What Happened to Bipartisanship? - Thomas Kean

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/09/11/Bipartisanship_A_Common_Ground_for_a_Secure_America

Thomas Kean, former New Jersey Governor and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, theorizes on the lack of bipartisanship between Republican and Democratic politicians in modern Washington, D.C.

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In January 2009, the next president and Congress will have to find consensus on an agenda to confront the many challenges our nation faces overseas. Regardless of the outcome in November, America's foreign policy can only be fully successful with support from both sides of the aisle.

On September 11 -- when the intense partisan battles of the election season were set aside for a day of national remembrance -- the Partnership for a Secure America and The Century Foundation brought together Democrats and Republicans to seek consensus on national security issues.

In Bipartisan Dialogue: Finding Common Ground for a Secure America, high-level advisors to both parties discuss foreign policy and national security solutions that both sides can support - The Century Foundation

Thomas Kean is a former governor of New Jersey (1982-1990) and, since 1990, the president of Drew University. Kean also served for ten years in the New Jersey Assembly, rising to the positions of majority leader, minority leader, and speaker. As governor, he served on the President's Education Policy Advisory Committee and as chair of the Education Commission of the States and the National Governor's Association Task Force on Teaching. While president of Drew, Kean has served on several national committees and commissions. He headed the American delegation to the UN Conference on Youth in Thailand, served as vice chairman of the American delegation to the World Conference on Women in Beijing; and served as a member of the President's Initiative on Race. He also served on the National Endowment for Democracy. He is chair of the Newark Alliance and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and former chair of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Educate America, and the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation. Kean is on the board of a number of organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund. He holds a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College, as well as more than 25 honorary degrees and numerous awards from environmental and educational organizations.

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[Redfingers]

Well, my opinion is that the problem is that Republicans want a bloated military budget and the Democrats want wasteful domestic spending.

And as far as civil liberties and destructive foreign policy....well, shit, the bastards need to be ousted from office and we need decent, reasonable people in their stead.

Bipartisanship doesn't hurt, but neither does common decency and idealism.

[allgoo19]

Biggest obstacle is the religious influence. Do you think any evangelical Christian leaders will be happy with bi-partisan?

That's the nature of religion, they don't seek common ground. They just fight till the end.

[21rstImporter]

Tom Kean is a master of politics.

[dellsprospects22]

variablast that is exactly the case now..republican voters don't see how fascist things have become you can thank the media for that

[ferrozm]

oh I did trust me

[LJARSONBECK]

Then don't vote for Senators!!! These two gutless spineless assholes are part the problem- THEY VOTED for the SHIT that is ruining this country....now they aren't even doing their jobs but getting paid all the same- that is government waste!!

Vote for someone else- anyone else. Vote Green, vote with a "write in" but STOP the INSANITY now and don't vote for the ULTIMATUM given the American Voter!!

[LJARSONBECK]

I hope this means you are voting for someone other than Obama or McCain- prove and display your disgust for the ultimatum given the American Voter and vote for someone else- personally I think Bill Cosby has the best economic and domestic plan out there today and I am 97% certain he will be my write in choice. Imagine 100M voters and but only 50M voting for the 2 jackasses on the shelf...that would be a coup.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

I disagree that religious influence is cancerous to political discourse. Their forefathers determination led to my ancestors being freed from slavery. It depends on the issues of course, but religion can invigorate and strengthen certain social platforms.  If there was no religious influence, I would not be in Canada today.

[ferrozm]

Bull crap. Bi-partisanship is the problem. The republicans appease the democrat with more wasteful domestic spending. The democrats appease the Republican's bloated military budget. And both of them are very bi-partisan when it comes to destroying our civil liberties and perpetrating destructive foreign policy.