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Saturday night I had the chance to catch a rebroadcast on CSPAN of the February 28, 2007 appearance by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo at Cooper Union in New York City. The event (billed as an open dialogue to demonstrate how such a venue could serve as a forum for respectful discourse between the opposing political parties and their candidates leading up to the 2008 presidential election) was perhaps the best representation I’ve seen in a long time of true public servants at work.

The premise of the evening’s activities was that these two highly partisan members of their respective parties would be brought together to discuss (but not necessarily debate) the important issues facing our country today and in the immediate future - the kind of issues that will likely serve as the basis for the 2008 presidential election cycle. Beyond their partisan bents, they were to offer constructive dialogue rather than confrontational sound bites.

How wonderful it would be if the people interested in running this country felt the same way.

While the issues Gingrich and Cuomo touched on: the war in Iraq, health care, border security and the economy will be the issues White House wannabes will focus on, what struck me most about the event was the amount of concern both of these statesmen had for the level of discourse. It was as if these two warriors of an earlier age came in from their wilderness retreats to distill wisdom on those who had exiled them.

They came bearing a message that said simply “do as I say, not as I’ve done.” A sort of sage hindsight that taught:

Nothing good comes of partisan sniping. Ideas that have value are lost in the argument or never allowed the light of fair debate. Honest dialogue is feared because it displays weakness on both sides of the argument. Quality debate allows those weaknesses to be exposed, but also remedied.

And in the end aren’t remedies exactly what the candidates are supposed to offer?

If you have the opportunity to watch this program, I highly recommend it less for the Q&A period moderated by Meet the Press host Tim Russert, but for the opening remarks made by Gingrich and Cuomo (though I think Newt’s were significantly more idea-oriented). Both men were respectful of the other and also showed that in a one-on-one setting the opportunity for fair discussion exists (instead of one of those events where all of the candidates get 30 seconds each to beg and pander for your vote).

Cooper Union is the place where one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln launched his unlikely ascendancy to the White House by offering his position on the issue of slavery and it’s relationship to the intention of our Constitutional fathers. It was Lincoln’s contention that slavery should be controlled by Congress in the territories and not allowed to expand. Lincoln’s speech was one where the fiery phrases of abolition were replaced by the calculated analysis of a statesman arguing his position through reason and not rhetoric.It’s believed that Lincoln’s address catapulted him into the White House because of it’s incredibly logical approach to a divisive issue.

On the last night of February, the governor and the speaker aspired to demonstrate the same. And they succeeded - at least for that night.

Unfortunately with the homogenized bomb-throwing campaign tactics of today, what was said at Cooper Union will probably stay at Cooper Union.