Gridlocked Again

Obama and his Republican rivals are stuck with each other:

Thursday’s revolt was a grim reminder of how closely Obama’s future is tethered to that of his political rivals.

If House Speaker John Boehner can’t muscle his own bill through the House, his power to persuade his colleagues to accept a deal with the White House appears greatly diminished. And that means it might be tough for Obama to forge any agreement with House Republicans to avert the fiscal cliff this year — or to push through his second-term agenda in the years to come.

Considering his agenda, some might consider that a good thing...