Transcripts For CSPAN2 Summer Series With Books By Presidents 20240712

As part of her summer series. Tonight you will hear from five of the last six men who have sat in the oval office. Now the practice of president s books, began with Thomas Jeffersons memoir in 1821. Eighteen president s since have written books prior to the 20th century, president ial memoirs were rare and Ulysses S Grant and mark was an exception since then, it is taken off since the 1950s. First of this evening, is one of our most prolific residents turned author. Jimmy carter. He is the author of 25 books including publicpolicy books, Foreign Policy books, a novel, and he is also written a Childrens Book which was illustrated by his daughter amy. In 2010, president carter appeared on book tv afterwards program where he discussed his white house diaries that he kept while he was in office from 1977 1981. Heres president carter being interviewed by president ial historian. Welcome to washington dc. It is wonderful to see you. I was wondering you fly in here, and you go over all of these monuments we go to the atomic river, what you think when youre flying into this town. I always like to see the white house that is still there and i think about the wonderful times that we have. And i like flying over the canal. And as you know, douglas, great duchesses of the Supreme Court. I was running then about 40 miles a week which is a lot. In washington and around here in camp david of the weekend this. So i just think about the good times that we had. And also when i fly over the capital, i think about congress and how think oyamel that had the superb bipartisan support. That existed back then in the 70s. And it doesnt exist anymore so i think about this similarities and also the differences. s are in congress and the senate that you really personally learned to enjoy working with that you became friends with. The minority leader in charge of the republican side. And he was a great personal friend of mine and still is. And i got wonderful cooperation from the republican side. In the course michael in the house, minority leader in the house of representatives and also was a great supporter of mine. Jimmy carter said during the last couple of years that i was in the white house, the running against me, took away a lot of the very liberal democrats to support him. And they didnt much want me to succeed in some of the issues. So to the modern conservative democrats and the republicans. That is how we were able to have such a good batting average in congress. Host how important has he been in your life. Jimmy carter he was a young senator then, sam. And he was kind of my four leader and some of the key issues like the nuclear power. He was very knowledgeable about it and he was working his way up to be the chairman later on. The Defense Committee and the senate. For sam, being a friend in the legislature when i was governor and georgia. I worked very closely with him. It and then the senior senator from georgia than, made it very difficult choice to vote for the panama canal treaties which was the most courageous vote i believe the u. S. Senate has cast. There were 20 senators who voted for the panama canal treaty and 78. And we are up for reelection that year. And out of the 20, almost seven them to back to the senate the following january. And salmon they were two who were with me. Herman, although he was very popular at the time, was defeated in his next election. I would say one of the main reasons was because he voted for the panama canal which was a very right to vote. But also very unpopular at the time. It. Host Walter Mondale had to be the deciding vote right. Jimmy carter we actually got 68 votes and how to get 67. So that is what took so much. I had to get a large number of republicans to vote for it. In spite of the fact that at that time Ronald Reagan was making the nation wide crusade against the panama canal treaties. Enough republicans did vote for it. Host what you feel that reagan and john wayne in some of the conservative leaders work so we him and delete opposed. Jimmy carter john wayne, wasnt part of this panama treaties. One of the reasons was because he just liked reagan very much. John wayne did. Another thing, he had been to panama city times and he knew the leader of panama at the time. John wayne let me know quarterly they would be in favor of the panama canal treaty. He wrote me a letter accordingly which i used with maximum advantage against the opposition of Ronald Reagan. Host i was spoke in georgia felt the canal treaty print him out. Which is what you said. Do you feel that you push the canal issue too quickly. Jimmy carter no. Host too quickly. Jimmy carter even during the late stages of Dwight Eisenhowers term, there had been come in increasingly against the unfair treaty when formulated back in the early 19 hundreds. And then when johnson was in office, lyndon johnson, they had a big altercation there and a group of people killed. And panama broke the diplomatic relations with United States and venezuela and other leaders organize a third world power and so all of the world, there was opposition to the United States because we were violating panamas human rights. As you may or may not remember, panama canal treaty was signed in the middle of the night. I think john hay was a secretary of state in washington. In that time, it was negotiated by freshman who hadnt been to panama for 18 years. So it was an unfair treaty from the very beginning. Almost everybody recognized it. Two thirds were signing it. Host when you went back to panama, you went to monitor the election there. And he called noriega out essentially fraudulent. Do you think the fact that you were the architect of the panama canal treaty give you a credibility in panama and the rest of central america, left america that otherwise would not have been there. It. Jimmy carter theres no doubt about that. As i left office, one of our first very important election that was monitored was in penalties. And the head of the socalled military, the National Guard was a cook. And he tried to steal the election and stuff the ballot box. Such they were monitoring that election and i knew the ballot box was stuffed, i publicly announced that the whole election was fraudulent. We just did narrowly escape. A lot were called by the National Guardsmen orders. And although the stuffed ballot box, they never took office. And eventually of course he was arrested and put into prison for a long time. And next election was held, the countess again and monitor the election and it was an honest and fair election. Now panama is one of the sterling democracies this hemisphere. It. Host to feel he should still be in prison. Jimmy carter he service term. He was a senate for 40 years. I think it was qualified but he has been rearrested as you may know. Because of some abuses that he had against senators. So he was expedited to france to be tried on another. After he was found or serve his term here. Host did he ever reach out to you in anyway. Jimmy carter no, he is not my friend. He was one of those that got people involved in a world wide basis monitoring elections. At the time we were innovators and monitoring elections from outside. And now we just finished i think our 81st election this past month. In guinea. And before that in another place so weve done major elections no elections, the palestinian area and we did the first two elections in indonesia when they change from 50 years into democracy. So we had a very exciting time. All elections and i have to give them credit, he got me started on the elections. [laughter]. Because i had to deny him. Host tell me about you were mentioning looking at the white house and you were jogging in the white house diaries, for the on the campaign trail in texas coming often sneak in there and as you going on a jog. And then when you are into the famous on your inauguration. How did the idea of the walking for your inaugural come about. Jimmy carter one of the senators from wisconsin was talking about physical fitness. And he suggested that we might walk as a symbolic gesture. And then at the time approached for the inauguration, could see there was a great deal of distrust and even animosity between the people of america and the government in washington. Very similar that was the case with a set last election the tea party and so forth. A lot of dissolution. So we discussed it. We decided we would walk just to show that we trust in the American People. We have to remember that back in those days when i ran, 1976, we had just experienced the disgrace of watergate. In the defeat in vietnam. I had to lobby for that one Bobby Kennedy and john kennedy were assassinated. Martin luther king was assassinated. In a socalled church to innocent had a bill that the president and cia had frustrated crimes. Against the elected leaders in Foreign Countries who we didnt approve. Of their politics on was in chile and one was in iran. So all these things caused americans to kind of doubt the integrity and competency of the government. So i wanted to walk down pennsylvania avenue just to show the market people that i was one of them. And i hope that they could have trusted me. It. Host houston mentioned on douglas. He is to do walks along the canal. Used to drive around the canal. Youve a route that is present, that you would run around dc. In the park or was it too hard with the secret service to keep one talking group. Jimmy carter we work able to keep it straight. Sometimes i would jogging other areas. For instance, without a 7mile jogging area inside the white house grounds. Making several laps through the rows garden and through the south lawn and that sort of thing. And then on the weekend we go to camp david. Canal was the best place to jog. It became a National Park as you may know. Sponsored by william of douglas. That extends 108 miles from Downtown Washington all of the way to west virginia. In this canal, is to be a major thruway, adjacent to and in the tomah region. It was a very important trade routes back in those early days. They had about it for footwide very smooth path the horses used to work on. In this way jog. It was a wonderful and isolated place. Host all aspects of your presidency that history will treat well but people dont seem to know about right now is jimmy carter as conservationist. And working treating the department of energy but also putting solar panel on the white house. With the solar panels and want to talk about your last book. We you upset that reagan took them down. Soon i was. Spee. Host what did he do that. Jimmy carter was a total difference of philosophy between me and reagan. The market people should Pay Attention to our excessive with foreign oil. So for years i worked to get a comprehensive Energy Package past. I did. Before i went out of office. When i was inaugurated, we are importing a. 6 Million Barrels of oil a day and within five years, because of the package, we reduce that by half down 4. 3 barrels a day. And when reagan came in, he said american does not have to conserve. We can use as much oil as we want to. Resilient health and we dont have to or we can do away with all of these foolish things that the president imposed on the American People as constraints. I put solar panels on the white house. I think there were 36 of them. To provide hot water through the white house. But also as a symbolic truth to the American People that i was going to do something. And as soon as reagan was in office, his great publicity he removed them. He said this was a waste of money and time. As a matter of fact, spoke legibly the main purchased the 36 panels taken off of the white house and they started crusade about a year ago and finally induced president obama to put solar panels back on the white house. And last year, will this year, i was in china the major producer of the cells in the world knows in china. And they had bought one of the panels they used to be on the white house. And when i was over there, they should be the panel and told me about it. Host are you still high and the idea of solar or are you studying wind power. Where do we need to go. Jimmy carter i would say what we used to call as alternate sources of energy. Its not oil primarily. But to use coal in america, you cant make it a clean burn. But to reduce the dependence on uncertain foreign sources of oil. That was the major purpose of my goal. So we put into law, things are still permanent, we are required the electric motors and refrigerators and stoves remain highly efficient. And simply put on everyone but the degree of efficiency. They wont waste energy. We passed laws that were required them to be insulated for the first time. We also had restraints on automobiles efficiencies. But unfortunately, we left a loophole the net so the president could back out of it. Im course when reagan came into office, he backed out of it. So when obama came in, to the president , the efficiency of automobiles was down almost as low as it was his mom i went into some things we never dreamed the president would do. The reagan and his successors did to waste energy. But the laws are still in the books. So we still have efficient refrigerators and stoves electric motors and such. Host do you worry about eisenhower having industrial military complex. Are you worried about oil and the government and what we do to control the oil industry better. Why are they having so much power. What can americans do. Jimmy carter the auto Manufacturing Industry in the oil industry, and others of that kind are extremely rich, almost unbelievably rich. And it influence on congress. And even in National Elections for president. And they have always put as much money as it possibly could into campaigns. In this includes not related it Industries Like the health industry. And i think one of the most stupid things that the Supreme Court has ever done was a ruling last january. The took off all limits on corporations and making attributions to political campaigns. And even remove the core requirements they had to identify themselves. So now, even in the selection and 2010, theres been a massive influx of money from corporations totally secret without the donors being identified. In almost all of it goes to the republicans. So that is what has happened with the election. It ended his change, whole character of american politics. For instance when i was running for office against an incumbent gerald ford, and four years later against governor reagan, but never dreamed of using a negative commercial. We just refer to each other by our distinguished opponent. I think that the reason for the escalation an almost universal use now of negative advertising on television and radio has become the cause of enormous influx of money. Into the campaigns. So if the candidates of Congress Gets a 500,000 from the Oil Companies and so forth, and they spend a lot of the 500,000 bucks on the destroying the character and reputation of their opponent. And it happened on both sides. Although the American People disagree with that, it works. So by the time the election is over, one of the candidates prevails both sides have. Well convince the public the neatest candidate was worthy of holding office. Some of the time to get to washington, they talk about that highly are bipartisan they didnt prevail in all when i was president. And certainly wouldnt gerald busch was in office. When a wonderful bipartisan support then. And cooperation. Now there is no such thing. Congress is much more polarized now i believe in any time in history. I was even in the months preceding the civil war if that is possible because as you know, on some major programs, as obama put force, he did not get a single republican vote in the house or senate. So the republicans have acted and was completely responsibly during the first few months of president obamas term. I think that after the selection, the lease have to assume some responsibility because the have to consult the house of representatives which would be an improvement. Host what about this third treaty right now. Jimmy carter is a wonderful treaty. Its good for the soviet union, good for europe and the United States. Certain downward trend and arsenals of nuclear weapons. And i think in an ordinary time, say when i was in office, even when george w. Bush was in office, it wouldve been approved by the majority of the senators. But with this boycott, mice and the republicans against president obama and the avowed purpose for venting him to get reelected in 2012. Hes going to be lucky to get enough republican votes. But it certainly should be passed. Host what should president obama do at this point. Should he go result alone to use its executive power more somehow find a way to work with congress. If you are president in this political climate, what card would you play. Jimmy carter i think what he is likely to do in the next two years is to be much more resolved, much more determined. To stick with what he was to get done. In a stop trying to induce very few republicans to support his position. For instance he has said that is not going to permit an extension of the george w. Bush tax break for people that are very rich. Then i think yahoo do that. Do what he said he was going to do maybe have one vote in the senate. And then grant the extension of the tax reductions to people to make less than 250,000 year. This means that he was going to do in the campaign. And one vote only. Do not permit any possibility of extending the tax reductions for the very rich people. He does things like that, if he does, think he would have a good deal of success. It was only when he is as you know, a very wellknown technique that george w. Bush had used many times, that he was able to get help real fast. All thats tough. And i think most of the democrats say that we will do better in 2012. If he hangs tough. I think he will. Host back to conservation. Can you tell us by december 1980, in this remarkable Alaska Land Conservation act. Its putting aside of our 50 million acres. It is going to be legacy that if the world is more populated. In your name and conservation, you will be on the shortlist with fdr and maybe john lyndon johnson. What happened and what how you able to succeed so wildly up there in the conservation field. Jimmy carter will first of all, it to me for years to do it. Almost four years. I practically memorized the map of alaska. About halfway through i saw that we were not going to getting support from the two Alaska Centers and one was a democrat. So my secretary of interior came up with an idea of using the bill that passed in congress in the early 19 hundreds. Take 19 oh seven. It was designed to save monuments. An highly valuable thing to the future that should be preserved. Again the president almost unilateral right to do so. We use that legislation on large areas of land. To designate them as National Monuments to be preserved. There is nothing that congress could do to override my decision. And eventually, the amount of land that we set aside for National Monuments in alaska and other places, was largest the state of michigan. An enormous amount of property. So i have that to use. Host would you actually have a map of alaska and really learn thats. Jimmy carter absolutely i did. Very famous house member who was my partner, and others as well in the senate. But we stood around the table and in the president s cabinet room with maps and say this is very precious. So i would set it aside. In the senators had permanently set it is a national monument. I think the original bill referred to one specific building or Something Like that. We use vast areas of precious land. It was that leverage that i used on the members of congress on alaska and also others who were reluctant about the election atlanta bill to prevail. So after i was defeated in the election of november 1980, this would bill actually passed. We actually set aside an area almost as largest state of california. The total. We doubled the size of the National Park service and tripled in size of the wilderness areas in the market in that one bill. And although i was very unpopular then in alaska because the senators convince them that i was taking away the alaska land. Decembeis become one of the most popular things that i did even with alaska people because they can see how much it spent in their state. Host what about sarah palin and in the arctic refuge. To think it should never be allowed to have oil. Jimmy carter never prayed to five have you been to the arctic. Jimmy carter absolutely. Host what is like going there when you why do you say never. What you say its an empty. Sue and i have stood in front of the socalled porcupine card. And this is a herd of about 140,000 animals. My wife and i have gotten in front and when they see us they go by. Weve actually flown over a wolf clan of about 30 will spring just off the coast of alaska on the same trip, we observed and they formed a circle to protect the females in the calf in the middle. So we would go fishing in alaska. Flyfishing so i have been come quite familiar with alaska. In many of the National Parks up there. That was in 1980. I will think they will be preserved. But theres a tremendous pressure from the Oil Companies i would say to legally bind the members of congress to take any of this beautiful area and make it available for exploration for oil. This was an area was first set aside. By president eisenhower in the 50s. I just preserved when eisenhower first set aside before alaska became a state. And when i left office, the only way you can do that was it a president s in both houses of congress voted to let Oil Exploration begun. And i never dreamed that we would have president s in both houses of the congress to sober president reagan and president George Hw Bush and president george w. Bush tried and sometimes came within two or three votes getting the legislative support. I hope it never happens. It never period of time, think more and more americans and lessons are realizing that we need to preserve a special area. Host without offshore drilling. I believe shall wants to drill off the arctic refuge. Jimmy carter i dont think so. I think we need to because thats where some of the islands are. And we saw animals on a peninsula out of the region. And when we pass that alaska lands built in 191980s, we open up 95 percent of all of the coastal areas of alaska. The only preserved 5 percent which is a special area that we were talking about we prohibited oil drilling and i think 5 percent is not too much to say. Its just like god made it. I hope we will be there for my grandchildren. Host what do you feel sarah palin in alaska it is become so much part of her discourses of her personality and have you ever miss her printer do you have any views about what she is contributing or not contributing jimmy carter i never met her. But obviously have seen on Television Many times i think shes one of the most dynamic and attractive speakers weve ever seen. And she knows how to appeal to a crowd. Shes extremely eloquent. She is a very clearcut i say political philosophy that she expresses. Then she feels highly to an enthusiastic group of supporters. And i think within the Republican Party and the tea party, shes going to be a formative candidate she decides to run in 2012. It would not be surprised if she could get the republicans nomination. However, even within the Republican Party, can i just know from the opinion. Even the majority of republicans open she is qualified to be president. But she does have the capability in my opinion is an extreme outsider. Any to get the nomination. Host to see any connection to yourself, the governor of state and you are governor in georgia. And nobody seemed, auden came out of nowhere. And then you went into iowa and New Hampshire. Do you feel this sort of, although you are obviously coming from the democratic side, you see any connection with what she was trying to do. Or none at all. It. Jimmy carter no. I think maybe its governor. Host d think quitting will hurt her. Never quite. Randy never quite. Jimmy carter i think on a particular large group of supporters dont hold that it against her. Think she has already proven that. I dont see anything any parallels between her night. But many times, that i ran for president in 1976, this past year with the Tea Party Movement because as primary group of limiting people in my opinion, just completely dissatisfied with what was happening in washington. And i have to admit that i had the same kind of thought when i read for office. And Wonderful Group who were my opponents, most of whom were u. S. Senators. Distinguished. And i was able to prevail. Because capitalized on it, that was one of the driving forces for the tea party this last year. Host then a shift gears a little bit to the least. With the hostage crisis. Eventually they all came home. Do you ever hear from any of them. Jimmy carter yes yes. Quite often. When i go to book tour. Usually one of the two will send ahead of time or meet behind the scenes. And obviously give them a free book and shake hands and that sort of thing. Im very proud of the fact they are doing quite well. This is not as much as it used to be. Right after i left office with a good many of them would actually drive and let me know in advance that they will come and spend a few minutes with me. For the fact that they came home safe and free. So i had a good friendly relationship i would say with all of them. Host how would, since iran was so much part of your administration and then the white house diaries in your book, you talk about things that were really too white house is for the Carter White House and then theres dealing with the hostage ices. White house and in retrospect, is there something you had done different during the course. Sent a helicopter and rescue mission. When you look back do you wish you wouldve done something generally. Jimmy carter not really. If i had known completely what was happening, i mightve done Something Different but i dont think so and to the circumstances because i was the last holdout on my Top Management Team read and running and come to new york for treatment of his terminal cancer. In Henry Kissinger and all my advisors saying let him come. Its a humanitarian thing to do. So i contacted the president and the Prime Minister of iran. I told him that i was contemplating letting this come to new york for treatment. And i wanted assurance from them that they would take americans of there. There were about 80000 americans in the urine working in different forces including 36 members. In the embassy staff. In a semi word they would guarantee that nothing would happen to americans and the shop came to new york provided that he would pledge not to make any sort of political statement while he was in america. Any did give me that assurance. And then, to the surprise and i think to the surprise of the Prime Minister of iran, i think it was others i can remember the main names. Hostages and when the ayatollah after three days, ported the holding of the hostages, then the present and Prime Minister resigned and protest. But that was just the beginning of a long ordeal. Where they held the hostages. So i dont really believe i wouldve done anything different. The main advice that i got was to attack iran. To bomb them. And so forth but i was convinced then and i still am convinced that had i done so, i wouldve killed maybe 10000 innocent iranians and they would immediately have executed our hostages. Someone i held out. Host is your religion, your love of christ, did it ever come into making Big Decisions like, that is a very profound thing to think that you can take out 2000 peoples lives. But you think it informed your judgment the tomatoes president. President. Your faith. Jimmy carter i think so. I worship jesus christ. So i was resolved is the president within the bounds of defending my Nation Security and integrity. That i would preserve a piece. We went through extreme tension and sometimes i would say political confrontations. I was able to go through my four years. We never talk to bomb. We never launched a missile we never fired a bullet. And we protected our security in and integrity. Only between us and potential adversaries but brought things to others around the world. One of the things i wanted to do was start the process of eliminating things in south africa. If we lay the groundwork later on in the fall. And my daughter amy was arrested three times work demonstrating in south africa. We were able to form a peaceful relationship with china for the first time in 35 years. We resolved potential conflict in panama. And we brought peace between israel and egypt and so forth. I can give them the list of things. But thats what we tried to do. Host you broke the mold now as next president in your very much an individual, march to the beat of your own from. Could you ever imagine being arrested like your daughter was. The saint somebody was real in the arctic refuge. Would you be willing to go to a contest and actually be arrested. Draw a kind of line for Something Like that. Jimmy carter i would say and if issue came up, that i felt was of moral conflict with me, it would happen would certainly consider being arrested. Because i know that i wouldnt be heard. It might just be arrested as a formal thing. I get a lot of publicity. So that would magnify my ability and bring publicity to an unsavory act. I might do it. But amy was, she felt very deeply and on her own. We did not have to inspire amy to protest against them. She felt very deeply like i didnt than it was very wrong party date. Host in your diaries in the white house, there is a little section about you reading the bible at night in spanish. And also getting your haircut with a puerto weekend barber. He would practice the spanish. Was it because our do you believe that being bilingual is important in todays america. Jimmy carter one of the own person, for students at the naval academy. I studied spanish. And when we had a chance to go on vacation, would go to Spanish Speaking country. Spain was our favorite place to take a vacation. And last night, i read part of the bible in spanish. In the next time were together, she will read a portion of the bible in spanish. And this gives us a chance to practice in between times. So she has an ipod i think 85 spanish lessons on there and she still trying to practice her spanish. I think being bilingual is a great advantage. And it turned out the Spanish Speaking is important not only, we have 85 hispanics are so the interpreters on occasion was good. So is wonderful second language. It also just to have a second language is very important. Host do use a laptop or do you write your own letters to people that email. Jimmy carter i never have dictated any of my books. This my 26 book. To all of my writing myself. Host why is that. Is because what the control over its. Jimmy carter no its not that. Host dictating and people with type. But you were keeping a personal diary. Jimmy carter it relates back to my childhood. In eighth grade, i took typing. And took shorthand. So all of the way through my college years, took all of my college nose and shorthand. So became i might say a good stenographer. On lyons. Theres nothing wrong with dictating letters. But i have to say that i was in the white house lawn people wrote messages like my secretary of state would write a letter sent to a foreign leader. It would become to me and i would edited and approve it and then later sign it. So i did not handwrite everything from the very beginning. But when i wanted them to come to camp david, handwrote a letter to them. And i had them delivered to them so they knew it came from me. Maybe thats one of the reasons they both accepted the invitation. Host and hand written letters to people around the world, legal prisoners asking people to be released. Do you still keep an eye on that jimmy carter is very strong human rights program. And i have a staff, and a fulltime executor of the human rights. And she the staff, monitor the most egregious abuses of human rights did and quite often they will prepare a draft of a letter for me to sentiment foreign leader who is abusing people in his or her country. I will send them a personal letter. And we get to the university to double check the legality of what i am doing so dont do something stupid. And i said letter an essay ive heard that youre doing this to such and such a people. I name them. They are in prison without a proper trial. They might be ill. They need to be released. I know this is contrary to your nations constitution. I would like to have a report from you. About what can be done to alleviate their suffering. And i would hope that this doesnt have to go further to the public newsroom. A surprising coming times they dictator would simulator back and say look into this and the people of been released from prison or Something Like that. So we still do that. Have a annual meeting, we call it the meeting of human rights defenders. They have people of about 40 nations who come there. But the human rights abuse has taken place in the country and their heroes in their own country. Fighting against you and the rights and abuses. Sometimes the dictators are abusers well with them out of the country. They wont give the movie set. But we meet with them and discuss their problems. And then about seven or eight of them who are the most eloquent sit around the table with me and with cnn and ask questions about these human rights abuses in that same group travels to washington without me. Then they meet with the leaders of the human rights specialist and the administration and the committees of congress. We do that every year. Host the ones with and followed you to haiti. And i notice this characteristic, you very much, you have the secondlongest military career of any president after Dwight Eisenhower of the 20th century. Youre very punctual. But when we go to a village where most of the people have hiv or hiv positive, i saw the whole Taft Jimmy Carter sign kind of felt an incredibly emotional way that you are touching people and hugging the children. Is that or do you have to seem to feel the suffering of people at your mother did. Took care of peoples leprosy. Is that hard to have that much compassion for the poor but then having to keep a hard shell in order to just to get things done. Jimmy carter i dont feel it difficult. He was organized when we came home. It has a commitment to eradicating or controlling the most terrible diseases on earth. The World Health Organization calls them neglected diseases because they no longer exist in the rich world read and the affect hundreds of millions of people still. Sometimes in latin america. Sometimes we have dedicated and his primary purpose is to control or reduce or eradicate those neglected diseases. So she and i, my wife and i go to latin america, primarily to africa to deal with those kinds of diseases. Theyre not even known in america. Different diseases, and so forth. These diseases or can be eliminated. Weve already proven them because they dont exist in any of the rich worlds. And we also do with one major disease. Called malaria. We no longer have it here. So for instance, in ethiopia, they have the governor of ethiopia put to markable new insects decide bed nets in every home in ethiopia. That have malaria mosquitoes. This took 20 million nets. In the governor of ethiopia raised 17,000,000. 90 3m dollars to buy the nets we needed. This kind of think that we do in the world now. Thats like the professional commitment to help poor people. I think it comes natural to me and those who work with us. Five you are a younger man, you talked about harry truman that you liked him quite a bit. Now as an expresident , this point in your life thinking about what you know having one of the few people who have been in the white house was there a precedent that you have drawing inspiration to the might be different over the years. Maybe youve read four biographies are thought about American History more. There was the president that i can truly respect. Jimmy carter i havent changed my mind. Amassed still, the common question. Harry truman. In my lifetime, harry truman. I not ignoring Abraham Lincoln but just during my lifetime. Very truman affected me personally. I cried when i realized that this unknown Vice President would now be my commanding chief, truman. Later when i was on the submarine, submarine officer, in 1948 and decided to do away with segregation and military forces. The armies and navy and marines and air force in the coast guard. It was extremely unpopular thing for him to do. And the congress for him to not do it. A lot of zone military leaders, i was in the majority of the military said do not do it and he did it anyway. That affected my life greatly. It was eight years later the rest of parks sat in front of a bus Martinson King junior became famous. So i give harry truman for being the pioneer in this country of doing away with almost 100 years of racial segregation. So that changed my mind and my life. So ive always felt that he was an honest and courageous very intelligent man. Host and you identify as a navy man, or identify yourself with the korean war involved rated. Jimmy carter i was submarine officer during the korean war. In the latter part of the world war. I waup until 1950 that i was transferred back to the east coast. So yes, i still feel personally involved in korea. In fact i just came back from north korea recently. Assume i wanted to ask you about that. The white house diaries, you write about korea. You had a huge crowd there like a million or more people. Why did you have the kind of crowd and south korea. It was extraordinary, up to 2 Million People in south korea. It and you say closer to a million in the book. Tell me about what you have learned. I know when you micro study a place like alaska or the middle east or korea is been a big part of your life. What is going on there now. And we do today, would jimmy carter be willing to go to for north korea tonight. Tomorrow or next week. And try to negotiate some kind of settlement this recent you know, back and forth going on. Jimmy carter while in a way hate to say this but the North Koreans trust me. Sixteen years ago, we were faced the prospect of a korean war. Because a man there who was worshiped, nodding test rating, a combination of jesus christ and George Washington from North Koreans. Because of various reasons. I dont have time to go into it. But he would decide he would expel international and Atomic Energy sectors. And start reprocessing nuclear fill runs from their ancient reactors the produced electricity. In the United States started trying to impose much more severe sanctions on north korea and they had done since the 1950s in the korean war was over. And he announced that if it happened he would attack south korea. And the is then and now, north korea almost totally destroyed the capital of south korea. Very closely to the border. And i decided to go over and resolve the issue. I got reluctant, approval from president bill clinton. I went over and negotiated with them successfully. In the United States was able to put that into an official agreement. And later, they stopped the nuclear process. And didnt peace treaty with korea. When president bush came into office though, the process was undone. And in his inaugural address, president bush said the north korea was actually evil to make a long story short, i three began to reprocessing nuclear fuel know they have 67 capable nuclear explosives. So back in july, north korea asked me to come over again because they wanted to deliver a message to the u. S. Government and again they wanted to negotiate and do away with that nuclear weapons. And have a Permanent Peace treaty to replace the one that existed now. That was between the United States north korea. So thats what i have done. If president obama asked me to go over, i would certainly be inclined to do so but i would not presume. Host the Carter Center and all or if tensions get terrible, work and north and south. Would you go if you were asked by president obama simply because you really believed that you could perhaps stop what could be. Jimmy carter i would go but only if i got permission from the white house. Only. I never have been on a for a into a troubled area without getting proper permission and approval from the white house. And i always make a report to the white house when i get back. And sometimes i have to say that the president was not enthusiastic about my going but its just a matter of my commitment that i dont go in the second permission to go. This last time i went over in august i got permission from the white house but they made it clear that i was going to represent the center another white house. They did not have anything to do with that trip. When a private plane and when i got back, i made a full report to the secretary of state clinton. Host george w. Bush is axis of the speech including north korea freedom is not in the state that he was included. Sue and i think so. North korea in the United States at that time had good relations relatively speaking. And already been there to visit on an official basis with the north korean leaders. President clinton had decided to go to north korea in december of 2000. We had to cancel his visit because of a standoff between bush and the other. Nobody knew who was going to be presence of the president cannot leave. So that was a situation of relative accommodations. Certainly communication between them and washington then. But when president bush made his speech class find north korea as a fascist of evil, then that was a signal that the Bush Administration was abandoning their agreement that i had helped negotiate. But present late and concluded with the North Koreans. Host your administration, first person to recognize peoples republic of china. Pretty people often get that mixed up, nixon. Are you treated as a special person is when you go to china. Do they greatly respect you. Do you have any plans of trying to work on u. S. China relations and semi. Jimmy carter no. I worked on the carter relations. We had made projects in china. Endorsed by the Chinese Government. They have 600,000 small villages in china. No part of the communist party and they been asked by the government of china to monitor the elections held in the 600,000 little villages. And they that spring we done that now for maybe 12 years in all. So rose my wife goes, we go there to make sure that we have that little villages have honest and fair and free elections. And they do. Everybody in the village is automatically registered to vote when they are 18 years old, men and women. The candidates dont have to be a member of the Commerce Party most of them are not members of the communist party. In the secret ballots, it is completely democratic process. And ive been helping that it would move from a little bit to the higher levels when the communist party takes over. They take over at the large cities and counties and providences in the credentials people, every five years. So that entire governmental process is involved the Carter Center is a major monitor the Chinese Government is what they are trying to do at least on a local village level with democracy. Host the final question. I could go on for hours here with you. But the issue of Global Warming. We talked about conservation and the department of energy in your longtime concern about getting off of fossil fuels. Are you at all concerned that there seems to be this Global Warming for a while seem to be this concern and now people dont mention it. You have a Midterm Election in both democrats and republicans are trying to stay away from it. Are you deeply concerned about Global Warming. Sue and i certainly am. It is certainly happening. He just read article today. The american cities, i went with my wife when i was first married. They had an increase. And people who are on private now have to leave their homes. And in alaska, they had been several native villages along the coast that have now become inundated. And the mountain ice is meltingi am quite concerned about it. They affected the lives of the people. Im deeply worried about it. And its another thing that hopefully president obama will be very stern on and very supportive with the Global Warming issue and put into effect some way to reduce the unnecessary production of Carbon Dioxide and what goes up into the air. I enjoyed speaking with you you have white house diaries on now which hit the bestsellers list and is done incredibly well and are you planning on writing another book. My next book is going to be 2011 its really a collection of my bible lessons. I Teach Sunday School every sunday that im home about 35 40 times a year and all of them are recorded in a big religious book published and i signed a contract and i have an editor to take 365 of my recorded sunday School Lessons and reduce them down to one page each and that will be my next book out in the fall of 2021. Thank you very much. I look forward to. That was jimmy carter from 2010 on both tvs after words program. President carter has appeared as an author on book tv several times, you can find them all on her website at booktv. Org. You are watching book tv on cspan2 it is television for serious readers and we opened up our archives to look at programs by former president s. Up next is the late george h. W. Bush. He wrote three books including a memoir of his time with Vice President andy also coauthored a book with his National Security advisor about Foreign Policy. But from 1999 here is the former president talking about his collection of personal letters and diary entries during his tenure as americas 41st president. One of the major perks of owning a bookstore we get to see advanced copies of new books. I was privileged to read the titles all the best a few weeks ago and with a recounting of president bushs life through letters, memos and diary entries over the past six decades. Nowadays most politicians Pay Lip Service to oldfashioned concepts like honesty, integrity, civilly in public life and himalayan honor. Many of them may be at the talk of the talk and seems to presently feel as to actually walk the walk. How refreshing it was to the george bush new book with the values on every page, not in sermons or lectures or speech but in his own moral compass which is through each stage of life with grace and dignity. It is enough to make the diehard democrat like yours truly phil nostalgic. [laughter] i would like to close this introduction by reading one of my favorite entries in the book. Mr. Burchett under bus bush hasa lot better job in the diary entry in 1992 president was on air force one in a route through europe in a meeting and its a few months before the november election, he writes, weve got some transportation, the phones work, everything is on time, helicopters, 740 sevens, beautiful in front in the president of the United States make reference. And yet i have this marvelous feeling whatever lies over the horizon it will be good. I think i will win, i am convinced i will win in the little creeping thought comes to mind if i do not win ill be very happy guy. Ill be open to beings and franks and ill be washing the dishes and ill be going to bed early every once in a while and do something to help some videos, hold my grandchildren in my arms, look for shellfish, take them fishing, watch ellie grow up in all hold peers, lauren and elsie and all spend time at texas a m teaching and going over grace and kindness and counting my blessings. And then every once in a while one big shot will come in, an officer or king or president or Prime Minister and some president will say i would like to see old george bush. Ill invite them to our little house we will have no press court, no following, no frantic statements and we will look back together and say these were Interesting Times and that night i will say i did my very best, tried my hardest and put Something Back into the system and said bush you are an original. [applause] [applause] thank you all very much. [applause] thank you all very, very much. Thank you lauren. Thank you so much. That was a very, very generous introduction and all of you for the warm welcome back, back to this place where he grew up and have so many happy memories. I was blessed that this book by a very happy childhood, although im not sure mother would approve mother would lecture us and my brother john can attest to that and my brother knows it well. Talking about the big i come around and osha and im afraid this book is full of a lot of stuff about me. [laughter] and i asked for her forgiveness. The other reasons why im a little nervous about this darn thing, when i was president they used to say the english was my second language and i know i was not known and annoy was not the great communicator, i followed him but some might wonder the wisdom of writing such a book. Ive been going through a terrible amenity crisis lately. I am now usually introduced as barbaras husband or lauren needlessly pointed out the father of the governor of texas. [laughter] and also the father of the governor of florida. And i used to be president of the United States of america. It is a terrible thing here. [applause] is a terrible thing. Anyway. Much to the dismay of my very talented editor, that would be lisa drew who is here today. Im not doing a book tour. As dana carvey would say not going to do it. [laughter] and would it be true, im just not in to the book signing and its not that im a bigger shot than that, i just feel that i should not in lisas been very understated and very patient and incidentally one down from lisa is jean becker and id like to ask both of them to stand up and ill refer to jean, lisa drew on the left and the red jean becker. [applause] lisa and jean did all the work on this, jean did it all she gathered all the letters through a wide net out, and brought it into the editing just as she did for helping the memoir and lisa working on that. And im just delighted that they are here. I am thrilled that this event is going to benefit, we believe in the work of americares, weve taken trips with americares, bob mcculley who started it was my classmate in the Country Day School loved many years ago andrew haner is with us from americares today and he tells me that unfortunately with so many recent tragedies there busier than ever with the huge Relief Missions underway took turkey and many other places and they do great work and just by being here today and buying a book, you are helping and i know they are deeply appreciative. Warren asked me and how great it is what he is doing with this marvelous bookstore in venice and asked me too talk a little bit before i did the book. Actually i was talked into it, mainly because im not written a memoir since leaving the white house, nor do i tend to do that and barbara wrote this wonderful book just five years ago and it talked about our life and our family and in essence that was our families memoir barbara bush memoir. Last year my National Security advisor and may vary wrote a book with me called a world transform and it talked about the historic changes that took place in the world and there was huge historic changes pressed into the ore year period. So i thought that that book in barbaras did the job. The main reason i dont write a memoir, i cannot remember anything. [laughter] we had a research guy on the world transform and say please tell me what he said and kate martin in hell i did not write a meeting with the guy and kate martin. How am i going to write that stuff. So he came up with this idea that made it easy for me, we do a book made up of letters that are written through the years and wedged in their you will notice diary entries and i love the idea, and met my part was already done. And also met that there is no revisionism, no quality of memory and just what i said and felt and did at the time, that is what is represented here. If i write memoirs today, i know that i would properly point out that i singlehandedly won the war in the pacific in world war ii, that is way old guys are. And if you read chapter one you will find out that it was not quite like that, scared little kid going out to fight the war when he is leaving to go to the navy in 18. Let me talk about a few passages to give you a little flavor of what its about and then id be happy to take your questions but i want to describe my new question and answer. And when youre in the White House Press room a guy like sam donelson are right mr. President tell the truth on this one. Thank you sam im so glad you asked that question. Maybe somebody over here, mr. President you cannot leave until you tell us the exact inside truth. Thank you very much for bringing that up, now if i dont like your question, how would you im not going to answer it because im a freespirited i dont have to worry about these things anymore. [laughter] the first letter of 1943 i finish preflight school and 42 and went to minneapolis for ebays and was getting my final trading before graduating and getting my wings at 18 years old but this was in 43 and i got a letter from fred, the uncle to the great opera singer and he was on a 14 day furlough recovering from ammonia. He called up barbara and claims she was glad i was in texas where the girls are lousy so maybe i was filling in. I sure hope so but she flocked me off without warning and i was absolutely sick, no kidding, every day the guys were getting flocked off from guard undergrowth that had left. It is funny being thrown in with a bunch of guys so much older, it does not seem older but here they are thinking and talking about it he married, everyone asked me after looking at barbaras picture, when am i going to marry her, good heavens last year this time i was thinking along the lines of prep school and it seems unbelievable, that is the hard part, being around guys averaging 22. [laughter] its only natural to think as they do and yet my 18 years keeps coming up, i wish i were 20 or 21. Not that i feel younger but i wish i were the fellows who lies might be better for this thing or those who graduated last fall from christmas or college. They have a degree and can probably get a decent job. And will profit from having military experience. Say in two years i go to college all feel like the old man all my friends will be through in the all straight now and if you think i change with any of those fellas at yale are sadly mistaken, i would still like to be 21 have a Million Dollars and a beautiful wife. I remember i went said it would not get married and i do still love and feel sure of it barbara. Mom you and i know there such a chance of her meeting some other guy she is so young and so darn attractive i hardly expected to keep caring for me. Enough of this. You must think im crazy, much love, that was my name back in the day. Now we go out, this is in july of 1944 i got into the pacific in the spring of 44 and this was in july 22 our First Mission was over wake island and this is her son who is my roommate and i received your letter one week ago we had been at sea for a long time into the delay i was touched by your kind words id written her and she written me back, and which i tell you exactly what happened to jim but i do not know and nor does anyone, he just never returned from a searchlight and we all felt certain when we returned he would be there. However, when we did get back there was no trace of him. The search was launched by another carrier and everyone was notified it was entirely possible that at this minute he is on an island and i know how hard it might be to keep her spirits up but all of us must say to herself that he is alive and that it goes on. The next one is in texas, and try to get the date, in any event the chapter begins with a letter written in 1948 to a friend of mine that they know so well. We have a while this afternoon before train time so i respond to your interesting letter, i cannot imagine were you ever hurt, this is when we were down in North Carolina our Baseball Team having been runnerup in the National Championship two years in a row. Nevertheless we were playing the finals of the eastern down in winston and i cant imagine we heard we are going into the ministry and i never thought about the claw, sears and be happy to know id be curious, bewildered in my mind is in a turmoil of the young people are expected to know exactly where they want to be tomorrow and the next day and maybe theres some wisdom here, my mind is in turmoil we want to do something of value and yet i have to and want to make money. After georgie goes through three squares a day, one had become thin and worn. I thought of teaching but right now it seems it be confining an ontology and besides tt would require further study and im not prepared to study textbooks right now. Perhaps later but not right now. I had a chance to go with the Dresser Industries and perhaps to texas, they make equipment for the oil and gas industry and basic texas would be new and exciting and hard on bar and heavens knows many girls about a proposed move, quite a different and i see her brother scott and i think you would attest to the fact and mostly American People would say shes different but anyway she lives quite frankly for georgie and myself and holding unselfish, beautifully tolerant of my weaknesses in faithfully follow any course that i choose. I had not chance to make minis shrewd moves but what i married her i hit the proverbial jackpot, and often stops around college to see if im considering at all. From all the above i see i dont know what is going to do the graduation is on monday and then we go to kalamazoo for the world series in baseball and then in winstonsalem we won the eastern championship, we are thrilled to win, night baseball, quite a change from day but we played our best. And we came through. Your clerical but not cordial girlfriend tom. [laughter] this one is to scotts father, my fatherinlaw marvin pierce, april 755 we moved to west texas and 48 and we moved out to bakersfield and other places in Southern California back to midland and were back in midland. Dear mr. Pierce, so you can see what little bread your daughter gets from, im attaching annual reports on walker Bush Corporation and the perspective of the weather has started warming up and now if the sand would stop blowing we could get in golf. The kids are fine, georgie aggravates the hell out of me at times and im sure i do the same to him. But then at times im so proud of him i could die any trace of very hard and makes me think back to the times i tried out et cetera, his good fast hands and even seems to be able to hit a little i get as much kick of watching him try out as they do with all of her very business efforts. Deb the clown is fine and he brings us nothing but happiness and we still miss our robin and at times we find yourselves vividly recalling the beauty and charm of our little girl. Mr. Pierces wife after his mother died. We skipped in the congress 1968 i was elected to congress and we moved from midland west texas to houston around 59, dara was born and then i got into politics, elected to congress in 66 and this is a letter to a good friend of mine who is an editor and came to work for me as the chief of staff in the congress. In april 1968 this was related to a vote i made for open housing which is controversial in those days in texas and around the country. Dear jimmy i never dreamed the reaction would be so violent, seething hatred, the rio chicken ship stuff to her office girls, you must be in here i use, i will not say that in word you must be in in word or china men and on and on and they did not see me and wondering if they can still continue to support me. At the gridiron dinner the legislative candidates that were wanting my support and phoning all of our me a couple months ago. Tonight i got on the plane and older lady came up and said im a conservative democrat. From the district but im proud and will always vote for you and suddenly i thought it might be okay. Then i go after congress i lose the race for the senate and the chairman of the Republican Party. This is july 23 a couple weeks before he returned and left office we brought a lot of letters to my boys and girls. Dear lance, we use that as a joke because my father and his oldfashioned way would call the lads but we parroted on as almost a joke, how are the lads doing, dear lads, reliving the best of times and the worst of times. And you can sort out our blessings, we have a close family and a lot of love, you guys come home and this sure is oppressing for mom and me. We have enough things we get sick and get well, probably or we can go to the doctor or the schools, more blessing you know no prejudice and judge people on their worth it, give your grandmother parents happiness, you will do well in a world for of opportunity, our country gives us a lot and we are privileged people and a privilege country. We are the best of time to make dad felt strongly to put something into the system he felt compelled to give and be involved into lead. And that brings me to the worst of times. In the part about watergate and the immorality it connotes. You must know my interfeelings on this because of my job and because of my past association with the president it might well be that you dont know how i feel, then we skip a little and go where to begin. The president first, he is enormously, gated, he is capable of great kindness when dad was dying of cancer i was leaving the oval office having conferred on a un matter and i lagged behind to mention this to the president his responsible of kindness and caring and he tried to phone and wish dad well and then on the professional side he has strong deep convictions, Foreign Affairs as you read as you read his abiding interest in his accomplishments are enormous and his, some say its kinzingers magic soaring over the president. Not i he calls the shots, takes the heat and faces after the tough ones and he writes an awful lot. We skip. You must know ive been disappointed in this allusion by much that has been revealed about the man from watergate and other sources. He has enormous hangups and hes unable to get close to people. It is almost like hes afraid he will be reamed in some way and people who respect him and want to be friends only get so close and then this clear no more. He has enormous hangups and other things and with the ivy league of total contempt and unlovely hangups coming through in a varies time to look around at the cabinet table where the remarks are made in elliot richardson, george scholz, fred and me and more i expected the cabinet in embassies and departments appointed by him. His comments are beneath his greatness but they possibly explain watergate a little. Let me say right here there is an arrogant about an Ivy League Connection that is bad, i remember yell during the vietnam war the unwillingness to preserve a climate on campus for diversity completers, my hang up was not his own honestly held on the war but is unwillingness to insist that other views could be expressed. He did not lead he followed the mob in inverness so did many others. Thank god georgie got the best for meal and contained a fundamental conviction that a lot of good happens from america south and west of woolsey hall. [laughter] this is a long one. When i heard the taping of the white house i felt disturbed and concerned stated in the southwest lobby of the white house i told rice who is nixons confident and my great friend i am shocked the president cannot survive this taping of all the conversations but i was wrong. The public concern without the taping, its whats on the tapes and to me its plain wrong to take the conversations but i guess thats an oldfashioned view. And then i shall stop with this advice, listen to your conscience, dont be afraid not to join the mob if you feel inside is wrong, dont confuse being soft was seen the other guys point of view in judging your president and giving the enormous credit he is due for achievement, try to understand why the National Security concern and understand to that the power accompanied the arrogance is very dangerous and critically dangerous with men with no real experience have it where they can abuse our great institutions. Civility will return to washington eventually and the access is condoned by the press will give way to reason and fear play in personalities will change in our system will approve that it works more slowly than someone want and less efficiently than someone decree but it works. And it gives us even adversity great stability. This is a very Important Message from china to which i repaired after the United Nations and being chairman of the party and florida cayman in the basinger to china. June 27, 1975 there is not a hot dog world to be found in china, is there any way you can ship the 700 for guaranteed delivery prior to july 4, we need 100 large bags of potato chips, please advise soon bush. [laughter] this is another letter, after i leave office and go to the cia china then cia and back home when carter was elected and jerry florida lost the election. Im not sure i should be reading this but anyway. Who cares. March 9, 1977, im at home and i get unwinding after quite a few years of government service, im listing of stimulate his talk. Even worried about whos banging his wife. I dont want to slip into that three or four martini late late dinner rich social thing, there is so much to learn, i think i want to run or be in a position to run but theres so over willingly presumptuous. We go to the 1980 campaign trail, march 31 and i say george im going across this country not try to make it a partisan event. Were we really there did we go to these places, did we really do this. March 30 person. Wisconsin another holiday and, they are all right, the sofa is not as thin as they are in some of the other places. When you take a shower in the toilet does not bubble or you dont get scolded by the guy next door, the food is not bad and the secret service spoil you in great guys were lucky to have them but they do add to such a big show. The next one is at the funeral and timmy baker had you die hell fly and i went to all the funerals of moscow. [laughter] and this was on november 15, 1982, air force to to the president and my visit to moscow. I am glad you sent us, the soviets appreciated the gesture and share their appreciation and heres your point, too early to predict how things will involve in moscow but if for some reason i feel upbeat and opportunity may well lie ahead even though much of the ritter is an accusatory and as we fly to moscow to frankford the soviet navigator is upfront in the cockpit and the impression of the red scare in the pageantry fresh in my mind. We are very close to the front and the goosestepping march and i saw hostile troops and hostile power we have little weight and i watch the changing of the guard and looked at the faces and i saw my sons in yours, mike and wrong, i saw funeral without tears for the immediate family. I saw funeral without god and thought how sad and how lonely. I cannot speak for george sharing these responsible these but let me say two things, thank you for sending this on an unforgettable mission in second we must succeed in our quest for peace now back to africa by plane had interrupted picking me up going to moscow. Warm regards george. We move over to the first time with the First American to make a meeting after he became the number one man and this was for the president march 1385 and i had about eight hours to think about our one hour 25 meeting, he will package the soviet line for western consumption much more effectively than any of his predecessors. He has a disarming smile, warm eyes and engaging way of making unpleasant point and bouncing back to establish where communication and his interlocutors. I did not get the feeling he had to prove how tough he is, it was different. He seemed selfconfident turning and chatting from time to time but not been worried that he might differ afraid to show lack of total knowledge. This conrad brings a general secretary forward and overall appearance and is tailored but he beats the hell out of the basement look that his predecessors and he is a large prominent birthmark across his balding head but of the attractive manner of presentation is not something that you notice all the time. I clearly want to meet you, he will handle his indwell and i will predictable help about home and show them a reasonable phase, having said that the big question will be will this new look man merely be a more effective spokesman for tired field policies or will he have enough selfassurance and foresight to start a new, a term he used in expressing hope for u. S. Soviet relations. I might add despite of all the flaws and losing that election at 1 when he ran will be kindly regarded by history and im convinced of it. We move into 1988 with the madam president that is the number one son the organist over 14 grandchildren. This ensure to have your name. They pay a little large number not forever pray he sounded tired today but im glad to hear your good in baseball is great. I throughout the baseball at the mets game, that was good fun but wouldve been more fun if you wouldve been a long period unlocked in the struggle my life but just a little over six months of weatherby president of the United States were through with public life altogether. Whatever happens i will work very hard in the future is exciting. If i win you will stay with me from time to time at the white house and if i lose we can do good fun things together, no one watching but no one us carrying. If i win i want you to cheer me up when i get tired and if i lose all do the same and live a new life compete grow up in love and have a family. I like to be a great grandfather and somebody will say hey old man whos the greatlooking kid with you. This is my favorite. Ellie our daughter, december 31 i think this is camp david. In some years a fascinating year of change, in the year with more confidence and then the year with gratitude toward team that pulled together and had very little individual grandstanding and im not seeing a division during but the hope of seeing is steady, prudent and able. And heres my favorite part, one of the greatest highlights was a day after christmas, i was getting ready to go to the office and beautiful ellie who lights up any room she is in says scampi come here, i went into the bathroom and she pointed into the toilet and said did you leave the poohpooh. [laughter] not many people would talk to the president of the United States like that. Were not on camera are we . Are we running out of time im just going to skip one which is fairly interesting about just before the war started, there is a lot in here about our emotions and our feelings on the war and this is the morning after the election, 19 obviously 90 to 1215 in the morning november for the election is over and the pride, on a competitive basis i dont like to see the posters, i dont like to see the pendant or all those people who written me off, i was absolutely convinced, this is true people dont believe it i was absolutely convinced we prove them wrong but i was wrong and they were right and that hurts a lot. I think of our country the people who are hurting and so much we did not do, so many places we tried and yes we made progress. I better stop. [applause] this is the last one. [applause] the years are couple letters i wrote in all the talk about my voice and this one about george and wild youth days and passing with flying colors, told him george november 4 that is the day he was reelected and things will be different. He knew exactly what i meant and it will be different, the National Press is already focused on his potential and if they look good hell be in a differently come tomorrow and he is strong and tough enough to withstand the pressure. As for jeb, he should win today, no question in my mind he will become a Major Political figure in the country, passion and is caring and belief and he speaks well in an oppressive man, take this from his proud dad in any way as a type its nervous wreck time at 10000 memorial driver did not leap a wink i tossed and turned and got up and back down and took a tylenol pm and nothing helped and im very tired when 5 00 a. M. Rolled around i was ready to put sadie on her leash and walked down the block, secret service said how our use or and i said im one pathetic nervous wreck and i will tell you i dont think this revisionist that that day when they were elected was the happiest political day in my entire life. This is the final letter, it is 11 00 oclock in houston and i feel horrible and alone this is march 29 this year. Unloved and even scared, m why might you ask, Michael Rushton and sutter email must be closed down for four days. He announced firmly our server will be turned off in exactly five minutes, no time to notify family and friends, no time to say goodbye to my wife of 54 years barbara cut off as if the Theater Nuclear weapon was coming right here to suite 900 and here alone in exactly five minutes. He was too busy writing takes plane wide the nationwide virus. Some evil little computer nerd out there is pretty no virus into hear michael tell it if we dont turn off her server and close out our emails and five minutes disaster can strike, this virus might come into my machine and wipe out my files all documents sent, michael tells me if it strikes the messages will go out to everyone in my global file in my personal address file, every Single Person in those files will get a contagious message and their motives in emails will crash and its serious like armageddon and nothing bill gaetz can do about it. Its a mean unforgiving penetrating virus and it sounds like its coming my way. Who will tell little jeb who owes me a reply on this summer, who will tell our two governors who email me regularly or quincy in new york or kathy in washington, who will email them that my modem is closed and nothing can get in or out. The answer is no one, no time, hurry up and turn off your email, hes think it just because your president of the United States does not mean it will not strike you. Cut the damn thing down now. Four months ago i was a fax man or phone man and now email everyone in the office and tons of people also the office im hooked i know how to hit the reply button and use the paperclip that lets me forward documents. I can spell check and thesaurus words, i can use color in different thoughts to emphasize things and i forward Monica Lewinsky jokes. [laughter] i even listen to the little chime that sounds an incoming email that hits my modem, when i hear i look for the tiny envelope on the bottom right. It comes right on saint someone is writing you. Someone cares but that was five minutes ago, its taken me longer than five minutes to write this and right now im a goner, 11 15 a. M. , shut down, offline disconnected alone in a world that is still tough in spite of the implosion of the soviet union. When i was a kid we do not have tv and we did not know about facts or computers and al gore had not made his contribution back then. [laughter] but then came email right into my life, i resisted at first because her server kept malfunctioning and i had not been discovered, the absolute essentiality of email but our server has been down for six minutes and i feel lonely and lost, call me by phone i will let you know when i get back online. Sincerely george. [applause] [applause] [applause] the idea was to take some questions, i know some of you have to go to work that would not embarrass me at all. Yes, maam right in the middle. [inaudible question] im getting a little deaf, kenny repeated. [inaudible question] both have gotten worse my mother said that my tennis was better than my golf, thats a way mother would remember it and maybe it was true those days but i love both games and time i want to play with the kids my boys, theyre tying their shoes and we already have a fourth or Something Like that but im not going to let them up, i love both. We had the lady right back there. Yes, maam. How are you able to keep the integrity internally next turnley with all the attack you got from the press and politicians and such. Are you able to withstand that . Somebody help me again. [inaudible question] that goes to the territory of the attacks and you dont get immune to it but to learn that it is not personal, i am one who feels the National Press and a differentiate between the national and local because i think most people in politics to tell you a huge difference but i think the National Press has gone to intrusive into unaccountable but i dont think that is a broadbrush with which to paint. Most of them are very descent and find individuals. Even those that i went after me and i didnt particular field kindly towards other look back they were just doing their job but you gotta be a little tougher inside so it does not get you down and when your president whether its an issue on Foreign Affairs or domestic policy and as they differ that is their line and heres what im trained to do. It is not easy, but its much easier to take it when its against you and when its against your family. Then its when i get hurt and they get upset and i want to strike back and i wont because that will be the worst thing that i do to her two sons in politics. Any others . Yes. I think you know my personal goal and many people with the bush family we need a real family back to the white house. [applause] weve been fortunate enough with yesterday, the letters that you wrote, the whole election process seemed to be excruciating and all inhumane for anyone to have to stand up and since youve been through and now your son and daughterinlaw, what can we do to make a better and easier to make it more manageable. Im not sure theres ever going to be a design that will make the process shorter. In england you start campaigning on a certain day and six weeks later their parliamentary elections but i dont think that would work in this country. There is a lot of running for National Office and it takes planning and lots of getting known and all of that. What you might see is a change in terms of regional primary morgan more appearing people suggesting you need for regional primaries nationally and they would alternate each year in which we go first and that could put more emphasis and more states early on but not put so much emphasis on iowa and New Hampshire and obviously those two states would not like that but if theres going to be a significant change i think you see along those lines but again it wont get to the heart of what you ask about how long and how grueling and theres something good, the bad is its tough, the good is you gotta get out and meet people across the country, you cannot sit and do it through email or through tv or something, i think youre better person for me too do that, i think you understand the heartbeat when you have to go the extra mile and do that extra state. One more intellectual go to work. Yes, maam. I was told you considered doing a book on tapes, would be a wonderful gift that people that want to listen to you. [applause] thats kind of what we did. What we did is impose on family members, one of whom is right here my brother john, we got those who happen to be half the time, being there, i think john takes his down to new york and we got marvin and neil and george pete the number one grandson and barbara and we told the lady if you have a problem with the bush family we took up a more happy and we took up when were sad and she said i understand that. And i dont know how john handled it but i know i wasnt very twice and please read this again, uses to get going and do it right this time. But it is out and there was a great way to do it because of all the family members. I dont know if you have any in your bookstore but its a plug for this guy who gave us a wonderful wonderful breakfast. Thank you very much. [applause] we will be on the receiving line and i hope it not to be too chaotic. Those who would like to meet with the president and none of you, he will not sign anything as a limited time and we will then send you through. Thank you all for coming this morning. [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] every saturday night december were featuring authoring programs from archives and tonight focuses on former president s who have written books. Up next is president bill clinton who served in office from 1993 2001. His memoir my life was written in 2004 and is sold over 1 million copies in the first week. He has since written for other books including thrillers with novelist james patterson. Now from june 2004, president clinton talks about his over 900 page memoir, this was a book expo which is the Publishing Industry annual convention. Here is president bill clinton. [silence] [silence] good evening, everyone. [applause] my name is Greg Cappelli and of the Vice President ial manager for book expo america. Im honored to welcome you all here tonight for this very special occasion. We would not be here this evening if it wasnt for the support and loyalty that the bookselling and Publishing Community bring to us each and every year end for that i thank you. [applause] the fabric of our convention lies in the connections that we make with authors that appear here. Its been over 100 years of memorable moments at the very First Convention played host of the guest of honor mark twain in 1901. Since then the book industry is continuing to come together to host authors and provided us with thoughtprovoking discussion to say nothing of stimulating entertainment. Through it all i think i can safely say that nothing has approached the magnitude of this evenings event. So it is with sincere gratitude that i have the pleasure of introducing sunny made of the president and editor of chiefs of the publishing. [applause] wow, thank you greg. It is good to be here back among friends. On behalf of all of my colleagues of the publishing group, i want to thank you for the book that you do. Book showing is a noble end of her, you make readers of the world and that you do so about quitting or failing make sure heroes to us all im as excited as you are about our guesses evening about his notable achievements. [laughter] , he resided over the longest economic expansion in the history of the United States. [applause] he was responsible for moving the nation from record deficits to record surplus. [applause] he provided crucial investments in education, tax relief for working families and helped millions of americans move from welfare to work. [applause] he has been an advocate for civil rights and he has promoted peace. [applause] and strengthen democracy throughout the world. He was elected president of the United States in 1992 and again, in 1996. The first democratic president to be awarded a second term in six decades. [applause] and i dont think there is any doubt that the law was different and he will be able to run again. [applause] he would win with a landslide. His name is bill clinton and his book is called my life. My life is an extra nurse story, it is both a riveting personal drama as well as a fascinating look at the american political arena over the past 40 years. President clinton talks with candor about his successes as well as the setbacks about his career in Public Service and his life. It is the fullest and most nuanced a presidency that has been written. In the prologue to my life that president mentioned the goals he set himself in his youth have good friends with one and make a successful political life with another that he achieved both to no surprise. He also mentions wanting to write a great book, happily for everyone in this room he has succeeded on that front as well. Now i am not alone in my assessment, bob who we kept requested during the editing of this book they call it an astonishment, authentic, engaging in revelatory. I also published my life under 22, our first printing would be one and a half million copies. And i suspect that will not be nearly enough. You are going to have the time of your life selling this book in our author is going to work enthusiastically to ensure a success. In turn when it comes to selling books, there are no sure hands than the ones in this room. Tonight in the weeks to come i am counting on your support to sell not just a book but an important historical document. [applause] thank you very much. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you thank you. Thank you. While. You have to be careful treating me that way you have me thinking i am president again. [cheers and applause] thank you for the invitation to appear. And i want to thank sonny for the wonderful introduction and for be leaving in this project and agreeing to publish. I found it quite an honor to get to know sonny and all the people at cannot although he wasnt always as upbeat as he was. [laughter] all the gossip writer said clintons doing 20 countries will he ever do the book . From time to time when i was working like crazy i would see sonny and he would give me the look. [laughter] one time one year ago i went to have lunch in new york with one of my College Roommates who became friends of mine he became republican governor of arizona. We were sitting there and i got the look why do i pay this money if youre going to take time to have lunch . How dare you take the time to drive to have lunch but eventually we got it done and it was a wonderful experience. Thank you to the team and many who are here. Who have been so helpful theres a ton of folks back in new york have helped us my lawyer here introduce me to knopf so far only one has asked for pictures that thank you to all the people that book expo america for inviting me and also i would like to acknowledge those that were essential to the completion and who came with me today Justin Cooper made it possible. I wrote a longhand in twentysomething notebooks he printed it out and then we chiseled on it five or six other times. He did the basic research and then did all the Fact Checking if there are factual errors it is not their fault but its almost impossible not to make a mistake somewhere. Thank you to the booksellers of america for agreeing to have this book for the next two months. In all you do to promote reading. A great book lover. I cannot build any more bookshelves. We sent 4000 books home to the library in arkansas and took 1002 washington where my senator lives during the week. [laughter] and i get to visit on occasion. [laughter] and we bought our home and then they send me a thousand since then so between the ones i buy in those given to me i can hardly walk around without stumbling over them but i had a lifelong love affair since my grandmother gave me dick and jane readers and i used to hang out at the local Public Library when i was in grade school and i still have a paper in Elementary School and referencing these books of sitting bull and crazy horse. In the great florida chief that developed the first offer that for his people i always loved reading and those that have a big impact on my life you can see in the book i mentioned a lot of the books that meant a lot to me in the course of my life as well as my teachers most survive the editorial cut and working with robert caro and lauren the call and all these people he knew something about everything but not about politics he didnt think he wanted to know that much. So i sent in the first 150 paid it on pages and he said 90 work for me and i worked for anybody for a long time. But i sent him 150 pages triple spaced he said are you running for anything . I said no. I am done. He said good you cannot but the name of every person of ever met in this book. [laughter] i dont care what happened to their children and grandchildren. And it bothers me to my president knows about the children and grandchildren of every person ive ever met. I said i cant help it the two er. So that i sent another 100 pages on the American South and the late forties and fifties he called and said i like this. Just one question. Do you know any sane people as a child . [laughter] i said no but neither did anybody else i just paid more attention. [laughter] so then i sent my introduction to the politics seventies and eighties he said this is good how much did you make up . This is the story you cannot make stuff up. I said so help me god all this happened. So people all went to go to arkansas because its more like a novel. So i had a very interesting run. Then when he got me to cut things he began to cut things were he said not only that hes the greatest editor in human history. [laughter] and he cut it but he said he did it reluctantly. [laughter] but if i try to say too much about movies or football or the rock n roll culture, i wanted to ride a whole page on high noon my Favorite Movie and why its important. It is. [laughter] i can give you what he asked me to cut out. [laughter] so i started to play games with his new york sensibility. I quoted gates three times before he quote one. I talked about how i made a trip to limerick in ireland and 50000 people were in the street he thought i had too much ireland in the books i said Frank Mccourt was a friend of mine i like the new one better than the old one and it survived the cat. Once i figured out the cultural taste of my editor it was interesting. [laughter] i never did anything like this before. I just want to make a couple of comments. Most everyone is younger than me now but i really think anyone who was fortunate enough to live to be 50 years old should take a couple of weekends and write the story of your life. Even if it is only 20 pages, for your children, grandchildren closest friends. Young people have access to more information than any group in history. They use the internet, 60 or 70 or more channels but they hunger to know about their roots they dont want to be uprooted from their past. And one was through seeing it to my daughters eyes. Ive been talking my whole life that she learned about her family and people she did not know. She saw someone of my best readers to say this thing you said in shorthand i know you mean we have to unpack it because people dont know what youre talking about. I highly recommend it to all of you because you cannot imagine what it means to your children. The second observation it is very therapeutic. I found myself thinking about this book in sections. Getting into any particular part of my life after an hour , i know your memory plays tricks on you but i really felt when i was five years old my stepfather shot a gun in the house i can almost feel it again. That happened to me again when i was president i got mad at things all over again. One day i was writing about Kenneth Starr i was somatic at work for four hours. I never had Writers Block but i would have emotional waves come over me. A lot of happiness. If this book is no good it is all my fault. [laughter] if it is good the peoples names i mentioned deserve a lot of credit. I just try to tell a story. I feel i was very fortunate going up in the last three television age. Ten years old they got a television for the first time. All my people were working people and the per capita income of my state was 56 percent only 48 percent was poor was mississippi. But nobody felt poor if they had close and a place to sleep and feed who ever walked in. Most of our entertainment was around meals and storytelling. He had you learn to listen and with those characteristics of ordinary people. And i feel profoundly indebted to all my family. My grandmother and her sister were a nurse and my great uncle buddy was a farmer, fireman and had one of his lungs taken out in 1974 for lung cancer and survived to be 91. They were great storytellers and really smart. Poor white people and black people said the person that was pumping your gas could be just as smart as the person taking it your tonsils. There was a universal education. It was all pre g. I. Bill. Years before my uncle died he was bragging on the fact even though he only had one long he was still alert enough to drive his car and took two ladies out for rides every week. One was 91 and the other was 93. I said you like these older women . He said i do they are more settled. [laughter] so i had in and ordinate advantage going into politics because i like people and i learned to listen to their stories. I had a great advantage i lived with my grandparents until i was four and spent time with them and they were unusual characters. Uneducated white folks of modest means without a racist bone in their body and i learned from my grandfather about looking up to people and he is one of the people i dedicated my book to. But a lot of my good things i dont deserve any credit. They were put into me when i was very young and learn from what i saw. And the power of their example was considerable. What i tried to do in the book was to accomplish two things from my birth through the election of 1992 i tried to tell the story of my life and america. And how my small life interval beginning with the south at the end of world war ii and my trips to georgetown and the oxford study back for my political career. I try to explain what happened in america and the 19 sixties and all the turmoil of 1968. With the death of Robert Kennedy and mlk narrow Womens Movement in vietnam the polarization of politics and how republicans became republicans and democrats became democrats. So if you look back at the sixties there was more good than harm the new are democrat more harm than good you are a republican. [laughter] [applause] there was excess and selfindulgence and all that stuff that is critical there is some truth to all of it but also profoundly idealistic generation of people who love their country. [applause] so i tried to tell this story. The second part of the book begins on the day after the election is almost of the diary of the presidency. There is a lot of policy, something too much. I think its important because the presidency is a deciding job. You have to make decisions natalie which ones to make but which to consider. And i had the great good fortune and challenge at a turning point of American History the dawn of the Global Information age. There is a lot of decisions to be made. Wasnt a serious policy book for domestic policy your education it all comes together. But essentially i do this and tell the story for what happened to me. I what one i want people to understand what its like to be president to see what happens at once and then you have to deal with and then to deal with the political opposition and how that can absorb if you are a change agent. A lot of president ial memoirs they say are selfserving i hope mine is interesting and selfserving. [laughter] but i dont try to settle a lot of scores i dont agree with the great temptations of modern politics and with those ideological divisions meaning some people are good and some are bad. Im not interested in good or bad or right or wrong. So i try to explain what my opponents believe and why. Had the Republican Party changed in the seventies with the election of president reagan accelerated and the definition of conservative republican was very different than 20 years ago. The vote went up every year with republicans because i was probusiness and prolabor as a fiscal conservative. We improved education. And welfare reform. When i became president i found myself isolated because they thought deficits were good because theres no such thing as a good tax. They had a whole different theory and Barry Goldwater was libertarian who supported my position but isolated in 1993 because of the influence of the religious right on the washington Republican Party. I tried to explain how that looked and why we should be defined by people who share the same values and have the same ideas and what led them to believe the most important thing was to make sure the right people were in power. With a more traditional future politics is not religion we should govern on the basis of evidence. [applause] and its a great experiment whats going on today has happened in american its no cause for concern. Throughout history the partisan battle most intense when we reach a turning point to read defined the terms of the union. What did our founders mean to form a more Perfect Union . That was a humble statement. And this sense because our founders said we will never be perfect but we can be more perfect than we are. We had huge partisan fights because we never defined what america was except those not wanting to be ruled by the english and not ruled by washington. A National Economy or legal system. Alexander hamilton and John Marshall said yes jefferson said no. Thank god he lost that fight. That when he was president he liked the union quite well. He bought louisiana and sent out lewis and clark and then had the embargo on the states. But once we resolve that we had political stability until 1840 when the country was faced with another challenge. What about slavery . When people got mad about containing slavery they threatened to withdraw from the union. Abraham lincoln was elected on a promise to preserve the union and not abolish slavery. People have forgotten that but to contain it. Then the war came and slavery was abolished enemy of the 14th and 15th amendment. It was tough one illinois newspaper nothing new about this. And then president grant was elected and between 1868. 50 percent chance to be president if you are from ohio. [laughter] there is no ticket to the white house like that today. Grover cleveland served two terms. And the consensus that the debate occurred. We survived the second big challenge. And all the new immigrants coming to us at least economically. So what do we do about the large units to create the factory jobs . And the issue was we have to have a Big Government to stand against big industry. Taft said no and then one said yes and the democrats went from the conservative party since they were since before the civil war to be the more liberal party. And we thought about the terms of our union against the industrial era all the way through world war ii which we had not done after world war i. We had a period of the people when roosevelt got elected because of the war. And then we had 45 more years or 40 years of cohesive thought from world war ii through 1980. President reagan was the first postindustrial president even though the berlin wall had fallen. So reagan says the government is the problem except defense. The new Republican Party by then represented all these forces. Then we quadrupled the debt and then to say we have a new democratic approach and social policy that favors work and family over welfare independenc independence. Heres what we will do for eight years. Then in 2000 and look like the emerging bipartisan consensus bush was running on compassionate conservative to say i will give you what they do with bigger government smaller tax cut. But the new Republican Party was far to the right so thats not what happened especially after 9 11 and unity was mistaken for weakness. There form policy is more unilateral than mine was. We should act together whenever we can enact on her own if we have to. Before his act on her own and cooperate when its in her interest. There is a very significant difference in particular and the same thing is true about domestic policy. What i want you to understand its because were in a fundamentally different era. Every time america goes through a period of the people the partisanship in a personal nature of the tax have a to intensified the stuff i went through is the closest parallel and then in 1796 and blister the hairs off the dogs back. [laughter] you shouldnt worry about this. Every time we had a chance to do it we always chose the union to widen the circle of opportunity and strengthen the bonds of our community. We absorbed the civil rights and womens rights and roe v wade and a big reaction in the sixties to the reagan revolution but what made it possible was the fundamental nature of the way of our relationships change. So we are in a. To figure it out i think my side will win because it works better. We have always chosen to be a more unified country and inclusive country and to reach out to the world more with a single exception of world war i withdrawing with hideous consequences. I am optimistic. I tried to tell my life story and my family story how hillary and i met what we try to do in public life, raising your daughter, a lot of personal stuff but i tried to show how this one little story was a part of americas big story so when you finish the book you learned not only about me but also your country, the history, potential, politics works, form policy change on challenges. They take on the political errors that i made and how they came to be. I dont settle a lot of scores. I think youll find my relationship with Newt Gingrich quite interesting and i like bob dole in my predecessor president bush a lot. We had on his disagreements and what they were. You will see why Kenneth Starr really believed to put a different set of rules for me then he applied to everybody else in my congress thought it was a different set of rules for me than Newt Gingrich and why they believed they were right. Thats important. Im not supposed to tell any stories from the book but i told one and already told one more. [laughter] at 13 i had a science teacher. Eighth grade. He had a wife named verna. And she taught history and a sisterinlaw named vera who taught me geometry and algebra. The ladies were fine looking women. They look like sisters. Really attractive ladies. But vernon and why is not good looking he was chunky and coke bottle glasses and the nose smoking cheap cigars and a plastic cigar holder. And he knew it. He said kids you will not remember anything you learned in science class about science but remember this. Every morning i get up and go to the bathroom and put water on my face with the shaving cream and a shave. I look in the mirror and a stay vernon you are beautiful. [laughter] remember that everybody wants to believe you are beautiful. And i have. [laughter] [applause] whatever your politics are the overwhelming majority are honest. There is historical Media Coverage things have sobered up since 9 11 thinking there is no consequences. That i sat with bob dole after the 96 election. I said you think politics is more or less honest in washington today he says its much more on this today. Is not even close. Do people below that one believe that . Most people i know president bush is doing what he said he would do at the campaign you dont have to say hes a bad person and say i think is wrong and here is why. This is a great enterprise nobody has the truth we are struggling to create a new reality in a new era. I said my philosophy should open on operate in post 9 11 world. Its worth looking at its a logical question to ask. I am all for whatever we can do to eradicate al qaeda. The president said double or quadruple the troop presence i think its important to do this not to undermine the future of our children. [applause] and before the patriot act i think this book deal is crazy who cares that they are reading. I agree that should be changed but to be fair before the patriot act there was a law that was perfectly understandable given the threat that said if we have a suspected terrorist that we can arrest but in order to obtain a conviction we have to produce evidence with a witness to blow our entire Intelligence Network we could just keep them in prison indefinitely. It sounds rational if you think of 9 11. But what if we make a mistake . And a sucker is wasting away in jail . These are new and very difficult questions. But i think we ought to begin by saying free speech including access to written materials we need to bend over backwards because we all accept certain limits on our liberty i remember airport metal detectors. The nra position was the one area of our life of know prevention is in the gun area. I said just think if we take that and every other area every time somebody kills someone we just the five years on the sentence every time somebody blows up a plane we give them ten more years but we accept these things and yet we have a new and different threat we are in the interdependent world i have a cousin who plays chess once a week and they take turns who has to stay up late. [laughter] it will take me another year to write the book if not for the internet but you cant claim all the benefits without the fact the risk is associated those who murdered those folks on 9 11 used the open borders easy access to information so it will take us a while to get the right balance to figure out how to defend ourselves. You shouldnt be pessimistic no terrorist ever sunk a nation alone. Throughout history every offensive Weapon System or technique always has a. When it prevails until adequate defenses were developed. The first time a person into a stick and made a spear or in acts it worked crazy and for two sticks and then it the shield and doesnt work when the nights got on the horses they could do well until they built a castle with them out and then a catapult to get over the castle walls. So we are in the process he dont like the patriot act you should oppose anything we have these three debates and in this case you are right. The government has a case for it yet but you have to recognize we are trying to figure this out. This is a new. And we are struggling to come up with the defenses. As part of our transition. New security threat. New defenses without compromising the character that made this Country Special and to leave to our children and grandchildren. The day i left the white house after all i had been through i was more optimistic than the day i got there. I had more confidence to overcome any obstacle, and we have reached a point nobody will be right all the time but helping more people than you hurt. We now reach the point on the point we cant afford to have politics that are differences mean more than our common humanity. Tony blair joined to me by satellite and the International Consortium has succeeded in the human genome. We already identify the variances of Breast Cancer and alzheimers and parkinsons. But science has discovered genetically we are 99. 9 percent the same one racial or ethnic group compared to another the Group Profiles have more similarities than the individuals among themselves. Think of all the blood spilled and stupid things done time and energy and heartbreak in the middle east with less than one tenth of 1 percent of human difference. The single great challenge we should defend and fight terror you think i i think so. Go get them. But we need to build a world with more partners and cooperate with how to give up identities national and religious but the world where we are safe because our humanity matters more. Basically the great work of the 21st century and that is where i came at the end of my journey and now that im out of office. It is true one of the goals i had a knife was to write a great book. I have no earthly idea if this is a great book. But it is a pretty good story. Thank you very much. [applause] [cheers and applause] the tv on cspan2 and we are spending time in archives with president s who have written books. Cap next george w. Bush the author of four books, a recollection of this time was Texas Governor and remembrance of his father and publishing his collection of military veterans. His book decision points from 2010 Miami Book Fair. We will begin with the opening presentation of the 27th International Miami book fair. Please turn off your cell phone. Is my pleasure and honor to introduce the cofounder the cofounder and president of miamidade college. [applause] good afternoon. It is a real pleasure for me to welcome you to the 26th addition Miami Book Fair international this will go for eight consecutive days and the street fair friday through sunday of next week. Without question the finest and largest literary event in america and to host every year now for 26 years and the community is so responsive and they come together in a community of books it has been labeled many different ways. May favorite is the american and author that it is a literary mecca of the western world. And the nice label is what former First Lady Barbara Bush said about the book fair its an embarrassment of riches. I love that one. Between now and next sunday, we will have over 350 authors coming from different parts of the world to the delight of the miami public. During the weekend and street fair we will have hundreds of thousands of people visiting the fair. And have books for people to buy. I would like to talk to the good friends who are here today. [applause] [applause] proud alumni of miamidade college. [applause] now to introduce our very special guest, someone who needs no introduction and a cultural icon and has done so much to bring books alive and to bring people together. Please help me to welcome mitch kaplan. [applause] thank you its an honor to be introduced by one of my mentors. We know what he has done for this community with miamidade college. And this gift of the Miami Book Fair. [applause] also as a stand up i have to recognize entering a new book fair week, the incredible work of the entire book fair team led by a remarkable woman who has been the heart and soul the executive director. [applause] and it is an amazing week. Each night this week we have an author coming in led by a the entire weekend, roundtheclock. Pick up your guide go online and find out what is happening. It is an honor to be welcoming this program to introduce the president and engage the president in a discussion. Its my honor to bring up someone whos books ive sold for many years and to meet him as well. As to meet Michael Barone and spent two years at yale while president bush was there although there past and not cross then. The Senior Analyst and also at the aei. Fox news channel contributor coauthor of the almanac. He has written for many publications including the new york times, the economist and sunday times of london. Previously a Senior Writer at u. S. News world report and post editorial page. Please give him a warm welcome. [applause] thank you very much its an honor to be here and to introduce the 43rd president of the United States George Walker bush. [applause] thank you. Please be seated. Michael, before we begin thinking for his leadership of the Miami Community college i had the honor to give the graduation speech here when i was president and thankfully invited me back also mitch promoting interest on literacy is of interest. I recognize the fact you invited my mother and my wife and our daughter and you finally got to me. [laughter] [applause] thank you for buying this book which i personally signed after this is over you will get your copy i am grateful. Your book is titled decision points is not exhaustive what did you want to do with the book . I thought it would be strange i was born in a log cabin. I wanted people to understand what it was like to be president during the consequential times but a lot of controversial decisions and to understand the process and the environment, the people i listen to. Is not an attempt to rewrite history or fashion a legacy that be a part of a historical narrative and a joyous experience. There was the autobiographical portion and there is a logical decision for the reader so it starts can you tell me a day you havent had a drink . I wouldnt be sitting here as a former president if i did not stop drinking. You asked you . My wife laura. And then i became tired of me drinking as well. The book is anecdotal. The president has a lot of Historical Records at his disposal so there is diaries for every minute of my life , notes that National Security meetings, memorandum of phone calls i made. It was interesting to recreate the decisionmaking process but no record of how i felt or the emotions i felt and i tried to do my best and with those dramatic moments. Your father elected president 1988. You mightve had a lot of opportunity for training what observations did you make in your dads campaign and administration . First of all a focal point is my relationship with my father. I recognize there was a lot of psychobabble about the relationship between father and son and they were both presiden president. I love george bush. I or george bush he was an incredible inspiration. I learned a lot from him. I learned structure in the white house. I never dreamed i would be president in 1988. Very few people did. [laughter] including my mother. Including you. Host i interviewed you. It in same interviewing a future president s. No. You are thinking i hope he stays out of trouble. [laughter] i watched a gracious man be president. What is interesting watching my dad be president was a lot harder than being president if they would say anything bad i would get angry. And frankly it was rude because i was defending somebody that meant a lot to me. So it was much easier to deal with those slings and arrows of the presidency watching him the threat. It bothered me for my dad that really not for me. Host talked about the first time he pushed cheney for Vice President. I made up my mind dick cheney was the right person to run with me. The first indication is how a potential president will make a decision. I watch my dad make his decision and i asked dick cheney. The Vice President ial pick also says the potential president understands to understand if something happens. So then he decided he would be the right pick. I trusted his judgment. I knew he wouldnt constantly secondguessing decisions and he could be president. It reassured people i understood the nature of the vice presidency. Karl rove strongly objected. He didnt think that Vice President cheney would not help us with the electoral college. Turned out those three in wyoming were valuable. [laughter] he wanted to pick someone from my fathers administration is a continuation of president 41 and also his health and his policies and he was in congress. So my management style was to put them in the same room and karl rove could say why dick should not beyond the ticket and he agreed with him. [laughter] it took me a while to join us on the ticket. Im glad i picked him in 2000 and as i sit here in and was a superb Vice President. Host those that were not eager for you were those closely related to you. Something you say is your biggest mistake in the 2000 campaign with respect. You are referring to my daughters. You can understand why. They just graduated from high school and the idea their father and winning going to college was secret service was not appealin appealing. [laughter] the biggest political mistake of my life not revealing to the people of texas i was arrested for drunk driving. I went to a bar and he taught me how to drink beer out of them out with no hands. [laughter] that means you by the edge of the mug. [laughter] i had too much to drink and was pulled over by a police man in kennebunkport. I was called for jury duty it was a drunken driving charge i was dismissed reporter said have you ever been arrested for drunk driving . I said ive done a lot of stupid things and i was young. Thats all i said. I felt strongly that baby boomer parents should not put their sins upon their children. I was deeply concerned if i would have said yes my message to them would be undermined. He saying it we will drink and drive as well and he still became the political one the governor. That was a mistake because they were unsealed and dropped in the public arena. Of course ive been arrested and i quit drinking but anything to change the discourse in five days is monumental. Carl and i believe that revelation probably cost 2 million votes. People say we dont need this. They didnt spend time discerning the issue. It is a reaction and a huge political mistake. If i had to do it again i would reveal appropriately i was drinking and driving and publishing of hell that add a mothers against Truck Driving seminar. Host we are speaking in florida. Was there at any point you thought you wouldnt get the electoral votes with the 2000 controversy . It seemed we had to win the race five different times. What did irritate me i put this in the book the Networks Call that before the western panhandle close the polls and that cost me votes. Most of florida on the eastern time zone and the panhandle essential when they call it then people said that i need to go vote. I am most grateful for one of my early decisions on election day. People were urging me to declare victory. They said dont do it. Second, woke up really early and asked jimmy baker to come down and it worked out fine. It was an interesting. Host is president you met and dealt with foreign leaders you met with some of them. You write ive always been able to read people. Vladimir putin said you god a sense of his soul and then you told him he was coldblooded. I did. Host did you read him wrong . Did he change . I will say the story. Condi and i are in the room in slovenia. Thankfully they didnt ask me to identify that in 2000. [laughter] now i know where it is. Its a fabulous country one of the most beautiful on earth. Meeting with putin for the first time 2001. He is talking about soviet dad marshaling one straggling the russian federation. I said is it true your mother gave you across she blessed in jerusalem . I read about the cross and his mother in a ca a briefing. I was interested in the person and the type i was dealing. He describes his mom and across how he hung it and it burned down and said i think and what you to find is across. And then the atmosphere change she said it was as if it was meant to be. I said thats the story of the cross. Do you trust Vladimir Putin in front of a huge press conference my answer was yes i could of been clever like reagan and said trust but verify but that was unlike plagiarism i said because i looked into his eyes and they saw his soul. And my memory at the time how the whole conversation changed talking about his mom and the precious gift. And then the last time we met him and i was mad and then to make it very clear the United States was objecting strongly and then i said after a conversation it was pretty tough. And i finally said to him ive been telling you for seven years putin says im hotblooded. I said no vladimir you are coldblooded. There are stories in between like when i introduced him to barney and camp david , scottish terrier. He was a gracious host. He invited us over. You want to meet my dog . Outcomes a huge dog with a twinkle bigger and faster and stronger than barney. [laughter] he changed. A day that changed your presidency the morning of september 11, 2001, it took you a while to get back to washington. What it was like to be president that day. My role became clarified. The priority of my administration from tax cut sewer Economic Growth or the no child left behind to protecting america. When andy card the second plane has said america is under attack i was staring at young children. My first reaction was anger then my role became clear. Contrast between the evil and innocence starting with the youngest children. My job was to protect as best i could. Everything after that, the decisions i made due to the attack, i tried to get home and frankly urge not to come back. My instinct was to get to washington we stopped in louisiana and nebraska and finally i said im going home. Secret service dont go because we were uncertain about other tax by wasnt going to give a speech from a bunker in the basket i didnt want the enemy to have the psychological advantage. One of the only times i overruled the secret service. Its to make their job easier not harder but im going home. I gave the speech we are at a National Security meeting for stories below the white house it is a hard and bunker and he said this is where you will stay. I said show me the bed. It look like it was purchased by harry truman. [laughter] i said im not sleepy down here. I knew i needed sleep if in a crisis is essential to get sleep to think clearly. We went upstairs war i was sound asleep. I cant get to sleep a guy says mr. White on mr. President the white house is under attack. I grabbed a robe and barney and laura now we are back down for stories below the white house. The airman comes around the corner and says it was hours it had the wrong transponder signal and was fine back to andrews everybody thought it was the final plane getting ready to hit the white house. Host three days later you spoke at the national cathedral. The speech is very important for Prayer Service christian, muslim, jewish trying to heal the nation and more. My speech is god is good and we should bring justice. May have been the most important speech of my presidency afterwards we fly to ground zero like walking through hell. The assert and water and blood and the suit and they were trying to put out their friends i tried to console them and they didnt want to hear that. We are here for you we pray for you we care for you and we love you and we hear you and those not down the buildings will hear from us. Then we drove down to the Javits Center and the road was filled with People Holding american flags and giuliani said none of them voted for you. [laughter] i think the rescue workers then met with families who still thought their loved one would come out. Thats an interesting position. I had just come from there. Its hard to believe anybody would come out. I did the best i could to be hopeful and reassuring. Thirty minute meeting and two and half hours later i left and the last person i met with gave me the badge of her son george which i held up at the speech. Host you authorized the cia to do enhanced interrogation techniques including Khalid Shaikh mohammed that was criticized as torture. Tell us your review. My view is we fight a battle to protect ourselves from an enemy different weve ever fought doesnt believe in the Geneva Convention or the soft underbelly and will kill the innocent. The only way to protect us is to get good information. So we captured Khalid Shaikh mohammed who was the chief operating officer of al qaeda. He slit danny pearls throat because he was jewish. One of the greatest statements of religious principle ever when he said my grandfathers jewish my father is jewish and i am jewish. And then his throat was slit. We captured him. Im told he has information that could prevent another attack. I was also told the interrogation techniques youre using at the time were in effect. He said i will talk to you by get my lawyer in new york. The cia said they would like to take over the interrogation. They talked about techniques available to them they that would be effective to get information from the killer to save lives. I went to the exhaustive legal review of the recommendations understanding there are laws against torture. I wasnt going to break the law to protect you. I approve techniques including waterboarding of the people. Two. Semi clear. The information we received that we use techniques saved american lives. Secondly i could not have live with myself if under the law i did not use the techniques to get the information and im fully aware made the decision there would be a lot of controversy and blowback. But my job was to protect you in the United States and later on to capture information that we could of done the same thing again and then i walk you through this tool and capability passed by the United States congress so now its available for any president to use should he or she choose to do so. [applause] 2002 and 2003 you contemplated military action against iraq and the regime of Saddam Hussein it was inserted by many intelligence agencies to have weapons of mass destruction some of that information turned out to be wrong. In retrospect does that change your decision . Thats a decision i didnt have the luxury of answering. I laid out the bush doctrine to protect the country have to be on the offense, hold people accountable, and deal with threats before they materialized. Plus we would spread freedom as the alternative to the ideology murdering the innocent. The world saw Saddam Hussein as a threat. I felt it was important to deal with him the bigger decision of the weapons of mass destruction and a surrogate to do us harm. One thing that is clear is i try to make diplomacy work and try to convince him we met what we said there is a debate in my administration if i shouldve gone to the United Nations at all. I walked to the debate some numbers said no give 20 or 40 days. Your position is legally he was in violation. I wanted there to be a coalition of freedom loving nations to confront saddam is not just United States but a lot of nations. They said lets go to the security council. I wanted to build a coalition and we passed a unanimous resolution. Then we had a diplomatic track or a military track to send signals if you defy the three the free world again there is consequences. In terms of weapons of mass destruction Congress Passed a resolution called regime change prior to my arrival for iraq. After september 11 they passed a resolution for me to use force to protect the American People. After the Liberation People began to change their mind. Sometimes that happens in politics. [laughter] but that cant happen with the president of the United States. You cant play politics with the security and those in uniform. [applause] its a painful experience. Im not equating the pain when a child sent into combat but its a difficult decision no president should commit without serious thought consequences. President obama spoke about the strength he has gotten from military members and those that have fallen. I write about it a lot. Want the American People who read the book to understand the strength and character of our military families. So i talk about one family that going high level to tell them how courageous their dad was i thought back the tears but i wanted them to hear your father was a heroic person. Afterward she handed me a pamphlet and said to the effect if anybody questions this show them this. She wrote john did his job now you do yours. So the strength of character of people come out. We are blessed nation brave and courageous and those who volunteer and those who support them. [applause] some of my friends in london didnt think youd get along with Prime Minister tony blair. Im not as sophisticated . [laughter] host just for my friends in london say. Tony blair and i became fast friends. I admire him a lot. He gives you his word he keeps it. His sense of humor. Laura and i spent a lot of time and i made a lot of time on friends. We ended up at the fast friendship. I found it to be unusual to find politicians to look beyond the horizon. I felt tony blair could do that in a way that was strategic and we needed a longterm view of issues. And tony had that view. You did have a few debates with player. One on the Death Penalty and probably lost. She was objecting to my position when i was governor and visit on president. If justice is fair and swift it saves lives and she did not agree. Host you are reelected with the majority vote for the first time in 16 years you got the majority of the popular, the political capital, went after Social Security and then pushed for changes in immigration. Those were not successful. What did you learn . Probably the immigration plan first so i pushed Social Security hard but there is a an issue i feel when congress is more reactive and proactive. Its an important for me but i pushed hard because it is unfair for Young Americans to put money into a broke system. But i went to deal with problems and not shy away because of the consequences and that was widely praised and the issue got away and the rhetoric was very difficult and somebody was nervous about the borders. I can understand why. They have chapter in the book were in the spring of 2006, you came to believe that our strategy in iraq was failing. That you needed to make changes in that. That resulted in the search strategy which i think is brief and has been successful. Why did you change your mind and how did you turn the government round of that. George w bush first i change my mind because i felt we are beginning to lose it in a loss in iraq would be a major blow to security of the United States. Wouldve meant that the sacrifices that had gone on prior to that, would be in vain. It would embolden enemies. When sent a shock wave throughout the middle east. Ive always believed in democracy and our freedom. And everybodys soul. And then if we could get the right strategy to bring security in place, and if people be given a chance to express their desire to live in a free society. But the problem is the politics, we push politics first and were very successful in terms of our constitution. To the point where democracy cannot take hold. I decided it would been catastrophic as far as i was concerned. So i asked my Security National advisor. Took a while to implement. I walked the reader through why the president. Host you talk about changing your mind on strategy in the spring. George w. Bush but i needed to see options. Host in january of took 2007. George w. Bush but i needed to see options before he could actually make a move for you to select to develop the options. But that i needed to convince people my own administration. And then he said that we need new eyes. And the truth of the matter is in order to make the plan work, i had to have a new secretary of defense. Not have believed in us or somebody else with this new plan. So it was hard i was introduced to bob gates is an option. Then that led to meeting new generals so a lot of things happened. But really would happen is the 2006 campaign interceded. I feel very strongly that the commanderinchief should not made to keep military decisions in the midst of a political campaign. Since it signals our church that your nothing, your being used for medical purposes. That was a major mistake. Some of the lessons if you choose to read this book, if youre unfortunately commanderinchief, dont blame politics with military strategy. [applause]. Host mr. President , a few more questions. Sue and i guess theyre getting ready to put the hook on me. [laughter]. Host in the book you talk about handling experiences of hurricanes in 2004 in 2005 they had got confident governor that time. [applause]. [applause]. George w. Bush what do you expect me to say. Host incomes Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And you are accused of not caring about black people. George w. Bush wasnt just one person read this was an opportunity for people to response to katrina as a way to label me a racist or you didnt like it one bit. I expressed significant displeasure. You can call me names. Then being labeled racist, i cannot stomach it and i cant stomach it is really unbelievably unfair. Katrina was a case of as a put in the book, i prided myself on making decisions. This was a delay decision. And flyover normans and had my picture taken on air force one and it puts picture in the newspaper so looks like i didnt care. And i was looking at the deal from 20000 feet or however high up we are. I do my people that the federal response went and and 30000 peoples lives were saved by the United States coast guard. It would into new orleans. And there was a rescue helicopter pilot, coast guardsmen who said im not taking you of all ages races and colors. The question is should i put troops with the capacity to protect themselves in new orleans. I probably dont have enough time. I walk you through this so remote book. Basically says the president cannot put troops in Law Enforcement in the United States without either declaring situation insurrection or being asked to do so by the governor of the state. If i had to do it over again. And i would sway, but the broadcast of the area where there was shootings and snipers and all the things we heard about, many of which turned out not to be true. But if i had to do it over again, which you dont get to do. I would just with the 82nd airborne without the capacity to defend itself. I think it would change the psychology of the whole situation quickly. Host another call you speaking about africa or aids issues in your 2000 campaign. Mr. Administration did a lot on that printer a lot of people are not aware of that. Can you tell the audience Something Like that. George w. Bush early on, when i was getting to know connie according her to be my National Security officer. The talk a lot about africa. Everything about africa that point in time, you have to think about the pandemic abates. The policymaker pins and want to do something with africa and not immediately go to the aids issue. And i did. I walk the reader to some very poignant scenes about what lauren i saw when we went africa but also the strategy to spend your money and ultimately save millions of lives. People so i did you do that. I think there are two reasons why. One National Security reasons. The only this can be nothing more hopeless than a child watching the parents dive aids nobody company. We had the capacity to help them. And then things i believe is important to live by certain principles. One of which to much is given much is required. So i did devote a chapter called lazarus because many people were talking about after the program. After it was implemented. Many people work like lazarus, the rising from the dead. A telephone a story. Its a josh, my dear friend and second chief of staff after my dear friend andy which was the other chief of staff says, going to meet mono. And he said you dont believe he is to bring i said yeah. It was an irish rock star. Just as josh was leaving the room, i said and used to be married to share. [laughter]. And i kept my poker face as long as possible. So theres a lot of moments of humor in this book. Believe it or not, my administration and limits of trauma is. Lighthearted at times. We got along well. There is a lot of joy and amidst the grief. Host final mr. President , there are two older women who appear at various points in the book. Im wondering if you could tell us which one was more formidable. Queen elisabeth. George w. Bush my mother, i put in there one tell that that story about my mom. I used to tell people when i ran for governor of texas to help my daddys eyes my mothers mouth. Which would generally get a laugh but its true. My mothers formidable. When i told her i was going to run against admissions per reaction was we cant win. [laughter]. Thanks mom. She is unbelievable. Host wouldnt she say say about the marathon. George w. Bush after my dad lost and 92, i decided that i was going to run out my frustrations by training for and running the houston marathon. About 19, the st. Martins church, was there and it just so happened i was running by the church right about the 930 service empties out, 1030 or however long the service empty cells. In my dad was there and he said theres my boy and moses, there are 65 people ahead of you. [laughter]. [applause]. Host that is not what you heard from the queen. George w. Bush solar night went to buckingham palace. A majestic estate. I asked queen if i could see her porkys. And they came in. Beautiful dogs. Very well behaved. Thankfully barneys not here because he would be barking for scottish independence. First thank you very much for being here in your interest. And theres a lot of stories in the book club back. [applause]. I was giving a speech. Do you remember that speech, welcoming romania to nato. And just before i got up to the podium, theres like a couple of hundred thousand people there. And they were here to hear the president welcome nato which is a big deal for peoplehood just come out from underneath communism. To note an attack on one is an attack on all wages article five of the nato treaty. Theres amidst the kind of drizzle and dennis of the day. And they said that the balcony where he had given his last speech. It was a memorial to freedom. And the president introduces me. This is startling moment. Jenna stepped back to taken this rainbow. And then said, god is smiling on us and the reason i did, is because the rainbow ended exactly behind the balcony when the tyrant had given his last speech. Thank you for coming. [applause]. [applause]. Host thank you. What a great way to start off the Miami Book Fair. Thank you all for coming as well. We hope to see you throughout the week. And if you repurchase the book, will be available outside. I think it will be aligned with some of you can get into. If you have not prepurchase one, there will be some for sale as well. Right outside. Thank you all will see this week. [background sounds]. Every saturday evening the summer we are opening up our archives spending time with wellknown authors. This evening are focused a little bit different and were looking at former president s. And of next year is going to fourth president barack obama. He was in office from 2009 2017 and he is the author of three books. Best known for his first, dreams from my father. Here he is in 2004 yes then senator elect obama discussing his memoir at barnes noble in new york city. Good evening everyone. My thank you for joining us freedom the moment and trent millions of americans woke up in november 3rd to find that the men that for was elected president. [applause]. [laughter]. Millions of other americans. [laughter]. [applause]. Almost equal numbers, welcome to the greatest disappointments. As americans, there was a least one saving grace. [applause]. The man who had been the dynamic voice of the democratic conventions keynote speaker, the minute spoke the big dreams of his own life and big dreams for his country had actually been elected senator from illinois. Bac [inaudible]. Host and the man is our guests tonight barack obama. [applause]. In his convention speech, he talks about his own father, foreign student born and raised in the village in kenya. He spoke of his grandfather, domestic servant and he spoke of the journey he has taken in his own life rated the story which brings him here tonight, is told more fully in his memoir called, dreams from my father. Theres much talk about letter guess will be doing in the year 2008. [laughter]. And 2012 and beyond. [applause]. And would certainly give me great deal of pleasure to say that i was introducing the next president of the United States. [applause]. [applause]. And would give you a lot of pleasure as well im sure. Millions of woke up and disappointments on november 30, they might be looking to his letter guess will be doing in the immediate future. Based on the journey in the stands he is taken, Many Americans should rejoice over the voice they will have in the government. Voices speaks for expanding opportunities and civil liberties, a voice to speak to the promise that we will eventually put this, come out of the long political darkness. Please join me in welcoming the man behind the voice, barack obama. Come back. [cheering]. Barack obama thank you very much. Thank you so much. [cheering]. Barack obama thank you, i appreciate it very much. Thank you so much. I know it made the speech about red states and blue states but the state is kind of blow i can say. [applause]. So looking at that in the ground out here tonight. What a magnificent turn out sprint im so grateful for all of you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to travel here especially in new york traffic but i just braved. I was mentioning that when the book they were going to be discussing tonight first came out which is in 1995 in 1996, and a much smaller reception. But this bookstore which had just opened in fact was one of the stops the maintenance wonderful to be back close to ten years later, and to see how things have grown. Some very grateful to all of you for being here. I want to spend a few minutes talking about my perspective expressed little only the book but also in the campaign and others two things connect. Then we will open it up to questions before we start to do a book signing. I just had an appearance on charlie rose parade and he was asking me, how does the book connect with your politics. And it is very clear to me theres a direct line between the subject matter that is contained and for my father and the types politics that i aspire to. Because essentially what the story is about is a boy born to a father from kenya and a mother from kansas. In hawaii with an unusual name. Who traveled to indonesia, came back, found himself in chicago working in some of the lowest income neighbors and neighborhoods in the country. And then traveled back to africa. And somehow was able to be together a workable meaning for his life as an africanamerican and as an american and is somebody is part of the broader human family. That was not an easy task. Was not an easy task because i did not have some enormous love for my family. I did. It wasnt because i didnt have people helping me every step of the way. I had that help. But it was because i found myself born astride a nation in the world that is so often divided. Divided along lines of race, class, divide the phone lines of religion. And so we have this enormous tragic history that all of this can relate to. When we are white black hispanic agent, whether we are muslim jews or christian. The notion that the great writer who happened to win a nobel prize, William Faulkner he said that the past is never dead and buried. Its not even past. And i think that all of us are confronting history constantly. With confronting the history of slavery in this country. Were confronting the history and problems that are rose from the conflict of colonialism, were confronting those scars of violence and oppression and struggle and difficulty and hope not only on larger canvas of history but also with their own families. For me, is not entirely obvious how in fact it was going to be able to integrate and pull together all of those different strands in my life. So part of my challenge growing up was to figure out how do i function as someone who is black, but also has white blood in me. How do i function is somebody who is american and takes pride and understands enormous blessings that come with being an american but is also able to recognize a part of something larger than just a nationstate. How do i embrace my faith, now is a christian and also recognizing that people within my own family who have a different faith. And how do i describe the fact that we all have different paths ultimately to a same source, same place that we come from and it which ultimate delete we will all end up. Now how do we do that. What kind of language do we come up with. How do we expand events of empathy and allow each and every one of us to be able to stand in somebody elses shoes and see the world through their eyes and of the consequence, see ourselves and other people. Because it strikes me about that is the only way were going to sorrow and had survived. As a planet. And so that was in very abstract terms, with the theme of this book is about. In a much more concrete and mosaic terms, what this book is about is the boy is going up and doesnt have a father around. When i start with is the story my father passing away. Killed in a car accident. A father that i did not know well. Somebody the been part of the first generation of africans to study in the United States. And then had married an American Woman and had a child at the net going back to his own country. Thinking that somehow he would be able to bring back technology and transformation through the knowledge he had gained to help develop a country that was nearly free. I didnt really know his story very well. All i knew about my father for the most part during my upbringing was the stories that my mother told me. So i had a lithology about and he was. And fortunately the mythology that my mother fed me was very positive image. So i write about the fact that in the book, i grew up with an image of a strong black man who just didnt happen to be in the house. But was one of the smartest and most charismatic and brightest and honest people you would ever care to meet. And so that was the mythology that i carry with me despite his absence despite living in a very different world than him. I was only later that i started realizing that in fact this was the mythology. His life was much more complex. As a consequence of that realization, rebuilding ourselves her voice and i went through a lot of difficulties that are not unique to me. In fact vertically among africanamerican males. Without fathers in the house, and had negative stereotypes or lease confining stereotypes of what it means to be a black man in america. As a consequent of those things, all into a whole negative direction lasted throughout most of my teenage years. Note the book discusses that is how did i pull myself out of it and ended up being a matter of me recognizing that the struggles that i was going through internally, to reconcile a divided heritage, and the different strands of my past. Can only be done if i link my story of the larger story. The story of struggle, taking place here in the United States africanamerican, the struggle that is taking place overseas with the millions of people who are impoverished and have opportunity. That is part of what i mean directly into the organizing work that i did come the civil rights work that i did ultimately into the politics that im still engaged in. In some ways, the themes of this book are very much the project of my life right now. Which is to figure out how in fact can we live together as one people effectively. And what does that mean what is that require. And what are the nature of our commitments to each other and what is the scope of our regard. That is not an easy question for us to answer. We just went through an election in which i think both sides supplied the nature of the problems. And then didnt necessarily offer a very good solution. Our politics so often functions as one side painting a caricature of the other side. The republicans happen to be better at characterizing democrats than the other way around. [laughter]. Of part of what i meant when in my speech i said there are no red states and no blue states. It was the fact that the complexity of our lives is not fully captured in our political debate. That there are people in the red states who are devout christians and traditionalists who also think the part of the american tradition is tolerance. There are people in urban areas who are wine sitting in bobo driving but also think that we live in a dangerous world and we have to confront the threats we face in the strongest terms. And when we simplify our politics and we caricature each other were actually going in a direction its entirely contrary to the best spirit of this country. Actually im a believer in american exceptionalism. Know thats not always popular. But i believe in american exceptionalism but theres Something Special about the station. Precisely because this is a nation heterogeneous and is forced to constantly confront the fact that we are different. In it somehow there are a set of core values and common beliefs that can bind us together as a single people. And we cannot pull off that experiment, and the United States and we cannot be optimistic about what happens in Northern Ireland or the middle east or rwanda because we have so much to build on. The basic outlines of the government that we possess in our civic religion as a people, is such that potentially at least, we could create a society that is the model for the world. It isnt right now. And this of the tragedies i think our Foreign Policy in our domestic policy that is displayed out over the last several years. [applause]. Kandiss with me traveling back to africa. In retracing the steps that my father took my grandfather took. My grandfather this view read the book, will read the book, discover is actually the first african in his village and in his circle ever to meet white percent. And almost immediately he had to confront what event to be drawn from a 15th century or 13th century world into a 20th century world in the span of a single lifetime. And the enormous contradictions that he had to grapple with, handed the passing onto my father. In this contradictions, my father then has passed on to me. They said the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the coat color line. And i think that ever sympathize. Such as the color line. The class lines, gender lines, Sexual Orientation lines and religious lines. I call this book the story of race and inheritance because the inheritance, the most important inheritance that i received is the fact that ive got to grapple with these same issues that my grandfather and my father had to grapple with than my mother and her parents had to grapple with. June and that you have to grapple with. Not only in your individual lives but also as american citizens. And citizens of the world. So hopefully with this book accomplishes is not to provide answers all of these enormous questions but at least allows each and every one of us to recognize that piece of ourselves and maybe my story and as a consequence, maybe you will be able to recognize a piece of yourself and the person sitting next to you. I will close by just saying im not had much of a break since the election. Somebody very charitably told me that i havent seen them in about six months, they said you have really aged. Since i last saw you. [laughter]. And i said well thank you very much. I am going to take a vacation. Im going to go back to hawaii for two weeks when my grandmother was now 82 and was born in augusta, kansas. A little old white lady. Still lives. Shes got a bad back, shes just as sharp as ever. And im going to, my sister also lives there. And she is half indonesian and she married a chinese canadian. [laughter]. So with my wife is a descendent of slaves from South Carolina who grew up on the south side of chicago and my two gorgeous daughters. Malia and natasha, we will be visiting there to cousins. So ingenious her last name. A little chinese girl who carries in her my dna. And the prospect of watching those little girls run on the beach or crawl the beach depending upon the progress thats shes making. [laughter]. Is part of what all of us are working towards. Is making sure their lives ultimately a rich and blessed. In the way that they deserve. So hopefully that will be a project that all of us will be working on for many years to come. Thank you. [applause]. I think we will take a few questions and then i am going to get ready. I have my pin already. Im xo those of you who have questions, thank you have to light up. There may be unfortunately, kind of point because im going to be able to get through this crowd, were going to get out of here by midnight. [laughter]. May not be able to take every question. So i apologize in advance for those of you dont get your questions responded to. I am the spiritual leader on multifaith community this felt deceived by the issues of religious and race and i went from this country. I would really appreciate your reflections on how those of us who consider ourselves faithful people, whatever our fate can be more proactive in combating this very negative way of talking about religion. Barack obama i think that is a terrific question. Theres been a lot of talk after the election about how he lost the selection on moral values. First of all i think its an oversimplified analysis. But the fact of the matter is, that we are running against a personally popular wartime president. In one of the best political operations that has ever been created. We had some mistakes that we made we didnt have any margins for air during the course of the campaign. Weve actually looking at not at the exit polls, which were badly worded but you look at where george bush gained the votes and why people said they voted for him. Increases margin here in manhattan is much as he did the socalled rural areas were supposedly moral values help sway and part of it has to do with people remembering donna harringtonlueker. And its been a silly thumping persuaded, the Democratic Party was going to be as effective with respect to terrorism. I obviously disagree with that. I could launch into the whole reason why we didnt make the case effectively as we shouldve. Having said that, what is true is that the Democratic Party has not been particularly effective in the Progressive Community generally is not been particularly effective. In describing its values in a narrative that relates to peoples faith in the family and the community. And part of that, is what i think started off as a good impulse and that was our embrace of tolerance. And i think there is a running strain in progressive politics and Democratic Politics that at some point, i dont know what it was exactly, equated religion with intolerance. It is of the fear was if we talk too much about religion, then we must be demeaning of putting down somebody else so this stop talking about it. And we then equated secularism with tolerance. That is a dangerous equation. To operate under they think it is wrong. There is a reason why doctor king was such a good preacher. He was preaching. He was not just making a speech. And so those who were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement have to understand that was grounded in faith. Thats why people were willing to subject themselves to fire hoses. So i think it is possible for us to reclaim this territory that i think we succeeded to be very narrow and intolerant brand of faith. But it requires us being active in that arena. Talking about our values and talking about the meaning of our faith. In a way thats inclusive as opposed to exclusive. And when we do that, it also has to be authentic. So if we go around toting our bibles and trying to for whatever religious text is, and try to be more righteous than somebody else, then were playing a game. And people will sniff that out. Some has to be organic and it has to be internal come from within. And i think that something that i am interested in engaging and i will probably hopefully be working with people who are interested in these issues. There is a problem. Theres a genuine one this cant be brushed aside. That is the nature of religious faith, by definition is absolute. If you believe in left, then you believe in allah all the way. And if you believe in jesus christ as your savior, the knee cant say sort of. You believe in jesus christ as your savior. And the nature of pluralism requires a certain amount of doubt. It is contrary to absolutism. It assumes that there are questions that have to be answered and i dont always have the right answer and certainly they cant do the discourse by simply saying god told me so. Thats not an option. So there is that real tension. All i can do is say personally how i result is by claiming that in fact my religious faith is premised on some measure of doubt is why its faith, and not science. So what that means that i can admit when i read, and im in this constant interpretation. In trying to figure out in my own sinful and imperfect way, what exactly is god trying to say. And if that is the spirit that a brain to the Public Square and you can reconcile those two things. But this is difficult project. [applause]. Guest im a comment followed by question. I hope you do run for president of the United States. [applause]. Sue and i know that wasnt a question that i ranked 99th, in the United States senate. As a told to begin the day, will be sharpening pencils and sweeping up running into washington. I hope people dont expect too much. [laughter]. Guest my question is just looking at like a book of current events. Before the election, he saw a lot of books that was built for president bush or john kerry and books that came out as bush is a liar and carries lawyer. Back and forth back and forth. There is no middle ground. But in the senate, will be more polarized which are going to join soon. Harry going to break the divided. Not just culturally, with guns and god would not be just people looking at two different worlds or americas. Barack obama i think youre absolutely right that our political language of the use politically is is more than just polarized. His poisonous. I can watch most of these cable news shows. There yelling at each other. What are you talking about. [laughter]. [applause]. And i confronted that in my own campaign, the general election i was running against a gentleman who was claiming that jesus christ would not vote for me. [laughter]. [applause]. [laughter]. My response was, i wanted to know who he was because if he had a direct line, had a far more important questions to ask him. [laughter]. There is this and burn, take no prisoners anything goes politi politics. I just think it is so corrosive to our democracy. By the way, i think is most damaging for the progressives, not only because were not as good at it but also because when it does as it turns people off of politics in general. And then it leaves that space to be occupied by the special interests who determine how the goodies are going to be passed out. So we have good fight that. Now how do we fight them. The best that i can do i think right now is to try to model the kind of politics that was successful in my campaign in illinois that is to try to disagree without being disagreeable. In a try to find Common Ground where possible. To stand your ground on matters of principle. But not engage in cheap political shots or impugn the motives of people who, issues in different direction. I dont know how i function or how that will play when i get into washington. We will find out. But one thing that im absolutely clear about is i think if you know what your convictions are, then youre in a position to compromise. When youre not clear about what your convictions are, then it just become sport. And its one politics treated as sport as opposed to actually try to get something accomplished to help kids get educated or provide healthcare to people who dont have the door to help Senior Citizens retire with dignity and respect. That is one i think you fall into the kinds of politics that we convincing. One last point that i will make about this. I am disturbed about the fact that her vicious brand of politics has become so commercially lucrative. Theres an entire industry as you mentioned, these books are on the bestseller list because they speak to a significant although still small sliver of the population adjust likes roaming like that. So to the extent it becomes commercialized. In the same way that wwf wrestling is promoted. I think were all going to have to careful about that. [applause]. Guest as he demonstrated in your keynote address the summer, you are not afraid to best differentiate debate untied beyond political personality. I was interested to hear Inspector General just retired a couple years ago from cia say that al qaeda, they dont truly are. But for what we do. For a certain acts that have occurred in the past. And i was wondering if you could differentiate amongst the generalities of them hating us for our values are flying or something read as to specifically why you think the tension was created to where bin laden would have a 70 percent Approval Rating in pakistan. Barack obama a couple of things. Obviously thats a big question that im a bit not be able to answer completely here. Ill start by talking about a passage in my book of chapter is devoted to the three or four years that i spend in indonesia which is actually the artist Muslim Country in the world. I arrived indonesia, they had its own problems because there has been a leader of a movement who was overthrown in the military coup that the cia had assisted about half a a Million People have been killed. But i was six so i was not paying attention to all of this. And my mother was only at the time, 24th. Really didnt understand the history of it. She had remarried indonesia. Thats all slightly beside the point. What is true is that indonesia at the time wasnt explicitly secular government despite the fact there was an out practice of islam throughout the country. And so women were able to wear skirts and work and very little religious strife. After the Asian Financial crisis, the real incomes of the average indonesian drop by about 30 percent. And start about the time that al qaeda beginning in a foothold in indonesia. And now there are powerful strains of a perverted brand of fundamentalists who have taken root in that country. Im not somebody draws a direct line between poverty and fanaticism. I am not interested actually in making too many excuses for somebody it would see people with such abstractions. And contempt that they would be willing to kill 3000 people and think theyre making a political statement. There are no excuses for that and that is for my empathy stops. I cannot get into that mindset. If a child in pakistan has no prospects, no future, has watched their parents grind out terrible subsistence existence. And then the only avenues that they have for not only advancement but just some sense of meaning in their lives is in which they are drilled with a very narrow fundamentalist brand of islam that then translated itself to potentially into violent political acts. Not always be sometimes. There is a connection there. There are Foreign Policy in our perspective whether its respect to how to deal with terrorism has to reflect not only the interest in stopping the immediate threat of terrorism but also in creating a Foreign Policy and promotes justice, the promotes economic development. The promote the rights of women. And that those are all central aspect to dealing with terrorism. Ultimately terrorism is a tactic. Were not fighting terrorists, we are fighting people engage in terrorism. But have a whole host of rationales and excuses for why they do this to the extent that we can change the sense of opportunity in many of these countries and we can change the manner in which we function in these countries in a more positive proactively. Were not going to eliminate theres an entirely but word was going to be able to make warm adept and if all were resorting to his military firepower. [applause]. Host only two more questions. Guest i have a comment in question. A rigid book and i loved it. But it was very well written. [applause]. Yes it is rough very well written. The part that really fascinated me is when you went to africa because its your relatives of the question is what was the reaction from your relatives to your recent election and are they coming to the inaugural. Barack obama this is been sort of, nothing that i couldve imagined. We are big in kenya right now. [laughter]. [applause]. Somebody without on a safari similar and they saw some traditional carbon somebody got an obama button. [applause]. So we have been big news in kenya. As well as the entire continent. My understanding is the same is true with south africa and other places. And obviously thats heartening although the information is not always right. Theres an article about a little boy was sure that i just one and i was running against george bush. So i defeated him. [laughter]. And then there was, and theres also a danger it in the sense that my election and gets invested with a lot of expectations. Partly because africa traditionally and negatively by the way things of politics and whats been called the big man model. Notion is the big man gets elected and then he dispenses favors and gifts upon those who are his people. So even before my election people were saying, as obama selected, were going to get roads in the schools and so when i go back and so broke. [laughter]. Tried to explain to them that i am 99th in seniority, not sure how thats going to play. You may kick me back out. Obviously is very touching. To the degree in which people have responded. I take that role seriously. In the sense that one of the Biggest Challenges that i will face is making sure that i am singularly focused on serving the state of illinois. The people elected to me and doing a good job. [laughter]. But then i am also even as i do that, am able and willing to give voice to the voiceless. [applause]. In the forums about speaking out on issues that are of particular interest to africa africanamericans or latinos or other minorities that are not always well represented but i particularly now the bmi career, my whole orientation is going to be to make sure im the best possible senator from the state of illinois. I will not serve anybody else will if the folks back home start look and saying the man is not answering his mail. Returning phone calls and my Social Security check is late and he hasnt anything to help. [applause]. So of course maybe that is the last question. Guest but we do need to for you is to do your job but if you do decide to make the move, we are all here for you. Come back and without though, obviously must be an enormous amount of pressure on you being the rising star on the Democratic Party. How are you handling that right now. Barack obama will be honest with you. Maybe im not just to bright. Because i dont feel that much pressure. [laughter]. There are some nuts and bolts aspects of this modest celebrity have achieved that are wrapped be dealt with. I will probably get a significantly higher volume of mail than the average sensor because people from outside of the state think that im going to be able to do something for them. Some gotta tell you guys, if you plan to write me a letter, i may not be able to respond to the folks in new york. I apologize in advance. Any now im working hard on their behalf. My families expectations that means im honest and have integrity and im thinking about them and with the work that i would be engaged in. And then spongebob squarepants. [laughter] and then i have my own expectations and those are that i continually need to this and not interested in a political title or people calling me senator but because i have a core set of values and then it depends on the collective salvation. [applause] and that you read he was an infidel and of the french government that sounds reminiscent. That things said about Abraham Lincoln and fdr that he wanted to be a dictator. It does come with the territory and trumps case at least in the modern political era you read about jefferson and that he was infidel and the pagan of the french government it sounds a little reminiscent. The things said about Abraham Lincoln and fdr that does come with the territory but in trumps case in the modern political era never seen anything like it. Beginning now on the tv books written by former president s. Tonight you will hear five of the last six men who sat in the oval office