renewed resolve

"As Bob Dylan once sang 'Better stay away from those that carry round a fire hose. Keep a clean nose, watch the plain clothes - You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows'. Today he would probably amend that with 'you don't need a rating agency to tell you we need a balanced, long-term approach to deficit reduction:' That was true last week, that was true last year, that was true the day Dylan first sang it. You don't need a rating agency to tell you that the gridlock in Washington over the last several months has not been constructive to say the least. And you don't need a rating agency to tell you that the pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles."   "I realize that after what we just went through, some might feel skepticism that Republicans and Democrats will be able to reach a compromise. My hope is that Friday's news from the mighty S&P gods will give us a renewed sense of urgency. That's my hope, but as Sarah Palin so astutely pointed out, that hopey changey thing isn't working out all that well for me."   "So it's not a lack of plans or policies that are the problem here, it's a lack of political will in Washington. It's the insistence on drawing lines in the sand – a refusal to put what's best for the country ahead of narrow self-interest or party or ideology. And that's what we need to change. But you know, I don't think we're going to be able to change that at a time when the main goal of the Republicans is to defeat me in the next election. That's why I've decided to sit this one out."   "It is without a doubt late in the day to decide that I'm not going to run for reelection. Members of my own party might argue that they won't have time to launch a viable campaign, but there are still five months before the first primary, so it's not completely hopeless. Some of my GOP critics will probably celebrate, saying this gives them a lock on the 2012 elections. Be that as it may, I think this move will clearly signal just how serious I am about rescuing this country's financial fundamentals and finally putting people back to work. This is my grand compromise, and I call on Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell and particularly John Boehner to make the same pledge to assure America that we are giving our full effort to finding solutions. I would call on Harry Reid to do the same, but seeing as he's not up for reelection next year, I realize that it would be a futile gesture."   "With the obstacle of our incumbency removed, we shall now be able to concentrate on negotiation intensely and exhaustively. We will negotiate the issues that face us daily, every day from now until November 2012 if necessary. Weekends, too, with only Christmas and Thanksgiving off. If one of us becomes ill, we will negotiate at the hospital, and if something arises that requires the president's attention, we've always got Joe. I am setting aside living quarters in the White House for when sleepovers prove necessary, and I intend to..."   "Speaker Boehner, Mister Blankfein will see you now... Speaker Boehner? Are you okay?"   "Oh, fine, Mary. I just kind of dozed off there while listening to Obama's remarks."   "Sweet dreams, I hope."   "No, Mary, it was more like a nightmare."