and jim ceaser, professor of politics at uva. next we'll hear from john halpin, senior fellow at the center for american progress. finally, matt spalding, vice president for american studies at heritage foundation. so, e.j. >> first, it's great to see so many people here. happy holidays. to those who celebrate them, merry christmas and happy hanukkah. i want to thank my friend bill schambra for putting together what is a genuinely fair and balanced event. which doesn't always happen in washington. bill and i have been agreeing for about a quarter a century on the importance of community and disagreeing about what progressives make of the idea of community for about that long. and it's just great to be with him. i just want to say something about each of the panelists. sid milkis's book on the 1912 election, absolutely everyone should read. on the way over here i was remembering the series of books. some of you may be old enough to remember them. they were history books for kids called landmark books that i think random house put

i want to salute jim ceaser for doing such a good job on behalf of the party of evasion because the party of evasion claims that the biggest problem fashioning our nation is a budget deficit, whereas the party of reality understands that the biggest problem facing our nation is the growing concentration of wealth that has afflicted us for almost 40 years. the party of evasion tries to argue that -- tries to protect the very wealthy by saying that elderly people who need health care in an increasingly expensive medical system are the source of our problems. the party of reality argues that the budget deficit has to be seen in the context of this economic inequality and the difficulties middle-class americans are facing in a new world economy that has added literally 2 billion people to the global labor force. i could go on like this and i'm perfectly happy to do so. i think jim underscored something that's actually very helpful for us. which is why did barack obama give this speech in osawatomie, kansas. and he gave this speech, i think, because he wanted to redefine what was the central i

but let me put a problem that i have with professor ceaser and to mr. spalding. i want to be on your side in this argument. but i am having great difficulty for two reasons. perhaps you can help me out. one is because of laws in corporate governments that we know about and because of macroeconomic problems that require -- let's call it bailing out rather large financial institutions. is it true -- well, i think it's true, demonostra bli true, that we've disconnected performance and reward in society. i don't care about inequality. i'm for as much inequality as we can get if performance is connected to reward. the question is, how do we defend tin equality that so troubles -- let's call it the people on the other side -- if we can't conceive of reforms that reconnect performance and reward? and the reason i raise it is, i hear people -- my conservative friends that e.j. likes to put it, i assume he has one. >> i'm his friend. >> okay. he has one. >> he has one. >> okay. the problem is that every time any reform i suggest that might reconnect these things, they say

he said leap year dates back to julius ceaser.ithout an extra day every four years, the seasons would gradually shift and after enough time throw our calendar out of whack. >> we are the only creatures on the planet that have a need to know exactly what time it is from not only a day to day point of view but in our society today we need to know time down to these incredibly tiny fractions of a second. >> reporter: it will add a leap second on june 30th to sync atomic clocks with the earth's rotation. it's all just a matter of time. in washington, i'm karin caifa, abc2 news. >> tonight on abc2 news at 11 our jamie costello will be waiting for the elite leap year baby club. >>> today is national pancake day and i-hops all over the country are celebrating, offering free short stacks of pancakes to all the customers who ask for it. they only ask that on the way out customers give a donation to the make a wish foundation. they say it always draws a huge crowd. >> we do this every year. everyone walks out tired but feeling good. >> the

. >> it is oxtail ceaser!♪the more i search for my significance,♪ ♪seems the more i disappear ♪and i wonder, have i made a difference♪ ♪in anybody's life since i've been here♪ ♪and i can hear your laughter♪ ♪it's the sweetest sound i've ever known♪ ♪i don't know how love happens♪ ♪but i know i'm not alone ♪and i still have faith in you♪ ♪and i still have faith in you♪ >>vicki: what a glorious day today the same for tomorrow? >> of brian yes even 70 and san jose. >>vicki: we will see you at 11:00 p.m., could buy. could buy -- goodbye ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?