In watching the nightly news, I am struck by the intensity of the present political divide. The spirit of compromise, unity of purpose, and working together for the common good are concepts emblematic of a distant past. The extreme political Right, symbolized by the Tea Party movement, racist and anti-immigrant militias, and the aggressive hostility expressed by our former Vice President, contributes to the growing polarization of American politics as our country drifts ever deeper into a sea of hatred and division. Dick Cheney has stopped even pretending to be a Statesman, instead taking to the airwaves to accuse the President of weakening the country and lacking the will to fight terrorism. Sarah Palin continues to lie about government imposed death panels and gives a speech in Hong Kong stating that President Obama has weakened American influence in Asia. Congressman Joe Wilson calls the President a liar during his State of the Union address, while other mean-spirited, right-wing congressional representatives stand on their soapboxes and call the President a “radical” out to destroy America. If Congress is but a microcosm of the larger society, then we risk never again achieving a consensus in addressing national concerns that affect our nation’s future. It was not always so.
Not that long ago, the United States Senate was filled with such luminaries as Howard Baker, Jacob Javits, Nancy Kassebaum, Bob Dole, John Danforth, Mark Hatfield, John Heinz, Lowell Weicker, Rudy Boschwitz, and John Chafee. What did these individuals have in common? They were all Republicans, well respected, intelligent, willing to work with their Democratic colleagues, and amenable to compromise and conciliation for the advancement of the public good. It was a time when political disagreements were less personal – when issues were debated vigorously and discussed with passion, when constitutional principles were asserted, but the shared objective was effectively governing the country. It was a time when Republicans and Democrats worked together on issues as diverse as civil rights, environmental protection, fair trade, deregulation of the airline and trucking industries, antitrust laws, energy policy, and foreign affairs.
When John Chafee was elected to the Senate in 1976, he became the first Republican senator of Rhode Island since 1930. A moderate on taxes and spending, he was pro-choice, a strong environmentalist (he helped enact the 1986 Clean Water Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act, and the Superfund program that cleaned up toxic waste dumps), and a supporter of sensible social programs that aided the needy.
Howard Baker, the leader of the Senate Republicans for eight years as both the Minority Leader (1977-1981) and Majority Leader (1981-1985), had the respect of Senators and Presidents of both political parties. Known as the "Great Conciliator," Baker successfully brokered compromises, enacted legislation, and maintained civility. As the ranking minority member on the Senate Select Committee that investigated Watergate, Baker made famous the line, “What did the President know and when did he know it?” For Baker, getting at the truth and making the right decision was more important than protecting a President of his own party.
Dole, who succeeded Baker as the Senate Majority Leader, also had a moderate voting record and delicately bridged the gap between the moderate and conservative wings of the Kansas Republican Party. As a Congressman in the early 1960’s, Dole supported the major civil rights bills, and his first speech in the Senate in 1969 was a plea for federal aid for the handicapped. He later joined George McGovern, one of the Senate’s most liberal Democrats, to lower eligibility requirements for federal food stamps. How many Republican members of the Senate and House would do so today?
Danforth is a political moderate who, prior to stepping down in 1994, was elected three times as a Republican senator of Missouri, which until then had been home to such Democratic heavyweights as Harry Truman, Thomas Hart Benton, and Stuart Symington. An ordained Episcopal priest, Danforth is particularly outspoken about the Republican Party’s embrace of the radical Christian right, believing that the GOP has been building an intolerant, uncivil agenda from narrowly defined religious beliefs. In 2006, Danforth published Faith and Politics: How the “Moral Values” Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together (New York: Viking, 2006), which contends that conservative hardliners have deepened the nation’s social divide by imposing their views on a more moderate majority.
That not one single Republican voted for the health care reform bills recently passed in the House and the Senate is just the latest example of a political party that cares nothing about governing and is willing to sacrifice the public interest at the mantle of tactical politics. Even John McCain, who built a reputation as a maverick and independent spirit within the Republican Party, has recently descended into demagoguery on Medicare, flip-flopped on climate change legislation, and joined the “just-say-no vanguard” (as described by Maureen Dowd) of political obstructionism.
It is perfectly acceptable to have principled disagreements – indeed, passionate debate is the essence of a free society and of democracy. But when well-respected moderates like former Minnesota Congressman Jim Ramstad resign after 16 years in the House because their political party has moved so far from his philosophical beliefs – no longer embracing fiscal conservatism combined with social inclusiveness – it should be a sign that a time for reflection is needed within the Republican Party.
Democrats certainly have their problems as well – as Will Rogers once said, “I belong to no organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” But given the current state of our divisions, the meanness emanating from the right-wing talk shows, the ignorance stemming from certain conservative congressmen, and the dangerous reactionary radicalism of the Tea Party clans, I worry for the future of this country.
On February 10, 2007, candidate Barack Obama reminded the country of its past accomplishments, deeds that required unity and cooperation:
At a minimum, we need moderation and common sense to reassert control of the body politic. Who are the modern day Statesmen within the Republican Party? Where are the moderate, sensible legislators in the mold of Howard Baker and Jacob Javits, John Danforth and John Chafee, men and women willing to put the country’s interests above partisanship and narrowly defined interests? Where are the Republicans who, in a spirit of conciliation and cooperation, are willing to work with Democrats to solve the nation’s problems?
Not that long ago, the United States Senate was filled with such luminaries as Howard Baker, Jacob Javits, Nancy Kassebaum, Bob Dole, John Danforth, Mark Hatfield, John Heinz, Lowell Weicker, Rudy Boschwitz, and John Chafee. What did these individuals have in common? They were all Republicans, well respected, intelligent, willing to work with their Democratic colleagues, and amenable to compromise and conciliation for the advancement of the public good. It was a time when political disagreements were less personal – when issues were debated vigorously and discussed with passion, when constitutional principles were asserted, but the shared objective was effectively governing the country. It was a time when Republicans and Democrats worked together on issues as diverse as civil rights, environmental protection, fair trade, deregulation of the airline and trucking industries, antitrust laws, energy policy, and foreign affairs.
When John Chafee was elected to the Senate in 1976, he became the first Republican senator of Rhode Island since 1930. A moderate on taxes and spending, he was pro-choice, a strong environmentalist (he helped enact the 1986 Clean Water Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act, and the Superfund program that cleaned up toxic waste dumps), and a supporter of sensible social programs that aided the needy.
Howard Baker, the leader of the Senate Republicans for eight years as both the Minority Leader (1977-1981) and Majority Leader (1981-1985), had the respect of Senators and Presidents of both political parties. Known as the "Great Conciliator," Baker successfully brokered compromises, enacted legislation, and maintained civility. As the ranking minority member on the Senate Select Committee that investigated Watergate, Baker made famous the line, “What did the President know and when did he know it?” For Baker, getting at the truth and making the right decision was more important than protecting a President of his own party.
Dole, who succeeded Baker as the Senate Majority Leader, also had a moderate voting record and delicately bridged the gap between the moderate and conservative wings of the Kansas Republican Party. As a Congressman in the early 1960’s, Dole supported the major civil rights bills, and his first speech in the Senate in 1969 was a plea for federal aid for the handicapped. He later joined George McGovern, one of the Senate’s most liberal Democrats, to lower eligibility requirements for federal food stamps. How many Republican members of the Senate and House would do so today?
Danforth is a political moderate who, prior to stepping down in 1994, was elected three times as a Republican senator of Missouri, which until then had been home to such Democratic heavyweights as Harry Truman, Thomas Hart Benton, and Stuart Symington. An ordained Episcopal priest, Danforth is particularly outspoken about the Republican Party’s embrace of the radical Christian right, believing that the GOP has been building an intolerant, uncivil agenda from narrowly defined religious beliefs. In 2006, Danforth published Faith and Politics: How the “Moral Values” Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together (New York: Viking, 2006), which contends that conservative hardliners have deepened the nation’s social divide by imposing their views on a more moderate majority.
That not one single Republican voted for the health care reform bills recently passed in the House and the Senate is just the latest example of a political party that cares nothing about governing and is willing to sacrifice the public interest at the mantle of tactical politics. Even John McCain, who built a reputation as a maverick and independent spirit within the Republican Party, has recently descended into demagoguery on Medicare, flip-flopped on climate change legislation, and joined the “just-say-no vanguard” (as described by Maureen Dowd) of political obstructionism.
It is perfectly acceptable to have principled disagreements – indeed, passionate debate is the essence of a free society and of democracy. But when well-respected moderates like former Minnesota Congressman Jim Ramstad resign after 16 years in the House because their political party has moved so far from his philosophical beliefs – no longer embracing fiscal conservatism combined with social inclusiveness – it should be a sign that a time for reflection is needed within the Republican Party.
Democrats certainly have their problems as well – as Will Rogers once said, “I belong to no organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” But given the current state of our divisions, the meanness emanating from the right-wing talk shows, the ignorance stemming from certain conservative congressmen, and the dangerous reactionary radicalism of the Tea Party clans, I worry for the future of this country.
On February 10, 2007, candidate Barack Obama reminded the country of its past accomplishments, deeds that required unity and cooperation:
In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of the Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard King’s call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.Obama spoke these words from Springfield, Illinois, the birthplace of Lincoln who, if alive today, would not be able to tolerate, and would not be welcome, in his own party. Our country is in the midst of danger and despair, adrift in a world of increasing polarization. With long-term unemployment, massive deficits, two wars and increasing terrorist threats, rising economic inequality, the perils of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and a nation still grappling with crime, drugs, poverty, urban decay, corporate fraud, and a lack of professional ethics, we are in need of a political opposition that is willing to embrace the spirit of Lincoln. We need leaders willing, in these perilous times, to act in a spirit of cooperation and compromise for the good of all.
At a minimum, we need moderation and common sense to reassert control of the body politic. Who are the modern day Statesmen within the Republican Party? Where are the moderate, sensible legislators in the mold of Howard Baker and Jacob Javits, John Danforth and John Chafee, men and women willing to put the country’s interests above partisanship and narrowly defined interests? Where are the Republicans who, in a spirit of conciliation and cooperation, are willing to work with Democrats to solve the nation’s problems?
