R&B icon Aretha Franklin sounded off in defense of President Obama during her recent visit to Washington. Appearing Monday night, she performed some of her hits for friends of the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, who honored her with their Founder’s Award, and an iconic set of A-listers including Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson and Colin Powell.
In between performances by Chaka Kahn and Diane Reeves, off-stage the Queen of Soul defended Obama’s job performance and his handling of the economy. “He’s doing everything he can do — and that can be done — at this point in time,” she said.
Other stars were less enthusiastic about Obama’s job performance, with beatboxer Doug E. Fresh comparing his leadership style to a bad night at the club. “It’s like me being an MC — sometimes the mic don’t work. But I can’t stand there and tell the audience ‘Aw, the mic don’t work’. The audience don’t care.” Others were more balanced in spreading the blame, with “Tonight Show” bandleader Kevin Eubanks linking the president’s political problems with a bigger disorder. “We personify [national problems] in the body of one person … that makes us not responsible,” he said. “Because if it’s not his fault, then it’s our fault.”
