On the question why Team Obama went small, the evidence is that it's the same as with health care and financial reform and everythign else: they knew bigger was better, but feared opposition from Republicans and bankers/financial markets, and cut it down pre-emptively to cut down the flak they would get -- a weird strategy that has been a consistent failure.
^^^^ CB: The usual sensible comment from Mr. Pollak... though there is nothing evidently weird about the strategy since even the "small" ones
did consistently fail because of Republican and Tea Party ( aided by the monopoly media) opposition, meaning the O admin's fears were correct.