Obama to Democrats: Get back to work

CEDAR RAPIDS - Saying he's still 'fired up and ready to go,” President Barack Obama told supporters Monday they need to lick their wounds, but then get back to work on winning the next election.

'You're allowed to mope for a week and a half, maybe two if you need it,” Obama said in a conference call with supporters. Then the party has to 'come together and focus on the way ahead.”

Sounding many of the same themes as in his news conference earlier in the afternoon, Obama said Democrats have better ideas, 'but they have to be heard for us to actually translate those ideas into votes and, ultimately, into action.”

Democrats face geographic challenge because in 'big chunks” of the country their ideas aren't being heard and won't be unless Democrats are 'there fighting day in, day out for those ideas.”

Obama also took something of a victory lap during the 10 minutes he spend on the call with more than 16,000 supporters. He thanked those on the call for the 'incredible support you've shown me over the years has allowed me to do the good that we have done.”

'It is indisputable that the country is better off today than it was eight years ago,” he said.

The president acknowledged he hasn't accomplished all he wanted, but will continue to pursue his goals for the final months of his presidency.

'For the next two months, my main job is to make sure we finish up strong, so when I turn over the keys I can continue to say unequivocally and demonstrably that the country is better off than when I found it,” Obama said.

He didn't say what his role would be as Citizen Obama after Donald Trump assumes the presidency. But told his supporters he expects to be 'working shoulder to shoulder for many years.”

Obama also congratulated Hillary Clinton for her 'history-making race.”

'We did not get the results we wanted, but we took a step in shattering a barrier that's still there,” he said. 'That doesn't mean we don't hurt for what was an unexpected loss.”

Recalling his rise from an unknown Illinois state senator to the U.S. Senate and then presidency in four years, Obama said things can change quickly.

'So let's learn our lessons, lick our wounds, brush ourselves off and then we'll get back to work,” he said. 'All right.”