Bipartisanship Shouldn’t Just Be Nuclear

Five Cold Warriors Have Shown Us That a Healthier Political Culture Is Possible

In this era of rancor in Washington, it’s hard to imagine a time when two of the most partisan men in the nation–Republican President Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, the Democratic Speaker of the House–could set aside their differences to swap political stories and seek common ground on critical issues.

They did, as I witnessed from a ringside seat as a Washington correspondent for The New York Times. The rivalry was intense, the political skirmishing fierce, but both men could see beyond the parochial interests of their parties. Today, they would …