President Barack Obama speaks to the media as he and first lady Michelle Obama meet with a group of mothers in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — There were no champagne corks popping at the White House after Congress passed a two-year budget deal, no declarations of a new era of cooperation in President Barack Obama’s second term.

Instead, the modest agreement that passed Wednesday served as a stark year-end reminder of how low expectations for Washington sank in 2013, particularly for a president who hoped his resounding re-election would clear the way for progress on immigration, the long-term debt and tax reform.

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