US President Barack Obama's hopes of sparking rapid political transformation in 2009 fell short, yet his bruised administration still dreams of forging historic change in the year to come. After 11 months in power, Obama is greyer, drained by Washington's acrimony and no longer an untested source of hope for millions, but a commander-in-chief who agonised, then escalated the Afghan war. Once soaring approval ratings are now under 50 per cent in some polls - dangerous territory for any president. Obama endured a chastening learning curve abroad, and saw an ambitious domestic agenda slow in Congress. But if lawmakers soon...