. >> retired supreme court justice sandra day o'connor led off the discussion. following her remarks, the panel examines whether americans as a society are more divided today than in previous generations. this is hosted by the center for social cohesion, a joint project of arizona state university and zocalo public square, in partnership with the new america foundation. >> we are dedicated to studying the forces that have seeped -- shaped our sense of social unity. i am pleased to introduce the president of arizona state university. [applause] >> thank you, gregory. what i would like to say today, before i have the opportunity to introduce justice o'connor, even from arizona, of all places, and southern california, where there are tremendous forces for social change and a tremendous stress that this man is tested every day in citizens and politicians, the one thing we think -- stress that is tested every day in citizens and politicians, the one thing we think is missing -- we help within the complex mix of forces that are out there to make certain that, at the i

ynez sandra day o'connor has some ideas. what about the rest of you? know we talked a little bit about the fact that we can present those who are in a society where everybody has the right access to make the same type of choices for talking about gated communities, bringing an education as a valuable point in sham, and you have ideas? >> political literacy is very uneven across individuals. of course you can predict where political literacy its lowest. these are poor communities in the minority computer use. that's very clear. i think that it's probably helpful to think of other institutions aside from just schools, however, a civic educators. you know, political parties play a role as advocacy groups. so there other institutions that can play a role in elevating the level of political knowledge than just public schools. of course, public schools -- the civic literacy at a price they are so highly politicized that possibly the way to approach the knowledge and political knowledge. >> i actually like your point about camino, raising broadband because i

sandra day o'connor has one of the best statement. in every society, there have to be a safe place. in a democracy, that is a place that is the courts. we have to have the average citizen talking about how they want to preserve that save space in our society and talk to their legislatures, because there is a view among legislators, not all of them, but many, that the courts are another agency. it is not another agency. it is a co-equal branch of government but is necessary to protect our fundamental liberty, and to be such a branch, it needs adequate funding. when they say we have an economic crisis, we do have an economic crisis. there is no question about that. don't put the courts as another library for another road. it is not. it is the basis why we today enjoy our freedom. we have got to make that clearly understood. every time you talked legislator, every time you have an opportunity to talk to a civic group, you need to make that distinction. >> thank you. the next question from the audience, if you could choose only one reform of the american justice system, what would it be

so what do you think your odds are of actually having sandra day o'connor come sit in the front row? well, that's--i don't know. i had--raquel welch came to see me. but you never portrayed raquel welch as a duck. exactly. you know, i have the feeling, actually, that justice scalia has seen my work. reading the decision, i thought that he had actually come and seen my work and tim's work, so maybe he will come, and i would be curious-- maybe that'll be my next piece. so you'll take this national-- colleges and universities. do you get a different reaction at all from college students than you do from whatever you'd describe as your regular audience? the reaction varies wildly from-- you know, i did this at a small college in michigan, albion college-- 300 people, standing ovation. i did it in upstate new york, and at a certain critical moment in the show where i say all of the negative things that writers said about us and that they're true, and half the audience got up and left. so it--it keeps it fresh, because i'm not just running it in one place in the same old-- it is a conversat

i know sandra day o'connor has ideas, what about the rest of you? >> jim do you have any -- i know we talked a little bit about, michael alluded to the fact that we can't presuppose we're in a society where everybody has the right access to make the same type of choices when we're talking about gated communities, bringing in education i think is a valuable point and jim, do you have ideas? >> yes, literacy is -- across individuals and across communities, you can predict where political literacy is lowest. these are poor communities and immigrant communities, that's very clear. i think that it's probably helpful to think of other institutions aside from just schools, however, as educators. the political parties obviously play a role as educators, so do advocacy groups. therefore other institutions out there that can play a role in elevating the level of political knowledge than just public schools. because of course public schools, thee zivic literacy enterprise there is so highly politicized that possibly the way to approach the darkness in politica

seems that sandra day o'connor really held the wall for abortion rights all those years. she's gone. what do you have in the court for the basics of roe v. wade? the right to have an abortion the first two trimesters? 6-3 orts 5-4 now? >> probably 5-4 and justice kennedy was in the majority in planned parent hd versus cases. we believe that these type of laws will not withstand scrutiny, because they are burtonsome, medically unnecessary and their purpose is to shut down constitutionally protected medical services. >> look, scalia is an honest guy although he has his ideology. i don't see how he can support this. this is a game. not hoechbt law making. whatever side you're on, this is not the way to decide the issue. it should be decide and a principle, a right or not a right. thank you for coup coming on. >> thank. >>> after gary sinise is going great work for wounded soldiers, when we return. this is "hardball" on msnbc. >>> general david petraeus, unanimously confirmed by the u.s. senate at the new director of the cia. the vote was 94-0. pa tray top commander in both a

then sandra day o'connor takes part in a discussion and on what unites and divides americans. after that, an actor talks about his new foundation dedicated to helping veterans. >> c-span has launched a new easy to navigate web site for politics in the 2012 presidential race with the latest c-span events on the campaign trail, by a practical information on the attendance, twitter feeds and facebook updates, and links to a c-span media partners in the early primary caucus states. a visit us at c-span.org.org. >> this morning, colin colin examines american attitudes about patriotism. then prof. bruce fleming discusses

. >> this week marked the 30th anniversary of president reagan's nomination of sandra day o'connor to serve as the first woman supreme court justice. watch historical oral arguments online at the c-span video library. it's washington, your way. >> who is really going to it? they are proxy or short hands for the incredibly narrow range of choice that we actually have in elected officials. >> in the decoration of independence, editor in chief nick gillespie based on the problems of today's two party system and possible solutions. >> this weekend on book tv, is everything you know about the o.k. corral wrong? with newly available documents, jeff gwynn tells a different story about earp, doc holiday and the the challenges facing our southern neighbor. look for the complete book tv schedule at book tv.org and sign up for book tv alert, schedules in your inbox. "washington journal" continues. host: joining us from new york is the media editor for the financial times. we wanted to have you onto talk about what's been going on, especially tomorrow with "news of the world." for those who have

. >> this week marks the 30th anniversary of the nomination of sandra day o'connor to serve as the first supreme court female justice. watch this online at a seat on video library. search, watch, clip, and share -- is washington your way. >> next, a discussion of domestic policy and global issues with new york times columnist thomas friedman. he is interviewed by walter isaacson, head of the aspenthey talk about politics, america's place in the world, and the future of the american dream. this is an hour and 10 minutes. hour and 10 minutes. >> thank you all very much for being here. as you can the by the incredible overflow crowd, there is nobody in aspen who less need an introduction and tom friedman. somebody once said that of henry kissinger, and he said there may be no one who needs less of an introduction, but there is also nobody who more enjoys one. [laughter] so i will say a couple of nice words about tom, unnecessary though they might be. ever since she went from beirut to jerusalem decades ago, you have been the clearest thinker about where our country is going and where our wo

. >> today mark the 30th anniversary of president reagan's nomination of sandra day o'connor. what kurt appearances. -- watch for appearances on line at the c-span and video library. it is washington your way. >> the white house and congress remain far apart over how to reduce the federal deficit. president obama and congressional leaders met for 90 minutes and scheduled another meeting sunday. the president spoke briefly to reporters. >> i just completed a meeting from both parties. i thought it was a very constructive meeting. people were frank, we discussed the various options available to us. everybody reconfirmed the importance of completing our work and raising the debt limit ceiling so that the full faith and credit of the united states in america. what we decided is that staff and leadership will be working during the weekend and i will reconvene congressional leaders here on sunday with the expectation that at that point, the party is well at least know where each other's bottom lines are. hopefully, we will be in aid -- be in a position to start engaging in the hard

justice sandra day o'connor, that americans are severely illiterate. i have a problem with the media. i have asked, the times president bush presented a plan to congress for his numerous increases in the debt. my representative is a isdad. he has foreclosed on a second home. i have a problem and i am very insulted that he has called our president a liar and he was rewarded with $400,000 into his coffer and he has just arrived in washington, d.c. in january 2011. host: who is your representative? caller: mr. joe walsh who is the media darling for everyone out there. nbc, cbs, abc -- on his web claimed he was a small business honor. he was asked what his small business was. he skated around that. he never answered. host: do you know what his business is? caller: i never knew he had a business but he is a liar anyway. host: let's go to where democrats line next. from new york city. we'll put you on hold. please on your television. next is the republican line in southeast kansas. caller: good morning. thank you, cspan. we are very faithful cspan supporters

. >> today marks the 30th anniversary president reagan's premonition of sandra day o'connor to service the first woman supreme court justice. watch her 140 appearances, including historic oral arguments on line the disease than video library. it is washington, your way. >> this weekend on "book tv," is a latino but the ok corral wrong? hear a different story. in the trial of 1000 years, charles hill looks at the long war of islam is an to the to the international state system. also, former mexican foreign minister talks about the challenges facing our southern neighbor. look for the complete "book tv" schedule at the website, and signed up for alerts, a week and schedules in your inbox. this weekend on american history tv all in c-span, an early american history professor of first encounters between native americans, europeans, and africans in the new world. a harvard university professor on the role of african-american soldiers during the civil war. and the childhood in in an internment camp in idaho and how his art examines issues of ethnicity, race, and the japanese-american experie