Gibbs mocks Sarah Palin's palm-writing at briefing

Gibbs mocks Sarah Palin's palm-writing at briefing
Copyright by The Washington Post
February 9, 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/02/robert-gibbs-mocks-sarah-palin.html?hpid=topnews


White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs flashed a left palm with notes written on it at the news briefing Tuesday, an apparent mocking reference to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's use of her hand as notepad during the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville.

Some snow-survival essential foodstuffs and the words "hope" and "change" were written on Gibbs's hand where Palin had written "energy," "tax" and "lift American spirits" on hers.

Palin had mocked President Obama as overly reliant on teleprompters in her speech to Tea Party conventiongoers Saturday, leading her critics to jump when she was revealed to have written notes on her hand and was filmed appearing to glance at the notes during a question and answer session at the conference.

Gibbs began the exchange while discussing some points he wanted to make about bipartisan health-care reform efforts, according to a transcript:

GIBBS: ....oh, I wrote a few things down...

(LAUGHTER)

... I wrote...

(CROSSTALK)

GIBBS: I wrote -- I wrote "eggs, milk and bread."

(LAUGHTER)

But I crossed out bread, just so I can make pancakes for Ethan if it snows. And then I wrote down "hope and change," just in case I forgot...

QUESTION: Oh, my Lord.

GIBBS: ... that.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: Is that when he was talking?

It came in handy (OFF-MIKE)

GIBBS: Pretty good. Pretty good.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

(Video credit: The Associated Press)