Politico comes to Gibbs' defense

[Enrique]

Last night, Politico top guy Mike Allen was on a right-wing radio show, defending Gibbs. And I mean strenuously defending him. He was worked up. He was taking it personally. And the host agreed with him. Obama's lefty critics (curiously never named) are out of line.

And now this morning, Politico further defends Gibbs:

When a presidential press secretary gets in trouble with the press, it’s usually for accurately reflecting the feelings of his boss.

The liberal blogosphere has been all atwitter recently because White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told Sam Youngman of The Hill that liberals who unfairly criticize President Barack Obama may be living in a chemically altered state.

“I hear these people saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested,” Gibbs said. “I mean, it’s crazy.”

Actually, it is crazy. On the most important issue of his presidency — the Iraq war — Bush plunged us into a hunt for imaginary weapons of mass destruction, which Obama says he never would have done.
This the left likes. But some don’t like the political compromises Obama had to make to pass health care, some much preferring righteous indignation to useful legislation.

“Gibbs dismissed the ‘professional left’ in terms very similar to those used by their opponents on the ideological right,” Youngman went on, “saying, ‘They will be satisfied when we have Canadian health care and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.’”

It isn’t. And I’m guessing the president agrees with Gibbs and was neither angered nor disappointed by Gibbs’s statements, which came not in the heat of his daily briefing but in the cool of his West Wing office.

In other words, Gibbs knew what he was doing. And so did Obama.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40970.html#ixzz0wP8csj2o

[SunsetDreams]

1. I definitely don't care what Politico thinks

Regardless of what I think about the issue.

[tomp]

2. parts of what he says isn't even logical, but i agree with him...

...it seems very likely to me that this was intentional and coming from obama.

they are either intentionally making their hatred of the left official (as if their policies weren't enough for anyone with eyes to see)
or they are sending up a rather risky trial balloon to see what they are dealing with in the run-up to the election. i strongly suspect
the former. i tend to believe they are thoroughly and publicly done with us. i think gibbs' screed is game-changing.

[Ernesto]

3. right wing trash... nt (reply to #1)

[Aramchek]

4. and after the dust settles,

Robert Gibbs will still have more effect on the future of this Country than you ever will.

Is that why you hate him so?

[Enrique]

5. I do save my criticism for powerful people

I criticize politicans more than I criticize voters, I criticize bosses more than I criticize workers.

But I don't hate politicians or bosses.

[tomp]

6. hitler had great impact on his country, too.

what's your point?

[LostinVA]

7. What an unnecessary and rude thing to say to someone

It's also a false idea: that those in so-called positions of power are "better" in some way than the "common people," or do more for the world.

Which action is full of grace: Robert Gibbs' comments yesterday, or stopping your car and rescuing a dog from a busy highway? Shirley Sherrod's firing by TPTB, or a single mother staying up late after a full day to finish her child's Halloween costume? President Obama's "Beer Summit" or a child making sure their parents' last years are filled with warmth and love?

I think some people on this board need to read Buddhism for Dummies.

[JoeyT]

8. The kind of insult one would expect from a five year old.

"My daddy is richer than your daddy! Haha!"