Extreme Mortman

Recently, the Washington Post ran a story headlined "8 political sex scandals that threw the nation into a frenzy." Longtime Post reporter Roxanne Roberts wrote that story. Here's one politician who made Roxanne Roberts' list: "We're all going to have to seriously question the system for selecting our national leaders that reduces the press of this nation to hunters and presidential candidates to...

This week, the annual Consumer Electronics Show is being held in Las Vegas Nevada. You might find members of Congress attending. Like Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen … "I got to do something fun a couple of weeks ago because in my home state of Nevada we host the Consumer Electronic Show and let me tell you what I saw there was just amazing. How technology is going to advance people with disabiliti...

In 2025, you watched and listened to a lot of C-SPAN. Can you name your favorite moments from the past year? Here's one person who can: Cate Martel. You know Cate Martel as a longtime reporter for The Hill and creator of The Hill's 12:30 Report newsletter. C-SPAN's podcast "Extreme Mortman" asked Cate Martel for her favorite C-SPAN moments in 2025. Here’s one which made her list: "Look, now there...

Extreme Mortman is a fast-paced podcast hosted by Howard Mortman that dives into American politics, history, and the vast C-SPAN Video Library. With a mix of commentary, archival clips, and playful challenges, Mortman brings decades of Washington moments to life. The podcast offers both insight and entertainment, drawing on C-SPAN’s unmatched archives to connect past events with today’s political...

Over the summer, C-SPAN's podcast "Extreme Mortman" did an episode all about Presidents – and summer vactions. Now - time for the sequel – Presidents – and winter vacations! Like the one Barack Obama took – which he previewed during a 2013 press conference – a few days before Christmas: "So the end of the year is always a good time to reflect and see what can you do better next year. That's how I...

Hollywood legend Robert Redford didn't just make movies. He also spoke at the National Press Club. Where he talked about his movies. Like "All the President's Men." "We had some people within the Post that were unflagging in their cooperation, like Bob Woodward. He was -- you know he may have had something to gain in it, but he was incredibly cooperative, even against the heat of his own paper. An...

December 7th, 1992 ... The East Room of the White House.... The President and White House staff gather for a Christmas Ceremony.... The mood is gloomy, sad, glum. A month earlier, President George Bush lost his reelection campaign. The president is introduced, the staff applauds — but then a surprise - and the mood changes entirely: "Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent. At this juncture. That was...

Ahhh... Thanksgiving … That uniquely American tradition of sitting around the bountiful dinner table, enjoying the company of family and friends, and remembering this 1955 Newsreel: "As Thanksgiving nears, a seasonal gift to President Eisenhower is this strutting, impressive 39-pound Tom Turkey. Handsomest bird in all Nebraska. And perhaps the other 47 states as well. All the trimmings for the Whi...

Time now for more great news for political junkies: The new edition of the Almanac of American Politics - is out! So, let's hear from Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz Right now, Caroline and Catherine are both at home getting ready to go to bed, and they have both turned on the television. They are both watching C–SPAN. Now I’m going to confess that Caroline and Catherine don’t usually watch C–SP...

After conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September 2025, President Trump spoke at a memorial service at a stadium in Arizona: In that private moment, on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was. He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I...

Over the years, Dick Cheney spoke many times at CPAC, the marquee conservative political gathering. Which means, over the years, Dick Cheney got many introductions at CPAC. Like this one in 2006 – from conservative leader David Keene … "It falls upon me this evening to once again introduce a friend who not to be too trite about it needs no introduction. Vice President Dick Cheney has appeared here...

It's Halloween! When everything is scary. Can you name a scary moment in politics? How about this one: LITTLE GIRL plucking daisy petals: One, two, three, four, five, seven, six, six, eight, nine "MISSION CONTROL": Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero SOUND EFFECTS: Huge atomic bomb blast. Pretty scary, right? That was from the 1964 presidential campaign … Lyndon Johnson...

June 8th, 1987 ... Day Eighteen of the Iran-Contra hearings … Congressman Lee Hamilton is presiding … and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North's secretary is testifying. Lee Hamilton: "Ms. Hall, I understand that you have an opening statement. Am I correct?" Fawn Hall: "Yes, sir." Lee Hamilton: "You may proceed." Fawn Hall: "My name is Fawn Hall, and I reside with my parents in Northern Virginia, where...

There was a time, decades ago, when politicians where astounded every time they went online and discovered – to their glee – they had mail. Like Harry Reid – here's the Democratic Senator from Nevada on October 27th, 1999: "Today, it's hard for me to comprehend what has taken place in the advancement of science. At home at my computer, I go home at night and see if I have received any e-mail on my...

Ten years ago this month, in October 2015, John Boehner's tenure as U.S. House Speaker came to an end … and the influence the House Freedom Caucus held over Republicans was at its height …. REPORTER QUESTION: The Freedom Caucus has caused you a lot of problems. Obviously, here in your final act, you're rolling them. Can you describe your thought process there? SPEAKER BOEHNER: I wouldn't quite des...

President Richard Nixon — and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. As war continues now in the Middle East, and as an American president is drawn into that conflict, and as Jews mark the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur —  this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" revisits what happened in 1973. "In his second term, he would order the strategic air lift that saved Israel in the Yom Kippur war. I...

It's that wonderful time of year ... time for the Major League Baseball post-season. And not just time for the playoffs and the World Series – but also time for politicians to talk about the playoffs and the World Series. In particular, Presidents and presidential candidates. Like President Donald Trump ... November 4th, 2019 ... welcoming the World Series champions Washington Nationals to the Sou...

Time now … for the losers. Time to hear from presidential candidates who ran for the White House – and lost … and the reasons they gave for losing. Like Democrat John Kerry after the 2004 election Fear and the war were shoved at America in an exploited way that made it very difficult for people to get out from under that 9-11. And when Osama bin Laden appeared on the Friday before the election in...

Can you imagine a time when Democrats and Republicans in Congress not only voted the same way — but said the same thing? It actually did happen — right after the terror attacks of 9/11 "Today, we join together not as Democrats nor Republicans, but Mr. Speaker, as proud Americans prepared to defend freedom as our forebears did before us." That was House Democratic Minority Whip David Bonior — Septe...

On August 30th, 2025, Mark Knoller, the legendary, long-time member of the White House press corps, died. In tribute, the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" is all about Mark Knoller — his decades of appearances — and mentions — on C-SPAN. Like this: TONY SNOW: "Knoller — have you had family over to the White House?" MARK KNOLLER: "A couple of years ago I brought my mom to the Christm...

Did you have a lovely summer vacation? Was it long enough? Sad it's over? You know who once had a nice, long, summer vacation? That's right — President Dwight D. Eisenhower! The president's Colorado vacation draws to a close. But the chief executive doesn't seem to mind as long as they keep fighting this a-way. He hooks a beauty — which gives him a nice fight before being hauled in by the hand of...

Think you know everything there is to know about Warren Buffett? You likely know how he got wealthy as CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.... And you probably know his support for Democratic Party politicians, like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. .. And you might also remember President Obama giving him a Medal of Freedom. But did you know this: Warren Buffett's father was ... a member of Co...

 We hear all the time from politicians talking about how to reduce the deficit and the debt. But have you ever heard a politician talk about how to spend a surplus. Believe it or not, that did happen.   It is now official and I'm proud to announce that we posted a budget surplus of $123 billion -- the largest surplus in American history. And in the last two years alone, we have paid down our natio...

The House parliamentarian.  The C-SPAN audience knows the parliamentarian from House rules and procedures and various parliamentary inquiries and interruptions… But what about the personal side of the job?  …. The unrivaled opportunity to see Congress history up close and personal – watching it all from the front, facing the chamber, and seeing all the faces…  What's that like? In the latest episo...

 The House of Representatives … October 10th, 1998, … A Republican Congressman from Florida rises and makes remarks about a bill he's introducing:   In the closing days of World War II, the U.S.S. Indianapolis had its hull pierced by three Japanese torpedoes. Twelve minutes later the cruiser went down. On board were almost 1,200 crew members and only 300 survived, the others dying of shark attacks...