against our sensibility to do better. frommir putin is learning experience in ukraine and syria that military adventurism pays, diplomacy can be manipulated to serve his strategic ambition, and the worst refugee crisis since world war ii can be weaponize to divide the west and weaken as resolve. the only deterrence we seem to be establishing is over ourselves. indeed, two years after russia invaded ukraine and annexed crimea, president obama has shamefully refused to provide ukrainian forces with assistance they need to defend themselves. china is getting less like a great power and more like a petty bully. time and time again, president obama has failed to take timely action to protect interests and

allies. china may be less likely to go operate on priorities he thought were more important, like climate change, and the reckless iran nuclear deal. as a result, china has asserted behavior, cyberattacks, economic espionage, and theft, militarization of one of the most important waterways, and the closing of regional allies and partners. the middle east is descending into chaos, but for the past seven years, president obama has sought to scale back america's involvement in and commitment to the middle east. he has tried to convince us the unfolding crisis in the middle east is simply a local problem, that our nation's core interests are not truly threatened, that the consequence of regional , hundreds of thousands dead in syria,

sectarian strikes in iraq, all of these can be mitigated and contains. but the crisis in the middle east has not been contained. it has reached the streets of paris, brussels, and san bernardino. it has produced a refugee crisis that has destabilized europe and divided the west. it has given vladimir putin an opportunity to reassert russia as a global power through intervention in syria. foes andd america's allies to question our commitment. no more is this clearer than in the war against isil. we have achieved tactical operation against isil thanks to the excellence of military leadership and troops on the ground. but it is strategic, we always seem to be a step behind, a day late, a dollar short. isil has taken the strategic

offensive, launching sophisticated attacks into the heart of western civilization, and deepening its presence in libya with thousands of terrorists and training camps and external plotting in that country. existing inf that afghanistan symptom or 10, 2001. -- september 10, 2001. but the reaction has been slow and inefficient. military service members in iraq and syria deserve better. president obama's failed policies of the last seven years have placed us in a tragic but once described -- rut once described as unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking until emergency comes, -- self-preservation strikes its jarring song. those of the rotations of

history. president reagan was quoted saying america has never faced a problem because it was too strong. that is how we won the cold war without firing a shot. the threats america faces have changed since then, the need for american strength is the same it ever was. if history has taught us anything, it is that while america cannot solve all the worlds problems, none of the problems will be salt without -- solved without american leadership. we must return to the principal of peace through strength for the sake of men and women serving, and security of our nation. announcer: on "american history tv on c-span3 -- >> this committee has undertaken an investigation. the purpose is not to repair the fbi's legitimate law enforcement, but

reevaluate the message according to the standards of the constitution and the statutes of our land. announcer: 40 years ago, the senate select committee chaired lookank church convened to at the cia, nsa, and fbi. this anniversary of the final report, we will look at portions of the 1975 televised hearings at 10:00. questioned colby about stored weapons. >> i cannot say when that quantity was developed except during a collaboration we were engaged with in the united states army, and we did develop this particular weapon, you might say, as a possible use. announcer: and on the civil war at 6:00. >> in 1960, the american -- united states was 100 years old.

it did not have wisdom. many had been in virginia 225 years. i don't think he knew the decision he made that april evening, and the same in 1861. his father was to his family. his family had been in virginia for over two centuries. it was his birthright. announcer: talking about general ely, -- general e lee. of the 18 68le presidential race. richard nixon's victory over human humphrey in the general election. at 8:00 on the presidency -- that won as a result of because of foreign policy and the head of state of the united states, chief of the armed

forces, leaving power in the world, the free world. it is to think responsibly about what one can achieve and to try and define one's policies and understand geopolitics in that line. announcer: jeremy black as of the origins of the cold war and focuses on dwight d -- eisenhower as a military man. for the full lineup, go to c-span.org. >> independent media is the oxygen of a democracy. it is holding those in power accountable. we are not there to serve some kind of corporate agenda. when we cover war and peace, we are not brought by the menu factors -- weapons manufacturers. announcer: journalist amy talksn of democracy now

about books she has covered, democracy now, 20 years of the movements of america, was looks back at stories and people the shows covered. >> the idea now democracy now really haven't changed, bringing out people at the grassroots, the united states, and around the world. they very much represent the majority of people. i think people who are concerned deeply about war and peace, about the growing inequality in this country. about climate change, the state not a fringe are minority, not even a silent majority, but the silenced majority. silenced by the corporate media, which is why we have to take it back. announcer: sunday night at 8:00 eastern. the c-span campaign 2013 continues to travel across the country to honor winners from the student camera competitions.

recently we went to wyoming to recognize winners from laramie high school. honored thiss video, access to a higher education is the investment of the future. then we traveled to south dakota to visit with winners in rapid city and sioux falls. and the final stop included minnesota, where third prize honored for their video on water pollution. a special thanks to the cable partners, comcast, charter, dco. though -- and mi these are to watch one of the top 21 winning injuries before "washington journal. " short time from now, we will to you to the washington hilton hotel for the annual correspondents dinner.

this will include guest arrivals, and later, remarks from president obama. and this year's entertainer, larry wilmore. coverage begins in about an hour from now, 6:00 eastern. until then, we look at speeches and past president who attended the dinner. >> saturday, april 30, c-span presents live coverage of the 2016 white house correspondents dinner, an event that typically includes prepared remarks by the president of the united states. and coming up in just a few minutes, we are going to show you the last white house correspondents day dinner , speeches from presidents reagan, both bush's, and clinton. but first, we are going to discuss the annual washington event with the mcclatchy senior white house correspondent steven thomma.