Republicans...

... make me laugh. In the immediate aftermath of the Barack Obama's historic win, Republicans (including Dick Cheney's former press secretary) have been queuing up to remind Obama of his promise to govern for everyone, not just those who voted for him. They point out that 46 per cent of the electorate chose John McCain, and that therefore Obama should temper whatever political and legislative ambitions he has accordingly.

In 2000 George W Bush won the election despite losing the popular vote. I don't recall his government reaching across to the 50.1 per cent of the population who didn't vote for him then, so I do find it ironic that Republicans are now demanding that a Democrat-controlled executive and legislative play by rules it ignored for eight years.

And for those Americans (particularly Republicans) decrying the death of democracy because the Democrats control both the executive and legislative branches of government (a rather hollow argument made by John McCain during the Presidential election), I don't recall you being so worried when it was the Republicans who controlled both the executive and legislative branches of government, as they did so disastrously from 2001-7.