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January 24th, 2011
08:15 AM ET

Avlon: 'It will take some political courage to reach across the aisle'

President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is tomorrow night and there is growing support behind Senator Mark Udall's proposal for Democrats and Republicans to sit together as opposed to abiding by party lines. More than 50 congress members have already claimed their "state dates" but the question is, will one-time seating arrangements turn into long-lasting bipartisanship?

CNN Contributor John Avlon says that although sitting together is a great symbolic gesture towards unity it is going to take genuine "political courage" to reach across the aisle on some of the issues facing congress ahead. He explains to Kiran Chetry on American Morning.
Filed under: Capitol Hill • Economy • GOP • John Avlon • President Barack Obama
soundoff (3 Responses)
  1. Brenda

    Great gesture but I feel that's all it is – political posturing. Sitting next to one another is nothing – when they start working together and actually accomplish significant bipartisan law-making, then I'll be impressed.

    January 24, 2011 at 2:47 pm |
  2. Rafer

    It is a start, but only that – for the politicians who don't think this one small step is important – how are they going to have the guts to do the bigger "partnering" things we want from them?

    January 24, 2011 at 8:53 am |
  3. Dan

    Great, wonderful, extravagant. What other "wonderful" words can we use?
    Come Wednesday morning, it will be back to the same old bickering, nothing getting done for the American people.

    January 24, 2011 at 8:35 am |
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