THE BLOOM IS OFF THE ROSE (AGAIN)

It’s time to act like a president.

Sooner or later it is going to occur to Barack Obama that he is the president of the United States. As of yet, though, he does not act that way, appearing promiscuously on television and granting interviews like the presidential candidate he no longer is. The election has been held, but the campaign goes on and on. The candidate has yet to become commander in chief.

From Richard Cohen, one of the Washington Post’s chief Obama apologists, no less.

The trouble with Obama is that he gets into the moment and means what he says for that moment only. He meant what he said when he called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" -- and now is not necessarily so sure. He meant what he said about the public option in his health-care plan -- and then again maybe not. He would not prosecute CIA agents for getting rough with detainees -- and then again maybe he would.... [H]e gave Congress an August deadline for passage of health-care legislation -- and then let it pass.

Cohen has belatedly recognized that every Obama promise -- every single one -- comes with an expiration date. What’s next? -- recognition that Obama will vote “present” until someone else is forced to make a decision -- and then “tut,tut” the decision with his (inevitably) perfect hindsight?