If this election is to
prove anything, it is that the public will not tolerate the continuance of
political gridlock. Both Presidents G.W. Bush and Barack Obama came to office
with the expectation of making our political system work. However, in each case
these hopes were dashed on the rocks of partisan dissent. This has not only
increased fragmentation but it has also fostered more extreme passion and anger
than we have witnessed since 1968 when assassination and violence were the
order of the day.
What our nation needs
now is a brief respite from daily political assaults and more time to ponder
where we are going. Lewis Carroll warned us in Alice in Wonderland that if we did not know where we were going,
any road would get us there. We must pick a road.
Next January when a
new President is inaugurated, the same divides will plague us and, likely, many
of the same leaders will continue. How then will change occur?
Since I have publicly
supported Hillary Clinton, I advance these ideas with the hope and expectation
that she will be our next President and give them consideration.
As President, she will
face a divided Congress or one that is unified for or against her. Further, no
matter the extent of victory, it will largely be interpreted as a vote against
her opponent and not a mandate for her.
If Democrats control
Congress, the likely plan would be to quickly ram the Clinton agenda through
Congress including appointments to the Supreme Court.
The problem with that
approach is that it tends to lead to half-baked legislation and will likely
result in political retaliation in 2018 and then more gridlock.
History has shown us
that successful leaders know how to bring in the opposition and make them part
of the administration’s agenda. Modern examples would include Bill Clinton’s
partnership with Newt Gingrich which led to welfare reform and a balanced
budget and Richard Nixon bringing in Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, as domestic
advisor. In reality, virtually all Presidents have reached across the aisle to
appoint the opposing party to cabinet posts, etc.
But none can compare
to the impact of the partnerships formed by Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and
Harry Truman.
Roosevelt reached out
to his political opponent, Wendell Willkie, after the election of 1940, and
asked him to serve as his personal representative to Great Britain. FDR truly
respected Willkie’s commitment to internationalism at a time when Republicans
were isolationists. With this appointment, the President put the world on
notice that the United States speaks with one-voice. Further, the strength of
this partnership helped Roosevelt pass his land-lease plan to aid Great Britain
in 1941 and impose a selective service plan. It was a masterful use of power
and, ultimately, led to true bi-partisan support for the war effort.
Likewise, President
Truman reached out to former President Herbert Hoover to create a commission to
modernize and create efficiencies in the federal government. Hoover, perhaps the most talented manager to
ever occupy the White House, had rescued Europe from starvation after World War
I by creating and implementing a complex plan that literally fed millions of
displaced and homeless victims of the war.
Following World War
II, Truman asked Hoover to do the same and again he responded with the same
success.
What was truly
important about this partnership was that Truman, a very partisan Democrat, had
reached out to Herbert Hoover who had been blamed for the depression and gave
him an opportunity to serve with ability and pride. Both men gained but the
world benefitted the most.
What Truman and
Roosevelt understood was that bi-bipartisanship was a powerful weapon in
building support with the public and using that support to move legislation
through Congress.
Perhaps no one has
done more work in this area than Doris Goodwin with her books on Abraham
Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson.
Bi-partisanship works
because the public embraces it and, in a two-party system, it is truly the only
way to successfully govern.
The good news is that
Hillary Clinton has a natural bent towards working with opposing sides.
Fundamentally, she is far more oriented toward public policy than partisan
conflict. As a Senator, Republicans praised her ability to work well with all.
But under the set of
circumstances likely to prevail in January, limited bi-partisan tactics will
not be sufficient for success. I would submit that trust will remain the
overall concern. In today’s environment virtually anyone will be harmed by the
relentless partisan attacks and media scrutiny. But is should also be
remembered that all too often public servants regardless of party have engaged
in highly dubious pursuits of self-interest. The problem of ethical behavior
must be addressed in order to allow government to function. Rebuilding trust is
a must.
With this in mind, I
would suggest that the next President focus on at least two major bi-partisan
efforts.
The first would be a
commission to review and reform ethics in government covering all three branches
of government with a sharp focus on not only current conflicts of interests but
also those decisions made today that feather a public official’s nest
tomorrow.
This commission should
largely be citizens outside government but possess the stature and knowledge to
be effective. I personally cannot think of anyone more qualified than our own
Kathleen Blatz, a Republican, who served with great distinction as a legislator
and Chief Judge of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She would work extraordinarily
well with someone like former Senate Democrat leader, George Mitchell.
Simply put, confidence
and trust in public service must be restored and we, the public, must hold all
public servants to the highest standard of integrity.
The second task force
would be responsible for a Hoover-type overhaul of our sprawling and
complicated federal government and our growing debt burden. With two million
employees our government is too large, too opaque and too duplicatory to
continue without a massive overhaul. And the growing cost of debt is squeezing
out our flexibility to properly fund needed programs. Consider that 65 percent
of our budget is mandatory and debt costs equal seven percent and are
growing. We are now in a crisis.
One Republican with a superb background in management and finance comes to mind: Mitt Romney. He has an excellent background in both the private and public sectors. What particularly comes to mind is the remarkable job he did in reforming the Winter Olympics. He was truly superb. More
importantly, he has the confidence of the broad Republican Party and will
work well with President Hillary Clinton’s appointees. Erskine Bowles would be
a solid Democratic appointment. His work on deficit reduction was top notch.
Finally, I would
suggest that the new President reach out to Senator John McCain as an advisor
on foreign affairs. Whether McCain is re-elected or not, he is an incredibly
valuable asset. His voice is essential on a bi-partisan stage.
Hillary Clinton has
spoken out clearly on being President of all
Americans. Now, she should openly discuss how she will bring us together in a
way that maximizes cooperation and
good fellowship and minimizes bitterness and anger. It must be a summons of the
best and brightest for public service with the understanding that all public servants understand that
they are the temporary stewards of the public good.
