Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel heard seemingly unending praise from President Obama after he announced Hagel was leaving his post, but Pentagon insiders widely reported he was being dumped. An unnamed "senior administration official" was quoted as saying Hagel "just wasn't the man for the job." More likely, Obama wants someone who doesn't challenge his decisions.

President Obama is following a "pick and choose" policy on executive orders. Asked in an interview if his action to change immigration laws was precedent for a future president to apply to taxes, he replied, "absolutely not."

Granting amnesty to 4 million or more undocumented immigrants would impose staggering costs on American taxpayers, according to a Washington think tank. An expert at the Heritage Foundation calculates the net cost of providing additional government benefits to those affected would amount to around $2 trillion over their lifetimes.