If you were a president, you couldn't have asked for more than he's [historically] gotten from these [Republican leadership] guys.

What's unusual about him is he's an experienced performer. The question is whether he can change roles.

It will take a lot to overcome the misstatements and bad judgment and the obvious defeat in the special election. But when you are governor, you do have certain political opportunities. A lot will depend on how he uses those opportunities.

The ink is barely dry, and the Republican leadership is already moving to create new loopholes in the system,

well over an hour here . . . while the (Republican) leadership variously cajoled, bribed, browbeat, et cetera, a few Republicans who wanted to have it both ways - who wanted to give people the impression they were opposed to (the Central American Free Trade Agreement) while they were ready to cave in for sufficient inducement.

There was no imminent threat. This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud.