Bashing Rush and the Tea Party = Pandering to his liberal base.

Via Politico:

President Barack Obama says there are some Republican congressman who are afraid to speak out against a government shutdown because they fear a backlash from conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

In an interview with CNN, Obama said he has discussed the dangers of a government shutdown with Republican lawmakers who privately expressed their support but claimed helplessness in the face of Limbaugh or the tea party.

“I’ve made this argument to my Republican friends privately, and, by the way, sometimes they say to me privately, ‘I agree with you, but I’m worried about a primary from, you know, somebody in the tea party back in my district,’ or, ‘I’m worried about what Rush Limbaugh is going to say about me on the radio. And so you got to understand, I’m — it’s really difficult.'”