. >> walter kirn would like to see changes to the higher education system. >> i think for example princeton philosophy should be on the web. i think that these wonderfully concentrated islands of talented and wealth and area addition should be opened up to the larger society and not kept separate which they still are and i can't understand why. >> walter kirn, the under education of an over achiever on q&a. sunday night on c-span. you can also listen on xm satellite retial or download the podcast. >> host: chaim john dinges talking with eduardo galeano and we are talking about his book, "mirrors." eduardo is particularly important in latin america because he has captured the long history of repression and exploitation, immigration and conquests and has done this in a number of books and that wasn't enough just to talk about latin america. he is now taking on the history of the world with this new book, "mirrors." i wanted as we broke we were talking about your way of putting fees' together. one of the people i guess it was an interview that i read in which you were talking about your way of

. >> walter kirn would like to see a few changes to the higher education system. >> i think of these wonderfully concentrated islands of talent and well off should be opened up to the larger society not kept separate, but they still are. >> sunday night at 8 on c-span. you can also listen on the satellite radio or download the podcast. >> how is aziz been funded it? >> the u.s. government. >> i do not know. >> not public funding. >> my tax dollars. >> how is c-span funded? 30 years ago america's cable companies started c-span with no government mandate or money. >> welcome to "the communicators." the annual meeting was recently held and in washington, d.c.. attendees had a chance to hear from the commerce secretary. >> when we think about the opportunities and advantages of broadband, i do not think we understand the full potential of it. when we talk about going to doctors' offices, being able to record some of the medical history and having that transmitted to the doctor's office -- haven't all of those medical records in one place, the power of technology, and the power of educati

i say to you, walter kirn, give me three things that you know about writing that might help me do a better job on non- fiction writing. what would you say? >> number one, i would tell you that the most important act is for you to establish a voice in the first place. you need to establish intimacy with the subject. >> where did you do that in this book? >> i think i do that in this book by saying in the very first pages of it, my authority is that of a bewildered young man who ends up at princeton. it is written all over the book that i actually attended princeton, so i have the authority to speak of it, but i have the authority to speak of it as an outsider, by having come from a very small town. i conjure up a life in a small town before i take you to oz. >> how much of this paragraph that i am about to read is part of establishing authority? it is to the humane and dedicated educators who helped me find my way when i could barely see the path. the first name on there is joyce carol oates. those are some big names. >> yes, some of them are. it is my lot in life that these groups of peopl

up next on "q&a," walter kirn.prime minister's questions," prime minister gordon brown talks about spending and unemployment. and later, talking about the pakistan military. >> how is c-span funded? >> in the u.s. government. >> i do not know. i think some of it is government raised. >> it is not public funding. >> i want to say from me, from my tax dollars. >> how is c-span's funded? 30 years

i can't understand why. >> walter kirn, the under education of an over achiever on "q&a." you can also listen on x.m. satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. .

. >> walter kirn would like to see a few changes to the higher education system. >> i think, for examplepossibly should be on the web. these wonderful concentrated islands of talent and wealth and area addition to be opened up to the larger society, not coltish we -- coltultishly kept separat. >> the sunday night at 8:00 p.m. on c-span. you can also listen on c-span radio or down lot -- download the podcast. >> the white house briefing is coming up in about 20 minutes. until then, and look at items in the news and conversations with c-span callers from this morning's "washington journal." financial times this morning. in this story, the first batch of iou's to be issued by california has been printed and will be sent out today and thus arnold schwarzenegger manages to strike a last-minute budget deal with state government. many other states find themselves strapped for cash this year. we want to talk to you about your views on that. let me introduce you to lisa, senior staff editor for smart money.com. yesterday filed a story with the headline about six states getting residents with big

. >> walter kirn, princeton, class of 1983, would like to see a few changes to the higher education system. >> i think that princeton philosophy should be on the web. i think that is one of the concentrated islands of talent and wealth -- that these wonderfully concentrated islands of talent and wealth should be opened up to the larger society and not hawkish lee kept separate, which they still are, and i cannot understand why. >> the education of an overachiever on q&a tonight at 8:00 p.m. on c-span. you can also listen on xm satellite radio or download it as a c-span podcast. >> this week on prime minister's questions, prime minister gordon brown discusses government spending and job losses. also, the unrest and reactions by iranok following prime minister's questions. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> the first five months of the obama presidency is the subject at this panel. david brooks, margaret carlson and linda wertheimer spoke. >> good evening, and welcome to "obama and the challenge of expectations:

. >> our guest is walter kirn.thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much. >> for a dvd copy of this program, call 1-877-662-7726. for free transcripts or for comments, visit us at "q&a."org. programs are also available as c-span pod casts. . .

. >> walter kirn lost in meritocracy the under education of an overachiever on q&a. sunday at eight on c-span. you can also listen on xm satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. >>> p.w. singer, senior fellow with the brookings institution discusses the rise of robotic warfare and the impact of this technological revolution on future wars. this event hosted by the united states military academy at west point is 50 minutes. >> it's a real honor for me to be here at this place of great tradition but also with future leaders. what i thought would make the most sense is i would like to start with a scene from iraq. you have to imagine yourself alongside a road and what looks in front of you seems like a piece of trash, but actually that insurgent has hit in that improvised explosive device with great care. now, by 2006 there were more than 2500 of these attacks in iraq every single month and they were the leading cause of casualties among both american soldiers and iraqi civilians. the team that is hunting for that ied is called an eeob, explosive ordinance dispos

walter kirn, the undereducation of an overachiever on q&a, sunday night at 8:00 on chsm span. you can also listen on xm satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. >> during this holiday weekend, notable americans on c-span, stories from inside the white house, domestic policy advisors on their presidents from richard nixon to george w. bush, honoring president ronald reagan. ken burns on his career and upcoming series on america's national parks, a tribute to the late writer john updike, two-time winner of the pulitzer prize and a reunion of the apollo 8 astronauts and top non-fiction authors and books on c-span 2's book t.v. featuring books on the american revolution, including historian john fur fer ling a.o.l. a.o.l. taking your calls from george washington's mount vernon estate, and p.j. o'rourke, his passion for cars an america's need to drive like crazy. also, nobel peace prize recipient on the challenges facing africa. find out what is on at any time at c-span.org. host: ken silverstein joins us to talk about his article in this month's edition of harper's magazine

larger society, not cultishly kept separate, which they still are, and i can't understand why. >> walter kirn, lost in the meritocracy, the undereducation of an overachiever on "q&a" tonight at 8:00 on c-span. you can also listen on x.m. satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. >> according to a new pakistani opinion poll, most view al qaeda and the taliban as a major security threat. also, they are opposed to the use of unmanned drones by the u.s. military inside pakistan. more now on the survey from a group called world public opinion. this lasts about an hour and a half. >> my name is steve weber, i'm with a program on international policy attitudes, and we manage world public opinion.org. this is a network of organizations around the world that conduct research on international policy questions, and this study, along with all of our other work, can be found on our website,-year-oldpublicopinion. org, along with a questionnaire and distributions and so forth. we also have studies on pakistan and southeast asia that can be found there as well. this morning we will be looking at findi

and on "q&a" this weekend, our guest is walter kirn. in his first nonfiction book, he tells a story of his years at princeton university in the 1980's. this sunday at 8:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. the senate judiciary committee held a hearing on june 16 to discuss the rates fell in companies charge for a text messaging. witnesses include witnesses from verizon and at&t as well as consumer representatives. this hearing was chaired by the antitrust competition policy and some committee. it is just under 90 minutes. >> good afternoon. this hearing will come to order. today, we will examine the state of competition in the cellular- phone industry. the enormous growth in their views means that maintaining competition in this industry is more important than ever. with more than 270 million subscribers, cellular phones are a vital means of communication for the vast majority of americans. cellular phones enable instantaneous communications for millions wherever they are located, whether at work or at home, away from home in their car, or a

remind me of national cathedrals that donors would build wings on hoping to go to heaven the >> walter kirn would like to see a few changes to the higher education system. >> i think elections should be on the web the i think that these wonderfully concentrated iletsdzb -- islands of talent and wealth and erudition should be opened up to the larger society, not cultishly kept separate. >> walter kirn, "the under edcation of an overachiever" sunday at 8:00 a.m. -- 8:00 p.m. >> during this holiday weekend, notable americans on c-span. stories from inside the white house. domestic policy advisors on their presidents from richard nixon to george w. bush. honoring president ronald reagan. ken burns on his career and upcoming series on america's national parks. a tribute to the late writer john updike,ing two-time winner shall -- of the pulitzer prize. and more books and authors on c-span 2 with three days of book tv, including historian john furling taking calls on our first president live from mount vernon sunday on "in-depth." and "driving like crazy," p.j. o'rourke. and the -- maathai on the

i do not understand why. >> walter kirn on "q&a," sunday night at 8:00 p.m. on c-span.lso listen on satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. >> we begin our look at white house policy advisers from richard nixon to george w. bush. they will discuss their relationship with ge executives beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern. tomorrow, their experience is trying to sell policy agendas to congress and the public. that is saturday at 10:00 a.m. eastern. they will wrap up with lessons learned from serving under chief executive sunday at 4:25 p.m. eastern here on c-span. here's a look ahead to some of the upcoming guests on "washington journal." tomorrow, the washington editor for "harper's magazine" on his lobbying efforts against the employees free choice act. richard miniter joins us to talk about iraq, the administration, and health care. monday, henry waxman on the clean air act comes to reduce in major league baseball, and the current debate on health care. "washington journal" begins each day at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. associated press reporter jennifer loven

and wealth, and every edition should be opened up to larger society, and not kept separate. >> walter kirntocracy, tonight on c-span. you can also listen on xmsatellite radio or download a c-span podcast. . . "washington journal" continues. host: the ambassador from iraq is here to talk about the future of iraq. of iraq. let me bring your attention is article this morning from "the washington post," with this headline. this prompts senior officials to us whether gradual withdrawal has provided an opening to extremist groups eager to spark sectarian attacks between sunnis and shiites. your thoughts? guest: these were reasonable and legitimate but let's not take them too far. the last time i appeared on the show iraq was in the grip of a high level of violence. al qaeda was in control of large areas of the country. we were struggling to maintain law and order. the situation now is way, way more stable, more secure. the average iraqi citizen feels much safer. we did not say that al qaeda has been totally obliterated. that violence has come down to zero, or the threats have gone away. the thre

. >> walter kirn would like to see if you changes to the higher educational system. >> i think these wonderfully concentrated islands of talent and wealth should be opened up to the larger society, not purposely kept separate, which they still are. >> "lost in a meritocracy." sunday night at 8 on c-span. you can listen to it on the radio. >> a new statue of ronald reagan was unveiled in the capitol rotunda last month, five years after the former president died. nancy pelosi and mitch mcconnell were part of this 50 minute ceremony. [applause] >> today we are gathered to honor president reagan with the unveiling of a statue at the capitol. please stand. >> please a man standing for the presentation by the armed forces color guard. remain standing as the rev. gives the invocation. ♪ ♪ [soinging "star spangled banner"] ["singing star spangled banner"] ♪ ♪ >> please be seated. >> let us pray. oh lord the light of lights, how majestic is your name in all the earth. we marvel that you care about humanity and have crowned us with glory and honor. today, accept our gratitude for this congress

. >> walter kirn would like to make changes to the way people are educated in colleges. >> i think that the lectures should be on the web. these concentration of information should not be cultish lee kept separate which they still are. >> sunday night at 8:00 on c- span, "q & a." >> a discussion on the upcoming trip to russia, the g8 summit and donna. nuclear disarmament will be the main talks with the russian president. it will also discuss the situation in iran. he is expected to praise ghana's election. >> i have with me our senior russian scholars. they are the best in the business. with that, i will let it go to sarah and randy. >> good morning. well, i think as long as we keep our expectations low about this meeting, we are less likely to be disappointed while i have been a very enthusiastic advocate of the so-called reset button in improving the u.s.- russia relationship, there is a flaw in our logic. we have a new leader who is ready to adjust some policies from the previous administration. in moscow, we don't have a new leader. we essentially have the same leadership that we ha

. >> walter kirn,. on q&a d sunday night at 8:00 on c-span. you can also listen on xm satellite radio or download the c-span podcast. >> a discussion now on president obama's up coming trip to russia, the g-8 summit and ghana. nuclear disarmament will be the issue in talks with russian president. the president will reportedly address the situation in iran during the g-8 meeting and he's expected to praise ghana's recent peaceful presidential election during his visit to that country. the center for a strategic and international studies is the host of this event. it's just over an hour. >> good morning. today we're going to do this a little bit differently because we've got a big trip with a lot of issues and so we're going to do it in waves. we're going to start out with the moscow summit and i have here our two senior russia scholars. and you have their bios in front of you but i will tell you, they're the business in the -- best in the business. with that i'll let it go to sara or andy. >> good morning. well, i think as long as we keep our e

. >> walter kirn would like to see a few changes in the higher education system. >> princeton philosophy should be on the web. i think that these wonderfully concentrated islands of talent and wealth should be opened up to the larger society, and not kept separate, which they still are and i cannot understand why. >> that is on q&a, sunday night at 8:00 p.m. here on c-span. you can also listen on xm satellite radio. >> and now, historians on james madison's role on writing the constitution. the former president of yale moderates the discussion. this is just over one hour. this portrait was painted in 1833 in madison's 82nd year. this was a rare portrait that fully satisfied the subject wife. he wrote to his friend and said there were two sittings on this portrait and he will finish it in one more. mrs. madison calls it a perfect and is almost afraid to have me touch again. note that in his 82nd year, madison's age is apparent, but aids has affected not a whit -- but age has affected not a whit. there is not a hint of remove or aloofness in this portrait. it is all fears and connected. yo