and then i'll let congressman van hollen speak. this was about optics, i think, the question whether the president should look elevated or not on television tomorrow. here's the scene from the white house summit held one year ago, an exchange between president obama and the man he beat for president, senator mccain. i think if you watch it you'll understand why the republicans are sensitive about this kind of higher plane for the president. >> i'm going to start with john mccain. he and i had some good debates about these issues. but -- and i mean what i say here. i think john has also been extraordinarily consistent and sincere about these issues. and i want to see if, john, you've got some thoughts. >> well, thanks, mr. president. thank you for doing this. i think it's very important. your helicopter is now going to cost as much as air force one. i don't think that there's any more graphic demonstration of how good ideas have cost taxpayers an enormous amount of money. >> helicopter i have now seems perfectly adequate to me. of c

so today, congressman van hollen and i are announcing the framework for comprehensive legislation we intend to introduce in our respective chambers the week after recess. unlike most bills, this one has a deadline for action. if we don't act quickly, the court's ruling will have an immediate and disastrous impact on the 2010 elections. our goal is to advance the legislation quickly. otherwise the supreme court will have pre-determined the winners of next november's elections. it won't be republicans, it won't be democrats, it will be corporate america. leader reid and speaker pelosi have encouraged us to assemble this legislation quickly. the need to act quickly is in part what motivated our decision not to go the route of a constitutional amendment. others in the house and senate are preparing plans to pursue that path, but we believe we have to press ahead immediately. so in the week since the 5-4 decision came down, chris and i, together with many of our colleagues and with the white house, have finalized a legislative approach we think represents congress's best remedy to this ac

you mentioned chris van hollen earlier. chris van hollen and more of the party strategist types on capitol hill want president obama to stand strong, to really lay out their vision and make this election a contrast tweens what the democrats wants and what the republicans want and making something a contrast election is very difficult to do. it usually becomes a referendum on the parry that's in power or the party that holds the white house. but we've seen democrats be very quick to reevaluate their own priorities after a special election in massachusetts, after the rerepublican wins in new jersey and virginia. they are scared right now. and there are some democrats on the hill saying we shouldn't be scared. host: house speaker nancy plose ie earlier this year said we will sustain our majority. she didn't say by how much but she said we will sustain our majority in 2010. are they backing away from using that kind of language? guest: i don't think so. i think most democrats are still pretty confident that as you look at the n

you mentioned chris van hollen earlier. chris van hollen and more of the party strategist types on capitol hill want president obama to stand strong, to really lay out their vision and make this election a contrast tweens what the democrats wants and what the republicans want and making something a contrast election is very difficult to do. it usually becomes a referendum on the parry that's in power or the party that holds the white house. but we've seen democrats be very quick to reevaluate their own priorities after a special election in massachusetts, after the rerepublican wins in new jersey and virginia. they are scared right now. and there are some democrats on the hill saying we shouldn't be scared. host: house speaker nancy plose ie earlier this year said we will sustain our majority. she didn't say by how much but she said we will sustain our majority in 2010. are they backing away from using that kind of language? guest: i don't think so. i think most democrats are still pretty confident that as you look at the n

you mentioned chris van hollen earlier. chris van hollen and more of the party strategist types on capitol hill want president obama to stand strong, to really lay out their vision and make this election a contrast tweens what the democrats wants and what the republicans want and making something a contrast election is very difficult to do. it usually becomes a referendum on the parry that's in power or the party that holds the white house. but we've seen democrats be very quick to reevaluate their own priorities after a special election in massachusetts, after the rerepublican wins in new jersey and virginia. they are scared right now. and there are some democrats on the hill saying we shouldn't be scared. host: house speaker nancy plose ie earlier this year said we will sustain our majority. she didn't say by how much but she said we will sustain our majority in 2010. are they backing away from using that kind of language? guest: i don't think so. i think most democrats are still pretty confident that as you look at the n

van hollen: thank you, madam speaker. i thank my colleague. we're all entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts. it's a fact that the day that president obama put his hand on the bible to be sworn in as president of the united states, he inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit, a record deficit in this country. this is an opportunity for all of us to stop just talking about the deficit and debts and actually do something about it. for the first time since 2002, congress will bring as a matter of law the commonsense proposition that the federal government should pay for what it buys. and the history of success on this is clear. when this body, when the congress lived under the pay-go rules in the 1990's, we did turn deficits into record surpluses. after pay-go was abandoned, deficits skyrocketed, our national debt clearly doubled. much has been made by the other side of the aisle about the deficit in the first year of the obama administration, the congressional budget office is pretty clear that the contributors to that were two wars unpaid

i want to thank my friend, chris van hollen, because it was touch and go on whether he could be here today. we are here together and i want to think chris for his partnership and his hard work and invaluable contributions to this legislation. as you know, last month the supreme court shattered nearly one century of u.s. laws designed to curb the influence of corporations in our collection process. today we are beginning to pick up the pieces. truth be told, chris and i along with many others have been embracing the unfavorable decision ever since the court decided to read here the case earlier this fall. -- to re-hear the case. with a stroke of the end, the court decided to overrule a decade old ban on corporate expenditures override all of the voices who want their voices heard in the democracy during a time when all americans are worried about special interest groups have been much too much influence in washington the court inexplicably opened the floodgates to much greater special influence -- special interest group influence. the decision was corrosive to our democracy, hard to u

he is joined by chris van hollen for 20 minutes. ç>> welcome to the dry and non- odorous recording studio. i want to thank my friend chris van hollen. it was touch and go whether he could be here are not. maryland was plowed. we are here together and i want to thank him for his partnership and his very hard work and in valuable contributions to this legislation. as you know, last month, the supreme court shattered nearly 100 years of u.s. law designed to curb the influence of corporations in our election process. today, we are beginning to pick up the pieces. truth beç told,t( we have been bracing for an unfavorable decision ever since the court decided to rehear the citizens united case earlier this fall. then8 court rulings surpassed or worst fears. with the stroke of the pen, the court decided to overrule a decade-w3long banç on expendits and silenced the voice of millions ofi] americans. at a time when americans areç o worried about special interest ñrhaving too much influence in washington, the court çinexplicably op

five savvy house democrats are featured in the journal, including chris van hollen. the piece in the "new york times" last friday looking at some changes to that 5-4 supreme court decision. we want to get your reaction to that. re that decision. "a glimmer of bipartisanship on the high-profile issue of job creation faded quickly last week after teharry reid rejected something put together by top democrats and republicans in the finance committee. max baucus and charles grassley circulated a draft of their $85 billion package, including tax cuts and spending provisions. senator reid of the against the plan, saying that it would not pass and that it would not be helpful for democrats in the midterm elections." oklahoma, democratic line. caller: good morning, how are you? host: fine, thank you. caller: this is a big sucker's game. i have watched everything in this health care debate. i have no health care. i am 58 and from california, where they will let you down. do not yourself. these politicians are using their boats as a commodity. they have been suckered into belie

he is joined by maryland democratic congressman chris van hollen. this is about 20 minutes. >> i want to thank him for being here and his contributions to this legislation. as you know, last month, the supreme court shattered nearly a century of u.s. law designed to curb the influence of corporations in our election process. today, we're beginning to pick up the pieces. the truth be told, chris and i and many court watchers have been bracing for an unfavorable decision ever since the court decided to re-here is the decision -- re-hear the decision this fall. the ruling surpassed our worst fears. with the stroke of a pen, they overruled a decade-long ban on expenditures and override the will of millions of americans who want their voices heard in democracy. this is at that time when americans are so worried about special interests having too much influence in washington. the court inexplicably open up the floodgates for much greater special interest influence than we have ever seen before. the decision was corrosive to our -- to our democracy and har

and chuck schumer and chris van hollen of maryland talk about the supreme court's ruling onç campaign spending. w3çxtadtoday, a panel of law s talk about a new book, "the will of the people." america and the courts here on c-span. it is the only collection of american presidential portraits painted by 01 artists -- painted by one artist. see the entire collection on- line at the website. >> coast guard commandant reduce the coast guard's role in haiti earthquake help. this lasts about an hour. >> good afternoon everyone. welcome to the national press club. i am a reporter for bloomberg news and president of the national press club. we are the leading professional organization for journalists. we provide informative programming and fosterç aççe press worldwide. okçfor more informations, pleae visit our ue site to donate to our professional program. on behalf of our members çworldwide, i would like to welcome our speaker and guest as well as our c-span audience. after the speech concludes i will ask asçxd many questions m the audience as time permits. i would like toç

congressman van hollen and i will be working diligently and quickly to match those holes as quickly as possible. chris? >> well, thank you, senator schumer. i want to thank my friend chuck for all of his leadership on this issue and for moving together so quickly to respond to what was wither radical supreme court rescission that does open the flood gates to big corporate special interest money being pumped directly into elections in unrestricted manner. we do need to move very quickly on the impact the decision will have on our democracy. so i want to thank senator schumer for his leadership, and thank the speech speaker of the house nancy pelosi for putting together a task force in the house. i want to thank the members of that task force and others who have participated. because we have taken the ideas of the task force in addition to ideas for many bills that you've probably seen and have been introduced in the house and incorporated many of them within this frame work. i want to thank briefly about the two provisions dealing with preventing foreign interest from dumping millions o