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President Obama mocked Republican critics who see him as Saul Alinsky or the Antichrist, during a wide-ranging interview with New York Magazine published Monday.

Obama in the interview, which took place Aug. 25, repeatedly voiced frustration with what he described as a recalcitrant Republican opposition, lamenting Congress unwillingness to work with him on key legislation such as the Affordable Care Act and the stimulus bill.

Theyre imagining the potential problems that arise, so its pretty hard for them to publicly say, Obamas a perfectly reasonable guy, but we just cant work with him because our base thinks hes the Antichrist, Obama said.

He also ridiculed the concept that hes a far leftwing ideologue.

"The notion that somehow I show up here and I become Saul Alinsky or Lenin in meetings with Republicans probably doesnt ring true, Obama said.

Obama even joked at one point that his administration may have been able to achieve more if it were legal to offer patronage, noting a this-for-that strategy was essential in passing some of Americas most historic legislation.

"Yeah, because then it was transactional, then it was Id like this, I need that, he said. And one of the things thats changed from the [Lyndon] Johnson era obviously is I dont have a postmaster job. Shoot, not just Johnsons age [Abraham] Lincolns age. Good-government reforms have hamstrung an administration, which I think is for the most part for the best. "

Obama did not spend much time speaking about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign. But he traced the billionaire's political rise back to Sarah Palins selection as Sen. John McCains presidential running mate in 2008.

I see a straight line from the announcement of Sarah Palin as the vice-presidential nominee to what we see today in Donald Trump, the emergence of the Freedom Caucus, the tea party, and the shift in the center of gravity for the Republican Party, Obama said. Whether that changes, I think, will depend in part on the outcome of this election, but its also going to depend on the degree of self-reflection inside the Republican Party. There have been at least a couple of other times that Ive said confidently that the fever is going to have to break, but it just seems to get worse."

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By Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, and Fred Backus

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A CBS News poll shows that 26 percent of Republican voters think Donald Trump would be most likely to win the general election. While Trump conti...

Donald Trump (24 percent) leads a fractured Republican field in the race for the GOP nomination in the latest national CBS News Poll. Behind him are Jeb Bush (13 percent) and Scott Walker (10 percent).

Trump leads among a wide array of Republican primary voters. He appears to have tapped into public anger toward Washington: he holds a large lead among Republican primary voters who say they are angry. And 79 percent think Trump says what he believes, rather than what people want to hear, far higher than the other candidates tested.

Trump may be the top choice among a quarter of Republican primary voters, but there are other voters who would be less enthusiastic. At 27 percent, he tops the list of candidates Republican voters would be most dissatisfied with as the party's nominee.

Trump, Bush, Walker and Rubio are all viewed more positively than negatively, but Trump has the highest unfavorable ratings. His ratings among registered voters overall are especially negative.

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Despite regularly courting controversy, polls continue to show the billionaire leading the GOP field. Washington Post national political reporter...

Majorities of Republican primary voters are confident in Trump, Bush, Rubio and Walker to handle key issues. Trump does best on the economy and illegal immigration, while Bush does best on dealing with America's adversaries. Trump and Bush are seen as the candidates most likely to win a general election.

Just days before the Republican presidential candidates square off in their first debate, Donald Trump is in the top spot among Republican primary voters nationally - 24 percent support him as the nominee. Trump is followed by Jeb Bush (13 percent), Scott Walker (10 percent), Mike Huckabee (eight percent), Ben Carson (six percent), Ted Cruz (six percent), and Marco Rubio (six percent). Further down are Rand Paul (4 percent) and Chris Christie (3 percent). Other contenders are below three percent. Nine percent of Republican primary voters say they don't know who they want as the nominee at this point.

Among Trump supporters, the most popular second choice candidates for the Republican party's nomination are Carson, Bush, Cruz and Rubio.

Trump appeals to many factions of Republican primary voters. He leads among conservatives, Tea Party supporters, evangelicals and both men and women. Among Republican primary voters who do not consider themselves Tea Partiers, the race is closer. Bush (21 percent) performs better among this group, edging out Trump (19 percent).

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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he will not go quietly as Donald Trump divides the Republican party. Despite Trumps recent criticism of Texan ...

Also, Trump leads among Republican primary voters on both sides of the illegal immigration debate - those who support legal status for illegal immigrants in the U.S and those who think those immigrants should be required to leave the country.

Trump and Bush are also seen as the most electable in a general election. At this early stage of the campaign, 26 percent say Trump has the best chance of winning in November 2016, and 23 percent pick Bush as having the best chance. Walker comes in third here, with eight percent.

Trump may be the top choice among a quarter of Republican primary voters, but there are other voters who would be less enthusiastic about him as their party's nominee. Trump (27 percent) is the candidate Republicans would be most dissatisfied with as the party's nominee for president, followed by Bush (18 percent) and Christie (10 percent).

Twenty-five percent of voters who would be dissatisfied with Trump as the nominee are backing Bush, followed by Rubio (12 percent), Huckabee (11 percent), and Walker (10 percent).

Republican primary voters (42 percent) are more likely than their Democratic counterparts (25 percent) to be angry at how things are going in Washington, and the poll suggests that Trump has tapped into some of that anger.

Republican primary voters who are angry at Washington are currently supporting Trump (30 percent) for the nomination by a wide margin. The second most popular candidate in this category is Huckabee, with 10 percent.

One of Trump's strengths may be the perception that he says what is on his mind. The poll finds 79 percent of Republican primary voters say Trump says what he believes, rather than what people want to hear - the highest of the GOP contenders asked about. Republican voters are also inclined to say that Rubio and Walker say what they believe (although to a lesser extent than Trump), but they are divided on Bush: 46 percent think he says what he believes, but nearly as many - 44 percent- think he mostly says what people want to hear.

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Majorities of Republican primary voters nationwide express confidence in Trump, Bush, Rubio and Walker to make the right decisions on the economy, illegal immigration and dealing with America's adversaries. Seventy-one percent of these voters are confident in Trump on economic decisions, and 65 percent are confident in his ability to make decisions on illegal immigration. Sixty-eight percent of these voters are confident in Bush's ability to deal with America's adversaries. About one in five GOP primary voters don't know enough about Walker to rate him on these issues.

Bush, Rubio, Trump and Walker are all viewed more favorably than unfavorably among Republican primary voters, although Trump has the highest unfavorable rating - 38 percent - among these four candidates. He is also the most known to Republican voters - only 14 percent are undecided or don't know enough about him.

Rubio and Walker have lower unfavorable ratings and they are the least familiar to Republican voters - at this early stage in the campaign, many are undecided or haven't heard enough about each to have an opinion.

Most Republican voters' views of Trump haven't changed in the last month, but more say their opinions of him have become better (23 percent), than say worse (12 percent). However, the reverse is true among registered voters: they are more likely to say their views of Trump have worsened.

Still, among registered voters overall, both Trump and Bush are viewed more negatively than positively. Thirty percent view Bush favorably, and 40 percent do not view him favorably, and twenty-seven percent of registered voters hold a favorable view of Trump, while 59 percent hold an unfavorable view of him. Opinions on Rubio and Walker are split.

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Donald Trump leads in the polls but is he ready for the debate and will Joe Biden throw his name in? Senior Political Editor Steve Chaggaris has ...

Trump's wealth could be a positive when it comes to money and politics. Voters nationwide are more inclined to prefer a candidate who uses their own personal wealth to fund their campaign (28 percent), rather than one who raises money through donations (13 percent). Views are similar across party lines. Still, for a majority of voters - 56 percent - it doesn't matter if a candidate uses their own money or donors' money to fund their campaigns.

While most registered voters view the Republican candidates as mostly attacking each other, 46 percent of Republican voters think the candidates are mostly explaining what they would do as president; thirty-five percent say they are mostly attacking each other.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans think most immigrants to the U.S. (not specifically illegal immigrants) contribute to society rather than cause problems. Most Democrats and independents hold this view, while Republicans are divided, with 43 percent saying most immigrants contribute to the country and 42 percent saying that they cause problems.

Americans continue to think that most illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. should be able to apply for legal status, including 61 percent who support a path to citizenship. Among Republicans, more than half (55 percent) back legal status, but 41 percent think illegal immigrants should be required to leave the country.

When asked specifically about jobs, most say illegal immigrants generally take jobs that Americans don't want. Republicans (42 percent) are more likely than Democrats (18 percent) and independents (24 percent) to say illegal immigrants take jobs from Americans.

Most Americans think illegal immigrants are just as likely to commit crimes as U.S. citizens. Republicans, however, are somewhat more inclined to say illegal immigrants are more likely to commit crimes (33 percent) than U.S. citizens (11 percent).

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This poll was conducted by telephone July 29-August 2, 2015 among a random sample of 1,252 adults nationwide, including 1047 registered voters. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of error for the sample of 408 Republican primary voters is 5 percentage points.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS News GOP presidential candidates poll by CBSNewsPolitics

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CBS News poll: Donald Trump leads GOP field in 2016 ...

2015 Thursday, August 6, 2015 Fox News Republican Debate Watch Full 5pm Video Watch Full 9pm Video Aired On: Fox News Channel Location: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH Sponsors: Fox News, facebook Moderators: Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace Candidates 5pm: Perry, Santorum, Jindal, Fiorina, Graham, Pataki, Gilmore Candidates 9pm: Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie, Kasich Wednesday, September 16, 2015 CNN Republican Debate Watch Full 6pm Video Watch Full 8pm Primetime Debate Aired On: CNN and Salem Radio Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA Sponsors: Reagan Library Foundation, CNN, Salem Media Group Moderators: Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Hugh Hewitt Candidates 6pm: Santorum, Jindal, Pataki, Graham Candidates 8pm: Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie, Kasich, Fiorina Wednesday, October 28, 2015 CNBC Republican Debate Watch Full Debate Videos Aired On: CNBC Location: University of Colorado in Boulder Sponsors: CNBC Moderators: Carl Quintanilla, Becky Quick, and John Harwood Candidates 8pm: Trump, Carson, Rubio, Bush, Fiorina, Cruz, Huckabee, Christie, Kasich, Paul Candidates 6pm: Santorum, Jindal, Pataki, Graham Tuesday, November 10, 2015 Fox Business/WSJ Republican Debate Watch Full 7pm Video Watch Full 9pm Video Aired On: Fox Business Network Location: Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sponsors: Fox Business Network, Wall Street Journal Moderators: Neil Cavuto, Maria Bartiromo, and Gerard Baker Candidates 7pm: Christie, Huckabee, Santorum, Jindal Candidates 9pm: Trump, Carson, Rubio, Bush, Fiorina, Cruz, Kasich, Paul Tuesday, December 15, 2015 CNN Republican Debate Watch Full Debate Videos Aired On: CNN Location: The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group Moderator: Wolf Blitzer Candidates 6pm: Huckabee, Santorum, Graham, Pataki Candidates 8:30pm: Trump, Carson, Rubio, Cruz, Bush, Kasich, Christie, Fiorina, Paul 2016 Thursday, January 14, 2016 Fox Business Republican Debate Watch Full Debate Videos Aired On: Fox Business Network Location: North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina Sponsors: Fox Business Network Moderators: Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo Candidates 9pm: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Carson, Christie, Bush, Kasich Candidates 6pm: Paul, Fiorina, Huckabee, Santorum (Rand Paul has stated he will not attend the undercard debate) Thursday, January 28, 2016 Fox News Republican Debate Watch Full Debate Videos Location: Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa Sponsors: Fox News Moderators: Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace Candidates 7pm::Fiorina, Huckabee, Santorum, Gilmore Candidates 9pm: Cruz, Rubio, Carson, Bush, Christie, Kasich, Paul Saturday, February 6, 2016 ABC News/IJReview Republican Debate Watch Full Video Location: Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire Sponsors: ABC News, IJReview.com, WMUR Moderators: David Muir and Martha Raddatz Candidates: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Carson, Bush, Kasich, Christie Saturday, February 13, 2016 CBS News Republican Debate Watch Full Video Location: The Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina Sponsors: CBS News Moderator: John Dickerson Candidates: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Bush, Kasich, Carson Thursday, February 25, 2016 CNN Republican Debate Watch Full Video Aired On: CNN Location: University of Houston in Houston, Texas Sponsors: CNN and Telemundo Moderator: Wolf Blitzer Candidates: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, Carson Thursday, March 3, 2016 Fox News Republican Debate Watch Full Video Aired On: Fox News Channel Location: Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan Sponsors: Fox News Moderators: Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace Candidates: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich Thursday, March 10, 2016 CNN Republican Debate Watch Full Video Aired On: CNN Location: University of Miami in Miami, Florida Sponsors: CNN, The Washington Times, Salem Media Group Moderator: Jake Tapper Candidates: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich Monday, March 21, 2016 Fox News Republican Debate (Canceled) Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Note: This debate has been canceled after Donald Trump and John Kasich said they wouldn't participate

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Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis.(Photo: Jeff Franko, USA TODAY)

WASHINGTON A House hearing on a U.S. cash paymentto Iran turned into a heated political skirmish Thursdayas a Republican congressmancompared the payment to a "drug drop" by the Obama administration and the panel's top Democrat led a walkout in protest of the "fiasco."

"Make better use of your time," Rep. Al Green of Texas told his fellow Democrats as they left the chamber after nearly two and a half hours of testimony by administration officials.

It was clear even before the hearing startedthat battle lines were being drawn. Republicans on the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations titled the hearing "Fueling Terror: The Dangers of Ransom Payments to Iran." Democrats denounced the title as"incendiary."

Republicans said they were trying to get to the bottom of whether a $400 million cash payment from the U.S. to Iran for settlement of a longstanding disputewas actually a ransom payment for the release of fiveAmericans held captive by the Iranian government. The cash, paid in European currency, arrived in Tehran Jan. 17, thesame day that the hostages were flown home. It was part of a larger $1.7 billion settlement agreement.

Administration officials testified that it is against U.S. policy to pay ransom for hostages and that the money was part of a settlement theUnited States owed Iran from a failed arms deal beforethe 1979Islamic Revolution in Iran.

President Obama originally said there was no connection between the payments and the release of the hostages, but the State Department has since confirmed that it withheld the delivery of that cashuntil allthe hostages were freed.

Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., questioned State Department officials about why the payment to Iran had to be in cash, which Republicans repeatedly referred to as "the currency of terrorism."

"Certainly, there are other ways to make an immediate payment other than a middle-of-the-nightwhat-appears-to-be a drug drop," Fitzpatrick said.

Christopher Backemeyer, deputy assistant secretary for Iranian affairs at the State Department, responded that global banks are reluctant to handle transactions with the Iranian regime, making it difficult to transmit the money to Iran via checks or wire transfers.

"This was the way we felt we could guarantee immediate payment," he said. He added that immediate payment was part of the settlement agreement, which he said saved U.S. taxpayers billions in interest payments that Iran had originally sought.

"This was not a prisoner-for-cash deal," Backemeyer said.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said that Fitzpatrick's use of the term"a drug drop" underscores Americans' belief that "Washington stinks." He said the committee was creating a higher level of "stinktivity."

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., said Republicans had three partisan goals for the hearing:"to trash the Obama administration, to trash the Iran nuclear deal, and to somehow make them (the administration) look like criminals dropping money in the middle of the night like drug dealers."

But Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the full Financial Services Committee, said the cash payment to Iran on the day of the prisoner release gives Iran and other hostile nations an incentive to take more American hostages.

"It is clear that perhaps the Obama administration and certain Democratic members of the House are the only people in America who believe that ransom was not paid," Hensarling said.

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., the chairman of the oversight subcommittee, cited somenews reports that the cash paid to Iran is being used to fund the Iranian military to help Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Backemeyer said the State Department's assessment is that the vast majority of the money is being used to boost the Iranian economy, which has been devastated by the economic embargo by the U.S. and other nations.

Green led the Democratic walkout after Duffy called for a second round of questioning of the administration witnesses.

"This is about micro-managing the presidency or, more specifically, about micro-managing President Barack Obama," Green said.

Republican leaders have scheduled another hearing on the issue for next week.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., announced that he will hold a hearing Wednesday on his bill to prohibit any future "ransom payments" to Iran.

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State Dept.: $400M cash shipment to Iran tied to U.S. prisoners' release

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It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.

The name Republican was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jeffersons Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Party was formally organized in July 1854 by thousands of anti-slavery activists at a convention in Jackson, Michigan. And it was no accident that two years later, in 1856, the first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written.

Though popularized in a Thomas Nast cartoon, the GOPs elephant symbol originated during the 1860 campaign, as a symbol of Republican strength. Republicans envisioned free soil, free speech, free labor. Under the leadership of President Abraham Lincoln, the GOP became the Party of the Union as well.

President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, but it was the entire Republican Party who freed the slaves. The 1864 Republican National Convention called for the abolition of slavery, and Congressional Republicans passed the 13th Amendment unanimously, with only a few Democrat votes.

The early womens rights movement was solidly Republican, as it was a continuation of abolitionism. They were careful not to be overly partisan, but as did Susan B. Anthony, most suffragists favored the GOP. The 19th Amendment was written by a Republican senator and garnered greater support from Republicans than from Democrats.

Low taxes, sound money, regulatory restraint: these were among the commonsense economic policies established by the GOP that brought about decades of prosperity after the Civil War. Republicans encouraged innovation and rule of law. Buttressed by Republican control in Congress, the McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Taft administrations cleared away obstacles to economic growth.

President Dwight Eisenhower and congressional Republicans appreciated the fact that the private sector, not government, is the engine of wealth creation. With his bold tax-cutting agenda, President Ronald Reagan revived the economy after years of Democrat malaise.

Theodore Roosevelt embodies our Partys traditional concern for the environment, but the Republican commitment to the environment actually goes back much further than that. For example, the worlds first national park, Yellowstone, was established during the Ulysses Grant administration.

President Eisenhower advocated groundbreaking civil rights legislation and vigorously enforced the Brown v Board of Education decision, sending the 101st Airborne to Little Rock when chaos erupted following integration at Central High.

Ronald Reagan explained the difference between Democrats and Republicans in a way that cannot be improved upon: Two visions of the future, two fundamentally different ways of governing their government of pessimism, fear, and limits, or ours of hope, confidence, and growth. Their government sees people only as members of groups. Ours serves all the people of America as individuals.

President George H.W. Bush championed community and volunteer organizations and the tremendous power they have for doing good. He famously described them as a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.

In the first decade of the 21st century, President George W. Bush made an unprecedented commitment to helping those in need beyond our shores through the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an aid program for countries devastated by HIV/AIDS. Since its inception, PEPFAR has saved over a million lives and currently provides over 5 million people with life-saving treatments.

President Reagan and President George H.W. Bush led western democracies to victory over Soviet tyranny in the Cold War. The George W. Bush administration maintained the military second-to-none and projected that power in the fight against international terrorism.

Drawing inspiration from our Partys history, todays Republicans believe individuals, not government, make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.

At the state level, the nations thirty Republican governors are making government more effective and efficient, spurring economic growth and striving to put more power in the hands of the people.

Nationally, Republicans recognize that the slow, bloated, top-down Washington bureaucracy is out-of-date in the 21st century. Our Party works to give Americans more choicesin healthcare, in education, in energy, and in the economyand to free individuals and families from the intrusive overreach of federal bureaucrats.

The Partys core principles of freedom and equal opportunity are as relevant today as at our founding, and they are the roadmap for American renewal in a new and interconnected world.

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