The deep partisan animosity in Washington, DC is disturbing enough when it blocks things like fixing Social Security or the air traffic control system. But it is uniquely dangerous when political wrangling messes up America's relationship with the rest of the world.
Back in the old days (long before my memory) differences between Democrats and Republicans were supposed to stop at the water's edge... meaning that when it came to shaping U.S. foreign policy all Americans recognized a common interest and worked together to promote a united front.
That all seems a little quaint in today's political environment. But we are lucky to have a few smart Americans who still believe it's possible to forge a bipartisan, moderate foreign policy. Here are a few examples:
Iraq Study Group
Conventional wisdom in Washington says the James Baker-Lee Hamilton group got the diagnosis of the situation in Iraq right but the prescription they offered needs some work (different work depending on your politics). But beyond this, the Iraq Study Group showed that it is possible for five Republicans and five Democrats to come together, hash out differences, and emerge with a meaningful consensus. We need current officeholders (not just retirees like those on the Iraq Study Group) to follow this example.
The Princeton Project
For three years, a bipartisan group led by former Secretary of State George Schultz, former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake, and foreign policy gurus Anne-Marie Slaughter and G. John Ikenberry have been drafting a long-term national security strategy for the United States. The group, known as the Princeton Project, released their final report just last month. The full PDF is long, but the executive summary is well worth reading.
Ethical Realism
Anatol Lieven from the progressive New America Foundation and John Hulsman from the conservative Heritage Foundation teamed up to write a new book called Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World. I haven't finished the book yet, but the description says, "Most Americans today are aware that something has gone very wrong with U.S. foreign policy, but neither Democrats or Republicans are offering new strategies. This book, written by two experts from opposite political camps, offers a coherent alternative for conservatives and liberals alike."
Bridging the Foreign Policy Divide
Derek Chollet of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Tod Lindberg, editor of the Hoover Institution's journal Policy Review; and David Shorr of the Stanley Foundation have launched a program to find common ground on ten controversial foreign policy issues. Each issue in the Bridging the Foreign Policy Divide project will be addressed in a paper jointly written by a conservative expert and a progressive expert. A full list of topics and authors is available here. The first papers will be released in early 2007 with a book to follow. (Full disclosure: I work for the Stanley Foundation.)
