Clinton Takes Charge; Obama Takes a Powder: "
**Written by Doug Powers
President Obama met with Bill Clinton today. Clinton agreed to publicly back Obama on the tax/unemployment extension agreement with Republicans. Obama then brought Slick out before a hastily assembled press corps, and then left Clinton alone with them to work his Bubba magic:
In terms of Washington political drama, Friday was an instant classic.
President Obama ushered former President Bill Clinton to the White House briefing room late Friday for an impromptu press session, then abruptly left the wonky and winsome Arkansan at the podium by himself to defend the Obama administration’s tax deal.
“I’ve been keeping the first lady waiting for about half an hour, so I’m going to take off,” Obama said.
Clinton chuckled, joking, “I don’t want to make her mad. Please go,” and then quickly turned back to the microphone and began taking questions from the White House press corps, which had been given no advance notice of the two presidents’ trip to the briefing room.
The press corps will now report back to Obama’s very disenchanted left-wing base and the rest of those who are contributing to Obama’s perpetually foundering poll numbers of how it reminded everybody in the room of a happier, more competent time — and somebody on Team Obama thought this was good idea?
A few minutes in, President Obama excused himself because he had to “get to a Christmas party.” Clinton barely batted an eye while continuing to take questions for another half-hour under the “White House” backdrop, leaving onlookers with a palpable “let the adults take over now, Barry” feeling:
After the 2008 media deification of Barack Obama, that was like watching somebody who was billed as Zeus getting into a fight and responding by hiding behind his dad.
And what’s with leaving Clinton alone with a press corps increasingly disenchanted with Hope & Change? A bigger mistake hasn’t been made since Eddie Fisher agreed to let Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton share the same makeup trailer on the set of Cleopatra.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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