committee. thank you for joining us. we continue the conversation with sean sullivan and david wasserman. let me begin with you. what will it take ford democrats to regain house? reporter: it would take a hillary clinton landslide, on the magnitude of 10 points. there are two races i will be watching because the electoral college votes are divided in nebraska and maine. upocrats are aiming to pick the second district in maine where the the republican has played it cool a on his support for donald trump. democrats are hoping to defend nebraska where they have a and he hasmocrat been endorsed by the local chamber of commerce running

against a retired air force member. in dallas,vents baton rouge, louisiana and in orlando are putting guns and the racial divide in this country front and center. how will that play out? reporter: i think certainly the gun issue has been elevated in a way we have not seen in previous election cycles. it is something democrats are eager to talk about and in many of these suburban districts the democrats are talking about winning back, that is an issue a lot of voters care about. i think it's too early to predict whether it's going to be a major focal point for voters of republicans and democrats i talk to are surprised we are talking about it to that extent. some of that is the tragedy we are seeing unfold. host: donald trump has high

negatives and sodas hillary clinton. is this going to be a personality campaign? reporter: this has been the most substance free campaign i have seen since i have been covering politics. down ballot, there are issues candidates will use to try to differentiate themselves. host: one representative under investigation in the jacksonville area, how is that shaking out? reporter: she's in trouble, but legal problems are not her only problems. the district was redrawn by a court that extended it from jacksonville to tallahassee. from theast and west tallahassee area state legislator and that district primary is going to be extremely primary. host: let's talk about money.

senate -- senate democrats want to regain control of the senate thomas a how does that affect the campaign committee? reporter: the senate is the top priority when you look at what is available and what the parties chances are. if this becomes a real landslide, it looks like the house is more in place for democrats and we will see some of this money pour in. you have to look at the republican side and donald trump raising money through this joint fundraising account, we don't he will raise money at a high pace. he does well so far but he has not been out there fundraising for years and years. your takeaway on the conversation? reporter: democrats have an admirable crop of candidates under the circumstances. probably not enough to put the house over the top for democrats, but i think it will

be a good night for democrats if they pick that 15 seats. david wasserman and sean sullivan, thank you for joining us. >> before next week's republican national convention, c-span's cities tour along with their charter communications partners will explore the history and literary life of cleveland, ohio. we will talk with an author as he ask wars how transportation shapes the cities identity in his book, "cleveland, a history in motion. then we will explore the cleveland public library and the langston hughes collection. was at this location where he developed his love of writing and introduced to the work of

carl sandburg and walt whitman through his teacher. he also composed a poem that is kind of famous. >> and we will visit the cleveland history center and take a tour of the policy center. cleveland's past clinical conventions. and we will tour the crawford auto aviation museum and hear why cleveland was nick named motor city before detroit. cleveland,cation of we are on lake erie, a great shipping route. we had the railroad in the area, so there were all railroad shipping routes and we had the steel industry which is very

important to have the steel you need and there was a lot of lumber in this area, so it all came together. cities tour c-span on cleveland on c-span3. the c-span cities tour -- working with their cable affiliates and visiting cities across the country. >> i had a rough upbringing and got involved in the streets and made some friends and they were selling drugs, so it was the thing to do. ice started selling marijuana, mescaline tabs and then crack cocaine came out and we started selling that. from then the streets age of 13 to 18 years old, so five years. veteran of a 21 year the nypd discusses his book. he talks a lot his former life as a drug dealer and as a police

officer. >> i criticize police a lot, but i'm talking about the ad police and that's a small percentage. the overwhelming majority of cops just want to come in and do their jobs, but you don't hear about them. the bad cops, the bad policing and once law , you every starts time you see one of these cases of a black man getting killed, you look at the person's background, seven complaints of use of force, five substantiated -- the guy was a mess and we don't find out about it until they kill somebody. >> this past week, president obama talked about the need for unity and better relations between law enforcement and communities while attending an interface service for the five police officers shot and killed in dallas earlier this month stop former president george w.

bush also attended and spoke along with texas senator john cornyn, dallas mayor michael rawlings and tell us police chief michael brown. this is an hour and a half. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and distinguished guests. \[applause]

please remain standing if the presentation of colors and our national anthem. o' 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 rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there '' say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

>> to begin the program please welcome the mayor of dallas, mike rawlings. \[applause] mayor rawlings: please be seated. good afternoon. welcome. at 8:58 p.m. five days ago the soul of our city was pierced when police officers were ambushed in a cowardly attack. in the days that followed, we have searched a massive crime scene. we've sob and paid tribute to a growing memorial at the police headquarters.

we prayed together at thanksgiving square. we lit candles to honor the lives of our five heroes. today we open our city's doors to our friends and to our neighbors. we realized that our pain is your pain. you want to do what we want the do, honor the lives of these five officers. lorne ahrens, brent thompson, michael krol, michael smith, patricio zamarripa. on behalf of our great dallas city council, we want to say thank you and thank you for accepting our invitation. some of you have traveled from across our state and some from across our country. i want to recognize my fellow

mayors from out of state for being here on such short notice. oklahoma city mayor, mick cornet. new orleans mayor, columbia mayor, the louisville mayor. thank you. thank you also to my friend for worth mayor betsy price to celia abbott and daughter audrey abbott who are here on behalf of governor greg abbott. the governor jay nixon of missouri and governor suzanna martinez of new mexico and to our congressmen and women. you represent the elected officials and your citizens across the country who have reached out to me in recent days and who weren't able to make it here today whose cities and states have also been scarred by violence.

congresswoman johnson, senator cornyn, senator cruz these men and women are here with us because they know we have a common disease, this absurd violence on our streets. those that will help us fight it or men and women in blue, or peace-mackers in blue. they have died for that cause that is why today we reserve five seats for the men we lost on thursday night. we offer our gratitude to your, our cops including those who have traveled here to support your brothers and sisters in the dallas police department, the dallas area rapid transit police

and the el centro police force. ladies and gentlemen, thank you, thank you for coming. \[applause] most importantly it is our purpose today to bring comfort to you. the family who are represented by those empty seats. we love you. we will never forget you. we also honor those who came close to death that night and who were wounded not only in the body but in the soul. may you never be forgotten as well. we understand that dallas's pain is a national pain that is why i want to say thank you to

president obama and first lady, mrs. obama, vice president biden and dr. biden and to two of the most distinguished citizens of dallas, president bush and laura bush for coming to help us heal these wounds to wage this battle against violence and separatism today must be about unity. unity among faiths, unity among police and citizens and yes, unity among politicians. in recent days i've seen unity even before that tragedy when police and protestors mingled peacefully. i've seen unity when the protestors came out in support of the police after the days of this tragedy. i see unity today when the arlington police and the texas d.p.s. officers step up to

relieve our exhausted police officers. this interfaith choir behind me symbolizes that unity coming from six churches across our city. these three religious leaders, the iman omar suleman, rabbi pelei and dr. shamon patterson will speak on unity. and i believe you'll hear about unity from senator cornyn, president bush and president obama. the past few days have been some of the darkest in our city's history. there's no question about that. as we bury these men in the coming days, it will not get easier, i know.

but there's nothing like a crisis that forces one to take pause of your life and your city's life. and if you're from out of town, i hope you'll forgive me for a moment. i want to speak to my fellow dallas sites. i've searched hard in my soul of late to discover what mistakes we have made. i've asked why us. and in my moments of self-doubt, i discovered the truth that we did nothing wrong. in fact, dallas is very, very good. our police are among the best in the country. i'm in off of our dallas police officers -- i'm in awe of our dallas police officers. \[applause]

we set the standard where policing can both be strong and smart, where men die for the rights that this country was built on. in short, i have never been more proud of my city, our city. while we did nothing wrong, there is a reason this happened here, this place, this time in american history. this is our chance to lead for a

model for our city, for our state, for our country. to do that, there will be tough times ahead. we will mourn together. and "together" is the keyword here. we may be sad but we will not dwell in self-pity. we may weep but we will never whine for we have too much work to be done. we have too much -- too many bridges to build that we will cross together. this i know -- this i know will happen. thank you. \[applause]

>> let every head be bowed, every eye closed as we go to god in prayer. god of our weary years, god of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far on the way, lord, our hearts are heavy, our spirits are torn asunder and tears flow from our eyes and we come to you, oh, god because you are the rock in the weary land. you are the shelter in the time of storm and god, you are uniquely qualified to come see about your people. from genesis to revelation you have helped and healed and mended and molded. right now, oh, god, we salute the five slain dallas police officers who died protecting and serving this community. we honor their sacrifice and commitment. surround their families and loved one with your holy ghost power. cover the entire police

department with your grace and your mercy. and lord keep your hands of everlasting love on our chief david brown as he leads with dignity and determination. god, your word says all things work together for good. we can't see that right now. but we'll trust you when we can't trace you. lord, your word says weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. right now, it's still dark but we're going to hold on to your unchanging hand. yes, there will be lingering effects from thursday's ambush. there is terror, anxiety and despair but in the mighty and matchless name of jesus christ, we will keep on, we will press on, we will love on, we will live on. shadow beneath thy hand may with forever stand.

true to our god and true to america. let the church say amen. >> amen. >> in the name of god the most compassionate the most merciful, may his peace and profits be to their it's messengers. our country is soul searching and we as individuals are forever in need of your guidance and protection we ask you to look upon us today. to guide us in ways that are most pleasing to you. we ask you to pew peace in our hearts that we may spread it to all of those around us. we ask you to protect us from being people of injustice that we may purify the world of it. an as we ask you, we recognize that it is up to us to say you

did not create us for bigotry or vengeance. you did not create us to dominate or oppress one another. you did not create us for war. we are not the ones to judge who should live and who should die. so today, we stand before you in humility and in determination ready to pursue the peace, justice and equality that you demand of us. ready to stand up to all the evil in this generation. ready to stand up for any oppression, for any cause from any position and against any of your creation. we ask that your love would comfort those who mourn their loved ones today. that their memory would flood their family with joy. that the children of our fallen officers and all of those who have lost their lives to senseless violence are molded in the love that we express today not in the hatred that claimed the lives of their fathers.

we ask that the voices of racism and zeno phobia are drowned out by the choruses of voices that say you will not pit us against one another. we live by the hope that you've instilled among us. and with that, we pray to you the one god of noah, abraham, jesus and muhammad. for one dallas, one america and one world. amen. \[applause] dear friends, together we are here opening our hearts and our souls to the god of compassion. as the simple human beings that we are as mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, all children of the heavenly parents all created the divine image and

all here today to pray for healing, for wisdom, for strength and for peace. in this moment of sadness and pain, we look to the heavens knowing as the poet once said, there are stars up above, so far away we only see their light long after the star itself is gone. and so it is with the people that we love, their memories keep shining ever brightly though the time with us is done. but the stars that light up the darkest night, these are the stars that guide us. as we live our days these are the ways we remember. as we live our days we present brent thompson, patrick zamarripa, michael krol, lorne ahrens and michael smith.

they will be remembered as shining lights, dedication to our city, kindness and compassion. as we live our days we will never forget their sacrifice. as our city is still reeling from the violence of only a few short days ago, we beseech you, oh, god, healer of the broken hearted with the words of moses as he prayed for healing for his sister miriam. please, god, heal her. and so we pray for the families of our fallen police officers and transit police officer, please god, heal them as we ask for your healing power to surround them and their loved ones in this, their time of need with hope, with strength and with love. to those who survived the violence but who always bear the burden of scars and memory, we

pray, please god, heal them and bring to their bodies and souls the wholeness and completeness they seek. to our elected officials and police and first responders into whose hands we place our lives, we pray heal them. and bring to them wisdom and the courage necessary to bring the permanent peace we seek. and to those of us who are scared and afraid, angry and confused in our city and in our country, we pray, please, god, heal us ask we ask for your healing power to heal us once and for all from the hatred, zeno phobia, and indifference

that plagues every single day. we ask you this day to give us the courage and strength to help us make peace here on earth for everyone, every single day. and together we say, amen. ♪ lord i wait for thee i look to

the hills knowing my help is coming from you and your help ♪

[applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please senator. [applause] >> i know i speak for everyone and, and around the country expressing my profound gratitude brown,r rawlings, chief and the entire dallas and dart police departments. [applause] we thank you for your strength and the grace you have shown in these trying hours. thef i particularly like

way you put it yesterday when he said simply that dallas loves. it is my privilege to join the people dallas all across the state of texas and united -- entire country and honoring these men of uncommon courage. several years ago and the aftermath of another tragedy, the shocking explosion in west texas, a local official told me something that sticks with me even to this day. texan does not describe where you are from. it describes who your family is. family and this great nation share the grief of dallas. i'm going to especially thank president obama, first lady michelle obama, vice president

biden, and dr. jill biden for honoring us by your presence here today. [applause] in times of darkness, when it is hard to hold onto hope, we must remember that these men along with their fellow officers were not ultimately overcome by evil. us, iscripture directs believe that they should chose to confront evil and overcome it with good. runningrcame evil by toward the sound of the gunfire. they overcame evil by shielding their fellow citizens from the spray of bullets.

they overcame evil by sacrificing their own lives so that others could live. i believe that because of their example, to all of us, the city of dallas shall overcome the evil from that day. sadness, werofound honor and remember these officers for putting the people dallas before themselves. and in the final moments serving others, protecting the city, and loving's community as they did. today we join millions across our state and country who continue to lift up these families, friends, and fellow officers in our prayers. as those recovering from the ruins. -- wounds. in the aftermath of another life altering event, on september the

11th, 2001, president george w. bush inspired all of us in speaking of how this nation is a always responded to evil. courage and deep concern for one another. again, we gather as one nation under god yes to grieve, you send to rise up and continue to fight the good fight and finish the race. and to keep the faith. ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor to welcome you to the podium the 43rd president of the united states, part of our texas family, and a man who along with his bride at laura proudly call this community their home. president george w. bush. [applause]

president bush: thank you. thank you senator. ando and really pleased -- really pleased that president obama and mrs. obama has come down to dallas. i also want to welcome vice president and this is biden. mayor, chief brown, elected officials, members of law enforcement community. today the nation grieves but those of us who love dallas and call it home-- have had five deaths in the family. laura and i see members of law enforcement every day. we count them as our friends. and we know like for every other american that their courage is our protection. and shield. anymore --d of them

the men we mourn. our mayor and police chief and our police department have been mighty inspirations for the rest of the nation. [applause] these slain officers were the best among us. michael kroll, caring son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend. michael smith, u.s. army veteran , devoted husband and father of two. brett thompson, marine corps vet, recently married. patrick zamarripa, u.s. navy reserve combat veteran proud father, and loyal texas rangers fan. [laughter]

[applause] with their deaths, we have lost so much. we are grief stricken, heartbroken, and forever grateful. accepted aer has calling that sets him apart. most of us imagine if the moment calls for that we would risk our lives to protect a spouse or a child. those wearing the uniform assume that risk for the safety of strangers. they and their family share the unspoken knowledge that each new day can bring new dangers. prepared orus were could be prepared for an ambush by hatred and mouse. the shock of this evil still has not faded.

seems like they forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. argument turns to easily into animosity. disagreement escalates to quickly into dehumanization. too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions. [applause] and this -- our bonds of understanding and common purpose. but americans, i think, have a great advantage. to renew our unity we only need to remember our values. we have never been held together by blood or background. we are bound by things of the spirit, by shared commitments to common ideals.

sympathyst to practice , imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of others. this is the bridge across our nations deepest divisions. and it's not really a matter of tolerance, but am learning from the struggles and stories of hours was the -- of our fellow citizens. at our best rihanna the image of god be seeing one another. we recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief moment on earth and ellen each other the loyalty of our shared humanity. i never best we know we have one destiny one future, one . we do not want the unity of grief nor do we want the unity of fear. we want the unity of hope, affection, and high purpose. justow that the kind of

humane country we want to build that we have seen in our best when men made possible and women in uniform stand guard. at their best when they are trained and trust and accountable, they free us from fear. said where godl gave us the spirit not a fear, but of shank and love and self-control. those of the best responses to fear in the life of our country. and they are the code of the peace officer. today all of us feel a sense of loss, but not equally. to conclude with a word of the families, the spouses, and especially the children of the following -- fallen. your loved one's time at the was too short. they did not get a chance to properly say goodbye. but they went for duty called. they defended us, even to the

end, they finished while, we will not forget what they did with us -- for us. your losses unfair, we cannot explain it. and shared beside you your grief. and we can pray that god will come for you with a hope deeper than sorrow and stronger than death. may god bless you. [applause] >> leadership is hard, great leadership is very unique.

we experience that leadership of theek with the chief offices.pd i want to say thanks to dart chief james feller for what you have done. [no audio] [applause] and i want to also introduce a man who has given his life to be city of dallas.

.he 28th chief of police over 30 years in the fourth, a native of southold chris -- .outh oaks cliff [applause] a man [applause] a man that i call a friend, but more important, he is my rock. dallas,sents not only but police officers, police

the higher calling across united states of america. ladies and gentlemen, chief david brown. [applause] chief brown: thank you. thank you. thank you. [applause] thank you so much. thank you so much.

when i was a teenager, and i couldliking girls, never find the right words to express myself. and after a couple words they would just walk away, leaving me, figuring out what i need to do to get a date. of 1970's music fan rhythm and blues songs, i put to recite strategy date.rics to get a likes, i wouldt spit out some al green are some teddy pendergrass and i would recite the lyrics to their love

songs. but for people i love to, if i fell in love with a girl, i had to dig down deep and get some stevie wonder. [laughter] [applause] to fully express the love i had for them. today, i'm going to pull out some stevie wonder for these families. [applause] families closer rise and just imagine me back in 1974 with anaphora -- an afro and some bellbottoms and a wide collar. we all know sometimes life takes and troubles can make you wish you were born in another time

and place. life timen bet your that an twice its double, that god knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed. so make sure when you say you it,not in it, but not of words andnge your then change the truth and to love. and maybe your children's grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren will tell them i will be loving you. rainbow burns the stars out of the sky, i will be loving you. until the ocean covers every mountain high, i will be loving you. until the dolphins fly, and the

parents live at the sea, i will be loving you. until we dream of life and life becomes a dream, i will be loving you. until the day is night, and night becomes the day, i will be loving you hear the trees and up up and fly away, i will be loving you. until the day that eight times eight times eight times eight is for, i will be loving you. until the day that is the day that is no more i will be loving you. earth starts turning right to left i will be loving you. until the earth for the sun denies itself out of the loving you. until mother nature says her work is due, i will be loving you. until the day that you are me and i am you, now ain't that loving you.

[applause] until the rainbow burns, the stars out of this guy. ain't that loving you? until the ocean covers every saytain high and i forgot always i will be loving you always. there is no greater love than this. gave theirfive men us.s for all of to introduce to you the president of the united states of america. president barack obama. thank you. [applause]

president obama: thank you. thank you very much. mr. president and mrs. bush; my friend, the vice president, and dr. biden; mayor rawlings; chief spiller; clergy; members of congress; chief brown -- i'm so glad i met michelle first,

because she loves stevie wonder -- (laughter and applause) -- but most of all, to the families and friends and colleagues and fellow officers: scripture tells us that in our sufferings there is glory, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

perseverance, character; and character, hope. sometimes the truths of these words are hard to see. right now, those words test us. because the people of dallas, people across the country, are suffering. we're here to honor the memory, and mourn the loss, of five fellow americans -- to grieve with their loved ones, to support this community, to pray for the wounded, and to try and find some meaning amidst our sorrow.

for the men and women who protect and serve the people of dallas, last thursday began like any other day. like most americans each day, you get up, probably have too quick a breakfast, kiss your family goodbye, and you head to work. but your work, and the work of police officers across the country, is like no other. for the moment you put on that uniform, you have answered a call that at any moment, even in the briefest interaction, may

put your life in harm's way. lorne ahrens, he answered that call. so did his wife, katrina -- not only because she was the spouse of a police officer, but because she's a detective on the force. they have two kids. and lorne took them fishing, and used to proudly go to their school in uniform. and the night before he died, he bought dinner for a homeless man. and the next night, katrina had to tell their children that their dad was gone. "they don't get it yet," their grandma said. "they don't know what to do quite yet."

michael krol answered that call. his mother said, "he knew the dangers of the job, but he never shied away from his duty." he came a thousand miles from his home state of michigan to be a cop in dallas, telling his family, "this is something i wanted to do." last year, he brought his girlfriend back to detroit for thanksgiving, and it was the last time he'd see his family. michael smith answered that call -- in the army, and over almost 30 years working for the dallas police association, which gave him the appropriately named "cops cop" award. a man of deep faith, when he was off duty, he could be found at church or playing softball with his two

girls. today, his girls have lost their dad, for god has called michael home. patrick zamarripa, he answered that call. just 32, a former altar boy who served in the navy and dreamed of being a cop. he liked to post videos of himself and his kids on social media. and on thursday night, while patrick went to work, his partner kristy posted a photo of her and their daughter at a texas rangers game, and tagged her partner so that he could see it while on duty. brent thompson answered that call. he served his country as a marine. and years later, as a contractor, he spent time in

some of the most dangerous parts of iraq and afghanistan. and then a few years ago, he settled down here in dallas for a new life of service as a transit cop. and just about two weeks ago, he married a fellow officer, their whole life together waiting before them. like police officers across the country, these men and their families shared a commitment to something larger than themselves. they weren't looking for their names to be up in lights. they'd tell you the pay was decent but wouldn't make you rich. they could have told you about the stress and long shifts, and they'd probably agree with chief brown when he said that cops don't expect to

hear the words "thank you" very often, especially from those who need them the most. no, the reward comes in knowing that our entire way of life in america depends on the rule of law; that the maintenance of that law is a hard and daily labor; that in this country, we don't have soldiers in the streets or militias setting the rules. instead, we have public servants -- police officers -- like the men who were taken away from us. and that's what these five were doing last thursday when they were assigned to protect and keep orderly a peaceful protest

in response to the killing of alton sterling of baton rouge and philando castile of minnesota. they were upholding the constitutional rights of this country. for a while, the protest went on without incident. and despite the fact that police conduct was the subject of the protest, despite the fact that there must have been signs or slogans or chants with which they profoundly disagreed, these men and this department did their jobs like the professionals that they were. in fact, the police had been part of the protest's planning. dallas pd even posted photos on their twitter feeds of

their own officers standing among the protesters. two officers, black and white, smiled next to a man with a sign that read, "no justice, no peace." and then, around nine o'clock, the gunfire came. another community torn apart. more hearts broken. more questions about what caused, and what might prevent, another such tragedy. i know that americans are struggling right now with what we've witnessed over the past week. first, the shootings in minnesota and baton rouge, and the protests, then the targeting

of police by the shooter here -- an act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred. all of it has left us wounded, and angry, and hurt. it's as if the deepest fault lines of our democracy have suddenly been exposed, perhaps even widened. and although we know that such divisions are not new -- though they have surely been worse in even the recent past -- that offers us little comfort. faced with this violence, we wonder if the divides of race in america can ever be bridged. we wonder if an african-american community that feels unfairly targeted by police, and police departments that feel unfairly maligned for doing their jobs,

can ever understand each other's experience. we turn on the tv or surf the internet, and we can watch positions harden and lines drawn, and people retreat to their respective corners, and politicians calculate how to grab attention or avoid the fallout. we see all this, and it's hard not to think sometimes that the center won't hold and that things might get worse. i understand. i understand how americans are feeling. but, dallas, i'm here to say we must reject such despair. i'm here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. and i know that because i know america. i

know how far we've come against impossible odds. (applause.) i know we'll make it because of what i've experienced in my own life, what i've seen of this country and its people -- their goodness and decency --as president of the united states. and i know it because of what we've seen here in dallas -- how all of you, out of great suffering, have shown us the meaning of perseverance and character, and hope. when the bullets started flying, the men and women of the dallas

police, they did not flinch and they did not react recklessly. they showed incredible restraint. helped in some cases by protesters, they evacuated the injured, isolated the shooter, and saved more lives than we will ever know. (applause.) we mourn fewer people today because of your brave actions. (applause.) "everyone was helping each other," one witness said. "it wasn't about black or white. everyone was picking each other up and moving them away." see, that's the america i know.

the police helped shetamia taylor as she was shot trying to shield her four sons. she said she wanted her boys to join her to protest the incidents of black men being killed. she also said to the dallas pd, "thank you for being heroes." and today, her 12-year old son wants to be a cop when he grows up. that's the america i know. (applause.)

in the aftermath of the shooting, we've seen mayor rawlings and chief brown, a white man and a black man with different backgrounds, working not just to restore order and support a shaken city, a shaken department, but working together to unify a city with strength and grace and wisdom. (applause.) and in the process, we've been reminded that the dallas police department has been at the forefront of improving relations between police and the community. (applause.) the murder rate here has fallen. complaints of excessive force have been cut by 64 percent. the dallas police department has been doing it the right way. (applause.) and so,

mayor rawlings and chief brown, on behalf of the american people, thank you for your steady leadership, thank you for your powerful example. we could not be prouder of you. (applause.) these men, this department -- this is the america i know. and today, in this audience, i see people who have protested on behalf of criminal justice reform grieving alongside police officers. i see people who mourn for the five officers we lost but also weep for the families of alton sterling and philando castile. in this

audience, i see what's possible -- (applause) -- i see what's possible when we recognize that we are one american family, all deserving of equal treatment, all deserving of equal respect, all children of god. that's the america that i know. now, i'm not naive. i have spoken at too many memorials during the course of this presidency. i've hugged too many families who have lost a loved one to senseless violence. and i've seen how a spirit of unity, born of tragedy, can gradually dissipate, overtaken

by the return to business as usual, by inertia and old habits and expediency. i see how easily we slip back into our old notions, because they're comfortable, we're used to them. i've seen how inadequate words can be in bringing about lasting change. i've seen how inadequate my own words have been. and so i'm reminded of a passage in *john's gospel [first john]: let us love not with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. if we're to sustain the unity we need to

get through these difficult times, if we are to honor these five outstanding officers who we've lost, then we will need to act on the truths that we know. and that's not easy. it makes us uncomfortable. but we're going to have to be honest with each other and ourselves. we know that the overwhelming majority of police officers do an incredibly hard and dangerous job fairly and professionally. they are deserving of our respect and not our scorn.

(applause.) and when anyone, no matter how good their intentions may be, paints all police as biased or bigoted, we undermine those officers we depend on for our safety. and as for those who use rhetoric suggesting harm to police, even if they don't act on it themselves -- well, they not only make the jobs of police officers even more dangerous, but they do a disservice to the very cause of justice that they claim to promote. (applause.) we also know that centuries of racial discrimination -- of

slavery, and subjugation, and jim crow -- they didn't simply vanish with the end of lawful segregation. they didn't just stop when dr. king made a speech, or the voting rights act and the civil rights act were signed. race relations have improved dramatically in my lifetime. those who deny it are dishonoring the struggles that helped us achieve that progress. (applause.) but we know -- but, america, we know that bias remains. we know it. whether you are black or white or hispanic or asian or native american or of middle eastern descent, we have all

seen this bigotry in our own lives at some point. we've heard it at times in our own homes. if we're honest, perhaps we've heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. we know that. and while some suffer far more under racism's burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination's sting. although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. no institution is entirely immune. and that includes our police departments. we know this.

and so when african americans from all walks of life, from different communities across the country, voice a growing despair over what they perceive to be unequal treatment; when study after study shows that whites and people of color experience the criminal justice system differently, so that if you're black you're more likely to be pulled over or searched or arrested, more likely to get longer sentences, more likely to get the death penalty for the same crime; when mothers and fathers raise their kids right and have "the talk" about how to respond if stopped by a police officer -- "yes, sir," "no, si"" -- but still fear that something terrible may happen when their child walks out the door, still you fear that kids being stupid and not quite doing things right

might end in tragedy -- when all this takes place more than 50 years after the passage of the civil rights act, we cannot simply turn away and dismiss those in peaceful protest as troublemakers or paranoid. (applause.) we can't simply dismiss it as a symptom of political correctness or reverse racism. to have your experience denied like that, dismissed by those in authority, dismissed perhaps even by your white friends and coworkers and fellow church members again and again and again -- it hurts. surely we can see that, all of us.

we also know what chief brown has said is true: that so much of the tensions between police departments and minority communities that they serve is because we ask the police to do too much and we ask too little of ourselves. (applause.) as a society, we choose to underinvest in decent schools. we allow poverty to fester so that entire neighborhoods offer

no prospect for gainful employment. (applause.) we refuse to fund drug treatment and mental health programs. (applause.) we flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book -- (applause) -- and then we tell the police "you're a social worker, you're the parent, you're the teacher, you're the drug counselor." we tell them to keep those neighborhoods in check at all costs, and do so without causing any political blowback or inconvenience. don't make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind. and then we feign surprise when,

periodically, the tensions boil over. we know these things to be true. they've been true for a long time. we know it. police, you know it. protestors, you know it. you know how dangerous some of the communities where these police officers serve are, and you pretend as if there's no context. these things we know to be true. and if we cannot even talk about these things -- if we cannot talk honestly and openly not just in the comfort of our own circles, but with those who look different than us or bring a different perspective, then we will never break this dangerous cycle.

in the end, it's not about finding policies that work; it's about forging consensus, and fighting cynicism, and finding the will to make change. can we do this? can we find the character, as americans, to open our hearts to each other? can we see in each other a common humanity and a shared dignity, and recognize how our different experiences have shaped us? and it doesn't make anybody perfectly good or perfectly bad,

it just makes us human. i don't know. i confess that sometimes i, too, experience doubt. i've been to too many of these things. i've seen too many families go through this. but then i am reminded of what the lord tells ezekiel: i will give you a new heart, the lord says, and put a new spirit in you. i will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. that's what we must pray for, each of us: a new heart. not a

heart of stone, but a heart open to the fears and hopes and challenges of our fellow citizens. that's what we've seen in dallas these past few days. that's what we must sustain. because with an open heart, we can learn to stand in each other's shoes and look at the world through each other's eyes, so that maybe the police officer sees his own son in that teenager with a hoodie who's kind of goofing off but not dangerous -- (applause) -- and the teenager -- maybe the teenager will see in the police officer the same words and values and authority of his parents. (applause.) with an open heart, we can abandon the overheated rhetoric and the oversimplification that reduces whole categories of our fellow americans not just to

opponents, but to enemies. with an open heart, those protesting for change will guard against reckless language going forward, look at the model set by the five officers we mourn today, acknowledge the progress brought about by the sincere efforts of police departments like this one in dallas, and embark on the hard but necessary work of negotiation, the pursuit of reconciliation. with an open heart, police departments will acknowledge that, just like the rest of us, they are not perfect; that insisting we do better to root out racial bias is not an attack on cops, but an effort to live up to our highest ideals. (applause.) and i understand

these protests -- i see them, they can be messy. sometimes they can be hijacked by an irresponsible few. police can get hurt. protestors can get hurt. they can be frustrating. but even those who dislike the phrase "black lives matter," surely we should be able to hear the pain of alton sterling's family. (applause.) we should -- when we hear a friend describe him by saying that "whatever he cooked, he cooked enough for everybody," that should sound familiar to us, that maybe he wasn't so different than us, so that we can, yes, insist that his life matters. just as we should hear the students and coworkers describe their affection for philando castile as a gentle

soul -- "mr. rogers with dreadlocks," they called him -- and know that his life mattered to a whole lot of people of all races, of all ages, and that we have to do what we can, without putting officers' lives at risk, but do better to prevent another life like his from being lost. with an open heart, we can worry less about which side has been wronged, and worry more about joining sides to do right. (applause.) because the vicious killer of these police officers, they won't be the last person who tries to make us turn on one

other. the killer in orlando wasn't, nor was the killer in charleston. we know there is evil in this world. that's why we need police departments. (applause.) but as americans, we can decide that people like this killer will ultimately fail. they will not drive us apart. we can decide to come together and make our country reflect the good inside us, the hopes and simple dreams we share. "we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

perseverance, character; and character, hope." for all of us, life presents challenges and suffering -- accidents, illnesses, the loss of loved ones. there are times when we are overwhelmed by sudden calamity, natural or manmade. all of us, we make mistakes. and at times we are lost. and as we get older, we learn we don't always have control of things -- not even a president does. but we do have control over how we respond to the world. we do have control over how we treat one another.

america does not ask us to be perfect. precisely because of our individual imperfections, our founders gave us institutions to guard against tyranny and ensure no one is above the law; a democracy that gives us the space to work through our differences and debate them peacefully, to make things better, even if it doesn't always happen as fast as we'd like. america gives us the capacity to change. but as the men we mourn today -- these five heroes -- knew better than most, we cannot take the blessings of this nation for granted. only by working

together can we preserve those institutions of family and community, rights and responsibilities, law and self-government that is the hallmark of this nation. for, it turns out, we do not persevere alone. our character is not found in isolation. hope does not arise by putting our fellow man down; it is found by lifting others up. (applause.) and that's what i take away from the lives of these outstanding men. the pain we feel may not soon pass, but my faith tells me that they did not die in vain. i believe our sorrow can make us a better country. i believe our

righteous anger can be transformed into more justice and more peace. weeping may endure for a night, but i'm convinced joy comes in the morning. (applause.) we cannot match the sacrifices made by officers zamarripa and ahrens, krol, smith, and thompson, but surely we can try to match their sense of service. we cannot match their courage, but we can strive to match their devotion. may god bless their memory. may god bless this country that we love. (applause.) [applause]

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>> reports from louisiana this hour that multiple police officers have been shot in baton rouge. cnn reports of three officers killed with four others wounded. there condition unknown. officials -- the scene of the shooting is contained but the shooter is not yet in custody. rouge was where alton sterling, a 37 black men was shot by police earlier this

month, sparking large protests around the country. again, at this hour, reports of three officers killed and four shot and wounded in baton rouge. back in washington this past week, we heard several lawmakers talk about the state of policing and race relations here in the u.s.. senator tim scott of south carolina came to the senate floor three days in a row to speak about the issue. days, he talked about some of his own encounters with capitol hill police. this is about 15 minutes. mr. president, the senator from south carolina, the mysident iraq today to get second speed for this discussing the issues we are facing as a nation following message tragedies in dallas, minnesota, and batteries. is perhaps there is difficult, because it's the most personal. on monday, talked about how the vast majority of our

law-enforcement officers have only two things in mind. protect and serve. have issues that must result. in many cities and towns across the nation, there is a deep divide between the black community and law enforcement. a trust that. intentions that has been going for decades. as a family, one american family, we cannot ignore these issues. because while so many officers do good, and we should be thankful, we should be very thankful in support of all of those officers that do good. some simply do not. i have experienced it myself.

i stand here before you today because i'm speaking for all of family entire american to work together so we all experience the lyrics of a song that we can hear but not see. love, and understanding. because when i heard eric garner sing i can't breathe. went where i watched walter scott turn and run away and get shot and killed from the back. when i heard the four-year-old daughter of salon deals girlfriend tell her mother it's

ok. i'm right here with you. these are people lost forever. brothers, sons. scream,l say maybe even but they have criminal records, they were criminals, they spent time in jail. note having a record should sentence you to death, i say ok you someill share with of my own experiences or the expenses of good friends and other professionals. our concern they remember the very first time that i was pulled over by police officer as just a youngster. i was driving a car that had an

that had an improper headlight, did not work right. the cop came up to my car with his hand on his gun and said boy, don't you know your headlights not working properly. i felt embarrassed, shame, answered. very scared. instead of sharing the experience after experience, i want to go for a time in my life when i was an elected official. and share just a couple stories as an elected official. please remember that in the course of one year, i have been stopped seven times by law enforcement officers. not six, but five, seven times. in one year as an elected official. the vast majority of the time, i was full liver for nothing more than driving a new car in the

wrong neighborhood, on some other reason just as sugar. one of the times i remember i was leaving the mall. i took a left out of the mall and this is that the collection please help support in right behind it. does my first left. i got to the other traffic light, i took another left into a neighborhood, please fall behind it. i took a third left onto the street that leads to my forming complex, then enter their fourth left coming into my apartment complex, and then the relation on. blue lights went on. the officer approached the car and said that i did not use my turn signal on the fourth turn. mind, as you might imagine i would pay very close attention to the law enforcement officer who followed me on for torrents. do you really think that somehow

i forgot to use my turn signal on that fourth turn? time i'm following a friend of mine, we just left working out of her heading back to grab a bite to eat about 4:00 in the afternoon. he pulls out, i pull up behind him and we are driving down the road. blue lights go on. officer pulls into the median and such telling me that he thinks perhaps a car stolen. started asking myself to get us one another not to ask him, asking myself, is the license plate coming in as stolen? does the license plate match the car? i was looking for some rational reason that may have prompted him to stop me on the side of the road. i also think about the

experiences of my brother who became a command sergeant major united states army. the highest rank for an enlisted soldier. his job from texas to charleston , pulled over by law enforcement officer who wanted to know if he had stolen the car he was driving because it was a volvo. manynot know african-american men who do not have a very similar story to tell no matter the profession. no matter their income, no matter their disposition in story oflso recall the one of my former staffers, great guy about 40 years old -- 30 years old who drove a chrysler 300, nice car, but not a ferrari, not a super nice car. he was pulled over so many times

here in d.c. for absolutely no driving aer than for nice car. bought aat car and more obscure form of transportation. targetedred of being d.ag imagine the frustration, the irritation. i've had the great privilege of serving the people of south carolina as united states congress member and as united states senator for the last six years. for those who don't know, there

are a few ways to identify a .ember of congress or senate well when you been in for a couple years, the law enforcement officers get to know you and they identify you by faith. but if that doesn't happen, and you have a badge license you can or a really cool p in. i recall walking into an office afterng just last year being there for five years in the capital. me andicer looked at said the pen i know, you are don't. show me your id. i will tell you, i was thinking

thankslf either he is -- -- well id a crime or will tell you later that evening, the received a phone call from his supervisor apologizing for the behavior. leastesident, that is at the third phone call that i've received from a supervisor or the chief of police since i've been in the senate. nothile i think god i'm endured bodily harm, i have however felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted. anger,felt the frustration, sadness, and the humiliation that comes with

feeling like you're being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself. as a former staff writer mentioned earlier, there is absolutely nothing more frustrating, more damaging to your soul, then when you know you're following the rule of being treated like you are not. mistake, no matter this should notese issues lead anyone to any conclusion other than to abide by the law. i think reverend dr. him -- dr. martin luther king jr. said it so well. returning violence with violence only leads to more violence and to even darker nights, nights to paraphrase without stars.

ever an never acceptable reason to harm a member of our law-enforcement. t. ever. community. ever. because even in the times of great darkness, there is lights. hundreds, thousands of stories of officers who go beyond the call duty. miss taylor as i spoke about a monday night, at the dallas incident was covered, covered completely by at least three officers who are willing to lose their life to save hers. opportunity to be grateful and thankful of manny -- men and women in uniforms. i share another story tonight as well.

the more i want to tell you today, does not involve a tragic loss of life, it does show support that meant a lot to me at the time it occurred. prior to serving the united states senate i was elected us on the county level, state level, and a member of the united states congress. i believe it is my responsibility to hang on. my constituents as fast as possible and hear their concerns. i traveled to an event that i was invited to along with two and enforcement officers. iraq to the event the organizers seem to have a particular issue with me coming to the event. he let might to staffers to go into the event. it seemed to be aligned with you officers who both said they were going and if i wasn't going in. so in order to avoid a real

tense situation, i opted to leave, because there's no way of winning that kind of debate ever. thankful ford and those two law enforcement officers who were in rates -- enraged by this treatment. there is such a moment that i in a situationet that i would love to forget. that happens all across the country, the solicitor is that happens all across the country whether we want to recognize it or not. happen a thousand times a day, but it happens too many times a day. see it as i have had the chance to see it, help me hasrstand why this issue

wounds that have not healed. it has been to appreciate and understand, it has been to communicate why in times aerican families have to have serious conversation about where we are, where we are going, and how to get there. way to fill these cranks in the very foundation of our country. tomorrow i will return with my final speech in this three-part series. on the issues and how to get you to where we need to go by talking about policies, and people solutions here because i've come a like you, i don't believe that all answers are -- i don't think all the solutions that we did start in government. we need people doing things that

only individuals can do. today however, i simply ask you recognize that just because you do not feel the pain , the anguish of another, does not mean it does not exist. struggle, ourr struggles, does not make them disappear. andimply leaves you blind the american family, very vulnerable. some search so hard to explain justice that they are floating who we are as a nation. but we must come together to fulfill what we all know is , peace, here in america love, and understanding.

fairness. thank you. senator tim scott there last week on the floor of the senate and again today news from baton rouge louisiana of three police officers dead and four wounded in a shooting there. we continue to follow that story for you. recess now until september survey members can visit their districts and campaign ahead of the november elections. several of those members heading to where you see on the screen, that is a quicken loans arena known as the queue in cleveland partyhere the republican convention gets underway tomorrow. the four-day event taking place there in cleveland and we will have every minute of it for you to see right here on c-span. you can also listen on our p and on-demand at c-span.org. later today we take you there to cleveland for a preview of what to expect at theon