IN AN OTHERWISE UNREMARKABLE piece of Washington Post blather, columnist E.J. Dionne displays his [lack of] understanding of bipartisanship.

Note that while Kerry and McCain were doing their bipartisan work, Republicans in Congress and conservative judges were trying to scrap a health-care law that was the product of two years of legislative struggle and debate.

Yes, there was a teensy bipartisan moment when the Senate agreed to repeal certain IRS reporting requirements in the law that both parties decided were too onerous. But that was an exception to the rule of ideology, partisanship and posturing on health care.

We should be having a continuing dialogue over how we can get health insurance most efficiently to all Americans and how last year's law could be improved. Instead, Republicans would get rid of what we have without putting anything in its place.

Will he ever come to the realization that the word bipartisan includes the prefix “bi”? Don’t hold your breath.