Sam Nunn, Chuck Hagel, Mike Bloomberg for President?

Here is my first mega-prediction of the new year: There will be a major and high-powered movement in our national politics for a national unity government that might, or might not, include an independent presidential candidacy.

On Jan. 7 there will be a summit meeting called by former Sens. Sam Nunn and David Boren to set the stage for a national unity government. This meeting will include a galaxy of highly respected national figures including leading Democrats and Republicans such as Chuck Hagel, John Danforth, Bob Graham, Jim Leach, Susan Eisenhower, Alan Dixon and others beyond the visible leaders Nunn, Boren, Hagel and New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Let me be clear about my own position: I am not endorsing any independent presidential candidacy at this time, and may or may not in the future, but I support 100 percent the idea of a national unity, “we are in this together” government.

This has been a theme of my columns in the op-ed section of the paper and most recently my Pundit Blog “Bloomberg and Hagel Can Win” and will be a theme of an upcoming column and will be a theme of an upcoming column and continued advocacy both in the paper and on this Pundits Blog.

David Broder wrote a good and important story in the Sunday Washington Post, though he may have overstated the role of both Mike Bloomberg and Sens. Nunn and Hagel (in my opinion).

Americans are tired of negative politics, divided politics, government gridlock, demeaning and abusive campaigning, name-calling, Swift-Boating and all of the other aspects of our current politics that are held in widespread disrepute by overwhelming majorities of our people.

In my view Senator Nunn is one of the most outstanding, brilliant and important leaders to ever serve in the Senate, and if there is an independent candidacy, it would be perfect if Sen. Nunn and Sen. Hagel would be at the center of it. Mayor Bloomberg might or might not be the ultimate candidate and the Jan. 7 meeting will achieve national and international attention and prestige and be a transforming event in American politics.

On the Republican side, it is clear that large numbers of Republicans have substantial distrust of most Republican candidates and on the Democratic side, it is clear that Hillary Clinton has alienated a large percentage of political independents, which clearly makes her a dangerously vulnerable candidate if she is nominated.

The story here is not the candidates, not the maneuvering, but the overwhelming sentiment that something has gone wrong with the system and the strong, strong desire among political independents for a new politics and a new national unity.

Several of the Democrats could well tap into this sentiment, John McCain could tap into this for Republicans, or there could be a third party with a genuine chance of prevailing.

Personally I strongly endorse the notion of a national unity politics and national unity spirit and leadership and predict it will be one of the great defining themes throughout 2008 and will largely decide who becomes our next president.

My hope is that the Democratic nominee can lead this national unity movement. If Democrats nominate a candidate who repels political independents, it almost guarantees a new independent candidate and each of us will then evaluate where we stand.

I include here my recent “Bloomberg and Hagel Can Win” piece from this Pundits Blog, noting my own bias towards Sen. Nunn and hoping my earlier post, which begins to suggest concrete actions this movement can take, can further the national debate.