Just one week after NBC’s David Gregory illegally brandished a high-capacity magazine on-air in order to “taunt” National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre, the same host found himself in a much calmer and jovial mood.

He was interviewing President Barack Obama.

NBCs David Gregory Asks President Obama if the Fiscal Cliff Fiasco is his Lincoln MomentDuring a discussion on the impending “fiscal cliff,” a combination of tax increase and spending cuts scheduled to take effect next year unless Congress comes up with a budget deal, Gregory and President Obama started talking about Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “Lincoln.”

“Winston Churchill used to say that we Americans, you know, we try every other option before we finally do the right thing. After everything else is exhausted, we eventually do the right thing. And I think that that’s true for Congress as well,” said President Obama.

“And I think it’s also important for Americans to remember that politics has always been messy. People have been asking me a lot about the film “Lincoln” and you know –”

Gregory couldn’t help himself.

“Is this your Lincoln moment?” the NBC host beamed.

“Well no, look, A) I never compare myself to Lincoln and B) obviously the magnitude of the issues are quite different from the Civil War and slavery,” the president responded.

“The point though is … is democracy has always been messy,” he added.

Is this your “Lincoln moment”? What happened to the hard-hitting, “take-no-prisoners” Gregory who was willing to break Washington guns laws (a crime to which he hasn’t had to answer) in order to make a point?

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(H/T: NewsBusters). Featured images courtesy the AP & Getty.