Senator Clinton: Compromise “Not a Dirty Word”

[wyldwolf]

At a conference devoted to “big ideas” for the nation’s future, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said this morning that compromise need to be “a goal – not a dirty word” in politics and government, remarks that reflect her own pragmatic style but that are more moderate than the views of some of her rivals and hard-core elements of the Democratic primary electorate.

With some of her 2008 presidential opponents offering sharply partisan messages, and another of them, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, seeking to transcend partisanship, Mrs. Clinton staked her place in the middle of the political rhetoric as she tries to appeal to broad swaths of the American electorate – even at the risk of alienating some Democratic primary voters.

“I don’t think Americans are looking for some kind of group-hug bipartisanship – I think they’re looking for leaders who can get back to reality-based policy-making,” she said at the New America Foundation’s “Ten Big Ideas for a New America” conference in Washington, a few blocks from the Capitol.

“The answer is not that we’re going to get rid of partisanship — as long as there are human beings jousting for influence and position, they’re going to take all kinds of opposing, partisan stances,” she said. “But it does mean that we can be smarter about how to narrow the differences between partisan ideas, and try to eliminate the partisan gamesmanship.”


“We have to reinvigorate the public debate and make a compromise a goal – not a dirty word,” she added a few minutes later, “because that’s how we’ve made progress historically – by looking for that common ground that we can stake out together.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/senator-clinton-compromise-not-a-dirty-word/

[Deep13]

1. good + evil = evil.

[SaveElmer]

2. She is correct of course...our country was founded on a huge compromise...

When we fail to compromise is when the largest disasters occur...

Doesn't mean the compromise will always work, and it does take good faith on both sides to make it work...but when those conditions occur we have made our greatest leaps forward!!!

[murielm99]

3. When I was growing up,

that was one of the definitions: Politics is the art of compromise.

It is acceptable in some cases for both sides to be unsatisfied, because they have gotten only part of what they want.

But it is true that some things are not open to compromise. The rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights are not open to compromise. Women's rights are not negotiable.

Republicants used to believe in compromise too. Maybe they will again. I wouldn't trust this current group, though. It will take years for civility and compromise to return to our government. Thanks, Newt.

[SaveElmer]

4. Nothing there to argue with...

And you are correct in your assertion that Republicans are the ones who decided that compromise was not good for them politically...country be damned!

[MGD]

11. "It isn't a fair trade until both parties feel equally screwed."

an old gun show adage that always seems appropriate when talking about making political compromises.

[question everything]

5. This is what Bill Clinton was saying, too

a few months ago when he talked at Georgetown U, I think.

He contrasted compromise with ideology that paralyzes any fruitful activities that lead to some achievements.

[Javaman]

6. As long as compromise ends the war and impeachs moron* I'm fine with it. :) nt

[MGD]

12. That's the spirit.

:D

[Tellurian]

7. I feel burnt by Republicans... we offer them compromise while they carry a knife..

We should be good for the next 8 yrs at least, letting them wallow in the disastrous fruits of their making.
You can't TRUST a Republican.. and I'm stickin too it, no matter how I get flamed for it!

[closeupready]

8. Compromise is important. So is leadership.

What leadership means is that sometimes, you take an unpopular position even though you believe it will cost you some votes.

[Tellurian]

9. To me, leadership is having a well planned out Vision..

and the artful persuasion of your vision to fruition.

Then you are Leading.

[mtnester]

10. Compromise with the Republicans right now

can be summed up with the Turtle and the Scorpion parable.

It's their nature... we need to always remember that.

[Tellurian]

14. I want a leader with a BRAVE HEART...

I posted this on another thread earlier today..
It's not a comprehensive list, but it's a start!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3087668&mesg_id=3088349

[mtnester]

15. There is not a single thing on that list that I would NOT

expect my representatives to tackle.

This country loud and clear said they were not interested in bipartisan yackity yack in November. They wanted Dems in there making decisions and making changes....not playing patty cake.

[Tellurian]

16. Yep, I'm not about to make nice with natural born killers..

If we didn't win both Houses this time around...we couldn't be talking about a future.
You can't stay in the middle on this one. If Republican's want compromise they are going to have to prove themselves worthy!
If a Dem candidate wants to get elected, that candidate is going to have to take a stand, and stop thinking about rewarding bad behavior.

[Tellurian]

18. Like this NeoCon knows the meaning of the word compromise...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x90532#91593

The old saying: "Pearls before Swine"... a waste of Time...

[madfloridian]

13. The Decider has decided....there will be no compromise.

So, what say you to that, Hillary?

The Decider, the Decision Maker, has said he will not compromise.

So good luck with that.

[sandnsea]

17. "jousting for influence and position"

As long as that's the reason compromises are made, we're going to get lousy policy as a result. America wants these people to stop putting their personal amibtions and jousting ahead of the country and we the people. Hillary clearly doesn't get it, STILL.