Washington– President Barack Obama vigorously defended his agreement with Republicans to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts, arguing Tuesday that it was a price that had to be paid to spare the middle class from crippling tax hikes.

The president promised disheartened Democrats that the fight over the cuts for the highest-income Americans would continue over the next two years. He also urged them to take a long-term view of the bitter policy fights now taking place in Washington.

My “number one priority is to do what’s right for the American people,” he said at a hastily scheduled news conference at the White House. “Because of this agreement, middle class Americans won’t see their taxes go up on January 1.”