It’s not often you see President Obama’s spokesman, Jay Carney, agreeing wholeheartedly with Karl Rove. However, they’re both singing from the same song-sheet when it comes to Rick Perry’s recent remarks on Ben Bernanke.
As you know by now, the Texas Governor and (and possibly new GOP frontrunner) laid into the Fed chairman, calling his possible policy of quantitative easing, “treasonous.”
President George W Bush’s former elections guru, Karl Rove, bashed his statements early on Tuesday. Talking to Fox News, he pointed out: “If Rick Perry were to be elected President he’d be saddled with Ben Bernanke who has a term. He’s an independent chairman of the Federal Reserve board, appointed by President and confirmed by Congress and serves for a term and the President couldn’t even ask him to resign.”
Later in the day Jay Carney echoed these sentiments, telling ABC News:
“When you’re president or you’re running for president you have to think about what you’re saying because your words have greater impact. President Obama and we take the independence of the Federal Reserve very seriously and certainly think threatening the Fed chairman is probably not a good idea.”
Thomas Lane
Thomas Lane is an associate editor at Talking Points Memo. He previously produced and reported for the BBC from its UN Bureau in New York. He is a dual citizen of the US and the UK.
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