I was fairly careful not to use the term bi-partisanship or its cognates. I’m not sure that compromise has to be cross party, though it might. Any ruling government is going to have to find a majority somewhere, and while the outgoing republicans were fairly (and artificially, in many cases) unified under a Rovian agenda, I’m not sure that the incoming class will be nearly as similar-minded. In other words, some compromise and discernment–for the common good–will be required.

I’m also not one who thinks that everything should be compromise. Politics, democracy, sometimes has winners and losers; the beauty of our system is checks-and-balances, on the one hand, and peaceful transition of power through the articulated will of the people (via elections). Some things will and should require a broad support of some in both parties; but neither party should exclusively seek that as a modus operandi. OTOH, using partisan positioning more as a political cudgel than as actively pursuing the common good (which is what I’ve seen too much of lately) is too much.

Okay, that’s rambling. Off to get some coffee….

I can’t speak for others, but when I talk about bi-partisanship, what I actually want is not for people to abandon the platform they articulated to voters. Instead, it is for people to put the good of the country ahead of their personal ambitions. Sometimes, by refusing to work with members of the other party a poltiician is trying to make that other party fail in order to further his own career. This is what *I* complain about when I complain about excessive partisan politics . . . not people keeping their word to constituents.

I heard several calls during the election, mostly from pundits, for a greater degree of bi-partisanship no matter who won the election. So, I’ve been thinking about this and am not sure that I agree. Partisanship is not just putting on blinders and doing whatever the party says. It is maintaining that a legislator’s individual whims take backseat to a party platform that has been articulated to voters.

So, while I don’t hope for gridlock and inaction from our new congress, I do hope that our newly elected folks will stay true to the partisan promises they made during the election.