host: faiz shakir is the editor in chief of the progress.ere is the associate editor of real clear politics. we're here to talk about congress wrapping up in the influence of media on politics. there is a front-page story this morning in roll-call about the gop in their plants over the recess. they planned to blast away over the fourth of july recess. they get these breaks in congress. how affected our party is getting a message through to the public, particularly in the stretch but this holiday? guest: it requires a lot of grassroots work. unique coalition-building out in the states, districts to amplify your message. if you are focused on a message in washington, d.c., advertising and places like "roll-call" or "the washington post," it has a limited effect. you have to go back home and attend fourth of july parades. you have to hook their messages are bombarding in getting across to constituents in the home states. i think they're effective when targeted that way. host: it is kind of the down time for politics in general. what are you loo

faiz shakir, i hope to be embarrassed about not trying to bring certain things to lead. the media as far as i am concerned it is totally in the tank for this president on every level. look at health care and abc. why didn't the network bring up people like me who it is getting ready to retire? i believe that congress is exempt from the health care plan they're trying to give us, that they have about the best health care plan in the world and still be able to get it. when i have freedom of choice can i sign on to them? also, can you tell me as a baby boomer why isn't anyone bringing to light -- how many people do think will get medicare and the next seven years? i am the original baby boomer from 1946. it will be catastrophic. all of those people will go off private. host: lots to respond to. guest: thank you for the question. i have a book camino with howard dean about health care reform. the fundamental problem of the next 50 years will be the cost of health care. it is rising out of control and if you do not put into place fundamental measures to bring in those costs,

host: faiz shakir is the editor in chief of the in progress. what is the affiliation of it? guest: we are affiliated with a liberal think tank that is about 200 employees. we advocate for many progressive reforms. think progress is the official blog. we have been in existence for about four years. we are rapid response blog that puts out all kinds of stories over the course of the day rebutting conservative myths, putting out progressive stances on things. host: real clear politics came to light in 2000. what is it doing now in terms of the coverage of the administration and congress? guest: one of our most popular things is to track all polls for presidential and congressional approval. we average the numbers of although in a mix of one clear number that people can look at. host: when you hear faiz shakir say about the poll of members on healthcare and it does not resonate in the senate, the fund that in other cases also? -- do find that in other cases also? guest: a suddenly find that republicans will find one poll that matches their rhetoric and use that one even at three

tomorrow on "washington journal" a political roundtable of faiz shakir. >> "washington journal" is live at 7 a.m. eastern, here on c-span. >> how is c-span funded? >> publicly funded. >> donations maybe, i have no idea. >> government. >> c-span gets its funding through taxes. >> sort of a federal funding. >> how is c-span funded? 30 years ago, american cable companies created it as a public service of the a private initiative. >> the prime minister has been caught red-handed. and if he believes in transparency and honesty and truth in public life. he would get up and say, i am sorry, i got it wrong, i gave the wrong figures, here the right ones. now do it. >> now from london, prime minister's questions from the british how the of commons. this week john birduron is speaking since been elected on monday. and later gordon brown answers questions on the iraq war and government spending plans. . rebuild gaza city. >> questions to the prime minister, patrick hall. >> may i welcome you to your first prime minister's questions as speaker of the house. >> mr. speaker, before listing my engageme

. >> faiz shakir is the editor of a local newspaper. we're talking about congress wrapping up and the influence of media on politics. there's a front-page story in the on the roll call pokey about the gop and their plans of the fourth of july recess. how effective are parties at getting their message through to the public, particularly through july 4 recess? guest: it requires gas -- grassroots work. people need to amplify your message. if your focus on a d.c. message, advertising in "roll- call" or "the washington post," many of these groups are hoping their messages are bombarding both the lawmakers and their staffs and constituents, getting across the message. they are effective when they started in that fashion. host: it is a down time for politics in general. what are you looking at as the recess developed? guest: the districts that democrats have won over the past two election cycles have been taken from republicans. republicans are targeting those districts which would be the ones easiest to win back. this recess time that they h

. >> tomorrow, on washington journal, faiz shakir and kyle trygstad and peter brooks and then gerald herbert. washington journal is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c- span. >> tomorrow, on c-span2, a look at india relations with the obama administration. that begins at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span2. >> how is c-span funded? >> publicly funded? >> donations may be? i have no idea. >> government? >> it gets its funding through taxes. >> public funding quantum marquis may be, i don't know. >> it is a private business initiative. no government mandate, no government money. >> , up next, president obama signs a bill that expands the food and drug administration's authority to regulate tobacco products. this is just over 10 minutes.

. >> tomorrow, faiz shakir end of kyle from real clear politics discuss a variety of topics. next, peter brookes will also speak topic. will be lead at 7:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> conservation and the beginning of the 20th century was a battle. just like now on land issues. this historian on teddy roosevelt and his leading role in the early days of the conservation movement. >> he was not where you call a holistic. he believed in hunting. he did not believe in hunting so that you would make a species extinct. yes, he cared about butterflies, wild flowers. he wanted to make sure we have a place for that in modern society. >> tonight, part two would douglas brinkley. that will be at 8:00 p.m. on c- span. or you can listen on xm satellite radio. or listen on podcast. >> this week on prime minister's questions, the fate of british hostages in iraq and a house inquiry. he also in his questions about government spending and u.k. jobs. we will then show you the ceremony to welcome the new speaker, john, who presided over his first questions time since being elected. that is toni

captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> tomorrow, a political roundtable with faiz shakir. a look at present rigid preventing weapons of mass destruction with peter brooks -- a look at preventing weapons of mass destruction with peter brookes. "washington journal" is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c- span. tomorrow on c-span2, a look at u.s.-india relations and the obama administration with remarks by india's ambassador to the u.s. that begins live at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span2. >> how is c-span funded? >> publicly funded. >> donations may be? i have no idea. >> government. >> c-span gets its funding through federal funding. >> a public funding thing. >> may be. i don't know. >> 30 years ago, america's cable companies created c-span as a public-service, a private business initiative. no government mandate, no government money. >> next, from this morning's "washington journal," a discussion on the economy and unemployment. this lasts about an hour. host: we are talking about the u.s. economy. peter morrissey \ ici is an ecos professor. how was the economy doing? guest: