The Politics of Common Ground
The Institute for Education’s BI-PARTISAN BREAKFASTS
BY KATHY KEMPER
In Washington, it is vitally important to bring
together diverse groups of people from
various political backgrounds and professions
to exchange ideas. That’s why I launched the
Institute for Education and our INFO Policy
Roundtables 15 years ago.
The roundtables are educational, bipartisan
breakfasts held once a month by invitation only.
These small forums bring together politicians,
journalists, Supreme Court justices, Cabinet
Secretaries, Nobel laureates and senators to talk
policy and politics. Always off-the-record and
filled with candid banter, the breakfasts provide
an opportunity to set aside differences and discuss
the important issues of the day.
In July, New York Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton spoke to an INFO gathering that
included media VIP’s Tim Russert, Bob Woodward
and Andrea Mitchell. On September 13,
we celebrated our 160th speaker with Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Our
guests included journalist Judy Woodruff and
Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah. Today,
we’re working on a new initiative called “The
Politics of Common Ground,” designed to bring
Republicans and Democrats together to help
build personal friendships and (we hope) begin
a much-needed change in the tone of discourse
in Washington.
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