Hold and reflected on her governing principles. Here she is at George Washington university in washington dc. This thing has got to come down lower for me. How are all of you tonight. Happy new year and thankyou for being here. Im less of muscatine and im one of the coowners of politicsand prose bookstore. Thank you. And along with my coowner and husband graham was in the front here and are fabulous wonderful staff, we welcome all of you to tonights event here in our Nations Capital and on the campus of George Washington university. I mention our location because well, think about it. We are at an institution named for our nations first president and we are assembled only blocks from the nurse centers of american government, the white house and congress so what better venue for a conversation with the next guest speaker . Better Kamala Harris spends her days on capitol hill and youre not alone if you think in a couple of years she just might be taking up residence at the other end of pennsylvania avenue. [applause] sense or election to the United States senate in 2016 senator harris has emerged as one of the most exciting and refreshing voices in the Democratic Party and innational politics. The california native who started her career, i know. Im from the bay area two. We went to the same Elementary School not far from each other. She started in the bay area and ran against and defeated a long time incumbent to become District Attorney for San Francisco and won a hardfought race or attorney general of california and was elected to a second term in 2014. Two years later she was elected to the United States senate to represent the biggest most raucous, most diverse constituency in the country. With her she brought to washington or legal, prosecutorial and political chops. Lets just say that the Senate Judiciary committee on which she serves and the senate as a whole have never quite been thesame. Thank goodness. Thank goodness. Now with the 20 20 president ial campaign gearing up senator harriss name appears on every list short and long of potential democratic candidates. Andwhy is that . Shes proven throw out her career to be a joyful warrior as she puts it, willing to take on big corporations, fight to protect the Affordable Care act, work to raise the minimum wage and make education more acceptable and reform the criminal justicesystem and who stands more sharply in contrast to the presidency of Donald J Trump . Senator harris is a woman, a woman of color, a daughter of immigrants, a political leader who understands better than most how the dynamics of gender, race, class and ethnicity are playing out in our society inthe 21st century. You might even say senator harris is the best face of america in the 21st century. An america that values inclusion, tolerance, decency, and rights and respect for the rule of law. Someone uniquely situated to solve the challenges and to seize the opportunities of our diverse country and our diverse worldtoday. Before i get too carried away let me remind everyone here including myself and senator harris has not entered the president ial race. At least not yet and decides that the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire are still three months away and she is here tonight wearing an altogether different hats than the one she wears in her day job. Hes here as an author and because shes an overachiever she couldnt just publish one book this week, she published two. One of them being a book for super for children called superheroes are everywhere. And in a moment shell tell you about the other book he published this week is for adults and installed the truths we hold, off the presses this week. Its the story of a life rooted in social activism, civic engagement, Public Service and multiculturalism and family rituals like sunday dinner she still cooks every week making chili, beef stew, blackeyed peas, swordfish to name a few of her favorite dishes in case you ever want to go and crash her sunday dinners. Ill say no more about her book knowing you have a copy in your hands and you can start reading it the minute you get home tonight i hope you will do. Were also so delighted tonight that jonathan, pulitzer prizewinning opinion writer and frequent Television Commentator on politics and social issues will be in conversation with senator harris. Jonathan has generously and graciously moderated a few author discussions for politics and prose and there is no better interlocutor than he. We are so lucky whenever he set foot on stage to share his questions and insight and i hope you will join me out in welcoming senator Kamala Harris and jonathan tothe stage. [applause] it was a moment. Senator harris, thank you very much were being here. For choosing washington to be the kickoff of your book to her. For actually to be correct, books to her. As we see. The truths we hold an American Journey and also superheroes are everywhere. Im going to focus on the truths we hold and im going to focus on something that happens before even page1. And i want to clear it up for anyone who might have done this or is still doing this despite hearing it sent directly, its the first time. Pronounce your name. Kamala. Think of a punctuation marker, and then add a laugh and there you go. What does kamala mean . Its a traditional classic indian name and it derives from sanskrit and it means the lotus flower. And its very prevalent in a lot of asian cultures and the idea, the symbolism is the lotus flower sits on water but it never really gets wet. The water beads off of and so the idea that one can be in the midst of chaos or be in the midst of something happening and be there and should be there and it doesnt necessarily need to penetrate you but and equally important, it roots in the mud meaning it is grounded and one must always know where they comefrom and can still be this thing. [applause] now i need you to pronounce another name for me. Which for the life of me i couldnt do it and that is the name of your mother. Shyamala. Tell us about your mom or as you call her mommy. We always called her mommy. Im not embarrassed to say she is mommy. And she is in many ways the reason i wrote the book. Mysister of mine is here. My mother is one of her best friends from college is here, which i write about in the book and my mother was a force of nature. A real force of nature. She is someone all five feet of her if after you met her you would have thought she was seven feet tall. My mother what my mother was a truth teller. She was probably the smartest, toughest and most loving person ive ever known. She raised her daughters a belief that we could do and be anything. The way things have been we should all be in pursuit of being more relevant. And that is who she is and was. Your father, donald, also in immigrants, born in jamaica. An economics professor at stanford . Correct. Spin it keep in mind she comes from some brainiac parents. Your mom got your phd or the year you were born. Correct. Just putting that out there. Now your dad comes from jamaica. My father was equally brilliant, and is. He was that National Scholar in jamaica. He earned his way up and out and came to the United States to berkeley to study economics. And my parents met when they are active in the Civil Rights Movement. Its an interesting story, because as you know my mother graduated college when she was 19. What did i tell you . [laughter] and so she said something to my grandfather who was one of the Freedom Fighters in india for indias independence. My mother was the eldest of four children. And a girl obviously. She said to my grandparents she wanted to study science. And she wanted to go to it was considered one of the best schools and that was uc berkeley. And my grandparents looked at her and said okay, we will put you on a plane and you can go to a place youve never been, at 19 years old. This was in the neck 1959. While. So this girl, this young woman got on a plane, encouraged by her parents to go and pursue her dreams. Now, the back stories also that it was totally expected she would get that degree and go back and have a good arranged marriage. [laughter] [laughter] but of course my mother having been raised in being who she was said naturally when she got to berkeley was immediately attracted to the Civil Rights Movement. Thats where she met my father. When you think that was . I want to say she met my father and decided to have a love marriage in a marriage based on love which i believe is the ultimate act right . The question i interrupted your statement with, why do you think she was so attracted to the Civil Rights Movement . Guest she was raised. And growing up blue go back to india like every other year. And so i know the family that raised her. Because they help to raise us. And it was always about fighting for independence. It was about fighting for justice. It was about fighting to make sure all people had a say in their future. In their government. An equal say. And that was in her blood. And of course thats what the Civil Rights Movement was about. And the free speech movement. There are some funny stories part i was sharing with some backstage, i witnessed this as about in the book for my strollers i view. There is this family luncheon funny family story that my mother is marching with aunt marion, uncle freddie and she would tell the story about how they were marching for this is when strollers didnt have armrests and seatbelts. [laughter] so they are marching away. And shouting and all of that. And i think it was my uncle freddie, look down, looked in the story which was empty. [laughter] and said wheres, la. And apparently they left me a block behind. I apparently had fallen out of the stroller. And then my mother tells a funny story about how one day i was fussing and she thats much cuter when she would tell the story. So she would look down at me and she would say come alone when you want. What he what i look back up at her and i would say freedom. [laughter] [laughter] i wanted to hear you say freedom. Oh yeah. I wanted to talk about your father, economics professor, stanford, at berkeley. Have you and maya, you love going to the park. Yes. And your mom was pregnant would put limits on you and how far you can go and whatever. And your dad would say to you run. Run kamala run. Thats right he would say do not be afraid. Let her go, let her run. You run as fast as you can. You run as far as you want. And i believe that his wanted to say dont be afraid, dont be fearless and run, and run, and do not be afraid of falling. Do not let anyone stop you. Guest theres a question youre from the audience that i want to get in and we are talking about your parents. In particularly your mother. And since you did not write your name done a few here the question just say. I do think this is relevant for the person asked how has being half Indian American shape your identity and political views . Guest i was born who i am. I would say that the influence, the indian influence on my life is really, a lot of it is based on what i describe in terms of the experiences that i had in india. And the family that i come from was very active. And i know that. India is not one of the oldest if not the oldest democracy in the world. So the idea of debating and discussing what it means to be a democracy. You know my grandfather, i was the oldest grandchild he convinced me i was his favorite. But i now know each of us were his favorites. By the time i was six, seven, eight years old he had retired. We would go visit with them. My grandfather would have a routine every morning of taking a walk with his friends and buddies who were also retired, these old men who would take their walk in the morning and discuss the glory days and talk about politics. It was a great honor. People in the family and id hold his hand as he would walk with his buddies. Talking about an honest government. The need to wipe out corruption. A representative government. And i realized later how much i absorbed and influenced me. And so that was a lot of the influence in addition to being a culture as i have experienced it is very welcoming culture it is without judgment. Its about really understanding the things that one must aspire to be. One of the highest callings you can have tba studied and learned person. Money is not a money that someone aspires to. Its about knowledge. I think thats very noble aspiration. Host im going to fastforward here. Again since we are in washington, home of your Alma Mater Howard University thank you. [laughter] [applause] you are also also known as. Guest yes i am. And my fans are in the room as well. [laughter] see when you are a west coast girl, bay area, why howard . Guest a lot of my family members went to how howard. And talk about in my book. Thank you. And so i have family members going to howard. And growing up there till wonderful stories. But also grew up at the young age wanting to be a lawyer. And the heroes among the many in the Civil Rights Movement were the lawyers. Charles hansen, others. They were the ones that took the passion from the streets and translated it into the courtrooms of our country. And to the noble work of reminding folks of the thing that we dont seem to constantly to be reminded of and that is backed break point that we are all equal and should be treated that way. One of my hear you enjoyed here as was marshall another example of a great howard graduate. We can keep going. [laughter] and so for all of those reasons i dreamt of going to howard. I wanted to go to howard and i did go to howard. And thankfully i did. [cheering] and dw is also a good school. [laughter] host more to the point of howard. You do right with such reverence for the university. You right at howard you would come as you were and leave as the person you aspired to be. There were no false choices. We werent just told we have the capacity to be great, we were challenged to live up to that potential. Guest thats right. At howard its interesting jonathan, you remember because we ran into each other about 2008 during that election cycle. I was an early supporter of president obama when he first ran. She remember that conversation that would happen about is he enough . You remember that . And i was us arrogant. I remember having doing a few interviews. In response to that request and at Howard University. This is what i would say. One, when you ask that question, when one asks that question are displaying your lack of exposur exposure. Two who is a black person and what a black person can be and is. So i would explain. , i would explain what it means to stand on the yard at Howard University and i would say, now the yard is an area that is covered in grass in the middle of campus. And it is where we would go at least when i was there on friday afternoons everyone dressing up or theres no such thing as dressdown davis dress update. And we would all promenade. And people would display their feathers as a peacock. And this is what i would say. So if you stood on the arch any day of the week, journals whoever you may be. You could look over there and you would see young black students in the Fine Arts Department perhaps testing out there. Stances are Musical Instruments he would look over there and see young africanamericans and white coats, lab coats coming from the school to get my point people walking up briefcases from the school of business. You would see that the football star was also on the debate team. You would see that the homecoming queen was also an extraordinary science student. You would see that there are no limitations. And there are no choices in terms of false choices that one need make. And so you shouldnt be limited in your view expected of who you are and what is what. When you have an experience of going to school like Howard University, especially during those very formative years of 18 through 24. We all left home we were at the point of really grant our identity, who are we going to be in this world how would the world perceive us . The beauty of being at howard, and i hope that everyone has an experience similar is to learn and have it reinforced. You can be and learn and do anything you want you do not need to conform to anyones inbox about who you are supposed to be. Suet i wish id met you sooner. Switch i went to sorority when i was in howard. I was on debate team. [inaudible] i was on the debate team, i was the chair of the economic society. I went to my share of parties,. [laughter] but you didnt have to make choices. Host c wanted to be a lawyer when you were interning here at the university youd go over to the Supreme Court, you go on about the beauty of the Supreme Court building in houtz the most beautiful of the highest that you visited around the world. But when you went to your family and said im going to be a lawyer but im not just going to be a lawyer i am going to be a prosecutor. Folks probably thought you lost your mind. A prosecutor . Given freedom. [laughter] what did you say to them when they asked . Youre right. Many of then defend my position and what i said then is what i frankly maintain today, after a career as a Law Enforcement and as a prosecutor, i prosecuted everything including homicides when i was a lawyer. I was elected d. A. For two terms. I was the attorney general for two terms. Thats often known as a top cop in the big estate in the country. What i will tell you is that what i said then when i tried to live in the careers of prosecutor is the understanding that in that role you have the power to be the voice of the most vulnerable among us. And an equally important i would have power to make these decisions for doing what i did which was creating one of the first comment when i was the d. A. And then attorney general, one of the first meaningful initiatives of reentry around getting former senators into jobs and counseling instead of just getting re incarcerated. Oscars have so much power. And those who would likely about the criminal justice system, dont lose sight of the power of the prosecutor. And the power of a progressive prosecutor. Host you wanted to be a progressive prosecutor. Guest to make the decisions and to again not accept the false choice. About i will never make an excuse for saying this child is raped a child is molested there needs to be consequences and accountability ill always say that is on jose american has a problem of mass incarceration. We have been locking up black and brown men in particular. We have biases that are implicit and explicit that need to be addressed. I talk about all of those issues in the book even as attorney generals i had the first explicit bias and procedural Justice Initiative thats about trading police officers. Its the first one in the nation and i had the power to get because i was attorney general. So i terms of whats reach your goal dont expect anyones limitations about how to do that for you can be in the room at the table where decisions are being made pretty and be outside and equally as effective. Dont exclude yourself to be in the room or the decisions being made. You write in the book, and for those of you have seen me do this before, unfortunately i did not put the page number so i cannot tell you. You write, you cant one the police to stop crime in your neighborhood and also want them to stop you can want them to stop in your neighborhood and also want them to stop using excessive force. We do thats right. Host you can want them to hunt down a killer on your street and also want them to stop using racial profiling. Guest thats right. Simon you can believe in the need for accountability especially for serious criminals and also opposed unjust incarceration. Annette gets to one of your favorite mantras which is no false choices. You are arguing here you can be all of these things and be anti police. But what do you say to those who hear that, read that and still say you are anti police . Guest is just not true. So when i had to ask. Guest thats voice said you have to tell the truth but its not trooper its not true. Its not true. Host you mentioned your elected the District Attorney in San Francisco twice. And on this page and read did down page 37, you write was this really the time for me to it run . I had no way of knowing but more and more i was coming to feel that it wasnt an option. And then you quote altman. Theres never time the future roach we will work out our salvation prayed the challenges in the moment. The time is always now. There were people in San Francisco that said who are you to run for District Attorney . Why did you feel it was may be necessary for you to jump in their and run for District Attorney of San Francisco. Guest so in 2003 decided to run for District Attorney of San Francisco and challenge an incumbent that came from the old political family been in office for two terms. His nickname is kale because he was a boxer being known for knocking people out. I decided to run i thought i could do the job better people said to me and said nobody like he was ever done this before. Theyre not going to be ready for that are oh its not your turn they say is going to be so difficult. So run away from hard work. I didnt listen. I was all excited. Sitting in the room for my first poll numbers and they got handed to me. And i started out in very healthy six points in the pole. Which for those who dont know, six out of 100. I swear to you if we can get 12 i know we can win. I knew we doubled the number we could win optimism springs from many places i think he in that election something i grew up learning through the family in the community from which i was raised but also in that process, i believe the strongest politics or coalition politics. And its hard about understanding the vast majority have so much more in common than what separates us. And again rejecting the idea that we live in silos and we dont share values we dont share concerns partner wake up in the middle of the night we dont share the same kind of thoughts about what we need or what her family needs. The vast majority is so much more in common. So we built up that campaign, in that spirit. So anyone who knows San Francisco and the bay area theres anybody from china town, all these different demographics who came together in that office where everybody said nobody would go because it is a community of San Francisco that has the annual Family Income of about 15000 thats when putting my office there they come from all over and sit at this long table stuffing at the direction of my mother. Stu and she was your biggest defender but also your Biggest Campaign worker. Guest oh yes she was seriou serious. And then speaking of her and i write this in the book, even after she got sick and she had cancer herself. We are at the hospital as it turns out these were some of her final days. I didnt realize. I was sitting next to her, she was on the hospital bed. She was turned that way. And it was the ag race. And i cited to run and she said hows the race going . I said well mommy, they said theyre gonna kick my. And my mother took all of her energy, she turned her body over, looked at me and smiled. [laughter] statement i was saving that one because i am so glad. I wanted to hear you say that. But you also write in the book , rollover, looked at me and just unveiled the biggest smile. She knew she had raised. She knew her fighting spirit was live and well inside me. That takes us to the California Attorney generals race where you said you were selected and even in that race you write, one longtime political strategist announced to an audience at uc irvine there was no way i could win because i was quote a woman running for attorney general. A woman who was a minority, a woman whos a minority who is anti Death Penalty and wacky inferences go. Old stereotypes die hard part i was convinced that my perspective and experience made me the strongest candidate in the race. But i didnt know if the voters would agree. But they did, it took a few weeks. Guest it took 21 days. So heres what happened. What happened was. [laughter] [laughter] so Election Night. Election night as i read about all of my Election Night in the book. Election night, we have a tradition of family and friends, small dinner. And after the polls closed and then go to where all the friends and the supporters are for the Election Night hopefully party. And so i went to the place where we were which is lansing street which is the place i go to every Election Night. Its a residential Treatment Facility for our fenders and giving them training i urge you to look it up. The successful program. When we got there. My consultant that is going to be a long night. And you know, you should probably just get out there because the tvs are out there, they are on the risers its about 10 00 p. M. You should pray get out there and Say Something but its going to be a long night. I said alright. I wasnt in the little room and everybody was in the big room. So i walked into the big room, and all the supporters got lots and lots of people are there. Walking through the crowded people all tear up. My co this was incredible election. Against all odds, everybody was fighting. We are in it. Everybodys feeling really emotional. I walked up to the stage. I didnt have any notes is that its going to be a long night. But this is what we stood for and i could feel the mood in the room kind of shifting. And then i was done speaking. And someone who had been with me for a long time she came up to the stage i was standing on the stage she came up and to get back in the room. Weve been to battle with folks and somebody says something to do something you dont ask why. I said okay. So i took a step down and then there was this one reporter i will never forget her i see her sometimes in San Francisco. She had the cameraman there and she had this mike and my face as i was walking into the back room and she said what happened what he think happened . Is it we ran a great raise, this is what we stand for and she and i are not connecting. And i get into the back room, and then i realize the San Francisco chronicle had declared my defeat. [laughter] so i was only one of the room without her still the game. [laughter] they had been crying because i thought we lost. [laughter] and then we had. [laughter] but all worked out. The 21 days later the count was done and we were victorious. [laughter] [applause] host and youve got to read in the book how she finds out. Its very intense speech it was incredibly intense. Host so it one point because now ive lost my timeline here. At what point were you d. A. , or were you ag went de entered the picture . Doug. Speech it yes my husband. [laughter] yes i was ag. And had recently been elected. My best friend, part of what i talk about in the book and i would urge, been a lot of colleges hereto, hold onto your friends. None of us achieve the success we have right now without the friends that we have along the way. And i just have to stress that. Because theres so much about the book that is about policy and my personal story. But one of the keys. Actually the Childrens Book i talk about that. It is a trend. In addition to family because thats the main part of the book. But anyway, my best friend is blowing up my phone. Im in meeting after meeting after meeting. On her children are my godchildren. So i start to get worried about why she kept calling. And then i called her back and i said whats going on . Are the kids okay . And she said youre going on a date. [laughter] smacked that some nerve. She is so bossy. Best friends can be bossy shes bossy. She said you are going on a dat date. Dont google him dont overthink it dont overthink it just trust me go on the date. So i met my husband on a blind date and theres more to the story, read the book. Youve got to read the book. It is supersweet all guys especially straight guys Pay Attention to this model. Pay attention. Cement yet really is smart. [laughter] i do want to, talk about losing track of a timeline, ive lost track if ive got 30 minutes, 20 minutes left ten minutes left. But i cant have you not talk about issues. Will start from when you were attorney general that was right in the middle of the financial explosion. Foreclosures were happening you are writing a lot about the fact that you are in a big fight with the banks they were you demanded they do more. It got to the point where you got into, one questions asked and they want to know this. You got into kind of a shouting match with jamie dimon. The head of jp morgan chase. And as the questioner asks, what was it like to have a shouting match with jamie dimon . And shoot i did write down the page number. But you have this thing where you tell your staff get him on the phone. And they get him on the phone. See to is for the discussion. [laughter] host then you took your earrings off. [applause] [laughter] see when theyre already applauding and taking the earrings offered but she writes in the book site i took the earrings out because i am a girl from oakland. [laughter] [applause] host why are you so adamant question of giggling your staff said you couldnt call him, while youre so adamant to get them on the phone . Guest so when i come in shortly after i took office as attorney general is the ending of an investigation that essentially what they have been doing was there rubberstamping foreclosures on families homes without doing the Due Diligence to determine whether the families has lost their homes. The country was devastated. You can read about it what they did they created these mortgagebacked securities, these entities things there selling mortgages for cheap and did have the Due Diligence with with homeowners if they could really afford the homes. They were misrepresenting facts, they are promises they were not fulfilled. Thousands upon thousands of people in our country lost their homes to foreclosure. Horrible story. I took my team on the road with me to it meet with california panelists they had seven the top ten cities of the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. I will have a role of leadership at negotiations because we had so much at stake. The banks offered california two to 4 billion bid what sounds like a lot of money. I was asking my team as compared to what . Thats an event we dont have the numbers size of you got the higher economists we have to figure out how underwater are the families in california, county by county. I went metrics to compare against his two to 4 billion. And clearly they were crumbs on the table as we learn. I said i would go to the states. I would take my staff and my team with me because i said we are sitting across when you are sitting across the table from those lawyers to the bank want you to be really clear in your mind about who you represent. So we are going to go, travel up and on the state were going to meet with homeowners and hear their stories. And the stories were awful, jonathan. And i talk about in the book. No, folks, somebody told them your house just got auctioned off on the front steps of city hall. People who would, somebody would be knocking on the door youve got to get out. People were trying to refinance and at the same time the foreclosure was happening while they were doing the modifications to keep the home. Theyve just been foreclosed upon. Even though theyre all kinds of awful stories are completely unfair. And as far as i am concerned, it proceeded in a way that became clear to me that the lawyers were just kind of playing around with the details that did not matter to the homeowner. And it also became clear to me that there is a lack of understanding about who these families were. At one point they were saying things like oh they are trying to commit fraud. These homeowners were trying to commit fraud. I said have you ever known someone is proud of their lawn . Is that to these families are. This is there one peace this is the one thing that represents all of their hard work this is the thing that represents their future this is how they represent how they will pay for their College Education for their children print this is the source of pride. This is not just about a real estate deal or a financial transaction. This is about everything weve talked about with the American Dream. Anyway it got to a ridiculous point. I got fed up frankly. [laughter] i was in my office. And they said well the banks are just not doing what we think they should do. And it was getting to the end of a very long process. And i was just done. You know we had an intercom system when i was growing up that involves shouting from one room to the other. [laughter] and that intercom system works really well still. So i basically shouted to my assistant courtney. I said courtney, get jamie dimon on the phone for me. And the lawyers were sitting in my office looking at me like you cant call him. He is represented by a lawyer you cant do this. The next thing you know she got on the phone. So she came in and said jamie dimons on the phone i said okay. [laughter] host and doing with the crisis, there was so much going on. But to come back to what i know broadly about your book, mother wisdom, you write dealing the foreclosure crisis in negotiating banks. I know about your mother. I know she would have told me to it hold fast to conviction. To listen to my gut. Tough decisions are tough precisely because the outcome isnt clear. But your gut will tell you if you are on the right track. And you will know what decision to make. Now, when i listen to my gut these days, it takes on a whole different meaning because. Guest be here comes the twist in the interview. [laughter] host because last time i heard this is im doing deals and im not being, and by the fed. Theyre making a mistake because i have a got in my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody elses brain could ever tell me. [laughter] President Trump november 27, 2018. What is the difference between your gut. [laughter] and his gut . [laughter] [cheering] guest i would actually cindy has a gut. [laughter] i think there is a thing abou about there is a thing about leadership which is that you have to have the courage to do things that are in the best interest of the people you lead even if its not in your personal best interest. [applause] and you cant beat gutless when it comes to making those kinds of decisions. You have to put the needs of the people before your personal needs. And, so when i think about the question you asked. And isnt about that it also i hope it comes across something thats important to me in the book about the importance of appreciating the nobility of Public Service. [applause] you hold these positions in the trust pride that makes you a trustee. You are responsible for other peoples stuff. With that comes a great amount of responsibility and power. But the power is supposed to be used in a responsible way. On behalf of others, and in their best interest, which requires a number of things. Including some level of curiosity about how people are doing. [applause] and i could go on. Host please do. Right immigration. A truly interesting in the book you are writing about the law. But this is from 2017. Right there is a bigger reason to go to court allow the wall and the southern border is nothing more than a symbol. A monument setting in opposition to not use every thing i value much of the fundamental values upon which this country was built. [applause] then you quote and go on to say that her poem speaks to our true character a generous country that respects and embraces those who have made the difficult journey to our shores, often being harmed in quintessentially cando spirit to those who aspire to make the American Dream their own. The budget debate was offering a false choice from the entrance fun the government or oppose the wall part i believe we could do both. That was 2017. Guest and here we are. See what its two years later this is exactly what we are talking about. You were in that crazy meeting at the white house today on the situation room, what would you have said . Guest i mean look. First about lets be clear. You cannot hold the American People hostage over your vanity project. [cheering] [applause] guest thats what it is. Thats what it is. Thats what it is. Lets be clear about that. Lets be clear weve had enough of these powerful voices that are trying to sow hate and division among us. But i am done with that. Im really done with it. It is not only wrong from a moral perspective is unproductive if you want to be on a trajectory thats about achieving success in progress. It is morally wrong. Did you watch his speech last night . It was blatant. It was blatant. Host blatant what . Guest start on my african and dont want this stuff happening. [laughter] i mean what was that supposed to be about . Tell me that. It isnt about inserting race in a way that was intended to create fear and indecision. That is not what a leader does. Thats not the leader of the United States is supposed to do. [cheering] [applause] host you go on to talk by the immigration debate you go on to say there are few things more cruel, more inhumane, more fundamentally evil than ripping a child from her parents arms. We should all know this to be true on a gut level. Guest yes. So when you write in the book about your conversations with then secretary of Homeland Security john kelly who said to you when you called sweet echoes after the muslim ban why are you calling me at home . Be to correct. Host did he say that to you. Guest correct. Host were your earrings often to. [laughter] guest you know. [laughter] it is a whole situation whats going on around here. [laughter] at the process of writing a book was challenging in that way. Even to your point there is so much happening in the last two years. Right towards the and i had the deadline had to get the book to the publishers and then the Kavanaugh Hearing happen. And literally, part about hope everyone has the time to think about, theres so much happening so rapidly we cant forget what has happened and how critical it is and how important significant event in terms of most of these cases the harm they have caused. Its okay number throw thing over there instead of paying attention to this thing it just happen. We cannot forget what has been happening over the course of these last couple of years. We must hold on to the fact that in the knowledge in our heart and our gut we are better than this. Host another political question. And that is president blaming democrats for the shutdown. He is saying that it is the pelosi shutdown, the schumer shutdown, its the democrats, the democrat shut down. Only the democrats would give them while everything would be fine. Do you think democrats should waiver from the position of no money for your wall. Even if it means, the president has already said is not going to sign anything unless theres border while funding and it. Democrats hold firm . Host if anyone listen to how you just described going on and insertable youre talking about my godson and his train. [laughter] [applause] any good parent would tell you you dont listen to those kinds of tantrums. [laughter] and you dont reward bad behavior. Like i mean seriously. Seriously. Listen lets put this in contex context. The United States Senate Unanimous bipartisan agreement on the spending package, boded out of the United States. People were singing Christmas Carols while we voted. I was two. For the house of representatives bipartisan there is a whole package, bring that to the floor the nonstate senate. So the context of this is very important to remember. And you know, this is where i also say, a lot of people have become very dispirited. Certainly people come up to me and talk about how they are feeling. And i want to remind us that the beautiful designs that was created many years ago that is our democracy anticipated these very moments. And we created checks and balances in our system. And the design of our democracy is being tested right now. It stands on four legs. Three independent coequal branches, free and independent press. Whats happening at kind of like a Natural Disaster happening. You have the shingles are kind of falling off at the house is standing. The muslim banner transgender the military or doctor, the courts are saying gun to fire. No. Congress we may not have been acting on many things but on the Affordable Care back to you remember that moment not late great john mccain says no. On an attempt to what wooded deprived of millions of americans of access to healthcare. Think about the suppressed. So many things including this. Talk about the children unaccompanied minors and the children who have been ripped from their mothers and fathers arms. I am certain, had those crews of journalists not gone down and shared the stories of the American Public about what has been happening down there, if that had not had happened witnessing the outrage of the public that they had to end or at least on paper and that policy. So we are being tested. We are being tested. We have to in these moments of the introduction the thing about joyful warrior. I came up with that term is after 2017. Weve got to find time to sing, dance, laugh. Any fight. Any good fight is born out of optimism. Was born out of optimism. It was born out of optimism that we are on this stage having this conversation. In these moments we are fighting for something. And we must remain optimistic. And we cannot tire. Unless be joyful in that proces process. Host you right when you break the Glass Ceiling your things are going to get cut and its going to hurt. It is not without pain. Another thing you like to say is Political Capital does not gain interest, you have to spend it. You write the beginning of our downfall comes me stop aspiring for all of our differences all the battles all the fights we are still one American Family we should act like it. We have so much more in common than separate distributing to paint a picture of the future which everyone sees themselves in everyone is seen. A vibrant of the United States were everyone is created and trend trade with equal dignity in each of us has the opportunity to make the most of our own lives. That is the vision worth fighting for. Born out of love of country. Right later the patriot that condones the country, whatever it does. And is someone who fights every day for the ideal of the country, whatever it takes. On now, senator harris i would like for you to read this thats underlined. From here to here . Okay. Lets not throw up our hands when its time to roll up our sleeves. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Years from now, our children and our grandchildren will look at us, each of us. And they will lock their eyes they will ask us a question. And that question will be where were you at that inflection moment . And what i know all of us will respond. As we will say we were all here together we will tell them what we did at this moment. We will tell them the action we took. We wont simply tell them how we felt, we will tell them what we did. And we will be proud to do that. Host so my final question to you, senator harris, when your time comes, when your godchildren and grandchildren. [laughter] ask you what did you do . Will your response be iran for president . [laughter] [cheering] [applause] [laughter] host did you just say maybe . Joint to . Guest no. He went you have a time for making a decision . Guest no. But can we talk about the Childrens Book . [laughter] nice dodge. I just one type of the Childrens Book for a moment. Really seriously. Because i want to write. The title is superheroes everywhere. I grew up reading comic books, i love comic books. Im a nerd but i tend not to be. You know there are so many movies about superheroes. I wanted to make the point to all of us, because truly this applies to adults as well. You know, you dont have to to look at a screen to look at a superhero. And for children in particular i wanted to make the point that you are surrounded by superheroes. And if you look closely enough , can see that they are wearing a cape. And it may be your parents. And i talk about my mother and my father. It may be your grandparents. I talk about them. It may be teachers are superheroes. My first grade teacher, my first grade teacher mrs. Francis wilson attended my law school graduation. I talk about best friends are heroes. And i just think it is really important that as we raise our children, the children of us as a community, that we remind them of how special they are. And they are surrounded by superheroes. And the last page of the book actually, and i want to point all of you. And heroes argue. It is for them to look at the picture of themselves. [applause] in any event sue went okay i lied one last question. Speaking of heroes. You write about the time when you won your d. A. Race. That was 15 years ago. That was a long time ago. A man come up with his two daughters and he said to you i brought them here today so they can see what someone who looks like them could grow up to do. I have been with you in Public Places where people literally lose their minds when they see you. They are so thrilled to see you. You can tell from the audience a lot of people once you to do something bigger. [laughter] just on a personal level, how does it make you feel . What does it do to you that there are millions of people across this country who are waiting for you to say to words. Guest i think that there is no question in my mind that each of us we take on a role of leadership we have great responsibility. As when i see for example you described a parent coming up with their children. By the way ive also seen a father come up with his son and say thats also because of sing to young boys who dont have the burden, you can be whatever you want to be. But i think about it in terms of the responsibility. And to very report and responsibility to very seriously to try as best i can to be a voice for peoples whose voices should be heard and seen. And so thats how i think about it. Host senator Kamala Harris from the great state of california. Thank you very much. [cheering] [cheering] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] recently insurgency america pay since the portion of the soviet union. This portion of the program explains his book the dragon and the snakes. The title comes from the president clinton cia director. An audit and an incredibly impressive guy preview read his testimony when he was going through his confirmation hearings in 1993. He was asked, the cold war just ended what do you think will be the threat environment that americans need to face in the postcold war. He said were slaying goliath a large dragon, time but the soviet union. Now we find ourselves in a jungle filled with a variety of poisonous snakes. Many ways the drag was easy to keep track of. He goes on to lay out incredibly detailed vision of failing states, weak states and nonstate actors which im calling the snakes, right . And suggest that the state adversaries are not going to be a big deal for the media future. Which im calling dragons. What im suggesting is we have a period of about nearly 30 years since his testimony adversaries were involved. And im trying to sort of trace the history of how that happened and where they are now. Whats the rest of this event but a booktv. Org and search for the title of his book the dragons and the snakes using the box at the top of the page. Welcome, welcome to our session here on china. This is probably among the most distinguished panelists we will have at this conference on the most important subject which is the peoples republic of china and the commonest party of
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