Tough_JJ Times_NNT2 at_II Obama_NP1 Inc_JJ ._. 
But_CCB think_VV0 of_IO it_PPH1 this_DD1 way_NN1 --_NN1 the_AT drama_NN1 in_II the_AT Senate_NN1 drove_VVD Tom_NP1 Daschle_NP1 completely_RR out_II21 of_II22 the_AT news_NN1 ._. 
In_II a_AT1 week_NNT1 or_CC so_RR ,_, nobody_PN1 will_VM even_RR remember_VVI that_CST he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ nominated_VVN for_IF anything_PN1 ._. 
Perk_VV0 up_RP and_CC feel_VV0 free_JJ to_TO ask_VVI questions_NN2 :_: How_RRQ could_VM so_RG many_DA2 cabinet_NN1 nominees_NN2 get_VV0 into_II trouble_NN1 ?_? 
The_AT Obama_NP1 transition_NN1 team_NN1 was_VBDZ supposed_JJ to_TO be_VBI so_RR organized_VVN !_! 
Did_VDD their_APPGE seven-page_JJ questionnaire_NN1 ask_VV0 about_II Facebook_NP1 pages_NN2 but_CCB not_XX tax_NN1 liens_NN2 ?_? 
They_PPHS2 did_VDD ask_VVI about_II tax_NN1 liens_NN2 ,_, yet_RR miraculously_RR still_RR wound_VVN up_RP with_IW two_MC candidates_NN2 who_PNQS had_VHD them_PPHO2 ._. 
It_PPH1 's_VBZ possible_JJ one_PN1 or_CC both_DB2 of_IO them_PPHO2 did_VDD n't_XX even_RR know_VVI ._. 
Maybe_RR this_DD1 goes_VVZ to_TO show_VVI that_CST there_EX are_VBR tax_NN1 liens_NN2 lurking_VVG everywhere_RL ,_, like_II cold_JJ germs_NN2 ._. 
No_PN121 one_PN122 is_VBZ immune_JJ ._. 
There_EX could_VM be_VBI one_PN1 in_II your_APPGE closet_NN1 at_II this_DD1 very_JJ moment_NN1 ,_, just_RR waiting_VVG for_IF you_PPY to_TO go_VVI to_II sleep_NN1 so_CS it_PPH1 can_VM pounce_VVI ._. 
Was_VBDZ n't_XX Tom_NP1 Daschle_NP1 crucial_JJ for_IF health_NN1 care_NN1 reform_NN1 ?_? 
What_DDQ are_VBR they_PPHS2 going_VVG to_TO do_VDI without_IW him_PPHO1 ?_? 
We_PPIS2 have_VH0 to_TO get_VVI past_II the_AT idea_NN1 that_CST transformative_JJ change_NN1 requires_VVZ one_MC1 great_JJ cabinet_NN1 member_NN1 to_TO steer_VVI it_PPH1 ._. 
That_DD1 's_VBZ the_AT kind_NN1 of_IO thinking_VVG that_CST got_VVD us_PPIO2 Donald_NP1 Rumsfeld_NP1 ._. 
Tom_NP1 Daschle_NP1 always_RR seemed_VVD like_II a_AT1 lovely_JJ man_NN1 ,_, but_CCB the_AT idea_NN1 that_CST only_RR he_PPHS1 could_VM get_VVI a_AT1 big_JJ ,_, important_JJ ,_, dramatic_JJ health_NN1 care_NN1 reform_NN1 through_II the_AT Senate_NN1 seems_VVZ a_RR21 little_RR22 flawed_JJ ,_, given_VVN the_AT fact_NN1 that_CST he_PPHS1 never_RR got_VVN any_DD big_JJ ,_, important_JJ ,_, dramatic_JJ reforms_NN2 through_II the_AT Senate_NN1 when_CS he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ the_AT actual_JJ majority_NN1 leader_NN1 ._. 
I_PPIS1 dropped_VVD out_II21 of_II22 school_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 semester_NN1 to_TO campaign_VVI for_IF Barack_NP1 Obama_NP1 ._. 
And_CC now_RT I_PPIS1 'm_VBM asking_VVG myself_PPX1 whether_CSW I_PPIS1 spent_VVD four_MC months_NNT2 living_VVG with_IW my_APPGE aunt_NN1 and_CC going_VVG door_NN1 to_II door_NN1 in_II Dayton_NP1 ,_, Ohio_NP1 ,_, just_RR so_CS we_PPIS2 could_VM have_VHI a_AT1 stimulus_NN1 plan_NN1 written_VVN by_II a_AT1 bunch_NN1 of_IO moderate_JJ Republicans_NN2 and_CC conservative_JJ Democrats_NN2 in_II the_AT Senate_NN1 ._. 
I_PPIS1 do_VD0 n't_XX know_VVI how_RGQ many_DA2 times_NNT2 we_PPIS2 need_VV0 to_TO go_VVI over_RP this_DD1 ,_, but_CCB this_DD1 is_VBZ actually_RR a_AT1 real-life_JJ version_NN1 of_IO what_DDQ Obama_NP1 promised_VVD during_II the_AT campaign_NN1 ._. 
Did_VDD n't_XX you_PPY jump_VVI up_RP and_CC cheer_VVI when_RRQ your_APPGE guy_NN1 promised_VVD that_CST he_PPHS1 'd_VM get_VVI Republicans_NN2 and_CC Democrats_NN2 to_TO work_VVI together_RL ?_? 
I_PPIS1 wanted_VVD them_PPHO2 to_TO work_VVI together_RL on_II global_JJ warming_NN1 ,_, not_XX on_II cutting_VVG money_NN1 for_IF Head_NN1 Start_NN1 out_II21 of_II22 the_AT stimulus_NN1 ._. 
And_CC Obama_NP1 feels_VVZ your_APPGE pain_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 always_RR said_VVD the_AT bipartisan_JJ path_NN1 was_VBDZ going_VVGK to_TO be_VBI rocky_JJ ,_, but_CCB this_DD1 week_NNT1 the_AT going_NN1 was_VBDZ so_RG rough_JJ that_CST the_AT great_JJ trailer-tractor_NN1 of_IO stimulus_NN1 blew_VVD out_RP several_DA2 tires_VVZ on_II the_AT shoals_NN2 of_IO post-partisanism_NN1 ._. 
It_PPH1 was_VBDZ embarrassing_JJ --_NN1 the_AT President_NN1 of_IO the_AT United_NP1 States_NP1 held_VVD White_NP1 House_NN1 negotiations_NN2 with_IW people_NN who_PNQS had_VHD already_RR announced_VVN that_CST they_PPHS2 had_VHD no_AT intention_NN1 of_IO voting_NN1 for_IF his_APPGE bill_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 let_VVD minority-party_JJ subleaders_NN2 lecture_VV0 him_PPHO1 about_II what_DDQ 's_VBZ wrong_JJ with_IW redistribution_NN1 of_IO wealth_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 had_VHD a_AT1 bipartisan_JJ Super_JJ Bowl_NN1 party_NN1 !_! 
But_CCB he_PPHS1 still_RR wound_VVD up_RP cooling_VVG his_APPGE heels_NN2 ,_, waiting_VVG for_IF word_NN1 from_II the_AT newly_RR hatched_VVN moderate_JJ caucus_NN1 on_II what_DDQ would_VM happen_VVI next_MD ._. 
This_DD1 is_VBZ the_AT group_NN1 that_CST was_VBDZ led_VVN by_II Susan_NP1 Collins_NP1 of_IO Maine_NP1 ._. 
In_II November_NPM1 ,_, we_PPIS2 apparently_RR elected_VVN Collins_NP1 and_CC her_APPGE fellow_JJ Maine_NP1 Republican_NN1 ,_, Olympia_NP1 Snowe_NP1 ,_, to_TO help_VVI run_VVI the_AT country_NN1 ._. 
And_CC you_PPY wasted_VVD all_DB that_DD1 time_NNT1 thinking_VVG about_II Joe_NP1 Biden_NP1 ._. 
Why_RRQ did_VDD Obama_NP1 nominate_VVI Senator_NNB Judd_NP1 Gregg_NP1 to_TO be_VBI commerce_NN1 secretary_NN1 ?_? 
He_PPHS1 's_VBZ not_XX just_RR a_AT1 Republican_NN1 ;_; he_PPHS1 is_VBZ n't_XX even_RR that_RG moderate_JJ ._. 
And_CC he_PPHS1 voted_VVD to_TO eliminate_VVI the_AT Commerce_NN1 Department_NN1 !_! 
It_PPH1 's_VBZ not_XX exactly_RR a_AT1 big_JJ gamble_NN1 ._. 
Although_CS the_AT Commerce_NN1 Department_NN1 has_VHZ many_DA2 important_JJ duties_NN2 ,_, like_II supervising_VVG the_AT patent_NN1 office_NN1 ,_, it_PPH1 's_VBZ sort_RR21 of_RR22 like_II an_AT1 old_JJ attic_NN1 where_RRQ people_NN throw_VV0 stuff_NN1 that_CST does_VDZ n't_XX fit_VVI anyplace_RL else_RR ._. 
And_CC while_CS there_EX have_VH0 been_VBN some_DD sterling_NN1 commerce_NN1 secretaries_NN2 ,_, it_PPH1 has_VHZ been_VBN run_VVN for_IF lengthy_JJ periods_NN2 of_IO time_NNT1 by_II complete_JJ morons_NN2 and_CC the_AT nation_NN1 did_VDD n't_XX seem_VVI to_TO suffer_VVI appreciably_RR ._. 
I_MC1 still_JJ miss_VV0 the_AT way_NN1 it_PPH1 was_VBDZ before_II the_AT election_NN1 ,_, when_CS everything_PN1 seemed_VVD clearer_JJR ._. 
Face_VV0 it_PPH1 ,_, you_PPY miss_VV0 George_NP1 W._NP1 Bush_NP1 ._. 
Ever_RR since_CS he_PPHS1 slunk_VVD off_II the_AT scene_NN1 ,_, things_NN2 have_VH0 gotten_VVN all_DB vague_JJ and_CC squishy_JJ ._. 
You_PPY want_VV0 somebody_PN1 to_TO rally_VVI against_II and_CC Mitch_NP1 McConnell_NP1 is_VBZ not_XX an_AT1 adequate_JJ substitute_NN1 ,_, even_CS21 if_CS22 he_PPHS1 does_VDZ look_VVI a_RR31 little_RR32 bit_RR33 like_II the_AT groundhog_NN1 that_CST assaulted_VVD the_AT mayor_NN1 of_IO New_NP1 York_NP1 City_NN1 this_DD1 week_NNT1 ._. 
Really_RR ,_, everybody_PN1 's_VBZ getting_VVG so_RG cranky_JJ ._. 
