Closing out the most accomplished Congress in decades, President Obama is holding a year-end news conference at the White House before heading to Hawaii for a brief vacation with his family. You can watch the press conference here and add your thoughts in the comments as we blog it live.
Update: President Obama opened with a statement saluting the fact that despite predictions of gridlock, this lame duck session of Congress managed to accomplish a tremendous amount, including START, DADT, the 9/11 bill, and his tax cut deal. Additional update: President Obama highlighted the unemployment insurance and Social Security payroll tax holiday provisions of the tax cut deal. He also flagged the food safety bill.
Update: President Obama called this Congress the most productive in generations, but did say he was deeply disappointed it did not pass the DREAM Act so kids don't get punished for the actions of their parents. He also expressed frustration that his budget was not passed. But he said the productivity of the post-election session shows that despite differences, it's still possible to get things done.
Update: Obama closed his opening statement by thanking those serving the nation overseas and in the military.
Update: First question is whether President Obama is ready to call himself the comeback kid, and whether he thinks Congress will be as productive in 2011. Avoiding the urge to laugh out loud at the incredible stupidity of the question, President Obama pointed out that he doesn't believe the victories of the lame duck session are victories for himself -- they are victories for the public. He also said there will be serious debates in 2011, especially about the cuts that Republicans want to make with the budget, but that if the next Congress takes the same approach as this one, he was confident it could make progress.
Update: First question is from Tapper about DADT about the challenge of dealing with those in the military who are not happy with the passage of DADT, and whether opposition to marriage equality is consistent with the idea that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military. President Obama said he was confident the military could implement DADT retail. On the question of marriage equality, President Obama said he struggled with the issue, and that while his baseline was supporting a strong civil union law, his views are continually evolving. I suspect people will interpret his remarks as opening the door to gay marriage.
Update: Next question is from Dan Lothian about where President Obama thinks the economy is today and what the road ahead looks like. President Obama said things were heading the right way, but that there was still much work to be done, and that Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals need to work together and be flexible and focus on what works. He pointed to the auto bailout as an example where an unconventional policy was warranted. Lothian had also asked Obama whether with the election Republicans were now in control of economic policy. Obama pointed out that ultimately it's the public that's in charge.
Update: Mark Knoll of CBS asks President Obama whether he understands the outrage that Democrats felt about the tax cuts for the wealthy, and whether his rhetoric criticizing the tax cuts was partially responsible for the outrage. President Obama said he did understand not just why Democrats oppose those cuts, but also why some Republicans oppose them, saying that when the next Congress convenes, and the budget takes center stage, we're not only going to need to cut programs that don't work, but also pay for the things that are important -- and that's going to require revenue. While he did talk about the possibility of some budget cuts, the bulk of his answer focused on investments America needs to make, and the fact that in two years we're going to have to choose between making those investments and giving those tax cuts to wealthy people. President Obama pointed out that middle-class incomes haven't increased in a decade, while people in the top 1%, top 0.1%, and top 0.01% have a larger share of income wealth since the 1920s. Obama said America's great strength is a "thriving middle-class" and that rebuilding that thriving middle-class should be our goal as a nation. He was careful to say he wasn't against people like Steve Jobs becoming wealthy when they build great products, but he said the backbone of the country must be strong, and that it needed to be a part of the conversation over the next two years.
Update: The next question was on the failure to pass immigration reform. President Obama said his biggest disappointment was the failure of the DREAM Act vote which was blocked be Republicans and a handful of Democrats in the Senate. He said kids who grew up in America, kids who are willing to fight for America, who just want an education, should not be at risk for deportation. "It's heartbreaking. That can't be who we are...They didn't break a law. They were kids." President Obama said his administration was taking border security and cracking down on illegal employers seriously, but that we need to reform immigration -- at minimum passing the DREAM Act. "I'm going to go back at it," he said. "We've got to change the politics" in which Republicans who know better still block the DREAM Act for fear of electoral blowback. "One thing I hope people have seen during this lame duck, I am persistent. If I believe strongly in something I stay on it. And I believe strongly in this. ... I think about those kids and I want to do right by them."
Update: Fox asks about Guantanamo. Obama says the reason why he wants to close Guantanamo is that it's become the top recruitment tool for Al Qaeda -- that its very existence poses a threat to America because it fuels terrorist propaganda. Fox wanted him to comment on the ongoing Guantanamo review process, but Obama declined to comment because he hasn't received the review.
President Obama closed the press conference wishing the press corps a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy New Year.