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Obama: Kanye's a 'Jackass'

Off-the-record remark gets on Twitter; rest is history

By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2009 10:41 PM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama got in on the Kanye West-bashing today, calling the rapper a “jackass” for his interruption of country star Taylor Swift during an MTV awards show Sunday. Obama made the remark in an off-the-record portion of an interview with CNBC, the Huffington Post reports, but that didn’t stop ABC correspondent Terry Moran from posting it to his Twitter feed—albeit briefly.

“Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a ‘jackass’ for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT’S presidential,” Moran wrote. The tweet was quickly taken down, but with more than a million followers, the horse was out of the barn. “This was done before our editorial process had been completed. That was wrong,” ABC tells Politico. “We apologize to the White House and CNBC and are taking steps to ensure that it will not happen again.”

Obama; West.
Obama; West.   (AP Photos)
Kanye West takes the microphone from Taylor Swift as she accepts the Best Female Video award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.
Kanye West takes the microphone from Taylor Swift as she accepts the "Best Female Video" award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.   (AP Photo)
Singer Kanye West takes the microphone from singer Taylor Swift as she accepts the Best Female Video award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in New York.
Singer Kanye West takes the microphone from singer Taylor Swift as she accepts the "Best Female Video" award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo)
Obama; West.
Obama; West.   (AP Photos)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 72 comments
gonzo1390
Sep 17, 2009 12:04 PM CDT
are you serious... if it weren't for Terry Maran's incredibly disrespectful act of disclosing an off the record statement we would never have even heard of this. besides, obama has the right to speak his mind ESPECIALLY when he understood it was off the record. he may be prez but hes a person foremost
freethemall
Sep 16, 2009 7:58 AM CDT
The point I was trying to make, Rob, was that of all the black people to accuse of racism, Obama, it seems to me, would be a least likely candidate. It seems to me that a typical self described conservative, would only consider a black person like Clarence Thomas or Alan Keyes, as not racist. And, the truth be told, it does seem like Jesse Jackson, or Al Sharpton are quick to come to the defense of any black person accused of anything, no matter what. Barack Obama is not like that, so what he said about Kanye doesn't surprise me, and it shouldn't have surprised ClearSight.
Rob
Sep 16, 2009 7:39 AM CDT
Zaius, again with your patented silliness. Save your fingertips for typing something a little more interesting, please. I know you have it in you.

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