he was senate republican whip in 1995 and majority leitner 20082006. he left the senate to -- the firm was purchased in 2010 and he is now senior counsel. jason grume earned his bachelor degree from brown university became the 1,988th national collegiate debate champion. has a law degree from harvard in 2009 he founded and directed in the national commission on energy policy. in 2007 he cofounded the bipartisan policy center, along with former senate majority leaders baker, daschle, dole, and mitchell. he is president of the bipartisan policy center and author of the new book "city rivals: restoring the glorious mess of american democracy." despite extra fee would if hey held up the group. now on to the morning's mechanics. our thanks to the ceo, helping ensure this geezer survives another year on the monitor payroll. we're on the record here. please no live blogging or tweeting or no feeling of any kind while the breakfast is underway to give us a chance to listen to what our guest says. no embargo when the session ends. to help you rezest that relent