you know, i can talk to you, and you understand it, but in germany or france or egypt they won't understandit. so i'm rearranging my life. [inaudible] [laughter] >> "predicting the unthinkable, anticipating the impo

because, you know, i can talk to you, and you understand it, but in germany or france or egypt they won't understand it. so i'm rearranging my life. >> georgie ann geyer's newest book is "predicting the unthinkable." thank you for being on booktv. >> thank you. >> edwin edwards was actually investigated some two dozen times. he had never been investigated before, never, in all his life n public life start anything 1954 all the way up until about 1972. and by the time, by the time he was taking the oath of office, there was a grand jury already investigating him. i mean, on the first day. edwin edwards is louisiana's only four-term governor. he was governor for 16 years. not consecutively. the state constitution only allows you to serve two consecutive terms, so he served in the 1970s and then again from '48-'88 -- '84-'88, and his last term was '92-'96. he was a record setter just in years alone, and i think that the way the political system is set up now, we'll probably never see that again. >> what kind of a governor was he? >> well, it depends on who you talk to, and i've talked to a l

year that we will see this day this announcement that downgrading of france or as having been one of the decisive moments. to egypt now where the former head of the un's nuclear watchdog mohamed el baradei has called off his bid for presidency he says he is not going to run as the old regime has never really gone away el baradei have been seen by many as one of the front running liberal candidates but one egyptian commentator says he never really is to the chance of losing the country. brothers stance to to not run for the presidency and withdrawing his candidacy is an extension to stance during the mubarak rule where he refused to be a presidential candidate in light of corruption so what he actually means by withdrawing his candidacy is to send a message out that the regime has still not fallen and that the sky are mubarak's extension and that the regime is extremely corrupt and so he hopes to bring light to the fact that nothing has changed in the regime he didn't have much of a chance under the current regime because it was still the same chances as he had during the mubarak regime the military wanted to maint

venezuela, kenya, and maybe egypt, political ansitions in the u.s., russia and france so you don't think -- you think that is a red herring to believe that will bring dramatic change or certaiy accelerated risk? >> everyone is talking about 2012 as being the year where there is massive political transition, in fact, about 50 percent of the world's gdp is having political transitions in 2012, they are scheduled and yet won't have a very significant impact in the united states, we are not gointo have any legislation this year, in france, even if polan wins over sarkozy whic looks likely, they have the same view on the euro zo, many want putin out and they are not going anywhere and in china we have known the next leaders for some time so no major instability in these transitions. >> rose: and no mayan apocalypse. >> no mayan a pock lis lips and if i am wrong we won't be talking about it so that is safe. >> rose: so if you had to look at those things where history is getting better, where is that .. for example number 2 here as a risk is g zero in the middle east which is something i assume means there is no great sense of coming together on the middle east. >> >> there

but in germany or france or egypt, they won't understand it. so i'm rearranged my life. i can still write. that's important. >> georgie ann geyer's new book, predicting the unthinkable, and the impossible. >> edwin edwards was actually investigated some two dozen times. he had never been invested before, never, in all his life and public life starting in 1954 all the way up till about 1972. and by the time -- by the time he was taking the oath of office, there was a grand jury already investigating him, i mean, on the first day. edwin edwards is louisiana's only four-term governor. he was governor for sectarian years, not consecutively but the state constitution only allows to you serve two consecutive terms so he served in the 1970s from '72 to '80 and, again, from '80 to '88 and his last term was '92 to '96. so he was a record-setter just in years alone. and i think that the way that the political system is set up now, that's -- we'll probably never see that again. >> what kind of governor was he? >> well, it depends who you talk to and i talked to a lot of people abou