♪ >> hello, i'm llewellyn king, host of "white house chronicle," which is coming right up. but first, a few thoughts of my own. disruptive technology. that is in the fleet expression that came out of one of the

university's. in today's world, it basically describes the impact of the internet, of electronics, on everything. that we do not seem to realize how pervasive it is. the white house, the government, in general, academia, the media all have this general idea that when the economy improves, and implement -- unemployment will improve and go back to where it was, the status quo, if you will. i am beginning to doubt that. i see the post office laying off more than 200,000 people. i go to the supermarket and check myself out. i see book publishing quashed. everyone from the retailers to the printers are losing their jobs, all because of the intrusion of a disruptive technology. maybe the most disruptive technology since the arrival of steam and mechanized energy and

the outset of the industrial revolution. take a look. it is time we start to wonder what the job picture will look like when the economy recovers and to start thinking about where new jobs come quite different jobs, jobs that have never existed, where they will come from, because things will not be as they have been, thanks, in a sense, to the enormous intrusion of the internet into every aspect of working life. i had a marvelous program coming up for you with some very gifted journalists. you will find them fascinating. we will be right back. ♪ >> many have spoken out on the need to transition to a clean energy future. we are acting. by 2020, we are committed to reducing, offsetting, displacing more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, helping our customers

and communities reduce their emissions, and offering more low carbon electricity in the marketplace. we're taking action, and we are seeing results. >> "white house chronicle" is produced in collaboration with whut howard university television. >> and now the program host, nationally syndicated columnist, llewellyn king, and co-host, linda gasparello. ♪ >> hello again, and thank you for coming back. we have on the screen the logo of the u.s.nergy association, and that is because at the end of this month, on october 31 and november 1, a unique, important, and serious meeting will take place in houston. we will be going there to cover it. it is looking at the role of

energy in the united states going forward. the impact of natural gas, the future of nuclear power, and of course, that old standby, oil. there're so many republican candidates to the presidency who have said whether we can have cheaper, more abundant energy. after 40 years of writing about it, i am personally doubtful, but i am going to houston to take an honest look at it. here is the great panel. linda gasparello of this program. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> i see you do not have a red hat. i did sort of hint that a red hat might cheer up the people. >> i might have one or two in the closet. >> we have tim folley, program director of sirius xm radio. we run three times on saturdays on channel 124. if you're interested in politics, that is the channel to

listen to. i recently got a new radio, and i am glued to it. it is quite fascinating. congratulations on your recent interview with the former supreme court justice. i thought it was very good. >> he is still on the court. thank you very much. >> it was amazingly interesting. we might talk about some other time. it is a very glad to have, as a new guest on this program, marked hamrick, an old friend of mine from the associated press radio, a client on sirius xm. he is also president of the national press club, a high honor in our profession. >> speaking of honors, it is an honor to be here. >> letson i get carried away. and another new guest, chris chambers, who is with the journalism program at georgetown university. her education was in languages.

what languages did you learn at georgetown? >> arabic language. >> are we going to talk in arabic? all right, if you know arabic, tell me, are we overestimating the fall of gaddafi? as the president found a new way of handling foreign unpleasantnesses by sending in our allies and high-tech in keeping our personnel out? is this a try him for what we regret it in six months? >> right now, the liberation of iraq is a very new thing. this is the day after gaddafi's death. the present -- the president's modest supper and in handling this is probably the way he will handle conflicts going forward. he could be quite successful in joining other nations. >> it is my question is, is he doing, or is there a danger of

him doing, a mission accomplished before the mission is accomplished? >> there is the very danger of doing a mission accomplished before it is accomplished. libya is a very, very difficult country. very difficult in many, many ways. it is a country that does not really have a cohesive society, very tribal, a very divided between eastern and western libya. gaddafi himself was a person who believed that -- there is a bedouin saying, which is when you have god rats in a bag, the way to keep the mind of baggage to shake it. that is what he did for so many years. he kept shaking the back. he kept us shaken, too. absolutely. now we have got some questions about what will happen with the transitional government. when the effect of prime minister of the country, mahmoud jibril, said that when sirte was

taken, he would step down. he did not want this to look like there would just be a continuation of, you know, a power grab by the transitional government. but we are going to see whether or not the countries liberated. will he actually step down? and what will happen with the islamic fighters that were there, the ones that were backed by catarrh? >> the question is also how this plays at the white house. here they are every day, practically. >> right afterwards, the day the news came out, jay carney came to the podium humming. i mean, he was clearly a very happy man. >> at the white house, it is mission accomplished, whether it has to do about iraq, afghanistan, anything. >> did a very dangerous. at the moment, the president --

he has gotten osama bin laden, gaddafi. >> and and or al-awlaki. >> the irony of the 2009 nobel peace prize going to president obama and two wars that he is still involved in and the most successful part of the foreign policy has been the apprehension of these three thugs. someone has to ask how you play that to your political advantage. if you were republican, it would be easier. but it is did call for this president to be able to do that and take credit for. i also thought it was ironic that in 2008, it was the fact that he had no experience. yet the one part of his presidency that he has been able to point to with some level of success is his foreign policy. domestically, he is struggling. >> another angle to this, and the advantage of being an old goat among young lambs in academia is icy what the lambs are talking about but they look at this as an extension of arab

spring and an extension of occupy wall street. they were embracing this as here are disempowered people, younger people, knocking off an old evil person. i know it sounds very simplistic, but i am talking about college students across the country. i see this on social media, which they share with me. they look at this is a joyous thing, a wonderful thing. they are separating out the geopolitical and economic aspects to this. the domestic and foreign policy clashes over this. and this is just part of what they see as a larger social movement. criticize it if you will, that is their mentality. maybe the white house can plug into this. they have not really plugged into occupy wall street. but you cannot discover what younger people in this country, and in how they connect with their counterparts abroad, look at this. to the bears the ball in for that. >> i am glad you said you were an old goat among young lambs.

because i was thinking, thank goodness you do not use the british expression sometimes applied to things like this, which is mutton dressed as lamb. last but not least, europe is in turmoil financially, and it is affecting our markets. irresolution arises when france and germany agree on an ever- increasing, but nonetheless not yet done, bailout of greece and possibly of italy. what if you think of it? do you think we are going to see a bailout or default across europe? >> first, you need an octopus for all the issues that continue to drop. obviously, that is the chief goal that the europeans presently, france and germany, need to agree to, is essentially a wider bailout program. that is seen as the next logical solution. having said all of that, it gets

to what happened in 2008 in the united states. a lot of this is set tremendously unpredictable and there are unintended consequences. no one really knows how it is going to play out. there's a kind of solution that people are hoping for to try to make a rather neat and tidy, but then people get in the wake of the political differences between france and germany are in somewhat historic. and you have these societal differences between the likes of greece, italy, france and germany. the eu having been seen as sending that was incredibly harmonia's for so many years, and now some of those dividends are coming up. that will be the challenge for the financial markets, but also on a continuing basis for hours as well. this will not be tied up in a not any time soon. >> they talk about the stockholders and european banks taking a hair cut, which is losing their money. do you think we're going to have some sharing between sovereign governments, germany in particular, and the

stockholders, or do you think it will go all one way or the other? >> i think they're trying to devise the ideal political solution. when there are so many disparate interests involved in the eu, it is not nearly as untidy, as a disparate, as the united states is. those of the top questions that are coming together now. ultimately, it would be not unlike the solutions that are being worked on in the united states right now. ultimately, everyone is going to have to sacrifice. in the u.s., it seems as if we cannot quite get to that point. in other words, the sites are so in opposition that we cannot seem to even have a constructive conversation. europe is trying to work that out. but as we know, there have been riots in the streets in athens. it is a very messy process. >> you were talking about a social media that has gathered and toward a united people, both in the arab spring and may be in wall street. greece is very parochial,

because it is opposition to the government there because they're upset things are being taken away to their protests in other parts of europe. are we seeing something similar to the worldwide protests that took place in the 1960's were there was a great deal of unrest and disrupt -- distrust in institutions, and probably had to do with the war? are we seeing something similar now? are the protest in europe more economic or more social media? >> well, it is a mixed bag. obviously, different generations. but their parents came out of that group, and there with an article in new york magazine about the coddled generation. well, they are, but their co ddleness -- is that it were? it has been a good coping mechanism for what they see as the ferment, the falling apart, of the dream they were promised.

such is the economic. we thought we were going to get the keys to the kingdom, and now we got the keys, but the castle is falling apart as a it is an economic thing, but it is a social thing as well. it is not that cohesiveness where you have civil rights. you have the vietnam war. i mean, i think we are lacking the true daemon, defining issue. >> for tht benefi listeners on radio, 124 sirius xm service. i am llewellyn king. the program is "white house chronicle." i am joined by linda gasparello, by tim folley, mark hamrick, and kris chambers of georgetown university, a self confessed all go. this program can be seen around the world on the english language stations, the voice of

america. we do not know about anything. is that the answer this panel has? we do not know about the economy, and we certainly do not have -- know about politics? how do you think that the candidacies of the republicans are going after one of debate where nobody seemed to come out with too much? >> i think we have seen eight debates now among the republican candidates. it has come down to probably two or three candidates, i would guess at this point. it has become much more contentious. but all we have heard about is the economy. there are going to be some foreign policy debates on the way. i think that it has been somewhat surprising to see the level of, shall we say, bitterness, if you will, but there is a longstanding angst between rick perry from texas, and mitt romney for massachusetts. we're also waiting to see how

the schedule is going to work out with the primaries and caucuses and so on. but we have gotten to the point where we're looking at how much money they have, how much ground game they have. that is not so much about issues, but how they look at people. people are trying to grasp as something. it goes to this idea of looking for a cause, like occupy wall street. what is the defining issue for republicans? they're looking for a defining candidate. >> you talked about the foreign policy versus the domestic part. i am wondering now, with the libya, at least one question being answered, and the other questions have been answered that you alluded to earlier. how much the libya question text that off the radar for the candidates that are looking to target the president of the united states -- how much libya take that off the radar for the candidates that are looking to target the president? >> do you think -- it is not too late to get in the coaches, is it? >> my question about herman cain

obviously is the 9-9-9, the tax question. it will probably be the same one for rick perry, too. because people who proposed the taxation schemes like this never seem to do very well. if you look at the history of those who have proposed the bill for these candidates, whether it was steve forbes, whose families to work for, or -- >> mike huckabee with a fair tax. >> exactly, which was actually the best of all of the flat tax fees that i look at myself. but they do nothing to go anywhere. >> especially between what makes sense policy-wise and what makes sense politically. it may not be what voters care about too much. >> i feel a certain kinship for herman cain, because we both wrote for the same syndicate at one time, and we had quite in as little exchange of correspondence. >> i do know that mitt romney

is -- >> i do not know about the world of taxes, by the way. he is a very likable man. >> very cautious least -- very cautiously around the idea of a flat tax. he is not come out with one of his own or even intimated that he would. but i do think the candidates that proposed them do. >> would and he be destroyed them, because it is not part of his charm? because he is sort of a diamond in the rough, authentic, and he is getting out there -- he's not a politician. >> i think that would be a trial. those of us and the media often know people who have had media training, and we wish they had not. because we ask them a question, and we can see the wheels going -- what did the coach tell me to say, rather than answering the question. you said earlier that, you know, the economic issue, that we're

not suffering, we're not taking on a common pain, if it were. but we have, because new studies show that we're all -- we're all getting poorer. the pain is being felt. >> obviously the american people are hurting. my point is that the political leadership has been a seemingly unwilling to make some of the tough decisions, long term entitlements. they do not want to go anywhere near that. >> i think the political leadership is doing something else is -- that is quite dangerous. that is to suggest that there's a magic formula of ideology that will make everything perfect immediately, and it does not work like that. that is not true. >> and that is where, again, when i look at the younger people, that is hurting -- that is turning them off. they look at leaders, not talking about old, old goats, but semi-old go it's basically going back to the formulas of

the past. appeals to ideology, our street and demagoguery, as this magic bullet. they're not necessarily saying hands of entitlements. they are saying, can we have a new way of thinking about this? the ones to get back to herman cain. i take a lot of my political observations from my barber shop. i go to an african-american barbershop on georgia avenue. and they are not high on herman cain. they look at him as, you know, some kind of human dealers or frankenstein monster cut in the role of clarence thomas. whether that is fair or not, that is what is seen. i do not know what -- >> this is a phenomenon that we have in politics with minorities of all kinds, all people who feel that they're in the minority position, like the women's movement. every woman who has succeeded

anywhere on the globe politically, like margaret thatcher, suddenly ceases to be a woman. she does not count. she's not part of the suffering equation. it is unfortunate. it is unfortunate if there during the two herman cain, because he has the best resume. he is a man of considerable accomplishments. maybe a lousy politician, but a man of considerable accomplishments. >> i was on a panel with randall kennedy, and we were talking about a documentary about harry belafonte, and his news conference after the documentary where he was egest savaging herman cain. >> calling him at that apple. >> ride, a bad apple. i think it is unfair to call him a frankenstein monster. but at the same time, when you look at his public statements and his approach and orientation, i think a lot of african-americans are not only turned off, but they get downright hostile. i think if he was anywhere on

the republican ticket, quite frankly, whether he is quoted as a vice president, i cannot see him doing anything about peeling off any minority vote. >> and he says things that are downright insensitive. i mean, the idea that he can say to the unemployed that is your fault. >> he was talking about the ones on wall street. it was not speaking about the unemployed generally. but to the point on it randall kennedy, he has written about this recently. there seems to be right now, even within the african-american community, there are divergent groups. for example, there was a powerful member of the congressional black caucus who has been outspoken in her opposition. she thinks it is a perceived slight by the white house that president obama has not endeared himself to the african-american community at large. it is almost a grudging support. even al sharpton is using the opportunity to say we have got to get together.

jock -- tom joyner says we have to vote for the president because he is black. it is a mentality of circling the wagons. maybe that is a part of herman cain -- >> what you really crazy thing is that if he is really pushed out in front, the unintended consequence would be like maxine waters and tavis smiley, and they would start to come back to the president because i would say, ok, this is our alternative. >> i would like to remind everybody that we're in the primary season. we have not even got there yet. >> my next point is that that is what my students say they say it is the fault of the media for what they basically feel is reality show coverage of these debates. it is not the primary season. >> for the purpose of this discussion, we are the media. what i would like to say is that we need to remember what the end game is. there'll be a candidate nominated. then there will be a general election. all this sort of fighting around the edges will long be forgotten.

>> way and are running out of time. >> certain people are put in a certain box, as you mentioned, with margaret thatcher. if you are of a group, you can be judged as being a member of that group until you diverge from the opinion of that group. >> time for our high point in our low point you are a woman. >> i have a high point, which is that a long time armed separatist movement is letting down its arms to that is the basque separatist movement in spain, and i think it is remarkable. >> extraordinary. >> whether you agree with the president, i think is so much fun to watch the president go out shopping for pumpkins and candy. when i see the president walked into a shop and people light up, i do not care if you're a democrat or republican, it has to be nice. >> the thing is about civility

lately, this ability of our society and people in a world, trying to work within that context. i do not think the big fight between it romney and rick perry the other night in that debate was a great example of civility. the american people are looking to washington to settle some big problems. they're looking to people to be more civil and come up with solutions. on the other side of the, you have violence around the world. at least we had the rule of law in the united states that still serves agreed function. >> i am cheering for the baltimore ravens to go to the super bowl. i need something to cheer about. i am nervous about the redskins, like i am about the economy. that is pretty much all i can share. >> you're now a creature of washington, despite your history. it is a sad note to me, a friend of mine, and i lose -- i use friends in all the senses of that work.

john walsh capacity has died at the age of 60. she was my friend from september 1934 until her death. joan walsh cassidy. she was not my girlfriend. i did not deter, but we were great friends. she has left me with many marvelous memories. there are many things i wish we could still do together that we cannot now do. i will tell you one little one. by the way, she was a member of the national press club, of which markets the president. but when one of us was in paris -- we were never there together, but we had this little tradition of going to one particular hotel and drinking a cheer to each other. if i am ever in paris again and at the hotel, i shall drink a cheer and turned down an empty glass. that is our show for today. ♪

>> many have spoken out on the need to transition to a clean energy future. at excelon, we're acting. by 2020, will offset or displays more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually through greening our operations, helping customers and communities reduce emissions, and offering more low carbon electricity in the marketplace. we're taking action, and we are seeing results. ♪ >> "white house chronicle" is produced in collaboration with whut howard university television. from washington, d.c., this has been "white house chronicle" -- a weekly analysis of the news with insight and a sense of humor, featuring llewellyn

king, linda gasparello, and guests. this program may be seen on pbs stations and cable access channels. visit us at whitehousechronicle.com. visit us at whitehousechronicle.com.