Jay Carney's Actual Response to Jobs Council Not Meeting: Obama Has 'A Lot on His Plate

Jay Carney is known to give some quote-worthy comments while standing behind the podium in the White House briefing room. And his performance yesterday might be the best this summer. What am I talking about? Well, after being asked about why the president hasn't met with his jobs council for six months, Carney justified it by saying Obama's just been too busy.

(Related: Read our initial story on the hiatus)

RealClearPolitics has the transcript:

REPORTER: On the Jobs Council, obviously they've reported to haven't met formally or publicly for six months. Why is exactly is that?

CARNEY: Look, the president solicits and receives input and advice from members of his Jobs Council and others about economic initiatives all the time. And I would point you to the numerous initiatives put forward by the Jobs Council that this administration under the president's direction has taken action, presidential memorandum of August of last year that selected 14 job creating high-priority infrastructure projects for expedited review. Four of those are already under construction.

In March of this year, just four months ago, an executive order launched interagency effort to cut red tape and improve outcomes for infrastructure projects.

[…]

REPORTER: So there's no reason they haven't met publicly?

CARNEY: No, there's no specific reason except that the president's obviously got a lot on his plate. But he continues to solicit and receive advice from numerous folks outside the administration about the economy, about ideas he can act on with Congress or administratively to help the economy grow and help it create jobs.

And Politico has the video:

In other words, we can't meet to talk about the lack of work because Obama has too much of it.* Doh!

*As Mitt Romney pointed out, a lot of the time has been occupied by fundraisers.