Washington (CNN)  -- You don't need to peek at Santa's long list to know what the White House is asking for this holiday season -- a large, nicely wrapped box of bipartisanship. The ideal gift would come fully assembled, with members of Congress ready to reach across the aisle and "budge on some deeply held positions," as President Obama said earlier this week. But compromise is easier said than done because, as incoming House Speaker John Boehner points out, "There's a reason why we have Democrats and Republicans. We believe in different things about the appropriate role of the federal government." Even the president had to admit that history is not on his side.
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Midterm elections changed the dynamic in Washington
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Obama admits he hasn't done enough to reach out to Republicans so far
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A new effort at bipartisanship seems to be getting off to a rough start
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Progress will hinge on Washington being much less naughty and a bit more nice
However, there was one major concession: The president admitted privately to @placeholder that he had not reached out to them enough in the first two years of his administration and he vowed to do a better job.