Barack Obama reminds us that the clock hasn't run out on the fourth quarter of his presidency -- unfortunately -- and he has some work left to do. "Part of my goal is also to restore a sense of possibility in our politics and our government," he said. "And in some cases, that means challenging folks who are practicing the worst kind of cynical politics, and a politics based on fear rather than hope." Of course, Obama's politics are the most cynical kind, though he'd never admit it. And he's going to keep pushing his agenda. "Two years is a long time," he added. "And two years is also the time in which we're going to be setting the stage for the next presidential election and the next 10 years of American policy. And so I intend to run through the tape and work really hard, and squeeze every last little bit of change and improvement in the lives of ordinary Americans and middle-class families that I can." Middle-class squeeze is just about right.