It's the Bipartisanship, Stupid

Congressional Republicans are threatening their first act of opposition to the new president, ironically over his first major effort to be bipartisan -- the fiscal stimulus bill.

Some observers say that both parties in Congress have welcomed the new administration with a less than bipartisan spirit. But I'll hold Obama accountable on this one anyway. It's the job of a leader to persuade, and he's one of the most persuasive characters around. if he can't do it here, it may not bode well for down the road.

My major point is that the bipartisanship counts more here than the actual dollars count. I'm not sure that a trillion dollars or so will make America a buzzing economic empire again; and even in recent decades of "prosperity," we haven't made much of a dent in our overall debt. So whatever we do, we need to do as a collective act of investment and sacrifice and commitment.

I've noted before that this economic crisis seems to require antidepressants more than bailouts. The economist-in-chief needs to bear that in mind, and find ways to have the loyal opposition reasonably loyal. Otherwise, finger-pointing over this economic depression will quickly become his Iraq, overshadowing his other ambitions for our nation.

It's not the economy, stupid, it's the bipartisanship. Obama's overarching campaign promise was collective hope for our whole nation. That's the one he has to fulfill, before he worries about stimulating banks or industries or workers.