Wasn't There Supposed To Be Some Kind of Change?

OK, that's a big overstatement.

But via Ezra Klein, Michael Hirsh points out that Obama's commitment to bipartisanship has emboldened Republicans. Why compromise when Obama and the Democrats are going to cede the rhetorical floor to you? These last couple of days have been kind of depressing, with the Daschle thing dominating the headlines and with discussions of the stimulus revolving around "waste" rather than the need to get things done. If Obama was supposed to be the 2nd coming of Franklin Roosevelt, it's as if FDR decided that changing the tone in Washington was more important than dealing with the depression and a sense of bipartisanship more valuable than forcing recalcitrant Republicans to accept the election results of 1932 and ram through necessary legislation.

At some point, you have to think that Obama is going to figure this out and change his priorities. But important momentum is being lost.