Prayin' for civil, can-do folks at the Capitol? Here are two

When the elections of 2010 concluded, politicians of both major parties gathered around the campfire, held hands and sang "Kumbaya."

It was nice while it lasted.

A day before we inaugurate the new DFL governor and two days before the 2011 legislative session, everybody's making like boxers at a weigh-in. They can't even agree on how big the budget deficit will be.

The principle of inertia tells me this is how the world will work at the State Capitol come Tuesday. But it may be a good time to remind everyone that amid the rancor, the posturing, the back-biting and ego-stoking, miracles can happen.

Someone's prayin', Lord.

I offer up as evidence two unlikely conspirators in the pursuit of good. What are the chances that these two people could work together?

One is a liberal Jew from south Minneapolis, a former community organizer (gasp!) who -- get this -- majored in environmental studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, then urban and environmental studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts. He's married to a rabbi, and his legislative assistant is named Tijuana. You probably already have a picture in your head of Rep. Frank Hornstein.

Hornstein and Holberg are about as far apart philosophically as you can be, but over the past few years they have done something remarkable: They got to know each other.

It may seem like a small thing, but if you use the popular park-and-ride in Lakeville or use the new bus rapid transit (BRT) station at Interstate 35W and 46th Street, you are the beneficiary of this amicable relationship. They were the main catalysts, along with Mayor R.T. Rybak and legislators who represent districts along the freeway, of the revamp of I-35W, which will include a special lane for express buses.

Hornstein said he first met Holberg when he was on the Met Council. They happened to agree on a sewer issue, and "we hit it off nicely." She took him on a tour of her district, and they talked about the problems of the 35W corridor. They drafted a bill way back in 2003 and got bipartisan support. They competed for, and won, a $133 million grant from the Bush administration and got to work. And now the Twin Cities move better because of it.

Hornstein said he had watched how Sen. Paul Wellstone befriended Sen. Jesse Helms and worked with him on bills that benefited both their states.

"And being a community organizer is really about building relationships. You need to learn peoples' stories to find out how to work with them even though you may not agree with them on many issues," Hornstein said.

"I pretty much am willing to work with anyone," Holberg said. "I worked with [now-U.S. Rep.] Keith Ellison on privacy issues. I'm not going to help him in his campaign, but if you forget people are human beings you are in trouble."

Holberg said growing up with foster kids who had disabilities taught her to never come to quick judgments about others, not on their appearance or their politics.

They still debate each other, often vigorously, on other issues. Holberg is now chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, so "she will have a huge role in crafting a budget I will probably disagree with completely," Hornstein said. "But [Holberg] is viewed as honest and a straight-shooter, and it's never personal."

"If you just look at the political spectrum, we have very little in common," Holberg said. "But we both had kids in hockey. We both like a good joke, and we don't take ourselves too seriously."

Last month, Hornstein was on a panel on civility for House newcomers. "Our goal is not some mushy bipartisanship, but to build relationships on trust and friendship to overcome the divide," he said.

Hear me prayin', Lord.