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Obama Calls Opponents 'Crazies' In Fundraiser Speech

Back from vacation, Obama is feeling "a little feisty."
Alana Horowitz Satlin
By 

Senior Editor of Breaking News, HuffPost

President Barack Obama spoke candidly about his critics at a fundraising event on Monday evening.

"It's hard for me to express how much I love Harry Reid," Obama said, according to the pool report from the evening. "We were doing a little reminiscing and then figuring out how we're going to deal with the crazies in terms of managing some problems."
Fresh off a vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Obama said that he felt "refreshed, renewed, recharged, a little feisty."
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Obama was speaking at a fundraiser in Nevada for Catherine Cortez Masto, the former state attorney general who is running to replace Reid in the U.S. Senate. Reid announced his retirement in March.
Obama didn't specify which opponents or problems he was referring to, but Politico speculated he was talking about critics of the Iran nuclear deal. Later in the address, which lasted about 13 minutes according to pool reports, Obama urged Congress not to block the accord.
"The world is counting on us for leadership around the world," Obama said.

Many Republicans, as well as some Democrats, have spoken out against the deal. Reid endorsed the Iran deal on Sunday, a huge boost for the agreement, which needs the support of 34 senators in order to move forward.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure the deal stands,” Reid told the Washington Post.

The Iran deal isn't the only issue where Obama faces major opposition. He's also doubling down on efforts to fight climate change, beginning with Monday's announcement of several new executive actions, including $1 billion in loans for green energy projects. But as The New York Times reported earlier this month, coal lobbyists and Republicans have been plotting for months to oppose his plans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this month that “I will do everything I can to stop" Obama's efforts.

Many of the Republican 2016 candidates have also indicated that, if elected, they would roll back his actions.

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