Obama: Dems have a ‘congenital disease’

President Obama poked fun at his own party Thursday night, saying Democrats have a “congenital disease” and that they “don’t like voting in midterms.”

Speaking at a fundraiser in his hometown of Chicago, Obama urged Democrats to turn out at the polls in November and said that often times “we opt out during midterms. 

{mosads}The president told the crowd that if he would have had the turnout in 2012 that Democrats had in 2010, he wouldn’t have been reelected. 

“This is pretty straightforward, I need more votes,” he told the crowd at a private home.

Democrats risk losing control of the Senate in the midterm elections in November, as a number of seats look like toss-ups.  

During the fundraiser, Obama also disputed the notion that he doesn’t spend enough time with lawmakers. And he said he is bothered by the suggestion that he would get more accomplished if he golfed with House Speaker John Boehner more.

“That’s not the problem,” he said. “The problem is not that we’re too mean or we’re too partisan. The problem is that I don’t have enough votes. Full stop.”

Obama spent Thursday evening at two fundraisers in the Windy City. He has attended a string of fundraisers in recent weeks, aimed at ramping up funds for Democrats in both the Senate and the House.