Not quite Nixon

There will be no shortage of investigations of the IRS affair,which is as it should be,and Republicans in Congress will no doubt pursue Benghazi until the last talking point is gasping for breath. Fine. At the same time we hope Congress will keep in mind that serious business is pending: immigration reform,a tax code overhaul,a looming debt-ceiling deadline and more. The world,from Syria to the South China Sea,remains dangerous.

For its part,the administration this week has seemed at times arrogant and at others,defensive and flat-footed. When the second-term team took shape a few months ago,we worried about the preponderance of staff loyalists over people of independent stature. Obamas advisors are smart and hardworking,but when you think about his first-term circle including Robert M. Gates,Hillary Clinton,Rahm Emanuel and Timothy F. Geithner its not clear this time around who might have the standing and the inclination to speak up when the president errs. Every second-term president needs that kind of help,even if he doesnt relish it.

From a leader in The Washington Post