The Hill
Axelrod: White House should have released skeet-shooting photo earlier
That claim of a previously undisclosed hobby invited skepticism from some GOP lawmakers, with Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) challenging the president to a skeet-shooting contest. Blackburn dismissed the remarks as an attempt to curry favor with gun owners, as the president pushes for an overhaul of the nation’s gun laws.
The White House photo released on Saturday showed Obama firing a rifle while wearing ear muffs and protective glasses.
Axelrod on Monday said the administration was right to respond to critics, but said they should have done so immediately.
“You know Washington … this thing was cascading, conspiracy theories,” he said. “You had to do something, I just think they should have shut it down earlier.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
We’d have had a good laugh, earlier.
Schadenfreude on February 4, 2013 at 2:16 PM
I guess they need more efficient “photoshoppers”:)
Clink on February 4, 2013 at 2:17 PM
They were too buys focusing on substance over deadlines. /
nobar on February 4, 2013 at 2:19 PM
So much fun so little time
Schadenfreude on February 4, 2013 at 2:21 PM
Funny thing, I thought it was a pic of Barky shooting a shotgun not a rifle. But what do I know…I’m just a gun nut.
Then again he could have been shooting a rifled shotgun, trying to knock down a clay with a lead slug; really good shooters like Bark can probably do that.
Bishop on February 4, 2013 at 2:21 PM
I agree. The photoshops of the picture are hilarious. I could have used those laughs earlier.
The Rogue Tomato on February 4, 2013 at 2:22 PM
One photo doesn’t an ‘all the time’ skeet-shooter make. Neither does shooting skeets after they hit the ground, or running out to have your pic taken shooting skeet after getting all excited from watching the Olympics.
Dusty on February 4, 2013 at 2:24 PM
One of may favorites, by ThePrimordialOrderedPair commenter of HA.
Schadenfreude on February 4, 2013 at 2:24 PM
The goon didn’t shoot anything that day, except his mouth and golf balls. It was his birthday. The article doesn’t even remotely mention skeet shooting.
Schadenfreude on February 4, 2013 at 2:26 PM
fixed
tommyboy on February 4, 2013 at 2:29 PM
It wasn’t politically advantageous for Obama to reveal he’d shot skeet before last week. Obama doesn’t know how to be honest about who he is and what he’s done, he only knows how to calculate the political advantage of the image he projects.
Socratease on February 4, 2013 at 2:30 PM
Obama proved himself to be in violation of federal law with the release of that photograph.
That said, I don’t know what Obama was doing in that photo, but it wasn’t shooting skeet.
JohnTant on February 4, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Annie Oakley ain’t got nothing compared to our champ Barry.
arnold ziffel on February 4, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Pace Axelrod, I believe the president’s office did exactly what it always does– which is to say, play rope-a-dope with his opponents to make them look unserious or crazy. He could have released his birth records WAY sooner, but he enjoyed the opportunity to drive the Republicans around the bend. And his grades. And pictures of him shooting a clay pigeon.
It’s too bad he’s not so fond of getting pictures of himself shirtless at the beach into circulation. Then we wouldn’t have to know he’s our first chest-shaving metrosexual to fill that office.
slknoerr on February 4, 2013 at 2:33 PM
“shut it down”? It added fuel to the fire. And “no photographic manipulation allowed” was the cherry on top.
Marcus on February 4, 2013 at 2:36 PM
Please don’t write about things you are oblivious to.
What kind of rifle was it? An assault rifle? I mean, it looks pretty mean, and makes loud noises. And don’t forget about that addition to global warming Obama is making.
And who shoots skeet without a shell pouch? Unless Obama is sooooo gooood at it, he only needs one shell to complete the round? That must rank right up there with N. Korea’s Dear Leader shooting 34 the first time he ever played golf.
BobMbx on February 4, 2013 at 2:37 PM
The photoshops are illegal – Lord Bark decreed no one is allowed to shop that photo.
#AttackWatch
CorporatePiggy on February 4, 2013 at 2:38 PM
What if you use MS Paint? I see no WH restriction on that.
BobMbx on February 4, 2013 at 2:41 PM
The photo’s EXIF data is August 4th at 19:19;21. I don’t know how easy it is to doctor the info registered by the camera. I suppose one can go into the raw file and do it, but why then use that date and time?
He was enamored by the Olympics and talked about Rhode and Hancock winning their golds in skeet shooting in his radio address that day. He probably thought it was easy to shoot skeet and he was going to prove it to his narcissistic self. That he’s pointing at a level when he shot, rather than some apparent incline, indicates he was finding out that skeets are harder to track than he thought.
Dusty on February 4, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Seriously, the POTUS needed that pic as much as needed pics of him on that gooofy bicycle.
apostic on February 4, 2013 at 2:48 PM
Exactly. He plays golf “all the time” and we have hundreds of photos and videos of him doing just that.
Del Dolemonte on February 4, 2013 at 2:50 PM
I thought it was very gracious of the photographer to not get the teleprompter in the shot.
…
…
…
…
(***DO NOT SPEAK***- next phrase shouted)
…
…
…
…
PULL!
…
…
…
…
rogerb on February 4, 2013 at 2:52 PM
Lol Roger
+1. Well done
cmsinaz on February 4, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Photoshoppers Go Wild!
Bammy’s Got A Gun!
Bammy’s Got A Gun! – II
Resist We Much on February 4, 2013 at 3:11 PM
My favorites:
Who shot JR and more
The Rogue Tomato on February 4, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Releasing the photo at all smacks of desperation. It’s like a liberal claiming they’re not racist because they have, like, four black friends.
CurtZHP on February 4, 2013 at 4:22 PM
The “you’re not allowed to photoshop this” was the most desperate part about it. And it was also the part that motivated countless people to photoshop it
The Rogue Tomato on February 4, 2013 at 4:26 PM
Especially since taxpayers paid for Camp David, the gun, the ammunition, and the photographer…and the law, specifically, allows them to do what they are being told that they may not:
Resist We Much on February 4, 2013 at 4:47 PM
I rarely ever go to his ‘photos of myself’ site but I thought that notice on all his photos.
As I suggested on Erika’s post about Barry missing the budget deadline, we ought to phototshop every one of his photos mocking what he’s doing in them rather than working on the budget, until he gets the budget delivered to Congress.
Dusty on February 4, 2013 at 4:49 PM
[Resist We Much on February 4, 2013 at 4:47 PM]
True, but supposedly this is Barry’s personal photographer which, agin, I suppose he pays for himself and posts them on a webpage that he reimburses the government for. Who knows whether he actually does pay for it himself, or, at least, out of his campaign funds.
Dusty on February 4, 2013 at 4:52 PM
It was taken by Pete Souza, the current Chief WH photographer.
Resist We Much on February 4, 2013 at 5:27 PM