Change in Washington is usually no big deal.  Politicians are professional deal makers who live and die based on their ability to forge consensus in the midst of political partisanship.  Perhaps at no time in the history of our nation has the government been gripped by such staunch partisanship. The bickering and partisan wrangling has gotton so bad President Bush had to resort to a recess appointment so the United States would have a representative at the United Nations.