The Heritage Foundation ink Heritage Foundation and good morning. Great to see you. We have many friends with us today for those of us joining a person watching on line are viewing this on cspan we are grateful that you were included in with us today. I am robert bluey executive editor of our news outlet and its my pleasure toto host the great cal thomas for todays event. As one of americas most read columnist with a distinguished career in media theres not a lot i can tell you about cal that you dont already know. Ill start with his new book which is called a watchman in the night what ive seen over 50 years reporting on america. The book takes you on a journey in time as a columns from the start in 1984 the Los Angeles Times to today but we have a limited number of Copies Available for sale after todays event which cal will sign for you. This book is a remarkable achievement even for a rider and i can say that assn a writer myself. His other titles include americas expiration date, the fall of empire and its superpowers and the future of the united states. What works, Commonsense Solutions for a stronger america, the things that t mattr most in Common Ground have stop the partisan war that destroying americar group before he turned the stage over to cal wholl will make remarks and answer questions a few more words about his career and the lessons hes taught us through his humor. He started his career in journalism at the age of 16 and would eventually have his column by hundreds including her own daily signal. When the column started he was in fewer than 10 papers nationwide and although he wasnt the only conservative voice appearing on americas part of pages he distinguished himself each week by focusing on serving as the watchmen for americas founding principals. Cal was ax commentator on Fox News Channel for 19 years hosting his own show in serving on panels with others and has worked in houston nbc news in washington and host of the program for nbc. In 2011 cal received the william f. Buckley a worker media excellence and 2020 to the william l. Armstrong award for provision or a leadership and service from the centennial at the two. Although the social political and religious views closely aligned to those we have the Heritage Foundation pilon got developedit a relationship with people who didnt always agree tempered the late bob beckel wae one oflu them. It might seem like a lost cause in the days of this divided country that we could all learn a lesson or two from cal bedwetter was hosting private dinners for the press and members of congress are bringing people together for the National Breakfast media tenor cal earned the respect from people from all walks of life and political place. This guided from a young age by his faith in jesus and is an faith in. Hes a proud father and grandfather in a good friend to many of us here at the Heritage Foundation. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome cal thomas. Thank you very much robert. It sounded like you were reading my obit. We had to turn away the crowd because it was so fast and there are fire regulations here so thats why i want to thank everybody showing up especially my granddaughter crystal who fled from santonio. Shell be the first female president of the united states, write that down. I confessed a little nervousness being here today because the last individual to speak your got tired. [laughter] im going to for john anyway. 39 years, twoco columns per week 4056 columns and counting i reread every one of them while compiling this book. Its not a collection but a roadmap for a diary of what i witnessed over the decades in reporting on this wonderful city to which i happen to be born. I couldnt help it. My mother was here at the time. I used to say on the lecture circuit im happy to be here from washington. Im particularly thankful for people with such a wide range of political beliefs. Blurbs from this book, johnson who open the door for me from Los Angeles Times when he was publisher of the l. A. Times wrote you cant have a wider spectrum of political positions than Henry Louis Gates jr. J frm harvard andd a host of the wonderful pbs series about an africanamerican lives to pat sajak from wheel of fortune. I tune in only to see what hes wearing each night. I thank them and the other is for honoring me in this way. I think my longtime editors who are watching by livestream connie pollack from Los Angeles Times and tracy clark of the tribune and chicago. Connie and tracy would have been here today but the premise of that inner cities they felt it was unsafe for them to leave. Only a joke. When you go to the store to buy groceries assuming you can afford them in this time of high inflation you dont argue with the checkout clerk about pounds and gallons and other measurements. You dont stand in line with two jugs of milk and say my standard is this is only one jug or you have two pounds of beef and you say my standard is only one pound. The next voice you would hear would be security. And yet that is precisely what the loudest voices in our cultureng are saying or they wat to create their own standards which in reality are not standards at all. They have the economic standards, spending and taxing as if theres no end to it and ignoring what Massive National debt is in other nations and their policy standards with this administration and the entire left is increasingly ignoring that put our nation at risk for china russia iran and other forces that see us as and indecisive. Only a few years ago they feared us now chinas president xi jinping believes america is in decline. Is there sufficient evidence to counter his diagnosis . I just returned from israel my 27th visit. Im an honorary person which is very nice and i met my longtime friend benjamin netanyahu. He told me that israel has managed to delay iran getting a nuclear bomb. Only a delay. Someone will hack to stop him but who might that be . Maine abiah continues to push the socalled twostate solution to the palestinian problem. I presume now that least they have tabled a idea of a treaty with iran as a regime that claimed their wants to let israel eliminated and us to end with anything would sign with infidels. Moral standards which are not only being violated. Rejected. In favor of what is nows called woke, drag queen storytime, 56 labels of gender identification on facebook, marriage and the rest of the progressive agenda. Once people who favor such things were ashamed to say them public and now they shout it from the housetops. Once such people sought or were told to seek counseling and now they not only seek permission. Approval and demand you give it toss them or they will picket yr business or home. See Bret Kavanaugh and other conservative justices. See those were standing up for womens sports against transgender males and the hail of criticism that is rained down upon them. City council in summerville massachusetts enacted an ordinance protecting individuals in polyamorous relationships from discrimination. And 2020 the city becameut the first in the nation and not the last to recognize polyamorous relationships as legitimate domestic partnerships. Romantic relationships of three or more in the city will have many the same rights as traditionally married couples. Whats next and there will be annexed because without a standardan there will be no stopping anything to anyone who says no this is too far of appeals. There were mice may may put met ronnie said after the not so Supreme Court rule although the legitimacy of marriage. Next we will allow you to marry your dog. Its not so funny funny now is the . Government schools teach a type of reconstruction history or her story that seek to indoctrinate childrenal with a leftist pointf view the school is to create a new generation of progressives dedicated toy ending the succes of others greedy for what they have an entitled to their money. During the last open season on medicare and the tv stations in florida and likely elsewhere that contain four words, the free, dessert, benefit and entitled. Greed deserved benefit and entitlement. It comes to economic success. You dont build up the weak by tearing down the strong. One of my favorite quotes of his. Other than that to a standard that has been lost in our time. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men. Talent. Genius will. Not unrewarded. Genius is almost a proverb. Education will, not the world is full of derelicts. Persistence and determination. Persistence and determination alone. Today if you are persistent and successful you are to be taxed and regulated to death. To subsidize others whoid have been left so consider the bite administration recent proposal to increase Mortgage Rates for people with good credit to subsidize those with bad credit. And yet there are as many poor people today as there were when the Great Society began in 1965. According to heritage figures our government has spent 11 trillion fighting poverty and it has not worked. There are roughly the same number of poor people today as there were six years ago. Poverty is o more than a lack of money it is a lack of other things that lead to a lack of money. Reasonable think it is long time passed for another approach . We are kneedeep in the big muddy the big fool says to push off with apologies. Recall the Clinton Gingrich welfare reform law in the 90s, people would starve in the streets if they did not at their welfare checks. They did in 20 release the gravy train would no longer be stopping at their a mailboxes ty went out and found jobs, interviewed later many said they were living a fulfilled life. Was an addictive drug they discovered what freedom looks and feels like. Then there is the open border which is contributing faster to the exploration. I recall the words your without a shopping farther immigration the same is happening here. If the government schools dont finish the job of indoctrinating young peoples hearts and minds with a second tip progressivism they graduate from high school you can count on the universitys finishing the job card makes me ask why are we sending our children and grandchildren to these Indoctrination Centers . We do not center troops to tripo russia, china, iran to be trained why do we then send our children to the opposite of what we believe . That going to School Choices spread enough 37 states. It needs to be national. It has always amused me those who are prochoice when it comeo to abortion are anti choice when it comes the schooling of children fortunate enough to be born. Anyone who knows my columns likes how much i like definition it helps focus the mind part hears dictionary. Fine defined standard a rule or principle but is used as a basis for judgment. An average for normal requirement for today who can define a principle without being labeled ato racist . Who dares assert a rule or something normal for being called any number of phobias. Groucho marxx said seems applicable today. I have principles t and if you dont like them i have others. [laughter] reminds med of a verse in the d testament book of judges. In those days israel had no king. Everyone did as he saw fit. Another translation says everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Paul, the apostle of jesus. A similar way. Speaking of the end at times he said people will believe what ever there switching years will want tos, hear. America the rest of the world have reached are very close to reaching the end times or end of days. This apocalypse is more certain than those declared by Climate Change alarmists none of which have comemi trooper if you notie miami is not underwaterde yet. And my calm and in the new book you will shortly be able to purchase and have me sign for whatever it is worth it. Money back guarantee on this and all of my books if you do not like them i guarantee not to give your money back. [laughter] ive sought to assert a standard and this book that is fading from our culture and nation. A standard that is always work not only in america but other nations wherever and whenever it has been applied. There is literally nothing new under the sun as solomon wrote in ecclesiastics a book that inspired the rock group noticed the birds, wanted to let you know i was hip. Everything we think it has been fought before everything we do has been done before. Why repeat historys mistakes . Why . The answer is we are too often ignorant of history and so are necessarily doomed to repeatt i. Look at the kind of people who are elected of mayors in high crime cities. People claim to be fed up with crime if they vote for candidates who want to defund or eliminate the police. All reduce felony charges to misdemeanors and release offenders to commit new crimes including murder. What is wrong with us . Late Roman Catholic bishop said so many wise things are. Here are a few which were uttered more than six decades ago but still apply today. America it is said is suffering from intolerance. It is not that is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right or wrong, truth and error. Virtue and evil. Christ in chaos. Our country is not to over run with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded. Or the refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a great. Its acquiescence to evil. Those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction. While those who believe inon dishonesty are full of passionate conviction. Or, moral principles do not depend on majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if no one is right. Lw or, civilization is always in when those who have never learned to obey are given the right to command. Or, there is no word more dangerous than liberalism because to oppose it is the unforgivable sin. And finally, which sums up everything, bishop sheen that said modern profit say our economics have failed us. No, it is not our economics that has failed it is man who has failed. Man who has forgotten god. Hence, no matter of economic or politicalve readjustment can possibly save our civilization. We can be saved only by another revelation of the inner man. By a purging of our hearts and souls. Her only by seeking first the kingdom of god and the kingdom t of justice will all of these other things be added unto us. I can think of nothing more profound than that. Wild applause . Thank you. Ask honor you are here with heritage today. The book comes out tomorrow, right . We wanted to hear questions. We certainly filled up the whole time answer your questions. I have plenty to ask him, i came prepared. Y first of all, you as i mentioned in the introduction have long spoken about your christian faith. How have you been able to find such success in that media environment that seem so hostile to the value and beliefs that you have personally . Basically i spent most of mye career denouncing other people that seems to help a lot. I have joined the organizations but it went around the country and met with editors who had stnever been visited by a columnist before. I generally care about my colleagues. I admire their work. I tell them so. They do not necessarily admire mine but that is their problem. When we wrote this column for usa today, called Common Ground it shocked a lot of people including newspeople. Because there is a money and ratings and conflict. You look at what is on tv these days you have a host comment to guess where the gas guess it says r youre ruining america, o you are ruining. When the hostess says it will be back with more civil discussion after these messages. [laughter] real people dont do that. I tried to burst the stereotypen of what a conservative and christian is like in a secular progressive sense of humor. I grew a mustache wants, somebody said i look like Saddam Hussein i thought that was nice. [laughter] you find like mary poppins set a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down and you make friends. It is hard to resist loving on someone else reverse they wonder what your motive is and they see you do not really have one they open up. He mentioned what cells in todays media do you think the approach that you brought to overcome some of those divisions is possible today . Obviously not. [laughter] it wouldve been widely accepted there is money, theres ratings and there is fame and conflict. Everybody knows the solutions. But nobody wants to arrive at the solutions because then they lose the issue. Social security and medicare bring the perfect example Everybody Knows what needs to be done social securitys got a bankrupt 10 years ago up on that tax or reduce the benefit. Everybody knows that. That is just beyond debate. They lose the issue government grows and becomes more intrusive and more expensive and the debt grows. Ranking to say the only proof of eternal life in this town is the Government Program. [laughter] it is true its easier to kill a vampire the analogy is abe good one because both are bloodsucking things. It. [laughter] we areu monitoring questions if you have any we have someone in the room here provokes the fbis monitoring them to it. [laughter] be careful. [laughter] questions of the room . We have a microphone tyler in the back row will start there. If you could state your name and if you are affiliated with an organization. Who you voted for in the last election. [laughter] height this is tyler oneill my managing editor at the daily signal some foundation or something. I wanted to ask you you mention the fbi listening in. Ive been writing a lot of of this Southern Poverty Law Center branding conservative and christians hate. Having a hard time hearing it progressive been writing a lot of the law center and responding to the vitriol of the left. I would like to hear your view of what is the w most effective way of disproving some of the accusations of hate, of bigotry that you might have also run across . A member something ted koppel said years ago. The truth is not eight polite tap on the shoulder. Truth is a howling reproach. Truth has a power of its own. But it must be spoken kindly. Mary poppins had a great line a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Im going to talk to the Communications People after this event. One of things imm going to say to them is that those of us who are conservatives need to get on defense. Thesean are not our policies and beliefs and philosophies that have brought america to the edge of financial ruin. And have caused other nations to have such a low regard for us now. An inability to keep our promises. We need to get off the defense and Start Holding the secular progressives hold them accountable for their doing to this country but with its schools, the economy, where there is the military but look at the military during the military is to be something incredibly admirable. And ive got these woke up policies from the Defense Department they are counting a race, gender, trans this and that. They are hurting on recruiting and its the same with police they are quitting in cities like chicago and San Francisco and los angeles. They cannot stand it. Anything they do is going to be recorded and taken out of context and whatever. Speaking the truth in love but also in conviction is probably the most powerful thing we can do. Thank you for your talk mr. Thomas. You have written after the 215 pulse nightclub shooting and at other times there should be a ban on a billeting new mosques as we apprehend islamic terrorists couldnt that still your view would you also be in favor of repealing the First Amendment freedom of religion clause . And if not how would you reconcile your view with the freedom of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment . First, that column was written right after 911. Clearly if you read the sermons you will hear with their agenda is. They want to destroy israel than they want to come after the great stay tuned which is us. The leaders of iran have said they have sent people to infiltrate the united states. Look at our open border. Nobody knows whos coming in. Nobody knows what the agenda is. Certainly i do not want to repeal the First Amendment but i do think if you are going to promote the general welfare, provide for the common defense and ensure domestic tranquility you have to know who is coming into this country but there is no right to come to america theres nothing in the constitution people from other countries have a right to come to america. We are very generous and compassionate. We are a nation of immigrants. We embrace our constitution, our laws and who practice real diversity and do not want to impose their own world view on others. That is sadly what i am seeing an outfit would look at minneapolis they just passed an ordinance that overcomes the noise ordinance to accommodate the Islamic Community with their fiveday calls to prayer over loudspeakers. I am all for freedom of expression in all this other stuff. I think making exceptions for one group is not the way to go. I would say that for any group by the way. Hi, i am an economist and a retired Foreign Service officer. My question i postulated it years ago in january i was having breakfast with the republican friend and i said i think both parties are going through such peoples and realignments in 10 years we may not recognize either of them. Not even have the same names and we do not know whos going to support which side. T i said 10 years will beget the process the next two years . That is interesting, since sinema was on face the nation yesterday. She had said she believes in both of the Political Parties are basically dinosaurs and need to go away. She is an independentnt now. It almost does not matter in some ways who is elected anymore. People come to washington im going to. Change washington. No youre not, what washington is going to change you but theyve been here a lot longer than you have. And a lot of this has to do peoples attitude toward government but we move from a time of personal liberty and freedom to a time of tremendous dependence on government i called a perversion of the 23rd psalm the government as my keeper i shall not want gay though walk the shadow of poverty the health and Human Services department will be there covering me with ebt cards. I thought of government as the last resort but now its promoted as a last resource. Where are the people who used to be idolized in our country. People who work hard who were honest in their personal relationships to honor their marriage vows. All of these things used to be taken for granted in our country and upheld to the readers back on the old days in school. Remember . They had respect salute your flag all of these things are now gone. Theyre supposed to salute the rainbow flag. Not having prayers in school how is that working out . What kind of country do we have now . Was it better then . It i would argue that it was good question. My name is bob i live in scottsdale, arizona. And i am involved as rob knows. My question is, newer experience and travels, problem is communicate with the voter, my neighbor at your neighbor who has no clue about anything we are talking about here today. How can we do a better job to reaching out to the voter on thu importance of voting and supporting the party . Because this is what cost the election in arizona. It was not democrats. It wasas not rigging machines which happen. It was the fact seven and a half to 10 of registered americans who voted did not support the key candidates the party in the state. That is why kerri at lake loss rate the secretary of state lost et cetera. How do we do better job . You talk about talking to your neighbor. This may seemed like a small thing. But when neighbor talks to another, organize a town hall meeting. At your local school might be your club or whatever. I going have a serious discussion about the future of america do not make it partisan that make it issue oriented you like the way things are going . Are you happy with the amount of taxes were paid in . Are you happy with the way your governmentmo representatives are spending your money . What does freedom mean to you . How do we attain it in america . Who used to define the united states. It may seem simple. But as you indicated most of these election victories the very small numbers very smallll margins. Theyre very good at this theyre going after students now using ai and other factors. I dont know why a lot of people are surprised about ai weve had ai in washington for many years. The other thing is when youre watching an exercise video youve got to go to the gym it. You cannot preserve a Constitutional Republic byth paying attention the week before the election are watching ads on tv and let them influence you but you have to work out every day but you have to be involved you have to be knowledgeable. Migrant has been very active in her local School Board Races and san antonio the last election two out of three. Never even consider it was being taught in the Public Schools. When she told them as an online webpage they were shocked. Some pulled their kids out of the schools but others have become more active now and what is being taught. These things may seem small but small becomes a big pair to be conflict focus on the national will have less influence than if we focus on the local. Mr. Halverson. Yes because this young man down here this person sitting next to him. That is depressing is an. [laughter] you have been writing youve been a watchman for 50 years. And over that time have youan sc any time and thats 50 years america has gotten better . And if not what is your hope in the context of a declining civilization . Things come and go. We had the civil war of course which was a horrible time. That vietnam was very divisive the civil rights movement. Otall of these different demonstrations and other things. Things have come and gone. The collapse of the berlin wall the opening up of eastern europe, the fall of communism in the soviet union. Are certainly at reincarnation of ideology and worldview. To use a biblical word and if we are looking to government i think that is what bishop sheen the lastng at and quotes it matters from the heart. We were followers not of a religion but of a person named jesus of nazareth. He has the only power to change a life pretty certainly changed my life. Millions of other lives asll wel thats a greater message we have. Theyre not going to save his liberal conservatives are not going to save us. My hope is built on nothing less than his blood and righteousness as the old hymn says. [laughter] x hi, thank you mr. Thomas, howard and mark some former journalist and i started reading your columns about 50 years ago y for. And very depressedha now. Cox my grandmother was a fan of yours. [laughter] my question to you to shut it ot previously. What shaped your views tell us a little bit more about yourself i will talk about when these talkshow persons. Where did you grow up, or did you go to school how is your view shaped this is usually a 30 minute talk. If i gave it i would have to charge you. [laughter] osborne and washington d. C. I couldnt help but my mother was here at the time. I grew up in the area it went to Public Schools and graduated from university in washington. I wrote a book a few thats a stated we should use if a program is working it could not be bent done better by the private sector we keep it if its that we get rid of it. That is what businesses do but only in government i said reagans outline about eternal life is Government Program continues on and on and on. If we cut the rate of increase much less your demagogues is hating old ladies all of the other stuff. It is the same old line over and over. This has been going on since the Franklin Roosevelt administration. Hate the successful, subsidize the unsuccessful. Youd penalize you get less of it what you subsidize you get more of. If you can take the ideology out of it and say is this working . Is this promoting the general welfare . Is this achieving the objectives the legislation was designed to achieve . And if it is we get rid of it. My bottom line is what works . I went to Johnson High School target my career as a disc jockey or my wife also works we were high school classmates. People said did you date in high school i said no i feared rejection. Prettiest girl in school still is. Shes back in miami we did a thing in tampa yesterday it should be back up later in the week. Thats basically my story. I grew up in a traditional twoparent home. Father working, mother homemaker, i didnt know anybody who was divorced growing up. I did not know anyone who was a criminal other than a politician or two. [laughter] and so it was pretty traditional for me. Ma i did not meet any African Americans except the maid we had until i started playing basketball and was invited to one of my teammates houses once and then i was a copy boy at nbc in washington i was at Martin Luther kings i have a dream speech along with jack perkins who is covering for nbc. That had a major effect on the race in the lives of africanamericans in this country. I am not your predictable conservative. I care about things that the left cares about two. Want to embrace things that promote the general welfare. Constituent touch on that . Yes, i never knew a thing sunday morning you go to church for an hour then youre on your own for the rest the day and the rest of the week. We had a bible on the shelf in case the pastor came to visit. [laughter] i didnt know anything aboutan anything. Going to church in southeast washington the pastor said we were commuting all the way from rockville. I think youd be happier if you want to this Fourth Presbyterian Church for the first time ive ever been asked to leave a church. And the pastor was out there that sunday. We thought we would go back again and that is when halverson was a preacher then i was invited to a bible study and i didnt know you could study the bible. He was a leader ive gotta get me one of those ive never read that before. He said scales began to fall for my eyes i realize god loves me and had a plan for my life its better than my own plan which was not working out all that well by the way. I was invited to a Prayer Breakfast but had a federal judge stood up and talked with the possibility everybody have in a personal relationship with jesus christ. But i never heard of that either. One thing led to another and then in 1973 i was fired by nbc one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. And things really got interesting. Which again if i told you i would have to refer you to my agent. In the back row . Asked tim from focus on the family pretty great to see a c cow. Oo what about the recent wall street journal survey that came out regarding constitutional illiteracy among the rising generation of americans questions of patriotism and what we know of the country. We know you care deeply, your wonderful granddaughter is here. Should we be helpful Going Forward despite these numbers . Most people didnt have not read the constitution. An ignorance creates a vacuum into which other things can rush. Some of you may remember the Jason Sanborn coffee. The tv ad they demonstrated taking a key that came with it an opening for kant you would hear the air rush in. That is where we are today. We have created this a vacuum that most people cannot even define the Constitutional Republic. You see these surveys and some people think the First Amendment, other amendments should be abrogated they do not know. Really good he had a copy of the constitution in his hand and he went through just article just article one and showed all the times that the current had violated the provisions in article one. All these orders, all these spend in the things that theyre doing that has that are supposed to come out of congress, not the re ignorant of one and article two and the bill of rights, all kinds of other things, much less the federalist papers. So these things are not taught in schools, and if theyre not taught in schools, then people are ignorant. And if theyre ignorant, they if theyre ignorant he can be led whrefer elites want to lead them which is why im not announcing [laughter] any online or have any okay. Im paul here on the heritage Marketing Team over the last couple of years ive heard term that we life in a post persuasion society and, of course, always heard that facts dont care about your feelings but also peoples feelings dont care about our facts. When we think about the ability to persuade someone, what is the best way that we can weave those two things together so we not only share with them the truth the truth of the data, truth of the numbers but really the truth of thell heart and whats goingo connect withar them at a heart level. Well, i think you begin song couple of years ago probably feelings nothing more than feelings is that the kind of concert we live in right now and you start first by building relationship. Ask thehe other you know we dmom with our own agendas that we want to impose on other people get to know the other person who may disagree with you first and find out how she or he whatever came to their point of view, and then you just then you can claim the right to be heard as well. And ask them is that working out . I t mean, feelings are wonderful but you know, i tell young women fbi background check is betterd before you get married. [laughter] so build a relationship first. You know, were a tribal nation now. Our National Motto is out of many one and now were out of one many. Were hyphenated americans with see each other as parts of races or gender identification, or whatever. Thats notev what the founders wanted whatever happened to melting pot now it is float around the without at all so get to know them. Find out how they came to their point of view, and then ask them how is it working . But bob once said you know, we were wrong about welfare. But our intention were good. Well you know the road to hell isod with good exceptions and te left wants to install a tollbooth we have one more question in the second row. My little marchie. Mentioning bob im march gee right your friend in a r row of friends, and it was chris dad i think challenged you to be friend ted kennedy which you did so well and bob i remember hearing you both speak in Common Ground as needed more than ever. So could you find yourself a new bob whos life you changed really saved as i recall . Because we need it more than ever, thats why. An yeah. People asked how do you get along so well, so theyre in or running for public office. That anymore in washington unfortunately all of these little cameras carry around if youre seeing eating dinner with somebody of the other Party Somebody will take picture and you use it in a ad against you and they have their meetings they have meetings republican website democrats other meetings on the hill they getei their talking points for e day to go out on various tv stations and get interviewed and say the same thing if you people others put together these little clips of members of Congress Going on different shows. And the sentences were vir which wily the same and thats not coincidental thats what they do. And a lot of dont believe what theyre saying some dont even know what theyre saying. But so i think its really, really difficult. Now i see picked up bret baier show, a lot about Common Grounds and they have republican, democrat working together in a peaceful legislation. Well its not really consequential legislation it is nothing to dont with the border and nothing to do with human life andth nothing to do with me and female as nothing to do with our educational system it is you know, tariffs Something Like that anybody can agree on the little stuff and what about the big stuff. You cant get elected on the big stuff if youre not you keapght get money from the donors and thats the big thing. I think well listen, the two or three president ial elections ago it was the first one billion dollar election campaign. Thats a disgrace. A billion dollars thats more than that, of course, and the tv ads and as soon as the election sofer theyre talking about the next election. Then the one after that. And just never ends and the problems increase. 31. 4 trillion dollar debt we have. Who is talking about that . Nobody. It is very difficult im against cloning but if you want to clone bob i would be up for it. [laughter] in the i saw ahead i know [inaudible conversations] would appreciate your thoughts on this weaponization Intelligence Community and the fbi. Oh, boy. Yeah. Well i go back to the days of jr. And the fbi story where everybody had great hair and everybody was honest and cared about america all of these other things you know whatever j. Edgar hoover shortcomings were that was an image that he promoted despite shortcomings there were sol of the cia i think most people especially coming out of world war ii and the i think it was. Knew that we needed people who would put themselves at risk by gaining intelligence on what our enemies were e trying to do to. I think thats in football it is called scouting scout with the other team is doing, and you find strong points and weak points to exploit weak points and defend against strong points or do the same thing in intelligence and sure there are some over the top and off the rails. But by and large, i think the fbi and the cia in past have done a good job unfortunately right now as you suggest it has been weaponized and politicized along with the irs, and this is not good for stable nation. People are losing trust in their institutions and a level i have not seen in my lifetime and that is bad for america it really is. Gallop has shown that the media especially are down at the level of congress. Cant get much lower than that. And all of the institutions are being challenged now. And we need well men and women ofme integrity aheading them. I still think weth have a leftor portion of dna in us pier puritan dna with a patriotic america. I dont see thatt whatting now. It is not being taught it is not being modeled, and so question get more of what we promote. I know youre doing an interview with daily signal podcast more to come so in the spirit of our Heritage Foundation president who hosted the show and the question to conclude why did you wake up optimistic today . Because i knew i was coming here and seeing some friends. [laughter] look, america is always been a great idea in search of the ideal. But it has to be preserved it has to be renewed like we used to renew Library Books or it will expire and values and virtues that make this state great and men and women who sacrificed everything and if you recall ben franklin when a woman asked in 1776 after the declaration of independence was passed what have you given us mr. Franklin he responded a are. You can keep it and we have to keep it. Every generation has to renew it its not the natural state of humanity otherwise many nations . The world would embrace it. We have an oasis in midst of a vast desert and if we do not promote and defend this country who else will . So im optimistic in the sense that i know how it all turns up. But thats opt mistwk kind of leadership we have right now good people donts want to run for office if youve done something yourear embarrassed about who hasnt, myself may be the exception [laughter] you know, youll be youll be demagogue today. My solution and suggestions are people running for office put out a press release on any known sin youve committed to the frepgdz in the media it is about what youve done and what you Vice President spoken about. Anyway, keep trusting on upward way and talk to your neighbors, friends, tell them what america is really all about and ask them how their ideas are working gi a a round of applause. [applause] weekends on cspan2 are an intellectual feast every saturday American History tv documents americas story and on sundays booktv bring you the latest and nonfiction books and authors. Funding for cspan2 come from these Television Companies enmore including cox it is extremely rare. 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