As two more of his cabinet nominees bit the dust over tax troubles, threatening to derail his agenda of change, President Barack Obama admitted in a series of TV interviews he screwed up.

At CBS, Obama plainly said: "I screwed up". At CNN he was a little thoughtful: "I think I screwed up, and I take responsibility for it." And at NBC he wondered: "Did I screw up in this situation? Absolutely. And I'm willing to take my lumps."