Extreme Mortman

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...

You probably saw video of Republican Senator Joni Ernst recently telling an Iowa town hall: "We're all going to die." And you probably saw the ensuing Democratic outrage. But do you remember who said this? "It says that eventually we are all going to die!" "Under the Clinton health plan? You mean after Bill and Hillary put all those new bureaucrats and taxes on us; we're still all going to die?" T...

"Peace through strength" — it's a phrase heard frequently after the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. These days, "peace through strength" has become associated with President Donald Trump. But an earlier President also famously embraced the doctrine of "Peace through Strength." Happy Thanksgiving as well to Captain Pat Hannifin and all of the sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Great sh...

The U.S. Supreme Court just ended its 2024-2025 term. And along with issuing big decisions in big cases — they also had — in some oral arguments — big laughs. So, time now for our annual end-of-term Supreme Court comedy festival! Hear the top 8 laugh lines from this Supreme Court term – then find out why they were funny — then, find out how they could have been made even funnier still — Then, hear...

It's the Fourth of July! Which makes now the perfect time to remember this Republican congressman from New York: "Rep. Felix Grucci from New York's 1st district. We probably don't have many fireworks company presidents in Congress. That's how some people might know your name. Tell us about the family business." "Well, the family business is one hundred twenty-five years old and it's been a family...

Time capsules! America is full of them ... and for America 250, Congress is even creating a new one. For this year's Fourth of July holiday, C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" presents a time capsule of its own. The contents: What American presidents have said about time capsules — or even put in time capsules. Like pictures of themselves. Here's what Senate historian Don Ritchie once told C-SPAN: "I w...

William F. Buckley, Jr. The conservative icon died in February 2008 — but in 2025, he's back in the news. • In March, the U.S. Postal Service announced a new stamp with his picture • In June, a new biography, "Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America," was published • And in November, it would have been Bill Buckley's 100th birthday Over the years, members of Congress cited Bill B...

There's a big parade planned in Washington, DC for Saturday, June 14th, 2025. It's Flag Day — It's the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army — and it's President Trump's birthday — his 79th. Speaking at West Point five years ago, President Trump noted the calendar coincidence. Tomorrow America will celebrate a very important anniversary: the 245th birthday of the United States Army. Unrelated, going...