Transcripts For CSPAN2 Brookings Institution Hosts Discussio

CSPAN2 Brookings Institution Hosts Discussion On Free Trade October 26, 2016

Utah. You for retaken parts of the day so what the heck . Grabbed a friend. My did little homework Salt Lake County clerk 2001 south state street solid city monday to friday 8 a. M. Through 5 00 p. M. If you are up for a walk in is 2. 2 miles from right here. Walked out the door. Go vote. Cast your vote. Bringing neighbor and a friend. Truthfully. When the curtain closes. So tell somebody. And then another 12 have. And then after four years. [cheers and applause] but go tell somebody. But it is almost two 10 their sins restarted the campaign. Like your Favorite Team is out there on the road with a hometown crowd. The leaders still seeing tremendous momentum. To see hearts and minds every day that American People are talking to each other and with the election is really about. Go to somebody. The bottom line is this change versus the status quo. If you like your status quo you can keep it she will keep the promise. Desoto a neighbor and friend. So back in the Hoosier State prison the dimes worth of difference that never happens in in utah sometimes you vote the doesnt matter but this is not such a time. From where i stand this isnt even the decision of left or right to or republican democrats. This is a choice between up and down. Party with me . The three going to continue to go down the hill to a weaker america at home and abroad to stifle our e economy working for their way the first constitutional ideals or are we going to stop implanting murphy to a turnaround and march back up the hill to a stronger america and a more prosperous america for our children and grandchildren . [applause] go tell somebody. Again to tell the fellow republicans. Would you please . It really is remarkable. Those other tired of gridlock or washington dc or paid to play corruptions. Tired of the avalanche of liberal policies. To chase jobs out of the country now it is time to reach out to fellow republicans. To say with one voice it is time to come home. [cheers and applause] to tell you republican neighbors and friends it isnt time to make a statement but to make a difference. [cheers and applause] there are only two names on the ballot. And while eloise respect any man or woman in the manner that they seem best i truly do believe of vote for any candidate other than donald trump is a vote for a weaker america any other than donald trump is a vote for an america that continues to walk away from our highest ideals and our constitution and a vote for any candidate other than donald trombone to make Hillary Clinton the 45th president of the United States it is time to come home this time for republicans to come home come home to the Trump Pence Team to the report republican majorities in the house and in the senate and it is time to come home that make sure Hillary Clinton is never elected president of United States of america. [cheers and applause] payasyougo from here i want you to vote in a vote early and bring a friend go tell somebody spread the word tell them what this election is about especially reach out to our republican friends. Leslie last, have faith in the American People. Have faith in the capacity of the American People to set things right. The truth of the matter is a different times throughout our nations history we have much more challenging days we have to do what it donald trump said in his gettysburg speech rise above the noise and clatter to embrace the great faith and optimism central to the American People. So go with confidence. So many do we do from time to time. In the next hole and a half. I am not so much with 13 for our cause that would encourage you in these divided times of our country with these threats with Economic Uncertainty at home , more division in our country than any time that i can remember, it is a good time to pray for our country [applause] i would rather concern myself if we are on gods side. Then rather if he is on hours. As you do i truly do believe it is still true today for those that were called by his name to pray. In the challenging times. And will heal our land. One nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [cheers and applause] [chanting] men and women of utah we have 12 and half days to rendezvous with destiny. This is a moment of decision and i have to tell you to layout the choice challenging you to go out and reach out to bring utah home will make you the promise that may and is ready. This team is ready. This movement is ready. If you go out to make sure that you taught is ready we will elect donald trump as a 45th president of the United States of america and we will make America Great again. Lets go get it done. Bring it home to 20. God bless. [cheers and applause]. Double. We leave utah in the event with mike pence to take you live back to washington, dc. We are at the Heritage Foundation for remarks tonight by Supreme Court Justice Clarence thomas. Three didnt just three days after the 25th anniversary of his swearingin as an associate justice on the u. S. Supreme court. That is hosted by former attorney general edneys with the Heritage Foundation. This is live coverage. [applause] good evening, thank you everyone. Im john, director of the seminars that heritage and also the mic check for this evening. Before the the Great American standing next to me opens our program we would ask everyone if you be so kind to check that your mobile device is silent are turned off. That is always appreciated. We are pleased you could join us this evening and the great gentleman standing next to me for whom our ad would neese center for legal and judicial studies is named. Served in the Ronald Reagan administration and was the 75th attorney general of the United States. Please welcome ed neese. [applause] thank you. [applause] thank you john and thank you ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure for me to join john and welcome you to the Heritage Foundation. To welcome you to the joseph story distinguished lecture. This is one of heritage most prestigious events of the year. We are happy to sponsor this evening, particularly particularly because of the guest i will introduce. The joseph story lecture has traditionally been held in conjunction with two other important events of our center for legal and judicial studies. One is the legal strategy form. In the audience tonight we have nearly 50 ceos and from law firms over this nation. Where happy to have them with us on this occasion. The other event is a series we started some years ago, called the preserve the constitution series. This is one of several of these type of events which various aspects and issues of the constitution of the rule of law are discussed by experts. So the joseph story lecture fits right into that pattern where we discuss the importance of constitutional fidelity in the rule of law. Of course this lecture has been named in honor of one of our countries foremost judicial and legal scholars. The man who distinguished himself in so many different ways. Joseph story was involved in politics and civic activities in his native state of massachusetts. He was a scholar, he taught while the justice of the Supreme Court i was a member of that faculty starting in what i suspect was a patter that has been imitated by many justices since that time, including our guest this evening. He held various offices in his hometown and in that area. Also served in the house of representatives, representing his district in massachusetts. He was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by janes medicine in 1812. He served until 1845 when he passed away at the age of 65. What makes them particularly noted as far as we are concerned was his commitment to the constitution of the United States as it was written. He was a true defender of that document, our foremost charter and believe that being faithful to the text of the constitution and how it was understood to mean by those who wrote it and ratified it, as well as the amendments in subsequent years was the only way in which a judge or justice could interpret that document has they would any other legal document. So it was that commitment to the constitution that led him to write one of the foremost commentaries on the constitution of any author in the history of the country. It was indeed his stories, and commentary still used to understand the way in which it should be interpreted by the Legal Profession and by the judges and of course the members of the Supreme Court. It is appropriate then that the story lecture feature tonight our particular guests. Clarence thomas is a unique individual also, that is, for one thing he served in all three branches of our federal government. He worked in the Senate Office of senator Jack Danforth of missouri. He worked in the Reagan Administration in two capacities. He was First Assistant secretary of education for civil rights and then chairman of the equal Employment Opportunity commission. Then he was appointed initially by George Hw Bush as a judge of the United States court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit. And then ultimately as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1991. We mentioned as were discussing before we came in tonight that last sunday was his 25th anniversary as a member of the court. [applause] i cannot introduce clarence without also mentioning his lovely wife, jenny who is with us tonight. She. She has been a great helpmate of hers as he would be the first to tell you she herself has a distinguished career in the city and in our country. Both in civic activities, and think tanks, as well as in tv. We are pleased to have you with us also, jenny. [applause] when i say it is appropriate that Clarence Thomas be our joseph story lecture tonight, it is because of his lifelong and particularly judicial time of dedication to the constitution of the United States. He, in my mind is one of the clearest writers that we have ever had on the u. S. Supreme courts. His clear writing has made it clear, if you will, that the constitution is written should be interpreted according to those who wrote it and ratified it. That has been an important part of presenting the ideas that Ronald Reagan had when he first appointed him to have position in the executive branch and what president bush had in mind when he appointed him to two judicial positions. That is the fact that we need judges who will be faithful to the rule of law and to the constitution itself. If we are going to preserve selfgovernment and liberty for the people of this country. At no time in my history in my opinion, has this been more important to than it is at the present time. That is why were so honored to have him as our guest tonight. Randy. Randy barnett who i see here tonight, the constitutional law professor at Georgetown Law Center called judge and now Justice Thomas of fearless originalists. He enters the constitution as it was written. He went on to say that he elevates the original meaning of the text above precedence. In other words, he puts the founders above the dead justices. [laughter] [applause] i might add he puts them above live justices as well. [laughter] i think the best test of anyone appointed to any court is how the person who appointed him feels about it. That that is why think we should all be interested to know that president bush, talking about him said this about him and how proud he was of this election. He said, while Justice Thomas is known both for his consistently sober demeanor on the bench, and his thoughtful and respectful jurisprudence. He is also widely admired for his warmth among his colleagues, law clerks, the court staff. He wound up by saying he is a very good man. That is why i am so pleased to introduce to you tonight that good man, Clarence Thomas. [applause] joining him tonight in this discussion is the director of the center for legal and judicial studies, john malcolm who has a distinguished career himself in long, and government, and now as the director of the center here at the Heritage Foundation. John, i will turn it over to. Please welcome john malcolm. [applause] doctor thomas, it is a real pleasure to be here on the stage with you. Congratulation on being on the court for 25 years. Id like to begin our conversation with perhaps some reflections on those 25 years. What surprised you the most about your time on the court. Well, first of all can you all hear me . Because im having trouble hearing myself. I would like to thank general nice for the introduction. I think i have met joe in december 1980, and i considered a distinct honor to serve in the Reagan Administration and to have known you now for 35 years. And that holds true also i just think that i remember when youre being criticized heavily and that is an understatement in the city, your demeanor, your pleasant demeanor never change. Your positive attitude, your willingness to talk to young people and persuade them to your ideas but not returning it with fire with fire. That is as much to commend itself and much to admire. So thank you, not only for the years together but for your example. [applause] i would also like to thank heritage and all of this senator and all who are involved in this evening. Of course my wife and i made lots of trips here when she was working here and we just loved being around her. I dont spend a lot of time thinking back over the time, were too busy doing our work. I am not it naval gays are. We have enough of those in the society. Over the last two years we have some things that happen that the court, certainly last year that change the way that we worked. We have to be focused on that. Now, maybe this will be some of the things youre thinking of talking about, but if i reflect back over the years some of the things i enjoyed most with my law clerks, they make it fun, its the energy, the first year was really tough, i dont know how we survived that. But i see those clerks today and the affection that you have with them is tremendous because they were there at the beginning when we do not have systems, we didnt have computers, when we had four cases per day. But through the years, i think i have to say the consistency, the effort to have a consistent judicial philosophy when you cannot try to explain why you have changed, i think you are that to people. Try to make the work understandable, to make it make sense, and when it doesnt make sense to try to point out why it doesnt make sense. Something like the dormant commerce clause, like a hibernating bear something. [laughter] and if you cannot explain it, you should at least tell people why you cant. [laughter] if it doesnt make sense, as my grand day used to say it dont make sense that dont make sense. But we try to make it accessible. One of the fun times for me, and things that are not like in the city that i think people really enjoy themselves, dont know we were on one of our road trips with my law clerks and this gentleman comes up to me and he is excited, he runs up wearing gettysburg and he runs up and hes really perspiring in its june. And hes running and he runs me down. He has this fake with an opinion on. I need you to sign this. Im glad i caught up with you. And i said what is this . He said it is your Federal Maritime Commission opinion. [laughter] and i said why are you here with that . He said that is what this is all about. [laughter] but he said, i want to thank you because i can understand what you are saying. He set i read all of your opinions because i can understand them. I think were obligated to make the constitution and what we write about the constitution accessible to our fellow citizens. That empowers people by giving them the sense of the constitution is really theres a not to be accessible. Well, it is there and i think we had it from them when we write in language that is inaccessible. If you think about it, had a buddy of mine who is a wonderful, wonderful son who is quadriplegic. I remember before you head curb cuts, a curb that high, two or t wall of china. That part of the city were building was that it on accessible to him. I think sometimes we make something that should be accessible. Today of course we have made the curbs flush with the street. So it is accessible. While. While we can kind of do that with language to, one of the things i tell my law clerks is that genius is putting a 2dollar idea in a 20dollar sentence. As putting a 20dollar idea in the 2 said toots. Without any loss loss of meaning. But that takes work. It takes organization, and editing, etc. But i think the citizens, we went to people to present to the their constitution in a their constitution in a way that they can understand, to enfranchise them constitutionally. You take your clerks to gettysburg and i was curious about that. Why do you do that . I wonder what some of the experiences or reactions were when you have done that. They are polite. [laughter] actually is going to stop doing it and there some resistance to continuing the trip. I really enjoy it, i read battle cry. I think understand the 14th amendment in particular in the postcivil war civil war era, you have to understand the civil war first. You have to understand our

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