Underlying the sharp divisions over fundamental questions is the widening fissure between the two parties. It's fashionable to describe this development as the result of a more or less symmetrical shift -- with Democrats moving to the left while Republicans move to the right. That conclusion is just plain wrong.

It may be hard to pass climate change legislation by working with conservatives, but it will be nearly impossible to do so without them. That leaves us two choices: act without Congress, or move towards an approach that can get widespread support.

By CHARLES BABINGTON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MONTGOMERY, Ohio -- Here in Cincinnati's suburbs, where people tend to be polite, one finds seeds of the...

Rather than an exercise in policy-making, the congressional budget process has metamorphosed into political theater.

There's a growing national consensus that fighting to the death doesn't meet the needs of modern America. Only a president can instruct the nation on the need for a re-thinking of our political values.

Traditional polls tend to force respondents to make a choice between whether they assign more blame to one side or the other. But how much blame do Americans assign to either side?

Thus far, Barack Obama has straddled twin missions -- preaching "a more perfect union" and pushing his party agenda. But, eventually, he may have to choose between transformational leadership and party politics.

The path to ending the divide in Washington falls upon "We the People." Unfortunately, we are at least as divided as Washington. People need to see both sides in order to find a way out of the divisiveness that grips us and prevents us from moving forward.

BY JOSH LEDERMAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden says Washington is frozen by intense partisanship — but he's hopi...

A spirited if episodic address delivered by our first black president on the occasion of his second inauguration, acclaimed by most of the media, living up to many expectations of the Democratic base, and... a relatively flat response from the public as a whole. What gives?

Obama's legacy might be proving just how necessary and effective partisanship is, especially in this polarized era. After all, many of his signature achievements derive not from successful bipartisanship but from having large and loyal Democratic majorities in both chambers in 2009-10.

Without reform, we're doomed repeat and amplify the exasperating gridlock of the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling talks. That's why Senate Resolutions 4 and 6 need the support of Democratic senators and the White House. The American people strongly support overhauling the filibuster.

In many ways, the new Congress should look like the old one. Prospects for a grand bargain over taxes and spending remain dim. I also expect that congressional power will remain concentrated in the hands of party leaders, and that rank-and-file legislators will continue to grumble about it.

The same demographic trends that helped the GOP keep the House will hurt their shot at the presidency. And the trends that propelled Obama to reelecti...

Israel, Iran, and gay rights are being evoked here as hot button issues that can be used to whip constituents up into a frenzy -- politics before policy, as usual.

Whether you call your playground delight a teeter totter or a seesaw, it takes two to use it. The "Great American Seesaw" relies on a balance between Republicans and Democrats.

Both parties are now openly speaking of letting a crisis happen, just to increase their bargaining position. The ends, they tell us, will fully justify the means, and pay no attention to that sinking credit rating behind the curtain.

As Barack Obama found during his first term, it's nearly impossible to move America forward when everyone pulls in different directions. He might be able to do something about that as he shapes the team for his second term. How?

The whole election has left a bad taste in my mouth. Big American elections bring out the worst in people's natures. The euphoria from the results may erase the ugliness temporarily, but the enmity and spite is still present, just under the surface.

The election is over. I am left with two very contradictory feelings. First is the one of appreciation -- every four years we peacefully replace our...

Unfortunately, the American people seem to be stubbornly split into two camps about what we want America to mean and how we want America to work in a changing world.

We need to stand together and say in one resounding voice -- time to work for us. Because without such pressure it will surely not happen. America can move forward, but if it doesn't start with you, if it doesn't originate from us, things will stay the same.

To blame the president for our current state of affairs, as some have, is patently absurd. He has been the victim and target, not the initiator, of this politics of division.