President Barack Obama told Hollywood donors he expected to get more cooperation from Republicans after beating them in November.
What he didn't count on, he added, was the power of Rush Limbaugh.
Th
e Atlantic Wire reports that Obama told a group at the Greenwich Village home of film executive Harvey Weinstein that Republicans in Congress fear what the conservative radio talk show host will say about them if they cooperate with Democrats.
"My thinking was when we beat them in 2012 that might break the fever, and it’s not quite broken yet," Obama said, according to a pool reporter.
Obamacare:
Massive New Rules Revealed for 2013
"I genuinely believe there are Republicans out there who would like to work with us but they’re fearful of their base and they’re concerned about what Rush Limbaugh might say about them," Obama said. "And as a consequence we get the kind of gridlock that makes people cynical about government."
If Republicans refuse to go along with his agenda, Obama suggested he would work to defeat them in the 2014 midterm elections.
"If there are folks who are more interested in winning elections than they are thinking about the next generation, then I want to make sure there are consequences to that."
Among the celebrities on hand were actress Jessica Biel, singer Justin Timberlake and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, Atlantic Wire reported.
After spending the day answering questions about multiple scandals, Obama was set to spend the night at a trio of fundraisers. He left Weinstein's home for another event in the Tribeca neighborhood, then continued to the Waldorf Astoria.