and earlier i spoke with dr caroline hellman about this she's a professor of politics at occidental college here's part of our conversation. i think it's a bigger issue with the american political system one that george w. bush also encountered i will go as far as to say that i think the country is somewhat ungovernable at this point in time because of the heightened polarization that has been really led by political elites and by media elites so i think it's very difficult regardless of what side of the political your aisle you are on to accomplish an agenda and president obama had a very ambitious agenda so i'm not surprised that he hasn't been able to accomplish much of it as far as the american political fifth which which issues do you think of playing the most leading role in what you call it an ungovernable situation is there that your party political system is jesse ventura third in and started here cannot report do you think. well i think the heightened partisanship of the two party system is certainly lending to a lack of compromise we saw with the near government shutdown that bot

that was caroline hellman professor of politics at occidental college and dan ferrazzi of presidents of grassroots political consulting. we want to move on now to fall out from the actions of one florida man terry jones in that florida pastor from the dove world outreach center who are going to a mock trial that ended in the burning of the qur'an at his church and this was a story largely ignored by us media but it was news in afghanistan and it was news that sparked a major reaction there several people were killed including an incident in mazar e sharif and protesters overran a united nations compound and killed twelve we did hear a response from a u.n. envoy to afghanistan it said quote freedom of speech does not mean a freedom of offending culture or religion traditions especially when there are so many of us both civilians and frankly military part of the world and particularly in afghanistan so i think the main blame we have is about the irresponsible gesture that was made on that case the proof is that those who entered the building were actually furiously angry about the issu

down i've got caroline hellman in our los angeles studio she's a professor of politics that occidental college also joining me here in washington dan for actually the president of grassroots political consulting firm just first question and then i'll start with you will the shutdown happen i think it's quite possible at this point in time with the divergence and separation between the two sides doesn't seem to be much chance for a compromise at this point caroline what do you think. well i think it's about a fifty fifty chance i would agree with chris van hollen who is the ranking democrat on the house budget committee who put the odds at that really for two reasons one we've got eighty seven new freshmen republicans who identify with the tea party who want bigger cuts then democrats are willing to make and the second reason is that they've included defunding of planned parenthood as well as health care as part of the republican proposal and that will lead to an end pass the question is whether or not they will take the political risk and actually shut down the government rather than doing ano

so i pursued public policy both at occidental college, where i went to school as an undergrad, and also you see-berkeley where i pursued public policy -- also you see -- also uc-berkeley. that was really what shape my interest in public policy. >> where you place yourself on the local political spectrum? the left or right? supervisor chu: i know a lot of folks want to put a person in the position where they call you left, progressive, moderate, whatever category that might be, and i think it really depends on the issue. generally, i am a very practical legislator. i like to look at what the impacts of legislation would be before voting on it, so i think, depending on the issue, you could move around, and i think that should be the way that most people think, which is, "let's consider the facts of legislation before you actually consider it, irrespective of what spectrum it comes from." >> what did you learn from campaigning for supervisor? supervisor chu: it is hard. i learned that my shoes were out pretty quickly -- wore out pretty quickly. i learned to be more practical about the type

. >> you went to occidental college in california. what year did you graduate?1978. >> to say that $5,100 was the tuition then when you were in school. for a year? >> my last year, that was the total room and board and tuition. >> you said applied to inflation it would be $16,000 today, but it is well over $40,000. >> now you see why did the book. i had to figure out a way to pay for my son's college education. >> what is the reason for that, beyond inflation costs? >> it is the question -- it is the $55,000 question that every parent faces in our situation, which is how you pay for it? why is it so expensive? i could not get a straight answer. there have been some studies done, but mostly academics have shied away from the subject, for obvious reasons. they don't want to talk bad about the boss. what few studies i could find were not that helpful. finally, i found a guy who is a professor at ohio state, an economist. he has studied the economy of higher education so thoroughly that every president of university hates him, because he actually applied a skeptical

occidental college has dug in their heels, and the parents have also. do you think you might tell the parents something that might persuade 'em to let her go? the because she's -- it was 5,000 in 1965. it's about 225,000 today. completely everything paid. even advance programs. anyway, i said, well, anita, how bad do you want to go? i want to go, mr. castro. i said how much english do your parents understand? none at all. i said, keep a straight face. [laughter] i said -- [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] >> if you don't understand spanish, learn it. [laughter] no, no. [applause] no, what i told 'em, i said this, you know, this grant is a federal grant. you don't fool with the federal government here in this country. if you don't accept it, they're going to fine you, and also they're going to throw you in jail, so you might as well accept et. [laughter] they did. and the bottom line story on that is that she went on to get advanced scholarships and also got her ph.d.. finish and she taught for many year at cal state long beach and recently retired,

. >> you went to occidental college in california. what year did you graduate?> 1978. >> you say that $5,100 was the tuition then when you were in school. for a year? >> my last year, that was the total room and board and tuition. >> you said applied to inflation it would be $16,000 today, but it is well over $40,000. >> now you see why i did the book. i had to figure out a way to pay for my son's college education. >> what is the reason for that, beyond inflation costs? >> it is the question -- it is the $55,000 question that every parent faces in our situation, which is how you pay for it? why is it so expensive? i could not get a straight answer. there have been some studies done, but mostly academics have shied away from the subject, for obvious reasons. they don't want to talk bad about the boss. what few studies i could find were not that helpful. finally, i found a guy who is a professor at ohio state, an economist. he has studied the economy of higher education so thoroughly that every president of a university hates him, because he actually applied a sk

the information i was given was that he had no grades in occidental college.hen he went to harvard law school. the reason he got to go into the law journal, my niece was in law journal at louisiana. the reason he went to harvard law school was supposedly because he told the saudi family that he was fighting with the taliban in afghanistan against the russians. they donated $22 million to harvard law school. that is how he died in to the law journal. the last point i want to make he did get a job with michelle's law firm. he never tried a case. this is what i have heard. those things can be researched. you do know this. he did give up his law license. why? that would be my question. i feel some research needs to be done. the people he hangs around with are questionable as he is. tony from chicago. i am from chicago. my birth certificate is from 1954. i had my birth to do it signed by mayor richard daley. he was the town clerk at the time. it was like a little diploma. i question the hawaiian birth certificate. find somebody else who had a birth certificate arou