Earnest on Scalise: Obama Reserves Judgment, but It ‘Says a Lot’ About GOP

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday that President Barack Obama is reserving judgment on whether embattled House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) deserves to be a member of the Republican leadership, and added that the revelation is another example of how the party needs to “broaden its appeal.”

“Who they choose to serve in their leadership says a lot about who they are, what their values are, and what the priorities of the conference should be,” Earnest told reporters at Monday’s White House press briefing, adding that the success of the Republican Party in the future depends on how well they can reach out to minorities, women, and gays.

Earnest said President Obama believes that the decision to keep Scalise in leadership is ultimately up to the Republicans in Congress, and that it will be up to them to decide “what that says about their conference.”

RELATED: CNN’s Smerconish Confronts David Duke over Scalise: Was He There or Not?

Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans have stood by Scalise, with some pundits saying Obama got a pass on his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. One Republican senator said Scalise “made a grave mistake,” and Fox News host Greta van Susteren said he should have stepped aside.

Watch the video below, via C-SPAN:

[Image via screengrab]

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