Would this have been too much to ask?

[Doctor_J]

In response to a question about Hoffa's comments, Mr Carney said, firmly, "Anyone who has seen the entire quote from Mr. Hoffa, and not the edited footage being run by Fox so-called news and all the other right-wing media in the US, knows that Hoffa was speaking about taking the Republicans out electorally, and nothing more. As usual the right-wing media is acting on the direction of Karl Rove and the Cock brothers to make unions and the president look bad, and to hide the fact that sitting Republican members of congress and the media have openly, frequently, and unambiguously called for violence against the president and Dems in general over the past 20 years. The White House stands by Mr. Hoffa's statement- the ENTIRE statement, and appreciates his support, that of his union, and of organized labor as a whole"

Just once firing back at the real enemy instead of supporters would have me right back on the bandwagon. But they just are incapable of it.

[gateley]

1. Nope. He wouldn't have even had to name Fox. But someone

else said CNN did the same thing -- I'm assuming they meant ran the same clip as Fox (edited) so maybe that's the one the WH heard. :shrug:

No excuse, though.

[TwilightGardener]

2. They did not denounce the comments--at least not from what I read.

I am certain Mr. Hoffa knows that the President can't echo his call to "take out the SOB's". That's why it's nice to have the Teamsters on your side, to be able to do it while the President stays above the fray.

[spanone]

3. there was NO apology....much was the politico spin

Jake Tapper asks about Jimmy Hoffa's violent comments in light of President Obama's comments after the Giffords shooting that violent rhetoric is damaging.

"First of all, those weren't comments by the president," White House press secretary Jay Carney says. "I understand that there is a ritual in Washington that, somebody says something, and you link the association, and everybody who has an association with him or her has to avow or disavow it."

Carney continues: "The president wasn't there. I mean, he wasn't on stage. He didn't speak for another 20 minutes. He didn't hear it."

"Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself. He speaks for the labor movement, the AFL-CIO," Carney says. "The president speaks for himself. I speak for the president."

A reporter asks if Obama thinks the comments were appropriate. "Can we move on?" Carney says. (3:33 p.m.)

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0911/carney_bri...

[TwilightGardener]

4. I think "can we move on" was the best way to answer that last question--

Carney got the whole thing 90% right.

[nineteen50]

5. Typical dem response

can't we just move on?

[TwilightGardener]

6. I hear an annoying little buzzing gnat...

gonna have to do something about it.

[Doctor_J]

7. Maybe not, but he defintely distanced himself from Hoffa

why?

[truedelphi]

9. Just who among America's many traditiional

"Democratic" Party value holders has Obama embraced?

Certainly not organic farmers - his alliance with Monsanto defeats them at every step of their farming efforts.

Certainly not older people who need work, but whose resumes go in the "Ignore" pile because no employer will hire them. at least not as long as older people incure sky high insurance premiums that come with the sin of being older.

Certainly not Anti-war activists.

Certainly no those who espouse a sensible system of regulating the Biggest of Banks and Financial Firms.

I will say I appreciate Secretary Janet Napolitano's efforts this week to make travelling a bit easier on normal citizens. So I do give Obama an A+ on those particular efforts.

[Waiting For Everyman]

8. That would've been very encouraging.

Sigh.

K&R

[treestar]

10. These kinds of things are best left to Carney to handle

Honestly, most DUers on how the WH should handle things - they are likely to be quite wrong, as in not really knowing what it takes to handle the media. I would not write scripts for them, thinking there would be come backlash I didn't know about to be likely. So I'll let them write the scripts.

The WH should not have to answer to the behavior of Hoffa. That's like making Obama responsible for Rev. Wright's statements. Just the M$M attempt to smear Obama by whatever anyone he ever associated with did. And Hoffa's statement is not as important as made out to be. The level of hysteria raised by this mere remark is ridiculous.

[Doctor_J]

11. Yeah, the WH handled things right into a historic ass-kicking at the polls

last year. Just keep it up, though - they know best! God forbid they listen to the people who voted for them