widmer: very close.is oldest son, abraham, was married to a woman named anjelica, who became the acting first lady during his presidency. there was a feeling of young people and conviviality during his presidency that was also interesting. he is not that young but he has the strapping young sons around. one of them, john van buren, was a political talent in his own way in the 1840's. later in martin van buren's career, he gets pulled toward anti-slavery. that is a crucial point in all of his career. where do you stand on slavery? the 20 different pressure points inside of that topic. he was always trying to manage the division between north and south. for most of his career he did it pretty well. but his career began to fall apart as the compromises fell apart. his son, john, was an ardent anti-slavery politician and pulled his father with him. i found that moving. host: describe him. what did he look like? how big was he? mr. widmer: he was not a tall man. most of the early presidents were quite tall. w

widmer: he did.was never comfortable. , he for his preparation never felt that confident as an orator. he was more comfortable in back room deals which is part of our politics, too. he was an early model of the political thought and when he had to stand in congress and make his first speech, he fell apart. he came back later and made plenty of speeches that were perfectly fine. his inaugural address as president was perfectly fine. not many people would remember his speeches for especially vivid turns of phrase. his writing could be ok at times. his correspondence could be direct. he had a sharp eye for politics. he could describe things quickly and memorably. host: who was john calhoun and what was his relationship with martin van buren? mr. widmer: calhoun is a very important senator. one of the most important senators in our history. from south carolina. he was an early nationalist. that is not always remembered. but in the time of the war of 1812, he was ardently for the defense of the united sta

host: ted widmer, who was martin van buren? mr. widmer: good question. a lot of people probably need to ask that question. he was the eighth president of the united states. he is often forgotten. his presidency was only four years long. there were larger personalities before and after. but i argue that he was a pretty important guy. if his presidency was not a big success and it wasn't, still he reshaped the political landscape around him. he led an interesting life. host: why did you begin in sorrento, italy? mr. widmer: that is where he went to write his autobiography. and presidents did not generally do that then. but now it is almost required by law. that you write a long set of memoirs. he was really the first one to do that. he went to a foreign country. italy. to gather his thoughts about his very long career in office at many levels. he never actually finished the autobiography. he wrote a lot but he did not wrap it up. it did not come out until 1919. a time at which almost everyone had forgotten who he was. i thought that was interesting. he wen

there had been a violent confrontation in the widmer house that night. >> ryan widmer purposely killedrt widmer and murdered her by drowning. >> the prosecutors began with the first moments of the case. ryan's call to 911. >> my wife, she fell asleep in the bathtub, i think. i was downstairs. i came up here and she was laying face down in the bathtub. >> the emergency dispatcher testified that the voice was giving more details than normal. >> the caller was rather calm. usually i can't get anything out of them. >> she's in the bathtub? >> the water is draining right now. i was out there watching tv. she falls asleep in the tub all the time. >> to the prosecutors, the husband was trying to place himself as far away as possible from the bathroom where sarah had died. >> he really gives very little information about her condition. it's more important for him to say i wasn't there and i don't have anything to do with this. >> and could sarah even be dead face down in the bathtub? could a body contort that way? >> that seems an odd position for somebody who has, quote, fallen asleep, to be

widmer: good question. a lot of people think we need to ask that question.e was the eighth president of the united states. he is often forgotten. his presidency was only four years.

ted widmer. the hisweek, ted widmer biography of martin van buren. was martin van buren? mr. widmer good question. a lot of people think we need to ask that question. he was the eighth president of the united

widmer onon q&a, ted his biography of president martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time with burrd there were rumors that were so persistent that gore the doll planted that -- that gore vidal his novel that martin van buren may have been deal at image -- may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. it was noted that martin van buren looks a lot like ehrenberg, and acts a lot like

our guest has been ted widmer. mr. widmer: thank you. ♪ >> for free transcripts or to give comments about the program, visit us at qanda.org. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] after an almost seven-month journey covering 300 million miles, nasa's mars insight lander is scheduled to touch down on the red planet today this is live coverage here on c-span. miles,sing 300 million insight has reached its destination, the red planet, mars. welcome to mission control at the jet propulsion laboratory. an hour for no consent will again the most harrowing six and insightan hour from no will begin the most hovering six and half minutes of the mission. who knows what mars has in store today echo the mission support area is filled with engineers monitoring the situation, and for the first time during the landing, you can be in the room, too. a 360-the great camera and the co

widmer onon q&a, ted his biography of president martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time with burr, and there were rumors that were so persistent that gore the doll planted that -- that gore vidal his novel that martin van buren may have been deal at image -- may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. it was noted that martin van buren looks a lot like ehrenberg, and acts a lot like ehrenberg, trying to organize factions and getting southerners and northerners together. >> sunday night at it :00 eastern on c-span's q and a. >> on c-span's newsmakers, our guest is usaid administrator mark green, a former congressman with a deep background in diplomacy, and humanitarian assistance programs and sworn in in 2017. let me introduce the reporters who will be asking questions, the washington post diplomatic correspondent and from the wall street journal, reporter on national security issues. >> ambassador green, since you have been in this office, you have spent a lot of time about how the goal should be to eliminate the need for foreign aid by encouraging resiliency so countries ca

at 11:00, another chance to see q&a with ted widmer on his biography of martin van buren. earlier today, european leaders announced an agreement on the uk's exit from the european union. approved byl be british parliament. the vote is expected next month. theresa may took questions on the brexit negotiations, as well as issues like rising crime rates and the national health service. this is 45 minutes. [applause] >> order. questions to the prime minister. >> question one, mr. speaker. >> thank you. today is the centennial area of where women were first allowed to have public office. i am proud to say the first woman to take office was a conservative. are coming from all over with mps from every party sending invitations to their constituents. this will be an inspirational day. we hope it will encourage political office both locally and nationally. mr. speaker, it is appropriate that we are reminded of the significant contribution made to this house by female mps, including the fine example set by the late joe caulks. i have meetings with ministerial colleagues and in addit

. >> ted widmer on his biography of martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time with ehrenberg. there are even rumors throughout the life of martin van buren that gore but all planted them he maynovel burr that have been the illegitimate son of ehrenberg. we don't know. john quincy adams wrote in his burenthat martin van looks a lot like aaron burr. he acts like him. organizeing to factions in political alliances together. at 8:00 on q&a. on c-span, the fda talkssioner and others about the latest advances in cancer treatment and patient care. you can watch the event tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span. podcast.o c-span's part one of an interview with three nationally known historians. they share historical context for the trump presidency. johnson.this as andrew somebody who has impeachment swirling around him and is not able to heal a racial divide in the country. >> there is animosity between the press and presidents as early as john adams. he is the person who is pushing for the sedition act. what that does is actually tries to prevent criticism of the government. the weekly on

a, teday on q and widmer on martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time with ehrenberg, and the work rumors persisted throughout the life of martin van buren, so persistent vidal planted them in his novel, and martin van buren may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. john quincy adams wrote in his diary that martin van buren looks a lot like ehrenberg, and acts a lot like ehrenberg. he's always trying to organize factions and get southerners and northerners in political alliances together. >> sunday night and 8:00 eastern on c-span's q and a. >> what does it mean to be american? video this year's competition question. students and teachers from around the country are posting on social media about it. heidi long from illinois tweeted, what does it mean to be an american? social studies students brainstorming constitutional rights, national characteristics and important people and events of the nation. lauren from florida tweeted, chms students brainstormed ideas p.r c-span civics camp durin indiana senator todd tweeted, visited fischer's high school today and was interviewed

he can't stop wisconsin from gretchen widmer from building roads.s build the damn roads. she can do that, and trump can't stop this progress in the states. this is the place that america can make progress, state by state. and we can't be retarded. and the third reason, we can be a check on the president as well. on the muslim ban, on his action to try to cut our funding for law enforcement, we can check that in court and otherwise. so. >> some cultural things also. you governors obviously have tremendous sway within your states if roe v. wade does come up, if the conservatives do get what they want, which is a repealing or a mitigation there, it falls to states. and each state will make their own real culture statement about what is going to be allowed. >> you can't count on the supreme court under the current conditions to protect your right to a woman's right of choice. my state was one of the first, if not the first to recognize this right. and neither donald trump nor the supreme court will be able to prevent or state from recognizing this value

. >> sunday, on q & a, ted widmer on his biology of martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time on hamill top's murder and there were rumors throughout the life of martin van buren, so prominent that gore vidal that he was the son. martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr and only factions and get southerners and northerners in alliance together. >> saturday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's q & a. . >> at the annual project on government oversight summit. former senator carl levin presented south carolina representative newton an award for his oversight. this part of the conference is two hours. >> good afternoon, i'm happy to welcome you to the lunchtime session of this impressive-- i thought, i think the mic is live, is it? let's try that again. i'm happy to welcome you to this lunchtime session of this impressive first ever oversight summit. my name is bob ackerman, a professor of law at wayne state university and director of the levin center at wayne law located in detroit, michigan, at wayne state, and which also has the presence here in d.c. through our two washington co-direct

visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] next sunday on q&a, ted widmerrmer advisor to president clinton, and secretary of state hillary clinton, talked about his biography of president martin van buren. q&a day at 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific time here on c-span. >> more live coverage this evening on c-span as we look at the impact religious voters had on the midterm elections. live from georgetown university at 6:00 p.m. eastern. you can also watch the discussion streaming live online at www.c-span.org. tonight in primetime, tennessee republican senator lamar alexander discusses free speech on college campuses with deputy attorney general ron rosenstein. senator alexander chairs the education committee and talks about students protesting controversial speakers. >> is there anything different about the challenges we face today compared to those of the past? >> what is different today is the iphones. it has revolutionized all forms of activity, including all of our politics. but the principles are the same. let me give you a story that illustrates today.

. >> sunday on q&a ted widmer on his biography of president martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time of aaron burr. we don't know. nobody will know. john quincy adams once wrote in his diary -- i saw this -- that martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr and he acts a lot like aaron burr. he is always trying to organize actions and get southerners and northerners in political alliances together. >> sunday night at 8 eastern on c-span q&a. >>> c-span her history unfolds daily. in 1979 c-span was created as a public service like america's cable television company. today we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington dc and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. >>> fda commissioner doctor gottlieb recently talked about his agency's efforts in combating the opioid epidemic hosted by politico in washington dc which included a series of panel discussions on the role of innovation and technology intrigue opioid addiction as well as type i and type ii diabetes.

. >> sunday on "q&a," ted widmer on his biography of marren van buren. >> he spent an of the of time with aaron burr and there were rumors that were consistent -- so consistent ignore videole planted them that marren van buren might have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. john quincy adams quote in his journal -- i saw it, he looks a lot like aaron burr and is acting like aaron burr, he's trying to organize factions and get northerners and southerners in political factions together. >> sunday night 8:00 eastern on c-span's "q&a." >> decades before the well known march on washington for civil rights, women paraded in washington for the right to vote. up next on american history tv, author rebecca roberts describes the cay in 1913 that suffragists let by alice paul led to march to the capitol hill. it attracted huge crowds and caused an uproar on pennsylvania avenue and many marchers were harassed. it took them seven more years to earn the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920. the

. ♪ ♪ this week on "q&a" with ted widmer.

. >> sunday onto an day, ted widmer on his biography on president martin van buren. >> he spent a lotf time with burr, hamiltons murderer. and there were rumors throughout the life of martin van buren, so persistent that gore vidal planted them in his novel, that martin van buren may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. thatquincy adams wrote martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr and acts a lot trying to getr, northerners and southerners together in factions. >> sunday at 8:00 eastern on c-span q and a. u.s. representative joe crowley of new york isir

. >> sunday, on q & a, ted widmer on his biology of martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time on hamill top's murder and there were rumors throughout the life of martin van buren, so prominent that gore vidal that he was the son. martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr

. >> sunday on q & a, ted widmer on his biography of president martin van buren. >> he spent a lot of time with aaron burr, hamilton's murderer. and there were even rumors persistent throughout the life of martin van buren, so persistent that gore vidal planted them in his novel, that martin van buren may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. but john quincy adams once wrote in his diary, i saw it, that martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr. and he acts a lot like aaron burr. he sort of is always trying to organize factions and get southerners and northerners in political alliances together. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's q & a. >>> energy department officials and utility industry leaders testify before a senate panel on various electric power restoration strategies for dealing with systemwide blackouts, efforts to protect the electric grid from cyber attacks and natural disasters. >>> good morning. the committee will come to or

. >> sunday on q & a, ted widmer on his biography of martin van buren. >> he spent a had the of time with burr. martin van buren may have been the illegitimate son of aaron burr. we don't know. no one will ever know. but john quincy adams once wrote in his diary -- i saw it -- that martin van buren looks a lot like aaron burr and act a lot like aaron burr. he is sort of always trying to organize factions and get southerners and thorners in political alliances together. >> sunday night atcal eastern on c-span's q and a. >>> c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies ask. today we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington, d.c. and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. >>> the national law enforcement museum held its official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in washington, d.c. reebl. clint east'd would, rod rosenstein, john ashcroft, muirial bowser and charles ramsey were

it looks like gretchen widmer has won the state of michigan for the governor ‘s mansion., that should help the democrats. yes. the governor's houses that they took back in 2009 and ten, that really help is at the base for what came afterwards.” think the governor has played a critical role in what happens constitutionally in the state, how people vote, what legislatively... who can see and where the pollie bruce ah, what a showdown, who is allowed on the register, who is not. this we get these real conflict of interest which is the person in charge as the governor getting to decide who gets to vote next time round. and if they decide to narrow those boundaries, they keeping themselves in power and changing the feel the state. this is a huge problem. this is an issue that is of any ready. that sydney is — it is things like exact match policies, who is to vote on the ballot, whose registrations are rejected, these are things that the governor will ultimately control. events in the states, because the most powerful individual in texas is the lieutenant governor. we bring you