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Rep. Connie Mack On President Obama: The Words Of The Constitution ‘Don’t Matter To Him’

Nando Di Fino — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:59:40 +0000

Rep. Connie Mack (R – Fla.) was a guest on Starting Point Friday morning — live from CPAC — and took the occasion to rip into President Obama for his health care mandate, saying that the President doesn’t respect the Constitution and that personal freedoms and liberties don’t matter to him.

Host Soledad O’Brien played a series of clips of conservatives talking out against the birth control mandate before turning to Mack.

“I think this is a huge issue,” Mack said, “that continues to show that this administration doesn’t believe that the Constitution and personal freedoms and liberties matter.”

Mack added that the birth control mandate “shows an arrogance,” and used President Obama’s background as as a lawyer to imply that he could cleverly work around the Constitution.

“Whatever the words of the Constitution are don’t matter to him,” Mack said. “He will interpret it in a different way, and think that is what has created this frustration.”

“You know there are Democrats all over the country right now who are throwing things at the television,” O’Brien said.

“Look, if you look at his own record, he has done everything to move against the Constitution,” Mack replied.

Watch a clip of the exchange below — with a healthy dose of Andrew Breitbart looking on — courtesy of CNN:

Cenk Uygur: President Obama ‘Doesn’t Have The Guts’ To Fight For Contraceptive Mandate

Tommy Christopher — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:08:02 +0000

On Tuesday night’s The Young Turks, host Cenk Uygur went the eff off on President Obama over what he sees as administration signals of a compromise on the religious employer exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s Preventive Services Mandate. Loudly calling it like he sees it, Uygur said that President Obama “doesn’t have the guts” to fight conservatives on the issue, and that “his natural instinct” to “run for the hills” kicks in whenever he’s challenged a little bit.

It is that penchant for unvarnished spleen that has earned Uygur the following he has, but has also led to some backlash among liberals. He doesn’t apologize for it, and frequently warns viewers that they’re going to get that unfiltered view, no matter the subject. For what it’s worth, I’d rather know what someone honestly thinks than not, but in this case, Cenk is jumping the gun a little bit, and goes too far, and in the wrong direction, in his criticism of the President.

Cenk cites polling data that shows overwhelming (58%) support for the Preventive Services Mandate among Catholics, with 52% supporting its application to religious employers like hospitals and schools. Another survey shows that 99% of reproductive-age women have used contraception, and 89% of fertile, sexually active women who do not want to become pregnant are currently practicing it. His conclusion is that this is an “enormously winning issue,” so “why on God’s green Earth” would the administration compromise?

Uygur played a clip from Tuesday’s Morning Joe, in which senior Obama adviser David Axelrod talks about such a compromise, and he’s right on target throughout 99% of the segment, concentrating on the need to extend the protections of the Preventive Services Mandate to all women, while respecting the “concerns” and “prerogatives” of religious organizations. The competing interests here are equal protection for millions of women, versus religious accommodation, not religious liberty. The First Amendment does not grant churches the right to impose their beliefs on employees who serve the general public.

Where Axelrod slips up is in saying that “we certainly don’t want to infringe on religious liberty,” which tacitly validates that disastrous, fallacious frame. There’s nothing wrong with accommodating the wishes of these organizations, as long as the rights of women aren’t also compromised. Conceding this “religious liberty” argument is the problem. It is this argument that makes this a losing issue for the President, and it is the administration’s failure to seize the framing of this issue as an equal protection argument from the outset that has led to this controversy.

Even greater than the administration’s failure, though, is the mainstream media’s, in the same regard. Even when they’re pushing back against it, the “religious liberty” frame is still the dominant reference point in this discussion, because squeaky religious wheels are getting all of the ink. If every mainstream newscast explained the mandate the way Cenk did at the beginning of this segment, and if the cable networks sought guests who are among the women being denied these services (surely, they exist), this thing would be playing out quite differently. Right now, it’s a reverse witch hunt, with religious leaders (and lots of their left-leaning followers) tying themselves to stakes of their own making.

The fact is, aside from Axelrod’s slip-up, the White House has consistently, if not aggressively, responded to this controversy with the appropriate set of priorities. As long as any eventual compromise recognizes those priorities, there’s nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately, there’s no compromise that will turn this into a win (the mainstream media has turned this into Obama vs. Church, rather than Church vs. Women), but if one can be reached, it’s the generous thing to do.

Here’s the clip, from Current TV:

MSNBC Guest: My Dog Is Better At Handling The Economy Than Obama

James Crugnale — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:26:18 +0000

Former Colorado congressman and 2008 presidential contender Tom Tancredo spoke to Hardball’s Chris Matthews about Mitt Romney‘s economic policy alternatives to President Obama. “I haven’t heard the Romney plan for the next four years to get us out of the economic challenge,” Matthews observed. “Do you think he’s running negative or positive campaign?” “Here’s what I think that Romney has been doing,” Tancredo opined. “That is setting the stage for a debate between him and Obama who can best handle the economy. Who has the best record for creating jobs and for, you know, essentially, increasing prosperity. I think Romney feels, and I think rightly so, he can make a case for that. Hell, my dog’s better at it than Obama!”

“There’s no issue in terms of who is better in terms of the economy, but the question that I think Santorum is asking is an important one. Will the economy be the issue in the election?” Tancredo continued. “I mean, it is possible that we are going to see a decrease in unemployment. It’s possible we’ll see a little bit of growth in the economy. As that happens, it takes that issue away from the Republican challenger. then you better start talking about the other things that really matter. Which view of America is right? Is it Obama and Zuccotti Park protesters? Or is it Santorum and, in fact, if you want to say it, the tea party people? Which view is better? Is it the Obama view of the entitlement mentality he wants to increase or is it individual responsibility? That’s the issues.”

Update: Kyle Leighton from Talking Points Memo tracked down a photo of Tancredo’s mini golden doodle, Sasha:

Watch the segment below via MSNBC:

Gipper Move: President Obama Won’t Unilaterally Disarm On SuperPACs

Tommy Christopher — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:56:35 +0000

The influence of independent expenditure groups like PACs and SuperPACs has become a major factor in this year’s presidential election. Consequently, the news that President Obama has decided to encourage donations to the Priorities USA Action SuperPAC is dominating political news today, with handwringing on the left and the right about the President’s prior vocal opposition to outside groups. Philosophically, he’s just taking a page from Ronald Reagan‘s book.

The President’s reelection campaign has been raising money at a record clip, but as campaign manager Jim Messina has been warning for months, recent FEC filings show that despite a hefty advantage over his Republican rivals’ campaigns, outside Republican groups have been pouring enough cash into the race to dwarf the campaigns’ spending. Republican SuperPACs have raised north of $90 million, while Democratic outside groups have only raised $19 million.

So, despite his previous objections to the influence of outside money in elections, President Obama has decided to encourage donors to give to Priorities USA, the SuperPAC started by former White House staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, and to make certain administration and campaign officials available to speak at Priorities fundraisers.

A spokesman for the RNC was predictably quick to criticize the decision:

The Republican National Committee sharply criticized the decision. A spokesman, Joe Pounder, declared: “Yet again, Barack Obama has proven he will literally do anything to win an election, including changing positions on the type of campaign spending he called nothing short of ‘a threat to our democracy.”

There are even some Democrats who are apparently “confused” by the move, but the President’s position hasn’t changed. Believing in a level playing field doesn’t mean you’re obligated to kneel on an uneven one. Just as late President Ronald Reagan refused to unilaterally disarm the United States even though he wanted to see nuclear weapons “banished from the face of this Earth,” President Obama has decided not to unilaterally disarm in the face of an ominous nuclear fundraising arsenal, despite his desire to wipe them out.

Ironically, the success or failure of this move sets up a sort of Catch 22 for the President. According to The New York Times, some Democratic fundraisers see the SuperPAC money gap as a function of Wall Street’s anger at the President’s attempts to rein them in, which could mean that even with his blessing, the 1% might continue to shovel their cash in only one direction:

But major donors to Mr. Obama said in interviews that they were not sure the Democratic super PAC’s lackluster fund-raising was due entirely to the president’s public misgivings about outside spending. One longtime, high-dollar Democratic fund-raiser said it was also partly a result of Wall Street’s anger at Mr. Obama’s statements and policies concerning bank regulation, some of which have sent former Obama donors and fund-raisers to the Republicans.

Whether you think President Obama has done enough to rein in Wall Street, he clearly has less to offer them than the Republicans do. The only thing he can offer them is the possibility that he might win. In the past, moneyed interests had to hedge their bets a little, but with the ability to spend without limit, there’s little incentive to do so.

Chris Matthews Beams: President Obama’s Smile ‘Worth Five to Ten Points’ On Election Day

James Crugnale — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:03:20 +0000

On Monday’s Hardball on MSNBC, Chris Matthews gave President Obama’ an early Valentine, fawningly gushing over the political power of his toothy grin. “I think that smile of his is worth five to ten points in the general!” Matthews exclaimed. “His campaign strategists might feel differently.”

Matthews has not been shy to acknowledge his love of the President’s smile in the past, saying last year, “That smile! That cute smile we all love in that guy. That wonderful, boyish smile of his!”

Matthews’ advice just might sway the President to keep on brushing those pearly whites.

Watch Matthews compliment President Obama below:

(h/t Newsbusters)

President Obama Takes Resume Of Unemployed Engineer, Wife Says They Still May Not Vote For Him

Nando Di Fino — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:40:21 +0000

Jennifer Wedel, the woman who became famous when President Obama asked for her unemployed husband’s resume during a video chat over the weekend, was a guest on CNN’s Early Start Wednesday morning and revealed that she had already passed along the resume to the White House, but said that — even with the President of the United States acting as the wold’s most high-profile headhunter — they still may not vote for him in the upcoming election.

Wedel said that Google personally made sure that the resume got to the White House after the chat (“Of course it was ready to go, because he sends it out all the time,” she said). On Tuesday, the couple got a call from the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, informing them that President Obama personally made it a point to get the resume out to several Dallas Fort-Worth contacts. “Not everyone has Obama as a reference,” Wedel noted.

Early Start co-host Zoraida Sambolin then asked Wedel, a life-long Republican, if this gesture by the President might sway her vote in the upcoming election.

“Actually, we’re still undecided,” Wedel said. “I’m not really sure what we’ll do,”

“Even if he gets the job?” Sambolin asked.

“It’s nice but…well I mean it is,” Wedel, fidgeting a little in her seat, replied. “But we’re one person. There’s still lots of Americans in my husband’s position that don’t have jobs.” Wedel, before signing off, said that if President Obama maybe did something about the H1B visas, it might sway the couple in his direction.

After the interview, Ashleigh Banfield revealed that she might have a tiny problem with Wedel’s anti-H1B stance:

“You know, I didn’t know that she had the issue about the H1B. And, full disclosure, I came to America on an H1B,” Banfield explained. “It’s a good thing I wasn’t doing the interview. Jennifer, I do love you, but that’s how I got here. And I’m such a proud immigrant and I’m a proud American. Became an immigrant two years ago and voted in my first election.”

Watch a clip of the interview below, courtesy of CNN:

David Axelrod Tweets Photo Of President Obama’s Dog Inside Car In Veiled Jab At Romney

James Crugnale — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:33:23 +0000

Chief Obama strategist David Axelrod posted a cutting photo tweet implicitly targeting Republican hopeful Mitt Romney. The photo featured President Obama riding in his car with his Portuguese water dog, Bo, with the caption “How loving owners transport their dogs.” Oh snap!

Romney has faced criticism over a 1983 family vacation where he strapped his Irish setter Seamus to the roof of his car, as Boston Globe writer Neil Swidey reported:

The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario … Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He’d built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.
[...]
As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ”Dad!” he yelled. ”Gross!” A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who’d been riding on the roof in the wind for hours. As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

Megyn Kelly Cross-Examines RNC Chief Over Comparing Obama To Italian Cruise Captain

James Crugnale — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:13:08 +0000

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus appeared on Fox News’s America Live to respond to the growing furor over his comments comparing President Obama to Captain Francesco Schettino, the Italian captain of the Costa Concordia. Megyn Kelly asked Priebus if he stood by his comments, which he strongly defended as “clear.” “Clearly Megyn! When I made those comments, I clearly used the analogy in both sentences that this president was akin to leaving his own job and campaigning nonstop all the time,” Priebus exclaimed. “I think it’s pretty clear.”

“I made it very clear in the comments twice that what I was referring to — i didn’t just make the comment and move on. I made the comment that it was referring to leadership and acting like a leader in a moment of crisis. I was referring to the fact that this president is in love with campaigning and not in love with his job of getting our country back on track. I think it’s awful. I mean, people died, terrible and our prayers go out to those people without a question. But to take this comment and turn it into something that it is not, that’s wrong, too. That’s political gamesmanship.”

Kelly noted that Michael Steele and The White House has issued commented condemning him for his comments.

“The reality is the comment was crystal clear, couched twice with exactly what this was about, which is about leadership and learning about the rest our country that’s out of work instead your own job to get reelected 24/7. That issue was made clear. It will be about putting people back to work and the president has not risen to the occasion in a time of crisis.”

When pressed by Kelly over Steele’s criticism, Priebus responded, “I’m not going to get into that kind of engagement.”

Watch the segment below via Fox News:

Ed Schultz Bashes Eric Bolling For Attacking President Obama’s Air Force One Use

Frances Martel — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:31:12 +0000

Ed Schultz and Eric Bolling have a pretty longstanding cable news rivalry of sorts, one that goes back and forth on issues from who is maybe drinking to grabbing drinks together to maybe not doing that, and policy disagreements, sometimes. The latest barb was thrown in Bolling’s direction, and for the last of those reasons, as Schultz blasted the Fox News host for disagreeing with President Obama’s use of Air Force 1.

Calling Bolling a “blowhard,” Schultz complained, “this guy is complaining about President Obama using AF1 to talk to the American people!” He then played a clip of Bolling adding up the amount of money that goes into flying Air Force One across the country during his post-State of the Union round. “Fox News has the stupidest viewers on the face of the earth to think that this is a story or an issue,” Bolling yelled, accusing Bolling of “maybe been having too many cool ones across the street.” He then explained that “presidents routinely tour the country on Air Force One after the State of the Union” and that President George W. Bush, too, had done it.

Update: Bolling issued a rebuttal, of sorts, on Facebook and Twitter: “I was wondering why all the Libnuts attacking me..now I know..it was that old guy on MSNBC..what’s his name… Mister Ed?”

The segment via MSNBC below:

President Obama To ABC’s Diane Sawyer: I Want Second Term ‘Badly’

James Crugnale — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:58:15 +0000

President Obama spoke with ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an interview on Thursday. Sawyer asked him how intense his reelection ambitions were. “How much do you want it?” “Badly,” Obama replied. “Because I think the country needs it.”

“Whoever wins the Republican primary is going to be a standard bearer for a vision of the country that I don’t think reflects who we are,” Obama said. “I’m going to fight as hard as I can with every fiber of my being to make sure that we continue on a path that I think will restore the American dream.”

Obama also responded to Republican hopeful Newt Gingrich referring to him as “the food stamp president.”

“First of all, I don’t put people on food stamps,” Obama said. “People become eligible for food stamps. Second of all, the initial expansion of food-stamp eligibility happened under my Republican predecessor, not under me. No. 3, when you have a disastrous economic crash that results in 8 million people losing their jobs, more people are going to need more support from government.”

Watch Obama’s interview below via ABC News:

John King Grills Jan Brewer Over Tense Obama Exchange: ‘Were You Trying To Create A Scene?’

James Crugnale — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:34:23 +0000

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer appeared on CNN Thursday and was grilled by John King over her contentious meeting with President Obama. “Were you trying to create a scene here?” King asked. “There are some people suggesting you wanted to have a scene with the president so you could sell more of your books.” “Absolutely not!” Brewer exclaimed “That’s absolutely ridiculous!”

“I never brought the book up,” Brewer continued. “He brought the book up! And he didn’t even talk to me about what the book was really about. It was about illegal immigration and securing our border, which I’ve wanted to talk to him about on numerous occasions and have had that opportunity. But he didn’t bring up securing the border, he’s just concerned about his amnesty. So it was not about the book, absolutely not, and I would have thought that in a 2 1/2 months since the book has been out that he would have called me or contacted me if he was disappointed in the book. So it was not anything that is of a publicity stunt. Just the truth and I stand on what I wrote in the book, by the way, John!”

Watch below via CNN:

Tucker Carlson Spars With Alan Colmes Over State Of The Union Address

James Crugnale — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:06:04 +0000

Appearing on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, The Dally Caller‘s Tucker Carlson argued with Alan Colmes about President Obama’s State of the Union address, with Carlson blasting it for many of its pro-government themes.

“It was an entirely political speech, right?” Carlson exclaimed. “It bore no resemblance to the Obama Administration we watched for the last three years. Where was mention of healthcare? Where was explanation of all the great things the president’s health care law has done? Wasn’t that supposed to change America forever?”

“He mentioned health care!” interjected Colmes.

“Like parenthetically!” Carlson replied. “This was a speech designed to sound moderate but at its core, if you read it carefully he is making the case you are poor because some people are rich. right? That this small group of affluent people are keeping the rest of the country down. Even Bill Clinton wouldn’t have said that because he didn’t believe it. This is actually not in keeping with the moderate Democrat position at all. It is pretty left-wing position!”

Despite Carlson’s pleas, Colmes continued to heap praise on President Obama‘s speech, calling it “forward-looking.”

Watch Carlson and Colmes debate President Obama’s SOTU:

Critics Sour Over President Obama’s ‘Spilled Milk’ Joke At The SOTU

James Crugnale — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:58:46 +0000

While President Obama‘s State of the Union speech received a predictably mixed response divided among partisan lines, most people tended to agree the most cringe-inducing moment of the night came during a milk joke that went over like a lead balloon. “I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense…We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill – because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk.” Obama’s crack drew some nervous laughter.

After grinning uncomfortably, Obama quickly added, “I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder.”

Reaction in the Twitterverse was quick and harsh, here were a sample:

“Obama should fire whoever gave him the “spilled milk” joke. LOL Even the First Lady wasn’t impressed!” – TJ Holmes

“I will find you, guy who wrote that spilled milk joke. I will find you.” – @allisonkilkenny

“Spilled milk”? IMPEACH!” — Jonah Goldberg

“Wow that joke is like one my dad would have made. #sotu #notacompliment” — Aaron Blake

“OH NO YOU DIDN’T” — Andy Levy

Watch President Obama’s joke below:

President Obama Hugs Gabrielle Giffords At SOTU

James Crugnale — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:29:38 +0000

In one of the most moving moments during Tuesday night’s State of The Union address, President Obama gave outgoing Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords a farewell hug.

Giffords announced this weekend she was stepping down to focus on her recovery. The Congresswoman will cast her final vote in the House on Wednesday.

“I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week,” Giffords earlier said. “I’m getting better. Every day my spirit is high.”

Watch President Obama hug Congresswoman Giffords below:

Herman Cain Blasts President Obama In Tea Party SOTU Response, Praises Colbert

James Crugnale — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:11:50 +0000

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain enthusiastically tore into President Obama and his State of the Union address Tuesday night, calling the economy “anemic.”

“With all due respect Mr. President, some of us are not stupid,” Cain exclaimed. “The state of the union is not good!”

While Cain’s speech wasn’t aired on any of the networks, it was streamed live on the Tea Party Express’s website.

“The American voters are saying ‘we ain’t stupid.’ They know it was well timed and planned, and people are waking up to the dirty side of politics,” Cain continued. “They hadn’t awaked totally to the dirty, negative side of politics when I was first attacked, but I happen to believe that people are waking up.”

“I think Stephen Colbert’s endorsement of me is a marvelous thing,” Cain added. “Keep the youth vote inspired! Keep the college vote inspired! I asked Stephen to do some rallies he said I have 160 shows to do, so. We might do some on a selective basis.”

Watch Cain deliver the Tea Party response to President Obama’s SOTU:

Charles Krauthammer: Obama’s SOTU Speech ‘Struck The Right Tone’

James Crugnale — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:49:30 +0000

Following the State Of The Union address, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer– often thought of as President Obama’s toughest critic — commended him for delivering a speech “that struck the right tone.” “It was less partisan than I would have expected,” Krauthammer observed.

“He tried to act statesman-like, he tried to be bipartisan. There were a couple of allusions here-and-there to Republican obstruction, but I think he struck the right tone for the State of the Union address and didn’t open himself up to attacks,” Krauthammer continued.

“The one area where he spoke forcibly and I think dramatically was on raising the taxes on the rich,” Krauthammer added. “That was sort of the only strong aspect of the speech but in other respects, but that’s just a repeat of the decade of debate over the Bush tax cuts. Other than that, it’s hard to say what exactly does he want for the country in the next year and in the next term and that I think he hasn’t answered. He’ll do that when he starts his swing around the swing states tomorrow.”

Watch Krauthammer’s comments below via Fox News:

Howard Fineman: ‘I Have Never Heard Newt Gingrich Call President Obama President Obama’

Tommy Christopher — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:04:20 +0000

During a SOTU preview segment on Tuesday evening’s Hardball, MSNBC contributor Howard Fineman made an observation about a rankling trend among certain opponents of President Obama, the tendency not to address him by his hard-won title. Framing it in the context of those who question the President’s legitimacy, Fineman noted “I have never heard Newt Gingrich call President Obama ‘President Obama.’”

I thought I’d put Fineman’s claim to the test, using last night’s debate. The results were surprising.

Huffpo‘s Howard Fineman and host Chris Matthews were discussing tonight’s State of the Union Address, and Matthews began by criticizing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for “blasting what he hasn’t heard yet” in a “pre-buttal” in Florida earlier today. Maybe Romney has watched Minority Report too many times, because he accused the President of “us(ing) the State of the Union to divide our nation.”

Fineman called out the kettle in Romney’s premonition, pointing out that “You and I just spent the last month immersed in and covering some of the most divisive rhetoric I have heard on the campaign trail for years.”

“They don’t accept the President’s legitimacy in many ways,” he continued. “I have never heard Newt Gingrich call President Obama ‘President Obama.’ It’s usually just ‘Obama.’

“And I know that sounds like a trivial thing,” Fineman added, “but it’s not. It’s very important.”

The trend that Fineman identifies has even been cause for outrage among the President’s supporters coming from liberal critics of the President, and while there most certainly plenty of people who dismissively referred to “Bush” during the last administration, that level of informality becomes outright disrespect when practiced by those seeking the office.

While it’s true that Gingrich uses the President’s full title when he’s appending it with “food stamps,” I took a look at last night’s debate transcript, and found something surprising. The unsurprising part is that Speaker Gingrich mentioned the President by name seven times, and didn’t once address him as “President Obama,” calling him “Barack Obama” four times, and spitting out “Obama” three times.

What is surprising is that only one of the four candidates, who collectively mentioned the President 14 times (not including “Obamacare”), referred to him as “President Obama” at all. If you guessed it was “Don’t I look presidential?” Mitt Romney, you would be wrong.

It was former Sen. Rick Santorum, who used the title 3 out of the 5 times he mentioned him. Of the other two instances, one was a reference to “Barack Obama” while he was in the Senate, and the other was in a sentence that immediately followed a reference to President Obama: “Iran is not just another country, or a little, small country, as President Obama said classically during the campaign. Obama’s Iran policy has been a colossal failure.”

There’s probably not a lot of crossover between Sen. Santorum’s supporters and the President’s, but at least Santorum has the decency to address our president (and his) with the respect he has earned.

Here’s the clip, from MSNBC’s Hardball:

Congressman Defends Obama: He ‘Made 508 Promises And Acted On All But Three’

James Crugnale — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:57:03 +0000

Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings spoke with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell about President Obama’s record and made the extraordinary claim that President Obama had “some 508 promises that he made to the American people and he has acted on all of them except three.”

“He still has work to do,” Cummings continued. “This president has done more than most presidents have done in eight and that is against fierce resistance.”

Representative Cummings appears to be citing Politfact’s Obameter, which tracks whether the president keeps his promises or breaks them:

While Cummings correctly cites the president’s 508 promises compiled by Politifact, saying he acted on all of them except three is exceptionally dubious, especially since the site explicitly mentions he broke 56 promises. That is a far cry from three.

Expect to see Cummings earning a “pants-on-fire” for his claim.

Watch below via MSNBC:

Newt Gingrich Targets ‘Elite Media’ (Again) In SC Victory Speech

Mediaite Staff — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:30:04 +0000

After a surprisingly resounding win in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich made a victory speech that thanked his supporters while blasting the usual suspects. Those suspects included, President Obama “the most effective food stamp President in history,” the media, the “elites in New York and Washington” and radicals in San Francisco. He reminded his supporters that he does not consider himself a good debater rather, just a powerful voice for average Americans. With the audience often hooting and hollering shows of support, Gingrich portrayed the choice between himself and President Obama as a fundamental one between maintaining “classical” American values and a radical agenda seeking to turn America into a “secular European” society.

Watch the full speech below via Fox News:

President Obama Singing ‘Let’s Stay Together’ Now A Campaign Ringtone

James Crugnale — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:17:36 +0000

President Obama‘s surprisingly soulful rendition of Al Green‘s “Let’s Stay Together,” is now available for download on his campaign website.

Obama briefly crooned the classic soul jam during a fundraiser at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre. “I – I – I — I’m so in love with you…” Obama sang. “Don’t worry, Rev. I cannot sing like you, I just wanted to show my appreciation.”

“Those guys thought I wouldn’t do it. I told you I was going to do it!” Obama exclaimed. “The Sandman did not come out!”

Watch Obama sing below via CNN:

(h/t HuffPo)

Boehner Blasts Obama Over Approving Solyndra But Rejecting Keystone XL Pipeline

James Crugnale — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:07:44 +0000

Speaker of the House John Boehner lambasted President Obama for rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline during a press conference on Wednesday. “President Obama expedited approval of the Solyndra loan project, but won’t approve a project that’s been under review for over three years.”

“President Obama is destroying tens of thousands of American jobs and shipping American energy security to the Chinese,” Boehner exclaimed. “There’s really no other way to put it. The President is selling out American jobs for politics. The President was given the authority to block this project only and only if he believed it was not in the national interest of the United States. It’s not in the national interest to create tens of thousands of jobs here in America with private investment? The President has said he’ll do anything he can to create jobs, today, that promise was broken.”

President Obama defended himself in a statement saying Republican’s hurried deadline on the issue forced him to make the decision.

“The rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment,” Obama wrote. “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.”

Watch Boehner’s remarks Obama’s Keystone XL pipeline decision, and Shep Smith reading Obama’s statement via Fox News:

President Obama Asks To See Betty White’s Birth Certificate

Nando Di Fino — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:02:10 +0000

During Betty White‘s birthday celebration Monday night on NBC, the 90-year old actress received a special surprise video message from President Barack Obama. The President, seated at his desk, read aloud a letter he was composing to the Golden Girls star:

Dear Betty,

You look so fantastic and full of energy, I can’t believe you’re 90 years old. In fact, I don’t believe it.

That’s why I’m writing to ask if you will produce a copy of your long-form birth certificate.

Thanks, and happy birthday, no matter how old you are.

He then placed a framed picture of White behind his desk in the Oval Office, and popped in headphones, bobbing his head to the Golden Girls theme song, “Thank You For Being A Friend.”

Watch the clip of moment below, courtesy of NBC:

Chris Christie: ‘Those Who Underestimate Barack Obama, Underestimate Him At Their Own Peril’

James Crugnale — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:53:03 +0000

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sat down with Oprah Winfrey on her show Oprah’s Next Chapter, and surprisingly had many positive things to say for President Obama. “Those who underestimate Barack Obama, underestimate him at their own peril. He’s as good a politician as I’ve ever seen,” Christie gushed. “I think he’s very charismatic. And I think he’s genuine. I think what he says he believes, he believes. That’s a very dangerous politician.”

In addition to the nice things he had to say about President Obama, the New Jersey Governor, he also told Oprah that he would be better prepared to run for president in 2016 “Is that compass telling you that you may be ready four years from now?” Winfrey questioned.

“Who knows? It depends on who wins. Is the president re-elected? Does a Republican win? I don’t know,” Christie said. “But in terms of me, I’ll be much more ready four years from now than I am now.”

Watch Christie’s surprisingly upbeat appraisal of President Obama below:

(h/t Politico)

Newt Gingrich Attack Ad Dogs Mitt Romney Over Putting Pooch On Roof

Tommy Christopher — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:22:22 +0000

The Newt Gingrich campaign released an attack ad featuring a kitchen sink’s worth of clunky Mitt Romney moments, but the undisputed star of the clip is Seamus, the Romney’s Irish setter, who was famously strapped to the roof of the Romney family station wagon for a long road trip. Don’t worry, though. The ad shows Romney explaining, to Fox News’ Chris Wallace, that Seamus was safely inside a “completely airtight kennel.”

For the uninitiated, Axelrod was referring to an anecdote that appeared as part of a long profile of Romney in The Boston Globe:

Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He’d built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.
Then Romney put his boys on notice: He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it.
The ride was largely what you’d expect with five brothers, ages 13 and under, packed into a wagon they called the ”white whale.”
As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ”Dad!” he yelled. ”Gross!” A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who’d been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.
As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

The ad, entitled “For The Dogs,” is ostensibly pegged to the idea that Romney is unfit to debate President Obama, but that’s really just a fig leaf to exploit comical Romney moments like his recent “I like to fire people” gaffe (taken unfairly out of context), his comical rundown of his history of “varmint” hunting, or his impromptu performance of Who Let The Dogs Out?

For a candidate who has tried to draw a distinction between “going negative” and drawing legitimate contrasts, this is an exceedingly cheap exercise.

Here’s the clip, via YouTube:

George Clooney On President Obama: ‘I Think He’s Done A Wonderful Job’

James Crugnale — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:19:40 +0000

Appearing on Good Morning America to promote his critically-acclaimed film, The Descendants, movie star George Clooney told host George Stephanopoulos that he was rooting for President Obama in 2012.

“I’m a Democrat — I’m a believer,” Clooney said. “I think he’s done a wonderful job, I think he’s having a tough time in a difficult environment. I root for him. I root for the President of the United States.”

Earlier in the interview, Clooney corrected Stephanopoulos on the difference between his prior fundraising for President Obama and campaigning for him, which he didn’t participate in:

“I didn’t do any campaigning. Because I’m a big believer–I really don’t think it helps much to have well-known, famous people campaigning for you. I don’t think that does you a lot of good.”

Clooney also had mentioned he was realistic about the political process and referenced how his father ran for Congress as a Democrat in Kentucky.

Watch Clooney’s comments on President Obama below, courtesy of ABC:

Rick Santorum: Unemployment Dropped Because Of ‘Optimism That Republicans Will Take the White House’

James Crugnale — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:05:18 +0000

Surging Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum downplayed President Obama‘s role in the good news that the unemployment rate fell to 8.5% in December, the lowest level in three years. According to a tweet by Politico‘s Dave Catanese, Santorum claimed unemployment was dropping as a result of widespread “optimism that Republicans will take the White House.”

Among those not amused? Chief Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod, who responded with this Tweet moments later:

(h/t TPM)

Did Rick Santorum Really Talk About Making ‘Black People’s Lives Better’ With ‘Somebody Else’s Money?’

Tommy Christopher — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:57:38 +0000

Surging presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is under fire for a remark at a campaign event Sunday in Sioux City, Iowa, where he apparently brought up the plight of black people completely out of the blue. Or did he?

According to reports, Santorum said ”I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families.”

The comment was first reported by NPR’s Ted Robbins, who added, “Santorum did not elaborate on why he singled out blacks who rely on federal assistance. The voters here didn’t seem to care.”

We tracked down a clip of Santorum’s comment, from Wichita, KS CBS affiliate KWCH, in which the anchor appears to be reading at least some copy from the NPR report, but the clip doesn’t include the question that prompted Santorum’s response. We reached out to the Santorum campaign for a transcript of the event, but they have not responded as yet. The anchor reports the comment as one that “some say is racist,” and in this clip, it sounds like he’s just invoking the plight of black people out of thin air, which, to a crowd of voters in “too white” Iowa, would smack of the “welfare queen” race-baiting outgrowth of the Republican Southern Strategy. Here’s that clip, from Kansas CBS affiliate KWCH:

A review of a clearer version of the video, however, casts serious doubt on whether Santorum actually said “black people’s lives.”

CBS News has posted a cleaner version of Santorum’s remarks, and it seems as though Santorum did not actually say “black people’s lives,” but rather, that he stumbled in mid-sentence with a verbal tic that sounded like that.

“I don’t want to make…mmbligh…people’s lives better” is what it sounds like to me, although CBS News also transcribes it as “”make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.”

Given the preceding context, in which he talks about the government trying to get more Iowans enrolled in Medicaid, the former explanation makes much more sense than the latter.

The Santorum campaign has still not returned our request for comment.

Here’s the CBS clip. The viewer can judge, but even as an LGBT-friendly liberal, I’m inclined to give Santorum the benefit of the doubt here:

Mitt Romney Compares President Obama’s Promises To Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Vows

James Crugnale — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:59:50 +0000

During a campaign stop in Council Bluffs on Sunday evening, Mitt Romney slammed President Obama‘s promises that he made in Iowa during his last campaign, likening them to reality television star/socialite Kim Kardashian‘s broken wedding vows.

“You know, I’ve been looking at some video clips on YouTube, of President Obama, then candidate Obama, going through Iowa making promises,” Romney jabbed. “The gap between his promises and his performance is the largest I’ve seen since, well, the Kardashian wedding and the promise of ‘till death do us part.’ ”

Fox and Friends’ Alisyn Camerota zinged Romney for his use of corny, sometimes passé pop culture references. “This is the second joke he’s made as far as I can tell on the campaign trail,” Camerota observed. “First it was Lucille Ball, comparing Newt Gingrich, and comparing the president to Kim Kardashian. I see he’s moved up his pop culture references from the 1950′s to current day.”

“Does this make Joe Biden the Kris Humphries of this whole thing?” snarked Steve Doocy.

Hollywood Reporter‘s Michael O’Connell reminds folks that this is coming from the guy who quoted the song “Who Let the Dogs Out?” on the campaign trail.

Watch Romney’s Kardashian joke below via Fox News:

Matthews To Panel: Is There A Sense That Obama Is Headed Towards Defeat?

James Crugnale — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:10:53 +0000

During a panel discussion on his Sunday talk show, Chris Matthews questioned whether — faced with lingering economic problems — President Obama was on a path towards defeat. “No matter who the Republicans choose ultimately, voters will have to decide whether to trust Barack Obama with four more years,” Matthews noted. “His low poll numbers and his people say that he must begin to tear down the opposition. So it stands to be a historically negative year… How negative is this going to get?”

“President Obama doesn’t seem to be focused on the journey so far, just don’t reverse,” Major Garrett surmised.

“How can you run on a campaign slogan of ‘This is as good as it gets’?” Matthews asked. “Is there a mood that this President is probably going to lose as events take their course? Is he headed towards defeat?”

“‘You think this is bad, this could be worse’ — that is not actually a positive optimistic, hopeful ‘Morning in America’ kind of message,” observed CNN political correspondent Gloria Borger. “So I think Barack Obama has his work cut out for him.”

“The question is, do they feel like that?” Matthews asked. “Do you have a sense that there is a feeling out there that the Obama people know they’re going to face a very uphill battle this year?”

“I think they’re worried,” said Washington Post columnist David Ignatius they have been worried. it’s Obama’s way to play defense. That’s just how he has conducted himself as President. This year is his last chance to define himself for the American people in a clear way as a leader so that people might join him. I know one thing, Obama is the only candidate in this race who can say to the American public, I killed Osama Bin Laden. I took down America’s biggest enemy. I made the country safer. That could be powerful.”

Watch Matthews’ panel debate whether President Obama can overcome political obstacles to win a second term below via NBC:

President Obama Golfs With Pal Recently Busted For Soliciting Prostitute; Media Shrugs

Nando Di Fino — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:50:36 +0000

Say what you will about his politics, but it seems President Obama is a very loyal friend. Earlier this year, his high school buddy, Robert “Bobby” Titcomb, was arrested as part of a prostitution sting, after he allegedly approached an undercover police officer for sex in downtown Hawaii (a judge fined him $500 and, if he stays out of trouble for six months, it’s off his record).

A friend’s legal troubles might lead some high profile politicians — especially a President in the midst of a fierce partisan political war — to shy away from appearing publicly with them. But not President Obama. On vacation in the Aloha State with his family, the President has taken in big meals, released turtles into the wild, and has played several rounds of golf. At least two of those rounds have been with Titcomb.

What seems particularly interesting (“refreshing”?) here isn’t that President Obama would still hang out with a friend who had been arrested; it’s how many media outlets have either made no reference to Titcomb’s arrest, or simply stated it in passing. Both The New York Times and The Washington Post briefly made a note of Titcomb’s past in reporting the vacation stories. In this day and age of “gotcha!” controversy-driven political coverage, is it surprising not to see more of a big deal being made? And maybe even more surprising, there doesn’t seem to be a purely political divide within the media. FoxNews.com, for example, in a story about Obama’s golfing on Christmas Eve, didn’t even mention Titcomb’s arrest when reporting on his participation.

In fact, it seems it was a British paper, The Daily Mail, that made the biggest deal out of Titcomb’s inclusion, blasting it across its headline:

A five-course meal at Honolulu’s priciest restaurant after golf with his hooker-loving buddy… Obama faces another tough day in Hawaii

Is this a random free pass President Obama is getting with the Titcomb association? Or is it a refreshing departure from sensational journalism that would unnecessarily muddy a nice piece about the President on vacation? Vote in the poll, and let your voice be heard below. Because we’re genuinely curious on this one: