That's his problem; he's learned you can't negotiate, only capitulate, with the Radical Republicans, but hasn't learned that he has to be involved with major policy from the start. He wants to have flunkies do all the hard work, get as many concessions as they can, then swoop in at the last minute to close the deal with his charisma and the gravitas of his office. He delegated this just like healthcare, sending the message to the opposition that he's not committed to his positions, and creating an environment where THEY commit privately and publicly to positions only opposed by flunkies. No one who's been around Congress long will be overwhelmed by the President simply BECAUSE he's President, and in the mean time they paint themselves into a corner: They CAN'T give him anything or it looks like they caved on things they've been telling their constituents for months were non-negotiable.

We're back to the same old thing: Obama's a great campaigner but a lousy statesman, who would have benefited from another term in the Senate. But then someone else would be President and he'd have to wait until 2016 hoping whoever it was didn't ruin the Dem brand, or challenge the sitting President for the nomination.

He has learned how to deal with the Republicans though: He's going over Cantors head to the public just like he said he would; meanwhile, Ben Sargent (of all people) is citing emails from two different Dem insiders who say Cantor didn't say a word during the last round of negotiations. He better hope the Tea Party loves him, because he's about to become a pariah to the rest of his party. Human roadblock.