IN THE CENTER RING I SPEAK TO A NEWSMAKER ABOUT THE SUBJECT WE COVERED IN THE TIGHT ROPE SEGMENT.

THAT SUBJECT MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT IS YOURS TRULY.

AND WHY I HAVE A SHOW THAT TALKS ABOUT BALANCE.

I REACHED ACROSS THE AISLE SEVERAL TIMES WITH THIS MAN IN WASHINGTON.

HE DID THE SAME.

A VETERAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND A GREAT GUY, THE FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THE BALANCING ACT, THE GENTLEMAN, AND I MEAN GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND, AND MY FAVORITE PERSON NAMED STENNIE.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

THAT IS A VERY LIMITED NUMBER.

BUT FIRST OF ALL, JOHN, I WANT TO THANK YOU.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS PUBLIC SERVICE YOU ARE DOING TO BETTER INFORM THE PUBLIC OF HOW CONGRESS WORKS, WHY IT DOESN'T WORK SOMETIMES AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

AND OF COURSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE WHO MADE IT WORK AS WELL AS IT COULD.

YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE WHO UNDERSTOOD THAT, WHERE THERE WERE 435 OF US, DIFFERENT PARTIES, SOME INDEPENDENTS, ALL SORTS OF POINTS OF VIEWS.

BUT AT BOTTOM, WE ALL HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANTED US TO DO.

AND THAT'S MAKE AMERICA WORK AS WELL AS IT POSSIBLY CAN FOR THEM, THEIR FAMILIES AND FOR OUR COUNTRY.

SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOURS AS WELL AND MY GOD, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SERVICE.

STENY STARTED IN CONGRESS IN 1980 OR 1981 WHEN RONALD REAGAN WAS PRESIDENT AND TIP O'NEILL WAS SPEAKER, SO YOU MUST HAVE SEEN A LOT IN YOUR TIME COMING THROUGH.

BUT ONE THING BACK THEN, COMPROMISE SEEMED TO BE MORE IN FASHION THAN NOW.

WHEN YOU COMPROMISE NOW OR CROSS THE AISLE ON SOMETHING, YOU GET VILIFIED FOR THAT.

I THINK YOU SAW THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE I GOT HOISTED HARD IN MY OWN PITARD BY MY OWN PARTY BECAUSE I HAD THE AUDACITY TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE.

YOU LEFT ME PHONE CALLS AND I STILL HAVE THE RECORDINGS.

TO COMMEND ME FOR DOING THAT.

I APPRECIATE THAT AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU REACHING OUT TO THE OTHER SIDE LIKE YOU DID ON A REGULAR BASIS.

>> JOHN, ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKED ABOUT YOU, YOU HAD THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS.

WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST 44 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, IS A HARDENING OF BASES, PARTICULARLY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THAT DOESN'T THINK THAT COMPROMISE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO PURSUE AND DOESN'T THINK WORKING TOGETHER IS NECESSARILY THE PROPER THING TO DO.

AND YOU HAD THE COURAGE TO SAY LOOK, I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.

AND I'M SURE THOSE WERE THE TIMES THAT I CALLED YOU BECAUSE I HAD SO MUCH RESPECT FOR THAT COURAGE AND FOR YOUR MORAL VISION AND COMMITMENT TO PRINCIPLE.

AND WE NEED MUCH MORE OF THAT IN THE CONGRESS.

IF I HAD MY WAY, I WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE JOHN KATKOS IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, NOT BECAUSE WE ALWAYS AGREED, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T.

YOU WERE A REPUBLICAN.

YOU WERE SUPPORTIVE OF REPUBLICAN PRIORITIES.

BUT YOU WERE ALSO WILLING AND ABLE TO SAY, LOOK, THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT THING.

I'M GOING TO GO THE WAY THAT I THINK IS THE RIGHT THING, NOT THE REPUBLICAN THING.

I HAVE A MURAL-- A PAINTING, WHICH USES A KENNEDY QUOTE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME BY THE SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA.

AND JOE MAN CHIA NO, I SERVED IN HIS OFFICE.

KENNEDY SAID WE DON'T WANT THE REPUBLICAN ANSWER.

WE DON'T WANTED THE DEMOCRATIC ANSWER.

WE WANT THE RIGHT ANSWER.

AND HOPEFULLY THOSE OF US SERVING IN THE CONGRESS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO GET TO THE RIGHT ANSWER.

BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.

THERE IS TOO MUCH PARTISANSHIP, TOO MUCH THE PARTY POSITION OPPOSED TO THE COUNTRY'S POSITION.

>> IT DOES SEEM TO BE THAT WAY.

YOU READ BOOKS BACK IN THE TIME OF REAGAN AND TIPP OWE NEIL AND SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DID TOGETHER, SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM, IMMIGRATION REFORM, TAX REFORM AND CAN YOU TELL US AND REAGAN EVEN SIGNED INTO LAW A TAX INCREASE LATER IN HIS TERM WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY.

IT SEEMS LIKE THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAS BEEN LOST.

AND NOW SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE SO LONG, WHAT CAN WE DO?

WHAT CAN BE DONE ON BOTH SIDES, BECAUSE BOTH SIDES HAVE SOME REALLY EXTREME ELEMENTS IN THEIR PARTIES NOW.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THEM TO GET BACK TOWARD THE MIDDLE LIKE YOU AND I HAVE TRIED TO DO OVER THE YEARS.

>> LET ME SUGGEST A NON-TRADITIONAL ANSWER BECAUSE PEOPLE ASK ME THAT.

AND I'M SURE THEY ASK YOU.

>> SURE.

>> WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO GET TOGETHER?

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THINGS DONE FOR THE COUNTRY?

AND I LOOK AT THEM AND I SAY AS SOON AS YOU DO.

THEY LOOK AT ME QUIZALLY.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN AS SOON AS I DO.

I'M NOT IN THE CONGRESS.

I SAID YES, BUT YOU ELECT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

AND IF YOU ELECT PEOPLE TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE HARD-LINE POSITIONS WHO BELIEVE THAT COMPROMISE IS GIVING UP ON YOUR PRINCIPLES AND WHO BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER PARTY IS 100% WRONG, THEN YOU ARE GOING TO GET A CONGRESS THAT REFLECTS THAT BECAUSE DEMOCRACY WORKS.

IF YOU ELECT PEOPLE LIKE THAT,UAL GET A YOU'LL GET A CONFRONTATIONAL CONGRESS AND NOT NEARLY AS EFFECTIVE AS AMERICANS WANT IT TO BE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU VOTE FOR PEOPLE LIKE-- I DON'T NECESSARILY USE YOUR NAME-- BUT JOHN KATKO, OR, FRANKLY, LIZ CHENEY.

YOU KNOW I CONTRIBUTED TO LIZ CHENEY'S CAMPAIGN, NOT BECAUSE I AGREED WITH HER.

LIZ AND I DISAGREE ON PROBABLY 90% OF THE MAJOR ISSUES IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

BUT I ADMIRED HER COURAGE AND BELIEVE THAT WAS ABSOLUTELIY ESSENTIAL IF THE CONGRESS WAS GOING TO REFLECT ACCURATELY RIGHT AND WRONG FOR THE COUNTRY.

SO I THINK, FIRST OF ALL,VOTERS NEED TO BRING TO THEIR VOTE AND THEIR SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT COMPROMISE.

DEMOCRACY IS LIKE A FAMILY.

YOU DON'T HAVE A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY UNLESS THE FAMILY MEMBERS COMPROMISE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

>> YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING WE DO IN OUR LIVES IS COMPROMISE, IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES AND WE'VE LOST THAT ART IN CONGRESS AND IN POLITICS IN GENERAL.

AND I THINK YOUR POINT IS THE BEST.

PICK GOOD LEADERS THAT ARE WILLING TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE.

I COULD TALK TO YOU FOR HOURS.

I WOULD LOVE TO BUT WE HAVE TIME CONSTRAINTS HERE AND I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE STILL THERE AND I HOPE YOU KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT MY FRIEND.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> ALL RIGHT.