At key turning points in history, dramatic events seem to come together to force cooperation between even the most reluctant partisans. In the face of devastation from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, for instance, even a brief governmental shutdown would have been unthinkable, so Republicans and Democrats came together to provide disaster relief, to pass a budget, and to raise the debt ceiling.

Meanwhile, the H-bomb explosion by North Korea means that all sides should rally behind the President in his strong economic or military response to the brutal regime in Pyongyang, and to build-up our armed forces.

Finally, there’s the new six-month deadline for so-called “Dreamers”: the prospect of deportation of 800,000 gainfully employed young Americans who've been raised since childhood in the US, would do major economic and social damage, so liberals must work with conservatives for meaningful immigration reform and enhanced border security.

Big challenges require big and bi-partisan responses, including better coordination between Congress and the President.

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