colleagues. he was always willing to lend a hand, even to the competition he was a friend to all of us who work in the field. he was always there for you. he was courteous and kind to everyone he met. cnn knew the talent they had in jare. when the berlin wall fell, he was called upon to go there. they knew he would get the best pictures, and he did. i knew what i had in a partner, through the smaller moments that told a bigger story. one time during an interview in williamsburg, he stopped to care for a bird who had flown into a window. he took the time to find a rehabilitator and he ended up driving miles so that they could get the care that it needed. he always did what was right. i was his partner for six years, and honored to call him a friend for more than 25 years. i have never met a finer human being. what made him unfamiliar to most of you, he was a pretty quiet guy. he would not jump in your face if you got in his shot. or get angry if something went wrong. he would go about his business and always get the job done. all the time i knew and worked with jerry, i never heard him utter a foul word the whole time i knew him. he lost his battle to brain cancer a little over a year ago. he left behind his wife and two teenage sons and his young son brandon. would you please stand up and be recognized? [applause] this award honors his memory, but also what those in of fields emulate all that jerry stood for in his career. professionalism. integrity. it is our way of saying thank you for being a friend and colleague for what can be a demanding profession. i am proud to say that the first recipient is also a friend and -- respected colleague. please join me in honoring our cbs colleague, george christian. [applause] >> in his decades as a photographer at cbs, he had a front seat to history. he was aboard air force one on september 11, and covered the white house for more than 40 years. along the way, he continued to grow his craft and was recognized as one of the best photojournalist in the country. he can assemble and create a working at a news bureau anywhere in the world. i think both jay and i have seen that. george is known for entering a younger generation at cbs, and as -- for his loyalty he is truly walking in the footsteps of the late jerry thompson. who better to speak about this than his colleague? >> i want to say a word about george christian. i'll put the headline first. he is the best photojournalist that i have ever worked with. it is one thing to have your pictures in focus. it is one thing to have the distance right. what george brings to the table is that he has the sense of knowing when something is going to happen and where it is going to happen. >> it is left to all of us to tell you about george because he would never let on that that he was anything but a humble camera man. any president from richard nixon on could tell you all about george. as an uncompromising journalist, a finder of facts, in addition to being an absolute artist with a camera. on the night that richard nixon resigned the presidency for the first time in american history, he ordered everyone out of the oval office as he prepared to make his address, everyone except for george christian. every time i went to the white house to interview george bush, it was a christian that he spoke to more than i. the president was proud to see him because he knew about george's uncompromising values and ethics when it came to journalism. george has been a fixture in the washington bureau of cbs news for so many decades, and a teacher to every young man who has come through there. we have all learned so much from george. he has been so instrumental in everything that we do here at cbs news that i worry if george were to ever retire, we would we'd have to take c out of cbs. [applause] >> i do not believe what i just saw. jerry was a great guy and had a lot of talent he was loved by all of his colleagues. to be first recipient of this award this makes me speechless. i do not know what to say. i would like to ask that my wife please stand up. [applause] in the last couple of weeks -- i've heard people say things on me, congratulations. oops i'm sorry. they said are you going on stage? i said what are you talking about? that is complete and total surprise. thank you everyone. thank you. thank you. i don't know what to say. thank you very much. i appreciate it. thank you. [applause] >> just so you know how these awards work, we had nothing to do with how any of these people were chosen we had subcommittees to work on these, and we were free and clear of any of the decisions that were made. when we found out george had won this award, we were both very happy about this. cbs has total sweep tonight. george just said that the check was in the mail. i've been all over the earth with george christian. so many different countries. that guy can do anything, really. it is just incredible and so really no one is more deserving than the -- for the award. one of the things a john did mention in his comments, because we did edit them, that award was not a competition of any type. it was simply about the humanitarian and a colleague and a professional that we all look to and admire and trust. that is george christian. thank you george. [applause] how many camera guys are in the room tonight? let me see some hands. a few more than before. i want to talk about an organization that we recognize and support and help. it is called radio roots. it was created by lee ann caldwell. one of our colleagues. it is an after-school program that offers inner-city youth the opportunity to learn about and journalism skills. ethics and technical training. to support radio roots, if you would like to make a donation, -- it is a worthy cause. i've donated some of my own time to it. the kids are amazing. these kids are really hungry to be journalists. journalists in the sense of the word journalist. professional journalists. they have a passion for it, and it is a great group. now for our guest of honor, speaker boehner. [applause] i was told by kevin smith -- kevin smith told me on the phone, speaker boehner is not going to be funny. we don't do funny. he is bad at funny. ok. all right. fine. that's cool. we just want speaker boehner to speak. the speaker never attends these dinners, but somehow we got him here tonight. [applause] we have a pretty special relationship. i don't think he knows that either. [laughter] we have a lot in common, we have football in common -- he played at cincinnati moore high school under the ledgery coach jerry foust. i played at university. i was a quarterback and he was a linebacker. he was a linebacker. linebackers hate quarterbacks. he also was a long snapper. i was confused one night and told him he played center. he told me to back up. i told him, i'm not trying to put my hands under your butt. i just want you to come to the dinner. [laughter] he has a tan. i don't. i say hi to him in the hallway. he just kind of walks by. mumbles, doesn't really speak to me because i am wearing a tux and a camera. i would like to show you some photos of one of our more touching moments. i talked about taking the snap and he look like he wanted to practice that a little bit. this is the speaker of letting me know i should probably go on a diet soon. i think his words were, "that is kind of big." [laughter] and finally, this is speaker boehner looking lovingly at me. yes, we have a man crush, ladies and gentlemen. he's going to cry. i know it. of laughter. ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the speaker of the house, john boehner. [applause] >> well, jay, thank you. i wish you would get your camera out of the way. you keep tripping over it and i'm tripping over it. thank goodness you do not have that steelers hat on. we've seen enough of it already. good evening, everyone. i hope all of you are fine. i'm fine. it is truly an honor to be wayne brady's warm-up act tonight. i was in the courtroom the other day and i mentioned to my colleagues in the courtroom that i was going to be sitting next to the guy who hosts "let's make a deal". one of the more principled colleagues of mine said don't even think about it. when i get ready to do an event like this, my staff usually comes in and tells me what to say. more accurately, they usually tell me what not to say. you can't go out there and make fun of the press. i said ok, fine. i do that all day anyway. all you have to do is ask loud mouth. he is so rude. loud. he is taller than everybody. he is louder than everybody. behave yourself, junior. behave yourself. now, listen. you all know that i kid with all of you. you only tease the ones that you love. while i think we should take our work seriously. i never believe we should take ourselves as seriously as most people on capitol hill do. i'm trying to make every reporter's life a little easier. it was not much of a list, but when they said to me that expanded media access did not mean i had to do an interview. are ed schultze. [laughter] that was my idea of a grand bargain. i know there are some of you already out there tweeting and that is not real polite. ed is having a real tough week. i don't like him either, so i would not know. my staff told me to say it. speakers have come a long way when it comes to dealing with the media. back in 1952, just as radio and television were coming a live, they banned cameras and microphones in all public areas. they also refused to do any sunday shows. you hear that, kevin smith? the one that followed him wasn't much better. he once said that the media plays a largely intrusive role on capitol hill. wow! what gave him that idea? then tip o'neill came along. his point was wait until they put us all on tv. then there was newt. he is in a league all by himself. he is in a league all by himself when it comes to almost ything. these days, making our operation more transparent and accountable is a real priority. we're pushing legislative data online. we have got cameras and a rules committee now. you can watch all of my press events at speaker.gov. before you go up there, understand that the microphones and cameras are already on. i learned this the hard way when we were waiting for the president to come, and i was standing up there with the vice president bind. we were talking about golf. thank god we were talking about golf. [laughter] it could have been anything. thank goodness it was just golf. a lot of people ask me, what do you and the vice president do up there? well, usually what i do is listen because joe just talks and talks and talks and talks. every once in a while, he tries to give me some advice on keeping it together. he will say john, you know i love you but you have got to stop making everything such a big -- oh, well, you know the rest of the story. i am proud of the fact that we have opened up the people's house to a vibrant congress. i think that is a good thing for all of us. i never imagined i would have the chance to be the speaker of the house. never imagined i would appear on all of these programs. i am thankful for the privilege and opportunity to make all of you look good. [laughter] before i close, this is going to sound funny, we brought together the first branch of government and the fourth the state. all of us -- i want to acknowledge mike and olga who really do a great job for all of us on capitol hill. [applause] i want to thank them and their staff and the people who keep all of the trains running on time and help all of us do a better job on behalf of the american people. and with that, let me just say thank you for having me and god bless the congress of the united states and god bless our country. good night. [applause] >> for those of you who do not know, he is a merlot man. he loves merlot. but -- and we wanted to get him a good bottle of merlot. in fact, we were going to bring it here tonight, but then we found out there was a $10 limit to the kids we could give to congress. correct? so --we went to 7-11. [applause] the guy told us this tastes just like merlot. [laughter] >> thank you. [applause] >> i don't know about you guys, why don't you get ready. don't starts yet. i want to thank a couple of people joanne, alana, lesley, you three helped us immensely on our projects and really great work. joe, jeff, don. amazing work. this has been a fun dinner tonight. it is not over yet. we have wayne brady still. but before we hear from wayne braddy, i would like to hear one more time from the howard thunder machine. ♪ [applause] >> that was thunder machine. [applause] our entertainment for tonight. i see people walking. either you are going to the bathroom or you are coming right back, we are about to see wayne brady who is totally unpredictable. this is going to be an amazing event. wayne brady really needs no introduction. he is a four-time emmy winner. he is a superstar performer, a grammy nominee an amazing musical artist. he will star in a new show on abc in july called "trust us with your life." please welcome wayne brady. [applause] >> hello, everybody. how're you doing? c'mon now. [applause] i know -- i understand you are all very wealthy and you are full. not to criticize, but the thunder machine was amazing. they were playing their behinds off. they were playing and -- that is so wonderful that they are doing this. could you guys play again and and just once, every single northern this room clap your hands to the beat to make howard truly feel this! if you guys could play for me. you can do all that you were doing. [laughter] ready? >> one, two -- one, two, three. ♪ >> wait a second. stop. i'm sorry. there was one table that was so eager -- wow. save that. what we're going to do, now that i see what i'm working with. no, this is a good thing. this is a good thing. thank you so much for that intro. for those of you who do not know me, i started off as an improvisational comic on a show called "whose line is it anyway?" i am going to need you to be active part of this even though you are very happy with to liquor that was provided free. we're going to do a little bit of improvisation that i think you will be comfortable with. we're going to do an improbable causizational rap. because that that's what you look like you love. oh, yeah. for real. [laughter] oh yeah, for real. we have this easel right here and we are going to get words from you folks in the audience. we're going to put these words on the page. in fact, i need an assistant to help me. who would like to volunteer to come on stage and help me with the words. i would love to get a lady. you, ma'am, right there. give her a big round of applause. [applause] hello, madam. please, please, please. >> what's your name? >> shawna thomas, nbc news. >> nice to meet you. i'm going to give you this microphone. what i need you to do for me, in order to make this fly, i'm going to get words from the audience. you're going write down these words on the paper for me. i am going to take them word by word and create to the song as we go along. besides being my word turner and page person, you will also be my backup dancer. >> no problem. >> she said that quickly. no problem, back to you. and my family from howard, if you could back me up on this. that is what we're going to do. i needed words and and you never hear on the radio in a hip-hop song. pickles. true. let's make it hard. i know we have a lot of intelligent people. sequestration. sequestration. ok. we also have pickle's just to balance things out. more words for me. sorry? jubilee. what did you say? >> wolf blitzer. >> that is not a word. that's an epic event. >> ok. wolf blitzer. cotillon, you never hear that on hot 97. i'm sorry. filibuster. let's get two more words. compromise. way back there in the glasses. sorry? segue. perfect. now i need something. there are a couple of guys that they are angry about everything. i am going to be angry right now, too. i am angry about something stupid. what am i angry about? i'm sorry? unmatched socks. ok. i like that. let's see if we can go even further. something i am angry about. puppies. puppies and unmatched socks. puppies and unmatched socks. would all my family be able to come over here band a part of it or would that be a logistical nightmare? he is running, with cymbals. ♪ skipping. that is not a run, that is a full -- look at that. you just skipped with attitude. that is amazing. ♪ i've got so much attitude. i'm going to use a hand-held for this one. hello, gentlemen, ladies. you guys follow with whatever he is playing. make this up on the spot. everybody over 50 is seeing you. ♪ puppies. mismatched socks. i'm a bachelor. i hate being a bachelor you know that's why they are asking her. listen i cannot even cut my yard with the lawn mower. i just sit at home all by my lonesome. people are getting angry at me i got one a sock and the the other is blue and do not have a girlfriend so who knew sitting over here unwashed my clothes haven't been washed i do not understand. you do not like me because you don't have any hair out there you don't understand i'm a stallion and thought i might have a cotillion i am just a bachelor i get busy man when i sing the blues. i got myself a hot chick with cbs news i cried to myself i hate these puppies i got get nothing to laugh not even a puppy one and keep talking, my girlfriend goes blah blah blah filibuster. i guess the rest of my life i will be single i cannot afford a memo, i rode upon a segue you guys were amazing. every time this is exactly what i say i can't afford a limo i just ride up on a segway. thank you so much. let me help you off of here. that is what i am talking about. [applause] thank you all so much. please, another round of applause for my friends from howard. ladies. you are dismissed. i have never seen four people walk like that. that is awesome. four is cool. one would just look crazy. it would be crazy. what i would like to do right now, do you want to do the thing? should we get a lady out of the audience? glement another lady. i was told actually that there was a new -- we have a lot of news ladies. there was a weather lady here. a gwen, or was a completely lied to earlier? am i right? to my right? could you join me on stage? ♪ i didn't realize she was so far away. can you walk like this? ♪ hey, gwen. nice to meet you. a friend of mine in the audience told me you would like to come on stage, so i figured that we would bring you on and talk and then we are going to build a song just for you. she gets her own songs. stand up here. lovely dress, by the way. come on over here. i want you to grab the microphone. i'll give it to you. then, you know, just talk. i'm not going to make you sing. >> you're not going to make me do the weather? but it is nice out today. i get some credit. >> i do not trust you. tell me about yourself. i know you do the weather. >> right, in washington, d.c. [applause] i have been there for 11 years. it is weather whether you like it or not. >> and tell me the secrets to your trade. what are the secrets of the world of weather that you can share with us or your secret, because you have been coing doing it 11 years and you do it well and folks like you. >> i hope so. >> you have been doing it 11 years. someone likes you. if they didn't like you, you would not be doing it 11 years. your own secret. >> make sure however i convey my message is that everybody understands it. the businessman going on the trip, the mother going out for the construction worker. i tried to use basic language and not get scientific. not get too scientific. >> so you dumb down the weather for people? we're going to do a song for you right now. incorporating your message of dumbing down the weather conveyed to you in a way we hope you like. you know, if the president can do it, i can do it too. ♪ i -- i want to make weather with you equal to something we need love keep it simple for the other folks when the water gets really cold, that is what it is doing i'm a hot -- i'm coming over the west the two of us collide and we make what type of weather ooh let's get twisting over the midwest i think you are the best ooh because you do not use fancy words, that makes me happy when the water comes down you just dumb it down for normal people to see if it is cold outside wear a jacket okbaby, i want you to know, let's make some weather ♪ [applause] thank you for being a part of them. thank you. thank you. i will watch you do the weather when i'm here, which isn't often, but when i am, i will need you to tell me if the sun is hurting me. it is hot. must wear shirt. we're going to finish this right now. earlier, some of you till thou song titles. we're going to show you improv. the whole thing is jue a high wire act. i do not know what is coming next. we're going to do three. i'm going to say who the person is from. these are all made up from you. these titles do not exist. you will never hear them on the radio. unless it is right here. i will read their title and then i will perform the song. we will call out a style of music. the first one as sarah from manhattan. her title is "stop drunk texting me or i am changing my number." [laughter] wow. someone has a -- that sound to me like a -- let's do that as an elvis song. ♪ where is the camera? hey, ma'ama. ♪ take my number from your contact list or else i'm going to change it when you're drunk or you're butt sp dialing, leave me when you're out with your friends oh, my gosh! don't you ever pick up your phone again because i avoid you for a reason your obsessive qualities that make you text me when you are drunk like a river flows surely to the sea if you text me again, so help me i will call my friends at at&t and i won't get back with you no matter what for i i am begging you on my knees, please do not ever, please stop texting me when you are sitting there in the club and you are like oh my god that's our song and i'm going to move my butt and texting is the same as calling -- that's not cute don't call me anymore [applause] ♪ 6that just is not a song title, it is the last eight months of my life. from baltimore, she is a sensitive type. her song title is, "stay away, your breath is kicking." why don't we do that as the rolling stones? ♪ i can smell your breath from over here i was sitting there and your breath came out your rear i was having dinner next to the speaker of the house but it smells like something died when it walked out your mouth oh my god what you talking about you make me want to cry your breath kicked me rights in the eye because your breath is kicking [applause] that is a love songs, by the way. this last one is from colin from norfolk. are you here? he chooses not to put his hand i hope. up? it says love me even though i am republican. [laughter] that sounds romantic so i think we should close out by doing a little prince. think so? it kind of fits. it kind of fits. ♪ [laughter] ♪ ooooooh i never meant to make you run away. 4 ooooh maybe i'm rich and i've got something but that doesn't mean maybe you and i have a varying views on how the country should be run and i'm represented by i'm going to raise your taxes in bait because what canbecause i love you i do love me even though i am a republican will you just love me even show the i'm republican i just looking out for you yeah no i'm not loving it all i want to do is make love to you yeah i think i love you even though i'm not generally for love itself i'll make an exeption i'll do anything to be with you, baby i'll pass any bill that needs to be passed baby i would even let same sex lover -- no, i wouldn't go that far yeah love me even though i am a republican just love me right in the heart i have a heart? yeah people think of being a republican makes me a bad person it doesn't republicans need love too need to be hugged caressed as i lay down on my bed of money at night with a bed that i imported from africa and the fan and the house that i built spelling my name out from hieroglyphics i took from the moon i said to myself republicans need love because they -- ♪ thank you for having me tonight. jay, thank you, sir. i really appreciate being here. thank you. what an honor. you guys are amazing. my mama's watching because i am on c-span. i love you. thank you very much, howard. take care, good night. [applause] >> who knew his keyboard player looks like david spade? i had no idea david spade could play keyboard. ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when a camera guy throws a party. i hope you have had a great time tonight. you have been a spammed relentlessly with these e-mails. over the past year. it is a tradition at the rtca for one chairman to pass to the other chairman the gavel. it is my honor to pass this gavel to my dear friend john wallace from fox news. [applause] we're going to do a toast with paper cups because that is what camera guys do. before i give this gavel to john, i want to say thank you to cnn for letting me run. to all of my bosses and gave me the time to work on this committee. we got a lot of stuff done in the last year-and-a-half. that is partly because of my bosses letting me do this. i really appreciate that. you can give me all next week off now. with that, thank you. with that said, i love you too. i have no clue who you are. i don't know how people do this. i want to pass the gavel to john wallace from fox news. it is great to have you as a colleague and a friend and the 2012 chairman of the rtca. [applause] this is over. everyone follow the howard thunder machine to the after party. thanks for coming and have a great time. take care. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] ♪ >> next, live, your calls and comments on "washington journal" then a senate hearing on the needs of improv rished families. after that a house hearing on media access to the labor department's employment statistics. >> they are often refered to it is a conscious of the congress and after having worked there almost two years, i can't think of a better name. it is really the heartbeat of the people. >> executive director and general council of the congressional black caucus on the role of today's caucus. >> it is designed to make sure members of congress who are african-american can come together on issues plaguing the community at large that may be plaguing their districts where they can find commonality and discuss ledge slavet solutions and proposals toed a strans causes of people that don't have a -- to advance the causes of people who don't have a voice. >> this morning, david limbaugh, brother of rush limbaugh talks about his book "the great destroyer." then raven brooks talks about how the online outlets like social mediaes