Oh brother. It's been a whole year and still Beltway deep thinkers in the press remain committed to unique narrative that it's Obama's job -- and his alone to create bipartisanship. Forget that the definition of bipartisanship is two sides working together. From the day Obama was sworn into office, the press has made it quite clear that Democrats, and Democrats only, will be blamed for the lack of political cooperation.

And yes, Halperin this week repeats the same Beltway-approved talking points that pundits have been recycling for 12 months now. (I want that job!)

Note the headline [emphasis added]:

Can Obama Rebuild Bipartisan Trust in Washington?

Also note the key phrase that Halperin, like virtually every other corporate media observer, avoids when describing the GOP strategy: “Obstructionist.” It's the noun That Cannot Be Mentioned.

But at least Halperin's painfully naive closing provides an unintended chuckle:

Obama needs to conduct some sort of face-to-face intervention with amenable senior Republican legislators, to convince them that it is possible to make a deal in one or two important areas without agreeing on every issue or laying down their arms for the next election. He needs to remind his adversaries that the purpose of government, ultimately, is to improve the lives of the American people, that its leaders - whether in the majority or the minority - shouldn't want to be part of a system that inspires so little faith. And that, friends or not, the only way to build back the trust of the American people is to start to trust each other, if only a little bit.

OMG, why didn't the White House think of this?! According to Halperin, all Obama has to do is ask some “amenable” GOP leaders for their cooperation. Obama just needs to appeal to their sense of duty and responsibility.

And voila! Problem solved.