»» Columnists

White House Rejects Comparison Of James Hoffa Remark To Booing Of Gay Soldier At Debate

by Tommy Christopher | 5:14 pm, September 28th, 2011

» 69 comments

At Wednesday’s White House briefing, ABC News’ Jake Tapper asked Press Secretary Jay Carney about his criticism of GOP candidates for not reacting to the booing of a gay soldier at last week’s Republican debate, and drew a comparison between that incident and the White House’s response to remarks by Teamster head James Hoffa several weeks ago. Carney rejected the premise outright, and in a later email to Mediaite, explains why it’s “not an apt comparison.”

You may recall that Tapper and Carney had a fiery exchange over Hoffa’s comments a few weeks ago, as Tapper tried to establish lines of demarcation between the comments of surrogates, and the candidates themselves. At today’s briefing, Tapper referenced that exchange, drawing a comparison between the President’s response to that incident, and Carney’s criticism of the Republican candidates for not intervening when soldier Stephen Hill was booed.

Here’s the transcript of the exchange:(via email from The White House)

Jake Tapper: And, lastly, I read something in the gaggle yesterday, you criticized the — or it might have been two days ago — you criticized the Republican presidential candidates I believe for — there were — there was a smattering of boos and a smattering of applause at inappropriate times during the previous Republican debates. And you were suggesting that the fact that they didn’t protest means that they couldn’t be Commander-in-Chief or –

MR. CARNEY: No.

Jake Tapper: Could you explain what you meant?

MR. CARNEY: I certainly didn’t say that. I think I said that I was surprised, I think many people were surprised, that in an instance where a solider serving in Iraq asks a question from Iraq — so he is over there in harm’s way, risking his life on behalf of every one of us, and he asked a legitimate question about “don’t ask, don’t tell” and what these candidates might do because it personally affects him, and there were boos in the audience.

Putting aside the audience — it’s not about the audience, it’s about the fact that there was no response, no one on the stage said, wait a second, regardless of what you believe about this issue, we should thank this soldier; he’s over there risking his life for us. And that was my point. And I think that it’s an important thing to note when the job that they are auditioning for is the job of Commander-in-Chief.

Jake Tapper: So just to continue –

MR. CARNEY: I didn’t suggest it was disqualifying. I was simply making an observational point.

Jake Tapper: Just to continue our conversation from a few weeks ago when you said that the President, who had not heard remarks by Jimmy Hoffa, Jr., was not responsible for them, you are saying that the Republican presidential candidates are responsible for boos –

MR. CARNEY: No, no, no, I didn’t say that at all. I was surprised that they did not — not one of them reacted. I’m not saying they’re responsible for it. I’m just making — as an observer, that –

Jake Tapper: Just an impartial juror.

MR. CARNEY: I didn’t say I was impartial. I’m simply making the point that there was an opportunity there to separate an issue that may be controversial — although we firmly believe that it shouldn’t be and isn’t, and that’s why we eliminated “don’t ask, don’t tell” — from the fact that this soldier is serving his country and putting his life in danger for all of us. And that was all. It was an observation; it wasn’t a — I wasn’t criticizing the audience members. I was making a point about the absence of a reaction from the candidates.

The “impartial juror” line got a laugh from the press corps, and a smile from Carney. Fox News’ Ed Henry followed up on the question a bit later in the briefing:

Ed Henry: Thanks, Jay. I just wanted to follow on Jake real quick about — to use your words, then, why was there an absence of a reaction from the President to Jimmy Hoffa’s comments on Labor Day, if you’re now saying the Republican presidential candidates basically have a duty –

MR. CARNEY: The President wasn’t on stage, he wasn’t — he didn’t hear them. It’s a different thing when the guy is on stage and they were addressing a question to the candidates on stage.

Ed Henry: But the comments were broadcast all around the world, and it was pretty clear that one of the President’s top supporters –

MR. CARNEY: I’m talking about a real-time thing. Again, it’s just an observation.

For what it’s worth, I found the comparison flawed because the White House did react to Hoffa’s comments, and because there was nothing wrong with the remarks themselves. Encouraging people to vote, however saltily, is nothing like booing a serving US soldier.

After the briefing, I emailed Carney with several questions. His responses were brief, so I’ll include all three here. My questions to Carney:

1. Does the President have a reaction to the Jerusalem Post poll that shows 81% of Israelis think his policies are either pro-Israel or neutral?

2. Does the President have any reaction to all the chatter about a Chris Christie presidential run? Bring it on? Don’t bring it on?

3. To follow on Jake and Ed, my read on your reaction to James Hoffa’s comments was that the President stopped short of accepting ownership, or of endorsing them, but he didn’t really have a problem with the encouragement to vote. Is that a fair characterization?

Carney’s responses, in order:(via email)

On 1, as the President made clear at UNGA, his commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable.

On number 2, no reaction to report.

On 3, the comparison isn’t apt. The President wasn’t on the stage for Mr. Hoffa’s remarks and did not hear them. At the GOP debate, the soldier in Iraq addressed his question directly to all the candidates on stage. None of the candidates said anything about the fact that he was booed.

It’s worth noting that, on the Chris Christie question, he said “no reaction to report,” not that the President had no reaction. At another point in the briefing, Carney was asked about Christie’s speech at the Reagan Library, and Carney was similarly dismissive:

Q And on Chris Christie’s speech last night, what’s your reaction to what he said, calling the President a “bystander in the Oval Office”? And did the President see any of his speech?

MR. CARNEY: I can tell you that he didn’t. We were watching the Red Sox as we were flying home — a nail-biter. Fortunately they won. Sam Stein is not here to celebrate with me. So we did not see it.

I actually don’t — I haven’t even read it yet, so I don’t really know about that. I would just say in general that in the two and a half years that Barack Obama has been President, it simply — I mean, it has been one of the most substantial periods in our history, in terms of the seriousness of the challenges we faced, the enormity of the crises and the potential even worse crises that this President faced and took head on.

When he came into office there were — I mean, remember the headlines that you wrote and others wrote: “Imminent Great Depression.” “Global Financial Collapse.” “Bank Holidays.” “Nationalization of the Banks.” “Predictions of Unemployment as High as 25 Percent.”

That’s the economic environment that we faced when we came in, and that this President addressed head on with a series of incredibly challenging decisions that he took, that by any measure arrested the extreme downward slide that this economy was taking when we were hemorrhaging jobs at more than 750,000 a month, when the economy we now know in the fourth quarter of 2008 contracted by close to 9 percent, the kind of contraction we haven’t seen since the Great Depression.

I mean, this is a — there were no bystanders in this White House.

Ed Henry, GOP debate, Jake Tapper, James Hoffa, Jay Carney, Republican Debate, Stephen Hill

Michelle

Not just Hoffa’s comments.

The Tea Party can go straight to hell, AND WE INTEND TO HELP THEM GET THERE! – Maxine Waters

This White House is a bunch of lying hypocrites and it appears that only Ed Henry and Jake Tapper are interested in holding them accountable. Pathetic.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWUMDXSUYVXFOVKEDR7OG3SD7A John Doe

“and because there was nothing wrong with the remarks
themselves. Encouraging people to vote, however saltily, is nothing like
booing a serving US soldier.”

When I got to that point I stopped reading this trash by Tommy Christopher and I left this website after leaving this comment.
Michelle

Hey Tommy,
Can you ask your buddy about the obvious plant at his Town Hall the other day that begged Barry to raise his taxes and then we find out he’s an ex-Google exec that gives exclusively to Dems?
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

More selective outrage from the Republicons!! Such a feeble attempt to hide the embarrassment by members of their own Party booing a soldier putting his life on the line to protect this country!! They should be ashamed and reminded of their disgrace on a daily basis!!
Michelle

More attempts by liberals to divert attentions from the total failure Ozero has been to talk about one guy booing a QUESTION and being shot down by others in the audience. It’s so sad that this is all you libs have.
Anonymous

No one was booing the gay soldier.
Anonymous

No one booed the soldier. There were maybe 3 people who actually booed the policy.
Guest

Remember what Harry Reid said…”this war is lost”…and said during war time with soldiers fighting for their lives…I guess when it’s a Democrat it’s okay to say these things. Is Mediaite in the tank for this WH?
Michelle

I think we see just how desperate liberals are getting when they think it’s a winning strategy to try and convince the American people that Conservatives hate the troops. That’s gonna be a really tough sell given their vast history.
Anonymous

“For what it’s worth, I found the comparison flawed…”

Correct. One comment was from a well know Democrat activist and Obama supporter. The other was a boo from some random guy, in an audience, that nobody knows.
Latin2

…and no one is more desperate than TommEE Christopher.
Johnny Manana

Tommy – For what it’s worth, I found the comparison flawed because I have Obama’s balls in my mouth.
Johnny Manana

Tommy will never cover that.
Anonymous

Why is it the liberal media keeps reporting the audience booed the soldier when you can clearly hear on the video respectful silence while the soldier is speaking – the boos are when he’s done because a couple people (out of over 5500 in the audience) decided to boo the policy. People have a right to disagree with policy – why do you have to pretend the audience were a bunch of homophobes?
Michelle

Check yourself, Latin!
Michelle

Because the liberal media doesn’t care what the truth is.
Anonymous

If it weren’t for double standards, Liberals and Obama wouldn’t have any.
Anonymous

Why is Fox News the highest rated news channel by a huge margin? Because people are fed up with the dishonesty of the liberals.
Anonymous

wow tommy, how long are you going to milk what 2 or 3 people in a audience do?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

Are Democrats ashamed and disgraced on a solely because you have joined their ranks… Are we to hold the democratic party to account for having an asshole like you within their ranks? Shit happens as you demonstrate for all to see, assholes are everywhere.
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Call me want you want but I’m a Democrat who plays by Republicon rules… and that seems to offend you!!

Plus, are you saying there’s no A-Holes in the Republicon Party??
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

I removed my post as it was embarrassing, It was really in response to several of your posts today, you don’t bring an intellectual argument or even interesting facts, you just spew hatred… Your earlier post to latin2 is a good example of what you bring to this site. At any rate you have a good day, maybe get caught up on some reading over at MM… but I will offer to you that you are hardly any different than the fool who called out at the debate.
ChrisG

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Hoffa’s comments. Unless you take exception to urging people to vote…?

If you’re offend by “sons of a bitch”, I say grow up. This is a tough talking union guy. That’s the way they talk. No different/worse then telling Truman, ’to give ‘em hell, Harry!’

Maxine Water comments were out of line. It would have been appropriate for the president to chide her a bit on those when asked.

Still doesn’t change the fact that not a one of the repubs running for Commander in Chief called out the boo-ers or thanked this marine for his service.

If I can admit Maxine sounded like a shrill lunatic, why can’t you own up to the weakness YOUR side displayed in that moment?

Time to look in the mirror darlin!
ChrisG

you have a problem with urging people to vote?

or are you so clueless you haven’t heard the un-edited version?
http://www.scoamf.com/2011/08/hitler-realizes-obama-is-stuttering.html Unicon

FYI:

Leedog was banned from Mediabistro (TV Ratings site) for his racist rants to Latin2. That’s why he’s now ranting here at Mediaite.
ChrisG

were you asleep or brain dead during the bush years?

he NEVER attended a town hall that wasn’t carefully screened to avoid ANY non-friendlies.

do you remember bush sitting down to any interview equivalent to Obama sitting down with o’reilly?

Donating to dems does not exclude a person from attending a townhall or voicing an opinion.

Non story.

Nice try though! E for effort!
ChrisG

Nope, cuz it’s a non story.
ChrisG

Diversion is your bag sweetie.

Does a marine SERVING IN A WAR ZONE have the right to ask a QUESTION that personally effects him without being booed?

Does he or does he not deserve that simple respect and courtesy?

Yes or no?

Simple as that.
ChrisG

you keep telling yourself that, buddy. we all know what we saw and heard.

and most importantly what we did NOT hear:

i.e. any of the candidates chiding the audience for their rudeness or thanking this man for his service.
ChrisG

only the gay ones
Anonymous

Yes, calling others SOBs, telling them to go to hell and calling them enemies is so much better than 2 people booing a soldier who wanted to promote his gay agenda.
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Lol!! Nice try!! They banned me because I called them out for allowing Republicon racists to post there, as you well know, since most of them over there are your friends!! Example… Latin2 came over here just to call me a racist for no reason!!

Again, just shows the type of people (including you) who comment on that site!! It has more racists than the Fox Nation!!
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

But of course, you had no problem with Latin2 calling me a racist or no reason?? I guess it’s o.k. for Republicons to act that way… right?? That’s the main reason why you should be embarrassed!!
http://www.scoamf.com/2011/08/hitler-realizes-obama-is-stuttering.html Unicon

Let’s see here Lee…

We are the “racists”… but YOU are the only one that got banned for making racist comments…

Why was that Lee?
Michelle

You’re very wise.
Dflojak

none of us were there, you don’t know what was heard by the candidates, the booing sounded to me like they were booing the dissolution of don’t ask don;t tell, and they have the right to an opinion on that, not booing the soldier. Hoffa was on the podium introducing the pres, don’t tell me nobody heard and commented about his remarks to the pres. b.s. I say.
http://www.scoamf.com/2011/08/hitler-realizes-obama-is-stuttering.html Unicon

She called you a racist because she had reason to,,,

You made racist remarks to her at Mediabisto
I’d gladly post a link to them.. but the site administrators deleted them all.
Right before they banned you from ever posting there again.
dflojak

You’re interpretation, not everyone’s.
Dflojak

Is that really a question, what are you, 5 years old, first time you’ve been involved with the world?
Dflojak

sorry, that was supposed to be for leedog
Dflojak

facts, we don’ need no stinkin facts
Michelle

Barry didn’t hear Hoffa’s comment just like he didn’t here Rev. Wright’s racist, Anti-American hate in the 20 years he sat in his pew. Someone needs to check that man’s hearing!
Anonymous

Liars. keep telling yourself that…….LOL
Michelle

Dude, you libs have called me a racist at least a thousand times here and not ONCE have you provided any proof. Man up!
Anonymous

Yeah right.What were they booing at then?
Anonymous

There is no comparison. One was consisted of two or three assholes unjustly booing a gay soldier and the other consisted of a mob goomba inciting a crowd to riot.
Sharpo

you ? your poosey? perhaps that you are a poosey ?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

What I saw was a very nasty personal attack on her which was indeed race based with your citing statements that she has not made, at least on this site. My embarrassment comes from the use of disparaging language towards you knowing that other readers would not see your previous posts to help put into context as to why I would attack you out of the blue like that.

But it would seem in the discussion that followed much has come to light about you and your history or posting on other sites so maybe my first little rant was not made in vain.
Anonymous

Heard a dog whisle did ya?
Anonymous

Just calling it like I see it. Nothing more, nothing less.
david r

For what it’s worth, I found the comparison flawed because the White
House did react to Hoffa’s comments, and because there was nothing wrong
with the remarks themselves. Encouraging people to vote, however
saltily, is nothing like booing a serving US soldier.

Nothing wrong with encouraging people to vote, but Hoffa called the other side “sons of bitches.” Nothing wrong with that? This constant disparaging of the other side as un-American (“that’s not who we are,” etc.) reminds me of the Nixon years and “America, love it or leave it.” Very divisive. And I thought it very inappropriate for Obama to joke about the wildfires here in Texas. I have a co-worker staying in church shelter. It is nothing to joke about, especially not from the President, who should care about these people for more than political fodder. But we’re talking about Obama, aren’t we?
Cecelia

They were booing at his question concerning the president changing the military policy on gay troops.

When the guy was first introduced as being s gay soldier there was no booing at all.

If you don’t believe that DADT should have been rescinded then you might boo the fact that it was. To suggest that because the questioner is gay they were booing him personally is a set up that turns support for a decades old policy (established by a Democratic president) into a personal attack.

The media should have a bit of distance enough to supply some context to this, but they will NOT.

We don’t have an adult media anymore. We have dorm room ideologues.
Miljanamandich

Stop calling others sweetie.You drip hatred.That soldier actually puts his life on the line and is willing to die for our freedom of speech,including our right to boo any policy we disagree with.Got that? It’s liberals who actually boo and spit on our military all day long for decades.
Miljanamandich

Does anybody remember General “Betrayus”? Then-Senator Obama refused to condemn the ad.Vice President Gore screaming about Commander-in-Chief Bush “He betrayed our country”,Senator Reid “This war is lost”? Liberals spitting on soldiers coming home from Vietnam?From Iraq? Code Pink degenerates in Crawford “disrespecting” the President and calling him and our soldiers war criminals? Now all of a sudden the libs love soldiers? Do they only love and defend gay ones?We conservatives love them all,and they know it.
Pablo

Carney criticized a random, nameless person while brushing off a union leader, while introducing the President, telling his people to get ready to go to war and telling Obama that “This is your Army”.

Carney’s half right. There is no comparison between the two. Thing is, he picked the wrong one to talk about, because it was politically advantageous to the administration. These people are hacks.
Pablo

Right. Did they boo when he said he was gay? No. Did they boo when he started talking about DADT? Yes.
Pablo

I have heard the unedited version:

“We’ve got to keep an eye on the battle that we face — a war
on workers. And you see it everywhere. It is the tea party,” he said.
“And there’s only one way to beat and win that war — the one thing about
working people is, we like a good fight.”

Hoffa called on workers to get involved in opposing pea party-aligned lawmakers next November.

“President Obama, this is your army, we are ready to march,” Hoffa
said. “But everybody here’s got to vote. If we go back, and keep the eye
on the prize, let’s take these son-of-a-bitches out.”

Armies don’t vote. Voting is not war. You don’t march to vote, you wait in line. Have you heard the unedited version? Or do you just know what you’re told to have heard?
Anonymous

Curious that this subject came up as I have engaged in and have been privy to other conversation’s, related to this subject.

The fact is, I doubt the sincerity of Leftists when they assert, or, try to pay homage to America’s Military, and/or veterans. I must admit, this is more opinion than conclusion, as I have only weak observation to support such, however…

It seems as if to the Liberal Left, Soldiers are a tedious annoyance, bare-knuckled brutes that are a necessary evil, (brake glass in time of war) and seem to get in the way of Socialist, internal policies? Like taking one’s hat off for the National Anthem, I get the impression, the Left would rather not…

As I watch and listen to Mr. Carney and his Boss, it is as if they are truly perplexed, what would make a man or woman do such a silly thing as fight for his country?

Maybe such is a manifestation of the Leninesque “useful idiots” or canon fodder? Meaning, let the presumed “patriots” do the fighting and dying and then the Socialist/Left, replete with an evil goon squad, take charge?

Purveyor
Anonymous

Well done, well said.

All too often we in America get caught up in silly social escapades, while the “illusive” solution to substantive problems are passed over.Whether by happenstance, or by design, we should know better! Deliberately “loading” the the political rhetoric to deflect serious and necessary issues, over to the petty and politically correct, is a classic tactic, right out of the Lenin play-book.

Purveyor
Anonymous

The Teabaggers couldn’t make it unless they were supported by some sweet Texan Koch crude.
Anonymous

Doesn’t matter they were booing against freedom to serve openly.
Anonymous

Come on Dipshit!

You think there aren’t any Right-Wing plants?

You probably think there aren’t any!!!

That’s the thing about you TeaBagger Death Cult members…..Stupid.
Anonymous

Sounds like Jake wants a job over and Fox and Idiots. I guess he can always take over that old Beck time slot and ditch Red Eye.
Cecelia

He deserves respect and courtesy, which he got while being introduced as a gay soldier,conversely the audience has the right to boo the rescinding of DADT policy to which he immediately alluded.

SOMEONE in the mainstream media has the responsibility to provide context that doesn’t conform to Democratic spin (though they may personally support to rescinding of the policy).

That will now NEVER happen. Unless the “context” of tradition can be used to protect the president from overt and problematic leftwing critics or to gently nudge the White House to the left, you won’t see it.

It’s quite astounding.
TruDat

The Obama administration comes across like my old high school student council.
TruDat

Every thinking person wants to work for a WINNER.
TruDat

Dan Rather.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

SUCH hypocrites. Carney is full o’baloney. It is a fair comparison, and Carney is a first rate hypocrite.

“MR. CARNEY: The President wasn’t on stage, he wasn’t — he didn’t hear them. It’s a different thing when the guy is on stage and they were addressing a question to the candidates on stage.”

Santorum said he didn’t hear the remarks. Just like Obama claimed he didn’t hear the remarks. The difference is, when asked about them later, Santorum condemned the boo, and when the WH was asked about the remarks, Carney said Hoffa speaks for himself, and Obama speaks for himself, and Obama didn’t condemn the remarks.

Obama had ~20 minutes between when Hoffa made the remarks, to when he took the stage. He had plenty of time to formulate a reply, and say something about inflammatory rhetoric. The administration had plenty of time afterwards to formulate a reply, and say something about inflammatory rhetoric. They didn’t.

The candidates, after the event, condemned the boo’er. And, the boo wasn’t directed at the soldier, but the overturning of DADT, anyway.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

nothing wrong with encouraging people to vote, no matter how saltily – unless you’re Sarah Palin, of course.