title:  Obama Tells Dems: This Is As Important As Hillary Vs Bernie, And You’re Blowing It!
text: Speaking to Democrats at a fundraiser at actor Tobey Maguire s house in California, President Obama issued a warning to his party that in addition to their focus on the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they desperately need to think about moving Congress out of Republican hands and back towards the Democrats.President Obama collected more than $1 million for his party s House and Senate candidates from Hollywood s Democratic elite Thursday and Friday, and left his deep-pocketed backers with what he termed a  professorial  lecture on the importance of recapturing Congress.Obama also told supporters that he would not be making an endorsement yet in the presidential contest (incumbent presidents usually wait until the party has chosen a successor in order to make a formal announcement). And he joked that he and his staff were too tired to run for a third term, even if he could.At another fundraiser, Obama pointed out that getting Democrats back in charge of Congress is very important.On Thursday night, Obama attended a large gathering at the Bel Air mansion of Disney Chairman Alan Horn and his environmentalist wife, Cindy. There, the president stressed the importance of  recognizing the enormous power of Congress and the difference between a Nancy Pelosi being Speaker of the House and a Paul Ryan being Speaker of the House. The President also highlighted the GOP blockade of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, even though Garland has received praise from across the political spectrum. And he pointed out that the blockade would be eroded with more Democratic votes in the Senate since,  What we ve seen out of the Republicans in the Senate is not simply a refusal to confirm him thus far, but a refusal to meet with him or to have a hearing, or to have a vote. Obama went on to point out that crazed statements from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have also helped to expose some of the extremism that happens every day in the House and Senate from Republicans, saying,  People act as if these folks are outliers. But they re not. The President said widespread coverage of their speeches and statements could help to motivate voters.Featured image via Flickr