Is It a Brand New Day Yet?

So the House returns to the Democrats. They've made a good showing tonight, even if northern Illinois didn't quite get to share in the bounty. The Dems have taken four Senate seats, and as of this writing, they're ahead in the two Senate races still outstanding (and in one of them, Virginia, Jim Webb has declared victory, even if George Allen has so far remained silent and a recount is virtually certain). If the Democrats get them both, they'll take over the Senate (presuming that Joe Lieberman doesn't bail). While we should all feel justly happy to have some sort of say in the government again, we can't let our attention flag. The biggest struggle is still ahead.

This isn't an administration that compromises. This isn't an administration that looks for bipartisanship and common ground. Dick Cheney told George Stephanopoulos just last week that it didn't matter what the public thought about Iraq or how the vote came out, the Bushies would continue to do what they thought "was right." Later, he said that he would "probably not" honor Congressional subpoenas if they are issued to him. Not only do I not expect Bush to become more conciliatory and cooperative when put into this kind of position, I expect him and his administration to be more obstinate and determined to do precisely what they want to do than they were last week. Now is the time that they need to prove they don't bow to anyone. In response, a Democratic Congress must stand up to the White House to demonstrate that they are an equal branch of the government. We'll likely end up with a stand off for the next couple of years. The Democrats can't start looking for compromise, because as Bush has proven so far, the only kind of compromise he's willing to consider is one in which he gives up nothing and his opponent gives up everything. The Democrats can't afford to play that kind of game.