The White House may have suffered a blow last night when the Senate rejected Obama’s jobs bill. But simply the fact that we’re calling it a “jobs bill” – and not a stimulus or a spending bill – shows the White House has at least been successful in defining the debate.

Now that the plan will be broken up and voted on piecemeal, Republicans have a chance to change things. The GOP will be able to highlight the more controversial aspects of the legislation – like the tax hikes – while supporting other measures. It will make it more difficult for Obama to accuse Republicans of obstructionism on “job-creation.”

But that doesn’t mean Obama won’t benefit from this, too. While Americans aren’t crazy about the American Jobs Act, they view individual proposals in the plan favorably. Breaking up the bill could give Obama a chance to actually get many of his measures through Congress – assuming that’s actually what he wants to do.