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Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 1:45 PM UTC

Obama: DC ‘feels as broken as it did 4 years ago’

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Topics: From the Wires,

Obama: DC 'feels as broken as it did 4 years ago'President Barack Obama holds a re-election campaign rally despite the heavy rain at the historic Walkerton Tavern & Gardens in Glen Allen, Va., near Richmond Saturday, July 14, 2012. It is in the Congressional district represented by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., a key county in a crucial swing state of the presidential election. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(Credit: AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Washington “feels as broken as it did four years ago,” when he took office.

He’s most frustrated by the inability “to change the atmosphere” in the capital “to reflect the decency and common sense of ordinary people” who want leaders to solve problems.

He adds “there’s enough blame to go around for that.”

Obama tells CBS’ “Sunday Morning” that there’s no doubt that he underestimated how much “politics trump problem-solving.”

On a lighter note, he says the White House will be a quieter place this summer because his daughters will be in sleep-away camp for a month — and their parents will be “experiencing the first stages of empty nest syndrome.”

Asked if he’s prepared, the president says, “Well, I get a little depressed.”

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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