Obama vows an active role in 2016 presidential race

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama closed his next-to-last year in office with rare praise for congressional Republican leaders who helped orchestrate a bipartisan budget deal Friday, then vowed to work hard to beat the GOP and get a fellow Democrat elected to succeed him in the White House. "I do want to thank Congress for ending the year on a high note," Obama said in his annual year-end news conference. He singled out former House Speaker John Boehner for kick-starting the budget proce

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama closed his next-to-last year in office with rare praise for congressional Republican leaders who helped orchestrate a bipartisan budget deal Friday, then vowed to work hard to beat the GOP and get a fellow Democrat elected to succeed him in the White House. "I do want to thank Congress for ending the year on a high note," Obama said in his annual year-end news conference. He singled out former House Speaker John Boehner for kick-starting the budget proce…