Updated 11:14 a.m. | Newly minted White House counselor John Podesta has apologized for a remark that likened House Republicans to a “cult worthy of Jonestown” after getting called out by Speaker John A. Boehner’s spokesman.

“They need to focus on executive action given that they are facing a second term against a cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses of Congress,” Podesta told Politico’s Glenn Thrush earlier this fall, before the former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton was named to the White House post.

Podesta apologized via a tweet:

In an old interview, my snark got in front of my judgment. I apologize to Speaker Boehner, whom I have always respected.

— John Podesta (@johnpodesta) December 18, 2013

“For those who’ve forgotten, a Democratic member of Congress was murdered in Jonestown and a current one, Rep. Jackie Speier, was shot five times during the same incident,” Buck noted.

“If this is the attitude of the new White House, it’s hard to see how the president gets anything done again,” he said.

Considering that the White House hasn’t really gotten much out of the House anyway and expectations are extraordinarily low for the coming election year, that might not be saying all that much.