From Politico's Arena: Obama tiring of 'class warfare'?

President Obama has made a remarkable recovery from the political "shellacking" he took just a few weeks ago. If he ends the year with the tax cuts for the middle class he just negotiated with the Republicans in place, a new tax cut stimulus package that is likely to generate an additional 500,000 jobs in 2011, and Senate approval of his "reset" policy with Russia through the START treaty debate, he will have put a firm stamp on his reputation as one of the most successful legislative tacticians in presidential history. The legislative accomplishments of his first two years will place him in the top ranks of all of our presidents, on a par with LBJ's record and even exceeding FDR's if you look only at the first two years of a presidency. Saddling Republicans with the responsibility for temporarily extending "Bush tax cuts" for the wealthy and lower estate taxes for the very rich, as the price for this legislative legerdemain is hardly a bad political move either.

Furthermore, he has reserved the right to continue the essential debate of how to ensure America's global leadership continues in the 21st Century, framing the 2012 campaign on his terms, even as he demonstrates real presidential leadership. While Obama still needs to do a better job of enrolling the American public, including Democrats who are in an uproar about this week's deal, in where he wants to move the country, he can hardly be faulted for getting the 111th Congress to go along with practically everything he sought to accomplish during its reign. Assuming of course Democrats finish venting shortly and realize the victory that Obama has placed within their grasp.

This is cross-posted from Politico's Arena.