still full of things and closely in touch with people, my understanding is that we have already learned some of the lessons in relation to strategic communications. i think when i look at, whenever people say in afghanistan, why were you there, that is the communications issue. i was at a conference, and they seemed to think president obama's announcement of the 30,000 extra troops, they have got all they need militarily but they kept saying we are not getting the case of it. that is all that communications is in the end so if i can say in terms of lessons learned, i really hope that we don't because of all the controversies, some of which we have talked about today and because of the events that followed from that, let's go back to a very old-fashioned sort of communications that doesn't understand the impact of the way the media has change. 24-hour news embedded media who are able to communicate ride around the world, something that they see there and then so you see a snapshot here and a snapshot there. and to keep the public whether it is an america or britain or any other country in the world engaged in a balton that and then when there is an international crisis,-- and the only other thing i would say is that i think it is ultimately a point, whether people like me or the diplomats in the military in the end but ultimately they do finally have to make decisions, and i hope as a result of the totally understandable remaining divisions and difficulties over the policy in iraq that we don't put a future generation of leaders in the position where the really, really, really difficult decisions can be taken. >> thank you. i would like to thank our witness and in particular for agreeing to stay on for a much longer session then we had originally foreseen and thank you to everyone here in the brehm both this morning and this afternoon. i would like just to say a brief word about tomorrow. we are going to let gatt other important aspects of the ministerial and professional decision-making process on the rack and use resource in the capability of government departments to deliver their policy objectives. we will be hearing from the secretary of the department of international development from 2008 to the end of our period and the cabinet secretary from 2002 until 2005. with that, that is a 10:00 start tomorrow and i will close paul kirk. 7:00 eastern on c-span. >> the oath of office will now be administered to the governor-elect of the commonwealth of virginia, robert francis mcdonnell, by honorable barbara milano keenan, justice of the supreme court of virginia. [applause] >> are you ready to take the oath in. >> i am ready. >> please repeat after me, raise your right hand. i, robert francis mcdonnell, do solomnly swear, that i will support the constitution of the united states, and the constitution of the commonwealth of virginia, and that i will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties incumbent up on me as governor of the commonwealth of virginia, according to the best of my ability, so help me god. [ cheers and applause ] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> members and guests, please be seated. i have the honor to present to the sovereign people of virginia the new governor of the commonwealth, his excellencey, robert francis mcdonnell. [cheers and applause] >> well, that is a lot of people there. kind of like one of your fundraisers. thank you. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you! [cheers and applause] >> thank you! thank you so much for the incredible honor that you bestowed on me. thank you, mr. speaker, lieutenant governor bowling, attorney general, members of the general assembly, distinguished guests from around the world and across the country, family and friends, fellow virginians and americans. good afternoon. i want you to know i am kept my first campaign promise. i said that it would be sunny and warm in richmond on inauguration day. [cheers and applause] i have been to many inaugurations, but i want to say, this is the best seat i have ever had. [laughter] we gather today on the steps of our magnificent and newly renovated state capital. from this hill, the land rolls gently down to the james river, the waterway of the settlers in 16 70. from this place, the sweep of history has moved us forward to today. this is the cradle of democracy for virginia and america. governor thomas jefferson designed this capitol building. governor patrick henry came here for the laying of its cornerstone. i am humbled today to follow in their historic footsteps. the general assembly first convened in this new building during the first term of america's first president and my favorite, virginia's george washington. [applause] behind me in the pro tunda are the busts of the eight virginians who became president of the united states. it was here that robert everyone lee, the son of a governor, was commissioned as the young nation split into war. it was here just four years later that president abraham lincoln came to begin the process of reuniting a war-torn nation, walking the streets of a still smowldering richmond. it was here 125 years after lincoln's visit that a grandson of slaves, l. douglas wilder took the oath of office as the nation's first african-american governor. [applause] and it is here today that an average middle class kid from fairfax county, the grandson of irish immigrants is given the enormous honor of becoming the 71st governor of the commonwealth of virginia. [cheers and applause] as it turns out, i succeed another descend didn't of irish immigrants, governor tim kaine. on behalf of the people of virginia, governor kaine i thank you for your great service to the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] today virginia is a thriving and diverse home of nearly 8 million people with one out of ten being born outside of the united states. a state of rich history and strong people, we do face many challenges together. we do not face the challenges of forming a new government or securing a new nation as did henry and jefferson or washington. we do not encounter the devastation and destruction of civil war as did lincoln and lee. we do not struggle with the injustice of slavery and its legacy of segregation as did governor wilder as a young man. we do not march into the bullets and artillery shells as the greatest generation did on the beaches of more mandy and the islands of the pacific. two members of that great generation who served in world war ii, special people, are with me today, my father, jack mcdonnell, and my father-in-law, frank gardner are with us today. [applause] >> on behalf of a grateful commonwealth and nation, i thank them and all of the members and veterans of the military for their incredible sacrifice and service to our nation that continues today. the actions of those patriots that have come before us had a common purpose -- to create and expand freedom and opportunity for the generations that were to come behind them. the creation of and desire for opportunity has shaped virginia from its very foundation. it was in seeking the opportunity of a new world that captain john smith and 104 brave settlers braved the perilous atlantic to step on the floors of cape henry in 1607. it was in securing the opportunity of a new nation that virginia patriots joined together with their fellow colonists in the first fight for independence and thus was born a country of ordered liberty that now in years later is still a beacon of hope for the world. it was in seizing the opportunity of an equality and a good education that a courageous 16-year-old girl, barbara johns@@@@@@b' @ @ @ @ @ g [applause] >> as virginians, we believe that government must help foster a society in which all of our people can use their god-begin talents and litter to pursue the american dream. where opportunity is absent we must create it, where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone. our administration will be dedicated to building a commonwealth of opportunity for all virginians. [applause] it starts with restoring economic opportunity for virginians in every corner of this great state. today tens of thousands of members of our family, our neighbors have lost their jobs. thousands more worried that they could be next as we confront the worst economy in generations, the creation of new job opportunities for our citizens is the obligation of our time. so all virginians who seek a good job can find meaningful work and the dignity that comes with it. virginia has received high-rankings over the years for being a very business-friendly state. now, these ranks speak very well of our past, but they do not determine our success in the future. competition for jobs is intense among the states and between nations. states are aggressively positioning themselves to best appeal to the entrepreneurs and the job creators. we must make this the best state in which to start and grow a small business. [cheers and applause] >> and that is why we will seek to reduce burdensome taxation and regulation that impedes job creation. that is why even in these tough times, we will have the foresight to invest today in ideas and economic policies that increase economic prosperity tomorrow. this economic downturn has touched every virginian. declining home values and diminished retirement accounts have wiped away in just a few short months the accumulation of savings of a lifetime. as jobs are lost and consumer confidence remain low, state revenues have declined and an historic budget shortfall has stretched into the billions. thus like so many households and businesses across the commonwealth, state governments needs to device new ways to operate and find savings. this will not be easy, but it is necessary. the circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore a proper and efficient role of government. without reform, the continued growth of government can threaten our very prosperity. we must properly fund the core priorities of government, which we all treasure. but equally important, we must use innovation and privatization and consolidation in order to deliver government services more effectively. and as we enact these reforms, we must remember the central truth -- that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but equality of opportunity must be guaranteed for all. [applause] >> all virginians must have the same fundamental opportunities to work hard, live free, and succeed in this great state. access to equality education is the foundation of our future opportunity. my dad stressed to me as a young kid, he said, son, if you want to get a good job, you need a good education. it was true then. it's even more true today. virginians are blessed with so many great schools, with dedicated professional teachers like my city nancy in amhurst who worked tirelessly to model the minds of the next generation. to compete in the global economy, every young virginian must have the opportunity of a world class opportunity from preschool to college. [applause] >> a child's future prospects should be as unlimited as his intelligence, his integrity and his work ethic can take him. no child in virginia should have her future determined by her place of birth or by her zip code. [applause] so well work with president obama to expand high-quality charter schools and institute pompei for our great teachers. more money must go to the classroom and less to administration and new opportunities must be found in the science and technology and engineering and health care professions that will provide the great jobs of tomorrow. let's recognize now that a high school degree is no longer the finish line. we must create affordable new pathways to earning college degrees. i intend to pursue a recommendation to confer 100,000 new degrees over the next 15 years in our great state of virginia. [applause] >> and we must make our community colleges national leaders in workforce development and career training, because these are the investments that will pay individual and societyal dividends for many years to come. barbara johns was willing to risk everything for the simple opportunity of a good education. surely nearly 60 years later, we can work together to provide that opportunity for all of virginia children. our administration will demand excellence, reward performance, provide choices and celebrate achievement. god has bestowed on our great commonwealth an amazing amount of natural resources. virginians have the intellectual capital to use these resources to create new jobs, reduce our energy bills and make our nation more energy independent. we will make virginia the energy capital of the east coast. [applause] we will do so by growing our natural gas and coal industries, expanding the use of nuclear power and promoting new energy technologies like wind and solar and biomass. and we will champoon environmentally safe offshore exploration and production bringing with it thousands of new jobs. [applause] and the revenue and capital investments that come with it. now we must also seize the opportunity to improve our transportation system by getting long overdue projects underway, utilizing new ideas to build roads and bridges and rail and ports that we need, a better transportation system will create new opportunities for our citizens all over this state. now, these are the policies focused on addressing the real problems that people in virginia face in delivering real results. i have had the opportunity to listen to people across the state over the last years and some have told me they fear that america may no longer be the land of opportunity that it has always been and that virginia's leading role in history may be just that -- history. they are wrong. [applause] >> working together as virginians, republicans, democrats, independents and the like, this commonwealth will continue to blaze the trail of opportunity and prosperity. and like the mechanic looking to the owners manual for guidance on how to trouble shoot the car, we should look to the founders and their writings for wisdom in governing. [applause] >> the founders capstone on the great american constitution was the bill of rights. no state or federal mandate nor program crafted by either political party should ever undermine the central principal of federalism enshrined in the birth certificate of america by those who pledge their lives and fortunes and sacred honor. the founders recognized that government closest to the people governs best. more often than not -- [applause] >> more often than not, richmond knows better about the hopes and fears and dreams and aspirations of americans than does washington. [applause] >> and likewise, fairfax, virginia beach, hope well know better than richmond. [applause] >> now as we pursue this vision of a commonwealth of opportunity, i urge all virginians to continue to seek your own opportunities to get more involved in the life of our commonwealth. after a century ago, president kennedy uttered those immortal words that you all recall, "ask not what your country can do for you. ask what you can do for your country." today i urge all virginians to rise up and meet this timeless challenge. we live in the most generous nation on earth. so many virginians give of their time and their talent and their treasure and rightly so. for the scriptures say, to who much is given, much will be required. right now i urge -- right now much is required in this nation and much is required for the people of haiti. so i urge all virginians to donate generously to the relief efforts currently underway in haiti. [applause] >> here in this commonwealth, i urge business owners to look for new opportunities to sponsor a little league team, help a charity, promote corporate responsibility in the communities in which you live and you work. i urge all leaders of the faith communities to expand your selfless work of helping the homeless, feeding the hungry, and comforting the brokenhearted. i urge all the young people of virginia to use your god-given talents and your energy to fully engage in the future of this commonwealth. i urge virginians who came here from foreign lands to contribute your culture, your history, and your traditions to the rich tapestry of life in virginia. i urge every virginian to take every opportunity to thank a man or woman in a law enforcement or military uniform for the preservation of our freedoms. [applause] >> there is so much that each one of us can do with our individual and unique talent to leave this commonwealth a better place than we found it. no government program can possibly substitute for the incredible good done every day through voluntary actions performed freely by caring individuals in virginia. and while government can help provide opportunities, it is every person's individual responsibility to take advantage of them. in recent weeks, i have seen people exercising that responsibility and changing lives as a result. i visited the healing place here in richmond, the carpenter shelter, the foot banks, the boys and girls clubs in virginia beach, the u.s.o. in norfolk and in all of those places, great work was being done by caring people. as a commonwealth, we must do the same and we will. standing here today on the steps of this great state capital in the inspiring shadows of our shared history behind us, we embrace the limitless opportunities stretching out far before us. and it is now here in this place that i ask all to mutually pledge to work together to create this commonwealth of opportunity for all virginians and add our collective foot steps to those of our founders through virginia's journey. it was george washington who noted in his first inaugural recall address a timeless truth -- inaugural address a timeless truth. the smiles of heaven cannot smile on a nation which heaven itself has jordanned. it is right to help one another. it is right to get together and solve problems. it is right to provide opportunities for all of our citizens. so my fellow virginians, my friends, leaders from across the state, let us heed the words of the father of our country, employ these eternal rules and get to work for the good of the people of virginia. thank you, god bless virginia, and god bless this great country. [cheers and applause] >> today on prime minister questions, gordon brown pledges aid to haiti. remarks from democrat liberal reader as to why the prime minister does not appear before the iraq war ministry. tonight on c-span. i describe myself after i left congress as a recovery congressman. >> president and ceo of g will industries, an actor and since 2003, he's been heard every morning on wal talk radio. he's our guest tonight on c-span's "q&a." >> president obama asked former presidents george w. bush and bill clinton to help lead haiti efforts. the three met at the white house. a news conference now on developments in that meeting. it's about 15 minutes. good morning, everybody. in times of great challenge in our country and around the world, americans have always come together to lend a hand and serve others. that is what the american people have been doing in recent days with their contributions to the haitian people. at this moment we are moving forward with one of the largest relief efforts in our history to save lives and deliver relief that averts a larger catastrophe. the two leaders with me today will ensure that this is matched by an historic effort that extends beyond our government, because america has no greater resources than the strength and compassion of the american people. we just met in the oval office, an office they both know well. i am pleased president george w. bush and president bill clinton had agreed to lead a major fund-raising effort for relief. the clinton-bush haiti fund. i went to thank both of you for returning to service and leading this urgent mission. this is a model that works. after the terrible tsunami in asia president bush turned to president clinton to lead a similar fund. that effort raced resources for the victims of that disaster -- that effort raised resources that helped rebuild communities. that is exactly what the people of haiti need right now. every day that goes by we learn more about the scope of this catastrophe any. the suffering that defies comprehension, families sleeping in the streets, injured and desperate for care. many thousands feared dead. that is why thousands of american personnel are on the scene working to distribute clean drinking water and food and medicine, and tons of emergency food supplies are arriving every day. it will be difficult, it is an enormous challenge to distribute this ate quickly and safely in a place that has suffered such destruction. -- distribute this aid quickly. we are working with many organizations, friends from argentina and france, minikin republic and brazil. secretary hillary clinton -- dominican republic and brazil. secretary hillary clinton will be in coordination with this government. we know that our longer-term effort will not be measured in days and weeks, it will be measured and months and years. that is why it is important to enlist and sustain the support of the american people. that is why it is important to have a point of coordination for all the support that extends beyond our government. here at home president bush and clinton will help the american people do their part, because responding to a disaster must be the work of all of us. those scenes of devastation might as not only of our humanity, but our common responsibilities. this suffering can and must be a time of compassion. as the scope of the destruction became apparent, i spoke to each of these gentlemen and last ast the same simple question, how can i help? -- they asked the same question. they will be asking everyone what they can do, individuals, corporations and individuals. i urge everyone who wants to help to visit www.clintonbushhaitifund.org. president bush led america's response to the asian sammy -- asian tsunami. as president, bill clinton helped restore democracy in haiti. he has helped to save the lives of millions of people around the world. as the un special envoy to haiti, he understands the daily struggles and needs of the haitian people. by coming together in this way these leaders sent a message to the people of haiti and the people of the world in these difficult hours, america stands united. we stand united with the people of haiti who have shown resilience and will help them to rebuild. yesterday we witnessed a small but remarkable display of that determination. haitians with little more than the clothes on their back marched peacefully through a ruined neighborhood. despite their loss and suffering they sang songs of faith and hope. these are the people who were called upon to help. those are the hopes that we are committed to answering. that is why the three of us are standing together today. with that, i would invite each president to say a few words. i will start with president bush. >> i joined president obama in expressing my sympathy for the people of haiti. i commend the president for his swift and timely response to the disaster i am so pleased to answer the call to work beside president clinton to immobilize the compassion of the american people. like most americans, laura and i have been following the television coverage. our hearts are broken when we see the scenes of children struggling without a mother or father, or the bodies of the streets and physical damage of the earthquake. the challenges are immense, but there are a lot of devoted people leading the relief effort. from government personnel who have deployed to the disaster zone to the faith-based groups. the most effective way for americans to help is to contribute money. that money will go to organizations on the ground who will be able to affectively spend it. i know a lot of people want to send blankets or water, just send your cash. one of the things that the president and i will do is make sure your money is spent wisely. as president obama said, you can look us up on clintonbushhaitifund.org. it is amazing how terrible tragedies can bring out the best of the human spirit. we have all seen that firsthand when americans citizens responded to the tsunami or katrina, or the earthquake in pakistan. president clinton and i will work to attack that same spirit of giving to help our brothers and sisters in the caribbean. toward the end of my presidency laura made a trip down to haiti to look at the emergency plan for relief programs down there. i remember clearly her coming back and telling me about the energy and optimism of the people. there is an unbelievable spirit among the haitian people. while that earthquake destroyed a lot, it did not destroy their spirit. the people of haiti will recover, and as they do they know they will have a friend in the united states of america. mr. president, thank you for giving me a chance to serve. >> first, i want to thank president obama for asking president bush and need to do this, and for what i believe has been a truly extraordinary response on the part of the american government. because i have been working there for nearly a year as the un special envoy, i have been in constant touch with our people through the un on the ground. you know we lost a lot of our people there, the largest loss of life in the history of the united nations on a single day. the u.s. has been there from the beginning. the military has been great, the response by the state department has been great. i cannot say enough about it. the people in haiti know it, and i am grateful. i would like to thank president bush for agreeing to do this and for the concern he showed for haiti. before this happened my foundation worked with the people on the aids problems in haiti, and i saw how good they work. finally, let me say that i don't have to read the website because they did, but i want to say something about this. all we need to do is get through medicine and water and a secure place for them today. but when we start the rebuilding effort, we want to do what i did with the president's father in the tsunami. we want to be a place where the money -- people will know their money will be well-spent. we will ensure ongoing integrity of the process. we want to stay with this over the long run. my job with the un is not at all in conflict with this because i am the outside guy. my job is to work with donor nations and international agencies, business people around the world to try to get them to invest their, the asian community. i believe before this earthquake haiti had the best chance in my lifetime to escape its history, that hillary and i have shared a tiny part of. the haitians want to amend their development plan to take account of what has happened in port-au-prince and go back to implementing it. but it will take a lot of help and a long time. i am just grateful president bush wants to help, and i have already figured out how to get him to do things he did not sign off on. again, i have no words to say on what i feel. i was in those hotels that collapsed. i had meals with people who are dead. the cathedral chilled short -- the cathedral church i sat in is in trouble. but it is still one of the most remarkable places i have ever been. and they can escape their history and build a better future if we do our part. president obama, thank you for giving us a chance to do a little bit. >> these gentlemen will do an extraordinary job, but what they will be doing is just tapping into the incredible generosity, the ingenuity of the american people in helping our neighbors in need. i want to thank each of them not only for being here today, but what i know will be an extraordinary effort. i want to make sure that everybody thought that website, one more time. obviously we are just standing it up, but it will immediately get people a means to contact our offices. www.clintonbushhaitifund.org. we were talking in the back, in any extraordinary catastrophe like this, the first several weeks will just involved getting immediate relief on the ground. there will be some tough days over the next several days. people are still trying to figure out how to organize themselves. there will be fear and anxiety, a sense of desperation in some cases. i have been in contact with the president and have been talking to the folks on the ground. we will be making steady progress. the key now is for everybody in haiti to understand there will be sustained help on the way, but what these gentlemen will be able to do is when the news media starts seeing attention drift to other things, but there is the stock -- there is enormous need still on the ground. these two gentlemen will be able to help insure that these efforts are sustained. that is why it is so important and why i am grateful they agree to do it. thank you, gentlemen. >> will any of you travel to haiti soon? >> what about secretary clinton? [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> the now the secretary of state hillary clinton meeting >> secretary of state, hillary clinton meeting with haiti's president. during her remarks, she reassured the people of haiti that the united states would bring medical suppose ploys and food. this is about 10 minutes. the press conference will be very difficult because of the noise of the motors. i think mrs. clinton for her visit, which shows, once again, her interest and support for haiti. since the earthquake, president obama has clearly stated how much help the united states and other countries should give to haiti. the last initiative of putting the two last proceeding presidents together to form a fund is, again, anar'r@ @ @ @ @) is already there. . >> i just visited a victim who has been since five days taken. he's taken care of by the military and american medical support in haiti. speek >> >> mrs. clinton's visit really warms our hearts today, but especially to reassure the priorities and needs and coordination that needs to be done since the earth earthquake. i will not talk on behalf of mrs. clinton, i will let her express what the american government wants to do towards haiti. >> first, -- where is the haitian press? first, let me -- [in distant chatter] -- [indistinct chatter] >> first, let me express -- that is a good sound. that means good things are coming to help the people of haiti. i want to express once again the deep sympathy that president and mrs. obama and our entire country feel for the terrible tragedy that has affected the people of haiti. but i want to assure the people of haiti that the united states is a friend, a partner in compound and a supporter and we will work with your government under the direction of your president to assist in any way that we can. we had a very good meeting about all of the priorities of the haitian government and the haitian people. we are focused on providing humanitarian assistance, water, food, medical help to those that are suffering. we also are working with the haitian government on the continuing rescue of those that can be rescued. there are nearly 30 teams from all over the world that are working right now to rescue people who are still alive. most of the people that the american teams have rescued our haitian. the president just met a man who survived for all of these days and we are very grateful for the rescue. we discussed the priorities of restoring communication, electricity and transportation. and we agreed that we will be coordinating closely together to achieve these goals. >> i am very proud of the work that our american embassy has done. for our u.s. military, and for all private groups and citizens and church based organizations that are working with the haitian people. i want to speak directly to the haitian people through the haitian media. >> we are here at the invitation of your government to help you. as president obama has said, we will be here today, tomorrow, and for the time ahead. and speaking personally, i know of the great resilience and strength of the haitian people. you have been severely tested. but i believe that haiti can come back even stronger and better in the future. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> [inaudible] >> there is so much that has to be done and that is why the president of haiti and i will be issuing a joint communication tomorrow. it will be translated into all the necessary languages, setting forth our intention to cooperate today to other -- together. much of the work that will need to be done will be reconstruction and rebuilding >> i describe myself after i left congress as a recovering congressman. he was president and ceo of good will industries. an actor and since 2003. he's been heard every morning on waal talk radio in washington, d.c. he's our guest tonight on c-span's "q&a." . .