[ applause ] so good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the kansas city public library. Robert merry is, this is his second presentation in the somewhat hallowed calls of the kansas city public library. Five star library this week from library journal. Thank you. [ applause ] hes a graduate of the university of washington. He has a masters degree from Columbia University school of journalism. Hes been a reporter for the observer, the wall street journal, managing editor and editor in chief of Congressional Quarterly and more recently the editor of the National Interest in the american conservative. The american conservative has about us passage saying it is collaborate but it sounds a lot like robert merry. This is a description of their philosophy. We believe in constitutional government, fiscal prudence, sound Monetary Policy and delineated borders, free markets and restraint in Foreign Policy mixed with diplomatic acuity. We adhere closely to our institutional maxim idea, pri