Extreme Mortman

It's time for the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton. But this year: No comedian. Which means: No jokes about C-SPAN … or about the Washington Hilton. In the past, at every dinner, there seemed to be at least one joke made about one or the other ... or sometimes both in the same joke — Like Conan O'Brien pulled off in 2013... Congratulations to C-SPAN for...

The White House Correspondents Association dinner is just a week away. The big annual media black tie shindig in the basement of the Washington Hilton typically has several surprises. Like this film shown during 2000 dinner. "I want to thank the Academy for this tremendous honor. This may be the greatest moment of my life. I mean, hear since i was a little boy I wanted to be a real actor" That was...

Thirty years ago, C-SPAN showed the Senate Whitewater Committee hearings. The Special Committee to Investigate Whitewater Development Corporation and Related Matters was created in May 1995. Hearings ran for 300 hours over 60 sessions across 13 months. Did anything concrete come out of those hearings seen on C-SPAN? Well – at least one thing. A hit murder mystery now streaming on Netflix called "T...

If you're listening closely to the language currently being used by leaders of the United States and Canada about each other -- what a Republican president once said about the two countries might seem unfamiliar. The American people know that putting up walls around our country is a prescription for ruin, not renewal. What the world and the United States need now is more trade and more open trade....

October 31st, 2019. The U.S. House debates and passes a resolution laying out the rules in the first impeachment inquiry of President Trump. House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer addresses the House that day — but there's something else on his mind as well: Today is a serious day. Last night was an extraordinary night. I rise for the millions of people who live in the Washington metropolitan area to...

On the third day of his second administration, President Trump signed six executive orders. One was: Declassifying files pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.  The inclusion of JFK was of particular interest to the C-SPAN podcast "The Weekly." Three years ago -- in March 2022 — we did an episode marking...

Next week is C-SPAN's 46th anniversary…. On March 19th, 1979, House TV began – for the first time Americans could watch live gavel to gavel coverage of the U.S. House floor on their television. … It was Day One of privately funded C-SPAN. To mark this anniversary on this podcast, we're trying something new. We asked three of America's greatest political podcasters to pick their favorite moment fro...

When presidents come into office, traditionally their first big speech to Congress is about the budget. Like President Trump this past week. Instead of a State of the Union address, new presidents share their economic agenda and vision for the coming four years. And almost always in that big budget speech, they anguish over the escalating national debt. Like President Ronald Reagan in 1981… Our na...

If someone were to ask you: name your favorite moment in Congress involving a character from Saturday Night Live -- how would you respond?   There’s a good chance you would say it was this: Chris Farley – as Speaker Newt Gingrich – with Speaker Newt Gingrich –– August 4th, 1995 … It was the 100th day of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. And Chris Farley – dressed up as N...

"Saturday Night Live" – The comedy show has been on TV for half a century. And it seems like Congress has been talking about it for nearly that long.  Like Democratic Senator Al Gore in 1990: "I saw a television show recently called Saturday Night Live, Mr. President. They have the habit of putting on humorous pretend commercials that look like real commercials."  And Republican Congressman David...

Americans are celebrating Valentine's Day. So, let's remember – the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Here's President Bill Clinton, speaking on February 15th, 1994 – the day after Valentine’s Day, to the law enforcement community in London Ohio … In the last three decades, violent crimes have increased by 300 percent. Over the last three years, almost a third of Americans have either had themselves o...

You might have seen or heard a new promo spot from C-SPAN – Presidents talking democracy … from Jimmy Carter through Donald Trump ….   Carter: "Democracy is always an unfinished creation" Reagan: "Democracy is worth dying for" Bush: "Democracy belongs to us all" Clinton: "We are here in the sanctuary of democracy" Bush: "Great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies" Obama: "Amer...

Two presidents. Two eulogies. For each other.   Political opponents who became friends. Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.   Here's Jimmy Carter's eulogy for Gerald Ford in 2007.   For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." Those were the first words I spoke as president. And I still hate to admit that they received more applause than any other...

During the first two weeks of March 1989, the U.S. Senate debated President George Bush's nominee for Defense Secretary, John Tower.   Among the Senators who spoke about former Senator Tower – one of his former colleagues -- Alaska Republican Ted Stevens …    "my mind went back again to some Senators I have known here in the Senate who have been impaired. I saved one Senator one day who almost fel...

Getting ready for January 20th – and the presidential inauguration? Then you might also be getting ready for fun facts about the swearing-in ceremony. Like in 2009 – when swearing-in President Barack Obama – Chief Justice John Roberts got the oath wrong. What did he get wrong? And -- what are some other inauguration fun facts? Like: • Which Chief Justice has administered the most oaths of office?...

We're just days away from President Joe Biden leaving the White House. Which makes this a good time to remember other departing presidents – and their farewell addresses. Like Richard Nixon speaking to staff, August 9, 1974, the day he resigned the presidency. You are here to say goodbye to us, and we don't have a good word for it in English -- the best is au revoir. We'll see you again. President...

On Monday, January 6, 2025, Congress once again will meet in a Joint Session to certify the electoral votes in the presidential election. As President of the Senate and presiding over that ceremony, Kamala Harris will find herself a unique and rare position –a sitting vice president who ran for the presidency and then had announce his or her own electoral defeat. Learn more about your ad choices....

Ever wonder how C-SPAN’s The Weekly comes together? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, we pull back the curtain to explore the making of our podcast. From brainstorming story ideas to interviewing top political insiders, discover what it takes to deliver timely and insightful episodes week after week. Join host Howard Mortman and producer Shannon Rice as they share funny anecdotes, memorab...

The Washington Post recently published a 10-page special section called, "A half-century of George F. Will: The Iron Man of America's op-ed pages."… George Will’s first syndicated column for the Washington Post was January 4, 1974….   Inspired by the Washington Post marking five decades of reading George Will …. the C-SPAN podcast “The Weekly” is marking mark four decades of hearing about George W...

January 6, 2006. On the C-SPAN morning call-in program, the topic is lobbying and money and politics.   The guest is from the American League of Lobbyists… Here’s one of the calls. Good morning, so, you are either stupid or naive, or whatever. If you are a low-level aid, you know good and well that if I were to call my congressman, who is Frank Wolf, I'm not going to get an audience with him unles...

The 119th Congress will have 12 new Senators. And if you heard election night victory speeches on C-SPAN, you might have learned something new about many of them.  DLike the new Democratic Senator from New Jersey, the first Korean American in the Senate -- Andy Kim: "As I prepare to take on this job, a job that only 2,000 Americans in this history of this country has ever had the honor to do." And...

Why would President Bush talk about broccoli at a prayer breakfast? Where are other places he told his audience how much he disliked broccoli? And what did First Lady Barbara Bush think about her husband’s broccoli hatred – and what stunt did she pull to retaliate? Find out in C-SPAN’s “The Weekly” annual Thanksgiving food episode. Because it’s our first-ever podcast about a side dish. Find C-SPAN...

President-elect Trump wants former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz to head the Justice Department. If Matt Gaetz does become Attorney General – the 87th Attorney General in U.S. history -- he’d likely appear before the House Judiciary Committee for oversight hearings. What would that sound like? It might go something like this….   GAETZ: And meanwhile, the judge is making money on it. The judge...

The peaceful transfer of power. It’s something outgoing presidents traditionally talk about when turning over the White House to an incoming president … Like Bill Clinton in 2001 – his final radio address: “The peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next, from one party to another, may confound others around the globe. But it reflects the underlying strength of our Constitution...

Is it possible to use one word to remember or describe the 2024 presidential campaign? If so, that one word might start with the letter S. This year on the campaign trail, the S word seemed to be everywhere. What were candidates talking about that required foul language? How did the crowds react to all the cussing and cursing? And did the candidates express any regrets about using vulgarity and pr...