“I think this is a unique experiment in transparent government and an opportunity to demonstrate the democratic power of the Internet,” Durbin wrote on Open Left. “If we’re successful, it could become a model for the way legislation on health care, foreign policy, and education is drafted in the future.”
There was just one thing missing. While Durbin was talking to mostly liberals on a liberal blog, he was missing out on wide variety of opinions shared by many other Americans. It’s not that the Open Left discussion wasn’t open -- anyone could participate -- but conservatives weren’t going to trek over to a liberal blog to engage in the conversation. Without a more comprehensive outreach strategy, especially in hyperpartisan Washington, Durbin’s bill would go nowhere fast.
But would Durbin consider talking to conservatives? Would conservatives want to talk to him? If he did engage with them directly, would they behave? The answer to all these questions was yes.
Durbin took his conversation about broadband policy to conservative blog RedState last Tuesday in an effort to broaden the discussion. It worked. Conservatives who previously expressed little love for the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat turned out in droves to offer their input. More than 340 comments were generated about broadband policy and the importance of the free market. But most importantly, many new ideas and suggestions were made that might not have been considered.
“I know there were cynics who were suspicious of what Durbin was doing on RedState, but the issues of competition, regulation and role of the private sector were well made and well received,” Durbin’s communications director, Joe Shoemaker, told me. “I think the proof will be in the final product, but this was a great start.”
Broadband policy isn’t a Democrat vs. Republican issue. President Bush in 2004 called for universal and affordable access to high-speed broadband by 2007 -- a goal that’s far from being met. When Bush laid out his plan, many conservatives welcomed his goal as a way to spur innovation, new jobs and economic competitiveness.
Even though liberals and conservatives might disagree about the debate over high-speed Internet access, there’s one thing they both have in common: a desire to take part in the discussion. Durbin picked the right issue to show this experiment in legislating can be a success.
As the rest of the process plays out in Durbin’s experiment, other lawmakers should considering adopting this approach. An open and transparent government benefits all Americans. Dick Durbin deserves credit for showing us the way.