The path to political unity

As Congressional politics boil over with angry finger-pointing and frustration, "Crumbs of Comfort" honors Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY) who loved reaching across the aisle to create progress through negotiated compromise. After years as quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills, Kemp switched easily from passing balls to passing bills, and when Republicans nominated war hero Bob Dole for President in '96, Kemp was his running mate.

Kemp (1935-2009) called himself a bleeding heart conservative, and one of the speechwriters who helped craft his vice-Presidential acceptance speech was former White House wordsmith Michael Gerson. In a recent issue of the Washington Post, Gerson argues that Kemp's Christian Science background left him largely incapable of believing in evil, so he viewed every opponent as a potential ally.What would Kemp do if confronted by the mean politics of today? Gerson is sure he'd "take the hopeful, unifying, generous path, which remains open, though not busy." To see three minutes of the acceptance speech Gerson helped write for Kemp, visit www.youtube.com/watch?t=4&v=YBAVJPSx23E