at how much of the military vote is counted each election? up until

--clinton's office, he signed a legislation, he put through where the military used to be able to vote if they were a sailor, on their ship that they were serving on, or the location they were being based that. but then it went to they had to use absentee ballots and for a long time, only about 4% of military the was counted. i know they try to fix that and if we have looked at how much of our military vote is actually counted. excellent question. it is absolutely a fact that military and overseas voters face obstacles to make their voices heard in a political process on election day. there was congressional deflation that passed-- legislation that passed to make

it easier to access absentee ballots. they recommended the states revamp their websites and provide more information to military and overseas voters. kentucky did pass a lot recently . improvedhat actually the process therefore military voters. in kentucky, they did not have online voter registration except for members of the military. they can register online and ensure they have their ballots. no question, that is something that we need to continue to make improvements on. richard. caller: good morning. i have a question about this americans for prosperity. i would like to read you something up here. they sent me this. i would like to follow-up up if

i may. it says, you are being studied for scientific research in an upcoming general election. you're randomly sit--you were randomly selected. it goes on. insays, you may be contacted the days leading up to the election. after the election, your voting record will be examined for completeness. and then it says, during the course of the examination it may be necessary to expand the number of elections to be reviewed. host: what would you like our guest to address? caller: they are into my personal business here. the caller brings up an interesting point here. americans for prosperity, they have been in the news in north carolina and other states. there have been mailers sent out from americans for prosperity to

voters with incorrect information. deceptive practices creep up in every single election. i would like to make one point. there is a nonpartisan election protection hotline, 866- our-vote. if voters have those kinds of questions, they should 866-our-vote. there have been a lot of dark money organizations. of the stock money organizations, we do not know where the money is coming from. for prosperity, we know it is the koch brothers. voters should make their voices heard on election day and ensure their votes have their voices heard. you have all this money, a

delusion of billions of dollars, a $4 billion election, we are seeing almost a billion dollars of outside money spent. much of it is undisclosed. people did not know where it is coming from. the one day where everyone is equal is on election day. election days the one day when you step into the voting booth and have the exact same power. it is critical people exercise it on tuesday. from new york. to--my i just want question vote is how our mail and votes handles and how do you prevent fraud. a good question. people going in and impersonating their neighbors, not really an issue. ballots, absentee

ballots, there are ways to address that. and colorado there is a -match. theac- signature is matched with the voter signature on file. there is a computer system and if something happens, it is flagged and it can be addressed. but again, it is also a crime. to commit voter fraud. we do have laws on the books to prevent that. the issue is, there are laws that are happening to push people out of the process, eligible voters out of the process rather than bringing them in. line.lucy, republican can you hear me? i have often wondered, what sort of documentation is required to register to vote? i can't seem i am getting up

there in years. i can't remember what was required when i registered. when you say you have online in other words, is there any documentation that shows you are a set this in-- shows that you are a citizen? guest: generally, voter registration, you would provide a driver's license number, often times the last four digits of your social security number. folks that are registering to vote by mail, for the first time, they will need to present some sort of education at the -some sort of identification at the polls. citizenship, you are testing to the fact that you are a u.s. citizen when you register to vote. host: do most require a footer

id? guest: texas does. here's the thing about taxes, you need to have a drivers license that does not expire in 60 days, or a passport, or a gun license. that if you are a student at ut austin, that is not count. --that does not count. we think that is a problem. the 600 thousand voters that will not be able to vote because they lack that specific form of id, they can vote provisionally but they know and--but they then need to go find that id. inexpensive. the 93-year-old veteran, there are a lot of stories out in the press over the last few days. if you do not have your birth certificate, if you're born in 1928 and you moved to be closer to your adult older and, if you moved from new york to dallas,

you have your birth certificate in your back pocket with your if not, $17, $20, a future to the dmv, it is actually quite expensive. the 24th amendment banned. it is. at the time it was about a dollar and-a-half. get the specific id politicians are demanding, it can be $30, $40, for a lot of people that is not necessarily change.ange--chump host: steve,. in kentucky, the biggest election is between mitch ononnell and alison grimes. atober 30 article stated that

ship owned by mitch mcconnell's boarded andw, was there was cocaine. gave mitch mcconnell approximately 25 billions dollars--$25 million. the baucas see--the hypocrisy. mitch mcconnell voted to change the laws. i cannot understand why this story is not a bigger part of the new cycle. it really seems like a cover up. apparently this happened in august and it is now being published three days before the election. i can't comment on the specific allegations, i have not read the article in the nation. talked about felons and others and their voting rights.

--we do thinkhat at whocommon cause, those of-- have paid back their debt to society, they should have their voting rights restored. what could be more american than bringing everyone into the process, even those who have made mistakes? we do support fell in inch-- caller: thank you. am--about to mine that election day is actually the end, the formal end of the race. can you hear me? ok. actually--thes 2016 election races have started now. but we see the voters, that

person who determines the outcome of the races, we want to hold them back from the polls and make it one day. in arkansas we experienced long lines that we have early voting that is 10 days before you get in there. i am very interested in in person absentee voting. what is it that makes this country want to limit the time that a person has to vote when they have had months and even years for the candidates to get out there and do their thing? excellentbrings up an point. we need to expand early voting. we should be bringing voters into the process and we can do that by expanding early voting. again, we have seen cutbacks in some states, in north carolina, right after the voting rights act was eviscerated. section five of the voting

carolina cutorth back a week of early voting, florida cut back early voting. there has been a movement. i think that is again an example of the politicians who want to rig the game. so they could benefit personally. we need to make sure that every has theirlection day equal opportunity to make their voices heard on election day and before election day. host: does the commission look at things about making voting on the weekend rather than a tuesday? guest: they did not get that specific. they just said we need to expand voting opportunities. in ohio, they just got rid of what was called golden week. there was a week were somebody could vote early and register to vote at the same time because of the deadline. that is something again, we should be--there's is a bill in congress, the voter empowerment act that would set very basic

national standards. then we have 50 different state election codes, 50 different ballots, 50 different voting there is that though, in the house and senate, which would establish unified voting. it would set up online education. host: same-day registration. is that a concern because it does not give time to verify who the person is? guest: same date registration would be a next let again, voters can attest to their identity, they can bring those documents if need be to register to vote. in d.c. for example, you can vote, you can register to vote on election day. i did it myself a few days ago. i voted provisionally in my ballot was counted as cast a few days later. caller: thinks are taking my call. --thanks for taking my call.

it,very first time they had they had over 6000 people that did not bring their id. they were given a provisional after that, it is sealed and counted. this state will send you a form you will fill out. once you get the form back, your vote is counted. they had over 6000 there the first time and over 4000 of were returned as undeliverable or invalid address. i cannot believe that over 4000 people do not know where they live or cannot give a valid address. i do not understand what the problem is with voter id, making sure you are who you are. a small state like new hampshire, maybe it has an impact on the national election races,tainly on local

for state senators, it would definitely have an effect on something like that. guest: once i think the color is getting at is that we have not toernized. it goes back modernizing our voter registration system. when you're using the 19th century ways to get on the filling out, favorite ballots, there can be typos. if last name does not have a-- my last name does not have a "u" the ballot does not get to me. suddenly, i did not get the mail. can lead to a lot of problems. that can lead to problems. every two years before elections, there are purges where names are collected, mail i'd be sent out, there could be an issue, i voter it sends up at the polls and find themselves

after waiting in lines, taking that responsibility, finds themselves kicked out because they were not on the roles or had a very specific form of id. judge richard prisoner on the posneh set--judge richard circuit, heenth felt there needed to be another hearing, a rehearing in the seventh circuit around the voter id laws. he actually changed his mind. now that he actually looked at the evidence, and the trials that have come up, and looked at the research. there has been lots of research. there are not many cases of people showing up at the polls pretending to be somebody else. opinion, hes explained how the evidence just simply does not support the need for these very specific types of ids. any voter that takes that basic

american responsibility, waits in line, it registers to vote, shows up and cannot cast a ballot because they do not have the very specific id card, it is again, i think it is not in keeping with our american values. host: the common cause report lists the average voting weight time in the 2012 elections. as small as 3.7 minutes in 17 plusnd goes to about minutes in florida. -- georgia. one of our findings is that poll worker training can there from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. they are patriots. they are standing up to make votethat you have your counted. a lot of times, these fall into your poll workers are really the only people that a voter

interacts with on election day. they show up and work with the poll worker, many of them, most of them, incredibly well-intentioned. they want to follow the rules. if a machine breaks down, a name does not appear on the list, the courts are changing rules about what kind of id need, when to do--we need to do better job training for workers. that is the place it definitely needs improvement. host: from connecticut, alex. caller: i want to know why we can't standardize voting bothghout the country. local, state, and national elections. the samean by that is, amount of time at every voting place in earlyame

voting. . inou're going to have it other words, every state seems to be different. you know, there are two 80% ofo this coin. americans agree with the collar. i agree. there should be basic national standards to vote. there is the voter empowerment act introduced in the senate and house that would do that. the elections clause does say-- leave the time and location to states. but congress can set--step in and set standards. democrat line. question just have a for mr. spalding. a couple of calls ago, he brought up the seventh circuit.

it has been a mess here in wisconsin. we're moving up and down on this voter id. sergio, as far as voter id, what is it currently stand in your state? caller: we do not have to show any voter id like the state of texas. we do not have to show any voter id just to go and vote. all you have to do is prove our residents. or whatever.ss it has been ridiculous. have beens here trying to shift to shift the voter id. they have been tried to shut us down. it is totally ridiculous. you have challenge randolph-- judge randolph stepping in.

i think the state of wisconsin is allowed to have the administration coincide with 401 c. randolph did that and an administration stepped in. he had to stop what he was doing. guest: again, wisconsin, it is on hold. the rule is on hold. the supreme court decided not to put the law into place. it is procedural. the have not reviewed merits of the id law. this is one of the laws that thousands and hundreds of thousands of voters in said wen--judge posner sold a bill ofe goods. he looked at the evidence and

saw that people do not have the specific forms that they need. they can be very expensive to obtain. seniorher piece-- citizens, in people, they also disproportionately affect voters of colors. specific formsse of id. 11% of voters artist proportionately--are disproportionate. states that have a history of discrimination, it is no holds barred now. it is a very extensive to litigate these cases. there is a bill in congress, the voting rights amendment act that would modernize that. even jurisdictions like wisconsin, which people do not usually think of as having--that were part of the jim crow south, wisconsin now has these laws.

states like wisconsin that may enact these laws that have been proven to be discriminatory, they would be subject to the parents. they would require federal oversight. that bill though, that it is still in, the house. sponsorshiptisan but the speaker will not hold a hearing. it is something we are working on next year. bob, republican line. caller: i think what hundred percent that each state should voter id laws. if you can get there, he can call somebody. i have volunteered many times to have somebody who cannot--you commie, i will take you to vote and get you back on. --you call me i will take you

to vote. guest: the commission did not get into voter id. i think the big set for threat forthe big our election is not impersonation, it is laws on the books that have proven to be discriminate--discriminatory. million americans are not registered to vote. we have scores of people who are voices heardeir and are not empowered on election day because they are olls. nohe roles--r voter, no eligible americans that are should find themselves kicked out of a polling place because they did not have the kind of id that some politicians is demanding them to bring to the polls. host: last call tom.

caller: we definitely need voter id laws. the voter fraud is way, way underreported. there is several cases that have been adjudicated throughout the u.s. at the state level that never make the news. at any given time, we have 50 million or more people from other countries and the u.s. and with this al qaeda thing and the computer nowadays, people can have these flash crowds, they can do flash voter fraud. it is going to become a huge problem i predict in the future. host: stephen spaulding, since you addressed voter fraud already, let me ask you, next tuesday, what is your i you of --how is waiting

time? i will be an easy listening to problems. there will be advocates on the ground. there will be problems, voting machine issues, by a large though, most voters are going to be ok. they're going to have--they're going to be able to vote and not have to wait in line that long. there are going to be issues that crop up and shame on us if in 2016, we still have voters waiting in line three to five hours in some of those jurisdictions because we know how to fix that. there is all this talk about making it harder to vote. id is one thing. if we justfix this deal with basic issues of election administration. if we just deal with the polling lines, trainen the our full workers, modernize our voter registration systems and make it so that it is that much

more convenient to make your voices heard on election day. theother little point, commission made, that states should integrate voter administration--dmv administration with voting dmv is not the only place that people interact with their governments. the millennial generation, oaks are not owning cars, but there are other places they interact. the health-care exchanges, the affordable care act exchanges, those could be voter registration agencies. that could be a place that people could get on the rolls. social service agencies are required to be heard. but rather than the burden on voters to get on the list, we should look at universal, automatic photo registration so that everybody is on the list and everybody can make their

voices heard on election day. called " didort is we fix that?" are 200 cash prizes for students totaling $1000. the list of rules and how to get started go to studentcam.org. >> washington journal continues. joining us on the the president of the susan b anthony list. >> we started to promote pro-life women in the political process. it was frankly a voice not heard. voices

pro-life legislation are vital. we are very involved senate and house races, as well as statewide government basis, because legislation is very important as well. >> issues like ebola and policy at the forefront. is abortion still an issue in this race? >> usually moving into any there's the comment made, and it is generally true, not rank tion does number one. but it is generally made an issue because sony to make an issue. this timethe pro-choice political and the pro-choice candidates, have really soft peddled the abortion issue. they have ramped up on -- and eption other

other issues in the economy.but virginia race in 2013, an pro-choice camp made it enormous issue. by election day top of the he concerns. back to your cycle, n, this election it is important. i was it is most important in terms of being able to motivate grassroots, door to door collars and your basic grassroots ground game. there are lots of senate race going on. has your group targeted certain ones? certainly. north carolina, louisiana, and arkansas since march. we have been going door to door engaging people in the -- political process,

about the tuesday votes. lately we have moved into iowa and kansas successful. the late-term taxpayer issue is took about most often. in the next session senators are probably voting on -- five on the bill. month bill. the people we support are challenging incumbents by and large.

one election cycle is already talking about defeating incumbents, and were repeating how rmation about was, it is not impossible anymore. every once in a while it up to a debate. in a debate, not everyone is watching. how our opponents stand. almost all of them have stated their position. contrast is everything.

>> how many door-to-door contacts have you made? >> just yesterday we hit the mark. that is a lot. we are probably the biggest ground game out there. i really mean the door to door gets lost in all the technology involved with politics. there is a human can er to politics that often get lost in this town, really makes a difference when it gets lost on in terms of the payer funded issue, most people do not know

democrats actually support that measure. it is the ticket ot top of for the democratic party. a of democrats self in iowa as pro life. are communcating with been ignored have by the democratic party. >> here is an ad. me awake and k said she was bleeding.

charlotte was born at 24 weeks. seeing her totally formed was the happiest moment of my life. human being with a desire to live. support late term abortions, look at my daughter. kay hagan is too extreme. >> it goes back to the human of what this is about. i caller a while ago, a sounding woman from

said she did not believe in abortion. most people do not believe it to choose an e abortion at that stage. we it in linear out in human en you put it terms it becomes more real. we are talking about a human being with a soul, with a will, a life, with a reason and are helping ive. we a decision for your never fe, in a way you knew could be good.

>> bill from new mexico. >> during my lifetime we have nixon, reagan, two george come they didn't come id of abortion? how they are anti women? to they were not able restrict abortion because of wade. there is no terms of imit in legal up . in dc it is birth. most ment of there should ieve is a me compromise. there consensus, about 20 weeks. that is embraced by democrats and young women too.

we can agree hing start that we can talking about real policy just throw bombs at each other. >> i had three different issues. people issue is that what to think of a path. realize about the government shutdown -- have been working on

here for twenty government have seen shutdowns used for every issue. power does not want to be brought to their knees. but, of course, it's always a debate about whose fault it is. the question comes down to two controls the power and who leverages the issues well enough. host: james, good morning. caller: we're running a pretty hotly-contested race and i've been noticing a lot of local articles. we got a strong right to life movement here. and there's no -- there is no answer to this question, you know, when a child becomes a human or whatever or an embryo or whatever. there noise answer to it.

and they just use it. they've been running ads saying if you're a christian and your mber one priority is to -- guest: well, my mind changed mainly because -- well, what is that thing? is it human? is it not human? is it a bird? no. it is definitely human. but one thing most people are clear on is by the time it gets to halfway through pregnancy, everyone knows it's human. they've seen son grams since their brothers and sisters were babies. they know it's a baby. so that's why at that five-month 20-week mark, it makes total

sense for our candidates to be advocating it and it makes sense for our opponents to worry about talking about it and it makes sense for our nation to pass something like that. host: there's a story in the "new york times" this morning talking about dem cat's talking bout supportive women. she has not backed off her support of a personhood amendment confirming constitutional rights at conception. how does your group respond to that? is that a topic of yours? guest: we do not work on the personhood issue. i don't oppose to it. it does means that life is protected from the moment of erception. i think the language on her website is really good. i think it reflects why she is

why way and as a mother and she is the all the things that she is. and she may believe that as many pro-life people do in terms of the person hood but she also knows that when she is a u.s. senator, she will be called to watch on the bill. and that is where the country is in terms of conversation. so to bring up something that is not where we are isn't speaking to reality and it's very important that we really "talk" what we're really talking about, which is whether we pass this bill or not. i think the wail women candidates have been attacked that will pro-life is very interesting. they can't say that they're anti-woman. they can say that they're extreme because they are women. but it sets up a perfect case for people like joanie ernst and people like mimi walters who are

some of our candidates out there to communicate how they are a whole person. they are women and so they're unique but they also have other things going on in their lives. they are farmers. they are mothers. they are wives. they are many things. and to speak only to their reproductive organs as the only thing that they're interested in is insulting. i'm saying this i think and the pro-life issue is the most important issue out there but i understand being spoken to as a whole human being is important for women and they should be. host: you probably know the name of elise hoke. she was on our program last month. talked about attacks on women's reproductive rights as they are. showed a little bit of that conversation and get your response. caller: ok. >> it would say no women should be punished because of her zip corksd because of where she lives in terms of access to

abortion, contraception. that would be the federal priority. the will as i said of american people is not being served by these extreme governors and extreme statehouse. so the women's health protection act is a big priority but we're really focused on the states in undoing some of the damage that's been done over the last few years. caller: well, i would say it's always good from my perspective when that poigs arc dated because it is not the tide of right now. they should be involved in that position and if there's a sonogram performed, that the woman will showed the sonogram

that was just done. that there will be a limit at that five-month mark again. these are very reasonable and the difference is -- it's important, at some point in these debates to define what the difference is. the difference is in what she was describe is there are not two people to consider and there are never 2 people to consider until maybe the birth of a child. most people think that there are two people to consider in this issue, at least at some point. so there's a mother and a child. they both deserve our protection, love, concern, care, at least our deliberation about what they might need at any given point. that's the key difference and that's what america is really saying. that's why they're passing this legislation. and that's why they will be voting on that not too long from now. host: marjorie dannenfelser of a the susan b. anthony is our guest. up next, a surge from indiana. independent line. go ahead.

caller: yes, sir. my thing is the debate over -- tion is highly polarized it is being exploited politically. has a the government on onsibility to base it on science. and that would be the fetal nervous system development. and basically, that's my point. host: you're breaking up a little. sorry about that. guest: it's a point well taken. it is the premise of the pain capable five-month bill and that's why it's passing everywhere. and i think your point about it being polarized and used as partisan battling ground is important. sometimes it is. sometimes it isn't depending on

your prospective and how you want to use that issue. but it is something that transcends partisan boundaries. it transcends pretty much you will the boundary lines when -- in our daily conversations. t is not just political. that's why -- it's when an issue like this becomes political only when there is great unrest in the nation over not having come to some common ground on. and the reason that we have not been able to that since 1973 is that the court's position on it has -- in 1973, began with you may have no restriction up until birth. now, and still, even now, there is no federal restriction at any anoint gestation. so the important thing in

meeting that frustration and that contentiousness is to be able to get to that point in science and certainly, through the political process because it was a gift of our founders to get to that point where we can make some resolution. not everybody will be pleased but we will have made some progress. that is why this whole three-pronged government was set up. it was set up to resolve things just like this. host: from texas, ulysses on our democrats line. you're next. ulysses, are you there? caller: yes. host: go ahead. all for having a baby that would be any woman that has a baby becomes a baby but what happens to the baby that -- her and everybody in her

party or whatever cuts everything that pertains to the baby. he's on his own once he pops out. but as long as he's in the womb, they're all for it. hey, save that baby. but when that baby pops out, let him go. why not let it just be to the mother and her doctor and her conscience whether she wants to have an abortion or not? guest: well, let me just challenge an assumption that you have and that is that folks like me who thinks that children ought to be born don't have care once they're here. i think every part of the human process, every stage of it, we should be supporting each other all along the way. and you never say that about a disabled child that was born or anybody that was born. you wouldn't say that somebody who was weak and in a very difficult position that it's better off that we don't have

them and they should just die. and we would say it's up to us to be supporting each other and helping each other. so the difference is how we view that person who is not yet been born. and what's changing, especially among young people and definitely women, is that they don't see that big of a difference between the humanity of that person at around six, seven months and two months after. i mean it's only out of sight, out of mind, out of arms. and so, the disabled child, the child born into poverty was sent with a purpose that none of us have and will never be repeated again, that human being, deserves our love, support, and all of the networks that are already set up that are there to help unplanned pregnancies for women and also to support their children after they are born. and i'm referring to the very large network of pregnancy care centers and the great care that is provided after that.

it's an untold story that is really the front line of the pro-life movement. host: where are we in the number of a abortions per year? guest: it's gone down a little bit and it's probably 800,000 a year which is about 3,000 per day. so 3,000 per day means that there's something really gotten into the consciousness and the conscience of the nation. meaning we're so used to it as a tool for population control. and what's changing is the -- as i said, in people's mind, the view of what is happening in abortion, the hard part is that out of sight out of mind. it's not a child that's running up to you. it's a child who is about to be born. and so we have our challenge on our hands to talk about the humanity of that person. that's why that ad is so important and to be a fellow traveler.