Historians Will Likely Give Obama Credit For

Ap Promoted Me To The White House Beat Because I Knew Clinton, His Family, Friends, And Staff Better Than Anybody In The National Press Corps. Those Contacts Helped Me Break A Few Stories And Get My Career In Washington Jump-started.

The Failure Of The White House And Congress To Seriously Address The Nation's Fiscal Situation Is Certain To Broaden The Belief Among Many Voters That The U.s. Political System Is Broken.

Andrew Jackson Was The First President To Claim That The Desires Of The Public Overrode Congress's Constitutional Prerogatives. Virtually Every President Since Jackson Has Claimed The Mantle, Even While Lacking Two Ingredients Of An Electoral Mandate: A Landslide Victory And A Specific Agenda.

At The Start Of His Second Term, One Wonders Less About Obama's Fitness Than His Willingness: Why Doesn't He Do More To Build And Maintain The Relationships Required To Govern In Era Of Polarization?

Mandates Are Rarely Won On Election Night. They Are Earned After Inauguration Day By Leaders Who Spend Their Political Capital Wisely, Taking Advantage Of Events Without Overreaching.