Obama's First Test

Murray and Paul Kane wrote in Sunday's Post: "There are signs that the usual divisions that send so many ambitious bills down to defeat will confront President-elect Barack Obama in his first weeks on the job. Some Republicans are spoiling for an early policy fight that will test Obama's mettle. Conservative House Democrats want to include statutory deficit-reduction language in a economic stimulus package that could cost $1 trillion. And Senate centrists have warned that the incoming administration's ambitious global warming legislation might be a non-starter.

"Over the past 15 years, during which a large majority of current lawmakers were first elected to Congress, partisan feuding has reduced Congress's output to a bare minimum of must-pass measures. Party-line voting peaked during the Bush presidency, while productivity slumped. . . .

"With Republicans holding just enough seats to put the brakes on sweeping initiatives in the Senate, the fate of Obama's agenda may rest on his ability to deliver on another campaign pledge: to change the way Washington does business by adopting a more pragmatic and inclusive governing style. And as the nation's economic woes deepen, there are early indications that lawmakers may be willing to put aside precedent, as the incoming administration -- at least so far -- sends welcome signals to key constituencies. . . .

"Rahm Emanuel, who recently resigned his House seat and will serve as Obama's chief of staff, said that a shift in sentiment is palpable and that the new administration plans to take full advantage. Lawmakers sense that the need for action is urgent, Emanuel said, and they recognize that Congress's dismal approval ratings will make them easy scapegoats if the gamesmanship continues."

Manu Raju of Politico wastes no time setting up a no-win scenario for the president-elect: "If Obama seems unwilling to take lawmakers' ideas into account, he could risk whatever goodwill he's getting from the GOP and irk Democrats expecting to play a big role in a new Washington. But if Obama bends to the demands of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, the public could perceive him as a weak president even before he takes the oath of office."

Paul Krugman blogs for the New York Times that "there's a reasonable economic case for including a significant amount of tax cuts in the package, mainly in year one.

"But the numbers being reported -- 40 percent of the whole, two-year plan -- sound high. And all the news reports say that the high tax-cut share is intended to assuage Republicans; what this presumably means is that this was the message the off-the-record Obamanauts were told to convey.

"And that's bad news.

"Look, Republicans are not going to come on board. Make 40% of the package tax cuts, they'll demand 100%."

The Bush Legacy

The White House is out with its own views on The Bush Record.

There's a 52-page booklet called Highlights of Accomplishments and Results. Number one is: "Kept America Safe and Promoted Liberty Abroad."

And there's a 41-page booklet called 100 Things Americans May Not Know about the Bush Administration Record. Number one, coincidentally, is: "For more than seven years after September 11, 2001, prevented another attack on our homeland."