NPR Explains Partisan Gridlock in Congress.

It’s the Republicans fault.

It’s not the result of basic differences in ideology or a deep division within the country; it’s the fact that Republicans have a slim majority in the House.

For 50 years after the New Deal everything was fine because the Democrats had supermajorities in both houses of congress. NPR explained that this caused the Republicans to compromise. But as the dulcet toned NPR announcer droned on, my brain rebelled against this arrant stupidity. One-party rule does not cause the other party to compromise; its position is irrelevant. The only negotiation is among factions of the dominant party. NPR then buttressed their argument with snippets of Obama speeches. It was time to turn off the car and go inside.