(00:00:00) With news from Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Stephen John attorney general. Mike Hatch has been called on to straighten out confusion over the meaning of Minnesota's ten Electoral College members a traffic slowing snowstorm prevented three electors from getting to the capital in time for a 9:00 a.m. Roll call but those members showed up soon after their Replacements were named. Now. The attorney general has been asked for advice on whether the original electors can be reseeded no matter who casts the ballots all 10 of Minnesota's electoral votes are expected to go to Al Gore. He won the state's popular vote. So it Democratic slate gets to a lot the state's votes Sun Country Airlines Pilots are picketing outside the Humphrey terminal this morning to express their frustration over the slow pace of contract talks negotiations between the pilots and Sun Country Management are on hold as both sides await the appointment of a federal mediator Pilots for the Twin Cities based Airline say their wages and benefits are far below the industry average local Air Line Pilots Association communication chair Eric Herman says, it's time son country gave its Pilots a fair deal (00:00:59) you've spent Lot of time a lot of money and effort (00:01:01) investing in implementation and acquisition new aircraft training for the aircraft parts for the aircraft new reservation Systems computer systems for the company. Now we're asking for them to invest in (00:01:11) US Herman says relations between the pilots in Sun Country Management remain amicable Sun Country Pilots have work without a contract since August falling snow and the prospect of deteriorating travel conditions have led a number of area school districts to cancel classes for the day. The national weather service has issued a winter storm warning for Southeastern Minnesota where total snowfall could reach 8 inches by tonight. The National Weather Service says winds will pick up across Southeastern Minnesota later today causing significant blowing and drifting snow and wind chill factors ranging from 20 to 40 below zero by tonight around the state now, it's zero and Morehead with Cloudy Skies three degrees with snow in the Twin Cities. That's a news update. I'm Steven (00:01:49) John programming on NPR is supported by born providing E-Business and Technology Solutions since 1990 leading business through technology on the web at born. outcome (00:02:01) six minutes past eleven (00:02:02) o'clock (00:02:13) Good morning, and welcome to midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary eichten glad you could join us 538 Americans (00:02:20) otherwise known as presidential electors are meeting at state capitals today to (00:02:24) officially elect. The next president of the United States. The outcome is no mystery barring a real shocker, Texas. Governor. George W bush will win just enough electoral votes to win the White House. (00:02:37) And in theory, that should be at (00:02:40) the election that would never end will finally be over but there are still lots of loose ends to tying a tie up wounds to heal lessons to learn. And of course there is the future to consider what happens now joining us today to share his wisdom on where we've been and perhaps more importantly where we're headed is former vice president former, Minnesota senator and former US ambassador, Japan Walter Mondale, as always we invite you to join our conversation as well. If you have a question for mr. Mondale about the election past or the administration of Give us a call here six five one two two seven six thousand 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll-free. And that number is 1-800-218-4243 or 1-800 to for to to 828. Mr. Mondale. Thanks for coming in today. (00:03:32) Thank you. Glad to be here and it's beautiful glitter day. (00:03:35) Now you were involved in a fairly close election in 1976. But goodness nothing like this. (00:03:44) No, we had no recounts. We had an edge in the electoral vote as of two o'clock election morning the and it's much different than now we had statistically even and we ended up as we all know with this. (00:04:07) Once in a (00:04:09) lifetime experience, (00:04:10) why do you suppose the election was so close, (00:04:13) you know, I don't know but there's that's a very good question because I've never seen the nation split right down the middle like it is now send it is 50/50 but I've never seen that the house is just about 50/50 the (00:04:30) popular vote (00:04:32) was fifty fifty the electoral vote if it reflected popular vote would be 50/50 and then I'm told if you look at the popular vote for the United States Senate nationally, how did it break down and for the house you end up the public actually voted 50/50 and that somewhat the same breakdown if you look at legislative vote, so that is the public saying that they're perfectly happy and keep it the way it is that they're suspicious and politicians. Therefore always check them or is there some other It's there that we better be aware of that. They want people to work together and so (00:05:12) on. Hmm. I can't let you get away without commenting on the Electoral College since today is Electoral College vote. Is that a good system to hang onto or should we should we change it in some (00:05:26) way? Well, first of all, it was a mistake when our founding on our Founders shape this country the thing they didn't want was factions or political parties. They thought that would ruin the country. They wanted to have a nation that would be thinking only about picking the next George Washington. So they set up these Board of electors and each state was supposed to select their most distinguished citizens and they would then go down to Washington make up a board of electors and they would pick the next George Washington. Well, it never worked that way immediately. We slept in Political parties to partisanship and now the Electoral Tsar members are base electors are basically elected and pledged to one candidate or another. So it's a system that never worked the week work the way it was supposed to the other thing. Should we change it while it's going to be hard to do first of all, because the smaller States like Wyoming Utah and so on maybe even Minnesota are going to say look if we just have population in the election of a president these presents going to spend all their time in New York and California in the great metropolitan population centers are going to ignore us at least under this system. They've got to come and pay some attention to us on the other and then another argue make is bad as this recount was how would you like to have a national recount with this only say that 500 votes votes apart. So there's a lot of questions here. One thing for sure is that we need electoral reform we Go through what we went through this time. We need balance election machine systems recount systems that bring us a lot closer to fully reflecting the vote and doing so in a sound way today is it's a Miss (00:07:22) where people always aware of how messed up the system is and they just chose not to pay any attention to it. Here's (00:07:30) one who wasn't aware of it. I ran for office most of my life. I never heard of the punch card ballot problem what this what this recount did is focused attention on a problem that the experts have known existed for a long time. That is that we've got old about one-third of the American people cast ballots on a punch valid system, which is old technology. Very unreliable many rejected voters old feeble and the rest have trouble dealing With it and it in some precincts over 20% of the votes are rejected. I ran into the chairman of the Hennepin County Board the other day who told me that about eight years ago their people told him that these punch card ballot system that we then had was very unreliable. And so they moved ahead and got the optical scanners very expensive very controversial, but they said it was clear here in this community that the system wasn't working. So this is a issue that is now National we got to correct it (00:08:42) looking ahead. Now George w-- Bush is the president-elect and presumably today the votes will be cast to officially make him president how daunting is the task that he faces now in terms of trying to put the government put together a government especially in such a short time frame. (00:09:03) Well, I think he's gotten off to a good start: Paula. Condoleezza Rice are good selections indeed very distinguished, but it is daunting. He doesn't have a lot of time to do it in and he's never been in national office who self himself before we've had the system in America were here elect Governors as presidents and they come to Washington and they've had no experience on National Security issues foreign policy issues managing a national economy the Federal Reserve board in the rest and they've never dealt with the Congress and usually the governor's believe that this Congress is just like their state legislatures when in fact, it's quite a different animal and they come down to Washington they become present and they have to learn all of these things very quickly because all of these institutions and our friends and our enemies around the World or testing them. It's it's a very tough and perilous time when you have a new on the job president training (00:10:16) president. Does it matter a lot if the president doesn't know this assuming he or she eventually surrounds themselves with really top-flight advisors and (00:10:27) all you have to do you have to do that and he's gotten off to a good start the no question that you need people that have been around the block. The problem is that you can't delegate a lot of things that a president must do and secondly your advisors disagree and the tougher the issue gets the more you have disagreement. The more someone has to be in there deciding and calling the direction in which the government goes and I've been through many many times as vice president sitting around the cabinet table when the poor president sitting there with all of his advisers disagreeing with each other over bitter issues. So a president the mentioned the other night, there's a reason why presence always seem to age 10 years and for years. This job is a Crusher and you can't avoid a lot of this responsibility you get help with able people but finally you got to do most of the tough lifting yourself. That's why Truman had that sign on his desk the buck stops here. Hmm. (00:11:30) Why would anybody want to be president given that reality (00:11:34) or this is a greatest country on Earth and to have a chance to lead it is about as high and honor you can you can possibly (00:11:42) imagine but what a crushing responsibility? Oh it is and (00:11:50) part of the tummy. This is that you get you get pushed hard. When you're green, everybody's tested you everybody in Congress is trying to measure you are adversaries around the world are cooking up things right now and our friends are trying to figure out a way to get to us. The governor is around the nation are planning some things and all of this. They want to get into influence the new Administration while it's setting policy. So this is going to be a challenge for the new president. We wish him. Well, he is our president. That's an important thing to say here and but it is always a tough time for a new (00:12:39) president one last question for you. Mr. Monty before get some callers here both. I mean the two high-profile appointments that present like bushes made colon Powell and Condoleezza Rice both of whom I have indicated over time that they are pretty reluctant. To send us forces hither and yon unless there is a clear demonstrable National interest at stake quite a different approach really than what we've seen in the last eight years. How is that going to change us the u.s. Position in the world? You (00:13:13) think? Well, first of all, I think they're both good choices. I know both of them and I'm impressed by them. It is true that colon Powell has frequently said that we shouldn't get involved in any kind of effort involving military American military forces unless we go in with full power and are sure to win and I think that's generally speaking a very good formula and that Condoleezza Rice and the others have said we should stay out of some of these more complex and ambiguous situations like Bosnia and Kosovo and so on. My personal belief is that these issues will not Not be as easy to handle once they're in office as they are in a campaign these paradoxes have a way of surrounding you and making things much more complicated and more difficult to answer if we had stayed out of Bosnia and Kosovo Kosovo. If we hadn't gotten involved in Europe with the Europeans to settle at one of the worst monsters in the world. Mr. Milosevic would be continuing as ethnic genocide and I don't think we could stand for that. So I think that they will be confronted with difficult ambiguous situations, which will cause them to have to adjust (00:14:36) former vice president former Minnesota. Senator. Former US ambassador. Japan Walter Mondale is our guest this hour talking about to some degree the election that we've I think now completed but looking ahead to to some of the big challenges facing the new Bush Administration. If you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call here six five. One two two seven six thousand or one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight January 1st. Oh, go ahead. And (00:15:02) may I just say one thing? He's also a little lucky here because there's no big crisis right now in the world the economies and pretty good shape. There's a surplus in the federal budget. So he doesn't he doesn't confront really crushing problem right out front. So he may have a little more time here to adjust (00:15:29) Jan your first your question for. Mr. Mondale place. Yes. I have quickly a three-part question for some very pleased to be able to speak to. Mr. Mondale. Thank you very much. First of all, I'd like to hear a little bit about specifically what does the vice president do what are his responsibilities? What does he do from day to day secondly how has that changed? It has changed over time. I'd heard that Al Gore had kind of expanded. He's a vice president and thirdly. What do you suppose we will see from Dick Cheney in this regard. (00:16:03) Good graduate school political science question there. Well, the role of the vice president has an evolved in recent years. It used to be as Nelson Rockefeller call it standby equipment or John Nance Garner call it not worth a pail of cold spit elegant. Yeah, (00:16:25) right from eovaldi Texas. (00:16:29) It's changed. The vice president is much more deeply involved in the administration Carter for the first time put his vice president in the white house. I was there I was involved in almost everything we did for four years. I saw every piece of information that the president saw I had unlimited access to him at any time and I think we set a new institutional precedent for future vice president's which have been followed since then. Role of each vice president will be different. It depends essentially on what the president wants them to do or let him or we'll we'll let the vice president do but that has changed considerably and I think people have looked more seriously at who they select is Vice President, then they once did as a result. The vice president is has very few formal legal duties. Why does he presides over the Senate and he can break ties that happens about once each year. He is a member of the National Security Council, but the biggest part of a vice president's function is what I mentioned earlier this broad range of informal tasks that are conducted by the vice president at the request of the president Cheney will bring certain strengths of the vice presidency. He was Secretary of And she did serve in the house that gives him some understanding experience on the hill in defense and Military matters. He will come at it with a lot of background both. He and Colin Powell incidentally have have that kind of background. I think he would be heavily involved in political advice to the new president who's had no federal experience. And so I would guess based on what I've seen thus far. He's going to be a fairly influential and strongly as (00:18:36) president. Now you said traditionally the vice president is called on to preside over the Senate cast at tie-breaking vote only usually once a year, but with the Senate tied 50/50 might we expect that to come up more often. It (00:18:49) could be the vice president only breaks a tie when he wants to in other words. It's not just when there's a tie vote that the vice president votes. It's only when there's a tie vote and his vote will When the result that he wants so I think well, I was vice president of the cast one. Tybalt, maybe it's to it forget it. It doesn't happen very often (00:19:16) Ty generally would defeat. Oh, (00:19:18) but there's a lot of ties that are not very important and it can be resolved in other ways. But in this Senate which is unbelievably 50 Senators on each side, it could well be that he's going to spend a lot of time in that in that presiding officers chair and may have a lot of reasons to vote. (00:19:40) Is it realistic for the Democrats in the Senate to say well gosh, we're tied here. We should have you know, you ought to be sharing power with us Republicans. Is that realistic or don't doesn't one of the parties have to be pretty much firmly in control to getting done in the (00:19:56) Senate. Well, why did the public vote for 50 of 1 and 50 of the other in other words if they wanted a majority they could have elected a majority they know all about this. They didn't do it. So you have that's why I started the program by saying the public. Is telling us something it may be that they just want us to sit down and resolve these issues across party lines and stop squabbling and what better way of forcing it than to say each side gets the same number of marbles and you start you got to play this game if that's what is wanted. I think that new (00:20:34) ways of (00:20:37) Getting compromised are needed if the Republicans say well we're going to act as the majority because we as one of them put it you have to have a majority and they said we're going to have the same advantages that we had when we had a real majority the others the majority leader will control the agenda and the senate floor the majority leader will determine who's sitting in the vice president seat when the vice president's gone. The Senate committees will have ratios that give them a jority to the Republican and I and each committee rather than equal numbers and the chairman of each committee will be a Republican and and the control over the rules on the senate floor and in the committee's will be entirely under the control as though we were the majority and the staff allocations on the Senate staff in on these committee staffs, which are a big thing will be Entirely loaded in favor of the party that just broke even I mean, there's got to be some bending here. It seems to me and I'm told that Dashiell and Trent Lott have been talking about some kind of resolution of this but I don't think you can just go whistling by this problem and pretend that you don't have a unique situation here that requires some kind of different resolution. (00:22:02) Skip here question for mr. Mondale place. Yes, sir. It seems that a lot of people are saying that the nadir vote and other votes took votes off the top which helped cause the tie and I'm wondering if the instant runoff wouldn't be the simplest change to our electoral system that would affect the fewest people and probably when somebody was allowed to vote for one and two that tie would probably go away when the The lower number of votes were added to the higher number of (00:22:35) votes when we get into the issue as I hope we will right up front here of electoral reform. I imagine that alternative methods for dispute resolution of the kind that you're suggesting will be considered. I think the priority in this study however ought to be to get uniform National balloting systems and procedures that prevent the nightmare that we've just gone through there are much better systems around usually found in upper-income parts of the country because most of these costs are local costs. So the communities that can afford them get the benefit of modern technology was scanners or with what they call touchscreen systems that work very well. There's very few rejected ballots if you make a mistake it tells you you've made a mistake. You could correct it. It is in the poorer areas not entirely but one third of America Now cast on these old unreliable system. So that's got to be the first thing we deal with I am I am not. How should I put it? I'm skeptical of change the current idea of basically majority or plurality rule because it's a system that forces Americans to go to the center the radicals on either side have a hard time controlling it influencing our country today than they would under a system where we diluted the decisiveness of a majority or plurality in America many countries have plurality systems. And I think there are less stable than we are. There's a lot of frustration among different minority points of view in America. That's what we saw with Buchanan. That's what we saw with Nader but I think the country is vast as ours despite those frustrations. Our system has worked well, and we've been able to get reform such as civil rights and the rest through this system, so I'm a little I haven't really looked at that to be honest with you, but I'm a little skeptical of it. (00:24:54) It's got one more caller on here before we break for news da LOL your question, please. Yes. My question is for mr. Mondale is what is the economy slipped into a recession would what will the new president-elect do about it? Especially because he's a republican. I'm not a Democrat. (00:25:17) Well, this would be a problem that could be really tough for him and for all of us and for the Congress because instead of having all this good news, we've lived with and recent years of being able to consider tax cuts fun things that need funding rather easily pay off the debt and all these good options. The president would have all those options in the reverse. Deficits disappearing revenues recession related expenses like unemployment and so on Lost revenues from that causing new pressure. There's a lot of budgetary implications to a recession. That could be very tough for everyone (00:26:14) and would present elect Bush be held responsible. Do you suppose let's say we get into oh, I don't know March February March April and things really have gotten kind of nasty little people automatically blame him because he happens to be the president at that time (00:26:30) though. They'll be a big debate about who did this what I found in my years in the white house, which I think every present is found. I was the vice president by I saw what was happening is that presidents usually get most of the credit for good news. And all of the credit for bad news despite their efforts to argue differently (00:26:55) Walter Mondale is our guest this our former vice president former Minnesota. Senator. Former US ambassador to Japan joining us this hour to share his thoughts on the election that is now coming to an end and what challenges faced the Bush Administration we'd like to give us join our conversation. Give us a call six five. One two, two seven six thousand or 1-800 to for 22828. We'll get to more of your calls here in just a couple of minutes. (00:27:22) Hello. I'm Bill cling president, Minnesota Public Radio your response during our recent membership. Drive was very strong. And the result is that we're on track thus far to have a balanced budget for the year. Some of you who called made it clear that you could do more and that you'd like to know more about long-term support of Minnesota Public Radio. This is a good time of year to consider Gifts of appreciated stock taking a deduction for a stock gift to NPR can be a very effective strategy. You can join the Builders of MPR who have made the major gifts that have helped us grow to the level of service that we now provide and make sure that that service continues to grow and improve in the future if you're interested in restricting a major gift for a special project. We'd be happy to visit about that. And if you'd like more information about making a stock gift particularly before the end of the tax year, please call Katie at 651290 1216 or visit our website at Minnesota Public Radio dot-org again. Thanks for partnering with us to make great radio (00:28:21) and just to reiterate as you consider your in tax planning. We hope you think about a contribution to Minnesota Public Radio call 1-800 to to 7 2011 for more information news headlines now here Stephen John Stephen. Thank you Gary the state that found itself at the center of the presidential election fight Florida has officially cast it's 25 electoral votes for George w-- Bush today cooperation is the theme being sounded today on Capitol Hill where President elect bush has met with Democratic and Republican. Look at leaders of the House and Senate house Democratic leader, Dick Gephardt promised to meet the Republicans at least halfway. The president-elect is still standing firm on his plans for a 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut. He met this morning with fed chairman Alan Greenspan who's voiced concerned about the size of that cut but Bush won't give any details about what Greenspan may have said on that subject today stock prices are mostly higher on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 200 points Blue Chip stocks are higher on optimism that interest rates could soon be lowered in Regional news a Canadian Pacific Railway train carrying molten sulfur derailed this morning in Plymouth a railway. Spokesperson says 27 cars of the 102 car freight train are on their sides following the derailment around seven this morning. The railroad says some of the sulfur is leaking but doesn't pose a threat because of the cold weather no evacuation was required and the two-person crew was not injured the cause of the derailment hasn't been determined authorities say it could be days. Days before a storm sewer in Rochester is completely cleaned after a gasoline leak near the Assisi Heights Convent in Rochester nearly 800 gallons of gasoline spilled into the nearby storm sewer yesterday after a Convent employee noticed a gas pump was on a second winter storm in three days has slowed traffic to a crawl and has disrupted school schedules across southern Minnesota. The national weather service has issued a winter storm warning for Southeastern Minnesota where total snow falls could reach 8 inches by tonight much of the area has already gotten three to five inches of snow and snow could accumulate at a rate of half an inch per hour snow and three degrees in the Twin Cities. That's a news update Gary from Minnesota Public Radio. All right. Thank you Stephen 25 minutes before noon. This is midday on Minnesota Public Radio in our guest this our former vice president former, Minnesota senator and former US ambassador. Japan Walter Mondale joining us this hour to talk about some of the challenges facing the incoming Bush Administration today. The electors are casting their Let's and again as we noted the beginning of the program barring some complete Shock by the end of the day. Mr. Bush will have accumulated enough electoral votes to be the next president of the United States. I'm wondering mr. Mondale in terms of we've heard a lot about well now he's coming in. He's made such a point about trying to work with Democrats bipartisanship on the rest. Is that actually going to play out? Do you suppose or as soon as the rubber hits the road here while talk of sweetness and light will go out the window and kind of back to (00:31:26) well, you know, I don't I haven't been running for office myself for some time, but I'm told by friends of mine who are that they get a lot of citizens who tell them that they expect the two parties to work together in a more mature productive way and that that is a not an insignificant factor in American politics today. If that's true, and it may well be the American people are going to be looking at both parties to see whether they try to reach toward the middle and get these things done. And I think the first party that is appears to have stepped across the line. May be in for a surprise having said so I think there would be the both parties be well advised to try that that approach the president-elect has repeatedly said in the campaign that he wants to reach across boundaries and if he will do that, I think it'll help him and he'll find support but this is more than saying a load of people and meeting with people he's doing the right thing today. He's meeting with President Clinton and vice president Gore he met with Greenspan yesterday. He's met with the Congressional leadership's will read leadership will do that again that is all important and crucial on and and I applaud him for that but there's another element to this that we don't know yet and that is will his policies. Be shaped to bring people together if the answer to that is yes, then I think he keep this thing can work but it's there where we do not know yet. He's he's been calling the last couple days for this one point three trillion dollar tax cut that's going to trigger a lot of resistance. That's not just partisan but concern affect by people, but what happens to the economy with a deal like this and what happens to the ability of the government to support things like education Social Security and so on so, I think he's going to find that he has to take a look at his policies to see that they fit what you might call the middle in American life and in the Congress (00:33:39) now, if if you're a republican though, especially Conservative Republican and you're looking at this for the first time since 1952, you actually control the White House the Senate the House of Representatives, isn't this the time as a responsible? Republican to finally push through all the things you've been talking about Lo these many years. Why should you bend over backward to try to keep the Democrats happy? Well, (00:34:05) first of all, you didn't get a majority for present. You lost that. Secondly, you didn't get a controlled the Senate you lost ground in the Senate you only have half of it and finally the American people voted right down the line. Neither party goes out of here the sure he got they got the White House back but under the circumstances with which we're all familiar. This is the time when neither side should say it's ours I get to have my way built into the American system in the Congressional system. All along has been this unique power that rests in the Senate and with each Senator to slow down and debate issues and force consensus or compromised. That's true under any government, but with a 50-50 Senate it's doubly true and I think that the spirit of What President Bush was saying as he campaigned for president that he wants to reach across the line if he will couple moderation in policy with that approach? I think he could get some response. But if they say no we got to have our way in all these pent-up issues. We got to have right-wing judges. We're going to roll back women's choice we're going to do a lot of these things that they've talked about. I think I think that we'll have a fight pretty soon (00:35:27) John your question, please yes. Mr. Mondale. It's a great pleasure to be able to talk to you in to hear your views. Thank you. My questions have to do with the current system of campaign financing, right? As you know, many people Senator McCain, perhaps most prominently are concerned that the current system elevates special interests above the general interest and I was interested in your thoughts on this specifically. Do you think that we do have a serious problem in the country? Be and if so should something be done about it can something be done about it. And also I'd like to know how things have changed since your campaigns. (00:36:03) I thank you for that question. I was going to bring that up earlier in the discussion because I feel so deeply about it. I think the role of big money in American politics is beyond a scandal. It's just sinking the system but it's something like two billion dollars. I don't know what the figures are this year, but it's turned American public office holders into full-time fundraisers and part-time office holders every day we visited was with the spectacle of huge amounts of money uncontrolled amounts of money from special interest pouring into both political parties, and we got to stop it. And that's what Senator McCain has tried to do and I admire his leadership so much on this and he can he's already said that he intends to raise this issue if present. Bush wanted to really gain the respect of a broad cross-section of Americans including those who didn't vote for him. I can't think of any better he could do than to call up his old friend John McCain with an ask to join with him provide presidential leadership to end the expenditure of soft money in the American campaigns because that's at the heart of this problem and he would get a lot of support within his own party and within the Democratic party as well and the credit would go to Senator John McCain of Arizona (00:37:36) Larry your question, please Yes, thank you very much for taking my call. It's nice to hear from. I don't know what to call you now come on down. Thank you many years in public service. I'm sure Humphrey is very proud of you and how you've grown to be a Statesman over the years having spent more than 14 years in Asia. And in China and Taiwan. I have a slightly different perspective than a lot of people but one of the major things that people in Asia have have said and people who live outside the United States have said is that we have a problem with our long-term foreign policy. Mostly because at the most every eight years we're changing presidents in that has a tendency to throw our foreign policy and our strategies kind of into the wind back and forth. Do you see any way of anytime type of improved long-term foreign policy between the parties or possibly in a try partisan way of having even Independence be part of some sort of policy long-term foreign policy. Okay that we might be able to implement. (00:39:11) I think I know what you're talking about. I was just in Asia about five weeks ago and my friends in Japan and some of them in China commented that they didn't hear foreign policy and certainly Asia or their countries mentioned much in the National debates are in the campaigns and they of course they see themselves as being important players in the world. We I think it's there are certain things that help provide the continuity that you're talking about. There's a broad and underappreciated group of career officials in the state department in the defense department. And then other Treasury Department. So on who are specialists in these various areas that you're talking about who tend to continue on through administration's and then there's a group of Republicans who over the years have specialized in Asia just as there is a similar murder similar group of Democrats and they tend to talk to each other. So we'll have Armitage for example will be probably in the administration. He's we all know him. Well, he knows Japan. Well, they know him there are other names that are being suggested for prominent roles in the Asian part of the department in the state department in the National Security Council over in defense and so on. So, I think I think that these countries will And people very quickly that they know and understand and that's one of the reasons that the policy over there has been one of continuity each Administration changes a little bit. But American policy toward Japan for example has been remarkably the same over all of these (00:41:15) years. Hmm. Do you see any (00:41:19) real sweeping changes in terms of our role in the world as a result of globalization and the rest there's a CIA reporters intelligence report issued. I guess it was yesterday or today indicating that 15 years down the road. They see some pretty substantial changes in how the world will be put together and or are we going to remain over the next? 10 15 20 years kind of extending the policies that we pursued in the last 10 15 20 years. (00:41:51) How do you work up questions like (00:41:53) that? (00:41:56) Let me see. (00:41:58) It's a strange mind here. (00:41:59) Yeah, there's no question that there will be changes. One of the things that people are talking about is the growing severe risk of terrorism the just what we saw the other day and Yemen when they blew the bottom out of a Navy ship in the harbor the possibilities of serious massive human loss from the effects of what will be just a few terrorists their ability to have transport weapons disguised of mass destruction as increasing chemical biological kinds. Terrorist attacks this this this is growing all the time. And this may change somewhat the challenges. I think this thing we talked about earlier the role of Western power in these more ambiguous internal struggles. Like we saw in Bosnia and Kosovo, even though we like to stay out of those things. We should try to stay out of as much of can't I think they'll be more challenges of that kind because the long-term implications of that are dangerous we've got where is China going to go? This is a big question. Where will Russia go under? Mr. Putin? That's another there's a lot of big questions around here that will be challenges that the other thing I'd like to say is that that while we have a new president basically, he's populating this Administration clearly with old hands that were experienced by virtue of his father's Administration. Illustration that's what colon Powell Condoleezza Rice Cheney card all these people that we're seeing now are we've seen before and so there the a lot of the the doctor questions about where we're going to go are almost answered by virtue of that (00:44:04) bill your question, please yes, good morning. My question is the foreign policy question. Also you being in Japan. I've wondered in the last few years. If do we really need to have our troops stationed on foreign soil. It almost seems heavy-handed 50 60 years after the war couldn't we? I don't want to be nice. Latian. That's about it. But it sure seems like we could support them from our side of the ocean. I was curious what your thoughts (00:44:36) are. Well, that's a good question. That gives me a chance to say that I think we do need them there. The Japanese pay more what's called host nation support for our forces there than any other country in the world. It would be more expensive to have our forces in the United States. Then where they are now. Secondly, the vast distances involved in deployment of American forces is such that unless you have them over there as we now do in Korea and Japan and Guam and so on they're really out of position right now. There's you know, there are still risks and Korea there's risks are those shipping lanes there that region has been historically unstable. I think the United States has a tremendous stake in the the economic Dimensions there in the stability dimensions of the region. I think that the US Japan Alliance has contributed a lot to us as well as to Japan and stability in the region. That's not the reason for today's discussion. But I I feel very strongly that that that Alliance is in our interest in should be continued. Now, these may be be changed the numbers that location all those things can be changed. But I think the fundamental Alliance is in our interest even though as you say it's been a half a century since that (00:46:07) war Stephanie your question before we wrap up here. Oh, thank you very much. It's an honor to speak with you vice president Mondale very much. In fact when I turned 18 you and Geraldine Ferraro was the first ticket as a ticket. I got to vote for so it sounds like a very smart question is about this talk of unity and such Unity actually within the Democratic party. There was an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday the Democrats many seem skeptical of course future talking about basically how he could have done more and why did he do this and get Clinton's help more? Federer Etc. It seemed the interviewed quite a few Democratic Congress people, and it seems like there's a lot of disagreement about where the party is going to go in the future and one thought I had was well can't we just talk about election reform and the disenfranchisement of Voters and how the Supreme Court voted and look like current energy. Is this direction instead of infighting amongst the party and I was just curious if you've caught wind of some of that. (00:47:14) Yes. I have. (00:47:15) I don't know whether it's more than the (00:47:18) expected chatter following an election, but speaking for as a Democrat. I think we have to be careful about it because it's clear that we need to be united. We need to move on to the next challenges and these internal (00:47:38) fights if one would develop are always at Great expense. You know, I was around when Humphrey Was Defeated for president in a very close election because of internal fights. (00:47:52) I remember in 1980 when Carter and I were defeated and part of it was a lot of Doubt among Democrats about us maybe well-placed. I don't know but there's no question that Democrats are gifted at finding ways of fighting with each other. We Will Rogers once said, I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat it's Charming but also very expensive to us. (00:48:25) You think the Supreme Court has been in some way a reprobate be harmed at least in the view of Democrats. I guess based on their (00:48:35) decision. You know, this is very hard for me to talk about I believe in the importance of the Supreme Court. I accept their decision. They are our final Resort. That's we have to if we didn't have that how would resolve some of these most fundamental Nation threatening disputes that come up every once in a while. So I don't want to be heard as as not trying to understand this but having said that I don't like it it and it's hard for me to talk about it because I am a Democrat I was for Gore but but what Justice Stevens afford appointee said I think is has some Merit and I think for a while to court and because of that all of us will be struggling with this we have to accept the decision and I do And that is that it it made the court appear to be making a political decision. They say they didn't I will accept that but there's a lot of Americans that are feel that way and that is not a very good thing to happen (00:49:56) very briefly, sir. Do you think mr. Bush is going to be successful in his effort to he says he wants to change the tone in Washington get away from all the (00:50:03) nastiness. If you will change the tone and find policies that permit that changed of tone to occur. He could be successful and we'll all be better off if he (00:50:15) is so it depends on the policy, I think so. Thank you sir. Appreciate your coming in today former vice president former Minnesota. Senator former ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale joining us this first hour of our midday program to talk about the election passed in the administration future. Thanks to all of you who've been with us this hour, especially those of you who called. Or tried to call in with your questions and comments just a reminder over the noon hour. It's off to the National Press Club. We're going to hear today from the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Bill Ivey. That's at noon right now. It's five minutes before (00:50:58) and here is the writers almanac for Monday. It's the 18th of December 2000. It was on this day in 1972 a string of American B-52 bombers 70 miles long Flew Over the North Vietnam capital of Hanoi and drop their payloads on the city was called operation line back to as a bombing campaign that went on for 11 days. It's the birthday of Harold varmus born in Oceanside New York 1939 who along with Jay Michael Bishop discovered the Sir, causing genes called oncogenes. It had previously been thought that cancerous cells grew because of an invasion from outside the cell but oncogenes are normal genes that control growth in every living cell and turn cancerous only under certain conditions. It was on the stand 1917 Congress approved the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which was the first official step toward a nationwide prohibition of the sale of intoxicating Liquors. It's the birthday of Fletcher Henderson born and Cuthbert, Georgia 1897 went to Atlanta University moved to New York City to become a chemist but was hired to play piano on a river boat on the Hudson River and a few years later in 1924. He formed the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, and it was through his Innovative Arrangements that he shaped a new sound for big band jazz Arrangements that left room for it. Those solos between arranged passages and which emphasized the horns. It's the birthday of Ty Cobb born Tyrus Raymond Cobb in Narrows, Georgia 1886. He played for the Detroit Tigers. And by the time he retired from baseball in 1928. He had the highest lifetime batting average of any player 367. It's the birthday of painter Paul clay born near Bern Switzerland 1879 when off to Munich became part of the expressionist movement known as der blaue reiter the blue Rider group, he made drawings that he described as taking a line for a walk known for their blocks of color behind spare figures and spidery lines and his use of a great wide range of materials. And it was on this day in 1860 John Crittenden Senator, John Crittenden from Kentucky a slave state proposed a measure that he hoped would forestall the Civil War the Crittenden Compromise. It proposed that slavery should be protected south of a certain line through the state of Missouri and that the Congress should not abolish slavery south of that line and that the federal government would compensate the owners of fugitive slaves in March of 1861. The Crittenden Compromise was narrowly defeated in the Senate Crittenden died during the Civil War. His sons were major generals one for the union the other for the Confederacy. Here's a poem for today by William Blake from the Everlasting gospel. The vision of Christ that thou Dost see is my Visions greatest. Enemy thine has a great hook nose like thine mine has a snub nose like to mine thine is the friend of all mankind mine speaks in Parables to the blind thine loves the same world that mine hates. Thy heaven doors are my hell Gates Socrates taught what Meletis loathed as the nation's bitterest curse and caphis was in his own mind a benefactor to mankind both read the Bible day and night but thou readest black were I read White. A poem by William Blake from the Everlasting gospel, that's the writers Almanac brought to you by the people at 21 North Main.com where Book Lovers find 13 million gently read Classics bestsellers and rare masterpieces on the web at 21 North Main.com be well do good work and keep in (00:55:39) touch Regional broadcast of the writers. Almanac are supported by market Banks your community bank offering a broad range of financial services for your business and personal needs.