After Tough Week, Obama Looks to Reboot
President Obama can appreciate a Monday right about now: the chance to start a new week fresh, put past mistakes behind him and come out swinging with Wednesday's State of the Union address.
He'll need every ounce of his oratorical gifts if he wants to start bridging the divide between Republicans, outraged voters and even his fellow Democrats.
On Monday's "Washington Unplugged," CBS News Political Consultant John Dickerson spoke with CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller about David Plouffe, Mr. Obama's former campaign manager, and his current role as an adviser to the administration.
"He's not a magician," Knoller said. "He's not Plouffe the Magic Dragon who can change all of these bad things and make them good."
"He certainly has advice to give and the president trusts him," added Knoller.
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza told Dickerson, "What's clear here is David Plouffe's ability to manage things, to be extremely detail-oriented to make sure everyone's on the same page. That's what they value, that's what they're hoping to bring back."
Knoller said the president will have a far less enthusiastic audience than he did at Friday's town-hall meeting in Ohio. "You've got hundreds of Republicans who are not going to play the stooge for President Obama when he is making his points," he said. "Republicans don't think his policies are working and they're not going to be shy about saying it."
Republicans will also have to tread lightly and refrain from pulling a Joe Wilson, Cillizza told Dickerson. (Wilson is the GOP lawmaker who shouted "you lie!" at the president.)
"My guess is that there would be a talking to before the State of the Union by House Republican leaders essentially saying 'we do not want another Joe Wilson moment.' I think they want to be the reasonable opposition. They want the American people to see a party that disagrees with the president's direction but is responsible enough to take it in a real and different direction," he said.
Watch Monday's Washington Unplugged above.
"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
