>> YOU'RE WATCHING A PRODUCTION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

[ Applause ] >> ON BEHALF OF THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO SOUTH DAKOTA STATE.

IT'S MY DISTINCT HONOR TONIGHT TO WELCOME TO CAMPUS FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER THOMAS A. DASCHLE, TOM BROKAW, AND CHUCK RAUSCH ON THE THIRD "DASCHLE DIALOGUES."

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR PARTICIPATING IN TONIGHT'S ENGAGING DIALOGUE.

[ Applause ] >> WELL, PRESIDENT DUNN, THANK YOU FOR THOSE VERY KIND WORDS.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK CHUCK FOR MAKING THIS PERILOUS TRIP AS IT TURNS OUT TO GET TO BROOKINGS TODAY.

I WANT TO THANK STEVE, BRITT NEASM PETERSON, CAROLYN SELBY AND THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL DAY.

BUT LET ME THANK EACH OF YOU FOR COMING.

IT IS REALLY A PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY OLD FRIENDS.

I HAD THE HIGH HONOR TO SERVE AND TO REPRESENT MY STATE, OUR STATE, FOR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

AND WHAT I'M SURE MOST OF YOU FULLY CAN APPRECIATE, HAVING BEEN STATE GRADS YOURSELF IN MANY CASES.

THAT JOURNEY STARTED RIGHT HERE.

AND SO I'VE ALWAYS FELT SUCH AN ATTACHMENT TO THIS CAMPUS, AND TO COME BACK, AND TO SEE THE GROWTH AND THE PROGRESS, NOT ONLY AS A STATE, BUT AT BROOKINGS, IS REALLY A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

AND SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE STATE AS SUCCESSFUL AS BEEN THESE PAST YEARS.

AND PEGGY MILLER IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, AND I WANT TO THANK PEGGY.

SHE HAS BEEN A DEAR FRIEND AND EXTRAORDINARY LEADER IN HER OWN RIGHT.

AND I APPRECIATE HER COMING GREAT DISTANCE TO BE HERE TOO.

BUT I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED, ONE OF THE MOST REVERED, ONE OF THE MOST WELL KNOWN USD ALUMS -- [ Laughter ] AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR BRAVING A VISIT TO THIS CAMPUS, AND FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO BE HERE.

[ Applause ] I'M SO GRATEFUL TO TOM BROKAW FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO COME.

AND I APPRECIATE SO MUCH THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SPENT THE DAY WITH HIM TODAY.

AS WAS SAID AND OBVIOUS, TOM AND I ARE BOTH NATIVE SOUTH DAKOTANS.

WE BOTH WENT TO GREAT UNIVERSITIES.

WE BOTH HAD FASCINATING CAREERS.

WE BOTH HAVE WRITTEN A FEW BOOKS.

BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

HIS ARE ALL BEST SELLERS.

[ Laughter ] MINE ARE THREE FOR A DOLLAR ON AMAZON.

SO I HOPE YOU'LL CHECK THEM OUT.

AND WHILE MY CAREER IN POLITICS ENDS 12 YEARS AGO, HIS CAREER IN JOURNALISM IS STILL GOING STRONG.

I -- I HAVE TO SAY, THESE ARE TUMULTUOUS, HISTORIC, TRANSFORMATIONAL TIMES.

BUT I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING THAN TO REMINISCE AND TO TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF THESE TIMES WITH SOMEBODY I ADMIRE AS MUCH AS TOM BROKAW.

AND I HOPE BY THE END OF THE EVENING, YOU'LL FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

[ Applause ] >> SENATOR, THANK YOU.

I NOTICED THAT YOU SCHEDULED THIS BEFORE THE SDSU-USD FOOTBALL GAME THIS YEAR.

WHAT A CROWD.

GREAT.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE SELLOUTS IN OTHER THAN SPORTS VENUES.

NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

BUT ARE THERE ANY LAWYERS IN THE AUDIENCE?

[ Laughter ] THE REASON I ASK IS WE COULD PROBABLY DO AN ARTICLE OF INCORPORATION TONIGHT AND I THINK WE'D END UP BEING THE 33RD LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

ANYWAY, THANKS FOR COMING TONIGHT.

I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS.

[ Laughter ] THERE ARE NO RUSSIAN BOTS IN THE ROOM THAT I KNOW OF.

WE'RE ALL HERE AS AMERICANS.

WE'RE NOT ENEMIES OF AMERICANS.

AT LEAST I'M NOT AN ENEMY OF AN AMERICAN.

I'M SURE SENATOR DASCHLE IS NOT, AND I KNOW TOM BROKAW IS NOT.

SO ANYWAY, I WANT TO START TONIGHT BY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CHILDHOODS IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

AND TOM BROKAW, IN YOUR BOOK, "LUCKY LIFE INTERRUPTED," YOU DESCRIBED YOUR FIRST EMOTIONS ON THAT PHONE CALL WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT YOU WERE RECEIVING THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, AND YOU WROTE THIS IN THE BOOK.

QUOTE, IT IS NOT FALSE MODESTY TO ATTRIBUTE THIS SINGULAR HONOR TO MY SOUTH DAKOTA WORKING CLASS ROOTS.

AS I WAS COMING OF AGE, FAMILY EDUCATORS AND FRIENDS CHEERED ME ON WHEN I FULFILLED PROMISE AND CRACKED DOWN WHEN I WENT OFF THE RAILS, END QUOTE.

AND SENATOR DASCHLE, IN LIKE NO OTHER TIME, YOUR BOOK, YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ANCESTORS AND THE PEOPLE WHO SETTLED SOUTH DAKOTA WITH THEM AS SOME OF THE MOST SELF-RELIANT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WHO ALSO DISCOVERED IT TOOK NEIGHBORS WORKING TOGETHER TO RAISE THE BARN, CLEARS THE LANES.

WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOODS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND KIND OF HOW YOU THINK THAT WAS A FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU AND WHERE IT LED YOU TO TODAY?

>> WELL, IN MY CASE, I HAVE AN UNUSUAL BACKGROUND.

I THINK.

GIVEN WHERE I AM TODAY.

AND THE SUCCESS THAT I'VE HAD NOT ENTIRELY AS A RESULT OF MY OWN SKILL SET.

BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I WAS RAISED.

WE HAVE RELATIVES.

MY RELATIVES HERE TONIGHT, WHO I'M GRATEFUL THAT ONE OF THEM IS NOW RETIRED FROM HIS FARMING LIFE.

I SAY THAT ONLY BECAUSE IN TIMES GONE BY, WHEN WE WOULD BE ON THESE OCCASIONS, AND HE WOULD SHOW UP, AT ABOUT 11:00, HE WOULD SAY, I GOT TO GO HOME NOW AND I GOT TO FEED THE COWS IN THE MORNING.

A SEVEN-HOUR DRIVE ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA.

AND IT WAS THAT KIND OF A EXPERIENCE THAT I WAS RAISED WITH THAT I THINK SHAPED SO MANY OF MY WORKING VALUES.

MY FATHER DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL IN THE THIRD GRADE.

HE HAD A LARGE FAMILY.

THEY WERE ALL WORKING VERY HARD.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR HIM.

HE WAS RAISED BY A SWEDISH IMMIGRANT WHO TAUGHT HIM HOW TO HAUL COAL AND DIG A WELL AND DELIVER TEAMS OF HORSES TO PEOPLE WHO NEEDED THEM.

AND THEN HE HAD A GENIUS FOR BEING A CONSTRUCTION WORKER.

HAD A MACHINE, HE COULD OPERATE IT.

IF IT WAS BROKEN, HE WOULD FIX IT.

AND HE HAD THE GOOD SENSE TO MARRY THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN TWO COUNTIES, MY MOTHER, JEAN TOM LIEN.

AND TOGETHER THEY SET OUT, AND WE READ THE NOTES FROM THE EARLY DAYS.

THEY WERE LIVING IN A TINY TRAILER GOING FROM CONSTRUCTION SITE TO CONSTRUCTION SITE.

AND MOTHER SAID WE WERE QUITE TO EACH OTHER, THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS LOVE EACH OTHER AND SAVE $1,000 A YEAR EVERY YEAR.

THEY WERE NOT MAKING A LOT IN THOSE DAYS, OBVIOUSLY.

AND THEY RAISED THEIR CHILDREN WITH THOSE SAME VALUES.

AND I GOT LUCKY AND CAUGHT THE MAGIC SPRING, AND WENT ON IN MY LIFE.

ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE STORIES ABOUT MY FATHER IS THAT WHEN I GOT TO THE NIGHTLY NEWS ANCHORSHIP, AND WITH HIS ENCOURAGEMENT ALONG THE WAY, I GOT TO A PLACE WHERE I WAS MAKING A GOOD DEAL OF MONEY.

AND IT WAS STARTING TO GET SOME ATTENTION.

SO MY FATHER CALLED ME, AND HE SAID, IS IT TRUE WHAT WE'RE READING ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU'RE MAKING?

[ Laughter ] I SAID, DAD, WE HAVE NEVER HAD TO TALK ABOUT THAT BEFORE.

I DON'T WANT TO START NOW.

ABOUT A WEEK LATER, A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION CAME OUT.

AND "TIME" MAGAZINE OF WHAT THE THREE ANCHORS WERE MAKING.

MY FATHER CALLED ME AND HE SAID, I'M READING TIME "MAGAZINE.

I SAID, I THOUGHT WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO SET ALL THAT ASIDE, DAD.

WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THIS?

WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHY I'M ASKING.

FOR AS LONG AS WE'VE KNOWN YOU, YOU'VE ALWAYS RUN A LITTLE SHORT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO SET ASIDE.

[ Laughter ] THAT FOR ME WAS THE ESSENCE OF GROWING UP IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

WANT TO BE PROTECTIVE.

THEY WANT TO MAKE BIG SHOT, AND SAY, THEY WANTED ME TO HAVE A PERSPECTIVE.

SO WHEREVER I GO IN THE WORLD, IF I'M IN THE -- OR IF I'M IN AFGHANISTAN OR IRAQ AND I SEE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, I IDENTIFY WITH THEM.

I KNOW WHAT THEIR LIFE IS LIKE BECAUSE I WAS WITNESS TO IT WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND CAME OF AGE.

AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

MOREOVER, I'VE BEEN GONE FROM SOUTH DAKOTA FOR A LONG TIME, BUT MIR DIETED AND JUST MADE A LITTLE TOUR, BACK TO SOWRCH FALLS THE OTHER DAY, AND IT'S ALWAYS EXHILARATING TO COME OUT HERE AND SEE THE PRAIRIE AND SEE NOT JUST THE QUALITY OF PRAIRIE LIFE, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE AND SHAPED IT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I OFTEN SAY TO PEOPLE WHO COME TO SOUTH DAKOTA FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT CAN BE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE GROUP.

OR IT CAN BE A VERY LIBERAL GROUP.

EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU WAS BUILT BY HAND, BY PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM DISTANT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

THEY BROUGHT THEIR OWN VALUES AND THEIR RELIGION AND THEIR VERY STRONG POLITICAL POINTS OF VIEW.

BUT WHEN IT CAME TO SHAPING THE LAND FOR FAMILIES, THEY ALL WORKED TOGETHER.

AND I THINK IN THAT, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN ENDURING LESSON FOR ME.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE?

>> WELL, I'D START WHERE TOM LEFT OFF.

I THINK THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY FEEL AND LIVE AND EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

AND I THINK THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING THAT -- THAT CAUSES ME, EVERY TIME I TRAVEL ABROAD, I'M REMINDED HOW MUCH I'VE WON THE GENE POOL.

I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY COULD BE MORE FORTUNATE THAN TO GROW UP WITH TWO LOVING PARENTS AS I DID, IN A FAMILY, BOTH MY MOTHER AND FATHER HAD 12 CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY, AND SO WITH A BIG FAMILY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GAVE US A LOT OF SUPPORT, WE WERE VERY CLOSE AS A FAMILY.

I GREW UP WITH TWO FEARS, REALLY.

I WAS -- I WAS JUST AN ENORMOUS INTROVERT, AND I WAS AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.

AND I BECAME A PILOT AND A POLITICIAN.

[ Laughter ] IN LARGE MEASURE BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE SO SUPPORTIVE, AND MY FATHER WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME, DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU WOULDN'T PUT YOUR SIGNATURE ON.

AND HE HAD THIS WONDERFUL SIGNATURE.

AND I REALLY TOOK THAT TO HEART.

HE WORKED AS A BOOK KEEPER FOR 50 YEARS, AND NEVER IN HIS WILDEST DREAMS DID HE THINK ONE OF HIS FOUR SONS COULD RISE TO BECOME THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE.

BECAUSE I WON THE GENE POOL AND BECAUSE I GOT TO GROW UP AND EXPERIENCE SOUTH DAKOTA.

BUT LET ME ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY TEACHERS.

IT STARTED IN FIRST GRADE.

I WENT TO SACRED HEART SCHOOL, AND SISTER MORRIS KROMPLY, SHE WAS A BIG IRISH WOMAN.

SHE SAID SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD MADE HER A BASILICA INSTEAD.

BUT SHE WAS SO ENCOURAGING, AND SHE SAID HER JOB WAS TO LIGHT THE CURIOSITY CANDLE OF EVERY ONE OF HER STUDENTS.

AND SHE DID.

SHE LIT MY CURIOSITY CANDLE.

AND THEN IT WAS J.P.

HENDRICKSON AND BOB BURNS AND GORDON TOLL, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE HERE THAT REALLY MADE A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE.

ELEANOR SCHWAB.

>> WELL, I COULD SAY, KNOWING HER MOTHER THROUGH THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY POLITICIANS ARE REALLY GOOD AT TALKING POINTS.

YOUR MOTHER WAS THE BEST PERSON I'VE EVER RUN INTO WITH TALKING POINTS BECAUSE IN EVERY INTERVIEW SHE EVER DID, SHE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HER TOM WAS NEVER A PROBLEM.

[ Laughter ] AND SHE MADE THAT MANY TIMES, SO -- I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU HOW TWO -- TWO YOUNG MEN WHO WERE THE OLDEST BOYS IN THEIR FAMILIES GREW UP TO BE SUCH GOOD LISTENERS.

YOU BOTH HAVE THAT ATTRIBUTE TO YOU.

AND HOW DID THAT -- HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

HOW DID YOU BECOME LISTENERS AND PEOPLE THAT HEAR PEOPLE?

>> WELL, IN MY CASE, BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER THAN MY OTHER TWO BROTHERS, AND EVEN FROM AN EARLY AGE ON, I WAS A PRETTY TALKATIVE KID WHO KIND OF DEMANDED A LOT OF ATTENTION.

THERE WAS A KIND OF TRIBAL SORTING OUT I SUPPOSE IS A WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.

I HAD MY OWN BEDROOM, AND THEN MY BROTHERS CAME ALONG AND THEY HAD TO SHARE A BEDROOM.

AND THAT CONTINUED.

THAT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL FOR THEM BECAUSE IT WAS TWO AGAINST ONE IN ALMOST EVERY ARGUMENT WE HAD IN OUR HOUSEHOLD IN THOSE DAYS.

AND I THINK ABOUT MY BROTHERS, EACH HAVING DIFFERENT KINDS OF QUALITIES.

MY YOUNGEST BROTHER VERY MUCH LIKE MY DAD.

MARINE IN VIETNAM, COULD FIX AND OPERATE ANYTHING.

MY MIDDLE BROTHER WAS BOOKISH, A LOT SHIER THAN I WAS OBVIOUSLY.

BUT HE HAD INTERESTS IN LIFE THAT WERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN MINE.

AND SO OUT OF THE THREE OF US, WE FORMED THIS KIND OF COMPACT, I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD DESCRIBE IT, THAT WORKED PRETTY WELL, EXCEPT FOR MY MOTHER WHO WAS THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE HOUSE.

AND WE'VE OFTEN LOOKED BACK ON IT.

AND THOUGHT, WHAT WE PUT HER THROUGH.

BUT HERE'S WHAT SHE DID.

SHE SAID TO US AT AN EARLY AGE, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE IRONING YOUR SHIRTS AND DOING YOUR LAUNDRY OR FIXING ROAR MEALS AND DOING THE DISHES.

YOU'RE PART OF A TEAM HERE.

SO WE ALL LEARNED TO NOT ONLY FIX MEALS, DO DISHES, DO ALL THAT, BUT TO SEW ON BUTTONS AND DO ALL THE LAUNDRY.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IS I WAS GETTING READY FOR ONE OF THE NATIONAL DEBATES -- WAS A MEMORABLE ONE, BETWEEN BILL CLINTON AND GEORGE BUSH 41 AND I WAS SITTING THERE REALIZING BY BUTTON HAD POPPED OFF MY BLAZER, AND WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT, SLIPPED OUT MY BLAZER, REACHED INTO PLY CARRY BAG AND STARTED SEWING ON MY BUTTON.

IN FRONT OF A LARGE AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE.

AND A WOMAN CAME DOWN TO ME LATER AND SAID I THINK I WANT YOU TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT.

[ Laughter ] SO IT WAS -- IT WAS FOR US A VERY TEST ROSES ONE-YEAR T-BILL, TESTOSTERONE FILLED HOUSEHOLD.

AND LATER WHEN I BECAME MARRIED TO MEREDITH AND WE HAD THREE DAUGHTERS, GRANDMA JEAN WAS A MODEL FOR THOSE WOMEN, AND SHE WAS A MODEL FOR ME, BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT CIVILITY SHE COULD BRING TO THE FAMILY AND I HAD A NEW AND COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPRECIATION OF WOMEN THAN A LOT OF MY FRIENDS DID BECAUSE OF THAT PERSPECTIVE.

>> SENATOR?

>> CHUCK, I WOULD PUT IT IN TWO PHASES FOR ME.

BECAUSE OF MY SHYNESS WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I WAS MORE COMFORTABLE LISTENING THAN I WAS TALKING.

BUT THAT EVOLVED OVER TIME.

AND I'LL FORGET IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS WATCHING A NEWS PROGRAM, AND DEAN RUSK WAS BEING INTERVIEWED, AND HE SAID SOMETHING THAT I STILL REMEMBER TO THIS DAY.

HE WAS ASKED A QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE I KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION -- HOW IT WAS QUITE PHRASED, BUT HE MADE A STATEMENT, AND BY THIS TIME, I WAS GETTING INTO SORT OF POLITICS AND CLASSIFIES RUNS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT HE SAID THE BEST WAY TO PERSUADE IS WITH YOUR EARS.

AND I HAVE ALWAYS REMEMBERED THAT.

AND I'VE SAID THAT.

I'VE SHARED THAT WITH MY CAUCUS MANY TIMES.

BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT.

I THINK THE BEST WAY TO PERSUADE SOMETIMES IS NOT BY HOW MUCH YOU SAY BUT BY HOW MUCH YOU LISTEN.

AND DEAN RUSK SAID IT FIRST AND I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN IT NOW, WHAT, 50 YEARS LATER.

>> I CAN'T LET THE NIGHT GO WITHOUT ACTUALLY GIVING MY FAVORITE QUOTE FROM HER FATHER, TOM BROKAW.

APPARENTLY HE USED TO TELL YOU, MAYBE YOU CAN VERIFY THIS, MAYBE THIS FAKE NEWS BUT I HOPE NOT.

HE USED TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE DOING PRETTY WELL BUT YOU'RE NO PAUL HARVEY?

AND THERE'S AN TONED THAT STORY.

THAT WAS OFTEN WHAT HE WOULD SAY TO ME.

AND -- WATCHING THE NEWS LAST NIGHT, BUT I HEARD SOMETHING ON PAUL HARVEY, AND I WOULD PULL UP AND SAY, NO COME ON.

MY FATHER DIED UNEXPECTEDLY AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS CAME TO THE FUNERAL BECAUSE HE FIXED THEIR CARS ON THE SIDE, INCLUDING ONE WAS A LAWYER FROM SIOUX FALLS, AND TOM CAME DOWN FOR THE FUNERAL.

AND WE CAME BACK TO THE CHURCH BASE AMEND AND HIS EYES WERE ABOUT THIS BIG.

AND HE SAID, I WENT OVER AND HE SAID, I WAS JUST LISTENING TO PAUL HARVEY.

AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS.

HIS FINAL ITEM WAS, AND THIS WAS HIS FINAL ITEM, AMERICA, I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION, AND YOSK TON, SOUTH DAKOTA, THEY'RE BURYING A MAN BY THE NAME OF ANTHONY RED BROKAW, HE WORKED HARD AND DURING THE WAR HE WAS BASED IN IG LOO, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND HIS SON ROSE TO BECOME THE ANCHOR OF THE "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS."

BUT TODAY ON THIS BROADCAST WE SALUTE ANTHONY RED BROKAW.

PAUL HARVEY.

GOOD DAY.

[ Applause ] IT WAS FOR ME A MYSTICAL MOMENT IN A WAY, ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENED.

SO I GOT BACK TO NEW YORK AND I CALLED PAUL HARVEY WHO I NEVER TALKED TO.

AND I SAID, THIS IS TOM BROKAW.

HE SAID, YES, I WATCH YOU, YOUNG MAN.

I THINK RS GOING TO DO OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I SAID WHO PROMPTED YOU TO PAY THAT TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER.

HE SAID, WELL, I THOUGHT THAT IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN STORY.

HERE'S YOUR FATHER, A CONSTRUCTION WORKER, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, AND HIS SON, IN AMERICA, IS ABLE TO BECOME THE ANCHOR OF THE "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS," LIVE IN NEW YORK, AND BE COMMANDING IN HIS JOB AND EARN THE RESPECT OF THE PEOPLE TO THE QUALITY OF THE FLOOR.

THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT.

AND I SAID, MR.

HARVEY, IF YOU NEED ANYTHING IN LIFE, HERE'S MY PHONE NUMBER.

[ Laughter ] AND IT WAS VERY TOUCHING.

AS A TRIBUTE NOT JUST TO MY FATHER, BUT TO THE QUALITIES OF LIFE HERE, AND PAUL HARVEY, BETTER THAN ANY OTHER BROADCASTER I KNOW, WHO HAD TO TOUCH THAT NERVE IN AMERICA, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD OFTEN KIND OF MAKE FUN OF HIM, HE HAD HIS HAND ON THE PULSE OF THIS COUNTRY.

AND IT WAS A BIG LESSON TO ME, QUITE HONESTLY.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE, DO YOU THINK THE QUALITIES WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, DO YOU THINK THEY'RE VANISHING?

DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING AWAY, EVEN HERE?

>> I DON'T.

I REALLY DON'T.

I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP.

CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SO FRERNTD.

IN SOME WAYS IT'S A MORE COMPLICATED WORLD.

IN SOME WAYS, THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN EVER BEFORE.

YOU KNOW, THE TRAVEL NOW, MY GRANDKIDS HAVE ALL BEEN TO DISTANT PLACES AND IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THE DRAFL NOW THAT -- TRAVEL NOW THAT EVERYBODY TAKES FOR GRANTED.

MY MOTHER AND FATHER BARELY LEFT THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

THEIR PARENTS NEVER DID.

THEY NEVER LEFT THE STATE.

SO TRAVEL AND COMMUNICATION AND OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATION AND THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE I THINK IS RICHER AND MORE FULL THAN IT WAS WHEN I WAS -- WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.

>> TOM BROKAW, YOU DIDN'T REALLY SEE MUCH TELEVISION UNTIL YOU'RE AGE 18.

DO YOU SEE THE IRONY OF YOU SITTING HERE AFTER 50 YEARS, CAREER IN TELEVISION?

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

DO YOU EVER SIT BACK AND TAKE IN THE BREADTH OF THAT MOMENT.

>> WE LIVED IN FORT RANDALL.

WE DIDN'T GET TELEVISION SIGNALS UNTIL WE MOVED TO YOSK TON IN 1955, WHEN HUNTER AND BRINKLY WERE COMING ON THE AIR.

AND THEY WERE TRANSFORMATIVE IN A WAY.

WE HAD NEVER HAD NATIONAL NEWS BROADCASTS IN REMOTE LIVING ROOMS AND KITCHENS OR BARS AND BLACK AND WHITE FOR THE 15 MINUTES AT THE BEGINNING, YOU COULD SEE AND HEAR WHAT HAD HAPPENED, NOT JUST IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL BUT AROUND THE WORLD, AND IT REALLY DID SHRINK THE WORLD IN A WAY THAT TOM HAS JUST DESCRIBED IT.

IT BECAME A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

THEY WOULD EAT SUPPER AND WATCH.

SO THEY WERE HEROIC FIGURES FOR ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

I DID NOT BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT, I'D LIKE TO BE THERE SOMEDAY UNTIL LATER WHEN I -- AFTER I MOVED TO YANKTON, I HADN'T BEEN THERE VERY LONG, AND I WAS PLAYING BALL, BUT I DID HAVE A CERTAIN GIFT FOR GAB, SO THE LOCAL RADIO STATION CAME DOWN AND SAID, WE'D LIKE YOU TO DO A TEENAGE SHOW AND READ THE NEWS AS WELCOME.

AROUND I GOT INTRODUCED TO BROADCASTING.

AND I LIKED IT.

AND IT WAS NOT HEAVY LIFT AND IT PAID REASONABLY WELL, AND THAT BEGAN AS WELL MY ODYSSEY, I SUPPOSE, TOWARDS BECOMING A BROADCAST NEWS MAN.

BUT THE REALLY SEMINAL MOMENT FOR ME WAS THE ELECTION NIGHT IN 1960 WHEN I STARTED WATCHING AT 6:00 AT NIGHT AND WENT TO BED AT 8:00 IN THE MORNING, THAT EPIC BATTLE BETWEEN JOHN F. KENNEDY AND RICHARD NIXON.

AND I REMEMBER THINKING, AND I WAS AT THE TIME, KIND OF IS A AT A CROSS RAILROADS IN MY LIFE, AGRICULTURE AND I THINK -- THAT WORKED OUT.

NOW I WANT TO JUST BACK UP A MOMENT FOR THE RADIO PIECE OF IT.

WHEN I WENT TO WORK FOR THE RADIO STATION IN YOSK TON, WE SOLD EVERYTHING.

AND ONE OF MY JOBS ON THE AIR WAS TO -- WHEN THE BELLS RANG ON THE UPI MACHINE SIGNALING A DEATH THROUGH AN AUTO ACCIDENT OF SOME KIND, I WOULD GO OVER AND TEAR OFF THE PIECE OF PAPER, INTERRUPT THE MUSIC BROOD CASTING, HIT A TAPE THAT WOULD GO BONG, BONG, BONG.

FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL.

AND THEN I WOULD READ VERY, VERY SOLEMNLY.

38-YEAR-OLD GERALD OF RURAL SOUTH DAKOTA WAS KILLED TONIGHT IN A ONE-CAR ACCIDENT JUST OUTSIDE OF PLATTE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

BONG, BONG, BONG.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.

38-YEAR-OLD GERALD, DISCREET PAUSE FOLLOWED BY, ARE YOU PROPERLY INSURED?

FOR A COMPLETE -- [ Laughter ] TRUE STORY.

WE SOLD DESKS AND CAR INSURANCE.

THAT WAS, FOR ME, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE REALITIES OF COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE, YOUR INTRODUCTION INTO POLITICS HAD AN INTERESTING MOMENT IN MADISON, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

>> I CAN.

YEAH, I REMEMBER IT VIVIDLY.

I STARTED CAMPAIGNING A COUPLE OF YEARS AHEAD OF MY FIRST ELECTION.

I'LL NEVER FORGET -- WAS OCTOBER 7TH OF 1977.

AND I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AHEAD.

AND I HAD NO MONEY.

AND NO NAME RECOGNITION.

AND SO I STARTED GOING DOOR TO DOOR.

I WAS AT THAT TIME 28 YEARS OLD.

AND IT WAS A COLD WINTRY DOORS, AND I WAS KNOCKING ON DOORS IN MADISON, AND A WOMAN CAME TO THE DOOR -- THIS IS AMAZING.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SOMEBODY NOT ONLY RECOGNIZED ME BUT HAS A CHECK FOR ME.

SO SHE WAS GONE FOR A WHILE, AND I WAS STOMPING OUTSIDE TRYING TO KEEP WARM AND SHE FINALLY CAME BACK AND GAVE ME THE CHECK.

AND I LOOKED AT, AND I SAID, WELL, THIS SAYS ARGUS LEADER ON IT.

AND SHE SAYS, WELL, YOU'RE THE PAPER BOY, AREN'T YOU?

I HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT I WAS ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.

BUT TO THIS DAY, I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT HER VOTE.

BUT I COULD HAVE HAD HER CHECK.

>> MY FRIEND TONY BROWN WROTE THAT STORY, AND I THINK HE STILL CONSIDERS THAT ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER TELLING THAT STORY.

>> LET'S TRANSITION A LITTLE BIT HERE.

MR.

BROKAW, YOU CALLED 1968, AND YOU SAID THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND MANY TIMES IN YOUR BOOKS AND IN YOUR REPORTING, THE MOST CHALLENGING YEAR OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER.

CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT?

>> IT WAS.

AND I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE NOW WHO SAY TO ME, ARE WE GOING TO BE OKAY?

I SAY I GOT THROUGH 1968 AND SO DID THE COUNTRY.

A QUICK REMINDER OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 1968.

EUGENE MCCARTHY WAS SOSFUL IN CHALLENGING TO A CERTAIN DEGREE LYNDON JOHNSON AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT JOHNSON WAS TO OWN OUT EARLY THAT HE WOULD NOT RUN FOR REELECTION.

AND BOBBY KENNEDY THEN ENTERED THE DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, AFTER EUGENE MCCARTHY HAD MADE THE SEMINAL IMPORTANT KIND OF VICTORY OVER L.B.J.

AND THEN DR.

KING WAS ASSASSINATED, MURDERED IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES NOT ONLY OF MY LIFETIME BUT OF AMERICAN HISTORY, SHOT DOWN BY A MAN WHO WAS AN UTTER RACIST AND I AM SO PERSUADES THAT WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT CRIME, BY THE WAY.

MEANWHILE, AMERICA IS AT WAR WITH ITSELF IN SO MANY WAYS IN THE STREETS AND IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE INDUSTRIAL NORTH AFTER DR.

KING WAS KILLED.

DETROIT WENT UP.

CHICAGO WENT UP.

THE ONLY PLACE THAT DIDN'T GO UP WAS INDIANAPOLIS BECAUSE BOBBY KENNEDY IS ARRIVED AND MAE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD AND SAID VERY ELOQUENTLY WHICH I CAN'T ACCURATELY REPEAT NOW, VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER HERE.

AND THEN BEFORE TOO LONG, BOBBY KENNEDY WAS DEAD.

KILLED IN THE KITCHEN HALLWAY IN LOS ANGELES.

RIGHT AFTER HE HAD WON THE CALIFORNIA PRIMARY AND WAS ON HIS WAY TO CHICAGO AND COULD VERY LIKELY HAVE BEEN, THOUGH THERE'S NO ASSURANCE OF IT, THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE RICHARD DAILY HAD SAID TO BOBBY KENNEDY'S FATHER, IF HE CAN WIN CALIFORNIA, WE'LL TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT HIS POCKETEDS.

AND I HONESTLY THINK GIVEN THE MOMENTUM OF CALIFORNIA, BOBBY KENNEDY COULD HAVE WON IN CHICAGO.

IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EASY.

SO NOW IN JUNE, WE'RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR AT THAT POINT.

AND I WAS NOT PRESENT IN TENNESSEE WHEN DR.

KING WAS KILLED, BUT I WAS PRESENT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE WAS GOING ON.

WHEN IT CAME INTO MY EAR THAT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED IN THE KITCHEN, BOBBY KENNEDY IS HAS BEEN SHOT, ABOUT SHOT IN THE HIP.

AND IMMEDIATELY ONE OF OUR CORRESPONDENTS CAME OUT, IN THE IN THE HIP, HE'S BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD.

TOOK OFF MY MICROPHONE AND WAS PART OF THE VIGIL ALL NIGHT LONG AS PEOPLE CAME AND LEFT.

WITH HIM FOR 24 HOURS, BUT HE WAS NOT GOING TO LIVE.

ONE OF MY VERY CLOSEST FRIENDS WAS RAFER JOHNSON, GAVE UP HIS CAREER IN BROADCASTING TO GO BE AT BOBBY'S SIDE.

HERE'S ONE OF THE REMARKABLE STORIES ABOUT THAT NIGHT.

AFTER SIRHAN SIRHA FIRED CIALGHT RAFER REACHED FOR THE GUN, WRESTLED IT OUT OF HANDS.

AND HE WENT RIGHT OFFER TO GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL, CHASING THE AMBULANCE, AND HE WAS THERE UNTIL 8:00 IN THE MORNING.

WENT HOME AND FELL ASLEEP, PUT HIS JACKET OVER THE CHAIR.

WOKE UP AT ABOUT 11:00 IN THE MORNING, GO BACK TO THE HOSPITAL, PUT ON HIS JACKET.

HE STILL HAD THE GUN.

THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE L.A.P.D.

AND ITS INTEGRITYIVE PROCEDURES THAT DRAPER STILL HAD THE GUN AT THAT POINT.

THAT KIND OF CHAOTIC MOMENT.

ONTO CHICAGO.

NEED NOT TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN THE STREETS OF CHICAGO.

IT WAS WAR BETWEEN THE ANTIWAR PROTESTORS AND THE CHICAGO POLICE.

AND THE INSTANT REACTION, WAS THAT THE POLICE WERE WRONG AND THE PROTESTORS WERE RIGHT.

WHEN I GOT BACK TO SOUTH DAKOTA FROM THAT, MY BROTHER WAS IN VIETNAM.

AND MY FATHER WAS IN A RAGE ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PROTESTORS.

HE IDENTIFIED WITH THE COPS.

AND HE SAID TO ME, I'LL BET THOSE COPS HAVE GOT YOUNG SONS IN VIETNAM.

AND THE FIRST TIME THAT IT OCCURRED TO ME.

AND THEY WERE NOT -- AND I LATER DISCOVERED THAT IN FACT WAS THE CASE.

AND THERE WERE A LOT OF EXTRAORDINARILY PROVOCATIVE ACTIONS ON THE PART OF THE PROTESTORS THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY AND PROTEST.

THEY WERE JUST IN A WAR AGAINST ANYTHING THAT REPRESENTED LAW AND ORDER.

AND MY DAD AND I HAD THE MOST SEVERE ARGUMENT WITH EVER HAD.

AND THE NEXT MORNING I KNEW I WAS WRONG.

WE HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES AND RESOLVING THEM.

AND THEN WE GO ON FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IN AUGUST.

RUSSIA INVADED CHECK SLOVAKIA.

AND I REMEMBER THINKING ON THAT OCCASION THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO END.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN SURVIVE ALL THAT.

THE ELECTION THAT FALL, AS I NEED NOT TELL YOU, WAS ONE OF A CLOSELY PITCHED RACE BETWEEN NOT JUST RICHARD NIXON AND HUBERT HUMPHREY, BUT GEORGE WALLACE WHO WAS AN OUTSPOKE SPOKEN RACIST WAS IN THE RACE AS WELL.

AND PEELED ENOUGH VOTES AWAY FROM HUMPHREY THAT HE PROBABLY COST HIM THE ELECTION, BECAUSE THERE WERE STILL SOME SOUTHERNERS WHO WERE VOTING AS DEMOCRATS, AND RICHARD NIXON WON.

BUT THE NATION WAS DEEPLY, DEEPLY WOUNDED THAT YEAR.

AND OF COURSE THE NIXON PRESIDENCY WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG TRAIL TO WATERGATE.

WE SURVIVED ALL THAT, BECAUSE THE RULE OF LAW PREVAILED, AND PEOPLE RETURNED TO, I THINK, OUR SHARED VALUES ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

AND WE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT VIETNAM WAS NOT JUST A TERRIBLE WAR, WHICH I BELIEVE IT WAS, BUT IT WAS A WAR ON A LOT OF YOUNG MEN, MOSTLY.

LOVE THEIR LIVES -- LOST THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FAMILIES PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE FOR IT, AND WE CANNOT IGNORE THEIR SACRIFICES AS WELL.

SO '68 FOR ME STILL IS THE DEFINING YEAR IN WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER WE COULD SURVIVE.

IT'S DEFINING FOR ME AS WELL BECAUSE WE DID SURVIVE BECAUSE OF A FUNDAMENTAL OF THE RULE OF LAW, AND THE EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY OF THIS NATION TO RISE TO OCCASIONS WHEN THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO HEAL EACH OTHER AND NOT STAY PERMANENTLY DIVIDED.

AND I KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CHAOTIC TIME NOW.

>> I'D LIKE TO DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT INTO THAT.

AND SOMETHING I KNOW YOU HAVE OBSERVED, AND SENATOR DASCHLE, I KNOW YOU HAVE AS WELL.

YOU SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR IN THE AIR FORCE.

I BELIEVE NOW LESS THAN 1% OF THE POPULATION OF THIS COUNTRY IS IN SERVICE NOW.

AND IT'S MY CONTENTION, IT'S MY HI HYPOTHESIS THAT PART OF TE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING NOW IN THIS WHOLE TESTIMONY PEST WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT 99% OF AMERICANS REALLY HAVE NO PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE MILITARY AND FEWER AND FEWER FAMILIES ARE BEING TOUCHED BY IT.

WE'RE PUTTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS OVERSEAS.

AND I THINK YOU'VE MADE THE OBSERVATION THAT BASICALLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, A SIGN AT THE AIRPORT, WELCOME HOME, AND THAT'S SORT OF OUR PAY ON TO THESE PEOPLE THAT SERVED.

WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, WHAT YOU THINK -- HOW THAT AFFECTS THE COUNTRY NOW AND WHERE IT GOES?

SENATOR DASCHLE, WOULD YOU MIND STARTING ON THAT?

>> I THINK I WOULD START BY TELLING ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES ABOUT ARCH BIBALD MCCLESH, OUR POET LAUREATE DURING THE '30s.

AND THEN HE WAS ASKED BY CONGRESS TO BECOME THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.

AND HE SAID, WELL, I WILL, BUT I'M GOING TO QUIT WRITING POETRY.

I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE.

AS LONG AS I'M LIBRARIAN, I'M GOING TO DEDICATE MYSELF TO BEING A LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.

IN 1941, HE WAS INVITED TO ARLINGTON SEEM TEARTY TO WATCH A -- CEMETERY TO WATCH A BURRAL FOR THE FIRST TIME.

I'M GOING TO VIOLATE MY ASSERTION THAT I'M NOT GOING TO WROTE POETRY.

AND HE WROTE A POEM CALLED "OUR DEAD YOUNG SOLDIERS."

IF YOU'VE NEVER READ THE POEM, GOOGLE IT WHEN YOU GET HOME TONIGHT.

ONE OF THE LINES IS -- AND IT'S A POEM DESCRIBING THIS YOUNG SOLDIER SPEAKING TO THE NATION.

AND AS HE'S -- AS HE'S NOW BEING BURIED.

AND ONE OF THE LINES IN THE POEM IS, "I GIVE YOU MY DEATH, GIVE IT ITS MEANING."

AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT ANYBODY WHO HAS FOUGHT -- FIRST OF ALL, I'D ALSO SAY THAT I THINK THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS TO KEEP THIS REPUBLIC WHAT IT IS.

EITHER YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT AS MY FATHER DID ALL THROUGH EUROPE, OR YOU HAVE TO WORK AT IT.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE.

ONE OR THE OTHER.

YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT OR WORK AT IT.

BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THOSE HAVE DONE BOTH HAVE AN ENORMOUS APPRECIATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO KEEP THIS REPUBLIC.

AND SO I WAS BLESSED TO WORK WITH A LOT OF WORLD WAR II AND KOREAN WAR VETERANS.

JOHN GLENN WAS A COREIAN WAR VETERAN, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET PLYING TO -- FLYING TO CHINA WITH JOHN, AND HE DESCRIBED WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE KOREAN WAR.

AND THEN HE TALKED ABOUT HIS REENTRY INTO THE EARTH WITH HIS FAMOUS ORBIT.

BUT IT WAS JUST -- HE SPOKE WITH SUCH PASSION, AND HE ACTUALLY HAD -- HE AND HIS WIFE, ANNIE, HAD TEARS IN THEIR EYES.

AND IT JUST -- IT REALLY STRUCK ME.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND THE UNFORTUNATE THING TODAY IS, WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN REFLECT THAT COMMITMENT.

BOB CAREY WAS LIKE THAT.

BOB CAREY HAD THIS PASSION.

AND YOU COULD SEE IT EVERY DAY.

DANNY ENOUA, BOB DOLE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND TO FEEL THE EMOTION AND THE COMMITMENT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BOTH FOUGHT FOR AND TODAY ARE WORKING AT IT.

>> TOM?

>> I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT LESS THAN 1% OF OUR POPULATION IS UNIFORMED AND IN HARM'S WAY, AND SO MANY OF THEM, THE MAJORITY OF THEM, COMING FROM WORKING CLASS BACKGROUNDS, AND THEY JOIN OUT OF A SENSE OF PATRIOTISM, ALSO BECAUSE IT'S A JOB, ALSO BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING THAT WILL ADVANCE THEIR LIVES, IS A TERRIBLE COMMENTARY ON THIS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AT THIS TIME, THAT IN EFFECT WE SEND A KIND OF MERCENARY ARMY ALMOST TO FIGHT OUR WARS FOR US.

BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN.

I DO A LOT WITH THE VETERANS FROM THESE WARS.

I DO A LOT WITH SPECIAL FORCES, BENEFITS AND OTHERS.

AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF THESE WARS ARE BEING FOUGHT BY SPECIAL FORCES, BY SMALL UNITS.

IF YOU TALK TO ANY MEMBER OF THESE SPECIAL FORCES, THEY'LL SAY, SIR, I'M ON MY 12TH TOUR OR I'M ON MY 14TH TOUR, OR 10TH TOUR.

THINK ABOUT THAT.

THEY'RE GOING BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND TO THESE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS, WHERE THERE ARE NO FRONT LINES AND AS WE LEARNED RECENTLY IN THIS YEAR, THEY'RE VULNERABLE EVEN ON TRAINING MISSIONS.

FOR WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THEM.

IT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IN YEMEN.

AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE ALL OWE THESE VETERANS MORE THAN A SIGN AT THE AIRPORT, OR A WEEKEND OF GOING FLY FISHING IN COLORADO.

IT REALLY IS I THINK A SCANDAL IN POLITICAL TERMS, AND IT'S ACROSS THE ENTIRE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, IN MY JUDGMENT, NOT JUST REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TEA PARTY MEMBERS AS WELL, THAT WE CAN SIT BACK AND SEND OFF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN AT WAR NOW 13 YEARS, $3 TRILLION, ALMOST 6,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, MORE ARE DYING EVERY DAY AND WE'RE GOING BACK WITH EVER LARGER FORCES INTO AFGHANISTAN.

I'VE BEEN IN ALL THE WAR ZONES, EMBEDDED WITH SPECIAL FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN, AND AS WELL IN IRAQ.

AND I'M TELLING YOU THERE IS NO OTHER COMBAT QUITE LIKE IT, THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS OUT THERE.

AND NO ONE HAS THEIR BACK, BY THE WAY.

EVEN WITH DRONES AND THE LONG-RANGE MISSILES THAT WE HAVE, THIS IS THE MOST PRIMITIVE KIND OF WAR FOR FACE TO FACE IN SO MANY INSTANCES.

AND THERE'S NOT A CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT IT ON A DAILY BASIS IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND IT'S QUITE OUTRAGEOUS.

>> LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NIGHT AND THE DAY THAT WAR CAME TO NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON.

YOU BOTH HAD PIVOTAL ROLES OBVIOUSLY.

TOM BROKAW, ON THE NIGHT OF 9/11, YOU WERE ANCHOR AT NBC NEWS, AND SENATOR DASCHLE, YOU WERE SPIRITED AWAY TO STATE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY TOOK YOU?

>> CORRECT.

>> DID YOU EVER ASK?

DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEEDED TO KNOW?

>> I HAVE A SORT OF A GENERAL SENSE.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU'RE IN A HELICOPTER, YOU KNOW THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING AND YOU KIND OF RECOGNIZE THE BETTER RAIN.

I COULDN'T FIND IT.

IT WAS A MON TOWN.

AND SO -- AND THERE AREN'T MANY MOUNTAINS AROUND WASHINGTON.

BUT I DIDN'T FEEL I NEEDED TO KNOW MORE THAN THAT.

>> AND TOM BROKAW, THAT NIGHT YOU DECLARED ON NBC NEWS THAT, QUOTE, THIS WILL CHANGE US IN WAYS WE CANNOT YET ANTICIPATE.

SO WE'RE 16 YEARS LATER.

CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT QUESTION?

>> WELL, I ACTUALLY SAID IT IN THE MORNING.

AND OF ALL THE BIG, LIVE, BREAKING EVENTS THAT I'VE COVERED, THERE WAS NOTHING AS CHALLENGING AS 9/11.

I WAS AT HOME ABOUT 5 TO 9:00 WHEN THE CALL CAME FROM THE DESK AND SAID A SMALL PLANE HAS RUN INTO THE TRADE CENTER.

I WANTED TO GET DRESSED, AND I THOUGHT THIS COULD BE A LONG DAY, AND I PICKED OUT QUITE A SOMBER TIE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

IT WAS ELECTION DAY IN NEW YORK.

BEAUTIFUL DAY.

AND PEOPLE WERE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STREET.

AND I SAID, HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT HAPPENED?

AND IS THE ELECTION NOT OVER?

>> I SAID, NO, NOT YET.

A FIRE BRIG AIDE HEADING OVER TO THE NORTH SIDE, AND THAT WAS A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHEN I WALK MY DOG AT NIGHT, I'D GO BY AND SAY HELLO TO THE GUYS WHO WOULD BE SITTING OUT THERE.

DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME.

I JUMPED IN THE CAB, STARTED DOWNTOWN.

AND A VERY, VERY GOOD RADIO REPORTER CAME ON THE RADIO SAYING, I'M IN WASHINGTON SQUARE.

A JET LINER HAS JUST ROARED ACROSS WASHINGTON SQUARE AT LOW ALTITUDE, CRASHED INTO THE SECOND TOWER.

AND I THOUGHT OH, MY GOD.

AND I CALLED MEREDITH, AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE TALK AGAIN.

WENT DOWN TO THE "TODAY" SHOW.

AND AT THAT POINT KATIE WAS ON WITH MATT.

I KIND OF BECAME CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM AND I TAKE OVER DIRECTING OUR COVERAGE AND I KEPT SAYING THE SAME THING TO THEM.

JUST WHAT WE KNOW.

DON'T SPECULATE.

JUST WHAT WE KNOW.

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD PROMPTED THIS.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE NEXT IS A ATTACK WAS COMING FROM.

PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT SAYS INTO MY EAR, PUT ME ON THE AIR.

I DON'T WANT TO ALARM ANYBODY, BUT THERE'S AN AN EXPLOSION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENTAGON.

WE KNEW THAT THE UINTO NITED FLIGHT WAS STILL IN THE AIR SOMEWHERE.

IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, CHAOS.

IMMEDIATELY THERE WERE SUSPICIONS THAT IT WAS PROBABLY INSTIGATED BY ONE OF THE TERRORIST GROUPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST BECAUSE THEY HAD GONE AFTER THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ONE OTHER TIME AND THEY WERE GIVEN TO SUICIDE ATTACKS, BUT WE WERE JUST PLAYING ALL BUT VERY STRAIGHT.

AND THEN BECAUSE OF MY CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND, I LOOKED AT THOSE TOWERS, AND I SAID ON THE AIR, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, THAT THESE TOWERS WILL HAVE TO BE BROUGHT DOWN.

AND I THOUGHT MAYBE I'VE GONE TOO FAR.

AND ABOUT THREE MINUTES LATER, THE FIRST TOWER GOES DOWN.

AND THEN THE SECOND TOWER GOES DOWN.

AT THAT POINT, THERE WERE ANY INDICATION THAT THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 25,000 OR 30,000 PEOPLE STILL IN THOSE TOWERS.

AND THAT'S WHEN I SAID, WE ARE AT WAR.

SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THAT, BUT I DO REMEMBER SAYING WE'RE AT WAR AND THIS WILL CHANGE THIS.

I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THE TAPE.

THEY PLAY IT EVERY YEAR TO THE ANNIVERSARY.

BUT MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE SAID YOU CHANGED MY ATTITUDE AT THAT MOMENT.

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO SAY THAT?

I SAID IT WAS UNTIGHTIVE.

INTUITIVE.

THIS IS HAPPENING BEFORE ME.

BUT IT TOOK EVERYTHING I KNEW NOT JUST AS A JOURNALIST BUT AS A CITIZEN AND A FATHER AND A GRANDFATHER AND IT JUST KIND OF SPILLED OUT OF ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO START THINKING IN A NEW WAY.

AND INDEED WE DID HAVE TO START THINKING IN A NEW WAY.

I'M A FAIRLY EMOTIONAL GUY IN A LOT OF WAYS.

MY MOTHER WAS VERY IRISH, AND SO I DID HAVE THAT KIND OF GENE.

AND I DID WORRY DURING THE DAY THAT I WOULD MAYBE GET TOO EMOTIONAL.

AND I WAS DOING FINE BECAUSE I WAS OPERATING AT HYPER SPEED UNTIL ABOUT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, THERE'S SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE WHO JUST GOT OUT.

AND HE WAS IN TOWER ONE, AND I SAID, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.

HE SAID, WELL, I WAS ON THE 65TH FLOOR.

AND HE SAID WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT.

AND HE SAID THERE WAS A STAIRWELL THERE.

AND I STARTED DOWN AND TURNED BACK AND SAW THREE OF MY COWORKERS IN WHEELCHAIRS WAITING FOR THE EL ELEVATORS.

AND OF COURSE THE ELEVATORS NEVER CAME.

I DID A LOT OF WORK WITH SPINAL CORD PEOPLE BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY EMPATHETIC AND SUPPORTIVE OF THEM AS, YOU KNOW, AN ACTIVE PERSON.

AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE IN THOSE WHEELCHAIRS.

AND I FINALLY SAID TO SOMEBODY, I INSTALLED IN THE STUDIO.

AND THEY TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME FOR A WHILE, AND THEN I COLLECTED MYSELF AND WENT BACK ON.

AND SO IT WAS THAT KIND OF DAY, AND IT WAS THAT KIND OF MOMENT.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE, WHAT WERE YOUR EMOTIONS THAT DAY?

WAS THERE FEAR?

WHAT WERE YOU GOING THROUGH?

>> I WAS HOLDING A LEADERSHIP MEETING.

IT'S SO FUNNY THAT -- I'M SURE WE CAN ALL RELATE TO THIS.

THERE'S SOME DAYS YOU CAN REMEMBER ALMOST HOUR BY HOUR OR MINUTE BY MINUTE.

AND I REMEMBER THAT ONE VIVIDLY.

I WAS HOLDING A LEADERSHIP MEETING.

AND WE HAD THE TV ON.

AND I -- CAN I INTERJECT SOMETHING?

>> I THINK THE LEADERSHIP MEETING WAS ABOUT WHO TO DO WITH THE SURPLUS.

REMEMBER THE SURPLUS?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT I SAID, LOOK AT THAT.

A PLANE JUST FLEW INTO THAT BUILDING.

I SAID A PILOT JUST FLEW INTO THAT THE BUILDING AND JOHN GLENN ONCE AGAIN SAID THAT WASN'T A PILOT.

AND THEN PATTY MURRAY SAW THIS BIG PLUME OF SMOKE COME OP OVER THE PENTAGON.

THE SECURITY TEAM CAME IN.

I REMEMBER SENATOR BIRD RUNNING.

HE'S IN HIS LATE 70s, BY THEN, CARRYING TWO BIG ARMFULS OF BOOKS, AND LITERALLY RUNNING OUT OF THE BUILDING.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH US.

WE'VE NEVER EVACUATED THE CAPITOL BEFORE.

THEY TOOK THE LEADERS TO THE CAPITOL POLICE BUILDING ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY AND TOOK US TO THE FOURTH FLOOR AND PULLED THE SHADES DOWN.

[ Laughter ] AND WE ALL THOUGHT, WELL, WE CAN'T STAY HERE, THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

AND I'LL NEVER FORGET, NONE OF OUR CELL PHONES WORKED, AND THERE WAS ONE HARD LINE, AND LIKE REFUGEES, WE STOOD IN LINE CALLING OUR SPOUSES JUST TO SEE IF THEY'RE OKAY.

AND THEN THEY SAID WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU.

SO THEY JUST TOLD US TO LEAVE.

AND A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, THEY SAID WE DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO THIS SECRET UNDISCLOSED LOCATION.

AND I REMEMBER WE HAD THESE EAR PHONES, AND THEY SAID, DO YOU HAVE ROOM FOR TWO MORE?

AND I SAID -- WILL YOU SWING AROUND TO ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE AND PICK UP TREAT LOTT?

AND THEN THEY WERE OUT THERE AND IT WAS JUST LEADERSHIP.

SO OUR FAMILIES WERE IN WASHINGTON.

OUR CAUCUS WAS IN WASHINGTON.

WE CAN'T STAY HERE.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

WE TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT SEVERAL TIMES.

AND SO SPEAKER HASTERT WAS THE SPEAKER, WE DECIDED TO COME BACK AND MAKE A DEFIANT SPEECH ON THE CAPITOL.

AND THE CAPITOL STEPS.

SO WE -- HE AND I BOTH SPOKE ON THE CAPITOL STEPS, AND SOMEBODY STARTED SINGING "GOD BLESS AMERICA."

AND THEN WE STARTED HOLDING HANDS, AND I LOOKED OVER AND I WAS HOLDING TOM DELAY'S HAND AND I'M THINKING THIS IS AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE.

>> CAN I SAY IT WAS QUITE OFFKEY TOO?

>> IT WAS.

BUT THAT WAS MY IDEA ON 9/11.

>> ABOUT A MONTH OR SO LATER, IN FACT WE'VE JUST MARKED THE 16TH ANNIVERSARY OF IT.

YOUR TWO OFFICES WERE AMONG THE FIRST TWO TARGETS OF THE ANTHRAX ATTACK.

IN FACT, I THINK SENATOR DASCHLE, SOME OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS WERE INFECTED.

>> 28.

>> 28 WERE.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT DAY AND KIND OF WHAT TRANSPIRED THAT DAY AND WHAT WERE YOU GOING THROUGH?

AND, TOM BROKAW, YOU WERE, I THINK TARGET OF ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, CORRECT?

>> IF I REMEMBER, I THINK MY LETTER ARRIVED -- >> TWO DAYS BEFORE I THINK.

>> SLIGHTLY BEFORE YOURS.

>> RIGHT.

OVER THE WEEKEND.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD ARRIVED.

I HAD A SECRETARY THAT WAS A WIFE OF A COP, A NEW YORK COP, VERY STRONG IRISH AMERICAN WOMAN.

AND SHE WAS COLLECTING A LOT OF THE MAIL THAT WE WERE GETTING THAT WAS SO OUTRAGEOUS BECAUSE THERE WERE ATTACKS ON WHAT WE WERE SAYING ON THE AIR.

AND THEN ONE WAS IN BLOCK LETTERS AND IT WAS DEATH TO ISRAEL AND DEATH TO YOU, BROKAW.

AND I LOOKED AT IT AND THOUGHT, WHAT THE HECK IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

SHE SAYS I'M NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THAT, BUT THERE WAS A LETTER WE GOT YESTERDAY THAT HAD A LOT OF BROWN SUBSTANCE IN IT.

AND THEY'VE TESTED IT AND IT CAME BACK NEGATIVE.

AND I ACTUALLY PICKED UP THE OTHER LETTER AND LOOKED AT IT, MAKE SOME KIND OF A JOKE OUT OF IT.

WELL, CUT TO THE CHASE.

IT WAS THAT LETTER THAT WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH ANTHRAX.

AND WITHIN ABOUT THREE DAYS, MY SECRETARY HAD A MASS ON HER UPPER BREAST.

AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS.

AND SHE FOR THE FIRST TIME SAID TO ME, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH ME.

I THINK I HAVE TO SEE A DOCTOR.

NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANTHRAX BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE OTHER STUFF WAS NEGATIVE.

AND THEN A YOUNG WOMAN IN OUR OUTER OFFICE DEVELOPED SOME SORES ON OUR HER LEGS AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO ANYBODY.

SO ALL THIS CONFUSION.

AND I SAID TO MY SECRETARY, WELL, WE'VE GOT TO GET YOU TO A DERMATOLOGIST.

WE'LL FIND A DERMATOLOGIST.

NOBODY HAD SEEN IT.

NOBODY IN NETWORK HAD SEEN IT.

THEY SAID IT LOOKS LIKE THE FOOT BRINT PRINT OF A BROWN RECLUSIVE SPIDER BITE.

SHE CAME IN ON MONDAY AND SAID I'M FEELING A LOT BETTER.

HER FRIEND WENT TO THE BATHROOM WITH HER, AND THEY SAID, TOM, THERE'S THIS GOD AWFUL LOOKING MASS THERE.

AND SHE SAID, LOOK, I DON'T WANT YOU TO SHOW ME THE MASK.

I TAKE YOUR WORD FOR.

WE'D GOT TO FIND HELP FOR YOU.

I HAD A FRIEND SHE ACTUALLY KNEW VERY WELL WHO'S AN EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN AFRICA.

AND I SENT HER TO KEVIN, AND KEVIN WAS THE FIRST ONE TO SAY FINALLY, I CAN'T RULE THIS OUT IT.

COULD BE ANTHRAX.

WE GOT THEN SAMPLES AND SENT THEM TO FORT KENDRICK IN WASHINGTON WHERE THE ARMY TESTING CENTER AND THE CDC.

AND I VIOLATED THE RULES -- THEY SAID IT WAS A BROWN RECLUSIVE SPIDER.

AND FRIDAY MORNING, TEN DAYS AFTER, THE CDC AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING MADE A MATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET TO IT AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THE MACHINERY HAD BROKEN DOWN.

BY THEN WE THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD NOT BEEN ATTACKED.

AND IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A -- ONE OF THE MOST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE.

SHE JUST HAD A CHILD.

THE CHILD WAS AT HOME.

SHE WAS TERRIFIED THAT THE HOUSE HAD BEEN INVADED.

SHE WAS EMOTIONALLY VERY DISTRAUGHT.

IT WAS ONE OF THE TIMES REALLY GRATEFUL FOR WORKING FOR A BIG CORPORATION.

WE'LL BUY THE HOUSE.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND.

WE'LL SEND IN THE TEAMS.

THEY'RE GOING TO CLEAN THIS PLACE OUT.

THEY SAID IT'S SAFE.

SHE SAID WE CAN'T GO BACK THERE.

THEY BOUGHT IT TWICE.

AND THEN WE GOT LIFETIME DISABILITY FOR HER AND GOT HER RESETTLED IN CONNECTICUT.

IN THE MEAN TIME THE YOUNG GIRL OUT FRONT HAD ALL THESE SPORES AND SHE HAD ANTHRAX.

AND NO ONE HAD RECOGNIZED THAT AS WELL.

SHE DIDN'T GET NEARLY THE ATTENTION.

WE MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HER.

THIS IS A REAL SHORT CUT, BY THE WAY, FOLKS, FROM WHAT WE WENT THROW.

REMEMBER, THIS IS MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN.

I'LL NEVER FORGET THE MEETING ON THE 52ND FLOOR WITH THE MAYOR, WITH THE HEAD OF THE FBI IN NEW YORK CITY, THE HEAD OF THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY THAT RUNS 30 ROCK TELLER CENTER, AND THE LEADER OF THE CDC IN ATLANTA ALL ON THE PHONE DEALING WITH WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, BECAUSE NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

SO IT -- MY SECRETARY HAS A 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.

WHO'S DOING VERY WELL.

THEY LIVE HAPPILY IN CONNECTICUT.

THE YOUNG WOMAN HAS A CHILD, LIVES IN BOSTON.

IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING.

BUT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> I KNOW BOTH OF YOU WERE BRIEF.

A GOVERNMENT SCIENTIST BY THE NAME OF BRUCE IVANS WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE ONE, AND HE COMMITTED SUICIDE BEFORE ANY PROSECUTION WENT ALONG.

ARE YOU CONVINCED THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO DID IT?

>> I AM.

WE GOT A DAY LONG BRIEFING FROM THE FBI AND I HAD TWO CALLS FROM ROBERT MULLER.

THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL, AND THE GOVERNMENT TESTING LABS WHO BELIEVE THAT HE WAS INNOCENT.

BUT AS THE FBI TOOK US THROUGH IT, THEY SAID HE WAS THE CLEVEREST CRIMINAL WE EVER DEALT WITH.

HE HAD ANSWERS FOR EVERY PLACE THAT WE WERE GOING.

AND HONEST TO GOD, THIS -- I SAID, WHY ME?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD YOU ABOUT WHY YOU, BUT I SAID WHY ME?

THEY SAID HE HAD A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH A SORORITY MEMBER WHEN HE AWAY IN COLLEGE, AND SO HE WAS PICKING ON KAPPAS.

JANE PAULY WAS A KAPPA.

THAT'S THE ONLY CONNECTION WE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE.

AND I SAID, DO YOU MIND IF I TELL JANE PAULY THAT SHE ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE?

AND THEY SAID -- WHAT DID THEY TELL ABOUT WHY YOU WERE A PART?

>> WELL, THEY TOLD ME THEY THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS THE MAJORITY LEADER AT THE TIME AND I HAD OBVIOUSLY HIGH PROFILE.

THERE WERE THINGS THAT I SAID.

HE WAS -- HE HAD SOME ISSUES.

HE WAS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, QUITE A -- HE HAD A KIND OF RIGHT WRING PHILOSOPHY AND PROBABLY DISAGREED WITH MOST OF WHAT I SAID AND DID.

MOST LIKELY WHAT HIS MOTIVATION WAS TO TAKE DOWN A LEADER OF THE SENATE.

>> YOU'RE NOT QUITE AS CONVINCED?

>> I'M 95% CERTAIN.

BOB MULLER, I GIVE HIM GREAT CREDIT.

I THINK HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.

ONE TIME HE SAID I'M 100% CERTAIN WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHO DID THIS.

TANNED WAS MANY MONTHS LATER, AND I SAID ARE YOU STILL 100% CERTAIN?

HE SAID, NO, I'M NOT.

BUT I'M STILL CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT PERSON, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T SAY WITH 100% CERTAINTY.

I GUESS THAT PROBABLY DESCRIBES MY OWN SENTIMENT.

>> YEAH.

WELL, WE'VE COVERED ANCIENT HISTORY, I.E., ANYTHING BETWEEN -- OR BEFORE 2010.

SO LET'S TURN TO THE -- LET'S TURN TO TODAY.

I'D LIKE BOTH OF YOU TO DESCRIBE, NOT IN A TACTICAL OR STRATEGIC POLITICAL WAY, BUT THE CONDITIONS THAT LED TO DONALD TRUMP WHO'S NEVER RUN BEFORE, WASN'T A POLITICIAN.

WHAT CONDITIONS LED TO HIM BECOMING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?

>> WELL, I THINK IT WAS NOT A KEEN APPRECIATION OF THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WHERE THE REST OF THE PEOPLE ARE.

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE, WHY CAN'T THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER?

WHY ARE THEY NOT CONNECTING TO OUR LIVES?

AND THEN OF COURSE SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTALS IN AMERICAN LIFE HAD COME APART, THE INDUSTRIATE MIDWEST, MANUFACTURING JOBS HAD DISAPPEARED.

THAT WAS PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC BASE.

BUT QUITE HONESTLY, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE BIG VILLAIN IN ALL OF THIS WAS SOCIAL MEDIA, AND NOT AS DONALD TRUMP BLAMES FAKE NEWS FOR HIS DIFFICULTIES, BUT THE FACT IS THAT SOCIAL MEDIA WAS A SEPARATE POLITICAL FORCE AND IT FED INTO PEOPLE'S PARANOIA, AND THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT, WELL, WASHINGTON WASN'T REPRESENTING THEM AND HOW THEY'D LOST THEIR WAY.

I THINK SENATOR DASCHLE'S PARTY WAS NOT KEEPING PACE, FRANKLY, WITH THE CHANGES THAT WERE GOING ON AND THE EXPECTATIONS THAT THE PUBLIC HAD FOR THEM.

THE REPUBLICAN FIELD, AFTER TRUMP, IT TURNS OUT, WAS, I DIDN'T THINK, VERY STRONG, FRANKLY.

I THINK TRUMP -- I DIDN'T THINK TRUMP WAS GONNA WIN THE NOMINATION EVER, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CANDIDATE THAT ROMNEY MET FOUR YEARS EARLIER.

THEY WERE ALL PEOPLE WHO SEEMED TO BE ONE CYCLE AWAY FROM BEING A REALLY SERIOUS CANDIDATE.

HE IS A MASTER, AS WE KNOW, OF REALITY TELEVISION.

AND PEOPLE BOUGHT INTO THAT.

THEY WERE THAT TICKED OFF THAT THEY KIND OF LIKED THAT.

FOR ME, THE EARLIEST SIGNAL WAS IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE.

I'VE BEEN GOING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE SINCE 1968, BECAUSE A BIG RALLY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

HE USES AN OBJECT SCENE WORD ABOUT WOMEN ON THE STAGE.

AND THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE BURST INTO LAUGHTER AND GAVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

AND I THOUGHT WE'RE LINKING IN A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, DID I THINK HE WAS GOING TO GET THE NOMINATION?

NO.

FOR A LONG TIME, I THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WON'T POSSIBLY PUT UP WITH THESE ANTICS, AND ESPECIALLY AT THE END THE BUSINESS WITH HOW HE DESCRIBED WOMEN IN THE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT THING.

I THOUGHT HILLARY DID NOT RUN A GOOD CAMPAIGN.

I WAS TALKING TO SOME OF HER POLLSTERS CONSTANTLY.

THEY WERE NERVOUS, BUT THEY WERE REASSURED BY WHAT THEY'RE TESTING WAS SHOWING.

IF WE HAD ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK, WOULD YOU STAY WITH HILLARY?

THAT WAS TRUE UNTIL A MONTH BEFORE THE ELECTION.

AND THAT BEGAN TO COME IS A APART.

DAVID PAULSON, ONE OF THE CHIEF STRATEGISTS FOR THE DEMOCRATS SAID, THERE'S NO REASON FOR TRUMP TO GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.

THAT'S LOCKED UP AND OVER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

THE LAST BIG RALLY THAT THE DEMOCRATS PUT ON WAS IN PHILADELPHIA, BECAUSE IT WAS GONE AT THAT POINT.

IT WAS GOING FAST.

WISCONSIN WAS GOING FAST.

MACK COMB COUNTY IN MICHIGAN WAS GOING FAST.

THESE ARE THE WORKING CLASS DEMOCRATIC PRECINCTS THAT SHE DID NOT CONNECT TO.

AT ONE POINT IN THE KIND OF RUM SESSIONS I WOULD SAY, THEY'D SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD CHANGE IT FOR HER?

I SAID, A COUPLE THINGS COULD CHANGE IT FOR HER.

IN ALL OF HER RALLIES, SHE DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE WORKING CLASS NEEDS OF -- OR ABOUT THE ANGST OUT DAILY ABOUT GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.

AND THEN SHE TOOK GOVERNOR SANDERS' IDEA, SENATOR SANDERS OORKS IDEA ABOUT FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE AND SHE DIDN'T PAY IT OFF.

SHE JUST SAID IT WAS ONE MORE PROMISE.

WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY A FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR FAMILIES WHO OVER $110,000 A YEAR OR LOSS.

YOU'D PAY IT OFF BY SAYING THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH OF YOU GIVE TWO YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO YOUR COUNTRY.

AND YOU'RE GOING INTO THE COMBAT ZONES TO DO THE NONCOMBAT NANT RULES.

SHE WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TYPHIC WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE CHARACTER.

SHE'S NOT TOLD THE COUNTRY WHY SHE SHOULD BE PRESIDENT.

AND THEY WERE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, AFTER THE LAST 24 HOURS, I THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD WIN AND IT WOULD BE CLOSE.

I DIDN'T THINK HE COULD PULL IT OFF.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE, DID YOU HAVE SOME SENSE GOING INTO THE ELECTION DAY THAT MAYBE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OUT THE WAY IT DID?

>> NO, I THOUGHT THAT HILLARY WAS PROBABLY GOING TO WIN AS WELL.

BUT I WOULD SAY I THINK THERE ARE THREE BIG FACTORS, CHUCK, REAL QUICKLY.

FIRST, I THINK THERE'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FRUSTRATION, ANXIETY, AND CONCERN ABOUT INCOME STAGNATION, AND INCOME DISPARITY TODAY.

II MEAN, THE TOP 1% SINCE 1980 HAS SEEN A 238% INCREASE IN INCOME.

THE BOTTOM 90% HAS SEEN A 15%.

ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING STATISTICS IS THAT IT TOOK 45 HOURS, AVERAGE HOURS OF WORK TO PAY FOR ONE MONTH AVERAGE RENT IN 1980.

TODAY IT TAKES 101 AVERAGE HOURS OF WORK TO PAY FOR ONE AVERAGE MONTH OF RENT.

PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO, GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT FATIGUE.

THEY'RE VERY APP REHENCIVE ABOUT GLOBALIZATION TODAY.

BERNIE SANDERS AND DONALD TRUMP MADE A MAIN PART OF THEIR CAMPAIGN ABOUT THAT.

I THINK ALSO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, 15 YEARS, $3 TRILLION, PEOPLE ARE JUST TIRED AND FATIGUED.

THE THIRD IS JUST AN ENORMOUS DEBATE ABOUT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN SOCIETY TODAY.

AND I THINK THAT DEBATE HAS TURNED NOT ONLY IDEOLOGICAL BUT TACT TICKAL.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT STANDING YOUR GROUND IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT DEBATES RATHER THAN FIND COMMON GROUND.

COMMON GROUND IS CAPITULATION FOR A LOT OF THEM.

AND THAT'S LED TO A LEVEL OF DYSFUNCTION IN WASHINGTON THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AT LEAST SINCE THE CIVIL WAR.

LYNDON JOHNSON HAD EXACTLY ONE FILIBUSTER IN SIX YEARS IN THE 1950s.

IN THE LAST SIX YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN 422 FILIBUSTERS.

SO THAT'S ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DYSFUNCTION.

SO IT REALLY BECAME RATHER THAN REPUBLICAN VERSUS DEMOCRAT, I THINK IT BECAME INSIDER VERSOUS OUTSIDER.

HILLARY CLINTON WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL INSIDER.

DONALD TRUMP WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL OUTSIDER.

OUTSIDERS WON.

>> I JUST HAVE ONE ON THE OBSERVATION WHICH I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT, IS THAT WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, THE TWO PARTIES HAVE FLIPPED.

DEMOCRATS USED TO BE THE PARTY OF PEOPLE FROM THE GROUND UP AND REPUBLICANS WERE PARTY OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE TOP DOWN.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN VERY CLEVER ABOUT BUILDING A GROUND LEVEL BASE IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND THEY'VE DONE IT ON SOCIAL VALUES, NOT JUST ECONOMIC VALUES.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT GOING TO CHURCH.

IT'S ABOUT ABORTION.

IT'S ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE AND HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE.

AND THEY HAD A REPUBLICAN WHIP, TOM DELAY, WHO WHEN HE WAS IN THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, WENT AROUND THE COUNTRY AND STARTED LOCKING UP "STATEHOUSES" AND STATE LEGISLATURES.

THAT MEANT THAT THEY COULD GERRYMANDER CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.

AND THEY NOW CONTROL 75% OF THE STATE LEGISLATURES IN THE COUNTRY.

AND THEY'VE GOT MACHINERY OUT THERE THAT WORKS.

DEMOCRATS AT THE SAME TIME, AS GOOD AS THEY WERE, AS SMART AS THEY WERE, AS CLEVER AS THEY WERE, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT AL GORE AND JOHN KERRY AND BARACK OBAMA, THEY WERE ALL IVY LEAGUERS, ALL PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT OF THE ELITE INSTITUTIONS.

AND I THOUGHT IN FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS SPENT WAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION IN THIS CAMPAIGN WORRYING ABOUT TRANSGENDER RIGHTS AND NOT ENOUGH TIME WORRYING ABOUT WORKING CLASS RIGHTS.

AND I THINK THEY PAID A PRICE FOR THAT.

>> THERE WAS A HEADLINE CAME OUT TODAY, OUT OF THIS INVESTIGATION IN THE RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE 2016 ELECTION IN WHICH THERE WAS A SITE, TENNESSEE G.O.P.

WAS THE SITE, TURNS OUT IT WAS RUN BY THE RUSSIANS.

AND THERE WERE RETWEETS AND TWEETS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WERE RETWEETING THEM AND WHATEVER.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE, DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE POSSIBLE TO GOVERN IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THE INFORMATION IS WEAPONIZED AND FAKE -- IT'S HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAKE AND NON-FAKE?

AND WHAT IS THE JOURNALIST'S CHALLENGE DO YOU THINK IN THAT - >> FROM A JOURNALISTIC POINT OF VIEW, IT'S THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE FASHION, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FAKE NEWS, HEAVILY, HEAVILY OPINIONATED SOCIAL MEDIA, DRIVING ONE AGENDA OR ANOTHER, AND COMPETING AT THE SAME LEVEL WITH WHAT WE USED TO CALL MAINSTREAM NEWS.

DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE IN MY JUDGMENT.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S THE BIG MAINSTREAM THAT THE CONSERVATIVE CRITICS OF OUR BUSINESS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE.

BUT THERE ARE UNTOLD NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES ON A DAILY BASIS TO REACH MILLIONS OF HOMES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE OF SOME KIND.

I GET THEM.

I GET THEM FROM PEOPLE THAT I'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT HAVE GONE TO THE ALT RIGHT AND IT HAS NO BASIS IN TRUTH WHATSOEVER.

VERY SOPHISTICATED IN HOW IT IS FRAMED AND THE CONCLUSIONS, AND THEN IT'S SENT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING A LOT IN SOUTH DAKOTA, DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMPANIES, SOLD FOR DISTRIBUTION'S SAKE.

AND THEN PEOPLE ABSORB THAT.

QUESTION HAVE THIS -- WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO WORKS FOR US IN.

MONTANA.

SHE AND HER HUSBAND MOVED THERE FROM MISSOURI.

THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH ASK POLITICAL, BUT IN THE SUMMER, WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE, KAREN ORGANIZATION A REGULAR BASIS, TWICE A WEEK, WILL SAY TO ME, TOM, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET THIS MORNING.

AND MY ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME.

KAREN, YOU'RE RIGHT.

I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU WREAD ON THE -- READ ON THE INCONSISTENT.

COMES TO ME FIVE DAYS LATER AND SAYS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET THIS MORNING.

I GET IT FROM PEOPLE, MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE, AND I WRITE BACK AND SAY, LOOK, WE DID A LITTLE FORENSIC RESEARCH ON THIS.

IT'S COMPLETELY MADE UP, AND IT'S AN ATTEMPT NOT JUST BY THE RUSSIANS BUT BY PEOPLE IN THE AMERICA TO DISRUPT THE SYSTEM, IT'S A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR A LOT OF THEM.

AND HOW DO YOU GET THAT CONTROL IS A REAL SOCIETAL DILEMMA.

AND I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT.

I'M TALKING ABOUT NATIONAL INTEREST HERE THAT WE CAN'T HAVE A COUNTRY THAT IS IN THE GRIPS OF THIS KIND OF EXTRAORDINARY DISTORTION THAT GOES ON ALL DAY LONG.

>> SENATOR DASCHLE, HOW DO YOU GOVERN IN THAT ENVIRONMENT?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT TO GOVERN.

IN PART BECAUSE TRUTH IS JUST AN OPTION.

AND BECAUSE TRUTH IS JUST AN OPTION, YOU REALLY DON'T -- YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE DISCERNING.

I THINK TOM SAID SOMETHING THIS AFTERNOON THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IT INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WHAT IS TRUTH AND WHAT IS NOT.

I THINK WE'RE GOING THROUGH A TRANSITION IN THIS NEW INFORMATION AGE THAT IS ENORMOUSLY DISRUPTEDDIVE.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LAST TIME WAS WE'VE SEEN THE LEVEL OF DISRUPTION IN SOCIETY BOTH GOOD AND BAD AS A RESULT OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, ESPECIALLY INVOLVING COMMUNICATION AND THE WAY WE OBTAIN INFORMATION.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO LEARN.

WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER AT IT.

WE'RE GOING TO BECOME MORE DISCERNING, MORE EMPOWERED, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNANCE, IT CREATES ENORMOUS CHALLENGES.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS I THINK ARE FAR MORE CHALLENGED TODAY TO COMMUNICATE, IN SOME WAYS THEY'RE MORE EMPOWERED.

IT'S EASIER TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE MEDIA THAN IT EVER WAS BEFORE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON A PRESS RELEASE ANYMORE.

YOU CAN TWEETED, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM.

AND I THINK THAT EMPOWERS A LEGISLATOR.

BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY -- THIS RUSH OF INFORMATION, AND THESE IDEAS THAT ARE GIVEN TO YOU FROM EVERY DIRECTION, AND SORT IT ALL OUT.

AND THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.

>> I HAVE A LINE ON THAT.

THERE IS NO MEDIA ANYMORE IN A SENSE, IN A MEDIATING SENSE, I DON'T THINK.

AFTER THE PRESIDENT DECLARED THAT PEOPLE IN YOUR NETWORK AND OTHER NETWORKS AND IN NEWSPAPERS AND WHATEVER WERE EVIL PEOPLE, AND ENEMIES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, YOU TWEETED, "MR.

PRESIDENT, I'VE BEEN A JOURNALIST 50 YEARS, MANY RISKED THEIR LIVES REPORTING ON U.S.

VALUES.

CHEAP SHOT ."

BUT I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT, DO YOU THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DOING DAMAGE TO THE MEDIA, TO THE AMERICAN JOURNALISM PROFESSION?

>> YEAH, I DO.

ALMOST ALL PRESIDENTS I HAVE KNOWN HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH THE PRESS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.

RICHARD NIXON DECLARED HIS OWN KIND OF WAR ON THE PRESS.

AND SOME OF THAT WAS JUSTIFIED.

IT'S VERY HARD TO FIND VERY MANY EPISODES WHERE DONALD TRUMP'S ATTACKS ON THE PRESS ARE REALLY JUSTIFIED.

HE SAYS THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS LIVES, AND THEN SAYS -- AND SAYS ABOUT US, THEY DON'T LIKE THEIR COUNTRY.

THEY DON'T LOVE THEIR COUNTRY.

AND IT'S ONE DAY AFTER ANOTHER, AND THE LIES ARE DEMONSTRABLY THAT, THEY'RE UNTRUE.

AND WHEN WE CALL HIM ON IT, THEN HE GETS VERY ANGRY, AND HE GOES TO HIS BASE AND HE HAS A RALLY IN MONTGOMERY.

AS I REMIND MY COLLEAGUES, THE TEMPTATION IS TO GET INTO A PERSONAL CONTEST WITH HIM.

DON'T DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I WROTE THAT, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

BUT I WANTED TO CALL HIM ON IT.

AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW, IMMODESTLY A CERTAINLY STANDING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR FROM ME.

AND I FELT THAT FOR US TO CALL US -- FOR HIM TO CALL US UNPATRIOTIC MADE MY BLOOD BOIL.

I'VE LOST FRIENDS IN WAR ZONES WHO WERE JOURNALISTS.

I'VE LOST FRIENDS IN THIS COUNTRY IN VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

AND I REALLY DID MEAN IT.

AND I DON'T CARE WHETHER THEY'RE CONSERVATIVE JOURNALISTS OR MIDDLE OF THE ROAD -- THEY LOVE THEIR COUNTRY, AND WHY NOT?

WE HAVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

WE HAVE THE GREATEST FREEDOMS OF ANY JOURNALIST IN THE HISTORY OF MAN KIND, AND IT'S AN EXCITING PROFESSION AND WE CARE ABOUT IT.

AND FOR HIM TO COME ALONG AND CHEAP SHOT US LIKE THAT I THOUGHT WAS A STEP TOO FAR.

I DID NOT HEAR BACK FROM HIM.

I TELL YOU ANOTHER EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH HIM.

WHEN -- EARLY IN THE CAMPAIGN, HE -- HE SAID, THAT HE SAW THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS CELEBRATING IN JERSEY CITY AFTER 9/11, NOT TRUE.

AND THEN HE SAID HE WANTED TO KEEP ALL MUSLIMS OUT OF AMERICA.

I WENT TO ARGUING TON.

ARLINGTON.

AND I SAID, WE'VE HAD LESSONS BEFORE IN SINGLING OUT ONE GROUP OR ANOTHER AND BLAMING THEM FOR THE SINS OF A FEW.

WE HAD IT IN OUR OWN COUNTRY WITH HOW AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE TREATED.

WE HAD IT AS WELL WITH HOW JEWS WERE TREATED IN GERMANY.

WE HAD IT AS WELL WITH JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY WHERE WE PUT PEOPLE IN PRISONS DURING WORLD WAR II FOR NO REASON EXCEPT THEIR ANCESTRY.

AND THEN THE NEXT SHOT IS ME STANDING NEXT TO A GRAVE MARKER AT ARLINGTON, SECTION 60.

AND I SAID, THERE ARE SOME MUSLIMS THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN'T KEEP OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.

THEY HAVE A PERMANENT HOME HERE.

AND WE PANNED DOWN TO KAHN'S GRAVE.

I SAID, THIS MAN JOINED THE MILITARY RIGHT AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF THE TWIN TRADE TOWERS BECAUSE HE WANTED AMERICANS TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE THEIR ENEMIES, THAT THERE ARE SO MANY MUSLIMS IN THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE PATRIOTIC, AND HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THAT.

WELL, I GOT A BIG REACTION, I MUST SAY, FROM REPUBLICANS AS WELL AS DEMOCRATS.

AND THEN TRUMP WAS ASKED ABOUT, AND HE SAID, OH, BROKAW, HE CAN NEVER STAND ME, BECAUSE I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS RATINGS RISE IN THE NIGHTLY NEWS.

[ Laughter ] >> THE -- CAME ON TWO HOURS AFTER I DID, AND THERE WASN'T ONE IOTA OF EVIDENCE THAT TRUMP TROM'S YOUR FIRED HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY SUCCESS AS A JOURNALIST.

THAT WAS KIND OF SET THE TONE.

[ Applause ] >> WELL, I COULD SAY ON A PERSONAL NOTE, ALMOST EVERY WHITE HOUSE REPORTER THAT I KNOW, MYSELF INCLUDED, HAS A MISSIVE, MANY OF THEM FRAMED FROM OUR PRESIDENT, THAT ARE USUALLY NOT VERY NICE.

BUT ANYWAY.

[ Laughter ] HOW SERIOUS DO YOU THINK THE RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE ELECTION WAS FROM WHAT YOU KNOW TODAY?

SENATOR DASCHLE?

>> WELL, I -- WELL WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THERE WAS RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT.

WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT IT WAS THE MOST SPLICES KATEED -- SOPHISTICATEED ATTACK ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT WE'VE SEEN TO DATE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY IS BEEN ABLE TO CONCLUDE WITH ANY AUTHORITY OR WITH ANY CONFIDENCE JUST HOW MUCH THAT TURNED VOTES.

SOMEDAY WE MAY KNOW THAT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IT TODAY.

BUT CLEARLY, OUR SYSTEM IS EXTRAORDINARILY VULNERABLE.

TO ATTACKS LIKE THAT.

I WORRY A LOT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE PROPER DEFENSES NOW TO PREVENT THAT AS SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE IN ANOTHER ELECTION.

I WORRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE IT.

AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ELECTIONS NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES BUT IN EUROPE AND ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN EUROPE, IN UKRAINE IN PARTICULAR WHERE THIS HAS REALLY BECOME A BIG ISSUE.

BUT THIS IS THE NEW ERA, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE -- I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS AND CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE FACED IN ALL OF HISTORY.

>> TOM, DO YOU -- >> I THINK THE EVIDENCE IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS HACKING ON THE PART OF THE RUSSIANS.

THE REAL QUESTION WAS, WAS THERE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CAMPAIGN, OR WAS THERE A DOTTED LINE FROM WHAT THE RUSSIANS WERE DOING TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN?

AND WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

A YEAR AGO, ABOUT THIS TIME, WELL, ACTUALLY, IT WAS BEFORE THE ELECTION, SO IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME.

WHEN TRUMP WAS A NOMINEE, AND WE STARTED GETTING TIPS THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE INVOLVED, THAT HE HAD MORE THAN A DOTTED LINE CONNECTION TO THEM.

WE COULD NEVER CLOSE THE DEAL IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT LAST LINE, AND THEN THAT BRITISH INTELLIGENCE AGENT WROTE A LONG DOZENNIER, AND HE COULDN'T CLOSE THE DEAL.

BUT THERE WERE ALL THESE TRACKS LEADING UP TO IT THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN JUST A CASUAL CONNECTION.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO FIND OUT.

HE COULD VERY WELL FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED RIGHT TO THE SHORES OF THIS COUNTRY BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A TRUMP COORDINATION PIECE OF IT.

WE DON'T KNOW.

>> WHAT TOOLKIT DO YOU THINK CITIZENS CAN DO TO ARM THEMSELVES AGAINST THIS -- WHAT WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT, FAKE NEWS?

IF SOMEONE CAME UP TO YOU ON THE STREET AND ASKED YOU, HOW DO I SEPARATE ALL THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?

>> I WOULD TELL THEM, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE IN LIFE THAT YOU JUST TAKE ON THE FIRST PASS.

ONE OF MY KIND OF PEDESTRIAN EXAMPLES IS, IF YOU GO INTO A STORE TO BUY A FLAT SCREEN TELEVISION SET, YOU DON'T BUY THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU COME UP AGAINST.

YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU DO SOME COMPARATIVE SHOPPING AND YOU TRY TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ON IT AND YOU ASK FRIENDS WHO HAVE GOT IT, DOES THAT HOLD UP, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU DO, FROM BUYING INSURANCE TO BUYING A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOESES.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO FAKE NEWS, YOU'VE GOT TO APPLY THAT SAME KIND OF CONSUMER SKEPTICISM.

I DO THAT WITH STORYIES THAT ARE WRITTEN BY FRIENDS OF MINE, QUITE FRANKLY.

SO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT WITH FAKE NEWS.

IF IT LOOKS LIKE FAKE NEWS, IT PROBABLY NEWS.

I MEAN, IF IT SEEMS TO GO COMPLETELY OVER THE TOP, THEN SOMETIMES YOU SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, I'VE GOT TO GO BACK, AND WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THIS?

ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO, OVER THE YEARS TO BE QUITE STUNNED BY NEWS AND ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FOR ME, I WAS IN CUBA, AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF -- AT THAT POINT, COMING INTO CUBA.

AND AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING I HAD A CALL FROM TIM RUSSERT IN WASHINGTON AND HE SAID, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BILL CLINTON IS INVOLVED WITH A WHITE HOUSE INTERN AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONGE TIME.

AND I THOUGHT, WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S PROBABLY TRUE.

SO THE NEWS CAN STUN YOU AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME.

>> DO YOU THINK THAT WAS A DEMARCATION POINT IN ANY WAY, YOUR REFERENCE HERE, WAS THAT A DEMARCATION POINT IN JOURNALISM?

>> NO, I THINK THAT EVERYTHING NOW IS FAIR GAME.

REALLY, IF YOU GO BACK, GARY HART WAS KIND OF THE BEGINNING OF WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, THE DISCLOSURE OF HIS IS A AFFAIR.

AND I ACTUALLY KNEW GARY VERY WELL, AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE, HE WAS OUTED BY THE MIAMI PRESS.

HE HAD SAID TO PEOPLE IN IOWA, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT I'VE GOT A REPUTATION FOR WOMANIZING.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ME AROUND.

WELL, THEY DEFINITE [ Laughter ] WELL, THEY DID.

[ Laughter ] THAT WAS THE INTERSECTION OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS RISING AND WOMEN SAYING I'M NOT GOING TO BE TREATED THAT WAY ANYMORE ON THE CAMPAIGN.

AND GARY WAS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.

VERY ASTUTE POLITICIAN, WHY HE WAS NOT MORE ALERT TO THAT WILL ALWAYS KIND OF PUZZLE ME.

BUT HE WAS VERY, VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT HOW HE WAS TREATED, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, JOURNALISTICALLY -- WAS A STORY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

>> YEAH.

SENATOR DASCHLE, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT TOPIC?

HOW DO YOU ARM YOURSELF TO TRY TO FERRET OUT WHAT'S TRUE AND WHAT'S NOT TRUE?

>> WELL, I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO BE CURIOUS, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO READ MORE THAN JUST A COUPLE OF SOURCES.

AND I THINK TOM'S ANALOGY IS A VERY GOOD ONE.

YOU HAVE TO BE DISCERNING.

YOU HAVE TO ASK GOOD QUESTIONS.

AND YOU START GOING TO THOSE YOU TRUST.

THERE ARE MEDIA SOURCES I TRUST.

THERE ARE THOSE I DON'T.

MY LIST MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS, BUT I THINK YOU START WITH THAT.

BUT I THINK YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND NOT TAKE ANYTHING YOU SEE AT FACE VALUE, FEEFN IT'S SOMETHING YOU COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE KEYS.

>> WELL, WE'RE COMING TOWARD THE END HERE, AND I WANT TO CLOSE IT WITH SOMETHING KIND OF SPECIAL HERE.

AND TOM BROKAW, YOU CAN GO FIRST, AND THEN SENATOR DASCHLE, YOU CAN GO SECOND AND THEN CLOSE OUT THE PROGRAM IF YOU WOULD.

I'D LIKE YOU TO, IN ALL OF YOUR TRAVELS, I MEAN, ALL OF THE THINGS YOU'VE SEEN IN BOTH OF YOUR CAREERS, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL US ABOUT THE ONE PERSON, THE ONE SOUTH DAKOTAN, THAT YOU WISH THE WORLD KNEW.

MAYBE NOT A FAMOUS PERSON, BUT WHATEVER, AND WHY YOU THINK THAT WAY AND SORT OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

WOULD YOU START ON THAT?

>> WELL, YOU GAVE U.S.

A HEADS UP ON THAT, IT'S A TOUGH QUESTION IN A LOT OF WAYS.

I THINK BACK ON MY OWN LIFE HERE.

BUT HERE'S MY CONCLUSION.

AND I'M GOING TO MELD SOME PERSONALITIES.

AND LAST YEAR, I READ THE OBITUARIES OF TWO OF MY GRADE SCHOOL TEACHERS.

ONE WAS MY FOURTH GRADE TEACHER AND THE OTHER ONE WAS MY FIFTH GRADE TEACHER.

THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT MY SECOND GRADE TEACHER, SHE WAS A FARM WIFE.

SHE WAS A GREAT TEACHER.

SHE SINGLED MOST OUT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.

AND SHE GAVE ME A REAL SENSE OF CONFIDENCE OF WHAT I COULD DO.

AND MY FOURTH GRADE TEACHER AND MY FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS WERE SISTERS IN LAW AND THE SAME THING.

AND THEN I EXPAND THE ROLE OF SOUTH DAKOTA WOMEN WHO IN SO MANY INSTANCES COME FROM EITHER A FARM LIFE OR THEY'RE LIVING A FARM LIFE.

AND THEY SUPPORT THEIR HUSBANDS, AND THEY HELP FARM, OR THEY LEAVE THE FARM TO GO TO TOWN AND TEACH SCHOOL.

OR THEY GO IN AND HELP RUN A BUSINESS.

AND THEY'RE THE UNDERPINNING OF SO MANY THINGS IN THIS STATE.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE MEN ARE SLACKERS.

IT JUST MEANS THAT I THINK THAT WE DON'T GIVE ENOUGH CREDIT TO WOMEN IN SOUTH DAKOTA FOR DOING A KIND OF DUAL JOB.

BEING A MOTHER, BEING A WIFE, AND THEN ALSO BEING AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE STATE.

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A VERY POIGNANT OBSERVATION IN THESE MOMENTS WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN HOLLYWOOD AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S TRANSPIRING IN -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, WITH THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING FORTH WITH NOW.

>> WELL, I THINK WE'RE IN TRANSITION.

I -- ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN MY LIFE, I WAS RAISED IN A FAMILY OF THREE BOYS, HEAVY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT FATHER, AND THE HEARTED OF THE FAMILY WAS MY MOTHER IN MANY WAYS BECAUSE SHE KEPT US CIVILIZED UP TO A POINT AND HAD A HIGH STANDARD FOR US.

AND AS THE FATHER OF THREE DAUGHTERS, AND THE HUSBAND OF MEREDITH BROKAW, I HAD A COMPLETELY ENHANCED APPRECIATION, EVEN THOUGH MY MOTHER HAD GIVEN IT TO ME A LOT, BECAUSE I'LL SHARE YOU, THIS AUDIENCE, THE STORY THAT ONE THING I'D GROWN UP IN LOCKER ROOMS AND A ALL-BOY HOUSEHOLD.

THEN I WAS IN A HOUSEHOLD WITH WOMEN.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPEN, YOU HAVE A NEW APPRECIATION OF ALL OF THINGS THAT THEY GO THROUGH PHYSIOLOGICALLY AT VERY EARLY AGES, THAT GUYS DON'T GO THROUGH.

AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT, THE FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS, HAD MENSTRATION OR BREAST DEVELOPMENT.

A BOY WOULD BE SCREAMING MIMI AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND THEY DID IT WITH SUCH DIGNITY.

I REMEMBER TAKING MY MIDDLE DAUGHTER TO HAVE HER PHYSICAL EXAM, AND SHE WAS SO CANDID ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE HAD THE PHYSICAL EXAM, AND THEN THE DOCTOR SAID BE OKAY, AND SHE SAID WHAT ABOUT THESE.

AND IT WAS ABOUT HER BREAST DEVELOPMENT.

AND NO GUY WOULD HAVE SAID THAT.

SO I WROTE ABOUT THIS IN THE LADIES HOME JOURNAL, INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING RAISED WITH WOMEN AND THE TRAUMATIC CHANGES THAT THEY GO THROUGH, WAY AHEAD OF BOYS, BY THE WAY.

BOYS ARE BACK LEER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SLAPPING EACH OTHER AROUND AND WOMEN ARE TRYING TO COME TO GRIPS WITH BEING A WOMAN.

AND THEN I SAID IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH, SO FOR ALL THEIR STRENGTHS, WHAT SO PUZZLES HOW THEY CAN GO TO A HAIR DRESSER AND COME HOME WITH ONE LOCK OF THEIR HAIR OUT OF PLACE, LOCK THEIRSELVES INTO A RAM FOR TWO DAYS AND SAY I'M NEVER COMING OUT OF HERE AGAIN.

MY DAUGHTER AT STAND FORD TOOK THAT ARTICLE, WALKED UP AND DOWN THE HALLWAYS AND REPEATED ONLY THAT LAST PARAGRAPH.

CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT MY FATHER HAS WRITTEN ABOUT ME?

SO I'VE NEVER DONE IT AGAIN.

>> I THINK YOU ACTUALLY HAD SENATOR DASCHLE'S DAUGHTER AS AN INTERN?

>> YES, MY ONLY REGRET IS HIS DAUGHTER WORKED FOR US ONE SUMMER.

SHE LIVED IN OUR APARTMENT.

BUT SHE WENT TO WORK FOR A.P.

IN WASHINGTON.

THAT WAS THEIR GREAT CATCH.

>> AND SENATOR DASCHLE -- >> SHE TREASURES THOSE MEMORIES TO THIS DAY.

THAT'S SUCH A GOOD QUESTION AND IN SO MANY WAYS.

AND AFTER TOM'S ANSWER, IT'S -- I WANT TO TAKE IT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BUT I WOULD -- I GUESS I WOULD -- I WOULD USE THE NAMES LOUIE AND MELVINA WINTERS.

THEY BOTH HAD GOTTEN OUT OF PRISON HERE.

THEY WENT TO PINE RIDGE.

THEY FOUND A BURNED OUT TRAILER HOUSE.

ONE DAY, THEY GOT UP AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BABY WITH CIGARETTE BURNS ALL OVER IT ON THEIR DOOR STEP.

AND THEY TOOK THAT BABY IN.

SINCE THEN THEY'VE TAKEN IN HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN WITH NO MONEY, BUT WITH JUST AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF GENEROSITY AND GIVING BACK.

AND I THINK, IF I COULD TAKE LICENSE TO YOUR QUESTION, TO SAY IF THERE WAS ONE THING I WISH THE WORLD AND THE COUNTRY KNEW MORE, IT WOULD BE ABOUT THE NATIVE AMERICANS IN OUR STATE.

AND THE TRAGIC HISTORY.

AND I MEAN TRAGIC HISTORY.

AND THE ENORMOUS GENEROSITY AND THE RICH CULTURE, BUT THE PLIGHT OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN TODAY AND ALL THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, THE SUICIDE RATE FOR TEENAGE CHILDREN IS HIGHER ON OUR RESERVATIONS THAN ANYPLACE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY.

AND SO I ONLY WISH EVERYBODY COULD BETTER UNDERSTAND AND REFLECT, I TRAVEL THE WORLD, AND I MUST SAY, I'VE BEEN IN THIRLED-WORLD COUNTRIES, THAT LOOK BETTER THAN A LOT OF OUR RESERVATIONS TODAY.

AND SO I DON'T WANT TO END ON A DOWNER.

I WOULD SAY WHAT ENCOURAGES ME IS THE YOUNG NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

AND I JUST -- I JUST WANT TO SAY, BARRY BUN'S HERE AND I -- BARRY DUNN'S HERE, AND I WANT TO THANK HIM TOMORROW WHAT HE'S DOING TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS.

AND SO I JUST -- ON A HOPEFUL NOTE, HIS GOAL IS TO -- IS TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF STUDENT POPULATION HERE ON CAMPUS FOR NATIVE AMERICANS.

THAT'S THE HOPE.

GIVE THEM GOOD HEALTH.

GIVE THEM A GOOD EDUCATION, AND ONE DAY, ONE OF THEM WILL BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

[ Applause ] >> I THINK WE COULD GO ON ALL NIGHT, BUT, SENATOR DASCHLE, YOU HAVE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?

>> CHUCK, LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR GOOD QUESTIONS AND FOR MODERATING THIS, I THINK WE'VE -- YOU'VE REALLY DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.

[ Applause ] >> THANK YOU.

>> AND TOM BROKAW, YOU ARE NOT ONLY A SOUTH DAKOTA TREASURE, YOU ARE AN AMERICAN TREASURE, AND WE ARE HONORED AND VERY, VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'D TAKE THE NIGHT TO BE WITH US TONIGHT.

THANK YOU.

[ Applause ]