so the fdr administration with the exception of fdr's second vice president henry wallace. he actually supported the era but pretty much everyone else in the fdr administration did not because the fdr administration was really full of a lot of liberal protectionists and again the thinking for liberal protectionists, is that women needed sex specific labor laws because women had special needs that special treatment would recognize and fulfill and i just have a great. little antidote to add here when fdr had passed away alice. paul supposedly said the greatest threat to the amma has now been removed. so so that just shows you how intensely opposed to the era the fdr administration was now truman though actually came out in support of the eri when he was a senator and then he reafford reaffirmed that support when he became president and a part of that the significance of that is it just shows how much the era had gained in popularity during the 1940s. but as i talk about i think it's in chapter 5 he started to back away from the amendment a lot through the course of his presid

he had been in the wilson administration with fdr. as attorney general, mick reynolds had drafted, in effect, a court packing plan. when cummings found that and told it to roosevelt, they both thought it was such an incredibly wonderful karmic thing to take on mick reynolds. i think they got too attached to the idea. that held their enthusiasm in february, march, and into the springtime finally before recalibration started. >> we have another question from my wife, what determines what's level of justices are on the court? does congress have the power to change that number? could they change it down? as you said earlier, it's been five, it's been seven. you know, is that? >> it is entirely a statutory manner. it is an axe judiciary act, if you will. to create a supreme court seat, if one became vacant it could abolish one. i do not think a law can abolish a sitting justice. the constitution protects against that. also in older history and in recent history we have seen that the senate has the power to sit on a nomination. that happene

he was in the wilson administration with fdr. and as attorney general, mcreynolds had drafted, in effect, a court-packing plan. when cummings found that and told it to roosevelt, they both thought it was just such an incredibly wonderful, karmic thing to take on mcreynolds with the mcreynolds proposal, if you will, that i think they got too attached to the idea, and that kind of held their enthusiasm in february and march and into the springtime before, finally, recalibration starts. >> so we've got another question here. from hi wife, she wants to know what determines how many justices can be on court? if does congress have the power to change that number, and can they change it down? as you said earlier, it's been five, it's been seven, you know? basically -- >> that is entirely a statutory matter. it's an ex-judiciary act, if you will. it could create a supreme court seat, or the one became vacant, it could abolish one. i don't think a law could abolish a sitting justice. the constitution protects against that. and also in old

one of the key members of fdr's administration? >> thank, you paul. i really appreciate being on with you and john. i'm a distinguish lecture at baruch college, as you mentioned, in that capacity supervise our archives collection in the newman library. -- collection of the papers of -- a member of the committee that reorganize the executive branch for fdr. that came up, actually, right in the middle of the court packing fight. that's interesting. i also was on the new york times for 45 years, one of my happiest stories, actually, was being up at the roosevelt hohman library to do a story on top cottage in 2001 when it was renovated. also, i have written a lot about the holocaust and robert jackson rolls prosecutor at nuremburg. it's a very sterling episode, the prosecution of these nazi criminals. anyway, and, i should say, i came into the subject through a book called 168 days, which is a virtual diary of the court packing controversy by, it's co-written by turner can bridge, who is editor of the new york times when i started there 1964. it was a boo

it dates back to the fdr administration, if not longer.the reality of our system of government, political gravity. the democrats started off as underdogs. then they had to contend with a string of really bad luck, part of it just the end of the pandemic's worth phase. getting back to normal, they were lingering supply chain issues from the pandemic, led to concerns -- that very well-documented baby formula shortage. those supply chain issues were also one factor in a record high -- inflation, which again, was afflicting basically every country across the world. but, you know, you can't tell voters, well, everyone is in the same boat. it really did seem poised to be the single undoing of the biden administration. pardon of that inflation where the enormous high gas prices. another issue for incumbent democrats. republicans, again, this is a political layup. taking every opportunity to talk about the price at the pump and how it's democrats fault. of course, part of the reason gas prices were so high is the biden administration was trying to

it dates back to the fdr administration, if not longer. it's the reality of our system g

being the fourth largest city in the country world war is one and two and the presidential administrations of fdr dwight eisenhower and lbj. and my book documents two lies remarked marked by remarkable success in business politics government and good works and their lives reflected as shared purpose to use their considerable talents and influence. to benefit their communities their state and their country. it took me more than 700 pages not two thousand. i've missed count. i miscounted it. took me more than 700 pages to tell their dual stories and if that seems excessive, please remember that it's actually two books in one two biographies. so you get texas and 19. excuse me, 1878. he moved his with his family to houston where he got a job at the houston post when he was 17 years old after making a name for himself as a reporter and editor. he was lured beaumont, texas in 1907 to serve as editor and publisher the beaumont enterprise beaumont was the center of the oil industry in texas in that period of time as we're spindle top was discovered. as a boomtown in other words in 1914 after gaining sta

any textbook written i know earlier than 20 years ago said that this was fdr's colossal mistake of his administration. a 1937 high on this great landslide in 1936. he tried to create a 15 justice court. so that he could ram through what had been termed on constitutional new deal protocol what is not said about it was it was pretty effective because a lot of the subsequent supreme court decisions favored fdr in fear that would always do that. so when people say they're going to pack the court as elizabeth warren did the other day angry about the versus wade preliminary leak. what she's really saying is we're going to keep saying we're going to pack the court pack the court pack the court pack the court until justice roberts or someone else says, please don't in his mind. please don't pack the core. we'll give you a decision. that would not want you to park the court why pack the court when you can get so that's the purpose of it. we're seeing efforts to get rid of the electoral college. nobody ever says i want to get rid of the electoral college because the founders were wrong because when we get rid

fdr. he appointed eight9 justices during his administration.

she pushes fdr to form the national youth administration, which was the first government agency to replicate what we know now as americorps. but this being the early days of the new deal, it was all white. eleanor roosevelt and mary mcleod bethune say no. and eleanor roosevelt convinces mary mcleod bethune to join the government, to be minority affairs director of the national youth association in a position she used as an entree to what became the black cabinet. now we are finally understanding what black cabinet did because at first we say it is just the black folks they brought into the administration and some were really good but some they just brought in to bring black folks. bethune and eleanor united to fight that. and how did they fight that? i want to give you three quick examples. the first is they helped found the southern conference for human welfare in the mid-1930's. it was the first biracial organization in the south of civil rights demonstrators. as well as government officials. what did they fight? they fought inadequate health care. they fought substandard schools, and most

hell of a run and made people that said he was wrong to compare himself earlier in the administration with lbj and fdrhave margins, he wouldn't get this done. this passage of the version of build back better would make people say maybe it wasn't wiz to say those things. is that going to translate for democrats in the mid-terms? >> well, i think that things have fundamentally changes, john, from where they were in may and early june in the national environment. what's the national environment? is there a red wave? where is this headed? and the quality of the candidates and what they run on and their messaging. and i think what's happened is a combination of things what joe biden has done demonstrated competency of the democratic party, so they can run on a contrast message of competency and we get stuff done versus crazy and the other side off the deep end. that's one thing gas prices have dropped. roe v. wade has entered into the environment that's going to benefit democrat, and add to that january 6th commission. all of those things are going to make it better for democrats in november. >> i want to

the second is he himself and his administration set such high expectations, the new new deal, the new fdr and so on, that really sizable accomplishments now seem like compromises that are less than they really are. so he's done himself -- and the third, john, is just performative. it is not about performance in office. it is about performance in front of the camera. and, you know, the president is not stellar in front of cameras now. he appears old to a lot of people. that has hurt him. but the fact is the record is really, really impressive. >> debate in the -- in a new york house race last night that had an incredibly interesting moment. it was hosted by the way there, dear friend of the show, errol louis, and this is what happened when the candidates were asked if joe biden should run for re-election. >> should president biden run again in 2024? >> yes. >> mr. nadler? >> too early to say. doesn't serve the purpose of the democratic party to deal with that until after the midterms. >> miss maloney? >> i don't believe he's running for re-election. >> mic drop. >> john king, what do you t

and other people in the new deal administration, especially franklin and his very abel wife, eleanor, astutely cultivated the press. reporters came to blame fdr -- they came to praise fdr and eleanor for what went right, and blame francis for what went wrong. part of the reason she avoided them was to protect your husbands privacy, and that of her daughter. deep rooted sexism was a problem for her, to. even when she played a key role in action many of the men involved would decline from mentioning her in their memoirs. as though they would be seen as less if they were associating with a woman. some men in the cabinet were spitefully ellis of her friendship with fdr, which they found inexplicable. and later, the same sixes among scholars in the 20th century, those responsible for the seminal counts of the new deal chose to overlook or dismiss francis perkins contributions. i would like to ask you to take a look at some of the books about the new deal that you may have, including some in your own home library. once you read my book, you will be amazed at what was omitted. but even amid all of this criticism, francis perkins took enormous pride

been done during the obama administration with high unemployment and looking for projects to create employment. don't wait for the lowest unemployment in decades and go on a fdr hiring spree. that part is stupid and if you're finding money abroad from the supposed rich people and that's not going to take years and the current spending is going on by consumers. if you want to hit that and inflation reduction plan would be a tax on those consumers. maybe a payroll tax increase to fix the bankrupt payroll system. it's not going on audits of people offshoring money. that's a good, noble cause to be done. again, i would do it when we had high unemployment but that's not an inty inflation program and this program as it sits is inflationary in the short run and argue any tax collections that would happen because of the new auditors would be disinflationary and sucking in money that's getting taxed and has nothing to do with the current situation with high inflation. kennedy: talk about unemployment being historically low. what if it gets lower and inflation goes higher? what happens then? >> then we are going to need higher interest rates to punish the economy to re

administration high tough road ahead that way. >> and, i always say if i could write about these three man not fdr, teddy roosevelt, woodrow wilson and henry gavel lodge. i know it is very dramatic in the twilight of the gods, this was a colossal battle in american history. i hope now, with the suffering in ukraine, we understand it was not just isolated in 1960 and the 19 twenties. it is a battle of what is america's role on the world stage wilson has made that colossal jump to, we have to get out there, it sounds so to me, make the world safe for democracy but it is happening right now. there was a great movement in american history not to go in that direction. he was wrong and he had gone away past one american president should do. that is the lodge end of things. it was a colossal battle. i keep thinking about both of my fellow historians must know this. when johnson comes to the white house to do the painting of wilson and he is entertained by edith, and woodrow. they said, what is wrong with him, he is acting crazy. he has been sent in by henry lodge to paint something demonic and animal-like in wilson's portrait. he goes b

probably the most important of the roosevelt administration's at that moment in terms of recognizing how things were about to go home with the creation of what fdr had made and dreamed of the united nations. she had some thoughts of our own about, that about almost everything. her main contribution to the country at this moment, which was a moment of terrible trauma. people losing their president of 12 years and then losing the president, their war leader were losing a they had a primal sense of loss of a of a father. people rock to their core. and when eleanor stepped forward and made a very firm and clear statement about how the country was going to move forward, and one of the first things she did when she saw harry truman who was summoned from, she herself was brought back from a top she was giving and a sense of what was happening. she saw the present with that, she was in washington at the selma tory pub. she came back to the white house and she was seven from -- the senate. and harry truman came upstairs and there was mrs. roosevelt, and there was anna roosevelt, and several of roosevelt's assistance and so forth. and she said forward and

probably the most important of the roosevelt administration at that moment in terms of notizing how things were about to go with the creation of what ellen fdr had named and dreamed of the united nations that she had some thoughts of her own about that about almost everything at that point. he her her main i think to country at this moment, which was a moment of terrible trauma people losing their president of 12 years and in losing their president their war leader. we're losing a figure a primitive a primal sense of loss a father a chieftain a some you were what people were rocked to their core and and eleanor stepped forward and made a very firm and clear statement about how the country was going to move forward and one of the first things she did when she saw harry truman who was summoned from she herself was brought back from a a talk. she was given and sense what was happening. she was told the president was dead. she was in washington at the sawgrave club. she came back to the white house and harry truman was summoned from the senate and he walked in and and came upstairs and and there was this is roosevelt and there was a anna rooseve

fdr and lbj. whether the victories of recent weeks will prove to be a decisive turning point for mr. biden's presidency or a transitory moment in an otherwise bleak administration that remains to be seen. host: that is what we are asking you is it a turning point? do you see a turning point? what are your thoughts on the biden presidency in the wake of these recent edges laid up wins. republicans (202) 748-8001 democrats (202) 748-8000 and independents (202) 748-8002 just running through some of the major legislation that has been passed or is expected to pass soon. it is the inflation reduction act that was taken up over the weekend and past -- if you're watching on c-span two hours and hours of those the house inspected to come in early tomorrow at 9:00 eastern to begin work to pass that speaker nancy pelosi says she will put that on the president's desk. she has a margin to do so if all republicans vote against the legislation. and there is the chips less act investing some 50 billion dollars in semiconductor manufacturing industry. the pact act honoring the pact that expands health care and benefits for those export exposed to burn pits. signing that into l

administration into the ground? leader of the progressive movement that convinced biden to try to become a new fdr without the fdr-likean biden. shows you the problem democrats have. >> bill: ron johnson is in a reelection campaign. he was hot on fire about the f.b.i. over the weekend going back to the laptop story, hunter biden. listen to what senator johnson had to say. >> it is important the american public understand the f.b.i. had hunter biden's laptop in december of 2019. here we are in end of july, early august of 2022, what have they done with it? no, you can't trust this department of justice and f.b.i. to get to the bottom of this. >> bill: he has felt this way for a long time and if you listen to johnson, people are coming to him and grassley, senator grassley, and giving them information, marc. go. >> that's exactly right. what people need to understand this is not republican senators accusing the f.b.i. of wrongdoing. these are people within the f.b.i. coming to grassley and johnson. chuck grassley is the nonpartisan champion of whistleblowers from left to right. everybody knows if you see wrongdoing you

administration. periodically there is some different changes to it. but for the most part,, it remained a bedroom. even though herbert hoover called at the lincoln study, fdr called at the lincoln study. and then the lincoln bedroom after harry truman. but there was this interest about what to do with this room to sort of restore some of the historical elements. you're calling at the lincoln bedroom, why not go back to the true lincoln era when lincoln actually used the space. so, i wanted to ask our panelists to talk us through this project. but all went into it and how it came about and how it was executed. i move the floor open to whoever would like to start. >> these two. >> during lincoln's time, that room was not the bedroom, it was his office. the lincoln era furnishings were not placed in their, in the lincoln bedroom, created in 1945 under president truman. so, up until the early 2000s, the room, as matt mentioned, hadn't really changed much since the truman renovation. in fact, the carpeting you're seeing at some of those early photos was actually installed in that room in 1952. so, as you can imagine, by the early 2000s there was dry rot. it was

fdr and eleanor, i think, and hyde park. you can see the outline of the braces on his withered legs here. both women very complicated relationship, right? both women aspired the deep influence and their husbands administrations arguably, mary had less than she would've liked. eleanor had quite a bit of influence. >> when we first started talking about the preparation for the office, and i mention that franklin roosevelt was a little bit of a camel oh, fabulous young man, he was rich, everything came his way, two things happened to him to tournament to them and he became as president. one of those was polio, clearly. it gave him empathy for those who struggled in life because he struggled in life. i think that had a profound effect on his attitude, the new jail, taking care of people he couldn't take care of himself. the other is eleanor. i think you recognized in that 19 year old woman he met, if you see pictures of her when she's 19, she's quite a beautiful young woman. i think you fall in love with her, and in many ways, remained in love with her -- lucy rutherford notwithstanding -- all his life. she was his conscience. she was the one who said, franklin, that lynch law, you've got to say something about

fdr and eleanor i think in hyde park. roosevelt you can see the outline of the races on his withering legs here. very complicated relationship, right? >> both women aspiring to deep influence in their husbands administrations. arguably mary hadn't less than she would have liked and eleanor had quite a bit of influence. >> yeah, when we first are talking about reparation for the office and i mention that franklin roosevelt was a little bit of a kowloon, backless young man. he was handsome, he was rich, everything came his way. two things happened to him to turn him into the man that he was as president. one was polio, clearly i gave him empathy for those who struggled in life because he's struggled in life. and i really do think that that had a profound impact on his whole attitude about the new deal and taking care of people who could not take care of themselves. but the others clearly eleanor i think that he recognized in that 19-year-old women that he met. if you see pictures of her when she was 19, she is actually quite a beautiful young woman. and i think he fell in love with her. and in many ways remained in love with her. lucy rutherford notwithstanding all of his life. and she was his conscience. sh

administration. and you know periodically there were some different changes to it, but for the most part it remained a bedroom and you know, even though herbert hoover called it the lincoln study fdr called it the lincoln study and then the lincoln bedroom after harry truman. but there was this interest about what to do with this room to sort of restore some of the historical elements that you know, you're calling it the lincoln bedroom, so why not go back to the true lincoln era when lincoln actually used the space and so i wanted to ask our panelists to sort of talk us through this project what all went into it and and how it came about and how it was how it was executed. so i'll leave the floor open to whoever would like to start these two. well during lincoln's time that room was not the bedroom. it was his office the lincoln area furnishings were not placed in there in the lincoln bedroom created until 1945 under president truman. so up until the early 2000s the room as a matt mentioned. i hadn't really changed much since the truman renovation. in fact the carpeting that you were seeing in some of those early photos. was actually installed in that room in 1952. so as you can

fdr and lbj. whether the victories will prove to be a decisive turning point for mr. biden's presidency or merely a transitory moment in an otherwise bleak administration remains to be seen. is it the turning point, do you see it as a turning point. what are your thoughts on the biden presidency in the wake of some of these recent legislative wins. republicans 202-748-8001. democrats 202-748-8000. independents 202-748-8002. running through some of that legislation, it is the inflation reduction act. that senate took that up over the weekend and pass that on c-span. hours and hours of votes, the house expected to come in a bit earlier to begin work to pass that. speaker nancy pelosi says she will put that on the president's desk. she has a four vote margin to do so if all republicans vote against that legislation. there's also that act investing in the u.s. semiconductor manufacturing industry. the pact act honoring that expands v.a. health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits. signed that into law yesterday. recent uncontrolled legislation, the approval of sweden and finland to join nato, that's all some of the recent major legislation t

south or fdr, i think he has to do that, his policies have not been seated and therefore what does he have? he needs trump to be in his p play. ashley: it is interesting, the administration's compare him to donald trump in front of the camera every day as long as he wanted, he's been out vacationing, he's not around a lot, what a surprise you -- it's been 200 days since joe biden sat down for a televised interview with the media, that is remarkable. >> well, the media is the third line of support. they go soft on him. imagine if trump called someone semi- fascist. it would be a story for days. first of all, to define fascism which i don't biden can, they would be all over him but especially when promoting unity. that is the important thing about the attacks on trump. they are not just attacks on trump, they are attacks on trump voters just as hillary calls them deplorable, now they are semifascist. we may find out before the end of this week there's something else. ashley: right. midterms are 70 days away. ben shapiro issued a new warning to republicans, he says is a reason democrats are eager to keep trump at the center of the conversation. half of independence day trump