Illusive Compromise?

Despite apocalyptic reports of the media, I see shoots if the next wave of bipartisan compromise taking root and growing. Those who have hysterically been wringing their hands over partisan gridlock over the past X number of years either do not understand how Congress works or are so impatient for results and action in the short-term that they are blinded to the realities of the nature negotiation and compromise – it takes time. Sometimes years and more than one attempt.

The country has real and growing problems to contend with at the federal level. Tough problems to solve because real people will be impacted by the decisions. But something must be done or the entire country will be compromised. So people keep trying. Witness: Just in the past week, we have seem bipartisan statements in the areas of immigration and the federal deficit.

• Immigration: the Utah Compact
• The federal deficit commission reported, and 11 member, a majority, approved its plan.

While there these are only the opening for negotiations on these two topics, these are important first steps that will start a process that is older than Washington itself. We need to remember this fact as the emotional roller coaster over these two issues threatens to overwhelm all objective sanity.