I think that working with a Republican president and a Democrat House is a lot easier than working with a Democrat House and a Democrat president. A Republican chief executive can bring a minority of Republicans that are somewhat liberal or progressive along to give you some support in the legislation that you are creating. But when it is all Democrats, Republicans are the best negative purveyors I've ever met. I think he is doing a great job, in the most adverse of situations. His problem is that he does not have a following in Congress.
Nobody wants to support the president.
I honestly believe that if we had supported the president a lot more visibly as Democrats, then we wouldn't have lost the House of Representatives. I think you need to be prepared to be criticized. The standard is extremely high, that you are never going to get wealthy as a public servant. You should not view the public servant who makes a career out of politics as somebody who is not working in the best interests for this country. Today's attitude toward government employers, well, it used to be a light banter joke, now its almost vicious the way people view their government.