Bipartisanship

The Obama administration is finding few Republican allies in Washington these days, despite having high hopes of reaching across the aisle to enlist Republican support for some early initiatives. Is this the end of the effort at bipartisanship?

Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb) has a long history of reaching across party lines to reach consensus on pressing issues in the Senate. In the face of the partisan bickering over the stimulus, Senator Nelson finds himself in the center of the debate.

President Obama’s $819 billion stimulus plan passed the House last night. Despite the president’s calls for bipartisanship, all House Republicans and eleven Democrats opposed the bill. What does this mean for the future of bipartisanship and the bailout?