up next, former president barack obama and former first lady michelle obama break grounds on the obama presidential center in chicago. >> after eight years in the white house, michelle and i now rejoin all of you as private citizens. we want to thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the incredible privilege of serving this country that we love. we also want to tell you a little bit about what we will be up to next. i will not stop, in fact i will be right there with you as a citizen for all of my remaining days! >> barack and i do not do things incidentally, there is a strategy. >> my presidential center and foundation, i think that will be my focus over the next several years trying to create a platform for young people to train and inspire, and mentor, and convene, and learn from each other which is even more powerful. >> a place where young people can acquire the skills, and the connections they need to match their aspirations with real opportunities. >> the reason i knew i could do that is because i had seen it in my campaigns, and i had seen it during the

presidential center and we are faithful to the former president obama and first lady michelle obamag chicago to make what i know will be a transformative investment on this historic southside of our beloved city braided it marks the next chapter in a journey began several years ago. but with many twists and turns due to the first parents dedication and hard work of many, we've arrived at this momentous day in the presidential center and complementary investments, in the surrounding neighborhoods will be bringing to life the promise of true equity and inclusion investment and development on the south side. and that's why i'm proud to be here to break ground in incredible an incredible project what will help create growth for our residents in our community and unlock their untapped potential. in the center will among other things provided brand-new museum and visitors alike and residents to learning and beautiful public spaces together in an immersive community programming to take advantage of and of course, jobs that pay a living wage and prioritize for folks by nearby communities pr

absolutely. ♪ >> president obama: all right.pical and uniquely a hanoi dish as there is. these beautiful little pork patties, grilled pork belly. bun cha is served in a broth of vinegar, sugar, and the ubiquitous nuoc cham, or vietnamese fermented fish sauce. chilies to taste. i mean, if you have an important state function after, you might not want to go too heavy on the garlic. >> president obama: you know what, i'm going with this thing. you know? we're gonna do what's appropriate. >> anthony: a little vinegar. >> president obama: all right. >> anthony: and then you just hack off noodles, you just drop them in your bowl. >> president obama: yeah, that's not too elegant, but i managed it. >> anthony: and dip and stir and get ready for the awesomeness. >> president obama: i'm ready. now, is it appropriate to just pop one of these whole suckers in your mouth or do you think that you should be a little more -- ? >> anthony: well, slurping is totally acceptable in this part of the world, but -- [ laughter ] it takes some skills, b

keeper, now part of the obama foundation.sion is to provide support for what it calls pathways of opportunity to young men of color. it is a deeply personal mission for president obama who grew up hardly knowing his own father and who by his own account didn't find his way until his late teens. he writes about that as well as how he balanced governing with being a husband and a dad in his recently published book "a promised land." we dropped in on the former president in chicago in a high school where he was visiting a group of young men who had been part of my brother's keeper to talk about their lives and the challenges they face. >> are you going back to community organizing? >> well, probably i'm a little too gray haired and old to be going door to door like i used to plus the secret service still follows me around so i am pretty disruptive. but i am going back to what inspired me to get into public life. >> one of the things that inspires former president obama these days are meetings like this one. >> hey, people. >> he

it was born out of when president obama first came to the senate as senator obama, harry reid saw in this person somebody who could be the next president of the united states at a time when obviously there were many other senators in that caucus who were angling and thinking about that role. he comes to president obama or then senator obama and says hey, if you want it, you should go for it. and he had a major role to play in urging him to do so. obviously a year into his senate tenure. and obviously as he becomes senator, you know, knowing that health care was the first and major legislative thing that he needed to get done, really was the legislative captain for it. going through all of the travails of it, and finally getting it across the finish line there was trust not only in harry reid, but in senator pelosi in getting it done, trusting a young president who had the captains in those two leaders to help guide that one through. and then, you know, to the end, it was just deep and personal. you have -- i remember that moment, that phone call. there was just a respect that harry r

. >> and with the obama administration and then with the chemical weapons and in the obama administrationnd why the response afterwards andy wasn't it happening yet?rds andy >> guest: one has to put one's self back in time in 2011. the obama administration when the arab spring is breaking out. i happened to have been back in the late '80s a reporter covering the fall of communism and the perils were amazing. there was a sense of history turning so it was exciting in a way. there were the democracies on the horizon and the obama administration had to quickly scramble what to do about the movement, how to respond with egypt and other places aspiring to be free of dictatorship and so our initial response was condemning violins and dictators and then the president of syria must go. the problem was it was ruled by an extremely brutal family that was prepared to sacrifice anything and destroy the country to stay in power in a way that others were not. russia, number one, and iran. both saw the vital national interest and even more so as the war continued and their commitment to get a solid to l

think about what obamae.did despite the incompleteness of the mission, there's no bigger punishment than the biggest strategic arsenal so no matter what he kept behind, the stuff he could have used as a deterrent doesn't exist anymore so if somebody came to the u.s. and said you did something bad, we are going to take away nuclear arsenal and he agreed to do that so 1300 tons of chemical weapons was probably 90/95% of what he had had to give it up, a huge plus for him but also meant he couldn't use it, it was harder to be stolen by others who want to get it so there was a surge buyback deal even though it didn't come out politically to obama's advantage certainly window it made obama look weak in some ways, he managed to accomplish something that was significant. >> you also show and talk about this,wh in some ways chemical weapons and up. we've seen russia, we seen kim jong un and this agent so still around and the recent chemical weapons, there were supposed to be this mantle. what can you do about this and

but for obama, many artists stepped up for him before he had power. >> obama's running so we all cannd change. back in the news now as wu tang's album hits an anniversary. the staten island rap group sold over 45 million albums worldwide, and he was integral from the start, including the platinum classic only built for cuban links which debuted at number 4 on the charts. it's also on rolling stone's list of the greatest albums of all time. as these moments pile up, it is a reminder that a once young art form is now at a different stage with time for reflection, and that's what raekwon is doing in his new memoir, from staircase to stage, the story of raekwon and wu tang. our special guest, honor to have you sir. >> thanks for having me. how you doing? >> going into the hall of fame with obama having his back. what does that mean to you as you reflect on how far hip-hop has come? >> oh, man, it's a beautiful thing, man. i'm so proud of jay-z. you know, and everything that he has been doing. i tell people all the time, you know, this was a dream for all of us, you know, to be able to us

obama says, you are saying no, i would do it.t it is the best that we have had on them and nine years. if i had somebody in the room and the compound to said i had breakfast, and informant that said i had breakfast with and lot in this morning, i would not give 100% because they get things wrongng all the time. it was really kind of interesting and so, obama then goes around the room. he asks biden. he s says, no, i am against it. i do not think that the evidences strong enough. at that point, we were majors speared worried that they were going to be cut off. then the next person, he talks to gatesal and gates is also against it. anyway, after the meeting, and most everybody else was for it, obama said, i will give you my decision in the morning. it was standard operating a procedure. after the meeting, gates goes back to the pentagon and he is in the car with the chairman of the joint chief of staff. if you remember in gates memoir after he retired as secretary of defense, he basically said that joe biden had been wrong about ev

and he, along with president obama, was key to ever making obama care law.retty low-key style in public, and he was considered effective. >> he comes across as soft-spoken. he was like, well, you know. [ laughter ] even when he's in front of a big crowd, he's like, well, you know. [ laughter ] okay. okay. we're trying here. trying hard. you know, i mean, that's just how harry is. but anybody who knows harry knows he's made of strong stuff. this is one tough guy. >> strong stuff, said barack obama. and in their friendship and political alliance, you could also see a kind of a different model for political strength. a type of strength that works through results, not through bluster and yelling. are there lessons for democrats in the current biden era, with a lot of controversies. you follow the news, i bet you've noticed, centered on the united states senate and its sometimes weird and antiquated rules. harry reid cut deals, and found ways to get results. he did everything he had to do to get his caucus together on obama care, at a time when it was not as popu

did obama confirm every cynical expectation of race in america? yes. that's what it became so complicated is because you have to understand what he meant. >> use some disappointment with his post-presidency, present of the presidency on the political scene. do you share that what you think that's depending on one person too much? >> i think it's a matter of depending on on one person too much, because during the trump years, which we hope we can speak of those years in retrospect now, -- [inaudible] you don't know what will happen in 2024, but in speaking of the trump years i think that -- now i forgot what i was going to say. >> look, i'm reading right now about this piece that i was just reading about trying to describe the trump phenomenon, the at the democratic phenomenon, that market the aspect of his politics in the republican party right now. we're speaking of the miami book fair in the windows better than floridians, the battle that's been waged over the boat. donald trump is part of a long legacy of this, the distraction of reconstruction, on

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

and then carter felt kind of abandoned by obama when obama was president and a little hurt. at one point, early on in my conversations with jimmy carter eisenhower you describe your relationship with president obama? this was when obama was still in office, 2015. and he snapped. i have none. that is kind of the way he felt about it. in obama, basically that he didn't have the bandwidth basically given everything that was going on to have a real relationship jimmy carter. but i think a lot of it was that carter was what i described as a full on secretary of state who did a number of good things, particularly 1994, when he prevented wars in both haiti and north korea. but if you are president, it is pretty hard to have this guy who is out of office who is acting too often on his own. the conversation with george h w bush that i had was especially interesting in this regard because at first, he and jim baker had a real good relationship with former president carter because carter is doing some really good things. like, for instance, talking to ortega about leaving office in nic

i think you and i both covered the obama administration and i think when historians talk about obama's successes, they will include how harry reid was instrumental in so many ways. what do you see as his legacy? >> chris, he is an american original. he grew up from humble origins in tiny search light, nevada and made his way to washington. he had to fight for everything he got. he made his way through law school at george washington university here by working as a u.s. capitol police officer and then of course climbed the ranks in the senate. it was dovetailed with the obama rise. reid became majority leader as obama had arrived in the senate and then quietly encourage obama to run for the democratic nomination for president at a time when most democratic leaders were rallying behind hillary clinton because he saw potential in obama. you know, reid was a fierce partisan. he fought for the democratic party. he loved nothing more than getting in mitch mcconnell's way and blocking republicans but he did so not merely to amass power but to enact historical change and historians will rememb

let me ask you give them what everyone is saying about obama.s would be a one term president, how to use the. aishah: i don't know what he's thinking i wish i was the in the oval office as a fly on the room. i'm with laura i think the democrats know they have problem pony came out and said that they do. if you take a look at bill back better act the president's massive spending plan a huge part of the agenda is in a lot of trouble. no matter what anybody says. kyrsten sinema who came out this last week and would not commit to saying that she would vote for this plan. you wonder why, why won't she commit publicly and then you have senator joe manchin who came back from the holiday break and got an ear full about inflation, he's worried about spending and he will commit publicly to voting for the plan. he says no one knows how he's going to vote, not even schumer. then you have the moderates were worried about the upcoming midterm and how that will go for them yet they think of the overall picture but it goes back to the guy at the top. if he's no

when obama was president and a little hurt. at one point i said, early on in my conversations with jimmy carter, i said, how would you describe your relationship with president obama? this was when obama was still in office in 2015 and he snapped, i had none. that's the way he felt about it. and obama told me he basically didn't have the bandwidth, given everything going on, to have a real relationship with jimmy carter. but i think a lot of it was that carter was what i describe as a freelance secretary of state, which did a number of good things in the world, particularly in 1994 when he prevented wars in both haiti and north korea when clinton was president but if you're president, it's pretty hard to have this guy kind of -- who's out of office, who is acting too often on his own and the conversation with george h.w. bush that i had was especially interesting in this regard because at first he and jim baker had a really good relationship with former president carter because carter was doing some really good things like, for

barack obama. he and i visited barack obama and said you ought to run for president.es it was suggested. harry and i had discussed it earlier in the week. and you know, i said i think this guy could do it. and harry said i think so too. let's talk to him about it. we did. he saw that elizabeth warren had amazing talent when she just got to the senate. he got some criticism from some elevating her to the leadership team. but when he saw talent, he raised it. and contrary, if he thought that a senator wasn't being a straight-shooter, he didn't mind people having different views. his views had evolved. but when he saw someone was not telling the truth or would go back on his word, he'd remember that, and in ways that that senator might never know, harry would remember. let's put it that way. >> and let me just ask you finally, how are you going miss him? what are you going to miss the most about him? >> well, you know, i lost my father a month ago, and harry, as i said, was such a friend and a mentor to me. but when you lose someone that is that close to you, they're alw

in fact when obama makes the decision he's really got two choices. one is the raid the other is a drone strike. one of the reasons he did not do the drone strike is that done a lot of them and they missed people. and in addition to which a case like bin laden were not only getting them but being able to tell the world proof positive you got it was tremendously important. you take them out they drone strike you're never able to say conclusively we got bin laden. >> there is a number of questions about the fact the current generation, the younger generation today has not gone through much of this history of the last 20 years and wondering if the experience of younger professionals, younger voters >> will evaluate the process differently than our generation. i'm a little older than you, but our generation has thought about terrorism. >> well, yes and no. i mean, i certainly think that pre-9/11 that we didn't take terror-- terror was something that happened in other places. it happened in the middle east. it happened in europe. it didn't happen in the u.

bush and barack obama. they discuss presidential rhetoric, their collaborations with the former presidents pivotal speeches by each of those presidents. this comes to us from the edward kennedy institute for the united states senate. >> we all know that senator kennedy was famous for his booming rhetoric. whether on the senate floor, or speeches across the country, or speeches to the democratic national convention. words, in addition to actions and deeds go down in history books for their meaning and impact. -- she wrote on a wide range of issues including noted species on race. they include remarks in memphis to black religious leaders in november of 1993. originally it was supposed be on the north american trade agreement and she successfully argued to shift focus. after delivering the mend it, do not end it speech to the national archives, president clinton said she made history this afternoon. she had more to do with drafting it than anyone else and she is the first person of color, and more importantly

obama cuts it offff and says its 50-50. obama made the decision.it'sd bin laden 0% there are 10% there. discussion of percentages falls since of mathematical rigor, smart people kind of put odds on and something. he made a decision without -- that's what president are supposed to do, which is you are not making difficult decisions with perfect information to your making difficult decisions with imperfect information, and that was of these cases. i think it's a textbook case of how a real process works and how busy the president the right decision. of course biden was against>> i. >> we have less than two minutes left. let me, you in the book talking about -- [inaudible] and what happens when terrorists fade into history. is that going to happen to osama bin laden? >> i think it will. there's a scene i say, gina bennett, first on the case, attached to the characters and center, a young colleague said to her the day bin laden died, great victory. she said the worst day is still ahead for them. the young colleague said what is that? she said have you

bush and barack obama. crafting a legislative legacy from obamacare to a mass live stimulus bill and new regulations for wall street in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis that is practically unmatched. from the "washington post," acknowledged even by republican adversaries as a wiley tactician and master of the senate's archean rules, mr. reid notched his greatest legislative achievement in 2009 when he steered a landmark health care bill through the senate over solid gop opposition. tributes have been pouring in from political allies anded a ver saerks folks from the other side of the aisle. in a statement, president biden said this -- during the two decades we served together in the u.s. senate and the eight years we worked together while i served as vice president, harry met the marker for what i always believed is the most important thing by which you can measure a person, their action and their word f. harry said he would do something, he did it. if he gave you his word, you could bank on it. that i

obama care would not have happened without the legislative wizardry of harry reid. and barack obama is not the only president to have benefited from harry reid. george w. bush and there is no love loss between those men, george w. bush and harry reid worked together to deal with the great recession. it was a democratic congress that passed the bush administration's approach to the great recession and harry reid was there doing what he felt was necessary for the nation at a very difficult time. >> i want to bring in david as well. obama made the point that they made a good team, as tim was talking about, and that he wouldn't have gotten most of what he accomplished without reid. tell me about that, the economic stimulus, obamacare. he pushed a lot through the senate, right? >> those are harry reid's finest hours. yes, he was very good during that period of time. obama was enough to the presidency and he needed someone like reid in effect to mentor him to be help him along and help him navigate the complexities of the senate and the house. he did very, very well with

he did that to me, barack obama, he and i visited barack obama, and said you ought to run for president. it was one of the first time it was suggested. harry and i had discussed it earlier in the week. i said, you know, i think he should do it. i said, i think so, to. let's talk to him about it. we did. he saw that elizabeth warren had incredible talent and when he saw talent, he raised it. and contrary, if he thought that a senator was not a straight shooter, he didn't mind people had different views, but when he saw someone was not telling the truth or go back on his word, he'd go back to that. in ways that the senator would not know, harry would remember, let's put it that way. >> and let me just ask you, finally, how are you going to miss him, what are you going to miss the most about him? >> well, you know, i lost my father a month ago. and harry was such a mentor to me. when you lose someone so close to you, they're always with you. i believe harry will continue to walk on my side and the side of many senators every day. so, he's gone physically, but his legacy, his spirit, who he

obama made a decision there is 0% or one 100% there. there's discussion of percentages give a false sense of mathematical rigor trying to put odds on something for he made a decision, that is what presidents are supposed to do. you are not making difficult decisions of perfect information but you are making difficult decisions with imperfect information paid that's one of the cases. the textbook case of how the process works and of us to president made the right decision. >> we have less than two minutes left. you and the book talking about the bottom line. what happens when chairs are in history? will that happen? >> there is a scene agency at the terrorism center she was a very young colleague a great victory should the worst day is still ahead for them for the young colleague said what is that? the young colleague said no which was an infamous terrorist group in the 1970s in germany. said the worst day is and people in stand over these people. she was saying it for a fact. but i think he will reseed and reseed and reseed his influenc

when obama makes a decision, he really has two choices. one of the reasons he did not do a drone strike is because they have done a lot. in addition to which bin laden was able to tell the world it was tremendously important. never able to say conclusively, we laden. >> a number of questions about the fact that the younger generation today has not gone through much of this history of the last 20 years. wandering the experience of younger professionals, younger voters will evaluate terrorism and the process differently than our generation. i am a little older than you, thinking about terrorism. >> no. pre-9/11, that we did not take terror. it happened in the middle east, it happened in europe. it did not happen in the u.s. there had been cases. being able to pull off 9/11. the younger generation has grown up with it. you look at the people who were in afghanistan. all kinds of reasons why you would not want to sign up to go to war in afghanistan. when you look at the 13 people who have lost their lives in the bombing at kabul airport, how m

with obama, obamacare, big backlash, house goes to the republicans.hat lesson do you take from that? just you might as well do the big thing you're trying to do? i'm imagining president biden wondering about this right now, just better to push for the big thing, get these bills passed, get the next one passed and just deal with the backlash? or is there a way to not trigger that backlash? >> look, i would hope there is a way not to trigger the backlash, but the two examples you gave are good ones because, you know, after getting an incredible legislative agenda through in his first two years, my husband was re-elected four years later and the same with president obama. he pushed through, stimulus pushed through, and tried for more, got the affordable care act. and in both cases, as you said, the midterm elections they both suffered politically but they came back and won. bill became the first democratic president to be elected to two terms since franklin roosevelt. and obviously, president obama equally had a big positive reaction when he ran again. s

the, the obama will union in the western continue as president by to appoint a former obama official to be the top arms buyer for the pentagon. we will discuss if a bill the plan it should be viewed as experience or just another military contractor crony. this by the pentagon is ordering a new inquiry into an air strike which killed dozens of syria. is this a target investigation into an event from 2019, while the pentagon dismisses the latest one just a few months ago and i can stand. and do you remember when a major hollywood actors that he was attacked by trump supporters, which later was disclosed, he staged at the entire event quarters. now in session on this hate host and our 360 panel will discuss in strides and a i continue to be made this time living robots being able to reproduce. we will tell you about this breakthrough science and why some believe this could lead to care for cancer. i'm sorry. i know hughes and this story more on today's news via hughes right here on our america. ah, thanks for joining us. it's been almost one year into the job, and president biden is sti

the obama people is to drag the country down. one last point, the new york times didn't do an article on their investigation. they were fed a story by the defense secretary, i'm going to open an investigation right about it. if the new york times wanted to, they could've done their job for 3 months, 6 months, 10 months. where's the new york times on the drone strike in afghanistan, they could be doing that, and they're not because not in their interests politically. and america feels that and sees it. that's why biden's administration of popularity so low, no one trust the media. and we're gonna have to break up big tech because they're in the tank to well and, and john, that's why it's always improv. however, they are here real fast. yeah, the one, the one constant and this is no find a way to blame dropped no matter what i saw. like what you said about blame, bush, blame obama. now we're blaming at trump, but unfortunately, i think that's gonna be a continuous for everything. thanks for joining me gentlemen. the jesse smaller t

>> so if you look president obama was divisive.ple were more quiet about it, they didn't want to insult him. but he was very divisive. the biden administration is far worse. i noticed the other day where obama said, this is very dangerous all of these what they are doing, it was too much for him. it may be too much for bernie sanders, but i doubt it. when they look at his top economic people are looking at inflation and seeing bills passed. they see the cost of energy, they see what is happening, they say, you can't do that. these are obama people telling biden people, you can't do this. but they push forward, and way. let's see what happens. we had an election that was very helpful, the new governor of virginia called up early in morning, after the election to thank me. the maga people, and people that support trump, came out in force, greater than anyone thought possible. you know an experts, you see what has gone on. your wife is a brilliant lawyer she knows it is terrible, we have to get back borders and free enterprise and a p

to push through the affordable care act known as obama care. >> barack obama would never have passedalth care bill that bears his name, obama care, without harry reid. it should be called reed care as much as obama care. >> he also honored his friend saying it wasn't about power for power sake, it was about the power to do right for the people. mitch mcconnell who has a contentious relationship with him, said i never doubted that he was doing what he deeply thought was right for in evidence. he retired from the senate in 2016 after an accident left him blind in one eye. he was dierged in pan degree yachtic cancer. now they're remembering the titan of the senate, a softspoken fighter never afraid to mix it up in the political adegree in a. >> that was andrea mitchell. just last month the airport in las vegas was renamed after reid, an honor for the senator that fought so hard for his state and his people. he is survived by his wife of 62 years, five children, and 19 grandchildren. five chilendr, a9 grandchildren. hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad..

on the obama administration is because of isis.d the taliban are different but it's interesting, it may recall that whole campaign that al qaeda and iraq to get the prisoners released, then you seen that with the tallow band with the peace negotiation with the taliban you got the afghan government force them to release prisoners with the tile man. i'm in the taliban goes into the town they build the prison and there's some interesting similarity between thehe tallow band is different organizations. but they are using prisoners there using people are not fighting the tallow band and i am surprised by this it's weaker than the iraqi national army at the time of 2013 isis campaign. if that's true it is sad. >> thisla is coming up in some of the questions folks are asking, what is the alternative? we spent 20 years in afghanistan it pumped trillions of dollars trying to build out a government that can fund itself and do these ngsorts of things. and yet we see that within a matter of weeks, months, it's crumbled. is that good moneyey af

. >> i voted for obama. i liked obama. >> he is now a proud boy. a video of him being initiated into a far right extremist group went viral. >> i'm a western chauvinist. >> got 30 million views, i think. >> i'm a proud boy. >> and gained thousands of followers on social media. on january 6th, video would capture him again in the first wave of rioters storming the capitol. >> we didn't storm any capitol. okay? we did protest. we peacefully protested. >> you call january 6th a peaceful protest? >> i do. >> you don't feel any responsibility? >> i do not. absolutely not. i don't feel i did anything wrong. >> took over the capitol. overran the capital. >> we're in the capitol. >> donovan crowl was a member of the oath keepers. he was in a right wing militia. he refused to speak to cnn. his sister and mother describe him as an ex-marine who went from being a little league coach to becoming an alcoholic. >> he was just a genuinely good person. he was always someone that i looked up to and that i was extremely proud of. >> his son idolized him and everybod

who has written for president barack obama since 2007. rising from a campaign interim in chicago to obama's post-presidential collaborator. over eight years in the white house, their joint efforts were compared to the works of abraham lincoln. they were described as the "i have a dream speech" for the 21st century and categorized even by prominent republicans as speeches every child should read in school. cody was nicknamed the springsteen of the obama white house even though he, play an instrument. i think we need to explore that name a little further in this session. his passion for rhetoric was sharpened at a young age from senator kennedy. today, cody sits on the board of edward and kennedy institute for the united states senate. finally, we have we have john mcconnell, who served more than 10 years on white house staff in two different administrations. as a senior speechwriter for president george w bush and dick cheney, he was part of the three-person team responsible for all of the 43rd president's major addresses including the his

. >> president obama was the first sitting president to go on a late night talk show.when is the dog coming? i keep hearing about the dog. >> listen, this is washington. that was a campaign promise. >> oh, wow. wow! man! >> politics is and always has been a performing art. and it is ego-dominated. it is needy. it is narcissistic. all the going on shows, this is nothing new. this is just a form of baby-kissing, loosening your tie, rolling up your sleeves to show you're a regular guy. >> what's up, gangstas? it's the m-i-double tizzle. >> i host a talk show, and i love having politicians on because you can ask them personal questions. these are things that you don't typically see when they're on "60 minutes" or a show like that. i know you support state's rights and legal marijuana. you said you smoked it a couple of times, and it's not your thing. what is your thing? do you have a thing? >> yeah. my thing is my grandchildren. >> you smoke your grandchildren? >> they want to see that you have a sense of humor about yourself and that you're human. that's all they want to

his partnership with obama and how obama trusted him to get that through. i think it went into the story of harry reid is written, at least the one i've written i'll talk about reid care and why it's named reid care in the inside story of what really happened. as far as nevada goes, harry reid loved nevada. the fact he was able to do two things to build a democratic party machine after a near death experience barely one in 1998 by about 400 votes against john, he built up a formidable as any in the country and dominated nevada politics for a decade and a half but he also took a tiny ignored even derived western state and turned it into a national power by getting the democratic national committee to make nevada an early state in the presidential nominating process and who had the most influence over who would win those contests, none other than harry reid. >> you're so right. since you brought that up i want to talk about that. personally, i think it does make sense the demographics of nevada much better represent the demographics of the country but when th