Media

Megyn Kelly Moderates Debate Over Robert Gibbs‘ ’Relatively Modest’ Salary

After President Obama dubbed outgoing press secretary Robert Gibbs’ $172,000 salary “modest,” conservatives were quick to point out that in a nation where an average family’s income hovers around $55,000, Gibbs’ government salary was anything but modest. The comments signal a desperately out-of-touch White House, conservatives charged.

Republicans were also quick to note that Gibbs’ “relatively modest” pay put him awfully close to Democrats’ stated threshold dividing the middle class and “the rich.”

Meanwhile, many defended the president, including strategist Bernard Whitman who squared off with conservative radio host Jason Lewis on Fox News Friday. FNC’s Megyn Kelly tried to play referee in the heated debate:

Comments (75)

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  • retriever
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 8:23am

    Anyone who makes $172,000 a year is not living modestly. Oh! I forgot about all of those politicians who became millionaires while collecting salaries paid be the American taxpayers. I suppose it is modest compared to them. Let him work for $40,000 like the rest of us and he will think he’s rich after awhile.

    Report Post »  
  • alrunner58
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 7:34am

    When you live in a bubble, you have no clue what’s going on in the “real” world.

    Report Post » alrunner58  
  • Gums
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:21am

    Dude on the left at the end was 100% correct.

    Report Post » Gums  
  • Gums
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:15am

    Megyn Kelly is the popular chick in the conservative world. Everyone wants her nuts.
    Obama is awesome. I’m glad he has polarized the country like he did. Now we all know who and what liberals actually are.

    Report Post » Gums  
  • wash1776
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:06am

    @BROKER0101:

    Mindless, lifeless Beck Bots? You should definitely know about MINDLESS since yours seems to be totally absent. None of us has any valuable skills? Like you would really know what any of us are capable of. The only thing you are capable of is MINDLESS insults with never any facts. Just a lot of MINDLESS drivel. WHITEDUMBASSES AND MORONS. I don’t know if you are black or white but that is a blatantly racist remark. As far as dumbass and moron, to get a good look at one—-STAND IN FRONT OF A MIRROR. YOU ARE A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR ANY KIND OF A HUMAN BEING.

    Report Post »  
    • One1
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 4:30am

      @Wash1776 – “Brokebacks” job as he has been instructed is to make us angry and to get use off message. He is just like his hero, an aggitator. Pay him no mind.

      Report Post »  
  • WhatTheHuh
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:57am

    Oh, Brother! I’m a little tired of hearing about politicians “sacrificing” a private sector salary by working for the government. Seeing the way our government works, I could make the argument that a lot of these people wouldn’t be earning as much in the private sector. And if it’s such a low paying job, why do it? Maybe because there is money to be made AFTER you leave office. That’s not an indicator of talent or intelligence. It’s merely a result of the political connections you made while in office and/or those institutions giving you jobs because you did something for them while in office. A lot of these folks stay in D.C. to work as lobbyists and such. So, give me a break.

    Report Post »  
  • mikenleeds
    Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:01am

    I ve made 28 k last years to feed my wife and 4 children .. am taxed so heavy because i have to pay for over paid fat liberal trash like that . that looks down there noses like am a piece of trash … he should nt makes even 28 k a year with all of the government perks he s getting at my expense

    Report Post » mikenleeds  
  • Fight for America
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:43pm

    Again – our current President and all of his top supporters including Ms. Pelosi – haven‘t taken a vow of poverty and haven’t redistributed all of their and their family’s assets,

    “relatively modest” pay my………. Before pointing fingers at others perhaps those folks need to look in some mirrors and point at themselves. Vows of poverty all around for the Democrat leaders.

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  • ericgt
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:29pm

    How much? half the words out of his mouth are “ah-ah”.

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  • exdem
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:11pm

    Broker0101 is Keith Olbermann and he already has , many times.

     
  • Sgt.Crust
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:50pm

    Ummm, The Obumbler, out of touch, I would say off the planet!

    Report Post »  
  • Joshua7
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:36pm

    Public servants shouldn’t make more than an average soldier makes. What these people do doesn’t come close to being worth more than what our servicemen do for us.

    Report Post » Joshua7  
    • chicago76
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:49pm

      Well said. But a soldier does not have to take a civil service test or have a color scheme. Which means the soldier has two know how to add two and two and can be white, while the civil servant isn’t either.

      Report Post »  
  • IM4GOD
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:26pm

    Yes, he was SUCH a good speaker “ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah,ah, ah ….”

    Report Post »  
  • mharry860
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:25pm

    I don’t understand this site, doesn’t anyone have a ban hammer? In the spirit of freedom of speech and allowing both sides to speak, the rest of us have to put up with paid leftist basement trolls?

    Report Post » mharry860  
  • Noah_fing-whey
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:22pm

    Brokeback0101 – someone in the top 5% of ALL income earners is not pulling down a modest salary. Someone doing what Gibbs is doing, which is recalling talking points and generally being a jerk a few hours a day, is way overpaid at 172k. Then you have the unaccountable and unvettted czars who are making God knows what and it is clear the leaders of the party of the downtrodden and oppressed are enriching themselves at the expense of taxpayers.

    Report Post »  
    • BoilitDown
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:09am

      Noah_fing-whey
      Thank you for your response to Broker0101. If the average income is $54,000, how does pulling in 3 times that amount calculate out to moderate? I will admit, however, that few in the country are probably that talented at public obfuscation or willing to be that loyaly dishonest on behalf of another as Gibbs. This is not a real value to society though and shouldn’t be that well rewarded.

      Report Post »  
  • Noah_fing-whey
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:13pm

    172000 to act like a smug smart-ash is not to bad.

    Report Post »  
  • Tyrone
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:59pm

    $172,000 is walking around money for the Messiah. Reference: My *$800,000,000 stimulus bill will ****

    Report Post »  
  • Takeoutthegarbagenov2
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:15pm

    @temple, not only are you comparing money paid by taxpayers as opposed to a private company, but you’re comparing people with brains to a stuttering, stasmmering left wing fool.

    Report Post » Takeoutthegarbagenov2  
  • wifezilla
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:02pm

    No government worker should ever make more than the average working family’s annual income. Senators and Reps should make what their constituents make. These are public SERVANTS. Since when do servants make more than their bosses?

    Report Post » wifezilla  
    • RightPolitically
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:15pm

      Ouch……..ya hit a nerve there. So correct!

      Report Post » RightPolitically  
    • The Third Archon
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:16pm

      Yeah, redistribution of wealth!

      Report Post » The Third Archon  
    • One1
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:59am

      I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to make this point. Jesus said the servant is never greater than the master. And we hear this and say; “yea that’s true. It makes sense and we leave it alone.” But when you read between the lines it also says; When the servant becomes greater than the master, natural order is compromized and destructions is near.
      We must put our government back in its proper order. We the people are the Master and all government employees are the servants including the Pres.

      Report Post »  
  • poverty.sucks
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:56pm

    Salary isn’t worth the Chicken Crap Gibbs had to put up with.

    Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • ChasVS
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:26pm

      Crap is the rightbword to use when speaking of the clown!

      Report Post »  
  • TrueToTheCoreAmerican
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:54pm

    To Obumer and his administration Relatively Modest only applies if your a liberal, socialist etc. or a union member. For all the rest this is an outrageous salary according to the insane in office. Folks, we’ve begun to clean house and we WILL continue to clean house. ALL these elitist %&^%$#rds will be removed and using peaceful methods we WILL have a revolution like none before. Out with the bad, reduce government size and bring in intelligence to run this country as it was intended to be run.

    Report Post »  
  • temple62
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:47pm

    FOX commentators need to be cautious about criticizing Gibbs for his annual salary; their salaries all exceed Gibbs and this appears to be hypocrisy.

    Report Post » temple62  
    • RightPolitically
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:51pm

      Only difference is that taxpayers pay Gibbs’ inflated rate of pay, not a private company. No comparison!

      Report Post » RightPolitically  
    • FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:05pm

      I think the point is all we have heard for two years is the rich and those who make in the 200K are what has be mentioned by the administration as being “the rich”. But in the end it’s all about money for them just like everyone else, they just want to act “poor” it gets them more votes…………….

      Report Post » FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION  
    • angelcat
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:22pm

      But they haven’t characterized their pay as “modest”, so there is no hypocrisy here.

      Report Post »  
    • home_of_the_brave
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:56pm

      Absolutely, no comparison! Companies pay fox to advertise on their network which pays the newscasters salaries. Gibbs, on the other hand is in essence a public servant who has not justified his inflated salary. The real hypocrisy is that he earns more than 95% of the public and Barry doesn’t think he makes enough.

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    • DSN397
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 2:43am

      Everyone is relating Gibbs modest salary to that of a spokesperson for a large corporation. If Gibbs spoke for a corporate executive like he has for the president, he wouldn’t last a week. By the way, howabout Obama’s modest salary compared to that of a large corporate executive, and just like Gibbs, if he preformed for a large corporation like he has as president he also wouldn’t last a week.
      I wish Obama would follow the example of his white house staffer’s and resign and go screw up some company rather than our country.
      Fox commentator‘s are paid large salaries for the rating’s they obtain, and rightly so. If Gibb‘s were paid by rating’s he drew he’d be paid in food stamps.

      Report Post »  
  • home_of_the_brave
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:41pm

    Don’t worry soon $172,000. Will be near the poverty level thanks to inflation. How has he earned his pay. He doesn’t answer questions he just deflects and belittles the reporter asking the serious questions.

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    • 8jrts
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:52pm

      You answered your own question….How has he earned his pay?? He doesn’t answer the questions. He just deflects and belittles the reporter asking the serious questions.

      Report Post » 8jrts  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:25pm

      8JRTS, and can do it with a straight face, go home and kiss his wife and son. That takes a set since he is setting his son up to take on this huge debt (unless by some miracle he becomes a mega-millionaire compliments of Soros) and his parents to face the non-existent death panel.

      Report Post »  
  • Eblaze44
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:40pm

    Glib Gibbs. glad to see him go and I wish him well in achieving the American Dream of wealth – unlike the person he’s been speaking for the last two years – who are just waiting for him to crack the $200,000 mark so they can take some more of his money.

    Report Post » Eblaze44  
  • OneFootRandy
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:37pm

    Obama without a sense of reality, this is news!!!

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:32pm

      Considering Gibbs ability ..anything over minimum wage is over his pay grade. Funny that Obama thinks $172,000 is modest .. when he wants to go after people who make $200,000 and calls them billionaires.

      Report Post »  
    • WhiteTeaParty
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:35pm

      Funny how the chief of staff salary never came up during the Bush administration.
      I would be willing to bet that Tony Snow made double what Robert Gibbs is taking home.

      WhiteTeaParty  
    • broker0101
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:46pm

      Sorry, all you mindless, lifeless Beck-Bots, but $172,000.00 is a VERY modest yearly income for anyone with any kind of valuable or marketable skill set (and, much to your chagrin, White House Press Secretary qualifies as both). The fact that none of you have any valuable skills just makes you bitter, wealth-envying losers.

      broker0101  
    • broker0101
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:50pm

      Hey, WHITEDUMBASS, Gibbs is the Press Secretary, not the Chief of Staff. Other than that…… you’re a MORON.

      broker0101  
    • Tyrone
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:54pm

      When was Gibbs made Chief of Staff? I missed that appointment!

      Report Post »  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:34pm

      Ya know, I can’t stand Gibbs…a real glib, smart-mouthed, arrogant a**hole…but I bet he works much, much harder than MOST of our Reps in the House and Senate who make even more than Gibbs!

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • PlanetXenu
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:13pm

      peopel in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, besides, I think with the entertainment value, it’s worth it. can we discuss things that matter more, or would that be too hard for the media? how much do people at FOX or MSNBC make? the news is lacking…time for some pay cuts!

      Report Post »  
    • Aither
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:15pm

      The guy was a joke, he shouldn’t be worth $20,000 a year.

      As for Obama, he is such a hypocrite. This whole ‘We are for the poor.” then going out and spending millions on not even the people but himself with Tax Payer Dollars.

      What type of sick world are we living in where people are so brain washed by this presidents teleprompter speeches that they can’t see the truth of the criminals in the White House?

      Report Post » Huguenot Descendant  
    • JGP
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:00am

      @ Catb, you said it. $200,000, according to obama, is rich. But $172,000 is modest or VERY modest according to broker. It’s not so much how much money Gibbs is making, it’s the double standard obama uses. (All politicians and their appointed elites should take a pay cut to align themselves closer to private sector averages)

      Report Post »  
    • KUjayhawk
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:45am

      what about the average military person’s salary… 23,000 / 365 / 24 = 2.63 dollars per hour and risks their life. Gibbs’ salary… 172,000 dollars per year, and he does not work 24/7/365. Also Gibbs should be thankful he isn’t paid on performance, because he would owe money at the end of the year.

      Report Post »  
    • One1
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 3:35am

      @WHITETEAPARTY, The point was not that he made that much money. The point was that either the amount he makes make him rich or does it make him modestly compensated. In either case the Pres has in other instances clasified him as rich. which is it?
      And I’m sick of these folks in government talking about how hard their job is. #1 you chose the job. #2 If you would tell the truth instead of having to deceive everyone the job would not be so hard.

      Report Post »  
    • UrsaMajor
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 7:21am

      Just like Kelly said, you guys are missing the point.

      The debate is NOT about the amount of Gibb’s salary.

      The debate is whether or not Obama is an out-of-touch elitist who considers Gibb’s salary to be “relatively modest”.

      Report Post »  
    • heavyduty
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 9:41am

      I have an idea, BROKERO1O1 will probably disagree with me. But here goes any how. LET’S JUST PAY THEM WHAT THEIR WORTH. Since Gibbs couldn‘t or wouldn’t answer most of the questions thrown to him. Let’s pay him on a QUESTON verses ANSWER. When he can truthfully answer questions then he gets paid. If he can‘t then he doesn’t get paid. As far as I am concerned Gibbs was overpaid about 171,000 a year.

      Report Post »  
    • jay1960
      Posted on January 9, 2011 at 9:37am

      In the priate sector for someone doing comparable work, he has an extremely modest salary. Any news anchor in a martket of over 100,000 is probably making more than him. That being said these jobs are taken because there will be huge financial benefits down the road. So, no, I don’t pity his paltry salary, but, yes, it is very modest by private sector comparisons.

      Report Post »  
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