>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, IT IS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NANCY
PELOSI. MADAM SPEAKER, 35 YEARS AGO,
YOUR FRIEND, THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE, REPRESENTATIVE BURTON WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. AND SHE ASKED YOU TO RUN FOR HER
SEAT. WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SAY TO
HER NOW IF YOU COULD ABOUT THE PATH THAT SHE SET YOU ON.
>> WELL, THAT'S SO NICE OF YOU TO SAY, BECAUSE THIS WAS REALLY
QUITE UNUSUAL THAT A WOMAN WOULD BE INDICATING WHO SHE WANTED TO
HAVE AS HER SUCCESSOR. MEN DID THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT
HERE WAS A WOMAN OFFERING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN.
I HAD NEVER INTENDED TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, EVER.
I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN. I WAS RAISING MY FAMILY.
AND WHEN THIS TIME CAME AND SHE OFFERED THIS, I SAID, "WELL,
I'VE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
I'M BASICALLY A SHY PERSON. I DON'T WANT TO PUT MYSELF OUT
THERE." >> Stephen: YOU DO SEEM VERY
SHY.
THIS IS NOW. BUT IN ANY EVENT, SO I WENT TO
ALEXANDRA, WHO YOU KNOW, OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, WHO WAS 16 AT
THE TIME, GOING INTO SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I SAID, "ALEXANDRA, MOMENT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN FOR
CONGRESS. I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL WIN, BUT
SALA ASKED ME TO RUN AND SAID IT WOULD MAKE HER FEEL BETTER IF I
RAN. I LOVE MY LIFE AND I DON'T NEED
TO RUN FOR OFFICE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR HER REQUEST
BECAUSE IT'S HISTORIC THAT A WOMAN IS SAYING TO ANOTHER WOMAN
'RUN FOR OFFICE '." I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW HOW
HISTORIC THAT IS. THAT WAS QUITE REMARKABLE.
I SAID,s, ALEXANDRA, MOMMY WILL BE GONE LIKE THREE NIGHTS A
WEEK IF I WIN, I'LL BE GONE THREE NIGHTS A WEEK, BUT ANY
ANSWER IS OKAY." AND SHE SAID, "MOTHER--" I KNEW
I WAS IN TROUBLE. I WAS I WAS SAYING MOMMY, AND
SHE WAS SAYING MOTHER. SHE SAID, "MOG, GET A LIFE."
I HAD NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE. SHOTHIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
WHAT TEENAGED GIRL WOULD NOT WANT HER MOTHER OUT OF THE HOUSE
THREE NIGHTS A WEEK?
( APPLAUSE )
SALA SAW SOMETHING IN YOU THAT SHE WAS INSISTING THAT YOU RUN,
AND I HOPE THAT I HAVE HONORED THE CONFIDENCE THAT SHE PLACED
IN ME. BUT THE FIRST DAY ON THE FLOOR
OF THE HOUSE, WHEN I WAS SWORN IN, IN A SPECIAL ELECTION
BECAUSE SALA HAD DIED, I WENT ON THE FLOOR AND I SAID-- I TOLD MY
CONSTITUENTS THAT WHEN I CAME HERE THEY WOULD TELL THEM THAT
SALA SENT ME AND THAT I HAVE COME HERE TO FIGHT AGAINST
H.I.V. AND AIDS. THEY WERE MY VERY FIRST WORDS ON
THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I SAID,
EXCEPT TO THANK MY PARENTS AND MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND H.I.V. AND AIDS WERE JUST-- JUST SO HORRIBLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND IN THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME.
SO I SAY TO SALA, WE'RE STILL FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE THE
QUALITY OF LIFE EXISTS, AND HOPEFULLY SOME DAY WE'LL HAVE A
CURE. BUT THE FIGHT AGAINST H.I.V. AND
AIDS HAS HELPED US IN MARRIAGE EQUALITY AND OTHER DIAGNOSES
HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE MODEL THAT THE GRASS ROOTS PUT OUT
THERE. AND WE CAN MANEUVER INTERNALLY
IN CONGRESS. BUT WHAT THE OUTSIDE
MOBILIZATION IS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
AND SALA WAS AN OUTSIDE MOBILIZER FOLLOWED THAT
TRADITION. >> Stephen: MY NEXT GUEST IS A
GUY NAMED ARMANDO IANNUCCI, WHO CREATED, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
"VEEP." HAVE YOU EVER SEEN "VEEP"?
>> YES, I'VE SEEN IT A NUMBER OF TIMES.
>> Stephen: DOES IT SEEM ACCURATE TO HOW WASHINGTON IS?
>> NO, OF COURSE NOT. >> Stephen: NO?
ENCHL'S REALLY NICE IN WASHINGTON AND NO ONE EVER STABS
EACH OTHER IN THE BACK, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> OH, I DON'T MEAN THAT. I JUST MEANT--
( LAUGHTER )
FOUL LANGUAGE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NOT IN FRONT OF ME. NOT IN FRONT OF THE SPEAKER.
BUT THE STAR OF THE SHOW IS REALLY A STAR IN LIFE AS WELL.
>> Stephen: JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS.
>> SHE IS JUST REMARKABLE. I'M A BIG FAN OF HERS.
SO I'VE SEEN IT FROM TIME TO TIME.
IF I HAVE ANY TIME TO WATCH TV IT'S SPORTS AND "THE STEPHEN
COLBERT SHOW."
IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, NANCY
PELOSI, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, MADAM SPEAKER.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH ARMANDO IANNUCCI.
♪ ♪ ♪