It sounds less virtuous if you see it as an attempt to make sure this argument runs into election year, and indeed the campaign is prosecuted with a rerun of this row in the background.

BBC: Low viciousness and high drama

Even those with less than virtuous motives.

FORBES: Say Good-Bye to Email?

It means less folks are being hired, and we can be back in a downward spiral instead of the kind of virtuous cycle that we want to see.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Speaks on the Importance of Extending Tax Cuts for Middle-Class Families | The White House