recess appointment of richard cordray. politico asking the question, thats the president given up trying to work with republicans? what's the story here? >> i think he has given up. if you talk to the president's aides, they're saying the president doesn't think the system's on the level that republicans will never work with him. he's clearly made the decision now that hope and change are out the door for the next year and it's going to be a sort of thumb in your eye type of politics with the republicans and with the business community. he made this recess appointment, knew it would be a defiant act against congress. and i think it signals you'll have very little of substance get done over the next year and it's going to be even more partisan in 2012 than it was in 2011, which is hard to imagine given the level of dysfunction that we saw over the last 12 months, but that's the bet the president is making. he thinks it positions him well with independents and he thinks it's the only option he really has. and there is risk to this. because independents don't like it when all they see is