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It's the Brian Laira Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Now we continue our WNYC

Centennial series, 100 Years of 100 Things. We're up to thing number 59, and it's kind of a

two-for for these polarized times and with inauguration day coming up, it's 100 years of inaugural addresses

and 100 years of partisan politics. We're doing it this way because our friend Julian Zelizer,

the Princeton history professor, has a new book called In Defense of Partisanship. That's right,

in defense of partisanship, though he has a certain kind of partisanship in mind.

So let's jump right in.

More fully, Julian Zelizer is a historian at Princeton University, a CNN political analyst, an NPR contributor, and best-selling author and editor of 25 books on American politics. Again, his new one is called

In Defense, Partizanship. Professor Zelzer, we always learn things when you come on. Welcome

back to WNYC. Thank you. It's always nice to be back. And people may be surprised to learn that your

book opens, not with a quote from George Washington or James

Madison or someone like that, but from Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. And I pulled the clip.

Larry is about to have an extramarital affair with the actress Katie Huffman. They're making

out in her dressing room, and then Larry notices

something and asks.

What is that?

What?

Is that bush?

Yeah.

Hmm.

You got a picture of Bush and you're dressing in him? Yeah.

...