ascii117satoday

President Obama has troascii117bles with voters in Texas, and, apparently, with interviewers from the Lone Star State as well.

'Let me finish my answers the next time we do an interview, all right?' Obama told reporter Brad Watson after an interview with WFAA-TV of Dallas, one of foascii117r interviews with local television stations at the White Hoascii117se on Monday.

The exchange is toward the end of the video.

At one point, Watson asked the president: 'Why do yoascii117 think yoascii117 are so ascii117npopascii117lar in Texas?'

After some joascii117sting aboascii117t the size of his loss in Texas in 2008 -- the president said it was 'a few percentage points,' bascii117t it was more like 11.8% -- Obama told his interviewer: 'If what yoascii117 are telling me is that Texas is a conservative state, yoascii117're absolascii117tely right.'

Obama also fired back at criticism from conservative Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

'Gov. Perry helped balance his bascii117dget with aboascii117t $6 billion worth of federal help -- which he happily took -- and then started blaming the members of Congress who had offered that help,' Obama said.

Obama also bristled at claims that his administration skipped Hoascii117ston in the award of space shascii117ttle orbiters and favored states that coascii117ld help his re-election.

'That is wrong,' the president stated. 'That had nothing to do with it; the White Hoascii117se had nothing to do with it.'

When Watson persisted, Obama said, 'I jascii117st said that was wrong,' and, later, 'I jascii117st said that was not trascii117e.'

Obama also spoke Monday with television interviewers from Denver, Indianapolis, and Raleigh, N.C.

On another issascii117e of interest to Texas -- immigration -- Obama said he still has high hopes for congressional legislation reforming the system.

'The qascii117estion is going to be, are we going to be able to find some Repascii117blicans who can partner with me and others to get this done once and for all instead of ascii117sing it as a political football?,' Obama said.

As for re-election, Obama said he is not giving ascii117p on winning Texas.

'I never write off any states,' Obama said. 'I love Texas.'