The Centrist Solution - by Senator Joe Lieberman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this era of extremism, our largest problems remain unsolved and our international leadership is compromised. Having two fiercely opposed political parties is what John Adams, the second President of the United States, dreaded "as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." If American government is to work, it must do so in the center--where open discussion, hard negotiation, and effective compromise take place. No living politician knows this better than former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who served for forty years in state and national government, including twenty-four in the United States Senate and a campaign for the Vice Presidency. In this vivid account of his political life, Senator Lieberman shows how legislative progress and all-inclusive government occurs when politicians reject extremism and embrace productive compromise. In The Centrist Solution, he shines a light on ten milestones of centrist success during his time in government--from the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the repeal of the military's anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, along with a Vice Presidential run with Presidential Candidate Al Gore, and being vetted by John McCain to be his potential running mate on the 2008 Republican Ticket. In the telling, Senator Lieberman extracts clear lessons and proven methods of centrist collaboration that can carry us forward after years of partisan warfare and legislative inaction. The centrist solution leads to government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people--a citizenry looking for solutions, not extremist standoffs."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Senator Joseph Lieberman offers a master class in effective government by probing his forty years in elective office--from the Vietnam War era to the Presidency of Barack Obama--and by shining a light on historic acts of centrism and compromise, extracting productive and problem-solving lessons and techniques we need now more than ever.

In this era of extremism, our largest problems remain unsolved and our international leadership is compromised. Having two fiercely opposed political parties is what John Adams, the second President of the United States, dreaded "as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

If American government is to work, it must do so in the center--where open discussion, hard negotiation, and effective compromise take place. No living politician knows this better than former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who served for forty years in state and national government, including twenty-four in the United States Senate and a campaign for the Vice Presidency.

In this vivid account of his political life, Senator Lieberman shows how legislative progress and all-inclusive government occurs when politicians reject extremism and embrace productive compromise. In The Centrist Solution, he shines a light on ten milestones of centrist success during his time in government--from the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the repeal of the military's anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, along with a Vice Presidential run with Presidential Candidate Al Gore, and being vetted by John McCain to be his potential running mate on the 2008 Republican Ticket.

In the telling, Senator Lieberman extracts clear lessons and proven methods of centrist collaboration that can carry us forward after years of partisan warfare and legislative inaction. The centrist solution leads to government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people--a citizenry looking for solutions, not extremist standoffs.

Review Quotes

"For a playbook on effective, problem-solving government, look no further than The Centrist Solution. Joe Lieberman tells the story of never giving up while working across the aisle to find principled, bipartisan solutions. An essential read about effective government for every current and future public servant, and for all American citizens."
--Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)

"I watched Joe Lieberman's efforts to reach across party lines to lead legislative success. The Centrist Solution is a riveting narrative of historic governance and a crucial guide to problem-solving politics, a book America needs now more than ever."
--Harry Reid, former Senator (D-Nevada) and Senate Majority and Minority Leader

"As a gateway to finding common cause on important issues affecting our country, serving the national interest is something my husband John McCain and my friend Joe Lieberman worked on together. I've seen few people more bravely, strategically, and effectively put his country ahead of his political interests than Joe. The Centrist Solution unpacks our recent history's milestones in bipartisan governance and offers them as a beacon to light a path past gridlock to real progress."
--Cindy McCain, author of Stronger: Courage, Hope & Humor in My Life with John McCain

"My former Senate colleague and dear friend, Joe Lieberman, brings readers under the hood with him during a career when he worked with like-minded Senators to make the Washington, DC, engine actually run. A valuable read for every American, particularly members of Congress."
--Chris Dodd, former Senator (D-Connecticut)

"Senator Joe Lieberman is America's most noteworthy centrist whose brilliant career has set the standard for problem-solving over political dysfunction. The wisdom offered in this magnificently-timed book serves as a reminder of history's powerful examples of bipartisanship, almost completely forgotten in today's environment of ever-changing party dogma and misplaced priorities."
--Jon Huntsman, former Governor of Utah (R) and US Ambassador

"The Centrist Solution is a fascinating political memoir. But it is much more--a sustained argument in favor of a politics of cooperation across party lines that is sadly out of fashion. Joe Lieberman has done as much as any American to sustain and restore this politics, which we need more than ever."
--William Galston, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution

"The Centrist Solution eloquently conveys the essential philosophy of one of the most thoughtful, principled, and effective lawmakers to serve our country in recent years. At a moment when Democrats and Republicans are mired in partisan gridlock, Senator Lieberman makes a persuasive and urgent case for how Washington can get moving again."
--General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA

"I witnessed Joe Lieberman's skill during my years with him in the Senate, and if we want to end government gridlock, we must heed the lessons he offers in The Centrist Solution--strategic negotiation across party lines that is actually productive."
--Dan Coats, former Senator (R-Indiana) and Director of National Intelligence