After Republican [./https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Brown_(politician) Scott Brown] won Democrat [./https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy Ted Kennedy]'s former senate seat in the [./https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Massachusetts,_2010 January 2010 Massachusetts special election] and thereby causing the Senate Democrats to lose their filibuster proof majority, Obama agreed with then chief of staff [./https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel Rahm Emanuel]'s idea that he should do smaller initiatives that could pass easily.