Young people enjoying music festival. Dancing and jumping surrounded by flashing lights

BROLL FTG OF A TOWN HALL CAMPAIGN EVENT FOR JEB BUSH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE / At Adams Memorial Opera House Russell Prescott "Honored to introduce man who will be president of the US" -learn that it's the foundation of what he can do, know you're going to see him over and over again, Grey slacks, light blue and white checkered shirt Applause gave a standing ovation JEB BUSH 1219 "been a pretty wild 8 days for me" last sunday, went to immaculate conception church in portsmouth, went back to kennebunkport where mother celebrated 90th bday, took off to berlin, talked about relationship between us and europe. got to go to Poland, incredibly pro-American Love about Estonia, can pay your taxes in 2 minutes, then came back home, son jeb jr around here, really wrapped himself around the flag of NH. have sunday funday, went to church, got together as family, yesterday announced my candidacy "first stop for a candidate, not a potential candidate but a candidate is new hampshire" the future can be extraordinary, want a better future for ourselves, children, grandkids, can be liberal and conservative, diverse, all want something better for our families, today we're not getting it, economic activity has lagged behind. if we did it, create high wage jobs, lift people out of poverty, not be as pessimistic, lift pessimism, ppl embrace the future, nothing can stop US, most extraordinary country in America. I've done it as governor of florida, cut taxes, reduced govt workforce, hard to do but i did it. put ppl in front of the line. can show how to take care of ppl that need govt help, cut taxes, reduce size and scale of govt, created more jobs than any states besides calif, see my good friend perry or even my brother, tell them that we created more jobs than Texas. Know that you all believe in fiscal responsibility call me veto corleone, vetoed 25000 separate line items in the budget, useful tool. when it;s broken, need to fix it, never make govt grow faster than ability to pay for it, whether stuck in poverty. that's the challenge for prez. who is going to be the prez who makes it possible. have the skills, had balanced budgets "made ppl upset once in a while" didn't file an amendment and called that succes. time to stop talking about things" got a lot of people that are really good at talking" better than me. Time to fix a few big things so this nation takes off during the next few mos, hope to lay out a little provocative ideas on how to reform tax code, during 8 yrs fl led the nation in small business startups, chance to be energy secure with american ingenuity if we do those things will grow, be the only developed country in the world to say that we're young and emerging and dynamic "Here to ask for your vote, I'd love to have your vote and support" Larry Q: Can see that i'm a vet, so far have fought to get liberties that we have here, think vets aren't being recognized, like to know, have you? what will u do as commander in chief, noticed that we didn't do a pledge of allegiance JB: Didn't serve,my son served, went back at 30 as naval intelligence officer. didn't do it. one of great scandals the scandal of vets dept, unconscionable that there's pay system where bonuses for getting ppl off the waiting but not asking if they were served, if look at that scandal, and see ppl that were fired, literally a handful were involved in this, deserving of dramatic reform need to give veterans more choices, take advantage of it. vets system should be if that's not the way u wanna go should be private options know for a fact, if u give ppl choices, take schools for ex, empower ppl to say u can go here and there, vets system would get heck of a lot better. how are we going to sustain military id ppl don't think they'll get the assistance they deserve. JB: last time checked 3 million jobs unfilled bcuz of skills gap, 3 mil jobs where ppl- Liberal psych major jokes that she's one of them not jobs there but have jobs for welders, nurses, computer science oriented fields, all sorts of things, not ppl qualified ought to ....start that earlier so there's a purpose to higher education, a degree should happen in 4 yrs. universities have to be more relevant..ought to be a lot easier for ppl to make informed decision, not in the long term future to be able to have renewable economy, someone's in a a garage reinventing some wheel, america's most dynamic country in the world. should subsidize it, govt sponsored venture capital, let ppl pursue their dreams, should find solutions, we're americans, create the freest kind of possibility Dave Q: Republicqns are accused of providing tax breaks for the rich? true? JB: Do think that our tax code is rife with exemptions that wealthier ppl take advantage of, many have been authored by dems, ought to simplify by reducing exemptions and simplifying rates, best way to create growth is for govt to take a step back, estonian has a 20% flat rate, can have a version of something like that. something that would work dramatically, republicans need to stop being defensive, our msg is the one for ppl who want to rise up, if you believe, that is doesn't matter where ppl start in life, make policies, campaign so they know you care about them. it' sa different kind of crowd, reflective of the diversity, know that i care, ought to try and create a field of dreams. think the likely opponent thinks govt is the solution, tried that, hasn't worked, ppl are stuck, progressive agenda may sound good, now we see what it looks like and is ugly. go campaign in places where repubs haven't been seen Valerie Q: kind of disagree with obscene amount of money spent on elections, wondering what you would advance to end corrupting influence of $ JB: HArd to do bcuz supreme court ruled that it is constitutional, in a perfect world candidates could raise what they wanted in a transparent way, restricting contributions to campaign, but unrestricted is not ok. unlimited mone for super pacs, doesn't make sense to me, been told that this requires some kind of constitutional amendment. best thing to do is total transparency when it comes to political contributions. Q: look at tax code today, need to codify tax law, no entitlements for corps or individuals. push congress for that? how soon want to get a surplus? JB: unfortunately, kind of a nerdy point, fed reserve is largest owner of debt...the chinese aren't that interested, only buyer now is own govt. makes it worse, here's the deal, passionate about high sustained ec growth. demands on govt grow far faster, is an exponential benefit, no exotic form of taxation that will be proposed by the left, some exotic form, that type of approach that doesn't come close, can't create high growth without reforming tax code. working on a proposal, be part of a high growth strategy.have not had reform since 1988, created big time economic growth, need to go back to that model. to get to balance, cut spending, growth of spending, prioritize...asking fed govt to do too much, how do we protect homeland, build best military, provide best support, support for vets, many other things need to be challenged need entitlement reform. not possible to balance the budget without it Q: Chinese and russians seems to be stealing secret, cybersecurity? sure wouldn't know it from Obama JB: Think ,military does pretty good job, al report that director warned that firewalls weren't that strong. think a few things can agree on, whatever it is it ought to be, should be a lot more effective. ridiculous to have website for healthcare,gov, why should it cost 800 mil? protecting systems that exist, responsibility of govt. also commercial espionage that's taking place. is a concerted effort by hackers, in family emailing about what would happened if my dad passed away, thought that internet was secure, hacker hacked into my sister's account, brought home to me this danger. needs to be a high priority. First budget, (man's name is Berlin, I think) Q: when you get into office, how do you intend in 1st 100 days? JB: relates to, not that social security is an entitlement, learned that in town hall mtgs (laughter) my brother tried, next prez will have to try again. in environment we have today where "partisanship is poisonous" have to weave the web of civility. have real disagreements, don't assume that they have bad motives, puts me in a different place. just disagree with them. let's accept the fact that this is a time bomb, let's be neutral on solutions, that's how you begin the process. gotta have courage of your convictions. this looming problem...lay out my plans over course of campaign. not going to solve it unless we rebuild some consensus that solving process is ok Q: what can govt do____ JB: taxes and regulations are two biggest things we can fix. tax code defies imagination, businesses that sell overseas and make money don't bring money back, know how much money being invested overseas? imagine if we created tax code that was simplified, repatriation of that money, reforming that tax code, eliminating crony capitalism, fixing tax code...what should we do with $2 trillion ? person who's opposed doing anything is obama, next president could create compromise to reduce debt, build infrastructure, projects of national purpose, national meaning. that's how you create job, to tear down barriers and create the best possible environment. have abundant land, talented workforce, don't have borders that threatened national security, nothing compare to other places, if we fix how we tax, don't you think we can compete? that's how we create jobs Zany: never seen govt that works for me. [23] other ways to amplify voices, support tax credit for small dollar donations? JB: Wouldn't. shouldn't be the means by which we create policy. it's the natural instinct to say we use the tax code to solve the problem, the cumulative effect stifles creativity. but how many people gave money to obama, might be to use the internet as obama did, hit a lot of small donors. no monopoly of using the internet, asking for 3 bucks.that's a powerful tool, that's the solutions, go away from the old order, ppl getting news from smartphones, Q: path is quite troubling, concerned with govt spending, how able to turn path toward big spending? JB: Did it as governor, a little different from ppl that havent been governor of a state, florida is a purple state, goes back and forth, really diverse, not dominated by conservatives, in FL, generally like people. express our views with openness, obama own twice hopefully next prez is me, and has to win Florida" cut govt, personal income grew, compounds out at good rate, if u were living in florida, would have 1000 bucks more each year. would also give u a bright future scholarship, ways to solve Liberal pysch major leaves "sorry! got to to work!" Jeb: Glad you got a job *laughs* that's what we need in washington, do it by bringing fiscal restraint, shifting power back to the states. shift back powers of education. to shift power back and reduce size of govt is the answer. if u start as committed conservative, ppl knew i was a conservative, 8 yr of belief in govt, that's what we need to achieve, I'm on your side brother Lauren, Q: with isis, this admin seems to have issues, how do u stop a radical group, what are your plans? JB: need a strategy this prez has literally said twice that we don't have a strategy, whose supposed to be in charge? appropriate to garner support, secondly be all in. should be something that we recognize, asymmetric threat, is a long haul threat. these folks want to destroy western civilization, call it for what it is, is radical islam, don't have to be all by ourselves, strategy is be engaged in iraq and syria, take away their money work with the neighborhood, rebuild those relationships, recognizing that we have to play a role, should embed with them, maintain our air support, and take them out. syria has an equally complicated situation, assad regime and isis and neither side in the right side. now have a situation that will take a long while. protected zone in the north where a syrian free army, along with intl support, made a lot simpler if we could push Iran out of the region. Idea that we're negotiation with them, keep pulling back, narrowing this negotiation, iran will be a nuclear threshold state, not saying anything about their state. Iran has more influence in yemen, supporting hamas again, pushing Iran out of the region will be a way to keep them out of fight Q: Opinion of obamacare? JB: How much time do you have? should be repealed and replaced. if take home that bush is for high sustained growth, accomplished my mission, had to pick one thing, haven't mentioned it yet, one thing is obamacare *applause* lots of reasons to think this is the wrong approach, giving fed govt all this power. this suppresses job growth. husband and wife paying premiums of 600 a month, all their money will go to security for healthcare. complications didn't start fixing this has to be...move back to fewer mandate benefits, mandates for employees, employer's, high deductible, affordable insurance, make sure that you have options to go to different state. customize the experience, give rewards for ppl to make healthy lifestyle decisions. way to do this thoughtfully, do it so create jobs. in favor of repealing and replacing. Q: person with special needs. today, like to get out and help people, gave her a hug got elected as gov, first wk, had to go to a fed court, ..were institutionalizing ppl rather than empowering, moral code suggests that the most vulnerable in our society, life is a gift from God, defining who's better and worse, important for conservatives to have this belief. Jonah Abraham Q: religious freedom, balance between values and freedoms, law indiana, how you balance religious and personal freedoms? JB: deeply troubling to me that we're moving at warp speed away from right to have and act on your views, very troubling when a candidate says that ppl with religious views are going to have to get over it. tolerant enough country to allow for both to exist. don't think we should push aside big and caring hearts. important for people to push back. Indiana got ugly think we can protect religious freedom and not create a society that it intolerant, ok that ppl disagree. should suppress ppl's views. relates to a florist in washington state...got sued by partner, about ready to lose her business.should not be able to discriminate against them because they're gay, but if you're asking them to participate, should be allowed to say i can't participate Q: reaction to pope? JB: want to read it, Pope Francis is extry leader, speaks with such clarity, draws ppl back to faith, as a converted catholic of 20 yr...don't get economic policy from my pope, like to see what he says and how it connects, think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that get into the political realm. Parts of Miami that could create huge problems, my attitude is don't think the science is complete, whole idea that ppl who've made up their minds is a caveman, do think need to create longterm policies of adaptation. kind of irrelevant, issue to depoliticize this issue. could mean building water systems that are more durable. not allowing for people to develop. have to find a way to do both- high sustained growth, do have a changing climate, there's disagreement on this for sure, think there's an answer to almost anything by innovation, zeal for discovery, lots of solutions that we can't imagine today Q:Dangerous JB: POTUS makes it clear what america's strategy is, should be clarity, creates consistency if you act on that strategy, think we're nuanced, responding to conditions as they change. if in the military, wonder, worry, don't know, prez came into office, based on withdrawing, fulfilled that promise, created uncertainty for the troops, that void now has been filled. now we're back in iraq. now putting restrictions, creates the environment that you're describing. needs to have a doctrine for strategy, rebuild relationships, don't do that well, think the american ppl don't want that, create a strategy..we're going to be inthis for the long haul, counting on you tube our allies, accept responsibilities have the best training force, that's the better approach, may not be feasible but I'd like to get back to bipartisan consensus...lots of dems embrace strong america, understand that the goal is not to create war but to create peace

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FTG OF DAILY WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING WITH WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY IN THE WH BRIEFING ROOM / REFEED (ORIGINAL HAD BAD VIDEO) TC DOESN'T MATCH LOG Monday, March 18, 2013 White House Briefing with Jay Carney / STIX DC Slug: 1215 WH BRIEF STIX RS37 83 AR: 16x9 Disc #937 NYRS: 5114 / HD2 JAY CARNEY: A crowd of new faces, sort of new, young faces, young, happy, smiling faces. Q: (Off mic.) (Laughter.) MR. CARNEY: Bill, you are eternally young, as I think everyone in this room can attest. Good afternoon. Thanks for being here. Welcome back from what I hope was a fabulous weekend. And I have no announcements to make at the top. I think you probably saw, if you did not attend the president's announcement that he made, his nomination for secretary of the Treasury. Beyond that, I got nothing. Q: (Off mic.) MR. CARNEY: I'm sorry, secretary of labor. There is a secretary of the Treasury. (Laughter.) Thanks. I'm still -- it's still Sunday. Go ahead. Q: Thank you. What's the U.S. take on this EU plan with Cyprus that would basically call on Cyprus' government to raid the personal accounts of its citizens? 12:26:26 MR. CARNEY: Well, I would refer you to the Treasury Department. We're obviously monitoring the situation right now. The -- our general proposition is that we, you know, believe it's very important for Europe to take steps necessary, as they have been, to both grow and deal with sovereign debt issues. But as regards this particular situation, I'd refer you to Cyprus beyond saying that we're monitoring it. Q: But -- MR. CARNEY: I mean, refer you to Treasury beyond saying that we're monitoring it. Q: The markets, the -- (inaudible) -- markets have obviously reacted negatively to this. Is there any concern, anything you would say to the American people about whether this might ricochet the U.S. economy? 12:27:07 MR. CARNEY: Well, again, I'm not going to comment on markets. You might see if Treasury officials will comment on them. I would simply say that we have long said that a strong, stable Europe is in the interests of the United States, and that applies broadly to our approach to all of Europe and to all of the eurozone. With regards to Cyprus, I would refer you to Treasury except to say that we're monitoring the situation. Q: And then I'm wondering if the president had any reaction to Hillary Clinton's announcement today that she publicly backs gay marriage now. 12:27:41 MR. CARNEY: Well, I can tell you that the president believes that any time a public official of stature steps forward to embrace a commitment that he shares to equality for LGBT Americans, he thinks it's a good thing. And I haven't spoken with him about Secretary Clinton's announcement, but I know that that's what he feels in general when major figures in our society make their views known. And it's testimony to how far this country and how quickly this country has traveled, as he has said. Q: Does -- do you know if she gave the White House any heads-up that she would be making this announcement today? MR. CARNEY: I'm not aware that she did. She's obviously a private citizen, and her views are in concert with the president's. So I'm not aware that she gave any heads-up. Let's go to Reuters, then -- yeah. Reuters. Q: Thank you, Jay. MR. CARNEY: Mr. Mason. Q: Just to follow up on Cyprus, and without commenting specifically if you don't want to about what they're looking at there, does the U.S. -- I mean, would the White House intellectually support the idea of taxing people's bank accounts -- (inaudible) -- 12:28:49 MR. CARNEY: So let me -- let me -- you're asking -- without commenting anything on Cyprus -- (laughs) -- Q: (Inaudible) -- behind the idea, just comment on the overall theme. I mean, it's -- is there anything you can say about that particular piece? 12:29:04 MR. CARNEY: No, I can't. I think that it is the wise course to defer to the Treasury Department and to note only that we are monitoring this closely, as you would imagine, but that our overall approach has been to, you know, support a strong, stable Europe because it's in the interests not just of Europe but in the United States. Q: Will the president, when he makes further travel later this year -- on G-8, G-20-related trips -- do any specific stops in Europe to discuss not just Cyprus but the EU crisis in general? 12:29:47 MR. CARNEY: Well, I have no specific scheduling announcements to make. Obviously, the president of the United States participates generally in meetings like the G-8 and G-20, and it is certainly the case that international economic issues are top of the agenda also -- often in these -- in these meetings and will be again this year. The situation in Europe and the eurozone has been prominent in the discussions in the past several years that the president has with his counterparts, and I imagine that will continue to be the case. But as part of a broader discussion of global economic issues, the need to -- for all economies to take steps to grow even as they deal with their debt challenges, as is the approach that this president takes, as you know, which is to ensure that we implement economic policies that ensure economic growth and job creation, expansion of the middle class, even as we tackle our deficit and debt challenges. That's the sort of balanced approach he supports here. But I can't predict, when these summits come around, what will be absolutely top of the agenda. But that issue is certainly one that is frequently discussed. Q: One follow-up then on Tom Perez. There's already some criticisms today from Republicans that Mr. Perez was particularly political in approach -- in his approach to the law and in aggressively seeking to allow the hiring of illegal workers. And these concerns that you think may affect his ability to get Senate confirmation? 12:31:21 MR. CARNEY: Well, the president believes that Tom Perez is enormously qualified for this position. His record is substantial, his resume is full. As you know, under Tom's leadership at the Justice Department, the Civil Rights Division has settled the three largest fair lending cases ever on behalf of families targeted by unfair mortgage-lending practices. The division has fought to protect the rights of every American student, to achieve the quality education they will need to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. It has dramatically increased the enforcement of human trafficking laws and stepped up its efforts to ensure our nation's veterans do not lose their civilian job, because they are serving our nation. Prior to serving in his current role, Tom was the secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which protects consumers and workers through the enforcement of a wide range of consumer rights, workplace safety and wage and hour laws. And his record is impressive. His personal story is remarkable. You wonder, if you're one of five siblings and you're the only one who's not the doctor, if you're the failure in the family, but I think it's pretty clear that he's enormously talented and qualified for the position. Yes. Q: Thank you. I want to go at the Cyprus question again. Q: Good luck. (Laughter.) Q: Well, I mean, there have been a lot of positive signs about the trajectory of the U.S. economy, and I guess, you know, if you can be specific as to what the administration's concerns are that what is happening there in Cyprus could potentially stall what's happening here in the U.S. 12:32:53 MR. CARNEY: Well, we have said all along through the last several years that we need to address the issues that we can control. And we have done that repeatedly with the policy decisions that this president has made and has implemented. And that has led to a period of sustained economic growth, although not, in the president's mind, enough economic growth, which is why we have work to do. It has led to three years of private-sector job creation, more than 6.3 million private-sector jobs created, but not enough. And that's why the president believes we need to press on with a jobs and growth agenda that ensures that even as we deal with our deficit and debt challenges, we're continuing to grow the economy and to do it in a way that enhances job creation, that strengthens the middle class, that protects seniors, that allows for investments in education, innovation, manufacturing, research and development, that underpin our future economic development and growth. So, you know, we take that approach in part because it helps insulate the United States as much as possible in a global economy from, you know, the impacts of various events around the world. But we do live in an international global economy, which is why the president has engaged so regularly and consistently and aggressively with his counterparts around the world as we emerged from the worst recession since the Great Depression, a global economic crisis and financial crisis that affected nations around the world, and we continue to do that. Now, you know, I don't have any specific comment on today's news except to say that we have long said that a stable, strong Europe is in the United States' interest, and the president will continue to discuss with and coordinate with his counterparts to help in any way we can to help bring that about. Q: OK. On another issue, Republicans are going through quite a bit of retooling, trying to become more inclusive, pull in a different kind of demographic. I'm wondering if any reaction at all from the president to -- (inaudible) -- reacting to what happened in the 2012 election. 12:35:12 MR. CARNEY: Well, I'll tell you a couple things. I -- first of all, as the president has said, he believes that a strong two-party system is important in our democracy. It is also true, as he has noted and the Constitution requires, he has not -- he will not be running again for office. So, you know, his view of this is a little different probably than it was a year ago or more. But I would say again -- not -- this is not coming from the president, but I think it's important to note that the best way to increase support with the public for your party is to embrace policies the public supports. And embracing policies the public does not support -- (chuckles) -- or aggressively rejects makes it more difficult to earn the public's support. And you know, when it comes again to matters like how we grow our economy, and as we grow our economy how we deal with our deficit and debt challenges, as I've noted frequently, the public overwhelmingly supports a balanced approach to that challenge. The public does not support -- did not support last year, did not support the year before -- an effort to deal with our deficit challenges by asking seniors to bear the burden through voucherized Medicare, asking families who have to deal with disabled children or parents in nursing homes to bear the burden, all so that the wealthiest can enjoy a massive tax break -- a tax cut. Tax Policy Center says the latest Republican budget out of the House would give a $5.7 trillion tax cut. Even in today's numbers, that is a load of money, and somebody's got to pay for it. And there is no way to do it by any tax analysis that's credible, without sticking it to the middle class, if you believe you can do it in a revenue-neutral way. Middle class pays; those who are the wealthy and well-connected benefit. That's not economic policy that makes sense for the economy and it certainly doesn't make sense for the middle class. Q: And when can we expect the president to make his March Madness picks? 12:37:38 MR. CARNEY: I don't have an update for you on that, but I'm sure he will be, as so many sports fans will be, paying close attention when he can. As you know, he's about to head off on a foreign trip, but he'll, I'm sure, catch the news where he can. Q: (Off mic) -- plane to, you know, work on his brackets. (Laughter.) MR. CARNEY: Yes, sir. 12:38:01 JIM AVILA Q: Jay, going back to the question about Hillary Clinton and her endorsement of gay marriage, there seems to be a continued support -- growing support for this. The Republicans even today, as Dan mentioned, did in fact say they have to appeal more to gay voters. What is it going to take -- what -- why does the president not promote now -- why does he now not promote federal legislation to make gay marriage legal nationwide instead of going state by state? 12:38:24 MR. CARNEY: I think the president addressed this, and I would refer you to his words -- his views on this matter, his views on the decision to file a brief in the Proposition 8 case, his views that -- about how that brief addressed the question the court was asking, but that on the broader principle, in his view, as to whether or not a state could present a reason to discriminate against LGBT Americans that was constitutional, he could not imagine it. But again, the brief filed responded to the case at hand. So I'm not going to get ahead of the president, but I would encourage you to look at his remarks on that matter. Yes, Mr. Rosen, welcome. Q: Good to be back, Jay. Thank you. Two subjects, if I may. First, on the Perez nomination, this nomination comes shortly after the issuance of a report by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General which touched on Assistant Attorney General Perez's conduct. I'm paraphrasing the report, but faithfully. It stated that -- (laughter) -- that the investigators did not find that Mr. Perez misled them but that his testimony before them did not capture the essence of the matters under investigation and that, by the common understandings of the English language, he should have known better, in essence. That's the thrust of the report. Was this report a factor for the president in his decision to nominate Perez? Did anyone read this report in -- before nominating -- 12:40:14 MR. CARNEY: Well, you can be sure that in any nomination process, all the necessary background research is done. And I would say that the criticism in the inspector general report, as you noted, of the Civil Rights Division -- well, as you didn't note, but I will -- largely predated Tom Perez and even this administration. In fact, the report concluded that in the wake of the improper hiring practices that took place in the previous administration, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez restored nonpartisan, merit-based hiring to the Civil Rights Division. The inspector general concluded that voting rights enforcement decisions made by leadership were not due to improper racial or political considerations. After a number of past incidents, of harassment, of voting section career staff based on perceived political affiliation, mostly occurring between 2004 and 2007, the inspector general reported that Mr. Perez has taken a number of steps to foster a more collegial and professional workplace. That's from Page 133 in the report. The inspector general report found that the Civil Rights Division handled the New Black Panther case -- I'm beating you to the punch here -- that they handled it properly. The OPR, quote, conducted an investigation of the New Black Panther Party case and issued a report dated March 17th, 2011, which found that the attorneys did not commit professional misconduct or exercise poor judgment but rather acted appropriately in the exercise of their supervisory duties -- and I could continue with the quotation. So the president -- Q: Were you reading that? You were reading? MR. CARNEY: I am. Q: Oh, OK. (Chuckles.) MR. CARNEY: (Know what I mean ?) The -- yeah, I'm reading from a report, James (sp), so -- and I think the -- Q: (Off mic) -- the part of the report that I brought up, then? MR. CARNEY: Which is -- Q: Which is that the investigators found that Perez did not intentionally mislead them, but that by the plain understanding of the English language, he should have testified in a way that captured the essence of the matters under investigation and that he did not do so. 12:42:02 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think -- I think the operative (sense ?) is the first part, which is Mr. Perez did not mislead, and that was the finding of the report. Q: Different topic, if I may? MR. CARNEY: Yeah. Q: I checked for this in recent briefings and didn't find that it had been addressed, at least on camera. Does the White House take a position on whether the various lawmakers who have been seeking access to the Benghazi survivors should in fact have that access? 12:42:32 MR. CARNEY: As I said on your air the other day, the White House is certainly not preventing anybody from having access to any of the survivors of the Benghazi attack. I think it's worth noting that government employees, in this case, some of them in highly sensitive positions, have responsibilities that existed before and exist after an attack like that. But investigation is ongoing. Cooperation with and briefing of members of Congress continues in the investigation, as appropriate, and has been in keeping with the incredible amount of cooperation we have provided to Congress and all of their inquiries with regard to the Benghazi matter. So, you know, I'm not sure what else to say about this. I know that some general assertions have been made, but the fact of the matter is it's under investigation, and certainly nobody at the White House is preventing anybody from talking to anyone. Q: One last question, if I may. When I traveled with Secretary Kerry earlier this month, I had the chance to interview him overseas, and I asked him when we will hear from the Benghazi survivors. And Secretary Kerry disclosed for the first time publicly that he, in fact, had gone to Walter Reed and met with one of the survivors himself. To your knowledge, has President Obama made any effort to meet with or speak with any of the Benghazi survivors himself? 12:43:54 MR. CARNEY: You know, we don't talk about specifics in terms of the president's visits to Walter Reed. I can -- Q: Or elsewhere? MR. CARNEY: I don't have anything for you on that. I don't know the answer to that question. Yes. Q: Jay, according to a recent poll taken in Israel, 10 percent of Israelis view President Obama favorably. What type of reception is he expecting? And what's his message going to be to the people there to try to change that perception of him? 12:44:19 MR. CARNEY: Well, the president will visit Israel with a message about the enduring relationship between the United States and Israel, about the unshakable commitment the United States has to Israel's security, a commitment that is measured not just in the amount of assistance but in the strong bonds that our people share. When it comes to this administration's commitment to Israel's security, I think I could point you to comments by Prime Minister Netanyahu, by Ehud Barak and others who have offered their opinions about the fact that no previous administration has done so much for Israel's security as this administration has. And the president will certainly talk about that. He looks forward to speaking about the future of the relationship, especially with Israeli youth. You know, this is, as you know, just, you know, an incredible country that is -- has, you know, these -- ancient history and yet, you know, vibrant -- a vibrant democracy and a vibrant economy, especially an economy that is innovative and filled with entrepreneurs. And the president will certainly look to highlight that. And you know, I can tell you he's very much looking forward to this trip. He's looking forward to his meetings with Israeli leaders as well as Palestinian leaders and the king of Jordan. So I think it's going to be a very important and worthwhile trip. Q: According to some foreign policy experts with whom we've spoken, they've said that the best the president can hope for in this trip is to really convince the Israeli people that he stands with them, that he is on their side. Is that a fair assessment? And if not, what are his other expectations? 12:46:16 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think that he, again, looks -- I think I would answer it the way I just did. He looks forward to this trip. He looks forward to engaging with Israeli leaders as well as Israeli youth and other Israelis to talk about the U.S.-Israeli relationship, to talk about Israeli security and our commitment to Israel's security. The fact of the matter is, when it comes to our relationship and this president's commitment to the security of Israel, I would tell you -- you don't have to take our word for it or his word for it. I would point you again to statements made by prominent Israeli leaders about the nature of that commitment, which is as firm and strong as it has ever been. Q: And one on immigration, Jay. The RNC report also called for Republicans to embrace comprehensive immigration reform. Does that in any way impact -- move the efforts to get immigration reform passed forward? 12:47:19 MR. CARNEY: Well, I don't know that that does. What moves it forward is what we continue to see as encouraging progress in the Senate with the so-called Group of Eight. It is -- it's an important reminder that even as we deal with other challenges, like our budget and deficit issues, that there is a broader agenda and -- an agenda that's shared not just by the president but others who believe we need to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform, we need to move forward on measures to reduce gun violence, we need to move forward on investments in infrastructure and education. And those trains, if you will, keep moving in a positive direction. And it is worth noting that there are signs of continued progress from the Gang of Eight on comprehensive immigration reform. The president, as he has said in the past, believes that's very important and will continue to encourage that progress and look forward to the development of and passage of a bipartisan bill that he hopes he'll be able to sign, because that's good for the country. Q: Has he identified a specific deadline by which he would like to see legislation proposed? And if not, then he will put forward -- 12:48:40 MR. CARNEY: We have not identified a deadline. The president has said that he sees no obstacle to moving quickly. And he has encouraged the Congress to move quickly -- the Senate in particular, to move quickly. And there has been steady progress. The tripwire, if you will, is more about whether or not that progress is seen to have slowed or stopped, and that has not happened; in fact, the opposite is true. It seems to be continuing. And that -- and that is viewed here by the president and the rest of us as very positive. Q: Jay -- MR. CARNEY: Bill. Q: If the president's commitment to Israel is the unshakable commitment of the U.S. to Israeli security, and that's the message he wants to bring, why is he not speaking to the Knesset as every other U.S. president recently has done? 12:49:27 MR. CARNEY: Well, the president will be meeting with Israeli leaders and will be giving a speech that will be covered by all of the Israeli media to Israeli youth. And I think that's entirely appropriate to the idea that -- Q: But why can't he do both? MR. CARNEY: -- into -- the notion that the -- that Israel's security is of concern only to members of the Knesset, I think, would be challenged by pretty much every Israeli over the age of five or six. Q: (Off mic.) I said, why can't he do both? MR. CARNEY: Well, we're doing a lot. The schedule is very packed, I can tell you, with meetings and events and the speech. So it's going to be, we think, a trip that will reflect the president's commitment to Israel's security and to Israel's future -- Q: Well, sure -- MR. CARNEY: -- as well as his commitment to -- well, Bill, I'm just telling you that -- we chose -- the president chose -- Q: Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress. Why doesn't the presidents speak to the Knesset? 12:50:26 MR. CARNEY: We're speaking to -- the president will speak to all of the Israeli people in front of an audience of young Israelis who, you know, have with -- have it within their hands, you know, the power to shape Israel's future. And he thinks that's entirely appropriate. And he will be meeting with Israeli leaders and government officials, of course. And you know, the president's, I think, message will be heard by Israelis who are both members of the Knesset and who are not. Yes, sir. Q: Jay. MR. CARNEY: Yes, John (sp). Q: As the president's heads in one direction, there's -- on the other side of the world, there's some very provocative actions and comments -- statements being made by the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. Has the president been in contact with his allies, with his support system over there in Japan, et cetera, South Korea, as well as China, regarding the latest comments and the latest actions, including the rescinding of the armistice during the 60th anniversary of that -- of that taking place? 12:51:35 MR. CARNEY: Well, I can tell you that the president is very focused on this -- on this issue, and that his senior national security team is focused on this issue. As you know, with U.S. leadership, at the United Nations Security Council, a resolution sanctioning North Korea passed unanimously, with Russian and Chinese support -- a not insignificance occurrence. The fact of the matter is, we remain committed to ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and this means deterring North Korean aggression, protecting our allies and the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state, nor will we stand by while it seeks to develop a nuclear-armed missile that can target the United States. You know, we obviously, as you know, made an announcement recently about developments in our missile defense program that reflects what we consider the increased threat from North Korea. And, you know, we continue to work with all of our allies and partners on this issue to pressure and isolate North Korea, to make clear to North Korea what its options are and how it needs to proceed in order to rejoin the community of nations. And, you know, our position is quite firm on that. Mr. Nakamura (sp). Haven't seen you in a while. Welcome -- Q: (Off mic) -- thanks for having me back. MR. CARNEY: Sure. (Laughter.) The door is always open. Q: Thank you. The -- I have two questions on immigration. Number one -- MR. CARNEY: As long as you have your pass. Q: (Chuckles.) Yeah, the -- have it right here. Bright red. The -- two questions on immigration. The Gang of Eight talks in the Senate on an immigration bill -- I know that there's a general sense that the senators are potentially looking to make changes to the way the family visas are allocated, maybe to put a little less emphasis on family connections and more of an emphasis on work skills. Philosophically speaking, does the White House think that sort of a rebalancing of those priorities is necessary, is the right way to go? You know, I think right now two-thirds of the visas given are for family reasons and only 14 percent for employment reasons, that Republicans are saying, we need to do more for the economy; this is the way to prioritize, because there is a huge backlog. Is that the right way to go? 12:53:46 MR. CARNEY: Well, I don't want to judge the bill or the work of the Group of Eight before it has emerged. And, you know -- Q: But philosophically, I mean -- (off mic) -- MR. CARNEY: Well, philosophically, the president thinks both are important. I would point you to his blueprint for his views on these issues. And it is obviously important to ensure that, you know, people from abroad who are coming -- young people from abroad who are coming and getting educated here with engineering degrees and the like who have an interest in starting businesses or contributing to the American economy here should be welcome to do that here. And that's the president's view, but it is also obviously important that family relationships be honored. And, you know, I think that an approach that takes both into account is one the president would support, but I don't want to judge an outcome here when it's just entrained, if you will, not -- you know, it's not a completed effort. Q: One other related question -- or tangentially related. The Chamber of Commerce came out last week and said that they were -- they felt that the negotiations with the AFL-CIO on immigration, as asked by the Senate and the White House, to maybe come to an agreement on a guest-worker program has bogged down. The Chamber says that they've asked for 400,000 visas for guest workers, brand-new visas, and that the Chamber responded by -- or that the AFL-CIO responded with maybe a much lower figure of 10,000. Forget figures for a second. Does the president -- is the president and the White House concerned about where those negotiations stand? Do they think they could still come to agreement? And, where do you all stand on a guest-worker program? It was not included, like, in your principles, and the president, as you know, in 2007 as senator voted to sunset such a bill -- such a program. 12:55:29 MR. CARNEY: Well, I appreciate the question. As we've said, we hope that the Senate will work on the issue of guest workers, and we have noted the discussions that the Chamber and labor have had. Again, this is -- you know, I think in general we are seeing positive progress when it comes to the overall effort towards producing a comprehensive immigration reform bill. And there's no question that there are issues and challenges that remain for those who are working it out. But I don't want to prejudge an outcome when we're not there yet. And -- Q: (Inaudible) -- the Chamber seemed to indicate that it was mostly the Senate making the decision -- or helping negotiate that and making decisions on their bill. Is the White House involved with the chamber and the AFL-CIO in a really active way? 12:56:16 MR. CARNEY: No, I don't have any role to elucidate here for the White House in that effort. I can tell you that, you know, we believe the -- you know, that the Senate can address this. Our broader principles have been laid out in the president's blueprint. And as you know, the president is prepared, if progress stalls in the Senate, to move forward with putting his own bill on the table. The -- his hope is that progress continues. And we believe, based on the evidence and the reporting of you and others, that that progress does continue, that there does seem to be, at this stage, real interest by both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate on finding a negotiated solution to this big challenge that could produce bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation. And it -- and that would be a very welcome development, and we hope that's where it heads. Q: Well, just that -- MR. CARNEY: Sure, Mara. Q: So you are not against a guest worker program? MR. CARNEY: Right, we've said that we -- Q: Or for one? 12:57:21 MR. CARNEY: Well, we're -- yeah, I don't -- I mean, I -- what I've said in the past is that this is being worked on, and we hope it will be worked on in the Senate. It was not included in our blueprint, as others have noted in their questions. But you know, we would look to the Senate and outside groups to work on this issue. Q: OK, but just because it wasn't in your blueprint, that doesn't mean you're against it? MR. CARNEY: Correct. Q: OK, and against a program that would be permanent, not sunsetted? MR. CARNEY: Again, I don't want to -- you're talking about things that haven't been decided. I'm not going to lay -- draw lines about what has to be in the bill. What I would point you to is our blueprint. And on this issue, I would point you to the work being done by the Senate and others on it. Q: Can I just follow? MR. CARNEY: April. Q: Jay, the Republicans have come out with a plan for outreach. They're spending $10 million for outreach, particularly for the black community. Does the Democratic Party, particularly this White House, feel that it has to vie for the black vote? 12:58:10 MR. CARNEY: Absolutely. I mean, I would say that as a principle that the president had when he was running for election is one that I think everybody who runs for office should have, which is that you have to make a case for your election with every voter. Now I'm not -- that's sort out of my territory, but that's certainly reflecting the presidencies from the past. He, himself, obviously is not running again. For questions about the counterpart to the RNC, the DNC, what their view is, I would refer you to the DNC. Q: (Off mic) -- particularly as it comes to Cabinet posts that are up for a new nominations and appointments, is there concern in this White House from the community? Have you been talking to the community -- the African-American community about the lack of black appointments in this Cabinet for this second term so far? 12:59:05 MR. CARNEY: Well, I can't speak to others -- and, you know, you could direct your questions to others in the White House who do that kind of outreach -- I would only say what I've said in the past, April, which is that this president is committed to diversity. He believes that diversity is valuable because it enhances the decision- making process in the Cabinet, and it's important within his senior staff for the same reason. And the president's obviously continuing to make personnel announcements, both for his Cabinet and other positions, as he did today. And that process is not finished yet. Q: So this process is not finished, so you're leaving the door open to say there could be an African-American appointed to a Cabinet post -- (off mic)? 12:59:49 MR. CARNEY: I'm simply noting that posts that will be empty have not all been filled. Q: Jay. Q: Thank you. (Laughter.) MR. CARNEY: Donovan. Q: Thanks, Jay. I just wondered -- Vice President Biden in Italy this morning made some comments about the Mideast peace process, and he said that when the president goes to Israel, he will be delivering the message that the U.S. plans to be, quote, "very engaged" in the peace process. And I know you have said that really the focus is on the Palestinians and the Israelis sitting together and having direct one-on-one talks. Can you describe a little bit what the White House really expects its role to be going forward in the process? 13:00:29 MR. CARNEY: Well, obviously, the United States has been, under this president and previously, an important player in the process that has sought as its end goal peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and that is true in this administration. The president's view and our policy is built around the notion that on the issues that divide them, Israelis and Palestinians need to have direct face-to-face negotiations. That doesn't mean that we have no role. Far from it. But it does mean that neither we nor others can negotiate those issues on behalf of the Israelis and Palestinians and hope to reach a solution. The Israelis and Palestinians have to sit down together and have face- to-face negotiations. And it is why we have made so clear that with regards to either side, unilateral actions that make returning to direct negotiations more difficult are, in our view, unhealthy and unproductive to the process, so -- unhelpful and unproductive to the process. But certainly we have and will continue to be engaged in the Middle East peace process. Yes, ma'am. Q: Jay, the Syrian main opposition is meeting today in (Istanbul ?), Turkey, to form an interim government and to elect a prime minister. Do you have a message to them? 13:01:52 MR. CARNEY: Well, I haven't got anything specific with regards to that meeting. I can tell you that we support the Syrian opposition. We have recognized the Syrian opposition coalition and we continue to work with our partners to provide both humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition. You know, we believe strongly that Syria's future will -- has to be without President Assad, that he has blood on his hands, and he is in no way to be a part of Syria's future, as the Syrian people have decided. And we've seen, you know, increasingly, albeit too slowly, signs of progress by the opposition and erosion of the regime's position. It is absolutely the United States' position that working together with our partners on this issue, we will continue to support the opposition, support the Syrian people, pressure and isolate the Assad regime to help bring about the day that Syrians can chart their own future, a more democratic and prosperous future. Q: Thank you, Jay. Q: Jay, you don't -- MR. CARNEY: Yes, sir. Voice of America. Q: Thank you. MR. CARNEY: Then David Jackson. Then I'll go. Q: Jay, two messages out of Israel today. One was some remarks by Netanyahu seeming to hold out a hand to Palestinians. The other one was a remark by the housing ministry saying that they intend to go ahead with the current pace of settlement building. I mean, does that kind of -- is that a helpful thing to have on the eve of (president's trip ?)? 13:03:28 MR. CARNEY: Well, I don't have anything specific on that particular announcement, expect what our general position is, is that unilateral actions that make it more difficult to engage, to resume face-to-face negotiations, direct negotiations, are not things that we view favorably. And that was true of unilateral efforts at the United Nations by the Palestinians, and it's been true of actions by the Israelis. You know, it is in our view -- and it's the position of the Israeli leadership -- that a two-state solution is the preferred goal here for both Israelis and Palestinians and that, you know, all of us who are party to that process, but in particular the Israelis and Palestinians, ought to take steps that enhance the prospect of progress. But beyond that, I haven't got any specific reaction. David. Q: Jay, have you heard anything about attempted hacks of the Justice Department website? And do you have any comment on it -- (inaudible) -- MR. CARNEY: No, I have neither heard nor -- of it, and therefore I do not have comment on it. Q: One question from Colorado? MR. CARNEY: From Colorado, sure. Q: All right. I wanted to follow up on this young woman's question about the high unemployment out in places like Colorado, all around the country, especially in the minority communities, especially high unemployment. And when there's government workers who may be furloughed, millions of Americans unemployed and family budgets that have been cut, how does the president justify lavish vacations and a golf trip to Florida at taxpayer expense? And does he plan to cut back on his travel? 13:05:10 MR. CARNEY: I can tell you that this president is focused every day on policies that create economic growth and help advance job creation. We have presided, over the past three years, over an economy that's produced over 6.3 million private sector jobs. And we have more work to do. And this president's number one priority is growth and job creation. When you come to -- Q: But it's not working in minority communities. MR. CARNEY: Well, the fact is unemployment has come down. It has not come down nearly enough. And what we need to do is embrace policies that advance job creation, make secure the middle class and create ladders of opportunity for those who aspire to the middle class. We certainly do not need to embrace economic policies that shift the entire burden to -- of deficit reduction onto senior citizens, middle-class families, Medicaid recipients. You know, the proposal coming out of the House would slash Medicaid by a third. And talk to -- Q: (Off mic) -- inner-city (jobs ?) -- MR. CARNEY: Sure -- it doesn't? You don't think it does? Q: No. MR. CARNEY: People who depend on Medicaid for -- to help send their -- to help take care of their kids who are disabled, people who depend on Medicaid to take care of their parents who are in nursing homes, people who are not in the middle class but aspire to it, who depend directly on Medicaid? Q: (Off mic) -- MR. CARNEY: I think you need to -- I think you need to examine what the Medicaid program actually does. Q: Jay, could you just respond to what Speaker Boehner said over the weekend on ABC News? He was asked if revenues are still on the table, and he said the president got his tax hikes on the 1st of January; there's not going to be any more talk about revenues. I'm paraphrasing that too, but also, again, faithfully. 13:07:05 MR. CARNEY: Sure. No, no, you are. I appreciate the question. I think -- and this will be -- I should go, let you guys go -- but the -- here -- here's what we've seen. We've seen some positive comments from Republican lawmakers, especially in the Senate, about the idea that they could go along with a balanced approach to deficit reduction, a balanced approach that the president has embraced, that Democrats in the Senate have put forward, that bipartisan commissions have suggested is the right way to go and which the American people overwhelmingly support. You know, there have been -- there's been some interesting reporting about Republican views on the budget in the House and how a number of them, including Chairman Ryan and John Boehner, said last year that the people will decide in the election in the fall which course we ought to take, whether it ought to be the House Republican approach to the economy and budgets and deficits or the president's approach. I don't think it's a mystery what the results of those -- that election were. So -- but here's the thing. The president believes there is an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation when it comes to deficit reduction. It is wholly unacceptable, not just to him but to the vast majority of the American people, to say that the well-off and well-connected should not have to do any more, that only senior citizens, middle- class families, people trying to send their kids to college, people trying to take care of parents in nursing homes -- they bear the burden, and you know what, in addition to bearing the burden, they're going to pay for more tax cuts for the well-off and well-connected. That -- Q: (Off mic) -- on the 1st of January -- (off mic) -- MR. CARNEY: The president put forward a proposal that includes revenue that was far exceeded, obviously -- or exceeded the roughly $600 billion that came with the rate increase for those making 400(,000 dollars) or $450,000 a year. Now that may affect some folks, especially in the front row, but it does not affect the vast majority of the American people, who had their tax cuts extended permanently. It is absolutely the case that the president believes what John Boehner said last December. There are ample loopholes that we could close that benefit the wealthy and well-connected. There are substantial tax provisions, special provisions for those who have lobbyists, that we can limit or eliminate and that, by doing so, we can produce revenue that helps reduce our deficit. It is an entirely conservative position that we should close the loopholes that John Boehner says we should close, we should cap the deductions that John Boehner supposedly says we should cap -- although we never see specifics -- and use that revenue towards deficit reduction, as opposed to tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and the -- and the well-connected. That's a very conservative position. Let's embrace a balanced approach that includes entitlement reform and savings from it, tax reform and savings from it, put it together, reduce our deficit, hit or exceed that $4 trillion target and do the right thing by not just the economy in a macro sense, but for individual middle-class families across the country. That's the president's belief. Q: Is the charm offensive over? MR. CARNEY: Absolutely not. The president will continue to engage -- (laughter) -- no, I mean, the president will continue to engage with members of Congress. Look, you cited John Boehner. I think others have cited Senator Corker. You know, the fact of the matter is, there are Republicans who go along with the notion, supported by the vast majority of the American people, including a majority of self-identified Republicans, that we can move forward on deficit reduction in a balanced way, and that includes tough choices for Republican as well as tough choices for Democrats. MR. CARNEY: Thanks, guys. Q: Jay, one more on Pakistani conflict fightings? MR. CARNEY: I've got to run. Q: Pakistan conflict fighting -- Q: Thanks.

Rock band performing at a big concert in front of many people.

Video of a dancing crowd at music festival

FTG OF DAILY WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING WITH WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY IN THE WH BRIEFING ROOM Tuesday, April 02, 2013 White House Briefing with Jay Carney / STIX DC Slug: 1230 WH BRIEF STIX RS37 83 AR: 16x9 Disc #366 NYRS: 5114 / HD2 JAY CARNEY: Pretty good crowd. Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here. Before I start, I have two very important announcements to makes. The first, contradicting the April Fool's joke that Jon- Christopher made yesterday, the Red Sox walloped the Yankees on opening day, it's important to note, 8 to 2. And second, the Nationals blanked the Marlins 2-nothing, with two home runs by Bryce Harper on his first two at-bats. Excellent opening day. Second announcement is Monday travel. You probably have seen, but I want to reiterate, that on Monday, April 8th, President Obama will travel to the University of Hartford, where he will continue asking the American people to join him in calling on Congress to pass common-sense legislation to reduce gun violence. Additional details on the president's event at the University of Hartford will be forthcoming. With that, I will take your questions. Jim. Q: Thanks, Jay. I wanted to start with North Korea. Yesterday you said that the U.S. has seen no large-scale mobilizations or reposition of forces in North Korea. Today Pyongyang said it will restart its plutonium reactor and increase production of nuclear weapons material. And I wondered if -- does that give the president some pause? And are you reconsidering the view that this is a familiar pattern or simply belligerent rhetoric? 12:52:06 MR. CARNEY: I appreciate the question. The fact is that North Korea's announcement that it will reopen or restart its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon is another indication of its pattern of contradicting its own commitments and its pattern of violating its international obligations. As you know, that facility has been dormant as part of an agreement which North Korea, at least with this announcement, seems to be willing to violate. And there's a path open to North Korea to achieve the security, international respect and economic development that it seeks but this is surely not the path. And as I said yesterday, it is our position and the position of a broad international alliance, if you will, that North Korea must abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and abide by all of its international commitments. We seek the complete verifiable and irreversible denuclearization through authentic and credible negotiations. The U.S. and our international partners have a shared goal of ensuring the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a strong common interest in peace and stability in Southeast Asia. You know, as I said yesterday, we are working very closely with our allies in the region, we are taking appropriate measures in response to the bellicose rhetoric and provocative actions out of North Korea but it is -- these actions and this rhetoric is in keeping with a pattern of behavior by the regime in Pyongyang. Q: Jay, at the U.N. today, Ban Ki-moon seemed a little more alarmed, saying the current crisis has gone too far. He said North Korea is quote, "on a collision course with the international community and that international negotiations are urgently needed." Does the president agree? 12:54:03 MR. CARNEY: The president has expressed his concern about the actions and behavior of the regime in North Korea, and we have worked with our allies, most recognizably at the United Nations Security Council, when a resolution was passed unanimously with China and Russia, condemning North Korean behavior in this arena. And we will continue to do that. And the steps we take, together with our partners, put more pressure on North Korea, further isolate North Korea, make it clear to the regime there that there is no benefit to the North Korean people to the path that they are taking. Meanwhile, we obviously take the steps necessary to ensure the capacity to assist our allies and defend the United States. Q: On the trip to Hartford coming after the trip to Denver tomorrow, is this a recognition by the president that he faces some very real obstacles in Congress on gun -- anti-gun legislation or gun violence legislation, even on the background checks that seemed to have some movement before? 12:55:24 MR. CARNEY: The president has always said -- we have always said -- that this would be hard. If that weren't the case, it would have been done before. If it were simple to pass measures through Congress that are very common sense but would reduce gun violence in America, those measures would have passed already. And the president has always recognized that this is something that would be a challenge but that, in the wake of the horrific shootings in Newtown, was an obligation of all of us to work on and to try to get done. We remain engaged in conversations with the Senate and those senators who are interested in forging a bipartisan compromise on measures to reduce gun violence. I noted and the president has noted that, you know, when it comes to background checks, the measure you mentioned, this is something that's supported by over 90 percent of the American people. When you ask an average American whether or not it makes sense to have -- to require a background check if you're going to purchase a weapon, you know, overwhelmingly, 90 percent-plus, they say of course it makes sense. And most of them say -- or many of them say they just assume that system already exists. And that's an important point to make too here, is that the system does exist. The goal of those, like the president, who are trying to improve the system is to close loopholes within it that make it imperfect, that allow those who should not obtain weapons to obtain them. And this is something we're working on very closely with members of both parties. And that's why the president is going to Denver. That's why the president is going to Hartford. That's why the vice president has held so many events and meetings and conversations. And you can assume safely that lots of conversations take place between the administration and both staff and lawmakers on Capitol Hill on this issue, and we're going to continue to press forward. It's very important. It's essential that -- to the memory of the victims of Newtown that all of these measures get a vote, that they are not filibustered. And it is essential that action be taken, as the president said so passionately last week. Q: Jay, back on North Korea. When you say, "working with our allies," what exactly does that mean? 12:58:04 MR. CARNEY: Well, we are in close contact -- have been and continue to be -- with our allies in Seoul and Tokyo to coordinate on this issue. And we are regularly reaching out to Beijing and Moscow to encourage them to do more to restrain the North Koreans. And as I noted moments ago, that -- we have seen cooperation from all the members of the Security Council as well as, obviously, our allies in the region, on this issue, and that is very helpful when it comes to putting the necessary pressure on North Korea. This is part of a pattern of behavior that we've seen out of North Korea. You know, it was -- North Korea acquired a nuclear weapon and tested it under the previous administration, and we have seen, you know, consistent behavior that is counterproductive, to say the least, to a goal that one assumes North Korea's leaders aspire to, which is an improvement of the lot of the North Korean people and an end to the isolation of their country within the international community. So, you know, we -- the president is being regularly updated on this and briefed on this. The entire national security team is obviously focused on this, as you would expect. But I think it's important to note that, as I said yesterday, there are -- you know, the rhetoric has not been backed up by action, and there is a pattern here, a pattern that is familiar. Q: Who are the -- what are the Chinese and Russians not doing that they should be that would be more helpful? 12:59:45 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think it's not a mystery to anyone that China has, you know, influence on North Korea or potentially has influence on North Korea. And we have in the past -- and we are now -- urged China to use that influence to try to affect North Korean behavior. That is also true of our interactions with the Russians. You know, this is a broad diplomatic effort that includes coordination with our allies in Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as with China and Russia and others. So we're going to keep up that effort. Q: And when -- are you sort of waiting for this whole crisis atmosphere to blow over and then engage North Korea and try to get them back to the negotiating table or -- 13:00:31 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think North Korea understands fully what steps it needs to take to move down the path towards ending its isolation, and those steps have to be concrete towards abiding by its international obligations. And there's a system in place for that to move forward. Meanwhile, during a period like this, where we're seeing this kind of pattern of behavior reassert itself, we're consulting with our allies, taking necessary precautions, making clear to the North Koreans what our views are, what the consensus view is of the international community, what steps they need to take to improve their situation within the world. And, you know, that process will continue. Q: Just a quick follow-up, Jay? MR. CARNEY: Dan. Q: Thank you. Just to follow on Jim's question, does the president concede that the kind of bipartisan enthusiasm that existed after the Sandy Hook shootings is no longer there? 13:01:36 MR. CARNEY: Well, I would point you to what the president said last Thursday. And he took great issue with the suggestion or the implication that a mere 100 days after that terrible event, somehow the country or Washington could move on. The families that suffered the loss in Newtown will never fully be able to move on. And those of us across the country who were horrified, and as I think everyone in the country was, by what happened in Newtown, you know, will never forget that day or the days after. And it -- and it's a reminder constantly of why we need to act. As the president said way back in the wake of Newtown, you know, if we can take some common-sense measures that would save one life, one child's life, we ought to do it. And if we can do more than that through the proposals that he has urged Congress to act on and the initiatives that he has acted on and is acting on administratively, if we can reduce the amount of gun violence, if we can protect our children better, then we will have at least partly fulfilled our most fundamental obligation. And I think -- he believes that that passion, that urgency still exists around the country, and it still exists, you know, if not in full, then in part in Washington. And that is why he is continuing to make the case and why he will make the case in Denver and will make the case in Connecticut. It's why we are engaging with Congress on this very important matter. And I would just note that there are -- you know, this process continues to move forward. Negotiations and conversations continue to take place. And it is essential that Congress act and essential that it take action. Q: With the president, though -- he is aggressively pursuing this on the road and the vice president and others in the administration -- if the conversation up on the Hill within a better place? 13:04:01 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think that sort of turns on its head the basic point, which is the president in the wake of Newtown made clear that the country needed to act and that he would act, immediately called on Congress to take up measures that he supported in terms of legislation that would help produce gun violence -- common-sense legislation that in no way infringes upon American Second Amendment rights. He then asked the vice president to lead an effort to assess what else we could do, what package of initiatives we could act on to address this problem. And that, within a month, was put forward to the American people, and we have been pressing ever since. So, but from the beginning, as everyone here knows, you know, the proposition itself was a challenging one for all the reasons that we understand about the efforts in the past to address gun violence through commonsense legislation or other means. You know, this is not easy stuff, and the president has been clear about that from the beginning. But there is -- that is not an excuse not to do everything you can to make it happen. Q: On another subject, former Secretary of State Clinton will be stepping out in -- to make a public speech this evening, and I'm wondering if the president's paying any attention to this at all, and does he continue to get any foreign policy advice from her? MR. CARNEY: Well, I have no private conversations to read out to you with Secretary Clinton or anyone else, but you know how the president feels about Secretary Clinton, about her remarkable service in this administration in his first term, and I'm sure -- I think you're referring to the Vital Voices event, and I -- you know, I'm sure he wishes her well tonight and going forward. Q: The vice president (will be there as well ?) -- MR. CARNEY: Yes. 13:05:58 JON KARL Q: Jay, does the -- does the president think he can change votes in Congress by going out to the country and making this appeal on guns? 13:06:05 MR. CARNEY: Jon, I don't think it's an issue of changing votes. It's a -- it's a matter of what we've always said, which is that these are -- all of these issues that we are addressing here in Washington have a direct impact on the lives of average Americans, and they have a stake in what we do here. And it has never been the president's belief that Americans elect their representatives, send them to Washington and then disengage from the process. In fact, it's been the president's belief that Americans remain focused on and care deeply about what happens here and that they want to be brought into and engaged in the process. And that's why the president has taken the approach on this issue and so many other issues that he has, because he believes that the voices of the American people are a very important part of moving forward on these tough issues, whether it's, you know, budget or fiscal issues or immigration reform or measures to reduce gun violence. So I think that it's important -- it's an important part of the process that those of us who are here in Washington working on these issues are constantly reminded of, you know, the Americans out there in the country who care about what happens here and hold us accountable and hold especially their elected leaders accountable for what they do and how they vote and how they respond to national tragedies like the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. So, you know, that's part of a process that he's engaged in. It's not an either/or, as we've always said. As you know and we've been very transparent about, he has engaged very deeply in an effort on this issue and others to have constructive conversations with lawmakers of both parties. That process continues, and that's reflected even when Congress is out of town with our engagement at the staff level with staffs of both parties on Capitol Hill, on this issue and others, and that will continue. But at no point in this process does the president believe we should leave the American people out of it. He will constantly engage them and constantly make his views known, and ask the American people to make their views known, because that's how stuff gets done -- important stuff gets done. 13:08:24 JON KARL Q: Will -- and the president obviously said this in the State of the Union, you just said it again, you know, it's essential that there be a vote on these issues. I mean, what are you demanding -- or what's the president demanding, a vote or to get these things passed? 13:08:28 MR. CARNEY: Well, he clearly -- every element of the package that he put forward he supports 100 percent. It is a starting point to insist that they all get a vote -- the legislative pieces of this -- because it would be appalling, in his view, if the memories of the victims of Newtown and other places were forgotten through the process of filibustering a vote on measures that the American people expect -- whether they agree or disagree -- their elected officials in Washington to vote on. That's all. I mean, these are all tough issues. We talked about it with every component of the legislative package. But at the very least, we need votes on these. Those who are elected and sent to Washington need to cast a vote and say -- you know, explain their position and say where they stand. You know, the president's out there making an impassioned case for these common-sense measures. The vice president's out there doing the same. A number of members of Congress are doing the same. Other leaders around the country are engaged in that. And we understand, and the president's made clear that he understands that these are -- you know, that there are regional differences on some of these issues and there are things that, you know, we need to engage in and recognize and make part of the discussion. And the vice president's process did that. Conversations the president's had with lawmakers, you know, who have -- you know, who are -- who have an interest in taking common-sense measures but who also have -- historically have strong backing when it comes to their support for the Second Amendment -- you know, the president understands all of this. And he understands it's all part of the process. But he insists that we -- that we act. Yes. Q: Jay, a couple of questions. MR. CARNEY: Welcome to the front row. Q: Thank you. A couple of questions revolving around the BRAIN initiative this morning. MR. CARNEY: Mmm hmm. Q: Do you think that this BRAIN initiative has any chance of moving forward if the president doesn't get his way with the budget? And if the budget deficit is running into trillions of dollars, how can the president justify proposing spending another hundred million (dollars) on this? 13:10:48 MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, everything that the president's proposing will be paid for, as -- and in -- and will be in keeping with the cap set by the Budget Control Act. That's number one. Number two, there has historically been and there seems to be today bipartisan interest in this kind of innovative research that can pay huge dividends down the road for our country economically, medically, when it comes to the health of our senior citizens who suffer from Alzheimer's or others who suffer from Parkinson's. I mean, this is -- the potential here is enormous, and the investment is relatively small compared to the potential. So the president expects that there will be -- that the tradition of bipartisan support for this kind of initiative and this kind of innovation will prevail. One of the agencies he's tasked here with undertaking this initiative is DARPA, and as you all know, in its previous incarnation as ARPA, this was the agency that was seminal in the effort -- you know, in creating the Internet and launching so many -- so much economic potential in this country and around the globe. So I think that this is one of those investments, as the president has argued often, that is -- are essential to make if we are going to continue to grow and maintain our lead internationally on the cutting edge of scientific discovery and economic and technological development. Q: You don't think it's a long-shot, given -- MR. CARNEY: I don't. Q: -- the climate? 13:12:32 MR. CARNEY: Well, no. I think that budgets are all about priorities. I think that I can -- I will stipulate now that the president's budget will not be passed word-for-word into law. It has never happened and it won't happen this time. But the president's budget will make clear what his priorities are, and many of those priorities will reflect the kinds of things that have enjoyed bipartisan support in the past and we believe enjoy bipartisan support now. And this kind of innovation in the research is key to our future economic development, it's also key to the health and welfare of the American people. Ed? Q: Speaking about the budget, you -- can you give us an update on the sequester? Because yesterday, the Customs and Border Protection agency said that they're actually postponing furloughs and overtime cuts for Border Patrol agents. I thought in February, when Secretary Napolitano came out here with you, she told us it was dire, these Border Patrol agents were going to be furloughed and that we were going to be less safe because of that. 13:13:31 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think both are true. What is -- what is a fact is that when you're dealing with these kinds of across-the-board forced budget cuts in a -- in the middle of a fiscal year and you're having to make all sorts of adjustments to account for them and to reduce your expenditures accordingly, you know, it's a moving picture and -- you know, and that can be on the plus side, where furloughs may take place a little later, or on the minus side, where things may be more immediate. I mean, that's just a fact. That's true at every agency. But I -- look, feel free to convey to your readers and viewers that the -- that the sequester doesn't matter, and then -- and then -- and then explain -- Q: Well, first of all -- (inaudible) -- I didn't say it didn't matter. MR. CARNEY: No, but you said -- (inaudible) -- Q: The secretary came in here and said that we were going to be less safe, that people were going to be crossing the border because there were less Border Patrol agents. And then they announced yesterday, actually, we're not doing that. So I'm not saying it's not important. I'm saying, did she mislead the public? 13:14:35 MR. CARNEY: I'm saying -- absolutely not. And I'm saying that this is -- I mean, you are editorializing enormously in that, but the -- Q: How so? February -- I'll give you -- February 25th she said, if you have 5,000 fewer Border Patrol hours or agents -- you have 5,000 fewer Border Patrol agents, that has a real impact. Those are her words. It's not politicized. MR. CARNEY: Right, and how is that not the case? Q: They announced yesterday they're not doing that. 13:14:55 MR. CARNEY: Well, but there are reductions. And whether it's those Border -- Q: (Inaudible.) MR. CARNEY: Go ahead and report that, Ed. We've made clear -- look -- Q: Well, she said 5,000. They said yesterday, we're not doing that. MR. CARNEY: Talk to the -- talk to the -- talk to those who have been laid off at defense industries. Talk to those who have been furloughed in the -- Q: (Inaudible.) MR. CARNEY: Look, you can obviously go to DHS and -- Q: Well, that's what she said. She said we're going to be less safe. MR. CARNEY: Right. And the impacts of the sequester will not all be immediate. They will -- this -- if you can predict to me when the sequester will end, if it will end, when Republicans will make the fateful decision to fund Border Patrol agents or fund our national security interests or fund Head Start at appropriate levels and -- rather than, you know, continue to extend tax breaks to the wealthy and well-connected -- tell me when that happens, and then we can assess what damage was done after the fact. There is no question that when you have these kinds of across- the-board budget cuts, as many Republicans warned and as many Republicans, when they go home to their districts, as we speak, are complaining about when they affect their districts, the impacts are real, and they affect real people. And I know that there hasn't been a lot of coverage of the impacts on real people, on the families who had to be engaged in lotteries to see whether their child on a Friday was still going to be in Head Start on Monday. You know, tell them it doesn't matter. Tell them that the impacts aren't real. Now, I -- and I take your point. Look, this is a moving picture. Budgets are big things -- you know, outflows and inflows -- you know, that's why, you know, there are constant adjustments being made at each agency as they deal with their budget in terms of what the -- what the impacts of sequester are. But they are real, and they are progressive in the sense that they don't all happen at once. And, you know, when we make predictions about what will happen in the future, it's going to change based on how the budget picture looks a month later. But they're real. Q: But -- last thing on this -- when you said "moving picture," the other thing the administration kept saying in February was that there was no flexibility for these Cabinet secretaries. Republicans were saying they could move money around. You said, Secretary Duncan said, others said you can't do that. There is no flexibility. Now you're saying it's a moving picture, so the Border Patrol agents won't be laid off today, but maybe -- I thought there was no flexibility. I thought it was discriminate, it was across the board. 13:17:20 MR. CARNEY: That law is written the way it's written, designed specifically not to allow the kinds of choices that the Budget Control Act and the sequester part of it were written to force Congress to make, to be arbitrary and indiscriminate. And that remains a fact. What is also true is as the -- as time progresses and, you know, savings are made by eliminating a contract, for example, or ending new purchases of equipment for a period of time, or, you know, other things that can be done, you know, changes about the prognosis for furloughs can be made. But that is not -- any more than it was uniform a month ago, it's not uniform now. And this will fluctuate as time goes on. It will fluctuate next month. And if the sequester continues, it will fluctuate on and on and on after that as the agencies adjust to that budget fixture. Q: Jay, does the president regret at all not doing more events like the one he's going to do tomorrow, the one he's going to do on Monday, given that when you look at public opinion polls, they actually show support for stricter gun laws is dropping? Not just what's happening in Congress but actually what's happening among the American people? 13:18:40 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think the data on this is quite mixed. And when it comes to some of -- some of the measures that we've just been talking about, including closing loopholes in our background check system, the data remains very strong and overwhelming in support of doing just that. And I -- you know, I -- the president has been doing events, has been talking about gun violence. I think one -- the most memorable moment I can recall from a State of the Union address in all the time I've been in Washington occurred at the end of the president's State of the Union address this year with -- Q: But I mean going out -- going on the road, talking to people like he's going to be doing tomorrow and on Monday. MR. CARNEY: Right, well, I mean, I have a list here that I can provide you of everything that the president and the vice president have done, and it's quite extensive. And the dates are December 16th, December 19th, January 19th, January 16th, January 25th, January 28th, February 4th, February 11th, February 12th, February 15th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 27th. These are all presidential and vice presidential engagements or events regarding this very important issue. So, I would -- the fact that it's a challenge is something that was recognized at the outset by everyone, including this president, including the vice president. The fact that it would require concerted and consistent effort was recognized by the president and is embodied by -- you know, is reflected in the actions that he's taken ever since Newtown happened. So, that -- tomorrow's event, Monday's event -- that's part of this process. Last week's event -- it's part of this process. Q: Jay, on North Korea, one foreign policy expert said to me that Kim Jong Il seemed to know where the line was and that Kim Jong Un doesn't. Does the president share that assessment and does he therefore see this current leader as being more dangerous and less predictable than his father? 13:20:27 MR. CARNEY: I would say that we are judging the regime by its actions and its -- mostly its actions but also by its rhetoric, and those are the assessments we make, and it's not personality-based. The fact is that the pattern we have seen of bellicose rhetoric and provocative behavior long predates the current leader of North Korea and -- as veterans of previous administrations can tell you. So you know, assessments about the current leader are obviously things that outside experts make and inside experts make. But we -- as a policy matter, we base our policy decisions on overall actions and behavior by the regime. Yes, sir. Q: Yeah, on the BRAIN initiative that the president outlined today, you described the hundred million dollars as a small initial investment -- MR. CARNEY: I think I said a small investment compared to the potential benefit. Q: A lot of experts say it's going to take years and billions of dollars. The president himself compared it to the Apollo program, which cost hundreds of billions of dollars. How many years can we -- how much money do you think ultimately it will take to sort of achieve what you guys envision -- 13:21:56 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think that the scientific experts are best at predicting, you know, how soon breakthroughs will occur, and even they, I think, as history proves, are not likely to be dead on, spot on in their predictions. It's impossible to know. That's what makes this essential and exciting, because the potential is huge, but it requires investments that allow for the necessary innovation and research that can bring us to that -- to that threshold. So, you know, the president believes this is the kind of thing that we ought to be doing. It is the kind of thing that Republicans and Democrats have supported in the past as part of our economic development. And he's very enthusiastic about the prospect for discovery and innovation in this field, as are so many experts in the field. Q: (Off mic) -- said $150 million was small relative to the potential. Would you agree it's just small relative to the overall cost involved in this initiative? 13:22:53 MR. CARNEY: Again, I don't have a projection to lay out to you based on, you know, what revelations might come from early stages of research and innovation and development. What I can tell you is that when we talked about budget priorities and we talked about the fact that the president's budget will -- the initiatives that are in it will be paid for and that it has always been his position, whether it's investing in infrastructure or in medical research, that there are things that we need to do investmentwise, even as we trim our budgets and reduce our deficits, that are essential to future economic growth. And this is one of them. Q: Jay, follow-up? MR. CARNEY: Roger. Q: Jay, the U.N. today passed a treaty regulating world commerce in the arms trade. The Senate last month opposed a symbolic treaty along the same lines, suggesting it's going to be an uphill battle to get it through for ratification. How is the -- how are you going to get it through? 13:24:00 MR. CARNEY: Well, I think that -- I can say two things. One, we are pleased with the outcome of the conference, and the text achieves the objectives that we set out for this negotiation. And we are pleased to join the consensus on the -- as is the case with all treaties of this nature, we will follow normal procedures to conduct a thorough review of the treaty text to determine whether to sign the treaty. And what that timeline is, I cannot predict to you now. And we are just beginning the review process, so I wouldn't want to speculate about when that process will end. But we're certainly encouraged by and pleased by the outcome. Q: Do you have any idea how you're going to get it through the Senate? 13:24:42 MR. CARNEY: Again, I think before we get to that, we're going to review the treaty and assess it and then make judgments accordingly. Mara. Q: I just have a question about background checks. You pointed out that many polls that -- polls above 90 percent, you have Michael Bloomberg spending a lot of money on this, Organizing for America has made it kind of their maiden grassroots effort, and the president's been out doing all these events that you've cited. So what is your theory in the case as to why this seems to be losing steam in Congress? 13:25:13 MR. CARNEY: Well, I would -- I would at least in part suggest that the process continues, and I don't -- you know, I'm not sure that I would agree, you know, assessment that it's losing steam. I think that it has always been challenging. I think that predictions that any element of this legislative package would be easily passed were incorrect and probably naive if and when they were made. Whether it's this particular aspect of it or any other aspect of it, this has all traditionally been difficult. I would note that -- you know, there -- I would send you to members of Congress to explain their position on these issues, if they're in opposition, why they're in opposition -- why they're in opposition to a proposition that has 90 percent support from the American people and that -- and that -- and that enjoys support in every region of the country and from Republicans and Democrats and independents. Having said that, we -- you know, there are obviously challenges and have traditionally been challenges to moving this kind of legislation. I would note that on the background check issue, a number of Republicans are on the record supporting the idea of closing loopholes and background checks. A number of them voted for improving our background check system in the late 1990s. And, you know, I think there's a reason for that, and it's important to explain to readers and viewers and listeners, and that is that, you know, background checks are, you know, the quintessence of a common-sense approach to how to address this problem. And I think most Americans believe is makes absolute sense to check the criminal record of someone before they are allowed to purchase a gun, because they're not allowed to have one otherwise. So we're simply saying, let's enforce the law through an effective background check system to keep weapons away from those who should not, by law, have them. That's why gun trafficking measures are so important as well. So, you know, having said that, this is always going -- it was always going to be a challenge, and, you know, that's why we're pressing hard to get it done, why the president's out there making the case, the vice president's out there making the case, why legislators from both parties have been talking about it. And we're going to continue to press for action on it. Q: Well, I can't think of any other issue that falls above 90 percent, in some polls above 94 percent. I'm just wondering -- there must be a theory for this. Is it the power of the NRA? I mean, you guys must have some idea of why you think this particular piece of it is proving to be so difficult. 13:27:49 MR. CARNEY: Look, I used to write articles about this, but I'm going to leave the political analysis to others and simply say that for a host of reasons, advancing legislation that is common-sense and reduces gun violence has always been a challenge and probably always will be, but it is essential to try to get it done and move forward on it. And the American people expect that it should be done, and they -- and they recognize the (object ?), you know, rationale behind closing loopholes in the background check system, making sure that people who should not have a gun by law do not obtain a gun -- cannot obtain a gun. And a very simple -- and this is -- this is about -- again, I know I'm repeating myself to you, but for those who are not engaged in this issue all the time, it's important to understand, that system exists. This is not about creating some registry or background check system. The existing system does not -- is not a registry and will not be a registry. It is a background check system that is in place, but there are holes in the system, and those holes ought to be closed. April. Q: (Off mic.) Since the NRA and other gun lobbying groups are so powerful, has this White House thought about meeting with groups like the NRA again since the vice president's meeting with the NRA? Has the president thought about it? Has the vice president thought about the -- another meeting? 13:29:19 MR. CARNEY: Well, we're working -- you know, when it comes to the legislation, we're obviously working with lawmakers of both parties, and, you know, I -- you know, that particular, you know, organization has connections and contacts on Capitol Hill. I don't think there's any danger in us not knowing where they stand on certain issues and vice versa. You know, we -- there has been outreach, and I'm sure -- I'm not saying there won't be continued outreach, but the -- on the legislative side of this, you know, the legislation is -- has been written; it's moving through committees, and we're -- you know, we're engaged in that process right now. And we are working with lawmakers of both parties in trying to achieve a compromise that can make this happen, especially when it comes to the background checks. Q: But realistically, I mean, this whole effort started out bigger, much bigger, than what it was. And it's boiled down to -- you're talking about a consensus on background checks. And much of the holdup to include ammunitions -- the reduction in magazines -- is dealing with the NRA and the ammunition manufacturers. Why not come together and talk it over to possibly find common ground to -- 13:30:36 MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, that's what the president and the vice president -- the initiatives the vice president -- Q: That was months ago. (Inaudible) -- that was months ago and they're getting ready to come (back to ?) Congress. 13:30:41 MR. CARNEY: Well, the month -- months ago -- well, first of all, it wasn't that long -- it was fairly recent and it was what helped lead to the initiative, the package of initiatives that the vice president put forward with the president. And, you know, these -- look, there's a lot -- there are a lot of conversations happening around this issue. And, you know, the president's views on what he believes we should do are clearly stated and reflected in this proposal, and I would -- I would challenge that, you know, it's all come down to one thing. You know, there are other aspects of this that have been moving forward and, you know, we're -- we are encouraged by that, and we're going to continue to press to get it done. Q: And just one more question on this. Realistically, once this is all said and done and a vote happens, what do you expect to pass, realistically? 13:31:33 MR. CARNEY: I would hesitate to make predictions on any of this for the very reason that I've been saying, and that is that it was always going to be a challenge. And if it -- if it -- if any of this were easy -- I mean, the sad fact about Newtown is that, you know, it's not the first of its kind. And, I mean, you know, the age of the victims made it particularly horrific, but there have been other incidents at Virginia Tech and in Aurora that are similar. And, you know, the idea that suddenly all of this would become easy when it had been difficult in the past was never credible. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be working hard to get it done. Christi (sp). Q: Thanks, Jay. Is the president planning on weighing in on the Los Angeles mayor's race? Eric Garcetti has been a big supporter of the president -- (off mic). 13:32:28 MR. CARNEY: Well, I appreciate the question. In keeping with past practice, you know, when there is a primary, a Democratic primary in a race like this, we're not -- the president won't endorse any candidate. I mean, Mr. Garcetti is of course someone who's been a long-time support of the president. The president appreciates that support, appreciates their working relationship. But we won't -- there won't be a formal endorsement. Q: Do you expect that they'll see each other this week when the president's in California? MR. CARNEY: I'm not sure. I think -- you know, I think we're in Northern California. Q: Jay. MR. CARNEY: Alexis (sp). Q: Jay, in the president's visit to Colorado and Connecticut, the common theme in those two states is legislative action in the states at the state level -- (off mic) -- the president's going to talk about that when he's in both states. What are the common denominators that the president sees in those two states that compelled them to move in a way that he would like to have Congress pay attention to? What are the themes other than the (horror ?) being in their midst? But why would they take action when the NRA has been very active at the state level too, whereas Congress is reluctant? 13:33:32 MR. CARNEY: Well, I might look to state experts to make that analysis. I think that you're right that action has been taken in both states, and I think a thing that connects them terribly is the tragedies that occurred recently in those states. Beyond that, I think -- you know, others might have a better assessment about why bipartisan action has happened in those states. But I think that reflects the capacity around the country for bipartisan action, including here in Washington. Q: Just to follow up, if the president doesn't see the willingness in Congress to do what he would hope at the federal level, to what extent can -- does he hope that states themselves, in a piecemeal basis, can begin to act? MR. CARNEY: Well, the president's focused right now on the proposal he put forward, the set of proposals, which includes pieces of legislation at the federal level, and that's what he's focused on. You know, obviously, he is -- I mean, it is important that other states address this issue as they see fit, but right now, we're focused on the president's initiative. Mark? Q: Yeah, Jay, North Korea again. You spoke about the mismatch between rhetoric and -- (off mic) -- exchange on the ground or mobilization. Specifically on the Yongbyon reactor, have we seen any signs, any preparations that the North Koreans are going to try and restart it? And beyond that, does the president -- would he accept the restarting of that reactor? Would he take steps to stop it? 13:35:07 MR. CARNEY: Well, we do not accept a violation of international obligations by the North Koreans, and we have -- take action through the United Nations and elsewhere through sanctions and other measures that isolate and put pressure on North Korea for its violations of its international obligations. I'm not going to, you know, predict what the next steps will be if this action is followed through on. I believe it was an announcement that North Korea just made. I don't have any other information to impart to you about that facility. You know, but again, that -- this is in keeping with a pattern, and that behavior has been met with and responded to -- met with action by the international community, responded to, often through consensus, as it was at the Security Council not long ago. Q: (Off mic.) MR. CARNEY: John Christopher. Q: Jay, this is the 70th anniversary of the so-called armistice, which Kim Jung Un has basically rescinded. It is -- the conflict there has been going on during 12 presidential administrations. And has this administration been in touch with any of those individuals, going back to the Truman administration, who can lend some insight and some regional acumen, basically, to the president in terms of advice? 13:36:26 MR. CARNEY: While I don't have any specific conversations the president has had to read out to you -- the president is constantly speaking with those with expertise in different areas of both foreign policy and domestic policy, and I'm confident that he has had conversations with experts outside of government on this issue, but I have no specific ones to read out to you -- it is certainly the case that this is -- you know, North Korea's actions have been something that administrations -- successive administrations have had to deal with, especially the last several. Q: Thanks, Jay. MR. CARNEY: Last one, Ann (sp) -- I'm sorry. I did say Connie. Yeah. Q: On the brain research -- and thank you very much -- just some follow-up: Will there be any private investment into this? And is there any congressional opposition that you know of? And would you please announce when there are clinical trials, so that people who need them can try to get -- 13:37:18 MR. CARNEY: Well, I don't think it will be for the White House to announce clinical trials. I would point you to those who are overseeing the initiative at the agencies the president mentioned today. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that there might be some congressional opposition. I said earlier that -- (laughter) -- there has been indication that there is bipartisan support for this kind of initiative, this specific initiative, but I'd -- you know, I can't predict where that will end up. What I do know is that this is something that does not have a political or partisan flavor to it. This is the kind of potentially breakthrough research that results in enormous advances in the health of the American people as well as enormous economic advances, potentially. So it's the kind of thing that we have done in the past successfully and we should continue to do. That's what the president believes. Thanks. Q: Jay -- (off mic) -- MR. CARNEY: Hold on -- yeah -- Q: -- multiple private drug firms be -- (inaudible) -- 13:38:22 MR. CARNEY: Yeah, I think we put out a lot of paper on this in terms of how the investments are made and leveraging issues. Ann. 13:38:30 ANN COMPTON Q: (Off mic) -- the spill, oil spill in Arkansas that blackened the (neighborhood ?) have any impact on the State Department's or the president's consideration of Keystone XL? 13:38:37 MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, the assessment of that particular pipeline is ongoing at the State Department, and they assess a range of criteria. And obviously, you know, the assessments they make based on environmental impacts and the assessments that were made in the past, you know, had to do with some of these issues. But I don't have anything for you specific on that because it's a process that's under way at the State Department. ANN COMPTON Q: Have you spoken to the president about the Arkansas spill -- (off mic) -- asked about it? MR. CARNEY: I have not. I have not. ANN COMPTON Q: (Off mic.) MR. CARNEY: About that issue, no. Thanks. Daily White House Briefing with Press Secretary Jay Carney White House Press Secretary Jay Carney answers reporters' question at Tuesday's White House briefing. Topics of discussion include immigration policy, reducing gun violence, North Korea's nuclear program and the President's upcoming budget proposal.

TVU 21 JOE BIDEN WATERLOO IA COMMUNITY EVENT ABC UNI 020120 2020 WATERLOO, IA- Former Vice President Joe Biden used some of his waning time on the trail to increasingly draw a contrast with his fellow Democrats in the 2020 race. "So when you talk about who you're going to caucus for, here's what I can tell you: It's not enough to make promises. You've got to be able to keep them. And I've got a record to prove it. I have passed more leg -- major legislation through the Congress as a senator and as the vise president than all other folks combined or running. They're not bad folks. They're good folks. But I have significant experience in knowing how to get it done," Biden told the crowd of 357 people in Waterloo. (203056) While the majority of Biden's pitch continues to center around the threat Donald Trump poses to the country, Biden also took aim at his progressive challengers in the race, as he as before, arguing that Democrats have to be honest about the promises their making and the price tag they carry. "Promises aren't enough. The old saying is that talk is cheap. Well on politics talk is sometime very expensive, especially when you don't tell people how you're going to pay for what you tell them you're going to do," Biden said, giving a veiled jab at Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. (202502) "Don't you kind of find it kind of fascinating? Good people on our team have these incredibly good ideas. I wonder why they don't know how much it's going to cost to have Medicare for all. How much is going to cost to forgive all student debt? How much it gonna cost -- and go on down the list. The number adds up, according to senior economists, to somewhere in the area of 60 trillion dollars over 10 years," Biden added. (202527) Sixty trillion dollars. That's a lot of money. And look, the last thing we need to do -- we have to beat Donald Trump, and the one thing you can't do is end up not being straight with the American people, he'll eat you alive. Eat us alive. Tell it straight. Tell the people what it's going to cost, why it's important. And we can do," (202600) Biden, who was a member of the Senate for more than 30 years, also expressed his disappointment with the institution as the Senate impeachment trial winds to a close, taking issue with Republicans who thought what Trump did was wrong, but wouldn't take action. One branch claiming power that's beyond their capacity, beyond what's constitutionally eligible. Look what's happening today, you see -- you saw in the United States Senate. I was proud to serve in that organization. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. But, folks, it's not the Congress I know, not the Senate, I know. You have a significant number of our Republican friends saying, yeah, what he committed is impeachable. But, we don't want to divide the country more, so we're not going to do it. Or, Yeah. What he did was wrong, but it doesn't rise to the level of being thrown out of office. (200836) Biden continued his criticism of Trump's dismissal of troops' injuries following the airstrikes in Iraq as well, noting that it was the base his son served at that was hit-and reacting on a personal level to Trump's comments. " You had the Iranians sending missiles into al-Assad Air Force Base where my son had been in Iraq. It turns out that 64 of those warriors are suffering from traumatic brain injury. And what'd the president say when he first heard about it? Said it's not serious, just headaches. Headaches. This man doesn't deserve to be commander in chief for these warriors. I don't know what I would have done -- I'm serious -- if my son were still there," Biden said with anger in his voice. (200333) In a lighthearted start to the event, Biden was played in by the Union Missionary Baptist Church Crusaders drumline-and was joined by all four of his granddaughters on the trail, taking the time to introduce them to the audience, and putting on his grandfather hat to brag about their accomplishments. "I want you to meet my granddaughters, everybody. These are the loves of my life. This is my number three granddaughter. Her name is Maisie Biden. She's a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. She was two team all state in high school. Wondered whether or not she was going to take scholarship offers, but she was said, I'm not going to play until I know I can do the work. She really disappointed that she only got a 3.9. God love her. And this is my number two granddaughter, Finnegan Biden. I call her my secret weapon. She's been campaigning with me for a long, long time. She's a junior and also an honor student at the University of Pennsylvania. And she's crazy about me." (195245) "And and this is my son, Beau Biden's daughter. And she is, believe it or not, she's only in ninth grade. And the reason I'm running for president is because I want Secret Service again so they travel with her wherever she goes. And this is the love of my life and the life of my love. This is my oldest granddaughter named after my deceased daughter, Niamey -- Naomi. She is a senior at Columbia Law School and she's going to take care of her pop in his old age," Biden said (195326) Granddaughters 195237 Well thank you for being here. God, love you. I didn't expect you to be you. Thank you so very much. You're making me a hero in front of my three grand, my four granddaughters. I want you to meet my granddaughters, everybody. These are the loves of my life. This is my number three granddaughter. Her name is Maisie Biden. She's a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. 195259 She was two team all state in high school. Wondered whether or not she was going to take scholarship offers, but she was said, I'm not going to play until I know I can do the work. She really disappointed that she only got a 3.9. God love her. And this is my number two granddaughter, Finnegan Biden. I call her my secret weapon. She's been campaigning with me for a long, long time. She's a junior and also an honor student at the University of Pennsylvania. And she's crazy about me. 195326 And and this is my son, Beau Biden's daughter. And she is, believe it or not, she's only in ninth grade. And the reason I'm running for president is because I want Secret Service again so they travel with her wherever she goes. Hi, baby(?) [Biden kisses her on the cheek] And this is the love of my life and the life of my love. This is my oldest granddaughter named after my deceased daughter, Niamey -- Naomi. She is a senior at Columbia Law School and she's going to take care of her pop in his old age. [kisses her on the cheek] Trump as Commander In Chief 200207 And folks, I think hard about this president and what he has done and what he's not done. Just in the past, just in the past couple of weeks, actually a little longer than that now. We learned that the commander in chief of the United States military, Donald Trump, met with our flag officers and our generals in the Pentagon. 200233 And to their face, called them, quote, "losers, dopes and babies." I don't know for -- I can't swear to it, but I don't believe there is ever, ever, ever been a Commander in chief who has talked to our warriors that way. Ever. And then, when he got out of the Iran nuclear deal I and many others predicted what would happen. 200305 There'd be conflict. Instead of America first it became America alone. Our allies walked away. Ended up in a conflict that thank God so far hasn't gone beyond what it did. Remember what happened? You had the Iranians sending missiles into al-Assad Air Force Base where my son had been in Iraq. 200333 It turns out that 64 of those warriors are suffering from traumatic brain injury. And what'd the president say when he first heard about it? Said it's not serious, just headaches. Headaches. This man doesn't deserve to be commander in chief for these warriors. I don't know what I would have done -- I'm serious -- if my son were still there. 200403 This is beyond the pale. This is more than just whether or not I agree or don't agree with his policies. All kidding aside. Can anybody think of any president who's ever come close to this? Folks, look. Our troops deserve a commander in chief. Not someone who belittles them, berates them and doesn't support them. Impeachment, Senate 200836 One branch claiming power that's beyond their capacity, beyond what's constitutionally eligible. Look what's happening today, you see -- you saw in the United States Senate. I was proud to serve in that organization. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. But, folks, it's not the Congress I know, not the Senate, I know. 200858 You have a significant number of our Republican friends saying, yeah, what he committed is impeachable. But, we don't want to divide the country more, so we're not going to do it. Or, Yeah. What he did was wrong, but it doesn't rise to the level of being thrown out of office. Talk is Cheap 202502 My concluding point is this: But to do all this, promises aren't enough. The old saying is that talk is cheap. Well on politics talk is sometime very expensive, especially when you don't tell people how you're going to pay for what you tell them you're going to do. 202527 Don't you kind of find it kind of fascinating? Good people on our team have these incredibly good ideas. I wonder why they don't know how much it's going to cost to have Medicare for all. How much is going to cost to forgive all student debt? How much it gonna cost -- and go on down the list. The number adds up, according to senior economists, to somewhere in the area of 60 trillion dollars over 10 years. 202600 Sixty trillion dollars. That's a lot of money. And look, the last thing we need to do -- we have to beat Donald Trump, and the one thing you can't do is end up not being straight with the American people, he'll eat you alive. Eat us alive. Tell it straight. 202625 Tell the people what it's going to cost, why it's important. And we can do. We can have universal health care for everyone. For seven hundred billion dollars over ten, not thirty five trillion dollars or more over 10 years. Record and Experience 203056 Folks, I'm the only one running who's done it so far. So when you talk about who you're going to caucus for, here's what I can tell you: It's not enough to make promises. You've got to be able to keep them. And I've got a record to prove it. I have passed more leg -- major legislation through the Congress as a senator and as the vise president than all other folks combined or running. 203127 They're not bad folks. They're good folks. But I have significant experience in knowing how to get it done. And folks. Last thing, everybody knows who Donald Trump is. Gotta let him know who we are. TRINT TVU 21 JOE BIDEN WATERLOO IA COMMUNITY EVENT ABC .Sub.01.wav [19:52:33] It's good to see you guys again. 195237 Well thank you for being here. God, love you. I didn't expect you to be you. Thank you so very much. You're making me a hero in front of my three grand, my four granddaughters. I want you to meet my granddaughters, everybody. These are the loves of my life. This is my number three granddaughter. Her name is Maisie Biden. She's a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. 195259 She was two team all state in high school. Wondered whether or not she was going to take scholarship offers, but she was said, I'm not going to play until I know I can do the work. She really disappointed that she only got a 3.9. God love her. And this is my number two granddaughter, Finnegan Biden. I call her my secret weapon. She's been campaigning with me for a long, long time. She's a junior and also an honor student at the University of Pennsylvania. And she's crazy about me. 195326 And and this is my son, Beau Biden's daughter. And she is, believe it or not, she's only in ninth grade. And the reason I'm running for president is because I want Secret Service again so they travel with her wherever she goes. Hi, baby(?) [Biden kisses her on the cheek] And this is the love of my life and the life of my love. This is my oldest granddaughter named after my deceased daughter, Niamey -- Naomi. She is a senior at Columbia Law School and she's going to take care of her pop in his old age. [kisses her on the cheek] 195402 So. [sees a child with a sign in the audience] Well, how are you? Well, thank you so very much. That's very nice. You're Charlotte, huh? How old are you? Seven years old. Well, thank you so much. Charlotte drew me a beautiful sign that says "Go Joe Biden to Joe B, Biden -- to Joe B. Biden hardness(?) this is from Charlotte. And it says, Go, Joe. Well, thank you, baby. I appreciate it very much. It means a lot to me. [19:54:34] Thank you for reading it. [19:54:38] Oh, future president, I'll vote for you. Just remember when you're president and they say there's an old guy outside named Joe Biden who used to be president, promise you'll say I'm not. You won't say Joe who? OK, well, thank you. Would you hold this one remains. Thank you. That's very nice, you, honey. Thank you very much, folks. It's a delight to be back in Waterloo. And I want to start by thanking Bob Ruppert, your representative crossing, for endorsing me, not to worry. There's Bob right here, man. [19:55:10] I'll tell you what Bob told me endorsed me, which is a big deal, quite frankly. [19:55:15] And he said, you know what I said, you know, when you said you win when I endorse you, though, that means you got to do. I said, yeah, win. And I'll tell you what, we're going to build a lot of roads, highways and bridges. I tell you what, we get this done. [19:55:28] Thank you. [19:55:32] And Christie Vilsack is become a great, great friend and I really mean it. Christie, thank you. Christie has traveled all over the state from we all know how many we've probably put in well over a thousand miles around the state and bend about 23 counties with me helping me out. And Tom and I have something in common. We have wives that are better looking and smarter than we are. And. But, Tom, thank you, pal. Tom has been incredible. And his support for me. [19:56:03] I'll just say this at the front end, one of the things that when I was vise president, the president would give me some serious responsibilities from taking care of the Recovery Act, which was over nine hundred billion dollars and doing it. And he gave me presidential powers when I did it. He had many other things he had to do or whether I was dealing with the issue of of unaccompanied children at our border and going down to down to Central America to try to work things out, etc. [19:56:34] And but I was able to task for real anybody in the administration to help me. And although Tom was secretary of agriculture. Good kid like that. Although I was serious sector agriculture on almost every single thing I needed help on. I went to Tom and Tom, thank you very, very much for being such a good friend. [19:56:57] And I really mean it. Tom is one of the brightest guys I've ever met with and ever dealt with, and he's done so much. It was, as is the single best decision that President Obama made in terms of the cabinet was Tom. Thank you, Tom. [19:57:19] I just want to make sure that president thinking our remembers me when she's trying to talk about talent. I mean, you have elected two of the youngest women to the Congress, the first two women from this state in the United States Congress, including not just Abby, but, you know, I mean, as you just done, an incredible, incredible job. And the two districts, you take him back and. But Abby has been with me all over the state and is a great, great, great, great friend and a great asset. [19:57:54] And she was part of the reason why we took back the House of Representatives along with Cindy. Congresswoman, actually. And so we have a most talented group of members, a newly elected in 19 and 2018 that we've had. I've campaigned for an awful lot of candidates in my career. But I can say without fear of contradiction, there's never been a more talented class of candidates I've ever worked for than the class that got elected in 2018. And 37 of the people I want out of a 65 I campaigned for were women and they are really, really, really good. [19:58:33] And so, folks, I want to thank them all for being part of the team and helping carry me along here. And I want to thank them for placing their trust in me. Folks, every four years democracy begins here in Iowa. And it's. And you set in motion a nation picking the next president. Nine states. It's always a big responsibility. But I think it's probably a bigger responsibility than any time any of you participated. [19:59:03] It's not because I'm running or anybody else who's run a river runners because of who's press the United States, America and the clear understanding that we owe, not just to the Democratic Party, we owe it to the American people, that he is known on January the 20th, 20 21 as former president. I really do believe this year that the character of the nation is on the ballot. The character of the character of the candidates is on the ballot, not just me, up and down the ballot. [19:59:47] And folks, I I wrote an article what got me into the race in January. I choose me in 2017 when those folks came out of the fields in Charlottesville. If you recall, close your eyes. Remember what you saw on television carrying torches coming out of the fields, their veins bulging. Not a joke. I'm not making this up. [20:00:11] Screaming the Sam same anti-Semitic bile that was screamed and hollered in Germany in the 30s company by the Klu Klux Klan and white supremacist and a young woman who has resisted this hate was killed and the president of United States America. [20:00:34] Donald Trump was asked what he thought. Of the crew of the conflict, remember what he said? [20:00:41] He said there are very fine people on both sides. No president of the United States has ever, ever, ever, ever said anything remotely like that. [20:00:53] I wrote an article for Atlantic magazine at the time saying that the soul of a nation is at risk. And I meant it wasn't hyperbole. [20:01:07] That's the reason I finally decided to run on my granddaughter's later came to me. Not a joke and suggested that I had to run because I was no, I knew it was gonna be an ugly campaign. Didn't want them to be caught up in it. They came to see me. We have a tradition, our family. You can ask for a family meeting and it's taken seriously. [20:01:29] Any kid asked for a family meeting? I got a call from Naomi. The only one missing here is my grandson, Beau. I just see son Beau's son, who's an eighth grade. And they came and they said, you got to run. We know it's going to be bad, but we got to run top. Their whole life, their father's easy being the attorney general. Their grandfather has been a United States senator or vise president. [20:01:54] They know the ups and downs that go with that. Just like Tom's children do. But here's the deal. I could not believe what the president said. 200207 And folks, I think hard about this president and what he has done and what he's not done. Just in the past, just in the past couple of weeks, actually a little longer than that now. We learned that the commander in chief of the United States military, Donald Trump, met with our flag officers and our generals in the Pentagon. 200233 And to their face, called them, quote, "losers, dopes and babies." I don't know for -- I can't swear to it, but I don't believe there is ever, ever, ever been a Commander in chief who has talked to our warriors that way. Ever. And then, when he got out of the Iran nuclear deal I and many others predicted what would happen. 200305 There'd be conflict. Instead of America first it became America alone. Our allies walked away. Ended up in a conflict that thank God so far hasn't gone beyond what it did. Remember what happened? You had the Iranians sending missiles into al-Assad Air Force Base where my son had been in Iraq. 200333 It turns out that 64 of those warriors are suffering from traumatic brain injury. And what'd the president say when he first heard about it? Said it's not serious, just headaches. Headaches. This man doesn't deserve to be commander in chief for these warriors. I don't know what I would have done -- I'm serious -- if my son were still there. 200403 This is beyond the pale. This is more than just whether or not I agree or don't agree with his policies. All kidding aside. Can anybody think of any president who's ever come close to this? Folks, look. Our troops deserve a commander in chief. Not someone who belittles them, berates them and doesn't support them. [20:04:36] To state the obvious. The next president is going to inherit a country divided and a world in disarray. And there is no time for on the job training. We need a president who's ready on day one, who could take command of our forces, who can repair our relationship with our allies. And once more, make United States America the envy and the leader of the free world. [20:05:17] I got to tell you, I really mean this, I know what you all thought. I never thought it would get this bad. No, I mean, I really didn't. I had no expectation that he knew anything about what he was doing or not being a wise guy. I'm being deadly earnest. Remember, he said, right, if he's elected, he said, God. [20:05:39] This is harder than running a real estate empire. Bless me, Father, I may be serious. [20:05:46] That's what he said. I thought, well, this must be a joke. Turns out it's a different joke. Look, folks. We have so much we have to do. The middle class is getting crushed. Abby talked about it. I come from families just like you did. [20:06:09] Three bedroom split level home for kids, a grandpop living with us. [20:06:14] A dad took three years after he moved from Scranton to find a job. Could buy a house. We weren't poor, we didn't, but we lived. Paycheck to paycheck. [20:06:28] My dad still believed that it was possible. Got all four of his kid to. All four of his kids, the college. But he always believed that everyone had a right to be treated with dignity. And you know what? [20:06:44] The middle class today is getting crushed. We're no longer the wealthiest middle class in the world. [20:06:52] And the middle class, over half of the middle people in the middle class think their children will never, ever live to have the same standard of living they have. That has not happened in the lifetime of anyone in this room. Even if you're one hundred years old. [20:07:06] That's not happened before. It's not happened before and some folks as we got to rebuild it. [20:07:15] The middle class wasn't built by Wall Street bankers and CEOs as built by ordinary middle class people doing extraordinary things. And guess who built the middle class? Unions built the middle class. [20:07:30] That's our. Got their. Listen, how terrible is the fact this is how it happened? [20:07:39] That's what happened before, but this time when you build a middle class to go to bring everybody along, black, brown, those with disabilities, gay, straight, everybody has to get a chance to come along. Because, folks. [20:07:54] We are. That's what we banned. [20:07:59] We need a president can bring us together. Later, not only could unite our party, which just has to be done, but unite the country. You know, we're a democracy. No democracy can be sustained without consensus. [20:08:17] Consensus. [20:08:19] Got to bring people together, not just Democrats. Not just independence from Republicans as well, because a democracy can't function without a consensus. Otherwise, don't think what happens is the abuse of power. 200836 One branch claiming power that's beyond their capacity, beyond what's constitutionally eligible. Look what's happening today, you see -- you saw in the United States Senate. I was proud to serve in that organization. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. But, folks, it's not the Congress I know, not the Senate, I know. 200858 You have a significant number of our Republican friends saying, yeah, what he committed is impeachable. But, we don't want to divide the country more, so we're not going to do it. Or, Yeah. What he did was wrong, but it doesn't rise to the level of being thrown out of office. [20:09:22] I find that kind of fascinated, you know. The fact is that. [20:09:32] George Washington's roll over in his grave. George Washington, the phrase I want to read it to you. In his farewell address said, Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baleful foes of Republican government. [20:10:02] George Washington warned us against people like President Trump. So what does it say? [20:10:10] It says that Donald Trump is a whole heck of a lot less, George Washington is George Wallace. That's what it says. [20:10:19] And folks, you know, I found it fascinating that when I talk about bringing people together, some of my and they're good people and I'm running for the nomination with seeking the nomination, and they say, well, yeah, Joe used to be able to bring the people together, Democrats, Republicans, to get consensus. He wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act. [20:10:41] He got the chemical weapons treaty passed. He did. He made sure we had the Recovery Act by convincing Republicans to join it. Nine hundred billion dollars were spent less. No waste, fraud and abuse to put less than two tenths of 1 percent, according to studies. But there were the old days. Three years ago. [20:11:05] Folks, and they say, I don't understand this new Republican Party. I know this story Republican Party better, hey, buddy. Me and my family have been the object of our attention for three years. An object of their affection. United States people have spent over 12 to 15 million dollars running negative ads against me. The vast majority mainstream media won't even carry the ads because they're flat out lies. [20:11:37] And folks, I was told that there were over 60 or maybe was 80, I saw it on the news clip Republican coming out to the caucuses to determine who is going to be the nominee. [20:11:54] There's probably someone's going to stand up here with the last three events we did, someone from that group who stood up and started to shout something that may happen before it's over. I don't know. Not. [20:12:03] But, you know, and it's kind of amazing. Kind of amazing how and did you hear what what your senator said? Joni Ernst, quote. [20:12:20] Iowa caucuses are this next Monday. I'm really interested to see. I'm quoting now Joni Ernst, Senator Ernst. I'm really interested to see how this discussion today, where they were going after me on the floor of the Senate with lies. This discussion today informs and influences Iowa caucus voters. Will they still support Joe Biden at this point? [20:12:54] Got to give her credit. She's really subtle, Lindsay. [20:13:01] Just respond to just read The Washington Post headline. It said Trump and Republicans joined forces to attack Biden ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Pretty simple. [20:13:15] I wonder why they don't want me to be the nominee. I wonder why he's so concerned that I'm alarmed. He's just defending the republic. Folks, because he knows I'm a nominee, I will beat him like a drum. [20:13:38] Applause Now at the Iowa caucus, you can have a twofer. Only get to ruin Donald Trump's night. You get through it. Joni Ernst, 9. [20:13:57] You know. [20:14:00] You. [20:14:02] I think what it says about the threat to this nation that exists. Think of it says can you ever think of a time not only in a caucus history, but in recent American history? [20:14:15] Meaning last 50, 70, 80 years were over. A sitting president has spent so much time and energy trying to prevent someone in the other party from becoming the nominee. I'm serious, but I can't. There may be a time I can't think of any time. [20:14:34] You have a president deciding he wants to pick who the Democratic nominee will be. Or at least two, it won't be, folks. You know, no matter how personal the attacks are on me and my surviving son, my family as a whole. I can't afford if I'm your nominee and the next president to hold grudges. Because a president has to not only fight, but a president has to be able to heal. This nation needs healing. I really mean it. [20:15:07] Not hyperbole. I really need I mean it because this is not about these attacks aren't about me and my family. They're about you. But you, the American people and what's not being done? And how when they say he says these awful things not about me alone, but across the board, the language he uses. Our children are listening. Our children are listening. My dad used to say in our silence when something bad has happened is complicity. [20:15:41] We have an obligation bigger than just whether or not a Democrat wins. It's about whether or not we restore. I really mean this. The essence of the soul of the country, who we are, what we stand for. [20:15:55] Stood as great damage around the world and at home and at home. It's worse, folks, you know. [20:16:07] As I said, the outset character of the nation is on the ballot. America's character. [20:16:14] I do not believe America is that dark, angry nation. We see Donald Trump tweeting about the middle of the night. I don't believe we're a nation that thinks it's OK to put kids in cages on the border. [20:16:33] I don't believe for a nation that builds walls and whips up a story about the invasion of people from the South. Those Mexican rapists coming our way. That's not who we are. We've never been that. I believe we're a nation that embraces white supremacy and hate groups, which is happening now. That's not who we are. [20:16:59] I don't believe for a nation that was down to Vladimir Putin because I will not. [20:17:13] And I don't believe for a nation that sees the free press as the enemy of the people. What country are we talking about here? [20:17:28] I don't believe we're a nation that lacks the courage to take on the NRA so our children don't have to go to school in first grade, learn how to duck and cover. It's a more. [20:17:46] When I look at what Donald Trump stands for, what he believes, the terrible things he says, what he's done. [20:17:56] What I see and I think is we're so much better than this is a nation Democrat republic. [20:18:03] We're so much better than this. And the rest of the world is listening to us. When he said those things about. Good people on both sides and those folks came out of the fields. He shocked the nation and absolutely perplexed the world. [20:18:23] Foreign leaders are asking what literally publicly what is happening to the United States of America? [20:18:31] Folks. [20:18:33] I believe there's what The New York Times columnist, David Brooks, conservative columnist, writes. He says, you've written it a while ago. There's an invisible moral fabric that whole societies up. That fabric is being ripped and cut, he says. By this present. And it has to be mended, rendered fixed. [20:18:56] And it's pretty simple. It's made up of the American code. We hold these truths to be self-evident. [20:19:06] We the people we've never fully lived up to. We've never walked away from it. [20:19:12] It's pretty basic. [20:19:14] It's pretty basic about honesty, decency. [20:19:19] Treating everyone with dignity. Not believed people with handicaps. [20:19:27] Or problems that they can't solve because of their physical circumstance. It was about leaving no one behind. It's about giving hate, no safe harbor. Demonize, you know, one lady by the power of our example, matches the example of our power. And as Ronald Reagan said, being that shining city on a hill towards the rest of the world looks to for hope. And get out from. [20:19:57] Because they think maybe, just maybe, maybe. [20:20:04] It's a code is uniquely American code. And so code that Donald Trump has demonstrated he does not subscribe to. He does not believe in. Think of the things he thinks is weakness. [20:20:20] When we talk about decency and fairness, give the other guy a chance. He thinks that shows weakness. [20:20:26] Not a joke. Well, we, in fact, talk about. [20:20:31] The need to reach out, give everybody a shot. He thinks that's weakness. You should be strong. [20:20:38] It's about yourself. We'd never been there before. [20:20:46] And it really, really, really, in my view, matters. [20:20:50] Fox. [20:20:54] You know, America is unique in all of history. We're the only nation the world has been organized on an idea. You can not think about this going home with your children or grandchildren or your husband or wife or whomever you happen to go home with. How would you define what constitutes being an American? If I ask you to do a concert, tell me. Define what a Frenchman is, what a Korean is, what a Chinese person is, what up, etc. Or you can do it because usually based upon the notion of ethnicity or religion or tribe. [20:21:34] How do we define when an American is but not my deadly earnest? You can't. [20:21:42] Because we are so diverse. But every American signed on to whether they say it this way or not. The essence of what we think the Constitution is about. It's about we hold these truths. We don't live up to it, but that's what it's about. It's about we the people. [20:22:00] It's more powerful than any army. All righty. Dictator in the world is bigger and wider than the ocean is more consequential than any government. We're unique in the world. [20:22:17] And if we let this corrosive process continue. Like battery acid. I really mean it. I'm not joking about this. I mean it from the bottom, my heart. Think of what it does to America. When we do this. Because the idea is not an idea that Donald Trump shares. [20:22:41] Folks, this nation needs to come together. [20:22:46] And I'm going to do whatever it takes to make progress on matters that matter most to us all. Starting first and foremost with climate change is the most consequential threat facing. [20:23:02] Civil liberties, civil rights. Voting rights, women's rights. Health care. Gun policy and an economy that begins to reward work, not just wealth. Why should it be that a multimillionaire, maybe a decent person? Why should they pay at a lower tax rate than their secretary should? [20:23:26] We can change this. This godawful tax cut he put forward that helps only two tenths of 1 percent of the American people or to 2 percent of the American people. If we just make sure everybody pays the same tax on their capital gains as what their tax rate is and raise the tax rate back to was forty nine point six percent for those making millions of dollars, just doing that one thing punish you. Nobody raises to me eight hundred billion dollars. [20:24:02] Eight hundred billion dollars over ten years. [20:24:05] This is not about if we just made sure. I come from the corporate state of America. Delaware. If we just made corporations pay so many billionaire trillion dollar current bill, multi billion trillion dollar corporations pay no tax at all. If you just said you have to pay a minimum of 50 percent, no matter how many loopholes you have, that would raise another 40 billion dollars. [20:24:32] . If you just said we're going to make sure you pay not a 20 percent, but 28 percent. That raises about 750 billion dollars. You're punishing everybody. Just began to reward work. Not just wealth. Folks look for. 202502 My concluding point is this: But to do all this, promises aren't enough. The old saying is that talk is cheap. Well on politics talk is sometime very expensive, especially when you don't tell people how you're going to pay for what you tell them you're going to do. 202527 Don't you kind of find it kind of fascinating? Good people on our team have these incredibly good ideas. I wonder why they don't know how much it's going to cost to have Medicare for all. How much is going to cost to forgive all student debt? How much it gonna cost -- and go on down the list. The number adds up, according to senior economists, to somewhere in the area of 60 trillion dollars over 10 years. 202600 Sixty trillion dollars. That's a lot of money. And look, the last thing we need to do -- we have to beat Donald Trump, and the one thing you can't do is end up not being straight with the American people, he'll eat you alive. Eat us alive. Tell it straight. 202625 Tell the people what it's going to cost, why it's important. And we can do. We can have universal health care for everyone. For seven hundred billion dollars over ten, not thirty five trillion dollars or more over 10 years. [20:26:43] We can deal with. [20:26:46] Education. There's so many things you aren't going to because that take too long. But here's the deal. We have to level and here's look, you know, everyone in this race talks about health care, but I'm the only one who actually led into law. Health care reform called Obamacare. Ladies and gentlemen, I was proud to work with the president on that. [20:27:13] And now that everyone knows what they're trying to do and getting rid of health care, including you, your governors. [20:27:20] Now we need to take the next step. PRESIDENT OBAMA I wanted to take the first time provide a public option, a Medicare like option. [20:27:29] If you want to keep your president insurance and you like it, you can. If you don't, you can get the Medicare option. And if you don't, you qualify for Medicaid. You automatically enroll in the Medicare option, if that's what you want. [20:27:44] We bring down drug prices significantly. Don't allow them to raise the price of drugs, man, the cost of medical inflation. If you want progressive change on health care, I'll say to you plainly I'm the only one with more than a plan. I have a record of having gotten it done. [20:28:08] Everyone's talking about guns. [20:28:10] I'm the only one nationally who's actually gotten big, rational gun legislation passed. I'm the guy Schembri just committee the Senate that passed the Brady Bill with background checks that got eviscerated later as along. [20:28:26] Dianne Feinstein, the United States said we got assault weapons, a ban band, and we limited the number of bullets you could have in a clip. Who in God's name needs a hundred rounds in a clip? Nobody. [20:28:44] And by the way, I have a 20 gage and a 12 gage. [20:28:49] I'm not a hunter, but I was skeet shoot. Haven't done it for a while. Quite frankly, my sons were doctors. Guess what? Four geese flying internationally from Canada down. You're only allowed to have three shells. We predate geese better than we do. [20:29:06] People not say. That's it. That's the truth. Why can you say you live three shells for a shotgun? [20:29:15] In fact, but you can have 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 200 rounds. You saw what that did out in Las Vegas, you saw it was done across the nation, folks. [20:29:30] I promise you, if I am your. Candidate and president, I will beat the NRA again. [20:29:40] Applause. [20:29:50] We talk about. Everyone has plans about climate change. But I passed the Biden bill, the first climate change bill in the United States Senate. Nineteen eighty seven. Which real politics said was a game changer. Long before people began to talk about it in our administration, Obama, Biden, he put me in charge of the Recovery Act. We made an investment, the largest investment in the history of the United States, America and clean energy. Sun and solar. [20:30:24] Bringing down the risk because the research bringing down the price of BTC was sun and solar to as low as the price of coal. [20:30:31] That's why no one's gonna build another coal plant because it's not even economical anymore to do it. I work with John Kerry to pass the climate accord in Paris. If you want progressive change in climate, I must say boldly, I take a backseat to nobody. Nobody at all. [20:30:53] Folks. 203056 Folks, I'm the only one running who's done it so far. So when you talk about who you're going to caucus for, here's what I can tell you: It's not enough to make promises. You've got to be able to keep them. And I've got a record to prove it. I have passed more leg -- major legislation through the Congress as a senator and as the vise president than all other folks combined or running. 203127 They're not bad folks. They're good folks. But I have significant experience in knowing how to get it done. And folks. Last thing, everybody knows who Donald Trump is. Gotta let him know who we are. We choose hope over fear. [20:31:50] We Democrats choose science over fiction. Three, you yell and division. We chose chose over arrives repeat of LA. [20:32:07] The guy has visited the United States of America for Lord's sake. There's not a thing we can do. If we do it together, you know, Joe Biden's. A president's tax returns will be sacred. [20:32:21] They will be public trust. Offenders will not be confused with the national interest. [20:32:29] And no one, no one, not even the prez. The United States will be above the law. [20:32:36] I promise you. But God bless you and may God protect our troops. Thank you.

Rock band performing on stage

CBS POOL FTG MUHAMMAD ALI MEMORIAL SERVICEH/T JAKE INGRASSIA, PAOLA CONTARDO AND SUNNY CHOO WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 15;10:47 Bill Clinton walks in 15;11;45 -- service starts 15;11;49 >> All praises due to the lord god of the world. Now please be seated, ladies and gentlemen. In accordance with Muslim tradition, and consistent with the wishes of Muhammad Ali, may god have mercy on him. We begin this program with a brief recitation from the Koran, the scripture of the muslims. A young Imam of the midtown mosque in Memphis, Tennessee, where he's spearheading a neighborhood renewal effort in one of the most blighted neighborhood in Memphis and that effort is centered around the mosque, one of the few African-American graduates of the university. He will share with us a few verses from the Koran. 15;12;50 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Hamza Abdul Malik. [ Applause ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;13;12 [ Speaking foreign language ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;17;10 (shot of Ali's wife) >> Now with the translation of those verses we would like to bring to the stage the second generation daughter of Syrian immigrants. She's an excellent student. In her spare time, in recent years, she raises money to provide medical supplies, surgical instruments and other forms of medical assistance for Syrian refugees fleeing from the horror of the current conflict in that land and we pray that almighty god brings it to a succession soon. 15;18;00 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Ia Kutma. [ Applause ] 15;18;14 >> In the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful, truly those who say our lord is god and our upright the angels will descend upon them saying, have neither fear nor sadness, but rather, rejoice in this paradise that you have been promised. We are your allies in this lower life in the hereafter. Where you will have your heart's desire and you will have whatever you ask for. Hospitably from the one most forgiving, most merciful. Who is more beautiful in speech than the one who invites to god and does righteous works saying, truly, I am submitted to god? For good and evil are not equal. 15;19;13 Repel ugliness with beauty and behold the one between you and whom there was enmity is transformed into a warm friend. But no one arrives at the station without great patience and immense fortune. Through prostration, chapter 41 verses 30 to 35. Thank you. [Applause] 15;19;45 (shot of Ali's daughter) >> I forgot to mention that she is a louisvillean, a proud resident of this city. [Applause] 15:20 15;20;05 >> Oh, god, miss this day of ours, you are our protector. What an excellent protector, an excellent helper. Honorable president Bill William J. Clinton, distinguished guests, viewing audience, on behalf of the Ali family, and the city of Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the people's champ. [Applause] 15;20;50 >> Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. [Chanting] Ali, Ali. 15;21;00 >> We're dealing with time here, folks. Louisville, Kentucky, admirably led by mayor Greg fisher, I would like to welcome you. Give it up for the mayor. [Applause] >> I would like to welcome you to this memorial service for the people's champ, Muhammad Ali. And this time, we would like to introduce our first speaker. Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby. [Applause] 15;21;50 >> Were it not for time, since Cosby rhymes with Ali, we would we would say, Cosby, Cosby, but time doesn't permit. Reverend Cosby is senior pastor of St. Steven church in Louisville, Kentucky. Due greatly to his dynamic bible teachings his congregation has grown over the long years of his ministry. Reverend Cosby combines passion, wit, and intellect as the foundation of the inspirational ministry that is transformed the lives of thousands of individuals. Reverend Cosby. [Applause] 15;22;39 >> Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby: Thank you. I looked into the dictionary for the word, fidelity. And it had two words. Lonnie Ali. [Applause] 15;22;57 >> In 1967, nine months prior to his assassination and martyrdom, Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Was interviewed by merv griffin on "The merv griffin show". Merv griffin asked Dr. King a relevant question. He said, Dr. King, what has been the greatest affect and impact that the civil rights struggle has had on the Negro? Dr. King paused and said, besides the dismantling of barriers that prohibited the Negro from free access, the greatest and most profound effect that the civil rights struggle had was that it infused in the Negro something that the anything Negro needed all along. 15:24:07 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;24;00 And that was a sense of somebodiness. You will never be able to appreciate what Dr. King meant when he said, the negro needed a sense of somebodiness until you understand the 350 years of nobodiness that was infused into the psyche of people of color. Every sacred document in our history, every hallowed institution, conspired to convince the African in America that when god made the African, that god was guilty of creative malfeasance. 15;24;55 All of the documents from the constitution said to the Negro, that you're nobody. The constitution said that we were three-fifths of a person. Decisions by the supreme court, like the dred Scott decision, said to the Negro, to the African, you had no rights that whites were bound to respect. And even Francis Scott key, in his writing of "The star spangled banner" we sang, verse one, but in verse three he celebrates slavery by saying, no refuge can save the harrowing enslaved from the sorrow of night or the death of the grave. Every institution from religion to entertainment, from Amos and Andy to Jane and tarzan, infused in the psyche of the Negro, that he was inferior. 15;26;06 But something happened to the depression generation and the World War II generation of African-Americans. Jackie Robinson picked up his bat and hit a ball and the Brooklyn dodgers win the pennant. Joe Louis dismantles the pride of Aryan supremacy by knocking out max melling in 124 seconds. Jesse Lewis runs at ambulatory speed and wins four gold medals. Rosa parks sits on a bus in 1955 and a young seminary student from Boston university stands up and takes the complex ideas of _____ and dips it chocolate so big mama can understand it. 15;27;02 And then from Louisville. [Cheering] -- Emerged the civil-tongued poet who took the ethos of somebodiness to unheard of heights. Before James brown said, I'm black and I'm proud. Muhammad Ali said I'm black and I'm pretty. [Laughter] 15:27:38 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;27;44 >> Black and pretty was an oxymoron. Blacks did not say pretty. The first black millionaire in this country was not Oprah but madam C.J. Walker who made products in order to help black people escape their Africanity. But Muhammad Ali said I'm proud. I'm pretty. I'm glad of who I am. And when he said that, that infused in Africans a sense of somebodiness. 15;28;25 To extrapolate Muhammad Ali from the times in which he lives is called historic presentism. It is to talk about George Washington and not talk about the American revolution to talk about Abraham Lincoln and not talk about the civil war. It's to talk about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and not talk about the depression and World War II. Our brother, Muhammad Ali, was a product of a difficult time. And he dared to love black people. 15;29;05 At a time when black people had a problem loving themselves. [Applause] He dared. He dared to affirm the beauty of blackness. He dared to affirm the power and the capacity of African-Americans. He dared to love America's most unloved race. And he loved us all, and we loved him because he -- we knew he loved us. He loved us all. Whether you lived in the suburbs or whether you lived in the slums. Whether you lived on the avenue or whether you lived in an alley. Whether you came from the penthouse or whether you lived in the projects. Whether you came from Morehouse or whether you had no house, whether you were high yellow or boot black, Muhammad Ali loved you. Our city is known for two things. It's known for Muhammad Ali, it is known for the Kentucky derby. 15;30;19 We hope you will come back and visit our city. The first Saturday in may, we hope you will place a bet on one of the horses, but if you do, please know the rules. What will happen is the horses start in the starting gate and then the signal will be given think will run in the mud for two minutes. And the winner will then be led to the winner's circle where a right of roses will be placed around the horse's neck. We want you to make a bet but please know the rules. You cannot bet for the horse once it's in the winner's circle. You have to bet for the horse while it's still in the mud. [Applause] 15;31;09 And there are lot of people, a lot of people who will bet and have bet on Muhammad Ali when he was in the winner's circle. But the masses bet on him while he was still in the mud. [Applause] Kareem abdul-jabbar stood with him when he was in the mud, Jim brown stood with him when he was in the mud. Bill Russell stood with him when he was in the mud. Howard cosell stood with him when he was in the mud. 15:31:24 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;31;51 Please don't mishear me. I am not saying that Muhammad Ali is the property of black people. He is the property of all people. [Applause] But while he is the property of all people, let us never forget that he is the product of black people in their struggle to be free. [Applause] I went looking for Jesus on a poor west-end street, looking that I would find him as he walked around with men and women with stumbling feet. People who had their heads bowed low because they were broke and had nowhere to go. But then I went looking for Jesus, way in the sky. Thinking he would wear a robe that would dazzle my eye. When suddenly, Jesus came walking by with stumbling feet because he had been hanging with the poor on a west-end street. [Applause] 15:33:06 (shot of Ali's wife and family) 15;33;10 The Muhammad Ali of my childhood had a shuffle but as he grew older he walked with shuffling feet. And I will submit to you he walked with shuffling feet not because of Parkinson's disease but he walked with shuffling feet because he hanged out with the folk in west Louisville who had shuffling feet. Peace and god bless you. [Applause] 15;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife applauding and family standing up) 15;34;00 >> Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Don't give a teenager a telephone and don't give a preacher a microphone. [ laughter ] 15:34:15 (shot of Ali's wife) >> We'd like to bring Senator Orrin Hatch to the stage, now in this seventh term as Utah's senator, one of Utah's senators, he is the most senior Republican in the senate, author of some of the most far-reaching legislation in recent decades. Senator hatch is a seasoned and distinguished public servant. We're deeply honored by his presence today. [Applause] 15;35;00 >>Senator Orrin Hatch: Reverend, that was really good. It's hard for this poor old senator to have to follow that is all I can say. Well, the head of the first fight was Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali stood before a crowded pack of reporters and told the world unapologetically who he was. I'm the greatest. That's what he said. But this simple proclamation all took the history and -- Ali took the history and wrote his own title in the textbooks. He was not Muhammad Ali, the prize fighter. Or even the world champion. He was Muhammad all the greatest. His daughters dismissed this as bragging but Ali wasn't talking trash. He was speaking truth. And he was in the world of boxing, he truly was the greatest. [Applause] 15;36;13 (tight shot of ali's wife) 15;36;18 >> With the cut-throat quickness of a street fighter, and the simple grace of a ballerina, Ali moved with the killings like agility and punched with herculean strength. But to assume that Ali's greatness stems solely from his athletic prowess is to see half the man. Ali was great not only as an extraordinary fighter. He was a committed civil rights leader, an international diplomat, a forceful advocate of religious freedom, and effective emissary of Islam. He was something. He was caring as a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend. Indeed, it is as a personal friend that it witness Ali's greatness for myself.I first met Muhammad Ali 28 years ago. Almost to the day, to this day. 15:37:09 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 15;37;21 I was in my senate office and an assistant said you have a visitor, and I was really surprised that it was none other than the champion himself. The friendship we developed was puzzling to many people, especially to those who saw only our differences. I might say that where others saw a difference, Ali and I saw kinship. We were both dedicated to our families. And deeply devoted to our faiths. He took Islam, and I to the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. We were both products of humble backgrounds and hard scrabble youth. Ali grew up poor here in Louisville and I grew up poor in Pittsburgh. True, we were different in some ways but our differences fortified our friendship. 15;38;26 They did not define it. I saw greatness in Ali's ability to look beyond the horizon and our differences. To find common ground. This shared sensibility was the foundation of a rich and meaningful relationship that I will forever treasure. One of my fondest memories of our friendship when Ali joined news the Salt Lake -- going to listen to the Salt Lake Mormon tabernacle choir. I have to say, it was the same Mormon tabernacle choir -- Ali loved music, and he enjoyed the choir's performance, but he seemed most excited to share his own religious beliefs with those who came to hear the Christian hymns. Ali attracted big crowds that day, and as he always did, and he gave everyone autographed pamphlets explaining his Muslim beliefs. 15;39;31 Hundreds of mormons lined up to grab the pamphlets, and of course I took one for myself. I respected his deeply held convictions just as he respected mine. In our relationship it was anchored by our different faiths. Ali was open to goodness. In all of its diverse realities and varieties. On another occasion, I took Ali to primary children's hospital in Salt Lake City. We visited with downtrodden children who perhaps had never smiled a day in their lifetime. Until Ali showed up. Ali held those kids and looked into their eyes. They would grin from ear to ear. These are kids that never smiled. They were so pained. The nurses were astounded. Never before had they seen someone who had connected so immediately and profoundly with these sick children. 15;40;35 Ali had a special way with kids as we all know. He may have been a tough and tenacious man in the ring, but he was a compassionate and tender around those that he loved. 15:40:48 (shot of Ali's wife) Through all of his ferocity as a fighter, Ali was also a peacemaker, a particular radio host in Utah berated me constantly on the air waves. Week after week. One day the host asked if I were arrange for Ali to meet Utah's former middleweight champion, James Fulmer, for a joint interview. Ali agreed. Knowing that the appearance could help me build some good will, but he also was very interested in meeting James(?) as well. It was an unforgettable experience. Here were two champions, face-to-face, reminiscing about some of the best fights the world has ever seen, and I have to say, in the process, Ali claimed that radio host -- well, he charmed the radio host so much on my behalf, gently transforming an unrepentant antagonist into a respectful starring partner. 15;41;52 So dedicated was Ali to our friendship, that he joined me on the campaign trail during several election cycles. He came to Utah year after year to raise funds for a charity benefiting needy women, women in jeopardy, and families in our state. Ali didn't look at life through the binary lens of Republican and Democrat. So common today. He saw worthy causes and shared humanity. And always willingness to put principles ahead of partisanship, he showed us all the path to greatness. And I'll never forget that greatness. Nor will I ever forget him. [Applause] 15;42;47 There there were many faces to Ali's greatness. His abilities as a boxer, his charisma as a public figure, his benevolence as a father and as a friend. All of these made Ali great. But there was something else that made him the greatest. Ali was the greatest because, as a debilitated and unbroken champion for later years he put is to a greatness beyond ourselves, greatness beyond even Ali. He pointed us to the greatness of god. [Applause] 15;43;35 God raised up Ali to be the greatest fighter in the world of all-time. Yet he allowed Ali to wrestle with Parkinson's disease, an inescapable reminder we're all mortal, and that we are all dependent on god's grace. Ali believed this himself. He once told me, god gave me this condition to remind me always that I am human, and that only he is the greatest. [Applause] 15;44;12 Ali was an unsurpassed symbol of our universal dependence on the divine. He was the greatest because he reminded us all who truly is the greatest. God, our creator. I'm eternally grateful for my special bond with this special man, and for my friendship with his beloved wife, who I love dearly. She is one of the great women in this world. [Applause] 15;44;44 (shot of wife) She was dedicated to the very end and I pray that Ali rested peacefully and Ali will rest peacefully the presence of the greatest of all, even our gods. I can bear testimony that I believe in god. I believe that we're here on Earth for a reason. I believe that this Earth life is a time for us to do what is right for god and for our fellow men and women. I don't know that I've ever met anybody who did it any better than my friend, Muhammad Ali. [Applause] >> God bless you. God bless the family. 15;45;37 (shot of wife applauding) 15;45;45 >> Next we would like to welcome Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel to the stage. Father Kriegel has been instrumental -- has been the pastor of St. Patricks parish in Erie, PA. He was ordained in 1970 and named a domestic prebate with the title Monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1991. His wisdom, scholraship and spiritual guidance is a source of solace and guidance for catholics and members of other faith communities far far beyond his Pennsylvania home. Father Kriegel. 15;46;35 >> Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel: Let us pray. Loving eternal god, as we gather today in prayer, we do so with an abiding sense of gratitude. Our gratitude knows no bounds as we thakn you for the gift of this good and gentle man. Muhammed Ali opened our eyes to the evil of racism, to the absurdity of war. He showed us with incredible patience that a debilitating illness need never diminish joy and love in our lives. He chided our consciences, he awakened in us a deeper sense of the need to respect one another, to set aside racial differences. The legendary fighter of all time in reality taught us to heal, rather than to fight. To embrace, rather than to turn away. To include, rather than to exclude. While proclaiming himself to be the greatest, he showed us that his greatness lied in his love and concern for others. Most particularly the marginalized, the suffering, the helpless, the hopeless. You gift of him has enriched us, has made us better people, has created a more gentle world. We dare not return him to you today without expressing our gratitude for the gift of him. Amen. 15;47;50 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;48;22 >> Next we will hear a few brief remarks from Dr. Timothy Gianotti. Dr. Gianotti is a professor of islamic studies at the university of waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is equally at home, busying himself with the affairs of the Muslim community as he is sitting in the library and burrowing through books. A true public intellectual. He is the initial and principal islamic adviser to the Ali family. He has been instrumental in assuring that the last days of Muhammad's life, his burial, his bathing, his shrouding, and his burial today, his funeral and burial today, all were in accordance with the strictures of Muslim law. So now I'd like to bring to you the person I affectionately call, brother, doctor, Imam, Timothy Gianotti. [Applause] 15;49;58 >> Dr. Timothy Gianotti: In the name of god who is the loving nurturer of the creation, and the ever compassionate and ever merciful, I'd like to share a prayer today. This is a prayer adapted from a there divisional prayer of the prophet Muhammad. My god's peace and blessings be upon him. But before I do so I would just like to say to the family, to Lonnie, to everyone here, that serving Muhammad Ali has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. 15;50;50 (shot of Ali's wife) Oh, god, you who are the light of the heavens and the Earth, grant our brother Muhammad a light in his heart. A light in his earthly body, now restored to the Earth. A light in his grave. A light before him as he journeys on to you. A light in all that he has left behind in this world. A light to his right, and the lights to his left. Oh, god, increase him inlight. Grant him light. A light in his deeds in this world and a light in the hereafter. A light in the hearts of those whom he loved. And a light in the eyes of those who loved him. 15;52;05 A light in those whom he knocked down. And a light in those whom he lifted up. A light in his words which echo in our hearts. A light in the lives of all those whom he touched. A light in his children and a light in their mothers. 15:52:40 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) A light in his grandchildren. And a light in his devoted wife, Lonnie. Oh, lord, increase your servants in light. And give him light. And embrace him in light. And fill us all with light .[ Foreign foreign ] 15;53;10 >> You who are the light odd Earth, you who are the most merciful of all those who show mercy. [Applause] 15;53;38 >> Next we'll hear a few words from rabbi Michael Lerner. Rabbi Lerner is the editor of a magazine, as the magazine's name suggests, rabbi Lerner has dedicated his life to working, to heal and repair the world. Rabbi Lerner is never afraid of ruffling a few feathers so we asked him to be nice today. Rabbi Lerner. [Applause] 15;54;23 >>Rabbi Michael Lerner: We'll see about the feathers. [Foreign chanting] >> Master of compassion, god of compassion, send your blessings to Muhammad Ali and send your blessings to all who mourn for him, and send your blessings for all the millions and millions of people who mourn for him all over this planet. I come here speaking as representative of American Jews, and to say that American Jews played an important role of solidarity with the African-American struggles in this country, and that we today stand in solidarity with islamic communities in this country and all around the world. [Applause] 15;55;23 We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down a Muslim and blaming muslims for a few people. [Cheers and applause] 15;55;40 (shot of Ali's wife and family standing up and clapping) (shot of Bill Clinton clapping) 15;55;50 We know what it's like to be demeaned. We know what it's like to have some -- a few people who act against the highest visions of our tradition, to then be identified as the value of the entire tradition. And one of the reasons that we in (?) magazine, a magazine of liberal and Progressive jews but also an interfaith magazine, have called upon the United States to stand up to the part of the Israeli government that is suppressing Palestinians, is that we as Jews understand that our commitment is to recognize that god has created everyone in god's image, and that everyone is equally precious. 15;56;33 And that means that Palestinian people as well as all other people on the planet. [Applause] I know the people of Louisville have a special relationship to Muhammad Ali, and I had a personal relationship in the '60s when both of us were indicted by the federal government and before our various stands against the war in Vietnam. I want to say that although he was cheered on as the heavyweight champion of the world, you know the truth is that in all the honor to him, that heavyweight champions of the world come and go, and sports heroes come and go. There was something about Muhammad Ali that was different. 15;57;24 At the key moment when he had that recognition, he used it -- to stand up to an immoral war and say, no, I won't go! [ Applause ] And it's for that reason that tens and millions of Americans who don't particularly care about boxing care about Muhammad Ali because he was a person who was willing to risk a great honor that he got and a great fame that he got to stand up for the beliefs that he had, to think truth to power when the rest of the people around him said, no, no, you're going to lose your championship and it was taken away from him for five years. But he stood up and was willing to take that kind of a risk because of that kind of moral integrity. [ Applause ] 15;58;22 So I want so say, how do we honor Muhammad Ali? The way to honor Muhammad Ali is to be Muhammad Ali today. That means us, everyone here and everyone listening, it's up to us to continue that ability to speak truth to power. We must speak out, refuse to follow the path of conformity to the rules of the game in life. We must refuse to follow the path of conformity. Tell the 1% who own 80% of the wealth of this country that it's time to share that wealth. Tell the politicians who use violence worldwide and then preach nonviolence to the oppressed, that it's time to end their drone warfare and every other form of warfare, to close our bases around the world, bring the troops home, tell those who committed mass incarceration that it's time to create a guaranteed income for everyone in our society. [ Applause ] 15;59;34 Tell judges to let out of prison the many African-Americans swept up by racist police and imprisoned by racist judges. [ Applause ] Many are in prison today for offenses like possessing marijuana that white people get away with all the time! [ Applause ] Tell our elected officials to imprison those who authorize torture and those who ran the big investment companies that caused the economic collapse of 2008. Tell the leaders of Turkey to stop killing the kurds. Tell Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that the way to get security is for Israel is to stop the occupation of the west bank and help create a Palestinian state. [ Applause ] 16;00;37 Tell the next president of the United States that -- tell the next president of the united States that she --- (shot of bill clinton smiling) Tell the next president of the united States that she should seek a constitutional amendment to make all national and state elects funds by congress and the state legislator and all other money be banned, all other money from companies companies and individuals and make it all public funding. 16;01;30 >> Tell her that the way to achieve homeland security is not for us to try new ways of domination, the strategy of domination in the world of the other to get security has been tried for the last ten thousand years and doesn't work. The way to get security is for the United States to become known as the most generous and caring country in the world, not the most powerful. [Applause] 16;02;00 We can start with a global and domestic plan to once and for all ended global and domestic poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care. So, I want to, as chair of the interfaith network of spiritual Progressives -- by the way, spiritual progressives.org come and join us -- I want to affirm our commitment to the well-being of all muslims on the planet as well as the people of all faiths and secular humanists as well. We wish to pay honor to muslims of the world as the continue today the fast of Ramadan, and join with them in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali, a great -- peace be upon him, peace be upon the prophet now ham -- Muhammad and peace on humanity and peace on all of us, amen. [Cheers and applause] 16;03;20 [Chanting] Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. Ali. >> Time, time, time is not on our side. After that speech, I have to edit my initial remarks, honorable first man William J. Clinton. Chief Sidney hill in 2002, Sidney Hill was selected as Tadodaho, or principal spiritual leader of its people a true friend of the earth and beloved to all who know him, he is a leader whose spirituality is coupled with a passionate pursuit of justice. We are honored that he has come here today to share a few words and a few thoughts with us. Chief Hill. [ Applause ] 16;04;44 >>Chief Sidney hill: [ Speaking only in foreign language ] 16;06;16 >>This is chairman Stevens with us, United Nation from our alliance (?) Nation. Translation: he said, my relatives, it is my responsibility to pick up the words for (?) the people of the longhouse. They wish you well. They want you to be at peace of mind. Now this great darkness that has happened to us, you must understand that you who have gathered us here, that his road is straight. Peacefully, he will arrive at his land. [foreign language] Our creator. It is the same as you call him, Allah. 16;07;30 These were the words. He took the family, your relatives and friends of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was the leader among men. And a champion of the people. He fought for the people of color, yet he was man of peace and principle. A man of compassion, who used his great gifts for the common good. The spirit has a clear path to the creator. 16;08;27 To the spiritual leader, six nation iroquois confederation. And myself, faithkeeper, turtle clan, under the council of chiefs, have journeyed here today to add our voice to this congregation of world leaders, in honor of his work, and for the right and dignity of people of color and the common man. [Applause] 16;09;15 He was always in support of the indigenous people of this hemisphere in our quest for our inherent land rights, self-determination, identity, and collective right that include the natural world. We know what he was up against. Because we have had 524 years of survival training ourselves. [Applause] 16;09;50 (shot of Ali's wife clapping) In 1978, a congressman from the state of Washington put a bill into congress to terminate our treaties with the United States. An Indian nations walked from California to Washington, DC, in protest. Muhammad Ali marched into Washington, DC with us. [Applause] 16;10;31 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 16;10;38 He was a free, independent spirit. He stood his ground with great courage and conviction. And he paid a price. And this country did, too. And we all did. Values and principles will determine one's destiny. And the principles of a nation will do the same. Poor people do not have many options. You fighters know what I'm talking about. He said that ring was Ali's path to his destiny. He said he would be heavyweight champion of the world, and he was. Three times. This is the fourth time, right here, right now. [Applause] 16;11;55 On his journey in life, he lived and learned the hard way. He brought a light into this world. My world. Our world. And that light will shine a long, long time. [ Applause ] Peace, brother. Peace. And on behalf of my friend Ernie and the indigenous people everywhere, peace. Thank you. [Applause] 16;12;58 >> We introduce chief hill, and his words were translated by Chief Oren Lyons who was born into a traditional indigenous family, and grew up on the native reservations of upstate New York. In 1970 he became the chief and faithkeeper of the turtle clan of the onondaga nation. His scholarship, stewardship and leadership is a source of benefit and great blessing for all who know him. Now he want to introduce Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport, Rabbi Rapport is senior rabbi here of the temple here in Louisville where he has been a leader in interfaith work. He has the passion for teaching youth, and in fact it is his work with youth that let him to cross paths with Muhammad Ali. His religious leadership focuses on compassion, care, and working together was all to build a better world. Rabbi Rapport. [Applause] 16;14;24 >>Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport: This is a reading from our memorial prayer on yom kippur. Our day of atonement. Our most sacred day of the year. It was written men decades ago by rabbi Fein, civil rights leader who could never have known when he composed these words he was writing a eulogy for Muhammad Ali. 16;14;49 Birth is a beginning. And death a destination. And life is a journey, from childhood to maturity, and youth to age. From innocence to awareness, and ignorance to knowing. From foolishness to discretion. And then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength, and strength to weakness. And often back again. From health to sickness, and back we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness. From loneliness to love. From joy to gratitude. And pain to compassion, from grief to understanding. From fear to faith. From defeat to defeat to defeat, until looking backward or ahead we see that victory lies not at some high place along the way, but in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage. 16;15;50 Birth is a beginning. And death, a destination. And life is a journey. The sacred pilgrimage to life everlasting. We say words of prayer and they remain words, until we encounter a person who embodies these words and makes them real. I've said these words many times before. At funerals and memorial services. But never have I felt them come to life and speak of a single shining soul as I do today. Muhammad Ali was the heart of this city. The living, breathing, embodiment of the greatest that we can be. 16;16;33 (shot of Ali's wife) He was our heart, and that heart beats here still. [Applause] 16;16;47 Let me tell you a story you already know. It's one of those stories about Ali being gracious to a stranger that so many of us have told, so many times, and in so many we we sometimes forget the lessons these stories were intended to teach us. It's a story Honna tells about her father towards the end of their book, the soul of the butterfly. Honna's driving her father to a book store on one Sunday to pick up some bibles and korans for a project that he's working on. They pass an elderly man standing by the road with a bible in one hand and his thumb in the air with the other. They offer him a ride. And he thanks them, saying that he is on his way home from church. He only needs to go a few miles down the street where he can pick up a cab. Hanna asked where he lives help doesn't want to trouble them. He has no idea who is sitting in the front seat of the car. 16;17;48 Until Muhammad Ali turns around and says, it's no trouble at all. We're just on our way to a bookstore to by some bibles and korans. Once the man gets over meeting the greatest of all-time, he insists that he has three bibles in his house, and he would be pleased to give them to Ali in appreciation for the ride. Ali thanks him but says, he wants to pay for the bibles. The man says, no, the bibles were meant as a gift. Ali asked him what he does for a living. And it turns out the man had a stroke and has been forced into retirement. Ali then tries to hand him a big pile of money for the bibles. But the man refuses and this is where things get interesting. 16;18;37 Ali says, take the money, man, I'm trying to get into heaven.(laughter) 16;18;44 (shot of Ali's wife) And the man replied. So am I. Ali is not taking no for an answer. He says, if you don't take the money I might not get in. And the man replies, if I do take your money I might not get in. They arrive at his home, and the map invites him tomeet his wife of 30 years. He gives Ali the bibles. Ali slips the money under a napkin on the kitchen table. They're about to leave and Hannah gives the man her phone number and tells him to call him -- to call her if her needs a ride home from church again. Sitting in the car, Ali turns to his daughter and asks. Would you really go out of your way and pick him up and drive him home? And she says, yes. And with tears in his eyes, he says, that's me in you. [Applause] 16;19;52 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) 16;20;04 He says, you're on the road to heaven. Therein lies ally's greatness his ability to see something greater and his ability to inspire others to see such greatness' within themselves. There will never be another greatest like Muhammad Ali. But we together can now embody a measure of his kindness, and his compassion. We can say each of us in our hearts there's a little bit of Ali in me. [Applause] This week, we have mourned the loss and celebrated the life of a Louisville legend and a citizen of the world. And of all the words and all the ways, the most powerful moments have always been made in the voices of young people, repeated in prayer services, and chanted in the streets. I am Ali. I am Ali. I am not the fighter that Ali was. And I may not have the courage which he never lacked. And I am definitely not as pretty. (laughter) But in my heart, and in my hope, and in my prayers I am Muhammad Ali. [Applause] 16;21;36 >> When he say that in our hearts, when we live that in our lives, then we together can build a legacy worthy of the greatest of all-time. So say that now with me. In your heart, and in this room, I am Ali. I am Ali. [Applause] >> You know, one of the amazing things that we've witnessed during our time here in Louisville has been just so many stories of common, ordinary people. There's folks on the street, working in the hotels, the restaurants, virtually everyone has a story concerning how Muhammad Ali touched their lives. He came to my fourth grade class. He helped me out in this or that way. He came to visit me when I was sick. Just on and on and on. And collectively, those experiences, they become sinner ginnic, they become greater than the individual parts. And when we rose through the streets of the city today, I've witnessed something I've never, ever witnessed in my life. [ Applause ] 16;23;10 And I don't think I will ever witness again. I witnessed the power. In our muslim tradition we call it (foreign language) it might be loosely translated as sainthood, I witnessed the power of sainthood. [ applause] Venerable Utsumi is a member of the (foreign language) a Japanese Buddhist order dedicated to working for world peace through the practice of walking peace pilgrimages anti-nuclear weapon pilgrimages and the construction of peace pagodas all over the globe, he will be joined onstage by Sister Denise another member of the order and together they will share a traditional chant with us. 16;24;40 [Buddhist chants] 16:28:25 [Buddhist chants] 16;29;20 Now we will listen to a reading by , Ambassador Shabazz. Ambassador Shabazz is the oldest of six daughters born to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (?) and Doctor Betty Shabazz. [applause] She probably shares that she is inspired by her parents, their parents, and those before them through the descending generations. The former prime minister of Belize recognized her as a key Ambassador in international cultural affairs and project development and in 2002 appointed her as ambassador at large, powerful and elegant we invite Ambassador Shabazz to read and share and inspire us. [ Applause ] 16:30;44 >>Ambassador Shabazz: Assalamu alaikum. May peace be upon us. All of us. As this is a homegoing celebration I find myself balanced between that of celebration and depletion, loss, that somehow or another, my breathing capacity has been weakened this past week so I ask all of you gathered and afar to please muster up and transmit a bit of your air to me in the memory of Muhammad Ali, thank you all. [ Speaking in foreign language ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SEVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 16;31;44 And more as the globe centers at this very moment amidst the holy month of Ramadan where every two hours there's a time zone praying, and including Muhammad Ali and his family in your thoughts. Amidst that are the prayers of all faiths, all those touched, even those that don't claim a religion are feeling something right now in honor of the family and the memory of their father, husband. In the spirit of my parents, Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Shabazz, in the presence of my five younger sisters, our children and our grandchildren I would like to first honor his beloved wife, my sister, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] 16;32;53 (shot of Ali's wife) 16;32;59 For all the strengths that you know and that resonate beyond. Sometimes you do need a little help no matter how magnificent you are and indeed those that were with him, that loved him, his family members sustain that. His nine children, and I will name them, Maryam, rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Hana, Laila, asaad, Miya, khaliah as well as thier mothers, and the third generation of grandchildren who accompany them. [ Applause ] 16;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife) To his only brother, to his extraordinary example of a best friend, Howard Bingham and to his sister-in-law Marilyn. For all the grief that I am depleted by and others are feeling by his transition, there is none comparable to yours and I know that. On this day and those to come, as you live your waking days with a life without him here presently, very different. 16;34;37 (shot of Ali's wife) Photos, memories, all the things that we have on him that keep him going. He touched you differently and that has to be honored and recognized, never forsaken. [ Applause ] Just know that when you are the descendent of and in the presence of someone whose life was filled with principle, that the seed is in you so that you have to cultivate that responsibly as well. [ Applause ] This moment is very meaningful for me to have been amongst those chosen and blessed by Muhammad himself and affirmed by his wife Lonnie to take part by sharing a prose and a statement during this homegoing ceremony. While he and I had a treasured relationship, the genesis of his love was through the love for my father. Muhammad Ali was the last of a fraternity of amazing men bequeathed to me directly by my dad. 16;35;57 Somewhere between me turning 18, 19 or 20, they all seemed to find me somehow guided by an oath of a promise to my dad long after him leaving this Earth to search for me, and they did. Each one remaining in my life until joining the rest of the heavens beloved summit of fearless humanitarians. This included Muhammad Ali whom my dad loved as a little brother, 16 years his junior and his entrusted friend. There was a double-take when I came upon him, a once childhood per child and now looking right into his face, and you know how he is. He gives you that little dare like, is that you? [ imitates ] From the very moment we found one another, it was as if no time has passed as all despite all of the presumptions of division, despite all of the efforts at separation, despite all of the organized distancing. We dove right into all of the unrequited yet stated and duly acknowledged spaces we could explore and uncover privately. 16;37;18 We cried out loud. His belt, his grief for having not spoken to my dad before he left and then just as loudly we'd laugh about the best of stories, and some that can't be repeated. He was really funny. What was significant as brothers for my father and Ali was their ability to discuss openly anything, all facets of life, namely, the true meaning, as men with great responsibilities be bestowed to them of how to make an equitable difference in the lives of others. A unifying topic was faith and ecumenical faith, respect for faith, all faiths, even if belonging to one specific religion or none, the root of such being the gift of faith itself so in his own words he wrote, "We all have the same God. We just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans, all have different names but they all contain water. So do religions have different names and yet they all contain truth. Truth expressed in different ways and forms and times. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. When you believe in god, you should believe all people are part of one family. [ Applause ] 16;39;11 For if you love god, you can't love only some of his children. [ Applause ] His words and certainly ideals shared by both men, love is a mighty thing, devotion is a mighty thing and truth always reigns. Having Muhammad Ali in my life somehow sustained my dad's breath for me a little while longer. 51 years longer until now. (WEEPING) [Applause] I am forever grateful at our union on this Earth together allowed for me a continuum of shared understanding, preserved confidentialities and the comfort of living in his home town of Louisville Kentucky for the past six years. [ Applause ] 16;40;26 That was not a plan. And mostly for the gift of knowing and loving his wife and children forever forward as my own family, know that. As the last of the paternity reaches the heavens, my heart is rendered ever longingly for that tribe. The tribe of purpose, the tribe of significance, tribe of confidence, tribe of character, tribe of duty, tribe of faith, tribe of service. We must make sure that the principle of men and women, like Muhammad Ali and others, whom dedicated their very being to assure that you get to recognize your own glory, is sustained and passed on like that olympic torch. My dad would offer in state when concluding or parting from another, may we meet again in the light of understanding and I say to you with the light of that compass by any means necessary. 16;42;09 >> Ladies and gentlemen, representing the president of the United States and Mrs. Obama, miss Valerie Jarrett. [ Applause ] 16;42;24 >>Valerie Jarrett: Good afternoon. On behalf of president Obama and Mrs. Obama, I wish to express to you their deepest regret that they couldn't be with us here today as we celebrate the extraordinary life of Muhammad Ali. I first met Muhammad Ali over 45 years ago through his friendship with my uncle Jean and he, my uncle, would be so touched that his son gene is a pallbearer here today. Thank you, Lonnie. Because of my family connection, the president and first lady asked me if I would read this tribute to you, penned by president Obama. 16;43;15 It was 1980, an epic career was in its twilight. Everybody knew it. Probably including the champ himself. Ali went into one of his final fights an underdog. All of the smart money was on the new champ, Larry Holmes. And in the end, the oddsmakers were right. A few hours later, at 4 A.M., after the loss, after the fans had gone home and the sports writers were writing their final take, a sports writer asked a restroom attendant if he had bet on the fight. The man, black and getting on in years, said he had put his money on Ali. 16;44;05 The writer asked why. Why, the man said? Why? Because he's Muhammad Ali. That's why. He said, mister, I'm 72 years old and I owe the man for giving me my dignity. [ Applause ] To Lonnie and the Ali family, president Clinton and an arena full of distinguished guests, you are amazing. The man we celebrate today is not just a boxer or a poet or an agitator or a man of peace, not just a Muslim or a black man or a Louisville kid. He wasn't even just the greatest of all time. He was Muhammad Ali.The whole far greater than the sum of its parts. He was bigger, brighter and more original and influential than just about anyone of his era. [ Applause ] 16;45;30 You couldn't have made him up and, yes, he was pretty, too. He had fans in every city, every village, every ghetto on the planet. He was fettered by foreign heads of state, the beatles, British invasion took a detour to come to him. It seemed sometimes that the champ was simply too big for America. But I actually think that the world flocked to him in wonder precisely because, as he once put it, Muhammad Ali was America! Brash, defiant, pioneering, joyful, never tired, always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms, religion, speech, spirit. 16;46;31 He embodied our ability to invent ourselves. His life spoke to our original sin of slavery and discrimination and the journey he traveled helped to shock our consciousness and lead us on a roundabout path towards salvation. And like America, he was always very much a work in progress. We do him a disservice to gauze up his story to sand down his rough edges to talk only of floating like butterflies and stinging like bees. Ali was a radical even in a radical of times. A loud and proud and unabashedly black voice in a Jim crow world. [ Applause ] 16;47;24 His jabs knocked some sense into us, yes, they did. Pushing us to expand our imagination and bring others into our understanding. Now, there were times when he swung a bit wildly. That's right. Wound up and accidently may have wronged the wrong opponent as he was the first to admit. But through all his triumphs and failures, Ali seemed to have achieved the sort of enlightenment and inner peace that we are all striving towards. In the '60s when other young men his age were leaving the country to avoid war or jail, he was asked why he didn't join them. He got angry. He said he'd never leave. His people, in his words, are here, the millions struggling for freedom and justice and equality and I could do a lot of help in jail or not right here in America. [ Applause ] 16;48;34 He'd have everything stripped from him, his titles, his standing, his money, his passion. Very nearly his freedom. But Ali still chose America. I imagine he knew that only here in this country could he win it all back. So he chose to help perfect a union where a descendent of slaves can become the king of the world. And in the process, in the process, lend some dignity to all of us. Maids, porters, students and elderly bathroom attendant and help inspire a young, mixed kid with a funny name to have the audacity to believe he could be anything, even the president of the United States! [ Applause ] 16;49;35 (shot of Ali's wife) Muhammad Ali was America. Muhammad Ali will always be America. What a man. What a spirit. What a joyous mightyful champion. God bless the greatness of Ali. God bless his family. And god bless this nation we love. Thank you very much. 16;50;28 ANNOUNCER VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] >> Ali! Ali! Ali! 16;51;05 LONNIE ALI >> Assalamu alaikum. Peace be upon you. You know, I said something to Matt Lauer yesterday that I firmly believe Muhammad had something to do with all of this and I think we are right. Thank you all for being here to share in this final farewell to Muhammad. On behalf of the Ali family, let me first recognize our principal celebrant Imam _____ and Dr. Timothy Gianotti. We thank you for your dedication to helping us fulfill Muhammad's desire that the ceremonies of this past week reflect the traditions of his islamic faith. And as a family, we thank the millions of people who, through the miracle of social media, inspired by their love of Muhammad have reached out to us with their prayers. The messages have come to us in every language from every corner of the globe. From wherever you are watching, know that we have been humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love. It is only fitting that we gather in a city to which Muhammad always returned after his great triumphs. A city that has grown as Muhammad has grown. [ Applause ] 16;52;37 Muhammad never stopped loving Louisville. And we know that Louisville loves Muhammad. [Applause] We cannot forget a Louisville police officer, Joe Espy(?) Martin, who embraced a young 12-year-old boy in distress when his bicycle was stolen. Joe Martin handed young Cassius Clay -- sorry for tripping up that last word -- Clay, to a future in boxing he could scarcely have imagined. America must never forget that when a cop and an inner city kid talk to each other, then miracles can happen. [ Applause ] 16;53;49 Some years ago during his long struggle with Parkinson's in a meeting that included his closest advisors, Muhammad indicated when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people for his country and for the world. In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice, that he grew up in a segregation and that during his early life, he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or engage in violence. It was a time when a young black boy his age could be hung from a tree in Mississippi in 1955 whose admitted killers went free. 16;54;50 It was time when Muhammad's friends, people he admired, like Brother Malcolm and Dr. King were gunned down, and Nelson Mandela imprisoned for what they believed in. [ Applause ] For his part, Muhammad faced federal prosecution. He was stripped of his title and his license to box and he was sentenced to prison. But he would not be intimidated so as to abandon his principles and his values. 4:55-Lonnie emotional, almost cries 16;55;29 Muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that adversity can make you stronger. It cannot rob you of the power to dream and to reach your dreams. We built the Muhammad Ali center and that's the center of the Ali message. [ Applause ] Muhammad wants us to see the face of his religion, true Islam, as the face of love. It was his religion that caused him to turn away from war and violence, for his religion he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had and all that he was to protect his soul and follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad peace be upon you. 16;56;25 So even in death, Muhammad has something to say. He's saying that his faith required that he take the more difficult road. It is far more difficult to sacrifice oneself in the name of peace than to take up arms in pursuit of violence. [ Applause ] You know, all of his life, Muhammad was fascinated by travel. He was child-like in his encounter with new surroundings and new people. He took his world championship fights to the ends of the Earth, from the south pacific to Europe to the Congo. And, of course, with Muhammad, he believed it was his duty to let everyone see him in person because, after all, he was the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The boy from grand avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, grew in wisdom and discovered something new, that the world really wasn't black and white at all. It was filled with many shades of rich colors, languages and religions. As he moved with ease around the world, the rich and powerful were drawn to him but he was drawn to the poor and the forgotten. [ Applause ] 16;57;53 Muhammad fell in love with the masses and they fell in love with him. In the diversity of men and their faiths, Muhammad saw the presence of god. He was captivated by the work of the dalai lama, by mother Teresa and church workers who gave their lives to protect the poor. When his mother died, he arranged for multiple faiths to be represented at her funeral and he wanted the same for himself. We are especially grateful for the presence of the diverse faith leaders here today. And I would like to ask them to stand once more and be recognized. [ Applause ] 16;58;35 Thank you. Thank you very much. You know, as I reflect on the life of my husband, it's easy to see his most obvious talents. His majesty in the ring as he danced under those lights, enshrined him as a champion for the ages. Less obvious was his extraordinary sense of timing. His knack for being in the right place at the right time seemed to be ordained by a higher power. Even those surrounded by Jim Crow, he was born into a family with two parents that nurtured and encouraged him. He was placed on the path of his dreams by a white cop and he had teachers who understood his dreams and wanted him to succeed. The olympic gold medal came and the world started to take notice. A group of successful businessmen in Louisville called the Louisville Sponsoring Group saw his potential, and helped him build a runway to launch his career. His timing was impeccable as he burst into the national stage just as television was hungry for a star to change the faith of sports. 17;00;02 You know, if Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion, no matter what the cost. The timing of his actions coincided with a broader shift in cultural attitudes across America, particularly on college campuses. When he challenged the U.S. Government on the draft, his chance of success was slim to none. That the timing of his decision converged with a rising tide of discontent on the war. Public opinion shifted in his direction followed by a unanimous supreme court ruling in a stunning reversal of fortunes. He was free to return to the ring. When he traveled to central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman, none of the sports writers thought he could win. In fact, most of them feared for his life. But in what the Africans call the miracle at 4:00 A.M., he became a champion once more. [ Applause ] And as the years passed and those slowed by Parkinson's, Muhammad was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to support the victims of poverty and strife. He served as a UN messenger of peace and traveled to places like war-torn Afghanistan, he campaigned as an advocate for reducing the debt of third world debt. 17;01;42 He stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from Iraq. [ applause ] As his voice grew softer, his message took on greater meeting. He came full circle with the people of his country. When he lit a torch that seemed to create new light in the 1996 Olympics. [ Applause ] Muhammad always knew instinctively the road he needed to travel. His friends know what I mean when I say he lived in the moment. He neither dwelled in the past nor harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammad loved to laugh and he loved to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was sure-footed in his self-awareness, secure in his faith and he did not fear death. Yet, his timing is once again poignant. His passing and his meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in a world and divisions at home, as to who we are as a people, Muhammad's life provides useful guidance. 17;02;58 Muhammad was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love and the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions, saw truth in all faith and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammad may have challenged his government but he never ran from it or from America. [ Applause ] He loved this country and he understood the hard choices that are born of freedom. I think he saw a nation's soul measured by the soul of its people. For his part, he saw the good soul in everyone and if you were one of the lucky ones to have met him, you know what I meant. He awoke every morning thinking about his own salvation and he would often say, I just want to get to heaven and I've got to do a lot of good deeds to get there. And I think Muhammad's hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our families. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;04;38 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, Maryam Ali. 17;04;50 MARYAM ALI >> Peace be with you, everyone here, and on behalf of the Ali family, I just want to say thank you to Louisville, Kentucky, all the love you've shown us in our lives has been unbelievable. Also, I want to thank the entire globe. My father was loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming but it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you just like you love us. Thank you very much. [ Applause ] 17;05;23 As you know, my father loved poetry. He was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had poems of the heart, spiritual poems and poems to promote and I just wrote a piece for him, in honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loved my father. It's called "Thank you our dear father." My heart was sore when your sick spirit soared. Your physical body is no more but my mind tells different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. 17;06;02 Most importantly, the belief in god who created humanity to thrive in quality. You fought for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights. Staring right into the eyes of oppression, you proclaim your beautiful complexion. Your god-given skills, your independent will and the freedom of your faith. As your daughter, I am grateful for all of our conversations about men, women and relationships. Guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self, refusing anyone to chip away at my esteem and expect the respect of a queen. [ Applause ] Thank you, our dear father, for asking us to think about our purpose and showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvel that your sincere love for people as you treated all who approached you with dignity. Whether they were rich or poor, your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone as beneath you. 17;07;25 So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them as you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If I had every dollar for every story, I could pay for the sky. Your family is so proud of the legacy you left behind. But I hope that the history of you can help turn the tide of self-hate and violence, because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic deaths. Here on the soil, American soil, in the Middle East or anywhere else in this world, we crave for peace. That peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you graced this Earth. You will be greatly missed. But now we send you off in celebration, a blown kiss and prayers. As you enter your final round. God's last boxing bell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all love you. Thank you very much. 17;09;02 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Rasheda Ali Walsh. 17;09;20 RASHEDA ALI >> I'm, we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here today. To celebrate our father. You are the greatest father to us. And it was God's will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud, and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us in the world to be the best version of ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world in life. Now you're shaking up the world in death. 17;10;23 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) Daddy is looking at us now, right and saying, I told you I was the greatest! No one compares to you, daddy. You once said I know where I'm going. And I know the truth. And I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be who I am. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly, butterfly, fly. [ Applause ] 17;11;45 ALI DINICOLA Hello. My name is Ali DiNicola. I was born on Muhammad Ali's birthday, I was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from Muhammad's example of kindness and understanding. When Muhammad was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said I like to, I like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness, he took one court of laughter, one pinch of concern and then he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. He spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met. Thank you. 17;12;56 ANNOUNCER>>> Ladies and gentlemen, Natasha boncouer. Natasha boncouer: Before I begin, I would just like to say that I'm truly humbled and honored to be here. And I would like to thank the Muhammad Ali center and the Ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak. And to echo the voice that Muhammad has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man. A man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible. A man who once reached up through the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8-year-old girl. Whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin. But instead of drawing on that pain from the distorted reality, she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall in the face of pelting rain and shouted -- I am the disturbance in the sea of your complacency. And I will never stop shaking your waves. 17;14;30 And his voice echoed through hers. Through mine. And she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and she threw them back with a voice so powerful that it turned all the pain that she had faced in her life into strength. And tenacity. And now that 8-year-old girl stands before you, to tell you that Ali's cry still shakes these waves today. 17;15;11 (shot of Ali's wife) That we are to find strength in our identities. Whether we are black or white or Asian or hispanic. Lgbt, disabled or able-bodied. Muslim, jewish, hindu or Christian. His cry represents those who have not been heard, and invalidates the idea that we are to be confirmed to one normative standard. That is what it means to defeat the impossible. Because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing! [ Applause ] 17;16;15 When I look into this crowd I smile. I smile to recognize that he is not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me. And he lives in every person that he has touched in every corner of this world. (shot of Ali's wife) Reality was never a limitation for Ali. For us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down. Because we are Ali. We are greater than the rocks or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. So let me tell you a story about a man. His name is Muhammed Ali. He is the greatest of all time. He is from Louisville, Kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. (shot of Ali's wife) And his story is far from over. Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife applauding) 17;18;26 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, John Ramsey. 17;18;35 John Ramsey First of all, on behalf of my fellow Louisvillians to the Ali family, we offer our condolences our heartfelt prayers and for Lonnie Ali a very special prayer. We know that Muhammad was blessed with many gifts but none more precious than Lonnie Ali and we thank you so much. (shot of Ali's wife) You know, I've got to tell you, Louisville, when I was in the procession today and saw the tens and thousands of people and all of the warmth and the love and the respect that was shown for Muhammad, I've got to tell you, my heart swelled with pride. I know he was watching from above and I know he absolutely loved it. He-- I don't think he'd be surprised. I think Muhammad would say, Louisville, Kentucky, the greatest city of all times. I'm feeling good. Man. I tell you what, how can we lose with the stuff we use? [ laughter] I'm feeling so good, I think I'm going to make a comeback and change my name back to Walnut street. That's how good I feel. [ laughter ] 17;19;46 You know, for me, I always felt connected to Muhammad even before I had met him. You know, maybe it was the fact that I was a Louisville boy. Maybe it's the fact that I loved the Louisville Cardinals, like Muhammad. You know, but as our relationship evolved, I found that a lot of people felt this personal connection with Muhammad. And that's part of the Ali magic. You know, initially, for a lot of men my age and certainly myself, it was the athlete that I was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, that grace not only made him the heavyweight champion of the world three times but it made him "Sports illustrated" sportsman of the century, the A.P. Athlete of the century and certainly made him the athlete -- a once in a lifetime athlete. But I would argue that the combination of compassion, kindness, love and the ability to lift us up made him a once in a lifetime person. [ Applause ] 17;20;55 You know, Muhammad was blessed with many gifts, as I said, and he was a wise and faithful steward of those gifts. There's many stories about Muhammad but there is a couple that really to me encapsulate what he was all about. I remember back in 2000, I made a trip to the summer olympics with Muhammad and one day he decided we were going to go see a boxing match and I remember we're ringside, the American wins, 15,000 people are chanting, usa, usa! And I thought, this is my olympic moment. You know, I was filled with patriotic pride. The boxer came down from the ring, he took the obligatory picture with Muhammad, the fist to chin shot, hundreds of photographers from around the world were taking pictures, you know, thousands of people cheering for Muhammad and this victorious fighter. 17;21;47 And then Muhammad leaned down to me whispered in my ear, he said, I want to see the loser. I say, excuse me? I want to see the loser. So, I motioned over to an Olympic official and I said, you know Muhammad wants to see the loser. Can we go to the losing locker room? And we get to the losing locker room and there's not tens of thousands of people, there's not any photographers. There's just a kid in the corner on a stool, he's got a towel around his neck, he's got a bloody mouth under his eye. This has got to be the lowest point of his athletic career at the very least. He felt like he let down his country. He is defeated. And the vibe in that room was literally the lowest of low. But then when Muhammad walks in, this kid recognizes him instantly and in broken English he says Muhammad Ali and Muhammad started dancing he said show me what you've got man, show me, and Mohammad starts throwing out jabs and this kid starts ducking and smiling. Muhammad grabs him in a bear hug. He said, I saw what you did out there, man, you look good. You are moving good, you can be a champion, man. Don't give up. And I remember, it warmed my heart how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. 17;22;58 And -- [ applause ] And I remember, I got in the car and I said to Muhammad, I said, Mohammad try to be a nice guy but I've got to tell you, I was caught up in the moment. I didn't give that losing fighter a second thought. I said mohammad you're the greatest. Muhammad said, tell me something I don't already know. [ laughter ] He -- and -- but what I don't want people to forget, no doubt, to me he's the finest example of a human that I've ever seen. The finest example of a great human being that I've ever seen of the kindness that a human possesses. That was Muhammad Ali, but don't forget about this, man. Muhammad was the coolest cat in the room. I mean, he was good looking, he had charm, he had charisma, he had swagger before he knew that swagger was. I mean, I remember, I went to -- when -- was about 25 years ago, he came to town to visit his mother and he wanted to go to outback steakhouse. I has a friend there, was big Mohammad fan, so we came in and at the time here in Louisville, there was a fireman's convention and all of these guys had their engine numbers on their shirt and sure enough I had seen this thing a million times. Man, these guys line up for an autograph. I said, to Muhammad, I said Muhammad, if you'd like, I'll play the bad guy. You know I tell them to let you eat, and you can sign autographs later. 17;24;25 Muhammad would have none of it. He said, no, I'll sign between bites. He's taking bites of his food and he's signing. This one guy walks up, and you could tell he was a big fan. I mean he knew Muhammad. He was scared to death, he-- all of his adrenaline, he said Champ, he said I saw the stand you made, in the civil rights movement, I saw your stand against the Vietnam war. He said, I've got to tell you, champ, you're my hero. He said, I've got a picture of you at my firehouse. You are my hero. Muhammad instantly he wanted to change the channel. So he said to the guy, he said, you know, you're the real hero jumping in fire, saving lives, saving babies, putting your life on the line, he said, man, you are the real hero. And the fireman responds real quickly. I mean he knew all of the nicknames, he said, man, but you, you fought the bear, sonny Liston. He said, You fought the rabbit, patterson, you fought big George Foreman, you fought smokin Joe Frazier. 17;25;15 And Muhammad interrupted real quick and he goes, yeah, but Joe wasn't really smoking. [ laughter ] And I said, Muhammad that's a good line. He goes, you're right. Write that down. But it wasn't all about signing autographs and kissing babies. If there was a village that needed food in a third-world country, Muhammad was on the plane, will travel with check. If there was a conflict and he could be part of a resolution, again, Muhammad will travel. As Lonnie had mentioned, if there were hostages to be released, Muhammad was a man of action. One of my favorite quotes and I think it's right here in your program, Muhammad said service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth and I just want to say, champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [ Applause ] Your rent is paid in full! 17;26;15 (shot of Ali's wife standing up clapping) And you know, in fact, I think he's paid it forward. Because he has taught us to love rather than to hate. To look for commonalities rather than differences. So therefore I think he's really paid it forward for all of us. So, as we all know now, you know, the fight is over but I'm here to tell you, the decision is in and it is unanimous, because of Muhammad Ali, we all win. The world wins. Thank you so much, Muhammad. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace. And thank you so very much. 17;27;30 BILLY CRYSTAL >> Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We're at the halfway point. I was clean shaven when this started. Dear Lonnie, family, friends, Mr. President, members of the clergy, all of these amazing people here in Louisville, today this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting, he is still the champion of the world. [ Applause ] Last week, when we heard the news, time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no global catastrophes. The world stopped, took a deep breath and sighed. Since then, my mind has been racing through my relationship with this amazing man, which is now 42 years that I've known him. Every moment I can think of is cherished. While others can tell you of his accomplishments, he wanted me to speak and tell you of some personal moments we had together. 17;28;52 I met him in 1974. I was just getting started as a stand-up comedian and struggling. But I had one good routine. It was a three-minute conversation between Howard and Muhammad where I would imitate both of them. Muhammad had just defeated George foreman and sports magazine made him the man of the year. A great man, editor for "Sport," was going to host this televised dinner honoring Muhammad. So dick called my agent looking for a comedian who did some sports material. As fate would have it, that comedian was not available and she wisely said -- it's destiny, man. And she wisely said, but listen, I've got this young kid and he does this great imitation and I don't know why, but dick said, okay, I'll try him. I couldn't believe it. My first time on television and it would be with Ali. I ran to the plaza hotel, the event was packed. He said, how should I introduce you? No one knows who you are. And I said, just say I'm one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. And my thought was, I'll get right to the microphone, go into my how word cosell and I'll be fine and I move into the jam ballroom and that's when I saw him for the first time in person. It's very hard to describe how much he meant to me. You had to live in his time. It's great to look at clips and it's amazing that we have them but to live in his time, watching his fights, his experience of the genius of his talent was absolutely extraordinary. Every one of his fights was the aura of a super bowl. He predicted the round that he would knock somebody out and then he would do it. He was funny. He was beautiful. 17;30;57 He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw and those were his own words. But he was so much more than a fighter as time went on, with Bobby Kennedy gone, martin Luther king gone, Malcolm X gone, who was there to relate to when Vietnam exploded in our face? There were millions of young men my age, eligible for the draft for a war that we didn't believe in. And all of us huddled on the conveyor belt that was rapidly feeding the was machine. But it was Ali who stood up for us by standing up for himself. And after he was stripped of the title-- after he was stripped of the title and the right to fight anywhere in the world, he gave speeches at colleges and on television that totally reached me. He seemed as comfortable talking to kings and queens as the lost and unrequited. 17;31;49 He never lost his sense of humor even as he lost everything else, he was always himself, willing to give up everything for what he believed in. And his passionate rhetoric about the life and plight of black people in our country resonated strongly in my house. I grew up in a house that was dedicated to civil rights. My father was a producer of jazz concerts in New York City and was one of the first to integrate bands in the 40s and 50s. Jazz musicians referred to my dad as the branch rickey of Jazz concerts. My uncle and my family, jewish people, produced strange fruit, billie holiday's classic song describing the lynching of African-Americans in this country. And so I felt him, and now there he was just a few feet from me. I couldn't stop looking at him and he seemed to like glow and he was like in slow motion, his amazing face smiling and laughing. 17;32;41 I was seated a few seats from him on the day I said, and in the room all of these athletes in their individual sports, great ones, Gino Marchetti, of the Baltimore Cults, Franco Harries of the Steelers, Archie Griffith who won the Heisman from Ohio state, literally legends, Neil Simon, george plimton, all in a day fawning over Ali who then looked at me [laughter] with an expression that seemed to say what is Joe gray doing here? Mr. Schapp introduced me as one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. Two people clapped. My wife and the agent. I rose, Ali is still staring at me, I passed right behind him, got to the podium, went right into Cocell, hello, everyone, Howard Cocell coming to you live from Zaire. Some people would pronounce it Zaire. They are wrong. It got big laughs and then I went into the Ali. 17;33;49 Everybody's talking about George Foreman, talking about George foreman, george Forman is ugly, he's just so slow. George was slow. I kind of-- and then I got-- and I'm still faster at 33 years of age. I'm so fast I can turn the lights be in my bed before the room gets dark. [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife) I'm announcing tonight that I've got new religious beliefs. From now on I want to be known as Ezzie escowitz (?) I am now an orthodox Jew Izzie Escowitz (?) and I am the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The audience exploded. See, no one had ever done him before and here he was a white kid from Long Island imitating the greatest of all time and he was loving it. When I was done, he gave me this big bear hug and he whispered in my ear, you're my little brother. 17;34;46 Which is what he always called me until the last time that I saw him. We were always there for each other. If he needed me for something, I was there.He came for anything I asked him to do. Most memorable, he was an honorary chairman for a dinner and a very important event where I was being honored by the hebrew university in Jerusalem. He did all of this promotion for it. He came to the dinner. He sat with my family the entire evening. He took photographs with everybody. The most famous Muslim man in the world honoring his jewish friend. And -- [ applause ] 17;35;26 Because he was there, because he was there, we raised a great deal of money and I was able to use it to endow the university in Jerusalem with something that I told to him about and it was something that he loved the theory of. And it thrives to this day. It's called peace through the performing arts. It's a theater group where Israeli, Arab and Palestinian actors, writers and directors all work together in peace creating original works of art. [ Applause ] And that doesn't happen without him. I had so many -- so many funny and unusual moments with him. I sat next to him at Howard Cosell's funeral, a very somber day to be sure. Closed casket was on the stage, Muhammad and I were sitting somewhere over there next to each other. And he quietly whispered to me, little brother, do you think he's wearing his hairpiece? [ Laughter ] 17;36;30 So I said, I don't think so. Well, then how will god recognize him? [ Laughter ] So I said, champ, once he opens his mouth, God will know. So we started laughing. It was a muffled laugh at first but then we couldn't contain ourselves. There we were, at a funeral, me with Muhammad Ali laughing like two little kids who heard something dirty in church, you know, we were just laughing and laughing. And then he looked at me and he said, Howard was a good man. One time he asked me if I would like to run with him one morning. Do road work with him. I said, that would be amazing. I said, where do you run? He said, I run at this country club and I run on the golf course early in the morning, it's very private, nobody bothers me. We'll have a great time. I said, champ, I can't run there. The club has a reputation for being restricted. What does restricted mean? They don't allow Jews there. They don't have any jewish members. He was incensed. 17;37;38 I'm a black Muslim and they let me run there. Little brother, I'm never going to run there again. And he didn't. [ Applause ] My favorite memory was 1979. He had just retired and there was a retirement party at the forum in los Angeles for Muhammad and 20,000 of his closest friends in los Angeles. I performed a piece that I had created, the imitation had grown into a life story. It's called 15 rounds. And I'd play them from the age of 18 until he's 36 ready for the rematch with Leon Spinks. I posted it on the internet last week, footage that nobody had ever seen before, of me portraying Ali doing his life for him all those years ago in 1979. There were 20,000 people there. But I was doing it only for him. That's one of my favorite performances that I have ever done in my life. I sort of got lost in him. I didn't even know where I was at the end of the performance. And suddenly I'm backstage with another heavyweight champion, Richard Pryor and Pryor 's holding on to me crying and then I see Ali coming and he's got a full head of steam, he is looking only at me, nudged Mr. Pryor aside and he whispered in my ear with a big bear hug, little brother, you made my life better than it was. 17;39;10 But didn't he make all of our lives a little bit better than they were? [ Applause ] That -- that, my friends, is my history with the man that I've labored to come up with a way to describe the legend. He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by mother nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty. We've seen still photographs of lightning bolts at the moment of impact, ferocious in his strength and magnificent in his elegance. And at the moment of impact it lights up everything around it. So you can see everything clearly. Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm, his power toppled the mightiest of foes and its intense light shone on America and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self-realization, courage, laughter, love, joy, religious freedom for all. 17;40;18 Ali forced us to take a look at ourselves. This young man who thrilled us, angered us, confused and challenged us ultimately became a silent messenger of peace who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls. [Applause] (shot of Ali's wife) 17;40;50 My friends, only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a mozart or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them and yet at his heart he was still a kid from Louisville who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all. He is gone but he will never die. He was my big brother. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;41;47 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Bryant Gumbel. 17;41;58 BRYANT GUMBEL >> The great Maya Angelou who was herself no stranger to fame wrote that ultimately people forget what you said and people will forget what you did but that no one will ever forget how you made them feel. That's applied to Muhammad Ali, the march of time may one day diminish his boast and his poetry, maybe even his butterflies and bees. It may even one day dull the memories of the thrilla in Manila and the rumble in the jungle. But I doubt any of us will ever forget how Muhammad Ali made us feel. I'm not talking about how proud he made you feel with his exploits or how special he made you feel when you were privileged enough to be in his company.I'm talking about how he ripped our hearts and our souls and our conscience and made our fights his fights for decades. People like me, who were once young, semi-gifted and black will never forget what he freed within us. Some of us like him took pride in being black, bold and brash. And because we were so unapologetic, we were in the eyes of many, way too uppity. We were way too arrogant. Yet we reveled in being like him. By stretching society's boundaries as he did, he gave us levels of strength and courage we didn't even know we had. But Ali's impact was not limited to those of a certain race or of a certain religion or of a certain mindset. The greatness of this man for the ages was that he was, in fact, a man for all ages. Has any man ever a greater arc to his life? What does it say of a man, any man that he can go from being viewed as one of his country's most polarizing figures to arguably his most beloved. [ Applause ] And to do so without changing his nature or, for a second, compromising his principles. Yeah, you know, there were great pauses and national movements and huge divisions that afforded Ali unusual opportunities to symbolize our struggles. But Harry Truman had it right when he said men make history and not the other way around. Or as Lauren hill so nicely put it, consequence is no coincidence. Befitting his stature as the goat, Muhammad Ali never shied away from a fight. He fought not just the biggest and baddest men of his day inside the ropes but outside the ring he also went toe to toe with critics, outside of societal norms, the U.S. Government. He even fought ultimately to his detriment the limitations of father time. Strictly speaking, fighting is what he did. But he broadened that definition by sharing his struggles with us and by viewing our struggles as his. And so it was that at various times he accepted and led battles on behalf of his race in support of his generation, in defense of his religious beliefs and ultimately in spite of his disease. I happen to have been overseas working in Norway this past week. My buddy Matt called. Told me the champ had been taken to the hospital. This time it was really serious. Right away I called Lonnie who was, as always, a pillar of strength. And as we discussed the medical details, the doctors' views and the ugly realities of mortality, Lonnie said, Bryant, the world still needs him and indeed it does. The world needs a champion who always worked to bridge the economic and social divides that threaten the nation that he dearly loved. The world needs a champion that always symbolized the best of Islam to offset the hatred born of fear. And the world needs a champion who believed in fairness and inclusion for all. Hating people because of their color is wrong, Ali said, and it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong. [ Applause ] Yeah, we do need Muhammad Ali now. We needed strength and the hope, the compassion, the conviction that he always demonstrated. But this time, our beloved champion is down. And for once he will not get up. Not this time. Not ever again. Let me close with a quick personal story. 50 years ago, Muhammad Ali defeated George devalo in Toronto, Canada. The very next day, he showed up in my neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. As Ali got out of the car in the driveway at the home, I happened to be next door shooting hoops in a friend's backyard. I, of course, quickly ran to the fence and for the first time in I was 17. I was awe struck. And man, I thought he was the greatest. Now a half century and a lifetime of experiences later, I am still awe struck and I am convinced more than ever that Muhammad Ali is the greatest. [ Applause ] To be standing here by virtue of his and Lonnie's request, is an honor. To be here today as he goes to his grave is a moment I will take to mine. God bless you, champ. [ Applause ] >> Ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the united States, the honorable William Jefferson Clinton. [ Applause ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 558P WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 17;51;17 BILL CLINTON >> Thank you. I can just hear Muhammad saying now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. 17;51;51 I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second half of his life greater than the first. Thank you for the Muhammad Ali center and what it has come to represent to so many people. Here's what I'd like to say. I spent a lot of time now as I get older and older and older trying to figure out what makes people tick, how do they turn out the way they are, how do some people refuse to become victims and rise from every defeat. We've all seen the beautiful pictures of the home of Muhammad Ali and people visiting and driving by. I think you decided something I hope every young person here will decide. I think he decided very young to write his own life story. 17;53;39 I think he decided before he could possibly have worked it all out and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided that he would not be ever disempowered. He decided not his race or his place or expectations of others, positive, negative or otherwise would stop him from writing his own story. He decided first to use these stunning gifts. His strength and speed in the ring, his wit and way with words, and managing the public, and finding out at a fairly young age who he was, what he believed, and how to live with the consequences of acting on what he believed. 17;54;50 A lot of people make it to steps one and two and still just can't quite manage living with the consequences of what he believed. For the longest time in spite of all the wonderful things that have been said here, I remember thinking when I was a kid this guy is so smart and he never got credit for being as smart as he was. And then I don't think he ever got the credit for being, until later, as wise as he was. In the end besides being a lot of fun to be around and basically universal soldier for our common humanity, I will always think of Muhammad as a truly free man of faith. 17;55;50 And being a man of faith he realized he would never be in full control of his life. Something like Parkinson's could come along. But being free, he realized that life still was open to choices. It is choices that Muhammad Ali made that brought us all here today in honor and love. And the only other thing I would like to say, the first part of his life was dominated by the triumph of his truly unique gifts. We should never forget them, we should never stop looking at the movies. Thank Will Smith for making his movie. We should all be thrilled. It was a thing of beauty. But the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by a disease that kept him hamstrung longer than Mandela was kept in prison in South Africa. 17;57;20 That is in the second half of his life, he perfected gifts that we all have, every single solitary one of us have gifts of mind and heart. It is just that he found a way to release them in ways large and small. I asked Lonnie the time when they were still living in Michigan and I gave a speech in southwest Michigan to an economic club there, and sort of a ritual when a president leaves office, and you know, you had to get reacclimated, nobody plays a song when you walk in a room any more, you don't really know what you're supposed to do, and this club, the economic club, they're used to acting like you deserve to be listened to, they have to be reacclimated. So they came to me to this dinner and he sat with me at this dinner. 17;58;26 And he knew, somehow he knew that I was a little off my feet that night. I was trying to imagine how to make this new life and so he told me a really bad joke. And he told it so well and he laughed so hard that I totally got on board and had a great time. He had that feel about, you know, there's no textbook for that, knowing where somebody else is in their head, picking up the body language. Then Lonnie and Muhammad got me to come here when we had the dedication of the Muhammad Ali center, and I was trying to be incredibly gray haired elder states man, dignified, I have to elevate this guy, I am saying all this stuff in high tone, language, and Muhammad sneaks up behind me, puts his fingers up. (shot of wife laughing) 17;58;35 Finally after all the years we had been friends, my endearing image of him is like three shots. The boxer, the man I watched take the last steps to light the olympic flame when I was president, and I'll never forget it, I was sitting there in Atlanta, we knew each other, by then I felt I had some sense of what he was living with, and I was still weeping like a baby, seeing his hands shake, his legs shake, and knowing by god he was going to make those last few steps no matter what it took, the flame would be lit, the fight would be won. I knew it would happen. [ Applause ] 5532 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE FIBER PATH POOL P2 18;00;49 And then this. The children whose lives he touched, the young people he inspired. That's the most important thing of all. So ask you to remember that. We all have an Ali story. It's the gift we all have that should be most honored today because he released them to the world. Never wasting a day the rest of us could see feeling sorry he had Parkinson's, knowing more than three decades of his life would be circumscribed in ways that would be chilling to the naked eye. 18;01;43 But with the free spirit it made his life bigger, not smaller. Because other people, all of us unlettered, unschooled said would you look at that. Look at that. May not be able to run across the ring any more, may not be able to dodge everybody, exhaust everybody any more, and he's bigger than ever because he is a free man of faith sharing the gifts we all have. We should honor him by letting our gifts go among the world as he did. God bless you, my friend, go in peace.

Concert crowd cheering at popular music concert.

Defocused of dancing crowd during a concert at night.

CBS POOL FTG MUHAMMAD ALI MEMORIAL SERVICEH/T JAKE INGRASSIA, PAOLA CONTARDO AND SUNNY CHOO WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 15;10:47 Bill Clinton walks in 15;11;45 -- service starts 15;11;49 >> All praises due to the lord god of the world. Now please be seated, ladies and gentlemen. In accordance with Muslim tradition, and consistent with the wishes of Muhammad Ali, may god have mercy on him. We begin this program with a brief recitation from the Koran, the scripture of the muslims. A young Imam of the midtown mosque in Memphis, Tennessee, where he's spearheading a neighborhood renewal effort in one of the most blighted neighborhood in Memphis and that effort is centered around the mosque, one of the few African-American graduates of the university. He will share with us a few verses from the Koran. 15;12;50 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Hamza Abdul Malik. [ Applause ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;13;12 [ Speaking foreign language ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;17;10 (shot of Ali's wife) >> Now with the translation of those verses we would like to bring to the stage the second generation daughter of Syrian immigrants. She's an excellent student. In her spare time, in recent years, she raises money to provide medical supplies, surgical instruments and other forms of medical assistance for Syrian refugees fleeing from the horror of the current conflict in that land and we pray that almighty god brings it to a succession soon. 15;18;00 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Ia Kutma. [ Applause ] 15;18;14 >> In the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful, truly those who say our lord is god and our upright the angels will descend upon them saying, have neither fear nor sadness, but rather, rejoice in this paradise that you have been promised. We are your allies in this lower life in the hereafter. Where you will have your heart's desire and you will have whatever you ask for. Hospitably from the one most forgiving, most merciful. Who is more beautiful in speech than the one who invites to god and does righteous works saying, truly, I am submitted to god? For good and evil are not equal. 15;19;13 Repel ugliness with beauty and behold the one between you and whom there was enmity is transformed into a warm friend. But no one arrives at the station without great patience and immense fortune. Through prostration, chapter 41 verses 30 to 35. Thank you. [Applause] 15;19;45 (shot of Ali's daughter) >> I forgot to mention that she is a louisvillean, a proud resident of this city. [Applause] 15:20 15;20;05 >> Oh, god, miss this day of ours, you are our protector. What an excellent protector, an excellent helper. Honorable president Bill William J. Clinton, distinguished guests, viewing audience, on behalf of the Ali family, and the city of Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the people's champ. [Applause] 15;20;50 >> Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. [Chanting] Ali, Ali. 15;21;00 >> We're dealing with time here, folks. Louisville, Kentucky, admirably led by mayor Greg fisher, I would like to welcome you. Give it up for the mayor. [Applause] >> I would like to welcome you to this memorial service for the people's champ, Muhammad Ali. And this time, we would like to introduce our first speaker. Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby. [Applause] 15;21;50 >> Were it not for time, since Cosby rhymes with Ali, we would we would say, Cosby, Cosby, but time doesn't permit. Reverend Cosby is senior pastor of St. Steven church in Louisville, Kentucky. Due greatly to his dynamic bible teachings his congregation has grown over the long years of his ministry. Reverend Cosby combines passion, wit, and intellect as the foundation of the inspirational ministry that is transformed the lives of thousands of individuals. Reverend Cosby. [Applause] 15;22;39 >> Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby: Thank you. I looked into the dictionary for the word, fidelity. And it had two words. Lonnie Ali. [Applause] 15;22;57 >> In 1967, nine months prior to his assassination and martyrdom, Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Was interviewed by merv griffin on "The merv griffin show". Merv griffin asked Dr. King a relevant question. He said, Dr. King, what has been the greatest affect and impact that the civil rights struggle has had on the Negro? Dr. King paused and said, besides the dismantling of barriers that prohibited the Negro from free access, the greatest and most profound effect that the civil rights struggle had was that it infused in the Negro something that the anything Negro needed all along. 15:24:07 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;24;00 And that was a sense of somebodiness. You will never be able to appreciate what Dr. King meant when he said, the negro needed a sense of somebodiness until you understand the 350 years of nobodiness that was infused into the psyche of people of color. Every sacred document in our history, every hallowed institution, conspired to convince the African in America that when god made the African, that god was guilty of creative malfeasance. 15;24;55 All of the documents from the constitution said to the Negro, that you're nobody. The constitution said that we were three-fifths of a person. Decisions by the supreme court, like the dred Scott decision, said to the Negro, to the African, you had no rights that whites were bound to respect. And even Francis Scott key, in his writing of "The star spangled banner" we sang, verse one, but in verse three he celebrates slavery by saying, no refuge can save the harrowing enslaved from the sorrow of night or the death of the grave. Every institution from religion to entertainment, from Amos and Andy to Jane and tarzan, infused in the psyche of the Negro, that he was inferior. 15;26;06 But something happened to the depression generation and the World War II generation of African-Americans. Jackie Robinson picked up his bat and hit a ball and the Brooklyn dodgers win the pennant. Joe Louis dismantles the pride of Aryan supremacy by knocking out max melling in 124 seconds. Jesse Lewis runs at ambulatory speed and wins four gold medals. Rosa parks sits on a bus in 1955 and a young seminary student from Boston university stands up and takes the complex ideas of _____ and dips it chocolate so big mama can understand it. 15;27;02 And then from Louisville. [Cheering] -- Emerged the civil-tongued poet who took the ethos of somebodiness to unheard of heights. Before James brown said, I'm black and I'm proud. Muhammad Ali said I'm black and I'm pretty. [Laughter] 15:27:38 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;27;44 >> Black and pretty was an oxymoron. Blacks did not say pretty. The first black millionaire in this country was not Oprah but madam C.J. Walker who made products in order to help black people escape their Africanity. But Muhammad Ali said I'm proud. I'm pretty. I'm glad of who I am. And when he said that, that infused in Africans a sense of somebodiness. 15;28;25 To extrapolate Muhammad Ali from the times in which he lives is called historic presentism. It is to talk about George Washington and not talk about the American revolution to talk about Abraham Lincoln and not talk about the civil war. It's to talk about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and not talk about the depression and World War II. Our brother, Muhammad Ali, was a product of a difficult time. And he dared to love black people. 15;29;05 At a time when black people had a problem loving themselves. [Applause] He dared. He dared to affirm the beauty of blackness. He dared to affirm the power and the capacity of African-Americans. He dared to love America's most unloved race. And he loved us all, and we loved him because he -- we knew he loved us. He loved us all. Whether you lived in the suburbs or whether you lived in the slums. Whether you lived on the avenue or whether you lived in an alley. Whether you came from the penthouse or whether you lived in the projects. Whether you came from Morehouse or whether you had no house, whether you were high yellow or boot black, Muhammad Ali loved you. Our city is known for two things. It's known for Muhammad Ali, it is known for the Kentucky derby. 15;30;19 We hope you will come back and visit our city. The first Saturday in may, we hope you will place a bet on one of the horses, but if you do, please know the rules. What will happen is the horses start in the starting gate and then the signal will be given think will run in the mud for two minutes. And the winner will then be led to the winner's circle where a right of roses will be placed around the horse's neck. We want you to make a bet but please know the rules. You cannot bet for the horse once it's in the winner's circle. You have to bet for the horse while it's still in the mud. [Applause] 15;31;09 And there are lot of people, a lot of people who will bet and have bet on Muhammad Ali when he was in the winner's circle. But the masses bet on him while he was still in the mud. [Applause] Kareem abdul-jabbar stood with him when he was in the mud, Jim brown stood with him when he was in the mud. Bill Russell stood with him when he was in the mud. Howard cosell stood with him when he was in the mud. 15:31:24 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;31;51 Please don't mishear me. I am not saying that Muhammad Ali is the property of black people. He is the property of all people. [Applause] But while he is the property of all people, let us never forget that he is the product of black people in their struggle to be free. [Applause] I went looking for Jesus on a poor west-end street, looking that I would find him as he walked around with men and women with stumbling feet. People who had their heads bowed low because they were broke and had nowhere to go. But then I went looking for Jesus, way in the sky. Thinking he would wear a robe that would dazzle my eye. When suddenly, Jesus came walking by with stumbling feet because he had been hanging with the poor on a west-end street. [Applause] 15:33:06 (shot of Ali's wife and family) 15;33;10 The Muhammad Ali of my childhood had a shuffle but as he grew older he walked with shuffling feet. And I will submit to you he walked with shuffling feet not because of Parkinson's disease but he walked with shuffling feet because he hanged out with the folk in west Louisville who had shuffling feet. Peace and god bless you. [Applause] 15;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife applauding and family standing up) 15;34;00 >> Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Don't give a teenager a telephone and don't give a preacher a microphone. [ laughter ] 15:34:15 (shot of Ali's wife) >> We'd like to bring Senator Orrin Hatch to the stage, now in this seventh term as Utah's senator, one of Utah's senators, he is the most senior Republican in the senate, author of some of the most far-reaching legislation in recent decades. Senator hatch is a seasoned and distinguished public servant. We're deeply honored by his presence today. [Applause] 15;35;00 >>Senator Orrin Hatch: Reverend, that was really good. It's hard for this poor old senator to have to follow that is all I can say. Well, the head of the first fight was Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali stood before a crowded pack of reporters and told the world unapologetically who he was. I'm the greatest. That's what he said. But this simple proclamation all took the history and -- Ali took the history and wrote his own title in the textbooks. He was not Muhammad Ali, the prize fighter. Or even the world champion. He was Muhammad all the greatest. His daughters dismissed this as bragging but Ali wasn't talking trash. He was speaking truth. And he was in the world of boxing, he truly was the greatest. [Applause] 15;36;13 (tight shot of ali's wife) 15;36;18 >> With the cut-throat quickness of a street fighter, and the simple grace of a ballerina, Ali moved with the killings like agility and punched with herculean strength. But to assume that Ali's greatness stems solely from his athletic prowess is to see half the man. Ali was great not only as an extraordinary fighter. He was a committed civil rights leader, an international diplomat, a forceful advocate of religious freedom, and effective emissary of Islam. He was something. He was caring as a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend. Indeed, it is as a personal friend that it witness Ali's greatness for myself.I first met Muhammad Ali 28 years ago. Almost to the day, to this day. 15:37:09 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 15;37;21 I was in my senate office and an assistant said you have a visitor, and I was really surprised that it was none other than the champion himself. The friendship we developed was puzzling to many people, especially to those who saw only our differences. I might say that where others saw a difference, Ali and I saw kinship. We were both dedicated to our families. And deeply devoted to our faiths. He took Islam, and I to the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. We were both products of humble backgrounds and hard scrabble youth. Ali grew up poor here in Louisville and I grew up poor in Pittsburgh. True, we were different in some ways but our differences fortified our friendship. 15;38;26 They did not define it. I saw greatness in Ali's ability to look beyond the horizon and our differences. To find common ground. This shared sensibility was the foundation of a rich and meaningful relationship that I will forever treasure. One of my fondest memories of our friendship when Ali joined news the Salt Lake -- going to listen to the Salt Lake Mormon tabernacle choir. I have to say, it was the same Mormon tabernacle choir -- Ali loved music, and he enjoyed the choir's performance, but he seemed most excited to share his own religious beliefs with those who came to hear the Christian hymns. Ali attracted big crowds that day, and as he always did, and he gave everyone autographed pamphlets explaining his Muslim beliefs. 15;39;31 Hundreds of mormons lined up to grab the pamphlets, and of course I took one for myself. I respected his deeply held convictions just as he respected mine. In our relationship it was anchored by our different faiths. Ali was open to goodness. In all of its diverse realities and varieties. On another occasion, I took Ali to primary children's hospital in Salt Lake City. We visited with downtrodden children who perhaps had never smiled a day in their lifetime. Until Ali showed up. Ali held those kids and looked into their eyes. They would grin from ear to ear. These are kids that never smiled. They were so pained. The nurses were astounded. Never before had they seen someone who had connected so immediately and profoundly with these sick children. 15;40;35 Ali had a special way with kids as we all know. He may have been a tough and tenacious man in the ring, but he was a compassionate and tender around those that he loved. 15:40:48 (shot of Ali's wife) Through all of his ferocity as a fighter, Ali was also a peacemaker, a particular radio host in Utah berated me constantly on the air waves. Week after week. One day the host asked if I were arrange for Ali to meet Utah's former middleweight champion, James Fulmer, for a joint interview. Ali agreed. Knowing that the appearance could help me build some good will, but he also was very interested in meeting James(?) as well. It was an unforgettable experience. Here were two champions, face-to-face, reminiscing about some of the best fights the world has ever seen, and I have to say, in the process, Ali claimed that radio host -- well, he charmed the radio host so much on my behalf, gently transforming an unrepentant antagonist into a respectful starring partner. 15;41;52 So dedicated was Ali to our friendship, that he joined me on the campaign trail during several election cycles. He came to Utah year after year to raise funds for a charity benefiting needy women, women in jeopardy, and families in our state. Ali didn't look at life through the binary lens of Republican and Democrat. So common today. He saw worthy causes and shared humanity. And always willingness to put principles ahead of partisanship, he showed us all the path to greatness. And I'll never forget that greatness. Nor will I ever forget him. [Applause] 15;42;47 There there were many faces to Ali's greatness. His abilities as a boxer, his charisma as a public figure, his benevolence as a father and as a friend. All of these made Ali great. But there was something else that made him the greatest. Ali was the greatest because, as a debilitated and unbroken champion for later years he put is to a greatness beyond ourselves, greatness beyond even Ali. He pointed us to the greatness of god. [Applause] 15;43;35 God raised up Ali to be the greatest fighter in the world of all-time. Yet he allowed Ali to wrestle with Parkinson's disease, an inescapable reminder we're all mortal, and that we are all dependent on god's grace. Ali believed this himself. He once told me, god gave me this condition to remind me always that I am human, and that only he is the greatest. [Applause] 15;44;12 Ali was an unsurpassed symbol of our universal dependence on the divine. He was the greatest because he reminded us all who truly is the greatest. God, our creator. I'm eternally grateful for my special bond with this special man, and for my friendship with his beloved wife, who I love dearly. She is one of the great women in this world. [Applause] 15;44;44 (shot of wife) She was dedicated to the very end and I pray that Ali rested peacefully and Ali will rest peacefully the presence of the greatest of all, even our gods. I can bear testimony that I believe in god. I believe that we're here on Earth for a reason. I believe that this Earth life is a time for us to do what is right for god and for our fellow men and women. I don't know that I've ever met anybody who did it any better than my friend, Muhammad Ali. [Applause] >> God bless you. God bless the family. 15;45;37 (shot of wife applauding) 15;45;45 >> Next we would like to welcome Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel to the stage. Father Kriegel has been instrumental -- has been the pastor of St. Patricks parish in Erie, PA. He was ordained in 1970 and named a domestic prebate with the title Monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1991. His wisdom, scholraship and spiritual guidance is a source of solace and guidance for catholics and members of other faith communities far far beyond his Pennsylvania home. Father Kriegel. 15;46;35 >> Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel: Let us pray. Loving eternal god, as we gather today in prayer, we do so with an abiding sense of gratitude. Our gratitude knows no bounds as we thakn you for the gift of this good and gentle man. Muhammed Ali opened our eyes to the evil of racism, to the absurdity of war. He showed us with incredible patience that a debilitating illness need never diminish joy and love in our lives. He chided our consciences, he awakened in us a deeper sense of the need to respect one another, to set aside racial differences. The legendary fighter of all time in reality taught us to heal, rather than to fight. To embrace, rather than to turn away. To include, rather than to exclude. While proclaiming himself to be the greatest, he showed us that his greatness lied in his love and concern for others. Most particularly the marginalized, the suffering, the helpless, the hopeless. You gift of him has enriched us, has made us better people, has created a more gentle world. We dare not return him to you today without expressing our gratitude for the gift of him. Amen. 15;47;50 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;48;22 >> Next we will hear a few brief remarks from Dr. Timothy Gianotti. Dr. Gianotti is a professor of islamic studies at the university of waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is equally at home, busying himself with the affairs of the Muslim community as he is sitting in the library and burrowing through books. A true public intellectual. He is the initial and principal islamic adviser to the Ali family. He has been instrumental in assuring that the last days of Muhammad's life, his burial, his bathing, his shrouding, and his burial today, his funeral and burial today, all were in accordance with the strictures of Muslim law. So now I'd like to bring to you the person I affectionately call, brother, doctor, Imam, Timothy Gianotti. [Applause] 15;49;58 >> Dr. Timothy Gianotti: In the name of god who is the loving nurturer of the creation, and the ever compassionate and ever merciful, I'd like to share a prayer today. This is a prayer adapted from a there divisional prayer of the prophet Muhammad. My god's peace and blessings be upon him. But before I do so I would just like to say to the family, to Lonnie, to everyone here, that serving Muhammad Ali has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. 15;50;50 (shot of Ali's wife) Oh, god, you who are the light of the heavens and the Earth, grant our brother Muhammad a light in his heart. A light in his earthly body, now restored to the Earth. A light in his grave. A light before him as he journeys on to you. A light in all that he has left behind in this world. A light to his right, and the lights to his left. Oh, god, increase him inlight. Grant him light. A light in his deeds in this world and a light in the hereafter. A light in the hearts of those whom he loved. And a light in the eyes of those who loved him. 15;52;05 A light in those whom he knocked down. And a light in those whom he lifted up. A light in his words which echo in our hearts. A light in the lives of all those whom he touched. A light in his children and a light in their mothers. 15:52:40 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) A light in his grandchildren. And a light in his devoted wife, Lonnie. Oh, lord, increase your servants in light. And give him light. And embrace him in light. And fill us all with light .[ Foreign foreign ] 15;53;10 >> You who are the light odd Earth, you who are the most merciful of all those who show mercy. [Applause] 15;53;38 >> Next we'll hear a few words from rabbi Michael Lerner. Rabbi Lerner is the editor of a magazine, as the magazine's name suggests, rabbi Lerner has dedicated his life to working, to heal and repair the world. Rabbi Lerner is never afraid of ruffling a few feathers so we asked him to be nice today. Rabbi Lerner. [Applause] 15;54;23 >>Rabbi Michael Lerner: We'll see about the feathers. [Foreign chanting] >> Master of compassion, god of compassion, send your blessings to Muhammad Ali and send your blessings to all who mourn for him, and send your blessings for all the millions and millions of people who mourn for him all over this planet. I come here speaking as representative of American Jews, and to say that American Jews played an important role of solidarity with the African-American struggles in this country, and that we today stand in solidarity with islamic communities in this country and all around the world. [Applause] 15;55;23 We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down a Muslim and blaming muslims for a few people. [Cheers and applause] 15;55;40 (shot of Ali's wife and family standing up and clapping) (shot of Bill Clinton clapping) 15;55;50 We know what it's like to be demeaned. We know what it's like to have some -- a few people who act against the highest visions of our tradition, to then be identified as the value of the entire tradition. And one of the reasons that we in (?) magazine, a magazine of liberal and Progressive jews but also an interfaith magazine, have called upon the United States to stand up to the part of the Israeli government that is suppressing Palestinians, is that we as Jews understand that our commitment is to recognize that god has created everyone in god's image, and that everyone is equally precious. 15;56;33 And that means that Palestinian people as well as all other people on the planet. [Applause] I know the people of Louisville have a special relationship to Muhammad Ali, and I had a personal relationship in the '60s when both of us were indicted by the federal government and before our various stands against the war in Vietnam. I want to say that although he was cheered on as the heavyweight champion of the world, you know the truth is that in all the honor to him, that heavyweight champions of the world come and go, and sports heroes come and go. There was something about Muhammad Ali that was different. 15;57;24 At the key moment when he had that recognition, he used it -- to stand up to an immoral war and say, no, I won't go! [ Applause ] And it's for that reason that tens and millions of Americans who don't particularly care about boxing care about Muhammad Ali because he was a person who was willing to risk a great honor that he got and a great fame that he got to stand up for the beliefs that he had, to think truth to power when the rest of the people around him said, no, no, you're going to lose your championship and it was taken away from him for five years. But he stood up and was willing to take that kind of a risk because of that kind of moral integrity. [ Applause ] 15;58;22 So I want so say, how do we honor Muhammad Ali? The way to honor Muhammad Ali is to be Muhammad Ali today. That means us, everyone here and everyone listening, it's up to us to continue that ability to speak truth to power. We must speak out, refuse to follow the path of conformity to the rules of the game in life. We must refuse to follow the path of conformity. Tell the 1% who own 80% of the wealth of this country that it's time to share that wealth. Tell the politicians who use violence worldwide and then preach nonviolence to the oppressed, that it's time to end their drone warfare and every other form of warfare, to close our bases around the world, bring the troops home, tell those who committed mass incarceration that it's time to create a guaranteed income for everyone in our society. [ Applause ] 15;59;34 Tell judges to let out of prison the many African-Americans swept up by racist police and imprisoned by racist judges. [ Applause ] Many are in prison today for offenses like possessing marijuana that white people get away with all the time! [ Applause ] Tell our elected officials to imprison those who authorize torture and those who ran the big investment companies that caused the economic collapse of 2008. Tell the leaders of Turkey to stop killing the kurds. Tell Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that the way to get security is for Israel is to stop the occupation of the west bank and help create a Palestinian state. [ Applause ] 16;00;37 Tell the next president of the United States that -- tell the next president of the united States that she --- (shot of bill clinton smiling) Tell the next president of the united States that she should seek a constitutional amendment to make all national and state elects funds by congress and the state legislator and all other money be banned, all other money from companies companies and individuals and make it all public funding. 16;01;30 >> Tell her that the way to achieve homeland security is not for us to try new ways of domination, the strategy of domination in the world of the other to get security has been tried for the last ten thousand years and doesn't work. The way to get security is for the United States to become known as the most generous and caring country in the world, not the most powerful. [Applause] 16;02;00 We can start with a global and domestic plan to once and for all ended global and domestic poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care. So, I want to, as chair of the interfaith network of spiritual Progressives -- by the way, spiritual progressives.org come and join us -- I want to affirm our commitment to the well-being of all muslims on the planet as well as the people of all faiths and secular humanists as well. We wish to pay honor to muslims of the world as the continue today the fast of Ramadan, and join with them in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali, a great -- peace be upon him, peace be upon the prophet now ham -- Muhammad and peace on humanity and peace on all of us, amen. [Cheers and applause] 16;03;20 [Chanting] Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. Ali. >> Time, time, time is not on our side. After that speech, I have to edit my initial remarks, honorable first man William J. Clinton. Chief Sidney hill in 2002, Sidney Hill was selected as Tadodaho, or principal spiritual leader of its people a true friend of the earth and beloved to all who know him, he is a leader whose spirituality is coupled with a passionate pursuit of justice. We are honored that he has come here today to share a few words and a few thoughts with us. Chief Hill. [ Applause ] 16;04;44 >>Chief Sidney hill: [ Speaking only in foreign language ] 16;06;16 >>This is chairman Stevens with us, United Nation from our alliance (?) Nation. Translation: he said, my relatives, it is my responsibility to pick up the words for (?) the people of the longhouse. They wish you well. They want you to be at peace of mind. Now this great darkness that has happened to us, you must understand that you who have gathered us here, that his road is straight. Peacefully, he will arrive at his land. [foreign language] Our creator. It is the same as you call him, Allah. 16;07;30 These were the words. He took the family, your relatives and friends of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was the leader among men. And a champion of the people. He fought for the people of color, yet he was man of peace and principle. A man of compassion, who used his great gifts for the common good. The spirit has a clear path to the creator. 16;08;27 To the spiritual leader, six nation iroquois confederation. And myself, faithkeeper, turtle clan, under the council of chiefs, have journeyed here today to add our voice to this congregation of world leaders, in honor of his work, and for the right and dignity of people of color and the common man. [Applause] 16;09;15 He was always in support of the indigenous people of this hemisphere in our quest for our inherent land rights, self-determination, identity, and collective right that include the natural world. We know what he was up against. Because we have had 524 years of survival training ourselves. [Applause] 16;09;50 (shot of Ali's wife clapping) In 1978, a congressman from the state of Washington put a bill into congress to terminate our treaties with the United States. An Indian nations walked from California to Washington, DC, in protest. Muhammad Ali marched into Washington, DC with us. [Applause] 16;10;31 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 16;10;38 He was a free, independent spirit. He stood his ground with great courage and conviction. And he paid a price. And this country did, too. And we all did. Values and principles will determine one's destiny. And the principles of a nation will do the same. Poor people do not have many options. You fighters know what I'm talking about. He said that ring was Ali's path to his destiny. He said he would be heavyweight champion of the world, and he was. Three times. This is the fourth time, right here, right now. [Applause] 16;11;55 On his journey in life, he lived and learned the hard way. He brought a light into this world. My world. Our world. And that light will shine a long, long time. [ Applause ] Peace, brother. Peace. And on behalf of my friend Ernie and the indigenous people everywhere, peace. Thank you. [Applause] 16;12;58 >> We introduce chief hill, and his words were translated by Chief Oren Lyons who was born into a traditional indigenous family, and grew up on the native reservations of upstate New York. In 1970 he became the chief and faithkeeper of the turtle clan of the onondaga nation. His scholarship, stewardship and leadership is a source of benefit and great blessing for all who know him. Now he want to introduce Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport, Rabbi Rapport is senior rabbi here of the temple here in Louisville where he has been a leader in interfaith work. He has the passion for teaching youth, and in fact it is his work with youth that let him to cross paths with Muhammad Ali. His religious leadership focuses on compassion, care, and working together was all to build a better world. Rabbi Rapport. [Applause] 16;14;24 >>Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport: This is a reading from our memorial prayer on yom kippur. Our day of atonement. Our most sacred day of the year. It was written men decades ago by rabbi Fein, civil rights leader who could never have known when he composed these words he was writing a eulogy for Muhammad Ali. 16;14;49 Birth is a beginning. And death a destination. And life is a journey, from childhood to maturity, and youth to age. From innocence to awareness, and ignorance to knowing. From foolishness to discretion. And then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength, and strength to weakness. And often back again. From health to sickness, and back we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness. From loneliness to love. From joy to gratitude. And pain to compassion, from grief to understanding. From fear to faith. From defeat to defeat to defeat, until looking backward or ahead we see that victory lies not at some high place along the way, but in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage. 16;15;50 Birth is a beginning. And death, a destination. And life is a journey. The sacred pilgrimage to life everlasting. We say words of prayer and they remain words, until we encounter a person who embodies these words and makes them real. I've said these words many times before. At funerals and memorial services. But never have I felt them come to life and speak of a single shining soul as I do today. Muhammad Ali was the heart of this city. The living, breathing, embodiment of the greatest that we can be. 16;16;33 (shot of Ali's wife) He was our heart, and that heart beats here still. [Applause] 16;16;47 Let me tell you a story you already know. It's one of those stories about Ali being gracious to a stranger that so many of us have told, so many times, and in so many we we sometimes forget the lessons these stories were intended to teach us. It's a story Honna tells about her father towards the end of their book, the soul of the butterfly. Honna's driving her father to a book store on one Sunday to pick up some bibles and korans for a project that he's working on. They pass an elderly man standing by the road with a bible in one hand and his thumb in the air with the other. They offer him a ride. And he thanks them, saying that he is on his way home from church. He only needs to go a few miles down the street where he can pick up a cab. Hanna asked where he lives help doesn't want to trouble them. He has no idea who is sitting in the front seat of the car. 16;17;48 Until Muhammad Ali turns around and says, it's no trouble at all. We're just on our way to a bookstore to by some bibles and korans. Once the man gets over meeting the greatest of all-time, he insists that he has three bibles in his house, and he would be pleased to give them to Ali in appreciation for the ride. Ali thanks him but says, he wants to pay for the bibles. The man says, no, the bibles were meant as a gift. Ali asked him what he does for a living. And it turns out the man had a stroke and has been forced into retirement. Ali then tries to hand him a big pile of money for the bibles. But the man refuses and this is where things get interesting. 16;18;37 Ali says, take the money, man, I'm trying to get into heaven.(laughter) 16;18;44 (shot of Ali's wife) And the man replied. So am I. Ali is not taking no for an answer. He says, if you don't take the money I might not get in. And the man replies, if I do take your money I might not get in. They arrive at his home, and the map invites him tomeet his wife of 30 years. He gives Ali the bibles. Ali slips the money under a napkin on the kitchen table. They're about to leave and Hannah gives the man her phone number and tells him to call him -- to call her if her needs a ride home from church again. Sitting in the car, Ali turns to his daughter and asks. Would you really go out of your way and pick him up and drive him home? And she says, yes. And with tears in his eyes, he says, that's me in you. [Applause] 16;19;52 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) 16;20;04 He says, you're on the road to heaven. Therein lies ally's greatness his ability to see something greater and his ability to inspire others to see such greatness' within themselves. There will never be another greatest like Muhammad Ali. But we together can now embody a measure of his kindness, and his compassion. We can say each of us in our hearts there's a little bit of Ali in me. [Applause] This week, we have mourned the loss and celebrated the life of a Louisville legend and a citizen of the world. And of all the words and all the ways, the most powerful moments have always been made in the voices of young people, repeated in prayer services, and chanted in the streets. I am Ali. I am Ali. I am not the fighter that Ali was. And I may not have the courage which he never lacked. And I am definitely not as pretty. (laughter) But in my heart, and in my hope, and in my prayers I am Muhammad Ali. [Applause] 16;21;36 >> When he say that in our hearts, when we live that in our lives, then we together can build a legacy worthy of the greatest of all-time. So say that now with me. In your heart, and in this room, I am Ali. I am Ali. [Applause] >> You know, one of the amazing things that we've witnessed during our time here in Louisville has been just so many stories of common, ordinary people. There's folks on the street, working in the hotels, the restaurants, virtually everyone has a story concerning how Muhammad Ali touched their lives. He came to my fourth grade class. He helped me out in this or that way. He came to visit me when I was sick. Just on and on and on. And collectively, those experiences, they become sinner ginnic, they become greater than the individual parts. And when we rose through the streets of the city today, I've witnessed something I've never, ever witnessed in my life. [ Applause ] 16;23;10 And I don't think I will ever witness again. I witnessed the power. In our muslim tradition we call it (foreign language) it might be loosely translated as sainthood, I witnessed the power of sainthood. [ applause] Venerable Utsumi is a member of the (foreign language) a Japanese Buddhist order dedicated to working for world peace through the practice of walking peace pilgrimages anti-nuclear weapon pilgrimages and the construction of peace pagodas all over the globe, he will be joined onstage by Sister Denise another member of the order and together they will share a traditional chant with us. 16;24;40 [Buddhist chants] 16:28:25 [Buddhist chants] 16;29;20 Now we will listen to a reading by , Ambassador Shabazz. Ambassador Shabazz is the oldest of six daughters born to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (?) and Doctor Betty Shabazz. [applause] She probably shares that she is inspired by her parents, their parents, and those before them through the descending generations. The former prime minister of Belize recognized her as a key Ambassador in international cultural affairs and project development and in 2002 appointed her as ambassador at large, powerful and elegant we invite Ambassador Shabazz to read and share and inspire us. [ Applause ] 16:30;44 >>Ambassador Shabazz: Assalamu alaikum. May peace be upon us. All of us. As this is a homegoing celebration I find myself balanced between that of celebration and depletion, loss, that somehow or another, my breathing capacity has been weakened this past week so I ask all of you gathered and afar to please muster up and transmit a bit of your air to me in the memory of Muhammad Ali, thank you all. [ Speaking in foreign language ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SEVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 16;31;44 And more as the globe centers at this very moment amidst the holy month of Ramadan where every two hours there's a time zone praying, and including Muhammad Ali and his family in your thoughts. Amidst that are the prayers of all faiths, all those touched, even those that don't claim a religion are feeling something right now in honor of the family and the memory of their father, husband. In the spirit of my parents, Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Shabazz, in the presence of my five younger sisters, our children and our grandchildren I would like to first honor his beloved wife, my sister, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] 16;32;53 (shot of Ali's wife) 16;32;59 For all the strengths that you know and that resonate beyond. Sometimes you do need a little help no matter how magnificent you are and indeed those that were with him, that loved him, his family members sustain that. His nine children, and I will name them, Maryam, rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Hana, Laila, asaad, Miya, khaliah as well as thier mothers, and the third generation of grandchildren who accompany them. [ Applause ] 16;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife) To his only brother, to his extraordinary example of a best friend, Howard Bingham and to his sister-in-law Marilyn. For all the grief that I am depleted by and others are feeling by his transition, there is none comparable to yours and I know that. On this day and those to come, as you live your waking days with a life without him here presently, very different. 16;34;37 (shot of Ali's wife) Photos, memories, all the things that we have on him that keep him going. He touched you differently and that has to be honored and recognized, never forsaken. [ Applause ] Just know that when you are the descendent of and in the presence of someone whose life was filled with principle, that the seed is in you so that you have to cultivate that responsibly as well. [ Applause ] This moment is very meaningful for me to have been amongst those chosen and blessed by Muhammad himself and affirmed by his wife Lonnie to take part by sharing a prose and a statement during this homegoing ceremony. While he and I had a treasured relationship, the genesis of his love was through the love for my father. Muhammad Ali was the last of a fraternity of amazing men bequeathed to me directly by my dad. 16;35;57 Somewhere between me turning 18, 19 or 20, they all seemed to find me somehow guided by an oath of a promise to my dad long after him leaving this Earth to search for me, and they did. Each one remaining in my life until joining the rest of the heavens beloved summit of fearless humanitarians. This included Muhammad Ali whom my dad loved as a little brother, 16 years his junior and his entrusted friend. There was a double-take when I came upon him, a once childhood per child and now looking right into his face, and you know how he is. He gives you that little dare like, is that you? [ imitates ] From the very moment we found one another, it was as if no time has passed as all despite all of the presumptions of division, despite all of the efforts at separation, despite all of the organized distancing. We dove right into all of the unrequited yet stated and duly acknowledged spaces we could explore and uncover privately. 16;37;18 We cried out loud. His belt, his grief for having not spoken to my dad before he left and then just as loudly we'd laugh about the best of stories, and some that can't be repeated. He was really funny. What was significant as brothers for my father and Ali was their ability to discuss openly anything, all facets of life, namely, the true meaning, as men with great responsibilities be bestowed to them of how to make an equitable difference in the lives of others. A unifying topic was faith and ecumenical faith, respect for faith, all faiths, even if belonging to one specific religion or none, the root of such being the gift of faith itself so in his own words he wrote, "We all have the same God. We just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans, all have different names but they all contain water. So do religions have different names and yet they all contain truth. Truth expressed in different ways and forms and times. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. When you believe in god, you should believe all people are part of one family. [ Applause ] 16;39;11 For if you love god, you can't love only some of his children. [ Applause ] His words and certainly ideals shared by both men, love is a mighty thing, devotion is a mighty thing and truth always reigns. Having Muhammad Ali in my life somehow sustained my dad's breath for me a little while longer. 51 years longer until now. (WEEPING) [Applause] I am forever grateful at our union on this Earth together allowed for me a continuum of shared understanding, preserved confidentialities and the comfort of living in his home town of Louisville Kentucky for the past six years. [ Applause ] 16;40;26 That was not a plan. And mostly for the gift of knowing and loving his wife and children forever forward as my own family, know that. As the last of the paternity reaches the heavens, my heart is rendered ever longingly for that tribe. The tribe of purpose, the tribe of significance, tribe of confidence, tribe of character, tribe of duty, tribe of faith, tribe of service. We must make sure that the principle of men and women, like Muhammad Ali and others, whom dedicated their very being to assure that you get to recognize your own glory, is sustained and passed on like that olympic torch. My dad would offer in state when concluding or parting from another, may we meet again in the light of understanding and I say to you with the light of that compass by any means necessary. 16;42;09 >> Ladies and gentlemen, representing the president of the United States and Mrs. Obama, miss Valerie Jarrett. [ Applause ] 16;42;24 >>Valerie Jarrett: Good afternoon. On behalf of president Obama and Mrs. Obama, I wish to express to you their deepest regret that they couldn't be with us here today as we celebrate the extraordinary life of Muhammad Ali. I first met Muhammad Ali over 45 years ago through his friendship with my uncle Jean and he, my uncle, would be so touched that his son gene is a pallbearer here today. Thank you, Lonnie. Because of my family connection, the president and first lady asked me if I would read this tribute to you, penned by president Obama. 16;43;15 It was 1980, an epic career was in its twilight. Everybody knew it. Probably including the champ himself. Ali went into one of his final fights an underdog. All of the smart money was on the new champ, Larry Holmes. And in the end, the oddsmakers were right. A few hours later, at 4 A.M., after the loss, after the fans had gone home and the sports writers were writing their final take, a sports writer asked a restroom attendant if he had bet on the fight. The man, black and getting on in years, said he had put his money on Ali. 16;44;05 The writer asked why. Why, the man said? Why? Because he's Muhammad Ali. That's why. He said, mister, I'm 72 years old and I owe the man for giving me my dignity. [ Applause ] To Lonnie and the Ali family, president Clinton and an arena full of distinguished guests, you are amazing. The man we celebrate today is not just a boxer or a poet or an agitator or a man of peace, not just a Muslim or a black man or a Louisville kid. He wasn't even just the greatest of all time. He was Muhammad Ali.The whole far greater than the sum of its parts. He was bigger, brighter and more original and influential than just about anyone of his era. [ Applause ] 16;45;30 You couldn't have made him up and, yes, he was pretty, too. He had fans in every city, every village, every ghetto on the planet. He was fettered by foreign heads of state, the beatles, British invasion took a detour to come to him. It seemed sometimes that the champ was simply too big for America. But I actually think that the world flocked to him in wonder precisely because, as he once put it, Muhammad Ali was America! Brash, defiant, pioneering, joyful, never tired, always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms, religion, speech, spirit. 16;46;31 He embodied our ability to invent ourselves. His life spoke to our original sin of slavery and discrimination and the journey he traveled helped to shock our consciousness and lead us on a roundabout path towards salvation. And like America, he was always very much a work in progress. We do him a disservice to gauze up his story to sand down his rough edges to talk only of floating like butterflies and stinging like bees. Ali was a radical even in a radical of times. A loud and proud and unabashedly black voice in a Jim crow world. [ Applause ] 16;47;24 His jabs knocked some sense into us, yes, they did. Pushing us to expand our imagination and bring others into our understanding. Now, there were times when he swung a bit wildly. That's right. Wound up and accidently may have wronged the wrong opponent as he was the first to admit. But through all his triumphs and failures, Ali seemed to have achieved the sort of enlightenment and inner peace that we are all striving towards. In the '60s when other young men his age were leaving the country to avoid war or jail, he was asked why he didn't join them. He got angry. He said he'd never leave. His people, in his words, are here, the millions struggling for freedom and justice and equality and I could do a lot of help in jail or not right here in America. [ Applause ] 16;48;34 He'd have everything stripped from him, his titles, his standing, his money, his passion. Very nearly his freedom. But Ali still chose America. I imagine he knew that only here in this country could he win it all back. So he chose to help perfect a union where a descendent of slaves can become the king of the world. And in the process, in the process, lend some dignity to all of us. Maids, porters, students and elderly bathroom attendant and help inspire a young, mixed kid with a funny name to have the audacity to believe he could be anything, even the president of the United States! [ Applause ] 16;49;35 (shot of Ali's wife) Muhammad Ali was America. Muhammad Ali will always be America. What a man. What a spirit. What a joyous mightyful champion. God bless the greatness of Ali. God bless his family. And god bless this nation we love. Thank you very much. 16;50;28 ANNOUNCER VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] >> Ali! Ali! Ali! 16;51;05 LONNIE ALI >> Assalamu alaikum. Peace be upon you. You know, I said something to Matt Lauer yesterday that I firmly believe Muhammad had something to do with all of this and I think we are right. Thank you all for being here to share in this final farewell to Muhammad. On behalf of the Ali family, let me first recognize our principal celebrant Imam _____ and Dr. Timothy Gianotti. We thank you for your dedication to helping us fulfill Muhammad's desire that the ceremonies of this past week reflect the traditions of his islamic faith. And as a family, we thank the millions of people who, through the miracle of social media, inspired by their love of Muhammad have reached out to us with their prayers. The messages have come to us in every language from every corner of the globe. From wherever you are watching, know that we have been humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love. It is only fitting that we gather in a city to which Muhammad always returned after his great triumphs. A city that has grown as Muhammad has grown. [ Applause ] 16;52;37 Muhammad never stopped loving Louisville. And we know that Louisville loves Muhammad. [Applause] We cannot forget a Louisville police officer, Joe Espy(?) Martin, who embraced a young 12-year-old boy in distress when his bicycle was stolen. Joe Martin handed young Cassius Clay -- sorry for tripping up that last word -- Clay, to a future in boxing he could scarcely have imagined. America must never forget that when a cop and an inner city kid talk to each other, then miracles can happen. [ Applause ] 16;53;49 Some years ago during his long struggle with Parkinson's in a meeting that included his closest advisors, Muhammad indicated when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people for his country and for the world. In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice, that he grew up in a segregation and that during his early life, he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or engage in violence. It was a time when a young black boy his age could be hung from a tree in Mississippi in 1955 whose admitted killers went free. 16;54;50 It was time when Muhammad's friends, people he admired, like Brother Malcolm and Dr. King were gunned down, and Nelson Mandela imprisoned for what they believed in. [ Applause ] For his part, Muhammad faced federal prosecution. He was stripped of his title and his license to box and he was sentenced to prison. But he would not be intimidated so as to abandon his principles and his values. 4:55-Lonnie emotional, almost cries 16;55;29 Muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that adversity can make you stronger. It cannot rob you of the power to dream and to reach your dreams. We built the Muhammad Ali center and that's the center of the Ali message. [ Applause ] Muhammad wants us to see the face of his religion, true Islam, as the face of love. It was his religion that caused him to turn away from war and violence, for his religion he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had and all that he was to protect his soul and follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad peace be upon you. 16;56;25 So even in death, Muhammad has something to say. He's saying that his faith required that he take the more difficult road. It is far more difficult to sacrifice oneself in the name of peace than to take up arms in pursuit of violence. [ Applause ] You know, all of his life, Muhammad was fascinated by travel. He was child-like in his encounter with new surroundings and new people. He took his world championship fights to the ends of the Earth, from the south pacific to Europe to the Congo. And, of course, with Muhammad, he believed it was his duty to let everyone see him in person because, after all, he was the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The boy from grand avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, grew in wisdom and discovered something new, that the world really wasn't black and white at all. It was filled with many shades of rich colors, languages and religions. As he moved with ease around the world, the rich and powerful were drawn to him but he was drawn to the poor and the forgotten. [ Applause ] 16;57;53 Muhammad fell in love with the masses and they fell in love with him. In the diversity of men and their faiths, Muhammad saw the presence of god. He was captivated by the work of the dalai lama, by mother Teresa and church workers who gave their lives to protect the poor. When his mother died, he arranged for multiple faiths to be represented at her funeral and he wanted the same for himself. We are especially grateful for the presence of the diverse faith leaders here today. And I would like to ask them to stand once more and be recognized. [ Applause ] 16;58;35 Thank you. Thank you very much. You know, as I reflect on the life of my husband, it's easy to see his most obvious talents. His majesty in the ring as he danced under those lights, enshrined him as a champion for the ages. Less obvious was his extraordinary sense of timing. His knack for being in the right place at the right time seemed to be ordained by a higher power. Even those surrounded by Jim Crow, he was born into a family with two parents that nurtured and encouraged him. He was placed on the path of his dreams by a white cop and he had teachers who understood his dreams and wanted him to succeed. The olympic gold medal came and the world started to take notice. A group of successful businessmen in Louisville called the Louisville Sponsoring Group saw his potential, and helped him build a runway to launch his career. His timing was impeccable as he burst into the national stage just as television was hungry for a star to change the faith of sports. 17;00;02 You know, if Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion, no matter what the cost. The timing of his actions coincided with a broader shift in cultural attitudes across America, particularly on college campuses. When he challenged the U.S. Government on the draft, his chance of success was slim to none. That the timing of his decision converged with a rising tide of discontent on the war. Public opinion shifted in his direction followed by a unanimous supreme court ruling in a stunning reversal of fortunes. He was free to return to the ring. When he traveled to central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman, none of the sports writers thought he could win. In fact, most of them feared for his life. But in what the Africans call the miracle at 4:00 A.M., he became a champion once more. [ Applause ] And as the years passed and those slowed by Parkinson's, Muhammad was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to support the victims of poverty and strife. He served as a UN messenger of peace and traveled to places like war-torn Afghanistan, he campaigned as an advocate for reducing the debt of third world debt. 17;01;42 He stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from Iraq. [ applause ] As his voice grew softer, his message took on greater meeting. He came full circle with the people of his country. When he lit a torch that seemed to create new light in the 1996 Olympics. [ Applause ] Muhammad always knew instinctively the road he needed to travel. His friends know what I mean when I say he lived in the moment. He neither dwelled in the past nor harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammad loved to laugh and he loved to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was sure-footed in his self-awareness, secure in his faith and he did not fear death. Yet, his timing is once again poignant. His passing and his meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in a world and divisions at home, as to who we are as a people, Muhammad's life provides useful guidance. 17;02;58 Muhammad was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love and the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions, saw truth in all faith and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammad may have challenged his government but he never ran from it or from America. [ Applause ] He loved this country and he understood the hard choices that are born of freedom. I think he saw a nation's soul measured by the soul of its people. For his part, he saw the good soul in everyone and if you were one of the lucky ones to have met him, you know what I meant. He awoke every morning thinking about his own salvation and he would often say, I just want to get to heaven and I've got to do a lot of good deeds to get there. And I think Muhammad's hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our families. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;04;38 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, Maryam Ali. 17;04;50 MARYAM ALI >> Peace be with you, everyone here, and on behalf of the Ali family, I just want to say thank you to Louisville, Kentucky, all the love you've shown us in our lives has been unbelievable. Also, I want to thank the entire globe. My father was loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming but it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you just like you love us. Thank you very much. [ Applause ] 17;05;23 As you know, my father loved poetry. He was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had poems of the heart, spiritual poems and poems to promote and I just wrote a piece for him, in honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loved my father. It's called "Thank you our dear father." My heart was sore when your sick spirit soared. Your physical body is no more but my mind tells different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. 17;06;02 Most importantly, the belief in god who created humanity to thrive in quality. You fought for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights. Staring right into the eyes of oppression, you proclaim your beautiful complexion. Your god-given skills, your independent will and the freedom of your faith. As your daughter, I am grateful for all of our conversations about men, women and relationships. Guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self, refusing anyone to chip away at my esteem and expect the respect of a queen. [ Applause ] Thank you, our dear father, for asking us to think about our purpose and showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvel that your sincere love for people as you treated all who approached you with dignity. Whether they were rich or poor, your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone as beneath you. 17;07;25 So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them as you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If I had every dollar for every story, I could pay for the sky. Your family is so proud of the legacy you left behind. But I hope that the history of you can help turn the tide of self-hate and violence, because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic deaths. Here on the soil, American soil, in the Middle East or anywhere else in this world, we crave for peace. That peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you graced this Earth. You will be greatly missed. But now we send you off in celebration, a blown kiss and prayers. As you enter your final round. God's last boxing bell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all love you. Thank you very much. 17;09;02 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Rasheda Ali Walsh. 17;09;20 RASHEDA ALI >> I'm, we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here today. To celebrate our father. You are the greatest father to us. And it was God's will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud, and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us in the world to be the best version of ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world in life. Now you're shaking up the world in death. 17;10;23 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) Daddy is looking at us now, right and saying, I told you I was the greatest! No one compares to you, daddy. You once said I know where I'm going. And I know the truth. And I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be who I am. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly, butterfly, fly. [ Applause ] 17;11;45 ALI DINICOLA Hello. My name is Ali DiNicola. I was born on Muhammad Ali's birthday, I was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from Muhammad's example of kindness and understanding. When Muhammad was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said I like to, I like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness, he took one court of laughter, one pinch of concern and then he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. He spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met. Thank you. 17;12;56 ANNOUNCER>>> Ladies and gentlemen, Natasha boncouer. Natasha boncouer: Before I begin, I would just like to say that I'm truly humbled and honored to be here. And I would like to thank the Muhammad Ali center and the Ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak. And to echo the voice that Muhammad has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man. A man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible. A man who once reached up through the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8-year-old girl. Whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin. But instead of drawing on that pain from the distorted reality, she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall in the face of pelting rain and shouted -- I am the disturbance in the sea of your complacency. And I will never stop shaking your waves. 17;14;30 And his voice echoed through hers. Through mine. And she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and she threw them back with a voice so powerful that it turned all the pain that she had faced in her life into strength. And tenacity. And now that 8-year-old girl stands before you, to tell you that Ali's cry still shakes these waves today. 17;15;11 (shot of Ali's wife) That we are to find strength in our identities. Whether we are black or white or Asian or hispanic. Lgbt, disabled or able-bodied. Muslim, jewish, hindu or Christian. His cry represents those who have not been heard, and invalidates the idea that we are to be confirmed to one normative standard. That is what it means to defeat the impossible. Because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing! [ Applause ] 17;16;15 When I look into this crowd I smile. I smile to recognize that he is not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me. And he lives in every person that he has touched in every corner of this world. (shot of Ali's wife) Reality was never a limitation for Ali. For us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down. Because we are Ali. We are greater than the rocks or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. So let me tell you a story about a man. His name is Muhammed Ali. He is the greatest of all time. He is from Louisville, Kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. (shot of Ali's wife) And his story is far from over. Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife applauding) 17;18;26 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, John Ramsey. 17;18;35 John Ramsey First of all, on behalf of my fellow Louisvillians to the Ali family, we offer our condolences our heartfelt prayers and for Lonnie Ali a very special prayer. We know that Muhammad was blessed with many gifts but none more precious than Lonnie Ali and we thank you so much. (shot of Ali's wife) You know, I've got to tell you, Louisville, when I was in the procession today and saw the tens and thousands of people and all of the warmth and the love and the respect that was shown for Muhammad, I've got to tell you, my heart swelled with pride. I know he was watching from above and I know he absolutely loved it. He-- I don't think he'd be surprised. I think Muhammad would say, Louisville, Kentucky, the greatest city of all times. I'm feeling good. Man. I tell you what, how can we lose with the stuff we use? [ laughter] I'm feeling so good, I think I'm going to make a comeback and change my name back to Walnut street. That's how good I feel. [ laughter ] 17;19;46 You know, for me, I always felt connected to Muhammad even before I had met him. You know, maybe it was the fact that I was a Louisville boy. Maybe it's the fact that I loved the Louisville Cardinals, like Muhammad. You know, but as our relationship evolved, I found that a lot of people felt this personal connection with Muhammad. And that's part of the Ali magic. You know, initially, for a lot of men my age and certainly myself, it was the athlete that I was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, that grace not only made him the heavyweight champion of the world three times but it made him "Sports illustrated" sportsman of the century, the A.P. Athlete of the century and certainly made him the athlete -- a once in a lifetime athlete. But I would argue that the combination of compassion, kindness, love and the ability to lift us up made him a once in a lifetime person. [ Applause ] 17;20;55 You know, Muhammad was blessed with many gifts, as I said, and he was a wise and faithful steward of those gifts. There's many stories about Muhammad but there is a couple that really to me encapsulate what he was all about. I remember back in 2000, I made a trip to the summer olympics with Muhammad and one day he decided we were going to go see a boxing match and I remember we're ringside, the American wins, 15,000 people are chanting, usa, usa! And I thought, this is my olympic moment. You know, I was filled with patriotic pride. The boxer came down from the ring, he took the obligatory picture with Muhammad, the fist to chin shot, hundreds of photographers from around the world were taking pictures, you know, thousands of people cheering for Muhammad and this victorious fighter. 17;21;47 And then Muhammad leaned down to me whispered in my ear, he said, I want to see the loser. I say, excuse me? I want to see the loser. So, I motioned over to an Olympic official and I said, you know Muhammad wants to see the loser. Can we go to the losing locker room? And we get to the losing locker room and there's not tens of thousands of people, there's not any photographers. There's just a kid in the corner on a stool, he's got a towel around his neck, he's got a bloody mouth under his eye. This has got to be the lowest point of his athletic career at the very least. He felt like he let down his country. He is defeated. And the vibe in that room was literally the lowest of low. But then when Muhammad walks in, this kid recognizes him instantly and in broken English he says Muhammad Ali and Muhammad started dancing he said show me what you've got man, show me, and Mohammad starts throwing out jabs and this kid starts ducking and smiling. Muhammad grabs him in a bear hug. He said, I saw what you did out there, man, you look good. You are moving good, you can be a champion, man. Don't give up. And I remember, it warmed my heart how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. 17;22;58 And -- [ applause ] And I remember, I got in the car and I said to Muhammad, I said, Mohammad try to be a nice guy but I've got to tell you, I was caught up in the moment. I didn't give that losing fighter a second thought. I said mohammad you're the greatest. Muhammad said, tell me something I don't already know. [ laughter ] He -- and -- but what I don't want people to forget, no doubt, to me he's the finest example of a human that I've ever seen. The finest example of a great human being that I've ever seen of the kindness that a human possesses. That was Muhammad Ali, but don't forget about this, man. Muhammad was the coolest cat in the room. I mean, he was good looking, he had charm, he had charisma, he had swagger before he knew that swagger was. I mean, I remember, I went to -- when -- was about 25 years ago, he came to town to visit his mother and he wanted to go to outback steakhouse. I has a friend there, was big Mohammad fan, so we came in and at the time here in Louisville, there was a fireman's convention and all of these guys had their engine numbers on their shirt and sure enough I had seen this thing a million times. Man, these guys line up for an autograph. I said, to Muhammad, I said Muhammad, if you'd like, I'll play the bad guy. You know I tell them to let you eat, and you can sign autographs later. 17;24;25 Muhammad would have none of it. He said, no, I'll sign between bites. He's taking bites of his food and he's signing. This one guy walks up, and you could tell he was a big fan. I mean he knew Muhammad. He was scared to death, he-- all of his adrenaline, he said Champ, he said I saw the stand you made, in the civil rights movement, I saw your stand against the Vietnam war. He said, I've got to tell you, champ, you're my hero. He said, I've got a picture of you at my firehouse. You are my hero. Muhammad instantly he wanted to change the channel. So he said to the guy, he said, you know, you're the real hero jumping in fire, saving lives, saving babies, putting your life on the line, he said, man, you are the real hero. And the fireman responds real quickly. I mean he knew all of the nicknames, he said, man, but you, you fought the bear, sonny Liston. He said, You fought the rabbit, patterson, you fought big George Foreman, you fought smokin Joe Frazier. 17;25;15 And Muhammad interrupted real quick and he goes, yeah, but Joe wasn't really smoking. [ laughter ] And I said, Muhammad that's a good line. He goes, you're right. Write that down. But it wasn't all about signing autographs and kissing babies. If there was a village that needed food in a third-world country, Muhammad was on the plane, will travel with check. If there was a conflict and he could be part of a resolution, again, Muhammad will travel. As Lonnie had mentioned, if there were hostages to be released, Muhammad was a man of action. One of my favorite quotes and I think it's right here in your program, Muhammad said service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth and I just want to say, champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [ Applause ] Your rent is paid in full! 17;26;15 (shot of Ali's wife standing up clapping) And you know, in fact, I think he's paid it forward. Because he has taught us to love rather than to hate. To look for commonalities rather than differences. So therefore I think he's really paid it forward for all of us. So, as we all know now, you know, the fight is over but I'm here to tell you, the decision is in and it is unanimous, because of Muhammad Ali, we all win. The world wins. Thank you so much, Muhammad. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace. And thank you so very much. 17;27;30 BILLY CRYSTAL >> Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We're at the halfway point. I was clean shaven when this started. Dear Lonnie, family, friends, Mr. President, members of the clergy, all of these amazing people here in Louisville, today this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting, he is still the champion of the world. [ Applause ] Last week, when we heard the news, time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no global catastrophes. The world stopped, took a deep breath and sighed. Since then, my mind has been racing through my relationship with this amazing man, which is now 42 years that I've known him. Every moment I can think of is cherished. While others can tell you of his accomplishments, he wanted me to speak and tell you of some personal moments we had together. 17;28;52 I met him in 1974. I was just getting started as a stand-up comedian and struggling. But I had one good routine. It was a three-minute conversation between Howard and Muhammad where I would imitate both of them. Muhammad had just defeated George foreman and sports magazine made him the man of the year. A great man, editor for "Sport," was going to host this televised dinner honoring Muhammad. So dick called my agent looking for a comedian who did some sports material. As fate would have it, that comedian was not available and she wisely said -- it's destiny, man. And she wisely said, but listen, I've got this young kid and he does this great imitation and I don't know why, but dick said, okay, I'll try him. I couldn't believe it. My first time on television and it would be with Ali. I ran to the plaza hotel, the event was packed. He said, how should I introduce you? No one knows who you are. And I said, just say I'm one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. And my thought was, I'll get right to the microphone, go into my how word cosell and I'll be fine and I move into the jam ballroom and that's when I saw him for the first time in person. It's very hard to describe how much he meant to me. You had to live in his time. It's great to look at clips and it's amazing that we have them but to live in his time, watching his fights, his experience of the genius of his talent was absolutely extraordinary. Every one of his fights was the aura of a super bowl. He predicted the round that he would knock somebody out and then he would do it. He was funny. He was beautiful. 17;30;57 He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw and those were his own words. But he was so much more than a fighter as time went on, with Bobby Kennedy gone, martin Luther king gone, Malcolm X gone, who was there to relate to when Vietnam exploded in our face? There were millions of young men my age, eligible for the draft for a war that we didn't believe in. And all of us huddled on the conveyor belt that was rapidly feeding the was machine. But it was Ali who stood up for us by standing up for himself. And after he was stripped of the title-- after he was stripped of the title and the right to fight anywhere in the world, he gave speeches at colleges and on television that totally reached me. He seemed as comfortable talking to kings and queens as the lost and unrequited. 17;31;49 He never lost his sense of humor even as he lost everything else, he was always himself, willing to give up everything for what he believed in. And his passionate rhetoric about the life and plight of black people in our country resonated strongly in my house. I grew up in a house that was dedicated to civil rights. My father was a producer of jazz concerts in New York City and was one of the first to integrate bands in the 40s and 50s. Jazz musicians referred to my dad as the branch rickey of Jazz concerts. My uncle and my family, jewish people, produced strange fruit, billie holiday's classic song describing the lynching of African-Americans in this country. And so I felt him, and now there he was just a few feet from me. I couldn't stop looking at him and he seemed to like glow and he was like in slow motion, his amazing face smiling and laughing. 17;32;41 I was seated a few seats from him on the day I said, and in the room all of these athletes in their individual sports, great ones, Gino Marchetti, of the Baltimore Cults, Franco Harries of the Steelers, Archie Griffith who won the Heisman from Ohio state, literally legends, Neil Simon, george plimton, all in a day fawning over Ali who then looked at me [laughter] with an expression that seemed to say what is Joe gray doing here? Mr. Schapp introduced me as one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. Two people clapped. My wife and the agent. I rose, Ali is still staring at me, I passed right behind him, got to the podium, went right into Cocell, hello, everyone, Howard Cocell coming to you live from Zaire. Some people would pronounce it Zaire. They are wrong. It got big laughs and then I went into the Ali. 17;33;49 Everybody's talking about George Foreman, talking about George foreman, george Forman is ugly, he's just so slow. George was slow. I kind of-- and then I got-- and I'm still faster at 33 years of age. I'm so fast I can turn the lights be in my bed before the room gets dark. [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife) I'm announcing tonight that I've got new religious beliefs. From now on I want to be known as Ezzie escowitz (?) I am now an orthodox Jew Izzie Escowitz (?) and I am the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The audience exploded. See, no one had ever done him before and here he was a white kid from Long Island imitating the greatest of all time and he was loving it. When I was done, he gave me this big bear hug and he whispered in my ear, you're my little brother. 17;34;46 Which is what he always called me until the last time that I saw him. We were always there for each other. If he needed me for something, I was there.He came for anything I asked him to do. Most memorable, he was an honorary chairman for a dinner and a very important event where I was being honored by the hebrew university in Jerusalem. He did all of this promotion for it. He came to the dinner. He sat with my family the entire evening. He took photographs with everybody. The most famous Muslim man in the world honoring his jewish friend. And -- [ applause ] 17;35;26 Because he was there, because he was there, we raised a great deal of money and I was able to use it to endow the university in Jerusalem with something that I told to him about and it was something that he loved the theory of. And it thrives to this day. It's called peace through the performing arts. It's a theater group where Israeli, Arab and Palestinian actors, writers and directors all work together in peace creating original works of art. [ Applause ] And that doesn't happen without him. I had so many -- so many funny and unusual moments with him. I sat next to him at Howard Cosell's funeral, a very somber day to be sure. Closed casket was on the stage, Muhammad and I were sitting somewhere over there next to each other. And he quietly whispered to me, little brother, do you think he's wearing his hairpiece? [ Laughter ] 17;36;30 So I said, I don't think so. Well, then how will god recognize him? [ Laughter ] So I said, champ, once he opens his mouth, God will know. So we started laughing. It was a muffled laugh at first but then we couldn't contain ourselves. There we were, at a funeral, me with Muhammad Ali laughing like two little kids who heard something dirty in church, you know, we were just laughing and laughing. And then he looked at me and he said, Howard was a good man. One time he asked me if I would like to run with him one morning. Do road work with him. I said, that would be amazing. I said, where do you run? He said, I run at this country club and I run on the golf course early in the morning, it's very private, nobody bothers me. We'll have a great time. I said, champ, I can't run there. The club has a reputation for being restricted. What does restricted mean? They don't allow Jews there. They don't have any jewish members. He was incensed. 17;37;38 I'm a black Muslim and they let me run there. Little brother, I'm never going to run there again. And he didn't. [ Applause ] My favorite memory was 1979. He had just retired and there was a retirement party at the forum in los Angeles for Muhammad and 20,000 of his closest friends in los Angeles. I performed a piece that I had created, the imitation had grown into a life story. It's called 15 rounds. And I'd play them from the age of 18 until he's 36 ready for the rematch with Leon Spinks. I posted it on the internet last week, footage that nobody had ever seen before, of me portraying Ali doing his life for him all those years ago in 1979. There were 20,000 people there. But I was doing it only for him. That's one of my favorite performances that I have ever done in my life. I sort of got lost in him. I didn't even know where I was at the end of the performance. And suddenly I'm backstage with another heavyweight champion, Richard Pryor and Pryor 's holding on to me crying and then I see Ali coming and he's got a full head of steam, he is looking only at me, nudged Mr. Pryor aside and he whispered in my ear with a big bear hug, little brother, you made my life better than it was. 17;39;10 But didn't he make all of our lives a little bit better than they were? [ Applause ] That -- that, my friends, is my history with the man that I've labored to come up with a way to describe the legend. He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by mother nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty. We've seen still photographs of lightning bolts at the moment of impact, ferocious in his strength and magnificent in his elegance. And at the moment of impact it lights up everything around it. So you can see everything clearly. Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm, his power toppled the mightiest of foes and its intense light shone on America and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self-realization, courage, laughter, love, joy, religious freedom for all. 17;40;18 Ali forced us to take a look at ourselves. This young man who thrilled us, angered us, confused and challenged us ultimately became a silent messenger of peace who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls. [Applause] (shot of Ali's wife) 17;40;50 My friends, only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a mozart or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them and yet at his heart he was still a kid from Louisville who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all. He is gone but he will never die. He was my big brother. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;41;47 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Bryant Gumbel. 17;41;58 BRYANT GUMBEL >> The great Maya Angelou who was herself no stranger to fame wrote that ultimately people forget what you said and people will forget what you did but that no one will ever forget how you made them feel. That's applied to Muhammad Ali, the march of time may one day diminish his boast and his poetry, maybe even his butterflies and bees. It may even one day dull the memories of the thrilla in Manila and the rumble in the jungle. But I doubt any of us will ever forget how Muhammad Ali made us feel. I'm not talking about how proud he made you feel with his exploits or how special he made you feel when you were privileged enough to be in his company.I'm talking about how he ripped our hearts and our souls and our conscience and made our fights his fights for decades. People like me, who were once young, semi-gifted and black will never forget what he freed within us. Some of us like him took pride in being black, bold and brash. And because we were so unapologetic, we were in the eyes of many, way too uppity. We were way too arrogant. Yet we reveled in being like him. By stretching society's boundaries as he did, he gave us levels of strength and courage we didn't even know we had. But Ali's impact was not limited to those of a certain race or of a certain religion or of a certain mindset. The greatness of this man for the ages was that he was, in fact, a man for all ages. Has any man ever a greater arc to his life? What does it say of a man, any man that he can go from being viewed as one of his country's most polarizing figures to arguably his most beloved. [ Applause ] And to do so without changing his nature or, for a second, compromising his principles. Yeah, you know, there were great pauses and national movements and huge divisions that afforded Ali unusual opportunities to symbolize our struggles. But Harry Truman had it right when he said men make history and not the other way around. Or as Lauren hill so nicely put it, consequence is no coincidence. Befitting his stature as the goat, Muhammad Ali never shied away from a fight. He fought not just the biggest and baddest men of his day inside the ropes but outside the ring he also went toe to toe with critics, outside of societal norms, the U.S. Government. He even fought ultimately to his detriment the limitations of father time. Strictly speaking, fighting is what he did. But he broadened that definition by sharing his struggles with us and by viewing our struggles as his. And so it was that at various times he accepted and led battles on behalf of his race in support of his generation, in defense of his religious beliefs and ultimately in spite of his disease. I happen to have been overseas working in Norway this past week. My buddy Matt called. Told me the champ had been taken to the hospital. This time it was really serious. Right away I called Lonnie who was, as always, a pillar of strength. And as we discussed the medical details, the doctors' views and the ugly realities of mortality, Lonnie said, Bryant, the world still needs him and indeed it does. The world needs a champion who always worked to bridge the economic and social divides that threaten the nation that he dearly loved. The world needs a champion that always symbolized the best of Islam to offset the hatred born of fear. And the world needs a champion who believed in fairness and inclusion for all. Hating people because of their color is wrong, Ali said, and it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong. [ Applause ] Yeah, we do need Muhammad Ali now. We needed strength and the hope, the compassion, the conviction that he always demonstrated. But this time, our beloved champion is down. And for once he will not get up. Not this time. Not ever again. Let me close with a quick personal story. 50 years ago, Muhammad Ali defeated George devalo in Toronto, Canada. The very next day, he showed up in my neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. As Ali got out of the car in the driveway at the home, I happened to be next door shooting hoops in a friend's backyard. I, of course, quickly ran to the fence and for the first time in I was 17. I was awe struck. And man, I thought he was the greatest. Now a half century and a lifetime of experiences later, I am still awe struck and I am convinced more than ever that Muhammad Ali is the greatest. [ Applause ] To be standing here by virtue of his and Lonnie's request, is an honor. To be here today as he goes to his grave is a moment I will take to mine. God bless you, champ. [ Applause ] >> Ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the united States, the honorable William Jefferson Clinton. [ Applause ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 558P WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 17;51;17 BILL CLINTON >> Thank you. I can just hear Muhammad saying now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. 17;51;51 I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second half of his life greater than the first. Thank you for the Muhammad Ali center and what it has come to represent to so many people. Here's what I'd like to say. I spent a lot of time now as I get older and older and older trying to figure out what makes people tick, how do they turn out the way they are, how do some people refuse to become victims and rise from every defeat. We've all seen the beautiful pictures of the home of Muhammad Ali and people visiting and driving by. I think you decided something I hope every young person here will decide. I think he decided very young to write his own life story. 17;53;39 I think he decided before he could possibly have worked it all out and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided that he would not be ever disempowered. He decided not his race or his place or expectations of others, positive, negative or otherwise would stop him from writing his own story. He decided first to use these stunning gifts. His strength and speed in the ring, his wit and way with words, and managing the public, and finding out at a fairly young age who he was, what he believed, and how to live with the consequences of acting on what he believed. 17;54;50 A lot of people make it to steps one and two and still just can't quite manage living with the consequences of what he believed. For the longest time in spite of all the wonderful things that have been said here, I remember thinking when I was a kid this guy is so smart and he never got credit for being as smart as he was. And then I don't think he ever got the credit for being, until later, as wise as he was. In the end besides being a lot of fun to be around and basically universal soldier for our common humanity, I will always think of Muhammad as a truly free man of faith. 17;55;50 And being a man of faith he realized he would never be in full control of his life. Something like Parkinson's could come along. But being free, he realized that life still was open to choices. It is choices that Muhammad Ali made that brought us all here today in honor and love. And the only other thing I would like to say, the first part of his life was dominated by the triumph of his truly unique gifts. We should never forget them, we should never stop looking at the movies. Thank Will Smith for making his movie. We should all be thrilled. It was a thing of beauty. But the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by a disease that kept him hamstrung longer than Mandela was kept in prison in South Africa. 17;57;20 That is in the second half of his life, he perfected gifts that we all have, every single solitary one of us have gifts of mind and heart. It is just that he found a way to release them in ways large and small. I asked Lonnie the time when they were still living in Michigan and I gave a speech in southwest Michigan to an economic club there, and sort of a ritual when a president leaves office, and you know, you had to get reacclimated, nobody plays a song when you walk in a room any more, you don't really know what you're supposed to do, and this club, the economic club, they're used to acting like you deserve to be listened to, they have to be reacclimated. So they came to me to this dinner and he sat with me at this dinner. 17;58;26 And he knew, somehow he knew that I was a little off my feet that night. I was trying to imagine how to make this new life and so he told me a really bad joke. And he told it so well and he laughed so hard that I totally got on board and had a great time. He had that feel about, you know, there's no textbook for that, knowing where somebody else is in their head, picking up the body language. Then Lonnie and Muhammad got me to come here when we had the dedication of the Muhammad Ali center, and I was trying to be incredibly gray haired elder states man, dignified, I have to elevate this guy, I am saying all this stuff in high tone, language, and Muhammad sneaks up behind me, puts his fingers up. (shot of wife laughing) 17;58;35 Finally after all the years we had been friends, my endearing image of him is like three shots. The boxer, the man I watched take the last steps to light the olympic flame when I was president, and I'll never forget it, I was sitting there in Atlanta, we knew each other, by then I felt I had some sense of what he was living with, and I was still weeping like a baby, seeing his hands shake, his legs shake, and knowing by god he was going to make those last few steps no matter what it took, the flame would be lit, the fight would be won. I knew it would happen. [ Applause ] 5532 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE FIBER PATH POOL P2 18;00;49 And then this. The children whose lives he touched, the young people he inspired. That's the most important thing of all. So ask you to remember that. We all have an Ali story. It's the gift we all have that should be most honored today because he released them to the world. Never wasting a day the rest of us could see feeling sorry he had Parkinson's, knowing more than three decades of his life would be circumscribed in ways that would be chilling to the naked eye. 18;01;43 But with the free spirit it made his life bigger, not smaller. Because other people, all of us unlettered, unschooled said would you look at that. Look at that. May not be able to run across the ring any more, may not be able to dodge everybody, exhaust everybody any more, and he's bigger than ever because he is a free man of faith sharing the gifts we all have. We should honor him by letting our gifts go among the world as he did. God bless you, my friend, go in peace.

CBS POOL FTG MUHAMMAD ALI MEMORIAL SERVICEH/T JAKE INGRASSIA, PAOLA CONTARDO AND SUNNY CHOO WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 15;10:47 Bill Clinton walks in 15;11;45 -- service starts 15;11;49 >> All praises due to the lord god of the world. Now please be seated, ladies and gentlemen. In accordance with Muslim tradition, and consistent with the wishes of Muhammad Ali, may god have mercy on him. We begin this program with a brief recitation from the Koran, the scripture of the muslims. A young Imam of the midtown mosque in Memphis, Tennessee, where he's spearheading a neighborhood renewal effort in one of the most blighted neighborhood in Memphis and that effort is centered around the mosque, one of the few African-American graduates of the university. He will share with us a few verses from the Koran. 15;12;50 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Hamza Abdul Malik. [ Applause ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;13;12 [ Speaking foreign language ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;17;10 (shot of Ali's wife) >> Now with the translation of those verses we would like to bring to the stage the second generation daughter of Syrian immigrants. She's an excellent student. In her spare time, in recent years, she raises money to provide medical supplies, surgical instruments and other forms of medical assistance for Syrian refugees fleeing from the horror of the current conflict in that land and we pray that almighty god brings it to a succession soon. 15;18;00 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Ia Kutma. [ Applause ] 15;18;14 >> In the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful, truly those who say our lord is god and our upright the angels will descend upon them saying, have neither fear nor sadness, but rather, rejoice in this paradise that you have been promised. We are your allies in this lower life in the hereafter. Where you will have your heart's desire and you will have whatever you ask for. Hospitably from the one most forgiving, most merciful. Who is more beautiful in speech than the one who invites to god and does righteous works saying, truly, I am submitted to god? For good and evil are not equal. 15;19;13 Repel ugliness with beauty and behold the one between you and whom there was enmity is transformed into a warm friend. But no one arrives at the station without great patience and immense fortune. Through prostration, chapter 41 verses 30 to 35. Thank you. [Applause] 15;19;45 (shot of Ali's daughter) >> I forgot to mention that she is a louisvillean, a proud resident of this city. [Applause] 15:20 15;20;05 >> Oh, god, miss this day of ours, you are our protector. What an excellent protector, an excellent helper. Honorable president Bill William J. Clinton, distinguished guests, viewing audience, on behalf of the Ali family, and the city of Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the people's champ. [Applause] 15;20;50 >> Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. [Chanting] Ali, Ali. 15;21;00 >> We're dealing with time here, folks. Louisville, Kentucky, admirably led by mayor Greg fisher, I would like to welcome you. Give it up for the mayor. [Applause] >> I would like to welcome you to this memorial service for the people's champ, Muhammad Ali. And this time, we would like to introduce our first speaker. Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby. [Applause] 15;21;50 >> Were it not for time, since Cosby rhymes with Ali, we would we would say, Cosby, Cosby, but time doesn't permit. Reverend Cosby is senior pastor of St. Steven church in Louisville, Kentucky. Due greatly to his dynamic bible teachings his congregation has grown over the long years of his ministry. Reverend Cosby combines passion, wit, and intellect as the foundation of the inspirational ministry that is transformed the lives of thousands of individuals. Reverend Cosby. [Applause] 15;22;39 >> Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby: Thank you. I looked into the dictionary for the word, fidelity. And it had two words. Lonnie Ali. [Applause] 15;22;57 >> In 1967, nine months prior to his assassination and martyrdom, Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Was interviewed by merv griffin on "The merv griffin show". Merv griffin asked Dr. King a relevant question. He said, Dr. King, what has been the greatest affect and impact that the civil rights struggle has had on the Negro? Dr. King paused and said, besides the dismantling of barriers that prohibited the Negro from free access, the greatest and most profound effect that the civil rights struggle had was that it infused in the Negro something that the anything Negro needed all along. 15:24:07 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;24;00 And that was a sense of somebodiness. You will never be able to appreciate what Dr. King meant when he said, the negro needed a sense of somebodiness until you understand the 350 years of nobodiness that was infused into the psyche of people of color. Every sacred document in our history, every hallowed institution, conspired to convince the African in America that when god made the African, that god was guilty of creative malfeasance. 15;24;55 All of the documents from the constitution said to the Negro, that you're nobody. The constitution said that we were three-fifths of a person. Decisions by the supreme court, like the dred Scott decision, said to the Negro, to the African, you had no rights that whites were bound to respect. And even Francis Scott key, in his writing of "The star spangled banner" we sang, verse one, but in verse three he celebrates slavery by saying, no refuge can save the harrowing enslaved from the sorrow of night or the death of the grave. Every institution from religion to entertainment, from Amos and Andy to Jane and tarzan, infused in the psyche of the Negro, that he was inferior. 15;26;06 But something happened to the depression generation and the World War II generation of African-Americans. Jackie Robinson picked up his bat and hit a ball and the Brooklyn dodgers win the pennant. Joe Louis dismantles the pride of Aryan supremacy by knocking out max melling in 124 seconds. Jesse Lewis runs at ambulatory speed and wins four gold medals. Rosa parks sits on a bus in 1955 and a young seminary student from Boston university stands up and takes the complex ideas of _____ and dips it chocolate so big mama can understand it. 15;27;02 And then from Louisville. [Cheering] -- Emerged the civil-tongued poet who took the ethos of somebodiness to unheard of heights. Before James brown said, I'm black and I'm proud. Muhammad Ali said I'm black and I'm pretty. [Laughter] 15:27:38 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;27;44 >> Black and pretty was an oxymoron. Blacks did not say pretty. The first black millionaire in this country was not Oprah but madam C.J. Walker who made products in order to help black people escape their Africanity. But Muhammad Ali said I'm proud. I'm pretty. I'm glad of who I am. And when he said that, that infused in Africans a sense of somebodiness. 15;28;25 To extrapolate Muhammad Ali from the times in which he lives is called historic presentism. It is to talk about George Washington and not talk about the American revolution to talk about Abraham Lincoln and not talk about the civil war. It's to talk about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and not talk about the depression and World War II. Our brother, Muhammad Ali, was a product of a difficult time. And he dared to love black people. 15;29;05 At a time when black people had a problem loving themselves. [Applause] He dared. He dared to affirm the beauty of blackness. He dared to affirm the power and the capacity of African-Americans. He dared to love America's most unloved race. And he loved us all, and we loved him because he -- we knew he loved us. He loved us all. Whether you lived in the suburbs or whether you lived in the slums. Whether you lived on the avenue or whether you lived in an alley. Whether you came from the penthouse or whether you lived in the projects. Whether you came from Morehouse or whether you had no house, whether you were high yellow or boot black, Muhammad Ali loved you. Our city is known for two things. It's known for Muhammad Ali, it is known for the Kentucky derby. 15;30;19 We hope you will come back and visit our city. The first Saturday in may, we hope you will place a bet on one of the horses, but if you do, please know the rules. What will happen is the horses start in the starting gate and then the signal will be given think will run in the mud for two minutes. And the winner will then be led to the winner's circle where a right of roses will be placed around the horse's neck. We want you to make a bet but please know the rules. You cannot bet for the horse once it's in the winner's circle. You have to bet for the horse while it's still in the mud. [Applause] 15;31;09 And there are lot of people, a lot of people who will bet and have bet on Muhammad Ali when he was in the winner's circle. But the masses bet on him while he was still in the mud. [Applause] Kareem abdul-jabbar stood with him when he was in the mud, Jim brown stood with him when he was in the mud. Bill Russell stood with him when he was in the mud. Howard cosell stood with him when he was in the mud. 15:31:24 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;31;51 Please don't mishear me. I am not saying that Muhammad Ali is the property of black people. He is the property of all people. [Applause] But while he is the property of all people, let us never forget that he is the product of black people in their struggle to be free. [Applause] I went looking for Jesus on a poor west-end street, looking that I would find him as he walked around with men and women with stumbling feet. People who had their heads bowed low because they were broke and had nowhere to go. But then I went looking for Jesus, way in the sky. Thinking he would wear a robe that would dazzle my eye. When suddenly, Jesus came walking by with stumbling feet because he had been hanging with the poor on a west-end street. [Applause] 15:33:06 (shot of Ali's wife and family) 15;33;10 The Muhammad Ali of my childhood had a shuffle but as he grew older he walked with shuffling feet. And I will submit to you he walked with shuffling feet not because of Parkinson's disease but he walked with shuffling feet because he hanged out with the folk in west Louisville who had shuffling feet. Peace and god bless you. [Applause] 15;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife applauding and family standing up) 15;34;00 >> Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Don't give a teenager a telephone and don't give a preacher a microphone. [ laughter ] 15:34:15 (shot of Ali's wife) >> We'd like to bring Senator Orrin Hatch to the stage, now in this seventh term as Utah's senator, one of Utah's senators, he is the most senior Republican in the senate, author of some of the most far-reaching legislation in recent decades. Senator hatch is a seasoned and distinguished public servant. We're deeply honored by his presence today. [Applause] 15;35;00 >>Senator Orrin Hatch: Reverend, that was really good. It's hard for this poor old senator to have to follow that is all I can say. Well, the head of the first fight was Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali stood before a crowded pack of reporters and told the world unapologetically who he was. I'm the greatest. That's what he said. But this simple proclamation all took the history and -- Ali took the history and wrote his own title in the textbooks. He was not Muhammad Ali, the prize fighter. Or even the world champion. He was Muhammad all the greatest. His daughters dismissed this as bragging but Ali wasn't talking trash. He was speaking truth. And he was in the world of boxing, he truly was the greatest. [Applause] 15;36;13 (tight shot of ali's wife) 15;36;18 >> With the cut-throat quickness of a street fighter, and the simple grace of a ballerina, Ali moved with the killings like agility and punched with herculean strength. But to assume that Ali's greatness stems solely from his athletic prowess is to see half the man. Ali was great not only as an extraordinary fighter. He was a committed civil rights leader, an international diplomat, a forceful advocate of religious freedom, and effective emissary of Islam. He was something. He was caring as a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend. Indeed, it is as a personal friend that it witness Ali's greatness for myself.I first met Muhammad Ali 28 years ago. Almost to the day, to this day. 15:37:09 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 15;37;21 I was in my senate office and an assistant said you have a visitor, and I was really surprised that it was none other than the champion himself. The friendship we developed was puzzling to many people, especially to those who saw only our differences. I might say that where others saw a difference, Ali and I saw kinship. We were both dedicated to our families. And deeply devoted to our faiths. He took Islam, and I to the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. We were both products of humble backgrounds and hard scrabble youth. Ali grew up poor here in Louisville and I grew up poor in Pittsburgh. True, we were different in some ways but our differences fortified our friendship. 15;38;26 They did not define it. I saw greatness in Ali's ability to look beyond the horizon and our differences. To find common ground. This shared sensibility was the foundation of a rich and meaningful relationship that I will forever treasure. One of my fondest memories of our friendship when Ali joined news the Salt Lake -- going to listen to the Salt Lake Mormon tabernacle choir. I have to say, it was the same Mormon tabernacle choir -- Ali loved music, and he enjoyed the choir's performance, but he seemed most excited to share his own religious beliefs with those who came to hear the Christian hymns. Ali attracted big crowds that day, and as he always did, and he gave everyone autographed pamphlets explaining his Muslim beliefs. 15;39;31 Hundreds of mormons lined up to grab the pamphlets, and of course I took one for myself. I respected his deeply held convictions just as he respected mine. In our relationship it was anchored by our different faiths. Ali was open to goodness. In all of its diverse realities and varieties. On another occasion, I took Ali to primary children's hospital in Salt Lake City. We visited with downtrodden children who perhaps had never smiled a day in their lifetime. Until Ali showed up. Ali held those kids and looked into their eyes. They would grin from ear to ear. These are kids that never smiled. They were so pained. The nurses were astounded. Never before had they seen someone who had connected so immediately and profoundly with these sick children. 15;40;35 Ali had a special way with kids as we all know. He may have been a tough and tenacious man in the ring, but he was a compassionate and tender around those that he loved. 15:40:48 (shot of Ali's wife) Through all of his ferocity as a fighter, Ali was also a peacemaker, a particular radio host in Utah berated me constantly on the air waves. Week after week. One day the host asked if I were arrange for Ali to meet Utah's former middleweight champion, James Fulmer, for a joint interview. Ali agreed. Knowing that the appearance could help me build some good will, but he also was very interested in meeting James(?) as well. It was an unforgettable experience. Here were two champions, face-to-face, reminiscing about some of the best fights the world has ever seen, and I have to say, in the process, Ali claimed that radio host -- well, he charmed the radio host so much on my behalf, gently transforming an unrepentant antagonist into a respectful starring partner. 15;41;52 So dedicated was Ali to our friendship, that he joined me on the campaign trail during several election cycles. He came to Utah year after year to raise funds for a charity benefiting needy women, women in jeopardy, and families in our state. Ali didn't look at life through the binary lens of Republican and Democrat. So common today. He saw worthy causes and shared humanity. And always willingness to put principles ahead of partisanship, he showed us all the path to greatness. And I'll never forget that greatness. Nor will I ever forget him. [Applause] 15;42;47 There there were many faces to Ali's greatness. His abilities as a boxer, his charisma as a public figure, his benevolence as a father and as a friend. All of these made Ali great. But there was something else that made him the greatest. Ali was the greatest because, as a debilitated and unbroken champion for later years he put is to a greatness beyond ourselves, greatness beyond even Ali. He pointed us to the greatness of god. [Applause] 15;43;35 God raised up Ali to be the greatest fighter in the world of all-time. Yet he allowed Ali to wrestle with Parkinson's disease, an inescapable reminder we're all mortal, and that we are all dependent on god's grace. Ali believed this himself. He once told me, god gave me this condition to remind me always that I am human, and that only he is the greatest. [Applause] 15;44;12 Ali was an unsurpassed symbol of our universal dependence on the divine. He was the greatest because he reminded us all who truly is the greatest. God, our creator. I'm eternally grateful for my special bond with this special man, and for my friendship with his beloved wife, who I love dearly. She is one of the great women in this world. [Applause] 15;44;44 (shot of wife) She was dedicated to the very end and I pray that Ali rested peacefully and Ali will rest peacefully the presence of the greatest of all, even our gods. I can bear testimony that I believe in god. I believe that we're here on Earth for a reason. I believe that this Earth life is a time for us to do what is right for god and for our fellow men and women. I don't know that I've ever met anybody who did it any better than my friend, Muhammad Ali. [Applause] >> God bless you. God bless the family. 15;45;37 (shot of wife applauding) 15;45;45 >> Next we would like to welcome Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel to the stage. Father Kriegel has been instrumental -- has been the pastor of St. Patricks parish in Erie, PA. He was ordained in 1970 and named a domestic prebate with the title Monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1991. His wisdom, scholraship and spiritual guidance is a source of solace and guidance for catholics and members of other faith communities far far beyond his Pennsylvania home. Father Kriegel. 15;46;35 >> Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel: Let us pray. Loving eternal god, as we gather today in prayer, we do so with an abiding sense of gratitude. Our gratitude knows no bounds as we thakn you for the gift of this good and gentle man. Muhammed Ali opened our eyes to the evil of racism, to the absurdity of war. He showed us with incredible patience that a debilitating illness need never diminish joy and love in our lives. He chided our consciences, he awakened in us a deeper sense of the need to respect one another, to set aside racial differences. The legendary fighter of all time in reality taught us to heal, rather than to fight. To embrace, rather than to turn away. To include, rather than to exclude. While proclaiming himself to be the greatest, he showed us that his greatness lied in his love and concern for others. Most particularly the marginalized, the suffering, the helpless, the hopeless. You gift of him has enriched us, has made us better people, has created a more gentle world. We dare not return him to you today without expressing our gratitude for the gift of him. Amen. 15;47;50 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;48;22 >> Next we will hear a few brief remarks from Dr. Timothy Gianotti. Dr. Gianotti is a professor of islamic studies at the university of waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is equally at home, busying himself with the affairs of the Muslim community as he is sitting in the library and burrowing through books. A true public intellectual. He is the initial and principal islamic adviser to the Ali family. He has been instrumental in assuring that the last days of Muhammad's life, his burial, his bathing, his shrouding, and his burial today, his funeral and burial today, all were in accordance with the strictures of Muslim law. So now I'd like to bring to you the person I affectionately call, brother, doctor, Imam, Timothy Gianotti. [Applause] 15;49;58 >> Dr. Timothy Gianotti: In the name of god who is the loving nurturer of the creation, and the ever compassionate and ever merciful, I'd like to share a prayer today. This is a prayer adapted from a there divisional prayer of the prophet Muhammad. My god's peace and blessings be upon him. But before I do so I would just like to say to the family, to Lonnie, to everyone here, that serving Muhammad Ali has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. 15;50;50 (shot of Ali's wife) Oh, god, you who are the light of the heavens and the Earth, grant our brother Muhammad a light in his heart. A light in his earthly body, now restored to the Earth. A light in his grave. A light before him as he journeys on to you. A light in all that he has left behind in this world. A light to his right, and the lights to his left. Oh, god, increase him inlight. Grant him light. A light in his deeds in this world and a light in the hereafter. A light in the hearts of those whom he loved. And a light in the eyes of those who loved him. 15;52;05 A light in those whom he knocked down. And a light in those whom he lifted up. A light in his words which echo in our hearts. A light in the lives of all those whom he touched. A light in his children and a light in their mothers. 15:52:40 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) A light in his grandchildren. And a light in his devoted wife, Lonnie. Oh, lord, increase your servants in light. And give him light. And embrace him in light. And fill us all with light .[ Foreign foreign ] 15;53;10 >> You who are the light odd Earth, you who are the most merciful of all those who show mercy. [Applause] 15;53;38 >> Next we'll hear a few words from rabbi Michael Lerner. Rabbi Lerner is the editor of a magazine, as the magazine's name suggests, rabbi Lerner has dedicated his life to working, to heal and repair the world. Rabbi Lerner is never afraid of ruffling a few feathers so we asked him to be nice today. Rabbi Lerner. [Applause] 15;54;23 >>Rabbi Michael Lerner: We'll see about the feathers. [Foreign chanting] >> Master of compassion, god of compassion, send your blessings to Muhammad Ali and send your blessings to all who mourn for him, and send your blessings for all the millions and millions of people who mourn for him all over this planet. I come here speaking as representative of American Jews, and to say that American Jews played an important role of solidarity with the African-American struggles in this country, and that we today stand in solidarity with islamic communities in this country and all around the world. [Applause] 15;55;23 We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down a Muslim and blaming muslims for a few people. [Cheers and applause] 15;55;40 (shot of Ali's wife and family standing up and clapping) (shot of Bill Clinton clapping) 15;55;50 We know what it's like to be demeaned. We know what it's like to have some -- a few people who act against the highest visions of our tradition, to then be identified as the value of the entire tradition. And one of the reasons that we in (?) magazine, a magazine of liberal and Progressive jews but also an interfaith magazine, have called upon the United States to stand up to the part of the Israeli government that is suppressing Palestinians, is that we as Jews understand that our commitment is to recognize that god has created everyone in god's image, and that everyone is equally precious. 15;56;33 And that means that Palestinian people as well as all other people on the planet. [Applause] I know the people of Louisville have a special relationship to Muhammad Ali, and I had a personal relationship in the '60s when both of us were indicted by the federal government and before our various stands against the war in Vietnam. I want to say that although he was cheered on as the heavyweight champion of the world, you know the truth is that in all the honor to him, that heavyweight champions of the world come and go, and sports heroes come and go. There was something about Muhammad Ali that was different. 15;57;24 At the key moment when he had that recognition, he used it -- to stand up to an immoral war and say, no, I won't go! [ Applause ] And it's for that reason that tens and millions of Americans who don't particularly care about boxing care about Muhammad Ali because he was a person who was willing to risk a great honor that he got and a great fame that he got to stand up for the beliefs that he had, to think truth to power when the rest of the people around him said, no, no, you're going to lose your championship and it was taken away from him for five years. But he stood up and was willing to take that kind of a risk because of that kind of moral integrity. [ Applause ] 15;58;22 So I want so say, how do we honor Muhammad Ali? The way to honor Muhammad Ali is to be Muhammad Ali today. That means us, everyone here and everyone listening, it's up to us to continue that ability to speak truth to power. We must speak out, refuse to follow the path of conformity to the rules of the game in life. We must refuse to follow the path of conformity. Tell the 1% who own 80% of the wealth of this country that it's time to share that wealth. Tell the politicians who use violence worldwide and then preach nonviolence to the oppressed, that it's time to end their drone warfare and every other form of warfare, to close our bases around the world, bring the troops home, tell those who committed mass incarceration that it's time to create a guaranteed income for everyone in our society. [ Applause ] 15;59;34 Tell judges to let out of prison the many African-Americans swept up by racist police and imprisoned by racist judges. [ Applause ] Many are in prison today for offenses like possessing marijuana that white people get away with all the time! [ Applause ] Tell our elected officials to imprison those who authorize torture and those who ran the big investment companies that caused the economic collapse of 2008. Tell the leaders of Turkey to stop killing the kurds. Tell Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that the way to get security is for Israel is to stop the occupation of the west bank and help create a Palestinian state. [ Applause ] 16;00;37 Tell the next president of the United States that -- tell the next president of the united States that she --- (shot of bill clinton smiling) Tell the next president of the united States that she should seek a constitutional amendment to make all national and state elects funds by congress and the state legislator and all other money be banned, all other money from companies companies and individuals and make it all public funding. 16;01;30 >> Tell her that the way to achieve homeland security is not for us to try new ways of domination, the strategy of domination in the world of the other to get security has been tried for the last ten thousand years and doesn't work. The way to get security is for the United States to become known as the most generous and caring country in the world, not the most powerful. [Applause] 16;02;00 We can start with a global and domestic plan to once and for all ended global and domestic poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care. So, I want to, as chair of the interfaith network of spiritual Progressives -- by the way, spiritual progressives.org come and join us -- I want to affirm our commitment to the well-being of all muslims on the planet as well as the people of all faiths and secular humanists as well. We wish to pay honor to muslims of the world as the continue today the fast of Ramadan, and join with them in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali, a great -- peace be upon him, peace be upon the prophet now ham -- Muhammad and peace on humanity and peace on all of us, amen. [Cheers and applause] 16;03;20 [Chanting] Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. Ali. >> Time, time, time is not on our side. After that speech, I have to edit my initial remarks, honorable first man William J. Clinton. Chief Sidney hill in 2002, Sidney Hill was selected as Tadodaho, or principal spiritual leader of its people a true friend of the earth and beloved to all who know him, he is a leader whose spirituality is coupled with a passionate pursuit of justice. We are honored that he has come here today to share a few words and a few thoughts with us. Chief Hill. [ Applause ] 16;04;44 >>Chief Sidney hill: [ Speaking only in foreign language ] 16;06;16 >>This is chairman Stevens with us, United Nation from our alliance (?) Nation. Translation: he said, my relatives, it is my responsibility to pick up the words for (?) the people of the longhouse. They wish you well. They want you to be at peace of mind. Now this great darkness that has happened to us, you must understand that you who have gathered us here, that his road is straight. Peacefully, he will arrive at his land. [foreign language] Our creator. It is the same as you call him, Allah. 16;07;30 These were the words. He took the family, your relatives and friends of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was the leader among men. And a champion of the people. He fought for the people of color, yet he was man of peace and principle. A man of compassion, who used his great gifts for the common good. The spirit has a clear path to the creator. 16;08;27 To the spiritual leader, six nation iroquois confederation. And myself, faithkeeper, turtle clan, under the council of chiefs, have journeyed here today to add our voice to this congregation of world leaders, in honor of his work, and for the right and dignity of people of color and the common man. [Applause] 16;09;15 He was always in support of the indigenous people of this hemisphere in our quest for our inherent land rights, self-determination, identity, and collective right that include the natural world. We know what he was up against. Because we have had 524 years of survival training ourselves. [Applause] 16;09;50 (shot of Ali's wife clapping) In 1978, a congressman from the state of Washington put a bill into congress to terminate our treaties with the United States. An Indian nations walked from California to Washington, DC, in protest. Muhammad Ali marched into Washington, DC with us. [Applause] 16;10;31 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 16;10;38 He was a free, independent spirit. He stood his ground with great courage and conviction. And he paid a price. And this country did, too. And we all did. Values and principles will determine one's destiny. And the principles of a nation will do the same. Poor people do not have many options. You fighters know what I'm talking about. He said that ring was Ali's path to his destiny. He said he would be heavyweight champion of the world, and he was. Three times. This is the fourth time, right here, right now. [Applause] 16;11;55 On his journey in life, he lived and learned the hard way. He brought a light into this world. My world. Our world. And that light will shine a long, long time. [ Applause ] Peace, brother. Peace. And on behalf of my friend Ernie and the indigenous people everywhere, peace. Thank you. [Applause] 16;12;58 >> We introduce chief hill, and his words were translated by Chief Oren Lyons who was born into a traditional indigenous family, and grew up on the native reservations of upstate New York. In 1970 he became the chief and faithkeeper of the turtle clan of the onondaga nation. His scholarship, stewardship and leadership is a source of benefit and great blessing for all who know him. Now he want to introduce Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport, Rabbi Rapport is senior rabbi here of the temple here in Louisville where he has been a leader in interfaith work. He has the passion for teaching youth, and in fact it is his work with youth that let him to cross paths with Muhammad Ali. His religious leadership focuses on compassion, care, and working together was all to build a better world. Rabbi Rapport. [Applause] 16;14;24 >>Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport: This is a reading from our memorial prayer on yom kippur. Our day of atonement. Our most sacred day of the year. It was written men decades ago by rabbi Fein, civil rights leader who could never have known when he composed these words he was writing a eulogy for Muhammad Ali. 16;14;49 Birth is a beginning. And death a destination. And life is a journey, from childhood to maturity, and youth to age. From innocence to awareness, and ignorance to knowing. From foolishness to discretion. And then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength, and strength to weakness. And often back again. From health to sickness, and back we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness. From loneliness to love. From joy to gratitude. And pain to compassion, from grief to understanding. From fear to faith. From defeat to defeat to defeat, until looking backward or ahead we see that victory lies not at some high place along the way, but in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage. 16;15;50 Birth is a beginning. And death, a destination. And life is a journey. The sacred pilgrimage to life everlasting. We say words of prayer and they remain words, until we encounter a person who embodies these words and makes them real. I've said these words many times before. At funerals and memorial services. But never have I felt them come to life and speak of a single shining soul as I do today. Muhammad Ali was the heart of this city. The living, breathing, embodiment of the greatest that we can be. 16;16;33 (shot of Ali's wife) He was our heart, and that heart beats here still. [Applause] 16;16;47 Let me tell you a story you already know. It's one of those stories about Ali being gracious to a stranger that so many of us have told, so many times, and in so many we we sometimes forget the lessons these stories were intended to teach us. It's a story Honna tells about her father towards the end of their book, the soul of the butterfly. Honna's driving her father to a book store on one Sunday to pick up some bibles and korans for a project that he's working on. They pass an elderly man standing by the road with a bible in one hand and his thumb in the air with the other. They offer him a ride. And he thanks them, saying that he is on his way home from church. He only needs to go a few miles down the street where he can pick up a cab. Hanna asked where he lives help doesn't want to trouble them. He has no idea who is sitting in the front seat of the car. 16;17;48 Until Muhammad Ali turns around and says, it's no trouble at all. We're just on our way to a bookstore to by some bibles and korans. Once the man gets over meeting the greatest of all-time, he insists that he has three bibles in his house, and he would be pleased to give them to Ali in appreciation for the ride. Ali thanks him but says, he wants to pay for the bibles. The man says, no, the bibles were meant as a gift. Ali asked him what he does for a living. And it turns out the man had a stroke and has been forced into retirement. Ali then tries to hand him a big pile of money for the bibles. But the man refuses and this is where things get interesting. 16;18;37 Ali says, take the money, man, I'm trying to get into heaven.(laughter) 16;18;44 (shot of Ali's wife) And the man replied. So am I. Ali is not taking no for an answer. He says, if you don't take the money I might not get in. And the man replies, if I do take your money I might not get in. They arrive at his home, and the map invites him tomeet his wife of 30 years. He gives Ali the bibles. Ali slips the money under a napkin on the kitchen table. They're about to leave and Hannah gives the man her phone number and tells him to call him -- to call her if her needs a ride home from church again. Sitting in the car, Ali turns to his daughter and asks. Would you really go out of your way and pick him up and drive him home? And she says, yes. And with tears in his eyes, he says, that's me in you. [Applause] 16;19;52 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) 16;20;04 He says, you're on the road to heaven. Therein lies ally's greatness his ability to see something greater and his ability to inspire others to see such greatness' within themselves. There will never be another greatest like Muhammad Ali. But we together can now embody a measure of his kindness, and his compassion. We can say each of us in our hearts there's a little bit of Ali in me. [Applause] This week, we have mourned the loss and celebrated the life of a Louisville legend and a citizen of the world. And of all the words and all the ways, the most powerful moments have always been made in the voices of young people, repeated in prayer services, and chanted in the streets. I am Ali. I am Ali. I am not the fighter that Ali was. And I may not have the courage which he never lacked. And I am definitely not as pretty. (laughter) But in my heart, and in my hope, and in my prayers I am Muhammad Ali. [Applause] 16;21;36 >> When he say that in our hearts, when we live that in our lives, then we together can build a legacy worthy of the greatest of all-time. So say that now with me. In your heart, and in this room, I am Ali. I am Ali. [Applause] >> You know, one of the amazing things that we've witnessed during our time here in Louisville has been just so many stories of common, ordinary people. There's folks on the street, working in the hotels, the restaurants, virtually everyone has a story concerning how Muhammad Ali touched their lives. He came to my fourth grade class. He helped me out in this or that way. He came to visit me when I was sick. Just on and on and on. And collectively, those experiences, they become sinner ginnic, they become greater than the individual parts. And when we rose through the streets of the city today, I've witnessed something I've never, ever witnessed in my life. [ Applause ] 16;23;10 And I don't think I will ever witness again. I witnessed the power. In our muslim tradition we call it (foreign language) it might be loosely translated as sainthood, I witnessed the power of sainthood. [ applause] Venerable Utsumi is a member of the (foreign language) a Japanese Buddhist order dedicated to working for world peace through the practice of walking peace pilgrimages anti-nuclear weapon pilgrimages and the construction of peace pagodas all over the globe, he will be joined onstage by Sister Denise another member of the order and together they will share a traditional chant with us. 16;24;40 [Buddhist chants] 16:28:25 [Buddhist chants] 16;29;20 Now we will listen to a reading by , Ambassador Shabazz. Ambassador Shabazz is the oldest of six daughters born to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (?) and Doctor Betty Shabazz. [applause] She probably shares that she is inspired by her parents, their parents, and those before them through the descending generations. The former prime minister of Belize recognized her as a key Ambassador in international cultural affairs and project development and in 2002 appointed her as ambassador at large, powerful and elegant we invite Ambassador Shabazz to read and share and inspire us. [ Applause ] 16:30;44 >>Ambassador Shabazz: Assalamu alaikum. May peace be upon us. All of us. As this is a homegoing celebration I find myself balanced between that of celebration and depletion, loss, that somehow or another, my breathing capacity has been weakened this past week so I ask all of you gathered and afar to please muster up and transmit a bit of your air to me in the memory of Muhammad Ali, thank you all. [ Speaking in foreign language ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SEVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 16;31;44 And more as the globe centers at this very moment amidst the holy month of Ramadan where every two hours there's a time zone praying, and including Muhammad Ali and his family in your thoughts. Amidst that are the prayers of all faiths, all those touched, even those that don't claim a religion are feeling something right now in honor of the family and the memory of their father, husband. In the spirit of my parents, Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Shabazz, in the presence of my five younger sisters, our children and our grandchildren I would like to first honor his beloved wife, my sister, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] 16;32;53 (shot of Ali's wife) 16;32;59 For all the strengths that you know and that resonate beyond. Sometimes you do need a little help no matter how magnificent you are and indeed those that were with him, that loved him, his family members sustain that. His nine children, and I will name them, Maryam, rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Hana, Laila, asaad, Miya, khaliah as well as thier mothers, and the third generation of grandchildren who accompany them. [ Applause ] 16;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife) To his only brother, to his extraordinary example of a best friend, Howard Bingham and to his sister-in-law Marilyn. For all the grief that I am depleted by and others are feeling by his transition, there is none comparable to yours and I know that. On this day and those to come, as you live your waking days with a life without him here presently, very different. 16;34;37 (shot of Ali's wife) Photos, memories, all the things that we have on him that keep him going. He touched you differently and that has to be honored and recognized, never forsaken. [ Applause ] Just know that when you are the descendent of and in the presence of someone whose life was filled with principle, that the seed is in you so that you have to cultivate that responsibly as well. [ Applause ] This moment is very meaningful for me to have been amongst those chosen and blessed by Muhammad himself and affirmed by his wife Lonnie to take part by sharing a prose and a statement during this homegoing ceremony. While he and I had a treasured relationship, the genesis of his love was through the love for my father. Muhammad Ali was the last of a fraternity of amazing men bequeathed to me directly by my dad. 16;35;57 Somewhere between me turning 18, 19 or 20, they all seemed to find me somehow guided by an oath of a promise to my dad long after him leaving this Earth to search for me, and they did. Each one remaining in my life until joining the rest of the heavens beloved summit of fearless humanitarians. This included Muhammad Ali whom my dad loved as a little brother, 16 years his junior and his entrusted friend. There was a double-take when I came upon him, a once childhood per child and now looking right into his face, and you know how he is. He gives you that little dare like, is that you? [ imitates ] From the very moment we found one another, it was as if no time has passed as all despite all of the presumptions of division, despite all of the efforts at separation, despite all of the organized distancing. We dove right into all of the unrequited yet stated and duly acknowledged spaces we could explore and uncover privately. 16;37;18 We cried out loud. His belt, his grief for having not spoken to my dad before he left and then just as loudly we'd laugh about the best of stories, and some that can't be repeated. He was really funny. What was significant as brothers for my father and Ali was their ability to discuss openly anything, all facets of life, namely, the true meaning, as men with great responsibilities be bestowed to them of how to make an equitable difference in the lives of others. A unifying topic was faith and ecumenical faith, respect for faith, all faiths, even if belonging to one specific religion or none, the root of such being the gift of faith itself so in his own words he wrote, "We all have the same God. We just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans, all have different names but they all contain water. So do religions have different names and yet they all contain truth. Truth expressed in different ways and forms and times. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. When you believe in god, you should believe all people are part of one family. [ Applause ] 16;39;11 For if you love god, you can't love only some of his children. [ Applause ] His words and certainly ideals shared by both men, love is a mighty thing, devotion is a mighty thing and truth always reigns. Having Muhammad Ali in my life somehow sustained my dad's breath for me a little while longer. 51 years longer until now. (WEEPING) [Applause] I am forever grateful at our union on this Earth together allowed for me a continuum of shared understanding, preserved confidentialities and the comfort of living in his home town of Louisville Kentucky for the past six years. [ Applause ] 16;40;26 That was not a plan. And mostly for the gift of knowing and loving his wife and children forever forward as my own family, know that. As the last of the paternity reaches the heavens, my heart is rendered ever longingly for that tribe. The tribe of purpose, the tribe of significance, tribe of confidence, tribe of character, tribe of duty, tribe of faith, tribe of service. We must make sure that the principle of men and women, like Muhammad Ali and others, whom dedicated their very being to assure that you get to recognize your own glory, is sustained and passed on like that olympic torch. My dad would offer in state when concluding or parting from another, may we meet again in the light of understanding and I say to you with the light of that compass by any means necessary. 16;42;09 >> Ladies and gentlemen, representing the president of the United States and Mrs. Obama, miss Valerie Jarrett. [ Applause ] 16;42;24 >>Valerie Jarrett: Good afternoon. On behalf of president Obama and Mrs. Obama, I wish to express to you their deepest regret that they couldn't be with us here today as we celebrate the extraordinary life of Muhammad Ali. I first met Muhammad Ali over 45 years ago through his friendship with my uncle Jean and he, my uncle, would be so touched that his son gene is a pallbearer here today. Thank you, Lonnie. Because of my family connection, the president and first lady asked me if I would read this tribute to you, penned by president Obama. 16;43;15 It was 1980, an epic career was in its twilight. Everybody knew it. Probably including the champ himself. Ali went into one of his final fights an underdog. All of the smart money was on the new champ, Larry Holmes. And in the end, the oddsmakers were right. A few hours later, at 4 A.M., after the loss, after the fans had gone home and the sports writers were writing their final take, a sports writer asked a restroom attendant if he had bet on the fight. The man, black and getting on in years, said he had put his money on Ali. 16;44;05 The writer asked why. Why, the man said? Why? Because he's Muhammad Ali. That's why. He said, mister, I'm 72 years old and I owe the man for giving me my dignity. [ Applause ] To Lonnie and the Ali family, president Clinton and an arena full of distinguished guests, you are amazing. The man we celebrate today is not just a boxer or a poet or an agitator or a man of peace, not just a Muslim or a black man or a Louisville kid. He wasn't even just the greatest of all time. He was Muhammad Ali.The whole far greater than the sum of its parts. He was bigger, brighter and more original and influential than just about anyone of his era. [ Applause ] 16;45;30 You couldn't have made him up and, yes, he was pretty, too. He had fans in every city, every village, every ghetto on the planet. He was fettered by foreign heads of state, the beatles, British invasion took a detour to come to him. It seemed sometimes that the champ was simply too big for America. But I actually think that the world flocked to him in wonder precisely because, as he once put it, Muhammad Ali was America! Brash, defiant, pioneering, joyful, never tired, always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms, religion, speech, spirit. 16;46;31 He embodied our ability to invent ourselves. His life spoke to our original sin of slavery and discrimination and the journey he traveled helped to shock our consciousness and lead us on a roundabout path towards salvation. And like America, he was always very much a work in progress. We do him a disservice to gauze up his story to sand down his rough edges to talk only of floating like butterflies and stinging like bees. Ali was a radical even in a radical of times. A loud and proud and unabashedly black voice in a Jim crow world. [ Applause ] 16;47;24 His jabs knocked some sense into us, yes, they did. Pushing us to expand our imagination and bring others into our understanding. Now, there were times when he swung a bit wildly. That's right. Wound up and accidently may have wronged the wrong opponent as he was the first to admit. But through all his triumphs and failures, Ali seemed to have achieved the sort of enlightenment and inner peace that we are all striving towards. In the '60s when other young men his age were leaving the country to avoid war or jail, he was asked why he didn't join them. He got angry. He said he'd never leave. His people, in his words, are here, the millions struggling for freedom and justice and equality and I could do a lot of help in jail or not right here in America. [ Applause ] 16;48;34 He'd have everything stripped from him, his titles, his standing, his money, his passion. Very nearly his freedom. But Ali still chose America. I imagine he knew that only here in this country could he win it all back. So he chose to help perfect a union where a descendent of slaves can become the king of the world. And in the process, in the process, lend some dignity to all of us. Maids, porters, students and elderly bathroom attendant and help inspire a young, mixed kid with a funny name to have the audacity to believe he could be anything, even the president of the United States! [ Applause ] 16;49;35 (shot of Ali's wife) Muhammad Ali was America. Muhammad Ali will always be America. What a man. What a spirit. What a joyous mightyful champion. God bless the greatness of Ali. God bless his family. And god bless this nation we love. Thank you very much. 16;50;28 ANNOUNCER VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] >> Ali! Ali! Ali! 16;51;05 LONNIE ALI >> Assalamu alaikum. Peace be upon you. You know, I said something to Matt Lauer yesterday that I firmly believe Muhammad had something to do with all of this and I think we are right. Thank you all for being here to share in this final farewell to Muhammad. On behalf of the Ali family, let me first recognize our principal celebrant Imam _____ and Dr. Timothy Gianotti. We thank you for your dedication to helping us fulfill Muhammad's desire that the ceremonies of this past week reflect the traditions of his islamic faith. And as a family, we thank the millions of people who, through the miracle of social media, inspired by their love of Muhammad have reached out to us with their prayers. The messages have come to us in every language from every corner of the globe. From wherever you are watching, know that we have been humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love. It is only fitting that we gather in a city to which Muhammad always returned after his great triumphs. A city that has grown as Muhammad has grown. [ Applause ] 16;52;37 Muhammad never stopped loving Louisville. And we know that Louisville loves Muhammad. [Applause] We cannot forget a Louisville police officer, Joe Espy(?) Martin, who embraced a young 12-year-old boy in distress when his bicycle was stolen. Joe Martin handed young Cassius Clay -- sorry for tripping up that last word -- Clay, to a future in boxing he could scarcely have imagined. America must never forget that when a cop and an inner city kid talk to each other, then miracles can happen. [ Applause ] 16;53;49 Some years ago during his long struggle with Parkinson's in a meeting that included his closest advisors, Muhammad indicated when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people for his country and for the world. In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice, that he grew up in a segregation and that during his early life, he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or engage in violence. It was a time when a young black boy his age could be hung from a tree in Mississippi in 1955 whose admitted killers went free. 16;54;50 It was time when Muhammad's friends, people he admired, like Brother Malcolm and Dr. King were gunned down, and Nelson Mandela imprisoned for what they believed in. [ Applause ] For his part, Muhammad faced federal prosecution. He was stripped of his title and his license to box and he was sentenced to prison. But he would not be intimidated so as to abandon his principles and his values. 4:55-Lonnie emotional, almost cries 16;55;29 Muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that adversity can make you stronger. It cannot rob you of the power to dream and to reach your dreams. We built the Muhammad Ali center and that's the center of the Ali message. [ Applause ] Muhammad wants us to see the face of his religion, true Islam, as the face of love. It was his religion that caused him to turn away from war and violence, for his religion he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had and all that he was to protect his soul and follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad peace be upon you. 16;56;25 So even in death, Muhammad has something to say. He's saying that his faith required that he take the more difficult road. It is far more difficult to sacrifice oneself in the name of peace than to take up arms in pursuit of violence. [ Applause ] You know, all of his life, Muhammad was fascinated by travel. He was child-like in his encounter with new surroundings and new people. He took his world championship fights to the ends of the Earth, from the south pacific to Europe to the Congo. And, of course, with Muhammad, he believed it was his duty to let everyone see him in person because, after all, he was the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The boy from grand avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, grew in wisdom and discovered something new, that the world really wasn't black and white at all. It was filled with many shades of rich colors, languages and religions. As he moved with ease around the world, the rich and powerful were drawn to him but he was drawn to the poor and the forgotten. [ Applause ] 16;57;53 Muhammad fell in love with the masses and they fell in love with him. In the diversity of men and their faiths, Muhammad saw the presence of god. He was captivated by the work of the dalai lama, by mother Teresa and church workers who gave their lives to protect the poor. When his mother died, he arranged for multiple faiths to be represented at her funeral and he wanted the same for himself. We are especially grateful for the presence of the diverse faith leaders here today. And I would like to ask them to stand once more and be recognized. [ Applause ] 16;58;35 Thank you. Thank you very much. You know, as I reflect on the life of my husband, it's easy to see his most obvious talents. His majesty in the ring as he danced under those lights, enshrined him as a champion for the ages. Less obvious was his extraordinary sense of timing. His knack for being in the right place at the right time seemed to be ordained by a higher power. Even those surrounded by Jim Crow, he was born into a family with two parents that nurtured and encouraged him. He was placed on the path of his dreams by a white cop and he had teachers who understood his dreams and wanted him to succeed. The olympic gold medal came and the world started to take notice. A group of successful businessmen in Louisville called the Louisville Sponsoring Group saw his potential, and helped him build a runway to launch his career. His timing was impeccable as he burst into the national stage just as television was hungry for a star to change the faith of sports. 17;00;02 You know, if Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion, no matter what the cost. The timing of his actions coincided with a broader shift in cultural attitudes across America, particularly on college campuses. When he challenged the U.S. Government on the draft, his chance of success was slim to none. That the timing of his decision converged with a rising tide of discontent on the war. Public opinion shifted in his direction followed by a unanimous supreme court ruling in a stunning reversal of fortunes. He was free to return to the ring. When he traveled to central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman, none of the sports writers thought he could win. In fact, most of them feared for his life. But in what the Africans call the miracle at 4:00 A.M., he became a champion once more. [ Applause ] And as the years passed and those slowed by Parkinson's, Muhammad was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to support the victims of poverty and strife. He served as a UN messenger of peace and traveled to places like war-torn Afghanistan, he campaigned as an advocate for reducing the debt of third world debt. 17;01;42 He stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from Iraq. [ applause ] As his voice grew softer, his message took on greater meeting. He came full circle with the people of his country. When he lit a torch that seemed to create new light in the 1996 Olympics. [ Applause ] Muhammad always knew instinctively the road he needed to travel. His friends know what I mean when I say he lived in the moment. He neither dwelled in the past nor harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammad loved to laugh and he loved to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was sure-footed in his self-awareness, secure in his faith and he did not fear death. Yet, his timing is once again poignant. His passing and his meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in a world and divisions at home, as to who we are as a people, Muhammad's life provides useful guidance. 17;02;58 Muhammad was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love and the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions, saw truth in all faith and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammad may have challenged his government but he never ran from it or from America. [ Applause ] He loved this country and he understood the hard choices that are born of freedom. I think he saw a nation's soul measured by the soul of its people. For his part, he saw the good soul in everyone and if you were one of the lucky ones to have met him, you know what I meant. He awoke every morning thinking about his own salvation and he would often say, I just want to get to heaven and I've got to do a lot of good deeds to get there. And I think Muhammad's hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our families. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;04;38 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, Maryam Ali. 17;04;50 MARYAM ALI >> Peace be with you, everyone here, and on behalf of the Ali family, I just want to say thank you to Louisville, Kentucky, all the love you've shown us in our lives has been unbelievable. Also, I want to thank the entire globe. My father was loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming but it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you just like you love us. Thank you very much. [ Applause ] 17;05;23 As you know, my father loved poetry. He was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had poems of the heart, spiritual poems and poems to promote and I just wrote a piece for him, in honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loved my father. It's called "Thank you our dear father." My heart was sore when your sick spirit soared. Your physical body is no more but my mind tells different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. 17;06;02 Most importantly, the belief in god who created humanity to thrive in quality. You fought for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights. Staring right into the eyes of oppression, you proclaim your beautiful complexion. Your god-given skills, your independent will and the freedom of your faith. As your daughter, I am grateful for all of our conversations about men, women and relationships. Guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self, refusing anyone to chip away at my esteem and expect the respect of a queen. [ Applause ] Thank you, our dear father, for asking us to think about our purpose and showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvel that your sincere love for people as you treated all who approached you with dignity. Whether they were rich or poor, your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone as beneath you. 17;07;25 So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them as you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If I had every dollar for every story, I could pay for the sky. Your family is so proud of the legacy you left behind. But I hope that the history of you can help turn the tide of self-hate and violence, because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic deaths. Here on the soil, American soil, in the Middle East or anywhere else in this world, we crave for peace. That peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you graced this Earth. You will be greatly missed. But now we send you off in celebration, a blown kiss and prayers. As you enter your final round. God's last boxing bell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all love you. Thank you very much. 17;09;02 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Rasheda Ali Walsh. 17;09;20 RASHEDA ALI >> I'm, we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here today. To celebrate our father. You are the greatest father to us. And it was God's will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud, and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us in the world to be the best version of ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world in life. Now you're shaking up the world in death. 17;10;23 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) Daddy is looking at us now, right and saying, I told you I was the greatest! No one compares to you, daddy. You once said I know where I'm going. And I know the truth. And I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be who I am. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly, butterfly, fly. [ Applause ] 17;11;45 ALI DINICOLA Hello. My name is Ali DiNicola. I was born on Muhammad Ali's birthday, I was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from Muhammad's example of kindness and understanding. When Muhammad was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said I like to, I like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness, he took one court of laughter, one pinch of concern and then he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. He spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met. Thank you. 17;12;56 ANNOUNCER>>> Ladies and gentlemen, Natasha boncouer. Natasha boncouer: Before I begin, I would just like to say that I'm truly humbled and honored to be here. And I would like to thank the Muhammad Ali center and the Ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak. And to echo the voice that Muhammad has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man. A man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible. A man who once reached up through the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8-year-old girl. Whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin. But instead of drawing on that pain from the distorted reality, she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall in the face of pelting rain and shouted -- I am the disturbance in the sea of your complacency. And I will never stop shaking your waves. 17;14;30 And his voice echoed through hers. Through mine. And she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and she threw them back with a voice so powerful that it turned all the pain that she had faced in her life into strength. And tenacity. And now that 8-year-old girl stands before you, to tell you that Ali's cry still shakes these waves today. 17;15;11 (shot of Ali's wife) That we are to find strength in our identities. Whether we are black or white or Asian or hispanic. Lgbt, disabled or able-bodied. Muslim, jewish, hindu or Christian. His cry represents those who have not been heard, and invalidates the idea that we are to be confirmed to one normative standard. That is what it means to defeat the impossible. Because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing! [ Applause ] 17;16;15 When I look into this crowd I smile. I smile to recognize that he is not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me. And he lives in every person that he has touched in every corner of this world. (shot of Ali's wife) Reality was never a limitation for Ali. For us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down. Because we are Ali. We are greater than the rocks or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. So let me tell you a story about a man. His name is Muhammed Ali. He is the greatest of all time. He is from Louisville, Kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. (shot of Ali's wife) And his story is far from over. Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife applauding) 17;18;26 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, John Ramsey. 17;18;35 John Ramsey First of all, on behalf of my fellow Louisvillians to the Ali family, we offer our condolences our heartfelt prayers and for Lonnie Ali a very special prayer. We know that Muhammad was blessed with many gifts but none more precious than Lonnie Ali and we thank you so much. (shot of Ali's wife) You know, I've got to tell you, Louisville, when I was in the procession today and saw the tens and thousands of people and all of the warmth and the love and the respect that was shown for Muhammad, I've got to tell you, my heart swelled with pride. I know he was watching from above and I know he absolutely loved it. He-- I don't think he'd be surprised. I think Muhammad would say, Louisville, Kentucky, the greatest city of all times. I'm feeling good. Man. I tell you what, how can we lose with the stuff we use? [ laughter] I'm feeling so good, I think I'm going to make a comeback and change my name back to Walnut street. That's how good I feel. [ laughter ] 17;19;46 You know, for me, I always felt connected to Muhammad even before I had met him. You know, maybe it was the fact that I was a Louisville boy. Maybe it's the fact that I loved the Louisville Cardinals, like Muhammad. You know, but as our relationship evolved, I found that a lot of people felt this personal connection with Muhammad. And that's part of the Ali magic. You know, initially, for a lot of men my age and certainly myself, it was the athlete that I was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, that grace not only made him the heavyweight champion of the world three times but it made him "Sports illustrated" sportsman of the century, the A.P. Athlete of the century and certainly made him the athlete -- a once in a lifetime athlete. But I would argue that the combination of compassion, kindness, love and the ability to lift us up made him a once in a lifetime person. [ Applause ] 17;20;55 You know, Muhammad was blessed with many gifts, as I said, and he was a wise and faithful steward of those gifts. There's many stories about Muhammad but there is a couple that really to me encapsulate what he was all about. I remember back in 2000, I made a trip to the summer olympics with Muhammad and one day he decided we were going to go see a boxing match and I remember we're ringside, the American wins, 15,000 people are chanting, usa, usa! And I thought, this is my olympic moment. You know, I was filled with patriotic pride. The boxer came down from the ring, he took the obligatory picture with Muhammad, the fist to chin shot, hundreds of photographers from around the world were taking pictures, you know, thousands of people cheering for Muhammad and this victorious fighter. 17;21;47 And then Muhammad leaned down to me whispered in my ear, he said, I want to see the loser. I say, excuse me? I want to see the loser. So, I motioned over to an Olympic official and I said, you know Muhammad wants to see the loser. Can we go to the losing locker room? And we get to the losing locker room and there's not tens of thousands of people, there's not any photographers. There's just a kid in the corner on a stool, he's got a towel around his neck, he's got a bloody mouth under his eye. This has got to be the lowest point of his athletic career at the very least. He felt like he let down his country. He is defeated. And the vibe in that room was literally the lowest of low. But then when Muhammad walks in, this kid recognizes him instantly and in broken English he says Muhammad Ali and Muhammad started dancing he said show me what you've got man, show me, and Mohammad starts throwing out jabs and this kid starts ducking and smiling. Muhammad grabs him in a bear hug. He said, I saw what you did out there, man, you look good. You are moving good, you can be a champion, man. Don't give up. And I remember, it warmed my heart how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. 17;22;58 And -- [ applause ] And I remember, I got in the car and I said to Muhammad, I said, Mohammad try to be a nice guy but I've got to tell you, I was caught up in the moment. I didn't give that losing fighter a second thought. I said mohammad you're the greatest. Muhammad said, tell me something I don't already know. [ laughter ] He -- and -- but what I don't want people to forget, no doubt, to me he's the finest example of a human that I've ever seen. The finest example of a great human being that I've ever seen of the kindness that a human possesses. That was Muhammad Ali, but don't forget about this, man. Muhammad was the coolest cat in the room. I mean, he was good looking, he had charm, he had charisma, he had swagger before he knew that swagger was. I mean, I remember, I went to -- when -- was about 25 years ago, he came to town to visit his mother and he wanted to go to outback steakhouse. I has a friend there, was big Mohammad fan, so we came in and at the time here in Louisville, there was a fireman's convention and all of these guys had their engine numbers on their shirt and sure enough I had seen this thing a million times. Man, these guys line up for an autograph. I said, to Muhammad, I said Muhammad, if you'd like, I'll play the bad guy. You know I tell them to let you eat, and you can sign autographs later. 17;24;25 Muhammad would have none of it. He said, no, I'll sign between bites. He's taking bites of his food and he's signing. This one guy walks up, and you could tell he was a big fan. I mean he knew Muhammad. He was scared to death, he-- all of his adrenaline, he said Champ, he said I saw the stand you made, in the civil rights movement, I saw your stand against the Vietnam war. He said, I've got to tell you, champ, you're my hero. He said, I've got a picture of you at my firehouse. You are my hero. Muhammad instantly he wanted to change the channel. So he said to the guy, he said, you know, you're the real hero jumping in fire, saving lives, saving babies, putting your life on the line, he said, man, you are the real hero. And the fireman responds real quickly. I mean he knew all of the nicknames, he said, man, but you, you fought the bear, sonny Liston. He said, You fought the rabbit, patterson, you fought big George Foreman, you fought smokin Joe Frazier. 17;25;15 And Muhammad interrupted real quick and he goes, yeah, but Joe wasn't really smoking. [ laughter ] And I said, Muhammad that's a good line. He goes, you're right. Write that down. But it wasn't all about signing autographs and kissing babies. If there was a village that needed food in a third-world country, Muhammad was on the plane, will travel with check. If there was a conflict and he could be part of a resolution, again, Muhammad will travel. As Lonnie had mentioned, if there were hostages to be released, Muhammad was a man of action. One of my favorite quotes and I think it's right here in your program, Muhammad said service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth and I just want to say, champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [ Applause ] Your rent is paid in full! 17;26;15 (shot of Ali's wife standing up clapping) And you know, in fact, I think he's paid it forward. Because he has taught us to love rather than to hate. To look for commonalities rather than differences. So therefore I think he's really paid it forward for all of us. So, as we all know now, you know, the fight is over but I'm here to tell you, the decision is in and it is unanimous, because of Muhammad Ali, we all win. The world wins. Thank you so much, Muhammad. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace. And thank you so very much. 17;27;30 BILLY CRYSTAL >> Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We're at the halfway point. I was clean shaven when this started. Dear Lonnie, family, friends, Mr. President, members of the clergy, all of these amazing people here in Louisville, today this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting, he is still the champion of the world. [ Applause ] Last week, when we heard the news, time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no global catastrophes. The world stopped, took a deep breath and sighed. Since then, my mind has been racing through my relationship with this amazing man, which is now 42 years that I've known him. Every moment I can think of is cherished. While others can tell you of his accomplishments, he wanted me to speak and tell you of some personal moments we had together. 17;28;52 I met him in 1974. I was just getting started as a stand-up comedian and struggling. But I had one good routine. It was a three-minute conversation between Howard and Muhammad where I would imitate both of them. Muhammad had just defeated George foreman and sports magazine made him the man of the year. A great man, editor for "Sport," was going to host this televised dinner honoring Muhammad. So dick called my agent looking for a comedian who did some sports material. As fate would have it, that comedian was not available and she wisely said -- it's destiny, man. And she wisely said, but listen, I've got this young kid and he does this great imitation and I don't know why, but dick said, okay, I'll try him. I couldn't believe it. My first time on television and it would be with Ali. I ran to the plaza hotel, the event was packed. He said, how should I introduce you? No one knows who you are. And I said, just say I'm one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. And my thought was, I'll get right to the microphone, go into my how word cosell and I'll be fine and I move into the jam ballroom and that's when I saw him for the first time in person. It's very hard to describe how much he meant to me. You had to live in his time. It's great to look at clips and it's amazing that we have them but to live in his time, watching his fights, his experience of the genius of his talent was absolutely extraordinary. Every one of his fights was the aura of a super bowl. He predicted the round that he would knock somebody out and then he would do it. He was funny. He was beautiful. 17;30;57 He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw and those were his own words. But he was so much more than a fighter as time went on, with Bobby Kennedy gone, martin Luther king gone, Malcolm X gone, who was there to relate to when Vietnam exploded in our face? There were millions of young men my age, eligible for the draft for a war that we didn't believe in. And all of us huddled on the conveyor belt that was rapidly feeding the was machine. But it was Ali who stood up for us by standing up for himself. And after he was stripped of the title-- after he was stripped of the title and the right to fight anywhere in the world, he gave speeches at colleges and on television that totally reached me. He seemed as comfortable talking to kings and queens as the lost and unrequited. 17;31;49 He never lost his sense of humor even as he lost everything else, he was always himself, willing to give up everything for what he believed in. And his passionate rhetoric about the life and plight of black people in our country resonated strongly in my house. I grew up in a house that was dedicated to civil rights. My father was a producer of jazz concerts in New York City and was one of the first to integrate bands in the 40s and 50s. Jazz musicians referred to my dad as the branch rickey of Jazz concerts. My uncle and my family, jewish people, produced strange fruit, billie holiday's classic song describing the lynching of African-Americans in this country. And so I felt him, and now there he was just a few feet from me. I couldn't stop looking at him and he seemed to like glow and he was like in slow motion, his amazing face smiling and laughing. 17;32;41 I was seated a few seats from him on the day I said, and in the room all of these athletes in their individual sports, great ones, Gino Marchetti, of the Baltimore Cults, Franco Harries of the Steelers, Archie Griffith who won the Heisman from Ohio state, literally legends, Neil Simon, george plimton, all in a day fawning over Ali who then looked at me [laughter] with an expression that seemed to say what is Joe gray doing here? Mr. Schapp introduced me as one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. Two people clapped. My wife and the agent. I rose, Ali is still staring at me, I passed right behind him, got to the podium, went right into Cocell, hello, everyone, Howard Cocell coming to you live from Zaire. Some people would pronounce it Zaire. They are wrong. It got big laughs and then I went into the Ali. 17;33;49 Everybody's talking about George Foreman, talking about George foreman, george Forman is ugly, he's just so slow. George was slow. I kind of-- and then I got-- and I'm still faster at 33 years of age. I'm so fast I can turn the lights be in my bed before the room gets dark. [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife) I'm announcing tonight that I've got new religious beliefs. From now on I want to be known as Ezzie escowitz (?) I am now an orthodox Jew Izzie Escowitz (?) and I am the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The audience exploded. See, no one had ever done him before and here he was a white kid from Long Island imitating the greatest of all time and he was loving it. When I was done, he gave me this big bear hug and he whispered in my ear, you're my little brother. 17;34;46 Which is what he always called me until the last time that I saw him. We were always there for each other. If he needed me for something, I was there.He came for anything I asked him to do. Most memorable, he was an honorary chairman for a dinner and a very important event where I was being honored by the hebrew university in Jerusalem. He did all of this promotion for it. He came to the dinner. He sat with my family the entire evening. He took photographs with everybody. The most famous Muslim man in the world honoring his jewish friend. And -- [ applause ] 17;35;26 Because he was there, because he was there, we raised a great deal of money and I was able to use it to endow the university in Jerusalem with something that I told to him about and it was something that he loved the theory of. And it thrives to this day. It's called peace through the performing arts. It's a theater group where Israeli, Arab and Palestinian actors, writers and directors all work together in peace creating original works of art. [ Applause ] And that doesn't happen without him. I had so many -- so many funny and unusual moments with him. I sat next to him at Howard Cosell's funeral, a very somber day to be sure. Closed casket was on the stage, Muhammad and I were sitting somewhere over there next to each other. And he quietly whispered to me, little brother, do you think he's wearing his hairpiece? [ Laughter ] 17;36;30 So I said, I don't think so. Well, then how will god recognize him? [ Laughter ] So I said, champ, once he opens his mouth, God will know. So we started laughing. It was a muffled laugh at first but then we couldn't contain ourselves. There we were, at a funeral, me with Muhammad Ali laughing like two little kids who heard something dirty in church, you know, we were just laughing and laughing. And then he looked at me and he said, Howard was a good man. One time he asked me if I would like to run with him one morning. Do road work with him. I said, that would be amazing. I said, where do you run? He said, I run at this country club and I run on the golf course early in the morning, it's very private, nobody bothers me. We'll have a great time. I said, champ, I can't run there. The club has a reputation for being restricted. What does restricted mean? They don't allow Jews there. They don't have any jewish members. He was incensed. 17;37;38 I'm a black Muslim and they let me run there. Little brother, I'm never going to run there again. And he didn't. [ Applause ] My favorite memory was 1979. He had just retired and there was a retirement party at the forum in los Angeles for Muhammad and 20,000 of his closest friends in los Angeles. I performed a piece that I had created, the imitation had grown into a life story. It's called 15 rounds. And I'd play them from the age of 18 until he's 36 ready for the rematch with Leon Spinks. I posted it on the internet last week, footage that nobody had ever seen before, of me portraying Ali doing his life for him all those years ago in 1979. There were 20,000 people there. But I was doing it only for him. That's one of my favorite performances that I have ever done in my life. I sort of got lost in him. I didn't even know where I was at the end of the performance. And suddenly I'm backstage with another heavyweight champion, Richard Pryor and Pryor 's holding on to me crying and then I see Ali coming and he's got a full head of steam, he is looking only at me, nudged Mr. Pryor aside and he whispered in my ear with a big bear hug, little brother, you made my life better than it was. 17;39;10 But didn't he make all of our lives a little bit better than they were? [ Applause ] That -- that, my friends, is my history with the man that I've labored to come up with a way to describe the legend. He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by mother nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty. We've seen still photographs of lightning bolts at the moment of impact, ferocious in his strength and magnificent in his elegance. And at the moment of impact it lights up everything around it. So you can see everything clearly. Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm, his power toppled the mightiest of foes and its intense light shone on America and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self-realization, courage, laughter, love, joy, religious freedom for all. 17;40;18 Ali forced us to take a look at ourselves. This young man who thrilled us, angered us, confused and challenged us ultimately became a silent messenger of peace who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls. [Applause] (shot of Ali's wife) 17;40;50 My friends, only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a mozart or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them and yet at his heart he was still a kid from Louisville who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all. He is gone but he will never die. He was my big brother. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;41;47 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Bryant Gumbel. 17;41;58 BRYANT GUMBEL >> The great Maya Angelou who was herself no stranger to fame wrote that ultimately people forget what you said and people will forget what you did but that no one will ever forget how you made them feel. That's applied to Muhammad Ali, the march of time may one day diminish his boast and his poetry, maybe even his butterflies and bees. It may even one day dull the memories of the thrilla in Manila and the rumble in the jungle. But I doubt any of us will ever forget how Muhammad Ali made us feel. I'm not talking about how proud he made you feel with his exploits or how special he made you feel when you were privileged enough to be in his company.I'm talking about how he ripped our hearts and our souls and our conscience and made our fights his fights for decades. People like me, who were once young, semi-gifted and black will never forget what he freed within us. Some of us like him took pride in being black, bold and brash. And because we were so unapologetic, we were in the eyes of many, way too uppity. We were way too arrogant. Yet we reveled in being like him. By stretching society's boundaries as he did, he gave us levels of strength and courage we didn't even know we had. But Ali's impact was not limited to those of a certain race or of a certain religion or of a certain mindset. The greatness of this man for the ages was that he was, in fact, a man for all ages. Has any man ever a greater arc to his life? What does it say of a man, any man that he can go from being viewed as one of his country's most polarizing figures to arguably his most beloved. [ Applause ] And to do so without changing his nature or, for a second, compromising his principles. Yeah, you know, there were great pauses and national movements and huge divisions that afforded Ali unusual opportunities to symbolize our struggles. But Harry Truman had it right when he said men make history and not the other way around. Or as Lauren hill so nicely put it, consequence is no coincidence. Befitting his stature as the goat, Muhammad Ali never shied away from a fight. He fought not just the biggest and baddest men of his day inside the ropes but outside the ring he also went toe to toe with critics, outside of societal norms, the U.S. Government. He even fought ultimately to his detriment the limitations of father time. Strictly speaking, fighting is what he did. But he broadened that definition by sharing his struggles with us and by viewing our struggles as his. And so it was that at various times he accepted and led battles on behalf of his race in support of his generation, in defense of his religious beliefs and ultimately in spite of his disease. I happen to have been overseas working in Norway this past week. My buddy Matt called. Told me the champ had been taken to the hospital. This time it was really serious. Right away I called Lonnie who was, as always, a pillar of strength. And as we discussed the medical details, the doctors' views and the ugly realities of mortality, Lonnie said, Bryant, the world still needs him and indeed it does. The world needs a champion who always worked to bridge the economic and social divides that threaten the nation that he dearly loved. The world needs a champion that always symbolized the best of Islam to offset the hatred born of fear. And the world needs a champion who believed in fairness and inclusion for all. Hating people because of their color is wrong, Ali said, and it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong. [ Applause ] Yeah, we do need Muhammad Ali now. We needed strength and the hope, the compassion, the conviction that he always demonstrated. But this time, our beloved champion is down. And for once he will not get up. Not this time. Not ever again. Let me close with a quick personal story. 50 years ago, Muhammad Ali defeated George devalo in Toronto, Canada. The very next day, he showed up in my neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. As Ali got out of the car in the driveway at the home, I happened to be next door shooting hoops in a friend's backyard. I, of course, quickly ran to the fence and for the first time in I was 17. I was awe struck. And man, I thought he was the greatest. Now a half century and a lifetime of experiences later, I am still awe struck and I am convinced more than ever that Muhammad Ali is the greatest. [ Applause ] To be standing here by virtue of his and Lonnie's request, is an honor. To be here today as he goes to his grave is a moment I will take to mine. God bless you, champ. [ Applause ] >> Ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the united States, the honorable William Jefferson Clinton. [ Applause ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 558P WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 17;51;17 BILL CLINTON >> Thank you. I can just hear Muhammad saying now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. 17;51;51 I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second half of his life greater than the first. Thank you for the Muhammad Ali center and what it has come to represent to so many people. Here's what I'd like to say. I spent a lot of time now as I get older and older and older trying to figure out what makes people tick, how do they turn out the way they are, how do some people refuse to become victims and rise from every defeat. We've all seen the beautiful pictures of the home of Muhammad Ali and people visiting and driving by. I think you decided something I hope every young person here will decide. I think he decided very young to write his own life story. 17;53;39 I think he decided before he could possibly have worked it all out and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided that he would not be ever disempowered. He decided not his race or his place or expectations of others, positive, negative or otherwise would stop him from writing his own story. He decided first to use these stunning gifts. His strength and speed in the ring, his wit and way with words, and managing the public, and finding out at a fairly young age who he was, what he believed, and how to live with the consequences of acting on what he believed. 17;54;50 A lot of people make it to steps one and two and still just can't quite manage living with the consequences of what he believed. For the longest time in spite of all the wonderful things that have been said here, I remember thinking when I was a kid this guy is so smart and he never got credit for being as smart as he was. And then I don't think he ever got the credit for being, until later, as wise as he was. In the end besides being a lot of fun to be around and basically universal soldier for our common humanity, I will always think of Muhammad as a truly free man of faith. 17;55;50 And being a man of faith he realized he would never be in full control of his life. Something like Parkinson's could come along. But being free, he realized that life still was open to choices. It is choices that Muhammad Ali made that brought us all here today in honor and love. And the only other thing I would like to say, the first part of his life was dominated by the triumph of his truly unique gifts. We should never forget them, we should never stop looking at the movies. Thank Will Smith for making his movie. We should all be thrilled. It was a thing of beauty. But the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by a disease that kept him hamstrung longer than Mandela was kept in prison in South Africa. 17;57;20 That is in the second half of his life, he perfected gifts that we all have, every single solitary one of us have gifts of mind and heart. It is just that he found a way to release them in ways large and small. I asked Lonnie the time when they were still living in Michigan and I gave a speech in southwest Michigan to an economic club there, and sort of a ritual when a president leaves office, and you know, you had to get reacclimated, nobody plays a song when you walk in a room any more, you don't really know what you're supposed to do, and this club, the economic club, they're used to acting like you deserve to be listened to, they have to be reacclimated. So they came to me to this dinner and he sat with me at this dinner. 17;58;26 And he knew, somehow he knew that I was a little off my feet that night. I was trying to imagine how to make this new life and so he told me a really bad joke. And he told it so well and he laughed so hard that I totally got on board and had a great time. He had that feel about, you know, there's no textbook for that, knowing where somebody else is in their head, picking up the body language. Then Lonnie and Muhammad got me to come here when we had the dedication of the Muhammad Ali center, and I was trying to be incredibly gray haired elder states man, dignified, I have to elevate this guy, I am saying all this stuff in high tone, language, and Muhammad sneaks up behind me, puts his fingers up. (shot of wife laughing) 17;58;35 Finally after all the years we had been friends, my endearing image of him is like three shots. The boxer, the man I watched take the last steps to light the olympic flame when I was president, and I'll never forget it, I was sitting there in Atlanta, we knew each other, by then I felt I had some sense of what he was living with, and I was still weeping like a baby, seeing his hands shake, his legs shake, and knowing by god he was going to make those last few steps no matter what it took, the flame would be lit, the fight would be won. I knew it would happen. [ Applause ] 5532 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE FIBER PATH POOL P2 18;00;49 And then this. The children whose lives he touched, the young people he inspired. That's the most important thing of all. So ask you to remember that. We all have an Ali story. It's the gift we all have that should be most honored today because he released them to the world. Never wasting a day the rest of us could see feeling sorry he had Parkinson's, knowing more than three decades of his life would be circumscribed in ways that would be chilling to the naked eye. 18;01;43 But with the free spirit it made his life bigger, not smaller. Because other people, all of us unlettered, unschooled said would you look at that. Look at that. May not be able to run across the ring any more, may not be able to dodge everybody, exhaust everybody any more, and he's bigger than ever because he is a free man of faith sharing the gifts we all have. We should honor him by letting our gifts go among the world as he did. God bless you, my friend, go in peace.

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CBS POOL FTG MUHAMMAD ALI MEMORIAL SERVICEH/T JAKE INGRASSIA, PAOLA CONTARDO AND SUNNY CHOO WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 15;10:47 Bill Clinton walks in 15;11;45 -- service starts 15;11;49 >> All praises due to the lord god of the world. Now please be seated, ladies and gentlemen. In accordance with Muslim tradition, and consistent with the wishes of Muhammad Ali, may god have mercy on him. We begin this program with a brief recitation from the Koran, the scripture of the muslims. A young Imam of the midtown mosque in Memphis, Tennessee, where he's spearheading a neighborhood renewal effort in one of the most blighted neighborhood in Memphis and that effort is centered around the mosque, one of the few African-American graduates of the university. He will share with us a few verses from the Koran. 15;12;50 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Hamza Abdul Malik. [ Applause ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;13;12 [ Speaking foreign language ] [ Speaking foreign language ] 15;17;10 (shot of Ali's wife) >> Now with the translation of those verses we would like to bring to the stage the second generation daughter of Syrian immigrants. She's an excellent student. In her spare time, in recent years, she raises money to provide medical supplies, surgical instruments and other forms of medical assistance for Syrian refugees fleeing from the horror of the current conflict in that land and we pray that almighty god brings it to a succession soon. 15;18;00 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Ia Kutma. [ Applause ] 15;18;14 >> In the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful, truly those who say our lord is god and our upright the angels will descend upon them saying, have neither fear nor sadness, but rather, rejoice in this paradise that you have been promised. We are your allies in this lower life in the hereafter. Where you will have your heart's desire and you will have whatever you ask for. Hospitably from the one most forgiving, most merciful. Who is more beautiful in speech than the one who invites to god and does righteous works saying, truly, I am submitted to god? For good and evil are not equal. 15;19;13 Repel ugliness with beauty and behold the one between you and whom there was enmity is transformed into a warm friend. But no one arrives at the station without great patience and immense fortune. Through prostration, chapter 41 verses 30 to 35. Thank you. [Applause] 15;19;45 (shot of Ali's daughter) >> I forgot to mention that she is a louisvillean, a proud resident of this city. [Applause] 15:20 15;20;05 >> Oh, god, miss this day of ours, you are our protector. What an excellent protector, an excellent helper. Honorable president Bill William J. Clinton, distinguished guests, viewing audience, on behalf of the Ali family, and the city of Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the people's champ. [Applause] 15;20;50 >> Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. [Chanting] Ali, Ali. 15;21;00 >> We're dealing with time here, folks. Louisville, Kentucky, admirably led by mayor Greg fisher, I would like to welcome you. Give it up for the mayor. [Applause] >> I would like to welcome you to this memorial service for the people's champ, Muhammad Ali. And this time, we would like to introduce our first speaker. Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby. [Applause] 15;21;50 >> Were it not for time, since Cosby rhymes with Ali, we would we would say, Cosby, Cosby, but time doesn't permit. Reverend Cosby is senior pastor of St. Steven church in Louisville, Kentucky. Due greatly to his dynamic bible teachings his congregation has grown over the long years of his ministry. Reverend Cosby combines passion, wit, and intellect as the foundation of the inspirational ministry that is transformed the lives of thousands of individuals. Reverend Cosby. [Applause] 15;22;39 >> Dr. Reverend Kevin W. Cosby: Thank you. I looked into the dictionary for the word, fidelity. And it had two words. Lonnie Ali. [Applause] 15;22;57 >> In 1967, nine months prior to his assassination and martyrdom, Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Was interviewed by merv griffin on "The merv griffin show". Merv griffin asked Dr. King a relevant question. He said, Dr. King, what has been the greatest affect and impact that the civil rights struggle has had on the Negro? Dr. King paused and said, besides the dismantling of barriers that prohibited the Negro from free access, the greatest and most profound effect that the civil rights struggle had was that it infused in the Negro something that the anything Negro needed all along. 15:24:07 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;24;00 And that was a sense of somebodiness. You will never be able to appreciate what Dr. King meant when he said, the negro needed a sense of somebodiness until you understand the 350 years of nobodiness that was infused into the psyche of people of color. Every sacred document in our history, every hallowed institution, conspired to convince the African in America that when god made the African, that god was guilty of creative malfeasance. 15;24;55 All of the documents from the constitution said to the Negro, that you're nobody. The constitution said that we were three-fifths of a person. Decisions by the supreme court, like the dred Scott decision, said to the Negro, to the African, you had no rights that whites were bound to respect. And even Francis Scott key, in his writing of "The star spangled banner" we sang, verse one, but in verse three he celebrates slavery by saying, no refuge can save the harrowing enslaved from the sorrow of night or the death of the grave. Every institution from religion to entertainment, from Amos and Andy to Jane and tarzan, infused in the psyche of the Negro, that he was inferior. 15;26;06 But something happened to the depression generation and the World War II generation of African-Americans. Jackie Robinson picked up his bat and hit a ball and the Brooklyn dodgers win the pennant. Joe Louis dismantles the pride of Aryan supremacy by knocking out max melling in 124 seconds. Jesse Lewis runs at ambulatory speed and wins four gold medals. Rosa parks sits on a bus in 1955 and a young seminary student from Boston university stands up and takes the complex ideas of _____ and dips it chocolate so big mama can understand it. 15;27;02 And then from Louisville. [Cheering] -- Emerged the civil-tongued poet who took the ethos of somebodiness to unheard of heights. Before James brown said, I'm black and I'm proud. Muhammad Ali said I'm black and I'm pretty. [Laughter] 15:27:38 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;27;44 >> Black and pretty was an oxymoron. Blacks did not say pretty. The first black millionaire in this country was not Oprah but madam C.J. Walker who made products in order to help black people escape their Africanity. But Muhammad Ali said I'm proud. I'm pretty. I'm glad of who I am. And when he said that, that infused in Africans a sense of somebodiness. 15;28;25 To extrapolate Muhammad Ali from the times in which he lives is called historic presentism. It is to talk about George Washington and not talk about the American revolution to talk about Abraham Lincoln and not talk about the civil war. It's to talk about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and not talk about the depression and World War II. Our brother, Muhammad Ali, was a product of a difficult time. And he dared to love black people. 15;29;05 At a time when black people had a problem loving themselves. [Applause] He dared. He dared to affirm the beauty of blackness. He dared to affirm the power and the capacity of African-Americans. He dared to love America's most unloved race. And he loved us all, and we loved him because he -- we knew he loved us. He loved us all. Whether you lived in the suburbs or whether you lived in the slums. Whether you lived on the avenue or whether you lived in an alley. Whether you came from the penthouse or whether you lived in the projects. Whether you came from Morehouse or whether you had no house, whether you were high yellow or boot black, Muhammad Ali loved you. Our city is known for two things. It's known for Muhammad Ali, it is known for the Kentucky derby. 15;30;19 We hope you will come back and visit our city. The first Saturday in may, we hope you will place a bet on one of the horses, but if you do, please know the rules. What will happen is the horses start in the starting gate and then the signal will be given think will run in the mud for two minutes. And the winner will then be led to the winner's circle where a right of roses will be placed around the horse's neck. We want you to make a bet but please know the rules. You cannot bet for the horse once it's in the winner's circle. You have to bet for the horse while it's still in the mud. [Applause] 15;31;09 And there are lot of people, a lot of people who will bet and have bet on Muhammad Ali when he was in the winner's circle. But the masses bet on him while he was still in the mud. [Applause] Kareem abdul-jabbar stood with him when he was in the mud, Jim brown stood with him when he was in the mud. Bill Russell stood with him when he was in the mud. Howard cosell stood with him when he was in the mud. 15:31:24 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;31;51 Please don't mishear me. I am not saying that Muhammad Ali is the property of black people. He is the property of all people. [Applause] But while he is the property of all people, let us never forget that he is the product of black people in their struggle to be free. [Applause] I went looking for Jesus on a poor west-end street, looking that I would find him as he walked around with men and women with stumbling feet. People who had their heads bowed low because they were broke and had nowhere to go. But then I went looking for Jesus, way in the sky. Thinking he would wear a robe that would dazzle my eye. When suddenly, Jesus came walking by with stumbling feet because he had been hanging with the poor on a west-end street. [Applause] 15:33:06 (shot of Ali's wife and family) 15;33;10 The Muhammad Ali of my childhood had a shuffle but as he grew older he walked with shuffling feet. And I will submit to you he walked with shuffling feet not because of Parkinson's disease but he walked with shuffling feet because he hanged out with the folk in west Louisville who had shuffling feet. Peace and god bless you. [Applause] 15;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife applauding and family standing up) 15;34;00 >> Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Don't give a teenager a telephone and don't give a preacher a microphone. [ laughter ] 15:34:15 (shot of Ali's wife) >> We'd like to bring Senator Orrin Hatch to the stage, now in this seventh term as Utah's senator, one of Utah's senators, he is the most senior Republican in the senate, author of some of the most far-reaching legislation in recent decades. Senator hatch is a seasoned and distinguished public servant. We're deeply honored by his presence today. [Applause] 15;35;00 >>Senator Orrin Hatch: Reverend, that was really good. It's hard for this poor old senator to have to follow that is all I can say. Well, the head of the first fight was Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali stood before a crowded pack of reporters and told the world unapologetically who he was. I'm the greatest. That's what he said. But this simple proclamation all took the history and -- Ali took the history and wrote his own title in the textbooks. He was not Muhammad Ali, the prize fighter. Or even the world champion. He was Muhammad all the greatest. His daughters dismissed this as bragging but Ali wasn't talking trash. He was speaking truth. And he was in the world of boxing, he truly was the greatest. [Applause] 15;36;13 (tight shot of ali's wife) 15;36;18 >> With the cut-throat quickness of a street fighter, and the simple grace of a ballerina, Ali moved with the killings like agility and punched with herculean strength. But to assume that Ali's greatness stems solely from his athletic prowess is to see half the man. Ali was great not only as an extraordinary fighter. He was a committed civil rights leader, an international diplomat, a forceful advocate of religious freedom, and effective emissary of Islam. He was something. He was caring as a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend. Indeed, it is as a personal friend that it witness Ali's greatness for myself.I first met Muhammad Ali 28 years ago. Almost to the day, to this day. 15:37:09 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 15;37;21 I was in my senate office and an assistant said you have a visitor, and I was really surprised that it was none other than the champion himself. The friendship we developed was puzzling to many people, especially to those who saw only our differences. I might say that where others saw a difference, Ali and I saw kinship. We were both dedicated to our families. And deeply devoted to our faiths. He took Islam, and I to the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. We were both products of humble backgrounds and hard scrabble youth. Ali grew up poor here in Louisville and I grew up poor in Pittsburgh. True, we were different in some ways but our differences fortified our friendship. 15;38;26 They did not define it. I saw greatness in Ali's ability to look beyond the horizon and our differences. To find common ground. This shared sensibility was the foundation of a rich and meaningful relationship that I will forever treasure. One of my fondest memories of our friendship when Ali joined news the Salt Lake -- going to listen to the Salt Lake Mormon tabernacle choir. I have to say, it was the same Mormon tabernacle choir -- Ali loved music, and he enjoyed the choir's performance, but he seemed most excited to share his own religious beliefs with those who came to hear the Christian hymns. Ali attracted big crowds that day, and as he always did, and he gave everyone autographed pamphlets explaining his Muslim beliefs. 15;39;31 Hundreds of mormons lined up to grab the pamphlets, and of course I took one for myself. I respected his deeply held convictions just as he respected mine. In our relationship it was anchored by our different faiths. Ali was open to goodness. In all of its diverse realities and varieties. On another occasion, I took Ali to primary children's hospital in Salt Lake City. We visited with downtrodden children who perhaps had never smiled a day in their lifetime. Until Ali showed up. Ali held those kids and looked into their eyes. They would grin from ear to ear. These are kids that never smiled. They were so pained. The nurses were astounded. Never before had they seen someone who had connected so immediately and profoundly with these sick children. 15;40;35 Ali had a special way with kids as we all know. He may have been a tough and tenacious man in the ring, but he was a compassionate and tender around those that he loved. 15:40:48 (shot of Ali's wife) Through all of his ferocity as a fighter, Ali was also a peacemaker, a particular radio host in Utah berated me constantly on the air waves. Week after week. One day the host asked if I were arrange for Ali to meet Utah's former middleweight champion, James Fulmer, for a joint interview. Ali agreed. Knowing that the appearance could help me build some good will, but he also was very interested in meeting James(?) as well. It was an unforgettable experience. Here were two champions, face-to-face, reminiscing about some of the best fights the world has ever seen, and I have to say, in the process, Ali claimed that radio host -- well, he charmed the radio host so much on my behalf, gently transforming an unrepentant antagonist into a respectful starring partner. 15;41;52 So dedicated was Ali to our friendship, that he joined me on the campaign trail during several election cycles. He came to Utah year after year to raise funds for a charity benefiting needy women, women in jeopardy, and families in our state. Ali didn't look at life through the binary lens of Republican and Democrat. So common today. He saw worthy causes and shared humanity. And always willingness to put principles ahead of partisanship, he showed us all the path to greatness. And I'll never forget that greatness. Nor will I ever forget him. [Applause] 15;42;47 There there were many faces to Ali's greatness. His abilities as a boxer, his charisma as a public figure, his benevolence as a father and as a friend. All of these made Ali great. But there was something else that made him the greatest. Ali was the greatest because, as a debilitated and unbroken champion for later years he put is to a greatness beyond ourselves, greatness beyond even Ali. He pointed us to the greatness of god. [Applause] 15;43;35 God raised up Ali to be the greatest fighter in the world of all-time. Yet he allowed Ali to wrestle with Parkinson's disease, an inescapable reminder we're all mortal, and that we are all dependent on god's grace. Ali believed this himself. He once told me, god gave me this condition to remind me always that I am human, and that only he is the greatest. [Applause] 15;44;12 Ali was an unsurpassed symbol of our universal dependence on the divine. He was the greatest because he reminded us all who truly is the greatest. God, our creator. I'm eternally grateful for my special bond with this special man, and for my friendship with his beloved wife, who I love dearly. She is one of the great women in this world. [Applause] 15;44;44 (shot of wife) She was dedicated to the very end and I pray that Ali rested peacefully and Ali will rest peacefully the presence of the greatest of all, even our gods. I can bear testimony that I believe in god. I believe that we're here on Earth for a reason. I believe that this Earth life is a time for us to do what is right for god and for our fellow men and women. I don't know that I've ever met anybody who did it any better than my friend, Muhammad Ali. [Applause] >> God bless you. God bless the family. 15;45;37 (shot of wife applauding) 15;45;45 >> Next we would like to welcome Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel to the stage. Father Kriegel has been instrumental -- has been the pastor of St. Patricks parish in Erie, PA. He was ordained in 1970 and named a domestic prebate with the title Monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1991. His wisdom, scholraship and spiritual guidance is a source of solace and guidance for catholics and members of other faith communities far far beyond his Pennsylvania home. Father Kriegel. 15;46;35 >> Monsignor Father Henry Kriegel: Let us pray. Loving eternal god, as we gather today in prayer, we do so with an abiding sense of gratitude. Our gratitude knows no bounds as we thakn you for the gift of this good and gentle man. Muhammed Ali opened our eyes to the evil of racism, to the absurdity of war. He showed us with incredible patience that a debilitating illness need never diminish joy and love in our lives. He chided our consciences, he awakened in us a deeper sense of the need to respect one another, to set aside racial differences. The legendary fighter of all time in reality taught us to heal, rather than to fight. To embrace, rather than to turn away. To include, rather than to exclude. While proclaiming himself to be the greatest, he showed us that his greatness lied in his love and concern for others. Most particularly the marginalized, the suffering, the helpless, the hopeless. You gift of him has enriched us, has made us better people, has created a more gentle world. We dare not return him to you today without expressing our gratitude for the gift of him. Amen. 15;47;50 (shot of Ali's wife) 15;48;22 >> Next we will hear a few brief remarks from Dr. Timothy Gianotti. Dr. Gianotti is a professor of islamic studies at the university of waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He is equally at home, busying himself with the affairs of the Muslim community as he is sitting in the library and burrowing through books. A true public intellectual. He is the initial and principal islamic adviser to the Ali family. He has been instrumental in assuring that the last days of Muhammad's life, his burial, his bathing, his shrouding, and his burial today, his funeral and burial today, all were in accordance with the strictures of Muslim law. So now I'd like to bring to you the person I affectionately call, brother, doctor, Imam, Timothy Gianotti. [Applause] 15;49;58 >> Dr. Timothy Gianotti: In the name of god who is the loving nurturer of the creation, and the ever compassionate and ever merciful, I'd like to share a prayer today. This is a prayer adapted from a there divisional prayer of the prophet Muhammad. My god's peace and blessings be upon him. But before I do so I would just like to say to the family, to Lonnie, to everyone here, that serving Muhammad Ali has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. 15;50;50 (shot of Ali's wife) Oh, god, you who are the light of the heavens and the Earth, grant our brother Muhammad a light in his heart. A light in his earthly body, now restored to the Earth. A light in his grave. A light before him as he journeys on to you. A light in all that he has left behind in this world. A light to his right, and the lights to his left. Oh, god, increase him inlight. Grant him light. A light in his deeds in this world and a light in the hereafter. A light in the hearts of those whom he loved. And a light in the eyes of those who loved him. 15;52;05 A light in those whom he knocked down. And a light in those whom he lifted up. A light in his words which echo in our hearts. A light in the lives of all those whom he touched. A light in his children and a light in their mothers. 15:52:40 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) A light in his grandchildren. And a light in his devoted wife, Lonnie. Oh, lord, increase your servants in light. And give him light. And embrace him in light. And fill us all with light .[ Foreign foreign ] 15;53;10 >> You who are the light odd Earth, you who are the most merciful of all those who show mercy. [Applause] 15;53;38 >> Next we'll hear a few words from rabbi Michael Lerner. Rabbi Lerner is the editor of a magazine, as the magazine's name suggests, rabbi Lerner has dedicated his life to working, to heal and repair the world. Rabbi Lerner is never afraid of ruffling a few feathers so we asked him to be nice today. Rabbi Lerner. [Applause] 15;54;23 >>Rabbi Michael Lerner: We'll see about the feathers. [Foreign chanting] >> Master of compassion, god of compassion, send your blessings to Muhammad Ali and send your blessings to all who mourn for him, and send your blessings for all the millions and millions of people who mourn for him all over this planet. I come here speaking as representative of American Jews, and to say that American Jews played an important role of solidarity with the African-American struggles in this country, and that we today stand in solidarity with islamic communities in this country and all around the world. [Applause] 15;55;23 We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down a Muslim and blaming muslims for a few people. [Cheers and applause] 15;55;40 (shot of Ali's wife and family standing up and clapping) (shot of Bill Clinton clapping) 15;55;50 We know what it's like to be demeaned. We know what it's like to have some -- a few people who act against the highest visions of our tradition, to then be identified as the value of the entire tradition. And one of the reasons that we in (?) magazine, a magazine of liberal and Progressive jews but also an interfaith magazine, have called upon the United States to stand up to the part of the Israeli government that is suppressing Palestinians, is that we as Jews understand that our commitment is to recognize that god has created everyone in god's image, and that everyone is equally precious. 15;56;33 And that means that Palestinian people as well as all other people on the planet. [Applause] I know the people of Louisville have a special relationship to Muhammad Ali, and I had a personal relationship in the '60s when both of us were indicted by the federal government and before our various stands against the war in Vietnam. I want to say that although he was cheered on as the heavyweight champion of the world, you know the truth is that in all the honor to him, that heavyweight champions of the world come and go, and sports heroes come and go. There was something about Muhammad Ali that was different. 15;57;24 At the key moment when he had that recognition, he used it -- to stand up to an immoral war and say, no, I won't go! [ Applause ] And it's for that reason that tens and millions of Americans who don't particularly care about boxing care about Muhammad Ali because he was a person who was willing to risk a great honor that he got and a great fame that he got to stand up for the beliefs that he had, to think truth to power when the rest of the people around him said, no, no, you're going to lose your championship and it was taken away from him for five years. But he stood up and was willing to take that kind of a risk because of that kind of moral integrity. [ Applause ] 15;58;22 So I want so say, how do we honor Muhammad Ali? The way to honor Muhammad Ali is to be Muhammad Ali today. That means us, everyone here and everyone listening, it's up to us to continue that ability to speak truth to power. We must speak out, refuse to follow the path of conformity to the rules of the game in life. We must refuse to follow the path of conformity. Tell the 1% who own 80% of the wealth of this country that it's time to share that wealth. Tell the politicians who use violence worldwide and then preach nonviolence to the oppressed, that it's time to end their drone warfare and every other form of warfare, to close our bases around the world, bring the troops home, tell those who committed mass incarceration that it's time to create a guaranteed income for everyone in our society. [ Applause ] 15;59;34 Tell judges to let out of prison the many African-Americans swept up by racist police and imprisoned by racist judges. [ Applause ] Many are in prison today for offenses like possessing marijuana that white people get away with all the time! [ Applause ] Tell our elected officials to imprison those who authorize torture and those who ran the big investment companies that caused the economic collapse of 2008. Tell the leaders of Turkey to stop killing the kurds. Tell Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that the way to get security is for Israel is to stop the occupation of the west bank and help create a Palestinian state. [ Applause ] 16;00;37 Tell the next president of the United States that -- tell the next president of the united States that she --- (shot of bill clinton smiling) Tell the next president of the united States that she should seek a constitutional amendment to make all national and state elects funds by congress and the state legislator and all other money be banned, all other money from companies companies and individuals and make it all public funding. 16;01;30 >> Tell her that the way to achieve homeland security is not for us to try new ways of domination, the strategy of domination in the world of the other to get security has been tried for the last ten thousand years and doesn't work. The way to get security is for the United States to become known as the most generous and caring country in the world, not the most powerful. [Applause] 16;02;00 We can start with a global and domestic plan to once and for all ended global and domestic poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care. So, I want to, as chair of the interfaith network of spiritual Progressives -- by the way, spiritual progressives.org come and join us -- I want to affirm our commitment to the well-being of all muslims on the planet as well as the people of all faiths and secular humanists as well. We wish to pay honor to muslims of the world as the continue today the fast of Ramadan, and join with them in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali, a great -- peace be upon him, peace be upon the prophet now ham -- Muhammad and peace on humanity and peace on all of us, amen. [Cheers and applause] 16;03;20 [Chanting] Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. Ali. >> Time, time, time is not on our side. After that speech, I have to edit my initial remarks, honorable first man William J. Clinton. Chief Sidney hill in 2002, Sidney Hill was selected as Tadodaho, or principal spiritual leader of its people a true friend of the earth and beloved to all who know him, he is a leader whose spirituality is coupled with a passionate pursuit of justice. We are honored that he has come here today to share a few words and a few thoughts with us. Chief Hill. [ Applause ] 16;04;44 >>Chief Sidney hill: [ Speaking only in foreign language ] 16;06;16 >>This is chairman Stevens with us, United Nation from our alliance (?) Nation. Translation: he said, my relatives, it is my responsibility to pick up the words for (?) the people of the longhouse. They wish you well. They want you to be at peace of mind. Now this great darkness that has happened to us, you must understand that you who have gathered us here, that his road is straight. Peacefully, he will arrive at his land. [foreign language] Our creator. It is the same as you call him, Allah. 16;07;30 These were the words. He took the family, your relatives and friends of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was the leader among men. And a champion of the people. He fought for the people of color, yet he was man of peace and principle. A man of compassion, who used his great gifts for the common good. The spirit has a clear path to the creator. 16;08;27 To the spiritual leader, six nation iroquois confederation. And myself, faithkeeper, turtle clan, under the council of chiefs, have journeyed here today to add our voice to this congregation of world leaders, in honor of his work, and for the right and dignity of people of color and the common man. [Applause] 16;09;15 He was always in support of the indigenous people of this hemisphere in our quest for our inherent land rights, self-determination, identity, and collective right that include the natural world. We know what he was up against. Because we have had 524 years of survival training ourselves. [Applause] 16;09;50 (shot of Ali's wife clapping) In 1978, a congressman from the state of Washington put a bill into congress to terminate our treaties with the United States. An Indian nations walked from California to Washington, DC, in protest. Muhammad Ali marched into Washington, DC with us. [Applause] 16;10;31 (shot of one of Ali's daughters) 16;10;38 He was a free, independent spirit. He stood his ground with great courage and conviction. And he paid a price. And this country did, too. And we all did. Values and principles will determine one's destiny. And the principles of a nation will do the same. Poor people do not have many options. You fighters know what I'm talking about. He said that ring was Ali's path to his destiny. He said he would be heavyweight champion of the world, and he was. Three times. This is the fourth time, right here, right now. [Applause] 16;11;55 On his journey in life, he lived and learned the hard way. He brought a light into this world. My world. Our world. And that light will shine a long, long time. [ Applause ] Peace, brother. Peace. And on behalf of my friend Ernie and the indigenous people everywhere, peace. Thank you. [Applause] 16;12;58 >> We introduce chief hill, and his words were translated by Chief Oren Lyons who was born into a traditional indigenous family, and grew up on the native reservations of upstate New York. In 1970 he became the chief and faithkeeper of the turtle clan of the onondaga nation. His scholarship, stewardship and leadership is a source of benefit and great blessing for all who know him. Now he want to introduce Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport, Rabbi Rapport is senior rabbi here of the temple here in Louisville where he has been a leader in interfaith work. He has the passion for teaching youth, and in fact it is his work with youth that let him to cross paths with Muhammad Ali. His religious leadership focuses on compassion, care, and working together was all to build a better world. Rabbi Rapport. [Applause] 16;14;24 >>Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport: This is a reading from our memorial prayer on yom kippur. Our day of atonement. Our most sacred day of the year. It was written men decades ago by rabbi Fein, civil rights leader who could never have known when he composed these words he was writing a eulogy for Muhammad Ali. 16;14;49 Birth is a beginning. And death a destination. And life is a journey, from childhood to maturity, and youth to age. From innocence to awareness, and ignorance to knowing. From foolishness to discretion. And then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength, and strength to weakness. And often back again. From health to sickness, and back we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness. From loneliness to love. From joy to gratitude. And pain to compassion, from grief to understanding. From fear to faith. From defeat to defeat to defeat, until looking backward or ahead we see that victory lies not at some high place along the way, but in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage. 16;15;50 Birth is a beginning. And death, a destination. And life is a journey. The sacred pilgrimage to life everlasting. We say words of prayer and they remain words, until we encounter a person who embodies these words and makes them real. I've said these words many times before. At funerals and memorial services. But never have I felt them come to life and speak of a single shining soul as I do today. Muhammad Ali was the heart of this city. The living, breathing, embodiment of the greatest that we can be. 16;16;33 (shot of Ali's wife) He was our heart, and that heart beats here still. [Applause] 16;16;47 Let me tell you a story you already know. It's one of those stories about Ali being gracious to a stranger that so many of us have told, so many times, and in so many we we sometimes forget the lessons these stories were intended to teach us. It's a story Honna tells about her father towards the end of their book, the soul of the butterfly. Honna's driving her father to a book store on one Sunday to pick up some bibles and korans for a project that he's working on. They pass an elderly man standing by the road with a bible in one hand and his thumb in the air with the other. They offer him a ride. And he thanks them, saying that he is on his way home from church. He only needs to go a few miles down the street where he can pick up a cab. Hanna asked where he lives help doesn't want to trouble them. He has no idea who is sitting in the front seat of the car. 16;17;48 Until Muhammad Ali turns around and says, it's no trouble at all. We're just on our way to a bookstore to by some bibles and korans. Once the man gets over meeting the greatest of all-time, he insists that he has three bibles in his house, and he would be pleased to give them to Ali in appreciation for the ride. Ali thanks him but says, he wants to pay for the bibles. The man says, no, the bibles were meant as a gift. Ali asked him what he does for a living. And it turns out the man had a stroke and has been forced into retirement. Ali then tries to hand him a big pile of money for the bibles. But the man refuses and this is where things get interesting. 16;18;37 Ali says, take the money, man, I'm trying to get into heaven.(laughter) 16;18;44 (shot of Ali's wife) And the man replied. So am I. Ali is not taking no for an answer. He says, if you don't take the money I might not get in. And the man replies, if I do take your money I might not get in. They arrive at his home, and the map invites him tomeet his wife of 30 years. He gives Ali the bibles. Ali slips the money under a napkin on the kitchen table. They're about to leave and Hannah gives the man her phone number and tells him to call him -- to call her if her needs a ride home from church again. Sitting in the car, Ali turns to his daughter and asks. Would you really go out of your way and pick him up and drive him home? And she says, yes. And with tears in his eyes, he says, that's me in you. [Applause] 16;19;52 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) 16;20;04 He says, you're on the road to heaven. Therein lies ally's greatness his ability to see something greater and his ability to inspire others to see such greatness' within themselves. There will never be another greatest like Muhammad Ali. But we together can now embody a measure of his kindness, and his compassion. We can say each of us in our hearts there's a little bit of Ali in me. [Applause] This week, we have mourned the loss and celebrated the life of a Louisville legend and a citizen of the world. And of all the words and all the ways, the most powerful moments have always been made in the voices of young people, repeated in prayer services, and chanted in the streets. I am Ali. I am Ali. I am not the fighter that Ali was. And I may not have the courage which he never lacked. And I am definitely not as pretty. (laughter) But in my heart, and in my hope, and in my prayers I am Muhammad Ali. [Applause] 16;21;36 >> When he say that in our hearts, when we live that in our lives, then we together can build a legacy worthy of the greatest of all-time. So say that now with me. In your heart, and in this room, I am Ali. I am Ali. [Applause] >> You know, one of the amazing things that we've witnessed during our time here in Louisville has been just so many stories of common, ordinary people. There's folks on the street, working in the hotels, the restaurants, virtually everyone has a story concerning how Muhammad Ali touched their lives. He came to my fourth grade class. He helped me out in this or that way. He came to visit me when I was sick. Just on and on and on. And collectively, those experiences, they become sinner ginnic, they become greater than the individual parts. And when we rose through the streets of the city today, I've witnessed something I've never, ever witnessed in my life. [ Applause ] 16;23;10 And I don't think I will ever witness again. I witnessed the power. In our muslim tradition we call it (foreign language) it might be loosely translated as sainthood, I witnessed the power of sainthood. [ applause] Venerable Utsumi is a member of the (foreign language) a Japanese Buddhist order dedicated to working for world peace through the practice of walking peace pilgrimages anti-nuclear weapon pilgrimages and the construction of peace pagodas all over the globe, he will be joined onstage by Sister Denise another member of the order and together they will share a traditional chant with us. 16;24;40 [Buddhist chants] 16:28:25 [Buddhist chants] 16;29;20 Now we will listen to a reading by , Ambassador Shabazz. Ambassador Shabazz is the oldest of six daughters born to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (?) and Doctor Betty Shabazz. [applause] She probably shares that she is inspired by her parents, their parents, and those before them through the descending generations. The former prime minister of Belize recognized her as a key Ambassador in international cultural affairs and project development and in 2002 appointed her as ambassador at large, powerful and elegant we invite Ambassador Shabazz to read and share and inspire us. [ Applause ] 16:30;44 >>Ambassador Shabazz: Assalamu alaikum. May peace be upon us. All of us. As this is a homegoing celebration I find myself balanced between that of celebration and depletion, loss, that somehow or another, my breathing capacity has been weakened this past week so I ask all of you gathered and afar to please muster up and transmit a bit of your air to me in the memory of Muhammad Ali, thank you all. [ Speaking in foreign language ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SEVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 16;31;44 And more as the globe centers at this very moment amidst the holy month of Ramadan where every two hours there's a time zone praying, and including Muhammad Ali and his family in your thoughts. Amidst that are the prayers of all faiths, all those touched, even those that don't claim a religion are feeling something right now in honor of the family and the memory of their father, husband. In the spirit of my parents, Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Shabazz, in the presence of my five younger sisters, our children and our grandchildren I would like to first honor his beloved wife, my sister, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] 16;32;53 (shot of Ali's wife) 16;32;59 For all the strengths that you know and that resonate beyond. Sometimes you do need a little help no matter how magnificent you are and indeed those that were with him, that loved him, his family members sustain that. His nine children, and I will name them, Maryam, rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Hana, Laila, asaad, Miya, khaliah as well as thier mothers, and the third generation of grandchildren who accompany them. [ Applause ] 16;33;47 (shot of Ali's wife) To his only brother, to his extraordinary example of a best friend, Howard Bingham and to his sister-in-law Marilyn. For all the grief that I am depleted by and others are feeling by his transition, there is none comparable to yours and I know that. On this day and those to come, as you live your waking days with a life without him here presently, very different. 16;34;37 (shot of Ali's wife) Photos, memories, all the things that we have on him that keep him going. He touched you differently and that has to be honored and recognized, never forsaken. [ Applause ] Just know that when you are the descendent of and in the presence of someone whose life was filled with principle, that the seed is in you so that you have to cultivate that responsibly as well. [ Applause ] This moment is very meaningful for me to have been amongst those chosen and blessed by Muhammad himself and affirmed by his wife Lonnie to take part by sharing a prose and a statement during this homegoing ceremony. While he and I had a treasured relationship, the genesis of his love was through the love for my father. Muhammad Ali was the last of a fraternity of amazing men bequeathed to me directly by my dad. 16;35;57 Somewhere between me turning 18, 19 or 20, they all seemed to find me somehow guided by an oath of a promise to my dad long after him leaving this Earth to search for me, and they did. Each one remaining in my life until joining the rest of the heavens beloved summit of fearless humanitarians. This included Muhammad Ali whom my dad loved as a little brother, 16 years his junior and his entrusted friend. There was a double-take when I came upon him, a once childhood per child and now looking right into his face, and you know how he is. He gives you that little dare like, is that you? [ imitates ] From the very moment we found one another, it was as if no time has passed as all despite all of the presumptions of division, despite all of the efforts at separation, despite all of the organized distancing. We dove right into all of the unrequited yet stated and duly acknowledged spaces we could explore and uncover privately. 16;37;18 We cried out loud. His belt, his grief for having not spoken to my dad before he left and then just as loudly we'd laugh about the best of stories, and some that can't be repeated. He was really funny. What was significant as brothers for my father and Ali was their ability to discuss openly anything, all facets of life, namely, the true meaning, as men with great responsibilities be bestowed to them of how to make an equitable difference in the lives of others. A unifying topic was faith and ecumenical faith, respect for faith, all faiths, even if belonging to one specific religion or none, the root of such being the gift of faith itself so in his own words he wrote, "We all have the same God. We just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans, all have different names but they all contain water. So do religions have different names and yet they all contain truth. Truth expressed in different ways and forms and times. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. When you believe in god, you should believe all people are part of one family. [ Applause ] 16;39;11 For if you love god, you can't love only some of his children. [ Applause ] His words and certainly ideals shared by both men, love is a mighty thing, devotion is a mighty thing and truth always reigns. Having Muhammad Ali in my life somehow sustained my dad's breath for me a little while longer. 51 years longer until now. (WEEPING) [Applause] I am forever grateful at our union on this Earth together allowed for me a continuum of shared understanding, preserved confidentialities and the comfort of living in his home town of Louisville Kentucky for the past six years. [ Applause ] 16;40;26 That was not a plan. And mostly for the gift of knowing and loving his wife and children forever forward as my own family, know that. As the last of the paternity reaches the heavens, my heart is rendered ever longingly for that tribe. The tribe of purpose, the tribe of significance, tribe of confidence, tribe of character, tribe of duty, tribe of faith, tribe of service. We must make sure that the principle of men and women, like Muhammad Ali and others, whom dedicated their very being to assure that you get to recognize your own glory, is sustained and passed on like that olympic torch. My dad would offer in state when concluding or parting from another, may we meet again in the light of understanding and I say to you with the light of that compass by any means necessary. 16;42;09 >> Ladies and gentlemen, representing the president of the United States and Mrs. Obama, miss Valerie Jarrett. [ Applause ] 16;42;24 >>Valerie Jarrett: Good afternoon. On behalf of president Obama and Mrs. Obama, I wish to express to you their deepest regret that they couldn't be with us here today as we celebrate the extraordinary life of Muhammad Ali. I first met Muhammad Ali over 45 years ago through his friendship with my uncle Jean and he, my uncle, would be so touched that his son gene is a pallbearer here today. Thank you, Lonnie. Because of my family connection, the president and first lady asked me if I would read this tribute to you, penned by president Obama. 16;43;15 It was 1980, an epic career was in its twilight. Everybody knew it. Probably including the champ himself. Ali went into one of his final fights an underdog. All of the smart money was on the new champ, Larry Holmes. And in the end, the oddsmakers were right. A few hours later, at 4 A.M., after the loss, after the fans had gone home and the sports writers were writing their final take, a sports writer asked a restroom attendant if he had bet on the fight. The man, black and getting on in years, said he had put his money on Ali. 16;44;05 The writer asked why. Why, the man said? Why? Because he's Muhammad Ali. That's why. He said, mister, I'm 72 years old and I owe the man for giving me my dignity. [ Applause ] To Lonnie and the Ali family, president Clinton and an arena full of distinguished guests, you are amazing. The man we celebrate today is not just a boxer or a poet or an agitator or a man of peace, not just a Muslim or a black man or a Louisville kid. He wasn't even just the greatest of all time. He was Muhammad Ali.The whole far greater than the sum of its parts. He was bigger, brighter and more original and influential than just about anyone of his era. [ Applause ] 16;45;30 You couldn't have made him up and, yes, he was pretty, too. He had fans in every city, every village, every ghetto on the planet. He was fettered by foreign heads of state, the beatles, British invasion took a detour to come to him. It seemed sometimes that the champ was simply too big for America. But I actually think that the world flocked to him in wonder precisely because, as he once put it, Muhammad Ali was America! Brash, defiant, pioneering, joyful, never tired, always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms, religion, speech, spirit. 16;46;31 He embodied our ability to invent ourselves. His life spoke to our original sin of slavery and discrimination and the journey he traveled helped to shock our consciousness and lead us on a roundabout path towards salvation. And like America, he was always very much a work in progress. We do him a disservice to gauze up his story to sand down his rough edges to talk only of floating like butterflies and stinging like bees. Ali was a radical even in a radical of times. A loud and proud and unabashedly black voice in a Jim crow world. [ Applause ] 16;47;24 His jabs knocked some sense into us, yes, they did. Pushing us to expand our imagination and bring others into our understanding. Now, there were times when he swung a bit wildly. That's right. Wound up and accidently may have wronged the wrong opponent as he was the first to admit. But through all his triumphs and failures, Ali seemed to have achieved the sort of enlightenment and inner peace that we are all striving towards. In the '60s when other young men his age were leaving the country to avoid war or jail, he was asked why he didn't join them. He got angry. He said he'd never leave. His people, in his words, are here, the millions struggling for freedom and justice and equality and I could do a lot of help in jail or not right here in America. [ Applause ] 16;48;34 He'd have everything stripped from him, his titles, his standing, his money, his passion. Very nearly his freedom. But Ali still chose America. I imagine he knew that only here in this country could he win it all back. So he chose to help perfect a union where a descendent of slaves can become the king of the world. And in the process, in the process, lend some dignity to all of us. Maids, porters, students and elderly bathroom attendant and help inspire a young, mixed kid with a funny name to have the audacity to believe he could be anything, even the president of the United States! [ Applause ] 16;49;35 (shot of Ali's wife) Muhammad Ali was America. Muhammad Ali will always be America. What a man. What a spirit. What a joyous mightyful champion. God bless the greatness of Ali. God bless his family. And god bless this nation we love. Thank you very much. 16;50;28 ANNOUNCER VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, Lonnie Ali. [ Applause ] >> Ali! Ali! Ali! 16;51;05 LONNIE ALI >> Assalamu alaikum. Peace be upon you. You know, I said something to Matt Lauer yesterday that I firmly believe Muhammad had something to do with all of this and I think we are right. Thank you all for being here to share in this final farewell to Muhammad. On behalf of the Ali family, let me first recognize our principal celebrant Imam _____ and Dr. Timothy Gianotti. We thank you for your dedication to helping us fulfill Muhammad's desire that the ceremonies of this past week reflect the traditions of his islamic faith. And as a family, we thank the millions of people who, through the miracle of social media, inspired by their love of Muhammad have reached out to us with their prayers. The messages have come to us in every language from every corner of the globe. From wherever you are watching, know that we have been humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love. It is only fitting that we gather in a city to which Muhammad always returned after his great triumphs. A city that has grown as Muhammad has grown. [ Applause ] 16;52;37 Muhammad never stopped loving Louisville. And we know that Louisville loves Muhammad. [Applause] We cannot forget a Louisville police officer, Joe Espy(?) Martin, who embraced a young 12-year-old boy in distress when his bicycle was stolen. Joe Martin handed young Cassius Clay -- sorry for tripping up that last word -- Clay, to a future in boxing he could scarcely have imagined. America must never forget that when a cop and an inner city kid talk to each other, then miracles can happen. [ Applause ] 16;53;49 Some years ago during his long struggle with Parkinson's in a meeting that included his closest advisors, Muhammad indicated when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people for his country and for the world. In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice, that he grew up in a segregation and that during his early life, he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or engage in violence. It was a time when a young black boy his age could be hung from a tree in Mississippi in 1955 whose admitted killers went free. 16;54;50 It was time when Muhammad's friends, people he admired, like Brother Malcolm and Dr. King were gunned down, and Nelson Mandela imprisoned for what they believed in. [ Applause ] For his part, Muhammad faced federal prosecution. He was stripped of his title and his license to box and he was sentenced to prison. But he would not be intimidated so as to abandon his principles and his values. 4:55-Lonnie emotional, almost cries 16;55;29 Muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that adversity can make you stronger. It cannot rob you of the power to dream and to reach your dreams. We built the Muhammad Ali center and that's the center of the Ali message. [ Applause ] Muhammad wants us to see the face of his religion, true Islam, as the face of love. It was his religion that caused him to turn away from war and violence, for his religion he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had and all that he was to protect his soul and follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad peace be upon you. 16;56;25 So even in death, Muhammad has something to say. He's saying that his faith required that he take the more difficult road. It is far more difficult to sacrifice oneself in the name of peace than to take up arms in pursuit of violence. [ Applause ] You know, all of his life, Muhammad was fascinated by travel. He was child-like in his encounter with new surroundings and new people. He took his world championship fights to the ends of the Earth, from the south pacific to Europe to the Congo. And, of course, with Muhammad, he believed it was his duty to let everyone see him in person because, after all, he was the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The boy from grand avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, grew in wisdom and discovered something new, that the world really wasn't black and white at all. It was filled with many shades of rich colors, languages and religions. As he moved with ease around the world, the rich and powerful were drawn to him but he was drawn to the poor and the forgotten. [ Applause ] 16;57;53 Muhammad fell in love with the masses and they fell in love with him. In the diversity of men and their faiths, Muhammad saw the presence of god. He was captivated by the work of the dalai lama, by mother Teresa and church workers who gave their lives to protect the poor. When his mother died, he arranged for multiple faiths to be represented at her funeral and he wanted the same for himself. We are especially grateful for the presence of the diverse faith leaders here today. And I would like to ask them to stand once more and be recognized. [ Applause ] 16;58;35 Thank you. Thank you very much. You know, as I reflect on the life of my husband, it's easy to see his most obvious talents. His majesty in the ring as he danced under those lights, enshrined him as a champion for the ages. Less obvious was his extraordinary sense of timing. His knack for being in the right place at the right time seemed to be ordained by a higher power. Even those surrounded by Jim Crow, he was born into a family with two parents that nurtured and encouraged him. He was placed on the path of his dreams by a white cop and he had teachers who understood his dreams and wanted him to succeed. The olympic gold medal came and the world started to take notice. A group of successful businessmen in Louisville called the Louisville Sponsoring Group saw his potential, and helped him build a runway to launch his career. His timing was impeccable as he burst into the national stage just as television was hungry for a star to change the faith of sports. 17;00;02 You know, if Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion, no matter what the cost. The timing of his actions coincided with a broader shift in cultural attitudes across America, particularly on college campuses. When he challenged the U.S. Government on the draft, his chance of success was slim to none. That the timing of his decision converged with a rising tide of discontent on the war. Public opinion shifted in his direction followed by a unanimous supreme court ruling in a stunning reversal of fortunes. He was free to return to the ring. When he traveled to central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman, none of the sports writers thought he could win. In fact, most of them feared for his life. But in what the Africans call the miracle at 4:00 A.M., he became a champion once more. [ Applause ] And as the years passed and those slowed by Parkinson's, Muhammad was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to support the victims of poverty and strife. He served as a UN messenger of peace and traveled to places like war-torn Afghanistan, he campaigned as an advocate for reducing the debt of third world debt. 17;01;42 He stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from Iraq. [ applause ] As his voice grew softer, his message took on greater meeting. He came full circle with the people of his country. When he lit a torch that seemed to create new light in the 1996 Olympics. [ Applause ] Muhammad always knew instinctively the road he needed to travel. His friends know what I mean when I say he lived in the moment. He neither dwelled in the past nor harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammad loved to laugh and he loved to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was sure-footed in his self-awareness, secure in his faith and he did not fear death. Yet, his timing is once again poignant. His passing and his meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in a world and divisions at home, as to who we are as a people, Muhammad's life provides useful guidance. 17;02;58 Muhammad was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love and the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions, saw truth in all faith and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammad may have challenged his government but he never ran from it or from America. [ Applause ] He loved this country and he understood the hard choices that are born of freedom. I think he saw a nation's soul measured by the soul of its people. For his part, he saw the good soul in everyone and if you were one of the lucky ones to have met him, you know what I meant. He awoke every morning thinking about his own salvation and he would often say, I just want to get to heaven and I've got to do a lot of good deeds to get there. And I think Muhammad's hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our families. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;04;38 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, Maryam Ali. 17;04;50 MARYAM ALI >> Peace be with you, everyone here, and on behalf of the Ali family, I just want to say thank you to Louisville, Kentucky, all the love you've shown us in our lives has been unbelievable. Also, I want to thank the entire globe. My father was loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming but it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you just like you love us. Thank you very much. [ Applause ] 17;05;23 As you know, my father loved poetry. He was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had poems of the heart, spiritual poems and poems to promote and I just wrote a piece for him, in honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loved my father. It's called "Thank you our dear father." My heart was sore when your sick spirit soared. Your physical body is no more but my mind tells different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. 17;06;02 Most importantly, the belief in god who created humanity to thrive in quality. You fought for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights. Staring right into the eyes of oppression, you proclaim your beautiful complexion. Your god-given skills, your independent will and the freedom of your faith. As your daughter, I am grateful for all of our conversations about men, women and relationships. Guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self, refusing anyone to chip away at my esteem and expect the respect of a queen. [ Applause ] Thank you, our dear father, for asking us to think about our purpose and showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvel that your sincere love for people as you treated all who approached you with dignity. Whether they were rich or poor, your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone as beneath you. 17;07;25 So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them as you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If I had every dollar for every story, I could pay for the sky. Your family is so proud of the legacy you left behind. But I hope that the history of you can help turn the tide of self-hate and violence, because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic deaths. Here on the soil, American soil, in the Middle East or anywhere else in this world, we crave for peace. That peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you graced this Earth. You will be greatly missed. But now we send you off in celebration, a blown kiss and prayers. As you enter your final round. God's last boxing bell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all love you. Thank you very much. 17;09;02 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Rasheda Ali Walsh. 17;09;20 RASHEDA ALI >> I'm, we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here today. To celebrate our father. You are the greatest father to us. And it was God's will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud, and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us in the world to be the best version of ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world in life. Now you're shaking up the world in death. 17;10;23 (shot of Ali's wife holding back tears) Daddy is looking at us now, right and saying, I told you I was the greatest! No one compares to you, daddy. You once said I know where I'm going. And I know the truth. And I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be who I am. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly, butterfly, fly. [ Applause ] 17;11;45 ALI DINICOLA Hello. My name is Ali DiNicola. I was born on Muhammad Ali's birthday, I was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from Muhammad's example of kindness and understanding. When Muhammad was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said I like to, I like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness, he took one court of laughter, one pinch of concern and then he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. He spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met. Thank you. 17;12;56 ANNOUNCER>>> Ladies and gentlemen, Natasha boncouer. Natasha boncouer: Before I begin, I would just like to say that I'm truly humbled and honored to be here. And I would like to thank the Muhammad Ali center and the Ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak. And to echo the voice that Muhammad has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man. A man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible. A man who once reached up through the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8-year-old girl. Whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin. But instead of drawing on that pain from the distorted reality, she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall in the face of pelting rain and shouted -- I am the disturbance in the sea of your complacency. And I will never stop shaking your waves. 17;14;30 And his voice echoed through hers. Through mine. And she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and she threw them back with a voice so powerful that it turned all the pain that she had faced in her life into strength. And tenacity. And now that 8-year-old girl stands before you, to tell you that Ali's cry still shakes these waves today. 17;15;11 (shot of Ali's wife) That we are to find strength in our identities. Whether we are black or white or Asian or hispanic. Lgbt, disabled or able-bodied. Muslim, jewish, hindu or Christian. His cry represents those who have not been heard, and invalidates the idea that we are to be confirmed to one normative standard. That is what it means to defeat the impossible. Because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing! [ Applause ] 17;16;15 When I look into this crowd I smile. I smile to recognize that he is not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me. And he lives in every person that he has touched in every corner of this world. (shot of Ali's wife) Reality was never a limitation for Ali. For us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down. Because we are Ali. We are greater than the rocks or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. So let me tell you a story about a man. His name is Muhammed Ali. He is the greatest of all time. He is from Louisville, Kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. (shot of Ali's wife) And his story is far from over. Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife applauding) 17;18;26 ANNOUNCER>> Ladies and gentlemen, John Ramsey. 17;18;35 John Ramsey First of all, on behalf of my fellow Louisvillians to the Ali family, we offer our condolences our heartfelt prayers and for Lonnie Ali a very special prayer. We know that Muhammad was blessed with many gifts but none more precious than Lonnie Ali and we thank you so much. (shot of Ali's wife) You know, I've got to tell you, Louisville, when I was in the procession today and saw the tens and thousands of people and all of the warmth and the love and the respect that was shown for Muhammad, I've got to tell you, my heart swelled with pride. I know he was watching from above and I know he absolutely loved it. He-- I don't think he'd be surprised. I think Muhammad would say, Louisville, Kentucky, the greatest city of all times. I'm feeling good. Man. I tell you what, how can we lose with the stuff we use? [ laughter] I'm feeling so good, I think I'm going to make a comeback and change my name back to Walnut street. That's how good I feel. [ laughter ] 17;19;46 You know, for me, I always felt connected to Muhammad even before I had met him. You know, maybe it was the fact that I was a Louisville boy. Maybe it's the fact that I loved the Louisville Cardinals, like Muhammad. You know, but as our relationship evolved, I found that a lot of people felt this personal connection with Muhammad. And that's part of the Ali magic. You know, initially, for a lot of men my age and certainly myself, it was the athlete that I was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, that grace not only made him the heavyweight champion of the world three times but it made him "Sports illustrated" sportsman of the century, the A.P. Athlete of the century and certainly made him the athlete -- a once in a lifetime athlete. But I would argue that the combination of compassion, kindness, love and the ability to lift us up made him a once in a lifetime person. [ Applause ] 17;20;55 You know, Muhammad was blessed with many gifts, as I said, and he was a wise and faithful steward of those gifts. There's many stories about Muhammad but there is a couple that really to me encapsulate what he was all about. I remember back in 2000, I made a trip to the summer olympics with Muhammad and one day he decided we were going to go see a boxing match and I remember we're ringside, the American wins, 15,000 people are chanting, usa, usa! And I thought, this is my olympic moment. You know, I was filled with patriotic pride. The boxer came down from the ring, he took the obligatory picture with Muhammad, the fist to chin shot, hundreds of photographers from around the world were taking pictures, you know, thousands of people cheering for Muhammad and this victorious fighter. 17;21;47 And then Muhammad leaned down to me whispered in my ear, he said, I want to see the loser. I say, excuse me? I want to see the loser. So, I motioned over to an Olympic official and I said, you know Muhammad wants to see the loser. Can we go to the losing locker room? And we get to the losing locker room and there's not tens of thousands of people, there's not any photographers. There's just a kid in the corner on a stool, he's got a towel around his neck, he's got a bloody mouth under his eye. This has got to be the lowest point of his athletic career at the very least. He felt like he let down his country. He is defeated. And the vibe in that room was literally the lowest of low. But then when Muhammad walks in, this kid recognizes him instantly and in broken English he says Muhammad Ali and Muhammad started dancing he said show me what you've got man, show me, and Mohammad starts throwing out jabs and this kid starts ducking and smiling. Muhammad grabs him in a bear hug. He said, I saw what you did out there, man, you look good. You are moving good, you can be a champion, man. Don't give up. And I remember, it warmed my heart how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. 17;22;58 And -- [ applause ] And I remember, I got in the car and I said to Muhammad, I said, Mohammad try to be a nice guy but I've got to tell you, I was caught up in the moment. I didn't give that losing fighter a second thought. I said mohammad you're the greatest. Muhammad said, tell me something I don't already know. [ laughter ] He -- and -- but what I don't want people to forget, no doubt, to me he's the finest example of a human that I've ever seen. The finest example of a great human being that I've ever seen of the kindness that a human possesses. That was Muhammad Ali, but don't forget about this, man. Muhammad was the coolest cat in the room. I mean, he was good looking, he had charm, he had charisma, he had swagger before he knew that swagger was. I mean, I remember, I went to -- when -- was about 25 years ago, he came to town to visit his mother and he wanted to go to outback steakhouse. I has a friend there, was big Mohammad fan, so we came in and at the time here in Louisville, there was a fireman's convention and all of these guys had their engine numbers on their shirt and sure enough I had seen this thing a million times. Man, these guys line up for an autograph. I said, to Muhammad, I said Muhammad, if you'd like, I'll play the bad guy. You know I tell them to let you eat, and you can sign autographs later. 17;24;25 Muhammad would have none of it. He said, no, I'll sign between bites. He's taking bites of his food and he's signing. This one guy walks up, and you could tell he was a big fan. I mean he knew Muhammad. He was scared to death, he-- all of his adrenaline, he said Champ, he said I saw the stand you made, in the civil rights movement, I saw your stand against the Vietnam war. He said, I've got to tell you, champ, you're my hero. He said, I've got a picture of you at my firehouse. You are my hero. Muhammad instantly he wanted to change the channel. So he said to the guy, he said, you know, you're the real hero jumping in fire, saving lives, saving babies, putting your life on the line, he said, man, you are the real hero. And the fireman responds real quickly. I mean he knew all of the nicknames, he said, man, but you, you fought the bear, sonny Liston. He said, You fought the rabbit, patterson, you fought big George Foreman, you fought smokin Joe Frazier. 17;25;15 And Muhammad interrupted real quick and he goes, yeah, but Joe wasn't really smoking. [ laughter ] And I said, Muhammad that's a good line. He goes, you're right. Write that down. But it wasn't all about signing autographs and kissing babies. If there was a village that needed food in a third-world country, Muhammad was on the plane, will travel with check. If there was a conflict and he could be part of a resolution, again, Muhammad will travel. As Lonnie had mentioned, if there were hostages to be released, Muhammad was a man of action. One of my favorite quotes and I think it's right here in your program, Muhammad said service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth and I just want to say, champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [ Applause ] Your rent is paid in full! 17;26;15 (shot of Ali's wife standing up clapping) And you know, in fact, I think he's paid it forward. Because he has taught us to love rather than to hate. To look for commonalities rather than differences. So therefore I think he's really paid it forward for all of us. So, as we all know now, you know, the fight is over but I'm here to tell you, the decision is in and it is unanimous, because of Muhammad Ali, we all win. The world wins. Thank you so much, Muhammad. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace. And thank you so very much. 17;27;30 BILLY CRYSTAL >> Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We're at the halfway point. I was clean shaven when this started. Dear Lonnie, family, friends, Mr. President, members of the clergy, all of these amazing people here in Louisville, today this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting, he is still the champion of the world. [ Applause ] Last week, when we heard the news, time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no global catastrophes. The world stopped, took a deep breath and sighed. Since then, my mind has been racing through my relationship with this amazing man, which is now 42 years that I've known him. Every moment I can think of is cherished. While others can tell you of his accomplishments, he wanted me to speak and tell you of some personal moments we had together. 17;28;52 I met him in 1974. I was just getting started as a stand-up comedian and struggling. But I had one good routine. It was a three-minute conversation between Howard and Muhammad where I would imitate both of them. Muhammad had just defeated George foreman and sports magazine made him the man of the year. A great man, editor for "Sport," was going to host this televised dinner honoring Muhammad. So dick called my agent looking for a comedian who did some sports material. As fate would have it, that comedian was not available and she wisely said -- it's destiny, man. And she wisely said, but listen, I've got this young kid and he does this great imitation and I don't know why, but dick said, okay, I'll try him. I couldn't believe it. My first time on television and it would be with Ali. I ran to the plaza hotel, the event was packed. He said, how should I introduce you? No one knows who you are. And I said, just say I'm one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. And my thought was, I'll get right to the microphone, go into my how word cosell and I'll be fine and I move into the jam ballroom and that's when I saw him for the first time in person. It's very hard to describe how much he meant to me. You had to live in his time. It's great to look at clips and it's amazing that we have them but to live in his time, watching his fights, his experience of the genius of his talent was absolutely extraordinary. Every one of his fights was the aura of a super bowl. He predicted the round that he would knock somebody out and then he would do it. He was funny. He was beautiful. 17;30;57 He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw and those were his own words. But he was so much more than a fighter as time went on, with Bobby Kennedy gone, martin Luther king gone, Malcolm X gone, who was there to relate to when Vietnam exploded in our face? There were millions of young men my age, eligible for the draft for a war that we didn't believe in. And all of us huddled on the conveyor belt that was rapidly feeding the was machine. But it was Ali who stood up for us by standing up for himself. And after he was stripped of the title-- after he was stripped of the title and the right to fight anywhere in the world, he gave speeches at colleges and on television that totally reached me. He seemed as comfortable talking to kings and queens as the lost and unrequited. 17;31;49 He never lost his sense of humor even as he lost everything else, he was always himself, willing to give up everything for what he believed in. And his passionate rhetoric about the life and plight of black people in our country resonated strongly in my house. I grew up in a house that was dedicated to civil rights. My father was a producer of jazz concerts in New York City and was one of the first to integrate bands in the 40s and 50s. Jazz musicians referred to my dad as the branch rickey of Jazz concerts. My uncle and my family, jewish people, produced strange fruit, billie holiday's classic song describing the lynching of African-Americans in this country. And so I felt him, and now there he was just a few feet from me. I couldn't stop looking at him and he seemed to like glow and he was like in slow motion, his amazing face smiling and laughing. 17;32;41 I was seated a few seats from him on the day I said, and in the room all of these athletes in their individual sports, great ones, Gino Marchetti, of the Baltimore Cults, Franco Harries of the Steelers, Archie Griffith who won the Heisman from Ohio state, literally legends, Neil Simon, george plimton, all in a day fawning over Ali who then looked at me [laughter] with an expression that seemed to say what is Joe gray doing here? Mr. Schapp introduced me as one of Ali's closest and dearest friends. Two people clapped. My wife and the agent. I rose, Ali is still staring at me, I passed right behind him, got to the podium, went right into Cocell, hello, everyone, Howard Cocell coming to you live from Zaire. Some people would pronounce it Zaire. They are wrong. It got big laughs and then I went into the Ali. 17;33;49 Everybody's talking about George Foreman, talking about George foreman, george Forman is ugly, he's just so slow. George was slow. I kind of-- and then I got-- and I'm still faster at 33 years of age. I'm so fast I can turn the lights be in my bed before the room gets dark. [ Applause ] (shot of Ali's wife) I'm announcing tonight that I've got new religious beliefs. From now on I want to be known as Ezzie escowitz (?) I am now an orthodox Jew Izzie Escowitz (?) and I am the greatest of all time. [ Applause ] The audience exploded. See, no one had ever done him before and here he was a white kid from Long Island imitating the greatest of all time and he was loving it. When I was done, he gave me this big bear hug and he whispered in my ear, you're my little brother. 17;34;46 Which is what he always called me until the last time that I saw him. We were always there for each other. If he needed me for something, I was there.He came for anything I asked him to do. Most memorable, he was an honorary chairman for a dinner and a very important event where I was being honored by the hebrew university in Jerusalem. He did all of this promotion for it. He came to the dinner. He sat with my family the entire evening. He took photographs with everybody. The most famous Muslim man in the world honoring his jewish friend. And -- [ applause ] 17;35;26 Because he was there, because he was there, we raised a great deal of money and I was able to use it to endow the university in Jerusalem with something that I told to him about and it was something that he loved the theory of. And it thrives to this day. It's called peace through the performing arts. It's a theater group where Israeli, Arab and Palestinian actors, writers and directors all work together in peace creating original works of art. [ Applause ] And that doesn't happen without him. I had so many -- so many funny and unusual moments with him. I sat next to him at Howard Cosell's funeral, a very somber day to be sure. Closed casket was on the stage, Muhammad and I were sitting somewhere over there next to each other. And he quietly whispered to me, little brother, do you think he's wearing his hairpiece? [ Laughter ] 17;36;30 So I said, I don't think so. Well, then how will god recognize him? [ Laughter ] So I said, champ, once he opens his mouth, God will know. So we started laughing. It was a muffled laugh at first but then we couldn't contain ourselves. There we were, at a funeral, me with Muhammad Ali laughing like two little kids who heard something dirty in church, you know, we were just laughing and laughing. And then he looked at me and he said, Howard was a good man. One time he asked me if I would like to run with him one morning. Do road work with him. I said, that would be amazing. I said, where do you run? He said, I run at this country club and I run on the golf course early in the morning, it's very private, nobody bothers me. We'll have a great time. I said, champ, I can't run there. The club has a reputation for being restricted. What does restricted mean? They don't allow Jews there. They don't have any jewish members. He was incensed. 17;37;38 I'm a black Muslim and they let me run there. Little brother, I'm never going to run there again. And he didn't. [ Applause ] My favorite memory was 1979. He had just retired and there was a retirement party at the forum in los Angeles for Muhammad and 20,000 of his closest friends in los Angeles. I performed a piece that I had created, the imitation had grown into a life story. It's called 15 rounds. And I'd play them from the age of 18 until he's 36 ready for the rematch with Leon Spinks. I posted it on the internet last week, footage that nobody had ever seen before, of me portraying Ali doing his life for him all those years ago in 1979. There were 20,000 people there. But I was doing it only for him. That's one of my favorite performances that I have ever done in my life. I sort of got lost in him. I didn't even know where I was at the end of the performance. And suddenly I'm backstage with another heavyweight champion, Richard Pryor and Pryor 's holding on to me crying and then I see Ali coming and he's got a full head of steam, he is looking only at me, nudged Mr. Pryor aside and he whispered in my ear with a big bear hug, little brother, you made my life better than it was. 17;39;10 But didn't he make all of our lives a little bit better than they were? [ Applause ] That -- that, my friends, is my history with the man that I've labored to come up with a way to describe the legend. He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by mother nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty. We've seen still photographs of lightning bolts at the moment of impact, ferocious in his strength and magnificent in his elegance. And at the moment of impact it lights up everything around it. So you can see everything clearly. Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm, his power toppled the mightiest of foes and its intense light shone on America and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self-realization, courage, laughter, love, joy, religious freedom for all. 17;40;18 Ali forced us to take a look at ourselves. This young man who thrilled us, angered us, confused and challenged us ultimately became a silent messenger of peace who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls. [Applause] (shot of Ali's wife) 17;40;50 My friends, only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a mozart or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them and yet at his heart he was still a kid from Louisville who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all. He is gone but he will never die. He was my big brother. Thank you. [ Applause ] 17;41;47 >> Ladies and gentlemen, Bryant Gumbel. 17;41;58 BRYANT GUMBEL >> The great Maya Angelou who was herself no stranger to fame wrote that ultimately people forget what you said and people will forget what you did but that no one will ever forget how you made them feel. That's applied to Muhammad Ali, the march of time may one day diminish his boast and his poetry, maybe even his butterflies and bees. It may even one day dull the memories of the thrilla in Manila and the rumble in the jungle. But I doubt any of us will ever forget how Muhammad Ali made us feel. I'm not talking about how proud he made you feel with his exploits or how special he made you feel when you were privileged enough to be in his company.I'm talking about how he ripped our hearts and our souls and our conscience and made our fights his fights for decades. People like me, who were once young, semi-gifted and black will never forget what he freed within us. Some of us like him took pride in being black, bold and brash. And because we were so unapologetic, we were in the eyes of many, way too uppity. We were way too arrogant. Yet we reveled in being like him. By stretching society's boundaries as he did, he gave us levels of strength and courage we didn't even know we had. But Ali's impact was not limited to those of a certain race or of a certain religion or of a certain mindset. The greatness of this man for the ages was that he was, in fact, a man for all ages. Has any man ever a greater arc to his life? What does it say of a man, any man that he can go from being viewed as one of his country's most polarizing figures to arguably his most beloved. [ Applause ] And to do so without changing his nature or, for a second, compromising his principles. Yeah, you know, there were great pauses and national movements and huge divisions that afforded Ali unusual opportunities to symbolize our struggles. But Harry Truman had it right when he said men make history and not the other way around. Or as Lauren hill so nicely put it, consequence is no coincidence. Befitting his stature as the goat, Muhammad Ali never shied away from a fight. He fought not just the biggest and baddest men of his day inside the ropes but outside the ring he also went toe to toe with critics, outside of societal norms, the U.S. Government. He even fought ultimately to his detriment the limitations of father time. Strictly speaking, fighting is what he did. But he broadened that definition by sharing his struggles with us and by viewing our struggles as his. And so it was that at various times he accepted and led battles on behalf of his race in support of his generation, in defense of his religious beliefs and ultimately in spite of his disease. I happen to have been overseas working in Norway this past week. My buddy Matt called. Told me the champ had been taken to the hospital. This time it was really serious. Right away I called Lonnie who was, as always, a pillar of strength. And as we discussed the medical details, the doctors' views and the ugly realities of mortality, Lonnie said, Bryant, the world still needs him and indeed it does. The world needs a champion who always worked to bridge the economic and social divides that threaten the nation that he dearly loved. The world needs a champion that always symbolized the best of Islam to offset the hatred born of fear. And the world needs a champion who believed in fairness and inclusion for all. Hating people because of their color is wrong, Ali said, and it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong. [ Applause ] Yeah, we do need Muhammad Ali now. We needed strength and the hope, the compassion, the conviction that he always demonstrated. But this time, our beloved champion is down. And for once he will not get up. Not this time. Not ever again. Let me close with a quick personal story. 50 years ago, Muhammad Ali defeated George devalo in Toronto, Canada. The very next day, he showed up in my neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. As Ali got out of the car in the driveway at the home, I happened to be next door shooting hoops in a friend's backyard. I, of course, quickly ran to the fence and for the first time in I was 17. I was awe struck. And man, I thought he was the greatest. Now a half century and a lifetime of experiences later, I am still awe struck and I am convinced more than ever that Muhammad Ali is the greatest. [ Applause ] To be standing here by virtue of his and Lonnie's request, is an honor. To be here today as he goes to his grave is a moment I will take to mine. God bless you, champ. [ Applause ] >> Ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the united States, the honorable William Jefferson Clinton. [ Applause ] WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL 558P WASH 6 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY CBS POOL P2 17;51;17 BILL CLINTON >> Thank you. I can just hear Muhammad saying now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second now well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president and by making you last in a long, long, long line, I guarantee you a standing ovation. 17;51;51 I am trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, Lonnie, I thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually as Bryant said picked us all to speak and giving me a chance to come here, and I thank you for what you did to make the second half of his life greater than the first. Thank you for the Muhammad Ali center and what it has come to represent to so many people. Here's what I'd like to say. I spent a lot of time now as I get older and older and older trying to figure out what makes people tick, how do they turn out the way they are, how do some people refuse to become victims and rise from every defeat. We've all seen the beautiful pictures of the home of Muhammad Ali and people visiting and driving by. I think you decided something I hope every young person here will decide. I think he decided very young to write his own life story. 17;53;39 I think he decided before he could possibly have worked it all out and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided that he would not be ever disempowered. He decided not his race or his place or expectations of others, positive, negative or otherwise would stop him from writing his own story. He decided first to use these stunning gifts. His strength and speed in the ring, his wit and way with words, and managing the public, and finding out at a fairly young age who he was, what he believed, and how to live with the consequences of acting on what he believed. 17;54;50 A lot of people make it to steps one and two and still just can't quite manage living with the consequences of what he believed. For the longest time in spite of all the wonderful things that have been said here, I remember thinking when I was a kid this guy is so smart and he never got credit for being as smart as he was. And then I don't think he ever got the credit for being, until later, as wise as he was. In the end besides being a lot of fun to be around and basically universal soldier for our common humanity, I will always think of Muhammad as a truly free man of faith. 17;55;50 And being a man of faith he realized he would never be in full control of his life. Something like Parkinson's could come along. But being free, he realized that life still was open to choices. It is choices that Muhammad Ali made that brought us all here today in honor and love. And the only other thing I would like to say, the first part of his life was dominated by the triumph of his truly unique gifts. We should never forget them, we should never stop looking at the movies. Thank Will Smith for making his movie. We should all be thrilled. It was a thing of beauty. But the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by a disease that kept him hamstrung longer than Mandela was kept in prison in South Africa. 17;57;20 That is in the second half of his life, he perfected gifts that we all have, every single solitary one of us have gifts of mind and heart. It is just that he found a way to release them in ways large and small. I asked Lonnie the time when they were still living in Michigan and I gave a speech in southwest Michigan to an economic club there, and sort of a ritual when a president leaves office, and you know, you had to get reacclimated, nobody plays a song when you walk in a room any more, you don't really know what you're supposed to do, and this club, the economic club, they're used to acting like you deserve to be listened to, they have to be reacclimated. So they came to me to this dinner and he sat with me at this dinner. 17;58;26 And he knew, somehow he knew that I was a little off my feet that night. I was trying to imagine how to make this new life and so he told me a really bad joke. And he told it so well and he laughed so hard that I totally got on board and had a great time. He had that feel about, you know, there's no textbook for that, knowing where somebody else is in their head, picking up the body language. Then Lonnie and Muhammad got me to come here when we had the dedication of the Muhammad Ali center, and I was trying to be incredibly gray haired elder states man, dignified, I have to elevate this guy, I am saying all this stuff in high tone, language, and Muhammad sneaks up behind me, puts his fingers up. (shot of wife laughing) 17;58;35 Finally after all the years we had been friends, my endearing image of him is like three shots. The boxer, the man I watched take the last steps to light the olympic flame when I was president, and I'll never forget it, I was sitting there in Atlanta, we knew each other, by then I felt I had some sense of what he was living with, and I was still weeping like a baby, seeing his hands shake, his legs shake, and knowing by god he was going to make those last few steps no matter what it took, the flame would be lit, the fight would be won. I knew it would happen. [ Applause ] 5532 ALI MEMORIAL SERVICE FIBER PATH POOL P2 18;00;49 And then this. The children whose lives he touched, the young people he inspired. That's the most important thing of all. So ask you to remember that. We all have an Ali story. It's the gift we all have that should be most honored today because he released them to the world. Never wasting a day the rest of us could see feeling sorry he had Parkinson's, knowing more than three decades of his life would be circumscribed in ways that would be chilling to the naked eye. 18;01;43 But with the free spirit it made his life bigger, not smaller. Because other people, all of us unlettered, unschooled said would you look at that. Look at that. May not be able to run across the ring any more, may not be able to dodge everybody, exhaust everybody any more, and he's bigger than ever because he is a free man of faith sharing the gifts we all have. We should honor him by letting our gifts go among the world as he did. God bless you, my friend, go in peace.

LU 1 CORY BOOKER CRESTON IA MEET AND GREET FOX POOL 010120 2020 BOOKER MEET & GREET 1:00 PM: MEET AND GREET WITH CORY BOOKER IN CRESTON LOCATION: ADAMS STREET ESPRESSO 213 W ADAMS ST, CRESTON, IA [13:10:54] Hello, everybody. Happy New Year. Thank you very much. [13:11:00] I had the best start of a new year. I got a full night's sleep last night. It is a very, very good thing. Well, listen, I want to thank Tiffany for her leadership in the Democratic Party out here in a place that is too often overlooked and just pursued. [13:11:16] Pruett presumed not to be what it is, which is a place of incredible Americans who are central, in my opinion, not just to elect people, but this essential community for us to be who we say we are as a nation, a nation of liberty and justice for all. And I'm excited about this conversation, because what I want to do is I want to make sure that you understand why I'm running and why I believe I'm the best candidate. And then I want to open it up to have some questions. But I may start in a way that's a little different than some folks, because I think what is important in this election is not that the policy issues, because here's a confession. [13:11:56] I have friends, legitimate friends with most of the people running for presidency. The senators that are in this race, we have worked on each other's bills, written bills together. Bernie Sanders, I wrote a bill of lowering prescription drug costs. I mean, Amy Klobuchar being up being Senator Warren. [13:12:12] This is how it should be. Democrats working together, standing together, even even vise President Biden. [13:12:18] He swore me in. I was one of these senators elected in a special election on the auspicious day. I was sworn in on Halloween. [13:12:28] And and Joe Biden and I both loved dad jokes and he played it straight. I thought he was going to use a Halloween joke and pronounce my name, Cory Booker. But he didn't. [13:12:37] He didn't. I'm sorry about the dad jokes. I'm sorry. I apologize. But I tell you it. [13:12:43] We I respect him. He's a state's person in our party. I can very upset when Democrats tear down other Democrats. [13:12:51] It's how he lost an election last time. [13:12:54] I think it was one of the reasons we lost. I love their ideas. There's over 100 policy plans. I believe fine are good. In fact, rate. But the next president should take the best ideas wherever they come this election to me. It's not just about the head because the policy differences between us or small compared to the policy differences between us and the guy that's in office right now. The urgency is something that makes policy possible. It's the heart. It's the spirits who go to this country. [13:13:28] The precondition to getting big things done is who in our party is the best person to bring this country back together to do the healing we need? We can work together. So we all come from holiday meals where we had people sitting at dinner tables who didn't like each other because of our politics being different. How can our country achieve great things if we can't start restoring a sense of common purpose and common cause? Because this is our history in this country. Look, my grandma I don't know if you all know that she's born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. [13:14:06] And my family. [13:14:08] My family, actually, my grandmother's grandma migrated to Iowa from Alabama. Single woman, nine kids to a town called Buxton, Iowa. Now, many of you know, this mining tax represented that very American spirit because there are books written by a author. Hiawatha Chase calls into the America's Utopia. Why? Because you have these black migrants coming from the south joining in an integrated town around the turn of the night of the. [13:14:41] Of the eighteen hundreds of the nineteen hundreds with European immigrants who all joined together and went down into the mines side by side, carving from the earth. Their American dream. And they understood in a literal way that the lines that divide us are not as strong as the ties that bind us because they would have quilting. These were Eastern European person of Western European powers of black were all coming together, stitching together a quilt that represented that understanding, King said. He said We're all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a common garment of destiny. [13:15:18] This is our nation. And so why am I running for president? [13:15:23] I'm running for president because of that heart. Because of that spirit. And I worry about my party. If we Democrats make this election all about what we're against and not what we're for, we're going to lose if we make it all. I hear this from pundits will tell me the number one thing Democrats want is someone who can beat Donald Trump. And my response always is, dear God, can't we have bigger aspirations than that? Because beating Donald Trump is the flaw. It is not the ceiling. [13:15:52] It gets us out of a ditch. But it doesn't get us to the mountaintop. [13:15:56] The way we go to the mountaintop, the way we go higher is having leaders that can call us to that common cause. They can have a revival of civic grace in our country, who can make us understand that every generation of Americans advance because they put more indivisible back into this one nation under God. [13:16:16] The calling of our party in a world moment where Americans are hurting, when rural farmers are being driven out of business, losing their farms, where mental health issues were further isolating Americans, where senior citizens do everything right and their whole life. But their country tells a, hey, if you want to qualify for Medicaid, you've got to go into poverty first before you qualify for work, where Social Security checks have millions of Americans because you're so small living below the poverty line where our veterans, we say we're the home of the brave, but yet our veterans come home and they're disproportionally homeless with criminal justice system is, Bryan Stevenson says, treats you better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. We have jails that are full of people with mental illness and with addictions, people who need treatment, people who need health care, not incarceration. [13:17:10] These are challenges. [13:17:13] And so how did our ancestors deal with challenges, the greatest things we've accomplished together? Well, my Iowa grandma bragged to the day she died about how we beat the Nazis. Here was a woman who had her victory garden proudly helping with the war effort. Working class women who bought war bonds proudly together were unified against our common threats. How are we as a generation going to deal with the crisis of climate change, the crisis of health care access? The way we do that is not by dividing this nation against itself. It's by leaders that could pull us together to do the things we already agree on. [13:17:50] That's our history. That's how we beat the Nazis. Heck, when they put Sputnik up in the air, the Russians did. We didn't fall against each other in. Hey, putting partisan bickering. No, we unite as a nation. We created bigger coalitions. We brought him in figures. You all know the movie Black Women together with white male astronauts. And we said to put in something the orbit. No, we're going to the moon. This is who we are. This is our heritage from towns like Buxton. It's Americans coming together, standing together, understanding what patriotism really needs. Patriotism is love of country. But you can't love your country unless you love your fellow country, men and women. [13:18:34] And love is not sentimentality. Love is not a gimmick. [13:18:40] Love says, hey, if your kids don't have access to great public schools, then my kids are lesser off. They could be bereft of your child's. Genius of their artistry and innovation loss says injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. [13:18:56] Love is what had people storming beaches in Normandy, never turning to the other one saying, hey, you're Republican or Democrat, love is what had in the civil rights movement people like Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, who died side by side in Mississippi. They were black and white. They were Christian and Jewish. But you know what? They were one thing. They were American. [13:19:16] And so this. [13:19:20] This is what we, me and my fellow Democrats, I have to say we've got to be careful because I know we are hurting. I know we're angry. Anger is a good emotion, but how we fight in this 20, 20 election year is so important. Because I'll tell you know the quote by King, he said, Dark, this can't drive out darkness, only light can do that. He can't talk about hate, only love can do that. The values that the evidence in this campaign. You can't campaign wrong and then think you're going to govern, right. This is a time to weaken the best of who you are. And I have fun because I was sometimes I have to challenge folks. I remember I was coming up to the first big town hall. We had hundreds of people and I'm lumbering towards the stage. I don't know if you'll notice I'm a big guy. I'm a former tight end for Stanford University, former all American football player. The older I get, the better I was. [13:20:15] And I'm about to jump up on the stage. A big guy sees me, another big guy. I pause a little bit. He puts his arm around me. And in a moment of testosterone, he says, do I want you to punch Donald Trump in the face? [13:20:27] And I look at him and I go, Dude, that's a felony. Oh. Now, come on. [13:20:35] We don't win this election by trying to be more Trump, be the Trump. [13:20:41] That's not what America needs. [13:20:45] We need to be bullies in the past. Demagogs. Every generation has had a pact with God. McCarthy. Rise up in power. We had a whole political party that uses same immigration rhetoric that this president used to call the Know Nothing party. We didn't beat them in the past by showing the worst of who we are. [13:21:02] But by calling to the best of who Americans are. We didn't beat Bull Connor in Birmingham by bringing bigger dogs and bigger fire hoses. No, it was artists of activism from this state as well. Who times more moments? Times of crisis found ways to expand the moral imagination of this country. Awaken people to the urgency not of being hateful, but being more better agents. [13:21:28] Of kindness, of decency, of grace, of civility. [13:21:34] And this is my worry. What's happening to my generation of America? [13:21:41] Are we only doing what our parents did and our grandparents did, finding wide ways to bind the way nation's wounds. Finding ways to heal the sever belonging that exists in America, where people feel more isolated and more alone or be finding ways to create the coalitions to create the big change. Because here's a newsflash for you. I see the data on everything from affordable prescription drugs to stopping the carnage of gun violence. Most Americans agree on the broad strokes of what we need to do. [13:22:16] But in past generations, with difficult things happen and there's always difficult things happening that you call to our consciousness. I always say America hasn't broken your heart. You don't love her enough. Heartbreaking things happen in our history. We're not defined by the wretchedness or pain of our past with the spine. By how we rose up together to overcome it. Look for girls died in a bombing in Birmingham. [13:22:43] That tragedy didn't tear this country apart. [13:22:46] We came together, people from all backgrounds says that's not who we are. We changed laws in Washington. The longest filibuster in Senate history was Strom Thurmond blocking civil rights laws and we overcame that. We turned tragedy into triumph in my grandparents generation. So we all know this history when women were in this fire in New York called the Shirtwaist Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Finder, but they were throwing themselves out windows dying on the pavement below. This country rose up in consciousness and said, this is wrong. This is not who we are. And people join together and we change laws in Washington to protect workers and affirm their rights. [13:23:34] People are slaughtered at a concert in Las Vegas at a nightclub in Orlando. And nothing changes. People are killed in houses of worship from a synagogue in Pittsburgh to a church in South Carolina. Nothing changes. Four children are shot under their desks at school. One by one are babies from Parkland to Newtown. And nothing changes. In fact, the strongest nation on the planet Earth says to its children, we can't protect you. We send them to school. That implicit message that we're going to teach you how to hide. [13:24:13] There are more shelter in place, drills now in American public schools and fire drills. And yet 90 percent of Americans agree on common sense gun safety. Eighty six percent of NRA members agree on the policy changes that make us safer. What is this election about is about who has a better 50 point policy plan on guns. No, it's not about the head. It's about the heart, the spirit, the passion of America, about how can we reclaim what makes us strong, which is the bonds that tie us together. And so I'm here to let you all know I'm running for president because, yeah, I believe I have great ideas. [13:24:50] But heck, when I was the executive in Newark, New Jersey, and took America's this one of the cities, America, the worst reputation for crime and corruption in 60 years of losing population or schools literally under state takeover, people say we can't the things we couldn't do was what people were talking about. We were in a global recession. And I told folks the same thing I did. My started in New Orleans as it is as a lawyer for tenants. I said we take down slumlords bullies. We take them down not by cursing at them more or deploring them. We take them down by organizing ourselves. [13:25:25] We won big battles against slumlords, sent one to federal court because the bonds between us. When I became mayor of a distressed city, I said, we are going to turn the city around. Things that people that can't be done by creating tighter coalitions, new coalition. And hey, if the Republicans out there, we're not going to demonize them. I was mayor of the largest city, the governor of my state. You never heard of him, but his name was Chris Christie. [13:25:51] And you think I spend all my time holding press conferences, condemning him, vilify him. No one said we're going to find common ground. It's got to be things we agree on and we built from there. And now Newark, New Jersey, is going through its biggest economic development boom in 60 years. Tens of thousands of jobs, supermarkets and food deserts doubled its production of affordable housing. In fact, created the first hotels in four years. [13:26:15] Office towers, businesses moving back or school system went from one of the worst urban districts in our state to the number one school system in America for beat the odds schools, kids in poverty going on to college. There is nothing we can't do. When I went to the Senate, a place known for people attacking each other gridlock. So we got to find ways to get things done. And I knew that starting with tightening the bonds between people and the heck, I went down there with this attitude that I'm would invite every Republican here right now to get him to try to come to their office. And let me tell you, I went out to dinner with Ted Cruz. [13:26:47] It wasn't easy to find a restaurant. [13:26:54] He's from Texas. I'm a vegan, for crying out loud. [13:26:58] We broke bread together. It's great woman named Renee Brown. She says it's hard to hate up close. [13:27:03] So pull people in, you know, pass legislation to help American communities recover after disasters. I go to Bible study and a right wing conservatives office and in half and I pass legislation to get them help homeless children and foster children. The only major bipartisan bill passed under Donald Trump. [13:27:27] Only major one. It's now led to the liberation of thousands of people who should not have been incarcerated. Was it one that I left from the Democratic side? After being told by Democrats that we would never pass a bill to liberate thousands of Americans? [13:27:43] I have a fearsome belief in this election candidate. Linda is the one not just with the best ideas. [13:27:51] In fact, I hope my president will find his wherever they are. Ha! I learned in Newark I wasn't the smartest guy in the city, but I was the person that can find folks. Bring them together to get the smartest things done. [13:28:03] Now, in this election, we need the candidate that can best ignite the coalitions we need to win. [13:28:11] This is a state I love you all because you don't care about national polls. This is a state that literally has set out, you know, polls old be damned. I'm gonna do what is best for the country. You took people who were telling the national polls. Jimmy Carter in December was at 1 percent. Bill Clinton in December was at 4 percent. Heck, John Kerry, John Edwards. One month before the caucus, they were polling no. 6TH and 7th at 4 percent and 2 percent. And you all had to finish 1 and 2 in the caucuses. Some guy married up on this. Obama. [13:28:46] Obama. I miss her husband, too, but Michelle is who I really miss. [13:28:53] Nationally, he was polling about 20, 15, 20 points behind Hillary. These folks come into Iowa and you don't just look at them. You evaluate their heart and their spirit as well as their ideas. I don't remember what the differences between Hillary Clinton and Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were in 2007 on healthcare policy. But I know you all said the guy in the White House, whoever they got up and fought for the best ideas together to move this country forward. [13:29:22] So let me tell you, this election, we got to get everybody we've got to create those coalitions because I'm not in this just to beat Donald Trump. [13:29:33] I'm not in this. This is one of my goals to send Mitch McConnell back to the backbenches as well. [13:29:37] That's why this strategy here is so important. [13:29:42] I'm here to get to the mountaintop. When we do that is together, the way to do that is healing. [13:29:51] I told people in the last yesterday, the last big House party we had, we've got 50 people gonna show up. We have people hundred fifty more coming out the doors. I said people, two people there. I said, look, we have to have a candidate that can get the focus of that Obama coalition again, because think about this. Hillary Clinton would be president right now if she got the same number of African-American voters as Obama did because black vote suppressed them quickly. Those three states, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. We lost those three states only by 77000 votes in Milwaukee alone, 70 mocking the metropolitan area. Seventy thousand less black people showed up in the time before. [13:30:30] We have a common destiny. We need each other. [13:30:34] Einstein talked about the delusion of separateness. The challenge is right here in this community. I'm telling you to connect it to the challenges in my urban home city of Newark. Let my people go to the bodega, to the local grocery to revive the fact that only 50 percent of our consumer dollar. 50 percent like the consumer. It all goes, if you will, actually use the food. That's problematic. [13:30:58] The fact that mental health issues I have this incredible couple here. The Carpenters from Iowa showed up for all the candidates. They're part of CNN's focus group of undecided voters. Well, now they decided me to support my campaign because they know that mental health issues is an American shape, the way we deal with mental health. I want to end, though, on one of my most important points. This is never going to be about me or any of the candidates. This is not the moment. It's a wee moment. [13:31:32] God, we need to excite and energize this country in a in a powerful way. [13:31:39] We've got to get people understanding what our civil rights leaders used to say, that that's what we have to repent for, is not the vitriolic words and violent actions of the bad people. It's the appalling silence and inaction of the good people. Remember King's letter from Birmingham jail wasn't written towards racist bigots? No, he wrote it towards members of the clergy who thought they should just sit back and wait for change or change doesn't just come. It has to be worked for. And so I want to end with a story. [13:32:10] There will be questions, but I want to end with a story that demonstrates to you why groups like this, as small as this might be, why you all literally hold the destiny of our country in your hand. Then you can make changes over the next thirty three days. Then you may not even imagine. And I'll tell you, my personal story is a personal dirt on my family. But I know it speaks to your whole family's, too. It takes two years ago, decades ago, 50 years ago, my family was moving from the south to trying to find places to live in this incredible mecca. I don't know if you ever heard of this place. It's called New Jersey. [13:32:49] And every time they have looked for houses and communes with the best public schools, they have many white communities back then and they would be greeted by a real estate agent, would see a black family and they would be lied to. There's always houses already sold or it's taken off the market. My parents were distressed and they were worried and they didn't know what to do. But what did they find in this world moment in this country? They found good people from that community who used to meet in the living room. [13:33:13] Mostly white folks who said to my parents what our values are welcoming the stranger, loving your neighbor. They said to my parents, this is wrong and we're going to change it. And so they set up this sting operation. I call it the conspiracy of love with him, said my parents look at the house and they were told it was sold. They would leave. And from that living room, a volunteer white couple would then go right behind them to find out the House was still for sale or not. Well, my parents, the house that I grew up in. [13:33:42] They were told it was sold. The white couple came and found that the house was still for sale. The white couple pretended they loved the House. They put a bid on the House. The bid was accepted. Papers were drawn up. A closing was set. And on the day of the closed with another person from that laundry room, a volunteer lawyer. The white couple didn't go to the closing. My dad did that lawyer. And they show up in the real estate agent's office. And the real Cesar realizes he's caught and doesn't capitulate, doesn't give up. [13:34:10] He stands up angrily and punches my guy's lawyer in the face. And then he sticks a dog on my deck. And let me tell you, as I'm grown up in this beautiful home, in this beautiful community, every time my dad would tell this story, the dog would get bigger. [13:34:28] Eventually, it's like fun. I had to fight a pack of wolves to get you in this house. [13:34:33] But he told me what we all have learned, that every one of us drank deeply from wells of freedom and liberty and opportunity, that we didn't dig we lavishly from banquet tables of justice and liberty that were prepared for us by our ancestors. And my parents told me, boy, you can't pay it back. You got to pay it forward. So I was an earnest young man. By the time I was 18 years old, I was off to Stanford because of a 4.0. Sixteen hundred, but not what you think it was, 4.0 yards per carry. Sixteen hundred receiving yards. [13:35:07] I worked on a football scholarship, but I was artists. [13:35:11] I, in my master's degree at Stanford, went overseas on a Rhodes scholarship, came back to Yale Law School. But my dad was not impressed. He's like, boy, you got more degrees in the month of July. [13:35:23] But Jane hot because for my family values, life isn't about the degrees you get to get the service you give. So what was my first job coming out of law school? Going to inner city low income central water, north New Jersey and representing tenants as a lawyer because people fought for my housing rights. I was going to fight for their rights. You can't pay it back. Pay it forward. It's the American way. [13:35:50] I'll tell you. [13:35:54] We beat the most powerful political machine in our state. If you want to know, take on a Donald Trump, watch a movie about the Oscar nominated movie about a cold street fight. It was to the Oscars, in all fairness to a movie called March of the Penguins, for crying out loud. What you want to know who's tough in this race? Who knows how to bring a fight? Watch that movie. My phones were tapped. Windows on my car, smash. [13:36:20] Police being used to bully and intimidate. You will see me overcoming insurmountable odds to become mayor of New Jersey's largest city. You can watch it on YouTube. Now movies are free and available. I returned around the city. We did not need. We went to Washington again to do bipartisan work, to pass things that would help my state. And then I decided to do well. A lot of senators do who have a high sense of self-regard. I decided to write a book that was your moment to me to hold it up there. [13:36:50] I decided I decided to write a book. I thought we worked this out. [13:36:57] So what to write? The book is the end of the story. I decided to go back 50 years to find those people who were there for me and my family who were trying to move in and to write a chapter in that book. The head of that group, she was easy to find. She's now 93 years old. And the reason why she was easy to find. It's because she's still head of that group in northern New Jersey, a healthy housing issue. Now, it's not black people. A lot of black people live in North Jersey. If same sex couples as Americans with disabilities, as Muslim Americans, because to her, this noble American justice has no color, no race, no orientation. It is one justice, one nation, one love to convert a lot of facts. [13:37:40] But she sends me to the lawyers, if you really want to know the story. Talk to them. Lawyer, organize a sting operation. I got to call this guy of an 84 year old retired New Jersey judge. He confirms all the details of the story. I finally find out how big the dog was. And yet then in end and then all the question and answer, I needed to write the chapter. But one question I wrote down springs to my mind, which was why. Why would this white guy in the 1960s who was just starting a business was busy as well. Barely providing for his family. Why would he take so much time out to help black people move in his neighborhood? [13:38:17] At a time when there were real fears of white flight and real estate prices going down? Sir, I just had to ask respectfully, sir, why would you do this? And he says to me, while I know the moment I made the decision and I go, what was the moment he goes? It was March 7th, 1965. And I'm like, that's very specific, sir. What was going on? March 7th, 1965. He said, well, I was sitting at home on my couch watching TV. Now, for some of the younger people here, they might not know the hardships of our past. But there was a time in America where we only had three channels and get this. [13:38:54] I know this might be shocking to some folks. You actually had to get up to change them. I think my dad had two kids because he wanted two boys if you'll get up to change your channel for him. [13:39:07] So on this night in America, March 7th, 1965, some of you, the date still didn't ring a bell to me, but to some of you might be starting to ring a bell. Most of America was home watching this show. Some of you folks were my age, maybe a little older, might be able to finish the title for me. In fact, that movie. Most of America's watching was one called Judgment at Nuremberg. Exactly. Gripping people in this country watching this movie about the aftermath of the Holocaust. And then something historic happen on ongoing TV movie. [13:39:38] They broke away, didn't movie to show a bridge in Alabama called the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where these marchers started in Selma. Now, the movie's called Selma and we're trying to march to Montgomery for voting rights. And they get stuck on that bridge by Alabama state troopers who would not let them pass. And you know who at the head of that march? One of our greatest heroes who struggling now. [13:40:11] Pancreatic cancer. We should pray for him. [13:40:15] Well, they chose Alabama state troopers, gassed those marchers and then they stormed in someone, horseback trampling people, others with billy clubs drawn and they viciously beat those marchers. John Lewis had his skull fractured, knocked unconscious, leaned profusely. And this humble man is my hero. And my friend says to me, he's so humble. He's a giant. He's so humble. [13:40:37] You go to me. He goes, Corey, I shed a little bit of blood on that bridge that day. No, Congressman, no, no. Get me carried back to the church for safety. But that's not the question. The question is, is what did one white man on a couch 1000 miles away do in our moral moment in this country? [13:40:58] How did he do it? [13:40:59] I sometimes do see something on TV that gets me upset. Rachel's got me very mad about someone. Why does he allow his inability to do everything, to undermine his determination to do something? [13:41:13] No. Does he treat our great democracy like a spectator sport where you just sit on the sidelines and cheer the good things and cheer the bad things? No. He understands that we are America. The change has always happened from good people stepping up and doing great things. And so he does the American thing. He stands up off that couch. His first instinct is to go to Alabama. But he suddenly realizes, God, I can't afford a plane ticket. Not to mention close my business. So he decides to enter into the greatest of American traditions, which is individual Americans immoral moments who may not be able to change everything, just standing up and saying, you know what, then? [13:41:54] I'm just going to do the best I can with what I have, where I am. [13:42:01] And he calls around. He doesn't mind. I care for one hour of pro bono work, just one hour a week. And he calls around, as you might need help you find this young woman, now 93 years old, who like hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. I need some help. And the two of them start working. It's 1965. They were asking neighbors to help a neighbor say, yeah, I'll help. And they start coming together. They form a sting operation to help with housing discrimination goes 65 turns of 67 turns. In 1969, they got lawyers involved. [13:42:28] He'll never forget the day he says he got a case file about his family trying to move into their community, having all kind of frustrations and struggles. He says court. We hope that family got them into housing. Do you know that family's name, Corey? And I don't know, sir. He although the two names on that case file were Carrie and Carolyn Booker, your parents. I'm literally standing before you right now because one guy on a couch. Years before I was born stood up on the fourth popularly elected fourth poor black person elected to the United States Senate because this incredible man. Stood up. I'm running for the highest office in the land. If I get elected president, I don't, you know, would be historic. I'll be the first descendant of slaves in America ever to go on to be in the White House, built by slaves because the actions of one man. [13:43:20] This election is no less of a moral moment. [13:43:26] This election is no less urgency, whether it's from climate change to health care. People's lives depend upon what we do and none of us, including me, can do everything. We rely on the goodness and the decency and the mercy and the love of each other. [13:43:42] That has always made America great. Yes, we have a sacrosanct sacred constitution. But what has made that constitution real? When the rights were denied, women, African-Americans, many immigrants, Irish were discriminated against. What has always made that constitution real was not the words on the paper, but the spirit in our hearts. [13:44:03] What is this election about? It's not just the head. It is about that heart of our nation. I'm asking you right now to stand with me now to understand that we need a candidate that gets it. They can champion the healing, that can reawaken that civic grace that we need to solve our problems. That doesn't do the 60 million people that voted for Donald Trump as our enemy, but our brothers and our sisters, who ultimately we need the goal of the Democratic Party in this for a moment to time to beat Republicans is to unite Americans in common cause and common purpose. That's why I'm running. Please caucus for me. Join me, I promise you. [13:44:45] I may not be perfect, but I will make you proud. I promise you that we work together and stand together if we make the best of who we are. [13:44:54] Our best days won't be behind us. We may be in a ditch right now, but I promise you to that mountain top we will rise. [13:45:02] Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank God. Thank you. Thank you very much, Preston. Thank you. Thank you. [13:45:18] God bless you. Thank you. All right. Thank you, guys. One man's have had already going up. [13:45:24] And I know the first question usually is how much money do I save on product every year? We're very frugal. You are my brother. [13:45:32] So, first of all, you're wearing that hat, which makes me think you are a veteran. And I wonder if that's the case. I want to thank you for your service. [13:45:38] Thank you, sir. [13:45:42] Better not have a crowd. Hey, man, hey, man. I work every day. Thank you for that. That's my question. Yes, sir. Missed Mr. Davis far? Yes, sir. I call it the bees and the bees. [13:45:54] The Republicans, veterans. The Republicans are posthumous medals and photo ops. That's right. [13:46:04] Do anybody any good? No, sir. The bees are the butt. [13:46:12] Bullets bomb fellowship that one hundred billion dollars a year close to the better. [13:46:18] Yes, sir. [13:46:19] Department of Defense Department Defense. Tennessee's war is great for veterans. Veteran's Administration to take care of because the. Congress and the president and this administration and past administrations won't give them money. Yes, sir. To take care of the problems, they are short. Thirty thousand doctors, nurses and staff. Yes, sir. Hospitals. [13:46:43] And this this administration can't even find a person to be a director of one of the worst terrorist groups in the country and keep in state that we've gone two, three or four years. So this the veterans budget. Veteran suicides spit on them. It's been on the headlines for years and it has hardly dropped us a bit because we not taking care of our own problems. They say these people overseas didn't do things you're not supposed to do. It's not in our human nature. It's not. It's not what we should do. They come back with problems saying take care of the homeless, measure the homeless on the streets. They end up in suicide. So what are you going to do better? [13:47:33] So what's your what's your name? That's it there. A hospice. What's your name? [13:47:39] Mr. Hawkes. You all know I work with. [13:47:45] Writer director Aaron Musicality, I still work with the writers and. You were a lifelong servant and lifelong servant. And by the way, our veterans are some of our best leaders when they come home and serving other veterans and fighting the fight that they should not have to fight for their country to treat them with dignity, respect and honor, that we should be treating them. [13:48:05] This is a shameful reality in America. And any Kenyans wants to tell you what they're going to do better tell you what they've already done on this shame and end it is what you mentioned about doctor shortages. For me to sit with veterans, for women and say that wait for a gynecological, just basic gynecological service is months. When I put an early screening or early detection could actually save lives. For us to live in a nation with a veterans homeless, disproportionate homeless were a criminal justice system. [13:48:38] Drying veterans into jails and prisons where they need help. [13:48:45] When our veterans have a record for starting businesses and supporting successful entrepreneurs at incredible rates for these still problems, widening access to capital where they're taught to do things overseas, they come down here and their certifications don't translate to help them get jobs or they go overseas and fight and they go home and get deported. Let's see what you got. Seriously, you are showing me your values with your words. So let me just tell you this fight and why is important me. [13:49:11] But I became the mayor of New Jersey's largest city. That's when I found out for my veterans in my city how they were being treated by their own country. And I wasn't here for you. So we created the first ever my state. I said it was too hard for them to navigate a busy team labyrinth of services to try to figure things out. So I said here in City Hall, you're a veteran cop. Even if you don't know things you might not eat. I'll come by City Hall. We created a one stop center with incredible professionals, veterans themselves that worked together. All kind of services. You're a veteran. We will honor you. We got the increases and resources. We got them access to housing and more. We didn't stop there. [13:49:48] Or veterans once thought we became a model for around our state. We didn't stop there. I said housing is a crisis. It was we were in the middle of recession. We were in a housing crisis. I said I'm going to build from the ground up housing in Newark for veterans housing. I reached out to everybody I can because like an old Motown song, I'm not too proud to beg for a righteous cause. I've got a guy. You guys might not have heard of a Bon Jovi that literally gave me money to build a housing bill or better housing that respected their honor. We did not stop there. I saw how they were getting caught up in the police for doing things. [13:50:19] Veterans are disproportionately arrested for drug crimes and often they're trying to get marijuana not because they want to get high, because it helps deal with your PTSD and their pain, but if you're ending up in our jails. So we create the first ever in New Jersey veterans courts. When I was mayor and so understand this has been a fight. I have been fighting not with words, not with photo ops, but real services to change lives and change destiny. And when I got to the United States Senate, I picked up the fight. [13:50:44] And again, we fight each other. It's the veterans who lose. So I turn to Dean Heller, a Republican from Nevada where my mom is. And I said they're trying to take away traumatic brain services from my veterans in my state. Join with me in a bipartisan way. John McCain became a friend and a mentor once was office right when I started and said, what can we do? Because we are a nation. He knew this, that Spence finds all the money we did, sir. Trillions of dollars to send our people overseas to fight. But when they come home, we plead poverty. And so I'm your president. I'm going to end what I consider a shame. I will use that word. And this shame. But what's not prioritizing in our budgets and in our resources, what we need to do. But it's not enough there, sir. [13:51:27] This whole country, we used to be a nation that when we were in war, we are in war right now. Everybody got involved. I told you about my grandma making Victory Garden, told you about my grandma doing what she did for the war effort. Now, most Americans have to be reminded that we have people on the front lines, that we're losing soldiers. We have to get back to a sense of collective sacrifice already, sir. Presidents are too itchy to go to combat. We have violated our Constitution. Did we vote on war in Yemen yet? [13:51:59] Our planes were refueling sortie planes that were dropping American bombs on Yemenis children. Those people flying planes for military in those areas. And people know that the separation of powers has been eroded in this country. The presence or more easily and easily sending our people and our resources into combat. I think we should be a country that returns the balance of power. Then when we go to war, everybody stands up for that effort. [13:52:26] And that means not being the first generation that forgets we're at war. [13:52:31] But if you're president, every single day reminds people of our obligations to the bravest amongst us who stood for us have come home and they should be treated like the people they are. They are our greatest Americans. [13:52:45] Yes. God. Right. [13:52:47] Well, what's your name? Carl Thomas. Carl Tubbs. All right, man. You know that the secret getting ahead in life. Look at the gentleman back there. Shake your head. I don't know. [13:52:58] Did he have sports wind resistance? Right. I have a faster 100 time than the guys. A big afros. I really do. All right. That surprised. Good man. What's your shirt today, sir? [13:53:10] Oh, my. Looking for the duster tailgating shirt. That's that's fantastic. You're tailgating? Yeah. Have you ever in your life rooting for Stanford football? [13:53:21] Actually, when you're playing Ireland Island Bowl. [13:53:29] Sir, with all due respect, sir, it may have just eroded your chance of ever winning an election. I'm going to help you by moving along quickly in your question. What's your question? [13:53:41] Okay. The last major event for the LGBT community was when we passed the Marriage Equality Act in 2015, but says that nothing really has happened with and it doesn't really matter if you can cannot marry if you don't survive your next birthday. So an FBI has reported that LGBT hate crimes have been on the rise since Trump has been elected and many state laws have been to restrict the rights to the LGBT community, especially in a trans community. So what are we going to do to help reverse the changes and step forward for the community support as you are? [13:54:28] You are a righteous man, little overhead, but you're a righteous fan. And so this is a really important question because again, I set up this common garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. [13:54:41] King's noble words We live in a nation right now where our LGBTQ view for disproportionately homeless. About 40 percent of our homeless youth are LGBTQ youth, 30 percent of LGBTQ youth. Reuters report Missing School because of fear, fear, bullying and fear violence. Talk about the transgender community. Well, transgender black women. Last year, 19 murders, 19 murders where people were targeted because of who they were. But it's worse than that. We have a nation right now that LGBTQ Americans are turning to our criminal justice system, a disproportionate race. And in prison there they are victims of violence, disproportionately high rates. And so when he's not being melodramatic, when he talks about people worried about surviving and hate marriage was a great victory. [13:55:32] The case worker, Phil Case, great victory. But I'll tell you right now, we live in a country most Americans don't know that the majority of our states. You can post your Facebook pictures of your marriage. The majority of states, you can then go back and be fired from your job just because you're gay with no legal recourse whatsoever. And so, again, this is something that you should know. The same thing I said to him. Every one of us have been in this politics for a long time. What have you been doing about this issue? [13:55:58] So let me know. In my history, back in 2006, when I became mayor and the city of New York, before our national politicians had even evolved on the issue, that's what they used to say. I raised the American flag, was the first black I raised, and then the second flag I raised was the pride flag, knowing that it would give me a backlash. And boy, did I. Now, anonymous hate calls. People were calling me up saying, I'm going to never vote for you again. I can't believe that you would do that. But I knew I had a crisis in my city. There was a woman. Nice to that. She's walking home late at night. Guy drove up in a car, hit on her. She turned to him and said, I'm gay, gets out of the car and starts to do that. And so we began in my city trying to transform the safety and security well-being of LGBTQ youths. [13:56:38] Things I did there as I found that the best place that was doing things were LGBTQ youth, which was the Hetrick Martin is to give birth in the Harvey Milk School for Public School in New York. And we asked them to go national and open up a Hetrick Martin Institute safe space in Newark, which I'm proud to say my end of the year giving. I made a contribution and doing well in the city of Newark, which may change the police department, take the training to how to deal with LGBTQ issues. I made a declaration that as mayor of the city, I can marry people, you know, even for marriages. And I declared very boldly, I will not perform any marriages until everybody can get married, not marry anybody. And when my mom heard me say, not marry anybody, she calls me up to please get married. Cory. [13:57:19] So I've been a leader since I was in it, you know, since I was a man going around the country talking about these issues for HRC, when I got into the Senate, the leader, the original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, I'm one of the original co-sponsors of actually that bill that would restore would include LGBTQ Americans into civil rights legislation. And if I'm president, I'd states this is again raising the consciousness of a country of the crisis that we have people dying at higher rates in prison and higher rates of being abuse and bullying and elevate that issue and then do something about it. Because, again, Martin Luther King said, I cannot legislate you to love me, but I can legislate for you not to lynch me. I can't legislate you to change your heart, but I can legislate to restrain the heartless by Department of Justice, civil rights division of my Education Department. [13:58:09] They are going to be fighting cases to defend LGBTQ Americans, trans Americans. I'm going to immediately I get an office, reestablish the nobility of having brave people that want to serve, that we're trying to get out of military service because a bone spurs but brave transgender Americans who've been serving in our military. Even the generals disagreed with our president on their restore their right to certain nice things military. [13:58:33] Which means these. I see. Raising your hand. [13:58:37] So I would do it. Go ahead. What's your name again? [13:58:41] All right, folks like me. I know I believe in me, Sidney, but I just want to follow up. I don't know how much you know about life history, but Iowa was the first state to legalize gay marriage. And you know what happened? We had a life in Boulder, now three Supreme Court justices. And, you know, one reason why I was so mad when they did that, because we have honor. [13:59:08] I was fly the model on that flight. [13:59:13] I never came through price. Am I right? A woman came. [13:59:20] So I appreciate you saying this. And for those of you, I think everybody here knows your Iowa history. This state has been a hit on so many issues of suffrage issues. It was hard on abolition. You all had a huge spurt of brown railroad right through this state. The goodness and decency of Iowa has been shown by their willingness to be ahead. I talk to you about Buxton, which was an integrated town before. [13:59:41] That was that was considered sacrilege in other areas. I know I know the goodness of the folks here, but I'm here to tell you this. It's not enough to be good. Isn't this the same for my faith says faith without works is dead. And right now with the state is doing to privatization of Medicaid. What your state is doing to the rights of teachers to organize and bargain. These are left or right issues. These are just basically a rolling back of the rights that were earned by Iowans. But that's not going to change. [14:00:19] And let me tell you that the news I be very blunt with you on this. I'm going to do things that my Justice Department here in Iowa try to advance justice just like Johnson and Kennedy did in southern students. But what you have to build the Democratic Party in this state, not for partisan politics, but for issues of justice. And so right now, you should know people want to tell you what they're gonna do, but look what they've done in the past. I'm the number one fundraiser in the 2000, 18 elections for your legislative races, because I want to show people that if I'm your nominee, it's not. Hey, I won the caucuses and you'll see me back to you. I'm going to be back here helping to build this party. [14:00:59] We need a 50 state strategy to make sure that more questions. Not question. [14:01:05] OK, I'm just going to show this is my prose alone. Who's the head of mind? The state party here? I actually ran the legislative races and he was one of the guys that got a lot of money for. But I just want to show you that I'm still the boss of me, and I'll give you two more questions. [14:01:19] Yes. That's independents, sir. [14:01:21] We're not the state the county chair go last. I don't come back to you first. And I'm gonna go up here because my people might not be here nearby. Go ahead. I want to thank you for coming. [14:01:31] Thank you. And I appreciate your talk about cooperation and consideration. [14:01:38] I'm embrace what you're doing. I'm only when I'm a registered independent. But by way of caveat, one of the most divisive things I've seen in quite some time was a confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh. You voted no? Yes, sir, I would like to know why. [14:01:57] Because by all appearances, to me, he did nothing wrong. Davis accused. [14:02:05] So so that's a great question I get asked a lot and grateful for the students really slowly come over and talk about conceding because this is a really controversial issue and there are a lot of things about this process that that have changed. Remember Supreme Court justices to get the term used to have to take 60 votes. We eroded that. That forced bipartisanship. It forced people to have more moderate judges. That's been eviscerated in the United States Senate now. And now you have these partisan, more partisan battles. This whole process was long from the beginning. The second thing is these charges that were made and there's a lot of people. This is where they treat somebody who said something about you back in high school somehow undermine your ability to succeed in life. [14:02:47] But let me just tell you right now, a Supreme Court position is not an entitlement. And if I was hiring somebody and people may charge charges, the least I would do is investigate the charges. Now, Miss Ramirez, in this race, she not only presented evidence of of of sexual misconduct, but I went to Yale. She actually presented people when the FBI went out to investigate. They did not investigate any of Mr. Ramirez's charges. The only investigated Mr. Bossie false charges. And there were. But I'm in the Judiciary Committee there. A lot of good people in there on both sides of the aisle. [14:03:24] They were questioning that. And so I simply said, why the rush? Let's get the totality of evidence. And it is not clear. Let's have the vote. Why are we rushing when you somebody that took a great risk to their lives? I saw this Woolsey for she's still getting death threats. She's building security. She has children. These are all problems that now it's going to be with her for her life. I just want to return to a system that forces us to a level of bipartisanship in this country and never have any thought that is 80 years ago. [14:03:59] Lifetime appointments to the highest office in the land should descend into partisan fights, weakens our nation. We need to get back to the word is comedy, not comedy, but comedy to get back to things that force us to have to come together. That vote should not have been taken when it was, and there should've been people on the other side. And I get sometimes occasionally people in airports that say, oh, you were one of these people trying to destroy bread, capitalist life. And I'm like, what are you talking about? He is now a Supreme Court justice. And if he wasn't, he would still be a man of great privilege and opportunity, making more money than most of Americans. His life is not destroyed. But when women come forward and tell the stories of their assaults, the least we can do is listen to them and thoroughly evaluate those charges. [14:04:53] I read. [14:05:01] Yes. In Berlin, there is not a lot of money down, a lot of hospital supplies. [14:05:12] How do you find reliable? Thank you. I'm so grateful that you asked this issue because I was really good on this issue that I the companies were behind you here, which were the most amazing health mental health advocates I met in my life. You're actually on the phone this morning because they brought more data to mind to me. So. So we have a real shameful reality in our country, which is that we are not, you know, not even treat serious mental illnesses as what they are, which is a medical condition. [14:05:38] And we create these laws, these big Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare that has so many gaps in them that even people who are getting resources often fall into those traps and told us to help them out. The carpenter son who was in a got got into a facility and yet Social Security said, oh, you're in a residential facility for a short period of time. We're taking away your Social Security payments that are helping to pay for your rent. So when he finally got to that facility, now he's homeless. So you ask me a very important question, which is how do you fund this? [14:06:10] Never let anybody make the case to you in America that we don't have the money to do what is our priorities. The first step is deciding, are we going to be a nation that takes care of people who have illness, period? I don't believe that fundamentally, whoever you are, whether it's John Lewis with pancreatic cancer or someone suffering from a severe mental illness, that that is something that we as a test of our compassion and empathy for one another, that we should make sure we put our resources into doing it. And here's the thing that most Americans don't know. [14:06:42] The way we're doing it right now is more expensive and more dangerous to our safety and well-being. MUNCY There was just a horrific anti-Semitic attack. Carpenter just sent me an article that just put it plain calling out the state of New York. Yeah. Clearly, that's anti-Semitism. But this person had serious schizophrenia, serious mental illnesses, had been in and out of prison multiple times and no one got them the health care that they deserve. We have a system in America that says we are not improving longer mental illness until you kill people. And then we're going to treat that mental illness by trying to stick you in a jail someplace where you're still not going to get the treatment that you deserve. [14:07:27] Seattle did the study. [14:07:30] They said what's more expensive to sit having people with mental illnesses homeless on the streets or in support of housing? Well, they did a study and they found out it was so much more expensive for their city to have homeless, mentally ill people on the streets. Why? Because where do they end up in a hospital, emergency rooms or or prisons and jails. So let me tell you, we are violating our collective values on mental illness and we're violating fiscal sense. Fiscal common sense. I won't tell you right now. [14:08:02] The fiscally right thing to do for all those economic conservatives in this room. And God, I'm the only person in this race that's cut their budget. I was married my city by 25 percent. I know what it means to live within your means. For all the fiscally conservative people that may consider themselves in this room, let me tell you something. This country, so much preserved, prefers to spend exorbitantly more money on the back end of problems than on the front end, which is the humane thing to do and the less expensive thing to do. I sat that a senior citizen facility last night. Incredible community reminds me of where my parents live. [14:08:42] And I sat with a man named Mr. Douglas who looks me in the eye and tells me I'm supposed to take my insulin three times a day. I take it two times a day because I can't afford it. No. There are thousands of Americans that end up in hospital emergency rooms in diabetic crisis because they're rationing their insulin. Even private companies, corporations, some corporations that give insulin free to their folks when they know they take it regularly, scores lower medical costs. But me give you another shameful reality in America. [14:09:16] We're the only developed nation that doesn't have universal prenatal care. And you know, that means we lead the planet. Developed nations in infant mortality, low birth weight babies and maternal mortality. Anybody who's got a family member where babies born low birth weight. You know how expensive that is. It would be cheaper for America to provide every actress woman to love care than to live with a nightmare. We do put women into every day when their children are born. Stillbirth. Or low birth because it costs the taxpayers so much more money and undermines that child's well-being in their in their life. [14:09:56] How can my country get literally in our founding documents, talks about our commitments to each other, her or our Declaration of Independence? Basically, our founders said, hey, we're not going to make it as a nation. Remember those last words, let's be mutually pledge pledge to each other. With this veteran has done pledge to each other. These are the last words. Our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. America, where is the sacred honor? If not funding mental health care and leave it places like this where Americans see the facilities closing in your community. That is that is the war. That is just that this is not right or left. This election is right or wrong. [14:10:41] And so. [14:10:43] So I tell you, lots of candidates in this race, but it's the only one. Not in this race even. Not just in this race. I'm the only candidate in the entire Senate. Only seven of them. They made a decision with my life. I decided when I was coming out was the move that I was going to stay put in vulnerable communities. I'm the only one to lose in a community below the poverty line because I don't believe in speaking about your values. I'm a big believer that before you tell me about your religion, show it to me how you treat other people. [14:11:13] And so if Matthew 25, Matthew, 25, is where I got my life about, I better not talk about it. [14:11:23] Were you there for the poor? Well, I live in a community where we don't mistake wealth with work. And I see the dignity of my my community. I was there when I was hungry. My neighbors worked full time jobs and catch extra shifts when I was sitting yesterday in the morning with ministers and then people around us were overhearing our conversation. [14:11:44] When a woman comes up to me and says, you may not know this, but the person waiting tables is a public school teacher and she's waiting tables at this restaurant because she can't afford to make ends meet on a teacher's salary. And in my community, working poor, I see the dignity stripped away from folks who work full time jobs and then go to work and then go to the bodega or the local grocery store on my corner and have to use food stamps. Their family first calls. The values of my faith are being violated every day. [14:12:21] And I don't know. That's not my country. [14:12:25] You will I hate the braggadocio, but you're jealous of my freedom fighter, Miles. I tell you, I've been traveling around this country and I know the goodness and decency of America. I really do. But the problem with this election is about is our policies in our civic spaces do not reflect our values. And so what is this election about? If you're one of these, people will say, well, that's a really smart person there. Come on. We're all square on that stage. I could tell you stories about people on that stage. It's not about the head. It's who are there in that room. Can I trust that? We'll remember those people that are disadvantaged. Remember those seniors that are icily that will remember that? No. [14:13:07] The name of those people that were homeless in your community and fought like hell to build housing to get them a roof over their head. So I want to end it. I'm sorry. This is not a high note to end on, but to the kind of chairpersons versus capital emotional. I want you to know that I'm your president. What I bring into that Oval Office is a lived experience that's different than others. Look, I I was blessed. I got my B.A. from Stanford, but my peers on the streets of Newark, I live in high rise public housing projects. [14:13:37] I for 10 years, I live in these projects. And the 10th president projects. A woman in Miss Virginia Jones is five feet tall. But I look up to this woman and I agreed to take on USC linebackers and she's scared me more. I found out in the 80s her son was murdered in the lobby of the building, which I lived. And I asked her why she still stayed there. And she looked at me and all the question, why am I still in these buildings where? Yes. And why am I sitting on apartment five? Yeah, yeah. That's what I have. [14:14:07] Why am I still the tenant president? These buildings since they were built in 1969. I'm like, yes, this joke to why she looks at me and she goes, because I am in charge of homeland security. Surely the cabinet post to the presidential appointment. She like you and so many other people in this room. You, sir. You young man. I'm taking responsibility to share power in the face and demand that they ask and account for why we have so many homeless kids that are LGBTQ. Understanding them in a man's face. I don't care his title. I care about his haircut, even though it's really nice. I'm going to ask him what are you going to do for my brothers and sisters? [14:14:46] And so let me tell you, what drives me is my experiences living up close and personal with the people that we've been talking about, the veterans, homeless, the mentally ill. The one issue that I mentioned in my brief remarks, which is gun violence. 2004, two years before I became mayor in the city of Newark. I'm walking in my heart on my birthday with my dad and gunshots rang out. I turn up the hills. Off duty cop behind me, we run up the hill. Teenager. Gunshots in their chest. So he may have served in combat zones. Know what that might look like, but it ain't so much more gruesome than any movie I've seen. Blood was everywhere. I did the best. I threw my hands to his chest. From what I saw on TV stopped blood from coming out. It was everywhere. [14:15:33] For me, blood was when you stopped breathing, foaming, blood started pouring from his mouth. I still am screaming. People call an ambulance screaming his name. Please don't die. Sticking my hand and is now trying to clear passageways just for this child to breathe. [14:15:47] Paramedics come up. Shut me out of the way. I fall back on the grass as they go to work on his chest that I knew he was dead. A lot of the analysts take him there to try to save his life. I know what just happened. I walked down the hill. I tell my dad and go back to the projects. My apartment. Wait for me. The police records this day. At me and said you looked like you were in a state of shock. I go, I don't remember how I got back. I just remember the moment my dad opens the door and sees his child filled with another boy's blood. And my dad and I are so close, but at this moment he look ashen. I couldn't talk to my pushed past him and went to the bathroom and I started scrubbing this boy's blow off my hands and I lost it when I looked in the mirror. [14:16:30] And I'm confessing to you. This is the lowest point I have in American because I value that flag and people have died for it. [14:16:36] But I was so angry at this country that every one of us, we swear an oath to this flag to say that this will be a nation of liberty and justice for all. But yet so many Americans don't know that justice. And I couldn't understand in my community where children were dying with such regularity and it didn't even make the newspapers anymore. This new American tradition that we have children in boxes every single week. Some here in the wall areas commit suicide. Some in areas like mine are cut down by gun violence on my block. Last year. A kid named Smith was murdered with an assault rifle. I'm going to bed that night so angry at America, so full of darkness that was corrupting my soul. And I remember getting up the next morning and there were people in this room that notice the courage. I'm sorry. It's not the battle cry necessarily. Always. It's not the big speech, but sometimes the greatest courage in your life. [14:17:35] You showed it just like getting out of bed the next morning and putting your feet on the ground. And somehow you find the will to keep on going. Well, I came out of my apartment. I looked down into the lobby as I'm walking through the lobby of my building. I realized this is where Mrs. Jones's son was killed. I come out to the courtyard between the two buildings and I'm a man of faith. I know God planned this for me. My lowest point, he said a rescuer, because I walk into that lobby and this Jones is there with her back to me. And she must have heard screaming on the inside because she turns around early in the morning. Our eyes connect and she does the one thing I need to support her arms out like this small woman. And I lumbered across that that that courtyard like a little boy. And we hugged. [14:18:27] And then I wrote and just started crying, tears of hurt and anger and pain. And she held me tight. And then she repeated two words to me that were like my me. [14:18:40] These are two words that I repeated. Does this bear on the days as a senator in difficult days? I confess to you, I think these two words to the on oldest campaign trail and the days when I'm so tired and on my third plane and I'm just leaning on the goodness of communities like this. [14:18:56] And these two words have nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with our civic gospel. She rubs my back and says over and over again. [14:19:04] These two words, she says, stay faithful, stay faithful, stay faithful. [14:19:14] I learned from Miss Jones that what hope really is it is the conviction in your heart that despair will never have the last word. [14:19:24] You ask questions about mental health. [14:19:26] We'll talk to families in this room like carpenters who see the darkest corners of our countries in adequate seats to talk to LGBTQ Americans and they confront vicious and violent hate every day. Torture war veterans who are willing to die for this nation. But yet, will this country live up to their commitments to them? [14:19:49] I know we're hurting. I know these are dark times, but these are not time to abandon our values. It's time to double down on them. And so I ask you right now, this is a time. Will we stay faith in each other? Well, we know that faith, no matter how small the person's small faith is, what has always saved our world and who helping us. [14:20:10] I believe that's what this election's about. [14:20:12] I know that's why I'm running in the title, one of a lot of awards, imperfect beings on this planet. But my strength doesn't come from just within comes from my ability or ability to connect, to stand together and work together. We may look differently. Some of us may pray differently, but we are one nation under God. And I'm telling you right now, if you dare to put your faith in me, if you caucus for me, we are going to awaken the best of this nation again. [14:20:41] While the Russians and others were trying to make us hate each other more, we together will resurrect our values of love and God. [14:20:50] If we do that, we're not going to just win an election. I promise you we will transform the nation. And when America goes further higher, it called the globe with them. [14:20:59] You and I will have a decision to make. You've always been the ignition point to our nominee. [14:21:06] Don't listen to the national polls. Listen to your heart, your gut and spirit, your caucus. We talk to one of our volunteers because we need you. I already feel the movement and the momentum growing. We're going to come into Iowa. We're going to upset expectations and begin a campaign not based on the idea simply in this head, but we're going to place a campaign on the heart of the American people, because I know our best days are ahead of us and I know that together we will rise. [14:21:31] Thank you.

Hands Up. Rock concert crowd.

INT BROLL OF THE "NO LABELS" EVENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FEATURING SEVERAL OF THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES / Today, eight presidential candidates are attending the No Labels Problem Solver Convention hosted by Jon Huntsman and Joe Lieberman with the goal of bringing New Hampshire's famed independent voters together. It's one of the only presidential forums where we will see both Republicans and Democratic candidates together. Martin O'Malley is kicking it off at 8:30AM <x-apple-data-detectors://0>, Lindsey Graham is at 9:45AM <x-apple-data-detectors://1>, Donald Trump is at 11AM <x-apple-data-detectors://2>followed by Chris Christie at 1:15pm <x-apple-data-detectors://3>. Bernie Sanders will address the event via livestream at 2pm <x-apple-data-detectors://4> followed by George Pataki at 3PM <x-apple-data-detectors://5>. Jim Webb isat 3:30 <x-apple-data-detectors://6>, also via livestream and John Kasich rounds out the day at 5:15PM <x-apple-data-detectors://7>. / LINDSEY GRAHAM SPEECH: WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH P2 WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH 10:05:55 GRAHAM: Out of respect for people, I won't dance. (LAUGHTER) When I first announced for the Senate I took Senator Thurmond's place. Anybody heard of Senator Thurmond? Yes, we change senators every 50 years whether we need to or not. (LAUGHTER) So Bob Dole was my National Chairman. Strom Thurmond, and James Brown was the entertainment. (LAUGHTER) What's the moral of the story? No one knew I was there. (LAUGHTER) And seeing Bob Dole trying to keep time was... (LAUGHTER) ... sort of worth it all. Speaking trying to keep time. I want to take some questions I've enjoyed -- thank God for New Hampshire. It's the last place... (APPLAUSE) ... it's the last place on earth where you can meet 20 people running for president if you're lucky. (LAUGHTER) 10:06:56 So keep South Carolina in your prayers; it's been a tough year. The Charleston shooting, I would like to just note the people in the Mother Emanuel Church did a better job of representing my state and mankind than I could have ever hoped to have done, so. (APPLAUSE) If you're looking for a model to follow go to that church. It is really been tough; 18 inches of rain in 18 hours down in Charleston; I hope these dams hold, but our Governor and her whole team's doing a great job. So let's talk about our country a little bit. Do you agree that America's worth fighting for? (APPLAUSE) 10:07:47 Yes? You think it's worth dying for? (APPLAUSE) Is it worth compromising for? (APPLAUSE) In many ways it is easier to go to Afghanistan than it is Washington. (LAUGHTER) At least you know who the enemy is. So I want to talk to you a little bit about trade-offs. Anybody married? (LAUGHTER) I think you know what I'm talking about. Life, at its best, is a series of trade-offs. Hey, Paul. So the bottom line here's what the next president needs to do, whoever who he or she may be. They need to get us in a room in Washington, come to the White House, have a drink, maybe more than one. (LAUGHTER) 10:08:38 Get everybody liquored up and solve problems. (LAUGHTER) So this is what Reagan and O'Neill did: campaign finance reform. You want to get money out of politics? (APPLAUSE) Yes. Join my campaign. (LAUGHTER) We -- we've accomplished that. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) Citizens United has to be revisited because it's going to be pretty hard to solve any problem with unlimited giving by unknown people. (APPLAUSE) 10:09:26 So it will probably take a Constitutional Amendment, but I think there's a way to get there, and that would be a priority to me because if you don't get this fixed I think the days of problem solving are behind us when you got 158 families financing half -- giving half the money, and one, I want to know who they are, by the way; call them up. (LAUGHTER) Something's broken there. Debt. Do you all agree that debt is a no-label problem? (APPLAUSE) 10:10:05 The debt that we're about to pass on future generations could care less if you're a Republican family or a Democratic family. Now what drives the debt? Spending, well, that's pretty clever. What drives the debt over time? Spending on what? Entitlement reform. How many of you think Social Security is worth saving? (APPLAUSE) Me too. 10:10:30 Social Security and Medicare are programs that people depend on for a quality of life when they retire. They're jeopardy of being overwhelmed because 80 million baby boomers, of which I'm one, are going to retire in the next 20 years, 25 years. Anybody born from '46 to '64? (APPLAUSE) Yes. Anybody born after '64? (APPLAUSE) Good luck. (LAUGHTER) You're going to need it. So have you heard of Simpson-Bowles? All right. 10:11:10 Here's what I would do if I were president, I would dust it off and I'd use it as a template, because there's no way you can tax your way out of this problem. 80 million people are going to retire in mass, we're going to be down to two workers for every retiree in the next 20 years. In 1950 there were 16 workers for every retiree, in 20 years it's going to be two. Now Strom Thurmond had four kids after he was 67; if you're willing to do that we may can turn this around. (LAUGHTER) If you think you can do that you probably have a high opinion of yourself. (LAUGHTER) So, and I'm not betting on you can deliver, so I'm going to Plan B. (LAUGHTER) 10:12:01 So what do you do? You got a lot of people wanting their Social Security checks and their Medicare bills paid, and you got two people paying FICA taxes and Social -- and Medicare taxes. Simpson-Bowles is a great trade-off; here's what Republicans have to do: we have to eliminate deductions in the tax code that many of us enjoy. 1.2 trillion a year given away in deductions, we're going to have to bring some of that money back into the Treasury and we're going to have to put it on debt, and we're going to have to violate pledges that all of us have signed. Have you heard of the Grover Norquist Pledge? Now, I like Grover, and here's what Grover says, "If you eliminated deduction, let's say second home interest deduction, something that would be hard but if you eliminated that, under the pledge you'd have to take all the money to buy down tax rates." The problem with that is no Democrat's going to get in the room to adjust the age or retirement or means to it as benefits. 10:12:59 So what Simpson-Bowles requires is for Republican to eliminate a deduction, take some of the revenue to pay down debt, and what do our Democratic friends have to do in return? We have to adjust the age of retirement because we're all living so much longer and we have to ask people in my income level, I make $175 thousand a year, I'm not saying I'm worth it, but that's what we pay ourselves. (LAUGHTER) We're going to ask upper-income Americans to take smaller benefits, not draconian-cuts, but some, smaller COLAs to get the baby boomers through retirement in dignity without whipping out the country. (APPLAUSE) Now that's Simpson-Bowles. (APPLAUSE) 10:13:43 So when you hear a -- when you hear a Republican say, "I won't do revenue." That means that you're not going to help the country. When you hear a Democrat say, "We don't need to deal or mess with Social Security Medicare." That means you got your head in the sand. We're $70 dollars short of the money we need over the next 75 years to pay the Medicare Social Security Bills. If you took the entire wealth of the one percent, including their dogs... (LAUGHTER) ... everything, you're $30 trillion, you're half of what you need, you're not going to grow the economy enough to close the gap, and if you eliminate the Defense Department, which is 20 percent of one third of the budget, you don't even move the needle. So we know what to do, let's just do it. (APPLAUSE) 10:14:35 Immigration. I had six primary opponents over this one topic. I've been working on this for a decade, I'm called Lindsey Grahamnesty and Lindsey Gomez. (LAUGHTER) To all the Gomez's other there, I'll try to honor the family name. (LAUGHTER) My big sin was I would sit down with Democrats and try to find the way forward to deal with a very difficult issue. (APPLAUSE) And I tell you what the -- the trade-offs are simple; on the Republican side, once we secure the border, which we all want, once we increase legal immigration, which most of us believe we need, crush her (ph) down to two workers unless you have a bunch of kids after you're 67, you better be looking around for workers. Most all of us want to control who gets a job from the National E-Verify system, but we break down at the 11 million. Here's the problem on my side of the isle; we cannot seem to embrace a rational solution to the 11 million. 10:15:37 Anytime you touch this it's amnesty this and amnesty that. The one thing I'm here to tell you is that you can talk about immigration reform, you can vote for immigration reform in the reddest or red states and you can still win because I am still here. (APPLAUSE) So we had -- I had six opponents from mildly disturbed to completely insane. (LAUGHTER) The insane guy's the one I worry the most about. I won by 41 points, and here's what I told people in South Carolina, "Tell me how you deport 11 million people, physically do it. Tell me how you fix immigration without one Democratic vote." To my Democratic friends, if you will meet me in the middle I will meet you in the middle, and we have done it time and time again, so... (APPLAUSE) 10:16:45 If I am president of the United States we're not going to quit until we get this right. And my friends in the House, we have sent you three bills that got over 65 votes dealing with immigration comprehensively, it is time for you to up your game. (APPLAUSE) Once you secure your border, once you control who gets a job, once you increase legal immigration, no one wants a felon as to the 11 million who are non-felons. You stay on our terms, you have to learn our language; I don't speak it well, but look how far I've come. (LAUGHTER) 10:17:26 You have to pay a fine, you have to pay taxes, you have to get in the back of the line and you have to wait 10 years for a green card, but here's what I will never agree to: I hate the European model of second-class citizens. If we're going to let you stay here all of your life we're going to let you be part of the country. (APPLAUSE) How many of you here believe climate change is real? (APPLAUSE) I do too. (APPLAUSE) 10:18:07 So here's the trade-off; for those of you who believe climate change is real you're going to have to deal with a guy like me who will push a lower carbon economy over time in a business friendly way. The great trade-off is energy producers and environmentalists in a room trying to find over a 50 year period a way to go to a lower carbon economy in the mean time, responsibly exploring for fossil fuels that we own and trying to create alternative energy in every sector of the economy. 10:18:43 (UNKNOWN): (OFF-MIKE) GRAHAM: It is to me, folks, a problem needs to be solved, not a religion. So our -- so my friends on the left who making this a religion, you're making a mistake. To my friends on the right who deny the science, tell me why. I'm not a scientist, I made a D science. You know why? Because she'd never given an F. (LAUGHTER) 10:19:03 So. But I've been to the Antarctic, I've been to Greenland, I've been to Alaska and I've heard from people who live in these regions how the climate is changing. And when 90 percent of Climatologists tell you it's real, who am I to tell them they don't know what they're talking about. So the... (APPLAUSE) ... the trade-off is Joe Lee Rimming, John Kerry and Lindsey Graham got closed (ph) and we had the whole spill in the Gulf. More nuclear power because it's a good job creating method of energy, it's non-emitting. Exploring for all in gas in a reasonable way. Pushing low carbon technologies, having the government involved until we can get a foot hold on a lower carbon alternative energy economy in setting carbon targets that would give America clean water and clean air. Those are the trade-offs. 10:19:58 Finally, and I'll take questions, there's no foreign policy element to no labels. Should there be? Let me tell you about a group who buys into no labels. Radical Islam is very much into no labels; they look out into this audience and they don't see anything different, and if you spent two minutes you'd see a lot of things different in this audience in terms Liberal, Conservative, Moderate, Libertarian, Vegetarian. (LAUGHTER) Baptist, Jew, you name it we got it. They see us all the same; we're Americans, we buy into the idea of worshipping God the individual way, not the group way or maybe not at all. We buy into electing our leaders, not having them thrust upon us. We buy into the idea that young women have value. (APPLAUSE) 10:20:57 So here's the thought, if we can't agree that Radical Islamic terrorists, who crucify children, who sell women into slavery in the name of God, who slaughter everybody in the faith that disagrees with them, who throws gay couples off roofs. If we can't come together and say that we stand united against you, we're making a mistake. (APPLAUSE) 10:21:30 So I will tell you ladies and gentlemen how to solve this problem with terrorism is a bit complicated. Uniting against it should be as easy as wanting to solve the other problems I just described. Let me just say this in ending; three thousand of us died on 9/11 for one reason: they couldn't kill more of us. If they would they could. I've never been more worried about another 9/11 then I am right now. The enemies of mankind, not just this nation, are getting stronger and getting more lethal by the day. 10:22:16 I hope that no labels could find some accommodate for foreign policy plank that says the following, "America should lead, we should be involved, we should help others deal with the problem, common to mankind and it is more than dropping a bomb." I am the chairman of the Foreign Operations Sub-Committee, in charge of all the foreign aid in the federal budget. I believe that the PEPFAR Program that Bush created in Africa is making a safer and is making us better. 10:22:53 I believe that foreign assistance will do more damage to radical Islam over the arc of time than a bomb. I believe that educating a young, poor girl in a remote region in the Mid-East is the ultimate antidote to terrorism. (APPLAUSE) I believe that America, at her best, is the hope of mankind. Let us be at our best. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) 10:23:39 QUESTION: Senator, welcome to New Hampshire. Representative of Balus Herald (ph). My question to you is -- is a veterans issue, and I know you're a veteran, you've been up there many years. You all passed a Veterans Accountability Act, and a lot of people bragged about it and used veterans as political pawns and not one person was fired. There's a bill of 10-82 on the Veterans Accountability Act where only a few senators have signed on board. My question is why have you and none of the Republicans and Democrats come together, it's been up there for years, to fix the V.A. system where we got veterans dying? (APPLAUSE) 10:24:21 GRAHAM: One, thank you for your service. The reform that we did pass, with Senator McCain's leadership, allows veterans a choice card if they live over 40 miles from a facility, they can go to a local doctor or a hospital. If you wait over 30 days you can access a local doctor or hospital. In New Hampshire your local provider's in Vermont. So that was a pretty big deal for people in New Hampshire, but your point is well taken. We're fighting a bureaucracy that's not going to give up without a fight. How about this idea? If you've served your country and you're eligible for health care, give you a card where you can go anywhere you want to go anytime you want to go. (APPLAUSE) 10:25:08 Now that costs money, but money well spent. But you can't do that unless you deal with entitlements. By 2040 all the money you spend in taxes or -- send in taxes goes to pay Medicare Social Security and interests on the debt. Do you get where I'm coming from? There'll be no money left for the Department of Defense, no money left for the Department of Education, no money left for the V.A.. If you don't turn it around the tsunami of entitlement spending by age taxing, means testing and flattening out the tax code to generate revenue, it is all talk. So count me in for helping the veteran, count me in for helping the Alzheimer's patient, count me in for helping people overseas who need our help to reconstruct their lives so they can push back against radical Islam. Count me in for all this, but let me tell you, none of it's going to happen if the next president of the United States can't get us in a room and do something like Simpson-Bowles. (APPLAUSE) 10:26:10 QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) GRAHAM: Can't hear you. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) GRAHAM: The crowd's turning on you. (LAUGHTER) 10:26:22 QUESTION: As far as I know, the Constitution requires Congress to declare war. Last time Congress declared war, to my knowledge, in December of '41. We've been in a lot of wars and we haven't won very many since then. So would you require a congressional deceleration of war before we go, and then if you declare war, go to win it? 10:26:48 GRAHAM: All right. I think we've declared war five times in the history of the Nation. The one thing you can't have is 535 commander and chiefs; that's not a way to conduct military operations. So the bottom line is would I seek congressional authorization to use force to destroy ISIL in Syria? Yes, I would, but I don't think I'm required to do so because I think ISIL is a direct threat to our homeland. How many of you believe that ISIL wants to hit us if they could? (APPLAUSE) How many of you believe that the number one job of the president of the United States is to be commander and chief and protect the homeland? (APPLAUSE) 10:27:35 So let me tell you what I would do to destroy ISIL. You're not going to do it from the air; you got to have a ground component. We have 3,500 Americans on the ground in Iraq, General Kane (ph), who's the architect of the surge, says we need about 10 thousand. The good news is that's a fraction of what we've had in the past; a couple Army aviation battalions with American helicopters flown by American pilots to take the fight to ISIL and Ramadi and Mosul more affectively. Special forces on the ground; if they've picked up the phone, they got in the car, we'd be on top of them to disrupt their operations. Forward air controllers to drop bombs on the right people, 70 percent of the air craft come back with the bombs on the racks. Trainers at the battalion level so the Iraqis won't cut and run. That's what I would do, and I want you to know that before you vote, that if you vote for me, whatever it takes as long as it takes till we destroy these bastards is my view of ISIL. (APPLAUSE) WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH P2 10:28:29 Now as to Syria. I don't know if there's anybody left to train, but a no fly zone would be a great relief to the Syrian people. (APPLAUSE) Establishing a place for them to go without being barrel-bombed would be a great step. A safe-haven enclave to start training people without fear of being killed, having the region buy into what we're doing. The good news is that every Arab country and Turkey is against Assad being in power because he's a puppet of Iran. And the real good news is the Syrian people are not radical Islamists, to say they are is a slander to them; I have been there a lot and they're not going to accept Assad as their leader because he's massacred their families. 10:29:13 So what would I do? I'd ask for a regional force, create an enclave, train the free Syrian army for affectively and support them from a regional point of view, and I would ask Congress to help me and I would go in with a goal of winning, and when you bring them down you better stay because if you leave too soon it repeats itself again; this is a generational struggle. Syria has been raped and decimated, the amount of money to reconstruct Syria is going to be enormous, but it should come from the entire world, not just us. The Arabs should pay for this war, we've paid for the last two. (APPLAUSE) 10:29:51 None of that's possible unless you rebuild your military; we're on track to have the smallest Army since 1940, the smallest Navy since 1915, we'll be spending half of what we normally spend on defense, 2.3 percent in terms of GDP by 2021, given the threats that's insane. And it's just not the defense budget that's being cut, the NIH budget's being cut, the CDC's budgets been cut. So let's replace these defense cuts, non-defense cute, across the board with more rational ways of getting out of debt, and that goes to entitlement reform and tax cut reforms. So the answer to me -- to your question is that I would seek Congress' blessing, but I would not let a dysfunctional Congress keep me from defending America against an enemy that is surely coming here. (APPLAUSE) And I am fighting to win; winning is my goal, destroying these bastards is my goal. 10:30:45 QUESTION: All right, thank you Senator Graham for being here. My name is... GRAHAM: Strong letter to follow. QUESTION: ... my name is Kyle Oasting (ph), I'm the No Labels College Chapter Leader at Indiana University. (APPLAUSE) I just want to say... GRAHAM: Do you know anybody in New Hampshire? QUESTION: Do I know anybody in New Hampshire? GRAHAM: Yes, because Indiana's way down the road. 10:31:08 QUESTION: I know, right? (LAUGHTER) I just want to say as a Republican as well, thank you for running for president and for being a voice of reason in this race, it's much appreciated. (APPLAUSE) A few years ago Wall Street crashed and they got a bail out while the middle class still crashed and they haven't gotten a bail out. Today Wall Street is doing greater than ever. What is -- what is your plan, specifically, to make sure than Main Street gets their bail out? Because it's long overdue. Thank you. 10:31:35 GRAHAM: OK, thank you. (APPLAUSE) Rather than the government bailing out Main Street, how about creating jobs on Main Street? (APPLAUSE) If you think the government is the salvation of the middle class don't vote for me. If you think jobs are the salvation for the middle class vote for me. (APPLAUSE) A little about me. I grew up in the back of a liquor store, this is why I would be a good president for you. (LAUGHTER) My mom and my dad, neither one of them finished high school, they owned a liquor store, a bar and a pool room. We lived in one room until I was in high school. I was well loved, they worked six days a week; it's a hard way to make a living. When I was -- I went to college for the first time of anyone in my family in 1975 after coming back from my first vacation to Disney World, which was like going to Mars... (LAUGHTER) 10:32:39 ... my mom was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. By June of '76 she had passed. We got wiped out because we were under insured. 15 months later my dad dies, I'm 22 my sister's 13. If it had not been for Social Security Survivor Benefits we would not have made it, so when I talk about Social Security I know what I am talking about. I would give up some benefits today; I'm 60, I'm not married, I don't have any kids, I've got a 401(k) plan, I've got a congressional retirement, I got a military retirement, I would gladly give up some COLA and shave my benefits to save a system worth saving so it's there for other people who need for than I do. (APPLAUSE) 10:33:19 To -- to those who worry about the economy, a $15 minimum wage is going to displace people, not grow the middle class. The middle class is somebody who has to not go on vacation when the child's sick. You make too much to be on government assistance, but you still live paycheck to paycheck. Let me end on this note; competition for labor is the best hope of the middle class. When a bunch of people wanting to hire you, not a few people. 10:33:46 So why did Boeing come to South Carolina? They could have gone anywhere in the friggin' world. Why did Valvo come to South Carolina? Why did BMW come to South Carolina? Because we wanted them to come to South Carolina. We would take your work force needs, go to the technical colleges and train a work force superior to second to none, ready to go, helping you help yourself; we would get permits done in times that you never even envisioned, still being environmentally sensitive. We had a tax structure that welcomed you; there's a reason they came to South Carolina, and let me tell you what happened to the middle class in South Carolina. Everybody who has a manufacturing business had to pay more because if you didn't your employee was going to go to Boeing. The best thing I can do for waitresses in this country and waiters is to train an environment somebody will open up a restaurant across the street and hire you away. 10:34:46 I want to take what we did in South Carolina to Washington. I want to unleash the greatest economy in the world; people are more screwed up then we are. We're this far away from energy independence, manufacturing with the right kind of tax code can bloom, we can take this money partner (ph) overseas, bring it back in and One Time Good Deal and the Highway Trust Fund, we can build roads and we can build bridges, and these technologies you have in your pocket may be made in China, but they were invented here. 10:35:16 Our best days are ahead. We're going to lean into our enemies, we're going to hold each other and we're going to solve problems for the good of us all. Thank you very, very much. (APPLAUSE) END MARTIN OMALLEY SPEECH: NY INTERPLAY SLUG: WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH 09:03:20 O'MALLEY: Thanks, very, very much. OK, thank you. Governor Engler, thanks very, very much. One little correction by way of problem solving, as you can see from the backdrop behind me. I am not yet in Las Vegas. But I will be going out to Las Vegas. I am talking to you from Baltimore, Maryland. Land of the free and home of the brave, and it's a great honor to be able to talk with all of you, at least in this way. And I'm looking forward to the Democratic party finally joining this game, and having a debate about how we solve our nation's problems. It's a wonderful idea, isn't it? Both parties having debates? 09:04:00 So, look, I want to thank Senator Lieberman. I want to thank Governor Huntsman. And I also want to thank Governor Engler. And I especially want to acknowledge Nancy Jacobson, who I've known for many, many years, and is the founder of the No Labels movement. I thought I would share a few ideas with you before we go to question and answer. And as I often say when I'm given the talk on the chair in New Hampshire, by golly, if you have answers, make sure you raise your hand first. 09:04:28 Because really, what we are doing in the context of this presidential campaign is not only selecting a person to lead us forward, but also we are on a search for answers, aren't we? That sort of deeper understanding that we must achieve as a people that actually precedes the better actions we need to take as a country. The better actions that will make our country stronger, so we can give our children and future with more opportunity and -- rather than less. So, let me do a couple of things in the next few minutes before we open it up. I want to share with you first of all my take on what I believe are -- the theory of our case is as a nation right now, and then I want to share with you a little bit about my experience, which is the experience of solving problems. And then I want to talk to you about something I'm seeing out in our country today, which is not only a yearning for new leadership, but the emerging of a new way of governing, which I see coming up and emanating out of our cities and towns and also coming up from the attitudes and the perspective of the next generation of Americans. So let's begin, shall we? 09:05:36 You and I are part of a living, self-creating mystery called the United States of America. But the promise that's at the heart of that mystery is actually a very real and concrete promise. It's a covenant among us and between us that says wherever you start in our country you start, but through your own hard work, your own talent, you should be able to get ahead. Call it the -- call it an economy that works for all us, call it the American Dream, it is the actions that solve problems and address challenges in every generation so that we can include more of our people more fully in the economic success of our country. That's what it means to be an American. 09:06:23 The truth of our times, the hard truth of our times that we must acknowledge, however, is this. While we have come a long way since the Wall Street crash of 2008, our country still faces big challenges and big problems. Thanks to President Obama's leadership, we are now creating jobs again as a country. And of course, we're the only species on the planet without full employment, so there is no progress without jobs. So our country is doing better, but the hard truth of our times is that 70 percent of us are earning the same or less today than we were 12 years ago. And that's not how our economy is supposed to work, that's not how our country is supposed to work. There is a growing injustice in our country today, and this growing injustice is leading to income inequality like we haven't seen for a hundred years and declining opportunities for our kids. And this problem won't solve itself, we need to solve it. 09:07:22 We are Americans. Our economy is not money, it is people, it is all of our people. And so we have to invite one another -- Democrats, Independents and Republicans -- to return to the table of democracy and solve these problems, not with words but with actions. My experience is the -- not the experience so much of a legislator, but my experience as a mayor and governor is the experience of an executive, of a person who has forged new consensus after new consensus in order to get things done. What sort of things? I'm talking about tackling the worst violent crime problem of any city in America and achieving record reductions in violent crime, even as we achieved record reductions in our incarceration rate. 09:08:15 I'm talking about making our public schools number one in America. I'm talking about making college more affordable for more people by going four years in a row in a recession without a penny's increase in college tuition. Passing a living wage, raising the minimum wage, passing marriage equality and the DREAM Act and passing the most comprehensive gun safety legislation of any state in America after the slaughter of the innocent in Newtown. Now, none of those things were -- none of those things was easy; they were all difficult. And we didn't get them done by running to our labeled corners. No. Instead, we invited one another to come with ideas to help us solve these problems. And that is the new way of leadership that I believe the people of our country are demanding of all of their elected leaders. 09:09:09 One of the happy things I came home with after traveling around the country for a year before I was -- before I made the decision to run for president was the realization that most people in our nation actually feel a lot better about how their cities are run today than they did 10 or 15 years ago. Why is that? It's not because their cities are necessarily rolling in cash; in fact, we haven't had a federal program and a federal action for cities in decades. What -- the reason why people are feeling better about how their cities are governed is because of entrepreneurial men and women who take on that title of mayor and actually go to work every day to get things done. They're not afraid of the information age, they know everybody can see and know things at the same time they do, so they don't obsess with trying to maintain a time advantage that they know things before the public knows them. 09:10:07 Shimon Peres, I once heard speak, and he said that, in this information age, the people are now smarter than their leaders and they know more than their leaders. So, what does this mean for us as states and a country? I believe that we need to embrace new technology, the Internet, geographic information systems to make our state and federal governments performance measured entities, so that all of us, as citizens controlling this enterprise can see whether we are doing better this week than we were last week. But most of our governments are led on the tyranny of last year's budget. Lots of department heads can tell you what sort of budget they want for next year, but very few of them can tell you specifically, at least at the state and federal levels, whether we are doing any better this week in solving our problems than we were last week. But in cities, they can, increasingly, more and more. 09:11:01 You see, the nature of leadership has changed, as I see it. And this is -- especially want to talk to the young people who are there in the room. In the time that you have come of age, there has been a big shift in leadership. And I'm going to hold something up and show it to you. It used to be that leadership was this triangle, this hierarchy, this pyramid of command and control where the leader needed to be at the top and have all the information and hoard it, and things got done on the basis of because I said so, or worse, on the basis of ideology. But the nature of leadership has changed in the information age. And the place for the leader to be now is in the center of the emerging truth, in a circle of collaboration and cooperation, and yes, dialogue and communication around problem-solving, asking one another every day, are the things we are doing working to achieve a better result, or not? 09:12:12 If they are, we should do more of it . If it's not, we should stop doing it and do less of it. So, that is the way I have always governed. And I think part of what has allowed the to do that is I am of a different generation than some of my older baby boomer brothers and sisters or parents. I don't ask if an idea is from the left or from the right, or whether it's Democratic or Republican, I ask whether it works. And if it works, we do it. And that is how we have been able to achieve some pretty nation-leading results and actually get some things done before any political pollster would tell you it was popular. 09:12:52 So, what does that mean for our country today? I believe that it means we need to take actions, and have the guts to show people that the things we are doing are actually working. We are a great people. We still have another 240 years of creative service ahead of us. And that is why I have laid out 15 strategic goals to rebuild the truth of the American dream, so that every family can get ahead, so wages go up again with productivity and not down. 09:13:22 So that a college degree is actually a gateway to a life of opportunity, not a trapdoor to a lifetime of debt. And to square our shoulders to the great challenge of our time of climate change, and actually create a 100 percent clean electric energy grid by 2050, and create 5 million jobs along the way. Let's be honest with one another. (APPLAUSE) 09:13:45 It is not about words, it is about actions. And each of the goals that I have put forward, things like national service to cut youth unemployment in half in the next three years, things like cutting the deaths from gun violence in half in the next 10 years. All of these things have dates attached to them. Why? Because the difference between a dream and a goal is a deadline. These problems won't solve themselves. We need to solve them. And I thank you, No Labels, for having me with you this morning in this way, and I look forward to your questions, and more importantly, I look forward to your answers. And I need your help. Thanks a lot. (APPLAUSE) 09:14:38 MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Governor. And if you were here, you would be right in the center of the knowledge. Right in this stage, it is all around, all sides.MODERATOR: And the first question is coming from a lady -- right over there, I saw a hand go up over there. So, let's start with you, ma'am. 09:14:55 QUESTION: Hi, I'm Jessica (ph). I'm from Manchester, New Hampshire. I want to thank you for being with us. My question for you is rather specific. What would your energy policy look like as president? And do you think we should utilize our national resources to create jobs and grow the economy, while also working on solar and wind power? 09:15:16 O'MALLEY: Well, sure. The -- let me -- let me say this. I have put forward -- I am the only candidate in my party, or I should say, I can safely say I'm the only candidate in either party, to put forward a plan to move us forward to a 100 percent clean electric energy grid by 2050. We did not land the man on the moon within all-of-the-above strategy. We landed a man on the moon because we faced up to a huge engineering challenge. We were intentional about the choices we make. So, this is what my -- and I commend you, please, go on my website. It's jonhuntsman.com <http://jonhuntsman.com/>. (LAUGHTER) 09:16:03 Now, I'm just kidding. I wanted to see if you all are still listening. It's actually martinomalley.com <http://martinomalley.com/>. And we have put a pretty specific proposal out there. Among some of the leading actions, in order to move us to that clean electric energy grid, I believe we need to stop subsidizing fossil fuel extraction... (APPLAUSE) And instead, and act long -- and instead, enact long-term investor credits first solar and for wind. I believe that we need to embrace clean technology and energy conservation technology. We need to see, through more investments in workforce housing and affordable housing, the advent of a new type of housing that is nit zero in its energy use. That could bring forward a whole new era of clean design and clean architecture, in terms of our built environment. 09:17:07 And I believe we need to make investments in the clean energy grid that will enable us to move the natural resources, renewable resources that we have, from places where wind is abundant, to places where energy is heavily used. What does that mean? That means, instead of drilling for oil off the Chesapeake Bay and the East Coast of the United States, we should be laying the vertebrae and the power lines so we can create wind off the East Coast, where so many of our people live. (APPLAUSE) And in the heart of American cities, where unemployment is actually higher now in many, many cities, than it was eight years ago, we need to throw ourselves into a whole program of training, workforce training, and retrofitting of old buildings in order to reduce energy consumption. 09:17:58 If we do all of these things, and if we invest more, rather than less in developing base load cleaner, greener technologies, like the next generation of safer nuclear, we can get to 100 percent clean electric grid by 2050, but it's not going to happen by itself, and it's not going to happen by embracing nostalgia. Every job is important. We need to be intentional about those might have to transition in this clean economy, but we will not get there without solving this problem moving forward in an intentional ways, and that is what I intend to do as president. (APPLAUSE) 09:18:32 MODERATOR: Very good. All right, Governor, you can see in the room, with all of these green shirts, all these problem solvers that are here in the room, but we have a superhero that's going to ask the next question, it's Problem-Solver Man. He's right here in the room, he's got the mic, and he is ready to go. Problem-Solver Man, go ahead. 09:18:52 QUESTION: Hello. Governor O'Malley, how are you doing? Can you hear me? MODERATOR: He can hear you. O'MALLEY: Did Problem-Solver Man -- Problem-Solver Man, do you have a theme song? QUESTION: I don't, but I am in Spandex, I don't know if you can see that. (LAUGHTER) But I'm in -- oh, I have some advice for -- you for -- you are going to Las Vegas tonight, right? 09:19:10 O'MALLEY: Yeah, I'm going in a couple -- in about an hour. QUESTION: OK, cool. I'm sure you're getting a lot of political advice, but I'm just going to give you some advice my grandma gave me when I turned 21 and went to Vegas. Don't gamble. That's my main advice; just be careful. But I guess my question for you is, Governor, you know, you have talked about how you will be a bipartisan president. So, within your first 100 days of office, which bipartisan restaurant would you take John Boehner to? (LAUGHTER) Or, you know, whoever. 09:19:39 O'MALLEY: I didn't know that restaurants were partisan. I thought that food and alcohol, in fact, were decidedly nonpartisan.(LAUGHTER) O'MALLEY: Let me -- can I -- but let me -- Problem-Solver Man... (CROSSTALK) MODERATOR: There is a question in there somewhere. O'MALLEY: Yes, yes. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) 09:20:03 O'MALLEY: I -- I think the -- let me answer the call of your question that's in there somewhere. This is what I have learned as a mayor and as a governor. You have to call the legislature the time, and you -- when -- you have to make sure that -- that you -- you relate and talk to people like people. In other words, I think it was de Tocqueville who said that one of the unique things about America is the strength of our soft ties. Our ability to hold different political opinions and political views, but still be able to relate to one another as human beings. 09:20:38 And one of the sad byproducts, if we're not careful of it, is -- of this information age, is that we can program our phones, we can program our TVs, we can program the -- the streams of news we receive so that we only -- we only talk to people who think most exactly like us. And there's a danger in that. So some of the things we got done in Maryland, we only got done with Republican votes. And I believe that part of the reason that happened was because we were very intentional about having -- about -- about having -- you know, nonpartisan, bipartisan pizza night at the -- at the governor's mansion, at making sure that we broke bread and treated people decently and -- and invited people to -- you know, a -- a holiday open house, and -- and all sorts of other things, with -- regardless of party label. 09:21:32 And so were it not for some Republican votes, I would not have been able to repeal the death penalty, something that took us three tries, and were only able to do with some Republican votes. I would not have been able to pass marriage equality, again, something that took us three tries and that we were only able to do because of some Republican votes. (APPLAUSE) 09:21:54 And as I -- as we went back and -- and researched the -- the priority bills that I put in as governor, I was happy to see that 75 percent of the governor's bills -- and we only do about a dozen every session -- 75 percent of them received bipartisan support in one house or the other -- or rather, majority Republican support in one house or the other. And I think we have to stay focused on the goals that unite us and the principles that unite us. Our belief in (ph) the dignity of every person. Our belief in our own responsibility to advance the common good we share. Thank you, Problem-Solver Man. 09:22:33 QUESTION: Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, Governor. QUESTION: So essentially -- essentially, more pizza parties in Congress. MODERATOR: Governor, we've got a question down -- I've got a hand... O'MALLEY: Well, I don't -- it's not that -- it's not that simple. It's not that simple, but it -- it -- but sometimes it does come down to just treating people like human beings, and -- and picking up the phone, and calling members, and asking them their perspective, knowing what their wives' names are... (APPLAUSE) ...knowing -- you know, what they do in life, knowing who their kids are. You know? We have to treat people like people. 09:23:03 MODERATOR: Well, Governor, we've got 10 minutes left. Let's see if we can get another question in. O'MALLEY: OK. MODERATOR: All the way down the aisle there. O'MALLEY: We'll do light -- let's do lightning round, Governor. (CROSSTALK) O'MALLEY: How about we do lightning round? How about if the questioner does 30 seconds, I will be 30 seconds. MODERATOR: All right, very good. First one. 09:23:17 QUESTION: Well, I hope this takes you more than 30 seconds. My name is Ken Mason, I'm a resident of New Hampshire. I made the mistake of going on YouTube and looking at the 1992 presidential debates, and what I saw was the exact same issues that are being brought up this year. It tells me that nothing effective has happened in more than 20 years in Washington. You're a person of great influence. I think that's great. What I'm asking you today is what will you do to unlock that gridlock, regardless of whether you are the elected president or not? O'MALLEY: OK. (APPLAUSE) 09:24:05 O'MALLEY: I believe that all of us have a responsibility to -- to stay at the table, not to check out, not to not assume that big money has taken over our politics. Not to assume that these -- you know, that the -- the outcome is determined before we have the conversation. And so that's what I intend to do. And that's what I have done all my life. There's no easy -- there's no easy solution to the gridlock that we see now. I would -- I would push back on you a little bit. I think it's actually a lot worse now than it was in 1992. And certainly, we suffered a huge setback when our country was nearly plunged into a second Great Depression. But I -- I do -- this is what I believe, though, and talking to young people in our country, I really find among people under 30, young Americans that deny climate change is real or think that we shouldn't come together to do something about it. I rarely find young Americans who want to... (APPLAUSE) 09:25:05 ... bash immigrants. I rarely find young people that want to deny rights to gay couples or children, so that tells me we're actually moving in a better direction, in a more connected place, a more generous place. (APPLAUSE) And I'm going to attempt to continue to speak to that place and to call forward the good energy of our next generation. 09:25:26 MODERATOR: Governor, we want to wish you a -- I guess our lightning round has resulted in a lightning bolt taking me off this stage... (LAUGHTER) ... and making room for the next panel. But we want to thank you from Baltimore, Maryland today for your willingness to be here, number one. You're the first, but won't be the last. And thank you for taking some questions and for your candor. Well, thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, Governor Martin O'Malley. Thank you. Hey. Very good. (APPLAUSE) END CHRIS CHRISTIE SPEECH: WASH 8 NO LABELS EVENT NH P3 13:17:24 CHRISTIE: All right. Good afternoon, good afternoon. I'm from not going to give any speech to this group. This is a group that knows what they want to talk about, knows what they want to hear about, and I'm much better giving you the time to ask me questions. So, no speech for me. Let's start -- let's just start with questions. Let's go. (APPLAUSE) All right -- listen, this guy knows what he's doing. On the night the Mets are hosting their first baseball playoff game in nine years, he put the Mets hat on to get a Mets fan to get him the first question. You got it. Smart guy. All right. Someone going to bring the microphone, or just yell it. Let's see. Q: [INAUDIBLE] 13:18:15 I will repeat the question. Don't worry. They don't have a microphone to them yet. Yeah, OK. So, the question was, he said that my views on marijuana are well-known and that in the spirit of bipartisanship, he wants to know if I would be willing to meet states have way on recreational marijuana. In the spirit of bipartisanship, no. (APPLAUSE) 13:18:53 And here's why. Here's why. There are a few reasons. The first one is that the laws in this country matter. They matter; and when we have lawless this in this country, we have a situation where folks feel like they can pick and choose which laws they like and which ones they don't. And you know, if we are ignoring a law you don't like, you are probably pretty happy. The minute we start ignoring a law you do like, all of a sudden, we have got a big problem on our hands. So, I say to folks who want to legalize recreational marijuana, go to Congress and get a president who's going to legalize it and sign it. That's the way we do these things. Not by letting the states go off road and decide for themselves, well, we don't want to follow the laws here. Now, this is where I have the biggest problem with what is happening now. Because we don't have folks who are respect thing the law. 13:19:48 So, why is it the people of New Jersey have to follow the law that says there's no recreational marijuana, but the people in Washington state they don't have to follow it? It doesn't make any sense. And so, my -- so that's the kind philosophical reason, all right? But the bigger reason from a policy perspective for me is that it is a bad idea. And I believe it's a bad idea because every study I've seen shows that marijuana is a gateway drug to other drugs, and if you walk around to this state or many other states I've been in, including my own, we have enormous drug abuse problems, enormous drug abuse problems that we don't need to be adding to in this country. (APPLAUSE) 13:20:31 So, I would say let's hope this our attention on treatment of those folks who have the disease of drug addiction, and try to give them the tools they need to reclaim their lives. Let's not focus on those other issues. So, in the spirit of bipartisanship, the answer would be no. All right. Right on the aisle, here. 13:20:53 QUESTION: Governor Christie... CHRISTIE: No, no, I was picking this young lady right here. But I will get to you, then, OK. QUESTION: Oh, thanks so much. Hi, Governor Christie. I'm actually a proud citizen of New Jersey, it's good to see you here today. CHRISTIE: There we go. All right. (APPLAUSE) 13:21:09 QUESTION: So, as a college student, an issue that's very important to me and a large network of students I represent is that of global health, specifically funding for AIDS. And I know you are a big proponent of bipartisanship, and this is definitely a bipartisan issue over the years. So I was wondering if you are willing to make the commitment already made by Senator Clinton and Mr. Trump today to work double the number of people on aids treatment around the world to 30 million by 2020, a path that would prepare us for an AIDS-free generation? 13:21:38 CHRISTIE: Sure, listen. First off, I'll just answer the question directly, the answer is yes. And let me tell you why, though. You are right it's a bipartisan issue and it was made a bipartisan issue by President George W. Bush. And I'm extraordinarily proud of the president and what he did to say that this type of disease running rampant through parts of the world, when we know there was an ability to treat it and make people better was just immoral. And that the American people, not only have a responsibility, but that is who we are. That if we have a way to help others who are suffering, that we're the group of folks in this world that stand up and help the suffering. (APPLAUSE) 13:22:22 And so, absolutely would join that commitment and think that it's not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. A healthier African continent in particular is better for world peace and stability. And that we should be shooting for that, and that is clearly one of the ways we could do it. So, thank you. All right. Let's go over to this side. Right there in the middle; you're waving your hand at me. Yes, sir, that one, right there. Yes. 13:22:53 QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE). CHRISTIE: Oh, man, how do I know it? It's like a feel thing, you know? We have a -- we have a feel thing between us. OK, (inaudible). 13:23:03 QUESTION: All right, my question is this, Governor. Everybody says the best way to deal with public school education is to go back and let the districts handle the educational levels themselves. But prior to No Child -- no, A Nation at Risk, all the local school districts had control over their school systems, and they -- some of them were decent and some of them were abysmal. Do you really feel it in the nation's best interest, and in this technological age it is far more important to the United States, to the government, it is an issue of national security that we have highest level of education? Now, everybody says No Child Left Behind was bad and whatever else was bad and go back -- how would you look at this to be assured every kid has the opportunity to have a world-class education? (APPLAUSE) 13:24:15 CHRISTIE: All right. First off, I agree with the premise of your question that education is not only a human rights issue, it's a national security issue. It's both. But I do agree as we have watched the educational system evolved in our country that we are much better off having these decisions made at the local level, and here is why. I don't believe there's anybody who cares more about a child's education than their parents. Now, we can always find exceptions to that rule, and there are kids who do not live in stable homes, who do not have the appropriate adult influences, we know that and I will talk about that in a second. 13:24:54 But in the main in America, the people who care most about a child's education are their mother and their father. And so, I want the educational decisions made as close to those two people as we possibly can, and I want to give them as much choice in their ability to educate their child as they can possibly have. And that means everything from homeschooling to private and parochial schools, to charter and renaissance public schools, to regular public schools. I'm a regular public school guy. I went from k to 12 to the public schools in New Jersey and I feel like they served me extraordinarily well. I married a woman who is number nine of ten children and she went to Catholic school her entire life as did the rest of her family. So when we got married and had children, I thought they should go to public school. Mary Pat thought they should go to parochial school. So of course, all four of our children go to parochial school. (LAUGHTER) 13:25:47 CHRISTIE: And it's served them extraordinarily well and it serves me extraordinarily well to have agreed with Mary-Pat on that. So I think parents should be making those and I think they should be making those choices regardless of their economic ability to effectuate those choices. We should not be making these decisions based upon just, if you have enough money. It's what you believe in your heart is the best way for your child to be educated. And my wife really believes, and she has brought me around to the belief, for our kids, that she wanted them having that religious education, enjoined with their academic education. And that's not the choice everybody else ought to make and it's not the choice my parents made. But I like those choices being made close to the local level and curriculum choices being made close to the local level. 13:26:41 Because then, if the curriculum has gone off the rails, you have the ability to be able to go to your local school board and raise hell over it. And if it's happening, quite frankly at the federal part of the education, good luck. Not going to happen. You are not going to have the same ability to affect it. And so that's why I'm now -- I'm on the side of making those choices at the local level. But acknowledging in your questions that there's no perfect way to do this and that is why parental and adult involvement in making sure we are keeping an eye on what's happening in our schools in every respect is a responsibility that requires vigilance. 13:27:15 And if we are not doing it, we only have ourselves to blame for the education that our kids are getting because we are certainly spending enough money on it in America. We're not getting the results we need right now and we need to change that around, so. That is the way I would approach that problem. All right. Let's go up to the bleachers. This guy. Right? With the glasses, right there. Yes sir. 13:27:35 QUESTION: Hello, Governor Christie. My name is A. Fontenez (ph). I am too from New Jersey. CHRISTIE: Well, if you are from there, you know we don't say it that way. Come on. QUESTION: I'm a big fan of yours by the way. CHRISTIE: Thank you. You sound like a Saturday Night Live skit brother. Go ahead. Good to see you. OK. 13:27:54 QUESTION: So, we here at No Labels really aim to reform our broken political system to make our country progress for the good of the American people. So my question for you is, if you are elected as our next President, what specifically will you do to reform our broken political system? (APPLAUSE) 13:28:15 CHRISTIE: Let me say this, I have a fundamental disagreement with the premise of your question. I don't think it is the system that is broken. I think it's the people who are running it better broken. (APPLAUSE) CHRISTIE: I think, -- this is the same system we've had for a long time that can work. And it can work. But you have to understand that compromise is not capitulation. Right now, we have an attitude that says if you are willing to compromise, you are a capitulator. That's not the case. It's not the case at all. 13:28:47 So first, we have to talk about the idea that people have to make the decision. I have a Democratic legislature. Senator Boxer (ph) said so on the introduction. So I wake up every morning knowing that they are not making a good day for me, OK? We don't agree on a whole lot and it's not like every morning they wake up and say how can we make the governor happy today? In Washington, they use that as an excuse to do nothing. They say, well if they don't agree with me and they don't like me and I don't like them and I don't agree with them so I'm not going to do it. If that is what I had done in New Jersey for the last six years, I really like you. 13:29:24 If I've done that in New Jersey for the last six years, we would not have capped property taxes, we would not have cut spending, we would not have vetoed taxes and kept them lower. We wouldn't have reformed teacher tenure. We would not have reformed pensions and benefits. Because everything I wanted in those areas, I did not get everything I wanted in those proposals. 13:29:43 But I got more of what I wanted than I didn't want and I had to give a little bit to the other side to get them to come on board. I mean, I got pension and benefit reform sponsored by the Democratic Senate president who is the president of the iron workers local. OK? That is called compromise. That is called working together. So I don't believe the system is broken, what I believe is that the people we have employed to run it have broken their promise and their word to the American people. So what I would do going to Washington is do the same that I've done when I go to Trenton; when I have to stand up and fight I will, so I've vetoed over 400 bills since I've been Governor, more than any governor in New Jersey history. I've vetoed more tax increases than any governor in American history, and all those vetoes have been sustained. 13:30:34 So when I need to fight on something that's important I fight, but I also have a room in the State House where I bring the members of the Legislature, the leadership, to sit whenever they want to talk and to reason together. And we can argue outside in public, but when we get in that room it's time to get business done and get business done for the -- for -- for the people of the State of New Jersey. But the only way you do that is to build relationships, and that's the last part of this. We don't make anything, we don't create anything. OK? We govern. That's all you do when your elected to these positions, and if you don't make personal relationships with the people on both sides of the isle, then guess what, it's never going to work because they won't trust you ever because they don't know you. 13:31:16 The best bit of political advice, and I'll end the answer with this, the best bit of political advice I ever got was from a non-politician in a non-political setting. I was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey, he was the Deputy Attorney General of the United States and he had been my colleague as the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan; he's now the director of the FBI, guy name Jim Comey. And Jim came to visit me when I was U.S. Attorney as my boss and when he was leaving I said to him, "What are you doing next?" And he said, "I'm going to the New York Times Editorial Board." And I said, "Jim, you're John Ash Croft's Deputy, you're in George W. Bush's administration, you're going to the New York Times Editorial? Look, of you have a death wish, what's wrong with you?" And he looked at me he said, "No, no Chris, you don't understand. I'm going to the New York Times Editorial Board because it's harder to hate up close." 13:32:00 And it is extraordinarily good political advice everybody. (APPLAUSE) It's harder to hate up close everybody, much harder to hate up close. All right, I'll go to this gentlemen on the isle, right here. 13:32:15 QUESTION: Governor Christy, Steve Corbin from Iowa. CHRISTIE: Yes, Sir. QUESTION: Hopefully you know where Iowa is. CHRISTIE: I've -- I've come to learn that, Steve, yes. QUESTION: We've -- we've seen you there, thank you. I have a simple question, I hope, for you. Why would any presidential candidate in any of the 535 representatives and senators ever be opposed to four goals of No Labels that are supported in the super-majority by Republicans, Democrats and Independence. Can you think of a reason why they would be opposed to any of the four goals of No Labels? 13:32:50 CHRISTIE: Listen... (APPLAUSE) CHRISTIE: You're -- you're now, Steve -- Steve you're in very dangerous territory now, because now you're trying to impute logical into the way political decisions are made sometimes, so. (LAUGHTER) Be very, very careful about that. Listen, I wouldn't be here today if I didn't think that this organization and its goals were worthy and noble and achievable. OK? So that's why I'm here, otherwise I'd be someplace else. (APPLAUSE) 13:33:20 But remember too, remember too that every leader brings a unique skill set and approach to their job. And so there may be times where you see me going in one direction or another, and you think, "No, no, no, the target's over here." And my method to getting to the target may be to go this way and then that way to get to the goal. That's why trust is so important in this also, and there has to be a sense of trust that you develop with the people you represent because you're not always going to be able to, nor are they going to want to listen to every method you're going to employ to get where you want to get to, but let's agree on the goals, I think that's an important thing, and let's get organizations who really care about getting something done in this country. I will tell you this, if I hear one more -- I just -- I want to turn off the news with all this stuff that's going on in Washington right now with who's going to be the Speaker of the House. Who cares? I mean, who cares? (APPLAUSE) 13:33:18 Because, quite frankly, whether it's been a Democratic speaker or a Republican speaker of late, they don't get anything done. I saw -- I watched these Sunday shows this weekend and I heard more talk about, "Well, who's going to decide the Committee chairs, and who will decide whether there can be free and open amendments and who's going to decide what bill gets brought to the floor?" You know what I want and what most of you want? How about they just do something? Do something... (APPLAUSE) ... rather than all this -- this intrigue in that city where all they want to do is talk about who gets the big office, who gets the big title and who's able to get the best table at the best restaurant in Washington? 13:34:55 I'm bored, I think you are too, and especially as our country continues to deteriorate, I'd like the leaders in Washington to start telling me about what they believe and what their goals are, and then start to work towards achieving them together rather than continuing to bicker with each other over stuff that nobody in the main in America cares about, except for the people between Washington, D.C. and New York who ride that Acela train all the time. All right. Other questions? That lady in the back. Right there. Yes, ma'am. 13:35:25 QUESTION: Thank you, governor, and thank you because you remembered you were going to call on me at the next event. CHRISTIE: I did. I spotted you. It took a while. Big crowd here. QUESTION: I have a question about the Social Security. I love the (ph) work -- working across the aisles. It's a great idea that No Labels wants to do. But with our seniors living on an average of $16,000 a year for Social Security checks, what do you have to say about the cap on Social Security, making it fairer for the working class and lower middle class so we can survive? Thank you. (APPLAUSE) 13:36:03 CHRISTIE: In seven or eight years, Social Security is not going to be able to make the payments they make now. So take that in for second. In seven to eight years, a Harvard and Dartmouth study which came out just a few months ago said, Social Security will be insolvent. Now, there's two different ways to approach this problem -- I guess there's three. The first would be what we were doing, which is to ignore it. That's one approach. The second approach is to give the government more money, the third approach is to work on reforming the programs in order to make them affordable. I'd go for part three, and I'm the only person in the race who has actually put forward an entitlement reform plan, in detail. 13:36:45 It's the first thing I did in this race, and the reason is because of what this woman said. We have so many people in this country who are dependent upon making sure they get their Social Security payment. So there's a few things we need to do. First is we need to acknowledge a happy truth, which is we're all living longer. We're living longer, better lives. The average life expectancy for a woman in this country now is 83 years old. The life -- average life expectancy for a man is 79. I saw a few women smiling out there. I want to let you know that 10 years ago, you were ahead of us by six years. Ten years later, you're only ahead by four. We are gaining on you. (LAUGHTER) 13:37:24 And that four-year vacation from us that you are expecting at the end of your life, you may not get it. You may be stuck with us the entire time. Now listen: at 83 and 79, these programs were designed for people who died in their mid-60s. We're living 15 to 20 years longer and drawing from the Social Security fund for that much longer. So let's acknowledge the fact that by having this happy circumstance because of medical science and pharmacology and all the rest -- eating better, better lifestyles -- we need to raise the retirement age. We need to raise it two years, I believe, and -- and phase it in over the next 25. 13:38:02 That would mean one month in increase in eligibility a year for 25 years. Believe me, the world will not stop spinning on its axis because of this. And when I get accused of throwing Grandma off the cliff for this, all right, that means that is the highest, longest fall ever. It took 25 years for her to get from the top of the cliff to the bottom. So let's be serious and honest with each other. Secondly, Social Security should be a program that is there for the folks who need it. We need to have Social Security be there for the folks who it makes the difference between living their old age in poverty or living their old age in dignity. The difference between rent and heat and food. Those are the people that we need to make sure we take care of. 13:38:45 So I say to folks, if you're making over $200,000 a year in retirement income -- retirement income, that means you've got four million to five million bucks, at least, saved away -- if you do, I say to you, God bless you, great job. I also say God bless America, because this is the only country you could have done it in. And I say you shouldn't get a Social Security check. You should not get a Social Security check. (APPLAUSE) 13:39:11 Now, I did a -- I did a town hall meeting in Exeter where someone yelled out to me, "I paid for it, I want my money back." I said, listen, OK. Two points on that -- first is, you're right, you should get it back, but the government lied to you and stole from you. And I'm not the first one to point this out to you. There's no trust fund, everybody, OK? There's no lockbox. All right? There's IOUs in the lockbox. It's not there. They're spending your money today. So forget that, it's a fiction, and someone needs to tell you the truth about that. Because, guess what? You already know it. 13:39:43 And secondly, there's plenty of things you pay for that you don't get money back for, but what you get back is peace of mind, right? So -- let's say like homeowner's insurance. Everybody who owns a home, you buy homeowner's insurance. You buy it in case your house burns down, or there's a flood, or there's a robbery. Some calamity that -- you know then the money will be there for you to rebuild your home. Well, let's say you owned a home for 25 years, and you are going to sell it now and you never made it claim the entire time -- you invite the insurance company to the closing to ask for the money back? 13:40:15 I think if you do, they won't come, but if they do, they'll just come to laugh at you. Because what they will say to you is what you got in return was the peace of mind, the knowing that when you put your head on the pillow at night, if something happened, we would be there to make you whole. Social Security has to be the same thing. If you play by the rules and pay into the system, it will be there when you need it. But I know -- my friend Mark Zuckerberg, when I talking about this entitlement reform thing said, "So, Governor, entitlement reform, tell me exactly what does that mean? I said what it means for you, Mark, is you get nothing -- you get absolutely nothing. You are going to get zero, brother. 13:41:50 You don't need it, and then get it -- that's the way we have to take care of Social Security. And if we don't do it -- if we don't do it, I'm talking about option one, which some people say take the cap off the payroll tax and everybody pay more. Let me ask you a question. The government that lied to you and stole from you already, you think the way to solve this problem is to give them more money? (APPLAUSE) Because believe me, next time, they won't do it, right? Next time they won't do it. Of course they will. If they get a choice between taking, cutting a program or increasing tax, or stealing from this pile of money over here that you all know is sitting there, but no one is using right now, so, we just borrow a little from that and it will be fine. 13:41:30 Understand what politicians are like, OK? They're taking from that pile of money. Don't give them more. It's -- this is about the people who have done very well. If you take the cap off, it means taking it from them now and counting on the fact that the government won't waste it. Or taking it from them later, when you have to trust the government at all, they have no part in the equation. Let's not trust the government to give them more money please, everybody. Let's take it on the backend, let's make Social Security solvent. (APPLAUSE) And let's have it be there for the people who need it. 13:42:01 All right, all right. Let's see, let's go to that gentleman in the plaid shirt down the aisle. Yes, sir. Good, they're coming at you, look, they are all running at you. They're either going to give you a microphone or arrest you, I don't know which one's going to happen, so. (LAUGHTER) All right, it's a microphone. Good, I'm relieved. 13:42:20 QUESTION: Londonderry, New Hampshire. CHRISTIE: Yes, sir. QUESTION: When the government shuts down, that damages the full faith in the United States as the world leader for the monetary system. Now, what could you do, or what do you recommend be done so we never experience another shut down in government? Because I feel my government should never shut down because of some stupid reason that they seem to come up with. (APPLAUSE) 13:42:52 CHRISTIE: Listen, I said this the last time it closed down -- it's a fundamental failure of leadership by everyone when government shuts down. A fundamental failure of leadership. All you are getting hired to do is to govern, and then you stop governing and say that's OK? That is what you are hired to do. And so, for instance, in New Jersey, before I became governor, the governor was a guy named Jon Corzine, and he had a Democratic legislature. OK? They closed down the government in 2006 because they couldn't agree on how much to raise taxes. Imagine -- you want to talk about the variety of stupid reasons to close down government? Here are two sets of people who said they ought -- they agreed, they wanted to raise taxes, but they couldn't agree on how much. So they shut down government. 13:43:41 Now, this is -- put aside non-partisan or bipartisan, this is a Democratic legislature with a Democratic governor. They shut down government for that reason. One of the things I said when I was running against Governor Corzine in 2009 was the government will never shut down on my watch, ever. I will make sure that it doesn't, it is my responsibility as governor to make sure. And I have had a much tougher task, I'd say, because I have a Democratic legislature with me as a conservative Republican governor. We've gone through six years together and we have not closed down the government once. And here's why. Because we get in the room like adults and we make agreements. Agreements that neither one of us like sometimes, but we make agreements because we know our job is to make sure state parks remain open on 4th of July, to make sure folks who need human services in our state continue to get them. 13:44:31 Because that is what we are supposed to be there to provide. The public safety has to continue, and our state police have to remain funded and out on the roadways. It is not an option. And anybody who closes done the government has engaged in a fundamental failure of leadership with the American people, and if the federal government closes down sometime in the next couple of weeks, that's a pox not only on the House and Congress, it's a pox on the president of the United States. Because he has an obligation, too, to bring people in the room and get them to agree. So, everyone is a failure when that happens. It hasn't happened on my watch in New Jersey, and if I'm president, it won't happen then, either. (APPLAUSE) CHRISTIE: All right, all right. This gentleman right here. 13:45:13 QUESTION: Thank you so much for being here today. I'm born and raised in Washington, D.C., and I wanted to ask you about a question that has not come up often. But we talk about the politicians and the gridlock in D.C., but we don't talk about the 650,000 residents that live there and lack a basic a democratic, fundamental right, and that's the right to vote in our Congress. We currently have no voting members there. And I want to ask you why has this become at this conference, No Labels, why has this become a partisan issue that has prevented Washington, D.C. residents, the only capital of any country in the world, that doesn't have the right to vote. Why can we not get them this basic, Democratic right? Thank you. 13:45:59 CHRISTIE: Because I think that we're the only the capital, and I'll have to check myself on this, but I think we maybe the only capital created just to be a seat of government. And the fact is that Washington, D.C. was created to be a seat of government. That is how it was created and what it was created for. And it is now expanded and grown into something different. But, I have to tell you the truth, I'm not one who has given this a whole lot of thought, but I will give you my initial gut reaction. My initial gut reaction is, I don't think adding another person to Congress is going to help. And I just don't think fundamentally, it will help or make an enormous difference. I understand the philosophical argument you are making and I'm not completely rejecting it. But I have to be honest with you. I haven't given it enough thought to give you a really thoughtful answer about it. 13:46:51 So, how about this. Somebody out here is going to come to my next town hall meeting here in New Hampshire when I'm back again next week. Make sure you ask me that question again. I'll give it some thought in the next week. But I don't want to give you an off-the-cuff answer that I haven't thought about. That's my initial instinct. But I will come back. I will give you a full answer on it. All right. They have turned my screen blank, which means I can do what, one more? All right. The powers that be say one more, so I'm going to give one more. And let's go to this young lady right there in the middle. 13:47:25 QUESTION: Hi Thank you, Governor. CHRISTIE: Thank you. QUESTION: So National Service is a really important program to communities across the country. I'm just wondering if you are elected, will you expand National Service? CHRISTIE: Yes, I will, and for a few reasons. First off, the folks from Americorps were extraordinarily helpful to us in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. (APPLAUSE) 13:47:59 CHRISTIE: We had Americorps volunteers from all over the country who came to New Jersey and stayed with us for months. Months helping us get people back on their feet, getting their lives back to some sense of normalcy. Helping to clean up debris, helping to rebuild. Helping to cook meals, helping to read to children when they were out of school. All different kinds of things that Americorp volunteers did that were indispensable, not only to helping us rebuild, but also to giving the people in my state were really suffering, a sense that they were not alone. CHRISTIE: And I think that's an intangible that you cannot place a value on. And so the enthusiasm and compassion that Americorp members brought to New Jersey, made me an even bigger supporter of the program. I also think we need to expand National Services a way to start to deal with the student debt problem in our country. (APPLAUSE) 13:48:53 CHRISTIE: There's a whole bunch of layers to this which I can't go into now because my clock has run out but what I will tell you is that one of the options I think we need to give young men and women who graduate college with a significant amount of debt is for them to participate in National Service to work that debt off. It's going to be great for our communities. It'll be great for our communities and our states and our country. And it will also give those young men and women in opportunity not to have to carry that milestone around their neck which prevents them from buying a home, starting a family and doing the kinds of things they want to do, because they leave with such an enormous amount of debt. 13:49:33 Now we need to deal with the colleges and universities too. And I talk about that all the time, but I won't today because you asked about National Service. National Service is an important thing to honor in this country and not just in the military, but across all types of disciplines. And so, I would give young men and women the opportunity to engage in National Service in a much broader way when they graduate from college and when they do so, to have them work off things on their student loan debt so that they are not carrying a mortgage of their own before they ever own a home in this country that prevents them from really starting their lives. 13:50:04 So I thank those people for participating and I think we should expand it. (APPLAUSE) So the screen up here now says, "Time ending, wrap up." And then in case you don't really clear on that in big red they put, "Time's up!" So I'm from New Jersey, which means, Hell I ignore stuff like that. (APPLAUSE) 13:50:30 I will just tell all of you that I think the gathering of all of you here today is enormously encouraging to me as a candidate for public office. That men and women of both parties and Independents who care deeply about this country's future are here today to try to make sure that those voices are heard and that you make sure you hear from us about what we believe in and what we're willing to stand for and fight for. By you being here I know what you're willing to stand for and fight for, and that's a better America and a more stable world for everybody. I thank you for than. I thank Senator Lieberman and Governor Huntsman for what you're doing, I appreciate it very much. Thank you for having me. 13:51:10 END ------ JOHN KASICH SPEECH ------ ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, No Labels Advisory Board Member Congressman Tom Davis. (APPLAUSE) DAVIS: Thank you. Thank you very much. This is hale and hearties, lasted all day. Thank you very much for being here. (APPLAUSE) So my Congressional district is right outside Virginia, so when I came here today, I had a little trouble finding the hotel. But I stuck out my arm to make a left turn and four candidates shook my hand. (LAUGHTER) I knew immediately I was in the right place. Well, it's been a great day, but we have -- we have a great speaker coming up. Picture this: a divided government, record deficits, government shutdowns, and what happens? This was the 1990s, and we had a budget chairman in the House named John Kasich who negotiated a balanced budget agreement with a Democratic administration, got a strong vote out of Congress and it led to four years of balanced budgets. He didn't just talk about it, he did it. Our agenda sets the goal of balancing the federal government's budget by 2030. We have our next speaker who did it as chairman of the House Budget Committee. From there, he left Congress, after accomplishing that, he left undefeated and unindicted and he... (LAUGHTER) ...and he went from there to the private sector and came back as governor of Ohio, where unemployment was high and they were running deficits, and again, he balanced the budget. Ladies and gentlemen, you join me and welcome the governor from Ohio, John Kasich. (APPLAUSE) Well Governor, you're the last speaker. Now you're between them and dinner but... KASICH: Wow. You know, you go to a good concert, it's always the last one who's the best. They hold it until the very end. DAVIS: Exactly right. (APPLAUSE) Let me -- let me start, and we'll open up for some questions, but you came into Ohio, tough economic times, tough budget situation. What did you do to turn it around? KASICH: OK. Let me -- let me start so I can see everybody. Let me tell you, this all started when I was a kid. I was elected to the Ohio Senate at the age of 26 promising no taxes. And two years in, the Republicans won a majority and decided to raise taxes, and I said, well, you know, I'm not going to for that, and they called me irresponsible, which is what they call you. And so I wrote my own budget, that was the first time it happened at the age of 28. And I had people sneaking into my office telling me about how we could clean everything up. I lost, but I made a big statement and we had a lot of really good ideas. I went to Congress, and for the first six years, I served on the Defense Committee. But six years in, I was selected to go on the Budget Committee. And I went to my first Budget Committee Meeting and it wasn't going very well. I was not impressed with the Republican budget, the Democrat budget. I went back to Ohio and I was at a gas station complaining about it, Tom. And somebody walked around the corner and said, well, if you don't like what's going on here, what are you going to do about it? So I flew to Washington and I met with my staff and I said look, we're going to write a budget for the country. They said I don't how we're going to do that, there's 100 people at the White House working on a budget and 100 people up here on Capitol Hill, and we only have six. And I said, yeah, if we stay out of each other's way, we'll be able to get it done, you know. And the -- so in 1989, was my first budget in Washington, and the vote was 405 against me and 30 for me. And my friends were all down. I said, I think it's fantastic, we got 29 other people to think we can run the country. So I kept offering my own proposals, they became more sophisticated and we built a larger and larger team. And in my third budget, I got more votes than President Bush got for his budget. So the idea of whether this is a Republican or a Democrat doesn't matter that much to me. And then I moved up, I became the senior Republican. I wrote -- I've written about 18 budgets in my lifetime, and then I joined with Tim Penny to try to take a penny out of every dollar to cut spending, and we were opposed by Hillary, the White House -- she was literally lobbying -- and the Republican Appropriations Committee. And we've got very close within about five votes. And then I became the chairman of the Budget Committee and, you know, continued to work and build a bigger and bigger team, taking on all these tough issues. And then, of course, I became the chief architect, Pete Domenici and I, of the last time we balanced the budget, the first time since man walked on the moon, and we haven't done it since with a $5 trillion surplus and we actually paid down the debt. (APPLAUSE) Now here's the other thing you should all know, and Tom alluded to it. So I go in to be governor of Ohio, we're $8 billion in the hole, which is a historic high, 20 percent of our general revenue fund, and all I did was take the practices from Washington, and what are they? Just go do the job. You don't sit around worrying about who is going to yelp and scream and try to come up with something that is going to work, that people can accept. But you've just got to make choices. But you got to be as creative as you possibly can. So $8 billion in the hole, everybody said raise taxes, I said no, baloney. If you have a restaurant and you don't have any customers, you don't raise your prices, you lower your prices, you change the menu and you reduce your overhead. So in Ohio, we went from $8 billion in the hole and today, we are $2 billion in surplus. We're up 347,000 jobs. We are rock solid with our credit, there's no phony baloney in this budget, and we've cut taxes by $5 billion. Because you've got to remember, even in Washington, not only did we have a program to reduce our overhead, but we also cut our prices and we reduced the taxes on capital gains and we provided a family tax credit that was not an economic growth other than giving people more money in their pockets. But capital gains helped. Then you balance a budget by restraining your spending and also growing your economy. And, you know, you just have to rally people to get behind something for the good of something other than themselves. And then -- I'll give you one little story, though. In our state, Medicaid when I came in was growing at 10 percent. In my second budget, it grew at 2.5 percent, and we didn't take one single person off the rolls and we did not cut one benefit. So you might say how do you do that? Well, one of the groups I had to fight was the nursing home industry. They had -- and they basically had called everything in Ohio for many years. I'm not against nursing homes, but I'm against sky-high reimbursement rates, and I want mom and dad to be able to stay in their own home if they can rather than being forced to into a nursing home. And we used technology, and -- so the industry was very angry at me. They tried to keep me from getting elected and then they fought me when I did get elected and I had to take them on. And so imagine, controlling the hardest element of a state budget and to have Medicaid go from 10 percent to like 2 1/2 percent without taking anybody off the rolls, people like it. So you see, when you go about doing this, everything doesn't have to be slash and burn, it's trying to figure out the most effective way you can do it to serve the customer. And by the way, on Thursday, this Thursday, I'm going to be unveiling a plan, a framework that will become more and more sophisticated as time goes on, that does -- deals with spending, the issue of fiscal discipline and balanced budgets, being able to provide economic growth in a variety of ways. And this is going to come Thursday. I'm going to make a speech in Nashua. If you want to come down, we'd love to have you there. And I think it's going to give us a road map, it's a road map what John Kasich would do if I'm elected president of the United States. And it will be comprehensive. Yeah, you can clap. Go ahead. I like that. (APPLAUSE) So a lot of people talk about doing it, but you have to know how to do it. You have to put teams of people together, you have to tell them, pay no attention to the special interest groups. I mean, you can listen to them and if they have a legitimate objection, that's fine, but they don't call the tune. Nobody who gives you money, nobody who -- you cannot play that game because the minute you come off of the high moral ground, which is the issue of we need to do this for our kids, we need to do this for our country, we need to do this for our state. When you -- when you do that, people can accept by and large what you're doing, but all of a sudden, Uncle Joe gets a sweetheart deal or right here, Joe Lieberman or anybody else gets a certain deal, then you know what happens is then people say, well why them and not me? So it's difficult, it's challenging, but it's absolutely doable and you want to get there by 2030? That's too long. That's too long. I mean... (APPLAUSE) ...I -- well, I think you can get there before 2030 and we'll give you a sense of all this come Thursday. But that's not necessary. That is not a necessary thing to do. And you have to deal with all the entitlements. You've got to deal with Medicaid, you've got to deal with Medicare and ultimately, I think with like with Social Security, you're going to -- that's going to have to be done over time with Republicans and Democrats really working together. See, the problem is if you try to go after -- if you try to reform these entitlement programs and you don't have some members of both parties participating, it probably won't happen. When you go back to the Clinton years, when he was president and we forced him to balance the budget -- I'm sorry, Joe, but Clinton is a skilled politician. If there is a ride coming at him, he jumps in front of it and calls it a parade. But at that point... (LAUGHTER) ...at that point, you know he had some people in there that really wanted to get this done. And when we did it with both parties participating, nobody screamed about Medicare, nobody screamed about Medicaid, nobody really even screamed about welfare reform which was another very significant thing that we did. So look, in war, you die once, Churchill said in politics, you can die 10 or 15 times, just look at my friend here from Ohio. How many times did you die in politics? Many, many. So that's what you have to do. And just, you know, shoot for the stars, have big ideas, be creative, be imaginative and look at every way to get this thing done. And then I'll have to tell you folks one other thing. If you don't have a balanced budget amendment that requires a federally balanced budget, you will never be able to do it consistently. We need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to force politicians to do what we did. (APPLAUSE) Now, some of you are not clapping about that, but I can tell you if we didn't have a balance budget requirement in Ohio, I don't think we'd be balanced. I mean, it forces people to be responsible. It would be great, it would be wonderful if we would just do it naturally, but I'm not some -- you know some buddy living in Lake Wobegon. If you have the lake, if you have the requirement -- think about this. I left Washington in 2000 -- after 2000, we had a $5 trillion surplus. I went home to Ohio and my buddy said now that your friends are leaving, they're going to spend it all. I said, that's impossible. You can't spend $5 trillion. I mean you have to work to spend it all. And it was all gone in a blink of an eye. And we could have used that $5 trillion to provide -- we could have provided a 2 percent private account for all the young people in the country funded out of that surplus, but it's all gone. It was gone. So, you know -- and why was it gone? All politicians are tarred with the same stick. They want to spend money and somebody's got to stand in the breach and say, no, no, we can't do that. Just like a mom and dad stand on the breach when members of their family want to spend money they don't have. You just have to do that. And I think the constitutional amendment is vital. OK. DAVIS: Governor... (APPLAUSE) ...talk about -- we're going to take some questions from the audience. We've got about 15 minutes for questions. Let me just ask, though, getting those jobs in Ohio, it was a very tough time. What did you do different? KASICH: Well we privatized our economic development. It doesn't exist in the government anymore. We created a not-for-profit entity and this entity -- to make a long story short, they get about $100 million a year of liquor revenue and we have hired people that actually can talk to business people. Secondly, we looked at Ohio and we figured out which of the areas of Ohio we could sell diversity. So we have cloud computing, IT, financial services, energy, medical devices, steel and manufacturing, agriculture. We are now a diverse state different than the way you thought about Ohio. And I can tell you why it happens. I talked to the CEOs. When you balance budgets and cut taxes, and you as the CEO understand business -- I'm the CEO of Ohio, you think as being -- you know, the governor -- I'm the CEO of Ohio, you convince people to come, and that's how we're up to 347,000 jobs. It's -- it is about understanding how businesses work, how they decide things and make sure that the government, both from a tax, from a spending and regulatory -- that's another thing that's -- that's crushing our country is this overaggressive regulations. There needs to be some common sense. We'll deal with that on Thursday. But if you can, in fact, balance a budget or head towards it, reduce the taxes, particularly on businesses in America now; I mean, having the highest corporate tax rate is just nuts, OK? We need to get that money back here because companies are investing in Europe and they ought to be investing in America because we tax our profits so high they just don't bring the money back. And get a regulatory regime going the right way. And one final thing. Trade, these trade deals ought to be work -- it shouldn't be a good deal or a bad deal, they ought to be improved. And then when we get violated by -- because of companies taking advantage of it, we have to have an expedited process that doesn't drag out for years, and then we win and everybody that was affected lost their jobs. I mean, this is -- there's so much, the workforce development. It's a big comprehensive package, but if you can't balance a budget, you can't control your spending, businesses will go somewhere else. And if your taxes are too high, they will go somewhere else. And the proof is in the pudding. We were dead in Ohio and now we're alive. Not only alive, we're thriving, and it's great. And as a result, no one has been left behind. I mean, if you're the mentally ill, if you're the drug addicted, if you're the working poor, we've got a program for you. If you're developmentally disabled, we want to mainstream you. Economic growth solves so many problems and allows you to do so many wonderful things for the public. DAVIS: Thank you. First question? (APPLAUSE) QUESTION: Thank you so much for being here. It's a privilege. You may be the first Republican that I might vote for or even campaign for. OK, so I am... KASICH: Why don't we take the might out and... QUESTION: Well... KASICH: ...it would be perfect. (LAUGHTER) QUESTION: But for this... KASICH: OK. QUESTION: ...OK, I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal. KASICH: Yeah. QUESTION: Like gosh, it seems every person I seem to meet. So I -- what I don't understand is all this focus on, again, what I would consider to be social issues, the economic impact of Planned Parenthood, I'm sorry it's just not that significant. And I said -- I said earlier, actually to Donald Trump, I said it's like a deck chair everyone one keeps trying to rearrange and the Titanic, it's like, oh my, gosh, we hit the iceberg. Nineteen trillion dollars are one of the most over -- the most imprisoned drug society in the world. Every kingdom on the Earth is threatened. I'm looking for -- trying to understand the thinking, but -- behind -- you know, the world behind your eyes... KASICH: Yeah. QUESTION: ...you know, it's like, where are you really going to focus? KASICH: Well, I mean look... QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you by the way. KASICH: First of all, our... QUESTION: Thank you. KASICH: ...our recidivism rate in the prisons in Ohio is almost half the national average, and we're now treating the drug addicted in the prisons and releasing them into community and the recidivism rate is less than 20 percent. So we are giving people a chance to get out and get on their feet so they can become productive citizens. Planned Parenthood -- look, I don't care what your position is on that. We need to have family planning, it just shouldn't be done by those. They broke -- they went too far and it needs to be stripped out, but that doesn't mean we don't do family planning. My think our greatest -- there's a lot of moral purposes, great ones. But creating a job which allows a mom and dad to support -- think of the support of family is so important. Think about a dad who goes home at night because, you know, my dad carried mail on his back, I grew up in a blue collar town and if the wind blew the wrong way, dad had to go home and look at his kids and his spouse or mom and say I lost my job today, things are going to change around here. Think about how great it is when mom or dad goes home, and particularly the single mom, and says I got a better job, or I got a raise or things are going great, we celebrate, right? We go out to dinner. Maybe we even get a shrimp cocktail, if things are going really well, right? So we have to focus on economic growth. That doesn't mean these moral issues don't matter, they do matter, but we've got to get this country moving from the standpoint of stronger economic growth, helping families, training workers, having common sense regulations. And one other thing. We need to begin to transfer power, money and influence back to where we live. And I'm going to give you one example. Why do we have -- why do we send gas tax money to Washington so they can scam it off the top and send less back? Why don't we just keep it here and take care of our own infrastructure and... (APPLAUSE) Think about this. We send a couple of pennies down to maintain the interstate, but we're not building anymore interstate. So what we ought to be doing is keeping our money to solve our problems based on the way we can do it. Have we lost -- we have not lost faith in ourselves. So we need to systematically -- we'll have more say about this on Thursday -- we need to systematically begin to move programs back to where we live, where we then take responsibility. It's not like we get them and then we do nothing, we get them and we have to be responsible with what we do with those programs. So a little bit about the things that I think about. DAVIS: We have another question. KASICH: And take the might out, I'll give you a gold star. How's that? Yeah. DAVIS: We have a question back here. QUESTION: Governor Kasich, what's your plan for fixing Social Security and Medicare? KASICH: Well, look. On Social Security, in '99, I wrote a plan that would have kept our seniors held harmless, would have changed the wages and prices to one of the indices, which meant we would have started a little less in our initial benefit and over time it saves a ton of money. And then for the young people, they would have had a 2 percent private account. I left Washington and they did nothing for 16 or 17 years, so now we're deeper in the hole. What I think you have to do with Social Security is gather up all the plans that everybody has, consider everything, get it on the table and get Democrats and Republicans to hold hands and agree to solidify that program. It has to be done. In terms of Medicare, I'll have more to say about Medicare and Medicaid on Thursday, but they're -- but when you think about what we did with Medicaid in Ohio, there's a lot of similarities to what we can do with Medicare. We'll have more to say about it on Thursday, without getting into it. But you can't get to a balanced budget if you don't deal with the entitlement programs. You have to deal with them. I've dealt with them throughout my career and I would say to you, I think I've written 18 budgets in my lifetime. It's not a mystery as to what I will do. It's not confusion about what I might do. We'll just give you more as time goes on. Now come Thursday, we're going to give you a plan, a framework that will increasingly be filled out as we go along. We'll be addressing Social Security, the specifics of that, probably a little bit later, but we will deal with Medicaid, Medicare discretionary, defense spending, all of it. And we will give you a framework as to what that all means. So I hope you will come -- come on Thursday if you can in Nashua. Here's one here. DAVIS: OK. Take... QUESTION: Where in Nashua? KASICH: I don't know. (LAUGHTER) Where is it in Nashua? Does anybody know? Yell. Where's the event on Thursday? (UNKNOWN): Community college. KASICH: The community college. Good. DAVIS: All right, we're back here. KASICH: And by the way, we also are putting together plans for the ways to deal with the cost increases in our universities and community colleges using business-like processes, and I'll give you one. Why does it -- why do these colleges and universities have non-academic assets that we have to pay money to support? Why don't they get rid of them and let somebody else run them and let a college and university do what it's suppose to do, which is educate us, not run parking garages or dining room. We can do that. Yes, sir? (APPLAUSE) QUESTION: Steven Bourne (ph), Rye, New Hampshire. So one of the reasons why I sort of got into -- more into politics was I went to a local budget meeting, and one of the things that's going up 200,000. I asked, what more are we going to get for that 200,000? I get lambasted about why am I questioning it. And so, every time I hear budget, what I want to know is what are we getting for it? How do we know we're getting better services for the same money all the time? And I'm struggling at the local level, so I get it's going to be a gazillion times higher at the federal, but we need the analysis, we need to know what are we getting and what are we getting for everything we're spending. That discussion doesn't get out to the people. KASICH: Right. Well look, do you understand in taking an $8 billion hole in Ohio and turning it into a surplus, and taking hundreds of billions of dollars worth of deficits and a rising national debt and getting it to balance and actually paying down a chunk of the publicly held debt. We didn't do that without good analysis. Frankly, I will tell you there's too many -- it's too much in -- there's -- I really don't want to say this, but I'll say it. We don't need to have all of those entities operating in Washington. You know, when I was in Congress, we tried to kill the Commerce Department and I'll tell you why. There has some valuable and -- things that go on in it, but it is basically an attic for political junkies, where their kids go to work after a successful election. We've got too much down there and because we have too much, they don't do much of what they do as well as we want them to do it. When Joe and I were in Washington, if you wanted a family to go to the White House, you had to spend two weeks to get tickets. Now, you just jump over the fence. I mean, it doesn't -- this doesn't work well anywhere. So sir, let me tell you. If you think you can make those questions without aggravating people, you're wrong. You've got to be tough, but you've got to tell them that our town will lose jobs, our taxes are going to be too high for small businesses -- remember, small businesses create the jobs. And if in a little town you keep raising taxes or a have a building code group that just makes it so hard for somebody to open their doors, guess what? They're going somewhere else. They may be coming to Ohio and I -- you know, that'd be OK too. So -- but you have to question people and you have to say, what do you get for it. And they're not going to like it, but that's OK. You know what will happen over time? They'll respect you. There was a group of people, including Chris Shays who's back here. We took everybody on, we took them all on. I've been involved in reforming the Pentagon. You know what it's like to be a Republican reforming the Pentagon and trying to stop the development of the B-2 bomber and limit its production when it's -- you know, when it's a billion dollars a copy, you know how hard that is? I mean -- but you have to do it, because you're aren't in this business to win a popularity contest, you're in this business to be an adult, to make decisions, to advance the country. That's what politics do and answer it. (APPLAUSE) And when you get really frustrated, give me a call. I'll buck you up. (LAUGHTER) QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE). KASICH: No, they don't hate you. You're just bothering them, but they'll be OK, they'll respect you over time. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) KASICH: The public is -- you've got to do -- look, leadership is walking a lonely road. And as hard as you work at that, you will find, if you know what you're doing -- probably do -- you'll find more people that will gravitate to your side. My first budget was 405 to 30. My third budget was more than what George Bush got for his budget. It happens over time, but make sure your ideas are creative, innovative and different. And if you do that, people will come to you and they'll -- they may sneak up to you. You got anybody kind of telling you on the sly, hey, that's probably a good question. Is any of that happening? A few, a few. Not none, a few. Keep at it. (APPLAUSE) DAVIS: Let's go one more question right here. Yes, ma'am? QUESTION: Hi, I'm Jess Lubian (ph) from Manchester, New Hampshire. Thank you for taking my question. I have a very specific question for you. Can you give us an example when you were working to solve an important problem, a specific example of a compromise that you made that, up until that point, you previously didn't think you were willing to compromise on. KASICH: Yeah, that's a good question. Well, you know, look, when I was working to limit the production of the B-2 to 13 weapons and Dick Cheney called me up and he said, OK, I'll make an agreement, would you go to 20? And I had been working with Ron Dellums on this, who is, you know, a very liberal Democrat. I said, well, let me go check with my partner. So I called Dellums, I said, what do you think? He said, well, I'm against it. I said, I've got to go to 20. This, I think, is a reasonable proposal -- yes, we can do that. Yeah, I think compromise is part of it, but you can never compromise beyond where you can't look yourself in the eye. Because look, see -- you're looking at all these candidates, OK? I'm not in this -- I am in this to fix the country. I am not in this so I can have some great election. That's why I'm not going to tell you something that you -- that you want to hear. The lady back here just said well if you would change -- I said, I'm not changing. I'll listen to you. I'm not unconvinced on a different issue. My mind's eye is to just try. And I'm a flawed man. Just try to do the best thing to improve our nation. And then when I'm done, I'm happy. And that's what I want to be through this campaign, and if I get elected as best I can to navigate. But compromise is part of it, just don't compromise beyond your principles. I'll give you an area where I would not compromise. I'm not for more revenue and I'm not for more revenue because I'm -- this is some ideological thing, it's an economic thing. And frankly, I know what they do down there in Washington. Why do I want to give them more revenue? And any time you do a deal and you say OK, this many cuts for this much revenue, all they do is take the revenue and they never give us the cuts. And then they come up with these phony baloney plans, these sequester and all this others stuff that -- it all gets changed at the end of the day. Let's balance the budget, pass a constitutional amendment and get it done and stop this fooling around. This is our kids that are going to pay the price for it, so... (APPLAUSE) DAVIS: All right. We have time... KASICH: Oh, ma'am, look. I can't remember anything really specifically, but I can't sit down with Pete Domenici and negotiate an entire federal budget without having to give on some things. I mean, nothing glaring stands out at me, but I couldn't get everything I wanted. I mean, who gets everything they want? Nobody. Not in life. And so, but never give up your fundamental principles. That's as well as I can answer that. DAVIS: OK. We have time for one more question over here in the back. QUESTION: Sir, hi. Thank you for being here. My name is Chris Meadows, I'm from Deering, New Hampshire. I know you chose me because you wanted the voice of a college student. I'm a sophomore in New England College, thank you. My question is about gun control. When the president says that it's routine now and his responses to the -- to the questions are routine, it's too much. What do we do about gun control where there's almost a gun for every man, woman and child in the country? There are too many guns. KASICH: Yeah. QUESTION: They end up in the people -- in the hands of the people we don't want them in. So how do we fix that? Do we take people's guns away and how do we get people to not freak out when we want to do that? KASICH: Well, first of all, we're not going to take their guns away. It's the Second Amendment and we're not going to do that. But let me just say a couple of things. First of all, there are laws that are on the books. I'll give you a couple. You're at a gun show, they're supposed to do an instant check. They must do it. You want to sell something in the parking lot, you're held accountable if you sell it to somebody and you didn't check out who they were. Thirdly, there are many states that are not keeping the mental health records that need to be kept and entered to a database, so people who have mental illness can't get guns. But I'm glad you asked that because I'm going to talk about something I just want you to think about. You see, we're focusing on the gun. Let's talk about the people. This person, this guy who committed the mass murder in Oregon, it was his mother, he and his mother. Where was dad? Where was brother or sister? Where was neighbor? I mean, folks, our marriages, too many of them have eroded. The relationship with our neighbors, what's happened to the neighborhood? You see, we're all really our neighbor's keeper and we all have a responsibility to live a life bigger than ourselves. It's about justice and healing and who is helping this woman? Creigh Deeds down in Virginia. This is something the government could have done. There was not an emergency bed for his son. He took his son home and the next day, a tragedy occurred where he was stabbed and his son is gone. Why didn't we have the beds? Is it because we run over people who we don't understand? But where -- what are we doing to help one another? We're spending a lot of our time worrying about who is going to be president, and that's great, but the country was not built from the top-down, the country was built from the bottom up. We heard the pope the other day about the power of family, the pope about all of us is being connected. So the laws on guns should be enforced. I think we can respect the Second Amendment, but what about the other things that we're not doing that could have averted some of these tragedies? What are -- what are we doing to think about the things that we as a society can do, sometimes without government, to make sure that our neighborhoods are stronger, so that people don't live alone. That woman, that mother, could not control her son and she had nowhere to go. A week ago or two weeks ago, I went to a place called Hope House, it was in Iowa. I don't know why they -- I think I know why they took me there. It's a house for women who really have gotten to the edge of falling apart. Beautiful place, wonderful people. I said why is this here? Because there's nowhere for people to go now. We're isolated, we're alone too much of the time. One of my jobs, if I'm president, is to think about a way where we can re-ignite the spirit of who we are as Americans. When de Tocqueville came here, he talked about who we were, and we need to -- we need to re-ignite that. Endorse that model of strong families and strong neighborhoods and living a life beyond, beyond ourselves. We have responsibility that way. And that even in some ways takes us back to the budget. That if you're going to be elected to public service and you're going to go serve, do your job. Don't worry about re-election, just go do your job. And guess what? You'll get re-elected. Just ask Lieberman who fought everybody down there. You did win, didn't you? Yeah, he did win. You can lead and you can win and you know what? You can feel good about yourself even if you don't win. And over the long haul, that's where the treasure is. Thank you all very much. DAVIS: Thank you. (APPLAUSE) END ------------- GEORGE PATAKI SPEECH ------------- PATAKI: Thank you very much for that kind introduction, Justice Broderick, a Democrat, enormously respected across the political divide, Republicans and Democrats. And that is what we need in Washington today: someone like him who is going to bring the American people together. And you are starting this afternoon with this Problem Solver No Labels conference. So thank you all for being here. We have to solve problems and we have to come together to do that. (APPLAUSE) You know, when I think of what we need to do in Washington to confront our problems, there are three big things. We have to grow our economy better. We aren't creating the jobs and opportunity, particularly young people like the ones here today need in the 21st century. We have to shrink the size of the federal government. It is too big, too powerful, too expensive, too intrusive, too bloated, and it has to be shrunk and brought down to size where it serves the people instead of dominating the people. And Justice Broderick talked about how I was Governor on September 11th. We have got to be far more proactive in rebuilding our military, honoring those who have served and put on the uniform to defend our country, the best people this country has ever produced. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) And making sure that we are as safe and secure as possible. Now other candidates are going to say similar things. They're going to have a plan. I have a plan. The question is how do you solve the problem? How do you actually get it done as opposed to just talking about it? And as the Justice said, when I was Governor of New York, that's what I looked to do. I looked to shrink the size of the government and I was able to do it. When I left office, we had 15 percent fewer workers than when I took office and the government worked better. He talked about how when I took office -- when I left office, the unemployment rate was the lowest since they started keeping records. And by the way, when I took office, we had the last -- we were last among the 50 states in creating jobs and opportunity, but we changed things completely. And he talked about how we were the most dangerous state in America when I took office and fourth safest when I left. And by the way, I did that as a Republican in New York State, a state with three million more Democrats and I did it with a state assembly where for most of my term there were 103 Democrats and 47 Republicans. Now how was I able to get that agenda through? I'm just going to tell you two stories. One was welfare. When I took office, one in 11 -- think about this, one in 11 of every man, woman and child in the state of New York was on welfare, not Medicaid or disability. But I knew that what had happened is we had created a system where good people had become trapped in dependency because that was the best thing for their family. So I sat down with the Democrats and I said, let's work together to end this tragedy. Let's replace dependency with opportunity. Yes, I want conservative policies like mandatory workfare for who those who are able-bodied. Yes, I want limits on welfare. But let's do other things to empower people to take that first job up the ladder of economic opportunity. So we did things like expand the daycare slots, job training programs, and expanded the earned income tax credit. Working with Democrats when I left office, we had over one million fewer people on welfare. They had been able to transition to the private sector, to the workforce, to become a part of the American dream instead of depending on government, working in a bipartisan way. And I'll just... (APPLAUSE) Thank you. And I'll tell you one of the stories about how we went from one of the most dangerous state in America to the fourth safest. I changed the criminal justice system from top and bottom. We passed over 100 different criminal justice laws, tough laws like ending paroles for violent felons, mandatory stronger sentences, empowering the police and changing evidentiary rules. But one of the things we looked to do was change the drug rules. And I wanted to have harsher penalties for the kingpins, the big drug dealers, or for someone who used a weapon or was carrying a weapon while they were involved in drugs. The Democrats said we don't want to do those things, but by the way there are too many young people trapped in the drug culture. Yes, they may be out there on the street corner and get caught and convicted of a felony, 15, 16, 17, 18-year-old kid. We want to give them another chance. So I sat down and let's meet and let's work this out because I agree with you, and we had a battle. We agreed where low-level drug offenders who had not been involved before would be given an alternative to going to jail where they could spend time in a shock incarceration camp and if they went through it, have their criminal record wiped out and never have to face the consequence of being -- having blight on the record their whole lives. But I couldn't get them to do the harsher penalties for the drug dealers and the guns. So I, a conservative Republican in the middle of the night, while we were debating this with the Democratic leaders of the assembly, they kept saying Russell Simmons, this rap (inaudible) from central Brooklyn says we can't do this, says we cannot do that. So I say, let's call up Russell Simmons. I called him. I said, get up to Albany. He got to our capital at 3:00 in the morning, we went all night, we agreed on some of the changes. And I remember the last one was I wanted harsher penalties for someone involved in selling drugs who had a gun on him. And the Democratic leadership was saying, no, we will trap people. And he goes I don't want somebody with a gun roaming around my neighborhood. Pataki is right. They passed the law. We changed the rules, and we made New York the fourth safest state in America, working across partisan lines. (APPLAUSE) That is what we have to do now. And by the way, there is one area where what I was talking about, shrinking government, growing the economy, protecting our security comes together, and that is the area of climate change. And let me tell you something -- I hope the stage doesn't open up. I'm a Republican and I happen to believe that when we emit CO2 and greenhouse gases the Earth gets warmer and we have to do something about it. (APPLAUSE) I'm a great believer that if we're going to have the brilliant, optimistic future we are all entitled to believe in as Americans, Republicans have to embrace science. We cannot be a party that questions vaccinations. George Washington settled it when he vaccinated his troops at Valley Forge 240-something years ago. We cannot question evolution. And we have to recognize that human activity is contributing to climate change, and there is a role for government to play in dealing with that issue for the future. Now... (APPLAUSE) Before the Democrats here get too excited, let me tell you my role is going to be -- my solution is going to be very different than President Obama's or those on the Democratic left, but to have a dialogue about that. I want to have a little discussion before all of you, not with another Republican, but with a great Democrat who served his state and served this country honorably. As you know, Senator Evan Bayh. So Senator, let's just sit down and see if we can solve this problem in the next 15 minutes. Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) BAYH: So George, let me begin. We served together as Governors back in the day, and Governors tend to try to be pragmatists, problem solvers and work across the aisle. And when I got the word that George wanted me to kind of be up here with him to talk about climate change, a lot like he was just saying, I thought to myself, a Republican candidate running for President who is interested in a conversation about climate change, this is a real man bites dog story we have here. So I have to do this. I have to say yes. So George, I think that is to your great credit, by the way, to your great credit. So let me just start and ask the first question, why does this issue matter so much to you? PATAKI: Well, first of all, it matters to everyone, or it should. It is about the future of the globe and if we do not deal with the issue of global warming, we are going to have unforeseen consequences that no one here can predict that could have a horrible, negative impact on future generations' lives. And as I said at the beginning, Senator, it is the one area where reducing the size of government -- because I would not do it the way Obama is doing it with massive regulations and higher taxes, the heavy-handed government picking winners and losers, and driving jobs out of America. I would do it in an exactly opposite way and that is by empowering American innovation, empowering the American belief in dreaming and creating, so that our private sector, our university sector, and government all working together could create the next generation of clean energy products that not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but create tens, hundreds of thousands of jobs for America. And by the way, if we did not need to be so dependent on things like oil, and not just the United States, if the world didn't need to be so dependent on things like oil, Russia, Iran, other totalitarian states would see their power greatly diminished and that helps the United States tremendously. So unleash the creativity, the innovative ability of the American dreamer, thinker, entrepreneur, scientist, and we can have that next generation of energy that doesn't just slightly reduce greenhouse gases, but allows us to de-carbonize our economy while growing jobs. (APPLAUSE) BAYH: Interestingly, when he first mentioned the importance of climate change, there was a real round of applause and the first wave and the loudest came from behind us here. I was with a pollster in Washington -- I was speaking to a group of Indiana University students who were making a trip to Washington. They had -- actually, a Republican pollster there talking about the data and her survey research showed that this is the issue that matters the most to young people in our country because they kind of get that it's going to shape the future in a whole host of important ways, so thank you, guys, for leading on this issue. George, are there -- are there any areas in your view where the two parties can agree now -- is there any common ground to build off? PATAKI: Sure. I think there is enormous opportunity for common ground. Both parties want to see more solar, wind, next generation technologies. Where Republicans differ from Democrats and where I differ from most Democrats is don't want to see us pick winners or losers, I don't want to see the federal government invest $500 million in a company like Solyndra because it is politically connected, and I don't want to see our tax dollars used to say OK, we like this industry but we don't like that industry. But where we can agree is in the concept of innovation. And let me tell you for example, in my private life, we are working with a company now that has thin solar panels. Right now, the average solar efficiency is 16 to 18 percent. They have 48 percent efficiency, more than three times as efficiency. You do that, and we're going to able to deploy solar across this country in a way that reduces energy costs and create jobs instead of driving up costs. I think the Democrats -- reasonable Democrats would agree that we want to collaborate. It is not the federal government that's going to solve this problem. It is the private sector, it's our universities, it's our think tanks, and the federal government all working together, not the heavy hand of government. So we do things, for example, like expand the R&D tax credit, research and development. We do that better than any country in the world. Make it permanent. Expand it to empower innovation. Everybody wants to see us build more energy, producing clean energy, producing assets in the United States. Instead of picking winners and losers, allow the immediate expensing from capital investment. So if you put a lot of money into solar or wind or geothermal or any other type of technology, write it off right away to encourage the private sector and investors to put money into green energy. So I think there is tremendous room for common ground. Unfortunately, the dialogue is such that people do not even talk, let alone try to solve problems, which is why events like this and approaches like you all believe in where we work across party lines to find a common future is so important. BAYH: And do you have an opinion about energy conservation and efficiency, retrofitting homes so that they use less energy in the winter, those kinds of things, higher mileage vehicles so we use less oil out on the highway? PATAKI: Senator, we're in New Hampshire. And heating oil when the price of oil -- when you are paying $4 a gallon for gas, heating oil went through the roof. There is no question that efficiency is one of the most important things we can do. When I was Governor, we put in place a number of policies, incentivizing using of efficient appliances, for example, incentivizing retro-fitting of homes with insulation and thermal windows that reduce costs. I mean, I -- there is no question that we can do that in a way where the homeowner or the business gets a return on their investment. They are not losing money. They're going to save so much in lower energy costs that it will pay back over a very short period of time. So that's an important of it. And another area where I'm sure that Democrats and Republicans, if we set aside the finger-pointing and trying to gain partisan advantage over solving a problem could come together and actually solve this problem. BAYH: You know, there's a good idea out in California that I became aware of, and the neighboring states, Vermont and Maine has done some of this, but California's even done a little bit more of it. That is, George, they allow local counties to raise bond proceeds to then fund homeowners retrofitting their houses, solar panels you are talking about, insulation and energy efficiency. They then use the savings off of that to repay it over a period of time, and the federal government is kind of standing in the way now. The Federal Housing Administration is kind of concerned whether that will -- you know, whether that will have priority over the mortgage and so forth and the federal government ought to get out of the way and let the states innovate here. But do you have an opinion about those kinds of state oriented solutions? PATAKI: Absolutely, the federal government should not be in the way. They should be paving the way for programs like this to exist. You know, I got a lot done while I was governor. This, I couldn't get done. Not so much in New Hampshire but on Long Island, geothermal heating and cooling for homes where you have sand is so efficient. The temperature under the frost line is always 54 to 56 degrees. So whether you want to heat in the winter or cool in the summer, you use almost no energy. But the homeowner doesn't have the 12 to $15,000 upfront to invest. So we wanted to get the utilities to upfront it and then pay it out of the savings in energy costs when you did not have to do that. So that is the type of innovative thing where the federal government can empower states, empower local governments, and ultimately empower homeowners to have that opportunity. BAYH: There is another interesting angle on this, people might be interested in having your take on. I was on the Armed Services Committee, and I always hoped this was not a contradiction in terms. I was on the Senate Intelligence Committee for ten years. And the reason I mentioned that is that our government has done some pretty extensive studies on the national security ramifications of climate change. You get crop failures going on in third world countries which lead to famines and population shifts, and therefore a rise in more radical views in terrorism and that sort of thing. So some of our national security agencies have actually concluded that dealing constructively with climate change -- there is a real national security element to that for the United States for America, do you have a take on that? PATAKI: There is no question that the Defense Department, the Army, and others have made this a priority, and rightfully so. And by the way, the Army and other defense agencies have pure research arms where they fund research into things that are militarily applicable and that will help our security and we should be looking into more of that. But I'll just give you one example, one of the things I want the federal government is to work with the universities and the private sector to fund pure research. When I was Governor I did that in a little town called Albany, New York. And we challenged universities and the private sector to come together and create the next generation of computer chips that power every single computer in the world, and to do it in Albany, New York. We put up some initial state capital. To make a long story short, today, we have attracted over $20 billion in university and private sector research capital investment. There are thousands of research scientists, the most advanced computer chip research -- nano research in the world is being done in Albany, New York. And by the way, the goal of this is not pure research. The goal is jobs and opportunity for every American. Today in the capital region, we have factories, factories making something in America. In this case, making computer chips, over $25 billion invested by the private sector in factories in upstate New York, thousands of great paying jobs because we invested in pure research with the private sector and the university sector, and we can do that in energy. And Senator, forgive me here, I want to make one other point. Why I believe it is the private sector innovation and universities that hold the key here. You know, in the United States and the globe today, there is one country -- one country that produces fewer greenhouse gases than they did in 1995. Do you know what that country is? It is the United States of America. And it is not because of regulations or driving up costs or driving out factories. It is because of fracking. Fracking has allowed us to replace coal with natural gas, driving down greenhouse gas emissions, private sector developed, private sector deployed, but the federal government initially came up with some of those seed research moneys to develop horizontal drilling and fracking. That is what we can do in energy, and in the process not just reduce our emissions, but have these new technologies that we can export around the world, helping other countries solve this problem and creating jobs here in America. BAYH: George, one more question and then ladies and gentlemen, he was very eager to get to your questions. So let me just ask one more and let's just throw open the floor and you can him about climate change or I assume other things too. This came up earlier in Donald Trump's comments and I know Hillary Clinton was involved in this when she was Secretary of State. That is, the United States of America for a long time was the biggest emitter of CO2 gases. But that is not the case today. The largest emitter of greenhouse gases is China. And as the Governor mentioned, our emissions have plateaud off. We are getting ours down compared to what it used to be. China has continued to go up substantially, India's continued to go up substantially. And when you talk to the Chinese and the Indians they say, it is very nice of you Americans. You have already industrialized. You have a high standard of living. How nice for you to cap our emissions now so we cannot grow and have a better life like you. So that tends to be their objective, but since we have one atmosphere and one planet, we're not going to solve global warming if we cap our emissions and reduce them, but the Chinese and the Indians and other people increase theirs by more than that amount. The planet's going to continue to get hotter, we're going to have all these adverse consequences anyway. So there's got to be some global responsibility here and some shared burden sharing. How would you go about dealing with the Chinese, the Indians, and others who want to continue to raise their emissions at a time that we are trying to get ours down? PATAKI: You know Senator that is exactly right. Today, the United States produces only 16 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. If we cut ours in half, there's going to be a much higher level of greenhouse gases emitted because of China and India and Malaysia and other countries that are emerging. There are going to be two billion more people in the world by the year 2050 that are going to be wanting to use energy. So the solution is not our government raising energy costs on Americans through regulations. It is not our government shutting down plants that it does not like. It's not our government picking a company or a technology where the people are politically corrected. It's our government working to empower innovation and technology, because when we do something like fracking, when we create the next generation of solar panels that are much cheaper than any other source of energy, we are not just reducing our emissions, we're creating a technology we can export to China, we can export to India, allowing them to lower their emissions while we are strengthening our economy. We don't want to impose costs that drive a factory out of America to Mexico or China where they have much weaker pollution control devices, we want to have lower energy costs, better technology, fewer emissions, and those factories building things right here in the United States for the next generation of American worker. And with the right policies, I have absolutely no doubt we can do this in the United States. BAYH: George, my last comment would be -- ladies and gentleman, it was Theodore Roosevelt, an environmentally-aware Republican, who established the National Parks System. It was Richard Nixon who did a whole lot of bad things, but he did establish the Environmental Protection Agency. So there is a tradition of Republicans who are environmentally aware and concerned. And George, it looks like you are carrying on that tradition here today. So I commend you for that and I'm going to surrender the stage to you. These folks can vote for you. I cannot. So they're more important than me. Thank you, ladies and gentleman, George Pataki, former Governor of New York. (APPLAUSE) PATAKI: Thank you, Senator Bayh. And Senator Bayh talked about the Republican Party's tradition of caring about conservation and the environment, and I did that as Governor. And by the way, he mentioned Teddy Roosevelt, I named my older son Teddy after Teddy Roosevelt, because I think he was a role model in so many ways for what Americans should be like in the 21st century. So now opening up questions, anything, we still have over five minutes left. Yes, sir. QUESTION: Just to comment, I'm a physicist. You are one of the first politicians I've heard that hit the nail on the head. You -- the technologies are out there that can greatly reduce carbon emissions at very much reduced costs, and the only way you're going to get countries like China and India where the real problem is today to deal with the problem is to give them something cheaper than coal, which is what they are burning now. And for the Chinese, the cost of producing electricity from coal is one of the cheapest ways of producing electricity anywhere in the world. So -- but things like carbon capture, with sequestration, supercritical carbon dioxide can replace water as a fracking fluid. PATAKI: Doctor, let me thank you because I want to get to some other questions, but thank you for your kind words. This is exactly what we have to do. You mentioned some of the technologies. One is nuclear. There is next generation nuclear like thorium reactors, or fusion reactors that produce zero emissions, have zero risk of meltdown, have zero military applicability, and we need to restructure the regulatory climate, not the climate in Washington, not to make it more powerful, but to make it more proactive in working with the think tanks, the universities, and our private sector to empower this next generation of technologies so that the United States can export that technology to help the entire globe deal with the issue of climate. Thank you very much, Doctor. Yes, ma'am. QUESTION: Hi, Governor, it's so nice to meet you. PATAKI: Nice to meet you. QUESTION: You and the last panel, there has been this -- we have to understand compromise is not a bad word. I don't think what you did or what any of the other panel did was compromise. I think it was collaboration, and there is a difference. There is -- when you have a problem and you have a goal and you are sitting down together, you are collaborating to come up with a solution. You're not compromising. I would like your opinion on that. PATAKI: You know, I certainly had to compromise during my 12 years as Governor of New York. I did not get everything I wanted. We did our best through collaboration, but ultimately, if you think you're going to get your way 100 percent of the time, we have what we have in Washington now, which is an impasse where we do not solve any of the problems. That doesn't work. It's not right for the future of this country and it has got to stop, which why I'm running for President. And that may well require compromise, let me say right here, if I can get 80 percent of an agenda through -- I would rather do that than get zero, but be pure when I go on TV at night. It is about solving problems and bringing Americans together. (APPLAUSE) Other questions here, someone with a microphone. Yes, sir, in the back, a student. We need -- we need -- can someone get a microphone over here? I don't want to run out of time waiting for the microphone, but I do want to hear from one of the students. QUESTION: All right. I'd just like to start off by saying, ladies and gentlemen of the United States of America that is how you talk to the other side. That was beautiful. PATAKI: Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) It was worth the wait for a microphone. QUESTION: Secondly, I would like to say -- you are to put it politely, very, very far down in the polls right now. I agree with a lot of the things you have to say. I'm a Democrat, by the way, as strange as that is nowadays to agree with a Republican, however... PATAKI: There is always that however, but go ahead. (LAUGHTER) QUESTION: I didn't however actually, I apologize. PATAKI: That's OK. I'm kidding. QUESTION: I meant, how do you plan on getting yourself out there more? PATAKI: You know, events like this. I think right now we have had a summer of political theater and a summer of political drama, but I think as we get closer to February and the first primary in the country here in New Hampshire, voters are going to say, OK, yes we are angry, yes we're extremely unhappy with Washington and yes, we don't trust politicians because they say all these things and nothing ever changes, but let's sit down and see who can actually run the country. Who actually has the solutions, who actually have the ability not to just talk about a plan, but to get the plan through Congress? And I hope that when they do that, they're going to say Pataki did it for 12 years as a Republican in New York State with three million more Democrats. We send him to Washington, he can solve our problems down there as well. and let me just... (APPLAUSE) PATAKI: Thank you. Let me just give you one example of why Republicans are so angry and frustrated. Obamacare, in my view, is the worst law of my lifetime. In the name of helping the uninsured, which was a worthy goal, it changed heathcare for everyone, driving up costs, driving up deductibles, and costing a lot of Americans jobs because businesses won't let you work more than 29 hours or grow their company because they want to stay out from under Obamacare. The Republicans control Congress. They haven't been even able to send a bill to Obama to veto because they can't get the 60 votes. Let me tell you what I would do. I would sit down with Democrats like Evan Bayh. It's a shame he's not there, and say, "I think this is a terrible law." You have to understand there are deep flaws in that law. Let's -- let's not just repeal it, but let's sit together and come up with what we are going to replace it with. And I'm willing to work with you. And then we would get those 60 votes, we would repeal Obamacare, but simultaneously replace it with something that would reflected the input of both parties and the people of this country. We have to remember, we are Republicans and Democrats, but in the end we are all Americans. And it is not about partisan political advantage. It is about people and problem solving. That is what I'm running on and that is what I hope will get people to take another look and say this is the right person to lead the country. (APPLAUSE) Thank you. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) PATAKI: OK. I'll try to repeat it. Here we go. QUESTION: Thank you, first for taking up RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative some -- many years ago. I think it was something of an 80 percent solution. Let me give you an example. I put in an air source heat pump in my house. Replacing oil, my carbon footprint is now half of what it used to be, assuming that the power is being produced from gas. Yet that strains the gas system or the greenhouse gas issues with gas because it pushes up on the demand. How do we fix it so that somehow we get the power productions gets a credit for uses of electricity that reduce greenhouse gas, and in addition, what happens if we use the waste heat from our power plants to heat today under RGGI and also under the greenhouse gas initiative. There is no credit for heating cities with waste heat from power plants. PATAKI: That is a very technical question, but let me just say that we did take an initiative working with other New England and Northeastern states to reduce greenhouse gases, and it did have an impact. But I have to tell you I am very concerned about it. I no longer think cap and trade is the way to go. Because the day I left office, and the idea was we were going to impose a cost on carbon emissions by utilities, but rebate it to the consumers, so they didn't have higher electric costs. You cannot trust government. After I left as Governor, the new administration within their first year took that money to use for their pet programs. And when they talked about cap and trade in Washington, the Waxman-Markey Bill, it wasn't cap and trade. It would have raised hundreds of billions of dollars in new federal revenue, rewarded their friends, had credits for cronies, and I think the way we have to do it now is to bypass the heavy hand of the federal government and empower the creative hand of the American inventor and innovator. And I know that we can do that. So another thing you talked about, getting energy from one place to another. That is one of the problems right now. We have enormous potential wind resources in the Great Plains, and solar resources in the southwest, but they're not near where the energy is used. And what we should have is when we have a domestic source of clean energy, a more expedited permitting process, the private sector will build those transmission lines if we let government get out of the way so they can actually get the permit and not take eight or nine years and hundreds and millions of dollars to get approval to build a transmission in the first place. So there are solutions and I think that is the point here. I am winding down with my time. But whether it's energy -- whether it's keeping us safe, and I have a lot of thoughts on that, whether it's growing our economy, yes through innovation but also by lowering our tax burden, particularly on manufacturing so we can have factories in America again. You know, my grandparents were immigrants. They were -- both were -- my grandfather's in a factory, a great path to the middle class. Our energy costs are coming down. The value of products made today is going up. We have the opportunity to make America a manufacturing powerhouse again. But instead of having the highest tax in the world, we should have the lowest tax on manufacturing in the world. Make things in America. Solve problems. Bring politicians across party lines together. And there is no reason the 21st century should not be the greatest century this country has ever seen and there is no reason you shouldn't be able to dream things I cannot even think of and see them come true during your lifetime. Thank you. Thank you No Labels. God bless you and let's keep up the fight. (APPLAUSE) END

Concert with a big crowd and fireworks. Please check out other videos in the same category [url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/10538188#1777447b][img]http://img.mypicturetown.com/cache/jaKd._Y7RZVld8LInQN.5LtGoxntFW02fLUf2VaCkDYB7P6Tqu3PcDUBWvBtCQq/item.JPG?rot=1 [/img][/url]

HD : Couple close friend singing and dancing in the outdoor concert Music festival from the back view Music festival look like fun

Dancing crowd

Concert crowd cheering at popular music concert.