Last week, Republican Scott Brown's decisive win in liberal territory (Massachusetts) added another impediment to the would-be political machine that Democrats have been trying to build. Read more...

Photo: President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall-style meeting at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio, on Friday as part of his White House to Main Street Tour. Seizing a chance to reconnect, Obama used his first State of the Union address Wednesday to try to persuade the people of a frustrated nation that he is on their side, aides close to Obama said.