President George W. Bush's nickname for David Gregory was "Stretch." True to his moniker, the elongated Meet The Press host gave a long, tall, three-part smooch to President Obama during his appearance on this morning's Today Show.
Speaking with weekend Today co-host Jenna Wolfe: Gregory reported favorably on: 1. the Tripoli bombing that might have killed members of Khaddafy's family; 2. the president's handling of the devastating tornadoes that hit the South; and 3. how the president and Seth Meyers supposedly got the better of Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner.
View video after the jump.
Watch Gregory soliticously serve as a weekend fill-in for White House press sec Jay Carney.
Gregory began by dutifully transmitting the White House line on the Tripoli bombing that might have killed one of Khaddafy's sons and three of his grandchilden. Nary a discouraging word was heard from Gregory as he reported the Obama admin view that the bombing was "necessary" and that "the more trauma . . . that could be created right next to him, in his family," the better. Do you think Gregory would have been so uncritical if it had been Pres. Bush who ordered the strike, or might he have raised humanitarian or international-law concerns?
Turning to the tornadoes, Gregory heaped more praise: "you've seen the President and the First Lady go there, be there, show up, and I think that's the role of the president at a time like this . . . the president is doing what presidents need to do."
Finally, Today rolled a clip of President Obama taking a shot at Donald Trump at last night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner. Cut to Gregory, laughing appreciatively at the president's lines. When Wolfe suggested that Trump took the many jabs in stride, Gregory suggested that PBO got the better of the exchange: "I understand that he wasn not in necessarily in on the joke as much. They [Obama and Meyers] skewered him pretty good, both of them."
