d accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> tomorrow on "washington journal," daniel helper looks at the 2016 republican presidential campaign and the latest polls and develop its with the candidates. after that, former undersecretary of state for arms control discusses the iranian nuclear agreement. plus your phone calls, facebook comments and tweets. "washington journal" is live every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> this weekend, the c-span cities tour travels across the country with time warner cable to learn more about the literary life and history of accident and, kentucky. -- of lexington, kentucky. edward prichard had a tumultuous political career. >> in the mid-1940's if you had asked who was the bright shining star in american politics, on a national scale, someone who

would be governor, senator or president, a lot of people would have said ed prichard of kentucky. he was one of those people who worked in the white house when he was in his early 20's. he seemed destined for great things and then came back to kentucky and in the 1940's was indicted for stuffing a ballot box. went to prison. and so that incredible promise just falmed out. >> we also visit ashland, the former home of speaker of the house, senator and secretary of state henry clay. >> the mansion at ashland is a unique situation. caly's original -- clay's original home had to be torn down. it fell into disrepair. his son built on the original foundation. what we have is a home that is a five-part federal style home as henry clay had with details in architecture and elements -- and an added layer of aesthetic

details added by henry clay's granddaughter and so on. >> see all of our programs will lexington saturday evening at 6:30 eastern and sunday afternoon at 2:00 eastern on american history tv on c-span 3. >> we are live in cedar rapids, iowa tonight, were all five democratic primary candidates will be on the program for the 2015 iowa democratic party hall of fame dinner. the annual fundraiser honors state democratic leaders. scheduled to speak tonight will be the five democratic candidates for president in 2016. we understand the event is running about 15 minutes late. but we will have it for you live on c-span. when it gets underway, we expect to hear from former rhode island senator and governor lincoln chafee, former secretary of state hillary clinton, former maryland governor martin

o'malley vermont senator bernie sanders, and former virginia senator jim webb. againl, all the democratic primary candidates appearing tonight in cedar rapids at the 2015 iowa democratic party hall of fame dinner. should beginning underway in 15 minutes. our road to the white house coverage continues tomorrow in iowa again for the family leadership summit in ames, iowa. republican candidates will bb appearing ate that event starting at 11 a.m. eastern and runs until 7:30 p.m. eastern. we will hear from marco rubio, donald trump, ben carson, ted cruz, mike huckabee, rick perry, bobby jindal, rick santorum, and scott walker. those candidates on the republican side appearing in ames, iowa, tomorrow. our live coverage adding underway at 11:00 a.m. eastern time on saturday. here in cedar rapids, our coverage of the iowa democratic

party hall of fame with all five democratic primary candidates for president coming up when it gets underway. we believe in 15 minutes or so. live road to the white house coverage here on c-span. in the meantime, a portion of today's "washington journal," when we heard from david o'sullivan the e.u. ambassador about austerity measures in greece. now on your screen is eu ambassador to the u.s., david also limited ambassador o'sullivan, we have you on here to talk about the greece situation and what is going on in the eu. how did it get in the current situation it is in? guest: for many of our member states it goes back to the fiscal meltdown in 2008. this caused a chain reaction which in europe, matt number of

our past meant a number of our member states found their budgets in very bad shape. greece had some structural difficulties and a tax system that was not as modern and well developed as it needed to be and other structural issues that compounded the problems. that is why for the last few years the european union has been helping greece with additional funds because of not able to borrow on the market. that is the situation we are in now and are hopefully third and final bailout to get the greek economy back on track it host: . host: how much has been spent by the european member states? guest: we are now looking at a package in the region of $86 billion for hopefully getting greece back up and running and

eventually every tune -- a return to normal market funding for its future needs. host: why has germany been the focus of the eu's efforts? guest: i see it in the headlines that people talk a lot about germany, but this is a collective problem for the whole eurozone. germany is the largest economy in europe. it is by far the biggest contributor to any bailout. of course, this is a big issue domestically. german taxpayers are being asked once again to get into the pockets to help a fellow european member states. that is why germany is an important part of this debate. i think it is important to say that many other countries have strong views about these issues finland, slovakia, netherlands ireland, italy. portugal and spain have been beneficiaries of bailout programs successfully and use

them to transition and return to the market. they also have these about how this should be done. host: politically, is this unpopular in all the countries of the eu? take your home country of ireland. guest: let's be honest. nobody likes a difficult economic situation. nobody likes having to trim public spending, including cutbacks for certain sectors of the population. i think there is a general recognition that the crisis that we faced in 2008-2010 required exceptional measures. i think in those countries, people have accepted that this is a phase that you have to go get if i take the case of ireland, ireland is now testing -- posting growth rates higher in each year and a stronger term to economic performance and people are now reaping the benefits of the sacrifices they made it i think this is replicated in portugal and in spain. europe as a whole is returning

to quite strong growth. host: what would be the big deal with greece left the eurozone? guest: i think, first and foremost, it would probably mean an even more difficult economic situation for the greek people. that is why the vast majority of the greek people do not want to leave the eurozone. if greece left the eurozone, it would almost certainly have to default on its debts. it would face a new currency which would probably be very rapidly devalued, which would mean a rapid increase in the price of imports. greece is a big defender on energy and agricultural products. -- dependent on energy and agricultural products. it would be a period of economic hardship for the greek people. for the eurozone as a home, we are committed to this as a project for the future. membership is intended to be irreversible and a revocable.

therefore, if it is not according to plan, then people would leave the single curacy. -- currency. host: david of o'sullivan is here to talk to us. the numbers are on the screen. now if you are watching this program for outside of the u.s. and i know we have a relatively large u.k. audience, 202-748-800 3 is the number for you to call. does the u.s. have a role in this whole situation at all? guest: the u.s. does not have a direct role, but i must say the united states of authority has been extremely supportive throughout this whole crisis which has lasted for several years now in one form or another. we, of course, the european

union is the largest economy in the world. the united states is the second largest economy in the world. we have huge stakes and each other success. we talk with our american colleagues and they discuss with us how we can find a way through that will strengthen our economy and to be the benefit of the united states, including if we can conclude this copper heads of trade deal which we are in the middle of negotiating. -- accomplish this trade deal which we are in the middle of negotiating. host: what is the authority line? guest: basically, the european union has decisions taken in two fora. member states represent countries a little bit like the senate and the directly elected european parliament is like the house of representatives, where people are directed -- elected directly on a proportional population basis.

this is the joint decision-making process of the european union and that is how our most important decisions get taken. it is a little more complicated than that in the sense that not all member states are part of the eurozone. the eurozone -- the 19 countries who are part of the euro sometime meet separately to discuss issues that affect them directly. host: does the eu or the eurozone decisions supersede and visual -- any individual countries? guest: yes. the basic principle is that european law has precedence over national law. we have a european court of justice which is like the united states supreme court. it is the ultimate arbiter of the law of the land. once a law has been adopted at a european level, it cannot be contradicted by a law at the national level. host: first call for ambassador of sold in comes from mark. -- o'sullivan comes from mark. caller: good morning.

i have a couple of questions. one was -- goldman sachs hid a lot of money before greece was even admitted to the eu. i think that was a crime in itself. i do not think they would have been admitted as goldman sachs would not have done that. the other thing is a lot of people are taking ships from africa and the middle east to greece. i think that is putting a lot of hardship on greece. i do not see the eu helping greece out on that. so those are my two comments. host: any response for that viewer? guest: on your first point, i think you're talking about the fact that we now know the statistics on greek fiscal situation at the moment of joining the euro were perhaps

not an accurate picture of the situation. we know some external advice helped greece present the figures and a way that perhaps made them look slightly better. frankly, i think that is history. it's behind us and we now need to move on and address the situation we find ourselves. that is what we are trying to do. with regard to your point about migration, i thank you for raising it. it's an extremely complex problem and you are absolutely right give italy, in particular, but greece also and malta have been faced with very large numbers of migrants being sent out to see and then rescued. i must say that the greek people and italian people have shown an enormous generosity and spirit particularly the greek people in this time of hardship. they have welcome these people and provided them with shelter and food. it is not true to say that we are not helping. the european union is very active in supporting member

states who are receiving these migrants. we are also debating how best once the migrants have been processed because the key issue is do they face violence or ill-treatment when they would be returned home? once they are processed and recognized as refugees, we are trying to other parts of europe and the full burden does not fall exclusively on the frontline states, such as easily -- italy and greece. host: carol from rochester, new york. caller: i read that part of the settlement was that greece is going to have to sell the national assets. i am not sure what that means. does that mean that china is going to buy the parthenon or something like that? guest: no. the fact is is that one of the structural problems facing the greek economy is a very heavy presence of the public sector in the economy. i think something like only 15% or 20% of the labor force actually work in what we would call the private sector. i think it has been agreed for

several years that greece does need to privatize a number of important economic activities. the one that is most often spoke about is the very big and thriving port just outside of athens. there are so we are talking about a number of economic access -- economic assets controlled by the state. host: alexis tsipras pushed through the european union deal, correct? is he in danger politically, and if so, what does that mean for all of this? guest: i wouldn't want to speculate about what might happen in greek politics. esther -- mr. msipras -- mr.

tsipras was elected in january but he won also with a big majority and he also managed to get through this agreement two days ago on the back of the massive majority in the parliament. now it is also true that some of his own party did not vote with him because they did not support this change of position which he had to make or he felt he had to make after the summit, but i actually think it is much to his credit that he has shown the ability to recognize sometimes in politics eu can't always get everything that you want and you have to make a compromise and he has thrown his political weight behind it. host: 15% to 20% of people work in the economy, how does that compare to ireland or the u.s.? guest: there are many multiples

of that, 50% or 60% in some cases, it very much varies and it also defines how you -- depends how you defines the public sector and things like the medical system is heavily state owned so you have a lot of nurses and doctors and teachers, but i would say that the figure would typically be at twice that at a minimum. that is why there is a very, very heavy presence of the state in the greek economy, which i think everyone agrees needs to be reduced. fmr. gov. chafee: --host: we have lewis from texas. please go ahead. caller: the multitude of problems that can be seen in the way that the eu is handling the greek situation makes a powerful argument for what used to be considered conspiracy theory

but it is rapidly being seen to betrayal that the majority shareholders and the transnational investment banks and the transnational corporations now feel that they not only feel that they can run the world but that they are running the world. the eu's response to the greek situation is totally at the democratic -- totally anti-democratic. it ignores the fraud that the ambassador admitted himself that it was question all -- questionable about the circumstances by which grace --

greece incurred its huge debt to begin with. announcer: "washington journal" every day live on c-span. we bring you live to cedar rapids, iowa to the 2015 iowa democratic party hall of fame celebration. introductory remarks are getting underway now. all five primary candidates on the ballot for the 2016 presidential run. we expect lincoln chafee hillary rodham clinton, martin j. o'malley, bernie sanders and james h. webb. >> --and desert shield. >> left, left, left, right, left. left left, left, right left.

left left, left, right, left. halt. about-face. forward march. honor guard forward march. left left, left, right, left. left left, left, right, left. honor guard, halt. >> please join me in welcoming

to the stage your democratic candidates for the united states, lincoln chafee, hillary rodham clinton, martin j. o'malley, bernie sanders, and james h. webb. [applause] ♪ [applause]

[cheering] ♪ >> please remain standing and join me in welcoming to the stage a senior at uni and the cofounder of dream iowa. she will lead us tonight in the pledge of allegiance. [applause] ♪ >> it is nice to meet you. i pledge of allegiance -- i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation, under god

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ♪ >> let's give a hand one more time for our presidential candidates. [applause] [cheering] >> that is quite amazing, isn't it? all right, ladies and gentlemen, please stay standing for our national anthem, sung by her next guests.

>> oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? and the rocket's red glare, the

bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ♪ ♪ [applause] [cheering] >> left, left, left, right left. left left, left, right, left.

honor guard, halt. about-face. honor guard, right face. forward march. left, left left, right, left. left left, left, right, left. left, left, left right left. [applause] >> thank you.

now to lead us in our invocation, please welcome state representative for caleb you'll samad -- representative ako abdul-samad. ako: good evening, i didn't hear you good evening. crowd: good evening! ako: i want to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives in chattanooga and those

who lost their lives in south carolina. if you do that by joining your hands for just a moment at your table in unity. rep. abdul-samad: thank you. dear god, we ask that you bless us and this event. dear god, we ask that you less our candidates and those who attempt to run for office. dear god, we ask that you bless the parent to have lost their babies in the last few years. dear god, we ask that you bless all of those who are here tonight and all of those who wanted to be here, that view bless the families, dear god.

that you bless the families because they are the -- that you bless the babies because they are the future. we ask that you bless the staff -- bless delilah and her staff as they serve the food. your god, we ask that our many religious groups and many religious parties who think that you belong to them only that they don't know what you're talking about and that dear god we are going to move forward that we are going to be forward as one, that we are going to be standing as one as a democratic party, and your god, we will not turn around. we will stand for what is right and stand up for what is right and we will not turn back and we ask in your name and your name alone and we say three times, a man, a man, -- amen, amen, amen! god bless everyone! [applause]

[cheering] >> wow. wow. wow. wow. thank you so much and good evening and welcome again to the 2015 democratic party hall of fame. let's go ahead and sit down and get comfy because we are going to have a fabulous evening. dr. mcguire: while you are doing that i want to thank monica and mary and representative abdul-samad. we are here guys to honor seven incredible democrats. we are engaging with each of the democratic presidential hopefuls and we are doing what we do best

, making iowa a great place to work and raise a family. i want to thank you for all of you who are here tonight and for all of you do -- and for all of what you do for the democratic party. i would also like to thank our staff and our volunteers for getting the program ready. [applause] dr. mcguire: i have to tell you it has been an honor to serve as your chair and it has been an amazing six months. as i travel across iowa's 99 counties, there is one thing that i hear again and again, and it is one thing that people are looking for, a fair shot at the american dream. they want to give their kids a better opportunity than they had. it doesn't matter whether you live in linn county or lyon county every person in the democratic party makes our party stronger. as i have traveled from river to

river, what stresses me is from town to town, it is unbelievable enthusiasm from democrats, just like i am seeing here tonight. [applause] dr. mcguire: you know, i see democrats who are energized and who will turn iowa blue and to fight for our principles. we are democrats and we are proud to fight for an economy that benefits every single island -- iowan, not just the wealthy, too. [applause] dr. mcguire: you know, it is what gets us up in the morning it is what gets us fired up as democrats. working together, we are strong. working together, we win. [applause] dr. mcguire: you know, unlike

our governor and the republicans in the legislature, we are proud to fight for our schools and to fight for our teachers, because we know that means that we are fighting for our kids. [applause] [cheering] dr. mcguire: we are proud to fight to raise the minimum wage and to ensure equal pay for equal work. [applause] dr. mcguire: and for those republicans on the wrong side of history, we have some news for you. we are proud proud that the supreme court rightfully decided once and for all that health care is a hard-earned right for all americans, not just for a benefited and privileged few. [applause] dr. mcguire: and folks, we

couldn't be prouder as democrats as all americans have the right to marriage equality. love wins! [applause] [cheering] dr. mcguire: and we are proud that we always stand up for our neighbors and our communities when they are in need. there is no place in the nation that showcases that better than the recovery we have seen right here in cedar rapids. [applause] dr. mcguire: we need to continue to be talking about why we are proud to be democrats. all we seem to hear out of the republican primary or should i say circus, is who can scream the loudest, who can hate the most, and who can divide our country. you know, this contrast is so

important because iowa voters must understand why we do what we do, why we talk to our neighbors and members of our community about democratic priorities why we make countless phone calls, collect foulest -- collect countless of foot or registrations and doors because there is too much at stake folks. we want to put iowa families first. [applause] dr. mcguire: we need to strengthen our majority in the iowa senate. we need to build on our numbers in iowa house so republicans can't underfund our schools. we need to make sure -- i love that one. [applause] dr. mcguire: and i got to tell you folks, i am hearing from a lot of teachers, so this is going to be ok. we need to make sure that our

republican congressman are one term congressmanen. and we need to send chuck grassley and steve king into retirement. [applause] [cheering] dr. mcguire: oh, and one last thing, we are going to elect another democrat as president of the united states! [applause] [cheering] dr. mcguire: we need to turn iowa blue up and down the ticket. in november of 2016, we are going to do just that. we need more people representing us. [applause] dr. mcguire: you know, we have a congressman who understands the challenges of working iowans.

he has been there. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage a champion for middle-class, for education for our veterans, for our seniors, for our small businesses congressman dave walczak. [applause] rep. walczak: wow, thanks everybody, thanks everybody. it really is great to be here tonight. i don't know about all of you but given that we've got all five of the folks who are running for president, it is

great to see -- rep. walczak: --rep. loebsack: wow, thanks everybody, thanks everybody. it is really great to be here tonight. i don't know about all of you, but given that we've got all five of the folks were running for president, it is great to see you all here tonight. and let's give her a great job dr. mcguire, she is doing a great job. of the people i need to thank tonight, and that is going to be a lot of what my speech is about, it is going to be about thanking people, you're going to hear a lot about the substance of other folks tonight but my wife and i just celebrated our 20th anniversary not that long ago. when we got married, she knew that i was very involved in

politics and i used to put signs up in her yard before we got married. i always wanted to go to her place. she is a really wonderful teacher and a very wonderful person. i thought that i would go to her house and put signs up there. but then we got married and she had no idea, and neither did i at the time, although i did harbor some desire to run for office, i wasn't sure which office, because at the time i have been so involved in politics up until that point but you know, we had been through a lot together. those of you who are politicians, those of you who had been elected to office, and those of you who are married to folks like that, or live with them, or some kind of an arrangement with them, you know that it is not easy. it is not easy supporting those folks sometimes. it is not that easy a job. and terry has stood by me when i first decided that i was going to do this job. at first she thought and now she

is going to say it, you know, he is going to get this out of his system, you know? he is going to get a little high for running for congress in said of school board or something like that, and as long as he doesn't embarrass himself everything is going to be fine and she will continue teaching second grade and i will go back to cornell congress -- cornell college and we will have a nice quiet life. it didn't work out that way. i got elected and i have been there since 2007 and terry stood by me ever since then and please give terry a hand if you would. i have great appreciation for terry loebsack. she is right over there. rep. loebsack: you know, another great democratic politician, jesse jackson, used to do something that i am going to do right now. i learned this from him. we've got a lot of people who

were waiting on us tonight and a lot of people who are serving you and picking up those dishes, and they are going to be doing those later on. let's give a hand to those waitstaff and stir -- to the waitstaff and the servers. [applause] rep. loebsack: and it is wonderful that we are in cedar rapids, because as many of you know, you don't have to be from cedar rapids to know what this area went through in 2008, what i call the great flood of 2008. it was a heck of an undertaking for this county and for the city and iowa to come back from the flood. over $7 billion worth of damage in lane county alone. i had over half of the damage in my state in my congressional district. but lane county has made a comeback and this is a wonderful county and it would not have been built if it weren't for the flood. and i remember when we had earmarks and i was able to get

$180 million for the building downtown right? [applause] rep. loebsack: but lane county has come back in cedar rapids has come back and it is absolutely amazing and we are here tonight and we're celebrating that as well. i want to thank lang county and i want to think cedar rapids, and i still have that book on the great flood on my coffee table in my office in washington d.c. although i might just say parenthetically since i am the only democrat left in the iowa delegation, i do the best to represent as much of iowa as i can while i am there, so thanks to all of you. thanks to all of you. now, we've got all of these folks that we need to recognize tonight and we are going to do that. what i just want to say a few things about each one, a word or two. kate halloran was the mayor when this all happened in 2000 eight and she did a fantastic job shepherding this city through

recovery while she was mayor. i think she truly did a wonderful job and i think she deserves that award tonight to be conducted into the hall of fame, there is no doubt the outfit. if you go down that list, she was one of my state senators at one time, and has been a wonderful volunteer, beth is here tonight, and dave is here tonight as well, thank you. danny ross burke from sioux city. i went up to sioux city earlier this year and danny has done an absolutely wonderful job. it is not easy being a democrat in that part of the state. i don't want to run for congress and that part of the state, no offense you folks up there, that it would be kind of hard for me to win. she helped with my event and i'm not even her congressman, so

what can i say? thank you, penny. [applause] rep. loebsack: and i have been working with melinda jones and the she helped me when i county after i lost in 2008 and she did a wonderful job. melinda, thank you for everything, and i know you deserve this award as well. thank you, melinda. curt myers ran for office and he organizes the tri-state area up there in northern iowa. absolutely fantastic. kurt, it is really great to see you and i -- curt, it is really great to see you and i see you quoted all the time in "the new york times." and lastly, morgan, morgan, i know you are going to do a great job in the party, you are a up and comer -- you are an up and comer, so thank you.

at a special thanks to the five democrats who want to be at the president of the united states. this is not an easy thing to be running for president, and you are all finding out. iowa is a big state and new hampshire is not as big as iowa but there is sure a heck of a lot of places to go in iowa, so i commend you for just really taking up this charge and really doing what you are doing. it is hard enough running for congress and the u.s. senate but to run for president of the united states, i mean, i've got to tip my hat to your folks. and one of you will be the next president of the united states i have no doubt about that. [applause] rep. loebsack: you know, we do need a new democratic president we need a democratic president for the same reason that and he laid out here, because we got to rebuild the middle-class, we've got to expand the middle-class,

we got to protect the middle class. i often talk about -- democrats don't often talk about american exceptionalism, and i think that is a mistake on our part. i think we need to talk a lot about that. we are an exceptional nation. what we are an exceptional nation for one main reason and that is our middle class. our middle class is why we have the democracy we have, our middle class is why we are the wealthiest nation in the world and if we continue to let our middle class is road -- class erode, shame on all of us folks. there is no question about which party stands for the middle class and will work for the middle class, and that is the democratic party folks. that is the democratic party. [applause] rep. loebsack: it is the democratic party that will make sure that everybody has affordable quality health care, it is the democratic party that is going to work for that. it is a democratic party that is going to work for equal rights for all. it is the democratic party that

says that the supreme court decided that you have the right to marry who you want to marry no question about it, folks. and i can tell you this. there are a lot of reasons why we need a democrat in the white house again in in january of 2017, but i hope that these supreme court decisions convinced you of that, if nothing else has convinced you of that. we could potentially have four slots open for the president of united states, and we have to make sure that the good decisions of the supreme court are upheld and the bad decisions are reversed going forward. that is why we need a democratic president. [applause] rep. loebsack: and just a couple more things. i could talk on and on about education and infrastructure and all of the things that we stand for in the democratic party, but i just want to focus on one thing, and that is education. and i do it for one thing

because it is personal for me and not just because terry taught second great for several years at mount vernon and not to because i taught at cornell college for 24 years. we have some cornell people? good deal. it is because without educational opportunities, we won't have a middle-class any longer, folks. and you know, and he mentioned what has happened -- andi mentioned what is happened here in iowa, and what we do it is have to elect a democratic president, and we need to at least meeting the iowa senate, but the fact of the matter is, the more we do this year, and the more we do for democrats the better it is going to be for us in 2018 when we have to take back the senate here so we don't have a governor who gets education, folks. we have to do that.

[applause] rep. loebsack: and and, i wouldn't be here if it weren't for the education i received in sioux city, iowa. but i wouldn't be here if it weren't for all that, i wouldn't be here if it weren't for the or if it were for the ladders of economic opportunities, that is why i am in congress, that is why i am a democrat, that is what i am fighting for. i am going to call out one group of people here, if i could and would all of the teachers and educators in here please stand up tonight? let's give them a big round of applause. thanks, everybody. thank you. thank you. thank you, all. [applause] rep. loebsack: thank you. so thanks, everybody last point.

this is all going to depend on what you do, folks. it is all going to be up to you. i was one of you folks, and activist all of that stuff delegate at the national convention, all of those things. i ran the second largest caucus another professor and i back it cornell. they thought that they had better break us up into two precincts, which they did. i know what it takes to do the kind of things that i am asking you to do, and what the presidential candidates are asking you to do and i am going to ask you to do it again and make sure that we have a democrat as our next president of the united states and that we get democrats up and down the ticket. thank you, thanks for having me tonight, let's get on with the show, and we will have a great time. thanks, everybody. thanks, all. thank you. [applause]

dr. mcguire: thank you rep. loebsack:, isn't he a wonder? now it is my estate honor to introduce the class of the iowa party hall of fame. it is now in its 16th year and includes some of the most cherished and valued members of our party from tom harkin to tom ville sack from harold hughes to willie glenn -- galatin. this year, we celebrate six iowa democrats who each in their own way have given back to the party and their own communities. we are a stronger party because of the work of each of these individuals and tonight we celebrate their accomplishments and we thank them. so we start off with one of the party's fiercest champions for

iowa families, a leader in the legislature, i dodder of dubuque , that is senator panny -- senator pam yoakam. [applause] dr. mcguire: senator yoakam has served in the iowa legislature since 1993 and was the first female to service the president of the iowa senate. [applause] [cheering] dr. mcguire: during her tenure and the legislature, she has been a leader in the fight for mental health services, for public education, for women's writes, and for civil rights --

women's rights, and for civil rights. she has been a champion for campaign-finance reform, and so senator yoakam has been an unrelenting advocate for our state and our community. her passion for helping others and standing up and helping the voiceless is what makes her a truly exceptional leader. on behalf of the iowa democratic party, i am honored to award senator yoakam with the outstanding elected official award. [applause] sen. yoakam: thank you so much, really, this is a very humbling and with great gratitude that i have this recognition tonight.

and once again, our state party chair, andi maguire, let's give her a round of applause. it was a very difficult job, i was a county chair one-time. it is an honor to be recognized tonight, alongside state representative kate halloran state senator bev halloran -- kurt meyer, and morgan miller, and they are rising stars. their work, their work is for the people of iowa and it inspires us all. serving in the iowa legislature and as president of the senate, it has been an amazing privilege for me. i am so grateful to the people of dubuque for affording me this opportunity and to my senate colleagues for the honor of being able to be the presiding officer of the iowa senate.

i know a number of my colleagues are here. with a please just stand up and be recognized from the house and the senate? [applause] sen. yoakam: thank you so much for your service, and thank you to all of you, because none of us could be in that state house or in the courthouse if it were not for all of you. fellow democrats, we have a lot to be proud of, and we have a lot to stand tall about. we need to renew our commitment to economic justice, to social justice, to environmental justice. as harry truman said, you bet environmental justice. i know there are people here. as harry truman said, i never did give anybody hell, i just

told the truth, and they thought it was hell. so let's talk truth tonight for a few moments, and let's take a little walk down memory lane, because democrats, we have so much to be proud of. we are the party of the new freedom, the new deal, the fair deal, the new frontier, the great society, the new covenant, the party of hope. we are the party of social security, which is celebrating its 80th birthday next month giving tens of millions of americans financial security in the twilight of their lives. we are the party that gave the 40 hour work week, the minimum wage, oh, i've got a long list overtime pay unemployment insurance, the g.i. bill, worker's compensation, medicare

medicaid, environmental laws the space program, americorps, family and medical leave americans with disability, and thank you tom hartman. the voting rights act, the department of education, the department of energy, policy of urban development, nato, united nations, and last but not least the patient protection and affordable care act. [applause] sen. yoakam: nether is one more thing that i want to do yet tonight, and that is to smash the myth that republicans somehow can manage the economy better than democrats. it is an illusion. it is a legend that is no more than a myth. and here is a few facts that i want you to get this book and

read it when you can't, it is a book that is recently published and it is called "polls, fairs and the ballot box." it was published by a cpa business lawyer and law professor. they rank the performance of our president and their impact on our wallet. -- presidents and their impact on our wallets by objectively looking at 80 years of our nation's in economic history from the great depression and herbert hoover to the great recession and george w. bush. the time period is a period in which both the democratic and republican parties occupied the oval office for precisely 40 years each, but that is where

the similarities end. so i am just going to cut through the chase and give you the rankings from the very best to the very worst, and i would like a little from role. number one, number one, the very best is president john fitzgerald kennedy and lyndon baines johnson. tied for number two, president bill clinton and president fdr. number four, i'm going to be bipartisan here, eisenhower number five, truman, six reagan seven, h w bush, nine, nixon, ford, 10, george w. bush, and number

pam: democrats: top three. republican bottom three. -- democrats top three. republicans, bottom three. we need to bring prosperity back to america. that is more true than ever. john kennedy said that a rising tide lifts all boats. that is more true today than it was in 1960. it's time to take the gloves off. one vote in the democratic controlled i was senate, stopped

from abolishing early childhood education. one vote. stop the republicans from taking 26,000 iowa kids off iowa health insurance. one vote, block said -- them from making it harder to prevent our vote. writing discrimination into our constitution on marriage. we did more than just stop bad things from happening. we also led the way. democrats led the way to making it possible for 120,000 working iowans to purchase health insurance for the first time in their lives. when we expanded medicaid in 2013.

you know the republican solution to health care is to just say no to own this. we led the way for iowa's soldiers when they return from iraq and afghanistan. opportunities in health care, education, housing, and employment. we led the way by raising the minimum wage and we worked overtime again this session to make sure iowa's children have a quality education that middle class of families could afford to send their children to college. that, my friends, was vetoed by governor branston. amanda claims to be the education governor. the emperor has no clothing. [applause]

it is time, it is time to speak truth to power. it is time to send the americans for prosperity and koch brothers packing. it is time to stand up for americans who work hard and play by the rules. it is time to and income inequality and our dependency on fossil feels. [applause] democrats, let 2016 be the year with a rising tide for all americans. let's get to work. thank you so much. got bless everyone. [applause]

dr. mcguire: the dedication is truly inspiring. this year we have the distinct pleasure of honoring one of our finest supporters, who is a huge part of the cedar rapids community, k halloran. [applause] kay is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. she was the first woman to open a private law practice in the city of cedar rapids. she previously served in the iowa state legislature, where she fought tirelessly on behalf of i was working families. she was the second woman to

serve as the mayor of cedar rapids. her leadership during the devastating flood of 2008, as you heard from congressman bosak , is a big reason the city stand so strong today. every step of the way she has made improving the lives of others the hallmark of service. even when she could be happily retired, she continues to give back, volunteering her time that i would legal aid. for her, it's all about giving back. it's all about service. one of my favorite stories about her was when she was the mayor of cedar rapids. she was called in for jury duty. given that she was the mayor the new many people in the city, including the lawyers on both sides of the case, she knew there was a much zero chance that she would be selected. but she showed up anyway because that she said, she used to

always get calls from folks asking how they could get out of jury duty. she always told them the same thing, do your duty. that is really what she is all about. she is about duty, and she is about public service. she possesses an i giving commitment to grow our party and moving our country forward. on behalf of of the i am honored to award her with the 2015 outstanding supporter award. [applause]

dr. mcguire: she says she needs all of you to take over the door knocking that she does not do much anymore, all right? [applause] dr. mcguire: ladies and gentlemen, to induct our next on a re-, welcome state senator liz mathis of cedar rapids. [applause] liz: you look great. you look wonderful. long live the democratic majority. 26 baby, 26.

a few months ago, i was reflecting on a particularly trying week in the senate. i wondered who might help me work out the jam that i was in. of course, i called former senator beth hannon. we met at a coffee shop in marion and she listened and let me wine just a little bit -- whine just a little bit. she started relieving the trials and tribulations of a female senator 30 years ago in 1985. what a learning moment. senator hannon has been teaching us for a long time. you can read about it in the 35 boxes of political and personal information -- 16 linear feet

for those interested -- in the information she has handed over to the iowa women's archives at the university of i what. -- at the university of iowa. it is the fascinating study of a woman with brains and moxie who wasn't afraid to haggle over tough topics such as reproductive rights and women's equality. [applause] she wasn't afraid to stand up for children and families in need and in a crisis. she has been described as a mentor, a sage, and a raving liberal. [laughter] [applause] she could always see clearly to look behind her and extend her

hand to the next woman. her career ladder was really a lattice as she helped create the iowa women's foundation, an organization whose support is soaring. it has helped women and girls expand the opportunities as they recover from poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health and homelessness. she also founded the iowa democratic activist women's network, which focuses on recruiting educating supporting, and electing pro-choice democratic women in local and state government. [applause] liz: senator hannon and her husband dave have raced excuse -- raised six kids.

that day in the coffee shop, we talked about the extraordinary man who stand behind women in leadership. when the last of her kids went off to school, dave supported have as she went back to school. she got her college degree. if you know her, you know she is feisty. that is what got her into politics. she won two terms and still talks about her races today like a boxer in a prizefight with that gleam in her eyes. her senate policy work included legislation on community

colleges, dropout prevention school testing, energy and soil conservation, recycling, parental leave, housing, family therapy, the e.r.a., women's athletics, and the list goes on and on. she was involved and she was aware. she was inducted into the jones county democrats hall of fame in 2014. seven former legislators showed up to praise her and haze her. they other words like mentor and conviction courageous and progressive. they even kidded her about a bill that tried to even up the score on a number of men's restrooms versus women's restrooms was. it was called potty parity.

it passed. every time we stand in line at a public facility, we think of her. [laughter] liz: we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the work you have done to move this state forward and to make sure that women and girls had a vote and they had a voice. [laughter] please help me honor that b ev hannon. [laughter] [applause] [applause]

liz: please welcome to the stage the induction of our next on a re-. person we honor. >> i have to give out a shout to every educator in this room. we feel the love in here. that isn't always the case. thank you so much. for everything you do to serve the students in iowa. tammy: i'm delighted to present

the award. this award is given to a party chair in recognition of their involvement and leadership of local party organization. for tonight's winner, this involvement began an sixth-grade. see, melinda jones, was just ten-year years old when she got the chance to call election results into cnn. in eighth grade, she volunteered her time on president bill clinton's reelection campaign and she was hooked on politics. melinda was first elected to the committee in 2006, and served as vice chair from 2008 two 2010 before elected chair where she serves. she has also served on the committee since 2008, taking a leadership role with the district rules and platform

committee. she has been active at local state, and federal election in iowa, although she can remember. she is serving her third term in the iowa democratic party state central committee. she is also an outstanding leader in her classroom and in our association, beginning her teaching career just six years ago. she is a reading recovery teacher. she is at wilson elementary and iowa, and she has charged full speed ahead in her active role in her association. last year, this session -- it seems like a long time ago -- she was one of 20 educators who pleaded at a special public hearing, where she gave testimony about how important education funding is to our classroom, school, and the students of iowa. there is just a small part of what melinda said to legislators.

please consider specifically what it means when you underfund our classrooms, any iowa school is given the support and tools could have that next scientist will will find the cure for cancer, or the astronaut who discovers a new planet. we sent they must give our students a fighting chance and get them the resources they are entitled to receive. we are so proud of melinda, and i know that the democratic party is equally proud. please join me in congratulating melinda jones and and dr. as as we and dr. her into the hall of fame. -- induct her into the hall of fame.

>> we love our teachers. please welcome chris hall to the stage. >> thank you so much. good evening, democrats. a comment was made, isn't it wonderful to see so many women here on stage tonight. [applause] for me it's an honor to be on the stage and such great company , but a greater honor to introduce the next person. it is presented in recognition of outstanding leadership. let me tell you about tonight's

person we are inducting. she volunteered at all levels of politics, knocking on doors serving as campaign treasurer for state council and house races, woodberry democrats, a lector to the state central committee, multiple terms serving as a mentor in the fourth congressional district and leader within the democratic party. in her free time, penny volunteers at the soup kitchen and as a dance squad coach. for 29 years, she worked at mercy medical center in sioux city. she and her husband are proud parents of a dotso dog. then he believes that people are the most important part of politics. she does not feel the need to be

the loudest voice in the room. she suffers no fools, speaks her mind, and we are better for it. why has she chosen to put her livelihood and energy into this effort with such great impact? in her own words we are a better america with democrats in office. i think that people in this room can of agree. -- can agree. [applause] let me add an important personal note. those of you familiar with sioux city -- and i appreciate the shout out -- know that we are incredibly loyal and proud of our community. penny has shown us what those qualities look like and why that thread runs strong. she has fought tirelessly for our candidates, and we have been through the highs and lows of election night. there is no one else that we

would wish to fight the good fight alongside more than you. so, let's all remember that politics is a team sport. we are fortunate to have such an incredible leader in our state. please join me in congratulating penny for her induction into the democratic party hall of fame and outstanding leadership. [applause] >> please welcome mike

fitzgerald. [applause] mike: i am delighted to be with you tonight. what an enthusiastic crowd. [applause] mike: the criteria the next award, presented in recognition of outstanding service as a democratic already activist. kurt meyer, tri-county chair. [applause] mike: -- an avid democrat and political activist since high school days. he knocked doors for george mcgovern while attending to the

college. county chair in the late 1970's. worked for congress, and he and has wife -- he and his wife were in charge of fundraising. kurt meyer has been a leading example for democratic activists for years. most recently, as chair of the tri-county democrats. an organization he conceived of when he recognized that the rural counties in north-central iowa could do more together than apart. several counties are in the same state house and senate district. his leadership and the cooperation accomplished under his guidance provided local support structure the plate an important part in reelecting president obama, congressman

braley and mary jo wilhelm to the iowa senate in 2012. [applause] considering she won by 126 votes, it shows how important every effort is. this was a race that was crucial to the democrats in maintaining majority in the senate that year. as you know, we have a one-vote margin, very important. in recent months, he chair the finance and fundraising task force for the idp, a group responsible for outlining expanded plans to fund the future of our party. people know kurt for his energy and enthusiasm and for the fact that he often leads the past he had exercise at gatherings, including tonight. [laughter] mike: please welcome kurt meyer.

[applause] >> please welcome to the stage the house democratic leader and speaker, mark smith.

mark: thank you all. thank you for that wonderful introduction. the gray or my hair becomes, the more i appreciate young people getting involved in the democratic party. i often tell young people to look around at which one of us is looking poorly and move into our district. [laughter] it is my great honor to give the award to the volunteer staff member who has recently become involved in the democratic politics and has shown great potential. morgan miller is a person who has received his award this year. i will not tell you how old morgan is. and she started in politics when she was 13 years of age.

next year that will have been half her life. [laughter] she also works for council 61 -- [laughter] [applause] mark: in that role she takes direction from that rather mild-mannered, an opinionated not passionate person by the name of martian nichols, who happens to be in israel today. we are very proud. morgan started working in politics when she was 13 years of age following her older sister in becoming involved in democratic politics. she served as a clerk and the i was senate to then she moved on to work for the organization. if she was not only passionate and hard-working for the people that in itself would be a greater congressman, but she is a hard worker for all of the people of iowa, particularly our

working families. please welcome morgan to this great honor. [applause] >> let's give another round of applause for hall of fame inductees. [applause] >> there you go. that is a picture. there are my democrats.

>> i suppose you are wondering why i ask you here this evening. yes, it is so you can participate in the past the hat. it is a tradition as old as our party. although we call it passed the hat, the key is not in the passing, but rather in talking something into the hat.

in doing so, you are passing our party forward. this is not a mere tip, this is a gift that propels our great party into the future. if you don't think that is important, you haven't seen the joker seeking to represent the other party in 2016, a gallery of goofballs incapable of leading the local lions club, say nothing about the free world. [applause] in anticipation of this evening i have done some research on the precinct caucuses. democrats are justifiably proud of our role in the presidential process but we must admit that iowans have not always selected a candidate on caucus night that becomes our eventual nominee. sometimes we do. sometimes we don't. i did find one should proof link

between a particular activity and winning the nomination. the candidate who supporters put the most money in the bucket pastssed at the hall of fame banquet has become our nominee every single time since 1846. the remarkable record. no exceptions. how will we ever tell who placed the $20 bill or $220 bills in the bucket? you didn't really think that the tv cameras were all here to capture my mug, did you? trust me, we will know. five centuries ago, martin luther noted that people moved through three stages, conversion of the heart, conversion of the head, and finally conversion of

the pocketbook. your presence suggests you are with us in hard and in head. we can make it three for three tonight, heart, head, and pocketbook. give generously. you will still have enough. if you give by check make it out to the iowa democratic party. our party needs use. past those rockets and tuck at something in -- buckets and talking something in meaningful when it comes your way. thank you very much. ♪

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>> ladies and gentlemen, please

return to your seats and welcome dr. andy mcguire. [applause] dr. mcguire: if we can all take our seats. we will keep this party rolling. can we all take our seats please? thank you.

thank you very much. we want to hear from our speakers. you got it. if you can all take your seats that would be great. and now i have the honor of introducing our keynote speaker. ♪ [applause] ♪ mark: decades of public service a willingness to solve difficult problems, and a commitment --

-- worked across party lines -- as united states senator promoting peace around the world. as governor, he may job creation and education his top priorities to ensure everyone have the opportunity to succeed. please join me in welcoming lincoln chafee. [applause] ♪ chafee: thank you, dr. mcguire. thank you very much. congratulations to all of the hall of fame inductees, a great group of people working hard to get democrats elected in iowa. [applause] thank you for inviting me to this night in cedar rapids.

you will hear from five good candidates tonight with a wide range of passions and experiences. it's good to be in iowa. i am a college wrestler, and i have long admired the many hawkeye champions. [applause] as you may know, i am the only presidential candidate who has been a mayor, u.s. senator, and a governor. throughout these experiences, i have tried to earn a reputation for courage and honesty. i also have shown strong convictions, sometimes under enormous political pressure. i am proud of my loan support for beneficial social programs that help build the middle class. my long support for tax structure that requires the wealthy to pay their fair share. [applause] my loan support for raising the minimum wage. my loan support for protecting

the environment and addressing climate change. my lone support for quality health care for all. my lone support for the woman's right to choose. my lone support for lgbt writes. my lone support for immigration reform. my lone support for investing in public education. my lone support investing in all public infrastructure. and my record will stand up to scrutiny on these and many other issues. in this campaign, i also place a high priority on addressing what is happening overseas, especially in the middle east and north africa. as a general petraeus famously

asked during the invasion in 2003, tell me, how does this end? the 2016 presidential election will go a long way to answering that question. how does this end? we have a choice in 2016, prosperity through peace or enlist war -- endless war. this week we got the break through with iran. what a change. let's give all those who helped make it happen a big hand, especially president obama and his team. avoiding war is worth every bit of our energy. the iran agreement was crafted with the help of russia, china the united kingdom france, and germany. this is the right way to make the world safer. [applause]

yes, working with our united nations partners, this is the model, the sensible path for america, leading with strong, smart, patient, diplomacy. absolutely. [applause] this is also a different course than the failed arrogant, unilateral bellicose republican approach to the world. that's the choice we have in 2016. we need to reject once and for all the belligerent etiquette of conflict. as governor and senator, i tended to many funerals of servicemen and servicewomen killed in iraq. it is a sad and avoidable chapter in american foreign-policy. as one who voted against the iraq war as a member of the foreign senate relations committee and chair of the middle east subcommittee, i have long been supportive of the course that president obama and

secretary kerry are charting. not only with iran, but with cuba. this has been a historic few weeks. if we are smart with our diplomacy, we can avoid these endless wars and create savings that can be better spent at home. diplomacy is the ultimate test of leadership. [applause] thank you, i would democrats. leadership is also about seeing the future. i see a future with a strong and well supported meta-core that is a covenant to our military strength. -- diplomatic corps that is icon clement to our military -- complement to our military strength.

more going to struggling families for true economic opportunities and a chance to buy their own homes more going to help our seniors enjoy the dignified retirement they work so hard to return -- earn. [applause] i see a future where those of different races, religions believes genders, sexual orientation, and cultural backgrounds, can live and work together. i see a future where once again everyone has a chance at the american dream. the way we are going to do that is to first of all believe it is possible.

that is why i'm running for president and respectfully ask for your support. [applause] we have a special country and a special planet, let's take care of both. thank you, i would democrats. have a great evening. [applause] mark:dr. mcguire: thank you governor chafee. i am proud to welcome our next speaker, hillary rodham clinton. [applause]

>> hillary hillary, hillary. dr. mcguire: as senator from new york, first lady, secretary of state, hillary clinton has been a tenacious advocate for women and their families. a source of american strength around the world. throughout her life, she has been devoted to the cause of human rights and equality working to make our world a more peaceful and inclusive place for all. she has led the fight on some of the most pressing issues of our time, from education to health care, and gotten results to bring us closer to an america where all have the opportunity

to succeed. please join me and welcoming hillary rodham clinton. [applause] clinton: thank you so much iowa. [applause] thank you. thank you all. thank you so much. [applause] clinton: it is a great delight to be here with all of you and with my fellow candidates. i want to congratulate all the inductees. andy thank you for what you are doing to bring back the democratic party in iowa. [applause] clinton: just look around this room and you can see that democrats are united, energized, and we are ready to win this

election. [applause] clinton: i know, and you do as well, that elections are always about the future. this time i feel that even more powerfully. maybe it is because our country has worked so hard to come back from the financial crisis with president obama's leadership and the determination of the american people. we are standing again. [applause] clinton: but we are not yet running the way america should. and now we have to choose whether we are going to return to the failed top-down policies that wrecked our economy before or move forward to chart a stronger fairer, and more

prosperous future. maybe it is the grandmother in me, but this is deeply personal. there is something about becoming a grandparent. it is truly transformational. some of you know what i'm talking about. it anchors you in the present and you suddenly have this incredible, amazing little person who commands a lot of attention. it also forces you to think about the future in a new way. what kind of world will be waiting for her? what kind of country will we have when she becomes an adult? and what are our responsibilities to shape it? i'm thinking a lot these days about my own mother and what she did for me. abandoned, mistreated by her own family, she was out on her own

by 14, working as a housemaid but she did not get into bitterness or despair, and i remember asking her, how did you keep your resilience? how did you keep your faith in the goodness of people and a future that would be better than the past? here is what she said. someone along the way believed she mattered. the first grade teacher who sought she had nothing to eat at lunch, and without embarrassing her brought extra food to share. the woman whose house she cleaned suggesting she go to high school so long as her work was done. and because those people believed in her, she was able to believe in me. she was able to give me the

great gift of believing in others and in our country. so my mom was not surprised that my first job out of law school was at the children's defense fund. she wasn't surprised that i spent my life fighting for women, children, families, and our country. [applause] after all, that is what she taught me to do. she never stop pushing me to fight harder for others, to have the same opportunities she never had. i can still hear her saying life is not about what happens to you, it's about what you do with what happens to you, so get act out there. that is why i am here with you today. -- so get back out there.

that is why i am here with you today. [applause] that is why i am so determined to build a better future, not just for my granddaughter, but for all of our children and grandchildren. that is why i'm never going to let a republican rep away the progress that we have made. [applause] clinton: you know, we democrats are in the future business. but from the republican candidates for president, we see the opposite. they may have some fresh faces, but they are the party of the past. we democrats, we look at america and we see limitless potential. we believe in a a sick bargain.

if you work hard and do your part, you should be able to get ahead and stay ahead. we believe that the measure of our success should be how much incomes rise for hard-working families, not just for ceos and money managers. [applause] well, republicans believe something very different. their answer is always the same cut taxes for the super wealthy let big corporations write their own rules, that's it. trickle down economics has to be one of the worst ideas of the 1980's. [applause] it is right up there with new coke, shoulder pads, and big

hair. [laughter] [applause] clinton: i lived through it. there are photographs, and we are not going back to that. [applause] clinton: this past monday, i laid out an agenda for raising incomes so hard-working americans can afford a middle-class life. it is an agenda for strong growth, fair growth, and long-term growth. that will be my mission from the first day i am president to the last. this campaign has to be about how we unlock the potential of every american. because that is how we unlock the potential of america itself. i am having -- [applause] clinton:

i'm having a great debate already with republicans about what that means for our country. governor bush scrambled to explain his statement that americans need to work longer hours. he now says he just wants part-time workers to be able to find full-time jobs. well, so do i. there's just one problem. his policies and the policies of all these republican candidates would make that harder. giving more tax cuts to those at the top won't do anything for part-time workers. rolling back rules for wall street will not help families get ahead. getting rid of the affordable care act certainly won't help entrepreneurs. just ask the folks in the sharing economy. americans don't need