So with that, I’m going to take some questions.  And I’m going to start with Caren Bohan.
 
Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You racked up（击倒，获胜） a lot of wins in the last few weeks that a lot of people thought would be difficult to come by.  Are you ready to call yourself the “Comeback Kid”?  And also, as you look ahead to 2011, are you worried that bipartisan agreement will be a lot harder to reach on issues like deficit reduction and maybe even tax reform?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, as I said right after the midterm elections, we took a shellacking（殴打，彻底击败） .  And I take responsibility for that.  But I think what’s happened over the last several weeks is not a victory for me, it’s a victory for the American people. And the lesson I hope that everybody takes from this is that it’s possible for Democrats and Republicans to have principled disagreements; to have some lengthy arguments but to ultimately find common ground to move the country forward. 
 
That’s what we did with taxes.  Those arguments have not gone away.  I still believe that it doesn’t make sense for us to provide tax cuts to people like myself who don’t need them when our deficit and debts are growing.  That’s a debate that’s going to continue into 2011, and I know the Republicans feel just as strongly on the other side of that.
 
I think that we’re still going to have disagreements in terms of spending priorities.  It’s vital for us to make investments in education and research and development -- all those things that create an innovative economy -- while at the same time cutting those programs that just aren’t working.  And there are going to be debates between the parties on those issues.
 
But what we’ve shown is that we don’t have to agree on a hundred percent to get things done that enhance the lives of families all across America.  And if we can sustain that spirit, then regardless of how the politics play out in 2012, the American people will be better for it.  And that’s my ultimate goal.
 
Jake Tapper.
 
Q    Thanks, Mr. President.  Merry Christmas.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Merry Christmas.
 
Q    I have a couple questions about “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  First of all, congratulations.  What was your conversation like with Marine Commandant Amos when he expressed to you his concerns and yet he said that he would abide by whatever -- whatever the ruling was?  Can you understand why he had the position he did?  And then on the other hand, is it intellectually consistent to say that gay and lesbians should be able to fight and die for this country but they should not be able to marry the people they love?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  You know, I don’t want to go into detail about conversations in the Oval Office with my service chiefs.  Jim Amos expressed the same concerns to me privately that he expressed publicly during his testimony.  He said that there could be disruptions as a consequence of this.  And what I said to him was that I was confident, looking at the history of the military with respect to racial integration, with respect to the inclusion（包含） of women in our armed forces, that that could be managed.  And that was confirmed by the attitudinal studies that was done prior to this vote.
 
And what he assured me of -- and what all the service chiefs have assured me of -- is that regardless of their concerns about disruptions, they were confident that they could implement this policy without it affecting our military cohesion（凝聚，结合） and good discipline and readiness.  And I take them at their word.  And I’ve spoken to them since the vote took place and they have all said that we are going to implement this smartly and swiftly, and they are confident that it will not have an effect on our military effectiveness.
 
So I’m very heartened by that.  And I want to, again, give Bob Gates and Admiral Mullen enormous credit for having guided this process through in a way that preserves our primary responsibility to keep America safe and at the same time allows us to live up to our values.
 
With respect to the issue of whether gays and lesbians should be able to get married, I’ve spoken about this recently.  As I’ve said, my feelings about this are constantly evolving.  I struggle with this.  I have friends, I have people who work for me, who are in powerful, strong, long-lasting gay or lesbian unions.  And they are extraordinary people, and this is something that means a lot to them and they care deeply about.#p#分页标题#e#
 
At this point, what I’ve said is, is that my baseline is a strong civil union that provides them the protections and the legal rights that married couples have.  And I think -- and I think that’s the right thing to do.  But I recognize that from their perspective it is not enough, and I think is something that we’re going to continue to debate and I personally am going to continue to wrestle with（全力对付） going forward.
 
Q    But the military does not recognize civil unions, right?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I understand.  And as I said, this is going to be an issue that is not unique to the military -- this is an issue that extends to all of our society, and I think we’re all going to have to have a conversation about it.