Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Jay Carney: When it comes to sports, and the White Sox, the President will never pander!

White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, today, defended the President over comments he made at a Boston fundraiser on Monday.

The President, in his remarks, thanked the Boston Red Sox and the city of Boston for trading their beloved slugger, Kevin Youkilis, to the Chicago White Sox.

"Bos', I just want to say thank you for Youkilis," Obama said in a teasing manner.

The crowd, clearly unhappy with Youkilis' departure, gave the President a loud boo.

Obama continued: "I’m just saying. He’s going to have to change the color of his "sox."

[More boos and laughter from the crowd.]

The President went on to say that, "I didn’t think I’d get any 'boos' out of here, but I guess I shouldn’t have - I should not have brought up baseball. I understand. My mistake."

[More boos from the crowd]

"My mistake," Obama added, "you’ve got to know your crowd."

The booing might have have been friendly, hard to tell, but it definitely sounded like boos. Moreover, the White House transcript confirms that the crowd was booing the President's comments.

However, Mr. Carney, ever the loyal Obama acolyte that he is, said that "the preponderance of people shouting in response to what the President said about Kevin Youkilis were saying "Youk" [short for Youkilis], not "Booo".

Well, okay, if it makes Jay feel any better, we'll play along with that one - they were screaming "Youk". Sigh......

But Carney, who happened to interject the President's remarks into today's White House press briefing, without being asked about it, was not satisfied; he was not done.

Obama is a unique individual, a strong leader - who, when it comes to sports [ahem...], panders to no one - and Carney made sure to impress this critical point upon the White House Press Pool.

Carney: "It is highly commendable in my view as a Red Sox fan that this President has always refused to pander on sports [Ahem....] He is a White Sox fan. He owns his fandom of the White Sox, and proved that again last night....

"I'll remind you, there was a time in 2007, when Alan Solomont had urged the President to wear a Boston Red Sox cap when he went out to Fenway and he refused to do it, and even mentioned it, because he is a White Sox fan.

"I don't think the American people appreciate it when politicians suddenly pretend they're fans of another team just to try to curry favor. The President is very serious about his sports. He will not do that. He will not cross that line."

Ironically, Carney was spot on with a few of the sentences he used to describe the President!

"This President has always refused to pander on sports," he said. The implication being that when it comes to more serious matters - including significant and pressing political matters - Obama will , most certainly, pander. The President will pander, and flip-flop, for votes. He'll pander to rogue foreign leaders [and elements]. He'll pander, and pander, and pander, and yet, he "has always refused to pander on sports."

That is one line he will not cross!

"The President is very serious about his sports...," said Carney. "He will not cross that line!"

Yep. Sports is the one, and only, line that Obama will not cross. But everything else....? Well, you don't have to be a professional political analyst to answer that one; Obama's actions speak for themselves........

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