February 16th, 2012, from
Comedy central's world news
Headquarters in new york,
This is the daily show with
Jon stewart.
(cheers and applause)
jon: Welcome to the daily
Show, my name is jon stewart.
Another fine one here at the
Daily show, our guest arne
Duncan or arne, I believe
Arne, you may believe arne.
Hopefully there will be no
Test being the difference
But we'll see.
He's the secretary of
Education, imagine how bad
You would have to misbehave
In class to get called down
To his office.
I mean that, jimmy f you
Don't quiet down I'm putting
You on an airplane to
Washington.
But let's begin tonight with
The president of these
United states in our ongoing
Coverage, what is up with
The president?
What's up with his
Re-election campaign.
president obama is going
Hollywood.
He's raising big money in
L.A. Right now.
those shelling out
Between 250 to 500 to offend
They will be treated to a
Foo fighters concert.
The 80 people who stayed for
Dinner after the fund-raiser,
They are rich.
They will pay $35,000.
jon: $35,000-- what?
That is outrage us, $35,000
For a ticket to dinner but
Only $250 to see the foo
Fighters?
That is an insult to this
Fine man david grohl who
Spent last 15 years of his
Life tenaciously fighting
Foo.
(laughter)
And winning.
These streets used to be
Filled with foo.
And now I pity the foo.
(laughter)
Of course, hate is going to
Hate.
(laughter)
occupy protestors who
Gathered near the
President's hotel say he's
Catering to the 1% to try
And get re-elected.
get out of these
Fund-raisers and get back to
The streets.
Remember where you came from.
jon: I can't hear you, I
Was in a foo fighters
Concert.
And then I ate a pork chop
That cost the same as
Election, it was a little
Dry, but what?
So while the president jets
Around with his cash vacuum
Over on the republican side
They're still duking it out
Amongst themselves.
And the primary season has
Now shifted to michigan
Which you would think wab a
Cake walk for mitt romney.
He grew up there.
His father was governor
There.
For god's sakes, he's named
For the shape of michigan.
The mitt.
(laughter)
By the way, much luckier
Than his florida-born
Brother willard [bleep]
Romney.
Obviously a [bleep] family
Nickname.
Secretary of education on
The program tonight.
(laughter)
There's going to be an
Interesting one.
How do you like the [bleep]
Joke.
Of course, there is one
Problem.
Romney may face in michigan.
in 2008 romney wrote in
"the new york times" let
Detroit go bankrupt.
jon: Subtitled seriously,
Detroit can [bleep].
Luckily, I really hope the
Tv in the green room is off.
Luckily mitt romney has
Unleashed a brilliant new ad
Campaign to make michigan
Voters forget that entire
Article.
I grew up in michigan.
It was exciting to be here.
I remember going to the
Detroit auto show with my
Dad.
That was a big deal.
People here in detroit are
Distressed.
I want to make michigan
Stronger and better.
Michigan's been my home and
This is personal.
jon: Wow, what
A-- powerful and emotional
Way to connect to your home
Town.
I-- of course like all
Things romney there are some
Caviars, I'm sorry, caveats.
As it turns out, that photo
In the ad of romney and his
Dad at the detroit auto show
Is actually him and his dad
At the 1964 new york world
Fair.
Which apparently in romney's
Mind took place in queens's
Michigan, and the american
Car he is driving around is
A chrysler 300 which is
Manufactured in canada.
So and you won't be
Surprised he wasn't actually
Driving, he was in fact
Himself being driven.
All right, so--
(laughter)
But you know what, this
Isn't just about romney's
Weakness.
It's also about his opponent
Rick santorum's strength.
He's a serious contender
Now.
And as we ourselves
Recognize two months ago
When I announced on this
Program we would no longer
Be making jokes about the
Alternate meaning of
Santorum's name, yeah, no
Matter how tempting it may
Be.
rick santorum's surge is
Spreading.
(laughter)
jon: This must cover
Santorum as a serious
Candidate, not as a name
Sake for staining anal
Liquides.
Okay, perhaps we can
Distract ourselves with
Santorum's latest
Anti-romney campaign ad.
this time romney's firing
His mark at rick santorum,
And a staggering $20 million
Supposedly attack several
Republicans.
And in the end, mitt
Romney's ugly attacks are
Going to backfire.
(laughter)
jon: So mitt romney
Attacks santorum and ends up
With brown liquid on his
Shirt.
This is entrapment!
All right.
Actually the whole second
Meaning of santorum thing
Was started as a protest of
The senator's views on gay
Marriage.
But lately, activists have
Taken an even more subtle
Approach to that issue.
rick santorum's trip to
Washington state last night
Wasn't all smooth sailing.
it's called glitter
Bombing.
protestors crashed the
Event and he fell victim to
Another glitter bomb.
jon: No word whether this
Was detonated remotely or
The work of a suicide
Glitter bomber.
(laughter)
The glitter bomb has emerged
As a weapon of choice for
Gay rights activists looking
For a form of protest that's
More clever than a pie in
The face, but less clever
Than something actually
Clever.
(laughter)
Yeah, you didn't see that
One coming, did you?
Almost all the republican
Candidates have been hit.
Including mitt romney, newt
Gingrich and micheleback
Mann, blirt-- glitter
Bombing is such a concern
The secret service used
Specially trained glitter
Bomb sniffing dogs.
(laughter)
If nothing else these
Incidents give voters a
Chance to see how candidates
Handle themselves under
Fire.
May favorite response has to
Be mitt romney's.
oh, I've got glitter in
My hair.
That's not all that is in my
Hair, I'll tell you that.
(laughter)
jon: Seriously, people,
Anybody seen something about
Mary?
Seriously, there's all kinds
Of stuff in my hair.
Anyway.
Still, I do have to hand it
To the gay activists who
Carry out these glitter
Bombings.
Really terrific way to win
People to your side.
It's a clear unequivocal
Statement.
We are deserving of dignity,
Respect, and equal rights.
And until we get it, we will
Act like pet lent children.
-- Petulant children.
We'll be righ
jon: Welcome back.
February, of course, is
Black history month.
Here to lend us his
Perspective on this special
Event, daily show senior
Black correspondent larry
Wilmore.
Larry, thanks for joining
Us.
(cheers and applause)
thanks, jon.
Thank you, jon.
The year was 1885.
A young farmer named george
Washington carver
Overcame-- I'm sorry, jon, I
Have to stop.
I can't spend another
February talking about how
Black people invented peanut
Butter and raddium.
jon: I think raddium was
A french lady.
whatever.
Look, the real issue right
Now is how can it be that in
The middle of black history
Month an asian kid comes in
And does this.
jeremy lynn the nba's
Newest superstar.
his ledge on of fans
Calling this lynn-sanity.
a lindrela story.
everybody loves a liner.
hey, I got one, you're
Killing me.
This is more painful than a
Lin grown toe nail.
Here's a great one.
I hate jeremy lin.
jon: Now wait, you're up
Set because an asian person,
An asian american is
Excelling at a traditionally
African-american sport.
jon, no, I'm not the only
One who is not happen.
Look at carmello an thonnee.
He can't even bring himself
To put on his uniform.
jon: He's hurt.
He's hurt.
jon, I would be hurt too.
Have your job outsourced to
Asia right in your face.
jon: No, they, they don't
Even play the same position.
And jeremy lin has had to
Overcome a great deal to get
Where he is.
I thought as an
African-american, that you
Of all people could
Appreciate that.
no, jon, don't reduce
This to a discussion about
My race.
This is about his race.
Okay?
And you know, okay, he's had
Some struggles.
lin majored in economics,
Graduated with a 3.1 gpa.
seriously, 3. -- That's
An asian f.
(laughter)
jon: I didn't realize
That.
I get it, I get it look,
Clearly the basketball is
Just an attempt to win back
The love of his tiger mom,
You know?
Hey, that-- .
jon: I cannot even
Believe, what has gotten
Into you.
jon, it is just another
Thing that got taken from us,
Jazz, rock 'n' roll,
Ebonics.
Now basketball?
jon: Nothing is being
Taken, larry.
oh, really?
I feel like I'm still
Living a dream.
I feel like I'm in a dream
Right now.
you have a dream?
(laughter)
No, no, no.
jon: Wait for it, wait
For it.
nickerbocker, please.
Slow down martin luther kung
Pow.
jon: Larry,
African-americans have been
Doing very, very well,
Lately.
The first african-american
President.
yeah, for how long.
jon: Tiger woods.
yeah, asian side likes
Golf, his black side likes
Trashy white girls.
jon: Larry, it's not like
Black players are going to
Disappear because an asian
Guy is in the league.
well, really, then tell
Me this, jon, who was the
First pro basketball players?
jon: White guys, I guess.
no, no, white jews.
jon: What.
immigrant jews dominated
The first pro basketball
League, the cleveland
Rosenblooms.
jon: That cannot be true.
I can't make that [bleep]
Up jon.
Look, they even had their
Own uniforms.
jon: Okay.
You know what is surpass
Being that picture, gyms are
Very drafty and you would
Have think they what have
Had longer sleeves because
Jews traditionally very
Prone to colds.
this is how it happens.
Jewish basketball players
Were replaced by gentiles
Then us and unless we do
Something quick, now it's
Going to be asians.
jon: But what can you do.
jon, don't worry, I may
Have a solution.
Pretty sure this whole asian
Basketball invasion might be
Revenge for a kneel degrass
Tyson.
jon: The astrophysicist.
exactly.
what was he thinking,
Science, that's asian turf.
But, I have confered with
The black community and
We're officially asking
Mr. Tyson to stop it.
Don't worry, jon, he'll be
Fine.
We'll put him in a sitcom,
Make him a funny, yeah, make
Him a funny dad on bet.
He'll make 40 times the
Money, I'm telling you.
Just give us back the rock.
We'll call it eblin.
jon: Larry wilmore,
welcome back.
Our guests tonight, the
United states secretary of
Education please welcome to
The program secretary arne
Duncan.
Sir.
(applause)
jon: Thank you for
Joining us.
thanks for having me.
jon: For those people
Without don't realize you
Yourself played basketball
At harvard, and know this
Phenom jeremy lin.
he's an amazing young kid,
So proud of him.
He's been through a lot but
He's the ultimate winner and
Is making his teammates
Better.
What we love about
Basketball, it's a team
Sport, it's not golf and
He's getting everybody
Involved.
jon: The way the knicks
Have been playing it have
Been very similar to golf.
That you try and get a ball
In this hole and you just
Can't figure it out.
You know.
When you graduated harvard,
Did you, I mean, is it a
Disappointment, I guess, for
To you have ended up just as
The secretary of education?
Not-- not obviously an nba
Superstar?
I'm so thrilled for him
And no one deserves it more
Than him and his humility,
His willingness to work hard
When so many people doubted
Him and didn't give him a
Chance.
I think the example he sets
For young kids around this
Country, asian americans,
White kids, black kids,
Hispanic kids he is a
Remarkable role model.
jon: I'm hoping it will
Change.
It will get a couple of
Dates in with the
Kardashians and the whole
Thing goes to hell, believe
Me.
no new friends.
Stick with the old friends.
jon: Let's move on to
You.
So my mother is a teacher.
And her friends are teachers.
And they call me all hours,
Really of the day and night.
And they have an issue, a
Little bit w this race to
The top initiative that has
Been implemented.
It was I guess a fix to no
Child left behind.
Explain race to the top.
well, a couple of things.
Race to the top has done a
Couple of things I think are
So important.
We are seeing 46 states
Raise standards, for every
Single child.
We're turning around
Underperforming schools.
I think no child left behind
Was largely broken.
We're now providing waiver,
Flexibility to states, who
Wanted congress to fix it.
Congress is pretty
Dysfunctional these day,
Unfortunately.
jon: I had not heard
That.
so we're traying to fix
Things the best way we can.
We can't wait for them to
Move and we came from
Amazing innovation,
Creativity coming from
States.
stephen: .
jon: What's interesting
To me about it is a lot ofth
Rhetoric on the race to the
Top and the respect
Initiative is about
Innovation and creativity.
But what I hear from the
Teachers is that there is an
Infrastructure that has been
Created that is actually
More confining because it is
Causing the schools to teach
To the tests that they must
Have to qualify for grant
Money.
And that, and the three
Teachers here today-- are-- I
Think it tends to frustrate
Them rather than free them
To be creative and powerful
Innovative teachers that you
Are looking for.
right, so I actually
Agree with that and the
President addressed it.
jon: So there we g so
We're done here.
the president addressed
It directly in the state of
Union.
He said we have to stop
Teaching it to the test.
I lived on the other side of
The law for seven and a half
Years when I ran chi public
School.
That is the biggest
Complaint I hear as I travel
The country.
Yes, reading and math are
Fundamental, foundational
But science, social studies,
Dance, drama, art, music,
Foreign languages, pe, all
Those things are really
Important as well.
And what we are doing with
The flexibility state is
Moving away from no child
Left behind is saying all
These things are important,
Yes, so is reading and math,
We have to have a
Well-rounded, world-class
Education for every child.
jon: But are we not still
Broadening the curriculum,
Okay you don't like the
Narrowness of the tests in
These two subjects what if
We give you a lazy susan of
Tests for a lot of --
I don't think it's that
At all.
Tests tell you some things.
They don't tell you lots of
Other things swrechlt to
Stop focus on the absolute
Test score.
We have to look at growth in
Gains, how much the student
Is improving.
I'm more interested in
Longer term outcome,
Long-term outcomes.
Our graduation rate is going
Up.
Our dropout rate going down,
Are more students ready for
College r they persevering
In college.
We have today kate to a
Better economy.
That is what this is about.
jon: Is this the way to
Do in you know the thing
That strikes me, and I know
How difficult it is I think
Education is probably the
Most difficult area to
Attack because of the
Ecosystem that it is
Involved in.
It's not straightforward.
And it is not, but so much
Of the onus now is on the
Teachers.
And by creating these
Benchmarks, it gives the
False of impression that
Teaching is science when in
Many way teaching is an art.
teaching is an absolute
Art.
I think what we have done as
A country is we have beaten
Down teachers, education,
This whole respect project
That we announced yesterday,
Is trying to dramatically
Elevate the profession,
Strengthen the profession.
It takes years to master.
Your mom is a teacher, my
Mom has been working in the
Inner city for 50 years.
I know how hard this work
Is.
We treated everybody the
Same.
We haven't recognized
Excellence.
We haven't awarded it.
We haven't learned from it I
Have been very public we
Should significantly
Increase teacher salaries.
No one goes into it for the
Money but you shouldn't have
To take the vow of poverty.
jon: No, I think you
Mostly go into if forth
Money.
The people I meet with their
Toyotas, I have seen-- I
Have seen some things.
we need, we have a baby
Booming generation retiring.
We're going to need a until
New grade teachers.
jon: I love what you are
Saying, but isn't race to
The top the exact thing that
Demorallized them even
Further than no child left
Behind because that is the
Issue, isn't I think
Intention, because it seems
The intention of if I were
In education or the
President, the rhetoric you
Hear is absolutely
Wonderful.
But it does seem that the
Methodology that they have
Employed has not had that
Effect.
And maybe is this not the
Best use of the federal
Government.
Because education is such
The diversity of locality,
It really is something that
Exists in the areas this
Which the kids are educated.
what we are trying to do
Is empower states and
Districts.
I always said I don't want
To micromanage from
Washington, can't do it.
The best ideas will always
Come from the local level,
Not from me or frankly
Anyone else from washington.
The beauty of the plans is
We are trading to empower
Great local teachers and
Principals and parents and
Superintendents, to put in
Place their plans to help
Their children.
Our challenge is 44, 45
States, rural, urban,
Suburban, answers aren't
Going to come from us.
They will come in those
Communities.
jon: Do you think that
What education suffers from
In this country is that the
Paradigm needs to be shifted,
That it seams that education
Has been cloistered.
And no longer has the shame
Application-- same
Application to the modern
World.
We're still working off of
The past.
And trying to fix things
That are really not app ra
Po in today's --
I think the biggest
Challenge is that we have
Become too complacent.
We're 16th in the world
Today in college graduates.
A generation ago we were
First.
It isn't that we have
Dropped.
We have flat lined in 15
Other countries have passed
Us by.
We have to educate our way
To a better economy.
There are 2 million jobs out
There today in our country
That we can't fill because
We don't have the educated
Workforce to fill those
Jobs.
So we have to be willing to
Challenge the status quo.
we have a million young
People dropping out of
School every year, a million,
There are no job, none, they
Are guaranteed poverty and
Social failure.
We have to challenge the
Status quo, take risk and do
Things in a different way
But we have to have a high
Bar.
We have to have high
Expectations.
jon: I guess the way you
Define the bar is probably
The difficulty.
Can you stick around for two
Seconds.
Can you stay after school,
As it were.
absolutely.
jon: Secretary arne
Duncan, we'll be right back
After this.
jon: That's our show
Captioning sponsored by
Comedy central
Captioned by
Media access group at wgbh
Access.Wgbh.Org
Here it is, your moment of
Zen.
john crist yensen is the
On deck batter, curve, well
Hit, left field, way back.
And he is a home run, a home
Run.