What happened to hope and change?
The White House says the spirit is still alive a year after Obama's inauguration, but there have definitely been some challenges.
"We've had a productive year," said Senior Advisor David Axelrod to NBC's Andrea Mitchell. But he added "we've got a lot of things to do, to bring ecomomic security to the middle class, families, workers in this country."
With the results of the Massachussetts Senate race the Obama team is convinced the health care fight is not over, but it's time to refocus on the economy.
Illinois GOP party Chairman Pat Brady says the Massachusetts victory is no fluke.
"Illinois is next," says Brady. "Illinois is under control of the single-party rule," and Brady believes "the Democrats have brought us to financial collapse."
In the past year there have been many firsts -- from Blackberry news alert messages from the White House to YouTube "fireside chat" videos -- but without health care reform and the lingering recession voters are impatient.
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The president will travel to Ohio Friday -- an all-important battleground state as he looks to refocus his priorities.
