President Obama has a new term to describe his opponents: “The crazies.”
{mosads}On his first day back from vacation, the president hit the road to attend a clean energy summit in Las Vegas hosted by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and headline a fundraiser for the retiring senator’s possible Democratic successor, Catherine Cortez Masto.
Obama said he rode to the fundraiser with Reid late Monday, when they spent time reminiscing and “figuring out how we’re going to deal with the crazies in terms of managing some problems,” according to a pool report.
The president spoke to donors about battles ahead with the Republican-led Congress, including a budget deal, a highway funding bill and a vote on the Iran nuclear deal.
He called on Congress not to block the accord, which is one of his top second-term priorities.
“The world is counting on us for leadership around the world,” Obama said.
The deal, which curbs Tehran’s nuclear program in exchanges for sanctions relief, faces near-unanimous opposition from Republicans. Some Democrats, including Reid’s number-two, Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), also say they will vote against the deal.
Reid announced his support for the deal on Sunday and said he would do everything in his power to defeat an effort to pass a resolution of disapproval, a big boost for the White House.
Obama was in a reflective mood during his trip, saying said he spoke with Reid about “riding off into the sunset together.”
“It’s hard for me to express how much I love Harry Reid,” he said. “Everything I’ve accomplished I’ve accomplished because Harry Reid was there by my side.”