bobby kennedy, jr., has focused on a cause. the environment. he is working to stop mountaintop dynamiting for coal in appalachia. his efforts are featured in a new film the last mountain. it examines the conflict between big coal corporations and locals seeing their mountains ruined and their health threatened. in the "new york times" review of the film, janet writes, quote, the residents of the coal river valley in west virginia endure ear splitting explosions, raining boulders, toxic sludge and poisoned wells. the environmental horror story is filled with impearled school children, dust and cancer and autism clusters that defy statistical logic. take a look. >>> i have three sons who have asthma. we know asthma attack are caused by bad air, by ozone particulates and the principal source in our atmosphere are hundreds of coal burning power plants that are burning coal illegally it's been illegal for 18 years under the clean air act they were supposed to remove those materials from their emissions 18 years ago. but in a state w

dr king was assassinated or the bobby kennedy that stood with cesar chavez not the one that was in the senate hearings center just mccarthy we're about transforming the party to get back to that progressive majority that we know so much the party's about we want to get back to what harry truman promised us that's what this rally was about to get back for health care is a right that all of us have that so we work with inside and outside the party we believe in so we elect a progressive democratic majority we're not there we have a lot of work simply electing democrats isn't going to do it we have to elect progressive democrats again a progressive caucus led by road from tucson and from keith ellison of minnesota those are the folks that we're working with that are making a difference inside and outside our party it's a remarkable tim norman thank you all for being here tonight and thank you very much thank you talk much time between now and the twenty hold elections as one of the most crucial times for the american middle class and perhaps the history of our nation need to get out there

you were 12 years old, and you were a volunteer with the bobby kennedy campaign. (bender) the presidential campaign in '68. (paulson) in california? mm-hmm. (paulson) and you were with rosemary clooney as well? well, she was-- i met her that night, and she was performing that night as artists-- she was one of those who had campaigned for robert kennedy. a lot of artists went out on the campaign trail for candidates, and i was with her that night. and actually, at the moment that senator kennedy was shot, i remember that it was the last time i've seen her, which was 32 years ago. she was supposed to sing at the overflow room downstairs, and the senator was supposed to exit one side of the stage where-- to see rosemary clooney, and at the last minute-- you can hear it on the tape. someone says, "this way, senator." and he goes the other way. what happened that night was obviously, for a kid-- i remember seeing people in shock, and i--you know, when you're 12, you've never seen that. i didn't understand why adults were crying, and people were doubled over and, you kn

. >> as bobby kennedy said years ago, you are joined with fellow young people in every land.hey, struggling with their problems, and you with yours, but all joined in a common purpose, determined to build a better future. if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't or you can't, and i want you to say with one voice, the voice of a generation, you tell them, yes, we can. >> reporter: the first lady, her daughters and her mother, marion robinson, had earlier met with former south african president nelson mandela. the first lady had never met the man whose lifelong struggle united his country. in fact, they had been visiting his foundation, when mandela, in ill health of late, had surprisingly sent word that they were invited to his home. and after meeting with mandela, mrs. obama and her family visited a day-care center and showed off their dancing skills. ♪ >> so, all we could do -- >> reporter: and showed how reading is fun and fundamental by sharing an american classic with the children of johannesburg. dr. seuss' "the cat in the hat." >> i know some good games we could play

as bobby kennedy said here in south africa all those years ago -- "you are joined with fellow young people in every land, they struggling with their problems and you with yours, but all joined in a common purpose, determined to build a better future." and if anyone of you ever doubts that you can build that future, if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't or you can't, then i want you to say with one voice -- the voice of a generation -- you tell them, "yes, we can." [applause] what do you say? yes, we can. [applause] what do you say? yes, we can! >> yes, we can! >> what do you say? >> yes, we can! >> thank you all so much. god bless you. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] ♪ >> next, president obama at carnegie mellon talking about new technology and job creation. then, two house floor debates. the first on authorization to continue actions in libya. the second, funding for the operations there. >> this weekend on c-span2's booktv, the magnitude that there -- terrorist threats against the u.s.. mich

for my generation it was the assassination for president kennedy and bobby kennedy and martin luther king. for my parents generation it was pearl harbor. for my grandparents, it was armistice day. there have been other moments of national celebration and crisis. the landing on the moon, the explosion of the challenger space shuttle, the inauguration of america's first african-american president. [applause] >> and there will be many more. but before this most recent memory becomes a memory -- or this most recent moment becomes a memory and because all of you have had such a big part in it, let's take a moment to reflect on the legacy of 9/11 beyond the ongoing war on terror and what it means for the future of our democracy. i was elected mayor just two months after the attacks of 9/11 when smoke was still riding from the rubble at ground zero. back then, the conventional wisdom was that it would take new york decades to recover if it ever would. people thought businesses would flee and there would be a mass exodus of suburbs and that crime would return. now, none of that happened and