The Bear is loose!

Via WSJ:

Midway through his second term, a six-year itch has set in as Mr. Obama increasingly has been talking about gridlock on Capitol Hill and the confines of the White House. His advisers say the president has “cabin fever,” and that he simply wants to be able to go for a walk.

The antidote has been a series of choreographed outings—among them eating a burrito bowl at Chipotle and picking up barbecue in Austin, Texas—aimed at connecting Mr. Obama with average Americans…

The sharply partisan tone Mr. Obama once reserved for Democratic fundraisers now infuses official events. Largely absent from his speeches are suggestions that any sort of deals might be struck with Republicans.

“He’s given up all pretense now of working with Congress,” said Bert Rockman, a professor of political science at Purdue University. “He’s really frustrated with the environment he’s in. All presidents are, but this one is more than most.”