All the Wishful Thinking That's Fit to Print

The New York Times runs this story on the similarity/difference matrix between Clinton and Obama administration responses to large midterm election losses. At the heart of it is the refusal to come to terms with the Reupblican strategy for the next two years.

In applying the lessons, Mr. Obama might find areas for cooperation and conflict. The president and Congressional Republicans could find common ground on issues like education reform and alternative energy. They could clash on spending, environmental regulation and any attempt to repeal Mr. Obama’s health care program.

They could find common ground, but there's no reason to believe that they'll acknowledge good Democratic ideas any more in 2011 than they accepted repackaged Republican ideas like the individual mandate, this year's tax-cuts-for-small-business "small business bill."

Forecasting Republican obstructionism probably doesn't count as "News that's fit to print" either, but at least it's based in reality.