And without even the slightest hint of irony, he blasts the GOP for putting “special interest” pledges ahead of the country, you know, because the unions have no sway in his administration.

(The Hill) — President Obama blasted Congress on Wednesday for putting “special interest” pledges ahead of the country’s best interests.

“I don’t go around signing pledges, because I want to make sure that every day what’s going to be best for the American people, that’s what I’m focused on,” Obama said. “I think that’s what every member of Congress should be doing.”

Obama said lawmakers should not let “some pledge they signed for some special interest group” dictate their actions in Washington.

Obama’s comments were a thinly veiled reference to the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the signature of Grover Norquist’s tax advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, which has been signed by multiple members of Congress, mainly Republicans. The pledge became a sticking point in the recent debt-ceiling debate when many legislators refused to include tax increases as part of a deal.

Lawmakers who sign the pledge promise to oppose efforts to increase income tax rates. They also pledge to refuse to eliminate tax credits or deductions without matching them dollar for dollar with tax reductions.

Obama’s criticism was also a jab at the GOP presidential candidates, who all raised their hands in last weekend’s Iowa presidential debate when asked whether they would refuse to raise taxes even if they could cut spending 10-to-1. Obama called their response an example of “ideological rigidity” in an interview on CNN Tuesday.