The problem with consensus building is that it takes two to tango. Anyone who believes that the Democrats have made any effort at all to build a consesus evidently has not witnessed what the Democrats did prior to Jeffords leaving the GOP. The Democrats, under Daschel, did everything they could to block any legislation proposed, and any appointment the President wanted to make. That's consensus building.

Consensus building in the minds of most liberals appears to be the Republicans rolling over and saying to the Democrats, "Oh, you don't like this piece of legislation? You don't approve of this appointment? Let's scrap it then!"

Now that the Democrats are in the majority in the Senate, the Republicans will assume the former role played by the Democrats. What we will see, I believe, is gridlock like we have never seen before. I assume most liberals will view that as a victory.

DougR