Carney: Obama sees ‘regrettable level of hyperpartisanship’ in Washington

Even though he promised to bridge partisanship before coming into office, President Obama “accepts that there is still a regrettable level of hyperpartisanship,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday.

Carney said there were “instances” in which the tone on Pennsylvania Avenue “got in the way of moving forward.”

{mosads}“But that’s not an excuse to stop trying,” Carney said.

The spokesman said Obama believes there’s still an opportunity to work with Congress to accomplish “big things.”

Carney used an example of the GOP’s persistent call last year to release Obama’s birth certificate as a “gratuitously stupid side show.”

“Our challenges are too big to be dragged down by these kinds of things,” he said.

He rejects the idea that nothing can get done in an election year,” Carney said, adding that the president will “very much call for action” in tomorrow’s State of the Union address.