Bipartisanship, in the words of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is easy to fake.

She issued a call last weekend for true bipartisanship, and spoke at length about how good government results from cooperation and not from disagreement.

Feinstein, along with two other senators, was honored by the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at a gala dinner in Pebble Beach. Also honored were U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. Lieberman was not in attendance but spoke to the audience of several hundred via a prepared video.

Feinstein discussed how easy it is for senators — or other political leaders — to give lip service to cooperation and yet work behind the scenes to discredit what political opponents do or say.

"Many years ago I learned that some problems take conservative solutions and some problems take progressive solutions," Feinstein said in a statement before the event. "And ... a decision-maker listens to both sides and then makes a decision and moves on. I also came to believe in diverse cities and states — or nations, for that matter — that the center of the political spectrum can be the best place to govern from."

Collins remarked in receiving her award that "True bipartisanship is hard work, and it's essential in a democracy."

Those words are easy to say at a political banquet, but we support them just the same. The audience consisted of people who had paid $250 per dinner — or in some cases more — to support the Panetta Institute and its main mission of encouraging public service and bipartisanship.

We also agree that the track record of all three honorees has shown that they all have attempted to reach agreement on matters like the environment, adequate water supplies, border security and even foreign policy.

It's interesting that Feinstein voted in the minority against the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts, but she has voted along with the Republican majority in other votes — particularly on international policy surrounding the war in Iraq. So has Lieberman.

One of the most divisive issues in Congress during recent months has been Social Security. That issue has seemed to bring out the worst in both parties, when in fact it's the issue that ought to be worked on together so as to help those in their retirement years.

Feinstein vowed to continue work on that issue — although she didn't mention that it's hardly discussed in recent weeks because of the firestorm of other issues facing Congress. Yet just hearing her willingness to work with Republicans on that issue is heartening.

In fact, the entire evening made one feel better about the world. A variety of Monterey Bay Area business people, politicians and interested folks sat in to listen to the presentations from those who were presented awards. For a few moments, it was easy to forget the nastiness that characterizes political dialogue these days. And that made for a great evening.