'Excuse me, Mr. President I thought the election was over,' Boehner said in an interview. Boehner: Obama disrespectful to me

John Boehner thinks President Barack Obama is "engaging" and "smart" — but the speaker-elect is also still smarting over the president's claim that he took taxpayers hostage to secure a tax break for the rich.

In an interview with Leslie Stahl of “60 Minutes” for broadcast Sunday night on CBS, Boehner said Obama showed him “disrespect” by calling him a hostage-taker.


“Excuse me, Mr. President I thought the election was over,” Boehner said, according to a transcript obtained by POLITICO. “You know, you get a lot of that heated rhetoric during an election. But now it's time to govern.”

The relationship between the president and the incoming House speaker was the focal point of the Sunday night piece, the most recent foray by Boehner into prime-time news.

Their most recent example of working together bore fruits for the GOP. The deal Republicans secured on the Bush-era tax cuts, which also extend unemployment insurance, has the GOP giddy. Boehner said he found “common ground” with Democrats, but said he rejects using the word “compromise.”

Boehner’s kind words about the president also come with a caveat: The two see the world very differently.

“I think he's engaging,” Boehner said in the taped piece. “Certainly smart. Brilliant. But — you know, we come from different backgrounds. And I think our view of the economy— is also very different.”

Another place they may find common ground: the golf course. The two are avid players, except Boehner is said to be an accomplished golfer, while Obama may be closer to a duffer. The pair have spoken about playing golf several times, but it has never happened. The Ohio Republican is holding out hope.

“Listen, playing golf with someone is a great way to get to know someone,” Boehner said. “You start trying to hit that little white ball, you can’t be somebody that you’re not, because all of you shows up.”