RUSH: The Drive-Bys are overheated, folks, about the possibility here of Obama getting together with Chris Christie to once again walk the beaches of New Jersey. They’re so excited. They’re hoping that Chris Christie can save Obama’s bacon again. They’re doing everything they can, but they want this photo-op, this optic, to show once again that it’s Obama who’s cooperative, and it’s Obama who’s bipartisan. “Here he is walking the beach with the New Jersey governor — a Republican, Chris Christie! Obama couldn’t have had anything to do with the IRS scandal! I mean, he likes Republicans. It had to be a bunch of renegade, out-of-control rogues in there.”
So we have a montage — people from CNN, NBC, ABC, NBC — about the Obama and Chris Christie beach walk coming up.
JOHN BERMAN: The odd couple is back! In just a few hours, President Obama and New Jersey governor Chris Christie…
NATALIE MORALES: President Obama heads to the Jersey Shore today, and once again he tours with Republican governor Chris Christie.
CHRISTINE ROMANS: …just as they famously did in the final days leading up to the 2012 (b-roll noise) presidential election.
PETER ALEXANDER: (outdoor/wind noise) The sequel, if you will, of that political odd couple.
JONATHAN KARL: (outdoor noise) This is in many ways the ultimate odd couple.
DAVID GREGORY: Biggest media market in the country, Governor Christie’s appearing with the president.
MAJOR GARRETT: (outdoor noise) Mr. Obama needs Republican governor Chris Christie’s endorsement.
NORAH O’DONNELL: The president and his host, Governor Christie, it’s another example of bipartisanship.
RUSH: See? “It’s so wonderful! It’s just so nice. It’s cooperative, people getting along with the opposite party, working together. They’re trying to solve the problem of the aftermath of that big, nasty hurricane and it can’t be that Obama’s this strident, partisan guy!” The Gallup Daily tracking survey was released yesterday. “A majority of Americans said they believe the federal government today wields too much power, a Gallup Daily tracking survey released Monday indicated.
“The 54% that expressed that belief, however, is only slightly higher than reported in 2012 and slightly lower than reported in 2010 and 2011, Gallup said. Only 8% of Americans said they thought the federal government has ‘too little’ power, while 36% said the government has about the right amount of power … Forty-six percent of Americans said they agreed with the statement that the federal government ‘poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens,’ while 53% disagree, Gallup said.”
Well, there’s a lot there, but the big number is 54% say they believe the federal government today wields too much power, and yet they keep electing Democrats. Do they have no idea who the Democrats are and what their main objective is? What political party wants a bigger, more powerful government? The Democrats! There’s a big disconnect here.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Let me tell you what this bipartisanship is, the president and Governor Christie taking another stroll on the beaches of New Jersey. Never mind, folks, that seven months after Hurricane Sandy there are still a lot of people that haven’t been helped. That’s not the point. Oh, no, no! Seven months after the hurricane came and went, there are still a lot of people who haven’t been helped.
But the point is that Obama and Christie want to help. They really want to help! They really want this to be fixed and solved. So it is a case of the good intentions overwhelming any of the results. The good intentions matter far more than the results. Now, this bipartisanship that the media is salivating over? There isn’t any bipartisanship here. Obama has money. Governor Christie wants the money, Governor Christie needs the money, so the people will be helped. So Christie praises Obama.
It’s a master-servant relationship. That’s exactly the kind of bipartisanship that the Drive-By Media wants. Master-servant. That’s “bipartisan” That’s what’s going on here. (interruption) Master-SERVANT. Master-STAFF. Don’t take it any further than that, Snerdley. I’m not going on, going there. I’m just telling you. Obama’s got the money; Christie needs the money. “Obama wants to walk the beach; that’s what we’re gonna do. Obama wants a photo-op; it’s what we’re gonna do.”
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: We have audio, President Obama and Governor Christie at the Jersey Shore telling the people there how he successfully rebuilt it. Even though it isn’t rebuilt yet, Obama took credit for it. Here’s the first of two sound bites. A little bipartisanship here. Obama and Governor Christie at the arcade.
OBAMA: Governor Christie and I just spent some time on the Point Pleasant boardwalk. I got a chance to see the world’s tallest sand castle being built. Uh, we played some Touchdown Fever. I gotta say Christie, uh, got it in the tire the first try, although I did pay for his throws.
AUDIENCE: (laughter)
RUSH: I played a little Frog Bog, and Governor Christie’s kids taught me the right technique for hittin’ the hammer to get those frogs in the buckets the way I was supposed to. A-a-and of course I met with folks who are still rebuilding after Sandy.
RUSH: (summarized) “Oh, and, by the way, I did meet with some people still rebuilding after Sandy, but what I really did here is play Frog Bog, and Christie got it in the tire the first try. Although I paid for Christie’s throws. We played a little Frog Bog and his kids taught me the right technique for it and hammer to get those frogs in the basket. But I met with the folks still rebuilding after the hurricane.” Then the president took credit for rebuilding New Jersey…
OBAMA: Seven months ago I promised you that your country would have your back. I told you we would not quit until the job was done, and I meant it.
FOLLOWERS: (cheers and applause)
OBAMA: I meant it. Since the storm hit we’ve provided billions of dollars to families and state and local governments across the region, and more is on the way.
RUSH: So it’s okay now. Everything’s done. The money has been spent, it’s been appropriated, and Obama gave it. Obama gave the money. He saw to it that everything he promised is happening, or will happen, or did happen. Not might. So that’s it: Bipartisanship. It was a feel-good moment, and it worked. That was the objective, and it took place.