Although We Were Never Pals And Occasionally

Obama Is Capable - As Evidenced By His First-term Success With Health Care Reform. But Mandate-building Requires Humility, A Trait Not Easily Associated With Him.

Obama Might Do Well To Remember That His Fast Rise From The Illinois State Senate Was Due In Large Part To An Uncanny Ability To Make Friends And Find Mentors.

President Obama Is Casting His Lot In The Middle Of A Debate As Old As America Itself: Are We Rugged Individualists Pulling Ourselves Up By The Bootstraps? Or Are We A Nation Of Community, All Connected And Counting On One Another?

In Times Of Tumult, Voters Are Likely To Forgive A President, If Not Reward Him, For Compromises Made In Service Of Solutions.

With Gridlock The Norm, Congress's Approval Rating Is Below 10 Percent And The Public Has Lost Faith In Its National Leadership.