KIRO 7 Anchor Angela Russell sat down Tuesday for an interview with President Barack Obama, but it was something she learned Monday at the U.S. Capitol that made her want to ask about political gridlock that’s affected Washington, D.C. recently.

Russell: “A leading Democrat in our state … says you could be doing more to get rid of the gridlock situation. So I’m curious about what you could do differently.”
Obama: “I’d be interested if he has suggestions about how to get Republicans cooperating, I’d be happy to hear it.”
Russell: “He did have a suggestion, if I may share. He said that other presidents would meet with more rank-and-file members of Congress.”
Obama: “Oh, we meet with them all the time.”

But this is what Rep. Norm Dicks (D, WA-6) told KIRO 7 on Monday:

"Spend more time with members of Congress," Dicks said. "He needs to hear from a broad cross section."

http://bcove.me/ztdk4f3u

The president said the problem isn’t a lack of rapport, but rather a strategy by the other side to get him out of office at any cost.

“I think the problem has to do with, the other side made it a strategy – and they’ve been very explicit about this – whatever Obama’s for, ‘we’re gonna be against, because the economy’s bad and we figure the president would usually be held more accountable than we are,’” Obama said. “And I understand that as a political strategy.”

So now the president is adopting a strategy of his own – executive order, a privilege he said Americans might see in the near future.

“What we’re doing is basically saying to Congress, ‘we’re not gonna wait for you,’” Obama said. “If there are things that we can do that are gonna be effective at helping people find jobs, or refinancing their homes or making sure they can pay their student loans down, then we’re gonna go out and do it with or without Congress.”

Russell’s on-camera interview with the president ended shortly after those remarks, but after the mics went off, the president wanted to know which congressman talked to Russell about political gridlock. The answer, of course: Rep. Dicks. Rep. Dave Reichert (R, WA-8) said almost the exact same thing to Russell – he said he thought the president needs to meet with more members of Congress.