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

he said well would you do if i told you jesse helms adopted a child who was a real need?their folks like we don't question their motives. i've never since that moment in my first year question the motives of another member of congress or senate with whom i disagreed on that question and judgment. i think that's why i have the respect i have and i've been able to work as i have in the united states senate. that's a fundamental change barack obama and i will bring to this party, not questioning other people's motives. >> moderator: governor? palin: you did what i did as governor and appoint people regardless of party affiliation, democrat, independent, republican. he walks the walk, you don't just talk the talk. even my own family come a very diverse family coming and we have folks of all political persuasion who live curtin of knowing just that at the end of the day as long as we are all working together for the greater good it's going to be okay. but the policies and the proposals have got to speak for themselves also. and again, voters on november 4th are going to have t

a lot of conservatives to washington from wisconsin, but north carolina had conservatives like jesse helmsates are divided. both states are capable of sending progressives and conservatives to represent them. both have an urban and rural tradition as well. host: the times news has one of its front-page articles this morning, the economy expands at a moderate pace but that should have little impact on undecided voters. talk to me about the economy in the last four years in north carolina and what effect it is going to have in terms of getting out the vote and who people are going to vote for when they go to the polls. guest: that is why a lot of people assume that mitt romney will carry the state in 2012. this has been a very rough for years for the country, of course, but for north carolina in particular. the state's unemployment is 9.6%, one of the highest in the country. the main reason is that this is a very heavy manufacturing economy. the state has traditionally taken it on the chin with textiles and furniture. a lot of it was in decline anyway, losing their base overseas to foreign c

he said, what if i told you jesse helms adopted a child with braces who was in need? i said i would feel like a joke. he said everyone is sent here from where they are in life. don't question that motive. i have never since that moment questioned the motive of another member of the congress, i have questioned their judgment. i think that's why i have been able to work in the united states senate. that's the fundamental change barack obama and i will bring to this party, not questioning other people's motives. >> you do what i did as governor, and you appoint people regardless of party affiliation, democrats, independents, republicans. you walk the walk, you don't just talk the talk. even in my own family, it is a very diverse family. we have folks of all political persuation in there, also, so i have grown up just knowing that at the end of the day, as long as we're all working together for the greater good, it's going to be ok. but the policies and the proposals have got to speak for themselves also. and again, voters are going to have that choice to either support t

>> because beginning with the civil rights act of 19 -- old jesse helms kind of democrats began to despairthe inclusiveness of the democratic party, leave, and take over the republican party. all the religious and economic extremists who used to be democrats have taken over the republican party. i apologize to my republican friends who are real republicans. nixon supported the equal rights amend, goldwater was pro-choice -- >> what would be the purpose to put in your platform 14th amendment rights, life, liberty, and property to a fertilized egg. i understand all the views about the philosophy of when life begins. i understand the debate. it's on. but the idea of giving rights of property, this is almost ridiculous. it does tend to justify criminalalization. >> of course. of course it's criminalizing if the fertilized egg is a person, then you have nationalized women's bodies throughout our child bearing years. but the point is we don't quite understand the importance of controlling reproduction. they're controlling reproduction. >> there's a lot more consensus in this country about birth

go back through the history of using that phrase in politics it's basically jesse helms, people sayinghese out of staters, these big city folk, they're not one of us. obama is using it in a totally different way. he's saying not one of us, i say rich uncle pennybags but the guy who owns the nuclear power plant in simpson's land. and it is really clearly been effective. >> not a blue collar guy like obama? >> sort of the great analogy. obama had trouble with the blue collar vote in 2008 and now like -- >> shifting the ladder shifting that it's now -- >> as ted strickland told me a couple of days ago obama benefitted in ohio but running against mitt romney. it's the comparison that matters. and he's been able to establish that comparison. romney just has not fought the battle. >> the only man in the united states capable of making barack obama look like jackie gleason in "the honeymooners is mitt romney. the area where economic argument romney has been putting forth is hitting home. in the a.p. poll today, i'm not sure numbers are kosher, but there's parody in the a.p. poll in terms of t

. >> any jesse helm offender.nsfusion or one of his grandchildren will get it. ♪ >> it finally dawned on me the person reminded me of facially all this time is -- including the glasses. ♪ this advice, mr. bush, shut the hell up! good night and good luck. ♪ >> they waived signs likening president obama to hitler and the devil. raising questions about whether he was born in the country. falsely accused him of setting up debt panels to cry the speech to indocket nation and called him everything from a socialist to a communist. add it up ensome promise inept obama supporters are saying that paints the pick of opposition driven in part by a refusal to accept a black president. >> the republicans lie. they want to see you dead. they would rather make money off your dead cork. they like it when the woman has cancer and they don't have anything for her. ♪ >> rush limbaugh is beginning to look more like mr. big. at some point he's going explode like a giant blimp. ♪ i'm not getting used to the big screen thing. i feel like

it is a pretty divided state and sends conservatives to washington and raleigh like jesse helms but it also has political progressives. it has been pretty much a moderate state traditionally. it has had a tremendous influx of people from other parts of the country and that has had a moderating influence, particularly big metropolitan areas. that has been changing the politics over the years. in addition, it has a significant african-american population. 22% of the electorate is african-american which is the largest in a battleground state. the group has been supportive of president obama. all those factors have put north carolina into play it. >. host: recently rode an article -- for those who have spent time in some of these days, give us the comparison between north carolina and wisconsin. guest: people like to group states geographically. the like to compare north and south carolina but actually, ideologically, north carolina matches wisconsin which is counter intuitive. that is where north carolina is aligned closest when you look at how the gallup organization rated north carolina

>> guest: jesse helms sets me off pretty bad. i'm--i just find him a--a mean-spirited person. there are a few others. c-span: you talk a lot about texans in your book. phil gramm? >> guest: phil gramm, there's another one. he's--he's--there's something in addition to--to the mean-spiritedness. there's a kind of smarminess about gramm that i find distasteful. but then i don't like him. some people do. c-span: congressman tom delay from houston? >> guest: oh, no. now we're talking about my favorite trio of bozos. c-span: they are? >> guest: tom delay, dick armey and bill archer are these three powerful republican congressmen from texas, and i must say of the three delay is probably the only one who is actively stupid. the other two are really fairly bright. i just happen not to agree with them politically. but delay, sometimes you do have to question that man's sense. c-span: like what? >> guest: oh, he--one of his ideas is that we should bring back ddt. he's--he's one of those people who thinks that environmentalism is--is a--a non--a nonsensical and pernicious thing. he wants

as the republican party you know it is populated by the pat buchanan, jesse helms, james falk well, isspite it looks like a gop convention. >> you know what, in terms of my political views i hold them in check. i don't think that someone who watches is inclined to think that i am one way or another. >> okay. kind of gets you right here. for the third finalist, we decided we need somebody who is perky christian is not pretty. diane sawyer is not pretty. andrea mitchell might have been perky 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. [laughter] katie couric is perky. to be honest i didn't think that perky katie had a video i can assure you she is well qualified to serve as the worst reporter in the history of man and or woman. >> president carter you are now considered one of the world's foremost states the country is ever had. your reputation has been bolstered tremendously since you left office. how does that make you feel? >> do you think the american people are not ready for a woman who is as accomplished and career oriented as hillary clinton? you're speech at the 1992 republican national convention

he said, "what would you do if i told you jesse helms and dot helms had adopted a child who had bracesd was in real need? " i said, "i'd feel like a jerk." he said, "joe, understand one thing. everyone's sent here for a reason, because there's something in them that their folks like. don't question their motive." i have never since that moment in my first year questioned the motive of another member of the congress or senate with whom i've disagreed. i've questioned their judgment. i think that's why i have the respect i have and have been able to work as well as i've been able to have worked in the united states senate. that's the fundamental change barack obama and i will be bring to this party, not questioning other people's motives. >> governor? >> you do what i did as governor, and you appoint people regardless of party affiliation, democrats, independents, republicans. you -- you walk the walk; you don't just talk the talk. and even in my own family, it's a very diverse family. and we have folks of all political persuasion in there, also, so i've grown up just knowing that, you k

a lot of conservatives to washington from wisconsin, but north carolina had conservatives like jesse helms and liberals like gary sanford. both states are divided. both states are capable of sending progressives and conservatives to represent them. both have an urban and rural tradition as well. host: the times news has one of its front-page articles this morning, the economy expands at a moderate pace but that should have little impact on undecided voters. talk to me about the economy in the last four years in north carolina and what effect it is going to have in terms of getting out the vote and who people are going to vote for when they go to the polls. guest: that is why a lot of people assume that mitt romney will carry the state in 2012. this has been a very rough for years for the country, of course, but for north carolina in particular. the state's unemployment is 9.6%, one of the highest in the country. the main reason is that this is a very heavy manufacturing economy. the state has traditionally taken it on the chin with textiles and furniture. a lot of it was in decline anyway,

one of my role models, some of you may have heard of him jesse helms. we stand on campus, senator helms is role model when it comes to working across the aisle. i continue think anyone would argue he would ever comprise the principles. that is the one thing heed to for what he believes is right. i remember he and ted kennedy work on issues together. i remember him working across the aisle many times on different issues with different senate and i remember him being voted the most liked senate republicans and democrats alike because of the approach. and so i believe number one is people in the other side of the aisle have to trust you, they have know when you take a position based upon your principles, and so they know they can trust you. they're not going switch back and forth to one side of the issue because on politics. trust is important. and secondly, you have to make the effort. you have to be willing to walk across the other side of the chamber and stick out your hand and talk to someone. i was the chief of staff in washington before i came home t