[laughter] >> a few months ago before my good friend cokie roberts passed away, i believe cokie and steve came here to the campus. cokie roberts said at that time to be credible today -- i'm not quoting here, you know louisianaens we don't quote anything from scripture. not even recipes, we have to go to mississippi to make sure we're not following anything that alabamans or texans do. cokie said that today, she believed because of all of the conversations about fakes news and mischaracterizations that it's important that reporters get it right and they're looking for one source, but today they're looking for two, three or four sources. i think that's good. in order for us to have a healthy democracy, we need a free press. we need a functioning free press. it's as vital to the you can is -- it's as vital to the success of our political branches of government. i've got it tell you this, there was a poll recent by a school, 39% can identify all three branches of government and only 25% of us can identify one branch of government. now, when they wrote the press release, you can go and look i

i think that we would all be much better as a people and a country if we stuck by cokie roberts' dictum. so thank you. so, i will say that i am glad to be back at the press club, celebrating the anniversary of post american legion post number 20 here. a post that was inaugurated by the only man who is below george washington on our protocol, and the first man below george washington on the protocol chart, general per, ishing, the general of the club, and the person who founded the post which is now one of the oldest and now celebrating the 100th anniversary anniversary. >> since the first shots were fired at lexington in april of 1875, more than 40 million americans have put on the nation's uniform to defend freedom. today, america's army is comprised only of citizen volunteers who have determined to defend this country. our history is filled with heroes who found a way to fight, and even after being told that they either were not healthy enough or big enough or were the right color to defend the colors. so who were the americans who were told they could not serve? one of them was a 33-

i'm talking about cokie roberts. and she was in new orleans and a regular customer. i became reacquainted with her as i became an adult and through her work in new orleans helping loyola university get back on its feet after katrina. she had one piece of advice from me and it came from her father and it was about doing business in washington, particularly in the congress when she said that the fellow that you are arguing with in the morning will probably be the fellow that you walk out of the chamber with your arm around in the evening. i think we would all be much better as a people and a country if we stuck by cokie roberts' dictum. so, thank you. [applaus [applause]. >> i will say i'm glad to be back at the press club celebrating the anniversary of american league post number 20 he here, a post inaugurated by the only man who is below washington on our protocol chart, of the first man below george washington on the protocol chart, general pershing, the general of the armies, general of the armies. general pershing, a member of this club and also the person who fou

before i get started i want to take a minute to recognize the passing of cokie roberts. many of you were here in july when cokie and steve roberts very graciously came out and participated in an event on the stage to help us raise money for our internship program and we had a wonderful dinner afterward. they could not have been more generous and considerate. i just want to say that our thoughts and prayers are dedicated to them. as we are getting started here, i want to gently remind you all to silence your cell phones. i would like to thank four seasons books for your support and organizing the book signing that is going to follow tonight's talk. this will be a similar format from what we normally do. we will have a wonderful reception and a book signing. i want to recognize mr. tom moses's three daughters and their husbands. together, they have helped us with this wonderful program this past decade and a half. they have carried forward his legacy of activism, which is more important. working together, we have brought u.s. senators, policy experts, legal scholars, estee

months ago, mccormick good friend corky robbins passed away, steve came to the bar in your campus, cokie roberts said at the time, to be credible today, and i'm not courting her, you know louisiana's, we don't put anything but scripture. in recipes. we have to mississippi to get a translation of nature we are following anything the alabamians have texted us to. [laughter] cokie said, that today, she believed because of all of the conversation we are having about fake news and mischaracterization and misinterpretations, it's important that reporters get it right. therefore in the past, they would ultimately look for one source. but today, they are looking for two or three or four sources. and i say that is good. in order for us to have a healthy democracy, we need a free press. we need to front them free press. it is a vital to the success of our democracy. in the political branches, of government. which by the way i have to tell you this, there is a poll recently about annenberg schools, 30 percent of african-americans can identify all three branches of government. 39 percent, and only 25 percen

in the chaer where you interviewed cokie roberts, deare friend who p away not long ago, because she'de severasl boout the founding mothers, what did you take away from that, david rubenstein, about why women haven't gotten more attention? >> in the early days of our country, women were not allowed to vote, they weren't allowed to own property. rf you were married, you couldn't own pro and obviously you couldn't be an office holder. how did they exercise influence? they tended to do it p through their husban the letters between john abigail and adams, maybe a thousand of them, and she had a second grade jairks andheeducation and she ws educated and literate sounding as her lawyer husband. cokie dug through these and you saw the women had a lot of fluence on the men. >> woodruff: david cullough telling you, he said the best and most effective people in public life without exception have been the people o had a profound and very often life-long interest in hista y. do you maknnection with today and president trump? >> i think manpeople who understand history are at an advantage, but beca

. >> cokie roberts said the biggest challenge writing a book with her husband robert. >> i believe you, it was hard enough to make the film and book together, i'm not sure -- i definitely -- i'm not sure i could writef a book with anyone but i cannot do it with ai husband because i value our lives too much. mike from new york your neck. >> i would l like to know where are all the people going to work in the future, it seems as lost for decades man has done away with middle-class jobs and personally i think the lack of jobs is the root of all evil. >> thank you. >> that's a great question. i think we have -- i think it's not exactly a lack of jobs, it's a lack of jobs that pay salaries that can support families, provide benefits and a sense of security there is pretty low on appointment right now. but there is an epidemic of underemployment and a lott of people are having multiple jobs. there is a contradiction or people who support the president want to claim everything issu great economy because his low unemployment. but that does not explain why there's so much economic stress and wh