The comedian wannabe that serves as White House press secretary has stooped to an all-time low by publicly attacking the Supreme Court, proving once again that the president needs a more professional and serious spokesman who possesses at least some decorum.
A perpetual jokester at the podium, Robert Gibbs is well known for keeping reporters in stitches during White House press briefings. In fact, he earned accolades for causing more than 600 instances of laughter-a James Brady Briefing Room record-during his first four months as the president's press secretary.
Obama's comical chief message strategist is also notorious for making inappropriate wise cracks and off-the-wall comments as well as engaging in highly unprofessional public feuds with administration adversaries. He called a Republican senator irrational for blocking an extension of costly unemployment benefits, mocked a vice presidential candidates method for remembering her lines at a recent Tea Party convention and called a congressman who opposes healthcare reform crazy.
Gibbs has also referred to a conservative radio personality (Rush Limbaugh) who has never even held public office as a Republican leader. In fact, when former Vice President Dick Cheney criticized Obama's policies, Gibbs claimed that "Limbaugh was busy so they trotted out their next most popular member of the Republican cabal."
Now comes the unprecedented showdown with the U.S. Supreme Court. The war of words stems from the tactless critique that Obama delivered to the high court during his State of the Union address earlier this year. The commander-in-chief criticized the court's decision allowing corporations and unions to freely spend money to run political ads.
"With all due deference to the separation of powers, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections," Obama lectured the justices as they sat stone-faced-as per protocol-in their black robes.
This week Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed to the court by George W. Bush in 2005, said the scene at Obama's first State of the Union was "very troubling" and that the annual address has "degenerated into a political pep rally."
Gibbs fired back from the podium, essentially reiterating what his boss has already said: "What is troubling is that this decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special interests to pour money into elections - drowning out the voices of average Americans."
Then the loyal presidential mouthpiece added something truly comical: "The president has long been committed to reducing the undue influence of special interests and their lobbyists over government." That line is sure to get plenty of laughs.
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