this book, the world through arab eyes, and the reshaping of the middle east, and we begin with dennis ross, dennis, tell me about what you think and what you think about what we will call the kerry initiative. >> well, i think it bears looking at the reality that he has taken six trips to the middle east. he has taken his time. he sought to build a relationship with both president netanyahu and president abbas. he has worked to ensure that there is -- there are discussions that are very well protect sod that each side can have confidence in him. i think he has tried to develop a degree of understanding between the two of them amount what he will do. i think also that he has focused very heavily on trying to get them to agree to a basis that is sufficiently strong that they will stay at the table. he is also focused, i think, heavily on trying to get each of them to make sure that they will adopt certain kinds of steps of avoid certain kind of steps that would plikt the circumstances for negotiation. he has taken his time, in other words and i think he has been wise to do that. both sides i

i want to thank ambassador dennis ross and dr. michele dunne and ambassador daniel kurtzer for being here today. we look forward to their effective on the situation in egypt and the ramifications for egypt and the united states. the situation in egypt has tremendous implications for the united states. our response must be carefully calibrated. at the same time, support u.s. national security interest in the region. these two goals are, in my view, not at odds with one another. they do require a complex policy response that allows us to advocate for much-needed democratic reforms while also ensuring our own security needs. at the end of the day, our policy and our laws must be nuanced enough to allow for a response that reflects our interests. it is my view that terminating u.s. assistance at this time could provoke a further crisis in egypt that would not be to our benefit. having said that, the future of our relationship with egypt will be determined by our actions in the coming weeks. whether we will have a stable and willing pa

i want to thank ambassador dennis ross and dr. michele dunne and ambassador daniel kurtzer for being here today. we look forward to their effective on the situation in egypt and the ramifications for egypt and the united states. the situation in egypt has tremendous implications for the united states. our response must be carefully calibrated. at the same time, support u.s. national security interest in the region. these two goals are, in my

joining me now is embassy dennis ross, a former envoy to the middle east for former president clintonistant to president obama. he is now a counsel for the washington institute for near east policy. embassy ross, is this a positive step in the right direction for egypt at this point? >> you know, it is a very difficult question to answer. if you look at the scenes that we were just watching there is very little doubt that i think a very significant part of egyptian population feels that this was a necessary course correction. many of the people who are out there celebrating now were also a year ago celebrating the election of president morsi. it is not that they don't want democracy, it is that they feel in a sense the revolution was hijacked by president morsi and the muslim brotherhood. and they didn't necessarily want the military to be once again intervening but they felt they didn't have a choice. they didn't see much of a recourse. so the question is, is the military going to come in and preside over an administration that really does permit and encourage institutions to develop

. >>> joining the conversation is ambassador dennis ross, former special assistant to president obama, counselor with the washington institute for near east policy and nbc news mideast glenmore si. as we get meta on this and pull back is this a victory for democracy in egypt or a victory for mob rule? i do think vast segments of the public feel not only were they trying to control everything but they were inseptember in terms of addressing israel's problems. >> was this a bait and switch, sir? the muslim brotherhood is well known throughout egypt. well known for what it stands for. yet this is to the egyptian people elected. did morsi bait and switch the egyptian people or did they get exactly what they voted for? >> you know, i think again go back. the people who are celebrating last night, many were the same people celebrated when he was elected last year. >> mm-hmm. >> there is an expectation that the muslim brotherhood, having declared themselves to join with others in governing and to be inclusive, there was a sense they were taking it back. the real question is there going to be

joining me now is bams dor dennis ross, former envoy to the middle east to former president clinton andtant to president obama. he is now a cons lor for the washington institute for nears east policy. embassy ross, is this a positive step in the right direction for egypt at this point? >> you know, it is a very difficult question to answer. if you look at the scenes that we were just watching there is very little doubt that i think a very significant part of egyptian population feels that this was a necessary course correction. many of the people who are out there celebrating now were also a year ago celebrating the election of president morsi. it is not that they don't want democracy, it is that they feel in a sense the revolution was hijacked by president morsi and the muslim brotherhood. and they didn't necessarily want the military to be once again intervening but they felt they had no choice. they isn't see much of a recourse. the question is, is the military going to come in and preside over a transition that really does permit political change and institutions to develop or will,

remember when dennis ross came in, he was the goy netanyahu called.efused to call george mitchell. >> he has not made them this issue. the white house runs against the way it normally operates. that is to micromanage many of the foreign policy issues. that will be the game on whether or not this succeeds. >> they worked so hard to get to this moment, but we are in a point where you look and convince him to back up in syria that seems to be the crisis that maybe matters more. they really want to have the civil war and the border. >> i think there some challenges that are better done inizible low. there a lot of phone calls. i think that each of them, a lot of stuff they have to work out doesn't lend itself to press conferences and a slauf the stock and there tensions and it's not necessary low showing up where the american national interest is going to be the event? >> i can't help but wonder with former secretary clinton dining and having lunch with president obama. she had less interest in trying to jump-start the mideast. john kerry clearly wants to

that would be another reason they're trying to find a way out of it. >> thank you, dennis ross.. >>> coming up, we'll hear from two virginia lawmakers who want to skip that virginia vacation. first, here's stephen colbert on why congress can't get anything done. >> in the latest phone survey about congress it ranked below having your dinner interrupted by a phone survey about congress. these numbers have nothing to do with the job that lawmakers are doing because they are not doing it. halfway through 2013 just 15 bills passed by congress had become law. they almost passed a 16th bill but obama refused to sign hr 2904, the this is not another repeal of obama care we swear but don't look inside it, just sign it act. when you don't use pam, this is what you get. residue. [ female announcer ] bargain brand cooking spray leaves annoying residue. that's why there's pam. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee sta

and ambassador dennis ross, former u.s.lomat under the first president bush and president clinton. now an msnbc contributor. thank you both for being here tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you, sir. >> ambassador ross, let me go to you first. what does this mean for democracy in egypt? >> well, on the surface, it appears to be a setback. the fact is president morsi was elected democratically but he didn't operate as if he believed in democracy. this is someone who tried to transform the judiciary and remove all those he thought were opposed to him. this is someone who basically tried to pack the media, you actually had more people prosecuted for insults to the president in his one year than had been the case during all of mubarak's tenure. this is someone who was exclusionary and did not reach out to the opposition or create any possibility for others to govern and share in power. you had someone focused entirely on control for the muslim brotherhood and not on governance. and now he's in a position where he can't govern or c

we now have dennis ross, a former u.s.r the first president bush and under president clinton and a former advisor to secretary of state the clinton. what would are be your advice at this moment? what would you be telling john kerry in the situation we're seeing now? >> i think the key thing for us is to focus on principles and not personalities. i think the -- we have a huge stake in egypt not being a failed state. we have a huge stake in trying to see if there can be a managed transition now. we also have a stake in changing the impression that seems to exist among a great part of egyptian public that somehow we were backing the muslim brotherhood against the interests of the egyptian public which i think is not what the real position of the administration was, about you it was a perception that took hold. so i think right now, our focus should be very much on empath e empathizing the need to create a stable political transition and our support for basic principles which relate to respecting the rights of all, insuring no

evening with a look at secretary kerry's peace initiative in the mirld east, joining me, ziad asali, dennis rossd shibley telhami. >> this issue as sthibly says is the ultimate conflict in the world and it is exceptionally important to the arabs and muslim to have it resolved. so i think the mere fact of bringing the partisan negotiations will buy time for the united states and all the parties, so that the other outstanding burning presence, violent issues in several countries in the region will be easier to handle if

i want to bring into the conversation ambassador dennis ross. sir, good to have you. we have you by television. as we're watching the pictures and as richard points out tens of thousands who have swelled into tahrir square what is the administration's position on how they're viewing this and how they are hoping that morsi who is now -- excuse me, we lost ambassador ross. but we also have hishem as well. let me shift gears to you. the administration watching this, how are they interceding or hoping to intercede if morsi is able to meet the concessions of disbanding what he has in place now and kind of starting from scratch? >> it is obvious the administration does not want to see a coup in a classical sense. it is also obvious and i know this for a fact that the pentagon has been in touch with the senior military leadership in cairo urging them to press president morsi to reach an understanding with the opposition. and i think they would support the military, if the military's next moves are short of a cue. i don't know if they would accept quote/unquote a soft coup. b

this begins with former middle east envoy dennis ross.re here to talk about serious and the civil war there. it is no question that both our morals and strategic interests are engaged there. is very different, the stakes are very high. i find myself in agreement with youryou are saying in statement. when we look at egypt, we know that egypt is perhaps the most important arab country. it is always one that affects the rest of the region. politically, culturally it has been a trendsetter. when we look at the events of the arab awakening, they might have begun in tunisia but it was the events of career square which captured the imagination of the world. whichcareetahrir square captured the imagination of the world. it is an unsettling situation, to say the least. at a minimum, we have seen unelected leader removed, but i think when we look at the selected leader that was removed, we have to understand that the intervention by the military is an intervention that was very much backed by a very large segment of the egyptian population. a criti

i want to thank ambassador dennis ross and dr.and ambassador daniel kurtzer for being here today. we look forward to their effective on the situation in egypt and the ramifications for egypt and the united states. the situation in egypt has tremendous implications for the united states. our response must be carefully calibrated. at the same time, support u.s. national security interest in the region. these two goals are, in my view, not at odds with one another. they do require a complex policy response that allows us to advocate for much-needed democratic reforms while also ensuring our own security needs. at the end of the day, our policy and our laws must be nuanced enough to allow for a response that reflects our interests. it is my view that terminating u.s. assistance at this time could provoke a further crisis in egypt that would not be to our benefit. having said that, the future of our relationship with egypt will be determined by our ctions in the coming weeks. whether we will have a stable and willing partner in crucial

coming up on radio, jennifer griffin, ambassador dennis ross will be joining us.radio app. some of our local stations. >> gretchen: speak of radio, someone who is the king of radio, rush limbaugh joins us now. >> brian: no one would argue. >> gretchen: good morning to you. >> hey. it's been a long time since i've been with you give guys. how are you? >> gretchen: thank you for joining us. >> my pleasure. >> gretchen: thank you. let's talk about egypt because we've been watching these live pictures come into "fox & friends" this morning of these protests going on and i'm interested in knowing what your thoughts are. the egyptian military apparently giving president morsi 24 to 48 hours to basically not be president anymore in that country. >> i don't know. i'm totally confused by egypt. i thought this is what we wanted. when this all happened, when the arab spring was taking place a couple years ago, everybody was making it appear as though it was happening as a result of being inspired by obama's own election. so hope and change was spreading to the middle east. a

last week, ambassador dennis ross, whose reputation and experience as a diplomat, presidential advisor on the middle east and author has made him one of the nation's most respected foreign policy minds on both sides of the aisle told the foreign relations committee that -- quote -- "it is imperative that america stay in the game. we cannot and should not pull out now. ending aid to egypt with only cause egyptians to shut out the united states of discussions and disregard our advice. ambassador ross also said that such an action could be the only thing to iew night all egyptians across the entire political spectrum against the united states, against the united states. in fact, that opinion was shared by the majority panelists who feared our inability to influence events in egypt if we were to step out of the gate. in the interim, as we further assess the situation, our response and our policy must be carefully calibrated to press for the democratic reforms that the egyptian people have demanded and simultaneously support u.s. national security interests in the region. u.s. assistance to

last congress our committee chairman, representative issa, and committee member, dennis ross, sent a letter to the government accountability office proposing that we replace the federal government's general schedule system with a, quote, merit based market sensitive system that recognizes and rewards individual employee performance, end of quote. how can we take such proposals seriously if we are being asked at the same time to slash the very awards that are supposed to incentivize performance? of course we cannot. for these reasons i urge my colleagues to join me in opposing h.r. 2579. and i ask unanimous consent for congressman lynch to manage the remainder of our time. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cummings: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. without objection, the gentleman from massachusetts will control the remaining time. the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. meadows: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield three minutes to my distinguished colleague from the state of michigan, mr. ben at this v

. >>> joining me now, ambassador dennis ross, former special assistant to president obama and counselor in foreign policy program at the council on foreign relations. she's the author of the dress maker of khair khana. we know the situation has been certainly fluid over the last 24 hours. the muslim brotherhood leaders are being sought. is the military trying to get to these guys now so there is not any type of insurgency bid born out of this? >> i think what's going on is they are trying to create a level of control to make it difficult for leaders of the muslim brotherhood to create a violent reaction. we have to the see what happens over the next days and weeks. this is a shock for the muslim brotherhood. they were in opposition for 80 years, come to power. they were inseptember because they sought control more than governance and now have either. it's going to produce a strong impulse for them to do something and now the military, i think, will try to control that while also trying to create an air of normalcy by appointing an interim president, no doubt having an interim cabinet em