this to you john, if ronald reagan was running and got the same percentages of hispanics and african americans asians perhaps he would lose because they have grown so significantly. >> we have to be careful saying things like that one reason politics is interesting all of us, nothing stands still. new politicians, come forward. arguments get made issues rise to the surface. i don't think the republicans are in for a long-term too many. i grew up covering virginia. the idea virginia would be a swing state is stunning to me. the idea north carolina is swing state is surprising to even to you, charlie. there are no permanent line ntion politics. i think it's mistake feem in our business things as they exist now and extrapolate them too far in the future. >> charlie:is your interest

and excitement you get from politics every bit as strong as it's always been? >> it is in the big picture. i think the character tion. people who are in politics, people i covered closely like bill clinton, the other characters that's what makings this business fascinating. so i still love that. i do think -- i share the view of a lot of journalist this particular campaign has been a grinding sullen remorseless affair not been a lot of fun. >> i think that's right. i think there's not been a lot of joy in this campaign on either side and the voters seem disgusted by t it is a dynamic story and we don't know the full story and full evolution of barack obama. who would have thought he would have asked bill clinton to come prop him up. that shows you. >> only point i would make, charlie the purpose of it is not to give joy to reporters.

we have a serious business. politics is get rg small and petty we have some power to elevate that and focus on what we think is important. >> charlie:are we doing that? >> we're not doing as well -- you push the rock up the hill. >> charlie:thank you, yon thank you i didn't have. thank you for joining us see you next time captioning sponsored by rose communications captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight the conversation with the former secretary of labor, robert reich. he talks about the two-party agenda and what they must do it if they win in november. he is out with a new book called "beyond how to arrange -- beyond outrage here " we are glad you joined us. >> there is a saying king had

that said there is right thing. by doing the right thing. to completely eliminating hunger and we have work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the u.s. as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> robert reich is now a professor at uc-berkeley his latest book is called "beyond outrage."

he joins us from berkeley pier reagan >> thank you for having me. >> on friday of this week we expect jobs numbers to come out. next wave we are waiting for official poverty numbers to be released. there is a link between poverty and joblessness, but what is your sense of what the nation ought to expect with jobs numbers and poverty numbers on top of each other? >> we are slowly coming out of the recession. recovery is not what it needs to be, and poverty is moving upward. we continue to be the richest country in the world. now there is no reason we should have so many americans jobless or in poverty or both.

>> we are hearing so much about poverty or jobs. why so much from either side about poverty? >> this is nothing new. our politicians do not generally speak about poverty, because the accord do not vote. -- the poor do not vote. it is the wealthy and middle- class who vote. the largest party is the party of non-of voters. 52% of americans, 53% depending on the election. most of them do not vote. tavis: if the new poor are gonna former middle class, why not speak in that language? >> republicans are not really talking about last all.

-- about class at all. democrats tend to talk about a middle class that continues to grow larger and larger so the poor can move into the middle class, and people are caught by not so much safety net so trampolines the allow them to move back into the middle class. we used to have that. we have a middle class that kept growing, and even when you fell out of the middle-class you could get back in it because the economy was doing so well for everyone, not just the rich. tavis: what do those trampolines look like? >> instead of having an unemployment insurance system

full of holes, 40% of americans that are unemployed do not even get benefits because they are not qualified. people will have a job training. they would have access to good jobs. we would know there are specific jobs they are training forme. we would have not just community colleges and training programs but employers actively stating if somebody passes and get through a particular training program there would be a job waiting for them. we would have a minimum wage that is higher so if you got a job you could buy stuff that would help other people get jobs because the only way employers are going to hire more people is if they have more employers who have money. >> fifth you were to put someone

on the spot and ask the primary difference between how mr. obama omney approach the economy, you would say it what? >> one is investment. make sure there are safety nets and trampolines. what the republicans believe is trickle-down economics. make the rich richer. a good cut their taxes. good cut many programs of course depend on -- the poor depend on. i do not believe the republican program has proven itself to work. did we saw george bush have major tax cuts for the rich. we have fewer jobs after those bushwhacks cuts, and the median

wage started to drop, ending in the crash of 2008. what we have seen in the clinton administration, of which are was very proud to be secretary of labor, that when we raise taxes at the top, when you expand infrastructure, when you build the economy from the bottom, you get a sustained recovery is, and you get a larger middle class with an upward mobility. >> "the new york times" did a story about the clinton administration when you were secretary of labor, and they found now 15 years later more women and children are falling into poverty than ever before, primarily because that program did not work so well, and peter was right about stepping down because he disagreed with that approach. your thoughts about about

welfare program, since we are hearing so much about welfare once again. >> i was very much against the president's signing the bill. i thought it was the third bill the republicans sent. i thought he should hold out for a much better bill. the problem is it only provides a limited amount of time, five years when somebody can collect supplemental benefits and welfare, and if the economy is doing fine or if you have a normal pattern of recessions the blast may be a year and i have, that is probably going to be enough for most people, but if you had a very deep depression or near-depression that lasted many years, imposing itself with the greatest burden on the four

poor, the five-year limit is going to take a toll on some of the poorest in the country, and that is exactly what happened. i think it was a bad bill. i think he should not have signed it, but he did, and we saw the results. >> romney and ryan have finally gotten around to strategically asking that question, are you better off now than you were four years ago? the obama administration initially stumbled upon that a answer. i suspect they are going to answer that question, but i guess i am wondering whether a strategy of it could have been worse is what they want to hear, so how are you going to answer the question are you better now than you were four years ago? >> i think you have to ask where people were in 2008. most people are much worse off,

but it is not enough. you have to paint a picture of where we are going and how we get there. it is going to be better than today, because too many americans are hurting today. we have too much poverty. americans are still under water in terms of their homes. one out of every three or four americans owes more on their home than what they are worth your your this is not a time to celebrate. the direction they are going on is positive, but it is not enough, and i hope president obama tells the american people how we are going to get from here to where he wants to go. the only thing we really seek is tax cuts to the rich, cuts in programs that revitalize the middle class and the poor and no

promise of more employment. you do not want to cut the budget deficit when we still have high unemployment because that is going to mean less demand for goods and services. it is the same thing the europeans have done. they have created an austerity trap for themselves, but what the president needs to do is tell the american people how he is going to continue to make things better than they are now. tavis: does that mean we are going to get more aggressively on an austerity track in this country? >> unfortunately, yes, because that is what mitt romney stands for. he has left out important details. how is he going to fill the loopholes? how is he going to give the

wealthy and not a tax cut over the next 10 years and also bring down the budget deficit? he does not save. how is he going to restore military cut and cut the rest of the budget without imposing huge burdens on the middle class and poor? he does not save. give paul ryan has provided detailed budgets, a 62% of the cops are in programs for a lower middle-class -- of the cuts are in programs for the lower middle class and done poor. huge cuts for medicaid and medicare, which is the primary program for seniors. their program does not respect women's reproductive rights. it is anti-gay. it is the kind of exclusionary

program this country is not comfortable with. it violates major tenants. they understand what the economic and social programs are coming out of the romney-right in campaign. >> since you mention medicaid, let me ask you to explain what this debate is about. most americans are just starting to tune in to the sprint from labor day to election day. you have these upcoming debates. there is going to be a lot of back-and-forth about medicaid. these charges are going back and forth between the camps. give me your view about what

this is about. >> there are two programs -- medicare and medicaid, which is for poor people but also for many seniors who have lost their assets and need medicaid. with medicare, what paul ryan and presumably ryan want to do is to turn medicaid into vouchers. they do not keep up with expenditures in health care costs. with regard to medicaid, they want to turn it over to the states, reduce federal funding so the states do not have any money. the states have rigid budget constraints, and they cannot run deficits, which means medicaid,

the program for middle class, elderly people, and everybody that is goingrmpoor, to shrivel to a small portion of what is today. those programs are going to suffer, and the people who rely on them are going to suffer. under obama's plan the way you save medicaid and medicare is you reduce the amount of payments to providers, hospitals, drug companies, and other providers, and at the same time you help people avoid getting sick with regard to cancer and heart disease and major killers, and you include deficiencies because you do not rely as much on private insurers and who have administrative costs to go into simply the

transactions that put money into people's pockets but have nothing to do with medical care. >> the president chose to spend his political capital on the issue of health care. did he make a mistake by not spending that capital and spending more energy and time on jobs before he got to health care? >> i think they are related. i think the affordable care act will be our major milestone when it comes to coverage people. 40 million people will now have coverage. and we can use it as a vehicle for restraining health-care cost spirit of a lot of unemployment now problems are related to the fact that health care costs are going up now. many families have given up health care altogether, or they

cannot afford the incredibly fast increasing health care costs being imposed, so you cannot separate health care from the job situation. i think the president needed to do health care. i think the bill he got was probably the best he could get. i would rather have a single payer system or a please the public option, but he did as well and who -- or at least a public option, but i think he did as well as he could. >> the allegations he has been too favorable to the zero lead and has not focused enough on main street where the side street, you would respond house herrmann -- respond how? praxair partly agree with that. he did not have enough help for homeowners, and we have a

problem in the economy now. one of the central problems people owing more on their homes than their homes are worth. he did not put constraints on the dais. president bush did not either, but president obama should have said, if you get a bailout, you have to help homeowners. you have to make sure banks do not lobby against wall street reform. you'd agree to give glass- spiegel who reinstated, and finally, what i would have recommended is they also make sure there is no repeat of the too big to fail problem and break up the biggest the yabanko i think part of the charge wall

street and the obama administration got a little too close is valid, but wall street does not believe that. much of wall street is now supporting the romney-ryan plan to get rid of dog-for it all together, -- rid of dod -frank altogether. we are seeing many of the same practices we saw before 2008 on wall street once again. tavis: these continue to be written, drawing a straight line between the economic malaise we are in right now and the issue of the regulation. with hindsight, what say you now

about what the clinton administration did with regulations that has caused so much of the mess we are in now? >> the biggest mistake was to go along with congress and get rid of the glass-steagall aspecct. that was supported by republicans but democrats should have never signed on. good >> with regard to george bush, it has been funny to me, because the democrats to bring out mr. clinton this week, and put him in primetime, and people cannot wait to hear what mr. clinton has to save. republicans did not mention george bush's name one time. what are we to make of the fact that mr. clinton is front and center? mr. bush was the invisible man?

>> the clinton economy was the longest stretch of economic growth we have had since the second world war. unemployment did not plummeted. did 22 million new jobs were created. it was not that bill clinton created the jobs. he presided over an economy, and by raising taxes on the wealthiest members of our society, by maintaining an economic policy built from the ground up, he generated prosperity. republicans want to erase eight years of the bush and administration, because his policies did not work. did tax cuts to the wealthy i not work. good also, the weapons of mass destruction were never found in iraq.

good his foreign policy centered on going into iraq and getting rid of those weapons of mass destruction was alive. his administration showed remarkable indifference to the plight of most americans. what happened in new orleans and katrina is a good example. mitt romney and the republicans would like to pretend the and ministration did not happen. taking a five trillion $10-year surplus bequeaths to it by the clinton administration and turning into a a giant new deficit and saying to wall street, do whatever you want. we are not going to look at you. he makes the case against mitt romney.

that is one of the most important things. and with that kind of cynicism, the special interests to win everything. the only thing we can get our democracy back is if we understand we have got to be active, and it is not just paying taxes and serving on juries and showing up. we have got to be engaged, mobilize, energized. we have got to demand this work

for us as ordinary people, as average working americans who need an economy working for us, not just the people on top superior -- people on top. every time we have had a need for that, people have mobilized. somebody came and said, i want you to do this and this, and he turned and said, i want to do all of those things, but you must make me. what roosevelt said, you must make me, is exactly the same blessing today. no matter how good people are in good peopleommoand less are mobilized and force good things to happen in washington, nothing good will happen.

special interests will continue to probe fail. >> the new book is called "beyond outrage." good to have you on this program. you are welcome back any time. take care of yourself. thank you foratching. as always, keep the faith. fo f m f on on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time forto a convertisaith w benjamin barber on the conclusion of the dnc. that is next time. we will see you then. >> there is a saying that dr. king had that said there is always the right time to do thei try to live my life every day by

doing the right thing. we know that we are only halfway to completely eliminating hungerwalmart committed $2 billion toas we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. pbs.

>> good evening from the time-warner cable arena in charlotte, north carolina i'm judy woodruff. >> i'm gwenifell. president obama's economic record takes center stage with immigration, education and reproductive rights. we will hea voices from c.e.o.sd auto workers to president of planned parenthood.

the most anticipated speech will be former president clinton who will nominate barak obama for a second term. our coverage goes beyond the skybox you with check out our coverage of the activities inside and outside the hall. >> down to the convention floor and to ray. >> part of the argument or the coupter argument the democrats are making to the republican convention in tampa has to do with filling out the president's recordment and here speaking for him in the coming minutes will be the democratic leader in the house of representative, nancy pelosi, and two members of president obama's cabinet. secretary of education arne duncan and secretary of agriculture and former iowa governor, tom vilsack. we will hear from north carolina luminaries the longest serving governor jim hunt and the former mayor of charlotte harvey b. gantt and leading later to the

anticipated speeches from massachusetts democratic senatorial candidate elizabeth warren and from the former president, bill clinton. >> ray we will be coming back to you throughout the night. up here in the skybox again we are joined with -- by these two dedicated pundits they are analysts. mark shields and "new york times" columnnist david brooks. you can beat up on me later. so picking up we were talking about the democrats being a party of different interest groups. tonight as we said, david, we are going to>.b hear from busins leaders in this party. a head of a big company, small business people. where do the democrats need to say about business? >> what is next? what is the growth agenda? if we were growing at 4% a year we would be generating enough jobs. what do you do? there's been a lot of vague talk

that you need to grow the economy up and not down is the phrase. what do you do? what exactly is the agenda? we are still in the where is waldo phase looking are to the agenda and the republicans have a secret agenda which they have but they did not talk about in the convention. the democrats have not talked about it i'm not sure they have it in the plans. what is the next four years about. >> and friday after the president accepted the nomination it will be a round of jobs numbers we are waiting to see whether the economy takes the wind out of the sail the day after he gets the nomination. >> if president obama follows the example of other presidents he will go long. and as humphrey said to hubert in order for a speech to be immortal doesn't have to be eternal. it will go until midnight or close there to. certainly we will be out of here

early friday morning at 8:30. those numbers come out. and that will be after the confetti and the balloons if there arefy and the punt something down that is the harsh reality. >> he will know that number before he goes to speak the president gets that number the night before. he will know it. >> talking about the business faces they are trying to put on the democratic party is that something can they change the perception of this party in the republicans spent so much time painting president obama and the democrats as a party that is unfriendly. i think that is a good message and a positive message. they've got successful business leaders. and ones who are renowned within the industries humane treatment of their own workers as well as their customers. and i think that's all a plus. and it shows that such people who have been successful are successful, are not really people that slave wages and 18

hours a day without any coffee breaks can be successful and our democrats endorse barak obama. that is all good. 85% of people when they are asked what matters to you, say jobs, the economy, deficit and debt and healthcare. those are the big three. i mean, so anything else is just kind of playing at the ends and the margins. whether it's immigration or whatever it is. >> ok. we'll get back to the conversation because there's so much more to talk about including the big speeches from elizabeth warren and bill clinton. right now to the podium and join a.f.l.-c.i.o. president richard who started is just about to start his speech to the delegates. the flip side of the business conversation we have been having. >> good evening, brothers and sisters. i'm rich i'm the president of the a.f.l.-c.i.o..

and i am a third generation coal miner from pennsylvania. and i'm here on behalf of millions of people who do the work of america. remember last week, mitt romney told us that he and his friends built america without any help from the rest of us. well, let me tell you, mitt romney doesn't know a thing about hard work or responsibility. you see, we are the ones who built america. we are the ones who build itxvl every single day. because it's our work that connects us. i want you to look around this convention and all the hard-working men and women who make this place run.

the ones keeping us safe, serving our food, driving our buses and cleaning up after the party is over. and when we go home tonight, the workers will be mopping and vacuuming and picking up our trash. so when you have a chance, thank a worker. it will make you feel good all day. so we know that everywherer here in north carolina just like every other state in this country and every country in the world deserves the right to organize and to bargain collectively. and the democratic platform unlike its counterpart inu tamp, makes crystal clear that barak obama and the democratic party

will fight to protect and strengthen this fundamental human right. you see, my friends, our country has a big job to do. we have to rebuild the middle class together. our economy works best when it works for everyone. not just the select few. and our history teaches us that shared prosperity is the only kind that lasts. and we will have that under barak obama. in thenq 21st century global economy, prosperity requires leaders committed to creating good jobs by investing in our future, in our ports, roads, bridges, airports, energy, and telecommunications and in our

public schools. leaders who are serious about rebuilding our manufacturing economy, leaders like barak obama and joe biden. and we know that the wealthiest and most powerful among us, those who have benefited most in recent years, must do their part to help rebuild america. deep prosperity requires economic security. and we will stand with leaders who strengthens and protects social security and medicare and medicaid, not those who plan to cut benefits that working people paid for, earned and are counting on. prosperity requires democracy.

starting with the essential right of everyone in this great country to a voice, both at the ballot box and at the workplace. the right to solve problems together. and to climb the ladder to the middle class the old-fashioned way through hard work fairly rewarded. now, president obama and vice-president biden have put the country on the right path. towards jobs and shared prosperity. despite the obstruction they faced from a dishonest, politically motivated, economically challenged republic majority in congress. we face a choice in november between division and decline, between unity and growth. we love our country.

we build it. we defend t we wake it up each morning and we make it run all day. we fix it when it's broke. we put it to bed at night. our country needs unity. our country needs leadership. our country needs barak obama. >> that is richard, the president of the american federation of labor in congress of industrial organizations. joining us now in the booth is wisconsin congresswoman and candidate tammy baldwin. welcome. >> it is a delight to join you. last week in tampa it was about wisconsin paul ryan and tommy thomson and scott walker and cheese head revolution. i suspect you have a different take on wisconsin politics? >> i do. and in fact tomorrow i will get a chance to address the convention and talk about the wisconsin that i know. [h/ is a little bit different

than the image i think people saw in tampa last week. >> tell me about it. well, it's heartland values the work ethic. if you work hard and play by the rules you can get ahead but for too many people that is not happening and it it has to do with who is writing the rules and to whose benefit. and it's crystallized in the choice facing the nation and voters in wisconsin too. >> democrats have been a strong presence in wisconsin and yet governor walker with the moves to tighten up on collective bargaining, there was the effort to recall him from office that did not work. democrats have taken a beating in your state. how do you -- do you view yourself as the underdog fighting back? >> i think of our state as having a long, deeply and evenly divided tradition. if you think about it in the last since 1984, wisconsin has always gone blue in presidential years. but usually by a thread. and i think we are returning to

that even division right now. but you are right. we have had a lot of recall races. we've had nonstop elections in the state. one of the things i can say is both parties are as organized as we have ever been. the best organized volunteer lists. we are ready to go. >> what gives you hope then that your message is the one that is going to resonate with voters in november? >> there is a lot of similarities with what we're hearing at this convention. first of all, it's about whose side are you on? and i've spent my career standing up for hard-working middle class families in wisconsin. my opponent tommy thomson spent the last decade when he left from the bush administration giving a sweetheart deal to the drug companies and the medicare part d that we had in the law that they could not negotiate for better prices for our senior citizens and that is outrageous and wrong. and he did the revolving door

thing and has been working for them since. i've been fighting for wisconsin families. so who is writing the rules for whose benefit and whose side are you on and the difference on issues. >> congresswoman we've heard time and again about this convention about mitt romney about the fact that when he is not spending time in his mansion with the elevator and the cars, or chasing his money into the cayman islands or check on the swiss bank account he is indifferent. but what is the democratic point? what is senator tammy baldwin, barak obama, jobs for america? >> let me tell you, wisconsin is a state that makes things. as a percentage of our economy, we are one of the major manufacturing states in the country. and we are also suffering. we produce more paper than any other state. but there's unfair trade. our competitors, china in particular, subsidizing the

industry to the tune of billions of dollars in recent years. i introduced bipartisan legislation this year and got wrapped up into a larger trade bill but the president signed it and it allows tariffs when we know our competitors are cheating. you talk to the people in paper mills across wisconsin and other industries being affected by this and they want a fighter on their side. buy america policies. another important one and it doesn't cost us that much money. but when we are securing our homeland or spending taxpayer dollars on defense those ought to be supporting u.s. jobs. wisconsin builds ships. we are on the great lakes. wisconsin@).s"s engines and components for naval ships, coast guardships we need buy america policies also. >> you are supporting higher tariffs on boats, ships and steel you have a more aggressive trade policy that makes it harder to import things is the way to create jobs here? >> no, when there's cheating going on it needs to be

corrected. because if we don't have a level playing field how can we compete? you have billions of dollars of subsidies being given to what they are claiming is free enterprise in china. that is not a level playing field. it's hurting wisconsin jobs and closing wisconsin plants. it's happening elsewhere in the country. we need a level playing field. >> farmers in wisconsin export to china do they agree with you? >> i don't think they have any problems in tariffs on paper products. >> i am asking if they are afraid that china will slap on their products? >> we need fair rules and we need to be tougher in that regard. >> is wisconsin gettable for democrats either in your race against tommy thomson or the president now that paul ryan is the nominee? >> certainly the presidential race tightened in wisconsin before the ryan announcement, i think the president was enjoying a six or seven point lead in the

polls and that narrowed. but we had a visit from the first lady last week in milwaukee. a visit from the vice-president on sunday from in green bay. and this is going to be a competitive race. but i think we are back to that tradition in the state where we are pretty evenly divided and it will be a fight to the finish line for my race, too. >> tammy baldwin, congresswoman elected the same year as paul ryan. >> we are classmates. can talk about that. we are going to ask you to stay with us right now we are going to the floor for a video that will introduce the minority leader of the house nancy pelosi of california. >> our nation's ideal is the american dream. that if you are willing to work hard, play by the rules, and take responsibility everyone should have the opportunity to succeed. everyone who works hard should

havehe chance to climb, build, and achieve the american dream. the difference is that there are those who believe that once they've made it, everyone else is on their own. democrats believe that we should take down barriers and build ladders of opportunity for all americans. we believe that we are all in this together. we believe that it's time to reignite the american dream. we are on a mission to strengthen those pillars that have historically made our economy succeed. small businesses, entrepreneurs, and a thriving middle class. we are the house democrats. our purpose is to reignite the american dream. and we have work to do. [♪] >> and this is nancy pelosi, the minority leader of the house. used to be she was the first woman speaker of the house of representatives when the

democrats took overhanded her gravel back to john boehner now the speaker of the house. here is nancy pelosi. [♪]:ñ4c >> good evening. good evening. good evening, fellow democrats. good evening. isn't that american dream story the story of america? we are all here to reignite the americanñr dream. that is why i'm so pleased to see so many young people, the

future of our party, the hope of america. i stand before you as the first mother and first grandmother to serve as dngic leader and first speaker of the house of representatives. for 25 years it's been my privilege to represent the city of san francisco and the great state of california. [cheers and applause] to work to strengthen our vibrant middle class and to secure opportunity and equality. we all stand together in our drive for 25, 25 seats to win back the house for the democrats. as we reelect president barak

obama, president of the united states. democrats believe in reigniting the american dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all. so that everyone can succeed. jobs are central to the american dream. and president obama has focused on jobs from day one. under president obama we've gone from losing 800,000 jobs a month to adding 4.5 million private sector jobs over the last 29 months. the american dream is about freedom. jobs means freedom. for workers to support their families. working with president obama,

democrats passed a lilly better pay fair act to strengthen women's rights in the workplace. we repealed don't ask don't tell so our troops can serve the country they love regardless of whom they love. we made college more affordable. house democrats passed the dream act. but senate republicans blocked it. with president obama, democrats enacted the toughest consumer safeguards in history. to protect main street from wrecklessness of some on wall street. democrats passed healthcare reform to allow americans the freedom to pursue their passion, to make healthcare a right, not a privilege, and to ensure that being a woman is no longer a preexisting medical condition.

our freedom is secured everyday by our men and women in uniform. we must build a future worthy of their sacrifice. we thank them for keeping america the land of the free and the home of the brave. this year, we are determined reelect an extraordinary president, who in no ordinary times, led america back from the brink of depression while republicans tried to block him at every turn. this election offers the clearest choice of our time. many names are on the ballot. so, too, on the ballot is the

character of our country. why is that? medicare is on the ballot. democrats will preserve and strengthen medicare. republicans will end the medicare guarantee. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for medicare. vote for president obama. social security is on the ballot. democrats enacted it. democrats will fight to preserve it. some republicans want to replace the guarantee of social security with a gamble of private accounts. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for social security. vote for president barak obama.

and the hard fought rights of women are on the ballot. democrats trust the judgment of women. we reject the republican assault on women's reproductive health. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for women's rights. vote for president obama. and our democracy is on the ballot. democrats beef we must curb the influence of special interests on our political institutions. democrats believe we must create jobs, not protect the special interests. we must build the economy from the middle out. not the top down. to change policy for the middle class, we must change politics. democrats will work to overturn

citizens united. while republicans support opening the floodgates to special interest money and depressing the right to vote. it's just plain wrong. we believe in the government of the many not the privileged few. when you go to the polls, vote for democracy. vote for president barak obama. and the american dream is on the ballot. we have work to do to reignite the american dream to build ladders of opportunity for our middle class and remove barriers to success. when you go to the polls, vote for the american dream. vote for strong democratic

majorities in the united states senate, in the house of representatives, vote for vice-president joeñiñiñi biden d president barak obama. [cheers and applause] god bless you. god bless the united states of america. thank you all very much. >> the house minority leader, nancy pelosi. speaking to the floor enthusiastic reaction. still with us in the skybox is u.s. wisconsin congresswoman tammy baldwin run for the senate. mark you have a question. >> yes, you came to the congress the same year as paul ryan. and you have profound political ditches. and tell us what on a personal level what perm quality of his do you admire? >> we are friends. we actually came in in the same year and traveled and commute back and for the between wisconsin and dc together and we

have managed to disagree without being disagreeable. we have sharp differences on the issues. but probably the untold story in the toxic partisan political times there still are friendships and there still are opportunities to look for reaching across the aisle to get things done for the people. and sometimes on wisconsin issues, we've teamed up. >> if that is the case why is it so hard to get the two parties to work together? >> well, i think there is a lot of reasons. but i do think some of it is that we tend to focus on the sensational on the conflict. and we have trouble telling the story of when things do happen. it's rare and this is the most toxic i've ever seen the house of representatives, and but i still have faith in the system. i wouldn't be running if i didn't believe we could make it work again. i have faith in wisconsin's progressive tradition.

remember it was the republican who founded the progressive party but we can do this. and i wouldn't run if i didn't believe we could make progress once again and make democracy work. >> 20 months ago, the democrats suffered a historic defeat and you lost your majority in the house and that defeat was centered in the upper midwest it was michigan, wisconsin states like that and the state level and the federal level. what was the lesson of that defeat? >> there's lots of lessons to be learned. but i think in the end of the evaluation it was who stayed home and did not participate and who came to the polls. i don't think -- i think that people were so eager to see a much faster recovery. that we did not understand the magn[h we're facing this president and n his first two years. and people who wanted to see a faster pace of change stayed home. >> i have a funny question for you after listening to nancy

pelosi speak now and thinking back on michelle obama last night talking about being the mom and she nancy pelosi introduced herself as a mother and a grandmother. and we saw her daughter and granddaughter in the crowd. is it possibly a strong, efficient, accomplished political woman anymore without saying you are a mom first? >> i am not a mom. i guess it is -- absolutely. but i have to laugh about all the times where nancy pelosi has described her leadership in terms of motherhood and in terms of being a woman. and i think it does make her a powerful leader. and i think my life experiences that i bring to the job everyday also make me a strong leader. >> and can i follow-up. michelle obama could have told an alternative story that she went to princeton, she went to harvard law and became a successful lawyer. she went to the chicago hospital

system making $300,000 a year. top 1%. it was a successful career story. and she probably had doubts about leaving that behind. why is that not possible to tell that story? >> well, it is possible. but i think people want to know a little bit more about especially leaders who place their names on the ballot. part of the background that shapes me greatly was being raised by s9÷ grandparents. and my grandmother was 56 when i was born. so i saw as a very young person, medicare and social security making a difference in my family. that is important to why i fight so hard to make sure that those programs or promises as i call them, are around for a lot longer. so i think the personal narrative is important as well as the professional cv. >> there's so many more women today serving in congress and

the senate than there once were. is it getting easier or every bit as hard to raise money to get elected? >> what i would say is we see increasingly women taking leadership roles. when i first came to the congress 14 years ago there were no committee chairs who were women and we did not have women in visible leadership roles like leader pelosi was and that is changing. and that is changing beyond the numbers. but there are still only 17 women out of 100 in the u.s. senate. and we need to see greater change than that. >> and down on the floor they are about to celebrate those women in the u.s. senate. senator would be tammy baldwin. thank you for joining us. >> it is a pleasure. we are going to go to theñi flor where we will see the largest contingent of democratic women senators they are about to walk on to the stage and we are going to hear first from senator barbara mikulski of maryland,

she has served the longest and she was first elected in 1986. >> diane feinstein. we are going to hear from barbara mikulski and they will introduce each one of these women one at a time. we saw senator diane feinstein and now barbara boxer and we will listen to the rest. a member of the democratic leadership in the senate and the first woman to ever chair the senate veterans affairs committee, washington state senator, patty murray. a senator leading our effort to make things and grow things in america, michigan senator debbie stabanau. standing up for the middle class

and working with the farmers and businesses of her state, from the land of 10,000 lakes, the great state of minnesota, senator amy clabashar. the first woman in the united states history to be elected governor and u.s. senator, new hampshire senator jean shaheen. senator hick begin a senator to fights to keep north carolina first in education and first in honoring our military troops and veterans. fighting to make sure we see made in america again, new york senator kirsten gill brand. and now, the america's women senators and fighter for the middle class here is the history-making senator from

maryland, barbara mikulski. >> good evening. i'm senator barbara mikulski from the great state of maryland. [cheers and applause] 26 years ago, i became the first democratic woman elected to the senate in her own right. i was the first but i made sure i wasn't the only. [applause] today we're proud that there are more women serving in the united

states senate right this minute than served in all of american history when i arrived. but we want more. [applause] now, we democratic women of the senate are like the olympic team as you can see, we come in different sizes but we sure are united in our determination to do the best for our country. we build families. businesses and communities. we are sunday schoolteachers and former governors. prosecutors and moms in tennis shoes. i was. [applause] i was a social worker for baltimore families. now, i am a social worker building opportunities for families throughout america.

friends, we work on macro issues and work on the macaroni and cheese issues. when women are in the halls of power our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of american families. women leading being that congress is working to create jobs. make quality childcare more middle class. because we understand the american we love grows the economy and opportunity from the middle out, not the top down. these are our priorities. these are president obama's priorities. we know that every issue is a woman's issue.2

[applause] and equal pay for equal work is an all-american issue. the 77 cents that women make for every dollar men earn makes a real difference to our families. families stretching to make every dollar count. we are so proud that the first law signed by president barak obama was the lilly ledbetter fair pay act. the first bill was about america's first principles. equality, opportunity, and prosperity. now, those republicans in the senate tried to block our efforts to go further. and anti-dis-- end discrimination once and for all but we the women of the senate with president obama by our side we are going to keep fighting. our shoulders square, our

lipstick on because you deserve equal pay for your hard work. [applause] nothing gets done more nothing gets done more to improve the day-to-day lives of american women in our families than healthcare reform. before healthcare reform women, can you believe this? women would be charged 50% more for their health insurance than men. in nine states. listen to this. in nine states, victims of domestic violence were denied coverage simply because of those victims. well, anyway, you know what was happening. our mammograms and our cancer tests, draining the family budgets.

often we had to go without to pay for the services and we've tried to change that. millions of american families know that we are just one medical catastrophe away from financial disaster. now, we democrats believe in family responsibility, not family bankruptcy. [applause] with healthcare reform, we are making gender discrimination by those insurance companies illegal. we insure life saving preventative services and the full range of reproductive services are now covered. [applause] because of president obama's leadership, being a woman is truly no longer a preexisting condition. [applause] we the democratic women of the senate have worked with our president to do a lot to

strengthen families and restore security in the middle class. and the first family withstand with our military families. now we are ready to do more and for that we need reinforcements. take a look at the women running this year. those who can help us and the president, get the job done for you. god bless you and god bless america. [applause] [♪] >> so that was barbara mikulski as you introduced a few minutes ago. senior woman senator you are still here in the crowd cheering these women. there are more than there have ever been. there they are. talking about macaroni and

cheese issues. >> i'm not sure what that means but it is a baltimore thing. >> well, the music is universal maybe. >> so we are back in the skybox with mark shields "new york times" columnist david brooks and joining us caroline kennedy. >> it's good to see you. great to be here. thank you. >> how many conventions is this for you? >> well, the last three or four, i guess. going back. intensely and this is the spectator. >> the last time you were here you were withkdç your uncle with whom you were very close, ted kennedy he is no longer with us. >> i felt like he was here last night maybe. >> i was going to ask you that. did. it was so petty to be somehow worked his way in there. and sort of -- >> the video where he relived the debate with mitt romney. >> that was nice. how does this party feel

different to you? you made an impassioned appeal to folks to vote for barak obama. four years ago. how does this convention feel and this year feel different to you? >> well, this convention is exhilarating. we are going to be halfway through and tonight is going to be, i think spectacular and of course is waiting for tomorrow to hear the president and there is a sense of excitement and we've heard perhaps this year that people are not engaged but i think last time was exhilarating with the primary process and now this year people have been waiting to kind of get into it again. and i think this is a great kickoff. >> i want to read the words that you wrote four years ago in the "new york times" piece which you surprised everybody by endorsing barak obama and repeated them on the floor of the convention when you spoke in 2008. you said i've never had a president that inspired me the way people tell me my father inspired them. a lot of people who were inspired are going not this time

around. you don't hear that? >> well, i actually i went to florida, i went to new hampshire earlier in the year. and virginia. and i really found people were incredibily engaged and motivated on the issues and i think last time there was such an exhilaration with the process and sort of being able to engage for so long. but i think that people have this has been a sobering four years for everyone. and i feel underneath it all there is a continuity of spirits that goes back to 1960 when my father was elected and that generation is engaged. and the younger generation who everybody says is you know, disconnectedded, is really i, i think, ready to reengage now that this campaign has started. so i don't really see that as much as other people do. i think it maybe below the surface but i think it will explode after the convention.

>> one of the highlights of four years ago was american university when you and your uncle came out with obama. and it was exciting. now --. >> i don't get that often but go ahead. >> what was it? and michelle did talk about his character last night. what specifically about his character is the thing that is still exciting you? >> well, i think he has shown tremendous courage in his presidency. i think he has been a steady leader who has really taken some tough decisions that weren't gauged to the political thing. going forward on healthcare, was absolutely a courageous decision because it was the right thing to do. he knew he would pay a politicl price for t and saving detroit and ending the war. all these things there is a tremendous record of accomplishment that people sort of glossed over in their eagerness to talk about the mood. and people will focus on those

issues and the choice that we face in this election because the two candidates and two parties could not be more different. >> poll after poll have told us [inaudible] and what would you say is the undecided voters right now, are the three basic differences between the democratic party and the republican party? >> well, i would say that the democratic party is really on the side of families and working families. it's certainly on the side of women. and i think it's positions on children and education a long-term investment in the future of this country are the president has been incredibily strong on that with the race to the top and early childhood education. and i think in foreign policy he has kept us safe and ended the war in iraq and i think that really as the first lady was talking about, we have gotten to know him. and i think has demonstrated the character and the leadership that we need.

during this difficult time. >> and why is the race tied? well, i mean, the economy is tough. and it's hard times. and so i think that -- but i think everybody should really take advantage of the privilege that we all have living in this country and do research on the things that matter to them. this is going to be a close election and votes will count. and i grew up hearing it's one person, my father would not have been elected president and we know that was a tremendous choice. people should realize that their vote counts and they should really take advantage and get involved. it's fun. >> caroline kennedy you've studied history the daughter of a president someone close to someone your uncle, ted kennedy who ran for president. the republicans have really tried to paint this president as a socialist practically somebody who just wants government to takeover everything. how do you see the right balance

today? in this point in american history? between government and the private sector? clearly something is changing in what americans perceive about that. >> i think that is true. i think the whole economy is changing the world economy that we live in now. i think that government really has a role to play in people's lives and in helping us look out for each other. and in people who want to serve and i think that is tremendously important. i think as you say, times are changing. so we maybe need to realign that balance but overall there is a lot of rhetoric that obscures what is going on. and i think we really need government in this country. and i'm proud to be a democrat who believes in government. >> you mentioned rhetoric. did you watch the republican convention last week? >> not enough. not enough. >> what did you see what did you

read about it, hear about it or witness that struck you that defined the party as the same or different from what you've known it to be? >> well, you know, i think that we are going to see we saw last night a tremendous contrast of what we saw last week. and i think we have a president who is on the side of working families that the rhetoric and the positions are lined and i don't think we saw as much of that last week. >> and the republicans your father defense spending are they wrong to say your father is an example? >> he was a good president. 's glad that they want to be more like him. >> is this something that you can imagine i know you had the idea of getting into politics. i don't know that flirting is the right word. >> you were in buffalo knocking on doors and shaking hands. you decided not to do it then. would you decide to do it again? is it a possibility? >> i don't know. i don't think so.

but obviously this is tremendously exciting so i'm happy to be here and be part of it. >> how much are you going to be involved this fall? >> i don't think there's anything more important that any of us can do than give as much time as we have in the camp. i would love to do what ever i can to help. >> and you think the enthusiasm is coming back. >> ky not hear you. so i lost my train of thought halfway through one of my answers because of the screaming so loud. >> what about out in america where it will spread. >> it's contagious. caroline kennedy. thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you. thank you. >> thank you. and now let's go back to the floor and ray?ñr >> i'm with heather smith, the president of the nonpartisan organization rock theñi vote. if youçó are nonpartisan what ae you doing at the democratic national convention. >> we are both at democratic nationalñm week we were inñr the republican national convention here to make

sure that all of the politicians remember if they are thinking of running that young people are one quarter of the electorate we are a powerful force and we want to make sure that the issues are of concern by the youngñr people get addressed. >> one thing that complicated allçó voteriñr advocacy organizations, jobs thisçó election season has been state legislatures rewriting theird&>" day. how has that complicated your life? >> all the new changes in the election laws it's changing the playing field for us. and it's both distracting n florida we had to spendñi time fighting a lawsuit that was tryingçó to restrict voters registratienñ drives in the state. but it took a lot of time and energy to do tñr and other stats like pennsylvania the voter id laws aw low income youth. we are having to changeçó our ge plans educate a population and get them theñi id's before they

cançó cast açó baílmt. adding additional work and confusion as we prepare first time voters to cast a ballot this november. >> a big part of your job is talking about youth voting. but this mustñr be a tough timeo they areñ;under so many pressurs from the bad economy? >> yes, it isxd a different time than it was fovb years ago.ñi i will not lie about that. it is when we go to theñr campuses, we are some of the only peopleaç there. and they are coming to us and saying is this where i register? we haveçó not had.nb that excit and organizing happening in ther youth communities. young people are discouraginged they are frustrated with theñi political process. nothing happens by accident. it takes añi lot of hard work bt we need to get out there our country depends on it and have the conversations about why voting matters and why getting ent#t is the best way to address the issues that they are very, very concerned with today. >> heather smith, with rock the vote. good luck. >> thank you veryñr much.

and the interview before the hall filled up and it'sxd quite if you want to hear them youñi n hear them on live stream. i wanted to pick up on whereáqhe vote. every year is the year ofçó the woman and every year we hear about how the youth voteñi is going to rise up and make a difference. have you found that to be true? >> the balding white maleñiñr ii problem. >> i believe there were many years like that. >> the youth voteñr is interestg because 2008 was the exception they came out and voted. but the other interesting thing about the youth vote is there are clear generational parents by -- patterns by age and voting. seniors are republican. and people in their 20s are democratic. the gaps in the middle are interesting. people in their 30s and 40s have similar patterns where they trend democratic and now they have come back and it's even. those two groups moved substantially towards tied

positions and the youngest the new voters are remarkably democratic. and that has to worryçó republicans. >> there is some thinking mark that depending who was president and what party was dominant when you were a teenager when you came to of age to vote, that is the party that you tend to stick with. if you stay with that party. >> first time i voted i voted for caroline kennedy's father. and not saying that that was a defining moment but it does expló)s a lot from that point forward. but i don't think there's any question about it. and yet, i know those in the generation before me it was eisenhower. and richard nixon was fascinating in the sense that his administration went after young people particularly spiro ago knew and drove young people into the democratic party that they energized. and ronald reagan brought back the young to the republicans. and i think part of that was optimism. part of it was again

performance. and we are all pragmatists. if it works, we like it. and if it doesn't, we'll try something else. >> a fine book of political science called partisanñi hearts and minds how do people form theirñi party affiliation. most inherit from parents butñi those who don't, look at sociali identifity. what party is more filled with people like me.çó it's not policyñi is it's who is like me. and the democrats are moreñr lie me, then they become liberals.ñi the ideology followsñr the socil identity. if a party really seems we get are doing with today's young people they have advantages that stretchñi for a longtime. >> but if in orderñr to get youg excitement to get them to h up. maybe t¢"ñ is why we are beginning to;÷çh$ear some of the obama people mourn the fact they cannot have the huge stadium rally tomorrow night. because of theñi wei& but also because they are going to lose the opportunity to

organize a lot of the folks who need to beñi organized. beirut what about >> i think that is a real concern of the campaign. i think some respects the meterologists may have done a4- nationally. it's farñi more acceptable to se him give a speechñr in a traditionalçó venue rather thann a largeñi stadiemu withñi 80,00 people in a time ofñr 8.2% unemployment and a senseñwi is s a disconnect fromñi what is goig on in theçóñr country. thisçó theñr enthusiasm will be great d the speech will be the same. and i'm not sureñi that a 10-minute entrance into a stadium being greeted and feted by the crowd that is necessarily helpful to the election.t-/a&c c a state like this. >> the grandiosity, i think they do not need now. i agree.çó

one thing that is symptomatic they are giving the peopleçó tht areçó disappointed they are givg them conference calls. he should come back and do añi specialñr event with them. he should come back and say you worked your 99 hours i will come back. >> from your lips to god's ear in a battleground state maybe they are listening. right now backçvo the floor ton ray. >> judy i'm joined onñr the flor byñr veteran texasñr congressman charles gonzales. youñr are leaving the the end of this year. why didñi you decide not to run? >> i've hadñi a great career 14 i think i have one last career in me. i will missñ)hrá tremendously. but i have some really qualified people that are going to be following as i leave. so good hands, great future. >> you spent some of that time in the majority and some in thei minority how have you seen the congress change in your years of service? >> the saddest thing when i got there 14 years ago we used to have dialogue and conversations

with the republican side. there was reasonable compromise. we reached consensus on many things. they were in the majority during that time. and something broke down. after we took the majority, we attempted to include them in some of the proposals but at that point, it was over. and then with the election of president obama, they became totally entrenched and then in 2010 we had such an infusion of tea party-type ideology that it was not going to be moving as far as again the dialogue, the communication and any compromise. if you look at the united states senate, toavve plus filibustersn the past five years, i think that speaks for itself. we have to move forward. >> not only is your career in the congress coming to an end but an era.ñr your father henry gonzales serveed from 1960 on. and it is a half a century of gone

texas s there i alittle bit ofñi regret? >> it's tremendous. it's bittersweet don't get me wrong butof representing san and following in your father's footsteps. god has been good to me swainchts texas is -- >> suarez: texas is right now fight being its own future and the remap for the 2010 crennous. what do you think of what is happen something in. >> all the redistricting discriminating against minorities, all the voter suppression laws they are not going to hold true. the day is still coming when the minorities in texas their voices will be heard despite the legislative obstacles placed before them as i speak. s they a last ditch effort but it's the last the breath, i guarantee you. it's not going to work. >> suarez: thank you for joining us. >> it's a pleasure. thank you for everything you do. >> suarez: book to you.

>> we're listening to jessica sanchez an american idol winner and she's sing you're all i need to get by. we'll listen for a minute. ♪ ♪ put your hands together! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> ifill: nothing like a little dancinging on the floor of confession and an american idol participant to lead it. we're going to talk about the economy because it's playing a major roll in the battleground states including north carolina. here we go to the digital map center. >> reporter: we're telling sortie of the elections through data you can find. here to explain is our politics editor. we look at the bigger picture of jobs in the economy which is issueumber one. here is the national unemployment map. the more red the worse off folks are. you can see north carolina, south carolina, pretty bad.

>> it's definitely bad. it's higher than the national average in north carolina. 9.8%, particularly compared with virginia which is another battleground state lower than the national average right now at 6%. this say thing both campaigns are trying to use in an attempt to win over voters here. the economy is bad. it's been declining for many years in north carolina. a lot of the south has seen that both campaigns are trying to make the case. president obama is trying to say i'll create more jobs if i'm reelected and mitt romney is saying change course. >> reporter: we heard from a few folks on the listen to me project on what the most important issue was. here are voices from north carolina talking about jobs and economy. >> i think by far the most important issue is the economy. i think it with would turn around if there were more cooperation in washington. >> a lot of people don't have jobs and are losing their jobs and after being -- you know -- at jobs for years and they are shipping jobs overseas and everything like thank when we

look at the unemployment -- everything like that. >> reporter: when we look at the map it's evenly distributed across the state. >> it's pretty bad every year. it's industries prevalent but declining over the last deck caismed when you look at the research try angle, technology companies moving in, people moving from other states that's one of areas where it's stronger. that's where the campaigns are focusing energy because we have more affluent voters. >> reporter: let's look at this map of how president obama and john mccain did in 2008. the red and orange and peach areas went for mccain. he won the state which made news in itself. >> it was the first time a democrat had won since 1976 when jimmy carter was able to win it. the president was able to win it by less than 15,000 votes. one of the ways they did that was targeting african-american voters, many of them coming out

for historical reasons, taking advantage of hispanic growth in the state which has become more prevalent over the last four years and getting college students to come out, register their friends and show up for the first time. that's similar to the strategy here. they are winning the big at cit, the research triangle area and doing that again. >> reporter: thank you. you can take a look at all this data yourself whether you are on the computer, tablet or even your smartphone at newshour.pbs.org. >> woodruff: san antonio mayor juliaaán castro delivered last night's keynote address. he is with us now. mr. mayor -- >> thank you for having me. >> woodruff: what kind of reaction have been been getting and what kind of reaction is your daughter getting? >> she stole the show for sure. [ laughter ] you know, it's been generally positive. of course, there's always the back and forth of partisan politics but i've gotten a good

reaction and can i finally enjoy the convention. because there's so much tension built up to actually deliver the speech and afterwards it's been a lot of fun to soak it all in and enjoy it. i enjoyed giving the speech. i think that last night was a very successful evening particularly because the first lady delivered a great speech. so happy. >> woodruff: you were her warm up. >> that's right. i was happy to play the warm-up act. >> ifill: you talked about clear choice. we heard speakers come back to that formulation, the clear choice between. barack and mitt romney. how -- -- between barack obama and mitt romney. >> my family got a good education because of things like good public schools, student loans. it's very clear that president obama has invested in what think brother who is running for congress has called this infrastructure or opportunity or what i referred to in the speech

as opportunity today. he wants to invest in that. we have a lot of folks in and san toneo who have big -- san antonio who have big dreams, they need student loans, good public schools, good universities, and president obama has made those investments and wants to make more. >> ifill: you and your brother are both rising stars, as we love to say in the clee -- cliches of democratic party. but we saw a lot of latinos at the republican convention. how do you make the case. the president has an edge among latino voters. how do you make the case that they should land with you and not consider another option? >> folks have asked about senator rubio or governor martinez or sandoval. i wish all of them well. the issue is not personalities, whether it's me or them. the reason that president obama is up 70% to 25% are the

policies on education, immigration reform, on tax policy, on health care health care for instance, nine million latinos will have health care because of the affordable care act. that's a big deal. people can tell the difference between a president on the right side of policies and a candidate who is not. >> woodruff: aren't latino disproportionately affected by this economy, high unemployment rate, the unemployment rate higher than it is for americans across the board? >> i think that's always true. for instance,, if you track latino unemployment against mainstream unemployment generally it's higher. so i think what we have to do in this case is track what has happened with latino unemployment. and the latino unemployment rate has actually dropped by two points under this president. he has made some progress. >> what is the most significant law you would like to see if president obama get aids second term?

>> well -- >> woodruff: we're going to ibt rupt. on the floor is the president of planned parenthood she is cecile richards. [cheers and applause] >> good evening. [cheers and applause] good evening. on behalf of the millions of mothers, daughters, wives, sisters and friends, republicans and democrats who have count on planned parenthood for health care and in honor of thousands of doctors and staff at planned parenthood health centers all across america, i am proud tonight to support the reelection of president barack obama. [cheers and applause] two years ago when paul ryan and john boehner and todd akin and the tea party took over the house of representatives, they promised us they were going to

create jobs and jumpstart the economy, but instead on day one they came after women's health and they haven't let up since. right? so first they voted to end cancer screenings and well women visits for five million women. they voted to end funding for birth control at planned parenthood and for good measure they even fried to redefine rape. [audience boos] and now mitt romney is campaigning to get rid of planned parenthood and overturn roe v. wade. [audience boos] and we won't let him! [cheers and applause] this past year women learned that when we aren't at the table, we're on the menu. so this november women are organizing, we're mobilizing and voting for the leaders who fight

for us. [cheers and applause] nearly 100 years ago when planned parenthood was founded, birth control was illegal. and as a result few women had the opportunity to finish school, and we really weren't even expected to live much past the age of 50. but times have changed. today we are mothers and we are teachers and scientists and accountants and members of the armed forces. [cheers and applause] and because of president obama more women than ever are serving until the u.s. cabinet and on the united states supreme court. [cheers and applause] we've come so far. we've come so far. so why are we having to fight in 2012 against politicians who want to end access to birth

control? it's like we woke up on a bad episaid of -- episode of "madmen." because when mitt romney says he will get rid of planned parenthood and turn the clock back on a century of progress, it has real quoanses for the three million patients who commend demand on planned parenthood. women like libby bruce who you just heard from or brandy mckay, a 27-year-old woman whose stage two breast cancer was caught at a planned parenthood health center and thank god she's now cancer free. [cheers and applause] or the woman who went on facebook after paul ryan voted to defund planned parenthood and posted, well, i guess they don't understand that us military wives go to planned patienthood

when the doctor on base can't see us. [cheers and applause] so mr. romney and mr. ryan are campaigning for women's votes by saying that women need their help. okay. this is coming from two men who are committed to ended insurance coverage for birth control, who would turn women's health care decisions over to our bosses and who won't even stand up for equal pay for women. okay. as my grandmother back in texas would have said, any more help from mitt romney and i'm going to have to take in ironing. [cheers and applause] with you here is the good news. we already have a president on our side. president obama -- president obama understands women. he trusts women and on every single issue that matters to us,

he stands with women. [cheers and applause] president obama ensured that women's preventative care including birth control,, too will be covered by all health care plans with no copay no matter where we work. [cheers and applause] and because of president obama soon women won't be denied insurance coverage because we've had breast cancer or survived sexual assault. and we're no longer going to pay more than men for the exact same health insurance. [cheers and applause] thanks to president obama being a woman is no longer a preexisting condition in america [cheers and applause] that's right. that's right. we know -- back in texas -- back

in texas -- yay texas -- back in texas we say that we dance with them that brung ya. okay? president obama brought women to this dance and we're staying with him all the way to november. [cheers and applause] 24 years ago, my mother, former texas governor ann richards spoke to this convention. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] thank you. [cheers and applause]

thank you. [cheers and applause] reminded us -- she reminded us how far we've come and that there was a time when folks had to drink from separate water fountains, when kids were punished for speaking spanish in the school, when her grandmother couldn't even vote. my mom spent her entire life working to make things more fair. right? [cheers and applause] she believed that the american dream wasn't meant for just a

few, it promised opportunity for everyone. [cheers and applause] well, just a couple of years before she passed, mom had the chance to become friends with a young senator named barack obama. [cheers and applause] and she saw in him -- she saw in him the promise of the future and the promise of america. the promise of anlieve in. that's the future we'll be voting for this november. that's right. because as women -- as women we have come way too far to turn back. and we won't. [cheers and applause]

because, you know, mom wouldn't have stood for it and neither will we. so -- so this november we're going to keep moving forward and we're going to reelect president barack obama. thank you. thank you. >> ifill: cecile richards whose mother is, of course, ann richards. she passed away in 2006 and gave one of the most remembered speeches at any democratic national convention. mark? >> she sure did. one of great lines was ginger rogers did everything that fred astaire did and the only difference was she did it backwards and in high heels. a marvelous phrase maker and mr., mayor, if i'm not mistaken the last democrat to win stayedwide office in the lone star state. >> ifill: let me reintroduce

san antonio mayor juliaaán cast. >> that's right, mark. in preparing the keynote address i had an opportunity to going go back and look at her remarks in 1988. she was the last texan to deliver the keynote address and the original one was congresswoman barbara jordan. >> ifill: those were some footsteps to follow. >> and i knew i couldn't. >> will texas have a democrat -- the demographics seem to be in your favor. we've been hearing for a long time about texas becoming blue. >> that day is coming. i believe it's sooner rather than later. three quick reasons. first, the growth of the hispanic community and more and more hispanics are voting. secondly, the infusion of people from outside of texas who are moving in because of economic

boom of texas into the houston area, s austin, dallas, san antonio suburbs and third because of the republican party has gone to the far right and that is opening up the playing field for moderate probusiness democrats to get elected in the state. i think it will happen within the next 6-8 years. >> woodruff: let me bring it back to something we were listening to, not just cecile richards but so many speakers it's about reproductive rights for women. a lot of conversation, a lot of it about the remarks from todd akin from missouri. many will tell you that the impression of the party is that it's prochoice but that it doesn't welcome a prolife view. how open is the democratic party to folks who are prolife? >> i know in texas we've had in the last decade we've had several folks running on the democratic ticket for statewide

office that were prolife. the lion's share of democrats are prochoice but to me it's clear if you are looking for the bigger party across a whole host of issues that's the democratic party. >> woodruff: but you are not hearing that other upon the point of view on reproductive rights, are you? >> sure. >> rooney: is a liability to the -- >> woodruff: is that a lie glability. >> think i voters in texas or any other state if they get a sense of candidates in all other races. if there's a platform that doesn't exactly match the views that each candidate has embraces in the race that diversity also exists at smaller down ballot races, too. >> ifill: let me phrase the question a different way. you are a practicing catholic. you referenced your grandmother and her rosaries last night in her speech.

to what degree are catholics conflicted in the democratic party when it comes to issues of life? >> there's knoll question that there's a -- there's no question that there's a teaching of the catholic church in contradiction with a prochoice tradition. there are folks who are made an issue of that if you look at opinion polls of catholics, it's very clear that there's also a significant number of catholics who are prochoice and so i feel like -- you know, almost anything, whether it's religion or something else, an ideology that folks subscribe to you won't see it 100%. i realize that has a catholic that i don't have the same view as the bishops, as the pope, but i'm still catholic. that's my view. and i don't think that because of one issue that a party should

have a lock on being able to speak about their faith and the god that they worship. >> following up on judy and gwen's point, that is years earlier the democratic party was a pro-choice party but it always a preamble acknowledging it's a difficult moral question. there's no -- it doesn't suggest a big tent in 2012. there's no mention of that. one can say the republican party there's no mention of the exception that commonly agreed upon exception of insetcest and life of mother. haven't we got two parties polarized in the country? >> if you take what is mentioned at the conventions, sure. if you look at candidates

running across the board under each party's label we'll find more diversity of opinions among the dems. in the year 2012 -- i'm not saying it's always the case -- in the year 2012 i believe it's one party, the republican party that generally has moved further out so there's less divertity of opinion in 2012 in that party than there is in the democratic party. >> woodruff: you are saying it's not spoken about? >> yeah, you're not going to see it convention to convention. but you'll see it at individual races and who is able to win and get through the primaries the democrat party versus the republican party. >> this election is about the economy. this is supposed to be economy night of an economy election and we've heard more about reproductive rights than we have about job creation. is something weird going on? >> the night is still young. [ laughter ] i think we're going to hear from both senate candidate elizabeth

warren and president clinton, very much down their alley to talk about the economy and what it means to support middle class families. i believe when we get to the speeches tonight we'll hear about that like i addressed that yesterday. and in her own way the first lady addressed the pocketbook issues so important to families across the nation. >> ifill: you may have a bias here. i'm going to ask you to candy cap your brother's race, with a queen your eerily twin brother. >> of course i'm buy yaged. it looks good. he and i grew up in the district he is seeking to represent. he is following the gonzalez family, an iconic family in terms of texas nothing is ever a shower thing and he's not taking it for granted but i believe he will win in november and it will he about a special celebration for us if he does. >> ifill: okay. mayor juliaaán castro mayor of n

antonio, texas. fresh off his speech last night. thank you for having me. >> ifill: we'll good to the floor and listen to the house democratic whip -- is that a title, whip minority whip in process sey -- steny hoyer. >> god bless america, every american and god bless all of you. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: caught the tail end of congressman steny hoyer who is the house minority whip. we believe there's going to be a veterans-related video coming up right now. they are a little bit -- they are tinkering with the schedule a little bit. so we're watching. ♪

>> the vietnam guys we decided to welcome each other home. whenever a vietnam guy meets another vietnam guy we say welcome home. no one says that to us. my name is edward john francis meaghe rerks. i volunteered to go to vietnam. i didn't truly understand what it meant to go to a war zone. it changes you really dramatically. but what you have to do is make sure it changes you for the better and not for the worse. >> i was worried that the troops coming back from iraq and afghanistan were going to get ignored. myself and several friends, vietnam guys, we decided we were going to step up for the last eight and a half years i've been making sure that when the folks come home not only are they welcomed but that they are taken care of. we focus with the critically injured soldiers coming back to walter reed.

when a soldier gets better and starts to think about leaving the hospital for the first time. we like to be the guys to take them out for a steak dinner. it's good to see them go out to society with wound as an injuries and be suck ceaseful -- successful. we take care of things that come up. we help with resumes, interviewing skills, help them meeting up with mentors and support teams. we're vets we know what they are going through. i feel so privileged to have the opportunity to meet these folks. trieser one of these guys to thank me. i said you got this all wrong, you are giving me a gift. can i help you. -- i can help you. >> that's me, sir. >> president obama has fought for veterans. those of us who stood up to protect our country now need to stand up for him.

i worked with the injured guys at walter reed and they need to know someone slook out for them. our commander in chief does it because he believes in his heart that it's the right thing to do. i appreciate everything you've done in terms of advocacy. >> you can hear it in his voice when he says to our troops, welcome home. >> ladies and ladies and gentlee welcome air force vietnam veteran edward meagher from great falls, virginia. [cheers and applause] >> good evening. my name is ed meagher. can you imagine how it feels to return from war emotionally, psychologically and physically mangled and the country you've been fighting for does not welcome you home? as a veteran of vietnam war, i know exactly how that feels. nine years ago i decided i would

do what i can to give the soldiers returning from iraq and afghanistan a better welcome home than i had. along with two of my fellow vietnam vets, i worked with some of our most seriously injured warriors and their families to prepare them for jobs, to help them find their way through the medical system and to lift their spirits. our days help amputees to realize they have lives even if they lost limbs. we help punch up resumes to reflect skills they possess that they don't know were marketable. we've coached them, provided fresh business outfits and computers to help them with job searches. supporting our efforts is president obama's actions, increasing the v.a. budget to $140 billion in 2013. [cheers and applause]

fully funding the new gi bill allowing over 800,000 veterans and their families to pursue an education and begin their post-military service to our country. the obama administration has hired more than 3500 mental health professionles and they'll hire 1600 more over the next year to help veterans to cope with post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries and strength suicide prevention efforts. [cheers and applause] last memorial day, president obama declared the treatment of vietnam veterans a national shame and he spoke true, sweet words. my generation of returning veterans have yearned to hear, "welcome home." ♪

>> please welcome retired general eric shinseki. >> allow had a to the -- aloha to the hawaii delegation. good evening, everyone, especially all of the veterans in the audience. [cheers and applause] my name is rick shinseki and i'm a soldier. i spent 38 years in uniform and as a veteran i'm here to speak about a presidents who devotion to veterans is sincere, it's steadfast and it is strong. i know this firsthand. i first met barack obama in move 2008. i soon realized we were both

shaped and inspired by family members who had served in world war ii. three of my uncles helped liberate europe. when they returned home, they helped to raise me. [cheers and applause] they used the original gi bill to open small businesses. they worked hard, played by the rules, and loved this country. i learned those values from them. and president obama learned the same values from the veterans in his family. during our first meeting nearly four years ago, the president's commitment to veterans was clear. he understands that we have the finest military in the world, and we have a commitment to keep our faith with our men and women in uniform.

today our iraq and afghanistan warriors have displayed enormous discipline and love of country. [ applause ] we have a moral obligation to care for them when they come home. health care, education, jobs, but above all we owe veterans dignity and respect. [cheers and applause] president obama gets it. he listens. he wants the facts. and the results of his leadership are clear. since president obama took office, nearly 800,000 veterans, including a growing population of women veterans have gained access to v.a. health care. [ applause ]

there's been an historic expansion of treatment for ptsd and traumatic brain injury. president obama has expanded job training to prepare veterans for the jobs of the future. and we're on track to end veterans' homelessness by 2015. [ applause ] no president since franklin delano roosevelt has done more for veterans. we could not ask for a stronger advocate. we've made tremendous progress under this president's leadership but there's much more to be done for the men and women who guarantee our way of life. they've served selflessly with unmatched valor, sacrifice and distinction. and president obama is determined that we will repay

our debt to them. [ applause ] god bless our veterans. god bless our president. and may god continue to bless this wonderful country of ours. thank you, good evening. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: secretary of veterans administration eric shinseki, also a retired army general who ran into difficulty in the bush administration when he complained about what the iraq war was going to mean. joining us here in the sky box is someone who gave a wonder of a speech last night. he's massachusetts governor deval patrick and also a national cochair for the obama campaign. welcome governor. >> thank you, judy. >> woodruff: i've been talking about what you said last night when you said the democrats need to grow a backbone. what happened to the backbone?

>> i just think we need to be clear not only about policies and details. they are important and our ideas but our values and what our motivating principles are. we very much believe in this party, i believe, in the american dream and there are things government can do. not to solve every problem but to help people help themselves it's a compelling argument. i don't think we make it enough and i don't think we connect all of the things we're trying to do from a policy perspective to that objective. >> woodruff: i sound like you were saying democrats were laying down on the field. they are not out there in the action in the middle of this hotly fought presidential campaign. >> i think we have to make it personal. i don't think it's just about commercials or those of us who have leadership roles in the campaign. it's about inviting people at the grass roots whether they never miss an election cycle or this is the very first election cycle to get involved and connect to others in their

community and make this personal because i believe the future of the american dream is at stake. >> ifill: part of the reason you were on stage is because you succeeded mitt romney as governor of massachusetts. one of the things you said about him was getting a job rather than having a job. if that's true how did you explain massachusetts health care. >> let me just say as i said over and over again and believe very seriously mitt romney has always been a gentleman to me. he's a good man, i think, and a really astonishing -- >> ifill: all democrats are stipulate laying he's a good man. >> look, the experience we had in massachusetts was that he was more interested in having the job than doing it. he did not stimulate the economy. he did not sell the state. he did not eliminate a structural deficit. he did not repair roads and bridges. he did one appropriate fondly important thing and that is to

move health care reform and it's wildly successful and wildly popular at home. if it were polling better, meaning the national model, he would wrap his arms around it. that's the issue. it's an integrity issue from our per perspective at home. >> i'll keep asking this question until i get an answer. >> what is the most important law president obama will pass in the second term. >> i i can tell you the agenda. i'll answer this way, david because i don't think presidents or chief executives are super legislators. it's about tools. it's waning ajendal. we're driving unemployment rate down well below the national average. i've been more fortunate at home to get the tools from our legislature. not the first time i ask but eventually. i think the president will be a lot more fortunate in the coming

term. >> when you say innovation those are words you put on the title not in the folder. >> i'll give yod whys. at home we have emphasizes those growth sectors that are dependent on new ideas, it, information technology, new it, robotics, communications, so forth, financial services, life sciences and biotech, huge at home for us, clean tech where we've had a 12% or 13 become the employment growth. it's not to the exclusion of others but that emphasis is where is so much of the growth is coming in an economy based on a knowledge explosion. >> governor michael dukakis 24 years ago nominated, a predecessor of yours said your speech was the best he had ever heard last night but he added that mitt romney is a fraud. it's up to the people of massachusetts to let the rest of

the country know that he is a fraud. would you agree with michael dukakis? >> i think there's a lot of attention we get from massachusetts or on massachusetts because that's the only place where mitt romney has served as a public c.e.o., a public sector c.e.o. it's obviously a part of the story. from my own comfort level and my own sense of where the american public is people want to know what they are for not just who they are voting against. i think it's very, very important for democrats to make the case of what we're asking people to vote for because it's a compelling case ands a transsenting one. >> woodruff: do you know what the president is going to say tomorrow night? >> i haven't seen the speech but he believes in his heart that we must turn to and not on each other and doing this around the

agenda of investing in education and innovation and energy and infrastructure is a winning strategy that enables to restore the middle class and rebuild the american dream. >> ifill: can i ask about something from the speech which caught my ear. you said the president should not be bullied out of office. that say strong term? >> especially for you, right? -- for me, right? >> for you and what is it about bullying? >> it's about being in the midst of an economic meltdown and having minority leader in the senate and one of the most prominent members of the republican party say that the number one agenda of republicans is to make this a one term president. what we must not toll rate and must reject is a behavior in the congress. i would say the same thing, i'm telling if you dems were behaving this way, a behavior

that simply says we're going to say no not because we disagree on substance or because we've oppose aid point. view but because we want to embarrass and defeat and diminish this president. to have that be an idea anybody would reward especially at a time of crisis is what i think part of this election is about. >> ifill: you seem pretty exercised about it. >> sorry, i feel really strongly about it. >> ifill: you say this president what about this president do you mean? >> this is a president who ran on and believes that ideas don't have parties. good ideas come from all cierches sources. we have to be willing to turn to the ideas if they are going to make a difference for the people of country. he has taken a number of those good ideas and proposed them and congressional republicans have said not you, not the idea we're going to stand in the way because this president proposed

it. and that, i think, has got to be dealt with in this election. >> ifill: governor patrick thank you for joining us. we're going to the podium where the sister simone campbell is about to speak. >> good evening, i'm one of the nuns on the bus! [cheers and applause] yes, we have nuns on the bus and a nun on the podium. let me explain why i'm here tonight. in june, i joined other catholic sisters on a 2700 mile bus journey through nine states to tell americans about the budget that congressman paul ryan wrote and governor romney endorsed. paul ryan claims this budget

reflects the principles of our shared faith. but the united states conference catholic bishops stated that the ryan budget failed a basic moral test because it would harm families living in poverty. we agree with our bishop, and that's why we went on the road to stand with struggling families and to lift up our catholic sisters who serve them. their work to alleviate suffering would be seriously harmed by the romney/ryan budget and that is wrong. [ applause ] during our journey i rediscovered a few truths. first mitt romney and paul ryan are correct when they say that each individual should be responsible. but their budget goes astray in not acknowledging that we're responsible not only for

ourselves and our immediate family rather our faith strongly affirms that we're all responsible for one another. i am my sister's keeper. i am my brother's keeper. [cheers and applause] while we were in toledo -- in toledo, i met ten-year-old twins matt and mark who had got noon trouble at school for fighting. sister virginia and the staff at the center took them in when they were suspended and discovered on a home visit that these ten year olds were trying to care for their bed ridden mother who has ms and diabetes. they were her only caregivers. the sisters got her medical help and boys stability.

they are free to claim much childhood they were losing. clearly we all share responsibility for the mess and marks in our nation. in milwaukee i met billy and his wife and two boys at st. benedicts dining room. billy's work hours were cut back in the recession and billy is taking responsibility for himself and his family but right now, without food stamps he and his wife could not put food on the family table. we share responsibility for creating an economy where parents with jobs earn enough to care for their for the wealthy the romney ryan budget would make it even tougher on hard-working americans like billy to feed their families. paul ryan says this budget is in keeping with the moral values of

our shared faith. i disagree. [cheers and applause] in cincinnati -- in cincinnati i met jimmy who had just come from her sister's memorial service when guinea's sister margaret lost her job, she lost her health insurance. she developed cancer and had no access to diagnosis or treatment. she died unnecessarily and that is tragic and it is wrong. aid foible care act -- the affordable care act will cover people like margaret. we all share responsibility to ensure that this vital health care reform law is properly imr implemented and that all governors -- all governors -- expand medicaid coverage so no more margarets die from lack of car. this is part of my pro-life stance and the right thing to

do. [cheers and applause] i have so many other stories to tell but i'll tell you just one more. in hershey, pennsylvania, a woman in her late 30s came to me, approached us she asked for names to talk to because she was alone and isolated. her neighbors were pollarrized by politics mass can a raiding as values. she cares about the well being of people in her community. she wishes the rest of the nation would listen to one another with kindness and compassion. listen to one another rather than yell at each other. i told her then and i tell her now that she is not alone. looking at you tonight, i feel your presence combined with that

of the thousands of caring people we met on our journey. together we understand an im moral budget that hurts already struggling families does not reflect our nation's values. we are better than that. so i urge you -- i urge you, join us on the bus. join us together as we stand with matt and mark, billy and his family, and the woman in hershey and the margarets of our nation. this is what nuns on the bus are all about. we care for the 100%. and that will secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our nation. so join us -- join us as we nuns on the bus, all of us strive for faith, family and fairness. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] >> ifill: sister simone

campbell getting a being reaction. the nun on the bus and the director of roman catholic social justice organization network. we'll take a short break and be back with a live broadcast in a few moments. you can continue watching on the six-channel live stream.

the pbs newshour's special coverage of 2012 democratic national convention. i'm joody woodruff. >> ifill: i'm gwen ifill. still with us mark shields and david brooks. joining us now is chicago mayor rahm emanuel, president obama's former chief of staff. welcome to the sky box. >> the way you said that still here like relatives you can't get rid of. thing that with the family, thursday at 7:00 get out of here. >> ifill: closer than you know. you've take on i anew role with the obama campaign over seeing the outside fund-raising the

super pac. why is that? are they lagging so bad they needed emergency help? [ laughter ] >> my view is look there's 60 days left. there's a clear disparity and don't want to look back and say i would have, could have, should have and if i can help, i'll do -- >> this is the one of the worst decisions ever made by the supreme court since dred scott in my view. a horrible decision. that said these are the rules the supreme court made a decision. i won't allow them if i can have anything to do with it a 20 to one dispairity that tilts plating field when you are talking about five or six states. it's a horrible decision. they've thrown the democratic process upside down, inside out. that said, i'm not going to allow an election go by for a president i've worked who i think is a very good president and have money in this way

influence it. >> woodruff: mayor, one gets the sense there are republicans falling all over themselves to gives hundreds and millions of dollars to governor romney. are there people out there prepared to give that kind of money to president obama? >> i'll find out shortly is one way to look at it. i think there's a number of people who believe in the president, believe in what he is doing and do not like what they say as a way of a few individuals being able to distort what is going on. i i don't think that's individuals voices are more valuable, more important than everybody else's. that's what has happened with the supreme court decision. >> woodruff: if those people are sold on president obama, why haven't they given already? >> maybe the wrong -- there's a host of reasons, judy. we'll find out. i'm going to try to add whatever credibility, i have, if i have any, to make that effort. >> mr. mayor from 1974 forward the democrats after watergate

had a high moral ground on the issue of campaign finance. they were the reformers. they for fitted that in 2008 when president obama broke the limits of it and outspend john mccain two to one. >> yes. >> it isn't simply the supreme court. money then became dominant in the politics, wait, wait, mark, prior to 2008 money was not dominant and it became dominant? is that what you are saying. >> i'm saying barack obama had for fitting what was historically a democratic authority on the issue become the first president not a-to-abide which limited the playing field. that is the problem for the democrats as they try to say it's all the republicans advantage in 2012. >> go ahead and finish. >> i guess my question is based on that is: how do we have any sense, president obama if he's

reelected that 2013 will be any different given the climate you described politcally that it's going to be different in the second term than the first? >> first of all we're all a product of our experiences. in 1995 the republicans shut down the government over the role of government, medicare, medicaid, education, environment. the thing -- talking about today. we had a campaign, the election was held nine months later there was a balanced budget agreement. they reformed medicare, created a children's health care reform, hope scholarships for college education, doubled national parks. elections matter, mark. i believe that we're in the first four years, republicans like bill clinton fought tooth and nail against him once the electric was held said it's a different day, here we good. i thinks to possible john boehner if he's speaker. i hope it's not that.

i said if he will have a different caucus, a different election and the reason he didn't get an agreement on the debt limit he didn't have control of the caucus. the party wasn't ready to make a compromise. i think if president obama wins reelection, which i believe he will, just like in 1996, the republicans will look around and say, you no he what? we can't do this for four years. the first year and a half will be a productive year and a half for the country. >> let's talk about that four years ago barack obama had a health care proposal. he put it on the table. hillary clinton had one. she put it on the table. get locketted half the thing. what is the big proposal on the table now from president obama? i don't see one? >> well, david as an avid reader of your column, i think first of all that is part of what tonight is about. and it's not about this -- if it's a ten-point plan speech -- forget about it. i think he has a responsibility

tomorrow night to lay out what the goals and objectives are of the second term. and chief executives do that. as in the case of mitt romney the reason, i believe that everybody talked about clint eastwood it was in the a comment about clint eastwood. it was a comment that mitt romney's speech was vac cuous and empty. it didn't fill the space. i think after our convention the president's speech will fill the space because it will be a broad stroke -- not dot, stroke, but counting all the little numbers and dots, vision of a second term and why -- what he will do with that term because it will be what you are going to do with the four years. that i think will be specific. in that kind of context not a seven point energy plan. >> ifill: let's talk about another president you worked for bill clinton. >> i can't keep a job. >> ifill: failing upward is the secret. what do we expect from bill clinton tonight? what is he bringing to this

event? >> first of all put the last four years in context. that's number one and in the context of somebody who faced pierce republican opposition, somebody who faces opposition in investment education, investment in environment and investment in health care. the similarity as know, scary a. since the republicans never voted for bill clinton's budget. republicans did not vote for barack obama's budget. the fights about medicare, environment and medicaid are the similar problem the president is having today. i think he will put the parallel, this is what i believe he'll do. the parallel political and policy battles and experiences that the two presidents have and the mission they have for the country, he was able to see his through with two terms. that's why president obama deserves a second. >> they are saying good things.

>> this is all i've got left after that. i do not remember the impreachment was not exactly what i call a bipartisan process. there are votes against the budget and his first budget was absolute. they sent him two welfare bills. it was all about cuts and not about reforming the system. when he sent troops to kosovo to end human rights abuse in the genocide there, when the troops were in the air the republican congress voted against it. no president has seen that. this motion of white wash history that they were a bipartisan extending their hand, i find it galling that they would actually want to rewrite historiment everything, they defeated a kid's tobacco bill that president obama passed with bipartisan. everything was fought in the effort there. the notion that there was a bipartisan, we're all working together. you all were there. >> woodruff: well i -- >> you were there. >> you're speaking the truth on that subject.

>> let's end it right there. >> ifill: i want to ask you about the romney ad about gutting welfare. you also were there for that when president clinton's welfare reform bill passed. as you watch these ads unfold which so many independent factors have scus discussed it. >> i was in the room, bruce reid was vice president design the welfare bill for president clinton. he vetoed the two republican bills that literally obliterated. the president said one, it had to move people to welfare to work. two, he had to make sure it was a one year transitional healthcare so he didn't cut it off which is one of the reasons people fell back on to welfare. third, give a child 16, had ad child forced them into independence which is a culture of independences. it changed the system

fundamentally. this notion of giving sphaitle flex bill -- states flexibility, massachusetts, alabama, california, and tennessee wanted to do to design their welfare to work plan was distinct with one goal. work, not welfare. independence, not dependent. and it was the governors who wanted that flexibility with the single go but uniquely, particularly designed. and governor romney in 2002 asked for that waiver. the culture that president obama demanded and worked his life as a governor on the notion of reforming welfare, one of the declining bills, him as a drarks he very -- democrats he vetoed the republican bill, he created that system. senator obama, state senator obama created the illinois version of the welfare to work legislation that implemented it. this is a society politics that is not only takes the truth but turns it upside down in a way that actually governor romney knows full well what he's saying

on that ad is not true. >> there's a little deception on both sides. >> we're talking about specifically about welfare. >> you are absolutely right on that. >> i was in the room. he was no where to be seen. he wasn't even part of the political area. and this bill was going to change the system if it succeeded. and the state flexibility was designed exactly to achieve the objective that every governor's used. >> woodruff: and they're still running those ads, the republicans are still running those ads making that claim. >> yes. >> i was able to say on medicare i heard speaker after speaker here say that romney/ryan would take away medicare and voucherrize it. the romney riem ryan a ryan as s service for medicare. it's a long time. and secondly that's what it is. secondly they're charging and i heard it again and again it will force seniors to pay $6,000 a year. that was a study done on obsolete 2011 program that has nothing to do with romney/ryan

care. we're hearing deception from them. >> ifill: you have this argument for the next time on the floor but go ahead and answer the question. >> look, there is a fundamental difference between the parties on medicare. and one is whether you see the same mission for medicare as the universal healthcare plan for senior citizens or not, and what seniors have to pay for it. that's really where the debate is. >> woodruff: ic chago mayor rahm emanuel. >> i will help the president when i can. >> woodruff: the man who can handle two jobs at once. at the podium now is bill butcher, he's the founder of the brewing company in alexandra, virginia. >> you know, i don't have time to pay much attention to politics because i'm too busy running my business. i think a lot of small business owners feel the same way. we don't care about the daily back and forth of campaigns, we

just want leaders in washington who believe in us and make it a little easier for us to succeed. our president is that kind of leader. [cheers and applause] there were moments when my wife karen and i wondered if we would ever get our business off the ground. i remember what it was like to go to bank after bank after bank hearing no. we may not have ever gotten to yes if it wasn't for president obama and the fda loan program that he started. [crowd cheering] for these last four years, i've had a president who is on my side. he cuts small business taxes 18 times. he kept middle class taxes low, which meant more customers for my product. he knows that growing the middle class helps businesses create jobs. and i know that if he gets a second term, entrepreneurs like me will have the best possible

chance to succeed. [crowd cheering] i hear, i hear president obama has been brewing some beer in the white house recently, and i know you're not supposed to endorse a competitor, but in this case i'm going to make an exception. our president has fought for small business owners and now it's time to fight for him. thank you everybody. [cheers and applause] page please welcome california state attorney general pam cam -- kamala harris. [crowd cheering] >> on behalf of the great state of california, i thank you for the honor and privilege to be

here. so let's get right down to business. we are here because we love our country. and we firmly believe in the american ideal that our country should work for everyone. that ideal is written into our laws. the rules of the road that create a level playing field in this country. those are the rules i became attorney general to uphold. and those are the rules mitt romney would have us roll back. he would roll back the rules that protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. roll back the rules that protect the health and safety of women and families. roll back the rules that prevent the kinds of recklessness that

got our economy into this mess in the first place. well, i've seen all that happens when you roll back those rules. what happens are rows of foreclosure signs, what happens are mountains of family debt. what happens is a middle class that's hurting. that's what we've seen in towns across california and across this country. when it comes to the housing crises, the choice between barack obama and mitt romney is clear. the fact is, we don't have to guess what mitt romney would have done if he were president because he told us. he said we should let foreclosures, and i quote, hit the bottom. so the market could, i quote,

run its course. run its course. that's not leadership. doing nothing while the middle class is hurting, that's not leadership. loose regulations and lax enforcement, that's not leadership. that's abandoning our middle class. here's what president obama did. president obama won wall street reform to prevent any more tax-funded bailouts. president obama won credit card reform so you don't get stuck with sudden fees and rate hikes. president obama stood with me and 48 other attorneys general in taking on the banks and winning $25 billion for struggling homeowners.

[crowd cheering] that's leadership. that's what president obama did. and that's why we need to give him another four years. [crowd cheering] we need to move forward. president obama will fight for working families. he will fight to level the economic playing field. and fight to give every american the same fair shot my family had. i remember when my mother shamala harris bought our first home. i was 13. she was so proud. and my sister and i were so excited. millions of families and millions of americans know that feeling of walking through the front door of their own home for the first time, the feeling of

reaching for opportunity and finding it. that's the choice in this election. it's a choice between an america where opportunity is open to everyone, where everyone plays by the same set of rules. or, a philosophy that tilts the playing field to help the wealthiest few. a choice between holding wall street accountable or letting it write its own rules. mitt romney subscribes to the cynical logic that says the american dream belongs to some of us and not all of us. well, i'll tell you who the american dream belongs to. it belongs to the student in sacramento who doesn't have much money but who goes to bed each night dreaming big dreams. it belongs to the men and women across this country who know it

shouldn't be against the law to marry the person you love. [applause] it belongs to the immigrants young and old who come to this country in search of a better life. and it belongs to little girls who have the joy of watching their mother, like i did, buy her first home. [crowd cheering] the american dream belongs to all of us. and if we can work together and stand together and vote together on november 6th for president barack obama, that's a dream we will put within reach of all our people. thank you. [cheers and applause]

>> i get letters from kids all across the country. they came here when they were five. they came here when they were eight. their parents were undocumented. the kids didn't know. suddenly they come to 18, 19 years old and they realize, you know i feel american, i am an american, the law doesn't recognize me as american. i'm willing to serve my country, i'm willing to fight for this country. i wanted to go to college and better myself. and i'm at risk of deportation. and it is heart breaking. it makes no sense to expel

talented young people who have been raised as americans, understand themselves to be part of this country. effective immediately. the department of homeland security is taking steps to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people. this is a temporary stop-gap measure that let's us focus on resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope the talented-driven patriotic young people. as long as i'm president, i will not give up on this issue, not only because it's the right thing to do for our economy, not just because it's the right thing to do for our security, but because it's the right thing to do, period. [applause] >> please welcome benita veliz.

>> my name is benita veliz and i'm from san antonio, texas. [crowd cheering] why so many americans of all races and backgrounds, i was brought here as a child. i've been here ever since. i graduated as valedictorian of my high school class at the age of 16. [crowd cheering] i went on to earn a double major at the age of 20. [applause] i know i have something to contribute to my economy and my country. i feel just as american as any of my friends or neighbors.

[applause] i've had to live almost my entire life knowing i could be deported just because of the way i came here. president obama fought for the dream act to help people like me ... [cheers and applause] and when congress refused to pass it, he didn't give up. instead, he took action so that people like me can apply to stay in our country and contribute. we will keep feeting for reform, but while we do, we're able to work steady and pursue the american dream. [cheers and applause] president obama has fought for my community. now it's my honor to introduce

one of the leaders in my community who is fighting for him, from her televieptze televo her magazines and her network, she's truly an icon, ladies and gentlemen, cristina saralegui. [applause] >> hello there. wow. oh my god. wasn't that something. muchas gracias and to those who study and do their homework.

like most latinas, you know that i'm not afraid to speak my mind. through the years i've given some people some very tough questions, i've tackled big issues on live tv but one thing i have never done until now was getting involved in politics. no, dios mio. but this year is very different. if 2008 was an important election, it's nothing compared to 2012. nothing. [applause] thank you. like benita, i know what it's like to come to this country at a young age. i was 12 years old when, like so many cubans my parents fled the castro regime. viva cuba. for us america meant freedom.

america was the place that said it don't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter what your last name is, it doesn't matter if you drink or latte or coffee with leche, coffee with milk. here if you work very hard, anything is possible. and that's what i did. si se puede. i couldn't afford to go to college i got an internship job in a magazine and i turned that into a job and that job into a business and a television show that ended up with 100 million viewers in 40 different countries. [cheers and applause] si se puede.

for me, muchas gracias. for me it's not just a dream, it's a promise. isn't just an idea, it's not a theory, it's my life story out of many dreamers. i want to pass that promise on to my grandchildren, dominic and christina maria awe. i want them to grow up in the kind of country i grew up in. [applause] this is about my gente. for the first time in my life the promise of america is in danger. nearly every part of governor romney's plan will put that american dream further out of reach. in order to cut taxes for those

at the very top, he would raise taxes for middle class families, slash education and cut student aid. governor romney will turn medicare from a guarantee into una pls libreta cupones, a book of coupons. he will force millions of hispanics to lose insurance. governor romney's plan is really just one word, patras, backwards. we need to move forward. palante. we need to re-elect our president obama. [cheers and applause] our president is an incredible man. he fights for us every single day. he helped prevent a second rate

depression. he cut taxes from middle class families and small businesses. he fought for healthcare reform which is already helping millions of americans afford insurance. his education policies mean hispanics will receive an estimated 150,000 more college scholarships. he is on our side. [cheers and applause] yes, and he knows we still have a lot of work to do. president obama has a detailed plan. you can find this plan right on his website. it's a plan to grow our economy from the middle class out and the bottom up, not from the top down. a plan to invent, invest to education, a plan to invest in manufacturing and a plan to pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to

citizenship. [cheers and applause] thank you. on immigration, governor romney's views, this really freaked me out. his views could not be more extreme. he says we should make life so unbearable for 11 million people that they simply self deport. what is that. he said that arizona's immigration law should be a model for our country. [crowd booing] >> don't boo, vote. [cheers and applause] he even, he even made the architect of that horrible law an immigration advisor for his campaign. that was really smart.

vote. vote. and if he can has promised to repeal the dream act. this election is about many things. but if you want to understand the values of the two candidates, all you have to do is think about benita, the beautiful lady that introduced me tonight. governor romney calls young people like her at 27 illegal aliens. president obama calls them dreamers. [cheers and applause] and that is the difference in this election. so in closing, i'm asking for my gen tempt all of meye my peopleo please join me. we come from countries that are not counted properly. in fact they're not counted at all. here we latinos have a very powerful voice but only if we use it. [cheers and applause]

that begins with making sure you are registered to vote. so i want you to vote, got to vote and as spanish votemos todos. they have everything you need to get registered. make sure your friends and family are registered too. charlotte, let me ask you a imurrequestquestion girlfriend. are you in. will you register your voters, will you talk to your family and friends. will you fight for that dream we all flea believe in. will you keep the promise of this country alive. estamos unidos. let's do this together. palante, palante. muchas gracias.

thank you very much. [crowd cheering] >> please welcome austin ligon, cofounder and retired ceo of carmax, incorporated. >> when we first started carmax 19 years ago, we had a simple idea to make buying a used car transference an eyes process. today carmax has grown to be america's largest retailer implying 17,000 people in 30 states and one of fortune's top 100 companies to work for. we worked hard to build and conceive an idea for carmax but we didn't do it alone. we succeeded because we had intensely committed associates. healthy and flexible capital markets, good roads and bridges

that let us move product rapidly, cooperative federal, state and local governments that helped us have clear rules of the roads and plan and grow our business. as a businessman, i know president obama understands what it takes to spark economic growth because i've seen him in action. when he took office, he inherited a massive structural deficit from his republican predecessor, an economy free fall and most importantly for me personal leanna toe industrly an the verge of collapse. there was restructuring of two of america's largest corporations, gm and chrysler. that didn't just save the car companies it helped prevent a domino effect that would taken down everything in the auto industries from fact trees that manufactured auto parts to the

daryltdealers who also sold the. he helped launch targeted efforts to help people buy cars again. these actions prevented over a million job losses and laid the ground work for what's now a robust recovery of the american auto industry. the president deserves credit for this extraordinary success. and i'm determined to see that he gets it. [crowd cheering] as a businessman who focuses on facts, not political rhetoric, i think the choice in this election is clear. president obama has shown he has the vision to support average consumers and taxpayers. he nrs understands that the conr is the engine of the economic growth. that businesses can't prosper without them. that's why he has a plan to reduce the deficit, to invest in infrastructure expej case, to -- expej case