Now that we've given more than $1 Trillion tax payer dollars to the private sector to bail out and or socialize banking and investment institutions, plus the astronomical cost of the Iraq adventure, it's going to be hard to find money for anything that would benefit ordinary Americans. (Like not leaving children behind, for example.)

Bush Junior left behind an economic catastrophe, a terrible quagmire in Iraq and a second in Afghanistan (where even the Republicans won't dare claim progress), people still living in FEMA trailers from Katrina, and the list goes on and on.

These things need to be fixed, and that will take money. Has the magnitude of the problem tied President Obama's hands?

Sounds like you are making excuses for him before hes failed. I do agree, though, that his failure is a given.

No, GWB's policy and 6 years of rubber stamping Republicans in Congress created the excuse, which is unfolding as a recession even today.

Before Clinton's election in 1993, he had promised a number of welfare reforms for Americans once he got in. However, shortly after victory, he was told that any more spending would cause the American economy to collapse - a problem caused by the previous Republican government. Clinton was forced to give up most of his ideas and let the markets sort things out (which ultimately wasn't good news for the working class).

Will Obama be forced to do the same? Government debt is continually growing and the recent bailouts add billions more to it. Obama promised a lot of reforms, including better healthcare and renewal energy investment. Problem is, he'll be left to clear up Bush Jr.'s mess, the same as Clinton had to clear up Bush Sr.'s mess. Will the Democrats always be forced to clean up after the mess Republicans leave?!

You mean the legacy that Obama voted for last week??