Barack Obama’s under a lot of fire from friends these days. The New York Times editorial board slammed him for trying to reach out to moderate Republicans by taking into account their views on the stimulus bill. Not many liberal groups rejoiced in the implosion of Judd Gregg’s nomination to be the third Republican in the cabinet. The ACLU can’t have been happy when the new Justice Department continued to invoke state secrets in the legal debate over rendition.

It’s not all bad news for the president, though; Obama has picked up support in some unexpected places. The Wall Street Journal’s op-ed page has lately been plastered with pieces lauding Obama’s reconsideration of some of his campaign rhetoric about the War on Terror. Turns out, when faced with the task of keeping people safe, sometimes you have to compromise your ideals.

I’ve disagreed strongly with some of Obama’s first moves in office, especially when it comes to the mammoth liberal spendfest being sold as a stimulus. And Obama has proven more pragmatic on policy than his inspiring message of change suggested.

But on his most important campaign promise, that of ending the politics of division that characterized the Bush years, Obama is showing real interest in following through. He’s assembled a group of advisers with diverse views and a common dedication to their country. While Gregg’s withdrawal from consideration to be Secretary of Commerce was fueled partly by criticisms from liberal groups, it doesn’t appear to have dampened Obama’s commitment to put both parties in his cabinet. The inclusion of Republican concerns over the stimulus bill wasn’t just for show, either; a few significant changes were made at the behest of moderates like Arlen Specter, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snowe.

I understand the frustration people feel with Obama. After eight years in which their views were ignored, liberals had hoped that the new Democratic majorities would allow them to get around to the things they’ve wanted for so long. George W. Bush and his friends in Congress didn’t give a rat’s behind about what Democrats thought; now that the scales have shifted, why should Democrats forgive and forget?

Because partisan gridlock has to end somewhere. The first step is to listen to those who disagree with you.

Sometimes, this will mean that almost everyone will have a problem with Obama’s policies. It also may mean that almost everyone has something to be happy about, too.

I can’t say I’ve been thrilled with everything Obama’s done so far. But by showing a willingness to talk with his critics of all political stripes and even to negotiate with them in good faith, Obama has proven that he really means to change Washington.