President Obama had one of his worst weeks, saved from a total flop by lower unemployment, according to pollster John Zogby. He writes in our weekly Obama report card that after losing the Senate, the president needs to accept defeat better and give the public what it wants — working with the Republican congressional majority.

“Americans don’t only have to live in a world of unresolved crises. We now have to absorb the fact that the players who lead our government and political system no longer accept the rules of engagement.