dan balz is truly the dean of national political journalists he has been running for the "washington post" in 1978. and has a master track record as someone who is not just by covering the day-to-day events of what's going on in politics, but really providing a level of analysis and thoughtfulness that is fairly unique. he has been called by tom brokaw somebody who goes to the head of the class when the subject of presidential campaigns. in class is the right word to use with dan for many reasons. because in a field where it has its share of it goes in prima donnas, dan, so told you they, a true gentleman. so we are very lucky to have him here today. and please, join me in welcoming here's today. [applause] >> dan, yours is i think subtitle is an extraordinary campaign. its next-door neighbor as well. and it really is one that tells a story that is so thrilling, even for all of us who have lived through it over the last few just as i say you've been covering the presidential campaigns for three decades now. why was this the race you decide to start writing her first book about a pres

joining me now, the "washington post's" grand pubah of politics, dan balz. dan, where are we today with the obama presidency, where we weren't yesterday? >> well, it's always better to win than not win. and they have fought this battle for a very long time. they have taken a lot of hits on it. both the president personally and the democratic party. they feel like they have crossed a barrier here. they have a long fight ahead of them. they know that. the republicans are not going to stop battling against this health care fight. we're going to see it all the way through to november and probably see it in 2012. but they feel as though they now have something concrete they can talk about that will be different than the way the debate has gone up until now. one of the questions is whether they will be any more successful in selling this bill now that it is law than they were before it came law. that's the big question mark hanging over the president and the white house. >> it's funny you asked that. i saw charlie cook quoted over the weekend. he said, what makes t

that was dan balz discussing the battle for america 2008.overage of the national book award winning author timothy egan whose latest book, "the big burn," recalls the largest forest fire in american history. that's in about 30 minutes when we return to tuscon. [inaudible conversations] >>> next, a portion of booktv's monthly three our live program, "in depth." on the first sunday of each month, we invite one author to discuss their entire body of work and take your calls. "in depth" also includes a visit with the author to see when and how they write their books. that's what you're about to see. ♪ >> a typical day for me begins with mass in my church, breakfast here at home and then i spent the morning here. this is my bunker, this is my study, this is where most of my work and materials are, and my library, my files, etc.. i work from out lines. i think when you're doing complicated things like the biography of john paul ii or try to make a serious argument on a public policy matter it's good to think through the sequence of things before y

[applause] >> we just saw a panel from book's tv with dan balz's book. booktv continues live coverage of the tucson festival of books sunday at 1:00 pm. >> in his latest book "from eternity to here," researcher sean carroll shares his insight on time and the origins of the universe. the book works in del mar, california, is the host of this book. it lasts about an hour. [applause] >> thanks, lisa. it's great to be here. it's great to be at any independent bookstore in the united states. i'm very, very happy to have these kinds of events. [applause] >> and, you know, i'm also happy but i've stopped being surprised to see a whole bunch of people deciding the best way they can spend their thursday evening is thinking about the beginning of the universe and the origin of time. but i do -- i do need to explain, you know, part of why this particular question is the question we're being asked. at one point, you know, i mentioned to a student that i was thinking about -- as lisa said why time runs forward rather than backwards. and the response was, and after th