Robert Gibbs Flips Michael Steele the Bird Over Speaking Fees
At today’s White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs displayed the kind of wit that has made him the most popular White House staffer, but not before nearly getting his skull burned through by Norah O’Donnell‘s eye-lasers.
O’Donnell was asking Gibbs about remarks made by RNC chair Michael Steele that Democrats are “flipping the bird” to the American people, and Gibbs wondered what those interviews had cost. Moments after explaining that his crack was directed at Steele’s speaking fees, and not O’Donnell, he got in another zinger at Steele.
Steele has come under heavy fire from former RNC chairs for charging hefty speaking fees, an uncommon practice according to them. When O’Donnell asked Gibbs about Steele’s comments that the Democrats are “flipping the bird” (a reference to the extension of the middle finger in a gesture that means “F*** you”) at the American people by passing healthcare reform, the Press Secretary couldn’t resist taking a shot at Steele.
Moments later, when Gibbs remarked about a ringing cellphone (a major problem at press briefings), another reporter set Gibbs up by shouting “It’s Steele!”
Gibbs’ reponse to that is funny, but for me, the highlight of this clip is Norah O’Donnell’s pricelessly unamused reaction:
Here’s the transcript of the exchange: (via email)
Q Robert, on the — I want to get the President’s take on some of the language that’s been used in the last several days regarding the health care reform bill. I don’t know if you’ve heard that the chairman of the Republican National Committee twice yesterday said that the Democrats are “flipping the bird” at the American people.
MR. GIBBS: How much did that interview cost — (laughter.)
Q Oooh —
MR. GIBBS: That wasn’t directed at Norah. That was just simply directed at the RNC.
Go ahead, I’m sorry.
Q Is the language inappropriate?
MR. GIBBS: I think if you look back — just to give everybody some context as to why he came up with whatever verbiage he came up with — this was I think predicated on the fact that he had in his mind deduced that the White House had pressured the Congressional Budget Office into coming up with statistics that were good for the bill. I don’t know how many questions I’ve been asked about CBO numbers in the past nine months. I think it’s — the notion that somehow this White House is in cahoots with the Congressional Budget Office is delusional, to put it mildly.
I would suggest this for the RNC and for anybody that’s in the Republican Party: There are millions of people that don’t have health care this Christmas. There are millions of people that are watching their health care rates skyrocket. And instead of giving chippy interviews, it might be good to actually be part of negotiations and a solution to get health care reform — to make health care reform a reality for the American people. I think that’s what they want to see from their two political parties in Washington.
Q And then can I just follow up on John’s questions about the President’s involvement? Because Senator Feingold said that the lack of support from the administration made keeping the public option in the bill an uphill struggle. And I asked Chairman Dean about this yesterday, whether it was the administration’s fault that the public option was not in there, and he said simply, “yes.” There are some Democrats who believe that the President did not push hard enough.
MR. GIBBS: I think all those are certainly entitled to their opinions. Again, we would not be at this point in health care reform were it not for the President’s leadership. We would not be at a point where we were a couple of votes away, not in people but in sequencing, to getting health care reform through the Senate. At that point we will have — (cell phone rings.) Is somebody ordering a pizza?
Q Steele. (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: Good, good. (Laughter.) Let me tell you, it’s $30,000 if you answer that call. (Laughter.)
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
