i was involved in campaigning against senator jesse helms when i was in college. when i came out here i was not initially involved politically. i was involved in community work, helping to build the lgbt community center, doing neighborhood work, and i eventually started doing campaigns and gradually got more involved in democratic party politics. ultimately, in 2004, i ran for the democratic county central committee and ended up chairing the committee. it was a gradual process for me. by the time i started thinking about running for supervisor, it made sense because of my involvement in the community and the politics. i knock on about $15,000 -- i knocked on about 15,000 doors and a huge amount of people. the best way to learn about the city and what people want and what people's concerns are. i feel like i know so much more than before i started campaigning. i am a good liberal democrat. in the san francisco, miniature spectrum, i am considered pretty middle of the road. one thing about me is i am very independent when it comes to the issues, and i do not vote o

i was involved campaign against senator jesse helms when i was in college. when i cannot hear, and was not initially involved politically. -- when i came out here, i was not initially involved politically. i helped to build the lgbt community center. i started doing campaigns. i gradually got involved in democratic party politics. i got involved in the alice b. toklas democratic club. i ran for the democratic central committee in 2004. i ended up sharing the committee. it was a gradual process for me. by the time i started thinking about running for supervisor, it made sense because of my involvement in the community and in politics. >> what did you learn from campaigning for supervisor? >> i learned a lot. i knocked on about $15,000. -- i knocked about 15,000 doors. i met a huge number of people. that is the best way to learn about the neighborhood, the city, and what people want and what their concerns are. i feel i can do so much more than before and started campaigning. -- i feel like i know so much more than before i started campaigning. we're all part

jesse helms said, if you think freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why are they bartering away? a lot of people believe that. rand paul is one of those. he believes we're going to a bad place in the country economically and he wants to draw a line in the sand and say we're in trouble. >> how does the tea party come out of all of this? >> enormous winners. i have to say, i'm scratching my head in amazement they don't seem to think they won. but senator paul seems to kind of think they did. in the last eight months since they won the november election in the house of representatives, here's what's happened. a massive tax cut. i think way too targeted towards the rich but massive, $858 billion. bigger than the t.a.r.p. bailout and bigger than the obama stimulus package but cutting taxes is clearly a tea party priority. in april, the deal to keep the government functioning cut 35 to $38 billion from this year's budget. now this massive $2 trillion spending cut plan, i think it's a route. i don't support their agenda. but if it's cutting taxes and spending, good, lord, this thing say

jesse helms said, if you think freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why are they barttering away? a lot of people believe that. rand paul is one of those. he believes we're going to a bad place in the cou

i mean, hillary's got some bones in her and some--but-- you also wouldn't put them in jesse helms' territory no, no, that's right. my point is, these aren't people with a history of repression. that's right, not a history. so you sort of have to step back and say, you know, maybe something deep inside these folks really bothers them about the music, and what do you think it is? you know, it's just, like, difficult. it's cultural-- what it is, and so it's not racist. it's cultural, but it, you know, has racial overtones since all the artists they are attacking are black. it's cultural. their kids are listening to this music. you know, senator thompson, at one of the marketing accountability act hearings-- senator lieberman held this thing, and senator thompson, who's a republican, says, "i think that every young american, "especially boys, 14, 15 years old, "should hear--should see saving private ryan, "because i believe that builds character, "and they understand war, and they need to understand war." i said, "well, [...], "then every young person should see snoop dogg, "should hear snoop do

and yet the controversy surrounding that work led to jesse helms calling you a jerk on the floor of the u.s. congress, and you were-- you were vilified in the political world. what was that experience like? it was like something out of kafka where i wake up in the morning and found myself being denounced in congress. and of course, i never imagined that it would happen. the piece was not intended to be offensive or provocative, you know. at the time, i barely had any kind of reputation or audience so i didn't expect for it to do what it did. but, you know, it had its ups and downs, to say the least. (anderson) it was part of a larger series. you were working with several other kinds of objects immersed in different fluids. could you talk a little bit about the series itself? well, actually, i had begun working with, specifically, milk and blood and later went on to piss. but at first, the fluids were being used in a very abstract way. you know, sort of, you know, using them as pure color or pigment in the same way an artist would use paint, you know. but ultimately, i decided to refer i

she said jesse helms that because of his opposition to some aids research that she thought there might be some justice in his death. >> she has been there just as correspondent for years. i want to run that clip. >> i think you have to be worried about what is going on in the good lord's mind. if there is retreated justice, you think aids from a transfusion or one of your grandchildren will get it. >> that has been brought. why is that not provocative? ellen weiss was not the boss them. why are they not controversy and you are? >> that is a hard one. there is no question that she's making an offensive statements. it has been allowed to stand. i think there are people at npr q. are allowed full latitude in terms of making these statements with no consequence to them and their careers. >> why do you think they make exceptions? >> people are a part of that history. npr has been around since the early 70's. they are seen as the people who should have authority. i was not part of the club. i was not given the kind of protection for saying what was on my mind. i was burned out. >> i want to

a lot like jesse helms and so on. so it now finds itself in position of having, in its platform, issues which are not supported by majority of women, indeed are opposed by most. so, they, you know, as soon as hillary clinton won, so many vote, i said there's going to be a republican female vice president, because, you know, they are not -- they don't seem to understand, it's not about biology, it's about issues. >> what about the struggle -- i looked at the hbo documentary and saw that encounter you had with larry king on cnn and a woman called in and said may gloria steinem rot in hell. do you still find a hostility to the principle, to the activism? >> no, not really, very rare. were you surprised by that then? >> yes, i was surprised the that then. then there was somebody assisting the call to make sure they had a controversial caller, i discovered later. >> a lot of people who get through. >> no, no. there are -- the point is, to be able to choose, to have the power to make a choice. >> right. >> and the reason th