Sun, Nov 9, 2008 (2:08 a.m.)

In handing Democrats the presidency and stronger majorities in both houses of Congress, voters on Tuesday sent a strong message that they are tired of the antagonistic, mean-spirited and divisive politics that handcuffed Washington during the Bush administration.

They want Democrats and Republicans to work together to get our country back on the right track, particularly at a time when the economy is in a shambles.

There are 3.84 million Americans drawing unemployment benefits. That’s nearly twice the population of Clark County. The unemployment rate is at 6.5 percent nationally, the highest it has been since 1994.

President-elect Barack Obama, in winning by an electoral-vote landslide, took the high road and campaigned on ideas. He also stressed his willingness to reach out to and work with Republicans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., echoed that sentiment when she told The New York Times on Wednesday the country “must be governed from the middle.” And Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told the Times, “I think both sides realize we need one another, and both sides realize that we’d better not blow this.”

Some politicians who represent the divisiveness of the past will try to get in the way. A good example is House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, who wasted no time criticizing Obama’s selection of Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., as his White House chief of staff. Boehner implied that Emanuel is not the type of person who would allow Obama to make politics more civil and govern from the middle.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close friend of defeated Republican presidential candidate John McCain, offered a strong counterpoint to Boehner by calling Emanuel “a wise choice.” Graham should know because he worked with Emanuel in negotiating details of the presidential debates.

“He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together,” Graham said.

If Boehner acted with reason, he would drop his pettiness and learn to reach across the aisle. He would also realize that he has little choice, given that Democrats now have their strongest majorities since the 1970s.

He will find it is possible for Democrats and Republicans to work together. It shouldn’t be difficult to find bipartisan support for a government-backed stimulus package that would put people to work to build or repair roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, airports and schools. And it shouldn’t be hard to get both parties to agree to a middle-class tax cut.

Partisanship will continue to exist. But voters have spoken loud and clear that on the most important issue of the election — fixing the economy — they expect Democrats and Republicans to reach common ground.