9 11 the president ial inauguration of donald j. Trump is friday, january 20 until. Cspan will have live coverage of the days events and ceremonies. Watch live on cspan and choose. Org and listen live on the free cspan radio app. Up information, california senator Barbara Boxer discusses her book the art of tough she is interviewed by senator Amy Klobuchar of minnesota. On after words. Host barbara box are. An hour to be here with you, one of my mentors in the senate. Someone who came into the senate when there was borrelia woman to be seen and you were there. This book you have written the art of the tougher tells your store how you got there and barbara leavy, born on november 11th, 1940, from a family of jewish refugees in your own words, growing up in the previewsive shadow of the holocaust goes from that little place in brooklyn to the United States senate. Maybe moves to card in between. And you did it all with such grace but also with that art of the tough. Do you want to talk about what that was like growing up, your stories with your family and how you ever decided to take this journey. Guest well, senator klobuchar, my colleague, you said it was an honor to interview me. Im so excited that you agreed to do this because its says a lot about our relationship, the warmth we share and im so thrilled and as you know, im going to get to your question in a second. But the fact is, the warm relationships that have developed between the women senators and, frankly, a lot of the men, Barbara Mccosky call the sir gal lad. Means so much to me. Im not running again and people say, why . Under are you disgust evidence with the place . Not at all. Just feel after 40 years therer people like you who can carry the ban sore we have our colleague from book, we have you interviewing me. Just couldnt be more thrilled. But getting to the issue of how did it get tough, what was my life like when i was a child, which in this memoir, when i sat down to write it so long ago, took three years to put it together. Its a lot of effort. When i first thought about it i thought, its going by my dad who had all the influence on who i am as a person, because my dad was any idol. He was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. The only one been in america him family was born in russia. None of. The graduated from high school. Theres my dad, he is born in 1908, and after he married my mom, he goes to city college of new york at night, scores at night, greats great grades, becomes a cpa and after im born in 1950 hi goes to law school at night, gets his degree, so im thinking, clearly it was my dad. But when i sat down to think about the lessons, how are you tough . They all come from my mother and can in the beginning host some didnt graduate from high school. Guest she did not. And always was such a burden on her. She felt so sad about it. At one point she tried get to their ged. Dont know what happened. But i will say this. My mother was so smart. And the kind of smart shed a was from the heart and soul. In the beginning of the book i lay out the rules of the art of tough. How can you do it . One of the things is always doing the right thing. Even when everything is going against you, you and i know what its like. We have had experiences in the trenches together, whether its Human Trafficking or tox tick toxic we know what its like when people look at you and say, why rococos these problem inside identity its the art of tough. I also learned, never act out of anger you. Can feel the anger but dope act when your angry. These are the to goes do. Host you tell a funny store you were a little angry on the playground, stabbed a bully with a lead pencil and then hunting you the next day you walked we his apartment and see a dark, dark cloth in frond of the house and you think you killed him. Guest absolutely. Host turn outs to be the grandfather but its one of those memories you dont forget. Guest what happened was albert was kind of my nemesis, and because im little, still little, 53 50. Maybe with my high heels. Host thats what im thinking. Guest so mall, and so he was little. So i was the perfect target. He would insult me and thats me and thats what they used to do in those days. Maybe they sill do in school. Dont know. But one day i just had had it. No one was around and i took out my number two pencil and i stab him in the arm, right where you get a vaccination, and he is stunned and i am stunned at what i did. And so youre exactly right. In retelling the story, out we thought we would just kind it our little secret. Then he dont come to school for in the information three days and theres a crepe black draped cloth over his home, which i passed by every day, on a vacant lot on the way home. I lived in the inner city and did think id killed him. So i took to it my hour mother, which i took agency. To i said, mom, think i called albert. Of coward she said, barbara sue, what did you do . And i tell her. She said i cant believe you would do that. You cant do that. But i dont think you killed him. Let me call the program program. Principal, she fines out his dad died. If was to happy i hugged him. I learned an amazing message. Never use violence and i never after that use violence. Tried to diffuse a lot of situations, sometimes i won host just as a young girl at a time where girls were really organizing a lot of things you led the effort to get a new carpet in the apartment lobby. You when you were my been one heir favorite letters your ten years old and your mother is in in the hospital in some illness and youy were not aloudded to visit. Would you like to read your letter . I found this after my mother and my dad died in their little jewel pockets. I wrote to the doctor because the rules that were kids couldnt visit their parents so i deardock. I almost miss leavys daughter and i would loaf to see my muir very mump. Didnt see my mother when she left. Only a little while. About five minutes before i went to school. I have no sickness, only a little bellyache now and then if wont make a lot of noise. Miss my mother. Very much. So why cant i see her . Thanks for reading this letter. Sincerely yours, barbara levy. So then i had a feeling it wont walk so wrote a back up to my mother. Dear mom, how mean can i a person be . I they depth let me in they really are mean. I will be so happy if i see you. I get at the teary id. In school im in the mexican group, a study group on mexican culture in art. In fact im the chairman. Love and men cases to you, babs. I get so choked up because theyre memories that you and i have of our families so deep inside us. Host exactly. But this whole idea that any kid that can make it in america, which we still believe today, no matter where you came from, think thats a big part of your story. But one of the thing that is different about your story than the people we see in senate is that you were a girl and so here you are, you on the go to brooklyn college, right . And following in your dads footsteps and you get a degree and you want to be a stockbroker because your dad has instilled this in you and you start interviewing for jobs and it wasnt easy back then for a girl to get that job. Guest impossible. In those tase they used to have a program at the wall street firms, and they were called because the people who were selling the securities, who we . Stockbrokers were called customers many. That was the name. Customers men. So i wanted to be a customers man. So i was ready to do it when i got my first job it was an assistant long story, but assistant to a woman who wrote a Municipal Bond newsletter. So smart. But she never signed it, Elizabeth Ellsworth work, her name. She kind it, ee cook 0 disguise the fat she was a woman. I side why dont you sign i . She said no one will buy it. Because it was sold the never im partner for many year and she was kind of in disguise. It was unreel. So i thought im going to take a different path. Im going to work for her, get a salary because stu was in law school and i was the only one working, so i guess i made 90 a week. Then i said, but i had to make more because to live a deposit decent life. So i studied for the program disyou go into to customers man program you got trained. It was like study for an exam. I did on my own and passed the test itch was so excited. I took it to elizabeth and she said, well, you know, i dont know. Youll have to go to the big boss. At this very old firm and i did. He said, sorry, women dont do that. The shocking thing was not only did he just say it like it was fact of life, but that i took it. Now i would i just said, oh, okay. But i did quit. I said then i quit. And i went to another firm where they allowed me quietly to have a little business on the side where i was kind of the assistant to a Vice President , did his work and had a little Side Business so i was able to make 250 a week, aimy, which is great. Host i think theres why so many times in politics some of white house came in on your shoulders, on your 50 shoulders and Barbara Mccosky we talk about the fact when you came it was so much harderrer. For young people to read your story and understand what you wind through, when most women were expected to have a few dogs, secretary, teacher, nurse, that was it. Guest that was it. Host in fact you kind of went over meet meeting stew, your great husband who have been married to forever this,. Guest 54 years. Host but say this is one hover if plate quotes. You say i often joke that stew married debby Debbie Reynolds and woke um with goal do goal da my golda my meier. Host explain. Guest we didnt havent the opportunities our daughter have today, and so we had to settle for a lot less. So when stew met me i was pursuing my dream of being an economics major. Her knew that. And she saw some signs in those years when you had you got together for little parties, the men would be here talking about issues of the day, and the women, so as noose to be perceived as two uppitiy would be talking about seriously, food and more appropriate things for women. That the truth. Of course i was doing my thing with the women and then go over to the men and talk to them, too, was considered odd. But i did. So he knew i wouldnt long stay a cheerleader that i was, and brooklyn college, head of the busters from boosters from high school, but lets be clear. When he met i was a okay. I was 18. Going to the senate you might as well say flying to moon bious. Host then you make a decision, which was monumental in your career and in the history of america, you decide to move to california. And how did that come about . Guest well, my sister and her family had moved there, and i wanted to visit it and so stew such a good student made law review at farredham guardiansham and i went with by parents and drove out to california. Get to california hi and eyes open up and my mouth drops and i said ive never seen anything as beautiful as this because i joke i grew up in brooklyn. Which is boy the way the coolest place to live now. Then it wasnt considered that. But i talk about how only if you have a movie called a book called a tree grows in brooklyn because it wasnt that green you. Had beautiful places and now more beautiful places Prospect Park and the Botanical Gardens but is was the city. When dime california the environment is kind of history there, and the first thing you learn about california if you pick up a history book is the beauty and various ecology from the north of the state to the south. Whether its the forests or the marsh lands or the desert or the ocean, and of course we have the witches farm. Its so exquisite. So i just said, i 21ish i said i want to move here when stew practiced waits from law school. That was wild i. I said to him, can we move . He said, why . And i said, you see its gorgeous and youll love it. Its i cant describe. Well have so much more freedom to be outside and outdoors and he said, okay. But i have to get a job in advance. And so he did. He got a job two years in advance. We came out to california because of the beauty. Thats what i want to tell you. Of course, then we stayed and the excitement and hollywood and silicon valley. Host then youre pregnant. Guest i yes. Host and doug. Child, is born two months early and stew is still in law school and i was going to go to the fact they wont let him couple ought for the birth because he hat an example but the biggest apartment story this is a danger back then, 505 chance of survival and there you are on your own. You have live there are there. Guest no insurance. Host that got you somewhat interested in getting involved in government and politic snooze got me interested in understanding what it means to be uninsured and frightened to death. And of course, that feeling you never forget it. And i was uninsured. Sunny because i thought nothing is going to go wrong. Im happy good lucky, everything was going to go great, which we always think when wore were young, not vulnerable. Immortal. And all of a sudden we had agreed to move so i said, okay, honey, ill get us a place to live. You finish your exams and the first day i get here, doug wanted to see card. Thats what i say about it. I arrived on may 20th, 1965, he is born may 21, 1965. And i was staying at my sisters place. All of a sudden the water breaks and i had not even met my doctor, and i im winding up in the clinic in mt. Zion hospital. I was so wonderful to me. Never forgot them. Host they took you in. Guest i had nothing. And they said, you know, its going to cost a thousand dollars a day, aim in, you can imagine what it is for a premy. They said we dont know how long hell have to stay. At least a month if he survives. So im thinking, this is the end of us, every which way and all we cared about was doug. Shay said 5050 chance, and every day it will go up ten . Stew got out there as fast as hey would let him and doug is the most wonderful gift to us and i hate to tell you how old he is now. He takes care of me. And he has his own family. He had a second job. She was premy but wasnt as premy. Had insurance but that was a lesson that how scarity is to be in a situation where you really dont have any host and leading to your support for the Affordable Care act and Womens Health care. What struck me during that time this very there additional time and just as grew up in the shadow of the holocaust youre now in california, in northern california, in the shadow of the vietnam war. And you have not been that involved in politics you learn the art of the tough, the title of your book, but you start getting involved in organizing, taking those early lesson from organizing for the carpet lobby in the apartment, and taking them out of course with toe something much bigger, the vietnam war, leading to your decision to run for county supervisor. Guest the was core of my going into politics. By that time i had two little kids and as a mom you start to think differently. You start to think long term. You start to wonder, how is my daughter going to grow up . What kind of world what is my son going to face . All of these issues came to the forearound the time the vietnam war. The environmental movement, womens movement, the vietnam war. But especially the vietnam war because it was in the first war they said came into your living room, you saw it. And so i was part of the antiwar movement. Stew was, and we used to take the kids and march and see and all the rest of it, and i became a real activist, a real activist, and when the seat opened up election where the county supervisor open up in marin county, california, beautiful place north of San Francisco and a quarter issues were all of the issues, even stopping the war, what could we do . Locally to do it. And the environment. And womens rights. So of course everybody came to stew and said would you i said, stew, why dont you do it. And hi said, honey, it pays 11,000 a year. Why dont you do it. So i ran. Host against two men. Guest against two many. So crazy. And i came out on top in the a nonpartisan offers so i came out on top. The other two were runs but you didnt run as a democrat or republican. So before we had the vote and i came out on top, the there was the incumbent, myself and a physician the issue theyd try toee the antichoice issue against me. This candidates name was bill fil aye nty. He said i want to speak to you. I was excited. I said come over and talk to stew and we let him in door, he looks across at me and says ive been giving this a lot of thought and i thought he would say he said, my wife is a physician, and its been hard for her and so and so on. He said so this is what i want to say to you right now. You should drop out. And i said, well, bill, why i would do that . Because youre going to be bad for women. And i said, where did you get tom from . He said you know the oppressor has to freedom to pressed. Remember him saying to host like a map would have to free you. Guest or the whites had to save the blacks. One thief arts of tougher is you fight against racism. Every hair on my body went straight up, and i looked at him and i implored the art of the tough, which is when it was when somebody has gone over the line thats. I said this meeting is over and stew and i got up, he got up, and i shut for door and then i said we actually slammed the door, what happened was he got revenge because he was still mad at me he was the third in he came out last. And he endorsed the other guy, so i lost that by a small vote. Its humbling, though. Host the stories how just the sexism back then when youre running i love the one where he said how can you do thats when you have four kids and you said, no, no if have two kids. He said you have four kid. But the rumors are so strong, you were living your kid as home. What wills the story about the dishes and paper plate snooze so many Great Stories in the book. The art of tough. In the book goes into what it was like to be a woman you had to have a sense of humor because i if not you cry yourself to sleep. Id knock on the door because i went door to door, a small election, and i think you needed about 20,000 votes to win. So knock, knock, who is there Barbara Boxer can be some woo open the door and say i didnt think you would be so small. What did they expect . I didnt expect you to be so short. Said,ey, i am and then this one woman said, i could never vote for you, you have four kids youre abandoning. Said, excuse me. Have two kids. And she said no, you dont. She gets into an argument with me. Said, lady, if you have given birth you never forget and it i did it twice and i walked air. What are you going to do . Then i was at another meeting and i was telling the group about how we had to preserve the environment and earning everyone was moved toking, a very suburban part of the district and i thought im making it, im hitting it and a hand goes up in at th