Obama says he blew it on bipartisanship

Ahead of his first meeting with GOP lawmakers since Election Day, when Republicans won majority control of the House, President Obama said Sunday that he hadn't done enough to change the tone in Washington.

Obama said his "obsessive focus" on implementing his policies caused him to ignore efforts to work more closely with Republicans.

"I neglected some things that matter to a lot of people, and rightly so: maintaining a bipartisan tone in Washington," Obama told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled back to Washington after a 10-day trip to Asia. "I think, moving forward, I'm going to redouble my efforts to go back to some of those first principles. And the fact that we are out of crisis—although still, obviously, in a difficult time--I think will give me the capacity to do that."

The president's remarks come as Congress returns to Washington this week for a lame-duck session to take up one issue that may test Obama's pledge to work with Republicans: the so-called Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

The GOP is pressing for a permanent extension of the tax cuts, including those covering the wealthiest Americans. The White House has sent mixed signals over its willingness to compromise on tax cuts for the rich. Last week, Obama adviser David Axelrod told the Huffington Post that the White House might be open to a temporary extension of all the cuts. But Obama later dialed back on that idea, saying he remains opposed to tax cuts for the wealthy.

The president is set to meet with GOP leadership on the issue Thursday at the White House.

(Photo of Obama returning Sunday to the White House: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)