ed whitacre. the book is "american turnaround: reinventing at&t and gm and the way we do business in the usa." it's been a pleasure. thanks for your time. >> guest: it's been my pleasure, stephanie. thank you very much. >> host: you are watching the tv on c-span 2 internet were at the national press club in washington d.c. for the annual authors neither were pleased to be joined here by robert merry, author of substitute. to pretend to like like our presidents? >> guest: the american people loved the presidency, but one they have a president that is not succeeded, they judge a failure, and a very unsentimental he cast them aside. that's what they were invited to do saunderson constitution. >> host: we have a sure patients? >> guest: the american people understand the constitutions gave them hiring and firing authority over these guys every four years. so if it was six years or eight years, there've been patients in the elect trait. foyers is a good time frame so they can feel comfortable making ju

next on "after words" ed whitacre talks about his memoirs "american turnaround" reinventing at&t and gm and the way we do business in the u.s.. he spoke with fortune magazines stephanie mehta to discuss his time leaving at&t and becoming chairman of general motors. this is an hour. >> host: ed whitacre has run two iconic american companies, at&t and general motors. he is also the author of the new memoir "american turnaround" reinventing at&t and gm and the way we do business in the u.s.. it is a candid and unflinching look at american business at a particularly difficult time in the period that we recently went through and yet the book is ultimately very optimistic about corporate america and america in general. welcome. >> thank you stephanie. it's nice to be here. >> host: you became chairman of general motors immediately after the company filed for bankruptcy. he came out of retirement to take the job. why did you do it? >> guest: i became chairman when it came out of bankruptcy. the day came out of bankruptcy. it's a good question why i'm here. at first i said no, no nothing abo

posted thank you so much, ed whitacre. the book is "american turnaround: reinventing at&t and gm and the way we do business in the usa." it's been a pleasure. >> guest: my pleasure, stephanie. thank you very much. >> when they first moved here, he spends a lot of time at home. the primary people who would have visited prior to the war of 1812 would have largely been friends and relations from the area. rachel is a pretty nice hostess. very cordial and welcoming. during jackson's fame after the battle of new orleans, pretty much from 1859 through the rest of rachel's life, and they have got some massive company and they had many, many parties or evening dinners here at the hermitage. they were entertaining people who are used to finding things in the city and they appreciated those fine thing. this kind of dual image of her as frumpy country lady, she wasn't that exactly. it was more about her comfort in the big cities than i was about her actual appearance. >> the former ceo of aig, hank greenberg talks about his book, "th