POLITICS - 'No Labels' Goals

NOTE:  I contribute to 'No Labels' but doubt that much will get done with today's Republican Party.  Also, any 'pledge' is not the same as what they will actually do once in office.

All politicians 'fib.'

"Can setting bipartisan goals disrupt political dysfunction?" PBS NewsHour 1/11/2016

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As the presidential campaigns compete hard to win over voters, the bipartisan group No Labels is trying to bring the parties together, rallying candidates around a policy agenda pledge focused on jobs, Social Security and Medicare, balancing the federal budget and energy security.  Judy Woodruff talks to the group’s co-chairs, former Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Sen. Joe Lieberman.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  And while the candidates jockey for position and try to win over voters, the bipartisan group called No Labels is still hammering away at its goal of bringing the parties together.

Today, they announced Republicans Ben Carson, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Rand Paul, and Donald Trump, and one Democrat, Martin O'Malley, have all signed a pledge to work toward the No Labels policy agenda, which calls for creating jobs, securing Social Security and Medicare, balancing the federal budget, and making the United States energy-secure.

A short time ago, I spoke with the group’s co-chairs, former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.

Senator Lieberman, Governor Huntsman, thank you for joining us.

So, you have five Republicans and one Democrat who have signed this pledge.  What exactly are they pledging to do, Governor Huntsman?

JON HUNTSMAN, Former Governor, Co-Chair, No Labels:  Well, they are pledging to embrace a process for goal-setting and leadership in a bipartisan fashion, drawing from the elements of a national strategic agenda, which include four big policy categories, jobs, entitlements, energy, and a balanced budget.

And, essentially, every one of the six candidates, a very diverse group, I might add, they are stating that they will support the national strategic agenda, and, number two, they will sit down and meet with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders within 30 days of being elected to the presidency, and, third, to establish a goal of drawing from one of those big issue categories and leading out in a bipartisan fashion in delivering what the American people really are looking for.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  Well, Senator Lieberman, hearing this, aren’t these, though, the kind of general goals stated in a broad-brush way that just about anyone could agree to?

JOE LIEBERMAN, Former Senator, Co-Chair, No Labels:  Well, that’s exactly the way we framed them, because we’re operating from the premise that we’re trying to disrupt the dysfunction in the Washington political system.

We’re trying to create some incentives for people to work together, and one of the best ways is to have people agree at least on commonly held goals.  That’s the four policy areas.  So, really, left, right, center, Democrat, Republican, should agree on the goals, and then for these presidential candidate to promise, if they get elected that, within the first 30 days in office, they will call members of Congress, both parties in, to begin negotiating to get something done on at least one of the goals.

Frankly, I’m surprised all that 15 of the current presidential candidates didn’t sign on to this.  I’m grateful that the six did, but I’m puzzled that the other nine haven’t, and we’re going to continue to pursue them to make our case that it’s not asking much for them to pledge, promise to work together across party lines, which hasn’t happened very much in Washington lately.