Somebody said getting people together to write a book is like getting three people together to make a baby. [laughter] we met at the esquire club at the northside and had a late breakfast and talked about the collaboration and shook hands and never had more of a deal than that and ended up i interviewed him about the first race for governor and we had to do a sample chapter for the publisher. That went pretty well and the press seemed happy. Then he decided to run for the sidetracked soot it still took quite a while. I did 30 hours of interviews with him in various locations usually at his house on the east side of madison but also in the car sometimes and then i transcribed o the tapes. I always do that myself. Its horrible. But its a material that gets ingrained in you a little bit and i found when i tab transcriptions done even by good transcribers, they miss some things and the material is not as ingrained as when you do it yourself. I also supplemented that with interviews because it is the first person book and it is his autobiographyt by supplementedy ainterviews with him with fries and family and associates that pays to check his version of against other peoples recollections into that sort of thing. That was helpful. Its interesting that from my standpoint i was appreciative of the fact that he was always willing to have me as a coauthor in this business for the longest time and it still continues. Thats changed a lot now but i remember a story about winning the grand slam and got the contract and a writer named charlie tice wrote the whole thing and said thanks for sending me the book i look forward to greeting if. I would write a chapter and we would go over it. [applause] i just told them how hard i worked. He can put lipstick on an 800pound pig and he did look good. When i was the governor and secretary, i didnt get a chance to go to many of my sons and daughters basketball and Football Games because i was always busy and as of today i went to see my grandson play at his last grade School Football game. I hope that you willth understad we might have violated a few traffic things coming here but i got here. To start i think the governor would love to hear how a kid from l. Really gotow into politics. I know that her father was the county board and used to have meetings on fridays at the sto store. It was very small but it is the Center Political action to elroy wisconsin. They would stick around and talk about my father the chairman of the count county committee for building roads and bridges and all the farmers ha would come in and find out where the roads were going toe be built my fatr was quite a negotiator to figure out where the roads and bridges were and he woul we would traved and look at them so thats how i got it and i really got excited about the give and take the more importantly getting things done. Its how to get things done and i think that is what he picked up when he was interviewing me for many hours and he did a great job. He had played football and tried to make sure that every graduate from here went to the university and i was no exception so he asked me where i was going to go and i said i was going to go to madison. He said you are not smart enough and you cant play football there. Why are you going. He was a very good guidance counselor and friend to myself and a teacher and my parents but he was very upset that i didnt go to platteville so instead of saying they had elected a governor, with a great politician my father was at the county board, and i always resented the fact that i didnt even make the cutting room floor it wasnt even in it and in the history. You worked in the capital for the sergeant of arms and there was a story that you told he would ask you to take care of the senators. When i was going through school i heard they were hiring people at the capitol. My father said go see louis c. Represents the market counties. I found out later he wouldnt see me because he was afraid i would run against them, which i did. Hhe knew what her but he didnt know me that somehow somebody called him and said Young Tommy Thompson we have money to hire clerks under the Board Foundation and he would like to know if you will hire them. I never met the man or got the chance to thank him that he hired me so i was a clerk and he was a senator from west allis and learned a lot from him and pandemic compromises. Always read the bills. Buy stock and put them in the top drawer. Ive done that and they never so and he was quite wealthy. Then after about six months or a year to day had some extra money into the senate was going a littlhaving alittle bit longer e days and sometimes they get night sessions said he asked another student and myself if we would take over the job of coming the senate when he wasnt there from five to nine and run errands and do things for the senators i jumped at the occasion because we could work for four hours and study if the senate wasnt in session were we didnt have anything to do, so it was a fantastic job. But sometimes the senate was in session. This one night the senate was in session so they have a call in means unless excused they havee to vote. So in his younger days, he liked to have a few starts and that afternoon we knew where he was and john gable and i went over there to get him and he was in no mood to come back and vote. We said well you have to. He said im not going. Finally, we convinced him. We got him out in the front street right there by the stop and go lines and he decided when he was going to step on the curb that he should go back and get a drink so he decided to turn. He had so many in him so he doubled up his fist and went like that. He went all the way around, fell down on his back and hit his head. I thought he was really hurt that he had enough alcohol in him that it didnt phase him. They took him in and then he was taken to his office and slept it off. Today that would never happen. The press would have picked it up. This would have made the Capital Times and the state journal and so on and so forth but it was just a way to get things done. I had free credit three creditsw school. Does anybody render the professor, i had to pick up three credits and he took me under his wing and said he would give me an opportunity to write a story and i did. He couldnt get the job and i announced i was going to run against him because i wasnt going to go into the air force until january. So i decided my way of thinking was they didnt have a chance because he was in 16 years and so i decided i was going to run against him for the state assembly. So i did. It was done the first week in august an and the second week in september when the primary was, soso i had six weeks and they didnt have any money so i borrowed 500 from the bank, a 100 car that had 225,000 miles. I ran on highway safety. Then i went all over. I would go to all these small communities. You cant do that today. At two or 3 00 when it was full speed to [laughter] nobody knocked on doors back then so my good friend here and against me and i went doortodoor and i was scared to death. I went around and then i go to the businesses and a oneday story i went to this chevrolet dealer and i waited for the owner. I sat down in his office and introduced myself and said i was running and i didnt have much money that i got a lot of spirit and a lot of good ideas and small businessegoodsmall businee you to help me. Ityoure the first one that has come in. They said that great. Thank you very much and i walked out and i left and in three minutes he comes up chasing me down and assess i decided im not going to vote for you. [laughter] i got the biggest fool in the world who was the best business person. What do i do buy are you not supporting me and they said you are not verywh smart. I have 35 employees. Auto mechanics in the backroom of. How are you going to win and im only one vote in this 45. Second, go and make sure you always go behind and shake hands with everybody in the business which i started from that day forward and ive always done it. He took me to one of hispr prive clubs and to fill in the story, he was taking a young governor under his arm. We were going to go to a club for some other ticket and it is a fun organization but he took me behind. Everybody knew him because he had a metal often and he said to me to reaffirm whats happened to me atet the dealership back n montella and peace has never, ever forget where you come from. Thats why i never forgot about or related or my basic lessons in politics and that is what he was so good to capture. Am i talking too much . [laughter] the republicans are in the majority that they need and want your vote to elect them speaker. The republicans came back i and when i ran in the primary, everybody supported him because he was the incumbent and nobody would support me. When i won the primary everybody wants of course,e, cant know wo is Tommy Thompson said they would come to meet me and i got my first donation back then you could take some cash i got 50 in cash and a bunch of spam is. I wrote it down and it was somebody here in madison. Then the republicans won control of the assemblies have been one position in the assembly of course is the speaker and there were four candidates runningsp r speaker. Maybe a name some of you can remember. There were 51 republicans, so 26 is going to win. In the front room of my i mothes house. They say im a conservative also i. If you put me on the joint finance committee they would never put any christian that i knew i was young and nobody would pay any attention to me but on the joint finance, they had to go. But beyond the joint finance committee. They said you cant do that. A week later he calls back and i decided i. Three days before the vote was 26 to 25 and both sides thought they had one. He said okay. Everybody was saying that he one to 25. He called me up and said well do i have to put you on finance ang these absolutely. So he did and that is all i got out of the joint finance as a freshman. It was interesting times. Reach out ahead of it and you become the minority in the 80s. He was elected in 82 and you were thinking of running for governor but you run on increasing the number of Republican Assembly seats in 84. Can you talk about that and howw if the queue around the state . I decided i wanted to run for governor and i knew that nobody knew where elroy wisconsin was or. The republicans only have 40 seats. I went to the convention and they ask are you going to run for governor against him and i said only if ior can increase considerably the number of seats in the assembly. And i still remember tom and tony saying they like me but you made a terrible mistake i. They are increasing the number of seats in the assembly. She always wore these flamboyant hats. Remember when you go to the Kentucky Derby she had a half for every occasion like this room she would fly up to the chairman and i pointed at the caucus secretary and diane was my administrative assistant. She would fly in, i would sleep and we would go around and recruit candidates and raise money for the assembly. Everybody wanted to give money to the senate because they didnt think we had a chance in the assembly. And so, i went around and Butch Johnson was a blogger and he called me and said if you bring the women up here with the dig at, im going to disown you and we are not going to give any money to you. So, she was with me and she charmed the whole thing. She was a hit. We raised a lot of money and got good candidates. I went over to the state getting my money out there raising money for theti candidates. All of these republican candidates that one in 84 we picked up eight seats if it was the biggest story. Could never get enough republicans elected in the assembly that i decided to write one decided to run for governor. Mb a very good story i think have i ever told you that the kenosha mayor. This is a funny story. [laughter] john won the election of mayor by one vote and henry how many remember henry meyer . Almost a socialist democrat and part of his democratic heritage but he could not stand tony earl and tony would put her prison in milwaukee do you remember that . He wouldnt back off of that so they called me up and said come seenr me i will support you. Meyeru imagine henry never supported republican in his life to call me up out of nowhere so he could support me for i talked to him for a whiled he said i will support you i think i can get the kenosha mayor to support you. He calls up the mayor and said tommy was to come over and have lunch with you be a friend to me and meet with him hes a good guy and support him so i went to kenosha you have to realize at that time the most Democratic Community in theti state and kenosha is old time Democratic Union bosses andrs supporters they never elected a republican so i went down there and the mayor just wanted he did not want to be seen with me. He said come to the parking lot so now here is this guy a mayor coming out of his office and knocks on the window and says are you thompson . He said no im the driver and says im Tommy Thompson he says i cannot shake your hand somebody may seeon me i will go back in the side door but i will leave it open come in the sidede door no i can be seen with you wait five minutes and dont talk to anybody. So he went in. What the hell is going on . What is he setting me up for quick so i went in to want to go to lunch . Know i ordered sandwiches. Sod i went in the door but being Tommy Thompson i shook hands with everybody i could see it i walk up the steps shaking hands he came out and said dont shake hands. He camei in anybody see you and i said i dont know. [laughter] [applause] longid story short. I said what can you do for me . He said i can support you but not publicly. Can you put on a fundraiser . No. I cant go down the street so i can you do . I can talk to some republicans. I said okay but immediately after i got elected i got a call from john to say i supported you can i have a job . [laughter] and i gave him one. He never once did anything for me but even as the mayor of kenosha comes down like this. So nobody would see him because he didnt want to be seen with a republican it is a sign of the times. I do have to skip some things we are getting low on time but a couple of washingtonti stories to talk about your day online 11. You were coming in the car whenen the first tower was hit. And to talk about my thing . We my guess. Fight on the heels of 9 11. That happened we all remember where we were. If anybody knows me they know that i can stand not to be doing something to make a change. In this country we have 36000 americans die every year from the flu. Last year was 70000. So i decided one of my causes was to come up with a ubiquitous vaccine for flu and i invited scientist from all over coming online 11 we would have a seminar of the best scientists that we could come up with with a vaccine and i was giving a speech in the morning and the first thing i heard coming in at 846 the first plane hit the tower then 16 minutes later the next one i was in my office and i called in. I knew something was bad but it was beautiful out so i called to my lawyers. The president was in florida the Vice President was down in the bunker. So i knew i had to be in charge a lot of people would be injured and somebody had to take care of them. So i called in my lawyers its never been done before i dont even know if i had the authority. I said i want to declare a i National Health emergency. He said i dont know if we can i just said figure out how to do it and get backd here. Was at 9 16 a. M. Your 45 minutes at 10 00 a. M. I declared a Health Emergency we were the last ones to get a plane in the air. Remember they were grounded . Eight medical depots around america that are topsecret with tons of medical supplies we sent the plane filled it up with medical supplies and flew it to new york and had it there by 5 00 in the afternoon the only one outside of the air force i got a plane in the air for medical supplies to new york jets, medicinesckr ne,g and god it up there to be unloaded then at 1130 cheneys bright idea all secretaries except for colin powell and Donald Rumsfeld had to go to a cloistered site in West Virginia its down 175 feet it is a huge city of they didnt know what was happening they wanted to make sure there would be one secretary alive. I wouldnt go they had helicopters. I had all these things toodn do. I was ordered to go by the Vice President to get on the going. Said im not he said then you will be arrested. The plane came at 1220 with federal security out there to arrest me and my chief of staff and my deputy secretary that it would be great the chiefs of staff that it would not look good on this terrible day to have you arrested. And my own security said you can do it so i said if i have to go you get the car and you get the back door i will walk in and walk out and you give me back here right away. He said okay mister secretary perk all the secretaries were mad at me because they were waiting since 12 00 i get on at 12 50 p. M. And then we have dormitories with every one of those departments with some cleaning stuff i throw it on my bed and i said tired im nervous can i take a walk . Wheres the back door . So then i walk. That is how big it is. A mile and a a half. I walk out there here is mike i said go as fast as you can do 100 Miles Per Hour i got there at 430 back in the office much to the chagrin of the deputy secretary and i took over and a lot of the employees wanted to see me will be open the door i said i will be here i would love to have you come so the next morning at 5 00 in the morning i was out in front of the building shaking hands you hrhave to imagine the plane that was going to hit the capital would have been right by the Humphrey Building so i said i will be here if you are not afraid come in. So why shook hands with everyone of mymi employees and i welcome them and i made up to new york the first secretary to go there two days before bush i was walking down the streets of new york to see the hospital or those individuals and then one of the worst things ive ever done in my life i went down to the more that afternoon and you can imagine the people were trying to find their loved ones bringing in hairbrushes some of those doctors that had worked for me and they were having fragments of bodies to get dna. It was so utterly impossible. And then to open up for audience questions. So a great story you were on point for Medicare Part d but it was a brutal fight on the house floor in the story you told that the end one vote short and then he wants to talk to who . I needed his f vote to take the 217 votes with part d that was my idea in my department came up with that even though george bush gets the credit it was really tommy Tommy Thompson remember to thank me but we were having a tough time getting it passed. The speaker called me over to say president bush to his credit was wonderful he came in from england i think to see the queen and just landed the night before. So i have this individual congressman wanted to wait again who the president would appoint as a federal judge i called over and said you have to tellal the president so i can talk to him and he will be assure the two congressmen he will appoint the congressmen in arizona. You wanthe me to call the president at 4 00 in the morning . I said yes. The president gets on. Not happy i woke him up and said mister president , we have a situation with two individuals that may vote for part d and if we get reassurance so they got on the phone and said yes bring him on but after it was all over he said they would vote for it. This is. After we kept the role open the longest it had ever been open 1 30 a. M. Through 4 30 a. M. And then that past and there were two other individual so we ended up with 219 votes we only needed 217 so that past that was the beginning of part d which one is the most popular programs in medicare today Everybody Loves it and it worked out very well. Very effective but then the president called me at 9 00 i went right from the floor of the capital to my office the president said good job tommy if you ever call me again at 4 00 in the morning. [laughter] so thats the story. We have a microphone over here ask your question. We will take a couple questions then we will keep the conversationon going and also a couple more of your questions its good to see you. You write movingly in the beginning how you wanted to be secretary of transportation to bring highspeed rail to the country. Youre trying to set me up to get me in trouble. [laughter] youre always trying to get me into a political difficulty. You do write the importance of highspeed rail. [applause] at the turn of the century chicago northwestern on their way to minneapolis on one side of the train coming into town so i love trains. So wisconsin and the midwest be better off with the highspeed rail . Yes. Dontel put me in a position to put myself against him because i support him but i believe in highspeed trains i always have. I think s highspeed trains would solve a lot of problems you just go up and down the interstate the bypass around madison now you have to find ways to move people and highspeed trains that has a lot of opportunities. [applause]. If you have an appointment an opponent tell you a ms. Truth how do you handle that . You say thats not true. I have to tell you to this day every one of my democratic opponents runningts against me is my friend. Tony is my friend i love the guy hes wonderful and a great individual we are the best of friends if he was here he would say thats absolutely true. Even though we fought on the floor in the state legislature you could disagree but dontab have to be disagreeable. And then to get along in the state senate throughout the wholee life and i felt really sad when ed left it had a lot to offer his points of view are not mine but i always consider him an honest individual i guess i have been lucky i have opponents i respect and admire. Governor you have said one of the things you regret is building so many prisons too many people were locked up for too long. How do we change that . Follow my lead the nextm several months. I am pushing to a Second Chance initiative. At the time, put yourself back then a lot of judges that were not sensitive to those sentencesof and and to get out soonerm that wasnt a very good system. That as i begot truthtr in sentencing. And then when the girl was out trickortreating and i dont know if you remember that and was killed. Of very heinous crime. So to get out in milwaukee that people really thought we had to get tougher. Butnt since then i have evolved into believing now that we can do a much better job. Here is what i want to do. And my daughter kelly thompson. [applause] she is the head of the public defender the joke is that i was putting them away and she was keeping them out an interesting conversation but i came aroundal to her point of view because i want your help onnt this with the assessment some prisoners should not get out. But there are some good people that because of circumstance, the way they were brought up, i was no angel in high school or college and i bet some of you agree with me that you did things that were not always according to the law. Butg i want to make an assessment then i want to turn the prison into a Vocational School i talkedpr to blackhawk university with a Vocational School i want them to set up a Vocational Program and that i want to get the others to sponsor prisoners and then want to put 300 through the course we need workers we have all of these prisoners a cost is 35000 a years i want to rehabilitate first drug and alcohol treatment 65 percent still have alcohol and drug problems and want to get that taken care of than put them through the intensive course Vocational Training through the university than the employers to sponsor them so that they can become interns and go to school in the morning work in the planter of the company in the afternoon and then come back to prison in the afternoon then if they complete everything without breaking rules or regulations they get out of jail free card to go to work and they can take responsibility you can see individuals moving into the workforce, educated and not be dependent upon alcohol and drugs to become meaningful members of society we would have the rate of recidivism. We dont have to build more prisons, we can make things mhappen and make these individual prisoners meaningful members of society. And i need your help. [applause] that is my new cause. That in pancreatic cancer. Ill be glad to help. Youre always on my team. Thank you very much. If there are a couple more questions that now lets turn it over to some questions from the national audience. Its a good time to say silence your cell phones. How many of you over the years have read the times in the journal . How many of you have voted at one. Four Tommy Thompson . [laughter] not half. How did you win . [laughter] i dont know. There was a lot of democrats. [laughter] t must take some calls we will take questions from the audience as well if you do have aue question the book is called tommy my journey of a lifetime in james calling in from seattle. Go ahead. Caller going back to the reagan administration, in 1986 with that tax rate was at 60 percent i also with another republican president he had taxes cut and after all of these tax cuts there was the immediate recession but when democrats are in office you never have many but youre tough on crime like Newt Gingrich but now they say the problem is in crack but opioids but people like you you are all about treatment so what will you do with these black people who still can get no jobs because theyre tough on crime because recently it was ruled that three strikes i still know people because we remember these things. Why is it with democrat. Governor thompson could you address that . Talking about Prison Reform absolutely individuals that are incarcerated i am trying to find ways. They have to go through the assessment. Pass the alcohol and drug treatment but i want to give as many individuals as i can trained and to be re integrated into our society to have a meaningful job. The worst thing in the world right now james is we have individuals get out of jail with alcohol or drug problems and little training looking for a job i want to take care of the situation so it is a smooth assimilation back into society at the guy can help a lot of individuals black and white as well as latinos and a few irish people. How has the Opioid Crisis affected wisconsin . I think it is as bad here as any place i have written about it directly. But i think it is one of the biggest issues our states faces now from East Greenwich rhode island you are on book tv. Caller hello governor. I dont mean to veer off such an important topic like opioids and i came in a little late with the kenosha story which was fabulous in the book sounds great but i was l wondering if you could tell thewh story with the global fund in geneva . Absolutely. The global fund to me is one of my biggest accomplishments and willls probably pay bigger dividends worldwide than anything else i have ever done kofi and on called me up and colon powell to say he would like to come down to talk to some people about setting up a fund to fight aids and tuberculosis and malaria and i said absolutely. So the un secretary came down to met to meet with colin powell and myself then we talked to president george w. Bush on a sunday afternoon we convinced the president to put some money into the global fund it was a hundred Million Dollars and it started with that conversation and we raised 100 million from the United States to start the global fund. Since then i became the president we raised 5 billion now its at i 8 billion but probably the best International Fund to help people and give people hope to reduce hiv tuberculosis and malaria. I am absolutely overjoyed with the successes it has had and im very happy and partciative of the small i could play to set up the global fund to get it started. I have been to africa several times as chairman and it is amazing the countries in africa that absolutely are so impressed and love the United States because of the global fund the anti retro viral viruses the medication to them i could tell you a story it would take too long of having one of my daughters tommy meeting a woman with nine children and she cried and said the nice thing about what the United States has done is giving me an thai retrovirals now i will live long enough to see my children graduate from school and not become part of the 20 million orphanages around africa. That was so moving and poignanthe of what america has been able to accomplish. Its a great story. Scottsdale arizona good afternoon you are on book tv. Caller i had the pleasure to working for you and your administration for the department so i just want to call to say hello but also wisconsin products have been known with the exports and dueling to that incredible job of promoting wisconsin with the partners north and south around the globe what do you think about the tariffss right now and whats coming out of washington to put some serious Economic Impacts not only to her neighbors but also folks here at home . And again its great to see you and talk to you. Thank you and thank you for your hard work for me and the state of wisconsin to promote our great products. Everybody knows im a cheerleader for wisconsin i love wisconsin and everything about it any chance i get to talk about wisconsin is a good day for me so thank you for your help in remembering that. As far as terrorists come i dont like them i have to hearken back to what i do right now one of the things is a farmer i raise corn and soybeans. 800 acres. I have a lot of corn and a lot of soy beans and i can assure you that tariffs are not helping the farmers in wisconsin or across america im hoping the president can a get china to come to the negotiating table and reach an agreement because tariffs dont help anybody but fair trade would help everybody some hoping the president can be successful but in the meantime they are not helping thee economy of wisconsin especially farmers. What is Tommy Thompsons legacy in wisconsin . First let me Say Something about the political opioids i did a profile on the police chief one year ago and one thing he told me he had not gone one shift in an eight hour. Without getting a call he carries the drug and i just wanted to bring that up because that was here in madison but his legacy . I think we had on a few of the things thiss afternoon. Promoting wisconsin, one thing we didnt talk about was that he brought a democrat incumbent into his cabinet. Being willing to listen and passionate about his own ideas. I am a little biased but i think its a great legacy. Caller i want to say about putting people in prison to educate them i think thats a great thing because if they go out they have nothing to look forward to so i think thats a great thing. You said earlier you had evolved how did you revolve . Into believing that there is a better way instead of just locking people up. Individuals are going to get out and without that training its a nowin situation that rate of recidivism will continue to rise and i want to break that rate of recidivism by giving individual prisoners the opportunity to have training and have a ticket into a job and still be kicked out of prison and to be into the workforce and if we are able to do that in doing good jobs that would reduce thats what i want to do. Good afternoon governor you spoke about the global fund and the work youve done everybody appreciated your story about africa and how much it impacted you and the us. I dont want to put you on the spot to criticize someone you support but we have a president who seems challenged in regards to appreciating the outreach efforts of the United States so what advice do you give him about those efforts . What can be done to bring him around to a better recognition of the impact that causes people to view the us . First off i support the president. Overall he has accomplished some great things and i applaudi him for that. I do not like his tweeting and i have told him i think he should stop. Its not president ial. That he seems to feel that is one way to get his message out and in and of itself is helpful. I think if he would not have been so willing to pick a fight and much more conciliatory with what he has been able to accomplish, the president has had many successes you have to give him credit for that. I think if he could act more president ial at the same time i think his Approval Rating would be much higher than it is today. I say less the tweeting be more president ial and dont be such a bully and keep accomplishing great things i think he will go down as a very good president. Was that proof for wisconsin . I will defer to the governor on that. Fox gone could be a great boon to wisconsin whether or not its the people who developed the package that is still debatable but its much more of success in milwaukee or kenosha than elroy or superior because they will not see the impact but anytime somebody will spend billions of dollars in the state you have to say thats not bad. Thats good so overall in the long run its good for wisconsin what i have negotiated that . I will defer on that right now but i dont think so. [laughter]. I apologize but we have a caller from texas. Governor, your Progressive Agenda makes you sound more like a democrat and a republican. Do you believe the market. A lot of republicans think i have denied the Democratic Party the membership fees for a long time. [laughter]rs. But i need to ask this question do you believe the market can provide everybody a job . I do. If they want to work there are plenty of jobs out there. I am a republican and no question i believe very muchersn in my philosophy but i also believe that once you get elected you are elected to all the people and that democrats have good ideas as well as republicans and those individuals empower they do what is good for the people. And what forced me into the situation more so than if i have all the stars or the power to do so but they control all facets of government when i became governor to set back to do nothing to blame the democrats and then to a point to the head of the Majority Party as secretary on secretary of health. So i will try to find the best ideas possible to bring them togetherer and as president reagan once said its amazing how much you can get done if you dont care who gets the credit. If more politicians would agree that, you get a lot more done even though i am a republican, i think a lot of democrats are out there with good ideas we should bring them forth. Not as many as republicans but we need to come together more as individuals and statesmen to do what is right for the states in the country Mister Thompson and i wonder what you think we should be doing with medicare today to make it sustainable for the seniors coming down the pike in record numbers . If i knew that answer would be president today instead of the individual friend. [laughter] medicare is very complex and we did a great job with part d and what we need to do to get the best thinking democrats and republicans to step down and look at medicare and leave your party agenda at the doorstep to say what can we accomplish together . If we dont do that if the republicans come up with an idea just like obama came up with obama care no republican supported it then i got empower they tried to dismantle if you look back in history all the great achievements is done on a bipartisan basis. Medicaid, social security, workers comp b unemployment, medicare or medicaid all done on a bipartisan basis. Thats why in order to achieve what you want and i want to make it solvent for years to come for everybody we have to come together on a bipartisan basis. What that solution is i cannot tell you at this point in time but it is there. Y final question. G was watching my grandson play football today 72000 at the cdc died last year so what would you do based on your experience as secretary of health and your experience what is the role of the state and federal governments are to address thisisex crisis . It is terrible there is no easy answer. I study this a lot almost 60 percent of people strung out on opioids at first get the taste from their doctor there has been too much prescriptions by doctors i got my knee replaced i ended up with 50 oxycodone i could of got strung out. I did not take them but first look at how we dispense that make sure that people are taking care of put money into treatment and rehabilitation to find better cures and medicines that do not become addicted but lessen the pain there are many things out there as a society we are not doing enough. But you agree state and federal governments have a strong role . It wont happen otherwise you will not accomplish the solution weti need opioids are a terrible problem its not minority or rich or poor problem it is the everyday problem for all of us we all have to fix it but we have to look at cures and finding ways with better prescriptions with their methodology this goes a long way to make sure every Police Department that there are things out there we have to do and we are not doing enough of t it. The book is called tommy my journey of a lifetime thank you gentlemen. [applause]. Looking at the declaration of independence as a foundation to incorporate this balance in the 21st century so we have that working title for the book so we say we are fighting for life and liberty during this insane time of donald trump the book is out and those are written by people on both sides and it is divided into three sections including solutions its very important wheeze start the debate so we dont want that cycle to be caught in the same trap of the far right and that rational people are left with no choice. So this cannot be reversed with the global leadership. Good evening. Manager public programs