Reply #124: You're assuming he's averse averse to conflict. He fought Hillary for his nomination and he's

[No Elephants]

told anyone on the Left who criticizes him to, in effect, shut up and sit down. He fought his own sponsor to get into the Illinois legislature. He'll fight for his Presidential re-election, too.

If he really disagreed with Republican economic policies, why did he appoint Republican Geithner as Sec. of Treasury and re-appoint Bush appointee Bernanke to head the Fed again?

Obama is very perplexing--if you assume he wants the same things you do and just is unable to exeute on them. You wonder how a smart man never wins. However, you may jusi have "an aha moment." if you flip your paradigm and assume he IS getting pretty much exactly what he, Timmeh and Hanky Panky want, while blaming it on Republicans and "compromise."