“Angry Obama: Failed Background Check Amendment a ‘Shameful Day’ in Washington,” the Blaze reports:

A visibly angry President Barack Obama declared it a “shameful day for Washington” after a group of senators successfully blocked an amendment to expand background checks for gun-buyers on Wednesday, but vowed that it was “just round one.”

Flanked by families of victims of the Newtown, Conn. massacre and by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the White House Rose Garden, Obama said a “minority in the U.S. Senate” went against the wishes of an overwhelming majority of the American people.

“Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elect leaders,” Obama said. “A few minutes ago, a minority in the U.S. Senate decided it wasn’t worth it. They blocked common sense gun reform even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.”

He said that while “a majority of senators voted yes to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks,” a minority of members were able to use a “distortion” of Senate rules to derail it.

By the way, it’s been a rather difficult day for Mr. Obama, as these three Insta-posts highlight in short succession:

Wouldn’t it have been a nice day to have sat in nice plush Air Force One, flown to England, and looked presidential while uttering  a few kind yet fake words about Margaret Thatcher?

Via Ace, the key soundbites from Obama’s speech today:

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Related: “Obama’s Official Snub Of Thatcher Funeral Shows How Small He Is,” Investor’s Business Daily (accurately) opines.