These are tumultuous times in Washington. The best way to get a clear view of the latest developments there is from the perspective of an insider.

Amy Walter provides just such a viewpoint. The national editor of the Cook Political Report is a regular panelist on many of the premier political shows on network television, including "Meet the Press" on NBC, "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Fox News, and "Face the Nation" on CBS.

She also provides weekly analysis for the "PBS NewsHour."

As the former political director of ABC News, she guided the editorial content of all political news and provided on-air analysis, serving as co-host of the 2012 election night coverage.

Walter will share her perspective as a keynote speaker at CUNA’s 2018 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).

Walter says the best part of her role in Washington is working with people who are inspired by making a difference despite today’s current polarized political climate.

“I’m not willing to broadbrush a picture of Washington that’s all for the worse,” she tells  the CUNA News Podcast. “It’s all just very different.”

Walter admits that currently “there’s just very little room for someone in the middle to make a difference,” and that both Republicans and Democrats must find those rare issues to on which they can find common ground, such as infrastructure.

“Who doesn’t like roads and bridges or their water pipes replaced,” Walters says. “The question is how do you do that? How do you pay for it?”

This CUNA News Podcast episode is the fourth in a five-part weekly series with GAC speakers and personalities, including:

• Teacher and motivational speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez (Jan. 25). 
• Digital intelligence specialist Kristen Soltis Anderson (Feb. 1).
• Unconventional marketer Scott Stratten (Feb. 8).
• GAC emcee Antonio Neves (Feb. 22).

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.