“The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty. The mischiefs of partisanship will open the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.” – George Washington

So, an odd thing happened last week that very few of our ‘news’ networks covered. Seems the Republican party — known as the conservative party of two we have to work with — did something at least a few from the Democratic party — known as the liberal part of the two we have to work with — actually liked.  

Liked so much, in fact, some of them actually said so. 

See, what happened was this: conservatives spearheaded a pretty involved criminal justice act geared toward helping to ease the prison crisis we are seeing. The act’s major reforms include making the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act’s reduction in the disparities between sentences for crack and powdered cocaine retroactive, granting judges more freedom from mandatory-minimum sentences, and expanding the time credits that prisoners can earn and put toward reducing their sentences or qualifying for release into more mainstream transitional programs. The bill’s supporters estimate that as many as four thousand prisoners could immediately qualify for early release once the bill takes effect.

Basically, some in the the GOP took the reins regarding prison reform, which has been a mostly liberal led issue, and seem to have actually made something happen. 

Refreshingly, folks from the “other” side of things stepped up and praised the Republican effort — up to and including CNN’s Van Jones. For those not in the know, Van Jones is widely regarded as a championing spokesperson for liberal views on the network, and is considered one of the leading voices of the left in our nation. 

In seeing the Republicans actually do something he agreed with, Jones was quick to offer words of praise during a panel discussion at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington on Thursday.

“The conservative movement in this country, unfortunately from my point of view, is now the leader on this issue of reform,” Jones said. He pointed out Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Georgia’s Nathan Deal, and Secretary of Energy and former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Republicans who were able to “cut the prison population and crime at the same time.”

“What you’re seeing now is Republican governors being tough on the dollars. Tough on crime and shrinking the prison population,” he said.

“This is supposed to be my issue!” Jones exclaimed. “You are stealing my issue!” he told the cheering conservative crowd.

“I’m going to stay in my party,” he told the audience after some of them indicated he should come over to their side. “But take some dadgum credit for being smart. Take some dadgum credit for getting it right.”

Refreshing to see one side do something that the other side agrees with and actually be big enough to say so, isn’t it? For those of us who are sick and tired of being sick and tired of the dysfunction and gridlock it was a genuine moment of hope. 

With polls showing that about 50 percent of the nation considers itself neither far right or far left, you would think this kind of bipartisan work and recognition would be viewed as a very good thing. 

Ah, but no so fast there, kemo sabe. All it took was Jones having the audacity to acknowledge any positive contribution from the right for him to get ripped to shreds — by the left. 

A few of the tweets:

“Let’s just all agree that Van Jones is a complete and total sell out. Thank u, next!”

“The moment the world viewed Van Jones as disgusting and a sell out.”

“Today is the day Van Jones became a conservative Republican.”

Apparently Jones also caught flak when he tweeted that just maybe Donald Trump was becoming a ‘uniter in chief’ on the issue of prison reform. 

“Uniter in chief? What the hell is wrong with you Van?” asked pastor and activist Talbert Swan in response to Jones’ 14 tweet.

“Give the…misogynist his due, Van Jones says,” noted sociologist Crystal Fleming.

So, let’s step back and review for a moment, shall we? An issue that has been a long-time left-leaning focus was at least partially addressed by efforts by politicians on the right, which would suggest at least bipartisan cooperation in working on it. A leading voice from the left had the guts to praise that effort, and was subsequently and publicly shredded by the left for “selling out.”

Then when you find out that new extreme-left leaning poster child Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is privately telling moderate Democrats to toe the party line, stop voting with Republicans and bend to the will of the House speaker or find themselves “on a list” for possible primary election challenges — in other words targeted by their own party — and you have to wonder if bipartisanship simply cannot exist in our current political environment. 

That is, unless that 50 percent of Americans we mentioned earlier demands it the next time they go to the polls.