Seven Senators are retiring at the end of this Congress, the most in a decade. That means we will see quite a few farewell addresses before the Congress ends in January. Likely inspired by George Washington’s famous farewell address – recited on the Senate floor each year – these speeches give Senators a chance to reflect on their time in the upper chamber, express gratitude for staff and colleagues, and outline how they would like their service to be remembered.
And our job, No Labels, is to have the backs of those left behind who chose bipartisan problem solving:
"With their departures, the Senate loses two voices determined to find solutions in a fractured Congress. Whether their example inspires others or becomes a historical footnote will depend on the choices of those left behind."
These 2 Senators acted as our country's founders wished - deliberation, negotiation, decision, execution. In my mind, the results of the 2012 presidential election put us on the path to more aggressive identity politics and racial division. We would be a much more civil society that all would gain from with a different outcome in 2012.
And our job, No Labels, is to have the backs of those left behind who chose bipartisan problem solving:
"With their departures, the Senate loses two voices determined to find solutions in a fractured Congress. Whether their example inspires others or becomes a historical footnote will depend on the choices of those left behind."
These 2 Senators acted as our country's founders wished - deliberation, negotiation, decision, execution. In my mind, the results of the 2012 presidential election put us on the path to more aggressive identity politics and racial division. We would be a much more civil society that all would gain from with a different outcome in 2012.