Obama Reaches Out to Former Foes

Deadline Poet

By Calvin Trillin

This article appeared in the December 8, 2008 edition of The Nation.

November 19, 2008

Like Lincoln, he asks foes to help the nation
(The word we used to use was co-optation).
McCain and Clinton both approached the throne.
Now Joe the Plumber's hanging by his phone.

Subscriber Login

4 ISSUES FREE

Subscribe Now!

The only way to read this article and the full contents of each week's issue of The Nation online is by subscribing to the magazine. Subscribe now and read this article -- and every article published since for the past five years -- right now.

There's no obligation -- try The Nation for four weeks free.

.

About Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation's "deadline poet." He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963 and has written the syndicated weekly column "Uncivil Liberties" since 1986. He has authored many, many books, including Tepper's Not Going Out and Deadline Poet: My Life as a Doggerelist. more...
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Blogs

» The Beat

Feingold's Outline for a Constitutional Presidency | In a letter to Obama, Constitution subcommittee chair seeks a commitment to end executive excess.
John Nichols

» State of Change

Mukasey, Elliott Abrams Get Last-Minute Bush Appointments | Abusing the transition process to take care of aides, friends and supporters
John Nichols

» Capitolism

Yes to Special Elections for Senators | Remember the 17th amendment?
Christopher Hayes

» The Dreyfuss Report

Panetta? Ummmmm... Well..... | Could Obama have made a weirder choice for CIA director? Here's why Panetta is doomed.
Robert Dreyfuss

» Act Now!

Allow Media into Gaza | Israel is encouraging abuses by preventing foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip.
Peter Rothberg

» Editor's Cut

A Trillion Dollar Recovery | We don't need a stimulus, we need a recovery. And that means investing $1 trillion over the next two years.
Katrina vanden Heuvel

» The Notion

Hard Times Without Studs | One of Terkel’s former book editors considers a Studs-less world.
Tom Engelhardt

» And Another Thing

Bill Ayers Whitewashes History, Again | The Weathermen were not just a bunch of idealistic young people.
Katha Pollitt