Instabilities and contradictions shape political landscape: The Note

Washington is hopelessly paralyzed until just enough bipartisanship breaks through to avoid another crisis.

The TAKE with Rick Klein

Washington is hopelessly paralyzed until just enough bipartisanship breaks through to avoid another crisis.

The pandemic isn't over, but neither is it dominating most people's lives anymore. The economy isn't great, but it's not terrible, either -- with new inflation figures out Friday that are likely to contribute to both sides of that ledger.

President Joe Biden isn't particularly popular, though his policies are consistently outpolling him and his party. Grand clashes with China and Russia are looming, except with just enough diplomatic wiggle room to stop the worst kind of fallout.