30 years in the us senate, making her the longest serving woman senator in history. but she has so many accomplishments

even before that, and we are about to get into everything surrounding her passing. the news broke this morning and the person who broke that news to abc7 news and us to the world is our insider phil matier. phil joins us here in the studio today and joining us virtually is former congresswoman and now jackie speier. also friends for so long with senator feinstein. so let's start here. welcome both of you. of course. of course. s dianne feinstein's impact on san francisco, california and national politics really cannot be overstated. i cannot think of anyone else who's been such a central figure to the biggest things to happen to us for this long. jackie i'll start with you. can you know, i mean, if you look at her legacy , it was all about providing for san francisco and for california, whether it was the high desert where she was able to get 7 million acres set aside as a national monument or lake tahoe, where she got over $400

million for restoration. >> there. or if you were talking about the cable cars right there in san francisco, she helped save them as well. so from that perspective, she was always there to protect and promote california. and then from a national perspective, her work on the assault weapon ban can't be understated, nor her report on torture, which really called into question the activities of the cia during much of iraq and afghanistan. >> look, i know her accomplishment in the senate was long, right? the assault weapons ban and so much more. but there's just something so quintessential san francisco about her and phil jump in if you want. this is a three way conversation. i just think there's something so defining about her to this city and the character of the city that will just always forever be linked. >> well, i'd have to agree with that. and i think that part of that has to do and i'd like to get the jackie spears impression

on this, too, part of a person's history is the history that surrounds them. and dianne feinstein went through one of the most dramatic and turbulent times in the history of the united states, in one of the most dramatic and turbulent places in that time, san francisco. we're talking about everything from the civil rights movement to the war in vietnam to the gay revolution, to the aids epidemic, and all the things that went along with that, including incredible nights of violence, including terror, including a mass suicide in jonestown, guyana. the assassinations at the city halls, the and then on the national front, again, the iran iraq wars, a number of different things that went through. and she managed to go through it all with this steady presence that didn't waver and didn't seek attention. but somehow she became at the center of so much of it. >> that's true. and, you know, we bonded on a number of accounts, one being just the

trauma associated with gun violence, you know, the actual assassination of mayor george moscone and harvey milk happened just ten days after jonestown. and we were both, you know, victims of those two experience losses. and both our husbands had died early in our political careers as well. and so we oftentimes found the opportunity to be together not necessarily talking about those issues at all. but but knowing that there was a common bond, a common bond, i should say. yeah >> i don't know if you consider yourself a protege of hers. i know there are many proteges of hers, but in terms of when you look at her and think she was able to succeed in a man's world as a woman at a time when there were very few women, what do you think enabled her to do that? >> well, she was a real mentor to me. in fact, when i ran for the state assembly in 1986, i

mean, willie brown was then the speaker, he said, hands off, no one can endorse her. there can be no money coming from sacramento for her race. and it was dianne feinstein who did endorse me. and it was, you know, something that i was forever grateful for as as a result. so, again, another example of her going with what she believed was appropriate, regardless of what the downturn may be or blowback she might receive, you know, it was interesting and that was also made her unique because in many ways, she was a party of one. >> i think that we would all agree with that. yes there were all these times that that she showed this courage and stand up. but i think everybody who's known or worked with her has also many times where you go, i can't believe she did that or she said that or whatever. okay. she would just go like what she had no problem the last time she ran for the senate, the democratic party wasn't even

behind her. you know, they were endorsing her opponent was. what does that say about how politics has changed over time? i mean, she really was a party of one. she was very big for bipartisan support on things at the beginning. that was seen as a plus. now in the last year, it was seen as a negative and people were attacking her for it. >> i'm reminded of the quote by andrew jackson, one person with courage is a majority, and that's sort of speaks to what dianne feinstein was from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. she was booed at a at a california democratic convention at one point. that didn't faze her. she believed what she believed. and she would pursue her truth no matter what. so the nature of politics today, where it is so polarized thing she somehow was able to weave it. now, there was some criticism of her from time to time, an embrace of lindsey

graham. but the truth of the matter is, she did her job. she did it effectively. and with a great sense of, you know, need to pursue what was her truth. and in the end, you've got to say she passes away with her boots on. i mean, she voted in the senate yesterday morning and was meeting with jane harman, a colleague that we both knew yesterday evening. so you know, death sort of sneaked up on her . >> yeah. you know, i'm going to get to what happens next in just a moment, but i really want to ask you to if you think for someone so personified with san francisco, i mean, i was talking to a colleague, she was like the golden gate bridge has always been there. >> right. for a lot of us. at what point was there a divergence between her politics and her brand of it and what she stood for and maybe where the

city of san francisco went? >> and i'll jump in on that sort of because i was around for a lot of it. i would say that it the split began when she moved on from san francisco. you have to understand that when she ended her mayoral ship and she ran for governor of the state, there was a lot of opposition to her and a lot of it came from san francisco. so but, you know, san francisco has a long standing tradition of diverging from the politics of what the rest of the nation sees as leadership. i remember that when nancy pelosi ran for congress here in in san francisco, she was decried as being a pacific heights socialite and a cocktail mom. so the san francisco kind of splits off from her as much as anything else. and in fact, it would infuriate a lot of democrats, the fact that she could win with as much republican support as democratic support. i mean, you saw the numbers, jack speer, what would you say statewide? >> oh, without a doubt. she appealed to both democrats and republicans. she was willing to

cross the aisle to negotiate legislation and, you know, that is not typical, nor is it commonplace in washington today . >> yeah, certainly fewer and fewer of those. look, i want to get back to what you were saying about her voting. even yesterday, right up until the end. and, you know, that was part of the reason, no doubt why she felt like she had to stay in that position because she had the vote. and now what happens? do those judicial confirmations come to a total halt? no more for the rest of biden's first term? >> you know, it's important to point out that those who criticized her said, why don't you resign? she refused to do so, in fact, defied her own physicians and flew back to washington to be able to conduct business as she did so because she knew that was she not serving on the judiciary committee and voting on behalf of those nominations for judgeships? we would not be able to pursue to the judgeships that

were being nominated by president biden, because now whoever is selected will not be serving on the judiciary committee. so it will, for all intents and purposes, i believe, bring those nominations to a screeching. halt. >> can we talk about what kind of position governor newsom is now put in? i imagine an unenviable one having to pick an interim successor right under tremendous political pressure. this is very, very different from when he appointed alex padilla to fill vp kamala harris slot. phil, you got some thoughts on that? >> yeah, well, it's the governor has put himself in this position . he said that he is going to first oppose appoint a black female black woman to replace dianne feinstein. so he painted himself into a corner that way and then he doubled down by saying he wanted somebody. now that wasn't going to interfere with the democratic primary. there's already three contenders out there and so he's going to pick somebody independent of

that. and i'd like to throw ask jackie about that. i mean, i don't understand the math there. it seems like he's just got himself in a position he doesn't need to be in. and i don't i'm not sure how you get out of it. >> well, i think he's locked in . i think he was wrong, responding to criticism. he was receiving when kamala harris became the vice presidential nominee and she was in fact, when she when biden won. and rather than appoint another african american woman, he chose to appoint a latino man. now now what happens for the next 14 months is really someone he needs to pick who can hit the ground running because there's a lot that's going to be going on . it's got to be someone who's got some experience. um, maxine waters name has been bandied about. she certainly has a lot

of experience. i don't know who the person will be. i actually think it would be a great book end for barbara lee's phenomenal career. she is behind in the polls, but she has spoken out very strongly that she found it offensive, that the governor was going to appoint a black woman for just a short duration. >> so we've got to ask you i'm going to ask you this. something in all your years in politics, is there such a thing as interim appointments? i mean, once you're in it, aren't all bets off? i mean, dianne feinstein got in on interim and then ed lee got in on an interim. we have a lot of interims, but once you're in possession is 9/10 of the law. i mean, is that realistic even? >> well, the caretaker role that he is identified in is one in which i think whoever he selects would have to agree to it. now, as you pointed out, ed lee said he was not going to run for the

seat outright and then changed his mind. so that does happen in politics, as we know. but i think in this situation with these two front front and center contenders in an adam schiff and katie porter and barbara lee lagging somewhat behind, i think it would be someone would be hard pressed to continue to try and then pursue to a campaign when they have been campaigning now for about a year. >> you already have a vibrant, real contest going on. so that is different from the edley situation. but i do want to just wrap it up with this real quick. no matter who ends up winning, does it change california's influence in dc or to lose a veteran that gigantic no question. >> i mean, there's no question that dianne feinstein carried with her a lot of clout as the senior senator from california and the senior member of the

senate. so that will no doubt hurt us for a period of time until, you know, everything in the senate and in the house is based on seniority. so it it takes a while to gain that level of support. and the seniority that comes with it, more power. >> former congresswoman jackie speier and our insider, phil matier. thank you both. >> all right. >> our coverage continues when we come back, a former special assistant to dianne feinstein. when she was mayor of san francisco. join us thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole. ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts

that may lead to serious infections. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. both of these can lead to death. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough, or trouble breathing. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. for more information about side effects talk to your doctor. be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance.

of course, before her senate run . she was a political leader here in the bay area, as we

mentioned, mayor of san francisco. joining us live now to talk more about that is jim wunderman, president and ceo of the bay area council. jim was also special assistant to senator feinstein while she was mayor. jim, thanks for joining us today. yeah, thanks for having me. when reflecting on mayor feinstein means life and legacy, what thoughts and feelings come to you today? >> well, you know, it's really a it's a tough day. and although i've come along a long way in a long time since then, it makes me really feel very, very connected to that time and how important that time was for me, for san francisco, for our state , because she was leading through such incredible difficulty and doing such an amazing job of it. and, you know, to my benefit, i had the chance to work with someone extremely special and kind of irreplaceable. and i think now that, you know, we'll stop

talking about, you know, her, you know, her health conditions and so forth and really focus back on who she was and her accomplishments and how she did what she did. i think this is going to be very good. this is going to be very good for young leaders coming up to realize that there's a better way to go at leadership than, you know, pointing fingers at the other side or just, you know, you know, scorched earth strategy and things like that. she was just amazing. >> you know, we've covered a lot about her accomplishments for san francisco because our time is short here. i would like you to tell us the behind the scenes stuff, because on the surface, we see someone who always had the steely calm, even during the toughest moments right after mosconi's assassination. and harvey milk and that carried on through her career behind the scenes. did you ever see her get rattled or nervous? >> she was she was tough. and she'd get upset when things

weren't going her way or if she thought people weren't working it right or hard enough. and so, you know, she was a she was a tough person to work for. she demanded a lot of her people. and at times, you you know, if you didn't do the right thing, you you know, you heard about it and other people heard. and so that was her style. and at the same time, she was, you know, extremely rewarding and gracious in her in her congratulations and support to her people. and she held us really close. so, you know, that was who she was. and yeah, you know, she she really knew how to be in front of the cameras and be in public. but she also knew how to, i think, motivate and people who worked with her and for her and you know have a kind of a command and control style that worked, i think well in san francisco at that time. >> look at all these pictures you shared of your times working for her. we're almost at a time, but i would love for you to share one story the most

memorable to you that you think really speaks to her character. >> well, you know, when i started the job, we had the event to celebrate the reopening of the cable cars in san francisco. and i was just so amazed that i could be part of something like that, not just be a spectator, but, you know, one of the great symbols in the world associated with the city that would have gone away and that kind of thing has a tendency to fade away in places. but such an important piece of history only continued because of her determination to raise private funds to convince the federal government to come in with support and then to drive the project home with, you know , good engineering and construction and what what was needed to do to make that happen. and so, you know, that was a great start for me to experience the world of the possible with dianne feinstein. and after that, i thought, well , pretty much anything is possible. and i think anything

was. >> well, jim wunderman, i guess any time we hear those cable car bells ring, we'll be reminded of senator feinstein's legacy. thanks so much for coming on today. >> thanks for having me. tough day, but thanks. appreciate it. >> when we come back, we'll talk live with a former aide to senator feinstein in her senate days as we continue our coverage

to feinstein is a mod thomas ceo of the silicon valley leadership group and also former senior aide to the late senator ahmad. thanks for your time. yeah thank you very much for having me. >> it's a sad day, but certainly to be able to celebrate the senator's life, it's an honor. >> yeah, i know it's difficult. and thank you for coming on to talk about her. i know you work with senator feinstein. i work

for her. when was that? yeah i worked for her from 2000, late 2005 into the end of 2010. >> and you were her lead policy advisor, is that right? >> on finance and economic policy in the senate? correct >> banking and economic policy work. so it was quite a time to be in d.c. i work with the senator very closely and from the time i spent on her staff, you know, almost 20 years, she's been a mentor and a significant influence in my life. she was just a wonderful person, an amazing leader. >> you know, can i just ask you before i get to the mentoring part, because i do want to hear about that, too. but her challenges these last few years aside, a lot has been made of her work ethic in her career, attention to detail and mastery of facts. did you see that? >> yes. it's the short answer. she she was an incredibly demanding boss. but i think what made her very special is that she would never ask anyone to do something that she wouldn't do herself. she was loyal. she was

deeply caring. it was just with her a few weeks ago, a couple days after the visit, she sent little packets for my boys, my two children, with a nice note. it's that type of thoughtfulness , that care that really, i think, set her apart. but yeah, she had very high standards to deliver for california onions. >> all right. so can you talk about i know you said she's can be a tough demanding boss, but in terms of being a mentor, what do you remember most? >> well, i think about it almost every day in my professional career. i put something to use that she taught me. when we look at how you lead an organization ethically, when we talk about how to drive results and set a culture that's productive, all of those things, she was exceptionally good at. and beyond all of that, she's left an influence. you just had jim on between jim and me. you know, we lead the two most influential business groups in the state of california, and we're both former aides to senator feinstein and have learned from that school of management. i

went off to business school and i still joke with people. i went to the feinstein school of management. you know, learning from her how to run an organization effectively, but with a heart. and that's what i always want to ground these comments in as we remember her, she was just one of the most generous people i've ever met in my life. >> oh, look, can i just ask you, as ceo of the silicon valley leadership group, what kind of impact do you think she had on silicon valley? >> what does she do to affect positive change in the valley? >> her influence has been enormous. she has been a longtime ally to the silicon valley leadership group, a long time ally to our companies because she always believed in setting the conditions with legislators to allow companies to grow and invest. that i can think back to issues i worked on again 15 years ago. the research and development tax credit. right. and those early days finding ways to retool that, looking at ways to support companies when it came to innovation in their spend and investment to scale here. so i

think she is always been on the side of being very pragmatic. and those results show because she was loved by the ceos and executives here in the valley. >> all right. i know this has been a really sad day, but i do want to leave on a happier note, more optimistic note. can you share with us really quickly in 30s, maybe a sense of humor that she displayed or funny story that you remember? >> i'll try and knock out two and 30s for one. the artwork behind me, those tulips. i put that up here because senator feinstein made that and she gave that to me in 2005. it shows how talented she is. the other thing was, when i worked for her, my hair turned gray almost immediately and we were walking to a vote one day and she said, who's giving you all those gray hairs? is it your fiance or is it is it her? and so we'll take a

in the bay area. world news tonight with david muir is next . >> david: tonight, a state of emergency in new york city and beyond. flash flooding, water rescues, cars surrounded in water. also tonight, the us on the brink of a government shutdown. republicans in the house cannot agree. and remembering apioneer, senator dianne feinstein has died. first, the storms, torrential rain, flooding vits, homes and new york city in the part of the northeast. and here in the