No Laughing Matter
Day 62
March 22, 2009
"No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day."
— President Obama, telling CBS's 60 Minutes that Americans shouldn't conclude from his laughing and jokes about cash flow that he's taking the economic crisis lightly
"The practical implications of this is bankruptcy for the United States."
—Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Senator, blasting Obama's budget in an interview with CNN's State of the Union
Enemies come quick in Washington — something President Obama got more of a taste of on Day 62. CBS's Steve Kroft calls the President out for seeming to react to the economic crisis lightheartedly, asking him point-blank: "Are you punch drunk?" Despite Obama's trying to backtrack, the damage is done.
Meanwhile, GOP Senator Judd Gregg, only a month removed from being nominated as Obama's Commerce Secretary, doesn't seem to be laughing either. He takes a tough line on the President's budget, saying it will saddle the next generation with unsustainable debt. Economic aide Christina Romer counters Gregg on the Sunday talk circuit, telling Fox News Sunday that she feels good about the prospects for the White House's getting the economy back on track within a year.