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Ah -- you feel that crisp something in the air? Watch the brightly colored leaves (of paper) drifting through the air (from the mailbox), hear the distant murmur of political debates, and it's clear that here we are in election season, which can mean only one thing: the amplification of partisan bickering. But is this animosity inevitable? The government is run by grownups, right? There must be some way Democrats, Republicans, and that other guy can all learn to work together in harmony. And it's probably free cupcakes.

The bakery chain Sprinkles has begun a "Pay It Forward" campaign designed to bring a little more, ah, sweetness to the typical partisan squabbles. Every day until Election Day, members of Congress can get a dozen cupcakes from the Georgetown Sprinkles shop for free -- if they have it sent to a representative or senator from the opposing party. According to Washington City Paper's Young and Hungry blog, Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson hopes “to inspire a spirit of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill.”

I'm sure political junkies and sugar fiends alike can agree that this is one of the more original ideas we've heard out of Washington DC in some time.

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