tavis: good ening. from l angeles, i am tavis smiley. if docrats failed to garner any republican supportor health-careeform, the gop is hoping for a replay of 1994, when theyregained the house following a coentious health ca debate. could the oppositiobackfire? that question to one of the leading republicanin the house, mike pence ofindiana. also, former "the x-file starke david duchovny is on the

show. we're glad that you couldoin us. mikeence and actor david duchovny, ming up right now. >> there are smany things tt wal-marts looking forward to doin like helping people live better. t mostly, we're helping build stronger commuties and relationships. with yourelp, the best is yet to come. nationwide insurance proudly supports "tavis smiley." tavis and nationwide, working together to improve fancial literacynd theconomic empowermt that comes with it. >> ♪ natnwide is on your side♪ >> d by contributions to your pbstation from viewers like you. ank you. [captioninmade possible by et public televisio tavi congressmen mike pence of

indiana is the chair of the house republican conference. in that capacity,he is t third highesranking member of the gop in the house. he is rving his third term. congressmen, nice to hve you on the sh. >> thank you, tavis. tavis: i was on "meehe press" a couple weeks ago, and i canno even get a cnce to make my argent befor someone said predent obama does n need republicans. he controls about house of congre. all he has to do is rallyis owtroops. respectful, why am i talking to you? >> i do not think it is souch the president do or does not needembers of the republican party. the esident nee the american people. right now, the problem tha democrats and the administraon have wittheir plan to launch a

government-r insurance an a majority of americans do no like the plan. i think we all recognize we have to achieve some type of alth care reforthat lowers the ct of hlth surance, lowers the costof health care, but a government-n insurance plan with a public optionthat could cause amerins to lose insurance they have, think it is losing support amonghe american people and it is stngly oppod by the republics. tavis:or those who take your view that the governmen. ought not to be in health re, hear that opinion loud and clear. many say that yo prty is representing the obstructionist point of view. youay what to that? >> i think theurpose of the opposition is to oppose every time that you do. whever principle allows, he purpose ofhe opposition is to

suppor members workg in a bipartisan way. in this meure,hey're literally are over half a dozen republican alternave bills that are clearly deribed on our conference website, tav, g.gov. publicans have beenringing forward ideas o issues like, how do we dal with the chronically uninsured working in this country how do weeal with pre-exiing conditions? our amework does not include a massive expaion of the federal vernment's role, but we have offered alternatives in that regard. i think americs understand at. also, i think, as said before, when princip demas, i think the puose of the opposition is to oppose. of what comes to government-run insurance thatould lead to takeover of heth care, -- when it comes to government-run at insurance, ihink millions of

amicans appreciate the opsition that republicans and some democts in congress have been providing. tav: why can't we get bipartanship on this issue? if everybodyn american agrees that healthcare is the mst broken and nes to be fed, everybodagrees somethings wrong with heah ca, unless your par is deliberaty being obstruionist and difficult ornless one of your colleagues tried to makehis president obama's waterloo, w cannot we get bipartisanship on an issue that evebody agrees has to baddressed? >> do not think that is a naive question, it i critica. it is question we have be askingincehe first of the year, tavis we passed the socalled stimulus bill d no republicanroposals weren that bill. the budget wa developed without publican put. the same with regard the

energy bill, theap and trade legislatn. hink millions of amerins have seen the way congre has been bringing forward thousand- pagbills the day before they are brought to theloor. they see that we ve really had a profound decli in deliberation on capil hill. whthat hasccurred, i cannot really say. you have to check with the majority in congre why that is the case. but bieve that millns of americans would like during these difficult economic tis to take a breath and come back to t table and find som modest reforms that would really help working filies have accesso more affordable heah inrance without dramatically ineasing the size of gornment or dramatically increasinghe debt onour childrennd grandchildren. we have not been afford the opportuni to do that most of this year, and i think that is a frustration to the american ople.

vis: if the govnment gets volved, does noget involved, telle h we have increase competition, which ev republicans poce on ever other measure, good old enterprise comtition, is wat allows for the americanublic to be better served? vernment is not the rean or the ratiole for the engine that dves competition so that everybody else who is ofering health ce behaved correctly hen how do y get that competition? >> i think that is height queson, and it is another one of those promisesn which -- it is one of those promiseemises on ich we agree. ere is a virtual monopoly, just handful of insurance optis availab for small business ownerike in my state of indiana.

we absolutely ne to bring competitn into that system to ive down the co and make alth insuran more affordable, but we cannot believe the answer is to bring in the government as a competitor. we believe that we suldllow the ameran people tourchase health insuran across state lines, all across the united states, and find aealth insurance plan for their sma business, family, or family farm th makes theost sense to them. right nw, people in state, watchingll across the country,hey knowhey can only rchase health insurancin their statewith groups that e formed intheir state. we tnk that with association heth plans, you could create nationwide insurce procts that, given the size ohe risk pool, would almt overnight be more aordable than what is available in most jisdictions. that is the kindf competition believe is the answer. we believe to the extent president is calling for more

competitio tt he is right. iust do not believe that the federal government is an honest, genuine competitorn the marketplace. have said beforthat the overnment competes with the private sector the way that an alligator competes wit a duck. we need t bring all 1300 health surance companies that are relegated to just prticular states todayallow them to create products for a americansnd jt watch the costs come down. tis: thank u, congressman, i appreciatthe cloquialism. whenever we g on the otr sideof this heal-care deba, assumg that one day at we willith a measure that you support or oppose, at some point will move to another issue and hopefullyave sething that is legitimate reform from this debate. when that happens,n the other side, the midterm elections, if

the republicans hold firmnd did not pport the president, there is the hpethat you will sea repeat o1994 by standing firm, republicans take back the housefter being the minority party someears no the othe side is the strategy backfire what will haen? >> i reall bievethat the republics should not be thkingf calculations about dterm elections. i think we ought toig in and do whaisright for the erican people. we understand that we hve to do something to lor thecost of heth inrance and lower the cost of health care. ultimate, evenhe coressional budget office has identified plants that are bng moved through congress -- that th pls at a movi through congress would not lower e cost. weeed do what is right. i think the midterm elections wi be less about political posturinand more about whether

the american people feel that congress has got e message, not just on this ise, tavis, but i was in washington for the taxpayer march on washington. i didown hall meetings all acrossastern indian out over the month of august,raveled the couny. the ameran pplere frustred with washington, c., and with the political class in both parties that have seen runaway feral spending o their repubcan and demrat spending, baouts, takvers boowing spending, bailouts, takeover if washington do not gethe message,lection day is usuallthe day that they get it. tavis is it your sens that whatever hlth care cos forth will be without republican support? i hope that is not th case, but so fart has been

frustring. we have seen the democrat marity move forwa with the launching oa govnment-run insurance plan, including a public oion. have seen mandates, $800 billion ofhigher tax, and w have seen resistance to any effort to reduce the size and scope of that proposal for turnedoward market-based soutions. but, tavis yu have been covering washington long time. hope springs eternal, and i think if the millions of americans are tching tonight wi continue to allow their voices beeard, that anything is psible. we might come together and ss the modest refms that are really in the interest of t working families and small businesses. tavis: from your mouth god's ears. thank youor coming on. next, tor dad duchovny. stay with us.

tavis: i am pleased to welcome actoravid, -- actor david duchovny, whose series "californication" premieres this sunday. >> i insist. >> crack t sky was a big deal for me. please? pretty plee? >>his is a blank pag

>> wow. vis: i was just about to make smart alec remark, whichis that i heard tt the first episode is reallyood because of a great director. >> yes, that is true. tis: t inside joke is that david is the directorf that fit episode. and you said to me that the acto in your scene literally your oldest, straight from hh school. how cool is it the ha you an your best friend in a scenon the first sh of the first season at your directing -- how cool isit to have you ent best friend in a scene lik that? i would say, i just caot belie i am getting paid too this. we are dng workhat we enjoy. we h a wonderful wk together. at this point in the show, a the other actors and the people i have worked with are real

friends. we really enjoyed working together. when i get to direct, i get to watch these actors that i normal am like this with and watched themrom behind the camera. it is rely weird because i have kind of fallen in lo with them as actors. you seit written on the pa, as an actor, you go and do it. as a director, you see it written on the page and the actors do it, and then you say, my god, ttis why they work. they really d something. peter gllagher was e othe guest stars this season. he said it is an impossibljob cause we are all togeth in it, and then at one poi is just you and the ghts are on you and you are coletely alone. thatis why we have th type fraternity and s love comes t. tavis: this begs the questi, which is, how does one direct one'self?

>>ot ll. i have done it a few times. you nd to give yrself sho shrift, just look a the scripps, ad the lines approximately, and then yomove on -- you jst look at the scriptread the lines approximatel and then move on. the creator of the show is also wahing om behind the monitor. sometimes it is hard when your acting in the scene an recting,cting opposi an actor or actss, and i will start to say,hey're doing ally well, this is terrific. then iay, no, i cannot say that right now. youecome an audnce rather than a pticipant. tavis: what do y make of the fact that you have another series that habeenfortunate to go into multiple seaso? at is everybody's dream in the business. >> i jus feel grateful

i think it is, i ink spiritual is a good word for it. i think would happen sometime is that it is synchronous city and timing, and what happens if you are lucky i think it is synronity. tavis:ay attentiono what? >> yourself, and what you are able to do as you go alongn this businesand a. you pa attention to your n growth and zero not onings. i feel liki am -- have always ft like i am a slow warner -- slow learner, but i learn well. i feel like i get access to me of myself as i go along, whereas see somebody ke myife w has justeen fantastic from the beginning. but that was not me. again, getting back to your question, iis a matter of

people comin together athe righttime, with the righ material, to do their best work, and the rit time of the culture that it hits in a cerin way. it is all of these little tumblers and a lock that have come tether a thenthe loc opens and you get multiple seasons. but i will just take credit for being sensitiveo what resonates with m and then i go r that. you exist successfully that becae you are dng something that means something to yo tavis: what can you tell me about where we a going to find you and the show in season three? >> the sh is very much a balancing t. it is not really about anything. it is about this guy's character. tavis:that is a great concept r a show, three seasons aut nothing. > that was the original ship -- thatas the original ke about seinfeld.

are about nothing and is not abouthe jokes, either. we e really doing it with smoke and mirrs. this year, myharacter's loved mother isin it n., ande're trying to ke it work in aay that we d it in the show,hich is insane. but i am also a singldad with my daughterand i have run out of money, so i take a job at a local southern californ at university. that is not a good place for an anti-authoritaan cracter and for somebody who i tempted like is to be amongstthe young eds. tavis: guarding the chien coop. i am still marining on this point, that it is a show abo nothing. obviously, "seinfd" did very well

his is inside baseball,ut help me unrstand what you mean when you say it a sh about nothing and how that percy's? >> -- and how that proceeds? >> i am not gog to speak for hollywood, but say a ow like "the x-files," it is about these agentsho are invtigating unsolved mysteries, panormal. that is what the show was about. when the plot -- on the sh plays out, it becomesore abou the cracters and the characte become asmportant as the story. the procedural of solving a case, medil shows ar about healing the si. then the chacters involved. this showa situation whereou have characters that are completely self-destructive and the man speaks hismind. he is a loose cannon. he does not have to go to work. there is n work place that he goes to. he es not ha to do anythin

there is nothinghat he does. he is a wter, but ere is nothing harder than to dramate on filand televisi and being an artist or wrer. it ishe mostboring thing that you could imagine to just watch. it is wonderful to read, but it isot interesting to look at. espeally because most of writing is not writing,o it is really just that. that is wt i mean. you cannot relyn a fantasc event happening to compel the show or get your interest. all you rely on are the characte and the wring. tavis:back to the characters, the show has a lot of fans, obviously, back a third season. it has crics as wll. one of the criticisms is that the show is overecs -- oversex and sexist

the is a new character othe sho kathleen turner, who is what a woman andexist in the ro that sheplays -who is a woman and sest and the role at she plays. ishat by design? >> i do not thi so, because of tha sexist criticm, early in the show's ro wewere sitting around in your talking to about this. they said, i seems that more women are watching the sh then men, and that was surpring to people -- more women for watching the show than m. then some people saidhat makes sense becausef women really rahm the world in this show. -- really run the world and this show. thshow is about making it work. he wildo ything for his daughter, deerately in love with his daughter.

she has m wrapped around her finger. she has secret over him, and therefore manipulatesim in any direction that she wan. we realize that the world ofhe show is completely run by the women, ev though the shenanigans that the meare going through, they coul be seen as sexist and a certa lightecause there is a lot of casu sex going on, objecticatio of women and men, b the heart of the show is run by women. tavis: what makes us conneo your charaer? >> i do't know. ometimes when you're doing a characternd is working to a certain point, you do not want to look behind the curtain if i started to tink about it logically, would step on my own feet. but i thi, aays from the

beginning, i did not nt to ma this guy likeable constantly. but itas about finding a cracter, finding this characr as somebo wholways tells thtruth. th is always an interesti thing to watch to somebody watching at homewho was not directly afected by thisuy's outrageousness, is a wish fulfiment fantasy tt we all have, that we could all see what isexactly on our nd and speak the truth. tas: are y liking plang this guy? >> i like it because that me freedom that he has, there is a certain freedom in planning him -- in pln him -- in portraying him. i follow my instits with this

character and i do whatever i want. we play with a lot of freom and shoowith a lot of freedom. as an actor, that is real joy to be trusted like that anto be trusted with someing. tavis: it is a joy toatch your work, as always. actor dav duchovny, "californicatio,"eason 3 is debuting on sunday. access our podcast on our wsite, pbs.or we will s you next time. until next time,salways, keep the ith. >> r more information on today's show, vit tavis smiley onbs.org. tavis: join me xt time with former nfl stand out michael rahan and a new series cald "brothers." >> there are so many tngs that wamart is looking forward to doing, like heing people live beer. but mostly,e're helping build

stronger communies and relaonships. because th your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance pudly supports "vis smiley." tavis and nationwide, working togeer to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that ces with it. >> ♪ nationwide isn your sid♪ >> and by contributis to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] captioned by e national ctioning institute --wwncicap.org--