Subject: Pool #2 – gaggle
AF1 wheels down at Buckley Air Force Base near Denver at 11:56am local
time. (EST-2)
An uneventful flight, except of course for Jay Carney and Jen Psaki
providing a tag-team gaggle (done early enough in flight that you should
have transcript very soon, if not already.) Some highlights:
-Carney announced that POTUS called India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
from AF1 at start of flight to “express his condolences” over the Wisconsin
shooting, noting that Indian nationals were among the victims. Carney said
the leaders reiterated their shared commitment to religious freedom, and
POTUS emphasized the contributions Sikhs have made to U.S. culture and
society broadly.
-Psaki took over and discussed Colorado trip, noting that today’s events
(featuring an into from Sandra Fluke at one) underscore women’s access to
health care under the Obama administration. The actress Elizabeth Banks
participated in a camapign video released over night that Psaki said
discusses the issues for women at stake in this election.
-In general, Psaki emphasized importance of Colorado to the campaign”s
electoral-vote strategy and that this two-day trip would take POTUS to
parts of the state that voted against him in 2008 (she mentioned Grand
Junction, among others.)
“Colorado is a key state for us, we have a great ground game here, and we
know we can’t leave one stone unturned in trying to win as many votes as
possible,” Psaki said (pls check, as with all, against transcript.)
-Psaki said alternative energy would be central theme of Thursday’s events.
-On the ad wars, Carney again said he hadn’t seen the Priorities USA ad of
the man who suggests his wife died of cancer after losing his health
insurance because of Bain. He turned subject to Romney campaign welfare ad,
as he did in Tuesday briefing, calling it “dishonest,” among other things.
-Psaki suggested that because the Obama campaign has “no contact” with the
super pac that made the ad, it should not be held to the same standard of
accountability as the Romney campaign, which produced its welfare ad.
-On Romney VP choice, Psaki said Obama campaign has no idea who it will be,
but that no matter who it is “we’d much rather have Vice President Biden on
our side,” making campaign’s case.
[Scott Wilson / Washington Post]
