JUST A MONTH IN AND LITTLE REMAINS OF THE CANDIDATE:

Counting the costs: President Obama stakes so much on a package unlikely to revive our economy (Philip I. Levy, February 19, 2009, Baltimore Sun)

Politically, President Barack Obama seems to have dashed many of his major thematic campaign promises in his very first foray into large-scale policymaking. The crafting and selling of the stimulus package haven't been transparent, innovative, calm or bipartisan. The rush to push money out quickly left no time to develop creative new approaches. The president's dire warnings of doom did little to soothe fears, particularly in those who had doubts about the stimulus package's efficacy. And while Mr. Obama was willing to exchange pleasantries with Republicans, those Republicans were largely excluded from the crafting of the bill and voted overwhelmingly against it. Even Mr. Obama's hand-picked "reasonable" Republican, Judd Gregg, found the process unpalatable and withdrew as commerce secretary nominee.