Joint statement by participants at the OU political forum

America is in danger. Our ability to meet and solve the problems that face us is seriously compromised. National surveys reveal that an unprecedented seven out of ten citizens believe that life for their children will not be as good as their own. We are headed in the wrong direction. We share their deep concern and frustration. Our nation is indeed at risk.

• Approval for the United States around the world has dropped to historically low levels, with only one out of four people approving of our country’s actions, even in nations that are our longtime allies;

• We have eroded America’s credibility and capacity to lead on urgent global and foreign policy issues including terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, and regional instabilities;

• Our budget and trade deficits are out of control. We are squandering our children’s future. The ominous transfer of our national wealth has made our economy vulnerable, and our economic strength and competitiveness are both declining. Middle-income Americans are struggling to keep their homes and jobs and educate their children.

• We are not as secure as we should be. Our military is stretched thin and our nation remains vulnerable to catastrophic terrorism.

• We are being held economically hostage because we have no energy policy worthy of the name.

• Our educational system is failing to prepare our children to succeed in a globalized and technological world.

• Nearly 50 million Americans remain without health insurance, and the cost of medical care continues to spiral.

• The failures of bridges in Minneapolis and levees in New Orleans are harsh metaphors for the reckless neglect of our infrastructure.

These critical issues are uniquely interlocked and we must have a national strategy and prioritization of resources. We are failing to address them because rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act. If we allow polarizing politics to continue, we will remain a nation divided and no matter who is elected this fall, he or she will not have a mandate for governing. Too many in both our parties have sought to energize their bases instead of reaching out to address the issues that concern our nation as a whole. They appeal to extremes and marginalize those in the commonsense center.

In order to break this partisan impasse, we urge the presidential candidates to provide:

• clear descriptions of how they would establish a government of national unity;

• specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus;

• plans to go beyond tokenism to appoint a truly bipartisan cabinet with critical posts held by the most qualified people available regardless of political affiliation; and

• proposals for bipartisan executive and legislative policy groups in critical areas such as national security.

National elections present an opportunity for candidates and citizens to have a serious and civil discussion of the imperative issues facing our country at home and abroad. Today, we urge our fellow citizens, including the news media, to join us in asking the candidates to address these challenges.

If as a nation we begin to ask, debate, and address these and other fundamental issues, we can renew our commitment to community and empower those we elect to govern effectively.

We are convinced that if we establish a government of national unity, we can meet these challenges head on, develop a cohesive strategy prioritizing our responses and matching our goals with our capabilities. In short, we believe that if we unify, we can turn America’s peril into America’s promise and face our future with optimism.

The participants in the forum were:

• President of the Center for the Study of the Presidency Dr. David Abshire.

• Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, an independent.

• University of Oklahoma President and former Senator and governor David Boren, a Democrat.

• Former Republican National Chairman and U.S. Senator from Tennessee Bill Brock, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Maine and Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Missouri Jack Danforth, a Republican.

• President of the Eisenhower Group Susan Eisenhower, a Republican.

• Former Governor and U.S. Senator from Florida Bob Graham, a Democrat.

• U.S. Senator from Iowa Chuck Hagel, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Colorado Gary Hart, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of Maine Angus King, an independent.

• Former Congressman from Iowa Jim Leach, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Georgia and our co-host Sam Nunn, a Democrat.

• Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Edward Perkins.

• Former U.S. Senator from Virginia Chuck Robb, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of Texas Mark White, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican.