A Good Week

As Congress leaves Washington for the Memorial Day recess, centrists and their allies in both houses have much to be proud of; it's been a very good week. On Monday, senators of both parties came together and agreed to avert the nuclear option. On Wednesday, fifty Republicans joined most Democrats in the House to pass practical, common-sense legislation that would allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on embryos that would otherwise be discarded. And Thursday, moderation and good sense prevailed again, bringing about another delay in the confirmation of John Bolton. It is not unreasonable of Democrats to request the information they're seeking from the Administration: even if it turns out that there's no "there" there, an examination of the materials is essential to evaluating allegations against Mr. Bolton - if the documents end up exonerating him of any wrongdoing, all the better: it would remove one of the dark clouds that's been hanging over this nomination for weeks.

We can't get cocky. We've got a very long way to go from this week. We don't know, not by a long shot, if the Gang of 14 deal will hold or for how long. We don't know if the Senate leadership will schedule debate and a vote in the Senate on stem cell legislation like that passed in the House, or if we'll have enough votes to override a promised (but misguided) presidential veto. We don't know (still) what will eventually happen with John Bolton. So we must temper our ebullience with caution. But, we had a good week, and those are rare. Take comfort in that, and enjoy the good feeling while it lasts.