Reconciliation

Those who gain from reconciliation - the losers - will be extending their hands. Business interests, thought to be predictably Republican, actually work very well with whoever is running things. But don't expect the winners to offer the handshake of reconciliation that easily. They won, after all, and you know who gets the spoils. I have scant hope for a new era of good feeling. Listening to the talkback commentary on news radio this morning, we're still divided, and the invigorated Democrats in Congress won't give a damn about bipartisanship. They don't need to.

Special interests. The labor unions and trial lawyers backed their money wagons up to the Obama camp, as they do for most Democrats. Don't tell me they're not "special interests," or that the O-campaign was entirely funded by small contributions. For all the small dollar internet contributors, there were plenty of folks who gave $70,000 each, and who will be looking for more than a hearty handshake in return. An AP article in Sunday's Washington Post reported that "individuals have been credited with giving tens of thousands of dollars to the Obama campaign, far more than the $2,300 limit. Obama has reported more than $17,000 in contributions from a donor identified as "Doodad Pro" and more than $11,000 from one identified as "Good Will." Hmmm...

But I was impressed that the Obama campaign seemed relatively free of the obvious pandering to all "progressive" groups that I think characterized the last few Democrat national campaigns. Of course, he knew he was going to have their support anyway.