Obama's Open Mic

Here's a fuller version of the audio that was captured in which President Obama explained what was going on behind closed door negotiations.



Again, I don't know why the meme has become that the President's message was something different than what he's said in public. Just because it's not his demeanor to be openly rude doesn't mean the message was different. The tone was, but not the content.

I still don't know if this is the full audio, so if anyone comes up with another version, please let me know.

My Twitter with @JakeTapper

The cool thing about Twitter, for those who don't participate in it, is that if you treat people with respect, people that you would probably have virtually no chance of communicating with in "real life," they will most likely respond to you.

That was the case with ABC White House Correspondent Jake Tapper today after I read his story on President Obama being caught by a live microphone at a fundraiser in Chicago. Actually, I read his initial tweet first.



Well, I had to respond to that... didn't I?



And here was Tapper's response.



Fair enough. I thought maybe I should have read the link Tapper was referring to in his post before judging his tweet. Did I make a fool of myself? Maybe I misunderstood the intention of the Tapper tweet.

Speaking before the House GOP retreat in January 2010, the president suggested Ryan was a "pretty sincere guy" who "has looked at the budget and has made a serious proposal."

...Right. The link leads to a White House webpage of the transcript of said retreat in which the President indeed admitted that Ryan made a serious proposal... in 2010. Tapper certainly wasn't referring to the ridiculousness of Ryan's 2012 proposal. Was this what he thought was deserving of praise? Was he equating what Ryan said in 2010 compared to the mountain of crazy proposed in his 2012 budget? And should the President think likewise? Maybe so, in order to make a mountain out of a molehill. Obviously, I couldn't let it go at this point, so here's the rest of the tweet to and fro.



That was it. "Indeed, indeed." So I take it Tapper agrees with my assessment, yet this was a big story according to the MSM and Tapper. Oh, well.

I do give kudos to Jake Tapper for taking the time to respond to the possibly hundreds of tweets he must receive on a daily basis. Having access to someone who sits daily in the White House Press Room is something that probably wasn't feasible just even a few years ago, and I'm grateful for him taking the time to respond to me. If you go to his post, you'll be able to read a more detailed transcript of President Obama's "private" remarks that I've yet to see on MSM television. It's a fun read.

And if you're a tweeter, follow @jaketapper. Follow me too! (@broadwaycarl)

President Obama Caught on Open Mic

So... what's all the hubbub, bub?

President Obama was at a campaign fundraiser in Chicago last night and an open microphone caught a private conversation with a donor. What did he say? That his budget address was a sham and he's secretly going to kill Medicare himself? That Paul Ryan's got the right idea? That John Boehner is a great leader? That he really was born in Kenya?

None of the above. President Obama spoke candidly on the issues, just as I hoped he would speak if I had the opportunity to ask the same questions when no one was "listening."

On the Ryan plan: "When Paul Ryan says his priority is to make sure, he's just being America's accountant ... This is the same guy that voted for two wars that were unpaid for, voted for the Bush tax cuts that were unpaid for, voted for the prescription drug bill that cost as much as my health care bill -- but wasn't paid for. So it's not on the level."

On Boehner meetings: "I said, 'You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?'"

On defunding Planned Parenthood: "Put it in a separate bill. We'll call it up. And if you think you can overturn my veto, try it. But don't try to sneak this through."

Is this newsworthy? Maybe to show the fact that Obama isn't two-faced or "just like Bush." At least we didn't catch him calling a reporter a "major league asshole."