Note: On assignment, but I’ll be back!

No high-fives. No victory laps. No champagne room.

You’re not out of the woods, yet.

Watching Democratic leadership win back the Senate, you’d think they had won the Super Bowl. They didn’t.

What we all won was a return to democracy, and a keen sense that most Americans don’t want to hand over control of our government and our lives to a bunch of crazies who traffic in threats, lies and conspiracies. That was borne out not only in the ballot but the absence of any large, angry protests and violence. Big relief.

However, with the number of close races, very close races—many where ballots are still being counted and some are likely headed for run-offs—the specter of division is still very much alive.

While House republicans are wondering what happened to the “Big Red Wave,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was smiling and waving her hands on ABC News. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer droned on for some 15 minutes extolling his “see I told you so,” mantra to the media about those candidates who pushed the “Big Lie.”

Okay, Chuck, I get it. It’s an important point. But it’s a point that Democrats have pounded on our heads during a long a grueling campaign. Enough already. Please.

However, in all the hoopla one word has been conspicuously missing.

That word: Bipartisanship.

Those who are in the majority have a responsibility to prove real leadership by working with the other side. They have a duty to put aside all the incivility, crass and trash talk and work towards compromise on behalf of the people who elected them.

If the American people sent one clear message to Republicans who wrapped themselves in a chaos of denialism and conspiracies, it’s this: Nonstop crazy doesn’t work.

As Abraham Lincoln might have said:

“You can get crazy with some of the people some of the time. You can even get crazy with all the people some of the time. But you can’t get crazy nuts with all the people all of the time.”

We’ve seen this movie. After January 6, we know how it ends.

Last night, Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs defeated crazy election denying Republican Kari Lake for governor.

How crazy was Lake?

When Arizona Senate icon John McCain died, Lake called him a “hero.” After being blessed by Pope Trump-the-last (hopefully), she called him a “loser.” In a sick attempt at a joke at a rally last week, Lake asked the crowd, “We don’t have any McCain Republicans in here, do we?”

Supporters booed.

“Okay, if you [are], get the hell out,” she added with a laugh.

This is what happens when you try to pander to the crazy fringe for votes.

I don’t know if this will change all Trump supporters and who knows what his “big announcement” is going to be today. (Trump always manages to skate around whatever is in his way.), but one fact seems to be clear: Americans are sick and tired of watching Trump and his clown car of mimicking, crazy candidates.

One indication of change? Senate and House Republicans are already doing the hypocrite dance: “We knew he was crazy all along.” But they conveniently forget the last part: “We stayed quiet to keep our jobs.”

We have two years before the next election. Let’s try to stand behind something we haven’t seen from a Republican candidate in a long time: Character.