that is one of the things that freedom house have been looking out over time, about how the gap betweeng kong still... there is quite a bit more press freedom in hong kong than in mainland china still, but that gap has definitely been closing. so if there is any sort of backlash is, you said other companies go at countries have been expressing their concerns about this, but in practical terms, what will this mean for the lam administration, and/or beijing?|j think administration, and/or beijing?” think there could actually be some backlash for them as well, i think for lam and for the hong kong administration, it does get to this question not only of hong kong's role as an open place for free expression and press freedom, but also rule of law, given the secrecy surrounding the decision and the arbitrariness with which it was taken. i think beijing, in terms of reinforcing the fears of many people in hong kong, particularly the younger generation, that things were going to get worse before it gets better, i think this really reinforces their sense that that is going to be happening. and

freedom. ofedom house -- no becan freedom. freedom house has been researching saudi arabia's record and it has been categorized as among the worst of the worst countries in terms of political right and civil liberties. for nearly 30 years, it has received a seven, the lowest score kosovo. the only countries -- the lowest scores possible. the only countries during worth our north korea, syria and others. it is hard to see how the country could get worse. the absolute monarchy restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties. no officials at the national level are elected. public to sectarianism, spending is supported by oil revenues. women and religious minorities face discrimination and law and practice. working conditions for the large expatriate labor force are exploitative. thespot -- despite rhetorical shift that saudi arabia have been having -- arabia has one of the most restrictive media environments in the entire world. they continue to shape the media coverage in the war in yemen by restricting media access. a

northern neighbor of which between the beats the united states in economic freedom and in the freedom house rankings. magic about the system that we have designed, and there are nonconstitutional features of the united states that contribute as much or more the prosperity and freedoms we enjoy. this relates to the earlier question about have other countries emulated our system? america.ting in latin there are a lot of countries that have adopted presidential systems with separation of powers. while the systems to have some advantages, it is not clear, particularly in developing the thesis ofs is pairs of presidential is an -- perils of the presidential is lism. it has some distinct disadvantages that lead to instability, conflict, the unification head of state and government tends to swell the executive and make presidential elections more high-stakes winner take all affairs. i think we would be emulating the framers to not have an undue theyence for the project designed, which has been flawed in many ways. james? james: i'm in all when i think about how well america has done with the chall

neighbor which routinely beats the united states in economic freedom and i believe even in the freedom house rankings. there is nothing magic about the system that we have designed and there are nonconstitutional features of the united states that contribute as much or more to the prosperity and freedoms we enjoy. this sort of relates to the earlier question about, have other countries emulated our system and, yes. starting in latin america there are a lot of countries that have adopted presidential systems with separation of powers and, while those systems to have some advantages, it is not clear, particularly in developing countries, particularly in developing countries presidential systems tend to have some distinct just -- disadvantages that lead to instability, conflict, the unification of head of state and head of government tends to swell the executive and make presidential elections more high-stakes winner take all affairs. we would be emulating the framers to not have an undue reverence for the project they designed which has been flawed in many ways. >> i am in awe every time i thi

in freedom house was destroyed in the dead of night by a developer what was saved was the plaque that he head for him. he goes on the wall. an important momento of his extraordinary contributions to his country the decency do you want to set it up for questions? [inaudible conversations] >> i used to work in the wendell building 40 years ago. i wanted to ask about the fascination with marxism. what his attitude was towards soviet. how did that affect his own definition of freedom. the interaction with joseph stalin is an interesting one. as a guest you can't be free the right to the government. it was an american spiel. he was impressed by the scale of industrial growth. in the agricultural development mind you. he was honest enough to want to appreciate why the russian people thought their experiment was a great value and benefit. in that way. much closer in their understanding or misunderstanding. it would be possible to work with the russians. that the systems though antagonistic were not like antimatter. on have he lived it would've been interesting to see a man who had to baited

brutal attacks on roma people people rights activists when i'm the she says the same thing when freedom house or the senate is not all russian conspiracy no but partially it is that's one thing and the other yes yes there are there are there are cases where russia is working unfortunately very actively also inside ukraine that's one thing and another thing is that whenever these cases are happening we are reacting fiercely against them and the law enforcement is taking care of that but i know your marriage education about that and where you know i would also want to see more. professional approach back home but i think when you are rebuilding the whole institution sometimes it takes time to rebuild them and it takes time for them to to react properly so yes we do have separate cases and i was very concerned for example with what has happened with roma people definitely you know i'm one of those that is speaking out at the governmental level at the national level in order to ensure that this is not happening anymore next year you're going to have presidential elections in ukraine in march twen

let me start out by saying that freedom house has called for an international investigation into the crime that has taken place. we are also calling for swift sanctions against all of those that have any role in his killing. the murder of jamal khashoggi has shocked the world, but for those of us who have been following saudi arabia's trajectory, it should not, as a huge surprise. under the crown prince, we have seen a crackdown at home, and we have seen him launch a brutal war in yemen. he has been bullying countries around the world. and extraterritorial hit against a perceived opponent is not something that seems completely unlikely. to be clear, before mbs rose through the ranks and saudi arabia, the country was no beacon of freedom. freedom house has been researching saudi arabia's record and it has been categorized as among the worst of the worst countries in terms of political right and civil liberties. for nearly 30 years, it has received a seven, the lowest score possible. the only countries doing worse are north korea, syria and others. it is hard to see how the country cou

there's a lot of people concerned that there is a broad crisis of democracy and freedom house has said for the last almost a dozen years you have seen the regression and the number of countries and this is that many oisn't what many of ud at the end of the cold war but certainly there seems to be a march toward democracy we are talking about the threats in europe to the democracy inside. to both of you perceive that there is a broader democratic crisis occurring and that the te phenomenon do connect? >> iac authoritarians fighting back. they are using digital technologies invented to help sustain what we thought would be a more open world to survey its citizens in society and help export the model. so they are fighting back against democracies are uniquely vulnerable because we have an open system. democracies need to think smarter about how to protect ourselves. it's to help democracy succeed. there's also there is also a prf democratic performance. in many countries it is underperforming if we can go into passmore. you've also seen strongmen hollow out democratic institutions in coun

brutal attacks on roma people people rights activists when i'm the she says the same thing when freedom house or the senate is not all russian conspiracy no but partially it is that's one thing and the other yes yes there are there are there are cases where russia is working unfortunately very actively also inside ukraine that's one thing and another thing is that whenever these cases are happening we are reacting fiercely against them and the law enforcement is taking care of that but i know your marriage education about your chance that and where you know i would also want to see more. professional approach back home but i think when you are rebuilding the whole institution sometimes it takes time to rebuild them and it takes time for them to to react properly so yes we do have separate cases and i was very concerned for example with what has happened with roma people definitely you know i'm one of those that is speaking out at the governmental level at the national level in order to ensure that this is not happening anymore next year you're going to have presidential elections in ukraine i

watch talks about brutal attacks on roma people people when i am a she says the same thing when freedom house or the senate is not all russian conspiracy no but partially it is that's one thing and the other yes yes there are there are there are cases where russia is working unfortunately very actively also inside ukraine that's one thing and another thing is that whenever these cases are happening we are reacting fiercely against them and the law enforcement is taking care of that bad marriage education about that and where you know i would also want to see more. professional approach back home but i think when you are rebuilding the whole institution sometimes it takes time to rebuild them and it takes time for them to to react properly so yes we do have separate cases and i was very concerned for example with what has happened with roma people definitely you know i'm one of those that is speaking out at the governmental level at the national level in order to ensure.

on if he had not he began by writing about the 2018 freedom house report. i mean, this is not something that grabs headlines. it has today. he talked about other human rights cases. i am going to let sarah talk about those. i wrote a piece for "the new yorker" today about how this puts on the table all of those issues that the west has opted to ignore for decades. not just in saudi arabia, but across the region. so you wonder if this is the beginning of a turning point. exception, or is he the reflection of the future? will he infect others? -- will he affect others? we have all been inspired by what he wrote and what he did. will others be? one of the things he writes in his piece today was that -- that the state narrative and censorship makes it very hard for people in the region to actually know what is going on. makes the front pages of our papers every day, how many papers in the region, how many news outlets, television stations, the state-controlled apparatus, will write anything beyond that he may be disappeared? the wire services are running big in

kennedy: why did you leave the house freedom caucus? >> what's that. kennedy: why did you leave the house freedom caucus? >> i was never a member. i would never lower my stand standards to the group that didn't invite me. kennedy: i don't mind that you bastardized it. stay off twitter unless it's to promote your appearance on the show. >> stop, kennedy. people love me on twitter. kennedy: they do. they really do! you have big fans. choice words. some fans, some trolls, it takes all types to have great discourse in this country. kennedy: it does, and howard dean called me an idiot tonight. >> i'm sure you will cry yourself to sleep. you should get the warm bath and the sharp blade out. kennedy: i need the bathtub with the little door and crawl inside and fill it with my own tears. congressman gaetz, thank you very much. >> thank you, kennedy. kennedy: the president will not be mobilizing the military but could help mobilize the voters. the "fox news poll" released shows that immigration is the fourth largest issue behind health care, the economy and the

pastor andrew bronson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served brunson's detention has strained ties between washington and ankara. a delegation from saudi arabia has arrived in turkey as part of an investigation into the disappearance of journalist jamal khashoggi who.

is a country that is ranked as you also mentioned as strong not free also by observers like the freedom housefor example we have a tweet here by a leading opposition figure who is based outside of cuba she responded to the tweet saying president to become president you have to be elected by the people in free fair and open elections don't be ridiculous so of course you also get the criticism . then there's no building up he's network he has his following seventeen accounts so far it's mainly government pro-government media outlets and politicians also from other countries like the venezuelan president. who would oh he it would be interesting to see whether opening up to criticism from the internet will have any bearings on him what use of social media is also restricted in cuba so is this actually going to be effective for the president to reach the cubans that he wants to on twitter well generally speaking cuba doesn't block. firms like twitter or facebook they do block some internet pages. from the opposition but the thing is cuba has also some of the world's worst interests internet intern

freedom house has said that every year for the last almost dozen years, you have seen a regression in the number of countries rated as free. this is not what many of us expected at the end of the cold war. maybe it wasn't the end of history, but certainly there seemed to be a march toward democracy. now we're talking about the rise of a new authoritarianism and threats even inside eastern and democracy,ope to inside the e.u. itself. do both of you perceive that there is a broader democratic crisis occurring? do you see these phenomenon -- do you connect them or do you see them as individual problem spots? daniel: i don't see a democratic crisis. i see authoritarians fighting back. look at how a country like china is using digital technologies invented to help sustain what we thought would be a more open world to survey all -- to s urveil citizens. there is a lot of authoritarian learning. democracies are vulnerable to foreign interference because we have an open system. you have seen it not just in the united states. you have seen it in latin america, across europe and further afield.

pastor andrew bronson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served brunson's detention has strained ties between washington and.

us pastor andrew bronson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served bronson's detention has strained ties between washington and i'm.

pastor andrew bronson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served brunson's detention has strained ties between washington and i'm. i got him pop singer and opposition politician bobby wine has met with activists during a visit to kenya the lawmaker faces tree.

brutal attacks on roma people people rights activists when i'm the she says the same thing when freedom house or the senate it's not all russian conspiracy no but partially it is that's one thing and the other yes yes there are there are there are cases where russia is working unfortunately very actively also inside ukraine that's one thing and another thing is that whenever these cases are happening we are reacting fiercely against them and the law enforcement is taking care of that bad marriage education about your chance that and where you know i would also want to see more. professional approach back home but i think when you are rebuilding the whole institution sometimes it takes time to rebuild them and it takes time for them to to react properly so yes we do have separate cases and i was very concerned for example with what has happened with roma people definitely you know i'm one of those that is speaking out at the governmental level at the national level in order to ensure that this is not happening anymore next year you're going to have presidential elections in ukraine in march tw

. >>> today the chairman of the house freedom caucus, >>> today the chairman of the house freedom caucus, congressman mark meadows called on deputy attorney general rod rosenstein to resign, "based on additional information we've learned over the last week it is clear rod rosenstein should resign immediately." he wasn't shy about what set him off. rosenstein gave an interview to wall street journal after failing to show up in congress last week to answer questions. rosenstein did not fail to show up. plans for his appearance before two house committees are ongoing. "the wall street journal" interview did happen. rosenstein said i committed i would ensure the russia investigation was appropriate and independent and reach the result, whatever it may be. meadows is turning up the heat. the mueller team has been busy, it's being reported. cnn reported hour-long sealed hearings in front of a judge, featuring a trial and appellate prosecutors. let's bring in msnbc justice analyst mark matthew miller, and eric holder, and msnbc legal analyst paul butler, a former federal prosecutor. paul, let m

believe has happened but what they have generated the reaction he began writing about the 2018 freedom house report. this isn't something to grab headlines, but it is today. he talked about other human rights cases and i will let s-sierra talk abousarah talk abi wrote a piece for the new yorker today about how this puts on the table all that the west opted to ignore her for decades not just on saudi arabia but across the region. so you wonder if this is the beginning of a turning point. was jamaal the exception or the reflection of the future and will he infect others. we have all been inspired by what he wrote and what he did. one of the things he writes in this piece today is the state narrative and censorship makes it hard for people in the region to know what's going on. so, while he makes the front page of the papers every day, how many news outlets and television stations in the state-controlled apparatus will write anything are they running the big investigative pieces it's where the press is free but you see attention to the story. one of the big questions is where did this move. let

the world who are concerned that there is a broader crisis of democracy taking place, i think freedom house has said, that every year, almost for the last dozen years, you have in fact, seen a regression in the number of countries that are rated as free. and this is certainly not what many of us expected at the end of the cold war. maybe it wasn't the end of history, but certainly there seemed to be a march toward democracy. now, we are talking about the rise of a new authoritarianism, and threats inside eastern and central europe, to democracy inside the eu itself. do both of you perceive that there is actually a sort of broader democratic crisis occurring? do you see that these phenomenon, do you connect them, or do you see them as individual problems for us? >> so i don't see a democratic crisis. i see authoritarians fighting back. and a lot of authoritarian learning. look at digital tools. look at how a country like china is using digital technologies, invented to help sustain what we thought would be a more open world, to surveil its citizens and repress dissent in its society and to e

three-term congressman, chairman of the house freedom caucus, congressman mark meadows with us.e. rod rosenstein now the subject of an immense speculation as well as curiosity. and he has become the focus of all that is going on in a justice department that is obviously just simply off the rails. what do you . -- what do you expect to happen? the president is going to meet with him thursday. what do you expect the president will do or howard rosencrans -- or rosenstein will do? what is the result of the meeting? >> it's up to the the president to decide what will happen. but the prudent thing for the president to do is accept resignation on thursday. he was not going to be fired. i think everybody needs their day in court. that is what we are advocating for on capitol hill. we believe that rod rosenstein needs cocome before congress under ath and tell the american people what he did or did not do because he hasn't really denied it. anytime that you the second highest official in the department of justice suggesting that they should wear a wire and take the president -- tape the

lou: i should point out you're cofounder of the house freedom caucus. i've got to ask you as you listen to glen simpson's attorney, what ever were you thinking? >> well, i mean, first of all, you don't take the fifth unless you video have a reasonable bef that you have criminal liability. glen simpson obviously believes he has krm liability or wouldn't exercise the fifth amendment right. remember what happened. the clinton campaign paid the perkins cooy law firm who hierdz the wife of a top justice official, nelly ohr to put together a document that nelly ohr's husband bruce ohr gave to the fbi and the fbi used to it to spy on the trump campaign. and he' he accusing us of mccarthyism. that is ridiculous. glen simpson would not answer our questions and he wouldn't answer them because he knows he has a criminal concern. frankly if you don't have a criminal concern and you take the fifth you're obstructing an investigation by the congress. lou: this is one of the integral figures in all of this as you know better than almost anyone. >> sure is. lou: glen s

. >> democrats and republicans not in the house freedom caucus. >> true. >> rod rosenstein has many critics again, you mentioned the point the president is supposed to have a meeting with him. the president knows i'm prepared to do this job as long as he wants me to do this job, rosenstein said. you serve at the pleasure of the president and there's never been ambiguity about that in my mind. but he has multiple constituencies. one obviously the president. he talks to him through the interview but the other is the justice department and like fbi directors before him, like ray, like comey, too, they've defended their bureaucracies. they've defended the career people. it's important to view rod rosenstein's comments through that prism as well. >> this is an issue he's willing to shout from the roof tops on that he will see through this investigation, he stood up to the president on this and the president's allies in the house freedom caucus caucus, he doesn't want to be seen as the person who messed up the investigation. this rests on him and it's much bigger than him. >> and it's a reminder.

pastor andrew bronson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served brunson's detention has strained ties between washington and anchor.

posture on drew brunson is on his way back home after a turkish court freedom from house arrest the ruling allowed him to leave turkey immediately and he was flown back to germany on route to the u.s. he was convicted of terror related charges but released because of his time served brunson's detention has strained ties between washington and i'm korea. i got him pop singer and opposition politician bobby wine has met with activists during a visit to kenya the lawmaker faces.

captive to the establishment and therefore if there was a motion raising in the house of commons to give a greater freedom to the house perhaps to set standing orders on one side for those purposes i can well imagine speaker bercow being amenable to that sort of way forward i was a parliamentarian surely that is the right thing to do well the right thing to do is to allow parliament to consider all the options that the best deliver the best outcome in what is an immensely serious issue now that we must not allow the rules or regulations of the red tape and the procedures of parliament to prevent the reaching of the best outcome for the peoples of these islands. the company of just elected a new leader price if you used to sit in the commons but were first both an member of that they've become a part of the campaign to impeach the then prime minister tony blair the iraq war adams come to the leadership like of me as a member of the national assembly no how do you see his prospects of lifting plied to greater success so i don't as an outstanding parliamentarian who's here and the character in the national a

floor because there was a significant portion or small vocal minority but enough votes within the house freedom caucus and other aspects of the house republican conference who could push them out. he made sure that didn't happen and that dynamic continued to play out through the course of his speakership and to some extent, that has been the case for paul ryan, as well. never a real threat but at the same time the faction has been very powerful within his conference, he has to pay attention to that. on the other side, you look at nancy pelosi, she jammed legislation through, got her people in the order and they succeeded in getting some bills passed. was that good for the party? they lost the house in 2010, not just because of the way they passed healthcare but you look at how they passed a cap and trade bill, it led to the loss of a number -- for one reason why some of these more moderate members lost in the key election of the house what. if she becomes speaker again, she could have a lot of pressure and may not be as powerful in the sense as she was when she was speaker at the end of the bus

he serves on both judiciary and oversight committees, he's also cofounder to have influential house freedomcus, he's also the man that i would love to see speaker of the house of representatives. congressman, great to see you. there is so much to take up here tonight. let's start with just your reaction to the complaints about the president defending his nominee to be a social justice of the supreme court? >> the american people appreciate and understand basic fairness and what they see happening to judge kavanaugh and his family and to this good man is just wrong, it's not fair, they get that and that's why you're seeing so many americans say let's confirm this good man, let's put him on the court, the aba ranking -- i mean, it was the highest rating you can get. this is a guy that should be on the court, i hope it happens soon and i hope he gets on the court soon. lou: speaking of fairness and i will throw in the aclu, two organizations, liberal but they have never before entered, entered into a political dispute like the one with judge kavanaugh and dems who are absolutely attempt to go

and closing immigration loopholes, congressman louie gohmert, house freedom caucus, and for congressman gohmert, border security is importantly represents a significant part of a significant state, by the name of texas. good to have you with us. >> good to be with you. lou: great to see you, let's weigh in on birthright citizenship, it is important. and the reaction of your speaker, paul ryan, questioning the president of the united states on the issue. >> well, it just shows our speaker once again has gotten terrible advice from whoever he listens to about our constitution. you know we have been trying to undo obamacare the constitution requires that anything that raises revenue must originate in house. the obamacare bill originated in the senate, except for number of house bill, and all we had with lawyers in case getting to supreme court begged us to do, a sense of the house that bill did not originate in the senate, that they felt it would help knock all of obamacare out, but paul said, no, they tell me -- >> who is they? >> it is -- there is. lou: or koch brothers. >> but president

care and peace of religious freedom are conditions houses will never agree on we have to keep politics and religion will suffer and. the fuse must be comfortable that is the only way we stand any chance of peace so if we want to stand up against the demands of the two cronies in return we will recognize the quality of communion unless it affects the emperor's hereditary lamps because it is important that we agree i didn't think the war is being waged on the backs of the people in the country where children used to play and hard working people told the fields now there's nothing left to see but scorched earth. so a single army marching through can destroy a whole year's labor children a whimpering from hunger and fathers adjoining the marauding bands the best protection against oppression is to become an oppressor yourself i will negotiate. excellence a doctor. if you. know where you have to win over our old crips use one of the most important representatives of the catholic imperialist states. most today he saw misty the imperialist states would have great interest to all parties becau

country, joining us congressman andy biggs of arizona, member of house judiciary committee and house freedom caucus. i don't think some people in government understand their role. it seems very clear that the department of homeland security is not taking as responsibilities seriously. and there is an effort on be on- obfuscate dimension of this problem. -- you name it. across that border from mexico. >> you are right. i think secretary nielsen needs to clean house. the people that are running the border patrol now, some of them are architects of original cash and release program, for pete's sake. i don't understand what is going on. nationaly, she should have -- additionally she should have been fighting for restoration of money for border patrol agents. we have an invasion coming over, of day, then you have an organized invasion from central america american states then we have border patrol stations in arizona that are 50% of their comment am because the moral is so low. it low because we have not supported them. lou: talking about high turnover. >> yes. >> it is a very tough job, moral, i

he's a house freedom caucus member. as we went to break we spoke about the midterm elections. things have gotten heated up with the left throwing people out of restaurants and talking about, you know, if you don't agree there wouldn't be sahpher. this is eric holder and hillary clinton in the last two weeks. >> when they go low we go high. no, no. when they go low we kick them. >> you cannot be civil with a political party that would like to destroy what you stand for, what you care about. that's why i believe if we are fortunate enough to win back the house or senate that's when civility can start again. until then, the only thing republicans seem to recognize and respect is straight. >> this is just extra ordinary. steve scalise almost died. he was shot in baseball practice and almost dead. thank god he's okay. no civility until the democrats are back in control. >> the left and democrats have taken extreme positions. they applaud kaepernick when he disrespects the flag. they embrace cuomo and cheer on maxine waters and said harass anyone that supports the president. the cam

and we had a conversation when he received the presidential medal of freeman -- medal of freedom at the white house with president obama. he might not remember meeting me, but i remember the conversation we had, talking about the songs he had. does the bus stop at 82nd street? i know he was recording at the west side. i went to powell memorial high school on the west side of manhattan. he was recording the river when i was going to school six blocks away. i was asking him questions about that. just taking that opportunity to learn what i could about his relationship to new york. he's from new jersey but spent a lot of time in new york city. steve: the one question we've been asking every retiree member is this. the state of politics is today, complete the sentence. rep. crowley: i been here long enough to see when things have actually worked in the regular order. we speak of regular order, when things went to the committee. there was an honest up or down vote. even in the minority, we could affect the outcome in a bipartisan way. that has changed here. that doesn't exist anymore. we just saw this t

member of the house judiciary committee and the house freedom caucus. it is great to have you with us. i don't think some people in government understand their role. it seems very clear that the department of homeland security is not taking its responsibility seriously. there is an effort to obvis kate the -- obfuscate the entry of the illegal immigrants and free flow of the drugs, heroin, cocaine, you name it, across the border from mexico. >> you are right. secretary nielsen needs to get in there and clean house. the people running the border patrol, some of them were the ark techs of the catch and release program for pete's sakes. i don't understand what is going on there. she should have been fighting for the restoration of the money for the border patrol agents. you have an invasion coming over every day and organized invasion from the central american states. at the same time, we have the border patrol stations in arizona that are 50% of the complement because the morale is so low. it's low because we haven't supported them -- >> lou: you are talk