In Obama's weekend speech he told black members of Congress: "... Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do, CBC."
A leading black congresswoman has criticised US President Barack Obama for telling the Congressional Black Caucus to "stop complaining". She said "he never would say that" to Hispanic, gay or Jewish groups.
Rep Maxine Waters of California was responding to Obama's weekend speech in which he told black members of Congress: "I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes.
"Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do, CBC."
Waters, a former caucus chairman, told CBS News she found the comments "a bit curious", "not appropriate" and "surprising", and that she was "not sure exactly who the president was talking to" when he made the speech.
"The president spoke to the Hispanic caucus, he certainly didn't tell them to stop complaining," Mrs Waters said.
"And he never would say that to the gay and lesbian community who really pushed him on 'don't ask don't tell' (the policy towards homosexuals in the US forces).
"Or even in a speech to AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee), he would never say to the Jewish community, 'Stop complaining about Israel'."
Obama's new combative rhetoric in recent days has won praise from many liberal groups, but his words on Saturday could alienate a key group. Blacks voted overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008 and turned out in record numbers.
Democratic strategists doubt that many black voters would switch to Republicans in 2012, but fear they could stay at home, endangering Obama's re-election chances.
David Axelrod, Obama's chief campaign strategist, warned that the president faced a "titanic struggle" to cling on to the White House next year, exemplifying a new, realistic tone by Obama aides.
David Plouffe, the 2008 Obama campaign manager and now a senior White House aide, recently told The Washington Post: "We understand the very perilous situation we're in, but we think we have a pathway forward. But we don't have much margin for error."
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