Apparently he can't do two things at once

If Obama gets a health care bill -- and even if he doesn't -- this Spring will mark a major transformation in his approach to governing, as I mentioned yesterday. He's no longer flooding the zone. He's no longer staying above the fray. He's no longer relying on public opinion, or his own power to move it. In short, he's no longer playing it cool.

A reader notes how dramatic, in the context of those reversals, is his decision to cancel his trip to Asia. At the crucial moment in 2008, it was Obama's decision not to suspend his campaign when McCain did that cemented the perception that he was ready for the presidency. At the time, this was his rationale:

"It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once." (source)