Spectrum

Almost every aspect of government and certainly the legislative and executive branches are addressing multiple aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic from medical protocols and providing medical supplies to economic devastation. Some view the partisan pull about this issue in Washington as a battle between science/medicine and ideologies. However, TIME Washington Correspondent Philip Elliott says that characterization is not quite accurate. Instead, he claims it is more nuanced. He says that members of the federal government are traveling paths never trod before. They are trying to find their way and they are trying to overcome major fear factors simultaneously. There is fear in government itself and fear across the nation, he adds. This pandemic is unprecedented, according to Elliott, and it is having an unprecedented impact on our government and our politics. There is no roadmap to follow to predict next events or next steps. This pandemic is drawing battle lines between the President and Governors who