CNN Mocks Obama Golfing During Oil Spill: 'Just Plug the Darn Hole Mr. President'

June 23rd, 2010 4:45 PM

CNN on Tuesday actually noticed the absurdity of folks bashing BP CEO Tony Hayward for yachting on the same day President Obama was golfing.

National correspondent Jeanne Moos surprisingly began her "American Morning" piece, "It's the yachting versus golf smack down, round one."

After showing average Americans complaining about Hayward's R&R, Moos quipped, "But before you could spell BP CEO, President Obama's golfing came under attack."

Children were shown expressing their displeasure with the Golfer in Chief, "In the two hours it takes to golf or to go yachting another one to 10,000 gallons of oil can leak out."

This led Moos to marvelously conclude, "Just plug the darn hole Mr. President" (video follows with transcript and commentary, h/t Hot Air's Ed Morrissey): 

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the yachting versus golf smack down, round one. BP's CEO gets pummeled for taking a day off to watch his yacht race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare he just take off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The height of stupidity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you spell fool?

MOOS: But before you could spell BP CEO, President Obama's golfing came under attack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Almost five hours on the golf course with Biden.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it should have been eight times between --

MOOS: Actually, seven times. CBS White House correspondent, Mark Knoller, says already President Obama has played 39 rounds of golf compared to the 24 George Bush played his entire presidency, including some that got into a Michael Moore film.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.

MOOS: Some equate President Obama's golf to Tony Hayward's yachting, two different men, two different jobs, one management style, the president's defenders note a big difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the thing. He didn't create that mess that is there. What do they want the man to do? Put a wet suit on and go down there and fix the pipe.

MOOS: Meanwhile, Politico pondered the really important question, why is Tony Hayward's yacht named Bob? Wondering if it had anything to do with the Bill Murray movie, "What About Bob?" Sailors so scared he has to be lashed to the mast. Now, Tony Hayward is being lashed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really think it was a disgrace.

MOOS: On the other hand, surprisingly (ph), it was the first day off he's had in two months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really don't care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too bad. Look what he did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be damned if his life is a day off (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's probably do for a little down time.

MOOS: But down time on the water can be a downer. Remember when presidential candidate, John Kerry, went wind surfing and it ended up in an attack ad. BP CEO is being mocked in an animation by a Taiwanese tabloid website. He sits on the beach, sending out a drink to a guy -- drowning an oil from the mounts of bays (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED KID: My mom doesn't take a break like every two months. You don't really need to take a break every two months to go and see a yacht race.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: In the two hours, it takes to golf or to go yachting another one to 10,000 gallons of oil can leak out.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: President Obama, I'm not sure he should actually be golfing right now.

MOOS: Just plug the darn hole Mr. President.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

Readers should notice at 1:37 a screen shot of a NewsBusters piece on this subject published Sunday.

Thanks for the plug, Jeanne - and NICE report.