MOLLY IVINS, YOU GOT TO DANCE (WITH THEM WHAT BRUNG YOU)--I think government is a tool, like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build or... to destroy... . It is the purposes to which it is put and the skill with which it is used that determine whether the hammer’s work is good or bad.
| A. | Quadrennial event for American voters | MIDTERMS |
| B. | Influential 1960s folk singer | ODETTA |
| C. | Soon-to-be ex-official (2 wds.) | LAMEDUCK |
| D. | Exponent's inverse, in math | LOGARITHM |
| E. | Tetragrammaton-based theonym | YAHWEH |
| F. | Vexatious, like a pain in the neck | IRKSOME |
| G. | Caustic, mean-spirited words | VITRIOL |
| H. | Given to mischief | IMPISH |
| I. | Part of Chicago once under Bugs Moran's control (2 wds.) | NORTHSIDE |
| J. | Take turns as either a lefty or a righty (hyph.) | SWITCHHIT |
| K. | Surname of Li'l Abner and, eventually, Daisy Mae | YOKUM |
| L. | One for whom the future appears bright | OPTIMIST |
| M. | Playgoer's guide | USHER |
| N. | Jazz musician called "the founding father of the modern drum set" (2 wds.) | GENEKRUPA |
| O. | Trump with more brainpower | OUTWIT |
| P. | Banquet ritual; cooked goose? | TOAST |
| Q. | Deliver a backhanded compliment, say (2 wds.) | THROWSHADE |
| R. | ____ Award, prize for gender-exploring fiction; apart from that | OTHERWISE |
| S. | Bring down from a high place | DETHRONE |
| T. | "Speaking Truth to Power" autobiographer, 1997 (2 wds.) | ANITAHILL |
| U. | Mogul, tycoon, one-percenter | NABOB |
| V. | Classic gluten-free cereal that floats | CHEERIOS |
| W. | Demonstrated zest and relish | ENTHUSED |