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Gibbs on Capitol Hill Protest: “I'm Sure There's a Jon Voight Joke in Here Somewhere”
ABC News ^ | 11/5/2009 | Jake Tapper

Posted on 11/05/2009 6:17:05 PM PST by markomalley

Asked about the several thousand protestors who gathered on Capitol Hill today to protest Democratic health care reform legislation, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs joked about one of the actors who was a featured speaker at the rally, saying, “I'm sure there's a Jon Voight joke in here somewhere, given he was one of the featured speakers, but…my father always told me my mouth would get me in trouble, and I have a feeling if I acted on the line that I'd like to give you, I'm almost positive that it would.”

Voight spoke at the rally, decrying the White House’s "radical Chicago tactics,” as did John Ratzenberger, better known as Cliff Clavin from the TV show Cheers.

Many members of Congress, including Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., were featured as well, as was conservative talk radio host Mark Levin.

Pressed further for a response to the rally, Gibbs said that “anybody that watches (the rally) is struck by the fact that there's a rally going on without a solution on their side.”

Referring to the House Republican health care reform bill introduced this week, Gibbs said, “they've rolled out a piece of legislation -- and I use those -- I hesitate to even say that. It's -- it's a series of old ideas that -- that wouldn't cut the amount of money government spends on health care nearly to the degree that other bills would. It fails to provide the necessary insurance protections that families and businesses need to assure them that, if they get sick, their coverage isn't going to be dropped or they -- they and their family won't be discriminated against because of pre-existing condition. And it fails to cover virtually anybody in the country that already doesn't have insurance.”

Gibbs said “many in the Republican Party have wanted to be active in this debate, and the piece of legislation they've come up with, I think, is disappointing as a process in this debate and disappointing for millions of Americans that wanted help in finding affordable health care.”

A reporter asked Gibbs if it’s legitimate for protestors just to demonstrate even without a solution to say they don't like the approach the administration and the Democrats are pursuing.

“Absolutely,” Gibbs said. “But this is a representative democracy. I assume they came to Washington to try to solve problems like small businesses that are dropping health care coverage because it's not affordable. So demonstrating is fine. It's well within your constitutionally protected rights in this representative democracy. I would also mention that, if you were a representative in that democracy, it might also be good to have a solution that addresses some of those problems.”

Gibbs later clarified for a reporter that he was not referring to Voight’s performance in Deliverance.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; arrogantpipsqueaks; gibbs; jonvoight; lowclass; noclass; obamacare; rudedems; voight
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The utter arrogance of this White House is disgusting.
1 posted on 11/05/2009 6:17:05 PM PST by markomalley
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To: markomalley

All joking aside, Robert Gibbs is a pig.


2 posted on 11/05/2009 6:19:31 PM PST by NautiNurse (Obama: A day without TOTUS is like a day without sunshine)
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To: markomalley
a rally going on without a solution on their side.”

Here is a solution. How about we don't bankrupt America?

3 posted on 11/05/2009 6:20:05 PM PST by Pete (exponential problems require exponential solutions : 29thday.org)
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To: markomalley

Gibbs does not have a pretty mouth, but he sucks.


4 posted on 11/05/2009 6:20:26 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: markomalley

They are all a bunch of thin-skinned cowards who cannot manage to face the truth about themselves. All they can do is attack other people. They are useless to America, and only serve their own Marxist cause.


5 posted on 11/05/2009 6:22:39 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: NautiNurse

And so is his miserable boss


6 posted on 11/05/2009 6:23:43 PM PST by forYourChildrenVote4Bush
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To: Anti-Bubba182

I’ll bet he squeals like a pig, too.


7 posted on 11/05/2009 6:24:43 PM PST by Charles Martel ("Endeavor to persevere...")
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To: markomalley

Stupid Gibbs ~ when he’s doing the perp walk next winter he won’t sound so smug.


8 posted on 11/05/2009 6:26:39 PM PST by muawiyah (Git Out The Way)
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To: markomalley

Jon Voight is a man that has common sense and speaks the truth. Gibbs is a paid liar.


9 posted on 11/05/2009 6:28:21 PM PST by beaversmom
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To: Pete

Tort reform, is part of the solution, but is not on the table. The spineless Democrats don’t want to chafe the trial lawyers. There are a number of way to drop the cost of doing business, but the Democrats would rather put the country in to bondage than give enterprise a chance.


10 posted on 11/05/2009 6:29:02 PM PST by oyez ( damnant quod non intelligunt)
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To: markomalley
Wonder if Gibbs would like to give a SHOUT OUT to all his cronies before he has his next presser.
11 posted on 11/05/2009 6:29:34 PM PST by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free. Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: markomalley

Gibbs is a classless pig


12 posted on 11/05/2009 6:34:27 PM PST by SueRae
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To: markomalley

blatent arrogance ... Absolute lack of professionalism.

This is the most insulting, juvenile, incompetant, embarassing admin in the history of our nation.

I’m still fuming over obozo’s clueless ‘shout out’ today.. like a tragedy never happened.


13 posted on 11/05/2009 6:34:58 PM PST by DDLL
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To: markomalley
Gibbs later clarified for a reporter that he was not referring to Voight’s performance in Deliverance.

Well, WTF was the reference about then? I didn't see this, but the transcription makes it sound like, "ha, ha, y'all know what I'm suggesting." But I don't. Did anybody there? Or did all the reporters just stare at Gibbsey like he was an yammering idiot?

14 posted on 11/05/2009 6:42:36 PM PST by Stultis (Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia; Democrats always opposed waterboarding as torture)
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To: markomalley

Do know what’s gonna be here? Right here? A lake. As far as the eyes can see. Hundreds of feet deep. HUNDREDS of feet deep. Did you ever look out over a lake and think of somethin’ buried underneath it? Buried underneath it. Well man, that’s just about as buried as you can get.


15 posted on 11/05/2009 7:07:26 PM PST by SnuffaBolshevik
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To: All

16 posted on 11/05/2009 7:10:28 PM PST by Liz (ALL FOX---ALL THE TIME---24/7)
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To: All

"First I do my Baghdad Bob impersonation, then I go
into my Vinnie Barbarino act. Who? What? Where?"

17 posted on 11/05/2009 7:13:46 PM PST by Liz (ALL FOX---ALL THE TIME---24/7)
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To: markomalley

Funny thing. Not really a Jon Voight joke, but closely related. Anybody know what the first name of Ned Beatty’s character was, you know, the guy who gets raped by the hillbillies?


18 posted on 11/05/2009 7:13:58 PM PST by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: markomalley

Isn’t it amazing that the United States President has the smart a$$ from everyone’s 7th grade class as his spokesman. It’s really breathtaking.


19 posted on 11/05/2009 7:17:14 PM PST by keepitreal ( Don't tread on me.)
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To: markomalley


I twook Bobbie Gibbs thwee times up me wast night.
20 posted on 11/05/2009 7:37:46 PM PST by NightOfTheLivingDems (Destroy the Dems in Two Thousand Ten)
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