The Blame Game
Day 65
March 25, 2009
"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police, of soldiers and civilians."
—Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, saying the U.S. is to blame for much of the trouble on the border as she starts her two-day trip to Mexico
"One day, I'm a genius. One day, I'm a bum. You know, every day there's a new winner and a new loser."
—President Obama, dismissing the day-to-day judgments of his performance at his first DNC fundraiser since taking office
Hillary Clinton sets the stage for her visit to Mexico City and Monterrey by making it clear to reporters that she plans to send the message that the U.S. shares the blame for the drug crisis along the border. She says on the plane, "I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility."
Meanwhile, President Obama, at two different DNC fundraisers that evening, tries to dismiss some of the blame that's being pushed on him and urges supporters to ignore fickle cable-TV chatter and focus on larger goals.
His remarks cap off a jam-packed day, including lunch with Senate Democrats behind closed doors to drum up support for the budget. He also welcomes Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrios to the White House. Demetrios likens Obama to Alexander the Great, prompting the President to say, "I will tell Michelle ... I will see if that gets me a little more respect."