One Measure of the Change Over These Four Years

Consider this paragraph from an AP story:

Obama is already asking lawmakers for a lot as he starts his second term. He needs their votes to increase the nation's borrowing limit and approve billions of dollars to keep the government running.

Think about that a moment. According to a news story--not an opinion piece, but an ostensibly "objective" news story--this is "a lot." Expecting the Congress to do what had always been routine until Barack Obama became president is now "a lot."

One could do worse if looking for a single factoid to illustrate how dysfunctional our politics has become.