i remember getting a call from obama.i was in chicago and he called me from washington and he just said i had the strangest conversation with harry reid and chuck schumer. chuck schumer was there as well. and he said, i didn't know why they were calling me over there, but they told me that they think i should think about running for president. and it was almost with bewilderment that he made this. and as we talked it through, he said, listen, you know, these are serious people and i owe it to myself, to them to take this seriously. and i do think -- you know, it may be that barack obama would have gotten there anyway, but there is absolutely no doubt that that conversation in the spring of 2006 was pivotal in terms of prodding him to take the next step and begin to think very seriously about running. and that relationship was strong throughout. on the final swing of the 2012 campaign, we stopped in las vegas and senator reid, who was the democratic leader, was asking -- asked for a meeting with the president and he wanted

then, former president obama.nt biden will be giving his remarks as we look right now at one of harry reid's sons, that being key reid, and they are talking about their father in such emotional context. actually, that is josh. key has just wrapped up. that is josh reid. josh was preceded by key, his brother, and his sister, lana, and it really is quite something to listen to that through the control booth and we may be bringing you some of the children's recollections, again, so emotional about the father they clearly adored and admired so much. i'm joined by leigh ann caldwell once again along with my panel, carol mosley braun, geoff bennett, alaina beverly and eugene daniels. i know you were inside of that performing arts center for a few minutes. talk about the mood there. >> yeah, it was somber, of course, because people are extremely sad. he touched so many people's lives, but it was also -- there was a moment of celebration as well. people who haven't seen each other in years. of course, coming together for

they don't president obama -- they don't want president obama to appoint any judges to certain courts. the need for change is so very obvious. it is clearly visible. it is manifest that we have to do something to change things. in the history of our country, some 230 plus years, there have been 160 filibusters and judicial nominations. half of them have occurred in the obama administration. 230 plus years, 50%. 4.5 years, 50%. is there anything fair about that? these nominees deserve an up or down vote, yes or no. the republican filibusters denied them a fair vote, any vote, and deny the president. gridlock has consequences. it is not only bad for president obama, but for this body, the united states senate, it is bad for our country. it is bad for our national security and bad for our economic security. that is why it is time to get the senate working again, not for the good of the current democratic majority or some future republican majority, but for the good of the united states of america. it is time to change the senate before this institution becomes obsolete. mr. president, at

post obama time during the george floyd moment. when you first encountered obama as a political presence and you write about this in one of the pieces in your book, i think it's called barack ask. what were your hopes and to what degree were they dashed to if you look back on it now? >> the thing that was interesting about obama was the no precedent. he wasn't the product of some immediate trauma. there hadn't been a kind of sympathetic move for recompense. he just emerged out of nowhere at a moment when even the people who study race and the political scientists and sociologists, the historians, nobody was looking at the american society saying we're at a moment where we can anticipate a breakthrough of this magnitude. he just showed up. so because he upended so many expectations, i think people have this idea that he couldn't, there was nothing he could do. so there was a picture of him outside the superman museum where he's kind of posing with his hands on his hips like superman does. you imagine like maybe, this guy can do some

did obama confirm every cynicalexpectation of race in america ? yes.that's why it became so complicated is because you have to understand what he meant. >> you see some disappointment with his lack of presence on the political scene. do you share that or do you think that's depending onone person too much ? >> i think it's a measure of depending on one person too much because during the trump years which we hope we can speak of those years in retrospect now, there was some solidity in them. you knew what would happen in 2024 but in speaking of the trump years i think that now i forgot what i was going to say. >> i'm reading right now about this piece that i was reading about trying to describe the trump phenomenon. the anti-democratic phenomenon. the aspects of his politics in the republican party right now. we're speaking at the miami book fair and no one knows better than floridians the battle that's been waged over the vote. donald trump is part of a long legacy of this. the destruction of reconstruction. it's on and on. i think maybe the way i thin

host: christy goldfuss, you worked in the obama administration. how do you think things changed from an energy standpoint during the trump administration. secondly, how different is the biden approach to clean energy compared to the obama administration? guest: it's safe to say, it was a complete 180 from coming out of the obama administration, where the government was really focused on targets, which at that time was reducing emissions 80% by mid century, by 2050. that was before the u.s. put out the special report on 1.5 degrees that dramatically changed the policy landscape. during the trump administration, it was definitely heartbreaking for those of us who felt like we had made so much historic progress working with president biden towards achieving those climate goals and laying a foundation for the economic transition that is necessary to reach those goals. without the trump administration would do everything they possibly can to put as many permits out there, and to really do everything they could to prop up the oil and gas industry while

and then about what this book could be post obama during the george floyd era.n you first encountered obama as a presence, what were your hopes and to what degree where they dashed? >> the thing that is obama is that there was no precedent not product of immediate trauma. and with that sympathetic recompense. and even those who study race and sociologist and historians nobody was looking at the american society and say were at a moment where we can anticipate a breakthrough of this magnitude. and then this idea that there's nothing he could not do. >> and then you imagine unprecedented and at the same time be glad of everyday politics. and then he could see the gravity but there was a stalemate there. and then to be called the liar in the midst of a joint address too congress. and then the possibility of the supreme court hostages and then to prove he was actually a citizen of the united states. and in that context especially that pieceal in 2012 when we were past the euphoria of them being elected. of that political dynamic they were encountering and so i was w

ah, but at least he still had a relationship with congress in the obama era. i think a lot of americans don't understand us or don't know because the media really the, they don't cover the news like this anymore. but during the obama era, did the white house, the communication between the white house and the congress just completely broke down. and they stopped talking to each other. we went from, it was brinkman, ship politics. we went from what and one get ceiling, a crisis to the next, you know, really manufactured in, during the era of trauma. when donald trump came in, in the initial 2 years, some of that relationship had been restored because it was by party. and we talk about why things never get done. the minute democrats took over a lot of stop that was in the works that were, was really what popular measures among the people who scription draw cause, ah, you know, lies are coming to wanted to work with president trump on that. but nancy paul, as you put the kibosh on it, because you can't give the president a political win. so we went back then, you

jim says this is obama's problem. he is the one that must ukraine that we would have their back if they force their nukes. it is a stress problem. he did nothing. another thing president biden will have to clean up. on the republican line. this is jerry. caller: good morning. first off, i am united states navy. was part of the vietnamese. we will get back to that later. did you watch a of thrones? the russians are -- did you watch game of thrones? road by a old man who has zero power. europe, not stand in my way. china, big move to taiwan. they see what we are now. we are weak and they see it. that is what a veteran season. the last two colors were right on. -- the last two callers were right on. he seized what biden -- he sees what biden is here a confused old man who is being led, not in charge. putin will loose on ukraine by the end of february. when he does, china will observe and they will see what we can do. they will see that we do nothing. we yield a sanction against them, they laugh. you think putin cares? ho

and we all know michelle obama is the most popular obama anyway.we're talking about an action item. and we're talking about something everybody can do, which is get out and register voters. >> all right. so i mentioned your book, your new book, bakari, which i have. mine's at home because i read it to my kids. i read a lot of kids books, bakari. this one is so special. i just want to tell you, i opened it up. i opened up the envelope, read the book. it is an incredibly beautiful message and also the illustrations. tell us about this "who are your people"? >> reporter: the first thing they ask in the south, who are your people. that's how they get to know you. what stock you come from, where are you from. and so i wanted to write a book where my kids and kids around the country could see themselves in it. i wanted them to be able to see that level of representation. and i wanted them to be proud of where they come from. and i wanted them to be proud of who their people are. and so during this time where we're having these very tough conversations ab

people voted for trump because they were extremely let down by obama. people voted for i didn't because they felt or, or the media told them they felt extremely le let down or in other, in some way offended by trump. so unfortunate the media does have a lot to do with the fact that we still have this going back and forth and getting nothing done. but as the division and the dividing and concrete increases to cover up to the fact that the empty seats in the white house are incapable of accomplishing anything for the good of the american people, or really for the good of anything other than their stock portfolios. then it becomes a question of, of we are, it becomes a question of a who, where, where can me a, where can we look? where can we lay the blame? it's, it's, it's, it that the, instead of governing by capua, cooperation like a good compromise in getting things done in an, in congress, whatever it becomes governing by executive order. and so basically the next, i can just undo, last ice present value. we've seen that with obama 1st and then now wit

his name was brock obama. almost 10 years ago, obama appointed a special envoy, cliff sloan to shut down the detention. can't know, he quit the job. 18 months in i just spoke to him. i want you to take a listen to what he had to say to me. now some of them can't go to their country of origin because of security concerns, for example, in yemen, or because of human rights concerns that they might be abused, and then they need to be resettled in other countries. and there's no reason those 27 can't be transferred right away. i would like to see all of them transferred in the 1st 6 months of this year, but it's 20th anniversary. it is shameful. definitely. what do you say the 1st 6 months of this year of transfer the moment? is that wishful thinking? no, it absolutely could happen. and we just need to see the political. well, we just need to see president obama decide to take the reins and do it. i think president obama tried and made a lot of progress. he transferred hundreds of people out of guantanamo, but he d

that's precisely why trump reversed course after obama had signed the deal.e americans to deliver you something that is simply impossible. stephen, when the sanctions were imposed under obama, and they were also maximum pressure sanctions, targeting women and children, it was a means of war. ultimately, when the united states was forced to accept iran's right to enrich uranium, the iranians came to the negotiating table with the americans and the p5+1. an agreement was signed, good or bad. in that agreement, iran agreed to do a number of things, and they did them. the international atomic energy agency verified every act of iran and verified that iran was in complete compliance of its obligations, whereas the united states from day one, from day one under obama, began violating the deal. on paper, the united states was supposed to allow the iranian banking sector to reconnect to the international banking system. but what we saw in reality was that obama told his treasury to threaten banks, to threaten financial institutions, to threaten shipping companies and

bush, and barack obama. they discuss presidential rhetoric, their collaborations with the former presidents and pivotal speeches by each of those presidents. this comes to us from the edward m. kennedy institute for the united states senate. >> on behalf of the edward m. kennedy institute for the united states senate, i'm pleased to welcome you to tonight's virtual program featuring presidential speechwriters from both sides of the aisle. and i want to personally apologize for my voice. i am losing my voice, but i'm going to try to project so everybody can hear me. so, word choice and rhetoric from the president of the united states impacts not only americans, but our allies and enemies abroad. with the changes in communications, technology, and the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, our expectations over what and how we hear from the most powerful leader in the world have changed. we know that a president's words can calm a nation in a time of crisis, it can move a nation and in times of emergency, and is an in

as one liberal activist put it earlier this year, president obama's agenda runs through the d.c. circuit. can't get what you want through the congress because the american people in november 2010 said they've had enough. they issued a national restraining order after watching two years of this administration unrestrained. so now their agenda runs through the bureaucracy and the d.c. circuit. as i said, in short, unlike the first two years of the obama administration there's now a legislative check on the president. and the administration doesn't much like checks and balances. so it wants to circumvent the people's representatives with an aggressive regulatory agenda and our democratic colleagues want to facilitate that by filling up a court that will rule on his agenda. a court that doesn't even have enough work to do, especially if it means changing the subject from obamacare for a few days. and get this, they think they can change the rules of the senate in a way that benefits only them. they want to do it in such a way that president obama's agenda gets enacted, but that a fut

with barack obama and the parameters of help. and with that rhetoric constantly criticized criticism anytime anybody disagreed you cannot call people racist but you could call them cynical and that is accessible political language but that which it proves accurate and the most cynical interpretation at that moment is if there is a gigantic racial backslash and that proved to be right and then to defy every cynical expectation of race in america? yes. and that's how it became so complicated. >> you see some disappointment. do you share that are think that's depending on one person too much quick. >> because during the trump years and we can speak of those years in retrospect now. >> some are still living in them and you don't know what happens 2024. but speaking of the trump years now i don't know what i was going to say. [laughter] and trying to describe the trump phenomenon and with that aspect of his politics and the republican party. nobody knows better than floridians. donald trump is part of a long legacy it is on and on. i

even recent history, even president obama not able to really dent this. clearly, both joe biden and the people around him in the white house counsel's office and the other places doing the vetting, it would appear they care about this, jason. >> yeah, they care about it. and they should, ari. look, the practicality is, if you want a judiciary that is remotely reflective of the country that we have, you should have more black women on the judiciary. you should have more black men on the judiciary. you should have more people on the judiciary that didn't come out of top five law schools. these are all things that are necessary. if the people who are facing crimes and facing our criminal justice system, heck, people who are just dealing with fraud cases and environmental cases, they're all coming from different kinds of backgrounds, so we should have a judiciary that is reflective of that. i have to make this point because this is the thing that concerns me. as much credit as we want to give joe biden and as great as it is he's put these women on the bench,

tom freeden was cdc director under the obama administration. >> and, yes, there are some judgment calls so be frank about them. >> reporter: now cnn has learned dr. walensky is in media training, for months she's been meeting with a consultant to improve communication skills. she held a rare solo news conference. >> this is hard and i am committed to continue to improve as we learn more about the science and to communicate that with all of you. >> reporter: the well-regarded infectious disease expert had no government experience before president biden appointed her and has often seemed out of step with the white house and dr. fauci, leading to some abrupt and confusing changes in guidance. in may she announced vaccinated people could stop wearing masks indoors, drawing quick criticism that it was too soon. last february the white house had to clarify walensky's comment that teachers did not need to be fully vaccinated for schools to reopen. >> dr. walensky spoke to this in her personal capacity. >> reporter: now walensky is under fire for not following the cdc's own playbook for explain

pelosi, chuck schumer, barack obama, harry reed, all pulled it together.we're in the same position. there's still a deal to be had there. may not be what they want, but there's still a possibility that if you give joe manchin what he wants on build back better, that's a possibility, maybe filibuster reform, reaching out to romney and collins to allow voting rights to come to vote. i think it is necessity we get something done. doing nothing is impossible, something we can't allow. >> gene, i will read from what i quote with maureen dowd, he fans eed himself another master of the senate. unfortunately he was thinking about the senate of '84. and writes chuck schumer is such a pushover, backed down from promise of voting rights showdown by mlk day because winter weather threatened. gene? >> well, look, i hope democrats use this week as kind of an exorcism, right, to get all of this sort of evil aura off of them because this isn't bleak. bleak was 2017. that was bleak. that felt bleak for democrats. democrats have control of the white house and of the house o

especially during the obama presidency. people credit senator reid for being able to get this through the senate. of course, being able to keep control and keep his 60 democrats together in order to pass the affordable care act which is signature legislation for not only president obama but senator reid as well. we'll also hear a lot about how -- as you mentioned, he went from humble beginnings to the most powerful senator. he grew up in searchlight, a small mining town where he had no running water as a kid. he had to hitchhike to high school because there was no high school in his town. he had to go to henderson, nevada 40 miles away. this will be a very emotional tribute today for someone that many of these people in this room knew personally and worked with. >> and his remains being walked into the rotunda now. let's listen. >>> we're going to be hearing from senator schumer along with house speaker nancy pelosi. you worked so closely with the late senator. we know his legacy that he has left on the senate. what are you

you saw over the weekend when president obama was eulogizing him, and he said point blank, obama care would not be the law of the land without harry reid's knowledge of the senate rules, and the knowledge of the senators that he worked with, and how to work them, and how not to work them. i'll just say that it is because of what he saw in his own family, the lack of health care, and his brother having a broken leg and writhing in pain, and having to wait it out because they did not have health care, and that is what pushed him to having to push that health care legacy, and that is probably the biggest among others. >> and we will have to wait as the vice president has entered the rotunda and the first gentleman, and then next the remains and the casket of harry reid will enter. manu, dana used the word complicated and i am trying to think of the words, but i am thinking a study of contrast, and a former boxer, and ruthless negotiator, and so powerful, but yet in appearance, he seemed slight. how would you describe him? you covered him as well. >> he wroez rose to be one of the most po

barack obama former president barack obama is now delivering a eulogy for harry reid high pressure let'sof all to harry's beloved landra, the reid children and grandchildren, friends and former staff. it's a great honor to be with you today to pay tribute to my friend harry reid. now, to be clear, and as chuck mentioned, in his remarks, i suspect harry himself would not have wanted to sit through this thing. harry did not like being the center of attention. it made him a little awkward. he was uncomfortable when people said too many nice things about him. but as he looks down on us today, harry is going to have to suck it up. because few people have done more for this state and this country than this driven, brilliant, sometimes eirrascibl, deeply good man from searchlight nevada. i first met hair bring in 2005. after i'd been elected to the senate and harry had been elevated to become democratic leader. and i was the sole african american in the senate at the time, a mixed kid with a funny name. and given how different our backgrounds were, i did not know how well harry and i would hit

president obama, regan.ems that the purpose of republicans now is to ensure that no president has the respect of half the public and that is pretty much their agenda to make sure the president is a failure so they can get back in power. >> that's what modern history suggestions, joy. you're absolutely right. you know, when the largely not entirely but the largely great bob dole died pretty recently, they said he worked across the aisle and made deals. he went on nbc and other networks, other lesser networks and said i now represent the majority of americans who did not vote for bill clinton and were going to stop him. and that has been the attitude of republican leaders in congress ever since especially newt gingrich when he we came speaker two years later. and it is unamerican pause james madison the idea was unlike the british monarchy, he wanted presidents in congress and parties in congress to duke it out and battle all the time because he thought that would lead to the best laws but the other part of th

why didn't president obama do something? i don't disagree with that's about what happened with the prohibition with alcohol. let's go back there. so asking i don't i literally do not disagree with you. i mean time we are repeating the same mistakes all you have to do and this is gonna probably get me in trouble with this audience. but all you have to do is look at stephen breyer making the same mistakes that ruth great again his birthday. all right, why didn't ginsburg resign when barack obama was president? i totally agree. so so here we are so i don't know. that's my truth april and i'm sticking with it. okay, and i appreciate you you for sticking with that bakari said that so they um until you have been very open with your history in baltimore and talk to us about what you think. the next president should do even going from this issue and beyond. i think the next president needs to be honest. um, we need to go ahead and and begin to dismantle this whole idea of american exceptionalism because there's too many problems. he

obama in 2010 is another example, is really struggling. the affordable care act, an incredibly contentious -- republicans are mobilizing through something called the tea party. and it culminates in the 2010 midterms which obama calls aisha l a shellacking for his party. the conditions are bad. and none of the three presidents were happy going into the midterm season. >> by the way, i left out "w." you probably as well. because of the unique situation of september 11 which queued the whole situation. in your piece at cnn.com you said when obama left he had a 59% approval rating. professor zelizer, is it possible for anybody in this climate to get to 59%? >> yeah, that's a great question and i'm not sure. i do think that's a place where the total polarization that we're seeing makes it hard for any president of either water to achieve popularity. i think our measure has to be at this point, can a president ho hover in the low 50s and not fall in the low 30s as opposed to them winning a large swath of the nation. i'm not sure we're in an era

if you go back to barack obama a little bit further, biden is under where barack obama was obama was at 50% at the one year mark so biden is in between the two of them. and the concerning thing for democrats and for the biden white house certainly, both trump and obama had very rough midterm elections. and you look at that number for biden, it's right in the range where trump and obama were so didn't work out well for them in the midterms. a bit of history i think biden white house is certainly hoping to defy this year. we could also break this down by race, his approval rating. you can see among white voters, black voters interestingly here, hispanic voters, look at that, joe biden's approval rating in our pollackly a 49% disapprove rating among hispanic voters in 2020 there was a bit of a surprise shift some of the hispanic vote went away from the democrats toward donald trump and republicans one of the questions heading into '22, is that going to continue could that accelerate? if it does, that could scramble our politics considerably. we'll certainly keep an eye on this number as

in the obama area. sorry in the trump era because they made no strategic plans on how to make ends meet when money isn't coming in as quickly. and as there's this contraction in the finances of the organization. some of the problems begin to bubble up to the surface. and all you know and many of those problems are outlined misfire and then other investigations into the topic. so tim, let's flash back to 2012. horrific shooting at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut about 10 years prior the nra had said we support a background check on every gun sale. we oppose guns in schools. this happens and and they have a decision to make as an organization. they can back down or they can double down. and they clearly chose to double down. what's your insight into the decision that they made and and how it has played out for them as an organization and and also obviously as the founder of mom's demand action, i wonder you know, i i believe it was probably their worst nightmare that that women in thi