EU, want to know why it seems to achieve so little.

ECONOMIST: Europe's mid-life crisis

In the end, it comes down to a decision by Republicans that they are unwilling to do what the American people say they believe should be done, which is ask the very wealthiest Americans, millionaires and billionaires, to pay a little bit extra so that we can achieve the kind of deficit reduction and long-term debt control that we need.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Little, then, to suggest that here was a man who would achieve so much in his later career.

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And the worse news is that this is about as good as it ever gets: with so much stonewalling from North Korea, just keeping the talks going, no matter how little they achieve, has become something of an end in itself.

ECONOMIST: Korean countdown