The Cost of Presidential Ambition

From the Washington Post.

"At the opening of his presidency, there was hardly a problem that Obama wasn't prepared to confront aggressively. The economy? Bailouts for banks and automakers, and a huge stimulus package to short-circuit the recession. Iraq? Set a date for withdrawing promptly. Health care? Go for it immediately, and with primary colors, not pastels. Energy and climate change? Ditto. Afghanistan? Send the brigades long advocated as a candidate.

Some of these were decisions of necessity (the economy). Others reflected campaign promises he could not afford to break (Iraq). Still others represented promises that might have been deferred but were not (health care).

Taken together, they signaled the enormous ambitions that came to define Obama's conception of his presidency. They also helped to create an increasingly contentious political climate in reaction to that agenda."

....

"Obama has tied his party and his presidency to policies that could make 2010 extremely difficult for the Democrats, and it's clear that political considerations influenced the Afghanistan debate inside the administration and the renewed focus on jobs."