If theres ever a time to do the right thing, it's in the President's second term: it's all downhill, what the pundits say doesn't matter to re-electability, since there is none (unless you plan on going to another office later on...)
Unless the President is just hoping to shut everything down. Almost by definition he can do that without cooperation.
Just curious, has a president ever done that?
Reportedly, he hated being President and wished he'd never done it, but loved being a judge.