Robert Gibbs Compares John McCain’s Obstinance To That Of A “Six-Year-Old”

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by Colby Hall | 1:56 pm, March 24th, 2010

» 11 comments

Following the passing of health care reform, an angry GOP has pretty consistently pledged to hinder or impede all other political items on the Obama administration’s agenda. Most notably, Senator John McCain claimed that he will no longer work with Democrats and the White House on any issue. “There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,” he said after the vote. “They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.” If you happen to think that those words sound like a six-year-old child, then you may have a lot in common with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Following is the video exchange from today’s White House press briefing, and features a back and forth between Gibbs and Hearst columnist Helen Thomas, CBS News’ Chip Reid and ABC News Jake Tapper. Video of the two minute exchange is below, a transcript follows the video.

Robert Gibbs: In terms of bipartisanship I would say that, as Karen mentioned this earlier, Senator Corker said there are Republicans that will support financial. reform

Helen Thomas: McCain says he’s going to oppose everything.

Gibbs: I find it curious that not getting your way on one thing means you’ve decided to take your toys and go home. I dont think — doesnt work well for my 6 year-old, I doubt it works well for the US Senate because we have issues that are important for his constituents and all for America. Look, again when it comes to financial reform people are going to have an opportunity to weigh in on behalf of the banks or on behalf of the consumers and I’ll let their vote on that dictate which side of that ledger they feel most comfortable on,

Chip Reid: Are you comparing John McCain to a six year-old?

Gibbs: I’m saying that I think the notion that if you don’t get what you want you’re not going to cooperate on anything else is not a whole lot different than I might you hear from a six year-old.

Jake Tapper: I think the argument is not that its the reconciliation process, its that the republicans have said, Lindsey Graham included as well, they’re saying that spoils the bipartisan atmosphere. It’s not, ‘not getting what you want.’

Gibbs: When reconciliation happened in 2001 with the Bush tax cuts I didn’t get the sense that it spoiled the ability for Congress to continue working together. I don’t see why that would happen now, unless people decided they were going to take their toys and go home.

Chip Reid, Health Care, Helen Thomas, Jake Tapper, John McCain, Robert Gibbs

germ

Stay Classy Gibbs.

Oh, wait.
Toshiba2

Truth hurts!
felixw

It’s been so long since the Left has taken the high road, that they have lost the directions. All you get is name-calling and an evasion of substantive debate. The public can judge which approach is actually more typical of a six-year-old.
valkyrie101

felix, I will accept the fact that politics has gotten a little seedy, but to say that it is a left problem and not also a right problem, or a collective problem, is kind of silly.

As for McCain, I feel sorry for him. He has to win the Repub primary and to do that he has to retrace his own steps back from the middle over to the right in order to win. Watch for that kind of thing to play out many times all over the country. Problem is, in a a general election all the moderates and independents will be holding their noses. Back in his moderate days, McCain and Kennedy came up with a pretty decent immigration reform proposal, but now he is essentially campaigning against his own proposal.
PureFreedom

John McCain is one of the only few that have sacrificed so much for his love of this country.
Every time I see Obama now thinking he is our commander and chief … yet so unqualified and never sacrificed anything for this country. But voted in by the mass urban uneducated along with the brain washed media types.

The fall of American Empire has begun!
valkyrie101

Yes, John served his country in the military, with honor, and Obama did not serve. Of course almost every able bodied man served during that time because we were at war and there was a draft. A couple notables of that era who were not drafted, for some reason, and who did not serve in the active military would include Bush and Cheney. And I will not fail to mention Bill Clinton…
TfT

Bush was ANG and served, but that misses the point. Gibbs is a jerk which he made evident today.
valkyrie101

It does not bother me that Bush went the route of joining the National Guard to avoid active military service. As for Gibbs being a jerk, well, I suppose your view on that is colored by your politics. (Querie: Is there any Democrat that you do not think is a jerk?) But that job of Press Secretary is a thankless task, for anyone. They get paid to take the heat, and I suppose Gibbs does that.
TfT

I thought Scott McLellan was a jerk too.
valkyrie101

I liked Tony Snow. He had the hardest job of any of those guys and/or gals
Nachi

McShame. The only GI in American history to pronounce himself to be a “hero” – then ride that falsity for thev rest of his life.

John McShame: Officially credited by the U.S. Navy with “Eleven (11) hours of in-combat duty.” “All but 2.3 to 3.5 hours of that was to-and-from-to-target time.” [sic]

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