Obama jokes about debate setback

President Obama is at the point where he can joke about last week's debate performance.

At a Los Angeles fundraiser Sunday night, Obama talked about his delayed 20th anniversary celebration -- delayed because of the debate with Republican Mitt Romney.

"The actual anniversary date was not that romantic," Obama told the chuckling crowd.

"There was some speculation as to whether this had an impact on my performance."

The president added he did "make it up" -- at least to wife Michelle -- by taking her out for dinner Saturday night.

Even some Democrats criticized Obama's debate performance, calling him listless and ineffective against his Republican challenger.

The president appeared to make another debate joke earlier in the evening, during a fundraising concert at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.

Praising musicians Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Jon Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, and Earth, Wind and Fire, Obama said, "they're such great friends, and they just perform flawlessly night after night."

Obama added, to laughter and applause: "I can't always say the same."

As we noted yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter says many Obama backers in Tinseltown were upset by Obama's debate performance -- and planned to give him tips for the next two confrontations with Romney.