He obviously helped himself last night, with the public, if not the Right (lesson: Clintonian sleight-of-hand can pay political dividends). Assuming something along the lines of what he wants gets through the Senate, the question is what the House does. You can just see the wrestling match now, with the White House leaning on members to save Bush’s presidency by not handing him a shattering defeat. This kind of appeal tends to work, but it might not this time, with members concerned with their own survival and not feeling particularly good about past votes the White House urged on them on NCLB and prescription drugs. It will be fascinating to watch.