Gregg: Obama in 'campaign mode'

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who nearly became President Barack Obama's commerce secretary early last year, on Wednesday criticized Obama for blaming the GOP for the poor U.S. economy during several different events over the past week, saying the president "appears to be in campaign mode."

Gregg said Obama was courteous to him during his visit to Nashua, N.H., last week, but has sharpened his attacks during a meeting with House Republicans on Friday in Baltimore and again Wednesday in an  appearance before Senate Democrats at the Newseum in downtown Washington.

"He clearly appears to be in campaign mode right now, and maybe he's trying to capture the populist fervor out there that got Scott Brown elected," Gregg said, referring to the upset GOP Senate win in Massachusetts last month. "There's an edge to his comments."

Gregg also suggested Obama is straining his credibility by continuing to remind audiences of the economic situation he inherited from the Bush administration.

"How long can you make the argument when you're president, that you're going to blame somebody else?" Gregg said. "Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that said, 'The Buck Stops Here.' Somebody might want to put that sign on (Obama's) desk to remind him what the president's role is."

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