NY Times: Wayward Journey From the Bush-Cheney Inner Circle

Makes me wonder how Bush, who obviously had a real stake in cultivating bipartisanship in Texas and convinced many, who were not neo-cons or evangelicals, that he could bridge political divides, become such a poignant symbol of discord between Americans and the agent of a weak and confused America among the nations of the world.

I pause to question my own enthusiasm for another candidate who pledges to bridge the partisan divide. But I think the message with which I come away from this article is that we must allow our passion for political change to push us, but not to blind us to the direction and likely effect of our efforts. Choosing our course should be the work of the rational mind. The intensity can come from anger with corruption, hope for saving the social safety net, desperate prayer for a successful public educational system, or the smile and charm of a particular candidate. However, the plans we endorse and work for should be chosen carefully, because of what and candidate says, and not because of the way he or she says it.