This is not the first time that Democrats have lost their Congressional footing. During President Clinton’s first term, Newt Gingrich famously led a Republican revolution and took over Congress in 1994. Despite the setback, Clinton won a second term and is prominent in American politics even today. In fact, President Obama recently tapped Clinton in to endorse his tax-cut deal with Republicans. Might Obama have more to learn from the way Clinton handled his Congressional defeat? Historian Rick Perlstein shared his thoughts. Perlstein is author of "Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America."

Music Button: Jason Robinson, "The Two Faces of Janus", from the CD The Two Faces of Janus, (Cuneiform)