Howdy, Partner

Pres. Obama's decision to extend benefits to same-sex partners of fed workers is one of the more obvious political calculations of this young admin. Will this mollify the gay community's growing frustration with this WH? And does Obama risk looking like he's simply bowing to pressure from a small, but well-heeled interest group?

-- Being "post-partisan" often means ignoring/upsetting your base. For Obama, this doesn't necessarily come at a big cost. First, unlike most pols, he proved he can raise tons of $$ w/out having to rely on the trad'l interest-group fundraising base. For most groups, their fundraising prowess is their biggest "stick" in getting what they want. Also, he wins because he appeals to indie voters, now the largest voting bloc, by showing that he's not beholden to traditional alliances.

-- But Dems up in '10 don't have these luxuries. None have the same fundraising capabilities. Some, who sit in GOP-leaning CDs, would rather not wade into cultural issues. Others, however, worry that turn-out among the Dem base will suffer if they don't see Obama tackling liberal issues.

-- Meanwhile, the gay community has to decide if this is a "victory." Gay-rights group HRC called it the "first brick" in a "long path" suggesting they'll want to see more. Ultimately, however, like health care reform, the auto bailout and the stimulus, we'll have to wait and see if gov't intervention will pay politically.