More politicians are mobilizing supporters and raising buckets of dollars through “money blurts” – intentionally-timed, incendiary comments about opponents that stoke social media and rake in cash. But we live at a time when we need to mobilize people to address our growing concerns, not divide them. Below are two sets of sound bites, one rooted in hate, the other in hope. The hopeful ones you can bank on as antidotes to growing negativity in public life.

I was sitting all the way at the other end of a large table from Delores in Champaign, Illinois, and I needed to do everything I could not to let the tears fall from my eyes. Here was a woman desperately struggling to keep her head above water in today’s economy and her acts of compassion were simply overwhelming to me. Throughout Main Street America, her story is not uncommon.

Simple outrage would be the easy (and potentially right) response to the crazy situation in which Rep. Anthony Weiner finds himself embroiled. But, it’s more pain and sadness I feel today. While Weiner may yet have to resign his congressional seat, I wonder what the real cost is to the rest of us, what relationship we want with our leaders, and what we will do.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Harwood Institute's ground-breaking report, Citizens and Politics: A View from Main Street America. It was one of the first major studies to reveal people were not "apathetic" about politics and public life (as polls said they were), but felt disconnected and pushed out.

This Sunday another salvo in the school reform battle hit The New York Times in the form of an article the title of which was, “Whose Failing Grade Is it?” by Lisa Belkin. The piece discusses new state-based efforts to punish parents if their kids don’t show up at school and perform certain tasks. But, is this the form of accountability we really want and need?

Yesterday, Donald Trump announced he would not be seeking the presidency in 2012. But, of course, that doesn't mean we've heard the last from him – far from it! And so what does his voice in American politics mean today? Anyone interested in moving the country forward should pay attention.

At the core of many of my conversations with individuals and groups lately, stands a basic question of “belief.” Will we believe that we as individuals, and together, have the ability to affect change? Wavering on this question leaves us wondering whether we can step forward and truly make a difference. Here are three ways to restore and deepen your own sense of belief in these politically toxic and divisive tim

Driving to work this morning, all I heard on the radio was bad news. This doesn’t help matters: for many of us, the work we do already can feel so uphill. What are we to do? Running faster and harder isn’t the answer. Instead, I urge you to find ways to take good care of yourself – and here is an easy step you can start today.

I know it sounds crazy, but I’m actually starting to think the current budget stalemate in the nation’s capital has some positive sides. Where this battle ends up is anyone’s guess – and I hope it’s not with a government shutdown. But let’s look at the plus side of the ledger for a moment.

As the country’s latest war gets underway in oil-rich Libya, a potential nuclear meltdown in Japan hangs over our heads, and the nation’s thirst for energy only continues. Is nuclear power the solution to U.S. energy woes? I don’t know, but this much is clear: nuclear power is yet another example of how we believe we can get something for nothing.

The tectonic political plates on budget matters in Wisconsin and elsewhere continue to shift and I think that’s a good thing. Maybe you’ll be surprised by my position on these matters. But hear me out, and most importantly let me know what you think.