Give Civility A Chance

I love heated debate as much as anyone. Maybe more. Who wants to hear a bunch of policy wonks try to be each other’s pals and solve the problems of the world? I’ll push the snooze button, thank you. And I hate compromising. Middle-of-the-road solutions are bad solutions, period.

But I grant you, there are a lot of people who are not happy with the tone of debate these days. People like my wife, Judy.

In fact, Judy and some of her similarly idealistic friends have started Common Ground Committee www.commongroundcommittee.org in an effort to change the tone of public discourse in America. I guess they figure that more civility will bring progress.

I’m skeptical, but I have to give Judy and her friends credit for taking action. They are putting on their first event in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Monday, October 25 at 7:30 P.M., at the Greenwich Library’s Cole Auditorium. It’s called, “What Is the Role of Government in the Nation’s Economy?”

Steve Moore, my friend and a regular guest on CNBC’s Kudlow Report, is a panelist, along with economist Mark Zandi and Christopher Shays, the man who prior to being defeated in 2008 was New England’s lone Republican congressman. The moderator will be John Yemma, editor-in-chief of the Christian Science Monitor, the highly respected international newspaper.

It’s a good crew. So before I push the snooze button on this one, I’m willing to see if these guys can make Judy and her pals happy by being both civil and enlightening. If you’re anywhere near Greenwich on October 25, check it out.