Obama accuses Republican Party of “lurch into extremes”

Obama thinks Republicans are extreme, but he launched his political career in Bill Ayers living room.

(Yahoo! News) — As political gridlock again threatens Washington with government shutdown, President Obama faulted Republicans’ election year “lurch into extremes” for keeping compromise out of reach.

“I do think those dynamics are making it more difficult to get things done,” Obama said. “And it’s not unusual, after such a severe economic crisis like this, for the politics to be impacted by that, for people to lurch into extremes, or to get more combative.”

The inability of Democrats and Republicans in Congress to compromise, fueled in part by pre-primary rhetoric on the campaign trail, is threatening for the third time this year to shut down the government this weekend if both sides can’t reach a deal on a spending bill and payroll tax cut extension.