Welcome to the three martini lunch.

Grab a stool next to Greg Carumbus of Radio America and Jim Garrity of National Review.

Three martini's coming up.

So glad you're with us for the Friday edition of the three martini lunch.

And as predicted, Jim Garrity is back

and if you've already read today's morning jolt or you follow Jim on

Instagram you already know where he's been for the past week and a half

but if not you're going to learn a whole lot about the place where Jim was for the past

week and a half and Jim for the past week and a half was

in India, the largest democracy in the world.

And I just learned Jim, the now largest country in the world.

They have just eclipsed China.

So first of all, welcome home.

Glad to have you.

Thanks to all of those who subbed for you.

But glad you're back,

and it sounds like you had a great trip. I can't wait to dig into it. Greg, it was an amazing trip,

although it's really great to be back. By the standards of my travels this year, it's great country.

Nobody shot at me. Actually, seriously, a warm welcome, and I should mention up front that it was about probably a little bit more than a year ago.

Walter Russell Mead, who's a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and the distinguished, sorry, the Ravenel Curry distinguished, no pun intended, Curry,

distinguished fellow in strategy and statesmanship over at the Hudson Institute.

So my trip was sponsored by the Hudson Institute and the Foundation for India and India Diaspora Studies, which wants to promote better understanding between India and the United States. And about a year and a half ago, Walter Russell Mead says to me, hey, would you like to come to India on this trip we're doing? And I think at that point, I was, some conflict on the home front, but I'd love, please keep me in mind. And things worked together for, worked well for this one. And the aim went with a couple other Washington Post journalists, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, great traveling companions. And we packed in a lot in what was basically, it takes about a day to get there and a day to get back.

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