How long will this 'new era' last? (01/18/07)

Don't expect any "car bombs" this time around.

Gov. Mitch Daniels struck a markedly different tone Tuesday night in his annual State of the State message to the Indiana General Assembly.

Gone was the "my way or the highway" approach that was the trademark of the governor's first few years in office.

Now, faced with an Indiana House controlled by the Democrats, Gov. Daniels has embarked on a course emphasizing bipartisanship, compromise, and cooperation.

As many have pointed out, he really has no other choice.

If the governor is going to advance his agenda - and we'd guess only a handful of his biggest ideas will move forward this session - he's going to need all the bipartisanship, compromise, and cooperation he can find.

For a governor whose rhetoric often got the better of him early in his term, this is probably a good thing. Lessons in humility and listening can benefit any executive.

It's probably also a good thing for Republicans in the General Assembly, both those in the minority in the House and those in the majority in the Senate.

The governor's push-push-push approach has worn a little thin with some GOP legislators. They'd like a more consultative approach, and the shift in the balance of power means the governor now needs his Republican allies in the legislature more than ever. He can no longer take them for granted.

Two new power centers have already surfaced: The leadership of House Democrats and the leadership of Senate Republicans.

Our guess is that the House GOP minority will surface strategically as well, playing a pivotal role in the session ahead.

What remains to be seen is whether the new mantra of bipartisanship, compromise, and cooperation is to be taken seriously. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]