7 Ways Obama Basically Called Republicans Bums Today

— -- As if to say, "don't let the door hit you on your way out," President Obama -- on the eve of the August Congressional recess -- decided to take a big swat at Republican lawmakers today.

Obama summarily dismissed efforts by the GOP to refashion a bill to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, blasted them for blocking several of his ambassadorial nominees and needled them for their inability to reach consensus within even their own ranks.

Obama didn't hold himself totally blameless though -- "there's no doubt that I can always do better on everything," he acknowledged in his remarks in the White House briefing room.

But it was clear the president was in the mood for a summer scolding. Here are seven ways the president basically called Republicans bums today:

1. 'They're Not Even Trying'

“We all agree that there is a problem that needs to be solved in a portion of our southern border. And we even agree on most of the solutions. But instead of working together, instead of focusing on the 80 percent where there is agreement between Democrats and Republicans, between the administration and Congress, House Republicans as we speak are trying to pass the most extreme and unworkable versions of a bill that they already know is going nowhere, that can't pass the Senate and that if it were to pass the Senate, I would veto. They know it. They're not even trying to actually solve the problem.”

2. So Sue Me?

”Keep in mind that just a few days earlier, they voted to sue me for acting on my own, and then when they couldn't pass a bill yesterday, they put out a statement suggesting I should act on my own because they couldn't pass a bill.”

3. Diplomatic Delay

“Even basic things like approving career diplomats for critical ambassadorial posts aren't getting done. … They're still blocking our ambassador to Sierra Leone, where there's currently an Ebola outbreak. They're blocking our ambassador to Guatemala even as they demand that we do more to stop the flow of unaccompanied children from Guatemala. There are lot of things that we could be arguing about on policy. That's what we should be doing as a democracy, but we shouldn't be having an argument about placing career diplomats with bipartisan support in countries around the world where we have to have a presence.”

4. ‘A Little More Extreme'

“They couldn't quite pull off yesterday, so they made it a little more extreme so maybe they can pass it today, just so they can check a box before they're leaving town for a month. And this is on an issue that they all insisted had to be a top priority.”

5. They Can't Even Agree With Themselves

“So now we have a short-term crisis with respect to the Rio Grande Valley. They say we need more resources, we need tougher border security in this area, where these unaccompanied children are showing up. We agree, so we put forward a supplemental to give us the additional resources and funding to do exactly what they say we should be doing. And they can't pass the bill. They can't even pass their own version of the bill. So that's not a disagreement between me and the House Republicans. That's a disagreement between the House Republicans and the House Republicans.”

6. ‘Congress Is Failing'

“A student loan bill that would help folks who have student loan debt consolidate and refinance at lower rates -- that didn't pass. The transportation bill that they did pass just gets us through the spring when we should actually be planning years in advance. States and businesses are raising the minimum wage for their workers because this Congress is failing to do so.”

7. Problem Solving? Not So Much

“When Congress returns next month, my hope is, is that instead of simply trying to pass partisan message bills on party lines that don't actually solve problems, they're going to be willing to come together to at least focus on some key areas where there's broad agreement. After all that we've had to overcome, our Congress should stop standing in the way of our country's success.”