Obama hits Congress for 'obstruction'

As President Obama prepared to discuss Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act on Thursday, he channeled his inner Harry Truman at a Democratic fundraiser Wednesday night.

Just as Truman blasted a "do-nothing Congress" during the 1948 presidential election, Obama told donors in Houston that congressional Republicans are obstructing his plans for immigration, the minimum wage and gender pay equity.

"You've got a Congress right now that is solely focused on obstruction because they think it's a good political strategy," Obama said.

As Democrats seek to keep control of the U.S. Senate in the November elections, Obama said his party must confront a "disconcerting thing. Obstruction may actually be a good political strategy if Democrats don't vote in the midterms."

Democrats have a "congenital disease" when it comes to midterm elections, the president said.

"Our voters are younger, more unmarried women, more African-American and Latino voters," Obama said. "They get excited about general elections; they don't get as excited about midterm elections."

Obama will travel to the Lyndon Johnson library in Austin to speak on the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.