Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Obama on Kanye

Predictably, TMZ got a hold of a leaked tape featuring President Obama talking about Kanye West. The file has multiplied online.

In the tape, The prez asks to be be off the record — after he made the comment.

No dice.

He knows better than that. It's an unwritten rule, but both sides know it, especially politicians.

So here it is.



UPDATE: The Associated Press reports that CNBC's John Harwood, who conducted the interview, "said there was no explicit agreement with the president that those comments were off the record. But he said it is broadcast tradition that such pre-interview chatter is considered off the record until the formal interview begins."

Using the other unwritten journalistic rule, (once it's out, it's out), the AP then describes the whole episode.

But you've already heard about it, so I'll spare you.

Other mic snafus?

* President Ronald Reagan, while waiting to make a speech in 1984, joked that he had outlawed the Soviet Union and that "the bombing begins in five minutes."

* George W. Bush turned to Dick Cheney during the campaign in 2000 and said, "There's Adam Clymer -- major league a**hole -- from The New York Times."

"Yeah, big time," Cheney replied.

It should be noted that mostly, these gaffes benefited the politicians with their constituencies.