A fundamental principle in the forums we produce is that people who know their stuff and disagree can still find points of agreement if they are challenged to do so. This article by Robert Wright in the Atlantic shows how easy it can be – not just to initiate such discussion but to keep it going, too.
The best thing about it: all of us, not just public servants, can use this approach in our own discourse with others.
All Mitch McConnell said it best “When the American people choose divided government, I don’t think it means they don’t want us to do anything.” We couldn’t agree more. Both sides of the political aisle are signaling a bi-model strategy where sometimes they will wield their own power to make things happen but will also look to find ways to work with the other side. They both realize that making progress was the primary demand from the electorate in this election. They – and the country – would be well-served to not lose sight of that demand.
All of this leads us to an important conclusion. More than ever before during the Obama administration the opportunity for our leaders in Washington to demonstrate that finding points of common ground and making progress on our pressing issues is a present possibility. Formidable obstacles remain but it is our hope that both sides will embrace that possibility. Read the New York Times article here.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that Americans are not as divided politically as it would seem. Yes, our elected officials struggle to work together on the more important issues. But people outside of the beltway continue to see eye-to-eye on issues more often than they don’t. This is one of the reasons we at Common Ground Committee believe that finding common ground on important issues is achievable. Check out this DC Decoder article from our media partner, the Christian Science Monitor.
The two ministers were foes before they ever met, partisans in a war they did not start, but partisans nonetheless. For four years, they did not speak. But in the spring of 2011, the Rev. Tory Baucum drove 100 miles south to Richmond to introduce himself to the Rev. Read more about it HERE
HONOLULU AND WASHINGTON — For South Koreans, Ahn Jung-geun is a “national hero” – the independence activist who in 1909 assassinated the Japanese colonial governor of Korea. He struck at the embodiment of a hated imperial power and sacrificed his life for national independence. Read more about it HERE
BARCELONA, SPAIN; AND WASHINGTON — After more than two years of negotiations, a new constitution came into force in Tunisia last month. It was hailed by Islamists and liberals alike as a paradigm of compromise. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — Rep. Dave Camp (R) of Michigan said at a Monitor breakfast Wednesday that he is going to push ahead with tax reform – even though his plan, unveiled on Feb. 26, was considered “dead on arrival” due to objections from both parties and the political risk of debating such a big issue in an election year. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — For some time now it has been known that America’s Social Security program is in trouble. According to the Social Security trustees, if no steps are taken, its trust fund will be exhausted in 2033, and after that the program will only be able to deliver benefits based on current receipts. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — Shortly after Senator Rand Paul filed suit last month against the Obama administration to stop its electronic dragnet of American phone records, he sat down for lunch with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in his private dining room at the Justice Department. Read more about it HERE
SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. — South Sudan is facing a critical test of endurance that no nation should have to undergo, let alone the world’s youngest country and one of its poorest. Read more about it HERE
