Transcript of CNBC’s Barack Obama interview

Harwood: Let me ask you about bipartisanship.

Obama: Mm-hmm.

Harwood: There seems to be a, at least for the moment, some level of dialogue that is different than we've seen between the two parties. How important to you is bipartisanship as an end in itself, meaning that will you be willing to accept ideas from the other side, even if you don't think they're as good as the ideas they might displace  ...

Obama: Right.

Harwood:  ...  for the sake of getting a broader consensus and not just passing a package with three or four Republicans supporting it?

Obama: Sure. Well, but, well, here's how I think about it. What's most important is what gets the job done. That's the lens to which I look at this. Is it creating three million jobs or saving three million jobs? Are we preparing, laying the groundwork for energy independence or reducing our health care costs, which is going to be critical to dealing with our deficit long term? Are we creating a first-class education system? So that's my number one priority.

Now, I don't think the Democratic Party has a monopoly on good ideas. I think the Republicans have a lot to offer. And what I will do is to listen and learn from my Republican colleagues. And anytime they can make a case that this is something that will be good for the American people, just because Democrats didn't think of it and Republicans are promoting it, that's not a good reason not to do it.

There are going to be some times, though, where we disagree. And if somebody presents to me a plan that they are ideologically wedded to but they can't persuade me that this is actually going to be good for the economy, then we're not going to do it. And there are going to be some times where we've got some fights. But what my general point is, I'm not looking for a fight, and I am looking for as much cooperation as possible, and I'm open to any ideas that are going to be presented.

Harwood: Do you expect that the tax cut portion of your plan is going to grow in consultation with Republicans in Congress as you try to build more support for your plan?

Obama: You know, the attitude that I'm going to apply to the tax cuts is the same one that I apply to the investment package. And that is, is this money well spent. This is taxpayer money, it is going to be adding to the deficit short term. And if we can't justify it, then we're not going to spend tens or hundreds of billions of dollars just to make somebody happy if it's not good for the economy. And I'm going to apply that same rule across the board.

Harwood: It's widely agreed that housing is at the root of the economic problem that we're facing right now.

Obama: Right.

MORE FROM CNBC TV

CNBC TV Section Front

CNBC: Coke looking for the next real thing CNBC: GE in talks to spin off NBC Universal Battle over wages brews at Wal-Mart CNBC report: Ultimate Fighting CNBC Special Report: As Seen On TV Special Report: Cruise Inc. Buffett: The economy has ‘fallen off a cliff’ CNBC on the new black overclass Housing boom was a house of cards Marijuana growers thrive in California CNBC TV Section Front   Add CNBC TV headlines to your news reader: