It would be a mistake to place all the blame for the government's fecklessness on the partial meltdowns at Fukushima, as Mr Kan made matters marginally worse by bungling several political initiatives. One of his early gambits-bringing the competent and widely respected former chief cabinet secretary, Yoshito Sengoku, back into the cabinet as deputy chief secretary, a position from which he could oversee the country's rescue and relief operations-was assuredly a good one. Insiders aver that this appointment clarified the lines of authority and increased the efficacy of the government's operations. But that has not stopped Mr Kan from intervening in a number of minute matters-"micromanaging", the critics have alleged-in a manner that some believe has retarded the rescue effort. He has also been developing a reputation among his underlings for a splenetic attitude that alienates people and renders them less inclined to co-operate. Evidence of these limitations may be seen in the prime minister's unsuccessful attempt to bring the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) into a coalition government. This was from the outset a difficult endeavor, for the leaders of that party had long insisted that they would never agree to form a unity government under his leadership. A chance of closer co-operation did, however, emerge in the wake of the disaster. But Mr Kan squandered this valuable opportunity on March 19th when, with no forewarning, he telephoned the LDP chief, Sadakazu Tanigaki, and asked him to join the government as deputy prime minister. The Liberal Democrat predictably rejected this overture. In retrospect it appears obvious that Mr Kan and his colleagues should have broached the topic with Mr Tanigaki's aides, perhaps negotiating an extensive and detailed proposal that the latter could then consider at his leisure. Having failed to perform such groundwork, the prime minister could not reasonably have expected his rival to accede to a coalition arrangement. Mr Tanigaki therefore took his party and retreated into his previous stance of refusing to serve as the DPJ's junior partner in Mr Kan's cabinet.