deregulation took place under the current administration, and i'm talking about airlines, trucks the railroads. and when carter left office, there were people in the reagan administration who with fought deregulation tooth and nail. and my question to you is, what happened to the republican party in that era so that most of the deregulation was done by the democrats? [laughter] and what, why were the role of the parties reversed? [laughter] >> the corruption of power. [laughter] no, i don't have the answer to that, and, of course, that's just the problem we're facing with the new congress now. gingrich brought in a bunch of great people. the contract with america was observed in the early years and then over time we found expenditures accelerating and so on. so i think that the pressure, what is required is that the pressures brought to bear in the last elections cycle desustained year in and year out with constant vigilance over how the newly-elected members are, in fact, operating. >> yes, please, in the back. >> mark phillips -- [inaudible] [laughter] in your defense of freedom, is it based more on freedom as a fundamental value, or is it based more o

the reagan era. lest anyone think i would put my mess on the table there is a thick piece of plastic that protects the original. here is the table as it was used during the reagan administrationthose years. you can see the president and officials looking at a map there around it. so this is very significant. i want to, secretary of state baker, bring you into this egypt discussion and ask what you have heard. we went back and if it wasn't your very first it was one of your first appearances on "meet the press" in 1981. do you know what the first question was about? >> i have no idea. >> it was about egypt. >> really? >> here we are in 2011 and i'm going to ask you about egypt again. what are your impressions of where things are now? >> well, i think things are moving tentatively in the right direction. i agree with senator kerry when he said there would be more clarity here. if the egyptian government would say, here's what we plan to do, here is how the election will be conducted there has to be time for political parties to form. you can't just hold an election tomorrow. so i think there is all this talk about whether mubarak does or doesn't step down, whether he remains as

. >>> a tax code dating back to the reagan administration is a center of a medical marijuana fight. several bay area cannabis collectors are thinking of applying a little known tax code. that would prevent them from deducting their rent, payroll, or other expenses. it was created in the 1980s to go after drug dealers. the director of the harbor side health center said it should not be applied to his operation. >> i don't think a provision that was designed to cocaine king pens should be designed for someone that is operating in strict compliance with state law. >> harbor side are lobbying politicians to allow dispensaries to deduct expenses. >>> time now is 4:38. we want to check out the traffic. >> traffic is moving well around the bay area. there is fog though believe it or not even though we are look at clear pictures. chp is advising a fog on the peninsula. this is a look now at the bay bridge toll plaza and that traffic moves along very nicely. if you are driving to the south bay it's a nice drive here. it's 4:39 let's go to steve. >>> we do have mostly clear skies. i will beli

think this quotation is sort of summarizes it all -- charles fried, solicitor general during the reagan administration, said tom "attacking the violence against women act as a violence against the constitution -- i got to get it all to the economy and regulation of the economy -- i don't think it involved the economy and regulation of the economy. regulation of insurance doesn't of the economy and what the commerce clause, -- does involve the economy and what the commerce clause contemplated." >> the supreme court filed election returns and able cowshed in high constitutional principle, but the judge who will act on the realities of how the act is working are not working. if enough justices proceed it is not going to work, that will incline them to reach the high constitutional principle and throw it out. >> he did not have to go to moscow. finley peter dunne -- said that he did not have to go to law school. finley peter dunne said that in 1896. it will come back to justice anthony kennedy. >> he is our mubarak. >> he is . tony kennedy -- thank you, ronald reagan. >> former defense secretary donald ru

he was a novelist, war hero, a great life outside, secretary of the navy in the reagan administration. a guy who was a real life, extremely creative guy. i think he decided he came here for six years and did what he wanted to do enand he doesn't spent 12 years in any one place. i commend him for what he is done on the way he walked away. >> i think there should be a rule in washington that you stay for your first scandal headlines. you cannot quit that fast. >> three hours. his at situation -- his district borders that of tickle monster eric massa. >> i understand the challenges you face, i understand you are under incredible pressure to cut costs and keep your margins up. i understand the significance of your obligations to shareholders, and the pressures created by quarterly reports. i get 8. >> that is that president obama speaking to the chamber of commerce, which spent millions attacking him in the last election. jeanne, when the president says "i get it," what does he mean? >> that all the c e l's who anonymously complaint and complained, "they don't get it." he says, "i do, i w

oberstar: but even a decade after it was enacted, the reagan administration came in and cut the grant program to a loan program. and funding diminished over a period of time. now, we still have 1/3 or more of the nation's streams and lakes that don't meet the standards of the clean water act. we have to advance the cause. that is the big challenge ahead of us. you just don't think of raw sewage in waterways in a developed country, and yet, that's what we have, and not just in pittsburgh, but all over. narrator: pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of the allegheny, monongahela, and ohio rivers. these three rivers are vital for industry, recreation, and drinking water. and each year, billions of gallons of combined sewer overflows discharge directly into those rivers. hecht: we're now having to face the consequences of the choice that was made to put in combined sewer systems. narrator: in 1994, the government adopted a combined sewer overflow policy to reduce csos nationwide. cities with combined sewer overflows now face an enforcement action called a consent decree. under a conse

therefore, the reagan administration was unable to marshal the western european allies in the middle of the cold war to stop that pipeline uh, from russia to supply gas to western europe. different interests. >> mark? >> well, i mean, the combination of crippling sanctions and intrusive inspections and the threat of military force convinced saddam hussein to give up his nuclear weapons. we learned that too late, but it actually worked. and i think the coalition that president obama is building now is broad. we'll have to find out how deep. and the question is, when the chinese and russians violate these sanctions, as they will, what is going to be the response of the obama administration? will it just impos symbolic sanctions against the swiss? or will it, or will it impose sanctions against the chinese? it's done so in the past and it needs to do so again. chinese companies have subsidiaries that are traded on the new york stock exchange, worth hundreds of billions of dollars. under current sanctions law, we can actually deny them the right to own those assets. >> but the united sta

the reagan administration tried unsuccessfully to overthrow him. in 2003 he renounced terrorism and compensated victims of the berlin disco bombing. he did the same for the victims of the bombing of a pan am airliner over lockerbie, scotland. >>> here at home, another monster storm is clobbering the upper midwest this morning. the storm stretches from the northern plains to the northeast. winter watches or warnings stretch across 1800 mills. heavy snow and freezing temperatures are predicted in many areas. it could last for days. driving conditions are hazardous. there was a 50-car pileup in michigan. motorists are being told to stay off the roads. some highways are closed. >> i was turning left, and at the end of the light, the people that are stopping for the red light couldn't stop, so i sped up to avoid them and hit a snow bank. >> reporter: air travel no better. that's a mess too. more than 1,000 flights have been canceled in minnesota, chicago and detroit. >> while many across the country, including the northern plains have a little taste of s

i worked in the reagan administration in the white house counsel's office. and i have talked to people, and reagan came into office, and one of his goals was to bring down the soviet union. and he referred to it as, you know, as an evil empire. and to a man, all of these leaders in the former warsaw pact countries have said that reagan calling the soviet union an evil empire gave them the courage and inspiration to fight on. against communism. but i would like to know from your viewpoint what effect reagan and the west had on the pressure they brought on the soviet union to bring, bring down the soviet union and cause it to fall? >> i think, you know, the big evidence of the idea the west was very important in disbanding the soviet soviet union, the kgb personal. and former kgb chief uri -- [inaudible] and many other generals, they talk constantly, talked to press and said, well, there's so many so-called agents of influence in the west, so that's why soviet union collapsed. but, i think, in fact, played important role of the west dissident groups were very s

fellow at the center for american progress and former assistant secretary of defense in the reagan administration and thanks so much for being nice to be with you again like i said he really has spread like wildfire today as soon as his reports came out that we were expecting his resignation and then and then he didn't then he just came out and gave a speech and said i'm still here how do we even interpret this this refusal to leave well. target is basically he doesn't want to be brought out of office because he did say there he talked about i don't want this foreign intervention pressure from a lot of countries including the united states. to do that i think he mistakenly thought if you modify the constitution and said he would publish those who course talking to the protesters that that would not be that would be enough he didn't realize that their demand that he go how can you not realize that i'm sorry after seventeen days of protests or people say they want mubarak out they want this regime of thirty years to end how does it still not get it well don't forget the man spread in power thirty y

weapons against iranian soldiers, and to their shame, i think, the international community and the reagan administration did nothing, essentially nothing to punish saddam for his egregious crime. the regime decided if the international community allows saddam to use weapons of mass destruction against the iranians, they must develop their own. they started their nuclear program, but they did it this time secretly. they kept it from the international community. they kept it from everybody because they were worried that israel would do to iran's nuclear program what it had done to iraq and recently syria. by the time the international community learned of the program, it was already a fairly developed program. i can talk much more detail about this. we don't have time. i need to stop. the short version of it is that many of the same problems that have existed between this regime and the international community existed between the shah and the international community. one big difference was the shah was trying to solve them within the context of the npt, within the context of the existing international law

his >>> history made on day 1 at pebble beach at alex checka became the first golfer since the reagan administration on his opening hole. meanwhile bill murphyry back terrorizing the galleries after missing last year with a knee injury. espn chris burman figured out an easy way to get out of a sand trap. throw it towards the oil. shot of the day belonged to fedex c.e.o. mike glen. playing pebble beach almost delivering the hole in 1 and he would tap in for birdie. tiger woods is in dubai. phil mickelson the big name in the field but unless he shoots a one over 71 at monterey peninsula today, he is eight shots back. playing pebble beach for the first time as a pro. birdie on 15. he would add another on 17. and he finished his round at 3 under par. here is your leader. steve marino and darren andrews. 63 at monterey peninsula. one shot better than alex checka. meanwhile, other notables. sacramento's nick what the what -- nick whatney. flying in the face of the rule book. today, kim coyle set us straight. >> it is like reading tall story. a lot to read. >> reporter: it is not the 1200 page war and peac

next james buckley, former new york senator, under secretary of state in the reagan administration and judge on u.s. court of appeals, argues against the expansion of the federal government and contends that its growth questions the original intent of the framers of the constitution. he presents thoughts at the heritage foundation in washington, d.c.. it's an hour. >> i suppose the first thing, i'm a little bit uncertain we should do, address you as senator, as judge, as undersecretary of state. which do you prefer? >> very confusing. >> a man of the people. this wonderful book, jim, "freedom at risk," which remarks in speeches and statements, articles which are written over the last several years was a very, a bit of a disturbing title, "freedom at risk" pics i guess the first question that i am sure we would like to have your address is how much freedom is at risk and what do we do about it? >> a tall order. i do believe that freedom is at risk if you're talking about the economy, the personal responsibility that is at the root of our centuries since its founding. i believe the time

we were -- the reagan administration was in favor of freedom. think he said -- and i think you have to start with the fact that it's the courage of the egyptian people that made this possible. we should be reinforcing and strengthening the courage. >> let me roll some tape of you and president mubarak, when you were house speaker in 1994. just look what you said there. >> let me say, we're very, very glad to have president mubarak here. he's a very important ally, friend, and adviser. and the many things we have done, including desert shield would not have been possible without the help of egypt. >> again, very close ally. yet you're full-throated in the defense of democracy. >> it's the challenge that george w. bush made in his second inaugural address. it's complicated. we're for democracy everywhere. i think we have to be. everybody in the planet is endowed by their creator, including chinese, russians, saudis. a lot of places. >> the president obama, standing clearly for the protesters is the right thing to do? >> the administration, cut out

we had a difficult time the first two years getting the carter center started because the reagan administration was determined not to give us any support. sometimes we would arrange to go to a foreign country and not only with the ambassador leave the country but the ambassador will also set a ton our trip until none of his people would even meet with me. so that was a problem until the george shultz became secretary of state and then it changed. we prevailed and had wonderful relationship with the centers for disease control which was right next door to us so -- presidents and kings and also ministers of health and agriculture. ministers of finance. if he wants to eliminate guinea worm why don't you invite your cabinet in and i can get the president and a cabinet to the carter center and we carry it out and that has been a source of our strength and influence. i have never been overseas to assist without getting permission from the white house. sometimes reluctant. i always managed to get permission. i always make a written report to the president and secretary of state and usually the secreta

many ways, our longtime chairman here at cato is a man named bill news gannon who worked in the reagan administration and much other private service. if you go up to bill's office, what you find is that there's three pictures on his wall up there, framed photos of or silhouettes of sir isaac newton, charles darwin and adam smith. and i think that, in many respects, is indicative for bill and for cato benefactors of mankind, and adam smith stands very highly in that, that pantheon of benefactors for mankind. and so it's very appropriate today that we have with us a author of a new book on adam smith, an intellectual biography, "adam smith: an enlightened life." our author today and our first speaker, nicholas phillipson, was an undergraduate at aberdeen and cambridge university, graduated with a ph.d. from cambridge in 1967. he was appointed lecturer in history at edinborough and subsequently appointed senior lecturer and reader. he retired from final employment in 2004 and was appointed honorary research fellow. he has held research appointments at a number of leading universities in the united state

. >> suarez: harvard law school professor charles fried, solicitor general during the reagan administration, disagreed. >> health care insurance surely is commerce, insuring as it does something like 18% of the gross national product. now, if that's so, if health care insurance is commerce, then does congress have the right to regulate health care insurance? of course, it does. >> suarez: later, fried had this exchange with iowa republican chuck grassley. >> would you see any need for congress to make any changes to the mandate in order to increase the chances that it would be found constitutional-- to make more certain it's constitutional? >> i see no need for it, because it seems so clearly constitutional. you're wearing a belt, maybe you want to put on some suspenders as well, i don't know. i think it's not necessary. >> suarez: florida's newly elected governor republican rick scott said he believes his state and 25 others that joined the lawsuit are no longer bound to implement the law. the obama administration is appealing the florida decision and it argues states should continue to im

reagan had a thing for the children where she would say "just say no " to drugs. i want to hear your view point on iran contra with the drug problem in compton, california, during the reagan administration. guest: i'm not sure of the two issues. iran contra is a great illustration. scholars will be dividing iran contra for years to come. i think it was a combination of neglect and wishful thinking. i think there was a human desire on the part of ronald reagan's part to try to rescue americans that were not only being held hostage but were brutalized by their cap torse in the middle east. that said, the nir ower debate over -- the narrower debate over the leg at of iran contra and more specifically whether the president was aware of the illegal galt is something that will go on for a long time. i saw a piece that quotes catherine weinberger's diaries, in which the president seems to acknowledge the fact that people can accept the illegality of this, what they couldn't accept is the president not doing everything he could not to rescue his countrymen. host: the piece in "time" magazine available online. ronald reagan and why he still matters. part of a series of he is as looking back at o

reagan and wish her all the best for her continued health, and throes say that, as someone who had three different positions in the reagan administration, i'm thinking of a lot of very fine people with whom i had the opportunity to serve and especially c.a.p. win weinberge, who i met and worked with every day, one of the finest people i ever worked with and also john herington, the director of white house personnel, who first brought me into the reagan administration and later served our country as secretary of energy. as i mentioned, mr. president, i had three different positions in the reagan administration, first as a member of the national advisory committee and then spent four years to the day in the pentagon as assistant secretary of defense and then as secretary of the navy. and it was truly an inspiring time in my life to have worked for an individual who had the leadership qualities that ronald reagan demonstrated. he knew how to inspire our countrymen. he knew how to bring strong personalities together to work toward the good of the country and for its future. he knew how to make decisions. he knew how to make hard decisions.

reagan was in charge as he dealt with foreign policy and domestic policy and i'm happy that we are joined by my colleague who came to the congress during the last two years of the reagan administration. he came here in 1986, and i know was inspired by president reagan and he is a very, very thoughtful member of the ways and means committee and i recognize mr. herger. mr. herger: i thank my good friend from california, mr. dreier, particularly, i want to thank my good friend for leading us in this incredibly special, special time to remember an individual who, as we've heard from the speakers before me, individuals like mr. dreier, who actually spent a lot of time with president reagan, the sharing with us the incredible person and inspiration that our 40th president who we're celebrating this week, his 100th anniversary of his birthday is to each of us. and i, as the gentleman mentioned, i did have the privilege of serving for his last two years, in 1987 -- last two years as president. 1987 and 1988. but i think about what president reagan meant to me. and when i think about what he meant to me, i know as i listen to these speakers before me what he meant to so many of us and our na

and also john herington, the director of white house personnel, who first brought me into the reagan administration and later served our country as secretary of energy. as i mentioned, mr. president, i had three different positions in the reagan admintration, first as a member of the national advisory committee and then spent four years to the day in the pentagon as assistant secretary of defense and then as secretary of the navy. and it was truly an inspiring time in my life to have worked forn individual who had the leadership qualies that ronald reagan demonstrated. he knew how to inspire our countrymen. he knew how to bring strong personalities together to work toward the good of the country and for its future. he knew how to make decisions. he knew how to make hard decisions. one of the great qualities that he had was that he was never afraid to take responsibility for the consequences of any of those decisions. and that is something that motivated, i think, everyone who served in his administration. if we go back to that time period, those of us who were of age, 1980, it was a bad time in our

i engaged in negotiations in the reagan administration on the question of multinational -- these multinational jurisdictional issues. when i was tax commsioner, we found some amazing things. i'll never forget, we followed transactions of a major grain company and found that one ship of grain changed hands eight times before it left the continental united states before we lost track of it offshore. i saw other examples, not in my tax work, but in conjunction with the revenue service where a company showed no profits in the united states, series of transfer prices, showed $20 million of profits in the cayman islands, with unemployee. i always said that one employee was the most efficient worker in the world to produce $20 million of profits and he actually produced nothing. the only thing he produced was tax returns and corporate statements showing they had periodic board meetings toeet the requirements of that. so look, these are enormously complex subjects, but we have an obligaon to short through them. i also want to commend my colleague senator wyden. i said this in another forum. there are

guest is the longtime guiding force behind ronald reagan's favorite newspaper, "human events," here is the editor-in-chief, tom -- our next one served in various positions in the reagan administrationently chairman of the reagan ranch board of governors, please welcome -- [applause] next, we have a news man who was recently named one of america's top 20 most influential news media personalities. let's welcome the ceo and president of nesmaxx, -- next is a reagan conservative who helped to make a virginia a red state. he is the president and ceo of the free congress foundation, former virginia gov. jim gilmore. [applause] our next guest is a very special friend. she was the architect of the ronald reagan coalition bringing together for the first time in the white house evangelical catholic, jewish, and other traditional orthodox religious groups to promote the sanctity of human life. she was also ronald reagan's ambassador to switzerland, please welcome ambassador -- [applause] ronald reagan once said that the nra believes that americans' constitutional liberties are just as important today as two centuries ago. welcome the great defender of the second amendment and ceo of the nra,

reagan and wish her all the best for her continued health, and throes say that, as someone who had three different positions in the reagan administration, i'm thinking of a lot of very fine people with whom i had the opportunity to serve and especially c.a.p. win weinberge, who i met and worked with every day, one of the finest people i ever worked with and also john herington, the director of white house personnel, who first nistration and later served our country as secretary of energy. as i mentioned, mr. president, i had three different positions in the reagan administration, first as a member of the national visory committee and then spent four years to the day in the pentagon as assistant secretary of defense and then as secretary of the navy. and it was truly an inspiring time in my life to have worked for an individual who had the leadership qualities that ronald reagan demonstrated. he knew how to inspire our countrymen. he knew how to bring strong personalities together to work toward the good of the country and for its future. he knew how to make decisions. he knew how to make hard decisions. one of the great qualities that

reagan had a thing for the children where she would say "just say no " to drugs. i want to hear your view point on iran contra with the drug problem in compton, california, during the reagan administrationest: i'm not sure of the two issues. iran contra is a great illustration. scholars will be dividing iran contra for years to come. i think it was a combination of neglect and wishful thinking. i think there was a human desire on the part of ronald reagan's part to try to rescue americans that were not only being held hostage but were brutalized by their cap torse in the middle east. that said, the nir ower debate over -- the narrower debate over the leg at of iran contra and more specifically whether the president was aware of the illegal galt is something that will go on for a long time. i saw a piece that quotes catherine weinberger's diaries, in which the president seems to acknowledge the fact that people can accept the illegality of this, what they couldn't accept is the president not doing everything he could not to rescue his countrymen. host: the piece in "time" magazine available online. ronald reagan and why he still matters. part of a series of he is as looking back at our 4

extended in the reagan administration and into the clinton administration.nemployment was down to 3.8%, the best thing that can happen to people at the low end of the income scale. host: scottsdale, arizona. caller: a couple of quick questions. do you feel that the american public really understands the severity of the problem our country is in? my personal recommendation for the size of our government is to remove the politics out of it and cut the size of our federal government. pick a number. 10% straight across the board. take all the politics out of that and say all the programs are in place. we agree they are all proper and fine but they all need to be reduced by this figure. guest: 10% across the board, everything. host: correct. guest: i think -- caller: correct. guest: where to go. you're saying it is a politics. i agree. i think omb has hundreds of people working on the budget. it is possible for them to make reasoned reductions. reductions in the commerce department, for example. ronald reagan recommended and try to get big cuts in the federal dep

bracket, and it would take the value of itemized deductions back to where they were and the reagan administration. it is the first that towards dealing with cutting back on the spending that goes on in the tax code, and we put that in the budget as a way to pay for the alternative minimum tax for the next three years di. we have $62 billion in savings in dozens of different parts of the health budget which would pay 482-year extension of the fix. last year in december congress worked on a bipartisan basis to pass a one-year extension. that was the first time it was paid for. it did not have to be paid for under the budget rules, but it was the right thing to do. here are the ossets to pay for it for the next two years and now we need to work together so we can deal with it on a longer- term basis so it does not become a year to year charge. i would like to talk about a couple aspects of the budget i call stewardship areas. one is the pension benefit corporation. we have seen over the last few years that the rest of the federal government, risk to taxpayers having to bail out entities, to somethin

it would take the value of itemized deductions back to where they were in the reagan administration. we think that is responsible. it is a first step toward putting -- toward cutting back on the spending in the tax code. we put that in this budget as a way to paper the alternative minimum tax for the next three years. in the case of medicare, we have $62 billion of specific savings in different parts of the health budget which would pay for a two extension. last year in december, congress worked on a bipartisan basis to pass a one-year extension and pay for it. that was the first time it was paid for. it was the right thing to do. what we have done in this budget is we have said here are offsets to pay for it. we have to work together so we can do with it on a longer-term basis so it does not become another year to year charge. i would like to talk about a couple of aspects of the budget that i call the stewardship area. one is the pension benefit guaranty corporation. we have seen over the last few years that the federal government risk to taxpayers of having to bail out entities is

host: a viewer wtes in -- guest: the general sentiment during the reagan administration, there was not a very enlightened energy policy. i do not think those numbers are exactly right. we asked that question, what is the dependent -- what percentage of our oil comes from overseas today? it was, i think, 50%. i think 55%, in that range. another interesting point that came out yesterday, the high water mark as far as a percentage of oil that comes from overseas was reached in 2005 according to these experts. we are now in a period where that is declining and we hope it will continue to decline. host: one of the debates i heard from one of the witnesses is that it is a global marketplace for all other things. we bring sweaters from china and alike. these witnesses made the point that independence and should not necessarily be a goal. what is your view about the independence question? guest: my own view is we do not need to have total independence but we need to dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil for national security reasons. oil is not like sweaters in the sense that oil h

he worked in the reagan administration as special assistant to the attorney general. from 1995 until 1999, he served as associate justice of the supreme judicial court of the state of massachusetts. he received his b.a. from princeton, a master's from oxford. professor, thanks for joining us today. please proceed. >> i should just add to that statement that i have two of my former students here, professor barnett, and attorney general kroger. i taught him constitutional law. i come here not as a partisan for this act. i think there are lots of problems with it. i'm not sure it is good policy. i am not sure it will make the country any better. i am quite sure that the health care mandate is constitutional. i have my doubts about the part that senator grassleyentioned with the medicare -- medicaid compulsion on the states. that is something to worry about. the health care mandate, i think, really is -- i would have said a no-brainer. such indulge in brains go the other way. clearly, insurance is commerce. that was upheld by the supreme court in 1944. there was a time wh

i engaged in negotiations in the reagan administration on the question of multinational - these multinational jurisdictional issues. when i was tax commissioner, we found some amazing things. i'll never forget, we followed transactions of a major grain company and found that one ship of grain changed hands eight times before it left the continentaunited states before we lost track of it offshore. saw other examples, not in my tax work, but in conjunction with the revenue service where a company showed no profits in the united states, series of transfer prices, showed $20 million of profits in the cayman islands, with unemployee. i always said that one employee was the most efficient worker in the world to produce $20 million of profits and he actually produced nothing. the only thing he produced was tax returns and corporate statements showing they had periodic board meetings to meet the requirements of that. so look, these are enormously complex subjects, but we have an obligation to short through them. i also want to commend my colleague senator wyden. i said this in another forum. therare

i was in this room -- before i worked for the reagan administration, i was on the staff of the senate budget committee, like many people here, and i was in this room when paul volcker said "enough is enough." we are at that point where people need to be saying we cannot afford it, even though it might be a good program. if i may, i will go through the first slide. my testimony is broken into four parts. one is the economic outlook, which is for moderate growth. the second is the fiscal outlook, which is for lots more debt and deficit. the third part, i address the risks of this high debt-to-gdp ratio. the question is whether we are at a turning point -- a tipping point where we could see investors turned away from u.s. debt. i am going to address that in some detail. then in my testimony, i get some policy suggestions. in particular, i think we need to start cutting spending now rather than the summit approach, which has been tried so often. i think the goal should be to fight any cut you can make tomorrow or early this week -- any cut you can make tomorrow or early this week and at s

in the guidelines issued by the justice department more than a quarter century ago during the reagan administration which are still enforced. in addition, even if a transaction is vertical, and those aspects are ignored, its horizontal elements create competition problems. the comcast transition is a case in point because it wasn't a cable company applying for power. this aspect with lead to higher programming prices, and some of the conditions addressed that trouble. some people question why the open internet commissions are related to the transaction. those conditions address a specific competitive problem. comcast's ability to exclude video programming in an online world in order to benefit affiliated program. this is analyzed in vertical mergers and identified in the open internet order as a justification for those rules. not surprisingly, the justice department, the agency that's the competition policy specialist had the same concern and adopted the same remedy. finally, i'd like to address the concern that the fcc's condition prevent merging firms from obtaining efficiencies. that concerns th

we had a difficult time the first two years in getting the carter center started because the reagan administration was determined not to give us any support. sometimes we would arrange to go to a foreign country, and not, with the ambassador leave the country, but the ambassador with sabotaging our whole trip. we have that problem until george became secretary of state. then it changed. we had a hard time at first. we prevailed. we have had wonderful relationships, particularly with the center for disease control, which was next door to us. we deal with presidents and kings, and also with ministers of health and agriculture, and so forth. one of the things that has made it possible for the carter center to be successful is when i go in, i can meet with the president. if i come to eradicate guinea worm, he may not know what i want. i will say, why don't you bring your cabinet in so i can tell you. that has been the source of our strength. i never have been overseas without getting permission from the white house. sometimes reluctant, but i have always been able to get permission. i always make a wr

host: a viewer writes in -- guest: the general sentiment during the reagan administration, there was not a very enlightened energy policy. i do not think those numbers are exactly right. we asked that question, what is the dependent -- what percentage of our oil comes from overseas today? it was, i think, 50%. i think 55%, in that range. another interesting point that came out yesterday, the high water mark as far as a percentage of oil that comes from overseas was reached in 2005 according to these experts. we are now in a period where that is declining and we hope it will continue to decline. host: one of the debates i heard from one of the witnesses is that it is a global marketplace for all other things. we bring sweaters from china and alike. these witnesses made the point that independence and should not necessarily be a goal. what is your view about the independence question? guest: my own view is we do not need to have total independence but we need to dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil for national security reasons. oil is not like sweaters in the sense that oi

in the reagan administration, he worked as a middle east specialist and served as deputy assistant deputy of defense. before we began, would like to ask you to turn off your phones. the presenters will give short talks and then we will turn to question and answers. thank you. >> let me begin speaking today with a very short story from the first day of demonstrations in cairo. a friend of mine close to the first demonstration on tuesday, the day that is now claim to be the start of the egyptian revolution. there he found an old acquaintance of ours. the man calls himself the liberal democratic activist, very well educated, a member of the egyptian opposition. he finds him there screaming with resolve the voice, "what a disgrace. what a disgrace. six towns are worth $1." my friend was bewildered. he got the reply, "this is an insult to egypt's honor." if egypt was a great country, the egyptian pound would be worth $6 and not the reverse. my friend answers, "a weak currency might be good for exports. actually, it's very hard for the government to maintain overvalued exchange rates." the acti

there the republican chairman put together a group of young intellectuals to let me and the reagan administrationh people. i'm a professor. i know a little about this stuff. i was knocked off my chair about how knowledgeable and philosophical these people were about conservatives. governor luis for to know was one of those individuals. he is not somebody recent images started believing in this. this goes back almost 20 years. he has not done a bad job himself. in fact, he did reagan one better. he cut spending by 20% in just two years. he has proposed the biggest tax cut in puerto rico history, taking the rate reductions down 50 percent for individuals and 30% for corporations, unlike president obama he realizes that if businesses don't work nothing works. let me introduce somebody who is not only one of us as a philosophical and intellectual conservative, but also someone that knows how to put that into practice. governor luis fortuno of puerto rico. [applauding] [applauding] >> good morning. good morning. thank you, don, for that kind introduction. it is great to be with you all today and to ha