There's some fretting…

…here and there about proposals for legislative civility in an "era of hardball politics," but I welcome this news...

After chafing for years under what they saw as flagrant Republican abuse of Congressional power and procedures, the incoming majority has promised to restore House and Senate practices to those more closely resembling the textbook version of how a bill becomes law: daylight debate, serious amendments and minority party participation.

No, I don't expect the Republicans to reciprocate. What I expect is what I voted for, and what I think a majority of Americans have voted for - a government that actually functions and does so according to Constitutional principles. There's nothing in the Constitution about partisan gamesmanship in the legislative arena, and it doesn't do much good to put the grownups in charge if all they're going to do is get drunk and fight with the kids.

A couple years of honest budgets and real progress on real issues will do more good for our country and our Party than any amount of political payback.