Obama urges "sense of perspective" on fiscal cliff issues

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that lawmakers need to put aside the partisan rancor over talks to avert the year-end fiscal cliff in light of the massacre of 26 people, including 20 children, at a Connecticut elementary school.

"If there's one thing we should have after this week, it should be a sense of perspective about what's important," Obama said at a briefing, when asked whether he thought Republicans would be able to cooperate with him to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts associated with the fiscal cliff.

(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland; Editing by Vicki Allen)