President Obama ended 2011 by predicting a contentious 2012.
In his final weekly address of the year, the president said he was hopeful about making progress on his agenda in the coming year but warned that it wouldn't be easy.
"We’ve got some difficult debates and some tough fights to come," Obama said. "As I’ve said before, we are at a make-or-break moment for the middle class. And in many ways, the actions we take in the months ahead will help determine what kind of country we want to be, and what kind of world we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in."
The president did take a different tack in his relations with Congress. Throughout the fight over extending the payroll tax holiday, Obama told lawmakers to "do their jobs," but on Saturday he thanked them for passing a short-term extension.
"It was good to see Members of Congress do the right thing for millions of working Americans," Obama said.
He didn't give Congress members too much credit for passing a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. Rather he thanked ordinary Americans for influencing the proceedings in Washington.
"But it was only possible because you added your voices to the debate," Obama said. "Through email and Twitter and over the phone, you let your representatives know what was at stake: your lives; your families; your well-being. You had the courage to believe that your voices could make a difference."
