What Would Lincoln Do?

What can Steven Spielberg’s Oscar buzz-generating new film Lincoln teach us about politics in the modern age? Plenty, writes National Journal’s Jill Lawrence. The movie depicts how far Lincoln, exalted by history not only as one of the United States’ most significant presidents, but also among the most virtuous, was willing to go to achieve his ends, lofty as they were. That might be a lesson for Washington—a realpolitik instruction manual and a spine-stiffening serum—as Congress and the White House negotiate avoiding the fiscal-cliff.