It's rare these days to hear straight talk about politics or the economy, voices of conscience

over agenda.

But we will hear for the next hour.

We get candor and wisdom from two Washington insiders who won't give partisan gridlock

the last word, longtime Republican lawmaker Pete Diminici and veteran Democratic economist

Alice Rivlin.

Both sides are trying to scare people into thinking if you vote for this other guy it's

going to be a terrible time and Medicare is a good example both sides are trying to scare

seniors that their Medicare will be destroyed.

That's not even remotely possible.

What's happened is we let it go and fester and the problem gets so complicated that we

are the victims of its complexity in terms of trying to carry it out.

There are all kinds of members that want to do something but they don't know where to

go.

They don't know.

And I think citizens feel the same way.

And I think citizens feel the same way they say we've learned about it like what can

I do to save this country.

Political bridge people, a dialogue of the Civil Conversations Project.

I'm Chris DeTippet and this is on being from APM American Public Media.

I interviewed Pete Diminici and Alice Rivlin before a live audience at the Brookings

Institution in Washington DC.

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