President Obama has cut short his annual vacation in Hawaii to return to Washington for talks on the so-called fiscal cliff. Obama and congressional Republicans are seeking to work out a deal before a new round of spending cuts and tax hikes kick in next week. On Friday, Obama said he remains confident that an agreement can be reached.

President Obama: “Nobody can get 100 percent of what they want, and this is not simply a contest between parties in terms of who looks good and who doesn’t. There are real-world consequences to what we do here. Call me a hopeless optimist, but I actually still think we can get it done.”