You're correct, I meant filibuster proof. On everything else you mention, the major pieces of the ACA-- given it was a #1 priority-- could have been laid down w

You're correct, I meant filibuster proof. On everything else you mention, the major pieces of the ACA-- given it was a #1 priority-- could have been laid down well in advance so that things were ready to go once the people were in place. I am probably being unfair though: cleaning up the end of the financial crisis took significant effort as well, so managing that and any single piece of significant legislation should be counted as a productive half-term. I suppose that even if all pieces of the ACA had been in place for the earliest possible vote, it still would not have left a lot of time for another significant bit of progressive legislation. However I stand by my core point, which was perhaps not well expressed: Obama's campaign message conveyed a significant progressive agenda (at least on the domestic front). I don't think that was false on his part. I think the extent to which that agenda was not achieved is because after the mid terms there was no chance of passing progressive legislation. Again, I think I botched my prior comment by not making that clear. I may have botched this one as well... Let me know, I like to know when I'm wrong.