The Five Most Interesting Points Made at Obama's Press Conference on the Economy

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Daily Caller:

The five most interesting points made at Obama’s press conference on the economy
By Jon Ward - The Daily Caller



President Obama agrees that economic uncertainty is bad, but not the kind that conservatives are worried about. He showed surprisingly strong emotions when attacking the Florida pastor with plans to burn the Koran. And the president’s advisers really didn’t like the question from Fox News.

Here are the five most interesting things from Obama’s Friday White House press conference, the eighth of his presidency.

1. Watching Obama’s advisers was more interesting than watching the president.

Before taking questions, Obama named economist Austan Goolsbee chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Goolsbee, who is known for his expressive and able communication skills and his sense of humor, had to bite his lip to keep a big grin from breaking out over his face.

Senior adviser David Axelrod and Jen Psaki, the deputy communications adviser, were similarly pleased when Obama stressed that those making more than $250,000 a year would not be taxed for income below that benchmark if the cuts for the top bracket are allowed to expire. It was an indication that this was a point the communicators wanted the president to drill down on.

When Obama jabbed back at ABC’s Jake Tapper over the a question of whether it was appropriate to comment on the pastor in Florida and to have Secretary of Defense Robert Gates call him – “I hardly think we’re the ones who elevated this” – White House press secretary Robert Gibbs turned to Axelrod and smiled.

The most dramatic reaction came when Obama called on Fox News’ Wendell Goler. The president gave Goler the last question of the nearly 80-minute session, a decision which the Obama brain trust had no doubt debated, given their prickly relationship with the cable network. In addition, Fox’s permanent seat in the press briefing room – where Gibbs parries with reporters most days — was recently moved from the second row to the first, an elevation in status. But at the same time, their chief White House correspondent, Major Garrett, departed to take a job with National Journal.

When Goler stood and asked Obama to comment once again on whether he thinks it is proper for a mosque to be built near the Ground Zero site in New York, Axelrod shot a look of disgust to communications director Dan Pfeiffer, standing to his left. Pfeiffer’s mouth was agape in disbelief.

Lastly, while Gibbs, Axelrod, Pfeiffer, Psaki and Goolsbee all stood off to the right of the press, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who is considering running for mayor of Chicago, stood off to the left, and further back behind the press.