Sunday Roundup

It was an up and down week for President Obama. His speech in Osawatomie, Kan. was an up, as he correctly identified the ways our political and economic system are rigged against the middle class as "the defining issue of our time." It would have been much, much better though if the speech had been given two years ago. On the other hand, his politically motivated cave-in on the Plan B morning-after pill was definitely a down (made worse by his claim that HHS Secretary Sebelius was the ultimate decider on this one). Memo to the president: the people who want to deny teens access to birth control are never going to support you -- no matter how many reproductive rights or cabinet members you throw under the bus. Finally, Obama had the quote of the week when, in response to GOP claims that his foreign policy is based on "appeasement," he replied: "Ask Osama bin Laden... whether I engage in appeasement."