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President Obama Violates Newt Gingrich’s Fake ‘Merry Christmas’ Rule In Payroll Tax Cut Speech

video

by Tommy Christopher | 3:36 pm, December 23rd, 2011

» 36 comments

This afternoon, President Obama delivered remarks in the White House briefing room on the last-minute passage of the payroll tax cut extension. He celebrated the passage of the compromise, crediting the average Americans who participated in a social media push to get it done, and urged Congress to pass a full year extension when they return. Toward the end, though, the President ran afoul of a rule that GOP candidate Newt Gingrich spoke about earlier this week, that “no federal official at any level is currently allowed to say ‘Merry Christmas.’”

Gingrich, speaking to voters in Iowa on Monday, showed off his vaunted intellect by telling voters that, after “investigating this for the last three days,” he had determined that “no federal official at any level is currently allowed to say ‘Merry Christmas.’”

The President, as it turns out, is a federal official, and toward the end of his remarks today, uttered those forbidden words. In fact, he uttered them during several recent speeches, right there in the White House.

It should surprise no one, though, that there is no such rule, not even for members of Congress, who can wish people a merry/happy whatever-they-want, as long as they pay for the postage themselves. If the government pays for the postage, they can still say “Merry Christmas,” etc., as long as that’s not the primary subject of the letter.

Even though he got it wrong, though, former House Speaker Gingrich deserves credit for spending three days investigating this rule. We know there are far more lucrative ways for him to spend his time. It’s that kind of diligent research that will surely help him smoke President Obama in debates should Gingrich get the GOP nod.

Here’s video of the President’s remarks, followed by a transcript:

Transcript:(via email from The White House)

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:25 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. I know you’re all looking forward to spending time with their families over the holidays, but we did have one last piece of business to finish up. I said it was critical for Congress not to go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million working Americans, and I’m pleased to say that they’ve got it done. So I want to thank all the members of Congress for ending the stalemate and making this happen.

Because of this agreement, every working American will keep their tax cut — about $1,000 for a typical family. And that’s — translates into an extra $40 or so in every paycheck. Vital unemployment insurance will continue for millions of Americans who are looking for work. And when Congress returns, I urge them to keep working, without drama, without delay, to reach an agreement that extends this tax cut as well as unemployment insurance through all of 2012.

Last week, I said that this should be a formality, and that’s still the case. So let’s make sure that we extend this tax break and unemployment insurance for a full year for our families, but also for our economy. It’s the right thing to do because more money spent by more Americans means more businesses hiring more workers. And that’s a boost for everybody, and it’s a boost that we very much need right now.

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank my fellow Americans for bringing their voices to this debate. I met with several here at the White House yesterday. I really think it takes courage to believe that your voice can make a difference. And I promise you, the American people, your voices made a difference on this debate. Whether you tweeted or called or wrote, you reminded people in this town what this debate and what all of our debates should be about — it’s about you. It’s about your lives. It’s about your families. You didn’t send us to this town to play partisan games, and to see who’s up and who’s down. You sent us here to serve and make your lives a little bit better; to do what’s right. And fortunately, that’s how this week ended.

So this is some good news, just in the nick of time for the holidays. I do want to be clear though: We have a lot more work to do. This continues to be a make-or-break moment for the middle class in this country, and we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves together — Democrats and Republicans — to make sure that the economy is growing, and to make sure that more jobs are created.

We’ve got an economy that is showing some positive signs; we’ve seen many consecutive months of private sector job growth. But it’s not happening as fast as it needs to. And that means that we’ve got to redouble our efforts, working together. It also means that we’ve got to make sure we’re rebuilding an economy where if you work hard, that work will be rewarded; the kind of economy where everyone is doing their fair share and everybody plays by the same set of rules, everybody has a fair chance and everybody is acting responsibly, including those of us here in Washington.

So there are going to be some important debates next year, some tough fights, I’m sure, in the years to come. But that’s the kind of country that I’m fighting for — one where everybody has a fair chance and everybody is doing their fair share. That’s the kind of country that I think the American people deserve and the kind of country that American people want.

So I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, a happy New Year to you and your families — and that includes everybody here in the press corps. I know you guys have been working hard, and your families will be happy to spend a little more time with you over the next few days.

I also want to make sure to send the warmest holiday wishes to all the men and women in uniform who are serving overseas right now and may not have a chance to see their families during this holiday season. We are grateful for everything that you do.

All right? Thank you, guys. Aloha.

barack obama, Merry Christmas, newt gingrich, Payroll Tax, Payroll Tax Cut, payroll tax extension, War On Christmas

Anonymous

More proof that all Republicans are systematically trained to believe precisely the opposite of the truth.

Merry Christmas!
Anonymous

I’m pretty sure he said ‘mairy krissmus’, which we all know is Kenyan for ‘I am an Islamic Socialist who wants to destroy Amerika.’
Anonymous

Newt celebrates Christmas by marrying ho, ho, hos.
Anonymous

Korean,
Did you watch the video before commenting? The one of Gingrich? Your comment makes no relevant sense.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Anonymous

No, it just means Merry Christmas.
Anonymous

I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you saying that you’re so incredibly stupid that you believe what Newt Gingrich said in that video?
Anonymous

Do these people actually believes this shit about ‘merry xmas’? I must have said it a million times by now and I can never see the issue at all. Dickheads.
Anonymous

HA!
labman57

In an effort to bolster the cause of the Religious Right, Gingrich and other sanctimonious politicians and pundits attempt to “wag the dog” with a faux “War on Christmas” … and fail miserably.
Anonymous

Me too. I have never heard of anybody objecting to somebody saying “Merry Christmas.” But Republicans see Christmas as another opportunity to hate and lie.
Hout Bosques

I did! And I note that Newt REPEATED the slander against Justice Biery. This is particularly scurrilous given federal justices at least – or federal judges who respect the Rule of Law, meaning somehow Scalia & Thomas get some sort of protected exemption from the Rule of Law – are forbidden from making public statements in response to criticisms of them. So Justice Biery, who delivered a freaking TEMPORARY INJUNCTION order is all, not a comprehensive opinion, but simply an order to preserve the status quo until the issue could be argued fully before the court, gets turned into some sort of weird Republican Bizarro World ogre, when the reality is quite different.

As I’ve said before, I’ve actually READ Justice Biery’s order granting the Temporary Injunction, AND the Circuit Court of Appeal ruling that lifted it, AND the pleadings that have been filed to date in the case, and clearly that is either way more than Gingrich has done in his usual “research”, or else he’s a complete lying p.o.s. (My guess is it’s more the latter, but I certainly wouldn’t put it past this fat greasy parasite to have read just enough about the case to found his fat greasy parasitical lies about it.).

To be clear and FACTUAL: Justice Biery is no fly-by-night weirdo, he is in fact one of the most respected jurists around, he’s a veteran, he’s been both an elected judge and an appointed judge at 4 different state and federal levels, he is in fact the CHIEF judge of the Federal District in which he serves, which was confirmed by the US Senate JUST THIS YEAR, the case is still ongoing, and the Circuit Court of Appeal was so ‘concerned’ about Justice Biery it actually returned the case to be adjudicated on by Justice Biery to conclusion.

The question on granting temporary injunctions is quite a narrow one, and not at all determinative of the final outcome. I happen to agree with with Justice Biery wrote and did in granting the injunction, but it’s a close enough call that I also don’t have a great deal of trouble with the order from the Circuit Court of Appeals that technically overturned but in fact just modified Justice Biery’s order and returned it to him to supervise. The original plan by the young woman valedictorian was to recite a prayer in her own religion, which is obviously a concern for separation of church from state in a state-funded school system. What Justice Biery’s Temporary Injunction did – what it would have done if it had not been overturned – was to prevent her reciting that prayer. What the Circuit Court of Appeal did is grant a modified instruction of direction, which compelled the valedictorian to read out in addition a statement that this was HER prayer in accordance with HER religious beliefs, but that listeners were free to agree or disagree and even substitute their own silent prayers in accordance with their own religious beliefs. THAT is what ended up happening, but it turned out that at least one of the student body listening was an agnostic, and he and his family filed suit over just the fact of a religous prayer of ANY sort being recited in a state-funded school setting.

If this is an example of the sort of ‘in-depth research’ we’d get from a President Gingrich, whether about the b.s. ‘anti-Xmas’ law or about the case before Justice Biery, then it’s completely clear that what we will have is a bullshitting president, and more deeply bullshit nation.
Anonymous

Im serving yr 5 my 10yr sentence for saying it. I’m hoping I get a good review when I go up before the parole board. Until then Merry Christmas…..sh!t I shouldn’t have said that.
Anonymous

Crap like this is always good for the “bags” to try to sell. When found to be a lie, (often) they were joking, that’s not what they said, blah, blah, blah. The “fake” christians love this type of hate, (christian/ hate?) they hear the whistle or flat out lie and they get warm inside. Never mind, no proof, facts or reason!
Anonymous

“…but that listeners were free to agree or disagree” Thank goodness for that, common sense in the land of the free.
Anonymous

Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Is that more of the civility the president is asking for? Perhaps I’m so incredibly stupid as you suggest- can you explain what we’re not to believe in Gingrich’s speech?
Anonymous

Says Mediaite’s #1 liar!

Son, you never posted those quotes of Perry advocating violence against gays.

Why did ya lie about that?
Anonymous

Nothing Newt Gingrich said is true. He’s lying about the law. He’s lying about doing research on the law. He’s lying about the judge.

Please try to remember that all Republicans are systematically trained to believe precisely the opposite of the truth. They know how stupid you guys are, so they know they can make you believe ANYTHING. I’m not exaggerating; they can make you believe ANYTHING.
Anonymous

Okay, let’s slow down just a bit, because you know how stupid we are, “He’s lying about the law” how so? Is it not a law? How do you know? Prove it to us. You know, ’cause we’re stupid, Mr Civility.

Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it so.
Anonymous

There is no law that says federal officials are not allowed to say “Merry Christmas.” Try to understand that you are not simply confused; it’s that your brains have been sucked out of your head and replaced with cream of mushroom soup. I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just trying to get you to understand what Republicans have done to you. You don’t have to be this stupid for the rest of your life. You can escape this horribly sad circumstance by thinking for yourself. In case you don’t remember, you once had the ability to do that.
Anonymous

Newt took time away from Pimping his books to investigate non existant federal policies. I am shocked. Shocked I tell you. I am also shocked to find out this is not true since I also saw it on Fox. Double Shocked I tell you.
http://www.facebook.com/andrew.sappington Andrew Sappington

Newt Gingrich is full of shit.
http://twitter.com/EricBballCourt Eric B

Judging by all the curse words and snarkiness, I’m guessing this is an article that influenced no one and merely fed into pre-existing views, aka ‘news masturbation’
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=572733720 Jason Brashears

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100125810/the-war-on-christmas-is-real-and-the-atheist-barbarians-are-winning-it/
http://twitter.com/TommyBennett Tom Bennett

shut your pie hole with the ‘son’ bs, dip-shot.
Anonymous

What a foul diseased pig of a man. But not to worry, he’s going down harder and worse than his brother from another mother “uncle ruckus”. (Hey teabaggers, didn’t get much mileage out of him did ya?) His disgrace and humiliation will be legendary, even in hell. merryxmas
Anonymous

TC, God will not be mocked. If you think they have been made to look and play the fool now, you just wait a little bit longer into next year. Everything they touch will turn to $hit right before their eyes and ours. merry xmas
Anonymous

Dickheads, liars, hypocrites, heretics……….on and on. merryxmas
Anonymous

As opposed to being a sorry piss a$$ed no. 2? Teabagger, take your lump of coal out of it’s nut sack and be thankful you have a caring first family, and a nation tolerant enuf to put up with a wet fart like you. Now back under the bridge, you grizzled troll!
Anonymous

That was a blistering* rebuttal! merry xmas

*I like the scurrilous part
http://twitter.com/TomMyPipe Tom

Who cares? Can’t believe I wasted my time on this. What about foreign or econmic policy?
If Obama wants to say Merry Christmas great. If Newt was to pander great. I’m Pro-Christmas and Christian values but I don’t need to talk about it on national tv or write some crappy article.
I fill dirty for just spending 45 seconds typing this crap.
http://twitter.com/TomMyPipe Tom

There is a policy not to put Christmas on offical paper in the military. For example, the base dental clinics no longer have “Merry Christmas” on thier appointment reminders. Also, we used have “Command Christmas Party” they are now called “Command Holiday Party”. This just started a few years ago. I believe it also applies to Border Patrol, FBI, CIA. More “liberial” departments propably started playing this game a long time ago.
I wouldn’t have a problem but we do have month long celebrations for Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Women, Hispanic etc… This mentality is to train people to see groups. I would like to see an individual’s month. Celebrationg individual freedoms and discouraging collectivism of rights and thoughts.
Anonymous

Obama’s Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which he
has an inflated sense of his own importance and a deep need for admiration. Obama’s
narcissistic personality disorder makes him believe that he is superior to
others and has little regard for other people’s feelings. But behind this mask
of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest
criticism. Obama’s Narcissistic
personality disorder is one of several types of personality disorders. Obama’s Personality disorders are conditions
in which he has traits that cause him to feel and behave in socially distressing
ways, limiting his ability to function in relationships and in other areas of his
life, such as work or school home or president.
http://www.facebook.com/sarah.loombe Sarah Louise Loombe

So this guy can’t find any other way of saying Obama is bad other then to criticize him for saying merry Christmas? And its sad little men picking up on these minor details that destroy politics.
http://mrfunn.myopenid.com/ mrfunn

“I will say Merry Christmas to you now. I will say Merry Christmas to you on the day of Christmas and I’ll say Merry Christmas to every one of my constituents back in the 29th Congressional District. It’s what the holiday’s all about and it’s about also recognizing the other holidays, you know, Happy Hanukkah,”

“You deal with that political correctness. I have seen that and I’ve dealt with that, you know, people trying to say ‘oh, you need to be more sensitive to the political correctness of the holidays’ and to me, that’s not who we are.”

Republican Rep. Tom Reed of New York ignores “Merry Christmas” ban.

Merry Christmas Rep. Tom Reed, thank you.

Sorry if you don’t like it.
Gledelig Jul
Coal in the stocking for you.
Anonymous

There is a law, passed in 1974, that forbids Congress to send Christmas Cards to their constituients and having taxpayers pay the postage. It should come as no surprise that legislators began abusing their postage privaleges and sent cards to every voter in their district. Look up “ congressional franking rules”.
http://mrfunn.myopenid.com/ mrfunn

Frankly, I’m more concerned about Frank’s role in the housing crisis.