We’ve seen this movie before

Steve Benen (Washington Monthly) writes: "To be sure, the 'season of progress,' as President Obama called it yesterday, is over. A new Congress will begin next month, with what will likely be the most reactionary right-wing House majority in the modern political era. If you're not expecting bitter ugliness, you're probably not paying attention." To his credit, Benen doesn’t peddle the conventional wisdom. The odds favor his projections. But I wonder. What's missing from the talk is the Obama wild card. As we've been reminded this week, the president is not a potted plant – nor a shrinking violet. He is, as he boasted, "persistent." From Day 1, the political press has continually underestimated Obama. So have his opponents. Yet, they’re edging toward doing it again. Maybe that's why the famous Obama smile was brighter than usual as he boarded Air Force One for Hawaii last night. He knows every time he’s written off, he wins.