Extreme Mortman

Republican Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. You likely have heard she may run for president. But did you also hear her talk about America's 250th birthday? "If you hear nothing else I say today, hear this: Jesus is our living hope. For each of us. For our state. For our country. America was founded 250 years ago as one nation under God. We have our differences, but our shared faith, value...

Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. You likely have heard he may run for president. But did you also hear him talk about America's 250th birthday?   I recall as a young State Representative looking up at this mural and seeing the likes of Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thaddeus Stevens. These are our elders and their example should guide and inspire us. Men like Franklin and Paine and...

Lots of people say lots of things in politics are broken. Here's one item on that list: Comedy. "You know, I like Leno and Letterman and the rest of them. I think they're funny. In fact, if they're looking for a writer, I'm going to be out of work in about nine days, so I hope they give me a call. But I think it would be good if politicians started to take back political humor for themselves. The...

Let's hear from Gavin Newsom ... March 5th, 2026, ... The Democratic Governor from California speaking in New Hampshire - a state he might visit a lot more if he runs for president... "Ten percent of the people own thirds of the wealth. You got a 30 -year-old, the first 30 -year-old in the history of this country in a generation that's not doing better than their parents. Bernie Sanders has been a...

The 1987 White House Correspondents Association Dinner..... The earliest Correspondents dinner seen or heard on C-SPAN.... Here's a joke - from President Ronald Reagan ... You know, of course, that we're just back from California. We introduced Howard Baker to ranch life. We put him in the saddle, and he really took to it. He told me he'd never been so excited by anything, that just sitting in tha...

Coming soon: April 20th — the counterculture holiday for celebrating cannabis consumption and advocating marijuana legalization ... So, let's hear, from 2021, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer ... "Today is what you might call a very unofficial American holiday, 4/20. It is as appropriate a time as any to take a hard look at our laws that have overcriminalized the use of marijuana and put it...

November 9th,1985 … A White House dinner for the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales ... Charles and Diana … Here's President Ronald Reagan: "In his 1941 address before a Joint Session of the United States Congress, Prime Minister Churchill remarked, 'I cannot help reflecting that if my father had been American and my mother British, instead of the other way around, I might have got here on...

President Trump's use of the U.S. military to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro reminded many observers of another U.S. military operation … It was several decades ago … Also in Latin America … Also targeting one country … And also ending up in the capture of that country's leader … At about 8:50 p.m. this evening, General Noriega turned himself in to U.S. authorities in Panama with the ful...

Let's hear from Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond.…. September 29th, 1998 …. the year that St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire captivated the sports world by hitting a then-record 70 home runs, shattering Roger Maris’ 1961 record of 61: "Mark McGwire is a man of immense physical stature, conditioning and strength. When I met him I was overwhelmed with his size and muscle. But he is a...

It's C-SPAN's 47th anniversary! Typically for a C-SPAN anniversary, you get lots of clips of big, famous, and often entertaining moments culled from thousands of hours of coverage of the U.S. House floor. But not this time… Not for "Extreme Mortman." For this year's anniversary, the C-SPAN podcast "Extreme Mortman" goes in the opposite direction – we give you something in Congress you hardly ever...

It's that time of year again … Time for the Academy Awards… So let's hear from … President Trump   "The Kennedy Center has everything. Look at the Academy Awards, it gets lousy ratings now, it's all woke. All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump. But nobody likes that. They don't watch anymore. That used to have 45 million people watching. Remember The Apprentice first season. The Appren...

On November 3rd, 2015, a freshman rose on the Senate floor to address his colleagues… He gave his maiden speech as a U.S. Senator… It was a full year since he was elected. I rise to speak from the floor for the first time. I have never been in politics before, and I intentionally waited to speak here. I want to talk today about the historic purposes and uses of the Senate, about the decades-long d...

June 13th, 1992. Jesse Jackson is hosting a conference of the National Rainbow Coalition. Reverend Jackson introduces the main speaker: "Finally, Governor Clinton is with us because he is from Hope, Arkansas. Anyone from Hope, Arkansas certainly wants to keep hope alive. I bring to you the next Democratic nominee for the president of the United States of America governor Bill Clinton from Arkansas...

Don't let the cynics and skeptics try to convince you otherwise: State of the Union addresses DO matter. Need proof? Foreign policy. Because many of the hotspots and crises and issues America faces around the world now have been talked about in State of the Union speeches going back decades.  For example, 20 years ago: "Tonight let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America respects you, a...

In December 1999, legendary Washington Post reporter Lou Cannon joined C-SPAN for a special program at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara California .. It was the thirty-ninth in a series on American presidents ... A biographer of - and authority on - Ronald Regan, Lou Cannon talked with the C-SPAN audience — and took calls — for three hours:     BRIAN LAMB: Any reaction to this whole three hours,...

Here's one thing you don't normally hear mentioned in the prayer: The Super Bowl. But one day, that did happen. "Lord, give our Senators unity to light the symphony with its variety of instruments, its many different notes which produce grand harmonies. May our lawmakers reduce these melodies on this Super Bowl Sunday." That was Senate chaplain Dr. Barry Black. With this year's Super Bowl approach...

In September 1993, Ross Perot held a press conference on Capitol Hill. He was surrounded by members from both parties. The topic: the then-secretive and mysterious discharge petition: "Well, this is a great day for our country. I am certain that the framers of the Constitution and the signers of the Declaration of Independence are looking down from heaven smiling on this reform. For 63 years, ther...

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...

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...