As we plunge into the political races for the year, several things come to mind for many of us. Among these are the lack of responsibility, the ultra-high level of partisanship and the low level of civility that pervade Congress.

Concerning responsibility, I can think of no more powerful statement than Abraham Lincoln’s words from his address to Congress on Dec. 1, 1862. They are familiar words.

“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We – even we here – hold the power, and bear the responsibility.”

Concerning partisanship and civility, Sen. Richard Lugar said in a letter in November 2009 that “bipartisanship is not centrism, and it is more than just compromise. It is a way of approaching one’s duties as a public servant that requires self-reflection, discipline of study and faith in the good will of others.” In this letter he cited a short list of questions, 10 of them, which suggested some things that politicians and civic leaders should consider when interacting with others. All of these suggestions dealt with civility, the need for an open mind and the belief that we all want the best for America.

I do not believe that the American public as a whole is tied up in knots with partisanship. Polls show quite the opposite.

Americans want their representatives in Washington to come together to deliberate, to compromise, to legislate so that our country will be able to deal with the very real problems that it faces.

Some of these problems have been with us for a long time, but some of them are quite new. Dealing with them will require our best efforts.

The American public is giving Congress an approval rating in the neighborhood of 10 percent. That does not sound as if they believe that Congress is actually giving its best effort. It certainly does not sound as if they believe that Congress is paying attention to Lugar’s 10 suggestions for working together.

Wouldn’t it be possible to find 10 senators and 30 representatives, a Force of Forty, who would agree not only to work in a bipartisan way to solve problems, but who would also speak out loudly, strongly, forcibly to the rest of the Congress and to the media on the necessity of changing the way we interact?

We need to come together as Americans. We must get down to business. Congress absolutely must figure out how to deal with the issues that America faces today.

It is time to act.

As Lincoln said almost 150 years ago, “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. ... We – even we here – hold the power, and bear the responsibility.”

Everyone I know who pays any attention at all to the activities of Congress, be they Republicans or Democrats, describes Lugar as one of the great statesmen of our time. It appears to me that the need for statesmanship in Congress has never been greater.

The long-term greatness of our country is at stake.