fighter to live off the land to do what you need to do to get the job done. >> certain the minority groups were not and women were not. that changes over time over time more and more people. >> host: we welcome back ken blackwell to the w program as a conservative columnist and former ohio secretary of state, mister blackwell the first chance to chat with you since the 2018 election what message did voters try to send to washington three weeks ago

today? . >> i think there was a major choice with the voters, did they choose gridlock or cooperation to get something across party lines? so what they did was even the playing field we saw the republicans take some seats in the senate and the democrats were shy of 40 seats in the house and took over the control but as a consequence the onus is can the two parties find some common ground? ii would hope that includes criminal justice reform making

sure we deal with the challenge of drug pricing. that we come together to improve and refresh our infrastructure there is plentyer of fork to be done. at the end of the day i believe the parties will in fact, have to define that common ground the instinct is to go into combat to ready themselves for 2020. there is a clear message what they want is clarity and cooperation and with that clarion call.

>> host: focusing on what the house democratic agenda will be when they take the gavel of those varioussva committees with the 116th congress but what role do we see the house republican plays with the minority?he with the house republican minority is any less divided under a minority leader? . >> there are moderates that there will be a clear conservative voice that the minority leader will be the megaphone for the interest and concerns and policy initiatives of his conference.

look the democrats have made it clear what they will do is investigate, investigate, invese and ie, think there is a great chance will overreach just like the republicans overreached in the late nineties. but i hope that we find some common ground consistent with the interest in advance of this nation the president has some simple objectives at the beginning of this administration to accelerate economic growth to make sure we create an environment two

or $3 trillion sparked offshore dealing with the complicated inventory. he fended out and made it more coherent and the other thing that he did so as a consequence with that acceleratedcc economic growth and that is important for all of us republicans and democrats. there is still plenty of work to do. the president also ran to make sure the borders were secure and we could stopped the unchecked flow to bring not

only criminal behavior to human trafficking and the flow of harmful drugs but also will use the securing of the border to underline a respect for the rule of law. that the family research council we believe the privacy of the individual with our political system there is a clear and consistent out of the public square and when that happens it creates an environment for the expansion of government in our lives. what has made us unique as a country. does the fact that god has been central and as a consequence individuals don't

depend on big government but that cradle of whitney is the family? so we make sure we have constitutional governance and the environment where people and that we understand the privacy of a individual liberty really does turn on the reach and the scope of government. that's what we believe, that's what we work for, and the president embraced that agenda and therefore we are working with the president to create that sort of environment and opportunity for americans and american families. >> host: taking your calls for

washington journal today. james and mississippi democratic line go ahead. >>caller: mister blackwell. i wish we had more people like you in office. but as far as trump being down here yesterday i wouldn't go drive down the road to see him anyway but i understand that but for the way he acts so

asking for forgiveness and didn't know what to ask for forgiveness f for. and with that opposition that christianity. >> those that come together. . >> we are all fallen at the researchch council we are focusing the attention on genesis 33. but we go in prayer because we

understand there is a gap of how we behave and we ask god to put us on the straight and narrow of a path of righteousnessn that helps to close the gap with those that we profess to believe and every now and then we ask god for his guidance so at the end of the day the president understands and to embrace the agenda to go back on path respect of religious liberty that in a capitalistic society

you need capital and that is why he has created an environment and to put jobs to maintain their independence. there is the agenda is right on track of a clear agenda to appoint justices to the supreme court and judges that respect that fundamental fact that the constitution on the region the power of optimized individual liberty and as a consequence i think this president as they struggle day in and day out with what he

professes to believe has embraced a policy agenda of what has made the united states of america the mostic prosperous and diverse democracy in all of human history. >> chattanooga tennessee go-ahead republican line. >>caller: thank you for the opportunity. you are privileged and the extremist that i don't think of any part of party that goldwater once said i don't want people to tell me how to live my life. that you have some very extreme views from the people that i know so all of my life

and to have that liberal circus and with lamar alexander and so your pitch about the party is wrong and with those evangelicals. >> i will take a step back i had the privilege to be the mayor of my hometown. but we have the opportunity to

walk the streets and talk withh folks with the part of their life but i also have been blessed as the us ambassador to the united nations in charge and then to interact with representatives of 193 other nations. i have always been clear i don't think its is extreme bringing it down to a current challenge their borders to find them all of those 100 nations work to control those borders. i don't thinkal it's radical for

the president of united states want to protect our borders. and that undermines the notion there is a nationstate to be law.ned by the rule of and then to have a funny definition of radical. and to have voters without borders but a nation without borders opening ourselves up of a country that is laxatives a about the rule of law.

in all of human history and for those who want to have opportunity but in fact, since the existence of the nation we have determined who in fact, can pursue citizenship and life in this country there has not been and administration with this notion that we should in fact, have open borders with a complete collapse of the rule off law that isn't radical that is common sense. >> with the state and public office in ohio including tommy in akron a democrat.

>>caller: i have a waiting a few years to talk to mister blackwell and i want to pose this question quoting out of genesis and the old testament but when you are at the pearly gates that you and the governor were corrupt so how do you answer the corruption charges? it is all fake news i will take your answer off the call. >> >> i went to the looking glass i have been elected by theec voters for a term as treasurer with the secretary of state that i have hit my limit i

don't know what that caller is talking about. to to get turned around. but cann blackwell in 2004 responsible but that was some form of voter suppression. nobody ever goes to find out and to misplace the voting machines that the secretary of state does not make that decision the head of the franklin county board of

elections the democrat labor leader and i will tell you they did not have a bank of voting machines they had to make a decision with those voting populations orou turnout. with that notion for all of a sudden for convenience it is the secretary of state who made that decision with this allison my - - "alice in wonderland" that the caller just suggested with some form of corruption and to have political decisions and political back and forth when you try to criminalize those differences and the political

points of view that is a very dangerous space to go through. >> with those recounts in florida and voter suppression from the election three weeks ago? we mac again particularly in broward county there was really, really bad election administration with a chronic pattern and i think that has led to that particular supervisor saying that she will not run for reelection there were 65 counties in florida that got it65 right to counties have chronic disorder

and disruption and those will be dealt with and to be duly elected of their district but there is that point to be made. >> good: morning. >>caller: good morning mister blackwell you are still quite infamous here in ohio maybe not for the voting machines but i do remember something about some thrown out ballots on it adequate paper? >>. let's go back that is another urban myth. in the mid- nineties the

secretary of state made a decision at the strong recommendationen at that time there were newspapers running aggressively with voter registration those columns or forms in the newspaper peeper were encouraged to send them in. so you need to get a thicker stock of paper for those registrations because when the newsprint comes back those registrations are being destroyed. that was in place as an administration directive and

with that 2004 election they are not sending in the voter registrations anymore most of them are bringing themri in by truck so therefore we no longer need that requirement. because newspapers were not printing the voter registration forms on newsprint. we then took a step back and that to suppress voters is an urban myth. and that uncovers that changing got it right.

and i engage in it but i will not allow urban myth to go unchecked. >> host: five minutes left with a couple more collars republican from pasadena go-ahead. >>caller: i help you with the ballot count. and i feel because you are a democrat they did not run you again then you ran for council with a bipartisan success of cincinnati ohio so i know you know, who i am i'm proud of you and you are remarkable man. you have gone far beyond whatever thought you could be. [laughter] >> host: response? we mac the love is mutual. at the end of the day when my

dad came back from world war ii from where there was a housing shortage we lived in public housing but to think i could come out of those projects and graduate from the cincinnatili public school and to be at the mayor of my hometown it is an experience i would not trade for any that i have had. when there is that hometown pride and connection that made public service meaningful for me and inspired me and my

family has been blessed in cincinnati. >> host: you think perhaps criminal justice reform could be a place where republicans and democrats could find common ground and invited congress to talk about the first step back that we heard a lot about? with that prison reform legislation? we mac yes jared kushner and the white house to shape that legislation and again to work with the judiciary committee and senator s grassley on giving it shapepe very much involved in the advocacy in the house where it passed overwhelmingly. we need to reform our criminal justice system at the federal level and take the lead from states like georgia and texas

and louisiana to where they understand that system as it was then and presently in the case of the federal system all too often is an opportunity for rehabilitation so this is a common sense approach at the state level to make humanitarian changes to give people a real chance to get their life together voting families together contributing to the advancement of our communities and our nation. and with this initiative. >> host: when you expect a a vote? we mac i'm hoping they vote before they recess.

this has been kicked around for too long there are 60 votes in the senate and mcconnell said if there are 60 votes he would bring it to the floor. was senator grassley and if it is communicated they have 60 votes ready to pass the bipartisan legislation and more importantly justice for system barely in need of reform. >> host: democrat good morning from indianapolis. >>caller: i think you are part of the biggest part of the problem i cannot believe you actually believe he has embraced the christian agenda because if you were a true

christian you would understand he doesn't follow any agenda except believing in the moment. but what about liberty for muslims for gays? but he is also the president thisher people in country. >> religious liberty is religious liberty for all. and the caller did not demonstrate those policy initiatives religious liberty

actually it knows no faith affiliation it basically allows for religion b to be practice in the public square to respect the rights of others to practice their religions without resolving one religion or another. >> the independent line good morning. >>caller: gooddeen morning. so to continue weighing on the previous and with that opportunistic idea for the bible and christianity so what

is the difference extremist with those environments and with the foundation that you should not have another chance that you should not have another chance but one i'm not looking for the office again i'm almost 71 years old. i am not here for various policies i am affiliated with a number of organizations allowing me to do that quite successfully. at the end of the day i was a

mentee out of booth in cincinnati . . . . and that was the heart of what doctr king understood is when you have moral absolute, they guide you and govern that keeps everybody within the four squares of that morality is when you do away with those absolutes. they total disregard foror other

people's rights to religious expression as a way of expressing their individual commitment to the furtherance of life there are others who believe that my advocacy for that sort of consistency in the civil rights movement of the nation is fascinating. it's interesting to hear those arguments. but i won't be deterred by them just as the federal research llcouncil won't be. we are a christian-based organization that respect the belief of the right of others to believe that their particular religious belief. >> host: want to give you a chance to chat in greenberg

kentucky republican line, go ahead. >> caller: just an fyi, a guy called in the other day about the 1960s, and what he forgot to call the program what he was talking about it was migration in, migration out they would come to work seasonally, take your money and go back home and it helped out their country. i traveled with my ex-husband in the 1990s. we would get on the buses and travel and he could interact with people and speak their language and he was bor learnine indian monk witches. he was saying it's stupid and i

said were they really calling us stupid and he said yes. they give away their country and we take it. that's what they were telling him and these were guys talking about how they would chain migrate up through the lines and just an fyi to everybody, watch the knives. very good with knives. >> host: mr. blackwell. >> guest: again, i worked within the united nations framework with 193 otherin nationstate. they were engaged with civic life within thosese borders and noy notion that we should be borderless as a notion that isn't worth getting a lot oflo

time to. i had a great uncle and he was the first black american to win an olympic medal and individual gold medal in track and field and he did it in the 1924 paris games. in 1924, he was to run against eric liddell in the hundreds and was to compete in theas long ju. he eventually said the record in the long jump and won the gold medal. but when he got to paris in 1924, he was told that the high hurdles were white or money events and he couldn't compete but when he came home he said

god had blessed him to put in front of him the example of eric liddell and he said it showed more importantly than winning a gold medal for setting a worldld record was fidelity to faith -- >> we are going to break away from the last minute or two and get you down to houston, texas where the former president barack obama will sit down with the former secretary james baker and presidential historian jon meacham and discuss experiences in office, bipartisanship and u.s. leadership abroad. we are going to take you now to houston, texas on c-span2. [applause] thank