I'm in, til Newt's out.
Posted on 03/20/2012 10:11:48 AM PDT by VinL
President Barack Obama's re-election organization said Tuesday it was "inappropriate" for Robert De Niro to joke at a campaign fundraiser in New York Monday that America wasn't "ready for a white first lady."
"We believe the joke was inappropriate," Olivia Alair, Campaign Press Secretary to the First Lady, said in a statement.
The campaign's comment came after Newt Gingrich delivered a scorching response to De Niro's comments at an Obama for America fundraiser, which was attended by first lady Michelle Obama.
While Michelle Obama headlined the event, she was introduced after De Niro's remarks. The event was also attended by a number of other prominent Obama supporters, including Harvey Weinstein and Beyonce.
"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" De Niro asked to cheers from the crowd. "Too soon, right?"
Speaking Tuesday, Gingrich labeled the comments "inexcusable," and called on Obama to apologize.
"I do want to say one thing, both on behalf of my wife and on behalf of Karen Santorum and on behalf of Ann Romney, I think that Robert De Niro's wrong," Gingrich said. "I think the country is ready for a new first lady and he doesn't have to describe it in racial terms."
Gingrich immediately clarified he thought Michelle Obama, along with the wives of his fellow GOP presidential candidates, were all "fine ladies."
"But this is not about the first lady," Gingrich continued. "It's about the president. That's where De Niro missed the whole point. De Niro is rich enough he probably doesn't notice the price of gasoline. He's successful enough he probably doesn't notice the unemployment rate. As the Hollywood actor, he might well be shortsighted enough he doesn't understand what it might do to our children and our grandchildren."
Gingrich called on Obama to apologize for the remarks, since they were made at an event raising money for his re-election.
"What De Niro said last night was inexcusable and the president should apologize for him. It was at an Obama fundraiser, it is exactly wrong, it divides the country," Gingrich said, adding that the left was quick to call out conservative talk show hosts for offensive comments but silent when the vitriol comes from the left.
"If people on the left want to talk about talk show hosts, then everybody in the country should hold the president accountable when someone at his event says something that is utterly and terrible unacceptable as what Robert De Niro said," Gingrich said.
Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show Tuesday, fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum largely avoided weighing in on De Niro's comments.
"It's just someone from Hollywood or someone from the entertainment industry just spouting off as they do," Santorum said. "It's sad, but I'm not going to bite on that one. It's just sad. The idea of looking at politics through eyes of race should be over. That's just over. I don't know where he thinks he's coming from."
I'm in, til Newt's out.
Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show Tuesday, fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum largely avoided weighing in on De Niro’s comments.
“It’s just someone from Hollywood or someone from the entertainment industry just spouting off as they do,” Santorum said. “It’s sad, but I’m not going to bite on that one.”
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With respect, Rick, this is the one you do bite on.
Newt is the only one who responds with a “common sense” statement...and without the blah, blah, blah useless rhetoric.
***The US has become a place where talentless entertainers, treasonous politicians and criminal professional athletes, are sadly-mistaken for people of importance.***
Guess Rick already forgot about Rev. Wright.
ALL IN, here.
To the convention, regardless that voters are presently going all Jersey Shore this cycle.
(Not my phrase, but appropriate given the times.)
Would love to have seen the reaction from
the audience.
Rick is a master at choosing battles. Mitt’s dog. There’s a hill to die on.
Everybody on the left is a comedian, huh?
Rick is a master at choosing battles.
Absolutely right. He went to battle against Newt in AL and MS and beat him to a pulp. Go Santorum! Santorum has beat Newt in almost every state.
Rick is misguided . . . perhaps his heart is in the right place but he can’t hold a candle to Newt when it comes to responding to the Dems and causing them to sit up and pay attention.
Newt puts them on defense, and this is exactly what needs to happen. You can’t let people just wail away at you without firing back. Even if 95 punches out of 100 the left throws don’t land, the 5 that do have an effect. It’s important to keep them on their heels covering up and defending. They can’t throw punches when they are trying to avoid. them.
Santorum as no spine and won’t even defend his wife’s honor.
Newt is the only man with the brass balls needed to take on this thugocracy.
I am all in with Newt, monthly donation is going to get jacked up. If he isn’t on the ballot then I am writing him on and voting the straight Pub downticket and pray for gridlock.
Sadly naps he’s going to be blown away in Illinois today. He may not even win another state after a string of “the economy is getting better”/”I don’t care about unemployment” type statements.
Sadly naps he’s going to be blown away in Illinois today.
If Newt would drop out, that would not be the case. I still don’t care as Romney is winning states that we will NEVER win in the General.
Santos and mittens are intellectual light weights. Obama and his supporters are as well. There is an obvious correlation as to why Obamalama was elected and Santos and mittens are the front runners. No further explanation needed.
Write in Newt for the general.
Conservatives are in danger of looking humorless with this renewed bashing of Maher, Letterman and now this. I do agree with the bashing of Maher on his sexist slurs but this is getting a little out of hand. Judging by this article, DeNiro’s remark was funny, satirical, apolitical and mildly politically incorrect statement at worst. I remember when our side was saying it diminished Obama to go directly against Limbaugh a couple years ago. Not sure I agree with that since Limbaugh is a major political player, but it definitely diminishes our guys to appear like they care about what these entertainers and comedians say, and elevates those guys to a level they don’t merit. It’s great to point out the hypocrisy of the left in going after Limbaugh but not Maher, but it’s wrong for us to become the speech police and enforcers of political correctness ourselves.
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