Both sides in the government shutdown fight are looking for any advantage they can get in swaying public opinion. Republicans and Democrats alike are mining the newspapers and cable news shows for the stray quote that paints the other side in an unflattering light — and finding some success.
On Friday, House Republicans seized on a quote in the Wall Street Journal from a senior Obama administration official assessing the political stakes.
“We are winning …” the official said. “It doesn’t really matter to us” how long the shutdown lasts “because what matters is the end result.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) waved a copy of the newspaper at a morning press event, read the quote aloud and said: “This isn’t some damn game! The American people don’t want their government shut down and neither do I.”
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus also weighed in, tweeting: “WH: ‘We are winning … It doesn’t really matter to us” how long the shutdown lasts. Tell that to the millions affected by shutdown & #trainwreck.”
Republicans showcased the quote in a series of tweets that aimed to depict the White House as focused on the political back-and-forth while ignoring hardships borne by real families.
Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner, put out several tweets that it “doesn’t matter” to the White House that the shutdown has eroded embassy security or impeded the housing market recovery.
The White House staff, its ranks thinned by the shutdown, fought back with tweets insisting the president indeed wants the shutdown to end as quickly as possible.
Press Secretary Jay Carney got into a Twitter argument with Politico reporter Ben White.
Mr. Carney tweeted that “We utterly disavow idea WH doesn’t care when it ends. House should act now, no strings attached. #JustVote.”
Later, as he got lunch at a deli near the White House, Mr. Obama was asked about the quote. He responded: “there’s no winning” and “no one is winning” as long as people aren’t on the job.
Of course, Mr. Obama has also used quotes from the opposition as fodder in the shutdown fight.
In a public appearance Thursday, President Barack Obama cited a quote from Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R., Ind.) that appeared in the Washington Examiner.
“We’re not going to be disrespected…We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is,” Mr. Stutzman was quoted as saying.
Mr. Obama , speaking at a construction company, said: “That was a quote. ‘We’re not going to be disrespected. We have got to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.’ Think about that.
“You have already gotten the opportunity to serve the American people. There is no higher honor than that.”
Here is the Ben White-Jay Carney conversation on Twitter:
It’s “We are winning” vs “I don’t know what that even is” for Worst Quote of the Shutdown honors.
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) October 4, 2013
Because if the White House does not actually care how long the shut down goes on that’s a really bad thing. Furloughed workers care.
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) October 4, 2013
.@morningmoneyben This is absurd. POTUS wants the shutdown to end NOW. Speaker can do that NOW by putting a clean CR to a vote. #JustVote
— Jay Carney (EOP) (@PressSec) October 4, 2013
. @PressSec Jay, I am talking about the quote in the WSJ that the WH does not care how long shutdown lasts. Do you disavow the quote?
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) October 4, 2013
.@morningmoneyben So am I, Ben. We utterly disavow idea WH doesn’t care when it ends. House should act now, no strings attached. #JustVote
— Jay Carney (EOP) (@PressSec) October 4, 2013
@PressSec fair enough. Thanks for responding Jay!
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) October 4, 2013
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