i totally agree with bill keller. let's say a candidate believes that the earth is 6,000 years old because that's what the bible tells him or her and the dinosaurs walked around the earth at the same time as people did, look, that may not affect his foreign policy or that might not affect her economic policy but that kind of ignorance is going to affect something and we need to know about it. now, having said that, and you alluded to this just before the break, bill keller, i wish that he and "the new york times" was as concerned about religion and politics during the last campaign when it pertained to barack obama who sat in a church with a hateful minister for 20 years. so i'm not sure bill keller is the right person to preach to us about the importance of journalists asking about religion but on this matter. on this matter, i think when candidates' religious beliefs affect policy, that's when we have -- >> bill: i think most people would agree and i agree as well and the way he did it with the condensation to the r

you've been on the campaign trail with all of these folks. >> it's clear bill keller is right in the sense that a lot of candidates use their religious connections to, as he said, pry open people's wallets in certain religious parts of the base. that's on display in this republican primary season. it's also the case that i think more broadly that presidential contest, presidential elections, are about character to a large extent and voters want to understand what the candidates they're about to vote for or not vote for what they believe in. those candidates do put their faith as they put their families on display to try to show people who they are at a deep level. to that extent i think it is fair as keller suggests to ask certain kinds of questions about what they're beliefs are and how they bear on public policy. >> look what happens when you do that, richard wolffe. as a fox news debate, michele bachmann was asked about comment she made in the past about a wife's duty to be submissive to a husband. pay attention not only to the question but the way the audience reacted. >> in 2006

bill keller of the new york times said julian assange runs, quote, a secretive cadre of and try it secrecy vigilantes'. he is currently in england fighting extradition to sweden where he is wanted for investigation on charges of sexual assault. his two accusers say he had sex with them at first consentual the but again without using a condom as he promised. he was sent to jail. he was arrested in the u.k. and put in the same victorian prison where oscar wilde served his time. an english court has ordered him extradited to sweden. he is now free on dale and his hearing is set for july 12th. another of the principal characters in the wiki leaks saga is private bradley manning. he is the young soldier, first amendment hero who put wiki leaks of the map. he is accused as leaking military communications about the war in iraq and afghanistan and 250,000 state department cables. i don't know whether he has been accused or is responsible of releasing the guantanamo records that were released by wiki leaks last week. manning started his leaking career with a videotape that he released of the tape t

something that's incited the issue on michele bachmann, the new yorker about her faith which in turn bill kellerthe republican presidential field. i read liz's column that a lot of left wing blogs were linking to comments about michele bachmann and he got facts about christian theology wrong, mischaracterizing what main stream christian theology says. we have a nation that 70% of people according to barna say they are christian and you have a media talking about christians and getting the basic facts wrong. it's causing things to whip up into frenzies where there shouldn't be ones like this. >> in the long-term, can this backfire for the democratic party? >> i think the theology

as outgoing "new york times" executive editor bill keller put it -- keller's magazine article questionedreligion might influence perry's presidency and that of other gop candidates. not that religion has not been a factor in other presidential campaigns. remember reverend jeremiah wright in 2008. candidate obama was forced to explain his association with the controversial preacher. >> reverend wright's comments were not only wrong, but divisive. divisive at a time when we need unity, racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems. >> still, christian, jewish, mormon, atheist, what does it matter? this is america where we celebrate the freedom to believe what we choose. the talk back question this morning, should a candidate's religion matter? facebook.com/americanmorning. facebook.com/americanmorning. i'll read your comments later this hour. >> can't wait for those. >> such a good question. very excited about that. >> a former vice president dick cheney taking aim at some of his bush white house colleagues in his new memoir. cheney accusing

plus, future maritimes editor, bill keller in the editor of the liberal magazine, "the new yorker," all supported the war. the times ran many bogus front-page stories about how saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. he later apologized for their cheerleading of this were. but the damage had been done. he had given bush the cover he needed and the ability to claim it's a liberal paper like the times says so, it must be true. it must be true. so here it was, the fourth night of a very unpopular war and my film, "bowling for columbine" is up for an oscar. i went to the ceremony, but was not allowed to talk to press on the red carpet going into the kodak theater. there was fear that someone may see some team and in wartime, we need everyone on the same ph. the actress diane lane read the list of nominees for best documentary. the envelope was up and she announced that one. on the main floor, the actors, direct readers, writers, gave me a standing ovation. i invited my fellow documentary nominees to join me on the stage and they walked up with me and i spoke the following words: tha

plus, future maritimes editor, bill keller in the editor of the liberal magazine, "the new yorker," all supported the war. the times ran many bogus front-page stories about how saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. he later apologized for their cheerleading of this were. but the damage had been done. he had given bush the cover he needed and the ability to claim it's a liberal paper like the times says so, it must be true. it must be true. so here it was, the fourth night of a very unpopular war and my film, "bowling for columbine" is up for an oscar. i went to the ceremony, but was not allowed to talk to press on the red carpet going into the kodak theater. there was fear that someone may see some team and in wartime, we need everyone on the same ph. the actress diane lane read the list of nominees for best documentary. the envelope was up and she announced that one. on the main floor, the actors, direct readers, writers, gave me a standing ovation. i invited my fellow documentary nominees to join me on the stage and they walked up with me and i spoke the following words: tha

bill keller has been the executive editor since 2003. and he has been with the paper since 1984.een a reporter since 1970. he's been bureau chief in the soviet union and south africa. he won a pulitzer prize for his coverage of the soviet union and has also been a columnist and managing editor of the paper. dean has been with the "times" since 1990, though, he did take seven years off to be managing editor and editor of the "los angeles times." he quit the "l.a. times" when he refused the corporate order to fire four journalists. he too has won a pulitzer prize. okay, bill and dean, i've called your newspapers a morning miracle and i mean it. i'm always amazed what i can find in the newspaper so how do you make a miracle? and bill i want to start with you with a couple of basic questions to sort of get the lay of land. you work in new york which is the headquarters of the "new york times." how many people work for the "times"? >> well, for the newsroom, not counting everything from the delivery trucks to the advertising department, actual journalists it's a little more than 1100.

other offers, tcp for keller, paula mitchell marks and a special man i still haven't met, but i am grateful to them because they read his books and articles, bill schilling berg. two people that although should recognize for their contributions to their knowledge, even though there's controversy involving them, maybe deservedly, but tonight luscious credit them for things they've given us. carl chieftain and glenn boyer. some of the people who contribute most are those who don't necessarily to do research or writing themselves, but they do the things that make it possible for the rest of us. when i met bruce dinges, i wanted him to read me trainee sketch because i knew he would give me a fair and objective opinion of what i was doing well and what i needed to do better. there's a special woman named christine rose and under her direction, the cochise county recorder's office is a place for anybody ought to start if you're trying to do this research. and learned from all these folks and as a gesture towards that, i am contributing all of my research materials, all my notes, interview transcripts, document copies, every day that went into the "th

other offers, tcp for keller, paula mitchell marks and a special man i still haven't met, but i am grateful to them because they read his books and articles, bill schilling berg. two people that although should recognize for their contributions to their knowledge, even though there's controversy involving them, maybe deservedly, but tonight luscious credit them for things they've given us. carl chieftain and glenn boyer. some of the people who contribute most are those who don't necessarily to do research or writing themselves, but they do the things that make it possible for the rest of us. when i met bruce dinges, i wanted him to read me trainee sketch because i knew he would give me a fair and objective opinion of what i was doing well and what i needed to do better. there's a special woman named christine rose and under her direction, the cochise county recorder's office is a place for anybody ought to start if you're trying to do this research. and learned from all these folks and as a gesture towards that, i am contributing all of my research materials, all my notes, interview transcripts, document copies, every day that went into the "th