Posted on 12/07/2015 6:02:19 PM PST by markomalley
White House spokesman Josh Earnest blamed Republican presidential candidates for a lack of national unity after the San Bernardino terrorist attack during Monday’s White House press briefing.
Earnest was responding to a question posed by Andrew Beatty, the Agence France-Presse’s White House correspondent, who asked why the country does not appear to be coming together as it has after similar national tragedies in the past.
“The president’s address last night included a call for national unity,” Beatty began his question. “I was wondering if you’re surprised that there hasn’t been that kind of unity as you may have seen in previous attacks, for example after 9/11.”
Earnest responded that two ideas “immediately come to mind,” the first of which being that the United States is a diverse country “very united around a set of core principles.”
Second, Earnest cited Republican 2016 presidential candidates as the primary cause for disunity.
“A lot of these issues are being discussed in the context of a hotly competitive presidential election,” Earnest said. “And we have seen a willingness on the part of some candidates…to use some divisive rhetoric. And they have done that, I think, in rather cynical fashions, understanding that it runs contrary to the values of our country but also understanding that the intensity of some of those emotions could propel their political campaigns.”
Earnest concluded his response by questioning whether some of these candidates are qualified for the presidency. “So that’s a pretty cynical conclusion that I think some might say is automatically disqualifying to serve in the Oval Office, but obviously the American people will make that determination.”
Earnest was referring specifically to Republican presidential candidates as he criticized Republicans and the president’s “political opponents” throughout much of Monday’s press briefing for widespread dissatisfaction with President Obama’s speech on Sunday night.
Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office to discuss the threat posed by the Islamic State and terrorism as a whole to the United States and the rest of the world.
The president sought to ease anxiety over the growing fear of terrorist attacks occurring on U.S. soil after the recent Islamic State-inspired shooting in San Bernardino, California killed 14 people and wounded 21 others, which Obama called an act of terrorism.
Much of the speech focused on the president’s strategy to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the center of its self-declared caliphate. Despite widespread calls from both Republicans and Democrats for Obama to change his approach to defeat the jihadist group, and expectations that he may do so in his address, the president reaffirmed that his policies are working but will take time.
Republicans immediately lambasted the president for his remarks, but they were not alone in their criticisms. David Axelrod, for example, a former senior adviser to the president, said the address was good but “didn’t meet the threshold of Oval Office speeches because it offered nothing new,” according to Yahoo News.
The president also spent part of his speech calling for stricter gun control laws, which Republican lawmakers are saying politicizes the San Bernardino attack and the need to focus on terrorism.
Wow, badly written headline. There was a terrorist attack on GOP presidential candidates?
Like we had “disunity” with the Japanese after Pearl Harbor?
I think he meant to say that disunity is caused by global warming.
Says the wuss in chief’s main gabber.
This was the same lying bastard who called President Bush a traitor for raising the national debt and then blew past it without so much as an apology (his people DID acknowledge it was simply partisan rhetoric. HATE FILLED partisan rhetoric in a time of war, but merely partisan rhetoric. As was ALL of their vocal opposition to the war and treatment of prisoners).
In the 7th Century, only John McCain was running for office. He is not running in this one.s/
The President is an enemy islamist.
I read that there was disunity after Pearl Harbor because stateside people wanted revenge on Japan and FDR committed the troops and equipment to Europe. At least that’s one of the talking points on MSN or Yahoo’s main page today (I don’t get to choose the corporate start page at work).
What must it be like to lie and cover up EVERY DAY??
It’s the jihad, stupid.
Americans are tired of being told we should not be afraid of people who follow a prophet who instructed them in their book to kill us.
We seem pretty unified against having our heads severed.
To Josh: We do not share your version of ‘values’, son.
Geez, they’ve spent the past years tearing this nation apart.
‘They sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.’
33% approval means No One Believes You Any Longer.
The White House is America's House. It is not a "Hut." The bastard currently living there rent free will be leaving in about 14 months and our House, the White House will be fumigated and repainted.
Please refrain from insulting America's House.
It needs to be fumigated and exorcised before it becomes "America's House" again. It's needed that since January, 1989.
lack of national unity? Couldnt be we are blessed with a horses a## as a president
What? You mean Americans didn’t gather up their families and Swanson TV dinners to eagerly listen to the President’s speech on their 14” RCA floor-model TV and unite for gun control?
Here at FR, the term White Hut is an insult to the current occupant, not the grand and storied home of our nation’s presidents. When Cruz or Trump (I will vote for either) become the next President, the home will once again be known here at Free Republic as the White House.
Muslim terrorists attacked and slaughtered innocents because everyone didn’t line up behind our crazy muslim leader and disconnect their brains? If that’s the case then we better prep for a whole lot of terrorism because there are less and less Americans buying into obungos BS each and every day.
Regardless, in my opinion you are confusing the man with the office. Calling the White House the White Hut is like pissing on the Constitution.
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