PER WEHNER: Obama’s Lear-like Rage. “Mr. Obama’s effort at emotional blackmail has failed, and in bitterly lashing out at those who called him out on his demagoguery, he went some distance toward confirming that he is, in fact, a demagogue. Three months into his second term, Mr. Obama is becoming an increasingly bitter and powerless figure. When a man who views himself as a world-historic figure and our Moral Superior commands things to happen and they don’t, it isn’t a pretty sight. See yesterday’s Rose Garden statement for more.”

Meanwhile, a reader emails: “I wonder how all those wringing their hands over the failure of the gun bills would feel…if the nation’s abortion policies were based on the Kermit Gosnell atrocities?”

Yes, the emotional-blackmail thing only goes one way, apparently. But it’s interesting that it was such a colossal failure this time. Putting forward people to promote your cause, and then maintaining that no one is allowed to argue with or criticize them because of their victim status must have looked like a sure winner to the White House, but they overplayed their hand and it backfired.

UPDATE: More backfire. This emotional bullying stuff just doesn’t seem to intimidate people on the right anymore. I guess when you’ve been called a racist every time you disagreed with Obama’s healthcare policy, such things lose their power.

And reader Drew Kelley emails: “Remember how we joked about Obama’s first, and second, terms being – in a best case scenario – another term of Carter? Today, it seems that this term is turning into a reprise of Nixon, but with a President even more bitter.”