The video: Following what he admitted was a "long night" that saw Republicans gain control of the House and make major gains in the Senate, a "subdued" President Obama gave a post-election news conference on Wednesday. Characterizing the midterm results as a "shellacking," Obama said he would seek better cooperation with Republicans in the next Congress. "We were in such a rush to get things done that we didn't change how things get done," the president said.
The reaction: "Post-partisan Obama is back! I think..." says Chris Good in The Atlantic. This is "the first time we've heard him talk about this stuff since the 2008 campaign." Maybe, says Jonah Goldberg at the AEI blog, but his take on "partisanship" seems more than a bit disingenuous. If you listen closely, the president says that he "hopes the GOP will appreciate that this election was a message to Republicans not to re-ignite the healthcare debate." Newly elected conservatives might "plausibly conclude" otherwise. Watch the president's remarks:
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