David Gergen: White House Scandals Show "Relative Inexperience," Obama Team Good at Politics, Not Good at Executing Policies

To say the least

In a place accustomed to tough stretches, this has been a particularly tough few days at the White House.

After emerging from the showdown over the Republican-led government shutdown relatively unscathed, the Obama administration finds itself under assault on three fronts: problems surrounding Obamacare, the revelations of the U.S. spying on allies, and the 2012 attack on the U.S diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, the latter for which a senator has threatened to hold up all of the Obama administration's nominations.

The controversies are sure to fuel continued Republican attacks on President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies as the nation gears up for midterm elections next year, and the White House has portrayed the attacks as so much partisan chatter.