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Human Interest

Humility And Common Sense In Politics

Posted: 11/12/2010

by Jeffrey R. Lewis

(NAPSI) - After all the rhetoric, finger-pointing and stimulus, America’s economy has moved from “free fall” to “standstill”.

This should be an occasion for humility and a little common sense. But common sense is a little uncommon in Washington. Instead, a willingness to develop and implement a bipartisan effort to solve problems in the national interest seems absent.

The Republicans hope to gain complete control of the Congress. The image of the Republican Party is so bad, however, that they have embraced the Tea Party, and many of the Tea Party candidates want to destroy a part of the nation’s social fabric, such as Social Security.

Democrats hoping to hold on to a deteriorating base of support continue to condemn everything Republican and cloak the Tea Party in doom and gloom. All this at a time when every American family is asking, What is our economic future?

Today, perhaps more than ever before, there is an absence of real leadership. Political pontificating is not creating jobs and is not offering Americans any sense of hope.

Years ago, when Congress tried to make a political football out of the solvency of Social Security, Senators John Heinz, R-Pa., and Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., came together, putting aside partisanship to help broker a successful resolution. Their efforts were not focused on their individual political parties, but rather the common good of all Americans. This was not only the demonstration of real leadership, but it also exemplified two congressional leaders who put the interests of the nation ahead of partisan politics.

America’s economic well-being is fragile. There is no one right answer. If there were, the Obama administration or the Republican leadership would have put it forward and blistered the media with all the reasons.

Politicians know they’re only one vote away from retirement, but for those who put the country ahead of their own political future, it’s a legacy no one can refute. Sens. Heinz and Moynihan demonstrated that; now we must ask ourselves whether the voices of the past can influence the politics of today and hope that two other bipartisan leaders emerge to create an economic path for America’s future. All that is needed is a bit of humility and a desire to serve not political interests, but the national interest.

• Mr. Lewis is president of the Heinz Family Philanthropies and was staff director for the late Senator John Heinz.

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