The morning after Inauguration Day, Maureen Dowd marveled at "the patience that America is extending to Mr. Obama." The day after President Obama lost two appointees to tax problems, she chastised him in a column titled, "Well, That Certainly Didn't Take Long." No matter how many times the president warns us that the nation's problems won't be solved overnight, the chattering classes are already buzzing, "But you've had two weeks!" Don't let the "Change-o-Meter" get you down: While Tom Daschle's exit on Tuesday was a deeply painful loss for the Obama White House, the new president is still off to a good start, and the long-term prospects for his agenda are as strong as ever/Bruce Reed, Slate. More here.

Question: Do you agree with Coeur d'Alene native Bruce Reed that President Obama is off to a good start? Why? Why not?