how can you say to us that america is protected with all the oil rigs that you have? we have almost 3800 in the gulf. can you tell us that america will be safe in that you have backup worst-case scenarios? he did not even tell us the right 5,000 barrels a days. obviously it was not bad. we need to hear from you under oath that you can in the worst- case scenario protect american shores. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> thank you, mr. chairman for holding the hearing, and i want to welcome our panelists today. the states along the gulf coast are dealing with this tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families and communities affected by this accident. those of us to represent energy- producing areas, it is like a loss and the family. while we wait to see a positive efforts on containing this bill, we began the process offfairly evaluating the answers to many questions on what we're wrong and how the whole responsible parties accountable. as we approach this legislation, it's important to allow for thoughtful deliberation for making perman

the summit was an opportunity for us to educate america about the important role that rural america plays for all of us. it is the supply of inexpensive affordable quality food, it is the supply of water that we drink and rely on. it helps to make us energy independent and at the same time it's a substantial percentage of our military comes from these small towns. so it's important that there be a vibrant economy in rural america to support families. sadly for the last several decades we've seeb a decline in rural america, an aging population, persistent poverty, fairly significant distinction between per capita income. so the obama administration has decided to put a new framework in place to revitalize the rural economy and it's based on a couple principles. one is that production agriculture is important to the country and rural america so we have to continue to expand markets, both domestically and foreign. it's why our know your farmer, know your food is trying to link people with local production and consumers. we recognize there's a 21st century infrastructure that needs to be expa

america, our soul and our spirit. people feared that something is slipping away from us. that america is drifting.hat is happening to us? it was a symbol -- was symbolized by a woman who gripped my hand and looked into my eyes and said, "i have never voted before but i am voting for you because i fear for my children's future." i knew instantly what she meant. dreamers and patriots founded our country on a single radical idea -- that anyone from anywhere could live the life they choose and rise to fill the room potential, that the pursuit of happiness is a protected right. >> our thanks to our affiliate providing the feed. we heard almost all of her speeches she declared victory tonight in the california senate primary. she will face barbara boxer who has served in the u.s. senate and in the house to a total of 28 years. the senate is in session this week so senator boxer is here in washington as is senator harry reid. the primary -- search it, watch it, click it, and share it. sharron angle is the winner in nevada, the gop nominee facing senator harry reid in the general legendary our phone lines

that is section 210 of the bill. you have bank of america, to use as an example, that is a $2.50 trillion company. this bill authorizes the fdic to borrow 0% of that amount and guarantee the obligation for bank of america to pay their counterparties, purchased their assets, loaned the money, and basically come in and manage the company. disturbingly enough, and also says the fdic can decide -- the treasury can decide to pay other creditors off and to tell other creditors there are out of luck. that gives them tremendous discretion. we do not feel like the american people get that back. why pay them in the first place if you need to get it back? take the largest six connected companies and that is the no. $8 trillion exposure. the government is alreadd over committed. >> the bailout issue has been a central question about all this. what would be a better alternative beyond just a simple could go with lehman brothers. >> with lehman brotters, we said they were nottallowed to aat immediately. there were not allowed to issue a injunctive relief. we said

obstacles and>m$(lc@&c+ the blessing is that he h us always -- a blessing that is granted even in the midst of the storm." the oil spill is not the last crisis america will face. this nation has known hard times before, and we will surely know them again. what has always seen us through is our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it. tonight, we pray for that courage. we pray for the people of the gulf coast. we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a better day. thank you. god bless you. and may god bless america. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> coming up, "washington journal." . . .

total consolidated assets of those companies, which is section 210 in fact, you have bank of america, let me use that as an example. that is a $2.5 triilion company. well, this bill authorizes the fdic to borrow 90% of that amount and farrin tee that the obligation -- guarantee the obligations of bank of america, buy their assets, loan them money and basically come in and mannge the company. it also, disturbingly enough, it says the fdic or the treasury can decide to pay certain creditors off and tell others you're out of luck, which gives tremendous discretion. government get it back? we will get it back from the creditors. why pay it to them in the first place if you're going to get it back? just take the largest six systemically connected companies. that is an over $8 trillion exposure, and the government is already overcommitted. >> on the bailout issue, and that has about a central question in all this, what would be a better alternative beyond just a simple bankruptcy, which we saw how that can go with lehman? >> with lehman, they said ok, they weren't allowed to act immediately. they weren't a

the blessing is that he is with us always -- a blessing that is granted even in the midst of the storm." the oil spill is not the last crisis america will face. this nation has known hard times before, and we will surely know them again. what has always seen us through is our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it. tonight, we pray for that courage. we pray forrthe people of the gulf coast. we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a better day. thank you. god bless you. and may god bless america. >> president obama meets with bp officials tomorrow. the executives from faw of oil companies, including bp -- fro m five oil companies, including bp, were on the hill today. representative markey called their response plans "identical and effective." [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [gavel pounds] >> 57 days ago, in the dead of night, the worst environmental nightmare in u.s. history began. and in homes ere i across the country, we see the live video of tens of thousands of barrels of oil, bill

enlisted private and the general officer who commands than barrett that allows us to come together as one. that is part of the reason why america has the finest fighting force in the history of the world. it is also true that our democracy depends on institutions that are stronger than individuals. that includes strict adherence to the military chain of command and respect for civilian control over the chain of command. that is why as commander in chief i believe this decision is necessary to hold ourselves accountable to standards that are at the core of our democracy. second, i have a responsibility to do whatever is necessary to succeed in afghanistan and in our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-qaida. i believe this mission demands unity of effort across our alliance and across my national security team. i do not think we can sustain that unity of effort and achieve our objectives in afghanistan without making this change. that, too, as that gutted my decision. i just told my national security team that now is the time for all of us to come together. doing so is not an option but an obligation. i welcome

that allows us to come together as one. that is part of the reason why america has the finest fighting force in the history of the world. it is also true that our democracy depends upon institutions that are stronger than individuals. that includes strict adherence to the military chain of command and respect for civilian control over that tremaine -- over that chain of command. and that is why as commander in chief, i believe this decision is necessary to hold ourselves accountable to standards that are at the core of our democracy. second, i never responsibility to do what ever is necessary to succeed in afghanistan and in our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al qaeda. i believe that this mission demands unity of effort across our alliance and across my national security team. and i do not think that we can sustain that unity of effort and achieve our objectives in afghanistan without making this change. that, too, has guided my decision. i have just told my national security team that now is the time for all of us to come together. doing so i

that? it used to be, when america had a strong middle class we had a financial system that allowed credit, the creation of money, to be brought -- broadly distributed across our country. probably people in the galley and people listening on their televisions you actually knew bankers in your community who started banks and you'd have several, dozens of banks locally and there was real credit competition. we've seen that change as the banks became eaten up by bigger banks and bigger banks yet and % states lost money and power gravitated to wall street and charlotte, north carolina, banks. but in the days when we had really competitive credit in this country, there was a law of the land that said to banks, when you get a dollar in deposit you can't lend more than $10. you can't loan money out more than 10 times because that's imprudent. and you might make a mistake. and therefore you have to have very careful underwriting and very careful servicing of those loans. that's all changesed. one of the reasons we're in this financial mess is the wall street institutions took $1 and blew it up into

us to say that one is better than another. we say it is immigration vs column writing. we say no because our vision of america all of us, not some of us, when we think about what green is, it is green for all and not for some. that is the difference. i thought about how we make this happen. we have made some mistakes. we thought an election was a victory. we forgot that candidates do not deliver change. they become part of the system. we are the people that hold them accountable for us to not recognize that while i voted for barack obama and i would again, he is not enough. if we do not push him to say that the handling of bp has been atrocious at best and we don't say it does not mean we don't support him, it means we recognize that people like my nieces are not getting their needs met. we don't mean to discredit leadership, we want to raise our expectations. what is important is that we all people at the center of our agenda and the quality of life of our families must get better. we have to be vigilant. when people hear us, i want people to know that there is no person or institution more important than th

us tremendous debt. and what weehave heard from our previous speakers is how the government is out of control and spending. look at the republican preeidents. the last surplus that america had was a $5.6 trillion surplus handed over to us by president clinton. so, you know, for them to come over here and lecture democrats about spending, you know, is pretty ironic considering the facts here that this chart shows. now, look, we have got to our spending under control in washington. democrats and republicans agree on that point. we have to make sure that we can pay for the wars that we are paying for, these two undeclared wars we find ourselves in. we need to live within our means like working people have to. $3.5 trillion deficit handed to us day one when congressman tonko walked through the doors is insurmountable in an economy that was on a downward spiral. this is the deficit that was handed over to us with $1 frillion tax cuts to the wealthiest americans, another $1 trillion to the top 1% of the country, a prescriptionnplan that left a huge doughnut hole and two undeclared, unfunded wars in iraq and afghanistan. that is the facts. ms. wasserman schultz: add on top of

us. and they believed in america. on this day, this solemn day, let us strive once again to be individuals and a nation worthy of thatt our troops. and may god continue to bless the memory of all of those who have died that we may live. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the playing of "taps" andhe benediction. ♪ ["taps"] >> received a benediction. our dear god, before we leave here today, we ask once more that you, oh, lord, bless us, our families, our comrades and leaders and our country. he was mindful of the justice and equality of our nation that have preserved our heritage. let us not forget those who have fought and died so the and we may endure. bless their continuous service today as well as their families and a grateful nation. bring us together in a future in ace. protect those serving on a field of battle this very moment, and continue to be a strength for the families and loved ones of those deployed. in your holy name we dupo pray, amen. >> ladi and gentlemen, please remain until the vice president has exited and the colors are rered. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] >> an hour

a blessing is that he is with us always, a blessing that is granted even in the midst of the storm." the oil spill is not the last crisis america will face. this nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them again. what sees us through -- what has always seen us through -- is our strength, our resilieece, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits if we summon the courage to reach for it. tonight we pray for that courage. we pray for the people of the gulf. and we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a brighter day. thank you, god bless you, and may god bless the united states of america. >> executives from five oil companies including bp were on capitol hill today to defend their drilling practices. congressman ed markey called them -- called their oil spill response plans are identical and the affected. here is an hour 20 minutes portion of the opening statements. >> 57 days ago in the dead of night, the worst environmental nightmare in u.s. history began. on a screen here and in homes across the country, we now see the live video of tens of thousands of barrels of oil billowing

us to say one is better than another. immigration, coal mining, this reverses that. our vision of america has all of us, not some of us. een for all, not for some. that is the difference. i thought about, how do we make this happen? we have madeesome mistakes. we thought an election was a victory. but we forgot is that candidates do not deliver change. they become part of the system which is important, but we are the people that hold accountable. for us to recognize that while i voted for barack obama and i would again that it is not enough. if we do not push him to say the handling of bp has been atrocious at best -- [applause] it does not mean we do not support him, we recognize that people are not getting their meat -- needs met. we want to raise our expectations. what is important? we hold people at the center of our agenda. we want an agenda that addresses the quality of life. we have to be vigilant so people here as. i want people to know that that dream for all there's no person or institution more important than the people in louisiana at this moment. those fishermen who have not had their claims that, i want th

until we realize that the america that we used to have is no longer here and the america we used to liveugust changing, until we change as a nation and adapt to that, we will continually have these crazy ideas of all let's spend more money and that should fix it. i submit that we should take farmers, construction workers, assemblymen and put them in charge of the government because they will have a much more better common-sense approach. until we get to that point and realize that if you have to dollars you cannot spend $3 and break this all nonsense of republican and democrat -- stop spending money. i submit this one last leg. the government cannot create anything. they are a collector of money and they are drunken sailors that spend it. if you want to fix the economy, cut all business taxes in half. tell tte world that bacon come to america and you can build your companies and higher the greatest honor for divorce and workers in the world. common sense -- when you have too many people who do not do things like working on cars or planting crops -- when you have people who sit around and

that it is us versus them. i have had a very frank conversations. that is interable, and it is inconsistent withhat america is about. in this nation, our many faiths, origins and appearances must bind us together, not break us apart. in this nation, at the document that sets for a lot of our land, the constitution, is meant to empower,ot to exclude. in this nation, security and liberty are partners, not enemies, i ensuring safety and oppounity for all. [applause] the communities that we serve it must -- the communities that we serve must see that the federal government is committed to the impartial implementation of our government's clause. they must know that we will do all we can to enfce our civil rights laws with the same vigor that we used to enforce public safety. these are not mutually exclusive goals. the justice department will do both. under our leadership, that is the commitmenn of the justice department and of every united states attorney throughout thi nation. that is also my personal pledge to each and every one of you. wh exactly have we done to ensure the equal enforcement of our nation's l

administration is for taxing everything that moves and a cap and trade scheme that would cripple america's economy and put us at a significant disadvantage from the developing countries in the world and in particular, india and china. underdeveloped countries. it cheapens it over there. what do we do? they produce things and ship it back to us and we buy it. what do we buy it with? we are buying it with credit. we are buying it up against the chinese. they are approaching $1 trillion and u.s. debt today. we lament the cost when a young person finishes their college education, receives their degree and there's a number out there -- this is not a survey number but a scrernl ball park number, roughly $40,000 debt for a child, albeit a young adult, $40,000 to pay off that student loan. phatever that real number is, i'm wooking with 40, which is in the ball park and we worry about that student loan being paid off by that young person that has a college degree and entering a job market. i'm not word about that $40,000 because the baby born in america today owes uncle sam, the federal government, the share of the n

one of the things that we have to do is energy. today, in america, we will use 21 million barrels of oil. we import 70% of that. we cannot continue doing that. we have to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels. in the next few weeks, i intend to come forward with an energy bill. [applause] we will have a clean energy pevolution, and much of that has already started here. trthis will allow our stay to te energy independent within three years. transmission is the name of the game. we are going to make easier. right now, the average time to build a power line is 19 years. we will shorten not by analysts. the large reserves of energy that we have, we can sell it to hungry california. that is what is all about. our energy policy is broken and we need to fix it. we're going to do it in a way that respects our mission andd values. one thing that troubles me is the people like the two senators from arizona. they complain the most, but when we try to do something on the senate floor, they say no. that is illogical and unfair, but in spite of all that, we will move forward be

we have shown the rest of this country that we, each of us in arkansas and america, have a say.we have the privilege of casting error about, we have a say and what this country will be in the direction we will take it. you all have made that statement tonight and i could not be more proud of my great state of arkansas. [applause] i would like to say to bill halter to him and his supporters, the keeper a good race and i appreciate that. we will ask for their help because let me tell you folks, we are headed to november with this message. [applause] we will move forward as democrats tonight and into november to show the rest of this country, to show the rest of this country that has democrats, we have a great passion, a passion for the diversity and a passion for the hard work that made this country great and will make it great again. we will bring that back here in arkansas and we will see it spread across this nation. [applause] you all sent me to washington, the united states senate, to fight for arkansas and that is what i have done. the congressman teases me all the time. we

president obama -- one of the interesting things he said in cairo, which i agree wi, was that for us in america to understand islam, we have to understand what it is and what it is not. he proceeded to say what it is not, unfortunately. he talked about a vision of islam that does not mesh with the reality of islam. we ought to recognizeethe fact that islam is very diverse. many muslims do not want to live under sharia law. he would be quite right to say that we have commonalities. what you cannot avoid is the fact that there are hundreds of millions of muslims who go th other way, who subscribe to islamist ideology, which is not ly the catalyst for a fringe of terrorists, but also a much broader based what they regard as a civilization movement to bring the west under sharia law. if you ask people in the muslim world if they agree that it is legitimate to kill even muslims that do not subscribe to a certain strict interpretation of islamic law, the president would be quite right to say that is a fringe position. it may get 10% of the muslim world. for my money, that's a frightening amount. if y

that our best days are ahead of us. i still believe that the best message for america is a common message from a common man. that is what we are getting tonight. i understand the frustration. we have challenges. we are frustrated. we can express the frustration, but at the end of the day, let's find a way to come together. >> i am with united way of kern county. we are about helping families here, advancing the common good by supporting programs around health, income and education. i am asking for your assistance here today are around our financial stability initiative with our voluntary income tax assistance program. we have several partners that are giving services to our families. the new america foundation just put out an article that there are $37 million being left unclaimed by our families here. that is money that does not stay in kern county. so, what we are trying to do is help our residents reclaim what is already theirs. since 2003, we have shown a 140% increase of people coming to our centers. it is not just about volunteer income tax anymore. if we are also serving financial institutions, openi

let us listen to comments in that state. >> there are 5 million children trapped in failing public schools in america. i use the word "trapped" directly. they are trapped by a bureaucracy, a self interested, agreed school union that cares more about putting money in their own pockets and the pockets members than they care about educating our most vulnerable and needy children across the country. host: reaction? guest: a lot of finger pointing, a lot of blame. education in america that is not what it should be. it is the responsibility of all of us. the idea that you can point fingers and blame one group does not make sense. there are 3.2 million members of my organization and they are on the line every single day. they are not giving speeches at lunches. they are in classrooms every single day dealing with these challenges -- kids who come to school without the most incredible circumstances and obstacles in their way -- with the most incredible circumstances and obstacles in their weight. they pack at baxter gift foods over the weekend -- pack backpacks with fruit over the weekend. it will take all o

what they want is for us to say that one is better than another, that it is immigration versus coal mining. and what we say is our vision of americall of us, not some of us. when we think about what green is is green for all, not for some. that is the difference. i thought about, how we make this happen? we have made mistakes. we thought an election was a victory. and what we forgot is that candidates do not deliver change. they became part of the system, which is important, but we are the people that hold them accountable. for us not to recognize that while i voted for barack obama and i would again, that he is not enough. if we do not pushing to say, the handling of bp has been atrocious at best. if we do not say, it does not mean that we do not support him, it means that we recognize that people liked shalamrar, jasmine, and layla are not getting their needs met. we want to raise our expectations. what is important? we hope that people at -- we hold people at the center of our agenda. it is that the quality of life of our families gets better. we have to be vigilant. so when people hear it, i want people to know at green for al

that speech. "america hoods in her the truth that regardless of race or religion or station in life, all of us share common aspirations education and work with dignity, to love oor family, our communities, and our god. but so long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace and promote conflict rather than cooperation that can help all of our people a chief justice and prosperity. this cycle of suspicion in this court must end." president obama may have been addressing one region of the world, but his words were as much as a guide for diapers committees today as they were for drivers commit -- diverse communities today as they were for diverse communities around the globe. those who sow hatred rather than peace must not prevail. allow it to happen. -- we cannot and will not allow it to happen. [applause] since becoming attorney general last february, i have heard from arab-americans and muslim americans who say they feel uneasy about their relationship with the united states government. i have spoken to arab americans who feel they have n

that gave their lives for us. and thanks to the service member all across america to ensure that on this day those who served undertanding proudly before their headstone, a declaration worthy of their dignity. collectively, the generation of service members to a sacrifice for us are the heart and soul, and i would say, spine of this nation. and today we pause today to remember them. they gave their lives of filling their oath to this nation and to us. and in doing so, they imparted the responsibility on us to recognize, respect, to honor, and to care for those who risked their lives so that we can live our life. moments ago, i had the distinct honor and high privilege of laying the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers. this morning, i welcomed into the white house the gold star families to know all too well -- who know all too well the price of their loved ones patriotism. i met the current president of gold star mothers who lost her son christopher on the first night of major operations in afghanistan, in october 2001. the mother who played a pivotal role in early stages of the vietnam veterans memorial and

i think that some of our tasks are very difficult, but finding our soul is going to be the most difficult one. america will produce and bring us to a greater level of greatness yet if we find our soul, if we redefine and identify the pillars of american exceptionalism and charter ourselves down that path that goes down the shiny hills of america that ronald reagan spoke of that we can see just beyond our horizons right now, madam speaker. so truthfully, i didn't come down here to talk about the things i just spoke of in the last half-hour. there is a seg way into this. i -- segue into this. i mentioned obamacare issue and here's where we are. whether it was two months or three months ago today that obamacare passed, i think this is a monthly anniversary of the tragic day when this congress refused to use its common sense and refused to listen to the will of the people. somehow they seem to be shut up here in washington and couldn't -- that our constituents couldn't get to them. and they hammered through and forced fed an obamacare bill on the american people that today is the law of the land. and there was a cry that went out

white house service there is ample evidence of your efforts to bridge the political gaps that haunt us in america. in closing i would like to recognize the justice that you would replace. justice john paul steevepeses has been one of the wisest most accomplished jurists of our time. the third longest serving justice in history of the united states. his integrity is rock solid. the lifetime of the law, encouraged to speak his mind made him a national treasure on our highest court. i look forward to your testimony. thank you. testimony. thank you. >> senator durbin, thank you very much. senator coburn, you are next. >> thank you, mr. chairman. welcome and welcome to your family. i welcome to our time together this week. the purpose of these hearings for me is not to examine or evaluate your professional qualification. i think those are obvious. but for me, it is to determine whether or not you have an appropriate judd dishal philosophy and you and i discussed the fact that i gave the speech about a week ago on the floor that kind of lined up with what you said in 1995, vet fact that we have a relat

that allows us to come together as one. that is part of the reason why america has the finest fighting force in the history of the world. it is also true that our democracy depends on the institution that are stronger than individuals. that includes strict adherence to the military chain of command and respect for to civilian control over that chain of command. that is why i believe this is necessary to hold ourselves accountable. secondly, i of the responsibility to do whatever is necessary to succeed in afghanistan and in our broader effort to disrupt and dismantle and defeat al qaeda. i believe that this demands unity of effort across the alliance and across my national security team, and i do not think we can sustain and unity of effort and achieve our goals without making this change. that, too, has guided my decision. i am just told my national security team that now is the time from a bus to come together. it is not an option but an obligation. i welcome debate among my team, but i will not tolerate division. all of us have personal interests. all of us h

i will stipulate that amerrca outer continental shelf off the coast of the united states of america, and the five men before usto represent five of the companies in the world, while they are part of the problem, they are part of the solution. >> the chair now recognizes the chairman of the oversight and investigation committee, mr. is to pack. -- mr. stupak. >> we have been investigating the actions of the bp. this hearing is important because it gives us a chance to other major oil companies. it could be said that bb is the one bad apple in the bunch, but unfortunately, they appear to have plenty of company. exxon and other oil companies are just as unprepared to respond to a major spill in the gulf as bp. i have been examining the oil spill response plan of exxon and mobil, the largest oil company in the united states. in many respects, it is virtually indistinguishable from bp's response plan and respond plans of the other major oil companies. at this time, i would ask response plans be made part of the record. >> without objection, so ordered. >> thank youu there is one major difference between exxon's res

president obama -- one of the interesting things he said in cairo, which i agree with, was that for us in america to understand islam, we have to understand what it is and what it is not. he proceeded to say what it is not, unfortunately. he talked about a vision of islam that does not mesh with the reality of islam. we ought to recognizeethe fact that islam is very diverse. many muslims do not want to live under sharia law. he would be quite right to say that we have commonalities. what you cannot avoid is the fact that there are hundreds of millions of muslims who go the other way, who subscribe to islamist ideology, which is not only the catalyst for a fringe of terrorists, but also a much broader based what they regard as a civilization movement to bring the west under sharia law. if you ask people in the muslim world if they agree that it is legitimate to kill even muslims that do not subscribe to a certain strict interpretation of islamic law, the president would be quite right to say that is a fringe position. it may get 10% of the muslim world. for my money, that's a frightening amount. i

america. they asked us for $5 billion for 0 interest. that is not unusual in that time. we told them no. we went back and said we would lone you some money, $2.5 billion. but we had other concerns. a lot of the concerns were where they were in india and the idea of the dollar not being the world currency. there were other factors involved. but you have to accept other terms. why would we ever put ourselves in a position as americans to accept terms we would never want to accept. what happens when you get to a point where more than 50 prgs of your debt is owned by other countries, they will have a say whether you want them to or not. if you go to the next slide, these are current projections. there have been 44 administrations in the history of america. and i want to show you the growth of what is going to happen. i only say it is obama's budget. he is the one who laid out the current budgets. they have a growth in here where if you look at the side of where the deficits are going to go and continue on. that means that ou already have the amount of debt that we have today, and you have to

in his speaking to us from the oval office he is talking to the adults out there in america. he is not talking to the tea parties and these crazy right wing thatobs out there attacking his birth certificate and everythinn. he is trying to reach the adults. thank god america is overwhelmed with adults. host: we will leave it there and go to wayne in north carolina. good morning. caller: good morning, greta. the caller from maryland has got it all wrong. what president obama is doing is trying to further his agenda. bp, yes, they should be responsible, but government should not seize their assets. corporate control of the country, it could bankrupt the country. president obama is using this incident like he uses every incident, to further his agenda, whiih is more government control, more taxes. that is the government that he seems -- that is the direction he seems to be going. he did not give specific. i do not think that he can get specific. he is a politician, not a leader. this man does not have the answers. host: on capitol hill yesterday many oil executives from different companies were testifying before the committee. they came under fire

because think administration has an agenda that doesn't have anything to do with the oil coming out, it has everything to do with changing america, making us uncompetitive in the global market, increase the cost of energy for every american consumer and getting a big tax increase with all the allotments that small businesses across america will have to pay. it's frustrating. i go back home, what's going on in d.c.? who is leading? and the answer is nobody is leading right now. again, leaders lead. that's why i introduced that law to just repeal the moratorium. get the american people back working on the wells. the president, as you recall, met this past week with the families, the families of the 11 workers killed in the explosion. and many of them told him, please, mr. president, don't do this moratorium. don't do this to my husband who, most of these people were born and raised in small towns in louisiana and oklahoma and they plan on living their life there, raising their children there, raising their grandchildren there. and they see what's at stake here. they don't want a moratorium, even though their family members have made the ulti

this is now america's longest war, and what that means is all of us have an interest not in occupying afghanistan but an interest on making sure that stand on its own to the defeat when it comes to security issues, and is not a base for terrorist activity launched against the united states of america. i think we're going to have to provide assistance to the afghanistan for a long time to come. they are still working with a national government. they are in a very tough neighborhood. they are a very important country, so a whole range of issues, setting up courts, setting up effective police, a political system that is transparent and fair, as well as with respect to security, we intend to be a partner in afghanistan over the long term, but that is different than us on the ground. it was announced last november, and we are several months into it. the policy involves us sending an additional troops. we already had approximately 68,000. we put in an additional 30,000. with the intent of providing the afghan government the space and the time to build up its security forces for us to be abl

they had this concedd up to that point, and it's something that has been with us for 40 or 50 years that this is americaand the americas some kind of cross between nixon's silent majority and the sleepy little town of bedford falls. homespun folks' circa 1938. they just did not have any idea of what was reaaly happening. when they see these sorts of people, they become convinced speaking. is our real america for the first time, we may beginning to see a breakdown of this breakdown of small-town america that they have undermined may not be as benign a silent majority as they thought. the small to be -- town america that they had in their mind may not be as benign a silent majority as they thought. they see themselves as being reflections of that real america. it's very difficult to get across your dealing with an extremist faction in american politics, led by some very wealthy and powerful people. >> i think it is worth noting that the tea party party movement is the first grass- roots, successful grassroots mobilization by the right as i understand it cents a protest overrthe supreme court ruling on a r

that has gotten us where we are. the fact that you can casually sit there and defend your ridiculous behavior. we have strength in iran and almost destroyed america the process with thesezú" ridiculos illegal foreign wars that are against what this country was founded on we have no business interfering. we are using is real as our hezbollah over all these years. host: major point, let's hear from the ambassador. guest: that is a point of view. i was present at the time of the 1990-1991 and desert shield and desert desert storm event. i was director of the iraq- kuwait apart from the state department. i would take a different point of view on that. president george h. w. bush's decision to use u.s. military forces to liberate kuwait was a critical step not only in and of itself but also in establishing that the united states would be decisively engaged in the post- cold war world, not a new world order as it turnedut

that want to use. for us, this is about the empowerment of the consumer, and to make sure we are providing access to small businesses, to rural america, so that every american has access to high- speed internet. that is what we are going to try to achieve with these meetings. >> to you expect that telecommunications legislation will be offered this year in the house? if so, who would introduce it when, and what would seek to accomplish? >> the clock is running out on us this year. many of us fear we are not going to be able to get this done in this session, which is why i think it is important in that vacuum that the s.e.c. has to take some action. i would like to see it happen. i think it does happen that we will do it through the regular order. it will come to our subcommittee chairman. we will try to keep the process in the regular order of hearings and do it the right way. but as i said the amount of days left in session in congress are short. we have a lot of other issues in front of us. my fear is that this will not get done in this session and will be something we will take up next year. >> 282 of your colleagues in the house

that will not be clear to us for some time. eleven people were killed on the oil -- that night. america was grieving and they did not determine the impact that this would have on the nation. there was an effort to play this the impact of this bill was going to be very modest. this is in quotes. we re facing an unprecedented situation. as we will hear from the testimony of the officials that have joined us today, hundreds of miles of coastal lead -- wetlands have been affected. we have the degree of damage to the wetlands and the damage done to the fishing stocks. the impact of the deep water horizon oil spill is anything but modest. there have been 413 oiled birds, 500 selected, 150 dead turtles, two mammals, dolphins who died from the spill. and a photo of dolphins swimming through the oil. with 31 other mammals tested. over 78,000 miles or 35% of the gulf of mexico, closed to shipping. many businesses have had to use payments from bp and responding to a spell of this size, the largest in american history, has led to large government coordination. the coast guard declared that this was

that it is us versus them. i have had a very frank conversations. that is intolerable, and it is inconsistent with what americas about. in this nation,ur many faiths, origins and appearances must bind us together, not bre us apart. in this nation, at the document that sets forth a lot of our land, the constitution, is meant to empower, not to exclude. in this nation, security and liberty are partners, not enemies,n ensuring safety and opportunity for all. [applause] the communities that we serve it must -- the communities that we serve must see that the federal government is committedo the impartial implementation of our gover's clause. th must know th we will do all we can to enforce our civil rights laws with the same vigor that we used to enforce public safety. these are not mutually exclusiv goals. the justice department will do both. under our leadership, that is the commitme of the justice partment and of every united states attney throuout this nation. that is also my personal pledge to each and every one of you. what exactly havwe done to ensure the equal enforcement of our nation's laws? first, we hav

us. they believed in america. so on this day, this solemn day, let us try once again to be individuals in a nation worthy of that beliefay god protect our troops. and may he continue to bless the memory of all of those who have died, that we may live. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the playing up the taps and the benediction. ♪ [taps] >> received the benediction. our dear god, before we leave here today, we ask once more that you, lord, bless us, our families, our comrades, our leaders and our country. keep us ever mindful of the princess -- of the principles of freedom, justice and equality. let us not forget those who have fought, suffered and died that our way of life may endure. bless their continuing service today, as well as their families and a grateful nation. bring us together in the future in peace. protect those serving on the field of battle at this very moment, and continue to be of strength for the families of those deployed. in your name we pray, amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in place until the vice- president has departed. ♪ [military band plays] ♪ [applau

think it's something that -- that spirituality is something of imposition, so they want to impose on us their views of the way god ought to be respected. something that america rejects because america believes in freedom. there are people who are attacking freedom because they don't believe that mankind is worthy of freedom. it's subtle. they are the ones who say that, well if they all understood what we would do for them, they would but they can't understand, so we need to take charge and impose on people the imposstion of those things which are unwanted is the denial of freedom, regardless of the so-called virtue that could be associated with that which is being imposed upon us. i believe there are people who might even -- well there may be a room full of people here who could make better decisions about my life than i could. but the mere fact that you might make better decisions than i could about my life doesn't mean i want you to make those decisions. there is a virtue in my being able to make my own decisions. i cling to the ability that america offers me to make my own mistakes. and not to have you make either good decisions or mistakes in my behalf.

that is when you first uses the language that america is at war with slam, although it seems to be a little bit metaphorical at that time. he seems kind of shocked by this. that comes at a time, in the weeks after 9//1, worry seems to have been trying nine different roles. sa flnt speerof accent eglish to explain various asets of reved in the limelight11 and he accordinto his colleagues an he said som very merate stuff. heaid in fact to "the new york times" in the past we were livious. we meaning of the muslimimm because weidn't expect things to happe now i think things are fferent. wh we might ave tolerated in the past we on't tolerate any more. there were statements inflammatory conided just talk but now e realize the talk can taken seriously and acted upon in a violent way, he is either sincerely r ot so sin u're prsentingimself as a moderate by who ill root out the adicalism that at thesame time his mainole is explaing the muslim point of view and even a sort of here's why te violence came to america. so then hems have been set off also thenvion o iraq and now you have the air st

that is when a key first uses the language of america is at war with islam although it seems to be a ittle bit metaphorical at the time, but he seems kind of shocked by this and that comes at a time in the weeks after 9/11 where he seems to be tryingon different roles partly with the connivance of the in the news media. he is often called upon as a fluent speaker of accent english to explain various aspects of islam to comment on 9/11 and he reveled in the limelight according to his colleagues and he said some very moderate stuff. he said in fact to "the new york times" in the past we were oblivious. we meaning of the muslim imam because we didn't expect things to happen. now i think things are different. what we might have tolerated in the past we won't tolerate any more. there were statements inflammatory considered just talk but now we realize the talk can be taken seriously and acted upon in a violent way, he is either sincerely or not so since you're presenting himself as a moderate by who will root out the radicalism that at the same time his main role is explaining the muslim p

taxpayers are fed up and they want us to stop spending their hard earned money. that is why through america'sspeaking out project, america -- republicans pr

that allows us to come together as one. that's part of the reason why america has the finest fighting force in the history of the world. it is also true that our democracy depends upon institutions that are stronger than individuals. that includes strict adherence to the military chain of command and respect for civilian control over that chain of command. that's why as commander in chief i believe this decision is necessary to hold ourselves accountable to standards that are at the core of our democracy. second, i have a responsibility to do whatever is necessary to succeed in afghanistan and in our broader effort to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al qaeda. i believe this mission demands unity of effort across our alliance and across my national security team. i don't think that we can sustain the unity of effort and achieve our objectives in afghanistan without making this change. that, too, has guided my decision. i just told my national security team that now is the time for all of us to come together. doing so is not an option but an obligation. i welcome

that our best days are in front of us. it is a common message from a common man and that is what we're doing tonight. the more we engage -- and i understand our frustration. americas having real challenges 0 we have frustration. but at the end of the day, let's find a way to come together. >> i am with united way of current accounting -- of kern county. it's about helping people by supporting programs around health and education. i'm asking for your assistance are around our income, and one of our programs. in kern county, we have several frustrations that are giving services to our family. new america foundation but an article of $37 million being left unclaimed by our families here. that is money that does not stay in kern county. we are trying to help our residents reclaim what is already theirs. we are shown since 2003, 140% increase of people coming to our centers. it is not just about volunteer income tax anymore. we're also serve in financial institutions, opening savings account, channeling them into our other programs and educating them on how to save for emergencies. we've seen a spike with the need to have that program here. the president's budget requ

that manufacture clean energy products instead of us right here in the united states. that's why the recovery act has been making unprecedented investments in clean energy, spurring america's businesses to build some of the world's largest wind and solar projects right here in the united states of america. i said this once at a state of the union address. america does not settle for second place. and we're going to make the investments to make sure we are first in the future. not just in the past. that's got to be our prior to. that's why we're bringing high speed internet to tens of thousand of homes and businesses and hospitals and schools. it's why ray la hood's helping to lead a surge in new investment in high speed rail. that's why we're investing in the electronic medical records. you know, a year ago, american businesses had just 2% of the market in the production of electric car batteries that power the vehicles of the future. all these hybrid cars that have electric batteries, those batteries were made someplace else. we only had 2% of them. we made investments in the recovery act and by 2015, u.s. government will have 40% of the global market. we have created an

that is not america. that is not right. >> a bottle? -- rebuttal? coming up, we will hear more from the candidates about issues you told us are important to you. we will have follow-up questions from our panel of journalists. you are watching the democratic debate live on nbc 17. welcome back to the democratic senate runoff debate. we are entering segment two, which consists of of your questions, the league of women voters and journalists. the order of the question is determined by a coin toss. cal cunningham gets the first question. the most as -- recent estimates put social security as being unable to make full payout between 200037 and 2041. how would you address the issue of solvency concerning the future of social security? >> it is a terrific question. i laid out some important principles with respect to social security, because as i have travelled north carolina, more seniors have been asking questions. there was not a cost-of-living increase this year. the senate failed to take action on the supplement to help seniors with rising costs. i laid out in this campaign and a handful of important points. not to go for risky privatization sch