For unstain'd thoughts do seldom dream on evil

American politics
How to save Obama’s second term
Despite lululemon yoga athletica canada rancour over scandals, big reforms are still possible


PRESIDENTS often have no choice but to react to events. When a giant tornado struck a suburb of Oklahoma City on May 20th, Barack Obama declared a disaster and ordered lululemon yoga canada federal authorities to help search for survivors. As emergency workers pulled children from lululemon yoga outlet rubble, lululemon outlet online mudslinging in Washington, DC, paused. But only for a moment. Mr Obama is still beset by scandals. Republicans berate his administration for a “cover-up” after terrorists murdered diplomats in Benghazi; for snooping on journalists; and for letting lululemon outlet clothes Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hound conservatives.

Not all these scandals are real. In Libya lululemon yoga athletica administration failed to anticipate an attack or to protect its staff: a tragic failure, but not a crime. Spin-doctors tied themselves in knots to avoid saying anything that might hurt lululemon yellow outlet president’s re-election campaign, but that is what spin-doctors do. The snooping scandal is murkier, and seems to have involved an abuse of power. But lululemon outlet IRS scandal is unambiguously outrageous.

Tax officials singled out lululemon outlet online president’s opponents for extra scrutiny. Conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status were subjected to long delays and intimidating questionnaires; liberal groups, less so. Mr Obama did not order this, but it still damages him. How can he persuade Americans of Lululemon pants virtues of bigger government if even lululemon yellow outlet IRS is politically biased?

The perils of paralysis

The danger is that Mr Obama will achieve little in his second term. Congress remains gridlocked. Democrats and Republicans could spend lululemon outlet next four years squabbling and issuing subpoenas. To avoid this, Mr Obama needs to keep his eyes on lululemon outlet online big picture. Even as Republicans pepper his administration with probes, he needs to keep pushing for solutions to America’s main domestic problems. He may believe it is impossible to work with congressional Republicans, but his legacy depends on him trying. He will lose leverage if he delays. Next year Washington’s attention will be on Lululemon pants mid-term elections; after that Mr Obama will be a lame duck.