period of time the fcc should look at its good faith authority in the communications act and help to do something about it. you also asked though do i think these will occur with more more frequency? the honest answer is they are getting more attention right now because the number of plot arms we can use to watch video is expanding. the issue of digital rights for programmers can access those different platforms is much more complicated than it used to be but it's also really good for consumers. we no longer are limited to just watching television sitting on yourself in the living room. you can have all the screens in all these digital platforms around you when you can watch programming content so i think that's one of the sources of making this dispute so heated. >> host: jessica rosenworcel is the new member of the fcc and howard buskirk is the executive senior at medicatiomedicatio ns daily and this has been "the communicators" on c-span. >> mr. president, president obama will make his case to the american people tomorrow finally , explaining why he wants to take military action against syria. his explanation is long overdue. i think i have really good idea of what i expect he will say. first he will explain we have compelling evidence that was assad himself who use long banned chemical weapons to murder his own people. this was not seriously contested neither i or any of my colleagues dispute the sad facts and it's been well-documented by our intelligence sources. as a member of that committee i have had access to those sources and i don't doubt the conclusion of the president and others that assad is responsible for this. the president will also most likely explained such a horrendous violation of international norms deserves a worldwide response of condemnation. who could possibly look at those standards and those rooms full of dead children and not agree that the perpetrators have to face consequences for their crimes? >> the president also will surely discuss the issue of credibility. he is likely to maintain as he did recently in stockholm that it's not his own credibility at stake or even american credibility but the credibility of the international community that would be harmed by it in action. i agree with those who say that the president's credibility and our nation's credibility are linked. they are. however, it is now military is and a considered red line comment president obama has forced us to debate a military attack with yet another middle eastern country. unfortunately it appears the purpose of the attack is military attack first and foremost is perhaps to defend his own credibility. i am certain that if the president had not drawn his red line we would not be having this discussion. in that case assad's use of such weapons would be roundly condemned as yet another example of his horrendous brutality but we would be no more eager to engage militarily in his civil war than we have been as the other 100,000 syrian people were being slaughtered by more conventional means. make no mistake, it is the credibility issue that has wrought us to this path and the credibility issue is of president obama's own making, his and his alone. tomorrow evening the president will need to explain to the american public exactly what will be achieved by this limited focus attack as described by the administration beyond a simple token punishment for a horrendous crime in defense of his credibility. the president has said that the proposed limited attack is to be a shot across the bow. his secretary of state secretary kerry has said it's going to be unbelievably small. we need to know what the plan is and will be shipped president assad be undeterred by this unbelievably small this shot across the bow attack. what if he isn't? what then? then what do we do next? the president needs to explain that. we need to know how this escalation is likely to influence extremist radical fighters now acting in syria, extremist radical fighters. there is not a line between good guys and bad guys here. there is the ample tradition of al qaeda on the azra and other terrorist organizations and individuals with those seeking to overturn assad so it's not clear just how syria would turn out should assad be opposed. these extremist fighters i don't think we'll be overly concerned with an unbelievably small shot across the bow response by the united states. what will hezbollah and hamas and al qaeda affiliated fighters do when this quote show of force is over? what is the president's plan of action if the chemical weapons fall into the hands of these anti-american jihad is? and how about the always threatening spillover of the syria competent to lebanon or turkey or jordan? >> the attack at in tending to a soft wrist make it more likely or less likely and most importantly the president needs to explain to the american people more thoroughly exactly how america's national security and best interest will be served by this response. the president in my opinion must also address additional concerns that are widely almost universally shared by the american people. we'll knew that taking america to war without support from the people is the surest path to disaster. this i suggest must be avoided and the president's going to have to make his case as to how to avoid that. over this last week i visited with hoosiers from across indiana to gather their input. through these visits as well as calls and e-mails by the thousands come, the vast majority shockingly more geordie of hoosiers i have heard from are opposed to u.s. military engagement in syria. like all conscientious lowe as i know i have to balance the expressed views of my constituents and my own judgment on how best to represent their interests and the interests of our country. in this case i must first ask myself, what do the people back home in my home state know that many of the rest of us here in washington perhaps do not or at least have expressed? first the people back home know that america has been at war in far-off lands for more than a decade. 12 years on. they have seen the long reputed deployment to their loved ones and they have seen the body bags come home. they are aware of sacrifices that have been made in the name of protecting our interests. they are less aware of positive results of those sacrifices. they see iraq descending again into conflict as its own citizens continue to slaughter one another because of different interpretations of the koran or different political motivations or just fewer out right quest for power. they see a corrupt government there that authorizes overflights of russian aircraft ringing modern weapons and iranian aircraft bringing modern weapons to syria to fuel similar conflict. hoosiers see in afghanistan so deeply corrupt and ungrateful to the united states that the current regime tries to extort huge ransom payments simply to permit us to remove equipment and personnel from the sorry country. they do not see meaningful progress toward a democratic stable and humane government that was to be the objective of american sacrifice of blood and treasure. and they do not see how our 12 years of effort that can tribute it to our own national security. hoosiers look at the spiral in egypt where the choices have been an extremist deeply anti-american islamic radicalism are a brutal and undemocratic military dictatorship. both benefited from billions of american taxpayer dollars spent on weapons lining uniform pockets. in the meantime fellow christians are being killed and churches. simply put, the people of indiana do not see that american policy has obtained meaningful results in the middle east. instead they see a region of continuing leg increasing violence chaos and disintegration. they are war weary and they are discouraged that after more than a decade of war that is not produce the dire -- desired outcomes we perhaps are about to engage in a third. what they don't see is an articulate response. they don't know what our regional securities in the middle east because no one is examining at much less pursuing it. they cannot measure progress because they don't know the destination and they cannot evaluate the latest proposal for a fourth military engagement in the middle east because they cannot see how it contributes to our own security here at home. more importantly they worry that a focused limited attack on syria will end up being something else entirely because so little thought has been devoted to potential unintended consequences. yes, they are war weary but the american people are also war wise. in addition to the above unanswereunanswered questions for me one of the most important questions is how this proposed limited strike will affect iran's perception of herself and our ability to prevent that country from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities. it's not so much what we do or how we do it but how are you ran perceives the action that we take. this may be the most significant question of all because like syria iran poses threats -- unlike syria iran poses threats to our core national security interest. part of the administrations argument is that to to do nothing would embolden the iranian regime as they pursue their own weapons of mass destruction programs but i think we have to raise the question is that really so? or is it perhaps the reverse? will a limited attack discouraged the mullahs in iran because of some degree of destruction, remember unbelievably small, or will it actually encourage the iranians because there is no follow up option or broader strategic concept in forming our policy. if an attack is in effective in altering assad's behavior or fortune will it not actually in courage iran in pursuing its own weapons program? i have not heard the administration address this question. a fourth military engagement in the middle east will made it harder to assemble popular and political support for actions should iran's behavior make that necessary. my constant fear during the past several years as i have been engaged in the iranian issue a pursuit of nuclear weapons has been that our country will be too militarily politically and economically exhausted to confront the real strategic enemy when our core interests require. i fear that this syria attack will make this problem even more difficult. to my knowledge no one has yet to address this question within the administration. president obama like the previous three presidents has declared in nuclear weapons capable iran to be unacceptable. i think this is a critical question we have to ask ourselves. for all of those who are saying we will change the perception of iran to the point that they will change their behavior in the pursuit of nuclear weapons by a quote unbelievably small shot across the bow military response that could lead us into further conflict in the middle east that this undermines their credibility. i think the question has to be asked, is the reverse going to happen as a consequence of all of this? this is a deeply historic and profound moment for our nation. it carries an importance that goes well beyond syria or even the middle east. this debate carries an important consequence for the relationship between the executive and the legislative branches of our government. to refuse the commander in chief for making authorities when he has asked for them is not a decision that any of the should take likely put -- lightly. we must all balance the views of the people we represent even when they have been nearly unanimous with other elements such as the abstract geostrategic fact years they could carry profound consequences not just for this year or next year or this generation but for many generations. such as the compelling moral arguments that resonate in the unique nation guided by birth for moral principles and now even the constitutional challenges that could affect the delicate balance we have maintained for two centuries. mr. president i have been wrestling with and i will wait all that i have said and before i announce how i intend to vote on the resolution before us, i will defer to the president's request to address the nation. in my opinion consequential actions proposed by the president need to be clarified and numerous questions need to be answered before we grant the authority to the president to engage america into yet another middle east conflict. mr. president with that i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. >> mr. president -- president with a few days the congress will be called upon to both giving the present of the united states limited authority to use military action in response to the syrian president assad's use of chemical weapons against his own people. it is an enormous and grave decision. it is the most serious vote that i can take. if a united states senator is called upon to authorize america's use of military action or military might that calls for the most sober reflection, that the most due diligence analysis of the facts and the compelling need because it is a vote that once you vote to authorize, of of the use of military might, you cannot take it back. it is one of the few votes that you can't take back. we can vote on our budget this year but there's another vote next year. you can vote to confirm a member of the cabinet but they serve at the pleasure of the president that once you vote to use military might or military action it is irrevocable. so i take it very seriously. i want to say to the men and women of our military that we await tremendous grit of gratitude and i think that that should not only be with yellow ribbons but i think we also owe them to do the due diligence to choose the wisest most prudent course. this is what i've done is i've contemplated my vote for this syria resolution. i have gone to numerous briefings before a saudi use chemical weapons and i have gone to all of the briefings since then. i have participated as a member of the intelligence committee in a variety of meetings. i have gone to a classified senate briefing. i've listened carefully to the president's, to the secretary of state, to the secretary of defense and i even have the opportunity to sit with the vice president of the united states and the situation room at the white house to go over this situation and what are the options available to the united states of america. in addition to this i am a senator from maryland. i also listen to my marylanders whether it's been at events or meetings or going around the state's, whether it has been grocery shopping or just being out in the maryland community. i have also gotten thousands of e-mails and calls from maryland constituents and i want to thank them for their civic engagements mr. president they overwhelmingly oppose military action in syria. my constituents have spoken loud and clear they don't want a war. they don't want is on the ground. they don't want an all in effort. they don't want to use or expand america's talent and treasure on another military expedition and they don't want war and neither do i. the use of chemical weapons, a weapon of mass destruction graham and ghoulish mandates a response. the use of chemical weapons flies against all international law and international norms. it is an act that should have consequences or i believe it surely will have to begin in syria and possibly in korea, possibly used by iran. since the attack i have been waiting and hoping for worldwide reaction because if it's serious enough for the world to be aghast at -- aghast then it's serious enough for them to respond. i have been waiting to hear from 189 countries that are signatories to the chemical weapons convention. i believably signed a treaty or convention we sign up for the responsibility that comes with that which means stop proliferation of the weapons that you sign against, stop the proliferation of chemical weapons and also if necessary to take action if mandated. i wait to hear from the arab league. i wanted to hear from the arab league oh yes beyond, we want assad to be accountable. i don't even know what that means. hold him accountable. what does that mean? does it mean that if we use missiles they will send in our men to defend our women and children? i haven't quite heard that. i've waited to hear from our allies and there are hardy reliable few that have supported us. are they going to enforce the chemical weapons treaty? i they going to help support the the opposition? i but called for a donor conference for refugees? hello out there? then there's the u.n. security council. by the way i applaud the work of the u.n. weapons inspectors and the un's work on refugees but where's the security council? people say oh the security council at. three times the assad and neighbors of the u.n. russia and china have vetoed every effort to move to a political solution. they have vetoed three times efforts to move to a political solution. the u.n. seems paralyzed in this effort. in deciding my vote i had to be sure that chemical weapons were used by the assad regime. mr. president i was one of 19 senators who voted against going to war in iraq. i did float after 9/11 to use lethal action against the taliban but when it came to the iraq war, is a member of the intelligence committee i review these briefs and i didn't believe saddam hussein had a weapons so i voted no and i was right. now this time is different. because i truly believe after extensive briefings and the evidence that has been given to members of the intelligence committee i am satisfied that indeed chemical weapons were used in syria and i'm satisfied that the assad regime made the order to do so. there are those who say to me senator barbara aren't you concerned about the risk and the retaliations if we take action? >> you bet i am. i worry about that. i worry about my own country. i worry about our own military. i worry about treasured allies like jordan israel turkey but i also worry about the risk of doing nothing. of course as i await this i believe that the risk and retaliatory possibilities are the same even if we don't act because if they don't use them in retaliation against us there is a very chant -- good chance that if we leave it and responded to that they will use them anyway. so there is no guarantee that by doing nothing but bad guys will do nothing who have the chemical weapons and in fact i fear that assad iran and north korea will be further involved. lastly i had to review the president's resolution pending before the president's plan. the president's plan is very straightforward proposal. it's very straightforward. a targeted limited attack. its purpose or and to degrade. to deter assad from using those again and capacity to use them. i listened to the president came at his word that would not be boots on the ground that it is not an extended, that it is more not in it to try to do regime change. that must come from the syrian opposition themselves and i hope others help do that. it is meant to deter chemical weapons-grade assad's cape i believe the president's plan is the best response to protect the uh and, to show commitment to our come with al a slav for mr. president at really great reflection and i could do i want to announce today to my colleagues and most of all to the people of maryland who have supported me that i will support the president's request limited military action against the syrian president bashar assad's regime in response to the horrific graham and good use of it. but maybe clear. i have no grand hopes or allusions. i don't believe that this strike syria's civil war. i don't believe the strike assad from being a ruthless brutal dictator. i do not believe that a strike will it eliminate all of his chemical weapons. what i do believe is that it will deter and degrade his capacity and i do believe abortion to ban the use of chemical weapons that the united states of america that possibility. syria is one of the toughest foreign-policy issue. there aren't many good options but i believe the president's plan is the best moment the only way forward. he has my support. in today's late waking news i understand russia has now's let's put these weapons under international control. where were the russians during the u.n. security council during those three other occasions? is this another topic for dilley? is this just another tactic to delay assad to have more time to focus really skeptical but i believe it went to analyze the russians intend and what there follows a is not by role the strike my vote is to say mr. president you are the commander in chief. we cannot have one at time. you analyze the situation and if you think it is necessary to protect the security of the united states of america and to fulfill our chemical weapons you have my support the 1900 election bringing in the roosevelt family as vice president. it doesn't last very long. the the asassen has other things in mind for president mckinley. tell the story of the transition that brings the roosevelts in the momentous time in the white house. >> it's dramatic. though door roosevelt is climbing a mountain when he hears the news that mckinley was shot. he rushes downtown mountain and comes to buffalo. at first it looks like mckinley is going to survive. then blood poisons sets in and t. r. comes to washington, and takes over a mourning nation. it's a national tragedy. it's hard to come to the presidency because of an assassination. he reassures america and he turns out to be a very successful president. just a quick snapshot how much experience he brings to the job. he was 42. >> he was very young. but he had a lot of experience behind him in government. he was -- new york city sincerity semibelie man, assistant secretary of the navy, -- new york city police commissioner. governor of new york. the politics qiened his life. >> politics defined his life. he wrote thirty books. he was a serious naturalist. he did at lough things. he was, you know, widely traveled a lot. had a very expansive and interesting life. >> and his spirit that triumphed and made the country look forward instead of behind. it's a terrible thing to come the presidency this way. it a far worse thing to be morbid about it. >> we're going learn about the woman who helped him throughout the administration during the next ninety minutes. the united at the dawn of the 20th century was -- we have a few just facts about america at that time period. and during the years of the roosevelt administration. to give you a glimpse what the country was like. in 1900 the population in the country was about 76 million. but 38% of people still worked in the agricultural industry. were farmers. by 1902 we ended the philippine-american war. 1903 was the first time the wright brother fly a pet troll engine aircraft. 10904 the work begins on the panama canal. 1980 the model t ends the horse and buggy age. what can we learn about the country that roosevelt came to -- administer? >> it was a country marked by progressivism. there were a group of reformers across the nation who were intent upon curing the ill of the industry. usher bannization, immigration, industrialization brought many wonderful things but there were troublers. the reformers decided they were going abolish child labor, get women to vote, take care of the injustice suffered by african-americans. the list went on an on. there was optimism that roosevelt steps in the white house. >> we've heard about t. r. readiness for the white house. what about ed' >> they had to move from long island back and forth. she would be there in the summer when he was civil service commissioner washington. she was used to packing up the six children and the servants and their household and moving back and forth. so she's also somebody who knew how to manage things. she was just -- he was not good with money. he over drew his checking account all the time. she would try to organize him and the children. so fortunately she was a good manager. that's what a first lady needs to do. >> one of the things that has been delightful about the series. a cup of things. we are learning a lot. we're learning what you're interested in. we would like you to be involved. in a few minute we'll be taking telephone calls. your questions by phone around the country. 202-585-3380. f you live in the eastern half of the united states. 202-585-38811. we have a comment on facebook. add your questionses to the mix what we're going to be asking tonight about ed edith roosevelt. we have@first lady. send your questions and comments twitter as well. and one of the other things that is great, we have had a videographer out at the excite of the first ladies along the away, and recording the places where they lived. tonight we're going to introduce to two associated with the roosevelt. the first is the home he built in the 1880. it's a queen and-style house. it's where they get to look at the animal head on the wall and the park service is a fantastic job. it's a great place to visit. >> one thing you should note if you're planning a visit. it's under complete renovation for the next couple of years. you can see -- showing you some of the art fact inside. not as much as a tour you'd like. you'll learn a hospital. we're going to start with a video about edith roosevelt and our her children. and you will be hearing from the voice of amy who was the cure rate -- cure rater of the election. let listen in. >> this is a cartoon by thomas mast well known newspaper man and cartoonist in new york city. it shows santa claus arriveing a the white house to discover suddenly there are children in the white house. the roosevelts are moved in. the title is "there's life in the old house yet ." it's representativive how the country reacted to having the roosevelts in the white house. it's a country was excited to have a young family. to have children to watch through the prez. to know they have a young and vigorous president with a vigorous and attractive wife. and santa claus, reflecting the country's attitude of the excitement over the liveliness in the white house now. they edith had in the white house was to control the president's access to the family. and so what she did was arrange to have pictures they mowings for having ridden the elevator and gone up to the second floor to visit archie when he was sick. there's a bicycle, there's care met with jack, actually. the wonder dog. and there's picture of alice standing in front of a tree. most of the pictures. taken outside. several varieties were taken of them. the lady's home journal article is interesting because you take these photographs and it shows you how they were used bit press. and here we have picture of quentin in a tree. alice in front of her tree. picture ofth l, one of my favorites, the little boys posing with the white house guards. it's just -- this is how president roosevelt's children were present to the public. and usually they were used in the magazine articles or the cover of magazine. that sort of thing. >> women, that's the scene for this young family. 42--year-old president and 40-year-old first lady coming to the white house. how did the public re act? what was the role of the press in promoting what was happening in the white house? >> the public was delighted. it was a long time since there was children in the white house. the children came and they become fascinating part of our watching what is going on in washington. so the children's antics were in the newspapers, and there was very little attempt to stop that, i think. particularly after t. r. learned it was pretty good press for him. so the children and their antics. some you saw there, their pets they were very important parts of roosevelt's public per sewn that as president. >> how did that contrast specifically with the mckinley in the white house and their family life? >> mrs. mckinley was an inhave -- he wouldn't campaign akively. >> it was completely different. it's a little bit more like the lincolns. the media was different during the civil war and the sen they didn't report so much about the children. you know, there were all of these journals that newspapers like -- who would put pictures of the children in their newspapers, then all of these magazines that people would buy so there's so much more active media so they could pub -- publicize what was going on in the white house. >> that's an important poke. they were photoagainic. they did great stuff. they would steal the cookie trays from the kitchen and fly down the staircase. they would pop out behind potted palm and scare the guest. they would roller skate and walk on stilts, and -- [inaudible] so the white house had their hands full. it was all terrific press for t. r. >> we were talk abouting the fact this is a dawn of the new century. but in fact the roosevelts were brought up in previous century. they are victorian in their attitudes. what kind of parents were that? >> they were different kinds of parent. edith could be strict a dissent of a puritan. she should children should behave. she was fairly strict. she would turn to though door and ask him to do the spankings. he did it reluck about about it he would like that play hide and seek and have pillow fights. the kid looked at him as a large play mate. she had to be the main parent. >> and reagree that on twitter wants know did she have reservation about her husband being president and about her family. especially after mckinley's assassination? >> absolutely. yes. she beefed on security whenever she could. so those are her greatest fear. she wrote about these in letter to her sister and the fear of roosevelt assassination in letter to friends. >> he thought carrying a gun was enough for him. ithe was difficult to watch. >> how many children? >> six. >> and the first child was not a product of edith. >> explain who alice was? >> alice roosevelt was the daughter of though t. r. and his first wife. when -- alice died in childbirth, he handed his infant daughter off to his sister. and so she was raised until edith entered the picture. >> so alice was really -- the first three years. that created problems. >> yes. >> as we learn about her, how much historical records exist about edith roosevelt? how much are we able to learn from her own words, for example, about her life and attitudes? >> well, she did contribute to travel book after t. r. died. she did do a family history. she never wrote memoir. she burned most of his letter, not all of them but most of them. she wanted to be very private. some of her letters, especially her letters to her sister survive. she tried to ease race a lot of record. she didn't want people snooping to her private life. and that's part of the victorian part you brought up. part and parcel. >> we have one letter where she described to her children and the view of them. and here is a bit what she had to say about her family in a letter to a friend. she said about alice, alice is exexceedingly pretty and has a remarkably steady head. in some ways it's child-like. stead a a good boy. care met is odd and independent. et hel is a hand full. she's a replica of -- archie we call the beautiful idiot. quentin is the cleverest of the six. some are term of endearment but sound harsh. >> alice was beautiful and had a steady head. she's going to grow to a woman who has wonderful political acue men, for example. archie had a tough time. he health problems when he was a young lad, and ker m.i.t. was the poetic one. and both his parents confided in him. he was probably closer to t. r. than any of his other children. and et hel, i met her when she was an older person. she was very gracious wonderful lady. >> everyone loves her. she was the sturdy rock upon who you can build the rest of the family. poor ted bore the brunt of his father's expectations. >> manliness and what to do with your life and all of that, yeah. >> i'm going put you on the spot. betty wants to know where they put the six children. the largest family ever in the white house. >> well, i think so -- but i'm not -- >> tyler had about fifteen. i don't know if they were all at the white house. >> okay. you know -- >> you know, has to be among one of the largest family ever. >> it was more typically in those days. larger families were more common. >> you're on the air, ken, in california. what is your question? >> caller: i have a question. it's probably something you will be addressing later on in the program. what was edith's relationship with president roosevelt successor william howard taft? >> we'll talk about them later on in the history. what do they think? how do they know the tafts? >> well, they had known them when they were working at the civil service commission. they were social friends. i don't think edith cared for mrs. taft very much. but they were friendly during tr's presidency. and it's not until 1910 after taft shows his hand at president and undoes some of the things that t. r. did that hostility break out. >> next is a call from alexander from chandler, indiana. hi, alexander? >> caller: i had. i had a question about t. r. >> i'm happy to hear it. can you tell us hold you are? >> i'm 12 years old. >> have you studied t. r. in school already? >> no, but i have wrote a photograph about him. he's my favorite president. >> why? >> because he did a lot for the country. >> can you name one thing? >> he fought the spanish-american war. what questions do you have for our two historians about him. >> did he believe in god and jesus? >> thank you. >> yeah. he was a devout christian. in fact, incorporating religion in to edith's life. we talk about her religion and how informed her approach to her life. well, she christianity. she would urge her husband to think about how his policies affected the poor, she was really like a what we call a social gospel christian. taking care of the poor, being concerned about the needy. she was in ease episcopal. >> sara is watching in pennsylvania. hi, sue you are on. >> >> caller: hi, thank you. i understand one side of the family wanted to be called roosevelt and the other roosevelt. is this true? and if so, which would be which? >> that comes from an old movie. no, they're all roosevelts as in roosevelt. and the lineage of the family was their history. >> they share the high park roosevelts and ohser bay roosevelts share a colonial ancestor. then it's clay martinson, van roosevelt a doubling settler in new york. two or three generations down the family splits. ted imri roosevelt was his cousin franklin roosevelt. the complicated thing is that t. r. had a wonderful niece. he loved dearly eleanor roosevelt who was his alcoholic brother's daughter. fran lynn married his niece. and so franklin would call thee thee door. >> dissubstantiate -- dissubstantiate cousins. dis and decided chef tired of living over the store. she wanted to separate the living area from the public area. and so the upstairs was renovated. the downstairs was renovated. most people really liked it. the upstairs had what, even bedrooms and the teen daughter had her own bedroom. et president had a study and office on the second floor. so did the first lady with a door that adjoined. that was important to knowledge the door and say you're working too late. it's time for bed. >> the change was really -- created the white house as we know it today. if you look at the photographs as it existed before they began the renovation. there were large greenhouses around this. and the west wing. she changed the whole feeling of the white house by adding the west wing to it. how cooperative was the congress? >> congress voted money for this. and they wanted a better house. it was the moment when the united states became world power. t. r. was modernizing the presidency. the united states arrived in the most successful manufacturing power on earth. and they were in the process becoming a serious world power. i think congress thought it as a national of pride to have a president's house that would be used distinguishes as equivalent in another country. >> and it was falling down. >> and there were rats in the white house. >> yeah. >> and the basement when enough people came. >> yeah. it was important for all kinds of reasons. it was marvelous reflection of the changes that she discussed and the country takes on a new aspect. so does the executive mansion, which is now renamed the white house. because t. r. said the executive mansion in every state. there's only one white house. >> how long did the renovation take? >> mostly one year, wasn't it? 1902. >> where if the family stay during the renovation? edith took the kids home over the summer. the renovation started before she let. they were staying in jackson -- >> tr is hit bay trolley. when he's settling the coal strike. they have some difficult moments where he's negotiating with labor and management in a wheelchair because he was hit by a trolley accident. >> how involved was edith roosevelt in the actual renovation? how much of a manager was she? how much of a vision did she have for the ultimate design? >> edith was interested in -- mckin had no feelings for the victorian verb os that edith -- she saved lincoln's death bed. she made sure it came in. she was very interested in history and making sure that it reflected the long important past of the united states. but she also had her eye on the bottom line. edith good at managing read the account when money got tight, she was creative and very good steward of the nation's money. because she took the carpet on the first floor and said running out of funds. she had them recut to go in the quarters. she took curtain from the and had furniture reupholstered in the money to save money. >> they appropriated -- inflationary time for that project completed in time for the social season. marvin is on the line with us in los angeles. >> caller: hello. great to see you back. i have a question about the relationship between edith roosevelt and the franklin roosevelts. i know, in 1924, al smith ran for governor of new york and t. r., junior was the republican candidate. and el elle near roosevelt supported al smith. i the first time i went to washington in 1895 hoping to see a -- a lady with a broad brim hat was rededicating a statute that her father had dedicated fifty years ago. it was alice roosevelt. she seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. it was 1955, after leaving the white house in 1909. >> she did love to be the center of attention. >> she did. the hyde park roosevelt were basically very close. and franklin roosevelt lifted to come and visit theodore roosevelt. they were friendly. and eleanor, of course, was edith's niece. t. r. used to read her poetry. they were quite friendly with her. when eleanor and franklin married t. r. gave her away and acted the part of their father. and edith offered to be have them married in the white house. they loved them in the beginning. by the 1920s it's ted roosevelt, tr's oldest son has prelim ambition, and was some people accused him of being involved with the scandal. which turns out really not fair. but eleanor drove a car with the teapot on top of it to embarrass her cousin. this created bitter feelings for awhile. but edth remained somewhat friendly whard elle eleanor. >> he wants to follow up by asking what do the historians say about the missing records. do we miss the intimate t. r. and ed death because of this? that's a great question. >> what would you think? >> i think that i found some of their corp. correspondents in the children's paper. we want to know more. we have a pretty good what their relationship was like he adored her. not they didn't have their little difficult moments. she-- he was not an easy husband. could be very inconcern.. wasn't there when children was born. and going off hunting. i think we know about them. even though she burned some of the letter. >> he truly loved her. he wrote about her to friend of his highly complimentary things. >> we're going return to sack psych more hills. >> what was we're showing here is object for the white house. mainly personal object from edith but also this lovely cup, which was you can see the presidential sale. this is a cup and saucer from the white house service that edith supported. and there was public very interested in the activity. this is an example of that. it's a niewb article showing the new white house service -- you can see the cup here. she ordered 1,125 pieces of new china to replace what she called the scraps from the white house china set in the house when she got there. what we have is sample of invitation to a garden party that she threw. i love the dinner invitation. they are very specific. they tell you when to arrive. they tell you when the dinner will be over. it's clear you're not to overstay your welcome and party with the president after wards. you're going come, have dinner, and go home. some of the other objects you see include gold-plated vanity set. like the silver one she had as a younger woman. this is very elaborate. it had her initials carved in it. it was crystal used for purr tomb. you have a comb, push, and jar for lotions. she was a first lady and took the job seriously. this was a set of gloves, and this is a glove box kept on her and it's open. it's lined with ceil -- velvet and held a doesn't or so pairs. she loved fans. she clengted fan and liked to carry fans at public receptions. she liked to stand in line next to tr. holding fans. she didn't have to shake hands with strangers and delighted by that. they used this china. which is english. and you can see that it is pretty plain in design. except for tr's initials which are in blue in the middle of the plate. as first lady she did in fact receive a lot of gifts. those from friends and family but also foreign leaders. these lovely little bracelet were silver bracelet sent by the everyone your of ethiopia. and it says on there silver bracelet sent to mrs. r. -- t. r. senior by the emperor while at the white house. we open the case so you can get a look at the figurine given to her by the french government. they are made of french porcelain. a seventy 14. they were used to decorate the table of the state dinner at the white house. it's clear they had been a gift to her. she very much liked them. she made sure she took them with her when she left the white house. >> a sense of life at the white house under the roosevelts. now you were making the point earlier both of you that is the dawn of america on the international stage. and roosevelt as adventuring and impurial president in some yai. how did they use their social aspect of the white house to advance that view? >> well, in order for the united states to be taken seriously as a world power, the united states president had to entertain like heads of state elsewhere. the white house changing really made a difference. but plus all of the diplomatic receptions and cabinet dinners and open event big dinner something like 40,000 people came to the white house in the first year. it greats good will. you've had din we are someone you are more likely to be to be agree with them or work with them after wards. sometimes we underestimate the power of face to face interaction. the roosevelt did a good job of this. they knew how to socialize. they were very energetic entertainers. >> i want to underscore the number. 40,000 guests in the white house the first year. >> that's -- it's a lot. it is article lot. you're miley organized. she her social secretary. she knew how do this. as tr modernized the presidency and changed the nayty -- navy and the government and created the first far eastern desk in the state department. it's amateur hour in the 19th century in the federal government. in the early 20 ted century. tr and edith were modernizers. >> the hiring of the social secretary is one of the things that most historians point ed death -- what was the concept of the social secretary? how did she use her? >> he hired a woman named isabelle who was interesting in her home right. she was an orphan by 16. she had brothers to take care of. she went to the work force and worked for the social register and war department. she also did this task of being a social secretary. you help an elite woman with her letters, her -- whoever hostess duty. this is what she did for anna roosevelt or tr's city. she was an old hand at this. and came to the -- the first lady was indagated by all the details of alice's debut. alice was making her social debut. and there were letters -- there were imitations to offer. flowers, many things to be taken care of. roosevelt stepped in and she stayed for the end and -- a member of the family. i look to you as my daughter. they had a close relationship. you know, bell, you read the letters. belle became a kind of surrogate mother in some ways particularly when the children couldn't go to her for things they needed some of the children wanted stuff sent to them. they wrote to bella and said could you send us treats. alice took a bracelet and lost it and had to ask for belle's help to recover the bracelet. there was a close relationship. >> for edith and belle, was it fair to say that the managing of the social was serious business and edith was a tough manager? >> she didn't want people who were adulters or unacceptable socially to be a part of the entertainment. most people were white and there weren't that many -- invited to the white house. this was the -- era of social life. and so exclusive society with washington elite and people in government, foreign diplomats, and people like new york society. of it an exclusive group. >> it's important because she begins what is a much longer tradition now of the sort of bureaucracyization of the first lady. she's the one who stays the longest and starts them down the path. mrs. taft you'll learn next week doesn't have the same sort of social secretary relationship. that is to her peril. >> that's an a point to us. she began the bureaucracyization of the role of first lady. the professionalization. >> yeah. that's a better way. >> we're going go back to calls in a bit. let talk to bud from st. louis. hi, bud you are on. >> caller: hi. thank you for coming back again. >> glad to be back. >> i'm a major teddy -- and just a sideline note, we got a great connection here in st. louis with the tr, you know, with the world fair and i know the history museum on forest park there's a great photograph of him, i think, it's at the opening ceremonies. but my question was this. i guess because he did so much, i have trouble keeping dates straight. i do know -- i believe that his first wife and his mother died the same day. that more or less forced him to go west and take up the cowboy life. my question is, when he came back, when did he marry edith? especially before the spanish-american war. how did she -- did she help him very much to overcome that peril of his first wife and mother? thank you for taking my call? >> i'm going ask a very brief touching on the story. later on in the program we'll spend more time on the early relationship and how they came together. >> the date of the marriage. why don't we give them sop of the fact. >> february 14th, 1884 when alice, his first wife dies. and then tr marries edith december 1886, and the spanish-american war is july -- largely july 1898. so -- >> and you are right. there's a very -- unforgettable story of the death of tr's first wife. but we're going to keep you hanging on a little bit if you don't know it already to tell you later on. ed is watching us in north dakota. >> that's a special -- this is mrs. roosevelt territory. it >> caller: hi. thank you for taking my call. i'm the chairman of the tr foundation. we, you know, our effort with the foundation of sustain his time and legacy as a cattle rancher. and, you know, i was curious if your guest would talk to us a little bit about our earlier you were mentioning that there was an effort of keeping it socially unacceptable people out of the white house. tell us when the first lady felt when his cowboy friends would visit at the white house. he said he would never have been president -- is ranches. and the center is there at dickinson a wonderful project, and i think she understood she visited the ranches tr had and understood his time being a rancher ment everything to him. she put up with some people she might not have chosen as friends from farmers and cowboys who tr loved. she accepted them. that's the key piece of it. she went to north dakota when she was very new in the marriage. and quite a young woman. and in love her husband. and he was in love with north dakota. he loved -- she wanted to know about the things she loved. i think those people had a kind of a color character from north dakota have a sort of a rosy -- >> did they keep the ranch throughout their presidency? >> no. he had to sell it. he basically was a failed cattle rancher. >> they froze. those were hard days. my grandfather was a wheat farmer. those were hard times. very hard time. >> it's now a national park? >> yes. there's an national park. north dakota is having an oil boom. some of the landscape is being bothered a bit. but yes, the ranches are really great. and there's a very large tr contingent. they love him there. they do. >> it's important understand tr you have to unnorth dakota. and if you go to north dakota today you can see the badlands and the site of the elk horn. there's a tr national park in the park service people. and there's -- then it's the foundation your caller mentioned. there's an effort to keep it alive and remind us the importance of north dakota. >> joan is in silver spring, maryland. outside washington. what is your question? >> caller: good evening. i would like to know how they met and how long was their courtship before they married? >> okay. we will answer that. we promise we will answer that. but before i leave, the period of time of the white house years. one of the other things we think of modern first ladies in particularly with jacqueline kennedy was bringing reformers to the white house. it was something that edith roosevelt did during the tenure. how did they introduce americans supporting culture and intro-- >> she had the musical taste of the pair, would you say? >> theodore wasn't as bad as president grant who famously said i know two songs someone yankee doodle danny and the other isn't. she works with the signway company in think this way brought amazing entertainers to the white house. she brought the orchestra at one point in time. she was attuned to this. she had tastes not quite in with her husband's family. she loved the art gallery, for example. what they would call spiritual. tr brought indian songs. so i argued their culture nationalists. they want people to discover america. so he helped encouraged john to discover cowboy song. they want people to understand america had culture. borrowing artist and the white house had arrived culturally. they're really important in that sense too. >> it was the -- reformers on the sort of -- >> since they had the hill. why did they need retreat called pine knot. >> it took awhile to sag more hills. it's all wait in long island. edith -- in it's having a rough time in the presidency and gained a lot of weight. she wants him to have an overnight out in the cabin. i've been to the cabin. it'sout door. there no plumbing or electricity or nothing. she didn't cook. he to cook for her on a kerosene stove. they had to do everything for themselves. but they needed a quick escape. we took a camera there. let take look. we'll talk more about it. remember this, this is a very wealthy family who is grown up in the height of society. and keep in mind when you see the house that she built called pine knot and the wilderness part of virginia. let's watch, next. >> edith sought a place for rest and repair for the president. close enough to d.c. he could get out here as often as needed. but far enough away there was wilderness. so she bought the cot age in 15-acres. her renovations that she prescribed for $280. the deed is written in her name. and the renovations that she did include this porch, which she called her space. and specified it be supported bit untrimmed cedar posts. these are the original -- most of what you see is original. and the color of the house now is the color that it was when the roosevelts were here. the interior is completely unfinished. they are bare. because edith wanted them to be left that way. she wanted it to have a total rustic feel just the porch and wanted it to be natural in every sense. it was the room was originally divided in to two. she opened it to a lodge-like room. she wanted to have a the family be able to be here together. and they cooked their meals by the fireplace. general tr would do the cooking, and edith would boil the water for the tea. and the children would fetch the wood and do the various things needed to get the meal together. when edith saw the cottage for the first time, there was no fireplaces. it was unfinished. the fireplaces were done to her specification. she has designed these wonderful will ill stone ledges built to the fireplace to find functionality and interest. the stairs were originally in the center of the room. they kind of took up the whole thing. and edith specified she moved them to the side for two reasons. one, she wanted the bottom floor to be an open-lodge-like room. she wanted to create a room upstairs. it was a tiny room she created forth l. i think the special feature it had a door so she would been able to shut off her brothers from entering her room. this is where edith and tr slept. it would be "the master" bedroom as it were. but clearly as you can see, the light streaming through the boards it's no more better appointed than any other room. it's this is the boy's room. all four of the boys would have slept in the room when they were here. it too has a wonderful mantle. even better yet it has the stone support that edith would have designed. it was a family place. it was unique for the roosevelt. it become a place where tr had politicians and press and constantly a hubbub of activity. this was the one place where where it was private family time. the roosevelts knead clear they didn't want anyone but family here. >> you wanted to tell a story about pine knot. >> instead of the reason pine knot was important there was no more privacy at the white house and little at this time. so in order for ed i.t. to get her husband away. she had to go far off the grid as we would say today. >>let see how far up the grid it is. driving distance how long it would take to get there? >> charlottesville is commutable. it's a little bit more than an hour. given a talk therest there's a tr contingent. one can visit it answer read. >> yes, i believe you can, yeah. >> this looks pretty darn rustic. today there would have to be a prim perimeter and the -- press would be out there. and using tell photo lenses. did the press leave them alone? she loved to sleep. she was worried about intruders. she didn't feel entirely safe. i think the secret service protected them finally. it was close to a farm that friends of their had. they times had them come over. >> at pine knot that john came to visit and found the -- and went out at night to take a little walk down there. a great natch list and thought he heard something and discovered it was secret service men that used secretly there and didn't tell tr about the extra secret service. >> would he have chased? >> yes. it was impossible about them. >> didn't want the protection? >> no, he didn't think he needed it. >> he carried a pistol. >> he carried a pistol. and, you know, he was cavalier about it. where she was worried. she was very worried because he was eventually shot in the 1912 campaign and mckinley was shot. there were other attempts to get at him. she had reason to be nervous. >> adrian asked on theybook, was edith in to hiking, nature, and hunting like teddy. did she truly enjoy being outside and living the more rustic life? >> i think she believed in the simple life of, you know, getting away from the society and having not needing all the modern comfort. i'm not sure that she ever hunted. >> i don't know of her hunting. she certainly hiked. i also know after a certain number of children, i think she decided that the hikes that tr was so promotes so strongly. she would sit on the porch and read. his younger sister would go around those and through the swamp or climbing over it. and he would take his kids and any neighbors on the hikes. she didn't like that. she was not she's not like a classic victorian lady. she was willing to hike. after he died she travels around the world and goes on a cano trip to a distant water fall. and she does a lot of adventure use things. >> next is johnny in denver, colorado. hi, you're on. >> caller: thank you for your wonderful series. i hope continues. my question is concern mount rushmore and whether or not she had an opinion about the monument during she was alive during the consumption and construction. >> she knew the person who carved it. but i don't ever remember reading anything. i'm not sure that it's finished -- be well, no, i think it finished in the '20s or '30s. i'm not sure if she sees it is. i don't remember her opinion. obviously there are some people who think tr shouldn't be on there. but it means that he supported tr and admired him very the 1912 third party run. bull moose third party run. i think the fact that its a bull moose monument a monument to other great.s. >> while we're talking about how she lives. barbara said if he would -- prepare it for her ?eam. >> no. she i think she was proud to she never made a bed in her life. >> elaine in california. >> hi. >> >> caller: hello. i want to know where she may have -- [inaudible] on the women's movement that was going on? it didn't come to women until 1920. where did edith stand? >> thank you. i believe in 1980 you could vote in utah, colorado, with and other western states. i think she was quiet about it. but when susan b. anthony came to the white house, it was alice who wanted to talk to susan b. anthony. i think alice was the person most sympathetic to suffrage. >> barbara in peoria, hi, barbara. >> yes. i would like to know whether if so was that a first? >> well, in i think it's october 1902, tr does invite booker t. washington the leader of tuskegee substitute, an important figure in african-american history. boomer t. washington was somebody who wrote and deal with political patronage. they had him to dinner. which was, you know, frederick douglass come to the white house and talk to lincoln. i don't think a dinner was involved. so it's not the first time an african-american came to be an adviser, but it may be the first dinner. >> could be. could be. i think it may be the first. people in the south went crazy. people threatened to kill tr. they said they should put a bomb under the chair. he advocated social equality between black and white. we have to remember in african-american history after the construction, this is the low point of their segregation legal segregation passed by southern states. and african-americans in the south were treated very badly. it was controversial to cross the color line socially. it seem like an important time to talk about her attitude about african-americans. the personal spon she would use what we use consider derogatory terms about african-americans. and he writes in his book edith's racial comment fall within the range of general white attitude toward black among the american upper class in the years. well,let think this is a couple who spent time together every day. they went horse back writing and walking. they were together overnight. they had a close and loving relationship. i think what lois is doing in the book, and i would call the founder modern first lady scholarship. nay are looking at the letter and the terms that she is using to describe african-americans and signing them as you read within the boundary of what white americans use; right? but they are more extreme than what we know. what kind of influence does she have on her husband? we don't really know. we don't know it would be interesting to look at the timing for example of the incident. he had a fair amount of african-american support in the north, where people could vote. and they were certainly -- he lost them over that. and they make the point too that later as he was no longer going run for president. he was less attentive to the needs of african-americans. and so an interesting question that the -- he got in the book. it prompts questions. i think it also terrible topic. it but it goes to show you history is never done being written. this is a good one. she brought in these -- >> spirituals. >> well, that was considered, you know, excuse me the audience at that time. >> yeah. again, it's not show it's spiritual. we look -- we have to be care of the about looking back. so much has changed. >> that's very true. .. >> this was kept outside on the second floor of the roosevelt home. the five children grow from it infancy and she kept souvenirs. there is actually npr's letter. one of the little kids was walking around in little red shoes. and all of them had little red shoes at some point or another. the book is peter rabbit in french. i belong to at all. and roosevelt said that they were fortunate that the beatrix potter books were nato. they read them to their children with their children. the children would read back to them. books are so important to the roosevelt family. and i love the fact that the one in french was a good way to introduce a new language. it helped them to make it easier to learn french. in this sample had been in the 1920s and 30s and it basically tells the story of her family's life area as you can see, this includes presentations by her husband and herself and their children are goes on to show highlights. it goes on to show highlights of theodore roosevelt's career. his actions as vice president and showing that he was a writer and to show that he had conservation interests and on the bottom where it has three sons in uniform and a gold star for clinton who was killed in world war i. and that was a very sensitive issue. this video is on our website. there is also a special feature. as you know, if you have been watching us along the way, there are individual biographies as each of them observed in the united states. at c-span.org/first ladies has all of these resources so you can see that we also have this special feature. the special feature for this one is another item of a dog bowl that was under the desk of the study and there's an interesting story behind it. we think the white house association, which has been so helpful. they have published this terrific biography and we are making it available and on that same website there is individual biographies of each of the first ladies and you can be prepared for the ones that are coming up in the years ahead as we will show that on screen. that is what it looks like you can have it as part of your own collection. >> the early years is very interesting. >> she grew up on east 20th street and union square. she and her younger sister watched and together they worked from their grandfather's window. they were flameouts and they read books together and they were like family together. >> true that they watched abraham lincoln's funeral procession? >> yes, it is. she cried when she saw all the invalid soldiers. so that is 1865 and they were very little. >> i think we have depictions of that on the screen. it is so interesting. you can see the two little tiny figures peering out the window. >> it is really a miraculous find. can see how it all happened. >> well, this is the summerhouse and they are were arguments in which he didn't really know what happened. that they were together they broke apart and they went off to harvard. and in good they did. >> the upper class that they were involved in a usually descendents who came over on the mayflower and she was the daughter of a wealthy banker. a very beautiful woman and really quite charming and athletic. but she had many suitors. so she had to work hard. her brother and sisters and cousins. and finally he became so familiar. >> how much older where they? >> 1880, he was just 21 at the time. >> how long were they married? >> she died in 1984. >> and this is the story that i earlier said was what you would never forget. tell the story of what happened in the roosevelt house on that valentine's day in 1884. >> baby had been born two days before. and so it seems that they he got telegrams that came down until he finally came down on the train from new york and it died that day and it was a tragedy. you know, it broke his heart but he did leave this to the west and it was very sad for a long time. >> that it's so hard to imagine this your young life that you lost a few days after childbirth >> it was surprising to him, i think. he was friends with both sisters >> i had no competency, and he said that there was an impromptu meeting at stanley's house and they discovered that the old flame was rekindled and it was at her house and it was pretty unique that they were engaged. >> actually it is kind of true, but you can show it. >> he has a picture on screen of his diary. >> to be able to travel from that timeframe -- people say that he didn't know he was doing. he was devastating. >> our guest is the biographer. you have made reference to many times to her of her outside personality. what was the relationship like pertaining to women? >> was a very interesting question. because edith did her best by alice. but she was actually very good mother to work with. that is also older, i think that he was seeking attention that she never ever had. so that attention -- they didn't quite get it from her step father or stepfather. they are looking on a much bigger stage for that. once they begin able to cross the line from the relationship became much more stable. >> i think that they were a little bit spoiled and she had preferred someone that was more compliant and traditional as a daughter. so i think that. >> what was the relationship between either and the other sister who is also a political connection? >> well, i would think that they would have secret meetings and i'm she was quite a smart person. so she also set up a fort edith moved in. there is a little bit of that as well. and it's very interesting. it's clear that it was formidable and write a dream woman. she's a very important person in eleanor roosevelt's life. >> it was designed to be a summer home. they appear year-round. after the white house, it really was the center of their life, even if they weren't here. edith ran the household, not only at sagamore hell, but it all places like albany and washington dc and she managed the family's accounts and the investments. what we have here is an example of the annual accounts from 1891, i think it is. and it's basically every family member is listed and then she kept track of the expenses every month of the year. but it is also broken down to grocery bills and what she might pay for people. and have very good track. it wasn't ever a commercial venture. and they better try to be self-sufficient, so they were. what she wanted was to access the expense of living there they did have a lovely garden and produced everything from corn to strawberries and also to reduce the cost of maintaining a property like this. >> it is just a catalyst. but usually it would have been politicians or government officials. and as you see here in 1904 that anna roosevelt visited and her brother-in-law was visiting and obviously there was a family visit that day. and there ictures from nine. sometimes i don't think that you see people finding this. there is a wonderful illustration of one of the visitors showing hope at sunset, that's what one of the illustrations is. but it's a way of family to keep track of who is here to see them. when her family and friends were here, and what they were up to. >> a look at life inside sagamore hell. i want to spend a few minutes, and that is really the influence of edith roosevelt on her husband's very active administration. and we had to choose some from a two-year term. and it's a two-term administration, and this is hardly looks like. but that upholds the anti-trust that something that you said earlier, it was a very contentious time. also in that year in 1908 so what was the edith looking at is what she created a nice? >> she played a very large role. the behind the scenes. one of their friends called her the perfection of invisible government, which i think she would have liked. but going back, it was edith who said that you're not going to call the president by his first name. and she never called him by his first name in front of people from the white house either. it was more formal in thinking. so she played a role in personnel and suggested that someone talked about this. she tried to get rid of an ambassador for britain but she didn't like very much and said that i pulled everything that i knew and she was a kind of challenge that these. or roosevelt. many times they would talk to her about the post office scandal. so she could also be a pathway to discuss matters of diplomacy and then we mentioned briefly that all the time is spent together walking and so forth. and she had four newspapers a day, he didn't have time but she read newspapers and made sure that she favored his conservation policies. and later on she cries the day after he loses and she really was behind it. and so she edits this in an article and he clearly talks with her about political policies. but she was looking unobtrusive and they expressed what happening at the meeting. so she is a very active first lady. >> host: we have a call from minnesota. >> caller: hello, thank you for taking my question right after the presidency, was she active in society after that? and did she have much influence or relationship with franklin and eleanor as he began his run in politics? >> well, i think that they said that, and she talked about moving back to his sagamore hell for a year. and they traveled together to parts of their honeymoon in italy and other places. they are traveling around europe. but the republican party was split between progressives and they did a great job of holding them back together. >> guest: you know, i think it was a painful moment because they knew that they can couldn't win. this is when the primary system was to choose candidates. he won the primary, but nobody knew what that meant. so when it came time to go to the convention, they got the nomination. >> host: seven years after his successful run, be it or roosevelt died in 1919, houston 60 years old, how did he die? >> well, his heart gave out. >> was he failing or robust? >> he almost died from a leg injury and he has a fever and the s&p has rheumatism. so he is in bad shape. and part of it was the way he was. >> host: did she die at sagamore hill? >> guest: yes, she did. there were many times that they lived together throughout their lifetimes. she went around the world and traveled with her children. >> host: was she political? >> guest: she sympathized with allison and we were very upset about things not going too well. theodore roosevelt junior ran for governor and it didn't work very well. >> she also had a very sad family life losing three of her sons. >> guest: it was awful and horrible, just unbelievable. and so clinton died in world war i and then she lost her next son. on the beach of normandy, he was a war hero, and the family didn't want to talk about that. >> host: she talked about being a big factor her parents lives. >> host: they have the sort this sort of relationship is that right? >> guest: yes, the most powerful republican in washington dc would be part of that. and then she will become a sort of -- i would say she was more like a wise political observer. people sought out her advice for just about everything and it was very interesting. we started our program with a republican rally. >> host: yes, family politics on both sides ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> ♪ ♪ [inaudible] ♪ ♪ we are lucky to have come from the united states. >> guest: what should people know about that relationship and the political aspirations well, she was supporting his political ambitions and being a loyal republican. i think a lot of people saw hoover is a progressive republican. >> host: david welch wants to know which of the progressive movements have been close? >> guest: she was supporting parks and playgrounds in oyster bay. i don't and she was anything other than sympathetic towards the reform. >> we have certainly learned a lot about her life. let's take another call. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. i just want to ask a question. were her impressions of eleanor as good as they said they were? >> guest: yes, they really were. it got in the way of the transition to the white house and it was pretty good. >> she was expressing her opinions about her ambition, i believe. >> i think that 20th century first ladies needed emotional support just like the president and first lady's. and there have been quite delegations in the 20th century. >> host: that is an excellent answer. we argued for greatly be in the white house. >> guest: he was very patient. that is the main difference in their personality of characters. they were very outgoing and edith was much more reserved and i think that part of her wisdom was one to say that he was more viable and impulsive and he was more calm and deliberate. and he often said whenever i went against edith, i was regretted it. >> host: let's take another question from robert on our phone lines. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. they maintain their wealth during his presidency or did she seem to be so conscientious about money and i was curious about that. >> guest: well, the roosevelt family had some success. his grandfather helped found a chemical bank and property in new york city. so he spent a lot of his inheritance from his father on wrenching and they really lived on just his salary. >> host: she tell her she had enough money at the white house, right? >> guest: yes, she felt that she could entertain. >> host: he wrote about his biography about theodore roosevelt and many colleagues have read it. as we close out, very quickly here, so let's just cover our loose ends now. >> guest: mutual friends that we would truly like our white house to be like uncle theodore's and aunt edith. and they were role models for other couples because they were vigorous and active and they kept their personal life alive. she is an organization of the pioneers in some ways. i think she has a fine line to walk in the ceremonial aspects in the global stage that the first lady was occupying. this was the sense that even had in the future was going to be terrific. >> host: on this note, we think stacy for being with us. the first first lady of the 20th century, alone or roosevelt. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> next week, first ladies includes an image with the first lady mrs. taft. there is more on our website at c-span.org/first ladies including a special section, welcome to the white house produced by our partners by the white house historical association. chronicling life and also a special edition of the book, first ladies of the united states of america. it is available for the discounted price of 1295 plus shipping at c-span.org/products. >> 15 years ago booktv made its debut on c-span. >> we are fascinated by every aspect in theory or practice. >> since then we have brought you the top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. more than 9000 offers have appeared on booktv, including presidents. >> i wanted to give the reader the process by which i make decisions and the environment in which i make decisions and the people that i take decisions with. this is not an attempt to rewrite history or fashion a legacy. it is an attempt to be a part of the historical narrative. >> every single justice on the court has passion and love for the constitution of our country. then you know that if you accept that as an operating truth. >> all of that is just so important and the philosophers have spent a lifetime trying to imagine what it was like to live a moral life. >> we visited book fairs around the country. >> there is her signature programming end of this month. >> but that created a stillness. >> then my father was recalled in 1938 and he was in czechoslovakia when the not these marched in 1939. >> since 1998, booktv has shown over 40,000 hours of programming and it's the only national television network devoted to nonfiction books every weekend. throughout the fall earmarking 15 years of booktv on c-span2. >> coming up, congressman john conyers holds a forum and then peter diamond on the labor market and the reasons behind him employment. later ruth bader ginsburg on the court's recent decisions. >> $18 billion of debt, congressman john conyers hosted a forum in detroit examining the city's bankruptcy filing. speakers include julianne malveaux, state and local government officials and union representatives. this is two hours and 15 minutes. >> afternoon. i don't have a gavel to bonus to order, but that means to keep the conversation quiet. because we are here for serious business. the dean of the nations lawmakers and because of the extraordinary decency of this matter and its economics and its background and the way in which the bankruptcy filing which reinforces some very powerful and in some cases the need to be articulated and address. we are here today because one of the magnificent grounds of americans of democracy is under assault. we are some of the natives who are reintroducing ourselves. my name is michael eric dyson. [applause] doctor frederick george sampson, the pastor of congressman conyers and myself. we are here today because of the devastation upon the city. we know that detroit is vulnerable to serve economic forces and that the marketplace has levied a tremendous tax, if you will, and a burden on the city. we know that the city of extraordinary vitality, 1.8 million people, lived in our city in the 1950s. we hemorrhage over a million people from that time until now. from 2000 until 2010, we lost nearly 700,000 people. so that the population of detroit, along with the economic devastation upon the unique circumstance between city and suburbs, where my former colleague of the university of pennsylvania suggested, the mass exodus to suburbia and they continue to be economically exploited by a corollary investment. now we see with not only did the population and economic arrangement between cities and suburbs, but we also know that there has been a tremendous bleating of manufacturing jobs, nearly 200,000 that a hides and many manufacturing jobs right now. so we know that manufacturing and service industries have not only been a curious relationship of city and suburb, it is the consequence of that and the way in which the shift in the services of industry has ravaged our economic security in the city. and when you lay on top of that, it is a predominately predominantly black american city. the stigma associated with that black city has many racial beliefs and unleashed antagonistic emotions about what that might mean. and as a result of all of these factors, we are here because now we are facing the fact that democracy is being systematically denied to hundreds of thousands of people in this city detroit is a benchmark and a bellwether. it is a barometer. if we permit the takeover of a duly elected population of officials, the mayor the school system, more broadly the pensions of government and municipal and state workers, what we are facing is the fact that the arbitrary is part of a political headquarters in this case and the government of michigan and that is a devastating consequence upon the democratic exercise of agency and free will that we have as a result of being american citizens. we are american citizens. and they should do the stuff that we elected them for. so we cannot have the arbitrary imposition of the ideologically driven will of anyone to override the fundamental effect of voting and democracy. until such time as that the art either disqualified or their offices are terminated as a result of them completing their duty. and we have the iterations of this bankruptcy filings. this is no personal bitterness. we know that our brother is a good and decent human being doing his job. we are on this level in the church. what i am saying is that even though we don't have this personally towards you, we have a philosophical agreement with the appointment of someone to oversee all of those devastating and dangerous consequences. to oversee a black city and democratically elected politicians and to oversee citizens that need to have their rights respected. this is not only about detroit. this is about what happens across the country. this is what happens when you have predatory forces coming in the city at the behest of a right wing ideology that has no understanding of or appreciation for these duly elected officials and for those citizens who happen to populate this city. so now i want to do is to say that we are going to have a tremendous form and we have tremendous experts inside and knowledge, those who offer to us some serious rebuttals of what we consider to be the repudiation of democracy in our own city. so now we have the most noteworthy lawmakers in the history of america, a man whose pedigree is extraordinary, whose intelligence is keen, a man whose commitment to not only his constituency, but to the process of american democracy has been noteworthy and demand that has been on the frontlines fighting a battle against all forms of oppression and if a democracy. my mother than the honorable congressman john conyers. he will now come to make a statement. [applause] [applause] >> good afternoon, my brothers and sisters. it is so important that all of us are here in this great church. reverend doctor wendell anthony who is with us. this is not a theoretical conference. it is not a philosophical one. but it is a requirement under the conditions that bring a tear to we examine two things. the two things i'm going to introduce first. and that is for me, the two things include making sure that by legislation that would provide a backstop so that the tensions of city workers will not be affected. that is number one. nobody messed with defenses. in my second is when we make certain that we get the needed public funds to protect the citizens of this city. and i want to make sure that we do that through legislation. that is the second requirement. , now, because all 13 of us on the panel, each one distinguish each one with an important perspective, we will keep this down to three minutes. but the only way we can get audience participation is that all of us do what we can to allow from four to 5:00 o'clock, the audience can ask questions and make comments and do their thing. this is not a postgraduate seminar. and so we will meet today at this crossroads of our proud and vibrant cities. the emergency manager had unilaterally wanted to fund this into the largest bankruptcy in history. we have precious little time for public discussion, and that is why we are here. public accountability for these momentous decisions. i say that detroit deserves better. detroit deserves better than this. [applause] and because the moral and constitutional authorities to act on our behalf are so important. they are very much in balance. there are still questions over this. compounded by the fact that when the emergency management assumed power, it rejected the law itself, only to have their votes ignored by a lame-duck legislature. when this has been called into question by the last-minute bankruptcy filing. it is in this spirit that we gather. not to pontificate, but to explore a variety of perspectives and directions that we may want to go in. we are going to study and i am so flattered that these 13 men and women have worked collectively for this great work. and i thank you so much for everything. i just have to say this about michael eric dyson. professionally he was not accidentally selected as the moderator. he is one of the nation's preeminent commentators for msnbc. he is often an editor of more than a dozen books. dozens of books and received innumerable awards and is a professor at georgetown university and he understands the problem and this year he received the invaluable leadership award from the naacp awarded by doctor ant himself. most of all while adding to all of that, he is a true employer individual. we thank you so much, professor dyson. >> thank you so much, congressman. thank you for that powerful statement. let me say that a baptist teacher and i have preached in this church to the thunderous oratory and the magnificent eloquence in the fire of the reverend doctor. we are grateful for his presence and leadership. [applause] [applause] we are grateful for his leadership in the church and city. as congressman conyers was so elegant to inform, this is no postgraduate seminar. i hear you loud and clear. what we will do is get to this part of the matter. we want to talk about the appointment of emergency manager in his consequences for them in a possible business of a particular city. we want to talk about pension funds and we want to speak about workers for the city who are left vulnerable in the face of such a decision. we even want to talk about art. you know, it is not your issue to talk about economic infrastructure. you could be moved by picasso, baby, as jay-z would say. so wherever your motivation is alive, understand we are in this book together and an arbitrary exercise of choice by a politically elected official to deny the same political advocacy and options to someone else is a direct renunciation of democracy. we have to just be honest about that. and so what we want to do is hear from our esteemed panel. and i want to start with the fact that the entire point of the emergency law, which was firmly rejected by the majority of michigan borders, which was to avoid allowing municipalities to fall into bankruptcy. in june of 2011, governor snyder said that he will not let detroit declare bankruptcy. he's not going into bankruptcy after meeting with the bond agencies in new york. we are going to work hard to make sure that we don't need an emergency manager in bankruptcy should not be on the table. simply put, governor snyder did not deliver on either of these promises. now, in quoting further from senator johnson, this proves what i and other rational individuals have been saying for more than two years. emergency managers are not the solution to what ails our government. including large corporations and will not be a cpa to understand that this is troubling. those are the words of senator johnson who is here today. and we are appreciative of the brilliant of insight that they offer us as we talk about the consequence of this emergency management. i want to begin with the councilmember joann watson. she has served as a municipal legislators in 2003 and was named by the nation's magazine as the most valuable local official in 2010. [applause] three absolutely. >> hold on, all right. from 1990 through 1997, she was the only woman to lead the largest branch of the naacp. and until her election in 2003. we will hear from joann watson. but before that, i want to offer to the pastor of this church, a leader of the naacp and in this city who has been on the front line ever since the prospect in the shadow of a possibility of appointing an emergency manager loomed, and in place of this anti-democratic action on the part of governor snyder. we know that in addition, we know that she is the detroit chapter of the naacp and she has a career spearheading humanitarian efforts and this includes work in rwanda in refugee camps. so i want to begin with doctor anthony. reverend anthony is very concerned about the fact that 125 cities across the u.s. this is not about detroit. what happens here is the canary and the coal mine. this reflect will happen in other cities that will be forced to take the same path that is being forced upon detroit. 125 cities are facing financial distress. and therefore the entire nation is looking at detroit and he believes the emergency financial managers are able to tell their story. but there is not the opportunity for the residents of detroit to tell their side of the the story and how and on what official is not controlling their lives with democratic input. so i want doctor anthony to speak on that issue. >> thank you. let when we welcome everyone here. i want to thank congressman john conyers for his leadership in initiating this most important discussion. we cannot hero the dean of the congressional black caucus and the one who brought the notion that the nation needs to recognize doctor martin luther king jr. and through his efforts, supporting everyone, women and men, every race and every issue, let's get up again to john conyers junior. >> thank you, congressman, for the work that you do. [applause] >> professor dyson, we have opposed to the emergency management and have said for many months simply because one is in economic distress, we don't have to be compressed by the imposition of a one-man rule. 50% of the african-american population in the state of michigan resides under an emergency manager. that is unconstitutional, and it goes against the grain to what america is supposed to be about. we believe that the bankruptcy that has been filed since that time is premature and we know that the system that was used is talking about exploring this. these are cities in oakland county that are qualifying them, yet they do not have the imposition of one. and sometimes we are told that there is a city that may have requested it. we did not request it. and we believe that the filing of bankruptcy was premature. there has been no negotiation with the pension systems. ..

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