« The Armageddon Script | Main | Understanding Global Warming Is Beyond Me »

July 29, 2006

What Happens in Estonia May Not Stay in Estonia

I always enjoy seeing politicians set their political views aside to develop personal connections with those across the aisle. Friendships can greatly relieve the nastiness that often overwhelms politics. Unlike my former friends on the far right, I was pleased to read about the vodka drinking contest between Hillary Clinton and John McCain during a Congressional trip to Estonia two summers ago.

The after-dinner drinks went so well — memories are a bit hazy on who drank how much — that Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, later told people how unexpectedly engaging he found Mrs. Clinton to be. “One of the guys” was the way he described Mrs. Clinton, a New York Democrat, to some Republican colleagues.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain went on to develop an amiable if professionally calculated relationship. They took more official trips together, including to Iraq. They worked together on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on the issue of global warming. They made a joint appearance last year on “Meet the Press,” interacting so congenially that the moderator, Tim Russert, joked about their forming a “fusion ticket.”

If either of the two went on to win the race, I would hope that what began in Estonia would not stay in Estonia. A continuation of their friendship would be refreshing, if only for the fact that it may help to end some of the personal partisan negativity that is getting so tiresome in Washington - and across the country.

Harking to the days when a Republican president and a Democratic speaker of the House were friends, [Senator Lindsey] Graham said, “Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, at the end of the day, would go down to the White House and knock one back, and the country was no worse off for that.”

Don't misunderstand. A McCain-Clinton race would alarm me, as I have deep concerns about them both. But as bad as the personal hatred has become for those who see politics from a different point of view these days, it would be wonderful to see a President who would set a more positive, bi-partisan tone for the rest of the country. I fear, however, that "we the the people" have become so divided that it would take more than that to stop the hate that currently prevents the right and the left from even seeking common ground from which to solve the many problems facing our nation. And so long as we are busy fighting with each other, the wealthy interests of the world can, behind the scenes, continue to do whatever they want.

Posted by Becky at July 29, 2006 10:33 AM