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- I know we're all feeling unified as Americans after last night's speech, but Sen. Mark Udall's idea to have bipartisan seating for the upcoming State of the Union Address feels gimmicky. As Dan Amira writes, the normal separation allows viewers to see "in real time" politicians' "positions on the president's agenda" and "allows us to identify the few party-bucking independent thinkers." All true. But a facade of bipartisanship does not necessarily lead to legislative bipartisanship, so this just feels like Beltway theater.
- Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison has announced that she will retire, rather than seek another term next year, to live "full-time in Texas with my family." Of course, the real reason is probably closer to "I'd rather avoid the circus that will be the inevitable primary campaign against me" but that's how things go in Republican politics these days. This is the first announced retirement for the 2012 cycle. Some possible candidates for the now-open seat can be found here and here.
- An important perspective to keep in mind: "A source of dark humor on the Hill right now is how nothing happening here is getting as much media interest as a video a former governor put on Facebook." Indeed. And is it too much to ask that we not fuel the former governor's narcissism? That she be left to defend herself? That whatever political relevance she has matters only to a small band of devotees? There's just better things to talk about.
- Remainders: "Fewer hearing 'mostly bad' economic news" isn't the most encouraging statistic, but I'll take what I can get; when the political is personal; and how Herman Cain killed HillaryCare.
--Mori Dinauer
