White House criticizes Sen. Paul's 'props' remark

[jct74]

White House criticizes Sen. Paul's 'props' remark

David Jackson, USA TODAY
1:46 p.m. EDT April 17, 2013

The White House criticized Sen. Rand Paul's comment Wednesday that President Obama has used families of victims of the Newtown school massacre as political "props."

"I don't know if Senator Paul met with the Newtown families, but the Newtown families aren't here for the president," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "They're here because their children were murdered."

He added: "They're here asking for the Senate to do something that's common sense. That's my response."

Families who lost children in the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., are on Capitol Hill lobbying the Senate on new gun-control legislation.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican who is considering a presidential campaign in 2016, told reporters that gun violence is a legitimate issue, but it is unfortunate that grieving parents have been drawn into the political debate.

"In some cases, I think the president has used them as props," Paul said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/04/17/obama-rand-paul-jay-carney-newtown/2090759/



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbjuyJfJTFQ

[torchbearer]

stop parading people around as props in your political game, mr. president.

[XNavyNuke]

The right honourable President got legitimately called to task and the White House responds like a 5 year old. "Did not!!!"

XNN

[itshappening]

Jay Carney (RPGA's favorite source) is a blithering idot.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

The White House flew them in on Air Force One.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/04/sandy-hook-parents-coming-to-dc-on-air-force-one-to-lobby-congress/

[Christian Liberty]

Rand Paul is way too nice... I don't blame him for that though. That Obama has the NERVE to complain about children being murdered just makes me want to throw up...

[sluggo]

No way. Obama is a man who cares deeply for his subjects. Rand is way out of line.

http://media.katu.com/images/121214-Obama-Newtown-660.jpg

[Christian Liberty]

No way. Obama is a man who cares deeply for his subjects. Rand is way out of line.

http://media.katu.com/images/121214-Obama-Newtown-660.jpg

Sorry, but that does not look sincere. I don't know what else to expect, of course. For a man who killed hundreds if not thousands of children through bombs and drone strikes to genuinely feel sad for twenty-six would be odd...

[sluggo]

http://www.kcra.com/image/view/-/18159918/medRes/2/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/5i0rloz/-/Obama-gun-control-high-fives-kids-jpg.jpg

[bunklocoempire]

The less your product sucks the less marketing it seems to need. I have never seen this much marketing.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Jay Carney (RPGA's favorite source) is a blithering idot.

"Believe Alex Jones or you like Jay Carney."

Truly pathetic logic.

[alucard13mmfmj]

GOP will like Rand going after Obama. That is good.

[Christian Liberty]

http://www.kcra.com/image/view/-/18159918/medRes/2/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/5i0rloz/-/Obama-gun-control-high-fives-kids-jpg.jpg

Disgusting.

I just wish one of those kids knew just how despicable this man really is...

[jct74]

Rand:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4fvys020U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4fvys020U



Carney:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbjuyJfJTFQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbjuyJfJTFQ

[satchelmcqueen]

the comments on the first vid are awful. what dumbasses.

[itshappening]

"Believe Alex Jones or you like Jay Carney."

Truly pathetic logic.

Ha! Don't like the truth? If we listened to you we'd all get our news from Jay Carney at 10am. Maybe he'll come out at 5pm for a further update? That's how pretty much the mainstream media works but 'alternative' media do not.

[No Free Beer]

sorry, but Rand shouldn't have said anything.

[chudrockz]

sorry, but Rand shouldn't have said anything.

Disagree. I think he should have said a HELLUVA LOT more.

[Christian Liberty]

sorry, but Rand shouldn't have said anything.


Disagree. I think he should have said a HELLUVA LOT more.

Yeah. I'll take what he said though. At least he attacked him, which is what Obama deserved and it makes Rand look good to GOP voters at the same time.

[mczerone]

This is good news.

If this were Ron 4 or 8 years ago, the WH would have not responded.

The very fact that Rand's accusations are making the dossier in the WH shows how much of a chance he has, and how much airplay he can get if he plays his cards right for the next couple years.

[FriedChicken]

Rand sounded great IMO. Of course ... he was saying what I wanted to hear in a smoothed over enough way to not make me cringe (as Ron often does - where I completely agree and love hearing it but cringe because I know how others take it).

I think that he did his 2016 campaign a service by calling making this statement.

It has been boiling my blood all week how the Obama administration is so quick to use these families for their agenda ... did Bush surround himself with victims of 9/11/01 every time he had to give a speech to justify the patriot act?

[tttppp]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/04/17/obama-rand-paul-jay-carney-newtown/2090759/



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbjuyJfJTFQ


Its actually progress that the president is even acknowleding Rand Paul. Normally its Paul Ryan who speaks for the GOP.

[asurfaholic]

sorry, but Rand shouldn't have said anything.

I prefer honesty over anything. I think he accurately described what the families role in this particular debate were. And while there may be good and bad ramifications, I gain respect for those who say the truth, as controversial as it may be.

[Aratus]

when mitt romney ran against our potus, they tended to almost agree with each other on many things at least half the time.
unlike gentleman mitt, rand has not done pragmatic political flipflops or even changed his ideas about the universe over the
past three or four decades. I think our potus is almost more comfortable with having sen. rand paul be the voice of the loyal
opposition inside the gop! scott brown's romneycare bill did look very much like obamacare. rand is his own man and is now
being taken significantly. I saw a reference in our potus's speech about the vote on the gun control bill of rand's thoughts on it.

[No Free Beer]

I prefer honesty over anything. I think he accurately described what the families role in this particular debate were. And while there may be good and bad ramifications, I gain respect for those who say the truth, as controversial as it may be.

You and I are more well informed than 80 percent of the American people.

His words will come back to haunt him via political ads.

Just as his civil rights flip flop will.

[Mr.NoSmile]

Well, if anything, I give Paul credit for keeping himself in the public eye, whether through his speeches at black colleges, his filibuster, comments on gun control and this. Now granted, it's still a long ways to go and all Rubio has to do is sneeze and the public would be over his monumental mucus for days, but at least Rand Paul's name is quite visible in the public eye. While I'm not sure whether it will garner recognition from neoconservatives, conservative Democrats or really any constituency, at least it keeps him relevant.

[Christian Liberty]

Just listened to the whole thing. WHY did he say gun control was a legitimate issue for debate? Ron would never have said that...
Overall what he said was right, but on that in particular, ugh.

[NY-Dano]

Just listened to the whole thing. WHY did he say gun control was a legitimate issue for debate? Ron would never have said that...
Overall what he said was right, but on that in particular, ugh.

Debate does not imply he supports some kind of gun control. Also, pay attention to what he says next... about fixing the issues of violence. You can address violence without pushing gun control.