President Obama Holds Final News Conference of Year

President Barack Obama says he regrets not being able to transfer his own political success into Democratic races across the country.

The president is acknowledging the failures of his party - and himself - to build up a broad base of support during his tenure. He says the party must do a better job of reaching out to all voters, even in states and counties they are unlikely to win.

Obama says: "That's something I would have liked to have done more of but it's kind of hard to do when you're dealing with a whole bunch of issues here in the White House."

Democrats have lost more than 1,000 seats in Congress, state legislatures and governor's mansions during Obama's two-term.

Meanwhile, President Obama says everyone should be concerned about the level of cyber hacking that renders governments, businesses and individuals vulnerable.

Speaking at his year-end news conference at the White House, Obama says Russian hacking during the election was not "some elaborate, complicated espionage scheme."

He says the unsophisticated nature of what transpired concerns him and "it should concern all of us."

Obama says the episode underscores the "constant challenge" the nation faces with hacking that happens every day.

President Obama stopped short of saying President Vladimir Putin himself orchestrated the Russian hacking of U.S. political sites during the election. But he is confirming that it was done at the highest levels of the Kremlin.

Obama says not much happens in Russia without a nod from Putin. He says he will let the public decide whether there were rogue high-level Russian officials acting without Putin's knowledge.

Obama also says he wants to give the intelligence community a chance to issue a report on the hacking before the end of his administration. But he cautions that some information will be classified because disclosing it would divulge the way in which the U.S. has been able to collect the intelligence.

Obama says with the "hyperpartisan atmosphere" of the election, his main concern was the integrity of the election process. He says he wanted to make sure the U.S. public understood that the White House was trying to "play this thing straight."

He says he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, and told him - in these words - to "cut it out."

The White House hasn't commented about what a U.S. response might entail. Options could include a retaliatory cyberstrike on Russian networks or sanctions targeting Putin's associates.

Earlier Obama cited a number of positive economic indicators such as a declining unemployment rate and higher rates of insured people under his health overhaul. And he's highlighting diplomatic achievements - among them, the reopening of relations with Cuba.

Obama says he's leaving the country "stronger and more prosperous than it was when we started." But he's reminding the public that there's more to be done on the country's biggest problems. He says he's going to continue working to push the agenda of his administration after leaving office.

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