Obama's Move to Disarm Clinton

If he wants to end it sooner than later, Barack Obama should announce now that he intends to ask Hillary Clinton to share the Democratic ticket with him.

Clinton herself opened the door for such an invitation today. Asked about the possibility on CBS' "Early Show," she answered "that may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket."

That decision has already been made by the voters and, in the coming days, will be ratified by the defection of superdelegates. With her "35 years of experience," Hillary Clinton is a seasoned enough politician to know that.

For his part, Obama has been reaching out far enough to indicate that he might ask Republicans like Chuck Hagel and Dick Lugar to serve in his cabinet as Secretaries of Defense and State. Making a move toward Clinton would not be that much of a stretch for a candidate whose theme has been uniting the country.

He can start with the Democratic Party. A declaration that he wants Hillary Clinton to run with him need not be coupled with the demand for an immediate answer, but it would relieve Obama of any pressure to go negative against Clinton and help disarm her recent tendency to tear him down.

In 2000, George W. Bush claimed he was a uniter. This year, Obama can prove that he is one and go a long way toward the White House by doing it.

Bush's Uniting Work Is Almost Done

During the 2000 campaign, the future President called himself “a uniter, not a divider.” Seven years later, not only the nation but the entire world is so united that it may be time to relax his efforts.

More than 70 percent of Americans agree about the war in Iraq, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are getting together to pass a veto-proof children’s health insurance bill this month, and just last week, traditionally antagonistic groups from North and South met in harmony to consider secession from the Union.

Around the world, there is near-unanimity about the United States’ international stature, and even in Iraq, where unity has been a bit slow in coming, there is a growing consensus of all factions that national reconciliation is not their style.

In the waning days of his Era of Comity, the President may want to focus on extending it beyond his tenure by discouraging Republican candidates from impugning Hillary Clinton as a polarizing figure. By nature, she may very well be a divider, but can any future President fail to learn from the example George W. Bush has set?