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Apparently, being a "standard liberal" is automatically exclusionary, so any question as to whether the Democratic agenda might be transformative by persuasion is not on the Washington Post editorial board's menu. They obviously believe that bipartisanship is the only way to bridge the red-blue divide, and judging from the examples they cited, when they say bipartisanship they mean capitulation to the conservatives.
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Basically, as Digby says, the only bi-partisanship any are interested in is progressives not being so 'uppity' when it comes to embracing conservative 'ideals':
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As I have written before, it's telling that establishment calls for bipartisanship during the reign of George W. Bush and the Republican majority were nil. It is only now, with the possibility of a liberal majority and Democratic president, that cooperation and inclusiveness are held forth as the only way to "get things done." I will have to be pardoned for being a little bit skeptical of the sincerity of that position. It's quite obvious that they are most concerned with keeping the status quo, which for many years now has been a conservative status-quo. Recent history shows that when Republicans are in power, regardless of how close --- or even legitimate -- their victory, they are there because they have received "political capital" from the people to "spend" on the conservative agenda for which they received a "mandate." When Democrats are in power, it's important that they reach across the aisle and be "centrist" and "inclusive" or risk being seen as "orthodox" and "leftist." [my em]
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It's time to relegate conservatives and Republicans to the 'back bench'. If (big if) the results in November turn in our favor (something far from guaranteed), the Dems should push through every piece of progressive legislation tabled by the Republican majority. Once that is done, maybe (and I stress maybe) it will be time to 'reach across the aisle'. Not until then, however. Not until the Republican disaster this nation has become is straightened out, period.
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