An Important Month for Obama

First Read: “After a polarized, gridlocked and unproductive year when everybody’s poll numbers took a nosedive — President Obama’s, the Republican Party’s, the Democratic Party’s — official Washington returns to work. The president is back at the White House after his two-week vacation to Hawaii; the Senate convenes at 2:00 pm ET; and the House returns tomorrow.”

“The question is whether 2014 will be a fresh start, or whether it will be more of the same. And this is especially true for Obama. Make no mistake: This is a big month for the president. There’s the State of the Union on Jan. 28, the push for jobless benefits (more on that below), the NSA reforms he’ll announce next week, and the continued implementation of the health-care law. Indeed, this month could very well be one of his last where he has this much control in setting the agenda. Another way to look at it: January presents him with an opportunity to hit the reset button on his second term. Either January is the start of his political comeback, or it is a missed opportunity — and perhaps one of his last.”