Claiming a mandate from his election romp over Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama announced on Friday that he had invited congressional leaders to the White House next week for talks on how to steer the battered economy away from a “fiscal cliff.” Obama said he was open to compromise with Republicans—but that any final deal needed to raise taxes on the richest Americans.

“This was a central question during the election,” the president said in brief remarks in the East Room of the White House. “It was debated over and over again, and on Tuesday night we found out that a majority of Americans agree with my approach.

“Our job now is to get a majority in Congress to reflect the will of the American people,” Obama said. “I’m not wedded to every detail of my plan. I’m open to compromise. I’m open to new ideas. I’m committed to solving our fiscal challenges. But I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced.”

“The American people understand that we’re going to have differences and disagreements in the months to come. They get that,” Obama said. “But on Tuesday, they said loud and clear that they won’t tolerate dysfunction, they won’t tolerate politicians who view compromise as a dirty word—not when so many Americans are still out of work.

“What the American people are looking for is cooperation, they’re looking for consensus, they’re looking for common sense. Most of all they want action,” the president said. “I intend to deliver for them in my second term, and I expect to find willing partners in both parties to make that happen.
“So let’s get to work.”

Yahoo! News