President Obama believes he's kept his anti-Republican rhetoric down, he told CNBC in an interview Wednesday, but his language in speeches and press conferences tells a different story.
"During the course of my presidency, I have bent over backwards to work with the Republican Party and have purposely kept my rhetoric down," he said.
Yet over the past month, Obama has accused Republicans of trying to "hold the entire economy hostage," "blackmail" him, "extract a ransom" and bring about "economic chaos" during Washington battles over the budget.