Obama scolds 'irresponsible' Dems

(CNN) - Joe Biden isn't the only member of the Obama White House frustrated with the Democratic base.

So is the big man himself.

In his lengthy Rolling Stone interview, President Obama took the opportunity to express deep frustration with the low enthusiasm among Democratic voters this election cycle amid charges he has fallen short on a string of campaign promises.

"It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election," the president told the magazine.

Obama went on to describe his administration as the "most successful in a generation in moving progressive agendas forward," and said it was flat out "irresponsible" for Democrats to stay home on Election Day.

"The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible," he said. "Everybody out there has to be thinking about what's at stake in this election."

Obama's direct admonishment was published a day after the vice president turned heads when he told Democrats at a New Hampshire fundraiser that the base of the party needs to "stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives."

Obama's comments came as the president heads to four states this week in an effort to drum up excitement among voters who flocked to the polls for him in 2008 and remind them of his administration's accomplishments. To that end, Obama said he keeps a list of fulfilled campaign promises. The president claimed 70 percent of them have been met.

Democratic discontent has grown more palpable over the last several months as Obama has been forced to fend off charges that, among other things, he was too eager to compromise on health care, hasn't pushed hard enough for gay rights, and is advancing the same foreign policies as the hawkish Bush administration.

A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll showed that only 30 percent of Democrats are enthusiastic about the looking midterm elections, as opposed to 53 percent of Republicans.