This is a very short post, but it gets at what I think is an important part of understanding what makes Barack Obama special as a political leader.

I think one of the most important things to realize about Obama is that above all else, he is a practioner of power.

To understand what I mean, contrast Obama with Bill Clinton, who along with Obama is the most talented politician I have seen operate in my lifetime. Where Clinton's success was in surviving treacherous waters while managing to advance, Barack Obama's success has come from identifying and leveraging new sources of power, be it millions of donors and activists, or Wall Street types who realize that McCain and Bush have been horrible for the economy.

Obama isn't always the greatest seller in the world. If I had to win just one election, he might not be the guy I picked to be the candidate.

But time and time again, he has demonstrated that he understands power. And for those of us who have felt so powerless -- indeed, who have been powerless -- in the face of the the rightwing assault on our ideals, we finally have someone who is capable of fighting back.

When I hear him talking about moving past partisanship, I don't hear him saying Democrats must do what the GOP wants, which is what bipartisanship has come to mean.

I hear him saying that he fully expects the GOP to get on board with the program -- and if they don't, screw 'em.

This is truly an exciting time.