Possibly the best headline ever, for so many reasons....

Obama Woos GOP With Attention, and Cookies

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/04web-zeleny.html?em

Being the naturally lazy person that I am, I attempt to be all worldly and read the serious news articles in the New York Times but end up reading the catchy-titled ones in the "Most Popular" box. Now, anyone who knows me knows that it is with cookies (and tasty baked goods in general) that my attention is caught. So naturally, I view Obama's attempt at bi-partisan harmony as nothing short of genius.

According to the aforementioned article, Obama has been inviting Congress members to the White House for mini-soirees and a Superbowl party. He has personally served guests freshly-baked cookies. Awesome!

Also, they are oatmeal raisin cookies. Tasty + Fiber= success, in my humble opinion, with even the most difficult people [insert obligatory constipation joke here]. Politicians are no exception.

But seriously, according to the article:
"Since the inauguration, one of the hottest tickets in town has been an invitation to the White House. And Republicans have been scoring them nearly as often as Democrats."
Bonus: This not being America and not the new-old Putin Russia, GOP pols needn't worry about finding strychnine in their ovaltine.

Why does this matter? Because we're in a global recession, we're fighting 2 wars, and millions of people are angry and unemployed. The last thing we need is the same-old partisan politics-as- usual. Although the inauguration was a pretty flashy, black-tie affair, oatmeal raisin cookies and Superbowl parties are hardly the stuff of the luxurious White House gatherings of yore. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the President, it seems as if his "back-to-basics" attempt at comraderie is suited not only to a new kind of politics, but to a world in which extravagance is no longer affordable (or appropriate).