>>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN JUDY AND JOSH WESTON, DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

IN JUST HIS FIRST MONTH IN CONGRESS, BRONX REPRESENTATIVE RICHIE TORRES AND HIS FRESHMAN COLLEAGUES HAVE SURVIVED AN ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL IMPEACHED A PRESIDENT AND WATCHED ANOTHER ONE TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE.

IT'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY AND SOMETIMES TERRIFYING START TO A CAREER IN CONGRESS BUT TORRES WOULD LIKELY BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, IT'S JUST THAT, A START.

AFTER SPENDING THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST DECADE SERVING THE BRONX ON THE CITY COUNCIL, THE DEMOCRAT NOW REPRESENTS THE BOROUGH'S 15th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

HE'S ARRIVED IN CONGRESS WITH PLANS TO CONTINUE HIS FIGHT TO ADDRESS THE STATE OF PUBLIC HOUSING.

AND HE'S ONCE AGAIN BREAKING BARRIERS AS THE FIRST OPENLY DAY AFR-LATINO MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

BUT WHAT EXACTLY ARE HIS GOALS FOR HIS FIRST TERM IN CONGRESS?

WHAT DOES HE THINK A BIDEN WHITE HOUSE WILL MEAN FOR THE TRI-STATE?

AND WHY IS HE ENDORSING FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANDREW YANG TO BE THE NEXT MAYOR OF NEW YORK?

I RECENTLY GOT THE CHANCE TO ASK HIM.

TAKE A LOOK.

CONGRESSMAN TORRES, WELCOME BACK TO "METROFOCUS."

WE ARE ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE YOU.

>> IT'S AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND, OF COURSE, WE ALSO WANT TO SAY WE'RE THANKFUL TO SEE THAT YOU'RE OKAY AFTER EVERYTHING, OF COURSE, THAT HAPPENED WITH THE SIEGE ON THE CAPITOL.

BUT FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE.

YOU'RE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO GOT A CHANCE TO ATTEND THE INAUGURATION AND ACTUALLY SEE IT AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?

WHAT WAS YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM HAVING BEEN THERE AFTER EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALREADY HAD BEEN THROUGH IN YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN WASHINGTON?

>> WELL, I HAD WHAT I CALLED THE WILDEST WEDNESDAY.

ON JANUARY 6th, I SAW AN INSURRECTION AGAINST THE U.S. CAPITOL.

ON JANUARY 13th, I SAW -- I VOTED TO IMPEACH DONALD TRUMP.

HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO BE IMPEACHED NOT ONCE BUT TWICE.

AND ON JANUARY 20th, I SAW THE INAUGURATION OF JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS.

SO I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO ASK WHAT WILL NEXT WEDNESDAY BRING, BUT IT'S BEEN THE MOST EVENTFUL THREE WEEKS OF MY LIFE.

AND IT WAS DEEPLY MOVING TO BE PART OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE KAMALA HARRIS, THE FIRST WOMAN, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN, FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN IN THE PRESIDENCY, BEING SWORN IN BY JUSTICE SONJA IA SOTOMAYOR, THE FIRST LATINA ON THE SUPREME COURT, TELLS A POWERFUL STORY ABOUT HOW FAR WE'VE COME AS A NATION.

IT CAPTURES THE IDEA OF AMERICA AS A MULTIRACIAL, MULTI ETHNIC, INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY AND IT SERVES AS A POWERFUL REMINDER THAT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY DOES NOT BELONG TO DONALD TRUMP AND THE EXTREMISM THAT HE HAS UNLEASHED, IT BELONGS TO MULTIRACIAL, MULTIETHNIC DEMOCRACIES.

>> WELL, BEFORE WE GO BACK AND , WHICH WILL COME UP AGAIN WITH THE SENATE TRIAL, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

NOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS STARTING OFF WITH A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.

AND I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LEFT, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT ALL OF THE COUNTRY IS EXPECTING OR HOPING AND WANTING HIM TO DO.

BUT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, AND I'M WONDERING, I KNOW IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW DAYS, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR INCLINATION ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME ACTUAL TANGIBLE CHANGES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PUBLIC HOUSING CAN FEEL?

>> LOOK, TO SPEAK BROADLY, YOU KNOW, I'M CONFIDENT THAT A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT AND A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE AND A DEMOCRATIC SENATE MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE MAKING OF AN FDR, WE HAVE AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO GOVERN AS BOLD IN THE 2 1st CENTURY AS FDR DID IN THE 20th CENTURY.

IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THERE'S A WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION THAT HOUSING IS INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC HOUSING IS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AS STRONG OF AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE EVER HAD TO SECURE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.

AS YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HOUSING IS IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

IT'S BEEN SO SAVAGELY STARVED WITH FUNDING AT THE HANDS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT IT HAS THE CAPITAL NEED OF $40 BILLION AND COUNTING.

THERE ARE TENANTS WHO ARE LIVING IN MOLDY AND LEAKY CONDITIONS, TENANTS WITH NO CONSISTENT HEAT AND HOT WATER IN THE WINTER, CHILDREN POISONED BY LEAD AND THE EFFECTS OF LED POISONING HAUNTS YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

SO THERE'S A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN PUBLIC HOUSING THAT REQUIRES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REINVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HOUSING.

FOR ME, PUBLIC HOUSING LIES AT THE INTERSECTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

LIKE WE SHOULD NOT SIMPLY REBUILD PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE SAME FORM, WE SHOULD REINVENT PUBLIC HOUSING AS THE GREENEST CITY IN AMERICA.

IMAGINE NYCHA WITH ENERGY RETROFIT AND ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS AND ROOP FTOP HEATING SYSTEMS?

NYCHA CAN BECOME A LABORATORY FOR THE GREEN REVOLUTION IN AMERICA.

>> OKAY.

WELL, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU DID MENTION WAS THAT AMERICA HAS A CHANCE FOR AN FDR MOMENT, BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE DEMOCRATS NOW HAVE THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE SENATE IS A THIN MARGIN.

I MEAN, IF YOU, AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT MADAM VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WILL BE THE DECIDING VOTE, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S A 50/50 SPLIT AND THERE'S STILL A FILIBUSTER THAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH, ET CETERA.

SO ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED THAT THAT MIGHT GUM UP THE WORKS, I GUESS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION?

>> LOOK, I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.

THE STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS OFTEN CONDUCIVE TO PARALYSIS AND GRIDLOCK.

HAVING SAID THAT, FOR ME THE GREATEST OBSTRUCTION ON THE PATH TO PROGRESS IS MITCH McCONNELL, WHO HAS BEEN DETHRONED AS MAJORITY LEADER.

WITH CHUCK SCHUMER AS MAJORITY LEADER, WE'RE GOING TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT OTHERWISE WOULD LANGUISH IN THE SENATE.

THE SENATE IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE A GRAVEYARD FOR EVERY PROGRESSIVE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT THE HOUSE PASSES.

LIKE THERE WERE BILLS, THERE WERE ISSUES ON WHICH THERE WAS A BICAM EARL, BIPARTISAN VOTE.

AND THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE BECAUSE HE'S NO LONGER THE MAJORITY.

AND THERE WERE SOME SESSIONS WHERE UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES IT ALLOWS YOU TO SIR VUM VENT THE FILIBUSTER.

THE FILIBUSTER IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE.

I'M IN FAVOR OF ABOLISHING IT.

BUT EVEN WITH THE FILIBUSTER I'M IN FAVOR FOR EFFECTUATING CHANGE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

EVEN IN THE LAST YEAR, WE ENACTED THE TWO LARGEST STIMULUS PACKAGES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

IMAGINE WHAT WE CAN DO WITHOUT THE OBSTRUCTIONISM OF MITCH McCONNELL?

>> CAN I THINK THAT'S A LOT FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS TO IMAGINE.

BUT SPEAKING OF GRIDLOCK IN GOVERNMENT, YOU AS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS POLITICS THAT AFFECTS MOST PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE GOING TO BE LOCAL POLITICS.

OF COURSE, WE'VE SEEN MAYOR de BLASIO AND GOVERNOR CUOMO, LET'S CALL IT JUST DISAGREE OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE YEARS.

WE HAVE ANOTHER MAYORAL RACE UPON US AND FIRST OFF, WHAT I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON IS WHAT DIFFERENCE A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MIGHT MAKE FOR THE METROPOLITAN AREA BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THE MAYORAL RACE?

>> NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN HIT THE HARDEST BY COVID-19.

IT'S BEEN A CATASTROPHE FOR NEW YORK CITY GOVERNMENT, FOR THE BUSINESSES, AND FAMILIES OF NEW YORK CITY.

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY HAS NEW YORK CITY GOVERNMENT AND NEW YORK STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE MTA, PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM, ALL BEEN MFOUR BEEN IN A FISCAL CRISIS AT THE SAME TIME.

SO ONLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE A DEFICIT AND ONLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS IN A POSITION TO SHORE UP OUR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, WHICH AS YOU SAID ARE AT THE FOREFRONT, THE FRONTLINES OF IMPLEMENTING PUBLIC SERVICES.

SO OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO STABILIZE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT WITH EMERGENCY FUNDING.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

>> WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ENDORSE FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MAYOR YANG FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK?

>> SO I HAVE TO TREAD CAREFULLY, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU IN MY OFFICIAL CAPACITY, SO I WANT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO COMMENT ON POLITICS, BUT HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY, I WILL COMMENT ANDREW AS A PERSON.

ANDREW HAS BEEN THE SINGLE VOICE IN AMERICAN POLITICS FOR A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME.

AND FOR ME HIS VISION OF UBI IS ESPECIALLY POWERFUL IN A WORLD OF DEPRESSION-LEVEL.

IN THE TSUNAMI BRONX WE'VE SEEN A CABBAGE LOSS OF INCOME AND IN THE WEST IT'SES AS HIGH AS 25%.

UBI WOULD BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE FAMILIES IN MY DISTRICT.

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL, AND I ASK MYSELF WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT?

AND HE CHAMPIONS POLITICS THAT WILL LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY.

I DON'T WANT TO COMMENT ON POLITICS BUT I WILL COMMENT ON HIS RECORD OF FIGHTING FOR THE THINGS THAT MATTER.

>> THEN WITHOUT NECESSARILY COMMENTING ON POLITICS, I DO WANT TO ASK JUST IN TERMS OF POLITICKING, DO YOU THINK THAT CAMPAIGNING IN PERSON DURING A PANDEMIC IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT OR SHOULD CAMPAIGNING EVERYTHING BE IN THIS SORT OF ONLINE EXISTENCE THAT YOU AND I ARE TALKING IN RIGHT NOW?

>> ZH AS LONG AS YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS, AS LONG AS YOU'RE WEARING A MASK AND MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING, THEN THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION IS MINIMAL.

SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE FOLLOWING TO PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES, YOU CAN SAFELY CAMPAIGN OUTDOORS.

AND KEEP IN MIND TRANSMISSION INDOORS IS MUCH -- PRESENTS A MUCH GREATER RISK, MUCH MORE COMMON THAN TRANSMISSION OUTDOORS.

YOU REMEMBER FROM THE BLM RALLIES FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, THERE WERE MASSES OF PEOPLE ON THE STREET, AND THERE WERE ALMOST NO CASES OF COVID TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WE'VE COME TO DISCOVER THAT TRANSMISSION IN CLOSE INTERACTIONS AND CRAMPED SPACES IS MUCH MORE COMMON THAN TRANSMISSION OUTDOORS WHEN THERE'S SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASK ORDERS.

>> WELL, TURNING FROM THE POLITICS OF THE MAYORAL RACE AND JUST TURNING TO YOUR STORY SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAS THIS TRANSITION BEEN LIKE GOING FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONGRESS?

I MEAN, IS THERE A SENSE OF -- ARE THERE THINGS THAT ARE FAMILIAR?

IS IT ALL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE?

>> YOU'RE OPERATING ON A MUCH LARGER STAGE.

YOU'RE NOT PAW PART OF A LEGISLE THAT WAS ONCE HOME TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

MY OFFICE WAS THE SAME OFFICE AS JOHN F. KENNEDY DURING HIS TIME IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

MY FIRST SPEECH ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE CONCERNED IMPEACHMENT.

SO WHEN YOU'RE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY ON YOUR SHOULDERS.

THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 130 LATINO MEMBERS IN CONGRESS, ABOUT 160 BLACK MEMBERS IN CONGRESS, AND NONE OF THEM WERE LGBTQ.

SO I BLAZED A NEW TRAIL FOR A SEGMENT OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION THAT MIGHT HAVE FELT ALIENATED FROM OUR GOVERNMENT.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THEIR ELECTED LEADERSHIP, TO FEEL INSPIRED, TO BE POLITICALLY ENGAGED AND MAYBE RUN FOR OFFICE ONE DAY THEMSELVES.

THE SO I FEEL THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY ON MY SHOULDERS.

IT'S AWE-INSPIRING AND EMOTIONALLY OVERWHELMING.

AND I WILL TELL YOU, MY MOTHER HAS NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT WATCHING C-SPAN.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WELL, CONGRESSMAN RICTCHIE TORRES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US AGAIN.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS AND FOLLOWING YOUR WORK ON ADVOCACY AND BILLS YOU, OF COURSE, WILL BE PRESENTING TO CONGRESS AND CHECK BACK IN PERHAPS WITH YOU ON THE MAYORAL RACE FOR NEW YORK CITY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

TAKE CARE.

>> IT ALL RIGHT.

>> SO WHAT MAKES A LEADER?

AND ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?

PULITZER PRIZE AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN DORIS KEARNS GOODMAN HAS SPENT THE PAST DECADE WRITING BIOGRAPHIES OF AMERICAN LEADERS AND HER LATEST BOOK HE TITLED "LEADERSHIP IN PUSH LEAPT TIMES 00 IS "SHE DRAWS UPON FOUR PAST PRESIDENTS AND EXAMINES WHAT MADE EACH THE RIGHT LEADER FOR HIS TIME.

AND WHAT TODAY'S ASPIRING AND ESTABLISHED LEADERS CAN LEARN FROM THEM.

AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME A GOOD FRIEND FROM A LONG TIME GOOD, DORIS KEARNS GOODMAN HERE TO "METROFOCUS."

>> THANK YOU, I'M SO GLAD TO BE WITH YOU.

>> THEY'RE SO DIFFERENT THESE FOUR CHARACTERS BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM AGAIN THROUGH THE LENS OF LEADERSHIP DID YOU FIND SIMILARITIES THAT MAYBE HAD NOT BEEN REVEALED TO YOU BEFORE?

>> I THINK IT'S TRUE, THEY CAME FROM ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUND.

TWO OF THEM VERY PRIVILEGED, LINCOLN AND LBJ MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, POVERTY, CONCERN ABOUT ECONOMICS.

THEY HAD DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENTS.

THEY'RE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND I THINK IT'S TRUE SOMETIMES THE TEMPERAMENT FITS THE TIME.

BUT THERE WAS A FAMILY RESEMBLANCE I COULD SEE WHEN I LOOKED AT THEM ALL TOGETHER, HUMILITY.

YOU WOULDN'T THINK LBJ HUMILITY AT FIRST THE BUT NOT HUMBLENESS, IT'S THE ABILITY TO KNOWLEDGE ERRORS AND LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT HUMILITY REFERS TO HUMBLENESS?

THE FOUR, MAYBE LINCOLN BUT THE FIRST THREE IS NOT THE WORD THAT POPS INTO MIND.

>> IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE A LOW ESTIMATE OR WEAK OR HUMBLE, IT JUST MEANS YOU ACCEPT HUMANS HAVE LIMITATIONS AND LEARN FROM FROM YOURSELF AS WHEN YOU MAKE MISTAKES.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT, NOBODY THOUGHT OF HIM AS HUMBLE.

THEY SAID HE LOVED TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION SO MUCH HE WANTED TO BE THE BABY AT THE BAPTISM, THE BRONX WEDDING.

AND WHEN HE GETS TO THE LEGISLATURE, HE REALIZES HE HAS A SWELLED HEAD.

HE'S SO GLAD TO BE THERE.

HE'S POUNDING HIS FISTS, HE MAKES HEADLINES, HE BECKS FAMOUS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE.

HE SAID, HE REALIZED I HAD TO CHANGE MY WAY.

I WAS NOT ALLOWING MYSELF TO GET ANY COMPROMISE OR COLLABORATION.

SO THAT'S THE ABILITY TO LEARN AND GROW IN OFFICE.

THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY HUMILITY.

>> WE OFTEN HEAR FOLKS TALKING ABOUT OUR TIMES NOW AS BEING SUCH PUSHTURBULENT TIMES.

YET YOU ALMOST FORGET WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE FOUR FIGURES, TALK ABOUT THE TURBULENCE THAT SURROUNDED THEM AND THEIR ASCENSION TO THE OFFICES AND WHAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY FIRST WALKED IN.

>> THINK ABOUT LINCOLN COMING INTO OFFICE.

HE LATER SAID IF HE HAD KNOWN THE TURMOIL HE WOULD FACE, THE SOUTH WAS ALREADY SECEDING BEFORE HE EVEN GOT THERE, WAR WAS BEGINNING TO RAMP UP, 600,000 PEOPLE WOULD SOON DIE, HE SAID HE COULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT HE COULD HAVE LIVED THROUGH IT.

OR TEDDY ROOSEVELT TOO, COMING IN AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF McKINLEY.

THERE'S A REAL MOOD OF REBEL ANTICIPATE IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR AND THE WORKING CLASS ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE NOT GETTING A FAIR SHAKE, AND THEY'RE NOT.

AND HE COMES IN AND HAS TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT TENSION.

THERE'S BOMBS IN THE STREETS, THERE'S A NATIONWIDE STRIKE GOING ON.

AND, OF COURSE, FDR COMING IN AT THE HEIGHT OF THE DEPRESSION.

WHEN HE SAID HE WAS AFRAID THE WHOLE HOUSE OF CARDS MIGHT COLLAPSE BEFORE HE EVEN TOOK THE ONLY OF OFFICE, AND LBJ'S GOT THE ASSASSINATION IN FRONT OF HIM AND THE COUNTRY IS OBSESSED WITH LOOKING AT THE KILLING OF JFK AND THEN THE KILLING OF OSWALD, AND THE FEELING THAT HE'S NOT WORTHY OF BEING THE SUCCESSOR.

AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS HEATED UP AND THE BILL IS STUCK IN THE SENATE.

EACH OF THOSE ARE REALLY PUSH LEAPT TIURBULENT TIME BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT.

AND THE CITIZENS WERE ACTIVE, WHICH MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES HERE AND SO MANY WAYS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL YOU'RE CONNECTED IN SOME WAY.

I WAS FASCINATED WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE WAY EACH OF THEIR HEROES WERE.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>> IT CAME AT THE END, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THERE'S A FAMILY TREE THAT COVERS THE WHOLE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE LBJ'S HERO WAS FDR.

HE CALLED HIM HIS POLITICAL DADDY.

HE MET HIM WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS AND HE WAS IN THE NYA, NATIONAL YOUTH ADMINISTRATION.

AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HAD COME AND SAID IT WAS THE BEST PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.

THAT WAS HIS HERO AND HE MODELS HIS EARLY LIFE AS A WHOLE YOUNG YOU IN DEALER ON FDR.

FDR'S HERO WAS TEDDY ROOSEVELT.

IN FACT HE WAS HOPING HE WOULD HAVE THE SAME TRAJECTORY AS TEDDY WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG LAW CLERK AT 28 AND THEY'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO US.

HE SAID, I KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE, I LIKE THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THEN GO EVENTUALLY TO THE HE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY AND THEN I WOULD LOVE TO BECOME GOVERNOR.

WHO KNOWS, THEN MAYBE THE PRESIDENCY.

POLIO CUT THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WHICH HE DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME.

BUT ANYWAY, TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S HERO IS ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

IN 19 IT 2 WHEN HE WAS FACING THIS HUGE COAL STRAIGHT, HE READ ALL NINE VOLUMES OF "NICKEL IN THE HAY."

HE CAME OUT AND SAID HE GOT THROUGH THIS, THERE'S A RIGHT AND LEFT AND I AM IN THE MIDDLE AND CAN DO THE SAME THING.

HE LEARNED FROM HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

AND HIS HERO WAS ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HERO WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON.

SO IT'S AMAZING TO JUST THINK YOU GO FROM LBJ TO FDR, FROM FDR TO TEDDY ROOZ VILT TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN INTO GEORGE WASHINGTON.

IT'S THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.

>> THE THREAD RUNNING THROUGH THE FABRIC OF ALL OF THEIR LIVES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FOUR OF THEM, THEY'RE SUCH DIFFERENT MEN.

LOOK AT THE ROOSEVELTS, SAME EXTENDED FAMILY, SAME LIVES OF PRIVILEGE BUT STILL SO TERRIBLY DIFFERENT.

DID YOU FIND A SINGLE SORT OF CONSISTENT STRAND OR TRAIT, A LEADERSHIP TRAIT, THAT IDENTIFIED EACH OF THEM?

>> I THINK I'D WHICH TO CHOOSE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS EMPATHY.

IT'S EITHER BORN IN YOU, WHICH IT WAS FOR I THINK LINCOLN, OR MAYBE LBJ, WHICH MEANS YOU UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE'S POINTS OF VIEW, YOU CAN HAVE A FEELING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S WAYS OF LIFE.

I MEAN, LINCOLN FELT THAT AS A YOUNG KID.

WOE WATCH HIS FRIENDS PUTTING HOT COALS ON TURTLES AND KNOWING IT WAS PRODUCING PAIN AND HE WOULD GO AFTER THEM FOR DOING THAT.

AND LBJ TOO, WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG PERSON, AND HE TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL AND HE SAW THE PAIN OF PREJUDICE ON THESE KIDS' FACES AND HE FELT IT EMOTIONALLY.

HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER THAT YEAR HE WAS TEACHING.

WHERE AS FOR BOTH ROOSEVELTS, THEY HAD TO DEVELOP EMPATHY.

THEY LED SUCH A PRIVILEGED BACKGROUND FOR OTHER PEOPLE THROUGH POLITICS.

THAT'S WHEN POLITICS CAN BE THE MOST BROAD ANTICENING THING.

FOR TEDDY, HE SAID WHEN I WENT INTO POLITICS THE FIRST TIME, IT WASN'T TO MAKE PEOPLE'S LIFE BETTER.

THE I LIKED THE TENETS OF IT.

BUT THEN HE SAW FACTORIES AND CHILDREN WORKING AND SAID I WANT TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES.

FOR FDR POLIO PRODUCED EVEN MUCH DEEPER EMPATHY THAN SOME OF THE NATURAL EMPATHY HE MUST HAVE HAD.

HE SAW FATE HAVE AN UNKIND HAND.

I THINK IF THAT'S A QUALITY MISSING IN A LEADER, HOW DO YOU GET TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CUP THE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU?

HOW DO YOU HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR REGION OR CLASS OR YOUR RACE?

THEN THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THAT EMPATHY IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF YOUR TIME AND BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THEM TO MOBILIZE THEM TO ACTION WOULD BE THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT EMPATHY, I THINK.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TURMOIL THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST POLITICALLY, I'M TALKING ABOUT BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, SOCIETALLY, CULTURALLY, WHICH OF THE FOUR THAT YOU CHRONICLE HERE, WHICH OF THE FOUR DO YOU THINK WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO BE A LEADER TODAY?

>> I THINK IT WOULD BE TEDDY ROOSEVELT.

I MEAN, THE REASON BEING HIS TIME WAS SIMILAR TO OURS.

HE ALWAYS WARNED THE ROCK OF DEMOCRACY WOULD FLOUNDER IF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT REASONS OR RACES OR RELIGIONS BEGAN TO THINK OF THEMSELVES AS THE OTHER.

AND IT'S THAT DIVISION IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY THAT I THINK UNDERLAYS MUCH OF THE POLITICAL TURMOIL, THE LARGER DIVISION THAT'S THERE.

HE KNEW HOW TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

HE ALSO WOULD BE GREAT TWEETING, I THINK.

HE HAD SHORT PHRASES HE COULD SPEAK SOFTLY.

>> CAN YOU IMAGINE TEDDY ROOSEVELT TWEETING?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BUT HE WOULD THINK, I THINK, BEFORE HE TWEETED BUT DON'T HIT UNTIL YOU HAVE TO AND THEN HIT HARD.

HE EVEN GAVE MAXWELL HOUSE THE SLOGAN, GOOD TO THE VERY LAST DRON.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT, TEDDY ROOSEVELT.

>> BUT I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT HE ARGUED FOR WAS A SQUARE DEAL.

SO HE WAS ARGUING SO THERE'S PEOPLE ON THE LEFT, THERE'S PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT AND HE'S SAYING I WANT TO DEAL FOR THE CAPITALIST AND WAGE WORKER, RICH AND POOR.

IF YOU'RE A RICH PERSON, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS YOU DEAL FAIRLY.

IF YOU'RE A UNION GUY, I WILL BE BEFORE YOU UNLESS YOU DEAL UNFAIRLY.

HE WOULD STAND RIGHT IN THE CENTER BUT PROGRESSIVELY MOVING THE COUNTRY FORWARD.

HE HAD A SELF-DEPRECATING SENSE OF HUMOR.

MY FAVORITE STORY IS WHEN THE FAMOUS JOURNALIST WROTE A REVIEW OF HIS SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR MEM WAR AND HE SAID HE SO PLACED HIMSELF IN THE CENTER OF EVERY ACTION IN THE WAR HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED IT "ALONE IN CUBA."

WHAT DOES HE DO, HE WRITES A LETTER TO THE JOURNALIST SAYING I REGRET TO TELL YOU MY WIFE AND MY INTIMATE FRIENDS ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR REVIEW OF MY BOOK.

NOW YOU OWE ME SOMETHING.

I WANT TO SEE YOU.

I WANT TO MEET YOU.

AND THEY BECOME FRIENDS.

HE WAS ABLE TO BE FRIENDS WITH JOURNALISTS KNOWING THEY WOULD STILL CRITICIZE HIM.

HE COULD CRITICIZE THEM.

AND THE PARTNERSHIP HE JOINED WITH THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS, THE MUCKRAKERS WHO BECOME THE GOLDEN AGE OF JOURNALISM.

SO I THINK HE HAD THE ENERGY, HE UNDERSTOOD -- IN TODAY'S WORLD YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEWHAT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION AT LEAST AT THE MOMENT GIVEN THE MEDIA WORLD.

AND HE COULD DEFINITELY BE THAT.

HE WAS THE MOST COLORFUL PRESIDENT WE HAD UP UNTIL THAT TIME.

>> LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.

IN TRYING TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF HISTORY, AND WE'RE SO OFTEN TOLD THINGS SUCH AS IF WE DON'T LEARN HISTORY'S LESSONS, WE'RE BOUND TO REPEAT THEM.

THE NOTION OF THE PAST, WHEN FAULKNER SAID THE PAST ISN'T EVEN PAST.

DO YOU GET A SENSE THAT OUR LEADERS OF TODAY -- AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ACROSS THE BOARD HERE -- THAT OUR LEADERS OF TODAY DON'T GRASP THAT, DON'T GRASP THE NEED TO LEARN FROM THESE MEN AND THEIR TURMOIL AND THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS?

NOW, DON'T GRAPHIC THE NEED TO LEARN SO THEY CAN LEAD BETTER?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I WORRY THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

EVEN FORGETTING ONLY OUR LEADERS, I MEAN HISTORY COURSES ARE BEING NARROWED IN A LOT OF OUR COLLEGES NOW BECAUSE OF S.T.E.M.

STUFF.

AND WHAT YOU GET FROM HISTORY AS A HUMAN BEING, NOT SIMPLY A LEADER, IS YOU SEE HOW OTHER PEOPLE DEALT WITH TROUBLES AND HOW THEY CAME THROUGH ADVERSITIES AND WHAT WERE THEIR STRENGTHS AND WHAT WERE THEIR WEAKNESSES.

I WOULD LIKE TO THINK STUDYING LEADERSHIP HELPS YOU IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

YOU JUST NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO BACK A FEW DECADES AND IT'S LIKE YOU LEARN FROM YOUR PARENTS, YOUR GRANDPARENTS, SO LEARN FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN, LEARN FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON.

THESE PEOPLE KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF LEADERSHIP.

AND SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES YOU CAN ACTUALLY FOLLOW.

I THINK ABOUT LINCOLN WRITING A HOT LETTER WHEN HE WAS MAD AT SOMEBODY AND THEN PUTTING IT ASIDE UNTIL HE COOLED DOWN PSYCHOLOGICALLY, NEVER SENDING IT.

HOW HELPFUL THAT WOULD BE TO KIDS WRITING EMAILS TOO QUICKLY TODAY.

>> SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

>> AND FOR BROADER THAN THAT, YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WHEN THEY'RE DEALING WITH A TEAM, HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO SHARE CREDIT AND SHOULDER BLAME.

THESE ARE HUMAN QUALITIES MANY OF THEM MAGNIFY BY BECOMING LEADERS AND HOW YOU GROW THROUGH YOUR MISTAKES.

I JUST GOT TO BELIEVE EVERYBODY SHOULD LOVE HISTORY BECAUSE IT REALLY CAN TEACH PEW.

YOU.

IT TEACHES YOU ABOUT HUMAN NATURE.

ONE OF THE THINGS TEDDY ROOZ VET SAID, IF YOU WANT TO BE A LEADER, YOU HAVE TO READ.

BOOKS ARE HUMAN NATURE.

YOU READ IT IN POETRY AND YOU READ IT IN PROSE AND DRAMA AND YOU LEARN IT IN HUMAN NATURE.

THAT'S WHAT HUMAN LEADERS NEED TO LEARN NOTHING ANYTHING.

>> NO MATTER WHAT YOU WANT TO BE, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK HERE.

AS ALWAYS, YOU TAKE US ON A FABULOUS AND VERY PERSONAL JOURNEY INTO THEIR BACKGROUNDS.

THE STORIES, YOU COME AWAY -- AS YOU SAID, YOU COME AWAY WHEN YOU CLOSE THE BOOK SAYING, I'M SAYING BEST FRIEND AND I'M NOT THAT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

YOU AND I COULD TALK FOR HOURS ABOUT THIS.

IT'S ALWAYS SO NICE TO CONNECT WITH YOU AND SPEND SOME TIME TALKING WITH YOU.

AND, AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER FABULOUS WORK BY YOU, DORIS.

SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

>> BE WELL.

>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY, JUDY AND JOSH WESTON, DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.