Staking out his ground ahead of a fiscal deadline, President Barack Obama lashed out against Republicans, saying they are unwilling to raise taxes to reduce deficits and warning that the jobs of essential government workers, from teachers to emergency responders, are on the line.

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner pushed ahead on negotiating a broad deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," even as the GOP leader readied a backup plan Tuesday to pressure the White House with little time left to avoid a double hit on the economy.

House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that he is readying a backup bill aimed at averting the fiscal cliff because President Barack Obama has yet to offer a balanced package of revenues and spending savings that would cut burgeoning federal deficits.

President Barack Obama's campaign was relishing a hard-fought victory for the presidency, capping a re-election bid that hinged heavily on aggressive voter registration and turnout efforts.

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney each got something Friday out of the final snapshot of the nation's economy heading into Election Day, with more job creation and an uptick in unemployment.

A growing chorus of once-confident Democrats now say President Barack Obama could lose the November election.