President Barack Obama's dig during the State of the Union address that he won the last two elections left Republicans in the audience rather irked.
"I've run my last campaign," Obama said toward the end of his speech. Republicans in the chamber applauded mockingly, which prompted the president to throw in a spontaneous quip, "I know because I won both of them."
Democrats were delighted and erupted with applause,
Talking Points Memo noted.
Following the speech, Republicans said it rubbed them the wrong way that he made the jab when during the same speech he was appealing for their cooperation.
"Probably not helpful when you rub the other guy's nose in the dirt a little bit," Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a close ally of Speaker John Boehner, told reporters according to TPM.
"Look, he's allowed to take a victory lap but he ought to be thinking about what works — what's gonna help me actually put points on the board," Cole said. "How are you going to define your legacy in the last two years. Is this all about a third Obama term by winning the presidency? Then that would suggest you just want confrontation and the ability for your nominee to attack a 'do nothing right wing Congress.' "
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called Obama's comment, and speech in general, "disappointing," pointing to the Democrats getting trounced at the ballot box in November which resulted in the new Republican majority in Congress.
"If the president sticks to the tone that he chose tonight — if he sticks to anger and defiance towards the American voters, then perhaps he will veto bill after bill after bill after bill," Cruz told reporters, according to TPM.
"But if he chooses to embrace and revel in gridlock and obstructionism that will be an unfortunate choice and I hope he reconsiders."
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte didn't take the comment as seriously, describing Obama's comment as "an interesting throwaway."
"It was kind of like he got back in campaign mode and did that. And so that's all I make of it," she told TPM.
Senate Energy Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski said Obama's remarks did not make her feel "warm and fuzzy" about having to work with him for the next two years, TPM said.
Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers told TPM she was "disappointed" in the president when asked about the comment.
Democrats, however, were virtually over the moon that Obama threw a punch at Republicans on prime time television.
"So refreshing," New York Rep. Steve Israel told TMP cheerfully. "I'm glad we saw it. Not having to run for re-election sometimes incentivizes the ad-lib."
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was also delighted with the jab.
"I think everybody needs to be reminded of a few things," he said with a smirk, according to TMP. "When he said 'I'm not going to be running again' and they [the Republicans] started clapping, I think it was out of relief. ... We don't want to mess with that guy again!"
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