Obama blasts Republicans after reform vote

President Obama criticized Republicans tonight for voting en masse to prevent debate on Democrats' financial reform legislation.

In a sharply worded statement, Obama suggested Republicans were putting politics ahead of the nation's economic health.

“I am deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans voted in a block against allowing a public debate on Wall Street reform to begin," Obama said. "Some of these Senators may believe that this obstruction is a good political strategy, and others may see delay as an opportunity to take this debate behind closed doors, where financial industry lobbyists can water down reform or kill it altogether."

One Democrat, Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) joined with Republicans in blocking the motion to proceed.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called for the vote without reaching a deal with Republicans. Democrats believe that public opinion is on their side and the GOP will eventually relent.

Obama pushed senators to keep trying to reach a deal.

"The reform that both parties have been working on for a year would prevent a crisis like this from happening again, and I urge the Senate to get back to work and put the interests of the country ahead of party.”