despite reports that might he not only win the vote. it has now devolved into outright defiance of his leadership, outright derision against him from his own side. his own plan to avert the fiscal cliff before christmas went to the floor where it was quickly clear that the bill wasn't going to pass, so it was humiliatingly pulled. the white house eventually stopped negotiating with john boehner when it became clear there was no point. republicans were not taking instruction from him. so he couldn't promise anything about their behavior. so why would you talk to him about what republicans were going to do? in the end, his congress not only passed less legislation than any congress in american history, it could also not pass the basic keep government running bills that have bipartisan support, that have previously made their way across capitol hill with, yes, the usual wrangling, but with the expectation that they do have to