This is winning?

Cartoonists can’t wait for the new era of cahoots ... I mean, collaboration. In fact, we’ve already extended the hand of bipartisanship -- with a sharp pencil in it!

Democrats were still taking their bows when we started firing shots across them. The new speaker’s leadership pick was just a recycled, ethically-challenged Abscam veteran. (No wonder he only got a minority of the votes for majority leader!) Incoming freshmen Democrats are mere innocents, awaiting indoctrination into the special-interest cults. The new in-crowd can’t navigate choppy waters. And while most of us are still rehashing election ‘06, Pat Oliphant is already in the spirit of ‘08, his ghoulish Rudy rudely interrupting Hillary’s second honeymoon.

Finding common ground is fine, but cartoonists don’t have time to make nice. We’ve got to make deadline.