While the MSM was trying to push the idea the Democrats and Republicans will all now just hold hands around the campfire singing "Kumbaya", the Republicans have other ideas - starting with governing by executive order.

A president who just two years ago trumpeted his cache of post-reelection political capital faces an uncomfortable choice: Will he fulfill his old pledge to be a uniter by cooperating with Democratic leaders who could help him secure a legacy for his dwindling time in office? Or will he continue to resist compromise and seek to please the business interests and social conservatives who make up the GOP base, and who might fuel a comeback for the party in 2008?

Bush will begin to answer that question today. But after six years of intense partisanship and a bruising campaign in which he charged that the Democrats' approach to Iraq would mean that "terrorists win and America loses," it appears Bush is unlikely to change his ways.

White House allies suggest there is little reason to think Bush and the Democrats will work together. Bush has tied himself closely to conservative movement leaders who bitterly disagree with Democrats for their opposition to tax cuts and to privatizing Social Security -- two of the administration's top goals.

"When we want to go up and they want to go down, we want to go right and they want to go left, there's no compromise," said anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, a close advisor to the White House.

Norquist said the Republicans' primary goal for the next two years should be making the case for GOP control -- not bipartisanship.

"Nancy Pelosi will do for the Republicans what [Bill] Clinton did for the Republicans -- become the lightning rod to explain that their congressman who they thought was a reasonable guy was really a left-wing wacko," he said.

On the issues that have been most important to Bush, he has given little hint of a willingness to compromise. He has made it clear that he would much prefer to work with his partisan brethren than to cut deals with Democrats on such issues as extending tax cuts that are due to expire and privatizing Social Security.

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Norquist predicted that Bush would now govern largely through executive orders rather than working with Congress on legislation. The president could, for example, use orders to lighten the load of capital gains taxes by changing how they are calculated, Norquist said. One other possible executive order, he said, could excite conservative voters in time for the 2008 election: putting the late President Reagan on the $50 or $100 bill.

What?  You're surprised?  This petulant child will say "No" and pout, just for the pleasure of seeing people infuriated.

First guy on the subpoena list:  Grover Norquist.  He has a lot of answering to do re fleecing indian tribes and money laundering with Jack Abramoff.  CNN said corrpution was a big issue - Grover's testifying will make a grand segue.

Next issue:  Criminal justice reform and eliminating torture.  If you thought Gitmo-izing people was limited to the "worst of the worst", think again.  They're doing it in Texas and, in response, Texas death row inmates undertaking hunger strikes, seeing themselves as treated equally as badly as the PWs in Gitmo.

At least the Texas authorities claim they haven't started force-feeding them yet.

Next issue:  Bushie covering for terrists, and stripping away the whole facade of "The Unitary Executive".  You may remember the US is holding the former CIA Terrist Posada (he of extraordinary popularity in the Repug-voting Cuban exile community for blowing up Cuban airliners in Venezuela and trying to kill Castro) in immigration jail, after he showed up on US soil.  He's full of secrets on how the US used terrism to further its ends in Central America - and likely greymailing the gov't.  The gov't can't find a country which will take him. He's filed a petition for habeas corpus, seeking release.  Yesterday, a judge ruled the gov't must free him by Feb. 1 or try him criminally.  Condi may seek to have him held under MCA

Too inconvenient to try him?  Declare him a danger to national security and lock him up forever.  At least Posada's 79 or so, so he won't take too long to go away.

Remember the Conyers suit to set aside the Deficit Reduction Act, because the House version and the Senate version were dissimilar - it was dismissed yesterday by the same judge who held the NSA wiretap program unconstitutional.  Not a peep from the Reich wing on that....

Here's the ruling, in .pdf.

I suppose some reforms re standing to sue, and peeling back some of the government's defenses would be in order, as would some restructuring of vertically-integrated communications companies (like Disney/ABC, home of Rush and other shills).  

And, let's also remember forcing net neutrality through is going to be important - Holier-than-thou Joe Tortureman is sure to be p*ssed about those dam*ed bloggers.

And, then, there's the wacko fringe.

Everyone's aware the S. Dak. abortion ban cratered, and that's a welcome development.  But, that wasn't the only proposal well-financed lunatics had on the ballot.  These folks have too much money and bile not to come back, and they make a pretty show for the papers.  Expect the Mighty Wurlitzer to crank up every time something seems to show mercy, leniency, or other-than-right-wing-authoritarian-vindictiveness.

There were proposed amendments to state Constitutions, to strip judicial immunity from judges, and others, and subject them and their unpopular rulings to review by "Special Grand Juries" (spelled "M-o-b-s").  This guy will be back:  his proposal was rejected 89-11 in South Dakota (getting votes equal to only 2/3 of the number of people who signed the petition)  The proponent is whining "vote fraud" and has plenty of out-of-state funding to push again, there or elsewhere.  

Another sought to limit judicial terms to 10 years and to apply retroactively, which would have gutted the state's appeals courts, and was rejected in Colo.  This was widely seen as an attempt at payback for the Colo. Supreme Court tossing an attempt at a second redistricting, by a disgruntled legislator whose scheme came acropper.

But, they'll be back.  I'd also expect the local militias and black helicopter folks to start cranking up again, pointing the blame at Democrats, of course.

So, there's lots of work to be done, and not a lot of time to do it in.

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*Speaking of which, if I were Pelosi, I'd make sure it was communicated to Rover that, if they decide to push recounts or string out the elections in any of these districts or states, the Republican representatives in them will suffer the fate of Busby in CA-50 last spring.  There will be extensive hearings into election manipulation (but only that) by and for Republicans.  I think refusing to seat the Republican representatives from Virginia would be barely sufficient payback for trying to steal the Webb victory.  And there's plenty of recent precedent for that, e.g., Rep. Bilbray.