“Barack Obama‘s whole career has been based on the idea of transcending partisanship.” the Daily Beast‘s Paul Beinart wrote earlier today. “But lately, by confronting Republicans rather than courting them, Obama has Democrats fired up.

“Amidst the speculation over whether David Axelrod hates Rahm Emanuel or Rahm Emanuel hates David Axelrod or Lawrence Summers hates them both, the punditocracy has glossed over something significant: Team Obama has had one hell of a month. In late January, health care reform was widely considered dead. Now it’s considered a better than even bet. It could all still end in tears, of course. But for the moment, Barack Obama has his mojo back.

“And he has it back for one basic reason: He’s given up the dream that he could transcend the partisan divide.”

Please, please make this true! By this I mean make this a repeatedly observable and provable reality. There’s only way to deal with the rabid right. Attack them, eviscerate them, and basically make their lives a living hell. And when they finally start to buckle and whine and ask you to please stop, then you really turn on the pain like Genghis Khan. That’s the only thing they understand. It’s the only way to treat them.