To expect a more grown-up attitude to develop in Washington would be like expecting Dillinger to stop robbing banks because it "isn't nice"!

Hopeless, in other words. The only way a president such as Obama can press his point effectively in Washington is by being tougher and more ruthless than the people in Congress who are trying to destroy him. If you have the power...for gosh sakes, use it! If you don't, no one will shake your hand for having been such a nice guy. They'll just laugh at you and call you a "loser" or something considerably worse.

FDR knew that.