President Obama’s spokesman praised the Clint Eastwood Super Bowl ad for highlighting a significant fact about Obama’s auto company bailout, but denied any White House involvement in the ad’s development.
When NPR’s Mara Liasson asked if the White House views the ad as “an in-kind contribution from Clint Eastwood,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney ignored her question, but emphasized his approval of Eastwood’s message. “It does point out a simple fact, which is that the auto industry in this country was on its back, and potentially poised to liquidate three years ago,” Carney argued, explaining that “two important principles” motivated Obama’s intervention:
Carney also seemed to resist the idea that the ad aided Obama. “A company that has rebounded obviously wants to sell more cars, and that’s what advertising is about,” he said.
