doug wilder is a force of nature as charming in person as he is demanding. his unparalleled success through his political and professional career is due in no small part to his take no prisoners style. he is alternately portrayed as the quintessential southern and gentleman or the fierce politician. however, in that time i have spent with him, i have found him to be neither of these extremes. i meant governor wilder for the first time i went to his office to ask him if he would consider writing a essay for this book. i began my pitch by talking about him, his life,, his career and all of the experiences he had overcome and accomplished. he brushed that aside with a smile. he wasn't interested in talking about himself. instead, as he mulled over i request he began telling stories about his mother and father's and the ways they had softened the jacket quarter for he and his siblings so it never threatened to consume their lives. he reminisced about the older black man in his neighborhood where he grew up who, having no real opportunity to go to school themselv

doug wilder is a force of nature. as charming in person as he is demanding. his unparalleled success throughout his political and professional career is due in no small part to his take-no-prisoners style. he is ultimately portrayed as the quintessential southern gentleman or the fears politician. however, in the time that i have spent with and i have found him to be neither of these extremes. i meant to governor wilder for the first time the de havilland to his office to ask him if he would consider writing an essay for this book. i began my pitch by talking about him, his wife. he brushed that aside. he was not interested in talking of himself. instead as he mulled over my request he began telling me stories about his mother and his father and the ways in which they had softened the jacket corners of poverty for him and his siblings said that it never threatened d to consume their lives. he reminisced about the older black men in his neighborhood where he grew up who, having had no real opportunity to go to school themselves, instilled in him a profound und

historian doug brinkley joins us now to talk about presidents and america's national parks. she the author of the new book, teddy roosevelt, wildernessarrior. doug brinkley, good morning. >> good morning to you, harry. >> why was roosevelt so determined to preserve some of america's great, last great places? >> well, as a kid he had asthma and he grew up in new york city and he found the nature secure -- >> he went to the adirondacks, later his mother and wife grew both died on valentine's day, he took a train ride to the badlands of north dakota and wrote a trilogy of books about the window earns there and decided that scenic wonders is what distinguished united states from europe. >> true, england has westminster abbey but we had yellowstone. >> they has the louvre, we had yellowstone. >> what did you talk about on the trip to west. >> there was a group of historians he had at the white house and i got to talk a little bit about my book on tr, the wilderness warrior and i went to the interior department and got to speak with secretary salazar, who is accompanying the president on to these national parks and they are just very keene

the book is titled, "the wilderness warrior" theodore roosevelt and the crusade for america. >> host: doug brinkley why did you want to start our conversation about your book at this center? >> guest: this is the national conservation training center. this is where biologists get trained, make sure that our rivers and that are marshlands are taking care of, that manage endangered species. it is the headquarters of u.s. fish and wildlife but conservationists leaders from all over the world come here for seminars and to learn proper methods and techniques. here on the side, like walking pastoral the pictures of karabell in alaska. roosevelt was interested in all of the wildlife including carabelle and what interests me is writing a book like "the wilderness warrior" is roosevelt really is the father of the u.s. fish and wildlife and john is known as the creator of the sierra club. is roosevelt that realizes the federal government has an obligation to save species, birds and animals, to save plants and trees and to be the president has no obligation to make sure that we put aside for generati

the great book, "the wilderness lawyer" goi warrior." let me ask you, dougbecause you're a historian. what is it that's in the water in washington now that's discouraging people from staying here? i mean kay bailey hutchens is heading back to texas to run for governor. martinez announced he's quitting. 19 reserve senators quit in the last several cycles. just leave. why are people giving up on public office especially in washington and why are so few heavyweights running for office? i mean, substantial people in their own right running for office. they're just not coming to politics. >> well, i think, you know -- once barack obama and the democrats won, a lot of republicans see it, it's a time to leave washington, maybe go back and make money in your own state or doing consulting. find a different career the way sarah palin may be going into book writing and media. the way mel martinez has said he wants to go into being with his family and making some money. that happens sometimes. i think what has to concern republicans is that the conservative movement see

doug, good to see you. i know you also are the author of the big teddy kennedy and the wilderness book, the big summer book,f theodore roosevelt. let's talk today about the kennedys. and what eunice shriver represented in terms of breaking through all of the old myths about people with special needs. >> well, you know, i see eunice shriver as part of a kind of humane reform movement in america that began in the 19th century. i think back to jane adams and wholehouse and chicago when miss adams did so much to help, at that point, just children and create foster programs and deal with the poor. you later have helen keller in the 20th century dealing with people that are deaf and blind. and by the 1960s, that era of so much going on in the humane movement in civil rights and in hispanic and indiana rights, women's rights, you have miss shriver stepping into the fray and picking up on special needs and continuing to kind of move how humans deal with other humans forward. and it's a very big legacy, because up until the '60s, particularly in the south, people were just put in these mental institutions and locked

doug also brinkley. he has a great new book out about one of the great presidents of all time, teddy roosevelt, it's called "the wilderness warrior." president obama soundsed an optimistic tone today. let's hear him. here is the president. >> we're pointed in the right direction. we're losing jobs at less than half the rate we were when i took office. we've pulled the financial system back from the brink and a rising market is restoring value to those 401(k)s that are the foundation of a secure retirement. >> douglas, we're watching a president who is going through a situation with the honeymoon over. he's now got to fight for his biggest goal of his first term. if he doesn't get it, he's a loser. heavy stakes. >> there are heavy stakes. ronald reagan used to always say keep your poll numbers up above 50%. barack obama has achieved that, but there has to be some worry of the slippage in poll ratings. the problem is barack obama's stimulus package, chris, it's going to take a while to know the results of that or the bailout of general motors, some of the controversial issues. so he has to hope that this recession gets bett