From TNR, William Galston on Harvey Mansfield and Obama's Freedom Agenda. Obama’s Chicago Tactics: It took an efficient political machine to win the presidency, but top-down governing isn’t working in Washington. A review of Inside Obama's Brain by Sasha Abramsky (and more). Steven Pearlstein on why it's past time for President Obama to show some leadership. 18 Million Jobs by 2012: Robert Pollin on how Obama can save his presidency. The Art of the Possible: Eight meaningful things Obama could do right now — without getting caught in congressional gridlock. Elvin Lim on why bad news for Dems in 2010 could be good news for the president. Does Brown have a bright side? The lesson of Massachusetts isn’t to split the difference — it’s to lead (and a look at where Scott Brown is coming from). Excessive bipartisanship and other matters: The last thing Washington needs is more harmony between the two parties. Why partisan bickering works: Tunku Varadarajan on the benefits of partisanship. Representative bodies should not be brainy places — democracy means keeping government simple enough so that ordinary citizens can continue to run it. A stalled Washington makes for head-scratching; it’s not clear how the engine of government will rev up again. How to fix the Senate? The Washington Post asked former politicians and others to name one idea that might get Congress moving. A review of Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate by Frances E. Lee. What if senators represented people by income or race, not by state? Legalized Bodysnatching: Redistricting — a.k.a. gerrymandering — is a political inevitability. The first chapter from Electronic Elections: The Perils and Promises of Digital Democracy by R. Michael Alvarez and Thad E. Hall.
