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Bill Burton: Who does number two work for?
By: Julie Mason
Examiner White House Correspondent
10/23/09 3:44 PM EDT
"Boy, the moment when you lift off you really feel it, don't you?" (CBS)
Beltway Confidential loves when President Obama travels and deputy press secretary Bill Burton takes over briefing duties on Air Force One. The piquant verbal stylings of the affable Burton are refreshing change of pace from the dry podium banter of the Gibbsnotist. Burton was especially punchy this morning, as the presidential aircraft left Andrews Air Force Base for Boston.
Q: Can you talk about the opt-in versus opt-out public option? It seems like there's apparently a vote being taken as you and I speak this moment in a caucus in the House on all of this. Do you -- does the President believe that some sort of public option will be in both bills when they pass the floors? And does he favor some particular approach to the public option that he thinks is the most likely to pass?
MR. BURTON: This may surprise you, but the President didn't send his number two spokesperson to the back of the plane to roll out a new position on the public option today. (Laughter.) The President thinks that the public option is the best way to achieve choice and competition and bring down health care costs for the American people.
Burton, who has the rare distinction of once being called "smarmy" by Michelle Malkin, was a spokesman on Obama's campaign. He's also worked at the DCCC and for Richard Gephardt and John Kerry's presidential campaigns.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on this plane that apparently had the pilots fall asleep over Minneapolis?
MR. BURTON: I'm not going to speculate on any of that. I will just point you towards the FAA and the TSA.
Q: You're sure you don't have any thoughts?
MR. BURTON: I'm pretty sure I don't have any thoughts.
Burton is a favorite of cable TV bookers and has become more confident and able as an advocate for the president. He's the go-to for most White House reporters when Gibbs isn't around. Apparently, today is pink tie day in the Obama administration.
Q: Oh, one more question. Is the president wearing a pink tie for Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
MR. BURTON: Yes.
Q: And are you too?
MR. BURTON: Yes.
Q: So this is a coordinating strategy.
MR. BURTON: It is a comprehensive effort.
Q: We didn't get the memo.
MR. BURTON: Clearly. I see a lot of green and blue here in the press corps.
Today's flight to Boston, where Obama gave a speech about energy and business at MIT before headlining campaign events for Deval Patrick and Chris Dodd, also featured another familiar face from the 2008 campaign: David Plouffe, Obama's former campaign manager, who opted not to join the administration and is soon coming out with a book.
Q: Has the President read the book?
MR. BURTON: Oh, I don't know the answer to that.
Q: Could you check and find out?
MR. BURTON: Maybe.
You lookin' at me?
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