Last week the President met with representatives from the health care industry to discuss health care reform and ways in which the industry, in working with the government, can reduce cost for Americans--who have seen health care cost sky-rocket in recent years. After the summit was over the President went before the cameras and spoke about how successful the summit was and announced plans to reduce the cost of health care around to country by two trillion dollars.

However, as Jason Rosenbaum wrote about on the Huffington Post, seemingly moments after the industry, which seemed on board when they stood behind the President, released statements downplaying that expectation. (See here)

It should not be surprising that big business would go back on its word just as quickly as they reached a consensus with the President; nevertheless, in Washington despite his popularity, support among the American people, and supposedly indefinite political capital to address the big issues Obama comes across as all bark and no bite.

There seems to be a set routine now to how things go down in the nation's capital. It starts with the President coming out publicity with assertive rhetoric on any given issue only to have what he said eroded behind the cameras by others in his administration, or in some cases himself, or those in Congress.

To a certain extent it can be argued that this is how it goes in Washington: the President proposes legislation or changes to the current system, and Congress dilutes its effectiveness. However, such a Washington seems to run contrary to President Obama's campaign mission to change the way Washington works, which has led some to argue that Obama's 2012 campaign motto should be changed from "Yes We Can" to the more realistic "If We Can".

Make no mistake the President has been ambitious since taking office. He has proposed drastic changes to the way Washington does business; but has not been able to follow-through to the fullest, and as result has allowed too much of "more of the same" to slip through the cracks.

Realizing this the President in his more recent public appearances has taken to reminding the American people that he will not get all that he wants when his bills hit the floor of the Congress. Rather than using his momentum beyond the rhetoric and utilizing the bully pulpit, the President has taken to downplaying expectations, on the economy, health care reform, and energy; which might be the politically wise thing to do before the inevitable storm of dissatisfied voters comes along, but  nevertheless comes across as a let down to his avid voters.

The President has been able to keep his base for the most part sedated with small changes scattered around the federal government, such as capping executive pay and compensation or releasing the torture memos from the past administration; however, such scraps, in comparison to the real issues at hand, can only keep his base happy for so long.

What the country needs now are major changes to how things have operated for the past decades, but neither the Obama administration nor the Democrats in Congress appear to be up to the task of seizing the moment, but rather seem content with talking about the sweeping changes that are needed and going about business as usual when the press conference is over.

Despite large numbers in the House and a solid lead in the Senate, Democrats have still found themselves on the defensive in the Congress to obstructionist Republicans, who have still managed to be able to dictate the debate since January. While House Republicans have solidified their opposition, Democratic leaders have had to try andcorale as many votes as possible; and in the Senate it is even worse. President Obama who could put more pressure on the Congress as a whole, but also certainly his party, has distanced himself politically from the second branch of the federal government, even though he meets with Democratic leaders on an almost daily basis.

While some have criticized the bully pulpit as an ineffective political tactic, which can make more enemies in the Congress than necessary, it can be a useful tool for a President to push his or her agenda. In particular useful for President Obama who has a to deal with a divisive Congress. President Obama has chosen a more conciliatory approach to dealing with the Congress, which as we have seen has put the course of the country in the hands of a few Senators, and has allowed his agenda to be derailed by petty American politics.

Of course there is always the notion that our expectations might be too high of the new president. In the lead up to the election Josef Joffe, editor and publisher of the German newspaper Die Zeit, was a guest on CNN's Fareed Zakaria's GPS where he foresaw that eventually Obama's enthusiastic supporters would eventually hit the wall that is American politics and realize that Obama was not, or cannot be, the President we all envisioned him as during the campaign.

The confidence which once existed in the progressive sphere that Obama will be able to pass a health care bill that guarantees health care for all Americans, end the war in Iraq by next year, put the country on a path toward energy independence, and much more seems to be diminishing. The question now is whether or not that confidence will completely vanish or recalibrate  to more humble goals rather than optimistic ideal ones.