Baker Center and Bipartisan Policy Center to Host Baker, Daschle, Dole and Bredesen in Discussion of Civility in Governance
Jan 11, 2008
For Immediate Release: January 11, 2008

KNOXVILLE –- Former U.S. Sens. Howard H. Baker Jr., Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen will meet in a forum at First Amendment Center in Nashville on Jan. 15 to discuss the importance of civility in governance. The event will be held at 6 p.m. (CST). It is free and open to the public.

To be moderated by John Seigenthaler, the forum is being sponsored by the University of Tennessee's Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, the Tennessee Business Roundtable, the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Freedom Forum.

"The Baker Center and the Bipartisan Policy Center believes that civility in governance is essential to the efficient and effective operation of government and the creation of sound public policy. Sens. Baker, Daschle and Dole and Gov. Bredesen will share their experiences and insights on this critical topic based on their many years of leadership," said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Baker Center.

Ellen Thornton, executive director of the Tennessee Business Roundtable, said, "We believe that we must start the discussion, and only through working together can we achieve the art of principled compromise and healthy debate."

“The great challenges facing our nation demand that democrats and republicans work together to restore civility and substantive dialogue in our national policy debates.â€