Political hot potato: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney ensures that the buck gets passed on Benghazi

In today’s White House Press Briefing, Jay Carney embarked on some mind-blowing intellectual acrobatics. Unfortunately for him, he failed to stick the landing. He failed miserably.

Among his bizarre assertions was that when Joe Biden said last night that the Obama Administration was never informed of security concerns at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, the vice president wasn’t actually talking about the Obama Administration, per se:

In spirit of "No controlling legal authority" & "It depends on what the definition of 'is" is" Jay Carney defines the word "administration"

— Kyle Sisk (@kylesisk1) October 12, 2012

So the Obama White House is not part of the Obama Administration. You learn the most amazing damn things from Jay Carney.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 12, 2012

Who's in charge?? Carney: Biden Was Speaking About Himself, The President, & The White House, Not The Administration http://t.co/EqJ2zLox

— Ted Newton (@Ted_Newton) October 12, 2012

So according to Jay Carney Biden, "the President and that White House" AREN'T part of the administration? That's his story?

— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) October 12, 2012

Did Carney actually say Biden doesn't speak for the administration?? Who the frick does he speak for?

— Tina (@0402sgrl) October 12, 2012

@curticemang @RepubliCandy @NMJune. Will Carney say next week that Obama does not speak for Obama administration?

— Curtice Mang (@curticemang) October 12, 2012

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We wouldn’t put it past him.

But wait! There’s more! Fox News’ Ed Henry pressed Carney over what the Obama Admini- er, White House knew regarding Benghazi and when they knew it. Carney responded by talking himself in circles:

His attempt at verbal tap dancing concluded with a colossal faceplant. Twitterers couldn’t quite believe what they’d seen:

Carney just said "nobody wants to know more about what happened than the president" it was 31 days ago! Obama doesn't know?!

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 12, 2012

Well, to be fair, Obama can’t possibly keep up with silly things like intelligence briefings when he’s got so places to go, people to see, and sweatshirts to sell.

Carney moves to insulate Biden, Obama on Libya security question – Really? Dozens of security requests were documented http://t.co/bxqWu49A

— Stephen Xavier (@LifeOnTheRight) October 12, 2012

Never let pesky facts get in the way of a good false narrative.

https://twitter.com/MattHennessey/status/256809976079716352

@6 @PressSec I don’t know how Carney looks in the mirror. All he does is lie all day, how can he get a job after this? Full of shit!!

— Sub Spy (@ExSubSpy) October 12, 2012

So Obama is either incompetent or covered up and Jay Carney is going with incompetent. Oookay then.

— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) October 12, 2012

And, lest another day go by without someone else getting hung out to dry, today, Hillary’s number came up. While Carney was madly deflecting attention from the Obama White House, he pointed the Benghazigate blame finger at the State Department:

Carney repeatedly said that Consulate security requests are appropriately handled by personnel at the State Dept, not the WH.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 12, 2012

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/256789343107178497

https://twitter.com/billhobbs/status/256789992163115009

@PimpBillClinton Sounds to me like Jay Carney just threw Hillary under the bus for the Libya security issue today.http://t.co/3dbkqb2z

— Jerry Wise (@bluesdriver1) October 12, 2012

@GOP Shorter Jay Carney: "We'll throw money at the State Dept, sure. But *manage* it? Come on!" #tcot #TeaParty #Benghazi #LibyaCoverup

— MacLiam (@macliam) October 12, 2012

https://twitter.com/jimmiebjr/status/256789619033665539

Hope that wherever Hillary is, she’s wearing her helmet.

He even found an opportunity to blame Paul Ryan for the attacks that killed four Americans last month:

When it comes to funding, yeah, this president fights to make sure that embassy security and diplomatic security is adequately funded and make sure that that funding is restored when efforts on Capitol Hill are made principally by House republicans, including Congressman Ryan to slash it in order to cut taxes for the wealthiest 2% in this country.

And he dismissed Republicans’ efforts to get to the bottom of Benghazigate as playing politics.

Somewhere, Stephanocchio smiled approvingly.

Carney also insisted that “we have always been transparent about what we know.” It’s unclear who he was including in that “we.” (Just him? He and President Obama? The two of them and Biden, the third stooge?) But Carney is painfully clear about one thing: the Obama Administration is most definitely transparent. We can see right through their shameful attempts to cover their tracks in the wake of their monumental lapses in judgment and integrity.

So, what’s next on the hapless Carney’s docket?

https://twitter.com/KaneJess/status/256808359867580417

@chucktodd @southsalem How much more can Jay Carney stand defending Obama's Benghazi time line?

— John Modisett (@thebighoot) October 12, 2012

With any luck, he won’t have to stand it past Inauguration Day.