The president appeared slightly defeated, somewhat exhausted, and understandably saddened from the loss of so many allies in Congress and a few Governor’s mansions. But Mr. Obama was also quick to remind Republicans not to use their tea party-fueled victories as an excuse to overreach. And to all the late night political pundits who deduced the presidential agenda was a bit misguided, Mr. Obama countered that it just didn’t kick in quickly enough to repair the enormous damage left to him by Republicans.
“We’d be misreading the election if we thought that the American people want to see us for the next two years re-litigate arguments that we had over the last two years,” the president said during the nearly 1 hour news conference. But with Democrats losing at least 60 House seats and at least half a dozen in the Senate, the new Republican leadership is eager to clash with the president over key issues including health care and taxes.
“We’re determined to stop the agenda Americans have rejected,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared at the Capitol. “We’ll work with the administration when they agree with the people, and confront them when they don’t.” And if Democrats don’t get the message voters sent, he predicted, the electorate will deliver more punishment in 2012.
Although President Obama never apologized for his agenda, he did recognize that his party had been chastised, as he took full responsibility for the huge Democratic losses. “The overwhelming message that I hear from the voters is that we want everybody to act responsibly in Washington. We want you to work harder to arrive at consensus,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job, just like everybody else in Washington does.”
(Sigh)…If the President still doesn't understand that "IT'S.THE.ECONOMY.STUPID."…then I don't know what to say???The "shellacking" IMO, was NOT about failing to "get alon" with Repubs. In fact, Pres. Obama wasted way too much time trying to do JUST THAT…"get along" with Repubs. When, after a certain Time, it should have become clear to him that the Repubs had ZERO interest in trying to "get long" and work with him for the good of "The People" because the Repub base HATES the President. Period. IF the President had spent most of his first 2yrs in office focused on a real JOBS creation plan, had he fought tooth and nail VERY PUBLICLY to help the poor and working middle-class in this country, the majority of American voters would have continued to "have his back" AGAINST the Repubs. Nobody but the conservative base and a few other Haters would have paid Repub candidates any mind!But he failed to do THAT. And if he doesn't get THAT..if he doesn't get to work on THAT_and QUICK_he… Read more »