Spin Doctor: Watch What Happens When David Axelrod Is Asked Whether The Private Sector Is ‘Doing Fine’
- Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:43pm by
Becket Adams
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During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union With Candy Crowley,” Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod found himself nearly incapable of answering one, simple question: is the private sector “doing fine”?
The question, of course, is a reference to remarks made by President Obama during a news conference on Friday.
“The private sector is doing fine,” said President Obama.
“Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government oftentimes cuts initiated by governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the Federal government and who don’t have the same kind of flexibility as the government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in,” he added.
While some are saying the president’s remarks are proof that he is “out of touch,” others are simply asking “is the private sector doing fine”?
“Let’s start out with a really simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Do you agree with the president that the private sector is doing fine?” CNN’s Crowley asked.
Axelrod responded with everything but a committed answer:
I agree with the president who called the press conference on Friday to say that we need to take a series of very urgent steps to accelerate job creation in this country because we have storm clouds rolling in from Europe.
So, Candy, the press conference was called to press for hiring, a tax credit for small businesses, to press for clearing red tape away so that families who have underwater homes can refinance on today’s low interest rates and save thousands of dollars a year, and yes to push to give state and local governments help to rehire some of the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of teachers, firefighters, and police who have been laid off in this, uh, last couple of years.
And we’ve created 4.3 million private sector jobs in the last 27 months but we’ve lost almost half a million public sector jobs and half of those are teachers.
Impressive, but not an answer.
“So, bottom line, is the private sector doing fine?” Crowley asked a second time.
“The private sector, uh, we need to accelerate job creation in the private sector,” Axelrod responded.
“Right,” said an apprehensive Crowley.
“One of the ways that we can do that,” Axelrod continued, “is putting teachers and firefighters and police back to work because those are good middle class jobs.”
“That’s the public sector,” Crowley said, pointing out the obvious.
“But that’ll help accelerate the recovery,” Axelrod argued.
He continued:
The private, uh, the small business tax cut will help the private sector. The refinancing will help the private sector because people will have more money in their pockets to spend. There are series of steps that we can take right now that will help undergird the economy against the, uh, forces that are arrayed. You see what’s going on in Europe in particular.
The first quarter of this year was the best in terms of private sector job creation; was the best in six years. We’ve had a slowdown in the last three months largely because of global events, but the president has said is that we need to take some urgent action and he’s called on Congress to do that. They’ve sat on their hands thus far. They’re more eager to have a debate over an out-of-context clause in his remarks than the substance of what he said.
“But I think that we put in the context at the open, you put it in context in the open, I just want to know whether the administration, whether you believe that the private sector is doing fine,” Crowley asked for the third time.
“It’s certainly doing better than the public sector,” he finally kinda-sorta answered.
This story has been updated.
(H/T: WZ)
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Comments (214)
yanki161
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:55pmI love how he just starts yelling over her. Sheesh!
Report Post »roy3331
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:41pmYour right I noticed the same thing, I went back it’s about 5 times he gets louder then her you
Report Post »can hear in his voice that he wants to shut her down !!! He’s an *****
That Guy
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:22pmSo the way to fix the economy is to create more taxpayer funded jobs??? Keep pushing that message all the way thru November please… Also let’s get Clinton out there a lil more. Thanks
Report Post »Too_Far_Gone
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:33pmAnother Snake, look at the anger he trys to hide, everytime he’s lets it show, he starts calling her Candy.
I know evil when I see it. Pathetic little boy.
Report Post »Xyskalla
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:39pmWeasel.
Report Post »Unix
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:43pmAxelrose = no way he tells any truth, liars Progressive, their doom is at hand one way or another, F’em!
Report Post »koyettsu
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:00pmThat reporter is useless, if all I have to do to avoid a question is raise my voice and she backs down then why would I ever answer a tough question?
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:06pmCan’t buy the people maybe we can buy a few State Governments.
Report Post »artistskeptic
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:20pmAxelgrease is the most repulsive politician in the national theatre for the last 40 years. Lets all hope the SOB’s verbage will be seen as the garbage that it is.
Report Post »charleyrocks
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 3:55amI have noticed a change in CNN, are they now listening to the people instead of the president? No more censorship from CNN please question with boldness!
Report Post »charleyrocks
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 3:57amcnn is starting to listen to the people finally!
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 4:51amIdon’t know why anybody wastes their time interviewing this liar.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 5:03amYeah, but at the end of the show when she asks about Holder, he doen’t even know where to look. My guess is he wasn’t expecting the directness of her questions on the DOJ.
Report Post »robh
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 5:29amDoes Axelrod actually believe he doesn’t look rediculous?
A simple “yes” or “no” question turns into some twisted reverse-newspeak that seems to make Axelrod believe he is ACTUALLY answering the question in a more serious and complete manner!
We all know he is:
skirting the question – check;
using the forum to propogate half-truths and lies – check;
unable to answer in the affirmative – check;
desperate – check.
This is “them”.
I know evil when I see it.
This is it.
Report Post »old white guy
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 7:07am4.3 million jobs created, where, china? certainly not in the u.s.
Report Post »Rolandd
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 7:08amHave you also notice every time he strats stu.st..ddering he tries to dance around the point. Then he starts getting upset and starts to almost yell, just because she’s not going along with the program an agreeing with him.
Report Post »TROONORTH
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 9:07amThe guy is not a good ‘spin doctor’. Spinning is taking facts and using them to support a certain viewpoint, facts that when taken individually, might not support that viewpoint. This guy‘s idea of ’spinning’ is avoidance, obfuscation, lies and refusal to answer a question. The whole idea of ‘spinning’ is to defend a position without being so obvious that everyone knows that you are lying.The word ‘transparent’ comes to mind here.
Report Post »AnAppealToGod
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 11:55amHe knows they are up against the clock, so he is just bsing until his time slot is up.
What a complete idiot. It’s depressing really
Report Post »txdave22
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 1:03pmSince Obama came to power DJIA is up over 50% from about 8000 to 12500. That is not only just fine, but far better than under bush who took DJIA from about 11000 down to 8000 during his 8 year reign of error.
DJIA is best way to measure the private sector, so President Obama is spot on as over 100 million investors have money in stocks, funds, 401k and annuities.
With cooperation from the pub congress, we could be doing better, but they won‘t pass Obama’s job’s bill, even though over 12 million Americans are looking for jobs.
If you care about your children and your money, you will vote Democrat in November.
What does romney propose and say? No one knows. Another question: why is romney afraid to have a press conference? When has he had one? When he starts to speak, his poll numbers will go down, not bright.
Report Post »tipical
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 2:26pmAxelrod has been sprayed with DDT Acronym for “Dubious Double Talk”. If you want a direct answer to your question all you have to do is ask one that he likes. It’s that simple. Your lucky he didn’t invoke the fifth amendment or tell you that you totally misunderstood what the President may have thought he said and was taken out of context with the intent of making the president look like a fool. I will however in the interest of furthering a mutual agreement as to what the President wanted to get across to the American people will have my staff contact you later in the week to discuss what they want you to know. Now so that we will not waist any more time on this issue let’s talk about the tax cuts for the rich. All in one breath.
Report Post »Hollywood
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 3:05pmHe is SOOOOOO irritating. I have an strong urge to kick him in the nuts, but he doesn’t have any. He is one though!
Report Post »K Chad Roberts
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 3:39pmThat really pissed me off in the interview. If I were her, I would have stopped his committed speech and told him off for speaking over, and speaking down to me.
Report Post »seresmary
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 4:40pmDavid Axelrod is nothing more than an Obama hitman, and not to mention he looks like Adolph Hitler too.
Report Post »The Spin Dr.’s are out doing the thing that they do best, unfortunately it is not the truth.
Get a grip Axelrod, we are not a country for government workers, we are a country of the people and for the people and that doesn’t mean hire as many government workers as you can and then stick it to the private sector to pick up the tab. Get rid of the regulations and the taxes on the small business owners and the economy will come back. We have literally killed the economy here in California with taxes and regulations and they are still going at it. The only thing that will be left here in California will be desert rats, opposums, and coyotes after Brown and the Democrats get through, along with the O.C.-GOP Central Committee.
marys, california
sixtysix
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 6:45pmMaybe she should have explained the difference between public and private before asking the quesiton. Obviously, Mr. Axelrod does not know the difference.
Report Post »styxman65
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:43pmWhen they say “fireman, teachers, policeman” they mean union jobs, never private sector jobs….. In Obama eyes, if you don’t belong to a union, you don’t matter.
Report Post »uslawman1983
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:03pmThese liberal Democrat pinheads hate cops. We’re not forgetting that in any way. Jeez, this guy is full spin doctor mode. Even the host seems amazed how he avoided the question.
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 10:04pmOnly a union worker qualifies as middle class.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 3:27am@ Styx
Yes, and “putting Firemen and Police back to work”? Since when were they out of work?
What an incredible example of political spin. And by “incredible”, I mean a stunning example of political dissembling which does the vocation of politics no service whatsoever.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 1:11pmWhen Axelrod said, “250K Police, teachers and Firemen lost their jobs in the last couple of years” Cindy should have came back with, “So your saying 250K Police, teachers and Firemen lost their jobs under your watch?”
Report Post »voxpopuli2012
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:43pmIt almost seems that, on a psychological level, Obama and Axelrod have decided that they‘ve had enough and really don’t want to win in November. Then again, I ‘ve come to believe that its really Michelle who’s really the commander-in-chief..
Report Post »honestynow
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:03pmProbably Valerie the feret Jarrett
Report Post »gardensfromgraves
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:10pm“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”
–Joseph Stalin
Prepare for a Russian election. They know it. They picked Romney to lose [qualified as the ONLY man in the WORLD who cannot run against Ob@m@care because he instituted it in his own state].
“It is enough that the people know there was an election…”
Ob@m@ and Axelrod count the votes. They are not going anywhere and they know it.
Report Post »gardensfromgraves
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:15pmRomney only has to lose “believably” because the election is fixed already. Romney can certainly accomplish this.
Report Post »bigdaddyt46
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 6:44ambarack and michelle were in the limosine heading down pennsilvania ave. when michelle yelled tto the driver “pull over, pull over.” she gets out and runs across the street and starts talking to the gas station attendant. about 20 minutes latter she gets back in the limo, and barack asks “who was that michelle?”.
Report Post »she says “oh that was my old boyfriend, in fact i almost married him”
barack puffs out his chests and says “i bet you‘re glad you married me because i’m president of the United States and he’s just a gas station attendant.”
michelle says “oh no if i would have married him HE would be president too.”
DoomsdayProphet
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:42pm1) I do not aspire to be middle class. I aspire to be rich.
Report Post »2) I look for a job and I am not seeing any of those 4.3 million private sector jobs.
3) I refuse to work for the federal government.
4) If we want a compromise why don’t we do something we all agree on. we do not rule to the 97% of the country. We make rules as a country for ALL citizens.
5) Republicanism is nothing more than an advanced case of classical liberalism. Unfortunately, most conservatives miss the mission statement when it comes to certain aspects of the federal government. Let‘s eliminate the things we don’t need federal government doing.
6) Eric Holder would have whipped you like some school yard bully who bit off more than he can chew.
Sharon Rose
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:40pmAnother lib doofus
Report Post »Magyar
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:39pmAll political whores hate to admit when they got screwed! Tee-hee!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:43pmSPIN DOCTOR. He’s got a rectum full of kryptonite. Moohaha.
Report Post »possom
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:38pmWhy are these people not in the same cell block? Oh that’s right, there’s no justice left in america.
Report Post »ARealCharliesAngel
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:37pmAxelrod: “Gov. Christie is a hitman”…..
WTH does that make you?! He is an absolute thug and idiot!!
Report Post »oicu814me2
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 8:59pmi thought the samething
Report Post »Laken
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:29pmAxelrod = Communist
http://theobamafile.com/_associates/DavidAxelrod.htm
Report Post »Facebook-OWSWatch
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:26pmWho do you think he is Mustafa from Austin Powers?
Report Post »GeorgieJo
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:38pmSEEMS to me Davy AxelRodder made an A+ in DOUBLESPEAK in law school.
The Obummer Team is falling apart
Report Post »Thanks DebbyWaspySchultzee~~~~!!!!!
OMG 2012
lynskinners
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:26pmLooks like Barack Hussein Kardashian can’t defend himself. Follow our CELEBRITY president at: Twitter.com/BHOKardashian and BarackHusseinKardashian.us
Report Post »DoomsdayProphet
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:43pmAhahahhaaha Rush!
Report Post »showmerancher
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:21pmWhat she needed to do was to ask him another question that would catch him off balance so that he’d gladly go back to the first. Something like, “It would seem that you would have the means, the motive and the opportunity… are YOU one of the people behind the national security leaks?”.
Report Post »PATTY HENRY
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:42pmBINGO! You are batting 1000 with this one!
Report Post »lwillis59
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 7:06pmshe wouldn never go that far….however you are right..we can not count on media to actual have any random acts of journalism..
Report Post »FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:20pmWhat’s with all of the out of context bull? There was nothing taken out of context here. These people also continue not to understand that the private sector pays a great deal of their public sector buddies benefits, pensions, etc. The private sector is not fine and we are broke! They don‘t even have a clue that they don’t have a clue! They can never answer anything directly. Just continue to spout out their talking points, most of which are not true.
Report Post »oicu814me2
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 9:05pmHe says the privite sector is doing better than the public sector… So he would like to take more from the makers and give it to the public sector that doesnt make anything…
Report Post »gardensfromgraves
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:20pm“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”
–Joseph Stalin
Prepare for a Russian election. They know it. They picked Romney to lose [qualified as the ONLY man in the WORLD who cannot run against Ob@m@care because he instituted it in his own state].
“It is enough that the people know there was an election…”
Ob@m@ and Axelrod count the votes. They are not going anywhere and they know it.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:18pmObama’s for big government – and government which controls the unions, the banks, and big corporations. He couldn’t care less about small businesses and the private sector, as has been demonstrated by all the regulations and fees he’s placed on them.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:42pmAgree!
Report Post »Satrix
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:17pmWho is talking about Romney? Let’s talk about what Obama said and did? Romney is not the president right now. How does hiring cops, fire fighters, and teachers create jobs for people? Didn’t he follow up by saying that Romney created more government jobs, but it didn’t work for the private sector in Taxachusetts? How does this Axlerod live with himself? How do you look in the mirror everyday? What a small man…
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:14pmWell, as he said earlier, we still can’t take the truth. So, he is not about to tell the press the truth. LOL….he is still lousy at this tap dance routine. Debbie Wassaman-Schultz can run rings around him when it comes to rapid fire bull sh*t.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:49pmEveryone in this administration is a poor communicator. They all do a lot of ‘uhs’ and ‘mmms’ and stammering their way through, until they can figure out a way to answer the question with the same old BS talking points they’ve been given. Maybe it would be less noticeable if they were given twinkle hand signals instead.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 11, 2012 at 7:55amHis comment is not being taken out of context either. You really can’t take that comment out of context, it is what it is. I think he really belives it and is shocked that the rest of the country doesn’t agree.
Report Post »broper
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:12pmThe guy was squirming like a rat with one foot under the trap bar, and did you notice the volume of his voice would go up dramatically when Candy would ask a question based on something he was saying… this would allow him to keep talking without answering her questions. These guys are so socialistic that they can‘t help but go back to the idea of more and more government employment as the answer to our nation’s problems. Only when small business owners become convinced that our government is prepared to stay out of the way, will our economic engine run as it was designed to run.
Report Post »The continued push for more government jobs is nothing but moving us toward the elimination of free enterprise and private property.
Thevoice
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:32pmAnd the biggest amount of the stimulus went to short term …Shearing up…Of the Red ink ..The States had with the bloated Public sector…..So some smart conservative state and local leadership decided to follow a balanced budget from that point…California , Illinois for example are like Greece and Spain looking for a bailout and are hounding Obama to funnel money to them anyway he can….And how can you have growth in the private sector with Obama and commie czars who don’t believe in the free market handing out more regulations and human controls by the day…Could anyone have ever believed you would live to see the day the President of the United States believes he can fix the economy by hiring public school teachers….Anyway where are all the Obama engineers we were promised three years ago….Along with the light bulb changing gangs..and armies of insulation installers …O…That’s right Obama added regulation that killed his own daydream…Too funny…These commies have to exit stage LEFT in January …..
Report Post »joek888
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:09pmWith all the money that was spent in the public sector in the stimulus and the omnibus spending bill I find it hard to believe the public sector is doing badly. If he is using as a comparison the number of teachers, firemen and policemen that were hired but not funded with those two wasteful expenditures to what is actually affordable or needed in today’s world of couse there are fewer of each. If you hire you must be able to pay. If you hire in the public sector you need to not only fund that hire for his salary but forever the pension and health care costs for the rest of his/her life. Public hiring for the sake of creating jobs is a drain on society, The private sector cannot support more public sector jobs. Trim the government to what is needed to perform the task, not as a jobs program.
Report Post »FortySixand2
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:05pmHe couldn’t answer because he has no clue as to what the private sector does. I am so tired of politicians, their lies and their lying mouthpieces.
Report Post »gardensfromgraves
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:14pmHe and the president know EXACTLY what they are doing. They are doing what communists and satanists do. They kill liberty and the private sector and grow government [the public sector]. This is by design.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:14pmYou’re correct about that! The man is a complete buffoon.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:22pmI think he is a complete Communist ( or whatever these Far Lefties are calling themselves these days ! ) thanks to his angry, black Marxist mentors and the sad legacy of his angry, anti- colonial fixated father.
Report Post »bjornskis
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:04pmjust tell the truth Oblumber and company only care about public sector and union jobs where their dues are then given back to Oblumbler and company
Report Post »Brittany-Imbriaarts
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:00pmMan David how is it you can stand in that pile of (insert vulgarity here) and yet claim it doesn’t stink. Obama is out to destroy the private companies it shows in practically every action he has done in office. Seriously If David was hit by a pie in the face from Obama himself he would stand there and claim its the republicans that threw that “cake”. I swear how can anyone trust this guy to speak any facts on shows.
Report Post »Jim in Houston
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:51pmAxle Grease ain’t about to answer the question. He knows how crowded it is getting under BO’s bus.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:52pmThanks Jim, you made me laugh.
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:51pmIt takes a while to position a lie in the best light. They should be very good at it by now.
Report Post »lexington_green
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 4:50pmhe avoided because his honest answer would be, “we don’t care about the private sector, except for our ‘friends’.”
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:26pmagree. it’s all about creating more “government jobs” for their zombies to follow the dictates of Dear Leader / Big Brother ! Pretty transparent ( not sure what Dear Leader plans to do once he has “ redistributed ” all of the evil “rich ” taxpayers’ goods . But guess , by then, the zombies and everyone will be under his thumb )
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 5:57pmI don’t think any of these ******** know anyone in the private sector. They would like nothing more than to have the private sector vanish into thin air, so they can control every aspect of our lives. Gosh darn…those pesky freedom lovers just keep on gettin’ in their way.
Report Post »