CBS News' Bob Schieffer must have been feeling especially spunky Sunday -- perhaps from celebrating 60 years of Face the Nation -- because he came prepared with some jabs for his interview with President Obama.

Schieffer began:

All the presidents in modern history who have been successful, I mean in various ways -- LBJ, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton -- they all seem to have a zest for politics. They like the give and take, they like the twisting of arms, they like the cajoling, they like all the things that presidents do. But i don't sense that you have the same feeling that they did. It makes me wonder: do you like politicians? Do you like politics? Do you like this job?

Obama tried his best:

Let me tell you, Bob, I love this job. And here is, I think, a fair statement: If your name is Barack Hussein Obama, you had to have liked politics in order to get into this office.

The president continued to struggle for the right words, saying he wasn't born into politics, nor encouraged to pursue it. "I got into politics because I believed I could make a difference," Obama said. "And I would not have been successful, and would not be sitting at this desk every day, if I didn't love politics," he added.

Obama touted getting his health care initiative passed as proof that he loves "a whole bunch of arm twisting" (although he didn't mention how the bill passed without a single Republican vote). He mentioned cutting deals with Republicans "to make progress on the deficit" as even more proof he's into his job.

"I think every president that you've mentioned would also say that while they were in office, people weren't always as complimentary of them as when they left it," Obama concluded.

Earlier on the program, Schieffer was also quick to ask what happened on Tuesday. Obama responded in laughter, "We got beat."

Schieffer added a little salt in the wound by conjuring Harry Reid's statement of blaming the president's low approval rating for the Democrats failing so miserably. "Do you feel it was your fault?" the host prodded.

"The buck stops here, at my desk," Obama said, gesturing to the Resolute desk behind him. "Whenever, as the head of the party, it doesn't do well, I've got to take responsibility for it."

Obama concluded, "The message that I took from this election is people want to see this city work, and they feel as if it's not working. I've got to make this city work better for them."