Out of the three officials who met President Obama on an airport tarmac near Phoenix earlier this week, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) is now the only one who has characterized the president as anything other than cordial.
In numerous TV and radio interviews since the meeting, Brewer has said the president was “tense to say the least” and took issue with a book she wrote last year. She said Obama walked away from her while she was in mid-sentence and even told one Phoenix television station she felt “a little bit threatened” by the encounter.
But Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, who was standing just feet away from the president and the governor on Wednesday during their now-infamous encounter, told TPM that Obama seemed calm the whole time.
“He wasn’t tense at all,” Stanton said on Friday. “The guy’s a pro.”
Though Stanton declined to discuss exactly what the governor and president said to each other, he said Obama’s classic coolness was evident.
“He doesn’t get animated, but he looks you in the eye and tells you what he thinks,” Stanton said. “And I think that’s honestly what he did is he looked the governor in the eye and spoke and told her what he was really feeling.”
Stanton, a Democrat, is now the second elected Arizona official whose account of the incident contradicts the way Brewer has described it.
The other politician on hand to greet the president, Republican Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Ariz., told TPM on Thursday that the discussion between the president and governor was an “awkward moment” but little more than that.
Obama himself dismissed the incident in an interview with ABC News, calling it “a classic example of things getting blown out of proportion.”
But in one interview after another, Brewer has said she was “taken aback” by the way the president spoke to her. She has repeatedly mocked him as “thin skinned” for taking issue with a passage of her 2011 book “Scorpions for Breakfast.”
The White House confirmed that Obama talked about her book, saying he was disappointed that she described her June 2010 visit to the Oval Office in a bad light. She previously had called the meeting “very cordial” in public. But in the book, she blasted the president as “patronizing” and “condescending.”
On Wednesday, reporters witnessed the governor pointing her finger at the president and she appeared flustered after the encounter.
The Phoenix mayor echoed the sentiment of his Mesa counterpart, telling TPM he wished the small encounter didn’t overshadow the real reason for Obama’s visit, which was designed to highlight jobs and innovation.
“It’s unfortunate that that very positive, good message has been sort of lost in the way the media’s covered this personal interchange between the two,” Stanton said. “At the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal. The president said it was overblown. I agree.”
Stanton said that kind of visit should be an honor for Arizona, not a partisan exercise.
“I’m mayor of every person in my city, Democrat, Republican, independent, whatever,” Stanton said. “You’re in your official capacity at that point. I’m an ambassador for the state at that moment.”
Nick R. Martin
Nick Martin is a reporter for TPMMuckraker. He comes to the site from Arizona, where he worked as a freelance journalist, investigating serial killers, extremist groups, politicians and scoundrels of all stripes for a variety of local and national news outlets. He also operated the award-winning news blog, Heat City.
Brewer: "Pull my finger!"
Obama: "Uh, no...That's a guy joke, governor..."
Photo sabotaging by finger waving in the face of a sitting president. This is the crap that GOP voters confuse with leadership. #racetothebottom
I think Jan Brewer owes the President a big apology for her unprofessional and disrespectful behavior. Someone needs to send a message to today's GOP that it's NOT OK to disrespect the President in public anymore.
I believe in respecting the office, regardless of who possesses it. I kept a smile on my face as I happily served my nation under President Clinton. President Obama, though, set the precedent for this conversation when he spoke with vitriol and condescension about the outgoing President Bush during his inaugural speech--while President Bush was sitting about 6 feet behind him. President Obama has brought this "in-your-face" type of rhetoric to the White House, where I had never heard it used before. If he was willing to use such a tone on national television, you bet he is capable of speaking that way to the lady while no one else can hear. So, while I cannot condone the lack of poise of the Arizona governor, whatever of it gets directed at President Obama has been brought on himself.
mbretth You must have been listening to a different inaugural speech than the one I heard. Those of you who defend Dubya despite the facts of the past have no credibility whatsoever.
mbretth Nonsense. Stop whining and stop making excuses for this disgusting and disrespectful behavior. Obama did NOTHING of the sort to President Bush - your imagination is playing tricks on you.
She's exactly the opposite of thin skinned. Never again will a Marine answer to the nickname "Leatherneck".
Brewer isn't qualified to be a janitor at a gas station. It just amazes me that the shrieking brainless harpy with a hate streak a mile long is on the taxpayer dime.
Someone needs to stick a finger in her face and say "you're fired!"
Her book sales skyrocketed ... just what the b1tch was angling for. There is nothing decent about her.
jla Yep. Creating whole cloth and then lying about something that's easily and almost immediately shown to be false, a lie, in order to aggrandize her standing with the crazies and, why not, sell some books. Gingrich is not an anomaly; he's the model - politics as pure hucksterism, fleecing the rubes. That this amoral behavior deeply corrodes this country's political discourse matters not to these vampires.
"Mission accomplished."
What kind of governor -- what kind of human being -- would greet the President of the United States on the tarmac as he gets off AF1 with anything other than, "Welcome, Mr. President. How was your flight?"
Is there video of this encounter? It's hard to get a good read on what's going on from a single still photo, which is all I have seen anywhere.
SOS There is raw video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mRhJwjwXqc
It shows that Brewer greeted Obama very cordially when he came down the airstairs from Air Force One. The exchange was pretty much out of public view behind the limo after Obama said something snarky about her book.
And the President cooly replied, "No Governor, I won't pull your finger."
She looks tense. He looks amused.
@sunnysteve Because the President already dismissed her before he spoke her..meaning he(the President)....already new what she was trying to do..Brewer was upset because she thought she was going to get more of what she considered the typical response from a black man when he is insulted or disrespected...Exactly, he does look amused....and that probably made brewer even madder...
@Caroline Barrett Miller
There you go. Feed into the hate. The lady losing her decorum and making an ass out of herself does not make her a racist. But dems and blacks love to throw out that race card. You want to know who is racist? Find the man (or men) in the White House who killed the black panther voter intimidation investigation. Hmmm. They are big as life on tape keeping white people from voting. But that isn't racist, hmm? Or is just excusable because it's only white people who were hurt?
mbretth@caroline Um, mbreth? I don't see anywhere in Caroline's post where she accused Jan Brewer of being a racist. Take a deep breath and try and rein in your crazy, ok?
This must be hypocrisy central. You don't really believe in showing respect to the President. Only Democrat Presidents. Give it a rest.
The only hypocrites here are the GOP apologists, like you. President Obama has been disrespected by you sore loser louts from day one. It is unprecedented, and all you can come up with is "you guys do it too."
No. We don't.
No democratic mayor ever stuck a wagging finger in any republican Presidents face. Ever.
No democratic member of Congress ever called out "You lie" during a state of the Union address. Ever.
No democratic politician ever questioned the citizenship of a Republican President publically. Ever.
Your party has become the party of unAmerican, sophomoric, idiotic buffoons, and as I pointed out yesterday, a laughing-stock.
You just make it worse by coming in here and lying through your teeth.
Bwakfat Why do you hate this country? It literally drips from your words.
alaricBwakfat I read that exchange as Bwakfat hates sphmoric Republicans who show no respect for the President of the United States. I'm a Republican and couldn't agree more. Why do YOU Alaric hate this country so much you would support such stupid behavior.
alaricBwakfat Give it a rest alaric. I'm not a big Obama fan but her behavior as Governor was disgraceful. If she was in a "quiet room" with the president she can bring all the attitude she wants to make her point but this is just a bush league cheap shot that only reinforces the white trash gun tote'n image that AZ gets. What a POS.
DrewskialaricBwakfat I highly doubt you are Republican, but you do play one on TPM
alaricDrewski Why do you doubt it? I work with a lot of Republicans, and poor behavior is poor behavior. They don't excuse it anymore than any decent American, who had some pride in their country, would.
Speaking of which, why didn't one single member of the GOP clap, or even smile, when the President was talking about America's accomplishments during the SOTU? Do all of your representatives put party before country?
Someone ought to tear their ubiquitous lapel flag pins off and stick them in the behind with them. They aren't fit to wear them.
alaric Why do you hate manners, respect and decency? Those are American traits. So it follows, alaric, why do you hate America?
alaricDrewskiBwakfat Why do you doubt that Bwakfat is a Republican? Because the idea that a Republican would actually deviate from the official Fox/Limbaugh talking points is simply unimaginable?
The current state of the Party of Lincoln is truly a national tragedy.
Kirk KnutsenalaricDrewski Actually, to be clear, alaric is questioning Drewski's party affiliation, not mine. I happen to be a registered Democrat, to the left of that party. In truth, I am a scary, raging, SOCIALIST with a populist soul.
alaricBwakfat alaric: you need to work on that reading comprehension thing. And stick to the topics/criteria you raise.
alaric You are the one showing disrespect to the President by defending this woman for her bad behavior. Brewer was disrespectful and she should not be excused for that.
alaric Stop whining and salute your President, you unpatriotic POS. Republican Obama-haters can NEVER again call themselves "patriots" after the slander, disrespect and treasonous behavior they've shown to our current, lawfully elected President of the United States. Alaric - you and everyone else like you is a TRAITOR and a DISGRACE to the United States of America. And you will be for the rest of your worthless, miserable life. Get used to it.
For the record, I did call Brewer's office 2 times and I also called the White House on Thursday and told them as a resident of Arizona I was embarrassed and would like to let them know Brewer doesn't represent all of us in Arizona. I told her office that as a disabled veteran that I thought it was sad to see the commander-in-chief of the State National Guard showing such disrespect to one higher up in the chain of command. It really doesn't set a good example for the troops that she must not care that much about.
Herb Sarge Phelps Yeah, but you (or anyone else on our side) may think doesn't matter to these troglodytes. As far as the RW echo chamber is concerned, she's got spunk!
sm0k3onth3wat3rHerb Sarge Phelps
The GOP does seem to like and/or attract 'spunky', clueless female fruit loops. They are absolutely interchangeable .. "HPV causes retardedness" Bachmann, "Second Amendment remedies" Angle, "Chickens for Check-ups" Lowden, "I'm not a witch" O'Donnell, and the queen of them all "there is just way too much crazy to pick just one" Sister Sarah.
Give me the smart, decent Dem women any day!
Herb Sarge Phelps You rock for being a good citizen and calling her on it.
And thank you for your service to this country ... sincerely.
Jan Brewer: Arizona trailer trash.
obama walked off the plane and talked some smack to brewer. she talked smack back at him. he didn't like that so he walked away.
jjdjjd Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
jjdjjd Did you read the article?
cognachas4pawsjjdjjd Obviously, not. Nor will they. Just more GOP Bubble-talk. They do it to convince themselves, but luckily, for most of us, reality trumps ideology.
jjdjjd Actually I think he told her to go eat her peas...just saying
jjdjjd That's not what 3 out of 4 people who were there say happened (including a Republican mayor). But of course, believe what you want. The GOP bubble (translation: FoxNews comments board) is a safer place to cultivate your alternative reality than is TPM.
jjdjjd LOL... tell me another one, dude. That lie is right up there with "Iraqis will greet us as liberators" and "the benefits of supply side economics will trickle down and uplift the poor" in the pantheon of dumb, easily disproved BS that wingnuts still choose to believe in spite of all evidence to the contrary. ROFL
Jan Shrewer is helping Obama in Az, that is for sure. I am sure hispanics have taken notice of her hostility. Keep it up Jan! Obama will take Arizona. Her disrespect for our president is disgusting!! She is an old bag, and I can say that because I am a woman and I am old. Just not a bag.
MeahBottoms It may not do much for Obama w/ Latinos nationwide, but as far as 'zona is concerned, he just pulled WAY ahead of whoever wins the GOP cage fight... uhh, nomination!
sm0k3onth3wat3rMeahBottoms Don't worry, baseline GOP racism towards all nonwhites will lock up the Latino vote in the rest of the country. Obama 2012!
I guess she's not used to anyone looking her in the eye and telling her their truth.
Bummer, lady.
"Threatened?" The classic white woman accusing the dark man for "daring" to speak first? This Pushinski Harridan is simply hyping and trying to pump up sales (and profits) on her book, "Scorpions For Breakfast." Got that people? "Scorpions For Breakfast," "Scorpions For Breakfast,""Scorpions For Breakfast,""Scorpions For Breakfast," so now let's get on with finding out what "threatened" her. Somebody politely talking back at an old Grimalkin used to having her way always? So the truth is in two for Obama against one Shrew's Hysterical Account.
Jerry Ballew Yeah, but since contradictions to the meme only count for 1/3rd in the GOPher universe, Shrewer still wins.
As the head of Ruth Bader Ginsburg said on "Futurama": "It's a flawed system... but it works!"
Jan Brewer = Self-Promoting / Greed Driven Idiot
Hats off to Obama for his cool demeanour when handling that hag.
@MedicAngel®
Continuing the effort to help the poor in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like