In the days following his re-election, in a manner reminiscent of his candidacy in 2008, President Obama called publicly for an end to divisive politics. But he’s governed much more aggressively in the past months than he did in early 2009 — battle hardened by two years of trench warfare with his adversaries in the GOP — securing the first progressive income tax increase in nearly two decades, and using the power of presidential persuasion to tame angry Republicans before they could threaten his second term with more dangerous brinksmanship.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=92562