Jeff Birnbaum: Washington is a mess and it needs a leader. So far, that person is NOT Barack Obama.

He couldn have been, if he'd stiff-armed the liberals in his own party and reached out to Republicans and moderates to tackle the bad economy. Instead, he embraced a complete overhaul of the healthcare system, which is screwed up but NOT in crisis.

He pandered to his progressive base, probably because that is where his heart is. But that is NOT where the country is. That's his problem and now he's a year into his presidency, in a hole that he helped dig and doesn't know how to get out of.

UPDATE: Meanwhile, a CNN poll reveals that a majority of Americans don't believe Obama deserves a second term. What the president needs are Republicans to play with and he needs them quick. Look for more of them in Congress come next year.