I happened to see it on FOX TV this morning — the obvious discomfort in Obama’s body as he answered to reporters about his VP search committee member Jim Johnson’s questionable (I seem to be using that word a lot lately, more than in my whole life) ties to Countrywide Mortgage. Johnson received $7 million in loans from them at a very reasonable rate, but on the campaign trail, Obama had repeatedly blasted Countrywide for its lending practices.
He was sweating today. It must have been hot in the room. He didn’t have on a suit jacket correction: a necktie, while conducting his press conference at an indoor podium.
ABC Political Punch’s, Jake Tapper is relentless in his article, “Obama’s Answer on the Jim Johnson Conundrum,” labeling the presumptive Dem nominee as simply Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois.
“Well, look,” Obama said, “the, the, I mean – first of all I am not vetting my VP search committee for their mortgages, so you’re gong to have to direct — ”
“But shouldn’t you?” asked Miller.
“Well, no,” Obama said. “It becomes sort of a, um, I mean, this is a game that can be played – everybody, you know, who is tangentially related to our campaign, I think, is going to have a whole host of relationships — I would have to hire the vetter to vet the vetters. I mean, at some point, you know, we just asked people to do their assignments.
You can also link to the ABC video here (pardon the commercial).
His discomfort says it all for me — his curt mood. Obama doesn’t sound all hopey-changey now, does he? All I can say is: Aarrghh — What have we been saying, people? If there’s no record, there has to at least be good judgment. Not so for Sen. “I’m the head of the Party now” Obama.
Yawn. Isn’t this man-fight between the presumptive nominees going to be the peak of excitement over the next few months? New Politics. Looks like more of the same to me. Yawn.
UPDATE: Johnson subsequently resigned on June 11, 2008.
Lady Boomer NYC 