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Obama Awards Medal of Freedom; Obama Speaks from the White House

Aired November 20, 2013 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm Jake Tapper in for Ashleigh Banfield. It's Wednesday, November 20th, and right now you're looking at live pictures from the East Room of the White House.

That's former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Her husband, Bill, will be a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, any minute now.

History is being made at the White House. Sixteen people, including President Clinton, are being honored in hour with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It's the highest civilian commendation a person can receive.

This also happens to be the 50th anniversary of this award, which was started by President John F. Kennedy.

According to the White House web site, the medal of freedom is given for especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or other significant public or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

We'll take you live to the White House as soon as the ceremony begins.

Who are this year's honorees? Well, let's show you.

Ernie Banks, "Mr. Cub," he is a legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop

Ben Bradlee of "The Washington Post";

Former President Bill Clinton;

Former Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, that will be given posthumously, obviously;

Daniel Kahneman, noted psychologist;

Richard Lugar, former Indiana Republican senator, world expert on nuclear and chemical weapon disarmament;

Country singer Loretta Lynn;

Mario Molina, a Mexican-American chemist, awarded the Nobel Prize;

Former astronaut Sally Ride, the first woman in space, that will also be given posthumously;

Bayard Rustin, an American civil and gay rights pioneer;

Arturo Sandoval, a Cuban jazz trumpeter;

Dean Smith, the legendary UNC head basketball coach;

Gloria Steinem, the famous feminist;

C.T. Vivian, a colleague and friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., and administer and founder of the National Anti-Klan Network;

Patricia Wald, the famous judge;

And, of course, the woman who only needs one name to identify her, Oprah Winfrey.

And there's a second awards ceremony this morning. It's about to take place on Capitol Hill.

The Congressional Gold Medal is being given to the representatives of Native-American tribes whose language served as basis for an unbreakable military code during both world wars. You have no doubt heard of the "Code-Talkers."

Many people will be watching the body language between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, back at the White House.

Relations between the two men have been notably testy in the past, conciliatory at other times, especially since Bill Clinton recently went off script a little and said that President Obama should honor the promise he made to individuals on ObamaCare, if you like your plan, you can keep your plan.

President Obama in the past has gotten his own jabs in on the former president. In a new book, he's quoted as telling an aide that he can only take Bill Clinton in doses.

Let's bring in our panel, Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator, Donna Brazile, columnist Eleanor Clift of The Daily Beast, and CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger.

Gloria, I'll start with you. The -- a lot of people are going to be watching the Bill Clinton-Barack Obama body language, but they're very adept politicians. I'm sure it will look very warm on stage between them.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I think it will. Look, I think it was really warm until this book came out in which the president said, I like him in doses and couldn't finish a round of golf with him.

But don't forget what Bill Clinton did for President Obama during this re-election. Some would argue that the speech that Bill Clinton gave at that convention was one of the most important speeches of the campaign. And that, you know, when the president won re-election, one of the first people he got on the telephone was none other than Bill Clinton to thank him.

TAPPER: Eleanor, also President Obama will be honoring Loretta Lynn at today's ceremony.

What is the significance of Loretta Lynn, country music singer?

ELEANOR CLIFT, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE DAILY BEAST: I think she is of one of the first country music singers who really crossed out -- crossed over, and everybody knew her, "Coal Miner's Daughter," husband Mooney.

She grew up in a "holler." She married at 14. She's got a heart that's bigger than she is.

And she's -- one of the first stories that I wrote for "Newsweek" back in the '70s was about Loretta Lynn. I traveled with her and her bus.

And she's just a warm, wonderful human being. And I think her music and her life and how she lived it is what's being honored.

TAPPER: That must have been an incredible experience. I'm jealous.

CLIFT: Especially for somebody from Brooklyn, you know? It's a whole other world.

TAPPER: And, Donna, these awards are going not just to famous people like Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynn, but people who are notable for contributions for society like C.T. Vivian.

Who is C.T. Vivian?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: C.T. Vivian was an adviser to Martin Luther King. He was the leader of the anti-Klan movement, organizing people throughout the South to understand the dangers of the Ku Klux Klan. He's a powerful minister.

But President Obama is also honoring Bayard Rustin, who passed away years ago. Bayard Rustin was an advisor to A. Philip Randolph, one of the first African-Americans to suggest a march on Washington.

Later, he advised Martin Luther King, Jr., and was the organizer of the 50th anniversary -- the organizer of the first March on Washington in 1963. This year we celebrated the 50th anniversary.

There are so many luminaries that President Obama is also acknowledging, Dean Smith, a basketball coach, University of North Carolina, but he was also a civil rights activist and a big advocate; and, of course, Oprah Winfrey and Gloria Steinem.

There are so many remarkable Americans that he is passing this torch that John F. Kennedy illuminated for all people so that we can have this moment in America today. TAPPER: And Gloria, Oprah Winfrey, obviously a hugely successful business woman, but this is a woman whose endorsement of President Obama in 2008 -- or 2007, I forget exactly, but during that campaign -- was very significant.

BORGER: It was very significant, and, by the way, very controversial for her. You know, here she was, America's talk show host, and for the first time, she kind of took sides in a political race.

TAPPER: Against a woman. Against Hillary Clinton.

BORGER: Against Hillary Clinton. And that was huge for her, because nobody knew how her audience was going to react, but she did it because she felt it was important.

Let me also raise one other person here, Ben Bradlee. Those of us who are journalists and grew up looking at what Woodward and Bernstein did, you know, in the Watergate years, and saw the movie and read the book, Ben Bradlee is sort of the penultimate newspaper editor.

I'm an old newspaper girl, so I grew up and I looked at Ben Bradlee, and I thought, God, that guy had the courage of his convictions. He trusted his reporters.

He -- it was a controversial time. And it was something -- for those of us who went into journalism, looked at that, and said, you know what? Boy, he's the editor we would all aspire to either be or to work for.

TAPPER: And, Eleanor, the -- is President Obama coming in? No. I'm sorry. Getting mixed messages in my ear.

Eleanor, Senator Dick Lugar, Republican senator of Indiana, who lost re-election during the primary, he and President Obama have worked closely together in the past.

CLIFT: That's right. I think President Obama -- Senator Obama regarded Senator Lugar as his mentor in the brief time that he spent in the Senate, and Lugar's known for working across the aisle, very noted in foreign policy.

He's -- the Nunn-Lugar, which is basically going after the loose nuclear material in what used to be the old Soviet Union.

TAPPER: Right.

CLIFT: So, he had an illustrious career, and he lost in a very bitter fight. He lost to the tea party. And he seems in a way out of place with all these sort of celebrity types.

But I think that's what is so beautiful about this occasion. There are some people that are not household names who really deserve recognition.

TAPPER: But let's go back to one of those household names, Donna, which is former President Bill Clinton. President Obama, there was a lot of tension between the two men during that 2007-2008 presidential primary.

And in the last four years, four or five years, there has been -- there have been episodes of tension, episodes of tremendous cooperation.

How do you view the Obama-Bill Clinton relationship?

BRAZILE: I think that President Obama respects President Bill Clinton. He respects his contribution to American life and globally with the Clinton Global Initiative.

Look, they talk off the record all the time. Bill Clinton is known as the "Secretary of Explaining Stuff," the person that often the president turns to to explain difficult issues.

But I think they have a very respectful relationship, and people shouldn't underestimate that here in the district.

BORGER: They're just two hugely different kinds of politicians. Bill Clinton loves the joy of politics and getting out there and talking to every last person he can.

And President Obama is a very different kind of politician. He's a cooler politician.

TAPPER: More cerebral.

BORGER: Much more cerebral.

So you can understand why they've had their differences because they operated so differently as president.

TAPPER: I've got to -- we're going to take a very quick break, but when we come back, more discussion and analysis of the Clinton-Obama relationship.

We're awaiting the start of the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House. Here comes a quick break, and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to CNN's live coverage from East Room of the White House.

You see individuals walking in to be presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Already there are many luminaries there, including --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen --

TAPPER: Steven Spielberg. Of course, Gayle King is there. Oprah Winfrey will be --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Ernie Banks --

TAPPER: Ernie Banks. Now they're being welcomed officially. Ernie Banks --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Ben Bradlee -

TAPPER: Ben Bradlee, the legendary "Washington Post" editor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Honorable Bill Clinton --

Mrs. Irene Inouye, accepting on behalf of her husband, the Honorable Daniel Inouye -

Dr. Daniel Kahneman --

The Honorable Richard Lugar --

Mrs. Loretta Lynn --

Dr. Mario Molina -

Miss. Pam O'Shaughnessy accepting on behalf of her life partner, Dr. Sally K. Ride --

Mr. Walter Naegle, accepting on behalf of his partner Bayard Rustin --

Mr. Arturo Sandoval -

Mrs. Linea Smith, accepting on behalf of her husband, Dean Smith --

Miss Gloria Steinem -

Reverend C.T. Vivian --

The honorable Patricia Wald --

Miss Oprah Winfrey --

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States and Mrs. Michelle Obama.

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning. Good morning, everybody. Everybody, please have a seat. Have a seat.

Well, on behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House. This is one of my favorite events every year, especially special this year as I look at this extraordinary group of individuals and our opportunity and our opportunity to honor them with our nation's highest civilian honor, the presidential -

(EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM TEST)

OBAMA: That's Mr. Cup. A man who came up through the Negro Leagues making $7 a day and became the first black player to suit up for the Cubs and one of the greatest hitters of all-time. And in the process, Ernie became known as much for his 512 home runs as for her cheer and optimism and his eternal faith that some day the Cubs would go all the way.

(LAUGHTER)

And that's -- that's serious belief.

(LAUGHTER)

That is something that even a White Sox fan like me can respect. He is just a wonderful man and a great icon of my hometown.

Speaking of sports, Dean Smith is one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history. But his successes goes far beyond Xs and Os. Even as he won 78 percent of his games, he graduated 96 percent of his players. First coach to use multiple defenses in the game. He was the pioneer who popularized the idea of pointing to the passer. After a basket, players should point to the teammate who passed them the ball. And with his first national title on the line, he did have the good sense to give the ball to a 19-year-old kid named Michael Jordan. Although they used to joke that the only personal who ever held Michael under 20 was Dean Smith.

While Coach Smith couldn't join us today due to an illness that he's facing with extraordinary courage, we also honor his courage in helping to change our country. He recruited the first black scholarship athlete to North Carolina and helped integrate a restaurant in a neighborhood in Chapel Hill. That's the kind of character that he represented on and off the court.

We salute innovators who pushed the limits of science, changing how we see the world and ourselves. And growing up, Sally Ride read about the space program in the newspaper almost every day. And she thought, this was the coolest thing around. When she was a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford, she saw an ad for astronauts in the student newspaper, and she seized the opportunity.

As the first American woman in space, she didn't just break the stratospheric glass ceiling, she blasted through it. And when she came back to Earth, she devoted her life to helping girls excel in fields like math, science, and engineering. Young girls need to see role models, she said. You can't be what you can't see. Today our daughters, including Malia and Sasha, can set their sights a little higher because Sally Ride showed them the way.

All of us have moments when we look back and wonder, what the heck was I thinking? I have that quite a bit.

(LAUGHTER)

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman has made that simple question his life's work. In a storied career in Israel and America, he basically invented the study of human decision making. He's helped us to understand everything from behavioral economics to does living in California make people happy. It's an interesting question. He's been called an expert on irrational behavior, so I'm sure that he could shed some light on Washington. But what truly sets Daniel apart is his curiosity. Guided by his belief that people are endlessly complicated and interesting. At 79 he's still discovering new insights into how we think and learn, not just so we understand each other, but so we can work and live together more effectively.

Dr. Mario Molina's love of science started as a young boy in Mexico City, in a home-made laboratory in a bathroom at home. And that passion for discovery led him to become one of the most respected chemists in his era. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - or the Nobel Prize, rather, not only for his path-breaking research, but also for his insistence that when we ignore dangerous carbon emissions, we risk destroying the ozone layer and endangering out planet. And thanks to Mario's work, the world came together to address a common threat. And today, inspired by his example, we're working to leave our planet safer and cleaner for future generations.

We also have to salute musicians who bring such joy to our lives. Loretta Lynn was 19 the first time she won big at the local fair. Her canned vegetables brought home 17 blue ribbons and made her Canner of the Year. Now, that's impressive. For a girl from Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, that was fame. Fortunately for all of us she decided to try her hand at things other than canning. Her first guitar cost $17, and with it, this coal miner's daughter gave voice to a generation singing about what no one wanted to talk about and saying what no one wanted to think about. Now over 50 years after she cut her first record, and canned her first vegetables, Loretta Lynn still reigns as the rule breaking, record setting queen of country music.

As a young man in Cuba, Arturo Sandoval loved jazz so much it landed him in jail. It was the Cold War, and the only radio station where he could hear jazz was the Voice of America, which was dangerous to listen to. But he listened anyway. Later he defected to the United States knowing that he might never see his parents or beloved homeland again. Without freedom, he said, there is no life. And today Arturo is an American citizen, and one of the most celebrated trumpet players in the world. There isn't anyplace on Earth where the people don't know about jazz, he says. And that's true in part because musicians like him have sacrificed so much to play it.

We salute pioneers who pushed our nations towards greater justice and equality. A Baptist minister, C.T. Vivian was one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s closest advisors. Martin taught us, he says, that it's in the action that we find out who we really are. And time and again Reverend Vivian was among the first to be in the action. In 1947, joining a sit in to integrate an Illinois restaurant, one of the first freedom riders, in Selma on the courthouse steps to register blacks to vote for which he was beaten, bloodied, and jailed. Rosa Parks said of him, even after things had supposedly been taken care of and we had our rights, he was still out there inspiring the next generation. Including me. Helping kids go to college with a program that would become Upward Bound. And at 89 years old, he's still out there pushing us closer to our founding ideals.

Now early in the morning the day of the March on Washington, the National Mall was far from full and some in the press were beginning to wonder if the event would be a failure, but the march's chief organizer, Bayard Rustin, didn't panic. As the story goes, he looked down at a piece of paper, looked back up and reassured reporters that everything was right on schedule. The only thing that they didn't know was that the paper he was holding was blank. He didn't know how it was going to work out. But Bayard had an unshakeable optimism, nerves of steel, and most importantly, a faith that if the cause is just and people are organized, nothing can stand in our way.

For decades this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. No medal can change that. But today we honor Bayard Rustin's memory by taking our place in his march toward true equality. No matter who we are or who we love.

(APPLAUSE)

Speaking of game changers, disrupters, there's a young girl named Gloria Steinem who arrived in New York to make her mark as a journalist. And magazines only wanted her to write arms like "how to cook without really cooking for men." Gloria noticed things like that. She's been called a champion noticer. She's alert to all the ways, large and small, that women had been, and in some cases continue to be, treated unfairly just because they're women. As a writer, a speaker, an activist, she awakened a vast and often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence, lack of affordable child care, unfair hiring practices, and because of her work across America and around the world, more women are afforded the respect and opportunities that they deserve. But she also changed how women thought about themselves.

And Gloria continues to pour her heart into teaching and mentoring. Her one piece of advice to young girls is, I love this, do not listen to my advice, listen to the voice inside of you and follow that.

When Patricia Wald's law firm asked if she would come back after having her first child, she said she would like time off to focus on her family. Devoted almost ten years to raising five children, but she never lost the itch to practice law. So, while her husband watched the kids at home, she would hit the library on weekends. At the age of 40, she went back to the court room to show the young kids a thing or two. As the first female judge on the D.C. circuit, she was a top candidate for attorney general. After leaving the bench, her idea of retirement was to go to the Hague to preside over the trials of war criminals. She says she hopes enough women will become judges that it's not worth celebrating anymore, but today we celebrate her. And along with Gloria, she shows that there were all kinds of paths listening to your own voice.

We salute communicators who shined a light on stories no one else was telling. A veteran of World War II and more than a dozen pacific battles, Ben Bradlee brought the same intensity and dedication to journalism. Since joining "The Washington Post" 65 years ago, he transformed that newspaper into one of the finest in the world. With Ben in charge, the post published the Pentagon Papers, revealing the true history of America's involvement in Vietnam, exposed Watergate, unleashed a new era of investigative journalism, holding America's leaders accountable and reminding us that our freedom as a nation rests on our freedom of the press.

When Ben retired, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan put the admiration of many into a poem.

"Oh rare Ben Bradlee, his reign has ceased. But his nation stands, its strength increased."

And I also indicated to Ben, he could pull off those shirts and I can't.

(LAUGHTER)

He always looks so cool in them.