his portfolios to bear, and prominent member of the australian parliament. let me sit down and get this conversation going. the panelists do not have prepared comments. what i will do is ask them questions down the line. but just to make it as informal as possible, if you see, even in this opening round, one of the speakers said something you'd like to comment on, feel free to jump in and we'll do it in a little less formal fashion. so, for caroline, how much of a legacy moment is this for the president? how does the president see this in the context of everything else he is trying to get done in the world, and how are you going

to get democratic members of congress to give you the backing you need to get i through? i think i'm right that's more of a question at the moment than it is republican. ms. atkinson: well, thanks very much, fred, and i want to say even though these are not formal remarks, thanks for your leadership in having this session and with all these terrific panel members. i believe this is a really important moment. of course for the president and the president's legacy, but more important, for america and american leadership around the world. this notion that you expressed of trade that will link our allies and partners covering 2/3 of global gdp, with setting standards by which trade will be conducted in this enormous area, first in asia, the fastest growing region in the world, and then with europe with our allies, is an important moment both for your economy, because it will be good for american workers and companies, and others, and consumers, but also for our leadership in the world. you mentioned about democrats, and you pointed out at the

beginning that there was a bipartisan bill introduced last week. overnight, the senate finance committee reported out a markup of tpa and trade promotion authority and other bills with a 20-6 majority, which is very strong. >> congratulations. ms. atkinson: thank you. so, many people working very hard on this. so, including the president. so i think we have seen the president's leadership. he was been very clear, very much out there arguing for why this is a good deal for america. it's also very important for everybody in america, and for our allies and partners. >> so talk to me about -- more about that bill, and then we'll get the geopolitical arguments. if you look at the 20-6 vote obviously that's not a vote for tpp. it's a vote for tpa.

what will be harder in the tpp transpacific partnership snow who does one have to convince and what are the most important arguments both for workers of america, and how do the -- it's very interesting, most often administrations make economic arguments around trade. we're talking now about national security arguments, geopolitical arguments. talk about who needs to be convinced, what are the questions about tpp that need to be satisfied and how does the geopolitical argument work. ms. atkinson: i think the first argument is an economic one. so, people need to be satisfied that tpp will be good for america and will be good for american workers and american families. we believe and the president believes it will be. we know that exports support in our economy, 11 million jobs. we know that export growth has accounted for a third of the growth we have had since the crisis in 2009, and research

shows that jobs supported by exports tend to be better paid than other jobs, by as much as 18% more than other jobs. so all of these elements are ones that are very good for american families. beyond that, the tpp itself includes not just market access but a wide range of so-called disciplines that will spread from our values and standards on labor, labor rights, on the environment, on protection of intellectual property, which helps to promote innovation that americas the american economy strong and other areas that will make if much more than an ordinary free trade agreement. it's being referred to as a progressive trade agreement. in the sense that it supports

american values. so the economic argument -- americans need to be convinced this guess for them, and actually recent polling suggests that a majority of american does believe that exports are good for them and that trade can be good for them. but of course, there is a lot of concern about globalization stagnant wages. those concerns are real, which is partly why we need to make sure that we are in the lead establishing a level playing field. we believe once we have that level playing field through the rules, america can do well and can beat the other countries in terms of being able to sell our goods. on the geostrategic, which links with the economy, first of all, the products we make and sell the openness of our economy, kim was speaking earlier how much american investment there is in asia.

all of these packets of our economy help to build our partnerships with other countries strengthens those partnerships. at the same time our leadership in developing and promoting and working with others on the agreement, helps to strengthen and deepen those ties, and if you allow me -- we'll hear from our nation's chief diplomat on this, but i would like to remind everybody of what the secretary of defense, ash carter, says just a couple of weeks ago itch he asked to choose between pp and an aircraft carrier, we choose tpp. from his strategic perspective how to keep america safe and strong. >> but wouldn't be able to land jets on that. ms. atkinson: he can do more

than land jets on it. tpp does more than that. >> that's a good segue to the general. how do the marines feel about the choice between aircraft carriers and tpp and that's kind of a frivolous, but underlying serious question, you gave a speech to the national defense industry -- industrial association where you said that the administration should broaden the national security council's role to encompass more energy matters. we not looking comprehensive enough at first how we define national security and how we use our national security tools, and to this grabs nicely off of the aircraft carrier tpp. general jones: i think this is

really an exciting time. i am fully enthusiastic about what the administration is trying to do here. we have great u.s. trade rep, in mike froman, and secretary's use of commercial diplomacy is one of the bright things that really going on in our approach to world affairs. i think it recognizes we made the transition from 20th century problem-solving to 21st 21st century problem. the 20th century was a bipolar century. in the 21st century, globalization is the reality, and the relationship particularly in this country between the and can private sector is on a course of convergence versus divergence. one of the sectors that is universally admired and recognize it is the american private sector, and when you think about the developing world and the growth of africa and what is going on, even dealing

with the problems of mr. putin is causing, a large part of the solutions are economic. when you think about it. energy security is something i've been convinced is not only going to be one of the united states' strongest hold cards inside the future but a way of showing leader palestine a more globalized world that recognizes the important changes between the two centuries. this century's problems are going to be solved not just by aircraft carriers and troops i think the formula is obviously you have to have security before you can have domestic development, but security and economic development and rule of law applied to each individual problem can bring about and prevent future conflicts, future

afghanistans, future iraqs. it's a lot cheaper. it's also a way in which you can answer the radical threats it face us by showing families around the worlds, through the use of the internet and social media, that there are better ways and there are brighter opportunities for their families and their children, and the economic trade issues that we're bringing to the fore now are indicative of the kind of potential the united states can unleash with it tremendous private sector. so the coming together of organizations like this, like the national security council to encompass a much broader response to what are the

traditional threats, the secretary of commerce's aggressive program, the u.s. work. i think this is really the way of the future. i'm very excited by the potential. >> drill down on that a little bit, particularly in the energy sector which you talk a lot about and quite passionate about. the transatlantic trade investment partnership, tpp, what could that mean for expanded access to suddenly plentiful american energy for our partners? how do we use energy as national security tool? this may come back to you, caroline, because many of our allies would like an energy charter which is not on -- also they would like to have finance but that's another issue. should an energy charter be in this? is the u.s. open to that? for caroline, and then to you.

general jones: i think that the way we use energy and the way we see energy in the future has to be a global approach. it can't just -- i cringe a little bit when i hear the term -- that energy is -- we have ours and everybody else is kind of on their own. i think that the difference between the russian president's position, which tends to use energy as a weapon, and ours is completely different should be completely different. we can use energy and our good fortune in energy and our technology to help developing countries skip the pollution stage of energy. sharing technology providing american leadership, and leadership of our friends and allies holistically to help jumpstart economies from struggling economies all over the world. you need energy. those who have it are blessed.

those who don't need it. and to me, an enlightened american foreign policy should include the ways in which we'll try to make energy and climate an issue that is -- that typifies all of the best qualities of american leadership. i believe part of the -- particularly where europe is concerned that europeans become less dependent and give them a choice. there are exciting projects discussed. the atlantic council has been involving at least 13 different countries, which if it comes to pass will have a u.s.-european transatlantic partnership on using energy -- to greater

influence on a geo sheep problem that mr. putin knees to pay a -- needs to pay a price for strategically. >> the report is on our website atlanticcouncil.org. general jones is on the chair. a question, caroline? ms. atkinson: i would pick up on what the general said, which is that we need to do and we are working on with energy and climate, seeing that as part of our general and national security and international work. and so this is part of the global economy and we are

already seeing it in that integrated fashion, and we are working intensively with china on climate and clean energy and the linke there, sharing technology and we are working with india and other countries especially on how to work towards this stage, as the general is pointing out. so the department of energy licenses, they have a very large quantities, and it depends on the private sector. and we also have a link with countries that have a pre-trade agreement, if these agreements get done, so that will expand the most automatic licenses for

projects in those regions. we have worked a lot with europe in the last 15 months and there is a g-7 energy track with ministers. and we have also worked with in europe, especially in some parts of europe there is room for energy efficiency and room for breaking down the european energy market. at the moment spain does not send the gas into europe because there is no way to transmit it. so they put it onto asia. so we have wind power in the north sea that cannot get to where it's needed in the south. so there are many issues and we certainly believe in promoting a strong global market for oil and gas and other energy and of course the green energy as well. >> at this point there is not a particular need. >> yes, exactly.

mr. kempe: ok, draw upon your career in government, talk about both about the national security objectives that are locked in with trade agreements and perhaps you can also talk about how hard it is to get these deals done. and she said they had no idea what they are getting into, and it takes a huge amount of effort and a huge amount of concentration to push one of these quite ambitious situations through. >> let me congratulate you and the atlantic council for bringing us together.

because the focus this morning is not just on economics which i think is quite important, but it's pointing out how these trade agreements are really absolutely crucial for our national security and let me start with that one. because obviously there are the political elements, because trade, economic standing, it's so integral and interwoven with the military standing and the ability to show strength and to be able to achieve one's national security objectives. i remember when admiral mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs, had said that we have to worry greatly about our economy. and the integration here is not just about the aircraft carrier and that matters, but it is also about your economic standing and what impact that has. so let me mention two others that are sometimes often

forgotten, and caroline referred to the importance of values and standards and here there is also a paradigm that has been established and again, it is interwoven with other paradigms, military alliances and what they mean, but not just only that but also the kinds of humanitarian alliances that you have and the rule of law and the values that we have, oftentimes with the global challenges that we have around the world, you know, it does contribute in this case to the international global order to that paradigm. and then there is one that i would put forth and that is one that we look at and also audiences in asia and europe and that is how you build a consensus at home. if you are able to ulster your

economy, that leads to greater consensus in the arena, and that has been a challenge for us in the in terms of trying to galvanize that support and point out that stake that we have in events abroad. i believe strongly that these elements are interwoven, if we go forward, if we have the agreement, it bolsters this end and turn it helps to build a consensus at home for dealing with national security challenges abroad. mr. kempe: so you see a direct connection taking this a step too far between the conclusive and the strengthening of nato.

ms. dobriansky: there are direct connections and we know in regard to this one of the mandates we want to see is greater burden sharing and towards that and if you bolster the economy, you're going to have resources to be devoted in the national security area as well as a deepening of things and there is a challenge here to the alliance. so this can only undergird our strength and our foundation of strength and not just in the military but economically. even basic questions of transport. so when you think down to the details, these trade agreements can have a great impact. and i think that the important element here is the fact that europe is looking at a diversified approach, and i think that in that sense that only adds value, and it is interconnected clearly with the agreement. so it's a win-win situation. the other part of your question is very difficult. i had it from the other side of the ledger that caroline mentioned, labor and

environment, i spent my time when i was in government in dealing with environmental issues, which were interwoven in these questions. but let me just say that it is doable and it requires patience and it requires being able to listen, not only to put forth your own objectives, but also to listen and you have to have give and take. and i firmly believe that these agreements in the end even with the kind of give-and-take of challenges that exist like in the agricultural area, the bottom line is that everyone realizes who'll be around the table and who is around the table and they realized that you give this here, but you get benefits there. so patience, leadership, a multilateral perspective and of course looking at your own interests and also i think also

two other important aspects. i think the executive-legislative relationship matters and i also think the ngo community and business community matters. so in that sense in terms of this, it matters greatly because you have to have the voice of the business community and also the nongovernmental community. patience and openness really matters. mr. kempe: i am just going to be part of the panelists for 30 seconds to agree. to add one other thing and that is 15 years of europe having had half the rate of growth in the u.s. is actually not good for us and it's not good for our security or geopolitics. so we are seeing potentially more resistance to the ttip in europe than in the u.s.

the director of our global economics program is pushing forward to the growth initiative as not just this but a national security story and since you have been appointed here, you have been a strong supporter of free trade and concluded agreements with japan and korea and most interestingly with china. that is where i want to go with this question, with the asia pacific economy growing faster than any part of the world, how have these trade agreements benefit australia, but you already have this bilateral agreement with the u.s. and so why do you need ttp and then what do you do about china? and that part of ttp? ambassador beaz;eu"ley: that's a

totally different plan. we are going in place the asian nations that love organizing the trade agreements between them. and i think the three that we have negotiated with with korea and japan and china are more exciting. but partly what is driven with by the education that is being delivered in the countries and the region following what has been part of the ttp and getting an understanding of how much more they ought to be including in their trade agreements. the second point is that trade between this country and the asian region is intention and the character has driven asian prosperity. it is self-generating to a considerable degree. one of the things that i point out is this -- currently your rate of manufactured goods is

1.5%. what does that tell you question mark -- what does that tell you ?these are part of the debates. you have driven the prosperity of those countries come to now you actually have an opportunity to cut -- to get something back yourself. that is part of what has been bound up for the tpp, but it is not the argument. the argument is that asia was excluded in effect from the sinking of the arrangements that were in place since world war ii. the united it finally cracked open the restriction and started to introduce a level of principle into the way in which the trading arrangements were done. that is what came through with the wto applied in asia.

the chinese and prostrate work prostrate at the end of the world. now there is a chance for asian people to participate in role setting. when the tpp goes through, and i believe the will, with the extraordinarily superior character of the rules being put in place, e-commerce protection, removal of restrictions on activities associated with the first reset, not just manufacturing and agriculture, a range of those sorts of things coming in through that tpp, that will be the potential for the asia-pacific region. and strategic significance is it will be a standard to which all will repair. the small number of nations, a

very substantial economies come negotiating in it now. after it is put in place them many of the countries in the region will have as a first order of priority, and i include china, working out ways in which they might lays themselves within it. in terms of the strategic positions here, that is the american interest, if you like. this is not gaming up on the chinese. this is putting in place of the that white say a real difference in the way in which the burgeoning trade of asia is conducted to introduce to center will rules and integrity and the rest of it. there's one everything i would to say. we look at security differently from you. the starting point is not who can -- contains whom come at how strong is our printable ally -- principal ally? i first gave public evidence

here to your foreign trade commission, a couple of weeks after i arrived, and i said the happiness the prosperity, the health of the united states and in particular the american middle class is in the australian national interest. the american middle class has been smashed him in the american economy for years has been driven by domestic consumption by the american middle class. a combination of technology come to combination any of the effects of other trade agreements, the changes in laws, a whole range of things have contributed to that. a sickly i would identify changes in technology that the american middle class experience is not unique. what is going to give them a chance to drive prosperity and income growth in the future? there's only one thing, the

acquisition of access, the product you produce to another middle class. in asia that now stands at $580 million. in 10 years time, it will be $10 billion. it will be 60% of the world's middle class. if you can access that fairly, you will prosper. you will not prosper if you cannot. mr. kempe: that is wonderful mr. ambassador. it's rare that you have someone that is both a defense minister and finance minister. and so you heard him speaking as both. for those of you who are tweeting, happiness of america is in australia's national interest. could you drill down deeper as defense minister, does tpp reassure asian allies and do they need that sort of reassurance now?

ambassador beazley: you know, in asia, we like to see this. and i often do point out this and you have great courage where you are hated and your stick around -- use the ground. the more you experience is -- let's leave the north koreans out of this, but the worst you experience in the reason -- region is a quizzical, cautious skepticism by the chinese, and that ranges through to outright love in australia, and everybody is in between those two markets. so the area is very accepting of u.s. leadership. it is also very understanding of the value that the united states has been to the region in terms of the product being exported to

the united states. the experience in the region of american companies is ok. you got $650 billion invested in australia directly and indirectly, which is twice what you have invested in china. we got $470 billion invested in you, rising $30 billion you, and that is 30 times what we have invested in china. those sorts of stories the notion that you are disconnected from this is a nonsense, of course. what you have not done is put the intellectual effort into it. you put intellectual effort into europe. you put effort into japan, and we will see in the next couple of years a different sort of japan from what we have been used but also based on what you have been prepared to do with them, but you have not nearly put that effort into that

southeast asia and south asia. more important than that, make the rules right. make the rules. there are no rules. there are agreements. and get a set of rules so the region can connect to. there has to be a principalle behind them. mr. kempe: let me go back and ask if general jones has any other suggestions. ms. atkinson: yes, i want to jump in and thank you for your terrific explanation about happiness, and that is what drives me. two points. the first is that he is absolutely right about how welcoming and important it is to establish rules and norms and standards. and it has been put into that

and it will come to fruition when we are able to close this on the basis of a strong bipartisan support, which goes to this functioning. the other thing is that if we do not do this, and i agree with you that i believe this will happen if one imagines not going forward, the world would not stay the same. it is going to turn into 3 billion in 10 years time, 95% of the world's consumers are outside of america. they will go on without the rules and norms that we have whatever we do. if we are there, helping to set the rules with them, working with them to set the norms and standards, to set the level

playing field, then we are showing leadership. if we are not there, that would he a great absence, which i agree with not make us less happy, but those nations also. mr. kempe: in terms of windows windows windows windows windows a lot of things happened in the fourth quarter. we believe this is the moment for this one. i want to agree this is the window of opportunity, and i wanted to inject two words that i have not heard in the conversation, peace and

stability, because we're talking about stability. here as i was hearing you speak of that is also what undergirds all of this, because when you do have a paradigm you have rules and you have in order here, it is only going to contribute to that, and it will counter conflicts, conflicts that can arise when you do not have been. mr. kempe: general jones, i was surprised to your answer to a question i ask him a which is, what keeps you up at night? you did not say weapons of mass distraction. you said mask competitiveness. is this part of that piece? general jones: that answer vocalizes my believe that as you transition into this century and legitimate strategic

question that we should be asking ourselves is where do you want to be in 2050. 1945 we chartered a course that got us to the year 2000 with some success. and i think the driver to that position in 2050 are different than they were in the 20th century. it is not as one-sided as he used to be, it is not the problem on -- province of the defense department and a little but of the national security council. it has a lot to do with our energy department, our secretary of commerce, and just the whole of government approach. and i think this transition of how we make all of these pieces work more -- in greater cohesion, and to understand that this century is not about any one department solving any particular problem, it is much

more complex than that. and the problems arrived at in waves now that we have not seen before. you build a world in the 20th century to deal with problems, serious problems, but with a sense of order, and we had built the institutions that have dealt with those problems, and there is a sense of water as well. this world is more disordered. we have to deal with, not only with the national community of nations, but also nonstate actors in the evolution and the importance of organized crime and drugs and illegal trafficking of arms and human trafficking, terrorism, and everything else, and these people are working much more closely together. the way we respond has to be much more holistic. and i think one of the things that i hope comes as result of

this period is a reaffirmation of america's commitment to do what it can to lead and also convey the image that we are all in this together. and that the day where you can just throw it to the u.s. and say, ok, you guys exit, those days are probably gone, and that is probably a good thing. so i think there is a norm is opportunity, and this is a time and a moment where our friends and allies and the united states can work together and really adopt a spirit of what i would call conflict prevention. how do you prevent these things from happening? if you can get to that point, the investments you make will be a lot cheaper, and you will really i think strike a blow

against radicalism wherever it manifests itself, because at the end of the day come if you can show people there is a better future by using the to tell it the totality of your assets, your energy, your private sector might, and with the public-private partnership we are increasingly talking about where the united states it is -- united states is concerned, you can do amazing things in the century come in the century, and by 2050 the position of the united take in the terms of affecting things in the globe are going to be secure. mr. kempe: thank you very much for that. please identify your questions. >> i guess my question is for the whole panel. given the importance of this trade agenda social security agenda, are we going to use it as an opportunity to fix our own

agricultural problems, with our subsidies, local content requirements? many things that are actually in violations of the rules which make it difficult to change and i think that that would actually help the sense that we are in this together and there is a free and fair global trading system. mr. kempe: also will what role agricultural situations will play. ms. atkinson: agriculture is playing an important role and we look forward to getting american farmers to be big supporters of trade in many ways. we have to -- with europe we share similar economic structures, and what is particularly important about that agreement will be the rules and standards based on values

and understanding in the field of agriculture that we have science-based regulation. i don't want to get into the details of how we might be negotiating on some of the different topics. but i believe that we have very strong and ambitious negotiators and very good negotiators on the other side come and the commissioner really believes in making a good deal. and a good deal that we have to recognize has to be good in the end for both sides, and you have to believe that there is a whole that is in everyone's interest. mr. kempe: you are a wise public servant. >> thank you very much.

and thank you for putting this panel together. as someone who worked in the clinton white house the last time a democratic president tried to get fast-track through, i know how difficult this can be. newt gingrich was unable to muster a majority in favor of fast-track and it had to be pulled in 1997 before a vote and it went down in defeat. so facing the difficult congressional agenda today, you are faced with the fact that senator obama voted against cafta in 2005. how do you address those that

-- address that? ms. atkinson: i think that the president has addressed the remarks that he made about trento. and what we are doing is improving on trade deals. you know, you learn as you go along and never before have environmental standards been included as part of the trade agreement. ambassador beazley referred to as all of the modern nature of this agreement that is being negotiated with the asia pacific and of course the politics are difficult, because when middle-class families have been disappointed and given stagnant wages for a long time, they are looking for what is going to make life better. we believe this will make life better but we understand this has been a difficult time. the president came in with a terrible financial crisis. so i think our own -- this

agreement is different from previous agreements. this is a better and stronger agreement. it may not read the final state of the arts. no doubt things could change in the future and will require even more improvement. but this is a step change from previous agreements including ranging from vietnam to japan but in its scope of areas it addresses. ambassador beazley: i think i heard the president trying to articulate as well, the u.s. has already given us thought, in terms of the relationships not simply with the countries appear, but you have to remember that it's not as important as

the outside. and that is, it is the rules that ultimately impact them that will really count. so what we have is a cracking open with others left in place. most that matter, in the manufacturing, this is your one chance to get into other folk's situationss as they are into yours. if it falls apart, it does not mean that trade agreements go away. q not ask me what these initials me. we are involved in the negotiation -- which is by no means that comprehensive character of the rules concerned, but will be in the tpp, but will be the rules that going to place.

these will disappear. it will reemerge probably about four or five years from now on the initiative with the chinese and their idea of a free trade agreement with the asia-pacific region. this is the last chance. mr. kempe: general jones? general jones: one of the most interesting things about was asked to do during my time as national security advisor was to meet a delegation composed of the secretary of defense and secretary of state, the secretary of commerce to capitol hill to meet with the congressional leaders on both sides, to talk about the importance of u.s. control reforms. and it's not something that you would typically associate with a national security advisor. but it gives us some insight into what the president is thinking even back in 2009 about the urgency of doing that kind of thing. i think that this is an opportunity for congress to do what is in the best interests of

the american people. i think that most americans favored trade and free trade opportunity, growth, and they don't approve of anything that gets in the way and we have a lot of things that i think the congress can get together on to make it easier for the private sector to compete and enter the markets and so on and so forth, and also to make other countries willing to invest in the united states. it was announced not long ago in an attempt to invest her to $5 -- $35 billion into the united states, that is remarkable and we are working to try to make sure that when that happens they get a fair return on their investments, that it also helps where we need help and perhaps

reviving our infrastructure and so on and so far, it has really been an important not only economic issue, but a geopolitical strategic issue and an international security issue. mr. kempe: thank you, general. mr. kempe: thank you, general. let me go here as i saw these questions first. and i will pick up both of those questions. >> thank you, chairman. my question about the aid, the chairman proposed it, how do you explain that the administration handling that your closest

allies, germany, france, all joined the bank in defiance of the u.s. government's position? thank you. >> that question you can comment on as well. >> if i may, in a private conversation, the china policy is based on two words, greed and fear. and that was reported by the media. how do you explain that? thank you. mr. kempe: let me turn to the second question and this may have to be our final round. >> sort of a follow-up. just to delineate differences between some of the other games

in town and the u.s. tpp. >> please identify yourself. >> tobias burns from northwest university. ms. atkinson: first of all, i want to repeat what the treasury secretary has said. that we welcome this in infrastructure and asia and we see that there is a great need for it, we are encouraging the existing institution and the asian development bank, not just to move forward with their own plans for infrastructure, but to work with the asian infrastructure bank when it is established. we have to maintain that it is important that this bank complement the existing institution and that it is, if it is to be useful for borrowers

that it has high standards of procurement, governance, for the infrastructure projects that are put in place, and we would like to see active discussions along these lines. we believe that it is important that this bank works with the other institutions and the other institutions work with it and that we are continuing to be engaged with china in that we are laying out what we feel is important for standards. mr. kempe: before you go there do you have thoughts on this? we have christine lagarde, the imf chief here, she was actually pretty embracing and thought that this could be brought together with what they and others are doing and could be of additional value. ambassador beazley: you know,

when you are dealing with a situation like this, from time to time you do have to make way to see what we have to offer in terms of any thoughts that they may have and the way in which global financial institutions and the like should be conducted. i think that the main point here is to ensure that as it is developed that it does not include governments associated with arrangements in the region. and i think that the american position outside of the negotiation, our inside, and the europeans and others, is to try to get into the structure before this is finally settled. there are sorts of standards that will give you a level of confidence that what could be a instrument of financial

importance and it ought to be put out in this way. is very much a work in progress come from what we can see can the pressures from inside and outside are causing beijing to adjust quite a bit. but government arrangements they are putting in place for the bank. so i think something much more interesting and a great deal better than initial offers will be created out of that process. you asked me about fear and greed come and i will guard my -- i thank god my private conversations will not be broadcast to the rest of the world, because most of them would have meant my political demise a lot earlier than it would have happened. and greed and fear, it has to be said, are very strong motives in human intercourse and in relations between nations. i think we have a different

view, actually. we see the rise of china in the region as positive in principle, positive in the possibilities it offers for financial prosperity in the asian region. it does not mean we accept all the judgments that are made, and emanating from beijing regarding the security interests in that region, nor the economic interests in the region. the chances are that it will be a much better discourse than otherwise. mr. kempe: you had a part? general jones do either of you want to make a final comment? i want to thank our panelist here. this was a really rich discussion. there were many more questions that people would have liked to

ask. i'm going to ask you all to remain in your seats for short time. the security detail has asked us to ask you to do that while we change the stage and rearrange the stage, and then in a few minutes, secretary kerry will join us. before we go off, i want to salute the team, that not only puts together this, but also is putting together worked in this space can argue initiative in trade and security and our business coalitions, and that is andrea workman -- andrea the director, and deputy garrett mary, this is just an incredible can do team. i want to thank very much to the panel. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> the white house

correspondents dinner for years the kinner has been held. ahead of it they're preparing for the arile of the president, the first lady and guests. we spoke with the general manager about the preparations. >> that evening, our staff is approximately 1,000 team members in the hotel. about 700 full time maybe about 300 on call banqueter ise servers. that evening clst about 700 staff on site. we have about 50 managers that serve as human greeters throughout the building to get everybody where they need to go. and then we actually have three folks that do nothing but focus on tying bow ties for people. you wouldn't believe the number of people that don't know how to tie a bow tie. >> some of the staffers, i understand, have worked here several times in the past years. like the chef.

>> our executive chef, andre cotay, this will be his 11th daner. he started working for us 11 years ago and his first night works was for the cor pondents' dinner. and we have one employee who has served -- served all 47 dinners. >> tell us about the men jew. last -- menu. there's a process in choosing it, what is it this year? >> the menu is very unique every year. we're looking to source local ingredients as much as possible from within 150 miles of the hotel but honestly we're really interested in what is going to serve well for 2,600 people in a ballroom knowing the time constraints and the schedule, it involved secret service timing, the show timing of the event all of that.

it's what holds well and what will be fresh and hot when it's in front of the guest. >> and day of, how early does the kitchen staff start preparing? >> the kitchen staff beginning preparing a day or so in advance. there's some ingredients we're working on a few days in advance, stock and things like that the day of, they're on site about 4:00 a.m. beginning that final preparation process. >> the white house correspondents association dinner saturday night at the washington hilton. our coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern, live here on c-span. and sunday on c-span, ohio senator sherd brown, the top democrat on the -- sherrod brown, the top democrat on the banking committee and why he opposes fast track trade authority. he's our guest on "newsmakers," sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern. >> she was considered modern for

her time called mrs. president by her detractors, and was outspoken about her views on slavery and women's rights. as one of the most prolific writers of any first lady, she provides a unique look into colonial america and her personal life. abigail adams on c-span's series "first ladies: influence and image," examining the women who have served and their influence on the presidency, from martha washington to michelle obama. as a complement to the series, c-span use -- c-span's new book now available "first ladies." creating an illuminating, inspiring read. it's available as hard cover or e-book through your favorite bookstore or online book seller.

>> the senate confirmed loretta lynch as attorney general yesterday. she'll be sworn in monday. this makes today eric holder's last weekday on the job. on this morning's "washington journal" we asked viewers their opinion of his tenure as the nation's top law enforcement officer. . we are talking about eric holder and his six years as attorney general. mcconnell whipped for lynch mitch mcconnell worked to round up more than 60 votes to end the filibuster of loretta lynch. he held up her confirmation vote for weeks. mcconnell worked to ensure she would overcome a filibuster, pitting him against ted cruz and other conservatives.

some same o'connell wanted to avoid a battle over the nuclear option. the tactic henry reed employed to reduce the threshold for ending a filibuster from 60 votes to a simple majority. one lawmaker said mitch mcconnell talk to colleagues about voting to advance lynch to a final up or down vote. in the washington times is this op-ed. in 2014, they came out with a book called "obama's enforcer." here is a little bit from this op-ed. as eric holder departs, he leaves behind a justice department that has been politicized to an unprecedented degree. they are obligated to enforce the law in an unbiased manner.

they must image straight regard for the best interests of the public and to uphold the constitution and laws of the united states. prior attorneys of both political parties have fulfilled that duty to the highest standards. not eric holder. they write -- mr. holder's failure to uphold the laws is a particularly acute betrayal of the standard that applies to the attorney general. instead of acting as the chief law enforcement officer, he has acted as the political lawyer of an overly partisan president. perhaps that is why he has one of the lowest approval ratings of any public official. here are some of the issues eric holder faced. same-sex marriage, voting rights

act and voter id laws, criminal justice reform, civil rights, the 2008 financial crisis, and drove attacks. those are some issues he faced. (202) 748-8000 if you approve as his -- if you approve of his performance as a turn i -- as attorney general. (202) 748-8001 if you disapprove. guest:caller: i approve of his performance. he is trying to hold certain people's feed to the fire. he is trying to bring attention to issues that some, in the conservative white community want to ignore. he tries to bring issues like

police brutality, voting rights, disparities in the justice system. i can speak as a 50-year-old black man that there are some within the conservative white community that do not want these issues to be brought to the attention. the attorney general has done a good job. host: this is brian, potomac maryland. go ahead. caller: good morning. i am a liberal democrat. i am hopeful hillary will be our next president. i voted for president obama twice in the general election. it is great mr. hagel is no longer secretary of defense, but my least, the cabinet member of president obama that i disproved

of most -- that i disapproved of most was eric holder. i was a huge supporter of bill clinton. eric holder had difficulty with some of the pardons at the end -- and i am not going to take that out on obama or holder however, holder represents -- and i am sensitive to what he says. host: what is it about eric holder you disapprove of? caller: he is an establishment guy. it is important to have someone of color. i am glad loretta lynch got through. eric holder was the one behind

all of the establishment resistance to getting rid of guantanamo and all of the things after the bush cheney policies, now we have this disaster on the other side. it is like these -- and i am not one of these rand paul/ron paul libertarians. his chief law enforcement officer should have enforced it. host: let's leave it there. thank you for calling in. in 2013, the voting rights act was on the table. [video clip] attorney general holder: it in validated a part of the voting rights act, a cornerstone of american civil rights law.

i am deeply disappointed with the court's decision in this matter. it is a setback for voting rights and will negatively affect millions of americans across the country. since its passage in 1965, the act has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in congress as well as the executive branch. after hearings, sections four and five of this law were reauthorized, most recently in 2006. just seven years ago. it had unanimous support of the senate and near unanimous support of the house of representatives. this is a legislative function and responsibility that the constitution gave to congress.

the last reauthorization was signed into law by president george w. bush. prior reauthorizations had been signed by ford, reagan, and next in. -- and nixon. host: a little bit from eric holder on the voter rights act. his team's balancing act often aligns with police. he has supported police officers every time an excessive force case has made its way to arguments, even as it has opened more than 20 civil rights investigations into law enforcement practices. the justice department has made it harder to sue police and give officers more discretion about when to fire guns. police groups see mr. holder as

an ally. that has rankled civil rights lawyers, who say the government can have a greater effect on policing by interpreting law at the supreme court than through investigations of individual departments. south carolina, what do you think? caller: he has done a fantastic job. he has done better than anyone i have ever seen as attorney general. he has followed the rule of law. he has not once done anything i conclude to be an overreach. he has done a fantastic job. host: paul is in orlando and he does not approve. why not? caller: thank you for taking my call. thank you for c-span.

the fund piece stole my thunder. the attorney general got off to a strange start. remember when he said when it came to race, americans were cowards? with all due respect to your first caller, white people get uncomfortable talking about race because if we disagree with this president or that attorney general, we are called racist. ima am a republican. i voted for obama the first time -- i am a republican. i voted for obama the first time. i did not vote for him the second time. does that make me racist? is your producer within earshot? host: the producer is always listening.

caller: i suggested a behind the scenes for the "washington journal" junkies. if you are not considering it, i hope you would. host: thank you for calling in. we will talk to you again in 30 days. regular viewers will remember when eric holder and louis beaumont got into a heated exchange during a hearing. [video clip] >> it is inadequate. it is important that we have proper oversight. >> you do not want to go there. >> about the contempt? >> you should not assume it is not a big deal to me. it was inappropriate and unjust. do not think it was not a big

deal to me. do not ever think that. >> i am just looking for evidence. there have been no indications it has been a big deal. your department has not been forthcoming in producing documents that were the subjects of the contempt. there have been other questions asked about the -- >> the documents we were prepared to make available then, we are prepared to make them available now. this is about a desire to have -- >> we have been trying to get to the bottom of fast and furious where at least a couple hundred mexicans died and we cannot get the information to get to the bottom of that. i do not need lectures from you about contempt. as a former judge, i never have asked questions of someone who has been held in contempt.

we waited until the contempt and then we asked questions. host: this tweet -- i approve of eric holder because he is not afraid of republicans. linda, mississippi. caller: good morning. i approve of attorney general holder because he does his job. he does not make excuses. that is why the republicans are so against him. the congressman had contempt for him because he did not back down. he gave him information he needed, but they wanted him to beg and plead. he is a strong black man. he did a great job.

the washington times wrote the hiring that has gone on, such as the civil rights division, guarantees that ideologues will permeate the department for years to come. andrew mccarthy has set under eric holder the justice department has become a program for progressive activists being counters, and at lawyers who volunteered services during the bush years to help al qaeda operatives file lawsuits against the united states. the theories advanced by the administration have been outside the mainstream and the u.s. supreme court has ruled against mr. holder's justice department

unanimously almost two dozen times. justin. caller: i disapprove of his job and i do not want to sugarcoat it. there have been a couple of callers who have touched on the race issue. what do we expect out of our attorney general? he should defend and uphold the constitution. meanwhile, we have society teetering on the cliffs. there are tons of people accused of crimes in guantanamo bay bay. what has eric holder done to advance the liberties of those people?

also, with regard to him being obama's enforcer, that is what he is. one caller touched on something i think makes a lot of sense. he carries out the orders like a henchman. taking nothing away from him as a man, he is accomplished as a black man. he has been successful in his life. no one can take that away from him. he has come far. he leaves much to be expected. thank you. host: raphael, battle creek, michigan. caller: good morning. how is brian? host: brian is fine. caller: eric holder, was he not

the attorney general when obama was elected? host: he has been attorney general since 2009. i was thinking about the mortgage crisis -- caller: i was thinking about the mortgage crisis. in 2016 these are not going to repeat themselves. that is my main concern. host: raphael, battle creek michigan. this tweet from victor. chris is in milwaukee. caller: the previous caller

stole my thunder. that is why i disapprove of him. nobody on wall street went to jail. i wrote letters to my senator congressman, the president. i wanted someone to pay for it. they blamed it on the people. in the and the banks gave them mortgages that no one should have given the mortgages. it has nothing to do with him being black, purple, or yellow. i did not like the fact that he got into local crimes. that is what these race things work. they were local. usually that is handled by the county. at least, it is in our start -- in our state. he should have stayed out of it.

host: he talked about the issues in ferguson recently. [video clip] attorney general holder? they frequently intensify rather than diffuse issues. they arrest people for talking back to officers, for recording public activities and engaging in conduct that is protected. this behavior exacerbates tensions and stifles community confidence that is vital for effective policing. this deepens the distrust by other exercises.

some resulted from stops or arrests that had no legal basis to begin with. others were punitive or retaliatory in nature. the use of tasers was found to be abusive and dangerous. there's a history of using unnecessary force against people with mental illness. our findings indicate the overwhelming majority of force is directed against african-americans. this alarming statistic points to what our investigation uncovered. these harm african american residents. our view of the evidence found no impact other than implicit or

explicit racial biased. host: a tweet -- the people who oppose holder oppose him because of civil rights and immigration enforcement. keith says holder is the most corrupt ag in history. don says the most racist ag in history. the. says historians will write holder as being a very good attorney general. jeremy -- disapprove, worst ag of all time. cindy -- not very good until the last month. i am sure he has done some good in general. bill marietta, georgia.

what do you think of his performance? caller: i think he was a great attorney general. i do not think a lot of americans are used to black people being well-versed in their language. they do not go on to say you are a bigot. like being half white makes them a better person than being half black. there are outside forces that are more important. republicans need to call into rush limbaugh and voice their opinions rather than calling in to c-span. have a good day. host: kevin, washington.

you are calling on the disapprove line. why is that? caller: good morning. i would like to speak about eric holder and barack obama and the a little bit about marijuana. i believe these folks have spoken. the subject of marijuana should be legalized. we have done that. i am getting a little bit distracted, but i would like to get myself a little well-rounded. host: let's let it sit there. we will move on to dorothy in baltimore. caller: the lady who said he

should not be involved in the rains -- things, he should have. -- [indiscernible] they need to look out for the people and everybody. i do know that eric holder and obama has done an excellent job dealing with the average american citizen and i believe he will -- host: the attorney general talked about reducing prison sentences for nonviolent criminals. [video clip] attorney general holder? we are -- attorney general

holder: policy took effect and roughly 64% of federally charged drug trafficking sentences carried mandatory sentences. the number was brought down to 51%. a reduction relative to the prior year. we have gone from seeking a mandatory penalty in two out of every three drug trafficking cases. that is a major reduction. the commission confirms this shows federal prosecutors sought mandatory minimum penalties at a lower rate in 2014 than any other year. this shows the impact that our policy reforms are having. a decline this pronounced can

only be attributed to the changes you announced in 2013. these are encouraging results. they demonstrate since we launched the initiative, the justice system has become -- has begun to operate more efficiently. it is more fairly by ensuring those convicted of crimes are commensurate with their conduct. host: eric holder's mixed record. this is their take on eric holder. he build a legacy as a tough defender of civil rights and racial justice, recognizing the crisis is the most urgent civil rights issue of our time.

holder roll back some of the worst features, including mandatory minimum drug sentences. he also returned the justice department civil rights -- they voted to block voter id laws in texas and south carolina. in other areas holder has hardly been a champion of liberal values. more whistleblowers have been

prosecuted under president obama than under all previous presidents combined. here is a chart showing those. here is one under president nexen. all of these folks have been prosecuted for leaking information under the obama administration. caller: -- [indiscernible] to convince him to get rid of the campaign laws that have been passed. he has taken his life in his own hands trying to deliver -- to

the people of the united states. host: new york, what is your view of eric holder? caller: i improve of eric holder. one thing that threw me is about domestic terrorism. a scene that took place in nevada. these terrorists had federal officials stand down. has he started any kind of investigation against that group? host: i have not thought about that in a wild. -- in a while.

bob, what is your view? caller: i was disappointed he has not used his position to tell the people in this country the crime rate that involves black people is way above the rest of the population. in richmond, virginia, there is not a night go by that there is not murders and robberies. 99% of them are black folks. they deserve to go to jail for being criminals and raising him up the way they did. that is just my thought. have a good day. host: new york times -- mr.

holder has continued to stake out positions on many of the most -- issues of our time. when it comes to same-sex marriage, this is what the new york times thinks. mr. holder announced the justice department would no longer defend the defense of marriage act. george, colorado, disapprove line. go ahead. caller: i disapprove of his performance as attorney general. the administration seems to be

liars. you can tell when they are lying because their mouths are moving. eric holder send guns to mexican cartel criminals and in my opinion it makes him a criminal as well. i think obama must have been taught how to get around constitutional law. >>host: back to the new york times take on eric holder, he did not prosecute a single prominent banker or firm in connection with the subprime mortgage crisis that nearly destroyed the economy.

duane, what do you think? caller: you displayed all of his accomplishments. what more can he do in six and a half years. it amazes me. americans can jump on one person . host: henrietta, illinois. good morning. caller: hello. good morning.

i disapprove of eric holder. i think he is a crook. he did not prosecute --. he did not bother anyone. he lies. he lies. he lies. gun cartels, he lies. fast and furious, he lies. host: sheila, georgia, what do you think? caller: hi. i have really wanted to talk to you for a long time. i have one question for you. peter sons -- have you heard from them? host: no. an older couple who used to call in together. if they are listening, let's

hope they try to call in or get a note to us. caller: anyway, about eric holder, i approve of him but they are going on the wrong promise here. they are going on the wrong premise. what has to be changed is the laws. it used to be back in the day if your tail light was out, a policeman might stop you, your tail light is out, oh, i did not know that, you need to get that fixed. today, it is a reason to give you a ticket and fill up the

coffers of your city or whatever. you get the ticket, some places you do not have the money. 70% of the people in this country are just making it. you might try to -- you just do not go to court. what happens is you get picked up. then, you end up going to jail. then, you have a misdemeanor. the time you spend in jail, you might lose your job or something. those are the laws that need to be changed. host: francis, polaski, tennessee. caller: i disapprove of eric holder.

when they said they had targeted conservative groups, what did he do? how could an be a fair and complete investigation. in areas where crime is rampant, we do not hear about that. what we hear about is policeman. maybe policeman do wrong. how much have we heard about areas like chicago.

this morning, you had three calls for him and only one against. i think there must be some more if the people on c-span can come up with 1, 2, 3. we are not asking for an a partial -- an impartial number, just fair. host: some of the issues include same-sex marriage, voter rights act, criminal justice reform, civil rights, the financial crisis journalist, the espionage act, and drone attacks. when president obama was at the official unveiling of eric holder's portrait, he talked about his attorney general.

[video clip] pres. obama: you are a good man. having good men in positions of power and authority, who are willing to fight for what is right, that is a rare thing. it is a powerful thing. it shapes our future in ways we do not understand. eric, your country thanks you. for your vision, your passion and your audacity to care. thank you for being a friend and partner. thank you for your service. host: one eric holder announced

his resignation back in september, the wall street journal" did a legacy on his policy. they said one would be hard put to identify an attorney general who turned the justice department into a political weapon and for an office occupied by bobby kennedy and john mitchell, that is saying something. earle, what you think about eric holder and his legacy? caller: number one, ever since i was 18 years old and went to new york this is a racist country against minorities. people will not acknowledge that. i noticed all of the city

employees and state employees were all white. all firemen were practically white. every government employee is almost all white. in ferguson, 67% of the people are african-americans. i think it is outrageous. have you noticed the ads coming out on all kinds of stuff? host: can you tie that into eric holder? caller: the justice department is overseeing this and he was going to go have certain police departments in certain cities come in and rile things up.

i am for that. host: ann midland, texas, on the disapprove line. caller: i strongly disapprove of eric holder because of the irs not prosecuting lois lerner and the people he appointed to see into that. he has divided the classes. there is no warrant for taping of united states citizens, fast and furious, he is in obama's pocket. they are a bunch of crooks. host: harry says he approves. he has faced racist tea partiers . thank you for your service to the nation.

finally, jonathan says, he pretty much ended nonviolent marijuana enforcement, so he is awesome in my book. kenny, tampa. go ahead. we are listening. caller: good morning. history will be kind to eric holder. there has been a disparage in accountability on lawn forstmann in the black community. -- accountability on law enforcement in the black community. as far as eric holder's tenacity towards standing up for what is

right, this country will judge him as one of the most fruitful, most forward ag's we've ever had. host: anthony, washington, d.c. hi, anthony. caller: people call in and talk about the financial situation of the country and no one went to jail. no one went to jail because what was done was in ethical, it was not illegal. -- it was unethical, it was not illegal. once you regulate things, now what you did, it was unethical but it was legal.

the news media never tells us any of that. that is one of the problems. host: ted cruz did not vote on the loretta lynch nomination. he took to the senate floor to criticize eric holder. [video clip] >> he is the most bipartisan attorney general the united states has ever seen. he is assigned the investigation to a democrat who has given over $6,000 to president obama and the democrats. eric holder has abused the office and turned it into a partisan arm of the democratic party. he is the only attorney general

and the history of the united states to be held in contempt of congress. there are many who would like to see eric holder replaced. there are many who would like to see an attorney general general who will return to the bipartisan traditions of fidelity to law. that includes the willingness to stand up for a president who will point you, even if he or she is from the same political party as are you. host: this article is in the new york times. cruz's guest of two gay businessman. it is on the new york times website. read it for yourself. aj baton rouge, what do you think about eric holder? caller: i do not blame eric

holder for being the way he is. this administration and the democrats -- you cannot believe anything these people say. keeping your doctors, your insurance, everything they talked about his lies, lies, lies. i do not blame eric holder. he is just carrying on what his boss wants. host: that is aj in baton rouge. this is douglas, baltimore. caller: winner of the american people going to realize wall street runs america? big money runs this country. eric holder, in regards to the financial crisis, they do this every 20 years.

go back to the 19th century. you have seen wall street has caused depressions and crashes every 20 years. these people on wall street should be held accountable. i agree with that. when you have congressmen and senators in the rich man's pockets on wall street, nothing will ever get done. the bankers run this country and wall street runs this country. host: this is james on twitter -- ignoring the tax targeting scandal may be the most unrepairable action by an ag ever. joseph, maryland. caller: i think eric holder -- position.

it has been consistent. that problem can never be solved if you put your head in the sand. it is not articulating issues, solving problems, finding solutions to it. eric holder has done that. look at [indiscernible] look at police. a community that was 67% at what point do they begin to tackle problems? [indiscernible]

they are not being truthful to issues. the only solution is to -- the solution and deal with it. -- they have the one endurance of this -- racism. host: joseph, the suburbs of washington. i'm next, cherry. -- up next, cherry. caller: hello. host: we are listening. caller: i am talking and nothing is happening. host: go ahead and talk. we can hear you. caller: i approve of eric holder. i think he and president obama

bows had an agenda and that was to bring the american people into a better place. i believe they both have accomplished that. i do not know what else they could have done besides walked on water. with the justice department, they could have done a better job of being personable with the american people. what they do, you have to have a person to refer your case. the small towns, they stay together and conspire. one person does something illegal, they all stay together. the little people in little towns where i live continue to be mistreated because of the conspiracy. as an overall thing, i do not see how he could have done anything different. host: that was cherry,

princeton, kentucky. milo, you are on "washington journal." caller: i disapprove. it was an awesome thing when barack obama ran for office. i thought it was going to turn the country around a corner. it was great for america. holder, one of the first things he does and people forget about it this is what makes me angry when i hear the talk about what a champion he is for voting rights, the black panthers are holding clubs in a voting area and intimidating people coming in to vote. what does he do? he lets them off. on top of all of the rest of it, the irs, and all of those things, when i heard that, i -- oh no, we are heading

for trouble. host: holder is ideological, lawless, and has not helped african americans. because more black death send signed off on giving russia control of america's yellowcake uranium. sheila, philadelphia, what do you think? caller: i am listening to your story and i approve of eric holder. i watched a documentary. they said it me 1930's, someone in our country -- they said in the 1930's, someone hired a person to watch what was happening to blacks in our country and he called it denial. i think our country is in denial.

as long as we are in denial, if you cannot see anything this man has done or anything he has done , you are in denial. thank you. host: thank you for calling in. candy, douglas, georgia. what do you think? caller: he has done everything that was wrong and that only the people that are behind people doing wrong would -- and not hold him accountable is what is going on. i think he just completely sent this country in the wrong direction with obama and they lie about everything. the only person i have seen tell the truth is ted cruz.

host: an airborne ranger tweets -- he did good, he did bad. he failed the people by not sending corporate heads to jail for criminal acts. caller: i think eric holder is a great attorney general. i feel he had his priorities set . for those callers who think he handles all of the issues in a couple of years i do not think they are being very objective and fair to him. i think he fought for the minority. he was trying to fix the

policing problem with officer's killing a young black man. stuff like that. he did extremely well during his attorney general, he fought for the voting rights act and brought up issues. i think the young man did extremely well under the prevailing circumstances. thank you. host: thank you. we continue to talk about eric holder and his legacy as attorney general. (202) 748-8000 if you approve. (202) 748-8001 if you disapprove. he is the third longest serving attorney general in american history. he has been in office a little over six years. bryan, texas. disapprove line. caller: good morning.

i disapprove of eric holder. he is corrupt. the entire administration is corrupt. where is the accountability? if this is anybody else, he would be going to prison. absolutely, i totally disagree. hopefully, with our next president, we will get this on the right track that we need to be. have a great day. host: peg tweets and -- he focused on rights and voting. the trend towards oppression is obvious.

frank, are you with us? caller: good morning to everybody. i want to say i approve of attorney general eric holder and i think he did a great job for all of the things that he had available to him to get things done. he had a lot of people that opposed him. to keep it brief -- if people are concerned about people dying, how come they never passed the background check that everybody -- that the majority of american people wanted? they could have passed background checks in regards to guns and weapons and they could have kept a lot of these states concerned about fast and furious and people, especially in america and mexico and also, if

they did not do away with --, they could have gotten a lot of people prosecuted on wall street, but they decided to do away with the glass-steagall act. they made things upthrough the financial crisis. host: frank in nashville. this is rick in florida. hello. caller: good morning. i think the hallmark of this administration, specifically eric holder, is selective prosecution. that, in itself, you roads the rule of law -- erodes the rule of law. unless you look at the thousands of prosecutions that have occurred