. >>> joining us now, "new york times" foreign affairs columnist, tom friedman. is the author of among many other best sellers, why we need a green revolution and how it can renew america. so, tom, i don't even know where to begin really. but, you know, is there no depth too low for -- i mean, first of all, paul -- you know, congressman gosar is certainly in the pantheon of sort of pathetic figures who have served in -- in congress. um, but is there no depth too low? >> well, you know, i think depth is a good word, anderson, because i think we're standing, as a country and as a people, on a false bottom. what -- what -- what these incidents and the lack of response to them by the republican leadership tell us is something -- it's -- it's very worrying. we -- we're living in a fool's paradise right now. if this party is able to retake the house, the senate, and national power, we are in a very, very dangerous situation. it could be the end of our ability to legitimately transfer power, which is really the crown jewel of this country. we're -- we're standing on a f