Live Blogging the CA Women's Conference: Opening Session

MOMocrats is in Long Beach today, covering the California Women's Conference.

The session began with a short video by Maria Shriver, welcoming the attendees to Long Beach. Shriver said that for the first time, an estimated audience of one million will be able to view the conference via live streaming webcast on the official site.

A color guard presented the flag and Marilyn McCoo sang the National Anthem.

Deborah Norville is emceeing this session.

Says it's OK for women to have it "not figured out." Even Maria Shriver feels that way. And that's what this event is all about.

Norville mentions how quickly this event sold out: just three hours.

Then she ran down what will occur during today's general sessions.

Asked if anyone is worried about the economy - then announced that Warren Buffet will be here soon for a discussion with Governor Schwarzenegger and Chris Matthews.

Also: Condoleeza Rice will be here at lunch to talk with Maria Shriver and Campbell Brown.

Jennifer Lopez to talk about motherhood.

Sister Joan Chitthister.

The Minerva Awards.

And we've got Bono, who will show you - even though you are not a rock star - how you can make a difference on this planet.

The Chinese have a saying: "Only still can be still." Most of us lead such hectic lives that "still" does not apply. Turn off your blackberry, forget your cellphone. and for this moment, be still.

A couple of years ago, the Dalai Lama started a tradition here. Buddhist leader Jack Kornfield will be here to continue that tradition of starting the session with meditation.

Next: Anne Sweeney, co-chair Disney Media Networks and President Disney-ABC Television Group.

Sweeney: This conference is especially timely this year, the message is powerful. That we have the power to be architects of change. By being who we truly are, we can make a difference. That we can all be leaders in our own lives and communities. You'll hear a lot of variations on that theme today. For me, it's a great reminder that we actually control our own destiny. That we choose the life we lead.

Listening to the news every day it's easy to feel depressed. But our finest moments often come during our darkest hours. This conference is about what we each bring to our every challenge. In a couple of weeks we will elect a new President who will face several critical issues.

Introduces Chris Matthews.

Jillian Manus and Erin Mulcahy Stein, directors of the Conference are announced. 1 million viewers watching today. California Women's Museum, military bases, community colleges, museums - women all over the country are experiencing this along with those of us here.

The women are now thanking all the sponsors.

Video showing past conferences.

Jennifer Lopez takes the stage.

Next speaker: Jennifer Lopez.

Lopez: Good morning. Are we truly present? I was really honored to come here and speak to you because I get to stand here not as an entertainer, but as a girl who grew up in the Bronx w/two sisters and a strong and loving mom. I stand before you as someone who loves being a woman. I love that when life hands us our greatest challenges, we look up and realize that capacity. I love the fellowship we're sharing here today.

I hope you leave here today believing you are the leader you've been searching for.

I realized early in my own journey that I had to be my own champion. Nobody told me to do what I did - most told me NOT to do it. But I was lucky enough to have a strong feeling inside that I should listen to my gut and it would guide me. When I didn't listen is when I had my biggest mishaps.

Certain relationships make you doubt who you are and what you're capable of and what you deserve. Took me some time to get it right in that arena. That's why I'm telling you you have to listen to that voice. In one of my lowest moments, when you don't have a grasp of who you are or where you're going, when you feel the world is questioning you and you are questioning yourself. I prayed for guidance, for strength, a message, something. I picked up my Bible and the passage said be happy for your trials and tribulations because you test your faith. Perseverance. We'll come back to that.

Many of us know what it is to be first time mothers. So as you know, there is nothing that inspires you more to be an architect of good change than giving birth to a baby - or two. You cannot imagine how it will effect and change you. It makes you understand and sympathize with every mother and every other child. YOu become more aware of the world around you. Everything in your power to make the world better - you want to do. That is the miracle of being a mother.

My dream is to launch a foundation to help the well being of all women. I decided after a lot of talks with my sister, Linda, when the time was right we would create an organization that would empower women and children. Empowering them to have their voices heard, to have the type of schools they deserve, the healthcare they deserve. Empowering them to demand change. Nothing more empowering than the love of a woman, a mother, a grandmother, a wife. Every single one of us deserves the best life has to offer.

That's why when I was at the Democratic National Convention talking to Marian Wright Edelman, we talked about this.

My foundation will prioritize the importance of empowerment. I have lots of big dreams and envision big changes toward proper healthcare, prenatal care, pediatric care. And that, coming together in the biggest possible way is what I believe women are capable of.

Don't ever doubt that you can accomplish more than you thought you ever could.

Don't ever doubt that we can master those moments. You have amazing capacity. What are YOU doing to be an architect of change? It takes perseverance, so when everyone is telling you otherwise, you need to look inside yourself and be your own leader and empower yourself and others to do the same.

Let's challenge ourselves to lead by example and claim our legacies. Nothing worthwhile is easy. It is hard to achieve what is great. Let's do what's hard. Let's achieve what is great.

Chris Matthews takes the stage.

Matthews: Has everyone registered to vote?

I know there are people in this room who may divide their vote between husband and wife. And even though it will enlarge your carbon footprint. James Carville said this country was built by men and women, driving to the polling place and voting against each other.

Talking about college student daughter who is worried about the debt load we are putting on them.

Women today account for half of all small businesses. But even in these troubled times, businesses owned by women are fastest growing sector. 80% of all buying decisions in America are made by women. 85% are influenced by women. And so, here we are.

Introduces Arnold Schwarzenegger - one of the few male Governors he knows who cares about after-school programs. 

Introduces Warren Buffett - most highly regarded investor in the world. He is giving away the bulk of his fortune - tens of billions of dollars - he is giving most of it away. He just bought GE stock, $5 billion of Goldman Sachs.

"Be fearful when others are greedy." he says.

Mathews: The stock market dropped 350 points this morning. What should we do?

Buffett: I have no idea what ts going to do in the next day, week, year. I have no doubt that it will be higher in 10 years. I can't time when you get in - if you own something that's destined to be worth less and can swap it for something that's worth more, the timing is up to you.

Matthews: Advisors always tell you to stay in the market.

Buffett: This country works. The economy can get gummed up from time to time, but this country works.

Matthews (to Schwarzenegger): Why is it better to be your own boss?

Schwarzenegger: (begins by thanking Maria and attendees and saying how proud he is to be here)

I always enjoyed having my own business. I started at age 10 selling ice cream and Warren says it's good to start early. So it was something that was in my blood. Don't know where it came from because no one in my family did this

I think when you are a person who believes in taking risks - I came to America because of great opportunities. It was not a safety net. The bigger the risk, the greater the gains, but the greater the fall. I always liked that.

Matthews: Points out that he came from a socialist country and was a capitalist.

Schwarzenegger: I'll tell you one thing. I didn't pay taxes at 10. I left Europe because government was always on your back and stifled opportunities. That's why I came here. I want to do everything that I can to be sure that America doesn't go to the system I left in Europe. Don't want redistribution of wealth.

Matthews: I love that. We just heard from the Republicans. To Buffett - what do you think of the top CEO's making such a disproportionate amound?

Buffett: I have no quarrel with people making a lot of money. I do have one with people failing and making a lot of money. Lately, the bigger they are the softer they fall and I don't like that.

Matthews: What do you think of this  -

Buffett: I think it's a tough decision for secretary of fed or treasury. I think looking back, what happened to Lehman was a mistake, but at the time. If you look at the stock, what they were really trying to do was keep a virus from spreading. In the case of Lehman, they didn't do it. We really have an enormously interconnected system. And if the firm fails, it clogs up the system for a long time.

Matthews: Do you think when you were selling ice cream in Austria, if they didn't sell the government should help you out?

Schwarzenegger: Absolutely not. Government has its function. The European governments have learned to go the other way. A public/private partnership is a good thing.

Buffett: We have a good system. I always say that in investing, you want to buy stock that has a business so good, an idiot can run it. Because eventually, one will.

Matthews: If you don't think this country is exceptional, why is it that every ethnic group does better here?

Buffett: We've had a rule of law, a market system and a meritocracy. This system unleashes people's potential. We have developed talents like Olympic qualifiers and then we protect it by rule of law.

Matthews: As Governor of largest state, you face an enormous fiscal crunch. How do you get out of that?

Schwarzenegger: Got hit very hard by housing crisis.But one must look at the positive - we have several great industries. Even though housing market went down, we have tech, agriculture, green, entertainment industries. We are diversified, intelligent and innovative in California. All are doing better than last year. So key thing now is to do everything we can to support the housing market. That's why we've asked Federal government to put money into the housing market. That's why we think the second stimulus package should do this.

It's key to help people stay in their homes and not lose their homes. Because when banks take them over, they have to do the upkeep so they can sell them again.

Matthews: Warren, if you have to explain to an untrained mind, what happened to the economy in 2008, how would you?

Buffett: A few years back, 300 million Americans believed almost unanimously that every house would go up in value every year. Everyone believed it. You had this feeling that if your home was going to cost more next year, you should buy it this year. Lenders believed they could not go wrong. So you had this housing bubble and a huge asset class of $22 trillion. And the world leveraged up based on this, they would lend money to almost anyone, forget the down payment.

A few years ago, it became apparent that this was a fallacy. If you take a 4.5 trillion hit to an asset class, all of a sudden people's attitude changed. And they started not trusting anybody. Then they wanted to de-leverage. And when the whole world wants to de-leverage the whole world freezes up. That's why you need the government to help out.

The whole world was buying assets with leveraged money.

Schwarzenegger: I think you should address how much government helped to create this mess and how we can expect them to fix it.

Buffett: No one will do it perfectly. You could put in Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. It's a big problem and the solution is going to be messy. Government is the only vehicle we've got to fix it on the scale we need.

Matthews: to Schwarzenegger - what can the government do to be positive?

Schwarzenegger: I think it's important for them to work quickly. Because the first economic stimulus initiative failed, people lost faith. It is important to react quickly, even though it's a challenge. In California, we were way ahead of what was going on with the housing crisis. So we got together with the lenders and the banks to help the homeowners to make adjustments so that they would not go into foreclosure.

Homeowners are scared. We passed laws that the lenders had to communicate with them. Then the Federal government followed us and did the same. We are going to have to have a special legislative session because everything is changing so quickly. We in California are very fortunate that the people have approved infrastructure bonds. Part has been appropriated. Let's push billions of dollars into building highways, classrooms, create jobs.

Talking about women owned small businesses, women legislators. If you get that up, you'll see decisions are made differently. We need that mix in Sacramento and Washington in order to make great decisions.

Matthews: You know we're outnumbered here being three guys.

Buffett: I like it.

Matthews: If you look at some good things the government has done. I look at Title IX. I love Title IX. My wife went to Stanford and was an athlete and had to pay her way at away games. So it's really changed. The fact that women have been given a chance in athletics. I think this has led to women being leaders in business.

Schwarzenegger: I learned my lessons in sports. Camaraderie, working with others. You have to analyze your performance. Follow-through, the most important lesson you learn in sports. The same as in life. When it comes to green energy, technology - there are lots of people who pass laws, but executing and following through is another thing. I think these lessons in sports can be applied in business and political leadership.

Buffett: I talked about how our system unleashed human potential, but for two centuries, we ignored one half of our human potential. A black was 3/5 of a person. Women got the right to vote in 1920 and even after that, it was 1981 before we had a woman on the Supreme Court. We in effect ignored half the talent. Gives me hope for unleashing even more in the future.

Looks at the Constitution. "He" is the only personal pronoun and Buffett thinks that has had a subliminal message to the population.

Matthews: Could it be that women have been victimized by their own superiority and competence? Growing up, my dad was the nominal head and my mom was the genius. She was the mental brain of the family. The checkbook was looked at by her. Women know when the kids have had their shots, she knows who the teachers are. The husbands think "I have to get out of here." Are women the secret CEO's of the family abd why aren't they running the place officially?

Buffett: Going back to this household of your youth. Would you have changed your sex to female if given the choice?

Matthews: I think being my daughter is a good deal. Being a woman today of college age is great.

Buffett: I think it started changing in 1920 w/19th Amendment. It changed very slowly. Women had different models. Now we see big change. Hillary Clinton has done a lot for women. (APPLAUSE)

Matthews: What do you think about that, Governor? Here in California, Hillary won the election for the Democratic party. California has two US Senators that are women. Have we reached equality yet?

Schwarzenegger: It was interesting that you never answered the question of do you want to be a woman.

I think that women have made tremendous strides forward and it's very challenging because of the traditions and breaking the glass ceiling. I think this year women have made a major move with Hillary Clinton. ON the Democratic side, there were two extraordinary breakthroughs with women and AFrican Americans. On the Republican side I think it's great that McCain picked Palin. I think it's great for a woman to be in that position. I'm proud of the Republican party. I 'think America is ready to elect a woman.

Matthews: I am amazed at the person I live with, her ability to think about things in the broadest, deepest concern and she'll deal with them. She's so gutsy, fixing things and dealing with the most complicated issues. She's like a giant computer about our family and I'm like this insect coming in and asking "what's for dinner?"

Schwarzenegger: I just say yes to everything Maria asks. She's so unbelievable with the multitasking. Maybe superior - who knows?

Comments

[cynematic]

Hey, Chris Matthews just sang the praises of his wife as a paean to women's abilities, but it made me mad. Why? Because his wife just called the kids' doctor and made reservations for dinner--sorry Chris, that's a lot of SHITWORK that's necessary and yet frees up your time to do "important" stuff.

I'll bet you anything she'd rather do what she'd really like to do instead of having her day eaten up by a thousand and one bits of crucial but niggling minutiae.

[Lisse]

Says it's OK for women to have it "not figured out."

You know, I think we all need to hear this more often.

[Prophecy]

I was just wondering if anyone believes in destiny?
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