Obama on Not Reaching Across the Aisle: At 6:30 'We Want to Be at the Dinner Table With Our Kids

President Obama is receiving a mixture of praise and scorn for his recent interview with CNN's Jessica Yellin, where he explained that his failure to develop relationships with congressional lawmakers is partially because he would rather be "at the dinner table" with his children.

Breitbart's Tony Lee wrote an article titled, "Obama Blames Washington Gridlock, Partisanship on Family, Daughters," and one Twitter user implied the president's family is becoming the latest excuse after "Bush, ATM's, tsunami, Wall Street..."

The president told Yellin:

"Sometimes Michelle and I not doing the circuit, going out to dinners with folks is perceived as us being cool -- it actually has more to do with us being parents.  When we’re in town here in Washington, in the evenings, 6:30 we want to be at the dinner table with our kids, and I want to be helping with the homework and I think that’s sometimes interpreted as me not wanting to be out there slapping backs and wheeling and dealing.

“It really just has more to do with just the stage we are in our lives."

Watch his remarks, via CNN, below:

Rather than point out how many private sector employees have a hard time being home at 6:30 for dinner and homework-help, or how it is somewhat peculiar that the president of the United States seems to desire "banker's hours," Yellin asked Obama whether he would behave similarly in his second term.

Responding to the joke that his girls are getting older and may not always want to spend their evenings with "mom and dad," Obama said: “My hope is that getting past this election, people will have an opportunity to maybe step back and say… 'the differences that divide us aren’t as important as the common bonds we have as Americans,' and some of that I’m sure will require additional effort on my part.”

He added: “Hopefully we’ll see more on the other side as well.”

CNN will air the full interview, titled "Obama Revealed: The Man, The President," on Monday night.

(H/T: Weasel Zippers)

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