Has compromise become a dirty word in Washington?

Having watched President Obama's speech to the nation last evening, along with Speaker John Boehner's response, I have to ask myself, has compromise become a dirty word in Washington? President Obama and congressional Democrats have refused to budge on the issue of increased revenues in the form of tax increases and the closing of tax loopholes, while Speaker Boehner and congressional Republicans have stated that tax increases will not be a part of any plan to reduce our debt and deficit. With a current national debt of $14.3 trillion dollars, you could completely eliminate medicare, social security, and defense spending and we still wouldn't be out of the hole. Cuts in spending will not solve this problem alone. With the crisis we are facing, everyone will have to share the burden if we are serious about solving this problem. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans support a balanced approach (tax increases combined with spending cuts) to help reign in the debt. The American people seem willing to compromise, so why not our elected officials? In my view, politicians today are only concerned about making the other side look bad. It is shameful to think that members of both parties care more about winning the next election than winning legislative victories for the American people. Neither side wants the other to achieve success for fear of losing majorities in one or both houses of Congress, and for fear of losing the presidency. As a result, compromise has all but vanished from today's political landscape. Today's political leaders should take a lesson from the likes of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich. These are examples of leaders who were able to put partisan politics aside and truly work on behalf of the American people. Perhaps America would be better off if we all reminded our leaders in Washington that compromise is not a four letter word.