Obama arrived in DC yesterday and suddenly the longed-for change was here.  You wouldn't know it from the morning coverage. The breathless live feeds from Sidwell Friends as Mahlia began her first day at school. The braindead wire story on the outcome of the recount in Minnesota, which failed to mention that Norm Coleman's defiant legal challenge was completely without merit.  

Tabloid journalism and Rovian gamesmanship, nothing new about that.  

But as the day wore on accounts began to emerge from Obama's first Capitol Hill meetings as president-elect. Obama was seeking Republican support for the economic recovery package, shooting for at least 80 votes in the Senate. Mitch McConnell said Republicans would be pleased that the package included significant tax cuts.

Bush never once headlined his proposals with a measure pleasing to Democrats.  What's going on here?

In the story lines journalists are allowed to reference out loud, discussion of the recovery package admits only a handful of questions.  How large will the package be?  When will it pass?  And will any Republicans vote for it? Only this last is really significant. Outside the beltway, people are wondering if they can keep or get a job, pay for their health care, feel decent about their country and their future again.  Inside the beltway, these questions matter, too.  But they are explored with reference to a narrative question that stands in for all the others.  Can Obama change the tone?

From the perspective of the liberal blogosphere, a different and richer story line presents itself. Is Obama crazy to try to get Republican support?  He has made it known he wants 80 votes in the Senate.  Isn't this giving the conservatives far too much leverage?   It's a wonderful goal but risks two bad outcomes:  the Republicans can ruin the recovery package with bad policy demands (make it too small, include tax cuts that further the inequality of the Bush years) or, just by withholding their support, make what should be a victory (the passage of a recovery package with 60 or so votes in the Senate) appear to be a defeat?

We know from the campaign that Obama is anything but naïve.  He's betting that by devoting half of his recovery package to tax cuts, he will co-opt the Republicans into supporting a plan that is otherwise progressive. The question is whether - as the legislative process unfolds in all its complexity - he will, in attempting to co-opt, be forced to concede....