Polarization & Collegiality

Two bits from today's New York Times to share:

- Jack Valenti's undoubtedly glorified but still instructive op/ed essay "The Best of Enemies," in which this former special assistant to LBJ remembers "the good old days."

- This analytical chart (click the graphic on the left side) from Norm Ornstein showing the sharp decline of centrism in the House and Senate over the past few decades. Really quite a striking shift, brought on, at least in part, by the partisan gerrymandering of House districts I posted on yesterday. More on that again later today.