yeah, just one more comment about -- as i mentioned, steve schneider was a friend from many decades ago. tell you one more thing about him. in his first year as a postdoc, he was -- steve was very outgoing and very -- already, at that time, he was trying to reach to the public. and he wrote a letter to the editor of new york times. and, at that time, the director of the goddard institute did not appreciate that sort of thing. [laughter] he called a meeting of entire people in the building, you know, more than 100 people coming to -- and he really gave it to steve. and the great -- and the really impressive thing about steve was, you know, he didn't back down. so he -- even at that time, when he's just as around 26 or 27- year-old postdoc, he had the courage to stand up for what he believed in. so he was really a good example of courage of a scientist at a very early age. [applause] so anyway, it's -- for all those things about steve, it is a great honor to get an award in his name. thanks. [applause] >> tonight, religion and politics with analyst george will. followed by a discussion on

it is ironic that i'm getting the steve schneider war.we could not have been more opposite. -- award. we cannot have been more opposite. he had the gift of gab. he is so particulate as it didn't -- as a student. and, as i say, we couldn't have been more opposite. he -- as i was this tactiturn midwest scientist who wanted to do the numbers and do my science and not talk about it, but he would come to my door, he would be in the door of my office and talking to me and, eventually, i would turn around and be working on my desk and he -- somehow, he couldn't take the hint. [laughter] but when anniek who was then my girlfriend, would visit me, then she would see that, well, i really didn't want to talk to steve. so she would talk to him, and that was good, let me try to work. but if you try to work, you know, like when the television is on, and you're trying to do work, it's very hard. but, anyway, we actually -- despite this, we became friends and anniek and i went mountain climbing with him in the small mountains around new york. but -- >> a

yeah, just one more comment about -- as i mentioned, steve schneider was a friend from many decades ago. tell you one more thing about him. in his first year as a postdoc, he was -- steve was very outgoing and very -- already, at that time, he was trying to reach to the public. and he wrote a letter to the editor of new york times. and, at that time, the director of the goddard institute did not appreciate that sort of thing. [laughter] he called a meeting of entire people in the building, you know, more than 100 people coming to -- and he really gave it to steve. and the great -- and the really impressive thing about steve was, you know, he didn't back down. so he -- even at that time, when he's just as around 26 or 27-year-old postdoc, he had the courage to stand up for what he believed in. so he was really a good example of courage of a scientist at a very early age. [applause] so anyway, it's -- for all those things about steve, it is a great honor to get an award in his name. thanks. [applause] >> coming up, george will talks about the relationship between religion and u.s. politic

>> one thing that steve schneider always emphasized to students is that if is worth thinking about thematter for which apply to climate change. coral harbour is one which is an urgent one. but certainly apartheid or civil-rights movement were things that are every bit as urgent where the time skills are much longer and the accuracy takes on how you talk to people. >> i think we can learn a lot from the past. look at the issue of slavery. we were the bad guys than also .ppeare it was the foundation of the economy. people were making the same argument at them. it was not so bad. it would destroy the economy if we got rid of it. i think people have a lot to learn. there are many examples we can build on from the past year -- in the past. admitting that we have a problem is the first step. >> slavery -- abolishing slavery did not room economy. >> right. >> nobody objects to a medical researcher over what we need to do to save lives. that when a clear researcher says what we have to do to save lives, people get upset. >> one of the things that i tried to stress in my book is a theme that i

the latest is rick schneider, a guy who was just recently elected who says the last thing he wanted oh, no, no, no, he said this publicly, privately we heard this yesterday from steved of the michigan education association was a guest on our program. the union leadership was working, meeting with governor schneider and he said no the last thing i want is -- i don't want to split this state the way they did in wisconsin and ohio. no no, no. i don't want anything to do with that. i want to work together with the unions. i don't want anything to do with this rumors that they might try to pass some so-called right-to-work legislation in michigan. they met for like about ten days and then on friday, the republican-controlled legislature forced through -- get this now -- with no public hearings no debate on the floor, no members of the public allowed to testify for it or against it, no members of the public even allowed in the state capitol building when they passed this bill it would make michigan the 24th state to have the so-called right-to-work legislation on the books. they forced it through and then rick sha nidor in a total turnaround, a total flip-flop a total do