By: Jonathan Lindberg

Like him or not, he may just have a point. Last month, in his farewell address on the House Floor, former Congressman Tom DeLay dispensed with the flowery rhetoric and weepy nostalgia that generally accompanies such a speech. Instead, he came-out-swinging – praising, yes praising, partisanship.

“For all its faults, it is partisanship based on core principles that clarifies our debates, that prevents one party from straying too far from the mainstream and that constantly refreshes our politics with new ideas and new leaders.”

In other words, Washington is pregnant with partisanship, and that folks, is a very good thing.

Of course over the past twenty-two years, DeLay has done his fair share to encourage this atmosphere of partisanship, most notably the constant and almost comical redistricting of Congressional districts, tipping the scale to Republican candidates. This of course, lends to the nickname, The Exterminator.

But is partisanship really a good thing? I mean, does Washington need more discord and less unity, more black-eyes and less hand-shakes? It would seem at least one unlikely voice would agree with DeLay.

Kevin Phillips, author of the religious-right-bashing American Theocracy would hardly consider himself an ally of DeLay. In 2004, Phillips authored the book, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush. Hardly bedtime reading for Karl Rove. Still American Dynasty offers at least one thread worth considering. Over the past twenty years (1988-2008), American politics has been dominated by two ruling families. And in 2008, the stage is set for Hillary Clinton (with Jeb Bush lurking the in background). All said, the possibility of twenty-eight years from two ruling families remains. What then, Phillips concludes, separates American politics from the European monarchy?

The answer is clear: partisanship. Yes, disunity. Balancing powers, rigorous debate, opposition and dispute that constantly forces our parties back-to-the-drawing-table, back-to-the-basics, readjusting and reevaluating till somehow they meet in the middle. Compromise. This is what makes America great, not our unity, but our division. Two parties constantly giving-and-taking-and-then-giving-some-more, till the best from both sides is brought together and made into one. This is partisanship. And this is good.

So let us all agree to disagree. Whether you are Tom DeLay or Kevin Phillips, that dear reader, is something we should all be able to agree upon.