If and when it becomes apparent that the stimulus plan wasn't enough, the administration will come back for more, and with the stakes thus raised, Congress will be under increased public pressure to not be so tepid in its response to the crisis.

it has long been my educated opinion, both as a former House leadership staff member and a student of legislative process in general, that the worst legislation ever enacted into public law are those measures which are "fast-tracked" in response to a perceived demand, i.e., deliberated by legislators superficially and perfunctorily, and then passed quickly and expeditiously without due and proper consideration of the potential consequences.

Twice during its 1995-96 regular sessions, the California State Legislature sewed the seeds of enormous chaos for its own citizens when, at the behest and demand of then-Gov. Pete Wilson, it hastily imposed two very poorly conceived solutions to address vexing and longstanding issues concerning workers' compensation insurance and energy deregulation, respectively.

Both measures were the subjects of little substantive debate in either chamber, and were passed unanimously by both the Assembly and the Senate within five weeks of their respective introductions.

The first quickly became a debacle, leading to a multifold, aggregate and across-the-board increase in workers' comp premiums for all California businesses within an 24-month period.

The latter was a political fiasco of the first order of magnitude, a political time-bomb that four years hence of its approval rendered California vulnerable to massive corporate fraud by Enron, et al., which led in turn to statewide brownouts, Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for two major utilities and ultimately, the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis, who ironically had little to do with either ill-fated policy development, yet became the fixed and hapless target of the ensuing public wrath.

Therefore, I suggest that you show some patience here, and let this play out. Remember that FDR's ultimately successful presidency was a collective body of work developed over a period of years, not in a matter of weeks or months.

These are not superhumans up on Capitol Hill and in the White House, you know. Rather, they are ordinary men and women who -- despite their obvious shortcomings -- still reflect a broad cross-section of American society, and right now they're collectively groping their way in the dark through uncharted territory, as are many of us.

What I do believe is that this crisis calls for a leader who has infinite energy; is flexible and practical; willing to try new things; willing to admit when they don't work out; willing to say he made a mistake.  

And note that his staying in that chairmanship came about because Obama wanted it.