It seems that it is a tactic, if not a policy, of the Obama administration to repeatedly remind folks that the nation's state is one the administration "inherited" (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/29/obama-still-cashing-in-on-bushs-economic-failings/print/), as if though that came as a surprise to them.

The Obama team ran one of  the longest presidential campaigns in history. From the start, they articulated the problems they perceived to be hurting the nation: Iraq, Guantanamo, healthcare, economy, environment, etc. Appropriately so, during the long campaign they effectively blamed the Bush administration for those problems. They qualified themselves as the best equipped team to take ownership of the problems and promised voters big and swift solutions. Their proposal was clearly accepted.

Now, when the reality of governing has set in; when the weakness of the Executive branch relative to the power of Congress has been revealed, again; and when the people have begun rejecting some of the team's solutions; the Obama team tries to appear as the surprised victim of inheritance. That, in my opinion, is the tactic of political cowards.

There's ample opportunity for the Obama team to do great things for America, but they need to develop political cojones, quit whining, and effectively work with Congress, where the real power of the federal government resides.