We are asking if you think u. S. Senate has become a stepping stone to the white house. Would you prefer senators to stay in congress longer before running for a Higher Office . Does congress provided the right kind of experience . Democrats can call 20274880010. Republicans can call 2027488001. Independents, 2027488002. You can check us out on social media or email us. A very good Tuesday Morning to you. We are talking about the institution of congress, the United States senate and how it is being impacted by those members of that institution who are being talked about as possible president ial contenders. Here is how it was put in u. S. News and world report. There was a time when a u. S. Senator was a good job she notes in that column senator ted cruz, sender rand paul, marco rubio and talk about Elizabeth Warren. Whether the four senators in question are compared to be president its about what happens to the senate as an institution it brings up the topic we want to talk about this morning. Discussed in a piece posted last night to politico. From backbencher to white house contender, ted cruz is the latest president ial hopeful to test the theory that spearing says that experience is overrated. Heading to Liberty University in virginia to make his president ial announcement. Senator cruz gods blessing has been on america since the beginning of this nation and i believe god is not done with america yet. [applause] i believe in you, i believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of america. That is why today i am announcing that im running for president of the United States. [applause] host the subsequent headlines in todays papers about that announcement. Here is the Richmond Times dispatch a picture of senator cruz from that event. On to some texas papers as well, talking about the announcement yesterday. Eyes on the prize from the dallas morning news. One more headline from the Houston Chronicle this morning a picture of ted cruz with his wife and two daughters. We are talking about the institution of the United States congress, the senate. Do you think it has become a stepping stone for the presidency . Here are the numbers on the 25 president s that have previously served in congress. 19 previously served in the house. 16 previously served in the United States senate. There were 10 president s that served in both the house and senate. The four members being talked about in 2016, ted cruz elected in 2012, rand paul in 2010 marco rubio in 2010 and Elizabeth Warren in 2012. The political article has this stat. Since 1960, there has never been a time when three senators with less than a single term under their belt competed for the president ial nomination at the same time. When john kennedy won in 1960 he had been serving for seven years. When president obama won in 2008, he had been a senator since 2005. What we want to talk about with you this morning and what has been the impact on the United States senate. Jim is up first in ohio on our line for republican spirit good morning. Caller thank you for taking my call. Im a lifelong republican. Im seriously considering switching parties. I dont like what these new republicans are doing. People like ted cruz, the 47 senators who signed the letter to iran. Other senators who threatened to shut down the government to get what they want. What is going on with the Republican Party . They look down their noses at average americans and think they know what is right for everyone. It is really upsetting. Host do you think they would be different if they stayed in the senate longer . Ted cruz decided to put in a few more terms before seeking the presidency . Caller i do. I think he is way too inexperienced. These new republicans ive been a lifelong republican and i dont like their attitude. Ted cruz comes out with god and country and constitution and playing the music in the background. It looks so phony to me that i almost want to throw up. Its like they are playing the American People. Ive been a lifelong republican and i love the Republican Party. Im just so disillusioned with what they are doing. I will have to switch or change parties or something. Host in that article, rand paul was quoted in a discussion about whether members should put in more time before running for Higher Office and he said a lot of americans would like a fresh face and not a retread from the past. What do you think about that aspect . Caller that is true in some respects. To go back to when president obama was running, the first thing republican said, he should not be in there, he is too inexperienced, he doesnt have enough time on the job and now they are doing the same thing with ted cruz and these other people. Host ronald is up next in battle creek, michigan on the line for democrats. Caller why is it senator all the time . Why not general or admiral . Why not go to the grassroots and consider the political aspects or the monetary aspects . Lets pull somebody that is a noname. Somebody from the streets. Somebody who knows the practicality of how to connect and speak to the people. Host and even more fresh face . Caller does it have to be congress . Thats where all the money is being collected like a swarm of flies on a carcass. Host a poll of Iowa Republican caucus participants, asking about what kind of experience they would like an president ial contenders. Participants prefer a president ial candidate with experience at governor or administrator then experience as a senator or member of congress. Scott walker leads the pack with 25 . 13 with rand paul. Mike huckabee at 10 . Some stats from that and of february poll. Tennessee. Line for independents. Caller i dont see anything wrong with using the senate providing you do it according to law. You could be a man of principle like ted cruz or a low life like the kennedys and the clintons. People are already disparaging ted cruz. He earned a payroll when he was young. Obama was a city organizer, a mob leader. There is little difference. He wants mobs to change the country that was based on individualism. Theres nothing wrong as he do it honorably and honestly. Host the Editorial Board of the wall street journal today compared to ted cruz and president obamas backgrounds. Can a smart articulate fortysomething firstterm senator who disdains his colleagues and lacks executive experience make the least of the white house ted cruz will try to show that a republican can do it after announcing his campaign for the white house on monday. Your thoughts on those comparisons. Caller look at the basic philosophy. Ted cruz is pushing for going back to the concept of individual rights. Rights from god. Obama is a socialist who believes the nation should be mob rule. Take a look at the way he handles the race issue. He feeds on that stuff. The Income Redistribution this country suffers from t wo diseases. Economic dope addiction. Cruz wants us to get off the habit. Host nick in fairview this morning. Des moines, iowa come alive for democrats. P, good morning to you. Des moines, iowa, line for democrats. Pete, good morning to you. Caller any background would be good for the president if they can win the trust of the people. I still dont understand the republican background most of the candidates running on this idea that they will take back america. From who . They make it sound like the country has been run by russia or communists or even muslims. Host we mentioned rand paul. Here is a story from the daily caller with some news about his upcoming president ial campaign announcement. Rand paul chose the Aircraft Carrier to service the backdrop during his april president ial campaign announcement. He will make the announcement april 7 and had to New Hampshire , south carolina, iowa nevada to complete a fiveday announcement tour. Some tweets on this topic. We want to hear from you this morning. Facebook, twitter, or give us a call. Is the u. S. Senate becoming a stepping stone for the presidency . What is it doing to the United States senate, the institution of congress . Lancaster, south carolina, line for independence. Independents. Caller could i Say Something about president obama before i mentioned something about the senate . Im a lifelong listener to cspan and im appalled that for the past two years, it has been three or four blacks who have called in against obama. The only thing he talks about is immigration reform. The same as mr. Clinton or mr. Bush. If they have the integrity to run, thats all right with me. I dont know why everybody is so keen on mrs. Clinton. When she was the secretary of state, she just blew around the world. Flew around the world. I dont know why everyone is saying she is next for the democratic party. Thank you. Host some stories about Hillary Clinton in todays paper including some polling numbers on her potentially running for president. 72 of americans think hillary will run in 2016. 49 say she is has the qualifications to be president. 81 of democrats. Another story from the times, 30 secret meeting third secret meeting. That was a Statement Released by josh earnest. Portland, maine. Line for republicans. Kenny, good morning. Good morning caller good morning. Thank you for having me on. I am a republican. I have been very disturbed in the past fears come up in the past few years, from what i have seen. Im excited for this announcement by ted cruz. This is only the beginning. There are many others. Its about time that the Republican Party could stage some kind of come back and not throw candidates out there that dont stand a chance. People who are talking especially in the republican area constitution and supporting that kind of idea. Host new england. Line for republicans. Your thoughts on Elizabeth Warren. Caller like i said, there is going to be a huge field i even understand that donald trump is in the mix here. We need to find somebody that is going to have enough strength to turn this liberal kind of situation around. We need to find somebody excuse me, when i first heard about ronald reagan, i was thinking that is a long time ago. He turned out to do an awful lot of good for this country. Host we are asking about the United States senate, the four president ial candidates being talked about. What do you think it does to the institution of the senate . Speaking of Elizabeth Warren, heres a column in the boston globe. The executive director of m oveon. Com. Some democrats say the great argument for her to stay put and not run for president i would argue they are wrong. Worn should run. Warren should run. That column in the boston globe. Harold up next in lansing, michigan. Line for democrats. What do you think this has done to the institution of the senate . Caller i have a couple of comments. I agree with the first caller. What he said, he was right on point with that. Myself, im thinking these guys always say they know what the American People want. Whoever is going to end for president needs to know that should run for president needs to know what the American People want. They dont have a clue what we want. Its all about their pockets about shunning us. They looked down on us like we dont matter but when its time to run for office its all about what we want. The other caller said obama is this and that what about when ted cruzs father was preaching . Host how does a candidate for president find out what the American People really want . Shes a member of congress cant do it. Why you say it member of congress can do it. Why . Caller come out and talk to the American People. And meetings like they used to do. Remember when they came to schools, walked around . They dont do that anymore. Its about staying in washington and getting nothing done and then when they run for president , they bash each other. Host a little more from that politico piece posted late let us posted late last night. No longer do candidates need to rely on extensive experience. Mark from philadelphia, pennsylvania on outline for democrats. Your reaction to that. Caller good morning. I would like to say, one of our greatest president s, jfk came out of the senate. I dont see anything wrong with it. They had the speech that ted cruz made at Liberty University. I watched most of it. I was amazed. The man made a long speech without a teleprompter, without notes. He must have been one heck of a trial attorney. If i were jeb bush and scott walker and rand Paul Ted Cruz would be the guy i would be looking to stop. Even though im a liberal democrat, he is a man to be watched. Host we want to get your thoughts. Tricia up next in indiana. Line for independents. Caller good morning. My thoughts would be come a couple of the other callers have talked on what i want to say i dont agree with these new senators and congresspeople jumping ahead to running for president. I dont think they have enough experience. They had been i dont think they have been in long enough to gain the knowledge about whats going on in the world and how things really are. People who come in, im afraid they may have their own political aspirations. They have agreed for the presidency. Greed for the presidency. You arent willing to say you are smart enough to know that you dont know everything. You have things to learn and you dont have all the answers you need. You need to take opinions into consideration. Host with a low opinion that americans have of the nicest congress, do you think it hurts these folks if they stick around and then decide to run for president . Caller i do agree with term limits. Any political job should not be a career. They need to come and serve and start with local politics and work their way up to the United States office. And then stepped out of office. The other thing i dont agree with, you are getting paid to be a congressman at the same time you are running for president. How can you do your job well and faithfully if you are out running around campaigning . I have a problem with that. If they wanted to forgo their paycheck, that would be wonderful. I have a problem with campaigning while you are getting a government check. Host what about campaigning while you can also push through legislation and vote on different bills in congress . Do you think running for president changes the way these members will legislate . Host at that time, they have their focus on track to be president and not paying attention to what they are doing in congress as they showed. As they should. Host tricia in warsaw, indiana. Richmond, virginia. Line for republicans. Good morning to you. Caller first of all this answers the question the senate is a stepping stone to the president. I have to say this, when obama was elected im not here to raise a rally flagged for anybody. Like people say we want a black president , help us out. You see what has happened. Here we have cruz, a conservative and people are rallying, he is going to do this and that. You can talk to cruz now because he is running for office. Once he gets himself into position, he will be just like obama. You cannot talk to him. People better learn that there is a hustle out there. We dont have real experienced people, people who have been around like the roosevelts and the reagans. We dont have those types of people anymore. We have people who carry the flag. Then, the sellouts. Thats it. You better get used to it, American People, because you dont know who you will put in the white house next. Host the history of the 25 president s who previously served in the house or senate. 19 previously served in just the house. 10 serving in the senate as well. Three sitting senators elected president. When sitting one sitting house member. We are talking about how members running for the United StatesSenate Running for the unites presidency impacts the senate and congress as a whole. A highprofile hearing on capitol hill today on those secret service issues. The alleged drunk driving incident on capitol hill that has garnered so much attention and was the focus of the house and Senate Hearing last week. Another house hearing today the heads of a powerful Congressional Panel are very disappointed that the secret Service Plans to testify alone about agency cut ability accountability. The chairman and wrecking member Ranking Member asked four members to appear at the hearing. You can watch that hearing on cspan. Go to our website as well. It comes on at 10 00 this morning. Another story to note this morning afghanistan president in washington, d. C. Today for a meeting at the white house. Here is a picture from yesterday. With john kerry after their meetings at camp david. The pace of u. S. Troop withdrawals will headline the visit. His first to washington since taking office last fall. Jimmy up next in texas. Line for independents. Caller cruz says he is an individual right person. He voted for the Keystone Pipeline and that will be built mostly eminent domain. It takes out individual rights. This bunch have been debating allowing Human Trafficking for a week and a half, two weeks. What do we need that law for . We have plenty of loss. Dont they have anything better to do . Host what kind of experience do you want in a president ial candidate . What kind of jobs should they happy for the takeover the white house should they half before they take over the white house .