WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is asserting that he still retains influence in the capital despite recent setbacks.
Obama says "things are pretty dysfunctional on Capitol Hill." But he invoked Mark Twain to declare that rumors of his political demise are exaggerated.
He told a Tuesday news conference he remains confident that he and Congress can still achieve significant legislation. He specifically cited immigration and predicted that overhaul in the law would be a "historic achievement."
Obama, however, was unable to win any gun control measures and the government is now trying to deal with across-the-board spending cuts that Obama had once worked to avoid.
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