From Sky News... A teleprompter blunder led to President Barack Obama thanking himself as he kicked off a speech at the White House yesterday with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen.
"First, I'd like to say thank you to President Obama!" said President Obama, who went on to remark that Guinness "tastes different in Ireland" - despite the fact that he has never travelled to the country.
Obama, reading the wrong speech, went on to thank himself before realizing the mixup. The president has netted some media attention in recent weeks for a heavy reliance on his teleprompter, reading prepared texts for even the smallest events.
Here at Teleprompter President™ we're searching for the video. Please add a comment and link if you find it! -- Thanks!
During a St Patrick's Day celebration with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen,
the addresses that each head of state were giving got mixed up in the
teleprompter.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address in Washington when he realised it all sounded a bit too familiar.
It was. He was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just read from the same teleprompter.
Mr Cowen stopped, turned to the president and said: "That's your speech."
A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the
script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself
for inviting everyone to the party.
Mr Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the "teleprompt president" over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech.
Earlier in the day, the president claimed an Irish ancestry, saying his mother's family could be traced back to Ireland.
He joked to Cowen: "We may be cousins. We haven't sorted that through yet."
Speaking in the Oval Office, he told the Irish premier:"Not all Americans are
Irish but all Americans support those who stand on the side of peace and peace
will prevail."
The fountains at the White House were dyed green for the day at the request of the First Lady and guests at the cocktail reception drank green sparkling wine from a Californian vineyard.
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon from Northern Ireland and Maggie McCarthy, a traditional Irish dancer and musician from Cork, and the vocal group Celtic Thunder all attended.
Mr Obama joked about the free-flowing bar and warned his guests not to wear lampshades on their heads in front of the cameras.
Here at Teleprompter President™ we're searching for the video. Please add a comment and link if you find it! -- Thanks!
From Big Hollywood Blog...
Update: 10:30 am PST: Still no video released. This is the third Obama gaffe with no video. First the wrong door incident at the White House, then the helicopter head bump and now this. A dangerous precedent is being set here. If any other politician made this kind of blunder it would be everywhere.
Update 4:00pm PST: Still no video. Stories are starting to appear blaming the whole thing on Irish PM Brian Cowen and insinuating that Obama thanked himself as a joke. That is not the tone of the original Sky News article and if that is the case why is the video still absent from the internet or cable news? It surely exists.
And Now ...The New "Spin" Version of This Story:
Obama Thanks Himself to Cover for Teleprompter Gaff
Those who think Barack Obama is a narcissist likely think he thanks himself all the time in the mirror. But Obama has not thanked himself in public until now. However, Obama did not thank himself to prop up any more spending bills or bailout or liberal agendas. Obama thanked himself to cover up a gaffe on his teleprompter, which affected speeches given for St. Patrick's Day.
President Obama appeared at the White House with Irish prime minister Brian Cowen, for a St. Patrick's Day address. Cowen was to give two separate addresses at the White House for two different gatherings at the executive mansion.
During his second address, however, Prime Minister Cowen started speaking words that were more likely to come from President Obama. That was due to the fact that the teleprompter was showing the words from Obama's speech, given prior to Cowen's address.
Obama had to deflect the gaffe by coming up and reading from his speech again. Trying to act as Prime Minister Cowen, Obama thanked himself as Cowen for inviting everyone to the White House.
Speaking gaffes in the Obama team are usually credited to Joe Biden, or someone on the economic staff. Obama had a few gaffes during the campaign, but they got lost in the shuffle of the worship for his speeches.
Here, Obama thanking himself, and Cowen reading from Obama's speech, overshadowed the "rambunctious" festivities at the White House, and the business of state.
When the gaffes were cleared up, Obama turned his attention to announcing a new U.S. ambassador to Dublin, as violence in Northern Ireland increases. Dan Rooney, beloved owner of the Super Bowl champion Steelers, and a key Obama contributor, was chosen for the post.
The gaffe of Obama thanking himself was a tame speaking gaff, at least compared to all the recent things being said on the Hill about the AIG bonuses. For one night, Obama and those in his administration didn't step over themselves trying to top their outraged reactions.
It helped a little less that the administration was able to afford such a "rambunctious" party that must have cost a fortune last night.
Nobama is about as sharp as a marble.
Posted by: Rocco Spencer | March 20, 2009 at 07:11 PM