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It was with this principle in mind – that the burden must be spread equally and that Washington must lead by example – that the Bowles-Simpson recommended that federal civil service and military retirement programs be re-evaluated by a federal workforce entitlement task force that would make recommendations for reforms to reduce the costs of those programs to taxpayers.

I loved to take on the ideological extremists on both sides when I was in the Senate and took a helluva lot of grief from the special interests passionately defending the sacred cows I dared to brand. But I never lost an election. That is an important lesson that I shared with the committee members. People admire guts and courage. They may fight you. They may vilify you. But they will admire you.

"These next two weeks will tell us a lot about whether Washington is capable of moving our country forward. I’m an optimist – so I’m hopeful that members of the Super Committee will recognize that this moment isn’t about what the party leadership will say or how a party faction will vote or what impact it will have on the next election. It’s about our future. And it’s about having the courage to do right by our children. America’s greatest moments have come when Washington has risen above politics as usual – and worked together to solve the toughest problems. Not as party loyalists – but as loyal Americans."

We believe that there is a real chance this super committee will put politics aside and pull together not pull apart. If you do, we’re confident the future of this country will be very bright and we can withstand any blow that comes our way. And if we don't, we think America could become a second rate power in our lifetime, and the opportunities our children will have will for the first time in American history, be less than those experienced by their parents. The national interest, not special interests, must prevail.