bipartisanship, the futility of democrats including the president wasting time trying to persuade republicans to go along with them on policies that are good for the country. it totally makes sense in the abstract, if people can agree on what needs to be done to solve the country s problems, then those policies should get votes from everyone who s in agreement. in the abstract that s how it works. in washington, that is not at all how it works. president obama endorsed the idea so then republicans decided they re against it. republicans proposed pay as you go rules for budgeting. president obama endorsed the idea, then republicans decided they were against it too. republicans who voted for the bank bailout are criticizing president obama for that same bank bailout. republicans supported president bush s policy of trying terrorism suspectness u.s. courts. now that president obama is implementing that same policy, they decided they re against that too. republicans supported a cap and tra