At today’s White House press briefing, ABC’s Jake Tapper confronted hapless press secretary Jay Carney on the president’s lame Seamus joke during a stump speech earlier this week. For a president who prides himself on his laser-like focus on the serious issues, Barack Obama sure does seem to have a hard time resisting the temptation to distract from them. Funny, that.
Needless to say, Carney didn’t take kindly to Tapper’s question:
VIDEO: Tapper to Carney: Is Seamus part of the president’s ‘important policy debate’? http://t.co/AupajAgB
— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) August 16, 2012
Carney says that Obama's Seamus quip "was a joke." More: "I think a little levity is a lot different from the kind of ridiculous charges."
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2012
Carney on Obama's Iowa Seamus joke: "Maybe I'm naive to think that a one-line joke about a dog would become principle focus of coverage"
— Ali Weinberg (@AliABCNews) August 16, 2012
Yeah? Well, too bad. Carney and his boss had it coming, and conservatives couldn’t’ve been more pleased:
It totally should RT @igorbobic: "One joke as an aside should not become the focus of the campaign," Carney says of Obama's Seamus joke.
— Stefan Becket (@becket) August 16, 2012
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA. #pwned RT @AndrewStilesWFB @jaketapper to Carney: Is Obama's Seamus ref "a part of this important policy debate?"
— RBe (@RBPundit) August 16, 2012
ZING!!!! RT @AndrewStilesWFB @jaketapper to Carney: Is Obama's Seamus ref "a part of this important policy debate?" #tcot #p2
— True Tourtillott (@DamnTrue) August 16, 2012
Hilarious. RT@jtLOL@jaketapper to Carney: Is Seamus part of the president’s ‘important policy debate’? http://t.co/wJmJWUS2
— Charmaine (@CharmaineYoest) August 16, 2012
I love that man. RT @AndrewStilesWFB: @jaketapper to Carney: Is Obama's Seamus ref "a part of this important policy debate?"
— Michael Williams (@RealMichaelW) August 16, 2012
OH MY DAWG! Go Jake! @jtLOL: Tapper to Carney: Is Seamus part of the president’s ‘important policy debate’? http://t.co/pkYT23ds
— Wayne Baisley (@craptard) August 16, 2012
He shoots and scores! RT @jaketapper to Carney: Is Obama's Seamus ref "a part of this important policy debate?"
— The Mad Hessian (@TheMadHessian) August 16, 2012
The Obama camp is going to need to try a new tack, because right now, it’s really in no position to criticize anyone who questions its penchant for distraction.
Note to media hacks: Seamus and Tax Returns are over as "stories". You'll need new distractions to advance Obama's agenda now.
— JackFacts (@jackmcoldcuts) August 16, 2012
Just pointing out, while lecturing on the importance of having policy debates, Carney has defended Seamus the dog jokes and made a Palin jab
— Jared Halpern (@JaredHalpern) August 16, 2012
Wee-ooo! Wee-ooo! Cue the liberal waaaaaaaahmbulance!
Lefty talk show host Bill Press thinks it’s time to focus on the important issues:
Oh great, now media's upset about Obama's Seamus joke. Jesus! Lighten up! Stop carrying water for Mitt Romney.
— Bill Press (@bpshow) August 16, 2012
After all, when Press cracks jokes about Ann Romney and her horse Rafalca, it’s only for serious journalistic purposes.
Media Matters “research fellow” and articulate Twitchy-basher Oliver Willis mounted his best defense of Jay Carney, and, like Press, highlighted the mainstream media’s notorious obsession with finding faults in Obama. Yes, he’s serious.
abc calls out wahmbulance for obama talking to ent tonight. because the wh press corps wants to ask the dumb Qs http://t.co/TTXAizlE
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 16, 2012
President Obama hasn’t formally taken questions from the White House press corps in more than two months, while on the campaign trail in Iowa yesterday he made time for reporters from People Magazine and Entertainment Tonight.
His last news conference was at the G20 in June, when he answered six questions from three reporters on the European debt crisis, the conflict in Syria, and the notion of politics stopping at the water’s edge.
The White House press corps has not formally been given the opportunity to ask questions of the president on U.S. soil since his appearance in the Briefing Room on June 8 (when he said “the private sector is doing fine.“)
Actually, Oliver, it seems to us that the president is reaching a point where he’s even afraid to be confronted by sycophantic “real journalists.”
in press briefing, jake tapper asking about obama's dog on roof joke, because entertainment tonight might not ask serious questions.
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 16, 2012
he could have asked about obama's attack on romney and his energy policy, but you know, entertainment tonight.
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 16, 2012
obama spends 10 seconds on a joke, media says its his fault they don't focus on the other 20 minutes of his speech. amazeballs.
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 16, 2012
@owillis Well, perhaps the President shouldn't be wasting time with lame Seamus jokes. But somehow it is @jaketapper's fault.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) August 16, 2012
That Jake Tapper … he’s just such a big bully!
@jodikantor Your concern trolling over the Seamus aside the President gave is ridiculous and the false equivalency is abhorrent!
— Pnthrgrlgail (@Mama4Obama1) August 16, 2012
Jake Tapper used his opportunity to ask WH a question and wasted it on Seamus and whining.
— Pnthrgrlgail (@Mama4Obama1) August 16, 2012
Sorry, Obamaphiles. Stomp your feet all you want, but you don’t get to whine about this and expect to be taken seriously.
RT @bethanyshondark: Wow, Carney is claiming the Romney campaign are distracting from the real issues. | Seamus, tax returns, dressage.
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) August 16, 2012
Note when GOP on the offensive on POLICY (Medicare), Obama & Biden try to scramble back to insignif issues–Seamus, Etch-A-Sketch.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 16, 2012
Check. Mate.
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#ObamaAteADogLyrics: ‘Who let the dogs out … of the oven?’
