Obama vs. House Republicans

President Obama got an earful from the House Republican Conference Friday afternoon during a question and answer session at the GOP retreat in Baltimore that started off on an amicable note and turned contentious.

"I want us to have a constructive debate," Mr. Obama said in his opening remarks, "the only thing I don't want and here I am listening to the American people and I think they don't want it either, is for Washington to continue being so Washington like."

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But the conciliatory note from the President soon gave way to  testy set of the exchanges as controversial issues such as health care reform and government spending were brought up.

Freshman Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz challenged the President on his promise to cut earmarks and pet projects from government spending.  The President fired back asking Chaffetz, "the challenge I guess I  would have for you as a freshman is, what are you doing inside your caucus to make sure that I'm not the only guy responsible for this stuff ? So that we're working together, because this is going to be a process."

And when Congresswoman Marcia Blackburn of Tennessee suggested to the President that the House Democratic leadership was "an impediment instead of a conduit," in terms of getting good health care ideas to the negotiating table,  Mr. Obama retorted that Republicans had gone after his push for reform like a "Bolshevik plot"

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Initially, the question and answer session between the President and the Republicans was to be off limits to television cameras, but Thursday night, both sides agreed to a live broadcast.

Click HERE to hear more of the President's remarks to the House Republican Conference.