(White House)
At the Democratic National Committee's birthday bash and fundraiser for Obama in Chicago this week, the president made this, er, joke:
And it’s true that I turn 50 tomorrow -- (applause) -- which means that by the time I wake up, I’ll have an email from AARP -- (laughter) -- asking me to call President Obama and tell him to protect Medicare. (Laughter and applause.)
Hilarious! If only the president were in a position to do something about protecting Medicare. Know what else is hilarious? That Republicans plan to hit Democrats from the left for—that's right—not protecting Medicare.
And didn't a certain former president teach us that making jokes about his policies harming others is, you know, a bad idea?
A slide showed Mr Bush in the Oval office, leaning to look under a piece of furniture. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere," he told the audience, drawing applause.
Another slide showed him peering into another part of the office, "Nope, no weapons over there," he said, laughing. "Maybe under here," he said, as a third slide was shown.
Apparently, that's a lesson Obama hasn't learned. Too bad. Because threats to Medicare really are no laughing matter. Especially when, during the hostage debt-ceiling negotiations, the president put Medicare cuts on the table. And the Republicans are using it against him.