>> i think bob herbert is fundamentally right. when you look at this group, three of the members were on -- one democratic senator and two republican congressmen were on the simpson/bowles commission that tried to come up with the grand bargain, propose a grand bargain. all three were against it. and the simpson/bowles commission. another republican senator walked out of the conversations with joe biden about trying to come up with some big compromise, show, john, i think it will be very tough with what they've got. the issue is going to be if six members of one party hang together, can they pick off a seventh from the other side? and people will be looking at who is the potential break point, who is the potential person who could form a compromise, otherwise you come out 6-6 in the committee and it's a nonstarter and you don't have something to vote on. >> you start on the senate side, who might be the compromise, you have senator kerry, he was a presidential nominee. patty morey, the knocks at the same time she chairs the democr

want to bring in columnist bob herbert, a distinguished senior fellow, social security safe for now but medicare providers could face cuts. bob, neither the tea party or miles o'brien president obama seemed thrilled with the compromise. in terms of the american people who are the wins? who gets hurt by this deal? >> no winners here. the problem is we have an economy that is flat lining and not creating jobs. this debt ceiling deal which came after a completely manufactured crisis will do nothing about -- to strengthen the economy and ultimately it also won't bring down the deficit. >> what is everyone so -- what did we do it for? >> i don't know why the politicians did it. i presume they had their reasons. they felt that they were boxed in. they were pressured by the tea party. they couldn't come to any kind of agreements. but you should not have had an argument about the budget at the same time that you were talking about raising the debt ceiling. >> and i think we all agree on that. diane, explain to me, in not economist terms, because you also wrote a blog called economist mom, i kno

bob herbert is a former columnist, now a senior distinguished vote. -- senior distinguished fellow at the most. -- demos. he is an incredible voice for the message of dr. king. bob? >> i have a great pleasure this morning to introduce one of my heroes, one of my real heroes, congressman john lewis, who is one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement has ever produced. john was a national secretary of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, a big deal when i was a young man. snc. they were trying to register african-americans to vote. i mean, just think about it. black people without the right to vote in this country. it seems bizarre, but it did not seem bizarre in those days. john was literally laid his body on the line for social justice, from beatings to freedom rides to citizens to at lunch counters -- sit-ins at lunch counters and beyond. he is, and i just realized this today and was shocked to learn at, he is the last living speaker from the 1963 march on washington. it is my honor and a great privilege to introduce congressman john lewis, a genuine americ

bob jher -- herbert is a former columnist, now a senior distinguished vote. is an incredible voice for the message of dr. king. bob? >> i have a great pleasure this morning to introduce one of my heroes, one of my real heroes, congressman john lewis, who is one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement has ever produced. john was a national secretary of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, a big deal when i was a young man. snc. they were trying to register african-americans to vote. i mean, just think about it. black people without the right to vote in this country. it seems bizarre, but it did not seem bizarre in those days. john was literally laid his body on the line for social justice, from beatings to freedom rides to citizens to at lunch counters and beyond. he is, and i just realized this today and was shocked to learn at, he is the last living speaker from the 1963 march on washington. it is my honor and a great privilege to introduce congressman john lewis, a genuine american hero. [applause] >> thank you, bob, for those kin

my privilege and honor to introduce the moderator of our panel on jobs and the american dream, bob herbert. bob, of course, is a noted former "new york times" colorado is to never shied away from speaking truth to power -- columnist and never shied away from speaking truth to power. he is an incredible voice for the message of dr. king. bobbitt -- -- bobb -- >> i have the great pleasure this morning to introduce one of my heroes, one of my real heroes, a congressman john lewis, who is one of the most courageous person find a civil rights movement. john was the national secretary to student nonviolent coordinating committee, a big deal when i was a young man, snc. he came to the march in 1963 from mississippi, where the group was trying to register african-americans to vote. i mean, just think about it. black people without the right to vote in this country. it seems bizarre, but it did not seem bizarre in those days. john lewis literally laid his body on the line for social justice, from beatings to freedom rides to sit in so at lunch counters and beyond. he is, and i just realized this to

the effort to raise standards in 1997 was interpreted by bob herbert, columnist at the times, as ethnic cleansing because it was felt minorities would not be able to qualify if open omissions was terminated, and standards were put in place that would make them have to attend either remedial classes or community colleges first, so that's my truck with diversity. the other truck i have with diversity and as a progressive, michael should be concerned about this is the idea of community is very much a progressive value. it's also a conservative value as well. it cuts both ways. the community value in america doesn't have a red state blue state divide. it has pat bucanan and other successors on the other. it's interesting how robert putnam, the famous sociologist, had been working on a number of years of assessing the impact of diversity on civic engagement and participation. he did not like the results he got. essentially he said that it places with the most diversity in america were those of the lowest levels of social trust, lowest levels of social engagement. people hunkered down, became

the effort to raise standards in 1997 was interpreted by bob herbert, columnist at the times, as ethnic cleansing because it was felt minorities would not be able to qualify if open omissions was terminated, and standards were put in place that would make them have to attend either remedial classes or community colleges first, so that's my truck with diversity. the other truck i have with diversity and as a progressive, michael should be concerned about this is the idea of community is very much a progressive value. it's also a conservative value as well. it cuts both ways. the community value in america doesn't have a red state blue state divide. it has pat bucanan and other successors on the other. it's interesting how robert putnam, the famous sociologist, had been working on a number of years of assessing the impact of diversity on civic engagement and participation. he did not like the results he got. essentially he said that it places with the most diversity in america were those of the lowest levels of social trust, lowest levels of social engagement. people hunkered down, became

the effort to raise standards in 1997 was interpreted by bob herbert, columnist at the times, as ethnicnsing because it was felt minorities would not be able to qualify if open omissions was terminated, and standards were put in place that would make them have to attend either remedial classes or community colleges first, so that's my truck with diversity. the other truck i have with diversity and as a progressive, michael should be concerned about this is the idea of community is very much a progressive value. it's also a conservative value as well. it cuts both ways. the community value in america doesn't have a red state blue state divide. it has pat bucanan and other successors on the other. it's interesting how robert putnam, the famous sociologist, had been working on a number of years of assessing the impact of diversity on civic engagement and participation. he did not like the results he got. essentially he said that it places with the most diversity in america were those of the lowest levels of social trust, lowest levels of social engagement. people hunkered down, became couc

discussion on jobs and justice, and among those participating include former hotel york times" columnist bob herbert, and the head of the afl-cio, richard trumka. a number of events that we have covered this week -- we have a link on our front page. go to c-span.org. >> kindly take your seats. our program will begin soon. >> good afternoon, and welcome to the dr. martin luther king jr. national memorial women who dare to dream luncheon. please welcome to the stage comedian jonathan slocum. >> hello. you have to do better than that. give me some love, women. this is called women who dare to dream. but we hear some women who dare to wear high heels, and their feet are hurting right now. -year you would be in the building. whenever people who love black women get together, there is only one thing decanted as look at your neighbor and say neighbor, you look good, but i look better. [laughter] >> go ahead and said, because i know you meant it. i have a very special tribute to do. i am taking this liberty. i did not usually do podiums, but i will do it today. i believe that black women specifically, and w

bob dole and george-- and pat buchanan, you had george herbert walker bush and pat robertson. you know, i just don't know if there is that constituency is still out there, david mentioned 40%, moderates in 2008. i think you know, it's an angry electorate. if are you angry rick perry is your candidate. if are you nervous rick perry might not be your candidate. but if you are angry, he is. and i mean jon huntsman is reasonable. he's thoughtful. i mean and i don't know if there is a constituency outside there for him to win. >> i agree with that i sat down this week trying to write a column that jon huntsman would have his moment because the voters were out there waiting for them and i looked at the polling data of the republican electorate, turns out those voters aren't there. maybe 15% of the electorate. so i think it's the wrong year, the wrong time for him. i do think he might as well be more aggressive. on the show with jeffrey, he tiptoed up to staking out different positions. i think he's really got to make it clear. why not. and then if the people look back on this era as