Friday at the Democratic National Committee’s 2015 Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama struck a highly partisan tone, laughing out loud at Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) suggesting the Republicans need to do more to reach out to minorities in inner cites and mocking Sarah Palin’s death panel warnings from five years ago.
The president said, “Now that their grand predictions of doom and gloom, death panels, Armageddon, haven’t come true, sky hasn’t fallen, Chicken Little is quiet. The new plan apparently of congressional Republicans, and this is progress, the new plan is to re-brand themselves as the party of the middle class. I’m not making this up.”
Centering in on Senator Paul, the president continued, “I’m glad they feel that way. Rand Paul, (laughter) no, Rand is an interesting guy, and Rand, (laughter) no, he is (laughter). And Rand Paul said the Republican party needs to show up on the south side of Chicago and shout at the top of its lungs that the GOP is the ticket to the middle class. I think that’s encouraging that he wants to go to the south side of Chicago (laughter). No, I want all, (laughter) I want parties to compete everywhere. I think that’s a good thing. and I was just home on the south side of Chicago yesterday and I guarantee you that Senator Paul would be welcome there. We are a friendly bunch. I mean, it is a little strange, people show up and start shouting at the top of their lungs, (laughter) but we are friendly and it would be okay. But I will say this, I am encouraged that they’re speaking about middle class and speaking about wages. But there’s this old saying that you can’t just talk the talk. You got to do what? You got to walk the walk.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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