reducing them to only three brackets. >> david horwitz on communism. >> human beings are prone to evil. corruption is within us. once you understand that, you are a conservative. [laughter] societyu believe that is an oppressive system, everything can be understood in terms of the dominant class or a dominant race or a dominant sex and everybody that they oppress. if that's the way you see the world, then you are a communist. >> secretary of state rex tillerson at the u.n. briefing on north korea. >> we must all do our share. china is accounting for 90% of north korean trade. china has leverage over pyongyang that is unique and its role is particularly important. >> c-span programs are available

at c-span.org, on our homepage, and by searching the video library. announcer: "washington journal" continues. for the next 30 minutes, we want to hear your view on former president obama's reported $400,000 speaking fee for a wall street speech. the line for democrats is (202) 748-8000. republicans, (202) 748-8001. independents, (202) 748-8002. one take comes from "the washington times." cal thomas writes, "exploiting the presidency." now comes president obama receiving $400,000 for a speech run by a wall street firm. mr. obama is getting the money primarily for his celebrity not his deeds. obama's annual presidential pension is $205,700, which is

what other living ex-president's get. mr. obama will receive subsidies for travel, office staff, and supplies as well as secret service protection. cap, says "congress should reduce payments for former president in proportion of how much those presidents make a retirement. approaching $20 trillion, taxpayers should not be on the hook for underwriting lifestyles of former presidents that would've outraged coolidge and treatment and probably most presidents since george washington." that is one take on it. we especially want to hear from you. we set aside 30 minutes to talk about it. dave is up first. rochester michigan -- rochester, michigan, good morning. caller: good morning. i think this is just a continuation of this group me that president obama gets. it's as american as it gets to earn as much money as you can get.

evidently that is the value that he is worth. wouldestion is -- what mr. obama want to pay as far as his fair share of taxes? he and warren buffett will tell the world that they should pay more money. that is where we should be looking at. this is just picking on obama because of who he is. host: let me bounce this on you. "the new york times" lead editorial wrote this, "it is disheartening that a man's whose historical candidacy now joins almost every modern president in cashing in and it shows surprising tone deafness, more likely to be expected from the billionaires the obamas have vacation with this past month than the president who was a to only -- keenly attuned to the worries and resentments of

the 99%." caller: that's ridiculous. fair share his money, he should pay his fair share of taxes. othersrren buffett and that understand fairness, they know they should pay more. that is what the issue should be not about what he can earn. it's great that he can earn that much. host: let's go to the line for republicans. jeff is in falls church, virginia, just across the river here. go ahead. caller: yes, thank you. couple of things. number 1 -- i'm a conservative republican and i believe the president is a hurt the creek in the scituate -- hypocrite in the situation. number 2 -- i'm a free market person, so i believe he should take the money for the speech. if someone wants to pay him $5 million to shake his hand, that's perfectly fine with me. my big problem is the amount of money that bill clinton and

hillary clinton took while she was secretary of state. i think there's a difference between doing it while you are a public official and when you are a retired public official. while it makes me wince obviously, i do believe that president obama should be able to set a fee for his speaking and his time and take that fee. host: loretto is a new jersey come alive for democrats. a is a new jersey, line for democrats. caller: i do agree with the democrat call and the republican call. he has every right to accept whatever they are willing to pay him for his speeches. host: the previous caller says he thinks it's hypocritical of the president considering what he ran on and what he talked about. do you agree with that part of the call? caller: no, i do not. i don't think it's hypocritical. when he was in office, he did everything he could to help all

kinds of people. i don't think he's hypocritical at all. host: "the new york times" talking about the history here of presidents collecting fees and checks after their time in the white house, saying president obama is hardly the first president to do so. bill clinton became rich after averaging more than $200,000 per speech over more than a decade. president george w. bush was blunt when asked shortly after he left office what he intended to do. 'a give some speeches just to replenish the old coffers' ronald reagan earn $2 million for a week of speechmaking in japan after leaving office. visit, for which he was subsequently the subject of derision, was sponsored by one of the communications groups there, the country's largest media conglomerate." democrats --(202) 748-8000.

republicans -- (202) 748-8001. (202) 748-8002. hear what you think of president obama's speaking fee. caller: i do agree with him being able to accept the fee because it's legal. chief and id fire speak all the way from kentucky to north carolina to georgia, florida. i do not accept a fee. , it mayugh it's legal be unethical for someone to take a fee. i do my for free. host: do you think president obama is right to do this?

are you ok with the former president? caller: yes, i believe it's ok for him to take the fee, but i disagree. what he should do is take the money and donate it to a charity. host: what about cal thomas's opinion in today's "washington times" that perhaps congress should consider reducing payments that a former president money hehe amount of or she makes an speeches afterwards? caller: i read with that. it should -- i agree with that. it should be capped. host: larry, good morning. caller: thank you, c-span, and all the things you do for us. i am agreeing with what the democrat individual before me said. just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to do it. the previous president was saying this was not right and too much fees and all that, but

you don't have to take it. your time is the most critical aspect when you get to retirement. in my case, i just retired. i startario is when getting social security, if i make over a certain amount, then i'm going to start losing things. is a craze -- here's a case where the president will get $205,000 a year and still build on that. it does not make sense in terms of that rationale of say don't do this, but don't do as i do scenario. it is a legal aspect, but i don't feel a reference to what the gentleman said before, it's an issue of where you look at your moral standards. maybe you should be volunteering your help a lot more. what presidentof obama should or shouldn't be doing in his post-presidency, he talked about that last week at a speech at the university of chicago. here's what he had to say. [video clip] mr. obama: is spending a lot of

time thinking about what is the most important thing i can do spending a lotm of time to camp out what is the most important thing i can do for my next job. -- what convinced of i'm convinced of is that, although there are all kinds of issues i care about and intend to work on, the single most important thing i can do is to prepareany way i can the next generation of batonship to take up the and to take their own crack at changing the world. host: that was the president last week. in recent days, reports that the president accepted a $400,000 speaking role at a wall street firm later this year. we are asking about your view on him accepting that speaking fee.

let's go to maxwell in maryland. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for bringing up this topic. my point is i want him to collect the money and pay the taxes equivalent. some people have not paid taxes for years. if obama wants to make a speech and collect the money, i think it is legal for him to do that. there is not anything he is doing that's a legal. -- illegal. just take the money. that's my point. host: taking your calls for about another 15 minutes or so on this topic. democrats -- (202) 748-8000. republicans -- (202) 748-8001. independents -- (202) 748-8001

. one more view comes from daniel gross of " slate." "accepting speaking fees does not compromise your integrity and there'sconflict between having on making money and being heavily invested in progressive causes. progressives don't hold george soros's wealth against him but praise what he does for democracy and philanthropy. if the only thing keeping left of center proble politics viable is the rejection of a set of symbolic come over to telegraph behaviors, it has much your problems than barack obama's income streams." linden, good morning. caller: i think people are missing the point on this. if you are not allowed to take money from people while you are in office, that's considered a

bribe. you know from watching other people that want to get out of office, you consent making huge sums of money. people forget that present obama already signed -- president obama already signed a book deal for $6 million and now he's getting speaking fees for $400,000. if you know you can get this kind of money once you can get out of office, it's just like getting paid for doing things that you know you shouldn't do because you know you're going to get paid later. it sets a bad example, especially for somebody who ran on hope and change like you did. host: before you go, is a book deal different from a speaking fee? is someone buying your book and wanting to read your thoughts in a book different than a speaking fee at a wall street firm in your mind? caller: i don't know. it's also cloudy. nothing seemswhy

to get done in their favor for the average american. maybe this is why. host: go ahead. caller: maybe this is one of the reasons why. maybe this is the reason why people don't get prosecuted when they rape the economy, the people in the financial institutions. this is why people don't go to jail. host: because of speaking fees and what that can buy? caller: yeah. people are not stupid when they get up there. they are intelligent people. presidentch the last get $10 million in speaking fees when he left office, you're not stupid. host: speaking of book deals "the new york times" in their writeup of this topic yesterday note that the president and former first lady, michelle obama, began their career with book deals as much a $65 million.

"mr. obama is a pathbreaking figure and established writer whose two terms transverse the economically, militarily, and diplomatically. through his writing, mr. obama could shed important light on his decision-making. family, theand a obamas brought grace, empathy, and high standards to their time in the white house, in stark contrast to the workaday vulgarity of its current occupants. not many administration look backs promised education and inspiration, and the obamas's books are much anticipated. indeed it's the example he set that make it during in terms of historical terms terms of speech making payments." that is from " the new york times" yesterday. call in with your thoughts and comments. democrats -- (202) 748-8000.

republicans -- (202) 748-8001. independents -- (202) 748-8002. go ahead, sir. caller: i just want to let everybody know about obama. i appreciate what he has done you gorything, but when out from being the president, you still receive a salary. that $400,000 he got one time, that's his salary for a year as a president. that's outrageous. we do things in life, but if he was donating that money toward a charity, toward like what his wife speaks about for children and all, i would go along with it. he was our president and had not done anything in eight years to let people know that he is for

the people. now all of a sudden, people still want to pay him $400,000 just to speak. i don't understand it. this country has really gone downhill and fast when our parties don't come together. anyway, i appreciate being on this morning. i just want everybody to know to think about america. we are one of the greatest lands on this earth. obama should be proud to be an american. but anyway, i will let you go with that. host: do you think taking a fee like that shows he is not proud? caller: excuse me. host: do you think taking a speaking fee like this shows he is not proud? caller: yes, i do. tohink he's just doing this

let the people know how crazy they really are in this united states that he can still be outside and not be the president feestill draw a fe because he thinks the people of america are dumped. -- are dumb. host: on twitter -- --en says says -- one more says -- mexico. in new good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call, c-span.

i totally agree that president obama should take whatever anyone is willing to pay him. i believe just knowing who he was during his time in office, more than likely, he will turn around and use that money for the good of our country because he loves our country. i question cal thomas because if it was a republican president taking this coming may be if it was donald trump taking this, what he question it -- would he question it? host: the question how he will use that money -- you trust how -- how he will use that money. caller: i believe that he will turn this around for the better good of our country. host: would you be ok with it if it was a former republican president who you disagreed with an somebody you didn't vote for? caller: absolutely if they are entitled to it.

if people are willing to pay for them, why are we even having the conversation? we have so many other things we need to be concerned with other than the fact that people want to pay, rich people, want to pay somebody $400,000 to go ahead and speak. i think they are entitled to it -- republicans, independent, democrat, libertarian, whoever they are the they are entitled. host: margaret is up next. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. host: appreciate you calling. go ahead. caller: i think that president obama is perfectly in his right to take this fee because these are the going fees now. everybody who is a politician is going to try to take money as a retired person for speaking fees . all theno more than other politicians.

-- instance, we are paying our government is paying for all the secret service and the people following trumpet around to stay -- trump around to stay in trump tower. they are paying the rental fee for people to stay at mar-a-lago. we are paying for people to stay at the hotel across from the white house. this is while he is in office. he is making money in his businesses. why should president obama not take a speaking fee when he is retired? host: margaret, to your point, i want to show the story that speaks to that from today's "new york times." it has to do with that on the best -- omnibus budget deal. if it is passed this week, it would allocate more than $120 million in additional money to help companies -- cover the escalating cost of protecting the trump family and trump tower.

million pay the earmarks of the secret service with most of it going to protect the president what he is traveling. another $60 million would be set aside in a rare provision to reimburse localities like new york city and palm beach county that have incurred "extraordinary law enforcement personnel costs associated with protecting the president." caller: executive -- exactly. here was a man who said he thought obama took too many vacations and spent too much of the public money. he has far exceeded that in the few days that he has been president. we cannot afford to have people in office who are going to be hypocritical like this. if he really believes that he is going to save money for our country, he should not have his family living and traveling all over the place and using up our

public funds like this. host: let's go to herald in new jersey. good morning on the line for republicans. caller: this is an easy one. that people who are paying him the money are really the ones who should be blamed. now has aent obama country $19.5 trillion in debt. i am a 94-year-old veteran of world war ii. we were blessed with seven children, 12 grandchildren. all my children and grandchildren, essentially everyone is drowning in debt. the country is drowning in debt. the world is drowning in debt. all this has to do because , "i have abama said telephone and a pen." he violated the constitution continuously with obamacare. the government cannot force

people to buy something and that is what obamacare was. president rightly said -- clinton rightly said, "it's the craziest thing i ever saw." if someone wants to pay 400 or whatever dollars to somebody to somebody who is an absolute failure on the world stage, he went around a apologizing for our beautiful country and the rave men in my division, 9000 casualties, these are the model rules -- marvelous people he does not give credit to those people who died to fight. what he obviously did was use his pen and his telephone to violate the constitution. host: what do you think the wall feeet firms that pay this

-- what do you think they are getting out of this? caller: they are getting -- ok, their membership will pay more money presumably to listen to him speak. believe me, you don't have to believe me. money controls everything. it is so sad to say. i had one day here the dean of the berklee school saying, why are there worse? money. money is the real source of evil. luanne, goodgia, morning. caller: how are you doing this morning? i'm confused. i cannot understand why we are even having this topic. i don't think barack obama is the first one who took speaking fees as president. reagan mistake -- ronald took $3 million just from china

if i make no mistake. i'm sure george w. bush took money. for the 94-year-old guy from new jersey, you talk about being a hypocrite. years we haveow many been paying for your insurance. i'm sure you don't pay that money out of your pocket. y'all have a good day. of ronaldour history reagan, the concern was about $2 million during a week of speech making travel in japan paid for by that country's largest media conglomerates back in 1989. patty in north branford, connecticut, independent, good morning. caller: i'm calling to say about "the new york times" bragging about obama's book. if you listen closely, you'll find out that bill years wrote that book and he even admitted

it. that is a crock. another thing -- we had harry truman. he went back home broke. he never went around doing speeches. he said i would not accept money for being a president. so there's a difference. host: i can give you some history on that as well. from cal thomas, "when he left office in 1953, harry truman and his wife went to independence, missouri, where they lived in a house they previously shared with her mother. he refused to serve on corporate board's and rejected other financial opportunities that might have been his because he said he did not want to diminish the integrity of the presidency. richard nixon departed from that standard, charging for $1 million for an interview with frost. to paraphrase the title of a book by joe mcginnis had begun." don is in memphis, tennessee.

good morning. caller: good morning. i would just like to say one thing. for hundred thousand dollars for $400,000 fee -- for speaking fee is so ridiculous with people struggling with minimum wage. "anybody said it best, who would pay that kind of money to listen to somebody speak is a sucker born every minute." i think you hit the nail right on the head. thank you very much. have a good day. host: don is our last caller. most every president has said the side land as a way to protect and preserve national monuments. president trump has ordered a review of that process. we will find out how that works. we will be joined by kendra >> sunday night on afterwards,

pulitzer prize-winning journalist helen cooper discusses the life and presidency of the first library ian female president -- liber female president. she is interviewed by congresswoman karen bass of california. >> i have known about her all my life. >> what did you know? financeas minister of in 1979 and 1980. i knew who the minister of finance was. she knew my parents. that, as aebody child growing up in liberia, i heard of, always criticizing the same government she worked for. in 1985, when she was arrested and thrown in jail, i hear