GIVEN THAT THEY WERE DEFENDING THE DASCHLE PICK AS LATE AS THIS MORNING...:

Obama: 'I screwed up' (Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro, 2/03/09, NBC First Read)

Obama said he was "angry and disappointed" to lose Daschle and Nancy Killefer, who also withdrew her nomination today over a failure to pay some taxes. And the president also took part of the blame. "I appointed these folks. I think they are outstanding people. I think Tom Daschle as an example could have led this health-care effort ... better than just about anybody," the president remarked. "But as he acknowledged, this was a mistake. I don't think it was intentional on his part but it was a serious mistake. He owned up to it and ultimately made a decision that we couldn't afford the distraction, and I've got to own up to my mistake which is that, ultimately, it's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules -- you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes."

Obama later added, "I'm here on television saying I screwed up, and that's part of the era of responsibility. It's not never making mistakes; it's owning up to them and trying to make sure you never repeat them and that's what we intend to do." He also offered one more mea culpa: "[S]o, did I screw up in this situation? Absolutely and I'm willing to take my lumps, you know that's part of the job here. But I think it's important not to paint a broad brush here, because overall, not only have we gotten in place a -- functioning government in record time -- but overall the quality of [the other appointments] are outstanding."

...the overnight polls must have been brutal. One would hardly expect someone this inexperienced to get off to a flying start, but let's review:

(1) His Chief of Staff had some sort of contacts with Governor Blagojevich, about a matter that resulted in the latter's impeachment

(2) His Inaugural Address was panned even by supporters

(3) Bill Richardson and Tom Daschle both flamed out and his Treasury pick would have if he weren't the GOP's choice for the job.

(4) His big gifts to the Left--"closing" Guantanamo and funding abortion for foreigners--alienated large majorities of the electorate.

(5) And his stimulus bill is so pork heavy that he lost the congressional GOP and public support and protectionist enough that our allies are demanding he kill it.

Oh, and by the way, he hasn't been in office a month yet. That's a staggering pace of unforced errors.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 3, 2009 6:21 PM