level of hypocrisy. you would be right. turns out he's mormon and he has been dragging how he never drinks his entire political career. now he has been caught. >> i'm profoundly sorry for the pain and embarrassment that i have brought to my family to i had beens and to my church and those who have placed their trust in me. >> cenk: he said quote, it was a poor choice to use alcohol to relieftress and one that is at odds with my personally held beliefs as a lifelong member of the the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints i've endeavored all my life to be an upstanding member of my faith. if you believe this is the first time he has been caught, there is a bridge i would like to sell new brooklyn. of course, senator crapo welcome to the middle of the ring. he had a weird excuse of how he

had to drive to wine wind down. have a great weekend. [ ♪ music ♪ ] >> eliot: good evening i'm eliot spitzer and this is "viewpoint." the republican led house of representatives finally took action today to bring some relief to millions of people still suffering in the aftermath of super attorney sandy. the house voted 354-67 to provide $9.7 billion to cover insurance claims filed. all the no votes came from the republican side of the aisle before the vote took place republicans and democrats from new jersey and new york, the state's most affected by the storm rose to your honor it's patsage and condemned speaker john boehner for dragging his feet on the bill. >> this legislation is vital. this is not a handout. this is not something that we're looking forward to as a favor.

we're asking to be treated as victims in other storms and natural disasters have been treated. >> the insurance runs out in one week. what are we going to do, wait for one week and then act? who the heck are you kidding? >> eliot: for more i'm joined by congressman greg meeks and one of the leaders fighting to get these dollars back to those who suffered from the storm. congratulations, you won. >> we did today, but there is a lot more to do. as you know, eliot this is $9.7 billion as you indicated for flood insurance. but we have a bigger amount, $51 billion that we're looking at. we'll be on the floor january january 15th. >> eliot: just to go to the narrative, this allocation your argument, just deal with us the way you deal with others in similar situations in similar situations of disaster katrina

or other hurricanes. give us relief. this is nothing unusual. >> that's correct. 70 days. 70 days since the storm sandy hit. in other instances katrina is an example, we gave $60 billion in ten days. you look at the other tragedies that take place whether it's tornadoes or earthquakes, it's a much more timely basis. that's what you heard my colleagues talk about on the floor and that's what we've all been concerned about why is there a difference? we're already 70 days out. we're talling it for another week from now we got to get it done. folks are looking for relief. >> eliot: 51 in a week and a half. the funds will now be there. what will these funds be used for? infrastructure, individual homeowners? and how long will these funds last, the process of two or three years before they're all

allocated and spent. >> it's a combination of things to be honest with you eliot. the first is for the immediate needs whether its repairing the beaches with the army corp making sure that amtrak is running again, making sure that people's homes are fixed. right now if you have another a nor'easterrer, we could have another disaster in the rockaways again. then then we have to fix subways. the subway line, the a-train in the far rock-away area is still not working. it will take long term to fix and therefore you need to know that the money is there and people can draw it down at the time that it's needed. let me just say i'm hopeful this is a promissory note that we have today. we've got to make sure that on

the 15th we have the votes. that's another reason why the members of my party and some republicans actually are concerned, we got to count the votes to make sure it's not just on the floor but the speaker can deliver the votes to pass it on the 15th. >> eliot: your pressure over the last couple of days and your outrage when speaker boehner refused to bring it to the floor had an impact. i was struck that paul ryan voted against the allocation. obviously our politics are nowhere near in the same camp. is this a vote that he has one eye on the election in 2016 why would he vote no to this. >> some people are looking at it politically, what they may be able to do in a campaign going forward or in 2016, and this should not be a political issue. this is an issue that we're so focused on helping american citizens. when you look at the individuals who are victimized by this storm, then there are democrats

and republicans. there are rich and the poor. to see a vote like that is really concerning. i'm waiting because get what, you never can tell where these storms are heading and what happens. when something hits wisconsin or ohio or some where some of these members voted no. when their town is effected, how are they going to vote then. >> eliot: people realize this is the moment that government steps toforward. one of the implications by sandy the realization by many people that this is one of many storms made worse, we believe by global warming. is there additional conversation among your colleagues that we need to come back to climate change as a long-run problem that cannot be ignored. >> there is conversation on the democratic side of the aisle. i can attest to that. things are changing, and we got to be focused on it. there are some on the republican

side who are looking at it. but are we coming together as a whole or a group to address global warming, i don't think we're there yet and we'll need the pressure of the people to get us there. clearly these storms are more frequent than they used to be. >> eliot: we're going to depend on you to turn the mind on the other side of the aisle. you'll use your persuasive skills, you'll do it. >> we'll work hard to do. >> eliot: congressman meeks thank you for being on the show. >> good to be with you. >> eliot: the december reports were released today and while the economy improves the pace of recovery is painfully and treacherously slow. unemployment with 7.8% with 115,000 in new jobs. healthcare and food service employment also saw gains but government jobs declined since the recession began in 2008 nearly 700,000 public sector

jobs have disappeared across the country while the private sector has added 725,000 jobs. for more on the jobs numbers and what they mean, i'm joined by dan gross for "newsweek" daily beast, and athorough of "better stronger faster." dan, you're per perpetuately optimistic. >> it's hard to think that 90 days ago we were going nuts about the cooking of books. the economy will create 150,000 jobs even in the face of the fiscal cliff uncertainty the post sandy disaster. take out what is going on in the private sectorpublic sector, the private sector is doing its thing. you add 150,000 jobs a month.

>> eliot: two factors i want to come back to. all the screaming and shouting of the fiscal cliff the uncertainty is killing the economy. maybe it didn't matter. >> i would say bullocks to use a british term. car sales are the strongest in five years. holiday retail sales yeah, a lot of people were afraid of the fiscal cliff and didn't go to the mall. they'll be disappointed where they were digging out for sandy. when you have to spend money on a generator and your roof has fallen in, you're not going to go shopping at a mall. >> eliot: we are infatuated with what goes on in washington, but it may not percolate out to the rest of the economy as much. >> in december consumers were doing their thing. buying dollars, going to work,

and companies were doing their thing. those who have more orders and whose businesses are expanding are adding people regardless of whether the marginal tax rate is going to be 36% or 39%. >> eliot: that's right. 36% versus 39% when you had demand and orders to fill. that matters. i can tell that you from my priority life as well. that's why it was overplayed. back to cars cars, they reached the end of their utility. you have to buy a car after ten years. as the age of the fleets got older, people are now going back to fill them. >> yes, an analyst referred to our car fleet as a rolling junk yard. the average age of a vehicle on the road is 10 or 11 years. first of all cars are long lasting products. you don't need to change them every two or three years. >> eliot: but eventually you do. >> pickup trucks, suvs, that's tightly tied to the housing

market and construction. a lot of guys who drive around in trucks. when they go back to work, they tend to buy new trucks as well. >> eliot: two numbers that are not encouraging 150,000 a month, it's okay but it's not going to make make a big dent in the unemployment rate, which is not where we want to be in the long run. and then 63.6, the workforce participation rate which means more and more people are outside of the workforce. those are the numbers over the long haul begin to great on the wealth and creation. >> sure, the other number was 2.1%, that's how much the wage versus gone up in the past year which is barely keeping up with inflation. that's all tied together. there is a huge amount of slack in the labor force. a lot of people looking for work, and the other part of it is that companies have not only have more cash than they've ever had, but they have more power in terms of negotiating with employees. they want to hire you as a contractor instead of a

full-time worker, you will take that job. if they want to hire a full time with no benefits versus with benefits they'll take that job. >> eliot: workers have less negotiating power both because laws have changed, the economy is week, it all leads to a flattening out of wages and there just isn't anything that is seen on the horizon to change that. that. >> right, and we could pass minimum wage laws, but the out of the box thing for ceos to do today is to pay everybody a bonus or raise everybody's wages wages. to have the courage to charge we need to have the courage to pay people slightly hyperthe underlying problem in the economy is not uncertainty or taxes, it's demand. walmart sales are not growing. it has nothing to do with washington. it's the fact that people at the

lower end of the wage skill don't have higher income. if they paid their associates 3% more they would go out and spend that money. the stimulus will have to come from companies who think, i have to spend a little more. >> eliot: what you said is exactly right. "newsweek," daily beast dan gross, it's great to have you. >> -through. plan

but whether he's climbing everest, scuba diving the great barrier reef with sharks

or jumping into the market he goes with people he trusts, which is why he trades with a company that doesn't nickel and dime him with hidden fees. so he can worry about other things like what the market is doing and being ready, no matter what happens which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense from td ameritrade. >> eliot: it's been said many times those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat. if the. history is detorted then we can learn the wrong lessons. oscar winning director oliver stone teamed up with a history director to create a political the series and book are both called the untold history of the united states, and the series airs on showtime every monday at 8:00. it's a pleasure to be joined by

academy award winner oliver stone and peter kosnic. thank you for coming on. >> our pleasure. >> eliot: this is a counter narrative history. you want the public to know there is stuff that you're not taught in your eighth grade history textbook. why, what is your thesis? >> i would say 12th grade, i studied history like you did i went to good schools. i don't think i know any of this stuff. most of it is--it is there the scholars know it. the top historians at college level know it if you study it, of course, but you don't get it in high school. that's where you need it. that's where you grasp history. >> eliot: are you talking in your works about the mistakes we made more than the affirmative storylines? >> the marshal plan worked, we won world war ii.

then we shade over vietnam iraq, and we give it different shadings. we start in 1898 with the spanish american war and the brutality in the philippines. we march through so you feel in the book and the series a sense of repetition, a pattern to these intervention. >> eliot: this is one of the strands that is the international aspect of it, which is a significant piece of it. but what is the reputation rep repetition, the theme. >> the increasing empire, militarism and exception the use of american exceptionalism that we are after world war ii the leader of the world the global policemen, that we have the atomic bomb, therefore we're right. >> eliot: let's stop on exceptionalism, which is a word that arises in every presidential campaign. do you believe in exceptionalism. of course people who run for president say, indeed i do.

>> you have to. >> eliot: you have to. >> obama qualified it. obama said i believe in american exceptionalism just like the brits believe in british exceptionalism and the greeks believe in greek exceptionalism. >> eliot: i thought it was fascinating and correct. do you disagree with his sense of what exceptionalism is and what his understanding of it. >> he has retreated from that, that's the problem. >> eliot: but as he stated it. >> his rhetoric had more and more american exceptionalism. he bought into it. once you criticize it, you're attack. mike huckabee said if you don't believe in american exceptionalism-- >> eliot: mike huck abee aside of course we believe in it. >> but exceptionalism doesn't mean that we're different, we are better. different is good.

we celebrate difference. >> eliot: coming back to foreign policy, do you see it as far as back as the spanish american war, the colonial empire and philippines, etc. >> the little brown brother describe the filipino rebels and there was torturing going on back then, waterboarding racism basically and we always felt that with the aarons, with the japanese, and we felt that with the koreans in the korean war. it's part of the ugliness. let's talk about central america. that is our backyard. we went into nicaragua twice. >> eliot: that strand of empire building, and the use of u.s. military forces to build certainly was a significant period. you begin in 1898, and it carried through. has that not changed almost in necessity that we've retreated

from that? >> well, iraq and afghanistan were two setbacks. those who are sane might say that. but it has shown us the limits of military adventurism, and obama has not sent troops to syria, but i'm not sure if that is saying very much. >> eliot: we interveneed in libya libya. >> it was wrong. obama did not admit that it was a war. >> eliot: well, he didn't for congress. we all accept it was a war what i'm trying to say have we learned any lesson. you're pointing to an arch of history colonial period. >> peter and i may disagree a bit, you're dealing with a chapter 10 coming up in two weeks on january 14th, our last chapter, the last chapter in the book. obama managing a wounded empire. you know, he has called for a cut in the infantry and called

for some cuts but hillary clinton made it clear that china was a new pivot point in asia and obama went to burma that was his first trip abroad, myanmar, and he declared, this is basically a move by the u.s. to contain china. and china has felt--he made huge two arms sells in taiwan. he's arming japan. he has armed south korea. this is serious for the chinese. if you're chinese and looking out to the west. >> eliot: what i'm trying to suggest that there is a difference now than when we were invading nicarg ua. >> it was a campaign

deliberately to--and reagan-- >> eliot: and they thought they had done that. >> first they thought they had did it with grenada in 1983. reagan made it sound like-- >> eliot: but in the scheme of things. >> the gulf war won and now this is our great moment, we're back again. >> i saw that referred to as a good war. >> eliot: back to recently with norman schwarzkopf's obituary, but it still feels different. >> we just had these terrible in afghanistan. if we learned that lesson. but we forget it. it's amnesia. >> eliot: when robert gates was the fulcrum of our government said we should have our heads examined if we invade perhaps that means we have learned.

>> we learned it of a vietnam and then we lost it. >> eliot: we're bad students. if that's your point. >> we don't learn history in this country. it's very instrumental for most people. if leaders use it. >> eliot: thank you. next on "viewpoint"."

>> eliot: i'm back with academy award winning director oliver stone and peter kuszick who wrote a book "the untold history of the united states." thank you. you said before we learned the wrong lessons, and sometimes it's better to study mistakes than victories. one of the mistakes was in 1944 with henry wallace who did not rise to the level of leadership he should have. sprain whyexplain why this is pivotal moment. >> he knew we were he had haded

toward a war with fascist and the convention refused to give him wallace. they wrote a letter that said we have one conservative in the united states, we don't need two. he was going to turn down the nomination for a third term. but he got wallace, vice president from '41 to '45. the conservatives in the party the party wanted to get wallace off the ticket because he was too progressive. he talked about the century of the common man the worldwide people's revolution, ending imperialism and colonialism. he was an incredible visionary with a heart. he wanted to change the world. they brought in harry truman to replace him. but in that convention there

was a poll who they wanted on the ticket as vice president 65% said they wanted henry wallace. 2% said they wanted harry truman. they would hold the convention in a way that they would be able to get truman. they were confident but that night wallace made a speech for roosevelt. the place went wild. it was a 45 minute demonstration demonstration. >> eliot: that's when oratories were real,. >> yes, right in the middle of that the senator of florida knows if he can get to the microphone he'll defy the bosses and wallace is back on the ticket. he starts fighting his way through the crowd. the boss bosses see what is going on and start screaming adjourn the meeting immediately. there is a fire hazard. there is a motion to adjourn. all those in favor say aye. any opposed nay.

every opposed. he was five feet from the microphone. >> eliot: wallace would have been vice president and you're saying wallace--there is so much interest to dig into. do you think fdr really wanted wallace and was unable to happen? >> fdr, he was near death. he was very weak. the bosses came to him and said we want to get rid of wallace on the ticket. >> eliot: more importantly if it had been president wallace not president truman, we would have gone in a fundamentally different direction. >> he would have tried. >> eliot: people don't remember henry wallace. he's one of those vice presidents who are forgot no one the dust bin of history. >> the very first thing that comes up on the agenda is the atomic bomb. wallace knew a lot about it. he was the liaison with the scientists. he never would have dropped that

bomb. there was no need to. japan was defeated. >> eliot: what is your theory about why the decision was made to use the bomb. >> to intimidate the soviet union and give a clear barbaric message to stalin that we are the new order of business. you will not screw with the united states, and we're willing to kill people at any level. >> eliot: to defend the history books on this one the decision to use the bomb is a controversial decision, and its debated, and so the debate that you're joining on this issue is not one that's been hidden from those who study. >> in school textbooks are not so good on this. you don't get the clear alternative of the soviet invasion the negotiation for surrenders and truman knew that there were. >> the telegram from the japanese emperor asking for peace. >> eliot: but then again carried through. >> one other thing on that--

>> in the history books it says to save american lives. that's the mantra that we get and that's not true. >> eliot: it's to send a message. >> the invasion could have happened in november, you fill it in. >> generals who got their fifth star during world war two said the atomic bomb was militarily unnecessary. >> eliot: this is the debate that has been out. i want to pivot to domestic policy where wallace would have been fundamentally different on domestic policy. he would have taken us where in terms of creating a progressive society. >> very pro labor. >> pro women. he wanted universal pay for skin color, creed, it didn't matter. >> eliot: he would have accelerateed discussions 20 years

years. >> and colonialism. >> eliot: or we could say that we fought the british and the the claim. >> the british empire figures into this war as a major player. churchill did not open a second front until 1944 on d-day. >> eliot: but we knew they would lose it, and the question was who would replace them. >> not immediately. >> eliot: that was the largest strategic, the brits were not going to reclaim their empire with us simply assisting them. >> we would cut into the deal with iran and the oil. >> eliot: but wallace had a different vision. he was outspokenly anti-imperial anti-imperial. the united states could collaborate after the war and start to build the third world.

>> eliot: what happens to wallace. >> he becomes secretary of commerce. he's the last new dealer left in the cabinet and from inside the cabinet he tried to persuade truman to have a very different relationship with the soviet union and end the nuclear arms race. but he's the last voice. when he's fired in september of 1946, the cold war at that point is inevitable. >> eliot: time is short. this is so fascinating. fast forward to today. what you're trying to do is teach the public history so we do not repeat lessons. >> we're trying to find out today. >> eliot: where today are we making the most egregious mistake? >> we've been the outlier. we've done what we choose, the american exceptionalism. we haven't signed the treaties. bush pulled out of several kyoto, the world environment but the space treaty is important because we've

militarized space successfully. we have the drone attacks around the world. we've sold our drones to other countries, china, russia israel iran has drones. the arms race has jumped up to new levels. we're selling about 78% you said? of the arms to the world. so here we are in position now we've militarized space. we're threatening china. and china is coming on their--tell them about joseph joseph--what i'm trying to say about the empire. >> the idea that oliver is developing here is you're expanding this. we're militarizing the globe. it's not a secret. between 800 to 1,000 bases. we have troops all over. we force the overthrow of governments like countries like japan if they don't go along with our base relocation in okinawa. our policies are wrong-headed because we can't militarize, we

can't fight our way out of every situation. in a place like afghanistan the life expect constancy expectancy of 43 years. they need $2 billion spend on sustainable development. it's our priorities. americans think that the united states are the most generous country in the world. if you look at actual foreign aid we're the lowest of the industrial countries of the amount given of the percentage of gdp. ireland land spend three times as much. >> what happens with china. china is the largest economy in the world. germany, france, we're in a dangerous situation where this is a where a world war situation could develop. >> eliot: where i disagree with you. i don't think there will be a shooting war-- >> space. >> eliot: perhaps, but i think the war will be fought through software.

>> market fare. >> but eliot, look at all these situations that can explode in the east china sea and the south china sea. the nationalism we have disturbing elections in japan and south career. >> eliot: the tension between china and japan is real. >> and $12 billion to taiwan. who are we kidding here? the u.s. has made it very clear. hillary clinton said this was a pivot point. this is the specific 21 century american-specific century. >> eliot: it hairs mondays at 8:00, the book is on book shelves. thank you for coming on the show. when republicans complain about the debt. they should look at where the debt came from. i can't imagine anything better. you're getting a ton of shrimp and it tastes really good! [ male announcer ] hurry in to red lobster's 30 shrimp for just $11.99! choose any two of five savory shrimp selections like mango jalapeño shrimp and parmesan crunch shrimp. two delicious shrimp selections on one plate!

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>> eliot: tonight facts matter. hopes are not high for the

113th congress ability to deal with our nation's debt. rick centeli should probably know that those who agree with his take is not going to help. this is the response when kelly he was read a comment from an overseas analyst. >> yes, the economy looks like its recovering. we expect bond yields to move higher and this is just for you of an insane technical default brought about by lunatic republicans. that's the wear. worry. will we have a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. >> aren't they the crazy kelly? >> first of all take it easy on kelly. she's just reporting what someone else wrote. second of all your facts are wrong. contributor to the debt is right interest at the top the bush

tax cuts. the cost of two wars president obama started in iraq and afghanistan that this current administration has had to keep paying. it's only after all this that we talk about the billions in stimulus money and recovery measures that this administration had to spend to save an economy brought to the brink by republican policies. despite what mr. centil wants anyone of us to believe facts matter. rich, chewy caramel rolled up in smooth milk chocolate. don't forget about that payroll meeting. rolo.get your smooth on. also in minis.

>> eliot: yesterday after being re-elected speaker john boehner said congress should be have% fiscal responsibility. then they opted to slew additional funds for the defense of the defense of marijuana act. this led house obgt caucus members to blast hypocrisy. in a statement quote at a time men families are struggling to make end meet and asking congress to focus on jobs and the economy all members should object to the use of taxpayer dollars to pay costly legal fees

to make arguments that lack adequate factual or legal support in pursuit of a law that is not worthy of a defense. joining us now is the former senior adviser to president clinton, thank you for being here. >> hi eliot. >> eliot: why are they maintaining this defense. it's a bad law. >> it shows where their priorities are and lack of consistency. they've been screaming about the deficit reduction looking for ways to spend less money. here is law that the justice department has decided not to defend because it's blatantly unconstitutional. two federal appellate courts have ordered it unconstitutional, yet john boehner and the republicans in the house who have peculiaralities in the law have complete control over this fund. they have butt $2 million into the defense of this, but they can't pay for hurricane sandy

relief. >> eliot: well, they did the first step. >> for a small bit of it. >> eliot: i would make another argument which is not legal ethical, moral just a political matter i think john boehner is make amaking a huge mistake. they would have said we're no longer going to it defend this statute. bag it. see, we're changing. but they throw salt in an open wound. >> we don't see any of that. you're absolutely right. if they were going to say look, on the social issues where we lost, we're going to cut our losses and move on, this is where they would show it. >> eliot: it would have been a moment referring to president clinton when he spoke-- >> and it would have been a big moment. >> eliot: it would have been huge if boehner said, tangible change. another republican who has been in hot water on same sex issues,

with his comments in the past that were ugly on this issue. what are your views. >> the rumor today and into this evening is that chuck hagel will probably be nominated at the new secretary of defense monday. i think there are a lot of questions about his record on gay rights issues. because we are now in the middle of trying to implement the repeal of don't ask don't tell, it's very important that the new defense secretary be very aware and very positive about what is going to be done. when chuck hagel was in the u.s. senate, he had a zero rating from the human rights campaign which rates all members of congress on guy rights record. then he made as you alluded to some very unpleasant and really horrific comments about jim hormel when president clinton was trying to make him

ambassador. >> eliot: so the question, the theoretical question i don't know chuck hagel i can't peer into his hard and see if he changed or not. but it raises the question, a can people change their views to make you sufficiently comfortable, and how do you deal--i never understood, i thought this was an issue whether you understand or you don't. you don't evolve on this. you get it or you don't. >> well, as usual we completely agree. i think that is the key issue here. you know, when people change, i think when people change and they say look, my views have changed over time, i think everybody is entitled to their journey on this. some people were earlier to it, like yourself. a leader on gay rights issues since before you were governor.

but some people come to it over time. and i think we should welcome those people to the tent and we should say, listen, if you want to be an ally, great. but you have to do more than just say--it has to be more than word. you have to show in deed and in actions that you really get it. this apology, this so-called apology for his anti-gay record, or for these anti-gay comments he made,. >> eliot: it's just been recent. >> it's in the context of the defense secretary. >> eliot: it's not four years back. he didn't write an article for his hometown paper where he said, i know i said things ten years ago. i want the record to be clear. now he needs the support and it's a political transaction and not a moral or ethical evolution. >> i know people who know chuck hagel who say he's a good guy. he's an independent thinker and he may be just what the defense

department needs because he's not part of that establishment. maybe he's one of those guys now that he has new views will be even stronger than others. but we need to know this. >> eliot: right, and you reference hagel not being a traditional thinker. there was an article saying that because he does not spout the traditional orthodoxy on foreign policy that's why tom friedman said we should put him there. other states that will jump in terms of same-sex marriage. >> we very soon we'll hear from illinois and rhode island, the next two states to enact marriage equality. we thought illinois would pick up next week, but now it will take longer. we'll hear from the supreme court in june about california. but even before we hear about

california we'll hear about it in illinois and road rhode island. >> eliot: something to smile about. thanks as always for your insights. some states are lifting their bans on marijuana. should hard drugs be next.