could go back into recession. or is that -- >> i don't think they are talking about recession, but it is going to cut off our coverage. -- our recovery. >> increased demand from china and india, all of those cars. if it goes over $4 in california -- $5 a gallon gas is a sobering prospect. >> defense of the marriage act -- not anymore, not in this administration. >> it directly affects us. >> they are suing the federal government. they were married last fall in connecticut, but he works with the federal government and is unable to use federal health insurance. this week, the obama administration announced it would no longer defend in court the defense of marriage act. what does that mean, nina?

>> first of all, let's look at what this is about in this case. those states that same-sex marriage and have legalized it, you cannot get the benefits of that under federal law. you are not entitled to spouse benefits under social security and things like that. that is what the defense of marriage act does outlawed, recognition of a legal marriage in those states that recognizes same-sex marriage. that is all this case is about. but on the other side of the coin, as the work, the administration is doing something rare -- not unheard of, but rare -- refusing to defend is utterly enacted statute. that is risky business. that has happened over 13 years or so, but usually over

executive power. this can come back to bite you in the fanny. >> isn't the president's supposed to enforce the law? >> the executive branch is a bust in fo -- the executive branch is supposed to defend the law before the supreme court. in this case, they have carved out a piece of ground that says we cannot defend it because we view it as being unconstitutional. that is the stance they have taken. it will come back at some point in a way that some people will like and some other administration will take the same position. but i think they are doing the right thing. maryland is on the verge of doing the same thing. the federal government ought to get out of the way. >> the white house says the president's position on this is evolving.

the president himself says that. what does that mean? >> you tell me. this is not really is supported by a legal precedent or consensus on constitutionality. basically, the position seems to be let congress defend its. congress taking place of the executive -- >> it has happened before, but it is rare. >> politically, obviously it pleases those who care deeply about gay marriage, many in the gay community, gay activists in particular. but at a time when jobs and the economy are first and foremost, it is a surprising -- >> also, i think it is a mistake to mess around with the rule of law. we take it for granted, but it is so precious to us, so essential to who we are good look at the middle east -- so essential to who we are. look at the middle east. >> what are they doing, though?

they're not abolishing the law. >> they won't enforce it -- >> now, they are enforcing it. they say they will not defend it. >> enforcing it and not defending it in court? >> that is it. >> chicago mayor rahm emanuel. >> tonight we are moving forward in the only way we truly can, together as one city with one future. [applause] >> that is the next mayor of chicago, rahm emanuel. he won it all. he always said it was his dream job. how did he make it happen? >> he made it happen by basically clearing the field. he faced a week in opposition, raised a lot of money, and dominated the debates. rahm emanuel has been enormously successful as a democratic operative in the white house,

outside of the white house, in congress. but he has always been one of the staff. now he is one of one, mayor of chicago. just like or mayor, there is no place to hide. >> mayors have to get stuff done. >> more than that, he is going to have to cut and chop t. to be a governor or mayor now is to deliver bad news all day long. >> chicago has a bigger role than wisconsin does -- bigger hole than wisconsin does. he is the kind of guy who can sit at the table and say to the unions, "i am not giving." >> i think he is going to be a very successful mayor, because he has a good sense of politics and power and how interest

groups work. i am glad he is there and out of washington. i have family in chicago, and they need a good leader. >> rahm was in washington last time the government shutdown. the question is, is it going to happen again? there is talk of a continuing resolution and so forth. >> the comparison is tough to resist between 1995 and today. then there were 72 republican freshmen in the house who did not really calculate the full impact of a shutdown and what it might be politically. now you have an equal component of republicans in the house right now, and that is the wild card. will they agree to a continuing resolution that does not really cut government? >> they are squabbling over 12% or 15% or whatever it is, fighting over minutia that hurts taxpayers.

meanwhile, the real monster in the room is left untouched, entitlements and taxes. >> there is no mystery there. republicans have already said they will do it when they put together the budget. that is what is important to concentrate on the continuing resolution and trying to deal with cuts in this resolution so that they don't have to shed t -- joppa government down. >> they're cutting millions from border security at the same time we have immigration. >> also reassuring. see you next week. for a transcript of this broadcast, log on to insidewashington.tv.

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>> euromaxx highlights -- in today's show -- lisztomania. wimar kicks off -- weimar kicks off celebrations of the frans list -- franz liszt verizon. -- bicentenary.

picture this -- literary classics as graphic novels. pioneering fashion designers use l.e.d.'s. and here is your host -- karen helmstaedt. >> we hooked up with one of them to get hurt and go on the 2011 ber -- her angle on the berlinale. >> every day, more than 100,000 voters are sick and at the berlin firm best will buy 200 photographers -- photos are taken at the berlin firm festival by 200 photographers. aretmi -- artemis pyrpilis is one of them. she is on the lookout for special moments in the festival. she's never far from the red carpet. she's looking for different

images than most photographers. >> i am trying to see more like the backstage view of the berlinale and most lay the places it takes place. things that people do not notice. >> the rear entrance to the press conference provides autograph hunters with a chance to catch a glimpse of the stars. they do not interest her. is curious to see what happens before they arrive. >> when we see the latter's -- ladders like this, people who do not know photographers might think it's weird. it is a place where photographers to take pictures. it is funny. it's like they're already here. >> the 23 -year-old lives in paris and came to berlin for the film festival at her own expense. has also trained her lens on

festivals and london and new york, away from the flashlights. directors and actors, including zoe kravitz, attend a photo call. artemis first to remain in the background. the picture she wants is of the other photographers. >> they mostly take the same picture. the only difference is when you have the person looking at you. that is why they are yelling, "zoe! zoe!" they want to have the look. this makes the difference. >> at the media center, filmmakers take questions from journalists of his six times a day. -- up to 6 times a day. artemis pyrpilis it's into the

throng of journalists has moved on to take her pictures. for her, the emptied venues show more of the festival atmosphere than the people that fill them. the c/o gallery in central berlin is where she brings her pictures every day. she processes are carefully composed images, taken with both the digital and analog camera. the points are put -- and photographs are put on view immediately. >> when you are on digital, yo uhave just --you have just [clicks] when you are on analog, film, you have like 15 photos, you take more time and i think the pictures are more special.

>> the result is a very personal view of the film festival. a unique look behind the scenes of the 2011 berlinale. the work of all 18 young photographers will be on show at the gallery until march. and gary and fronds least -- hungarian franz liszt was one of the most prolific composers of the 19th century. this year will mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. the liszt year began officially this week in weimar. liszt year has begun and it's impossible to overlook in

weimar. the opening concert was performed by wimar staatskapelle -- the world's only orchestra of which he was head conductor. >> franz listz was a blessing for the orchestra. when he came here in 1842, the orders by was the medium he used to perform works. he brought other artists year like richard walmart and berlioz. listz -- liszt was the focal point and very important for the orchestra. i think we are the only orchestra in the world that can claim liszt as its head conductor. >> franz liszt put europe on the curtain on a map -- wimar on

the -- wimar on the european control map with his music. -- cultural map with his music. >> he wanted to become cigna began. he wanted to compose. he wanted to compose in peace. he called this part of his life "gathering and working in weimar." he gathered his own works, bringing together what he had and completed it. that's what he did, along with being able to work in peace. >> he composed around 2/3 of his works here in the villa close to the city. today, it is used as a concert venue. back then, it was the residence of princess carolyne.

he lived with her for 13 years, for the times, a radical move. >> that is clearly due to the convention of unmarried couples not living together. especially not when one of them is not even divorced. even more so because they looked like they were living in sin. >> from our original items like this travel crucifix, to hand written sheet music, or other rarities like visiting cards, it can all be found in weimar. there is also an archive and a music academy that bears his name. he left the city in a rage in 1861 because his ambitious plans to build a festival hall like of farmers -- like wagner's have been locked. he still returned several times after 1869 and stayed in this house.

the opening of the year attracted one of the contemporary greats from the world of music. alfred brendel -- the austrian pianist -- was awarded the inaugural friends list -- franz liszt honorary price. he has been credited with rediscovering the lis rediscovering ofzt. >> he is a benchmark for every pianist. he is music does not just the way in all the possibilities the instrument holds. it demonstrates in drastic action why is there and that is to be subordinated and all technical and piano matters to the music. >> of global star, his former orchestra and the places where he lived and composed some of his most important works -- it all added up to a magnificent show in weimar. and now we are heading to warmer

climes in seville in southern spain. a once powerful city that loses an illusion flair -- oozes anda lusian flare. temperatures can store up to 50 degrees in the summertime. at this time of year, the climate is still very pleasant. you'll find the coachman near the city's cathedral bell tower. he has been taking tourists around the city for 10 years. he takes the same route. and through the old town with its grand palaces and subtropical gardens. >> people say that we are the calmest of spaniards. we get up later and have a more relaxed approach. life in madrid or are so long

that is much more stressful. -- or barcelona is much more stressful. thanks to the sunshine, we spend lots of times outdoors. >> seville is on the river guadalquivir. it brought prosperity's to seville. although it is not a seaport, it was the hub of spain's maritime trade and became one of the world's richest cities. >> this tower is called the golden tower, because it used to be clad in gilded tiles. gold brought back from see very expeditions to america was also stored here. >> the city center used to be the operas are -- the alcazar.

the royal morris palace is the most important of its kind in spain. it dates back to the 14th century. the dolma of the throne room is adorned with gilded cedarwood. it is the top tourist attraction in seville and a unesco world heritage site. >> the gardens cover an area measuring 100,000 square meters. it's a very tranquil. it's fascinating how the architecture takes a climate into account. it's 47 degrees celsius in the shade here in the summer. even back then, it was built in a way that made the weather parable. >> just a short distance away is the largest gothic cathedral in the world. it is also on the unesco world heritage list. the tour continues into a neighboring district of santa cruz. >> now we are entering the

oldest part of the city. it is of maze of alleyways. it is difficult for the horse. the streets are cobbled. it is very narrow. it is a great place to stop for soem tapa -- some tapas. >> according to legend, the tradition of serving tapas was born in seville. the people here love meeting up fror tapas. there are 60 to 70 different types to choose from. the oldest one, which has been on the menu for centuries, is spinach with chickpeas. >> a tapa originally meant a small portion of food -- a piece of salami, meat, ham, cheese. it would be used to cover a glass containing a drink, as a

temporary lid. >> the tour is drawing to an end, and manolo belmar ruiz takes his passengers to the maria luisa park, and the pavilion's erected for the ibero-american expo in 1929. it is now home to museums and university buildings. >> on the right you can see the former tobacco factory. in the 18th century, they used to roll cigar's there. it is where carmen worked -- the inspiration for the figure of bizet's opera. now, it's a university building. >> the coachman has another tip for the evening. he recommends visiting a flamenco bar. after all, this fiery spanish

music also has its roots in seville. anyone with teenagers in the house knows that the classics of literature have been pretty hard sell these days, and, in a world that relies so heavily on visual input, publishers have had to get creative with titles like jack london's "the call of the wild" or mary shelley's "frankenstein." many of the old classics are now being made into a labyrinth graphic novels. >> comic artist flix provides his own take on a classic battle between the forces of good and evil. the first part of gears does -- goethe's "faust," a landmark of literature, is now presented in a distinctly updated version. >> you will have someone who's studied philosophy, law, medicine, and technology --

theology. what would he be today? a cabdriver. >> his faust is a single man in his 30's who's in love with an organic store assistant. winning the object of his desire requires diabolical intervention. this is not the first graphic novel of the literary classic. recent years have seen the luminary likes of mary shelley, proust, kafka, and paul revisited in comic-book style. the new format seems to be catching on big time. >> yes, there has been a surge. publishers are looking for that kind of material. in many cases, the content is from abroad and was originally published there 10 years ago. one example is franz kafka's "metamorphosis." it was reinvented by french artist. >> as greg or sam so awoke one

morning from uneasy dreams, he found themselves transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. >> another example of a classic given the graphic novel treatment is "in search of lost time" by marcel proust, in this case a very faithful rendition. >> at that very instant when the mouth of the mix of cake crumbs -- my palate, a setter renter me and i stopped, attentive to the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. an exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses. >> some graphic novel versions are more daring and freer in their adaptation. the comic edition of paul auster's "city of glass" depicts the journey into madness of daniel quinn, into a psychedelic strolled through new york city. a contemporary interpretation of "frankenstein" incorporates a three-dimensional pop-up book of

poor -- horror. graphic novels are introducing new mood of readers to old stories. >> we are all comic readers. everyone can understand a word- image combination. assembly instructions for an ikea covered are basically commons, and people understand them. the problem is the image. when people see "faust" with pictures, they find it interesting. >> flix and his fellow artists want to breathe new life into old classics while broadening their appeal. many traditional publishers are keen to work with these artists. they are eager to capitalize on the boom in the graphic novel, once the novelty, now an increasingly important segment. >> we're always looking for ways

of marketing our writers. what else can we do? films -- yes. audio books -- sure. so graphic novels are a way of exposing people to material. >> last year, the market saw the graphic novel versions of works by modern german-language writers. >> of course, we hope this introduces other people to our content. people who never felt comfortable reading about thomas bernhard. maybe they will try out the book without the aid of pictures. >> graphic novels as teasers for literary heavyweights -- many buyers of these new comic books do not belong to the obvious target group -- the younger generation. >> we definitely have slightly older readers. many are in their early 30's and