Yes, in his press conference today the president gave lip service to principles of unity and bilateralism. But he also said this:
And it’s one of the wonderful — it’s like earning capital. You asked, do I feel free. Let me put it to you this way: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style. That’s what happened in the — after the 2000 election, I earned some capital. I’ve earned capital in this election — and I’m going to spend it for what I told the people I’d spend it on, which is — you’ve heard the agenda: Social Security and tax reform, moving this economy forward, education, fighting and winning the war on terror.
If he thinks he won “political capital” after the 2000 “election,” and his autocratic style of governing reflected it, I can’t even imagine what he’ll be like with the “capital” to which he thinks a 1% majority entitles him.