Barack Obama had barely taken office when cable channels began touting their coverage of "Obama's first 100 days." It was just 89 days into his term when the Los Angeles Times began its three-part assessment of those 100 days.

Similar pieces will flood the airwaves, Internet, newspapers and magazines in the next week, but it's an open question how valuable they can be.

The concept stems, of course, from the unprecedented way that Franklin D. Roosevelt reshaped the federal government during his first 100 days in 1933. The 100-day standard has been more systematically applied since Ronald Reagan sought to reverse the growth of government in...]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500 In doing so, they've been helped both by the predictable lack of any clear GOP voice and by the way Limbaugh and Cheney sought the headlines with outspoken denunciations of Barack Obama and his team.

Limbaugh's effort to seek the spotlight is nothing new; that's his business. But Cheney's effort to keep a high profile is unusual in that the top figures of a departing administration usually leave the spotlight to their successors.

Indeed, George W. Bush invoked that tradition Tuesday in his first post-presidential appearance, declaring it's time for an ex-president "to tap dance off the stage" and let his successor "have a go at solving the world's problems." Obama, Bush said,...]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Unfortunately, that visit may best be remembered for an Iraqi journalist hurling shoes at the U.S. president during his news conference with Iraq's prime minister.

Again in Iraq, Mr. Bush's best intentions went awry. While he made light of the episode, it seems an apt metaphor for a presidency that began with such hope and is ending with the country mired in two wars and its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Indeed, his tenure repeated a familiar pattern for two-term presidents: successes in the first four years, troubles after re-election.

Both things for which Americans give him the highest marks -- keeping them safe after the 9/11...]]> Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 But the political climate and economic crisis will make it far harder for Mr. Obama's opponents to employ the obstructionist tactics they used so successfully when Democrats enjoyed only a modest margin the past two years and the GOP held the White House.

Even Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is talking more of using the GOP's 41 seats to influence the new president's course, rather than block it. In fact, all signs are that the Democrats have enough votes to help Mr. Obama pass both a massive economic stimulus package and the energy and health insurance measures he pledged in the campaign.

In the House, a Democratic majority of nearly 260 members should enable the new...]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Critics immediately accused the Arizona senator of political grandstanding in the face of faltering poll numbers, noting that congressional leaders and Bush administration officials already were resolving differences over the massive package.

Supporters argued that Mr. McCain's move meant he would be able to claim a large share of responsibility if a package ultimately passed because his support was needed to get enough House Republican votes to create the bipartisan support Democratic leaders demanded.

In fact, both critics and supporters may be right.

Mr. McCain's move was clearly political, since he was not directly involved in hammering out the complex legislation....]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 If it does, it would be another remarkable twist in a remarkable election. It has been 48 years since a vice presidential nominee had a tangible impact on a presidential election outcome.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy's choice of Lyndon B. Johnson kept Texas Democratic, prompted wary Southern Democrats to back the ticket and united the party for what proved to be a close election.

Ms. Palin's impact is potentially broader but less certain. She remains relatively unknown to many Americans. Polls show most people like her personally but that many are skeptical about her qualifications, attitudes that may vary more than for a better-known figure.

...]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500 But there was nothing casual about the speaker's decision to push Mr. Edwards, an early Barack Obama backer she has long admired, for the second spot on the Democratic ticket.

Having decided a House member would be a good complement for the freshman Illinois senator, she settled on Mr. Edwards, best known for his key role in enacting a record increase in veterans' aid.

"He's an extraordinarily talented person" and "one of the finest people I've ever served with," she said.

The Pelosi-Edwards connection goes back some years to when they had adjoining congressional offices. She reportedly believes that his personal skills, centrist record and work to expand aid for...]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The reason is that the justices most likely to be replaced in the next four years are members of the court's liberal bloc. Mr. Obama would be unable to shift the court to the left, but Mr. McCain could move it even further to the right.

In a recent speech, Mr. McCain joined the outcry against judicial activism, ironic since Republican domination of the White House the past few decades means its appointees dominate the federal courts, including seven of the nine Supreme Court justices.

That court's two oldest members are pillars of its liberal bloc, Justice John Paul Stevens, an appointee of Republican President Gerald Ford, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Bill Clinton...]]> Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500