Former Oklahoma Congressman Says Compromise Is Key For Success

After 18 months of rallies and commercials and $3 billion spent on campaign advertising, the landscape in Washington is the same as it was four years ago.

Critics say this re-creates the recipe for Capitol Hill gridlock.

One of Oklahoma's own shared his advice for the country Wednesday night at the University of Tulsa.

"There was a time when, even when I was in office, there were strong conservatives and strong liberals with very deeply held views, but there would be a point when we'd compromise," said former Republican Representative Mickey Edwards. "We'd sit down together and we'd say, ‘How do we make this move forward? What do you give up? What do I give up?' That's disappeared."

Edwards has spent 16 years teaching at Harvard and Princeton.

He currently leads political leaders on bipartisan retreats to help open a dialogue between rivals.