As politicians we need to campaign for initiatives in ways that bring the public in rather than force them out. As journalists we need to make the issues more understandable and shed light on the secrecy-shrouded lobbying campaigns, that create phony public opinion. If we do not make these and other changes, cynicism and disgust will continue to erode our political institutions and our government. They also have to accept that a precondition to effective progress is informing the public of its stake in any change. The health care reform battle has taught us that we need to rebuild the institutional capacity of the country to advance change in the public interest.
Private interests are a legitimate part of an open society.
I want readers to have a better understanding of what these people go through in trying to accomplish their work. I also hope readers will come away with a useful historical perspective on what has happened to our government and our political system and why it has reached the point where it seems incapable of dealing with serious national challenges. I hope they'll be able to see that this book is not merely a description of the techniques, strategies, philosophies, and ideologies that were used to fight one battle. This is the story of what's happening throughout our government and our political system today.