The amazingly floundering White House, exposed for all to see

Here is Bob Schieffer’s widely noted interview with Obama consiglieri David Axelrod on “Face the Nation” last Sunday which has many observers stunned. The thing that stunned me the most, but which Schieffer didn’t make anything of, was when Schieffer asked, “Do you have any evidence that this [foreign money that is supposedly being spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce] is anything other than peanuts?”, and Axelrod replies, “Do you have any evidence that it’s not?” That really brings you up short. It’s the president who has been making this charge of “criminal” behavior by the Chamber of Commerce, but now the president’s man says that the White House doesn’t have to prove that the charge is true; others have to prove that the charge is false. Amazing.

But more damaging to the White House than that one line is the whole drift of the discussion, captured by Schieffer’s riposte, “Do you, I guess I would put it this way, if the only charge the Democrats can make three weeks into [sic] the election is that somehow there may or may not be foreign money coming into the campaign, is that the best you can do?” The exchange continues for another minute after that, and as you watch Axelrod continue to speak about this utter triviality regarding the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the truth of Schieffer’s words sinks in. Axelrod doesn’t believe what he’s saying, as shown by his lack of energy and his hangdog, almost embarrassed expression. The Obamites are out of gas. Their former lies are all used up, they have no new lies that will work. And everyone is seeing this.

(In particular, watch Axelrod at 3:17, when he finished his answer to Schieffer and looks at him for a moment with an almost pleading expression on his face.)

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 13, 2010 08:00 AM | Send
    


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