Future of Representative Democracy. This was part of a recent forum hosted by the college of william and mary in williamsburg, virginia. It is 90 minutes. My great honor to ,elcome our distinguished guest and to our love it caps on arena it caps on arena and i am enormously proud to introduce our keynote speaker for today, william and marys 24th chancellor, the honorable robert m gates. Chancellor gates is the model for states statesmanship that we look to now and for the future. His dedicated he has dedicated his career to public u. S. Ce serving a two president s and leads with a restless and compassionate intelligence. His unwavering dedication to those who serve our nation with their lives earned him the trust and devotion of our armed services. His career of Service Began early at william and mary. Not many know but he drove the City School Bus when he was a student and was a chit assistant troop leader for local boy scouts and senator norman was one of his boy scouts as we discovered last night. After graduating from william and mary in 1965 he joined the cia as an Intelligence Officer and was the first career officer to scale the ranks to become director. He served as president of texas a m university from 2002 through 2006. When president bush called him back to washington to serve as secretary of defense am a as secretary, he led our armed forces at a time when the country was in the midst of two wars and a global fight against terrorism. President e accepted obamas request that he continue to lead in the cabinet, becoming the first secretary of defense to serve under president s of political different political parties. He has a commitment to the security of the American People and end 2012 lehman marries board of visitors interested him as chancellor and we are so grateful he agreed to be reinvestment reinvested for a second sevenyear term this february. Chancellor gates eliminates the meaning of duty in the 21st century. He recallsoir, remarks he gave upon being reappointed in 2009. He writes about his dedication to do what was necessary to protect the troops and given the increment they needed to be successful in their mission and to return home safely. Writes, mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world and with a profound sense of personal ouronsibility, to and for men and women in uniform and their families, i must do my duty as they do theirs. How could i do otherwise . That call to duty has profound importance now at a moment when so many young adults in this country are hungry to be called into service. Well, my time with students at william and mary, this is a generation that has dedicated to, commitments beyond their own interest and their own success. Dedicated to improving their communities, their workplaces, their businesses, and their world. As i have often said, the most important obligation of educators today is to teach the young people of this nation how to fulfill that call to the greatest capacity. Chancellor gates recognizes the critical importance to our responsibility in this generation. He knows that their belief in democracy will be our countrys most powerful asset if we cultivate it. Are fortunate to have him as a teacher for this next generation. To call them into leadership and Public Service with the authority, insight, and compassion that he brings. Placed on me in the coming chancellor robert gates. Please join me in welcoming chancellor robert gates. [applause] mr. Gates thank you for that overly generous introduction. It is a pleasure to be with all of you here at william and mary campus. Of course, i have to tell you it is a pleasure to be anywhere but washington, d. C. [laughter] here tos we are celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Representative Government in america. We are also here to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of slaves on these shores. The glory of Representative Government and the shameful burden of slavery together have shaped the history of our country. It has been more than two centuries making Representative Democracy more representative and eliminating slavery and overcoming its awful legacy. We have made dramatic progress in both endeavors. But the paralysis in washington and signs it persistent racism demonstrate that for centuries after jamestown and 232 years after the constitution was signed, the u. S. Remains very much a work in progress. So much that defines america took root here in virginia along the banks of the james river. That First Representative Assembly convened in the Jamestown Church in response to instructions from the Regina Company to establish one equal and uniform government over all virginia and to provide just laws for the guiding and governing of the people. The First Assembly met from july 30 until august 4. And was comprised of the governor, four counselors and 22 burgesses chosen by the free white male inhabitants of every town, corporation and large plantation. In those tough early days, getting peoples Business Done was often a matter of sheer survival. Of course, that did not stop the earliest american politicians well, likelike politicians. The historian wrote of jamestown, its leaders were always fighting. The typical 17thcentury account argues that everything would have gone well if everyone decides the author had not done wrong. Sounds like a lot of modern d. C. Memoir. Just a few weeks after that First Assembly, the first africans arrived in tidewater. They were from angola. Captured in wars between the portuguese and african kingdoms, 350 africans were put on board batista the san juan bound for veracruz, mexico. The ship was attacked by english privateers who took 50 or 60 of the africans and they arrived not far from jamestown at the end of august, 1619. By march 1620, 32 africans were recorded living in virginia. They would be the first of hundreds of thousands of african slaves in british north america. 170 years later, in the first 1790, nearly 20 of 4 million americans were african. Roughly 800,000 slaves. From the First Representative Assembly 400 years ago elected by free white men to universal suffrage, has been a prolonged and tortuous path. During the colonial and revolutionary times, voting was limited to property owners. Almost all of whom were white male protestants over 21. Just 6 of americans were eligible to vote for George Washington for president. The last stated abolished Property Ownership as a requirement to vote. The 14th amendment to the constitution in 1868 granted citizenship to former slaves in 1870. The 15th amendment stated explicitly the right to vote could not be denied by the federal or state governments based on race. But African Americans in many parts of the country would have to wait another 95 years until the Voting Rights act of 1965. For statelevel obstacles for voting to be removed. Years from that First Representative Assembly in jamestown for women to be granted the right to vote. And native americans would have 1947 for the right to vote. 333 years after chief power pocahontaster married john rolfe. Progress toward ensuring the Representative Government is truly representative in of all the people has been agonizingly slow. There stillthat lurk various electorals stratagems to suppress Voter Registration and turnout. Today virtually everyone 18 or today virtually everyone 18 or older other than convicted felons who wants to vote can do so. After many long and painful struggles to expand voting pity so manys the choose not to exercise them. Beset by rancor and division in that first meeting and later the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, the survival and progress of fridge and you and the u. S. Would depend on finding ways to. Vercome differences this balance, this calibration of principle and compromise was a feature of the early history of the commonwealth of virginia and the key to founding and ultimate success of our republic. Bold and compelling statements of principle are found in document such as frigid his declaration of rights which informed americas declaration of independence and virginias declaration of religious freedom which prefigured the establishment clause of the First Amendment. But the Core Principles behind these declarations were turned into injuring structures of governance largely through deliberation and compromise. Example,nia plan, for the compromise presented at the Constitutional Convention sought to balance the interest of small and large state in a eye camera legislature. Another critical compromise with the agreement to tolerate slavery even though the slave trade would be would be prohibited in 18 08. Without that compromise, the Southern States would never have agreed to ratify the constitution and there would have been no United States of america. , a great runromise was embedded in our foundational document and the seeds of civil war were sound. The founders, even many of the slaveholders among them acknowledged slavery was an abomination and antithetical to the declaration of independence many had signed and most hoped it would disappear for economic reasons. Years, americans would live with the stark contradiction between the existence of slavery within its borders and the first principle of the declaration, that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. That contradiction was resolved only by the blood of more than 600,000 americans. Recount this history not for its own sake but because i believe the example of the founding others who stood on ,rinciple whenever they could yet compromised when necessary to create and then sustain the nation has important lessons for today. I am afraid to many of todays politicians, members of todays representative assemblies have failed to understand in an era of zerosum politics and scorched earth ideological warfare. For jews such as stability, neutral respect him a putting country before self, and country before party. Seen today to be quaint historical relics to be put on display at the smithsonian, rogersnext to mr. Sweater or julia childs kitchen. After 400 years of Representative Government, we recognize that the trail and nastiness in politics and nothing new. Nor is the failure of our political system to deal with issues that deeply divide the country along ideological, cultural, and regional lines. In more recent decades, assassinations, vietnam, irancontra, impeachment and a contested president ial election have convulsed the american political system but in each case, however painful and divisive these episodes were, our governing institutions recovered their equilibrium and their ability to function. Ofwhat of the future Representative Democracy . I just believe that we are in uncharted territory when it comes to the dysfunction in our political system. It appears that as a result of several polarizing trends in american politics and culture, we have lost the ability to execute even the basic functions of government. Much less effectively address the most difficult and divisive problems facing our country. Politicians in congress do make easy targets. George washington in 1778 rout of congress in terms that sound quite relevant to today. I quote party disputes and personal quarrels of the great business of the day. Great and accumulative debt postponednces and from day to day and week to week as if our affairs were the most promising aspect. James monroe wrote to jefferson in 1785 the majority of the u. S. And Congress Assembled our confident only to the inferior duties of government. On an even more acerbic route mark twain once labeled members of congress as americas only native criminal class. Humorist will rogers noted i just i dont make jokes, i watch government and report the facts. The problems go much deeper than individual personalities. That predicament we are in today is a result of several structural changes over the last several decades. Highly gerrymandered system of drying congressional districts to create saved seats were incumbents both democratic and republican. This means that in all but a few dozen congressional districts, the primaries are the real election. That is making most elective representatives in both parties beholden to their parties most hardcore ideological base. Waves of elections sweep people under power. Has made it difficult if not impossible to sustain policies and programs or even foreign commitments consistent beyond one presidency or one congress and the set a time when addressing our very real, very home willems here at require continuity of effort over many years. Third, we have seen the transformation of our two Major Political parties from big ten organizations with room for people of widely differing points of view to increasingly or togical movements stray from orthodoxy results in shunning and even excommunication. A transformation from dogmatic flexibility to political conformity. A phenomenonnfront the founders failed to foresee, career politicians. Men and women who have spent decades in Political Office and are determined to remain there until they die. There are too many men and women in congress for the washington, d. C. Has become their real home. Men and women for whom staying in office is their primary goal and getting reelected is more important than doing what is right for the country. The distinguished historian gordon ward wrote in his book, empire of liberty that the revolutionary leaders did not conceive of politics as a profession and Office Holding as a career. In aoted jefferson that virtuous government, Public Offices are what they should be, burdens to those appointed to them which it would be wrong to decline so foreseen to bring them with them in tense laver and great private loss. A 24 7 digital and cable media environment now provides a forum and wide dissemination for the most extreme and vitriolic views leading to a coarsening and dumbing down of the National Political dialogue. As a result of these and other polarizing factors, the moderate center, the foundation of our political system in its and its stability is not holding. Moderation is now equated with lacking principles, compromise means selling out. Yet our entire system of Representative Government since july 30, 1619 has depended on compromise. Not only is the constitution itself a bundle of huge compromises, it creates a system of government governance of checks and balances that can only work your compromise. And progress in our history have often come from thinkers and ideologues on both the left and the right. The policiesand that have implemented the best of those ideas have come from the title political center. So just at a time when this country, our Representative Democracy needs more bipartisan strategies and policies to deal with our most serious longterm problems, most of the trends are pointing in the opposite direction. I entered Public Service 53 years ago next month. I worked for eight president s and i have known many politicians over the last five decades and i never met one who had a monopoly on revealed truth. At a time when our country faces deep problems at home and serious challenges abroad, we have to many too many whose outsized egos are coupled with undersized backbones. People who they alone have the to demonize those who think differently and refused to listen and to take other points of view into account. Despite all the Serious Problems i just ascribed, strangely enough, i remain an optimist. About the future of Representative Government and the future of the United States. I am so partly because of historical perspective. From the beginning, we americans have gone into a funk believing our best days are behind us and we have no worthy leaders. One of our most esteemed statesman wrote, we have not men fit for the times, we are deficient and genius in education and everything. Feel unutterable anxiety that was john adams in 1774. In 1897, harpers weekly magazine editorialized, it is a gloomy moment in the history of our country, not in the lifetime of most men have there been so much grave and deep apprehension. Never has the future seemed so uncertain as it does at this time. The political cauldron sees withes and bubbles uncertainty. It is a solemn moment for our troubles. No man can see the end. Or the history historian who wrote in 1963, we are a critical stage of a somber and execs and inexorable cycle which seems to have gripped the Public Affairs of the nation, mired in government thought, we underestimate the extent to which our system was designed for deadlock and in action. Looking at the future from a different angle, we should also take some comfort from the fact that from the convening of that First Assembly 400 years ago, american politics has always been that contact sport. And a fairly dirty one at that. Todayng fathers we revere tory to their part in the press and behind closed doors. John adams was called a hideous hermaphroditical character. Sex life was fodder for gossips and pamphleteers. Our first treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton was killed in following a dispute with the former Vice President , aaron burr. Even George Washington was not immune to the slings and arrows of critics who, among other things, accused him of monarchical aspirations. I am optimistic for other reasons. Today, more than in any other time in the last 400 years, all , all americans have the opportunity to participate in shaping our countrys future. To put their shoulder to the wheel to get america unstuck and moving forward again together. Our diversity today has deep pains and prejudice. From african slaves to the irish and potato famine. The chinese coming to build our railroads, koreans and vietnamese fleeing war and depression cant mexicans and other hispanics seeking opportunity and safety. And others who have come here from every continent, country, and island. The founders adopted the pluribus motto, e unum, out of one, many. Motto applies in different way today. It captures the reality that people from many lands have come here of the past four centuries, some voluntarily, some as slaves. Today, if we are to survive and prosper as a country, it must be as one people, americans. Unum. Ibus i am optimistic because of our young people. Chancellor of william and mary and the National President of the boy scouts, i have some claim to interacting with more young people from every walk of life than almost anyone. And they fill me with hope. They are involved in their community. They care about issues. Theyre willing to put their lives on the line for our country and they are committed to building a better america. They have values, they detest hypocrisy, they want integrity and their leaders. I am especially deeply encouraged to see veterans of our wars in iraq and afghanistan being elected to congress when young they put on the uniform to serve the country. I believe their sense of purpose and sacrifice will be a and finally, i am optimistic because even though we have a and enormouso do, obstacles ahead of us, we do have the power and means to overcome them just as this country has overcome challenges in the past. In aill take a brace bracing of attributes, a willingness to make tough decisions, the clear eyed realism to see the way the world is and not the way we would like to see it, the willingness to listen and the ability to learn from one another. An ability to see and understand other points of view and the wisdom to calibrate for the greater good of the country. No country in the world is as openly selfcritical as the United States. We talk incessantly about our faults and our deficiencies. Mistrust of government is buried deep in the american dna. But no other country has been so successful over the centuries in reforming itself and remedying its deficiencies. Sometimes at extraordinary costs in blood and treasure. Sincee come a long way 6019 and extending Representative Government to ensure it represents all of the people. And in trying to overcome the legacy of slavery. The good and evil that appeared nearly simultaneously 400 years ago on a little patch of ground from here. America continues to be a work in progress to ensure liberty and opportunity for all. The french nobel prize recipient Anatole France once wrote to a conflict great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe. Believe,ream, we must and we must act. To realize the full potential of Representative Government to achieve the aspirations of our founders to form a more perfect union, and to reserve and strengthen what Abraham Lincoln called the last best hope of the earth. Thank you. [applause] wow, did someone say robert gates for president . [applause] thank you, chancellor gates. Our next topic focuses on one of the great challenges of any democracy. The principle of majority role with the imperative of protecting individual rights. The interests of those that constitute the minority as well as those that comprise the majority. Libertye really ensure and justice for all . To lead our next panel in exploring that crucial question is our distinguished moderator, cofounder, coexecutive chairman of the Global Private equity firm, the carlyle group. Please welcome David Rubenstein and will we will also bring out the panel who will introduce them. David rubenstein. David thank you. And for all of you wondering, this will be the best panel of the day. So make sure you Pay Attention to this because no panel will be better than this one. Let me introduce those on the panel. N my immediate left is a net Annette Gordon reed is a graduate of dartmouth and Harvard Law School and she is the Charles Warren professor of legal history at Harvard Law School and also professor of the History Department of harvard. Of as also the winner genius award from the Macarthur Foundation and she wrote a book on Thomas Jefferson and sally the pulitzerh won prize. She is also a distinguished author of many other books as well. But one of the most highly regarded scholars in the area of Thomas Jefferson and slavery and other things relating to the beginning of our countrys history and the legal history as well. Annette gordon reed, thank you for coming. On her left is congressman bobby stop that bobby scott. He has been a member of the congress for 25 years. He is now the chair of the education and labor committee. He previously served for about 15 years in the Virginia House of delegates and the virginia senate. Thank you very much for coming. [applause] david to his left is eric cantor who served for 25 years in the house in the Virginia Legislature and in congress and leader. Be the majority he is a graduate of George Washington university and william and mary school of law. Thank you very much. For coming. [applause] avid and andrew card who is person you may remember as the service chief of staff under george w. Bush. Prior to that, he served as secretary of transfer patient under George H W Bush and he is acting dean of Public Policy at texas a m and has served as president of Franklin Pierce college in New Hampshire where he now resides. He is a graduate of the university of south carolina. Thank you very much for coming. So, we were going to have Opening Statements but i thought they would be too boring and too long so i have gotten rid of that so we are going straight to some questions and we will try to make it a lively conversation about the majority role and minority rights. You canously, democracy say started more or less in ancient greece were they recognized the value of majority role but they also recognized that minority rights have to be protected but figuring out how to protect them is not that easy. Annette, let me ask an opening question. Thomas jefferson wrote a sense that some would say is a most famous sentence in the english language we hold these truths to be selfevident that all men are created equal. But how could he have written that and what did he mean by all men are created equal . Annette he was born into a society and community that he was used to. I think he meant that we were moving toward an ideal. Jefferson believed in progress. He obviously was not at the place where we would want him to be on this particular subject but he saw himself as a person of the enlightenment. He thought we were on a journey that was that with education and time that people would come to see the light and understand that slavery was wrong. Though he at that particular moment did not have the will to rid himself of the institution parsley. I think he meant that all men are created equal in terms of their basic worth. Not all men are created equal in terms of their talent and capacity. But that people should have equal dignity and that was the lesson that the mi commit was supposed to be teaching people. That we would work towards. Say allhy did he not men and women are created equal . Annette because he thought of them as together. Mankind was thought to include every person. But their basic worth. David if you could have dinner with Thomas Jefferson annette oh god, that would be something. David what question would you want to ask Thomas Jefferson . Annette i would ask him if he thought white men would send most people did not, washington, madison. Washington never said anything about this but many of those people did not believe you could have a multiracial society. Kim given what happened in virginia where so many people were not just slaveowners but people who had their families involved in this, would he make them go back to africa . Congressman david , when you first got elected to congress, you first became a member of the congress, when you got there, did you say to yourself how did i get here or how did these other people get here . Were you impressed with the quality of members that you ran into in your first year in congress . Jokeu are aware of the that the guy comes to congress and says i am wondering how i could possibly get somewhere like this . And then he looks around and wonders how these other people got here. I served in the legislature so i knew the political process. And it is a great Training Ground to serve in congress. The people that served back then, you could see a a lot of the older members. A different attitude and point of view and different ability to work together. There were a lot more friendships. And it was a lot less partisan. Where also at a time there were conservative democrats and liberal republicans so you didnt you did not have the party divide that you have. It was a different group. It has become since then much more partisan and much more difficult to work together. David let us talk about that for a moment. The theory behind majority role is that majority role shall prevail but you should protect minority rights and listen to the minority as well. The way the house of representatives now works is the majority does not pay any attention to the minority. Democrats in control dont listen to republicans. Do you think that is a good system . Could it be changed in the near future . If you years ago, there was a strategy from the republicans not to participate. When we did the Affordable Care act, we had a health care crisis. Something needed to be done. And the staff people will tell you that in negotiations with the other side, they were told that there is nothing you can put in this bill that will get so you had support no vote in the house or senate. When you have a crisis in have to deal with it and the other side is not participating, you have no choice but to go forward. A house being democrat and a republican senate, there really is no constructive purpose to developing a totally partisan bill that can pass the house. But if it is a partisan democratic ill it wont go anywhere in the senate. The legislation david you are the chair of the education committee. Education is something you know a great deal about. When our Founding Fathers were creating the constitution, they did not inc. The average person was educated enough to vote for president of the united dates so they did not have a direct popular election. They had an Electoral College system which can result in a majority candidate with the most popular posts not getting elected president of the United States. To you think the system should be changed . Electoral college now is not an election of representatives to make their individual choice. It is the Electoral College reporting the results in the statebystate election rather than a straight popular vote. I would say you need a national role. National rule the qualifications for elections very from state to state. Whether felons can vote or not. You need a national election. I think the discussion really ought to be not whether there is a mathematical curiosity that you can win one and lose the other. A Baseball Team could scored 10 runs in the first game of the world series and lose the next four 10 and have 104 but lose the world series. That is because the rule can and the analysis ought to be what kind of candidate would do better in a straight popular vote than an Electoral College vote. And is that good or bad . You have a lot of things that you want to consider about the Electoral College were independent candidates do not do well. So you dont have third parties and so you have a oneonone race. If you are going to have a straight popular vote or you can have regional candidates all over the place, are you going to require a majority vote or can someone win with a plurality . When people discuss this, they dont have any discussion about this. President trump said had it been a straight popular vote, he would have run a different campaign. He would not of wasted time in wisconsin. Does that help create a better candidate or not . One thing that frustrates me is the discussion is about the mathematical curiosity that you can win one and lose the other. And that is the end of the discussion. David would you be in favor of a constitutional amendment or not . Said what would happen to thirdparty candidates. You have not said whether you would have national rules. You dont just jump to let us do it without analysis. I think that misses the point. David you would like to have a study of it before you decide what to do. And then know what youre doing before you do it. David that is what congress always does. [laughter] congressman cantor. Big egos inlot of the business world. Our their bigger egos in that world or in congress . I would say equal opportunity for big egos. I have seen them both now. I do say that in the commercial world or the private sector, there is a mitigation or regulator on ego and that is the search for profit. In the end, and in returns. That is your world and you live it every day and in a way, a and m a deal transaction, it is all about china to find winners on both sides. Of why this guy is so good because in a deliberative way that bobby scott goes about thinking about issues. In Congress Though there is not on egof mitigant because it is about power and credit. Butwith someone like bobby in the forces that work in the congress. It is very difficult now to get away from one way or the other. My way or the highway. Forcesnot have these that separate ego from the results i think. David when you were first elected to congress, you were in the minority . I was in the majority when i was first elected to congress. The point i was asking congressman scott, why is it that when republicans controlled congress a shaded democrats, we are not going to Pay Attention to you . Why not have a more collaborative system where it is bipartisan . Why has the system gone away from that . I look to my left to andy , after the 2000 election, it was fairly contested and it lingered. This was the bushgore a election. Nightly, we would have the minority come to the floor protesting the illegitimacy of the president until 9 11. And 9 11 was my first year in congress. That recall the leadership was expressed by the white house and president bush and how we really did see a congress that came together for a while. You say now, the rules and the house allow for if you have simple majority there is absolute power. My it has now devolved into way or the highway when we are in charge. And then when youre not, you are relegated. If you are asking if it is that way, yes. If it will change is the real issue. Bobby talked about when you have divided congress you will in the end either not do much which is currently the state, or you get to a point where you have to compromise. David when you were in the you are also a minority in that like me you are jewish. Were you i minority minority from when you were the minority . Why are there so few jewish republicans in the house . We could have a whole mother panel. I will say one thing about being a virginian and being a religious minority. It was maybe something that was meant to be but my first seat in the chamber of the house of thegates was right under statue of religious freedom that was carved into the granite behind my head. Every single day i would come into that chamber and look at that. So yes, i always was in a minority in a minority. When we were in the minority status in the legislation of the house of delegates. We came to parity just before i ran for congress. , david, that the American Jewish community is one made largely of let us just say more recent immigrants in the last century or so. And there is some mentality about where the Democratic Party i think did a lot better job by reaching out to the jewish community. It is much more liberal on the spectrum. They tend not to be as conservative as i am. T i do think now there is but i do think now, there is some unfortunately some solidifying of that and to my dismay. David before we talk about the issue we are supposed to, you are going to be remembered forever for a scene that has been played over on television from time to time. When 9 11 happened, you were with president bush i think in florida. The school in sarasota, florida. David you were the one that witnessed that whispered in his ear that something had happened at the trade center. When we arrived at the school, there was a buzz in the air carl asked if anyone had heard about a plane crash. I went into the classroom where the president was going to sit with second graders to see if it was ready for him. I saw the second graders lined up and ready to come into the school. They were excited. I saw a misspelled word on the board and i asked them to cover it up. I saw the press pool gathering with harry fleischer. Roompped into the holding and i was standing next to the president and the principal of the school. Who was thetain acting National Security advisor on the trip, the director of the white house situation room. He came up to the president and small sir, it appears a twinengine prop plane crashed into one of the towers of the world trade center. The principal, the president , and i had the same reaction. What a terrible accident. The pilot must of had a heart attack or something. That was literally spoken and the principal opened the door to the classroom and she and the president walked in. The door shut and captain lauer came up to me and said sir, it appears it was not a small plane but a commercial jetliner. My mind flashed to the fear that the passengers on the plane must of had. They had to have known it was not gaining out to do. Im not sure why my mind what there but that is where it went. And then a nanosecond later, the captain came up to me again and said oh my god, another plane at the tower at the other tower of the world trade center. I stood at the door in my mind flashed to three initials. U. B. L. Osama bin laden. I knew about al qaeda. Chiefsrmed a test that of staff have to perform all the time does the president need to know . This was an obvious test to pass yes. I decided i was going to pass on to facts and make one editorial comment and i would do nothing to invite the president to have a conversation with me. I presume he was hitting underneath the boom microphone. I knew he was sitting center stage in the classroom. And there was a press pool watching everything he was doing. I thought about what i would say. I opened the door and as i stepped into the classroom i came in from behind the president. He did not see me coming in. And the teacher of the second graders was conducting a dialogue between the president and the students. Say good morning, mr. President. The dialogue continued. I did not want to interrupt. The press pool included and compton. Right there. And she saw me enter from behind the president s back, if you will. And she looked at me and said and i responded and ann responded what . And then the teacher told the students to take out their books. They were going to read with the president , my pet goat. As they reached a for their books i walked up behind the president. He did not see me coming. He did not know i was there. And i leaned down and i whispered into his right ear a second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack. That was all i said to him. I stood back from him so he could not ask me a question. He never turned around. I could see his head bobbing up and down. I caused. He did not get out of his chair. I was pleased with how he responded. He did nothing to introduce fear to the second graders. He also did nothing to demonstrate fear to the media. Have translated that to the satisfaction of terrorist around the world. I went back to the door to the holding room. I looked again at the president. His head was bobbing up and down. Completelytudents engrossed in their books. Oblivious to my commentary to the president. Hadw the press pool they all turned and were talking to airy fleischer and not looking at the president. In my left peripheral vision i saw rob page, the principal of the school and a white house staffer who was an education expert. They were mouthing what is up . I then stepped into the holding room. The door shut behind me. And the first thing i said was get the fbi director on my on the phone. Bob mueller. Get a line open to the Vice President and the white house situation room. To the crew of air force one i said go back and get on the plane. We are getting at here. To the secret service i said prepare to get the motorcade going. Acting Communications Director on the trip i said get some remarks written for the president. Have 650 people in a gymnasium and they will have and the president will have to Say Something to them but we cannot say anything that we do not know to be the truth. The president came into the holding room in about seven and a half minutes. It did not seem that long. And the first thing he said was get the fbi director on the phone. We told him that he was right here. I watched the president step up to his responsibility. When he was sitting on that chair, i am convinced he focused on his oath of office. I feel no fear in raising it with you because we all promised we would never forget. It is an iconic photograph. I am not iconic but it does do find a day. I dont what you to remember the day because i whispered in the ear of the president. I want you to remember that because of what i said to the president , the world changed. 3000 people died that day. Many of them were heroes. Civilians. Many of them were emts and responders. Joinedn thousands more the military because of what happened that day. And 3000 of them made sacrifices so we could be here today. Thank you for giving me a chance. David whatever happened to that fbi director . [laughter] bob mueller . He went on to have a very distinguished career. He will now be known for many more things than just the fact that he was the fbi director for 10 days went to tempora 11, 2001 happened. David you worked for president s bush 41 and 43. Between 41, 40 three, and ronald reagan, who was the smartest . I think George H W Bush was the most intelligent. David who was the nicest . Ronald reagan. George bush is nice all the time. Ronald reagan, a fabulous communicator. Very inviting. Great understanding of how to verythings simple that are difficult. He could describe things well. And a joy to work with. Please understand that people ask me frequently to compare the three president s. I have to compare them in the context of who i was at the time. I was a young staffer for president reagan. Working as special assistant to the president of intergovernmental affairs. Governors with the was my primary job. Ronald reagan was a governor and they were his friends. I was dealing with his friends. But every time i saw him come i felt i was going to see my grandfather. You know that if you disagree with your grandfather, you usually do not tell them. George h. W. Bush was kind of like my dad. And when i would go see him and i had a close relationship with him, i could tell him that i disagreed with him but then i felt guilty the entire day. [laughter] george h. W. Bush was like my brother. I could go see george bush and say what were you thinking . And he would yell back at me what were you thinking . And we would have great conversations. The context was very different. George h. W. Bush truly the nicest. Ronald reagan, the one that could translate very well and make you feel comfortable. And george w. Bush was very good at making decisions and had the courage to make a decision and did not bring his hands in the process. David of the three, who was the best painter . Love winstonbush churchill. Inston churchills bust was the oval his entire presidency. When he for when he found out that Winston Churchill after he , he office was a painter said he was going to become a painter. And i said right . He is an outstanding painter. Very distinctive. David let me ask you about students at the harvard loss goal. The students of Harvard Law School occupied the deans office for quite some time a year or two ago. Why is it that students, not just Harvard Law School soon, to students seem to not well let certain speakers express their views on campuses when their views are not the ones the majority of the students actually have . Annette i think some students to feel that way. I protested when i was a student. Didnt you . David i cannot remember that. Isette i think that unfortunate. Shouting people down. Preventing people from speaking is not the way to go. I think people see it as a part of activism. Sense of youthful passion and conviction about their ideals. I think that went under challenge. David when slavery was prevalent in the u. S. , what were white people thinking that blacks were not the same species . You are white. You should tell me what they were thinking. [laughter] david my people were not hear them. Think they were thinking that africans were different. It started out with africans as he vents. The were not christians. And so you could enslave people that were not christians. These were people captured in war and you could enslave people like that. They were seen as different. That has been the problem mr. Gates was talking about this at the beginning about incorporating people that are seen as different as part of the community. Part of the democracy. Part of the reason you go with majority role is because you think the majority cares about the minority. That youave friends can have power over but you do not exercise total power over them because you care about them. The difficulty we have had is having a community to have all americans think that the children of other americans are their children regardless of color or religion. That has been the real difficulty. How do you get this Community Together and at the same time the majority not exact too much power over the minority. David you wondering the Pulitzer Prize for the hemmings at monticello. For those that have not read the book and i highly recommend it, what was Thomas Jeffersons attraction to Sally Hemmings . Did she remind him of his wife . And what was the nature of the relationship and your view in your view . Annette we dont really know how these two people felt about each other. Sally hemmings was the daughter of john wells as was jeffersons wife. There is speculation that it was clear that he thought sally and his and her siblings and his wife were different. I think he saw been through the prism of his feelings about his wife. Marked for aere different sort of like that monticello. How they actually felt about each other, we dont really know. This is something that went on for 38 years. Have 20,000 some letters from Thomas Jefferson. Did he ever mention her . Annette only in passing but once he came back from france, she disappears off the radar screen. That is the part of slavery people dont think about. It is not just people making others work for nothing. It is the creation of tangled the bloodlines that created a lot of complications for people in virginia and all over the south. David some people say that Thomas Jefferson did not have relationship with sally but it was his brother. And at there is no evidence of that other than the fact that people do not wanted to be jefferson. Even ifoes not matter, they are, these are still family members that are enslaved. David congressman, a lot of people would like to be a member of congress. People running all the time. Why do people want to be a member of congress when the compensation is so low . You have not increased the more than 10for years. People are living in their offices because they cannot afford to homes. How do you deal with that problem yourself . And what do members say privately . I think the problem emanates from the fact that members of congress are the only employees in the country that travel as part of their job and not get a per dm spending the night out of town. , ifhere were a per diem housing was reimbursed, you would not have nearly the problem you have today. But having to maintain to homes two homes and the washington there is a special deduction that members of congress get for housing expenses in washington. This special deduction is up to 3000 which is about a months worse. Which is about a months worth. Arithmetice problematic if you are not single. If you are trying to have a family and particularly if someone is in college, the arithmetic is very difficult. Part of the problem is if you look at different compensation levels, the members of congress used to be paid the same as federal judges. Salaries,the judicial you raise the congressional salaries. You figure out what judges ought to make and that is what you get. Linked a few years ago. And the salaries of judges have gone up then and now. A third higher than congressional salaries over that time. Way underalaries are where they ought to be. It used to be a federal judge would make about the same as a Law School Dean at a modest law school. 400,000 now. If you look at who you are picking for judges, someone which meansars old they have been in a law firm for about 20 years. A Major Law Firm on a partner track and see what someone with 20 Years Experience is making probably a half million dollars. If that is the panic for congressman, the problem is that salaries for professionals are a ceot of line would make about 30 times more than the average employee. Now it is about 300 times. Forsalary differential upper income people is so far out of line. But if we had compensation for housing, i think we could easily make do with the salaries we are getting. David your former colleague is in the business world. Have you ever considered going to the higher calling of private equity or Something Like that . I have saved money going i put it what i am doing is more fulfilling than just making a lot of money. David erik, let me ask you a question. Be very serious about it. When our country in 1776, we had 3 Million People more or less. Half a million slaves. 2. 5 million white people. Women could not be in Public Service. You have one and a quarter White Christian males more or less. Out of that you got Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, benjamin franklin, john among others. Alexander hamilton. Now, we have 330 million americans. Are the Thomas Jefferson scum of the benjamin franklins, the James Madisons . Are they all in the investment world or private equity . Where are the great leaders . The real brilliance i am listening to bobby talked and we always had a relationship and civil disagreement. I understand it is a hardship for members of congress when they are making 175,000 a year but compare that to the Median Income in the u. S. And it is significantly higher. Which is part of the reason why i cannot perceive a going up anytime soon. But also, if you think about it, the vision of Thomas Jefferson and James Addison and we are talking john adams and it was really about especially with jefferson somehow that frees a Citizens Legislature to make a notes their vision as we were not really meant to make careers out of washington. And that your question about when does one and that and go live under the laws that he or she passes . And i think that is what is missing today. And i always say and i know that richman has changed in a way since i have served their but there is a notion of a very limited government because a legislative session is so limited in richmond. And maybe, maybe that would change it certainly would change the fabric of congress to a great extent if the body was then assume some sense of limited power. A totallyhink we have different context today about leadership. Annette jefferson made a lot of money as president. What . Ng annette being president. And if he had saved that, he might not have been he spent a lot of money entertaining people. That is how he did politics. David didnt he died broke . Annette yes. But he spent a lot of his money in washington entertaining. That was his form of diplomacy. You are right. It is a different and difficult time period. A congressperson is a job and a serious one. It is not a gentlemans occupation anymore. Our funding fathers were worried about this. Thes madison, when he wrote amendments to the constitution that were required in order to get the constitution passed, not the least of which was the one talking about minority rights, voices are free, our faith is free, our ability to assemble history and we can petition the government to address our grievances. A little known fact is that James Madison wrote 12 amendment to the constitution. What 10 were adopted. And then one lingard. Sat and sat and sat. It was submitted the same time the First Amendment was sent to the states for ratification. Until may ofssed 1992. It is the 27th amendment to the constitution and it says Congress Shall not pass a pay raise with without an intervening election. That is what our Founding Fathers thought about that. David legislatures did not want members of congress to ever get a salary increase. That is why it did not pass. , when you were in congress, you represented Orange County. And James Madisons house was in Orange County . If you ever had a chance to meet James Madison, what would you ask him . Of any story and andy talked about the bill of rights and madison came to that and promised to be for amending the document he had so much ownership over because he needed to get elected. He needed to get reelected in the new congress. Abouta fascinating story going out to understand what his Campaign Plan was. Those of us who have run for Public Office and bobby consider beside can sympathize with this it has now gotten very sophisticated. There is no overlay of digitalization. Districts have been drawn in a gerrymandered way. Mantis madison was the first victim of gerrymandering. When the legislature in virginia decided the antifederalists decided they wanted to keep him out and he lost the bid for the Senate Appointment when he went and ran and knowing the district the way i do and the way it has changed now that there is Orange County. A very rural county outside of charlottesville. It was culpepper that was the anchor in his district. And the story is told about how he went to play plate for those folks. Luisat into neighboring which was tiny but it was energized by madison and had a much more and disproportionate turnout. To read about that, i would want to ask him about his strategy. Then today, the overlay what we do about campaigns. How we gobased turnout. How you go into get the independents in the middle. David James Madison was against a bill of rights in the Constitutional Convention. It was brought up our george mason and James Madison said we do not need a bill of rights because each state has its own that in the end, to get the constitution approved, he recognized you probably need a bill of rights. Because he was in favor of the constitution being ratified by virginia and Patrick Henry was against it, Patrick Henry h word that the budget did not appoint James Madison and that is why he had to run in a district that was gerrymandered and he had to run against james monroe. And the discussion we are here for today in terms of protecting minority rights, it was the baptist in the district that he had to play too. Not just a group, individuals, so it got into a discussion about the right to assembly. It was his commitment to that group to get him on board with him and the pastors in the Baptist Community so he could gain election. Can i comment on this . Casee recent Supreme Court regarding gerrymandering. There was a suggestion that partisan gerrymandering could not be totally controlled but at some point, it just gets so the Supreme Court essentially said that states have a free license on this and they can do whatever they want. Whatever shenanigans going on right now may actually get worse. , we have had a lot of comments about career politicians and being one there is a view that the less you know the better job you can do. [laughter] there is something that comes with experience. You know your district and the issues and you become part of the debate. If members of congress are in and out, and you see this in some of the state legislatures, the only people that know what is going on would be the executive branch and the lobbyist. And i am not sure that is a step forward. David virginia used to be called the home of president speak as we had george others. On, among you are from virginia and have been and political life, why dont you run for president . With everybody running [laughter] it is too late. David you live in New Hampshire, andy. How has New Hampshire been able to preserve it being the first primary for so long . And what will happen in New Hampshire . Democraticurest state, and i am not talking democrat as a label, but democracy as we know it. Legislators in the state legislature in New Hampshire and they get paid 100 a year. I have a hard time finding people the run. 20 citizens iny New Hampshire is involved in government somehow. Local government. State government. Is the most democratically active state in the union. It prides itself on being the first primary for challengers to go through for president of the United States. They like to say the road through the to the white house goes through New Hampshire. And if it were not for being such a democratic state, lower case d, candidates would not come there. The nations the First Nations primary is very important. The secretary of state who has been there forever protects it at all costs. He is a democrat but it does not make any difference, he is protecting the right of New Hampshire to vote first and he will continue to do it. It is a privilege to work there and live there. They do practice their democracy using all of the privileges they are given. Especially the right to speak. They are very outspoken in New Hampshire. And politics is the dominant topic and the biggest cage and the world for about watch her weeks every four years. Distinguished public life, who is the most impressive person you ever met . George h. W. Bush. Number two, james a. Baker the third. The formere with british minister british Prime Minister tony blair and margaret thatcher. Those who is the most impressive person you have met in congress or in public life . Erik when i was first elected to the house of delegates, i was young. David still young. I just had a kid get married so i am not young anymore. I was 28 years old in my first term. There was a democratic legislator from roanoke county. Dickie cran well dickie crane well. He had this country lawyer shucks. Aw it could have been because i was seed in this process to how he maneuvered at the time and i think he was leader at the time. Ability to the affect an outcome and intimidate but yet he could be kind and it was pretty impressive. A very unlikely person to say that was was impressive. David congressman, who is the most impressive person you met . In the state senate i worked with doug andrews and if you talk about doing skulduggery behind the scenes in the house of representatives, nancy pelosi because she can spot 218 votes from a mile away. And she can keep this motley group of democrats under one tent. What if you want to be like somebody come it would be john warner. Annette, anyone you had as a student that went on to great fame or fortune or anyone on the faculty . Is there someone on the faculty running for president . Annette former colleague elizabeth born. The most impressive person i have met in public life is vernon jordan. I helped him write his memoirs. Someone who is madame langley lingly always right. And even if i disagree with him i would realize five years later that he was right. David most impressive voice. And that with a wide range of experience. And that is why he could say this is what is going to happen. David are you optimistic about the countrys future . Annette very optimistic. Nothter, my students the people protesting and stopping people from speaking but who are engaged in politics. They are active. They think they can play a role. I wanted to say that jefferson newa real and the of england. The notion of participatory democracy. He wanted that for virginia. He and that is what he thought the university would do. David optimistic, pessimistic . I am rumored reminded of Martin Luther king who said something to the effect that this generation will have to answer not for the bad deeds of the bad people but for the up politics silence of good people. And people are being silent about some of the things going on now. David optimistic or pessimistic . [applause] i am optimistic. Nowent a lot of time abroad and i can tell you the admiration and respect other countries have for what we have, freedom and i do believe it comes down to what the discussion is about. It is about the construct of laws we have that a for the individual rights and when we are in countries even if it is in europe much less in some of the more autocratic countries in the middle east or asia, there is a huge amount of respect from Business People the Government People about what we are. Im very optimistic. David andy . I am optimistic because democracy is contagious and i make sureke a desk that continuous. And it is only contagious of america leads the way so we have to infect others with our democracy. I do worry that we do not have civil digital dialogue. Civil thane is more our tweets. And i worry about the social media aspects and its impact on our democracy because i want there to be free speech but i want it to be reflecting im going to say an invitation for participation rather than extermination. David i want to thank all of you for it for a very interesting panel discussion. And thank you to you for paying attention. Thank you. Cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Morning, we will discuss the election System Security with Bipartisan Policy Center election rochester actor matthew wild. Writer thomas frank will join us to talk about a new report on u. S. Federal disaster response. Watch cspans washington 7 00 eastern at this morning. Join the discussion. Journal mugs are available as cspans new online store. Go to cspan stored. Org. Check out the washington journal mugs and see all of the cspan products. Weeknights this month we are American History tv programs and a preview is available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight we examined the cold war beginning with historians discussing the concept of deep state. Takes us on a tour of a cold war museum. Also, the famed journalist edward r. Murrow narrates a film on nato and carson discusses his book secret wars. Watch tonight starting at 8 00 eastern on cspan3 and enjoy American History tv this week and every weekend on cspan3. Weeknights this week, we are featuring book tv programs showcasing what is available every weekend on cspan2. Tonight the theme is best sellers. Author Tara Westover details her book her life growing up with a survivalist parents in the idaho mountains. Melinda gates discusses her work with women around the world and mark levin argues that the press has lowered its standards. Watch tonight beginning at 8 00 eastern on cspan two and enjoy book tv this week and every weekend on cspan2. Joe biden was in cedar. Apids, iowa he met with Union Members and talked to the media and the crowd. The former Vice President leads the democratic president ial field in iowa according to polling data gathered by real clear politics. Right here
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