Following the debut of White House Press Secretary Jay Carney‘s uncanny impression of ABC News’ Jon Karl at yesterday’s briefing, The Five’s Eric Bolling took the opportunity to ask, “Is Carney losing it?”
Bolling admitted that Carney has a tough job to do, especially during the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act. “Unfortunately, the president lied and Jay’s frustrated and taking it out on the media,” he said. After playing the clip of theconfrontation with Karl, Bolling told Carney, “Don’t take it out on the media, they are just doing their job, finally. C’mon man, you’re bigger than that.”
Even Bob Beckel could admit that Carney is “slightly out of control” because President Obama “isn’t giving him straight answers and he has to deal with it every day.” He added, “It’s tough when you’re trying to defend a president and know what you’re trying to defend is not accurate.”
“I think he looks like a real jerk,” Andrea Tantaros said. She called his “snark and arrogance” was “just rude.” She suggested that a little “humility” would do him well.
Dana Perino, who had to deal with the job of being President George W. Bush‘s press secretary had slightly more sympathy for Carney than the others sitting around the table. She said being press secretary often felt like living in the Shel Silverstein poem “The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” but every day.
At the same time, Perino said “The best medicine in that briefing room, especially when you’re on your heels, is not necessarily aggression.” While some on the left may want Carney to be aggressive, she said, “when aggression crosses the line into being a jerk, people get upset.”
