WASHINGTON -- You can feel the change. It is not back to politics as usual -- pre-Sept. 11 variety -- but the partisan blood is flowing again in the body politic. In the spirit of accommodation that has marked the post-attack period, Congress has been passing major measures of great consequence on a consensual basis. Consensus on some measures, like the antiterrorism act, had to be hammered out in tough negotiations by congressional and administration leaders, but in the end, the final products have been accepted by wide margins.
But there are two measures that defy the development of consensus, the Aviation Security Bill and the Economic Stimulus Bill. In both cases, ideological questions are the sticking point, and partisanship is rampant.
The House of Representatives recently passed the Aviation Security Bill and sent it off to conference with the Senate. The Senate had previously passed its own version of the measure by a vote of 100-0. There is one big difference in the two bills -- and it is a hot political potato.