THE PRESIDENCY Obama puts a rosy spin on rough year

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Putting a rosy spin on a difficult year, President Barack Obama acknowledged frustrating “ups and downs” Friday but exulted that the improving economy is creating new jobs and claimed crucial progress for his troubled health care overhaul. He predicted 2014 would be “a breakthrough year for America.”

In his annual year-end news conference, Obama refused to dwell on his tumbling approval ratings, the disastrous rollout of his signature health care law or the pile of unfinished domestic priorities he leaves behind as he heads for a Christmas holiday in Hawaii.

Asked whether this had been the worst year of his presidency so far, he laughed and said, “That’s not how I think about it.”

During the news conference, Obama mentioned Youngstown’s National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute for the second time this year.

After a reporter asked the president if this was the “worst year of [his] presidency,” Obama said there were a lot of accomplishments that have helped Americans “have more opportunity, have a little more security to feel as if, if they work hard, they can get ahead.”

He gave the NAMII as an example.

“A manufacturing hub that we set up in Youngstown, something that I talked about during the State of the Union, is going to create innovation and connect universities, manufacturers, job training to help create a renaissance — build on the renaissance that we’re seeing in manufacturing,” he said.

Yet not all was sunny.

He did suggest that, given widespread criticism, he may alter the power of the National Security Agency to collect information on Americans.

And when it came to the start of his health care law, Obama conceded that “we screwed it up,” and said, “I’m going to be making appropriate adjustments once we get through this year.” It was unclear if he meant to signal high-level personnel changes.

Obama does have some reason to be optimistic. He spoke hours after the government announced the economy grew at a solid 4.1 percent annual rate from July through September, the fastest pace since late 2011 and significantly higher than previously believed.

And he heralded a modest bipartisan budget deal that cleared Congress this week, saying that while it’s too soon to declare a new era of bipartisanship, Washington is “not condemned to endless gridlock.”