[applause] >> james freeman. and then if there is anyone else who would like to speak, could you please line up over on either side. thank you. >> my name is james freeman. i'm the majority owner of blue coffee. i was fortunate enough to find an investor in 2008 to expand my business. i chose that over a bank loan because i got a bank loan in 2007 and it was kind of a headache. so fortunately, it's worked out very well. but as majority owner, i make the decisions. i'm not in the back seat. and i was the one that decided, me and my team, that it would be a great opportunity to make coffee in delores park, because we loved the park. we thought it was busy enough to be viable to set up a coffee business. i would just love to talk to you a little bit about the difference between our own locations and our wholesale locations. we do in fact have four cafes in san francisco. we've signed four leases in san francisco. we have a roastry and coffee bar in oakland and we have 3700 square foot roastry and coffee bar in brook

joining the panel this week, dan henninger, and james freeman, and senior economics writer steve moore. so, james who are the worst offenders? >> the absolute worst offender in california $10 billion out of $24 billion they do it bigger than anyone. >> right. we hope they're not a trend setter here. hoping that is the end of the trend. big spenders in california in -- in sacramento and also, new york. $6 billion out that have 24. >> and a smattering elsewhere. connecticut is increased taxes, and maryland increased taxes. quite a number. steve, what is the figure? more than a dozen states are close to it?. >> right b a dozen states have raised income and sales tax what. is interesting about what james said is think about this. california and new york are leading the way on tax increases. what do those states have in common? about the deepest recession. they tried to raise taxes on the rich. it hasn't worked and caused a tax revolt among everybody. >> democrats may win both of those seats for california governorship and the -- looks like they're a heavy favorite in new york governorship.

joining us wall street journal columnist dan henninger, james freeman and senior economics writer steve moore. james, who are the worst offenders? >> the absolute worst offender is california. 10 billion out of the 24 billion of state taxes. >> paul: they always do it bigger. >> we hope they're not a trend setter here, hoping that's the end of the trend, but, yeah, big spenders in california and sacramento, also new york 6 billion out of that 24. >> paul: a smattering anywhere else, and maryland increased taxes, quite a number. steve, what is the figure, more than a dozen states, right, or close to it? >> that's right, about a dozen states have raised income and sales tax and what's interesting about what james just said, think about this, paul, california and new york are leading the way on tax increases. what do the two states have in common, about the deepest recession and they tried to raise taxes on the rich, paul, it hasn't worked and caused a tax revolt among everybody, not just rich people. >> and yet, the democrats, steve, may win both the seats, the california governorship and

dan henninger assistant editorial page editor james freeman and kim extras sell. we keep hearing this a -- wave election, big event the kind we don't see often. what explains the vulnerability of a guy like skeleton less than 60% of the vote since 1982? >> there's a percentage that is higher than that he voted with nancy pelosi 95% of the time. it is fascinating. because he is very conservative, very pro defense, pro iraq, pro afghanistan. >> but the b-2 to the air force base. he's running against a formidable candidate saying she not sufficiently pro military. clinton came out to campaign for him. sarah palin has been out to campaign for her. he's in a district that voted in 2008 for john mccain. 60%. obama's approval rating in that state is 36%. he may lose having voted with pelosi. this is a perfect story of what the democrats did. they forced guys like skeleton to vote with them on obama care, stimulus and cap and trade. now they are paying the price. just as they were warned for the entire past year. >> paul: she is a former teacher and businesswoman, first t

wall street journal columnist editor and james freeman and kim strassel. dan, we keep hearing this is a wave election, a big event the kind we don't see often, but what explains the vulnerability of a guy like ike skelton, he hasn't gotten less than 86% since 1982. >> the problem is there's a percentage higher than that. he voted with nancy pelosi 95% of the time and it's really fascinating because skelton, head of the defense committee is very conservative guy, pro defense, pro iraq, pro afghanistan. >> paul: brought the b-2, everybody believes to the air force base, the bomber. >> and running against a formidable candidate. and bill clinton came out there to campaign for him and sarah palin to campaign for her. his problem is, he's in a district that voted in 2008 for john mccain. obama's-- >> by 60%. >> by 60% and obama's approval rating in that state is 36% so he may lose having voted with pelosi, and this is a perfect story of what the democrats did. they you know, forced guys like skelton to vote with them on obama care, stimulus, and cap and trade,

. >> you mentioned, paid tribute to james fletch anywhere who wrote lots about george washington and douglas freeman. what do you have in your book that they don't have in their book? >> number one, my book is based on the new edition of the papors, so i have probably somewhere five to ten times more material to work with. they were both great writers. freeman was a demon of researchers, as you know. he was a virginia newspaper editor. but i think also the conception of biography has changed quite radically over the last century. in the time freeman is writing or the fletch never is writing, biography is still the public record of a public man. so now when we read a biography, we expect it to be a rounded portrait of the private person as well as the public person. for instance, i have a very detailed portrait of his marriage to martha. not that those writers were incapable of doing it, it was just considered of lesser importance. i have a very detailed portrait of washington as a slave holder. that again was seen as kind of more incidental to the life of a great man. so that there are various dimen

james. what do you have in your book that they do not have in their books. ? >> i have probably five-to-10 times as much material to work with. freeman was a researcher. the other author had a another style. the conception of biography has changed quite rapidly over the last century. at the time that freeman was writing, biography was still the public record of a public man. now, when we read a biography, we expected to be a rounded portrait of the person. i have a very detailed portrait of george his marriage to mark the which you would not get in those books. marriage to margaret which you would not get in those books. this was seen as war incidental of a great man. he was a private man that you would not find in those biographies. >> speaking of the slave question, there is a note that you make where george washington th of slaves.e >> we do not know if the got them from his own slaves. ditchers were not made of wood. people thought it was would because -- it was made of ivory. it took on a granular look. if you look at it now, you would think it would be would. the ivory was actually the frame. there were actually real teeth inse