It apparently doesn’t occur to the AP reporter that Obama kicked the Republicans in the teeth directly and through his proxies Pelosi, Reid and Wasserman-Shultz for years without ever attempting to listen to their points of view. Now that he wants to outreach, the story, as usual, makes the Republicans into the villains for not immediately embracing bipartisanship.
Obama does not know the meaning of compromise. He has demonstrated consistently that it must be his way or no way. It isn’t election year politics causing the Republicans to resist then new “outreach” it is Obama’s behavior. There is no trust. Of course, the media doesn’t see it that way.