Obama, McConnell Looking for Common Ground

The president and the Republican leader sound some conciliatory notes.

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, talks to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, during a meeting with members of Congress on foreign policy in Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, July 31, 2014
Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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By Richard Rubin, Kathleen Hunter and Phil Mattingly

November 5, 2014 at 9:59 PM UTC

Updated on

November 6, 2014 at 3:12 AM UTC

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President Barack Obama and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said they will reach for common ground on issues such as international trade and a tax-code revision after Republicans won control of the Senate.

The president told reporters in Washington that yesterday’s election sent a message that voters want him and lawmakers to “get stuff done.” While pledging to find areas of agreement with Republicans, Obama said he wants to see their agenda and warned that neither side will get all it wants.