Who will act in the best interests of America?

Ari Fleischer writes in today's Wall Street Journal that Barack Obama, despite being a "doctrinaire liberal," should follow the example of Bill Clinton, who, in early 1997, sent his Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin over to the House to reach an agreement on compromise legislation with Bill Archer, then the Ways and Means Chairman. The result was the balanced budget agreement of 1997 and four years of budget surpluses.

But the Republicans will also have to deal with "competing strains," according to Fleischer, who was Archer's spokesman after the Republicans took control of the House in 1994. One strain will advise caution in order to prevent being stuck with vilifying labels. The other will be to make good on promises made to voters to change Washington's "big spending ways."

Which side will succeed?