President Obama on Monday was confronted by tea party activists after his town-hall meeting in Decorah, Iowa, USA Today reports.
During the discussion, Hawkeye State tea party leader Ryan Rhodes challenged the president, who was on the first day of his Midwest bus tour, asking how Obama can call for more civility when "your vice president is calling people like me, a tea party member, a 'terrorist.' "
(Vice President Joe Biden reportedly called members of the tea party "terrorists" during a meeting over the debt-ceiling debate. Biden has denied the reports.)
Obama responded to Rhodes, "Now, in fairness, since I've been called a socialist who wasn't born in this country, who is destroying America and taking away its freedoms because I passed a health care bill, I'm all for lowering the rhetoric."
Rhodes and Obama met face-to-face after the event. Watch the exchange below:
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